Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) has announced that Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) will fall under the jurisdiction of SCEI. The move, set to be effective April 1, 2008 will have the company report to Kazuo Hirai, President and Group CEO of SCEI.

While this may seem like a no-brainer to most on the outside since they are two Sony companies in the videogame industry, the truth of the matter is that until now SOE and SCE have been like Crypts and Bloods. Due to SOE being under the Sony Pictures Entertainment family and SCEI being under the music entertainment group before going independant, the companies never had any overlap as far as corporate structure was concerned. We even witnessed a head of PR at SOE trying to get into an SCEA function at a game convention and being turned away at the door even after breaking out her SOE employee ID badge and showing her business card confirming her rank and position.

It will be interesting to see how this alignment will affect operations and overall product quality from both companies.

Did you know that MotorStorm is the best selling PlayStation 3 game to date? We didn’t either, but Sony says it is and they’re giving gamers another dose this Fall. The as yet unnamed MotorStorm sequel features a brand new location on a remote Pacific island, split-screen multiplayer racing and 16 new tracks.

Using the power of PLAYSTATION Network, 16 players can race head-to-head online and, for the first time in the series, racers can hit the gas in four-player split-screen mode. All of the vehicle classes from the first MotorStorm are here again: ATVs, rally cars, buggies, motorbikes, race trucks, mudpluggers and Big Rigs – as well as the newly arrived monster trucks that climb, sprint and roll over any other vehicle in their way.

Nintendo launched Super Smash Bros. Brawl yesterday, March 9. The first Super Smash Bros. game for Wii, changes things up with new modes and wireless features. By logging onto Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, players can now compete in online multiplayer. An adventure mode called “The Subspace Emissary” lets players jump and brawl their way through side-scrolling levels, meeting up with other characters, and taking on bosses solo or in a cooperative two-player mode. And, of course, there’s the four player brawls the series is known for.

Online battles aren’t the only wireless boost in this latest Super Smash Bros. installment. With Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, players also have the ability to share photos, swap replays, team up for challenging minigames and even create their own stages to share with friends or submit to Nintendo. Every day, Nintendo will offer one of these fan-created stages for players everywhere to try out.

SCEA has today announced that they are launching a licensed apparel program. The program will see clothing and accessories created leveraging several of their licenses including God of War, Ratchet & Clank, Resistance Fall of Man, Heavenly Sword and Little Big Planet.

The program is launching with product from four apparel companies. IV Gear Inc. will develop an extensive line of t-shirts, headwear and other apparel for the specialty and mid-tier market. Fortune Fashions will also focus on the mid-tier market as well as mass retail channels for t-shirts and hoodies. Bioworld will produce headwear, bags and accessories.

Funnily enough, MJC will round out the program with boys and young men’s boxers and loungewear. After all, it’s every guy’s dream to have boxer shorts with Nariko’s face covering the land below.

“PlayStation is an extremely strong and well-known brand” said Shelly Gayner, Director of Licensing, SCEA. “We feel that this is a great opportunity for us to satiate our core fans and extend and capitalize on PlayStation name recognition by creating a new line of apparel in connection with the PlayStation brands and our top franchise titles.”

Marc Ecko Entertainment and Showtime Networks have announced their agreement to bring a videogame on the hit TV series to videogame consoles. DEXTER follows Dexter Morgan, a forensic blood spatter expert for the Miami Dade Police Department whose perfectly respectable persona hides a dark compulsion: he is a serial killer who hunts down people who have escaped justice.

Marc Ecko Entertainment handled the production side of 2005’s Getting Up and is currently working on an untitled project with developer Human Head. The Dexter game is in pre-production and Showtime Networks and Marc Ecko Entertainment are in talks with a handful of developers to bring the game to life. More details will be announced in upcoming months.

SCEA announced today that the highly anticipated Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of The Patriots will release in late Q2 2008. When contacted for further clarification of the date, a Konami spokesperson told PCS that more details will be released in the next few days.

Also announced were details of the Metal Gear Online ‘Starter Pack.’ Konami won’t confirm yet how many maps will be available in the Starter Pack, but it will allow gamers to play single player or up to 16 players online. Gamers who pre-order Metal Gear Solid 4 will be guaranteed access to a multiplayer beta test for Metal Gear Online scheduled to start in late April.

