Commander Fury

Hi everybody, we hope you are all doing well and keeping healthy. This is Jamie, the Animation Director over at Team Asobi. First things first, a big thank you for your feedback, comments and reviews of Astro’s Playroom (fact: we do read them all!). We are genuinely delighted to see so much love and positivity around the game. You guys are great! Looking at your comments, one thing that stood out in particular were the various PlayStation game tributes and cameos hidden all over Astro’s Playroom. Being huge fans of the PlayStation heritage ourselves, we had a real blast creating these! And as you can imagine, with so many amazing and cherished game characters to pick from, we felt a big responsibility to deliver the fun and quality that would do justice to them. Today, let us give you a short insight into the creation process of these fun cameos! As often is the case, we started with concepting these ideas on paper. Toshihiko Nakai, our concept artist oozes creativity and his ideas just jump off the page. Looking through the PlayStation games history, he started drawing lots of fun bot cameos based on PlayStation characters from the last 25 years. The selection process was simple, if a given cameo was instantly recognisable, made us smile, laugh, and got our inner geek excited, then it would make it through the first step. Choosing iconic items of clothing or tools from the given game was paramount to getting that instant recognition while still leaving a little bit of guessing work to do for the player. It had to be a fun game of deciphering, even for players who knew where these cameos originated from. For this to work, a precise knowledge of each of the games was necessary. Once again, Toshihiko proved to be an incredible gaming encyclopedia! Another important aspect of making a good cameo was the comedy aspect: each of these scenes had to be funny to watch and not shy away from making a bit of fun of the original games while, of course, still paying respect: that was a balancing act and one of the more difficult things to get just right. Here are a few examples of early cameo sketches from Toshihiko. Next was the modelling into 3D. The modelers channelled their inner cosplayer to create unique clothes and props for each scene, resizing where needed to give all props a cute finish that would fit Astro’s world like a glove. At times, and with the approval of the original creators, weapons were modified to be more friendly and bullets would give away to colourful plastic balls. These modifications towards a cuter finish would, in return, put more accent on the light-hearted, humorous nature of the game and that’s how a cohesive style for all cameos would start gelling in. Finally came our part, the animation process. The animators’ focus always revolved around three concepts: Fast, Frantic & Fun! All animations were done by hand and we aimed to pack every frame with tons of humor and energy. In the name of ‘research’, we got to relive some of these great gaming memories, controller in hand. Playing through our favorite PlayStation games from the last 25 years, we picked actions, poses and situations that best crystalised the way those characters are remembered. We then used these key moments as the basis of our animations. All we had to do then was let our creativity loose. As long as it was fast, frantic and fun, it made the final cut! Because we know you love anecdotes, here’s a funny one: some of the animators at Team Asobi who created these funny cameos actually worked on the original versions of these very games! A funny way to revisit your past work and go full circle, wouldn’t you say? Aside from seeking out and finding these funny scenes, we thought you might (accidentally of course) throw them a cheeky punch or two and see what happened? We made sure that all characters were made interactive with unique, funny reactions: Kratos chilling in his boat would suddenly start growling angrily with red eyes when attacked, Ellie would cower and Joel would freak out, dropping his precious brick clumsily and catching it at the last second in embarrassment… We totally geeked out making these cameos! Of course, we involved all original makers of those games from the beginning to the end, which was a real privilege for us. Along the way, we got to make new friends, learn about the making of some of the most amazing PlayStation game series, and, errr… maybe even got a few of our own old games signed. You know, for posterity. :) Considering that each and every creator we asked agreed to lend their amazing characters to the cause goes to show there is a real fraternity and comradery between creators but also a definite common love for PlayStation between us all. This is true for our PlayStation Studios friends, of course, but also for our many other partners who created the most iconic games on PlayStation during the last 25 years. We can never thank these teams enough for their kindness and trust. There was only one catch, however. Although we would have liked to stuff every possible iconic PlayStation character into the game to the point Astro would have nowhere left to run, time ran out and we had to draw the line. Back in Team Asobi, we still often debate between us as to what other character could or should have been included. It makes for fun, endless discussions. :) How about you too join this discussion? It’s now your turn to tell us which are your favorite PlayStation game characters and which ones you would have liked to see get their own cameos. Surprise us in the comments! That’s all from us today. Take care, friends, keep rocking and speak again soon! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/_QduJng81moView the full article

​​ Play Video Hello everyone! We at Something We Made and the rest of the development team are beyond excited to release our small adventure game Toem on PS5 September 17! It’s a game where you chat with quirky characters, solve their problems by snapping neat photos, and make your way through a relaxing landscape. To think that our little game has made it onto a next-gen console on launch is really something. If we’d known back when we first started in 2018 that our initial prototype would shape out to be the game it is today, we would not believe it. Do you remember the first time you visited a new city? Being in awe of the architecture, the excitement of not knowing what lies around the corner, and all the happy memories you form along the way? Those are feelings that fuel Toem. The game has had a long and interesting development cycle, all from changing genre to completely overhauling the game from scratch! It took a lot of us tinkering to realise the actual design of the game. That very first idea for what would become Toem started with a simple drawing, and even though a lot has changed, we think the spirit from that first sketch can still be found in the final game. Toem is heavily inspired by Scandinavia, taking the bus to small towns and big cities, seeing the folks that live there and visiting the different tourist sights! We really want to emphasize the journey the player makes through the world of Toem, and what could possibly make this journey a little bit more memorable? A camera of course! As you help out nice strangers you are granted stamps, these stamps are a neat sign of gratitude, and with enough stamps you can exchange them for a free bus pass to travel to your next destination. Your ultimate goal? Experience and take a photo of the magical, natural phenomenon known as Toem! In the end, our hope is that you feel content and at peace while playing our game. We can’t wait to see the pictures you take along your journey. Send them to us on social media! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/ip4pDmfTq3YView the full article

Howdy hunters! Autumn is right around the corner, and we couldn’t be more excited to finally welcome PlayStation fans to Rancho del Arroyo, the brand-new desert reserve for the immersive hunting game theHunter: Call of the Wild. Inspired by the grandiose Sonoran Desert in Northern Mexico, this stunning reserve includes five unique new animal species to hunt, harsh biomes to explore, and a thrilling storyline that involves uncovering a century-old family mystery. Play Video But whether you’re an expert hunter ready to embark on your next adventure, or a newcomer heading into the vast desert for the first time, knowledge is power. Here are seven tips and tricks that will take your hunting experience to the next level! 1. Leverage your surroundings When you move around in the open areas of the desert, animals are more likely to spot you. Trees, rocks, and foliage make for great hiding spots, so use them to your advantage! What’s more, simple things like standing still, crouching, or laying down can reduce the risk of being seen. If you’re unsure about your visibility, you can check the visibility meter in the lower right corner for more details. 2. Learn about Flushing With the release of Rancho del Arroyo, we’re introducing an exciting new animal behavior called Flushing. By pushing pheasants into open areas, or towards a fellow hunter or Bloodhound, bird hunting enthusiasts can strategically move them out of their hiding spots and cause them to fly away, opening up for the perfect shot! 3. Move silently If you can hear an animal, chances are they can also hear you. Shooting, running, driving or moving through dense foliage all make noise, which can alert animals and scare them off. Therefore, move silently when you approach an animal. Additionally, weather conditions such as rainfall and wind actually hide noise. Also, players can unlock specific skills that further reduce noise in certain situations, like moving through larger vegetation. If you’re curious about how much noise you’re making, take a look at the speaker icon in the lower right corner. Always check the sound and visibility meter for valuable intel! 4. Explore the desert to unlock Outposts As you explore Rancho del Arroyo, you will come across Outposts scattered throughout its open world. After visiting and claiming an Outpost, you can use it as a hub for fast traveling, resting, changing the in-game time, purchasing weapons and equipment, and more. Outposts are often located in areas with spectacular views and gorgeous nature, so make sure to explore every nook and cranny before you wander off in search of new adventures. 5. Never trust a cactus They can sting you! The true apex predator of the desert. 6. Use lures and decoys to attract animals Despite your best efforts to sound like a Rio Grande Turkey, you’re probably going to need some extra help to actually communicate with one. By using a caller — a small device that mimics animal sounds — you can lure animals to your position. You can also place decoys in and around an area, which can trick animals into thinking it’s safe to go there. Lures are accessible via the Weapon Cache. Example of Desert Fauna 7. Research Need Zones Need Zones are areas in a reserve that animals visit to eat, drink or rest. By knowing about Need Zones, you can gather valuable intel on animal behavior and movement, such as drinking times for specific species. To reveal a Need Zone on your map, either spot an animal or investigate tracks within the zone. We hope that these tips and tricks prove to be useful in your next hunt! Rancho del Arroyo releases August 31 on PS4 and is also playable on PS5 via backwards compatibility. Thanks, and happy hunting! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/iDeE_95FnoUView the full article

