Commander Fury

Last week in New York City I was fortunate enough to show off <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/dyad/'>http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/dyad/">Dyad</a>, the almost-ready-done-really-soon-I-promise game coming to <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/'>http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/'>http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a>. During our NYC showcase, the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/">PlayStation.Blog</a> crew was kind enough to stop by and conduct a quick Q&A and gameplay session, and you can watch the results in this new original video. Each of the game’s 27 different levels touch upon a variety of mechanics and goals: forming long combos, racing, surviving as long as possible, hitting certain top speeds and more. And the game’s 26 special Trophy levels have challenging alternate goals, whether it’s playing just by using sound or collecting objects as quickly as possible. Since each level has a corresponding leaderboard to track online rankings, Dyad boasts a huge number of leaderboards -- 52 in all, each requiring a unique set of skills to master. More...

House of the Dead fans, another blockbuster adventure arrives with House of the Dead 4! Hot from the arcades and exclusively on PlayStation Network, it marks the first time House of the Dead 4 is available to play at home, and for only $9.99. Play as AMS Agent James Taylor or Kate Green and save the world by fighting against an old enemy and hordes of unforgiving evil creatures in this unforgettable House of the Dead adventure. HoD4 also fully supports PlayStation Move, multiplayer modes, and for a limited time, is available with a 30% discount for PlayStation Plus subscribers! We’ve also got great new PS Vita content to check out. Fans of last year’s PSN hit StarDone will be excited to see <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/04/12/stardrone-extreme-coming-to-ps-vita-next-week/">StarDrone Extreme</a> on PS Vita. Featuring revamped levels from the original PS3 version as well as a ton of brand-new exclusive PS Vita levels; this velocity-based puzzler promises a breakthrough experience on PS Vita for only $3.99. Don’t forget that the PlayStation 3 version of StarDrone is getting updated, featuring cross-continued gameplay with PS Vita version via Cloud Save and Cloud Load feature allowing you to exchange your current progress between the two platforms. More...

We’re pleased to confirm that Axel will be available to all <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/twisted-metal/">Twisted Metal</a> players with the upcoming free patch on April 18th. If you missed him through early pre-order access, this will be your chance to deal some serious destruction in new ways. Bothered by some unrelenting enemies? Blow them away with Axel’s signature Crowd Control attack, or run them right over with his ruthless War Wheel alternate special attack. You can learn more about Axel gameplay strategies (along with strategies for all vehicles) in the Twisted Metal University series at <a href="http://twistedmetal.com/media/">twistedmetal.com</a>. After studying up on your vehicle of choice, take it for a spin in online multiplayer where we’ve tirelessly been working on updates driven by user feedback. Give it a try and keep the feedback coming! More...

<a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/namcobandai/">Namco Bandai</a> recently hosted a media event in Las Vegas that showcased a slew of upcoming titles coming to <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> in 2012 and beyond. Based on the lineup, there are a number of games in the works from the veteran publisher that warrant attention from PS3 owners. See below for a full round-up, and keep an eye out for in-depth previews of these games right here on the PlayStation.Blog! <h4>Tekken Tag Tournament 2</h4> The storied fighting game series is finally headed to PS3. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 features all of the improvements Namco included over its predecessor in the arcade version, and throws even more characters into the mix: the final game will include over 50 playable combatants. Series director Katsuhiro Harada said that they have no desire to make these characters available through paid DLC, which is good news for fight fans. The console version also throws in a new mode called Fight Lab, a training mode that incorporates many mini-game elements from past games, while simultaneously teaching players new skills to add to their repertoire. More...

It's been quite a while since <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/namcobandai/">Namco Bandai Games</a> first announced PS3-exclusive Ni No Kuni: Wrath of The White Witch. A collaborative effort between veteran RPG maker <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/level-5/">Level-5</a> and veteran animation house <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studio_Ghibli">Studio Ghibli</a>, Ni No Kuni promises to seamlessly blend Ghibli's gorgeous art style with Level-5's RPG chops for a completely unique experience not seen on PS3 until now. I went hands-on with the game at Namco Bandai's recent media event in Las Vegas, exploring the lush world of Ni No Kuni, battling a plethora of creatures, and traversing through a pig-obsessed city appropriately titled Hamelin. If you haven't yet, check out the gorgeous new trailer for Ni No Kuni: Wrath of The White Witch above. More...

