PlayStation News Message Board older than one year ago

Hello everyone! Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn launches for PS4 on April 14th, 2014. Many players have questions about the beta, as well as the PS3-to-PS4 transfer process for accounts. Folks were wondering who could participate in the beta, if they could use existing characters, if they needed an existing account, or could jump right in.

Well, luckily enough, today marks the reveal of a whole lot of answers you’ve been waiting for. And not just that — but also a trailer, fully recorded with PS4 in-game scenes.

Okay, let’s get started with some information:

Beta Info

• Phase 1: February 22nd to March 3rd.
• Phase 2: April 4th to April 7th.
• Japanese Standard Time assumed for all dates.
• The beta will be accessible for everyone with a PS4, and directly downloadable from PlayStation Store.
• There will be a character wipe after phase 1.
• Players who made their character in beta phase two will be able to bring this data to the retail version.
• PS3 and PC players of FFXIV will be able to transfer character data to the PS4 (please note that this is only necessary for the beta — in the retail version, all players will play on the same servers).

PS3 to PS4 transfer

The transfer service is scheduled to begin Friday, April 11th, 2014. Please be aware that after transferring to the PS4 you’ll be unable to play the PS3 version using your existing copy. Users who wish to play using both the PS3 and PS4 are required to purchase the PS4 version separately. Users who own multiple service accounts for the PS3 can transfer all accounts to the PS4. Users transferring their accounts will have access during the early access period, scheduled from April 11th to the 13th. Please note: to transfer your PS3 account, you must have logged into it from a PS3 at least once.

PS4 features

• Upgraded graphics on the PS4 in glorious 1080p (see trailer).
• PS Vita Remote Play — craft, gather, and play wherever you go.
• Share-support — stream your gameplay or share screenshots.
• Mouse & Keyboard Support — switching over from a PC? No problem!
• Touchpad-Support — the touchpad of Dualshock 4 is fully supported.

Did that whet your appetite?

Fun fact: to create the two-minute long trailer above, we recorded more than six hours of footage, creating over 800GB of videos at 1080p. I’m also in that video, visible at around 0:34. The first one to guess who I am will have the honor of being right!

Did you like what you just read? Let us know in the comments. And as usual, we’ll keep you posted.

There aren't any new PS4 games to speak of this week. PS3 and Vita, on the other hand, are swimming in new games.

All the photos from IGN AU's awards night, plus our custom sketches and a recap of the winners!

PS3 Games Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII ($59.99) Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is the final installment of the Final Fantasy XIII series. The dynamic new battle system shows what Lightning’s really made of, the numerous quests allow the vast exploration of a dying world, and the diverse schemata (garb and equipment) available through downloadable content is an exciting addition to the myriad of items scattered throughout the game. Far Cry Classic ($9.99) Return to where it all began with Far Cry Classic, and relive the game that left a legacy. With graphical enhancements, revamped cutscenes, and a fresh new UI, Far Cry Classic allows players to experience all the action and chilling gameplay that made Far Cry legendary – now remastered in HD. Choose firepower, strategy, or stealth, and use your freedom in a massive open world environment. It’s never too late to rediscover a classic. Skullgirls Encore ($14.99) Skullgirls Encore is an update to the original Skullgirls, a fast-paced 2-D fighting game that puts players in control of fierce warriors in an extraordinary Dark Deco world. Building on its established game systems tried and tested by veteran and casual fighting game fans alike, Skullgirls Encore includes new systems, new stages and music, balance adjustments, gameplay tweaks and more. All brought to you with the same high quality Skullgirls and Lab Zero Games are known for! The Last of Us Bundle ($59.99) Abandoned cities reclaimed by nature. A population decimated by a modern plague. Survivors are killing each other for food, weapons; whatever they can get their hands on. Also includes the Season Pass for The Last of Us and which gets you the Abandoned Territories Map Pack, Left Behind, and one additional MP Pack! Also get Bonus Day 1 Upgrades to Single Payer Mode EXCLUSIVE to Season Pass holders! Zombeer ($15.99) You don’t know what time it is, the phone rings, you wake up in the Mexican bar “Guys in Thongs”, and your girlfriend’s on the phone threatening have a few drinks with the University Chancellor. You notice a bite on your arm that looks really bad, and something smells even worse than your beer-breath: the Chancellor is after your girl! PS Vita Games TxK ($9.99) Glowing vectors, explosive particle effects and a pulse-pounding soundtrack are core elements of many modern arcade shooters – a style that Llamasoft defined with its seminal 90s tube shooter. TxK is the spiritual successor to that genre-defining work and brings you 100 levels of engrossing score-chasing gameplay married to an outstanding soundtrack that will have your head nodding as you blast your way onto the scoreboards. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc ($39.99) Hope’s Peak Academy—home to the nation’s best and brightest high school students…and your new prison. You and your classmates have been trapped here, forced into a winner-takes-all killing game. You’ll have to solve the mystery of the school to survive, but be careful what you wish for—sometimes there’s nothing more deadly than the truth… Fort Defense ($3.99) All hands on deck! Pirate armada dead ahead! Take part in an uncompromising struggle repelling freebooters’ assaults. Watch out, the enemy may catch the tide for ruining your fortress. Build towers, collect crystals, upgrade spells and believe in your victory! Toukiden: The Age of Demons ($39.99) Experience gripping hunting action gameplay with the powerful Targeted Destruction System! Players assume the role of a mighty warrior known as a Slayer and fight to save mankind from certain annihilation! Use the souls of the famous heroes of history, known as Mitama, to aid in your fight against the demon-like Oni! Multiplayer for up to 4 players is supported.’ Doodle God & Doodle Devil Bundle ($9.99) Doodle God: Mix different elements to create your own universe in Doodle God! Starting from a single microorganism, create animals, tools, and even armies! Unleash your inner god with Doodle God!
Doodle Devil: Embrace your dark side! While Doodle God was creating the universe, Doodle Devil was also having some fun. PS2 Classic Blowout ($9.99) Mutated clones have taken over and killed everyone aboard the battle plafform Honour Guard, and it’s up to John “Dutch” Cane to stop them. PSOne Classic Pac-Man World 20th Anniversary ($5.99) Toc-Man has kidnapped Pac-Man’s friends and family. Now Pac-Man must save everyone without getting gobbled. Wolf Fang [Import] ($5.99) Wolf Fang is a high-speed platforming title with heart-pumping run and gun action. An arcade game developed by the legendary Data East, Wolf Fang pits you in control of a mech warrior strike force in a futuristic military struggle in Australia and New Zealand. The horizontal shooter is captured on fast moving scrolling backgrounds allowing players to move and aim their mech’s numerous weapons and guns, which include auto-cannons, a grenade gun, laser gun and even foot soldiers to that can also mount your mech. Each mech can also jump, encouraging strategy towards moving from platform to platform to avoid intense enemy fire. Apps Headset Companion App (PS4) Get the PlayStation Headset Companion App to enhance your gameplay by downloading custom game modes created exclusively for PlayStation headsets. The Headset Companion App features preset game modes optimized for select gaming genres as well as custom games modes created by developers that are specifically tuned to enhance the audio in your favorite games. This is how games were made to sound.

