When we first wrote about LittleBigPlanet 2 for the PlayStation 3 , we knew the pitch — you play, create and share your own home-made video games using robust but easy tools. But it wasn’t until we played the game at the E3 conference in Los Angeles that we got the full picture. LittleBigPlanet 2 ’s crazy, accessible gameplay is designed for new players as much as it is for old, but it’s basically a familiar experience for anyone who’s played the first game

The new game Def Jam Rapstar from Konami and 4mm Games isn’t just a hip hop karaoke game or a challenging performance simulator like Rock Band 3 . It’s a social media platform for building connections, promoting yourself, speaking your mind and maybe (just maybe) becoming an actual rap star.

Sony has announced PlayStation Plus , a new online service for PlayStation 3 owners. While the features of the free PlayStation Network service will remain unchanged, Plus adds game downloads, auto-patching and other exclusives

Sony has named its forthcoming PlayStation 3 motion controller “PlayStation Move.” The controller is Sony’s answer to Nintendo’s Wii Remote and Microsoft’s Project Natal for Xbox 360 — a way to use motion to play video games instead of (or at least in addition to) buttons.

Google has just released an alternative player for Google Reader that gives those with a penchant for browsing news the ability to do so in an image-heavy, TV-like fashion. Dubbed Google Reader Play , the new tool is an experimental Google Labs project that presents stories one by one — based on their Recommend Items technology — using enlarged photos and auto-playing videos (in lieu of text) on a black backdrop

December was the best sales month yet for video games , and one of the season’s top sellers — Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 — has achieved $1 billion in sales since it debuted in November.

For those of you waiting for the Facebook integration on the PS3 to roll out, the new version 3.10 firmware is now available. You’ll have to install the update, then look for the new Facebook Settings under the Account Management section of the PlayStation Network area of the cross-media bar (XMB). Once enabled you’ll be able to toggle your settings for the three areas we described earlier : send updates from trophies, PSN purchases and/or “game events” to be determined by developers.

This post is part of Mashable’s Fab Five series with Jalen Rose , which highlights trends in the social media space. Jalen Rose is a former 13-year NBA star and current ESPN basketball analyst but may be best known for being a member of the famous University of Michigan Fab Five . Until a couple of years ago, social media did not exist, and professional athletes had to go through the media to show their personalities and communicate with their fans.

The PlayStation 3 might not be winning the console wars, but the system has quietly started to find its niche as an all-in-one home theater media system. Today, the PlayStation Blog announced that Netflix is coming to US-based PlayStation 3’s next month. The PlayStation 3 will join an ever-increasing number of devices that support Netflix Watch Instantly streaming