One of the themes from the PlayStation E3 press conference this year was “greatness awaits.” The new tagline for the gaming division of Sony could be seen outside of the LA Convention Center as a beacon for PlayStation fans. To followup with the theme, Sony has released a new minute and a half trailer that’s all about greatness. Better yet, the ad itself is not PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, or PlayStation Vita centric. Instead, the ad is all about gaming and gamers. After the jump, greatness awaits you.
PlayStation 3
I probably don’t need to tell you about The Last Guardian. Originally revealed in 2009 by designer and director Fumito Ueda, who is responsible for the acclaimed titles Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, the game has since been delayed numerous times and has even seen Ueda leave Sony though he remains on the project as a consultant. So what’s the latest on the project? According to Sony, in short, ‘its alive,’ but if true, why?
What would you do if you were the survivor of a deadly epidemic? You’re low on supplies and you’re stuck inside a boarded up, decrepit apartment complex surrounded by shambling corpses of the infected. Do you stay and rot or do you venture out into the dangerous complex, tempting fate and attracting the mutants to your scent? Thankfully, you’ll be able to decide for yourself once Lone Survivor arrives on PS Vita later this year.
Lone Survivor is an retro-styled indie psychological-survival horror title fusing the adventure, stealth, and platformer genres into one incredibly scary package. The game casts you as a lone survivor (unmistakable because of your iconic surgical mask) of an unknown contagion that wiped out most of the population. You’re low on food and supplies so you must explore and discover useful food and items that will help keep you alive and sane a little while longer.
More on our Lone Survivor PS Vita preview after the break.
If you didn’t already think that PlayStation Plus was one of the best values in gaming, you may want to have your head examined. Last year at E3, Sony introduced the Instant Game Collection to PS Plus, a revolving door of free games each month, with a total of 12 available every month regardless of when you sign up for the premium service. Games like Infamous 2, LittleBigPlanet 2, Spec Ops: The Line, Sleeping Dogs, and Demon’s Souls are just a few of the titles that have been free for PlayStation Plus users, with almost seventy games available for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita over the last year.
This month was already shaping up to be another feather in the service’s cap, as Deus Ex: Human Revolution is already available and Saints Row The Third, Machinarium, Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward, and God Eater Burst will be coming soon. Today, Sony announced that three more games will be added to mark the Instant Game Collection’s one year anniversary. XCOM: Enemy Unknown from Firaxis, LittleBigPlanet Karting from United Front Games, and Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception will all be free for PlayStation Plus subscribers on Tuesday, June 11. They will be replacing Infamous 2, LittleBigPlanet 2, and Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One, all three of which had been part of the Instant Game Collection since it was announced at Sony’s E3 press conference last year.
Sony Computer Entertainment is expecting big things from the Electronic Entertainment Expo. The PlayStation 3 is now the best-selling HD console worldwide, the PlayStation Vita is riding an indie resurgence, and the PlayStation 4 will be coming full force in preparation for a holiday release. As such, you’d expect that Sony would be bringing a metric ton of games to showcase their systems. And correct you are: according to Sid Shuman, social media manager for the PlayStation Blog, the company will be featuring over 40 games on all three platforms during their E3 showcase.
Shuman, along with members of the PlayStation social media team and other special guests, will be live-streaming coverage of both the Sony media conference on Monday night and throughout the week from the show floor at the PlayStation booth. Among the games to be featured, according to the Blog post, are Beyond: Two Souls (Quantic Dream), Destiny (Bungie), DriveClub (Evolution Studios), The Evil Within (Tango GameWorks), Gran Turismo 6 (Polyphony Digital), inFAMOUS: Second Son (Sucker Punch), Killzone: Shadow Fall and Killzone: Mercenary (Guerilla Games), The Last of Us (Naughty Dog), Tearaway (Media Molecule), and Wolfenstein: The New Order (Machine Games). We can safely assume even more will be added to that list as new games are revealed in the upcoming days.
Be it if you’re excited for The Last of Us because you believe in Naughty Dog or because you played the demo that’s packed in God of War: Ascension, there is no denying the anticipation built around the game. With the game set to be released in just over a week, June 14th to be exact, the only remaining question was about the games multiplayer. Would it even have one was out of the question as multiplayer is pretty standard in games, no matter the single player core experience of the game. With Santa Monica Studios proving that they could bring God of War to the world of multiplayer in a meaningful way, would Naughty Dog be able to do the same? In short, yes.
Limbo, the acclaimed indie title from developer Playdead, is available today for the PlayStation Vita. That news, by itself, is great — but if you already own the PS3 version, it gets even better. Thanks to the Cross-Buy initiative, which is kind of like the Avengers Initiative but even better, anyone who already purchased the game on PS3 will have it for the Vita too, at no extra charge. And vice versa — those who buy the newly released Vita version will have access to the PSN titles on their PlayStation 3 console.
Fuse is the first multi-platform (PS3, Xbox 360) game from Insomniac Games, the long time PlayStation exclusive developer. Known previously for their more lighthearted Ratchet & Clank franchise and post-WWII sci-fi Resistance trilogy, Fuse is another take on the shooter genre. Previously titled Overstrike, Fuse tells the story of four agents known as Overstrike 9 and their mission is to stop Raven, an evil corporation, from gaining an alien substance called Fuse.
