Commander Fury

Amazing news, everyone: the awesome throwback adventure A Knight’s Quest is out today on PlayStation 4! Taking inspiration from a whole host of classic adventure titles, A Knight’s Quest is a perfect blend of old-school puzzling and modern-day visuals. Players fill the shiny metal boots of Rusty, a fresh-faced new knight who manages to start a cataclysmic event that threatens to destroy the world as he knows it. Nice job, Rusty. With the spirit powers of wind, fire, and ice behind him, he’ll explore a world packed full of wonderful new locations in the hopes of fixing his big mistake. The medieval realm of Regalia will be Rusty’s first port of call, a bustling harbor town packed with impressive ships, towering stone buildings and plenty of nosy townsfolk. Away from the busy town centre, the fringes of Regalia have their own threat: a swampland infested with possessed skeletons and slime-riddled creatures kept in check by the local rainforest tribe. Zameris is another local hotspot, a desert town inspired by the desolate lands of classic Disney films like Aladdin. Zameris is the perfect place for a spot of shopping, its bazaar filled with useful items to purchase from the local rock men. Built on shifting sands, players will have to quickly move from spot to spot or risk sinking to their doom. Make sure you pay your respects to the local soldiers keeping careful guard of the populace. If you can’t stand the heat, then the cooler climates of Peaky Peaks sound like your best bet. Inspired by classic Japanese culture, its snow-covered mountains are always an icy threat. Make sure you swing by the town’s very own nightclub run by the ice bros, some of the coolest locals you’ll meet on your travels. And wrap up warm, as Rusty can get chilly fast. These are just a handful of the varied and colorful locations players can explore in A Knight’s Quest, and we can’t wait to see what you can find hidden in their nooks and crannies. The team has put countless hours of playtime the game here at the Curve offices. With its sly sense of humor and beautiful 3D locations, it’s a real love letter to some of the greatest adventure games of all time — with all the bells and whistles of a modern PS4 title. Rusty might not be your typical knight, but he can still stand tall with the best of them. A Knight’s Quest is out today on PS4 at PlayStation Store for $24.99. View the full article

Today marks the release of Spirit Hunter: NG, the spiritual sequel to last year’s Spirit Hunter: Death Mark. Take a look behind the scenes of the terrifying new visual novel adventure in our exclusive Q&A with Experience CEO Hajime Chikami. What are the major differences between Spirit Hunter: Death Mark and Spirit Hunter: NG? Hajime Chikami: While the characters in Spirit Hunter: Death Mark get suddenly thrown into this out-of-the-ordinary situation where their lives are at stake, in Spirit Hunter: NG the situation is introduced gradually and slowly worsens. The protagonist is completely different as well; while the main character in Spirit Hunter: Death Mark is a middle-aged amnesiac, the one from Spirit Hunter: NG is a hot-blooded high school student, who is more likely to act impulsively and take drastic actions to achieve his goals. What was the inspiration for the Spirit Hunter series? HC: There didn’t seem to be very many horror games available in the market to begin with, and most of the ones out there seemed to be more action-based games. I thought there could be more games focused on the “J-horror” elements that are more up my alley. How do you go about creating the right atmosphere in an interactive game? HC: In order to choose the right designer and really get the mood of the game correct, we looked at tens of thousands of pieces of concept art, as that’s one of the elements really central in determining the overall feeling of the game. Then we play through each chapter over and over again to see if it matches our vision. If the chapter seems different from what we had in mind, we re-make it from scratch. Are there elements unique to Japanese horror traditions that Western audiences can look for in the Spirit Hunter games? HC: When battling, players aren’t going to be able to use physical means, like guns or other more traditional horror game weapons, to attack their enemies. The only way to handle them is to help them overcome whatever it is preventing them from moving on, rather than physically harming them. And these spirits are quite malicious and insidious in general, so that can prove to be a real challenge. Who do you think is the scariest spirit in the Spirit Hunter series? HC: It might be the “Screaming Author” spirit, appearance-wise. But to me, what’s scarier than the literal spirits themselves would be all of the paranormal activities you experience in your own apartment. What are your favorite games? HC: It’s from a couple years back, but I’d say my favorite recent game would be Kemco’s Rei-Jin-G-Lu-P. Lastly, do you have any final pieces of advice for people playing the Spirit Hunter series? HC: Since the death scenes are one of the things we put a great deal of effort to, it might be fun to complete each chapter by “destroying” the spirits to see what happens. If you’re not a fan of sudden surprises, I’d definitely suggest you turn off Scary Effects Mode! And if you’ve played Spirit Hunter: Death Mark already, you might want to try going for the bad ending… there’ll be a surprise waiting for you. View the full article

We are edging closer to the abyss, as Moons of Madness is due to launch on PlayStation 4 on January 21. The cosmic horror game combines Lovecraftian themes with Mars exploration and has already been labeled by IGN as “one of the scariest looking games we’ve ever seen.” You play as Shane Newehart, engineer on a research facility built by The Orochi Group on Mars. After awakening from a disconcerting dream, you go about your daily routines, mostly trying to correct all the many things that tend to go awry on a base 140 million miles away from the nearest convenience store. As your day progresses, however, several things start going wrong and your dream starts to seem more and more like a premonition of the nightmare that lies ahead. You’re going to have to figure out what’s going on, as you delve deeper and deeper into a world of horror, conspiracy, betrayal and delusion. But most importantly, you’ll have to figure out a way to survive. The Norwegian game development studio Rock Pocket Games has created a game in which you’ll find yourself face-to-face with weird and indescribable beings that you couldn’t hope to fight off by any conventional means. Instead you will have to rely on your problem-solving skills, your calm and your ability to run and hide. While jump scares are central to almost any kind of horror game, Moons of Madness is more about the ever-present sense of dread. RUN While he may not have stated his intentions yet, as a rule of thumb you’ll want to avoid ominous creatures with tentacles. SEARCH The red wastelands of Mars contain many secrets, discoverable for those brave enough to investigate. SOLVE A game within a game, within a dream within a dream… UNRAVEL Ignorance may be bliss, but wouldn’t you like to know who made this charming looking shrine anyway… Moons of Madness is due to release on PS4 January 21, 2020. View the full article

Greetings everyone! It’s your old pal Sam Marshall, Composer of the music of Concrete Genie. With Concrete Genie recently releasing on PlayStation 4, I’d like to share a few fun facts about the music in this wonderful game. The Musical Themes In the early days of the project, I went through a concept music phase much like the artists and designers on the Pixelopus team. After a lot of experimentation and some great discussions with the creative leads at Pixelopus, I decided to identify 3 narrative and emotional themes that I wanted to represent with the music. Childhood, Maturity and MAGIC! I then assigned each theme a specific musical instrument and used this palette to create the entire soundtrack. Childhood – The Joy of Creativity Flute I thought to myself, what’s the most youthful instrument I can think of? The flute! It just screams childhood. It’s playful and fun but also very delicate and emotional. When you listen to the soundtrack see if you can notice how the flute’s role shifts throughout. At times, the flute is bright and joyful while other parts it cries out from the abyss to emote the feeling of Ash being forced to make some very important decisions. Maturity – Struggle – Doing the Right Thing Cello The cello is an extremely mature instrument. It has a wide emotional range. It can be hopeful, sad, scary and heroic all in a single melody. The cello is the grounding emotional force of Concrete Genie and connects all of the deep emotional moments throughout the game. You might hear the same cello melody and have it ignite very different feelings in the soundtrack. MAGIC! – The Living Paint / Nostalgia Analog Synths Our game is influenced by classic, coming-of-age 80s movies. Using analog synths was a great way to nod to these classic influences without getting toooo 80s. The warm analog synths turned out to be a great contrast to the very worldly sounds (and emotional themes) of the flute and cello. Just like the magic in our story, it is the glue that binds the whole experience together. Brush Chimes One last thing I want to mention is something we call The Brush Chimes. In the same way that we want everyone to feel like an artist, we also wanted to give the player the power to play music! All of our brush designs have unique musical instruments that play while you paint! The Brush Chimes will play nicely with the game’s main music as well — they’ll always play in the right key and in time with the score. They range from soft and pretty to weird and whacky! Be sure to try them all. Were you able to notice the relationship between the instruments? We’d love to hear your thoughts below in the comments! I hope you have a blast with Concrete Genie! You’ll definitely want to check out the Digital Deluxe version of Concrete Genie as it includes a digital soundtrack application and the amazing digital art book. View the full article

