Commander Fury

Every God of War fan remembers the first time they unleashed the Blades of Chaos. Amidst a catastrophic storm on a ship sailing on the Aegean Sea, players led Kratos toward the Gates of Athens, where he would begin his journey to seek out and destroy the God of War, Ares. It was in these first minutes of the original God of War that Kratos encountered the Hydra -- a gargantuan sea serpent that explodeed through the ship, wreaking havoc for Kratos with every step. Not on this day. Kratos utterly beat the crud out of the Hydra in a series of epic clashes, culminating with a journey into the Hydra's throat to retrieve the Captains Key. That’s God of War, and that… was the first of many unfathomably epic moments experienced in the God of War franchise. We recently asked our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/godofwar">God of War Facebook fans</a> <em>“What is your favorite God of War epic moment of all-timeâ€</em>, in an effort to establish God of War's top five epic moments, as determined by the fans of the series. More...

The second entry in our <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/behind-the-classics/">Behind the Classics</a> series is a real lost gem – SCE Cambridge Studios’ wild, wacky supernatural adventure MediEvil. First released on PSone back in 1998, it put you in the shoes of Sir Daniel Fortesque – an undead knight unwittingly reanimated by the evil sorcerer Zarok who embarks on a quest to liberate the kingdom of Gallowmere. A sequel followed in 2000, with a PSP remake also popping up on PSP in 2005, however, it’s the original game that remains most embedded in the memory. With Sir Dan soon to enjoy a comeback of sorts <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/08/31/playstation-all-stars-nariko-and-sir-daniel-join-the-fight/">as a playable character</a> in <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>, we sat down with original designer Chris Sorrell to find out more about the game’s development. <strong>PlayStation.Blog: What was the original concept for the game? Did you draw inspiration from anywhere in particular for the game's look and feel?</strong> <strong>Chris Sorrell, Game Designer, MediEvil</strong>: The first design proposal for the game had the working title 'Dead Man Dan' and described a game that was a fusion of Capcom's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghouls'n_Ghosts">Ghouls'n Ghosts</a> with the art style of Tim Burton - especially the look and feel of The Nightmare Before Christmas. 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/2012/09/04/new-releases-on-the-music-unlimited-service-9412/">new releases</a> from Matchbox Twenty and Imagine Dragons, as well as new albums from Melissa Etheridge, Animal Collective, Cat Power, Deerhoof, Two Gallants and Propagandhi. Speaking of music, if you haven’t tried the Music Unlimited service, you’re in luck – check out our new 14-day free, no credit card, Premium service trial offer for new customers. Just head over to the SEN Blog for more details. On the <a href="http://www.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/video-unlimited/">Video</a> side, check out our <a href="https://blog.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/2012/09/04/new-releases-on-the-video-unlimited-service-9412/">New Releases</a> including Cabin in the Woods and Safe, and The Five-Year Engagement, which is available in Rent Now. More...

Before I get into the “meat & potatoes” of Medal Of Honor: Warfighter, and my experience with the game during the PAX 2012 Medal Of Honor: Warfighter Community Event…I should give you a little background intel about myself. I am not just a fan of the Medal Of Honor franchise. I am a battle hardened [...] <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/zpOzmPnr8Fc4b_FONmb434C1ztU/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/zpOzmPnr8Fc4b_FONmb434C1ztU/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/zpOzmPnr8Fc4b_FONmb434C1ztU/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/zpOzmPnr8Fc4b_FONmb434C1ztU/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/UrgentFuryUnleashed?a=5j1GceUZRVk:u0F7gyIcLEY:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/UrgentFuryUnleashed?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/UrgentFuryUnleashed?a=5j1GceUZRVk:u0F7gyIcLEY:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/UrgentFuryUnleashed?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/UrgentFuryUnleashed?a=5j1GceUZRVk:u0F7gyIcLEY:Ly1H5S7uc7A"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/UrgentFuryUnleashed?d=Ly1H5S7uc7A" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/UrgentFuryUnleashed/~4/5j1GceUZRVk" height="1" width="1"/> More...

