Commander Fury

Just a few moments ago we brought our annual <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/06/04/watch-playstations-e3-press-conference-live-right-here/">E3 press conference</a> to a close, which marked the official kick-off of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/e312/">E3</a> and one of my favorite times of the year. As I’ve said previously, gamers are <a href="http://us.playstation.com/">PlayStation</a>’s lifeblood and we will do everything in our power to continue to entertain and amaze you. Nearly four months after the U.S. launch of <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/">PlayStation Vita</a>, we continue to be overwhelmed by the positive response from our gaming community. As demonstrated a few moments ago, we’ve only begun to scratch the surface of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a>’s capabilities and gameplay. With new titles like <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/06/04/e3-2012-assassins-creed-iii-liberation-revealed-for-ps-vita">Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation</a>, Call of Duty Black Ops Declassified and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/06/04/playstation-all-stars-battle-royale-expands-ps-vita-drake-big-daddy">PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale</a>, in addition to a deep lineup of more than 60 titles that will be available before the end of the year, we continue to build PS Vita’s content library with jaw-dropping titles that demonstrate its full power and unique features. The next few months will be extremely exciting for PS Vita and our fans. More...

Did you catch the <a href="http://us.playstation.com/">PlayStation</a> press conference <a href=" ">livestream?</a> Notice when it went all black? We wanted to set a proper mood, tone, and stage for our debut of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/the-last-of-us/">The Last of Us</a> gameplay. The venue, as well as the hard work of the press conference production crew, afforded us a fantastic setup. It was an amazing opportunity to showcase our blood, sweat, and pixels on the massive video screen in the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena this Monday night. We’re amped by the response we’ve received so far and looking forward to a very busy, very fun <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/e312/">E3</a>. More...

Bet you didn’t see this one coming, eh <a href="http://www.us.playstation.com">PlayStation</a> Assassins? It’s with a great deal of pleasure and a substantial amount of pride that we announce Assassin’s Creed III Liberation for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a>! Liberation introduces an all-new assassin named Aveline, and takes place in the rich, varied and vibrant environments of 18th-century Louisiana. For a better idea of how Aveline operates in the more populated urban areas, and to see just a tiny tease of Aveline’s stealthy activities in the bayou, you should totally check out the announcement trailer: More...

In the weeks that have followed the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-all-stars-battle-royale/">PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale</a> reveal, we’ve been asking you all to stay tuned for more exciting announcements. Well it’s finally time to deliver! We’re very pleased to announce that in addition to coming to the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a>, PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale will also be available on the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> with full Cross Play support! Equally exciting is that Nathan Drake of the famed <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/uncharted/">UNCHARTED</a> series and Big Daddy from the amazing Bioshock universe join us as the latest additions to the PlayStation All Stars roster! More...

This is it: the 2012 PlayStation E3 Press Conference. News, trailers, reveals, and live demos are coming your way, and you can watch it any way you want: On <a href=" ">the web</a>, through <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PlayStation/app_427191307299300">Facebook</a>, on the PS3 XMB (Look in the What's New section), anywhere you take your PS Vita via the free Nico Nico app, or RIGHT HERE: <strong>Festivities start at 5.30pm Pacific/8.30pm Eastern/1.30am London/9.30am Tokyo</strong>. We'll lead off with a Live pre-show featuring new, exclusive gameplay demos, interviews, and previews of the press conference. We'll wrap up with a sneak peek of the PlayStation E3 booth, which you won't want to miss. More...

Hi everyone! Today, we have some <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/battlefield-3/">Battlefield 3</a> news for you straight from this year's Electronic Arts press conference at <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/e312/">E3</a>. On stage at E3, <a href="http://www.dice.se/">DICE</a> Executive Producer Patrick Bach unveiled a whole year of great Battlefield 3 content. If you didn't catch the press conference yourself, we've got the details for you right here! Our biggest news is the launch of our massive content offer, <a href="http://www.battlefield.com/">Battlefield 3 Premium</a>. If you buy Battlefield 3 Premium, you'll also be able to download and play our latest expansion pack Close Quarters today. That's two weeks earlier than non-Premium members on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PlayStation 3</a>, and one week earlier than Premium members on other platforms thanks to the early access that PlayStation 3 players are getting! More...