In our efforts to make PlayStation the best place for gamers to elevate their competitive play, we’ve invited challengers of all skill levels to compete and grow our competitive community with over 16,350 tournaments across 70 countries in eight languages. With the addition of Apex Legends and Rainbow Six Siege to the Open Series, FPS fans will have an expanded range of options when deciding to squad up with friends. We’re delighted to keep motivating fans to Play, Watch, and Learn with these fan-favorite titles coming to the PlayStation Tournaments: Open Series in September. Apex Legends and Rainbow Six Siege Join the PlayStation Tournaments: Open Series The Competition Center currently features 17 Open Series competitions across a broad range of genres for players of all levels to improve, build reputations, and win exciting prizes. Our team is dedicated to growing the community through even more Open Series games in the future, but first let’s explore our new additions. Apex Legends Play one of 18 Legends, ready up with friends, and survive in this innovative hero shooter game. Every match starts the same way. Teams must pick a landing spot, then loot for weapons. The real strategy comes from understanding when to fight or run based on your health, position, and equipment. With the latest Emergence update, it’s never been a better time for newcomers to play Apex Legends and explore tons of fresh content, including new maps and cosmetics! Squad up with friends, then aim for first place in custom Open Series lobbies. You might even learn a new trick from the competition. Outscore opponents through kills and placements in any of the four open qualifiers to reach the Monthly Final. Discover new strategies or show off your coordination for greater cash prizes. Sign up to drop in on the action on September 1: https://playst.cc/3j8dGZF Must be 18+ and a resident of an eligible country.* Void where prohibited. See full rules Rainbow Six Siege Grab your friends and work together to outplay your opponents when Rainbow Six Siege drops onto PlayStation Tournaments. These competitions pit two squads of five against each other in TDM Bomb, where you’ll deploy your cooperation, time management, and communication skills to defuse bombs before time runs out. That is, unless the defending squad eliminates you first! Choose from more than 60 Operators, each with unique abilities, then play different combinations to find the perfect match for your team. Rainbow Six Siege also tracks in-game stats. Analyze your performance to improve before gaining recognition in the community. You’ll even earn prizes like themes, avatars, and cash on your way to the objective. Create your gameplan today. Register now to play on September 2: https://playst.cc/3gmajMX Active PS Plus membership required. Must be 18+ and a resident of an eligible country** Void where prohibited. See full rules To connect with more players in your favorite competitive communities, and to see more information on the complete Open Series offerings in your region, visit compete.playstation.com. *Apex Legends Open Series. Players in the following locations are eligible to participate: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, United States, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Other terms apply; see official rules PlayStation Tournaments require access to a PS4™ console, compatible controller, and a copy of the tournament game ** Rainbow Six Siege Open Series. Players in the following locations are eligible to participate: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, United States, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Other terms apply; see official rules PlayStation Tournaments require access to a PS4™ console, compatible controller, a copy of the tournament game, and a PlayStationⓇPlus subscription http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/XgmtsaKH4CoView the full article

Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com! Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google or RSS, or download here We may not be telepathic, but we think Psychonauts fans are going to like this week’s episode. Double Fine Productions’ Tim Schafer joins us for an insightful and entertaining chat about launch of the long-awaited Psychonauts 2. Stuff We Talked About Gamescom Horizon Forbidden West Call of Duty: Vanguard Sharks Psychonauts 2 (Interview starts at 18:05) Splitgate What The Last of Us might smell like… The Cast Sid Shuman – Senior Director of Content Communications, SIE Tim Turi – Manager, Content Communications, SIE Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music. [Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.] http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/u9hrAg9Nc2kView the full article

Last week, we asked you to share moments exploring Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut using #PSshare #PSBlog. From backlit portraits to new animal friends, here are this week’s highlights: Jin greets the sun in this share by Beartography. ClemSsoH swiftly moves Jin through fields of flowers as the Ghost. Jin meets a woodland friend in this share by RDO_i_nofum_i. Jin strikes through the fire in this action packed shot by ipatpat. nemineminemico shares a stoic Iki Island monkey. Jin strikes a balanced pose in black, shared by DotPone. 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: Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut – Iki Island SUBMIT BY: Wednesday 9 AM PT on September 1 Next week we’re focusing on the beauty and dangers of Iki Island in Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut. Share moments exploring this new island using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/at1yDIcyn6gView the full article

How do you stay alive in a world that devolved into Modern Dark Ages? You need your skills, your weapons and your wits. Dying Light 2 Stay Human’s parkour and creative combat mechanics let you combine the three to outsmart and outpower your foes. Let’s start with parkour. It’s the basis of your survival in The City. Here, a stark raving mad Infected can lurk behind every corner, and the streets are full of hostile goons. You need to be quick on your feet to surprise or outrun them. Being able to jump between roofs, swing on monkey bars, or even grapple-hook to an elevated position is a life-saver. Literally! Besides, if you want to find any supplies, your best chance is to check all the places that are hard to reach. And yes, you do get a grapple hook! As well as a paraglider and a bunch of other useful tools. These will change the way you move around and open up a whole lot of new tactics. This is especially important since The City is a sprawling, rich, vertically layered environment. It’s full of alternate routes to explore. In Dying Light 2 Stay Human, parkouring is what they call ‘easy to learn, hard to master’. It always feels engaging, fluid and natural. To ensure this, we have created thousands of animations and countless environmental elements to interact with. As a result, parkour is like a yin to creative combat’s yang. And speaking of combat… The way you approach enemies will depend on the faction you side with, the weapons you prefer, the threat you face, and your current location. The variety of possibilities at any given time lets you truly find your own style of playing. However, you won’t be the dominating power on the battlefield. The enemies pose a serious threat, and they have their own quirks or tactics. The Infected are mostly simple brutes, dangerous in packs, but the humans are even worse. They rarely wander alone. depending on group tactics instead. How your enemies behave also differs depending on the weapons they carry. We made sure the arsenal fits into the concept of Modern Dark Ages, with focus on makeshift and modified items. A single glance is enough to tell if your enemy wields something made out of spare parts, found in a museum, or looted from a wrecked military vehicle. But you can fight back! Especially if you take the time to upgrade your weapon. You can mod it to add durability or a special effect such as fire, poison or freezing. Living to see another day sure is a challenge in Dying Light 2 Stay Human. But you’re a survivor. Stay frosty and you’ll do just fine. Find out for yourself when the game launches, on December 7! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/vIYRv_WvbSEView the full article

“I Have a Dream.” TIME Studios presents March Through Time, an all-new experience where we celebrate the life and legacy of Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Developed by members of the Fortnite Creative Community, this immersive journey allows players to witness Dr. Martin Luther King’s full “I Have a Dream” speech. Play Video Experience D.C. 63 March Through Time will teleport players nearly 60 years in the past to a re-imagined Washington, DC called D.C. 63. Developed by members of the Fortnite Creative community, this fully immersive experience will allow players to witness the Civil Rights teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King. This experience was built by members ChaseJackman, GQUanoe, XWDFr, and YU7A. In D.C. 63, players will travel to the Lincoln Memorial and the United States National Mall where Dr. King made his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. The Experience will also feature museum-inspired points of interest and quests you can complete with other players. These quests should bring an important reminder that relates to Dr. King’s speech: We move forward when we work together. Completing the Dr. King and Civil Rights movement challenges will unlock a D.C. 63 spray for your locker. Inspired by the work of TIME and their partners — JuVee Productions, Digital Domain, V.A.L.I.S.studio, and Ryot — March Through Time would not have been possible without the contributions of American Family Insurance, the DuSable Museum of African American History, and the Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr. For further in-depth reading and to educate yourself, family, or friends about the historic struggle for Civil Rights, please visit TIME’s The March website. We also hope this experience helps equip students to have meaningful discussions not only in the classroom, but in their personal lives as well. Civil Rights is a struggle we still fight for to this day, and it has benefited from the collective efforts of millions of people around the world. We hope the March Through Time experience inspires the community to promote mutual respect and empathy towards all people no matter their race, religion, or orientation. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/7KJqCacIHkgView the full article

Hello everyone! This is Sho Nanmoku from the Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania team. I’m excited to reveal today that Morgana from Persona 5 will be joining the monkey gang in Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania as a playable character! Morgana will be available to all players as a post-launch DLC character after the game launches on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 on October 5. Play Video Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is a special project that commemorates the 20th Anniversary of this beloved series – 20 years defined by joy and playfulness, with a charming cast we’ve spent countless hours with. We wanted to celebrate this milestone by expanding the cast to include some new friends drawn from across the Sega library to join AiAi and the monkey gang on their next adventure. The courageous, witty, and utterly adorable Morgana was an obvious choice. Persona 5 is one of the great RPGs of all-time, and the Phantom Thieves include some of the most memorable characters in recent Sega history. We considered many, many characters for inclusion from Persona and other Sega franchises, but from the beginning Morgana was just too cute to turn down! Everything about the character’s design fit the world of Super Monkey Ball: the playful ears, oversized eyes, mischievous smile, and of course the hilarious reactions every time he goes airborne. From there it was just about nailing the details – completing the look with Morgana’s classic yellow bandana and utility belt, and making sure the notoriously treasure-happy (definitely not a)cat had plenty of chests to collect en route to each goal. We want to thank our friends at Atlus for their help in making this collaboration happen, and we hope all the Persona fans out there enjoy rolling through the worlds of Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania as their favorite feline Phantom Thief! You can pre-order Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania for PS4 and PS5 today. The Morgana post-launch DLC will release on both platforms on November 2. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/08XKiCQ_hW4View the full article

