PlayStation Blog

Earlier this year, we cut some cake and popped some champagne to celebrate Media Molecule’s sixth birthday! We’ve had an awesome time during the last six years, seeing how the experiment we started here in Guildford has grown, giving rise to a thriving LittleBigPlanet community. This year will be no different, filled with DLC, plus new experiments from the LBP family for you to play with.

You already know about the fantastic LBP work that Tarsier Studios and Double Eleven Studios are doing on LittleBigPlanet for PS Vita, and now we are delighted to announce today a new LBP collaboration with the hugely talented team at United Front Games who will be leading a new project called LittleBigPlanet Karting! We’ve all seen that UFG has a wealth of racing experience and they’re also intimately familiar with LBP’s cornerstones of “Play, Create, Share.” With LBP’s powerful and diverse toolset in their capable hands, LittleBigPlanet Karting is sure to be an adventure that both LBP fans and kart-racing fans alike will enjoy! We are eager to see what you think of this union and especially excited to see what happens now that you can create in a 3D environment — it’s the start of a whole new LBP world! Have a look at the debut trailer to see for yourself.

Thank you so much for your continued support of LittleBigPlanet! Lots of love!

James Grieve, Sr. Producer, United Front Games

Thank you to everyone at Media Molecule, we greatly appreciate the warm welcome into the LittleBigPlanet family. The team here at United Front Games has long been huge fans of LBP and all of the exceptional work done by everyone at Mm. Sackboy has become one of the iconic gaming characters of this generation and to have the opportunity to make a LittleBigPlanet game ourselves is truly an honor.

It has been a joy to collaborate with all of the folks at Mm. Since the project’s inception, they have been great partners in getting to where we are today. Looking ahead, we can’t wait for all of the LBP fans out there to get their hands on LittleBigPlanet Karting. The LBP community is unparalleled in the gaming world for the passion and creativity they bring and it’s going to be exciting to see where they’re able to take this new journey for Sackboy.

Our goal with LBP Karting has been fairly simple – provide a fast-paced experience that captures the best of classic karting gameplay, married with the unbridled creativity of LBP. This new adventure will be accessible to players of all ages and have all of the variety necessary to satisfy both the hardcore and more casual players.

This is an LBP game, so we could never talk about it without mentioning the Create tools. LBP Karting is set in an entirely 3D world that will enable players to create rich and varied gameplay experiences. Tons of familiar LBP gadgets will be present, along with a new toolbox specifically tailored to allow for building in LBP Karting’s 3D world. Along with fan-favorite racing and battle modes, players will be able to modify the rules of the game itself to create completely new modes and challenges. All of this is wrapped up in a community experience that should have LBP fans feeling right at home.

Well, that’s all for now, but we’re looking forward to sharing more news on this exciting new game in the coming weeks so stay tuned for more info and get ready for the new world of LittleBigPlanet Karting in 2012!

Heavy Rain, one of the most talked-about titles ever to be released exclusively for PS3, will be re-released next week, but this time with lots of extras making it the perfect gift for the holidays. In addition to the original game, Heavy Rain: Director’s Cut will include DLC, the original soundtrack, bonus videos, and more. One loaded release for the great price of $29.99!

Heavy Rain: Director’s Cut starts shipping on November 8th in the US. Here is a list of all the great content fans can look forward to:

• Complete, original game, Heavy Rain
• Heavy Rain Chronicles: Episode 1 – The Taxidermist DLC
• Heavy Rain Original Videogame Score by award-winning film and television composer, Normand Corbeil (16 tracks)
• New front-end menu and interface with built-in Move support
• A series of 8 “Making of” Bonus Videos
• Three Dynamic Themes (Heavy Rain, Heavy Rain ARI Forest, Heavy Rain ARI Mars)
• 15 additional pieces of new concept art
• 2 bonus Trailers (Thank You Trailer, Love Trailer)

As a thank you to all current (and future) Heavy Rain fans, SCEA is making the Heavy Rain Crime Scene Dynamic Theme available FREE through the PlayStation Network (PSN) to commemorate the release of the Heavy Rain: Director’s Cut. Starting November 8th, PSN members can download this visually stunning dynamic theme, depicting one of the game’s most chilling crime scenes visited by FBI profiler, Norman Jayden, in his frantic search for the Origami Killer.

We hope you enjoy the new Director’s Cut!

Remember back in September when we announced that DC Universe Online was going to be Free-To-Play? Well, it’s here! Starting today you can download DCUO from the PlayStation Store for free, and play all you want with no monthly fee required. Experience the game play features that have gotten players excited about DCUO since it launched, including the intense, fast-action brawler style combat system that makes it feel more like an action game than a massive online game. Now, you can see for yourself how DCUO offers the best of both worlds. Fight, fly, speed, battle with friends, pummel your enemies, explore the amazing locales of the DC Universe, hobnob with Wonder Woman… all for free!

We’re really excited about this transition because you all have been asking us to make this change, and now we’ve done it – we’re making DCUO accessible to so many more players. We heard all of you out there who told us at conventions, on Facebook and elsewhere that you’d love to jump in to the game, if only it didn’t have that pesky monthly fee. Well, now’s your chance. With our three levels of access there’s something for every type of player. Free-To-Play. Your way.

Are you a new player? Then just jump in and play for free. If you buy a few of the awesome items in our marketplace or a DLC pack (totaling at least $5), then you’ll get permanently bumped up to Premium Access, which gives you extra features such as more character and inventory slots. You can continue to play at Premium Access for as long as you want with the option to purchase extra features, or jump in to a Legendary membership for a monthly fee and get access to maximum game features and all DLC packs. Don’t want to pay that membership fee for a while? No problem, you’ll automatically become Premium Access if you drop your Legendary membership.

And for you current players, you may have already noticed that you’ve already been migrated to a Legendary membership. Former players, come on back! You’ll be granted automatic Premium Access as soon as you log in. We have all the details on our website if you want to know more.

We look forward to seeing all of the new faces, and old friends, zipping around Metropolis and Gotham City. Let’s hear from you in the comments below. See you in game!

We’re excited to announce a new program called “Only On PSN,” which features brand new games that are exclusively available on PlayStation Network throughout October. Every week starting tomorrow, October 4, you will find new titles, unique to PSN that are part of this program – games that you’ve likely read about here on the PlayStation Blog, or seen during our showing at E3 2011. You may recall our announcement a few months ago about investing $20 million in exclusive PSN titles, and the Only On PlayStation Network program showcases two titles spawning from this investment: Eufloria and Okabu.

We can’t wait for you to get your hands on the Only On PSN games yourselves, so we’re giving you a few special offers throughout the course of the program. First, to sweeten the deal, we’ll be offering PlayStation Plus subscribers a 20% discount on each game during the first week of its availability.

Additionally, users who spend $60 or more out of their PlayStation Network/Sony Entertainment Network wallet through the month of October will get $10 back in November. This includes any of the Only On PSN games, purchases of games, add-ons, movies and TV shows in both the game and video sections of the PlayStation Store, your paid subscriptions for PlayStation Plus or Music Unlimited, movie rentals or purchases through Video Unlimited and any games or virtual items you buy in PlayStation Home.

Be sure to keep an eye on the PlayStation Twitter feed, as we’ll be giving away download codes for each game in the line-up every week. Don’t miss your chance to get this week’s Only On PSN games for free!

Now, let’s check out the games:

October 4:

• Eufloria – An addictive ambient game of space exploration and conquest, plant growth and bio-mechanical evolution. Explore a beautifully realized universe rendered in a style that is unique and compelling. Conquer asteroids in deep space and use their resources to literally grow and nurture semi-organic plants and creatures to do your bidding.
• Rochard – A fun and original space adventure game that features a resourceful hero, ominous villains, rugged machinery, big explosions, even bigger stunts and sharp one-liners. The game tests players’ coordination and wits as they use gravity to their advantage, changing it at will to solve environmental puzzles and advance through each level.

October 11:

• Sideway: New York – Help defeat Spray, a sinister tagger who wants to dominate both Sideway and the real world in this unique sidescroller that offers you the chance to leave your mark on the city.

October 13:

• Sodium Collection – A more than $35 value available for $9.99, this PlayStation Home value pack includes the SodiumOne Pilot’s Jacket, which unlocks the full 50-level tank combat Salt Shooter game, and weapon upgrades for your SodiumOne tank. Also included is a variety of upgrades for Sodium 2: Project Velocity, a high-speed, free-to-play, futuristic multiplayer racing game exclusive to PlayStation Home, and the wildly-popular Blaster’s Paradise personal space, which hosts a tabletop version of Salt Shooter. Buy from the PlayStation Store and play in PlayStation Home.

