PlayStation Network

Playstation Store Update: (06-12-2012)

by Chris Quibol | Jun 13, 2012 | 9 comments

Despite a somewhat smaller Playstation Store update this week, there are still a couple of very quality releases looking to do some damage to your wallet. Playstation 3 owners get access to full downloads of Batman: Arkham City and Dirt Showdown, as well as demos for arcade puzzle game Bable Rising and music maker Jam Live Music Arcade.

PS Vita owners are treated to two huge titles this week. First up is the critically acclaimed action game Gravity Rush, where players tilt and move their Vita to control gravity while attacking enemies and exploring an unknown world. Check the trailer out for yourself below.

Next up for Vita owners is Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection, which includes the first three games from the Metal Gear Solid franchise as well as retro titles Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. If you’re a fan of the series and looking to relive these classics on the go, this is a must-buy.

And finally, for Playstation Plus members, check out sales for Borderlands and Split/Second, as well as full game trials for Batman: Arkham City and Just Dance 3. In addition to those, you can still download a ton of free full games from last week’s instant game collection update.

Hit the jump to check out all of this week’s Playstation Store update.

Has Sony Learned Nothing from the PlayStation Network Hacking?

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 11, 2012 | 8 comments

If Saturday was your day to kick back, relax and play some games on PSN, you quickly came to the realization that the PlayStation Network was down. Our site was the first of all the outlets to break the news, due to a simple coincidence which had me navigating the PlayStation Store and downloading a few games. Upon attempting to download LittleBigPlanet 2, I was quickly booted from the store and my subsequent attempts at accessing the store did little to change my faith. Taking to Twitter, I soon realized the incident was worldwide and not limited to North America.

Further discovery led to the realization that those who were logged into PSN could continue to view their friends list and download content in their queues while those logged out could not log back in, which affected both PS3 and PS Vita users. Despite partial access to the network, online gameplay was also down alongside other Sony services like Music and Video Unlimited though 3rd party services like Hulu and Netflix experienced no down time.

In the end, after 4-6 hour downtime, PSN was fully restored, though everyone was left in the dark as to why the service went down in the first place. During the down time, most users quickly feared the worse; another PlayStation Network hacking. While that might be jumping to a hasty conclusion, it’s also not a stretch and only Sony is to blame for their lack of communication during the downtime. After the jump, a chronicle of the events and Sony’s lack of communication.

PSA: PlayStation Network is Down Worldwide (update from Sony)

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 9, 2012 | 40 comments

After attempting to access the PlayStation Store to download a free copy of LittleBigPlanet 2, thanks to this week’s PlayStation Plus update, I discovered that every attempt to get into the store would result in a crash with the following error message:

The service is currently undergoing maintenance.

I’ve since attempted to do some basic trouble shooting like rebooting my network and PS3 with no different results, indicating that its indeed on Sony’s side. When the question was posed to our Twitter followers, it seems that a great many are experiencing the same issue, even in EU territories, resulting in not a localized blackout but a worldwide issue for Sony.

We’ve already contacted Sony and we’ll update this post as we hear more.

Updates, after the jump, including Sony’s response.

PlayStation Store Update (06-05-2012)

by Chris Quibol | Jun 6, 2012 | 25 comments

In the midst of the fun and excitement of all of this wonderful Playstation news coming from this week’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, Sony dropped a pretty huge Playstation Store update yesterday, filled with a ton of discounts, demos, and full game releases.

Taking the spotlight in terms of new releases this week is Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown, the definitive version of VF5, available now for $14.99, and if you’re a Playstation Plus member, you can download the game for free. Speaking of Playstation Plus, now is the best time to be a subscriber to the service, as Playstation kicked its “instant game collection” program, which provides users hundreds of dollars worth of downloads for free. This week’s update includes VF5:FS, inFamous 2, LittleBigPlanet 2, Saints Row 2, and many more, all available for free.

If you’re not a Playstation Plus subscriber and are low on funds this week, be sure to check out demos for arcade racer Bang Bang Racing and Sorcery, an action-adventure game controlled by the Playstation Move. And don’t forget to check out all the brand new footage from this week’s press conference available on the Playstation Network, like trailers for Quantic Dream’s BEYOND: Two Souls and PS Vita game LittleBigPlanet Karting.

Hit the jump to check out the full Playstation Store update for yourself.

2012 E3 Sony Press Conference Photos

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 6, 2012 | 8 comments

If you haven’t had a chance, read through our 2012 E3 Sony press conference live blog where we revealed all Sony had to stay on a minute by minute update. For those of you with a little more visual taste, our photo gallery comprises shots from the biggest announcements to help bring you one step closer to E3.