Look, <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/e312/">E3</a> is coming up fast, and we know there’s all kinds of hot news coming at you from everywhere. So over here at <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/queasy-games/">Queasy</a> HQ, we’ve decided to kick things off a little early with pretty much the biggest announcement we’re allowed to give you right now: <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/sound-shapes/">Sound Shapes</a> is coming to <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> on August 7th. That’s... like... a few weeks away! Are you breathing into a paper bag right now to avoid hyperventilating? We are, which is making it kind of hard to type. And if you’re not, you should be, because we’re also taking this opportunity to sneak out the fact that Sound Shapes is, day-and-date, <em>also</em> coming to <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a>. More...

<a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-the-official-magazine/">PTOM</a>’s cover may be looking a bit more ragged than usual this month, but we think it perfectly represents the slice ’n’ dice awesomeness of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/metal-gear-rising-revengeance/">Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance</a>. We’ve got exclusive screenshots and chat with Hideo Kojima, Atsushi Inaba, and other members of the Platinum Games/Kojima Productions dev team to get the inside scoop on this new more action-oriented turn for the Metal Gear franchise. And FYI: The game’s slicing mechanic works suh-weeeeet! More...

I’ll never forget the first time I was introduced to Agent 47. *I had just*received*my copy of The Official*PlayStation*Magazine with its monthly disc packed with*previews*and game demos. *There on the disc was a demo for a game titled Hitman 2: Silent Assassin. *I saw the stylishly dressed bald guy dual-wielding a pair of hand cannons [...] <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ULFMMGbYOB7HJspblpK0SFybdmc/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ULFMMGbYOB7HJspblpK0SFybdmc/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ULFMMGbYOB7HJspblpK0SFybdmc/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ULFMMGbYOB7HJspblpK0SFybdmc/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/UrgentFuryUnleashed?a=0eiJkvCola8:86vUxpWifwk:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/UrgentFuryUnleashed?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/UrgentFuryUnleashed?a=0eiJkvCola8:86vUxpWifwk:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/UrgentFuryUnleashed?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/UrgentFuryUnleashed?a=0eiJkvCola8:86vUxpWifwk:Ly1H5S7uc7A"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/UrgentFuryUnleashed?d=Ly1H5S7uc7A" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/UrgentFuryUnleashed/~4/0eiJkvCola8" height="1" width="1"/> More...

I’ll never forget the first time I was introduced to Agent 47. I had just received my copy of The Official PlayStation Magazine with its monthly disc packed with previews and game demos. There on the disc was a demo for a game titled Hitman 2: Silent Assassin. I saw the stylishly dressed bald guy dual-wielding a pair of hand cannons and I was immediately intrigued. The prospect of sneaking in to a highly guarded mansion, taking down a mob boss while rescuing a priest had me giddy with excitement. Then I tried to play the demo. Emphasis on “tried.” It was a total mess. The controls were not only WAY more complex than anything I was use to playing, the AI was absolutely brutal. I knew right away that I was in way over my head and that there was absolutely no way I was getting over the learning curve. I ejected the disc and went on to other things. Or at least I attempted to. The fact was that even though I was terrible at the demo, I found the concept fascinating. This was the character I had been waiting to play for a long time. So I went back, and I was still terrible. But I went back again and this time, even though I was still terrible, I actually made it into the kitchen disguised as a delivery guy. Then, I promptly took 2 steps in the wrong direction and all hell broke loose. This scenario played out dozens of times and each time I got just the tiniest bit better. Long before the first time I made it through the level with the coveted Silent Assassin ranking I was hooked, and I knew that this was a series I would follow for as long as it was around. Fast forward 10 years to the first release of info on the fifth game in the series. I couldn’t be more excited. Finally! A Hitman game on “next-gen” consoles. Then I watched the trailer. This is NOT Hitman! It’s way too action heavy! Instinct mode? Are you joking? This looks like Splinter Cell: Conviction (which I enjoyed, but it wasn’t Hitman). I/O Interactive, you broke my heart. I suffered waiting through not one, but TWO, garbage Kane & Lynch games. And for what? For you to rip the very soul out of the franchise that I love? For you to bastardise a series so you can dumb it down for the masses of mouth-breathing Call of Duty “bro” gamers? To hell with this, I quit. Or at least I attempted to. I’d obviously been betrayed along with all the rest of the die-hard fans, but I just couldn’t believe it. I searched every article I could find in hopes that I was wrong, but everything I read just sounded like the devs doing a song and dance to distract us from the atrocities they had committed against their fans. I had all but given up hope and written the game off. Then a friend told me about a sniper challenge mini-game that you could download if you pre-ordered the game. I figured “Why not?” I’d pre-order the game to get the code and then go back and then move the money to Borderlands 2. Then I played it. I figured that I’d try it once and then maybe watch some tv. Two and a half hours later, I had to force myself to go to bed. The Agent 47 that I hadn’t seen since 2006 was back and better than ever. The defining moment came when I shot an elevator control box to open the doors and then made a member of the main target’s security force disappear down the elevator shaft. After dozens of replays I finally achieved Silent Assassin rank, but with the addition of a friends leaderboard, Silent Assassin is just the beginning. I know that the latest trailer has sparked plenty of uproar, and people are jumping to all kinds of conclusions and continuing to rage about “the absence of stealth” and “too much action” but now I just shake my head and smile. I’m confident that when the game launches it will be the naysayers, and not the devs, who will be seeking “Absolution.” View the full article

