Commander Fury

Hello Persona fans and fighting game fans! We're excited to announce that <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/persona-4-arena-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__gm_persona4arena_on_psn_02_11_13">Persona 4 Arena</a>, which earned the honor of "Best Fighting Game" at the <a href="http://www.spike.com/events/video-game-awards-2012-nominees/voting/best-fighting-game">Spike Video Game Awards</a>, is going to be available for digital purchase and download on the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PlayStation Network</a> tomorrow. Some of you may not be familiar with Persona 4 Arena, or the Persona series. You may, however, be aware that <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/atlus/">ATLUS</a> launched <a href="https://store.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/#!/en-us/games/persona4-golden/cid=UP0005-PCSE00120_00-PERSONA4GOLDEN01">Persona 4 Golden</a> for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> last November to critical acclaim, and this title helped generate a great deal of interest for the Persona series. More...

Hey everybody! It’s been a while since <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/when-vikings-attack/" target="_blank">When Vikings Attack</a> was released and we’ve been a bit quiet since then but rest assured it was because the team have been hard at work on lots of exciting stuff! So exciting in fact that this may break the exclamation point button on my keyboard!! As you may have seen last week, we released a new DLC pack loaded with new content, entitled When Vikings Relax! When they were making the main game the team had loads of great ideas for vs. mode maps that just didn’t fit with the theme… huge spinning razor blades, collapsing floors… mini golf. So we’ve stuffed this DLC pack with all that and more! More...

<p style="text-align: justify;">Aliens: Colonial Marines is a First-Person Shooter set in the Alien movie franchise universe in which the player takes on the role of a member of a squad of colonial marines sent to the planet LV-426. The game is designed as a true sequel to the 1986 movie, Aliens, done in video game format, and features iconic locations, weapons and alien varieties from Aliens and other movies in the series. Additional features include: four-player co-op functionality, a new alien type, and customizable weapons.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Created by Gearbox Software, the critically acclaimed and fan-favorite developers of Borderlands and Brothers In Arms, this first-person shooter is steeped in the eerie, claustrophobic and terrifying atmosphere that made the Aliens films successful worldwide. You and your friends will become the most badass military outfit in the galaxy - the US Colonial Marines. It's down to you to not just survive, but wipe out the Xeno infestation.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Enjoy this week’ The Drop.</p> More...

This week on PlayStation.Blog, a ton of Final Fantasy titles <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/02/04/50-off-select-final-fantasy-games-for-the-series-25-year-anniversary/">are 50% off</a>, we went hands-on with <a href="blog.us.playstation.com/2013/02/07/hands-on-with-god-of-war-ascension/">God of War: Ascension</a> and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/02/06/hands-on-with-the-last-of-us/">The Last of Us</a>, we showed off new licensed tables for <a href="blog.us.playstation.com/2013/02/05/star-wars-pinball-launches-on-ps3-and-ps-vita-this-month/">Zen Pinball 2</a> and <a href="blog.us.playstation.com/2013/02/05/pinball-arcade-twilight-zone-table-out-today/">The Pinball Arcade</a>, the new history-altering Assassin's Creed III DLC <a href="blog.us.playstation.com/2013/02/06/assassins-creed-iii-the-tyranny-of-king-washington-hits-ps3-february-19th/">got a release date</a>, you got a first look at Rocketbirds' upcoming <a href="blog.us.playstation.com/2013/02/06/rocketbirds-for-ps-vita-launches-on-february-12th/">PS Vita version</a>, top-down survival horror shooter <a href="blog.us.playstation.com/2013/02/05/alien-breed-launches-ps3-and-ps-vita-assault-next-week/">Alien Breed</a> got our retro-senses tingling, we detailed some of this year's changes to Franchise Mode in <a href="blog.us.playstation.com/2013/02/07/mlb-13-the-shows-franchise-mode-gets-personal/">MLB '13 The Show</a>, and more. The 16th annual DICE awards took place in Las Vegas Thursday night, and <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2013/02/08/journey-walking-dead-dice-awards/1900919/">Journey cleaned house</a>! The beloved <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> title took home eight awards, including the coveted Game of the Year award. Congratulations <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/thatgamecompany/">thatgamecompany</a>! More...

