PlayStation Home Message Board
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Everyone’s favorite massive multiplayer first-person shooter, MAG, is unleashing yet another awesome personal space into the ever-evolving world of PlayStation Home — and just in time for the Zipper Interactive’s v1.07 update! Come Thursday, July 29th, soldiers from the Raven faction will be able to assemble their clans and plan the next course of attack in PlayStation Home’s new Raven personal space. Releasing alongside a slew of Raven furniture items, the Raven personal space is a strategic outpost situated in the heart of the jungle — dedicated to Raven Industries military operations — and a true must-have addition to any member of what is inarguably the most technologically advanced private military corporation’s repertoire.
In other news, the PlayStation Home Community Theater will be receiving a huge update this Thursday, with the next edition of PS Nation’s wildly popular (and PlayStation Home-exclusive) videocast. Serving to bring players closer to their favorite gaming websites, blogs, podcasts, videocasts (and other media outlets) while further uniting the enormous audience under the shared interest of the best PlayStation games, the PlayStation Home Community Theater has been a huge success since we launched last month.
We caught up with PS Nation head honcho Glenn Percival earlier this week to chat about the newest addition to PlayStation Home’s Community Theater, and this is what he had to say:
We are very excited to bring you the next episode of our exclusive PlayStation Home Community Theater videocast! This time around we are featuring highlights from E3 2010, the awesome PSP version of Gravity Crash (don’t miss our interview with Stewart Gilray in our Episode 173 podcast), and show that, even in stick-form, Joel is just irresistible to all. Judging by the latest batch of download stats for our PS Nation Podcast, some of you apparently enjoyed our first video (they’ve increased almost 5 times since our first episode aired in PlayStation Home! Thank You!)
Finally, the PlayStation Home Mall will receive an update this week. Check out the Latest Update tab in your Menu Pad (simply press Start > Community > Latest Update) for a full list of new content. Personally, I think the new Lockwood Wings, available in the Sodium store this Thursday, are going to be a hit — but as always, it is your feedback that drives the development of all content in PlayStation Home. So be sure to head to the PlayStation Home General forum to let us know what you think about all the new content after you’ve given it a try.
See you in Home!
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Okay, this may not be the most exciting pre-order bonus ever concocted, but there's still good reason to be excited. The Ubishop has Scott Pilgrim listed at $9.99, bucking the recent trend of $15 downloads. We definitely approve.
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The group includes Dueling Gentlemen from Odd Gentlemen, developer of the XBLA-exclusive Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom, which, as its title suggests, will see Home inhabitants squaring off one-on-one in a classic battle of honor. The hook: Duels will take place live on stage in Home's Central Plaza. Addiitonally, Lazy 8 Studios is bringing its unique 3D puzzler Cogs to Home as a Central Plaza spectacle, complete with multiplayer.
Super Awesome Mountain RPG -- a board game/RPG mash-up from Codename itself -- and Minor Battle, Peanut Gallery's Indiecade award-winning, team-based platformer round out what we here at Joystiq HQ are calling "The Most Excited We've Been About Home in Forever Collection." The official announcement is posted after the break.
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With every passing week more and more awesome games arrive into the ever-expanding world on PlayStation Home. And this week promises to continue in this rich tradition of compelling content and exclusive gaming experiences, as we release three highly-anticipated games for use in your clubhouses and personal spaces.
By popular demand, our friends at VEEMEE are delivering special versions of Darts and Pool that you can share with your friends in the personal location(s) of your choice. To sweeten the deal, those of you that have already added VEEMEE’s London Pub personal space to your collection will receive a discount on each of these games ($1.99 for Darts, $2.49 for the English and American Pool package), which will be available from the Exclusives store beginning this Thursday, July 15th. So take this as your “cue” to “dart” on over to the PlayStation Home Mall and prove once and for all that you are the King (or Queen) of two of PlayStation Home’s most popular games.
Fans of the recently-released Midway space will finally be able to add the Trigger Happy-in-a-Box game to their collection of personal games. This game will be available at a discounted price of $0.49 for players that have purchased the Midway Bar Key (similarly, if you purchase the Trigger Happy-in-the-Box game at its full price of $2.99 you will receive a discount on the Midway Bar Key). Be sure to add this game to your collection by visiting the Midway space or the Exclusives store in the PlayStation Home Mall starting this Thursday.
Last but not least, the long-awaited Killzone 2 Radec costume will be made available this week along with additional Monkey Island 2 items. You can pick up the former from the Threads store in the PlayStation Home Mall while the latter can be found in the LucasArts store come this Thursday.
See you in Home!
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Attention Speed Demons: WipEout – one of PlayStation’s most celebrated and longest-running franchises – turns 15 this year. To celebrate this momentous occasion, we’re launching the WipEout Museum – a brand new space stuffed to the brim with games based upon this critically-acclaimed series of hypersonic, futuristic racers. From the Team Logo Hunt questing game to the breakneck fury lying within in the WipEout 2D arcade cabinets; the point-and-blast excitement of the WipEout Shooter to the interactive DJ area (where you can crank your favorite tracks and pump yourself up for the impending races), the WipEout Museum is the premier destination for fans of the long line of classic, gravity-defying titles that make up the WipEout universe.
In other news, we’ll be opening the doors of the new Observatory space this Thursday, July 8th, for the PlayStation minis event. Challenge your friends to a battle of wits, memory, and luck over a board consisting of a grid of glowing tiles. Flip the tiles over to reveal a variety of minis images; reveal two matching tiles to score a point. To keep things interesting, we’ve riddled the board with random tiles hiding bonuses and traps (such as a tile that steals points from your opponent). You can even hide traps of your own, weakening your opponent and securing the spoils (which, of course, come in the form of a highly-collectible reward). Elsewhere in the Observatory you will find the pool-esque FreezeBall game, which rounds out the exclusive PlayStation minis event.
In terms of other events to keep you busy over the upcoming weekend, we’ve just received a report of an imminent outbreak of red scorpions in the Sodium Hub:
“Coming heat waves are predicted to cause numbers of red robotic scorpions in the Sodium Hub to swell! Experts predict numbers will reach their peak this weekend. Do your part to keep the Sodium Hub safe by donning your stomp boots and keeping the red scorpion menace at bay over the coming days. Remember, the more red scorpions you stomp the greater level of upgrade you’ll earn for your stomp boots. And that’s not all; each progressive Stomp Boot upgrade will increase the number of points awarded to you for stomping red scorpions when worn!”
As far as updates to the PlayStation Home Mall go, Just Cause 2 clothing and furniture items (including Rico and Tom Sheldon costumes) will be released alongside new Lockwood/Sodium clothing items (new stilettos for the ladies), the mega-popular Trigger Happy-in-the-Box game from the Midway space will be made available for use in your clubhouses and personal spaces (available at a discounted price of $0.49 for those of you who have purchased the Midway Bar Key – likewise, if you purchase the Trigger Happy-in-the-Box game at its full price of $2.99 you will get a discount on the Midway Bar Key), new Monkey Island 2 items will appear in the LucasArts store, and our friends at LOOT will release the new LOOT Mobile Internet Browser item, which allows you to access the Sony Pictures Emporium website from your personal space. Does your avatar have a shirt you want to sport on your next night out? Use the LOOT Mobile Internet Browser to access IRL versions of some of your favorite in-world items.
Last but certainly not least, we want to invite you all out to our nightly Featured Game parties to play the latest and greatest PS3 and PSN games with your friends in PlayStation Home. To participate in a Featured Game party, simply go to the Gamer’s Lounge between 4:00pm and 8:00pm PDT (7:00pm and 11:00pm EDT). Once at the event, insert the Featured Game into your PlayStation 3 and either set up your own game launching session or join someone else’s. (Pro tip: Make sure to add people you meet in PlayStation Home to your friends list so that you can find one another in the game lobby). Over the course of the next week, we’ll be playing some awesome multiplayer games – from ModNation Racers (Friday, July 9th) to the new Fat Princess DLC (Tuesday, July 13th). Come on out and join us!
See you in Home!
