PSN's flights of fancy and fantasy

With PlayStation Network you can skate, snowboard and even take a trip to Middle Earth. Find out how with these new downloads for The Lord of the Rings: Conquest, Skate 2 and more.

Skate or die

The Skate revolution continues with this demo where you can hone your skills before the full game of Skate 2 hits PLAYSTATION 3. Rip around Slappy's skate park, move objects to create spots, take on a new set of tasks and compete against up to four friends in the bone breaking Hall of Meat challenge. Up the ante and feel the grit of skateboarder culture, both on and off the board.

Lord have mercy

Exploring Middle Earth has just got even more in-depth with this developer's diary of The Lord of the Rings: Conquest. Get a closer look at some of the fun to be had playing as the forces of evil as the Creative Director provides some insight into how the all-new evil campaign came about. What if Frodo had failed? Find out here...

Dead set

Download this Dead Space Dismemberment Demo to get a taste of one the most intense and visceral game experiences of 2008. As Engineer Isaac Clarke, strategically dismember the Necromorph hordes as you carve a bloody path to survival in Electronic Arts' fearsome survival horror. Do you have what it takes to live through the horrors of Dead Space?

Shaun's show

Enjoyed Shaun White's Snowboarding? Then Ubisoft's action sport title now has a giant snowball of extras for you to jump on to and ride, with three downloadable packs. The Mile High Pack offers you some new gear and a brand new mountain to glide down, while The Hard Pack also brings with it a fresh mountain along with two new competitions and five new side quests. Finally, The Freebie Pack adds a totally free range of clothing and gear.

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A demonstration of Evil

Resident Evil 5 is making its zombie-like arrival on PLAYSTATION 3 - and now you can get a taste of the survival horror epic in a new demo on PlayStation Network.

Those looking to get their hands on Capcom's highly anticipated action adventure extravaganza, Resident Evil 5, should look no further than PSN - as a free demo will be available to download in February, one month before the game is released.

On Monday, February 2, 2009, registered PSN users worldwide will be able to download three levels of the survival horror title, offering a range of co-operative options for you to play. Once downloaded, you'll have the chance to enjoy Resident Evil 5 in single player with a computer controlled partner at your side, in two player split screen mode or with an online friend across PSN. With its brilliant blend of horror and action, you'll roam around a mysterious and dangerous African village where a deadly virus has taken hold.

Resident Evil 5 is due for release in March 2009. Download this demo and prepare yourself for a terrifyingly good experience.

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All eyes on GT Academy winners

Schlömer and Ordóñez prepare for a thrilling climax to their racing adventure: the TOYO Tires 24h of Dubai endurance race.

When German taxi driver Lars Schlmer and Spanish student Lucas Ordez bought their copies of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, they were unaware of the incredible journey that lay before them.

Ten months on, they line up alongside legends of motoring and compete as racing drivers in the TOYO Tires 24h of Dubai endurance race, all thanks to GT Academy. The pan-European search for undiscovered talent began on PlayStation Network, with 25,000 PLAYSTATION 3 owners competing to set the fastest lap around the Eiger Norwand course. The quickest in each country, as decided by National Final events across Europe, were invited to Silverstone in England to prove their skills behind the wheel of a real Nissan GT-R, and when the final chequered flag fell, Schlmer and Ordez claimed their places on the Nissan PlayStation Race Team.

Driving alongside them on the team is British Formula One legend Johnny Herbert, who has a wealth of experience in endurance racing, having won the famous Le Mans 24 Hours in 1991. Completing the team are Alex Buncombe, a driver with considerable experience in the Nissan 350Z GT4 race car that the team will be using, and GT Academy head of driving, Rob Barff.

In its fourth year, the TOYO Tires 24h of Dubai is growing in esteem among the racing community and, as a result, the Nissan PlayStation Race Team will have a strong international line-up of competitors to deal with, not to mention the gruelling distance and searing Persian Gulf heat. Competitors include German touring car stalwarts Roland Asch and Kurt Thiim in the Besaplast Racing Team's Porsche 997 and Chinese GP2 driver Ho Pin Tung, who will take his seat in the Mosler MT900 GT3 run by Gravity Racing of Luxembourg.

In preparation, Schlmer and Ordez have been competing in events across the UK, earning their racing licenses and getting to grips with a range of Nissan racing cars. "It's going to be a tough race and I have much to work on before January," Schlmer told eu.playstation.com. "I need to improve my fitness in order to race for longer periods and I need more time in the Nissan 350Z GT4. Everything is going to be new for me in Dubai: my first international race, a new style of racing and a new car."

It has been quite a year for the two drivers in-training; their racing dreams have been taken from the virtual world of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue and made real by GT Academy. However they fare in Dubai, nobody can deny that they have made magnificent progress in just 10 months, and with the guidance of Johnny Herbert and the support of the Nissan PlayStation team, they have every chance of leaving a lasting impression on the racing community.

For more information on GT Academy and live coverage of the TOYO Tires 24h of Dubai from January 9, 2009, head to granturismoworld.com.

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PlayStation Prize Draw winners announced

Find out who were the lucky winners in the latest round of PlayStation Prize Draws which took place in December 2008.

All PLAYSTATION 3, PSP and PlayStation 2 owners that have registered their system are entered into the PlayStation Prize Draws, which takes place at regular three month intervals.

