Commander Fury

Hi, anime and Asian drama fans out there. Today, we launched the <a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/">Crunchyroll</a> app on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PlayStation 3</a>! The app allows Crunchyroll premium members to watch our entire catalog of anime and Asian drama, while free members can stream a sizeable collection of our content. You can learn more about our membership plans and pricing <a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/premium_comparison/?src=subnav">here</a>, and you’ll be able to sign up for a free 30-day trial on your PS3. Crunchyroll has hundreds of Japanese anime titles across a myriad of genres. The app includes access to our simulcast titles, usually available a few hours after the first broadcast in Japan. My personal favorite is Gosick, a series full of mystery, history, and romance. It's true -- anime is not just for guys. More...

<blockquote><em>Note: Due to an unforeseen complication, the Grand Theft Auto III PS2 Classic is not publishing with today's Store post. We will update you when a new release date has been identified. We apologize for the inconvenience.</em> </blockquote> This week, make sure to check out the first game to release in this year’s PSN PLAY promotion! The Expendables 2 is a co-op arcade-style shoot ‘em up, and takes place just before the events of the upcoming movie of the same name, so make sure to play it before you catch it in theaters. Up to four players can join up to take part in an action-packed rescue mission spanning a number of exotic locales. It’s 20% off for PlayStation Plus members as well. PSN PLAY is also offering up <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/sound-shapes">Sound Shapes</a> this week for pre-order. It’s also 20% of for PlayStation Plus members, and pre-ordering nets you an exclusive static theme for your PS3. More...

Hello PlayStation.Blog! <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/the-expendables-2">The Expendables 2: The Videogame</a> will be kicking off the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/07/10/psn-play-returns-this-month-with-four-great-games-for-the-summer/">PSN PLAY</a> program today, giving PlayStation gamers the first chance to play this explosive shooter. Following the critically acclaimed action movie series by Lionsgate and Millennium Films, The Expendables 2: The Videogame put gamers in control of four of the world’s top mercenaries – Barney Ross, Hale Caesar, Gunner Jensen and Yin Yang – as they embark on a rescue mission for a kidnapped billionaire. Each mercenary will have a distinct play style giving you the choice to tackle enemies up-close or from afar. Here’s a quick breakdown of each of the characters weapons and abilities: More...

Last year, my team at <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/frima-studio/">Frima Studio</a> set out to create the ultimate <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-move/">PlayStation Move</a> party game and in just a few weeks the whole world can enjoy the fruit of our labor on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a>. <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/lights-camera-party/">Lights, Camera, Party!</a> embodies everything we think a party game should be; fast-paced, funny, quick to set up, social and full of a variety of mini-games, challenges and Trophies for a fresh experience each time you play. With only one <a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps3/playstation-move/">Move controller</a> required to play, it keeps the whole family on their feet and frantically passing the controller between fits of laughter. You and your friends will step into the shoes of the Funzinis, a family forced to compete in an array of wild game shows to win a new home after the TV station’s satellite crash lands in their living room. In the primary Story mode, up to four players guide the Funzini family through five rounds, each modeled after a type of TV show (Cooking, News, Sci-Fi, and so on) that contain up to 24 fast-paced mini games. Other modes support up to eight players and feature selections of Lights, Camera, Party!’s 50 mini-games in a variety of challenging formats. More...

As you might know, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/papo-yo/">Papo & Yo</a> is a metaphorical, semi-autobiographical story of Creative Director Vander Caballero’s tumultuous relationship with his alcoholic father. While the game’s storyline will draw players into an emotional journey, we also designed the environment to help immerse the player in a surreal Latin American setting. There’s a high level of authenticity on display, from the landscape to the music, style, and graffiti. In North America, graffiti is changing to include more artistic works such as murals, but it’s generally associated with spray painted tags and defaced walls. In Latin America, graffiti is a treasured art form because of its long history with political messaging. More...

<a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a>’s Connor and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a>’s Aveline make their mark on <a href="http://playstationthemagazine.com/">PTOM</a>’s September cover as we delve into <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/assassins-creed-iii/">Assassin Creed III</a>, the revolutionary new chapter(s) in <a href="http://www.ubi.com/US/">Ubisoft</a>’s blockbuster franchise. Executive editor Mikel Reparaz travelled to Ubisoft Montreal for a deep look into the gameplay of both the home console and portable games with exclusive insight from the developers. And can we just say we’re lovin’ the Revolutionary War setting for the games? If sequels aren’t your thing, <a href="http://www.quanticdream.com/en">Quantic Dream</a>’s <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/beyond-two-souls/">Beyond: Two Souls</a> and <a href="http://www.naughtydog.com/">Naughty Dog</a>’s <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/the-last-of-us/">The Last of Us</a> lead off our look at 14 new PlayStation IP's that promise to inject fresh ideas into gaming’s veins. We also sit down to chat with SCE Worldwide president Shuhei Yoshida for an update on Sony’s ace stable of first-part dev teams and all things PlayStation. More...

