Commander Fury

Urgent Fury is notorious for enhancing the tournament experience with their Signature Scenario Based TacMap Tournaments. Over the years these events have had various twists to make the tournament event more interesting and POW II is no different. Prisoner of War was by far one of the most popular adaptations to the TacMap experience added by creators Tow and Sniper. So with the release of Call of Duty Black Ops 2, the Directors and Staff felt we finally had the platform to bring POWs back into the mix. The last time POWs were found in a Call of Duty TacMap was Riot Act back in 2008. But before we go into the details about POW II, let’s talk about the TacMap 4.0. All earlier TacMaps have been flash based making for tough updating and almost useless to IPads and mobile devices. So we have worked hard to find a new solution that is easier to manage as well as friendly to devices such as Tablets. So with great pleasure we are proud to announce the TacMap Version 4.0. Our new interactive TacMap brings new features to the player as well. Like before when you mouse over you will get the details about the Territory including the Name, Number, Map and Mode. But now when you click on a Territory it will offer specific Intel for that Territory. In the case of the example here, you will see we clicked on a Territory and it brought up the Game Map for that particular city. In the TacMap you will also see the continued use of color coding per clan and the return of the Clan Intel showing Territories owned and what clans are in a critical or eliminated status. POW II for Black Ops 2 on PlayStation 3So now let’s get into the nitty-gritty. POW II will be a Black Ops 2 Tournament for PlayStation 3 players. We are changing things up a bit this time around. Gone are the 13 week time limit with sudden death and a final championship. To win this event you have to eliminate all of your opponents period. Now with that in mind we are pretty sure you guys do not want a repeat of when our Clan held down Antenora for over 30 weeks dragging the end out beyond anyone’s belief. So we are introducing the new Stale Mate Provision: The Stale Mate Provision activates once we have 4 or less clans that have not been eliminated. During the Stale Mate period, Clans have to gain at least one territory a week. If a clan fails to gain a territory, the clan will declare a territory to be returned to the battlefield. A clan can be eliminated simply by not making any forward progress very quickly when we reach the Stale Mate Phase. You will also notice that the territories are returned to the battlefield. We will explain how the Neutral Cities work shortly, but this is also a change. City TypesHQ Cities: All HQ cities’ maps will consist of only DEMOLITION map modes. In all DEMOLITION modes for HQ cities, defenders will play with 8 players, attackers play with 7. POWs are taken in these types of wars when the winning team sweeps their opponent, denying them a single round of victory. Two POWs are taken by the winner with the winner first choosing their POW and then the loser giving up one more of their own choosing. The winning clan may only take POWs if the winning clan owns a POW camp on the TACMAP. If they do not, then no POWs exchange hands. POW Cities: All POW cities’ maps will consist of only TEAM DEATHMATCH map modes in an 8 v 8 match. If Clan A owns one or more POW cities, then when Clan A takes POWs from Clan Z in a war, Clan A places those POWs in one of its held POW cities. A POW city can ONLY be attacked by a Heliport City. Without a Heliport city, no POW city can be attacked. When a POW city is taken in an attack, the attacker must release all POWs from ONE clan (no matter how many) and must keep all other clan POWs in the city (no matter how many). This match is set with a 5-life respawn cap so teamwork and patience is critical. POWs are taken in these types of wars when the winning team still has four or more gunners alive by the time the match ends. Two POWs are taken by the winner with the winner first choosing their POW and then the loser giving up one more of their own choosing. The winning clan may only take POWs if the winning clan owns a POW camp on the TACMAP. If they do not, then no POWs exchange hands. Heliport Cities: All Heliport cities’ maps will consist of only DOMINATION map modes in an 8 v 8 match. A Heliport city is the ONLY MEANS of placing an attack on a POW camp. Without a Heliport city, no matter what, you will be unable to potentially save your clan mates who are stuck with no chance of rescue. Whereas HQ and Heliport cities must be attacked by the borders that connect them, Heliport cities can mount