I’m happy to announce that our newest digital entertainment partner, EPIX, will be available later today on PlayStation Network! EPIX offers a host of streaming entertainment like comedy shows, championship boxing matches, concerts, and movies. It includes recent releases like The Avengers, The Hunger Games, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Captain America: The First Avenger and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. The team at EPIX has partnered with some of the top movie studios in the industry like Paramount, MTV Films, MGM and Lionsgate to offer over 3,000 HD movies for you to enjoy. EPIX also has its own original documentary series, including a new documentary about New York Knicks’ power forward Amar’e Stoudemire premiering April 19th. For more information on EPIX, visit EpixHD.com and check out the video below.

EPIX is offering some exclusive content, such as songs from EPIX Original Concert Events, for PlayStation Network users in addition to some great deals to get you acquainted with their service. Every PSN user can sign up for a free 14-day trial to check out everything the service has to offer. Additionally, EPIX will be offering a new movie every week that PlayStation Plus members can stream for free, even if they aren’t a subscriber. Not bad, eh?

You can find EPIX in the “TV/Video Services” category on the PS3 XMB, as well as in the “Media & Apps” section of the PlayStation Store starting today. Don’t worry PS Vita owners, we didn’t forget about you: look for EPIX to arrive soon on your favorite handheld.

Let me know if you have any questions about EPIX in the comments below, and be sure to check out the application itself later today on PS3.

The 2013 Major League Baseball opening day is right around the corner and PS3 is ready for every home run, strikeout, no-hitter, diving catch and surprise that happens over the course of the season. Will the San Francisco Giants win their third World Series title in four years or is this the year the Washington Nationals put all the pieces together and take home the World Series trophy?

You can find out starting today as the Major League Baseball action can once again be watched with the new 2013 MLB.TV application for PS3, now available on PSN for customers in North America. The MLB.TV app gives you access to every out-of-market regular season game live in full HD, archived games, home and away broadcast feeds, as well as an array of interactive features designed to take advantage of the PS3 system’s technical prowess.

New for this season is the addition of a revamped user interface featuring a global navigation bar giving you the ability to select from all of the application’s interactive options without interrupting any game action. Read more about what MLB.TV Premium subscribers have access to with this year’s application below:

• High Quality HD Streaming – Speed detection technology gives users HD video access depending on available bandwidth.
• Enhanced Audio – In-game alternate audio selection allows users to overlay the home or away team’s broadcasters over the live video or use the “Park” option to include the ballpark’s natural sounds.
• Home and Away Feeds – Choose to watch either the home or away broadcast feed.
• Live Broadcast DVR Functionality – Use the live video overlay to pause and rewind live games or fast-forward to return to live game action.
• Quick-Access Stats – View player cards with full career stats, league leaders, and in-game stats.
• Event Navigation – Select in-game event types, such as home runs, hits or stolen bases, to show on a progression timeline and jump directly to the at bat where they happened.
• Season Archive – Watch games and relive great moments from earlier in the season.
• Scrollable Linescore – Go directly to any half-inning to watch only that portion of the game.
• MLB Scoreboard – Scrollable league-wide scoreboard for each day’s games in three modes: Pre-game with scheduled starting pitchers; Live with up-to-the-moment game status; and Post-game with final pitching decisions and archived feed selection.
• Favorite Team Selection – Pick a favorite team or teams to be featured first on the daily scoreboard.
• Calendar Schedule – Scroll through the entire 2013 Major League Baseball schedule in calendar format or the user-designated favorite team’s schedule.

You can download the application now from the “Media & Apps” category on PlayStation Store and launch it from the TV/Video Services icon of the XMB. For the 2013 MLB season, MLB.TV Premium is available for a one-time fee of $129.99 or $24.99 per month, and can be used on the PS3 system. New subscribers can sign up here.

Enjoy the 2013 MLB season!

We captured our very first GameJam on film and want to share that experience with you. Twelve amazing indie teams competed at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York working with the theme, “Evolution.” All teams who participated in the event produced remarkable games and it was tough to pick the four semi-finalists. This video gives you a deeper look into the event and everything PlayStation Mobile. And for those of you who are interested to know more about the finalist’s games, we have all the details below.