Deep Silver are delighted to announce that Saints Row is coming to PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 on February 25, 2022. Developed by Deep Silver Volition, Saints Row is a complete reboot and features a brand new setting, brand new characters and a brand new tone, all refreshed for today’s gamer. Saints Row is set in Santo Ileso, a vibrant fictional city in the American Southwest and one of the most varied and diverse city locations ever built for a Saints Row game. Three friends join you on your incredible journey to become self made. Neenah, the driver and mechanic with Los Panteros, Kevin who is a DJ and a member of The Idols, and Eli who came to Santo Ileso to make his fortune as an entrepreneur. You play as The Boss and get to decide who you want to be, while building your very own criminal empire. Along the way you must take on three brutal enemy factions who currently control Santo Ileso: Los Panteros are the muscle and the power, The Idols are motivated by fame and notoriety, and Marshall Defense Technologies are a private military conglomerate. Players will be able to enjoy seamless and untethered two-player co-op together, whether they’re playing on the PS4 or PS5. In terms of PS5 specifics, we’re implementing features for next-generation consoles and can’t wait to divulge details closer to the launch of the game. Saints Row will release on PS5 and PS4 on February 25, 2022. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/P2RG8VCpIVcView the full article

At that time, Horizon Forbidden West had just passed a major milestone and we had entered the final stage of development; on track, but a bit uncertain if we’d be able to polish the game to the level of quality we strive for. It’s no surprise that our teams were hugely impacted by the global pandemic; we have been adjusting to new workflows, protocols, and other challenges, while keeping our teams safe and prioritizing a healthy work/life balance. Today we are delighted to confirm that our long-awaited sequel is coming to both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on February 18, 2022. Pre-orders start on September 2, 2021, so look out for more information on that next week. While the decision to move the game’s launch to 2022 certainly wasn’t easy, we’d like to take a moment to thank all of our fans for their unwavering support; we know how much you’ve been looking forward to reuniting with Aloy and her friends, continuing her story, and exploring a new and more dangerous world. Your passion, fan art, cosplay, virtual photography, and videos have meant the world to all of us. To that end, we know our community has been asking for an Enhanced Performance Patch for Horizon Zero Dawn played on PlayStation 5. That patch is NOW LIVE, letting PS5 players enjoy a targeted 60 FPS as a free update! If you already have a copy, this will be automatically updated, or for any first timers to Horizon, you can find it via the Horizon Zero Dawn product page or on our social channels. We will have more information to come in the following months, and look forward to seeing you soon in the Forbidden West… http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/iLYLXMpH3QEView the full article

Today is a great day. Earlier this summer we offered a glimpse at what Jett is all about and how it plays, yesterday we announced our project has gone gold, and today we’re thrilled to be here to announce a release date. Jett: The Far Shore will alight on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 on October 5, 2021.If you’re eager to embark, know that pre-orders are available today at a 20% discount until launch day. To mark this occasion, we’ve cooked up a new Jett video for you, providing fresh glimpses into the distinct universe, narrative and tone of this unusual interstellar action adventure. Play Video Jett tells a layered cinematic story, with on foot segments where you’re able to soak in the mood of a space and talk to people, including your fellow Jett scouts, as you piece together a thoughtful narrative that is sometimes warm and intimate, often heavy hearted, occasionally spectacular. When you’re not on foot you’re at the helm of a low-flying Jett, working alongside fellow Jett scouts, employing scientific tools to better understand an unfamiliar planet. As you progress in Jett, the scope of the story will come into focus as the Jett action broadens. Before long you’ll find yourself roaming through scenarios that reveal some of Jett’s immersive sim aspirations. Jett began long long ago, even before Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, when Craig D. Adams at Superbrothers A/V and I met. We discovered a resonance, and soon found ourselves discussing concepts involving low-flying Jetts leaving long trails zipping across naturalistic landscapes, while evocative music and immersive audio create strong vibes. In those early days Craig was pretty fired up about Fumito Ueda’s video games like Ico and Shadow Of The Colossus, as well Motorstorm: Pacific Rift by Evolution Studios, and thatgamecompany’s flOwer. You may detect vibes, and even some design sensibilities, in common with those. Now, I wasn’t involved in Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, however, hot on the heels of that release, Craig and I reconvened to gauge our level of motivation, and we then began to carve out Jett’s ambitious design in earnest. Soon enough we had Jett’s narrative concepts, the foundational mechanics, look and feel, plus the specific characters, locations and plot in place in order to be able to tell the story of The Far Shore. Working in close collaboration from very early on with composer and sound designer scntfc aka C. Andrew Rohrmann (Oxenfree, Galak-Z), we laid the foundation for Jett’s sprawling musical score, as well as its distinct approach to audio and haptics. Speaking of scntfc’s score, we look forward to providing details about the sprawling Jett OST soon enough. As Craig and I iterated and progressed on the project, we were inspired by video games like 30 Flights of Loving and Firewatch, with No Man’s Sky and Below as projects to contrast Jett with. Once we had adequately carved out Jett’s vision, we found ourselves in pretty deep on a project with more depth, breadth, and surface area than we were able to deliver on, under our own steam, given our level of expertise. This is where we sought support and began to build out the Jett squad, a constellation of all-star contributors and vendors, working remotely in time zones around the globe. For Craig and I, it has been an honor and a privilege to work alongside folks like Looking Glass alumni Randy Smith and Terri Brosius, SIE alumni Nick Suttner, illustrator Dustin Harbin, sworcery maestro Jim Guthrie, plus rising stars such as Priscilla Snow and Sam Bradley, as well as fine folks at vendors like A Shell In The Pit and Skymap Games, all of whom were able to climb aboard in strange times and lend us a helping hand. Jett has had a long road, but we’re thrilled it all came together and that it’ll soon be in your hands. Please, consider embarking with us! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/oAh_O-Jkl94View the full article

We’re excited to welcome you to a world evolved when Jurassic World Evolution 2 launches on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 on November 9. Play Video Jurassic World Evolution 2 builds upon the ground-breaking and immersive 2018 original, introducing a compelling new narrative campaign, incredible new features including expanded construction and more customisation options, and awe-inspiring new prehistoric species brought to life with captivating authenticity. Here’s what’s in store. Jurassic World Evolution 2 offers four game modes, including Campaign mode following on from the events of Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom where you work alongside the DFW (Department of Fish and Wildlife), the Government agency tasked with establishing facilities to control, conserve, and contain dinosaurs now in the wild. For those of you looking to unleash your creativity, Sandbox mode offers players all the tools they need to create their ultimate Jurassic Park or Jurassic World dinosaur park. For those of you on PS5 you will also be able to build multi-era parks utilising both Jurassic Park and Jurassic World buildings and decorations in Sandbox mode. While Challenge mode allows you to truly test their management skills in a range of different missions with escalating difficulty, attempting to achieve the best park rating in the shortest amount of time. A new mode for Jurassic World Evolution 2 is Chaos Theory mode, where you can revisit pivotal moments from the Jurassic World film franchise and add your own mark in a range of “what if” scenarios. Whether realising John Hammond’s dream of an operational Jurassic Park, showcasing a T-Rex in the San Diego Amphitheatre, or building and running your own Jurassic World with the support of iconic characters such as Dr. Henry Wu (voiced by BD Wong). We can’t wait for you to experience this new mode. Along with these modes and features, we have more than 75 awe-inspiring prehistoric species come to life in Jurassic World Evolution 2. These include highly requested flying and marine reptiles, such as the Mosasaurus, and returning community-favourites like the T-Rex and Velociraptor. These majestic creatures feel more alive than ever as they interact with each other, fight for dominance, preside over territory, and display brand new behaviours while reacting intelligently to the world around them. Our latest trailer showed off some impressive additions, such as the double horned Carnotaurus, the Dimorphodon, elaborately crested Parasaurolophus, and the Majungasaurus. I can’t wait for you to see the rest of our roster! Alongside the Standard Edition, we also have a digitally exclusive Deluxe Edition available for pre-order for those of you looking to expand your experience. Alongside the base game, you will receive three exclusive vehicle skins inspired by the Dinosaur Protection Group, six guest building amenity signs, and five additional thrilling prehistoric species to add to their Challenge and Sandbox mode parks, including land dinosaurs as well as marine and flying reptiles. Finally, if you pre-order the game you will get access to three vehicle skins for your Capture Team, Ranger Team and MVU team inspired by the thrilling 1997 Jurassic Park sequel, The Lost World: Jurassic Park. There is also a free upgrade from your PS4 version of the game to your PS5 version. We can’t wait for you all to start creating your own dinosaur parks from November 9. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/-oqEvVM7EesView the full article

