Commander Fury

When I took over the SCEE PlayStation Blog a month or two back, I promised you a few new regular features. Today, I’m happy to unveil the first of them: <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/behind-the-classics/">Behind The Classics</a>. Every fortnight (well, that’s the plan at least), we’ll be talking to the creative force behind a vintage <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/psone-classic/">PS One</a> or <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/ps2-classics/">PlayStation 2</a> title. To kick things off, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/naughty-dog/">Naughty Dog</a> co-founder Andy Gavin was kind enough to lend us his time to discuss the making of seminal 2001 PS2 platformer <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/jak-daxter/">Jak & Daxter.</a> We’ve got the next few entries in the series lined up, but please feel free to leave your suggestions for future interview subjects below. Manage your expectations – these people aren’t always easy to track down – but we’ll do our best. More...

PlayStation.Blog chums, <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/games-and-media/psv-persona-4-golden.html?CMP=soc_us__gm_sm_05_21_12">Persona 4 Golden</a>. It’s so hot right now. It’s Japan’s hottest <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> game of all time, selling more than twice as many units as the next bestselling title. In the weeks following P4G’s release, PS Vita hardware sales in Japan saw a dramatic spike, larger than at any time since the start of the year. Perhaps it’s because the original Persona 4 became such a phenomenon, winning <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-2/shin-megami-tensei-persona-4">tremendous critical acclaim</a> and adoration from consumers. It could also be because Golden, the enhanced and expanded PS Vita version of the game, dramatically improves on the beloved RPG classic in so many gosh darn ways. More...

This week, the <a href="http://www.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/music-unlimited/why-music-unlimited/">Music Unlimited</a> service features <a href="http://blog.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/2012/08/21/new-releases-on-the-music-unlimited-service-82112/">new releases</a> including Trey Songz, The Darkness, and Bloc Party, as well as new albums from Dispatch, DJ Khaled, Minus the Bear, Blake Shelton, and Passenger. Also, we recently launch our Frenchkiss Records Premium Channel, featuring artists such as Local Natives, The Hold Steady, The Antlers and one of today’s featured new releases, Bloc Party. You can find it now in the Premium Channels section of the Music 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 MP3 <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/playstation/39_Episode_039__Ratchet_Until_Dawn.mp3">here</a> on PS3, PS Vita or PC (Right-Click->Save As)</li></ul></blockquote> We wrap up our <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/gamescom12/">Gamescom 2012</a> coverage this week with a trio of scintillating new interviews with some of the the stars of the show. Self-proclaimed "teen horror" adventure <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/until-dawn/">Until Dawn</a> brought the house down in Cologne, fusing immersive PlayStation Move-based exploration and immersive puzzle-solving. More...

First things first: Psychonauts is coming to PlayStation 2 Classics. ...Okay, that's only one thing. But it's super important. Psychonauts was <a href="http://www.doublefine.com/">Double Fine</a>'s first game, and it came out for the PlayStation 2 way back in 2005. We love it a lot. It's the story of a gifted young psychic cadet who must delve deep into dangerous minds and put a stop to a sinister conspiracy. And on August 28th, you will be able to download it to your <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PlayStation 3</a> as a PlayStation 2 Classic. If you never played Psychonauts, you're in for a treat! If you played it before, why not buy it again, just for old time's sake? Ha ha! Tell a friend or two or a hundred. "So, what took so long?" you may ask. Well, you'd be in fine company for asking. As internet user <a href="https://twitter.com/smushums66/status/202449778146160642">@smushums66 requested</a>, "Psychonauts PSN title or PS2 classic PLEASE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" More...

The Ratchet & Clank franchise turns 10 this year, and to celebrate their anniversary we will release the <a href="Pre-Order Ratchet & Clank Collection <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/ratchet-and-clank-collection-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">here</a>, and get the game when it comes out on August 28th.">Ratchet & Clank Collection</a> on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a>. Ever since the first Ratchet & Clank game launched, fans have written us wanting to see concept art. While concepts are just one of many pieces we use to put our games together, they are a fun way to show the history of the Ratchet & Clank universe. So I searched around the studio and pulled together a collection of images that go all the way back to 2002 when <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/insomniac-games/">Insomniac</a> started working on a new game... <h4>In The Beginning</h4> ...well actually it was 2000. We were wrapping up Spyro: Year of the Dragon and looking ahead to the PlayStation 2. More...