Naughty Dog recently let a group of fortunate players go hands on with The Last of Us Part II. During the hours-long session we got to know Ellie’s more mature, vulnerable side, as well as her capacity for brutality. The dizzying highs of the sequel’s stunning visuals and captivating storytelling are matched by the guttural impact of its intentionally disquieting violence. The appeal of The Last of Us Part II is more than a list of exciting new gameplay features, visual enhancements, and continued storylines. Neil Druckmann, Director of The Last of Us Part II, sheds light on the ambitious sequel in an insightful interview. First Ideas When did The Last of Us Part II’s story come into focus? Druckmann chuckles at this question. He recalls a meal shared with the masterful actress behind Ellie, back in 2013. “I met with Ashley Johnson and I pitched her the idea for Left Behind,” says Druckmann. “And I told her I had something else I was working on and I pitched her that idea. So she’s there in the restaurant crying, and I’m thinking ‘I hope people don’t think I’m doing something horrible.’ But that’s the first time I remember having some strong idea.” As early as 2013, Druckmann had the basic beginning, middle, and end of the story in mind. That ending would ultimately change during the course of development. “That’s how it starts. It’s a kernel of an idea. Then you bring more people in and it becomes a shared vision,” Druckmann says. “Video games are this collaborative medium and we all march towards this focused idea.” The Evolution of Ellie The series’ canvas shoe-wearing protagonist has changed a lot since her cross-country journey with Joel. “I think she’s really come into her own,” Druckmann says. “In the first game she’s trying to find someone to rely on,” Druckmann says. “She tells Joel that ‘everyone I’ve ever known has died or left me, everyone except for you.’ She kind of latches onto Joel.” Ellie and Joel’s relationship is strained at the beginning of The Last of Us Part II. Her new life in Jackson, Wyoming affords her a chance to make new connections with the survivors living there. And she’s grown especially close to one fellow resident. “Dina becomes this best friend she’s now had for years,” Druckmann says. “They flirt with each other, but Ellie doesn’t quite know where this girl stands. We see that Dina feels very similarly to Ellie.” Ultimately, Ellie’s relatively comfortable, “normal” life in this post-pandemic world isn’t destined to last. Druckmann alludes to a terrible incident that ignites Ellie on a deadly quest for revenge. “Ellie wants to make it right by bringing the people responsible to justice, even if she has to go at it alone,” Druckmann says. A New Infected Emerges Many sequels come with the thrill of facing new challenges. But Naughty Dog doesn’t want to throw in new infected types for the sake of it. The studio has carefully thought out how the new Shambler – a grotesque mutation bursting with hazardous vapor – fits into the world’s lore. “In the first game, there is all this documentation about the different stages [of the infection],” Druckmann says. “Now we have to justify why there are different stages. Why are there mutations of these things? Without getting into it here, there is something about the environment and how much time has passed that has allowed these mutations to occur.” Shamblers do more than enrich the world of The Last of Us — they also thrust players into tense new combat encounters. “We have Runners that close the distance quickly,” says Druckman. “We have Clickers that move slowly but are one-hit kills. Shamblers provide this area of attack, where they have this cloud of gaseous acid that burns materials around it. It burns your skin. The way you saw it in this demo is that they’re mostly on their own. It gets really interesting because you have a cloud that hurts you when you enter it, but it also blocks your view, then Runners burst through it. So the combinations get really interesting.” Expanding the Grounded Gameplay Experience Creating a grounded experience is a pillar of Naughty Dog’s vision. For this game, the team seeks to retain that principle while also expanding Ellie’s gameplay options with a wider variety of weapon customization, abilities, and mobility. “We’re after a grounded experience, but that doesn’t mean reality one-to-one,” Druckmann says. “First of all, you don’t have all the inputs you’d have in real life. Your inputs are limited to a controller. So with that, how do we create systems and an aesthetic that feels grounded? So Ellie couldn’t kill as many people as she does in the demo in real life, but we need that number to create the tension. The tension is more important than a realistic body count.” “And likewise with the system, if you had these weapons your life and death would rely on them,” Druckmann continues. “You would clean them, you would tend to them. So we created systems and aesthetic – we really zoom the camera in and show you the weapon and how she works them to improve them – to make you feel the connection she has to these instruments of death, in a way. What it means to survive in this world.” In addition to challenging players’ skills, Naughty Dog is also adding new gameplay mechanics with the goal of eliciting an emotional response from players. For the first time in the series, Ellie will face animal threats. “Dogs are a way to evolve human enemies to give them a new sense to sniff you out – no pun intended,” Druckmann says. “They can rely on the sense of smell and as Ellie moves around she leaves behind this [scent] trail that fades over time, but if the dog picks up the trailer he can find you wherever you’re hiding in a way that a human on their own can’t. But there is something when you kill a dog that makes you feel worse than when you kill a human.” Believable Human Enemies Fighting guard dogs is just one example of how Naughty Dog is making technical strides to create a more authentic and grim action game. The attention to detail in connecting players’ emotions with their in-game actions extends to human enemies. “We want to treat violence as realistically as we can in an action game,” Druckmann says. “One example is that every human enemy in the game features a unique name, such as Omar, or Joe. For Naughty Dog, implementing this was a nontrivial task. “[This was] a big effort that required not only new tech, but a lot of recording investment …. The way they communicate is much more sophisticated.. We do that in order to make you feel it’s not just like an NPC or braindead obstacle.” If you take out an enemy, their friends may scream their comrade’s name in grief. Overcome by emotion, enemies may also become enraged and unpredictable in combat. It all blends together to create a brutal, yet believable experience. “Your thoughts are provoked in really interesting ways in the way some of the best stories are done.” says Druckmann says. “That’s what we’re striving for.” Choosing When to Fight Naughty Dog wants players to feel the consequences of Ellie’s actions more deeply, so it’s natural that some may wish to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. The team is accounting for that. “We wanted to have whole sequences that you can be spotted, engage in some combat, and escape without clearing the area,” Druckmann says. “Likewise, we wanted to have way more sequences where you could ghost completely. It’s very challenging and very hard, but it’s possible to leave areas. Then there are certain situations where we want you engaged, we want you to partake in certain actions that are going to make you uncomfortable. But that’s part of the narrative,that’s part of Ellie’s journey.” However, avoiding bloody combat encounters doesn’t mean you’ll totally miss out on interesting areas to explore. “As you saw with Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy, we’re experimenting with much larger layouts,” Druckmann says. “We’re going to do that with this game, and find ways to use that to mirror the story. When we want tension to drop, and we want you to think ‘What do I do next? What do I want to explore here?’ We have that.” Fearsome Fidelity The Last of Us was a high watermark for PS3’s technical capabilities, which makes returning to this world with the power of PS4 even more enticing. “Just as with The Last of Us, we were hitting the limits of memory, of computational power, how many enemies we could have on screen, and the size of levels,” says Druckmann. “Now we’re able to have much wider environments, sequences with a horde of infected, several squads of enemies looking for you in big spaces.” “Likewise, Ellie has this whole new animation system called motion mapping. Not just Ellie, all the characters. It makes movement more responsive, but also more realistic at the same time. So I think Ellie is one of the best controlling and looking third-person action characters out there. “The fidelity we can get in the faces and the motion capture — we can better translate what the actors are doing on stage into the game, and get these nuances so we can rely more on the way someone blinks or the way they squint instead of lines of dialogue. It allows the writing to be much more nuanced than it’s been before.” A Message for PlayStation Fans Gamers around the world are dying to get our hands on The Last of Us Part II. Where is Naughty Dog’s head? “We’ve been on this journey for a few years now making this game,” Druckmann says. “We know we’ve been quiet, and we know how engaged our fans are and the PlayStation community is behind us. They inspire us in ways they’re probably not even aware of.” “We’re on the home stretch and we’re so excited to finish this game. We’ve been very protective about what we’re showing, and even though people here are playing the demo and we’ve put out a story trailer, we’ve been very mindful not to spoil the story and what makes the story special, and what twists and turns are in store them. We just can’t wait for them to play it.” The Last of Us Part II launches on PS4 February 21, 2020. View the full article

