It’s time to sit back and enjoy the weekend – a Bank Holiday one for those of us living in the UK – and I hope you all find the time to get some games in. I’m going to be playing Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (going for the last few gold medals) and watching a lot of sport. How about you?

Here’s your recap.

• SCEE Staff Designs For The Sly Cooper: Thieves In Time Competition – PlayStation people show you that you really don’t need to be Picasso to win this competition.
• God of War: Ascension Live Stream; Online Multiplayer Confirmed – More info on Kratos’ next PS3 epic and the news that the game will include online multiplayer for the first time in the series’ history.
• The SingStore On 2nd May 2012 With Lana, Matt Cardle And More… – Featuring two more tracks by the fantastic Lana Del Rey and another Essentials song pack from Blur.
• Sack It To Me: LittleBigPlanet – A Community Across The Globe! – Celebrate! The Mariachi Costume Returns!
• Free Realms Is Three – Join In The Celebrations – Yes, that’s right folks – Free Realms officially turned three this weekend. Time flies when you’re having fun!
• ModNation Racers: Two Year Anniversary Palooza! – Wow! Two years? Really? Celebrate with us…
• Mortal Kombat Hits PS Vita On 4th May, Our Favorite New Missions – Long-awaited opportunity to create challenges based around the DLC characters that released after the launch of the PS3 version.
• PlayStation Store Royale Contenders Sale – Great discounts on games and downloadable content for characters featured in this game!
• PlayStation Home: Good Guys Dress In Black – On May 2nd, 2012, the Men in Black are coming to PS Home!
• All Starhawk Beta Players Will Receive Free Gifts – Gone gold and will be on store shelves in PAL regions from 9th May.
• The Unfinished Swan Is Coming To PSN – If you’ve been wondering “whatever happened to that weird black and white painting game?” Thanks for waiting…
• Frobisher Says! Now Available To Everyone For Free – A surreal party game, where players must obey the whims of a strange little man called Frobisher.
• ‘Heads-Up’ PlayStation Plus Update – 2nd May 2012 – You will find naught but awesome in May’s PS Plus update!
• ‘Heads-Up’ Game Store Update 2 May 2012 – Gran Turismo fans, start your engines!
• The Art Of Gravity Rush On PS Vita – See how the artwork of this game came together.
• Designing Charismatic Characters For Alien Spidy, Coming To PSN In June – A key factor for a game to be successful revolves around the charisma and empathy of the lead character… in this case a spider!
• VIDZONE UPDATE: March On May, The Month Of Metal Madness – Iron, Copper, Zinc?… or Slayer, Marilyn Manson and Demon Hunter?
• Access Episode 32 – If you’re into your shooters, you’re in for a treat with this week’s episode of Access TV.
• Sony Entertainment Network Sponsors Sundance Festival In London – All the latest highlights from the Sony Entertainment Network Sundance Festival in London.
• The Making Of Sorcery: Technology – This is the first post in a four-part series from the development team about the making of Sorcery.
• Rainbow Moon: Watch The New Trailer Now – Be one of the first to watch the new Rainbow Moon trailer!

• Weekend Essentials 124
• The Characters of Gravity Rush
• First look: Lost Planet 3
• The best downloadable soundtracks on PlayStation
• Go from gamer to racer in GT Academy 2012

• Get all the Black Ops 2 info there is here.
• Ten developers offer their advice on how to get into the games industry.
• Bethesda have finally revealed the first Skyrim DLC info and release date.
• Find all about God Of War Ascension’s multiplayer.
• Boost your library with the 10 best PS3 games of 2012. So far…

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Another week, another PS3 game announced; I trust you all caught the announcement of PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale and are now wildly speculating about which characters should and will be included. I’m not going to tell you if you’re right or not (I’ll get locked in the SCEE dungeon if I do) but I’d love to read your dream match-ups.

Next week’s posts are taking shape nicely, including an unusual piece on Monday for which the likes of Jawad, Ross McGrath and I have had to dust off our pencil cases. You have been warned.

Here’s your recap.

