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PlayStation.Blog Recap

James Gallagher — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:00:33 +0000

Here’s your recap:

Inside PS Vita: Social Connectivity – The latest video in the Inside PS Vita series features the developers of Reality Fighters and WipEout 2048 discussing the changing ways we play together.
Video Store Of PlayStation Store News! – The 0.99 Movie Showdown comes to the Video Store. Vote for either Captain America: The First Avenger or Conan the Barbarian to go on sale for £0.99/€0.99!
The 8 February SingStore Update With The Human League And More… – Pick up the 80′s Part 4 Song Pack and a bunch of other gems this week in SingStore.
ModNation Racers: Road Trip – Here, Let Us Help You With That – New Track Studio features will let you twist and shape your ModNation surroundings like never before, for some truly mind-bending races.
Malicious Comes To PSN This Week – This all-new action game for PS3 contains stages that throw players into boss battles, and allows them to freely choose which stage they would like to begin with.
PlayStation Home: Love is in the Air – Home is a digital romance goldmine this week, with a Lockwood ShowOff: First Date photo competition, new Valentine’s-themed clothing and furniture, and more.
PS3 System Software Update (V.4.10) – This new firmware update features an improved Internet Browser and renames PSN Account to Sony Entertainment Network Account (but doesn’t change how you log in!).
‘Heads-Up’ Game Store Update 8th February 2012 – Shank 2, Malicious, The Simpsons Arcade Game, and lots of DLC hit the Store this week, plus the PSP Power Sale continues.
DLC Roll Out: New Uncharted 3 Co-op Adventure DLC And Skins Pack – The Fort Co-Op Adventure DLC is here, plus 3 Skins Packs and the Flashback Map Pack 2.
Dive Into PS Vita’s Augmented Reality Suite – Sony Santa Monica Sr. Manager Dave Thach shows off two new augmented reality games, Fireworks and Cliff Diving, coming exclusively to PS Vita on 22 Feb on PSN for free.
Motion Controls In Virtua Tennis 4: World Tour Edition – Virtua Tennis 4 uses the unique new features of the PlayStation Vita to full effect, so you can do things like tilt the screen to change your view of the game.
MUBI Update: 9 February 2012 – A wide mix of genres in MUBI this week – classic cinema, contemporary genre films, super smart and sexy mainstream international titles, and more.
Inside PS Vita: Cross Play With PS3 – Get a first look at the awesome level of interaction between the PS Vita and PS3, making it possible for players to compete against each other on different devices and more.
Vodafone UK PS Vita 3G Pricing & WipEout 2048 Offer! – Announcing the plans for UK PS Vita 3G users, plus an offer that includes a free copy of WipEout 2048.
VIDZONE UPDATE: M Is For Madonna, Minaj, M.I.A, Miike Snow And More! – This week in VidZone, a wide variety of great music videos come together in alphabetical unity, led by Artist of the Week Nicki Minaj.
FuturLab’s Space Shooter Revealed, Music By Killzone Composer – The new teleportation shoot ‘em-up Velocity, coming in March, will combine nostalgia and innovation for a game that’s both familiar and exciting.
Smash ‘N’ Survive Coming To PSN On 22 February – Version2Games’ first PS3 offering brings a new level of planning to vehicle combat, featuring environmental weapons, a variety of game modes, and other tweaks to the genre.
Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 PS Vita Gameplay – Watch new video from the game, and make your choices: Hero or herald? Marvel or Capcom?
Access Episode 20 – This episode features PS Vita racer WipEout 2048 as Game of the Week, plus footage from the recent Glasgow Vita Rooms and more.
PlayStation Vita Discovery Apps: Frobisher Says And t@g – Frobisher Says is a surreal party game with a wide variety of activities; t@g brings fun, competition, and design to real-life spaces. Both are free from the PlayStation Store.
“The Weekend Debate: At Home VS Not At Home” – What’s the difference between a perfect home console game and a perfect portable one? Dive into the discussion.

Weekend Essentials 112 – Unlock the secrets of Amalur, take a trip to Gotham City and discover a town plagued by nightmares in Catherine this weekend on PlayStation.
Top Tips: Gotham City Impostors – Become the perfect phoney in Batman’s home town with these handy hints from Monolith, developer of Gotham City Impostors.
Top Darts preview – Take your personal dartboard with you wherever you go.
Little Deviants preview – Let the mayhem begin on PS Vita.
Uncharted: Golden Abyss preview – Uncover the dark secret behind the massacre of a Spanish expedition to Central America 400 years ago.

The Weekend Debate: At Home VS Not At Home

James Gallagher — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:00:18 +0000

Earlier today we posted the latest episode of Inside PS Vita that shows some of the ways that PS Vita and PS3 interact. Such breakthroughs as playing the exact same game on a home console and portable, and enabling players to compete in the same arena whether they’re in their bedrooms or in the park, are closing the gaps between what we traditionally expect in a home game experience and a portable one. Maybe you disagree with me entirely – that’s where the Weekend Debate comes in.

Whenever I’m in an interview about PlayStation Vita I find myself asking the subject the same question: what’s the difference between a perfect home console game and a perfect portable one? None has given a gold-plated answer yet so I thought I’d open it up to the community. This week’s debate is:

Is there any difference between a game best suited to a home console and one best fitting a portable, or is the whole gaming world too diverse to try and make a distinction?

PlayStation.Blog Recap

James Gallagher — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:00:16 +0000

That’s another week done and dusted. What was your favourite blog post? I enjoyed the MotorStorm RC online play video and it’s always great to hear more about Aliens: Colonial Marines. Next week’s schedule is still coming together as I write this but I can say that we’ll have a fair bit of PS Vita news and a new PSN game that even I didn’t see coming…

Here’s your recap.

