Bayonetta Message Board

As I watched Bayonetta: Bloody Fate, the new anime film based on PS3 and 360 title Bayonetta, two thoughts kept running through my head: “This is the most 90s anime I have seen in a decade,” and “this is even more over-the-top than the game was!” Read more...

Manga

- coming from Tiger & Bunny manga artist Mizuki Sakakibara
- two-part manga adaptation of the Bayonetta: Bloody Fate anime film
- appearing in the December issue of Kodansha's Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine
- second half will run in the January issue on December 9th

Film

- Blu-ray Disc and DVD releases scheduled to hit Japan on January 24th
- standard editions will include the 91-minute film itself, footage from the onstage greetings by the staff and cast at the Tokyo International Film Festival, and the Bayonetta promotional videos (theatrical trailer and television commercials)
- Deluxe Special Edition of the Blu-ray will add a still-frame collection of storyboards from director Fuminori Kizaki on the extras disc, a dialogue recording script, a miniature version of the theatrical pamphlet, and a soundtrack CD (with 40 tracks and a projected length about 45 minutes)

Thanks to Sdsichero for the heads up!

Bayonetta Bloody Fate is the upcoming anime, starring, well, Bayonetta. Bloody Fate was first revealed earlier this fall with a short teaser trailer. This trailer shows a bit more footage, if you're into that kind of thing.Read more...