Before I get into the “meat & potatoes” of Medal Of Honor: Warfighter, and my experience with the game during the PAX 2012 Medal Of Honor: Warfighter Community Event…I should give you a little background intel about myself. I am not just a fan of the Medal Of Honor franchise. I am a battle hardened veteran of almost every Medal Of Honor “battle space” ever made available to me from the fine folks at Electronic Arts. I was part of the team that destroyed “Railgun Greta” (I always thought that would be a great name for a band). I was there with the French Resistance, when they put a stop to the V-1 menace. I survived the horror of “Panzerknacker Unleashed“. I experienced the tragedy & triumph, of both D-Day & Pearl Harbor. And of course, I was there when Mother, Preacher, Voodoo, & Dusty all said goodbye, to one of their own. But enough about me, let’s talk about Medal Of Honor: Warfighter. I just thought that it was important for you to know as you read this, that the opinions expressed here, are not those of some casual gaming blog writer, or some detached industry media guy who could really care less about the game. These are the opinions of a guy who knows this franchise, and has come to expect a certain something when he plays Medal Of Honor. Flash forward to Seattle, Washington. The “Jet City“. Friday, 31 August, 2012. Westin Hotel. 1900 hours. 20 or so Medal Of Honor community members fill the lobby, and you can feel the sheer anticipation pulsing throughout the room. After signing in, we are finally led upstairs to a huge meeting room filled with food, fun, & fireteams. As we started the gameplay portion of the evening I was instantly caught off guard, by just how good the game looks. I play Battlefield 3, so I know what the Frostbite 2 can do. But you could immediately tell that Danger Close has a firm grasp on the engine’s real capabilities. The second thing that I noticed was the sound design. It was even a topic later in the night, during a Q&A session with the DEV team. The ambient audio in general is superb. But the gunfire in particular, is simply stunning. Each weapon has it’s own distinct sonic personality. You can almost “feel” the difference between weapons, based solely on how each one sounds. With regard to the essentials, Warfighter’s basic gunplay and control interface, remain relatively unchanged from the game’s predecessor. All in all, to this point, I’m feeling pretty optimistic about everything I’ve experienced so far. But, keep in mind that 2010’s Medal Of Honor was a hybrid endeavor. With Danger Close developing the Singleplayer mode (on a heavily modified version of the Unreal Engine 3), and DICE (EA Digital Illusions CE) developing the Multiplayer mode on the Frostbite 1.5 engine. In fact, that may have been the only thing wrong with the 2010 iteration. You could tell that the two modes were somehow related, but were also distant cousins at best. So, as I blazed my way into Warfighter’s Multiplayer mode, I was a bit apprehensive about what I might find. However, I’m happy to report that I was pleasantly surprised to find that Danger Close had re-imagined the Multiplayer mode, and has aptly transplanted it’s DNA into the mode’s fabric. Unlike 2010’s game, you can tell that Danger Close developed this mode. It didn’t seem like I was playing someone else’s version of Medal Of Honor. The HUD, and player icons were well thought out, and unique. I didn’t notice the usual visual clutter on the screen like you see in some shooters. And thanks to the technology of the Frostbite 2, player movement was smooth, and very natural. The Spec Ops mode was interesting, though I rarely found myself using it. It gives you a very quick “IR” peek at your environment when you need to amp up your situational awareness a bit. Some players may complain about it, but as I mentioned, it’s not something you can “lean on” during the course of the game. It really is something that you’d only use if you find yourself in a “tight spot“. There is also a “suppression” effect that occurs when you find yourself taking enemy fire. It’s similar to the Battlefield 3 suppression mechanic, but is toned down enough to distract & disorient you, more than it disables you. I like the execution of the effect overall, and I think most players will agree. Other elements from the 2010 game make a return to Medal Of Honor: Warfighter. Offensive & Defensive Support Actions are back, and have been tweaked a bit. They seem more useful and balanced, but must be used strategically in order to achieve any real results. I also love the way a player must think before he deploys one of these actions. For instance, if you launch a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle). Your player actually stops, and literally “launches” the UAV by hand. If you call in an A-10 “air strike”, your player must again stop, and actually “lase” the target for tasking. It makes the player vulnerable, which means you have to use discretion when deploying any of the support actions. I also love the revised melee mechanic. At