Every month, Sony offers an EXE file they call the "Content Pack" which contains a variety of files, like videos, music and wallpapers for your PSP. This month is no different. Coming out halfway through the month seems a little lame, especially considering how it offers you a calendar. Oh well. This month's content pack features tons of still improperly-formatted, non-anamorphic video (WHY???!!!) of the poorly-reviewed Gangs of London, ATV Offroad Fury Pro, Killzone: Liberation, and various PS2 games.
There's other stuff, like some excellent fan-created Killzone: Liberation wallpapers, made by GAP members. There's also a nice treat for Loco Roco fans, featuring a single minute of abruptly cut music. Damn you Sony! Why must you tease us like that!
Kids these days enjoy blowing up stuff. YouTube is filled with kids pretending to be cool by destroying things that they bought with their parents' hard-earned money. Here are two videos that act as proof that Americans really aren't the brightest people in the world. The first video features a kid blowing up Gangs of London (with firecrackers). This is somewhat forgiveable, maybe even acceptable, considering how awful that game is.
The second video truly frightens me. We've seen our share of PSPs being destroyed, but there's something truly hideous about the genuine glea these kids seem to be exhibiting. The video's after the cut, and features some harsh language.
Gangs of London is the biggest release for PSP this week. Sony's been hyping the game through extensive advertisements and elaborate contests. They even printed tons of demos so that people would pick up, play and think "man, this game is a winner." Unfortunately, the plan backfired as I got tons of comments from readers trashing the game. Chris Powell asked me what I thought and I called it "laughably bad." It looks like our negative first impressions of the game were right as the game has been ridiculed by critics the world over. Let's check out some reviews from all over the world:
Pocket Gamer UK (40/100) - "Don't put Gangs of London on anyone's Christmas list. Whether it's stealth, driving or shooting, the game feels limited and unengaging, is hampered by unresponsive controls and completely lacks the necessary polish of a modern production."
Sydney Morning Herald (60/100) - "With such clumsy controls, the limited intelligence of both friends and foes, and a lack of mission variety, most players would have a lot more fun with GTA Liberty City Stories."
GameZone (50/100) - "Gangs of London is a pretty dull game that can border on frustrating due to the clunky controls, lame missions and weak AI. Definitely more 'Swept Away' than 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'."
I'm somewhat disappointed at how this game turned out. If Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories wasn't around the corner, I'd be pretty upset.
The UK branch of Sony seems to have a lot of fun. This unique promotion for Gangs of London encourages you to find clues hidden in the real world to find a real diamond worth £10,000! This has the potential to be a heck of a lot cooler than the actual game itself. You're going to have to go to Nick the Diamond's website to register and start the hunt.
It appears that Sony's been making a lot of demo UMDs lately. The Killzone: Liberation UMD seems to be sent to random PlayStation Underground members and will also be available on newsstands in the next Official US PlayStation Magazine. But there are two more UMD demos to be clamoring for now: Gangs of London, which we assumed would no longer arrive after the game's website stopped taking orders for demos. SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 2's demo UMD can be secured by pre-ordering the game at GameStop. That seems a little dumb (aren't demos supposed to help uninterested people in purchasing the game?) but maybe you can hassle your local GameStop employee to give you a disc for free, sans pre-order.
Every month, Sony offers an EXE file they call the "Content Pack" which contains a variety of files, like videos, music and wallpapers for your PSP. This month is no different. This pack arrives late as usual (so I guess mid-month is the new time for these things), this month's content pack features an explosive FlatOut 2 (PS2) trailer. In addition, you'll get some really hot Gangs of London wallpapers (pictured), Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters wallpapers, and the World Tour Soccer 2 demo. But, be warned: the media on this month's pack is formatted for PSP users that have 2.80 firmware or above.
As evidenced by the numerous YouTube videos of people playing "complete" versions of the upcoming Gangs of London, a leaked ISO of the game has been making the rounds on the internet. Stealing is wrong, and Sony spokesperson David Wilson wants you to remember that:
"We are wholly opposed to game piracy. Even if people have no sympathy for games developers losing money (though in the end that damages our industry and hurts gamers) - there are proven links that exist between counterfeiting and organised crime and that has some serious consequences (and victims) that people should give due consideration."
There you have it. Downloading an illegal copy of Gangs of London may, in fact, help criminals. But, if Senator Lieberman is right, playing games like Gangs of London will turn you into a criminal anyways.
Gangs of London seems like it'll be the next big hit Sony will be hyping for the PSP system. They're already offering free UMD demos of the game, and now this new lengthy gameplay video has surfaced. It shows some of the cooler features of the game, like the command system, where you can have a fellow squad gang member follow your bidding. You might notice that the game map appears to be huge, and the graphics seem like they're on-par, if not better, than Liberty City Stories. The video seems to show off some clunky controls, so hopefully that'll be fixed before this game debuts in November.
Sony's official Gangs of London website doesn't have too much on it right now. It only has two things: an absolutely amazing trailer and a completely free UMD demo disc. All you need to do in order to grab a demo of this incredible looking Grand Theft Auto clone original game is stop by the site and have an official PlayStation.com account, which I'm sure you guys already have.
It's official: the PSP will be getting its
own city-based thug title later on this year when Gangs of London hits the market. This isn't the first time
we've heard about the handheld version of The Getaway, but Sony has made the claim anyway. The title sounds
similar to GTA, complete with hooligans and the ability to roam freely around the city with characters toting
weapons, vehicles, and (not surprisingly) police levels. Get your thug on and assail innocent civilians with proper
English in complete disregard.
Mini-games, gang battles, city-wide scale of criminal activity... smells a
bit like Tommy Vercetti in London. However it's far too early to pass judgment, so keep your eyes peeled for more
information regarding this title as the launch date approaches.
Gangs of London is the 
As evidenced by the numerous 
Sony's 