Hungry Giraffe Eats Its Way Onto PSN – Live the dream: Help a stretchy-necked giraffe eat burgers floating in the sky.
LittleBigPlanet Now Has Over 6 MILLION USER-GENERATED GAMES & LEVELS!!! – Check out a fan-created LBP video series that caught our attention, watch the trailer for the new Muppets DLC, and more.
‘Heads-Up’ PlayStation Plus Update – 1st February 2012 – The Simpsons Arcade arrives next week for FREE, Far Cry 2 is coming soon after that, and a lot more in this update.
PlayStation Home: Lose Weight With Novus Prime – This week in PS Home, spacewalk in Novus Prime, try out new period costumes, and more.
Twisted Metal Multiplayer Beta Coming To PSN Today – This awesome beta includes 8 vehicles, 2 multiplayer modes, and a challenge mode.
PlayStation Network Scheduled Maintenance – PSN was offline for scheduled maintenance from 2pm Thursday to 7am Friday (GMT).
‘Heads-Up’ Game Store Update February 1st 2012 – Betas for Gotham City Imposters and Twisted Metal, plus a Syndicate demo and more.
Lumines Electronic Symphony: Q Entertainment’s Love Letter To Electronic Music – See the full listing of 33 playable tracks, and read reactions from some of the featured artists.
Making Of: The Last Of Us Announcement Trailer – See motion capture footage from the making of The Last of Us announcement trailer.
Welcome To The PS3 Demo Of Syndicate! – This co-op demo with an awesome weapons arsenal showcases how Syndicate is more than your average FPS.
Touch Controls In Virtua Tennis 4: World Tour Edition – Virtua Tennis 4 takes full advantage of the Vita’s front and rear touch capabilities for some truly innovative gameplay.
MotorStorm RC: Video Run-Through Of Competitive Online Play – Get a glimpse of MotorStorm RC’s competitive online play, perfect for igniting intense rivalries among gamers.
Worms Ultimate Mayhem Release Date Confirmed – This “best of” compilation of content from both Worms 3D and Worms 4: Mayhem arrives 15 February.
Access TV Episode 19 – In this week’s episode, new Uncharted: Golden Abyss footage, Vita tech specs, a real-life WipEout track, and more.
Randy Pitchford Talks Aliens: Colonial Marines Release Date, Prometheus Possibilities – The CEO of Gearbox Software dishes on the new FPS’ play style and the upcoming film Prometheus.
The Weekend Debate: Caption This – A twist on this week’s Weekend Debate!

Weekend Essentials 111 – The FINAL FANTASY and SOUL CALIBUR series return to PS3 this weekend, whilst a brand new edition of our Level Up quiz celebrates the upcoming launch of PS Vita.
First look: Darksiders II – Find out what it’s like to play as the unlikeliest hero on PlayStation 3.
Augmented reality on PS Vita – Bring the world into play with PlayStation Vita and dramatically change the world around you using augmented reality…
The features of PlayStation Vita – Take a look at the revolutionary features of PlayStation Vita that will change the way you play on the go.

PS Vita pre-order guide: the cheapest prices, best bundles
Resident Evil 6 characters: who can, and who can’t come back?
The Last Of Us’ Joel is “a violent thug, a brutal killer and a torturer”
SoulCalibur 5′s top cheaty tips – tactics to always win.
Things I wish I’d known before I started playing Final Fantasy XIII-2

The Weekend Debate: Caption This

James Gallagher — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:51:37 +0000

For a bit of a change, this week’s debate is a caption-off. Rather than discuss a topic, I’d like you come up with a funny caption for the image below. Seeing as the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection is out this week, here’s a picture of Snake chilling with a monkey. Get captioning!

I don’t have any spare voucher codes to give away this week so this is just for kicks and the chance for you razor wit to be admired by the PS community. Enjoy!

PlayStation.Blog Recap

James Gallagher — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:01:55 +0000

Here’s another week of PlayStation.Blog content gift wrapped in blue and delivered to your browsers; what has been your favourite announcement? I personally enjoyed the Beginner’s Guide to BlazBlue, a series I have never dipped my fist into. With that, the news that Mr. Miyagi appears in Reality fighters and the reveal of more exclusive PlayStation characters for Street Fighter X Tekken, it seems that the beat ‘em up genre is alive and well. That’s great news for the industry.

While I can’t share everything I have planned for next week, you can look forward to February’s PlayStation Plus content list on Monday. We’ll also have updates on LBP, Virtua Tennis on PS Vita and the superb MotorStorm RC. I hope you’ll be with us for all that.

Here’s your recap:

Action And Comedy On VideoStore Of PlayStation Store – We all love the thrill of watching a great action film… right!?
Win The Ultimate PS Vita Gaming Bundle – Sign up to Inside PS Vita now and receive all the latest updates and developments, and maybe even win something!
Online Features In ModNation Racers: Road Trip – An impressive list of online functionality to take advantage of the WiFi/3G and GPS functionality.
Creating Monsters For Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock – Here’s some insight into the monsters that will be appearing in the game.
SingStore 2012: The Next Update Is Here… – SingStore update No. 2 for this year! Time flies when you’re having fun.
Mecho Wars Soars Onto PSN Tomorrow – minis title Mecho Wars, is coming to the PlayStation Store for €4.99 on January 25th!
Everything You Wanted To Know About BlazBlue – But Were Afraid To Ask – Take a look at a series that’s built a reputation for itself among fighting aficionados over the last couple of years.
Ubisoft PS Vita Week – Asphalt: Injection Fuels The Fire – Boasts ten game modes spanning the tried-and-true Race mode to more signature game modes!
PlayStation Home: Yeti Sighting In Winter Event Space – Reports of a mysterious cave opening up down by the water in the Winter Event space
The Jak And Daxter Trilogy Hits On Feb 22nd With Over 100 Trophies To Collect – Score the first three installments of the Jak and Daxter trilogy in one complete PS3 Blu-ray package for just €39.99 (RRP).
Introducing Your Reality Fighters Sensei: Mr. Miyagi – Augmented Reailty beat ‘em up coming exclusively to PlayStation Vita!
‘Heads-Up’ Game Store Update 25th January 2012 – Check out the new PSN content and snap up a new batch of avatars ranging from Assassin’s Creed to King of Fighters!
Ubisoft PS Vita Week: Building On A Classic With Lumines Electronic Symphony – Lumines still holds its place as one of the top five games currently available for PlayStation Portable.
VidZone Update – VidZone’s Annual Alternate Video Awards 2012 – Encounter the winners and losers, the gracious and jealous, tears of joy and disappointment, the good the bad and the downright mental antics.
Ubisoft PS Vita Week: Rayman Origins – On February 22, Rayman and his friends return to PS Vita!
Armored Core V Preps PS3 Community For Deep Multiplayer Action – Hitting consoles across Europe on 23rd March, so check out this trailer with some ins and outs!
Mega Man And Pac-Man Confirmed As PlayStation Exclusives For Street Fighter X Tekken – Two of videogaming’s most iconic characters are entering the ring and going toe to toe.
Access TV Episode 18 – Episode 18 of Access is on YouTube now and it’s decidedly PlayStation Vita-shaped!
The Weekend Debate: Crossing The Streams – What would be your dream gaming crossovers or cameos and why?

