Commander Fury

Here we go again! A new year brings a new batch of gaming and tech events, starting with next week's <a href="http://www.cesweb.org/">Consumer Electronics Show</a> in sultry Las Vegas, NV. Jeff and Rey will be going to check in on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> and few other assorted odds and ends, leaving me behind to run PlayStation.Blog affairs and catch up on a few game previews...including one game I'm very excited to share mid-week. Be sure to check back in before 2012 gets the best of you! In other news this week: thatgamecompany released a <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/01/05/a-musical-journey/">beautiful new orchestral trailer for Journey</a>, the sound designer for Shinobido 2 dropped by to share <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/01/06/shinobido-2-developers-discuss-the-sounds-of-assassination/">insights into game audio development</a>, and a new batch of movies, TV shows, and music content hit <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/01/06/new-on-playstation-video-store-and-music-unlimited-19/">Video Unlimited and Music Unlimited</a> on PSN. What was your favorite news this week? And what did you play over the long holiday break? More...

I’m happy to announce Gran Turismo 5 XL Edition, a brand-new version of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/gran-turismo-5/">Gran Turismo 5</a> packed with even more features, functionality, and content. Here’s what you can expect to find inside when it rolls out to stores starting January 17th: <blockquote> <strong>Gran Turismo 5 XL Edition Contents</strong> <ul> <li>Original Gran Turismo 5 game, featuring more than 1,000 cars, 20+ locations with 70+ track layouts, diverse racing styles including rally, track, karting, NASCAR, and more, deep online community features and online racing, plus Gran Turismo TV, Course Maker and more.</li> <li>All of the new and improved features and functionality from all free downloadable game updates up through <a href="http://us.gran-turismo.com/us/products/gt5/spec2/">Spec 2.0</a> included on the disc.</li> <li>Voucher good for over $20 worth of <a href="http://us.gran-turismo.com/us/products/gt5/dlc/">DLC content</a>, including the Racing Car Pack, Car Pack 2, Course Pack, Racing Gear Pack, and Paint Pack.</li></ul> </blockquote> More...

Hello again, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/'>http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> fans! Hoping you enjoyed our premiere of the first <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/shinobido-2-revenge-of-zen/'>http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/shinobido-2-revenge-of-zen/">Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen</a> details not long ago. As promised, I’m back to share a post with you from our friends on the development team ACQUIRE Corp. Our friend Toshiko Tazaki has more details to share on how they shaped the tension and atmosphere in their upcoming assassin-thriller. Have a look and a listen down below, and stay tuned to <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/">PlayStation.Blog</a> as we lead up to the game’s launch on February 22nd for more in-depth looks at how the team brought this killer game together on the <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/">PS Vita</a>. Hello again, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/'>http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> fans! Hoping you enjoyed our premiere of the first <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/shinobido-2-revenge-of-zen/'>http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/shinobido-2-revenge-of-zen/">Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen</a> details not long ago. As promised, I’m back to share a post with you from our friends on the development team ACQUIRE Corp. Our friend Toshiko Tazaki has more details to share on how they shaped the tension and atmosphere in their upcoming assassin-thriller. Have a look and a listen down below, and stay tuned to <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/">PlayStation.Blog</a> as we lead up to the game’s launch on February 22nd for more in-depth looks at how the team brought this killer game together on the <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/">PS Vita</a>. More...

An all-star casts leads the medical thriller <strong>Contagion</strong> breaking out this week in <em>New Releases</em>. A virus pandemic threatens a high level of the human population as members of the medical community around the world race to find a workable cure. Matt Damon (The Adjustment Bureau), Marion Cotillard (Midnight in Paris), Laurence Fishburne (Predators), Jude Law (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows), Gwyneth Paltrow (The Avengers), and Kate Winslet (Mildred Pierce) star in this film by acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh (The Informant!). Co-written by Guillermo del Toro, <strong>Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark</strong> hits <em>Movies</em> this week with spine-tingling action. Set in the 1800s, mysterious creatures haunt the basement of a quiet girl in Rhode Island. Directed by comic book artist Troy Nixey, the film stars Guy Pearce (Mildred Pierce), Katie Holmes (Jack & Jill) and Bailee Madison (Just Go With It). More...