one point, I jumped off a raised position to engage an unsuspecting foe below, dispatching him with a well placed tomahawk. If I could have, I would have “high-fived” myself. And although we only played on two maps during the event (Somalia & Sarejevo). It seemed like we played on 3 or 4 different maps, due in large part to the unique map design Danger Close implemented. Depending on which game mode we played, we’d find ourselves fighting on a different portion of the overall map. Sarajevo, is set at the Kosovo Olympic Stadium. What was once a proud structure that represented something glorious, is now just a shell of rubble & untamed vegetation after years of civil unrest in the region. I can’t put into words how dense, and cluttered the terrain is on this map. Be advised, there won’t be any “Run & Gun” here kids. To properly navigate this AO, you almost have to “move & shoot” the “Tier 1” way. I think the saying goes…”slow is steady, and steady is fast“. A “bombed out” bobsled track snakes it’s way throughout most of the map, and provides hundreds of vantage points from which to engage the enemy. In addition to the many man-made structures that litter the map, rocky perches and natural terrain also provide players with a plethora of tactical options. The three game modes we experienced were “Sector Control“, “Hot Spot“, and an e-sport game mode called “Homerun“. SECTOR CONTROL- This mode is exactly what is sounds like. It’s very similar to Battlefield 3‘s “Conquest” mode. Players must capture & defend designated “nav points” on the map, to push the enemy back and ultimately control the AO. It should also be noted that because of the nature of the game modes we played, the infantry combat is fierce at times, and will really test a team’s ability to work together & communicate. In other words…team work is essential. HOT SPOT- Next up is “Hot Spot“, my personal favorite of the three game modes we saw during the event. In this mode, players are tasked with either planting or defusing a bomb that will destroy a designated tactical target if it isn’t defused in time. The cool thing is that you don’t choose where to plant the bomb if you’re attacking, HQ does. Similarly, players on the defending team will have 2 or 3 “potential” target sites to defend, but won’t know which site is actually being attacked, until the bomb is planted. It makes for a mad scramble at times. And the fire fights that ensue are epic to say the least. HOMERUN- Finally, we come to the “e-sport” game mode that was named by the Medal Of Honor community at-large. Homerun is a fast paced, no respawn, “Capture The Flag” game mode, that almost always comes down to a “last man standing” scenario. The fact that you only get one life per round (10 rounds in all), cranks up the stakes considerably, and was the only game mode that evoked cheers from the community players in the room. It sucked to die, but it was actually fun to watch the match unfold from the “dead lobby“. Overall, I’m glad that Danger Close seems to understand the importance of innovation with regard to the Multiplayer mode. The Fireteam feature alone, proves that they are at least conscious about getting players to work together to achieve the objective. But with that being said…there is one aspect of the Multiplayer mode that I’m concerned about. Honestly, I’m still a little skeptical about the clan support options that we’ll see with Medal Of Honor: Warfighter. When asked about it, we were told that clan management would take place via Battlelog (like Battlefield 3). I firmly believe that developers have neglected the demographic of players who prefer a “team first” gaming experience. Most Multiplayer shooter titles today, seem to have forgotten those of us who want to be part of a team. A group of like minded gamers, who share a real collective identity. We want the ability to create and manage private matches, and to manage our clan down to the last shooter. We want the ability to achieve an actual online presence. But sadly, most titles focus on the individual. A players rank or KDR seem to be more important than the greater good of the team these days, which I think promotes a selfish “me first” type of dynamic. We’ll see how Danger Close chooses to handle this, but I’m not 100% sold on the idea of using Battlelog to manage my clan. After all, most of us already have a “friends list“. Regardless, I’ve got my fingers crossed. All I know is that for about six and half hours in Seattle, I was Tier 1. Danger Close has clearly found it’s identity, and has put it’s stamp on the franchise. And without question, I left Seattle with an excitement I haven’t felt in a while. Medal Of Honor: Warfighter seems to have everything a grizzled Medal Of Honor veteran like me would expect, or want. We’ll find out soon enough if that’s enough to compete in a somewhat crowded genre/market. Medal Of Honor: Warfighter from Electronic Arts & Danger Close (PC, PS3, & Xbox) goes loud, on October 23rd. Until then shooters. Watch those corners….and Stay frosty. View the full article

