Finally I wanted to give some early “Thanks” to our readers that voted in the Mashable Open Web Awards call for entries – we made it into the final list of nominees for Best Corporate Blog. Now, if you wouldn’t mind casting a final vote for us, we’ll have that much more to be thankful for this week.

The PS Blog weekly reading list (Week of November 16, 2009)

• NobyNobyBoy: Jupiter Here We Are! – PSN Stores
• Black Friday: Wal-Mart has a great PS3 bundle – Destructoid
• Unleashing creativity with PS3-exclusive ModNation Racers – Destructoid
• Make Your Netflix Disc Feel At Home, PS3 Users – Kotaku
• By Popular Demand: MAG Beta Extended- Official MAG Blog
• ModNation Racers Preview – IGN
• ModNation Racers for PlayStation 3 – Preview – G4tv.com
• Interview: Capy Talks Critter Crunch, Mobile Horrors – Gamasutra
• Halfbrick Echoes Review – IGN
• October PlayStation Store sales break record – gamesindustry.biz
• Editorial: How Uncharted 2 Can Fix Gaming – IGN
• Braid for PS3 Review – Gaming Age
• Assassin’s Creed II PS3 Review – IGN
• Review: God of War Collection – Kombo.com
• Review: Buzz! Quiz World – Kombo.com
• Happy Third Birthday, PS3! – Gamervision
• LittleBigPlanet PSP Video Review – Gamervision
• 3D Dot Game gets Western launch trailer, pants get wet – Destructoid
• Happy 3rd birthday, PlayStation 3! – Joystiq
• Hands-on: Blu-ray Digital Copy for PSP – Joystiq
• Uncharted 2’s Arne Meyer talks Twitter – GameSpot
• Without A Doubt – Heavy Rain blog (IGN)
• Three Years of the PlayStation 3 – G4tv.com
• Buy a PSP Go from Amazon, get $50 credit for PSN store – Joystiq
• LittleBigPlanet Review – IGN
• 3D Dot Game Heroes Preview – IGN
• SG Review: OMG LBP PSP FTW – Sarcastic Gamer
• God of War Collection Review – GamePro
• Is God of War III Adding an Online Co-op Mode? – IGN
• Do the wrong thing: Breaking Sasha’s promise – Destructoid
• Naughty Dog: Uncharted 2 Could Lead ‘Shift’ In PS3 Tech Prowess – Gamasutra
• God of War Collection review – Examiner.com
• Demon’s Souls sales are ‘impressive’ – Destructoid

The premise is simple: in celebration of the impending Turkey Day, users will approach the giant stone turkey in Central Plaza and, of course, pledge their allegiance to the almighty Meleagris Gallopavo by stating “Gobble gobble” and/or other assorted turkey-isms. If your homage pleases your turkey overlord, you will be given a chance to chase a bunch of wily turkeys around Central Plaza (word to the wise: these turkeys are quite cunning and as such get progressively more difficult to catch as the game goes on, so you’d better bring appropriate footwear). If you can manage to catch them all, you will unlock some truly hilarious rewards that are sure to make you an object of envy amongst your peers. Sound borderline insane? Of course it does – which is exactly why we are doing it! Check the video below for a look at what we have in store for you.

Also, in celebration of the release of Assassin’s Creed 2, new AC2-themed virtual goods will be released this week. Hardcore fans of the franchise are sure to find these items to be true must-haves (and we bet they’ll geek out hard over the full Ezio costumes set to release in PlayStation Home come next week). Any way you cut it, if you “Live by the Creed” then PlayStation Home is the place to be (when you aren’t sneaking up behind enemies and performing other stealthy maneuvers in various Italian locales, of course).

In other PlayStation Home-related news: We’re pleased to announce another opportunity for you, the PlayStation Home community, to win a copy of the super-limited UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Fortune Hunter Edition. Here’s how this contest works: PlayStation Home community members should enter the new UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves game space in PlayStation Home between the hours of 8:00am PT on Friday, November 20th and 12:00pm PT on Saturday, November 21st to play the Fortunate Thieves mini-game. The user that secures the #1 slot of the game’s leaderboard will win a copy of the UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Fortune Hunter Edition. Included in this prize package is a Phurba Dagger ornamental replica (plus stand), a special “book case” with art book autographed by the Naughty Dog team, a ton of downloads, and the UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Strategy Guide. This is arguably the most sought-after prize we are giving away all year, so read the official rules and regulations below and then head into PlayStation Home right at 8:00am PT on Friday, November 20th (this is when we will wipe the leaderboards) and get that first place slot.