On Blu-ray for PS3, Inversion is a third-person co-op shooter that combines hard-hitting, adrenaline-pumping action with a revolutionary gravity manipulation engine. Featuring the Grappler weapon, players will be able to manipulate gravity for their own purposes. On PSN, Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown contains a full overhaul of Virtua Fighter 5′s mechanics, balance and animations, [...] More...

As rumoured at Gamescon 2011, Assasins Creed is coming to vita! Assassin’s Creed for Vita has been rumoured to be called ‘Assasins Creed III: Liberation’ and as said in Gamescon, there is a new character and story line, it’s been said that Assasins Creed III: Liberations, will feature a female assassin! The game will be [...] <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/kHGkUHa9UdSF7159CsLr3YCPcBc/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/kHGkUHa9UdSF7159CsLr3YCPcBc/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/kHGkUHa9UdSF7159CsLr3YCPcBc/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/kHGkUHa9UdSF7159CsLr3YCPcBc/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/UrgentFuryUnleashed?a=WAOH8wnWQXQ:hA5d9F-uA5c:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/UrgentFuryUnleashed?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/UrgentFuryUnleashed?a=WAOH8wnWQXQ:hA5d9F-uA5c:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/UrgentFuryUnleashed?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/UrgentFuryUnleashed?a=WAOH8wnWQXQ:hA5d9F-uA5c: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/WAOH8wnWQXQ" height="1" width="1"/> More...

Kind of a slow week, news-wise. But that won't last, of course. We're about to blow the lid off <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/e312/">E3 2012</a> starting tomorrow evening, and we want you to <a href=" ">watch</a> along with us, or <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/05/29/playstation-at-e3-2012-watch-live-attend-the-press-conference/">join us in person</a>, if you're able. There'll be a ton to talk about, and we look forward to doing just that. I think there'll be a hell of a lot more links here next week. <strong>The PS.Blog weekly reading list (Week of May 28, 2012)</strong> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.psnstores.com/2012/06/kickbeat-story-trailer/">KickBeat Story Trailer - PSNStores</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.delicious.com/redirect?url=http%3A//www.psnstores.com/2012/05/check-out-the-virtual-meat-boy-mini-game-from-retro-city-rampage/">Check Out The Virtual Meat Boy Mini Game From Retro City Rampage - PSNStores</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.delicious.com/redirect?url=http%3A//www.psnstores.com/2012/05/velocity-now-works-on-vita-plus-some-cheats/">Velocity Now Works On Vita Plus Some Cheats - PSNStores</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.delicious.com/redirect?url=http%3A//www.siliconera.com/2012/06/01/jet-set-radio-hd-contains-nearly-the-entire-original-soundtrack/">Jet Set Radio HD Contains Nearly The Entire Original Soundtrack - Siliconera</a></li> <li><a href=" ">Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Official E3 2012 Trailer - YouTube</a></li> More...