Subscription Links: Subscribe via iTunes here Subscribe via RSS here Download the MP3 here on PS3, PS Vita or PC (Right-Click->Save As) I can say with considerable confidence that today’s episode is our biggest and best yet, weighing in at a groan-inducing (but quality-packed!) two hours and 10 minutes. Our time at PAX Prime last [...] More...

Let’s not mince words. <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/metal-gear-rising-revengeance/">Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance</a> is in most ways the polar opposite of the Metal Gear Solid series, abandoning restraint and resourcefulness in favor of unapologetic brutality. If Metal Gear Solid was an elegant switchblade, Revengeance is a rip-roaring chainsaw. The opening tutorial mission wastes no time in showing off the game’s much-touted Blade Mode, a surprisingly intuitive mechanic that boasts palpable precision. You press and hold L1 to slow time, then hold the right analog stick to wind up your slice. Hold the stick to the right and Raiden will draw his sword to the right; release the stick and he’ll slash from right to left, cleaving obstacles and baddies in two. It’s a devastating and deeply satisfying attack, but it’s slow and expends fuel cells so it’s best reserved for surgical strikes. Blade Mode has been much discussed, but less has been said regarding Revengeance’s impactful combo system. More...

Hi Playstation Fans! I wanted to give you an update on a project that we are incredibly excited about here at PlayStation: <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/wonderbook/">Wonderbook</a>. Although we only announced it a few months ago, our team at London Studio has been working hard on the technology behind Wonderbook for years. We recently sat down with the team to create a series of “making of†diaries that give you a closer look at the development of Wonderbook. To kick off these developer diaries, the team focused on the core technology that helped form the foundation of the project. The first game to use this new technology is the product of our collaboration with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._K._Rowling">J.K. Rowling</a>, <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/wonderbook-book-of-spells-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">Wonderbook: Book of Spells</a>. More...

This past weekend at PAX, I was fortunate enough to moderate a panel with some of the top minds working on God of War: Ascension. While getting inside the heads of the creators of Kratos’ next adventure was a treat, we did a lot more than just talk. The team brought early sketches Kratos and the first playable video of God of War, before the Blades of Chaos were irrevocably bound to his forearms. We also revealed Ascension’s big bads, the Furies, with a close look at Mageara, the enforcer of the group. While we streamed the panel live, courtesy of Twitch.tv, you’re forgiven for missing it last Friday evening. But the excuses are gone now - we’ve cut down the hourlong panel into a 10-minute highlight reel. Take a look: Your panelists, from left to right: <ul> <li>Mark Simon - Lead Designer on God of War: Ascension</li> <li>Patrick Murphy - Principal Character Artist for God of War: Ascension</li> <li>Marianne Krawczyk - award-winning writer of the God of War series</li> <li>Todd Papy - Game Director on God of War: Ascension</li> </ul> More...

