PlayStation Home Message Board older than one year ago

Last week, PlayStation Home took a huge step forward in connecting gamers to their favorite PlayStation titles by bringing the E3 experience directly to their PlayStation 3 consoles via our virtual E3 Booth. We wanted to take a moment to thank each and every one of you, the nearly quarter of a million gamers that have visited the booth since we launched it last Tuesday. In the first day alone we had over 60,000 visitors (compare that to the 46,500 real world attendees — more people visited the PlayStation Home E3 Booth in one day than did the Los Angeles Convention Center for the E3 festivities last week!)

Needless to say, the virtual E3 Booth event space has been a tremendous success. And we have you, the 14 million users that make up the illustrious PlayStation Home community, to thank for that.

After all, it was your idea to recreate the PlayStation E3 Booth for the hordes of gamers unable to attend in the flesh. It was your requests for bigger and better rewards that led to the development of all the awesome commemorative items associated with the space. It was you that asked for the behind-the-scenes look at SCEA’s PlayStation Home development team that has been airing in the VIP area of the virtual E3 Booth. It was you that demanded that the SCEA PlayStation Home Community Management team get out from behind the screen and chat face-to-face on the show floor (many thanks to those of you that took the time to stop by the booth and talk to us, learn about some of the new content we have coming down the pipe and, most importantly, give us your feedback on the platform — we had the time of our lives!)

We have tremendous momentum coming out of E3, and you can bet that we’re going to continue to come correct and deliver the content that you demand between now and our next big event. This week, we are releasing a brand new personal space based upon Disney-Pixar’s third installment in the critically acclaimed Toy Story series. “Andy’s Room” transports players to the world of Buzz Lightyear, Woody, and the other toys owned by Andy Davis. Packed with mini-games and fun interactives, Andy’s Room is a must-have addition to your personal space collection. Pick yours up this Thursday from the Estates store in the PlayStation Home Mall. In the meantime, check out this video we’ve scored that highlights some of the key elements of the space (Note: Some of the virtual items that are shown towards the end of the video will be released over time — stay tuned for specific release dates).

In other Toy Story 3 news, be sure to head to the PlayStation Home Theater this Thursday to load up on some exclusive Toy Story 3 virtual item rewards. All you have to do is watch the Toy Story 3 footage and — voila! — Toy Story 3 t-shirts will magically appear in your wardrobe. Pretty cool, eh?

Our uber-popular PlayStation Home’s Top Avatar events continue with our 80s Week contest. Decorate your avatar in neon garb, spandex, and other loud and proud attire, snap a pic, and upload to this thread on the official PlayStation Home forums. The winners will be awarded the fame they’ve always vied for (or maybe not, but you will get your picture emblazoned on a billboard in Central Plaza, which is a good first step towards your own TV show, or so I’ve heard…)

The recently released Playground space is a smash hit, with tons of users gathering in this highly immersive space to partake in games of H-O-R-S-E and chess, party of the rooftop lounge, and enjoy the high-quality, original hip-hop and funk music circa-1980 that is blaring throughout the space. Come this week, you’ll be able to bring the party back home with the Playground Boombox, which allows you to take the music of the Playground space to your personal space for your own private bash. A first for the platform (the ability to play music in personal spaces and clubhouses), the Playground Boombox will be available on Playground Boombox this Thursday, June 24th from the Furniture store.

Finally, the Sodium store will be updated this week with additional female clothing items and furniture, and the popular Dog and Cat suits will be released as well. Check the Latest Update tab under the Community section in your Menu Pad on Thursday for a complete list of the newest content.

See you in Home!

Millions of gamers across the globe are glued to their monitors this week, rabidly devouring every last detail surrounding the announcements made during the video game industry’s biggest trade show: The Electronic Entertainment Expo. Simply put, E3 is the place to be if you are passionate about games. Everyone wants to be there, but only a select few are able to attend.

Until now.

This week, we take a huge step forward in bringing gamers closer to their favorite PlayStation titles, closer to the people that create these games, and closer to one another by delivering the E3 experience directly to their PlayStation 3 consoles.

Right now, you can log into PlayStation Home and experience E3 for yourself in PlayStation Home’s virtual E3 booth. Watch Jack Tretton’s 2010 E3 press conference and get briefed on what to expect from the PlayStation platform in the coming months. Check out the latest games and collect exclusive PlayStation Home rewards (we’ve got new ones waiting for you every day of E3). Unlock the VIP area and get a sneak peek at what’s in store for PlayStation Home fanatics this year. Only in PlayStation Home can you participate in the E3 action without boarding a plane, securing a pass, or stepping foot in the Los Angeles Convention Center.

This week marks the release of one of the top requested features from the PlayStation Home community: Games that players can collect and place at will in their personal spaces and clubhouses. Available now in the LOOT store in the PlayStation Home Mall is a new game, Cabin Boy, that users can purchase and then share with their friends in the personal space(s) of their choosing. This highly-addictive game challenges players to juggle multiple tasks (including fishing, protecting a friend from the sun’s scorching rays, and keeping a curious cat away from the daily catch) in order to place on the game’s “friend’s list” and community leaderboards. Check out this video for a look at LOOT’s new Cabin Boy game – a first for PlayStation Home.

Coming tomorrow, June 17th, is a brand new PlayStation Home game space known as the “Playground.” Previewed approximately a month ago in the official PlayStation Home forums, the appropriately titled Playground space is an urban playground and block party setting not completely unlike what you would have found in Brooklyn 30 years ago. This visually-dazzling, immersive space contains a multiplayer basketball game (H-O-R-S-E), chess, a rooftop lounge, and a stage where the community can party while enjoying high-quality, original hip-hop and funk music circa-1980. And if you want to bring the party back home, simply pick up the Playground Boombox (available on Thursday, June 24th) and take the music to your personal space for your own private bash.

See you in Home!

Millions of gamers across the globe are glued to their monitors this week, rabidly devouring every last detail surrounding the announcements made during the video game industry’s biggest trade show: The Electronic Entertainment Expo. Simply put, E3 is the place to be if you are passionate about games. Everyone wants to be there, but only a select few are able to attend.

Until now.

This week, we take a huge step forward in bringing gamers closer to their favorite PlayStation titles, closer to the people that create these games, and closer to one another by delivering the E3 experience directly to their PlayStation 3 consoles.

Right now, you can log into PlayStation Home and experience E3 for yourself in PlayStation Home’s virtual E3 booth. Watch Jack Tretton’s 2010 E3 press conference and get briefed on what to expect from the PlayStation platform in the coming months. Check out the latest games and collect exclusive PlayStation Home rewards (we’ve got new ones waiting for you every day of E3). Unlock the VIP area and get a sneak peek at what’s in store for PlayStation Home fanatics this year. Only in PlayStation Home can you participate in the E3 action without boarding a plane, securing a pass, or stepping foot in the Los Angeles Convention Center.

This week marks the release of one of the top requested features from the PlayStation Home community: Games that players can collect and place at will in their personal spaces and clubhouses. Available now in the LOOT store in the PlayStation Home Mall is a new game, Cabin Boy, that users can purchase and then share with their friends in the personal space(s) of their choosing. This highly-addictive game challenges players to juggle multiple tasks (including fishing, protecting a friend from the sun’s scorching rays, and keeping a curious cat away from the daily catch) in order to place on the game’s “friend’s list” and community leaderboards. Check out this video for a look at LOOT’s new Cabin Boy game – a first for PlayStation Home.

Coming tomorrow, June 17th, is a brand new PlayStation Home game space known as the “Playground.” Previewed approximately a month ago in the official PlayStation Home forums, the appropriately titled Playground space is an urban playground and block party setting not completely unlike what you would have found in Brooklyn 30 years ago. This visually-dazzling, immersive space contains a multiplayer basketball game (H-O-R-S-E), chess, a rooftop lounge, and a stage where the community can party while enjoying high-quality, original hip-hop and funk music circa-1980. And if you want to bring the party back home, simply pick up the Playground Boombox (available on Thursday, June 24th) and take the music to your personal space for your own private bash.

See you in Home!

PlayStation Home has launched one of its most exciting initiatives yet. The Community Theater is a screen in Home's virtual film house dedicated to bringing players "close to their favorite gaming websites" through "exclusive videos specially crafted for PlayStation Home." The first partner to join Sony's online community is PS Nation, a long-running PlayStation-oriented podcast (which was formerly partnered with Joystiq).

Glenn and the rest of the PS Nation team are working on providing regular updates to the online service. While other outlets haven't been named, this is a good first step in countering Xbox Live's video partnerships, such as IGN Strategize and the OXM Report.

PlayStation Home is about connecting gamers through a universe of games, and this week will mark the launch of yet another powerful addition to our arsenal. The brand new PlayStation Home Community Theater serves to bring players closer to their favorite gaming websites, blogs, podcasts, videocasts (and other media outlets) while further uniting the enormous audience under the shared interest of awesome PlayStation games. This dedicated screen in PlayStation Home’s 10-Screen Theater provides a channel for bloggers and journalists to connect with the huge and diverse PlayStation Home community through exclusive videos specially crafted for PlayStation Home.