Weekend Essentials 110 – Download The Duke, see Naughty Dog’s latest vision and win great prizes with PlayStation this weekend.
“Top Tips: Gran Turismo 5″ – 2011 GT Academy winner Jann Mardenborough gives us a driving masterclass in our exclusive video.
Win the ultimate PS Vita gaming bundle – Be first in line to experience the handheld revolution thanks to Inside PS Vita.
PS Vita connects with Vodafone – Sony Computer Entertainment Europe partners with Vodafone to provide 3G services for PlayStation Vita.
Bundles of fun – Start your PS3 and PSP adventure with a great value hardware and software pack from PlayStation.

Bonus OPSM link!

What happens when you play Reality Fighters with a six foot AR card?

The Weekend Debate: Crossing The Streams

James Gallagher — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:38:20 +0000

Earlier today we learned that the PS3 and PlayStation Vita versions of Street Fighter X Tekken will include five exclusive characters: Mega Man, Pac-Man, Cole McGrath and Japanese PlayStation mascots Toro and Kuro.

It got me thinking about cameos and guest appearances in games – an increasingly frequent occurrence, it seems, particularly in beat ‘em ups. And it’s not just other game characters popping up in other pixels’ playgrounds: the NBA Jam series has a long tradition of including Presidential ‘ballers and the mighty Phil Collins popped up in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.

This week’s Weekend Debate poser is:

What would be your dream gaming crossovers or cameos and why?

The 15 most original and entertaining ideas as decided by our independent judge will bag their authors a voucher code for the LittleBigPlanet 2 Move Pack to help you make your dream mash-ups for yourselves. Do bear in mind that you will need a copy of LittleBigPlanet 2 (not included) to use this DLC.

Can’t wait to read what you come up with!

PlayStation.Blog Recap

James Gallagher — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 12:00:40 +0000

As we reach the junction between this week and the last, we look back upon a packed week of blog posts that brought us interviews with our President and CEO Andy House, and Mr. Takashi Sogabe, the designer of PlayStation Vita. We also got the scoop on the first details of Mortal Kombat on PS Vita, the opening of the Starhawk Public Beta (how are you getting on with it?), first look at the WipEout 2048 opening movie and the unveiling of Resident Evil 6.

Next week we’re going to be in similarly fine fettle and, while I don’t want to drop a pile of spoilers on you, posts we have taking shape include a beginner’s guide to BlazBlue, a competition to win a PS Vita with a pile of games and an appearance from a well-known wearer of bow-ties…

Here’s your recap:

FIWC Winner Enjoys a Night With the Stars – An interview with FIFA Interactive World Cup champion Francisco Cruz following the FIFA Ballon d’Or 2011 Gala in Zurich, Switzerland.
Arc The Lad Returns With An Accent – The long-awaited English-version emulation of Arc the Lad was re-released on January 18th on the EU PlayStation Network.
GT Academy Drivers Take Class Podium at Dubai 24H – Last weekend, a record-breaking race team composed entirely of PlayStation gamers participated in the Dubai 24H in the GT Academy competition.
ModNation Racers: Road Trip – Mod Postcards! – A preview of the hilarious customizable postcards ModNation Racers players will be able to create on Playstation Vita.
Starhawk Public Beta! – All the skinny on the Starhawk beta that kicked off on Wednesday for PlayStation Plus subscribers.
PlayStation Home: Welcome The Year Of The Dragon – A new Chinese Dragon companion, plus adorable Stitchkins ponies and a Japanese Edo period-themed space.
New Year, New Uncharted 3 DLC; Fortune Hunters’ Club Grows – The new U3 DLC includes four completely new maps. We also get a preview of the next DLC, which will feature three new character skins packs.
‘Heads-Up’ Game Store Update January 18 2012 – New this week: Splinter Cell Double Agent, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 costumes packs, a free LittleBigPlanet 2 costume, and tons more.
New Gran Turismo 5 DLC Out Today – Two new GT5 DLCs: Car Pack 3, featuring more Gran Turismo cars, and the Speed Test Pack.
Hitman: Absolution Q&A: IO Interactive Goes for the Throat – We sat down with the lead producer of the awe-inspiring new Hitman game for an info-packed Q&A, featuring questions submitted by @PlayStation followers.
Meet PlayStation’s President: Andy House – A video interview with PlayStation President and CEO Andrew House, who discusses PlayStation Suite, the upcoming Western launch of PS Vita, and a lot more.
PS Vita Designer On Perfect Screen Size And Battling Engineers – Takashi Sogabe, head of the team in charge of the aesthetic of PS Vita, offers insight on screen size, analog sticks, and the battle between function and design.
Mortal Kombat For PS Vita: Ed Boon Talks Touchscreen Fatalities, New Challenge Tower – Netherrealm Studios Creative Director Ed Boon talks about what’s different, what’s the same, and what’s new for Mortal Kombat on PS Vita.
Resident Evil 6 Announcement Trailer – RE6 for PlayStation 3 is coming this November, and this trailer offers the first real look at the thrilling and ambitious new installment.
Access Episode 17 – Episode 17 of Access TV is now available on YouTube complete with mega PS3 exclusive The Last of Us as game of the week.
Step Into The World Of WipEout 2048 – Check out a specially narrated cut of the cinematic intro to WipEout 2048 on PlayStation Vita.
The Weekend Debate: Going for Gold – Which Olympic events would you include in your game of the 2012 Olympic Games and what would be the control mechanic?
UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss – The Characters Unmasked – Check out how the UNCHARTED characters are brought to life.

Weekend Essentials 109 – Take part in the Starhawk beta with PlayStation Plus and check out the January Sale on PlayStation Store this weekend.
Win the ultimate PS Vita gaming bundle – Be first in line to experience the handheld revolution thanks to Inside PS Vita.
Pick the right PS Vita launch game for you – Say hello to the games set to lead the handheld gaming revolution, and choose the right ones for you.
Trophy Cabinet – Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception – Treasure, trailblazing and trophies combine in the outstanding adventure of 2011. Here’s how to max out your trophy list.

The Weekend Debate: Going for Gold

James Gallagher — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:04:30 +0000

If you’re a fan of sports then the irony is that the summer of 2012 will most likely be among your most inactive, with the European Football Championships soon followed by the 2012 Olympic Games in my home town of London, England all over your TV sets.

