Commander Fury

Story by Brian Crecente @ Kotaku.com. The first thing I notice when I maneuver Sgt. Henry Blackburn, 1st Recon Marine, through the smoking door frame of the Tehran apartment complex isn’t the smoldering bodies lying on the ground nearby, it’s the piece of paper drifting through the room. I follow it with the tip of my gun, watching it drift around the run down entry way, past an old wooden chair, a slightly flattened box, chipped and dirty walls. Someone took the time to create this piece of imaginary paper and the path it takes as it floats on imaginary crossdrafts in a video game about a future fictional battlefield in Iran. I stop to jot down a few notes. “Make my way to the apartment entrance,” I write. “Kinda skudgy. Debris and trash lying around. Paper fluttering the air. Carpet on the floor is rolled up in one corner. Old mattress lying in the hallway.” Played on a Playstation 3, Battlefield 3 is a solid first-person shooter with tight controls, immersive sound and a hectic, driven storyline. But it’s the density of the game’s visuals that always stand out to me when I play this game. This morning I had a chance to play a snapshot of the game, a ten minute or so demonstration of a level called Operation Guillotine. Hours earlier Luke Plunkett played and enthused about his time with the very same demo in Tokyo. So when I take the PS3 controller in hand here in New York I decide to meticulously pick my way through the brief time with the game. Battlefield 3 takes place in a 2014 where the U.S. Marine Corps is fighting along the Iran-Iraq border. This particular missions opens up on what appears to be the evening of Oct. 31, 2014. Blackburn is hunkered down among a group of other members of Misfit 1-3 preparing to storm a city in Iran’s Tehran Province. The particular build I’m playing on is a couple of weeks old, but still more than a month newer than the one Plunkett and I played in Germany at Gamescom. The level opens with a low whistle. One of the other marines, looking with me at a massive city lit by bursts of gun fire, flak and explosions says, “That’s a big city. No gun truck yet.” “Nope,” another marine says. “The wheels of change move slow.” Seconds later we get the call to move down the hill, into the outskirts of the city and take the Khojir Apartment complex. These opening, controllable moments of the level don’t give me a chance to fire a single shot. Instead I’m running down a hill with a mortar in both hands. Explosions shake the ground as I run, some hit so close that I can feel the force of them pushing Blackburn slightly off course, like a boat hit by an unseen wave. Trees shudder in the wake of the blasts, some trees topple over, others burn, their leaves engulfed in flames, their trunks checkered with red embers. The screen is flaked with smudges of dirt and mud. Blackburn makes it to a clearing near a wall and drops the mortar on a spot, watching another marine drop a round into the tube. The round launches into the air, lighting the sky with a floating green flare. I run Blackburn to the wall, to a man with his back against it, and press a button to get a boost over. When Blackburn lands on the other side he’s got his weapon out. Down a hillside I can see marines in a firefight with opposition across a small gully. The enemy have taken up positions on a road, firing off pot shots at the men below. I drop Blackburn to a knee and sight down the gun. I fire off three bullets, taking out two enemies with head shots and apparently winging the third. I’m aiming for a third headshot when another marine takes him down. Moving Blackburn down the hillside I notice a group of enemies setting up much further down the gully, setting up an ambush along the path I’ll be taking once I get him to the floor below. I drop Blackburn to his knee again and take aim. I squeeze the trigger and run into the only disappointment I end up finding in the brief demo. The bullet seems to miss. I aim carefully and fire another headshot. Nothing. I pump out an entire clip in short bursts at the distant enemy. Nothing. Later I mention this to the public relations folks manning the demo. What’s the distance of rounds fired in Battlefield 3, I ask. The answer is a little vague and involves mentioning that the developers brought in ex-SAS operator Andy McNab to help with things like firing distance. In theory, rounds can’t go forever in the game. But I’m not convinced they lose trajectory over time. It felt more like they hit an invisible wall. EA says they’re looking into it for me. It was a very distant enemy and not something I suspect you’d run into much in the campaign, so it felt more like an oddity than a problem. Back in the game, I push Blackburn down the hill, into the gully and around the bend to face off with the enemies lying in wait. Running toward the enemies, a nearby blast momentarily blackens the screen, but I manage to take the enemies out quickly by switching to a shotgun. Running Blackburn up a set of stairs out of the gully culvert and within sight of the target apartment complex. But first there’s a group of enemy shooting at us from a sandbox foxhole. I take them out and proceed to the outskirts of the apartment complex. Running up the entrance stairs, I’m walking toward the doors when another marine runs up and tosses a grenade through a side window. The blast shoots three or four bodies through a wall of windows. A second later the door bursts open and a burning man runs into the clearing dropping to my feet before dying. I walk through the door and for a moment I’m distracted from the death, the gunshots, the timbre of war, by a floating piece of paper. I take my notes and then push Blackburn forward, down a dirty hall littered with newspapers, boxes, mattresses, furniture. I move him toward a door, noting for a second the bugs flying slowly around the light. At the door, the game tells me to press a button to knock it in. When I press it, the door kicks not in, but back toward me, knocking Blackburn on his ass. Time slows for an instant and I see another man, not a Marine, standing over me with a rifle, he’s moving it down toward me, when I hear a gunshot and he’s blown off his feet and back. As I fell I apparently pulled the trigger in surprise and hit the guy in the chest. Laying on my back I aim and take down two other men in the hall before getting back up. I run through the hallway, past the dead and through a back door. A humvee awaits me. On the ground nearby a marine is on his knees leaning over the prone body of another, slowly, methodically giving him CPR. I count to 15 chest compressions in my head before turning away and boarding the vehicle. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