Like many of you, I’m eagerly awaiting news on the release date of the third episode of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/telltale-games/">Telltale Games</a>’ superb <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> series <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/the-walking-dead/">The Walking Dead</a>, a game that is intimately connected to the grim world of Robert Kirkman’s celebrated comic series. I’ve long wondered just how involved Kirkman was with Telltale’s hit game series, so when I got a chance to interview him during Gamescom in Germany last week, I dropped by bratwurst and Kolsch and picked up the phone. I first met Kirkman during <a href="http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/272932/robert_kirkman_speaks_walking_dead_creator_talks_video_games_zombies/#closeme">an interview</a> for the late, great GamePro and, as always, the man is nothing if not humble about his considerable creative achievements. He modestly described The Walking Dead’s surge into mainstream pop culture as “a wild ride,†and expressed great satisfaction with Telltale’s work on the game. My chat with Kirkman was short (he’s a busy man!) but it yielded some fascinating insights into the creative processes behind one of the biggest properties in comics, TV, and gaming. More...

Hello everyone, we are very proud to present SunFlowers, coming this autumn to <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a>. At first sight this game may look pretty casual -- indeed, its objective is pretty simple: you have to grow flowers using chain-reactions. You control the Sun, and you have the power to grow beautiful flowers on the ground. To do this, you shoot rays of sunlight through passing clouds, which turns the sunlight into water, which in turn causes the plants to grow. But if a sun ray touches a seed or a flower, it starts to burn. Thankfully, a drop of water will clear that burn right up. When a flower reaches maturity, two new seeds pop out on both sides of it. If one new seed drops on an empty space it will be planted. If there’s already another flower the seed will bounce on it until it reaches a clear slot (and that’s how you make Combos!). More...

We are pleased to announce that Deep Black for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> is live now on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> with single-player missions and five multiplayer maps. So what is the game about? It is an arcade-style game that’s a perfect fit for shooter fans. You’ll fight both underwater and on land within an immersive storyline that encompasses a complex science-fiction mystery, espionage, and bioterrorism. The year is 2047. Global mega corporations known as “keiretsu†have supplanted governments around the world. The most powerful of these is Ishiguro-Himmel Systems (IHS), headquartered in Berlin. The nations that remain have been driven to the brink of war by a struggle for dwindling natural resources. In order to survive, these countries have banded together into two multinational organizations that pool their wealth and military might in a quest for survival - The United Federation of Gondwana, which comprises South America, Africa, southern Asia, and Australia and the Global Strategic Alliance (GSA), which includes North America, Europe, and northern Asia. More...

This week is jam-packed with games of all shapes and sizes, so you’re bound to find something you like. If you’re a Transformers fan you’ll be happy to see that the latest retail offering, Fall of Cybertron, is available the day it launches – in other words, right now. If you’re wavering on whether or not to get it, the fact that <em>you can make your own Transformer</em> might help you decide. Seriously. Let’s just say for argument’s sake that you hate robots (you monster), but love team-based shooters. You’re in luck. Counter Strike: Global Offensive is the newest iteration of the classic franchise, so regardless if you’re a retired pro or a beginner, now’s a good time to get involved in the community. It’s the last title in the PSN PLAY promotion, which also means that this is the last week to purchase games and earn PlayStation Store credit back. Read more about the event by clicking <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psnplay2012/">here</a>. Counter Strike isn’t the only classic to get revived this week – Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 HD are now available for individual purchase. These games are available for download on both PS3 and the PS Vita stores. More...

<a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/04/04/way-of-the-samurai-4-coming-exclusively-to-ps3/">Last time on PS.Blog</a>, my colleague Tom introduced you guys to our upcoming release (out today!), <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/way-of-the-samurai-4/">Way of the Samurai 4</a>. He expounded on the back story, the sandbox nature of its gameplay, and a bit of the silliness you will encounter if you take up arms in Amihama. He tried to warn you. I’m just going to tell you. This game is crazy. Like, if you punch people, eggs fall out crazy. Way of the Samurai 4 drops players into a period drama populated by Edo-era Japanese citizens, trade-hungry foreigners and hundreds of crates flaunting their breakability. As a masterless samurai, you’re free to aid whichever faction vying for dominance in Amihama that you like. You can choose to support the local government (the Shogunate forces), the isolationists movement (the Prajna), or the diminutive, sweets-obsessed diplomatic envoy from the British. Or you can do what I did and just run around killing everybody. More...