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"With numbers like we have, it goes without saying that Home has been a huge success for our company, something that we have been very proud of." The numbers he's talking about look pretty decent on paper: there are over 100 games on the service, the average user session is about 70 minutes, there are over 50 unique spaces available and 14 million people have at least stepped foot in Home once. Not bad, but it's all about the context -- do people play those games? Do people explore those unique spaces? How many of those 14 million are actual active users?
"We haven't talked too much about the platform itself, but what we have said is that every mature virtual item we have ever created has been profitable," Buser said. "We've released over 5,000 virtual items on the platform, and we know that once those items reach maturity, they are profitable. So you see us creating a tremendous amount of virtual items, because it is such a high margin business for us to be in." So it's very much a long-tail thing, then?
Look, you could probably present the numbers in any way possible and spin the service as a success, but for us, the real success is its ability to pull in new users, its effectiveness as a marketing tool and its profits from the sale of virtual goods. Log in now and you'll no doubt find a community there, passionate about Home. But is it pulling in new users? Are marketers beating down the (virtual) door to get into Home? And how much does Sony really earn from the service annually? Until we get less vague statistics and hard numbers, we might never know.
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If you came out to the Los Angeles Convention Center a few weeks back and managed to catch up with GlassWalls and me in the PlayStation E3 Booth (err…complex), chances are you got a glimpse at a new suite of games packed into one convivial space known as Midway. And chances are you asked us when it was going to be released. And chances are we gave you a wink and a sly smile and said “soon.”
It’s funny how quickly “soon” turns to “tomorrow” in the rapidly-growing world of PlayStation Home. As the holiday weekend approaches us (and with it, all those extra hours to play our favorite games), we figured tomorrow would be the perfect time to launch what is easily one of the most epic gaming experiences to ever be released in PlayStation Home.
The Midway — available Thursday, July 1st — launches with 10 games, over a hundred rewards (including the Darla’s Den personal space), and plenty of secrets that you will have to uncover for yourself as you progress through this massive new game space. Simply collect your tickets from the kiosk at the entrance to the Midway and embark on a journey where a new reward is unlocked for every level of every game you master. Hang out in the space for long enough and you can even be rewarded with more plays for your favorite games (or the ultimate bragging rights at the Meet Darla photo booth). You can even collect exclusive arcade-style games like Trigger Happy-in-a-Box for the Darla’s Den personal space! Just enter the hilarious Tele-Porta-Potty in PlayStation Home’s Central Plaza to access the Midway when it launches this week.
For a holiday as important as Independence Day, we wanted to make sure we delivered the best event we possibly could to you, the loyal PlayStation Home community. And we wanted to make sure that both Canadians and Americans got an ample opportunity to celebrate – hence, Captain Kablooey’s Boombastic Bonanza! Simply head to the Central Plaza on Canada Day (Thursday, July 1st) and/or the 4th of July to participate in the festivities by playing the brand new Independence Day game with your friends, unlocking exclusive rewards (that you’ll have to see to believe), and then using those rewards to unlock progressively bigger and badder fireworks displays for the enjoyment of all onlookers. It’s easily one of the largest and most awesome events we’ve ever thrown — and it will only be available for a limited time — so come out to Central Plaza and show your national pride Home-style.
This week also plays host to some serious updates in the PlayStation Home Mall — with the highly-anticipated Active 8 Apartment UFO (which we’ve heard has a penchant for cattle abductions), new Independence Day-themed items from the Sodium store, full Woody, Jessie, and Zurg costumes from Toy Story 3 (and a bunch of furniture to boot), and tons of Alpha Protocol clothing items (including Michael Thornton, Sie, and Scarlet Lake costumes). So be sure to head to the PlayStation Home Mall this Thursday to keep your collection complete with these awesome new items.
See you in Home!
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Next year, we might just follow the example of the quarter of a million people who PlayStation Blog claims stopped by Sony's virtual booth in PlayStation Home. Sure, our coverage might be a little one-sided given the absence of every other company, but seriously, guys, earthquakes are terrifying.
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Last week, PlayStation Home took a huge step forward in connecting gamers to their favorite PlayStation titles by bringing the E3 experience directly to their PlayStation 3 consoles via our virtual E3 Booth. We wanted to take a moment to thank each and every one of you, the nearly quarter of a million gamers that have visited the booth since we launched it last Tuesday. In the first day alone we had over 60,000 visitors (compare that to the 46,500 real world attendees — more people visited the PlayStation Home E3 Booth in one day than did the Los Angeles Convention Center for the E3 festivities last week!)
Needless to say, the virtual E3 Booth event space has been a tremendous success. And we have you, the 14 million users that make up the illustrious PlayStation Home community, to thank for that.
After all, it was your idea to recreate the PlayStation E3 Booth for the hordes of gamers unable to attend in the flesh. It was your requests for bigger and better rewards that led to the development of all the awesome commemorative items associated with the space. It was you that asked for the behind-the-scenes look at SCEA’s PlayStation Home development team that has been airing in the VIP area of the virtual E3 Booth. It was you that demanded that the SCEA PlayStation Home Community Management team get out from behind the screen and chat face-to-face on the show floor (many thanks to those of you that took the time to stop by the booth and talk to us, learn about some of the new content we have coming down the pipe and, most importantly, give us your feedback on the platform — we had the time of our lives!)
We have tremendous momentum coming out of E3, and you can bet that we’re going to continue to come correct and deliver the content that you demand between now and our next big event. This week, we are releasing a brand new personal space based upon Disney-Pixar’s third installment in the critically acclaimed Toy Story series. “Andy’s Room” transports players to the world of Buzz Lightyear, Woody, and the other toys owned by Andy Davis. Packed with mini-games and fun interactives, Andy’s Room is a must-have addition to your personal space collection. Pick yours up this Thursday from the Estates store in the PlayStation Home Mall. In the meantime, check out this video we’ve scored that highlights some of the key elements of the space (Note: Some of the virtual items that are shown towards the end of the video will be released over time — stay tuned for specific release dates).
In other Toy Story 3 news, be sure to head to the PlayStation Home Theater this Thursday to load up on some exclusive Toy Story 3 virtual item rewards. All you have to do is watch the Toy Story 3 footage and — voila! — Toy Story 3 t-shirts will magically appear in your wardrobe. Pretty cool, eh?
Our uber-popular PlayStation Home’s Top Avatar events continue with our 80s Week contest. Decorate your avatar in neon garb, spandex, and other loud and proud attire, snap a pic, and upload to this thread on the official PlayStation Home forums. The winners will be awarded the fame they’ve always vied for (or maybe not, but you will get your picture emblazoned on a billboard in Central Plaza, which is a good first step towards your own TV show, or so I’ve heard…)
The recently released Playground space is a smash hit, with tons of users gathering in this highly immersive space to partake in games of H-O-R-S-E and chess, party of the rooftop lounge, and enjoy the high-quality, original hip-hop and funk music circa-1980 that is blaring throughout the space. Come this week, you’ll be able to bring the party back home with the Playground Boombox, which allows you to take the music of the Playground space to your personal space for your own private bash. A first for the platform (the ability to play music in personal spaces and clubhouses), the Playground Boombox will be available on Playground Boombox this Thursday, June 24th from the Furniture store.
Finally, the Sodium store will be updated this week with additional female clothing items and furniture, and the popular Dog and Cat suits will be released as well. Check the Latest Update tab under the Community section in your Menu Pad on Thursday for a complete list of the newest content.
See you in Home!
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Millions of gamers across the globe are glued to their monitors this week, rabidly devouring every last detail surrounding the announcements made during the video game industry’s biggest trade show: The Electronic Entertainment Expo. Simply put, E3 is the place to be if you are passionate about games. Everyone wants to be there, but only a select few are able to attend.
Until now.
This week, we take a huge step forward in bringing gamers closer to their favorite PlayStation titles, closer to the people that create these games, and closer to one another by delivering the E3 experience directly to their PlayStation 3 consoles.
