Commander Fury

Ahoy there! With June ahead of us, let’s take a look back at the biggest new releases of May 2022. It was a good month for high profile indies and other anticipated titles, featuring the likes of Salt and Sacrifice, Unpacking, Evil Dead: The Game, Trek to Yomi, and Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong. Get your vote in before we close the polls Sunday night, then check this post again next week to find out which game claimed the Players’ Choice crown for May. How does it work? At the end of every month, PlayStation.Blog will open a poll where you can vote for the best new game released that month. Soon thereafter, we’ll close the polls, tally your votes, and announce the winner at PlayStation.Blog. PlayStation Store will also showcase some top Players’ Choice winners throughout the year. What is the voting criteria? That’s up to you! If you were only able to recommend one new release to a friend that month, which would it be? In keeping with our long tradition in the Game of the Year Awards, remastered or re-released games won’t qualify. Ambitious, larger-scale rebuilds and remakes like Demon’s Souls and Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy will. How are nominees decided? The PlayStation.Blog and PlayStation Store editorial teams will gather a list of that month’s most noteworthy releases and use it to seed the poll. Write-in votes will be accepted. View the full article

The Gardens Between launches on PS5 this June 16! We’ve spent months specially crafting The Gardens Between for PS5 and it brings sharper details, verdant HDR colors, and bespoke sensations exclusively for the PS5 DualSense wireless controller. To be honest we thought that after four years developing the game things would settle down. We thought we’d take it easy. But it’s been a huge journey and the reception has been beyond our wildest dreams. We were nominated for more than 30 awards including several Game of the Year awards, and it took us around the world! Being the perfectionists that we are, every new platform has taken a little more time than we thought. We first started tweaking and improving the game for PS5 in early 2021, but we enjoyed the process so much that we just kept making it better at every turn. In this blog post I’ll detail what’s changed and why the PlayStation 5 is now the best platform to play The Gardens Between. A quick recap The Gardens Between is a surreal puzzle adventure that follows best friends, Arina and Frendt, as they fall into a mysterious world of beautiful garden islands. They wake up in a vibrant dreamlike world that represents their significant memories from an adventurous friendship since becoming next door neighbors. You control and manipulate time itself to help Arina and Frendt solve puzzles and unlock the secrets of the gardens. Together you explore their blossoming friendship through their memories, all culminating in a climactic ending that I won’t spoil for you. It’s a very unique game. The story is told without words or text. Instead the story is conveyed ambiently through the abstract and surreal environment, the characters’ emotive reactions and their growing friendship. Observation is key to understanding the story. It results in a welcoming, peaceful experience with no time pressure, fail states, or complex user-interface to learn. The game has been described as “the simplest deep game possible”, and a “masterpiece of minimalist storytelling” – descriptions we’re very proud of. Ok, let’s dig into what’s new! DualSense wireless controllers The DualSense wireless controllers on PlayStation 5 are just fantastic. The new high fidelity haptics give a precise tactile sense, which inspired us to entirely rebuild the haptic moments in order to fully take advantage of the new technology. These new bespoke haptics are exclusive to the PlayStation 5 DualSense controller! The haptics we’ve added are designed around the experiences of Arina and Frendt in the gardens. We asked ourselves “what sensations would they feel as they navigate the lush gardens?” The deep rumble of thunder. The ephemeral wisp of light floating into the lantern. The crunch of placing the lantern onto a stone surface. We also support the responsive triggers of the DualSense controller. Push on any obstacle blocking your forward motion through time and you will feel time pushing back. Graphical leap Thanks to the power of PS5, The Gardens Between looks and feels better than ever before. The upgrade to HDR (on capable screens), combined with a true 4k resolution at 60 frames per second, and temporal anti-aliasing (shipping first on PlayStation 5) the game is both crisp and fluid. We then unleashed the full texture resolution where it was lacking, enhanced line rendering, increased shadow precision, and perhaps spent an unreasonable amount of time adjusting the water reflection shaders 🤓. It looks sublime! On June 16 The Gardens Between will become available worldwide on PlayStation 5! We can’t wait to share this massive update with you. We are pleased to announce that this upgrade is free to all our PlayStation 4 fans! Buy either version and get access to both versions. So you can check out the changes for yourself. Sincere thanks for playing our ode to childhood friendships. We have deeply appreciated all the positive feedback and it couldn’t mean more to us to be acknowledged for our deep and personal exploration into heartfelt and poignant storytelling. View the full article

Name: Save the Arty Category: Urgent Fury Date Added: 05/30/2022 Submitter: Commander Fury Save the Arty Save the Arty

Name: Mastering the M55 Tier IX Arty Category: Urgent Fury Date Added: 05/30/2022 Submitter: Commander Fury Mastering the M55 Tier IX Arty Mastering the M55 Tier IX Arty

Name: World of Tanks #Ramfail Category: Urgent Fury Date Added: 05/30/2022 Submitter: Commander Fury World of Tanks #Ramfail World of Tanks #Ramfail

Name: Ravenfall vs clan Blunt Force Rainbow 6 Siege League Category: Urgent Fury Date Added: 05/30/2022 Submitter: Commander Fury Ravenfall vs clan Blunt Force Rainbow 6 Siege League Ravenfall vs clan Blunt Force Rainbow 6 Siege League

Name: Breaking out of the Ghost Recon Wildlands Beta Map Category: Urgent Fury Date Added: 05/30/2022 Submitter: Commander Fury Breaking out of the Ghost Recon Wildlands Beta Map Breaking out of the Ghost Recon Wildlands Beta Map