Earlier this week I read the first details of the inevitable official game of the 2012 Olympics, and I admit I always look forward to them. They take me back to the days of playing International Track and Field as a schoolboy and pioneering new ways to break world records (such as wearing a sock over your hand and using one finger to rapidly alternate between the X and Circle buttons in the sprint events. We called it the ‘getting biro off the back of your hand’ technique.)

I have no idea which events will be covered in the 2012 edition, nor which control schemes the development team is dreaming up. So, this week’s question is:

Which Olympic events would you include in your game of the 2012 Olympic Games and what would be the control mechanic?

Bonus points for the weird and wonderful, of course. The best 15 answers as selected by an independent judge will get a voucher code for PixelJunk Sidescroller. These will be sent via private message at http://community.eu.playstation.com.

Marks, set… comment!

FIWC Winner Enjoys a Night With the Stars

James Gallagher — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:00:11 +0000

“Who would have thought that playing EA SPORTS FIFA would one day take me to the FIFA Ballon d’Or,” said reigning FIFA Interactive World Cup champion Francisco Cruz, sitting in Zurich, Switzerland just hours after having experienced the FIFA Ballon d’Or 2011 Gala.

With his victory at the FIWC11 Grand Final in Los Angeles, Cruz earned $20,000 in prize money and a priceless invitation to the FIFA Ballon d’Or 2011 Gala. At the Gala, Francisco talked tactics with Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, played FIFA 12 against Wayne Rooney and Gerard Piqué on a nearby PS3 and shook hands with superstars such as Lionel Messi, Xavi, Ronaldo, Neymar and Dani Alves. The morning following Francisco’s incredible night at the Gala, the team at FIFA.com spoke with him as he reflected on the experience.

This must have been an amazing experience for you. Does any specific moment stand out?

Francisco: I can’t really say what my favourite moment was. All of it was incredible. Beating Wayne Rooney at FIFA 12 and talking to Sir Alex Ferguson were certainly highlights. And of course meeting Lionel Messi, my favourite player. There have been so many highlights, I have to watch out that I don’t forget anything!

What did you discuss with Sir Alex?

Francisco: For me he’s a true legend. He’s been with Manchester United for more than twenty years now so I was very happy that I had the opportunity to talk to him. We talked about the best ways to cope with mental pressure in tough games. This was really helpful for me and I’ll definitely try to apply his advice at this year’s Grand Final.

You mentioned your EA SPORTS FIFA 12 match with Wayne Rooney. What was it like to play against one of your idols?

Francisco: It’s a dream playing against one of my favourite players. It’s a new experience and I would like to do it again next year, he is a good player. He kept possession of the ball well with England but he could not transfer that into goal scoring opportunities. He said he was the best FIFA 12 player at Manchester United and I believe him as he was very good. I had some good chances and I scored, but he could have scored one or two goals.

You brought your cousin to the Gala. Why did you choose him to accompany you?

Francisco: My family is very important to me. For the 2009 Grand Final in Barcelona, where I placed third, I invited my sister. Last year, my father came with me to Los Angeles, so now it was my cousin’s turn. He’s just as crazy about football as I am, plus he’s a really good friend of mine.

Did you ever imagine that you would be part of such a special night when you first played the FIFA series?

Francisco: No, not at all. It is still unbelievable. I mean who would have thought that playing EA SPORTS FIFA would one day take me to the FIFA Ballon d’Or! And now, here I am, among stars like Lionel Messi and Wayne Rooney!

Is this day at the FIFA Ballon d’Or a strong motivation for you to defend your title?

Francisco: I’m very competitive and I want to win every game. Of course, this day is very special for me and If I could be part of this once more it would be fantastic. I’ll definitely give my all and try to defend my title!

PlayStation.Blog Recap

James Gallagher — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 12:00:10 +0000

This is my first recap intro of 2012 and I have to admit I wasn’t expecting our publishing schedule to get back to full speed quite so quickly, and yet we had stacks of posts last week, and the next is looking just as healthy.

To some it may seem arbitrary but a new year is a time for new thinking, resolutions and a little bit of reflection; one thing I have realised is that I can hardly ever think of anything interesting to write in these intros!

I’m always asking you for ideas of what I should be doing with this blog so please; let me know in the comments what you like to see in this weekly space. A recap of that week’s releases? Some hints at upcoming blog posts? Something else?

Here’s your recap.

Shinobido 2 Developers Discuss The Sounds Of Assassination - Our friend Toshiko Tazaki shares details on how they shaped the tension and atmosphere in their upcoming assassin-thriller.
ModNation Racers: Road Trip – Brand New Career Mode! – A look at highlights of the new career mode in ModNation Racers: Road Trip.
Welcome To The First SingStore Update Of 2012! - Adele, Loick Essien, Spice Girls, Dean Martin, Steps, and a new DanceStar Party mix.
Resident Evil Operation Raccoon City Triple Impact Trailer – Watch the brand new trailer for the latest installment in the Resident Evil franchise.
Galaxy Fight Plays the Blues in the Import Store – A retro classic returns in the PlayStation Store.
PlayStation Home: Defend The Earth Fleet In Novus Prime: Vindication – An update on the new Novus Prime expansion, plus All Zombies Must Die! and more.
Get Involved In The FIFA Interactive World Cup! – All the details on UK FIWC qualifiers and more about this year’s tournament.
‘Heads-Up’ PlayStation Store Update 11th January 2012 – AMY, Zack Zero, Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Asura’s Wrath demos, and a ton more.
PlayStation Store January Sale – Deals on the likes of Crysis, Dead Space 2 and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. Get ‘em while they’re hot! Week 1 ends Wednesday.
CES 2012: PS Vita’s Augmented Reality Transforms Your Table Into An Arena - Seriously cool – don’t miss the video.
Shinobido 2 Revenge Of Zen Reveals Its Story, Weapons, And More! - A new trailer for Shinobido 2 for PS Vita.
Touch My Katamari Prologue Reveals The Truth About The King Of All Cosmos! – A first look at the storyline for the next chapter in the Katamari saga.
MUBI Update: 12 January 2012 - The beginning of our collaboration with My French Films Festival 2012 brings some incredible young filmmakers to MUBI.
VidZone Update – The Best Of 2011 & Ones To Watch For 2012 – Highlighting the old and ringing in the new with the latest hits and soon-to-be hits.
Unit 13 Infiltrates PS Vita March 7th, Covert Mission Video Walkthrough – Get psyched for Unit 13 with an exclusive walkthrough video and more.
New Gran Turismo DLC And Update Incoming - The details behind another DLC pack winging it’s way to PlayStation Store very soon, 18th January to be exact.
Access Episode 16 - Check out a roundup of the best PlayStation Store content, plus a look at what’s hot news wise in the world of PS3.
Time To Vote In The Official PlayStation Community Awards 2012 - Access the official PlayStation forums and decide what has been the best of the best within the PlayStation Universe in the last year.
GT Academy Hits Dubai 24H - A recap of the GT Academy and look at the GT Academy race in Dubai.
Nominate Your Favourite LBP Levels For A Sackie Award - The Sackies have returned to recognise the LittleBigPlanet community of players, creators and sharers alike.
Call to Arms! Starhawk Public Beta Begins Wednesday, January 18th! - A look at who gets the Starhawk Public Beta and when.
The Weekend Debate: Chance is a Fine Thing? - Submit your thoughts on the varying degrees of ‘chance’ that influence our gaming.
Under Siege – Enhanced Edition Free Update Now Available - Massive update for Under Siege Enhanced Edition on PSN.