Back by popular demand: The PlayStation Campus Tour is hitting the road again for the Spring semester and we’re going bigger and better than ever. Starting next Monday, we will be crashing college campuses across the country for 11 weeks, bringing you new and unreleased games, daily tournaments, tons of giveaways, exclusive discounts on PlayStation products and a whole lot more! If that doesn’t have you salivating yet, take a look at some of the titles we will be featuring throughout the tour. On top of that, you can get hands-on with some awesome PSN titles like <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/05/30/guacamelee-ps3-ps-vita-pub-fund-chickens/">Guacamelee, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/10/08/introducing-ibb-and-obb-turning-psn-upside-down-next-spring/">Ibb and Obb</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bit.Trip_Presents_Runner_2:_Future_Legend_of_Rhythm_Alien">Runner 2</a>! And that’s just a taste of what’s to come. We will be adding more of this year’s biggest and most anticipated <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> games to the lineup over the course of the tour. More...

Welcome to this week’s PlayStation Community Update, where we shine the light on some of the most interesting content that is inherently owned and provided by you, the gamers. Last week, you may have checked out the <a href="http://www.urgentfury.com/content.php/39-Urgent-Fury-and-FraggedNation-Present-Battle-Bowl-I-for-Call-of-Duty-Black-Ops-2">Battle Bowl</a>, a massive Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 tournament between 2 competitive communities: <a href="http://www.fraggednation.com/">FraggedNation</a> and <a href="http://www.urgentfury.com/content.php/39-Urgent-Fury-and-FraggedNation-Present-Battle-Bowl-I-for-Call-of-Duty-Black-Ops-2">Urgent Fury</a>. This tournament is going on all month so you can still sign up today! This week, we’re shining the spotlight on the legendary Gran Turismo series and some marquee community events that any racer might want to get involved in. More...

By now, I’m sure you’ve caught the <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games/god-of-war-ascension-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__gm_ascension_liveaction_bts_02_08_13">God of War: Ascension</a> “From Ashes†<a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/02/01/from-ashes-god-of-war-ascension-live-action-trailer-explores-kratos-origins/">live action trailer</a> we debuted last Friday, and if you haven’t, you need to go <a href=" ">watch it right now</a>! You may have even caught the 60-second version air during the online live stream of the Super Bowl this past Sunday. This trailer has been a labor of love for all of us here, and based on the comments and feedback on YouTube and elsewhere, all of the effort was well worth it. I’m very excited to share with you a couple of behind-the-scenes videos that show a glimpse of what went into bringing the world of Kratos to life. More...

Back in December, we released a sneak-peek of the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/12/27/the-music-of-soul-sacrifice-recorded-at-skywalker-sound/">Skywalker Sound soundtrack recording video</a> for <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/games-and-media/psv-soul-sacrifice.html?CMP=soc_us__gm_soulsacrifice_music_02_08_13">Soul Sacrifice</a>. As mentioned, the game’s soundtrack is composed by Yasunori Mitsuda and Wataru Hokoyama, two of the most recognized composers in the industry. Today. I'm excited to share a video introducing one of the scores Mitsuda-san composed. Mitsuda-san was kind enough to provide us the following accompanying message. "This was the very first battle music I composed, and I focused on making sure it fit the fighting theme of Soul Sacrifice. More...