Right now, you can log into PlayStation Home and experience E3 for yourself in PlayStation Home’s virtual E3 booth. Watch Jack Tretton’s 2010 E3 press conference and get briefed on what to expect from the PlayStation platform in the coming months. Check out the latest games and collect exclusive PlayStation Home rewards (we’ve got new ones waiting for you every day of E3). Unlock the VIP area and get a sneak peek at what’s in store for PlayStation Home fanatics this year. Only in PlayStation Home can you participate in the E3 action without boarding a plane, securing a pass, or stepping foot in the Los Angeles Convention Center.
This week marks the release of one of the top requested features from the PlayStation Home community: Games that players can collect and place at will in their personal spaces and clubhouses. Available now in the LOOT store in the PlayStation Home Mall is a new game, Cabin Boy, that users can purchase and then share with their friends in the personal space(s) of their choosing. This highly-addictive game challenges players to juggle multiple tasks (including fishing, protecting a friend from the sun’s scorching rays, and keeping a curious cat away from the daily catch) in order to place on the game’s “friend’s list” and community leaderboards. Check out this video for a look at LOOT’s new Cabin Boy game – a first for PlayStation Home.
Coming tomorrow, June 17th, is a brand new PlayStation Home game space known as the “Playground.” Previewed approximately a month ago in the official PlayStation Home forums, the appropriately titled Playground space is an urban playground and block party setting not completely unlike what you would have found in Brooklyn 30 years ago. This visually-dazzling, immersive space contains a multiplayer basketball game (H-O-R-S-E), chess, a rooftop lounge, and a stage where the community can party while enjoying high-quality, original hip-hop and funk music circa-1980. And if you want to bring the party back home, simply pick up the Playground Boombox (available on Thursday, June 24th) and take the music to your personal space for your own private bash.
See you in Home!
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Millions of gamers across the globe are glued to their monitors this week, rabidly devouring every last detail surrounding the announcements made during the video game industry’s biggest trade show: The Electronic Entertainment Expo. Simply put, E3 is the place to be if you are passionate about games. Everyone wants to be there, but only a select few are able to attend.
Until now.
This week, we take a huge step forward in bringing gamers closer to their favorite PlayStation titles, closer to the people that create these games, and closer to one another by delivering the E3 experience directly to their PlayStation 3 consoles.
Right now, you can log into PlayStation Home and experience E3 for yourself in PlayStation Home’s virtual E3 booth. Watch Jack Tretton’s 2010 E3 press conference and get briefed on what to expect from the PlayStation platform in the coming months. Check out the latest games and collect exclusive PlayStation Home rewards (we’ve got new ones waiting for you every day of E3). Unlock the VIP area and get a sneak peek at what’s in store for PlayStation Home fanatics this year. Only in PlayStation Home can you participate in the E3 action without boarding a plane, securing a pass, or stepping foot in the Los Angeles Convention Center.
This week marks the release of one of the top requested features from the PlayStation Home community: Games that players can collect and place at will in their personal spaces and clubhouses. Available now in the LOOT store in the PlayStation Home Mall is a new game, Cabin Boy, that users can purchase and then share with their friends in the personal space(s) of their choosing. This highly-addictive game challenges players to juggle multiple tasks (including fishing, protecting a friend from the sun’s scorching rays, and keeping a curious cat away from the daily catch) in order to place on the game’s “friend’s list” and community leaderboards. Check out this video for a look at LOOT’s new Cabin Boy game – a first for PlayStation Home.
Coming tomorrow, June 17th, is a brand new PlayStation Home game space known as the “Playground.” Previewed approximately a month ago in the official PlayStation Home forums, the appropriately titled Playground space is an urban playground and block party setting not completely unlike what you would have found in Brooklyn 30 years ago. This visually-dazzling, immersive space contains a multiplayer basketball game (H-O-R-S-E), chess, a rooftop lounge, and a stage where the community can party while enjoying high-quality, original hip-hop and funk music circa-1980. And if you want to bring the party back home, simply pick up the Playground Boombox (available on Thursday, June 24th) and take the music to your personal space for your own private bash.
See you in Home!
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Glenn and the rest of the PS Nation team are working on providing regular updates to the online service. While other outlets haven't been named, this is a good first step in countering Xbox Live's video partnerships, such as IGN Strategize and the OXM Report.
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PlayStation Home is about connecting gamers through a universe of games, and this week will mark the launch of yet another powerful addition to our arsenal. The brand new PlayStation Home Community Theater serves to bring players closer to their favorite gaming websites, blogs, podcasts, videocasts (and other media outlets) while further uniting the enormous audience under the shared interest of awesome PlayStation games. This dedicated screen in PlayStation Home’s 10-Screen Theater provides a channel for bloggers and journalists to connect with the huge and diverse PlayStation Home community through exclusive videos specially crafted for PlayStation Home.
This week will see the introduction of our first partners in this new venture — PS Nation. As one of the most respected independent sites focused on PlayStation games, we consider this group of hardcore gaming aficionados to be a perfect introduction to our quickly growing roster of Community Theater participants. Glenn Percival of PS Nation had the following to say when we caught up with him the other day to discuss the launch of this exciting new community initiative:
“Our number one goal was to always include our community in what we do, so what better venue could there be than PlayStation Home? The biggest PlayStation community available! We can’t wait to bring our love of Minecarts, Sportsball, Torgo-Hype, and ‘Trophies Yo!’ to the PlayStation Home community.”
Stay tuned for more announcements regarding the PlayStation Home Community Theater. But for now, make sure you log into PlayStation Home now to check out the high-quality (and hilarious) content in the Community Theater, courtesy of our friends at PS Nation.
Launching this Thursday, June 10th are two new Disgaea 3 spaces, set to bring Nippon Ichi’s famed RPG franchise into the always-expanding, rapidly-growing, ever-evolving world of PlayStation Home. The first space — The Nether Institute, Evil Academy — contains six Prinnies (“Dood!”), Disgaea trivia games and tests, and more. Mao’s Room, the second space, has two games — including the Netherworld Millionaire card game. Players will also be able to collect a variety of clothing and furniture items related to Disgaea 3 as well as unlock three rewards from the title: gold, silver, and bronze “trophies” for your personal spaces! If you’re a fan of penguin-esque creatures with bat wings and a penchant for exploding when thrown (and if you are not then, really, get a sense of humor!), be sure to head into PlayStation Home this Thursday and immerse yourself in these two new Disgaea spaces.
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This week marks a truly monumental point in the history of PlayStation Home, as one of the world’s biggest sporting events receives a dedicated space. PlayStation Home’s FevaArena – a virtual stadium devoted to the 2010 FIFA World Cup – will serve as the rallying point for soccer (err…futbol!) fans that want to play exclusive games, collect rewards and limited items, and indulge in their affinity for the most widely-viewed sporting event in the world. Start at the FevaShoot mini-game, where you can hone your penalty kick skills and earn points that can be cashed in for special rewards. Then head over to the FevaSimulation Center, and track the simulated progress of your favorite teams throughout the World Cup (and cash in some of those points for exclusive furniture and clothing rewards). Afterwards, you and your friends can hop into the Photo Booth or shop for exclusive virtual items (such as your favorite team’s jersey) from the FEVA Arena’s unique Mall area – all from the comfort of your console.
The FevaArena’s doors will open this Thursday, June 3rd for North American soccer fanatics, but a “Global Lounge” will be introduced on Thursday, June 10th, allowing over 14 million users from 32 countries around the globe to converge in one space to play games together and attend special events. PlayStation Home historians will recognize the FevaArena’s Global Lounge as another first in the platform’s ongoing evolution, informed directly by community feedback gathered from users across all regions of PlayStation Home.
BioShock 2 fans will have yet another reason to log in to PlayStation Home come this Thursday, when 2K Games releases their BioShock 2 Rapture Apartment. This visually dazzling personal space transports its inhabitants to the dystopian city of Rapture, in all its waterlogged, creepy glory. And, in true BioShock 2 fashion, it has plenty of Easter Eggs that only the most ravenous players will unearth (hint: try to figure out how to get to the second floor!) We’ve grabbed a few screenshots to whet your appetite, but trust me when I say these preview shots do not do this space justice. Pick one up later this week (or ask a friend for a tour), because you absolutely have to see this space up close for the full experience.