The following promotion is intended for viewing in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia only and will be construed and evaluated according to United States law. Do not enter this contest if you are not a legal resident of, and located in, the 50 United States or District of Columbia at the time of entry.

PLAYSTATION HOME UNCHARTED 2 FORTUNATE THIEVES MINI GAME CONTEST
OFFICIAL RULES

Void outside the 50 United States and District of Columbia and where prohibited.

1. Eligibility. The UNCHARTED 2 FORTUNATE THIEVES MINI GAME Contest (the “Promotion”) is open only to legal residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are at least 18 years of age or older at the time of entry and hold a PlayStation Network account in good standing as determined by Sponsor. Employees of the Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries and affiliated companies and their immediate families are not eligible to participate in this Promotion.

2. Sponsor. Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., 919 East Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City, CA 94404 (“Sponsor”).

3. Timing. The Promotion begins on November 20, 2009 at 8:00 A.M. PST and ends on November 21, 2009 at 12:00 P.M. PST (the “Promotion Period”).

4. How to Enter. No purchase necessary. Internet access, a PlayStation Network account, and a PlayStation3 computer entertainment system required. Using the PlayStation3 system, go to the PlayStation Network and access PlayStation Home. Users who wish to enter (the “Entrants”) shall use their avatars to enter the UNCHARTED 2 Among Thieves Nepalese Village Space (the “Event Space”) (accessible via the World Map on the Entrant’s Menu Pad), navigate their avatars to the “Fortunate Thieves” mini game, and select the “Fortunate Thieves” icon. Entrants will be directed to the Fortunate Thieves menu and will be presented with the four (4) following options:

• HOW TO PLAY:
  Entrants selecting this option will be presented with three (3) screens of instructions listing the details of gameplay, including the game purpose and game strategy.
• CREATE GAME (“HOST”):
  Entrants selecting this option will be the game “Hosts”. Hosts are in charge of setting the following variables in the game:
  • Maps – Hosts determine the map game will be played on. There are eight (8) maps total in game. The terrain and layout of each map varies. Some maps have more treasure winning potential than others.
  • Public v. Private – Hosts determine whether to make the game public (anyone in the space can participate) or private (only Entrants who are on the Host’s PSN friends list can participate).
  • Number of Turns – Hosts determine how many “turns” the game will consist of. (“turns” are defined as one round for each player in the game). The turn choices are 10, 15, 20, 25.
  • Number of Seconds – Hosts determine how many seconds a player will have to act once it is their “turn”. The seconds choices are 20, 40 or 60 seconds.

  Once the above parameters are set, a Lobby is created. A minimum of two (2) players are needed to start a game. The host can join the game as a player and must wait for a minimum of one (1) other player to enter the Lobby before a game session can begin. A maximum of four (4) players are permitted per game.

• JOIN GAME (“PARTICIPANT”):
  Entrants selecting this option join the game as Participants and are taken to a list of available games where they can see the Host options set for each game and determine which game they would like to join. Participants can then join any open game.
• SPECTATE GAME:
  Entrants selecting this option are taken to a choice of games that they can watch. Spectators cannot enter a game.
  Hosts are responsible for controlling the game, including setting and determining the game variables listed above in each game. To enter the Promotion, Entrants can either select the “Create a Game” icon as the Host or the “Join a Game” icon as a Participant. Once Entrants have selected a method of entry, they may join any open game. A minimum of two (2) players are required and a maximum of four (4) players are permitted per game. Players will receive a set of four (4) cards. Cards will be continually dealt to Players throughout the game so that Players will always have a set of four (4) cards to play with. To play, Players must use the cards to accumulate points. Instructions for playing the cards are presented to Players in pop-up format and are revealed to Players as they scroll over individual cards. Players should attempt to accumulate as many points as possible. Once the game ends, timing stops and Player’s score is recorded. Players can play an unlimited number of games within the promotion period to attempt to better their score. The 10 (ten) highest scores and the online IDs of the players who earned them in an individual game from all games played during the Promotion Period in all instances of the UNCHARTED Nepalese Village space will be posted on the Global Leaderboard located in the UNCHARTED Nepalese Village Space. (An instance is a new event space that is created when the number of users in the original space has reached its maximum capacity. Fortunate Thieves can support multiple instances of the same Event Space so that Players will be able to access the space.)