October 18:

• Okabu – An action-puzzler, where players will guide Kumulo, Nimbe and four cloud-flying heroes as they battle to save their people and their world from the industrialized threat of the Doza. Dive into a hyper-tactile toybox world filled with a huge number of puzzles, playthings, adorable creatures and devious machines spread across an epic co-op campaign.
• RocketBirds: Hardboiled Chicken – Annihilate an evil penguin regime in this cinematic platform adventure game offering full solo and co-op campaigns with stereoscopic 3D support. Destroy enemies with a slew of weapons and illuminate the secrets to his past while uncovering the real enemies of Albatropolis.

October 25:

• inFAMOUS: Festival of Blood – Vampires swarm New Marais, and revered superhero Cole MacGrath has been bitten. To save his soul and city, he has just one night to find and kill the head vampire. Featuring hours of new gameplay, themed environment settings and new characters/enemies, Festival of Blood explores the darker side of the inFAMOUS universe.
• PixelJunk Sidescroller – Q-Games goes old-school with a completely retro side-scrolling shooter that reinvents the genre from the ground up while maintaining that nostalgic feeling. Dodge flurries of alien bullets and strategically upgrade weapons while battling through sweeping stages full of hazardous fluid and endless shooting mayhem.

Also starting tomorrow as part of Only On PSN, we’ll also be offering a selection of rare classic games in the PlayStation Store: God Hand, GrimGrimoire, Maximo: Ghosts to Glory, Odin Sphere and Ring of Red.

So head into the PlayStation Store tomorrow afternoon to check out Eufloria and Okabu, and don’t forget: If you’re a PlayStation Plus subscriber, be sure to take advantage of the 20% discounts for the new games each week before we move onto the next week of Only On PSN titles. We hope you enjoy the month of October gaming with these exclusive titles on PSN!

What could possibly be better than battling with thousands of other players online in the first, and only, action MMO on the PS? How about battling FOR FREE? That’s right, DC Universe Online will soon be free to download from the PlayStation Store, and free-to-play with no monthly fees required.

So what’s the catch? There is none. The entire game will be open for you to play for free. We have gotten a lot of feedback from gamers asking for an opportunity to play without a subscription requirement. So, that got us thinking about how to offer access to the game in a way that allows gamers to play their way. We wanted something that would give players options. We know different types of gamers are playing – and want to play – DCUO, and we want each person to be able to play in a way that best fits their style. That’s why we’ve created three levels of access to the game:

• Free Access – Just like it sounds. Download and play the game for free. You also get all ongoing game updates (except DLC packs).
• Premium Access – This next level of access opens up to you if you spend at least $5 in the in-game store. Premium Access grants you additional benefits that improve your experience in the game, such as more inventory slots, more character slots, bank slots and more free Vault tickets. So all you have to do is pick up some cool items in the store or buy a DLC pack and you unlock Premium Access. The best part? Once you unlock Premium Access you keep it for the life of your account.
• Legendary Access – With Legendary Access you can unlock the maximum level of features and benefits. To unlock Legendary Access you can pay for a $14.99 per month game pass, or save big with a discounted multi-month pass. Lifetime members are automatically granted Legendary access. Legendary Access also includes all DLC packs at no extra charge.

I know all of this sounds great for the soon-to-be new players, but it’s just as good for all of you who still play, or used to play. Current players who are currently on a month-to-month or multi-month game pass will automatically be granted Legendary Access for the remaining time on their game pass once we officially transition to free-to-play. They can continue to play and stay at the Legendary Access level, or opt to migrate to another level.

If you used to play DCUO, this gives you a great opportunity to come back and rejoin your old crimefighting (or evil-doing) friends without spending a cent. If you previously purchased DCUO at a retail store or through a PSN download and activated your account, you will automatically be granted Premium Access when you come back.

You can go to our website for more details on the three levels of access, plus a FAQ that should cover any other questions that you may have. We can’t tell you how excited we are to be making this move, and can’t wait to have you all join us in game. Talk to us in the comments below and let us know what you think. We’re listening.

You keen-visioned PlayStation.Blog readers are bound to know that the LittleBigPlanet 2 PlayStation Move DLC was officially announced at the E3 PlayStation press conference (huzzah!). You were no doubt left with questions around what it does, how it works and what marvels will be possible once our army of LBP creators get their hands on it.

In a nutshell, the PlayStation Move Pack lets you create levels with (and for) the PlayStation Move motion controller, and it includes a set of levels built by Media Molecule to make your creative juices juicier. LBP has always been all about communities creating and sharing, so rather than show you our 200-slide marketing presentation, I’ll hand you over to Andrew, AKA Chimpanzee, creator extraordinaire and editor of the splendid Rocket Cheetah, for enlightenment…

Back in May I was lucky enough to be invited to the hallowed grounds of Mm Towers to check out the new LittleBigPlanet 2 features they were working on and hang out with some well-known Creators to see what they could do with them. We all knew that Media Molecule were working on an update to the game, introducing brand new tools which make use of the PlayStation Move motion controller, but what we saw was so much more than LBP 2 with added ‘waggle’.

15 members of the community from as far afield as the USA and France descended on Media Molecule’s Guildford studios and to kick things off we were given a brief demonstration of some of the features of the Move Pack.

Looking back, I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised by how much was being given to creators – after all, Media Molecule aren’t exactly known for doing things by halves. Aside from features that people are expecting, the Move Pack also includes a wealth of amazing new gadgets and tweaks which Creators have either been asking for forever or don’t even know that they need yet, but will soon wonder how they ever did without.

First up was the Manipulator, a power-up which can be dropped into a level to instantly enable Move gameplay. It works just like other power-ups that you’re already familiar with; It’s equipped when a player walks over it and can be removed with the power-up remover. With the Manipulator, the player aims by pointing the Move motion controller and can pick up, move around and carry grabbable objects using the trigger. It has a set range (similar to that of the grappling hook) indicated by a translucent orb around Sackboy.

The Moveinator is the PlayStation Move’s equivalent of the Controlinator. As well as all the standard buttons, it gives Creators access to all of the Move’s sensors: Gyroscopes for rotation and tilt on all and the accelerometers to detect up. down, left and right movement. Anyone who’s used the Controlinator in their levels will find the Moveinator’s circuit board very familiar. All of the outputs can be wired-up to Mover logic to allow the player to control any object directly.

Combine the Moveinator with the Move Cursor and you’ve got instant point and shoot gameplay. Just plonk one of these new logic chips down on the Moveinator’s circuit board and you’re given a reticule which you can aim with the PlayStation Move. You can customize the pointer to be any sticker you like and you can even tweak a range of options to have it change color or even switch to a completely different graphic when it hovers over specific objects.

To illustrate how some of the new features could be used, we were shown a few of the MM-made levels that’ll be included in the downloadable pack. It’s the largest piece of DLC that Media Molecule have released so far and the variety of gameplay is bound to inspire Creators to come up with even more exciting and original ideas. The main story levels consist mainly of puzzle/platformers where you play using with a DualShock or Sub-controller in one hand and the PlayStation Move in the other – a control scheme that was surprisingly easy to get used to. But the mini games are where I was really blown-away. One was a Labyrinth-style game where you had to tilt the Move to guide a ball through a maze-like track. In another, you had to use the Move Cursor to arrange objects, conveyer belts and bounce pads on a board to guide a dumb Sackbot from one side to the other.

Overwhelmed? I was. But grab a cup of coffee and take a deep breath because we aren’t even nearly done yet!

Next we we shown some of the smaller but equally pleasing new tweaks and tools. Firstly, Media Molecule have been listening and have delivered on a much-requested feature: Multipliers on Score Givers! Huzzah! You can even tweak how often the score is multiplied and by how much. They’ve also introduced Speed and Rotation Sensors which output if and how much an object is moving, which I’m sure will be music to many Creators’ ears. There’s also a new Slicer Tool. This works in a similar way to the Corner Editing Tool but allows you to pick any two points on the edge of a shape and slice it in two – a big time-saver.

Yet another new tool is the Move Recorder – a new logic chip which records the fluid motion of the Move controller. This allows Creators to give realistic, organic behavior to any object and anyone who’s used Sackbots’ “Act” function will instantly recognize how it works.

Well, that’s about it. Oh wait, no it’s not!

Just a small thing really, no big deal, it’s just that LittleBigPlanet 2 now has a freakin’ paint studio! The fully-featured Sticker Creator takes you to a whole new interface where the Move controller is your paint brush. Excuse me while I gush here for a moment but it really is no exaggeration to say that the artistic types among you will be able to create fully-fledged masterpieces with this. There’s a selection of brush types, shapes and colors to choose from and you can also change the brushes opacity, allowing you to blend several colors together to get that precise shade that you’re after. You could also take any existing sticker and use it as a brush or stamp. I used it to make a rather lovely ocean of bright yellow rubber ducks but you could of course get a little more creative with it and compose hundreds of different stickers together into something incredible

The paintings you make can then be used as stickers in-game, shared in prize bubbles or exported in high-resolution to the XMB.