This fall, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-move/">PlayStation Move</a> is set to deliver a new batch of compelling experiences that get you on your feet and put you directly in the game. As we mentioned to you <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/12/17/playstation-move-approaching-50-supported-games-more-to-come/">previously</a>, the number of PlayStation Move games released or in development have surpassed 80 titles and continues to grow. When coupled with 3D, PlayStation Move continues to set new benchmarks in immersive gameplay experiences. Already you’ve seen AAA titles such as <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/resistance-3/">Resistance 3</a> incorporate PlayStation Move compatibility and you can expect more to come soon, including downloadable expansion packs for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/littlebigplanet-2/">LittleBigPlanet 2</a> and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/infamous-2/">inFAMOUS 2</a>. Today, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/09/13/sack-it-to-me-littlebigplanet-2-move-pack-hits-psn-today/">LittleBigPlanet 2 Move Pack: Rise of the Cakeling</a> kicks things off with five giant story levels and seven side levels, making it LittleBigPlanet’s biggest Downloadable Content Pack to date. More...

<a href="http://cubixxhd.laughingjackal.co.uk/">Cubixx HD</a> is the sequel to the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/psp-minis/">PlayStation minis</a> game <a href="http://uk.playstation.com/psp/games/detail/item254208/Cubixx/">Cubixx</a>, and it’s coming exclusively to PS3 on September 20th for $9.99 (plus 30% off in the first week for PlayStation Plus subscribers). Cubixx HD is a modern-day take on classic area-capture games such as Qix, but with an awesome twist: instead of a 2D game field, Cubixx HD expands this addictive game concept across all six sides of a three-dimensional cube. That's six times the danger! Following on from the success of the original Cubixx we’ve added more - lots more, in fact. Cubixx HD now features 50 levels of arcade action playable in both single player and seven-player co-op. All these levels are also playable in Time Attack, Score Attack and Line Attack modes, with up to seven players competing at once and featuring over 150 online leaderboards and 50 addictive Challenges. Ruthless players can engage in the cold-blooded mayhem of Deathmatch mode, again supporting up to seven players. More...

Hello all! You may remember <a href="http://www.mediatonic.co.uk/">Mediatonic</a>’s work from such audacious adventures as <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/04/22/coming-to-psn-this-week-monsters-probably-stole-my-princess-for-ps3-and-psp/">Monsters (Probably) Stole My Princess</a> and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/11/15/who%E2%80%99s-that-flying-out-tomorrow-for-psp-ps3/">Who’s That Flying?!</a> Today, we’re massively excited to reveal details of our third, rum-soaked PlayStation minis title 1000 Tiny Claws for PlayStation.Blog readers! The response to our previous games has been overwhelming and hugely appreciated – and as with those minis titles, we’ve tried to load as much of what you loved into 1000 Tiny Claws as humanly possible. First, a short-and-sweet summary for those who are too busy to read a rambling blog post from some guy at some games company: <BLOCKQUOTE> Your legendary sky-pirate crew <em>may</em> have been responsible for unleashing an apocalyptic curse of giant insects upon the world – and now there’s only 24 hours to save their necks from the hangman’s noose! First Mate Rana sets out to smash her way through the relentless scuttling horde in a sword-swinging arcade battler set against an epic backdrop of sky-islands and piracy! </BLOCKQUOTE> More...

