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I’m still working my way through The Last of Us Part I. My progress is glacial for one specific reason: Photo Mode. Turning every corner or glimpsing a character’s reaction to any given situation has me pause the action and pour long minutes into framing shots. My personal preference is character close-ups shot in Portrait Mode. As such, at home, you’ll see me in front of the TV with my head tilted to the side or stationed in front of a rotatable monitor. With the game being highlighted in PS Blog’s current Share of the Week, it felt right to not only highlight some of the great Photo Mode options in the game but share examples to help generate ideas and approaches you could fold into your own shots. Photo Mode is fun to experiment with, and there’s a range of tools to tinker with. Shortcut In the game’s Options menu, you’ll find an option to activate a Photo Mode shortcut, letting you press L3 and R3 together to freeze the scene. It’s quicker than having your thumb stray to the Options button and potentially miss a great composition. Frame Forward A new addition: located in the first tab of the Photo Mode menu, each button press will move the on-screen action forward a single frame. It’s useful if you’ve caught a person mid-blink in a group portrait or to nudge a character’s pose to be that bit more dynamic during an action shot. Here, Ellie’s eyes are shut. A few taps of Frame Forward corrects the issue. Controllable Lighting Also, a new inclusion is the multiple lighting options. Head over to the far-right tab on the Photo Mode menu. You’ve the option of spawning up to three dynamic light sources. All are locked to orbit your playable character, but each can be manipulated independently. Change their position with the left stick, use the menu to alter their distance from the character, change the strength and size of the beam, alter the beam’s color, and more. They’re a versatile tool. Use them to subtly add detail to a specific moment, use one to balance out the natural light of an exterior shot by illuminating your character’s front, or mask a trio as ambient light in dark environments to keep your characters out of shadow. Alternatively, dictate mood through creative use of light position and color use. One tip specific to those shooting close-ups: keep your Field of View wide (Camera tab, far left) while setting up lights. This allows you to see exactly where your chosen virtual light rigs are on screen, making them easier to position. With the sun behind him, we lose a lot of detail on Joel’s front. I put a single light set to a soft glow just out of shot, pointing upwards towards him. Now he pops against the darker background. I put a single white light with a narrow beam at a 45-degree angle at Joel’s right, softening its strength so I didn’t lose facial detail in the shadows. I also darkened the overall brightness of the scene and switched to a narrow field of focus, so the background was blurry and the focus was on Joel. Small detail that adds to the shot: his eyes reflect the light. Tip for portraits: move the camera to where the model’s eyeline is. Every light allows you to choose whether it casts shadows based on objects within the game world. Here, there’s a single light with a wide beam set to “warm interior” light preset behind Joel. While ‘off-camera’, his presence is felt by the shadow cast against the wall behind Ellie. An alternative approach to the same scene using creative lighting placed just in front of the arcade cabinet to emulate the glow of its screen, suggesting Ellie finally got her wish to play the game. Natural light Remember to experiment with natural light as well! Sunlight shimmering through trees or piercing through doorways and windows just require positioning of your characters and framing to capture a scene, as the two shots below showcase. Reset, rethink, reframe After you’ve spotted, composed, and captured your perfect shot, linger. Cycle through the tabs pressing Triangle on each to reset to defaults then start panning the camera around again. You might discover a better composition for your original shot or see an additional detail originally off-camera for an entirely separate photo. These three shots are captured in the same moment. I simply removed the Joel character model (“Hide Characters” option) and switched to Portrait Mode (change “Roll” to 90) and pulled the camera closer to Ellie for the second photo. Before exiting, I swept the camera around and spotted Tess rubbing her eyes. A quick Landscape and color preset change later, I had a third shot. Wide shots and close-ups Finding the right composition sometimes requires a different perspective. Pull L2 to zoom the camera in or R2 to zoom it out. Coupling the latter with a wide field of view can help highlight and frame characters against the desolate yet detailed landscape they journey through for exterior shots. Framing Framing doesn’t end in getting the best shot angle. Photo Mode also offers a suite of frames and logos to add to your shot prior to you exiting Photo Mode. That includes new “cut out” frames, such as the below. Experiment There’s always more to learn. Tinker with all the Photo Mode settings to familiarize yourself with what they can do, and you’ll gradually discover the type of shots that appeal to you. Open up your PS5 Media Gallery and cycle through your shots to pick the best of the bunch. From personal experience, returning to photos a day or two later may make you appreciate a photo you’d originally considered dismissing. And don’t limit yourself to your own work: study other photographers’ creations to figure out how they’ve achieved those shots. We’ll have a selection of TLOUI photos in Share of the Week this Friday, which will be a great place to start. And most importantly: have fun! View the full article
