Sony posts mysterious Patapon style countdown clock

In anticipation of its big E3 Press Conference tomorrow, Sony has posted a 'mysterious' countdown on its Japanese website.

We say 'mysterious', with snarky know-it-all air quotes, because it's totally for Patapon, the PSP rhythm strategy hybrid that has you beating a tribal drum to command your Cyclopean allies in battle.

Every few seconds, the stormy countdown clock is illuminated by lightning, showing a silhouette scene underneath the text. It's all very reminiscent of Patapon.

The clock refers to a Beta roll-out, normally reserved for multiplayer releases. Patapon has so far been strictly single-player only, so that either throws a spanner in the works or reveals something interesting about the series's next game.

At the time of writing, the clock has another 72 hours, or three days, to go. That means it'll miss Sony's actual press conference by a good couple of days. But we'll soon find out exactly what Sony has up its sleeve.

E3 kicks off today, and Sony will hold its Keynote Address tomorrow evening, at 8PM GMT.