Killzone 3 Message Board
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Today marks the release of Killzone 3's multiplayer as a free, standalone product. To celebrate this occasion and mark the game's first anniversary, Sony will turn up the juice this weekend with a double XP event.
Dubbed Killzone 3 Multiplayer, the free standalone product features the Guerrilla Warfare, Warzone and Operations game modes, including all launch and DLC maps from Killzone 3 proper. Players are free to partake until they attain Sergeant I rank. To continue past then, you'll have to pony up $15.
Double XP kicks off on Friday at 8am PT and lasts until 2am PT on Monday. Those playing the free version of Killzone 3 multiplayer will not earn double XP this weekend.
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To celebrate Killzone 3’s first anniversary, we’re releasing a standalone version of the game’s online component on PlayStation Store today. Dubbed “Killzone 3 Multiplayer,” it includes the Guerrilla Warfare, Warzone, and Operations game modes, as well as the original Killzone 3 maps and all Killzone 3 DLC maps. Best of all, it’s free to try – you can play any of the maps and modes until you reach the rank of Sergeant I.
If you want to keep playing, attain higher ranks, and earn any of Killzone 3 Multiplayer’s four exclusive new Trophies, you can unlock the full version for only $15. Doing so will net you a 24-hour double XP bonus, three free unlock points, the ability to set up clans and custom games, and access to the Botzone mode to help hone your combat skills.
For those who already own Killzone 3 (or decide to purchase the full version of Killzone 3 Multiplayer), we have another anniversary treat: this weekend will be Double XP Weekend! Starting on Friday, March 2 at 8:00am Pacific time, and lasting until Monday, March 5 at 2:00am Pacific time, all XP earned in online Killzone 3 matches will be doubled. The trial version of Killzone 3 Multiplayer is excluded from the Double XP Weekend, of course – we wouldn’t want you to hit that Sergeant I rank too quickly!
And as a reminder, if you enjoy playing this trial multiplayer demo and also want to experience the game’s exciting single-player campaign, you can always purchase the full version of Killzone 3 on Blu-ray at retailers.
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The mode will be a free download this Tuesday -- with a level cap. When you hit the cap, if you want to continue leveling up, you'll be able to pay $14.99 for the "full" multiplayer experience. By then, you'll know whether you want to continue playing, without having to pay a cent for the education.
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Brussee had been the development director at the studio since its founding in 2004, overseeing production of Shellshock Nam '67 and the entire Killzone series, including Killzone: Liberation for PSP. Guerrilla will live on, as it's currently developing a new Killzone and a new IP.
Brussee's LinkedIn has yet to be updated, and we've reached out to Guerrilla for confirmation.
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The identity of the new franchise isn't known, though studio founder Adrian Smith explained that members of the Killzone team will be lending their support throughout the game's development. We think the appearance of red-eyed antagonists is a lock.
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We’re now two weeks into the release of UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception and you’re all part of the Fortune Hunters’ Club now, right? If so, awesome because we have a gift this week for you! If you’re not, you can still sign up and it’s a terrific deal at $24.99. As a member you’ll be getting a total savings of 45% off the seven multiplayer packs (three character skin packs, four map packs) that will be released for UNCHARTED 3. This membership includes all currently available and upcoming DLC packs for UNCHARTED 3 as well as an exclusive Fortune Hunters’ Club theme that will let you know when new UNCHARTED 3 DLC hits right from the XMB of your PS3.
Today the PlayStation Store will be loaded with a new DLC pack for your multiplayer adventures with Drake and crew. Load your AK47, grab your Para 9, equip your favorite boosters and kickbacks and get ready to take the fight to the Helghast. Killzone 3 skins are coming for UNCHARTED 3 and suddenly your buddy who liked to play multiplayer as Elena all the time might not look so friendly anymore.
This week’s pack grants you exclusive Killzone 3 skins for your in-game avatar. You’ll get the Capture Trooper multiplayer character skin:
ISA helmet for your customizable character:
and the Helghast Helmet for your customizable character:
This pack is new bonus content on top of the three character skins packs you’ve already received if you’re a member of the Fortune Hunters’ Club. And as a member of the Fortune Hunters’ Club, you’ll be getting this Killzone 3 content for free. That’s right, nada. If you’re not, well, you’ll have to pony up $1.49 for these exclusive in-game Killzone 3 items.