About a billion years ago, I worked on a PS2 game called War of the Monsters. In fact, it was my first game as a producer -- I had the luxury of working with a great team and together we made a really awesome and unique fighting game. War of the Monsters was built on the theme of vintage monster B-movies, with mega-crap-loads of building destruction and tons of hot monster-on-monster action! But totally <em>work-appropriate</em> hot monster action. Get your minds out of the gutter! We didn't just have a ton of fun making the War of the Monsters -- we were very happy with how the finished product turned out. The game was ridiculously fun to play, and players around the world loved it! So when <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/author/jrubenstein/">Jeff</a> pinged me the other day to tell me that War of the Monsters is going to be released as a PS2 Classic on the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> I was crazy-excited. Of course, I wanted to write a quick post! More...

This Wednesday, August 1st, Blueprint: Home arrives, Heavy Ink brings new tats, x7 introduces a new freebie, the Midway Ca$h Carnival continues and more. As usual, there’s so much to cover -- here’s your must-do list for this week in <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-home/">PlayStation Home</a>: <h3>1. nDreams – Blueprint: Home</h3> The wait is nearly over: On Wednesday, August 1st, you'll be able to create your own apartment in PlayStation Home using the Blueprint: Home personal space designer from nDreams. With the ability to create and save five different apartments, and a huge amount of customization options included, Blueprint: Home offers an unrivalled experience for user-generated content in PlayStation Home. More...

On August 7th, <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/playstation-plus/">PlayStation Plus</a> members will get Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead Episodes 1& 2 added to their Instant Game Collection. That’s not all – in the next few weeks PlayStation Plus members will also receive significant discounts on the latest and best PSN games a part of PSN PLAY event, beginning tomorrow, July 31st. <h4>The Expendables 2 Video game</h4> <strong>20% off for PlayStation Plus Members (PSN Price: $14.99, PS+ Price: $11.99)</strong> The 2012 PSN PLAY event kicks off with a first week discount on one of the most intense co-op shooters on PSN. Grab a friend (or three) and join four of the Expendables (Barney, Gunner, Caesar and Yin Yang) in a mission to rescue akidnapped billionaire. More...

This week sees the release of Disney Princesses Pack 1 -- after <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/07/23/sack-it-to-me-announcing-the-disney-princesses/">last week's big announcement</a> -- on the PlayStation Store. This first pack contains Jasmine, Cinderella, Aurora and Snow White. Each Disney Princess is also available for individual purchase, but anyone who purchases the full pack will receive a bonus collection of Disney Princesses themed stickers! For full information on the contents of Disney Princess Pack 1, head on over to our <a href="http://www.littlebigplanet.com/en/game_guide/ps3/downloadable_content/disney_princesses_pack_1/">LittleBigPlanet DLC Catalogue</a>. <h3>LittleBigPlanet Karting Beta Videos</h3> The LittleBigPlanet community has always been fantastic, but the creations published so far in our on-going <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/littlebigplanet-karting/">LittleBigPlanet Karting</a> Beta have been especially brilliant. More...

Back in March, you may have heard about our <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/uncharted-3/">UNCHARTED 3</a> make.believe contest, when we invited UNCHARTED fans to participate in a contest to win the opportunity of a lifetime -- the chance to become their very own character in the game. Today, I'm going to share with you the winner and his incredible journey. Sony make.believe is about fans using their creativity and imagination to do something amazing, and bringing their dreams to life. Earlier this year, Sony gave fans the opportunity to be a part of one of the most popular game series ever, by becoming a character in UNCHARTED 3's multiplayer mode. They were sent to “Training Camp†to compete in a series of three online challenges, held in the US and Europe. More...

We’ve just released the first all-gameplay trailer for <a href="http://www.darksiders.com/age-gate/enter?destination=home">Darksiders II</a>, which sees the most feared of the horseman of the apocalypse, Death, going up against some of the creatures from the game. The Ancient. The Corrupted. The Holy. The Damned… Death comes for all. The trailer shows off several key characters from the game, but we wanted to provide additional context as the game marches towards its August 14th release date. <strong>Death</strong> Like his fellow Horsemen, Death is of a race known as Nephilim – among the most powerful beings in the Universe. More...

It's a big weekend for San Francisco Bay Area gamers - <a href="http://www.caextreme.org/">California Extreme</a> has kicked off in the Santa Clara Hyatt Regency. Jeff and I are planning to swing by Sunday to get some hands-on time with the show's <a href="http://www.caextreme.org/games2012">extensive lineup</a> of classic arcade and pinball games. If you see us at the show, be sure to say hi! It's summertime, which means a slower game release schedule and fewer big announcements. On the bright side, it's the perfect chance to catch up on your gaming backlog. I've been checking out Dyad and finishing up Spec Ops: The Line. What are you playing this weekend? More...

