It’s always sad to end a three-day weekend, but we hope this news is good to hear – Starhawk will be hitting store shelves May 8th!

As excited as we are to get you the full game, we still will be hard at work to make the game “kick ass”. So I’m also happy to announce that our Public Beta begins today!

Soooo…it’s time to get online, join the fun and get busy playing!!! If you were in the Private Beta you know what to expect, plus some key things listed below. For those of you new to Starhawk and the Public Beta, “Welcome!” You’ll get to try out a truly unique (and damn fun) multiplayer experience. Here’s quick primer video to get your feet wet…

Here are some helpful pieces of info for you:

Who gets in and when?
As we move forward we’ll invite more and more players into the mix. Check out our official Beta Info page at StarhawkTheGame.com for our current schedule..

What is a Beta?
For all you newcomers, a Beta is a real world “in the wild” test of the core game systems and gameplay. It is NOT a demo. Most of the final game features are not included. You can, however, expect to have loads of fun.

What’s in the Public Beta?
Everything mentioned in the video with a ton of fixes, updates, etc. At the start we’re adding the following content on top of Private Beta content…

• Classic Arcade Flight-Mode: Private Beta players asked for it and we’re happy to include the classic arcade flight from Warhawk.
• Host Migration: When the host leaves the game, the hosting duties transfer to another player and gameplay will continue, provided the option is checked.
• Language Support: European and Japanese languages are included. Korea, China, Latin America and Brazil will be in English…but these will include the appropriate languages for the full game.
• Skills: Players will be able to collect unique Skills to use in gameplay based on their performance. Playstation Network Friend Integration: Friends status, messages, and friend requests.
• Bug Fixes: Lots and lots of bugs have been addressed.

You can expect continued updates throughout the Public Beta so stay tuned for more information. (“Yes,” Private Beta players, we know you want more, more, more. Remember, this is a test and we need to continue to take prudent, methodical steps. We appreciate your understanding.)

Where do you report bugs?
Go to http://us.playstation.com/psn/ and use your PSN ID to log in. All Beta players will get private access to the Beta forums. If you find a bug, post it here, but remember, we need specific steps on how to reproduce your issue. You can also visit www.StarhawkTheGame.com and have discussions on our official forums. But please use the Beta forums to post any bugs.

What about other Beta details?
Check out our blog post from last week for additional info.

We’re now happy to announce that the Starhawk Public Beta begins this Tuesday, January 17th. This is a crucial step for us as we’ll be testing all sorts of things, including game balance, server traffic, and general bugs. This is also a chance for more players to finally see what we’ve been working so hard on. As we’ve been getting so much support and encouragement from fans and press alike, we’re excited to spread the love and get more input to make the best game possible.

“That looks kind of fun, right? So maybe you want in the Beta now? Well, take a look below and see how to get early access. This Beta will include lots more functionality and features (details coming next week) so mark February 21st on your calendars because that’s when it will be completely open!

Who gets in, and when?

(North American Starhawk Beta schedule)

January 17: All PlayStation Plus subscribers and all Private Beta participants (who haven’t erased their original Private Beta files). You can learn more about PS Plus here.

January 31: UNCHARTED 3 Beta key holders. These voucher codes were found inside of North American copies of UNCHARTED 3.

February 7: Visit GameStop and PlayStation on Facebook and see how you can get early voucher codes.

February 14: IGN.com (details to be revealed soon)

February 21: Everyone with a PlayStation Network account…in other words, everyone who wants in, gets in!

Beta FAQ

If I was in the Private Beta, am I in the Public Beta?
If you were in the Private Beta, you are in the Public Beta for the duration. DO NOT delete the Private Beta file from your PS3 or else you won’t have access. Worse, you will be…unhappy.

Is this a demo?
This is NOT a demo. You can expect to find bugs and the vast majority of the game features planned for the final game will not be implemented. Of course, many of you will not read this sentence and will expect the Beta to be final quality. We ask that the community help itself and remind players that this is a test. It happens to be a pretty fun test, but it is a test regardless. Keep an open mind and we’ll continue to regularly update the Beta with changes based directly on your feedback. Remember when you were a kid and you wanted to help make games? This is your chance!

When does the Public Beta end?
When the game is good and ready! :) Honestly, when we’ve learned all we can and feel we can deliver the best product to you. Basically, sometime after February 21st, BUT it’s our recommendation that you do not delay joining or you might find your window of opportunity passing you by.

What’s different from the Private Beta?
We’re going to reveal more about the content updates soon enough. Patience, Padawan…

Will you test out the solo campaign?
Nope! The Public Beta is solely based around the multiplayer experience. While we have a robust solo story campaign in the final game, we can get our testing done elsewhere for that.