attacks to ANY POW city or standard city on the Tacmap, regardless of distance. POWs are taken in these types of wars when the winning clan holds the losing clan to a score of 300 or less (the score cap of this match is 500 points to declare a winner). Two POWs are taken by the winner with the winner first choosing their POW and then the loser giving up one more of their own choosing. The winning clan may only take POWs if the winning clan owns a POW camp on the TACMAP. If they do not, then no POWs exchange hands. War Zone Cities: All War Zone cities’ maps will consist of only SEARCH & DESTROY map modes in an 8 v 8 match. A War Zone city is the most common city found on the TACMAP, comprising nearly half of it. War Zone cities are considered “too hot†for landing, therefor, no Heliport cities may attack a War Zone, even if the Heliport City borders that War Zone. POWs are taken in these types of wars when the winning clan sweeps the losing clan, preventing the losing clan from winning a single round in this multi-round match. Two POWs are taken by the winner with the winner first choosing their POW and then the loser giving up one more of their own choosing. The winning clan may only take POWs if the winning clan owns a POW camp on the TACMAP. If they do not, then no POWs exchange hands. Neutral Cities: All Neutral cities’ maps will consist of only HARDPOINT map modes in an Multi-Team match. A Neutral city is up for grabs by any bordering territory. If a single clan owns all bordering territories, they may claim the Neutral City as one of their attacks. If multiple clans border a Neutral City, up to 5 teams may send 3 players to attack the city. Neutral City Attacks are to be held at 9pm cst every Thursday and participation must be declared during the war meeting. This does not count as one of your attacks unless only one team declares an attack on a Neutral city, They are awarded that city and it will account for one Attack. POWs cannot be taken in Neutral Cities. Neutral Cities are not considered a pass through territory. Prisoners of WarWhen a player is taken as a POW from his clan, so too is his spot on the roster. The spot AND player taken as a POW cannot be re-filled at the beginning of a month when rosters can be amended. The spot and the player cannot take part in any of his clan’s UF: POW II wars until that player is freed. The only way to revive that player and his spot for future wars is if the POW city that he is held in is attacked and he is freed, either by his own clan or someone else’s, or by succeeding in a Great Escape week, which will be explained shortly. Once the POW Camp is Designated, the Player will be placed in the POW Camp usergroup on Urgent Fury. They will not have access to any forum except the Designated Camp Forum in effect cutting them off from the World of Urgent Fury. This forum will not be publicly accessible until after the completion of UF: POW II and is for the POWs to communicate and Plan any escapes, or post mail to their families and clan mates to be shared weekly on the forums. The Great Escape is a specific week in which POWs can take freedom into their own hands by breaking free of the POW camp and the clan holding them captive. Great Escape weeks will be clearly labeled in the weekly schedule so that clans know when a Great Escape is approaching. All POW camps which hold AT LEAST FOUR or more POWs in them can see their captive POWs choose to band together during a Great Escape week and attack their captors. In this case, POWs are considered attackers and the owners of the POW camp are considered the defenders. All Great Escape wars must happen at 9pm CST on the day that the POWs collectively call for. No other time is allowed other than 9pm CST. The defenders, or owners of the POW camp, have NO say in the day that a Great Escape war is to happen. This attack is considered bonus in that the attack AND the defense does NOT count towards the 2/2 quota of attacks and defenses given to all clans every week. All Great Escape wars are scheduled at the Sunday war meetings. Escapes will be a maximum of 8 v 8 in a Team Deathmatch Hardcore Setup. The POWs are limited to starting with a regular knife and the Defenders are only armed with the Five-seven Handgun. POWs can pick up the gun from a dead defender to even the battlefield. We will also see the return of the Forced Offensive week and some other little twists and turns here and there. We have waited a long time to bring this back to the battlefield and call all clans to strap up and move out. Applications are now open and will close February 20th. Stay tuned to www.urgentfury.com for more information. View the full article