Special Ops marks the return of one of the series’ most-beloved game modes. In Modern Warfare, the cooperative-focused mode is reimagined as a collection of expansive, interconnected Operations against a new threat stemming from the Eastern Hemisphere. In Special Ops, players will assemble into strike teams of four to execute multi-phased objectives, which together will advance the overarching story of Modern Warfare. Here’s a quick tour of what Special Ops has to offer: Operations Special Ops includes different experiences that take place on a wide variety of maps. The largest and most involved multi-stage experiences are called Operations. These four-player, matchmaking-supported activities unfold around the city of Verdansk, and pit players with destroying the logistics of the Al-Qatala army. There are plenty of ways to play. In some Operations a stealthy approach may be prudent, but hopping into a tank, helicopter, or ATV opens up tactical options. The choice will always be yours, but the enemy will respond to your tactics, meaning the outcome of any battle can change. In Operations, you’ll be able to carry over all the Operators, Loadouts, and Progress made in Multiplayer. Special Ops at launch will include four multi-stage Operations, with more scheduled to release post-launch. Missions Missions serve as a focused complement to the more complex Operations, and you can play solo or with up to four players. Missions will test your proficiency with specific weapons, killstreaks, and other tools, and are designed to be extremely replayable. In Missions you’re able to achieve a 1, 2, or 3-star ranking based on your performance. Survival Mode Unrelated to the Special Ops Operations and Missions is an additional wave-based horde mode known as Special Ops Survival. This is an exclusive,* additional cooperative mode for PS4 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare players that pits you and up to three of your friends against enemy forces in intense cooperative combat on one of three Multiplayer maps. In Special Ops Survival Mode, you will fight off waves of increasingly difficult and determined combatants in a variety of experiences. Special Ops Survival Mode is exclusive to PS4 until Oct. 1, 2020. Completing Special Ops content will unlock rewards including new items and equipment that can be utilized in both Multiplayer and Special Ops Modes. Assemble your squad and report in on October 25th. We’ll see you there, soldier. *Play Special Ops Survival Mode First on PS4. Timed Exclusive content until Oct. 1, 2020. View the full article

Welcome back! NBA 2K20, Borderlands 3, and FIFA 20 topped last month’s PS4 charts, but our old pals Minecraft, Madden, and Final Fantasy VIII Remastered had great months, too. Note: Monster Hunter World: Iceborne landed in the DLC / Expansions chart, but we crunched the numbers and found that it would have taken the #4 spot if it had been included in the PS4 list. Meanwhile, Beat Saber and Superhot VR topped the PS VR list, while Fortnite and Apex Legends took spots 1 and 2 in the Free to Play realm. As always, hit the full charts below, and let us know what you think October’s lists will look like in the comments. PS4 Games 1 NBA 2K20 2 Borderlands 3 3 EA Sports FIFA 20 4 Minecraft: PlayStation 4 Edition 5 Madden NFL 20 6 Final Fantasy VIII Remastered 7 EA Sports NHL 20 8 Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege 9 Grand Theft Auto V 10 EA Sports UFC 3 11 eFootball PES 2020 12 GreedFall 13 Code Vein 14 Red Dead Redemption 2 15 Castle Crashers Remastered 16 The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan 17 Star Wars Battlefront II 18 Remnant: From the Ashes 19 Marvel’s Spider-Man 20 Wreckfest PS VR Games 1 Beat Saber 2 Superhot VR 3 Job Simulator 4 Blood & Truth 5 Five Nights at Freddy’s VR: Help Wanted 6 Vacation Simulator 7 L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files 8 Creed: Rise to Glory 9 Drunkn Bar Fight 10 Just In Time Incorporated Free-to-Play Games 1 Fortnite 2 Apex Legends 3 Brawlhalla 4 Dauntless 5 Warframe 6 Don’t Even Think 7 Genesis 8 Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 Lite 9 Paladins 10 DC Universe Online Free-to-Play DLC and Expansions 1 Fortnite: Battle Royale – The Red Strike Pack 2 Fortnite – Batman Caped Crusader Pack 3 Fortnite – Dark Reflections Pack 4 Monster Hunter World: Iceborne 5 Fortnite – P-1000’s Challenge Pack 6 Dead by Daylight: Stranger Things Chapter 7 Batman: Arkham Knight Batman Beyond Skin 8 Dragon Ball FighterZ – Gogeta (SSGSS) 9 Batman: Arkham Knight Season Pass 10 Marvel’s Spider-Man: The City That Never Sleeps View the full article

Hello travelers, incoming transmission from the team at Mobius Digital! When we initially set out to make Outer Wilds, our goal was to design a game where the player could explore vast and terrifying systems without being led around by quest markers. We drop the player into a world that doesn’t revolve around them; it is a solar system that doesn’t care if the player is there or not. The vast array of bodies surrounding the sun will orbit and change over time, and it is up to the player to decide when, where, and why they want to explore the mysteries hidden within each planet, moon, and space station. As the player explores, they must learn to safely navigate the dangers of space. One of the initial inspirations for Outer Wilds was the realistic space exploration seen in films like Apollo 13 or 2001: A Space Odyssey. In space, there is no friction, oxygen and fuel are limited, and alien planets are home to deadly and unforeseen hazards. Outer Wilds presents all these challenges to players via a real-time physics simulation of the solar system. This system gives rise to unpredictable events which can add danger to a seemingly calm expedition into ancient ruins. Players must use their jetpack, ship, retrievable scout, translator, signal scope, and, above all, their own knowledge to navigate the dangers of the solar system. Because the player carries knowledge between loops, uncovering new information can sometimes require deadly one-way journeys that inspire existential dread in players. Each environment is handcrafted to fit the design of its unique narrative and game systems. The 22-minute time loop allows each location in the game to change dramatically and irrevocably as time progresses, allowing players to explore worlds undergoing various cataclysmic events. Brittle Hollow crumbles into fragments that collapse into its core, while the Hourglass Twins transfer an ocean of sand from the desiccated ruins of one planet to drown a complex network of caves in the other. Although these planets are smaller than those in our real universe, they are dense with story and secrets, every location put carefully to use. As the player uncovers secrets, they unravel the game’s narrative: a web of interconnected mysteries. Every piece of written information in the game is useful in some way – there is no lore that only fleshes out an unimportant backstory. Progression through the world of Outer Wilds is only limited by the player’s knowledge, so we recommend waiting to watch others play through the game until after you’ve played it yourself. We’ve spent over five years creating and refining Outer Wilds and we’re very excited to bring it to PlayStation players everywhere on October 15. Suit up and get your marshmallows ready, because space is dark and full of horrors. View the full article

I first met Izzy, Summer, Lucia and Avalon at the inaugural Girls Make Games San Francisco camp in 2015. They were members of the notorious “Team Who Must Not Be Named” (TWMNBN), working on a charming and gruesome murder mystery game entitled “Interfectorem,” which launches at PlayStation Store today. The photo above shows our 2015 Demo Day Finalists, with Izzy, Lucia, and Avalon in the center. When TWMNBN made it to the Demo Day competition (no surprise there), their pitch blew the judges and the audience away. In just three weeks this brilliant team of middle schoolers had learned pair programming (none of them knew how to code before camp), co-written a script, and even mastered the art of negotiating which game elements would make it to the final game. Today’s launch is a huge deal, not just for TWMNBN, who fulfilled their lifelong dream to publish a console game, but also for Girls Make Games — it’s our first console title! I had the chance to speak with Izzy Penston, co-creator of Interfectorem, about the origins behind this creepy title and where the idea spawned from. Interview with Izzy Penston, Co-creator of Interfectorem What is Interfectorem? Izzy: Interfectorem, which means “killer” in Latin, is a video game that I, along with three other girls, Avalon Brevik, Lucia Plymale, and Summer Benn, made a demo for while at a Girls Make Games summer camp. The demo qualified for “Demo Day” (where a winning game is chosen to be fully developed and released) in 2015, and ended up winning! The game follows Alis, a teenage sheriff-in-training, as she investigates her younger sister’s murder. Huge shoutout to GMG for letting me run with that idea and for supporting a game with a couple of murders, and, of course, allowing a lot of blood and gore. Where did Interfectorem come from? Where did you get the idea? Izzy: I wish I could say it was due to my love for thrillers/horror, but I didn’t start enjoying that stuff until recently although I suspect I always was weirdly fascinated by it. I think the idea pretty much just came to me more or less fully formed on the second day of camp. Of course, we tweaked it a bit, but for the most part, it’s from that original idea. After winning GMG’s “Demo Day,” what has the journey been like to bring your game to life? Izzy: Myself and the team effectively became game directors. We wrote scripts for each act and then guided the Girls Make Games development team in order to bring our vision to life. It was an amazingly empowering experience and I’m so grateful to Girls Make Games that I got to create a story like this so young. Did the final game evolve from the original pitch and concept? Izzy: Yes, definitely. In the original game, the only characters were Alis, Sali, the Nymph, Dr. Medicus, Silana, and Isal. Many other characters were added to fill archetypes. Isaiah was added to be Alis’ loyal best friend in addition to a bit of common sense (that often ends up coming off as neuroticism) along with his lovable animal companion Mochi. Ash is Alis’ love interest in addition to having valuable information. The story also changed a bit, but I don’t want to spoil it. What has being a part of something like Girls Make Games meant for you? Izzy: When I first heard about the GMG camp I just thought it would be a fun thing to do over the summer but it changed my life in a really awesome way. Before Girls Make Games, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with my life. I had some ideas but none of them really clicked. I knew I liked video games and writing but I didn’t really believe that something so fun can be a real career. So going to camp was really cool for multiple reasons. You probably can’t tell, but I am in a wheelchair, and it was really great just to go to camp because I am not able to go to other camps. When you are sitting at a computer it really doesn’t matter if you can walk or not which was very very cool to me. My experience with GMG has given me the confidence to pursue other writing and video game projects. I am currently writing a horror podcast as well as working on a novel and a bunch of short video game ideas such as an RPG. I’m also going to community college majoring in film, and I am really excited to see where all of my projects go and what my future holds. Everything that Izzy said is why we started Girls Make Games. We want to create a place where girls are given the chance to freely explore the stories they want to tell and to provide them with the tools and the opportunity to do so. With today’s launch of Interfectorem, I’m so proud of Izzy, Summer, Lucia, and Avalon, and can’t wait to see where their paths lead. I hope that more young women, like TWMNBN, realize that they belong and have a home in the gaming world. I hope you’ll love playing Interfectorem as much as TWMNBN loved creating it. View the full article