The latest draws were made in December 2008; read on to find out who were the big winners.

PLAYSTATION 3 Prize Draw

1st Prize (40-inch HD Ready television):

Benoit Hamann (France)

PSP Prize Draw

1st Prize (PLAYSTATION 3 system):

Tobias Feldmann (Germany)

PlayStation 2 Prize Draw

1st Prize (PSP system):

Alberto Avila (Spain)

To join the fun, and be in with a chance of winning some great prizes, register your system now.

Note:

No purchase route also availableWinners will be contacted to confirm postal address before prizes are sent outActual prizes may differ from the models shownView full terms and conditions at eu.playstation.com



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Win VIP tickets to the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final

To celebrate the launch of the FIFA 09 PSP-3000 bundle, you and a friend could be at the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final in Rome.

Imagine the sun setting over the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, listening to your favourite music as expectant football supporters gather for the most important match in European club football.

As kick-off looms, you check the latest team news online and chat with friends back home to remind them of how jealous they are. You and your best friend finish a game of FIFA 09 just in time to enter the stadium and bask in one of the most auspicious sporting events on the globe.

PSP-3000 launches with a special FIFA 09 bundle in October 2008, and to celebrate, we're giving away two tickets to the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final in Rome, including flights, transfers, two nights of accommodation and entry to the PlayStation corporate hospitality area at the Stadio Olimpico.

PSP-3000 has a brighter screen and a built-in microphone; ideal for playing games, watching movies and keeping in touch with friends using Skype and Go!Messenger. It's the perfect travel companion, so make sure you have yours with you if you're lucky enough to win this fantastic trip to one of Europe's most beautiful cities.

Head to pspfootballvip.com and enter your details to be in with a chance of winning.

Buona fortuna!

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The PlayStation Picture Quiz

The PlayStation Picture Quiz

Test your knowledge of PlayStation games with this fun picture quiz.

From the Escher-like archways of Ico to the sinister stare of Helghast eyes on Killzone, PlayStation games have provided stunning box art over the years.

Test your gaming memory with this picture quiz. Twenty-four classic front covers have been strategically cropped to veil their identity; simply enter the name of the game in the text box below each image and either press enter on your keyboard or click the button to the right of the text box to see if you are correct.

You can click on the Save progress button at the bottom of the page to store your answers should you wish to return to them at a later date, and you can visit the PlayStation forums to get help.

Click here for The PlayStation Picture Quiz

Have fun!

Lucas Ordóñez shines in Dubai

The GT Academy winner produced a flawless drive amidst trying circumstances in the TOYO Tires 24h of Dubai endurance race.

British racing legend Johnny Herbert described the TOYO Tires 24h of Dubai endurance race as “a weekend of disappointments and great achievements” for the Nissan PlayStation racing team, in which he drove alongside GT Academy winner Lucas Ordóñez. “Lucas did brilliantly, producing a mistake-free drive under big pressure. He has achieved everything we had hoped from him and proved that it is possible to make the transition from virtual racing to the real thing.”

As Lucas’s confidence grew and his lap times improved, it was difficult to believe that just four months ago, the only racing cars he was driving were in Gran Turismo 5 Prologue on PLAYSTATION 3. Many people at the event were surprised at how comfortable he has made the transition from virtual to reality, but not Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi.

“It is a dream come true for me to see my game develop a real racing driver,” he said. “I have been hoping for it to happen for ten years.”

“Lucas’s performance has been excellent, but I would expect that from a driver trained using Gran Turismo. I haven’t had much time to watch him drive but he is very calm and never seems to worry. I always believed that someone good at GT could drive as fast as a professional; in fact, I think that they could even go faster.”

Lucas, who had the honour of guiding the Nissan 350Z GT4 racing car over the finish line, beamed as his teammates and family crowded around him. However, earlier that weekend, the team had more than its fair share of setbacks. Firstly, they had to make the difficult decision of withdrawing the second GT Academy winner, Lars Schlömer, from the race for safety reasons. He missed crucial practise sessions due to illness and it was decided that he had not enough experience, particularly of driving at night, to take on a gruelling endurance event.

In a statement to the assembled media, Darren Cox, Interactive Marketing Manager of Nissan Europe said: “The Nissan PlayStation team have assessed the situation prior to Dubai and have made the decision that Lars is not quite ready to join the team on the track for the final race.”

Then, when the race was underway, a series of mechanical faults saw the car spending too long in the pits, undermining the fantastic driving of Lucas, Johnny Herbert, Rob Barff and Alex Buncombe. The first setback occurred when a piece of debris jumped up from the track and damaged the power steering system, causing fluid to leak onto the exhaust, resulting in a dense plume of smoke.

Then, Lucas got behind the wheel for the first of his four 90 minute sessions of driving. He got off to a flying start but was hampered by a puncture on lap 36. Every time the Nissan PlayStation team caught up with their rivals, another freak incident would condemn them to the pits. As night fell, they were involved in a collision with another car, damaging the rear suspension and costing five laps.

The second 12 hours went far more smoothly and as the searing Persian Gulf heat dropped, so did lap times as the drivers settled into a rhythm. Gradually, they climbed the leaderboard but the distance between them and the eventual winners was too great, so the Nissan PlayStation team had to settle for 45th place overall and ninth in their class.