Commander Fury

Captain Price needs you to join the fight in Season Four Reloaded! With the Armistice alliance all but broken and infighting between Allegiance and Coalition forces threatening to cause chaos across Verdansk, here is your emergency briefing: 200 Player Warzone With this update, Verdansk will now be able to hold up to 200 players in Battle Royale Quads. This new player count makes Warzone an even bigger Battle Royale experience, so get ready to drop in alongside 199 other members of this millions-strong community. How does this change your strategy in Verdansk? Here are our tips: 200-Player Expansion Tips 1. With a lobby size increase of 33%, you’ll need to watch your – and your squadmates’ – six more than ever. Consider using High Alert to get visual alerts when an enemy has you in their sights or use your eyes and ears to scan your environment before executing your next move. 2. Don’t bite off more than you or your squad can chew. More Operators than ever are fighting within the Warzone, so don’t charge recklessly into situations where you know you are at a severe numbers disadvantage. 3. Embrace the chaos – use team fights in progress to either safely circumnavigate hotly contested zones undetected or throw your hat into the ring and finish what other squads started. This isn’t the only game-changing concept to enter Verdansk: be on the lookout for Supply Run Contracts, which gives the first team to reach a Buy Station discounts on their next purchase, and the Spotter Scope, a high-powered re-usable scope that allows you to scout ahead without giving away your position. Warzone Starter Pack Just joined the fight? Starting tomorrow, Warzone players can pick up the Warzone Starter Pack to get a jump-start off the Cargo Plane into Verdansk. For only $4.99 USD SRP (or regional equivalent) on the PS Store, get a major boost to your loadouts, Operator collection, and XP earn rate with this pack that includes the following items: 500 COD Points Legendary Shotgun Blueprint – Amalgam Epic Krueger Skin – Alchemist Epic Calling Card – Breathing Easy // Epic Emblem – Vulture Culture 1 Hour Double Battle Pass XP // 1 Hour Double Weapon XP A Powerful Sniper Rifle for your Arsenal Snipers, meet the Rytec AMR. This .50 Caliber-chambered beast joins the three other weapons in the Sniper Rifle category and is yours to unlock via in-game challenge. A blueprint variant is also available to get through the Store via the ‘Lost Souls’ bundle. Rytec AMR Tips Here are some tips we have for this new weapon: This semi-auto rifle is a fantastic long-range tool for taking out targets at a distance, especially within Verdansk. Use the included scope – or use your own long-distance one – to account for bullet drop when using it for engaging with enemies more than 100 meters out. Want to go quick-scoping? Equip attachments like the Tac Laser to quicken your aim down sight speed to snap on your enemies. Fair warning: these attachments usually expose your position or hurt your aiming stability and recoil control, so play to this weapon’s strengths, not its weaknesses! Fighting for Survival on Talsik Backlot, the newest map to hit this Sony Exclusive* mode? Do some parkour to hop onto a ladder outside one of the central buildings, and get an incredible 360-degree vista of the surrounding area on the building’s roof. Just be ready to fight enemy helicopters, especially without any cover to use as overhead protection! New MP Map and Mode: Cheshire Park and Team Defender Those who have the full Modern Warfare experience have a new locale to deploy to – Cheshire Park – and a new game mode to do battle in – Team Defender. Located in urban London, England, Cheshire Park is a picturesque garden and conservatory where Operators will battle from door to door or through the central flora-filled area​. As for Team Defender, it returns to Modern Warfare after being introduced to the franchise nearly a decade ago. A major twist on the traditional Capture the Flag formula, flag carriers must hold onto the objective for as long as possible to earn points for their squad. More in Store A fresh shipment of new bundles reached the Store to go along with this update, including a new Operator – Roze – who highlights this new collection of content. Outside of a new reinforcement for the Allegiance, new bundles to be introduced after this update include the ‘Rogue Operative’ bundle, which gives Syd a new look and Legendary Assault Rifle Juliet blueprint; and the ‘Golden Idol’ bundle, which decks Zane, and the included blueprint in gold-trimmed everything. If you want to learn more about this update, read the latest Patch Notes on Infinity Ward’s official developer blog. Get More on PlayStation: Sony Exclusive* Modern Warfare Season Four Content If you haven’t already experienced Modern Warfare or Warzone on PlayStation, then you’re missing out on some epic Sony Exclusive* content that released with Season Four earlier this month. PlayStation players get access to the Survival Talsik Backlot map, as well as other rewards. Read more here to get the details on this Season’s PlayStation exclusive* content. Get ready to drop into Modern Warfare, including Warzone, and experience this awesome update that comes to PlayStation tonight at 11 p.m. PST! * Timed Exclusive content until Oct.1, 2020 View the full article

Fall Guys is the ultimate showdown between 60 energetic jellybean shaped contestants. Through a series of challenging and varied rounds, competitors are eliminated until only one bean remains. The winner receives adoration, glory, and mostly importantly, the highly coveted Fall Guys crown! In this episode of Behind The Stumbles, we’ll be sharing some more info about exactly what kind of challenges you’ll be facing within the colourful world of Fall Guys. Some of the biggest inspirations for the game were game shows like Takeshi’s Castle, Wipeout, and MXC. The team talks about their research process for the game and how they spent a lot of time rewatching clips from these shows. In the ultimate test of game development dedication, we even sent our team out to tackle a real life inflatable obstacle course known as ‘The Monster.’ This helped inspire the bouncy and non-threatening materials used within the levels. One of the challenges of Fall Guys is that each level is essentially an entirely new game mode. This meant that the designers weren’t just creating new environments each time, but whole new mechanics and trying to create as much variety as possible, while ensuring each new round is as fun as possible. As Community Manager, it’s been awesome to see that within our community, the rounds are so varied that everybody has a different favourite. With a mixture of races, skill, and logic games, it really feels like there’s something for everyone! We can’t wait to share more juicy details about the game as we get closer and closer to PS4 launch this summer! We hope you enjoy this Behind The Stumbles video and are excited to try out all of these crazy levels for yourself! View the full article

Welcome, PlayStation, to our community of Buns, puns, and violently cute gameplay! It is such a treat to be bringing Bake ‘n Switch to PS4! This game, like good bread, is meant to be shared. Launching with two Worlds, six Bakers, seven Buns, two Bosses, and an abundance of unlockable abilities, levels, and costumes means you won’t be going hungry. Our Dev team spent a lot of time ensuring the game is easy to pick up, but hard to master. So, you have plenty of opportunities to rise to the challenge. You’ll join a team of Apprentice Bakers, as they try to satiate hangry Guardians by sacrificing adoughrably cute Buns. You’ll fend off an infectious Mould spreading through the lands, and prove yourself to be a Master Baker. Whether you like team co-op play or just want to beat the dough out of each other, there’s a play mode for every mood and every player. Now you know what you’re getting into, we can delve a little deeper. At first glance, Bake ‘n Switch can look like any other couch co-op cooking game. Which isn’t a bad thing, right? Comparisons to other popular games, just show us the game is attracting a broad audience. But, we really wanted to push the genre out of its comfort zone. Our Devs have spent many hours looking for ways to push the boundaries and evolve the classic co-op format. Specifically, we added more playable character options, all with gameplay affecting abilities. Then there are the living Dough creatures with their own unique behaviors (yep, check out the cannibal Lil’Bun or the self-sacrificing DoughDough!). They all come together on dynamic puzzle-style courts that give a massive variety of challenges. Changing a genre is a pretty bold thing to do, so we put ourselves on blast regularly. We’ve been developing the game for one year now, so we have had hundreds of play sessions. Making sure to bring in different team members, so we don’t get too jaded. It can be easy to get lost in what you’re making and forget what it looks like to outsiders. We had planned to get the game into players’ hands at Expos this year, but those plans obviously had to change. PAX East was the last time we met folks in person and experienced first-hand how the game was received. That’s what drove us to Kickstarter; the need to reassess and figure out how we launch a couch co-op game when no-one is allowed to share their couch! The Streamline team rallied around putting online multiplayer at the top of the priority list, and after a successful Kickstarter campaign it is now in action. We are overwhelmed by the response, particularly with the current state of the world. It seems our wholesome (if a little cheeky) game can spread some joy when most kneaded. We can’t wait for you to get your mitts on this game! View the full article

Hi everyone! Wow, it’s been 10 years since PlayStation Plus was first introduced to the world on June 29, 2010, and we truly want to thank all of you for supporting PS Plus over the past decade. It’s been a memorable journey over the years, bringing gamers together and providing access to compelling content and exclusive discounts for our members. We wouldn’t be here without all of you, so as a thank you, we wanted to make this upcoming monthly games announcement extra special by adding a bonus game to our incredible lineup. Here are the games for PS Plus members, available July 7 until August 3. NBA 2K20 Play Video NBA 2K has evolved into much more than a basketball simulation. With its immersive open-world Neighborhood, NBA 2K20 is a platform for gamers and ballers to come together* and create what’s next in basketball culture. Take your skills to the next level, featuring an upgraded motion engine with signature styles, advanced shooting controls, a new dribble size-up system, refined off-ball collisions, and a new read & react defensive game. Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration Play Video In Rise of the Tomb Raider, Lara uncovers an ancient mystery that places her in the crosshairs of a ruthless organization known as Trinity. As she races to find a powerful and sought-after artifact before Trinity, the trail leads to a myth about the Lost City of Kitezh. Lara knows she must reach the Lost City and its hidden secrets before Trinity as she sets out for Siberia on a thrilling expedition. Erica** Play Video This feature-length cinematic experience merges high-fidelity Hollywood production values with engaging, tactile gameplay. Become Erica, a brave young lady plagued with nightmares of your father’s murder. With the traumatic events that have haunted you as a child dragged back into the light of the present-day vis grisly new clues, it’s up to you to unearth the shocking truth behind this devastating tragedy. Every choice you make influences how the game develops, with multiple endings awaiting you at the finale of the emotional branching narrative. We’ll be releasing a free PS4 theme later this week to celebrate 10 years of PS Plus. The theme will be available on PS Store for a limited time, so be on the lookout. For those of you who haven’t tried the online multiplayer benefit for PS Plus, we’ll also be hosting a free online multiplayer weekend starting July 4 at 12:01AM through July 5 at 11:59PM in your local time. (Online multiplayer game sold separately. Requires internet connection and PlayStation Network account.) It’s great to see how much PS Plus has grown over the years – starting with the very first PS Plus game offered, WipeOut HD, to offering more than one thousand games to PS Plus members over the last ten years. As we walk down memory lane, we’ll leave you with a quick snapshot of PS Plus from this past decade. Thank you again for your continued support and we look forward to celebrating with you! *Internet connection and PlayStation Plus membership required for online multiplayer. **ERICA companion app, Wi-Fi connection, and compatible iOS (iOS 9.0 or later) or Android (4.1 and up) smartphone required. View the full article