This week will see the introduction of our first partners in this new venture — PS Nation. As one of the most respected independent sites focused on PlayStation games, we consider this group of hardcore gaming aficionados to be a perfect introduction to our quickly growing roster of Community Theater participants. Glenn Percival of PS Nation had the following to say when we caught up with him the other day to discuss the launch of this exciting new community initiative:

“Our number one goal was to always include our community in what we do, so what better venue could there be than PlayStation Home? The biggest PlayStation community available! We can’t wait to bring our love of Minecarts, Sportsball, Torgo-Hype, and ‘Trophies Yo!’ to the PlayStation Home community.”

Stay tuned for more announcements regarding the PlayStation Home Community Theater. But for now, make sure you log into PlayStation Home now to check out the high-quality (and hilarious) content in the Community Theater, courtesy of our friends at PS Nation.

Launching this Thursday, June 10th are two new Disgaea 3 spaces, set to bring Nippon Ichi’s famed RPG franchise into the always-expanding, rapidly-growing, ever-evolving world of PlayStation Home. The first space — The Nether Institute, Evil Academy — contains six Prinnies (“Dood!”), Disgaea trivia games and tests, and more. Mao’s Room, the second space, has two games — including the Netherworld Millionaire card game. Players will also be able to collect a variety of clothing and furniture items related to Disgaea 3 as well as unlock three rewards from the title: gold, silver, and bronze “trophies” for your personal spaces! If you’re a fan of penguin-esque creatures with bat wings and a penchant for exploding when thrown (and if you are not then, really, get a sense of humor!), be sure to head into PlayStation Home this Thursday and immerse yourself in these two new Disgaea spaces.

This week marks a truly monumental point in the history of PlayStation Home, as one of the world’s biggest sporting events receives a dedicated space. PlayStation Home’s FevaArena – a virtual stadium devoted to the 2010 FIFA World Cup – will serve as the rallying point for soccer (err…futbol!) fans that want to play exclusive games, collect rewards and limited items, and indulge in their affinity for the most widely-viewed sporting event in the world. Start at the FevaShoot mini-game, where you can hone your penalty kick skills and earn points that can be cashed in for special rewards. Then head over to the FevaSimulation Center, and track the simulated progress of your favorite teams throughout the World Cup (and cash in some of those points for exclusive furniture and clothing rewards). Afterwards, you and your friends can hop into the Photo Booth or shop for exclusive virtual items (such as your favorite team’s jersey) from the FEVA Arena’s unique Mall area – all from the comfort of your console.

The FevaArena’s doors will open this Thursday, June 3rd for North American soccer fanatics, but a “Global Lounge” will be introduced on Thursday, June 10th, allowing over 14 million users from 32 countries around the globe to converge in one space to play games together and attend special events. PlayStation Home historians will recognize the FevaArena’s Global Lounge as another first in the platform’s ongoing evolution, informed directly by community feedback gathered from users across all regions of PlayStation Home.

BioShock 2 fans will have yet another reason to log in to PlayStation Home come this Thursday, when 2K Games releases their BioShock 2 Rapture Apartment. This visually dazzling personal space transports its inhabitants to the dystopian city of Rapture, in all its waterlogged, creepy glory. And, in true BioShock 2 fashion, it has plenty of Easter Eggs that only the most ravenous players will unearth (hint: try to figure out how to get to the second floor!) We’ve grabbed a few screenshots to whet your appetite, but trust me when I say these preview shots do not do this space justice. Pick one up later this week (or ask a friend for a tour), because you absolutely have to see this space up close for the full experience.

Anime fans will be treated to a full episode of Kekkaishi for one week, starting this Thursday. Watch the first episode for free in the PlayStation Home Theater, and then download it from the PlayStation Network by going to the PlayStation Store > TV Shows > Anime > Viz Media. Follow the journey of the legitimate heirs of the Hazama clan, Yoshimori Sumimura and Tokine Yukimura, carry out their family tradition of the Kekkaishi and set out to exterminate the Ayakashi demons that appear within the Karasumori site. And while you are in the Theater, be sure to check out the Killzone 3 video, courtesy of our friends here at the PlayStation.Blog.

From our daily Featured Game parties (we’ll be playing everything from LittleBigPlanet to multiplayer DLC from Dante’s Inferno this week – check out the posters in the Gamer’s Lounge or www.us.playstation.com/PSN/Home for more details) to our ongoing Top Avatar competition (this week is “Horror Week” – scary, eh? – check out the thread here), we have a new event waiting for you every day of this week (and every day that follows). If you haven’t been to one of our community events lately, we highly recommend that you log in this week and reacquaint yourself with the large and diverse group of gamers that make up the PlayStation Home community. You’ll quickly find that there is something for every PS3 fanatic going on at all hours of the day and night.

I also want to give all you guys and gals a quick reminder that PlayStation Home v1.36 is now live (we deployed this patch early Tuesday morning instead of during our regular Thursday content/maintenance windows, so it bears repeating). If you’ve not yet installed this patch, we recommend that you log in and download it today, as it will result in a more optimized in-world experience (specifically, you should notice that the loading times have been reduced even more). Helpful hint: If you notice that the yellow HDD activity light on your PS3 is flashing when you are greeted with the 1.36 patch notification, please wait for it to stop and then press X to start the installation process (Note: If you press any buttons while the yellow HDD activity light is flashing you will automatically restart your PS3, which is not necessary to apply this patch.)

See you in Home!

#home Kirk Ewing, from PlayStation Home developer Veemee (who make virtual spaces and items), reckons Sony's underwhelming virtual network service will be emerging from its long-running beta at the end of this year. More »

You asked for it, so we’re serving it up to you on a silver platter! Less than one month after the launch of the mega-popular ModNation Racers event in our Media and Events space, the just-released kart racer that has officially taken the genre to the next level with its near-infinite amount of highly customizable tracks, karts, and characters is getting a dedicated space in PlayStation Home. From the light and “sticky” (no pun intended) fun of the Sticker Wall to the maddeningly addictive built-in kart mini-game, the brand new ModNation Racers space lives up to the eponymously named game’s “Play. Create. Share” mantra. And this Thursday, May 27th, the doors will open for all to explore, experience, and enjoy. Check out this video for a quick look at what to expect when this space goes live tomorrow morning.

On that note, we’d like to take a moment to call your attention to a special ModNation Racers event we will be hosting in PlayStation Home starting this Thursday, May 27 (deadline for entries is June 10). An opportunity for you to show the PlayStation Home community your mastery of mid-race maneuvers, the ModNation Racers “Snap a Trick” contest will award the winner with fame and fans beyond their wildest dreams (or maybe not – but it’s a sure-fire way to show the world just how much of a daredevil you are).

To participate, all you must do is load and start ModNation Racers and then enter into one of the following Game types via the Radial Menu or their respective Circle of Influences: Career, Split-screen, Quick Race or Time Trial (Photo Mode is not available online). During a Race, perform the craziest trick you can imagine, and then press the Start button to pause the game while performing said trick. Then, select Photo Mode from the Radial Menu, adjusting the camera positioning with the Left and Right Thumb Sticks until you have the optimal shot. Simply press L1 to take a picture, which will then be saved to the “Photo” section of your PS3. Then, submit your photo by emailing HomeContests@playstation.sony.com, with “MNR” as the subject line of the e-mail, and in the body, include your PSN ID. The winner will have their shot placed in the PlayStation Home ModNation Racers. How cool is that? The complete rules for this contest have been attached at the end of this post for your convenience, so make sure to give them a read before you enter.

My buddy Magnus Keynes — he, the wheeler and dealer of PlayStation Home, responsible for striking the deals that have lead to so many of the cool virtual items and spaces that you all enjoy on a daily basis — is getting the “sale bug” again (he does this pretty regularly, if you haven’t noticed). This week, he’s not only hosting the “Beach Week” segment of the PlayStation Home Top Avatar competition (you can find out all about it here) but is also giving away the Wizard’s Den personal space to those of you that choose to buy one of the following personal spaces: Summer House, City Penthouse, Lakeside Log Cabin, Paris Clock Tower, and Luxury Racing Box. It’s a pretty sweet deal, so head to the Estates store in the PlayStation Home Mall come this Thursday to take advantage of this limited-time offer.

See you in Home!

OFFICIAL RULES

ModNation Racers Snap a Trick Contest

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void outside the 50 United States and D.C. and where prohibited. The following promotion is intended for viewing in the 50 United States and D.C. only and shall only be construed and evaluated according to United States law. Do not proceed in this site if you are not a legal resident of, and located in, the 50 United States or D.C. and are at least 13 years of age at the time of entry. To enter, you must have a PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, a copy of ModNation Racers, a valid PlayStation Network account, internet access, and a valid registered PlayStation Network e-mail address.

1. ELIGIBILITY: Open to legal U.S. residents only aged 13 or older. Prize winners or prize winners’ parent or guardian (if the winner is under the age of 18) may be required to sign a notarized Affidavit of Eligibility and Release of Liability within fourteen (14) days of prize notification. By acceptance of prize, winners agree to the use of their name and/or likenesses for purposes of advertising, trade, or promotion without further compensation, unless prohibited by law. Return of any prize/prize notification as undeliverable or failure to return the affidavit within the designated time frame will result in disqualification and an alternate winner will be selected.

2. SPONSOR: Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC, 919 East Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City, CA 94404 (“Sponsor”).

3. TIMING: ModNation Racers Snap a Trick Contest (“Promotion”) begins May 27, 2010 at 12:00pm PST and ends June 10, 2010 at 11:59pm PST (“Promotion Period”).