Pre-Orders Crysis 3 ($59.99) Crysis 3 puts players in the role of Prophet, on a lone mission to save mankind. Wield the unique power of the Nanosuit and your signature Predator Bow to fight through human forces and devastating alien invaders. Master the unique sandbox environments of rainforest New York City. Featuring an extensive campaign and exciting multiplayer action.
ESRB: M PS3 Full Games Bayonetta ($19.99) Caught in the middle of an age-old rivalry, Bayonetta uses her demon-summoning powers to fight off legions of angelic enemies. As she uncovers the astounding truth of her origins, she discovers she alone may hold the key to saving all of creation.
ESRB: T // File Size: 7.1 GB Air Conflicts: Secret Wars ($19.99) 49 action-packed missions place you in real World War I and World War II scenarios. Fight enemies in hair-racing dogfights, bomb targets on the ground and use missiles to wipe out enemy troops and vehicles. Battle online and fight against up to 7 players in various modes. Take to the skies in the most popular planes from World War I and II.
ESRB: T // File Size: 2.3 GB Everyone Sing ($19.99) Everyone Sing is the ULTIMATE party game where everyone can sing!
ESRB: T // File Size: 7 GB Zone of the Enders HD Collection ($34.99) Relive the adventure for the first time in HD! Experience thrilling high-flying robot combat unlike anything you’ve felt before. Includes the European Special Edition version of ZOE: The 2nd Runner. Beautiful new opening animations from legendary animation studio Sunrise.
ESRB: T // File Size: 8 GB PSN Hitman: Blood Money HD ($16.99) Hitman’s back, drawing you closer than ever into his deadly world where staying anonymous, being smart and totally ruthless are the key to a perfect execution. Lucrative contracts on the rich and powerful in high profile locations make killing for money good business. But when a rival agency enters the scene it’s war and only the best man will be left standing.
ESRB: M //File Size: 4.5 GB Hitman: Contracts HD ($16.99) Delve into the mind of Agent 47 and complete the work that made him so brutally efficient and shaped him as an assassin. YOU must eliminate your targets by any means necessary. There are no rules… only the contract, signed in blood. The game features 12 levels set in various locations where you must come face to face with some of the world’s most dangerous criminals and high profile targets.
ESRB: M //File Size: 2.4 GB Hitman: Silent Assassin HD ($16.99) Agent 47 is an assassin for-hire who is trying to distance himself from his violent past and discover his true identity. Lured back into a global ring of deception, he must kill not only to make a living, but to continue living.
ESRB: M //File Size: 1.1 GB PS Vita Let’s Fish! Hooked On ($19.99) Cast-off on a fun fishing adventure with Let’s Fish! Hooked On, the first full-scale fishing game on PlayStation Vita handheld entertainment system. Select your favorite character, unlock the latest lures and enhance your skills as you progress through Amateur, Professional and Master Class tournaments in your bid to win!
ESRB: E //File Size: 1.4 GB PS3 Beta Crysis 3 (Free) The Crysis 3 Open Beta lets you experience hands-on Crysis 3′s unique sandbox Multiplayer action before the game’s official release in February 2013. Set in the 7 Wonders of New York’s Liberty Dome play both Crash Site and the brand new Hunter game modes on two unique maps, Museum and Airport. PS2 Classics GTA: Vice City ($9.99) Continuing in the theme and feel of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City offers the setting and feel of the early 80′s crime drama Miami Vice. Players may now play and carry out missions with in the setting of palm tree lined streets bustling with traffic, bikini babes, and pastel-color suits around every corner.
ESRB: M //File Size: 3.6 GB Free PS Mobile Game Cubixx (Free) Use your laser to cut away the surfaces of a mysterious cube and free the energy within. Cutting longer lines and crossing multiple cube surfaces gives you bigger combos, but at far greater risk. Can you brave this hazardous environment and complete all 20 levels? Old-school, highscore-chasing gameplay with a modern twist. Get this PS Mobile title for free on the PS Vita Store and your PS Mobile certified devices today through January 30th. For more information, click here. Bundles Hitman Trilogy HD (PS3, $39.99) Experience Agent 47’s classic hits now in HD. Enter the mind of Agent 47, the world’s most deadly assassin. Staying anonymous, being smart and totally ruthless is the key to a perfect execution. Includes Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, Hitman: Contracts and Hitman: Blood Money.
ESRB: M //File Size: 8 GB Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Future Soldier Ultimate Edition (PS3, $49.99, on sale for $37.99) The Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Ultimate Edition not only gives you the complete game, but all 3 pieces of the game’s downloadable content. This includes all-new playable maps and game modes, extra weapons for Ghosts and Bodark units, additional Uplay achievements, and more!
ESRB: M //File Size: 11.3 GB Dead or Alive 5 Game + Swimsuit DLC Bundle (PS3, $44.99) The hottest fighters in gaming are back. Crazy action, technical fighting & blockbuster stages! This is fighting entertainment! This is Dead or Alive! Get the entire Hotties Swimwear Set in one pack with this game & DLC bundle! Twelve costumes in all!
ESRB: M //File Size: 5.6 GB Farm Frenzy 2 (PSP, $4.99) Get ready to harvest a bumper crop of fun when you purchase this action-packed bundle of farming games! For one low price, you can enjoy the very best of the Farm Frenzy series!
ESRB: M //File Size: 62.1 MB Run For Your Life (PSP, $4.49) Two best endless running games in the single bundle! Jetpack Joyride: Join Barry as he breaks in to a secret laboratory to commandeer the experimental jetpacks from the clutches of science evildoers. Comes with 150k coins. Canabalt, the genre defining fast paced running game: outrun the demolition of your city with just one button!
ESRB: M //File Size: 32.1 MB PlayStation Store Highlights

The Store is jam-packed this week with a pre-order for Crysis 3 and full game releases like Bayonetta and the Hitman HD Trilogy (each game is also sold separately). There’s also Air Conflicts: Secret Wars, Everyone Sing and Zone of the Enders HD, and GTA: Vice City joins the PS2 Classics.

A few bundles are also hitting the PS Store, so be sure to check them out if you enjoy great deals. Speaking of great deals, there’s a new free PS Mobile game this week – Cubixx. And don’t miss the Madden 13 Sale starting today — just in time for the big game. Check out all the details above!

As always, please leave your thoughts in the comments below. You can also chat about this update in the PlayStation Community Forums.

PlayStation Plus

Click here to learn more and purchase online or go to the PlayStation Store to activate instantly.