At first blush, you could be forgiven for thinking that <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/kickbeat/">KickBeat</a> is a new riff on <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/beats-psp.html">Beats</a>, that seminal <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psp/">PSP</a> downloadable gem that transformed your MP3 collection into an engaging button-tapping rhythm challenge. Much like Beats, KickBeat awards you points for accurately tapping combinations of the four face buttons (or four quadrants on the front touchscreen) in time to the music and subtle visual cues. But KickBeat is a far more ambitious game, both mechanically and aesthetically. Abandoning the abstract icons that clutter the interfaces of many music games, KickBeat reimagines the rhythm game as a chop-socky fighting scene with an agile protagonist battling hordes of incoming goons in a circular arena. Each successive hit you land yields a bigger bonus multiplayer and more points, while missing an incoming attack diminishes your life meter. The game ramps up slowly but surely. Smacking down the most basic yellow enemy type is easy enough, but the action quickly accelerates as new enemies types are introduced -- red enemies attack from two places at once, while blue aggressors come in with a tricky one-two combo. Before long, you’ll be working up a sweat as you fend off blistering volleys of incoming enemies to the pounding background music. More...

Hello PlayStation.Blog readers! Firstly, if you aren’t familiar with <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/retro-grade-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">Retro/Grade</a>, check out <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/08/08/retrograde-how-to-play-a-reverse-shooter/">our previous post</a> for an explanation about how fighting battles backwards works. Go ahead, I'll wait. Now that you're all caught up, we can get started. It’s been a long journey since <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/07/20/retrograde-coming-to-ps3/">our first post about Retro/Grade</a> on the PS.Blog over three years ago. We've worked very hard creating the best game we possibly can since then -- if you saw the three year old screenshots, you’ll notice that it's barely recognizable as the polished product you see today. Besides all the visual polish we added -- like jaw-dropping effects and full HD 1080p rendering at 60 frames-per-second with anti-aliasing -- we’ve added a ton of content. More...

Outside of PlayStation’s own <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/gamescom12/">announcements</a>, the indisputable big-buzz game of Gamescom 2012 was <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/dishonored/">Dishonored</a>, the upcoming <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> first-person stealth adventure from Bethesda. With relatively low-key showings in Cologne from many of the other major third party publishers, Dishonored really got its chance to shine last week and it duly dazzled all comers. For the uninitiated, the game puts you in the shoes of wronged assassin Corvo Atano who is framed for the murder of an Empress – his former lover. You'll be sneaking around a dark, atmospheric steampunk world, combining supernatural powers and a range of weaponry to avenge her death and unmask those who've conspired against you. More...

While <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/wonderbook-book-of-spells-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">Book of Spells</a> led off our <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/wonderbook/">Wonderbook</a> announcement at E3 earlier this year, there are plenty more projects in the works for the forthcoming <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PlayStation 3</a> augmented reality platform, including Walking With Dinosaurs from the BBC, and an exciting partnership with Disney Interactive Studios. Diggs: Nightcrawler is a little different, however – unlike Book of Spells and Dinosaurs, it's a brand new IP, promising quirky detective noir with style to spare. Less than 24 hours after the game's new trailer debuted during the Sony press conference at <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/gamescom12/">gamescom</a> last week, we sat down with Adam Volker from Oscar-winning animation studio turned game developer Moonbot to find out what it has in store. “So, Diggs is a detective bookworm and he's really good at what he does,†he explained. “He works for the godfather of Library City, Humpty Dumpty. And you know his story – someone pushed him off the wall, someone bumped him off - and the cops think it's Diggs. So when you start the game he's framed for the murder of his old buddy. The story unfolds from there, with you attempting to clear Diggs' name and find out who actually committed the crime.†More...

