PlayStation

Editorial: The Top Apps That Should Be On The PlayStation Vita

by Jan Hutchings | Apr 12, 2012 | 1 comment

So, you’ve had your PlayStation Vita since launch day. You’ve played the various launch games, tried the various apps, and even watched a number of movies on Netflix. But now what?

While the Vita is first and foremost a gaming console, people these days need to be connected to their friends, family, and extended networks about 60 percent of the day. And lets be honest, not that many of us care to learn the intricacies of the Vita’s NEAR and PARTY apps. We’d much rather be using apps like Facebook, LiveTweet, Foursquare and such.

But what about other apps that the iOS and Android handhelds have like Youtube, WordPress, Pinterest and others? As it stands, the Vita’s app selection is bare-bones at best. Horrid at worst.

Because of that, I’ve listed the top apps that should be on the PlayStation Vita. (Sony, I hope you’re reading this.)

PlayStation Vita System Software Update v1.67 Now Live (updated)

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 12, 2012 | 0 comments

It was just a week ago when Sony released the PlayStation Vita system software update 1.65, only to pull it less than 24 hours later. Of course, you can never keep a good firmware update down and Sony followed with the PlayStation Vita firmware 1.66 only 24 hours of that. Now, less than a week later, Sony has released the PlayStation Vita system software update 1.67 which is ready for your consuming pleasures, assuming you have time for the 100MB download.

Playstation Store Update (04-10-2012)

by Chris Quibol | Apr 10, 2012 | 18 comments

A couple of big releases highlight this week’s Playstation store update, with 2D fighter Skullgirls available for download and the last of the add-ons for the Fortune Hunters Club of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, which includes new maps and content for the popular multiplayer.

Skullgirls is an American-developed 2D fighting game with an eccentric cast and a system developed by lovers of the fighting game genre. The game was developed with both competitive and casual players in mind, so look for Skullgirls to appeal to a wide array of people, from tournament veterans to button mashers alike. Be sure to download the demo, also available this week.

Playstation Plus members are also treated this week to discounts on GTA IV: Episodes from Liberty City, an exclusive demo for House of the Dead 4, and a free download of PS Mini Defenders of the Mystic Garden. If you’re not a Plus member, there’s still a ton of content to get excited for this week, especially the soundtrack to indie-darling Journey, the Mass Effect 3 Resurgence Pack that includes new maps, weapons, and characters to the multiplayer side of things, and PS2 classic Persona 3: FES.

Hit the jump to see the rest of this week’s Playstation Store update.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES Coming To PlayStation Network

by Jan Hutchings | Apr 9, 2012 | 10 comments

JRPG fans will love this one. According to Sony, the critically-acclaimed Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES will be available for purchase on the PlayStation Store starting April 9, 2012. FES is the complete SMT Persona 3 game with brand new content and the expansion epilogue called “Gojitsudan.”

Basically, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES includes the 40+ hour original campaign along with an additional 30+ hours of additional gameplay. That’s a lot of bang for your buck.

Learn more about Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES after the break.

Sony Quietly Shut Down Four MMO’s In March

by Jan Hutchings | Apr 9, 2012 | 18 comments

It’s always unfortunate when a game company shuts down their game servers, especially for massively multiplayer online games. Last month, Sony quietly turned off four of it’s long-running console and PC MMO’s including Cosmic Rift, Everquest: Online Adventures, Infantry, and Star Chamber: The Harbinger Saga.

Thankfully, three of these games are ones people have not even heard of. Except for Everquest: Online Adventures, (shut down on March 29, 2012) one of the rare MMORPG games on the PlayStation 2, all of the other games had largely insubstantial population counts.

Discuss:

Did you play any of these MMO games during their lifetimes?

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Multiplayer Beta Exclusive To PS Plus Subscribers

by Jan Hutchings | Apr 8, 2012 | 0 comments

Starting April 17, 2012, PlayStation Plus subscribers will get the chance to access the exclusive Ghost Recon: Future Soldier multiplayer beta for PS3. The Beta file itself will be available for download on the 17th, but the actual game will not be available for play until the 19th.

As the anticipated fourth installment of Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon franchise, Future Soldier puts players in the boots of the Ghost’s squad leader as he leads his team against an ultra-nationalist force bent on taking over northern Europe.