This is Alexey Pajitnov, creator of the world-famous <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/tetris/">Tetris</a> game. In the past 27 years, <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/tetris-ps3.html">Tetris</a> has reached over 50 different platforms, is played in more than 185 countries worldwide and reached over 132 million paid mobile downloads. When I created the game in 1984, I never imagined the game would be so popular, and I’m so pleased to know that people around the world love <a href="http://www.tetris.com/">Tetris</a>. The Tetris brand is more relevant today than ever before and has truly become a lifestyle to many of our fans. What better way to bring people together to celebrate the game, than a worldwide tournament for the ultimate Tetris champions? Last year, we sponsored the first <a href="www.tetrischampionship.com">Tetris World Championship</a> tournament at the Downtown Independent Theater in LA. We had over 400 of our fans attend to either participate or watch the best of the best compete for the title of Tetris World Champion. More...

Hey everyone! Last night on <a href="http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/716388/starhawk-gameplay-check-out-our-exclusive-video">G4</a> we premiered Starhawk’s Space Combat trailer! And if you happen to be too busy tracking the orbit of <a href="http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/highlights/128708798.html">ELENIN</a>, and didn’t get a chance to see it on <a href="http://www.g4tv.com/games/xplay/">X-Play</a>, then shame on you! But don’t worry! Don’t despair! We’ve got the full, extended version of the Starhawk Space Combat Trailer right here. Click it! Play it! Let it burn its shooter-goodness deep into your <a href="http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f297/lasagnacassidy/SteveBuscemiEyesMEDIUM2.jpg">eyes</a>! So this video was cut together by our team in San Diego, California and was captured from gameplay on our Capture the Flag Small Orbital Platform map. The trailer gives a really great taste of what our space combat is like in <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/starhawk/">Starhawk</a>! You may have seen some of our previous gameplay vids that were recorded on one of our Acid Sea maps with its cool-looking terrain, jagged spires, and noxious acid. But what’s really awesome about the Orbital Space Platform maps is that they feel urban, with city and street combat and that’s something that we’re really happy about! More...

Hey everyone! It’s been a while since we visited these hallowed halls to talk about our upcoming <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> game <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/oddworldstrangers-wrath/">Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath</a> HD. If you’ve been following the game’s development closely, you may have caught our announcement that we delayed the release of Stranger’s Wrath HD on the PS3 into the summer from its intended spring release. While summer is almost at an end, we wanted to tell you that the game is in the final part of development right now. We’re in beta and fixing bugs, and doing some last-minute optimizing where we can. It’s been a long road for us, and we’ve made a whole truck full of updates. We’ve updated EVERY one of 83 characters in the game, the vast majority of the environmental textures, and a lot of the environment geometry. We’ve also completely updated the user interface, added some easter eggs into the game, and a whole raft of unlockable extras -- some never seen before, and some rarely seen. More...

Hello PlayStation Nation, We work day-in and day-out here at PlayStation to ensure that you never run out of reasons to be a proud PlayStation fan. It’s our way of saying “Thank you†to the millions of you around the world who demonstrate your passion and dedication to PlayStation on a daily basis. However, sometimes a simple thank you just isn’t enough to truly show our gratitude and that’s why we’re ready to take things one step further. I’m joining you today to announce that we’re looking for a few good gamers to help us with a special assignment related to our new <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/08/30/long-live-play/">Long Live Play</a> campaign (yes, we are intentionally being Chimera-like stealthy to pique your curiosity). I’m talking die-hard members of our PlayStation Nation from all over who are ready and willing to proudly wave the PlayStation flag for all to see. If you think you’re the ultimate PlayStation gamer, then we want to hear from you! More...