With all these awesome new stickers you’ll be making, you’ll want a way to display them in their full glory in your levels. Mm has you covered, yet again, with the new Sticker Panel material. This mysterious new substance is magical; draw out a block of it in Create mode and as soon as you stick a sticker to it, it becomes completely invisible, leaving only the sticker behind. Sticker Panels behave in a similar way to the Hologram material in that it has no physical properties, can pass through other objects and can be stacked on top of one another in the same layer. However, unlike Hologram material, a Sticker Panel doesn’t affect the sticker’s color or opacity… unless you want it to of course.

Phew! That about does it for my ‘brief’ round-up of the LBP 2 Move Game Jam. It was a truly amazing to see some master Creators in action, let loose with some new toys. I really cannot wait to see what the rest of the community does with them.

A huge thank you to Spaff, Tom and everyone at Mm for making it happen and to everyone who was there on the day for letting me tap them on the shoulder every 10 minutes with a curious “Whatcha dooin’?”

We’re so excited to welcome you back to PlayStation Network. With the PlayStation Store back online, we’ve been getting all caught up this week, having launched an abundance of amazing content for download on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable devices across games, movies, themes and DLC. Today, we’re excited to launch the Welcome Back program to thank you for your loyalty, and below, we’ve got what you need in order to get access to the included content. So, here’s a list of questions about the program. If you don’t see your question below, mention it in the comments and we’ll do our best to provide an answer. Thanks again for your patience and understanding as we restored the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services – your support has meant a lot to us and is greatly appreciated.

Q: What’s in the Welcome Back Program?
A: To start, all PSN members who had signed up before the outage (April 20, 2011) will be able to select two games for the PS3 and two games for the PSP systems.

For PS3 owners, go to the ‘Welcome Back’ section in the PlayStation Store, and select 2 titles from the following list:

• Dead Nation
• inFAMOUS
• LittleBigPlanet
• Super Stardust HD
• Wipeout HD + Fury

For PSP owners, go to the ‘Welcome Back’ section of PlayStation Store on your PSP system and select 2 titles from the following list:

• LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
• ModNation Racers
• Pursuit Force
• Killzone Liberation

Select your first game from “Game 1”, then return to the Welcome Back page and go to “Game 2” to select your second game out of the remaining choices available. This goes for both PS3 and PSP.

In addition, we’re giving access to our premium subscription service, PlayStation Plus, which includes games, huge discounts, exciting exclusives and added features like online storage and automatic downloads, to all PSN members for 30 days at no charge, requiring no long term commitment. As with the games above, go to the PlayStation Store and under the ‘Welcome Back’ section, select ‘PlayStation Plus: 30 Days Free’, and you’ll be given access to all of the benefits of PlayStation Plus. Note that this will not auto-renew and simply expires 30 days after activation.

Current Plus subscribers receive an extra 60 days added to their existing subscription at no charge. For current Plus subscribers, no action is needed as the 60 days are automatically added to your subscription.

PlayStation Network users will also get 100 virtual items in PlayStation Home as a show of appreciation for your patience while Home was inaccessible. Additional content is coming soon, including the next addition to the Home Mansion personal space, and Ooblag’s Alien Casino, an exclusive game.

A selection of “On Us” movie rentals are currently available to PlayStation Network customers this weekend only, where Video Service is available.

Finally, current Music Unlimited Premium subscription members will receive an additional 30 days of premium subscription plus days lost due to the outage.

Q: When will I have access to the Welcome Back Program?
A: The content offered as part of the Welcome Back Program is available for download today and will be available through July 3.

Q: I have both PS3 and PSP. Does this mean I will get 4 games all together?
A: Yes, as long as you were a PSN member before April 20, 2011, you’ll be able to receive up to 4 games based on the titles listed above; 2 on each platform.

Q: Are there any limitations to the PS3 and PSP games we are receiving as part of the Welcome Back Program?
A: None. These games are yours to keep.

Q: How long do I have to get into the PlayStation Store and receive my content for Welcome Back?
A: Access to the Welcome Back content will be expiring on July 3. Once this date has passed, the Welcome Back section in the PlayStation Store will be removed.

Q: When does the 30 days of my PlayStation Plus access expire?
A: Your PlayStation Plus 30-day access will expire 30 days from the date you activated it in PlayStation Store.

Q: When will (insert game here) be published?
A: Look forward to posts over the coming days that will show what content will be available at that point, or coming soon. We’re planning frequent store publishes offering lots of new content for everyone to enjoy.

Q: I’m getting 30 days of access to PlayStation Plus; can you refresh my memory on what I get with this service?
A: From the time you activate your 30 days of PlayStation Plus, you’ll be able to download games and game related content, purchase select store items at a discount, and have access to the exclusive features of Plus. You’ll also be able to get early access to any Plus exclusive Demos and priority Beta invitations that might be scheduled during your 30 days.

Q: Do I get to keep the games in PlayStation Plus forever?
A: Content that is free in PlayStation Plus will not be available after your PlayStation Plus time has expired. However, if you decide to join PlayStation Plus, you’ll have access to all of the content you downloaded during your 30 day access for as long as you are a subscriber.

Q: Do I get to keep any games or content I purchased with the PlayStation Plus discount?
A: Yes. Any content you purchase at a discount is yours to keep, regardless of your subscription status.

Q: Aside from the games and discounts; does PlayStation Plus offer anything else?
A: Yes! PlayStation Plus includes the Online Storage for Game Saves feature, allowing you to backup treasured game saves or access them from another PS3. In addition, you get the Automatic Download feature, which automatically updates your 10 most recently played games while the system is in stand-by mode so you don’t have to wait for updates before playing your games.

Q: What content will be in PlayStation Plus when I activate my 30 days?
A: PlayStation Plus content and discounts are regularly updated throughout the month. For up-to-date information on content within PlayStation Plus, please visit the Plus homepage.

Q: Where can I find the Welcome Back content in Home?
A: The 100 virtual items can be found in the kiosk in Home’s Central Plaza along with two personal spaces – Dragon’s Lair and the Mansion Garage. A new game – Ooblag’s Alien Casino – will be released soon (June 2011). This game will be 100% free-to-play. As an added bonus, players that access the Ooblag Alien Casino space will be rewarded an active item version of the Ooblag game that can be played in your personal space(s).

Remember, if you didn’t see your question answered above, drop us a line below and we’ll do our best to answer it. Welcome Back!

Now that some PlayStation Network and Qriocity services have been restored and you’re once again enjoying online gaming and entertainment, we’re happy to provide details about the “Welcome Back” appreciation program for customers in North America. We developed the program as an expression of our gratitude for your patience, support and continued loyalty during the service outage. From all of us at PlayStation, thank you and welcome back!

This package will be made available to all existing registered PlayStation Network and Qriocity users in North America (US and Canada), and will be made available shortly after we have fully restored the service. More specific details about these offers and eligibility requirements will be posted as the services go live.

All PlayStation Network customers can select two PS3 games from the following list. The games will be available for 30 days shortly after PlayStation Store is restored and can be kept forever.

• Dead Nation
• inFAMOUS
• LittleBigPlanet
• Super Stardust HD
• Wipeout HD + Fury

For PSP owners, you will be eligible to download two PSP games from the following list. The games will be available for 30 days shortly after PlayStation Store is restored and can be kept forever.

• LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
• ModNation Racers
• Pursuit Force
• Killzone Liberation

• A selection of “On Us” rental movie titles will be available to PlayStation Network customers over one weekend, where Video Service is available. Those titles will be announced soon.
• 30 days free PlayStation Plus membership for non PlayStation Plus subscribers.
• Existing PlayStation Plus subscribers will receive an additional 60 days of free subscription.
• Existing Music Unlimited Premium Trial subscription members will receive an additional 30 days of free premium subscription.
• Additional 30 days + time lost for existing members of Music Unlimited Premium/Basic subscription free of charge for existing Premium/Basic members.
• To welcome users Home, PlayStation Home will be offering 100 free virtual items. Additional free content will be released soon, including the next addition to the Home Mansion personal space, and Ooblag’s Alien Casino, an exclusive game.

We’d like to thank all of our publishing and development partners who’ve contributed to the Welcome Back program, including Bigbig Studios, Codeglue, Digital Leisure, Guerilla Games, Heavy Water, Housemarque, Lockwood, Loot, Mass Media, Media Molecule, SCE Cambridge Studios, SCE Studio Liverpool, SCE San Diego Studios, and Sucker Punch Productions. We couldn’t have created such a compelling package without them!

