Commander Fury

Today the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/jak-daxter/">Jak and Daxter</a> Collection launches exclusively on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a>. Now, over a decade since the Jak and Daxter series originally premiered on PS2, I’m so proud to see the legacy of<a href="http://naughtydog.com/"> Naughty Dog</a>’s work brought together for the first time ever on one Blu-ray Disc. The Jak and Daxter Collection brings some of your favorite J&D adventures -- Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Jak II and Jak 3 -- to life like never before. Mass Media has re-mastered each installment of the collection to feature 720p high definition visuals and stereoscopic 3D support. The Jak and Daxter Collection also features over 100 trophies (including 3 platinum) for you to hunt down while you play through all three titles. More...

By now you’re hopefully well versed in the long gun nuances, co-op narrative and all the hanging-by-your-fingers-on-edge-of-a-cliff action found in <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/uncharted-3-drakes-deception/">Uncharted 3</a> multiplayer. Today we’re firing a heavy salvo of Uncharted 3 DLC information your way featuring new content to download individually, or as part of the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/10/18/uncharted-3-join-the-fortune-hunters-club/">Fortune Hunter’s Club program</a>. Downloading this fresh content will blow out the co-op storyline and expand the UNCHARTED series in ways that have never been done before. Coming in today’s <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/playstation-store/index.htm">PlayStation Store</a> update to <a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps3/systems/ps3-uncharted3-bundle.html">Uncharted 3</a> is the Fort Co-Op adventure DLC. Did some of you guess that from our <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/01/17/new-year-new-uncharted-3-dlc-fortune-hunters-club-grows/">screenshot hint</a>? Fort Co-Op Adventure will mark the first time in the series you’ll be able to play co-op as the UNCHARTED villains with Zoran Lazarevi More...

February’s <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/qore/">Qore</a> crosses over, jumps into the future, and flies into the past. Jesse Blaze Snider starts off with this month's lead feature by tagging into <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/street-fighter-x-tekken/">Street Fighter X Tekken</a>. Capcom’s Seth Killian sits down with Jesse to discover how this wild mashup was first conceived, how the tag team gameplay works, and what’s going on with those “gems.†He also follows <a href="http://www.konami.com/games/birdsofsteel">Birds of Steel</a>, a game that rolls back the clock to World War II-era dogfighting. Then, Tiffany Smith jumps into a future-day Tokyo populated by sophisticated robots that have pretty much tossed out Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics in <a href="http://www.sega.com/binarydomain/">Binary Domain</a>. While the premise might not be that original, the new 'consequence system' that judges your command of NPC's is interesting, as Tiffany discovered with Director Toshihiro Nagoshi. And don't miss Toshihiro's pick for his favorite weapon in the game! Tiffany also checks out <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warp_%282012_video_game%29">Warp</a> to preview the plethora of puzzles and crazy teleportation techniques of a cute alien bent on busting out. More...

Greetings PlayStation Blogosphere! If you have been playing the <a href="http://starhawkthegame.com/publicbeta/">Public Beta</a> or have been tracking <a href="http://www.starhawkthegame.com/">Starhawk</a> online, you may have noticed that we've tacking on more and more reasons for you to pick up this Build & Battle epic on May 8th: a <a href=" ">badass hero</a>, transforming mechs, and outer space <a href=" ">dogfights</a> just to name a few. Well, here’s one more reason: The Starhawk Limited Edition! More...

Valentine’s Day is coming, and with it, all of the gory goodness you can expect from <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/twisted-metal/">Twisted Metal</a>. You may be asking yourself, what’s missing from my Twisted Metal experience? A vehicle with gore dripping out of infected wounds? An ice-cream truck that showcases Sweet Tooth’s sensitive side? You’re in luck. Specially marked NOS Energy Drinks will have a special code under the cap redeemable for exclusive vehicle skins from the twisted mind of game creator David Jaffe. Just enter the code under the tab at drinknos.com, and you’ll be playing through the night with badass new versions of your favorite Twisted rides. As you play as Dollface and gun down all those who oppose you in your machine gun-equipped mac truck, spare a moment for those you love. Pre-order your copy from <a href="http://www.gamestop.com/ps3/games/twisted-metal/78157">GameStop</a> and <a href="http://ww11.1800flowers.com/">1800Flowers.com</a> will hook you up with $10 off of any purchase of $39.99 and up. More...