Anime fans will be treated to a full episode of Kekkaishi for one week, starting this Thursday. Watch the first episode for free in the PlayStation Home Theater, and then download it from the PlayStation Network by going to the PlayStation Store > TV Shows > Anime > Viz Media. Follow the journey of the legitimate heirs of the Hazama clan, Yoshimori Sumimura and Tokine Yukimura, carry out their family tradition of the Kekkaishi and set out to exterminate the Ayakashi demons that appear within the Karasumori site. And while you are in the Theater, be sure to check out the Killzone 3 video, courtesy of our friends here at the PlayStation.Blog.
From our daily Featured Game parties (we’ll be playing everything from LittleBigPlanet to multiplayer DLC from Dante’s Inferno this week – check out the posters in the Gamer’s Lounge or www.us.playstation.com/PSN/Home for more details) to our ongoing Top Avatar competition (this week is “Horror Week” – scary, eh? – check out the thread here), we have a new event waiting for you every day of this week (and every day that follows). If you haven’t been to one of our community events lately, we highly recommend that you log in this week and reacquaint yourself with the large and diverse group of gamers that make up the PlayStation Home community. You’ll quickly find that there is something for every PS3 fanatic going on at all hours of the day and night.
I also want to give all you guys and gals a quick reminder that PlayStation Home v1.36 is now live (we deployed this patch early Tuesday morning instead of during our regular Thursday content/maintenance windows, so it bears repeating). If you’ve not yet installed this patch, we recommend that you log in and download it today, as it will result in a more optimized in-world experience (specifically, you should notice that the loading times have been reduced even more). Helpful hint: If you notice that the yellow HDD activity light on your PS3 is flashing when you are greeted with the 1.36 patch notification, please wait for it to stop and then press X to start the installation process (Note: If you press any buttons while the yellow HDD activity light is flashing you will automatically restart your PS3, which is not necessary to apply this patch.)
See you in Home!
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You asked for it, so we’re serving it up to you on a silver platter! Less than one month after the launch of the mega-popular ModNation Racers event in our Media and Events space, the just-released kart racer that has officially taken the genre to the next level with its near-infinite amount of highly customizable tracks, karts, and characters is getting a dedicated space in PlayStation Home. From the light and “sticky” (no pun intended) fun of the Sticker Wall to the maddeningly addictive built-in kart mini-game, the brand new ModNation Racers space lives up to the eponymously named game’s “Play. Create. Share” mantra. And this Thursday, May 27th, the doors will open for all to explore, experience, and enjoy. Check out this video for a quick look at what to expect when this space goes live tomorrow morning.
On that note, we’d like to take a moment to call your attention to a special ModNation Racers event we will be hosting in PlayStation Home starting this Thursday, May 27 (deadline for entries is June 10). An opportunity for you to show the PlayStation Home community your mastery of mid-race maneuvers, the ModNation Racers “Snap a Trick” contest will award the winner with fame and fans beyond their wildest dreams (or maybe not – but it’s a sure-fire way to show the world just how much of a daredevil you are).
To participate, all you must do is load and start ModNation Racers and then enter into one of the following Game types via the Radial Menu or their respective Circle of Influences: Career, Split-screen, Quick Race or Time Trial (Photo Mode is not available online). During a Race, perform the craziest trick you can imagine, and then press the Start button to pause the game while performing said trick. Then, select Photo Mode from the Radial Menu, adjusting the camera positioning with the Left and Right Thumb Sticks until you have the optimal shot. Simply press L1 to take a picture, which will then be saved to the “Photo” section of your PS3. Then, submit your photo by emailing HomeContests@playstation.sony.com, with “MNR” as the subject line of the e-mail, and in the body, include your PSN ID. The winner will have their shot placed in the PlayStation Home ModNation Racers. How cool is that? The complete rules for this contest have been attached at the end of this post for your convenience, so make sure to give them a read before you enter.
My buddy Magnus Keynes — he, the wheeler and dealer of PlayStation Home, responsible for striking the deals that have lead to so many of the cool virtual items and spaces that you all enjoy on a daily basis — is getting the “sale bug” again (he does this pretty regularly, if you haven’t noticed). This week, he’s not only hosting the “Beach Week” segment of the PlayStation Home Top Avatar competition (you can find out all about it here) but is also giving away the Wizard’s Den personal space to those of you that choose to buy one of the following personal spaces: Summer House, City Penthouse, Lakeside Log Cabin, Paris Clock Tower, and Luxury Racing Box. It’s a pretty sweet deal, so head to the Estates store in the PlayStation Home Mall come this Thursday to take advantage of this limited-time offer.
See you in Home!
OFFICIAL RULES
ModNation Racers Snap a Trick Contest
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void outside the 50 United States and D.C. and where prohibited. The following promotion is intended for viewing in the 50 United States and D.C. only and shall only be construed and evaluated according to United States law. Do not proceed in this site if you are not a legal resident of, and located in, the 50 United States or D.C. and are at least 13 years of age at the time of entry. To enter, you must have a PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, a copy of ModNation Racers, a valid PlayStation Network account, internet access, and a valid registered PlayStation Network e-mail address.
1. ELIGIBILITY: Open to legal U.S. residents only aged 13 or older. Prize winners or prize winners’ parent or guardian (if the winner is under the age of 18) may be required to sign a notarized Affidavit of Eligibility and Release of Liability within fourteen (14) days of prize notification. By acceptance of prize, winners agree to the use of their name and/or likenesses for purposes of advertising, trade, or promotion without further compensation, unless prohibited by law. Return of any prize/prize notification as undeliverable or failure to return the affidavit within the designated time frame will result in disqualification and an alternate winner will be selected.
2. SPONSOR: Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC, 919 East Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City, CA 94404 (“Sponsor”).
3. TIMING: ModNation Racers Snap a Trick Contest (“Promotion”) begins May 27, 2010 at 12:00pm PST and ends June 10, 2010 at 11:59pm PST (“Promotion Period”).
4. HOW TO ENTER: Load and start your ModNations Racers game. Follow these steps to take a picture of your Kart trick:
Enter into one of the following Game types via the Radial Menu or their respective Circle of Influences; Career, Split-screen, Quick Race or Time Trial. (Photo Mode is not available Online) During Race, press the Start button to pause the game while performing the desired trick. Select Photo Mode from the Radial Menu. Adjust the Camera positioning with the Left and Right Thumb Sticks until at desired position. (The Left Stick controls the Zoom and the Right Stick rotates the camera.) Press L1 to take the picture. The picture will now be saved to the “Photo” section of your Playstation 3 system. You view the picture by selecting the image while in the XMB. (Image cannot be viewed while playing the game. However, a thumbnail of the image can be seen while playing if you bring up the In-Game XMB and selects the appropriate album).Submit a photo of your Kart trick (“Entry”) by e-mailing HomeContests@playstation.sony.com, with “MNR” as the subject line of the e-mail, and in the body, include your PSN ID.
5. ENTRY CONDITIONS: All Entries must be received by June 10, 2010. Limit one Entry per person and valid e-mail address during the Promotion Period. Subsequent Entries will be disqualified.
6. PRIZES: Winning entrants will have their Photo Entry and PSN ID displayed in the ModNation Racers public space. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prize of equal value if prize is unavailable. Prizes are non-transferable and no substitutions allowed.
7. JUDGING CRITERIA: The following criteria and criteria weights in judging Entries:
(a) Creativity– 60%; (b) Aesthetics – 40%.
8. WINNERS: The Sponsor will determine the ten (10) prize winners. Winners shall be notified by e-mail within two weeks at the conclusion of the contest.