More on Ghost Recon: Future Soldier multiplayer plus an interview with it’s Associate Producer after the break.

PlayStation 3 Amazon Instant Video App Overview (video)

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 6, 2012 | 9 comments

To our surprise and seemingly out of no where, earlier in the week, Sony and Amazon announced the Amazon Instant Video app for the PlayStation 3. The first of the major 3 consoles to receive this, the Amazon Instant Video app gives PS3 users the ability to buy and rent movies and TV shows with SD and HD options. Those with Amazon Prime get an added bonus and are able to access ‘Prime Instant Video’ section where they can stream select movies and TV shows with no added fee.

Amazon Prime membership costs $79/yr and also gives members 2 day free shipping on many Amazon items.Without an Amazon Prime membership, or movies and TV shows which are not part of ‘Prime Instant Video’ catalogue, users can still access content for a price which generally falls in the $2.99-$4.99 for SD/HD rentals and $15+ for HD movie purchases. Unlike Sony’s Video Unlimited which downloads the video to the PS3 hard drive, even if its rented, all Amazon content is streamed to your system. Even if you purchase the content, the file will always be yours to access from any device, capable of connecting to Amazon Instant Video, but only through streaming. With an easy to use interface and fast streaming of videos, we put together a video overview of the PlayStation 3 Amazon Instant Video app.

Sony to Change PlayStation Wireless Stereo Headset Based on Community Feedback

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 6, 2012 | 0 comments

And you thought you were powerless on the direction of some of your favorite gadgets. Introduced last year, the PlayStation Wireless Stereo Headset gives gamers the optimal sound out of their PS3 with surround sound simulation, retractable microphone, and noise cancelation. As time went on, fans asked that Sony introduce an audio feedback known as “sidetone” that enabled you to hear your own voice through the headset when gaming online. After Sony released PlayStation system software update v4.10, users began to notice a side effect where many were confused from hearing their own voice and thought the headset was broken while a small percentage of games would register an echo chamber of your own sound.

Court Sides With Sony on Its Terms Of Service Changes

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 5, 2012 | 18 comments

Most companies, like Apple, Microsoft, and Sony who offer vast services like iTunes, Xbox Live, and the PlayStation Network, change their terms of services on occasion to address to features while also protecting themselves from competitors and lawsuits. Last year, Sony would do just that for the PSN, introducing a term where users were required to take disputes to arbitration, rather than court. The new clause introduced by Sony is one that is found in most popular services like the ones mentioned above. It goes without saying that most people don’t the many pages of TOS and blindly agree to them and in this case, if you wanted to continue using PSN, you had to adhere to the new rules. This however, didn’t sit well with some users who did actually read the new document from Sony and in true American way, decided to file a class action lawsuit against the PlayStation maker.

Way Of The Samurai 4 Exclusive to PlayStation 3

by Jan Hutchings | Apr 5, 2012 | 18 comments

Earlier today, XSEED Games announced that they will be publishing Spike and Acquire’s Way of the Samurai 4 exclusively on the PlayStation 3. The sandbox-style choose your own samurai game is going to be released fully uncut and uncensored according to XSEED.

I think I just peed my pants!

In Way of the Samurai 4, Japan is at it’s beginning stages of globalization; finally opening its gates to foreign traders. Players will be cast as a nameless samurai who happens to come upon the town of Amihama where a resistance group opposed to foreigners have begun their small, albeit bloody revolution.

It’s up to the players whether they will join the foreigners, the resistance group, or somewhere in between as a peacekeeper (oftentimes through violent means). They can also muck about town and spend time with the people, gamble at local dens, learn English and hang around the foreigners, and even romance a lady or two in Amihama.

Like the first three Way of the Samurai games, the player’s character is fully customizable. Players can choose from a number of face and hair styles, clothing, items, and weapons that fit their mood and play style. It will also feature multiple endings and game paths depending on the players choice of faction. As well, there have been rumblings that Amihama will be twice or even three times the size of the towns from older games.

Check out high-res Way of the Samurai screens after the break.

PlayStation Vita System Software Update v1.66 Now Live

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 4, 2012 | 8 comments

24 hours after Sony released the PlayStation Vita System software update v1.65, which was designed to bring minor enhancements to the Vita like an On/Off “Notification Alert” setting and improved ‘Near’ functionality, the company had to pull the update. Due to a small bug, adhoc play in PSP titles seems to have stopped working.