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Name: PlayStation - Gotham Knights - The Batman Family: Behind the Scenes | PS5 Games Category: Gaming Industry Videos Date Added: 09/07/2022 Submitter: Commander Fury Gotham Knights - The Batman Family: Behind the Scenes | PS5 Games PlayStation - Gotham Knights - The Batman Family: Behind the Scenes | PS5 Games
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Thanks to the support and feedback from our PS5 beta participants, today we’re rolling out a new system software update to PS5 players globally. The update includes several highly-requested features like 1440p HDMI video output* and gamelists, as well as social features like the ability to request a Share Screen from a fellow party member, easily view new friends’ profiles, and receive a notification to help you join a friend’s game more quickly from a party chat. Additionally, you can now compare 3D audio and stereo audio on the same screen and more easily access in-progress Activities from game hubs. Check out our beta blog post to get the full scoop on these features, and read on for details about some new and forthcoming updates for PS5 and PS App. Play Video YouTube Search through Voice Command (Preview) Another feature we’re excited to bring to more PS5 players is the ability to search for content on YouTube through Voice Command (Preview). From anywhere on PS5, including during gameplay, you can say “Hey PlayStation, find [keyword] on YouTube.” The YouTube app will open and relevant search results will be shown. Note: Voice Command (Preview) is currently available in English for PS5 players with accounts registered to the U.S. and U.K. New PS App features In addition to these PS5 console updates, we’re gradually rolling out some new features for PS App globally later this month, on iOS and Android: Launch a PS Remote Play session through PS App PS App users will be able to launch a PS Remote Play session directly from PS App on iOS and Android devices. To start, make sure PS App is linked to your PS5 console and your console is in Rest Mode. Then, select the “Play Using PS Remote Play” icon on a PS App game hub, and the PS Remote Play app will automatically launch the game. To enjoy this feature, make sure PS App and the PS Remote Play app are both installed on your mobile or tablet device. Request Share Screen Similar to the PS5 feature, PS App users will be able to request another party member playing on PS5 to start a Share Screen session, and then watch their friend’s gameplay from the app. This makes it even easier for you to stay connected with friends while you’re on the go. Thanks to all our fans for continuing to share your suggestions and ideas. We’re constantly listening to your feedback and committed to making your gaming and social experiences better with each update. See you online! *1440p video output on PS5 requires a TV or PC monitor that supports 1440p/60Hz, or 1440p/60Hz and 120Hz. Results may vary depending on the game being played. VRR on PS5 supports 1080p and 4K video output but not 1440p. View the full article
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Name: PlayStation - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II - Vault Edition Breakdown | PS5 & PS4 Games Category: Gaming Industry Videos Date Added: 09/06/2022 Submitter: Commander Fury Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II - Vault Edition Breakdown | PS5 & PS4 Games PlayStation - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II - Vault Edition Breakdown | PS5 & PS4 Games
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Name: PlayStation - Call of Duty: Vanguard & Warzone - The Umbrella Academy: Hazel Bundle | PS5 & PS4 Games Category: Gaming Industry Videos Date Added: 09/06/2022 Submitter: Commander Fury Call of Duty: Vanguard & Warzone - The Umbrella Academy: Hazel Bundle | PS5 & PS4 Games PlayStation - Call of Duty: Vanguard & Warzone - The Umbrella Academy: Hazel Bundle | PS5 & PS4 Games
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We here at CD PROJEKT RED are so excited for the launch of the Edgerunners Update — and with our first-ever anime Cyberpunk: Edgerunners coming hot on its heels (September 13th!), we thought this would be the perfect time to share some additional insights about what the two releases have in common. Trust me, it’s more than just the name. In Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, we first meet David Martinez when he’s just a down-on-his-luck street kid peddling black market braindances (XBDs) to help him and his mother Gloria get by. Her bright yellow jacket — which is passed down to David — becomes a visual cornerstone of the anime, so it’s no surprise that we chose to include it in the latest update. Franchise & Lore Designer Patrick Mills, who worked on selecting the items that would make it from the anime into Cyberpunk 2007, agrees: “David’s jacket was an obvious choice, as it’s an iconic element of the anime that has a lot of meaning to it. We’re excited for people to pick up the item in-game and feel connected to the story of the anime in a tactile way. For people who haven’t seen the anime, I hope they enjoy it as a cool new jacket