NewsSpots: PS3 downloadables, Godfather 2, Full Auto PSP, Tomb Raider cartoons

Sony hits the lanes, plays with rag dolls
At Sony Computer Entertainment America's media event this week, the publisher unveiled two new downloadable games for the PlayStation 3: High Velocity Bowling and Pain. As the name implies, High Velocity is an arcade-style bowling game. A less obvious fact about the game is that it relies heavily on the Sixaxis' motion-sensing abilities to control the bowlers, attempting to offer a Wii Sports-like re-creation of bowling, but with 10 different characters and allies, as well as a trick shot mode.

On the opposite end of the sadism scale (depending on one's feelings about bowling) is Pain, developed by Idol Minds (My Street, Cool Boarders 2001). Described as Burnout's crash mode with innocent bystanders instead of cars, Pain has gamers slingshot an unfortunate person into dangerous situations with the intent of causing as much suffering as possible. Rag-doll physics, monkeys, and cityscapes with signage for businesses like The Manhole, Moon River Proctology, and Hotel Coral Essex (cue Revenge of the Nerds II nostalgia) indicate the particular vibe the developers are aiming for here.

Analyst: Godfather 2 on the way
Nollenberger Capital Partners analyst Todd Greenwald sent out a note to investors this morning recapping a recent visit he paid to the publisher's Redwood Shores location. While Greenwald said the highlight of the day was getting a look at the company's upcoming Simpsons game, he also mentioned that a sequel to The Godfather is in development, although there's no telling when it would see the light of day. According to Greenwald, EA is looking to capitalize on the open-world engine it created for the first Godfather game and is using it in no fewer than five of its franchises, including The Simpsons. EA representatives declined to comment on Greenwald's note.

Full Auto 2: Battlelines gets a PSP demo
Sega has made a demo available for its PlayStation Portable vehicular combat racing game Full Auto 2: Battlelines. Interested gamers can download it from Sony's official PSP site. For more on Battlelines for the PSP, check out GameSpot's review.

Tomb Raider gets GameTapped
Online subscription rental service GameTap will be offering the PC edition of Tomb Raider: Anniversary on its site the same day Eidos' game hits stores, and it has set up a Web site to promote its connection to Eidos' flagship franchise. GameTap is offering a new documentary restrospective on the series and will release 10 animated episodes starring Lara Croft starting July 10. The various animated episodes offer a number of artists' interpretations of the character in stories such as Angel Spit and Pre-Teen Raider.