After the Helghast invasion, what’s next? Start planning new multiplayer strategies as we are working on a collection of maps entitled “Flashback Map Pack #1” We’ll have more information for you soon, but we wanted to give you an early look at our next UNCHARTED 3 DLC project. So, if you’re a Fortune Hunters’ Club member, this will be your first map pack. Here’s a sneak peek of what some of those maps will look like…can you name the maps?
We’ll have full details about all the coming DLC content being released right here on the PlayStation.Blog very soon. This week it’s time to get your Helghast on, Fortune Hunters. See you online!
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Earlier this week we released the third DLC pack for Killzone 3, “From The Ashes,” as well as a DLC bundle containing all three DLC packs. Of course there’s only one way to celebrate this momentous occasion — organize a Triple XP Weekend!
You read that right – from Friday, June 24 at 9:00AM Pacific Time, until Monday, June 27 at 9:00AM, all XP earned in Killzone 3’s multiplayer matches will be tripled. So whether you’re exploring new DLC maps or just re-acquainting yourself with the stock maps, you’ll rank up faster than ever!
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Qualifying rounds for the "Killzone 3 Edge Challenge" open June 27 for the team-based tournament, with $10K up for grabs by the winning team at the end of the six-week event. In addition, weekly stat-based weekly challenges will be posted on Virgin Gaming's site, with their cash prizes. The first challenge: get the most kills!
All told, Virgin is giving away $40,000 in this tournament, which is a promotional partnership between Virgin Gaming, Sony, and, nonsensically enough, Edge shave gel. Do you even shoot one uncovered face in Killzone 3? How do you know how close a Helghast's shave is?
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Hey guys, we know you’ve been waiting for full details on the massive Get Your EDGE $40,000 KZ3 Challenge taking place on VirginGaming.com. Well, we can finally share those details with you today. Here’s what the battlefield will look like…
The qualifying round of this 3v3 tournament opens up next Monday, June 27th and will run for six weeks. The top 32 teams at the end of the Qualifying Round will move on to the elimination phase where the last team standing will take home a whopping $10,000 in cold hard cash. And that’s just for starters, as the top 20 teams will also get a nice payday once the dust settles. But wait, there’s more!
In addition to the main team-based leaderboard, you can also score some extra cash in a series of individual stat-based weekly challenges. Here’s how it works: Each week, check VirginGaming.com/kz3 to find out what the EDGE Shave Gel Weekly Challenge is. During your qualifying matches, you’ll want to keep the weekly challenge in mind and try to not only win the match, but rank at the top of the EDGE Shave Gel Weekly Challenge leaderboard. We’re keeping it simple for the first week: The player with the most kills at the end of week one is going to end up $800 richer.
So, there you have it – a total of $40,000 is on the line, including chances to earn some bonus cash with the weekly challenges. We know you’re itching to get in on this action, so head on over to VirginGaming.com/kz3 to register for a free Virgin Gaming account. You’ll also find full tournament details, rules, and other great content including Virgin Gaming’s first Skill Building video for the Get Your EDGE KZ3 $40,000 Challenge, brought to you by EDGE Shave Gel.
Stay sharp!
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Recently we posted preview videos of ‘From The Ashes’, the third DLC map pack for Killzone 3. Consisting of two new maps and two re-imagined Killzone 2 ‘retro’ maps, “From The Ashes” will hit the PlayStation Store later today for just $4.99.
If you’re still on the fence about ‘From The Ashes’, check out our ass-kicking video montage that shows all four maps in glorious action.
But that’s not all! Newcomers to Killzone 3 will be interested to learn that we’re also releasing a DLC Bundle Pack including the Retro Pack, the Steel Rain Pack and the From The Ashes Pack – eight maps total – for just $9.99. There’s never been a better time to join Killzone 3’s online multiplayer arena, so grab a map pack and jump in!
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Last week we posted preview videos of the first two maps from “From The Ashes”, the third DLC pack for Killzone 3. Today we’re offering preview videos of the other two maps included with the pack: Tharsis Depot and Radec Academy. If these names sound familiar, it’s because they’re re-imagined and revamped versions of the beloved Killzone 2 maps.