4. HOW TO ENTER: Load and start your ModNations Racers game. Follow these steps to take a picture of your Kart trick:

Enter into one of the following Game types via the Radial Menu or their respective Circle of Influences; Career, Split-screen, Quick Race or Time Trial. (Photo Mode is not available Online) During Race, press the Start button to pause the game while performing the desired trick. Select Photo Mode from the Radial Menu. Adjust the Camera positioning with the Left and Right Thumb Sticks until at desired position. (The Left Stick controls the Zoom and the Right Stick rotates the camera.) Press L1 to take the picture. The picture will now be saved to the “Photo” section of your Playstation 3 system. You view the picture by selecting the image while in the XMB. (Image cannot be viewed while playing the game. However, a thumbnail of the image can be seen while playing if you bring up the In-Game XMB and selects the appropriate album).

Submit a photo of your Kart trick (“Entry”) by e-mailing HomeContests@playstation.sony.com, with “MNR” as the subject line of the e-mail, and in the body, include your PSN ID.

5. ENTRY CONDITIONS: All Entries must be received by June 10, 2010. Limit one Entry per person and valid e-mail address during the Promotion Period. Subsequent Entries will be disqualified.

6. PRIZES: Winning entrants will have their Photo Entry and PSN ID displayed in the ModNation Racers public space. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prize of equal value if prize is unavailable. Prizes are non-transferable and no substitutions allowed.

7. JUDGING CRITERIA: The following criteria and criteria weights in judging Entries:
(a) Creativity– 60%; (b) Aesthetics – 40%.

8. WINNERS: The Sponsor will determine the ten (10) prize winners. Winners shall be notified by e-mail within two weeks at the conclusion of the contest.

9. GENERAL CONDITIONS: All Entries are subject to Sponsor’s verification. Sponsor’s decisions are final and binding in all matters related to the Promotion. Potential winners must comply with the Official Rules, and receipt of prizes is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements. Sponsor is not responsible for technical, hardware or software failures, malfunctions, lost or unavailable network connections or failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions or unforeseen schedule changes that may limit the ability to participate in the Promotion, even if caused by Sponsor’s negligence. Sponsor has the sole discretion to modify, cancel or suspend this Promotion should virus, bugs, unauthorized human intervention or other causes beyond Sponsor’s control affect the administration, security or proper play of the Promotion or Sponsor otherwise becomes incapable of running the Promotion as planned. Sponsor is not responsible for changes to contact information. Sponsor reserves the right to reject any entries that it deems, in its sole discretion, to be inappropriate including, but not limited to, gratuitous depictions of violence or sexual behavior, or positive depictions of alcohol or tobacco. The Submission must be the original, unpublished and sole work of the entrant. The Submission cannot defame or invade the rights of privacy of any person, living or deceased, or otherwise infringe upon any third party personal or proprietary rights. Sponsor has the sole discretion to disqualify any participant who violates these Official Rules, tampers with the operation of the Promotion or engages in any conduct that is detrimental or unfair to Sponsor, the Promotion or any other participant.

10. RELEASE: As a condition of participating in the Promotion, all participants agree to release Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries, agencies, divisions and affiliates from liability, for loss, harm, damage, injury, cost or expense whatsoever including property damage, personal injury and death that may occur in connection with, preparation for, travel to, or participation in the Promotion, or possession, acceptance or use or misuse of prize or participation in any Promotion-related activity and claims based on publicity rights, copyright or trademark infringement, defamation or invasion of privacy and merchandise delivery.

11. WINNER LIST: To obtain names of the winners, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to ModNation Racers Snap a Trick Contest Attn: Promotions, 919 East Hillsdale Blvd. Foster City, CA 94404. Prize winners’ name request will be fulfilled within four weeks. Requests for winner list must be received by June 24, 2010.

12. RESTRICTIONS: Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

More LucasArts outfits will hang shortly on the European PlayStation store's virtual racks for those who are spending hundreds of hours in Home. Many of these items are already available in the States or will be with the update on Thursday. Star Wars items include an Obi-Wan costume (with beard), along with Rex, Anakin and Yoda posters. There's also a clone helmet display, homing spider droid prop and AT-ST statue.

For archaeologist adventurers, Indiana Jones' costume with fedora will likely be a must -- oh yeah, along with framed whip for the wall. There are also Mutt Williams, Dovchenko, Mola Ram ("COVER YOUR HEART!") and Henry Jones Sr. costumes. Props include the Staff of Rah, Ark of the Covenant, fertility idol and, ugh ... the crystal skull. And here we'd just about forgotten that movie existed.

Attn: Gunslingers, desperados, mercenaries, buckaroos, and assorted other colorful characters that make up the landscape of Rockstar’s new tour de force Red Dead Redemption! As you make your way through the game’s dusty terrain, pumping lead into lawmen, lawless men, and even a few not-so-cuddly members of the wildlife community, while grabbing Trophies left and right, keep your eye out for a few mile marker accomplishments that will grant you the kind of highly sought-after PlayStation Home rewards that will make you the envy of your entire posse. To give you leg up this week, here are the instructions to unlock two of the many PlayStation Home rewards that can be found in the killing fields of Red Dead Redemption: Complete the Rockstar Games Social Club “Skin it to Win It Challenge”, and unlock the “Gentlemen’s Attire” and “Lady’s Finest” virtual items.

In other news, the PlayStation Home Mall will be updated this week with new items for your avatars and personal spaces, including additional Red Dead Redemption items (such as the John Marston outfit), new Irem cowboy and cowgirl items (are you sensing a loose theme to this week yet?), LucasArts items (including Mola Ram items from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom — how sweet is that?!), and even this Minotaur head, for all of you that are participating in the ongoing Top Avatar competition, which is focusing on the Fantasy genre this week (details can be found here).

See you in Home!

This week's PlayStation Home update promises to be the LittleBig-gest ever. It will add the LittleBigPlanet PlayGround space, which features the King's Snap Happy Photo Challenge, a new Home-exclusive minigame that lets you take pictures to unlock rewards. There's also a Creator minigame that has you building a custom LBP-themed wallpaper for the XMB using a variety of stickers you can place, stick and combine. (Check out the trailer after the break.)

Finally, Qore fans will want to pay attention to this: show hosts Veronica Belmont and Audrey Cleo will be making an appearance in Home to chat with fans of the PSN video magazine. For more details, check out the PlayStation.Blog.

Calling all Sackboys and Sackgirls! Hot on the heels of this week’s massive LittleBigPlanet 2 announcement, we here on the PlayStation Home team are proud to unveil two – you heard me, TWO – new spaces dedicated to this celebrated franchise. True to the “Play.Create.Share.” mantra, these brand new LittleBigPlanet spaces provide the perfect locations for users to indulge in their affinity for all things LittleBigPlanet, from creating custom content to playing addictive games to finding new friends to launch into multiplayer sessions of LittleBigPlanet for your PS3.

Start with the King’s Snap Happy Photo Challenge in the LittleBigPlanet PlayGround space – find the target, snap the perfect shot, and unlock some exclusive rewards. Next, team up with your friends to create custom wallpapers in the Creator mini-game, where you can build, stick, place, and shoot the perfect XMB backdrop. Finally, you can nurture your inner sharpshooter at the LittleBigDerby mini-game, which recalls the carnival games of yesteryear, albeit in a patented LittleBigPlanet fashion.

After earning your rewards and stocking up on all the LittleLittleBigPlanet-themed clothing and furniture items available in the PlayStation Home Mall, head to the LittleBigPlanet Pod Penthouse – your very own LittleBigPlanet personal space, rife with opportunities to personalize and customize. This excellent new personal space (as well as the LittleBigPlanet PlayGround public space) will be available this Thursday, May 13th.

All of you Qore fans will have a unique opportunity to meet host Veronica Belmont and correspondent Audrey Cleo during an in-world appearance this Thursday, May 13th from 6:00pm – 8:00pm PT (9:00pm – 11:00pm EST) in the PlayStation Home Theater’s Qore screening room. Come out to meet the ladies of Qore and watch a special Qore video focusing exclusively on PlayStation Home and its vibrant community. And be sure to pick up Episode 24, now available from the PlayStation Store, which contains a large segment on PlayStation Home (and also offers a sneak peek at a brand new space!)

To celebrate one year full of tons of great content (including the mega-popular LOOT Living Room Stage Set personal space), our friends at LOOT are sponsoring the first ever Machinima contest in PlayStation Home. All of you Machinimators are invited to join the next round of the legendary Aliens vs. Androids battle –- the “Fight for Freedom.”

Here’s the back story: After defeating the invasive Alien species in the epic Aliens vs. Androids dance-off, the metal-clad Androids became little more than a useful, shiny asset for the PlayStation Home community. That was, of course, until they became self-aware. The former guardians of PlayStation Home took control, and thus the Reign of the Androids began. Characterized by the “Safe Human Behavior Protocol” (strict rules including mandatory curfews), the Androids will either be overthrown by the residents of PlayStation Home…or it will stretch on through future generations.

The way this story ends depends on you, the loyal PlayStation Home community, and the Machinima you create based upon this historic battle. LOOT, Sony Pictures, and PlayStation Home Community Management judges will vote on the top videos posted in the official PlayStation Home forums. The participants responsible for the winning entry will be awarded the LOOT “Best Machinima” trophy and a gold director megaphone – exclusive items that only the winners of this contest will own. Interested? Then read the official contest rules and guidelines, included below for your convenience.

