All Topics Users older than one year ago

The first part of Vostok’s grand post-apocalyptic shooter plan, Survarium, has now started inviting batches of sign ups to their beta. It’s the multiplayer FPS portion of the game, and as such basically a test of the shooting, running about, and weapon unlocking game systems. It’s an experience that will be familiar to anyone who spent time playing first-person games online in the past decade, although set in the most lavish of Ukrainian apocalypses.

So is that offering going to be strong enough to power the game through to its pseudo-Stalker co-op core? Peer into my crystal lake of toxic weirdness to find out.

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Microsoft's Xbox division has found its new leader, and it didn't have to look far to find it.

Phil Spencer, who most recently served as head of Microsoft Studios, will be taking over as head of all things Xbox at Microsoft. The company made the announcement today via a post on the official Xbox news site.

"I will now be leading the Xbox, Xbox Live, and creative teams including Xbox Music, Xbox Video and Microsoft Studios as we deliver the next generation of games and entertainment," Spencer said in the official announcement. "Combining these teams will strengthen the connection between some of the world’s most innovative creators and those building the Xbox itself. I am incredibly proud of the talented Xbox employees around the world and believe, like they do, in the power of technology to bring games and entertainment to life across console, PC, tablet and mobile devices."

Spencer has spent a quarter century at Microsoft, and officially took over the leadership role at Microsoft Studios in 2008. Given his long tenure at the company and history within the Xbox division, it would seem to make perfect sense to get a guy like Spencer to take over the Xbox team, especially now that the company has apparently reorganized the division to once again have a single leadership position. That role hadn't existed since Don Mattrick left Microsoft for Zynga last year.

London lot Roll7′s side-on shooter Not A Hero was given a formal announcement and grand unveiling at EGX Rezzed this weekend, perhaps not coincidentally opposite the Hotline Miami 2 booth. Oh, but to compare the two would be lazy. See, while Not A Hero is a point-scoring, man-murdering, pixel-bleeding, die/restart run and gun game, it’s also a cover shooter. Having had a bash myself, I’d say it’s worth keeping an eye on. … [visit site to read more]

It’s time for cat cannons and batarangs! Starting tomorrow, PlayStation Plus members get Mercenary Kings on PS4 and Batman Arkham City on PS3. In Mercenary Kings, team up with your friends and take down an evil corporation called CLAW. Along the way, be sure to look out for crafting components so you can pull together new crazy weapons like the cat-cannon or fish sword.

Batman Arkham City is a critically acclaimed open-world title, netting a Metacritic score of 96. There are a lot of cool gadgets to use and lots of bad guys to beat down, all in the name of justice of course. A section of Gotham has been taken over by the criminally insane and it’s up to Bats to save the day.

This week for our Spring Fever sale you can pick up lots of Amazing Spider-Man content at a discount.

You can download Mercenary Kings and Batman Arkham City after PlayStation Store updates tomorrow, April 1st.

Free for PS Plus members

Free for PS Plus members

Last Chance (Leaving on 4/8)

Instant Game Collection
Borderlands 2 (PS3)

Discounts
The Amazing Spider-Man (PS3)
The Amazing Spider-Man DLC Bundle
The Amazing Spider-Man Lizard Rampage Pack
The Amazing Spider-Man Oscorp Search and Destroy
The Amazing Spider-Man Rhino Challenge
The Amazing Spider-Man Stan Lee Adventure Pack
The Amazing Spider-Man (PS Vita)

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.

Hey! This is Jakub from Grip Games. I’m here today to announce that we’re bringing our incredible racer/platformer hybrid franchise, Jet Car Stunts, to PS3, PS4, and PS Vita.

If you haven’t heard about Jet Car Stunts before, it’s a critically-acclaimed racing franchise that originated on mobile. Jet Car Stunts is unique because it lets you drive a Jet Car — a combination of a race car and a jet plane — and sends you on an adrenaline-fuelled race, miles above the ground.

This version of Jet Car Stunts is a remake of the original game. We’ve redone everything — the graphics are new to match the PS3 and PS4 level of visual quality, we’ve added new cars, new game modes, asynchronous multiplayer, and DualShock controls. But we’ve left everything that makes Jet Car Stunts great… the thrills, the crashes, the need for precision, and the obsession to improve your times again and again.

Jet Car Stunts is like nothing you’ve seen before — from its sleek style to gravity-defying stunts. It’s as much a platformer as it is a racing game. You’ll be required to strategically use your jet engine’s fuel to help you jump over incredible distances, from one platform to another. You’ll be doing loops, corkscrew maneuvers, you’ll be freefalling and avoiding obstacles, and you’ll be drifting near the edges of platforms.

Jet Car Stunts will be released simultaneously for PS3 and PS Vita, followed later by the PS4 version that will contain even shinier graphics and effects. You’ll definitely be hearing more about the game here on PlayStation.Blog as the release date comes closer.

In the meantime, you can follow the game via our Facebook, Twitter, or the game’s official webpage.

Dave Gilbert is, I like to argue, the unsung hero of the resurgence of the adventure game. When things were quiet, he was industriously creating interesting, professional projects in the then-low-key world of Adventure Game Studio. With the likes of Gemini Rue and Resonance he and Wadjet Eye Games have become more prominent, and soon his long-running Blackwell series comes to an end with Epiphany. At GDC this year I caught up with the developer for an impromptu chat about growing up, pixel art, and saying goodbye to loved characters.

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Hi everyone. The latest update to Minecraft PS3 brings Emeralds, Ender Chests, Zombie Villagers, and more. Cauldrons fill up in the rain! Wolf collars can be dyed! Pigs drop more porkchops! The list goes on.

Two skin packs are also available. Skin Pack 1 is perfect for hardcore PlayStation fans. It brings a bunch of Sony stalwarts including Nathan “Uncharted” Drake, folks from Heavy Rain, some Killzone dudes, and Sly Cooper. The Battle and Beasts skin pack includes koalas, a Cleopatra look-a-like, various cavemen, and an octopus. It’s the most eclectic pack currently available.

For those of you who aren’t content with the classic Minecraft styling, two new texture packs are also launching. The City Texture pack is perfect for the modernist Minecrafter; it’ll give your creations a more clean, clinical look. The Plastic Texture pack makes things look a lot more, erm, plasticy.

That’s it for now. Have fun!

Mighty Tactical Shooter might not be the first turn-based side-scrolling space blaster but I can’t remember ever seeing one before. A friend pointed the game out as we were browsing The Leftfield Collection at Rezzed, wisely recognising that it would be precisely my receptacle of brewed leaves. The easiest way to describe it is by asking you to imagine R-Type if R-Type were turn-based and had fancy physics for debris and tumbling blocks. Orders are given to your ship using a neat radial interface and the short bursts of movement and missile-launching keep the pace at a reasonable clip while allowing for intense brain application.

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