The first preview video features Tharsis Depot, a Guerrilla Warfare map for 16 players based on the Killzone 2 classic. After incurring damage during the ISA invasion of Helghan, the depot has been converted to process nuclear Petrusite. The Helghast made extensive use of jetpacks to facilitate the reconstruction process, but the harsh conditions resulting from the damage still made it a grueling endeavor. The ISA have locked their sights on Tharsis Depot now that it’s back in full-scale production, and this time they intend to finish the job they started.
To give you a sense of what’s changed, this video shows comparisons of the original and the new version:
The second video shows the new version of Radec Academy, a Warzone map for 24 players. Devastated by the ongoing struggle between ISA and Helghast forces, the once-proud Radec Academy is now a ruinous shell of its former self. Although the soul of the Academy remains intact, the compound has suffered greatly, with strewn rubble and emplaced StA-3 miniguns serving as grim reminders of the fierce battles fought in the area. As the ISA forces once again push into the Academy compound, attempting to scavenge a downed MAWLR, the Helghast troops hastily fortify their defenses within its perimeter.
And this video shows comparisons of the original and the new Radec Academy:
DLC Pack 3 “From The Ashes” contains four maps and will be available from the PlayStation Store on Tuesday, June 21st for $4.99. Newcomers to Killzone 3 will be interested to learn that we’re also releasing a DLC Bundle Pack including the Retro Pack, the Steel Rain Pack and the From The Ashes Pack for just $9.99. Stay tuned to Killzone.com [LINK] and the official PlayStation.Blog, because we’ll have a montage trailer for From the Ashes Pack for you soon!
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If you haven't grabbed any of the shooter's post-launch DLC, you can also grab the new maps in the aptly named Bundle Pack, which also includes the four maps from the Steel Rain and Retro Packs for a cool $9.99. Just try to comprehend that value: For a ten-spot, you get eight extra Killzones for your Killzone 3.
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Today we’re offering a first look at two new maps from the upcoming DLC map pack for Killzone 3, “From The Ashes.” Consisting of two Guerrilla Warfare maps and two Warzone maps, From The Ashes will reinvigorate your Killzone 3 online experience with environments both fresh and familiar.
First up is a preview video of Lente Missile Base, a Warzone map for 24 players set inside an abandoned missile base at the edge of the Kaznan Jungle. One of many outdated defense facilities abandoned after the discovery of nuclear Petrusite, Lente Base is slowly being reclaimed by Helghan’s strange plant life. But when warring ISA and Helghast forces stumble across the remains of the facility, they find that most of its systems are still operational. As both factions vie for control of the base, the facility begins firing its missiles – frying anyone caught in the underground exhaust vents…
The second preview video features Mobile Factory, a Guerrilla Warfare map for 16 players set aboard one of the largest vehicles from the single player campaign. Part resource production facility, part moving fortress, the Mobile Factory is a strategic asset that both factions desperately want to seize control of. Combatants need to watch their step, however, as a single mistake can cause them to plummet into the heavy duty scrap metal shredders at the bottom of the facility. Those looking to do some shredding of their own will be able to wield one of two portable miniguns found in the Mobile Factory.
DLC Pack 3 “From The Ashes” will be available from the PlayStation Store on Tuesday, June 21st for $4.99. But that’s not all! Those of you new to Killzone 3 will be interested to learn that we’re simultaneously releasing the DLC Bundle Pack. As the name implies, this pack bundles the Retro Pack, the Steel Rain Pack AND the From The Ashes Pack – a total of eight maps – for the low, low price of just $9.99. Stay tuned to Killzone.com and the official PlayStation.Blog, because we’ll be posting preview videos of the other two maps in From the Ashes Pack soon.
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In part one of our look at the origins of the PlayStation Move sharp shooter, we saw how the peripheral began life as a side project at Guerrilla. In the second part, we learn how the Guerrilla team received valuable help from their friends at Zipper Interactive.
