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We’re excited to announce that Zotrix is available today on PS4! Zotrix is a twin-stick space shooter that combines the retro look and feel of 80’s and 90’s arcade games with modern gameplay elements, customization, and depth. The game’s console debut adds an Arcade Mode, new missions, more boss encounters, as well as new ships and power-ups unavailable in the well-received original version that some may be familiar with from its PC launch. Zotrix is a twin-stick space shooter at its core, but on top of that it’s also a surprisingly deep space trading game. The Story Mode gives you specific objectives, but lets you plot your own route through a network of space stations to achieve them. You’ll escort trade ships from one station to the next, protecting them from onslaughts of enemies in intricate flight patterns attempting to intercept or destroy humanity’s vital war resources. Some resources can only be earned by completing missions, while others can be bought or sold at each space station’s Trading Room. You can view the current values for each resource per space station and plot your route accordingly to earn the highest reward for resources you sell, then use the credits you earn to upgrade your ship or improve its load out. Available ship upgrades and power-ups include decoys to draw enemy fire away from you, bombs and torpedoes that inflict massive damage in a large area, laser turrets that auto-fire with your ship, and shields to absorb more damage. The properties of the base ship and the exact upgrades and power-ups you choose can be thoroughly customized to fit your play style, or to deal with the unique challenges of specific missions. If you’d rather spend more time on action and less on economics, the PS4 exclusive Arcade Mode may be more your style. This mode features 20 missions with new boss fights, and is all about blasting and outmaneuvering swarms of enemies to beat your personal high score. You can still earn power-ups in Arcade Mode based on your performance, and choose the ones you want to fit your play style, but without as much time spent in planning and strategic decision making as Story Mode. Honing your skills to get one level further in Arcade Mode is just as satisfying as it was in Galaga and the other games that inspired Zotrix, but the power-ups you can pick up and unlock as you progress — and a much more maneuverable ship that can even dive under projectiles — empower you to deal with incoming enemies in ways you never could before. The PS4 version of Zotrix also adds epic boss fights with bullet-hell and puzzle components, new missions for added depth and challenge in Story Mode, as well as new power-ups and ship types that can be combined for loadouts not possible in the original release. We also can’t forget to mention the game’s energizing soundtrack (We literally can’t forget… the songs are stuck in our head), which features 12 trance and deep house artists from around the world. We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have about the game! Happy hunting in Zotrix! View the full article -
I had three passions growing up: games, movies, and really bad movies. I’d come home from school, spend a few hours exploring Final Fantasy VI or slicing through Knights of the Round, head out with some friends to see The Rock or Independence Day, and then come home and nod off to a Mystery Science Theater riffing of The Creeping Terror or The Beginning of the End (with a little homework squeezed in somewhere, sometimes, maybe). Primitive and cheesy as they usually were, those old movies had a certain… gumption to them, a sort of earnest overconfidence you couldn’t help but smile at. The 16-bit console wars were in full swing back then, and while I loved all the advances games had made since the old-old days, I imagined what games might look like ten or twenty years down the road. As fun as it could be to hurl buildings in King of the Monsters, I wanted a game that could show you how huge the monsters really were. As much as I loved blasting my way through Contra III, I imagined a game where that one soldier had a whole army backing him up, and where he had the freedom to explore the battlefield with whatever guns and vehicles he wanted. And then along came Earth Defense Force. Not to be confused with the old-school scrolling shooter of the same name, the Earth Defense Force series casts the player as a heroic soldier, part of the eponymous military outfit, out to stop a horde of alien invaders. Yeah, the story’s just about as old as gaming itself, but these games aren’t about story. They’re about joy. If you’ve ever dreamed of flying up in a jetpack to land that perfect shot on the alien mothership right before it fires its main cannon, or calling down a full-scale airstrike to destroy an onrushing swarm of ten-foot bugs, or charging into single combat against a giant fire-breathing kaiju beast, this is the series for you. Earth Defense Force 2: Invaders from Planet Space on PS Vita, an enhanced re-release of the original Earth Defense Force 2, plays out the whole scenario as a classic B-movie, with flying saucers, warbling synth sound effects, and just a hint of cheese. (Speaking as one of the guys who supervised the voiceover recordings, there’s nothing quite like seeing a respected, professional actor deliver the line, “My God, it’s the ultimate Buggernaut!â€) If you happen to enjoy the sci-fi matinées of old, no other game out there captures their spirit more fondly. Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair for PS4 is an expanded, polished remake of Earth Defense Force 2025. Taking several steps beyond its B-movie roots, 4.1 has more of a Pacific Rim/Starship Troopers vibe, with full platoons of human soldiers throwing everything they have (and then some) at all kinds of aliens, starships, and robots, all presented with top-notch production values and tons and tons and megatons of explosions. You’ll fight alongside your fellow troops and tanks through collapsing cities and burning battlefields, pilot all kinds of vehicles, stop in the middle of combat to lead your men in an impromptu musical number (if you feel like it; your men follow your commands, and “dance†and “sing†are perfectly valid commands), and of course, buckle up inside a giant robot and punch out an alien dinosaur. 4.1 enhances the framerate of Earth Defense Force 2025, adds new features, missions and weapons, and remixes many of the old ones. Both games offer more than 500 different weapons and vehicles, with almost 100 different battle scenarios each and five (Or more?) difficulties to tackle however you see fit. You can bolster your favorite soldier class by finding new weapons and armor, take that soldier online to level up with friends on tougher versions of your favorite missions, and then bring back the loot from those missions to level up some more back home. 4.1 also has a two-player split-screen mode (both versus and co-op) for offline multiplayer, while EDF 2 has an online “Rumble Mode†where up to four players can each bring their best soldier into a showdown. These are games I wished for way back when, and not only do I get to play them now, but I’ve had the honor of helping to bring them to you guys! What games do you wish for? View the full article
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Call up your friends, grab your DualShock 4, and get ready for some multiplayer gaming action this weekend. We’re bringing back free online multiplayer to all PS4 owners starting this Friday, courtesy of PlayStation Plus. Free multiplayer access begins Friday, December 11th at 12:01 AM Pacific through Sunday, December 13, at 11:59 PM Pacific. What better way to check out the recently released free DLC Star Wars Battlefront Battle of Jakku before the premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. To get started, log on to PlayStation Network during the free weekend period, launch your favorite multiplayer game, and you’ll instantly have access to multiplayer with your friends. There’s no membership commitment required to try out online multiplayer during this period. If you are interested in learning more about what PlayStation Plus offers in addition to online multiplayer on PS4, such as free PlayStation Plus monthly games, exclusive member discounts, online game saves and more, head here for more information. Enjoy! View the full article
