Homelaunched just last week, and the initial reports are … well, they’re notoutright praise. In face, so far it seems thatHome‘s primary use is tosimulate oral sexand run around saying how “dumb” everything is. Nevertheless, Sony is optimistic, justifying all the resources sunk into its pet projectby claimingit will become a reason to buy a PS3. Obviously Sony is hoping to reap in cash from companies willing to associate themselves with the software, but Dan Hill, SCEE service manager, thinks it will benefit the company far more than that....

The Burned Man was one ofFallout: New Vegas‘ more interesting characters, even if you only ever heard legends about the poor guy. He’s involved with the game’s second add-on pack,Honest Hearts, which is out now for Xbox 360 and PC. This downloadable content takes place in the stunning Zion National Park, which is a good fit for the aforementioned character and, more broadly,Fallout. If you’re wondering about the PlayStation Network version, it’s been pushed back,according to Bethesda....

Although the vice president of GameTap hadrecently statedthat things were going great despite the entire editorial team being laid off, it looks like parent company Turner Broadcasting System didn’t share a similarly positive outlook, as it has reportedly decided to sell off the online game service. A financial report from Time Warner (the parent parent company of GameTap) released today stated that, “The current year quarter included an $18 million noncash impairment of GameTap as a result of Turner’s decision to sell its online videogame business....

Viz Media has announced that they will publish author Miyuki Miyabe’s novelICO: Castle in the Mist, on August 16th. The new book will be published by the company’s Haikasoru imprint and will carry an MSRP of $15.99. It is based on the beautiful PS2 game of the same name. As you know, that game is about to be released as a PS3 HD remaster. Miyabe says that she was inspired by the game’s atmosphere....

[Update: In before total Internet meltdown — this trailer is apparently a few months old, and therefore it’s like I have unearthed a sarcophagus. In my defense, theVimeo versionof the trailer went live 12 hours ago, which was my original source. To make matters worse, the video actually made its way to our website four months ago. Boy, there’s some egg on my face! But look, I’m leaving it here because it’s awesome, and I suspect a lot of folks haven’t already seen it....

In news that isn’t shocking on the face of things, but is still a big deal, Sony has acquired PS3-exclusive developer Sucker Punch. None of you are surprised, but all of you recognize this is news. Isn’t that weird? Sucker Punch is best known forinFAMOUSandSly Cooper, with both properties exclusive to Sony consoles. It’ll become the sixteenth member of SCE Worldwide Studios and Sony’s Foster City Studio will join current management in running the company....

It’s a well known fact that if you head over to Japan the chances of walking into a house with a 360 in it are far slimmer than in the states. However, sales aren’t everything. Actually, yes they are if you’re a company like Microsoft who desperately wants to break into the market, but bragging about their customer satisfaction being number one can’t hurt anything. In a recent poll conducted byASCII Media WorksJapanese consumers were asked to rate systems in six different categories: Value for money, variety of interesting software, quality of visuals, external design, size/weight of console, and number of acquaintances who also owned the console....

Existing almost entirely on the Internet lends me a lot of free time during which I can scour the web, decry the death of my innocent, carefree childhood and drink until I can’t remember what year it is. Occasionally, all three of those pastimes come together in a glorious anachronistic explosion, and I come across something like the above video: a JapanesePhantasy StarIVad, courtesy ofSega-16’smedia teat. “But Nex, now we have fancy consoles capable of predicting the future and not electrocuting us when we bathe with them!...

This just in:Celebrity–turned–fugitive, Joseph Leray, has been captured on his college campus in Mississippi. Sources tell FOXTOID that Leray was apprehended by authorities (his girlfriend) on the way home from a morning class, and promtly removed from the premises. FOXTOID man on the scene, Geraldo Beedog, tells us that a swift decision has been made by the Mississippi state judicial system (his girlfriend) to rehabilitate Leray rather than punish him for his involvement in this scandal....

Yesterday, Konami issued some papers and officially sued Harmonix for patent violations. The claim is thatRock Band’sinstruments and visual feedback interface hit a little too close to patents created by Konami back in 2002 and 2003. Unfortunately for Konami, suing won’t make the images ofDrummaniago away. According toBloomberg: Konami is demanding cash compensation, plus an order that would block Viacom and Harmonix from using the inventions, according to the complaint, filed yesterday in federal court in Marshall, Texas....

Media Molecule head honcho Alex Evans doesn’t want to abandon theLittleBigPlanetcommunity when the studio starts work onLBP 2. In a recent interview, Evans stated that he wants to bring over user-created levels from the original to the inevitable sequel — something he dubbed as “backwards compatibility.” But it might not be so innocent: Evans suggested that Sony or Media Molecule could charge people for the pleasure to play the created levels....

A batch of new details onSoulCalibur V(viaSokuho) were divulged by producer Hisaharu Tago toFamitsu. The star of this installment isPatroklos, the son of Sophitia. It’s currently ten percent complete, meaning much of the information is appropriately vague. The hope is to matchSoulCalibur IV‘s character count, with new, old, and guest characters planned. Tago teased that there are and there aren’t changes to the gameplay systems, which can be taken a number of ways....

In a move that will stir the heart and pants of any true-blooded Sony fan, Media Molecule has announced that this Thursday will see the arrival of a Team ICO pack inLittleBigPlanet, including stickers, items and costumes based on the studio’s classic PlayStation 2 games,ICOandShadow of the Colossus. Tomorrow, Media Molecule will be showing off theColossusside of the pack, but today it has shared with us some new Sackboy costumes that will allow LittleBigPlanet players to create their very own Ico or Yorda....