Guerrilla’s proposal for a Move-based peripheral was sent to SCE Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida and the Sony Product Design group, who circulated it among other studios for input. The proposal met with very enthusiastic reactions. “When we saw the foam-board-and-duct-tape mockup, we were like ‘Cool, let’s make that!’” Sony Product Design Manager Ennin Huang recalls.
It wasn’t long before Guerrilla was contacted by developers from other shooters like SOCOM 4, Time Crisis: Razing Storm and Dead Space: Extraction. Zipper Interactive Game Director Seth Luisi, who’d already been looking into a PlayStation Move-based control scheme for SOCOM 4, took a particular interest in the project. “Seth strongly felt that a gun peripheral could bring an additional level of immersion and realism to the table,” Guerrilla Game Director Mathijs de Jonge says. “Like Killzone 3, SOCOM 4 was still in its early stages, so the timing made sense for him as well.”
With each iteration, the design evolved away from the StA-11.
The Zipper team suggested several highly useful additions to the gun peripheral design. “For instance, they wanted players to be able to reload without taking their hands off the navigation controller,” Mathijs explains. “This could be solved by adding pump-action mechanism to the fore grip. Also, they noted that many tactical shooters, including SOCOM 4, featured weapons with multiple modes of fire, which would require the inclusion of a fire selector switch.”
With basic shape and functionality hammered out, the gun peripheral entered the prototyping phase. “Every six weeks, a new plastic gun peripheral would arrive from China for us and the team at Zipper to comment on,” Guerrilla Lead Concept Designer (and resident weapons expert) Roy Postma says. “And with each iteration, you could see the design come into its own more. The style of the weapon became more neutral, less Killzone-specific.”
Enhancements included a more ergonomic angle for the fore grip, an adjustable and collapsible stock instead of the foldable one, and overall weight reductions to facilitate prolonged play. “Sadly, some features fell by the wayside during this process,” Roy says. “We originally wanted to have an ammo counter display above the stock, but it just proved too costly.”
The color of the weapon changed too, evolving from the gunmetal grays of the original design, to a jet black version, to the more neutral grays of the final product. “From a legal and marketing perspective we had to impose some constraints,” Ennin says. “The black version looked menacing, but would have violated most countries’ gun laws.” Even the first grey prototypes proved difficult to get through customs, as Mathijs found after a demonstration at a conference.
Meanwhile, the teams at Guerrilla and Zipper experimented with Move control systems for their respective games, figuring out sensible settings for dead zone, aim assistance and controller sensitivity. “Initially we wanted to map a lot of in-game actions to player gestures as well,” Mathijs says, “but that turned out to interfere with player aim too much. So we restricted it to short, simple movements like thrusting the gun peripheral to perform a melee.”
The final production prototype in all its glory.
The gun peripheral went into full production in the run-up to Killzone 3’s launch. Early hands-on reports of the device – now dubbed the PlayStation Move sharp shooter – were almost unanimously positive, with many reporters expressing pleasant surprise at how solid and natural the peripheral felt during play.
“In terms of control methods, nothing feels more natural than the sheer simplicity of ‘Point, Aim, Shoot’”, Ennin says. Mathijs concurs: “The peripheral made Killzone 3 immediately accessible to people who had never played a Killzone title before. Some reporters even stated that they preferred to play Killzone 3 with the sharp shooter instead of the DualShock 3, because they felt more immersed. That was a huge compliment for us.”
But it wasn’t until the week before Killzone 3’s release that Mathijs realized his other goal for the sharp shooter had also been achieved. “I was watching the PlayStation commercial for Killzone 3 and the sharp shooter and I suddenly realized, you know what – Kevin Butler looks absolutely badass holding that thing! That’s when I knew we’d fully achieved what we set out to do.”
The sharp shooter is available now as a standalone accessory and as part of the SOCOM 4 Full Deployment Edition.
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In part one of our look at the origins of the PlayStation Move sharp shooter, we saw how the peripheral began life as a side project at Guerrilla. In the second part, we learn how the Guerrilla team received valuable help from their friends at Zipper Interactive.
Guerrilla’s proposal for a Move-based peripheral was sent to SCE Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida and the Sony Product Design group, who circulated it among other studios for input. The proposal met with very enthusiastic reactions. “When we saw the foam-board-and-duct-tape mockup, we were like ‘Cool, let’s make that!’” Sony Product Design Manager Ennin Huang recalls.