With PlayStation VR’s third anniversary coming up this October 13, we are excited to celebrate the milestone with some PlayStation VR news, a breakdown of our top 10 most popular titles in North America, and a very special PS VR Anniversary Sale! First, we are pleased to be working with a number of games studios to bring you some exciting details for a few of our upcoming PS VR titles. These include: Bonfire Launching October 22, 2019 with an Exclusive Launch Week Discount In Bonfire, players can look forward to becoming the star of an absurd alien adventure with famed comedian and actress Ali Wong. After crashing your spaceship in an alien jungle with a wary robot sidekick, it is up to you to navigate an immersive world and animated movie-like space survival story of trust and friendship where every decision matters. Audica Launching November 5, 2019 Audica is a new and colorful VR Rhythm Shooter from Harmonix, the makers of Rock Band and Amplitude. Armed with a pair of rhythm blasters, players can shoot and smash targets to the beat of an amazing soundtrack as they battle for the top spot on Audica’s leaderboards. Paper Beast Launching early 2020, with an Exclusive New Creature Reveal Paper Beast is a playful exploration game born from the dust of big data where players can undertake a virtual journey of discovery through a colourful and interactive ecosystem filled with puzzles. Meet unique wildlife such as the BernardShell, and help them to navigate across various environments such as rivers filled with slippery obsidian rocks from water erosion. Pixel Ripped 1995 Launching Spring 2020 Pixel Ripped is back with a brand new nostalgia-fueled virtual reality game-within-a-game, this time in 1995! To save multiple dimensions, our hero Dot recruits the help of David, the best gamer from 1995. Face challenging throwbacks to all your favorite 16-bit and 32-bit classics while surviving the struggles of a typical nine-year-old. The Room VR: A Dark Matter Launching Spring 2020 In The Room VR: A Dark Matter players can enjoy a spine-tingling world designed from the ground up for the unique capabilities of virtual reality. Explore cryptic locations, examine fantastic gadgets and discover an otherworldly element that blurs the line between reality and illusion in this new chapter to the award-winning game series, The Room. Lastly, this October 8 through 22, players in the US can expand their PS VR portfolio with a special anniversary sale, where exciting titles such as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR, SUPERHOT VR, Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot, Batman: Arkham VR, Doom VFR, and Creed: Rise to Glory, and more, will be up to 70% off! For a full breakdown of games, please see below – and then be sure to visit PlayStation Store starting tomorrow! PS4 Games Title $Sale $Original ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN $29.99 $59.99 ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN DELUXE EDITION $50.99 $84.99 ALONG TOGETHER $5.99 $14.99 APOCALYPSE RIDER $2.49 $4.99 APOLLO 11 VR $5.99 $11.99 BLASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE $5.99 $14.99 BORDERLANDS 2 VR $24.99 $49.99 BOXVR $20.99 $29.99 BRAVO TEAM $9.99 $19.99 CARNIVAL GAMES VR $4.99 $19.99 CARNIVAL GAMES VR : ALLEY ADVENTURE $3.99 $7.99 CASTLESTORM VR EDITION $5.99 $14.99 CATLATERAL DAMAGE $2.49 $9.99 CREED: RISE TO GLORY $14.99 $29.99 DETACHED $9.99 $24.99 DICK WILDE $5.99 $14.99 DICK WILDE 2 $9.99 $19.99 DOOM VFR $14.99 $29.99 DRIVECLUB VR $5.99 $14.99 DRONE STRIKER $4.99 $9.99 EAGLE FLIGHT $5.99 $19.99 ELECTRONAUTS $9.99 $19.99 EVASION $7.99 $19.99 FLOOR PLAN $2.99 $5.99 GUNS’N’STORIES: BULLETPROOF VR $9.99 $19.99 HATSUNE MIKU: VR FUTURE LIVE – 1ST STAGE $7.49 $14.99 HATSUNE MIKU: VR FUTURE LIVE – 2ND STAGE $7.49 $14.99 HATSUNE MIKU: VR FUTURE LIVE – 3RD STAGE $7.49 $14.99 HATSUNE MIKU: VR FUTURE LIVE SEASON PASS $19.99 $39.99 HYPER VOID COMPLETE $6.99 $9.99 I’M HUNGRY $11.89 $16.99 INFINITE MINIGOLF $7.49 $14.99 KILLING FLOOR: INCURSION $9.99 $19.99 MARS ALIVE $11.89 $16.99 MERVILS: A VR ADVENTURE $5.99 $19.99 MIND LABYRINTH VR DREAMS $9.99 $24.99 NBA 2KVR EXPERIENCE $3.74 $14.99 ONE PIECE GRAND CRUISE $4.99 $9.99 OUT OF AMMO $7.49 $14.99 PAPER DOLLS $11.89 $16.99 PERSONA 3: DANCING IN MOONLIGHT $29.99 $39.99 PERSONA 5: DANCING IN STARLIGHT $29.99 $39.99 PERSONA DANCING: ENDLESS NIGHT BUNDLE $44.99 $59.99 PINBALL FX2 VR $7.49 $14.99 PINBALL FX2 VR – UNIVERSAL CLASSICS PINBALL $9.99 $19.99 PINBALL FX2 VR: SEASON 1 PACK $12.49 $24.99 PLAYSTATION VR WORLDS $7.49 $14.99 RAW DATA VR (NA) $15.99 $39.99 RED MATTER $17.49 $24.99 RESIDENT EVIL 7 BIOHAZARD $14.99 $19.99 RESIDENT EVIL 7 BIOHAZARD GOLD EDITION $24.99 $49.99 SPACE JUNKIES $9.99 $19.99 SPRINT VECTOR $14.99 $29.99 STAR TREK BRIDGE CREW + TNG DLC BUNDLE $17.99 $44.99 STUNT KITE MASTERS $0.99 $9.99 SUPERHOT MIND IS SOFTWARE BUNDLE (BUNDLE) $19.99 $39.99 SUPERHOT VR $14.99 $24.99 TELEFRAG VR $17.49 $24.99 THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE 2 VR: UNDER PRESSURE $19.79 $29.99 THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM VR $21.59 $59.99 THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM VR $29.99 $59.99 THE IDOLMASTER CINDERELLA GIRLS VIEWING REVOLUTION $4.99 $19.99 THE RABBIT HOLE $2.49 $4.99 THE SOLUS PROJECT $9.99 $19.99 THESEUS VR $4.99 $9.99 TITANIC VR $9.99 $19.99 UNEARTHING MARS $4.49 $14.99 UNEARTHING MARS 2: THE ANCIENT WAR $9.99 $19.99 VIKING DAYS $2.49 $4.99 VIRRY VR $3.99 $9.99 VIRRY VR: WILD BUNDLE $9.99 $24.99 VIRRY VR: WILD ENCOUNTERS $7.99 $19.99 WEREWOLVES WITHIN $5.99 $19.99 WOLFENSTEIN: CYBERPILOT $9.99 $19.99 Keep an eye out for these new and exciting titles, in addition to upcoming games like Concrete Genie and Marvel’s Iron Man VR, as they join a quickly growing lineup of more than 500 games and experiences currently available on the PS VR platform. And if you haven’t already done so, be sure to check out the 10 most popular games* in the Americas as well, including: The Playroom VR PlayStation VR Worlds Until Dawn: Rush of Blood Resident Evil 7 biohazard The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR Beat Saber Job Simulator Batman: Arkham VR Superhot VR Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Jackal Assault VR Experience Are you looking forward to anything in particular? Where are you planning your next PS VR escape? Share your excitement with us in the comments below! *This list is based on the number of PSN accounts that played these games on PS VR. View the full article