This Thursday, September 15th will see the release of one of the most luxurious personal spaces to ever be published in <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-home/">PlayStation Home</a>. The ultra-modern Tycoon Penthouse sits atop a towering skyscraper, overlooking a world-class city teeming with action. Releasing alongside a suite of sleek and chic furnishings and amenities (my personal fave being the Jacuzzi), the Tycoon Penthouse is the perfect addition to your collection of rare and exotic properties around the world. Those of you who enjoy the finer things in life can pick this premium locale up this Thursday from the Estates store in the PlayStation Home Mall. The 2011 Tokyo Game Show is coming to PlayStation Home this week. Visit this space on Thursday, September 15th and pick up exclusive rewards based upon some of the most highly anticipated games that will be coming soon to your PS3 – such as the The <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/ico-and-shadow-of-colossus-collection/">ICO & Shadow of the Colossus Collection</a> and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/uncharted-3-drakes-deception/">UNCHARTED 3</a>! More...

Story by Johnny Cullen @ VG247.com. Capcom’s dropped the TGS gameplay trailer for Street Fighter x Tekken, New characters confirmed for the fighter in the video include Rolento, Ibuki, Heihachi, Kuma and Zangief, all of Street Fighter and Tekken fame except new character Rolento. The new gameplay modes include 2 on 2 Dual Battles, Scramble Mode – think of this as SF’s version of the Tornado tag matches in the old WWE Smackdown games – online training mode Briefing and Pandora, where you sacrifice your partner for a huge power boost. This is properly looking awesome. The Capcom-Namco collaboration is out next year for PS3, 360 and Vita. The video’s below. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by Mike Fahey @ Kotaku.com. After being sorely disappointed by the helicopter combat of Apache Air Assault last year, it’s nice to see there’s still some hope for the well-armed whirlybird enthusiast in Ace Combat: Assault Horizon. One thing becomes crystal clear while watching this video: This is not a realistic helicopter simulation. Apaches do not roll like that at low speeds. Not unless there’s electric guitar music in the background. Not that I’m complaining. If I wanted realism I’d have become a pilot. I just want to shoot things while hovering. Looks like Assault Horizon has me covered. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by Brian Crecente @ Kotaku.com. PS3 James Bond fans are getting a special bundle in November, Activision announced today. The GoldenEye 007: Reloaded Double O Edition comes with the game, a PlayStation Move motion controller, a navigation controller, a PlayStation Eye camera and Sharp Shooter peripheral. The still-to-be priced bundle hits Nov. 1. The PlayStation 3 version of the game also includes an exclusive downloadable character. The notorious villain from the 1979 film Moonraker, HUGO DRAX, will be playable in split-screen and online Classic Conflict multiplayer modes while wielding his Moonraker Laser Pistol. “Working closely with Sony, we’ve created a great bundle that arms fans with all the vital secret agent equipment right off the shelf,” said David Oxford, Executive Vice President at Activision Publishing. “We can’t wait for gamers to pick up the PlayStation Move and Sharp Shooter to experience a James Bond video game like never before.” Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by Michael McWhertor @ Kotaku.com. Career ninja Ryu Hayabusa is going to have a busy year, now that Team Ninja has officially unveiled Dead or Alive 5 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in the form of this “pre-alpha” gameplay trailer. The star of Team Ninja’s Ninja Gaiden 3 is also prominently featured in our first look at Dead or Alive 5, which Tecmo Koei unveiled at this week’s Tokyo Game Show. Team Ninja describes the concept of DOA 5 as “fighting entertainment.” The console fighting game is expected in 2012. This is the fighting game series’ first entry on PlayStation console hardware since Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore, released on the PlayStation 2 in 2000. Team Ninja also released a “key visual” for the game, which appears to feature either Hitomi or Kasumi, one of Dead or Alive‘s many female fighters. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by Stephen Totilo @ Kotaku.com. Grant Theft Auto IV. Red Dead Redemption. L.A. Noire. For the last few years every console game from Rockstar Games has been a big deal, creatively and commercially. Next up: Max Payne 3, whose debut trailer hit today and you can see right here. GTA is Rockstar’s baby. Red Dead and L.A. Noire were the types of games no other studio was brazen enough to try. Max? That’s a shooter. That’s the kind of game everyone is trying to make. So can Rockstar’s be special? Can it be great and important? Max Payne 3 will be out for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC in March of next year, nine years after the last Max Payne was released. Rockstar is developing without the involvement of original series creators Remedy. The trailer implies that Max’s signature bullet time is back and it sure looks like this game is going to be all about the gunplay and hard-boiled crime. Graphically, it looks superb. Max Payne fans, do you like what you see? And can you spot any small details us non-experts may not have caught? Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