It wasn’t long before Guerrilla was contacted by developers from other shooters like SOCOM 4, Time Crisis: Razing Storm and Dead Space: Extraction. Zipper Interactive Game Director Seth Luisi, who’d already been looking into a PlayStation Move-based control scheme for SOCOM 4, took a particular interest in the project. “Seth strongly felt that a gun peripheral could bring an additional level of immersion and realism to the table,” Guerrilla Game Director Mathijs de Jonge says. “Like Killzone 3, SOCOM 4 was still in its early stages, so the timing made sense for him as well.”
With each iteration, the design evolved away from the StA-11.
The Zipper team suggested several highly useful additions to the gun peripheral design. “For instance, they wanted players to be able to reload without taking their hands off the navigation controller,” Mathijs explains. “This could be solved by adding pump-action mechanism to the fore grip. Also, they noted that many tactical shooters, including SOCOM 4, featured weapons with multiple modes of fire, which would require the inclusion of a fire selector switch.”
With basic shape and functionality hammered out, the gun peripheral entered the prototyping phase. “Every six weeks, a new plastic gun peripheral would arrive from China for us and the team at Zipper to comment on,” Guerrilla Lead Concept Designer (and resident weapons expert) Roy Postma says. “And with each iteration, you could see the design come into its own more. The style of the weapon became more neutral, less Killzone-specific.”
Enhancements included a more ergonomic angle for the fore grip, an adjustable and collapsible stock instead of the foldable one, and overall weight reductions to facilitate prolonged play. “Sadly, some features fell by the wayside during this process,” Roy says. “We originally wanted to have an ammo counter display above the stock, but it just proved too costly.”
The color of the weapon changed too, evolving from the gunmetal grays of the original design, to a jet black version, to the more neutral grays of the final product. “From a legal and marketing perspective we had to impose some constraints,” Ennin says. “The black version looked menacing, but would have violated most countries’ gun laws.” Even the first grey prototypes proved difficult to get through customs, as Mathijs found after a demonstration at a conference.
Meanwhile, the teams at Guerrilla and Zipper experimented with Move control systems for their respective games, figuring out sensible settings for dead zone, aim assistance and controller sensitivity. “Initially we wanted to map a lot of in-game actions to player gestures as well,” Mathijs says, “but that turned out to interfere with player aim too much. So we restricted it to short, simple movements like thrusting the gun peripheral to perform a melee.”
The final production prototype in all its glory.
The gun peripheral went into full production in the run-up to Killzone 3’s launch. Early hands-on reports of the device – now dubbed the PlayStation Move sharp shooter – were almost unanimously positive, with many reporters expressing pleasant surprise at how solid and natural the peripheral felt during play.
“In terms of control methods, nothing feels more natural than the sheer simplicity of ‘Point, Aim, Shoot’”, Ennin says. Mathijs concurs: “The peripheral made Killzone 3 immediately accessible to people who had never played a Killzone title before. Some reporters even stated that they preferred to play Killzone 3 with the sharp shooter instead of the DualShock 3, because they felt more immersed. That was a huge compliment for us.”
But it wasn’t until the week before Killzone 3’s release that Mathijs realized his other goal for the sharp shooter had also been achieved. “I was watching the PlayStation commercial for Killzone 3 and the sharp shooter and I suddenly realized, you know what – Kevin Butler looks absolutely badass holding that thing! That’s when I knew we’d fully achieved what we set out to do.”
The sharp shooter is available now as a standalone accessory and as part of the SOCOM 4 Full Deployment Edition.
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By now you’ve probably read a thing or two about the PlayStation Move sharp shooter – like the fact that it has a digital trigger, a pump-action grip, and an authentic form factor. But did you know that it originally started life as a side project for Killzone 3’s game director? In this two-part article, we look at the origins of the sharp shooter and the people behind it.
It all began with a Helghast soldier using a PlayStation Move controller.
“We were at a game convention where the PlayStation Move was being demonstrated,” Guerrilla Games Director Mathijs de Jonge recalls. “We had several Helghast performers walking the show floor, and one of them decided to have a go at the PlayStation Move demo booth.”
