Light-hearted spoof aimed at Rockstar's hottest release of the year.

Although I've played previous GTA installments in the past, this will probably be the first one I plan to play through completion. Blame it on my addiction to achievements. Anyways, I can't think of any gamer on the planet who isn't eager to get their hands on GTA4, set to release next week on April 29th.

If you're not even the least bit excited, when's the last time you checked your pulse? Anyways, in lieu of this highly anticipated release, the folks at Crackle have published a short parody sketch which takes a few innocent pot shots at GTA4. Get the inside look at what goes on at a mo-cap company trying to move up in the corporate world and… well, you'll have to watch the clip to find out more.

GTA4 is in all our hearts…

We tried to embed the video but due to technical difficulties (sorry!), you'll have to settle for the good 'ol fashioned link which can be accessed here. Enjoy and have a great weekend folks!

Now this is how you fix a mistake.

Okami is one of the prettiest games available, but the Wii version shipped with a blemish right on the front cover.  By Amaterasu's mouth you can plainly see an IGN watermark, complete with compass and logo.  Even worse, a quick scan at my local Gamestop the other day showed that the preview box art had it on there too, meaning there was plenty of time to catch and fix this error.  Oops!

It was a silly error, and Capcom is manning up to it with free replacement covers for all.  Head on over to Capcom's website to snag one of three different covers for your game, free for the asking and no receipt necessary.  One is the original art and back cover copy without that pesky watermark or unsightly Play Magazine score, but the other two are full wraparound art without even a Wii logo to mar them.  Prettify your Wii copy or replace the original PS2 cover, they're system agnostic.

While you're indulging in appreciation for Okami's amazing style, it's worth dropping in to Okami Art for a look around.  The art book they're promoting is pretty tempting.

I'd like to order some perspective.

It's been a good six weeks since the Echochrome demo hit the Japanese PSN marketplace and, after tweaking it six ways from Sunday, it's finally good enough for the US.  The full game is going to take just a bit longer to hit, but the demo offers the smallest taste of the puzzle-y goodness in store.

Echochrome is a game about perspective.  It tells you that what you see is what actually is, playing with the idea of 3D space as represented on a 2D screen.  A mannequin walks along a path suspended in air, but it's a broken path filled with holes, dead ends, and even a few trampolines.  Navigating Echochrome's twists and turns looks impossible at first, as the mannequin mindlessly walks forward in a straight line and only turns when coming to an edge or corner, and your only tool is the camera.  Who knew that perspective is one of the most powerful tools ever created, aside from maybe Anton Ego?

As the camera moves, parts of the path align get covered up or even seem to connect, and what you see is what's really there.  You know there's a gap but it's blocked by a column, so the mannequin cheerfully strolls past it without breaking stride.  One path is 20 feet up and 30 feet across from another, but the angle of view connects their ends so it's an easy step from one to the other without a second thought.  The paths only look like a 3D structure, and Echochrome is more than happy to use that misconception to mess with your head.

The demo is five tiny tutorials and three levels, and both the PSP and PS3 versions are available for download right this very moment.  It weighs in at a tiny 34MB, small enough that it shouldn't be too difficult to find the time to snag it.  Check it out, the demo is well worth the look.

And for those curious, check out the PC original freeware here.

The community service beta gets pushed back to 3rd Qtr.

SCEA reports that the participants looking forward to beta testing their virtual community service known as HOME will have to wait till this Fall.  "We understand that we are asking PS3 and prospective PS3 users to wait a bit longer, but we have come to the conclusion that we need more time to refine the service to ensure a more focused gaming entertainment experience than what it is today," said Kazuo Hirai, President and Group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

"Our overarching objective is to provide users with new gaming experiences that are available only on PLAYSTATION Home. Spending more time on the development and on the Closed Beta testing reaffirms our commitment to bringing a quality service, maintaining the PlayStation(R) tradition."

The HOME project has been a very ambitious project created to give the PS3 some added appeal that's been lacking since the console's debut. Once available, gamers can look forward to a rich, fun interactive community environment that will incorporate social networking, gamer achievements, leaderboards and more. Details of the Closed Beta testing features, registration for the test and the service will be announced as they become available.

Rock is BACK.

Ok, actually it never left, but let's roll with the theme here. GotNext is pleased to announce a new exciting cross promotion with The Rockvine: The Loudest Buzz Online. This is an all new destination site dedicated to giving you breaking news and cutting edge content from today's hottest artists. The site will also be loaded with exclusive videos, opinions, band features and much more! Anyone who's looking to get up-to-minute details of the rock lifestyle will wanna bookmark this site.

Today marks the official launch of The Rockvine which will be the ONLY online resource offering exclusive media and news for Crue Fest, the most anticipated festival in rock! The keyword here being "exclusive" content with the Crue Fest bands (featuring Motely Crue, Trapt, Buckcherry, Papa Roach, and SIXX A.M.), updates of the nationwide tour and everything in between. Did I mention you won't find it anywhere else? K, good.

Visitors can also look forward to select content, courtesy of GotNext on the latest gaming releases that appeal to the rock community including but not limited to Harmonix's Rock Band and subsequent DLC releases, first-person shooter games, and other relevant genres. (Those just happen to be the biggest).

Be sure to check out the press conference which took place earlier this evening at 7PMEST / 4PM PST to hear the special announcement from Motley Crue ESPECIALLY if you want tickets to attend Crue Fest. I repeat - if you want tickets - the only way to secure some is to visit therockvine.com! Stay tuned for more details!