5. Entry Conditions and Release. Entrants may participate as many times as they like. Sponsor is not responsible for technical, hardware or software failures, malfunctions, lost or unavailable network connections or failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions or unforeseen schedule changes that may limit an entrant’s ability to participate in the Promotion, even if caused by Sponsor’s negligence. Sponsor is not responsible for changes to Entrant’s contact information. Entries not satisfying these Official Rules are automatically disqualified. Sponsor has the sole discretion to modify, cancel or suspend this Promotion should virus, bugs or other causes beyond Sponsor’s control corrupt, change or adversely affect the Promotion’s administration, security or proper play and to award prizes from among all eligible entries received prior to Sponsor’s action. Automated entries are prohibited and any use of automated devices will cause disqualification. Sponsor has the sole discretion to disqualify any entrant who tampers with the entry process.

6. Winner Selection. One (1) Grand Prize winner will be selected during the Promotion Period. Winner will be determined as follows:

The player who accumulates the highest score in an individual game from all games played during the Promotion Period will be declared the Grand Prize winner. In the event of a tie in winning scores, Entrants with the highest tied winning scores will play a tiebreaker game in the Fortunate Thieves Event Space on November 23, 2009. Time and details of tiebreaker will be determined by Sponsor. Entrants will be notified at approximately 12:00 P.M.PST on November 18, 2009 via the email address associated with their PSN account with instructions regarding the time the tiebreaker will occur. The player with the highest score in the tiebreaker will be declared the Grand Prize winner. If the tiebreaker score is tied, additional tiebreaker games will be held from among the remaining highest scoring tied Players until the Player with the highest score remains, who will be declared the Grand Prize winner.

Winner’s PSN online IDs will be posted on the global leaderboard within the mini game located in the UNCHARTED Nepalese Village Space beginning on November 21, 2009 at approximately 12:00 P.M. PST. Winner will also be notified by Sponsor via the email address associated with Winner’s PSN account on or about November 23, 2009 at approximately 12:00 P.M. PST. Grand Prize winner must claim his or her prize within 48 hours from Sponsor’s notification. If Grand Prize winner does not respond within 48 hours from Sponsor’s outreach, an alternate winner will be selected by Sponsor based on the player who has the next highest score from all games played during the Promotion Period (or if a tie exists, the next highest score from the tiebreaker). This method will continue until a Grand Prize winner has responded.

7. Prize(s). One (1) Grand Prize for the Promotion Period. Grand Prize consists of one copy of UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Fortune Hunter Edition which includes a copy of the video game UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves, a phurba dagger replica and an artbook. The approximate retail value (“ARV”) of Grand Prize is $300.00. Prize fulfillment is based on availability. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value if a prize is unavailable. Sponsor may disqualify a winner and select an alternate winner if any prize notification or prize is returned undeliverable. If the player with the highest score is under 18, the prize will be awarded to the Entrant with the next highest score from all games played during the Promotion Period (or if a tie exists the next highest score from the tiebreaker). Prizes are non-transferable and Sponsor need not substitute a prize based on winner’s request. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of the prize.

8. Odds of Winning. Odds of winning are determined by the number of eligible entries received.

9. Publicity. By accepting the prize, winner agrees to the use of his or her name and likeness for purposes of advertising, trade or promotion without further compensation, unless prohibited by law, and agrees to sign and return a notarized Affidavit of Eligibility and Release of Liability (the “Affidavit”) within Fourteen (14) business days of prize notification.

10. Limitations of Liability. By attempting to enter, entering a Promotion or accepting a Promotion prize, an entrant or prize winner agrees to release Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries, agencies, divisions and affiliates from liability, claims or actions or any kind for injuries, damages or losses to persons and property that may be sustained in connection with the receipt, ownership or use of the prize or while preparing for, participating in or traveling to or from the Promotion or any Promotion or prize-related activity. Sponsor’s employees, employees of Sponsor’s parent, subsidiaries, agencies, and affiliates and each of their related companies and their immediate families are not eligible. Neither the Sponsor nor its parent, affiliates, subsidiaries, agencies, divisions or related companies are responsible for any damages, taxes or expenses that winners might incur as a result of this Promotion or receipt of prize.

11. Promotion Results. Sponsor will post winner’s name in the Message of the Day on November 23, 2009 at approximately 10:00 A.M. PST, and winner’s name will also be announced in the PlayStation Home forums until December 30, 2009. To obtain a winner’s list by mail, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to PlayStation Home UNCHARTED 2 Fortunate Thieves Mini Game Contest Promotion, Attn: Promotions, 919 E. Hillsdale Blvd. 2nd Floor, Foster City, CA 94404. Sponsor will fulfill a winner’s list request within 4-6 weeks after it awards prizes. Requests for the winner’s list must be received by December 30, 2009.

