Commander Fury

Here we are, back again to talk about even more exciting things happening with <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/dc-universe-online/">DC Universe Online</a>. Today we’re celebrating not only the launch of our second DLC Pack, Lightning Strikes, but also the amazing success that we’ve had since making the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/11/02/dc-online-universe-free-to-play-your-way-on-ps3/">Free-to-Play transition</a> just over a month ago. Bottom line, there are a whole lot more of you out there playing <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/dc-universe-online-ps3.html">DCUO</a>. And apparently you’re having a good time, because most of you -- more than 85%, in fact -- are returning again and again for adventures in Gotham City and Metropolis. You may have seen a few weeks ago when we announced that more than one million new players had jumped in to DCUO since the launch of Free-to-Play. That number is definitely larger now, and growing by roughly 6% each day. We love seeing all of the new heroes and villains in game, and hope you and your friends keep coming back to experience the great new adventures we have planned for the coming year. More...

With the holiday shopping season counting down, Christina Lee takes a look at some of the must-have custom <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PlayStation 3</a> peripherals perfect for gift giving (to yourself). From the new official <a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps3/accessories/sony-blu-ray-disc-remote-control-ps3.html'>http://us.playstation.com/ps3/accessories/sony-blu-ray-disc-remote-control-ps3.html">Media/ Blu-ray Disc Remote Control</a> to the much talked about <a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps3/accessories/sony-playstation-3d-display-ps3/index.html'>http://us.playstation.com/ps3/accessories/sony-playstation-3d-display-ps3/index.html">PlayStation 3D Display</a>, use today's show to pass along any last minute shopping hints to the ones you love. This edition also takes a look at two new full game downloads available from the PlayStation Store with <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/need-for-speed-hot-pursuit/">Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit</a> and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/dragon-age-2/">Dragon Age II</a>. Both, now part of the growing line up of full games on the store. Also covered, for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/battlefield-3/">Battlefield 3</a> fans, don't miss the Return to Karkand Expansion Pack coming later today (first on <a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps3/">PS3</a>) and a preview of action/puzzle/platformer fairytale of Trine 2. More...

With the holiday season in full effect, we’re giving <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-plus/">PlayStation Plus</a> subscribers extra discounts and free games. The total value of all this month’s offers total over $250 with about $50 being free games. This month’s free content includes the <a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps3/">PS3</a> full game <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/tomb-raider-underworld-ps3.html">Tomb Raider: Underworld</a> and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> game <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/marvel-pinball-ps3.html">Marvel Pinball</a>. The free PSone Classic of the month will be <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/spyro-year-of-the-dragon-ps3-psp.html">Spyro Year of the Dragon</a>. If anyone is keeping track this is the third PSone Classic from the Spyro franchise offered in <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-plus/">Plus</a> and since it’s the holiday, we’ll bring back the first two again to offer the full collection in December. To finish out the free games, take your pick from free early access to minis like Orbit, or mini favorites like A Space Shooter for 2 Bucks! or Mad Blocker Alpha. We always look to give Plus subscribers extra discounts on top of existing PlayStation Store sales and promotions and this month is no exception. The Holiday Collection Sale will feature some great deals on PS3 full game bundles, with Plus subscribers getting an extra discount on top of these deals. With <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/playstation-store/">PlayStation Store</a> promotions happening throughout the year, a Plus subscription always comes in handy. Check out the full list of discounts on titles like <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/assassins-creed-brotherhood-ps3.html">Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood</a>, <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/renegade-ops-ps3.html">Renegade Ops</a>, <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/darksiders-ps3.html">Darksiders</a> and more; and watch for more details on the Holiday Collection sale soon. More...

Welcome to ModNation Monday! In response to questions from loyal ModNation Racers fans, let's investigate a few features from the Kart Studio in the upcoming <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/modnation-racers-road-trip/">ModNation Racers: Road Trip</a> for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a>. <strong> 1. Kart Parts - Explode View </strong> Yep, it’s as fun as it looks! <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/modnation-racers-road-trip/">ModNation Racers: Road Trip</a> for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">Vita</a> brings you even closer to a true Kart modeling experience (without the sticky toxic smelling glue) with the rotatable “exploded†view of your Kart and it’s customizable components. It’s as simple spreading your thumb and finger on the screen to open and then a pinch to close the view. We can’t say it enough but there is just something intrinsically fun with the tactile feel of using your fingers to “explode†you kart open, spin it around, rinse and repeat! strong> 2. Drag and Drop </strong> As with the Mod Studio Edit feature, you simply drag and drop your parts and props right onto your Kart. You’ll feel like a real mechanic as you drag a new set of wheels onto your kart or simply touch the color selector and add that “new coat of paint to items like your shocks, engine, seat, etc. More...