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Dylan Cuthbert from Q-Games, here! I’m the director of The Tomorrow Children and we just wrapped up a great showing at PlayStation Experience in San Francisco and we’re thrilled with the positive feedback we received from the community. It was a pleasure to meet you all and I can’t wait to open the game to the community once again when The Tomorrow Children closed beta starts in January! The closed beta opens on January 21st and will only be online for a short period of time, so make sure you sign up here.* As an added bonus, players who participate in the Beta will be rewarded with an exclusive costume. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the game, allow me to explain about what kind of experience you should expect in the retro-futuristic, cold war-themed, post-apocalyptic alternate timeline that is The Tomorrow Children. The Tomorrow Children is an online social action adventure game that is going to take you somewhere you’ve never been before. In The Tomorrow Children, the surface of the earth is encased in a white shell known as the “Void,†the aftermath of a soviet experiment gone horribly wrong. With your online comrades you will brave the Void to collect resources and develop towns, all while defending yourselves against the Izverg, mysterious creatures that emerge from the depths of the Void destroying everything in their wake. The key to surviving and, more importantly, restoring the world to its former glory requires players to collaborate with comrades to search out the lost DNA in the Void and convert it back into human form, all the while constructing and defending the towns for this new human race to live in, eventually re-populating the world! We can’t wait to play together next month in the closed beta, and if you missed our live demo of the game at PlayStation Experience, you can watch the replay here. Bourgeoisie unite! *U.S. and Canada players only –Japan, Asia and European players will need to sign up in their home territory. View the full article
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Connecting with friends on PlayStation Network is about to get even easier with the PlayStation Messages app for iOS and Android devices, available now. This app gives you a dedicated interface to quickly send messages to people on your friends list, right from your phone. Want to check if your friends are ready for a round of Zombies in Call of Duty: Black Ops III? The Messages app gives you an easy way to gather the team. We know that Messages is the most used feature of the PlayStation App, so we created the standalone PlayStation Messages app with a more streamlined design in order to get you into your Messages and communicating with your friends faster than ever before. The app will display your full friends list, sorted by online status or alphabetically. It will also show any Favorite Groups you’ve added to message several people at once. You can send text or voice messages, as well as stickers and attachments. Making PS4 a socially connected experience has always been one of our core goals, and we think this app will help enhance that connectivity even further. Download the app and let us know what you think in the comments below! View the full article
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PlayStation Experience 2015 may have ended, but it won’t be forgotten! Here were our favorite trailers of the show. Which were yours? PlayStation Experience 2015: The Full Keynote Relive the entire opening keynote right here! Paragon – PlayStation Experience 2015 Announce Trailer | PS4One of the biggest hits of the keynote was the announcement trailer for Paragon, a next-gen MOBA from Epic Games. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – PlayStation Experience 2015 Trailer | PS4With the release date looming, this latest trailer gave us a glimpse into the relationship between Nathan and his long lost brother Sam. Final Fantasy VII Remake – PlayStation Experience 2015 Trailer | PS4Fans rejoiced when Square Enix announced this long-awaited remake. And now we have our first look at the action-packed gameplay footage! Destiny: The Taken King – Sparrow Racing League | PS4Sparrow racing in Destiny? We’ve been waiting for this since the Alpha! Street Fighter V – F.A.N.G | PS4The second-in-command of the mysterious Shadaloo organization F.A.N.G fights with a fluid, flamboyant move set. Dark Souls 3 | PS4Prepare to die… again! The brutally challenging action RPG soldiers on in this glorious new trailer. Ni no Kuni II – Announcement Trailer | PS4 The beloved RPG with beautiful visuals and a touching story returns to the spotlight with a full sequel. Witness the story of a true king. Job Simulator | PS VRThis VR game title quickly became a fan favorite at PlayStation Experience 2015. Golem | PS VRThis PlayStation VR exclusive is being developed by the industry pros at Highwire Games, whose ranks include Jaime Griesemer (Halo CE, inFAMOUS Second Son) and Marty O’ Donnell (Destiny) among others. One to watch! Hob | PS4Who are you, and what is your purpose? Discover a beautiful yet dangerous world in Hob. 100ft Robot Golf | PS4, PS VRFore! And then some… Golf just got a lot more interesting, and all we had to do was add 100-foot tall robots. Why didn’t someone think of this before?! Nioh | PS4Did someone call for bloody samurai action with a little pinch of oni for good measure? Fans of Onimusha and Dark Souls should pay attention to this. Eagle Flight | PS VRSoar high above buildings and clip the clouds themselves in this gorgeous new game from the team at Ubisoft. Seems like it’ll be a real eye popper on PlayStation VR… View the full article
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Hi all! I was one of the creators of Gone Home, an award-winning, story-focused indie title that made a splash a while back on PC. It’s a game where you explore story, interactively—it’s the very human story of one family and what they’ve left behind. Ever since we first launched Gone Home on PC we’ve wanted to bring the game to more players, and today I’m psyched to announce that Gone Home is making its way to PS4 this coming January! I recorded a personal message about this exciting news—check it out below: More than anything, we’re incredibly grateful for the passionate audience of fans that have fallen in love with Gone Home since its release. The ways that Gone Home has connected with so many people on a personal, emotional level just means the world to us. And so our goal with bringing the game to consoles wasn’t to alter or add extraneous stuff onto an experience that already holds a special place in so many players’ hearts—instead, it’s been our mission to translate the original PC version as perfectly as we can, tailoring the game to feel native to new platforms. We’re going the extra mile to make this the very best Gone Home experience you could hope for—and we’re so excited for the PlayStation audience to discover the game’s mysteries anew as they explore the House on Arbor Hill. Of course, it’s not just the core story that Gone Home has to offer: We also recorded more than an hour and a half of behind-the-scenes developer commentary from the team that created the game, as well as the talented voice actors and musicians that brought the experience to life—including in-depth insight from Sarah Grayson, the voice of Sam Greenbriar; Chris Remo, who composed our musical score; and original riot grrrl musician Corin Tucker, the lead singer of Sleater-Kinney. Gone Home is a small but dense creation filled with the art and expression of so many talented individuals, and we’re really excited to give players an even more intimate view into how this game came to be. In the time since Gone Home was originally released, there’s been an outpouring of requests from fans asking for the game to appear on their platform of choice—and we’re so happy to be able to finally come through for them, and bring this one-of-a-kind experience to PS4. Have a very happy holiday season, and we’ll see you on January 12! View the full article
