Commander Fury

Hey everyone, I’m Shaun McCabe, production director at <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/insomniac-games/">Insomniac Games</a>’ North Carolina studio. Since this is my first PS.Blog post, I’ll briefly introduce myself. I joined the company in 2003 during the development of <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/ratchet-and-clank-up-your-arsenal-ps2.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal</a>, but I’ve been an Insomniac fan going all the way back to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disruptor_(video_game)">Disruptor</a> on the PlayStation. As you may have heard, yesterday we announced that our dynamic duo’s latest adventure, Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault, is coming to both <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>! Working closely with our friends at Tin Giant, who are helping bring the game to PS Vita, we’re delivering full cross-play and cross-save support. More...

Hello again PlayStation Assassins! To celebrate Gamescom in Cologne, Germany this week, we're giving fans an in-depth look at the breathtaking naval combat in <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/assassin-s-creed-iii-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">Assassin’s Creed III</a>! Submerge yourself in our latest trailer below... Let’s get in to what you just saw in that trailer, because there are a ton of little gameplay nuggets hidden inside it. First off, check out the attention to detail on the crew and their activities on the deck of Connor’s ship, the Aquila... we really wanted to convey the buzzing hive of energy that a ship this size requires just to keep it moving, let alone enter combat. And when the weather gets rough, Connor may need to put his deft Assassin acrobatics to use, climbing around the rigging and ensuring the sails are properly maintained and operational. More...

Since its inception, <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/playstation-plus/">PlayStation Plus</a> has delivered a strong value to PlayStation gamers. We’ve been keeping our ears to the ground and asking Plus members “What would you like to see added to PlayStation Plus?†Today, I’m happy to share the news that was announced at <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/gamescom12/">Gamescom</a>: PlayStation Plus is coming to <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a>, and Online Game Saves are getting a giant upgrade! These new features are slated to arrive to Plus members before the end of 2012. So, what exactly does this mean for PS Vita owners? If you’re already a Plus member on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a>, you don’t need to worry about activating anything new -- you’ll have Plus access on your PS Vita automatically when this update arrives. More...

Tearaway is kind of like a buddy movie. It stars iota, a messenger from a paper dimension, whose envelope head contains an urgent message to deliver... to you! It’s a very special message, and one that’s unique for each and every player. In order to read yours, you’ll need to take up the role of co-star and, together with iota, journey through the vibrant papery landscape -- two buddies going on an epic adventure. You and iota will travel afar, taking on enemies and helping those in need. You’ll conquer adversity and discover magical papery surprises. But in Tearaway, you're holding more than just a <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> in your hands -- you’re holding the paper world itself! More...

Our <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> promotion is coming to an end with one of the most beloved classics of all time: Counter Strike. CS: Global Offensive is available for pre-order for $14.99 or $11.99 for <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/playstation-plus/">PlayStation Plus</a> members. Those who pre-order receive a static theme, and the more PSN PLAY opportunities you take advantage of, the more credit you’ll receive to use on other items in the PlayStation Store. Papo & Yo, last week’s PSN PLAY game, is now available on the PlayStation Store. A fantasy adventure game, Papo & Yo has been lauded for its emotional subject matter and puzzle-centric gameplay. If you’re curious about this indie darling, there’s a free demo available, so you can try before you buy. The PlayStation Plus Instant Game Collection is getting a boost this week with both Outland and BloodRayne: Betrayal joining the lineup. More...

Hi, everyone. One of the key announcements coming out of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/gamescom12/">Gamescom</a> today is that the next <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> System Software Update (v1.80) is coming your way late August, and will add support for playing PSone Classics on your PlayStation Vita. I know a lot of you have been looking forward to playing original PlayStation titles on the go. In addition, you will be able to make various setting changes while games are running and take screenshots of your gameplay. <em>*It might not be possible to take screenshots in some applications, or in some parts of applications.</em> Listed below are a few other new features that will be added with the 1.80 update: More...

If you're a <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PlayStation Vita</a> owner – or if you are a <a href="http://www.callofduty.com/">Call of Duty</a> fan looking for an excuse to become one – you're going to want to see this. The first look at <a href="http://blackopsdeclassified.com/">Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified</a> just debuted at the Sony PlayStation press conference in Cologne, Germany, and now it's on your internets. Look! If you want to watch it again, I'll wait. There was a lot to see in there. Developed by the team at <a href="http://www.nihilistic.com/">Nihilistic Software</a>, Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified is what Call of Duty fans have been waiting for: the game they know and love, authentically translated to handheld. "One of Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified's compelling features is the fact that you can take the established gameplay everyone knows and loves and bring it to the PS Vita," says the game's producer at Activision, Neven Dravinski. That means you can look forward to familiar elements like Create-a-Class, Perks, Prestige Levels, and of course, twin analog stick controls. More...