Story by: CritiKiL Modded clan tags in Modern Warfare 3 are tags which have button icons in it, that make them considerably longer compared to what is permitted. A minor issue, yes, however Infinity Ward does not like any*kind of exploit whatsoever, in their games. If you have got a modded clan tag, be sure to change it back to something suitable or risk a ban. Here is the official response on the*Activison support forum*regarding the MW3 clan tags: “Using any kind of hack or exploit to put characters or graphics into your clan tag can result in a suspension or full ban. You may only use the default set of characters included in the user interface†This is true for tags that are colored anything beyond the default colors, which also have been confirmed to be an exploit as well.*Infinity Ward has stated that they will be evaluating the problem and that gamers who have got modded clan tags ought to be reported on sight. Guy Beahm of Sledgehammer games was asked if there would be an ETA for the fix, however due to this being so low-priority and undamaging to gameplay, there isn’t one.* So if you’re using these types of clan tags, remove them or run the risk of getting banned from the game. More...

Our grand opening of our first <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/11/28/san-francisco-ps-vita-meet-ups-kick-off-this-week/">Vita Hill Social Club</a> was an overwhemling success! It was a pleasure to meet the PlayStation community in the Bay Area, and give you a personal introduction to <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a>. Check out the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PlayStation">PlayStation facebook</a> for photos! Stay tuned, we'll be opening more Social Clubs in more cities soon. Listen to the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/the-official-playstation-blogcast/id483223024">PlayStation.Blogcast</a> for a hint! <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/the-drop/">The Drop</a> this week brings Dragon Age II, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit and Final Fantasy VI to PSN. More...

Forget the Grammys, Tonys, and Oscars - videogames have their own award season, and we're in it. We'll be attending both the <a href="http://www.insidegamingdaily.com/2011/11/28/machinima-com-announces-nominees-for-inside-gaming-awards-2011/">Inside Gaming Awards</a> and the <a href="http://www.spike.com/events/video-game-awards-2011">VGAs</a> this week (vote for your Most Anticipated Game <a href="http://www.spike.com/events/video-game-awards-2011-voting/voting/most-anticipated-game">here</a>), and you should find both worth watching. Also, I wanted to take the chance to thank all of you who have listened to <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/12/01/official-playstation-blogcast-episode-002-that%E2%80%99s-a-lot-of-blood/">our new podcast</a> (or better yet, <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=483223024">subscribed</a>). Thanks! <h3>The PS.Blog weekly reading list (Week of November 28, 2011)</h3> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/01/3d-dot-game-heroes-dev-adds-vita-support-to-its-orochi-engine/">3D Dot Game Heroes dev adds Vita support to its Orochi engine - Joystiq</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/30/urinal-games-make-a-splash-in-a-british-pub/">Urinal games make a splash in a British pub - Joystiq</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/01/final-fantasy-xiii-2-trailer-shows-off-combat-system-improvement/">Final Fantasy XIII-2 trailer shows off combat system improvements - Joystiq</a></li> <li><a href="http://ps3.ign.com/articles/121/1213892p1.html?RSSwhen2011-12-02_173900&RSSid=1213892&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ignfeeds%2Fps3+%28IGN+PS3%29&utm_content=Google+Reader">Heavy Rain: By the Numbers - PlayStation 3 Feature at IGN</a></li> <li><a href="http://kotaku.com/5864735/four-more-ssx-screens-to-keep-you-warm-until-valentines-day/gallery/1">Four More SSX Screens to Keep You Warm Until Valentine's Day - Kotaku</a></li> More...