It's my pleasure to announce that we have just launched a limited beta for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/ratchet-clank-all-4-one/">Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One</a>. Our team in North Carolina has been working hard to build the ultimate co-op Ratchet & Clank adventure, and we hope that in the coming weeks you’ll get to try out the one- to four-player mayhem. The beta will enable you and up to three friends to go online and play through two sections of the game. The first scenario is the opening level of Luminopolis where Ratchet, Clank, Captain Qwark and the evil Dr. Nefarious are forced to band together when Nefarious’s light-eating Z’Grute is unleashed upon the city. The second area of the beta jumps you deeper into the action with The Vertigus Cliffs, set in the N.E.S.T. area of the treacherous Planet Magnus is a unique area full of vertical views that look stunning in 3D. The Vertigus Cliff level will also give you a chance to check out some mechanics from later in the game, including use of your weapon wheel and many of the crazy Ratchet & Clank weapons you’ve come to know and love. <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/08/25/ratchet-clank-all-4-one-weapons-more-ways-to-up-your-arsenal/">New weapons</a> like the Frost Cannon, Plasma Bomb Launcher and Warmonger give you a great assortment of guns to play with, but <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/07/28/ratchet-clank-all-4-one-up-your-arsenal-with-these-tools-of-destruction/">old favorites</a> like the Combuster are back as well. There are LOTS of weapons in the beta, as well as character’s <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/08/31/the-special-weapons-of-ratchet-clank-all-4-one/">special ability</a>. More...

So here we are creeping up onto yet another <a href="http://tgs.cesa.or.jp/english/">Tokyo Game Show</a> and we have a big announcement to make... and an unusual one at that! We are announcing a name change - I'm sure many of you have seen information about <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/pixeljunk-lifelike/">PixelJunk Lifelike</a> over the past year or so, including some live demo performances we did during E3, and a few of you might have noticed how much the core concept of Lifelike expanded and shifted since it was first announced as we explored more and more ideas. Well, after long deliberation we are changing the name to "PixelJunk 4am" to better match the atmosphere we are trying to create. And for more information about that, I have asked some questions and translated <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baiyon">Baiyon</a>'s answers for you: More...

It’s been many, many months in the making, but as you’ll have noticed yesterday, we’ve unleashed <a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/renegade-ops-ps3.html">Renegade Ops</a> onto <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/">PSN</a> as part of the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/psn-play/">PSN PLAY</a> promotion. We’re incredibly pleased to be part of this new promotion, and hope that you are ready to help General Bryant and the Renegades defeat the tyrannical Inferno and thwart his dastardly plans. Hopefully you already have a good idea of what the game is about, you may remember I did ramble at length in previous blog posts such as <a href="http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2011/08/08/renegade-ops-meet-the-team-2/">Meet the Team</a>, and <a href="http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2011/08/15/renegade-ops-lets-talk-about-upgrades/">Let’s talk about upgrades</a>, but if not allow me to give you a quick reminder; Inferno is threatening to detonate bombs in capital cities around the world, unless his demands are met, and it is in the hands of the Renegade Ops team that the safety of the world now rests. General Bryant and his crack team are taking their range of vehicles, weapons and various specialities to the battlefields to destroy the Inferno threat once and for all More...

This week’s update brings the final title of the PlayStation Network PLAY event: SEGA’s Renegade Ops! Blending frantic top-down gameplay, a crazy variety of vehicles and weapons, and lest we forget the 4 player co-op; Renegade Ops ends PSN PLAY with a bang! As part of PSN PLAY, PlayStation Plus subscribers can snag the title for 20% off, while everyone will have free access to a Vehicle & Character DLC Pack, if the game is purchased or was pre-ordered before 9/19. Another PSN title coming in hot is <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/09/08/from-dust-coming-to-psn-on-september-27th/">From Dust</a>, hitting the Store today. From legendary game developer Eric Chahi, comes an award-winning strategy game that puts you in direct control of world shifting elements to help a noble tribe regain the knowledge of their ancestors. PlayStation Plus subscribers take note: this one will be 20% off at release! More...