PlayStation · Official PlayStation Podcast Episode 369: Welcome To Snax City Email us at blogcast@sony.com! Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google or RSS, or download here Kristen played four hours of Cyberpunk 2077! Let’s talk about it! Plus, a new interview with Sarah from Kero Kero Bonito and Phil from Young Horses about creating the song “It’s Bugsnax!” — which still won’t get out of our heads. Listen in! Stuff We Talked About Kero Kero Bonito’s impossibly catchy Bugsnax theme Four hours with Cyberpunk 2077 The Last of Us Part II impressions Taking on the Baldesion Arsenal in FFXIV (Yes, Justin finally got his Ozma mount) The summons in Final Fantasy VII Remake The combat of Ghost of Tsushima The Cast Justin Massongill – Content Communications Manager, SIE Kristen Zitani – 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.] View the full article

Last week, we asked you to endure and survive in the dangerous world of The Last of Us Part II. From tense portraits to sun-dappled greenery, you shared harrowing moments using #PS4share and #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights: MidnightHyp3 shared this sunny shot of Ellie and Dina travelling. Light streams into forgotten places in this share by JimdiGriz1. Dina helps prep the horses in this share by crossedvisions. Find the Ellie. Shared by OptimusFinch. Watch out for Clickers. Shared by dharlequin. Ellie lets an arrow fly in this shot by photomodeaddict. Search #PS4share and #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: The Last of Us Part II – Ellie Share by: 9am Pacific on Wednesday, July 1 Next week, Ellie takes the spotlight. Share portraits of Ellie moving through the world of The Last of Us Part II using #PS4share and #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. View the full article

My name is Gus Lobban. I’m a songwriter, producer and one-third of the indie-pop group Kero Kero Bonito. In January, our world changed in a way that we couldn’t have imagined: Kero Kero Bonito were brought into the world of Bugsnax. I’ll never forget the briefing phone call — Phil at Young Horses got straight into it. “So, the game’s called Bugsnax, and it’s about this island where all the creatures are part bug, part snack, and when the Grumpuses eat them, their body parts transform into them. Let me know if you’ve got any questions!” “Erm, yeah, uhhh…” My starting point for “It’s Bugsnax!” was the D-Am chords the song rests on. The I-Vm chord change and the Mixolydian mode it implies conjure a “lost world” atmosphere to me; positive, but with a definite note (pun intended) of mystical intrigue, much like Bugsnax itself. I built up the song from there by programming a drum track, then improvising chords on a keyboard while singing hooks over the top. I made the song’s form similar to earlier KKB songs like “Picture This,” which Phil had explained felt close in spirit to what they were looking for. I laid down most of the track — including the drums, pan flutes and kalimba — with my Roland JV-1010, a multi-timbral sound module from 2000. I love using old “rompler” modules because (as well as my affection for the fifth-gen game soundtracks they’re used in) they pack a variety of evocative sounds and they’re easy to use, which lets me focus on composing and arranging. The song needed a non-vocal hook to set the scene, so I came up with the melody that opens “It’s Bugsnax!” off the top of my head and played it with a patch on my DX7 I programmed for the last KKB album. My Roland JV-1010, which provides many of the sounds for “It’s Bugsnax!” Lyrically, Ian McKinney’s song about the Young Horses game Octodad: Dadliest Catch was a useful reference. The catchiest songs are often the most obvious — that song’s chorus is basically just “Octodaa-aaad,” and Bugsnax’s title ended up being our main hook too. The lyrics mostly relay the experience of playing Bugsnax in a literal way (a classic KKB technique), while the line “talkin’ ’bout Bugsnax” came to me in a flash of divine inspiration, for which I was a mere Vessel. We couldn’t meet up to record the vocals, so “It’s Bugsnax!” was the first KKB song to use our remote lockdown recording setup. Our singer Sarah nailed the vocals the first time, and Young Horses were clear about what they wanted, which made putting everything together easy. Seeing the gameplay footage match up with the corresponding lyrics in the trailer was very satisfying. The original handwritten lyrics We had no idea how Bugsnax was launching. Phil just referred cryptically to “the event.” We should have put two and two together, but it was certainly a pleasant surprise when the PS5 reveal came around. You never know exactly how a song will be received, but “It’s Bugsnax!” has had a particularly wonderful response; within days of the announcement I’d seen it soundtracking memes, covered by metal and folk artists and reacted to by toddlers. The latter was quite moving, since some of my giddiest childhood memories were fueled by the excitement of new video games, and contributing to someone else’s experience of that is really, really special. “It’s Bugsnax!” is already one of my favourite KKB moments so far. To all of you who’ve found it stuck in your head, sung it to your dog, or just wondered what the hell was happening, I have this to say: it isn’t over yet. View the full article

Streets of Rage 4 does a lot right. Take its sublime combat system, making casuals feel like martial art masters and giving fighting fans high-level techniques to sink their teeth into. Or its soundtrack, all head-bopping tracks and catchy beats that drive the on-screen action and prove as pleasurable a listen when sampled in isolation. Instantly iconic new characters. Hand-drawn visuals that pop off the screen. Streets of Rage 4 could have got a lot wrong. Attempting to rebuild the magic of the original, forever-celebrated side-scrolling beat ‘em up trilogy felt like a fool’s errand. Thank then the trio of studios who decided to tackle this unlikeliest of revivals – Dotemu, Lizardcube, Guard Crush Games – for doing their homework. They researched design documents. Examined the formula. Talked to creators, fans. Weighed up what needed modernising, what needed to be left untouched. The result of this three year long, meticulous splice of old and new beautifully recaptures the spirit of those classics. But crucially it does not feel like a relic of a bygone era. A great example: the reconfiguring of characters’ special attacks. Previously these powerful moves could tear chunks out of enemy energy bars, but at a price: the loss of some of your own health. In Streets of Rage 4, lost health is banked, potentially recoverable… if you keep on the offensive and don’t get hit. A small tweak, but it changes the gameplay rhythm for the better, making those moves high-risk but high-reward. And even if you want to keep your combat options basic, the game is a blast to play. Every punch and kick thrown has a satisfying weight, thanks to impressive audio and a corresponding timed jolt from the Dualshock 4 controller. You can bash away at enemies, toss in the occasional throw, the odd jumping kick and still come out of a session feeling like a badass. Yet the game subtly entices you to try out more complex attacks. Because even a rudimentary idea of how combos work leads to some flashy sequences. Each showy display perks your curiosity, teases you learn more. To experiment. I’m usually quietly intense during my gaming sessions. Yet I actually whooped in glee at one combo string I pulled off with Adam Hunter that caused a handful of baddies to fly across the screen and rebound off a wall. Whistled in appreciation as I discovered how you could hop across a line of enemies with a flurry of aerial attacks while playing Cherry Hunter. Laughed at my own audacity in successfully ploughing through a crowd of foes as the tank-like Floyd Iraia. The diversity of the fighting roster offers a pleasing range of styles to learn your way round. An unasked-for improvement over the originals: in campaign, you can switch fighters between stages. I had my favourites in previous entries and stuck to them. Yet with a cast this good, I found myself continually rotating through the character select screen. The originals presented you with compelling backdrops and scenarios as you battled your way across the city. This sequel easily matches those and adds its own unique spins. Sign boards need leapt over as you clash atop a moving train. A fight through a luxurious and heavily-guarded plane keeps being interrupted as you go into freefall. A Chinatown battle wears its action movie inspirations proudly as you take on ever-increasing hordes in a dojo. Each of the 12 stages has a memorable moment that makes it worth revisiting. But it’s maybe the scalability of Streets of Rage 4 that I like best. Thanks to the bite-sized nature of those stages and multitude of modes – which include online and offline co-op and competitive options –sessions can be as short or as long as you want them to be. I’ve blasted through a single stage during a coffee break, yet also lost an evening attempting to get as far through the game as I can on a single credit in Arcade. As I said at the beginning, it’s a game that caters for genre enthusiasts and the curious, a familiarity of design that makes it accessible to most with gameplay that continually rewards you, irrespective of your skill level. Which makes it, for me, the perfect game to enjoy with friends. While current circumstances prevent me from enjoying the chaos of four-player local co-op, come the day I can welcome the world back through my front door, it will be for this game that controllers will be passed around and my sound system’s volume cranked up for. View the full article