Name: Join Carlos playing Rainbow Six Siege Category: Urgent Fury Date Added: 05/30/2022 Submitter: Commander Fury Join Carlos playing Rainbow Six Siege Join Carlos playing Rainbow Six Siege

Name: Join Carlos playing Rainbow Six Siege Category: Urgent Fury Date Added: 05/30/2022 Submitter: Commander Fury Join Carlos playing Rainbow Six Siege Join Carlos playing Rainbow Six Siege

Name: Exploring World of Tanks Single Player Category: Urgent Fury Date Added: 05/30/2022 Submitter: Commander Fury Exploring World of Tanks Single Player Exploring World of Tanks Single Player

Name: SinglePlayerSundays featuring Kack 2 Category: Urgent Fury Date Added: 05/30/2022 Submitter: Commander Fury SinglePlayerSundays featuring Kack 2 SinglePlayerSundays featuring Kack 2

Name: Arty Killer Category: Urgent Fury Date Added: 05/30/2022 Submitter: Commander Fury Arty Killer Arty Killer

Name: Urgent Fury Boot Camp Promo Category: Urgent Fury Date Added: 05/30/2022 Submitter: Commander Fury Urgent Fury Boot Camp Promo Urgent Fury Boot Camp Promo

Name: Epic 29 - 0 Match with MR-ROYAL-IGR Category: Urgent Fury Date Added: 05/30/2022 Submitter: Commander Fury Epic 29 - 0 Match with MR-ROYAL-IGR Epic 29 - 0 Match with MR-ROYAL-IGR

Name: Catch this! Category: Urgent Fury Date Added: 05/30/2022 Submitter: Commander Fury Catch this! Catch this!

Name: UBETrippen??? Help!!! Oh neverminded you need to get that kill huh? #KillBeforeHeals Category: Urgent Fury Date Added: 05/30/2022 Submitter: Commander Fury UBETrippen??? Help!!! Oh neverminded you need to get that kill huh? #KillBeforeHeals UBETrippen??? Help!!! Oh neverminded you need to get that kill huh? #KillBeforeHeals

Name: invaded Coop - Sniper Elite 5 Category: Urgent Fury Date Added: 05/30/2022 Submitter: Commander Fury invaded Coop - Sniper Elite 5 invaded Coop - Sniper Elite 5

This week, virtual photographers across Twitter and Instagram braved the Forbidden West to photograph the menacing machines encountered during Aloy’s newest adventure. Let’s dive in: @ChowellCw gets dangerously close to a Stalker doing what they do best @UYScuti10 witnesses the silhouette of a Tallneck bathed in sunset @TheNanoWarrior is caught in this Watcher’s sights @ArtofVP says “… It’s right behind me, isn’t it?” @coalabr14 captures the burning rage of a rampaging Slitherfang @i-am-the-z combines hunter and hunted to create this stunning composition @MdeavorVP catches a Clawstrider in the midst of a chilling cry Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week? THEME: Horizon Forbidden West: NPCs SUBMIT BY: Wednesday 9 AM PT on June 1 Let’s hear it for the supporting cast of Guerrilla’s latest! Whether it’s a sneaky candid or a posed portrait, capture your favorite NPC’s good side for a chance to be included in next week’s Share of the Week lineup. View the full article