As a reminder, you will be able to access the above content shortly after services are fully restored. We are doing everything we can to make that happen as soon as possible. Please visit the following sites for more information about the Welcome Back program in Europe and Latin America.

Thank you again for your support!

SOME PLAYSTATION®NETWORK AND QRIOCITY™ SERVICES TO BE AVAILABLE THIS WEEK
Phased Global Rollout of Services to Begin Regionally;
System Security Enhanced to Provide Greater Protection of Personal Information

Tokyo, May 1, 2011 – Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) and Sony Network Entertainment International (SNEI, the company) announced they will shortly begin a phased restoration by region of PlayStation®Network and Qriocity™ services, beginning with gaming, music and video services to be turned on. The company also announced both a series of immediate steps to enhance security across the network and a new customer appreciation program to thank its customers for their patience and loyalty.

Following a criminal cyber-attack on the company’s data-center located in San Diego, California, U.S.A., SNEI quickly turned off the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services, engaged multiple expert information security firms over the course of several days and conducted an extensive audit of the system. Since then, the company has implemented a variety of new security measures to provide greater protection of personal information. SNEI and its third-party experts have conducted extensive tests to verify the security strength of the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services. With these measures in place, SCE and SNEI plan to start a phased rollout by region of the services shortly. The initial phase of the rollout will include, but is not limited to, the following:

• Restoration of Online game-play across the PlayStation®3 (PS3) and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) systems
  -This includes titles requiring online verification and downloaded games
• Access to Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity for PS3/PSP for existing subscribers
• Access to account management and password reset
• Access to download un-expired Movie Rentals on PS3, PSP and MediaGo
• PlayStation®Home
• Friends List
• Chat Functionality

Working closely with several outside security firms, the company has implemented significant security measures to further detect unauthorized activity and provide consumers with greater protection of their personal information. The company is also creating the position of Chief Information Security Officer, directly reporting to Shinji Hasejima, Chief Information Officer of Sony Corporation, to add a new position of expertise in and accountability for customer data protection and supplement existing information security personnel. The new security measures implemented include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Added automated software monitoring and configuration management to help defend against new attacks
• Enhanced levels of data protection and encryption
• Enhanced ability to detect software intrusions within the network, unauthorized access and unusual activity patterns
• Implementation of additional firewalls

The company also expedited an already planned move of the system to a new data center in a different location that has been under construction and development for several months. In addition, PS3 will have a forced system software update that will require all registered PlayStation Network users to change their account passwords before being able to sign into the service. As an added layer of security, that password can only be changed on the same PS3 in which that account was activated, or through validated email confirmation, a critical step to help further protect customer data.

The company is conducting a thorough and on-going investigation and working with law enforcement to track down and prosecute those responsible for the illegal intrusion.

“This criminal act against our network had a significant impact not only on our consumers, but our entire industry. These illegal attacks obviously highlight the widespread problem with cyber-security. We take the security of our consumers’ information very seriously and are committed to helping our consumers protect their personal data. In addition, the organization has worked around the clock to bring these services back online, and are doing so only after we had verified increased levels of security across our networks,” said Kazuo Hirai, Executive Deputy President, Sony Corporation. “Our global audience of PlayStation Network and Qriocity consumers was disrupted. We have learned lessons along the way about the valued relationship with our consumers, and to that end, we will be launching a customer appreciation program for registered consumers as a way of expressing our gratitude for their loyalty during this network downtime, as we work even harder to restore and regain their trust in us and our services.”

Complimentary Offering and “Welcome Back” Appreciation Program
While there is no evidence at this time that credit card data was taken, the company is committed to helping its customers protect their personal data and will provide a complimentary offering to assist users in enrolling in identity theft protection services and/or similar programs. The implementation will be at a local level and further details will be made available shortly in each region.

The company will also rollout the PlayStation Network and Qriocity “Welcome Back” program, to be offered worldwide, which will be tailored to specific markets to provide our consumers with a selection of service options and premium content as an expression of the company’s appreciation for their patience, support and continued loyalty.

Central components of the “Welcome Back” program will include:

• Each territory will be offering selected PlayStation entertainment content for free download. Specific details of this content will be announced in each region soon.
• All existing PlayStation Network customers will be provided with 30 days free membership in the PlayStation Plus premium service. Current members of PlayStation Plus will receive 30 days free service.
• Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity subscribers (in countries where the service is available) will receive 30 days free service.

Additional “Welcome Back” entertainment and service offerings will be rolled out over the coming weeks as the company returns the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services to the quality standard users have grown to enjoy and strive to exceed those exceptions.

SNEI will continue to reinforce and verify security for transactions before resuming the PlayStation®Store and other Qriocity operations, scheduled for this month.

For more information about the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services intrusion and restoration, please visit http://blog.us.playstation.com. or http://blog.eu.playstation.com/

About Sony Corporation
Sony Corporation is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, game, communications, key device and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. With its music, pictures, computer entertainment and on-line businesses, Sony is uniquely positioned to be the leading electronics and entertainment company in the world. Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of approximately $78 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2010. Sony Global Web Site: http://www.sony.net/

About Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Recognized as the global leader and company responsible for the progression of consumer-based computer entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) manufactures, distributes and markets the PlayStation® game console, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system and the PlayStation®3 (PS3®) system. PlayStation has revolutionized home entertainment by introducing advanced 3D graphic processing, and PlayStation 2 further enhances the PlayStation legacy as the core of home networked entertainment. PSP is a handheld entertainment system that allows users to enjoy 3D games, with high-quality full-motion video, and high-fidelity stereo audio. PS3 is an advanced computer system, incorporating the state-of-the-art Cell processor with super computer like power. SCEI, along with its subsidiary divisions Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd., and Sony Computer Entertainment Korea Inc. develops, publishes, markets and distributes software, and manages the third party licensing programs for these platforms in the respective markets worldwide. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, SCEI is an independent business unit of the Sony Group.

Thank you for your patience while we work to resolve the current outage of PlayStation Network & Qriocity services. We are currently working to send a similar message to the one below via email to all of our registered account holders regarding a compromise of personal information as a result of an illegal intrusion on our systems. These malicious actions have also had an impact on your ability to enjoy the services provided by PlayStation Network and Qriocity including online gaming and online access to music, movies, sports and TV shows. We have a clear path to have PlayStation Network and Qriocity systems back online, and expect to restore some services within a week.

We’re working day and night to ensure it is done as quickly as possible. We appreciate your patience and feedback.

Valued PlayStation Network/Qriocity Customer:
We have discovered that between April 17 and April 19, 2011, certain PlayStation Network and Qriocity service user account information was compromised in connection with an illegal and unauthorized intrusion into our network. In response to this intrusion, we have:

Temporarily turned off PlayStation Network and Qriocity services; Engaged an outside, recognized security firm to conduct a full and complete investigation into what happened; and Quickly taken steps to enhance security and strengthen our network infrastructure by re-building our system to provide you with greater protection of your personal information.

We greatly appreciate your patience, understanding and goodwill as we do whatever it takes to resolve these issues as quickly and efficiently as practicable.

Although we are still investigating the details of this incident, we believe that an unauthorized person has obtained the following information that you provided: name, address (city, state, zip), country, email address, birthdate, PlayStation Network/Qriocity password and login, and handle/PSN online ID. It is also possible that your profile data, including purchase history and billing address (city, state, zip), and your PlayStation Network/Qriocity password security answers may have been obtained. If you have authorized a sub-account for your dependent, the same data with respect to your dependent may have been obtained. While there is no evidence at this time that credit card data was taken, we cannot rule out the possibility. If you have provided your credit card data through PlayStation Network or Qriocity, out of an abundance of caution we are advising you that your credit card number (excluding security code) and expiration date may have been obtained.

For your security, we encourage you to be especially aware of email, telephone, and postal mail scams that ask for personal or sensitive information. Sony will not contact you in any way, including by email, asking for your credit card number, social security number or other personally identifiable information. If you are asked for this information, you can be confident Sony is not the entity asking. When the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services are fully restored, we strongly recommend that you log on and change your password. Additionally, if you use your PlayStation Network or Qriocity user name or password for other unrelated services or accounts, we strongly recommend that you change them, as well.

To protect against possible identity theft or other financial loss, we encourage you to remain vigilant, to review your account statements and to monitor your credit reports. We are providing the following information for those who wish to consider it:

U.S. residents are entitled under U.S. law to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit bureaus. To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll-free (877) 322-8228.

We have also provided names and contact information for the three major U.S. credit bureaus below. At no charge, U.S. residents can have these credit bureaus place a “fraud alert” on your file that alerts creditors to take additional steps to verify your identity prior to granting credit in your name. This service can make it more difficult for someone to get credit in your name. Note, however, that because it tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect you, it also may delay your ability to obtain credit while the agency verifies your identity. As soon as one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the others are notified to place fraud alerts on your file. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, or should you have any questions regarding your credit report, please contact any one of the agencies listed below.