Instant Game Collection

Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus (PS Vita)

Exclusive Timed Trial

Air Conflicts Secret Wars

Discounts

Game Title Normal Price Sale Price Sale Price (PS Plus) Greed Corp $9.99 $4.99 $2.50 Gatling Gears $9.99 $4.99 $2.50 Section 8: Prejudice $14.99 $9.99 $5.00 Madden NFL 13 $59.99 $41.99 $29.39 Madden NFL 13 PS Vita $39.99 $27.99 $19.59

Last Chance (Leaving on Feb. 5th)

Instant Game Collection — NBA Jam: On Fire Edition
Discount — Section 8: Prejudice
Discount — Madden NFL 13
Discount — Madden NFL 13 (PS Vita)
Discount — escapeVektor (PS Vita)

PS3 Demos (Free) Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time Get your hands on the Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time demo today! Check out the Prologue for the game and step into the shoes of the Master Thief himself as he pulls off his latest heist, and stumbles into more than he was looking for. PS Vita Demos (Free) Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time Get your hands on the Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time demo today! Check out the Prologue for the game and step into the shoes of the Master Thief himself as he pulls off his latest heist, and stumbles into more than he was looking for. Price Change

• Dead or Alive 5 – PS3 Game (now: $39.99 original price: $59.99)
• SSX – PS3 Game (now: $19.99 original price: $39.99)

Sales

• Madden 13 – PS3 Game (now: $41.99, original price: $59.99)
• Madden 13 – PS Vita Game (now: $27.99, original price: $39.99)
• Game of Thrones – PS3 Game (now: $24.99 original price: $49.99)
• Gatling Gears – PS3 Game (now: $4.99 original price: $9.99)
• Greed Corp – PS3 Game (now: $4.99 original price: $9.99)
• Section 8 – PS3 Game (now: $9.99 original price: $14.99)
• Section 8: Prejudice – PS3 Game (now: $9.99 original price: $14.99)
• The Cursed Crusade – PS3 Game (now: $14.99 original price: $19.99)

Ultimate Editions

• Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood Ultimate Edition – PS3 Game (now: $13.99 original price: $27.99)
• Assassin’s Creed II Ultimate Edition – PS3 Game (now: $9.99 original price: $19.99)
• Assassin’s Creed Revelations Ultimate Edition – PS3 Game (now: $24.99 original price: $49.99)
• Far Cry 2 Ultimate Edition – PS3 Game (now: $14.99 original price: $19.99)
• Prince of Persia Ultimate Edition – PS3 Game (now: $14.99 original price: $19.99)
• Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Future Soldier Ultimate Edition – PS3 Game (now: $37.99 original price: $49.99)

Street Fighter X Tekken

• DLC Char Alternate Costume Complete Pack – PS3 Add-On (now: $4.49 original price: $5.99)
• SF/TK Alternate Costume Complete Pack – PS3 Add-On (now: $13.49 original price: $17.99)
• SF/TK Additional Characters Pack– PS3 Add-On (now: $14.99 original price: $19.99)
• SF/TK DLC Char Swap Costume Complete Pack– PS3 Add-On (now: $2.99 original price: $3.99)
• SF/TK Swap Costume Complete Pack – PS3 Add-On (now: $8.99 original price: $12.99)
• DLC Char Alternate Costume Complete Pack – PS Vita Add-On (now: $4.49 original price: $5.99)
• SF/TK Alternate Costume Complete Pack – PS Vita Add-On (now: $13.49 original price: $17.99)
• SF/TK DLC Char Swap Costume Complete Pack– PS Vita Add-On (now: $2.99 original price: $3.99)
• SF/TK Swap Costume Complete Pack – PS Vita Add-On (now: $8.99 original price: $12.99)

PS Vita Add-ons LittleBigPlanet PS Vita

• Groundhog Day Costume (Free) – The Groundhog Day costume specially made for Groundhog Day.

Street Fighter X Tekken

• Combo Editor Expansion ($0.99) – Adds more options to the Combo Editor for even more new and original combos!
• Special Color Palette 4 (Free) – A special color pack (4-color set) for character color customization. This pack features a special version of warm and sparkly colors!

PS3 Add-ons DC Universe Online

• Home Turf Pack ($9.99) – Buy Home Turf now and give your character their own Base! Plot adventures in your own customizable, themed Lair and use the new Mainframe to employ powerful combat tactics such as Orbital Strikes and Sidekicks.

DMC Devil May Cry

• Costume Pack ($3.99) – Purchase the Dante Costume pack and get three alternative outfits to ensure you are Demon slaying in the latest Limbo attire, including one inspired by previous Devil May Crys.