<a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/playstation-home/">PlayStation Home</a> gets yet another new game this week. The appropriately-named Supa-Fun-Robo-Goalie-Beach-Time personal space boasts addictive gameplay and comes complete with awesome rewards. Check out the trailer and then get ready for Supa-Fun-Robo-Goalie-Beach-Time, coming this Wednesday, February 8th to the VEEMEE and Estates stores in the PlayStation Home Mall. Enter the Lockwood’s ShowOff: First Date Valentine’s Day photo competition where first place wins one of two pre-release Iron Fusion content packs. All entrants are also submitted into a prize draw for a chance to win the Lockwood Team Choice Award (five runner-ups will get special Lockwood Picnic Packs). Be as creative as you can in interpreting the Valentine’s Day theme. Visit <a href="http://www.lockwoodpublishing.com/">www.lockwoodpublishing.com</a> for more information. More...

Nothing says love more than the Stone Abomination right? No? Oh… well… that’s probably because you have yet to hear the tale behind the Festival of Hearts in <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/free-realms/">Free Realms</a>. Sure, everyone knows that Festival of Hearts celebrates love, but not many know the tale of how the festival originated. This is a tale of love that transcends time, and has been retold from generation to generation all around the land. Long ago, two young pixies – Rylan and Arianna – met while adventuring in the place we now call Merry Vale. Upon first glance, they were smitten with each other and planted a flower together at the spot where they first met. The two young pixies vowed to see each other every day, meeting near their flower in Merry Vale. Every time they met, Rylan would bring a present to his sweetheart; sometimes flowers or chocolates, other times balloons or hand-printed poems. Their romance was the stuff of legend, until... More...

If you’re a fan of ninja games, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> won’t leave you wanting - or waiting. The system’s upcoming launch will be supported by two ninja-centric titles: <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/shinobido-2-revenge-of-zen/">Shinobido 2</a> and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/ninja-gaiden-sigma-plus/">Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus</a>, and I spent some time with the latter this weekend. NGS+ is an updated version of an early <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> title, which itself was an enhanced version of an original Xbox game that debuted back in 2004. Despite some control choices which have clearly evolved over the past 8 years, the source material holds up pretty well in 2012. More...

Speaking as a lifelong <a href="http://www.thesimpsons.com/">Simpsons</a> fan, I’m just as excited for this game to come out as everyone else -- the wait to finally see this game make its way to home consoles seemed endless! We worked closely with Gracie Films and Fox to time the release of the game with the 500th episode of The Simpsons so that fans of the show could experience the classic game during an important milestone for the series. It’s been a great collaborative effort with <a href="http://www.graciefilms.com/">Gracie Films</a> to find a balance between preserving the authenticity of the original arcade game and making just enough tweaks to adapt it for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a>. The original game is already great, so we decided we would focus primarily on making it as faithful a port as possible while adding various gameplay modes and bonus content. More...

Remember that recent big hit movie? ...the one with the buildings that were all upside-down, catawampus, and kcabwards?... Yes exactly! THAT movie! Well, we knew from <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/modnation-racers-road-trip/">ModNation Racers: Road Trip’s</a> inception (cough) our track creators wanted even more flexibility (and potential insanity) in their track creating process. We delivered with new Track Studio features that allow you to literally turn the game on its head with full 360 degree rotatable props and the ability to mix-and-match track themes and props packs to your heart’s content. More...

