Commander Fury

Making the decision to develop an entry of the DJMAX TECHNIKA franchise for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PlayStation Vita</a> was something of a no-brainer. The arcade game is known for its stylish cabinet, high-definition background videos, and innovative touch-screen game play. PS Vita is known for its stylish design, high-definition graphics, and innovative dual touch control scheme. Everything seems to line up, until you realize that the gameplay experience on a 22†touch screen has to be re-created for a handheld platform. If you’re not familiar with the DJMAX TECHNIKA arcade franchise, at its core it plays like most other arcade music games. It has a dedicated control interface used to activate “notes†in as accurate timing with the music as possible. More...

Hi there, PlayStation Blog readers! This is Martial Hesse-Dreville from Dancing Dots, here to tell you about our game -- Rotastic -- arriving on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> tomorrow! Now, how to best sum up what Rotastic is all about... well -- imagine a knight. Got it? Good. Now give him a rope with a hook. Ok? Very well... now swing that knight around 80 levels filled with jewels and gems to collect. Sounds simple? Well, maybe then I should tell you about the hundreds of deadly traps, cannons, razor-sharp blades, crazy chickens, black holes, flying dragons, and killer bats... it won’t be easy! The whole idea behind Rotastic is simple: we wanted to provide tons of fun while using a very simple game mechanic, and I think it worked. Using just one button, you latch your grappling hook onto the nearest anchor point, many of which are scattered around each level. More...

On PS3 and as a full digital download on PSN, travel beyond the reach of civilization and find a lawless island ruled by violence. This is where you find yourself stranded, caught in a bloody conflict between psychotic warlords and indigenous rebels. Discover the island’s dark secrets and take the fight to the enemy; improvise and use your environment to your advantage; and outwit its cast of ruthless, deranged inhabitants. Beware the beauty and mystery of this island of insanity... You'll need more than luck to escape alive in Far Cry 3. Also on PS3 and PSN, BioWare's award-winning sci-fi trilogy is bundled together for the first time in this compilation from Electronic Arts. Equal parts role-playing and third-person shooter, the series features squad-based combat as protagonist Commander Shepard travels across multiple galaxies in a starship while making a name for the human race. In each game player's choices impact the entire storyline as save files can be transferred between games. Enjoy this week The Drop. More...

Festive music is becoming increasingly prevalent, the streets smell of pine, and shopping is more difficult each day. Regardless of which holiday you celebrate this season, I'm sure most of us have accrued a decently sized backlog of games to catch up on during the extra days we'll have off. PS.Blog had a good week, from a look at top-down shooter <a href="blog.us.playstation.com/2012/11/27/under-defeat-hd-launches-on-ps3-today-psn-next-week/">Under Defeat HD</a>, to an <a href="blog.us.playstation.com/2012/11/30/new-trailer-for-ps-vita-fishing-game-lets-fish-hooked-on/">anime-styled fishing game</a> on PS Vita. Music Unlimited is <a href="blog.us.playstation.com/2012/11/30/1-year-music-unlimited-premium-subscription-only-1-a-month-for-ps-plus-members/">sporting a deep discount</a> for a premium membership right now (but only if you're a <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/playstation-plus/">PlayStation Plus</a> member), and if you pride yourself on your vocabulary, you'll want to check out <a href="blog.us.playstation.com/2012/11/29/flex-your-lexicon-in-page-chronica-out-tuesday-on-psn/">Page Chronica</a>. Finally, I can't believe I'm typing this, but Sid did it. <a href="blog.us.playstation.com/2012/11/29/playstation-blogcast-053-el-viaje/">He finally did it</a>. More...

It’s officially gift-giving season! My present to you is the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/psn-spotlight/">PSN Community Spotlight</a>. For the unfamiliar, this is where PlayStation gamers tell their unique stories/experiences/thoughts, as submitted to this section in the <a href="http://community.us.playstation.com/t5/PSN-Community-Meets-the-PS-Blog/bd-p/22802">PlayStation Community Forums</a>. Those that make it all the way to the PlayStation Blog will receive a $50 PlayStation Store voucher. Last week we asked for your PlayStation stories, and gamer <a href="http://us.playstation.com/publictrophy/index.htm?onlinename=soldierone">soldierone</a> wrote in to tell us about his family’s PlayStation gift-giving tradition. More...