Today we’re really excited to present the first official gameplay trailer for Killzone: Mercenary at Gamescom. Designed specifically for the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PlayStation Vita</a> platform, Killzone: Mercenary is a first-person shooter that makes full use of the device’s graphical and input capabilities. It was built on the same powerful engine as <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/killzone-3-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">Killzone 3</a>, and it enhances the familiar twin-stick FPS control scheme with touch pad functionality for interesting new gameplay possibilities. With Killzone: Mercenary, we want to offer PlayStation Vita owners a fresh perspective on the brutal conflict between ISA and Helghast – literally. For the first time in a Killzone campaign, you’ll be fighting alongside Helghast forces as well as ISA specialists, carrying out missions that the regular soldiers just won’t -- or can’t. More...

Hello from <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/gamescom12/">Gamescom</a> everyone! It's always a treat to head out to Germany and show our latest project to media and fans from all over Europe. Earlier today, we revealed a new trailer for <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/the-last-of-us-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">The Last of Us</a>, which we edited specifically for Gamescom. Set to a fitting and haunting track by Hank Williams, Sr., this new trailer mixes previously seen content along with some brand new cinematic and gameplay footage, to provide more detail of the beautiful environments and dangerous opposition Joel and Ellie will face on their journey across the United States. Take a look. More...

Hi, my name is Will Byles and I'm the Executive Creative Director for Until Dawn over at Supermassive Games. We're very excited to finally lift the lid on Until Dawn, our new <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PlayStation 3</a> title, developed exclusively for <a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps3/playstation-move/?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">PlayStation Move</a>! To give you a sneak peek at what's in store, check out our announcement trailer... So, what did you think? We've been churning away on this game for a while now, working with Hollywood writers and US TV talent, doing our best to bring the Teen Horror experience to PlayStation. Inspired by classic movies in the genre, we expect that Until Dawn will draw you in with its characters, killer dialogue and shocking, twisted story. On the anniversary of their friends' disappearance, a group of classmates visit the site of the mystery to bury their ghosts and get some closure. Little do they know, they'll end up burying each other instead... More...

<a href="godofwar.com">God of War</a> fans, it’s Game Director Todd Papy again with the latest and greatest on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/04/19/god-of-war-ascension-is-coming-to-ps3/">God of War: Ascension</a>. If you saw <a href=" ">the on-stage world premiere</a> of our new epic single-player journey at E3, then you’re well aware Kratos will be as bad-ass as ever when Ascension hits stores on March 12, 2013. However, today I’m here to talk more about our ambitious multiplayer mode, a multiplayer experience we are confident will be worthy of the title, God of War. Back on April 30th, I gave you <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/04/30/god-of-war-ascension-multiplayer-announcement-live-from-santa-monica-studio/">an in-depth look</a> at how our new multiplayer-mode works, combining the visceral combat and brutal finishing kills from single-player with an intense and fresh online 4v4 competitive mode. I’m excited to announce today that we will be launching a global multiplayer beta in the near future, available exclusively first to <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/playstation-plus/">PlayStation Plus</a> subscribers (there may a few other secret inroads). It’s critical to our team that we receive as much community feedback to tune and prime our multiplayer mode for one of the best experiences possible, come launch this March. More...

Hi guys. Let’s get the introductions out the way so can get right to the exciting stuff. My name is Gavin, and for the past nine years I have been living in Tokyo working for <a href="http://www.worldwidestudios.net/en/Homepage">Sony’s Worldwide Studios</a>. Recently, I and a small -- but incredibly talented -- group of game makers have been hard at work on a new <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PlayStation 3</a> game called Puppeteer. I’m excited to be able to talk directly to you guys, the heart of PlayStation, and give you the heads-up on the game first. Puppeteer takes place in a magical puppet theatre, owned and run by the slightly eccentric but thoroughly charming Professor Gregorious T. Oswald. His latest production is the weirdly titled "The Perilous Journey of a Boy Named Kutaro." More...

Yo PlayStation.Blog readers! Gamescom is finally upon us, and you know what that means: time for some highly anticipated <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/playstation-all-stars-battle-royale-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale</a> reveals! We’re thrilled to announce the inclusion of Insomniac’s <a href="http://www.ratchetandclank.com/">Ratchet and Clank</a> in PlayStation All-Stars! Given the wealth of tools and gadgets at their disposal, it made perfect sense to us to include them in our roster. This duo is strongest at mid-range, and they can cut off many points of entry with varied angles of attack. We made sure that iconic Ratchet and Clank weapons such as the Combusto Pistol, the R.Y.N.O., and Tesla Spikes are available for players to utilize on the battlefield. Clank joins in on the fight wielding his powerful Chronoscepter, and even Mr. Zurkon can be summoned to lend a hand! More...