See you in Home!

The following promotion is intended for viewing in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia only and will be construed and evaluated according to United States law. Do not enter this contest if you are not a legal resident of, and located in, the 50 United States or the District of Columbia at the time of entry.

OFFICIAL RULES

LOOT™ Machinima Contest: “Aliens vs. Androids II – The Fight For Freedom”

1. Eligibility. The LOOT™ Machinima Contest: ”Aliens vs. Androids II – The Fight For Freedom”(“Promotion”) is only open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, who are at least 18 years of age or older on or before May 12, 2010. To be eligible to participate, you must have a PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, a PlayStation®Network account in good standing, internet access and PlayStation®Home installed on your system. No purchase necessary to enter or win. Employees of the Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries and affiliated companies and their immediate families are not eligible to participate in this Promotion.

2. Sponsor. Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC, 919 E. Hillsdale Blvd, Foster City, CA 94404 (“Sponsor”).

3. Timing. The Promotion begins on May 12, 2010 at 12:00P.M. (noon) Pacific Standard Time (“PST”) and ends on June 14, 2010 at 12:00P.M. PST (the “Promotion Period”).

4. How to Enter. Get together with other PlayStation Home users and form a production team. Production teams can have a maximum of 12 team members (individually, “Entrants” and collectively, “Team”). Each Entrant must be eligible to participate in the Promotion. Teams must designate one Entrant as the “Lead Team Member”. The Lead Team Member will be responsible for all required communication with Sponsor. At least one Entrant must have access to a computer capable of creating a machinima style video and uploading to a video sharing internet website. Create an original and unpublished machinima-style video filmed entirely within PlayStation Home that continues the LOOT™ Aliens Andriod vs. Androids II “The Fight for Freedom” storyline occurring within PlayStation Home during the Promotion Period. To enter, post a link to your video on boardsus.playstation.com under the official thread LOOT™ Machinima Contest: “Aliens vs. Androids II – The Fight for Freedom” (“Entry”). To be valid, Entries must conform to the following requirements:

4.1. Cannot exceed three minutes in length

4.2. MP4 or MOV format

4.3. file size cannot exceed 300MB

4.4. the Entry must include end credits that list the Team name, the PSN IDs of all Entrants, and indicate who will serve as the Lead Team Member.

5. Entry Conditions. Limit one Entry per Team. All Entries must be posted by 12:00 pm (noon) on June 14, 2010. The Entry must be the original and unpublished creation of the Entrants. The Entry must not contain any copyrighted content, including movies, TV series, photos or soundtracks. Sponsor reserves the right to reject Entries that it deems, in its sole discretion, to be inappropriate including Entries containing foul language, gratuitous depictions of violence or sexual behavior, positive depictions of alcohol or tobacco or any illegal activity. The Entry’s content must not defame or invade the rights or privacy of any person, living or deceased or infringe upon any third-party personal or proprietary rights. For any Entry that includes a likeness of third party or contains elements owned by a third party (such as depictions of buildings, trademarks or logos), the Lead Team Member must provide legal releases permitting the Team’s use and Sponsor’s use of the Entry, in a form and substance satisfactory to Sponsor. In the event fewer Entries are received than the number of prizes to be awarded, Sponsor reserves the right to take action as it reasonably deems necessary under the circumstances.

6. Grant of Rights. Each Entrant is responsible for the Entry and the consequences of posting or publishing it. In connection with the Entry, each Entrant affirms, represents, and warrants that: (i) the Entrant owns or has the necessary licenses, rights, consents and permissions to use the Entry in the manner contemplated by Sponsor; and (ii) the Entrant has obtained the written consent, release and permission of each and every identifiable individual person in the Entry for use of the name or likeness of those persons and for use of the Entry in the manner contemplated by Sponsor. By submitting the Entry to Sponsor, each Entrant grants to Sponsor a perpetual, fully paid, irrevocable, non-exclusive license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, distribute, display, transmit, and permit others to use and perform the Entry throughout the universe, his or her likeness and performance and every identifiable individual person’s likeness and performance in the Entry in any media. Sponsor is under no obligation to use an Entry.

7. Judging Criteria. All Entries received will be judged by a panel of judges composed of members of the SCEA Home Community Management team and members of the Sony Pictures Entertainment LOOT™ team. The panel will use the following criteria and criteria weights in judging Entries: (a) originality and creativity – 50%; (b) narrative – 40%; (c) editing – 5%; (d) video and sound effects – 5% (“Judging Criteria”).

8. Winner Selection. Winning Entries will be selected based on the Judging Criteria from valid Entries submitted by eligible Entrants received during the Promotion Period. Sponsor’s decisions will be final and binding. Each winning Entrant will be notified via their registered PSN email address. The Lead Team Member must respond to Sponsor’s prize notification email within 48 hours from that date and time of the Sponsor’s prize notification email sent to the Lead Team Member. In the event that the Lead Team Member of the winning Entry does not respond to Sponsor’s prize notification email within the specified time or the prize notification email is returned as undeliverable, a new winning Entry will be chosen based on the Judging Criteria. Alternate winners will be contacted via their registered PSN email addresses and the Lead Team Member of the alternate winning entry must respond to the Sponsor’s prize notification email within 48 hours from that date and time of the Sponsor’s prize notification email to the Lead Team Member. Winners will be announced on or around June 24, 2010.

9. Prizes.

9.1. Grand prize: One Entry will be chosen as the grand prize winner and its Team members will receive the grand prize. Each grand prize winning Entrant will receive a voucher code redeemable for the entitlement to download the LOOT™ “Best Machinima” Gold Trophy and The Gold Director Megaphone.

9.2. Runner up prize: Nine Entries will be chosen as runners up, and Team members of the nine runners up will receive the runner up prize. Each Entrant awarded the runner up prize will receive a voucher code redeemable for the entitlement to download a Director Megaphone.

9.3. Each valid Entrant that submits a valid Entry during the Promotion Period will receive a voucher code redeemable for the entitlement to download the LOOT™ “Alien vs. Androids” Trophy.

Prize fulfillment is based on availability. Sponsor has the sole discretion to substitute a prize of equal or greater value if a prize is unavailable. Prizes are non-transferable, and Sponsor need not substitute a prize based on an Entrant’s request. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of prizes via email.

10. General Conditions. Potential winning Entrants are subject to Sponsor’s verification. Sponsor’s decisions are final and binding in all matters related to the Promotion. Potential winners must comply with the Official Rules, and receipt of prizes is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements. Sponsor is not responsible for technical, hardware or software failures, malfunctions, lost or unavailable network connections or failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions or unforeseen schedule changes that may limit an Entrant’s ability to participate in the Promotion, even if caused by Sponsor’s negligence. Sponsor has the sole discretion to modify, cancel or suspend this Promotion should virus, bugs, unauthorized human intervention or other causes beyond Sponsor’s control affect the administration, security or proper play of the Promotion or Sponsor otherwise becomes incapable of running the Promotion as planned. Sponsor is not responsible for changes to Entrant’s contact information. Sponsor has the sole discretion to disqualify Entrants who violate these Official Rules, tamper with the operation of the Promotion or engage in any conduct that is detrimental or unfair to Sponsor, the Promotion or any other Entrant

11. Release. As a condition of participating in the Promotion, Entrants agree to release Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries, agencies, divisions and affiliates from liability, for loss, harm, damage, injury, cost or expense whatsoever including property damage, personal injury and death that may occur in connection with, preparation for, travel to, or participation in the Promotion, or possession, acceptance or use or misuse of prize or participation in any Promotion-related activity and claims based on publicity rights, copyright or trademark infringement, defamation or invasion of privacy and merchandise delivery.

12. Publicity. By accepting a prize, a winning Entrant agrees to the use of his or her name and likeness for purposes of advertising, trade or promotion without further compensation, unless prohibited by law, and agrees, if required, to sign and return a notarized Affidavit of Eligibility and Release of Liability within a period that Sponsor specifies.

13. Promotion Results. The winners will be posted on the www.us.playstation.com on or about June 24, 2010.

14. Collection of Information. The information necessary to operate the Promotion is collected by Sponsor at the time of Entry submission, and without limiting Sponsor’s rights under its privacy policies with regards to its use of the information, the information collected will be used to contact you specifically for operation of the Promotion. Information collected in connection with the Promotion will otherwise be collected in accordance with Sponsor’s privacy policy, available at http://www.us.playstation.com/Support/PrivacyPolicy. By participating in the Promotion, each Entrant agrees to the terms of Sponsor’s privacy policy.

15. Restrictions. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

The UNCHARTED 2 adventure continues this week, as the celebrated franchise expands further into the wide world of PlayStation Home with the release of the new UNCHARTED 2 personal space. Situated in the heart of Pokhara, this dazzling personal space harkens back to the action-packed scenes of Naughty Dog’s award-winning title, where Nathan Drake and Co. battle it out with Lazarevic’s henchmen in the war-torn streets of Nepal. A true must-have addition to your UNCHARTED collection, this personal space will be available this Thursday, May 6th in the Estates store in the PlayStation Home Mall. Like they always say, a picture may be worth a thousand words, but a video is worth a million pictures, so check out this video we’ve made for you that shows off this exciting new space.