Thanks to the storytelling wizardry and storytelling chops of J.J. Abrams and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Robot">Bad Robot</a>, one of the most beloved sci-fi series in history teeters on the brink of a renaissance among fans and newcomers alike. With Star Trek for PS3, developer <a href="http://www.digitalextremes.com/">Digital Extremes</a> is crafting a standalone story that takes place between the 2009 film and the upcoming sequel. The hope: to boldly go where no licensed game has gone before. Star Trek is a cooperative third-person shooter, but that description doesn't do the game much justice. The two controllable characters, Captain Kirk and Spock, both experience the story differently, with branching paths and narratives that will give the game a substantial amount of replay value. More...

<a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PlayStation Vita</a> owners can look forward to a trio of free applications to help you make the most of the handheld console’s unique features, the first of which will be available to download this week, on 18 April. Turning the <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/">PS Vita</a>’s impressive 5â€OLED screen into a sketch pad, Paint Park is fun for beginners and expert artists alike. Using PS Vita’s touchscreen to make and share drawings; you can doodle, sketch and scribble quickly and easily with the virtual markers and on-screen colour palette. The PS Vita’s front and rear cameras can play a part too, as you can take pictures and add your own creative imaginings to them. Simple and fun Paint Park can also be a socially rewarding as users can share their work and even compete with up to five friends in the online multiplayer via the Ad Hoc mode. More...

As you’re no doubt aware, Sonic 4 Episode II will be upon us in due course. I’m just here to give an overview of one of the features we’re most proud of in the upcoming game – Collaborative Gameplay between Sonic and Tails. Sonic can now team up at any point in the game with Tails, by utilising one of three combo moves in order to progress through some of the more challenging parts of a level. Firstly, we have the Copter Combo (fans of the earlier Sonic titles will remember this from Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles) which allows players to take control of Tails to lift Sonic up and over objects or onto previously unobtainable platforms. Secondly, the Submarine Combo allows players to overcome Sonic’s big weakness, his inability to swim. Tails can now pick up Sonic and swim through the water scuba style, meaning that Sonic now has a way to speed through the underwater parts of a level. Meaning that whilst you still need to collect those all-important air bubbles to stay alive, you’re in much less of a hurry thanks to Tails support. More...

It’s no secret that electronica artist deadmau5 signed on with Toronto-based Queasy Games to collaborate on the upcoming <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita </a>musical platformer <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/sound-shapes/">Sound Shapes</a>. But last week we finally tasted the succulent fruits of that creative collaboration. During a media showcase in New York City, Sound Shapes Producer Jason deGroot kindly demonstrated a new set of levels (a “Record†in the game’s lingo) that featured audio effects provided by the mousey maestro and pixelicious art courtesy of indie developer <a href="http://www.pixeljam.com/">Pixel Jam</a>. You can analyze the results for yourself below -- headphones recommended! It’s worth noting that deadmau5’s album tracks, such as the pop cut “Ghosts ‘n Stuff,†won’t be appearing in <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/games-and-media/psv-sound-shapes.html">Sound Shapes</a>. And that’s by design: the game’s interactive soundtrack synthesizes with your platforming progress, making each “performance†a unique arrangement. More...

<h4>LittleBigPlanet 2: Update 1.12!</h4> Update 1.12 for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/littlebigplanet-2/">LittleBigPlanet 2</a> will be out this week, and it will introduce a few nifty features to the game. <strong>Dive-In</strong> The Dive-In feature has now been moved to the top of the Community menu, and has been vastly rewired and improved to help players easily find some new Sackfolk to play with during their adventures! <strong>Boo-Be-Gone</strong> To help encourage creativity, we have removed the Boos from the Level Rating System. You can still Yay a level to say that you really liked it, but we found that the Boo ratings were disheartening at best, and could be used to cause grief amongst the community. More...

This Wednesday, April 18th, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/04/09/playstation-home-exclusive-x7-club-opens-this-week-novus-prime-5-5-update/">exclusive x7</a> perks continue as more early-access items will roll out, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/lockwood/">Lockwood</a> shares another sneak peek at their upcoming <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/sodium-2/">Sodium 2</a> update and releases some adorable new safari-inspired companions, and a new, vibrant collection from Konami Raver clothing gets ready to light up the night. <strong>x7 Early Access Update</strong>—Members of x7 will gain early access to several new items this week including a not-so-furry Robotic Cat Companion and Active Item bundled together, some “metaâ€-physical auras from the four elements Flame, Aqua, Earth and Air, and more. First thing Wednesday morning, head to x7 to pick up these new items. More...

