Commander Fury

James Franco (28 Days Later) stars in the prequel to one of the most beloved film franchises in history as <strong>Rise of the Planet of the Apes</strong> hits <em>New Releases</em> this week. Be sure to catch the motion-capture performance of Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings) as the ape Caesar, garnering much critical acclaim. <strong>Cowboys & Aliens</strong> triumphed as the winner in Bout 6 of our Theatrical Throwdown. Rent the film for just $0.99 in SD or 1080p HD from 2 pm Pacific Friday to 11 pm Pacific Sunday. Find it in our $0.99 Movie Rents section of <em>Rent Now</em>! Too much jolly this time a year? Switch it up with a littler horror with <strong>Fright Night</strong> this week in <em>Movies</em>. Starring Colin Farrell (Horrible Bosses), a vampire terrorizes victims in a suburban town and only one son can stop them. Also, check out the eye-popping action in the third dimension in <em>Available in 3D</em>. More...

Subscription Links: Download the MP3 here Subscribe via RSS here Subscribe via iTunes This week brings a double-stuffed episode of Official PlayStation Blogcast, beginning with exclusive first details of PSN new game releases for next week (that’s Tuesday, December 20th) and rapidly moving into a wide discussion of late-breaking PlayStation news and updates. I share my hands-on experiences with PlayStation Move poster child Sorcery (read my full Q&A with Design Director Brian Upton here for more), discussions of PS Vita standout title Gravity Rush, Rey’s experiences with UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss and Touch My Katamari, a new batch of user questions, a new PSN Gem of the Week and a new Tip of the Week. More...

Earlier this week we held a massive <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PlayStation Vita</a> event in San Francisco, rife with new games, first hands-on time, and newly-debuted features. The Sony Bend Studios team working on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/uncharted-golden-abyss/">Uncharted: Golden Abyss</a> rolled into town touting something in that last category - the Vita-specific Intu-Aim feature. This “aiming modifier†allows gamers to combine the six-axis gyro features of the Vita to fine tune the shots you line up with the right analog stick for greater precision. In this exclusive new video, producer Darren Yager shows Drake’s Intu-Aim aided gunning efficiency in action: More...

Do you love the winter snow but not when it comes to shoveling it? Are you tired of holiday shopping? Take a break and see what awaits you under the Gifting Tree as we celebrate Snow Days in <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/free-realms/">Free Realms</a>! Snow Days brings to life the legend of the Gifting Tree. Known as the oldest pine in Sacred Grove, the tree is the enchanted center piece of Snowhill and blooms with presents every winter. Folks from all over Free Realms are encouraged to gather around its base every day while it is in bloom to receive an abundance of magical gifts, and until all the presents have fallen from its branches. The selfless nature of the tree spread the spirit of giving throughout Sacred Grove, and began the tradition of Winter Holiday. You can begin your quest by meeting Candi Ivy, a Winter Holiday celebrator who looks after the Gifting Tree in Snowhill. After providing you with the Gifting Tree’s history, Candi Ivy will launch you into a fun quest to collect the presents under the tree. Additionally, for those of you who are members, you will have a chance to earn even more gifts by displaying your giving spirit and helping others through the holiday activities. More...

First of all, we’d like to thank the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/">PlayStation.Blog</a> and its readers for supporting <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/amy/">Amy</a> for several months now. As we get closer to the release of the game, which will be early next year, we wanted answer a question that has been asked many times: what kind of survival-horror game is Amy? How do players cope with enemies? What kind of weapons can you use? As you can see, Amy is not about giving you huge power against enemies and giving players an action-oriented experience. Amy goes back to the roots of the survival-horror genre, and provides edge-of-your-seat suspense that will keep you wondering what’s around the next corner. More...

Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC and developer The Workshop have announced their newest addition to the software line-up for the PlayStation Move motion controller with Sorcery. This single player Action Adventure/RPG game sees the Nightmare Queen breaking a pact with mankind*and*threatening to cover the land in eternal night. The players role as a young*sorcerers*apprentice is to master the arcane arts,*conjure*and command powerful magic and fight the*fierce*creatures that lurk in the realms.*The game also involves solving puzzles, casting spells and mixing potions with the help of the in-game alchemy system. There are also various items to discover and collect to help immerse you in the world of magic. Of course the real magic is that Sorcery utilises the PlayStation Move motion controller which allows you to use it as if it were a real magic wand, casting spells as well as solving puzzles and battling your foe. There is also a unique gesture-based casting system that will allow you to group together spells into powerful combos so you can freeze, electrocute or incinerate your*enemies*with a*wave*of your wrist. There are five realms to explore each with their own enemies and challenges including*the kingdom of the dead to battle the Banshee and the Restless Dead warriors, the endless stair where vicious bogies are wreaking havoc, the faerie forest, and the Slumbering Palace. So if you fancy a little bit of magic and mayhem, you will*definitely*want to check out what is promising to be a very thrilling and unique action adventure game. Sorcery will be available on the PlayStation 3 for the PlayStation Move motion controller in Spring 2012. Let us know your thoughts and comments. More...

The holidays arrive in <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-home/">PlayStation Home</a> this Thursday, December 15th with the force of an F5 gust, bringing games, quests, rewards, and plenty of wonderful, wintry fun for all. Beginning in the newly-decorated PlayStation Home Mall, players will find a plentitude of festive items at deals that simply can’t be beat. From free goodies hidden within the stores as a sign of goodwill towards all to special bundles priced as low as they go, ‘tis the season to go shopping in <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/playstation-home/">PlayStation Home</a>. Of course, no winter holiday would be complete without a special event, which is why we have called in favors with our friends Snowman, Snow Bear, and some very special guests for what is sure to be the celebration of the year. More...

One of the more memorable action games I’ve played this year is a game uses the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-move/">PlayStation Move</a> motion controller to paint a symphony of destruction. Last seen at the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/e310/">E3 2010</a> PlayStation press conference, Sorcery captured the imaginations of PS3 owners while remaining tantalizingly out of reach. At last week’s PlayStation media showcase in New York City, I was finally allowed to go hands-on with Sorcery and speak with its design director, Brian Upton, who stated that the game is on-track to release this spring. Sorcery is running on a heavily modified version of the Unreal engine, and the art direction has progressed by leaps and bounds since its last showing. The game now skews a bit older, with nastier monster designs and edgier spellcasting combat. Watch the video, read our full Q&A, then let us know what you think of Sorcery in the comments! More...

Hey GT fans! We’re excited to announce all of the new content coming to <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/gran-turismo-5/">Gran Turismo 5</a> next week, including our second round of DLC. Next week you’ll be able to download Car Pack 2 for $3.99 and add some fantastic new rides to your garage. Car Pack 2 includes the 2011 Mini Cooper S, 2010 Volkswagen Golf VI R, 2010 Volkswagen Scirocco R, and the new and improved 2012 Nissan GT-R Black edition R35. There’s more good news, because as a special gift anyone who purchased anything from the first batch of DLC will get unlock the Gran Turismo Racing Kart 125 SP and five New Car Refresh cards in the game for free. The refresh cards will take any car back to being ‘as good as new’ while maintaining any modifications or paint jobs you have given your motors. To take advantage of this offer, you’ll need to install the new downloadable update hitting next week. The free downloadable update coming next week will also add several new enhancements to GT5 as well as correcting some reported issues. More...

It’s a question as old as zombies themselves - How do you kill a zombie? I find that most zombie-killing machines fall into one of two main categories: guns and melee weapons. <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/yakuza-dead-souls/">Yakuza: Dead Souls</a> makes sure that you can experience both from the comfort of your own home. After the trailer, a brief discussion on the weapons you’ll have at your disposal in Yakuza: Dead Souls. <strong>Guns</strong> – A reliable source of zombie obliteration. A well-timed headshot goes a long way in zombie eradication, and Yakuza: Dead Souls has more than enough guns to choose from. (Don’t forget that you can play as Ryuji Goda, whose fake arm is a gatling gun!) Additionally, Yakuza: Dead Souls allows you to “heat snipe†items for maximum zombie carnage. Horde of zombies got you craving more fire power? Well then snipe the gas tank on a nearby car and watch the explosion spread! More...