Hey PlayStation Nation! I’m Ian, creator of the game Splitgate and CEO of 1047 Games. Last month, Splitgate started its open beta, a typically uneventful testing phase where us devs receive feedback and put on some minor finishing touches before the official release. However, our open beta was anything but typical. If you aren’t familiar with what happened, long story short, Splitgate basically exploded (in a good way) which left our servers unable to keep up with the demand. In the span of a month, our servers went from supporting 4,000 players at once to 175,000 players! All in all, our servers had some growing pains, so we had to implement short-term solutions to prevent back-end crashes. With our original plans completely changed, we decided to put off our official launch in favor of extending the beta to enable us to continue working on our servers while still giving players new content. Play Video The Splitgate Beta’s next phase – Season 0 With Season 0 starting today, players will experience the same exact content we originally intended for the official release, but we’re still calling it a beta. Here’s what to expect from today’s update: New Map: Karman Station Season 0 Battle Pass – 100 Levels of exclusive items Season-spanning Challenges New Mode: Infection New weapon skins, armor sets, and emotes The new map, Karman Station, is the most beautiful map we’ve ever made, in my opinion. When you load up the game after updating, this should definitely be the first thing you check out. Season 0’s Battle Pass has some of the best items we’ve ever made. Readers of the PlayStation Blog get a first-look at the Battle Pass. Another addition we’re really happy about is Infection mode. Many players have been requesting it, and listening to suggestions from the community is something we pride ourselves on. Infection is our first “asymmetrical” game mode where both teams are not equal to each other. When the infected team gets a frag on the normal team, when that player respawns, they become a member of the infected. We’re really excited to see the community’s response to it. How did we get here? By now we were expecting to be officially released, have a stream of updates coming, have a solid player base of a few thousand, and be steadily growing. Fate had other plans. Splitgate recently hit over 10 million downloads and 175,000 concurrent players during its beta test alone, so we’ll be staying in beta until we’re ready. This got us thinking, why did Splitgate blow up like this? We were always optimistic that our game would eventually catch on, but no one expected the level of explosive growth we received this early. One theory we have is that Splitgate fills a void that players didn’t know they had. The battle royale genre has dominated shooters since 2017. For many, this was the refreshing experience gamers were looking for. As ambitious as this might sound, this is something we hope Splitgate can replicate with its arena shooter foundation. We’ve heard many on social media argue that “there’s nothing to play.” Obviously, there are plenty of games to play. What they really probably mean to say is, “there’s nothing out there that feels fresh and new.” So how can Splitgate, an arena shooter, deviate from the Battle Royale mold and yet find an ever-growing player base? The short answer is its intriguing portal mechanic. Players who pick up the game quickly find that the portal mechanic quite literally adds a whole new dimension to the FPS genre. Portals are an extremely rewarding game mechanic, once you understand them. Another hypothesis as to why Splitgate caught on so strongly is simply its unique and fun gameplay loop. Players are already familiar with shooting mechanics, but when combining them with portals, it becomes a whole new experience. Here are a few examples. Take a simple gun fight. The idea of “who sees who first” and “who has better aim” is flipped on its head. For example, a player can use their portal instead to flank their enemy from behind. Portals even change the way mundane actions happen such as moving around the map. After we released on PC, one of our players discovered a movement technique called “triple-portaling,” which enables players to rotate around the level quickly. Shooting enemies through your portal, playing keep-away with the objective, and inventing hilarious mini games in custom lobbies are just some of the reasons why portals keep players coming back for more. This is just the beginning As we expand our dev team at 1047 Games, we’ll be adding more and more features. We have plans for more customizations, a map editor, new weapons, new maps, and more. In the near future, PlayStation fans can also expect an update for enhancements in the game for the PS4 Pro and the PS5. It’s been quite the journey for us, so we are quite humbled by all the attention and excitement around the game. We hope you’ll enjoy playing Splitgate when Season 0 releases today. See you in the arena. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/urTJntMeC-oView the full article

Welcome to another blog about our forthcoming game—House of Ashes! I’m Will Doyle and I’m a game director here at Supermassive Games. Today I am going to talk to you about monsters and what they mean in our game. House of Ashes takes place at the close of the Iraq war in 2003. High in the Zagros Mountains, an elite military unit searching for chemical weapons comes under fire from holdout Iraqi forces. During the firefight, sinkholes open in the ground beneath them, plunging both sides into the ruins of a long-lost Sumerian temple. Our soldiers are not alone down there—they have woken a nest of unearthly creatures, which are hungry for blood! Across the course of one night, our survivors must learn to evade, adapt and strike back against the horde of creatures hunting them. To survive the night below, our soldiers must forge a brotherhood with their enemies from the world above. In the most classic sense, “monsters” are grotesque creatures that violate our notions of humanity and the natural order of things. We fear them because their existence shatters our understanding of the world—such things should not be, yet here they are, in the flesh. Monsters don’t obey our rules, they kill, they terrorize, and they corrupt. Of course, not all monsters are supernatural—the term “monster” can also be applied to people who abandon their own humanity. When a human behaves like a monster, are they even human anymore? We wanted to explore all these themes in House of Ashes. The underworld creatures you’ll face in the game are brutal, relentless killing machines. They are real, but they are not human. We purposefully wanted them to be as inhuman as possible—they don’t think like we do, they don’t show mercy like we do, they just want us dead. We knew that the more inhuman we made them, the more humanity they’d bring out in our human soldiers. Unfortunately, the characters you control are not all friends, and you’ll be presented with some very difficult choices around who to trust, who to help, and who to leave behind. Setting our game in a war zone immediately gave us thorny tensions between our characters: a mix of prejudices, rivalries, and mistrust. With such strong tensions running within the group, you’ll sometimes question if the creatures aren’t the only monsters down there. To defeat their inhuman enemies, your survivors must learn to work together, which isn’t easy for people who were only recently shooting at each other. Many of the hardest choices you’ll face arise from the very nature of survival. In this brutal setting, one weak link in the chain could bring everything tumbling down. An injured comrade could slow you down and a panicking soldier could give away your position. Dead weight will drag you ever closer to the Abyss. Cut them loose, and your chances of survival increase, but at what cost to your humanity? When are you no better than them? There are dreadful creatures hunting your team from the shadows: powerful adversaries seeking to feast on their flesh. On the other hand, the rivalries and prejudices among the survivors could bubble up to overcome them. As a player, you must make all the hard choices. Will you allow hated enemies to stand together for the greater good or make them fight for their own survival? Will you play along with your enemy’s pleas for help, only to betray them later? The relationships within the game are yours to build. At the end of the day, who is your worst enemy? Them—or us? There are real monsters to be found in House of Ashes, but not all of them have fangs. . . If you’re interested in facing the monsters yourself, check out the game when it launches on October 22. We can’t wait for you to play it. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/ZpntLpoA5PYView the full article

As a developer, watching people play your game can be a nerve-wracking experience. It seems like an age ago (it was only 2018) that I was on a busy showfloor at the EGX Expo, peering over the shoulders of players getting to grips with Valfaris, the 2D action-platformer that myself and fellow Steel Mantis dev, Andrew Gilmour, were working on at the time. Luckily, the reaction was overwhelmingly positive. The demo we had prepared was no pushover, and I remember seeing players dying over and over. But most were determined to push forward, and they eventually made it to the end with a big grin on their face. It showed me there was something about Valfaris that made people want to persevere and conquer it. Seeing this was an incredibly rewarding experience, and it made me feel we were making something worthwhile. Fast forward to today, and we’re excited to be revealing Valfaris: Mecha Therion. Anyone familiar with Valfaris will immediately notice a major difference in the sequel – it’s not a platformer, but a shoot ‘em up. New ideas and features are, of course, entirely expected in a follow-up, but switching genres? Not so much. Play Video Despite knowing players enjoyed the platforming action of Valfaris – as I’d seen first-hand at EGX and was reinforced post-launch by positive user and critic reviews – we both decided we wanted to do something new with the sequel. Before we arrived at that decision, however, our original plan was to make a sequel to Slain: Back From Hell, a 2D hack-and-slash platformer we released in 2016. It was going to be a 2.5D platformer and we got as far as making a bit of gameplay with some 3D elements. We had a section with the character walking around a spiral staircase, and it looked pretty cool. Even at that point, though, I was already feeling that making another entire platformer was going to be a drag. It was then Andrew suggested something totally crazy: that we abandon the project and make a shmup sequel to Valfaris instead. It was completely out of the blue, but I grew up playing games such as Thunder Force, R-Type, Gradius, and Raiden, and had already made a shoot ‘em up around 2008 called Cy-Clone, so I was very into the idea! I was immediately enthused by the change in direction, and – as there are plenty of differences between a platformer and a shmup to consider – straight away started to think about the game from a design perspective. Most notably, a platformer generally allows the player to go at their own pace (rising water/lava levels not withstanding), be that cautious or charging ahead. A shmup, on the other hand, is constantly moving, so the player has no control over the pace of the game. Because of this, you need to think carefully about such things as how often to throw enemies at the player, and how to give them enough time to react to new types of hazards. You also need to decide when to let the player have a breather, and for how long. There needs to be a flow and rhythm. In addition to the genre switch, we also decided to move out of the 2D comfort zone we’d been working in for so long with our previous games, and to set Valfaris: Mecha Therion in a 3D space to really shake up the development process and get us excited. Ultimately, the gameplay is still 2D, but the extra dimension allows us to do cool things such as have enemies come in from the distance, have a much more cinematic camera, and have the player’s flight path go in different directions. Yet while we have all these obvious shifts between the two games, the changes aren’t a drastic leap in terms of the player experience, and despite one being a platformer and the other a shmup, they are still unmistakably bound by a shared DNA. It’s the same world as Valfaris, so the aesthetic will be familiar for anyone that’s played it. We’re carrying several features over, such as collecting and upgrading weapons (with plenty of those being favourites from the first game), a risk / reward checkpoint system, loads of over-the-top gore, and another metal soundtrack composed again by Curt Victor Bryant. But it’s the most fundamental aspect that binds Valfaris and Valfaris: Mecha Therion – the gameplay. We think the people who enjoy our games do so for the challenge and the thrill of playing something with an authentic old-school feel that’s capable of putting a big grin on your face. And that’s exactly what we’re aiming to achieve again with Valfaris: Mecha Therion. Valfaris: Mecha Therion releases in 2022 for PS4 and PS5. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/HBO3bsZZpp8View the full article