Hey everyone! <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/games-and-media/psv-sound-shapes.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">Sound Shapes</a> has been out (in North America, at least) a little under a month now, and we continue to be blown away by the response the game has been getting. If you’ve been following our official Sound Shapes twitter (and we hope you have!) you’ve probably been kept up-to-date with our news, but just last week we hit over <em>ten thousand</em> levels in our community (if you’re interested, our ten-thousandth level was <a href="http://www.soundshapesgame.com/level/UOZ86Kdn">Out of the Rain</a> by sunpsyche.) With so many levels, we’ve been working very hard behind the scenes to make sure that players are able to best find the cream of the crop. For example, not only have we been iterating our search algorithms to ensure the star tab (“Greatest Hits†on the website) is kept up-to-date with the best levels, we also try to make sure if you search you get useful results—oh, and if you missed it, you can search on the website now too! However, we would like to ensure we’re interacting with our community and not just setting up SOULESS SEARCH ROBOTS to do that job for us—so we’re going to try and regularly share with you the community levels that pique our interest. Starting... now. More...

The summer may be over, but fall is now upon us, which means we're getting closer and closer to <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/littlebigplanet-karting-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">LittleBigPlanet Karting</a>'s November 6th finish line. It won't be long before Sackboy's fastest and most competitive adventure will hit store shelves everywhere! Now that we're closer to launch, one of questions that we've been hearing a lot lately is: Who exactly are these mysterious characters that our stitched-together hero must race against throughout LittleBigPlanet Karting's Story Mode? Well, we've decided it's time to let you in on some of the backstory. Long after Sackboy defeated the Negativitron in <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/littlebigplanet-2-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">LittleBigPlanet 2</a>, visitors from far, far away arrived on Craftworld driving speedy karts, with plans to seek out and steal its most precious prizes. These swarms of otherworldly scavengers became known as The Hoard. As you might have guessed, The Hoard want all of Craftworld’s prizes for no reason other than to hoard them - they essentially embody the antithesis of Creative Sackartistry. More...

Lock and load: the newest addition to the ever-growing PlayStation Collection library will be Killzone Trilogy -- hitting stores on October 23rd, 2012 for $39.99 (MSRP). Like the Collection line-up so far, the original Killzone has been treated with the signature 720p HD makeover, along with full Trophy support. In addition to Killzone HD, the Trilogy also includes Killzone 2. Act 2 in the series brought an even more ambitious sense of scale, storytelling and action to the franchise. Finally, the breathtaking last installment -- Killzone 3 -- rounds out the set. It's an endless cinematic warfare experience in one jam-packed bundle. Not only will the Trilogy include the three games, but it will also include all the Killzone 2 and 3 multiplayer map packs free of charge. More...

We’re coming up on a favourite time of year for Canadians – hockey season! But, that’s not the only exciting thing skating your way. This year we’ve partnered with EA to offer a NHL 13 <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> bundle that will save you $60.00 based on MSRP. Available on September 11, this bundle includes a 320GB PlayStation 3 System and EA SPORTS NHL 13 for $299.99 at most major retailers. Featuring the speed, creativity, and strategy of today’s NHL with revolutionary True Performance Skating, NHL 13 is the biggest innovation for the franchise in six years. New social experiences like GM Connected and NHL Moments Live connects you with your friends and the real world of hockey, making NHL 13 the definitive hockey experience. More...

Pax Prime was a blast! We were amped to publicly show off our behind-closed-doors gameplay demo of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/the-last-of-us/">The Last of Us</a> that only a very select few media members saw at E3. If you weren’t able to make it out to Seattle we don’t want to leave you out (or leave you watching someone’s illicit shaky-cam YouTube video) so here it is: More...

Attention PlayStation Nation: we’re back with the biggest gaming tournament of the year - the $1 Million <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/easports/">EA Sports</a> Challenge Series powered by Virgin Gaming! Last year, we blew the doors off of the sports gaming scene and now we’re giving you another chance to take home huge cash prizes for playing FIFA 13, Madden NFL 13 and NHL 13. To get a taste of what last year’s experience was like, check out this video recap from the 2012 tournament finals in New York. Last year in NYC, we made legends out of <strong>Adam Winster</strong> (FIFA 12 Challenge Champion), <strong>Tyler Glen</strong> (Madden NFL 12 Challenge Champion) and <strong>John Grasso</strong> (NHL 12 Challenge Champion). These gamers took home life-changing prizes and will be defending their titles in 2013. Bring your best game and you could be crowned this year’s champ. More...