LittleBigPlanet 2

• Groundhog Day Costume (Free) – The Groundhog Day costume specially made for Groundhog Day.

Resident Evil 6

• Stage Map Pack B ($1.99) – This will add the stages Rooftop Mission and Creature Workshop to The Mercenaries in Resident Evil 6.

Rock Band 3

• Back in the Saddle ($1.99) – Aerosmith
• Dream On ($1.99) – Aerosmith
• Legendary Child ($1.99) – Aerosmith
• Lover Alot ($1.99) – Aerosmith
• Sweet Emotion ($1.99) – Aerosmith
• Walk This Way ($1.99) – Aerosmith
• Aerosmith Greatest Dimension Pack ($9.99) – Includes ‘Back in the Saddle,’ ‘Dream On (Live),’ ‘Legendary Child,’ ‘Lover Alot,’ ‘Sweet Emotion,’ and ‘Walk This Way’
• Don’t Tell Me What To Dream ($1.99) – God Forbid
• Gold Teeth on a Bum ($1.99) – The Dillinger Escape Plan
• No Surrender ($1.99) – Taproot
• People of the Deer ($1.99) – The Trews
• Werewolf Grandma With Knives (Part Two: Don’t Die) ($1.99) – Giraffes? Giraffes!

RockSmith

• American Woman ($7.99) – The Guess Who
• Born To Be Wild ($2.99) – Steppenwolf
• Surrender ($2.99) – Cheap Trick

Sleeping Dogs

• Movie Masters Pack ($1.99) – Three new combat-themed outfits brought together in one pack. Become your own kung fu legend.

Street Fighter X Tekken

• Combo Editor Expansion ($0.99) – Adds more options to the Combo Editor for even more new and original combos!
• Special Color Palette 4 (Free) – A special color pack (4-color set) for character color customization. This pack features a special version of warm and sparkly colors!

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Future Soldier

• DLC Bundle ($19.99) — Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier DLC Bundle brings you access to all 3 pieces of the game’s downloadable content. This includes all-new playable maps and game modes, extra weapons for Ghosts and Bodark units, additional Uplay achievements, and more!

PS3 Themes

• Let It Snow Dynamic Theme $2.99
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• Sony Network Entertainment PS3 Themes Going for a Drive $2.99

PS3 Avatars

• Disgaea 3: Almaz Avatar $0.49
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• Disgaea 3: Salvatore Avatar $0.49
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• DmC Devil May Cry – Kat $0.49
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• DmC Devil May Cry – Vergil $0.49
• DmC Devil May Cry – Virility $0.49
• DmC Devil May Cry – Weapons $0.49
• DmC Devil May Cry -Dante 1 $0.49
• DmC Devil May Cry -Dante 2 $0.49
• DmC Devil May Cry -Dante 3 $0.49
• DmC Devil May Cry -Dante 4 $0.49
• DmC Devil May Cry -Order $0.49
• Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk2: Cfw Brave Avatar $0.49
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• Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk2: Mina Avatar $0.49
• Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk2: Pirachu Avatar $0.49
• Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk2: White Sister (Ram) $0.49
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• Mugen Souls: Altis Avatar $0.49
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• Mugen Souls: Shirogane Avatar $0.49
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• Mugen Souls: Welsh Avatar $0.49
• The Cave – The Adventurer $0.49
• The Cave – The Cave $0.49
• The Cave – The Hillbilly $0.49
• The Cave – The Knight $0.49
• The Cave – The Monk $0.49
• The Cave – The Scientist $0.49
• The Cave – The Time Traveler $0.49
• The Cave – The Twins $0.49
• DmC Devil May Cry Avatar Bundle $0.99
• Dokuro: Hero Pack $0.49

PS3 Wallpapers (Free)

• Knytt Underground Wallpaper 3

Game Videos (Free)

• DmC Devil May Cry: Cinematic Trailer
• Most Wanted DLC Trailer: Ultimate Speed Pack
• NBA 2K13 All-Star Trailer
• Pua Gameplay Video 2
• Sly Cooper: Thieves In Time Pulling The Heist Video

