PlayStation

Sony Changes Mind, Darth Vader Dualshock 4 Will Be Available for All

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In August, Sony broke the internet when they announced the Limited Edition Darth Vader PS4. Sporting a custom PS4 shell with Lord Vader and a fantastic Dualshock 4 controller that was inspired by Vader’s chest plate, the limited edition bundle quickly rose to the top of the must-have holiday gifts. Unfortunately for those of us who already have a PlayStation 4, there was no way to get in on the Star Wars celebration and purchase the Dualshock 4 separately.

Now Sony has reversed course on the decision.

‘PlayStation Vue’ Gains ESPN, ABC & More Disney-Owned Networks – Becomes Real Contender

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As a quick recap for those not familiar, PlayStation Vue is the internet-based TV offering from Sony. Though limited to only a handful of cities (though more are on the way), the cloud-based streaming service allows you to watch television live like any other cable provider. What differentiates them from other beloved services, like, say, Comcast, is the cloud component. Without the need of a DVR, PS Vue allows you to rewatch many of the shows up to 3 days in what’s called ‘Catch Up.’

Of course for many, that’s not enough which is where the true cloud component of Vue comes into play. Dubbed ‘My Shows,’ it allows your favorite shows and all upcoming airings to be automatically saved to the cloud for up to 28 days without any conflicts. And unlike traditional cable, Vue even allows you to option of a la carte by selecting the channels you want, aka paying for what you want. Despite all this, I myself have yet to give the service a try due one large networks lack of presence, Disney. Sure Vue has CBS, NBC, Fox, and all the sub channels that go with them like SyFy, USA, and AMC to name a few but without Disney, there is no ESPN and no ABC which airs my favorite show on TV right now, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Now all of that is changing.

Samsung Smart TV Models with ‘PlayStation Now’ Support Revealed

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Sony showed off its PlayStation Now service running on Samsung televisions nearly a year ago at CES 2015. Since that time, the two companies have announced support for the feature with compatibility ranging on a wide number of 2014 and 2015 Samsung Smart TV models. Just earlier this week, Sony aggressively expanded its PlayStation Now offering by adding a 105 new games to the streaming service and in doing so, nearly doubling its library. Even Sony’s Chief Financial Officer Kcnichiro Yoshida has revealed the company’s intentions on expanding PSN into a “global entertainment platform” and one way of doing that is by making the service available on as many devices as possible.

The trouble has been that in the many months that PlayStation Now has been available on Samsung televisions, it’s been unclear exactly which models support the service. Now, we can finally reveal which Samsung Smart TVs support what will be the future of PlayStation.

Sam’s Club Could Offer PS4 for $299 Next Week

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With leaked images and pricing should always come a huge grain of salt so remember that you’ve been warned! With that out of the way, according to a leaked image from what appears to be an employee, Sam’s Club (think Costco) will be offering the PS4 for $299. In just the past month, the leading console took an official $50 price cut, bringing down the MSRP to $349.

If the rumor holds true, you’ll be able to save another $50 from there but there is a catch alongside an additional goodie. Those details after the jump.

‘PlayStation Now’ Library Doubles, Adds 105 New Games

PlayStation_Now_Capcom_105_TitlesJust yesterday, I talked about how the future of PlayStation is in the cloud and not another console. That’s not to say there won’t be a PS5; there most certainly will. But by the time we’d expect a PS6 to land, it will likely near 2023, at which point the need to own dedicated hardware instead of launching an app on your device of choice will be nonexistent. Though not outright claiming it, Sony likely believes this too as late last week, Chief Financial Officer Kcnichiro Yoshida revealed their desire to invest more into online services by

 turning the PlayStation Network into a truly comprehensive global entertainment platform 

Part of that strategy will be to lower the divide between games’ availability on physically/digital download versus streaming like the titles offered by PlayStation Now. To that end, Sony is doubling the number of titles available on their cloud gaming service. Details after the jump.

Sony Wants PSN to be a “Global Entertainment Platform”

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There is no doubt that PlayStation, thanks to the success of PS4, continues to do well and even outperform most analyst expectations. Due to the ever increasing momentum which is greatly helping Sony’s bottom line while other divisions like Mobile continue to struggle, Sony not so surprisingly wants to leverage the division in other to scale further. In short, Sony wants to capitalize on the reach of PS4 and the money it’s bringing in and further invest in the gaming division.

More details after the jump.

PS4 Continues to Elevate Sony, Nears 30 Million Units Sold

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By this point, it’s no surprise that PlayStation continues to be one of the key drivers, if not the key driver for Sony’s path towards recovery. Sony has just revealed their latest quarter earnings report and PS4 is once again shining for the company as the powerful console approaches the 30 million units sold. To put into perspective how stellar these numbers are, Xbox One sales hover around 13-15 million units shipped while PS4 currently sits at 29.3 shipped with 25 million units sold having been announced some time ago.