Greetings to all the fans and supporters of Final Fantasy XI Online (FFXI)! Earlier this week, the game celebrated its 20th year anniversary, and we couldn’t be prouder or more honored by the support of all the fans and countless memories that we’ve built together during this time! To be able to say that we’ve continued to provide service for players around the world since May 16, 2002 is a remarkable achievement for us and we’ve been so happy to celebrate this moment with you all. Continuing with the celebrations, a few of us from the FFXI development team shared our thoughts on the past 20 years. Akihiko Matsui: I’m Akihiko Matsui, a “second generation” FFXI producer. I was part of what you might call the early team, and while working on the international version of Legend of Mana and thinking about our next project, Sakaguchi-san told me to do my research because we would be making an online game next. I joined the FFXI team in the beginning as a battle planner. Yoji Fujito: I’m the current director of FFXI. I have been supporting what can be referred to as “lifestyle” content, the best-known of which may be the mog gardens and chocobo raising, as well as system-related aspects such as the chat or storage systems. Originally, I joined as a planner for the development of Einhänder and Parasite Eve II at the SQUARE Osaka development department (currently the Osaka office). After that, I answered the call for developing FFXI, and have been involved in the development ever since. Masaru Taniguchi: My name is Masaru Taniguchi and I’m in charge of battle content. I have been involved in the development of FFXI since the Wings of the Goddess expansion. Before FFXI was released, I was in the QA department and worked on debugging the game. Iori Watanabe: Hello, I’m Iori Watanabe. I joined the team as a tester during the beta version and got the opportunity to become involved as a planner from the second half of the Wings of the Goddess expansion pack. I oversee system modifications to enhance convenience with respect to fishing, mounts, and storage slips beyond Abyssea. Recently, I worked on storage expansion-related designs. Yasushi Yamazaki: My name is Yasushi Yamazaki. As far as introductions, it would probably be easiest to understand my role if I say that I am in charge of Trusts, Ambuscade Chapter 1, and more recently, A.M.A.N. Trove. I was originally an FFXI player, but when I saw Producer Matsui’s passionate message to recruit development team staff, I applied for the position and joined the team. Takashi Hisagi: I joined the company in January 2001 as a PlayOnline developer. After that, I was involved in the start-up of the development department for the SQUARE ENIX Account Management System, and then I was transferred to FFXI development after they heard my pleas to work in game development. In FFXI development, I have been mainly in charge of seasonal events up to the present. In addition, I was involved in the overall planning of Unity Concord and the production of various missions and quests, and I am currently in charge of the production of The Voracious Resurgence. Developing the First Online Final Fantasy Mainline Title What was your reaction to the directive to create an online FF that would be included as a mainline numbered title? Matsui: As a member of the development team at launch, I took it for granted that FFXI would be developed as a mainline numbered title. FFIX and FFX, which were announced at the same time, were two considerably different games, so it did not feel strange to have FFXI as an MMORPG among the others. It does seem like Sakaguchi-san and Tanaka-san went through a lot of trouble. In terms of releasing the game as an MMORPG, it wasn’t as though it was the first of its kind in the world, so I felt that we would probably be capable of making it. Fujito: I’ve never spoken with Sakaguchi-san directly about this, so the reason why this directive was issued is something I’ve heard through the grapevine. It seems that Sakaguchi-san’s creative motivation was greatly inspired after experiencing EverQuest, and he approached Tanaka-san and Ishii-san about his passionate idea to create it. For me personally, when I heard the next mainline numbered title was going to be an MMORPG, I felt a sense of elation similar to excitement and thought, “The cutting-edge RPG series, Final Fantasy, is finally going to enter into the MMORPG genre!” I was completely captivated by Ultima Online at the time, and I’d been thinking I’d like to be involved in creating an MMORPG someday. Can you share what you recall of the public’s reaction to the announcement that the next mainline FF would be online? Matsui: I don’t remember much of the public reaction at the time of the announcement, partly because I was too preoccupied with resolving various development issues. Fujito: I only know how the reaction was in Japan, but there were people who were excited for this new undertaking, as well as people who felt that this was not Final Fantasy because it was going to be online. Then, the majority of people just knew that there was some sort of new title coming out, but not much beyond that. People in each of these categories were buzzing about it. Can you share what kind of experience you had playing and/or developing MMOs at the time? Matsui: No one had experience developing online games in general, not just MMORPGs. Back then, SQUARE was only releasing products for the PlayStation and other home consoles which were not network capable. Maybe we had experience with local communication matching using a wired cable, like with Pokémon and such? When FFXI was confirmed for release, I bought a PC and played EverQuest and Ultima Online. I felt more comfortable with EverQuest. Fujito: Everyone on the development team came in without any knowledge about MMORPGs. Only those who had played Ultima Online or EverQuest prior to that had a general feel for the experience. However, every person I encountered was a specialist in the so-called “JRPG” field. Seeing those specialists made me think, “I’ve joined something so high-level that I’m not sure I fit in.” However, I had been exposed to MMORPGs early on, so I had my own interpretation of them, and I relied on that as I took part in discussions about the project. What kind of considerations did you make while developing an online game versus an offline game? Matsui: I was initially concerned about how much connectivity-related delays would affect the battles, but having been experienced with MMORPGs quite a bit, I knew from experience that players spent an extensive amount of time in the game, and that there are large variations among the players. Quickly running out of things to do is a problem, but never leveling up is also a problem, and it was precisely because you can see other players that it was difficult to balance. Fujito: In MMORPGs, when you defeat a monster, players around you can see that. Sharing your status is a must. However, in a case where the world is destroyed as the story progresses, other players who are progressing more slowly could end up seeing an unexpected scene early on. As discussions moved forward about making FFXI story-driven, we needed to deliberate carefully about things like how to present the story, as well as how to help others in battle or handle things that could be spoilers for players at different stages of progression. Were you surprised at the longevity of FFXI on the PlayStation 2? Matsui: It was significant that we retained a relatively large development team after launch. The subsequent Windows and international versions, as well as the Xbox 360 version, allowed us to grow our player base steadily, which meant we didn’t have to immediately reduce development manpower to recoup costs. Additionally, the PlayStation 2 is a great console, which invited great software development, enabling it to sell many units over an extended period. Therefore, the significant longevity of the console allowed FFXI’s service to continue for many years on the PS2. Fujito: A major selling point of FFXI was that it allowed players to experience an MMORPG on a console rather than PC. Support for later consoles was forgone for various reasons, but we continued support for PS2 until the last possible moment. The main reason was the fact that the title began on PS2 so there were many players who still enjoyed playing on it even many years later. Right before service ended on the PS2, players were inconvenienced due to a portion of cutscenes that had a high probability of causing the game to hang, but as a result, we were able to keep going until the release of Rhapsodies of Vana’diel, the finale of FFXI. In a way, that finale was a show of our gratitude and a parting gift to the PS2. Bringing Final Fantasy XI Online Worldwide What kind of mindset did you have regarding developing FFXI as a game that would be enjoyed by players worldwide? Matsui: As a game from Japan, I wanted to introduce seasonal events that are as uniquely Japanese as possible to people around the world. We did not want to be overly conscious of global standards, in a sense. In addition, the Japanese game industry was very vibrant at the time, and I was proud of the fact that it was leading the world in certain ways. Fujito: From the very beginning, we had anticipated releasing in English-speaking countries, as we believed that the MMORPG was a gaming genre that could become even more fun through the synergy of a larger and more diverse player base. And North America was the home of MMORPGs in the first place. As we were anticipating that it would eventually expand into English-speaking countries, we tried to provide some means of communication for Japanese players who may not be comfortable speaking English. The implementation of the auto-translate function is a major example of this. Hisagi: I tried to be conscious of the fact that I wanted players from all over the world to enjoy the game. Since what may be common sense in Japan does not always apply to the rest of the world, I would check with the Localization team coordinator if there were any concerns. For example, in Japan, carrots are known as a horse’s favorite food, but I wondered if that was also the case overseas. It turned out to be OK for overseas too. On the other hand, dialogue for missions, quests, etc. are first created in Japanese, but even if there are expressions that are only used in Japan, the translators can make the appropriate adjustments. So, I often just hand things over as-is to the translators without overthinking it. Can you share any memories from interacting with fans directly during overseas events? Matsui: Not to say one is better than the other, but the play style between Western players and Japanese players is quite different. Fan events are also like that. In North America, I enjoyed the various activities that were staffed by volunteering fans. I only regret my lack of study, thinking how much more fun it would have been if I had been able to communicate more in English. Fujito: I attended the North American Fan Fest, which was held at a hotel in Hollywood, and was extremely impressed with how the North American fans would express themselves in a way that I could readily understand. Everyone was friendly, and there was a very open and approachable atmosphere that filled the ballroom where the event was held. When I stepped away to use the restroom and was making my way down the hallway, I was approached by a female player, and as I did not speak English at all, I said something like, “Sorry, I have to go,” remembering the “I have to…” sentence structure I had learned in middle school. I still remember giving her a paper crane as a memento, which I had with me because I was planning to leave it along with a tip by my bed in the hotel room, before walking away. I felt very apologetic at the time. Sustaining the Game as a Live Service What kind of challenges does the team face with maintaining continuous content in a live service game? Matsui: There is no alchemy that can produce results that exceed the staffing costs, and in the end, I believe that ultimately the best thing is to continue to spend the necessary staffing costs. There is the matter of quality vs. quantity with such costs, but with regards to quality, I think it is important that we, as gamers, try to improve ourselves daily.。 