to wear around town and pose with in Photo Mode, but for people who watch the anime and know the backstory, it’s my hope that it’s another bridge between the world of the show and the world of the game.” This Legendary level item becomes an even greater catch thanks to the introduction of the Wardrobe, our transmog system. Dropping a piece of stylish gear for something with better armor always hurts, but now players can dress for the dark future without sacrificing their builds. The jacket isn’t the only thing left lying around after David’s explosive and bloody time in Night City. Players can also discover a new weapon — a shotgun named “Guts” that packs a powerful real-world punch thanks to DualSense’s Adaptive Triggers functionality introduced in the previous next-gen update. Combining the two worlds in a thoughtful and organic way, from the item descriptions to the dialogue, was at the forefront of our minds as we planned this update. Writer Rafał Babraj was clear about his approach from the beginning: “We wanted to embed the characters and story from the anime in our game as immersively as possible, and I think we found a cool narrative way of doing that. But we also wanted to make it a bit mysterious, teasing just enough of the anime to ignite the curiosity of players and push them to discover what happened to David and his crew in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. We took into consideration the personalities of the anime characters and tried to reflect that in the way they communicate in-game, or in the descriptions of the items that belonged to them.” Babraj also teased that, “These may be two different stories, but V and David actually have a lot in common — what exactly that is, players and viewers will have to discover for themselves!” Players can also expect a brand-new quest, one that leads to David’s jacket and ties the two worlds together properly. Quest Director Paweł Sasko worked with his team to make sure that the game and anime fit together: “Cyberpunk 2077 and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners share the same, fascinating, dystopian world, but there are obvious differences in the graphic style of the two, so we had to come up with exciting and logical solutions on how to tie them together. I asked Expert Quest Designer Danisz Markiewicz to watch the anime and pitch narrative solutions that would build upon the story told in Edgerunners and connect it well with the game. He proposed to go the braindance route and in fact use a clip from the anime in the game! I loved that solution and we started exploring our options on how to pull it off. Thanks to a few other devs, our partners at Netflix, and an extra pinch of creativity, we made it a reality. The braindance itself contains two small secrets and I’m curious to read online when our players uncover it.” When it came to creating the links between the two stories, the process wasn’t just a one-way street, but something organic and collaborative. In Sasko’s words: “Studio Trigger did an incredible job of making Night City really come to life in the anime, and those who know the game well can easily recognize where key events take place. What I find fascinating is that at first Trigger was inspired by the game, and then we became inspired by their remarkable work as we set out to enrich the game in the Edgerunners Update. That’s why the placement of the braindance, gear, and all the other small events throughout the quest are tied to the storyline of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners very deliberately and intentionally. The quest was designed to be an expression of gratitude from us to fans of Cyberpunk 2077 and the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime.” The anime-related content we’ve highlighted here is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Edgerunners Update. There’s plenty more in store for gamers, like a playable Roach Race mini-game, additional weapons, quests, and the ability to pose Nibbles in Photo Mode. For the full list of features, visit the website — and learn more about the anime here. Or better yet, jump into the game and check everything out for yourself! Cyberpunk 2077 is available through the PlayStation Store for PS4 and PS5 at a price of $49.99. View the full article
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Name: PlayStation - New partners joining SIE’s global Social Justice Fund portfolio and PlayStation Career Pathways Category: Gaming Industry Videos Date Added: 09/06/2022 Submitter: Commander Fury New partners joining SIE’s global Social Justice Fund portfolio and PlayStation Career Pathways PlayStation - New partners joining SIE’s global Social Justice Fund portfolio and PlayStation Career Pathways
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Name: PlayStation - PlayStation Career Pathways support of USC Games' Gerald A. Lawson Fund Category: Gaming Industry Videos Date Added: 09/06/2022 Submitter: Commander Fury PlayStation Career Pathways support of USC Games' Gerald A. Lawson Fund PlayStation - PlayStation Career Pathways support of USC Games' Gerald A. Lawson Fund