How do you send us feedback?
This is very important…to give us feedback, please visit http://us.playstation.com/psn/ and use your PSN login to enter the Beta forums. If you are in the Beta, you can enter the forums. Remember though…with Beta testing comes Beta responsibility. We are on these forums hourly looking for bug info, so please use this. We need your help and this is the best way to give us info.

P.S. Starhawk is in Las Vegas at CES taking in the sun and showing all the tech lovers what Starhawk is all about. Come and visit us at the Sony booth (#14200)! For all other Starhawk news/info please visit www.StarhawkTheGame.com.

The time has come to say “thank you and good night!” As of Tuesday, January 3rd, the lights will go down on the Starhawk Private Beta. It’s been a wild, wild ride and we want to thank ALL the participants that took time out of their schedule to help us test Starhawk. We’ve learned an enormous amount and have applied much of it already. We’ve still got a long way to go but the leg up this info has provided us is incredibly valuable. The Private Beta was our first step to try out the game in the wild and it’s been simply awesome. And because of this success, we’ve decided to keep the Private Beta live through the holiday break. After all, what would ringing in 2012 be without a little Starhawk beatdown session?!!

So what’s next? Why, the Public Beta, of course! In the next few weeks we’ll be announcing the dates for this important step. Many more players will be allowed access, including the UNCHARTED 3 owners who received a Public Beta voucher when they purchased the game! Look for more information and specifics on the PlayStation.Blog very soon.

It only takes a quick web search to find a TON of Starhawk info out there about the Beta. We’ve been really happy with the commentary/opinions and will taking all of the feedback seriously. Here is a convenient sampling of what’s out there: IGN, Kotaku, VG247, GameSpot, Major League Gaming, Pixel Nation, Dual Shockers, PS Nation, and Starhawk Radio—just to name a few.

We’d like to wish everyone happy holidays from LightBox Interactive and Sony Santa Monica. We hope that you enjoy your vacation time. Feel free to spend it waxing noobs in the Beta over holiday break!

“It’s closing time…one last call…”

Making a game is hard work, but it’s also a lot of fun! To show you what I mean, check out this new Behind the Scenes video to give you an inside look at the SCEA Santa Monica/LightBox Interactive working life! We really, really appreciate the Warhawk faithful joining us in our Beta efforts. Hopefully this video will give you all some insight into our day to day lives. You Warheads are always at the forefront of our thoughts, as you will see.

Be sure to visit www.StarhawkTheGame.com for the extended version!

For those of you that get Private Beta access very early, you can expect to play Capture the Flag on a couple of maps to your heart’s content.

You’ll be able to find games via our Matchmaker system or choose your own game server via our Game Lists. We’ve kept the initial roll out pretty tight as we exercise the systems, but we’ll open the kimono inch by inch so keep playing to see what we have in store for you.

We Want Your Feedback!

Please bang on the Private Beta and help us make Starhawk the greatest possible game. We’ll do our best to avoid hiccups, but you may see some bugs or other unintended gremlins — it’s all part of the process. We ask those of you that play in the Private Beta to participate in the Starhawk Private Beta Forum located here(note: If you’re accepted into the Private Beta, you’ll notice a “Beta Central” section here). This forum is set up to help us collect feedback, bugs, feature requests, etc. Keep it clean, respectful, and specific so that we can try to address your issues. You’ll need to log in with your PSN account and choose the “PSN Beta” tab under your log-in name. If you aren’t in the Beta, you won’t be allowed access to this forum so please be patient.

How to Gain Access to the Starhawk Private Beta

We’ll be looking to unlock the door for registered players later on in the Private Beta. Fans that want to get in but may not get an invite can increase their chances by registering on the official site. Remember, we can’t send you Private Beta keys unless you have opted-in to receive them. Check out this Beta FAQ page for more info. We’ll also be working with great partners like G4, IGN, GameSpot, GameTrailers, 1UP, Kotaku, WIRED, USA Today, CNET, Maxim, and TIME (just to name a few) to make sure there are even more chances for you to get into the Private Beta. Even our community manager, HawkStar Jay, has a handful he’s itching to give away, so stay tuned for more details!

Finally, if you have a Starhawk Public Beta voucher from UNCHARTED 3, you are guaranteed access in early 2012. We’ll have even more features, game modes, guns, weapons, and general goodness to show during that next Beta phase.

Congratulations to those of you fans that got (or will get) an invite, we love your enthusiasm and loyalty. We don’t think of a Private Beta as a privilege for you. You’re doing us a favor and helping to create Starhawk…and we thank you.

Warheads….have fun! Everyone else, stay tuned! We’ve got a lot more in our bag o’ tricks!