Some more numbers after the jump.

An Inside Look at Making ‘Powers’ on PlayStation

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Just a week ago, we talked about how Sony has green lighted Powers: Season 2. Launched as part of an initiative to bring original and exclusive content to the PlayStation Network, Powers is set in a grittier world of super heroes where the consequences of those with powers is felt everyday.

After the jump, an inside look at how Powers is made for PlayStation Network.

Why I Love Crucible (PVP) in Destiny – a 1 Minute Video

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Friends, family, and readers of this site know that I love Destiny. Seeing how this isn’t a site that’s ran by tons of writers, I usually limit my coverage of games to titles I myself find compelling. For that reason, you’re more likely to see me talk about Destiny, Uncharted, and DriveClub than Call of Duty or Assassin’s Creed. I say write about what you know. (Just to give you an idea as how horrible my back catalogue is. I still haven’t launched Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag though I purchased on day one.)

One thing that I love about Destiny is how accessible the game is. If I have 15 minutes to play, it takes all but 2-minutes to boot up my PS4 and be in orbit. Once there, I can do a quick strike or a few rounds of crucible. If I have a little bit more time, to the tower I go for bounties or perhaps I try to put together a nightfall strike or even raid.

As you can imagine, The Taken King was pre-ordered a long time ago and downloaded on day one when it launched but none of the experiences I write about are specific to that DLC. After the jump, a fun two-minute video that highlights a random Destiny Crucible (PVP) encounter someone recorded that shows why this game is so much fun. Seriously try to watch the video and not smile.

Classic Star Wars Games Not Limited to Darth Vader PS4 Bundle

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One of the hottest items around this holiday season is going to be the Darth Vader-inspired PS4 bundle which features a PS4 with Lord Vader (just imagine Palpatine saying his name). Available on November 17th, the exclusive bundle will also feature a custom Dualshock 4 controller that takes its design aesthetics from Vader’s chest plate. It’s already been revealed that Sony will not be selling the controller separately, but what about the four classic Star Wars titles that come in the bundle alongside Star Wars Battlefront?

‘Uncharted 4’ Picture Gallery

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To me, the 3 pillars of the Uncharted series includes the story (and its characters), gameplay, and visuals. The latter though perhaps the least important is also one of the biggest drivers of the game. While it’s hard to convey new gameplay and compelling storyline in a trailer, visuals are easy to understand and Naughty Dog has never disappointed.

In fact which each passing title, I and many others have found ourselves simply finding a beautiful part of game, like a luscious forest or waterfall and simply panning around to take it all in. Uncharted 4, if it’s nothing else will be spectacularly beautiful. Set to arrive sometime in 2016, the latest installment takes everything the PS4 has and shows us what current gen consoles are really capable of.

After the jump, a picture gallery awaits you though I warn you, having a bib might not be a bad thing.

Powers: Season 2 Confirmed

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Sony has some big plans for PlayStation Plus in 2016. Among them, the company wants to expand online multiplayer titles while also strengthening original contents like Powers. More and more, we’re seeing original content created by your none traditional companies like Netflix, Amazon, and now PlayStation. As the traditional cable model begins to fall, it’s becoming more important than ever for platforms to have shows unique to them in order to draw people in. While Netflix is good, it’s great when you consider you have shows like House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, and Sense8 to name a few.

Though new at it, Sony is looking to do the same thing with PlayStation which is good news for fans of Powers. More details after the jump.

Fox Soccer Plus Comes to PlayStation Vue as Standalone Channel, Discount for PS+

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PlayStation Vue, the cloud streaming TV service from Sony, continues to grow. Expanding both the devices it’s available on and the cities it’s offered in, PS Vue is gaining yet another unique option as we move towards a future of a la carte TV. Like Showtime, you can now subscribe to Fox Soccer Plus as a standalone channel with no requirement for one of the three bundles offered.

Details after the jump.

Darth Vader DualShock 4 Will Not Be Sold Separately

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You know that limited edition and exclusive Darth Vader PS4 that’s will be available on November 17th with four classic Star Wars games? Besides featuring a 500GB PS4 with an image of Darth Vader, the PS4 bundle also comes with a unique Dualshock 4 controller that takes its design aesthetics from the Sith lords chest plate. This begs the question, if you already own a PS4, can you purchase the Dualshock 4 separately?

PlayStation VR Gets Vague Price Point & Title Release Number

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As we get closer to the release of Project Morpheus PlayStation VR, we’re beginning to have a clearer vision of what we can expect. Set to be released in the first half of 2016, there is still a lot we don’t know about it like specifics on price point, or titles that will come with the new console. I say new console because when speaking about it to Bloomberg, Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Andrew House has started to set expectations for PS VR and it likely won’t be cheap.

Details after the jump.