The third season of <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/shows-and-tv-series/thetester/">The Tester</a>, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PlayStation Network</a>’s exclusive reality series, launches tomorrow, February 7th! We’ve introduced the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/01/05/meet-the-complete-season-3-cast-of-the-tester/">cast</a>, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/01/05/meet-the-complete-season-3-cast-of-the-tester/">panelists</a>, and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/01/10/meet-the-star-studded-guest-panelists-of-the-tester-3/">special guests</a> you'll see in season 3, and most importantly, the grand prize these lucky gamers will be competing to win: a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work as a Production Associate at one of Sony’s most well-respected game development facilities: Santa Monica Studio. To sweeten the deal, we’re also giving the winner a $5,000 signing bonus, 55†Sony Bravia 3D TV, PS3 system, and a 2012 Ford Focus Titanium. While the past two seasons of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/the-tester/">The Tester</a> have offered the winners a chance to work as a game tester at Sony Computer Entertainment America, this season’s grand prize is an even more amazing opportunity than before -- the battle to seize it will be fierce. This season’s winner will earn the chance to contribute on the studio’s next game and collaborate with some of most imaginative people working in the interactive medium. More...

It’s not too often you see a game from <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/square-enix/">Square Enix</a> employ the use of death metal guitar, screamo vocals, and copious amounts of blood. <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/army-corps-of-hell/">Army Corps of Hell</a> brings a new level of action to <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a>. After being defeated in battle, the King of Hell is burned down to a meager corpse, stripped of his powers, and banished from his throne. He uses the last of his strength to take command of a legion of weak-minded yet bloodthirsty goblins to reclaim his throne. To annihilate the demons of Hell, you’ll control an army of up to 100 goblin soldiers with unique classes and abilities. In true <a href="http://www.square-enix.com/na/">Square Enix</a> fashion, a new synthesis system lets you combine materials dropped by fallen foes to create new equipment for your troops. Customized equipment can change your goblin soldiers’ looks and upgrade the abilities. We’re making use of the various features of the <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/">PlayStation Vita</a> and we’ve implemented ad-hoc multiplayer. More...

<p style="text-align: justify;">Sports!*Apparently*there's a huge sporting event happening today? I'm not sure, something about Giants from New York? Anywho, I'm rooting for Mecha Godzilla.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/the-drop/">The Drop</a> this week is nearly as big as Super Bowl XLVI, with a massive blow-out of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> Blu-rays, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> digital releases and a <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-store/">PS2 classic</a>. Speaking of classics, the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/01/24/jak-and-daxter-collection-hits-ps3-feb-7th-with-100-trophies-to-collect/">Jak and Daxter Collection</a> arrives this week on Blu-ray as a full packaged HD triple-combo, or single jabs as*individual*purchases on PSN.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Also, it was a pleasure <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/r3yguti3rr3z/status/165891388783865857/photo/1">joining the stage</a> with <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/davidscottjaffe">David Jaffe</a> and members of <a href="http://www.eatsleepplay.biz/about.php">Eat Sleep Play</a> last <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/01/25/david-jaffe-wants-you-twisted-metal-tournament-in-san-francisco-on-22/">Thursday at the Twisted Metal community event</a>, where we raffled tons of prizes and booed each winner onto the stage. A big thank you to PlayStation fans that made it out and turned it into an amazing experience!</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Hit the jump and bask in the glory of over ten PlayStation games on this week's <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/the-drop/">The Drop</a>.</p> More...