Playing hours of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/journey/">Journey</a> giving you cravings to watch Journey on YouTube? Or maybe <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/dirt-showdown/">DiRT Showdown</a> put you in the mood to watch real-life action sports from the Red Bull channel? Give button mashing a whole new meaning with the new YouTube app for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a>, rolling out later today in North America for free from <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/playstation-store/">PlayStation Store</a>. You might have watched YouTube on <a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps3/">PS3</a> before, but get ready for a whole new world of video and features. We have a completely new experience, designed for the big screen and optimized for the PS3. Here’s what you’ll find: <ul> <li>Search: Finding the videos you want is easier than ever, with search suggestions and instant video results while you type.</li> <li>Your subscribed channels: Sign in to find the latest videos from your YouTube subscriptions, which now also includes official music videos.</li> <li>Your phone as a remote: With a quick pairing process, you can control YouTube on PS3 with a smartphone. Find a video on your phone and with a button it’ll play on the big screen. While the video is playing you can control it from the phone, or keep browsing YouTube for the next one.</li></ul> More...

Guten Tag from Cologne, Germany! The doors to <a href="http://www.gamescom-cologne.com/en/gamescom/home/index.php">gamescom 2012</a>, the world's largest gaming event, officially open tomorrow, but the news and announcements start today. <a href="http://gamescom.eu.playstation.com/">PlayStation's gamescom press conference</a> should certainly be of interest to gamers in North America, and fortunately the timing of the evening event means that you can watch it as it happens. We're streaming it live right here, beginning at 1pm Eastern/10am Pacific. Once the main show has wrapped, there'll then be a short break before our VIP panel gets underway, which will also be streamed live. Some of the brightest minds in video game development will be taking to the stage to weigh in on the "games as art" debate, including Sony Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida, LittleBigPlanet co-creator Alex Evans and thatgamecompany co-founder Kellee Santiago. More...

One of the best things about working with a vibrant and productive community, such as the one attached to the <a href="http://hitman.com/">Hitman</a> games, is that you can learn a lot by just watching people play. Going back to the previous games in the Hitman series, we’ve always enjoyed watching videos of how the fans tackle the different levels; both in terms of strategy and approach to the emergent systems within the game but also in terms of how they change the rules by going against the core of the level. A great example is when we see people trying to set up mission parameters all by themselves. The previous games didn’t really support this – you were supposed to play a level in one of several different ways but targets always remained the same – but the fans pretty quickly started setting up conditions for completion themselves. More...

Since 1999, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counter-Strike">Counter-Strike</a> has been the standard-bearer for first-person shooters. The driving force behind competitive e-sports, Counter-Strike has showcased the talents of the most skilled FPS players around the world. Beginning August 21st, the classic action is available on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a>. <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/counter-strike-global-offensive-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">Counter-Strike: Global Offensive</a> brings the industry’s leading team-based action gameplay and adds new weapons, dramatically improved visual effects, and a skill-based matchmaking system to provide all players with a competitive and engaging experience. Developing for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PlayStation 3</a> gave us a great opportunity to take advantage of the unique qualities of the platform. For example, we’re supporting a wide range of input devices including the <a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps3/playstation-move/?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">PlayStation Move</a>, <a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps3/accessories/playstation-move-sharp-shooter-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">PlayStation Move sharp shooter</a>, and even keyboard and mouse. More...

This Wednesday, August 15th, Digital Leisure updates their casino with Video Poker, Heavy Water gives their Peeps a facelift and releases Avalon Keep, both Novus Prime and Lockwood unveil new companions, and more! But before you check out all of this amazing content coming to Home this week, we wanted to give you a heads up about Mercia: Fractured Realms. The first free to play, MMO RPG on the platform, Mercia is hitting <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-home/">PlayStation Home</a> soon! We’ll have more info next week, but for now, take a look at the latest trailer and prepare for its release! Mercia will be an amazing experience for the Home Community, but in the meantime you can occupy yourself by checking out all of the cool content hitting this week: <h4>1. Heavy Water – Avalon Keep</h4> Heavy Water brings you a new experience in the realm of private apartments with the expansive Avalon Keep Personal Apartment. Will you become a Lord or Lady of Avalon? Those who purchase within the first 30 days of release will receive Royal Crystal Crowns, for male and female, as an exclusive reward. More...

