Commander Fury

Jesse Blaze Snider kicks off March Qore with a tour of <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/starhawk/">Starhawk</a>. From Austin, Texas, he visits <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/lightbox-interactive/">LightBox Interactive</a> to meet with <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/author/djobe/">Dylan Jobe</a>, Lars Devore and Josh Sutphin for a fast and furious flight around the world of <a href="http://www.starhawkthegame.com/index/">Starhawk</a>. From jetpacks to the transforming 'hawks, along with the heavily promoted build and battle system, you definitely want to see this comprehensive extended preview of this May release. While mechs are definitely part of Starhawk, for the hardcore mech-head, <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/armored-core-v/">Armored Core V</a> is stomping up with the next installment featuring persistent online war and plasma swords! And it's time for another T-virus outbreak with Resident Evil: Raccoon City Outbreak jumping back to an earlier era of the franchise. But, this time <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/slant-six/">Slant Six</a> and <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/capcom/">Capcom</a> have joined forces to shoot up this staple of the survival horror genre. <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/qore/">Qore</a> previews the story and 4 player online co-op that's always been a huge part of the series. More...

Hi everyone! I’m Michal Staniszewski from Team Plastic (<a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/plastic-studios/'>http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/plastic-studios/">Plastic Studios</a>) – yep, the same creators of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/linger-in-shadows/'>http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/linger-in-shadows/">Linger in Shadows</a>. Two years ago, we were asked to closely investigate possibilities of the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-move/'>http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-move/">PlayStation Move</a> motion controller, which was still deep in its prototype phase. Today, we are proud to present you with <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/datura/'>http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/datura/">Datura</a>, which uses the controller in a quite innovative way. Finding yourself in a mysterious forest, you will navigate your way through the game by controlling your character’s hand using <a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps3/playstation-move/">Playstation Move</a> technology. From here, you are immersed into the game’s unique experimental narrative and original way of interaction, which enables you to experience the world not only visually, but also empirically -- an illusion that you can actually <em>touch</em> trees, faces, and other objects. While taking inspiration from film-like narratives, Datura is a story you get a chance to physically participate in. As you travel through the game, you will encounter choices and face your consequences. It is through these puzzles that Datura explores an element of anxiety: was it a right choice or a wrong choice? Without going into further detail, I would like to let players have the opportunity to experience Datura as it will be available at the PlayStation booth at the Game Developers’ Conference beginning Wednesday, March 7 through the 9th. Datura will be available exclusively on the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/'>http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PlayStation Network</a> later this year. Please continue to check back on the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/">PlayStation.Blog</a> for more details. See you soon! More...

MLB 12 The Show for PS3 and PS Vita has arrived and with it, the ability to experience the majors like you never have before. The Show is so jaw-droppingly real it doesn’t just capture every detail and physic of the game, it captures the raw emotion of baseball. So much so, in fact, that this year’s campaign is based around one line: So real, it’s unreal. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVGAfA15U1I&hd=1 Our launch commercial isn’t just a demonstration of realism, it’s a celebration of what it means to be a gamer and, more specifically, a sports gamer. MLB 12 The Show lets you experience every big emotional moment that’s possible in baseball. Whether it’s the moment you’re called up to the majors or crushing a walk-off homer to win it all, every big emotional moment in baseball can be yours. And only The Show can deliver that with so much realism that it’s like it really happened. More...