Given that we are only one week away from the release of Marvel’s Iron Man VR, I thought it would be fun to offer an unprecedented look at what you can expect from the full game. Judging by the community’s incredible response to the free demo on PlayStation Store, people loved the game’s flight and combat controls, three-dimensional HUD and built-for-VR cinematics. The lengthy demo also prompted many to ask, “Wait, just how big will the full release be?” Read on to learn more! The ultimate Iron Man virtual reality game As a PlayStation VR enthusiast, I know many of you want big VR-only games, not just demos or short experiences. That’s why we built Marvel’s Iron Man VR as a robust PlayStation VR-exclusive Iron Man action game with a deeply meaningful Tony Stark story. We initially thought the campaign would span 4-5 hours, but based on recent playtest data, we’re pleasantly surprised that average playtimes are now roughly double that! Big & open environments One of the biggest challenges my colleagues at Camouflaj faced was creating huge, great looking environments to fly around at top speeds. This required us to build environments many times the size of our first game, République. (For comparison’s sake, you can fit twenty-three entire world instances of République into the initial Malibu environment.) Getting texture streaming to keep pace with Iron Man’s super speed was a complex technical hurdle, but we stopped at nothing to ensure players can fly around beautifully rendered Marvel landscapes including (but not limited to): S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier It was a blast to partner with Marvel on building a fully realized S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier to fly in and outside of. The level of detail our artists put into this space I think demonstrates the labor of love. Shanghai Our most ambitious environment, Shanghai, gives players the unique sensation of flying through a high density downtown with plenty of tall buildings to weave in between. We worked closely with Marvel Games’ VP & Head of Creative, Bill Rosemann and Creative Director, Tim Tsang, to craft a storyline that puts Stark Tower in the thick of the action and drama. Stark facility One of my favorite environments is this decommissioned Stark Industries plant. Despite being a relatively compact space (it only fits three entire République worlds), it’s a great environment to play one of our Combat Challenges in. There are, of course, other environments in the final game that I can’t wait for you to see for yourself in VR. Depth of combat For those of you who discovered the unlockable Combat Challenge in the demo, you know the game’s moment-to-moment combat has loads of depth. Throughout our story-driven campaign, we layer on core mechanics in hopes that, by the final cinematic, you feel so in tune with the controls that you feel like you’ve fused together with the Impulse Armor. Here’s a high-level overview of some of our baseline mechanics: Boost We heard how much you love boosting at high speeds, so just a few weeks ago, we further increased the frequency at which you can boost in the full game. Buckle up! Rocket Punch My favorite mechanic. I can’t get enough of punching enemies with a one-two-three hit combo and then finishing them off with a Repulsor Blast or auxiliary weapon. Auxiliary weapon By spending Research Points at the Armor Station, you can unlock powerful auxiliary weapons that fire out of your gauntlets. When you play the full game, please do me a big favor and check out the incredible detail artist Chris Foster and animator Benjamin Meals put into each weapon. I can’t tell you how cool it is to see those weapons emerge from your forearms in VR. Ground Pound The rough-and-tumble cousin of Rocket Punch, Ground Pound allows players to descend on enemies at furious speeds. Mastering Ground Pound takes some practice, but once you do, you will be a powerful force on both horizontal and vertical planes! Unibeam Eagle-eyed players noticed blasting enemies charges the Unibeam meter. Once it’s fully charged, you can fire a mighty Unibeam blast out of Iron Man’s chest. The trick, however, is determining the optimal time to trigger it… There are more mechanics I have yet to touch on, but I hope that gives you a better idea of how much love and depth we put into the moment-to-moment action of Marvel’s Iron Man VR. The true test will be if you can complete the tough-as-nails optional mission that unlocks once you’ve completed the game. (It’s so challenging in fact, that I have yet to complete it…) Tony’s Garage & Armor Station One of the great things about Marvel is how it pairs great action with relatable character drama. This is why Marvel’s Iron Man VR features Iron Man action moments intertwined with a personal story about Tony Stark struggles with his worst enemy: himself. Without encroaching into spoiler territory, let’s just say that we’ve made arming the Impulse Armor with weapons part of Tony’s journey to overcome his past. One of my favorite things to do is step up to the Armor Station, see the Impulse Armor in all its glory, and then upgrade it with new augments and auxiliary weapons. This is all performed via an intuitive 3D interface, and looks and sounds just as you would imagine it would be for Tony Stark himself. I just can’t get enough of it! When you’re not tinkering with the Impulse Armor, try roaming around Tony’s garage, squeeze in a workout, give Pepper a call, or maybe listen to our in-fiction podcast series hosted by a close(ish) family member of Tony Stark… An eclectic cast of characters Since the beginning of development, lead writer Brendan Murphy and I knew we wanted to tell a personal story about Tony Stark that leveraged the unique storytelling strengths of PlayStation VR. We wanted to put players in the shoes of Tony and bring them up-close-and-personal with classic Marvel characters such as Pepper Potts, Nick Fury and FRIDAY (as well as a host of other characters we have yet to reveal). To deepen the sense of immersion, we’ve crafted a number of campaign beats that allow you to physically interact with these characters and form a stronger bond. VR-powered interactions I’m certain many of you have heard that developing VR games can be extremely challenging, and guess what? It’s absolutely true… With traditional game development, I often say that its rulebook is the size of a thick old phonebook. With virtual reality being a relatively new medium, however, its rulebook is more akin to a passport: it’s thin, many pages have yet to be filled in, and — to take the analogy even further — it shows you where you can go but contains little information about how to actually get there. During the development of Marvel’s Iron Man VR, we were amazed at how much VR-powered interactions added to the sense of immersion — moments such as extinguishing an engine fire or rescuing Pepper from a burning jet. Although building these moments require lots of time and resources, we had a blast sprinkling them throughout the main campaign. Thrust Door Here’s one example from our Helicarrier campaign mission: grab a heavy door with your left gauntlet and then thrust backwards with your right! The team iterated heavily on this Super Hero Action to give it a real sense of weight. All-Star Cast For those of you who attended the Marvel Games panels at San Diego and New York Comic Con last year, you got to hear directly from the voices of Tony Stark (Josh Keaton) and Ghost (Chantelle Barry). Today I’m pleased to announce a few additional cast members including Leila Birch (FRIDAY), Ike Amadi (Nick Fury), and the ever-prolific Jennifer Hale (Pepper Potts). Every actor did an incredible job providing an authentic take on these classic characters while also lending them a unique voice. We’re also blessed to have long-time collaborators Dwight Schultz as well as Matt Mercer and Leonardo Nam rounding out the main cast. (I just wish I could tell you which characters they are bringing to life…) One week ’til lift off It’s hard to believe it but Marvel’s Iron Man VR releases next week on July 3! Digital pre-orders are now available on the PS Store for both Standard and Digital-Deluxe versions, and both include some pre-order bonuses. I’ll be back next week for one more post leading into launch. Until then, back to the Garage! View the full article

We’re delighted to report that The Last of Us Part II is now the fastest-selling PS4 exclusive ever with more than 4 million copies sold through as of June 21. This milestone would not have been reached without the support from our amazing fans, so on behalf of everyone at SIE, thank you! Naughty Dog has created an experience that truly transcends the category with The Last of Us Part II. They have honed their craft for years and have once again set a new bar for what is possible through interactive entertainment. The Last of Us Part II represents large scale innovation in gaming with a great blend of excellent gameplay mechanics and masterful storytelling. All of this came together to deliver a generation defining experience and the fastest-selling PS4 exclusive. Of course we must celebrate the entire team at Naughty Dog who made this achievement possible. Neil Druckmann, Vice President of Naughty Dog and Director of The Last of Us Part II, wanted to share this message with you all: We are so immensely grateful to the millions of fans around the world that have played The Last of Us Part II and shared their experiences with us over the last week. We set out to tell a new kind of story, one that deals with difficult themes and would challenge you in unexpected ways. Hearing how the experience has resonated with so many of you and witnessing the type of thoughtful discussions it has sparked has been so incredible. We’ve also been so inspired by your creativity — whether it’s your gorgeous Photo Mode shots, jaw-dropping gameplay GIFs, or the songs you’ve recorded using Ellie’s guitar. The Last of Us Part II was made possible thanks to the efforts of the hundreds of talented and passionate developers here at Naughty Dog. We can imagine no greater honor than seeing that same passion mirrored by the people playing it. Thank you for helping us reach this amazing milestone. We strive to bring you unique, engaging experiences and while we look towards the next generation, there are still a ton of great games coming to PS4. That includes two fantastic PS4 exclusives in the very near term: Marvel’s Iron Man VR on July 3, and Ghost of Tsushima soon after on July 17. View the full article

My time in Cyberpunk 2077 begins with a broken nose. Staring back at me in the grimy mirror of a seedy neon-lit bar is my customized mercenary V, and her nose is gonna need resetting. I have the choice to take an offered shot to ease the pain, or just get it over with, quick but painful. It’s the first of many choices I’ll make across my four-hour prologue playthrough, both physically and otherwise, to help V begin building her legacy in Night City. Cyberpunk 2077 is a first-person, open-world RPG set in a not-too-distant future where the world runs on power, glamour, and most importantly, cybernetic modifications. RPGs usually have some level of customization, but in Cyberpunk it is an essential feature for navigating Night City’s darkest corners. Before the game truly begins, I went hands-on with the character creator — and the level of detail available is staggering. Regardless of base body type, I could choose for V to have either a masculine or feminine voice, and adjust granular features like cybernetic markings, tattoos, and individual body features (including some that are too private to mention here). It’s impressively diverse, and these options feel natural in a world so focused on individuality. My V gets her broken-nosed start because I selected the Street Kid lifepath, one of three set backstories (other options include Nomad and Corpo) that affect how V’s journey begins and affords her a unique perspective while interacting with Night City’s denizens. Once the game begins, the ceaseless allure of cybernetic modifications open up new pathways to glory. Levelling up granted me access to sprawling perk trees that could increase my hacking capabilities or brute strength, while Cyberware allowed me to modify V’s body with active weaponry or more passive buffs that could change the course of my playthrough. One of my first mods allowed me to hack into tech and send a Ping, alerting me to enemy and camera positions throughout the room, and becoming essential to my stealth arsenal. Monowire installed wire-like whips into V’s arms, allowing for intense melee attacks. Each new mod becomes a seamless extension of V, and maximizes her potential across encounters. V will need all the help she can get while navigating Night City’s various threats. The city is split into districts, each with distinct styles and factions ranging from wastelanders working to pull themselves out of poverty, to stylish anarchist street gangs, and corrupt but tech-heavy megacorporation shills. V meets characters from each walk of life, with dialogue and quest choices determining whether they stay friendly or become foes. Quests can branch off in multiple directions, and violence is not always the answer. In one mission, I bargained with the more-machine-than-man Maelstrom gang to obtain a powerful drone. I chose to attack their leader and steal the weapon, which resulted in me wading through a heavily guarded warehouse to escape. In a second playthrough I could have won over the Maelstroms, but then been double-crossed by my financiers, the Militech corporation. In yet another version, I could have put my own money forward and brokered the deal with zero conflict. Sometimes the game let me pause to consider the weight of each reply, but some decisions have a limited response time, where gut instinct takes over. Once conflict becomes necessary, Cyberpunk offers multiple paths to victory depending on chosen skill sets. Brute force is always an option. Increasing V’s Body and Reflex skills will turn her into a tank, busting through enemy encounters with conventional firearms, electromagnetic super weapons, or even melee weapons like pipes or katanas. I leaned into a stealthier approach, investing in the Intelligence and Cool skills (that’s right, there’s a Cool skill tree) to make hacking a breeze. V can tap into cameras to help monitor rooms, or commandeer various tech to distract enemies. More importantly, V can target enemies and install programs called “daemons” to turn their tech against her foes. I could select an unsuspecting gang member and make his weapon malfunction, or cause a grenade to explode once I had lured a group of enemies together for maximum damage. I found myself treating new encounters like a puzzle, trying to determine the best combination of hacking and combat to clear the room, gleefully watching my plans come to fruition. V isn’t alone in this journey. Early on, I had a run-in with a beefy thief named Jackie Welles who gets in the way of a grift. No matter which lifepath is chosen, Jackie and V eventually become allies, with Jackie providing support on occasional quests. Along my journey I met more tech-savvy co-conspirators, from the quick-witted netrunner T-Bug to the nefarious cigar-smoking Dex Deshawn. I was especially drawn to Mox gang member Judy Alvarez, a rainbow haired tech wizard that teaches V how to navigate “braindances,” enchanting neural tech that allowed me to relive memories, scrubbing through them like video-editing software. Every new character made Night City feel more lived in, each woven into the city’s very fabric. No character makes a bigger impression than Night City itself. Every inch feels alive, to the point that I could have spent my entire playthrough exploring its cramped alleyways, neon-lit clubs, and looming skyscrapers. The easiest way to travel around is on wheels, but I found myself hoofing it more often so I could turn down every corner, exploring steamy alleyways, decrepit dive bars, and the occasional sinful establishment. I lost count of the amount of times I stopped to take in an advertisement, or did a double take to see a hologram flashing something titillating. Neon City also features a surprising amount of verticality. Opening the map revealed a 3D model of the city, where you’re encouraged to follow staircases or enter basements to discover new interactions. Districts are designed with distinct flair, from kitschy pleather sofas (y’all should hear the sound design when you sit) to the sleek metal of the upper echelon. Every room is a feast for the eyes, each citizen designed with purpose and style. The urge to explore mixed with the mind-boggling amount of customization makes Cyberpunk 2077 feel like a playground, where every choice and body modification shapes V’s world. I can’t wait to return to Night City when Cyberpunk 2077 comes to PS4 on November 19. View the full article

