158w ago - Today JustPushStart.com (linked above) has confirmed that Lost Planet 2 for PlayStation 3, which arrives next week, requires a mandatory 4.61GB PS3 HDD installation.

Hopefully this means the next installment won't be as sluggish as the PlayStation 3 port of Lost Planet: Extreme Condition.

The story takes place back on E.D.N. III 10 years after the events of the first game. The snow has melted to reveal jungles and more tropical areas that have taken the place of more frozen regions.

The game will center on an ongoing civil war to gain T-ENG (Thermal-ENerGy). The player(s) will assume control of several different factions such as Yuri's Snow Pirates, NEVEC (NEo-VEnus Construction) and many other groups battling the Akrid, a race of large insects native to E.D.N. III.

The Akrid have expanded their armies and return much more powerful in Lost Planet 2.

For those curious, Capcom's Lost Planet 2 will arrive on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows in North America and Europe on May 11, 2010 and in Japan on May 20, 2010.

To quote: "Mandatory installation for PS3 games released by Capcom has been a trend lately. We've been forced to do mandatory installations for games such as Devil May Cry 4 and Resident Evil 5.

You can now add Lost...

160w ago - Today Andriasang.com (linked above) reports that Sony has started a 250GB PS3 HDD upgrade service in Japan for those who are seeking to swap their current PlayStation 3 hard disk drive for a fee.

For the price of ¥18,000 (~$184), Japanese gamers can to send their PS3 directly to Sony who will upgrade the system's hard drive to a 250GB model, and move all the content of the previous drive across. They'll then send your system (and old PS3 hard drive) back to you.

To quote: "For ¥18,000 (~$184), Sony will upgrade your current PS3 to a 250 gigabyte hard drive. The cost includes the hard drive and all labor for swapping the drives and moving over your system software and all content from your current hard drive. Sony will even return the current hard drive to you.

The program works with the following PS3 models:

• CECHA00 (60GB)
• CECHB00 (20GB)
• CECHH00 (40GB)
• CECHL00 (80GB)
• CECHQ00 (160GB)
• CECH-2000A (120GB)

For further details, including a step-by-step guide to placing an order and shipping out your PS3, see Sony's hard drive swap service page."

160w ago - Today Examiner.com (linked above) reports that Record of Agarest War is hitting PSN this Thursday, however, they note it will require nearly 10GB of PS3 HDD space to install and close to 18GB of hard disk drive space to begin the download.

To quote: "PS3 owners will have the ability to purchase the game via PSN and download it right to their PS3 for safe storage. If you plan to buy it from the PSN Store this week, be prepared for a lengthy download and huge file size.

Record of Agarest War for the PS3 totals at 9228MB, but you'll need close to 18GB of space to begin the download. This download will take gamers a long time to complete - with it ranging based on your own connection speed.

At this moment, the estimated time for the download is a few hours on our connection."

168w ago - According to Ve3tro.com, Final Fantasy XIII is confirmed to have an optional 18.3GB XBox 360 HDD installation for those curious.

To quote: "Just in case you've been planning to get Final Fantasy XIII on the 360, here's some info that will help you with playing the game on the console - the size of each discs' optional install.

The three of them sum up into 18.3GB, as you can see. I'd say the option of installing your games is one of the finest features the 360 offers, cutting load times and reducing disc scratches to a zero, since the DVD drive doesn't spin at all if the game is installed... and now that you know how much space each disc takes up, manage your HDD space accordingly."

172w ago - Unlike Heavy Rain, the recently released back boxart from GameStop for God Of War III reveals that just 5MB of PS3 HDD Space is required for game save functionality only as confirmed by Christer Ericson.

Other God Of War III PlayStation 3 exclusive details unveiled include Add-On Content, 1080i support, Mature rating (Intense Violence, Nudity and Strong Sexual Content) and "Making Of" Documentaries.

To quote: "As seen on the back cover, God of War III will support three resolutions: 480P, 720P and 1080i.

Furthermore, 5 MB of hard drive space is required. It also states that the game will have Add-On Content, Challenge of Olympus, "Making of" Documentaries and other features."

God Of War III for PS3 is currently available on pre-order for $59.99 and will begin shipping on March 16, 2010.