<p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">For PS3</a>, with an expanded setting, a fresh story and characters as well as an all-new technical foundation, Risen 2 expands on the success of this popular RPG franchise. Set several years after the end of Risen, the game drops players into a cataclysmic world where raging titans have devastated the planet and pushed humanity to the brink of existence.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">On PSN</a>, two PlayStation 2 classics return this week. Grand Theft Auto 3 and War of the Monsters are new to PSN. Enjoy this week’s The Drop.</p> More...

I won't pretend I was super excited for the Summer Games to start. But what happened this weekend? My butt, parked in front of the TV, watching Archery, Volleyball, and Fencing. No idea what I was looking at (especially with Fencing), but I really like the <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/19/this-diy-daft-punk-helmet-is-way-cooler-than-your-diy-daft-punk/">Daft Punk helmets</a> they wear. I also put in something like 10 hours into <a href="http://www.atlus.com/p3p/">Persona 3 Portable</a> on my PS Vita during that time. The more I play P3P, the more excited I'm getting for <a href="http://www.atlus.com/p4arena/">Persona 4 Arena</a> and <a href="http://www.atlus.com/p4g/">Persona 4 Golden</a>. If you like RPGs <em>at all</em> and haven't experienced the Persona series, I'm finding Persona 3 to be a great place to start. Speaking of Persona 4 Arena, find a link about it below, an update on Skyrim's Dawnguard DLC, and a recently announced new PS Vita game. Now, off to watch some... Badminton? Sure. More...

It’s the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/psn-spotlight/">PSN Community Spotlight</a>! We open up the PlayStation Blog for PSN gamers to tell their unique PlayStation story/experience/thoughts as submitted to this special section in the new and improved <a href="http://community.us.playstation.com/t5/PSN-Community-Meets-the-PS-Blog/bd-p/22802">PlayStation Community Forums</a>. Those that find their way to the PlayStation Blog will find a $50 PlayStation Store voucher in their inbox. With last week’s release of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> Game <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/dyad/">Dyad</a>, we wanted to hear your thoughts on this unique experience. While it might be tough to look at screens and video of Dyad and ‘get’ what’s going on, PSN gamer phzzt breaks down what exactly it is about the game that hooks you. More...

Hello Craftworld enthusiasts! Today, we're announcing a contest for the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/littlebigplanet/">LittleBigPlanet</a> community, where you'll have the chance to <strong>create this year’s <a href="http://prime.paxsite.com/">PAX Prime</a> <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/littlebigplanet-karting/">LittleBigPlanet Karting</a> T-Shirt</strong>! We're constantly amazed by the unique levels you all come up with, and we can’t wait to see your creative talents put toward this T-Shirt design. The rules are simple; the shirt can be any color and must: <ul><li>Contain a Classic (non-costumed, knitted) Sackboy</li> <li>Include a Kart</li> <li>Use only 1-3 colors</li> <li>Utilize up to 3 areas on the template</li></ul> More...

Good news: We’ve finished our award-winning rhythm/shoot'em up, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/retrograde/">Retro/Grade</a>! The game will be released on August 21st exclusively on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a>, and will provide hours of mind-bending rhythm-based gameplay as you fight through reverse-timed space battles. We’ve gotten many requests to make Retro/Grade's soundtrack available, so I'll go ahead and confirm that we'll be selling it on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a>. If you want the game <em>and</em> the soundtrack, there will be a discounted bundle -- we'll have more details on pricing soon. For those who aren’t familiar with Retro/Grade, it's similar to a classic Shoot 'Em Up... in reverse! At the beginning of the game you stop a massive alien invasion, but all the destruction damages the space/time continuum, causing the flow of time itself to reverse. More...

This week, the <a href="https://music.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/">Music Unlimited</a> service features <a href="http://blog.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/2012/07/24/new-releases-on-the-music-unlimited-service-72412/">new releases</a> from <a href="http://www.passionpitmusic.com/home">Passion Pit</a>, <a href="http://www.thegaslightanthem.com/">The Gaslight Anthem</a>, and <a href="http://jenniferlopez.com/">Jennifer Lopez</a>, as well as new albums from artists including <a href="http://www.slipknot1.com/">Slipknot</a>, <a href="http://www.loveandtheft.com/us/home">Love and Theft</a>, <a href="http://sugarman.org/">Rodriguez</a>, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thejackamobfigaz">The Jacka</a>, <a href="http://kaninerecords.com/eternalsummers/">Eternal Summers</a>, and <a href="http://artistwiki.com/reks">Reks</a>. Also this week, check out the new <a href="http://www.zacbrownband.com/">Zac Brown Band</a> – Artist Picks Premium Channel! In celebration of their latest album <a href="https://music.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/#album/e4d6858a456845f195796a5be0efb19e/Zac_Brown_Band/Uncaged">Uncaged</a>, Zac and the band have compiled an eclectic list, including many of their hit tracks alongside favorite songs ranging all the way from Bonnie Raitt to Jay-Z. You can hear the whole thing now in the <a href="https://music.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/#channel/921baaf835adeb42e040007f01002bdf/Premium">premium channels section</a> of the Music Unlimited service. On the video side, we’re helping you celebrate the 25th year of Shark Week by bringing you up close and personal to the ocean’s deadliest predators through the Shark Week Sale on the Video Unlimited service! More...