Admittedly we’re *checks watch* 7 days away from the start of July so it’s not technically the middle of 2020 just yet. But what’s a week between friends? Especially if it means we can kick off the Mid-Year Deals promotion now rather than later. That means from today you can enjoy titles like DayZ, Need for Speed Heat Deluxe Edition and Hitman – Game of the Year Edition.There are many more games taking part in this promotion. For European players, you can check out the full list here. Joining us from the US? Have a look here. Additionally, you’ll find discounts on a huge selection of movies as part of Mid-Year Deals! Head to the PlayStation Store on your PS4 to check out what titles are available in your region. The promotion runs until July 8, finishing at 23.59pm local time. View the full article

Hello PlayStation fans! Our first Marvel’s Avengers War Table stream has just concluded, and we’ve unclassified a massive amount of new intel and insights about the game. While we have talked extensively about the original narrative and stellar voice cast behind our Reassemble Campaign, this was our first formal dive into co-op. As War Zone Director on Marvel’s Avengers, I want to take PlayStation fans deeper into the mechanics and gameplay loops behind the co-op experience. Read on for a slew of new information! War Tables War Zones are accessed via a War Table, which can be found in outposts, Quinjets, and the bridge of the Chimera Helicarrier. The Helicarrier becomes your home base and can be repaired and upgraded over time. It has personal quarters for each Super Hero, storage for your extra gear, fabrication machines for turning blueprints into new outfits or other cosmetics and more! War Tables keeps the pulse of all AIM activity worldwide and allows players to launch directly to where they are needed most. Players can initiate their next Reassemble Hero Mission or jump into any unlocked War Zone Mission depending on their mood. The key difference between Hero Missions and War Zone Missions is that while the former tends to be story-focused and very cinematic, a War Zone is an expansive, explorable space loaded with side content including concealed caches to uncover, powerful bounty enemies to defeat, AIM depots to take over, faction allies to rescue, and hidden loot to claim. While there is a main objective in each War Zone Mission, how you choose to approach them is up to the player. If the mission objective is outdoors for instance, the heroes can approach from any direction and tackle the challenge as they see fit. Each War Zone Mission will display the difficulty and suggested Power Level before launching. Although difficulty can be user adjusted, the higher the challenge, the bigger the rewards. Once you select a War Zone mission, you’ll board the Quinjet, and if you have matchmaking enabled, you can be matchmade with up to three other unique Avengers for a party of four heroes. If you choose to take on War Zone missions solo, you will be able to choose from AI companions whom you’ve reassembled, unless the narrative prescribes a specific team composition. They will reflect the skills and gear you’ve previously equipped them with. War Zones really shine when players team up and use their abilities in tandem. Some of my favorite moments playing in multiplayer involve combining heroic powers. For example, Thor can send a large group of enemies flying up in the air, and while they are immobilized, Iron Man will volley missiles at them; it is an amazing sight. Another fun and highly destructive combo sees Kamala Khan sending an enemy flying with a mega high-five, followed by Hulk’s Thunderclap on the stunned enemy. Not many enemies can survive that one-two-punch. These moments featuring the Avengers coming together are really the foundation of why teaming up in War Zones is so much fun. War Zone Mission Types Our idea for War Zones came from a desire to have missions across diverse regions, and War Tables allows us to address threats globally. These regions vary from sprawling cities to dense forests and barren badlands. They also feature different times of day and weather, so missions in the same region will offer lots of variety. Additionally, Marvel’s Avengers features an array of mission types offering different rewards! Iconic Missions While Hero Missions are the campaign crafted, hero focused missions, we also have War Zone missions crafted as unique Hero stories which evolve the story of a specific Avenger and provide context to how they dealt with the fallout from A-Day. How does Tony feel about AIM repurposing his tech for their own ends? What are the ramifications of Hulk’s extended stay as the Big Green? Iconic outfits and powerful gear await at the end of a chain of Iconic Missions. Faction Missions In addition to reassembling the Avengers, players will help rebuild outposts for their allies. SHIELD suffered greatly after the disbanding of the Avengers, and the Resistance formed as a direct result of AIMs increasingly authoritarian activity worldwide. Players can take part in missions to provide these factions intel, supplies, and defend them from AIM attacks. Even cooler, the Helicarrier becomes populated by members of these factions who want to help in the fight against AIM. Faction leaders will also give out missions as part of the ongoing conflict in the post-campaign world and provide faction-specific rewards. Drop Zones Drop Zones are short missions with a single objective, such as defending allies or sabotaging an AIM structure. Vaults Vaults are large explorable spaces that take some leg-work to uncover. To access a vault you first have to locate the coordinates from hidden SHIELD caches around the world. Once you’ve found the entrance, you must fight your way inside and breach the vault before you reap the rewards. Hives Hives are AIM strongholds located throughout the world, the Avengers must uncover their location and fight their way through and a gauntlet of increasingly challenging AIM defenses in order to disable them. Villain Sector Villain Sector missions culminate with a boss fight, such as notable Marvel villains working in tandem with AIM, or one of the organization’s extra-deadly constructs. Character Customization Playing through the Reassemble Campaign and War Zone missions will reward players with an array of items including gear, resources, artifacts, and cosmetics. War Zones are a great place to play your way by showing off your cosmetics and switching up your gear. Let’s go into these systems. While maintaining the core DNA of each hero is important, we wanted to ensure each player could tailor the game to their preferred combat and aesthetic style. Here are some of the ways you’ll be able to customize your Super Hero. Skills As you gain experience you increase your Hero level and unlock new character-specific skills. For example, you can choose to equip Iron Man’s iconic Repulsor, Micro Rockets, or lasers to take enemies down. Each hero has several categories of unique skills that allow you to fine tune your play style Rewards The more difficult the content, the rarer the reward, which can be collected through enemy drops, exploration, puzzles and for completing missions or challenges. Gear: As you would expect, Gear are gameplay items equipped across 7 different slots to enhance hero abilities such as damage dealt for ranged or melee, defensive enhancements to protect against AIM advanced weaponry, or special combined technologies such as Gamma radiation damage or integrating Pym Particles into your arsenal! Gear lets players further customize your hero your way and tuning your play style. Resources: Crafting resources – such as Uru – can be found through exploration, be rewarded from vendors, or collected by breaking down unwanted Gear. Then it’s applied to improve existing equipped gear or traded with vendors for advanced gear. Artifacts: Artifacts are specialized gear that come in two flavors. We expect Marvel fans will be most excited about exotic artifacts that are pulled from Marvel lore and give unique abilities when equipped. Cosmetics: Cosmetic items include outfits, emotes, and nameplates. Player gear doesn’t change player look… look good, play good. So you can rock your favorite ensemble while continuing to increase your Power Level. Cosmetics can be gained in a variety of ways, including unlocked through the campaign, dropped in War Zones, bought from faction vendors, or purchased through the in-game marketplace. Additional unique cosmetics can also be unlocked through accomplishing challenges on Hero Chase Cards, which have tiered reward paths tied to completing challenges. We’ll have more details on Hero Chase Cards in our future Marvel’s Avengers War Table streams! Perks & Attributes These are special abilities that come with gear and artifacts, and are tailored to encourage specific play styles for your hero. For example, certain perks apply Gamma or Cosmic damage to your attacks. When combined, Perks and Attributes can help define your playstyle. We’ve even created branded gear to help identify builds, like Stark Tech for ranged ability augmentation, and SHIELD gear for defensive play. Launch is just the beginning for Marvel’s Avengers – the narrative will continue to be delivered on an ongoing basis with new missions, Super Heroes, and regions delivered at no additional cost. For you PlayStation fans, don’t forget that by pre-ordering you’ll be able to play the Beta First on PS4 – check out our February blog for other benefits! We will also have new perks such as PlayStation exclusive monthly community challenges revealed in the near future. The team is working extremely hard to polish the game and squash bugs while working from our homes around the globe. As mega-Marvel fans ourselves, we are committed to delivering the definitive Avengers gaming experience. I’m looking forward to jumping online with you when the game launches this September. View the full article

At PlayStation, we are committed to providing gamers all over the world with great experiences. I’m happy to announce today that we have started a public PlayStation Bug Bounty program because the security of our products is a fundamental part of creating amazing experiences for our community. We believe that through working with the security research community we can deliver a safer place to play. We have partnered with HackerOne to help run this program, and we are inviting the security research community, gamers, and anyone else to test the security of PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Network. Our bug bounty program has rewards for various issues, including critical issues on PS4. Critical vulnerabilities for PS4 have bounties starting at $50,000. To date, we have been running our bug bounty program privately with some researchers. We recognize the valuable role that the research community plays in enhancing security, so we’re excited to announce our program for the broader community. We have carefully considered what issues will be in scope at this time. You can find more information about the exact details of the program at our HackerOne page. View the full article

