Commander Fury

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...

A few weeks ago, we traveled to Sao Paulo, Brazil to meet with our fellow PlayStation bloggers in Brazil and to attend the debut of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/pro-evolution-soccer-13/">Pro Evolution Soccer 2013</a>. This was the first time we had an opportunity to play the game, and some members of the development team were there to answer our questions. A few games later, here's what we learned: This year, the PES team has lots of new people onboard who are sure to inject new life into this soccer simulation game, which already has millions of fans around the world. More...

<a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/san-diego-studios/">San Diego Studio</a> and <a href="http://www.zindagigames.com/">Zindagi Games</a> were blown away by the success of the multi-million unit-seller <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/sports-champions/">Sports Champions</a> and with the newly announced Sports Champions 2, we’re looking forward to providing new experiences for everyone to enjoy with an expanded sporting lineup featuring Skiing, Boxing, Tennis, Golf, Bowling, and a fully updated Archery experience. Get a sneak peek in our newest trailer: Sports Champions 2 revives favorite features, including the surprisingly deep and challenging single-player Cup Play and the customizable Free Play mode, plus fun arcade Challenge rounds for each event. More...

With <a href="http://www.e3expo.com/">E3 </a>less than a week away, I wanted to take this opportunity to provide a quick update on what you'll be seeing at the show in Los Angeles. We'll be unveiling our multiplayer mode, which supports one to four players offline and one to eight players online, and I’m sure you’ll be reading plenty of hands-on reports from the press during E3 week. I can tell you that it's addictively fun -- you won’t want to put the controller down! We'll also be showing off more of the single-player campaign that users will be able to explore, as well as some of the additional non-racing experiences that are unique to <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/littlebigplanet-karting/">LBP Karting</a>, so get ready! More...

Hello good-looking, internet-savvy PlayStation.Blog readers. Now that you’ve been buttered up a bit, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/drinkbox-studios/">DrinkBox Studios</a> is excited to announce that our new Mexican-themed co-op-multiplayer dimension-swapping Metroid-vania beat-em-up platformer, titled <a href="http://www.guacamelee.com/">Guacamelee!</a>, will be released through the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/pub-fund/">Sony Pub Fund program</a>! If you have never heard of Guacamelee! the best thing to do is to open your mind, relax, and watch the above trailer. I know what you are probably thinking...<em>“What is this ‘Pub Fund’? And what does this mean for ME?â€</em> Well it simply means that you can expect Guacamelee! to exclusively launch on the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PlayStation®Network</a> for both the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PlayStation®3</a> and the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PlayStation®Vita</a>. That’s a lot of ®’s! More...

The good people of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/insomniac-games/">Insomniac Games</a> are preparing to celebrate the 10th anniversary of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/ratchet-clank/">Ratchet & Clank</a>, which is coming up later this year. An HD remaster of our classic PS2 Ratchet & Clank games is something our fans have requested for a long time, and we’re looking forward to granting their wishes this summer with the Ratchet & Clank Collection. But we’ve also heard a lot of community requests to develop a new Ratchet & Clank game, one that returns to the classic third-person Ratchet & Clank camera. We listened to your requests, and this holiday season <a href="http://www.insomniacgames.com/">Insomniac</a> will release our new Ratchet & Clank game as part of our 10th Anniversary Celebration. More...

We’re less than a week away from <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/e312/'>https://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/e312/">E3 2012</a>! <a href="http://nicholasgrider.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/keep-calm-and-carry-on.png">This</a> is what we’re feeling right about now. First, I’m uber-hyped to share details about our ambitious livestreaming plan. Once again, we’ll be streaming E3 to you <em>live</em>, worldwide, over four jam-packed days. The live E3 broadcast begins this <strong>Monday, June 4th at 5:30pm Pacific/8:30pm Eastern</strong> with the PlayStation E3 2012 Press Conference, the most exciting (and most Tweeted-about) event on the PlayStation calendar. We’ll then continue the live broadcast through the rest of the week with live gameplay demos for hot upcoming <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/'>https://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> and <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/'>https://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> games -- 25 to 30 new game demos in all. We’ll even be snagging your questions from <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/playstation">Twitter</a> and posing them to the developers. Make ‘em count! You’ll find the livestream here on <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/">PlayStation.Blog</a>, as well as <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-home/">PlayStation Home</a>, <a href="http://us.playstation.com/e3-2012/">PlayStation.com</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PlayStation">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://plus.google.com/114766887193183719117/posts">Google Plus</a>, and <a href=" ">Ustream</a>. More...

Good news! Each year, the <a href="http://www.interactive.org/">Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences</a> (ITP) and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) present the Into The Pixel art exhibit, a collection of videogame artwork hand-picked by experts from the traditional fine art world and the interactive entertainment industry. This year, we’re excited to share that art from four exclusive PlayStation titles is included in this year’s list of winners – <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/the-last-of-us/">The Last of Us</a> (PS3), <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/journey/">Journey</a> (PSN), <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/gravity-rush/">Gravity Rush</a> (PS Vita) and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/wipeout-2048/">wipEout 2048</a> (PS Vita) were chosen for this year's collection. This is a true honor for SCEA and our developers. More...