App News

Amazon

On February 7th, Amazon launched its second pilot season. 10 pilots will be posted on Amazon Instant Video where customers can watch for free. Viewer feedback will help determine which series are produced. This season features kids, comedy and drama pilots. Catch shows written by Chris Carter (X-Files) and Roman Coppola (Moonrise Kingdom) as well as ones starring Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development), Malcom McDowell (Star Trek Generations) and Gael Garcia Bernal (The Motorcycle Diaries). Check them out on PS3 or PS4.

Netflix

House of Cards, the Emmy Award winning series, is back for season 2. The Underwoods continue their ruthless rise to power. New alliances form while old ones succumb to deception and betrayal. Francis and Claire must battle threats past and present to avoid losing everything. Season 2 begins on February 14th. Watch it on PS3, PS4 or PS Vita.

Qello

The wide world of music on Qello just got even wider. Our New Releases this week span indie rock, alt rock, straight up rock, and one of the most influential singer /songwriters for more than four decades. Catch Snow Patrol – Live at Somerset House, Grouplove – I Am With, Rush’s A Show of Hands and Leonard Cohen – Live in London. And if you missed it last week, we added some serious musical history with Roger Waters – The Wall Live in Berlin 1990 just after the Berlin Wall came down, plus Bob Marley in London, Bryan Adams, and The Dixie Chicks! Check it out on PS3.

Demos

• Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (PS3)
• Far Cry Classic (PS3)
• Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PS3)
• Oddworld Stranger’s Wrath HD (PS3)
• SkullGirls Encore (PS3)
• Toki Tori (PS3)

PlayStation Plus

PS Vita PLAY Sale

Game Title PS Plus Price TxK $7.99

Other Discounts

Title PS Plus Price Original Price Blood Knights $7.99 $9.99 Draw Slasher $2.75 $5.99

Price Changes

Title New Price Original Price Pac-Man And The Ghostly Adventures $29.99 $39.99 Limbo $9.99 $14.99 Limbo PS Vita $9.99 $14.99

Sales

Title New Price Original Price Tiny Brains Ps4 $9.99 $19.99 Adventure Time: Explore The Dungeon Because I Don’t Know $19.99 $39.99 Ben 10 Omniverse $9.99 $19.99 Catherine $9.99 $19.99 Beyond Good & Evil HD $4.99 $9.99 Blood Knights $9.99 $19.99 From Dust $7.49 $14.99 Might And Magic Clash Of Heroes $7.49 $14.99 Rayman 3 HD Trial $4.99 $9.99 Tiny Brains $9.99 $19.99 Trine 2 $7.49 $14.99 Gods Eater Burst $9.99 $19.99 Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon $7.99 $19.99 The Cursed Crusade $7.99 $19.99 Droplitz $0.99 $4.99 Puzzle Quest: Challenge Of The Warlords – Revenge Of The Plague Lord $4.99 $14.99 Ben 10 Galactic Racing $2.99 $9.99 Draw Slasher $5.49 $5.99 Earth Defense Force 2017 Portable $9.99 $39.99 Despicable Me $2.99 $9.99 Best Brick Breakers Bundle $3.99 $6.99 PS4 Add-ons Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

• Multiplayer Character Pack ($2.99)
• Time Saver: Resources Pack ($1.99)

Blacklight Retribution

• 100 ZCoin ($0.99)

Just Dance 2014

• Sweat ($1.99)
• Die Young – Ke$Ha ($2.99)
• Rock N Roll – Avril Lavigne ($2.99)
• Timber – Pitbull Ft. Ke$Ha ($2.99)

Killzone Shadow Fall

• Hands-Off Spotlight Move Pack ($1.99)

Pinball Arcade

• Season One Pro Upgrade ($9.99)

Zen Pinball 2

• Doctor Strange ($2.99)

PS3 Add-ons Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

• Multiplayer Character Pack ($2.99)
• Time Saver: Resources Pack ($1.99)

Borderlands 2

• Wedding Day Massacre ($2.99)

Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate

• Tropical Sexy Kokoro ($1.99)
• Tropical Sexy Costume Set ($14.99)

Just Dance 2014

• Sweat ($1.99)
• Die Young – Ke$Ha ($2.99)
• Rock N Roll – Avril Lavigne ($2.99)
• Timber – Pitbull Ft. Ke$Ha ($2.99)

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

• FFX-2 Yuna ($3.99)
• Japanese Voice Pack (Free)
• Tomb Raider ($3.99)
• Utsusemi Schema (Free)

Rocksmith 2014

• KISS – Detroit Rock City ($2.99)
• KISS – Heaven’s On Fire ($2.99)
• KISS – I Was Made For Loving You ($2.99)
• KISS Song Pack ($7.99)

Saints Row IV

• Bling Bling Pack ($2.99)
• College Daze ($2.99)
• Game On ($2.99)
• Gamestop Warped Weapon Challenge ($0.99)
• Reverse Cosplay Pack (Free)

SkullGirls Encore

• Character Color Pack (Free)
• Squigly Character Unlock (Free)