Hi everyone! I’m Max, from the Genshin Impact Community Team at miHoYo. Today, we’re really excited to announce that our first-ever closed beta on PlayStation 4 will go live on July 2! Game Setting For those of you joining us for the first time, Genshin Impact is a brand-new open world action title set in a fantasy land called Teyvat. You will be playing as ‘The Traveler’, who braves this whole new world only to be deprived of their power and more importantly, their only kin. With scarce knowledge of this mysterious realm, in order to unveil the riddles of this enigmatic world and achieve the ultimate goal of reuniting with your kin, you set off a journey across a foreign land with your only companion, the cute and kind-hearted Paimon. Exploration & Co-op During this beta, PS4 players will get to explore a slice of the wonderful in-game world. Enjoy your journey as it takes you from the serene city of Mondstadt to the majestic region of Liyue Harbor. However, if you ever feel lonely or need a helping hand against a powerful monster, there is also the option to invite your friends into your world. We are absolutely excited for you to experience our co-op system that allows you to create a party of up to four players. Characters & Combat Genshin Impact is more than just your run-of-the-mill action game. You will build a team with characters from a rich roster, each with distinctive personalities and combat styles. Players are free to choose between English or Japanese character voiceovers for a fully immersive audio experience. Playable characters each have control over one of seven natural elements, giving them access to powerful elemental abilities. Combining elements in ways to create chain reactions is the key to defeating powerful enemies and solving challenging puzzles in the open world. Players are free to choose between English, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese character voiceovers for a fully immersive audio experience. Our Vision Player freedom is a core pillar of our design – we hope to pack the game with a variety of different experiences, whether it be in the immersive open world exploration, the narrative driven gameplay, or the intense and thrilling combat. It’s entirely your call on how to tackle the world of Teyvat, what kind of adventure you are looking for in any given moment, and what you are looking to ultimately achieve. Language Support PS4 users can play this worldwide beta with language support in: English, Chinese (Simplified & Traditional), Japanese, Korean, French, Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, and Thai. For more info, visit our Closed Beta FAQ. Finally, thanks for your continued support and we will see you in Teyvat! View the full article

The action-RPG, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox, brings Adol’s latest adventure to PS4 next year, in which Adol finds himself imbued with a mysterious power and entwined in an ancient secret deeply rooted within the city he’s trapped in. The Pact Edition includes the “Monstrum Memoirs” mini-art book and “Melodies of the Macabre” soundtrack. Pre-order your copy today by visiting the game website! In this exclusive interview with director and producer Toshiro Kondo, we learn how Ys IX sets itself apart from its predecessors while still retaining the legacy and essence of the Ys series. For those new to Ys and its protagonist Adol Christin, could you give a brief overview of who he is and his role in the series? Adol is an adventurer who has been the main character of the Ys series for more than 30 years. I think a series with this kind of longevity with the same main character is rare. Each tale in the series comes from one of the over 100 adventure journals he left in his home upon his death. Seeing as this is the ninth entry, do players need to be familiar with previous installments to play? Each Ys game sees the ever-traveling Adol reaching a land he has not previously visited and shows us his adventures there. Therefore, the people that both Adol and the player meet are new to them both. Long-time fans and newcomers alike can easily jump into the adventure as Adol. Furthermore, from a gameplay perspective, the tradition of the Ys series is to offer a range of difficulty settings suitable for both beginners and long-time vets. What prompted the move from a deserted island from the previous installment, Ys VIII, to a dark cityscape in Ys IX? The tale mainly unfolds in Balduq, which has the epithet of “The Prison City.” Due to having a gigantic prison at its core, this city holds strong political influence. Compared to the idyllic deserted island setting of the previous game, it definitely feels more grim. Since Ys VIII featured a natural setting, we aimed in Ys IX to provide a dramatic location filled with people intertwined with a deep history in their city. Due to this, we believe it lends an air of mystery to the title that, until now, was unseen in the series. Adol is turned into a “Monstrum,” a being with supernatural powers, and works together with other Monstrums to defeat shadowy entities. How did the idea of Monstrum come about? In this game, we started with the idea of wanting important party members to be able to fly or run up walls. Until now, Adol’s actions were mainly centered around orthodox elements like swinging his sword, jumping, and casting magic. Looking back at the series, the superhuman powers seen in this game are a unique and unexpected new element. Therefore, in order to ensure Ys fans would accept these elements as fitting to the series, we had to create an appropriate scenario. This is how we came up with the Monstrums. The Monstrums each have their own unique ability to interact with their environment, such as running up walls or uncovering hidden spots. How is this reflected in the gameplay? Each Monstrum has his or her own ability. One can teleport, another can fly, another can see hidden objects, and so on. With these abilities, previously unreachable areas become accessible, more options are available in combat, and various methods of navigating the dungeons can be found. When getting a new party member, it feels like a Marvel Comics hero has joined you. How did the reception of VIII influence the design of IX? Until Ys SEVEN, we were particularly conscious of trying to preserve the legacy of the series due to it having an over 30-year history, along with holding a lot of respect for those who have worked on the series before. We also wanted to deliver titles that retained the “Ys-ness” that numerous fans were hoping for. In Ys VIII, we maintained that Ys action core while attempting to add new elements and narrative features. From this, we learned that new and old users alike supported this approach. Since each game depicts Adol on a new adventure, we now strongly feel again that this requires a new experience in each installment. The reason Ys IX certainly contains an atmosphere unlike any Ys that came before it is because it puts into practice the ideas we considered when making VIII. Now as the series continues on, we believe that – while it is important to retain the core of what makes Ys what it is – it is just as important to introduce new elements as well. View the full article

You already know the legends of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 roster – from Elissa Steamer to the Birdman himself, these extreme athletes defined an era of skateboarding. Since then, those legends inspired the “next generation” of skaters, who would go on to expand the skateboarding community to a more global and connected scale, dominate the competition medal boards, and find a seat next to the O.G.’s as faces of the sport itself. With the launch of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2, Vicarious Visions are now bringing the past, present, and future of skateboarding together with eight additional skaters joining the lineup of OGs in this epic remaster. These eight skaters – Lizzie Armanto, Leo Baker, Leticia Bufoni, Riley Hawk, Nyjah Huston, Tyshawn Jones, Aori Nishimura, and Shane O’Neill – will skate alongside the legendary roster of pros from 1999 and 2000 in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 and represent just a few of the latest shining stars in the sport today. Just like the original pros, all eight of these skaters come with their own style, stats, and signature tricks to represent the strengths and accomplishments of their young careers. But who are these fresh faces to the franchise? Here is a breakdown of these eight newcomers to Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 and 2, from their hometowns and skating styles to what they’ve accomplished in their careers thus far: Lizzie Armanto Straight out of Santa Monica, California, this Finnish American dual citizen is a regular-footed park skater who was previously labelled as “Tony Hawk’s protégé.” Armanto, 27, is a barrier breaker in the sport, winning the first ever Skateboard Park X Games Gold Medal in 2013, and appearing as the first female cover athlete on TransWorld SKATEboarding magazine. Leo Baker Leo Baker is a goofy-footed street skater from Covina, California about 22 miles east of Downtown Los Angeles. An X Games Street Gold Medalist, this 28-year-old is one of the LGBTQ+’s most prominent voices within the skateboarding community. Leticia Bufoni A native of São Paulo, Brazil, 27-year-old Leticia Bufoni is a goofy-footed street skater and is an influential female competitor in international sports. She has won Gold Medals in five X Games Street competitions. Riley Hawk Who is Riley Hawk? If you said, “Tony Hawk’s son,” you’d be right, but would also be discounting a talented goofy-footed street skater who is carving his own path after being named Skateboarder Magazine’s Amateur of the Year in 2013. Despite reconstructive surgeries on both his ankles – career-ending for most skaters – he’s still shredding in and out of the skatepark, being the frontman for his own rock band and founding a coffee house record store hybrid. Nyjah Huston Deemed “The X-Factor” by ESPN Magazine as the pro-skater who will change the course of the sport over the next decade, pro street skateboarding phenom Nyjah Huston (25, Laguna Beach, CA) has lived up to the hype, dominating street skating for the past decade. Winning six Street League Skateboarding (SLS) Super Crowns (including 2017-18-19), 12 X Games gold medals and the “Best Male Action Sports Athlete” award at the 2013, 2014 and 2019 ESPY Awards, he remains the face of skateboarding worldwide. Tyshawn Jones Born on the isle of Manhattan and raised in the Bronx as well as New Jersey, 21-year-old Tyshawn Jones was named Thrasher Magazine’s Skater of the Year in 2018. He has more than a few memorable video parts to his name, including the groundbreaking “Blessed” film. Aori Nishimura The youngest newcomer hailing from Tokyo, Japan, Aori Nishimura is an 18-year-old skating prodigy who was the first Japanese-born competitor to win an X Games Street Gold medal. She is one of Japan’s brightest prospects and professionals in skateboarding and is now appearing in Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 and 2, whose original versions were out before she was even born! Shane O’Neill Sponsored since age 14, Melbourne, Australia’s very own Shane O’Neill is a 30-year-old pro skateboarder who has earned victories at Tampa Pro and various SLS events around the world. An active skater and gamer, Shane was inspired by the original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games growing up and learned some of his own tricks and combos by playing the games themselves! Pre-Orders Live Now at PlayStation Store – Warehouse Demo Date Announced Are you more than set to shred? The digital pre-order for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 just went live on PS4 and PS4 Pro, and it comes with a demo to be released on August 14. As the first ever level in THPS history, the Warehouse is as memorable to fans of the franchise almost as much as the Birdman himself, and what better way to celebrate its prestige – and return to glory – through the aptly named Warehouse Demo? Yes, pre-order the game digitally on PS4, and get access to the Warehouse level. Who will be your skater? Of course, it will be Tony Hawk, a man who needs no introduction. Just be sure to catch as much air as possible before trying to pull off The 900! Stay tuned for more information on the Warehouse Demo as we roll closer to August 14, and pre-order the game now at PlayStation Store. View the full article

Howdy Folks, Aspyr here. Star Wars Episode I: Racer makes its platform debut on PlayStation consoles today, and we’ve been partying for this launch like it’s 1999. Strap on your shades, break out the skateboard, and get ready to take a blast back to the late 90’s as we bring an N64 classic to PS4. Podrace Like a Pro If you’re a fan of arcade or kart racing, you’ll feel right at home accelerating through turns, drifting, and maximizing boosts to beat the other racers to the finish line. If you haven’t played Episode I Racer before, here are our best tips to get you started. Boost Responsibly: While boosting can blast you to the front of the pack, it can also overheat your engines. Flaming engines will leave you getting lapped. Make sure to throttle the boost before you end up left in the dust. Don’t Go Full Throttle: Trying to max your MPH might seem great on straight-line tracks, but you’ll eventually smack into a rock wall. Toggling the accelerator is key to mastering the caverns, twists, and turns of the tracks. Let off the acceleration going into the turn, then accelerate at the half-way point to blast away from the pack. Meet Your Match: Racers have different strengths and weaknesses. Make sure your playstyle matches your racer. If you prefer high acceleration, choose Anakin Skywalker. If you prefer tight handling, choose Toy Dampner Stay On Track: For a majority of the race, you’ll want to follow the beaten path. You’ll see severe slowdowns as you stray from the established racing track. Risk can bring reward though with secret shortcuts on several tracks. Improve Your Times with Shortcuts If you pay close attention, you may discover secret paths hidden just off the track that allow you to take a big lead. Here’s a few of our favorites: Ando Prime (Multiple tracks): After completing your first lap, veer left and look for an open tent. That’s your path to victory! Sunken City: Immediately before entering the tunnel after the colosseum, hug the left wall. You’ll ride up onto a small raised pathway. Gauntlet: Hit your boost hard before the long open straight away. Veer right, and you’ll save a lot of time. Take Home the Toughest Trophies Your quest for a platinum trophy won’t be easy, but we’re here to help you race through earning these gold trophies. You came, you looked around, you bought: Check the junkyard often. Swap your racer to refresh the inventory of the junkyard. If you find a Best part in poor condition, add it to your podracer and then repair it after your next race. The fastest racer in the galaxy: For tight turns, you’ll want to press L2 to drift through the turn. Mastering your drift skills is key to being able to maintain your speed throughout the twistys. Taking the high road: Take Abyss slowly and learn the layout of the track. If you fall off, kiss the race goodbye. Catch Us if You Can We’ve put up a few of our best lap records. If you think you can beat us, send screenshots to @aspyrmedia! Aspyr Team Best Lap Record Times Abyss — 1:06.717 — AspyrEthan Mon Gazza Speedway — 14.313 — AspyrCam Vengeance — 1:12:135 — AspyrEthan Grabvine Gateway — 1:37.285 — AspyrCam Woo! Thanks for sticking with me for the long read. Good luck on setting your new lap records. Star Wars Episode I: Racer is available now on PS4. View the full article