9. GENERAL CONDITIONS: All Entries are subject to Sponsor’s verification. Sponsor’s decisions are final and binding in all matters related to the Promotion. Potential winners must comply with the Official Rules, and receipt of prizes is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements. Sponsor is not responsible for technical, hardware or software failures, malfunctions, lost or unavailable network connections or failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions or unforeseen schedule changes that may limit the ability to participate in the Promotion, even if caused by Sponsor’s negligence. Sponsor has the sole discretion to modify, cancel or suspend this Promotion should virus, bugs, unauthorized human intervention or other causes beyond Sponsor’s control affect the administration, security or proper play of the Promotion or Sponsor otherwise becomes incapable of running the Promotion as planned. Sponsor is not responsible for changes to contact information. Sponsor reserves the right to reject any entries that it deems, in its sole discretion, to be inappropriate including, but not limited to, gratuitous depictions of violence or sexual behavior, or positive depictions of alcohol or tobacco. The Submission must be the original, unpublished and sole work of the entrant. The Submission cannot defame or invade the rights of privacy of any person, living or deceased, or otherwise infringe upon any third party personal or proprietary rights. Sponsor has the sole discretion to disqualify any participant who violates these Official Rules, tampers with the operation of the Promotion or engages in any conduct that is detrimental or unfair to Sponsor, the Promotion or any other participant.
10. RELEASE: As a condition of participating in the Promotion, all participants agree to release Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries, agencies, divisions and affiliates from liability, for loss, harm, damage, injury, cost or expense whatsoever including property damage, personal injury and death that may occur in connection with, preparation for, travel to, or participation in the Promotion, or possession, acceptance or use or misuse of prize or participation in any Promotion-related activity and claims based on publicity rights, copyright or trademark infringement, defamation or invasion of privacy and merchandise delivery.
11. WINNER LIST: To obtain names of the winners, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to ModNation Racers Snap a Trick Contest Attn: Promotions, 919 East Hillsdale Blvd. Foster City, CA 94404. Prize winners’ name request will be fulfilled within four weeks. Requests for winner list must be received by June 24, 2010.
12. RESTRICTIONS: Void where prohibited or restricted by law.
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For archaeologist adventurers, Indiana Jones' costume with fedora will likely be a must -- oh yeah, along with framed whip for the wall. There are also Mutt Williams, Dovchenko, Mola Ram ("COVER YOUR HEART!") and Henry Jones Sr. costumes. Props include the Staff of Rah, Ark of the Covenant, fertility idol and, ugh ... the crystal skull. And here we'd just about forgotten that movie existed.
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Attn: Gunslingers, desperados, mercenaries, buckaroos, and assorted other colorful characters that make up the landscape of Rockstar’s new tour de force Red Dead Redemption! As you make your way through the game’s dusty terrain, pumping lead into lawmen, lawless men, and even a few not-so-cuddly members of the wildlife community, while grabbing Trophies left and right, keep your eye out for a few mile marker accomplishments that will grant you the kind of highly sought-after PlayStation Home rewards that will make you the envy of your entire posse. To give you leg up this week, here are the instructions to unlock two of the many PlayStation Home rewards that can be found in the killing fields of Red Dead Redemption: Complete the Rockstar Games Social Club “Skin it to Win It Challenge”, and unlock the “Gentlemen’s Attire” and “Lady’s Finest” virtual items.
In other news, the PlayStation Home Mall will be updated this week with new items for your avatars and personal spaces, including additional Red Dead Redemption items (such as the John Marston outfit), new Irem cowboy and cowgirl items (are you sensing a loose theme to this week yet?), LucasArts items (including Mola Ram items from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom — how sweet is that?!), and even this Minotaur head, for all of you that are participating in the ongoing Top Avatar competition, which is focusing on the Fantasy genre this week (details can be found here).
See you in Home!
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Finally, Qore fans will want to pay attention to this: show hosts Veronica Belmont and Audrey Cleo will be making an appearance in Home to chat with fans of the PSN video magazine. For more details, check out the PlayStation.Blog.
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Calling all Sackboys and Sackgirls! Hot on the heels of this week’s massive LittleBigPlanet 2 announcement, we here on the PlayStation Home team are proud to unveil two – you heard me, TWO – new spaces dedicated to this celebrated franchise. True to the “Play.Create.Share.” mantra, these brand new LittleBigPlanet spaces provide the perfect locations for users to indulge in their affinity for all things LittleBigPlanet, from creating custom content to playing addictive games to finding new friends to launch into multiplayer sessions of LittleBigPlanet for your PS3.
Start with the King’s Snap Happy Photo Challenge in the LittleBigPlanet PlayGround space – find the target, snap the perfect shot, and unlock some exclusive rewards. Next, team up with your friends to create custom wallpapers in the Creator mini-game, where you can build, stick, place, and shoot the perfect XMB backdrop. Finally, you can nurture your inner sharpshooter at the LittleBigDerby mini-game, which recalls the carnival games of yesteryear, albeit in a patented LittleBigPlanet fashion.
After earning your rewards and stocking up on all the LittleLittleBigPlanet-themed clothing and furniture items available in the PlayStation Home Mall, head to the LittleBigPlanet Pod Penthouse – your very own LittleBigPlanet personal space, rife with opportunities to personalize and customize. This excellent new personal space (as well as the LittleBigPlanet PlayGround public space) will be available this Thursday, May 13th.
All of you Qore fans will have a unique opportunity to meet host Veronica Belmont and correspondent Audrey Cleo during an in-world appearance this Thursday, May 13th from 6:00pm – 8:00pm PT (9:00pm – 11:00pm EST) in the PlayStation Home Theater’s Qore screening room. Come out to meet the ladies of Qore and watch a special Qore video focusing exclusively on PlayStation Home and its vibrant community. And be sure to pick up Episode 24, now available from the PlayStation Store, which contains a large segment on PlayStation Home (and also offers a sneak peek at a brand new space!)
To celebrate one year full of tons of great content (including the mega-popular LOOT Living Room Stage Set personal space), our friends at LOOT are sponsoring the first ever Machinima contest in PlayStation Home. All of you Machinimators are invited to join the next round of the legendary Aliens vs. Androids battle –- the “Fight for Freedom.”
Here’s the back story: After defeating the invasive Alien species in the epic Aliens vs. Androids dance-off, the metal-clad Androids became little more than a useful, shiny asset for the PlayStation Home community. That was, of course, until they became self-aware. The former guardians of PlayStation Home took control, and thus the Reign of the Androids began. Characterized by the “Safe Human Behavior Protocol” (strict rules including mandatory curfews), the Androids will either be overthrown by the residents of PlayStation Home…or it will stretch on through future generations.
The way this story ends depends on you, the loyal PlayStation Home community, and the Machinima you create based upon this historic battle. LOOT, Sony Pictures, and PlayStation Home Community Management judges will vote on the top videos posted in the official PlayStation Home forums. The participants responsible for the winning entry will be awarded the LOOT “Best Machinima” trophy and a gold director megaphone – exclusive items that only the winners of this contest will own. Interested? Then read the official contest rules and guidelines, included below for your convenience.
See you in Home!
The following promotion is intended for viewing in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia only and will be construed and evaluated according to United States law. Do not enter this contest if you are not a legal resident of, and located in, the 50 United States or the District of Columbia at the time of entry.
OFFICIAL RULES
LOOT™ Machinima Contest: “Aliens vs. Androids II – The Fight For Freedom”
1. Eligibility. The LOOT™ Machinima Contest: ”Aliens vs. Androids II – The Fight For Freedom”(“Promotion”) is only open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, who are at least 18 years of age or older on or before May 12, 2010. To be eligible to participate, you must have a PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, a PlayStation®Network account in good standing, internet access and PlayStation®Home installed on your system. No purchase necessary to enter or win. Employees of the Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries and affiliated companies and their immediate families are not eligible to participate in this Promotion.
2. Sponsor. Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC, 919 E. Hillsdale Blvd, Foster City, CA 94404 (“Sponsor”).
3. Timing. The Promotion begins on May 12, 2010 at 12:00P.M. (noon) Pacific Standard Time (“PST”) and ends on June 14, 2010 at 12:00P.M. PST (the “Promotion Period”).