Hi all – we have exciting news for <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/playstation-plus/">PlayStation Plus</a> subscribers. For a limited time, our premium Music Unlimited One Year Subscription is available to PlayStation Plus members at an insanely low price of $12….that’s $1 a month and savings of over $100 a year based off the normal price of $9.99 a month. As a Premium subscriber, you’ll have access to every feature of our cloud-based music service and our entire catalog of more than 18 million songs that can be streamed ad-free across multiple devices, including: PS3, PSP, PS Vita, PC, Mac, iPhone, iPod, Android smartphone and tablets, and more. Here’s a reminder of some of the benefits you’ll get with a One Year Premium Subscription: More...

<blockquote><strong>Subscription Links:</strong> <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 <a href="http://ec.libsyn.com/p/1/a/e/1ae7865d944605f5/53_Episode_053__El_Viaje.mp3?d13a76d516d9dec20c3d276ce028ed5089ab1ce3dae902ea1d01cd8335d5cd5982e0&c_id=5188171">MP3 here</a> on PS3, PS Vita or PC (Right-Click->Save As)</li></ul></blockquote> Today's show is a fun, fluid affair -- a welcome change of pace after the last few industrial-strength PlayStation Blogcast episodes. We bring in our <a href="http://blog.latam.playstation.com/">LATAM PlayStation.Blog</a> brother in arms <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/author/lgrajales/">Lorenzo Grajales</a> to discuss gaming in Latin America and tips for breaking into gaming social media. Then we outline next week's North American <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-store/">PlayStation Store</a> lineup (it's practically bursting at the seams with new games, add-ons, and demos) before deploying a literal barrage of voice mail questions, tips, and comments. It's a fun, fun show and I give it my highest rating ever: seven thumbs up. More...

<strong><em>Be warned, there are spoilers for seasons 1 and 2 of The Walking Dead TV show in this post, so if you haven't watched them, steer clear!</em></strong> When we first decided that The Walking Dead videogame would be built around a single-player action-adventure prequel to <a href="http://www.amctv.com/shows/the-walking-dead">AMC’s insanely popular series</a>, there’s only one character that checked every “must have†slot. We needed somebody who was rugged and capable of surviving alone in the ruins of civilization, but also sympathetic to the needs of others in a world where it only makes sense to help yourself. We needed a protagonist who is tough enough to take on a swarm of raging walkers, but smart enough to know that there are probably safer alternatives. Finally, we wanted a fan-favorite character who you can’t wait to learn more about. More...

Hello PlayStation Blog readers, I’m Ramiro Corbetta, creator of Hokra, one of the four games that make up <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/11/08/help-fund-psns-sportsfriends-featuring-johann-sebastian-joust-on-kickstarter/">Sportsfriends</a> (Kickstart the compilation <a href=" ">here</a>!). If you don’t know about Sportsfriends, it’s a compendium of four super fun local multiplayer games that’s coming to <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> in 2013. Over the last couple of weeks, two of the other designers involved in Sportsfriends spoke about their games (you can read about Noah Sasso’s <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/11/21/sportsfriends-barabariball-and-beyond/">BaraBariBall</a> and about Bennett Foddy’s <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/11/21/sportsfriends-barabariball-and-beyond/">Super Poler Riders</a>), and today I get to write about my game. More...

Enter the EVE Universe, where intergalactic conflict among immortal spaceship pilots has spilled from the vast, empty expanse of space onto the surfaces of the planets themselves. These ground conflicts are waged in the battle zones of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/dust-514/">DUST 514</a>, where you, the boots on the ground, are empowered to take the war effort to a whole new level. As a mercenary in DUST 514, you are the frontline against other intrepid soldiers of fortune. At your disposal you have a large arsenal of weaponry and a range of vehicle classes, from ground-based light attack vehicles and heavy attack vehicles, to imposing aerial-based dropships. In this video, you'll see how vehicle classes provide a rock-solid foundation for exploring specialized roles. More...