Available In-Game Only (Not on PlayStation Store)

DC Universe Online

• Ancient Lair $9.99
• Bunker Lair $9.99
• Cave Lair $9.99
• Deed $2.99
• Industrial Lair $9.99

Dead Space 3

• Bot Capacity Upgrade $4.99
• Bot Personality Pack $4.99
• First Contact Pack Free
• Marauder Pack $4.99
• Sharpshooter Pack $4.99
• Tundra Recon Pack $4.99
• Witness the Truth Pack $4.99
• Bot Accelerator $4.99
• Epic Weapon & Resource Pack $2.99
• Online Pass $9.99
• Ultra Weapon & Resource Pack $1.99
• Resource Pack $0.99

Rock Band 3

• Sweet Emotion ($0.99) – Pro Guitar – Aerosmith
• Dream On ($0.99) – Pro Guitar – Aerosmith

It’s been a good month for Platinum Games and SEGA titles. Just a few weeks ago saw the release of Anarchy Reigns on PS3; later today will mark the digital release of one of the finest action games ever created. Bayonetta is coming to PSN!

If you have yet to try this iconic action game from the mind of director Hideki Kamiya, your time has come as Bayonetta is debuting at $19.99. Of course, Bayonetta truly shines when you see it in action. So here’s a trip back to the year 2010, when a certain Launch Trailer was just arriving…

Bayonetta is the story of the last remaining member of an ancient clan called the Umbra Witches, a group that has kept the balance between light, dark, and chaos for hundreds of years. Bayonetta awakens after 500 years of sleep to find herself in a world she no longer recognizes, with no clues to her past or how she got where she is.

Her awakening sparks a chain of events that soon reaches cataclysmic proportions. And with a 500 year-old war setting the background of the game and the lines of good and evil blurring fast, Bayonetta needs to discover the secrets of her past and work towards securing her future.

At the core of the game is an amazingly deep combat system, and Bayonetta comes well equipped for battle: wielding four pistols (collectively known as Scarborough Fair) and utilising her infamous fighting style – the ‘bullet arts’ – she’s one big, bad witch you don’t want to make angry.

If you haven’t played Bayonetta and you like action games, I implore you: don’t miss this one. Of course, since I work at SEGA my opinion may be a bit biased, so I’ll leave it to the tried and true fans in the comments to back me up on this.

Hit me up with any questions you have in the comments, and I’ll do my best (as always) to respond to as many as possible. Thanks as always, loyal PlayStation.Blog readers – we hope you’ll enjoy your trip back to Vigrid!

Bayonetta will join Anarchy Reigns in North America as well. While she's a bonus character for the "Day One" limited edition in Europe, the bespectacled, gun-booted witch calls GameStop her home in America. She'll be available as retailer-exclusive pre-order DLC, in advance of the game's January 8 release.

Also exclusive to GameStop (at launch, at least): two multiplayer modes called Mad Survival and Dogfight. Mad Survival is a team mode in which three players fight AI-controlled versions of the other playable characters, in waves. Dogfight mode is about hanging from helicopters trying to shoot other players down. Why not?

Anarchy Reigns is set to launch on January 8 here in the States at a reduced price, and Platinum is preparing a special early-adopter limited edition. According to Sega, the limited edition will include the extra character Bayonetta and two extra multiplayer modes: Mad Survival and Dogfight. However, this special version seems to be exclusive to Europe - for now, anyway.

Mad Survival is a Horde mode variant, where three players fight waves of enemies. Dogfight has players hanging from helicopters, shooting other players who are also hanging from helicopters. Sega has only announced this "Day One" edition for Europe so we've contacted Sega for clarification just to make sure it won't make the trek across the pond. We'll update this post as soon as we hear back.