We've got some great news for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> owners today concerning <a href="http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/remoteplay/remoteinternet.html">Remote Play</a>, the application that enables you to interact remotely with <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> using your PS Vita and a Wi-Fi connection. Starting today, PS3 owners will be able to download an update for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/08/31/god-of-war-collection-blu-ray-disc-compilation-available-this-holiday-season/">God of War Collection</a> and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/09/27/remastered-classics-available-today-ico-and-shadow-of-the-colossus-collection/">Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection</a> that will enable these classic games to be played from their PS Vita using the Remote Play function. So what does this mean? It means you'll be able to enjoy two classic HD collections almost anywhere, whether you're around your PS3 or not, from the comfort of your PS Vita and a Wi-Fi signal. Both collections include customizable control options, so you can choose to have the R2 and L2 buttons from your PS3 mapped to PS Vita's rear touchpad. More...

This Wednesday, September 5th, our pirate-loving developers give Cutthroats: Battle for Black Powder Cove a wicked update, Digital Leisure brings us the Space Station apartment, Granzella updates the Lagoon, Fossil Museum arrives to great anticipation and more! Here’s the list of what’s new and happening in PlayStation Home. <h4>1. Cutthroats 2.0</h4> An all-new Cutthroats: Battle for Black Powder Cove is making its way to PlayStation Home! See what’s new and get free coins by visiting the newly updated Armory, Clothing store, Game Board, Info Table and News Board. <strong>New Armory:</strong> All Cannon balls and power ups are discounted. The addition of 4 new and unique looking weapons will require some strategy if you want to rule Black Powder Cove! All weapons have been retuned with varying ranges and damages. Be sure to visit the revised store to stock up on ammo and new power-ups, such as teleportation and mines! More...

Football is in the air and on the minds of gamers everywhere. With Madden 13 dropping last week (available in the PlayStation Store), and now with this week’s arrival of the DIRECTV NFL Sunday Ticket, football fans have a giant reason to call the PS3 home for the season, and beyond. <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/08/29/directvs-nfl-sunday-ticket-returns-to-ps3-launches-in-september/">NFL Sunday Ticket</a> offers PS3 owners the ability to live stream every out-of-market NFL football game this season for $299.95. Imagine sitting down in your living room every Sunday, having friends over, and watching all the NFL action, right on your PS3. The first game is on 9/9, so download the app today! Also note that if you’re already a NFL SUNDAY TICKET MAX subscriber through DIRECTV, you can download the app and get the access as part of your subscription. <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/playstation-plus/">PlayStation Plus</a> members, the Instant Game Collection sees a sizable addition with Borderlands! More...

Hello PS.Bloggites, today we're giving you something a little different! We are pleased to welcome ourselves -- Jeff Green, Community Manager for PopCap Games and Neil Sorens, Zen Studios' Creative Director -- to the show, as we dynamically tag-team this entry. We wanted to share with you a little bit about how Zen and PopCap worked together to create the Plants vs. Zombies Pinball table, releasing today right alongside <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/zen-pinball-2-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">Zen Pinball 2</a> for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PlayStation 3</a> and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a>. Enough of us rambling though; take a look at the trailer. <strong>Jeff:</strong> The first thing you need to know about this Plants vs. Zombies table is that it is built out of authentic <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/plants-vs-zombies-ps3.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">Plants vs. Zombies</a> bits and pieces. We handed Zen Studios original game assets including art, sounds, objects, zombies, flowers, plants, defenses – ok, you get it – in a beautiful package of digital goodness. Zen took these and went to work designing another brilliant pinball table. We asked Crazy Dave for some wisdom to send along to Zen: “MMMMMM PINBALLâ€. More...