This week, we’ve added a number of new albums to the Music Unlimited service. You can get the entire download on the Sony Entertainment Network blog <a href="http://blog.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/2013/02/05/new-releases-on-the-music-unlimited-service-2513/">here</a>; here are this week’s highlights: <a href="https://music.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/#album/7cd72585ab59411c84204f4b673d1bf8/Mumford_Sons/The_Road_To_Red_Rocks_Live_">Mumford & Sons – The Road to Red Rocks</a> The globe-trotting Brits are back, just a few months after the colossal release of their sophomore album, Babel. The band unveiled footage of their August 2012 performance at the famous Colorado venue in their video for “I Will Wait,†and have since released a documentary/concert film about the show that was the calm before the Babel storm. More...

<blockquote> <ul> <li>Subscribe via <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/official-playstation-blogcast/id483223024?mt=2">iTunes here</a></li> <li>Subscribe via <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheOfficialPlaystationBlogcast">RSS here</a></li> <li>Download the MP3 <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/playstation/61_Episode_061__Naughty_Gods_3.mp3">here</a> on PS3, PS Vita or PC (Right-Click->Save As)</li> </ul> </blockquote> More...

Set before the events of the original God of War, <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games/god-of-war-ascension-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__gm_ascension_handson_02_07_13">God of War: Ascension</a> is set up as a sort of origin story for the perennially tortured Spartan general Kratos. A sequence early in the game even depicts how Kratos first earned those iconic Blades of Chaos. Watching that scene, I couldn’t help but flash back to the genesis of Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk, two other social misfits who transcended a personal tragedy to become living legends. But God of War: Ascension isn’t some dry history lesson. The game begins in the Prison of the Damned, a sprawling structure honeycombed around the body of a vast creature called Hecatonchires, who possesses nearly as many arms as his name has syllables. Sentenced to eternal damnation for turning his back on Ares, Kratos manages to escape his shackles. The newly freed Kratos wastes no time in pursuing his captors, a group of sadistic bounty hunters called the Furies, with predictably antisocial results. More...

Franchise Mode has been a big part of MLB The Show ever since its induction, and we’re confident that this iteration is our best yet. We redid most of our core systems, such as Scouting, Training and Player Progression, shifting the mode’s main focus back to player development. We also improved our menu and added a ticker bar so that you feel more connected to what’s happening in your league. Go ahead and watch our video to see all of this in action. Training is now done on an individual player basis, and it can be as simple or as complex as you want. You can go in and custom set training drills for every one of your players, or have the auto-trainer handle this for you. If you only want to set drills for a couple of your players and the rest set to auto, you can do that too. More...

As many of you know, when Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault launched for the PS3 system this past November, we announced that the PS Vita version would be coming out later in January 2013 to ensure the best portable Ratchet & Clank experience possible. Our friends at Tin Giant have been working night and day to bring Insomniac’s PS3 game to the PS Vita system and to provide our fans with a great game. While the original delay has helped us make the game better, we still need more time to bring the game up to the standards expected by our fans. More...

2013 is already onto a great start. Exploring the unknown and painting the world with depth via black paint, <a href="https://store.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/#!/en-us/games/the-unfinished-swan/cid=UP9000-NPUA98202_00-UNFINISHEDSWANFG">The Unfinished Swan</a> takes the lead for the top <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> & <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> sellers for January. This highly unusual and unforgettable game is both absorbing, and gorgeous in its subtlety. Other titles of note include <a href="https://store.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/#!/en-us/games/ni-no-kuni-wrath-of-the-white-witch/cid=UP0700-NPUB30932_00-NNKDLFULLGAMEPTA">Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch</a>, <a href="https://store.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/#!/en-us/games/far-cry-3/cid=UP0001-NPUB30825_00-FC3DIGITALUS0001">Far Cry 3</a>, <a href="https://store.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/#!/en-us/games/dmc-devil-may-cry/cid=UP0102-NPUB30830_00-DMCDEVILMAYCRY01">DmC Devil May Cry</a> -- all spectacular examples of their individual genres. Zooming into hearts and top 10 in a couple of the lists is <a href="https://store.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/#!/en-us/games/littlebigplanet-karting/cid=UP9000-NPUA80848_00-UFGLBPKARTING001">LittleBigPlanet Karting</a> -- a whimsical take on the standard kart game, completely full of fun that only Sackboy and friends can provide. More...