Fujito: Simply put, two issues always stand in the way. One is the issue of “human resources.” Creating content requires staff who know how things work and how to make it. Currently, we have seven members including myself, all of whom are planners. There is one member who can act as an engineer, but essentially, the team is only able to implement movement with scripts for planning. Therefore, for anything else, such as adding new graphics or adjusting UI, we continue to borrow help from outside parties as needed to handle work that is over-spec compared to what was originally anticipated. The other problem is the equipment and development environment. We need to use old equipment that is already out of production and cannot even be sent in for maintenance, and when these fail, new resources cannot be added. This cannot be avoided because it was determined more than 10 years ago that they cannot be replaced. The current development team is working to prevent this equipment from breaking down as much as possible and treating them with care. What kind of changes have been implemented in FFXI to allow the game to grow from its initial debut to now? Matsui: I believe that the players who are playing now have more or less experienced the pleasure of overcoming some difficulties and achieving victory at a time when even leveling up was difficult. However, just as FFXI is now 20 years old, our players are now 20 years older and have less time to spend on the game, or they have more important focuses outside of the game. Therefore, we made bold changes in terms of content accessibility, the time spent per a single piece of content, and so on. That said, we were careful not to infringe on the aspect of the game which makes it possible to play alone but is more fun with friends. Fujito: Many FFXI players have been with us for a long time, and there are quite a few who have been with us for 20 years. FFXI has also changed to fit the lifestyles of these players. The vicious cycle of having to gather people to play the game and then not being able to play due to the difficulty of gathering people became a serious problem, so we introduced Trusts as a measure to make it possible to play with a small number of people. Other examples include the Records of Eminence to clarify unfamiliar growth paths to some extent, and the Home Point teleportation to allow quick access to the desired content. By continuing to implement such measures when needed, we have been able to provide players with a comfortable place to play. I believe that this basic approach will remain unchanged in the future. Hisagi: It depends on the content, but perhaps the shift in balance from a party-centric experience to one that allows for solo play. What were some of your most memorable version updates? Matsui: Memorable version updates in recent times would be when we implemented Trust and Records of Eminence and drastically changed pre-existing policies, and the first version update when the game was discontinued on PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, and we shifted to a smaller development team. In the early days, the version updates that added notorious monsters (NMs) had me hanging around in-game and online communities for a while, wanting to know what people thought of the NMs and their rewards. Fujito: I still remember the time we added a mechanism called “desynthesis.” We found that it was possible to make a profit by buying equipment from a store, breaking it down using desynthesis, and then selling the materials back to the store. We had to adjust the selling price of the items in a three-day rush. Taniguchi: When I first joined the FFXI team, my job was to lay down paths on maps. I laid down the paths in the Bastok area, but it was the type of work that didn’t give me any sense that I was actually making anything… Monsters and pets won’t move without the paths, so it was necessary work, but it was just very tedious…. Watanabe: Fishing on Reisenjima. We made it so that players could eventually obtain a piece of armor called the Dashing Subligar by fishing on Reisenjima, but since the conditions for acquiring it were unique and no hints were given, we thought it would be pretty difficult to get ahold of. We were surprised to hear of players easily obtaining it. Never underestimate the fishers of Vana’diel! 醴泉島の釣りです。 Yamazaki: The December 2013 version update when we implemented Trust is memorable. It was the first update I was in charge of on the FFXI team and it was a major change to the existing UI. I was especially nervous about whether other FFXI users would accept the UI changes since I was also a player myself. Hisagi: The anniversary events in general have been memorable (I have been in charge since the 10th anniversary). While it is possible to shift the timing of implementation of other content for whatever reason, it is basically impossible to shift anniversary events (with the exception of the 18th anniversary, which was shifted by one month due to Covid). I felt quite a bit of pressure not to delay the release and to come up with a fun event plan. Therefore, once an anniversary event was over, we would start gathering ideas for the next year’s event right away. 20 Years of Memories of Final Fantasy XI Can you share one of your favorite memories of working on FFXI? Matsui: The fact that we were able to finally reach Tavnazia long after implementation, after our family of five had completed Promyvion. The fact that the number of people I meet through work who say they used to play FFXI has grown. When I meet people who say they wanted to work in the game industry because of FFXI, I feel satisfied knowing that I have contributed to this industry. Fujito: One of the first content I was allowed to freely create was “chocobo raising.” With the intention of making people feel as much of an attachment to them as possible, I followed a flow similar to the “gardening” process, which compels people to check in once a day. The process of taking care of the young chocobos would move along in real time, and players would need to look after them as they got into various trouble every day. The format strongly incorporated the concept of the passage of time, and I later regretted that the time constraints were too strong and did not create a peaceful or laid-back atmosphere. However, 15 years have passed since then, and now that I have a child in real life, it can sometimes feel like a battlefield at home. So I can’t help but look back on how easy it is to raise chocobos… Watanabe: On the last day of the PlayStation 2 beta, I was running around trying to adjust the amount of gil I had. The last two digits of the gil you held determined which World you started on when the official service launched. I think those who were participating in development at the time must have felt a sense of urgency because we had to finish the adjustments as the Worlds were slowly going offline. Yamazaki: It’s difficult to choose just one, but I find the feedback from players on social media and blogs about the systems and content I was involved in implementing to be wonderful. Of course, I’m happy to hear that the game is interesting or fun, but it’s also very helpful to hear that the game is not as good as players would like it to be, or that they want certain things done differently. The experience of being able to develop a game in real-time and interactively with the players is such a great memory. Hisagi: A favorite memory I have as a player is when I completed the Chains of Promathia missions with a friend (I was not a member of the FFXI development team at the time). A favorite memory I have as a developer is when we had no plans to implement the Siren avatar, but because I stubbornly requested it, we were able to implement it as a reward for The Silent Forest quest. What do you think makes FFXI unique and special in comparison to other games? Matsui: I’m struggling to name an aspect that makes it unique other than being an MMORPG, but if anything, it may be how the game has been layered with various generations of many developers and players who have been involved in the game thus far. Fujito: In 2002, before the rapid development of the internet, we were able to attract a large number of players who were experiencing everything for the first time, which we believe had the greatest impact on the uniqueness of the game. The game offered a wide variety of options for that large number of players, and using the materials and content we provided as a base, they became “adventurers” and engaged in activities that exceeded the creators’ expectations. These activities were not limited to the game but spilled over to other internet services such as bulletin boards and forums, and I think it is quite unique that FFXI became a cultural center. It is truly a title loved by its time. Yamazaki: I think it is the atmosphere of the development team that allows for the implementation of new forms of entertainment, without being too confined by existing rules. Hisagi: One of the special characteristics of FFXI is that, as an MMO with a storyline, we’ve created a world in which players at different levels of progress in the scenario can mix and mingle without feeling out of place. For example, it’s a world in which players who have defeated the Shadow Lord and those who have not can coexist without issue. And in closing, do you have any closing messages for your fans as we celebrate the 20th anniversary? Matsui: In creating this MMORPG, I did my best as a developer, even though my part may have been small. There was also a time when I thought that games were a luxury, and that games without a creator’s artistry would be boring. Now I understand that an MMORPG becomes a masterpiece when it is populated with good players and their community. Thank you very much. We look forward to your continued support. Fujito: I would like to thank all of you who love FFXI. In Japan, this is an unprecedented record for an MMORPG, but in North America, Ultima Online and EverQuest—FFXI’s great MMORPG predecessors—are still in operation, so FFXI is still in the position of a challenger that’s following behind them. First of all, I would like to pay my respects to both titles, which, even now, are still vibrantly operating as pioneers. Now, FFXI has finally reached its 20th anniversary, a milestone that its powerful predecessors have already surpassed. FFXI started off as a console game and is heavily dependent on its hardware, which fostered its current development environment; despite this, the game has continued with frequent version updates to come this far, which I find impressive. The present day is a result of the solid foundation that has been built. I would like to thank all the creators involved in the development, and everyone who has worked hard to operate, promote, and coordinate this project. And to all the adventurers. Each and every one of your actions has become the flesh and blood of the virtual world of Vana’diel. Every single move, no matter how small, that each person who experienced even a little of the adventures in Vana’diel, has had a butterfly effect on the entire environment surrounding FFXI. Whenever I am asked about the secret of FFXI’s longevity, I always answer: “If we consider everything about the game to be 100, then 70 of that has been created by the players.” So, my message to you all can be summed up as: Adventurers, your FFXI has finally reached its 20th anniversary! Congratulations! We in the development team will get back to working hard to keep everything in Vana’diel running as it should. We hope you all continue to enjoy FFXI. Taniguchi: I’m so glad you’ve been playing for a very long time! We look forward to your continued support! Watanabe: It is only with the support of all those who played the game that we have been able to continue to our 20th anniversary. Thank you so much. If you are currently on hiatus, please come back when it is convenient for you. I’m sure those who have not logged in for years will be surprised by the changes. Vana’diel is always waiting for its adventurers to return. Yamazaki: Thank you for the 20th anniversary. I believe that this game called FFXI, which has been going on for 20 years, has influenced many people’s lives. As a former player and current member of the development team, I am one such person. It is a game that has such a high level of passion, and I think this is a synergistic phenomenon caused by each player’s high level of passion. I think it is this passion that has made the 20th anniversary possible. It is your passion for FFXI that has made this a great day for all of us. Thank you for your continued enthusiastic support. Hisagi: Did you enjoy the 20th anniversary event Mandragora Mania Madness? Some of the reward items are only available here, so we hope you’ll play along! Thank you to the development team for taking a look back at the past 20 years of Final Fantasy XI Online! We hope you’ve enjoyed walking down memory lane with us, and we hope you’ve learned something new about the game! We could not have made it to the 20th anniversary without the support of all the fans, so in closing, we’d like to share our deepest gratitude and heartfelt well wishes to everyone who’s been a part of the journey thus far. What happens next is a future yet unknown, but we hope you’ll continue to join us for what FFXI has to offer. View the full article