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In 2020, Sony Group established a $100 million Global Social Justice Fund to support social justice and anti-racist initiatives around the world. As part of Sony Group, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has committed more than $11 million in total to advance race equity within the gaming industry and beyond. Play Video Through SIE’s Social Justice Initiative and our PlayStation Career Pathways, we’re supporting organizations and efforts focused on strengthening educational and career opportunities for historically disadvantaged communities. Our objective is to drive a new era of creativity, development and growth in the gaming industry that allows for more diversity and representation. Play Video Today, I’m excited to share an update on our PlayStation Career Pathways partnerships and SIE’s Social Justice Fund portfolio as we continue our efforts to drive change – locally, nationally, and globally. This is just another step as we’ll continue to strive to make Sony Interactive Entertainment and the video game industry more diverse, inclusive, and accessible. View the full article
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Since day one, First Contact Entertainment has been focused on bringing quality experiences to virtual reality, and our team has always believed in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Which is why now, after four years of support for Firewall Zero Hour, we are proud to announce that we’ll be pushing those boundaries once again with our next live-operated first-person multiplayer shooter for PlayStation VR2, Firewall Ultra. Firewall Ultra is the next evolution in the Firewall franchise. We’re taking advantage of the new features that the PS VR2 has to offer, and we’re excited to give you a sneak peek into how we’ve used some of those features for Firewall Ultra. Set 5 years after the original game, the contractors and locations you’ve grown to love have evolved and moved into the next generation. Since PS VR2 offers a much higher level of visual fidelity with 4K HDR, we’ve completely remade all character models. The maps have also seen a complete overhaul, with new areas and new textures. There will also be new locations and contractors, but it wouldn’t be a Firewall game without the weaponry and equipment, which also feature a much deeper level of customization. We’ve been listening to our community over the past four years, and we’re proud to announce that you’ll be playing Firewall Ultra on dedicated servers. We’re also adding rounds to the game, so each match will now be the best of three, and we’re adding an entirely new PvE experience. Plus, we have future content planned post-launch such as new contractors, maps, and weapons. On top of all that, Firewall Ultra utilizes new PlayStation VR2 Sense Technology features like eye tracking, which enables you to intuitively swap weapons and bring up HUD indicators through cameras built into the PS VR2 headset. If you haven’t already, make sure you check out our announcement trailer for a first look of what’s on the horizon for Firewall Ultra. Play Video Finally, we’d like to thank all our wonderful community members. From meetups to international tournaments, the community for Firewall Zero Hour far surpassed any of our expectations. For many, Firewall Zero Hour is much more than just a game. It’s a virtual family get together, it’s a place to make new friends, or it’s an escape to another world from the comfort of their own living room. Many of our players have been with us since launch, they’re extremely helpful to new players, and create some of the best content we’ve ever seen (which we actually play in a constant loop on our lunchroom television). It’s been a pleasure watching you all grow and evolve, and we’re excited to bring you a new experience with Firewall Ultra. We’re looking forward to sharing gameplay with you soon. View the full article
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Bring a fresh, unique aesthetic into play with the new Gray Camouflage Collection coming to the PS5 family of accessories. Adding to the previously released galaxy-inspired color lineup, the Gray Camouflage Collection features a matching set of accessories with the DualSense wireless controller, PS5 console covers for both the PS5 with the Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive and the PS5 Digital Edition, and Pulse 3D wireless headset.* Play Video The PlayStation design team reimagined our camouflage pattern to reflect a fresher, more contemporary feel. If you look closely, you’ll notice that the iconic PlayStation Shapes have been subtly incorporated into the pattern. The Gray Camouflage Collection will be available starting this fall, with pre-orders beginning September 15. The DualSense wireless controller and PS5 console covers will launch globally on October 14, followed by the launch of the Pulse 3D wireless headset in December. The exact launch dates for the collection may vary by location, so be sure to check your local retailer for availability. We’re excited to bring the new collection to players, and we hope you’ll enjoy the new design. *PS5 console and Gray Camouflage accessories all sold separately. direct.playstation.com Purchase Information In the US, UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, a number of these new products will be available via early access for direct.playstation.com customers. Starting October 14 (while supplies last), the DualSense wireless controller in Gray Camouflage will be available on direct.playstation.com and will be offered at other participating retailers starting October 28. Starting October 14 (while supplies last), the PS5 console covers in Gray Camouflage will be available exclusively on direct.playstation.com in these locations. Stay tuned to direct.playstation.com for more information. View the full article