This Wednesday, August 22nd, members of nightclub x7 get the first opportunity to the Italian lifestyle with the Tuscan Villa personal space and clubhouse, plus Heavy Water expands its Avalon Keep collection with the White Knight bundles. Fans of the Internet meme Domo will be pleased as he makes his debut in Home. Finally, who doesn’t love custom animations and emotes? Konami releases some new animated B’Loons outfits, and nDreams steps up the cred with its Street Moves hip hop dancer outfits. There’s a lot to enjoy, so I’ll get right to this week’s to do list: <h5>1. x7 Update – Tuscan Villa Personal Space and Clubhouse + VEEMEE Clothing</h5> Ever wondered what it would be like living in a rustic, yet grand Italian countryside villa? Now you can. Bring some friends and share the experience with the gift of food (the Villa has a gift of pizza for guests), and lounge the evening away. More...

It’s been a long time coming, but we’re happy to announce that <a href="http://playstationthemagazine.com/">PlayStation: The Official Magazine</a> is now available digitally through <a href="http://bit.ly/OG18FR">Apple Newsstand</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/Nd4RFk">Google Play</a>, and <a href="http://bit.ly/P0u5ua">Zinio</a>. Simply install the free app for the respective outlet to begin enjoying each PTOM issue via your smartphone, tablet device, or computer. The September digital issue, which features our exclusive look at <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> for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> and <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/games-and-media/psv-assassin-s-creed-iii-liberation.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">Assassin's Creed III Liberation</a> for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a>, is currently available for the promotional price of 99 cents. Subscribe for just $19.99 a year to continue receiving PTOM’s unique brand of PlayStation coverage for just a few cents more per issue. Following the September issue, single-purchase digital issues will be priced the same as our newsstand print edition—so subscribe now for the best value. More...

Howdy, doods! I hope everyone has been having a great summer! Ryan from <a href="http://nisamerica.com/">NISA</a> here, dropping by to talk about <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/03/30/nis-talks-ps3-rpgs-legasista-mugen-souls-the-witch-and-the-hundred-knights/">Legasista</a>’s release tomorrow exclusively on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PlayStation Network</a>! For those unfamiliar with Legasista, it's an action/survival RPG developed by Nippon Ichi Software, Inc. and System Prisma (ClaDun and ClaDun x2). We wanted to talk a bit more in-depth about some of the game characters, features, and more – so here we go! First off, I’m sure a lot of you are wondering about the origins of the name Legasista. Well, the name is derived from combining the words legacy and sister. You see, the main character, Alto, is looking for a way to save his sister, who was turned into a crystal by a curse. He discovers that the artifact that can do it lies in a ruin called the Ivy Tower. More...

Excited to join you today as we celebrate the impending release of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/transformersfall-of-cybertron/">Transformers: Fall of Cybertron</a> with our new launch trailer. We have what we believe is the most complete Transformers game ever. There are so many different Transformers that are playable and many of them -- the Dinobots, Metroplex, the Combaticons -- are appearing for the first time. In a first for us, the full Fall of Cybertron game is available day one download via <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/playstation-store/">PlayStation Store</a>. That’s this Tuesday afternoon in the US (Friday in Europe). Skip the drive and join us on Cybertron! More...

You may have caught wind of this one-of-a-kind title’s release in Japan or heard whispers of it this past E3, but we’re excited to finally announce that Tokyo Jungle will be coming to <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> via <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> very shortly -- on September 25th, to be exact! Developed by PlayStation C.A.M.P and Crispy’s, Tokyo Jungle is an action-adventure game set in a post-apocalyptic Japan, where humankind no longer exists and animals must ruthlessly fight for their lives. In this world, there’s just one rule -- only the strong survive! Tokyo Jungle puts you in the shoes (paws?) of over 50 playable animals ranging from Pomeranians to Lions. Playing your animal of choice, unleash your inner beast to hunt your way to the top of Tokyo's post-apocalyptic food chain. More...

Last week, we released the Disney Princesses Pack 2. It contained our second collection of Disney Princess costumes, including Ariel, Tiana, Rapunzel and Belle. These costumes are available individually again, but there is a further collection of bonus stickers for anyone who picks up the full pack. For more information on our newest pack, head on over to the <a href=" http://www.littlebigplanet.com/en/game_guide/ps3/downloadable_content/disney_princesses_pack_2/">LittleBigPlanet Downloadable Content Catalogue</a>. Don’t forget that you can complete your Disney Princesses Costumes and Stickers collection by picking up Disney Princesses Pack 1 too. Purchasing both Disney Princesses Pack 1 and Disney Princesses Pack 2 will give you access to the full collection of the Disney Princess Costumes and the complete set of Bonus Stickers! More...