It’s been six months since the release of Little Nightmares II. Whether you’ve jumped into Mono and Six’s adventure from day one or are still new to this universe, the Enhanced Edition – out today – is a good opportunity to (re)discover these little nightmares on PS5. PS5 enhancements Thanks to the power of PS5, you can now play Little Nightmares II with ray-traced reflections, increased volumetric shadows and particles, improved loading times and a new immersive 3D soundscape mix when using a 5.1 / 7.1 audio system. Play Video Thanks to the Graphics mode option, you will also be able to choose between Beauty and Performance modes. The first one emphasizes the resolution and the ray tracing; the game runs at 30fps with 4K resolution and optimized ray tracing. The second one locks the game at 60fps with a dynamic resolution up to 4K and ray tracing. Owners of the PS4 version of Little Nightmares II can upgrade to the PS5 Little Nightmares Enhanced Edition for free. An eye on the development process Because Little Nightmares II has such a unique atmosphere, we have been very cautious with the enhanced features we decided to use. Each one of them has been chosen and balanced for each room in order to keep the ambiance and push the visual quality to another level. When it came to choosing which features to add, one important criteria was also to improve player immersion. We wanted players to feel like they are diving into their little nightmares. This focus on immersion implies an important attention to details. Adding more particles which are dynamically affected by Mono in the air but also on the ground with dust on the old carpets. To make the player’s senses more alert, the 3D audio gives a hint on the direction of the danger but it doesn’t mean that it will be easier to escape. Play Video Zoom in on the Hospital chapter All the chapters in the game had great improvements, but the Hospital might have had the most important changes. Since the beginning of the development of the PS5 Enhanced Edition, it was essential for us to process each room individually to maintain their unique atmosphere. In the Hospital, we quickly decided to try to add ray-traced, real time reflections on the ground of all the indoor environments. This made the Hospital corridors come to life and reinforce the desired feeling of uneasiness while discovering its not-so-friendly residents. The Hospital is also the darker chapter, because of that, any light source creates a great opportunity for our resolution increased volumetric shadow to magnify the scene. Little Nightmares II Enhanced Edition What an amazing start we had for our new duo of Mono and Six, reaching one million units sold in less than one month! We are so grateful for all the passion of the community around Little Nightmares and we are happy to offer this free update to all our players. We can’t wait to discover the great screenshots and videos that the PS5 Enhanced Edition will inspire you. Thank you again for making the Little Nightmares franchise grow. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/ETWGxyV64fgView the full article

NBA 2K22 is about to tip off. We’re thrilled to share the strides we’ve made and the unique Challenge Activities available to our PlayStation fans. In NBA 2K21 we introduced seasons, an all-new way to level up and earn rewards within MyTeam, and we’re expanding it even further in NBA 2K22. Seasons will play an important role throughout NBA 2K22 and the best part is whether it’s MyCareer, MyTeam, or The W Online*, you’ll be able to access new content and earn rewards simply for playing with no additional costs. Explore all there is to do in the City (on PS5) and the Neighborhood (on PS4). Leveling up will earn you more rewards, which are refreshed every six weeks at the start of a new season. All year long, seasons will offer fresh new content for you to enjoy. PS5 MyTeam Challenge Activities If the plethora of new MyTeam Challenges we’ve got lined up for all players wasn’t enough, PlayStation 5 players will once again have their own unique set of Challenge Activities to earn rewards from. Introduced in NBA 2K21, Challenge Activities are available exclusively to PS5 players through the PS5 Activities feature. NBA 2K22 will refresh these at the start of each season, giving PS5 players new opportunities to unlock rewards by completing special objectives within set game scenarios. Bring your A game, though, because once again players will be ranked against each other through the Activities leaderboard. To kick things off in Season 1, we’ve got “Assists against Dirk & Luka”. This Dallas Mavericks duo have established themselves as two of the best in franchise history, and it’ll be up to you to build the ideal MyTeam lineup to beat them on PlayStation 5 and earn a Playmaker Award Pack as your reward. MyCareer Last year, seasons were exclusive to MyTeam, but not anymore! In NBA 2K22, seasons are coming to MyCareer. Within the City (on PS5) and the Neighborhood (on PS4), you’ll earn highly coveted rewards such as apparel, new Banners for your MyPlayer, and a new Grand Prize each season. Start your engines, Season 1 is set to take players for a ride, unleashing go-karts in the City and Neighborhood as the Grand Prize. We’re thrilled to introduce go-karts as a fun way to cruise and adventure through unexplored regions – available once you’ve reached Level 40. In addition, inline skates can be used as a mode of transportation once you crack Level 30. There will be plenty to explore and see within the Neighborhood, but we want to broaden your horizons in more tropical destinations as well. For PS4, NBA 2K22 will set sail to the Caribbean in Season 1, where you’ll showcase your skills topside on a cruise ship, and on some of the world’s most picturesque island courts. The crown jewel for players in NBA 2K22 will be reaching Legend status, but to do so, you’ll need to reach Level 40 in four different seasons. That doesn’t mean you have to do it consecutively, but you’ll have to put in the work to earn the bragging right of an all-time great. New Beats and Fresh Swag Another new aspect of seasons is First Fridays, in which new songs from up-and-coming and world-renowned artists will be added to the soundtrack on every Friday throughout the season. New music will continue to be added to Club 2K (on PS5) during the year. All year, you’ll have the opportunity to freshen up your wardrobe with new and fresh apparel. Every season we’ll be dropping apparel from the hottest brands to keep you looking clean on and off the court. The W Online* NBA 2K21 introduced The W on next-gen consoles, an all-new game mode featuring the WNBA and a MyPlayer experience. Adding the The W to NBA 2K was a proud moment and we continued building on it in NBA 2K22. Go toe-to-toe with opposing MyPlayers online and earn new rewards, such as VC, clothing bundles, badges, nail polish, and more in NBA 2K22. Rewards will be updated and refreshed at the start of every new season, so continue climbing tiers and collect them all! Season 1 of NBA 2K22 will be filled with new ways to explore the City and the Neighborhood, popular tracks and hits, and fresh apparel drops. Get ready, the experience starts September 10. *The W mode and related content is available on PlayStation 5 only. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/IT_WhtTEuZMView the full article