Welcome back! If you were traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday, you might have missed the launch of our <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/the-official-playstation-blogcast/id483223024">long-awaited weekly podcast</a> (now on its <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/12/01/official-playstation-blogcast-episode-002-that%E2%80%99s-a-lot-of-blood/">second episode</a>). Planning, taping, and editing the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-blogcast/">Official PlayStation.Blogcast</a> has been a lot of work, but hearing the constructive feedback, suggestions, and reactions from PlayStation.Blog readers has been immensely rewarding for Jeff, Nick, Rey, and I. Call it a labor of love! Have a great idea for an upcoming Blogcast? Never be shy about leaving your feedback: this is <em>your</em> show. If you've enjoyed the Official PlayStation.Blogcast so far, we encourage you to <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/the-official-playstation-blogcast/id483223024">rate the show</a> in iTunes. Among other things, it helps introduce new listeners to the smooth, dreamy sounds of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/author/nsuttner/">Nick Suttner</a>. Thanks again for your support! In other news, major announcements have been light given the recent holiday. Still, this week did see some interesting PlayStation developments: Our intrepid EU correspondent James Gallagher learned more about <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/12/02/motorstorm-rc-interview-a-refreshing-change/">MotorStorm RC for PS Vita and PS3</a>; MLB 12 The Show revealed its <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/12/02/first-mlb-12-the-show-screenshots/">first screenshots for PS3</a> (and yep, it's coming to PS Vita, too); Insomniac Games revealed <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/12/02/ratchet-clank-gives-the-gift-of-arcade-cabinets-this-holiday-season/">two ways to win</a> a pair of ultra-rare Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One arcade cabinets; Sucker Punch shared tips for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/11/29/infamous-2-how-to-create-your-own-ugc-graphic-novel-cutscenes/">creating your own graphic novel cutscenes</a> in inFAMOUS 2 and inFAMOUS: Festival of Blood; and the team behind <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/modnation-racers/">ModNation Racers: Road Trip</a> for PS Vita released new details for the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/11/28/modnation-racers-road-trip-mod-studio-preview/">Track Studio</a> feature. More...

Happy holidays Ratchet & Clank fans! Hopefully you’re all enjoying some quality gaming time with your friends and family cozied up by the fire playing <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/ratchet-clank-all-4-one/">Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One</a> this winter. Personally, I’ve been spending a lot of time down in the lobby of PlayStation’s HQ playing on the massive Ratchet & Clank arcade cabinet we first revealed at <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/comic-con11/">Comic-Con</a> and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/pax11/">PAX</a>. I wish I had room for one in my place! The good news is that in celebration of this holiday season, we’re going to be giving you two chances to win one of these cabinets for yourself! The pair we’re giving away include a <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> and the custom Ratchet & Clank controllers, so just plug them in and you’re ready to enjoy the ultimate Ratchet & Clank experience. Seriously… How good would that thing look in your living room? More...

Sports fans - Baseball's Fall Classic may be over, but that doesn't mean the action on the virtual diamond has to slow down. Last month on the PlayStation.Blog <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/11/09/adrian-gonzalez-announced-as-cover-athlete-for-mlb-12-the-show/'>http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/11/09/adrian-gonzalez-announced-as-cover-athlete-for-mlb-12-the-show/">we announced</a> that Boston Red Sox first baseman <a href="http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=408236">Adrian Gonzalez</a> will be our cover athlete for <a href="http://theshownation.com/">MLB 12 The Show</a>. Now, I'm thrilled to show you our first MLB 12 in-game screenshots. These images feature the newly unveiled uniforms that fans can expect the Orioles, Blue Jays, Padres, and Marlins to sport next season. Players seen here include: Adam Jones (Orioles outfielder), Mark Reynolds (Orioles third baseman), José Bautista (Blue Jays outfielder), Chase Headley (Padres third baseman), Mat Latos (Padres starting pitcher), and Hanley Ramirez (Marlins shortstop). Our good friends at <a href="espn.go.com/espn/thelife/videogames/blog/_/name/thegamer/id/7305499/first-screens-mlb-12-show">ESPN.com</a> just recently posted up the screens as well. Have a look... Details on MLB 12 The Show's new features (PS3 & Vita) will be coming very soon so keep an eye on the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/">PlayStation.Blog</a>, <a href="http://theshownation.com/">TheShowNation</a>, and our MLB The Show <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mlbtheshow">Facebook page</a> for more info. More...