Are you ready to prove that you have what it takes to run with the best of the best? Everyone here at <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/zipper/">Zipper Interactive</a> is happy to announce that <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/unit-13/">Unit 13</a> is now available in North America, exclusively for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a>! Designed specifically for <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/">Vita</a>, <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/games-and-media/psv-unit-13.html">Unit 13</a> puts a console-quality shooter experience in the palm of your hands by offering true dual analog stick controls, detailed graphics and always-on network connectivity. Giving you a selection of six elite operatives, it's your job to quickly and efficiently infiltrate enemy strongholds and complete any objective thrown your way. You'll have to employ every trick in the book to make it out alive, but you'll need to rewrite the rules if you want to come out on top of the leaderboards. Unit 13 has been created for on-the-go play, featuring 40+ missions that play out in bite-sized chunks that highlight its portable focus. Each of those missions begs you to come back and try them again as the game's scoring system and leaderboard support will show you exactly how you stack up against the competition; be it your friends down the street or strangers on the other side of the globe. A Daily Challenge feature provides you with a new mission every 24 hours -- along with a fresh chance to hit the top of the leaderboards. Cooperative multiplayer lets you tackle any of the game's 36 main missions and “near†support will let you share access to the elite High Value Targets with other players around you. More...

When I first saw the PS Vita on display at the Eurogamer Expo last year, I thought then that this could be a really good piece of kit. Not just that it looked good or had dual analogue sticks or even that it had a touch screen; the main reason was that it was so interactive, more than the PSP. The things I mentioned above as well as the rear touch pad, cameras front and back and the gyroscope all help make the PS Vita a far more immersive experience. I will of course go into greater detail when I write about some of the games now available, for the moment though I will concentrate on what the console has to offer. Although it resembles the PSP in looks, this is a very different beast. As I mentioned, this has a 5″ OLED capacitive touch screen which is very responsive and a delight to use. I found some sun (not easy I can tell you) to see how much you could see on a sunny day. It was very good, I found a slight amount of reflection but otherwise I was very impressed. It also has dual analogue sticks, which are very smooth and intuitive, I really like to use these over buttons and the addition of them on the PS Vita makes things much more comfortable. You do also get the standard triangle, square, circle and cross buttons, d-pad and shoulder buttons. The buttons are well laid out and feel nice and solid when pressed, although I found that for the most part during navigating and game play, I used the analogue sticks, touch pad and shoulder buttons more than anything else. The speakers are just to the side of the analogue sticks and the sound that they produce is really very good for a handheld device. The sound is clear and crisp and really does help to add some atmosphere to the games, as opposed to flat, tinny like sounds produced by some other consoles in the past. Using headphones is also a good experience; I tend to use them quite a lot as it gets me into the game and the sound coming through the headphones on the PS Vita certainly does that. There is of course, no UMD in this console, which many predicted long ago. There is still a memory card slot which takes small specifically designed memory cards and of course WIFI and or 3G depending on the version you buy. As well as a memory card slot, you also have the PS Vita Card Slot which is what you will find inside those shiny new cases in your local game store. There are also downloadable games and content, via the PlayStation Network where you are also able to get movies, music and additional levels as you can with the PlayStation 3 now. The PS Vita itself feels very solid in the hand which I personally prefer, for me it feels strangely reassuring and less likely to break if I get a bit over zealous. The screen and rear touch pad do suffer a bit from fingerprint marks which for those who find it a irritating will no doubt need a lint free cloth handy. When you turn on the PS Vita, you are greeted with the initial screen that shows the time and date. The corner is folded down which you use to peel it off the screen using your finger. I liked this way of entering/exiting different apps and games and it is used throughout. You can scroll up and down using the touch screen and each app or game is in its own ‘bubble’. There are apps for Facebook, Google Maps, Music and Videos that you may have on your console and they all sway gently as you move around the screen. Once you have selected the game you want, you are taken to the LiveArea screen. From this area you can see details about the game and also communicate with other players. Again, you can peel it off when you are finished or press start to take you to the game. You will also find a Welcome Pack that will guide you through all aspects of the PS Vita and its controls. The browser is quite responsive and loads quickly; it loaded all the sites I tried with no issues at all. The LiveTweet and Facebook integration is a nice addition, you can post your progress to all your friends and show them how good you are doing (or not). It also means that you can keep in touch without having to stop and switch devices. There are also other nifty apps like ‘near’ which lets you see what other PS Vita owners in your area are playing and allows you to interact and swap items with them. If you are a PlayStation 3 owner (unfortunately I’m not) you can benefit from cross-platform play and Remote Play. The former allows you to switch from playing a game on the PS3 to the PS Vita from where you left off and also join multiplayer games as well. Remote Play lets you control your PS3 from your PS Vita, as long as you have a Wi-Fi connection. You can stream movies, music and even play compatible PS3 games using your PS Vita as a controller…now that’s impressive! As I mentioned earlier, I will go into more depth about each game as I write about them, but the graphics throughout are truly splendid. The shading and 3D effect from the characters and scenery is fabulous and this will only get better as more games come out. This is all thanks to the ARM Cortex A9 MPcore CPU with its four cores (sorry a bit tech there) but in short it makes for stunning graphics that at times made me wish I had a scarf tied around my head like Jacob Marley to stop my jaw from dropping! Game play is smooth and quick once the game loads which can take a few seconds, but it well worth the wait. Sony has always pushed the limits of what is expected of handheld consoles and with smart phones getting faster, this is more relevant than ever. I don’t think they will disappoint many in this respect, it is very impressive and this together with the interactive abilities makes this more of an all round gaming, entertaining and social experience than the Nintendo DSi or 3DS in my opinion. Overall I was really impressed with the PS Vita; it is all the things I personally think the PSP should have been. In the past, Nintendo have concentrated on the interactive elements of the games in favor of all out graphics power while Sony did the opposite. I think though that with the PS Vita, Sony have combined the two very well and if the games I have played so far are anything to go by, Nintendo may have a serious fight on their hands. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

