The Greatest Hits lineup is a brilliant idea. Take a game that's already proven to be a great seller but might be slowing a bit in sales now that it's been out for a year (at least according to Sony's guidelines), cut its price in half and gussy it up with a new, slightly more eye-catching package. It's now cheaper so an already great game is now little more than an impulse buy for anyone who doesn't yet own it, and sales spike again due to the lower price point. Both sides win.



So if you haven't been taking advantage of the Greatest Hits lineup to help bulk up your games collection on the cheap, you have no excuse now. SCEA announced today that three new games would be going for a whopping $19.99; SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs, Ratchet & Clank, and Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus. All three games are pretty much must-owns -- especially the brilliant Sly Cooper (click on any of the games to read our reviews and see for yourself), and your games libraries aren't really complete without all of 'em.



For those that are still a little foggy about the Greatest Hits qualification criteria, it's pretty simple stuff: Once a game has been out for a full year and sold over 400,00 copies, it qualifies as a Greatest Hits title. Now the publisher can elect to take the tasty new red banner on the box (far sexier than that hideous green that PlayStation GH titles have), and have the price lowered to reflect the game's new status. It's still voluntary, though, and not all games that meet the criteria will instantly go Greatest Hits, so if you see games that have been out for a while and seem to have been selling well enough, the publisher might still be trying to squeeze a few more full-prices sales out of the game.



Now you know, and knowing's half the battle.