I’m just back from the wonderful city of San Francisco and the 2013 Game Developers Conference. Whilst I was there I met with some members of the press to give them an exclusive look at the first two acts in Puppeteer, and also share an exciting gameplay feature reveal… Hero Heads!

As Kutaro, you’ll find all sorts of amazing heads to act as your noggin as you journey to get your real head back from Moon Bear King. Be careful to collect and keep the right ones, as some have the power to change and shape the world around you, while others unlock bonus stages – adding even more adventure and hilarity to this dark and fantastical tale!

But I’m excited to finally let the cat out of the bag (no, not Ying-Yang… I mean a metaphorical cat) about four very special heads that Kutaro will encounter on his journey and aid him in his quest. Each Hero Head possesses a power that once belonged to one of the four legendary “Moon Heroes” who fought valiantly to protect the Moon Goddess from being overthrown by the evil Moon Bear King. Alas, their powers were no match for Moon Bear King’s 12 generals who ultimately defeated the heroes, but what if someone were brave enough to attain all four of those powers and use them together? Hmmm…

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Hi everyone and a Merry Christmas to you all!

To bring a little peace and goodwill to PlayStation fans all around the world, we decided to create a special Puppeteer Christmas card, designed so that you can reach out to your friends, family and gaming buddies and put a smile on their faces. Think of it as an early Christmas present from us to you.

Who hasn’t forgotten to send Christmas Greetings to certain friends or family? I know I have.

We end up rushing madly around to get the card in the post and then hope it gets there before Christmas day.

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Hi everyone. Well, it’s my favorite time of year again – Halloween, when all the ghosts and ghouls come out to scare the pants off of us for a single dark night. It’s also the one night of the year that we can all pig out on candy and sweets and not have to feel guilty. Well, not that guilty.

You all probably know by now my love for Tim Burton and his amazing gothic aesthetic. This was something that I really had in the back of my mind when creating Puppeteer – dark and creepy but with a great sense of humor. Of course, his work on Nightmare Before Christmas is phenomenal but I also love his short movie Vincent, voiced by Vincent Price. In the same vein, Puppeteer is packed to the rafters with insane situations and creepy fun, all wrapped around gameplay that will keep you coming back for more. (more…)

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In last week’s behind the scenes Puppeteer interview, we talked to creator Gavin Moore about the origins of the title and got some lovely insight into what makes a great kids game really sing. In the second part of the interview, Gavin touched on the game’s size, its roots in classic platformers of yesteryear and what the development team’s vibrant cultural mix brings to the project.

Read on for more on Sony Japan Studio‘s tantalising platformer, and look out for a new update on development next week penned by Gavin himself. (more…)

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Puppeteer‘s Gamescom reveal last month was a real joy to behold – a bright, bold new PlayStation IP promising primary-coloured platforming fun with some deliciously dark trimmings. A month or two on, last week PlayStation Blog had the opportunity to actually sit down with a controller and see if it delivers on that pledge.

High up in Sony Japan Studio‘s towering Tokyo HQ, creator Gavin Moore walked us through the game’s opening chapter, which sees a hapless young lad called Kutaro enslaved by the impossibly evil Moon Bear King and transformed into a puppet. But steel yourselves – this isn’t a cosy Pinocchio-esque tale of a plucky hero embarking on a cheerful quest to (re)gain human form. Far from it – Puppeteer‘s opening minutes sees poor Kutaro’s head brutally torn off by our antagonist and his body nonchalantly tossed into a dank, gloomy cellar.

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