12. Restrictions. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

Make sure to return at 9am (PST) for an interview with Capcom’s Seth Killian on Super Street Fighter IV; you’ll want to see Deejay, Juri, and T. Hawk’s new Ultras in action.

The PS Blog weekly reading list (Week of November 9, 2009)

• Winners of LittleBigPlanet Art Game Jam Session announced – Destructoid
• Braid Review for PlayStation 3 – GameSpot
• Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Direct-Feed Walkthrough in High Definition – G4tv.com
• Reminder: Assassin’s Creed, too, on PSP next week – Joystiq
• Kill some time with Ratchet & Clank ‘Race Through Time’ – Destructoid
• God of War Collection Review – IGN
• The Memory Card .75: The blind fighting the blind – Destructoid
• Uncharted 2 Sales Topping One Million Units – IGN
• Modern Warfare 2 party patch releases a day early – Joystiq
• LittleBigPlanet 24-Hour Game Jam Session in progress – Examiner.com
• Look Who’s In Valkyria Chronicles 2 – Siliconera
• Heavy Rain – Abbey Road – IGN
• Everyone rush! Multiplayer returns to PS3 Modern Warfare 2 – Joystiq
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – Gaming’s First True Hollywood Blockbuster – VGBlogger.com
• LocoRoco: Midnight Carnival Review (PSP) – Gaming Age
• 24 hours of LittleBigPlanet PSP can only end one way… – Destructoid
• Naughty Dog Polling on UNCHARTED 2 Multiplayer Modes – 1UP
• Exclusive First Look at the PS3 Slim Dipped in 24kt Gold – ChipChick
• Autonomous Roombas do Pac-Man right (video) – engadget
• Europe’s PSN Video Store Opens Next Week – Kotaku
• Gran Turismo 5 Interview – Kazunori Yamauchi – IGN
• Review: Buzz! Quiz World – VGBlogger.com
• We’d Eat That: Noby Noby Boy Sushi – Bitmob
• Sony’s Secret Weapons: 9 New Games for PS3 and PSP – GamePro
• PSPgo Traveler Case Micro Review: Stylish and Sleek – Kotaku
• Sony Places PS3 In The Limelight – PSXExtreme
• Neflix Arrives on PS3: First Look – PC World

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

We wanna make sure we get the syndication right… if we’re not making it available the way you want to hear it, what’s the point, right?

The PS Blog weekly reading list (Week of November 2, 2009)

• Patapon shoes will rock someone else’s feet – Destructoid
• DualShock, The Concept Table – Kotaku
• Buzz! Quiz World Review – IGN
• Demon’s Souls was never designed to be hard – Destructoid
• Graphics Comparison: God of War Collection Vs. Originals – Bitmob
• Hands On Valkyria Chronicles 2 Multi-Map System – Siliconera
• Hands-on: Netflix on PS3 – Joystiq
• Atlus replacing strategy guides for Demon’s Souls – Destructoid
• Video: Connecting a PS3 controller to the PSPgo, on TV – Destructoid
• Netflix PS3 instant streaming disks in the mail – Orlando Sentinel
• PS3 Greatest Hits Get A Facelift – Kotaku
• SEMA show: More news on the much-anticipated Gran Turismo 5 video game – Auto Week
• Analysis: Is It Time For The PlayStation 3 To Shine? – Gamasutra
• Braid Coming to PlayStation Network Next Week – 1UP
• Shiny, Shiny Gran Turismo 5 Screens – Kotaku
• Xbox 360 Gamers Defecting To PS3 For Holiday Sequels – Gamasutra
• David Cage Talks Heavy Rain – IGN
• PS3 Sales ‘Very Strong’ Through October, says GameStop – IndustryGamers
• PlayStation 3 250GB system available starting today – Gaming Bits
• Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Price – Joystiq
• Dragon Age: Origins Review for PlayStation 3 – GameSpot
• Pre-order LittleBigPlanet PSP for a tank costume – Joystiq
• Assassin’s Creed II Soundtrack On Sale This Month – Kotaku
• PlayStation 3 250GB system available starting today – Gaming Bits
• Review: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – sfgate.com
• God of War III Preview – GamingExcellence
• Sony Adds New TV, Movie Content Partnerships For PSN – Gamasutra
• Playstation 3 Is “By Far The Best Platform” For Heavy Rain – PushSquare.com
• Sony’s Software Strategy: Shuhei Yoshida Speaks – Gamasutra
• Killzone 2 CG intro wins Roses Design award – Joystiq
• Q&A: Sony talks ‘God of War Collection’ – USATODAY.com
• Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier Review - Just Push Start
• An Infamous Halloween – Game Over Greggy (IGN)

UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Trivia Contest Rules

No purchase necessary. Five grand prizes are available to be won, each consisting of an UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Fortune Hunter Edition for PlayStation 3 (ARV: $300). Five secondary prizes available to be won, each consisting of an UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Brady Games Strategy Guide (ARV: $22.99). Contest is open to residents of Canada over the age of majority. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. One entry per person. Correct answer to skill-testing question required. Contest ends 10:00 ET on November 23, 2009. Full rules and regulations available at www.PlayStation.ca.

We here on the PlayStation Home team are pleased to offer you, the PlayStation Home community, a unique opportunity to win a copy of the ultra rare UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves – Fortune Hunter Edition . The premise is simple: PlayStation Home community members should enter the new UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves game space in PlayStation Home between the hours of 8:00 am PT on Thursday, November 5th and 12:00 pm PT on Friday, November 6th to play the Mask Mayhem mini-game. The user who assembles the Ganesh mask the quickest (and therefore places first on the space’s leaderboard) will win this extremely limited prize. If you are a fan of the UNCHARTED franchise (and who isn’t?) you know it’s high time to come into PlayStation Home, check out this highly immersive game space, try your hand at the Mask Mayhem mini-game (and the awesome Fortunate Thieves card battle game while you’re at it), rack up the associated rewards, and do your best to grab that #1 slot. Included in the Fortune Hunter Edition is a copy of UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves, the Phurba Dagger ornamental replica (plus stand), a special “book case” with art book autographed by the Naughty Dog team, a ton of downloads, and the UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Strategy Guide. So read the official rules and regulations below and then head into PlayStation Home now and start training for this event. We’ll be wiping the leaderboards clean right at 8:00am Thursday morning…

The following promotion is intended for viewing in the 50 United States and the District of Colombia only and will be construed and evaluated according to United States law. Do not proceed to register in this contest if you are not a legal resident of, and located in, the 50 United States or D.C. at the time of entry.

PLAYSTATION HOME UNCHARTED 2 MASK MAYHEM CONTEST OFFICIAL RULES

Void outside the 50 United States and D.C. and where prohibited.

1. Eligibility. The UNCHARTED 2 MASK MAYHEM Contest (the “Promotion”) is open only to legal residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are at least 18 years of age or older at the time of entry and hold a PlayStation®Network account in good standing as determined by Sponsor. Employees of the Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries and affiliated companies and their immediate families are not eligible to participate in this Promotion.

2. Sponsor. Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., 919 East Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City, CA 94404 (“Sponsor”).

3. Timing. The Promotion begins on November 5 2009 at 8:00 A.M. PST and ends on November 6, 2009 at 12:00 P.M. PST (the “Promotion Period”).

4. How to Enter. No purchase necessary. Internet access, a PlayStation Network account, and a PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system required. Using the PlayStation 3 system, go to the PlayStation Network and access PlayStation Home, the virtual 3D community hub. Users who wish to enter (the “Entrants”) must use their avatars to enter the UNCHARTED 2 Among Thieves Nepalese Village Space (the “Event Space”) (accessible via the World Map on the Entrant’s Menu Pad), navigate their avatars to the “Mask Mayhem” mini game, select the “Mask Mayhem” icon and enter the Event Space. Before playing the mini game, Entrants must navigate their avatars to collect seven (7) puzzle pieces which are prominently scattered throughout the Event Space. Once Entrants have collected all seven pieces, Entrants must navigate their avatars and bring their puzzle pieces to the Mask Mayhem elephant mask located at the end of an alleyway on a wall in the Event Space. Puzzle pieces will remain in the Event Space and need only be collected once in order to play multiple games. Instructions for playing the game are presented to Players in pop-up menus as they navigate through the Event Space and on the wall next to the elephant mask. To enter the Promotion, Players select the “X” icon located directly below the elephant mask on the wall which begins the timing process. To play, Players must place their puzzle pieces directly on top of the elephant mask to replicate the image of the elephant. Players should attempt to solve the puzzle as quickly as possible. Once the puzzle is completed, timing stops and Player’s time is recorded. Players can play an unlimited number of games within the Promotion Period to attempt to better their time. The 10 lowest times and the online IDs of the players who earned them in an individual game from all correctly completed games played during the Promotion Period in all instances of the UNCHARTED Nepalese Village space will be posted on the Global Leaderboard located in the UNCHARTED Nepalese Village Space. (An instance is a new event space that is created when the number of users in the original space has reached its maximum capacity. Masked Mayhem can support multiple instances of the same Event Space so that Players will always be able to access the space.)