Not much time to talk this week -- we're getting set for E3 2012! Will you be watching us live on the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/05/29/playstation-at-e3-2012-watch-live-attend-the-press-conference/">four-day livestream</a> starting this Monday at 5:30 Pacific? In the lead-up to E3, what are you playing to pass the time? More...

Hello again and welcome to this edition of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/psn-spotlight/">PSN Community Spotlight</a>. As the only place to get your PlayStation story featured on the PlayStation.Blog, we review the dedicated space on the <a href="http://community.us.playstation.com/community/playstation_network/psn_community_meets_the_ps_blog?view=discussions&start=0">PlayStation Community Forums</a> to find PlayStation stories and commentary that have moved your world. As usual, we then deliver a $50 PlayStation Store voucher code to the winner every week! This week’s spotlight is from PSN member echogridlock. Anyone with siblings can tell you that growing up with them is often riddled with fights. Echogridlock looks back on how gaming replaced fighting and led to a reconnection with his brother thanks to PlayStation. More...

Hello everyone! As some of you may already know, the wonderful team at PlayStation is giving us an opportunity to show off a brand new demo for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/papo-yo/">Papo & Yo</a> at their booth next week during <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/e312/">E3</a>. We're thrilled to have another opportunity today to give you an early peek at some of what attendees will be playing during the show, as well as a few parts of the game that have never been seen before. With that, I'd like to present the latest Papo & Yo trailer, which we're calling "the Changing World!" More...

<a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/e312/">E3 2012</a> is just days away, and we've got one more way for you to get in. It won't be easy, but it's definitely going to be fun. With the upcoming PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale featuring the biggest names in PlayStation history clashing in battle, we're celebrating with an E3 cosplay contest outside the Los Angeles Convention Center. This Tuesday, June 5th at 12:00pm, come dressed as your favorite PlayStation All-Stars character for a chance to <strong>win a three-day pass into E3</strong>. You could also win a PS Vita or even a trip to San Diego Comic-Con 2012! You need to be 18 years old to participate and be ready for us to capture you on video for broadcast on the PlayStation Network during our live E3 coverage. More...

It’s that time of the year: Next week, hordes of gamers will descend upon the Los Angeles Convention Center for the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/e312/">2012 E3 Expo</a>, and if you don’t have your plane tickets booked, hotel room reserved, and show passes in-hand, chances are you are half a pint of ice cream deep into a deep, dark depression, resigned to a fate where you will once again be left scouring sites for a glance into the biggest games event in North America. Don’t despair, my friends – the PlayStation team has your back. More...

<a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/e312/">E3</a> is just around the corner, and we hope you’re as excited as we are about all of the games that will be unveiled and the upcoming announcements we have in store for you. Before we get to the big week, we’ve decided to curb your appetite by giving you a sneak peak at the newest addition to the PlayStation accessories family. Last year we introduced the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/wireless-stereo-headset-for-ps3/">Official PS3 Wireless Stereo Headset</a>, and this year we’re amplifying your audio experience with the brand new Pulse Wireless Stereo Headset - Elite Edition, featuring “BassImpact†technology. More...

Over the past couple of weeks we’ve taken you through the controls and cross-platform features, so this time we’re going to dive into the multiplayer and single-player modes. Real-world table football is the most fun when you play it with friends, and that’s something we definitely took into account when developing <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/foosball-2012/">Foosball 2012</a>. Up to four players can play locally at the same time, whether that’s two for each team or other combinations like 1 vs. 1 or 2 vs. AI or 2 vs. 1 and so forth. It’s also possible for some of the players to play with <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-move/">PlayStation Move</a> and others with <a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps3/accessories/dualshock-3-wireless-controller-ps3.html">DualShock 3</a>. More...