We’re thrilled to announce our latest DLC for Jurassic World Evolution 2. Developed in close partnership with Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, Jurassic World Evolution 2: Dominion Biosyn Expansion is inspired by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic World Dominion so you can bring all-new thrills, excitement and chaos to the ground-breaking management simulation game. The Expansion features an immersive campaign, new prehistoric species (including highly requested feathered dinosaurs), an original Chaos Theory scenario, innovative gameplay mechanics, and more. Play Video First up is Campaign mode. Immerse yourself in a thrilling new story expanding on Jurassic World Dominion. You’ll work alongside iconic characters from the franchise including Claire Dearing (voiced by Bryce Dallas Howard), Dr. Alan Grant (voiced by Sam Neill), Dr. Ellie Sattler (voiced by Laura Dern) and Lewis Dodgson (voiced by Campbell Scott). You will construct Biosyn Genetics new research compound, sending scientists to retrieve amber-encased DNA, synthesise and incubate stunning new species, and observe their diverse behaviours. Develop the Biosyn Genetics Research Compound through multiple stages of construction and use a range of film-inspired buildings to build out the facility; dig deep into amber mines and unearth rare genomes to create all-new prehistoric species; instruct scientists to synthesise and incubate awe-inspiring dinosaurs such as new feathered species; and release them into your parks. In addition, there’s a faster way to move staff around your facility with the Hyper Loop transport network. Next, is the thrilling new Chaos Theory scenario. Now, in Jurassic World Evolution 2: Dominion Biosyn Expansion, you can play through a gripping new scenario inspired by the epic events of Jurassic World Dominion. Build your very own facility to house dinosaurs in a diverse Sierra Nevada environment featuring majestic pine forests, snowy hills and sweeping plains. Use dinosaur-wrangling mechanics to corral herds of animals quickly without needing to tranquilise and transport them and ensure their safety with new security measures. When rustlers try stealing your dinosaurs, fend them off by blasting high-powered floodlights and speeding to intercept their vehicles. However you choose to manage the scenario, in the expansion’s new Chaos Theory mode, you’ll see how events unfold when you take control. The Dominion Biosyn Expansion wouldn’t be complete without four spectacular new prehistoric species. These include eagerly anticipated feathered dinosaurs in the forms of the seriously striking Therizinosaurus, Pyroraptor, and Quetzalcoatlus. The remarkable plumage even responding differently to changing weather conditions such as snow and rain, they’re bound to be a major standout attraction in your parks. In addition to these awe-inspiring species is the Dimetrodon, which is the oldest prehistoric species ever seen in a Jurassic World Evolution game, actually becoming extinct millions of years before dinosaurs first appeared. Alongside these new species, we are also introducing two new variants including, the Dreadnoughtus, which is a striking variant of the game’s existing 26 metre-long titan herbivore; and the Giganotosaurus variant, another alternative spin on the massive carnivore that manages to outsize even the mighty T-Rex. There will also be six new cosmetic skins for existing species with the Jurassic World Evolution 2: Dominion Biosyn Expansion. There are two for the infamous T-Rex both a scarred and feathered versions, one for Dilophosaurus, and 3 alternative skins for the Parasaurolophus, giving fan favourites a new lease of life. Whether adding downy plumage to the T-Rex or matching the Dilophosaurus to the film version, you’ll give familiar dinosaurs an additional, but still authentic, dimension. We’re so excited for Jurassic World Evolution 2: Dominion Biosyn Expansion and we can’t wait for you to play it, whether you’re diving into the new campaign mode tying into Jurassic World Dominion, immersing yourself in a new Chaos Theory stage focusing on a key event in the upcoming film, introducing new species, skins and variants into your parks, or playing with exciting new gameplay mechanics. Jurassic World Evolution 2: Dominion Biosyn Expansion launches June 14 on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. View the full article