Experian: 888-397-3742; www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013
Equifax: 800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
TransUnion: 800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790

You may wish to visit the web site of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission at www.consumer.gov/idtheft or reach the FTC at 1-877-382-4357 or 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580 for further information about how to protect yourself from identity theft. Your state Attorney General may also have advice on preventing identity theft, and you should report instances of known or suspected identity theft to law enforcement, your State Attorney General, and the FTC. For North Carolina residents, the Attorney General can be contacted at 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; telephone (877) 566-7226; or www.ncdoj.gov. For Maryland residents, the Attorney General can be contacted at 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; telephone: (888) 743-0023; or www.oag.state.md.us.

We thank you for your patience as we complete our investigation of this incident, and we regret any inconvenience. Our teams are working around the clock on this, and services will be restored as soon as possible. Sony takes information protection very seriously and will continue to work to ensure that additional measures are taken to protect personally identifiable information. Providing quality and secure entertainment services to our customers is our utmost priority. Please contact us at 1-800-345-7669 should you have any additional questions.

Sincerely,
Sony Computer Entertainment and Sony Network Entertainment

We sincerely regret that PlayStation Network and Qriocity services have been suspended, and we are working around the clock to bring them both back online. Our efforts to resolve this matter involve re-building our system to further strengthen our network infrastructure. Though this task is time-consuming, we decided it was worth the time necessary to provide the system with additional security.

We thank you for your patience to date and ask for a little more while we move towards completion of this project. We will continue to give you updates as they become available.

An external intrusion on our system has affected our PlayStation Network and Qriocity services. In order to conduct a thorough investigation and to verify the smooth and secure operation of our network services going forward, we turned off PlayStation Network & Qriocity services on the evening of Wednesday, April 20th. Providing quality entertainment services to our customers and partners is our utmost priority. We are doing all we can to resolve this situation quickly, and we once again thank you for your patience. We will continue to update you promptly as we have additional information to share.

Starting at 10AM Pacific Time today, the Killzone 3 Multiplayer Open Beta is live! Japan and Europe are already hard at frag and now it’s time for North America and Mexico to join the party! You’ll find the Killzone 3 Beta on the main page of the PlayStation Store; it’s also listed under the 3D and PlayStation Move categories for added convenience.

The Open Beta includes one map, Frozen Dam. All game modes can be played on this map:

• Warzone: The traditional Killzone game mode with game types changing on-the-fly
• Guerrilla Warfare: Our take on Team Deathmatch
• Operations: Our new story driven multiplayer game mode
• Botzone: An offline version of Warzone which can be played against AI opponents

The Killzone 3 Open Beta is playable in 3D and supports the PlayStation Move motion controller. The Beta trial runs until February 15th, so get on board while you can! If you have any feedback, Killzone.com has a section of the forum specifically set up for this purpose. You can of course track all your stats on Killzone.com as well.

Lastly, don’t forget that from Friday, February 4th through Sunday, February 6th we will be giving away 20 Limited Helghast Editions each day. Team members will log on to the Open Beta each of the three days to randomly select players in matches. We will not select players more than once during the sweepstakes and will notify the winners via the email address associated with their PSN account. Check here for official sweepstakes rules.

See you online!

Now that 2010 is drawing to close, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our fantastic community members, as well as all of our friends in the media who continue to support LittleBigPlanet. We’re now less than a month away from our January 18th release and I’m thrilled to report that LittleBigPlanet 2 has now ‘gone gold,’ meaning the game is 100% finished! The wait is nearly over and as you might imagine the folks at Media Molecule are extremely excited.

New Storyline Trailer!
I’m sure you’ve seen all of the videos for LittleBigPlanet 2 and enjoyed learning about all of the new gameplay elements in the game. Well, we have another great trailer for you, especially for those fans out there who fell in love with Sackboy’s adventure, the cast of characters, and the world of the first LittleBigPlanet. Check it out above.

First Review!
The next piece of good news is that LittleBigPlanet 2 reviews are starting to come in. Online reviews won’t be posted until after the new year, but print magazine impressions will trickle in over the next few weeks and that started this week with our first worldwide review from the UK’s Official PlayStation Magazine — an impressive 10 out of 10! Here are a few choice quotes…

“Full of simple-to-grasp tools, all with huge potential—and you could easily lose more time to LBP2 than any other game released in 2011.”

“Never going to build anything at all? This is still an indispensible package, rammed with creative potential and imaginative gameplay.”

Free Demo Today!
Don’t forget that the LittleBigPlanet 2 Story Mode Demo will be available on the PlayStation Store later today. Here’s your chance to experience a few of the new gameplay additions, like the Grapple Hook and Sackbots, and also meet some of the new characters who will be joining you on your epic Sack-quest.

Hi everyone,

I’m happy to let you know that we’ll offer our biggest PlayStation Plus publish to date coming up in December just in time for the Holidays! We will be giving more than $50 of content over the next two weeks, essentially paying for a full year’s subscription to PlayStation Plus, making December a great month to sign up.

Kicking things off on December 7 is the LittleBigPlanet spin-off PSN title, Sackboy Prehistoric Moves. This ten level downloadable games gives an early look at the PlayStation Move features that will be included in LittleBigPlanet 2. Best of all, PlayStation Plus subscribers get Sackboy Prehistoric Moves free AND a week before everyone else.

Earlier this year, European PlayStation Plus subscribers were given a full season download of Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, regularly priced at $34.99. We heard the feedback that US subscribers would like the same content and are happy to report that all five episodes will be available to US PlayStation Plus subscribers on December 14 as well.

Along with Sam & Max, we are discounting Marvel Super Hero Squad PSP for those PlayStation Plus subcribers that have a PSP. Gamers can take Blue Tongue’s humorous outlook on the Marvel universe for a spin. Marvel Super Hero Squad PSP will be available for 50% off starting December 14. These three games barely scratch the surface of the upcoming PlayStation Plus content publish, so be sure to check the full release list down below.

As always, here’s a friendly reminder to pick up the content that will be removed from PlayStation Plus, including free downloads of Shatter, DYNOGEMS, Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus, and a discount on Landit Bandit, Hustle Kings, Crash Bandicoot 2, and MAG DLC.

Finally, if you haven’t signed up yet, check out our offer giving new subscribers of a full year of PlayStation Plus an additional three months for free.

PlayStation Plus Highlights for 12/7:

Featured Games/DLC
Sackboy Prehistoric Moves (Free and early access to PlayStation Plus Subscribers, regular price $5.99)
Tron: Evolution: Black Guard Multiplayer Skin (Free and exclusive to PlayStation Plus Subscribers)

Featured Avatars
Hustle Kings Avatar Bundle (Free to PlayStation Plus Subscribers, regular price $1.49)

Featured Qore Episode
Qore December Episode 31 (Free to PlayStation Plus Subscribers, regular price $2.99)

PlayStation Plus Highlights for 12/14:

Full Game Trial
Prototype Full Game Trial (Free and exclusive to PlayStation Plus Subscribers)

Featured Games
Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse (Episodes 1-5) (Free to PlayStation Plus Subscribers, regular price $34.99)
Fieldrunners (Free to PlayStation Plus Subscribers, regular price $6.99)
Crash Tag Team Racing (Free to PlayStation Plus Subscribers, regular price $5.99)

Discounted Games
Marvel Super Hero Squad PSP (PlayStation Plus price $15.00, regular price $29.99)
Flow PSP (PlayStation Plus price $5.99, regular price $7.99)
Tomb Raider III PS One (PlayStation Plus price $3.00, regular price $5.99)
Galaxy Fight – PS One Import (PlayStation Plus price $3.00, regular price $5.99)

Featured Home Item
Burn Zombie Burn Home Item – Zombie Heads (Free and exclusive to PlayStation Plus Subscribers)

Last Chance, Get Them While You Can – Coming down on December 7:

Featured Offers to PlayStation Plus Subscribers
Qore November Episode 30

Last Chance, Get Them While You Can – Coming down on December 14:

Featured Offers to PlayStation Plus Subscribers
Shatter
Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus
DYNOGEMS – Minis

Discounted Games/DLC
Landit Bandit (50% off)
Hustle Kings (50% off)
Crash Bandicoot 2 (50% off)
MAG – Interdiction Mission Pack (50% off)

Remember the days when Sackboy had to flip switches upon switches upon switches to make something work? With LittleBigPlanet 2‘s Controlinator, those days are gone. Now you can control anything you with just by adding the Controlinator and selecting the controls you wish…

Sackboys and Sackgirls – gather ’round! New week, new LittleBigPlanet 2 featurette…this time we feature the new Grabinator! Now you can grab things, carry things and even throw things…

“What kind of things?” Small things, big things and even Sack-things. That’s right — you can carry Sackbots and other Sackboys.