5. Entry Conditions and Release. Entrants may participate as many times as they like but may only win one time during the Promotion Period. Sponsor is not responsible for technical, hardware or software failures, malfunctions, lost or unavailable network connections or failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions or unforeseen schedule changes that may limit an entrant’s ability to participate in the Promotion, even if caused by Sponsor’s negligence. Sponsor is not responsible for changes to Entrant’s contact information. Entries not satisfying these Official Rules are automatically disqualified. Sponsor has the sole discretion to modify, cancel or suspend this Promotion should virus, bugs or other causes beyond Sponsor’s control corrupt, change or adversely affect the Promotion’s administration, security or proper play and to award prizes from among all eligible entries received prior to Sponsor’s action. Automated entries are prohibited and any use of automated devices will cause disqualification. Sponsor has the sole discretion to disqualify any entrant who tampers with the entry process.

6. Winner Selection. One (1) Grand Prize winner will be selected during the Promotion Period. Winner will be determined as follows:

The player who has the lowest time in an individual game from all correctly completed games played during the Promotion Period will be declared the Grand Prize winner. In the event of a tie in Player’s times, Entrants with the lowest tied scores will have a rematch in the Mask Mayhem Event Space on November 9, 2009. Time and details of tiebreaker will be determined by Sponsor. Entrants will be notified at approximately 6:00 P.M. PST on November 6, 2009 via the email address associated with their PSN account with instructions regarding the time the rematch will occur. The player with the lowest time in the tiebreaker rematch will be declared the Grand Prize winner. If additional ties exist, rematch games will be held from among the remaining lowest-scoring, tied Players until the Player with the lowest time remains, who will be declared the Grand Prize winner.

Winners’ PSN online IDs will be posted on the global leaderboard within the mini game located in the UNCHARTED Nepalese Village Space beginning on November 6, 2009 at approximately 12:00 P.M. PST. Winners will also be notified by Sponsor via the email address associated with Winner’s PSN account on or about November 6, 2009 at approximately 1:00 P.M. PST. If a tie exists the winner of the tiebreaker will be notified by Sponsor via the email address associated with the tie breaker’s account on or about November 10, 2009 at approximately 7:00 P.M. PST. Grand Prize winner must claim their prize within 48 hours from Sponsor’s notification. If Grand Prize winner does not respond within 48 hours from Sponsor’s outreach, an alternate winner will be selected by Sponsor based on the player who has the next lowest time from all games played during the Promotion Period, (or if a tie exists, the next lowest time from the tiebreaker) which will be posted on the global leaderboard. This method will continue until a Grand Prize winner has responded.

7. Prize(s). One (1) Grand Prize for the Promotion Period. Grand Prize consists of one copy of UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Fortune Hunter Edition which includes a copy of the video game UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves, a phurba dagger replica and an artbook. The approximate retail value (“ARV”) of Grand Prize is $300.00. Prize fulfillment is based on availability. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value if a prize is unavailable. Sponsor may disqualify a winner and select an alternate winner if any prize notification or prize is returned undeliverable. If the player with the lowest time is under 18, the prize will be awarded to the Entrant with the next lowest time from all games played during the Promotion Period (or if a tie exists the next lowest time from the tiebreaker) which will be posted on the global leaderboard. Prizes are non-transferable and Sponsor need not substitute a prize based on winner’s request. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of the prize.

8. Odds of Winning. Odds of winning are determined by the number of eligible entries received.

9. Publicity. By accepting the prize, winner agrees to the use of his or her name and likeness for purposes of advertising, trade or promotion without further compensation, unless prohibited by law, and agrees to sign and return a notarized Affidavit of Eligibility and Release of Liability (the “Affidavit”) within Fourteen (14) business days of prize notification.