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As you may have heard, we had the latest iteration of the classic Hot Shots Golf franchise on display at PlayStation Experience this past weekend. Visitors were able to check out the game and experience a new mode as well. I’m here to tell you all about the ins and outs of New Hot Shots Golf (working title), coming exclusively to PS4. As you may know, Hot Shots Golf is one of PlayStation’s oldest franchises and originally debuted in 1997. Over the years, it’s delivered a fun and accessible golfing experience with unique stylized graphics and realistic golf mechanics and physics, to players on all of PlayStation’s home and handheld consoles. With this latest iteration, we are adding to the mix character creation and customization, a robust online experience, and free roaming on the game’s golf courses including the ability to drive golf carts anywhere you want. In past Hot Shots Golf games, unlocking new golfer characters and building a lineup of athletes with various strengths and weaknesses was key. However in New Hot Shots Golf, players start by creating and dressing their very own golfer, utilizing a deep set of customization tools. By playing and completing specific tasks, players can level up their personalized golfer and build strength for long drives, precise control for putting on the green, and more. New Hot Shots Golf will include a variety of golf courses set in a variety of environments. And rather than being automatically transported to the tee for each hole, all golf courses will be free roaming, meaning you can walk around, explore, and more anywhere you want. Take a spin in your golf cart, or stop by the pond and try to catch a few fish. And you’ll see other online players going about their business as well. Aside from just solo play, New Hot Shots Golf will offer a wide variety of connected online gameplay modes on PlayStation Network. You can unlock rewards by completing missions, compete in matches and tournaments, or play cooperatively with others. At PlayStation Experience we showed off a new team-based mode where players try to complete as many holes as possible within an allotted amount of time. Look for more details about the game right here on the PlayStation.Blog, and happy golfing! View the full article
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Hello again, my darling PlayStation nation! This is Brian Bendis, executive producer of the PlayStation Originals series Powers, and co-creator of the comic book series the show is based on. I was interviewed at PlayStation Experience this weekend where we debuted the first footage from Powers Season 2! And I could not wait to jump on the blog and share it with you. You know, like I promised I would. Here it is. All the hard work of hundreds of people working their butts off all year. And for those of you who checked out season one, I think your first reaction may be, “this looks different.†It is. Just like our characters, we’re growing into our powers (bad pun intended) and the show has continued to evolve and grow in a way we are all extremely proud of. Remi Aubuchon, our dazzling showrunner, led the charge of making some significant hires behind the scenes in the areas of cinematography, costumes, stunts, and production design. They’re an incredible group of artists, as I’m sure you can see from the footage in the clip. In upcoming blog posts, I will be focusing some attention on each of these amazing individuals and what they bring to the world of Powers. But for now, just know that they have helped make this season even bigger and bolder than ever! For those of you who don’t know, Powers is the first PlayStation Originals scripted series on PlayStation Network. It’s produced by the studio that brought you Breaking Bad and by the people behind the film Straight Outta Compton. Powers tells the story of homicide detectives Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim who work cases specific to the world of superheroes, super villains, and everyone in between, called Powers. Like my other co-creation, Jessica Jones, that recently made it to the small screen, Powers offers a unique and very adult mash up of crimes and capes. This season our storyline is focused on the biggest case in Powers’ comic book history: who Killed Retro Girl? The biggest superhero in the Powers world is dead and literally everyone is a suspect. As we speak the show is filming in Atlanta and every day I smile ear to ear because the show looks so good and the actors are giving everything they have. Speaking of the actors, we have some familiar faces from season one, some new cast members we’ve already announced, and a few new names you’re hearing about right now for the first time: Sharlto Copley (District 9) is Detective Christian Walker Susan Hayward (Vinyl) is Detective Deena Pilgrim Olesya Rulin (High School Musical) is Calista Michael Madsen (The Hateful Eight) is Supershock Michelle Forbes (The Killing) is Retro Girl Justice Leak (Supergirl) is Detective Kutter Logan Browning (Hit the Floor) is Zora Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica) is FBI Special Agent Lange Enrico Colantoni (Veronica Mars) is an ex-Power, Senator Bailey Brown Wil Wheaton (Star Trek: The Next Generation) in a role that hasn’t been revealed yet Timothy Perez (Uncanny X-Men) is FBI Special Agent Slag Dominic Rains (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) is The Lance Matthew Yang King (G.I. Joe: Renegades) is THX Raul Casso (Forever) is Sgt. Martinez There is still a lot of mystery around some of these characters and you are probably asking yourself who they are or how they’re involved. That’s ok. All will be revealed… in time. Someone pointed out to me on Twitter, this season looks like the “Ocean’s 11†of genre actors. I think that is insanely cool. I hope you like what you see because we’ve all been working really hard to bring you an incredible show, and this is just the teeny tiniest taste of everything coming in 2016. View the full article
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PlayStation Experience is still in full swing this weekend, and what better way to celebrate than fight back against the untold terrors assaulting Earth from space? Yes, it’s an Earth Defense Force kind of week with two games from the cult classic series joining the PlayStation family! Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair is an enhanced remake of Earth Defense Force 2025. It comes packing new features, weapons, missions, and more in humanity’s battle against overwhelming alien opposition. And that’s not all! Earth Defense Force 2: Invaders from Planet Space on PS Vita enhances the original Earth Defense Force 2 in all it’s B-movie glory. Expect tons of weapons, vehicles, and brutal challenges. We hope you’re enjoying PlayStation Experience this weekend! See you next week! New Releases: December 8th, 2015 Among the Sleep PS4 — Digital Among the Sleep is a psychological horror game where you play as a two year old child. You get to experience the world through the eyes of a toddler with a vivid imagination that could easily scare your pants off. Battle Trivia Knockout PS3 — Digital Battle head-to-head in this fast-paced trivia action game and knock out the competition! Over 1,000 questions are both presented on screen and spoken by the Trivia Sensei. Bombing Busters PS Vita — Digital (Out 12/7, Cross buy with PS4) Have a blast! Bomb oodles of nasty critters in a series of 30 wicked mazes. Defeat hellish bosses in heroic fights! Embark on a hilarious journey with the witty Dr. Wallow to conquer the galaxy in this explosively fun arcade game! Earth Defense Force 2: Invaders from Planet Space PS Vita — Digital, Retail Earth Defense Force 2: Invaders from Planet Space is an expanded remake of the second entry in the acclaimed action series. Helmed by the original developers at Sandlot, this is the definitive version of what fans typically consider to be the best EDF title. Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair PS4 — Digital, Retail We knew they were coming. We did all we could to prepare. But they still set the world on fire. Ravagers, we called them. The world’s militaries fought them with everything they had, but in the end, only one force stood a chance: The EDF. The Four Kings Casino and Slots PS4 — Digital Immerse yourself in a social multiplayer casino experience. Create an avatar, earn rewards, and win big! Play all of your favorite casino games including Poker, Slots, Blackjack, and more! Guns, Gore, & Cannoli PS4 — Digital You are Vinnie Cannoli, who is sent on a mission to find a Goodfella who has gone missing. However, as soon as you set foot ashore, it becomes clear that Thugtown is overrun with zombies and other evil. You need to put on your best wiseguy-face and help Vinnie deal with the scum that is invading the city. Taco Master PS Vita — Digital Fast-paced, finger-flicking fun, it’s time to put your reactions to the test! Become a real Taco Master and make tacos as they should be made, drop the ingredients on a tortilla and deliver it to the order, easy! Zotrix PS4 — Digital Zotrix is arcade space shooter inspired by early shooter games on arcade machines from the 80’s and early 90’s. Designed for all generations, it contains missions with nice and colorful enemies while focused on the arcade element of gameplay. Secrets – Everything They Got Us Here August Alsina – This Thing Called Life R. Kelly – The Buffet Hitman: Agent 47 Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (Plus Bonus Content) War Room Neon Joe, Werewolf Hunter – A Five-Part Miniseries Airs 12/7-12/11 at 12am ET (Available on Adult Swim) TV’s Funniest Animated Stars: A Paley Center for Media Special – Airs December 7 at 8/7c (Available on FOX) The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show – Airs December 8 at 10/9c (Available on CBS) The information above is subject to change without notice. View the full article