Lastly, SCEA has announced that they will release a PS3 bundle to coincide with Metal Gear Solid 4. The bundle will include the 80GB PS3, DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller and the game itself. The SKU will retail for $499.

**UPDATED** February 28, 2008

Konami has confirmed that the title will ship on June 12, 2008.

Following up on the recent news that Mass Effect will be coming to the PC this May, EA has answered the question of exactly when it will hit retail. Mass Effect PC will ship to retailers on May 6, 2008. For more information on what’s new in the PC release of Mass Effect, hit the jump above. We’ll have our exclusive video interview with Bioware heads Dr. Greg Zeschuk and Dr. Ray Muzyka, President and CEO respectively, about Mass Effect PC posted shortly.

When Peter Moore resigned from Microsoft last Summer to move to EA Sports, gamers were shocked. Although it seemed like Moore was there for a long time, his tenure pales in comparison to Phil Harrison’s 15 year career at Sony.

Currently serving as President of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, Harrison will resign from Sony Computer Entertainment Group as of February 29, 2008. Kazuo Hirai, President and Group CEO of SCEI, will immediately assume responsibilities as president of SCE WWS, in addition to his current duties. Having previously assumed the role of Ken Kutaragi, the Father of Playstation, this move also makes Kazuo Hirai one of the hardest working people in the gaming industry today.

Prior to the launch of the original PlayStation, Phil Harrison joined Sony Electronics Publishing, Ltd. in 1992, which later evolved into Sony computer Entertainment Europe, and since then, he has made a tremendous contribution to the company playing a strategic role in the launch of four PlayStation
platforms, as well as building strong relationships with game developers and publishers throughout the world.

Electronic Arts has announced that they’ve shipped FIFA Street 3. With it, the street version of their soccer series finally makes the jump to the next gen.

The third chapter in the FIFA Street series from EA SPORTS™ creates a hyper-real world where soccer’s biggest stars perform to an eclectic selection of music seamlessly infused into their surroundings. Using a simplified control system that enables you to easily perform over-the-top trick moves, the game’s environments pulsate and explode to life with every well-timed tackle, outrageous trick move or unstoppable shot on goal.

FIFA Street 3 features over 250 of the world’s best players representing 18 of the top international national teams. Decked out in authentic training kits, every player has been rendered into a stylized caricature and boasts his own, distinctive style of play with unique abilities to match. Choose from Tricksters, Enforcers, Playmakers and Finishers to give you different options on the ball and make your mark on the street.

Nintendo is adding two more fan favorites to the Wii Shop Channel today. Both Tecmo’s Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom (NES) as well as Sega’s Phantasy Star II (Genesis) are making their debut.

Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom: (NES, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone – Mild Violence, 500 Wii Points): Join master ninja Ryu Hayabusa, last member of the famous Dragon Clan, in the third and final chapter of the legendary Ninja Gaiden saga. Ryu is framed for FBI agent Irene Lew’s murder,
and it’s up to him to clear his name. Defeating superior life-forms created out of “life energy” called BIO-NOIDs and avoiding enemy ambushes are among the many obstacles which Ryu faces in this unpredictable adventure of mystery, deceit and destruction. Noticeable changes to the game-play mechanics include Ryu’s ability to grab on to horizontal surfaces, his reduced falling speed and
altered jumping maneuvers, and visible power-ups. Help Ryu defeat the forces of evil once more and discover the real culprit behind Irene’s death as one of the most loved trilogies in video-game history comes to a close.

Phantasy Star II: (Sega Genesis, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone – Mild Animated Violence, 800 Wii Points): Hailed as one of the greatest games of all time by fans and media alike, Phantasy Star II is an RPG that features an epic story line and turn-based battles. Play as Rolf, Nei, Rudo or several other
characters as you navigate through the Algol star system battling the evil Dark Force. Build your characters, select the right weapons and armor, and take on the forces of evil through various missions as you find the right combination of characters to complete each objective. Experience the magic
once again in this great sequel.