*Seeega!*

Speeding his way back onto the scene is everyone’s favourite blue hedgehog back in an all new episode of Sonic the Hedgehog 4, aptly titled Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II.

Together with his old friend Tails, you can play either single player or co-op (local or online) with an evolution of Sonic 2′s collaborative mechanics. Use devastating collaborative attacks and combination moves to defeat the united force of Metal Sonic and Dr. Eggman.

If that’s not enough, those who own both Episode I and II will gain access to Episode Metal, featuring exclusive levels with Metal Sonic as a playable character. Nice!

Get ready for an all new musical phenomenon. Today, PixelJunk 4am releases for all of you with a PlayStation Move controller and PlayStation Eye camera (both required). Wave your hands in the air to blend sounds together and create your own unique music each time you play, whilst also broadcasting your performance via PlayStation Network.

We’ve also got a new PS2 game, as well as a PSOne game this week.

First up, Deus Ex, originally released on PlayStation 2. In the dystopian future of the year 2052, society slowly spirals into chaos. A lethal virus, the “Gray Death”, ravages the world. The only vaccine, “Ambrosia”, is in such short supply, it is only available to those wealthy enough and deemed “vital to the social order”. With no hope for a cure for the common people, riots occur worldwide and a number of terrorist organizations have formed. As a response, the United Nations has created The United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition (UNATCO). You assume the role of JC Denton, a nanotechnologically augmented UNATCO agent. After completing his training, JC gets slowly plunged into the world of augmentations, human misery, and conspiracies, determined to uncover the truth behind the real world order.

Our PSOne game this week is an addition to the imports section going by the name of Outlaws of the Lost Dynasty. This Japanese fighter is a classic example of the great stable of fighting games that came from PSOne era. Choose from 11 funky Chinese characters as they battle each other for the supreme goal of a unified Middle Kingdom. Each character has his own special powers and weapons. Or you can forgo the weapons and fight like a man with your bare hands! This formidable gem from Japan deserves your attention.

If you haven’t seen Andy’s post yet then not to worry. Click here to see our themed sale of the doom and gloom the world will (apparently) face in 2012. Scary stuff.

Lastly, there’s also a price drop for Under Siege, now only £3.99!

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PlayStation Home will be offline from 8AM BST on Wednesday 16th May for routine maintenance. Here is what to expect after the update…

The Midway 3 is a collection of crazy carnival midway games and excitement! Buy a green ticket, play some games, win a hundred wacky prizes! This is the best place to play all day! Green tickets can be used in all three Midway spaces, and we give you Darla’s Den, a free personal space, just for showing up!

The Hot Zone is a smokin’ space that serves as a hub for all three Midway mini-game collections and hosts a bunch of Hot Streak Air Hockey tables (2-player real-time games). You will also find a Tele-Port-A-Potty leading to Darla’s Den, a Mass Media Store ticket booth, and the Lots O’ Junk Redemption Centre.

Two of Novus Prime’s most popular items are on sale this week only! Save 40% on the mysterious Obsidian Pilot outfit & ultra-fast Blade fighter ship bundle, and take futuristic fashion to the next level with the Nebulon-Interweave Power Suit for 50% off. And don’t forget, owners of the Obsidian Pilot outfit save 20% on the new Obsidian Bladewalker suit!

Visit the Novus Prime space station today, and act fast – this sale ends Tuesday 22nd May! (more…)

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It’s been nearly six months since we announced The Last of Us, and development has been a beehive of activity. If you have seen any of the coverage, you might have read about Joel and Ellie’s time spent in an abandoned city to which they have driven. We are excited to share a fresh video with you today. This video should answer some of the questions you had after reading the stories about what went down inside those city walls. You’ll get a glimpse into the lethality of the world Joel and Ellie are surviving in and what being a survivor in that world truly means.

Joel and Ellie won’t have an easy road ahead on their journey across the U.S. Their path will intersect with those of other remaining survivors, some of whom won’t be so friendly. In this scene Joel and Ellie continue the journey west in a salvaged pickup truck. The sombre tune of Hank Williams Sr. echoes the desolation of the world of The Last of Us. As they drive towards the next destination on their route – really just another place to find resources that will help them survive – they run into some hunters. What happens next is something you have to witness to understand. Check it out:

What you watched here is only a peek into how alone and forsaken the world has become. Our world is a brutal, lethal place in The Last of Us. Be ready for things to get much worse.

We can’t wait to share this genre-defining game with you. The hounds have started to bay. Get prepared for the coming months and look out for more information at E3.

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Do you have a PlayStation Move? Do you like music? Are waffles delicious?

If you answered “Yes” to any of the above questions, I have some delicious news for you!

PixelJunk 4am will be available for download tomorrow on PSN for (EU) €7.99 / (UK) £6.49. The FREE PixelJunk 4am viewer will also be available, allowing you to stream the FULL LIBRARY of 4am visualizers and songs from performers around the world.

If you’re not already familiar with it, PixelJunk 4am uses the PlayStation Move controller and a Virtual Audio Canvas giving you the power to craft music in a unique new audio visual experience. Your creations are broadcast live on PSN around the world to viewers who can stream and cheer you on in real time.

You can now look forward to 7 songs and 6 visualisers with 38 variations, 10 events and over 190 different sounds to play with. 4am supports both Twitter and Facebook from within the game letting you promote your performances with personal messages and start to build your own persona and audience. You can also use 4am as a stand-alone visualizer (no Move required) and play your favourite music from your PS3.

For anyone still yet to see 4am in action, we’ve been playing with it lately in the office here and did some raw filming. Here’s a peek at what can be done with just one song & visualiser!

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From approximately 5:00pm this evening the European PlayStation.Blog will be down for maintenance.

We are in the process of moving the blog to a new server and our IP address is changing. The disruption time will vary based on your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and how long they cache our old IP address.

You may still be able to access the blog as normal during this time, however please bear in mind that whilst you are free to browse and comment, you may experience issues such as comments not saving correctly or not appearing at all.

We would appreciate your patience during the disruption and will do everything we can to ensure the interruption as small as possible.

N.B This maintenance is not related to PlayStation Network and none of your gaming services will be affected.

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