Since we originally unveiled our next-generation console in April, we know that there’s been a lot of excitement and interest in hearing more about what the future of games will bring. Today I’m proud to share that our next-generation console will be called PlayStation 5, and we’ll be launching in time for Holiday 2020. These updates may not be a huge surprise, but we wanted to confirm them for our PlayStation fans, as we start to reveal additional details about our vision for the next generation. WIRED magazine covered these updates and more in a story that posted this morning. The “more” refers to something I’m quite excited about – a preview of the new controller that will ship with PlayStation 5. One of our goals with the next generation is to deepen the feeling of immersion when you play games, and we had the opportunity with our new controller to reimagine how the sense of touch can add to that immersion. To that end, there are two key innovations with the PlayStation 5’s new controller. First, we’re adopting haptic feedback to replace the “rumble” technology found in controllers since the 5th generation of consoles. With haptics, you truly feel a broader range of feedback, so crashing into a wall in a race car feels much different than making a tackle on the football field. You can even get a sense for a variety of textures when running through fields of grass or plodding through mud. The second innovation is something we call adaptive triggers, which have been incorporated into the trigger buttons (L2/R2). Developers can program the resistance of the triggers so that you feel the tactile sensation of drawing a bow and arrow or accelerating an off-road vehicle through rocky terrain. In combination with the haptics, this can produce a powerful experience that better simulates various actions. Game creators have started to receive early versions of the new controller, and we can’t wait to see where their imagination goes with these new features at their disposal. While there’s much more to share about PlayStation 5 in the year ahead, we have plenty of blockbuster experiences coming your way on PS4, including Death Stranding, The Last of Us Part II, and Ghost of Tsushima. I’d like to thank all PlayStation fans for continuing the journey with us, as we embark on the future of games. View the full article

Hey. It’s me again, Justin Roiland, co-creator of Rick and Morty and co-founder of Squanch Games. Man. A lot has happened since we last spoke. I got a free sample of granola at the grocery store, got some other free samples of food, I found a cool flat rock, and my game, Trover Saves The Universe, came out. A lot of people liked it (I hate it JK) and what’s not to like? You get to travel the universe with Trover to save your dogs from a beaked monster. You fight and platform across insane levels, and meet crazy ass alien characters! I mean, this game has it all! It’s like the glendale shopping center of video games! And now we’re releasing the DLC, Important Cosmic Jobs, for FREE! You’ll get to explore Trover’s workplace, meet his weirdo colleagues, and deal with his insane bosses. It’ll be just like real life! Only less depressing! And FREE! And less depressing! You’ll also get to collect new power babies, watch original sketches, and play Space Slam. You don’t know what that is, so I don’t know why I’m mentioning it, BUT IT’S FREE! All of it’s free! Hours of new content for FREE! FREE! FREE! (unless you don’t own the game, in that case you’d have to buy the base game and then this DLC would be FREE!!) I can’t believe we did this for free. What was I thinking?! How are we supposed to make more games if we don’t tap any kind of revenue stream. This was a huge mistake. I based the whole marketing campaign on free food samples though, so I feel good about that at least. Please! You have to buy Trover Saves The Universe! There’s no point in you saving your money! It’ll even be 15% off at PS Store starting tomorrow, so you have no excuse! The world will end in 2030! All infrastructures will collapse. Society as we know it will no longer exist. Bartering games and seeds will be the only way to conduct commerce! So spend your money now! Buy my game, and play the free DLC tomorrow! It’s going to go up in value when society collapses! Pretty sure! I could be wrong about that though! I’m just unsure about it. Thanks! View the full article

As we count down the days until the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, the sixteenth installment of the epic series, we are thrilled to reveal a new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare PS4 Pro bundle launching alongside it on October 25. Arriving just in time for the holiday season, this new bundle features a jet-black 1TB PS4 Pro system, alongside a matching DualShock 4 wireless controller, and a copy of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare on Blu-Ray Disc. In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare the stakes have never been higher, as players take on the role of lethal Tier One operators in a heart-racing saga that will affect the global balance of power. Players can also enjoy a variety of gameplay options, ranging from a visceral and dramatic single-player story campaign, to classic multiplayer, or cooperative play through a collection of elite operations accessible to all skill levels. With PlayStation 4 Pro, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare fans can look forward to a number of features to help bring the most photorealistic environments in franchise history to life. 4K TV owners will appreciate 4K resolution using temporal anti-aliasing with dynamic up-sampling, while HD TV players will benefit from increased image clarity through supersampling when playing on PS4 Pro, compared to PS4. Lastly, players with HDR displays can enjoy grounded combat and fast-paced action with high dynamic range color as well. The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare PS4 Pro Bundle will be available on October 25 at select retail stores across the US and CAN for $399.99 USD (MSRP) / $499.99 CAD (MSRP). When did you first play Modern Warfare? Share your memories in the comments below! View the full article

Our latest software update for PlayStation 4, version 7.00, is launching this week worldwide. This update includes new functionality to key system features including Party and Remote Play features. We revealed a number of features included in the newly enhanced Party prior to its beta earlier this summer, and here are all of the details that PS4 players can look forward to experiencing. Party Feature Update For PS4 fans who love to play alongside their friends or other community members, the Party feature has been rebuilt to include new features and services including: Maximum number of Party users increased from 8 to 16 Network connectivity improved Audio quality improved Accessibility support with Chat Transcription has been added (US Only) Within the Party feature, you will experience better network connectivity and audio quality. The improved back-end now improves network connectivity and allows users to overcome connectivity issues previously experienced when connecting with other users. Lastly, the Party App will also offer a new Chat Transcription feature for US users via the PS4 Second Screen App on your smartphone or other mobile devices. The new feature supports US English and converts party voice chat to text, or enables you to enter text that is read aloud to other party members. If using your mobile device to connect to your PS4 during a Party, you will now see a new Party tab has been added where the new functionality is available. Remote Play For those who want to stream select PS4 games on mobile devices, Remote Play can now be used on smartphones and tablets running Android 5.0 or higher. Just download the PS4 Remote Play App from the Google Play store to use the feature. Meanwhile, for iPhone or iPad users, the Remote Play App has been updated so you can now display the controller at all times and lock the screen orientation. Also, players will be able to use their DualShock 4 wireless controllers via Bluetooth for Remote Play on an Android, iPhone, iPad, and Mac. All you need to do is update to Android 10, iOS 13, iPadOS 13, or macOS Catalina (releasing in October) to use this feature. As a reminder, a PS4 system with a wired connection via a LAN cable is recommended. What are looking forward to most? Let us know in the comments below! View the full article

Email us at blogcast@sony.com! Subscribe via iTunes, Spotify, Google or RSS, or download here This week, the gang continues to gush over the surreal world of Control, then tiptoes into a discussion of their favorite spooky games. Listen in for a chat with Tiffany Hester, Director of Diversity and Inclusion at SIE, and stay to the end for a very special listener letter from an old friend… Stuff We Talked About Control Spooky games ‘n stuff Our games of the year (so far) Concrete Genie Terminator in Mortal Kombat 11 The Last of Us Part II PlayStation Now The Cast Sid Shuman – Director of Social Media, SIEA Kristen Zitani – Social Media Specialist, SIEA Tim Turi – Senior Social Media Specialist, SIEA 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