And in case you missed these, here are links to the other featurettes we’ve unveiled:

• Grappling Hook
• Bounce Pads
• Sackbots
• Creatinator

Hi everyone! In the 15 years that I’ve been working for PlayStation, this marks my debut on the PlayStation Blog, so allow me to take just a moment to introduce myself. My name is Joby Hirschfeld and I oversee the team responsible for the design and build of such things as the incredible booths you see at conferences likeE3 and CES, the visuals for PlayStation press conferences, video production, the look and feel of the displays at your local retailers as well as the designs on the packaging of the PlayStation products you know and love.

I’m stopping by today to pull back the curtain on a new project that we’ve been hard at work on for consumers in the New York area. Opening tomorrow afternoon at 550 Madison in New York City’s Manhattan is the brand new PlayStation Lounge, the only place where you’re guaranteed to get your hands on the all new PlayStation Move motion controller, in addition to PS3’s, PSP’s and the incredible line-up of software that accompanies them.

This site holds significance for our brand as it is not only the location of our New York SonyStyle Store, but also home to Sony headquarters in New York City. The PlayStation Lounge, located in the lower level of the building, was designed from the ground up to provide you with a one-stop-shop for all your PlayStation needs. It’s the must-hit destination if you’re still trying to get your hands on PlayStation Move or searching for the latest PlayStation first and third-party games.

We’ve designed this store with you, the fans, in mind and we can’t wait for you to see it. When PlayStation Lounge opens tomorrow you will finally be able to get your hands on game demos never before available to the public including Killzone 3 and Motorstorm: Apocalypse, play portions of Gran Turismo 5 first previewed at E3, check out the SingStar and EyePet showcases and, on opening day, have your picture taken with Sackboy from the award-winning LittleBigPlanet franchise.

The first 50 people with PlayStation purchases over $100 will also receive a free Bluetooth 2.0 headset. In addition, we’ll be handing out exclusive PlayStation Move t-shirts while supplies last as well as raffling off PlayStation Move bundles every two hours beginning at 12:00pm ET and ending at 8:00pm ET.

While you’re here you can also pick up your copies of The Fight: Lights Out for PlayStation Move and Call of Duty: Black Ops for your PlayStation 3, both available Tuesday at the PlayStation Store.

Hope to see you there!

Sackboy Fans! Imagine a tool that gives you and your Sackboy the power to make something out of nothing. Well now, in LittleBigPlanet 2, you’ll have…the Creatinator!

And for more Creatinator goodness, check out this walk through by our own Alex Evans from this year’s gamescom.

What will pop out of your Creatinator?

Welcome Sackboys and Sackgirls!

Hopefully you’ve seen our first two “Featurettes” that highlight the new Grappling Hook and Bounce Pads available to play in LittleBigPlanet 2. And if you loved those, you’ll love our latest Featurette focused on Sackbots. Watch it now!

And if you’re looking for more Sackbots info, check out this special CREATOR insight into what you can do with your Sackbots!

Sackbot walkthru by David Dino

We’d love to hear what you have planned for your Sackbots! Let us know in the comments below :)

Greetings and happy ModNation Monday everyone. Ramone Russell here with another ModNation Monday update!

Family Guy Drives ModNation!

As we announced last week, today we are honored to have some of the great talent behind the hit show Family Guy on the Artist Spotlight! Director Dominic Polcino, Assistant Director Joe Vaux, and Storyboard Artist Raul Guerra make sure we are all rolling in our seats with every new episode — not a bad gig at all, right? Each of these guys are artists within their own right as well, and they have a lot to say not just about the amazing show they work on, but on their own work and “making it” in their industry. It was an honor to see what they could do once they had a chance to play ModNation Racers, and have them on the PlayStation.Blog today to answer your questions!

Check out the video below to see how much fun they had, then read on below to learn their personal stories.

Dominic Polcino

Has been one of the directorial hands behind such hits as The Simpsons, King of the Hill, and Family Guy – including the Star Wars spoofs “Blue Harvest” and “Something Something Something Dark Side.” “Lovesick Fool” is his first foray into doing animation his way. This time it’s personal. Lovesick Fool is a short animated film following the ongoing frustrations and disappointments of its creator in the area of love. At times funny, poetic, profound. Or just sad? You be the judge. The genesis of the idea was a series of personal underground comic books which Dominic wrote and drew. Those are available at his website and in most comic book stores in LA, and a few in New York. Polcino studied animation at the UCLA Animation Workshop. See a sample on www.funnyordie.com.

Joe Vaux

I’ve been working on Family Guy since it’s rebirth in 2004. I’ve worked my way up through the ranks from being a Storyboard revisionist to one of the assistant directors. My director, Dominic Bianchi, and I were responsible for “Brian and Stewie,” “The Big Man on Hippocampus,” and “The Man with Two Brians” to name a few.

Outside of the office, my creative juices get sprayed all over paintings. I’ve shown my crazy work in several galleries across the country and even a few around the world. You can see my work here.

Raul Guerra

After graduating in 2002, I’ve been working steadily in animation and illustration. It was in 2006 that I joined the Family Guy team, working as a storyboard revisionist and storyboarder. Here I get to work with some of the most creative and wacky people ever, which serves as fuel and inspiration for my own stuff when I get home. I enjoy painting, sculpting and screen printing. Oh, and dinosaurs!!! Check out my site here.

More Goodies On The Way

As we mentioned last week, there are lots more good things coming to ModNation. Tomorrow, we’ll have everyone’s favorite insurance Mod, Flo, joining us from the ModNation Progressive office. On October 26th, we’re going to be giving you the first taste of some track-enhancing goodness with a FREE parts pack for a week! I’ll fill you in with more details next week, but needless to say, you will be pleased. Also, since the MNR community is so great, we think it’s about time for another Double XP week. It’s also going to start on October 26th, so get your Karts tuned and ready.

Also, since Halloween is coming and you’re all going to be dressing up as your favorite Mods (right?), it seems like the perfect time to have a ModNation Halloween contest.

ModNation Halloween creations contest

Submit your original Halloween-themed Karts, Mods, and Tracks here for a chance to win a free Mod and Kart. The winner’s creations will be showcased in November’s first ModNation Monday blog.

Clearly, it’s going to be a killer October in ModNation, and it just keeps getting better. Now let’s jump into the cool stuff you’ve all been creating:

ModNation Creations of the Week

Amazing creations in ModNation get shared every day and we are playing a ton of them. If you are interested in submitting your Mod, Kart or Track to be a future “creation” of the week be sure to visit up on the official ModNation Community site and who knows? You might see your handiwork on the PlayStation.Blog.

MOD OF THE WEEK

Mod Name: Yin
Creator: Stitchless

This guy makes me want to beat down the pack in a race, and then have him jump out of the Kart and directly into a martial arts competition. Cool from head to toe, and his abs are almost as ripped as mine….

KART OF THE WEEK

Kart Name: Bug-A-Boo
Creator: Icandy55

As cool as this Kart is, it’s weird to have that bug face looking back at me while I race. Very creative…..but a little creepy.

TRACKS OF THE WEEK

If you have a video(s) of your track submit them to MNR’s YouTube channel and email ModNation@Playstation.Sony.com and we will include them in the blog if your track is showcased.

Track Name: Peruvian Shakedown
Created by: Corliss

Peruvian Shakedown says: “Here we have a hand-built Mayan temple with surrounding villages. Maxed out props, lots of detail in this map. Light dirt at the sides of the track will lead to alternative routes, and there are several.”

This track has one of the most evil uses of the rotating platform that I’ve seen. To succeed on this track, you pretty much have to remember this one mantra: “No Mistakes.” This is a wicked-looking track and technically exciting too. A true test of skill here, and the jumps to the pyramid from the shortcuts are amazing.

Track Name: Wild Wild West
Created by: CIV_BOSS

CIV_BOSS says: “Race past the old church and cemetery, through a couple farms towards the outskirts of town where the animals are grazing. You will notice the awesome layout of this track makes for a very fun and exciting race: the more racers there are, the more fun it is. Oh and watch out for them barrels partner!”

Learn the blind corners as quickly as you can with this one if you want to have any hope at all. Also be sure you take advantage of the opportunities to get some extra air by hopping off the jumps because a lot of the Item Pods are up pretty high. This track is intense, and it makes me dream of the day when sheep will be invisible.

