On what is considered the most romantic day of the year, we thought we would check in with our favorite raccoon, Sly Cooper, and the object of his affection, Inspector Carmelita Fox.

As we all know, the path to true love can be rough — it definitely seems that way for these two. Having a history that goes way back, Carmelita has chased the master thief across the globe, though Sly has always managed to escape her clutches before she could deliver him to justice.

Working on opposite sides of the law seems to have finally taken its toll on Carmelita, who — judging by this video — has given up on Sly altogether and is looking for a new love. Will she finally find prince charming, or will Sly continue to sneak into her heart?

By the looks of it, 2013 is looking just as good with the upcoming release of Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time! Sly and the gang are back on February 5th for $39.99 on PlayStation 3 and $29.99 on PS Vita. If you buy the PS3 copy, you’ll receive the digital PS Vita version from PSN at no additional cost.

Today we’re here to give you a taste of some of the new gameplay you’ll get to experience. In case you missed it, we had an IGN Live session right before the holidays, with Glen Egan and Mat Kraemer from Sanzaru Games showing off the first few hours of the game. In that preview you got a glimpse of some of the gameplay mechanics, Sly’s samurai costume, his Japanese ancestor Rioichi Cooper, and a look at one of the vibrant lush environments Sly will be visiting as he travels through time. In this new gameplay video below, you’ll get to see how the team works together to pull a heist on El Jefe, the epic boss you’ll meet during your travels to Feudal Japan.

This is just a slice of how the game is going to break down but there will be plenty to do aside from that, including earning all of the costumes — which you’ll be able to replay the game with to find new collectables and hidden treasures. Speaking of collectables, we’d like to take a minute to announce the winners of our Sly Cooper Treasure Design Contest! It’s been quite a while, but we finally got a hold of the winners and are happy to reveal the two winning designs. Both the items below and their descriptions will be included as collectable treasures in Thieves in Time:

We had tons of entries and the team had a tough time choosing these winners, but we want to make sure everyone got to see their designs! Big congrats as well to our runner-up winners, who were also notified. We hope you’ve been enjoying the fantastic prizes!

Bet you can’t wait to start playing, right? Well good news — we’ll be releasing a new downloadable demo, so you can get some hands-on time with Sly before the game hits store shelves. Starting January 22nd, the new demo will be available exclusively for PlayStation Plus subscribers. Then, on January 29th, it will be available publicly to all PSN users. For those of who got early access to the first Sly demo from the Ratchet & Clank Collection, this demo is brand new — so be sure to check this one out as well! Stay tuned for lots more on Sly as we head toward launch, and don’t forget to pre-order your copy today.

Our master thief raccoon, Sly Cooper, and his pals Murray, Bentley and Carmelita may not need Halloween to hoodwink others but they do fancy concealing their real identities to pull off some of the greatest heists in history. Check out the stealthiest Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time trailer yet, just in time for Halloween:

You’ll catch a glimpse of the different get-ups Sly acquires in each time period to blend in. Each costume has its own special abilities to solve puzzles, reach new areas and kill enemies.

What are you dressing up as this year? Share with us below and have a spooktacular Halloween!

Today, we’re happy to announce that the PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Beta will kick off for PlayStation Plus members on PS3 tomorrow, October 16th and expand to everyone October 23rd through PlayStation Store! What’s more, as a special treat, PS Vita users will be able dive right into the multiplayer beta starting tomorrow – no Plus subscription required. The Beta will support Cross-Play, so PS3 and PS Vita owners will be able to fight with and against each other.

So what will be in this limited Beta?

• You’ll be able to play as Kratos, Sweet Tooth, Colonel Radec, Sly Cooper, PaRappa, and Fat Princess.
• You’ll be able to play in both the Metropolis and Hades stages.
• You’ll be able to try out four-player online tournaments and 2 v 2 online tournaments. For the 2 v 2 games we’ll be supporting friend invites, so you and a friend can fight another team online.

This, of course, is only a tiny fraction of what PlayStation All-Stars has to offer, but we thought you’d love the chance to try it early and see what all the buzz is about. Be sure to hop on quickly as we’ll be ending the Beta on October 30th!