To celebrate the release of the first ever DLC for what is inarguably one of the biggest titles of the current generation — Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 — our friends at Infinity Ward will be joining us in the Gamer’s Lounge this Friday, May 7th at 4:00pm PT (7:00pm ET) to launch into the new multiplayer maps of the Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package. You make the call as to whether you want to jump into the Bailout, Salvage, Storm, Crash, or Overgrown maps — just let us know when the time comes to set up the multiplayer session. More details, including host accounts, will be posted in our Message of the Day prior to the event start time this Friday.

Also coming this week into the ever-growing PlayStation Home universe (which is currently expanding at the rate of your average supernova) are special items from the upcoming remake of the classic martial arts film The Karate Kid. Available from the LOOT store in the PlayStation Home Mall, these hot new items are essential for fans of the classic film that are anxiously awaiting the June 11th release of this highly-anticipated remake. Be sure to grab yours first thing Thursday morning.

Those of you that, like me, obsessively collect each and every unlockable reward from your favorite PS3 and PSN games in PlayStation Home will be stoked to learn that Rockstar’s upcoming sandbox-style western game Red Dead Redemption (available for the PS3 on May 18th) will unlock exclusive outfits for your avatar upon reaching in-game milestones. We don’t want to spill any beans concerning the plot of this sure-to-be-hit title, so we’re not going to tell you how to earn these rewards just yet but trust me when I say that, if you love Red Dead Redemption, PlayStation Home is the place to be when you are looking for people to challenge to a good ol’ fashioned Mexican standoff in the 16-player max multiplayer.

In other news, Sodium is getting yet another update this week. Be sure to keep an eye out for Vendy – the artificially intelligent vending machine-bot conveniently placed in the Sodium Hub to provide all you scorpion stompers with Vetoxade, the anti-venom needed to stomp the fiendish blue scorpions.

Finally, we want to alert you to a pretty awesome event in which PlayStation Home will play a pivotal role. As the excitement builds for the highly-anticipated release of METAL GEAR SOLID: PEACE WALKER for the PSP, Konami, Best Buy, and Sony Online Entertainment will feed the frenzy by hosting a code-collecting contest that begins the month before the game’s launch. The CODE HUNT will have contestants 18 and older in the United States scouring locations for elusive Peace Walker codes, each of which gets them closer and closer to the grand prize. Hint: Hunters that visit PlayStation Home should keep their eyes peeled. The contest begins today, May 5th and will end just in time for the Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker release on June 8th. Join the hunt now at http://www.konami.com/mgscodehunt and win big (official rules can be found at http://www.konami/user/rules)!

See you in Home!

Buckle your seat belts, Home-people! ModNation Racers — the upcoming kart racing extravaganza that allows you near-endless options in terms of designing and customizing your own characters, vehicles, and tracks — is barreling into PlayStation Home’s Media and Events space this week. Packed with interactive content, including the ModSpot Challenge game (and some truly awesome rewards), this special event space will only be live for a limited time. Be sure to log in to PlayStation Home this Thursday, April 29th, and check out this exclusive event before it disappears from the Navigator forever.

By popular demand, Ubisoft will be releasing another installment in the long line of Assassin’s Creed content in PlayStation Home this week. Finally you’ll be able to add an Assassin’s Creed II personal space (along with an assortment of ornate furniture items) to your collection. This gorgeous personal space transports its inhabitants to the water-lined “streets” of 15th Century Venice, and will be available in the Estates store come this Thursday, April 29th.

Attn: Anime fans. We will be airing a full-length episode of Fullmetal Alchemist this week. Head to the PlayStation Home Theater this weekend and watch as Edward and Alphonse search for a rumored stone that could amplify their alchemy and restore their broken bodies.

In other news, when you visit the Central Plaza kiosk this Thursday to pick up some of the latest and greatest goods for sale in PlayStation Home, you’ll notice three new icons that denote the category of content available for purchase. First is the “New” tile, which contains new virtual items published in any given week. Second is the “Featured” tile, which includes a diverse array of some of our most popular items. Lastly, we’ve created a “Community” tile, which includes some of the items we’ve created for you based upon direct feedback from our users over at the official PlayStation Home forums. This “Community” tile will be populated over the course of the coming months with new and legacy content — we appreciate your patience as we wade through the thousands of items created over the course of the last 15 months at the best of our most loyal and vocal community members (there are a LOT of items to choose from, that’s for sure!)

See you in Home!

This may be the greatest thing to ever happen to PlayStation Home ever. To promote the upcoming Iron Man 2 movie, Paramount Pictures and Audi have partnered up to create a brand new Iron Man-themed mini-game, exclusively for PlayStation Home. Debuting on Thursday, April 29th, the Audi Space will be updated with a game that has your avatar donning an Iron Man suit, flying through an aerial obstacle course.

The best times will be recorded on a leaderboard, and the top 10 scores by the end of June will be awarded with a virtual Iron Man suit to keep, making this one of the rarest virtual items ever offered for Sony's online community.

Unfortunately, this game is exclusive to the European PSN, meaning those of you outside of SCEE's domain won't be able to partake in the fun. To see what you're missing out on, check out the trailer after the break.

Your adventuring in Final Fantasy XIII may be coming to an end. You can show your fandom for the game by buying a five pound tub of hair gel and cosplaying at the next anime convention ... or you can buy a Final Fantasy XIII-themed outfit for PlayStation Home. Good news: you'll be able to take the easier option later with today's PlayStation Home update.

Costumes for Lightning, Vanille, Sazh and Snow will all be available in the Costumes store in Sony's virtual world. In addition, you'll be able to rock costumes from BioShock 2 with purchasable Big Daddy and Big Sister costumes. Expect Home to have an interesting denizen of costumers this week.

You’ve been asking us for weeks in the official PlayStation Home forums, in the comments section of this Blog, and on fan sites and podcasts…and we’re coming through for you like you knew we would! That’s right, Home people – this Thursday, April 22nd the long-requested FINAL FANTASY XIII costumes (along with some additional FFXIII furniture) will be released into the ever-expanding world PlayStation Home. For the guys, our friends at Square Enix have made Sazh and Snow costumes, while all you gals out there will be able to pick up the gorgeous wares of Lightning and Vanille. These clothing items will be sold as bundles in the Costumes store and include composite clothing sets, gloves, and wigs (an extra chocobo wig for Sazh will be sold separately). Peep the below visual evidence for an idea of what to expect when this truly awesome FFXIII content releases later this week.

Speaking of highly-requested content, we’ll be partying like its 1968 in Central Plaza come this Thursday when Big Daddy and Big Sister costumes (along with some other BioShock 2 virtual items) are released in PlayStation Home. We’ve snagged a few pics to give you a taste of what to expect when you add these creepy items to your collection (fun fact: Mr. Magnus Keynes – Home’s resident business guru – is too scared by BioShock 2 to even review these new items whereas our very own CydoniaX regularly schools the rest of the team in multiplayer mode and is sporting the Big Sister armor as I type).

In other news, Sodium will be receiving an update this week which will result in faster loading, new objectives being doled out by VICKIE (with new rewards, of course), and a new interactive map. As with all things in PlayStation Home, these updates come at the request of our loyal community members who regularly contribute great ideas on the official PlayStation Home Sodium forum. So, please, keep the good thoughts coming!

Ever since we released the new and improved Gamer’s Lounge last week, our nightly Featured Game parties have been hopping. And while you can always count on at least one official event being staged every single day in PlayStation Home (like this upcoming Saturday night’s Battlefield: Bad Company 2 game launching party), you can also bet that we’ll regularly break the mold and offer additional, 100% exclusive giveaways complete with the best prizes we can get our hands on. Starting this Friday, April 23rd and running to next Friday, April 30th, we’ll be giving away Wireless Keypads to 10 lucky contestants who participate in our Wireless Keypad sweepstakes. Want to learn how you can enter to win? Read the official Rules and Regulations, tacked on below for your convenience.

See you in Home!

The following promotion is intended for viewing in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia (“D.C.”) only and shall only be construed and evaluated according to United States law. Do not enter this sweepstakes if you are not a legal resident of, and located in the 50 United States or District of Columbia at the time of entry.

PLAYSTATION®HOME WIRELESS KEYPAD SWEEPSTAKES
OFFICIAL RULES
Void outside the 50 United States and D.C. and where prohibited.

1. ELIGIBILITY. The PlayStation®Home Wireless KeyPad Sweepstakes (“Promotion”) is open only to legal residents of the fifty United States and the D.C. who are 13 years of age or older at the time of entry and hold a PlayStation Network account in good standing as determined by Sponsor. Employees of the Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries and affiliated companies and their immediate families are not eligible to participate in this Promotion.

2. SPONSOR. Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC, 919 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City, CA 94404.

3. TIMING. Promotion begins April 23, 2010 at 12:00pm (noon) PST and ends April 30, 2010 at 12:00pm (noon) PST.

4. HOW TO ENTER. No purchase necessary. Internet access, a valid PlayStation®Network account, a PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system with a copy of PlayStation®Home installed on your system required. Log into your PlayStation Network account and launch PlayStation Home application The following question will be posted on a billboard in one of the core Home spaces: How would owning a wireless keypad improve your PlayStation®3 experience? To enter, send an e-mail to HomeContests@playstation.sony.com. Enter “Keypad” in the subject line and in the body of the email include your PSN ID and your answer to the question. To be valid, entries must be received no later than April 30, 2010 at 11:59pm PST.