• The Walking Dead Game Series Lurches To PSN on Wednesday – The first episode of The Walking Dead, ‘A New Day,’ arrived on PSN on Wednesday, April 25th. Each episode will cost €4.99/£3.99 on the PS Store.
• Resistance: Burning Skies Reveals Survival Mode – Pits the players against each other in a race to the finish where only the strong survive!
• ModNation Racers: Fun Never Goes Out Of Style – ModNation Racers Two-Year Anniversary Celebration Coming Soon!
• Sonic 4 Episode II Brings Metal Sonic To PSN From 16 May – Not only is Metal Sonic returning to wreak havoc in the boss battles of Sonic 4 Episode II, but he’s making a star appearance in exclusive content for owners of both Episodes I and II!
• Skype Coming To PlayStation Vita On 25 April – 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.
• ‘Heads-Up’ PlayStation Plus Update – 2nd May 2012 – If brand-new PSN title’s not enough for you, the lovely folks at TikGames and Creat Studios have awesome upcoming content!
• Gravity Rush Pre-order DLC Revealed – DLC will be available, at no extra cost, to those people who purchase the game from PlayStation Store for a limited time after launch.
• Awesomenauts is PS Plus Game of the Month for May – Blasting on to PS Store for PS3 on May 2nd and it will be PlayStation Plus game of the month!
• PlayStation Home 1.65 Update Arrives – 1.65 update is here, bringing improvements to speed and ease of use on the menu screen, graphical UI tweaks, clearer representation of furniture limits, and much more.
• MUD – FIM Motocross World Championship Demo launches Today – The demo packs up some of the best stuff you’ll find in the game… like a Quick Race on the Glen Helen track.
• ‘Heads-Up’ Game Store Update Wednesday 25th April 2012 – This week’s front runner is The Walking Dead, courtesy of Telltale Games, who previously brought you the much loved Back to the Future: The Game.
• Starhawk: It’s Got A Story, Baby – A tale of a game with hot multiplayer action yet, unbeknownst to most players, a fun-as-hell solo campaign as well.
• Ghostlight To Release Fate/EXTRA – An epic PSP title set in a parallel universe to that of the hugely popular Japanese visual novel Fate/Stay Night.
• How Dynamic Battlefields Take Shape In DUST 514 – Because of its sandbox nature, players have the freedom to change the battlefield through choices!
• Dishonored Preview: Cloak And Dagger – Some games have problems with bugs, but Dishonored has trouble with rats!
• PixelJunk 4am Beta Goes Live – Beta is now LIVE on PS Store!
• See PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale In Action – A celebration of a storied history of great characters and rich worlds brought together in one game.
• Your DiRT Showdown Questions Answered – With the release inching ever closer, we turned to twitter to find out what you guys need to know about the game!

• Weekend Essentials 123 – Leap into a terrifying fight in PROTOTYPE 2 and survive the zombie apocalypse in The Walking Dead this weekend on PS3.
• Game On - Unleash your wild side this week with the epic PS3 trio of God of War: Ascension, Dishonored and Max Payne 3.
• The evolution of stereoscopic 3D on PS3 – Discover how a small team at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe is making huge strides in stereoscopic 3D gaming.
• Hands on: Max Payne 3 – Discover why an angry ex-cop’s trip to Brazil will make you wish you were there on PlayStation 3.
• Hands on with DmC – Style, swords and a devil may care attitude – it can only be DmC. Take a look at the demon hunting action adventure which is blasting its way onto PS3.

• Here’s our Dishonored PS3 preview. We see the game in action and chat to creators Harvey Smith &Raphael Colantonio.
• Find out more about the Battlefield 3 Close Quarters DLC in this interivew with DICE’s Patrick Bach.
• Here are 8 vital survival tips guide for Prototype 2 to help you stay alive.
• Read out Crysis 3 PS3 preview to find out all about the nano-powered sequel.
• Here’s reasons Assassin’s Creed 3 will be amazing.

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The door closes on another week, one that is dominated by one piece of news. Yes, Kratos is returning to PS3 in a brand new game from Santa Monica Studios, and judging from the comments, many of you are getting excited. This is just the start and we’re looking forward to sharing more with you as the development process rages on. We think you’re going to be very happy with what the dev team is working on.

Here’s your recap.

