PlayStation Network

Journey Coming To PS3 Next Spring

by Jan Hutchings | Sep 28, 2011 | 10 comments

Jenova Chen, the co-founder of Thatgamecompany wrote on the PlayStation Blog earlier today where he announced that Journey will be available for purchase next spring.

According to Chen, Journey’s recent closed beta had been a “great success” and that since the beta did really well, they can now confidently announce that the game will be out in the spring of 2012.

“For the past few months, we kept getting asked about Journey’s release date.” Chen noted, “fortunately, the online beta went very well, and our continued playtests have given us great feedback on the work we have left to complete. While there is still a ton of care and polish needed, we can’t wait to finally deliver Journey, TGC’s take on an online adventure game.”

In Journey, players take control of a robed figure as he/she traverses a dream-like world where the only real goal is to get to a towering mountain in the distance. Players can meet other journeymen/women online, and can help each other out in their quest, however players will not be able to converse with each other and the only way to communicate is through a soundless shout to one another.

Video Unlimited Preview Heads to PlayStation 3 (video)

by Sohrab Osati | Sep 27, 2011 | 10 comments

Media junkies are in for some good news today. The PlayStation 3, which currently houses the largest avenues of media access with services like Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, and NFL Sunday Night Ticket, is getting an upgrade from Sony. The new service, which will be available for download later today for PlayStation Plus members (US & Canada) and available to all PlayStation 3 owners on October 11th, will be a free app under the title of Video Unlimited Preview. This new and free app is designed to make browsing the more than 40,000 movies and TV episodes on the PlayStation Video Store even easier.

[viddler id-c8ce3cad h-370 w-437]

PS3 owners will still be able to access the original PlayStation Video Store as they normally would. However, those who choose to utilize the Video Unlimited Preview app will be greeted with an all-new interface, designed to put the content you want, front and center. The all new UI is also powered by Gracenote, which will then give you other similar titles and related movies, creating an endless discovery experience, similar to when browsing IMDB or the iTunes video section. The new UI also features “tumbler search technology,” which ends the pop-up keyboard and, instead, relies on you to scroll vertically through the alphabet. This new enhancement again taps into the Gracenote’s database, allowing you to search by title, actor, director or tag while the system attempts to autocomplete your search. An example would be to type in MAT and the system will automatically give you options like Matrix, Matrix Reloaded, and Matrix Revolutions.

This new interface is expected to make it to other Sony products in the future which also use Video Unlimited, like Sony Blu-ray players.

ESRB Lists Chrono Cross And Final Fantasy Origins For PSN

by Jan Hutchings | Sep 26, 2011 | 19 comments

According to a listing from the ESRB, the much-loved Chrono Cross and Final Fantasy Origins may be coming to the PlayStation Network sometime this year. If that wasn’t good enough, Sony has said that, since both games will be part of the PSOne Classics library, they will be available for play on both the PS3 and the PSP.

This comes at the heels of Sony’s announcement that two hard-to-find classics, Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI, are to be added to the collection sometime in 2011.

Square Enix has not commented on any release dates or pricing details for the four titles.

DISCUSS:

Which of the four Square Enix classics titles are you most excited about?
(Chrono Trigger) (Chrono Cross) (Final Fantasy Origins) (Final Fantasy VI)

PSN Getting Castlevania: Harmony of Despair Tomorrow

by Jan Hutchings | Sep 26, 2011 | 15 comments

Earlier today, Konami announced that Castlevania: Harmony of Despair will be available to purchase and download on PSN soon.

How soon? How about tomorrow?

On September 27, 2011, what was once an Xbox 360-exclusive downloadable game will be coming to the PlayStation Network. This Castlevania title will bring new features that have never been seen in previous titles, the biggest being a completely fun and addictive multiplayer component.

Hit the jump for more details on the newest 2D Castlevania title.

Shoot Many Robots Preview

by Jan Hutchings | Sep 19, 2011 | 19 comments

I was walking through Ubisoft’s demonstration booths when this game with an animated design caught my eye. It had hillbilly-looking characters carrying big guns who shot and destroyed pretty much everything that moved on the screen.