But that’s not all. As you know, we have a pre-order program running right now that unlocks a set of exclusive costumes in the game. Today we’re happy to unveil the rest of the costumes you’ll be getting with your pre-order of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale.

Unlocked with your pre-order at participating retailers, these costumes will work for both the PS3 and PS Vita when it releases on November 20th, so be sure to reserve your copy today. And don’t forget: PlayStation All-Stars features Cross-Buy support, so if you purchase the PS3 version, you’ll get a downloadable PS Vita version for no extra cost.

With Beta access beginning tomorrow, we look forward to getting your feedback on the game and seeing what you think of this highly anticipated title. Spread the word and we’ll see you online!

In case you didn’t catch it, if you buy the PS3 version of Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time (through traditional retailers or on PSN), you will be able to download the PS Vita version of the game from PSN at no additional cost! Now that’s a — wait for it — a steal!

Yeah? No? No. Ok…

We also wanted to let everyone know that we’ll be offering up extras for those of you who have (or are going to) pre-order the game. Pre-order now and you’ll get the following skins in both the PS3 and PS Vita versions of the game:

Sly’s Para Glider Sanzaru monkey logo and camouflage skins, and Murray’s undercover Ultimate outfit.

Don’t forget that you’ll also get early access to the Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time demo with your purchase of Ratchet & Clank Collection, available now at participating retailers.

That’s it for now, but we’re working on some awesome stuff we’ll be showing you in the near future. Keep an eye on PS.Blog for more!

You headed to PAX? We hope so, because we’ve got a whole lotta goodness coming up to Seattle! Aside from the great The Last of Us demo you’ll see from Naughty Dog, you’ll get to check out the following from our Community Team and some of our biggest franchises:

PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale is fast-approaching, and we’ve got limited edition T-shirts featuring PaRappa the Rapper to give away at PAX. Find our community managers Cade Peterson and Paul Sullivan at the PlayStation booth first thing on Friday morning (the show opens at 10:00am) to nab one.

If you can’t make it to the PlayStation booth Friday morning, or if you’re just adventurous and want to roll the dice, they’ll also be wandering the PAX show floor on Friday, Saturday and Sunday with free one month trials to PlayStation Plus, and any leftover T-shirts as well. All they ask for in exchange is conversation, and perhaps participation in a few shenanigans. Cade and Paul will be at random locations every few hours, so be sure to follow @HeyPlayStation on Twitter during the show to see where they wind up.

Come visit the LittleBigPlanet section for some major Playing, Creating and Karting! We will be showcasing new race and battle courses in LittleBigPlanet Karting and a larger taste of the mysterious land of Carnivalia in LittleBigPlanet PlayStation Vita. Plus, our lucky and loyal fans can score our PAX-exclusive, fan-created LBP Karting T-shirt chosen from last month’s PS.Blog contest. It’ll be a LittleBigParty weekend, and you won’t want to miss out!

Fresh from gamescom, be sure to swing by and get your hands on some Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time! We’ll have brand new demos for both the PlayStation 3 and the PS Vita versions of the game. Featuring the return of all your favorite characters, and the introduction of Sly Cooper’s ancestors, this upcoming PlayStation exclusive promises to be the biggest and best Sly Cooper ever!

One of the most highly anticipated PlayStation exclusives will be offering up some brand new characters for you to get your hands on. Who exactly? You’ll have to come by to take a look, as we’ll be unveiling two new additions to the roster at the show. Not only will PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale be offering up free pedicab rides around the Convention Center (yes, seriously), you’ll also be able to pick up some free Rally Wear representing some of your favorite characters.

Jonesing for a little God of War: Ascension? Well, God of War fans will be in for a special treat this weekend at PAX.

