We know your appetites for destruction are growing as we draw closer to Twisted Metal’s release, so we’re pleased to announce that the Twisted Metal Multiplayer Beta goes live on the PlayStation Store this afternoon! Once the beta hits the Store, you’ll get a taste of Twisted Metal’s online play with:

• 8 vehicles to choose from, each with their own unique special weapons.
• 2 multiplayer modes: Classic free-for-all Death Match, and team-based Nuke mode—a Twisted take on Capture the Flag that’s brand new to the series.
• Challenge mode, where you can practice with each vehicle to hone your destructive skills.

Be sure to try out all the vehicles and modes available in the multiplayer beta and let us know your favourites. Servers will be up today and until February 7th, so you’ve got a week to practice – Get killin’!

First off, today we’ll be releasing four maps we teased a couple of weeks after the UNCHARTED 3 launch.

You’ll be getting the Cave, Fort, Lost City, and Sanctuary maps in this download pack. Dynamic lighting effects, new particle effects and a slew of technical changes have been made to these maps. The lighting was reworked from scratch. New textures and weather effects are apparent and freshly decorate all maps. We poured hours of development time into these maps to make them be really fun in the UNCHARTED 3 multiplayer ecosystem. This map pack is a taste of how far we can go to remix some of your favourite maps into a completely new UNCHARTED 3 gameplay experience.

If you’re a member of the Fortune Hunters’ Club these maps will be available free to you. If not, you can gain access today by purchasing the FHC from the PS Store. It’s a fantastic deal at €24.99 / £19.99

Initially, the Fortune Hunters’ Club offered savings off the seven multiplayer packs (three character skin packs, four map packs) that will be released for Uncharted 3. We’ve kicked this deal up a few notches and are now offering 14 total packs, 7 new packs that we will be revealing as the year progresses! As a FHC member the savings for these 14 packs will be over 60%! Current membership and any new membership purchased will include all currently available and any upcoming DLC packs for Uncharted 3 as well as an exclusive Fortune Hunters’ Club theme that will let you know when new Uncharted 3 DLC hits right from the XMB of your PS3.

Besides the fun new maps you’ll be playing on today, we wanted to tell you about some future hits of DLC. We have three new character skins packs coming at you next. The Rogues Pack 1 and Rogues Pack 2 will let you play as some of the major thugs and minor characters from Uncharted 3. Donut Pack 1 will giant-size some of your favorite Uncharted 3 heroes and villains.

Details on how and when the three new skin packs will be available, and what DLC is coming after that, will follow in our next blog update. We have a lot more DLC coming at you. To whet your appetite, here’s a hint to as what it may be:

Any guesses to why Lazarević is holding half a Janus head?

As you see we are currently hard at work on completely new DLC for your UNCHARTED 3 online adventure. As soon as all the content is fully baked, tested through QA and we have locked release dates you’ll be the first to know. For now, let’s explore some new maps together. See you online!

The Uncharted 3 competitive multiplayer experience will go online for PlayStation Plus subscribers on Wednesday, October 5, 2011.

PlayStation Plus subscription is the only way to guarantee access. However, If you’re not a subscriber to PlayStation Plus, there may be other ways to gain access throughout the month of October, keep an eye on your local PlayStation.Blog page or community forums for more details.

This is a great way to get a head start on leveling up your Uncharted 3 multiplayer profile – Naughty Dog have made sure that key aspects of your progress during the competitive multiplayer experience, will carry over into the final retail copy of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. We’ll have more details on how that works very, very soon.

Naughty Dog have been working really hard to blow you away with the Uncharted 3 multiplayer experience – they can’t wait to flip the switch for PlayStation Plus users in Europe, South Africa, The Middle East, Australia and New Zealand on October 5.

See you online!

ICO & Shadow of the Colossus are two of my favourite games with some of the most innovative gameplay and beautiful art direction seen in gaming to this day. If you missed them first time around or if you don’t know anything about these games, don’t just take my word for how great they are; we’re currently running at a metacritic of 90% (at time of posting), based on 32 reviews. Some of which I’ve added below (please forgive me on the quote translation):

10/10 – VideoGamer.com

“You’ll be rewarded with an experience that will stay with you for a very long time. For under £30, you’ll be picking up two of the most important games ever made.”

9.5/10 – Vandal.net

“A must-buy for anyone with a passion for video games.”

9.5/10 – Multiplayer.it

“Two works of art for less than the price of one game”

9/10 – Eurogamer.net

“This HD collection is such a delight.”