Hi everyone! My name is Yara Abou Samra and I am a producer at Camouflaj working on Marvel’s Iron Man VR. I’m looking forward to the game’s July 3 release date when you all can suit up as Iron Man and revel in this PlayStation VR* exclusive game. In the meantime, please let me tell you about one aspect of the game we haven’t spoken about: Tony Stark’s garage and what you can do in it! Early on in development, the team at Camouflaj knew that bringing the iconic garage into virtual reality would be essential. We knew it had to be a place where players could get the full-fantasy of the inventor, Tony Stark. We wanted the garage to empower players to tinker with and upgrade their suit and get more powerful as they got deeper into the campaign, looking stylish along the way. As many of you know, we collaborated with legendary Marvel artist, Adi Granov, and Marvel Games Creative Director Tim Tsang to design our signature Impulse Armor. Once the armor was designed, our next challenge was ensuring players will actually get to see the iconic armor in more detail. Thankfully, the garage’s Armor Station was the perfect location for players to get a third-person perspective on the armor. After you’ve caught the Stark Jet, as seen in the Marvel’s Iron Man VR PS Store Demo, you will unlock the garage, be able to get up close to the Impulse Armor, and make modifications including swapping in Repulsor types, new Auxiliary weapons, Arc Reactors and Thrusters. By completing missions and progressing deeper into the campaign, you will unlock Research Points which allow you to do deeper customizations. One of the things that makes Marvel’s Iron Man VR so fun is the amount of freedom you have in flight and combat. You can fly with one hand, while blasting enemies with the other. At the Armor Station, you can attach homing missiles on your left hand and cluster bombs on your right with the Research points that you’ve obtained. You can even customize two unique loadouts to suit different play styles, which is a feature much beloved by our most hardcore players here at Camouflaj. One of my favorite loadouts is pairing the powerful Anti-Armor Missiles with the shotgun-like Scatter Shot, allowing you to deal heavy damage to enemies both at a distance, and at point blank. In addition to gameplay-driven upgrades, you can also unlock incredible-looking Armor Custom Decos to look awesome while you take on Tony’s deadliest foes. With the base game, pre-order bonus and the Digital Deluxe Edition, there are 16 decos in total (seven with the base game, one from playing the demo, four if you purchase the digital deluxe edition, and if you pre-order any edition you will receive four). They are ranging from the “Vintage” deco, to my personal favorite, the “Hornet” deco: One of our character artists here at Camouflaj, Chris Foster, crafted each one of these decos. He puts his heart and soul into each of these, taking extra care to add various details such as brushed metal, carbon fiber, and chrome so that every deco looks and feels unique. We’ve been blown away by how passionate testers on the game have been about Custom Decos, and it puts a big smile on my face. You can pre-order or purchase the Digital Deluxe Edition to get Custom Decos, such as the Stealth Armor or Silver Centurion. You can also unlock the exclusive Molten Lava deco by downloading and playing the free demo. Once you first visit the garage in the full game, you will be able to give it a go! Digital Deluxe Edition: $49.99 USD MSRP/$59.99 CAD MSRP (Digital only) Includes: Marvel’s Iron Man VR Game 4 Deluxe Edition Deco Armors (Golden Avenger, Black Centurion, Sun Stinger, Stealth Armor) 12 Research Points – Research Points are gained by analyzing combat data from Iron Man’s performance in the field. This research and analysis allows Friday to develop new technology (weapons and augments) for the Impulse Suit. Use these Research Points to unlock some weapons and augments early and customize to play style. Marvel’s Iron Man VR Digital Deluxe Soundtrack Digital Deluxe Edition Iron Man PS4 Theme Pre-Order: 4 Custom Armor Decos (Origin Armor, Vintage Armor, Silver Centurion Armor, & Ultraviolet Armor) Marvel’s Iron Man VR Dynamic PS4 theme Tony’s garage is a place where players can take some time to relax, acquire important information, tinker with the Iron Man armor, and plot their next move. It’s thrilling seeing the last bits of polish going into the missions, cinematics, and garage as we get closer to the game’s July 3 release date. I can’t wait to see what loadouts you all build, and how cool you’ll look playing around, blasting enemies, and saving the world. Until then, back to the garage! *PlayStation VR is not for use by children under age 12. PlayStation 4 system, PlayStation VR, and PlayStation Camera are required to experience VR functionality. Two PlayStation Move motion controllers required to play. Sold separately. View the full article

Our goal with Ghost of Tsushima has always been to capture the heart of the samurai fantasy — to transport you back to feudal Japan, to live through the beauty and danger of Tsushima Island under attack. Our hero, Jin Sakai, has trained his whole life in the samurai way — watchful, precise, disciplined, deadly. He’s a master of the katana, a confident horseman, and skilled with the bow… but those skills aren’t enough when faced with thousands of Mongol invaders. He needs to be something more than the perfect samurai if he wants to save his home. That’s what Ghost is about. Our hopes of achieving our goal, of creating the time machine we were after, rested on capturing the right feel for the katana. Without katana combat that looked right, sounded right, and felt right, Ghost wouldn’t succeed. We could look for inspiration in the great combat examples in classic and modern samurai movies — my personal touchstone is the 2010 remake of 13 Assassins — but the things that work in movies don’t always work in games, so there was work to do. In the end, we ended focusing on three things: speed, sharpness, and precision. First, speed. We wanted your attacks to be fast. Katanas aren’t heavy — roughly two to three pounds — so quick slashing attacks are at the center of most katana fighting styles. All the attacks in the game are captured on our in-house motion capture stage, so they represent realistic movement speeds. Those realistic speeds created an interesting problem — they were too fast to react to. Human reaction times are slower than you think — it takes about 0.3 seconds to respond to a visual stimulus, no matter how simple the stimulus and response are. That’s just how long the nervous system and your brain take to figure things out. This time doesn’t vary much from person to person — we’ve done lots of internal tests, and everyone’s pure reaction times are about the same. A lot of the design work we did on katana combat was dancing around these limits. There’s no problem with your attacks being fast, of course — the NPCs can react instantly if we want them too. We actually ran some experiments with NPCs having more realistic reaction times and it looked totally wrong. That’s probably because our ideas about how a sword fight looks are driven by watching movies, not real sword fights, and in a movie everyone knows the choreography ahead of time. (We actually watched real sword fights with blunted weapons during development, and they’re way sloppier than we wanted the game to be.) So your attacks can be arbitrarily fast, but Mongol attacks can’t be faster than the player can react. That created imbalance early on — just hammering on the quick attack button defeated most enemies, which was certainly not the deep combat experience we were aiming for. It would have been nice to have solved this before Hideo Kojima visited Sucker Punch and tried Ghost combat, since that was the first thing he tried. Sigh. We changed a couple of things to fix this. First, we realized that while there’s a limit to how fast players can react, there’s no limit to how fast they can anticipate. If an enemy launches into an attack string, we need to give the player enough time to react to the first attack in the string, but since subsequent attacks can be anticipated, they can happen arbitrarily fast. One of our Mongols uses a five-hit combo, for instance; the first attack is slow enough to react to, but the others happen fast. We also realized that we could overlap enemy attacks. While one enemy attacks, another enemy can be winding up. We tune things so that Jin has barely enough time to deal with each enemy attack as it lands, just like in the samurai movies that inspired us, but there will often be two or even three attackers in the middle of an attack sequence at once. That combination — really fast player attacks, overlapping enemy attacks — created the intensity we were after, the sort of intensity we saw in 13 Assassins. No enemies standing around waiting to be attacked, just unrelenting aggression. That’s great, because we wanted players to be just a little bit nervous about jumping into a fight. Ideally, players leave fights a little bit exhilarated, because that’s how Jin feels. Barely in control, barely alive, but moving forward nonetheless. The second big focus area for us was sharpness. “Respect the katana” was one of our mantras during development — Jin’s family katana, the Sakai Storm, is a meter of razor-edged steel, wielded with malice, and we needed to respect that. In the samurai films that inspired us, a handful of cuts is enough to fell the toughest enemy. We couldn’t stray too far from that — and when we experimented with letting enemies absorb more damage, when they could take too many hits before falling, the sword no longer felt sharp. Obviously, that would create imbalance if Jin wasn’t subject to the same rules. The Mongols keep their weapons just as sharp, and Jin can’t ignore cuts any easier than the Mongols can. That helps balance things. The speed and intensity of combat help, too — Jin spends as much time defending as he does attacking, and that slows down how quickly he can ladle out damage. And late in development we had success building in more defensive tactics for the Mongols — blocking, parrying, dodging — which sidestepped the damage problem. Sharp weapons and aggressive enemies mean that death is always nearby. That sense of danger, that you’re never more than a few mistakes away from dying, is crucial to Ghost of Tsushima’s tone. Players have plenty of techniques to defend themselves, and even more ways to attack. If you concentrate, if you stay focused, you’ll survive the fight. If you lose focus, you’ll die. We’re trying to put you in Jin Sakai’s footsteps; those are the rules he is forced to live by, and they apply equally to you. Our final big focus area was precision. The katana is a weapon that rewards precision — a lifetime of discipline and practice to make exactly the right cut at exactly the right moment. It was important that the player got the same sense of precision — and those same demands of discipline and practice. That starts with responsiveness, making sure that Jin reacts instantly to the player’s input. Quick attacks happen quick. We work hard to make our animations fluid, to flow naturally between movements — but if forced to make a choice, responsiveness wins out over physical accuracy. Jin does have slower, more powerful attacks, but they can be instantly cancelled at any point, leaving Jin free to respond to unexpected events, like the shout of a Mongol charging in to attack. Starting a high-level attack only to cancel it when circumstances change is an important part of high-level play. We also wanted to reward the player for precise execution of Jin’s abilities. Take Jin’s ability to block most incoming attacks. Basic execution of blocking is simple — hold L1, block the attack. But there are levels beyond that. Waiting to press L1 until the attack is about to hit changes the block into a parry. The attacker isn’t just stymied, he’s spun past you, vulnerable to a counter-attack. And Jin earns a little bit of Resolve, Ghost’s measure of the samurai spirit that lets him push through the pain and injury he sustains. With the right upgrade, a third level of success opens up — press L1 just as the attack is landing, and the parry becomes a perfect parry, stunning the attacker and leaving him open to special, devastating counter-attack, and earning Jin a big dose of Resolve. That precision carries over to the player’s decision-making. Jin can attack his enemies in dozens of ways, but choosing exactly the right attack at the right moment is crucial. Jin is forced to evolve beyond the lessons he was taught, to incorporate what he learns from closely observing and fighting the Mongols. These lessons are distilled into new Stances, collections of new attack techniques, which the player can switch between at any point. Each Stance is designed to be particularly effective against a subset of the dozens of enemy types Jin faces; switching between Stances based on who Jin faces amplifies his deadliness. Here’s a video clip that shows the player switching stances as they move between enemies. Jin uses Stone Stance to quickly finish off a swordsman — Stone Stance is his ancestral style, developed to fight other swordsmen, so it works well against Mongol swordsmen — then quickly switches to Water Stance to create an opening against a shieldman. Jin devises Water Stance in frustration after the techniques he’s practiced for decades prove ineffective against the Mongol shieldmen. All of these things — speed, sharpness, precision — combine to produce an experience we think players will love. More precision means a more effective player, which means things can go faster and get more deadly to match. We hope you’ll choose a difficulty level that really challenges you as a player — because the focus and discipline and practice it will take to meet that challenge is exactly what is demanded of Jin Sakai. It’s a dangerous world, but Jin Sakai is a dangerous man. View the full article