Calling all PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 owners! Coming off of the reveal of Call of Duty: Vanguard just a few short days ago, we’re excited to bring more good news: from August 27 at 10 AM PT to August 29 at 10 AM PT, you will be able to participate in the Call of Duty: Vanguard PlayStation Alpha which will feature Sledgehammer Games’ innovative new game mode, Champion Hill. This PlayStation-exclusive Alpha isn’t only the first chance at playing the newest Multiplayer mode in the Call of Duty franchise, but also the first opportunity to play Call of Duty: Vanguard before its November 5 release. This will be just a small slice of the overall Multiplayer offering coming to Call of Duty: Vanguard when it launches, but is a great chance for PlayStation players to get their hands on the game and provide valuable feedback to Sledgehammer Games. For most PlayStation players, a PlayStation Plus Subscription is not required*. Only a console and an internet connection are needed to participate, and no preorder is required. Before diving into details about how you can access the Alpha, we wanted to give you some background on what Champion Hill is all about as well as some tips for making sure you end up on top. Play Video Champion Hill Primer Sledgehammer Games is proud to introduce Champion Hill, a multi-arena survival tournament where tactics and strategy combine with quick-action, close-quarter gunplay. The mode is all about impactful gameplay, from the intense periods of combat to the decisions made in-between. In Champion Hill, your squad — which during the Alpha will be either a Duo (2v2) or Trio (3v3)— will compete in a round-robin tournament against seven other squads, with each squad having a set number of lives to start with. The mission is to reduce all other squads’ life count to zero in a series of timed Combat rounds, before the same happens to you. Do that, and claim victory on Champion Hill. In this mode, everyone starts with the same Loadout, but you will collect cash by taking enemy lives and picking up drops scattered around the map. This cash will allow you to upgrade your starting weapons and purchase new armaments, equipment, Perks, and Killstreaks during Buy Rounds that happen between Combat Rounds. It’s in the Buy Rounds that the real strategy comes in (more on that below). No two matches will be the same, since the way that you use cash throughout each match (e.g. held for bigger upgrades as the Rounds go on, or used on smaller, more incremental upgrades along the way) will greatly change how you and your squad counter every other squad. It’s a chess-match, and one that has a ton of opportunity to dynamically evolve as each match progresses. But anyone knows that a great strategy is only as good as its execution. And with that, players can be confident that their skill in those Combat Rounds will determine whether glory is earned or not. Another unique aspect of Champion Hill is that it is made up of four maps combined into the Champion Hill arena. Specifically, there is a central Buy Station Area and four Combat arenas: Airstrip, Trainyard, Market, and Courtyard. A cool feature of this setup is that once you are eliminated, you can watch the tournament continue from the Buy Station Area spectator platform. You can also press the Up directional button to enter Spectate Mode, get a bird’s eye view of the battle, or select an area to see the fight through your competitor’s eyes. But ideally it doesn’t come to that. Let’s discuss some ways to help you stand atop Champion Hill. Tips for Being the Last Squad Standing Know Your Enemy: As mentioned above, the Buy Rounds are where you and your squad have a chance to use cash you’ve earned to improve your loadout (including weapons, perks, and killstreaks). The key here isn’t only to focus on your own firepower, though, but to pay attention to the style and loadouts the other squads are going into each Combat Round with. It may be worth countering a top enemy’s choice of weapons or perks, i.e. picking a certain gun that performs better in situations where they are weak in, or a perk that will overcome their strengths. At a base level, getting a sense of how aggressive or vigilant the other squads are will go a long way to approaching your next Buy Round to defeat them. Diversify Your Approach: Try a few different tactical approaches to each match until you get a sense of where your groove lies. For instance, it may make sense in one match to make sure you’re keeping pace right from the start. What this may mean is that you’re spending cash every Buy Round, building firepower throughout and holding serve with the rest of the teams. If this works and you end up being one of the last two teams standing, you could very well find yourself in a white-knuckle brawl between an evenly-armed foe, where your squad’s combat skill is going to make all the difference. Or, it may make sense to hold onto the cash you’re earning along the way, by either making more modest (cheaper) upgrades during each Buy Round or none at all. That is until the very end, where you’ve built up enough cash to buy that Killstreak (or perhaps a V2 Rocket) that could obliterate the lives of the remaining squads in one fell swoop. No need for a knock-down-drag-out final fight here. There are benefits and risks to each, and it may mean taking a few different shots at both tactical approaches to see which one works best for you and your squad. A Safe Bet – Focus on Weaponry: If you’re having trouble claiming victory in this mode, try focusing on upgrading your starting weapons early on. Upgrading your starting weapons is cost effective and will help secure more win bonuses in those first few matches. When you’re flush with cash later in the game, then you might consider swapping out your secondary for that LMG or sniper you’ve been eyeing. These are just a few tips to get you started with this incredibly fun new mode Sledgehammer Games is bringing to Call of Duty: Vanguard, and that PlayStation players will experience in the Call of Duty: Vanguard Alpha going live August 27. Further information on pre-load timing and Alpha access is below, but until then we look forward to seeing you in Champion Hill next weekend! Preloading and Regional Download Links Preloading will begin on August 23 at 3 AM PT, ahead of the Alpha’s scheduled launch on August 27 at 10 AM PT. Download the Alpha at the links below for your respective region: PlayStation 5: Download PS5 Alpha: Americas Download PS5 Alpha: Europe PlayStation 4: Download PS4 Alpha: Americas Download PS4 Alpha: Europe How to Access the Alpha Those who have Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Warzone, or Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War installed can access the Call of Duty: Vanguard Alpha through the main menu after it is downloaded. Within any of those released game’s menus, selecting the Alpha menu blade — to the far left of the main menu screen — either brings you to the Alpha to jump in and play if you’ve already downloaded, or redirects you to its download page on the PlayStation Store. All participants will receive a Calling Card and an Emblem, accessible in Call of Duty: Vanguard upon its release – as well as in Warzone following the integration of Vanguard. Preorder Now on Digital This Alpha is just a sample of Call of Duty: Vanguard. Expect more modes, maps, and weapons in the upcoming Beta in September and at the game’s launch on November 5. Visit the PlayStation Store to digitally preorder now and get instant rewards like the Night Raid Mastercraft Weapon Blueprint for immediate use in Black Ops Cold War and Warzone;** secure early access to the Open Beta,*** first on PS5 and PS4; and receive additional bonuses to be available in Call of Duty: Vanguard at launch, such as the Frontline Weapons Pack. Alpha starts August 27, 2021, on PS4 and PS5. Actual platform availability and launch date(s) of Alpha subject to change. See www.callofduty.com/alpha for more details. Minimum Alpha duration is 2 days. Limited time only. Internet connection required. *PS4™ and PS5™ owners in Germany will need a PS Plus subscription due to the game’s age rating. A nominal fee is required for PS4™ and PS5™ owners in Japan. **Offer content and availability may vary by region and is subject to change. Call of Duty : Black Ops Cold War/Call of Duty : Warzone™ on pre-order platform required to redeem offer. Sold/downloaded separately. Must be redeemed by November 5th, 2022. ***Actual platform availability and launch date(s) of MP Beta subject to change. Minimum Open Beta duration is 2 days. Limited time only, while Early Access Beta Codes last, at participating retailers. Internet connection required. Online multiplayer subscription may be required. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/rkwWJ9ilIcEView the full article

Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com! Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google or RSS, or download here Welcome back! This week the team assembles to interview Marvel’s Avengers narrative consultant Evan Narcisse and T’Challa voice actor Christopher Judge on the War for Wakanda expansion. Then we take it to the field and chat with EA’s Mike Mahar about Madden 22. Stuff We Talked About Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut Fracked Quake Call of Duty: Vanguard Marvel’s Avengers War for Wakanda expansion (interview begins at 21:37) Madden 22 (interview begins at 38:38) Our favorite DLCs The Cast Sid Shuman – Senior Director of Content Communications, SIE Tim Turi – Manager, Content Communications, SIE Kristen Zitani – Senior Content Communications Specialist, SIE Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music. [Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.] http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/3zbEEUIjsasView the full article

Last week, we asked you to find reflections in the game of your choice and share them using #PSshare #PSBlog. From rippling water and shiny objects to confrontations in front of a mirror, here are this week’s highlights: Ratchet and Clank are reflected in the glass of Rivet’s space helmet in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, shared by PeteyReilly. mellydarkeyes’s strikes a pose before a pool of water in this Ghost of Tsushima Legends share. Eivor wades through water to find an Assassins flag in this Assassin’s Creed Valhalla share by yuxi_noir. Ellie can’t look at her own reflection while talking to Dina in this The Last of Us Part II share by Izzat_Bahiki. Jesse tries to ring the ominous motel desk bell in Control, shared by BarryPaust. May takes a breath in front of the mirror before singing in It Takes Two, shared by ellngeroide. 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: Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut SUBMIT BY: Wednesday 9 AM PT on August 25 Next week, we’re steadying our blades in Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut. Share moments that define the Ghost’s journey using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/hd2whKVnpp0View the full article