During the making of our game Page Chronica, a common question has been “Is this an edutainment game?†Whenever we hear that word, our bodies cringe and we adamantly deny the claim. In the gaming industry, the term conjures memories of boring school educational games that would alienate the majority of our console gamers. So for a long period of time, we would refuse to admit that our game is such a thing. However, we eventually lightened up to the notion. That is not to say that we have fully accepted the classification, but it is more of a matter of tweaking our perspectives. So to all the edutainment-haters out there, we're here to convince you to withhold judgment and give Page Chronica a try. Page Chronica is not your average side-scrolling action-platformer. It is an action-oriented word-puzzle game that combines elements of action-platformers with the forming of words. More...

To celebrate the release of <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/playstation-plus/">PlayStation Plus</a> on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a>, we are bringing you an all new PS Vita bundle just in time for the holidays. The <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/systems/psv-psplus-bundle.html">PS Plus Instant Game Collection PS Vita Bundle</a> is a terrific value for those of you who want to take full advantage of all the benefits and features you get with a PS Plus membership. This bundle contains everything you need to get started, including a PS Vita 3G Wi-Fi system, 1-uyear membership to PS Plus, a <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/games-and-media/psv-unit-13.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">Unit 13</a> game voucher and a 4 GB Memory Card for only $299.99 (MSRP), a combined savings of over $99. PlayStation Plus is the ultimate service for any PlayStation fan! Your active membership in PS Plus gives you unlimited access to the PS Plus Instant Game Collection, a regularly refreshed selection of hit games to play on your PS Vita and PS3. More...

For weeks now, members of <a href="http://www.gtplanet.net/">GTplanet</a> and PlayStation.Blog have been speculating about the mysterious appearance of a camouflaged Corvette C7 appearing in <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/gran-turismo-5-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">Gran Turismo 5</a>'s screen saver. Well, the rumors are true – officially announced today at the LA Auto Show, <a href="http://www.chevrolet.com/">Chevrolet</a> and <a href="http://www.polyphony.co.jp/english/">Polyphony Digital</a> have been working very closely for months in developing an exclusive first-hand driving experience by offering a camouflaged Corvette C7 Test Prototype in Gran Turismo 5. The DLC is now available for free through PlayStation Store. With spy photos valued at an estimated $100,000, Chevrolet has gone to extreme measures to disguise the test car. In fact, a designated Corvette design team was tasked with developing custom camouflage to conceal the new design elements. The concealed test prototype continues to undergo extensive performance and durability testing in preparation for final production. Millions of hours will be accumulated through thousands of rigorous performance trials before the car is released later in 2013. More...

<a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/ratchet-clank-full-frontal-assault-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault</a> hits store shelves and the PS Store today, but if you’re looking for PS Vita version of that title, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/11/19/ratchet-clank-full-frontal-assault-coming-to-ps-vita-in-january/">you’ll need to be a little more patient</a>. Other games hitting this week include Ace Combat: Assault Horizon and Men in Black: Alien Crisis along with a few SEGA classics like Sonic The Fighters, Fighting Vipers and Virtua Fighter 2. The latest add-on for Mass Effect 3 is here – fans can now re-take Omega station with the help of Aria T’Loak. There’s also a turkey-themed costume for LittleBigPlanet to celebrate last week’s holiday. As always, please leave your thoughts in the comments below. You can also chat about this update in the <a href="http://community.us.playstation.com/t5/PlayStation-Network/bd-p/22599">PlayStation Community Forums</a>. More...