On Friday, August 31st (from 5:00pm to 6:00pm) in the Unicorn Theater (located in the Convention Center), attendees will have the opportunity to meet God of War: Ascension Game Director Todd Papy, Lead Game Designer Mark Simon, Principal Character Artist Patrick Murphy, and the award-winning writer behind the God of War series, Marianne Krawczyk, as they discuss the origins of God of War: Ascension and provide a never-before-seen look at the evolution of Kratos. The team will also discuss their thoughts on storyline in videogames, and the role it plays in creating the best gaming/entertainment experience. Additionally, fans will be treated to the unveiling of a new character that Kratos will encounter in God of War: Ascension. They’ll also have the opportunity to chat with the team about multi-player, the upcoming Beta, and anything and everything within the God of War universe.

God of War: Ascension’s single-player demo will be available for the first time here in the US, giving fans a taste of what to expect next March. In addition, multi-player stations will be available, where attendees will have a chance to win a God of War: Ascension t-shirt, available only at the PlayStation booth during PAX Prime 2012.

The team from Insomniac Games will also be at PAX for a special Ratchet & Clank 10th Anniversary Celebration panel on Sunday, September 2nd from 1:00 – 2:00pm in the Pegasus theatre. They’ve been hard at work on Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault and they’ve just ramped up a small private beta for the game’s exciting new competitive multiplayer mode. As a special treat, we’re giving a few very lucky fans the opportunity to join the fun. If you swing by the Ratchet & Clank 10th Anniversary Celebration panel, you just may have a chance to score a beta code or one of these cool Ratchet & Clank t-shirts. Stay tuned to the PlayStation.Blog as you may have a few more opportunities to win a code!

There’s more! We’re also partnering with SPIKE TV for a special fan appreciation contest for the Video Game Awards Tenth Anniversary. SPIKE TV is giving PAX attendees the chance to win a trip to this year’s VGAs, hosted by Samuel L. Jackson on December 7! Here’s how it works: first, you’ll need your smart phone handy and an Instagram account. Then, stop by the PlayStation booth and upload a picture of the poster below to Instagram using #VGA to enter to win.

That’s not everything that’ll be in the booth. You’ll also be able to get some hands-on time with PS3 and PS Vita demos for The Unfinished Swan, Sports Champions 2, When Vikings Attack, Smart As and much more! We hope you can make it over to check out our booth at PAX 2012!

Available today at retailers near you and September 25th on the PlayStation Store, the PlayStation Collection is packed to the, uh, packaging with extra digital content that guarantees you’ll be getting the most out of your purchase this fall. Whether for yourself or as a gift, these are going to be a great chance to check out some of our greatest exclusive franchises.

To quickly recap, here’s what your getting in each Collection:

God of War Saga ($39.99)

• God of War, remastered in HD
• God of War II, remastered in HD
• God of War III
• God of War: Origins Collection (which includes God of War: Chains of Olympus and God of War: Ghost of Sparta)
• Full PlayStation Network Trophy Support
• Exclusive Bonus Content
• Voucher For 1 Trial Month of PlayStation Plus

inFAMOUS Collection ($39.99)

• inFAMOUS
• inFAMOUS 2
• inFAMOUS: Festival of Blood
• Extra missions
• Additional character costumes, power ups and weapon styles

Ratchet & Clank Collection ($29.99)

• Remastered versions of classic Ratchet & Clank games from PS2 in 1080p with 3D support (in 720p)
• Ratchet & Clank
• Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando
• Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
• Online Multiplayer Support for Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
• Full PlayStation Network Trophy Support
• FREE 10th Anniversary Ratchet & Clank Avatar
• EARLY ACCESS to the Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time Demo

As an added treat for those of you wondering what the inside covers are going to look like – here they are in all their glory!

We’ve been really happy to see such a positive response from the community and thank you for your continued support of PlayStation. This is just the beginning. Keep an eye out as we announce even more additions to the PlayStation Collection in the coming months!

Notice the shiny new things we’ve put on the packaging! What does it mean? Why does Ratchet look so good in green? The answer to most of those questions is that we’re officially introducing our Collections line with these releases on August 28th. Over the years we’ve had all sorts of great deals come your way and moving forward, this is how we plan on presenting them to our consumers. From August 28th on out, you’ll be able to easily spot these classic installments at retailers, as well as on the PlayStation Store, and know that you’ll be getting the greatest PlayStation has to offer — at the best prices around!