#bayonetta I quite enjoyed Bayonetta, but then, I played it on Xbox 360. The PS3 version on the other hand had more than a few problems. So many, in fact, that creators Platinum Games say the game was the studio's "biggest failure". More »

The first thing that should be said when considering the possibility of Platinum Games self-publishing on PC – and that is the exciting future we are considering this morning – is that the company no longer retains the IPs that were originated at Clover Studio, its ancestral home. Those IPs are Okami, GOD HAND, Viewtiful Joe, GOD HAND and GOD HAND. A wiser man than me can tell you why that’s a shame. They do own the rights to Bayonetta though, the game that Devil May Cry occasionally aspires to be, and there’s an abundance of talent and imagination at the studio. So, executive director Atsushi Inaba, take it away: “I was thinking – with our own money – about creating a PC title for Steam.” Do tell.

(more…)

Bayonetta holds her own in in this 8-player free-for-all.

Bayonetta is back as Max Anarchy DLC. Stylish witch on witch action!

Jack has a price on his head in this Anarchy Reigns battle royale. Can Bayonetta collect?

#anarchyreigns As previously revealed, Bayonetta from...Bayonetta is coming to online combat game Anarchy Reigns. More »

Sega and Platinum Games issued a spectacularly flashy reminder of Anarchy Reigns' existence today, showing off the inclusion of Bayonetta (as free bonus DLC in Japan; details are forthcoming elsewhere).

She's as bombastic, overpowered, and frequently nude as ever. And her combos seem to transition into Anarchy Reigns' system just fine. And now you'll be able to experience the MadWorld/Bayonetta crossover fight you never thought to want. The game is due in July.

#anarchyreigns Bayonetta, star of the action game...Bayonetta, is back! The character is coming as a downloadable character for the online beat ‘em up Anarchy Reigns. More »

Bayonetta may not be getting a big sequel to her high-kicking 2010 debut just yet, but she will be making a cameo appearance in this year's Platinum Games console release, Anarchy Reigns. Famitsu has the exclusive reveal of Bayonetta's guest appearance in the game, alongside ... pretty much zero other news about her inclusion in the game.

Given the inclusion of MadWorld's Jack Cayman as a playable character, we're taking a wild guess that Bayonetta will take the same route. We've reached out to Sega in the meantime for more info.

#platinumgames PlatinumGames may not be the most commercially successful Japanese developer around, but with a catalogue that already includes games like Bayonetta and Vanquish (and the sadly forgotten Infinite Space), they've got a ton of fans, well-wishers and public admirers. More »

#nsfw It's not, but what if it were. Then, it might look like something like this. More »

#speakuponkotaku In today's very special episode of Speak Up on Kotaku, commenter Aikage warns of a very dangerous message lurking in the otherwise pure and innocent Bayonetta. More »

With a hair body suit and pistol heels, Bayonetta was one of the most interesting games of 2010. Wouldn't it be great if Platinum Games made another? Sure it would. More »

#fetish Games of leather and rubber. Not video games, but real games with impossible heels and spankings. Those might be the trappings of S&M, but in Japan, S&M isn't only about trappings or artifice. It's something deeper. More »

#seriousquestion As far as video game characters go, Bayonetta was built with one thing in mind. The suit, the heels, the British accent, even the glasses, all there for sex appeal. But would she have been sexier if she was less "Japanese"? More »

Look, you can interpret the "story" of Bayonetta however you wish, but there's only one definitive authority on the game: director Hideki Kamiya. Because people were uploading so many commentary and walkthrough videos, Kamiya thought he'd offer his own.

So over the course of the next however long it takes, Kamiya will be replaying the entire game, offering his own insights and anecdotes from the game's developments on the Platinum Games blog. Honestly, we can't wait to hear what he has to say about that whole "masturbating angel" scene.

You'll find the first two videos just past the jump.

#hair Having made a start last year then seemingly forgetting all about it, Bayonetta creator Hideki Kamiya has dusted off the next-gen brawler and will be once again providing weekly videos where he plays through the game while telling you all about it. More »

#wijftw In game after game, comic book after comic book, manga after manga, there they are: characters with glasses. And Japan is totally gaga for them. More »

#platinumgames She's one part Bayonetta, one part purple people beater. She's Mathilda, and she's ready to enter the blood-soaked multiplayer ring of Platinum Games' Anarchy Reigns. More »

Want a fantastic-looking Bayonetta figure but lack model-making skills? Kyoto's Mr. Big is happy to sell you a completed resin "garage kit" of the Platinum Games heroine for ¥180,000 ($2,186). Too rich for your blood? Good news: You can buy the unfinished kit by itself for only $558 in Japan.