LittleBigPlanet 2

• DC Comics Costume Pack 4 ($5.99, Free for DC Comics Season Pass)
• Shazam Costume ($1.99, Free for DC Comics Season Pass)
• Solomon Grundy Costume ($1.99, Free for DC Comics Season Pass)
• The Flash Costume ($1.99, Free for DC Comics Season Pass)
• Wonder Woman Costume ($1.99, Free for DC Comics Season Pass)
• Zatanna Costume ($1.99, Free for DC Comics Season Pass)

LittleBigPlanet Karting

• DC Comics Costume Pack 4 ($5.99, Free for DC Comics Season Pass)
• Shazam Costume ($1.99, Free for DC Comics Season Pass)
• Solomon Grundy Costume ($1.99, Free for DC Comics Season Pass)
• The Flash Costume ($1.99, Free for DC Comics Season Pass)
• Wonder Woman Costume ($1.99, Free for DC Comics Season Pass)
• Zatanna Costume ($1.99, Free for DC Comics Season Pass)

PS Vita Add-ons LittleBigPlanet PS Vita

• DC Comics Costume Pack 4 ($5.99, Free for DC Comics Season Pass)
• Shazam Costume ($1.99, Free for DC Comics Season Pass)
• Solomon Grundy Costume ($1.99, Free for DC Comics Season Pass)
• The Flash Costume ($1.99, Free for DC Comics Season Pass)
• Wonder Woman Costume ($1.99, Free for DC Comics Season Pass)
• Zatanna Costume ($1.99, Free for DC Comics Season Pass)

PS3 Avatars

• The Last Of Us American Dreams Avatar Pack ($0.99)
• The Last Of Us Angel Knives Avatar ($0.49)
• The Last Of Us Blackfang Avatar ($0.49)
• The Last Of Us Ellie American Dreams Avatar ($0.49)
• The Last Of Us Ellie Left Behind Avatar ($0.49)
• The Last Of Us Left Behind Avatar Pack ($0.99)
• The Last Of Us Left Behind Portrait Avatar ($0.49)
• The Last Of Us Riley American Dreams Avatar ($0.49)
• The Last Of Us Riley Avatar ($0.49)
• The Last Of Us Winston Avatar ($0.49)

PS3 Themes

• Aina Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
• Alia Banewulf Sci Knight Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
• Anonymous Rockers Dave Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
• Art of Elegance Static Theme ($1.99)
• Backstabber Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
• Bloody Hand Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
• Bruno Wagner Air Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
• Bruno Wagner Chimera Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
• Creature Horror 1 Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
• Creature Horror 2 Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
• Happy Valentine’s Day Dynamic Theme ($1.99)
• NOLA Pelicans Game Time Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
• Super Bowl XLVIII Championship Static Theme ($1.99)
• Valentines Hearts Dynamic Theme ($2.99)

The gorgeous art style keeps even older games looking great today.

Hello… again… and again… Aksys Games, purveyors of quality digital entertainment, is pleased to announce that we will be releasing Arc System Works’ latest tour de force, XBlaze Code: Embryo!

Taking place almost two centuries before the events of BlazBlue, XBlaze tells the story of Touya Kagari, a mostly unremarkable high school sophomore with a remarkable past, and his transformation from a typical teenager into the target of secret organizations, renegade mages, homicidal maniacs, and curry-obsessed co-workers. And though XBlaze touches on the origins of some of the more important elements of the BlazBlue mythos (The Azure, Black Beast, and Takamagahara spring immediately to mind), its story stands on its own as an epic tale of disparate groups all fighting for control of the power responsible for the creation of the universe.

Screens taken from the Japanese version of the game

As for the game itself, XBlaze is a visual novel with a number of twists on the formula. One of the biggest differences is that, unlike most games in the genre that simple use static character images during conversation scenes, story scenes in XBlaze are more akin to an animated feature, complete with shifting camera angles, dramatic music cues, and all sorts of various trickery to make an already great story just that much more engrossing. Also, players can control the course of the story via the TOi System, the in-game information aggregation program used by the characters in the game. By choosing to read (or ignore) the various articles and blog postings recommended by TOi, different story paths will open and close. Not sure which articles to read? Just pay attention to what the other characters are reading…

There’s a lot more that I could write about right now (alternate endings, possible gag routes, etc.), but I figured it’d be better if I just let you, the reader, ask your own questions in the comments section below. I’ll be camping out for a few hours and will try to answer what questions I can. However, please keep your questions limited to things about XBlaze, maybe BlazBlue, and queries about localization in general. Asking about potential titles, sales numbers, and what not will be met with resounding silence and perhaps a vague, discomforting smile.

TxK is the latest in a particular genre of arcade-style shooters which can be described as “neo-retro”. These games are characterised by gameplay inspired by arcade games of old, but take advantage of modern hardware to provide graphics and audio that far surpass anything that was possible back in ancient times.

Often they take as inspiration some aspect of an older display style and, through modern graphics hardware and techniques, seek to create an experience that is evocative of its ancestry but far nicer-looking. You’ve all seen games like “Geometry Wars”, where the enemies and player characters are made of glowing lines.

These line-based displays go back to an old, obsolete yet beautiful display technology that was used in the arcades, called “vector graphics”. Back then it was not possible to generate pixel-based displays that had a high resolution, and as a result images in games tended to look blocky, as if made out of bricks. “Vector graphics” was a different way of driving a graphics display, causing it to draw thin lines instead of screenfuls of pixels.

Here the same game – “Gravitar” – can be seen drawn in vector graphics (top) and in the limited resolution pixel graphics of a home console of the day (bottom).

Vector graphics came with their own limitations – it was not possible to create objects filled with solid colors, for example, or extremely detailed backgrounds; everything had to be made up of thin lines. But for many games this was an acceptable tradeoff if it allowed designers to avoid the extremely chunky look of pixel-based displays of the day.

These very limitations forced upon the games that used vector displays a particular abstract aesthetic that made them distinctive and, to many, particularly beautiful.

As time passed and display technology improved, pixel displays became much higher in resolution, and vector displays fell out of use. With higher spatial and color resolution, displays became capable of displaying much more “realistic” graphics, and a trend began towards ever increasing realism in games, leading to the point we’re at today, where the graphics in the latest games almost look as real as life.