Let’s say you’re curious as to how, exactly, developer Infinity Ward determines whether an online offence is grave enough to warrant banning from their blockbuster shooterModern Warfare 3. Or you’re an asshole who just wants to see how far he/she can push it before copping a ban.*To satisfy your potentially self-harming curiosity, here is exactly how Infinity Ward deal with cheaters.*How they’re warned, what the various stages of punishment are, the works.*The complete guidelines have been publicly shared by Infinity Ward, and focus on the six things you can do that can result in a ban: Boosting, cheating, glitching, hacking, offensive behaviour and an offensive gamertag. Boosting *- Any player demonstrating ‘game abuse’ in the form of organizing cooperative or single game play for the purpose of gaining experience, prestige, score, weapon levels, icons, titles or other related in-game unlocks. ( i ) First Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 48 hours and a stats reset. (ii) Second Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 48 hours and a stats reset, and a permanent ban from leaderboards. (iii) Third Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 7 days and a stats reset, and a permanent ban from leaderboards. Cheating *- Any player demonstrating ‘game abuse’ in the form of unknown boosting, glitching, hacking or other related offenses for the purpose of gaining experience, prestige, score, weapon levels, icons, titles or other related in-game unlocks. ( i ) First Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 48 hours and a stats reset. (ii) Second Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 48 hours and a stats reset, and a permanent ban from leaderboards. (iii) Third Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 7 days and a stats reset, and a permanent ban from leaderboards. Glitching *- Any player demonstrating ‘game abuse’ in the form of organizing cooperative or single game play for the purpose of gaining experience, prestige, score, weapon levels, icons, titles or other related in-game unlocks. Examples: Exploiting map holes, the javelin glitch, and participating in modded lobbies ( i ) First Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 48 hours and a stats reset. (ii) Second Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 48 hours and a stats reset, and a permanent ban from leaderboards. (iii) Third Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 7 days and a stats reset, and a permanent ban from leaderboards. Hacking *- Any player demonstrating ‘game abuse’ in the form of modifying the executable or creating infected lobbies with or without the purpose of gaining experience, prestige, score, weapon levels, icons, titles or other related in-game unlocks. ( i ) First Offense: With proper verification, user is console banned. Offensive Behavior *- Any player demonstrating in-game verbal abuse, harassing, or other related behavior deemed as universally unacceptable to other players. ( i ) First Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 24 hours Offensive Gamertag *- Any player demonstrating an offensive in-game gamer tag, to be decided as universally unacceptable to other players. ( i ) First Offense: With proper verification, user is reputation banned 5000. A reputation ban that exceeds a certain threshold can lead to bans from playing. As a bonus, Infinity Ward’s*Robert Bowling*has posted*an accompanying image of what the banhammer actually looks like on their end. Sadly, it is just a dialog pop-up with a picture of a hammer on it, and not a screen that’s part of a giant Norse hammer: Click To Enlarge: So there you go. All the stuff that can get you suspended, banned or even permanently banned, laid out nice and easy. It’s a lot of words to basically say “don’t be an asshole or we won’t let you play our game”, but that’s not legalese enough for official documentation. More...

Subscription Links: Subscribe via iTunes Subscribe via RSS here Download the MP3 here With PlayStation.Blog kingpin Jeff Rubenstein out on vacation this week, today marked the perfect opportunity for a long-awaited guest: IGN’s PlayStation Executive Editor and Podcast Beyond host Greg Miller! In today’s show, Greg shares his experiences with PS Vita, including his love affair with ModNation Racers: Road Trip, insights into PS Vita’s Trophy management, and key games to watch. As Podcast Beyond listeners already know, Greg’s a passionate guy and we had a blast discussing PS Vita and upcoming games in this lively episode. More...