#gallery Putting models together and painting them are not easy. Finishing them and making them look great takes skill. And skill is expensive. More »

Latest game from studio behind Bayonetta and Vanquish said to be an all new genre.

As part of our fantastic year-end takeover of the PlayStation.Blog, we wanted to share with you some of Insomniac’s favorite games from 2010. At first, we got a wide variety of responses… as you’ll see below.

ModNation Racers
My choice would have to be ModNation Racers. I played that game all night long, collected all the outfits, stickers, and whatnot, and made a ton of characters. I also posted a few tracks online – “A Night On Bald Mountain” and “Alice In Wonderland.”
-Giac Veltri, Engine Programmer

Rock Band 3
I really enjoy the challenge of playing songs in pro mode. The new keyboard, cymbals, and pro guitar are great additions to a game that was already amazingly fun.
-Herman Miller, Senior Programmer

MineCraft
The experience it gives you, you can’t get anywhere else.
-Joe Valenzuela, Engine Programmer

Super Meat Boy
It is unforgiving, unrelenting and unapologetic. It’ll grind your nose to the ground and make you feel insignificant. It does all this while staying fair to the player, no cheap deaths, and the feedback system showing the player where they jumped, landed and were mutilated by massive-death-blades(TM) creates a comforting and addicting “no, I can do this” feeling in the player.

It not only revels in a past era of super hard games, it refines it to near perfection. Super Meat Boy is everything anyone could ask for from a pure run-and-jump platformer.
-Chaz Wilke, Scripter

Starcraft II
I’m kind of embarrassed that it’s so mainstream, but Starcraft II. This was a surprise for me, since I’d always considered myself no good at RTS games, but apparently that’s all changed as I continue to charge through the Platinum 2v2 league 6 months after its release. It’s definitely an intense yet enjoyable challenge for me, and I love playing Zerg! (I chose to play Zerg for a highly strategic reason: they are adorable.)
-Lisa Brown, Designer

Bejeweled Blitz
My favorite game of 2010 was Bejewelled Blitz on Facebook. Despite a weekly @$$ kicking by my wife I keep coming back for more. (Lead Designer Jake) Biegel bows before me.
-John Fiorito, Chief Operating Officer

Bayonetta
Bayonetta, easily. The game really surprised me with its amazingly fast combat and unique (and kickass) soundtrack. It also had some of the best boss battles I’ve seen this entire generation.
-Scott Michalek, Engine Support Technician

Heavy Rain
Although other games like Mass Effect 2 and Red Dead Redemption captured me for longer periods of time this year, Heavy Rain is the game that most stands out in my mind. I really loved its depiction of fatherhood, a rarity in games. Heavy Rain gave me a new type of experience I hadn’t had before in any other game, and it made me really excited about the possibilities for interactive fiction in future games.
-Joel Bartley, Gameplay Programmer

If you guessed that our writer’s favorite game from 2010 would be the game where you played a writer… well, you’d be right:

Alan Wake
My favorite game of 2010 was Alan Wake. It was dark, atmospheric, with a compelling narrative and a really unique combat mechanic. It also satisfied my insatiable hunger for lumber mill-centric gameplay. As an added bonus, Alan Wake brought to light the gritty truth about writers: that we are all badass action heroes you want to align yourself with should possessed beings ever invade your tranquil summer burg. Unless you’re married to one of us – then you should probably run.
-TJ Fixman, Senior Writer

Sometimes we don’t get to play new games during the holidays, and they slip to the next year. That’s the case with the next couple of selections:

Uncharted 2
I liked the platform/parkour aspects of the level design. If Uncharted 3 has more of the platforming and jumping around I’ll be calling in sick until I complete it.
-Frank Lafuente, Lead Programmer

Dragon Age: Origins
Primary reason is that on my list of favorite game titles it was one of the only new titles, the others being sequels/new installments of a previous franchise.