For Mathijs, the image of a big, intimidating Helghast soldier waving about an innocuous game peripheral just felt off. “I could scarcely imagine him playing a game like Killzone that way,” Mathijs says. “He looked like he should be holding something resembling a weapon – something with a little oomph to it. A peripheral that not only played well, but looked cool at the same time.”
The event got Mathijs thinking about an add-on for the PlayStation Move. “We’d toyed with the idea of designing a Killzone-themed gun peripheral before,” Mathijs says, “but with the introduction of the PlayStation Move, that idea suddenly seemed a lot more feasible. The timing was right as well, because development on Killzone 3 was still in its early stages.”
Early mockups consisted of kitbashed gun peripherals from other platforms.
Mathijs voiced his idea at a Director’s Panel, where Sony Product Design Manager Ennin Huang was also in attendance. Having worked with the SOCOM team on the first Bluetooth headset for PlayStation 3, Ennin was heavily involved with the development of PlayStation peripherals. “After the panel, Ennin approached us and said he very much liked the idea of a solid, realistic-looking Move add-on,” Mathijs says. “He advised us to put together an official proposal and submit it to the Product Design team.”
For his proposal, Mathijs enlisted the help of Guerrilla Lead Concept Designer (and resident weapons expert) Roy Postma. “Mathijs wanted to design a gun peripheral that could represent the majority of firearms in Killzone 3,” Roy says. “We chose the Helghast StA-11 SMG as our starting point: like most weapons in the game it requires two hands to operate, but at the same time it’s quite compact.”
The first mockup housed the navigation controller in the rear grip.
Using foam board, duct tape and pieces of gun peripherals from several different platforms, Mathijs and Roy then constructed a mockup roughly approximating the StA-11’s size and shape. The mockup housed the navigation controller in the rear grip and the Move controller in the barrel, while a trigger mechanism in the fore grip connected to the Move’s T-button. This setup, however, proved impractical.
“When you play Killzone 3 on a DualShock 3 controller, you move around with your left thumb and fire with your right index finger,” Roy explains. “Our first mockup had it the other way around, making the setup somewhat awkward for right-handed people. So I went back to the drawing board to design a clip/fore grip that could house the navigation controller. I also moved the firing trigger back to the rear grip, where it normally resides on an StA-11.”
Guerrilla CEO Hermen Hulst tries out the revised mockup.
Instead of relying on a complicated (and possibly error-prone) physical pass-through mechanism to bridge the distance to the Move’s T-button, the trigger could simply be wired up to the Move’s extension connector digitally. This solution allowed Roy to add additional buttons to the body of the peripheral, saving players from having to reach for the Move controller in the barrel whenever they wanted to reload or swap weapons.
In the meantime, Mathijs worked on the proposal document, outlining the type of user experience he had in mind for the gun peripheral. “I wanted players to experience a sense of joy as soon as they picked up the peripheral,” Mathijs says. “It not only had to look cool and authentic, I also wanted it to feel like a weapon. It had to enhance the overall experience of playing a shooter on the PlayStation 3.”
Check back next week for the second part of sharp shooter Origins, in which the Guerrilla team gets help from their friends at Zipper Interactive!
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Cryptically, the post concludes there is "even more" to be announced "at a later date." By "even more" we imagine Sony means "even more freebies" and by "at a later date" we imagine -- well, actually, that last one's pretty cut and dry now, isn't it?
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The intricately decorated and articulated figures are modeled after the Helghast Assault Infantry and Helghast Sniper, and are pictured above. If you like what you see, you can grab the toys at your local toy retailer -- or on Amazon, which is kind of like a universally local toy retailer.
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The "Steel Rain" DLC contains "Junkyard," a Guerrilla Warfare map that'll amass even more detritus from demolished jetpacks and toppled exoskeletons, and "Stahl Arms," a Warzone map set in a Helghan weapons manufacturing plant. Between the two battlefields, you're getting a basic glimpse at the dooming, doomed life of a gun.
The two-pack will be free to PlayStation Plus subscribers during the first month of availability, and will otherwise cost €4,99 ($4.99 on the US store).
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