Like previous Insomniac Games, Fuse incorporates fantastical weapons, features local and split-screen online/campaign co-op, and humor that will bring you back for more. But chances are that the reviews you’ve read for Fuse paint a more bland and forgetful experience. While some have complained about yet another shooter, others have collectively predicted that the sky is falling and that Insomniac Games has lost their touch. Is Fuse truly a lackluster experience or is this a misunderstood game that’s worthy of your purchase? I’m here to tell you that it’s most definitely the latter and here is why.
If you happen to have a copy of God of War: Ascension (and you probably do), today’s the day you’ve been waiting for: The Last of Us demo is now available. There is no word on whether the demo, which features Joel, Ellie, and a lot of Infected, will be available in the future for those who haven’t purchased the latest adventures of Kratos.
While it’s traditionally Japan, Sony’s home turf, that gets things first, this time around, it’s been the West that’s enjoyed the earlier arrival date. Five months ago, Sony launched SEN (Sony Entertainment Network) and the PlayStation Store in one web portal which encompasses music, movies, and games. The idea is to begin expanding beyond ownership of content for singular devices. Purchased content from the store can then be redownloaded and accesses by different devices like the PS3, PS Vita, and their mobile fleet of tablets and smartphones. The web portal is also designed to make purchasing and discovery of content easier by allowing users to purchase their media of choice when away from say the PS3 and then simply visiting the download center on the game console to start the download process once home. In fact, come PS4 time, Sony will be expanding this web portal to iOS (iPhone, iPad) and Android via a native app which will make discovery of content a breeze. Even better is that the PS4 will automatically begin the downloading of your purchased content, reducing the time between your purchase and enjoyment of the content.
Sony is no stranger to augmented reality. Before Kinect for Xbox 360 became a household name, Sony had the PlayStation EyeToy for the PlayStation 2 which allowed gamers to interact with their game environment. Sony would then follow up with the PlayStation Eye for the PS3 with similar, but improved features that once again allow for you to be in your game with games like Eye of Judgement and Kung Fu Live. With the advent of the PlayStation Vita, Sony would take this one step further by utilizing the Vita’s built in camera which allows for a more immersive and personal experience. With the Vita, onscreen characters can now interact in your world.
As far as I’m concerned, Final Fantasy X was the last great RPG Square Enix made. While Final Fantasy X-2 wasn’t quite as captivating, being in that world was enough for me to enjoy myself. Now sadly, FFX12 came out at a busy time in my life and I was never able to get far in the game and soon the PS3 train took over. Equally, to this day, I adore Final Fantasy 11 though I don’t consider that part of the main FF canon. Having said that, I think FF13 is one of the most atrocious RPG’s I’ve ever played though I had to finish the game because it had the words Final Fantasy in the title. So you can imagine my excitement when Square Enix announced Final Fantasy X HD for the PS3 and PS Vita, only to top it by revealing the same fate for Final Fantasy X-2.
It still remains unclear if purchasing Final Fantasy X for the PS3 will get you a PS Vita version though that is looking less and less likely. We do know for a fact though that Final Fantasy X-2 will be bundled with the Final Fantasy X HD remastering for PS3 and that it will be a separate purchase on the PS Vita. After the jump, a Final Fantasy X-2 HD screenshot gallery awaits you.
I have an affinity for trophy hunting. I will spend countless hours with a game trying to collect all the secrets, kill certain bad guys a certain way, and do a something while doing another something so that I can get all the trophies, and maybe get that oh so shiny Platinum. I’ll also be the first one to admit that I sometimes suck at video games. Don’t get me wrong, I love them, but my controller-hand-eye coordination is not always the best. You certainly won’t catch me playing Call of Duty online with a remotely acceptable K/D ratio.
In just about a month’s time, Sony’s latest AAA title, The Last of Us, from the creators of Uncharted, is set to ship. To help kick things off, a second television ad has just hit the airwaves during the NBA playoffs, resulting in millions of people catching a glimpse of the Naughty Dog title. Fans will note that the latest PS3 exclusive title was delayed by a few months in order to allow for more polish and development on the game, something I highly value and appreciate. This also means that The Last of Us will hit store shelves on June 14th, traditionally when game droughts take place. Hopefully this delay will also pay off for Sony and Naughty as games released in fall and spring face much more competition which can hurt sales. This also means that gamers will now have one more title to play during summer, instead of just replaying through old games. After the jump, the latest 30 second TV spot awaits you.
On the PlayStation Blog, Sony has announced that production of the PlayStation 3 will soon begin in Brazil. For some time now, the PS3 has been produced in Japan, China, and Taiwan, resulting in the units being shipped to Western countries. The consoles will be manufactured in Manaus by Sony Brasil Ltda., with the 250 GB version costing $1,099 Reals ($549.36). Despite a seemingly high price for US consumers, this does mark a price drop for the console through official sales channel though many have pointed out that you can get the console by other means in the country for 899 Reals.
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