As I watched people play the game, I thought to myself “Goddamn! I need to try this!”

It looked like a cross between Contra, Metal Slug, and the Horde Mode from Gears of War, It was Shoot Many Robots, a digital release from Demiurge Studios.

It had such a distinct gameplay idea and visual presentation that even David Jaffe, creator of Sony’s Twisted Metal series stopped in his tracks while we were conducting an interview later that day as he commented at how cool the game was.

Hit the jump for more information on Shoot Many Robots for the PlayStation Network.

PS Plus Subscribers Get Resident Evil 4 HD For Half The Price

by Jan Hutchings | Sep 17, 2011 | 5 comments

On the next PlayStation Store update, PS Plus subscribers will get a healthy dose of Capcom deals that will definitely please Resident Evil fans. This coming Tuesday, PS+ members can purchase Resident Evil 4 HD for a cheap $9.99. That’s half off the original price! And on the day of its release! Those who don’t have the membership can still download the game for $19.99. (A great price for one of the best action games of last generation.)

But Capcom isn’t done yet; hit the jump to find out what other deals Capcom has in store for PSN Plus members and for PlayStation 3 owners.

Choplifter HD Developer Interview

by Jan Hutchings | Sep 15, 2011 | 120 comments

Who could forget playing the classic Choplifter for the ATARI?

Even with it’s blocky and antiquated graphics, Choplifter is, even now, still really fun to play. Imagine my surprise to learn that a new Choplifter game is coming out for the PlayStation 3. I had a chat with Bryan Perfetto, lead engineer for Choplifter HD at inXile Entertainment about their upcoming PSN game.

Hit the jump for the full interview as well as gameplay footage of Choplifter HD.

PlayStation Store Update (09-13-11)

by Sohrab Osati | Sep 13, 2011 | 20 comments

The weekly PlayStation Store Update has gone live once again with plenty of content to fill your PlayStation 3, PSP and one day, even PS Vita. Some highlights for this week include:

God Of War: Origins ($39.99)
FIFA Soccer 12 Demo
Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 Demo
White Knight Chronicles 2 (x26) ($0.99 – $4.99)
LittleBigPlanet 2 Move Pack ($9.99)

After the jump, the full weekly update awaits you.

Sony: More Than 3 Million New PSN Users After Breach

by Jan Hutchings | Sep 11, 2011 | 1 comment

Remember that time when the PlayStation Network was breached? No?

Who can blame you? Most PlayStation 3 users have forgotten about it.

I know I have, especially after Sony’s generous “Welcome Back” Program, offering their consumers free games for loss of a service that was free to begin with.

It seems the outage didn’t affect the service as bad as most people thought. At the IFA Electronics show, Sony announced that the PS3 online service is doing much better than before the attack. Sony has also confirmed that more than 3 million new users joined the network after the breach.

According to Sir Howard Stringer, Sony CEO,

“I’m pleased to tell you that the PSN is more secure and better than ever… We are aggressively expanding its content. We have more than 3 million new customers since the network came back online, and sales are exceeding what we had before the cyberattacks.”

In a presentation that could only be described as uplifting, Stringer also said that the attacks may have temporarily slowed down their business but that it just helped them become a better company and that the worst times are all in the past.

“This year, we at Sony have been flooded, we’ve been flattened, we’ve been hacked, we’ve been singed,” he continued. “”But the summer of our discontent is behind us. The past is a prologue to future possibility.”

With more high profile games, DLC’s, and services joining the network everyday, as well as the free-to-join-and-use nature of the service, the outlook on the PlayStation Network looks bright even after the vicious breach earlier this year.

[Via CNET]

Crysis Coming to PlayStation Network

by Jan Hutchings | Sep 9, 2011 | 1 comment

Crytek’s CEO, Cevat Yerli announced through an interview with GTTV last night that Crysis is finally coming to the PlayStation 3 via the PSN.

