“Can you hear that on the tip of the wind? That’s the pre Christmas PS3 line-up galloping into view, and this year is a stonker. Just thinking that, before we break for the holiday, I will have finished Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, Arkham City, Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, Battlefield 3 and a few that I have forgotten makes my thumbs curl behind my fingers and beg for mercy. Which of that selection are you most looking forward to, or are you psyched about something completely different?

Here’s your recap:

• DUST 514 Interview: Changing Console Shooters Forever – The first-person shooter project connected to the vast sci-fi universe of PC MMO EVE Online is coming to PS3.
• Set Your Import Sights On Arcade Hits: Shienryu – Hope you’ve had a taste & are looking for more Japanese fun. Here’s the next game from the land of the rising yen!
• Gran Turismo 5 Update 2.0 Live & DLC Packs Confirmed – Functionality Update 2.0 is out now! So make sure you get online with your PS3 & load up GT5!
• An Important Message From Sony’s Chief Information Security Officer – Sony detected attempts on Sony Entertainment Network, PlayStation Network & Sony Online Entertainment (“Networks”) services.
• ‘Heads-Up’ Game Store Update 12th October 2011 – Some games & downloadable content for you to enjoy!
• Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken: From Flash To Full 3D On PS3 – The upcoming PSN game got a few egg-cellent upgrades while on the way to PS3!
• Assassin’s Creed Revelations: Your Questions Answered – You asked… Ubisoft answered! Got any more questions about ACR?
• PlayStation Home: Uncharted 3 Hits Home – Home gears up for the release of Uncharted 3 with a brand new space & game – Fortune Hunter!
• Frostbite 2 Ice Sculpture Promotes Battlefield 3 In OZ – Never before has there been a more appropriate ice sculpture…
• MUBI Update: 13 October 2011 – Some really exciting new films have been added to the MUBI platform.
• Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One – Trailer shows how players will have to work together! Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One launch is just a few days away.
• Uncharted 3 Access Event – Play Uncharted 3 before any other gamer in the UK & witness a live play through of the Desert Village level… TODAY!
• OKABU: The Co-op Adventure – Going a little deeper into the world of OKABU… less than a week to go until it launches!
• Access Episode 4 – A new episode of Access drops onto the PlayStation Store, bursting with HD gaming goodies.
• Uncharted 3 Treasure Hunt Video – Here is a short film we shot following the Uncharted 3 Treasure Hunt in Jordan!
• Arkham City Q&A: Rocksteady Answers Your Questions – With Arkham City just days away from its PS3 release, Rocksteady Studios answers your questions!
• The Weekend Debate: The Price is Right? – Does gaming give you good value for money?

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It can be a dark old world. The nights are drawing like a funereal veil and rarely a news bulletin passes without talk of bailouts, soaring unemployment and double-dip recessions. It’s almost enough to make you padlock your wallet and hibernate for the winter.

Yet we have our video games to take the chill off those long nights, but in times when purse strings are tight, can people afford to keep up with the latest hardware and software releases? The counter argument is that, for their investment, games provide their value in umpteen hours of entertainment for less than a night down the pub (and are more likely to improve hand-eye co-ordination). And, with a kaleidoscope of price ranges and payment models, even the thriftiest thrill-seeker can find their happy place.

This week’s debate questions is:

Does gaming give you good value for money?

To ease those financial pressures, I have 15 voucher codes for a three month PlayStation Plus subscription, offering a plethora of free games, exclusive features and discounts in PlayStation Store. Already a Plus subscriber? The three months will automatically be added to your existing subscription when you redeem the voucher code.

As always, our independent judge will select her 15 favourite comments and the codes will be sent out via private message over at http://community.eu.playstation.com.

Talk is cheap, but is gaming?

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It’s been mere months since I belatedly finished Batman: Arkham Asylum and learned what all the fuss was about. Now, with Arkham City just days away from its October 21st PS3 release, I jumped at a rare chance to speak with Game Director Sefton Hill from Rocksteady Studios. I solicited some of your best questions from Twitter and hopped on the phone with Mr. Hill to discuss a wide range of topics related to one of my most-anticipated games for 2011. Before you dive into the Q&A, get into the spirit by watching the new “Rogue’s Gallery” video below.

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You may remember last week I showed you photos from our Uncharted 3 Treasure Hunt in Jordan, where we took 20 competition winners from across the globe deep into the desert to compete in a series of challenges. Here is a short film we shot following their progress:

Congratulations to the winners and thanks to everyone that made such a fantastic trip happen. Here’s hoping all that sand has whetted your appetite for Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, which launches from November 2nd, only on PlayStation 3.

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It’s that time of the week again where a new episode of Access drops onto the PlayStation Store, bursting with HD gaming goodies. This week, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations goes under the Game of the Week spotlight, as Access takes an in-depth look at Ezio’s new range of stabby fighting moves.

There’s also the usual round up of hottest stories of the week, which includes an inside look at Toys for Bob’s awesome California studio – the developers behind Spyro’s latest adventure, Skylanders.

As ever there’s a look at the latest content on the PlayStation Store, which this week includes gothic multiplayer slasher, Castlevania: Harmony of Despair.

Other highlights include a visit to the recent Eurogamer Expo, plus you can enjoy some soothing video-game themed music courtesy of the talented folk from the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

To join in the fun visit Access on Facebook at facebook.com/playstationaccess, where you can catch extra video content and sign up for future live events.

Don’t forget you can download the latest episode of Access every Wednesday on the PlayStation Store, free for all UK users. If you live elsewhere then worry not, every episode is uploaded to YouTube on Fridays, meaning you can watch Access wherever you are.

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