Most people have their Super Bowl plans locked up by now (I've got a rack of ribs with my name on it), but what about tomorrow? If you're in the SoCal area, why not head on down to the Santa Monica Vita Hill Social Club for our (free) <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/283068161757364/">Tester Season 3 launch party</a>. You can compete with Tester participants, meet host <a href="http://www.maxim.com/girls-of-maxim/meredith-molinari">Meredith Molinari</a> (she's sweet!) and the judges, as well as my coworker Will "68 Platinum Trophies" Powers. And, you know, <em>play some PS Vita</em>. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/283068161757364/">Click here</a> for details. Oh, and: <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/story/2012-01-26/super-bowl-sequel-giants-patriots/52959192/1">Giants or Patriots</a>? As an Eagles fan, I find the whole thing very depressing. Pass me another rib. <h3>The PS.Blog weekly reading list (Week of January 30, 2012)</h3> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/news/a-few-questions-with-yoshinori-ono/3945/">A Few Questions With Yoshinori Ono - Giant Bomb</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.delicious.com/redirect?url=http%3A//kotaku.com/5881980/is-more-than-200-hours-of-kingdoms-of-amalur-too-much-reckoning">Is More Than 200 Hours of Kingdoms of Amalur Too Much Reckoning?- Kotaku</a></li> <li><a href="http://ps3.ign.com/articles/121/1217997p1.html">The PlayStation Network Joins SEN - PS3 News at IGN</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.delicious.com/redirect?url=http%3A//www.bestbuy.com/site/Sony%2BComputer%2BEntertainment%2B-%2BPlayStation%2BMove%2BMayhem%2BBundle%2Bfor%2BPlayStation%2B3/3991358.p%3FskuId%3D3991358%26id%3D1218444836601">PlayStation Move Mayhem Bundle for PlayStation 3 ($80.00 off) - Best Buy</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.destructoid.com/game-of-thrones-site-is-overflowing-with-new-content-221001.phtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Destructoid+%28Destructoid%29&utm_content=Google+Reader">Game of Thrones' site is overflowing with new content - Destructoid</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.destructoid.com/escape-plan-screens-feature-leather-sheep-beasts-221025.phtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Destructoid+%28Destructoid%29&utm_content=Google+Reader">Escape Plan screens feature leather sheep beasts - Destructoid</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.destructoid.com/wow-check-out-these-gravity-daze-whiteboard-drawings-221036.phtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Destructoid+%28Destructoid%29&utm_content=Google+Reader">Wow: Check out these Gravity Daze whiteboard drawings - Destructoid</a></li> <li><a href="http://ps3.ign.com/articles/121/1217879p1.html?RSSwhen2012-02-03_104000&RSSid=1217879&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ignfeeds%2Fps3+%28IGN+PS3%29">How to Kick Ass in Starhawk - IGN</a></li> More...

I'm quietly stunned by how quickly 2012 has kicked into gear: This week gave us <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/10/25/soulcalibur-v-interview-sharpening-the-blade/">Soulcalibur V</a> and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/final-fantasy-xiii-2/">Final Fantasy XIII-2</a>; next week sees the release of The Darkness II and Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, followed by <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/twisted-metal/">Twisted Metal</a> and the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/10/27/get-your-hands-on-ps-vita-early-with-the-first-edition-bundle/">PS Vita First Edition Bundle</a> the following week. What upcoming release are you most interested in playing? This week saw a deluge of information for 2012's gaming crop: Game Informer revealed its <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/02/02/the-last-of-us-coming-to-game-informer-magazines-march-cover/">The Last of Us cover story</a>, Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchford <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/02/03/randy-pitchford-talks-aliens-colonial-marines-release-date-prometheus-possibilities/">discussed Aliens: Colonial Marines</a> and what he knows about Prometheus, Drinkbox Studios showed off <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/02/03/tales-from-space-mutant-blobs-attack-platforming-fun-for-your-ps-vita/">Mutant Blobs Attack</a> for PS Vita, the team behind MLB 12 The Show served up two new videos devoted to the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/02/03/zone-analog-batting-and-pulse-pitching-in-mlb-12-the-show/">improved batting and pitching gameplay</a>, a new video revealed <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/02/02/motorstorm-rc-video-run-through-of-competitive-online-play/">MotorStorm RC's online features</a> and PS3-to-PS Vita competition, and Starbreeze Studios gave us a tour of its well-received <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/01/31/welcome-to-the-ps3-demo-of-syndicate-coming-to-psn-today/">Syndicate co-op demo</a>. More...

So you are probably thinking “Mutant Blobs Attack? Never heard of it. Why should I care about this game? Also, why does <a href="http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNEbTHxQYRIVQoS9JYK2g_sDCci3sQ">Reddit</a> always have so many cat pictures on the front page?†Well, the first thing you need to do is unsubscribe from <a href="http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2Fr%2Faww&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNEVcGK3rx9oHu9SlffM9og1M0xlDA">/r/aww</a>. After that’s done, let me tell you a few reasons you should care about Mutant Blobs Attack. More...