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Hi everyone! PlayStation Experience 2015 is officially underway, and we’re celebrating with a special offer! Pick up at least one game from our list of PlayStation Experience Special Offer titles and you’ll receive a 10 percent discount on your next purchase. The special offer-eligible lineup includes some of the biggest games of 2015 and most anticipated games coming in 2016, including Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Call of Duty: Black Ops III, Destiny: The Taken King and more. See the full roster of games below. Head over to PlayStation Store on PS4 or desktop to scoop up the savings. But don’t wait too long, our PlayStation Experience Special Offer ends December 8, 2015, at 12pm PST! PlayStation Experience Special Offer Games Assassin’s Creed SyndicatePS4Assassin’s Creed Syndicate: Gold EditionPS4Batman: Arkham KnightPS4Batman: Arkham Knight Premium EditionPS4BattlebornePS4Call of Duty: Black Ops IIIPS4Call of Duty: Black Ops IIIPS3Call of Duty: Black Ops III – Digital Deluxe EditionPS4Dead StarPS4Destiny: The Taken KingPS4Destiny: The Taken KingPS3Destiny: The Taken King – Digital Collector’s EditionPS4Destiny: The Taken King – Digital Collector’s EditionPS3Destiny: The Taken King – Legendary EditionPS4Destiny: The Taken King – Legendary EditionPS3Disney Infinity 3.0 EditionPS4Disney Infinity 3.0 EditionPS3Fat Princess AdventuresPS4HitmanPS4MLB 16PS4MLB 16 Collector’s EditionPS4MLB 16 Deluxe EditionPS4Nuclear ThronePS4Nuclear ThronePS VitaSTAR WARS BattlefrontPS4STAR WARS Battlefront Deluxe EditionPS4STAR WARS Battlefront Ultimate EditionPS4Street Fighter VPS4Uncharted 4 Deluxe EditionPS4Uncharted 4: A Thief’s EndPS4Uncharted Nathan Drake CollectionPS4Yakuza 5PS3The discount code* will be delivered via the email account associated with your PSN ID by December 18, 2015 11:59 PST. Participating product purchases must be made on PlayStation Store via PS3, PS4 or store.playstation.com before 12/8/2015 12 pm PST. *Upon receipt, code must be redeemed at checkout after adding eligible products to cart and discounted transaction completed before 1/15/2016 @ 12:00 noon PST. Code does not apply to transactions made on PlayStation Store on PS Vita, PlayStation TV, PSP or in-game. Some exclusions apply, including but not limited to PS Plus memberships, subscriptions, game pre-orders, PS Now content and rental video content. View the full article
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We’ve concluded the keynote of our second annual PlayStation Experience! Thousands of attendees have traveled from across the globe to join us in San Francisco – with even more watching online. Before I get into the amazing games, I want to extend a huge thank you to PlayStation fans everywhere. Without your passion and support, we would not be able to put on an event like PlayStation Experience, and we are grateful for each and every one of you. It has never been a better time to be a gamer and, as we demonstrated today, PlayStation is truly the best place to play. Speaking of playing, let’s get to some games! We kicked off this week with the beta for Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, so it was only fitting that we started the keynote with PlayStation’s favorite wise-cracking treasure hunter Nathan Drake. Gearbox Software is making PlayStation 4 the first place players can play Battleborn, with early access to their beta. And players who play the beta on PS4 will get a special hero for free! After announcing Street Fighter V at last years’ PlayStation Experience, Capcom has joined us this year for the finale of the Capcom Pro Tour on Sunday from 10am-10pm. Capcom didn’t arrive alone. However, they brought a new contestant to introduce to the world – F.A.N.G. One word we like to use to describe the catalog of PlayStation games is variety. Action arcade games like Dead Star from Armature Studio, the collection of new games developed by Adult Swim, and Zodiac making its debut on PS4 and PSVita just scratch the surface of the unexpected games coming to PlayStation. For instance, our new partner, Stormcloud Games are tapping into their childhoods with the development of Brut@l. The best baseball franchise from our very own San Diego Studio is looking to hit it out of the park once again this March with MLB 16: The Show. With the launch of PlayStation VR in 2016, PlayStation will continue to evolve how you play games. Over thirty playable demos are on the floor at PlayStation Experience this year, offering a glimpse into the future of gaming. During today’s keynote, we unveiled exciting new titles in the works for PlayStation VR including Eagle Flight from Ubisoft, The Modern Zombie Taxi Co. from Sony Santa Monica, 100ft Robot Golf from No Goblin, Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin from Double Fine, Rez Infinite, Ace Combat 7 from Namco Bandai, and Golem – the first game from Highwire Games and a PlayStation VR exclusive. In other playable news, the owners of Destiny: The Taken King will be treated to a new event coming this Tuesday – Sparrow Racing League. We also took a look at two new PS4 exclusives. The first, Hob, comes from Runic Games the makers of Torchlight. And closing out the show, Epic Games gave us a deeper look at what they are calling a “MOBA-ass MOBAâ€, Paragon. Stay tuned to PlayStation.Blog throughout the weekend as we stream panels and interviews, release new content, and let you know about deep discounts on PlayStation Store. View the full article
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We are pleased to announce that starting December 8th, PlayStation Now will offer a limited-time only, 12-Month subscription for $99.99. This special offer will provide savings of more than 55% off the regular monthly subscription price. For less than $9 per month, you can now get access to hundreds of PS3 games, with new games added every month. If you’re a current PlayStation Now subscriber, you can purchase the 12-Month Subscription on PlayStation Store to extend your current 1-Month or 3-Month subscription. Blockbuster WBIE Games Hit PlayStation Now Subscription Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is releasing some of its most powerful games on the PlayStation Now Subscription starting on December 8th, including: Batman: Arkham Asylum (New!) Become Batman as you move in the shadows, instigate fear amongst your enemies and confront The Joker and Gotham City’s most notorious villains who have taken over Arkham Asylum — Gotham City’s psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane. Using a wide range of Batman’s gadgets and abilities, players will become the invisible predator and attempt to foil The Joker’s demented scheme. Batman: Arkham City (Existing) Arkham City, the maximum security “home†for all of Gotham City’s thugs, gangsters, and insane criminal masterminds, is in danger in this dark adventure. With an arsenal of gadgets, Batman’s mission is to take down thugs and put an end to the villains threatening the city — including The Joker himself. Whether you’re solving crimes or chaining attacks for a higher combo score, prepare for peril in this open world. Batman: Arkham Origins (New!) Set several years before Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City, Batman: Arkham Origins tells the story of why Batman became the Dark Knight and how the villains rose up against him. Fight for a Gotham City free of crime and corruption in this action-adventure game. Injustice: Gods Among Us (New!) Fight as DC Comics icons such as Batman, Cyborg, The Flash, Harley Quinn, Nightwing, Solomon Grundy, Superman, Wonder Woman, and more in epic battles on a massive scale in a world where the line between good and evil has been blurred. Mortal Kombat (New!) Experience the deadliest tournament in all its bloody glory in Mortal Kombat, including intrepid warriors Skarlet, Kenshi, Rain, and the notorious dream stalker Freddy Krueger. F.E.A.R (Single-Player Campaign Mode, New!) A mysterious paramilitary force infiltrates a multi-billion dollar aerospace compound, taking hostages but issuing no demands. With no other recourse, the elite F.E.A.R. (First Encounter Assault Recon) team is assembled to deal with the extraordinary circumstances. Be the hero in your own epic cinematic shooter of action, tension, and terror! But that’s only the first of this two-part content release from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. This One’s for the Kids — and the Kids at Heart It is the season of giving, and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment will also be adding a stocking stuffer of sorts to all of you PlayStation Now fans out there — in the form of four of its most popular LEGO games. In addition to LEGO Batman 2: DC Superheroes (a perennial Player Favorite on the service), the following LEGO games will be joining the subscription: The LEGO Movie Videogame (New!) Who can stop Lord Business and his evil plans? Only Emmett and his ragtag crew of heroes! Play as more than 90 different characters, including Wonder Woman, Gandalf, Shakespeare, and more in this action-adventure game based off the blockbuster film! LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (New!) Based on the first four Harry Potter books and movies that tell the story of Harry’s first four years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 offers an engaging mix of magical gameplay and light-hearted humor. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 (New!) Play as your favorite characters during Harry Potter’s most memorable moments of his final years at Hogwarts — reimagined in LEGO form! Learn charms, spells, and dueling skills to take down Lord Voldemort yourself and save the Wizarding World. LEGO Batman: The Videogame (New!) Save Gotham City from Joker, Penguin, and Riddler in 30 levels of non-stop LEGO action. Play as your favorite Batman heroes and villains, with special abilities and vehicles, including the Batmobile. Battle and build to stop the supervillains’ evil plans! LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (Existing) Legends Unite! Batman and Robin join their Super Hero friends from the DC Comics Universe — including Superman and Wonder Woman — to save Gotham City from destruction by evil villains Lex Luthor and The Joker. All of these Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment games pack a ton of fun. Together, they stack up to countless hours of joy, so if you haven’t already tried the PlayStation Now Subscription, please consider the 7-Day free Trial. With hundreds of games to play, including blockbusters from WBIE, there’s never been a better time to join! Click here to start your 7-Day free Trial. View the full article
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Being a small team, it was important for us to keep our focus tight while designing Invisible, Inc. on PS4. We set our sights mostly on the campaign mode in order for that to be as good as we could make it. Later in development though, it became apparent that players were spending a lot more time in the “endless†mode than we were expecting. After the game had been out for a while, the balance of some of our late game pickups was favoring a smaller set than we would consider ideal. Working on new content with the Contingency Plan DLC was a chance for us to make some changes to the late game balance. Nerf — It Makes Deadly Things Fun The two worst offenders to the balance of endless mode were the Cloaking Rig III and the Shock Trap III. They had been designed to be fun and rewarding to use in the campaign, and we still wanted to retain that. I liked how FTL: Faster Than Light had managed to make their higher level items both powerful and restrained by having them take up more space, thus they weren’t plainly more powerful but instead were a shift to a different style of play. We didn’t have exactly the same kind of attributes to play with that FTL had, so we had to look for something else to do. In the end each item was re-balanced differently. The Cloaking Rig’s issue was that its “area of effect†feature made it quite possible to cloak the whole team, and with multiple copies, you could keep them cloaked an entire mission. We decided the AOE was too strong even though it was fun. Instead it would cloak the user for two turns instead of the usual one, which was still pretty good, just not as “abusable†as the AOE. The Shock Trap III also had an “area of effect,†but removing it made it too close to its little brothers, the Shock Trap I and II. Sure it could be given more KO time, or less cooldown, but it was nice that it added more tools to the team other than just some stat changes. We wanted to rebalance in another way. So the next issue that could be dealt with was how easily it was spammed. Giving it a PWR cost meant that it still had all its fun AOE but it wouldn’t be possible to put it everywhere unless the player commitment to a low PWR agent build which comes with other risks and limitations. Taking the “O†Out of “OPâ€The DLC was going to extend the length of both the campaign and the endless modes. We felt a new tier of item was necessary to help with the later difficulties as well as a new place to spend the increasing resources earned. We’d already seen how our escalating power of the level I, II, and III items was causing trouble with the endless mode, so some new kind of restriction was required for this higher tier of item. A problem we had already dealt with early on was that it was not fun to have finite uses of your special tools. When items have finite uses, there’s that constant voice in your head to save them for when you might really need them and you end up never using them. Our early solution was to change from finite uses to the current cooldown system. Even still, we tested these new tier IV items with a finite use system. Sure enough, as we already knew, it wasn’t fun. We ended up with a compromise between cooldowns and finite uses. Level IV items all received one charge that would refresh between missions, like a long term cooldown. Charges could also be refiled using the charge packs found in the missions providing a sink for the extra resources accumulated late game. With this system, it was possible to give these new items strong stats due to their limited use, but it also didn’t feel wrong to use them while playing as they could be recharged and they would refresh mission to mission. In fact, I found it made the moments I did use them feel a little more impactful. Into the Player’s Hands So that was our two part strategy to rebalance the late game: adjust the worst offending items in such a way as to remain fun, but less abusive, as well as add a new higher tier of items that, though powerful, had limited use that would refresh each mission. It’s always exciting and a little nerve wracking when you release your plans out into the public for the ultimate test. That’s where things are now as of the launch of the DLC. It’s been a challenge to design items that will fit into these two modes of the game: one that wants to end in an exciting encounter, and one that wants to keep going and going. View the full article
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Hello everyone! I’m Chris Millar, Studio Head of Fun Bits, coming to you live from PlayStation Experience 2015. I’m full of excitement as we celebrate our official launch day today on PS4. Fat Princess Adventures is available today on PlayStation Store, so grab it and enjoy some chaos and cake with your friends. Fat Princess Adventures takes players on a ton of chaotic, fast-paced quests to help save Princess Plump and Princess Muffintop from the Bitter Queen. Players can battle together with up to four players on the couch or with friends online. Class switching is fast and furious as players can change between Warrior, Mage, Engineer, or Archer at any checkpoint along the way, making class switching fast and furious. Players can customize their character with oodles of gear and weaponry, with each individual piece affecting the player’s skills and combat. They can also level-up their character to survive the onslaught of bitter and disgusting creatures that have raided the land, including cake slimes, gobblings, rotten melons, baker monks, and voracious vegan pirates. Every mettle of the player’s team will be tested in mighty boss fights against Zug the giant gobbling, Ogurt the ogre, Two Patches the pirate, the Head Baker Monk, and the Bitter Queen herself. And the battle never ends. Visit the Grindhouse to play previously completed levels for all new rewards. Fans can also select from five unique personality types: Hero, Emo, Zen Master, Clown, or Evil Genius. Each personality delivers a running commentary on the action, using specific lines and humor. There’s a star-studded cast that includes the incredible talents of Nolan North, Tara Strong, Jess Harnell, Richard Horvitz, Tom Kane, Steve Blum, Fred Tatasciore, Erin Fitzgerald, James Arnold Taylor, Kari Wahlgren, Nika Futterman, and many more! In honor of launching the game this weekend at PlayStation Experience, we’re offering a sweet, limited-time offer to anyone who downloads the game today. Players will receive a super-exclusive offering of a balloon gear set for all character classes. PS Plus members who jump to pick-up the game also receive a limited-time 10% discount. We all hope you enjoy Fat Princess Adventures. Your love of her royal highness has continued to inspire us and so we’re looking forward to continuing this adventure with all of you online. Cake for everyone, chubby mode activate! View the full article