We identified a symptom that users can not play adhoc play in PSP titles if they download the system software, so we have taken down the system software temporarily. The system software will be available to download again soon.

Originally though to be released by weeks end, Sony has now pushed out the PlayStation Vita System software update v1.66 which is designed to address the mentioned bug with no additional enhancements. As always, Vita owners can download the update by either using the built in Wi-Fi or plugging in their portable to a Mac or PC and using Sony’s Content Manager app.

The PlayStation Archives – “Freedom Fighters”

by Jan Hutchings | Apr 4, 2012 | 10 comments

People who loved THQ’s more recent first person shooter Homefront will definitely find a home in the forgotten classic Freedom Fighters. Published by EA Games way back in 2003, Freedom Fighters was a squad shooter that tasked the player in building a guerrilla army to liberate New York City from an invading Soviet Union. The game is designed to be easily accessible, fun, and challenging enough that it keeps you going until the very end.

Freedom Fighters is set in an alternate reality; one where the Soviet Union had never lost the cold war. The new superpower begins its reign of dominance by taking over Mexico, Cuba and other countries worldwide. Players control Christopher Stone, a simple plumber going about his daily life when the Russian invasion of the United States begins. Stone is recruited into a rag-tag freedom fighting outfit and slowly works his way up the ranks until he becomes the hero of the revolution.

Sony Pulls PS Vita System Software Update v1.65

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 4, 2012 | 0 comments

Despite being released only 24 hours ago, Sony has now pulled the most recent firmware update for the PS Vita. The PlayStation Vita system software update v1.65 was designed to bring minor enhancements to the new portable powerhouse like an On/Off “Notification Alert” setting and improved ‘Near’ functionality among other things. While all those features all seemed to pan out, an unfortunate glitch has been encountered where adhoc play in PSP titles seems to have stopped working. As Eric Lempel from PlayStation notes:

We identified a symptom that users can not play adhoc play in PSP titles if they download the system software, so we have taken down the system software temporarily. The system software will be available to download again soon.

I’m personally doubtful that this affected a large pool of people and it seemed to have gone by unnoticed by Sony’s own internal testing which more so points towards the fact that a lot of people are probably not playing PSP games on their PS Vita. Still, Sony has done the responsible thing here by pulling the update. A new update should be out by weeks end.

Playstation Store Update (04-03-2012)

by Chris Quibol | Apr 4, 2012 | 19 comments

Apparently, the folks over at Playstation have made me out to be a liar. I stated here last week that the annual “Spring Fever” sales event would be coming to an end; however, this week, Sony decided to extend the sales an extra week with huge discounts on “Twisted Metal meets Team Fortress” hybrid Wheels of Destruction and discounts across the entire Mortal Kombat franchise. Wheels of Destruction is $9.99 with Playstation Plus subscribers receiving an extra 20 percent off, and games and add-ons for the Mortal Kombat series are all 30 percent off, with Plus subscribers receiving an extra 20 percent.

If destruction isn’t your thing, be sure to check out survival adventure game I Am Alive, where players have to fight for survival in a world crumbling around them. It is also a very good month to be a Playstation Plus subscriber, with action sidescroller Shank 2 and arcade racer Shift 2: Unleashed, as well as the original PSone Silent Hill, all for free.

And finally, be sure to check out the brand new Amazon Instant Video app under the “videos” portion of the XMB. The Amazon app brings with it over 120,000 movies and television shows, and Amazon Prime members have access to a ton of free shows and movies.

Hit the jump to see the rest of this week’s Playstation Store update.

Amazon Instant Video Launches for the PlayStation 3

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 3, 2012 | 21 comments

Today, Sony and Amazon announced the Amazon Instant Video application for the PlayStation 3. Available as a free download, the new app gives PS3 users one more video service to choose from, where they can buy and rent movies and TV shows. Unlike the Video Unlimited app from Sony, Amazon Instant Video is purely based on streaming where even purchased content is only viewable via streaming. This can be a benefit for those with low hard drive space but maybe a downer for when your internet goes down. Now if you happen to have Amazon Prime which gives you two-day shipping on most items, there are additional perks for you to find here as well.