Hello again! I’m happy to announce that <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/rocketbirds-hardboiled-chicken/" target="_blank">Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken</a> for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> will be available very soon for download on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> -- February 12th, in fact! The game is already available in Asia, where it was bundled with the PS Vita over Christmas, while it was also available exclusively to Asian PS Plus members. Since then, it became one of the top three most-downloaded PS Vita games on the <a href="http://blog.asia.playstation.com/community/hk/en/playstation_network/playstation_store/blog/2013/01/15/psn-top-10-ps3-and-ps-vita-games-in-december">PSN Top 10 PS3 and PS Vita Games in December</a> list in Hong Kong, which is awesome! In this game, you’ll take control of Hardboiled Chicken, the original Cock of War (a chicken so tough, he survived being boiled as a fetus), to lead the rebellion against the draconian penguin oppressors to overthrow their hold on Albatropolis! It’s an old-school cinematic action-adventure set in the Rocketbirds universe, a world filled with some despicable and often violent birds. More...

A lot has changed in the world of <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games/assassin-s-creed-iii-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__gm_assassinscreed3_evilgeorge_02_05_13">Assassin’s Creed III</a>... with the introduction of our first single-player episodic DLC The Tyranny of King Washington this Tuesday, we figured we should reacquaint you with the hero you thought you knew. In the shattered reality of The Tyranny of King Washington, the events that shaped a young Mohawk warrior into the heroic Connor of AC3 never happened, thrusting a confused Ratonhnhaké:ton into a sometimes torturous, yet occasionally blissful, waking dream. Can he obliterate King Washington’s demented reign? To combat George Washington, the former champion of American freedom turned power-mad overlord, Ratonhnhaké:ton will need to master new abilities. More...

Hopefully you all took the time to enjoy the new trailer for Media Molecule’s forthcoming PS Vita adventure, Tearaway, last week. In the eyes of PlayStation.Blog, it’s one of the loveliest titles inbound for any platform, bursting at the seams with invention, wit and creativity. We stopped by Mm’s Guildford HQ late last month to check up on progress, and grabbed director Rex Crowle for a quick chat about the game’s unusual inspirations and influences. Read on to find out more about the eccentric themes that the team are pulling in an effort to make a truly unique video game… More...

I’ve finally played a chapter from <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/naughty-dog/">Naughty Dog</a>’s eagerly awaited post-pandemic survival tale, and the first thing I want to say is this: <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/the-last-of-us/">The Last of Us</a> is not a shooter. Well, not <em>exactly</em>. Though Joel packs a pistol, you’ll count yourself lucky to be holding more than 10 bullets at any one time. Most times you’ll want to avoid fights by sneaking and hiding. In other, more desperate times you’ll pull the trigger with a feeling of great reluctance -- all the while praying that you don’t miss. The ultra-tight ammo supply imbues the game with a primal, high-stakes tension that brings uncertainty to every decision you make. One thing’s for sure: this is one mess you won’t be able to shoot your way out of. As I guided Joel’s group around the dilapidated fringes of post-pandemic Boston, I saw constant reminders of Naughty Dog’s legendary attention to detail. More...

This week, retro Home arcade games go portable via the new PS Vita PlayStation Home Arcade application, Granzella showers us with tons of new content including a Parisian-themed personal space, there’s a Valentine’s Day kick-off celebration in Pier Park and more. Check it all out this week in PlayStation Home. PlayStation Home Arcade App Available [...] More...