• PlayStation Network Scheduled Maintenance – PSN was offline for scheduled maintenance from 14:00 on Monday 16 April 2012 until 02:00 on Tuesday 17 April 2012, BST.
• On Starters Orders For GT Academy 2012 – In just a few short weeks (May 1, to be precise), we will see the return of GT Academy!
• ModNation Racers Road Trip: Do You Mod? – Fingers crossed the term above has no impending underground or urban double-meaning.
• A Magical Tale Begins With This New Sorcery Trailer – Join legendary wizard Dash in a magical tale from deep within the Faerie Kingdom!
• LittleBigPlanet 2: Update 1.12! – Out this week, and it introduced a few nifty features to the game.
• The SingStore On April 18: Lana, Rihanna, Leona And More… – This week we have some brilliant tracks by equally brilliant women!
• PSP Price Drops In PlayStation Store – We have some more price dropped PSP games for your enjoyment.
• Bringing Collaborative Play To Sonic 4 Episode II – Sonic can now team up at any point in the game with Tails, by utilising one of three combo moves!
• Paint Park, Treasure Park And Wake-up Club Coming To PS Vita For Free – PlayStation Vita owners can look forward to a trio of free applications!
• PlayStation Home: Go Safari – Novus Prime gets its newest shipment of game-enhancing outfits and virtual items this week!
• FIFA Interactive World Cup Final Set For Dubai – The world’s largest online gaming tournament, has beaten its own Guinness World Record.
• ‘Heads-Up’ Game Store Update 18th April – Loads of new content, special offers and updates!
• Learn The Secrets Of PSN’s Dyad – Each of the game’s 27 different levels touch upon a variety of mechanics and goals.
• MUBI Update: 19 April 2012 – As we teased in our last update, we have an exciting, exclusive premiere run to announce…
• God of War: Ascension Announced – God of War: Ascension will be coming exclusively to PS 3!
• VIDZONE UPDATE: It’s Spring Cleaning Time, NEW PATCH ALERT! – The patch is available now so see here exactly what to look out for!
• Access Round Up – Episode 30! Win A PS Vita! – Mixed this up a bit this week to cover more of the stuff that PlayStation Access gets up to.
• Get Your Design in Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time – How would you like to see your design become part of a real video game?
• PixelJunk 4am: A New Music Visualizer For Your PS3 – PixelJunk 4am and the free PixelJunk 4am – Viewer will be released and available for download on the PlayStation Store from May 15th.
• The Weekend Debate – Music To Your Thumbs – What does music add to the game experience and what does the future hold for game composition?

• Weekend Essentials 122 – Become a chess master on PS Vita, try your hand at rewriting sporting history and take to the skies on PS3 this weekend.
• Design the target of Sly Cooper’s greatest heist yet – Create a treasure and it could be brought to life in Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, winning you a PS Vita system.
• Hands on with DmC – Style, swords and a devil may care attitude – it can only be DmC. Take a look at the demon hunting action adventure which is blasting its way onto PS3.

• Here’s a Dishonored PS3 trailer analysis packed full of interesting info.
• We’ve been thinking about E3 2012 PS3 games and here’s our wish list.
• So what is in the Skyrim PS3 DLC? We’ve been examining the evidence to date.
• We built a PS4 based on the rumored specs. What’s it capable of?
• PS3 gets Nasne, a 500GB TV tuner and recorder.

Score:

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Recent weeks have been a little quiet as the games industry’s seasonal lull takes effect and there simply aren’t many games coming out. However, that’s about to change and, looking at next week’s schedule, there are a few stories you’re not going to want to miss. I couldn’t possibly lift the lid on what they are, but I can tell you that we’ve got a little bit of something everyone, whether you own PS3, PS Vita, PS Move and/or PSP.

Until then, here’s your recap.

• One Bullet Can Change History In Sniper Elite V2 – The game definitely isn’t ‘run and gun’, it’s much more of a thinking man’s shooter!
• Captivate 2012: Resident Evil 6 Details, SF X Tekken Vita Cross Play, DmC And Lost Planet 3 – An annual showcase of what’s in the pipeline for some Capcom game series.
• PlayStation Home: Mysterious Island Sighted – A mysterious island has been sighted off shore in the vicinity of Home Square this week.
• ‘Heads-Up’ Game Store Update 11th April 2012 – Episodes from Liberty City heads its way onto the PS Store this week, along with lots more content and great offers.
• StarDrone Extreme Launches For PS Vita Today – Your mission: pilot the always-in-motion spaceship through diverse cosmic environments in order to beat each of the game’s 60 levels’ goals.
• Mortal Kombat Hits PS Vita May 4th, Watch The New Trailer – This new trailer definitely captures the spirit of what the PS Vita game is all about!
• Grab Your PS Vita, Bakuki’s Lair Is Live! – The first DLC pack, Bakuki’s Lair, is a FREE level pack that adds 19 prequel-puzzle rooms to the adventures of Lil and Laarg.
• Resistance: Burning Skies, Multiplayer Details Revealed – In addition to its all new single player campaign, it features an online multiplayer in which you and up to seven friends can compete over PSN!
• The Weekend Debate – Unsung Heroes – What are your most underrated games of this generation and why do you think they are overlooked by many?
• Starhawk Campaign Hands-On: Wild West – The single-player campaign has remained stubbornly cloaked in shadow. Until now…