The holidays are upon us, and with it, we’re launching our annual Holiday Collection! This year, we’re focusing on some amazing deals on PS3 Full Games. Some of the best games available on the service are packaged up with DLC, map packs and more; all at a great discount. If you’re a PlayStation Plus subscriber, you’ll unlock even greater discounts. We’ve also grouped together 2011’s Top 20 selling PSN Games, PS one Classics, Add-Ons and more and made them easy to find within the Holiday Collection category. Head to the Holiday Collection tab from the PlayStation Store, and get downloading! This week also sees the releases of new PSN Game Family Feud Decades. Just in time for all the family get togethers in your house over the holidays; gather round and play with all of your favorite elements from the famous TV show. Also don’t forget to check out new PS3 Full Games Red Faction: Armageddon, Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood, and Alice: Madness Returns. DLC you may want to keep an eye out for include great new characters for the multiplayer modes in <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/assassins-creed-revelations/">Assassin’s Creed: Revelations</a>, more awesome <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/littlebigplanet/">LittleBigPlanet</a> costumes to create your world in, new cars for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/need-for-speed-the-run/">Need for Speed: The Run</a>, and newly crafted pinball tables for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/marvel-pinball/">Marvel Pinball</a>. More...

Tables starring Ghost Rider, Moon Knight, Thor, and the X-Men will be available for Marvel Pinball in the brand-new Vengeance and Virtue table pack, coming to <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-store/">PlayStation Store</a> later today for $9.99! Owning the original <a href="http://marvelpinball.com/">Marvel Pinball</a> is required for the V&V expansion – but if you don’t already have that <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-3/marvel-pinball">critically acclaimed four-pack</a>, you can download it now for FREE for a limited time as a <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/10/03/playstation-plus-october-offers-free-costume-quest-and-discounts-galore/">PlayStation Plus</a> member (more on that at the end). Let’s take a brief look at each of the tables in the Vengeance and Virtue pack so you can understand how we’ve captured these dynamic concepts and the personalities of each character. More...

How do you define what makes an “indie†game? Does “indie†have to mean two game developers building the future of the games industry out of a garage? Does it refer to creating original intellectual property? The debate is ongoing, but one thing is clear: indie game development provides experiences that no one else can. Whether that experience is an interactive psychology test (<a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/test-yourself/">TestYourself Psychology</a>), guiding a flower petal on the winds of change (<a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/flower/">Flower</a>) or razing the countryside as a gold-hoarding dragon (<a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/hoard/">Hoard</a>), <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-network/">PlayStation Network</a> is dedicated to delivering games that push the envelope of our young interactive medium. SCEA seeks out the best development talent from colleges and universities through our academic program as well as at industry shows like <a href="http://www.indiecade.com/">IndieCade</a> (where our <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-home/">PlayStation Home</a> partnership with Codename was born), the IGF pavilion at <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/gdc11/">GDC</a> and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/e311/">E3</a>. We also host developer mixers, where we’ve discovered some of the most talented developers on PSN. Once developers are discovered, we can determine which development model will give them the best support to help them thrive. PSN has been the only platform to fully embrace indie developers, and in 2012, more indie-developed PSN exclusives are on the way, including <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/papo-yo/">Papo & Yo</a>, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/retrograde/">Retrograde</a>, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/closure/">Closure</a>, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/dyad/">Dyad</a>, and many more. More...

Yesterday, more than 60 members of the gaming press piled into our <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> in San Francisco to go hands-on with a slew of updated <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a> games. The event showcased everything from <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/escape-plan/">Escape Plan</a>, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/motorstorm-rc/">MotorStorm RC</a>, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/super-stardust-delta/">Super Stardust Delta</a>, and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/uncharted-golden-abyss/">UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss</a> to <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/marvel-vs-capcom-3/">Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3</a>, Army Corps of Hell, FIFA Soccer... even Plants vs. Zombies (<a href="https://twitter.com/#!/PlayStation/status/146380330922815488">now confirmed!</a>) joined in on the fun. It was a memorable night, and one you can recreate right now if you happen to live near the San Francisco Bay Area -- just visit the <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/events/vitahillsocialclub.html">Vita Hill social club</a> and bring some friends (the club is free and open to the public through mid-February). Expect to see these PS Vita social clubs expanding to new cities in the coming weeks. And a comprehensive <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/events/vitamalltour.html">PS Vita mall tour</a> is currently rolling out across the country through December, so if you’ve been dying to play <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/">PS Vita</a> <em>right now</em>, you’re certainly not short on options! More...