Hey Everyone, Every year we try to assemble a diverse and entertaining soundtrack for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/mlb-12-the-show/">MLB The Show</a>. We look to create a balance of established bands and some lesser known, up and coming artists, that offer great music. We all know that music is subjective and it can be tough to create a soundtrack with songs that everybody loves - although we always try! This is one reason why we offer the "My MLB Music" in our "Sounds of the Show" suite of features - so without further adieu, here's a look at our soundtrack for MLB 12, including the artists, tracks, and websites to find more info about the artists. Welcome to The Show! <strong>"Gold on the Ceiling" </strong>Performed by <a href="http://www.theblackkeys.com/">The Black Keys</a> More...

<iframe src="http://blip.tv/play/h5l4guaFIwA.html?p=1" width="650" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://a.blip.tv/api.swf#h5l4guaFIwA" style="display:none"></embed> In this Episode, Jack is joined by Commander Claymore Fury via SatCom as they discuss the 2011 Tournament Season and what is in store for 2012. The Nuketown Hooligans bring a little Modern Warfare 3 Spec Ops tips and Lt. Leadhead brings us Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Visit Blip.tv for more videos

<a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PlayStation Network</a>’s original, competitive reality series “<a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/the-tester/">The Tester</a>†is back, and the premiere episode is set for February 7, 2012! We’re excited to announce the lineup of 12 gamers who will appear on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/08/04/the-tester-casting-call-for-season-3-is-now-open/">Season 3</a> and compete for a job as a Production Associate at Sony Computer Entertainment America’s world-famous <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/santa-monica-studios/">Santa Monica Studio</a>, home of PlayStation’s best-selling <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/god-of-war-origins-collection/">God Of War</a> franchise, along with a $5,000 signing bonus, a 55†3D Bravia TV, a PS3 and a Ford Focus Titanium. From San Bernardino to Brooklyn to the Dominican Republic (and many stops in between), here are “The Tester 3†contestants (see video above). More...

Probably the most frequently recurring difficulty in discussing my work on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/journey/">Journey</a> is the fact that the game is called Journey! That concept of a metamorphosis, or emotional arc, is at the core of everything in this game, including its score. You can imagine, with a title this succinct, that the puns are both unintentional and constant! The video you see here will give you a taste of what we’ve been up to and the joy that it’s been to create. One of the inspirations for Journey was Joseph Campbell’s ‘<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monomyth">Hero’s Journey</a>.’ The knee-jerk assumption is that something this big demands epic music on the most towering scale yet my gut led me in the opposite direction. While there are definitely some big moments, I would actually describe it as intimate overall. The orchestra seen here is the Macedonia Radio Symphonic Orchestra, conducted beautifully by Oleg Kontradenko in the Macedonian capital of Skopje. More...

<a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-home/">PlayStation Home</a> rings in the New Year with another enormous update. This Thursday, January 5th, we release the Red Bull House of Skate, a huge personal space that includes an addictive skateboarding game and all the amenities – from breathtaking views to a built-in hot tub fit for the throwing wild parties with your friends. Rack up points by flipping and grinding your way throughout the Skate Park and then head to the updated Red Bull Air Race, which has been expanded to include new tracks and levels, pilots and planes, and, of course, rewards for the players that hit the highest scores. This week sees the release of Granzella’s highly-anticipated Grand Edo of Nippon game space in <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/playstation-home/">PlayStation Home</a>. This unique public space transports players to the Tokugawa period and comes with a variety of games and community activities that immerse players in the rich history of feudal Japan. Visit the Grand Edo of Nippon when it releases this Thursday, available from the PlayStation Home Navigator. More...