Concrete Genie launches Tuesday from Pixelopus, the team that brought us Entwined. This new adventure tells the story of Ash, a young boy who sets out to restore color to an abandoned fishing town at the behest of — and with help from — the genies for which the game is named. Brush in hand, Ash creates these chromatic companions to help him overcome obstacles, avoid bullies wandering the streets, and bring beauty back to the timeworn alleyways of Ash’s hometown. With their help, Ash’s artistic talent… and maybe a bit of magic, you’ll help bring Denska back to life. For a full list of new games coming to PlayStation next week, read on. And enjoy The Drop! Aeternoblade 2 PS4 — Digital (Out 10/11) Welcome back to the world of AeternoBlade. Let’s adventure with Freyja, Bernard, Felix to the Chronosian for finding the 3 AeternoBlades and using its power to stop Dark Abyss. Can you help Freyja protect her future? The Alliance Alive HD Remastered PS4 — Digital, Retail New visuals, an updated interface, and more await you in this epic tale of trials and triumphs. Humanity has been shattered by invading Daemons. To reclaim their home, an unlikely fellowship of heroes will band together to spark a fiery revolution. Bibi & Tina on the Horse Farm PS4 — Digital (Out 10/10) Enjoy exciting adventures at Martinshof! Explore the expansive grounds around Martinshof and Falkenstein Castle on horseback. Whether you’re walking, trotting, galloping or jumping, show what you’ve got in varied horse races of different lengths and difficulties! Wild adventures await you! The Bradwell Conspiracy PS4 — Digital Following a sudden explosion at the Stonehenge Museum fundraiser, you find yourself trapped in a hidden underground complex. Faced with a series of puzzles, your only means of escape is by sending photographs of your surroundings to another survivor confined elsewhere. But before long, a disturbing truth begins to dawn… Concrete Genie PS4 — Digital, Retail (Includes two PS VR modes) Concrete Genie follows the heartwarming journey of a bullied teen named Ash, who escapes his troubles by bringing his colorful imagination to life in his sketchbook, while exploring his hometown of Denska – a once bright and bustling seaside town now polluted by Darkness. Contraptions PS4 — Digital (Out 10/9) Contraptions is a physics based puzzle game with a fun cartoony look and feel to it. How many steps does it take to change a light bulb? If your answer is 10 or more, then you are ready for ‘Contraptions’ – a game where the goal is to fix whacky contraptions that perform simple tasks in indirect and convoluted ways, Rube Goldberg style. Frostpunk: Console Edition PS4 — Digital (Out 10/11) Frostpunk is a society survival game where heat means life and every decision comes at a price. Presenting complex strategic gameplay, demanding challenges and rich story, Frostpunk: Console Edition tests your tactical prowess on the frozen wastelands with revised controls and adjusted mechanics adapted for consoles. In Between PS4 — Digital In Between is an atmospheric, award-winning platformer set inside the mind of a man hit by a cruel twist of fate. Together you are on a journey in a world that doesn’t obey the laws of physics. Free your mind and defy gravity in more than 60 compelling and unique puzzles, requiring all your wits and agility. Indivisible PS4 — Digital Indivisible is a new action/RPG from developer Lab Zero, creators of the critically acclaimed Skullgirls! Join Ajna and a ragtag cast of characters as they set out on a globe-spanning quest to find out the truth behind Ajna’s mysterious powers, try to resolve the conflicts plaguing their world, and confront an ancient deity. Interfectorem PS4 — Digital Girls Make Games presents Interfectorem, a horrifying murder mystery! Interfectorem is the story of Alis, a young sheriff-in-training who lives alone with her sister Sali in a small town next to the woods. Alis returns from a hike one day to find her home the scene of a murder! Overcome with grief and vengeance, Alis embarks on a mission to find the killer. A Knight’s Quest PS4 — Digital (Out 10/10) A gorgeous action adventure on an epic scale. Play as Rusty, a clumsy adventurer who accidentally sets about the end of the world. Solve mind-bending puzzles, fight challenging enemies, defeat huge bosses and platform your way through a fantastic open world. Mistover PS4 — Digital (Out 10/10) ”Mist-ical’ RPG with expeditions for finding the key to survival. Choose your next step wisely and keep in mind that your every move will change the future. Create your own ‘Corps’ and explore through various regions in the Pillar of Despair: forests, lakes, mountains, cities, cathedrals, castles, and more. Monochrome Order PS4 — Digital Guide the world toward the right direction through Judgments in a fantasy RPG with multiple endings! The Arbiters’ mission is to use the ancient magic known as “Judgment” to follow their own justice and guide the world to a better place. Get up to 18 allies from your Judgments to try various formations and overcome challenges. River City Melee Super PS4 — Digital (Out 10/10) The ‘Fight it out!’ part of the Renegade/River City (Nekketsu Kouha Kunio-kun) series’ numerous sports spin-offs is back and powered-up! No rules, and fights to the finish where anything goes! Over 180 characters and over 250 different special moves! Slabwell PS4 — Digital (Out 10/7) Somewhere deep in the Amazon jungle lies the finest treasure ever crafted: The Jade Alpaca. Professional thief duo Sam and Jacky head off on an adventure to recover the mythical artifact, determined to solve the riddles and overcome the challenges that have kept it safe through centuries. Spirit Hunter: NG PS4, PS Vita — Digital, Retail (Out 10/10) Beware the Creeping Horror… Face nightmares you thought were merely urban legends. Uncover a dark mystery, making deadly decisions just to survive. Play this chilling companion story to the award-winning Spirit Hunter: Death Mark game and bring the terror home. Stellatum PS4 — Digital (Out 10/9) Stellatum is a new scroll shooter. Equip your battleship’s guns, install faster engines, and increase the power of your reactor. Throw a barrage of rockets on hordes of enemy ships, burning everything in your path! Super Box Land Demake PS4, PS Vita — Digital (Cross-Buy) Help solve moving box puzzles in order to advance to the next stage. Push boxes across a variety of different puzzling levels by yourself or with a friend in coop mode. Control two different characters at once even in single player and choose from 3 difficulty options. Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince PS4 — Digital The best-selling Trine series returns to the magic of 2.5D! Join three iconic heroes as they set off on a quest through fantastical fairytale landscapes to save the world from the Nightmare Prince’s shadows. Experience the most complete Trine ever created! A Winter’s Daydream PS4, PS Vita — Digital Yuu can’t stand his younger sister, Otoko, and the feeling is mutual. It’s been almost a year since Yuu left his dreary hometown, but he finds himself obliged to return to celebrate New Year’s. Finding the atmosphere at home unbearable, Yuu decides to escape once more — this time to his grandmother’s snowy, secluded village. Worse Than Death PS4 — Digital A scary, action-adventure horror game about a high school reunion that goes horribly wrong! Run for your life, hide in the shadows, and use your wits to avoid shadowy creatures and uncover the terrible truths of your wretched hometown. Solve devious puzzles to reveal the emotionally-charged story of Holly and her friends! Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair PS4 — Digital, Retail Yooka & Laylee are back in a brand-new platform hybrid adventure! They must run, jump and roll their way through a series of challenging 2D levels, face a puzzling Overworld and rally the Royal Beettalion to take down Capital B and his Impossible Lair! Music For Zombie-Killng Danny Brown – uknowhatimsayin¿ K-Pop and Play Mr Robot | Season 4 Wonder Woman: Bloodlines Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal | Season 1 Premiere Friday 10/4 at 8/7c on FOX Season Premiere Sunday 10/6 at 9/8c on AMC Season Premiere Sunday 10/6 at 10/9c on USA PlayStation Vue has your favorite sports, news and must-watch shows. The information above is subject to change without notice. View the full article