Sports fans - Zone Analog Batting is a by-product of our original Zone Batting hit mechanic and our most recent Analog Batting feature so we wanted to give users the best of both. From talking to our community, we found that some of our Zone Batting players weren't using the Analog Batting because they couldn't choose the zone they wanted to swing at. So, we decided to mix the two features and came up with ZAB (Zone Analog Batting). We went through many prototypes before we ended up with what we think may be the most realistic way to bat, ever, in a baseball game. The concept is both intuitive and challenging at the same time. Getting your stride down with the right stick and simultaneously using the left stick to choose your zone was difficult at first. The key was getting your foot down early (stride with the right stick) to give yourself time to read the pitch and use the left stick to push in the direction of the ball. It's the most organic and satisfying way to hit and dangerously close to feeling what it's like to hit a CC Sabathia fastball! More...

<a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/infamous-2/">inFAMOUS 2</a> and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/infamous-festival-of-blood/">inFAMOUS: Festival of Blood</a> received widespread acclaim from the gaming community in 2011 not only for their amazing open-world super hero gameplay, but also for one very important, very unique feature: the ability to make your own missions. To bring out the best aspiring developers, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/10/12/infamous-2-mission-design-contest-storytellers-wanted/">we launched a contest late last year</a> to see who could build the best mission within inFAMOUS 2. This mission needed to focus on telling a story about the main character Cole McGrath that could fit within the fiction of the universe. It also needed to play great, meaning good gameplay balance, strong action set-pieces, and a compelling narrative to pull you through. From the missions that we’re submitted on <a href="http://infamousthegame.com/country-selector.html">infamousthegame.com</a>, PlayStation and Sucker Punch reviewed only the most-played and highest-ranked missions as voted on by the community that plays. This tool not only makes it easy to find great missions in-game, but you can also <a href="http://infamousthegame.com/en_US/infamous2/community/ugc/search.html?searchType=curated">browse and queue up missions</a> to play in-game on the web by logging in with your PSN ID. More...

Previously on the PlayStation Blog, I introduced you to Skullgirls’ <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/09/02/meet-the-skullgirls-the-next-generation-of-psn-fighters/">story and characters</a> and discussed its <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/10/27/skullgirls-dev-diary-skullgirls-perfected-pugilism/">unique gameplay systems</a>. Today, with the game racing towards completion, I’m here to shed a little more light on the game’s features. Even though Skullgirls is a downloadable game for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a>, we’ve got a feature set consistent with a full-priced fighter. <ul> <li>Story Mode</li> <li>Arcade Mode</li> <li>Tutorials</li> <li>Practice Room</li> <li>Ranked and Unranked Online Play</li> <li>Custom Soundtracks</li> <li>PS3-exclusive Trophies</li> </ul> More...

The Alien films have always held enormous power over me, occupying the same sphere of significance that Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings do for many others. So it’s been with great interest and no small amount of hope that I’ve watched the development saga of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/aliens-colonial-marines/">Aliens: Colonial Marines</a>. This Gearbox Software-developed first-person shooter promises to pick up where James Cameron’s 1986 classic Aliens left off -- an irresistible premise for any diehard fan of the series. A recent trailer (watch it below) presented a convincing succession of sound and images, yet carried the sadface news of a new fall 2012 release date. What’s an impatient Alien fan to do? Well, I went to Randy Pitchford to get some answers. The gregarious CEO of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/gearbox-software/">Gearbox Software</a> was all too happy to share new insights into the studio’s plans for <a href="http://www.sega.com/alienscolonialmarines/">Aliens: Colonial Marines</a>, including multiplayer concepts, the control scheme, play style...<em>and</em>, perhaps most tantalizing, what he knows about the upcoming Ridley Scott-directed origin tale <a href=" ">Prometheus</a>. More...