GameJam Winner:

Hermit Crab in Space

Developed by: Golden Ruby Games

Hermit Crab in Space pits one lost crab against a hostile galaxy, forcing the player to fight their way home in an ever changing, improvised ship scavenged from the refuse around them. Using the salvaged parts of his enemies’ spacecrafts, the player slowly builds his ship for protection. Reinforce your ship with shields, cannons, power tiles, ramming tiles, and more–and discover new powers and strategies by combining them in different ways. You’ll have to think on your feet, though: any part of your own ship can be blown off too, leaving you to pilot a fraction of your once mighty ship until you can rebuild your ship like a space phoenix rising from the ashes. Hermit Crab in Space brings together the dogfights of Star Fox with the creativity, construction and infinite possibility of Minecraft.

GameJam Semi-Finalists:

Crystallon

Developed by: Team Dozen Eyes

Crystallon is a touch-controlled match-3 game where players are challenged to create isometric cubes out of floating pieces. Pieces have different qualities: Color, pattern, animation, and sound. In order to successfully create a group, the three pieces must be all the same or all different for each quality. Pieces also have a fixed orientation: Left, Right and Top. You can only use one of each orientation per matched set. When pieces are successfully combined, they create cubes. Cubes may also be combined together into sets of three for extra points. You can advance to the next level only when there are no remaining possible sets in the current level.

Crumble

Developed by: Team Snakesss

Crumble is a highly conceptual puzzle adventure inspired by classic arcade games like Helicopter and Doodle Jump. Players guide an avatar, a block-like cell, which changes shape as it brushes against walls and obstacles. In one gameplay mode, the end goal is to match the block’s shape to a receiving pad at the end, which requires simultaneous attention to moving through the level and awareness of shape. In a second gameplay mode, users navigate through adventure levels, using the block’s falling rubble to grow shooting flowers in order to break through walls and hopefully, beat the level. If the player’s core touches an obstacle, the player loses control of their core for a few seconds, and the game restarts from the title screen.

Don’t Wake the Bear

Developed by: Back Pedal Games

Don’t Wake the Bear is a multiplayer game reminiscent of “hot potato” that only requires one PlayStation Vita to play. Be the last camper standing by strategically teasing or soothing a sleeping bear, but whatever you do… Don’t Wake the Bear! Players take turns adding items to the cave they are trapped in, some of which soothe the bear, like the tranquilizer dart, while others agitate him, like a death metal station on the radio. One wrong move, the bear can wake up, and that player will be eliminated. Players must also handle the PS Vita carefully during a pass as both players are vulnerable to attack.

In addition to the GameJam semi-finalists that were featured at the Indie Arcade event, we also showed several other fun and addictive PSM games that have released on the platform recently and that will be coming out in tin the next few months. If you own a PS Vita or a PlayStation-certified device I highly encourage you to check out PlayStation Mobile. Here’s a list of the games that we had at our event:

Lemmings

Release Date: December 4, 2012
Developer: d3t Ltd.
Platforms: PlayStation Mobile

First released by Psygnosis in 1991, this popular puzzle game is now retrofitted for the PS Mobile platform. After several sequels, remakes and spin-offs of Lemmings, the wacky, adorable rodents are back and they are as puzzled and confused as ever. Players help guide as many of the lovable creatures to safety as possible by guiding them to build, bash, block, float and explode their way through a multitude of puzzling levels. In order to win, players must determine which lemmings to assign eight different skills to, which can help alter the landscape, affect other lemmings’ behavior or clear obstacles in order to create a safe passageway.

Haunt the House Terrortown

Release Date: January 8, 2013
Developer: SFB Games
Platforms: PlayStation Mobile

In Haunt the House Terrortown, players float around as a ghost, who hides in an abandoned clock tower by day and haunts the town by night. Possess any and all objects seen and use these objects to frighten any unsuspecting humans nearby. In this side scrolling action puzzle game, the aim is to scare every townsman and townswoman out of town and reclaim what has been lost before sunrise returns.