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The Modern Zombie Taxi Co. is a new and exciting PlayStation VR game that lets you get to experience zombies in a completely new way. As seemingly the last human on earth, you take on the task of driving these brain-eating (and tea drinking) bodies to their chosen destination — but you better do it the right way! Modern Zombie began as a fun VR demo with the player driving a car around filled up with rag dolls. Sharing the same physical space with the other floppy folks was hilarious and we knew we wanted to create a game out of this idea. We spent the next few months making a demo that we would show at BitSummit, an independent games festival here in Kyoto, Japan. The game was an immediate hit at the show with the attendees and we were really surprised when we found out it won the best in show award at the event! The slapstick humor really seemed to resonate with folks. After BitSummit, we were lucky enough to create a relationship with the amazing team at Santa Monica Studio! Together, we have been working hard to bring you this very silly game for PlayStation VR. The Modern Zombie Taxi Co. allows you to get real up-close with the zombies in a fun and quirky way as they bounce around in your car, shamble about and (poorly) drive around town. You’ll find that some zombies have very particular requests for their taxi ride and you can be sure they’ll tell you all about them as they careen about inside your car and invade your personal space. Don’t worry if they get too close — you can always just punch them off using your own hands and one-to-one tracking with DualShock 4 and PlayStation Camera! Take advantage of PlayStation VR head tracking and look in the backseat of your taxi to witness these zany zombies’ antics first-hand! Take in this brightly colored, happy world filled with sandwich rain and biscuit hunts, beach balls, and much, much more. The slow-going zombies never seem to stop needing your help to take them places. The Modern Zombie Taxi Co. will give players a memorable and unique VR experience that we hope will make them laugh as much as we have during the development of this game. We’ve fallen for these zombies and their odd personalities in this weird world of theirs, and we hope you will too! View the full article
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Greetings, PlayStation fans! I’m Dant from Choice Provisions, the developer formerly known as Gaijin Games. Although we’re probably best known for the Bit.Trip series, we’ve been hard at work on a variety of new games that branch out greatly from our previous works. If you’re at this year’s PlayStation Experience, you’ll have a chance to play several of these games! And if you’re not at PlayStation Experience, then here’s a quick breakdown of everything we have in the pipeline! First up is a game that A) hasn’t been announced yet and is available now on PlayStation Store! Introducing The Bit.Trip, a collection of all six classic Bit.Trip games: Bit.Trip Beat, Bit.Trip Void, Bit.Trip Core, Bit.Trip Runner, Bit.Trip Fate, and Bit.Trip Flux. The Bit.Trip is available now on PS4 and PS Vita (And coming soon to PS3!), and features cross buy, cross save, cross-platform leaderboards, cross-platform Trophies, and probably some other cross- stuff I’m forgetting about. It’s the perfect product for veteran fans of Bit.Trip as well as those looking to dip their toes into the series for the first time! Those of you attending PlayStation Experience will have the opportunity to play The Bit.Trip. Actually, everyone has the opportunity to play The Bit.Trip. I forgot the part about it being out now. Next in line is Space Dave, the spiritual successor to the hit game Woah Dave! It’s a modern take on the fixed shooters of yesteryear, where players must defend their ground against an alien onslaught. Taking a page from classic arcade games, Space Dave offers a seemingly infinite variety of weird and challenging alien types with varying attack patterns. If you manage to survive long enough, you just might be able to build up your arsenal and collect enough power-ups to turn the tides against your would-be alien captors. That is, until the bosses show up… Space Dave is coming soon to PS4 and PS Vita! Our third curveball is DriveDriveDrive, a game about racing cars on multiple tracks at the same time. It’s a crazy concept, but it’s made easier by the fact that you’re able to switch between tracks at any given time. And when you switch away from a particular track, the AI takes over for you. Unfortunately, the AI isn’t what you’d call competent. It’s what you’d call incompetent. Because of this, you must be diligent about swapping between tracks throughout the race. We’re confident in saying there’s never been another racing game like this! DriveDriveDrive will boast all of the Modern Video Game Features the kids are clamoring for: online multiplayer, a single-player campaign, the ability to create your own tracks and upload them, and probably other things I’m forgetting. Keep an eye out for DriveDriveDrive on PS4 and PS Vita in 2016! Stay tuned for more information about Space Dave, DriveDriveDrive, and a few other games we’ve yet to announce! And, of course, feel free to ask us any questions you may have in the comments! View the full article
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Greetings, PlayStation Nation! The team at SNK PLAYMORE and I are very happy to update you with the latest news regarding The King of Fighters XIV here from PlayStation Experience 2015! The King of Fighters has enjoyed enormous success across the globe since its birth in 1994, and amongst some of our latest reveals today, we are pleased to announce that The King of Fighters XIV will feature one of the largest character rosters ever in KOF Series’ history! For our latest installment and true successor to the main (numbered) series, the game visuals have evolved into 3D graphics, however rest assured that The King of Fighters XIV keeps the classic 2D gameplay and three-on-three team battle game system. Furthermore, various new multiplayer online modes such as the exciting Party Battle mode will be featured. The first chapter of a brand new KOF Saga, which welcomes a plethora of returning characters as well as newcomers, now begins! Here are some of the main details regarding The King of Fighters XIV… A huge character roster of 50 fighters! In addition to numerous popular, returning KOF characters, many new characters involved in the storyline will enter the ring for the first time! KOF’s traditional three-on-three team battle game system is back! The player selects their favorite three fighters from the game’s huge character roster, fighting via KOF’s traditional game system. A brand new fighting game experience, Party Battle Mode! Get ready to duke it out with as many as six people (three players on each team) in VS Online Party Battle. Feel the heat of an authentic fighting game tournament experience via PSN! A Brand New KOF Saga! The KOF Series’ storyline has been continuing over the Orochi, Nests, and Ash story arcs. KOF’s rich story has not finished, and returns in a brand new exciting arc. Please make sure to stop by our PS Experience booth (#1151/1152) this weekend here in San Francisco to get your hands on Kyo, Iori, Andy, Chang, Leona, and Kula with the in-development version of the game, and let us know your feedback! For those who can’t make it to PS Experience this year we hope you enjoyed our keynote trailer, and be sure to stay tuned for more exciting news in the months to come! View the full article