Head over to the new <a href="http://blog.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/">Sony Entertainment Network Blog</a> today for the latest updates on new movies, music and more! This week, the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/video-unlimited/">Video Unlimited</a> library adds Dream House, In Time, and The Thing. Plus, watch Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie before it hits theatres. See this week's update <a href="http://blog.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/2012/01/31/new-on-the-video-unlimited-service-this-week-13112/">here</a>. The <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/music-unlimited/">Music Unlimited</a> service features new releases from Lana Del Rey, Leonard Cohen, and The Jealous Sound, as well as titles from Jack White, M.I.A, Gotye, Scorpions, and <a href="https://blog.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/2012/01/31/new-releases-on-the-music-unlimited-service-13112/ ">more</a>! 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/10_Episode_010__The_Curious_Case_of.mp3">MP3 here</a> </li></ul></blockquote> <p class="center"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://player.wizzard.tv/player/o/j/x/132761916744/config/k-56a55a55c60a6428/uuid/root/height/250/width/500/episode/k-7d41fda201a443f8.m4v"></script></p> This week, we tackle one of this winter’s biggest PS3 releases: <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/final-fantasy-xiii-2/">Final Fantasy XIII-2</a>. We invited IGN editor, renowned JRPG expert, and K-pop enthusiast <a href="http://people.ign.com/clements-ign">Ryan Clements</a> to give us his detailed analysis of a game that Square Enix has described as “exceed[ing] Final Fantasy XIII in every aspect.†Ryan wrote IGN’s FFXIII-2 <a href="http://ps3.ign.com/articles/121/1217386p1.html">review</a>, so he was able to lead a deep and thought-provoking discussion of how Square Enix incorporated fan requests to make a nonlinear, exploration-focused RPG, how Eastern RPG design differs from Western RPG design, and much more. Definitely worth a listen! More...

It’s going to be a long year – and that’s a good thing. While <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-3/">Modern Warfare 3</a> has occupied a lot of time in the drives of a lot of PS3 owners since its November release, there is more content to come over the next several months. And if you’re a premium member of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/11/08/call-of-duty-elite-ps3-walkthrough/">Call of Duty Elite</a>, you’re going to get your first two tastes of that content on February 28th. While the content season will contain more than 20 items overall – some multiplayer maps, some game modes, and some Spec Ops missions – the first two pieces of content in the season are a Call of Duty player’s bread and butter: multiplayer maps. The seaside village of <strong>Piazza</strong> is a perfect battleground for fans of close-quarters combat; the sharp corners, tight corridors, and stone staircases all offer compelling examples of why the word “paranoia†is the same in English and Italian. More...

It was only a few weeks ago that a small crew of Game Informer editors and myself left the frigid winter of Minnesota for the sunny shores of Santa Monica to visit one of the best developers in the world. It’s been a tough wait, but we’re excited to finally announce Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us as our March cover. At the studio, we were ushered past numerous awards for blockbuster series like Crash Bandicoot, Jak & Daxter, and UNCHARTED, but it was inside Naughty Dog’s impressive movie theater-style presentation room that we got to see and discuss what we came there for. On day one, Director Bruce Straley and Creative Director Neil Druckmann talked about their vision for the game while co-presidents Evan Wells and Christophe Balestra discussed their decision to double the staff and create an entirely separate team from the UNCHARTED crew. More...

We are delighted to be able to announce the U.S. release date of Worms Ultimate Mayhem is Tuesday February 14, 2012. We’d also like to introduce the game to you all and answer any questions you may have. <u>Can you introduce the game to us please?</u> Sure, <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/worms-ultimate-mayhem-ps3.html">Worms Ultimate Mayhem</a> is a “best of†compilation of content from both <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/worms-3d-ps2.html">Worms 3D</a> and Worms 4: Mayhem, so it’s got 38 weapons, plenty of customization options (including a selection of new ones) making for 115 individual customization elements in total. There are also 60 single-player missions taken from both sources, making it a massive game. We’ve taken the opportunity to improve on what was there already too. We have made some really nice improvements to the camera and made the game even more approachable; to this end we added a new utility (the Binoculars) to help you aim, and an automatic shot assist mechanic that helps your shots find their targets in easy mode. We have also added some really cool loyalty content too. More...