If you have been following <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/journey-ps3.html">Journey</a>, then you’re probably as excited as I am about its release next week on March 13, as the first game in our Spring Fever event this year. The reviews so far <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/01/journey-review-i-want-to-go-to-there/">have</a> <a href="http://ps3.ign.com/articles/121/1219641p1.html">been</a> <a href="http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2012/03/journey-playstation-3-review/">fantastic</a>, and I can’t wait to get online and experience the game online with other <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/journey/">Journey</a> fans. If you caught Friday’s update from <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/03/02/walk-with-the-creators-of-journey/">Kellee</a>, the last line of her post about big news coming Monday probably had you wondering what sort of news might be coming. Well, earlier this morning I’m sure you saw this month’s <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/03/05/playstation-plus-in-march-early-journey-access-free-sly-cooper-street-fighter-and-more/">PS Plus blog post</a> revealing that Journey will be available this week for all <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-plus/">PS Plus</a> members, one week ahead of the normal release date. What’s more, this early access purchase comes with a bonus, an exclusive PS3 dynamic theme featuring some concept art from the game. More...

<a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/mass-effect-3/">Mass Effect 3</a> launches in North America in less than 24 hours! We hope you ready to start the war to take Earth back and have secured your copy of the game via digital <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/02/21/mass-effect-3-available-for-psn-pre-order-today-with-exclusive-bonuses/">pre-order</a> on PSN (don’t forget that you’ll receive a bonus weapon and exclusive PS3 theme). The development team spent a great deal of effort to make sure that those who are just joining us in the Mass Effect Universe are able to jump right into the game without missing a beat. To maximize your enjoyment of the game right away, you can download Mass Effect 3 beginning at 12:01am Pacific Time <strong>TONIGHT</strong>. Start your download, get some rest, and wake up refreshed -- and prepared to launch all-out galactic war against the biggest threat to ever hit Earth. More...

Sports fans! We’re less than 24 hours away from the release of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/mlb-12-the-show/">MLB 12 The Show</a> and as you know, the game will be available on <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> and <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a>. This year, in addition to our cover athlete, we have multiple athletes who will be partnering with The Show to serve as ambassadors for the game. One of these players is New York Yankees ace CC Sabathia, a proclaimed gamer who takes his <a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps3/">PS3</a> on the road with him during the season. He recently helped us promote MLB 12 in New York City, and you can see the event notes and pics on <a href="http://espn.go.com/espn/thelife/videogames/blog/_/name/thegamer/id/7586445">ESPN.com</a> (check out that sweet custom PS3!). Here’s also a look at our Sabathia gameplay trailer on <a href="http://espn.go.com/espn/thelife/videogames/blog/_/name/thegamer/id/7575502">ESPN.com</a>. More...