9/10 – gameover.gr

“Two masterpieces / clear proof that games can be art”

9/10 – gamereactor.se

“Do yourself a favour now, and get this collection”

9/10 – CVG

“Two PS2 legends; one epic PS3 makeover”

9/10 – meristation.com

“Gaming poetry, now in HD and 3D”

ICO & Shadow of the Colossus are true gaming masterpieces created and developed by the amazing team headed up by gaming luminary Fumito Ueda. Along with the two dynamic themes (one for ICO and one for Shadow of the Colossus), for fans of Ueda-san we’ve also included two videos which are available via an in-pack voucher.

The first video is an original concept video for NICO. NICO was originally planned to be spiritual successor to ICO and was an online game where teams of Colossus hunters would track, battle and take down huge Colossi together. The core gaming experience and ideas ultimately became what we now know as Shadow of the Colossus.

There’s also a 12-minute behind-the-scenes video filmed on location by our US colleagues at the Sony Japan offices in Shinagawa. This video features interviews with key production staff members about the making of ICO, Shadow of the Colossus and, of course, The Last Guardian. The video includes the team’s thoughts on the HD Classics, as well as concept art and prototype footage of all three games. Plus you’ll get to see some exclusive never-before-seen footage from The Last Guardian.

Below is a short preview of the videos, to give you an idea of what to expect

Unfortunately, due to some technical issues, you will not be able to download this extra content using the in-pack voucher until Monday 10th October. Please accept our sincerest apologies.

Finally, thanks for reading this post and be sure to pick up your copy when it’s out in stores this week.

It’s been a while since we’ve updated you on the remastered ICO & Shadow of the Colossus Collection, but we did want to remind you about its upcoming launch on September 28th! As a special treat, we’re proud to unveil the final box art and inside packaging for the collection, depicting stylised artwork from both titles. In addition to full 1080p HD, stereoscopic 3D support, and 7.1 surround sound, we are also including some exclusive video content featuring gaming visionary Fumito Ueda available via an in-pack voucher to enable you to download from the PlayStation Store. Full details are available here.

Additionally, we wanted to confirm that The Last Guardian is not on the schedule for this year’s Tokyo Game Show. However we can assure you that Ueda-san and the rest of the development team are hard at work to bring his lofty vision to life and deliver the very best gaming experience possible.

We will be including two dynamic themes for your PS3, designed by the team (one designed around ICO and Yorda and one designed around Shadow of the Colossus).

We are also including some exclusive video content featuring gaming visionary Fumito Ueda. All items will be available via an in-pack voucher enabling you to download the content from the PlayStation Store.

The videos that we are including will be:

• Initial concept video for NICO, a game that was never made but turned into Shadow of the Colossus, including an on-camera introduction from creator and Fumito Ueda.



• A behind-the-scenes video filmed on location by our US colleagues at the SCEI offices in Japan. This video features interviews with key production staff members about the making of ICO, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian, as well as concept art and prototype footage of all the games, and exclusive never-before-seen footage of The Last Guardian

In addition to full 1080p HD and stereoscopic 3D support, and 7.1 surround sound, this re-release also supports a full set of trophies for each game. Here is the full trophy list for both games to give you a taste of the challenges that await you when you set out on your adventure with ICO & Yorda, and Wander & Agro this September 28th.

ICO

• Enlightenment (Platinum)
• Rescue (Bronze)
• Failure (Bronze)
• Armed and Ready (Silver)
• East Gate (Silver)
• West Gate (Silver)
• Farewell (Silver)
• Royal Arms (Gold)
• Emancipation (Gold)
• Split the Watermelon (Gold)
• Spiked Club (Gold)
• Shining Sword (Gold)
• Bench Warmer (Gold)
• Express Journey (Gold)
• Castle Guide (Gold)
• Unscathed Escape (Gold)

Shadow of the Colossus

• Wander and the Colossus (Platinum)
• Valley Wanderer (Bronze)
• The Sloth (Bronze)
• Disturbed Sleep (Bronze)
• Path of Gravestones (Bronze)
• Aerial Dance (Bronze)
• Entombed Giant (Bronze)
• Waves of Thunder (Bronze)
• Wall Scaler (Bronze)
• Slumbering Caveman (Bronze)
• Unknown Tracks (Bronze)
• Guardian Unleashed (Bronze)
• Silent Thunder (Bronze)
• Signs in the Sky (Bronze)
• Shielded Guardian (Bronze)
• Valley of the Fallen (Bronze)
• Final Colossus (Bronze)
• The Forbidden (Silver)
• Wander and the Forbidden (Silver)
• Climber (Gold)
• Hang Glider (Bronze)
• Resistance (Silver)
• Collector (Silver)
• Meticulous Collector (Gold)
• Slippery Ride (Bronze)
• Agro Circus (Silver)
• Cornucopia (Gold)
• Tower of Prayer (Silver)
• Endangered Lizards (Gold)
• Stalwart Wander (Gold)
• Mighty Wander (Gold)

Two masterpieces. One unforgettable experience.

