PlayStation

Final Fantasy XIV: Version 2.0 Re-imagines Game For PS3 Release

by Jan Hutchings | Jun 14, 2012 | 2 comments

MMORPG and Square-Enix fans will be happy to know that Final Fantasy XIV: Version 2.0 (PS3) is still in development and will have the advantage of being part of the revamped, re-imagined FFXIV title that gamers wanted when the PC version released some time ago. When it was released almost two years ago, Final Fantasy XIV met with critical and financial troubles. Both critics and gamers alike criticized the game as being bland, unfinished, and “sully to the FF brand.” Thankfully, the developers listened to fan requests; and now Final Fantasy XIV: Version 2.0 (PS3) is starting to look like a great addition to the Final Fantasy franchise. Learn more about Final Fantasy XIV: Version 2.0 after the break.

Playstation Store Update: (06-12-2012)

by Chris Quibol | Jun 13, 2012 | 9 comments

Despite a somewhat smaller Playstation Store update this week, there are still a couple of very quality releases looking to do some damage to your wallet. Playstation 3 owners get access to full downloads of Batman: Arkham City and Dirt Showdown, as well as demos for arcade puzzle game Bable Rising and music maker Jam Live Music Arcade.

PS Vita owners are treated to two huge titles this week. First up is the critically acclaimed action game Gravity Rush, where players tilt and move their Vita to control gravity while attacking enemies and exploring an unknown world. Check the trailer out for yourself below.

Next up for Vita owners is Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection, which includes the first three games from the Metal Gear Solid franchise as well as retro titles Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. If you’re a fan of the series and looking to relive these classics on the go, this is a must-buy.

And finally, for Playstation Plus members, check out sales for Borderlands and Split/Second, as well as full game trials for Batman: Arkham City and Just Dance 3. In addition to those, you can still download a ton of free full games from last week’s instant game collection update.

Hit the jump to check out all of this week’s Playstation Store update.

Exclusive: Sony Santa Monica Working on 3 Titles, 2 Of Which Are Secret

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 13, 2012 | 2 comments

Events like E3 are always about talking to industry folks and getting news where you can. Of course, when it comes to exclusive content, most of it is already signed away between publishers and large news sites who tend to have first dip on them. This of course does not mean exclusive content is impossible to come by, especially if you do a bit of detective work and ping back and forth between people within the same organization.

Having had a chance to do just that during E3, we were able to get some inside knowledge on Sony Santa Monica Studios and piece together some key knowledge about the studio’s current slate of games and future projects.

Sony Offers Free PS3 or PS Vita with Purchase of VAIO Computer

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 12, 2012 | 1 comment

If you’re starting to think about the up coming college semester, then Sony’s most recent promotion might help you decide on the computer thats right for you. Starting today, Sony is running a new back to school promotion that offers you a free PlayStation 3 (160GB) or PlayStation Vita (Wi-Fi) with the purchase of a VAIO computer. Not all VAIO computer are eligible though pricing on eligible notebooks start at around $750 and build from there. If you already have a PS3 and/or PS Vita but are still looking to get in on the action, Sony has other promotional offers as well, including $200 of PlayStation Gear. More on that, after the jump.

MGS HD and Gravity Rush Lead This Week’s Vita Releases

by Jan Hutchings | Jun 12, 2012 | 1 comment

This week’s going to be big for PlayStation Vita fans, as the long awaited Metal Gear Solid HD Collection and Vita-exclusive Gravity Rush are set to release later today.

Vita owners have been anticipating the summer rush of games for their new handheld. It started a few weeks ago with the release of Resistance: Burning Skies and will continue with the gravity bending platformer Gravity Rush along with the sneaking heavy MGS HD Collection.

Find out more about Gravity Rush and MGS HD Collection after the break.

God of War: Ascension Multi-player Video and Gallery

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 12, 2012 | 1 comment

Despite being revealed over a month ago, God of War: Ascension was still one of the most popular titles at E3. Featuring Kratos once again, the story takes place before events depicted on PSP GoW titles which already were set before God of War 1. Till now, Sony had only revealed details about the game’s multi-player which features 4 v 4 PVP action, pitting Spartans and Trojans against each other.

With the exclusive PS3 title being displayed prominently at E3, we had a chance to take the multi-player part of the game for a spin with help from Emily Berger, the Associate Technical Artist on God of War: Ascension. Fans of the series will quickly feel at home with the game’s brutal combat system which is as vibrant as ever with a similar layout as previous titles. Other staple features like treasure chests, scaling, and even larger monsters like the Cyclops are equally present with more polish than ever. In fact, the game’s multi-player manages to look even better than God of War 3, clearly showing Santa Monica Studios’ talent at mastering the PlayStation 3 and pushing the game engine further. After the jump, our video preview and image gallery await you.

Has Sony Learned Nothing from the PlayStation Network Hacking?