Weekend Essentials 108

PlayStation Game and Community Awards 2011

Hands on with EA SPORTS FIFA Football

Grab a bargain in PlayStation Home

Get Involved with the FIFA Interactive World Cup

Find out about Hitman: Absolution’s new gameplay in this preview and interview.

Promises, promises: Skyrim PS3 lag fixed in next 1.4 update

Is this new PSN horror any good? Read our Amy review to find out.

Is Call Of Duty Black Ops 2 out this year?

Get ready for plenty of new The Last Of Us info in next month’s Official PlayStation Magazine UK.

The Weekend Debate: Chance is a Fine Thing?

James Gallagher — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:01:22 +0000

I’m neither superstitious nor a keen diarist, so it took me a few minutes to figure out what was going on when my local coffee shop was offering free lattes to anyone called Jason (ID Required) wearing a hockey mask this morning. It is indeed Friday the 13th, a day renowned for bringing an excess in bad luck.

This week’s debate (and the first one of 2012) is around luck and how it influences the games that we play and how we play them.

Games of chance are decided by one or more random elements (that’s random in the mathematical sense) whereas skill games are largely decided by the competence of the player. These concepts are often displayed as a continuum as most activities would sit somewhere in between.

The two extreme examples that spring to my mind are Gran Turismo (skill) and Peggle (chance), but you might have better ones.

This week’s debate is:

How do varying degrees of luck (or ‘chance’) influence the games that we play and their effects on us?

As always, our independent judge will pick the 15 most interesting comments and their authors will receive a voucher code for Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath, courtesy of Stewart Gilray and the team at Just Add Water. The codes will be sent via private message at http://community.eu.playstation.com on Monday.

Break a leg!

Time To Vote In The Official PlayStation Community Awards 2011

Envisager — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:05:19 +0000

Welcome to the Community & Game Awards 2011!

It is time for you to access the official PlayStation forums and decide what has been the best of the best within the PlayStation Universe in the last year.

The Community and Game Awards are already a classic within the PlayStation Community and it is your chance to decide what have been the best games, services, content and community members of 2011.
These awards are divided in two categories:

The Community Awards: In this board you are going to decide which community members, threads, events and clans deserve to be nominated for the awards of 2011.

Friendliest Online Gamer.
Most Helpful Member.
Funniest Member.
Best Clan.
Best Community event or contest.
Thread of the Year.
Most Creative Member of the year.
Best PSN Online ID created in 2011.
Newbie of the Year Award.

The Game Awards: You may nominate any game, service or content relevant for 2011 just by replying to each post and writing the name of what you are nominating. Please make sure that it is obvious, checking the spelling and using the full name.

[PS3] PlayStation 3 Game of the Year.
[PS3] Best PlayStation Move game of the year.
[PS3] Best Multiplayer mode.
[PSP] Game of the Year.
PlayStation Service of the Year (such as Vidzone, Music unlimited, Video Store, etc.).
[PS Store] Downloadable Game of the Year.
[PS Store] Downloadable Content of the Year (DLC).
[PS Vita] Most anticipated PS Vita Game.
Most Anticipated PlayStation Game of 2012.
Most wanted trophy. – Which trophy have you been actively hunting this year?
Best PlayStation videogame Art and Design.
Best Videogame Character of the year.

If you want to know everything about the Community Awards process, please check our FAQ in the Forums with all the answers.

Anyone with a PlayStation Network account can take part just by visiting your local language forum, choosing the award and making your nomination by typing his/its name.

English
France
Italy
Germany
Spain
Netherlands
Portugal
Poland
Russia
Australia & New Zealand
Finland
Scandinavian Languages

*Finland and Scandinavia are taking part in just the Games Awards category.

Here are the deadlines:

Nominations open on Monday 9th Januaryat 12:00PM GMT.
Nominations close on Monday 23rd Januaryat 12:00PM GMT.
10 finalists for each category.
Voting opens on Friday 27th Januaryat 12:00 PM GMT.
Voting closes on Friday 3rd Februaryat 12:00 PM GMT.
Winners will be announced on Monday 6th February at 17:00 PM GMT.

Thank you all for such a fantastic year and now it is up to you to decide the best of 2011.

We look forward to seeing your decisions!

Get Involved In The FIFA Interactive World Cup!

MusterBuster — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:00:48 +0000

Fancy $20,000? ‘Course you do, read on…

Every year PlayStation, EA and FIFA host the FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC). This tournament sees gamers duke it out on the latest EA SPORTS FIFA title to determine which player is the greatest in the world. The prize? $20,000 USD and an invite to the FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala 2012.

This year there’s 2 ways to get started in the competition. First, you can try your luck competing in online matches, using EA SPORTS FIFA 12 and a PS3. The second is by participating in a Live Qualifier event.

At a Live Qualifier you’ll be pitted against 32 fellow FIFA players in a knock-out tournament. Reach the final fixture of the Live Qualifier tournament and you go through to the UK FIWC Final. Win the UK final and we’ll fly you out to NYC to face finalists from the rest of the world. Beat them all and the $20K is all yours!

Details of this year’s UK Live Qualifiers can be found below:

16th January 2012: Manchester | 63 Deansgate, Manchester
28th January 2012: Glasgow | 211 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow
19th February 2012: London | Venue TBC

To register you’ll need to drop us an email during the registration periods listed below. If you’re selected, we’ll reply to your email with an invite to the Live Qualifier!