I became a serious game development hobbyist when I was a kid and I’ve worked as a professional game developer for the past 18 years. I’m now the Chief Technology Officer at Crystal Dynamics, where I am working with a brilliant and passionate development team on Marvel’s Avengers. Throughout my life, there has been little that excites me as much as getting my hands on a next-generation video game console — and PS5 is no exception. I have had the tremendous pleasure and privilege of having a PS5 development kit on my desk for some time. When we received our first few kits, I rushed to put an engineering team on the task of creating a PS5 version of Marvel’s Avengers as quickly as possible. I wanted to push Foundation, our proprietary game engine, to its limits on PS5 and see what it could do. Take a look at what we’ve accomplished so far! PS5 greatly lifts the performance and graphics bar for consoles. The new GPU allows us to increase our texture resolution, push a higher level of detail farther from the player, enhance our ambient occlusion, improve our anisotropic filtering and add a variety of new graphics features such as stochastic screen-space reflections with contact-aware sharpening. If you’re a technophile like me, you enjoy having a bit of choice in how you leverage your cutting-edge console’s capability. As gamers, we sometimes want every ounce of power put into extra graphics features to achieve the highest image quality possible. For this, Marvel’s Avengers will offer an enhanced graphics mode on PS5. At other times, we want the most fluid gameplay experience possible. For that, Marvel’s Avengers will offer a high framerate mode on PS5, which targets 60 FPS with dynamic 4K resolution. The GPU and CPU improvements on PS5 are exciting, but even more exciting is the introduction of an ultra-high speed SSD with lightning fast load speeds. This is a transformative improvement in consoles that will reduce load times down to one or two seconds and enable real-time streaming of massive worlds at ridiculously fast speeds. Without any optimization work, the loading and streaming of Marvel’s Avengers improved by an order of magnitude on PS5. When optimization is complete, loading content will be nearly instant, allowing players to seamlessly jump into missions anywhere in the game world. And as Iron Man flies through content-rich levels, higher resolution textures and mesh will stream in instantly, maintaining the highest possible quality all the way to the horizon. The new PS5 DualSense controller offers advanced haptics and resistance triggers, and the console itself offers enhanced 3D audio and new platform features that allow you to jump straight into the action. We have great ideas on ways to leverage these features in Marvel’s Avengers and are looking forward to seeing our players’ reactions. At Crystal Dynamics, we are gamers and we have a gamer-first mentality. We want to make it easy for Marvel’s Avengers players to enjoy the additional features PS5 brings to the game. Therefore, we’re happy to announce that when you purchase Marvel’s Avengers for the PS4 platform, either digitally or on disc, and later upgrade to a PS5, you get the PS5 version of the game with all of its enhancements free of charge! In addition, PS5 gamers can play Marvel’s Avengers online with PS4 gamers, so anyone can upgrade at any time and continue playing with friends on both platforms. Marvel’s Avengers launches on September 4, 2020 and will be available on PS5 when the console launches Holiday 2020! View the full article

Hi all! Damoun Shabestari (aka Shabs) here, Game Director at First Contact Entertainment — developers behind Firewall Zero Hour*, the team-based multiplayer shooter exclusive to PS VR. It’s been an absolute blast for myself and our devs to witness the sheer number of you joining the game this year! We welcomed tons of new players into the game when Firewall Zero Hour was offered as a free game to PlayStation Plus members during February 2020, right at the same time the game’s fourth season, Operation: Black Dawn, went live. Today we’re excited to keep that momentum rolling for the launch of Firewall Zero Hour’s fifth season, Operation: Syndicate! Below you’ll find a rundown on everything you’ll see in-game this season, beginning tomorrow. New Map Operation: Syndicate launches with a brand new map, Blacksite, available for free for all players who have access to Firewall Zero Hour. Set at the golden hour of sunset, players will find themselves in the Blacksite — the sector of a Middle Eastern city with a heavy military presence. Work with your teammates to scope out the apartment interiors, creep around alleyways, and fight through the open air marketplace to protect (or defend) the data on the laptop! You’ll utilize an array of cover points across the map, from field tents to sandbagged rooftops. And beware of those tight engagement zones! Players will also find themselves immediately immersed in the Blacksite map scene, as it becomes the Lobby environment during Operation: Syndicate. New Contractor This season introduces a brand new Contractor: Lucia Gallo, better known by her hacker handle — Luna. Born in Italy, Luna’s studies were predominantly focused on computer science and combating cyberterrorism. Her masterful abilities lead to her being hired to spearhead a newly established cyber security agency. At the same time, she took up weapon and combat training to match her abilities as a hacker–becoming the perfect combo hire. Luna’s Skill of “Backtrace” is very unique: players can see the outline of all signal jammers in the world for 4 seconds, helping players locate and destroy the equipment in time. This Skill is the perfect antidote for even the sneakiest jammer placements. Luna and her Skill are only available to Operation: Syndicate Op Pass holders**. New Cosmetic Rewards There are over 24 new cosmetic Rewards available this season. Upon completion of Missions, a variety of different trinkets, face paints, and camo skins can be equipped by players. In addition to Free Mission Rewards, Op Pass holders have access to Premium and Bonus Mission Rewards. New Weapon Arriving in Operation: Syndicate is a brand new weapon, the Custom ZS, available to all players upon completion of the Free Mission in the first week. The Custom ZS is a full auto, short-range sub-machine gun — perfect for the short and medium-range engagement zones found in Operation: Syndicate’s new map, Blacksite. New Legendary Weapon Skin The Legendary Weapon Skin of Operation: Black Dawn is Luna’s HZU — available to Op Pass holders who complete all Free, Premium and Bonus Missions in Operation: Syndicate (a total of 24 Missions) and redeemed for 250,000 Crypto. Reminder: Op Pass and Hack Key Bundles The Syndicate Op Pass allows players access to 16 additional Mission cosmetic Rewards, plus access to the new Contractor Luna, and the ability to unlock the Legendary Weapon Skin, Luna’s HZU after completion of all 24 Missions this season. Hack Keys can be used to instantly complete any Operational Mission and receive its cosmetic Reward — a great option for players who don’t have as much time to play as they would like. If you have any Hack Keys left over from last season (Operation: Black Dawn), you can use them on Missions this season (Operation: Syndicate). Firewall Zero Hour – Syndicate Op Pass + 25 Hack Keys ($24.99 USD) Firewall Zero Hour – Syndicate Op Pass + 5 Hack Keys ($9.99 USD) Firewall Zero Hour – Syndicate Op Pass + 1 Hack Key ($5.99 USD) Firewall Zero Hour – 5 Hack Keys Pack ($4.99 USD) Firewall Zero Hour Digital Deluxe Edition and Deluxe Pack As a reminder, Firewall Zero Hour’s Deluxe Pack recently became available on the PlayStation store, released in conjunction with the Digital Deluxe Edition. Great as an add-on for those newer to the game, the Deluxe Pack features some of the most popular Contractors, skins, and face paints released for Firewall Zero Hour since launch! The Deluxe Pack ($19.99 USD) includes the following: Contractors: Jag, Nash, Node, Ruby, Lynx, Kane, Proxy Camo Skins: Banana, Bella, Dark Carbon, Fractal, Graffik, Lava, Snakeskin, Sunset Face Paints: Aztec, Clownface, Eagle, Fierce, Janus, Kiwi, Rotten Weapon Skins: Banana, Bella, Dark Carbon, Fractal, Graffik, Lava, Snakeskin, Sunset Well there you have it, Contractors! We can’t wait to get your feedback on this new season, Operation: Syndicate. It’s been truly awesome to see how Firewall Zero Hour has connected PS VR players from every corner of the globe. We’ve heard countless stories from our amazing fans — from people meeting their future spouses through the Firewall Zero Hour community, to fans who convince family members to get a PS4, PS VR, and a copy of the game, so the whole family can play together as a squad. It’s been a dream come true to see the Firewall Zero Hour community continue growing around the world, after almost 2 years since launch! Thanks to everyone for your continued support and sticking with us. We appreciate you! Let’s squad up and I’ll see you online, Contractors! Shabs * An internet connection is required for all modes of Firewall Zero Hour, including Single Player Training Mode. An active PS Plus membership is required for Multiplayer Training and Multiplayer Contract modes. **Firewall Zero Hour: Syndicate Op Pass required to unlock Luna, available for purchase at the PlayStation Store PlayStation®4 system, PlayStation®VR and PlayStation®Camera are required to experience VR functionality. View the full article