It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years since <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/jak-daxter/">Jak and Daxter</a> found their way onto <a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps2/">PlayStation 2</a> and into the gaming world. We are delighted at the place the franchise has found amongst the gaming community and the mark it has left on the platformer genre in particular. Given that we’re so close to the 10th anniversary, looking back at some of the work that went into making those awesome games seems to be in order. It’s amazing to recall just how the development of the <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/jak-and-daxter-collection-ps3.html">Jak and Daxter</a> franchise has progressed and just how far we’ve come. With each outing in the Jak and Daxter series, we set out to create a game that offered the player a new experience that built on the previous game. As you go from Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy to Jak 3, the story will connect across the titles as the gameplay and technical aspects of the games and the tools used to create them evolved. From being on foot in Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy to the hoverboard and morph gun in Jak II to the dune buggies in Jak 3, new gameplay ideas were always in play and being fleshed out and amped up. On the technical side, for instance, Jak 3 featured a new terrain renderer that included bump-mapping, which is now a commonplace element in rendering terrain. Cloth dynamics and rag-doll physics, also standard features in many modern games, were new developments by the time that Jak 3 was released in 2004. More...

Judging from the comments, we caught you by surprise when we announced that <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/11/22/introducing-motorstorm-rc-for-psn-and-ps-vita/">MotorStorm RC</a> is coming to <a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps3/">PS3</a> and <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/">PS Vita</a> in time for launch. You all seem really excited about the game so I followed up with its director Paul Rustchynsky to discuss in more detail the vision, the Cross-Play with <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a>, and the social interactions that will be at the heart of MotorStorm RC. If you have any further questions then please let us know in the comments and I’ll get the answers. More...

The sweet and sexy Mila Kunis stars in the comedy hit <strong>Friends with Benefits </strong>debuting today in <em>New Releases</em>. Watch as her relationship with co-star Justin Timberlake (The Social Network) moves from casual to complicated. Patricia Clarkson (Shutter Island), Richard Jenkins (Hall Pass), Emma Stone (Crazy, Stupid, Love.), and Woody Harrelson (Zombieland) round out the cast. Everyone’s favorite little blue men enter Movies this week with The Smurfs. The lovable creatures get lost in our world being chased by the evil Gargamel, played by Hank Azaria (The Simpsons). Neil Patrick Harris (A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas) plays their human ally, while Anton Yelchin (Fright Night), Fred Armison (Saturday Night Live), George Lopez (Rio) and Katy Perry lend their voices to the Smurfs characters. For eye-popping action, you’ll also find the film in <em>Available in 3D</em>. More...

Hi guys! I’ve back with the latest <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/battlefield-3/">Battlefield 3</a> news straight from the studio. I hope you are ready to go Back to Karkand, as we are releasing our first Battlefield 3 expansion pack Tuesday, December 6th on PlayStation 3 in America and Europe - <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/09/22/battlefield-3-expansions-to-hit-ps3-first-open-beta-on-psn-929/">a week early for PlayStation customers</a>! To recap, Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand is a massive themed expansion pack featuring four legendary Battlefield maps reimagined in the Frostbite 2 engine. You also get three vehicles (the VSTOL fighter jet, Desert Buggy, and an APC), ten new weapons that you can bring back to the base game, a new layer of persistence with our all-new Assignments, plus five shiny Trophies. The maps we chose for this expansion pack are all classic fan favorites: Wake Island, Sharqi Peninsula, Gulf of Oman, and Strike at Karkand (from where the expansion pack got its name). More...

We’re back with the second episode of <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/playstation/02_Episode_002__Thats_a_lot_of_blood.mp3">Official PlayStation.Blogcast</a>! Thanks for all the support and feedback for last week’s <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/11/23/official-playstation-blogcast-episode-001-greatness-from-small-beginnings/">debut episode</a>, which was listened by a surprising number of PlayStation fans. We’re continuing to refine our voice and integrate more of the content you’d like to hear -- this week, that starts with our first batch of reader questions! Also: We share first details on the PSN game releases for December 6th and celebrate the PS3-first release of <a href="http://bf3blog.com/battlefield-3-back-to-karkand/">Battlefield 3’s Back to Karkand</a> expansion pack this Tuesday, December 6th with special guest <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/crash7800">Ian Forney</a>, community manager for Battlefield 3. Plus: Dinosaurs, more Skyrim talk, Jeff shares a lucrative tip, Sid offers a PSN Gem of the Week, and a ton of nerdy game talk. <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/playstation/02_Episode_002__Thats_a_lot_of_blood.mp3">Listen now!</a> More...