4. How to Enter. Get together with other PlayStation Home users and form a production team. Production teams can have a maximum of 12 team members (individually, “Entrants” and collectively, “Team”). Each Entrant must be eligible to participate in the Promotion. Teams must designate one Entrant as the “Lead Team Member”. The Lead Team Member will be responsible for all required communication with Sponsor. At least one Entrant must have access to a computer capable of creating a machinima style video and uploading to a video sharing internet website. Create an original and unpublished machinima-style video filmed entirely within PlayStation Home that continues the LOOT™ Aliens Andriod vs. Androids II “The Fight for Freedom” storyline occurring within PlayStation Home during the Promotion Period. To enter, post a link to your video on boardsus.playstation.com under the official thread LOOT™ Machinima Contest: “Aliens vs. Androids II – The Fight for Freedom” (“Entry”). To be valid, Entries must conform to the following requirements:
4.1. Cannot exceed three minutes in length
4.2. MP4 or MOV format
4.3. file size cannot exceed 300MB
4.4. the Entry must include end credits that list the Team name, the PSN IDs of all Entrants, and indicate who will serve as the Lead Team Member.
5. Entry Conditions. Limit one Entry per Team. All Entries must be posted by 12:00 pm (noon) on June 14, 2010. The Entry must be the original and unpublished creation of the Entrants. The Entry must not contain any copyrighted content, including movies, TV series, photos or soundtracks. Sponsor reserves the right to reject Entries that it deems, in its sole discretion, to be inappropriate including Entries containing foul language, gratuitous depictions of violence or sexual behavior, positive depictions of alcohol or tobacco or any illegal activity. The Entry’s content must not defame or invade the rights or privacy of any person, living or deceased or infringe upon any third-party personal or proprietary rights. For any Entry that includes a likeness of third party or contains elements owned by a third party (such as depictions of buildings, trademarks or logos), the Lead Team Member must provide legal releases permitting the Team’s use and Sponsor’s use of the Entry, in a form and substance satisfactory to Sponsor. In the event fewer Entries are received than the number of prizes to be awarded, Sponsor reserves the right to take action as it reasonably deems necessary under the circumstances.
6. Grant of Rights. Each Entrant is responsible for the Entry and the consequences of posting or publishing it. In connection with the Entry, each Entrant affirms, represents, and warrants that: (i) the Entrant owns or has the necessary licenses, rights, consents and permissions to use the Entry in the manner contemplated by Sponsor; and (ii) the Entrant has obtained the written consent, release and permission of each and every identifiable individual person in the Entry for use of the name or likeness of those persons and for use of the Entry in the manner contemplated by Sponsor. By submitting the Entry to Sponsor, each Entrant grants to Sponsor a perpetual, fully paid, irrevocable, non-exclusive license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, distribute, display, transmit, and permit others to use and perform the Entry throughout the universe, his or her likeness and performance and every identifiable individual person’s likeness and performance in the Entry in any media. Sponsor is under no obligation to use an Entry.
7. Judging Criteria. All Entries received will be judged by a panel of judges composed of members of the SCEA Home Community Management team and members of the Sony Pictures Entertainment LOOT™ team. The panel will use the following criteria and criteria weights in judging Entries: (a) originality and creativity – 50%; (b) narrative – 40%; (c) editing – 5%; (d) video and sound effects – 5% (“Judging Criteria”).
8. Winner Selection. Winning Entries will be selected based on the Judging Criteria from valid Entries submitted by eligible Entrants received during the Promotion Period. Sponsor’s decisions will be final and binding. Each winning Entrant will be notified via their registered PSN email address. The Lead Team Member must respond to Sponsor’s prize notification email within 48 hours from that date and time of the Sponsor’s prize notification email sent to the Lead Team Member. In the event that the Lead Team Member of the winning Entry does not respond to Sponsor’s prize notification email within the specified time or the prize notification email is returned as undeliverable, a new winning Entry will be chosen based on the Judging Criteria. Alternate winners will be contacted via their registered PSN email addresses and the Lead Team Member of the alternate winning entry must respond to the Sponsor’s prize notification email within 48 hours from that date and time of the Sponsor’s prize notification email to the Lead Team Member. Winners will be announced on or around June 24, 2010.
9. Prizes.
9.1. Grand prize: One Entry will be chosen as the grand prize winner and its Team members will receive the grand prize. Each grand prize winning Entrant will receive a voucher code redeemable for the entitlement to download the LOOT™ “Best Machinima” Gold Trophy and The Gold Director Megaphone.
9.2. Runner up prize: Nine Entries will be chosen as runners up, and Team members of the nine runners up will receive the runner up prize. Each Entrant awarded the runner up prize will receive a voucher code redeemable for the entitlement to download a Director Megaphone.
9.3. Each valid Entrant that submits a valid Entry during the Promotion Period will receive a voucher code redeemable for the entitlement to download the LOOT™ “Alien vs. Androids” Trophy.
Prize fulfillment is based on availability. Sponsor has the sole discretion to substitute a prize of equal or greater value if a prize is unavailable. Prizes are non-transferable, and Sponsor need not substitute a prize based on an Entrant’s request. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of prizes via email.
10. General Conditions. Potential winning Entrants are subject to Sponsor’s verification. Sponsor’s decisions are final and binding in all matters related to the Promotion. Potential winners must comply with the Official Rules, and receipt of prizes is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements. Sponsor is not responsible for technical, hardware or software failures, malfunctions, lost or unavailable network connections or failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions or unforeseen schedule changes that may limit an Entrant’s ability to participate in the Promotion, even if caused by Sponsor’s negligence. Sponsor has the sole discretion to modify, cancel or suspend this Promotion should virus, bugs, unauthorized human intervention or other causes beyond Sponsor’s control affect the administration, security or proper play of the Promotion or Sponsor otherwise becomes incapable of running the Promotion as planned. Sponsor is not responsible for changes to Entrant’s contact information. Sponsor has the sole discretion to disqualify Entrants who violate these Official Rules, tamper with the operation of the Promotion or engage in any conduct that is detrimental or unfair to Sponsor, the Promotion or any other Entrant
11. Release. As a condition of participating in the Promotion, Entrants agree to release Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries, agencies, divisions and affiliates from liability, for loss, harm, damage, injury, cost or expense whatsoever including property damage, personal injury and death that may occur in connection with, preparation for, travel to, or participation in the Promotion, or possession, acceptance or use or misuse of prize or participation in any Promotion-related activity and claims based on publicity rights, copyright or trademark infringement, defamation or invasion of privacy and merchandise delivery.
12. Publicity. By accepting a prize, a winning Entrant agrees to the use of his or her name and likeness for purposes of advertising, trade or promotion without further compensation, unless prohibited by law, and agrees, if required, to sign and return a notarized Affidavit of Eligibility and Release of Liability within a period that Sponsor specifies.
13. Promotion Results. The winners will be posted on the www.us.playstation.com on or about June 24, 2010.
14. Collection of Information. The information necessary to operate the Promotion is collected by Sponsor at the time of Entry submission, and without limiting Sponsor’s rights under its privacy policies with regards to its use of the information, the information collected will be used to contact you specifically for operation of the Promotion. Information collected in connection with the Promotion will otherwise be collected in accordance with Sponsor’s privacy policy, available at http://www.us.playstation.com/Support/PrivacyPolicy. By participating in the Promotion, each Entrant agrees to the terms of Sponsor’s privacy policy.
15. Restrictions. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.
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The UNCHARTED 2 adventure continues this week, as the celebrated franchise expands further into the wide world of PlayStation Home with the release of the new UNCHARTED 2 personal space. Situated in the heart of Pokhara, this dazzling personal space harkens back to the action-packed scenes of Naughty Dog’s award-winning title, where Nathan Drake and Co. battle it out with Lazarevic’s henchmen in the war-torn streets of Nepal. A true must-have addition to your UNCHARTED collection, this personal space will be available this Thursday, May 6th in the Estates store in the PlayStation Home Mall. Like they always say, a picture may be worth a thousand words, but a video is worth a million pictures, so check out this video we’ve made for you that shows off this exciting new space.