Unless you’ve been far, far away from the internet this weekend, you should already know that the VGAs afforded us our very first look at <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/naughty-dog/">Naughty Dog</a>’s <a href="http://www.lastofus.com/agegate.html">The Last of Us</a>. If you haven’t, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/12/10/naughty-dog-reveals-the-last-of-us-at-2011-vgas/">watch the trailer now</a>! Then come back. As soon as <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/zacharylevi">Zachary Levi</a> walked off stage and the lights came up (I think the credits were still rolling!) we grabbed Naughty Dog co-presidents Christophe Balestra and Evan Wells to ask them about their next title. You surely haven’t heard the last of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/the-last-of-us/">The Last of Us</a>; stay tuned to the PlayStation.Blog for more. More...

We’re very excited to be able to reveal to you the latest title in our award-winning DiRT series: DiRT Showdown! Before I tell you a bit more about the game, take a look at our newly released announcement trailer (above) to give you an idea of the kind of high-octane action you can expect to see in the game. DiRT Showdown is due out on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> in May 2012, and is brought to you by the same team that brought you the other titles in the award-winning DiRT series. The game combines pick-up-and-play controls with electrifying events, frenzied crowds, and stunning graphics to deliver high-octane, dive in and drive thrills straight from the first event. The game’s going to feature three main disciplines built around the pillars of speed, style and destruction. To help illustrate what I’m talking about, here’s a broad breakdown of the three disciplines in question. <strong>No holds barred racing events</strong>: Trade paint and use nitrous to blast past rivals in DiRT Showdown’s racing modes. Courses are littered with obstacles, pinch points, multiple-routes and ramps to deliver adrenaline-fuelled racing across spectacular courses, where players are encouraged to do whatever it takes to get over the finish line in first place. More...

At this very moment, a small group of lucky testers are putting the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/11/18/starhawk-private-beta-begins-rolling-out-tuesday/">Starhawk Private Beta</a> through its paces. During last week’s PlayStation holiday showcase for New York City media, I had a chance to go hands-on with the beta. But I wanted to learn more about the beta’s reception among the diehard Warhawk community, so I chatted with Senior Producer Harvard Bonin to learn some key findings from the beta: the most popular weapons and vehicles, the sneakiest tactics, and what beta players can expect next. <blockquote> <strong>PlayStation.Blog: Obviously, there’s a private beta going on right now. What have been some of the key learnings?</strong> Oh, boy. There have been too many to name here, but one of the key learnings has been how closely we need to listen to hardcore Warhawk players. We made some changes to the flight controls that they reacted to negatively. We’re now in the process of addressing that, and it’s only because of the beta that we realized. Without a beta, we have no way to do that. More...

Every so often, the team at San Diego Studio allow me up from the basement, favorite red stapler in hand, to take a peek at the upcoming week’s new features. I’ve learned to “extend†my gameplay sessions with “coincidental†occurrences of: -Free highly-caffeinated energy drinks and donuts in the break room. -A sudden rash of car alarms blaring from the parking lot like a jet plane just grazed the roof top. -A bogus announcement over the company P.A. system that Kevin Butler has arrived on campus. More...

Fight along side the resistance in the martian underbelly of Mars in Red Faction: Armageddon. Also, join Alice in conquering nightmarish hallucinations in Alice: Madness Returns, both available for full-digital downloads. Plus, a cardinal of PSN demos and a PSmini complete the PSN ensemble in this week’s The Drop. PlayStation Network Red Faction: Armageddon – [...] More...

Microsoft have announced that they are porting the powerful Halo Waypoint over to the mobile version of the franchise for iOS, Android and Windows Phone 7. Halo Waypoint has been around as a console-based app for a couple of years and provides “near real-time” information on weapons and vehicles for the game you are currently playing as well as birds-eye maps. Probably the biggest plus though is the ATLAS strategy system developed in association with strategy game maker Brady Games. The feature includes full maps for Halo: Reach with pan and zoom support as well as item locations. In Matchmaking Multiplayer the maps will only show the default spawn locations of weapons, powerups and health packs. However because of the near real-time system, custom games will show the current location of all weapons and powerups including those held by your friends who may be cloaked. ATLAS will be a paid in-app upgrade priced at $4.99 on most devices in the US. Halo Waypoint was released on iOS, Android and Windows Phone 7 on December 10th. More...