<iframe src="http://blip.tv/play/h5l4guGIXwI.html" width="480" height="303" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://a.blip.tv/api.swf#h5l4guGIXwI" style="display:none"></embed> <br /> In episode 12 of UFreqTV, Jack drills down the good and the bad on MW3 and gives us the winner of the battle between Beauty and the Beast. And we reveal the unedited version of Nuketown Hooligans Killhouse Episode Visit Blip.tv for more videos

Over the last year we have seen several titles release with a multiplayer inclusion and have been excited about the different tournaments that can be created to extend the playability of the game and continue fostering the team building and communities built around it. But then we get the game and start testing to only find that sure the “Multiplayer†label is affixed to the game but no true means of really fostering a team or community for that matter. So let’s go back a few years so I can help you understand where I am going with this. And keep in mind PC Gaming had already started this trend with games like CounterStrike, but that was not my introduction to multiplayer. On PlayStation 2, a game called Socom was launched with this new feature called Multiplayer. Online gaming was a new concept for consoles and this seemed pretty cool. You could play with different players and the experience would be absolutely different every time since you were playing with humans instead of programmed characters. The next thing you know it, someone asked if I would join their clan or team for those not familiar with the term. Of course I have played with these guys a few times and enjoyed playing with them so I of course said sure. Next thing I know I have registered on the clan’s website and have instantly become a member of this highly focused community built around playing a game. At the time I did not see how much of a big deal this would be, but later in life it would prove to be the friendships and team building aspect of this was unsurpassed by any other experience in gaming. Some of these clans have run strong for many years and like any team, many have had conflict and caused the creation of new clans. So with that in mind you can look at the playability of a game and how this team building would foster a completely new breed of gaming now known as competitive multiplayer. Tournament communities started to spring up everywhere giving games a whole new life with teams competing for prizes, bragging rights and more. Suddenly your clan had a new purpose, not only are you playing with a group so you kind of knew who would do what, but now you could take your clans skills and pit them against other clans with a structured environment behind the scenes. Fast forward about ten years to today and many of these tournament communities have come and gone and some have thrived. MLG is probably the best example of a thriving business built around competitive multiplayer. The business brings in several millions of dollars with their tournaments through sponsorship and attendance. Even Richard Branson jumped on the competitive gaming train with the launch of Virgin Gaming in 2010. The big winner out of this business segment really has been the games themselves, as this creates a long lasting playability to a game. If done right a multiplayer portion of a game can be stretched out to years versus a few months. There is no beating the game, no trading in of the game, just endless play with your clan mates. Now let’s look at the games of the last year or so. Multiplayer seems to have become more of an afterthought then a true focus. In the original Socom for example, you could create a room with a custom title like “My Clan Tryouts†and it made expanding your team very efficiently, this was what we call the lobby system. In today’s games there are no lobbies, and even more so less means of even creating a private match. Socom 4 did have a clan match making system but it did not let you create any custom parameters to a match. Battlefield 3 launched with no private match making at all and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s private matchmaking is plagued with issues on PS3 causing communities such as ours to postpone or even cancel tournaments. What do we have to do to get the game developers to take a step back and realize that with the right design, multiplayer can make their game more profitable? Let me explain how… So let’s pretend a multiplayer game came out with the prized features like these: Private Custom Match Making Lobbies or User Created Rooms *A Clan Management System These three simple systems together foster a long life of playability of a game, also giving a developer the opportunity to sale DLC such as map packs and expansions. Here is how… With the ability to customize a private match, a tournament community can offer unique game play by changing the parameters of a game, giving players a completely different experience with the title. This can also keep the competitive play fresh with different setups, weapon restrictions, etc. While a good clan management system give members of the team the ability to manage their rosters, group up for game play and provide structure. And finally with a lobby system, the clans are able to promote recruitment, host events and even show off what tournament they are playing in. This breeds for longevity gameplay, giving the developer the right formula to sale additional content. If you have strong tournament communities developing long term events, many will incorporate the new content to freshen up the tournaments. The PlayStation 2 Socom’s are a perfect example for our community… we were able to run a tournament from the day it launched until the day the next title released. Even with Confrontation we ran a tournament up to the Friday before Socom 4 released. That is just shy of three years of game play on a single title. Yet when the DLC was released, we quickly adapted a tournament specifically for it. Now with today’s games, the community building portion of the game has gone. There is no way to foster the building or reinforcement of the clans and there are no stable private match making options in the game. Is this the end of clans as we know it today? I still play with clan members from almost 10 years ago, but now it is almost impossible to get together and play. We invite all developers to contact tournament communities such as ours and even Gamebattles. The ability to include these three simple features can give a game the means to generate additional revenue, keep a strong fan base and breed a whole new generation of competitive gamers. More...