It’s been more than two months since our last State of Play – who’s ready for a new one? Tune in live next Thursday, June 2 for nearly 30 minutes of announcements and updates from the world of PlayStation. We’ll have some exciting reveals from our third-party partners, plus a sneak peek at several games in development for PlayStation VR2. Watch over at Twitch or on YouTube starting 3pm Pacific / 6pm Eastern / 12:00am CET. See you next week! Regarding Co-streaming and Video-On-Demand (VOD) Please note that this broadcast may include copyrighted content (e.g. licensed music) that PlayStation does not control. We welcome and celebrate our amazing co-streamers and creators, but licensing agreements outside our control could interfere with co-streams or VOD archives of this broadcast. If you’re planning to save this broadcast as a VOD to create recap videos, or to repost clips or segments from the show, we advise omitting any copyrighted music. View the full article

Hello, Heckstars! It’s Sergey from tinyBuild here, and today I’m incredibly excited to tell you more about our upcoming fast-paced, physics-based, couch multiplayer brawler SpiderHeck. So, how can I describe SpiderHeck to you? In all honesty, it’s so epic, it’s unexplainable. You need to play it for yourself to get where I’m coming from. Because if you put seven-legged spiders (does it make them spiders in this case?), particle blades, laser blasters, rocket launchers, lots of enemies and your friends together, and top that with the physic-based environments and battle mechanics, mind blowing web slinging parkour moves and close calls – that sounds like a crazy hectic game. But it’s the chaos that makes SpiderHeck so much fun! As the saying goes – a picture is worth a thousand words, so check out the new gameplay trailer below. Play Video Seven-legged heroes You play as one the awesome spiders and your main goal is to survive for as long as possible. Use your surroundings, a vast weapon arsenal and web slinging skills to overcome your foes (and even friends). You can also customize your spiders by adjusting their colors and hats to battle in style. Battle Arenas and Enemies SpiderHeck features several maps and arenas to battle. Some of them are relatively simple and static, while others feature moving elevators, floating islands and lava walls all around the place! And let’s not forget that spiders can end up in zero gravity levels?! As I mentioned before, your main goal is to survive and become the last spider crawling. So, let’s talk a bit about the enemies. Trust me when I say you’ll never get bored trying to survive as many enemy waves as possible. The variety of foes and their abilities in SpiderHeck will put your skills to the test every time you play. Get ready to fight back against enemies with both close-range and long-range attacks. Take this enemy called Whisp for instance. It zips around in an unpredictable way until it decides to focus on you and blast you with its weapon. It can get pretty stressful when you are facing other enemies, and all of a sudden you see a Whisp start charging its cannon aimed at you. Another example of the enemy you will encounter is called Kherpi. This huge bug is using a homing sphere that follows you around the level. Try to avoid the spheres and destroy the bug by hitting the glowing part on its back. You can also deflect the spheres with your particle blade to make them follow your enemies! That is a nice way to make some allies. Spider Arsenal In SpiderHeck you’ll be able to choose from many different types of weapons and master them to become victorious. Sure, using shotguns and rocket launchers are fun and all, but the main spider weapon is a particle blade. Swing it like you mean it, deflect the shots, or even stick a grenade to your blade and throw it towards the enemies. The possibilities are endless! Master the dual blade or a spear-like blade to become the real heck master. Just like all the other weapons in the game, particle blades also have limited durability. They shrink after each hit, so keep your many eyes out on it and don’t end up with empty legs. Game modes SpiderHeck features a lot of different game modes for you and your friends to enjoy. Let’s take a closer look at some of them! Wave survival The name speaks for itself. Your goal here is to survive for as many enemy waves as possible. You can take on this challenge on your own or invite your friends to join you. Play with up to four spiders in a couch co-op local multiplayer or play together online with PlayStation Plus. You’ll have a limited number of lives, but as you progress through waves, you’ll be able to select from special modifiers that will enchant your abilities and even the odds. Quick Game Can’t wait to swing that particle blade and show everyone who is the heck master here? Then join the quick game and find random opponents online. The first spider to score the required number of points is the winner. Versus Mode Battle against other players or your friends and become the number one spider! You can adjust many different match settings such as limit the available weapons, disable maps, and even decide which modifiers are going to be available. Tiers of Heck We’re also introducing a brand-new mode called Tiers of Heck. This is a single player only hardcore version of the wave survival mode. This mode will put all your skills to the test as you will face ever increasing waves of opponents and you will be limited with only one life, so any mistake can be your spider’s last one! This mode also includes special conditions, like rising lava, limited ammo, only explosives, and many other things that will make your spider’s life even harder. And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed this little preview of the game. SpiderHeck will be coming to PS4 and PS5 later this year and we can’t wait for you to swing around the levels performing some incredible moves and creating moments to remember forever. Let us know what you think in the comments below and I’ll see you in the arenas. View the full article