We’re just a few short months away from the release of the ICO & Shadow of the Colossus Collection for PlayStation 3. As mentioned in the original announcement, this new collection features two of the most highly acclaimed video games of all time, now with full 1080p HD and stereoscopic 3D support, 7.1 surround sound, and full PSN Trophy support.

As if that wasn’t enough reason to pick up this collection in September, I’m happy to announce that the disc will also come with some amazing bonus content. Packed in every new copy of the game will be a voucher for two XMB Dynamic Themes, one for ICO and one for Shadow of the Colossus. In addition, on the disc itself will be a ton of exclusive video content from ICO, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian that fans won’t want to miss. We’re busy finalizing the videos as we speak, and will have more details to share next month.

Don’t forget to pre-order your copy before it hits stores on 28th September 2011!

The time is finally upon us and I’m pleased to be able to share with you the multiplayer beta plans for Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception.

The beta will be available to download from PlayStation Store later today and will run until the 13th July. To download, just go onto the PS Store and click on the Uncharted banner which will take you through to the download page.

As this is a beta, the content and game modes will change over the course of the testing period; overall there will be nine game modes for you to get to grips with, some familiar, some new to Uncharted 3. They are:

• Team Deathmatch (5 vs. 5)
• Free For All (8 players)
• Plunder (capture the treasure 5 vs. 5)
• 3-Team Deathmatch (three teams of two members competing)
• Team Objective (tactical, task-orientated 5 vs. 5 matches)
• High Stakes (bet on your skill by putting your XP and cash on the table)

Additionally, three co-op modes will be making an appearance:

• Co-op Arena (Survive 10 rounds against the enemy AI with friends)
• Co-op Adventure (a unique adventure to play through with friends)
• Co-op Hunter (You and a friend join forces with the AI to hunt two heroes)

For those of you lucky enough to get early access to the beta, which varied by territory, let us know your experience so far in the comments section.

I look forward to seeing you guys online this week!

Hi Guys,

I’m pleased to announce that we will be releasing our third game in the successful Invizimals series this November, entitled Invizimals The Lost Tribes.

The game will have all the features that has made Invizimals such a well-loved franchise in Europe, with Novarama’s augmented reality technology enabling you to literally hunt down, capture, battle, customise and trade the magical monsters living in the world all around you.

The story will pick up from where Invizimals Shadow Zone left off, with you as the Hero trying to find Keni after he disappeared into the Shadow Zone or if you’re new to the franchise, the game will allow you to begin a new adventure with Jasmin, Alex and the gang.

This time around there will be 150 Invizimals, the most creatures we’ve ever had on an Invizimals title, with 70 brand new Invizimals and 80 of the community’s favourite Invizimals from the previous titles for you to capture, train, customise and battle.

Also due to popular demand, Novarama have included an awesome new Tag Team Battle mode , enabling you to fight 2 v 2 Invizimals, allowing for even more dynamic battles and tactical gameplay than ever before.

That’s it from me, keep an eye on the blog for further updates, where I’ll be able to share some of the new Invizimals, new captures and new special moves, as well as showing you some Tag Team Battle gameplay.

Thanks,

Phil

Widely considered two of the best games ever made, these multiple award-winning and well loved PS2 titles will be fully remastered in 1080p, with trophy and 3D support to boot.

We will be releasing these on a single Blu-ray disc across PAL on 28th September 2011.

Also, for the purists among you (I know I’m one), we’ve placed the original PS2 artwork from both titles on the reverse of the paper inlay, so you can swap them around and have the classic look for your collection

I’ll share more with you after E3, so keep an eye on the blog. Thanks for your time and I hope you all are as excited about reliving these masterpieces on PS3 as I am.

Here are a few words from The Last Guardian Director/Game Designer, Fumito Ueda:

I announced at last year’s Tokyo Game Show that the release timing of The Last Guardian which is currently being developed would be holiday 2011.

However, to provide more challenging and better quality of content to users and to fulfill First Party Studio’s obligations, I decided to postpone its release timing.

All the members of my production team are working together at a fast pace to develop and release the game in First Party Studio quality.

I sincerely apologize to all the customers who have been waiting for “The Last Guardian” for so long, but I beg for your patience. I will also announce the new release timing at a later time.

Invizimals Shadow Zone is out this week for PSP 3000, Join The Hunt.