Life of Pixel

Release Date: January 8, 2013
Developer: Super Icon Ltd.
Platforms: PlayStation Mobile

Life of Pixel is an old-fashioned platform game with plenty of modern twists and puzzle elements. Players jump in the role of a little green pixel named Pixel who is tired of being part of the crowd. With luck on his side, a videogame museum is just next door, so under the cover of darkness, Pixel sneaks in to take a look. It is at this time where the magic begins and the world of gaming comes alive.

Dedicated to the brilliance of classic gaming machines, Life of Pixel was designed using the exact palette limitations and pixel resolution of the Commodore 64. The game is comprised of 64 levels spread over eight different game machines— Atari 2600, ZX81, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, BBC Model B, Nintendo Gameboy and NES. Each machine features eight levels where players must collect a specific amount of gems to open the EXIT door. The aim is to complete each level in the fastest possible time. Make use of moving and destructible platforms, double jumps, and gravity inversion to escape the many enemies attempting to thwart you.

Gun Commando

Release Date: January 22, 2013
Developer: Ripstone Ltd.
Platforms: PlayStation Mobile

Gun Commando is a distinctly classic first person shooter that combines 8-bit graphics with visceral game-play. Players jump into the role of Jack Bennett, a weapon-loving bounty hunter of sorts, who must save the world from alien invaders. Reminiscent of old school classics like Wolfenstein and Duke Nukem, Gun Commando features a unique weaponry upgrade system that rewards skill and accuracy. And you’ll need the big guns to take down the ruthless aliens!

Chimpact

Release Date: February 12, 2013
Developer: Yippie! Entertainment
Platforms: PlayStation Mobile

In Chimpact, players help a little monkey bounce around and collect items like bananas and diamonds through a variety of levels (48 in all) to make it home safely. Each level is made up of smaller segments that intertwine with each other making for an interactive and addictive game. Chimpact is a simple, yet challenging new age platforming game reminiscent of similar games from the 16-bit era.

Switch Galaxy

Release Date: March 5, 2013
Developer: Atomicom
Platforms: PlayStation Mobile

Switch Galaxy is a futuristic survival racing game based off its parent game, Switch. The game features a level structure, lots of pick-ups, power-ups, new enemies and upgraded graphics and has two modes: original Switch Survival Mode where players have one life to get as far as they can and Mission Mode where players travel from one side of the Galaxy to the other in the fastest time possible. In Mission Mode, players are called on to find Tantallum, a metal that can only be collected at very high speeds. Players must deliver this to Dakur Technology’s secret research base, where they will earn a jump drive to win gold trophies with.

Forevolution

Release Date: March 12, 2013
Developer: Pygmy Studio Co., Ltd.
Platforms: PlayStation Mobile

Forevolution is a classic real-time strategy game inspired by the natural cycle of life. The player is the ruler of their own world with the power to influence everything— animals, plants and the natural elements all living things need to thrive. After an inspirational trip to Laos, the game’s creator developed Forevolution where others take control in creating the right balance in a complex eco-system.

Rymdkapsel

Release Date: April 2013
Developer: Webfarbror
Platforms: PlayStation Mobile

In Rymdkapsel, players take command of a space station and its minions. Carefully plan your expansion and manage your resources to explore the galaxy.

Ten by Eight

Release Date: April 2013
Developer: Action Button Entertainment
Platforms: PlayStation Mobile

In Ten By Eight, players match groups of tiles by chaining up multiple groups with wildcard stars and attempt to find the longest paths possible. This is a puzzle game strong enough for a brain surgeon, yet PH-balanced for a rocket scientist.

Magic Planet Snack Deluxe

Release Date: April 2013
Developer: Wolfgame
Platforms: PlayStation Mobile

In Magic Planet Snack Deluxe, Players take on the role of a wizard who has cast an unfortunate spell upon himself, turning into a giant space worm. Travel through the cosmos to devour wizards in other worlds for points and gather orbs to power up your hyper gauge. Be sure to avoid things like trolls, lava and satellites and look to make some key allies along the way!

Sully: A Very Serious RPG

Release Date: Summer 2013
Developer: BreadBrothers Games
Platforms: PlayStation Mobile

Sully: A Very Serious RPG is a JRPG-style game made by some plucky Americans trying to bring back the “lighthearted romp” to an increasingly serious genre. Join Crystal and Darin as they deal with their last summer together before going to different colleges, and the adventures they have trying to make sense of growing up in a JRPG world.