Happy Friday PlayStation Nation! Did you hear the big news out of the Marvel Games panel at New York Comic Con? Crystal Dynamics is ecstatic to round out the Marvel’s Avengers roster with the inclusion of New Jersey teenager Kamala Khan. Better known under the mantle of Ms. Marvel, Kamala joins the team as a pivotal catalyst to the original story our team is telling. Co-created by G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona, Sana Amanat, and Stephen Wacker, Kamala is the Pakistani-American teenager who defends her hometown Jersey City as the costumed Ms. Marvel. If you want to read up about Kamala Khan, she made her first appearance via Captain Marvel #14 in August 2013. Winning over the hearts of comic fans around the world, Kamala headlined her own monthly comic series starting in February of 2014. You can read her current ongoing monthly series as well. While we teased young Kamala in our A-Day Prologue Gameplay Footage, (remember the little girl who stumbles on the deck of the Helicarrier?) we felt it important to keep her full role in the game secret until now. We were waiting for just the right moment to reveal her, and talk more about her narrative arc in the aftermath of A-Day. Shaun Escayg – Creative Director and Writer at Crystal Dynamics – explains it well. “Telling our story of Kamala’s coming-of-age brings a fresh, hopeful perspective to the gameplay experience and her unique abilities as Ms. Marvel make her a character every person will want to play. Kamala Khan is the defining ingredient that makes our game stand apart from any Avengers story you’ve experienced before.” Kamala is an unapologetic fangirl – one of the traits we most love about her. Kamala wears her passion on her sleeve – making her relatable for many of us at the studio, and for fellow fans worldwide. Fandom is even the catalyst to her coming-of-age story. Invited to A-Day as an Avengers fan-fiction contest finalist, young Kamala is exposed to Terrigen Mist during the unanticipated attack. Iron Man, Hulk, Black Widow, and Thor blame themselves for the mass devastation and the loss of Captain America. In the five years following A-Day, the Avenger’s absence has devastating consequences worldwide. A secretive, new organization has risen – Advanced Idea Mechanics, otherwise known as AIM. AIM believes that science – not Super Heroes – is the key to protecting the world. Now a teenager, Kamala finds herself developing extraordinary polymorphic and healing powers as a direct result of the A-day incident. With the Avengers disbanded and Advanced Idea Mechanics turning public sentiment against Super Heroes, Kamala hides her abilities from the world. Kamala’s unwavering loyalty to the Avengers, intelligence, inquisitive nature, and ever-optimistic personality lead to a huge discovery when she uncovers a shocking conspiracy. As Kamala learns to harness and embrace her powers, she finds the will and the way to reassemble Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Joining our stellar performance cast as Kamala Khan is Sandra Saad, who brings the character’s strength and spirit to the motion capture stage. “Kamala’s a tremendous inspiration to me,” shared Sandra. “She’s so relatable, and I think we can all find aspects of ourselves in her. So, at the end of the day, playing her ended up feeling like I was playing a super version of myself. I ultimately focused on paying homage to who Kamala is but bringing my own dash of originality and uniqueness to the role whenever appropriate.” With this exciting announcement, Kamala Khan week officially kicks off on our Marvel’s Avengers social channels! Tune in daily to learn more about her unique combat style, Heroic moves (EMBIGGEN!), outfit origin, trivia, and more. We can’t wait for you to suit up as Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Black Widow, The Hulk, and Kamala Khan when Marvel’s Avengers launches on May 15, 2020. Best part? The narrative will continue to be delivered on an ongoing basis, with every new Super Hero and region delivered at no additional cost. This is what’s next for the Avengers. Avengers Reassemble! View the full article

Hi everyone! I’m Brendan Murphy, lead writer on Marvel’s Iron Man VR. I’m pleased to be the one to announce that Marvel’s Iron Man VR is releasing exclusively for PlayStation VR* on February 28! With my colleagues at Camouflaj, we’ve spent the past three years creating the ultimate Iron Man game for PlayStation VR. From day one, we’ve had our work cut out for us: not only do we need to deliver incredible Super Hero action and flying in VR, but we had to pair that with a heartfelt, original story about Tony Stark. Pre-order Marvel’s Iron Man VR at PlayStation Store With Marvel’s Iron Man VR, we approached our big story moments with humor, heart, and suspense—attributes that map perfectly with Tony Stark. Given the fact that the game is built from the ground up for VR, we doubled down on the storytelling strengths of virtual reality. This means putting the player in the shoes of Tony Stark—literally—as players embody Tony, interact with the world, choose some dialogue beats, and live his life in and out of the armor. Lastly, we sought to leverage the sense of presence in VR by populating the game with iconic Marvel characters to interact with. Crafting a story that can only be told in VR requires heavy iteration. Central to that process was teaming up with the creative director of Marvel Games, Bill Rosemann, who encouraged us to think big and differently about the game’s narrative, and provided terrific guidance for how to fashion an authentic Tony Stark experience. More recently, we’ve also paired with famed Marvel writer Christos Gage to help with some additional writing and sprinkling in some fun “Marvel-ness” into the script! The story has gone through many iterations, yet early on, we landed on the idea that hacker villain Ghost should be Marvel’s Iron Man VR’s headlining antagonist. Ghost is an all-time classic Iron Man super Villain, starting from the character’s first appearance in Iron Man #219, this formidable adversary continues to challenge Iron Man throughout multiple arcs, such as Inevitable and Unholy Ghost. In our game, Ghost is a great foil for Tony Stark—she not only holds a grudge against our hero, but holds a mirror up to him. As a witness to the damage caused by Stark-made weapons years earlier, Ghost’s fight against Iron Man is both ideological and personal. Because of Ghost, our complex and fascinating hero must reconcile his troubled past, both on and off the battlefield… In addition to announcing our release date, I’m also excited to reveal our lineup of offerings: Standard Edition: $39.99 USD MSRP/$49.99 CAD MSRP (Available physically & digitally) 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 any of these at your favorite retailer and receive a code good to download the following at launch: 4 Custom Armor Decos (Origin Armor, Vintage Armor, Silver Centurion Armor, & Ultraviolet Armor) Marvel’s Iron Man VR Dynamic PS4 theme For those who pre-order from PlayStation Store, you’ll also receive a free month trial to Marvel Unlimited** and get a chance to read up on the comics that inspired this game. Find out more about the Marvel Unlimited here. Thanks for checking out this post and for coming along on this ride! We look forward to revealing more about Marvel’s Iron Man VR action combat and flight, and Tony Stark-centric story that leans heavily into the unique strengths of PlayStation VR to deliver a campaign full of humor, heart, and suspense. With only a few precious months of development left, it’s best I sign off here and get 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. Marvel’s Iron Man VR requires Two PlayStation Move motion controllers (sold separately). **Pre-order customers will receive the Marvel Unlimited Trial Code (“Marvel Code”) via email on or around February 28, 2020. Redemption of Marvel Code requires Marvel Unlimited account and a credit card. Must be 13+ to create Marvel Unlimited account. Marvel Unlimited Trial is subject to the Marvel Unlimited Terms of Use and Privacy Policy (“Marvel Terms”). At the end of the trial, a paid monthly membership will immediately begin, and your credit card will be charged $9.99 USD per month. Cancel before the end of the trial period to avoid being charged a membership fee. See the Marvel Terms for information on fees and billing, or directions on how to cancel. View the full article

Last week, we asked you to head into the magical world of Trine Trilogy. From storybook landscapes to wizard’s labs, here were your fantastical shares: The archer moves across an ornate bridge. The archer approached a spectacle of light. A rainbow is perfectly framed by vines and flowers. A wizard guards himself from the light. Search #PS4Share and #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in next week’s Share of the Week? Theme: Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince Share by: 9am Pacific on Thursday, October 10 We’re casting a spell and announcing next week’s theme a little ahead of the game’s launch! Share magical moments from Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince when it’s out on PS4 Oct. 8 for a chance to be featured. Don’t worry, we’ll leave submissions open for an extra day to give you plenty of time. View the full article

Hello Bandicoots! We hope you’ve had a great time with the purple dragon in the Spyro & Friends Grand Prix in CTR Nitro-Fueled. Today, in addition to all the amazing content and challenges going live with the Spooky Grand Prix, we have something very special to announce. Going live at PlayStation Store, players in the United States and the United Kingdom will be able to purchase a very special kart for CTR Nitro-Fueled — Firehawk. This is no ordinary kart: first of all, it’s actually modelled after a classic military plane. The first ever plane in CTR! Second, this item supports the mission of the Call of Duty Endowment — all proceeds received by Activision for this item will go toward placing Veterans in the U.S. and Ex-Forces in the U.K. into high-quality civilian jobs. It’s a way to look fly on the racetrack, while supporting a great cause! We wanted to give PlayStation players an in-depth look at the Call of Duty Endowment and the work that it does, as well as some inside details on the creation of the kart itself. With that, let’s take flight! Call of Duty Endowment The Call of Duty Endowment is a non-profit organization supported by Activision Blizzard, whose goal is to put 100,000 former military members back to work by 2024. All Activision proceeds received for Endowment-marked items in its games goes toward funding non-profits in the U.S. and U.K. which place veterans in those countries into high-quality civilian jobs. Founded in 2009, the Endowment has helped to place over 60,000 veterans into well-paying jobs to date. The Endowment carefully selects the organizations it chooses to fund, ensuring that these organizations deliver the highest standards of quality and cost-efficient veteran job placement services. At Beenox, we’re incredibly excited to be able to support the Endowment and its mission with Firehawk. What makes this even more special is that this is the first in-game Endowment item offered for a game other than Call of Duty. Firehawk is going live at PlayStation Store today for U.S. and U.K. players for $4.99 USD (£3.99). As mentioned, all of the proceeds received by Activision for this item will go directly toward helping place veterans in the U.S. and U.K. into high-quality jobs. But beyond supporting a great cause, this item also immediately became one of Beenox’s favorite items we’ve ever created for the game! Firehawk’s Design This item is definitely a unique one for CTR Nitro-Fueled. First off, it’s the first plane to come to the game (Oxide’s Hovercraft notwithstanding). We’ve been looking for the right time to put a plane design in the game, and we felt this was a great opportunity to do it. Although it acts like a kart in the game, its design is reminiscent of a classic military plane. From its early stages, we had a good idea of how we wanted to proceed with the item. Below is some concept art which landed very close to the final design: With the dark green paint job, the big front propeller, and even the outlandish nose art, we wanted to give fans that classic WWII-era feel. And of course, we cap it off with the Call of Duty Endowment emblem near the tail. We are very happy with the way this translated to the game. (By the way, the plane matches perfectly with the Aviator Crash skin for anyone that has it…) Overall, we think racers are going to look great gliding, sliding, and boosting around the track in this kart, and knowing that it’s something that is going toward a good cause only makes it that much better. It’s something we hope that players young and old will enjoy and will even help them learn more about the Call of Duty Endowment and the great work that it’s doing. If you’d like to learn more about the Endowment, visit its website, or follow it on Twitter at @CODE4Vets and Instagram @callofdutyendowment. Thank you for reading about this great initiative, and for taking a look at the Firehawk kart! Find it at PlayStation Store and support a great cause! View the full article