Invizimals: Shadow Zone will be released on PSP across Europe from 10 November.

We’ll have another behind the scenes video later in the week. In the meantime, feel free to yell “Gordon’s Alive?!” in the comments.

I really wanted to share with you what happens when you use a large trap to view your Invizimals, instead of the one usually used with the game. This video shows the OCELOTL moving from a regular trap in my hand to a large 2×2 metre trap.

I’ve also got some behind the scenes videos that I’ll post over the coming weeks in the run up to Invizimals Shadow Zone launching in November.

Let me know what you think.

Place your bets on either: Gordo, Cammy or Nicky….

We’re Phil Lynch and Claire Backhouse, UK Software Product Managers of Killzone 2 and LittleBigPlanet posting to say a huge thank you to those of you who voted in the 27th Annual Golden Joystick awards.

Two of PlayStation’s most popular IPs came away with some gold! Killzone 2 won the prestigious PlayStation Game of the Year award among heavy competition and Sackboy and his LittleBigPlanet ruled the Family Game of the Year category over some well established competitors!

Here’s a run down of all the winners from the 27th Annual Golden Joystick Awards:

• Family Game of the Year: LittleBigPlanet
• Handheld Game of the Year: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
• Retailer of the Year: GAME
• Mobile Game of the Year: Metal Gear Solid Touch
• Nintendo Game of the Year: Call of Duty: World at War
• Multiplayer Game of the Year: Call of Duty: World at War
• Soundtrack of the Year: Guitar Hero: World Tour
• Xbox Game of the Year: Gears of War 2
• PC Game of the Year: Fallout 3
• UK Developer of the Year: Jagex
• PlayStation Game of the Year: KillZone 2
• Publisher of the Year: Activision Blizzard
• Online Game of the Year: Left 4 Dead
• One to Watch: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
• Ultimate Game of the Year: Fallout 3

With well over a million votes this year’s event was the biggest yet and as the awards are decided by you, the audience, they definitely mean so much more!

Thanks Again Guys & Girls!

Phil & Claire

My name is Phil Lynch, UK Software Product Manager with a quick reminder that there is still time to cast your vote for the Golden Joysticks!

With well over a million votes this year’s event is going to be the biggest yet plus there’s lots of Sony Computer Entertainment titles shortlisted;

Family Game of The Year:

• LittleBigPlanet

The Ultimate Game of the Year:

• Killzone 2

UK Developer of the year:

• Sony Computer Entertainment London Studio
• Media Molecule

Soundtrack of The Year:

• LittleBigPlanet

Publisher of The Year:

• Sony Computer Entertainment

PlayStation Game of the Year:

• Killzone 2
• Resistance 2
• LittleBigPlanet

One to Watch:

• Uncharted 2
• God of War 3

Multiplayer Game of The Year:

• Killzone 2
• LittleBigPlanet

Handheld Game of the Year:

• Resistance Retribution
• Loco Roco 2

Voting ends on Monday 26th October and the show will air on the 30th October.

By casting your vote you can help shape gaming history; plus you’ll be in the draw to win some great prizes!

My name is Phil Lynch, UK Software Product Manager for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.

I’m sure you guys have read Thach’s blogpost on Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, if not pop over and have a look.

I’d just like to share with you guys some of the UK marketing and advertising for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves that you’ll be seeing on your screens over the coming weeks.

We’re sponsoring some great TV over the next 10 weeks, this will feature ‘Uncharted 2: Among Thieves’ branding and footage on all Sky One & Two Movies, including Mission Impossible 2, Hunt for Red October and Beverly Hills Cop. In addition the sponsorship will cover adventure programming on Discovery across four channels (Discovery, Discovery Shed, DMAX and Quest) including new episodes of Deadliest Catch, Whale Wars and Bear Grylls. The movie and adventure sponsorship angle obviously fits Uncharted 2 perfectly.

Along with this sponsorship, we’ll be running our TV ad, including great spots in both the England World Cup Qualifier against Belarus on the 14th and the UEFA Champions League match between Chelsea and Athletico Madrid the following week.

You’ll also be able to catch our ad in cinemas nationwide in movies like Saw VI, Jennifer’s Body, Triangle, 2012 and Zombieland among others

Along with this we have a big press campaign and a competition running on www.benathandrake.com, where you and a friend are in with a chance of winning a real Himalayan adventure and follow the footsteps of Marco Polo (and Nathan Drake of course) on a 19 day holiday in Nepal. UK residents only, sorry.

That’s it from me… let me know what you think of the campaign and if you have any other questions or comments.

Take Care, enjoy the game and I’ll see you guys online

Phil