Since we released Fast Draw Showdown a while back, classic arcade gamers have been begging us to revamp Mad Dog McCree and launch it on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a>. Well, we’re stoked to announce that ALG classic Mad Dog McCree -- in all its FMV glory -- will be releasing this Tuesday, January 22nd on PlayStation Store. We’ve completely remastered this shooter from the ground up, so get ready to unholster your <a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps3/playstation-move/">PlayStation Move</a> motion controller and take down that ruthless outlaw Mad Dog McCree! This <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> release includes a bunch of new features you could never get in the arcades. First off, the original video has been remastered in 720p and a fresh new interface was created to give a true western feel. Fresh difficulty modes will give even the fastest quickdraw a run to take out these vicious outlaws and post high scores to the worldwide Leaderboards. More...

Anticipation is a great thing, and through design or necessity, we’ve kept you all on tenterhooks regarding the release date of the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a>’s first full-scale fishing game. And so it is with a great sense of relief, and excitement, that we are finally able to announce today that <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/lets-fish-hooked-on/">Let’s Fish! Hooked On</a> will be making a splash on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a>, for PS Vita, on February 5th. Combining realistic fishing action with fast arcade style game play using the PS Vita touchscreen, Let’s Fish! Hooked On comes with a full story mode and aims to make fishing fun for everyone. Choosing between four different anime-styled characters, each with their own story line and unique abilities, players are challenged to improve their skills by competing in a host of progressively difficult tournaments in their bid to win the World Tour. More...

Developed by LEVEL-5 with animation by the legendary Studio Ghibli, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch combines beautiful animated visuals, masterful storytelling and a sweeping score into an epic role-playing adventure like no other. The highly anticipated PS3 games, Dead Space 3 and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance receive PSN demos on this week’s <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/the-drop/">The Drop.</a> More...

<em>Previously on PlayStation.Blog...</em> <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/wake-up-club/">Wake-up Club</a> made its bad habit-breaking debut on PS Vita, we took a look at cyber-action puzzler <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/01/16/escapevektor-launches-on-ps-vita-tuesday/">escapeVektor</a>, PlayStation Plus members <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/01/14/playstation-plus-update-become-war-in-darksiders-free-for-members/">get Darksiders for free</a> (there's a new Platinum in my future), and we detailed MLB '13 The Show's <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/01/17/mlb-13-the-show-diamond-dynasty-puts-you-in-control/">Diamond Dynasty</a>. <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/dmc-devil-may-cry-ps3.html">DmC: Devil May Cry</a>, after a long and controversial journey, made its debut to nearly unanimous praise, and I'm inclined to agree with it. More...

Friends of PlayStation.Blog, You’ve likely read or seen the many posts over the past month regarding the <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/god-of-war-ascension-ps3.html">God of War: Ascension</a> <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/01/08/god-of-war-ascension-multiplayer-beta-begins-today-for-playstation-plus/">Multiplayer Beta</a>. At first it was available only to participants of the <a href="http://www.godofwar.com/en-us/rise-of-the-warrior/">“Rise of the Warrior†experience on the God of War website</a> (which is now relaunched, new and improved, and ready to dole out even more extras for series fans). Then it was only accessible to <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/playstation-plus/">PlayStation Plus</a> members (as if they needed any more exclusive content, what with their free Instant Game Collection and countless discounts). 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 MP3 <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/playstation/59_Episode_059__Devil_May_Cave.mp3">here</a> on PS3, PS Vita or PC (Right-Click->Save As)</li></ul></blockquote> <a href="http://grumpygamer.com/">Ron Gilbert</a> created classics such as The Secret of Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion, cementing his legacy as one of adventure gaming's founding fathers. On today's show, Mr. Gilbert graciously joins us for a discussion on the origins of his upcoming PSN release <a href="http://blogs.sega.com/category/the-cave/">The Cave</a>, the state of adventure gaming after the success of The Walking Dead, and a host of other fascinating topics. This one's a can't miss! More...

Six months have passed since Kratos stood over the bodies of his wife and daughter, his hands stained with their blood – tricked by Ares into murdering the only people he ever loved. Swearing to avenge them, Kratos broke the blood oath that bound him to Ares... but oaths to Olympus are not so easily broken. This is where your journey in <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/god-of-war-ascension-ps3.html">God of War: Ascension</a> begins. It's been more than six long months since your first look at God of War: Ascension's <a href=" ">single-player campaign at E3</a>. You’ve waited patiently, and asked about it an ungodly (but unsurprising) number of times. So, as we get ready to close our multiplayer beta early next week, the time has come to focus on where Ascension and its story will take you this March. More...