This Wednesday, March 7th, we will update <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-home/">PlayStation Home</a> with new challenges in the ongoing <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/street-fighter-x-tekken/">Street Fighter X Tekken</a> Total Game Integration Event, new personal spaces that run the gamut from high-in-the-sky private planes to serene houses in the Japanese countryside, tons of new collectibles including clothing and furniture items from Atticus, the original music inspired street wear label created by Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge from Blink-182, and more! Here’s your checklist of the must-do activities going down in PlayStation Home this week. Phase 3 of the Street Fighter X Tekken Event – New challenges and rewards await you this week in our exclusive Street Fighter X Tekken Total Game Integration event. For the first time in Home history, you can brawl using your avatars! Complete all 10 challenges to unlock Ryu and Kazuya costumes, which will allow you to throw fireballs and perform custom jump kick attacks! More...

Associate Producer <a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/author/jhart/">Josh Hart</a> and I recently snuck out of the studio a little early on a Friday to go on, well… a short “road trip†to Hollywood, CA (or La La Land as SoCal natives like to call it) to experience the fun new feature in <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/modnation-racers-road-trip/">ModNation Racers: Road Trip</a> – “Mod Explorerâ€. Upon receiving a loan from the bank to pay for gas we trekked up the 5 Freeway on our way to our first location for a “Destination Check-in†– beautiful Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Quickly making our way through the gathering of “celebrity†look-a-like street performers on Hollywood Blvd. one of the “entertainers†(in a square yellow sponge outfit) convincingly hustled my attention for a photo-op. In a surprising low baritone voice said spongeman instructed me that he worked for “generous†tips. Immediately after our awkward (yet AWE-some!) photo taken together I reached into my pocket and pulled out a one dollar bill and a ten dollar bill. Due to his utter lack of effort to not break the actor’s third-wall I decided he would receive the crisp one dollar bill. Sorry spongeman. More...

Attention Street Fighter X Tekken fans and PlayStation 3 gamers! As <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/01/26/pac-man-and-mega-man-join-street-fighter-x-tekkens-playstation-exclusives/">previously announced</a>, Mega Man and Pac-Man will be joining Cole from <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/infamous-2/">Infamous</a> (as well as Toro and Kuro) as PlayStation 3 exclusive characters in Capcom’s upcoming Street Fighter X Tekken game. Playable characters Cole, Toro and Kuro are included on the disc and will be available to play when the game launches in North America tomorrow, March 6th. Capcom’s Mega Man and Namco’s Pac-Man will be available as free downloads soon after, on Tuesday, March 13th. PS3 gamers...get ready...FIGHT! More...

Hey there PlayStation Assassins! After several years of work, by hundreds of some of the most talented developers on the planet, we are extraordinarily pleased to show you the very first official trailer for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/assassins-creed-iii/">Assassin’s Creed III</a>. Today, we’d like to offer a glimpse of the rich backdrop provided by the American Revolution, as well as sneaking in some details about our Native American protagonist: Connor. Keep your eyes peeled for a certain historic figure you may recognize (trust me, he’ll be hard to miss)… and ponder his role both in a story of the foundation of a nation and the ceaseless conflict between the Templars and Assassins. More...

It’s another giant month for <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/playstation-plus/'>http://us.playstation.com/psn/playstation-plus/">PlayStation Plus</a> subscribers with early access to one of <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/">PSN</a>’s biggest games, great free content, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/mass-effect-3/">Mass Effect 3</a> Full Game Trial and much more. To start, we’re pleased to announce that <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/journey/">Journey</a> will be available to purchase 1 week early for PlayStation Plus subscribers. The game releases PSN-wide on 3/13, but you’ll be able to experience the full game tomorrow. To back up the early access to Journey, you’ll be able to download Sly Cooper and the Thievius Racoonus and Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix on 3/6, free with your subscription! Sly Cooper and the Thievius Racoonus (part of the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/the-sly-collection/">Sly Collection</a>) Is fully remastered in HD with Trophy support, this is the ultimate version of a true PS2 gem, and is available free to download in Plus. Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix brings the definitive version of the Street Fighter II series and sports an unforgettable roster of fighters, redrawn in HD with online multiplayer to boot. More...