In games, though, we are not constrained by any necessity to be realistic. Realism is great for many kinds of games, and I wouldn’t be without it when driving in Driveclub or slaying dragons in Skyrim. Sometimes, though, it’s nice to explore non-realistic graphic styles. Neo-retro titles explore the same kind of geometric, abstract aesthetic that was enforced on the old vector games, but are free to revel in the removal of the limitations that the old displays had, often to beautiful artistic effect.

One of the foundations of the neo-retro style was Llamasoft’s own “Tempest 2000”, released in 1994, which espoused the geometric, abstract nature of its vector-based arcade ancestor and augmented it with graphical enhancements that were for their day state of the art – filled polygons, particle systems and feedback effects.

“Rez” is a striking and beautiful example of the neo-retro style.
Llamasoft’s 1994 title “Tempest 2000” laid the foundations of the neo-retro genre.

The game also introduced new depths of gameplay way beyond that of its arcade ancestor, and included a storming techno soundtrack to accompany the shooting action. Spread across 100 levels and punctuated with gentle, floaty Bonus Rounds that were the perfect counterpoint to the fast-paced shooting gameplay of the main game, T2K was considered one of the best games of its time and is still fondly remembered by many today.

Since then we’ve done a lot of work in a variety of different styles across a lot of platforms. When given the opportunity to create a game for PS Vita we thought it’d be nice to do something in the style of the very genre that we helped originate 20 years ago, and so TxK was born.

Retro but modern. Neo-retro!

We’ve tried to create something that is pure and beautiful in the same way as the old abstract vector-graphics arcade games, but vibrant and modern in aspect and effects as you play.

Unlike in arcade games we’re not obliged to make games punishingly short so as to keep you putting coins in the machine. You can settle in and enjoy the ride. We believe that playing a game should be its own reward, whether or not you end up getting a high score. Games should be all about having fun!

TxK is fun and pretty!
Jumping for joy!

You’ll blast your way through 100 levels and 3 different game modes to keep you challenged whether you want a long, session or a quick 5 minutes of gaming on the go. Enjoy meeting a wide variety of enemies along the way and blowing them up into millions of glowing particles with the powerups at your disposal!

A whole herd of excellent musicians have collaborated to being you a soundtrack that is even better than that of T2K back in the day. Your ears will be dancing right off your head as you blast your way to the top of the score table!

Rock out with your flock out!
Floating gently over fields of psychedelic fur in a TxK Bonus Round.

Fluffy, floaty Bonus Rounds await those who diligently collect the Powerups on each level. You can’t die in Bonus Rounds – just chill out, enjoy the flight and the music! You’ll find the game looks beautiful on your Vita (and sounds awesome too, plug in those headphones).

“Noise Pulse” – one of the many great music tracks in TxK

We think you’ll find a lot to enjoy in TxK, and we hope it’s something that you’ll keep on your Vita for years to come just for the sheer fun and beauty of playing it. Check back tomorrow for a brief Beginner’s Guide — follow its simple guidelines and you’ll be trancing your way through the levels with euphoric aplomb!

Today’s the day to become a Slayer and save the world from the Oni’s destruction!

The most exciting aspect of Toukiden: The Age of Demons is the “targeted destruction system” where players can feel the exhilaration of severing parts of the Oni’s body and destroying them. Players can choose from six different weapons, each with their own original attack methods and attributes. Using powerful attacks to slash, thrust and crush parts of the enormous enemy, I think it might excite the natural instincts of players.

It is difficult to defeat the Oni, however, just by attacking them. By destroying parts of the Oni, the life energy that exists within them will be drawn to the surface. Attacking this life energy will truly damage the Oni. However, Oni not only possess an enormous life force, they are able to regenerate parts that are cut off — and these regenerated parts become even more powerful. The severed Oni parts that have fallen to the ground can be permanently destroyed through the Ritual of Purification, and this prevents the body part from being regenerated. Thus, in order to defeat the Oni, the destruction of body parts is a necessary part of the game system.

There are over 200 Mitama — the souls of famous historic Japanese figures — both real and fictional. The Mitama, which can be obtained by defeating Oni, each carry a battle style and/or skill which can assist in battle. Choosing which Mitama to equip deepens the strategic aspect of battle.

The use of “Japan” as a theme in the fantasy world of Toukiden is another key attraction of the game. I don’t think there’s been another full-scale hunting action game that has used a Japanese setting for the in-game world. The story and characters are completely original, and we received high praise from players in Japan on how the story unfolds and draws them in. This strong and beautiful Japanese themed world should be a refreshing surprise to Western gamers.

There is an abundance of content for gamers to experience, with over 100 missions in the Story Mode, and an additional 150+ missions in the multiplayer mode. The main story of Toukiden can be enjoyed entirely in single player mode, so no need to worry that it’s a game that can only be played and enjoyed in multiplayer mode. After the main story is finished, additional missions are unlocked with even stronger enemies. These are best cleared with the help of friends, so I hope you’ll go and defeat the powerful enemies together. There’s co-operative play through ad-hoc mode, or players can be easily matched online, so it should be pretty easy to find party members to battle together with.

With Toukiden: The Age of Demons, I think we’ve managed to make a game that even action game connoisseurs in the West will enjoy. Happy Hunting!

Greetings, doods! It’s David again from NIS America here to let you know that the much anticipated title Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is out today in retail and digital form exclusively on PS Vita! If you haven’t heard, let me – wait a minute, who’s there? What’s that crazy looking bear doing here with that hamme –

Hey, kids! David’s decided to take a little nap, but your headmaster Monokuma comes bearing some great news! Today’s the first day of school for you at Hope’s Peak Academy, my super-special, super-elite high school for the best of the best and, since someone’s too lazy to do it, I guess I’ll have to give you the grand tour of where you’ll be trapped – I mean, staying for a while. The whole tour should be quick and painless, so get off your butts already and follow me!