Manchester registration window: 12PM – 1PM Thursday 12th January
Glasgow registration window: 12PM – 1PM Wednesday 18th January
London registration window: 12PM – 1PM Wednesday 1st February

You should send your email to accesslive@scee.net with the subject line FIWC [VENUE] (replace VENUE with the venue you wish to register for – Manchester, Glasgow or London). Emails sent before or after the registration periods, or which don’t use the correct subject line, will not be counted!

You should join us on the PlayStation Access Facebook page and we’ll remind you when the registration windows are about to open, as well as provide you with loads more information about the FIWC Live Qualifiers: http://facebook.com/playstationaccess

A whole host of other information about the live qualifiers can be found on the FIWC website: http://www.fifa.com/interactiveworldcup/index.html and you can keep up with the FIWC on twitter by following http://twitter.com/FIWC

Good luck!

PlayStation.Blog Recap

James Gallagher — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:00:14 +0000

Here’s your recap:

Merry Christmas From PlayStation.Blog – A look back at the highlights on the PlayStation.Blog in 2011.
Happy Holidays From Naughty Dog! – Check out Naughty Dog’s Holiday card along with a glance at 2011.
Sucker Punch User Generated Mission Trailer – Watch the inFAMOUS: Festival of Blood User Generated Missions Highlights Trailer.
Happy Holidays From Sucker Punch Productions! – Sucker Punch shares their Holiday card as well as concept art from inFAMOUS: Festival of Blood.
Happy Holidays From Insomniac Games! – Holiday wishes from Insomniac Games accompanied by Insomniac’s Holiday card.
Happy Holidays From Sanzaru Games! – Sanzaru Games share their Holiday greetings in a video.
My Incredible Year With GT Academy – Jann Mardenborough shares his experiences at 2011 Nissan PlayStation GT Academy.
Happy Holidays From Evolution Studios! A Gift from Us to You! – Evolution Studios shares their Holiday card and 2012 outlook.
Media Molecule’s Fridge Cam – Molecules Exposed! – A look at what Media Molecule’s PS Eye Camera (Fridge Cam) exposed.
VidZone Update: We Wish You A Merry Christmas And An AD FREE New Year!! – A preview of what’s new on VidZone.
Happy Holiday Wishes From thatgamecompany! – A peek at thatgamecompany’s Holiday celebrations.
Access Episode 15 – A bumper preview of 2012-s hottest PS3 titles, including Mass Effect 3, BioShock Infinite and Grand Theft Auto V & more.
WipEout 2048-s Zombie Apocalypse – A look at WipEout 2048′s Zombie Mode.
‘Heads-Up’ PlayStationPlus Update – 4th January 2011 – Back to the Future: The Game hits PlayStation Plus
‘Heads-Up’ Game Store Update 4th January 2012 – All Zombies Must Die!, Wild Arms, Tiny Hawk and more hit the Game Store.
January Sales Come To PlayStation Home – Dozens of items are on offer at fantastic discounts with up to 50% off thanks to the January Sale.
Silent Hill: Downpour Comes Full Circle On PS3 – An interview with Devin Shatsky, Silent Hill producer.
A Musical Journey – A look at the music for Journey.

Merry Christmas From PlayStation.Blog

James Gallagher — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 12:01:37 +0000

The SCEE office has closed for the year but I’m popping on to wish our readers all the best wishes of the season and a very Happy New Year. While we may not be here, there’s still plenty of reason to check the blog over the next week: we’ve called in the help of our developer friends so look forward to posts from Media Molecule, Sucker Punch, Liverpool Studios and more. If you miss me and want to see me complaining about how much I’ve had to eat and/or drink, I’m @Jallagher on Twitter.

Christmas seems to be the time to look back and take stock so here are some of my highlights of 2011 on PlayStation.Blog.

In numbers…

We’ve published 982 blog posts that have generated a total of 64,337 comments from you guys and 7,992 replies from us. We’ve uploaded 3,877 images to Flickr and you’ve managed clock up a huge 6.2 Million video views on YouTube.

My favourite blog post

It’s difficult to remember all of them, let alone pick one, and the most obvious choices would be a big news piece like the Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception announcement, a particularly enjoyable interview like this one with Ken Levine, or something as unforgettable as our treasure hunt in the Jordanian desert.

However, I think my absolute favourite is a piece called ‘Games That Are Worth More Than Your Car’ by a guy called Sjoerd who I found through his site, PlaystationCollecting.com. While we often get preoccupied with news on here, it’s also important to try and keep our ‘blog’ roots. I really enjoy reaching out to fan sites and it’s something I’m going to do in a more meaningful way in 2012. The work these guys do is a big compliment to us and we appreciate it.

Favourite comment

Let’s not dwell too much on April’s bad memories but it did provide my favourite comment of the year. With PSN down, the only thing still allowing people to comment was the cookie on their browser. As those cookies expired, comments declined until there was only one person left…

Favourite screenshot

I’m a fan of succinct use of words and when I first received this screen (in preparation for announcing Uncharted 3) its file name was ‘Drake Looking’. I challenge anyone to describe it so perfectly in just two words.

Favourite video

It has to be this trip of a lifetime.

***

Have a wonderful break, whatever you’re doing. Thanks for supporting us in 2011 and I’ll look forward to seeing you again next year. Be good to each other.

PlayStation.Blog Recap

James Gallagher — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 12:00:56 +0000

Here is your recap:

In Pictures: PlayStation Vita Launches In Japan – PlayStation Vita launched in Japan! I was there and here is the entire morning as seen through the lens of my camera.
ModNation Racers: Road Trip – Recipe For Fun… Big, Bad, Weapons! – b(cool weapons + explosions) + w(great racing + track design) * y(MNR’s “Secret Sauce”) = !(freaking fun kart racing)
Dropsuits In DUST 514 – How do you build a better warrior?
First Video: Shinobido 2: Revenge Of Zen For PS Vita – NAMCO BANDAI Games bringing Acquire’s epic assassin tale of vengeance and betrayal to PS Vita on DAY ONE!
Shuhei Yoshida Interview: The Present And Future Of PS Vita – Shuhei Yoshida talks about what PS Vita is set to deliver in spades: great games!
Try The Music Unlimited Premium Package Free For 60 Days – Good elves at Sony Entertainment Network prepared a special treat to ease you through the busy festive season.
‘Heads-Up’ Game Store Update 21st December 2011 – It’s CHRISTMAS!!…. (almost) Here’s some great content for you to enjoy!
Gran Turismo 5 DLC Pack 2 Out Now – All new content is now ready and available for your gaming pleasure!
Starhawk Private Beta To Close January 3, 2012 – It’s been a wild, wild ride and it’s great that participants took time out of their schedule to help test Starhawk.
PlayStation Home: That’s a Wrap for 2011 – Spend your holidays basking in the sun on the deck of your private yacht in PS Home!
MUBI Update: 22 December 2011 – “One of the things I love most about cinema is how susceptible it is to mood.” — Danny Kasman
PlayStation Store Festive Sale – To celebrate the festive season, PS Store brings you some outstanding offers on over 100 titles for the Festive Sale!
Watch FIFA On PS Vita In Action – EA’s first foray onto the PlayStation Vita is a strong one.
PlayStation Vita AR Cards Bundled Free At Launch – We hope your PS Vita anticipation levels are building nicely…
Access Episode 14 – Soon Santa drops gaming goodies down your chimney… rewind and review the year gone by with a special festive edition of Access TV!
PS Vita Rooms – Full Schedule – Here’s a really, really sweet schedule of events for you to get involved with!
Five Things We Learned At The Japan PS Vita Launch – Five things that you may not know about the PS Vita.

PlayStation.Blog Recap

James Gallagher — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 12:00:01 +0000

At risk of injecting a double dose of envy into the comments thread, as you read this, Japanese gamers have their hands grasped firmly around PlayStation Vita and I was there to capture the excitement of the launch event. I also met up with a few of our top execs and Japan Studio developers (including the minds behind Everybody’s Golf and Gravity Daze) so look our for interviews between now and the European launch on 22 February.

I’ll have lots of photos and info to share on Monday when I am back in the office but, in the meantime, let’s all admire this beautiful view over Tokyo, the city where PlayStation was born in 1995.

Here is your Recap:

The Last Of Us Unveiled At VGAs – Blend survival and action elements to tell a character driven story about a population decimated by a modern plague.
Hitman: Absolution – A Personal Contract – Trailer explores crucial aspects of the storyline and sets the scene for a very unusual mission for 47.
The PlayStation Vita Rooms are Coming! – PS Access is back on the road armed with the latest and greatest in handheld gaming – PlayStation Vita!
ModNation Racers: Road Trip – New Racing Features – When it comes right down to it this PS Vita game is… a flat out fun kart racing game!
The Last SingStore Update of 2011 Is Here… 14 December 2011 – One real Christmas song and a bunch of other song tracks and Dance mixes!
Introducing DiRT Showdown! – Newly released trailer to give you an idea of the kind of high-octane action you can expect to see in the game.
Naughty Dog’s First Comments On The Last Of Us – Naughty Dog co-presidents Christophe Balestra and Evan Wells talk about their next title, The Last Of Us!
PS Vita Takes San Francisco, 9 New Gameplay Trailers Released – Covering the game’s launch software lineup and beyond!
How We Created Most Insane Immersive Movie Experience Ever – Can you tell what films are referenced in these three viral videos?
‘Heads-Up’ Game Store Update 14th December 2011 – Here are some great pieces of content for you to play!
How To Kill A Zombie -It’s a question as old as zombies themselves – How do you kill a zombie?
Tidings Of Comfort And Joy From Gran Turismo – The date for the new GT5 content will be 21 December. Check out what’s coming up!
Season’s Greetings From PlayStation Home – The festive seas on blasts into PlayStation Home like a gale force wind, bringing games and quests!
Hands-on: Sorcery Casts a Spell on PlayStation Move – Rewards and plenty of wonderful, wintry fun for all.
VidZone Update: I Used To Watch Music TV Like You, Then I Got A VidZone In My PS3 – From old to new, classic to alternative we have Christmas magic to suit all tastes!
Amy Returns To The Roots Of Survival Horror – Discover what kind of survival-horror game is Amy.
FIFA For PS Vita: Big Game Experience On The Go – Coming this February, EA SPORTS FIFA on PS Vita will be the first true next generation sports experience!
PlayStation Interview – FFXIII-2 – PS exclusive Interview with game director, Motomu Toriyama

We’ve got 55 new Metal Gear Rising Screens for you to have a look at.

We’ve also got 22 screens of Naughty Dog’s fungus zombie adventure The Last Of Us.

Hitman: Absolution gets a trailer breakdown with new screens and an analysis.

Our 2011 game of the year countdown starts with a shocking number ten.

Bioware’s mystery game has been revealed as Command & Conquer: Generals 2, here’s the first screens and trailer.

PlayStation.Blog Recap

James Gallagher — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 12:00:45 +0000

First of all, I’m really sorry for not posting a Weekend Debate this week. I simply ran out of time. One of the reasons is that next week I’m popping over to Tokyo to attend the Japanese launch of PlayStation Vita. As always when I cover an event, I’m really keen to hear the kinds of articles you’d like me to work on over there. Tell me what you want to know about and it shall be so.

Here’s your recap.

‘Heads-Up’ PlayStation Plus Update – 7th December 2011 – December comes to end the year and a PlayStation Plus content refresh is in order!
ModNation Racers: Road Trip – Kart Studio Preview – Take a look at a few of the new features of the ModNation Racers: Road Trip kart studio…
BF3: Back To Karkand DLC Out Now; New Gameplay Trailer – You can now buy, download and play! To celebrate launch day, here is a brand new trailer.
Resistance 3 Brutality Pack Smashes Onto PSN – Features a vicious survival mode where you face off against an army of ravenous grims as they try to take you and your friends down.
‘Heads-Up’ Game Store Update 7th December 2011 – This week was bursting with full PSN games for you to enjoy!
Turning Blue – Your eyes are not deceiving you, the PlayStation.Blog now has a new colour scheme – Blue!
Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD Launching 21 December – Check out all the HD awesomeness that this game will have!
PlayStation Home Version 1.60 Is Here – Delivering a wealth of improvements and updates. Also, Novus Prime is celebrating its 1st anniversary!
MUBI Update: 8 December 2011 – Celebrating the work of the Swiss auteur Thomas Imbach in our series, Films by Thomas Imbach.
Infantry Weapons In DUST 514 – The handheld weapons are a key part of any MMOFPS and DUST 514 is no exception.
Access Episode 12 – Mother of all JRPG franchises returns with Final Fantasy XIII-2 for Episode 12!
Buy a 12 Month Plus Subscription by December 11 And Receive Jurassic Park: The Game For Free – Here’s a limited time subscription bundle that will not only get you one year of PlayStation Plus, but also includes a free download!
Ghostlight To Release Agarest: Generations Of War 2 – One day, the world was enveloped by a mysterious blinding light…
Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock Coming To PS3 And PS Vita – The first blog post on Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock! Keep an eye out for more to come soon.
Team Ninja Details Ninja Gaiden 3 Multiplayer, Ninja Gaiden Sigma+ For PS Vita – In the form of 4v4 Team Deathmatch and Battle Royale modes… definitely stands on its own in the action genre.