2. PRIZES. Each prize winner will receive one (1) Wireless Keypad compatible with the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system (ARV $49.00). Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prize of equal value if prize is unavailable. Prizes are non-transferable and no substitutions allowed.

3. WINNER SELECTION. Ten (10) prize winners will be selected following the Promotion Period. Winners will be determined by a single random drawing of all valid entries received by Sponsor, whose decisions are final. Selection will be held on or about May 1, 2010. Sponsor will send a notification email to each winner’s registered PSN e-mail address. If any winner does not respond to Sponsor’s notification email within 7 days of the date of the notification email, he/she will be disqualified and a new winner will be selected based on the original selection criteria. Winners may be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Release (“Affidavit”) within seven (7) days of the date indicated on the correspondence sent by Sponsor. Failure to execute and return Affidavit within the stated time period will result in forfeiture of prize and an alternate winner will be selected. If a winning entrant is a minor, then Sponsor will award the prize to that winning entrant’s parent or legal guardian. If the potential winning entrant is a minor, then the Affidavit must be signed by potential winner’s parent or legal guardian and returned within the stated time period or prize may be forfeited and an alternate winner will be selected. Please allow four to six weeks for receipt of prizes.

4. ODDS OF WINNING. The odds of winning depend on number of valid entries received.

5. ENTRY CONDITIONS AND RELEASE. Limit one entry per person and e-mail address. Subsequent entries will be disqualified. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, mutilated, illegible, incomplete or misdirected entries. Sponsor is not responsible for technical, hardware or software failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections or failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions which may limit an entrant’s ability to participate in the Promotion. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to cancel or suspend this Promotion should virus, bugs or other causes corrupt the administration, security or proper play of this Promotion. Entries not satisfying these Official Rules will be automatically disqualified. Return of any prize/prize notification as undeliverable will result in disqualification and an alternate winner will be selected. Sponsor’s decisions are final and binding in all matters related to the Promotion. Potential winners must comply with the Official Rules’ terms and conditions, and receipt of prizes is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements.

6. PUBLICITY. By attempting to enter, entering or accepting a Promotion prize, an entrant or prize winner agrees to the use of their statements, name and/or likenesses for purposes of advertising, trade, or promotion without further compensation, unless prohibited by law.

7. LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY. By attempting to enter, entering or accepting a Promotion prize, an entrant or prize winner agrees to release Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries, agencies, divisions and affiliates from liability, claims or actions or any kind for injuries, damages or losses to persons and property that may be sustained in connection with the receipt, ownership or use of the prize or while preparing for, participating in or traveling to or from the Promotion or any Promotion or prize-related activity. Neither the Sponsor nor its parent, affiliates, subsidiaries, agencies, divisions or related companies are responsible for any damages, taxes or expenses that winners might incur as a result of this Promotion or receipt of prize.

8. WINNER LIST. To obtain names of winners, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Wireless Key Pad Sweepstakes, Attention: PS Home-Annabelle Garcia, 4th Floor, 919 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City, CA 94404. Prize winners’ name request will be fulfilled within four weeks. Request a copy of the winner list must be received by May 15, 2010.

9. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION. Sponsor will collect information in connection with the Promotion in accordance with Sponsor’s privacy policy, available at http://www.us.playstation.com/Support/PrivacyPolicy.

10. RESTRICTIONS. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

Click to learn the Secret of Monkey GalleryHave you been holding off on purchasing games, DLC and other playable content in anticipation of pirate outfits for your Home avatars? If so, get your wallet ready, because LucasArts is adding Monkey Island 2 clothes to the PlayStation Store today. LeChuck, Elaine, Stan, Swordmaster and, of course, Guybrush outfits will be available, along with a LeChuck pirate ship space and various decorative items.

If your tastes run more toward, you know, games, our gallery also features more screenshots of Monkey Island 2: Special Edition -- just in case the last set didn't convince you of its spruced-uppedness.

Early in the history of PlayStation Home, leading developers embraced the platform as a means to expand players’ gaming experiences via content that unlocked in-world after certain performance milestones were reached in-game. The PlayStation 3 community reacted very positively to this type of game integration, rushing into PlayStation Home to gather rewards from games such as Batman: Arkham Asylum, Street Fighter IV, Mega Man 10, White Knight Chronicles, Tekken 6, Resident Evil 5, PixelJunk Shooter, and many more.

Tomorrow, April 15th, we take the next step in the evolution of the platform with the release of the SOCOM OPFOR game space, which will allow fans of the franchise to assemble an assault weapon in a PlayStation Home mini-game and then load out into SOCOM: Confrontation with a fully-playable Golden AK-47 – an exclusive weapon only available to the most skilled players who can successfully complete the aforementioned mini-game in 12 seconds or less. Associate Producer KC Coleman had this to say about this landmark event in PlayStation Home history:

The ability [for PlayStation Home users] to unlock the Golden AK-47 in SOCOM: Confrontation is a huge step forward for Home as a platform and for the fans of the PS3 in general. We’ve long prided ourselves on being able to expand the experience of favorite PS3 titles by creating complementary content in Home, but this is the first time we’ve brought that experience back around to the disc game.

It’s truly a win-win-win situation. It’s a win for Home because we have opened up a huge door that will allow developers to continue to blur the line between PlayStation Home and PS3 games. It’s a win for SOCOM: Confrontation as a title because it allows them to continue to offer great content to players. And, of course, it’s a win for the millions of fans of Home and SOCOM: Confrontation because they get exclusive, meaningful, and 100% free content that is unlocked not from merely downloading an expansion pack, but by playing a fun game.

In addition to the Golden AK-47 Assembly game, the SOCOM OPFOR space boasts the highly-addictive 5-Finger Fillet mini-game and leaderboards. Check out this video for a fly-through of this new space and some of the thrilling content that resides within.

Our friends over at LucasArts continue to bring tons of awesome content to their throngs of fans in PlayStation Home. This week will see the introduction of the hugely-popular Monkey Island franchise into the ever-growing world of PlayStation Home. Show your affinity for our hapless hero Guybrush Peepwood…err, I mean Threepwillow…err, I mean, Threepwood, by heading to the PlayStation Home Mall this Thursday and picking up the has-to-be-seen-to-be-believed Ghost Pirate Ship personal space (complete with rewards), the tons of associated furniture items (available in massive bundles at reduced prices), and the array of Monkey Island costumes (LeChuck, Elaine Marley, Stan the Salesman, and, of course, Mr. Fancy Pants himself).

Also releasing (or should I say, re-releasing) this week is the new and improved Gamer’s Lounge. Named by the PlayStation Home community, for the PlayStation Home community, the Gamer’s Lounge has been redesigned completely at the behest and request of our most loyal users. We’ve added music, a Liar’s Dice mini-game, a ticker that pulls directly from the official PlayStation Twitter account (so you can stay up to date with all of the official PlayStation news without having to log out of PlayStation Home), and a survey that rewards participants with a special virtual item.

The Gamer’s Lounge will now host our daily Featured Game parties, which have previously been held at the Listen@Home kiosk in Central Plaza. These daily events serve as a rallying point for the PlayStation Home community to meet up with friends new and old and launch into the latest and greatest PS3 and PSN titles. For the unveiling of the new and improved Gamer’s Lounge, we will be challenging one another to multiplayer matches of UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves. Come out on launch night between the hours of 4:00pm and 8:00pm PT (7:00pm and 11:00pm EST) to take part in some UNCHARTED 2 action, and then come back over the weekend to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, MLB 10: The Show, and Aliens vs. Predator.

See you in Home!

If you are a bloodthirsty extra-terrestrial – or just like to (cos) play one on your TV – then tonight is the night to log into PlayStation Home. Extra points awarded if you consider getting down on the Central Plaza dance floor to be a true sign of otherworldly supremacy, or if you simply cannot miss a spectacle that promises to offer just as much sport as slime (because I can guarantee you that there will be plenty of both).

If you guessed that I was alluding to the imminent Aliens vs. Predator user-generated event that is set to occur in PlayStation Home’s Central Plaza between the hours of 6:00pm and 8:00pm PT (9:00pm and 11:00pm EST) tonight (Wednesday, April 7) then that’s because you’ve likely been reading the official PlayStation Home forums and have witnessed firsthand the high level of anticipation building in our community about this momentous occasion. “Momentous” because it is Aliens vs. Predator. “Momentous” because this event is organized and run solely by our community members. So come out tonight and “Dance for Your Species.” In the meantime, you can use these forum sigs to show your support for whichever side you are on (please pass along to your family, friends, and co-workers –- we expect to see your Aunt, your middle school sweetheart, and that guy from Accounts Receivable in full on Alien or Predator regalia).

In terms of other huge events for the PlayStation Home community, we will be airing the Season Finale of The Tester in the PlayStation Home Theater come this Thursday, April 8 starting at 3:00pm PT/ 6:00pm EST. Come out and see who will be crowned the winner as the first season of the wildly-popular PlayStation Network exclusive reality show culminates (and pick up the special virtual items that commemorate this landmark event in PlayStation Network original programming history, like this wearable guitar for your avatar).