Today we’re excited to announce that, next month, we’ll be releasing all of <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-ps3.html">Skyrim</a>’s add-on content on PlayStation Store. The 1.8 title update will also release just prior to the launch of Dragonborn. We’ll keep you posted as release dates get finalized both on our end and with Sony for each and its various languages. Last but not least, each add-on will be <strong>50% off during its launch week on PSN.</strong> Ready to learn more about the content you’ll be playing? Here’s a quick overview: <strong>Dragonborn</strong> In Dragonborn, you'll journey off the coast of Morrowind, to the island of Solstheim. Encounter new towns, dungeons, and quests, as you traverse the ash wastes and glacial valleys of this new land. Become more powerful with shouts that bend the will of your enemies, and even tame dragons. More...

A$AP Rocky – LONG.LIVE.A$AP As the first major release and ringleader of the A$AP Mob, A$AP Rocky is burning a path for the rest of his collective with a dynamic debut that even has the hipsters at Pitchfork singing its praises. As opposed to wading through the waters of the music industry on his own, A$AP Rocky’s collective have made him a far bigger brand than he would be by himself, with the music to back it up. While the quality of a name like Drake on “F**kin’ Problems†is a plus, is the quantity of fellow buzzworthy artists – Kendrick Lamar, Santigold, Skrillex, 2 Chainz, Schoolboy Q, etc. – is what sets this album apart as a calling card for the new class of hip-hop royalty. More...

Dead or Alive 5+ is coming soon to <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PlayStation Vita</a>! Now you can enjoy the same powerful new moves and acclaimed in-depth fighting system with over 20 playable characters and blockbuster stages from the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PlayStation 3</a> version. Today I would like to tell you about a few of the new features we’ve included in the PS Vita version. Dead or Alive 5+ will have cross-platform compatibility with PS3, which means you fight not only against other players on PlayStation Vita, but also against players on PS3. All characters available on PS3 can be used on PS Vita as well. Battles run at 60fps for both systems, so there’s no lag or stress even when playing cross-platform. This will allow players to enjoy serious battles across the two platforms! More...

Yo! I’m excited to finally announce that our first wave of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale DLC will be available February 12th. Here’s what to expect. Kat graces PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale with her presence, as an up-close melee fighter who utilizes her ability to manipulate gravity to turn the tide in battle. Players who enjoyed <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/games-and-media/psv-gravity-rush.html">Gravity Rush</a> on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> know that Kat loves to bend gravity to allow her to dash, slide, and fly from one place to another, and her All-Stars incarnation is no exception. Those who enjoy AP burst combos and varied mobility will definitely <em>gravitate</em> towards Kat. Emmett Graves from<a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/starhawk-ps3.html">Starhawk</a> joins the fray! More...

When we launched the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/09/25/new-ps3-model-out-today-exclusive-first-look/">new, slimmer, lighter PS3</a>, one of the top requests we heard from you was to bring the white PS3 to North America. We've answered the call -- for the first time in North America, we are introducing a bundle that features a Classic White PS3. For $299.99 (MSRP), the Classic White PS3 Instant Game Collection Bundle comes packed with value. It includes a massive 500GB hard drive and a one-year membership to <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/playstation-plus/">PlayStation Plus</a> that includes a dozen PS3 games with the Instant Game Collection. The bundle hits store shelves on January 27th. With a 500GB hard disk drive, the Classic White PS3 makes it easy for you to store your favorite games from PS Plus, like inFAMOUS 2 and LittleBigPlanet 2, along with movies, TV shows, music, photos and other PSN DLC. More...

Hello friends, Nick Livingston here. I am a designer on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/mlb-13-the-show/">MLB 13 The Show</a>. First, I brought you a blog about the new <a href="http://forums.theshownation.com/showthread.php?t=17611">Universal Profile</a>. Now, I want to talk about Diamond Dynasty. Tons of feedback from <a href="https://www.theshownation.com/">TheShowNation.com</a> has driven us to expand, improve, and fine-tune the systems that make up Diamond Dynasty. Take a look at the content below for a preview of what you can expect from Diamond Dynasty in MLB 13 The Show. <em>Please note that the video footage is of a work-in-progress, and many things will update before we hit the shelves.</em> We're really excited about how the Dynasty Card has evolved. They now display more information about the player's abilities, which will give you an idea of what you are getting right away, but more importantly how good a player can get. More...