Fingers crossed the term above has no impending underground or urban double-meaning. Either way, if you are not modding you should be. It’s a lot of fun! “Adults†can deny all they’d like, yet creating your own personal Mods in <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/modnation-racers-road-trip/">ModNation Racers: Road Trip</a> (<a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">Vita</a>) takes us back to those memorable, endless days of playing with our action figures and figurettes (some still do? oops, my bad). Enjoy this very informative tutorial to help you create that ultimate Mod you have been dreaming of… <strong> ModNation Racers Two-Year Anniversary Celebration Coming Soon! </strong> Keep your eyes and ears peeled to this blog over the next few weeks as we begin to roll out plans for ModNation-Palooza 2012 in celebration of two great years for the ModNation franchise. More...

It’s time to gear up for <a href="http://us.gran-turismo.com/us/">GT Academy 2012</a>! The competition starts on May 2nd and will be open to all entrants through June 26th. Developed for racing fans of all levels, GT Academy 2012 will offer a newly designed eight-step training and qualification program accessible as a demo based on the hit Gran Turismo 5. The demo will be made available for free on PlayStation Store via <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> and will maximize the potential of all users, from beginners to advanced drivers. All participants will compete in a series of virtual driving trials using Nissan cars, and the best of the best will compete in the National Finals in July. More...

<p style="text-align: justify;">Taking advantage of some of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita’</a>s unique hardware features and bringing exclusive content, Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention brings two new characters, new story chapters and quests, new bosses, and new unique GPS positioning functionality. Also on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> as a <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> release, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/stardrone-extreme/">StarDrone Extreme</a> puts you in the pilot seat of an always-in-motion spaceship through 60 diverse cosmic environments, where you’re tasked to survive, destroy, and collect items.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Dropping this week in the form of a full <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> digital download is Dead Rising 2: Off The Record, which sees Willamette survivor and photojournalist Frank West take center stage as players experience a very different interpretation of events in this re-imagining of the Fortune City outbreak. Enjoy this week’s <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/the-drop/">The Drop</a>.</p> More...

It's kind of hard to believe, but we're just under two months away from E3. In between then and now, the publishers will play host to a large number of preview events to whet the appetites of media and gamers alike. SCEA and Namco Bandai both held showcases last week, and you can expect updated previews from both events here on the PlayStation.Blog this week. And if you're in the neighborhood (SF Bay Area), I want to extend an invitation to join us for a PS Vita event on Wednesday, headlined by Resistance: Burning Skies. We'll be holding an R:BS multiplayer tournament, as well as set up demo stations for the single player campaign, as well as other upcoming titles, such as Gravity Rush (yes!). Details and RSVP <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/356881931028574/">here</a>. Oh, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PlayStation/app_23744633048">04.19.12</a>. More...

My name is Matthew Harper, and I'm part of the recently-formed PlayStation Digital Platforms Community Management team. Our mission is to keep you better informed about everything that is going on in the wide world of the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PlayStation Network</a>, to make your voice heard within the company, and to ensure that you, the gamer, are at the heart of every development across PSN. Together, we will help guide the future of this platform. I’m here today to let you know that we will be performing routine scheduled maintenance on the network on Monday, April 16th, starting at approximately 6:00 am PDT / 9:00 am EDT. This maintenance will last roughly 13 hours, concluding around 7:00pm PDT / 10:00 pm EDT. During much of this time, users won’t be able to access the PlayStation Store, PlayStation Home, Account Management or play online. PSN enabled websites will not be able to service users, including this one. More...

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Rey and I spent much of this week in New York City taste-testing a batch of upcoming games, including Resistance: Burning Skies, Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection, Sound Shapes, and Street Fighter X Tekken for PS Vita (plus DUST 514 and Starhawk for the venerable PS3). It was a productive trip, all in all, and [...] More...

Welcome back to another edition of Long Live Play PSN Community Spotlight; where we look at posts submitted in 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 focus on PlayStation-powered stories. We’ve seen a great response from the PSN Community with <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/04/07/long-live-play-psn-community-spotlight-2/">last week’s debut</a> of the Long Live Play PSN Community Spotlight. This week’s post shows that spotlights don’t have to be all about PlayStation. The gates are open for anything you want to talk about gaming related; but it doesn’t hurt to frame it in a PlayStation context. Read the <a href="http://community.us.playstation.com/thread/4655739">posting best practices</a> for more info. This week’s spotlight has PSN member JillyDad taking a look at how stories are told in game. Long time gamers know that games can be as emotionally powerful as any book or movie if they get their storytelling right. JillyDad wonders if games can pave the way for more developers to utilize the vocabulary that only a game could offer. More...