You should already know what’s in the Ratchet & Clank Collection, but here’s what you’ll find in the other two:

God of War Saga

• God of War
• God of War II
• God of War III
• God of War: Origins Collection (which includes God of War: Chains of Olympus and God of War: Ghost of Sparta)
• Exclusive Bonus Content
• Voucher For 1 Trial Month of PlayStation Plus
• Remastered for HD, DUALSHOCK Control, Full PlayStation Network Trophy Support and 3D (3D supported only in God of War III and God of War: Origins Collection)

inFAMOUS Collection

• inFAMOUS
• inFAMOUS 2
• inFAMOUS: Festival of Blood
• Extra missions
• Additional character costumes, power ups and weapon styles

Come August 28th, you’ll be able to pick these beauties up starting at $29.99! They not only come with some of the best and most memorable games in the PlayStation family, they’re also packed with a few additional goodies to make it worth your hard-earned cash. For longtime fans who may already have a few installments of these franchises, select titles from the Collections will also be available individually — without the extras — on the PlayStation Store.

Keep an eye on the Blog as we bring you some additional news in the coming weeks, about which games you can expect to get their own Collections this fall!

We’ve been thrilled to hear all of the great responses to the news about the game so far, and have been reading all of your questions and comments on the blogs and forums. While we’ll get to answering all of them soon enough, today we’re going to be answering a couple of the more popular ones: “Why pre-order?” and “When is the game coming out?”

Aside from making sure you’ve got a copy on day one, pre-ordering will snag you an exclusive set of costumes for all of the characters in the game! Here are the outfits for the roster so far, but be sure to check back in with us later when we unveil them all.

We’ve revealed eight characters already, but you’ll have to wait until our announcement later today to see who else will be in the ring. We will be unveiling two new characters during our Exhibition Presentation at EVO in Las Vegas this evening at 6:00pm PST. So if you’re in town for the tournament, stop by and check us out or tune in to the PS.Blog for more information.

When the game launches, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to unlock multiple costumes for each character, but these exclusive costumes will only be available if you pre-order. And yes, they’ll be available right when you start playing the game!

I’ll leave you with one last update: PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale will be launching on October 23rd, 2012! We’ll have plenty more details on the game — including pricing for both the PS3 and PS Vita versions — soon enough, but we wanted to give you a date to mark on your calendars. Be sure to head over to a participating retailer to reserve your copy today!

Well, the team is working away on even more reveals, but they need something from you — your treasure! We’re happy to announce the beginning of the Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time Treasure Design Contest (that long enough for you?)! The good people over at our Europe offices have already kicked it off and we want to make sure you get in on it as well.

What exactly is it, you say? We want to give you the opportunity to design your own treasure and have a chance to see it transformed into in-game objects in the latest Sly Cooper PS3 title! Fans are invited to set their imaginations free and design treasures that Sly and his gang might find on their adventures through time. Creations can be hand drawn, or created using your graphic design program of choice. The designs can be simple or intricate but they must be submitted with a short description of what the treasure is and what it represents.

Already excited? You can enter here. Need more info? Check out the video below from Sanzaru Games‘ Glen Egen!

ALL the qualifying competition entries will be sent to Sanzaru Studios and the team behind Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time will pick their two favorite designs; these lucky winners will have their ideas transformed into in-game objects. What are the prizes? Two First Place prize winners will each receive a 3G PS Vita handheld entertainment system, a 32 GB memory card, $100.00 PlayStation Store voucher, and PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system sporting a Sly Cooper design. Yes, Sly Cooper literally on your PS3!

We want to give more stuff away though, so even if you’re not a top two winner, we’ll still be picking an additional 5 Runner Ups who will receive a 3G PS Vita system, 16 GB memory card, and $40.00 PlayStation Store voucher.

The competition is open from April 20th to May 20th 2012 and can be entered by visiting the official Sly Cooper site. Some quick rules on the contest: No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Open to legal US residents 13+. You can see the full official rules here.

So that’s it! Plenty of time and plenty of chances to win. We look forward to seeing what you come up with!