Back in November, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/11/22/introducing-motorstorm-rc-for-psn-and-ps-vita/">we revealed</a> that <a href="http://www.evos.net/">Evolution Studios</a> was working on a new title, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/motorstorm-rc/">MotorStorm RC</a>, which would be released in the US as a downloadable game 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>. The game <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-02-26-motorstorm-rc-review">received critical praise</a> when it launched in the UK two weeks ago. We think you’ll agree that the wait was worth it, as we are pleased to not only announce that the <a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps3/">PS3</a> version will be available beginning tomorrow separately for $9.99 ($7.49 for <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/playstation-plus/">PlayStation Plus</a> subscribers), but to also let you know that the <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/">PS Vita</a> version of MotorStorm RC will also be available as a free download thanks to our partners at Scion. More...

Hi beloved <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/">PS Blog</a> readers – we hope you have been enjoying our series of articles here. We have some big news about <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/dust-514/">DUST 514</a> coming out this week and wanted to write a more personal note about it here, to you. The development of <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/dust-514-ps3.html">DUST 514</a> has been an amazing experience, as we at <a href="http://www.ccpgames.com/en/home">CCP</a> pioneer new frontiers for console games in collaboration with Sony. It has really been a process of exploring and breaking new ground – running an MMO service that needs constant updates on a console, microtransactions on a console, connecting an MMO on console to an MMO on PC in a real time shared universe and the Marketplace between the two – and there’s even more to come. Today, I’m writing about one more of those things - DUST 514 will be free to play on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PlayStation 3</a>! More...

<p style="text-align: justify;">It's a week of Major Leaguers in all fields of gaming, and Only On PlayStation. Use the precision of dual-analog controls and unique touch gameplay on PS Vita in Unit 13. Take the MLB experience on the road, or swing for the fences with the PlayStation Move when MLB 12: The Show slides into the PS Vita and PS3.</p> <div style="text-align: justify;">Also on PS3, fight and defend the safety of Earth and the galaxy as you fight the ancient aliens known as the Reapers in Mass Effect 3. Street Fighter x Tekken and MotorStorm RC also make their debuts on this week’s The Drop.</div> More...

As announced yesterday, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/03/03/playstation-network-scheduled-maintenance-on-sunday/">PSN will be in maintenance</a> for the 2nd half of the day (Pacific time). The good thing is, everything should be tip-top for Super Tuesday. No, not talking about the Republican primaries, but the release date for Mass Effect 3, four big PS Vita games, and, <a href="http://ps3.ign.com/articles/121/1219878p1.html">if you're a Plus subscriber</a>, Journey. Today's probably a good day to work on those single-player campaigns; I expect to see a lot of Trophies hitting Facebook when everyone syncs back up. <strong>The PS.Blog weekly reading list (Week of February 13, 2012)</strong> <ul> <li><a href="http://ps3.ign.com/articles/121/1219641p1.html">Journey Review - PlayStation 3 Review at IGN</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.delicious.com/redirect?url=http%3A//www.destructoid.com/talking-sly-cooper-thieves-in-time-with-sanzaru-games-223075.phtml%3Futm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2BDestructoid%2B%2528Destructoid%2529">Talking Sly Cooper: Thieves In Time with Sanzaru Games - Destructoid</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.delicious.com/redirect?url=http%3A//www.siliconera.com/2012/03/02/sumioni-demon-arts-is-only-20-in-north-america/%3Futm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Bsiliconera%252FMkOc%2B%2528Siliconera%2529%26utm_content%3DGoogle%2BReader">Sumioni: Demon Arts Is Only $20 In North America - Siliconera</a></li> More...