Track Name: Graveyard
Created by: Stitchless

Stitchless says: “This track is the first part of a series I will be releasing, The Pits of Darkness. The course features a vast cemetery… Those dreading the graves can choose to take the waterway, but be forewarned the current is strong. Maybe you’ll find your preferred pace along the inner walls, where you’ll boost all the way around.

You can get some serious air on this track, but that depends on which route you take. One of the two main paths has some wicked jump and spin opportunities, and the other has one of the best back-to-back-to-back drift opportunities I’ve seen. With Halloween right around the corner, this track is perfect for adding a little spookiness to your racing.

HOT LAP ROSTER FOR THE WEEK

Continuing with the trend we started weeks ago this weeks Hot Lap roster features all new community created tracks.

Monday: Caribbean Retreat, by grey_jeep
Tuesday: Continental Estates, by IndustrialSavior
Wednesday: Celestial Obelisk Eden, by IndustrialSavior
Thursday: Adventurous Jungle, by StealthReborn–
Friday: Jebediah City, by atheistsw
Saturday: Mystery Track
Sunday: Mystery Track

More news next week, until then… see you in the ModSpot!

Hi everyone! I am very pleased that we are finally able to share with you what you’ve all been waiting for, the reveal of the SingStar Dance track list! We have carefully selected everything from classic tunes to modern hip hop jams to be included in SingStar Dance to ensure that there is a little something for everyone.

You will be able get your groove on with the Jackson 5, ‘Crank That’ along with Soulja Boy, and show your friends your best ‘Poker Face’ with Lady Gaga, if you’re up to the challenge. Through accessible choreography coupled with the accuracy and precision of the Playstation Move motion controller, you will be dancing like a pro in no time!

Check out the track list:

• *N Sync – Bye Bye Bye
• Black Eyed Peas – Shut Up
• Blondie – Heart Of Glass
• Chris Brown – With You
• Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
• Diana Ross and The Supremes – Baby Love
• Gloria Gaynor – I Will Survive
• Gossip – Standing In The Way Of Control
• Gwen Stefani – What You Waiting For?
• Jamiroquai – Cosmic Girl
• KC & The Sunshine Band – That’s The Way (I Like It)
• Kid Cudi vs Crookers – Day ‘N’ Nite
• Kool And The Gang – Celebration
• La Roux – Bulletproof
• Lady Gaga – Poker Face
• MC Hammer – U Can’t Touch This
• New Kids On The Block – Hangin Tough
• Outkast – Hey Ya!
• Paula Abdul – Straight Up
• Pitbull – I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)
• Reel 2 Real feat. The Mad Stuntman – I Like To Move It
• Ricky Martin – Living La Vida Loca
• Run DMC vs Jason Nevins – It’s Like That
• Salt N Pepa – Push It
• Shaggy – Boombastic
• Sir Mix A Lot – Baby Got Back
• Soulja Boy – Crank That
• The Backstreet Boys – Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)
• The Jackson 5 – I Want You Back
• The Pussycat Dolls – Don’t Cha

Starting in early November, you’ll be able to grab a microphone or a PlayStation Move motion controller, choose your song, and then do your thing! So, ‘What You Waiting For’? Make sure to put SingStar Dance on your holiday wish list today!

You can also be one of the first to play SingStar Dance and check out the new track list before we launch. Starting Monday, SingStar Dance will be featured as part of a line-up of PlayStation Move titles featured in our “PlayStation HQ” locations and PlayStation Move Mall Tour locations in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston, Washington DC, and Chicago. Be sure to check out last week’s blog post from Jennifer Clark, Director, Product Publicity for more information including dates, times and locations. Hope you can join us!

Once we decided to go for the old school, side scrolling, beat ‘em up style with Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Video Game, we wanted to go all in! We brought in pixel artist extraordinaire Paul Robertson.

The next step was creating an amazing soundtrack. We immediately thought of Brooklyn chiptune rockers, Anamanaguchi. They wowed us (and 5,000 others) at PAX and really captured the sound we wanted for the game. Here, the guys share their favorite songs from the game.

Ary Warnaar

“Twin Dragons”

I really enjoyed how the Twin Dragons cue came into existence. It was very unexpected. A couple months ago we were playing a show here in Brooklyn with Ok, Go. I was hanging out backstage with one of my good friends Damon who also happens to be one of the most talented chip artists I know (he goes by Starscream with his drummer George). We were kinda bored and decided to start a collaboration italo-disco song on Game Boy. He started with an awesome bass line and beat, and I started writing some melody stuff. We didn’t get past the loop that night, but the next day I couldn’t get it out of my head, and kept working on it. I don’t remember at what point I realized it would work perfectly for the game… it sort of just transformed into that cue naturally. So yeah, it’s my favorite because it really started as a song for myself that ended up being for Scott Pilgrim. That natural transition is a great example of what made the project so fun. It never really felt like writing for a video game, it felt more like composing music for life stuff we’ve all experienced – stuff that Scott Pilgrim happened to have experienced as well…

Luke Silas
“Suburban Tram”

I’m especially proud of the track we wrote for the train level – Suburban Tram. When we were working on it, Pete had brought up giving it a sort of Hot Water Music-type sound, and it actually came very naturally after that. I really love positive, uplifting punk and post-hardcore music, and it was a lot of fun to try and translate it into our distinct style. Something about the final version of this track evokes real motion, as in makes you want to move, both from the heart and on the road.. at least that’s how i hear it!

James DeVito
“This is the End”

It was really interesting to hear ‘This is the End’ (yes, it’s for the perfect ending only!) go through many different phases as it was being written. At first it was just a straight ballad, but it needed something more… more epic and triumphant. Obviously it’s gotta be the best song ever if you have to be perfect to get there. That’s when Ary mentioned to Pete to think of it more as an epic Queen ballad, and it all came together after that. Pete absolutely nailed it. Not only will this song be extremely gratifying to the player as they perfect the game, but it also ended up being one of the last songs we wrote, and the last song we mixed, so us too were even treated to the ‘perfect’ ending of an incredibly amazing project.

Peter Berkman
“Scott Pilgrim Theme”

It’s really difficult for me to pick just one track to talk about, so I guess I’ll approach it in the big picture and discuss the theme. This was the first song we wrote for the game, I wanted the theme to be everything that epitomizes “Scott Pilgrim” to me. I wanted a melody that was both melancholy and triumphant, I wanted it to evoke a sort of nostalgic John Hughes world and the deluge of emotions and gut feelings that present themselves when you’re completely smitten, which Scott Pilgrim undoubtedly is. That’s what the second half of the song is about, the first half is about punching people, obviously.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World debuts exclusively on the PlayStation Network on August 10th.

Don’t forget to pre-order for a free Sex Bomb-Omb tee for your PlayStation Home Avatar!

I really enjoyed Scott Pilgrim vs The World when I played it at E3, despite having zero knowledge of the source material. Now that I’ve read the first 5 Scott Pilgrim books in record time (and will be picking up the 6th and final one today), I’m in full on “DO WANT” mode. So too, apparently, are the folks over at IGN.

Fortunately, we’ll be featuring the latest build of the game at our Comic-Con event on Thursday (invites just went out for that, btw – check your email). And Scott Pilgrim vs The World’s (PSN-exclusive) debut isn’t that far off, either – August 10th.

In the meantime, and just in time for Comic-Con, take a look at the latest trailer.

We’ll have more on Scott Pilgrim vs The World shortly after Comic-Con.

(and, coincidentally, it’s also a WRAP, too!)

What am I yammering on about? Why, only the fact that 3D Dot Game Heroes, the PS3-exclusive action-adventure game that takes those gosh-darn-awesome gaming classics we all grew up with (you know, _______, ________, and who could forget ______ ___ _______) and renders them with current gen pizzazz!

“I have the power, rawr.”

To celebrate the game’s release, we’re also releasing a fifth video vignette. Not only does it show off the mini-games you’ll be distracted by (dooming the poor citizens of Dotnia to never being rescued from the clutches of Dark Bishop Fuelle), but it also happens to be the most radical video we’ve put out for the game to date.

“No, it is too retro-sexy, señor”
“BUT I MUST!”

So, why should you pick up 3D Dot Game Heroes? Is it safe to assume “because it’s awesome” isn’t quite enough information? Well, how about the following list of things, bulleted for your convenience (and mine):

• An awesome marriage of old-school 8- and 16-bit sprite style art (in beautiful 3D, mind you) with the full power of the PlayStation 3 system.
• A retro-yet-modern soundtrack, filled with addictive tunes that you’ll be annoying people in public spaces with your involuntary humming for quite some time.
• A huge, lush kingdom to explore. Dotnia is filled with secrets, large dungeons, powerful bosses, quests to solve, and hilarious characters. Search every nook and cranny; you’re bound to find something amazing!
• Tons of replayability, whether by means of the mini-games, the new game + modes (yes, there is more than one post-game mode to try), or trying to collect all of the swords (many of which are not easily found).
• Have we mentioned it’s only $39.99?