Normally, you wouldn’t expect cats, milk, action and water to go together. But in the case of <a href="http://us.playstation.com/playstationmobile/">PlayStation Mobile</a>'s fourth free game give away, it does. Aqua Kitty: Milk Mine Defender is available for free this week. This action-oriented, side-scrolling shooter puts you in charge of a team of cats whose mission is to search the depths of the oceans for massive reserves of tasty milk buried underground. This game is a side-scroller’s dream and reminds gamers of the intense action, cool music, and colorful graphics of the 16-bit gaming era. The founder of <a href="http://tikipod.com/">Tikipod</a>, Dugan Jackson, had this to say about what influenced him in designing <a href="http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2012/10/interview_aqua_kitty_creator_tikipod_talks_playstation_mobile">Aqua Kitty: Milk Mine Defender</a> for PlayStation Mobile. More...

It’s another big week for the PlayStation Store. <a href="https://store.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/#!/en-us/cid=UP9000-NPUA80875_00-SLYCOOPERPSN0000">Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time</a> releases today, and it’s part of our Cross-Buy promotion, so if you purchase the PS3 version you’ll receive the PS Vita version entitlement as a bonus! Of course, Sly isn’t the only thing launching today –<a href="https://store.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/#!/en-us/games/dead-space-3/cid=UP0006-NPUB30906_00-DS3HDDEFSNA00001">Dead Space 3</a> is also out on the store for all you action/horror fans. There’s a cool app releasing on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> today – the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/02/05/playstation-home-arcade-app-available-today-for-ps-vita/">PlayStation Home Arcade</a> app. This app allows you to download and play classic arcade titles from the likes of Atari, Konami and Intellivision on your PS Vita. More...

Since launch, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> owners have gained access to lots of great applications on our new handheld, and we don’t have any plans to slow down. We’re rolling out a brand new app that brings many classic arcade games, along with a few new titles that were previously available only through PlayStation Home. We call it PlayStation Home Arcade. PlayStation Home Arcade is available today and serves as a portal for some of your favorite arcade classics like Centipede, Asteroids, and Frogger. We’re also offering more recent titles, like Icebreaker and the very addicting Scribble Shooter, which was previously only available in PlayStation Home. The PlayStation Home Arcade app is a free download in the PlayStation Store, and you can purchase games from directly within the app, starting at $1.49 each. To celebrate the launch, we’re offering Ice Breaker, WipEout 2D and a demo of Scribble Shooter absolutely free! More...

The day has finally arrived! <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/sly-cooper-thieves-in-time-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__gm_slycooper_thievesintime_launch_02_05_13">Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time</a> goes on sale today in North America. We are so stoked with how the game came together; this is a very proud moment for the whole team! The game is available at retail, and also as a download from <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PlayStation Network</a>. You can get the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> version for $39.99, which includes the digital <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> version at no additional cost, or you can purchase the standalone PS Vita version for $29.99. We are so happy that players can finally experience the joy of Salim al Kupar's carpet ride and Tennessee Kid's Crack Shot as they follow the gang's adventure, twisting and turning through space and time. More...

Alien Breed, our new survival horror game, is due for release on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> on February 12th via PlayStation Store for $9.99, with a 20% launch discount available for <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/playstation-plus/">PlayStation Plus</a> members! Last year we celebrated the 21st anniversary of Alien Breed and brought the title to PlayStation Mobile. With the PS3 and PS Vita version we wanted to introduce more cool features, such as the ability for players to team up on either system via cross-platform play. More...

This is <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/author/bking/">Bobby King</a> from <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/farsight-studios/">FarSight Studios</a>, the makers of the <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/pinball-arcade-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__gm_pinballarcade_twilightzone_02_05_13">Pinball Arcade</a> for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a>. We are super excited to announce that today, thanks to our fans, we’ll be releasing our re-creation of one of the greatest pinball tables ever – Twilight Zone! With the help of the pinball legend Roger Sharpe, who did the original table’s licensing deal for Williams/Bally, we were able to get the CBS-owned rights to the TV show. This deal was too expensive for us to make the numbers work, though. We would have lost money with the number of sales we were projecting. More...