Just typing the date "March 6th" gives me goosebumps! This Tuesday marks the release of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/mass-effect-3/">Mass Effect 3</a>, the long-anticipated finale to BioWare's RPG space opera that's coming to Blu-ray <em>and</em> <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/02/21/mass-effect-3-available-for-psn-pre-order-today-with-exclusive-bonuses/">PSN</a>. As a series devotee, I'm dying to see how my storyline plays out, especially how it will build upon the (often poor) decisions I made in <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/mass-effect-2/">Mass Effect 2</a>. If you want to hear more early impressions for Mass Effect 3, listen to our discussion on the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/03/01/playstation-blogcast-014-street-fighter-x-tekken-x-journey-x-mass-effect-3/">new episode</a> of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-blogcast/">PlayStation Blogcast</a>. In other news this week, Namco Bandai Games confirmed a March 13th <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/03/02/ridge-racer-for-ps-vita-drifting-around-the-corner-on-march-13th-with-free-dlc/">US release date</a> and free DLC for Ridge Racer on PS Vita, Q-Games announced a <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/03/02/pixeljunk-4am-out-this-spring-play-it-in-sf-next-week/">Spring release date</a> for PixelJunk 4am (and a San Francisco <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/263324033747615/">community play session this Tuesday</a>)... More...

As you may recall, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/02/27/playstation-network-regular-scheduled-maintenance-on-thursday/">we had postponed</a> our scheduled PlayStation Network maintenance session from last Thursday to a time to be announced. It is now determined that maintenance will take place tomorrow (Sunday, March 4). This significant PSN maintenance period is expected to start at just after noon Pacific and will last for several hours, until approximately 2am Pacific on Monday, March 5. Unlike typical maintenance events, consumers who are already signed-in to PSN will be signed-out, and consumers will be unable to sign in for the duration of the maintenance window. During 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...

Introducing: Long Live Play – PSN Community Spotlight: This new weekly blog series is designed to give you, the gamer, a voice in the world of PlayStation. This is your chance to tell your PlayStation story. Oh and if bragging rights from being featured on the PlayStation Blog wasn’t enough, if you’re selected, we’ll send you a voucher for a $50 credit in the PlayStation Store. We’ve created a <a href="http://community.us.playstation.com/community/playstation_network/psn_community_meets_the_ps_blog">new space in the PlayStation Community Forums</a> for members of the PSN Community to create posts on whatever they’re passionate about with PlayStation. Each new post is considered your own entry to take the spotlight. I and other members of the PS Community Mod Team will be reviewing the entries every week and pick one lucky winner to be posted every Sunday on the PlayStation Blog. More...

My fellow Ridge Racing elite, how are you? Those of you that have been following along on the PlayStation Blog know that we at NAMCO BANDAI Games have been very active here with updates on our titles for the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PlayStation Vita</a>, including <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/touch-my-katamari/">Touch My Katamari</a> and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/shinobido-2-revenge-of-zen/">Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen</a>. But, as many of you have been asking me, what’s up with RIDGE RACER? It’s out in Japan, and my friends in Europe are already racing… but when are we finally going to get behind the wheel, and when exactly in the ‘Launch Window’ are we going to hit the road with Reiko again? WHAT’S THE DEAL!? We know, we know. Launch days and RIDGE RACER usually are one and the same, and while our friends abroad are already racing, the teams have been taking every ounce of feedback into consideration for a full-throttle launch in North America. Thankfully, today we can confirm that the game will officially become available in on March 13th for $29.99 at retail and $24.99 for digital download from the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-store/">PlayStation Store</a>. More...