Following <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/10/05/under-defeat-hd-shoots-em-up-this-fall-on-ps3/">my last post</a> in October regarding <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/under-defeat-hd/">Under Defeat HD: Deluxe Edition</a>’s development, I was excited to see all the community feedback and anticipation towards the title's launch. Shoot ‘em up games are definitely part of a unique, niche genre and to be able to see such a great demand for Under Defeat HD only makes the development part easier for the team. With that said, I’m so excited to announce that Under Defeat HD: Deluxe Edition is available today exclusively through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Under-Defeat-Deluxe-Edition-Playstation-3/dp/B0093FMS3U">Amazon</a> for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PlayStation 3</a>! A digital version will also be available December 4th via <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PlayStation Network</a>. More...

Fans of Ratchet & Clank, today is the big day! Ratchet, Clank and Captain Qwark embark on their newest adventure, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/ratchet-clank-full-frontal-assault/">Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault</a>, which is available today for the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> system at retail and on PlayStation Store for a MSRP of $19.99! As a special launch day treat, we're sharing a few pieces of concept art which inspired the look, characters and environments that you'll see in the game. We hope you enjoy checking them out! More...

Hello again, PlayStation devotees. Scott here from <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/creat-studios/">Creat Studios</a> with the next addition to our ever-growing PlayStation Network catalog, coming to <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> on December 18th. If you’re daring enough, we’ll take you deep underground into the mysterious catacombs of Labyrinth Legends! Quirky and addictive, this arcade action-adventure dungeon crawler rewards those crafty and powerful enough to become a legend. Brave mysterious tunnels and mystical crypts. Explore ancient tombs of lost civilizations. Evade concealed traps. Solve intuitive puzzles. Collect stars and gold, and discover hidden treasure, weapons, artifacts and more. But stay alert to battle foreboding mummies, zombies, ghouls and other monsters hidden in the shadows. More...

Hello again, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/">PlayStation Blog</a> readers! Heavy Spectrum here. It’s exciting to be talking to you all again so soon! After Bullion Blitz we’ve been working hard to get the second of our debut titles to the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-mobile/">PlayStation Mobile</a> store, and tomorrow you’ll be able to check it out! The game is Puzziball, and like our previous game Bullion Blitz, it came about from a desire to create something tactile and engaging. This time however, we focused on sliding your fingers and how that could translate into a game which "felt" like a physical object. More...

This Wednesday, November 28th, a new episodic, story-driven game launches, new supermodel animations prep you for the catwalk, the Teahouse personal space arrives, FUEL TV brings UFC sports entertainment to PlayStation Home via LOOT’s EOD TVs, and more! Emo Ray Vs. The Intergalactic Teddy Bears is the first full-fledged, story driven game to reach PlayStation Home. Take on the role of the unlikely hero, Raymond Radd, and rescue friends while stopping the evil teddy bears from taking over the city. Learn how to handle driving the E-Mobile and using its weaponry against the teddy bear threat through free-to-play tutorials and Action Mode. Purchasing the game will offer you hours of unique gameplay, uniquely themed rewards and Emo’s Garage Loft personal apartment. More...

All the Sackboys and Sackgirls across LittleBigPlanet can rejoice, because we have a brand new online home for any budding Creator Curator: the new and completely re-designed <a href="http://littlebigplanet.com/">LittleBigPlanet.com</a>! <a href="http://littlebigplanet.com/">LittleBigPlanet.com</a> will be your one-stop destination for everything to do with Sackboy, LittleBigPlanet and the rest of the ever-expanding Omniverse. Head on over to the new website to check out the latest news, videos and DLC releases. Whilst you’re there, why not pop on over to <a href="http://LBP.me /">LBP.me</a> and queue up some great levels for your LittleBigPlanet adventures? More...

We are all gamers. It's that simple. A crossover appeared. When <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/">PlayStation</a> asked us at Robot Chicken to literally "play" with their all-star line-up of characters, we were not about to say no. <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-all-stars-battle-royale/">PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale</a> gave us an opportunity in the writers' room to have the geek discussions we all love to have. Who would destroy who in a fight to the death, or wherever they end up going after being defeated. To make this animated short, we got one of our Head Writers Douglas Goldstein and our super gamer writers Mike Fasolo and Rachel Bloom (check out her geek videos on YouTube) to create this fun off-hours scenario for all our favorite PlayStation characters. Then we got our super geek director/writer Zeb Wells (who y'all may know from his comic book writing history) to dive in and direct. Magic in a bottle. More...