Hi Everyone - It’s looking to be another stellar week in the PlayStation Store, with great content coming for both your PS Vita and PS3 systems today! We start with the launch of Resistance: Burning Skies for PS Vita, which ushers in a new era of portable first-person shooters. With dual-analog control, robust multiplayer features [...] More...

Hey PlayStation fans! Nico Nico is a social video networking service that allows you to view and overlay time stamped comments on live or uploaded videos. I’m excited to announce that a <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> dedicated Nico Nico application will be available on <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-store/">PlayStation Store</a> starting today. With more than 27 million subscribers worldwide, <a href="http://www.niconico.com/">Nico Nico</a> consistently ranks within the top 15 most-viewed sites in Japan, so we’re looking forward to expanding the Nico Nico community by bringing this app to <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/">PS Vita</a> owners in North America. With June 4th just around the corner, you’ll want to keep up with all of the exciting news and games that will be unveiled at this year’s PlayStation E3 2012 press conference. Nico Nico will be the only service that enables you to watch a beta livestream of the PlayStation press conference directly on your PS Vita. Personally, I can't think of a better way to watch all of the latest and greatest from PlayStation at E3 on the go than on your 5†OLED screen. More...

Hi everyone! <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/gravity-rush/">Gravity Rush</a> launches exclusively on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> on June 12 -- not long from now! Today, we’ll be giving you a sneak peek at what’s to come with a new demo which will be available later today on <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-store/">PlayStation Store</a>. The Gravity Rush demo introduces you to our protagonist, Kat, as she awakens with no memory in the mysterious city of Hekseville. You’ll get a chance to help Kat discover new powers while testing out the game’s unique gravity mechanics which utilize <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/">PS Vita’s</a> motion sensors. Then you can explore a bit of the Gravity Rush’s vibrant open world environment and try your hand at defending Kat and the city of Hekseville from an array of attacking Nevi enemies. Be sure to check out the Gravity Rush demo on <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> later today! Also, don’t forget that the full game will be available in stores and on PSN for just $39.99 on June 12. More...

With the MLB season now in full swing, I have great news for baseball fans. Starting May 28th, you can head to your local Taco Bell, grab a Big Hitter $5 Buck Box, and download the Taco Bell mobile app to play the mini MLB Home Run Derby game. Then, for a limited time you can challenge your friends via Facebook Connect to see who the heaviest hitter is and after you battle it out, you'll unlock the Home Run Derby Online mode for <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/mlb-12-the-show/">MLB 12 The Show</a> on <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a>. And if you want to get the upper hand against your friends, bring your camera enabled smartphone to participating Taco Bell restaurants for more ways to play. Just pick up a Big Hitter $5 Buck Box to unlock cool features like the ability to play as MLB 12 The Show <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/11/09/adrian-gonzalez-announced-as-cover-athlete-for-mlb-12-the-show/">cover athlete Adrian Gonzalez</a>. You can also search in-store to scan other MLB 12 The Show branded items to help you rack up extra points. Win or lose, Home Run Derby Online for MLB 12 is yours, just for playing via Facebook Connect - but you have to go to Taco Bell before July 9th if you want to get it first. More...

I’m proud to announce that <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/snapshot/">Snapshot</a>, our 2D puzzle platformer, is coming to <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> (with cross-platform saves) this fall. In Snapshot, you control a robot named Pic. Pic carries a high-tech camera that can “capture†and remove objects and parts of the environment. You can then paste the picture back into the world causing all the objects to come tumbling back out. If you’re looking for a new puzzle game with a twist, keep reading! The game begins with Pic powering on for the first time in a dusty abandoned laboratory. Uncertain about his purpose and why he was built, he wanders into the forest that surrounds the laboratory. This is where you’ll first start to use your camera to take photographs of objects. The first chapter of the game will hit you with a series of puzzles involving moving objects around within the levels, and it’s easier than you think. If you want to reposition a box, simply snap a photo to capture it, then paste the picture back into the world and watch the box fall back out of it. More...

The wait is over! <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/resistance-burning-skies/">Resistance: Burning Skies</a> hits store shelves and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> today, ushering in a new era of portable first-person shooters. Dual-analog control isn’t the only thing going for Resistance: Burning Skies though. In addition to the multiplayer features and weapon functionality we’ve introduced over the last few months, <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/games-and-media/psv-resistance-burning-skies.html">Resistance: Burning Skies</a> brings a new hero into the war between man and the Chimera – and Tom Riley’s story is one you won’t want to miss. Take a peek at the debut of our Resistance: Burning Skies launch trailer! More...

Wednesday, May 30th delivers another update to <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-home/">PlayStation Home</a>. <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/lockwood/">Lockwood</a> freshens up their Showcase with a Fool Throttle Fantasy update, <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/konami/">Konami</a> releases new Anime Outfits, and Granzella brings you School Uniforms. There’s much more to share about this update, so let’s get started. Lockwood Publishing releases their Fantasy Update to the Fool Throttle line this week. As part of Lockwood’s epic Fantasy Update, the Showcase has had a Fool Throttle makeover. However, before Locky could complete work on the Showcase, Brinsop the Evil Dragon descended and started wreaking havoc! Locky managed to trap him behind bars, but Brinsop could escape at any moment and he’s already trying to raise a brood of evil dragon hatchlings to take over PlayStation Home. Head to the Showcase and join the fight! More...