10. Limitations of Liability. By attempting to enter, entering a Promotion or accepting a Promotion prize, an entrant or prize winner agrees to release Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries, agencies, divisions and affiliates from liability, claims or actions or any kind for injuries, damages or losses to persons and property that may be sustained in connection with the receipt, ownership or use of the prize or while preparing for, participating in or traveling to or from the Promotion or any Promotion or prize-related activity. Sponsor’s employees, employees of Sponsor’s parent, subsidiaries, agencies, and affiliates and each of their related companies and their immediate families are not eligible. Neither the Sponsor nor its parent, affiliates, subsidiaries, agencies, divisions or related companies are responsible for any damages, taxes or expenses that winners might incur as a result of this Promotion or receipt of prize.

11. Promotion Results. Sponsor will post winner’s name in the Message of the Day on November 6, 2009 at approximately 1:00 P.M. PST, and winner’s name will also be announced in the PlayStation Home forums until November 30, 2009. To obtain a winner’s list by mail, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to PlayStation Home UNCHARTED 2 Mask Mayhem Contest Promotion, Attn: Promotions, 919 E. Hillsdale Blvd. 2nd Floor, Foster City, CA 94404. Sponsor will fulfill a winner’s list request within 4-6 weeks after it awards prizes. Requests for the winner’s list must be received by November 30, 2009.

12. Restrictions. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

The PS Blog weekly reading list (Week of October 26, 2009)

• Using Trophies to Deliver Big Game – Kotaku
• PlayStation Home Manager: Exec was Misquoted – Kotaku
• New LittleBigPlanet PSP Gameplay – IGN
• Borderlands PlayStation 3 Patched Today – IGN
• Ratchet and Clank is so good – Penny Arcade
• Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time Review – PSX Extreme
• Shadow of the Colossus cosplay climbs us, stabs weak spot – Destructoid
• We’re Giving Away Five Copies of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Fortune Hunter Edition – Kotaku
• How the venerable PS2 made it to 9 years old | Geek Gestalt – CNET News
• Exclusive Heavy Rain Interview: Quantic Dream’s David Cage Featuring New Gameplay Footage – G4tv.com
• Review: Half-Minute Hero – Destructoid
• Demon’s Souls Gets Hellishly Hard on Halloween – GameLife
• The Collector’s Edition Show – Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – Gamervision
• Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time Review for PlayStation 3 – GameSpot
• Football Hero mod takes Arduino to the Kasabian-approved big leagues – engadget
• Insomniac: PS3 won’t be maxed out for 2-3 years – ComputerAndVideoGames.com
• Want To See Rez HD Or Meteos Wars On PSN? Demand Them – Siliconera
• Buzz! Quiz World Hands On: The Further Adventures of the Comeback Kid – Kotaku
• Win One of Five Copies of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Fortune Hunter Edition – Kotaku
• Ratchet & Clank Future A Crack in Time Review for the PS3 – 1UP.com
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Fortune Hunter Edition) PlayStation 3 Video – Fortune Hunter Unboxing – IGN
• “Uncharted 2″ Tries to Bring Hollywood Action to Videogames – WSJ

A huge thanks to everyone who participated in the contest. As you know, we randomly drew names from the demo weekend contest as well as the first weekend after UNCHARTED 2’s release. In short, there were a ridiculous amount of FHE’s up for grabs. If you played the game online during that time, you were automatically entered into a random drawing to win the Fortune Hunter Edition.

Well, the votes have been tallied, so without further ado, here is the complete list of the incredibly lucky winners. If you see your PSN ID below, you will be notified via the email address associated with your PlayStation Network account. Make sure you have email notifications turned on in your PSN account settings. A huge congrats to all the winners! See the official rules here and here.

aaww
acezerotwo
AngelOfDeath87
BabyJoker92
BalkanSephiroth

benji1997
BLUHORNET
buddahisdead
bwylie
ced72
CFH1177
chayo15
chippido11
CoreConspiracy
davdoy
ddogbaci21
decmarine
DefJapan
Dragon6991
Duke_Of_York
dx400
ElReyDavid
Eppink
Freyborg_
Gabry08
gbrobertson
gizmondo234
greg_c_g
Grifone84
hayri491
IC0mbaTW0mbaTI
ic3fir3PT
inteliani
jasonFRA
jedi09
JJnewcastle
KaLiLaObOiii707
kanon1987
kasekase
kiebot
Kill-_-59
kirua07
LA-George
LEGEND410BMORE
Lil_FreakShow-
lilsandman12
LOGIC703
Lynaugh
magica_bari
MaInTeNaNcE_MaN
MARKMURLO
MiA-Prodigy
MichaelZukk
minato-303
Mrod_91
nameless_84
PaPiTo015
Pat-TGO
PEPSI-COLA-1
pgaville
prausnitz
Rochemback
rockhead16
scarface662
seblou001
ServinGod
Shisaku13
Shnuggles66
ShOrTjOhNcHuTnEy
silva_777
smd-Loco
Snake-VII
Soobdog70400
Speshol
SQUURELLKILLER
steve63
studder1ze
stupac420
TAIGUO777
TheFakeSmile
theringer1257
tieffahrer90
togusa-san
Tonnous24
TRI_moon
UCanNotUseThisID
vasilia
vernon84
Walkiria85
WarkV2
webslinger26
weps
windgarden
xvboogievx
XxDarkShinobixX