We have been fans of classic action brawlers for a long time. And it grieved us a little that, in recent years, there has been a lack of quality titles that truly harken back to the golden age of brawlers. Remember the fun you had with this kind of game, especially when playing co-op with your friends? That is exactly what we want to bring back with Sacred Citadel! It's is a side-scrolling hack and slash action brawler using a 3D engine. You face different opponents that require individual tactics, all staged in a beautiful, colorful art style. Each of the four unique heroes plays differently, having their own combos, special moves, skills, and equipment. When we started creating Sacred Citadel, we said to ourselves: Let's create a fresh, sparkling, side-scrolling hack and slash game that not only brings back the joy of the old days, but also sets a new standard for the future of this genre. More...

There are motorcycle arcade style games out there already, and although many are really fun (everybody remembers Elastomania!) most of them lack depth. So with Urban Trial Freestyle, we decided to add high-quality graphics and a modern social experience to the gameplay to bring this genre to a whole new level. We wanted Urban Trial Freestyle to provide players with the highest level of competition as possible, so we are including about 100 different leaderboards. Players can compare their best score and best time depending on two different game modes. For example, in stunt mode, players can compete to be named “Best Stuntman†on every track. There are 20 tracks, and five kinds of stunts to perform on each track – and each one of them has its own leaderboard – all making Urban Trial Freestyle more unique and more competitive! More...

We’re still in a giving mood long after the holidays have come and gone. To prove it, we’re giving away six <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-mobile/">PlayStation Mobile</a> games. Each week for the next six weeks, you’ll be able to pick up one PlayStation Mobile title for free – that’s a new free title each week. To kick off this party we needed to find a title with a lot of punch, and we couldn’t think of anything more appropriate than Samurai Beatdown. This fast-paced, side-scrolling slash-em-up pits your samurai rhythm skills against waves and waves of evil demons. Download the game for free from the PlayStation Mobile Store on your <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> or <a href="http://www.playstation.com/psm/certified.html">PlayStation Certified Device</a>. It’s free now, so be sure to jump in and pick up your copy today. More...

We're happy to bring you information about escapeVektor, a new game coming to <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PlayStation Vita</a> from Australian independent developer Nnooo. Vektor is trapped inside your CPU and needs your help to escape! Each node (level) consists of a series of interconnected lines which form cells. These are claimed as Vektor moves along them. Claiming all of the cells in a node unlocks the exit to the next node, bringing Vektor closer to his escape. Watch out because the CPU sets up obstacles and sends out its army to destroy him. There are four main abilities to unlock and use in escapeVektor. <strong>Detonate</strong> This ability allows you to destroy enemies which get too close. If you can escape a node without detonating you’ll earn a star! Getting stars on all the nodes is going to be tricky. <strong>Boost</strong> Boost allows you to travel much faster than normal for short periods of time. More...

Today, Lockwood’s Gift Machine has a Unicorn (squeee!), nDreams brings sexy Venice Beach even closer, Granzella has a bunch of goodies for us, and more. Check out all this and more this week in PlayStation Home. Are you the King of the beach or the ultimate beach babe? If so then the new Venice Beach clothing range is perfect for you. With new muscular torsos for the guys and some gorgeous swimsuits for the ladies you will be the envy of everyone else on the beach. The ladies’ swimsuits go great with the High Heels locomotion. A soft breeze stirs the long grasses. Sunlight dapples the dusty ground through the trees, their leaves red and gold. On the horizon, the rusted out hulk of an old steam train begs exploration and a snuffling sound in the grass outside the perimeter fence warrants further investigation. The only thing is, that fence is so far off. Walking there would take so long. If only… Oh, wait! More...