<blockquote><strong>Subscription Links:</strong> <ul><li>Subscribe via <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/the-official-playstation-blogcast/id483223024">iTunes</a> </li> <li>Subscribe via <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheOfficialPlaystationBlogcast">RSS here</a></li> <li>Download the <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/playstation/35_Episode_035__The_Unfinished_Assas.mp3">MP3 here</a> on PS3, PS Vita or PC (Right-Click->Save As)</li></ul></blockquote> Thanks to Jeff, Nick, and Rey, the Blogcast thrived during my absence <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/07/19/playstation-blogcast-034-beyond-borderlands-2/">last week</a>. But I’ve returned from the exotic lands of the East Coast bearing priceless gifts! First, I speak with Ian Dallas, the creative director of upcoming PSN knockout <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/the-unfinished-swan/">The Unfinished Swan</a>, to learn what <em>really</em> inspired this distinctive game -- and why those monochromatic ink-blot levels are only the beginning of what’s in store. Then I catch up with Steve Masters, lead game designer for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/assassins-creed-iii/">Assassin’s Creed III</a>, to get the inside scoop on those <a href=" ">jaw-dropping naval battles</a> that blew us away during PlayStation’s E3 press conference. More...

Nation of PlayStation(.Blog), We’re way-fairly convinced you’re going to find this post way-fairly awesome, and no, not just because it’s about Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time, the upcoming <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psp/">PSP</a> strategy RPG from, well... <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/atlus/">us</a>. As for why we’re so convinced, it’s becau—wait, what? Oh, no, you heard right; we said “PSP.†Look, folks, it’s still an immensely popular system with a huge user base and an amazing library of RPGs and SRPGs. More...

Hello everyone, Pawe More...

The <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psnplay2012/">PSN PLAY</a> event starts this week with preorders beginning for the first title in this summer’s lineup: The Expendables 2 Videogame! Available for a limited time exclusively on PSN, this explosive game offers co-op shoot’em up action based on the upcoming movie, The Expendables 2. Pre-order The Expendables 2 Videogame starting today for $14.99 ($11.99 for PlayStation Plus members) and get ready for it’s official release next Tuesday, July 31st. The more games you buy, the more cash vouchers you will get back as part of the PSN PLAY event! <a href="http://us.playstation.com/support/answer/index.htm?a_id=4615">Check out this FAQ</a> for the answers to all of your questions about PSN PLAY. Two awesome new PS Vita games are coming your way as part of this week’s PlayStation Store update! More...

Hey everyone, Shawn here again. I'm dropping by the PS.Blog to let you know the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/dyad/">Dyad</a> Demo launches <strong>today</strong>! Yay! Mare Sheppard of Metanet Software, David Kanaga (Dyad's composer) and I worked tirelessly through the night to create a new trailer announcing the launch of the demo. It's a playful take on the <a href=" ">first Dyad trailer</a> and other game trailers. I got to star in my very own trailer; that's pretty neat! I hope everyone has a good laugh, and yes, that's my real hair! If the (overwhelmingly positive) reviews are correct, then Dyad is a game you have to play to fully understand -- now's your chance! Check out Dyad's first 5 levels and see if you groove with it. If you do, the PlayStation Plus discount continues this week. More...

<a href="http://us.playstation.com/psnplay2012/">PSN PLAY</a> is just starting to heat up, and starting today, you can pre-order the first game in <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/07/10/psn-play-returns-this-month-with-four-great-games-for-the-summer/">this year’s line-up</a>. <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/the-expendables-2/">The Expendables 2</a> is the first title available for PSN PLAY, and it’s launching first exclusively on PS3! The Expendables 2 is a co-op arcade-style shoot ‘em up, and takes place just before the events of the upcoming movie of the same name. Up to four players can join up to take part in an action-packed rescue mission spanning a number of exotic locales. If you missed the announcement trailer, be sure to check it out below. The Expendables 2 hits <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> on July 31 for $14.99, and PlayStation Plus members can nab the game for $11.99 (20% off) during launch week. Pre-order the game now for a free theme based on The Expendables 2. More...