First off, you’ll be seeing things through the eyes of Makoto Naegi, who won a ticket into this most prestigious school and is the Ultimate Lucky Student – but that’s debatable. Everyone here is the best at what they do, because I’ve got very high standards and I don’t even know why you’re here. But anyway, the education system’s become a little unbearable and so I decided to mix it up a little. You’ll notice all the windows and exits are barred, which I find to be an excellent motivational tool for kids that seem too easily distracted these days. Did I mention the only way to graduate from this place is to kill one of your fellow students and get away with it? But if the murderer is discovered, then they get a tailor-made, supremely deadly punishment from the headmaster. It’s an unorthodox curriculum, but it’s really fun (for me)! And doesn’t it just feel more special if you’re the last to survive of all these best-of-the-bests?

At Hope’s Peak Academy, you’ll get the chance to interact with your fellow students and learn more about them – even learning special skills that might help you later on. But I wouldn’t get too close because someone always ends up dead. We teach life and death lessons here! Once someone dies, it’s up to you to do the gumshoe work, roaming the school halls, scouring for clues, and talking to the surviving students to get a grip on who did what.

After you’ve armed yourself with all this knowledge, I’ll gather you kids for the Class Trial and test out your critical thinking skills! You’ll need to keep sharp in order to see through some people’s lies. Not only will I test your critical thinking, but your reflexes as well! You gotta act fast to shoot down people’s false statements in time, and use those special skills to help you keep the heat on your prime suspect. I love a good repartee, especially when someone’s life is on the line. Once you’ve revealed the murderer, then I come in and give them a poetic death sentence while you all get to watch!

Life lessons, critical thinking, reflexes… Hope’s Peak Academy is THE place to get a well-rounded education. It’s just, you know, a little hard to survive the first year. But take it from me, Headmaster Monokuma, if you do survive, you’ll have a really great time! It looks like David’s still sleeping, so I’ll speak on his behalf and tell all you kiddies to go out and get Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc today. I’ll be waiting for you! Puhuhuhu!

Alright, 2014! Let’s see which games kicked off the new year at the top of the PlayStation Store charts…

Battlefield 4 held onto the top spot on PS4, but Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition made a very impressive debut. Launch titles Need for Speed Rivals and Assassin’s Creed IV are still holding strong in the top 5, too.

Minecraft has taken over all of the PS3s, apparently, though Crysis 3, Tales of Xillia and Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon did very well too. Puppeteer rounded out the top 5 on PS3 last month.

As for PS Vita, Killzone: Mercenary holds position at number 1, with The Walking Dead Season 1 and Spelunky nipping at its heels.

Head over to the EU PlayStation.Blog to see how your faves fared on that side of the world — what do you think will reign supreme in February?

PS4 Battlefield 4 Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition Need for Speed Rivals Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag NBA 2K14 Madden NFL 25 Call of Duty: Ghosts Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition EA SPORTS FIFA 14 Flower Killzone Shadow Fall flOw Trine 2: Complete Story Sound Shapes Escape Plan LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Don’t Starve: Console Edition Knack Super Motherload Doki-Doki Universe PS3 Minecraft: PlayStation 3 Edition CRYSIS 3 Tales of Xillia Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon Puppeteer rain Grand Theft Auto V Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD ENSLAVED: Odyssey to the West Premium Edition The Walking Dead: Season 2 – Ep.1, All That Remains Call of Duty: Ghosts Thomas Was Alone Terraria Final Fantasy XIII-2 Battlefield 4 Lone Survivor: The Director’s Cut NBA 2K14 Gran Turismo 6 The Walking Dead – Season Pass Need for Speed Most Wanted

PS3 Add-Ons

Call of Duty: Ghosts – Wolf Skin Minecraft Festive Skin Pack WWE 2K14 Undertaker – Exclusive Character The Walking Dead: Season Two – Season Pass WWE 2K14 Ultimate Warrior Call of Duty: Black Ops II Apocalypse Call of Duty: Ghosts Season Pass Call of Duty: Black Ops II Nuketown Zombies Map Call of Duty: Black Ops II Vengeance Call of Duty: Black Ops II – Revolution PS Vita Killzone: Mercenary The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season Spelunky Terraria PS Vita VelocityUltra Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time PS Vita LIMBO PS Vita OlliOlli Thomas Was Alone PS Vita PixelJunk Monsters: Ultimate HD Classics FINAL FANTASY IX (PS3/PSP/PS Vita) Metal Gear Solid (PS3/PSP) Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas FINAL FANTASY VII (PS3/PSP/PS Vita) Crash Bandicoot (PS3/PSP) PlayStation Mobile Sola Weather Beats Trellis Sola Radio Sola Note Cytus Lambda Full Version PSP METAL GEAR SOLID: PEACE WALKER DISSIDIA 012[duodecim] FINAL FANTASY FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: THE WAR OF THE LIONS FINAL FANTASY IV: The Complete Collection FINAL FANTASY III

Hello, everyone! I’m Tymon Smektala, the producer of Dying Light — Techland‘s latest first-person, action survival-horror game coming this year. I’d like to use this opportunity to tell you more about Dying Light and its Humanity trailer that we released today.

Let’s start with a simple statement: we’ve gotten accustomed to mindless zombie killing, right? Movies, TV series, books, and of course games — no matter what the medium, zombies became the cannon fodder of our times. After all, no one should bat an eye at taking down thousands of already dead, walking corpses. Or should they? In Dying Light, we make things a little bit more complicated.

With our latest Humanity trailer, we wanted to present a deeper vision of what a zombie epidemic would mean for humankind. “Epidemic” being the crucial word here. Mutating into a zombie is a result of infection, not some kind of a supernatural transformation, but simply a disease, just like flu, pneumonia, or SARS.

This realization helped us create one of the most outstanding features of Dying Light: its setting. A quarantined city just several weeks after the outbreak.

It’s an intriguing locale that shows the horrible reality of living in the quarantine zone infested with the raging infected. “We were doctors, teachers, fathers, sons” — says the trailer’s narrator. People who just two months or so earlier had families, homes, and jobs, had to become scavengers and hunters in order to survive. Now their everyday routine consists of gathering supplies, repairing barricades, fighting for medicines — struggling to stay alive, to put it simply. In this world, things that we take for granted are in fact precious commodities.