• Weekend Essentials 121 – Help Nathan Drake shoot his way out of trouble and challnge the finest Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 players in new online missions with PlayStation this weekend.
• Happy birthday PS3 from the PlayStation Community – See some celebratory creations from the PlayStation Community to mark five years of PlayStation 3.
• First look: Resident Evil 6 – Capcom takes eu.playstation.com through this fantastically frightening game.
• Talking Easter Eggs with Naughty Dog – Yours are probably all gone, but the hidden extras in video games last far longer.

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• ModNation Racers Road Trip: “Pick Up And Play” – Redefined – A great “pick up and play” game for your new PlayStation Vita!
• #1 PSN Vita Game, Escape Plan Adds Free Prequel DLC To Patch 1.01 – This FREE DLC Pack adds 19 prequel-Puzzle Rooms to the adventures of Lil and Laarg.
• Sack It To Me: Sackboy’s Adventures In Wonderland – It’s time to venture down the rabbit hole in LittleBigPlanet with the release of the new Alice in Wonderland Costume Pack
• MotorStorm RC Festival DLC Coming This Week – Roll up! Roll up! Come and see the amazing Carnival Expansion for MotorStorm RC, now in PS Store for PS3 and PS Vita.
• PS Vita System Software Update 1.65 – PS Vita system software update 1.65 has been taken down temporarily due to a technical fault. For any customers who may have already downloaded the firmware, they can continue as normal. We will notify you once the latest system software update is available to download again.
• PS Store Spring Sale Update – The Spring Savings Sale is still on and some additional content was added on Wednesday 4th April.
• The 4 April SingStore Update, Discounted Songs And More… – This week, let’s welcome spring with Buddy Holly’s ‘Peggy Sue’ and ‘Baby Got Back’ by Sir Mix A Lot plus all five tracks from the Elton John song pack are now available as singles.
• PlayStation Home: A Pirate’s Life For Me – Avast ye scurvy swabs! Man the cannon and hoist the main sail for the arrival of Cutthroats – The Battle for Black Powder Cove this week.
• ‘Heads-Up’ Game Store Update 4th April 2012 – Dampierre finally becomes available to the wider public for Soul Calibur V, and lots more content and offers!
• MUBI Update: 05 April 2012 – Thanks to the restoration magic of Watchmaker Films we’re going to make exclusively available on MUBI the first feature film by Tobe “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” Hooper—the unreleased cult film Eggshells!
• VIDZONE UPDATE: Easter Party In Your House Tonight, LMFAO Will Make You Feel Alright – Who will to get the party started in the appropriate manner? Well apparently there is no party like an S-Club party…
• Drake’s Deception Map Pack Available For Uncharted 3 Multiplayer – Whether you’re a rugged Uncharted 3 multiplayer fortune hunter or a causal explorer this trailer should get you amped!
• Ride, Die & Fly In Starhawk! – A quick glimpse of just some of the vehicles you can expect in the final game!
• Free Resident Evil Operation Raccoon City DLC Next Week – Check out the new trailer that’s just been released!

• Trophy Cabinet: God of War III – Give your vengeance a platinum sheen with these expert hints from the PlayStation Community.
• Hands on: DUST 514 – Find out what’s in store for you when DUST 514 launches later this year on PS3.
• The evolution of stereoscopic 3D on PS3 – Discover how a small team at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe is making huge strides in stereoscopic 3D gaming.
• Discover mind-blowing adventures with PSP Essentials – Bring your favourite titles to life with amazing augmented reality games at a fantastic price.

• We’ve been playing Far Cry 3′s PS3 multiplayer and chatting to the devs about how helping others is a good thing online.
• Think you’re a hardcore PlayStation fan? Play ‘Name that boot’ and see how good you really are.
• Gearbox are making the true sequel to the Aliens movie with Aliens: Colonial Marines, our preview explains why.
• Borderlands 2 somehow has more guns than ever before. It’s crazy and brilliant.
• We remember why Zipper Interactive were amazing in this 21 gun salute.

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