<a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/games-and-media/psv-littlebigplanet-playstation-vita.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12">LittleBigPlanet PS Vita</a> has gone gold! This means that the game is now 100% complete -- all that remains is for us to print off Sackboy’s new adventure and send it off to stores for release on September 25th! Our teams at <a href="http://tarsier.se/">Tarsier Studios</a> and <a href="http://www.double11.co.uk/">Double Eleven</a> have been working hard to get Sackboy’s portable adventure ready for you; we cannot wait to see what our community of talented creators can make with Sackboy’s brand new collection of create tools, which are just perfect for making your very own portable gaming classics! If you haven’t already, be sure to <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/games-and-media/psv-littlebigplanet-playstation-vita.html?CMP=soc_us__ac_sm_05_21_12 ">pre-order today</a> to ensure that you receive your copy on time. You'll pick up some <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/06/25/littlebigplanet-vita-e3-videos-pre-order-bonuses-revealed/">snazzy bonus content</a> too! More...

And just like that, PAX is (just about) over. Where does the time go? This year's show was great fun: I battled Major Nelson in <a href="http://www.twitch.tv/pax2/b/330639962?t=281m25s">Super Password</a>, watched Jeff lead the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/08/29/pax-2012-god-of-war-ascension-panel-is-friday-attend-for-beta-access/">God of War: Ascension panel</a>, experienced a <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/09/01/pax-2012-metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes-is-coming-to-ps3/">Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes demo</a> narrated by Hideo Kojima, and went hands-on with <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/06/15/a-quick-slice-with-metal-gear-rising-revengeance/">Metal Gear Solid Revegeance</a> (look for a preview soon!). My only regret: eating too much of the tasty but uber-heavy crab macaroni and cheese I ate on the first night in Seattle. Urp! This week was a big one on the PlayStation front. In addition to a <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/08/28/playstation-store-update-254/">gigantic Store update</a>, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/08/31/double-dragon-neon-lighting-up-psn-in-september-new-gameplay-video/">Double Dragon Neon</a> was confirmed as a free PlayStation Plus game later this September, and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/08/31/fuel-overdose-a-tactical-action-racing-game-coming-to-psn/">Fuel Overdose</a> announced its PSN intentions. More...

<p style="text-align: justify;">On <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> this week, considered to be one the finest games in the history of interactive entertainment, BioShock is a watershed entry into the world of video games. As one of the most praised franchises in the past decade, BioShock introduces gamers into an exciting world filled with fascinating characters, intelligent enemies and complex moral choices that define the foundation of the game world. With its rich story, meticulous attention to visual detail, tense action and infinite replay value, BioShock delivers the perfect blend of storytelling and first person action.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In Zen Pinball 2, players will enjoy cross-platform entitlement and any Zen Pinball 2 purchase will entitle players to both the PS3 and PS Vita versions at no additional charge. Enjoy this week’s <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/the-drop/">The Drop</a>.</p> More...

The first episode of TellTale's five episode The Walking Dead series has been released. Want to know if it's worth the brains it'll take to play? Read on to find out! <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0kKyiBYSPB8JuQn1sGITXF5v9Ds/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0kKyiBYSPB8JuQn1sGITXF5v9Ds/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0kKyiBYSPB8JuQn1sGITXF5v9Ds/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0kKyiBYSPB8JuQn1sGITXF5v9Ds/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/UrgentFuryUnleashed?a=P8RwCEA5duQ:rRBI5Pra1VA:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/UrgentFuryUnleashed?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/UrgentFuryUnleashed?a=P8RwCEA5duQ:rRBI5Pra1VA:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/UrgentFuryUnleashed?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/UrgentFuryUnleashed?a=P8RwCEA5duQ:rRBI5Pra1VA:Ly1H5S7uc7A"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/UrgentFuryUnleashed?d=Ly1H5S7uc7A" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/UrgentFuryUnleashed/~4/P8RwCEA5duQ" height="1" width="1"/> More...