When traversing the city of Harran, the player will encounter survivors in a variety of situations. You may find them hidden, trapped or surrounded by the infected in the most unlikely places, calling hopelessly for help. Your help. It’s up to you whether you’ll decide to come to their aid or not. Lending a helping hand, be it out of kind heart or want for reward, is always a risk, though. The grim reality of Harran doesn’t allow any safe choices.

“But so they were,” continues the narrator. In the quarantine zone, the line between the infected and the sane is very thin. The player should remember that not only the survivors were common people like you and me months earlier — so were the infected. Imagine that in order to stay alive, you could be forced to shoot your family doctor, chop a colleague from your office to pieces, or leave your best friend for certain death.

It’s either you or them. But you should never forget that they’re not walking corpses — they’re just infected, although as of yet there’s no cure for their illness. What would you do if there was one?

A new limited edition Megatron figure will give the Decepticon boss a makeover, by changing his alternate form to a SEGA Mega Drive.

UPDATE: Ubisoft has confirmed Far Cry: The Wild Expedition has been delayed in Europe, while Far Cry Classic has been brought forward.

Play Invizimals at home and on the go with these new games.

Guide a scared child or start a free-to-play match-three puzzle game in one of these upcoming Vita games.

While it would be thematically appropriate to steal a copy of Payday 2, come tomorrow that's no longer necessary as the PS3 multiplayer heist game will be added to the roster of free games on offer to PlayStation Plus members.

Payday 2 centers on a group of criminals attempting to swipe cash and other valuables from targets like banks and jewelry stores. Solo play is possible, but the real potential of Payday 2 is found when playing with three other people. The game's AI is relatively predictable, but when you're attempting to loot a mall with a crew of like-minded felonious humans, you never know when one of them is going to shoot a hostage or set off an alarm, sending the heist into chaos. "Payday 2 is a nonstop series of little stories and moments of surprise like this, challenging your ability to absorb and adapt with each succeeding moment," Dave wrote in our review, before awarding the game 4 of 5 stars.

As with all Instant Game Collection releases, a PlayStation Plus membership is required to pick up Payday 2 for free. Full details on how to attain that membership can be found on the PlayStation Plus website, or by visiting any iteration of the PlayStation Network Store. [Image: Overkill Software]

The upcoming PlayStation 3 fighting game will also be available on Vita with added content.

Kratos goes portable for his debut on the PlayStation Vita.

The first Sony-designed headset for the PS4 has arrived with wireless simulated 7.1 surround sound, custom profiles, and more. Here's our first take on them.

Borderlands 2 includes a lot of extra content on Sony's portable.

PS Vita's fortunes may be changing, especially when it comes to its relationship with PS4. Come find out what we mean.

HI there everyone!

Last summer at Gamescom we debuted the new, exclusive PS Vita game Murasaki Baby, from new Italian indie development team Ovosonico, and announced that it was coming to European markets this year. Today, we’re excited to share that it’s officially coming to North America later this year too!

In the game, Baby wakes up in a dream world, envisioned by a child’s fantastical imagination and populated by weird and wonderful characters. In her hand is a purple heart-shaped balloon. She has lost her mommy, and it’s the player’s role to be her guardian. Take her hand, and guide her on a fantastic journey through the nightmarish land.

As you travel through the dream world, you will encounter many situations that will require lateral thinking to navigate. Using PS Vita’s rear touch pad, you can switch the mood of the game from serene green fields to a scary hellish world. It’s up to you to figure out how to use the tools at your disposal to keep Baby safe and navigate through the story.

We have more to share in the future — stay tuned for new updates here on PlayStation.Blog or on the official site.

For those of you attending IndieCade East on February 14-16, feel free to drop by and get a taste of the game at the PlayStation booth!

Today, Sony revealed that the new PS Vita model would indeed be coming to North America, alongside Borderlands 2.

Greetings, and welcome to another missive from the mighty Aksys Citadel. As the North American launch of BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma draws ever closer, we thought it’d be good idea to talk a little bit about the game — especially all the new features and characters, not to mention the special edition and all of its various doodads. So without further ado, let’s BlazBlue!

BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma for PS3

First of all, there are a few system changes in Chrono Phantasma that set it apart from previous versions of the game. One of the most obvious additions is the Overdrive ability. By initiating Overdrive, you’ll be able to amplify a character’s overall skills and abilities for a set period of time. When Overdrive is active, the stage will go dark, letting you know it’s time to get down to business. When used to its fullest, the Overdrive system will allow a player to turn the tide of battle and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat!

Another big change is to the Network/Online portion of the game. The number of options available to the online warrior is, to be incredibly hyperbolic, mindboggling. In addition to the previous nifty options (customizable lobbies that let players set the number of participants, skill level, etc.), players can now chat with each other publicly (or feud privately) and play through the various single-player options while waiting for online challengers via the all-new Entry mode.

As for the new characters, there are seven in total, each with their own unique play styles, challenge modes, and roles in the ever-expanding BlazBlue mythos. Amane Nishiki, Bullet, Azrael, Izayoi, Yuuki Terumi, Kagura Mutsuki, and Kokonoe join the returning cast of characters, bringing the roster count up to an awe-inspiring twenty six!

And finally, let’s not forget the special edition. In addition to the game (which is a given with any special edition… hopefully), those fortunate enough to get this wondrous, deluxe release will also get a nifty art book, a CD of sweet, sweet BlazBlue music, a handy-dandy move guide, and an informative blu-ray chock full of developer interviews, an episode of Bururaji H, and the first episode of Alter Memory! Also included is a Nendoroid petite figure of everyone’s favorite caustically sarcastic, eternally bitter loli-goth immortal vampire, Rachel Alucard.

Oh yes, and all special editions AND first-run copies of BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma will come with an insert containing a DLC code for everyone’s favorite maniacal troll, Yuuki Terumi!

Whelp, as it seems I’m out of time and room (and exclamation points), I think I’ll just end things here for now. Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions, comments, or random thoughts please poke at us on Twitter at @aksysgames or on Facebook.

BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma for PS Vita

Oh, I’m back. Miss me? Of course you did. After waxing poetic about the PS3 version of BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma, I was informed that we’re also going to be releasing the PS Vita version as well, and was “asked” by the powers that be to type a few things about the portable version of our truly awesome 2D fighter. While much of everything I already gushed about holds true in regards to the handheld version, there are a few new bits and bobs we feel you’ll want to know.

All screenshots from the PS3 version.

Just to put your minds (and wallets) at ease, all of the DLC for the game is cross-compatible. So if you bought a color pack or an additional character for the PS3 version, you can also use that content on the Vita as well. Now you can perfect your rage-inducing Kokonoe corner-combos while she’s clad in any number of different color palette options.

Another new, nifty addition is an extra story mode featuring Ragna, Noel, Celica and Kagura as they frolic in the clear blue waves of one of the few beaches not completely annihilated by the Black Beast. Not sure who/what the Black Beast is? Don’t worry, as summaries for the stories of Calamity Trigger and Continuum Shift are included to help you get up to speed on the current events in the BlazBlue universe.

And to wrap things up for now, the ever-popular Abyss mode has been enhanced in a number of weird and wondrous ways! No, really; we think you’ll like what we’ve done, so please be excited!

Anyway, thanks for reading, and if you have any questions, comments, or random thoughts please let us know.

We’ve got some big news: Skullgirls Encore is launching on February 11th!

…wait, what? Isn’t Skullgirls already out?

It was! But it’s currently not.

To release the new content funded by our successful Indiegogo campaign, Skullgirls had to undergo a painful publisher transition, one that required removing the game from the store entirely and resubmitting it. But don’t worry — everyone who previously purchased Skullgirls will receive Skullgirls Encore and the DLC Character Color Bundle free, which we’ll detail at the end of this post.

If you haven’t checked out Skullgirls since its original launch in April 2012, you’ll find a lot of new features in Skullgirls Encore:

• Literally hundreds of gameplay and balance tweaks
• Faster gameplay
• The new “Drama” meter keeps combos from getting too long without compromising creativity
• Hugely expanded training mode, and still some of the best tutorials in the fighting game genre
• Improved online play
• Gorgeous new stages, with new music from the amazing Michiru Yamane
• Five free DLC characters coming in 2014

For an exhaustive list of all the changes since we released the Skullgirls “Slightly Different Edition” patch in November of 2012, go here.

These are but a few of the many reasons why fighting game destination Shoryuken.com voted the PC version of Skullgirls Encore the Best Fighting Game of 2013. So if you’ve never played the game before or haven’t checked it out in a while, next week is a great time to do both.

And, to celebrate the launch of Encore, we’re also giving away the Character Color Bundle free for a limited time.

Meet Squigly

The first DLC character funded by our Indiegogo campaign, Squigly, will also be released alongside Skullgirls Encore next Tuesday. Our console fans have been waiting very patiently for this, and I think they’ll find she’s worth the wait.

Squigly is an undead opera singer, and host to the powerful dragon-like parasite, Leviathan. Like many before her, she has a tragic past and a beef with the Medici Mafia, all of which are explored in her touching story.

Squigly is a highly technical character that’s difficult to master, but still has strong and accessible fundamentals everyone can enjoy. She also has some really unique special attacks, as well: Center Stage lets you forcibly move the camera to drag your opponent in, and when powered up it can even create temporary false corners to combo against. There’s a lot to learn, but — like all of our other characters — Squigly comes with complete tutorials to help you get the basics down.

All of her complexity has made her one of our biggest characters yet, with over 1,700 frames of the high-res, feature-quality animation Lab Zero Games is known for.

As promised, all of Skullgirls Encore’s DLC characters will be completely free for a limited time after release. So by downloading Skullgirls Encore next week, you’ll not only get Squigly free, you’ll also be able to get the other four new characters we’ll be releasing the next year free, as well!

So enjoy Squigly, and remember that you still have Big Band, Eliza, Beowulf, and Robo-Fortune to look forward to. We’re currently targeting a March release for Big Band, so you won’t have to wait long for the next free character, either.

Upgrading to Skullgirls Encore

As I mentioned before, if you owned the previous version of Skullgirls, you’re entitled to download Skullgirls Encore completely free.

Here’s how to get it:

Check your PSN messages on your XMB You’ll receive an XMB message from “Skullgirls” with a link to a free voucher for Skullgirls Encore Click the link in the XMB message, which will redeem the voucher and take you to PlayStation Store to download Skullgirls Encore Be sure to also download the Squigly Character Unlock and Character Color Bundle DLC — both are free for a limited time! After the download is complete, please delete the current version of Skullgirls, as it will no longer be supported Enjoy!

Technically, as far as your PS3 is concerned, Skullgirls Encore is an entirely new game. So unfortunately your old save data won’t work, and you’ll have a second set of the original Trophies to collect.

In Conclusion…

From our Indiegogo success to our publisher difficulties, 2013 was a rollercoaster of a year for Skullgirls and Lab Zero Games. But with Skullgirls Encore finally coming back to console with frequent updates and free characters, we think the game will have great momentum in 2014.

With a new week comes a new title from the MonkeyPaw Games Retro Rush event. Week 5 brings Wolf Fang — an action shoot-’em-up centered around customizable robots — to PlayStation Store.

Wolf Fang was originally released in arcades in Japan in the early 1990s, and made its way to PlayStation a few years later. The story is set in the future: an evil military faction looks to control all the mechs in the world, and the last places on Earth they haven’t conquered are Australia and New Zealand (It’s always nice to know which areas on future Earth will be the last bastions of freedom, isn’t it?). To stop the bad guys from total domination, you pilot your own customized mech to save Oceania.

The customization process allows you to swap out a special weapon, main weapon and legs to fit your personal play style. If you lose all your lives, you can try a different set of parts or keep rocking the same mech. The choice is always yours, which is good because Wolf Fang’s difficulty has a… wait for it… bite to it (sorry, I’ve been saving that pun for a long time). Overall, there are 12 pieces to choose from so you can play around with the parts to find the sweet spot between speed and power.

If that level of customization isn’t enough, Wolf Fang’s features branching missions and multiple endings, so you’ll want to gear up for multiple playthroughs to make sure you don’t miss any of the action.