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Our 2012 Sony E3 Press Conference Live Blog Begins Now!

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 4, 2012 | 12 comments

As promised, we’re looking to bring you closer than ever to the 2012 Sony E3 press conference with our live blog. Our arsenal of tools to make this happen consist of a MacBook Air, iPad, iPhone, 4G card, Cybershot HX5V, Bloggie Live, and Nikon D5. This means that we’re hopefully ready for whatever E3 throws at us, minus snakes…because we at SRN hate snakes. Below, you will find our live blog from the event which can be accessed from any web browser, mobile device, or tablet. Remember that you can find additional coverage by us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, and Flickr.

<a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=74b11718d6" >2012 Sony E3 Press Conference Live Blog</a>

We’re Headed to E3 2012 and We Wanna Take You!

by Allegra Osati | Jun 2, 2012 | 21 comments

One of my biggest goals for SRN has always been to bring you closer to the game and tech industry. This means hosting live chats with some industry favorites like David Jaffe, creator of Twisted Metal and God of War while providing live coverage of Sony’s E3 and CES press conferences. When it comes to large events like CES and E3, we all have different games and topics that interest us and sometimes, that means not seeing the thing you wanted most covered. To do that, means that you have to pack your bags, head to LA, and have an industry pass to roam the halls and talk to your favorite developers, which can not only be expensive, but it’s technically impossible for most. So if we can’t take you, that leaves us as your voice and the next best option. If you have questions you want to ask a developer, if there are pictures you wanna see from booth or a video of a specific game, we want to be your eyes and ears at E3.

All you have to do is drop a comment in our comments section below or visit us on our many different outlets like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, and Flickr. For the first time, we want your voice to help shape our coverage and the coverage you receive about E3. Though we can’t promise to get to everyone’s request, we hope that this will bring you one step closer to E3 though to be clear, we’re not about to cover Pokemon 2012 Extreme Lightning Edition or Mario Party 87 for Wii U, seeing how we’re a Sony site. Like last year, we will also be offering a live blog from the Sony E3 press conference. You can either bookmark this post which will be updated with a link, once the event is live or check back on the site on Monday, June 4th at 3:00pm PST.

Playstation Store Update (05-29-2012)

by Chris Quibol | May 30, 2012 | 11 comments

Memorial Day deals aren’t quite over, at least not if you shop on the Playstation Store. In this week’s Playstation Store update, aside from the usual new releases and demos, we have “PS3 Ultimate Deals,” which provide 30 percent (50 percent for Playstation Plus members) off of some amazing titles, including Bioshock 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops, and Red Dead Redemption. If you’re not interested in any of the “Ultimate” deals (seriously, why wouldn’t you be?), then check out Pure Chess, a game that puts a special twist on the classic board game.

Also, Playstation Vita owners are in for a huge update this week, with Resistance: Burning Skies highlighting this week’s releases. Resistance is one of the Playstation brand’s strongest franchises and Burning Skies is the series’ first first-person foray into the full-fledged portable space. Be sure to check out the launch trailer below.

Also on Vita this week are demos for Resistance and Gravity Rush, the latter being a highly touted game from Sony Computer Entertainment Japan. And for the PS3 owner low on funds, be sure to check out the demo for Mad Riders, an off-road arcade racing game from Ubisoft.

Check out the full Playstation Store update after the break.

PSN To Offer Ultimate Game Editions At Discounted Prices

by Jan Hutchings | May 29, 2012 | 1 comment

Starting today, May 29, the PlayStation Network will be offering “Ultimate Editions” of full PS3 games at 50% off for PlayStation Plus subscribers and 30% off for all PSN users until June 4, 2012.

The PlayStation Network is no stranger to full game downloads as players can purchase and install games as big as 11 GB’s onto their hard drives. From Assassin’s Creed 2 to Red Dead Redemption, PSN owners need not leave their house to get their favorite games; the PSN has them covered.

Check out the PSN’s Ultimate Edition games on sale after the break.

PSA: Scheduled PSN Maintenance on Thursday

by Sohrab Osati | May 23, 2012 | 17 comments

Just a quick little heads up to all you PlayStation Network users on the PS3 and PS Vita. Sony is performing PSN maintenance, tomorrow (Thursday) May 24th from 8:00am till 11:00pm PDT. During the down time, access to PlayStation Store and PlayStation Home will be inaccessible while those looking to play online and use online based apps like Hulu, Netflix, and Movies Unlimited will be able to, uninterrupted, as long as you’ve been signed into your account prior to the down time.