When TellTale announced it was working on a five episode The Walking Dead game I was very skeptical. Me being a die hard fan of anything The Walking Walking Dead, I was excited but wanted a Left 4 Dead or Dead Island style game. I’ve been a fan of their previous titles such as Sam and Max and the Back to the Future games but I didn’t really want “point and click” for this game. The more I thought about it though, I remembered The Walking Dead isn’t about just killing zombies it’s a great story and character driven drama with zombies showing up every once in awhile. So I decided to give it a try and with Playstation Plus subscribers getting the first two episodes for free there was no reason not to! Needless to say, TellTale more than delivered with great characters, gameplay, and a story that will have anyone, Walking Dead fan or not, craving more. If you’ve played a TellTale title before you’ll be familiar with the gameplay. It’s the standard point and click system. You control a prompt with your right stick that lets you talk to people, interact with objects, or give people certain items, while controlling your character with the left stick. Occasionally, there will be quick-time events where you have to kick a zombie in the face, bust open a door, or whatever the certain situation requires. You’d have to be unconscious not to make it though. Along with the familiar but fun gameplay you’re introduced to some very interesting characters. You start off in a cop car as a man named Lee, who has been convicted of murder. It’s not flat out said that he did it but enough hints are dropped for you to make your own conclusion. You’ll be introduced to a lot of new characters but there’s something really cool; the game is concurrent with the comic books. During episode one Rick is still in his coma and you see a few familiar faces. To find out whom you’ll have to play it yourself. You’ll have sort of expected characters introduced, like a journalist, a farmer, a go-to nerdy guy, but they all become very interesting and important to the story. I talked to everyone and chose new dialogue options whenever possible to find out more about them and their back story. For a game that’s only a couple hours long, you’ll soon establish clear close relationships with people, whether if they’d shoot you with the chance or die for you. Personally, my favorite character is your surprising father/daughter relationship with Clementine. You save her (and she saves you) toward the beginning of the game. Her family is gone, and you’re left to take care of her, but for an eight year old, she’s managed to survive for days on her own. There’s an immediate sense of companionship you’ll have with her throughout the game, making decisions you’d think twice about with any other character. The way you act around people and some decisions you make will affect the way she sees you. The icing on the cake of this game is the decisions you make. Taking sides on an argument, trusting someone, telling the truth, even saving one person over the other are decisions you’ll have to make throughout the game that will mold the outcome and make your playthrough something unique. There will be a little marker at the top left of the screen after you make a decision that’ll let you know whether someone will remember what you said or not. It doesn’t have much payoff in the first episode but I can see them becoming important in the later episodes when characters are dead/alive and how others act towards you. Hopefully, even the things you said in the first episode will stay with you through all five episodes. It only being the first episode it obviously wasn’t very long. Took my barely over two hours, but for only $5 an episode ($20 for a season pass) it’s definitely worth it. TellTale definitely stayed true to the franchise and left me craving more. If you’re playing on the Playstation 3 you can still grab the first two episodes for free and see what the hype is about. If not I strongly recommend you atleast try the first episode out. You won’t be disappointed. Final Score 9.0/10 View the full article

It's been a fun PAX weekend (technically it's still going on), and many of us still have Monday off for Labor Day. Sid and I busied ourselves seeing new games and and participating in panels. I hosted the God of War: Ascension panel, which you can <a href="http://blog.godofwar.com/epic-reveal-live/">watch here</a>, whilst Sid battles Major Nelson in Super PAXword, which is <a href="http://www.twitch.tv/pax2/b/330639962?t=281m25s">viewable here</a>. He assures me that he won. PAX fun aside, it's nice to be home, where I'll be putting the day off to use catching up on The Walking Dead series from Telltale Games (find a review below). Or just watch the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/09/01/pax-2012-metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes-is-coming-to-ps3">Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes video</a> over and over. Because it's just that good. More...