This week sees the Irem Festival Square getting another update, with a load of virtual items and a new mini-game called the Goldfish Vendor (complete with some excellent rewards). You’ll also find a grip of Ancient Greek virtual items in the Furniture store in the PlayStation Home Mall as well as some new footwear for the ladies courtesy of our friends over at Lockwood Publishing.

Last, but certainly not least, the PlayStation Store’s ongoing “Spring Fever” sale continues this week, with those of you that happen to purchase one of the many games listed on sale getting a voucher code good for pieces of the Spring Bumblebee and Spring Flower costumes. Be sure to take advantage of these great deals and complete your collection with these uber-limited costumes.

See you in Home!

It's time for another PlayStation Home dance-off! Unlike the original Hamsters vs. Humans dance-off, this one is a community-driven event, powered by passionate fans of Sony's online service. To participate in the least violent conflict between these two species, you'll want to log on to Home's Central Plaza this Wednesday, April 7 at 9:00 p.m. EDT (6:00 p.m. PDT).

Anyone else suddenly reminded of the tagline to the AVP movie?

[Via @SonyPlayStation]

What’s up Home-bodies?!?!

This week brings more of what you’ve come to expect from our weekly updates over at PlayStation Home. And by “more of what you’ve come to expect” I mean “awesome game content, compelling community events, and free media, all served up in a dynamic social environment that is only possible on the PS3.” To start, we are celebrating the arrival of spring in the only way we know how – by throwing a huge event smattered with the irreverent humor you’ve come to know and love. This Friday, April 2, all of you action movie fans will want to log into PlayStation Home to partake in our Easter City Huntdown event. Pictures are worth a thousand words, and movies are worth a million pictures, so I’ll let the clip below speak for itself. Needless to say, you won’t want to miss out on this one.

The PlayStation Home Mall will also be seeing quite an update this week, with a host of Anime-themed virtual items (to complement the Anime personal space we released last week) and MAG costumes being released. And if you head to the updated UNCHARTED 2 space or the Irem Carnival you can pick up new costumes (a Sark costume and a host of Western-themed items, respectively). Check the pics below for a sample of what is coming into PlayStation Home tomorrow, April 1.

Be sure to visit the PlayStation Home Theater this week for tons of Tester-related goodness. Tonight at 6:00pm – 7:30pm PT (9:00pm – 10:30pm EST) we will be hosting yet another meet-and-greet with the cast of the PlayStation Network exclusive reality series The Tester (this week we will be bringing in two of the strongest contestants from this season – Amped and Cyrus).

Come tomorrow, we will air the newest episode, Killer Memory, as well as release two new commemorative The Tester items (including the Blue Surgical Scrubs, pictured below). And if that’s not enough for you, we’ll even be airing The Tester Marathon (episodes 1-6) throughout the weekend, so you can catch up on any of the episodes you may have missed in preparation for the season finale, which will screen on April 8 in PlayStation Home!

Just a reminder for you valiant souls who, like me, can never get enough Warhawk: LightBox Interactive will be hosting a month-long Capture the Flag tournament starting Friday, April 2. Winners will be awarded the super-rare Champions Blade in-game weapon as well as exclusive Warhawk t-shirts to sport in PlayStation Home as a sign of your general radness and badness.

See you in Home!

Last week we got to know Big D and Nauseous during their special appearance in PlayStation Home. Both had hilarious things to say about their experiences on The Tester and we found out more about what happened when the cameras weren’t rolling. Many of you have been asking about two of the strongest contestants Amped and Cyrus. Well, due to popular demand, both are scheduled to appear in The Tester PlayStation Home Theater tomorrow, March 31 from 6PM PDT/9 PM EDT – 7:30 PM PDT/10:30 PM EDT.

Now, with only two episodes left in the series, the competition gets really intense and ‘Amped’ and ‘Cyrus’ both have a serious shot at winning it all. Come meet them in PlayStation Home on Wednesday night.

And remember, Episode 7 “Killer Memory” debuts this Thursday and the Season Finale is one week later on April 8. Look forward to seeing you in PlayStation Home.

One of the coolest aspects of Joystiq's #2 Game of 2009, Assassin's Creed II, had to be the search for "the truth." The meta game was hidden across the entire experience, and had players solving puzzles in an effort to unlock a video that would explain one of the franchise's biggest mysteries. That mystery and intrigue is coming to Sony's online community this week, in a brand new Space for PlayStation Home.

The Personal Space will include a multiplayer tower defense game that "pits Assassins against Templars," and includes access to developer blogs, concept art, the Animus 2.0 database, and the full "Assassin's Creed: Lineage" live action short film. The Space will cost $4.99, but for hardcore Assassin's Creed fans, the ability to have your Home Avatar walk around the Hideout from ACII may be worth the price of entry.

Prolonged exposure to the Animus has resulted in the Bleeding Effect, allowing you to use your Eagle Vision to try and crack the Abstergo Labs security system. Can you escape before being apprehended?

This isn’t the premise of some as-of-yet unannounced Assassin’s Creed II DLC pack; this is what you can expect to encounter in the new Assassin’s Creed game space, launching this week in PlayStation Home. Packed with heaps of interactive content – including a multiplayer tower defense game that pits Assassins against Templars – the Assassin’s Creed space marks this highly-celebrated franchise’s next foray into the ever-evolving world of PlayStation Home. And it is coming at you this Thursday, complete with regularly-updating Developer’s Blogs, concept art, the Animus 2.0 database, the full Assassin’s Creed: Lineage short film, and all the other content that die-hard Assassin’s Creed fans simply can’t miss out on. Your friends here on the PlayStation Home Community Management team donned our own assassin’s threads over the weekend and managed to snag some images, which we’ve posted below for your convenience.

By popular demand, we will be releasing a load of Aliens vs. Predator items in PlayStation Home this week. We’re talking full Predator costumes, full Alien costumes, Facehuggers stuffed in stasis tubes, and more. But there’s a catch: These highly-coveted items will only be available for purchase for a limited time only in the PlayStation Home Exclusives store, after which they will be pulled off the shelves forever. So do yourself a favor and log in to PlayStation Home this Thursday and stock up on these super-sweet items while you still have a chance. Because ol’ Locust_Star ain’t going to be patting you on the head if you’re boohooing because you forgot to set your alarm clock and missed out on what he is pretty sure are some of the coolest items ever to be released on the PlayStation Home platform. Consider it a fair warning.

We’re opening the doors to the uber-exclusive SingStar VIP room tomorrow, March 25 and loading the music player up with tracks from the critically-acclaimed Welsh rock band Stereophonics (they of such hit songs as “Superman” and “The Bartender and the Thief”). Be sure to come out to the SingStar VIP Room to pick up exclusive Stereophonics virtual items, listen to a handful of Stereophonics tracks, and play the limited-time-only Stereophonics SingStar Quiz.

Also releasing this week in PlayStation Home are two new additions to our line of luxury personal spaces. Situated on the Nile River, the Pharaoh’s Tomb is a step back in time to when the rays of Ra shone upon the Egyptian sands and the age of Horus was a few millennia removed from the dynasties of Ramesses, which reigned supreme across the land. A must-have for history buffs and PlayStation Home completists alike, the Pharaoh’s Tomb releases this Thursday, March 25th, along with the Anime personal space (a penthouse headquarters perched atop a Tokyo high-rise circa 2050). Check out the pics below for a taste of what to expect from these awesome new personal spaces.

We’re placing bets on who gets the boot next on the upcoming episode of The Tester. In anticipation of what is sure to be a real fingernail-biter, we are once again bringing out two cast members – Big D and Nauseous – to chat with you, the PlayStation Home community. So come out to The Tester screen in the PlayStation Home Theater tonight from 6:00pm – 7:00pm PT (9:00pm – 10:00pm EST) to meet two of the most popular cast members of this hit PlayStation Network exclusive reality show. And be sure to check out Episode 6 of The Tester, which will air in the PlayStation Home Theater starting this Thursday. As always, we’ll be offering commemorative The Tester virtual items, such as this Big D Teddy Bear.

Last but certainly not least, Irem will be adding a ton of new content to the Irem Seaside of Memories space, at the request of you, the PlayStation Home community – from new rewards in the Deep Sea Treasure Hunt mini-game to a bunch of fashionable beachwear.

See you in Home!

Thanks again to everyone who turned out to chat with The Tester cast members, Luge and Doc, last Wednesday. We all learned some fun stuff about them and what it was like during the production of the series. The special ‘appearance’ was such a hit that PlayStation Home Community Managers have arranged another special event tonight.

The Tester’s own Big D and Nauseous are scheduled to appear in The Tester PlayStation Home theater from 6PM PDT/9 PM EDT – 7PM PDT/10 PM EDT this evening. Both are hardcore PlayStation gamers who surprised us all with their mad LARPing skills back in Episode 4. Please join us for this unique opportunity to meet two of The Tester’s most popular cast members.

And remember, check back every Thursday to see The Tester – there are only two more episodes before the finale!

See you in PlayStation Home.

Prolonged exposure to the Animus has resulted in the Bleeding Effect, allowing you to use your Eagle Vision to try and crack the Abstergo Labs security system. Can you escape before being apprehended?