With Thanksgiving over and the holiday season upon us, our friends over at Sony Online Entertainment and Farsight Studios are offering up some amazing deals on games that everyone in the family can enjoy. Cash Guns Chaos might be a bit much for the kids, but the rest are great for all. So let’s wrap up an amazing November with these great deals! <strong>Bejeweled 2 (PS3)</strong> <strong>50% off for PlayStation Plus members (Regular price: $4.99, PS Plus pPrice: $2.50)</strong> Match sparkling gems three at a time to make them burst in showers of color and points. Match four or more to create flashy power gems that boost your score and your mood with brilliant cascades and combos. For even more dazzling fun, bump up your brainwaves with multi-faceted Puzzles, or enter the Zen state of Endless play. More...

If you're already missing the baseball season, we’ve got news to cheer you up: today we announced the North American release of MLB 13 The Show, the latest installment of the number-one selling and rated Major League Baseball video game franchise. Available for PlayStation 3 and PS Vita, MLB 13 The Show is due to arrive in stores on March 5, 2013, just in time for MLB Spring Training. Which baseball superstar will be on the cover of MLB 13 The Show? For the first time ever, fans will select the cover athlete for this year's title via a Cover Campaign in early January. Stay tuned -- some of the top names in the sport will be announcing their candidacy in the upcoming weeks. Nothing compares to Postseason baseball. That’s why The Show offers an All-New Playoff Mode, which includes an in-stadium atmosphere that replicates the excitement and tension of October baseball. The experience is unrivalled by anything The Show has ever exhibited. More...

<p style="text-align: justify;">On <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a>, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> and as a Cross-Buy title on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a>, Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault delivers a concentrated blast of pure fun. Full Frontal Assault blends the series’ classic comedy, camera, and controls with an innovative new way to play. Drop into the middle of an intergalactic conflict, choose your weapons, and experience Full Frontal Assault solo, or together with friends online or splitscreen.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">FFA features cross-buy support, purchasers of the game receive both the PS3 and Vita (<a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/11/19/ratchet-clank-full-frontal-assault-coming-to-ps-vita-in-january/">available in Jan 2013</a>) versions for $19.99. The game also features cross-save for the campaign and in the competitive mode, players on both PS3 and Vita can play against each other with cross-play support. Celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Ratchet & Clank with Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Enjoy this week <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/the-drop/">The Drop</a>.</p> More...

Turkey! Stuffing! Various types of pie! By now you're probably nearly recovered from Thursday's feast (and the subsequent trip to grab one of the many available PS3 and PS Vita <a href="blog.us.playstation.com/2012/11/16/exclusive-black-friday-deals-for-ps3-and-ps-vita/">Black Friday deals</a>), and ready to catch up on some gaming news from what turned out to be a surprisingly busy week on PS.Blog. This week saw outfits from one of my favorite PS Vita games <a href="blog.us.playstation.com/2012/11/19/sack-it-to-me-gravity-rush-comes-to-littlebigplanet/">head to LittleBigPlanet</a>, a <a href="blog.us.playstation.com/2012/11/20/why-youll-be-thankful-for-zen-studios-marvel-pinball-civil-war/">new Zen creation</a> based on one of the most popular story arcs in recent comic history, a look at <a href="blog.us.playstation.com/2012/11/21/sportsfriends-barabariball-and-beyond/">the second of four</a> games coming to next year's Sportsfriends compilation (Kickstart it <a href=" ">here</a>), a <a href="blog.us.playstation.com/2012/11/20/disney-epic-mickey-2-a-game-for-everyone-to-the-power-of-two/">guest post</a> from the legendary Warren Spector, and lots, lots more. Build yourself a leftover turkey sandwich, pour a glass of cranberry juice, kick back, and catch up on the week in PlayStation. More...