“Ew, a spider, kill it! Oh wait, that’s us…”

Have we told you about the “Hall of Heroes” yet, PlayStation Blog friends? You know, the handy, dandy repository for all of your awesome custom heroes (assuming they don’t infringe on any rights you don’t own)? The place where you can go to download new designs from Crafty McCraftersons around the world? The place where if you submit a great design in the next month or so, you could be eligible to win some Amazon Video Games credit? Oh, NOW we have your attention. Well, we might as well pimp the link: http://www.3ddotgameheroes.com/hallofheroes

So, in conclusion… Stay the course… A thousand points of light… And remember to pick of 3D Dot Game Heroes for your PlayStation 3 system today. It’s only $39.99!

I’m pleased to share some exciting news involving our crafty, stitched-together character we all know and love – that’s right, I’m talking about the one and only Sackboy. Today, we are officially announcing that our cloth friend and all of his fellow Sack-people will be back for a completely new adventure in LittleBigPlanet 2, which will be released later this year for PS3!

LittleBigPlanet established the Play, Create, Share creative gaming genre and we can’t thank the fans and critics enough for the praise and support we’ve received. The game continues to grow and evolve, helped by countless players around the globe. In fact, the sharing nature of the game has become so embraced, it has attracted fans to publish more than two million levels to the PlayStation Network since the award-winning game was released!

To show you what you can expect from LittleBigPlanet 2, here’s an exclusive look at our spanking new trailer:

So, what can you expect from LittleBigPlanet 2?

First of all, it’s developed by Media Molecule, the extremely talented team that brought you the first game, so you know you’re going to get a special experience. LittleBigPlanet 2 will provide a whole new collection of tools and rules for fans to Play, Create, and Share, including an evolved approach to control and customization that has never been seen before.

LittleBigPlanet has always empowered users to create their own levels by utilizing the same tools as the development team. Now in LittleBigPlanet 2, we’ve upped the ante, giving players the ability to not only make better levels, but completely new games – think top-down racing games, multiplayer shooters, flying side-scrollers, RPGs, etc. The possibilities are really endless.

LBP2 will also have a loads of new features, including revamped graphics, a fresh storyline, added accessories and equipment for Sackboy, and much, much more – trust me I’m only scratching the surface here!

After an amazing year and a half at SCEA and just shy of a decade in the videogame industry, it’s time for me to say goodbye.

I’ve met some truly amazing people throughout my 9-year career in gaming, including many life-long friends and many people that I consider family. It seems like only yesterday that I was just a bright-eyed kid, fresh out of college, ready to embark on a career in game writing. And in the blink of an eye, here I am.

I’m extremely excited to move on to the next stage of my life and career outside of gaming, but there’s no denying the saddening feeling that comes with saying goodbye to so many wonderful people, especially here at PlayStation. And then there are the journalists, the third-party publishers, developers and beyond. These are all people that made this one big, happy family.

To everyone in the PlayStation community — you truly made this job fun. When I look back on the community meet-ups, events, live chats, online games and even the quick comment exchanges…those are the little things that brought me joy on a day-to-day basis. Being a part of something that brings people happiness, and being able to go out and share that enthusiasm with you, that’s where this job truly shined. It’s what kept me going. I thank you for that, and I’ll miss you all. Yes, even those of you who thrived on pointing out my .01MB file size mistakes in the Store updates ;-)

I am leaving you in more than capable hands. Your main man Jeff, obviously, but also the newest addition to the PlayStation.Blog family, friend and former coworker Sid Shuman. Treat him well. Minimal hazing, please.

So let’s consider this farewell, but not goodbye. Cheesy? Yes. Heartfelt? Definitely. You know where to find me:

PSN: godofgwar
twitter.com/chrismorell

Best wishes,
Chris Morell, VP of PlayStation Community Awesomeness

The next system software update for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) system will be released on April 1, 2010 (JST), and will disable the “Install Other OS” feature that was available on the PS3 systems prior to the current slimmer models, launched in September 2009. This feature enabled users to install an operating system, but due to security concerns, Sony Computer Entertainment will remove the functionality through the 3.21 system software update.

In addition, disabling the “Other OS” feature will help ensure that PS3 owners will continue to have access to the broad range of gaming and entertainment content from SCE and its content partners on a more secure system.

Consumers and organizations that currently use the “Other OS” feature can choose not to upgrade their PS3 systems, although the following features will no longer be available;

• Ability to sign in to PlayStation Network and use network features that require signing in to PlayStation Network, such as online features of PS3 games and chat
• Playback of PS3 software titles or Blu-ray Disc videos that require PS3 system software version 3.21 or later
• Playback of copyright-protected videos that are stored on a media server (when DTCP-IP is enabled under Settings)
• Use of new features and improvements that are available on PS3 system software 3.21 or later

For those PS3 users who are currently using the “Other OS” feature but choose to install the system software update, to avoid data loss they first need to back-up any data stored within the hard drive partition used by the “Other OS,” as they will not be able to access that data following the update.

Additional information about PS3 firmware updates, including v3.21 (once it becomes available), can be found here:
http://us.playstation.com/support/systemupdates/ps3/index.htm

PS3 owners who have further questions should contact Consumer Services:
http://us.playstation.com/support/ask/
800-345-7669 (800-345-SONY)

OK, we know it’s officially Spring in most of the world, but we really just couldn’t resist bringing a winter wonderland to Fat Princess PS3.

Today, March 25, we’ll be releasing Patch 1.05 which now includes *two* new FREE snow-themed maps called Frost Bite and Candy Mountain.

We know many people have wanted new maps, and we’re diligently trying to keep the community alive and together with these free maps. And for those of you who have heard about Fat Princess and – gasp! – have not yet played it, now is your chance to grab the game and you’ll get all of the original maps plus four additional maps for free!

We’ve also fixed a few issues recently brought to our attention:

• Warrior: Fixed to disallow shield activation when carrying objects, as well as attenuating damage against lava and drowning.
• Ice Mage: Changed level 1 area attack to slow enemies, not freeze them.
• Soccer map: Disabled online score saving for this level (sorry, all, but it was too easy to gain rank).

Last but certainly not least, we’re happy to announce that our beloved princess has a hot new suitor: Atomic Operations, a new developer based in Seattle, Washington. We have lots of exciting things underway, and all I can really say is “Yo ho ho and a slice of cake!” (nudge nudge wink wink) ;-)

Stay tuned, see you all on the battlefield, and as always…

Cake for everyone,

The Fat Princess Team

PlayStation.Blog readers,

EPIC TRAILER MUSIC! EPIC TRAILER TEXT! EPIC TRAILER!

EPIC TRAILER IS EPIC!

3D Dot Game Heroes, the PlayStation 3 exclusive that promises to inject retro-saccharin goodness directly into your corneas (those are part of your eyes, whippersnappers), has a full video trailer… And here it is! (Well, it’s actually right above this text. We can see how that could be confusing.)

So why should you be excited? Aside from the retro 3D visuals, ear-gratifying musical score, and extremely addicting, nostalgic action-adventure gameplay, you mean? Well… BECAUSE IT HAS TRAILER MUSIC! Did you hear it? Like, the part with the chorus singing in the background? Who cares if the game is awesome (it is, by the way) when you have trailer music with voices chanting in the background!?

Oh, and to address a couple comments that have been popping up in posts relating to 3D Dot Game Heroes:

The huge swords evident in some screens/videos do NOT break the game. It is not a design flaw. You’re only that big when you’re at FULL health (intuitive, right?), and you’ll rarely be at full health for long stretches of time. Moreover, only near the end of the game will you have a sword THAT large, not to mention one with the ability to penetrate geometry (i.e. trees, rocks, etc). Many of the swords cannot and will not swing out all the way in those situations, making size… well… irrelevant. Ask anyone who’s played the game: it’s not about how big it is, it’s about… oh, nevermind. The game DOES look amazing in person; you’ll just have to trust us on this. Even videos often fail to do the game justice. There is no multiplayer component to the game. We’re not currently planning any pre-order bonus items. We view the super cool $39.99 price point as a rather nice bonus. The game has a number of significant improvements over the original Japanese version, including an OPTIONAL HDD install (approximately 1.2gb in size) to reduce/eliminate load times, dozens of new, North American-exclusive load screens that parody popular game box art, and more!

Thanks for watching the trailer and reading this far down. (And “nords!” to any of you who didn’t…I can make snide comments because you’re not actually reading this.)

Please don’t forget to pre-order your copy of 3D Dot Game Heroes, coming to PlayStation 3 on May 11, 2010 with an MSRP of only $39.99!