This Thursday, November 30th, join the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-home/">PlayStation Home</a> community as we celebrate the one-year anniversary of PlayStation Home’s exclusive multiplayer space combat shooter <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/novus-prime/">Novus Prime</a>. To kick start this special event, Nebulon and Experience boosters will be absolutely free for all players (available for a limited time only)! Each booster lasts for 24 hours and increases gains by 150%. To top things off, select Novus Prime items will be on sale for 50% off. This deal won’t last forever, so report to the Novus Prime space station this Thursday and join the fight! Snow has begun to fall in the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/lockwood/">Lockwood Publishing Showcase</a>, transforming it into a magical winter scene. Visit the Lockwood Publishing Showcase this Thursday to dance with Timmy the Gingerbread Man, marvel at the new festive Stitchkins and get a sneak peak at what Figment and Iron Fusion have in store for the future. More...

You may have heard that <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/yakuza-dead-souls/">Yakuza: Dead Souls</a> is coming to PlayStation 3 in March 2012. Like <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/yakuza-4/">Yakuza 4</a>, the game will let you play as four characters, including two never-before-played fan favorites: Goro Majima and Ryuji Goda. It’s a Yakuza experience like none other, because this time, you’ll be fighting a horde of blood-thirsty zombies. The undead are multiplying and filling the streets of Tokyo’s red light district. The area is quarantined quickly, but degenerates into a district full of terror, panic and devastation. Survivors try to flee the city, but four men rise up to protect those they care most about. If you think zombies are bad, meet the Yakuza. Playable for the first time in Yakuza: Dead Souls, Goro Majima is nuts about zombie movies. He’s so excited to be killing off zombies that when you’re playing as Majima, you’ll be picking fights with zombies, instead of just merely defending yourself. Now that’s bad ass. More...

We hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving and are excited for what’s in store this holiday season. As you know, the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/11/11/playstations-3d-display-hits-this-weekend-watch-the-full-tour/">PlayStation 3D Display </a>officially launched last week and our friends at Best Buy are offering a new promotion to celebrate. While supplies last, customers who purchase a 3D Display will be able to purchase a PS3 for only $100. A fantastic offer for those wanting to experience 3D gaming and entertainment right out of the box. Just in case you missed it on Sunday, the new promotion was announced in a new TV commercial that aired for the first time nationally during the Falcons/Viking football game and it features everyone’s favorite executive Kevin Butler. More...

A new system software update (v4.00) will be released this week. In preparation for the launch of PlayStation Vita (PS Vita) in Japan, this update will prepare PlayStation 3 (PS3) to serve as a content management device. It will allow users to copy their digital content such as games, music, photos, and videos between PS Vita and PS3, back up PS Vita game games including save data to your PS3 hard drive, and update the system software for your PS Vita system using the network features of your PS3. Other changes to take effect with this update include: <ul> <li>PlayStation Plus members can now choose to enable or disable each automatic update feature</li> <ul> <li>Game patches</li> <li>System software</li> <li>Recommended games and videos</li> <li>Sync trophy information</li> </ul> <li>New PlayStation Network settings for filtering friend requests and messages</li></ul> More...

It’s a great week to be a Sly Cooper fan. This week the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/11/23/the-sly-collection-heads-to-psn-tuesday/">Sly Cooper Collection</a> hits PlayStation Network in a big way. Fans can pick up the entire collection in the PS3 Full Game section of the PlayStation Store for one low price. You can also pick up each game individually as well. Remember, each classic Sly Cooper game has been lovingly upgraded with HD visuals and Trophy Support. If you never had a chance to experience these PS2-era gems, hop on these titles and get set for Sly’s new PS3 adventure in 2012! Other new releases this week include new PSN game Voltron: Defender Of The Universe. Fight against King Zarkon’s evil forces in a journey across the Voltron universe in an epic journey featuring classic moments from the series. A trial is also available to download as well. The PS3 Full Game library continues to expand as well with the aforementioned Sly Cooper Collection, De Blob 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Also, don’t forget to check out DLC to download including the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/11/29/nba-2k12-brings-the-legends-showcase-dlc-today/">Legends Showcase</a> for NBA 2K12 More...