This week, the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/music-unlimited/">Music Unlimited</a> service features <a href="http://blog.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/2012/05/29/new-releases-on-the-music-unlimited-service-52912/">new releases</a> from Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero and Rebecca Ferguson, as well as new singles from Scissor Sisters, 12 Stones, The Walkmen, and Julia Stone. If you’re an iPhone or iPod touch user, head over to the App Store and download the <a href="http://blog.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/2012/05/22/introducing-the-music-unlimited-service-for-iphone-and-ipod-touch/">new Music Unlimited service</a> iOS application which is now available. The app is getting great reviews from the media and was recently featured as Gizmodo’s “<a href="http://gizmodo.com/5914097/music-unlimited-sonys-streaming-service-hits-the-iphone">App of the Day.</a>†More...

Hello everyone! I've got some great news. A few weeks ago, Soul Sacrifice for PS Vita was <a href="http://www.jp.playstation.com/scej/title/soulsacrifice/ja/">announced in Japan</a> and I'm sure many of you are wondering about the status of a North American release. I'm happy to announce that Soul Sacrifice is coming to North America! The legendary Keiji Inafune of Comcept is leading this project with MarvelousAQL, with Yasunori Mitsuda and Wataru Hokoyama working on the music and soundtrack. The theme of this game is "reality blended experience.†You may wonder what that means, exactly. In celebration of the announcement in North America, Inafune-san has kindly sent us a description along with his comments. More...

Hi everyone! <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> was developed with the idea of creating and delivering compelling content for gamers. With the recent announcements of applications such as <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/05/29/nico-nico-social-video-service-coming-today-to-ps-vita/">nico nico</a>, <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/04/17/paint-park-treasure-park-and-wake-up-club-coming-to-ps-vita-for-free/">Treasure Park, Wake-up Club</a>, and <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/04/24/ps-vita-gets-skype-video-and-voice-calling-today/">Skype</a>, we’re continuing to build out PS Vita’s portfolio of applications. Today, we’re very excited to announce the latest application addition to PS Vita – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/">YouTube</a>! Coming at the end of June, YouTube will be available as a free downloadable application for <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/">PS Vita</a> via the PS Vita Store. With the YouTube application on PS Vita, you can watch millions of YouTube videos on the stunning 5†OLED screen, from comedy to gaming tips to today's viral trends. The YouTube application features many of the functions you’re already familiar with – you can easily search for videos, choose favorites and make comments, and your personal YouTube account is available right on your PS Vita. 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/27_Episode_27__E3_2012_Preview_Show_Extravaganza.mp3">MP3 here</a> on PS3 or PC (Right-Click->Save As)</li></ul></blockquote> E3 2012 is only days away and the pressure is on! Today we're joined by special guest Gary Steinman, editor-in-chief of <a href="http://www.gamesradar.com/">Games Radar</a> and noted E3 judge, who lays out a compelling case for his most-anticipated games of the show. His list is voluminous and thought-provoking, spanning a wide array of games: Assassin's Creed 3, Far Cry 3, Devil May Cry, The Last of Us, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Ni No Kuni, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and many more. Given that today's episode is focused squarely on upcoming E3 games, this is one podcast you won't want to miss if you're counting down the seconds to the big show. More...

<a href="http://monkeypawgames.com/">MonkeyPaw Games</a> strives to bring you excellent content from Japan. Today we’re announcing the anticipated digital download release of Class of Heroes II on the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PlayStation Network</a>. The digital release, playable on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psp/">PSP</a> and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a>, will give users a chance to play the game with a beautifully localized adaptation, care of our partners at GAIJINWORKS. The game is set to debut this fall. The game is a charming take on the Wizardry-style dungeon crawl games with a twist – all the party members are drawn from a pool of newly-enrolled students at a Sword and Sorcery School. It features 10 classes to choose from: Novice, Fighter, Swordsman, Ranger, Monk, Ninja, Sorcerer, Puppeteer, Idol, and one Mystery Class. Once the party is created, quests are offered and the party can choose their adventure path, unlocking ever more distant and dangerous areas to conquer as they grow in power and confidence. More...