PS Vita owners will be able to download these games from the PS Mobile section of PlayStation Store; owners of PlayStation-certified devices (see full list here) can obtain it through the PlayStation Mobile Store – click here for full instructions.

It seems people can’t get enough of the undead. Laughing Jackal’s OMG Zombies — the last of our six free PS Mobile games — casts you as the sole survivor of a police team that has been attacked by (you guessed it) zombies. Your mission: tear through hordes of zombies across a maze of levels, and escape the city.

Your progress in this game depends on the amount of chained combos you get from killing zombies. This game is an upgraded version of the OMG-Z game that was released by Laughing Jackal as a PS mini back in 2011.

There are weapon upgrades, branching levels, rewards, and various zombie types to encounter. This game is the easiest — and safest — way to take out zombies.

PS Vita owners will be able to download OMG Zombies for free on the PlayStation Mobile section of PlayStation Store. Owners of PlayStation-certified devices (see full list here) can obtain it through the PlayStation Mobile Store – click here for full instructions.

We hope you enjoyed our six weeks of free PlayStation Mobile games. Keep checking PlayStation.Blog for news of upcoming games, and interviews with their developers.

Need more information on PlayStation Mobile? Want to know more about supported tablets and phones? Head here.

Years ago, making music required you to have a band, actual instruments, and use of your parent’s garage or basement. Now, all you need is a PlayStation Certified device and Beats Trellis. With this app, you can create your own beats on the go, fitted with drum kits, funky sounds, breaking beats, and other instruments. Beats Trellis is perfect for the person that wants to try making their own beats for fun, or add beats that they have created to a video montage for show online.

Find out for yourself starting today – and at no cost! PS Vita owners will be able to download Beats Trellis for free on the PS Mobile section of PlayStation Store; Owners of PlayStation-certified devices (full list here) can obtain it through PlayStation Mobile Store – click here for full instructions. Check back next Wednesday to see which free game you’ll get next!

Need more information on PlayStation Mobile? Want to know more about supported tablets and phones? Head here.

Monkeys are fun. They jump around, swing on vines, love high places, and occasionally fling poo at people that they don’t like. Today we are pleased to announced that you can have just as much fun as monkeys do (minus the poo) with the release of Yippie! Entertainment’s Chimpact on PlayStation Mobile.

In Chimpact, you play as a little monkey who has to bounce around and collect items through a variety of levels to make it home safely. The game is absolutely gorgeous and the gameplay is simple, yet challenging. Chimpact is a new age platformer that has gameplay reminiscent of similar games from the 16-bit era.

The game features:

• Simple, one-touch gameplay
• Amazing visuals and character design
• 48 fun-filled levels to complete
• Invigorating jungle-themed background music
• Gem Quest and Totem Trial game modes
• Hidden items and achievements to unlock

Kevin Green, the Lead Artist for Chimpact, had this to say about the game in an interview with Pocket Gamer:

PS Vita owners will be able to download Chimpact from the PS Mobile section of PlayStation Store; owners of PlayStation-certified devices (see full list here) can obtain it through the PlayStation Mobile Store – click here for full instructions.

Normally, you wouldn’t expect cats, milk, action and water to go together. But in the case of PlayStation Mobile‘s fourth free game give away, it does. Aqua Kitty: Milk Mine Defender is available for free this week. This action-oriented, side-scrolling shooter puts you in charge of a team of cats whose mission is to search the depths of the oceans for massive reserves of tasty milk buried underground. This game is a side-scroller’s dream and reminds gamers of the intense action, cool music, and colorful graphics of the 16-bit gaming era.

The founder of Tikipod, Dugan Jackson, had this to say about what influenced him in designing Aqua Kitty: Milk Mine Defender for PlayStation Mobile.

Find out for yourself starting today – at no cost! PS Vita owners will be able to download Aqua Kitty: Milk Mine Defender for free on the PS Mobile section of PlayStation Store. Owners of PlayStation-certified devices can obtain it through PlayStation Mobile Store – click here for full instructions. Check back next Wednesday to see what new free game you’ll get to download next!