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 11, 2012 | 8 comments

If Saturday was your day to kick back, relax and play some games on PSN, you quickly came to the realization that the PlayStation Network was down. Our site was the first of all the outlets to break the news, due to a simple coincidence which had me navigating the PlayStation Store and downloading a few games. Upon attempting to download LittleBigPlanet 2, I was quickly booted from the store and my subsequent attempts at accessing the store did little to change my faith. Taking to Twitter, I soon realized the incident was worldwide and not limited to North America.

Further discovery led to the realization that those who were logged into PSN could continue to view their friends list and download content in their queues while those logged out could not log back in, which affected both PS3 and PS Vita users. Despite partial access to the network, online gameplay was also down alongside other Sony services like Music and Video Unlimited though 3rd party services like Hulu and Netflix experienced no down time.

In the end, after 4-6 hour downtime, PSN was fully restored, though everyone was left in the dark as to why the service went down in the first place. During the down time, most users quickly feared the worse; another PlayStation Network hacking. While that might be jumping to a hasty conclusion, it’s also not a stretch and only Sony is to blame for their lack of communication during the downtime. After the jump, a chronicle of the events and Sony’s lack of communication.

PlayStation Suite Becomes PlayStation Mobile, Helps Transition the PlayStation Brand for Life After Consoles

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 11, 2012 | 3 comments

On the surface, one of the lesser announcements during the 2012 E3 Sony press conference was the renaming of PlayStation Suite to PlayStation Mobile. The Android-powered initiative is designed to bring the PlayStation brand to smartphones and tablets by offering PlayStation One games (and potentially PS2 and PS3 titles way in the future) to would-be gamers. Sony is also expected to bring the service to the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita, allowing games developed for the platform to be playable on their consoles and Android powered devices. Sony also hopes that the initiative will build positive awareness for the PlayStation brand and bring mobile owners to their main consoles.

With PlayStation Suite being renamed to PlayStation Mobile, many assumed that it might either be a simple legal maneuver or better branding of the platform —which it is. However, more importantly, this stands as a true realization of the PlayStation brand and the direction its headed. Many assume that console gaming as we know it will die in the future, especially if we consider handheld gaming devices like the PSP and PS Vita. As smartphones get more and more powerful by the year and their adoption rate continues to skyrocket, there will be a time (and some might argue that we are there already) that a device like the PS Vita won’t be needed. With your phone being able to make calls, get thousands of apps, take beautiful pictures, and get more powerful for gaming, the future is grim for dedicated handhelds. This rule of course also applies to Nintendo and also sheds light on why Microsoft never entered the category.

Much like Sony Ericsson was renamed to Sony Mobile to help you get a understanding for the brand, simply by its name, Sony has also renamed their new platform to PlayStation Mobile. This new naming scheme will easily help give the brand direction by letting it be known that its PlayStation content for mobile devices, unlike PlayStation Suite which was vague at best. More importantly, with the lifespan of handhelds being numbered, Sony knows that it might only be a matter of time before their dedicated console might be transitioned to your smartphone that can stream to your television or more likely, a box with cloud access. Of course, such a move won’t happen with the PlayStation 4 but with the PS5, it seems almost certain.

With the name PlayStation Mobile, Sony is now helping condition the market and consumers that the PlayStation brand is not dedicated to just something at home. With PlayStation Mobile, the PlayStation brand will now transition to mobile devices and eventually the cloud, escaping its current landscape of just being at home.

PSA: PlayStation Network is Down Worldwide (update from Sony)

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 9, 2012 | 40 comments

After attempting to access the PlayStation Store to download a free copy of LittleBigPlanet 2, thanks to this week’s PlayStation Plus update, I discovered that every attempt to get into the store would result in a crash with the following error message:

The service is currently undergoing maintenance.

I’ve since attempted to do some basic trouble shooting like rebooting my network and PS3 with no different results, indicating that its indeed on Sony’s side. When the question was posed to our Twitter followers, it seems that a great many are experiencing the same issue, even in EU territories, resulting in not a localized blackout but a worldwide issue for Sony.

We’ve already contacted Sony and we’ll update this post as we hear more.

Updates, after the jump, including Sony’s response.

LittleBigPlanet 2 Cross Controller DLC To Bring TouchScreen Technology To The PS3

by Jan Hutchings | Jun 9, 2012 | 4 comments

One of the more surprising announcements at Sony’s E3 presentation was the upcoming Cross Controller PS3 DLC for LittleBigPlanet2 which essentially transforms the PlayStation Vita into a touch-screen controller for the PS3 console.

Not only that, PS3 and Vita players will be able to play together simultaneously; whatever is happening on the big screen corresponds to what’s being shown on the Vita’s screen as well. In addition to that, players can use the Vita’s front and rear touch screen to make their level and game creation process much easier thanks to the simplified touch-screen creation tools included on the DLC (much like the tools in the upcoming LittleBigPlanet for the PS Vita).

Along with the cross-control functionality, Sony has also said that the DLC will come bundled with new levels, a new story, stickers, and costumes for our favorite Sackboy.

No concrete release date has been attached to the DLC so stay tuned to SRN for more details as they come.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Coming To PlayStation Vita

by Jan Hutchings | Jun 7, 2012 | 0 comments

At their E3 2012 press briefing, Sony and Superbot announced that the upcoming multiplayer brawler PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is coming to the PlayStation Vita in addition to the PS3 release.