Hey there! Tom from Media Molecule here, who’s very happy to announce the return of Dreams’ annual virtual exhibition show: DreamsCom. An event that puts the Dreams Community front and center, giving everyone in the Dreamiverse a chance to showcase who they are in Dreams from game developers to music makers to streamers to film makers and everything in between. DreamsCom ‘22 opens its doors this summer, and as I type this the team are hard at work designing this year’s show. Of course, an incredibly important part of DreamsCom is the community booths and showcases. So today, we’re excited to kick-start the creation phase for anyone and everyone to get involved in. We’ll go into a bit more detail of what’s different this year, but if you can’t wait to dive in, head to our website to get started. The creation phase for this year’s DreamsCom runs from May 26, 2022 – June 12, 2022. Creators will be able to submit their booths and game demos via indreams.me starting from May 26. Not familiar with what DreamsCom is? Check out a few of the screenshots below of last year’s show to get a taste of what it’s all about. Captured on PS4 Pro Captured on PS4 Pro One of the biggest pieces of feedback we’ve had over the last two years of DreamsCom is that the booth templates we give our creators aren’t as adaptable as they could be. For DreamsCom ‘22, we’re offering a few different options for folk to remix and play around with. This year you can choose from: Booth – The more general DreamsCom booth from previous years.Stand – A smaller template for creators, perfect for smaller teasers or for filmmakers and streamers to promote their work.Listening Booth – A dedicated audio booth, giving the music makers of Dreams a chance to showcase their latest track. Captured on PS4 Pro Captured on PS4 Pro Captured on PS4 Pro We’re confident these new templates will open up DreamsCom to even more community folk, filling out this year’s showfloor like never before. Of course, if you have any questions at all about DreamsCom and the creation phase of this year’s event, please let us know on social media or in our livestreams. View the full article