It’s easy for us to tell everyone how cool the game is, but we think it’s much more believable if it comes from the fans directly. So, I’ve included a video from some of our great fans at San Diego Comic-Con a few weeks ago right after they got to play the game. Here’s what they had to say!

Next up is PAX Prime in Seattle this weekend, August 26th – 28th. We’ll be on hand to show off our new space station level, the same environment we showed Gamescom last week….but it damn well deserves an encore. You’ll be able to play with the jet packs and prox mines all in the friendly confines of space so come by the show floor and check us out! I’ll be there running the observer cam and will also be giving out some Starhawk t-shirts and Starhawk bags! Best of all you can get your hands on some great multiplayer action and blow some ++bleep++ up! Here’s a little taste of what the space environment looks like. Come to PAX and try it yourself!

Also this week, Starhawk will be playable at the Major League Gaming Pro Circuit in Raleigh, NC. Swing by the PlayStation Compound at the Raleigh Convention Center (500 South Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 26701) on Saturday, August 27th from 10:00am-10:00pm for a chance to win copies of Starhawk when it releases next year and other awesome PlayStation swag! Details can be found on the MLG website. Remember a spectator pass is required.

Want more? Check out StarhawkTheGame.com for an extended cut and check out the PlayStation.Blog next week as we release a full cut scene in honor of Comic-Con.

Speaking of….

San Diego Comic-Con is next week and Starhawk will be there for all to play! It’ll be the first time gamers will get to try our single-player mode so come on down and give it a play if you are around. On top of that we’re having a panel discussion at 10:00 a.m., Sunday, July 24th so please come and join us! We’d love to meet you all in person.
Here’s a marketing blurb about the details. Come on by!

Timing: Sunday, July 24 from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. PST
Location: Room 25AB at the San Diego Convention Center

Panel Description

The Evolution from Warhawk to Starhawk — The New Universe that is Starhawk and the Characters Behind the Conflict:

Meet the creative minds behind Starhawk, the spiritual successor to Warhawk, as they introduce you to an exciting new world set in the lawless frontier of space. The team at LightBox Interactive and Sony Computer Entertainment’s Santa Monica Studio are set to bring you an action packed story with compelling characters beginning with hired gunslinger Emmett Graves. Learn about how Emmett must navigate through Starhawk’s brutal playground of large scale combat where the tide of battle turns all the time, whether you’re on land, in the air, or in the far reaches of space. Throughout this discussion you’ll discover details about Emmett’s back story, his affliction to Rift Energy, and his overwhelming distaste for The Outcast, the war band of deadly monstrosities that he must fight to destroy in this PlayStation 3 exclusive. Join Starhawk’s Creative Director—Lars DeVore (LightBox Interactive), Senior Producer—Harvard Bonin (SCEA Santa Monica Studio), Studio Director—John Hight (SCEA Santa Monica Studio), and Starhawk’s Writer—Koen Wooten, as they provide insight into the creative process behind Starhawk’s space western universe with never-before-seen concept art, exclusive story details, and in depth commentary, straight from the men behind this innovative new shooter experience.

During E3, the PlayStation.Blog team streamed live demos for a host of PlayStation games, including this 20 minute-long Starhawk tour that really shows off one of our single-player missions. Check it out above!

Here are a some impressions from members of the press that played Starhawk at E3:

“What stuck out was the combat from the air, the power of the Hawks, and the surprisingly convenient ability to jump seats in a moving vehicle.”
–IGN

“We’re definitely excited to see more of this game, including its extensive single-player campaign.”
–GameSpot

“Starhawk is full of the same brand of intense aerial dogfights and on-foot combat, takes the war to the stars, further complicating matters with an injection of real-time strategy.”
–Kotaku

“[PlayStation] could have a new king of multiplayer on its hands.”
–GamesRadar

“Even in its early state, Starhawk shines with polish….the game’s not due for another year, but it already sported a rock-solid framerate and some of the best visuals for a multiplayer game on the platform.”
–ShackNews

We definitely appreciate E3 awards…but honestly, what meant the most to us was the feedback and love we got on the floor from fans just like you. We were thrilled that players walked away from the kiosks genuinely liking the game — that’s what counts to us. We even had a huge Warhawk fan fly all the way from Brazil just to play Starhawk at E3…and she played for all three days! And we couldn’t forget our Canadian friends that stopped by the booth to say hi. It’s always a thrill for us to meet loyal Warheads….especially when they seem so normal! Go figure.

At this point, we know we have a long way to go and it’s our job to bring you a game that lives up to your expectations. Our challenge now is to get the game into as many hands as possible. We’ll be at Comic-Con in San Diego July 21-24 so please come on by and check out our game! We’re going to tell you more about our solo campaign and the Starhawk universe during the show, so stay tuned.