Hello Travelers! This is Genshin Impact’s dev team, and we hope you’ve enjoyed exploring Inazuma in the past month. With Version 2.1 “Floating World Under the Moonlight” coming on September 1, you can expect even more islands and stories to explore in Inazuma, more playable characters to recruit, and more relaxing moments to embrace with our old friends back at Liyue Harbor. Meanwhile, Aloy, the legendary Nora Huntress from Horizon Zero Dawn, answers the call of adventure in Teyvat and embarks on an all-new journey. If you reach Adventure Rank 20 or above during the Version 2.1 and Version 2.2 updates, you’ll receive the five-star crossover character “Savior From Another World” Aloy and her four-star bow Predator via in-game mail when you log into Genshin Impact on PS4 or PS5. “Savior From Another World” Aloy When Aloy traveled to Teyvat, she acquired a Cryo Vision, and became able to use her new powers to enhance her masterful bow and arrow attacks. Her Elemental Burst “Prophecies of Dawn” sees her throw a Power Cell filled with Cryo in the targeted direction, which she then detonates with an arrow, dealing AoE Cryo damage. Not only does her Elemental Skill “Frozen Wilds” and Talents buff herself and her teammates, they also debuff her opponents while dealing Cryo damage. Aloy’s Frozen Wilds skill throws a Freeze Bomb in the targeted direction and triggers an explosion, dealing Cryo damage. After the explosion, the Freeze Bomb scatters into multiple Chillwater Bomblets that explode on contact with opponents immediately or after a short delay, dealing additional Cryo Damage. When a Freeze Bomb or Chillwater Bomblet hits an opponent, the opponent’s attack is decreased and Aloy receives 1 Coil stack. Each Coil stack increases Aloy’s normal attack damage. After unlocking the talent Combat Override, the whole party’s attack will increase for a certain duration after Aloy gains the Coil effect. When she has 4 Coil stacks, Aloy will gain the Rushing Ice effect, which lasts for a certain duration, during which her Normal Attack Damage will be converted into Cryo damage. In addition, after unlocking the Passive Talent “Strong Strike,” Aloy’s Cryo damage bonus will constantly increase during Rushing Ice. Meanwhile, Predator, the four-star bow, can further empower Aloy with its unique weapon effect. When Aloy equips Predator, which she brought from another world, her attack is increased by 66. Dealing Cryo damage to opponents increases its wielder’s normal and charged attack damage by 10% for 6s. This effect can have a maximum of 2 stacks. This unique bow can only be obtained from PS4 and PS5 and can be used on any platforms with the cross-save function. However, the weapon’s effect Strong Strike only applies when playing on PlayStation. “We’ve been very excited to work with Genshin Impact, especially when we have fans of each other from both teams,” said Mathijs de Jonge, director of Horizon Zero Dawn. “Aloy is a proven agile hunter and warrior who never hesitates to fight for a cause. We can’t wait to see her teaming up with the Traveler who is also from another world to continue their adventure together in the Genshin Impact universe!” A Grand Finale to the Inazuma Chapter With Version 2.1, the main storyline of the tumultuous nation of Inazuma will finally come to an end in the new chapter – Omnipresence Over Mortals. In the previous story, the Traveler was defeated in their first confrontation against the Raiden Shogun, and later joined the ranks of the resistance forces. Will the Traveler confront the Almighty Shogun again? Will the Traveler stand a chance to shake the Shogun’s imposing will to pursue eternity and turn the situation around in Inazuma? All will be revealed in the coming Archon quest. As the story unfolds, two new major islands will be made available to players. The first one is Watatsumi Island, home to the resistance forces. At the center of the island stands the beautiful Sangonomiya Shrine surrounded by mountains and misty waterfalls. The island has a dreamy other-worldly scenery, and in terms of faith, its citizens worship the Great Serpent instead of the Electro Archon. In contrast to Watatsumi Island, Seirai Island’s atmosphere is bleak, eerie, and gloomy. The island is shrouded in perpetual violent storms, leaving the ruins, abandoned shrines, and withering trees to tell a sad story of the past. Tough Enemies and Reliable Allies Your journey in Inazuma may be fraught with peril, with a new Trounce Domain boss, Signora, and new boss enemies, Hydro Hypostasis and Thunder Manifestation awaiting you. Signora is a formidable opponent with a noble aura and great power, and the dev team has devoted about eight months in designing this battle. We hope to give this character a very special aesthetic by designing her unique movements and effects in battle, as well as her versatile fighting style to transform between Cryo and Pyro and change the battle environment. Meanwhile, we’d like to introduce three new playable characters who may become valuable assets in your daily battles and exploration. The Raiden Shogun herself will be joining as a five-star Electro polearm user. When we designed her stance and movements, we wanted to show the calmness, majesty and divine power of an Archon. We also took inspiration from Hassō-no-kamae, sword sheathing, and other actions of Kenjutsu to design her combat movements. Sangonomiya Kokomi, the Divine Priestess and leader of Watatsumi Island and the resistance forces, will be joining as another five-star character. Wielding the power of Hydro and a catalyst, she can provide a great amount of healing to teammates. Last but not least is Kujou Sara, the bold and decisive general of the Tenryou Commission loyal to the Shogun. As a bow wielder with an Electro Vision, she can deal solid Electro ranged attacks and provide buffs to the team. Story quests for the Raiden Shogun and Kokomi will also be available. Players can find out the stories behind these two of the most high-ranking, intelligent, and powerful women in Inazuma. A Trip for History and Gastronomic Delights If you want a short break from the intense adventure in Inazuma, you may want to return to Liyue for the Moonchase Festival! In this upcoming seasonal event, you can cook and sample a variety of Liyue cuisine with old friends such as Xiangling and Keqing, and explore the origins of this ancient traditional festival that has been passed down in the bountiful Liyue Harbor for thousands of years. Moonchase Festival is a time when friends and families in Liyue gather around, make a toast, and enjoy local delicacies every autumn. There are different stories about the origin of Moonchase Festival, but with later folklore, food has become one of the most important parts of this festive celebration. Merchants and vendors will also set up various stalls along the bazaar and streets, bringing a variety of delights to the city life during the festival. Of course, no celebration is complete without generous rewards and fun games. This time, we’ve prepared a large-scale treasure hunt event — Moonlight Seeker! During the event, the Adventurers’ Guild will be scattering Moonchase Charms and Mystmoon Chests all around the areas of Liyue, Mondstadt, and Dragonspine. Travelers may find clues about their location by speaking with the event organizer, track down every Mystmoon Chest for rewards, and collect Moonchase Charms to exchange for various resources and items, as well as the new four-star claymore Luxurious Sea-Lord up to full refinement. It’s Fishing Time! After the Serenitea Pot, we’re introducing another gameplay system, fishing! Fishes of assorted types vary widely across the continent of Teyvat, and they can be used to produce fish meat, be exchanged for rewards, or redeemed for new fishing rods from the Fishing Association. Special Ornamental Fish can also be caught and raised in the Pool of Sapphire Grace, a brand-new furnishing that can be crafted in your personal realm inside your Serenitea Pot. If you’re confident in your fishing skills, you can participate in the Lunar Realm event and join Kujirai Momiji, the fishing expert from Inazuma, to seek out the legendary fish Lunar Leviathan. Finally, it’s been almost a year since Genshin Impact was first released last September, and we would like to say a heartfelt thank you to every Traveler who has supported us! To celebrate the upcoming anniversary of Genshin Impact, Travelers can claim up to 10 Intertwined Fate along with abundant resources by participating in the daily login event. Players across all servers will have their Double Crystal top-up bonus reset, which means everyone will be able to enjoy a double amount of Genesis Crystals for their first purchase again. And that’s it for now, Travelers. We hope to spend another year full of exciting adventures with you. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/_08l8ESRJ90View the full article

Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut is available today on PS5 and PS4! Whether you’re returning to Tsushima or it’s your first journey, we’re so excited for everybody to dive in, and especially can’t wait for you to explore the all-new Iki Island expansion. Just in time for launch, we also have some brand new Ghost of Tsushima merchandise on the way, with some items available for pre-order and others shipping immediately. Here are some of the things we’ve been working on. PlayStation Gear Store On the PlayStation Gear Store starting today, we have a whole new Ghost of Tsushima collection, including a new line of apparel: Ghost of Tsushima Samurai Pose Tee Will Jin follow the path of the samurai or the dishonorable Ghost? This 100% combed ringspun cotton tee features a threshold of designs of Jin in two of his iconic armors on gold and red backdrops. Available for preorder now Estimated ship date 8/25/2021 Ships to USA, Canada, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and UK. Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut Key Art Tee Featuring Jin in his iconic pose from the Ghost of Tsushima key art, this 100% combed ringspun cotton tee represents the newly-updated Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut, surrounding Jin with golden ginkgo leaves straight out of Ariake. Available for preorder now Estimated ship date 8/25/2021 Ships to USA, Canada, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and UK. Ghost of Tsushima Key Art Hoodie This 50% cotton/50% poly pullover hoodie includes red and gold accents with the iconic Sakai mon emblem and Ghost of Tsushima logo on the sleeve. Available for preorder now Estimated ship date 8/25/2021 Ships to USA, Canada, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and UK. Ghost of Tsushima Logo Hat This black chino twill hat includes the Ghost of Tsushima logo in gold, and the Ghost pattern from Jin’s iconic armor on the underside of the bill. Available now Ship date August 20th, 2021. Ships to USA, Canada, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and UK. Ghost of Tsushima Ghost Pattern Water Bottle This stainless steel, 16.9-ounce water bottle features the Ghost pattern from Jin’s iconic armor around its center and the Ghost of Tsushima logo. The threaded insulated bamboo lid includes the Sakai mon emblem. Available now Ship date August 20th, 2021. Ships to USA, Canada, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and UK. Ghost of Tsushima Takashi Okazaki Poster Collection In collaboration with Afro Samurai artist Takashi Okazaki, this manga-inspired 11” x 17” poster set features 4 unique designs featuring Jin as the Ghost of Tsushima. Each piece showcases a different part of Jin’s story: the wind that guides him, the flames that destroy his home around him, the mask he wears as he becomes the Ghost, and his wrath as he fights back against the Mongols. Available for preorder now Estimated ship date 8/27/2021 Ships to USA, Canada, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and UK. You can view the entire collection on the PlayStation Gear store. Insert Coin Insert Coin has also expanded their Ghost of Tsushima collection. Earlier this summer, you may have seen their exclusive souvenir jacket and enamel pins. This week that collection grows even further with a new Clan Sakai hoodie, long sleeve tee, and a new shirt featuring Ryuzo. To see it all, check out Insert Coin’s full Ghost of Tsushima collection. Fangamer For the first time, Fangamer is introducing an official Ghost of Tsushima collection, and the star is this adorable plush fox which will be available later this year! This little one comes complete with a removable Ghost mask and katana. You can sign up on the Fangamer site to be notified as soon as it is available. Fangamer also has a new set of Jin and Yuna pins and a standoff-inspired shirt. See the full collection on Fangamer’s site. We can’t wait to see everyone’s reactions to the new Iki Island expansion, new Ghost of Tsushima: Legends updates, and everything else Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut has to offer! Be sure to tag @SuckerPunchProd in your photo mode shares! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/KkdI_ZgFjB8View the full article