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Hey there, PlayStation.Blog pals! Panzer and I are incredibly excited to show you the next game from No Goblin: 100ft Robot Golf. I love telling people about 100ft Robot Golf, because the name instantly describes what this game is. It’s impossibly huge robots playing golf! The twist is that not only are the robots directly controllable in real time, but they’re playing golf in a fully destructible environment. You can now destroy that pesky obstacle that’s blocking your shot to the green, or even push it in the way of one of your golf buddies! We’re pulling out all the stops to make 100ft Robot Golf really fun to play with friends. You can tear up the town with up to four people taking turns, in real time splitscreen, or even online. We’re also super excited to reveal that you will also be able to control a golf club wielding robot using the PlayStation VR headset! There’s nothing quite like donning a headset to take control of a huge robot with a singular purpose lowering a golf handicap. If you feel like going solo, 100ft Robot Golf also includes a unique campaign mode that allows you to live the stories behind some of the world’s most famous robot golfers. You’ll be able to live the intrigue, love, and action of being a robot golfer through the magic of ’90s style mecha animation. Finally, the high stakes drama of saving the entire universe is now applied to needing to sink a birdie on the 18th hole. Look for the future of golf to arrive on your PS4 in 2016. <3,Dan View the full article
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It seems like just the other day we were announcing a new Psychonauts game, and now we’re announcing another! What is this, Christmas time? Oh right, it is I guess — well let’s enjoy it, then! Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin was announced today at PlayStation Experience, as a PlayStation VR game coming to PS4 next year! It tells the story of what happens immediately after the end of Psychonauts which was left on a cliffhanger… At the end of Psychonauts (Spoilers, you guys!) Raz is recognized as a great PSI-Cadet and is asked to join his tutors as a fully fledged Psychonaut! But just as Raz is about to go home from camp with his father, news arrives that the Grand Head of the Psychonauts (and Lili’s father) Truman Zanotto, has been kidnapped. The team, Raz and Lili included, fly off in the Psychonauts jet to rescue him. It’s time to tell that story! Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin will bridge the story gap between the original Psychonauts and the forthcoming sequel! Did we mention we were making a sequel? Well we want to, anyway — help us make it a reality! View the full article
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Today at PlayStation Experience 2015, Gearbox Software’s Randy Pitchford jumped on stage to give attendees a first look at one of the oddest, cutest and most fearsome playable heroes you’ve yet to see in a game: a penguin… in a hulking mech suit. Because Battleborn. Here’s a wrap up of all the Battleborn announcements if you missed the keynote this morning. What is Battleborn?Set in the distant future, Battleborn is a next-gen shooter from the creators of Borderlands featuring a tremendous band of 25 unique heroes in a fight to protect the universe’s very last star from a mysterious evil. Battleborn will have a narrative-driven story mode that can be played online solo or cooperatively with up to five players. In addition, there will be three action-packed online competitive multiplayer modes with 10 players in 5v5 matches. Players can also progress their own player profile Command Rank as well as the Character Rank for each and every Battleborn hero. Open Beta Coming in 2016Start sharpening your swords and loading those miniguns, the Battleborn Open Beta is coming next year to PS4. Don’t forget, PS4 players get early access during the upcoming Open Beta and as a special thank you to all those PS4 players who participate in the Open Beta, we announced today that they will receive a bonus 26th Battleborn hero* after the game launches on May 3rd, 2016. To qualify for and redeem the bonus reward, PS4 players must login to their purchased version of Battleborn using the same SHiFT account they played with during the Open Beta. Introducing Toby, the DestroyerThe 16th Battleborn hero, Toby, may look like a huggable little penguin ready to march off some arctic shelf — but don’t underestimate this angry engineering genius. After being rejected by the Peacekeepers faction for being “too cute to fight,†Toby’s typical mild-mannered temperament turned to anger. He channeled that rage into constructing a grotesque and insanely powerful mechanized suit and joined the Rogue faction in the fight to save the last star. You’ll get your chance to try Toby for the first time on PS4 during the Open Beta. Head over to Battleborn.com for more information on Toby and the other 15 revealed Battleborn heroes. Digital Pre-order Available Today on PS4Today we announced that Battleborn is available today for digital pre-order on PS4. Adorn your heroes in golden character skins when you pre-order Battleborn and get the Firstborn Pack, which includes skins for Thorn, Reyna, Montana, Marquis, and Rath! *Toby is the 16th playable hero out of the 25 heroes available at launch. He is not the currently unannounced 26th playable hero available after the game launches on May 3rd, 2016. View the full article
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Hello everyone. As we continue our celebration of the PlayStation 20th anniversary, we want to take a look back at the heritage that helped propel us to the brand that we are today. PlayStation 2 holds a special place in the hearts of many gamers who have fond memories of playing some of the biggest franchises in gaming. PS2 remains the best-selling console of all time, thanks in part to the revolutionary tech built into the box, such as support for the DVD format for games and movies, a powerful graphics processor, and specialized chips for particle effects and physics. Above and beyond the technical innovations that made PS2 stand apart is the huge catalog of amazing and much loved games, such as Dark Cloud, Twisted Metal: Black, and the PS2-era classic Grand Theft Auto games, Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, just to name a few. To celebrate our PS2 heritage, I’m excited to announce that starting tomorrow, you will be able to purchase and play PS2 games on your PS4 via PlayStation Store in the Americas and Europe. We are getting things started with a bang by launching with eight fan favorites tomorrow: Dark Cloud — $14.99 Grand Theft Auto III — $14.99 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City — $14.99 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas — $14.99 Rogue Galaxy — $14.99 The Mark of Kri — $14.99 Twisted Metal: Black — $9.99 War of the Monsters — $9.99 Having these titles available on PS4 is already incredibly exciting for us, but we did not stop there. We have brought these titles forward to meet today’s gaming standards by adding Trophy support! Each title’s Trophy set has been carefully developed in conjunction with feedback from the original creators to be sure that they capture the spirit and feeling of each game. Also, you will be able to experience all of these PS2 games like never before — in up-rendered 1080p with the features you expect from a PS4 game including Remote Play, Live Broadcast, Share Play, Activity Feeds, and Second Screen support for game manuals with PlayStation Vita or PlayStation App. And if you’re attending PlayStation Experience in San Francisco this weekend, you’ll be able to play these PS2 games on PS4 at the show floor: Dark Cloud Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas PaRappa the Rapper 2 (coming soon) Rogue Galaxy The King of Fighters 2000 (coming soon) The Mark of Kri War of the Monsters We will be working tirelessly to bring you your favorite PS2 games with new releases on a regular basis, and we hope you love playing PS2 games on PS4 as much as we did making them! So tell us, what PS2 games do you want to play on your PS4? Long live PlayStation! View the full article