After introducing gamers to one of the most talked-about games in a console generation -- <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/bioshock/">BioShock</a> -- Ken Levine became something of a <em>big deal</em> in the game industry. By infusing his games with socio-political overtones, sympathetic characters, and ambitious art direction, the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/irrational-games/">Irrational Games</a> president and creative director earned a reputation for creating smart games for smart people, influencing a generation of video game developers in the process. And now, the Boston-based developer is deep into development on BioShock Infinite, a game that has already earned <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/the-tea-party-occupy-wall-street-and-bioshock-infinite-how-a-video-game-is-reflecting-life/2011/10/21/gIQAlU8fGM_story.html">widespread</a> <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/23/us-videogames-protest-idUSTRE7AM2M220111123">attention</a> for its focus on weighty themes such as xenophobia, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_exceptionalism">American Exceptionalism</a>, and civil unrest. I know Ken pretty well, as far as these things go, but I’ve always wanted to learn more about his background: where he came from, what it was like for him growing up, and how he came to be an unabashed lover of geek culture (which manifested itself in a <a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/07/13/ken-levine-to-the-video-game-industry-grow-a-pair.aspx">spirited defense of geeks</a> in the pages of Game Informer magazine). I recently caught up with the man to delve further into these topics and, hopefully, catch a glimpse of what makes him tick. More...

It’s been a great month for inFAMOUS! <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/infamous-2/">inFAMOUS 2</a> user-generated content continues to grow at a tremendous rate: we are seeing missions that use UGC in ways we never could have imagined and the community continues to amaze us with some truly creative missions. Second, we want to thank everyone for making <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/infamous-festival-of-blood/">inFAMOUS: Festival of Blood</a> the fastest-selling <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a> game in history! A couple of weeks ago we released an update for <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/infamous-2-ps3.html">inFAMOUS 2</a> that included the 2D Cut Scene tool that was in packaged <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/infamous-festival-of-blood-ps3.html">inFAMOUS: Festival of Blood</a>. This update allows you to create your own comic book-inspired cut scenes for your missions, giving you tons of control over the types of stories you tell. More...

Story by: CritiKiL First the Lawsuit, and now This? ~ Iran has banned this video game in all of Iran, which is very popular here in the USA. In the picture above, it shows the US invading Iran. With the latest incident leading to the killings via Drone-airstrike by NATO, this video game is the first of expressions showing the countries unrest with what happened.*Battlefield: 3 has been banned in that country because of it’s depictions of US armour and aircraft launching *assaults on and in the city of Tehran, according to an Iranian IT magazine today. Tehran Highway: A*nighttime map where players start off in the hills out side of the city and work their way in. Sounds a lot like Strike At Karkand. The map starts open, but ends “on a much more urban and tight note†with focus on infantry combat. The game (EA’s current top-selling title), can be played as a solo campaign or as a group mission with up to 24 players online.*The Iran scenario sees US forces fighting hostile militia near the Iraq-Iran border then moving on to Tehran under a looming nuclear threat.*Intense gunfights are depicted in various military, industrial and urban locations in the capital, including Tehran’s historic Grand Bazaar. According to EA, 5 million copies of Battlefield: 3 were sold within just ‘one week’ of it hitting the market on October 25, 2011. The game is available on DVD-ROM and as for download from the Internet.*EA has no resellers in Iran, but pirated copies of all major videogames and computer software are widely available worldwide. This*is the first time an official ban on the game was reported, but some computer store owners said they had declined to stock the game *initially, anticipating a possible crackdown on it. Iranian police overseeing public places “raided (some shops) and arrested owners for selling the game secretly” even before the ban became public, said by one anonymous store owner who did not want his name mentioned.*The Fars news agency said the game had prompted an online protest by a group of Iranian youths.*One group said in an online petition, with more than 5,000 signatories so far: “We understand that the story of a videogame is hypothetical … (but)*we believe the game is purposely released at a time when the US is pushing the international community into fearing Iran…” Although Not noted in the petition as far as we know: ‘an Iranian leader in the game outright calls Americans terrorists’, in explaining the source of the struggle in the Launch trailer that I’ve attached to this story below. Whatever the outcome, it looks like this game won’t be accessible or played in that part of the world ever again, but that’s just my take on the given situation. Let us know what YOU THINK, by commenting on this story! Don’t forget to watch the video below: More...