Looking for a little more depth from your FPS? Hugely ambitious free-to-play sci-fi shooter Dust 514 might be just the ticket. <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/ccp-games/">CCP</a>'s <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PlayStation 3</a> exclusive sits alongside its enormously popular PC space MMO Eve Online, with players' actions in one game directly affecting the environment in the other. See our <a href="http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2012/04/26/how-dynamic-battlefields-take-shape-in-dust-514/">recent post</a> from the Icelandic developer for more on exactly how this plays out. The third string to the whole intriguing project is <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/dust-514-neocom/">Dust 514 Neocom</a> – a companion <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> app that lets you interact with various systems from the <a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps3/">PlayStation 3</a> game directly from your handheld. In search of a little more information on exactly how it works, we collared CCP Creative Director Atli Mars Sveinsson and Marketing Director Cameron Payne at last week's Gamescom event in Cologne, Germany. More...

On PS3 this week, the war on planet Cybertron rages on in this second chapter of the phenomenally successful action game series. Transformers: Fall of Cybertron takes fans through the final, darkest hours of the civil war between the Autobots and Decepticons as they fight for control of their dying planet, ultimately leading to their [...] More...

I think this past week went pretty well, yes? When I watched the PlayStation gamescom 2012 press conference rehearsal a week ago, with its reveals of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/08/14/media-molecules-new-project-revealed-tearaway-for-ps-vita/">Tearaway</a>, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/08/14/until-dawn-new-ps-move-horror-game-announced-for-ps3/">Until Dawn</a>, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/08/15/new-psn-title-rain-announced-watch-the-trailer/">Rain</a>, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/08/14/watch-the-gamescom-trailer-for-killzone-mercenary/">Killzone: Mercenary</a> and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/08/14/the-curtain-is-raised-on-puppeteer-a-new-ps3-adventure/">Puppeteer</a>, I knew we were looking at special event. Based on the tweets we received that evening, and the large list of articles and previews below, it would seem that many of you agree. If you missed any of our gamescom 2012 announcements, you can find them all <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/gamescom12/">right here</a>. We're back home now (and missing <a href="http://www.gaffel.de/index-uk.php">Kolsch</a>), but that doesn't mean the convention coverage is over. This week, look for interviews on Until Dawn, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/dust-514/">Dust 514</a>, Diggs' Nightcrawler, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/dishonored/">Dishonored</a>, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/08/15/the-monsters-and-magic-of-soul-sacrifice/">Soul Sacrifice</a>, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/ratchet-clank-full-frontal-assault/">Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault</a>, and more. More...

Whatta week! Our trip to <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/gamescom12/">Gamescom</a> was a fruitful one, as you'll soon see, but it's nice to be home in the good old US of A. I don't have any big plans this weekend, aside from catching up on sleep, watching Breaking Bad, and making a desperate bid to finish <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/10/14/arkham-city-qa-rocksteady-answers-your-questions/">Batman: Arkham City</a>. Read on for the top 10 most-read PlayStation.Blog stories this week, a list that barely scratches the surface on PlayStation's megaton Gamescom announcements. Other major highlights this week include the first trailer for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/08/15/new-psn-title-rain-announced-watch-the-trailer/">PSN stunner rain</a>, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/08/14/playstation-plus-coming-to-ps-vita-online-game-save-storage-getting-upgraded/">big new perks</a> for PlayStation Plus members, a <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/08/15/the-last-of-us-the-making-of-a-cinematic/">mocap video featurette</a> and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/08/14/the-last-of-us-a-new-perspective-from-naughty-dog/">new The Last of Us trailer</a> from Naughty Dog, the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/08/14/media-molecules-new-project-revealed-tearaway-for-ps-vita/">first details and video</a> for Media Molecule's PS Vita game Tearaway, news of a <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/08/14/are-you-ready-for-the-god-of-war-ascension-multiplayer-beta/">God of War: Ascension multiplayer beta</a>, the reveal trailer for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/08/14/until-dawn-new-ps-move-horror-game-announced-for-ps3/">PlayStation Move "teen horror" game Until Dawn</a>... More...