As you can see, Emmett must navigate through a brutal playground of large-scale combat where the tide of battle turns all the time, whether you’re on land or in the air (YES there will be dogfighting in SPACE!). And with Build & Battle, you have the ability to alter this battlefield how you see fit by calling down base structures, weaponry, or reinforcements with just the touch of a button.

Throughout the solo campaign you’ll discover a lot more about Emmett Graves and his Rift Energy affliction…along with why he has an overwhelming distaste for The Outcast, the band of deadly monstrosities that he must destroy. And what is this “Rift Energy,” anyway? There are plenty of mysteries in the Starhawk universe that are waiting to be discovered. Not to mention lots of stuff to blow up!

I’m also thrilled to have our first playable multiplayer content here at E3. We showed you a brief video last week of how much fun the multiplayer mode can be to whet your appetites so I hope you have fun with it at the show. While our new single-player campaign is a huge part of Starhawk, we’re also staying true to our Warhawk roots with a kick-ass multiplayer experience.

We hope you like the trailer and thanks, as always, for reading! Keep your eyes on the PlayStation Blog, www.starhawkthegame.com, and @dylanjobe on Twitter. Send us questions and comments any way you can. We love reading them. And thanks for your continued support!

Lots of you are wondering how Build & Battle fits in with the Warhawk recipe of “frenetic epic firefights,” so today we wanted to give you a taste of what we will have playable at E3 next week! This is a video of an actual multiplayer tournament we had recently at the LightBox studio.

As you know Starhawk also has a cool single-player campaign that will immerse you in the story of our main character, Emmett Graves, but as you can see we have not forgotten about our multiplayer roots! We’ve designed Starhawk’s multiplayer to be just as much fun as Warhawk’s, but now with our new Build & Battle toy box, you shooter fans will have something you haven’t truly experienced before – the ability to change the battlefield on the fly. We’ll have more details on Starhawk’s multiplayer soon, but for now we invite you to come visit us at E3!

Thanks a ton for the amazing reactions to Starhawk thus far. I can honestly say that we’ve only scratched the surface so look out for more info in the months ahead.

And if you want more Starhawk info, there are lots of ways to reach us. Register on StarhawkTheGame.com, hop on the Starhawk official forums, and join in on the conversations. The PlayStation.Blog is also a great spot, of course. As you’ve seen, Dylan has spent a lot of time trying to answer your questions and he’ll continue to do so. He also has a Twitter account that you can follow, @dylanjobe, where you can find out about Starhawk and ask him questions…or just see what he had for dinner. We can’t answer all of your questions just yet but we pay close attention to what you, the fans, are talking about and what’s most important to you.

Please comment away and, again, thanks for your continued support.

*Voucher can be used to extend your current service or to create a new one.

This tournament is short, so be ready to go!

And for those of you that don’t already have Fallen Star, we’ve dropped the price 75%! From June 22nd to July 6th you can pick up this explosive expansion pack for $1.99.

*You must have the full game Warhawk to play Fallen Star.

When: 5:00am Pacific, July 1 to 5:00am Pacific, July 5
Where: Warhawk Fallen Star: Collection Tourny servers (look for the blue Tourny-FallenStar # servers)
Modes: 32-player Fallen Star, Collection Mode, Team Game only
What You Need To Win: Be a part of your match’s “Winning Team” and you will get one point. You get 0 points for losses and ties.
Where To Find Your Rank: Just like last time, your stats will be posted on www.warhawk.com in the Leaderboard area. Look for the “Tourny” tab.
What You’ll Win: The top 10 players from North America and Europe will all win the fabled “Champion’s Blade.” Also, they’ll win a three-month subscription to the new PlayStation Plus subscription service.

“Collection” Rules
This gameplay mode is like multi-flag CTF. There are four energy cores scattered around the map, generally positioned in the center or between the two teams’ main bases. Each team has a Reactor where Energy Cores are taken to score points.

In the screen shot above you can see two Energy Cores positioned on a Eucadian bridge. Bringing these Cores back to your team’s reactor will score points for your team…and you can carry more than one Core at a time.

The scoring system is progressive, so if you score just one Core, your team gets just one point. Two Cores will score three points. Three Cores are good for six points…and if you manage to work as a team and bring all four Cores back to the Reactor at once, then your team scores a whopping 10 points!

As you can see in the screenshot below, the Cores are displayed on your character and the more you are carrying, the more you see whirling and orbiting around you. You’ll also see them on the mini-map as pulsing energy symbols. The score is displayed in the upper right corner as usual, but there is a new display there for Collection mode. It’s the little yellow number that shows you how many Cores your team currently is currently carrying. This ends up being critical for knowing where your focus should be — offense or defense.

…and you can press the Triangle button to throw the Cores you are carrying! Passing Cores among your team is “super-effective.”