As the players return to the ice for the 2012-13 hockey season, so does the latest NHL GameCenter application to give PS3 users the ability to stream live out-of-market hockey games in full HD. And, just like last season, users in the United States and Canada can download the new NHL GameCenter application for free.

Yup, that’s right. Even if you don’t have a subscription to NHL GameCenter LIVE, you can still view a wide range of NHL content through the NHL GameCenter application, including features such as post-game highlights, team schedules, standings, player stats and full NHL scoreboard.

So, what do you get if you’re already an NHL GameCenter LIVE subscriber? Pretty much everything an avid hockey fan can ask for. The 2013 app features a whole new experience and a new user interface that makes it easier than ever to navigate all the games in a given day with the new current daily view, change season years to access and find previous archived games as well as see global navigation to access game stats and other data. In addition to these new features, let me run down some of the other enhanced streaming features you have access to through your PS3:

• Stream 2012-13 regular season games in High Definition (local blackout restrictions do apply).
• Watch full-length and condensed replays of current season games you may have missed (most available a few hours after they air, no blackouts).
• Select from home and away broadcasts available in HD to follow your favorite team(s), even while they are on the road.
• Follow the action from around the league with game updates in the live scoreboard and plan what games to watch using the full season calendar.
• Make the most of your viewing experience with live stats, standings and post-game highlights for all 2012-13 games.
• Pause, fast-forward, rewind.
• Easily flip between live video and browsing other NHL GameCenter application features, while the video still plays in the background.
• Relive NHL history with unlimited access to over 800 classic games dating back to the 1960s from the NHL Vault.
• Condensed Games: Catch up on games you missed with 10-12 minute extended highlights.
• Game Archive: Watch full-length replays of all games since the 2008-09 NHL season.

You can download the application now from the “Apps” category in the PlayStation Store, and launch it from the TV/Video Services icon of the XMB on your PlayStation 3.

If you don’t have an NHL GameCenter LIVE subscription yet, go to www.nhl.com/ps3 to get an account. The single payment price is $49.99 for the whole season, or you can pay in 2 installments of $24.99.

Two weeks ago, we started a PlayStation Mobile promotion that offered six free games over six weeks. The first two games were Samurai Beatdown and Beats Slider. This week, we’re pleased to announce that the free PlayStation Mobile game is Cubixx. In this fun an addictive game, you have to use your laser to cut away the surfaces of a mysterious cube and free the energy within. Cutting longer lines and crossing multiple cube surfaces gives you bigger combos, but at far greater risk. This is a great old-school, highscore-chasing game with 20 fun filled levels. Ross Brierley, a game tester with Laughing Jackal, had this to say about Cubixx when it launched in October 2012 on PlayStation Moblie .

Cubixx was our first self-published title and also spawned a sequel in the form of our first ever full PS3 game, the amazing Cubixx HD. Upon release, this thrilling action puzzler was awarded 9/10 by The Sixth Axis, who called it: “massively addictive.”

Find out for yourself starting today – and at no cost! PS Vita owners will be able to download Cubixx for free on the PS Mobile section of PlayStation Store; Owners of PlayStation-certified devices can obtain it through PlayStation Mobile Store – click here for full instructions. Check back next Wednesday to learn what new free game you’ll download next!

Need more information on PlayStation Mobile? Want to know more about supported tablets and phones? Head here.

Last week saw the launch of a PlayStation Mobile promotion that will offer six free games over six weeks, starting with Samurai Beatdown. This week, the free PlayStation Mobile game is Beats Slider. Master the puzzle gameplay by sliding different note blocks into sequences to create catchy electro tunes and compete for the best times online!

Recently, we invited FuturLab’s Managing Director James Marsden to explain the ins and outs of the game on PlayStation.Blog. Here’s what separates Beats Slider from its contemporaries:

Find out for yourself starting today – and at no cost! PS Vita owners will be able to download Beats Slider for free on the PS Mobile section of PlayStation Store; Owners of PlayStation-certified devices (see the full list here) can obtain it through PlayStation Mobile Store – click here for full instructions. Check back next Wednesday to learn what new free game you’ll download next!

Need more information on PlayStation Mobile? Want to know more about supported tablets and phones? Head here.