I’m a sucker for horror games, so I jumped at a recent opportunity to watch a short demo of Konami’s upcoming <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> survival-horror epic Silent Hill: Downpour. In a development applauded by series fans, Downpour strongly emphasizes creeping psychological horror over the twitchy action of recent entries like <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/silent-hill-homecoming-ps3.html">Silent Hill: Homecoming</a>. You play as Murphy, a maximum-security inmate with a deeply troubled past. You awaken on the fringes of the cursed town of Silent Hill after your prison transport bus crashes. True to Silent Hill form, you’ll spend the rest of the game evading the town’s monstrous denizens while piecing together Murphy’s deepest secrets -- including the dark truths that brought him to Silent Hill. I spoke with Producer Devin Shatsky, who answered some key questions while playing through the first section of the game. If you have questions, leave them in the comments and I’ll do my best to get you answers! More...

Happy New Year and welcome to the first PlayStation Store update for 2012! It’s going to be an exciting year with lots to look forward to on PlayStation Network, so with that said, let’s get to the good stuff. With football action in full swing, now may be the perfect time to up the action with NFL Blitz; especially if your favorite team might not be looking so good to make it to the playoffs! Rewrite your season with the arcade-style gameplay that made the original a hit, packed with the immersive game modes of today. NFL Blitz is recharged and available now on PlayStation Network. New PSN Game release TNT Racers also races to the PlayStation Store today. Featuring lightning fast racing action, diverse multiplayer modes, cool tracks and snappy gadgets, TNT Racers may be just the kick you need to jump start your year. More...

Happy New Year from the <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/playstation-plus/">PlayStation Plus</a> team! As many of you know, PlayStation Plus is the subscription service from <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PlayStation Network</a> that gets you access to free games, huge discounts, and great exclusives across the network. And we’re kicking off the New Year in a big way! This month’s spotlight free PSN Game is none other than Telltale’s Back to the Future The Game - Full Series. All of the episodes from this acclaimed adventure game are available for you to download starting with the January 3rd <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-store/">PlayStation Store</a> update. We’re also including PSN Game Sword and Soldiers with tomorrow’s update. This side-scrolling strategy game lets you control an entire army while wielding devastating magical abilities. More...

In case you missed it over the long holiday break, we released <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/oddworldstrangers-wrath/">Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD</a> on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/12/27/playstation-store-update-219/">December 27th</a>! Additionally, I wanted to thank PlayStation players for their endless support over the past year or so since we announced it. We hope you enjoy it! If you haven't played Stranger's Wrath yet, the launch trailer does a good job showing off the game's key features: 60 frames-per-second action in both first-person and third-person perspectives, all set within the unique universe of Oddworld. More...

Truly, 2011 was a great year for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/modnation-racers/">ModNation Racers</a>. Community represents the core ModNation Racers, and with <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/modnation-racers-road-trip/">ModNation Racers: Road Trip</a> coming very soon, our creative and energetic community is getting geared up to expand. During the development of ModNation Racers: Road Trip, we made each decision with our community in mind -- whether it was the improved racing engine or the dazzling <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> visuals. Our goal was to deliver the best, most addictive kart racing game out there. With that in mind let’s take a look back at some of our favorites over the past six months in an event we are calling “The Moddys 1.5." Creative huh? More...

We look back on 2011. More...

It’s been a great year for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/irrational-games/">Irrational Games</a>, thanks in no small part to our wonderful PlayStation fans. While we’re in the midst of working on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/bioshock-infinite/">BioShock Infinite</a>, we wanted to take the time and thank everyone for all the great support you’ve given over the years by helping spread the holiday cheer. From all of us at Irrational Games: Season’s Greetings! More...

There’s a reason we stopped going to the moon. And <strong>Apollo 18</strong> details the chilling reasons why in <em>Movies</em>.The last lunar mission, under the top secret direction of the Department of Defense, goes terribly wrong as alien creatures attack the members of the crew. In <em>TV Shows</em>, find every episode of the first season of <strong>House of Anubis</strong> for free for a limited time before Season 2 premieres in January. Catch up on this thrilling series following nine teenagers who live together in a boarding house named for an Egyptian god of the dead. Our New Year’s Sale kicks off on the first of the year in <em>Collections & Sales</em>. Find phenomenal films like The <strong>Hangover Part II</strong>, <strong>Harry Potter</strong> and the <strong>Deathly Hallows Part 2</strong> and <strong>Cowboys & Aliens</strong> at great low prices through January 9th. More...