Once again, BradyGames has hit the market with a Map App for the avid gamers out there. The only officially licensed app for the year’s most anticipated release: ** Zoom and scroll through detailed maps of the entire game ** Locate all in-game collectibles: ID Cards, Banoi Herald editions and Investigation Tapes ** Track which collectibles have been found and which await discovery ** Official music from the game Customer Reviews It works 5 Stars by Sefiroth24 I bought it in the morning and right now im using it as a play What it says. 4 Stars by Beau Donnell Isn’t super amazing, and probably not worth the money, but it is exactly what is says it is. I just wish it was a full guide with tips and all, then I would pay over $5. But it is exactly what it says it is, no problems, and looks great. love it 5 Stars by Tass angiolillo This was very helpful. I really like how you can mark off your progress. Would have been even better to actual have a collectors map with the game. As you can see the users are loving it and its only $2.99 in the ITunes Store, so go get it today!!! Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by CallofDuty-Community.com. It’s that time of the patch cycle again. Treyarch needs to prepare the PS3 for the Rezurrection map pack, which will be available on September 22nd, and in order to do that, the PS3 needs to be patched. Besides the added Rezurrection support there are 2 other important updates. First important update, some security updates. Small as it may be, any update that’ll make Black Ops on the PS3 more secure is welcome. The second update is one I’ve been waiting for for quite a while now. A player’s win streak will now end if they quit out during a live match. Dashboarders will like that update. These are the full patch notes for patch 1.13 on the PS3: Security Updates. Addressed an issue where Custom Private Match settings were carrying over to Public matches. Prohibited clan tags can no longer be used. A player’s win streak will now break if they quit out during a live match. Players that are partied up are no longer allowed to go into party-restricted lobbies such as FFA. Fixed a rare issue with Recent Games not showing the correct heat map. Addressed an exploit copying another player’s emblem/playercard. Added Rezurrection DLC support. (Launching September 22nd!) Fixed some issues related to invites going from Zombie to Multiplayer. Unlocked clan tag colors can now be set using the swapped X/O button configuration. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Today’s the day! The <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/09/07/littlebigplanet-2-now-39-99-move-support-enabled/">LittleBigPlanet 2 Move Pack</a> will be available later today on the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-store/">PlayStation Store</a> refresh. The epic downloadable pack includes tons of new gadgets and tools, giving you the power to CREATE games for your <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-move/">PlayStation Move</a> motion controller, which eventually means that tons of user-generated PlayStation Move-enabled games will be available to everyone for free via PSN. But most importantly, the Move Pack contains an epic new storyline titled "Rise of the Cakeling!†See what’s in store in our new Story trailer below. More...

Fellow Spartans - The wait is over! Kratos storms store shelves everywhere in the form <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/god-of-war-origins-collection/">God of War: Origins Collection</a>—the compilation of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/god-of-war-chains-of-olympus/">God of War: Chains of Olympus</a> and <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/god-of-war-ghost-of-sparta/">God of War: Ghost of Sparta</a> on a single Blu-ray Disc, available today! Now fans and newcomers to the franchise can complete the God of War experience on their PS3 for the first time. And so far, members of the media have given God of War: Origins Collection a strong thumbs up. <a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/video/review-pod-god-of-war/719859">GameTrailers.com</a> called the game “a gift worthy of Olympus," while <a href="http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2011/08/29/god-of-war-origins-collection-review/">MTV.com</a> said "God of War: Origins Collection is an absolute steal." Other early reviews include <a href="http://ps3.ign.com/articles/119/1190707p1.html">IGN.com</a> (9/10), <a href="http://www.gamesradar.com/god-war-origins-collection-review/">GamesRadar.com</a> (9/10), <a href="http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/222448/review-god-of-war-origins-collection-ps3/">GamePro</a> (4/5), <a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/games/god_of_war_origins_collection/b/ps3/archive/2011/08/29/god-of-war-origins-collection-review.aspx">Game Informer</a> (9.5/10), <a href="http://www.1up.com/reviews/review-god-of-war-origins-collection">1UP.com</a> (A-), <a href="http://blog.machinima.com/insidegaming/2011/08/30/god-of-war-origins-collection-review/">Machinima.com</a> (9/10), <a href="http://www.complex.com/video-games/2011/08/god-of-war-origins-collection-fittingly-rounds-off-sonys-epic-saga">Complex.com</a> (8/10), <a href="http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/god-of-war-origins-collection-review/">DigitalTrends.com</a> (9/10), <a href="http://www.dualshockers.com/2011/08/29/review-god-of-war-origins-collecion/">DualShockers.com</a> (9/10), <a href="http://playstationlifestyle.net/2011/08/29/ps3-review-god-of-war-origins-collection/">PlayStationLifestyle.com</a> (9/10), <a href="http://www.craveonline.com/gaming/reviews/172611-review-god-of-war-origins-collection">CraveOnline.com</a>, and the <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/business/consumer/articles/2011/08/30/20110830god-war-origins-review.html">Arizona Republic</a>—just to name a few. More...