Hi everyone. Finally, we can talk about Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a>. We are so grateful for everyone’s patience on this, and we want to make sure you all know that everyone at Robomodo and Activision has been busting their butts to get it out there. Now we can safely announce that after a lot of hard work, sweating and some crying (just a little), the game will be released August 28th on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> in North America. Game development is probably the hardest form of entertainment to put together, and making sure a game plays well across different machines is way tougher than anyone can imagine. If there was a “Make PS3†button, we would’ve been tempted to hit that a long time ago. But we wanted to take the time to fix a few things and make sure that the PS3 experience is everything it can be. More...

It’s been a long journey. Even now, it's hard to believe that <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/sleeping-dogs-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">Sleeping Dogs</a> launches tomorrow. It’s a little odd given how the game is primarily a single player experience, but I think it’s as we start seeing the online leaderboards fill up that the reality sets in: we made it. It’s obviously not the end of our time with the world we spent over five years piecing together, but it definitely marks a turning point – the time when we release a game once named Black Lotus, then True Crime: Hong Kong and finally Sleeping Dogs to you. From here on Sleeping Dogs isn’t living inside a bubble, but instead exists as a part of gaming’s ever-growing cultural canvas. How big a part is in your hands – rest assured we have poured our hearts and souls into making our protagonist Wei’s world one we feel you will enjoy. More...

My name is Danny Doeberling, and I'm a Designer on <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/games-and-media/psv-madden-nfl-13.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">Madden NFL 13</a> for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a>. The game is launching on August 28th, but I wanted to let you know how you can get your hands on the action early with the demo, starting August 14th. When designing Madden for PS Vita, the Dev Team set the goal of making the most complete Madden handheld experience to date, and without a doubt I feel we delivered it. Madden NFL 13 is visually stunning on PS Vita -- seeing all the superstars decked out in their brand new NFL uniforms in HD on that gorgeous OLED screen really gets you excited for football season to start. The game is built from the Gen 3 engine, so if you are familiar with PlayStation 3, you will feel right at home here. Our favorite part of development on this title was incorporating PS Vita's unique features. I’ll just say this: you don’t know how much you need the touch screen until you get it in your hands -- you can use your finger to freely draw receivers’ routes! More...

Hello PlayStation Nation! My name is Ian Pickles and I am the Producer from <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/xdev-europe/">XDev Studio Europe</a> working on PlayStation Vita’s all-new social brain training experience, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/smart-as/">Smart As</a>. I’m here with some exciting news to share. I am delighted to confirm that John Cleese, the English actor, comedian, writer and film producer is injecting his unique personality and sophisticated sense of humor into the game as the voice of Smart As. Best known for his hilarious antics as a member of the Monty Python comedy troupe, it’s great to be able to confirm the comedy legend’s participation in the game. His instantly recognizable voice and distinctive style deliver intelligent and witty narration during the game, always encouraging and sometimes teasing you to improve every time you play. Regardless of how smart you are, John’s creative and comedic dialogue will keep you hooked as you play to improve your Brain Power score and pursue your goal to outsmart the world. More...

The first two episodes of Telltale’s <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/the-walking-dead-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">The Walking Dead</a> joined the Instant Game Collection last week, and today, we’re announcing even more content coming to Plus! We’re excited to welcome <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> Games <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/outland-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">Outland</a> and <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/bloodrayne-betrayal-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">Bloodrayne: Betrayal</a> to the <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/playstation-plus/">PlayStation Plus</a> family. Read on to learn more about these games and other great content coming exclusively for Plus members. <h5>Free for PlayStation Plus Members</h5> This innovative PSN Game blended open world 2D action color-based puzzle platforming to deliver an experience like none other. More...

Hello PlayStation Nation. As you know, we at SuperBot have set high benchmarks for <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/playstation-all-stars-battle-royale-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">PlayStation All-Stars</a>. Our goal is to deliver a fun, well-balanced, and compelling gameplay experience that pays homage to all of these incredible characters. We also know our fans have high expectations for this title, and to that end, we have decided to move the release date to November 20th, 2012 for North America (including Canada) and Latin America territories. This will let us spend more time polishing and tuning the game, and it will give us a chance to incorporate some of the great feedback we're receiving from the current limited beta to ensure we are creating the best possible fighting game experience. More...

Orgarhythm is a game that’s going to puzzle a lot of people. It’s certainly not a premise that I’ve ever seen before, much less played. In short, Orgarhythm is the marriage of music and strategy — and some very nice touch controls. It’s a game where you march to the beat, literally. The premise is [...] More...