For those of you who read my last post and were lucky enough to attend our Full Moon Festival this past Friday, I hope it’s now safe to say that the Smurfs are no longer the only good thing to come out of October 23 milestones.

About 150 Ratchet & Clank and Insomniac fans joined us from as far away as Michigan (thanks Adam!), Texas (thanks Mitch!) and all over California – some waiting in line starting at 5am — to celebrate today’s North American launch of Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time. Even Clank himself managed to make an appearance, albeit in the form of talented voice actor David Kaye (who also voices Nathan Hale in the Resistance games). General Alister Azimuth, aka Joey D’Auria, paid a visit along with G4TV’s very own Adam Sessler as part of a “making of A Crack in Time” panel moderated by yours truly. Insomniac founder and CEO Ted Price, gameplay lead Andrew Yount and lead designer Mike Ellis shared their production memories as part of the standing-room only discussion.

During the panel, we showed off some exclusive videos, including the official debut of our Kevin Butler TV spot and a nifty piece highlighting a somewhat overlooked aspect of RCF: A Crack in Time: “My Blaster Runs Hot.” If you like 8-bit games, this mini-game is a must-play. And if you like Captain Qwark, I guarantee you’ll love “MBRH”, as we call it internally.

We also unveiled the official RCF: A Crack in Time launch trailer, which features the whole cast of characters and really captures the heroic, epic tone we were shooting for in the game. (Watch for yourself and let us know what ya think!)

After the panel, we stuffed everyone’s faces with pizza before whisking them upstairs for an autographs session with the entire Insomniac crew. To ward off the threatening post-lunch food comas, we reinvigorated every fan in attendance by giving away a free copy of RCF: A Crack in Time, their choice of exclusive Insomniac-created posters, a Captain Qwark logo T-shirt and…wait for it…an inflatable wrench!

But that wasn’t all! Full Moon Fest concluded with complimentary cocktails and a raffle for PS3 Slims, PSPgos, DualShock controllers, rare Insomniac memorabilia and much, much more. We even auctioned off one set of our exceedingly rare Ratchet, Clank and Qwark vinyls, which generated $400 for the Starlight Foundation.

In the end, our amazing fans were treated to a day they deserve. And everyone at Insomniac was treated to meeting some of the people who inspire us all to make games for a living. A memorable day indeed.

And don’t forget, the second RCF: A Crack in Time demo — the Ratchet demo — hits PSN this Thursday…make sure to check it out!

Why bring this up? Because, as some of you more social-media-savvy readers might already know, Mashable has opened its 3rd annual Open Web Awards. If you don’t know what these awards are about, there’s an international voting competition where major online communities (blogs, Twitter, Facebook fanpages, etc.) duke it out for the top spot. I think the winner gets cookies or something.

First round in the competition is the nominations period (NOW – November 15th). The top 5 nominees in each category will move forward to the voting round (November 18th – December 13th). Winners for each category will be announced on December 15th.

Here’s where you come in: please help nominate PlayStation.Blog in the “Best Corporate Blog” category! PlayStation fans are undoubtedly the most vocal on the Internet, so show your PlayStation love and nominate the blog, and we’ll win this thing for sure.

Nominating is as simple as a few easy steps:

• Go to http://mashable.com/owa/votes
• Sign in with your Twitter or Facebook account
• Once logged in, enter http://blog.us.playstation.com/ in the “Nominate Name or URL” section
• Select the “Best Corporate Blog” category
• Hit submit

…and you’re done! You can nominate once per day per category, so vote early and vote often. The nominations period ends on November 15th. Hopefully with your help, we’ll make it to the voting round. Then we can ask you for a bit more help :-)

We don’t ask for much, right?