To celebrate the release of the first ever DLC for what is inarguably one of the biggest titles of the current generation — Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 — our friends at Infinity Ward will be joining us in the Gamer’s Lounge this Friday, May 7th at 4:00pm PT (7:00pm ET) to launch into the new multiplayer maps of the Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package. You make the call as to whether you want to jump into the Bailout, Salvage, Storm, Crash, or Overgrown maps — just let us know when the time comes to set up the multiplayer session. More details, including host accounts, will be posted in our Message of the Day prior to the event start time this Friday.
Also coming this week into the ever-growing PlayStation Home universe (which is currently expanding at the rate of your average supernova) are special items from the upcoming remake of the classic martial arts film The Karate Kid. Available from the LOOT store in the PlayStation Home Mall, these hot new items are essential for fans of the classic film that are anxiously awaiting the June 11th release of this highly-anticipated remake. Be sure to grab yours first thing Thursday morning.
Those of you that, like me, obsessively collect each and every unlockable reward from your favorite PS3 and PSN games in PlayStation Home will be stoked to learn that Rockstar’s upcoming sandbox-style western game Red Dead Redemption (available for the PS3 on May 18th) will unlock exclusive outfits for your avatar upon reaching in-game milestones. We don’t want to spill any beans concerning the plot of this sure-to-be-hit title, so we’re not going to tell you how to earn these rewards just yet but trust me when I say that, if you love Red Dead Redemption, PlayStation Home is the place to be when you are looking for people to challenge to a good ol’ fashioned Mexican standoff in the 16-player max multiplayer.
In other news, Sodium is getting yet another update this week. Be sure to keep an eye out for Vendy – the artificially intelligent vending machine-bot conveniently placed in the Sodium Hub to provide all you scorpion stompers with Vetoxade, the anti-venom needed to stomp the fiendish blue scorpions.
Finally, we want to alert you to a pretty awesome event in which PlayStation Home will play a pivotal role. As the excitement builds for the highly-anticipated release of METAL GEAR SOLID: PEACE WALKER for the PSP, Konami, Best Buy, and Sony Online Entertainment will feed the frenzy by hosting a code-collecting contest that begins the month before the game’s launch. The CODE HUNT will have contestants 18 and older in the United States scouring locations for elusive Peace Walker codes, each of which gets them closer and closer to the grand prize. Hint: Hunters that visit PlayStation Home should keep their eyes peeled. The contest begins today, May 5th and will end just in time for the Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker release on June 8th. Join the hunt now at http://www.konami.com/mgscodehunt and win big (official rules can be found at http://www.konami/user/rules)!
See you in Home!
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Buckle your seat belts, Home-people! ModNation Racers — the upcoming kart racing extravaganza that allows you near-endless options in terms of designing and customizing your own characters, vehicles, and tracks — is barreling into PlayStation Home’s Media and Events space this week. Packed with interactive content, including the ModSpot Challenge game (and some truly awesome rewards), this special event space will only be live for a limited time. Be sure to log in to PlayStation Home this Thursday, April 29th, and check out this exclusive event before it disappears from the Navigator forever.
By popular demand, Ubisoft will be releasing another installment in the long line of Assassin’s Creed content in PlayStation Home this week. Finally you’ll be able to add an Assassin’s Creed II personal space (along with an assortment of ornate furniture items) to your collection. This gorgeous personal space transports its inhabitants to the water-lined “streets” of 15th Century Venice, and will be available in the Estates store come this Thursday, April 29th.
Attn: Anime fans. We will be airing a full-length episode of Fullmetal Alchemist this week. Head to the PlayStation Home Theater this weekend and watch as Edward and Alphonse search for a rumored stone that could amplify their alchemy and restore their broken bodies.
In other news, when you visit the Central Plaza kiosk this Thursday to pick up some of the latest and greatest goods for sale in PlayStation Home, you’ll notice three new icons that denote the category of content available for purchase. First is the “New” tile, which contains new virtual items published in any given week. Second is the “Featured” tile, which includes a diverse array of some of our most popular items. Lastly, we’ve created a “Community” tile, which includes some of the items we’ve created for you based upon direct feedback from our users over at the official PlayStation Home forums. This “Community” tile will be populated over the course of the coming months with new and legacy content — we appreciate your patience as we wade through the thousands of items created over the course of the last 15 months at the best of our most loyal and vocal community members (there are a LOT of items to choose from, that’s for sure!)
See you in Home!
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The best times will be recorded on a leaderboard, and the top 10 scores by the end of June will be awarded with a virtual Iron Man suit to keep, making this one of the rarest virtual items ever offered for Sony's online community.
Unfortunately, this game is exclusive to the European PSN, meaning those of you outside of SCEE's domain won't be able to partake in the fun. To see what you're missing out on, check out the trailer after the break.
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Costumes for Lightning, Vanille, Sazh and Snow will all be available in the Costumes store in Sony's virtual world. In addition, you'll be able to rock costumes from BioShock 2 with purchasable Big Daddy and Big Sister costumes. Expect Home to have an interesting denizen of costumers this week.
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You’ve been asking us for weeks in the official PlayStation Home forums, in the comments section of this Blog, and on fan sites and podcasts…and we’re coming through for you like you knew we would! That’s right, Home people – this Thursday, April 22nd the long-requested FINAL FANTASY XIII costumes (along with some additional FFXIII furniture) will be released into the ever-expanding world PlayStation Home. For the guys, our friends at Square Enix have made Sazh and Snow costumes, while all you gals out there will be able to pick up the gorgeous wares of Lightning and Vanille. These clothing items will be sold as bundles in the Costumes store and include composite clothing sets, gloves, and wigs (an extra chocobo wig for Sazh will be sold separately). Peep the below visual evidence for an idea of what to expect when this truly awesome FFXIII content releases later this week.
Speaking of highly-requested content, we’ll be partying like its 1968 in Central Plaza come this Thursday when Big Daddy and Big Sister costumes (along with some other BioShock 2 virtual items) are released in PlayStation Home. We’ve snagged a few pics to give you a taste of what to expect when you add these creepy items to your collection (fun fact: Mr. Magnus Keynes – Home’s resident business guru – is too scared by BioShock 2 to even review these new items whereas our very own CydoniaX regularly schools the rest of the team in multiplayer mode and is sporting the Big Sister armor as I type).
In other news, Sodium will be receiving an update this week which will result in faster loading, new objectives being doled out by VICKIE (with new rewards, of course), and a new interactive map. As with all things in PlayStation Home, these updates come at the request of our loyal community members who regularly contribute great ideas on the official PlayStation Home Sodium forum. So, please, keep the good thoughts coming!
Ever since we released the new and improved Gamer’s Lounge last week, our nightly Featured Game parties have been hopping. And while you can always count on at least one official event being staged every single day in PlayStation Home (like this upcoming Saturday night’s Battlefield: Bad Company 2 game launching party), you can also bet that we’ll regularly break the mold and offer additional, 100% exclusive giveaways complete with the best prizes we can get our hands on. Starting this Friday, April 23rd and running to next Friday, April 30th, we’ll be giving away Wireless Keypads to 10 lucky contestants who participate in our Wireless Keypad sweepstakes. Want to learn how you can enter to win? Read the official Rules and Regulations, tacked on below for your convenience.
See you in Home!
The following promotion is intended for viewing in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia (“D.C.”) only and shall only be construed and evaluated according to United States law. Do not enter this sweepstakes if you are not a legal resident of, and located in the 50 United States or District of Columbia at the time of entry.
PLAYSTATION®HOME WIRELESS KEYPAD SWEEPSTAKES
OFFICIAL RULES
Void outside the 50 United States and D.C. and where prohibited.
1. ELIGIBILITY. The PlayStation®Home Wireless KeyPad Sweepstakes (“Promotion”) is open only to legal residents of the fifty United States and the D.C. who are 13 years of age or older at the time of entry and hold a PlayStation Network account in good standing as determined by Sponsor. Employees of the Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries and affiliated companies and their immediate families are not eligible to participate in this Promotion.
2. SPONSOR. Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC, 919 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City, CA 94404.