Happy Holidays, PlayStation Bloggers! (Or are readers considered to be "bloggies"?) We just hit a major milestone on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/journey/">Journey</a>, and are super excited to take a brief break - when we return it will be pedal to the medal to finish it up and get it out to you! Thanks to everyone who has been so supportive over the last THREE YEARS (our longest project yet!). Your support really does make all the difference, and I can't say "thank you" enough on behalf of everyone at <a href="http://thatgamecompany.com/">thatgamecompany</a>. Because 2011 was such a long and intense year for us, we had a bit of a mellow party to just relax, hang out, and eat some good food. More...

Hey all, we have a special holiday message from David Jaffe, Co-Director of the new Twisted Metal and co-founder of Eat Sleep Play. While Dave and the team are hard at work finishing up Twisted Metal, he wanted to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy holiday and make a special holiday announcement! More...

Every member of the team here would like to extend their gratitude to you for supporting and encouraging us throughout a very eventful year. During the course of developing MotorStorm Apocalypse (and the many updates and DLC goodies that have followed), and since our unveiling of MotorStorm RC, your ongoing enthusiasm has really kept us going. As a thank you, there’s a new MotorStorm Apocalypse livery on PlayStation Store right now. We're also looking forward to 2012, to showing you more of<a href="http://motorstorm.com/motorstormrc"> MotorStorm RC</a> and creating exciting new things. We're hiring too, so if you'd like to be a part of the family (and you're particularly highly skilled in C++ programming) then please head over to<a href="http://www.playstationjobs.com/"> www.playstationjobs.com</a> More...

We say goodbye to 2011 with one last PlayStation Store update; just in time for those looking to warm the winter nights with some great content from <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/">PlayStation Network</a>. New PSN Games this week include <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/12/22/all-zombies-must-die-shuffling-onto-psn-december-27/">All Zombies Must Die</a>. This twin-stick shooter is taken to lofty new heights with a bevy of RPG features, four player co-op and optional PlayStation Move support. You’ll also want to check out <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/oddworldstrangers-wrath/">Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD</a>. This remake of the influential original puts you in the shoes of the High Plains Drifter with an <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/12/22/oddworld-strangers-wrath-for-psn-taking-hd-remakes-to-the-next-level/">all new coat of paint</a> that you won’t want to miss. The <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/09/26/tom-clancys-splinter-cell-trilogy-deploys-on-ps3-blu-ray-psn-tuesday/">Splinter Cell HD Collection</a> released earlier this year, but it’s now broken up into individual games. Want to pick up only one title in the trilogy? Now you can. The original Trilogy bundle is of course, still available, and may stand as the better deal should you wish to purchase all three. More...

Hi there, we wanted to take the time to thank everybody that wrote to us over the course of the year. We love all the mail we get with your suggestions, fan art and questions! So here is a brief video with Mat and I showing off some of the great art and answering some of the letters that we've received from the fans since we announced <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/sly-cooper-thieves-in-time/">Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time</a>. Thank you all so much again – keep the letters coming, everybody here loves to read them. 2012 will be a big year for <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/sly-cooper-thieves-in-time-ps3.html">Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time</a>, so stay tuned! More...

Hey everyone! We are the midst of our winter break, recharging our batteries after shipping both <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/resistance-3/">Resistance 3</a> and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/ratchet-clank-all-4-one/">Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One</a> exclusively on <a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps3/">PS3</a> this year. We hope you’ve had the chance to check out both games. If not, maybe you’ll find them under the Christmas Tree or use a gift card to pick them up after the holidays. Last year, we shared with you several of our <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/12/29/insomniac-holiday-cards/">holiday cards</a> over the past few years. We did want to share with you the latest - which should appeal to you fans of the Olly Moss Resistance 3 cover art. More...