On November 11, 2011, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim made its debut, making its mark in gaming history. This November, Skyrim celebrates a decade of epic journeys, dragon battles, arrows in the knee, and of course, countless stories told by Skyrim’s most important denizens: you! That’s why Bethesda Game Studios is celebrating Skyrim’s 10th anniversary by focusing on those who chose Skyrim as their home away from home – the fans. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition For fans looking to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Skyrim – or newcomers ready to take their first step into Tamriel’s northern landscape – The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition releases November 11, 2021 for PlayStation 4 consoles with backwards compatibility on PlayStation 5 systems. The Anniversary Edition contains the full game plus all three expansions – Dawnguard, Hearthfire and Dragonborn – as well all the enhancements found in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition. The Anniversary Edition also contains over 500 unique pieces of Creation Club content, including quests, dungeons, bosses, weapons, spells and more! Skyrim in concert Tune November 11 at 11am PST / 8pm CEST on the official Bethesda YouTube or Twitch channel as The London Symphony Orchestra and London Voices Choir takes us on a musical journey through Skyrim, broadcast from the historical Alexandra Palace Theatre. Experience the iconic themes and ambient tunes of Skyrim in this special concert paying tribute to you, the game’s fans. The Skyrim Museum From detailed cosplay to stunning artwork, Skyrim fans have made a name for themselves for their boundless passion and creativity. Now, that passion and creativity has a home with The Skyrim Museum, allowing fans to submit their Skyrim-themed artworks for fellow fans to enjoy. Have your own Skyrim masterpiece to share? Join the fun and submit your own creation today. It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years, but it only shows how Skyrim’s community has come together to make this a game worth remembering and playing even to this day. We can’t wait to join you in this incredible celebration of Skyrim and its fans – don’t miss it. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/JD9sLPfkxTEView the full article

In 1996, id Software’s Quake whisked players to new dimensions – not just the Gothic realms beyond the Slipgate where players battled otherworldly monsters, but also a forever-changed landscape of gaming and most literally, the third dimension with its revolutionary 3D graphics rendering. Play Video Announced at QuakeCon 2021, Quake celebrates its 25th anniversary with its long-awaited debut on modern hardware with an enhanced re-release of the lightning-fast shooter that changed everything. Available now for PlayStation 4 and backwards compatible on PlayStation 5 with next-gen support, the return of Quake not only commemorates the franchise’s origins but also reconnects FPS fans with a classic that still resonates loudly in the culture of gaming. “You can pick almost any part of games today and trace it back to the work Quake began,” says Mike Rubits, senior programmer at id Software. “In a time where generations of hardware would sometimes be measured in months, Quake would become the standard for how many early 3D games would work.” “Quake was the first true 3D shooter,” adds Kevin Cloud, executive producer at id Software who worked as an artist on the original Doom and has been at the company for over two-and-a-half decades. However, Quake wasn’t just a technical marvel – its high-speed, high-skill gameplay stood the test of time and is ready for a new generation of gamers to experience. “I believe what is appealing (about Quake) is the fast movement and combat with clear and fun game mechanics,” explains Cloud, with the re-release preserving that element of what he calls “moving fast and shooting faster.” The enhanced version Players can experience the full single-player campaign, as well as its two expansions, in addition to cross-platform support for co-op play up to four players, deathmatch with up to eight players, as well as lighting and model enhancements. PlayStation 5 owners will also get to experience additional features taking advantage of the console’s next-generation technology. In addition to future support planned for native 4K resolution and 120Hz refresh rates – an exciting prospect for any fan of fast-paced shooters alone – the re-release of Quake will also feature DualSense wireless controller support, offering players haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, motion aiming, and game audio through the peripheral’s speakers. “The DualSense controller is a fantastic controller and I’m always interested to see what other games do with it,” says Rubits. “I’m a big supporter of gyro aim in shooters and the DualSense controller’s motion controls are top notch.” The re-release is a joint operation between id Software and Nightdive Studios, who have built a reputation for bringing retro shooters to modern platforms, including the re-release of the cult classic Doom 64. “Considering their history of modernizing older titles, it’s hard to think of a better team to work on this,” says Rubits. Nightdive’s timing couldn’t be better, as gaming culture is currently undergoing a ‘retro shooter’ renaissance – a surging revival of FPS games that embrace the fast and furious designs of past shooters like Doom, Wolfenstein, and the original Quake. “I think Doom (2016) showed that there was a thirst for something more quick, fun, and ‘pure,’ so to speak,” says Christian Grawert, senior level designer at MachineGames, developers of Wolfenstein: The New Order and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. “All the retro shooters capitalize on that as well. That’s also something you’ll get loads of in Quake, along with excellent level design and a fun bestiary.” “For me, the best of these retro shooters are about movement as defense,” says MachineGames Level Designer Andrew Yoder. “Keep moving, keep prioritizing targets, stay alive. There’s a dance to Quake, and learning how to sidestep a lunging Fiend or how to do the ‘Shambler Dance’ is a real joy.” The soundtrack Another iconic preservation of Quake’s re-release is its soundtrack, famously composed by Trent Reznor and his industrial music group, Nine Inch Nails. Not only did the original music work set Quake’s tone with its ethereal, ambient sound – it also helped push what was possible for music in games into the era we currently enjoy. “I remember when we first got going that it was going to be an issue on how to make this music, because everything up until this point was pretty much chip music,” reminisces Chris Vrenna, Nine Inch Nails drummer and contributor on Quake’s original soundtrack, remembering a time where Reznor remarked that if they wanted to make something “innovative and cool,” they would need a difference approach. The solution was streaming the soundtrack directly off the CD-ROM of the game while it was being played – exactly the kind of technological solution you’d expect from id Software, whose reputation for maximizing the most out of software is legendary. “It was really a breakthrough,” Vrenna says regarding the freedom this allowed them as musicians. “You were listening to an instrumental ambient Nine Inch Nails album that was made specifically to be played with this game.” The legacy Quake’s technical and creative achievements, though highly influential, are just half of its legacy. Once the game was finally in players’ hands, that’s when Quake truly cemented its status as an industry changer. “Quake was a significant influence on us – and not only Quake, but id Software and pretty much everything they did,” says Jerk Gustafsson, MachineGames Executive Producer. “I got into the business thanks to a map pack that I made for Quake II called “1964: Echoes of the Past.” Gustafsson was one of many future developers who got sucked into Quake and yet another facet of its longevity: its modding scene. “Playing games was much more of a social thing where we got together, had a few beers and played games – mainly Doom and Duke Nukem at the time. Then, I placed a successful bet on a local hockey game and won some money. Initially I wanted to buy a parrot, as I thought it would be fun to teach it how to talk, but one of my closest friends convinced me to buy a computer instead.” One Pentium 90 computer, a modem and a copy of Quake later, Gustafsson’s destiny was set. “It was that combination that would forever change my life,” he says. “I loved the game, especially the environments. I didn’t just play the game, I studied it. Then, after some time, through the ability to connect to Internet, I discovered fan-made maps and realized, ‘whoa, I can actually build my very own maps!’” Whether it was its envelope-pushing graphics, timeless action, genre-defining online multiplayer, gripping Gothic aesthetic, memorable soundtrack or its influence on those who would go on to produce the video games of today, there’s no shortage of props to give to Quake. And now, with its re-release on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, yet another generation of players will experience what made this classic title persist in so many minds over a quarter of a century. To long-time shooter vets and newcomers alike, there’s no better time than now – download Quake today and see what lies in wait for you beyond the Slipgate. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/SatMpjUMz6QView the full article