Story by Stephen Totilo @ Kotaku.com. The next Counter-Strike, the one coming out early next year called Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, won’t be called Counter-Strike 2, because that game would be “something different”, two of Valve’s top people on the new game recently told Kotaku. “A lot of Counter-Strike: GO is taking Counter-Strike: Source and Counter-Strike 1.6 and melding it into a product that every side likes and also expanding the base by putting it out on the consoles,” Valve’s Chet Faliszek said, referring to the two most popular incarnations of the game. “Whereas Counter-Strike 2, at least internally, we think about as something different.” During a recent interview at Valve headquarters in Bellevue, Faliszek and CS: GO project lead Ido Magal let me play Counter-Strike: GO (for an hour) and then helped me narrow in on what the new game is and isn’t. It’s clear that the new game, which will be released as a downloadable title for PC, Mac, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 early next year, isn’t a full-fledged sequel. “Counter-Strike: GO has this kind of objective of homing in,” Magal said. “We’re taking that competitive experience that’s very hard to organize in Counter-Strike: Source… We’ve taken that and let everyone experience the fun of a five-on-five [game] where everyone is equally matched. The product doesn’t span all of Counter-Strike. Counter-Strike is zombie mods and all these different things. This is more narrow.” The new GO will feature several classic maps, new weapons and tweaks that range from modified maps to a new casual mode that removes the in-game money restrictions on which weapons and items players can buy. It also will be supported by Valve’s in-house match-making, an option that allows Valve to promise a controlled, predictable multiplayer experience for all gamers. GO is being developed in concert with Hidden Path Entertainment, which is located just a couple of blocks from Valve HQ. That team was initially been assigned to work on a straight Xbox Live Arcade port of 2004′s Counter-Strike: Source. “We wanted to see what that would look like,” Magal said. It looked good. “We realized there was something more there that we could do, something that the community would be interested in,” Faliszek said. “And we got excited,” Magal added. Valve had expected the 2004 Source version of the game to replace the previous year’s 1.6 iteration, itself a successor to a game that had been evolving since the late 90′s. But many of 1.6′s most ardent fans, including those who played it competitively, as a sport, resisted the Source version. Source “didn’t do what we thought it would do, but we weren’t disappointed about what it did,” Magal said. “We thought Counter-Strike: Source would replaced Counter-Strike 1.6 but instead it generated a community just as large as the 1.6 community on its own.” Faliszek called it “an amoeba-like split.” GO is supposed to bring those crowds together and rope in console players who have only had an original Xbox version to choose from. Valve also assumes it has lost some computer Counter-Strike gamers who have moved away from PC gaming and wants to reach them on the consoles those gamers may have moved to (fittingly, the PS3 version of the game will even include mouse and keyboard support; and all players on PS3/PC/Mac will be match-made against each other.) The Valve guys describe two of the goals for GO as lowering the skill floor—making it easier for newbies to have fun with game, hence the casual mode—and raising the skill ceiling—making meaningful, subtle changes to maps and mechanics that only pro-level players will notice and appreciate. Valve is not trying to necessarily turn GO into an e-Sport. “That requirement doesn’t exist,” Magal said. “If it happens, that’s nice.” They do want to make sure those highest-level players can enjoy GO, though, so Valve is launching a PC beta for the game in October and having what Magal calls an ongoing “dialogue” with hardcore CS players “to fix the things that everyone agrees is an issue.” For example: “The way the smoke grenades used to work in Counter-Strike: Source. We changed the rate at which it blooms and dissipates and everyone preferred it.” And another example, also from Magal: “The maps Dust and Aztec aren’t played competitively at all because they were so imbalanced in Source. We feel very bullish on changing them, so we