Shin Megami Tensai: Persona 3 was well on track to come out today (July 25th) right up until Monday (the 23rd), when it was discovered that the included art book ran into some printing issues.  Finding out two days before shipping that a major part of the package isn't ready to go can't be a pleasant experience, and the end result is that, though the game is complete, the ship date is now August 14.  The choice was either abandon all extras to ship on time or wait a couple of weeks, and I'm glad to see that Atlus didn't hesitate to make the right choice.  It's been eight years since Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, after all, and three weeks is barely a blip on the radar in comparison. Just try not to think about the summer gaming withdrawal and it'll all be ok.

Thank you for calling the PlayStation tipline!

12-year old PlayStation fan Ammon Bricker got more than he bargained for after calling a Sony tipline to help him get past a particularly challenging part of Ratchet and Clank. Turns out Sony had abandoned the tipline two years ago (probably when they realized, as little Ammon should have, that a Google search is quicker and cheaper) and the number was now in the hands of a tawdry phone sex service. Ammon's mother, Margo Myers, did what any responsible parent would do and immediately called Sony to give them hell. After all, it's no longer Sony's number so they must be responsible for whoever has it now, right? According to Ms. Myers the whole event "has been stressful on both her and her son." Oh, please. The kid's only stressed out because he's been on the news and now all his friends know he needs to call 900 numbers because he can't get past the third Invinco-Lock at the Gemlik base. Everyone knows the code is Right 6, Right 4, Right 3. And what kind of mother let's a twelve year-old play a T-rated game anyway? I bet she'd even let her 16 year old son play an M-rated game! Can you imagine the scandal? What is this country coming to!? Don't anyone tell the ESRB about this or they're liable to re-rate Ratchet and Clank as an Adults Only title. As it is, every game in the series sports a sexual innuendo as a subtitle. That deserves an M-rating at least, no? The sad part is, I'm only half kidding. [ KNDU News via Game|Life]

Not to rest on their laurels with the super-awesome MLB 2K7, the folks at 2K Sports have announced today the their brand-new baseball title The BIGS has gone gold today and will officially be shipping next week (June 26th to be exact).

Sporting a completely different take on major league baseball video games, The BIGS is an over-the-top, fast-paced experience heavy on speed and power ups. Are you thinking “this is just Slugfest ‘07?” Well, don’t. The producers have emphatically stated that they do not consider the game based at all upon that franchise. Which is good - believe you me.

You can check out our preview here very soon, based upon my chat with the game’s developers today. In the meantime, you can be assured that the game looks incredibly interesting, especially considering the wide variety of platforms on which it will appear. It’ll hit the next generation (Xbox 360 and PS3), current generation (PS2), waggle generation (Wii), and handheld generation (PSP).

The follow-up to the hyper violent Manhunt got a crowbar to the face today in both England and America. First up, the British Board of Film Certification refused to rate Manhunt 2, making it illegal to be sold anywhere in the UK. A few hours later the ESRB slapped an AO on it, meaning very few retailers will stock it.

Needless to say, Rockstar isn’t too thrilled, and it’s not hard to understand why. The Saw and Hostel movies got by with R ratings, but the second a controller is involved it turns to the equivalent of NC-17? Manhunt 2 is clearly not a game for kids (or me, for that matter), and it’s going to be a bizarre, disturbing experience. Is the content worthy of being banished from the store shelves, though? It’s hard to say, not having played it, but I have my doubts.

Rockstar is currently checking into its options, arguing with the ESRB, and trying to get its game out there for its July 10th on-sale date. Will Manhunt 2 get hacked into something more M-worthy? Will the UK and US have to import the game from mainland Europe to see it in its true form? It’s a mystery, but we’ll let you know as details develop.

Stand up! The Art of Fighting Anthology was just the beginning. SNK Playmore USA has decided to roll out some more hard-hitting SNK history with the announcement of the Fatal Fury Battle Archives: Volume 1. The original Fatal Fury was the very first 2D fighter I ever had the pleasure to play in the arcade, so I’ve got a pretty strong attachment to Terry, Andy, and Joe, seeking to take down the king of all badasses, Geese Howard. While everyone else was practicing their hadokens, I was grinding joysticks to master the Buster Wolf. How it’s held up over the years, I can’t say for sure yet, but I’m eager to find out.

Coming this Summer, you’ll be getting Fatal Fury 1, 2, and Special on the Playstation 2. If we also get volume 2 (featuring the Real Bout series) later on I just might need a vacation, and if the rumors of King of Fighters XI coming to our shores are true…well, I’ll buy it all over again as a start. Then I’ll probably die of 2D fighting bliss.