This isn’t the premise of some as-of-yet unannounced Assassin’s Creed II DLC pack; this is what you can expect to encounter in the new Assassin’s Creed game space, launching this week in PlayStation Home. Packed with heaps of interactive content – including a multiplayer tower defense game that pits Assassins against Templars – the Assassin’s Creed space marks this highly-celebrated franchise’s next foray into the ever-evolving world of PlayStation Home. And it is coming at you this Thursday, complete with regularly-updating Developer’s Blogs, concept art, the Animus 2.0 database, the full Assassin’s Creed: Lineage short film, and all the other content that die-hard Assassin’s Creed fans simply can’t miss out on. Your friends here on the PlayStation Home Community Management team donned our own assassin’s threads over the weekend and managed to snag some images, which we’ve posted below for your convenience.

By popular demand, we will be releasing a load of Aliens vs. Predator items in PlayStation Home this week. We’re talking full Predator costumes, full Alien costumes, Facehuggers stuffed in stasis tubes, and more. But there’s a catch: These highly-coveted items will only be available for purchase for a limited time only in the PlayStation Home Exclusives store, after which they will be pulled off the shelves forever. So do yourself a favor and log in to PlayStation Home this Thursday and stock up on these super-sweet items while you still have a chance. Because ol’ Locust_Star ain’t going to be patting you on the head if you’re boohooing because you forgot to set your alarm clock and missed out on what he is pretty sure are some of the coolest items ever to be released on the PlayStation Home platform. Consider it a fair warning.

We’re opening the doors to the uber-exclusive SingStar VIP room tomorrow, March 25 and loading the music player up with tracks from the critically-acclaimed Welsh rock band Stereophonics (they of such hit songs as “Superman” and “The Bartender and the Thief”). Be sure to come out to the SingStar VIP Room to pick up exclusive Stereophonics virtual items, listen to a handful of Stereophonics tracks, and play the limited-time-only Stereophonics SingStar Quiz.

Also releasing this week in PlayStation Home are two new additions to our line of luxury personal spaces. Situated on the Nile River, the Pharaoh’s Tomb is a step back in time to when the rays of Ra shone upon the Egyptian sands and the age of Horus was a few millennia removed from the dynasties of Ramesses, which reigned supreme across the land. A must-have for history buffs and PlayStation Home completists alike, the Pharaoh’s Tomb releases this Thursday, March 25th, along with the Anime personal space (a penthouse headquarters perched atop a Tokyo high-rise circa 2050). Check out the pics below for a taste of what to expect from these awesome new personal spaces.

We’re placing bets on who gets the boot next on the upcoming episode of The Tester. In anticipation of what is sure to be a real fingernail-biter, we are once again bringing out two cast members – Big D and Nauseous – to chat with you, the PlayStation Home community. So come out to The Tester screen in the PlayStation Home Theater tonight from 6:00pm – 7:00pm PT (9:00pm – 10:00pm EST) to meet two of the most popular cast members of this hit PlayStation Network exclusive reality show. And be sure to check out Episode 6 of The Tester, which will air in the PlayStation Home Theater starting this Thursday. As always, we’ll be offering commemorative The Tester virtual items, such as this Big D Teddy Bear.

Last but certainly not least, Irem will be adding a ton of new content to the Irem Seaside of Memories space, at the request of you, the PlayStation Home community – from new rewards in the Deep Sea Treasure Hunt mini-game to a bunch of fashionable beachwear.

See you in Home!

This week’s episode is called “Buzz In or Buzz Off.” The remaining 6 (only 6!) gamers take on a BUZZ!-themed quiz challenge testing their mastery of all things PlayStation. It really heats up when SCEA’s Director of First Party Quality Assurance, Jeff Wilkerson, joins the panel this week to evaluate who might have what it takes to work on one of his QA teams. There’s no place to hide in this episode and somebody is bound to crack under the pressure.

This knowledge challenge is anything but trivial. Who’s got the answers? Who has no clue?

Find out in Episode 5 and witness every twitch, lip quiver, high-five and blank stare to see who goes on and who goes home.

The Tester is available in both Standard and High Definition formats from PlayStation Store and also showing in PlayStation Home – Theater 8, where another free cast T-shirt will be rewarded. (This week, it’s a “Luge” shirt.) ‘The Tester’ commemorative items are also available in the Theater and Central Plaza kiosks.

And, also running through this weekend, you can catch up on the first half of the season during a special ‘The Tester’ Marathon of the first 4 episodes playing back-to-back in a separate theater through Sunday, March 21.

Thanks again for downloading and watching the series. Enjoy Episode 5 (of only 8)!

Now that PlayStation Home is twelve million strong, Sony is looking for community volunteers to help newcomers ease their way into the PS3 virtual world. Applicants need to be "friendly and knowledgeable" as they help new users navigate the various community events available online. According to a recent call for applicants, the program "offers a great outlet to the most passionate Home users to help give back to the community."

To submit an application, you must be at least 18 years old, a resident of the US, and have "dependable access to email and Internet." Also, not only will you need to describe your most embarrassing PlayStation Home experience, you'll also have to answer this very telling question: "Do you have more friends in real life or in Home? Which do you prefer?" Don't worry, you should answer truthfully. We won't judge you.

Every Thursday sees a deluge of new content publish on the PlayStation Home platform, and this week, of course, is no exception. From Resistance, inFAMOUS, and Twisted Metal items to beachside bungalows with built-in mini-games to personal concert venues (complete with all you’ll need to jam with your friends) to 100% exclusive community events, there is something going on in PlayStation Home this week for every kind of gamer – hardcore, casual, and any type in-between.

Our official forums (available at boardsus.playstation.com) have been buzzing with speculation as to when nDreams’ wildly-popular Musicality personal space was going to hit stateside. We here on the PlayStation Home Community Management have been anxiously awaiting the opportunity to announce that this highly-interactive personal space will be available in the Estates store come Thursday, March 18. Why? Because not only are we all bona fide music nerds, but because this is easily one of the most unique personal spaces to ever grace the platform. A veritable cornucopia of creativity, the Musicality personal spaces allows up to four people at a time to take control of an array of keyboards, drums, guitar, and a DJ console and perform music live in front of their friends. With hundreds of different loops at your disposal, the possibilities are endless in terms of the songs you and your friends can create and perform. Check out the video below for a taste of what to expect when this revolutionary new personal space releases this week.

Also available this week is a new addition in our line of luxurious personal spaces – a tropical retreat plucked straight out of the south Pacific and hand-delivered to your Home. Whether you are a straight up beach bunny or just taking a break from your latest surfari, this seaside abode is the perfect place to lay back and relax (or jump into the sand and kick a ball around). Watch this video for an overview of this hot (no pun intended) personal space, which promises to offer as much fun as it does sun.

Months back we asked you, the loyal PlayStation Home community, what kind of virtual items you would most like us to release. We all anticipated the answers we would receive (hello Star Wars!), but nonetheless I love to be the bearer of good news; the one that gets to say “boo-yah” in this here Blog. So, without further ado, we present new Resistance, inFAMOUS, and Twisted Metal ornaments and costumes galore! We’re talking everything from a Sweet Tooth costume to a Daedalus statue to a full Alden get-up. Don’t believe me? The evidence is below…

This week plays hosts to a ton of community events that can only be experienced in PlayStation Home. For instance, tonight from 6:00pm – 7:00pm PT (9:00pm-10:00pm EST) in PlayStation Home’s Theater 8, there will be a special meet-and-greet with Doc and Luge from the exclusive PlayStation Network reality show The Tester. Come prepared with your most burning questions, and stay tuned to the Blog for details regarding additional guest appearances from The Tester cast in PlayStation Home.

And, as with any week, be sure to visit the Theater each Thursday to watch the newest episode of The Tester, pick up free rewards, and grab commemorative items from the kiosks in the Theater and Central plaza (pictured below). This week we are airing Episode 5 as well as hosting a marathon screening of Episodes 1-4 in Theater 7 over the weekend!

Also scheduled for this week is a special PlayStation.Blog Meetup in the PlayStation Home Theater. Come out on Thursday night from 5:00pm – 7:00pm PT (8:00pm – 10:00pm EST) to watch an exclusive PlayStation Move video with the PlayStation Home and Blog community, get some face time with the players that bring you a never-ending stream of news on the Blog, and pick up free – and exclusive – virtual items. I grabbed a quick shot of my fellow HCM team member, GlassWalls, sporting the exclusive PS Blog belt buckle to post below. Be sure to come out tomorrow night and participate in the festivities or you will lose out on the opportunity to add these limited items to your collection.

Speaking of my buddy GlassWalls – As many of you hardcore Home-people know, he is heading up the Home Community Volunteer program, which is now accepting new candidates. He sent me this message just a few moments ago and asked that I pass along the good word…

Hey everyone!

Over the past year, the PlayStation Home community has expanded its population exponentially. With this growth comes a need for more friendly and knowledgeable power users to help the throngs of newcomers that may need a little help getting oriented. That’s why I want YOU to apply to be a member of the PlayStation Home Community Volunteer program!

From serving as a guide for new users to helping out with community events, the PlayStation Home Community Volunteer program offers a great outlet to the most passionate Home users to help give back to the community that enriches their online gaming experience. So if you want to contribute to the growth of this vibrant social gaming community, I urge to you to follow THIS LINK and apply to become a member of this quickly-growing, and highly-popular, volunteer program!

Looking forward to hearing from you!

–GlassWalls