Most games you’ll find featured in Game of the Year lists revolve around fantasy, larger-than-life stakes, the far future, or distant past. These are places that want to transport players to completely different worlds, new experiences unlike anything you’ve ever had before. Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery, which releases for the PlayStation 4 on June 2, has its sights set on a different fantasy – one in which you can sink into the delightful routines of everyday life. I’m Buddy, the community manager for Akupara Games and I wanted to take a little time breaking down why that core experience of Behind the Frame’s gameplay is so important to us. In Behind the Frame, you play as a young artist trying to exhibit her art at a big time exhibition. And while the game itself focuses on a mystery that she’s trying to solve, most of the time you spend in Behind the Frame will be in her quaint, lived-in apartment studio. Play Video Behind the Frame sports a number of animated cutscenes over the course of the game, which many players and critics have likened to the animation of Studio Ghibli, famous for films like Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. Those films, as well as many like them from Japan, are some of Behind the Frame’s biggest inspirations. In particular, When Marnie Was There really helped orient Silver Lining Studios to the particular style of traditional animation they’d use in the game’s cutscenes. The bold earnest colors and crisp linework elevate the artist and her studio into something more beautiful. For the gameplay, the goal has always been immersion. The developers at Silver Lining Studios wanted to get players oriented to the routine of that daily life. Waking up in the morning, fixing yourself coffee, cooking a quick breakfast, and putting on some music before you start painting for the day. Painting and solving the puzzles associated with it are the main gameplay mechanics of Behind the Frame, where the story is going to move forward and more of the mystery will reveal itself. But for players to really come to terms with Behind the Frame’s main character, they’ll need to see more of her than just what’s relevant to the plot. That comes from helping her cook some eggs and butter some toast. For another example, my favorite detail is having the player play music from a cassette tape player. It isn’t just about clicking a button and having the music start. The player needs to methodically open the tape deck, pick up the tape, slot it in, close the deck, and hit the play button for a single note of music to come out. In game design, we have a term called “kinesthetics,” which describes the player’s sense of movement through a virtual space. In the same way that you can type on a keyboard without looking at your fingers because you have a sense for how the movement of your fingers will translate to the letters appearing on screen, players have a sense for how their virtual avatars move through virtual spaces. And just like a game can have good/bad mechanics, graphics or sound design, its kinesthetics can dramatically enhance the experience. I’m much more connected to the painter as a player because of the process of turning on her cassette tape than if I had done it through a simple button press or cutscene. That same care to the kinesthetics also applies to other parts of the game’s animation. When players press play and successfully start playing music for their day, the instantaneous cut to the rolling cassette tape gives players a moment to appreciate adding music to the game world. In fact, all of the small routines in the painter’s apartment include that moment of appreciation, whether it’s watching the tape play or pouring coffee into a cup. That attention to detail extends to the game’s painting animations as well. Silver Lining added special rigging for the painter’s arm, so that even if the player was painting with the brush (which is matched to the controller,) the arm fluidly followed the brushstrokes. Details were also added to how the paint from gameplay dissolved into the final presentation. While a player paints, drips from their brushstroke will start sliding down the canvas. Once they finish painting a section, the paint will smoothly transition to the cleaned-up final product. That progression helps establish a sense of time passing and care being taken in getting the details of the painting right. For the developers at Silver Lining Studios and us at Akupara Games, it’s those details that really sell the lived-in, immersive experience of being a young artist spending her days painting in her apartment. If you’d like to try painting a few masterpieces yourself, Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery launches on PS4 June 2. We’re also releasing some brand new content to the game, a sidestory focused on another young painter, that same day! And I hope if you do pick up Behind the Frame, you keep an eye out for more choices like the ones above. This game is full of them! View the full article

Competitive racing returns to Gran Turismo soon as the 2022 Gran Turismo World Series gets going on Friday, May 27 and Saturday May 28 – the first rounds of the Online Season 1. Any player who has a copy of Gran Turismo 7 for PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 can enter the series by heading to Sport Mode* in the game. Once there, sign up for the Nations Cup, where you compete for individual glory on behalf of your home country, and/or the Manufacturers Cup, in which you enter a virtual contract to compete on behalf of your favorite car maker. Play Video We’re really excited that after two years where all the action took place with people playing online from home, the Gran Turismo World Series (formerly the FIA Gran Turismo Championships) will feature some live events in 2022 where the best players from all over the world gather to face each other down on stage in front of the cameras. The best of the racers from the first online season will be invited to compete in a three-day World Series Showdown in July against the cream of the 2021 championship at the spectacular Red Bull Hangar 7 in Salzburg Austria. The World Series then continues online with Season 2, with the fastest racers invited to challenge the established stars at the World Finals. After a two-year hiatus, the finals return to the prestigious Sporting Monte Carlo, which hosted the 2018 and 2019 World Finals events. In addition to the two in-person live events, fans can watch the top racers go head-to-head in a series of six streams that will feature the top racers from the Nations Cup and Manufacturer Cup. Italian Valerio Gallo (21) will be looking to defend his 2021 Nations Cup title while two-time Manufacturers Cup champions Toyota are the team to beat in that series. A new team will be hunting them down as luxury car maker Genesis joins the Gran Turismo World Series as an official partner – thus guaranteeing Team Genesis a spot in the Manufacturer Cup flagship events. Genesis is joined as a new partner by Italian brake company Brembo. Both brands will add to the contributions of long-term partners Michelin, Toyota, Mazda, Alpha and BBS who have helped to enrich both the game and the championships. The Gran Turismo World Series will be great to watch, but also provides a competitive platform for anyone that wants to try online racing. You’ll be matched in races with people of a similar level so you can race for fun. But if you are quick and determined enough, you can make it to the top level and join us at one of our fantastic live events where we are expecting an electric atmosphere after a two-year break. * Features require internet connection. View the full article