Full press release after the jump.

PlayStation Store Update (05-15-2012)

by Chris Quibol | May 15, 2012 | 16 comments

A couple of huge releases highlight this week’s Playstation Store Update, as well as the typical plethora of releases for Playstation Plus members, PS Vita, and a handful of demos. First up is Pixeljunk 4am from Q Games. Less of a game and more of a “music creation tool,” Pixeljunk 4am lets you create and share music you create by using waving the Playstation Move. Check out the trailer for yourself below.

The other big release this week is Sonic the Hedgegog 4: Episode 2, which features new levels, new music, and the return of Sonic’s partner, Tails. Sega has said that Episode 2 improves upon a lot of the criticisms from the first iteration of Sonic 4, so look for this episode to be the 2D Sonic game that we’ve all been waiting for.

Playstation Plus members have a ton of free and discounted stuff this week, including free PSN game Rock of Ages and huge discounts on Goldeneye 007: Reloaded and Assassins Creed: Brotherhood Complete. And of course, if you’re low on funds this week, be sure to check out free demos for Batman Arkham City, Pixeljunk 4am, Rock of Ages, and Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2.

Hit the jump for all of this week’s Playstation Store update.

Jenova Chen Believes PSN Has “More Artistic and Adult-focused Taste”

by Sohrab Osati | May 10, 2012 | 2 comments

Jenova Chen (pictured left), one of the creators behind the mega popular PlayStation 3 exclusives Journey, Flower, and Flow, recently talked about Thatgamecompany’s take on the gaming industry as a whole. Inevitably, the topic lead to PSN (PlayStation Network), Xbox Live, and WiiWare, which barely registers among online gaming portals with exciting content. Chen, who is no stranger to digital distribution, seeing how all of his games are only available via PSN, believes that the exepreince offered by Sony online is unrivaled by competitors.

“Sony has a more artistic and adult-focused taste. They care about how grown-ups feel toward their games.”

Besides the mentioned games, PSN is home to a series of exclusive and high quality games like Fat Princess, PixelJunk Shooter, and Dead Nation. Chen went on to say;

“The player who owns a PlayStation 3 [and is playing PSN titles] is more likely to be interested in artistic games compared to Wii and Xbox 360,”

More from Chen and Sony, after the jump.

Playstation Store Update (05-08-2012)

by Chris Quibol | May 9, 2012 | 14 comments

This week’s Playstation Store update is headlined by a ton of amazing Playstation Network exclusives with the release of a unique first-person adventure called Datura, from Sony Santa Monica and Plastic, and a huge sale on every game from the PixelJunk series in anticipation of the upcoming release of PixelJunk 4am. Many of these titles are offered for as low as $1, so definitely don’t skip out on games like PixelJunk Shooter and PixelJunk Eden.

Datura, developed by the studios responsible for the God of War series and hit PSN indie title Linger in Shadows, is a first-person adventure unlike any other. Datura challenges you with exploring the environment and unraveling the mystery of your existence. Check the trailer for yourself below.

For Playstation Plus members, you can get Datura at a discounted price ($7.99), as well as a discount and full game trial for Saints Row: The Third. And if you’re low on funds this week, be sure to check out the demo for Spec Ops: The Line, a third-person shooter brought to you by Yager Development and 2K Games.

Hit the jump to check out a full rundown of this week’s Playstation Store Update.

Deals: PixelJunk Game for $1 on PSN (now live)

by Sohrab Osati | May 8, 2012 | 17 comments

It’s hard to believe that Q-Games, the developer behind the PixelJunk series on PlayStation is turning 10 years old today. With a new game titled 4am set to be released next Tuesday, May 15th, the small developers with grand games will be offering a host of their games for $1 on PSN. That’s right, you can be playing some of the highest rated PSN games for a dollar each. After the jump, the full list of games for $1 awaits you.

Playstation Store Update (05-01-2012)

by Chris Quibol | May 2, 2012 | 21 comments

This week’s Playstation Store Update brings a ton of awesome titles, especially with Playstation Network gem Awesomenauts available for full download. Also available this week for Playstation Vita is Mortal Kombat, which might just be the definitive version of the game which includes all of the previous DLC characters and exclusive costumes from the console version.

Playstation Plus members get a huge haul this week, with free downloads of Awesomenauts, Trine 2, and Playstation classic Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, as well as full game trials for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and Disney Universe. If you’re not already a Playstation Plus member, now would be a great time to sign up.

Hit the jump for a full rundown of this week’s Playstation Store Update.