did. Dust 2 is a wonderfully balanced map that we didn’t need to change. We just gave it a visual upgrade.” And then there are the Halo and Call of Duty gamers out there, the FPS hordes who may wonder why a new Counter-Strike is at all relevant to them. What’s the appeal of CS:GO for that crowd who already have plenty of first-person shooting to do in their favorite series? CS may have sold 25 million copies already (according to Faliszek), but Valve might still have trouble pulling those folks from their beloved franchises. What’s a CS have to offer those people? Magal describes the essence and value of CS in one word: skill. “I think where Counter-Strike differentiates itself is what impact skill has on your success.” It’s the way skill factors into a CS match that makes it feel different from other shooters, Faliszek added. “It’s clean. You died because you made the wrong choice.” He explained that beginner CS players tend to use lots of grenades, but that veterans don’t since it is “super-easy” to kill a player who is holding one. “There’s not a lot of spam in there,” he said. “There are a lot of clean kills. Most kills are gun kills. And it’s about, ‘Oh I didn’t check that corner before I entered this room. I made the bad choice of trying to defuse the bomb before clearing the area. We rushed around this corner and we got ambushed.’ It’s always about making those kinds of decisions and not about, ‘Oh man, why did I die? What the hell? That’s bullshit kind of thing.” “A small difference in skill between two players, the impact of that on the game will be accentuated,” Magal said. “My experience in other games is that’s not the case.” That’s what Counter-Strike is: a game of skill. And this is what CS:GO is: an effort to put anyone who has or should play Counter-Strike into the same game. That’s a big enough goal but not a grand enough one to merit the name Counter-Strike 2. As we discussed possible names for this new Counter-Strike, I had to ask if they’d considered one other name, one that would be an inside joke for fans of Valve’s Half-Life series whose third episodic sequel has been missing in action for years. Did anyone suggest, during those brainstorm sessions, Counter-Strike: Episode Three? “No,” was Faliszek’s quick reply. Then a quick inhale of breath. This new GO may not be a full-fledged Counter-Strike sequel, but it’s no joke. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Hi everyone! Today, I’m back to talk to you about my favorite topic – <a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps3/">PlayStation</a> hardware! By now, you’ve probably seen that the official <a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps3/accessories/wireless-stereo-headset-ps3.html">PS3 Wireless Stereo Headset</a> is available now at a retailer near you. We’re very excited to bring you this advanced PS3 peripheral and we thought we’d take some time to walk you through the key features. The Wireless Stereo Headset brings you an exceptional sound experience, a rechargeable battery, simple setup and a streamlined design that is as durable as it is comfortable. Available for $99.99 (MSRP) from retailers nationwide, the Wireless Stereo Headset gives you an audio advantage and high-quality Bluetooth voice quality (with a retractable microphone) at a seriously affordable price point. And yes, the official Wireless Stereo Headset pumps up more than PS3 games - Netflix, Blu-ray movies and more will benefit from the Headset’s crisp audio quality. More...

<a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/mlb-11-the-show/">Challenge of the Week</a> #28 celebrates the AL Wild Card race as the RedSox young center fielder matches up against the Rays hard throwing righty, with over 200 strikeouts this year. Climb the leaderboard and get as many hits as you can to win your choice of signed ball from an MLB star- Hamels, Reyes, Upton, McCann, Matsui, Span. Week #28 begins on Monday September 12th at 5:30am PDT and ends Monday September 19nd at 4:30am PDT. To play, simply select the Challenge of the Week option in the main menu. This week continues the August monthly prize period - $2000, cold hard cash. Every 4 weeks a monthly prize will be awarded to the player with the most Challenge of the Week points. Weekly scores will also be added from May 30th until September 18th 4:30am PST for a chance to win Grand Prize #2, a Trip for two to a 2011 World Series Game! More...