It’s about time for Crash Bandicoot – the orange spin-jumping and dancing marsupial – to return in a game that’s a true successor to his original trilogy, fittingly named Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, coming this fall to PlayStation 4. Yes, we’re fur real: Crash is back, and it’s about time that our hero returns in all his platforming glory to PlayStation. A look back in time In 1996, Sony Computer Entertainment – now Sony Interactive Entertainment – published Crash Bandicoot, and the rest is history: A fan favorite trilogy for the original PlayStation, the three platforming adventures featured Crash Bandicoot; a Doctor Neo Cortex experiment gone wrong. Marsupial mayhem ensued as Crash began an epic journey to save his girlfriend Tawna – and eventually the world – from the mind-controlling Cortex Vortex machine. This brash Bandicoot also faced friends and foes alike, including Neo Cortex, his mentor-in-a-mask Uka Uka, and their ally Doctor Nefarious Tropy, in his legendary platforming antics that have spanned the last 20+ years. On October 2, this saga continues where Crash Bandicoot: Warped left off: Neo Cortex and Dr. N. Tropy are now free from their penitentiary, and it’s up to Crash, Coco, and friends to go across time and space to stop these three from not only taking over the world, but the entire multiverse. Reborn and redrawn: Some real characters and amazing environments Developed by Toys for Bob, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time will keep the core of what a Crash Bandicoot experience is – an intense and zany 3D platforming game defined by a certain marsupial’s brash attitude. It all began with the development team dusting off the old consoles to play the original Crash Bandicoot classics, comparing them to the recent remasters, interacting with hardcore fans within the studio, and gaining insight from the Crash community at large. Along with keeping that nostalgic feel, Toys for Bob is also tailoring the game for past, present, and new Crash fans alike through a reimagined and updated art style, new gameplay mechanics, and the ability to switch between Modern and Retro modes (one mode tailored to those seeking that old school platforming vibe, while the other is a little more forgiving, but no less difficult to master). You can see this reflected in the game’s reveal trailer and screenshots. Visually, Toys for Bob is introducing a fresh take on Crash, his friends, his enemies, and the landscapes around them with a new art style. While staying true to the franchise’s zany spirit, expect to see new worlds, lush vistas, and an absurd variety of enemies and hazards in a style and visual fidelity fit for the modern gaming experience. Expect to see larger landscapes this time, too. There are points along your platforming paths that you can spot subsequent levels within the one you’re currently navigating. The environments are alive with a wacky and wonky sense of motion and energy everywhere you care to look. With such vibrancy on display, expect a whole new set of platforming tricks like wall running, rail grinding, and rope swinging to help you visit every nook, cranny, and secret spot. The result is a love letter to Crash fans by Crash fans at developer Toys for Bob. Keeping your head in the game: Quantum Masks Crash and Coco are still jumping, spinning, and wumping around as they are known for, but don’t think they’ve sat around for the past two decades with nary a new trick up their (lack of) sleeves! New to Crash Bandicoot 4 are the Quantum Masks: four powerful guardians of space and time that give our heroes the power to bend the rules of reality and conquer dangerous obstacles in exciting new ways. Out of these four masks, two are fully introduced within the launch trailer, but you may remember one from PlayStation’s It’s Time to Play video. Yes, the one back in November 2019. Remember the mysterious mask above Coco during that kart racing scene? That was Kupuna-Wa (the Time Mask), who slows down time to allow for even more precise movements. The other mask featured in the launch trailer – Ika Ika (the Gravity Mask) – will let Crash and Coco platform upside down despite the regular laws of physics! Developer Toys for Bob are set to sprinkle these (and two additional floating face friends) along the course of dozens of levels. This results in a variety of new powers and abilities for Crash, allowing for a wider variety of challenges and difficulties as the game progresses. Pre-orders live now – Totally Tubular Skins! Purchasing the game digitally at PS Store will grant you the Totally Tubular Skins (available at launch), which puts Crash and Coco into some digs that show off their radical roots. Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time will be available for the suggested retail price in the U.S. of $59.99 on October 2, 2020. View the full article

My name is Naoki Hamaguchi, and I worked as Co-Director of Final Fantasy VII Remake. I wanted to share a behind-the-scenes look at what I think is one of the coolest parts of the game — the Summons. For newcomers, Summons are powerful creatures that can be brought into battle to help you take down even the most challenging foes. They’re an important part of the Final Fantasy series, but for Final Fantasy VII Remake we approached them in an entirely new way. In the new game, these visually spectacular allies fight directly alongside you — provided you’ve earned them of course. Read on and I’ll explain how we came up with this new system, and some of the challenges we faced along the way. The big idea behind Summons The central concept for the Summons in Final Fantasy VII Remake is collaboration in battle. In previous Final Fantasy games, including the original Final Fantasy VII, when you activated a Summon, it would launch its big attack and then leave. For this game, we knew we wanted them to fight with you. Our idea was to build a system in which the summon would stick around and help you for longer in battle — and even let you control them to an extent. Of course, coming up with an idea and making it happen are two very different things! Building the Summon system We originally tried a new mechanic where each Summon has a personal ATB bar — when the bar filled up, you would be able to give it a command, just as you can for the rest of the characters you control. And that was the problem. While it achieved the goal of ‘collaboration in battle,’ it made the Summon feel like just another member of the party. It didn’t change the feel of battles in a meaningful way, and lacked the special feeling you want from summoning something strange and powerful. So we scrapped that system and tried a new approach. This time, players had to consume their own ATB to cast a Summon’s special attacks. This still gave a strong sense of fighting together, but it crucially also felt like something different and special. That was when we finally knew we had got it right. We also implemented another change — you can only Summon during a limited window. The reason we did this is because we wanted to create meaningful moments during battle. If the player could bring a Summon in at any time, it would just become a part of their usual range of tactics, but by limiting the availability to certain time slots, it becomes much more memorable. It’s an event. By having no MP consumption to call a summon, as well as limiting the summoning conditions, I feel that we eventually managed to establish a good balance in the battle system overall. Designing the Summons With the system in place, we had to make sure that the Summons looked as good as possible. These are unbelievably powerful, elemental forces so it was vital that their appearance reflect that. What’s more, six of the Summons that appear in Final Fantasy VII Remake were taken from the original game, so what we came up with needed to retain the same essence as those designs. We quickly realised that recreating them exactly as they were in the original wouldn’t have been good enough for today’s graphical standards. I feel that these magnificent, supernatural and majestic beings would have looked quite weak. So as you can imagine, we spent a lot of time re-working the ideas from the original game. To demonstrate what I mean, here’s a look at some of the designs for Bahamut. As you can see, we thought long and hard about both how Summons and their special attacks should look. This version of Bahamut didn’t make the final cut, but it does give you an idea of how much iteration each Summon went through during development! The final designs — and the one that got away Our ultimate approach was to keep the original silhouettes but added a lot more detail to them. For example, Ifrit is a fire summon, so we expressed his ferocious brutality through cracks in burning lava and black volcanic rock formations. For Shiva, we changed the original color tones to be cooler and made her look colder by adding a lot of metallic accessories. In addition, to depict all the summons as these transcendent, supernatural beings in Final Fantasy VII Remake we used lots of glowing particle and other effects to really capture their unique essence. I’m happy with the final designs – although I do have one minor regret. We actually originally wanted to include Ramuh as a Summon — fans of the original game will remember him fondly! Unfortunately, we had to give up on the idea for two reasons. Firstly, we thought there would be fans who would like to use Leviathan in Mako Reactor 1 like you could in the demo for the original game. Secondly, we also thought that fans would be disappointed if they could not see Bahamut in a Final Fantasy game — I know I would be! So unfortunately, Ramuh doesn’t appear in the game – but he’ll definitely be in the running next time we make a decision on what Summons to use! How we made Summons feel rewarding As well as feeling special and looking good, there was another element we had to consider too. Summons have a role beyond simply helping in battle. In both Final Fantasy VII Remake (and most of the other games in the Final Fantasy series) they’re a reward for the player. The original Final Fantasy VII featured multiple Summons, many of which were earned by exploring carefully, or completing difficult side quests or battles. In the remake we wanted players to feel an even greater sense of achievement when they got some of them. To do this, we set a clear rule very early in development — you can only obtain a new summon materia if you can defeat that monster in battle. Why VR battles? Once we had made the decision, we faced a new challenge — how do we actually present players with these encounters? It wouldn’t make sense for Cloud to simply run into them. After all, in the lore of Final Fantasy VII, these fearsome creatures are the embodiment of ancient knowledge condensed in materia — they’re not exactly wandering free in Midgar! That’s when we hit on the idea of VR battles. The concept already had precedent within the Final Fantasy VII universe — it was supposed to be used for training SOLDIER operatives in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (a prequel to the original game released in 2007 for PlayStation Portable). We saw an opportunity to pay tribute to that in the new game. We thought that by analysing the knowledge contained with materia, Shinra’s researchers would be able to recreate the summons in a virtual environment. Then, by entering VR Cloud and the rest of the party could face off against these foes in a really fun, exciting way. Of course, when you solve one challenge, another one inevitably rears its head! Now we had to find a way to actually deliver these challenges to the player. If the Shinra Building was the only place where a player could use VR, that would have meant you wouldn’t get any summon materia for most of the game! The solution lay with the character of Chadley. Creating the portable battle simulator Chadley is a character you meet in various locations in the game. He’s a researcher for Shinra’s science division, though he has no love for the company he works for. If Cloud’s group helps him with his research, he’ll aid them in their struggles with new, powerful materia. Considering his connection to Shinra, it would make sense that he would have access to its technology. Giving him a portable headset style battle simulator meant that we could provide access to the summon battles at various points in the game, in a way that makes sense within the setting of the game. To tell you the truth, we got the inspiration for the portable battle simulator from PS VR! We even used an image of the PS VR headset as a reference when creating the design for the headset! I hope you found that look into the Summons of Final Fantasy VII Remake interesting. I’m personally very pleased with how the system turned out. All of us on the development team put a lot of passion and effort into this aspect of the game, and I hope you enjoy using it. Final Fantasy VII Remake is out now on PS4. View the full article

PlayStation · Official PlayStation Podcast Episode 368: Great Storytelling Email us at blogcast@sony.com! Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google or RSS, or download here Despite the PS5 showcase taking place over a week ago, there were so many reveals crammed in there that we’re still thinking about them today. This week’s show runs through that incredible lineup, looks ahead to next week’s new releases, and then spends some time with Marcus Lehto, creative director on Disintegration. We also praise The Last of Us: Part II’s arresting storytelling, and how it differs from ambient and environmentally led titles like Demon’s Souls. Stuff We Talked About Star Wars: Episode I Racer The Last of Us: Part II The PS5 showcase Demon’s Souls Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Disintegration 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.] View the full article