What’s great about this Vita release is it’s going be THE killer-app that showcases the PS3 and Vita’s cross-play feature. Basically meaning that all game modes, all matches can be played by PS3 and Vita users at the same time. For example, Superbot’s live E3 demo featured one (three-minute) match that had two people playing on the PS3 and the other two on the PlayStation Vita.

Amazing thing was, gameplay was slick and smooth (with the hiccup at the beginning of the match but I think that was a technical issue) gameplay was fair and balanced, and the Vita players faced no handicap whatsoever. Hell, a Vita player even won the match. And he was using Fat Princess!

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale on the PS3 and PS Vita will both have the same character roster, game modes, and interactive crossover levels. Speaking of the crossover levels, the E3 live demo showed the Metropolis location from Ratchet and Clank get invaded (and destroyed) the Hydra from God of War. The players will then have to be aware of the Hydra as it’ll occassionally attack the them and cause serious damage.

From what we’ve seen from E3, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale looks like it’s going to be the absolute best PlayStation crossover battle game that fans have been asking for since the PS2. With more characters being added to the roster each month, the game is set to have the complete PlayStation universe when it is released this winter.

Discuss:

Which other PlayStation universe character would you like to see in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale?

PlayStation Store Update (06-05-2012)

by Chris Quibol | Jun 6, 2012 | 25 comments

In the midst of the fun and excitement of all of this wonderful Playstation news coming from this week’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, Sony dropped a pretty huge Playstation Store update yesterday, filled with a ton of discounts, demos, and full game releases.

Taking the spotlight in terms of new releases this week is Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown, the definitive version of VF5, available now for $14.99, and if you’re a Playstation Plus member, you can download the game for free. Speaking of Playstation Plus, now is the best time to be a subscriber to the service, as Playstation kicked its “instant game collection” program, which provides users hundreds of dollars worth of downloads for free. This week’s update includes VF5:FS, inFamous 2, LittleBigPlanet 2, Saints Row 2, and many more, all available for free.

If you’re not a Playstation Plus subscriber and are low on funds this week, be sure to check out demos for arcade racer Bang Bang Racing and Sorcery, an action-adventure game controlled by the Playstation Move. And don’t forget to check out all the brand new footage from this week’s press conference available on the Playstation Network, like trailers for Quantic Dream’s BEYOND: Two Souls and PS Vita game LittleBigPlanet Karting.

Hit the jump to check out the full Playstation Store update for yourself.

Beyond: Two Souls Photo Gallery

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 6, 2012 | 10 comments

One of the biggest announcements during the 2012 E3 Sony press conference was an all new IP from Heavy Rain creator, David Cage. Titled Beyond: Two Souls, the game stars actress Ellen Page and dives once again into mature themes like the meaning of life and death. During the press conference, Sony played an intense 5 minute scene from the game where central character is found by a small town sherif.

After the jump, you can find a photo gallery from the PS3 exclusive game.

2012 E3 Sony Press Conference Photos

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 6, 2012 | 8 comments

If you haven’t had a chance, read through our 2012 E3 Sony press conference live blog where we revealed all Sony had to stay on a minute by minute update. For those of you with a little more visual taste, our photo gallery comprises shots from the biggest announcements to help bring you one step closer to E3.

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Actress Ellen Page To Star in Beyond: Two Souls For PS3

by Jan Hutchings | Jun 5, 2012 | 17 comments

During Sony’s E3 press briefing earlier today, Quantic Dream’s David Cage announced that the Golden Globe winner and Academy Award-nominated Canadian actress Ellen Page (Juno, Inception) will play the lead character in Beyond: Two Souls for the PS3.

As Jodie Holmes, Page is set to star in Quantic Dream’s follow-up to the successful Heavy Rain. With Page attached to the project, players can expect top-notch quality acting and emotions from enigmatic Jodie. It’s amazing how much Jodie looks like Ellen Page, with the presentation, animation, and voice fitting the role as David Cage first envisioned for the character.

Beyond: Two Souls centers on an enigmatic girl as she learns to get to grips with her supernatural powers. With militarisitic forces hot on her trail, Jodie slowly tries to understand what exactly had happened to her.

One of Canada's best actresses is set to star in Quantic Dreams' Beyond.

Beyond’s E3 demo (which was all rendered in real-time) featured some of the most realistic and astounding facial animations in a game. I’d even say that the animation and emotions as acted by the characters are truly believable. Anyone passing by as you play Beyond: Two Souls will actually think that you’re watching a movie.

Quantic Dreams promised that the game will push the limits of interactive storytelling with deep characters you can relate to in an action-packed and suspenseful story with a dramatic twist. David Cage even said:

“We want to provide gamers unique moments that players will remember for a long time.”

Given Quantic Dreams’ expertise in creating tension, mood, as well as Ellen Page’s Oscar-caliber acting, there’s no doubt that Beyond: Two Souls will push interactive entertainment to a whole new level.