Weekend Essentials 104 – Something for the weekend
Puss in Boots preview – Purrfect
Gaming gifts 2011 – Blockbuster games – Treat someone to the perfect PlayStation present
Battlefield 3 – Back to Karkand hits PlayStation Store – An explosive new game pack arrives
Ready yourself for the ultimate TEKKEN experience on PS3 – Ready yourself for the ultimate TEKKEN experience on PS3

Turning Blue

James Gallagher — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:36:49 +0000

This is just a very short post to confirm that your eyes are not deceiving you – PlayStation.Blog now has a new colour scheme in line with the changes to PlayStation branding.

You may already have seen some of this new branding in action without realising it – for the last few weeks any game trailers we’ve posted have had a short blue intro instead of the old black ones. Similar changes have been made to TV and print advertising.

You’ll be seeing similar changes across all of our online channels over the coming weeks.

PlayStation.Blog Recap

James Gallagher — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 12:00:14 +0000

It’s that time of year when we breakfast on individual squares of substandard chocolate. Christmas is galloping towards us and, here at SCEE, we’ve launched a bunch of competitions to ensure that not all of your presents this year arrive via the chimney.

Advent Calendar Competition on eu.playstation.com  
Enter every day up until 10 December to win awesome prizes including a Sony HMZ-T1 Personal 3D Viewer and a BRAVIA 3D TV.
PlayStation Unwrapped at youtube.com/sonyplaystation
 Unwrap a new gift each day to be in with a chance of winning PSN vouchers, hardware and more.
Festive quiz at http:community.eu.playstation.com 
Our community is hosting a festive contest where you can win a PlayStation 3, Move Starter pack and Start The Party: Save the World just by answering three questions.

If you’re one of those people that never enter competitions because you think you’ll never win, here’s a piece of Quantum theory I read recently: if there is an infinite number of dimensions in which you do win and an infinite number of dimensions in which you don’t, then the probability is, in fact, 50/50.

Here’s your recap:

How To Tweet On PlayStation Vita – Do you Tweet? See the Social Essentials applications in action!
Vehicle Dynamics In DUST 514 – Vehicle classes in DUST 514 resemble modern day battlefield vehicles, but are more menacing and multitudes more lethal.
Ezio Costume Coming To Final Fantasy XIII-2 – Special costume for male protagonist, Noel… now he can dress up as the master assassin from ACR.
Ubisoft Celebrates 25th Anniversary With PSN Discounts – From November 30th to December 7th, Ubisoft is celebrating its 25th anniversary!
12 Deals Of Christmas On PSN – Now you have 12 extra special reasons to be jolly as the 12 Deals of Christmas come to PS Store.
PS3 System Software Update (v.4.00) – In preparation for the launch of PS Vita in Japan, this update will prepare the PS3 to serve as a content management device.
Exclusive Look At New Characters In New Yakuza: Dead Souls Trailer – Like Yakuza 4, the game will let you play as four characters, including two never-before-played fan favorites!
PlayStation Store Update: 30 November 2011 – Check out these fantastic updates!
PlayStation Home: Winter Wonderland – It’s not Christmas without sales – even in PS Home!
Think You’re Good At EA SPORTS FIFA 12? Prove It! – Do you think you have what it takes to beat the best players on earth and be crowned the World Champion?
PlayStation Plus Presents ‘The 12 Gifts of Christmas’ – Here’s an additional discount for our loyal PS Plus subscribers…
VIDZONE UPDATE: Tis the Season to… Watch Music Videos – Some festive goodness of Christmas for you!
Access Episode 11 – Access Episode 11 drops onto YouTube starring Soul Calibur V as Game of the Week.
The Weekend Debate: Is Reality Overrated? – Which games would be better if they were more or less realistic?
Back To Karkand Launches Tuesday! – Are you ready to go Back to Karkand? EA releasing the first Battlefield 3 expansion pack Dec 6th on PS 3!
MotorStorm RC Interview: “A Refreshing Change” – Director Paul Rustchynsky discusses the vision, the Cross-Play with PS3 and PS Vita, and the social interactions.
More Eco: The 10th Anniversary Of The Jak And Daxter Franchise – Celebrating 10 years and how the development of the Jak and Daxter franchise has progressed!

Weekend Essentials 103 – Travel the globe as an ace reporter, download some incredible digital bargains and get ready for the FIFA Interactive World Cup this weekend.
Win amazing prizes every day this Christmas – Ready yourself for the ultimate festive competition with PlayStation.
Why I love Disney Universe – Disney Interactive Studios and Eurocom tell eu.playstation.com why they love Disney Universe on PS3.
Shoot for glory in the FIFA Interactive World Cup – Take part in the world’s largest online gaming tournament and you could win a dream prize – only on PS3.
Fancy 12 gifts this Christmas courtesy of PlayStation Plus? – Join PlayStation Plus and download 12 games at no extra cost during the festive season.

If you love Nathan Drake (and who doesn’t?) we’ve a huge making of Uncharted feature where we interview lead designer Richard Lemarchand and Drake himself Nolan North. From the first idea to the latest game, it’s an essential read.
After all the issues of PS3 lag and patches, our Skyrim review is up. It’s… it’s not as good as it should be. There’s a GOTY of the year in there somewhere, underneath all the frame rate issues and dead wedding guests.
While you’re waiting for the next Assassin’s Creed here’s a video of all Assassin’s Creed: Revelation’s must brutal counter kills beat matched to dub step. Who would have thought that setting murder to music would be so much fun.
We speak to SCEE boss Jim Ryan to find out why PS Vita will win you over when it is out. He says it all about the games and won’t be as “confusing” as the PSP.
If you like your magazines battery powered and cheap then the digital version of Official PlayStation Magazine UK is now £3.99 on Apple Newsstand.