We are excited to announce and open pre-orders for the new Victrix Pro AF Headset, a new product that’s officially licensed by PlayStation and specifically designed for esports competitors, streamers, and core gamers. We’ve taken the industry-leading features of the Victrix Pro AF ANC and tuned it for gamers who don’t have the need for active noise cancellation. Since arriving in the esports scene, Victrix has disrupted the market with our innovative products, and the new Victrix Pro AF Headset is no different. As a result of years of development efforts from engineers, designers, and professional players, we’ve created products packed with valuable technological advancements and combined that with head-turning aesthetics. This new headset gives competitive players the ability to take their game to the next level, and look good doing it. The Victrix Pro AF Headset includes top-of-the-line features and unmatched build quality that can endure the wear and tear of daily gaming or the grueling travel to esports tournaments. This headset was engineered for professional competitive play with a light but tough stainless steel headband, aircraft grade aluminum yokes, and protein enriched polyurethane (leatherette) earpads with hidden seams. Read more about these first-class features below. Cooling Mechanism: During design research, we observed pro athletes shifting their earcups during short breaks between rounds—seeking relief while they discussed their strategy for the next round. We came up with an effective solution using patent pending mechanical levers that open the earcup vents to release heat and humidity, without losing team communication at any time. Cobra Microphone: A gaming headset is only as good as its microphone. Our mechanical mic filter design was originally created for the Cobra attack helicopter, and its violent 120dB unpressurized cockpit. This boom mic will increase player intelligibility in the loudest environments. On-Ear Controls: Tweak audio on the fly. We’ve all struggled to find the controls mid-game to adjust audio or mute ourselves in between rounds. After receiving valuable feedback, we’ve centralized them to the headset itself so it’s all within reach. We’ve created the high-performance Victrix Pro AF Headset with top quality features, durability, and tournament focused equipment all at an attractive price that fulfills the needs of competitive players who don’t need active noise cancellation. Every aspect of this headset is optimized for peak performance. The Victrix Pro AF Headset is available now for pre-order on VictrixPro.com for $179.99, and will begin shipping on November 8. For more information about Victrix or the Pro AF Headset, please visit VictrixPro.com. View the full article

Almost two years after the launch of GT Sport, an updated “SPEC II” version will be available at select retailers and at PlayStation Store (internet connection required) starting from today. The new version will contain the base game plus all the free content updates up until May. This means you will find over 280 cars included and over 25 tracks! When you install the game, if you have an online connection, any updates after May will still need to be downloaded separately. This will provide access to even more cars and tracks as we continue to add more free content every month. SPEC II also comes with some additional bonuses to get new players started including 2.5 million in-game credits and the top ten performing Gr.3 cars from the 2018 FIA Certified Gran Turismo Championships: Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 Chevrolet Corvette C7 Gr.3 Lexus RC F GT3 (Emil Frey Racing) Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG GT3 (AMG-Team HTP-Motorsport) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Final Edition Gr.3 Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 N24 Schulze Motorsport Porsche 911 RSR (991) Renault Sport R.S.01 GT3 Subaru WRX Gr.3 Toyota FT-1 Vision Gran Turismo (Gr.3) Speaking of the FIA GT Championships be sure to tune in to the next World Tour taking place in Tokyo on October 26 and 27! Be sure to visit Gran Turismo LIVE for more info. You can find SPEC II at select retailers around the world as well as at PlayStation Store. In addition, the PlayStation HITS version of the game will be available at the same time which you can find at local retailers and here at PlayStation Store. Whichever version you choose, I hope you enjoy your journey in GT Sport! View the full article

I am thrilled to announce the launch of the Competition Center today in the U.S. The Competition Center is a web and mobile destination to elevate your competitive play to the next level by offering tournaments and competitive gaming content, curated based on your favorite titles. Visit the Competition Center The Competition Center is the one place that you can go to view exclusive content, tips and tricks of your favorite games from some of the best players in the world, and live coverage from some of the biggest esports events. The various types of competitive and unique content include: Tips and Tricks from the Best: Have you ever wondered what the pros do to prepare themselves for game day? The Competition Center has you covered. Player and Team Profiles: If you’ve wanted a more in-depth take on a particular player or team, the Competition Center has that too. Competition Kicks Series: For those of you out there that have a treasured sneaker collection, you’re not alone! We dive right into what top players of various games keep in their closet in our Competition Kicks Series. One Shot Series: Do you love pizza or burgers? Controller or mouse and keyboard? We get hot takes from some of the best in the field in our One Shot Series. Simply choose the games you care most about and the Competition Center will take care of the rest, making esports and competitive gaming content super easy to find. The Competition Center is also the best way to access PS4 Tournaments by recommending online competitions that you can join. We provide live tournament standings and brackets so you know how you’re performing at any given time. Additionally, when you sign in with your PSN ID, you will know which tournaments your friends have registered for so that you can join them.* This makes the Competition Center the perfect resource when you’re playing in the PS4 Tournaments: Challenger Series. Since August, we’ve launched this tournament series with games like Mortal Kombat 11 and Injustice 2, with more AAA titles coming soon. Ready to play? Ready to watch? Visit the Competition Center at compete.playstation.com now. *Account for PSN required for single sign-on and curation features. View the full article

Today marks the start of New York Comic Con 2019 – starting today, stop by our booth (#1854) for hands-on demos of Marvel’s Iron Man VR and Predator: Hunting Grounds. Hope to see you! In the booth, you’ll find five stations dedicated to Marvel’s Iron Man VR. Ever wondered what it’s like to soar the not-so-friendly skies as Iron Man? This is your big chance! We’ll have 15 stations dedicated to Predator: Hunting Grounds, with action-packed 4v1 asymmetrical multiplayer battles for attendees. Will you be the hunter, or the hunted? (Confession: I am the hunted.) Should you wish to venture out, visit the Marvel Booth (#1354) to check out Marvel’s Avengers from Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix. Don’t want to wait in line to play? Be sure to download the Experience PlayStation mobile app for Android and iOS. You can use the app to RSVP for select demos and skip the lines like a VIP. Marvel’s Iron Man VR will also be part of the Marvel Games Panel tomorrow, October 4 at 3:00pm at Madison Square Garden. Join us onsite for a special look at the game and some significant updates from the panel attendees. TLDR; If you’re on the NYCC floor, stop by the PlayStation Booth, check out some new games, and say hello. And possibly — just possibly — score some unique surprises too. See you there! View the full article

Brave soldiers of Gallowmere, Every kingdom has its share of threats, and the ones you’re about to face seem to have a bone to pick with you! If you think you might have trouble parsing through zombie parts, demolishing demons and mashing these monsters, we’ve got just the trick. For those slightly fuzzy on the ways of the land (and who wouldn’t be after a few decades?) I present to you the Bonehead’s Guide to Gallowmere – four episodes of a new weekly video series to remind every loyal knight, new or old, of the essential skills needed to defend the kingdom. No more skulking in the shadows for you! So pay close attention – the lessons within might just be what you need to win the day. We’ll update this post with the latest info as we rattle closer to launch, so stay tuned! MediEvil launches on October 25, 2019 View the full article