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Hi everybody. My name is Jonathan Hawkins and I’m the founder of White Elk. We are a startup VR studio based in Los Angeles and are very excited to bring our first game Eclipse (working title) to PlayStation Experience! I wanted to give you a little backstory of how we got here and a small taste of what Eclipse is all about. Before starting White Elk, I worked at Sony Santa Monica for many years, starting off as an intern and working my way up to be Lead Level Designer. During my time at Sony, I helped to ship God of War I, II & III, which brought a lot of great experiences and lifelong friends. After leaving Sony, I knew I wanted to create something on my own, and I wanted to do it in VR. I got a small taste of VR at Sony Santa Monica when a few programmers and designers put together a demo to show Shuhei Yoshida, the president of Sony Worldwide Studios. While a bit rough, you could still see great potential. It reminded me of the first time I played Doom, a game that recreated 3D environments and teleported me to a new world. It blew my mind! I knew from that moment back in 1993 that making games was what I wanted to do. To create worlds, where I could explore my imagination coming to life and share it with others. For me VR is the next step. It immerses the player even further into the fantastic worlds we create. When searching for inspiration and dreaming of new worlds to explore, I listened to this song over and over and over: Johann Johannsson — How We Left Fordlandia. There was something eerie but beautiful about its composition. I’d close my eyes and drift off to this place. From those thoughts and sounds came the high level inspiration for the game. Eclipse is a first-person exploration game set on a sentient planet with a dark past. At its core is a mysterious story of a world filled with discovery and wonder. You awake after crash-landing to find yourself in a dreamscape environment, littered with the remnants of a failed civilization. Designed for VR, you play the game from inside a space suit that is equipped with advanced technologies. It allows you to survive the planet’s harsh landscapes and discover its past. Early in the adventure you find a supernatural relic, the Artifact. A fusion of biology and technology, this device allows you to control elements of the natural world and interact with the ancient technology. The Artifact is constructed of different fragments, each giving you new powers to control the physical world, on an ever increasing scale. Your goal is to collect these fragments, uncover the mysteries of the past, and escape the planet. I pitched the high level concept to my longtime friend and colleague, Cecil Kim, who had co-founded Section Studios. Cecil worked for many years at Sony Santa Monica as the Visual Development Lead. We would work together on levels and puzzles, where he would take my sketches and basic gray box designs and transform them into amazing environments. He loved the concept of Eclipse, so we began prototyping and exploring the visual direction. Right away, the sense of scale in VR grabbed us. We kept pushing on this idea. Filling the world full of giant set pieces and cavernous rooms. Designing traversal mechanics and areas to take advantage of the unique perspective that VR creates. The core idea of the game is that nature is the connection. VR has allowed us to push this idea. The story of the planet is told through its environments and your interactions with its creatures. By virtually teleporting you to this world, VR creates a sense of being there. The textures of the world and the movements through the space become almost real. These feelings combined with Cecil and Section Studios’ amazing artistic abilities has allowed us to tell the story of the planet in VR, through imagery and symbolism, and breathe life into this imaginary place. There is still a lot of work to do, but the small demo accomplished its goal — creating a new world to explore. A place that breathes its own life, sets the tone for the rest of the game, and recreates the feeling of inspiration I found in a song. The entire team is very thrilled that everyone from the PlayStation family will get a chance to play at PlayStation Experience! Please stop by, say hello, and allow yourself to be teleported to the world we have created for you. View the full article
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World War Toons on PlayStation VR was a huge success at E3, so when we found out that we were going to be showing the game at this year’s PlayStation Experience, we couldn’t wait to show what we’ve been working on. We weren’t content with just showing a new trailer or unveiling a new character, so we doubled down to also include a new control scheme and level. We’ve been working hard to create a first-person shooter that not only appeals to virtual reality enthusiasts, but remains true to the things FPS fans love. For the trailer, remember that Reload Studios is comprised of more than just ex-Call of Duty devs; we have veteran animators from Disney and Marvel as well. As we were thinking of creating this trailer, we drew on their talents to create something special that shows what World War Toons is all about and how fun a family-friendly FPS can truly be. It’s got a heavy dose of Looney Tunes and we think you’re gonna love it. Designing for VR presents its own challenges as well. We realized early on that the traditional FPS controls that utilized both thumb sticks would not work since that’s a surefire recipe for simulation sickness. We’ve tried countless control schemes and have a new one that only uses the left thumb stick in a four-directional movement. This way the controls still feel comfortable for first-person shooter enthusiasts, and most importantly, lets players use strafing movement that’s so important to FPS controls without making you feel sick. It’s true, no fooling. We’ve stuck to our FPS roots, but aim to find new ways to play old game modes. Our new level, Dread Zepplin, pits enemies against each other in a classic King of the Hill battle, but the catch is that it’s taking place on a massive airborne battleship. Players have to control the point long enough for the cannon to destroy their enemy’s ships. The first team to destroy all 3 enemy ships wins. Finally, we’re thrilled to unveil our latest character: the Sniper. Armed with an M1 Garand, the Sniper takes aim and obliterates any enemy in his way. The Sniper also comes with an interesting ability designed for VR — when he looks through the scope, he sees his opponents’ heads as cartoonishly hugr! Without risking sim sickness in VR from rapid zooming, this allows him keep his focus on the game around him and make those ever-important headshots. We’re excited to unveil everything that’s new to World War Toons, and we can’t wait to get the game into your hands. This is just the start of all the exciting things we have planned, so as we like to say at Reload Studios, “Stay Tooned.†If you have any questions about developing for VR or reinventing the FPS wheel, let us know in the comments below! View the full article
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Hey there, my name is Remy Karns, and I want to tell you about Classroom Aquatic, a new game that my team and I here at Sunken Places are developing for Playstation VR. If you haven’t heard of Classroom Aquatic, then this blog post should be the perfect way to dive into our game, and long time fans can keep up with all of the exciting new things we’re adding. In Classroom Aquatic, you’re a foreign exchange diver student spending a semester abroad in a school for dolphins. There, you’ll be given a series of tests that you’re in no way prepared for. The only way to pass is to cheat — avoid being caught by the teachers, don’t let your fellow students tattle on you, and cheat your way to the top of the class! The good news is, we all know how to cheat: just look over at your neighbors’ tests and copy their answers. Don’t worry — dolphins are very smart — they always know the right answers. But they also know when you’re trying to cheat, and the more obvious you are, the harder they’ll try to hide their answers. And if you get them too angry, they’ll tattle to the teacher! Teachers, of course, don’t take kindly to cheating. Each teacher has a unique way of proctoring the class. For example, Professor Porpoise, the history and dolphinities teacher, patrols the class to prevent anyone peeking at any other pupil’s papers, while Doctor Delphinidae, the Science and Mathematics teacher, surveys the class from her desk, and the Career Counsellor directs his student aids to administer each question one at a time. As you progress through the campaign, the teachers employ more and more drastic means to catch the cheaters. They’ll start with desk dividers and rearranging the classroom. Get past those and they’ll resort to more desperate, and creative measures — Professor Porpoise will enact rigid, arcane rules from his university days. Doctor Delphinidae invents elaborate contraptions to make cheating harder, and the Career Counsellor will appeal to the other students to turn you in. You’ll even have to compete with a dolphin student who wants to out-cheat you! Classroom Aquatic has been designed to be a true VR game: rather than a port of a single screen game or a translation of an existing genre, its mechanics, goals, and gameplay have all been tailored to be played on VR head-mounted displays. We think Playstation VR will be the ideal platform for us, as it’s a VR device specifically made for games. That’s all for now! I’ll try to read all your comments and answer all your questions (and if I can’t answer any I’ll just have to cheat). It’s always great to get feedback, and now’s the time, while we’re still in development. Until then, remember to never ascend faster than your smallest bubble when diving: it’s polite to let bubbles go ahead of you! View the full article