This week on the Store you can purchase the newest version of Devil May Cry -- DmC. The ever-popular Angry Birds also launches onto the Store with Angry Birds Trilogy, which comes with 19 exclusive levels. If you enjoyed the PSP game Corpse Party you’ll be happy to hear that Corpse Party: Book of Shadows is now available for you to download on either your PSP or PS Vita. PS Plus members will receive Darksiders for free this week along with a discount on Stardrone Extreme. 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...

You know that feeling in the pit of your stomach you get when you read the words “you know that feeling in the pit of your stomach you get� Yes, that’s the one. The one you’re feeling right now in the pit of your stomach. Well it’s time to put that feeling to good use because Derrick the Deathfin is now 25% off for one week only! Since his release in October last year, Derrick has been slowly building in reputation, garnering some great reviews and adoring fans along the way. Sales have continued to improve as the game becomes more known too which is great. We know a PS Vita version would be super cool as well, we are still looking into that -- is that something you'd be interested in? What’s more, we have some ideas for a sequel that would see Derrick indulging in some intergalactic mischief… More...

The time to face your demons has arrived! <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/dmc-devil-may-cry-ps3.html">DmC Devil May Cry</a> for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PlayStation 3</a> is in stores now, and downloadable from <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> in a day-and-date digital release. We’re really delighted with the final project and I think Ninja Theory did an amazing job of combining existing elements of previous DmCs, while injecting their own flavor into the franchise. Players can definitely expect to see both radically new elements and returning staple elements from past Devil May Cry games. New to the gameplay are the Demon and Angel powers, which allow (and demand) Dante to switch fluidly between separate sets of abilities and weapons. The Demon side delivers heavy-hitting but slower attacks, while the Angel side unleashes swift area attacks that are relatively low damage. More...

Hi everyone! 2013 is off to a roaring start here on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a>, with tons of great games and promotions for PlayStation gamers, from the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/01/08/god-of-war-ascension-multiplayer-beta-begins-today-for-playstation-plus/">God of War: Ascension Multiplayer Beta</a> for PlayStation Plus users, to the recent digital release of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> favorite <a href="<a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/01/03/download-demons-souls-on-psn-tuesday/">Demon’s Souls</a>, to pre-orders going live for the digital version of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/01/08/playstation-store-update-273/">Dead Space 3</a>. In order to continue bringing you the best online games experience on PSN, we will perform routine maintenance beginning the morning of Thursday, January 17th. This maintenance will start at approximately 8:00AM PT (9:00AM MT / 10:00AM CT / 11:00 AM ET) and last until around 8:00PM PT (9:00PM MT / 10:00PM CT / 11:00PM ET). During the maintenance period, you may receive a maintenance notification when attempting to access PSN. More...

Hey there, Anthony Burch from <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/gearbox-software/">Gearbox</a> here! Sir Hammerlock had told me that in the past he wrote his PlayStation fans a letter, so naturally when I mentioned I was writing this blog post he jumped at the opportunity to do it for me. Sucker! He’s all book smarts. <em>Salutations, Vault Hunters! Sir Hammerlock here, with a cracking proposal for you. Being the oh-so-well-armed badass you are, you’ve already saved the world, found a pirate’s treasure, and spectacularly murdered your way to the top of a badass leaderboard or two. But. Have you – he asked, pausing for dramatic effect – have you ever fought a Stalker the size of a small building? Have you ever fought a mystical shaman bandit who can level up his companions at will? Have you ever hunted down Scaylions, Boroks, Spores and Savages?</em> More...

PS Plus members rang in the New Year with NBA JAM: On Fire Edition and Mega Man 9 and 10 for free. This week, we’re bringing you a mix of action and exploration with the original Darksiders. Read on to find out more about this week’s update and remember to use the polls on the right to let us know what you think of this week’s update! Also, if you haven’t already, make sure you check out NBA Jam: On Fire Edition and Mega Man 9 and 10, which are some of the more recent additions to the PlayStation Plus Instant Game Collection. Take control of War, one of the fabled Horseman of the Apocalypse, and rain down destruction with a combination of brutal attacks and supernatural abilities. Darksiders’ true appeal however isn’t just in its visceral action. With an emphasis on open world traversal and mind-bending dungeons to explore, Darksiders delivers a true adventure, supported by the amazing art styling of comic book art genius Joe Madureira. More...