Good morning! We're all still reeling from last night's [best Geoff Keighley voice] World Premieres at the VGAs. One of the cooler moments was the mixing of PS Vita's Soundshapes and famous dj <a href="http://www.deadmau5.com/">Deadmau5</a>. Which reminds me... If you haven't already, swing by our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PlayStation?sk=app_215346605199397">Everybody Dance Facebook tab</a> to enter the ‘Everybody Dance with deadmau5’ contest. If you upload a video showing us your best Everybody Dance moves to deadmau5’s “Ghosts ‘N’ Stuff,†you could win an official deadmau5 head or even a trip to London. Deadmau5 will be judging the finalists himself, so <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PlayStation?sk=app_215346605199397">try to impress</a>! More...

Videos have been flying around all week about a new PS3 exclusive called <a href="http://www.lastofus.com/" target="_blank">The Last of Us</a>. It was <a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/video/vga-2011-the-last-of/724687" target="_blank">revealed</a> at this year's VGAs and we're very excited to confirm that The Last of Us is developed by Naughty Dog Inc, the creators behind the UNCHARTED, Jak and Daxter, and Crash Bandicoot series. Neil Druckmann, Creative director and Bruce Straley, Game Director chime in below to divulge what The Last of Us is about all. More...

<a href="http://www.spike.com/shows/video-game-awards">The Video Game Awards</a> has turned into one of the gaming industry's biggest nights, and it's all about to unfold live! Between the <a href="http://www.spike.com/events/video-game-awards-2011-voting/voting/gametrailers-com-trailer-of-the-year">awards</a>, the known quantities (a new <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/IrrationalGames/status/145562320268034050">Bioshock Infinite trailer</a>!), and <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/geoffkeighley/status/144999452904652800">the rampant speculation</a>, it should be an intriguing and entertaining watch. I'm lucky enough to have seen some things ahead of time, and believe me when I say that you want to see them, too. The stream starts at 7.30pm Eastern/4.30pm Pacific, and you can watch it right here. As the show progresses, let us know if you like what you see in the comments... More...

Finally: It's going to pay to not have plans on a Saturday night. Starting at <strong>8:00pm Eastern Time / 5:00pm Pacific Time tonight</strong>, <a href="http://www.spike.com/events/video-game-awards-2011">SPIKE TV’s 2011 Video Game Awards</a> will kick off live with an awards show celebrating some of the year's best games (including the coveted Game of the Year award) and "more than 10" world premieres of upcoming games. I know I'll be watching live -- will you? In other news, this week saw the release of the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/12/08/official-playstation-blogcast-episode-003-where-is-my-skyrim/">Official PlayStation.Blogcast episode 003</a>, a <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/12/07/limited-time-offer-music-unlimited-60-day-premium-free-trial/">60-day premium free trial</a> for Music Unlimited on PS3, BBC's announcement of an upcoming <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/12/09/doctor-who-the-eternity-clock-coming-to-ps3-and-ps-vita/">PlayStation-exclusive Doctor Who game</a> for PS3 and PS Vita, first details on Ninja Gaiden 3's genre-first <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/12/09/team-ninja-details-ninja-gaiden-3-multiplayer-ninja-gaiden-sigma-for-ps-vita/">competitive multiplayer mode</a>, new <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/12/06/new-dc-universe-online-dlc-lightning-strikes-today/">DC Universe Online content</a>, and a new video showing of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/12/09/the-quantizing-sounds-of-lumines-electronic-symphony-for-ps-vita/">PS Vita exclusive Lumines: Electronic Symphony</a>. More...

Flying through the vector digital utopia of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rez">Rez</a> was a defining moment for me when I played it on the PS2. And when <a href="http://www.qentertainment.com/english/english.html">Q Entertainment</a> released Lumines for the PSP soon after, Tetsuya Mizuguchi and his team easily became one of my favorite developers. Now the team comes full circle with Lumines: Electronic Symphony, a launch window title for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps-vita/">PS Vita</a>. Producer James Mielke joins me on camera and introduces the next generation of Lumines, an addictive musical puzzle journey. Lumines: Electronic Symphony was built from the ground up to take advantage of the PS Vita’s potent graphical capabilities and unique touch mechanics on both the rear and front OLED screen, giving you immersive control on over three dozen tracks with every quantized musical note at your finger tips. Have questions about Lumines: Electronic Symphony? Hit me up in the comments and I’ll do my best to shed some light. More...