Though legions of bloodthirsty <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> warriors have plunged into <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/starhawk/">Starhawk’s</a> multiplayer beta, the single-player campaign has remained stubbornly cloaked in shadow. Until now: At a media event in New York City this week, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/lightbox-interactive/">Lightbox Interactive</a> finally gave a peek under that cloak, showcasing a series of frantic battles and lush cinematic sequences from the game’s story-driven campaign. As Emmett Graves, an interstellar mercenary infected by a priceless but mutagenic resource dubbed “Rift energy,†you’ll use the game’s dramatic Build and Battle combat system to call down turrets, walls, vehicles and structures from outer space. Your objective is to defend the frontier town of White Sands from marauding Outcast invaders -- including your Rift-possessed outlaw brother Logan. More...

This week, the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/music-unlimited/">Music Unlimited Service</a> welcomes <a href="http://blog.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/2012/04/10/new-releases-on-the-music-unlimited-service-41012/">new releases</a> from Monica, Alabama Shakes, and the motion picture soundtrack from <strong>Think Like a Man</strong>. Other featured titles this week include Florence + The Machine, M. Ward, Bonnie Raitt, and Wilson Phillips. New to the <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/video-unlimited/">Video Unlimited Service</a> is the Icelandic thriller, <strong>Contraband</strong>, starring Mark Wahlberg and Kate Beckingsale. Other new titles include The Darkest Hour in Movies and all 76 episodes of the classic 90’s <strong>X-Men</strong> animated series in TV Shows. There’s more comic book action in this week’s Own $5 Films as heroes and villains battle it out. For just 5 bucks, own great flicks like <strong>Ghost Rider, Kick-Ass, and Ultimate Avengers</strong> in SD. Get the full details on this week’s highlights <a href="http://blog.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/2012/04/10/new-on-the-video-unlimited-service-this-week-410/">here</a>. More...

Subscription Links: Subscribe via iTunes Subscribe via RSS here Download the MP3 here (Right-Click->Save As) With Sid and Rey off in New York for a media event, Nick and I elucidate the upcoming PS3, PSN, and PS Vita new release schedule for the week of April 16th. We also select a new PSN Gem of the week, share user tips, answer your questions, and talk about weird old PS2 games. Sid reports in from NYC with revealing interviews on Starhawk and Dust 514, painfully unaware of the unspeakably horrible things we were doing to his desk chair. Listen intently as Dylan Jobe shares new information on Starhawk's single-player mode, while David Reid from CCP dives deep into upcoming free-to-play PS3-exclusive FPS Dust 514. Plus talk of pinball, RAD, and Stephen King. Join us, won't you? More...

Hello again! <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/author/amenshikov/">Alexey Menshikov</a> (Beatshapers) and Andriy Sharanevych (Orb Games) are here. We are super excited to announce that StarDrone Extreme for Playstation Vita will be released to the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-store/">PlayStation Store</a> on April 17th for $3.99. For those of you not familiar with what <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/games-and-media/psv-stardrone-extreme.html">StarDrone Extreme</a> is about, here’s a brief: you pilot an always-in-motion spaceship through diverse cosmic environments through the game’s 60 levels. Goals can range from making it safely to the end of the level, to destroying all enemies, to collecting certain items, and more. What’s unique about <a href="http://beatshapers.com/stardrone">StarDrone Extreme</a> is the way you control your spaceship. More...

We at <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/nihilistic/">Nihilistic Software</a> are excited to finally be able to pull the wraps off Multiplayer for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/resistance-burning-skies/">Resistance: Burning Skies</a>, coming May 29th for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PlayStation Vita</a>! In addition to its <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/03/20/first-look-at-resistance-burning-skies-story-trailer/">all-new single player campaign</a>, Burning Skies features an online (via Wi-Fi) multiplayer in which you and up to seven of your friends can compete over <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PlayStation Network</a>! We know you’ve all been asking about multiplayer in <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/resistance-burning-skies-psvita.html">Burning Skies</a>, so please enjoy the first look at it in this new trailer! More...

Ever since the <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita’s</a> second analog stick was revealed, gamers have been salivating for the first true portable FPS. We’re getting close; <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/resistance-burning-skies/">Resistance: Burning Skies</a> will be released on May 29th. But what if you don’t want to wait that long? RBS developer <a href="http://www.nihilistic.com/index.php">Nihilistic</a> will cross the Golden Gate next week to give the public a sneak peek hands-on with the first multiplayer FPS on PS Vita. This won’t just be a casual run through the multiplayer game modes - we’ll be running a tournament with top players awarded a copy of the game when it releases, and a PS Vita prize package for the top overall gunner. More...