I think that Dragon Age is an excellent example of bringing old school DnD style RPGs into the current generation. It was refreshing to see them revamp many of the traditional RPG standards while maintaining many of the same themes. It’s also one of few games that really delivers on content and epic story telling.
-Josue Benavidez, Associate Designer

Despite the wide variety of selections, as the response continued to flow in, it was clear that a vast number of Insomniac’s favored one game above all others during 2010: Red Dead Redemption. As our own (in?)famous cos-playing Senior Animator Ben Van Dyken writes:

• It was an emotional experience. You had real empathy for the character over the course of the game…. And not just in the main storyline, but I also got very attached to my horse, and when he died, I felt real loss…had to go through almost a mourning period before getting another. And these were never ‘canned’ experiences either…they usually happened so dynamically, that it never felt like an event ‘forced’ upon me by the designer….which gave it that much more impact.
• I also remember back when the game came out, each morning people would gather in the kitchen and tell their “RDR stories” from the night before. “…and right after that, I was wrestling this bear with only my bare hands…when all of a sudden, a cougar jumped out and mauled my horse…” It was great.

-Ben Van Dyken, Senior Animator

Other praise for Red Dead Redemption:
As repetitive as many of the quests could be, they created a world I enjoyed being in. They nailed the visuals and sound design of the west, from the time crickets swap with grasshoppers as the primary insect noisemakers to the way dawn casts nearly white light over deserts. The Morricone-esque soundtrack made me feel like I was in a western movie; It just felt good to ride around and experience that world.

Add to that the sheer number of things to do (skill rankings, outfits, primary story missions, mini games, bounty quests, etc) and amazingly entertaining ambient behavior (watching people get mauled from their horses by mountain lions, hearing the prostitutes around town say things like, “I hate to see a dry pecker” and trying to line-up the perfect sniper shot when suddenly being attacked by a Grizzly…) and you had a game that truly defines an era. Would anyone even want to try to make another western game?

Oh, and their “Undead Nightmare” DLC kind of ruined DLC for the rest of us. Best $9.99 I’ve ever spent!
-Marcus Smith, Creative Director on Resistance 3

My love of Spaghetti Westerns was beautifully recreated in this game. I loved the story lines and the fire fights felt like a cross between the Magnificent Seven and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. John Marston, the main character is well defined and carries all the emotion needed to connect with him. Rockstar did an amazing job and they continue to set the bar for sandbox games.
-Carlos De La Torre Jr, Tester

From cattle rustling to coyote wrestling to bandit killing, this game really drew me into its world. Playing co-op with some fellow Insomniacs is also a blast.
-Chris Edwards, Engine Programmer

The level of difficulty in making a Western game of the year is epic – yet they managed to nail it. The level of immersion and gorgeous environments leaves me awestruck – it’s a world that I love just being in.
-Joel Goodsell, Senior Designer

My favorite game of 2010 would have to be Red Dead Redemption. I expected it to be GTA4 with horses, but it turned out to be a sprawling, profound, emotionally moving experience centered around one of the absolute best characters in video games (John Marston). Easily the greatest Western video game ever made, and possibly the greatest Western ever made, period.
-Josh Leman, Tester

Sounds trite, but I loved, loved, loved Red Dead Redemption. I love the desert. I love hiking in the desert, camping, and driving through it. I think the Red Dead team nailed the feeling of the lighting, the topography, and the natural plants and cacti. I’m also a huge fan of westerns, and to me, this was nothing less than the definitive western video game–besides Boot Hill, of course. :)

I’m not sure I’ve seen better looking horses in a game either. It’s the kind of game I like playing just so I can ride around watch the sunset… before I smoke some outlaw gang from their shack. It’s truly a world I feel like I can escape into.
-Steve Ratter, Environment Artist

I loved the openness and the fact that you could finally be a bad-ass gunslinger. First western game to really capture that and it was awesome. And let’s face it, who didn’t always want to skin a bunch of bears.
-Tim Salvitti, Web Developer

So Red Dead Redemption is definitely the favorite pick of Insomniac Games for 2010. Congrats to everyone at Rockstar: San Diego for making such a fantastic game, that sucked up so much of everyone’s time here at Insomniac Games. If you haven’t played it yet, we can’t highly recommend it enough.