Alright MLB The Show fans, it is time to get off the couch. This year with <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/mlb-12-the-show/">MLB 12 The Show</a>, you now can play the entire game (Pitching, Batting, Fielding, and Base running) using the PS Move motion controller. When we designed the controls, the overall goal was to make it as intuitive and natural as possible. Once you play it and become familiar with the controls, you will start to feel a natural connection between playing our game and playing baseball as if you were out on a diamond. <h3>On the Hill</h3> When we designed the pitching controls, the idea was to promote going through the actual motion of throwing a pitch. In order to do that, we decided to tie the velocity of the pitch to how far you reach back (away from the PS Eye) to set your “potential power†and how fast you swing your arm through to determine your “actual powerâ€. This way, if you try to pitch by just flicking your wrist, sure you can get the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-move/">Move</a> to recognize that speed, but since you do not pull back during the wind-up, you will not be able to use 100% of your potential power. The difference could be a 93MPH vs a 98MPH fastball. Your accuracy is tied to the on-screen pitcher’s release point. The closer you release the trigger on the Move to that release point, the more accurate the location of the pitch will be. The result is a system that feels very natural and recognizes how much effort you are putting into each pitch and recognizes a very natural release point. There is a definite feeling of satisfaction in “painting the black†that you didn’t feel before. More...

<a href="https://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/trophies/">PlayStation Network Trophies</a> have been around <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2008/06/30/firmware-v240-walkthrough-part-2-trophies/">since 2008</a>, engendering legions of “Trophy Hunters†(I’ve heard a other names as well). The most elusive prey for these digital treasure seekers is the Platinum Trophy. For the uninitiated, most “full size†retail games reward players who completely unlock a long list of in-game accomplishments with a Platinum Trophy attached to your PSN ID. At a glance, it’s the quickest way to suss out a fellow gamer’s skill - while anyone can rack up the bronze Trophies, most Platinums require a mix of skill and dedication. Out of the <a href="http://us.playstation.com/publictrophy/index.htm?onlinename=jeffps">2000+ trophies I’ve earned</a>, only 3 are Platinum. It’s still more than <a href="http://us.playstation.com/publictrophy/index.htm?onlinename=shumanji">Sid</a>. A few weeks ago, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-blogcast/">PlayStation Blogcast</a> listener John M. asked us: Are you able to tell us the top 5 or 10 games that have been “platinum’d†or competed 100%? More...

Just days after the official release of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/escape-plan/">Escape Plan</a> on February 22, 2012, the Fun Bits crew was invited to Lake Placid, NY to watch the <a href="http://www.fibt.com/index.php?id=561">2012 FIBT World Championship</a> (for Bobsled & Skeleton). As avid fans of the high-speed event, it was awesome to be there and witness USA-1 barreling into the finish to win Gold…with a big fat Escape Plan sticker on Steven Holcomb’s helmet. Steven Holcomb (2010 Olympic Champion and 5-time FIBT World Champion) is a total video game junkie and it was brilliant to see his massively prominent support for our “Lil†game. After receiving his <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">Vita</a> last week, he told us: “Escape Plan is awesome. It’s all about trial and error and I can definitely relate to that, as crashing at 85mph is sometimes as unforgiving as the mishaps of Lil & Laarg in this game.†More...

Heya guys, ^^/ Next week during GDC, <a href="http://pixeljunk.jp/">PixelJunk</a> is collaborating with <a href="http://super7store.com/">Super7</a> to host a FREE GDC Kickoff party in San Francisco. You can expect: <ul> <li>A public preview of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/pixeljunk-4am/">PixelJunk 4am</a> available to play for anyone not going to GDC! </li> <li>Super7’s INSERT COIN COLLECTION T-shirt range launch. </li> <li>Prizes for the 'best jam sessions' on 4am. </li> <li>Free drinks, music, giveaways & fun! </li> </ul> PixelJunk 4am Art & Music Director DJ Baiyon will be on hand to deliver a performance at 6pm to kick things off, followed by free play for everyone. Attendance is free, so if you're unable to make GDC but still want to checkout PixelJunk 4am, come down and say "Hi" to us. <strong>Where:</strong> Super7 Store, 1427 Haight St (@ Masonic) <strong>When:</strong> Tuesday March 6th @ 6pm <strong>RSVP <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/263324033747615/">here</a></strong> More...