As I announced in the last blog post, Retro City Rampage is coming to PS3 and PS Vita! But wait, I have even more great news…

Last week in Toronto, we held an amazing event called PlayStation <3 Canada to promote and support Canadian indie game developers. In attendance were us here at Vblank Entertainment, Drinkbox Studios (Tales From Space: About a Blob), Queasy Games (Sound Shapes), ][ Games (Dyad) and more. It was a blast! For me, the highlight was finally giving fans a chance to see and play the PS Vita version of Retro City Rampage for the first time. I’ve been going on for a while about how amazing it looks on the PS Vita, and now you can see what it looks like for yourself.

While the PS Vita version of Retro City Rampage boasts everything that its PS3 counterpart does, I had fun making a few tweaks to tailor the experience to the handheld. While the PS3 version supports tube TV simulation filters which curve the screen and add scanlines (allowing you to play on an LCD TV with the feel of an old CRT), the PS Vita version supports classic dot-matrix simulation filters giving it a heavy dose of Game Boy/Game Gear nostalgia. I absolutely love it and it’s my filter of choice when playing the game. If the LCD grid simulation alone isn’t retro enough for you, you can also change the colour mode. The colour modes let you make Retro City Rampage even more retro with options such as “Brick Handheld” (yellow-green monochrome) and “Virtual Burn” (all red), “Blurst Processor,” “SEE=64,” “PC DOS EGA” and a dozen more (also available in the PS3 version).

Those of you who are worried that the characters might be too small on the PS Vita screen needn’t be! It supports two screen modes. The standard mode designed specifically for the PS Vita scales everything up and ensures that the characters and everything else are easy to see. Alternatively, the second mode uses smaller pixels but displays the entire 16:9 widescreen image and supports the TV/arcade screen borders of the PS3 counterpart, so it’s entirely up to you.

The PS Vita’s touchscreen also adds a nice…touch. RCR is a love letter to the days of the d-pad, for core gamers who grew up with controllers and buttons – but that doesn’t mean that the touchscreen can’t be used where it makes sense. It really makes the menus, minigames and shops faster and more convenient to navigate, going hand in hand with RCR’s overall design philosophy, which is to emit nostalgia while still catering to our evolved expectations of games. This extends from the added touchscreen functionality to the game design and tutorials. For example, you won’t need to flip through a manual or call a tips hotline to figure out what to do. But if you’re an absolute purist, you can still play the game 100% with the buttons.

I’m willing to bet that if you have a PS Vita, you also have a PS3. Well, you’re going to be exceptionally excited to hear about just how good friends the PS3 and PS Vita versions are. If you’re like me, you want the best of both worlds. You want to be able to play your favourite games on your nice TV from the sofa, but still take them with you everywhere you go. With Retro City Rampage, your dreams have come true! It supports continuous play so you can play the game on your sofa, save it, and continue where you left off from your PS Vita (and vice versa).

One question you’re going to ask is “WHEN!?” I don’t have a fixed release date just yet, but it’ll be out as soon as possible. I’m fixing the final bugs and working around the clock to get it into your hands as soon as I can. Keep your eyes peeled here on the PlayStation.Blog!

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Wow! Two years? Really?

Let me tell you the secret to the success of the MNR franchise … it’s you, the ModNation community that keep the games strong. The numbers speak for themselves… you’ve hosted millions upon millions of great races and as of today you’ve created 629,972 Tracks, 1,331,405 Mods and 1,221,817 Karts for a total of 3,182,817 creations!

It’s not just the remarkable numbers that stand out, it’s the genuinely nice, friendly, encouraging, and yet competitive members of the community that make this game like no other. Thank you to each and every person that has played ModNation Racers for the PS3, PSP or PS Vita. We are honored that you enjoy this game as much as we do!

ModNation Racers Two-Year Anniversary Collectable Wallpaper

Over the next few weeks we will randomly be handing out these limited edition wallpapers (25 for PS3 / 25 for Vita). Those lucky fans will have our crack team of artists customize their wallpaper with their PSN ID! Everyone will have the chance to attain the non-personalized anniversary wallpaper through our Facebook page and in our forums soon!
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Update: As many people asked in the comments, we’d like to clarify that this DLC will be available, at no extra cost, to those people who purchase the game from PlayStation Store for a limited time after launch.

If you haven’t already lain down your order for the hotly anticipated Gravity Rush, due to hit shelves on 13th June, now is a great opportunity to do so. Look out for your local participating retailer and pre-order the game to get your hands on the fantastic Military Mission DLC Pack on Day one.

Unlock a unique military costume for Kat and meet new characters as you continue to defy the laws of gravity in two additional side missions with brand-new content and two new challenge missions, which we can reveal after the jump.

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Skype is happy to announce that the Skype Video and Voice calling app for PlayStation Vita (PS Vita) will be available for free from the “Media & AppsSocial” category of the PlayStation Store from 25 April.

From then, you can enjoy Skype calls on PS Vita. Now you can keep in touch with gamers around the globe while you’re on-the-go as Skype video calling is available for both the 3G and Wi-Fi models.

The Skype app includes free Skype-to-Skype voice calling, as well as high quality video calling that utilizes PS Vita’s front and rear cameras. The Skype app for PS Vita also features a “background mode,” which allows you to run Skype while you are playing a game or using other apps, so you never miss a call.* Plus, with a little Skype credit you can make low-cost calls to landlines and mobile directly from your PS Vita.

Additionally, PS Vita is equipped with a 5″ OLED touchscreen, dual analog sticks, precise rear multi-touch screen, two cameras and a built-in microphone that can be used with any Skype-certified headset.

Want to learn more? Check out what our friend, fellow game enthusiast, Fatal1ty thinks about the new Skype app.

Please visit eu.playstation.com for more information on Skype features for PlayStation Vita. For feedback or questions please visit Skype Support. Happy Gaming!

*Certain games will shut off network connectivity during use, which will stop incoming Skype calls. Voice and video calls will require a Wi-Fi connection in some countries.

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but these have…

2012 “Jumped The Shark List

• Zombies
• Cupcakes
• The current bacon frenzy *
• Meme’s
• Trolling
• LOL, ROFL, TTYL, YOLO, BRB and of course BFF
• Saying “that would make a great name for a band”
• The term “Jump The Shark”
• Athletes who claim “it’s not about the money”
• … almost forgot planking! Definitely planking

One thing though, that never gets tired is fun and the ModNation franchise of games (PS3, PSP, Vita) ooze fun! (Actually that would make a great name for a band: “Oozefun”. Maybe “oozephun”? You’re welcome).
I’m sure you and my boss are both wondering the same thing… why do I bring this up?

Let me tell you… ModNation Racers Two-Year Anniversary Celebration Coming Soon!

The ModNation Racers Two-Year Anniversary (ModNationpaloozatwo) is only days away and it’s going to be a blast! We are working hard to put together a fun month of events surrounding our May 25th Anniversary. Let’s put aside our troubles and our 9-5 lives and just have a fun time! Play-Create-Share FTW!

We would love your input on some upcoming events…
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