3. TIMING. Promotion begins April 23, 2010 at 12:00pm (noon) PST and ends April 30, 2010 at 12:00pm (noon) PST.
4. HOW TO ENTER. No purchase necessary. Internet access, a valid PlayStation®Network account, a PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system with a copy of PlayStation®Home installed on your system required. Log into your PlayStation Network account and launch PlayStation Home application The following question will be posted on a billboard in one of the core Home spaces: How would owning a wireless keypad improve your PlayStation®3 experience? To enter, send an e-mail to HomeContests@playstation.sony.com. Enter “Keypad” in the subject line and in the body of the email include your PSN ID and your answer to the question. To be valid, entries must be received no later than April 30, 2010 at 11:59pm PST.
2. PRIZES. Each prize winner will receive one (1) Wireless Keypad compatible with the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system (ARV $49.00). Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prize of equal value if prize is unavailable. Prizes are non-transferable and no substitutions allowed.
3. WINNER SELECTION. Ten (10) prize winners will be selected following the Promotion Period. Winners will be determined by a single random drawing of all valid entries received by Sponsor, whose decisions are final. Selection will be held on or about May 1, 2010. Sponsor will send a notification email to each winner’s registered PSN e-mail address. If any winner does not respond to Sponsor’s notification email within 7 days of the date of the notification email, he/she will be disqualified and a new winner will be selected based on the original selection criteria. Winners may be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Release (“Affidavit”) within seven (7) days of the date indicated on the correspondence sent by Sponsor. Failure to execute and return Affidavit within the stated time period will result in forfeiture of prize and an alternate winner will be selected. If a winning entrant is a minor, then Sponsor will award the prize to that winning entrant’s parent or legal guardian. If the potential winning entrant is a minor, then the Affidavit must be signed by potential winner’s parent or legal guardian and returned within the stated time period or prize may be forfeited and an alternate winner will be selected. Please allow four to six weeks for receipt of prizes.
4. ODDS OF WINNING. The odds of winning depend on number of valid entries received.
5. ENTRY CONDITIONS AND RELEASE. Limit one entry per person and e-mail address. Subsequent entries will be disqualified. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, mutilated, illegible, incomplete or misdirected entries. Sponsor is not responsible for technical, hardware or software failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections or failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions which may limit an entrant’s ability to participate in the Promotion. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to cancel or suspend this Promotion should virus, bugs or other causes corrupt the administration, security or proper play of this Promotion. Entries not satisfying these Official Rules will be automatically disqualified. Return of any prize/prize notification as undeliverable will result in disqualification and an alternate winner will be selected. Sponsor’s decisions are final and binding in all matters related to the Promotion. Potential winners must comply with the Official Rules’ terms and conditions, and receipt of prizes is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements.
6. PUBLICITY. By attempting to enter, entering or accepting a Promotion prize, an entrant or prize winner agrees to the use of their statements, name and/or likenesses for purposes of advertising, trade, or promotion without further compensation, unless prohibited by law.
7. LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY. By attempting to enter, entering or accepting a Promotion prize, an entrant or prize winner agrees to release Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries, agencies, divisions and affiliates from liability, claims or actions or any kind for injuries, damages or losses to persons and property that may be sustained in connection with the receipt, ownership or use of the prize or while preparing for, participating in or traveling to or from the Promotion or any Promotion or prize-related activity. Neither the Sponsor nor its parent, affiliates, subsidiaries, agencies, divisions or related companies are responsible for any damages, taxes or expenses that winners might incur as a result of this Promotion or receipt of prize.
8. WINNER LIST. To obtain names of winners, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Wireless Key Pad Sweepstakes, Attention: PS Home-Annabelle Garcia, 4th Floor, 919 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City, CA 94404. Prize winners’ name request will be fulfilled within four weeks. Request a copy of the winner list must be received by May 15, 2010.
9. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION. Sponsor will collect information in connection with the Promotion in accordance with Sponsor’s privacy policy, available at http://www.us.playstation.com/Support/PrivacyPolicy.
10. RESTRICTIONS. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.
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Click to learn the Secret of Monkey GalleryHave you been holding off on purchasing games, DLC and other playable content in anticipation of pirate outfits for your Home avatars? If so, get your wallet ready, because LucasArts is adding Monkey Island 2 clothes to the PlayStation Store today. LeChuck, Elaine, Stan, Swordmaster and, of course, Guybrush outfits will be available, along with a LeChuck pirate ship space and various decorative items.
If your tastes run more toward, you know, games, our gallery also features more screenshots of Monkey Island 2: Special Edition -- just in case the last set didn't convince you of its spruced-uppedness.
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Early in the history of PlayStation Home, leading developers embraced the platform as a means to expand players’ gaming experiences via content that unlocked in-world after certain performance milestones were reached in-game. The PlayStation 3 community reacted very positively to this type of game integration, rushing into PlayStation Home to gather rewards from games such as Batman: Arkham Asylum, Street Fighter IV, Mega Man 10, White Knight Chronicles, Tekken 6, Resident Evil 5, PixelJunk Shooter, and many more.
Tomorrow, April 15th, we take the next step in the evolution of the platform with the release of the SOCOM OPFOR game space, which will allow fans of the franchise to assemble an assault weapon in a PlayStation Home mini-game and then load out into SOCOM: Confrontation with a fully-playable Golden AK-47 – an exclusive weapon only available to the most skilled players who can successfully complete the aforementioned mini-game in 12 seconds or less. Associate Producer KC Coleman had this to say about this landmark event in PlayStation Home history:
The ability [for PlayStation Home users] to unlock the Golden AK-47 in SOCOM: Confrontation is a huge step forward for Home as a platform and for the fans of the PS3 in general. We’ve long prided ourselves on being able to expand the experience of favorite PS3 titles by creating complementary content in Home, but this is the first time we’ve brought that experience back around to the disc game.
It’s truly a win-win-win situation. It’s a win for Home because we have opened up a huge door that will allow developers to continue to blur the line between PlayStation Home and PS3 games. It’s a win for SOCOM: Confrontation as a title because it allows them to continue to offer great content to players. And, of course, it’s a win for the millions of fans of Home and SOCOM: Confrontation because they get exclusive, meaningful, and 100% free content that is unlocked not from merely downloading an expansion pack, but by playing a fun game.
In addition to the Golden AK-47 Assembly game, the SOCOM OPFOR space boasts the highly-addictive 5-Finger Fillet mini-game and leaderboards. Check out this video for a fly-through of this new space and some of the thrilling content that resides within.
Our friends over at LucasArts continue to bring tons of awesome content to their throngs of fans in PlayStation Home. This week will see the introduction of the hugely-popular Monkey Island franchise into the ever-growing world of PlayStation Home. Show your affinity for our hapless hero Guybrush Peepwood…err, I mean Threepwillow…err, I mean, Threepwood, by heading to the PlayStation Home Mall this Thursday and picking up the has-to-be-seen-to-be-believed Ghost Pirate Ship personal space (complete with rewards), the tons of associated furniture items (available in massive bundles at reduced prices), and the array of Monkey Island costumes (LeChuck, Elaine Marley, Stan the Salesman, and, of course, Mr. Fancy Pants himself).
Also releasing (or should I say, re-releasing) this week is the new and improved Gamer’s Lounge. Named by the PlayStation Home community, for the PlayStation Home community, the Gamer’s Lounge has been redesigned completely at the behest and request of our most loyal users. We’ve added music, a Liar’s Dice mini-game, a ticker that pulls directly from the official PlayStation Twitter account (so you can stay up to date with all of the official PlayStation news without having to log out of PlayStation Home), and a survey that rewards participants with a special virtual item.
The Gamer’s Lounge will now host our daily Featured Game parties, which have previously been held at the Listen@Home kiosk in Central Plaza. These daily events serve as a rallying point for the PlayStation Home community to meet up with friends new and old and launch into the latest and greatest PS3 and PSN titles. For the unveiling of the new and improved Gamer’s Lounge, we will be challenging one another to multiplayer matches of UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves. Come out on launch night between the hours of 4:00pm and 8:00pm PT (7:00pm and 11:00pm EST) to take part in some UNCHARTED 2 action, and then come back over the weekend to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, MLB 10: The Show, and Aliens vs. Predator.
See you in Home!