So, when can you get the game? You’ll be able to pick up Wolf Fang from PlayStation Store for your PS3, PS Vita and PSP starting February 11th.

That does it for the Week 5 game of the Retro Rush from MonkeyPaw Games. That means we are now down to the last title, and it’s sure turn a lot of hair pink. Yes, Tomba! 2 is the final entry into the Retro Rush! See you next week!

Heads up, PlayStation Plus members. It’s time for some serious shenanigans – Payday 2 is coming to the Instant Game Collection tomorrow. Team up with your friends to pull off a variety of heists, like robbing a convenience store or taking down a major bank vault. Completing these virtual crimes will net you both experience points to build out your character’s skill tree and cash to purchase new weapons and other goodies. For PS Vita owners, our final PS Vita PLAY title, TxK, will be available tomorrow at a discounted rate.

You can download Payday 2 after the PlayStation Store updates tomorrow.

Payday 2 (PS3)

Free for PS Plus members

PAYDAY 2 is an action-packed, four-player co-op shooter that once again lets gamers don the masks of the original PAYDAY crew – Dallas, Hoxton, Wolf and Chains – as they descend on Washington D.C. for an epic crime spree. The new CRIMENET network offers a huge range of dynamic contracts and players are free to choose anything from small-time convenience store hits or kidnappings, to major league cyber-crime or emptying out major bank vaults for that epic PAYDAY. While in D.C., why not participate in the local community and run a few political errands?

PS Vita PLAY Sale

Game Title PS Plus Price TxK $7.99

Other Discounts

Title PS Plus Price Original Price Blood Knights $7.99 $9.99 DrawSlasher $2.75 $5.99

Last Chance (Leaving on 2/18)

Instant Game Collection
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (PS Vita)
Poker Night 2 (PS3)

Discounts
TXK
Blood Knights

What’s your favorite content from this week’s update?

If you’ve got feedback on today’s Plus update make sure vote in the poll and leave a comment below. To discuss all things PlayStation, including this update, you can also head over to the PlayStation Community Forums where you’ll find topics you can contribute your thoughts to, or start one for yourself.

Creatures and Castles is our third game on the PlayStation Mobile platform and we hope that you’ve had the chance to try out Zen Accumulator and/or Chromatic Aberration. Creatures and Castles has appeared on other platforms, and was completely different from what you can see now on PlayStation Mobile. We took out the old system that asked you to draw your path beforehand and then attempt to complete the full maze in a single go. Now you are in control and have to navigate through each level. You’ll race against the Grim Reaper himself (who would like nothing better than to send you to the underworld) through two sets of sixty-four levels collecting as much treasure as possible, while avoiding the axes and fireballs of the castle’s inhabitants.

Converting the original game to the PlayStation Mobile platform was a blast. We managed to get a large part of the game working in just over a weekend. It was great seeing the game spring to life after we changed an entire web of interlocking classes’ variable types and underlying method calls. After getting the original game working on the PS Vita, we set to work adding in the dark castle levels and changing the mechanics of the game to fit in the new direction we wanted to take. After adding a treasure collecting element, we began reworking all of the other medieval levels to include treasure. We then tailored the levels to compliment the new control scheme. Finally, we proceeded to create all sixty-four levels, and implemented PSN leaderboard support. We hope that you enjoy playing this game as much as we did making it.

Here are some gameplay tips to help you become an experienced castle raider:

• Once a heart is lost and a level is completed, it is gone forever.
• If you lose a level by touching an enemy, you restart that level with the same number of hearts as you started with.
• Potions don’t affect either the shades or the dark knights, they still work on their projectiles though.
• Completing a level with time left gives a bonus of a small amount of gold, however it is rarely worth forsaking collecting treasure to gain the time bonus.
• Zombies can be used to activate or deactivate obelisks if they can be lured onto its corresponding button.
• To get three stars on a level you must collect every bit of treasure, time bonus is not included in the calculation.

Heyo! Welcome to the weekend.

This week was a good one, with the official unveiling of the Gold Wireless Headset (check out these fancy photos that Rey and I took), the release of PS4 frightfest Outlast and PS3/Vita amazingfest Dustforce (seriously, dat soundtrack), the Gran Turismo documentary KAZ being released in lots of easy-to-find places, and more.

Before I ask what you’re playing this weekend, I’ll say I can’t stop playing Dustforce. Dustforce Dustforce Dustforce. Its vibrant visuals, mega-chill soundtrack, and perfection-driven gameplay coalesce into a deadly combination of pure videogame that I just can’t pull myself away from. Except to write this recap.

So… what are you playing this weekend?

• I’m playing: Dustforce, Tomb Raider Definitive Edition
• I’m watching: The Lego Movie, Community
• I’m listening to: Chipzel, Disasterpeace
• I’m wishing: that I had this amazing Back to the Future II poster

This Week’s PlayStation Store Update

This Week’s PlayStation Plus Update

This Week’s Top 10 Posts PS4 System Update 1.60: Official Headset Support; Gold Wireless Headset Out Soon Outlast Out Today: Survival Horror on PS4 Thief on PS4 and PS3: New Trailer Emerges, Out This Month Drakengard 3 Launching on May 20th for PS3, Collector’s Edition Revealed Dustforce Launches Today on PS3, PS Vita Assassin’s Creed Freedom Cry Standalone Version Out 2/18 Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA f Debuts on PS Vita this March King Oddball Out Today on PS Vita Gran Turismo Documentary, KAZ, Now Available Everywhere How to Win at Surge Deluxe on PS Vita

PlayStation Blogcast 108

Most-Watched Video of the Week

Niche publisher Aksys will dip a toe into untested waters with this month's PlayStation 3 release of Magus, the first game the studio is tackling in a co-development role.

The Virtue's Last Reward publisher previously announced that it would develop Magus in partnership with Japanese developer Black Tower Studios, though few details regarding the game have been revealed since it was first teased in 2013. Magus is an action RPG in which players control a mysterious, god-like prisoner equipped with a powerful array of chromatic magical abilities.

Magus will be priced at $30 when it debuts at retail and digitally via the PlayStation Network on February 25. [Image: Aksys]