Considered one of the best PC games of all time, the original Crysis pushed graphical quality to a whole new level when it released, with most players having to upgrade their computers in order to play the game in it’s highest settings. According to Crytek, the game – in it’s transition to the PS3 – will receive some modifications and enhancements to bring the once gorgeous game into the current generation. Hit the jump for more information on Crysis on the PS3.

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations Beta Now Available For All PSN Users

by Jan Hutchings | Sep 8, 2011 | 1 comment

Starting today, all PSN users can now download and play Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed: Revelations beta through the PlayStation Store. For a few weeks now, the beta has been available to play for all PlayStation Plus subscribers, leaving all other PS3 owners in waiting.

Now everyone who has a PSN account can join in the groundbreaking multiplayer experience exclusive to the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Check out our preview of the beta here for more information.

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations is the final chapter of the story of two of the deadliest assassins in history, Ezio and Altair as well as the modern-day Desmond. In addition to the epic conclusion to the single player experience, Ubisoft promises to expand on the pulse-pounding multiplayer first introduced in AC: Brotherhood.

The beta is available for play until September 11, and the full game is set to be released on November 15, 2011.

PlayStation Store Update (09-06-2011)

by Sohrab Osati | Sep 6, 2011 | 56 comments

I hope you’ve all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and have left some eye-strength from your continuous gaming sessions to log in and see this week’s PlayStation Store updates. Some noteworthy content includes:

Bloodrayne: Betrayal ($14.99)
God of War Origins Demo (free)
LittleBigPlanet 2 World Peace Day Costume (1 week offer) (Free)
Pulse 9/6 Edition (free)
Plus Exclusive Clouds Dynamic Theme (free)

The full story listing awaits you, after the jump.

PlayStation 3 System Update 3.7 Trophy and Game Save Auto-Sync Fix Discovered

by Sohrab Osati | Sep 1, 2011 | 54 comments

Two of the great features added to the PlayStation 3 and exclusive to PlayStation Plus members with the most recent PS3 System Update 3.7 was the ability for trophies and game saves to be automatically uploaded. The idea was that you allocated a specific time slot for your PS3 to turn on every day, scan for new trophies or games and upload them online. After the process, your PlayStation 3 would then turn off on its own. From the looks of the gaming forums and comment sections on most sites, it seems that this feature went off without a hitch. However, there lies a minor part of the community who were not able to get the new feature to work, including myself. After trying some simple trouble shooting techniques like choosing different time slots, logging in and out of my account and disabling and enabling the feature again, it seemed like there was not much I could do. Surfing different forums all lead to the same conclusion: for a minority of users out there, this feature was/is not working. After having some contact with Sony on the matter, I’d yet to hear a confirmation of the issue and I was started to chalk things up towards just some minor machines not playing nice. As a last ditch effort, I decided to call the PlayStation customer support and to my surprise, not only did they acknowledge the issue, but had a work around as well. They also confirmed, though with no time table, that this bug will be hammered out in the next system update. After the jump, you can read our short walkthrough and find our Trophy and Game Save Auto-Sync Fix.

PlayStation Store Update (08-30-11)

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 30, 2011 | 45 comments

With PAX now behind us, it’s time to not just talk about gaming, but get back into gaming as well. What better way to do that than to visit the PlayStation Store and stuff your PS3 with some games, demos and or videos? Some noteworthy items for your digital consuming habits include:

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations Multiplayer Beta (release date 9/2/11) (PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Exclusive)
Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection ($9.99)
LittleBigPlanet 2 Toy Story 3 Costume Pack ($5.99)
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Resurgence Package – Sale (PS3) (now $7.49, original price $14.99)
FIFA Soccer 12 First Official Gameplay Trailer

After the jump, the full PlayStation Store update awaits you.

PSN To Get Violent With Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection Tomorrow

by Jan Hutchings | Aug 29, 2011 | 4 comments

Fans of the recently released Mortal Kombat (2011) can go on a trip down memory lane with tomorrow’s release of the much rumored and long awaited Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection for download on the PSN. The game collection will include Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2, and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. Hit the jump for more information and a trailer of the game.