PlayStation.Blog » Sid Shuman

See It First June 10th

Sid Shuman — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:06:24 +0000

RSVP now to watch PlayStation’s E3 2013 Press Conference live on 6/10 starting at 6:00pm Pacific Time here.

PlayStation Blogcast 074: A Pre-E3 Spelunking

Sid Shuman — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:01:35 +0000

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What a show we have for you kids today! Spelunky creator Derek Yu stops by to talk about his upcoming PS3 and PS Vita adventure. Then, we dip our toe into E3 with new interview focusing on some of the minds behind Doki Doki Universe and The Last Of Us at the pre-E3 Judges’ Day event in Santa Monica. Plus: New letters, a call for listener PSN Gems of the Week, and one memorable voicemail. Let’s listen in!

Stuff We Talked About

Spelunky
The Last of Us
Doki Doki Universe
E3 Judge’s Week
Just the right amount of movie talk
Metro: Last Light
Far Cry 2

Send us questions and tips: blogcast@playstation.sony.com

The Cast

Sid Shuman – PlayStation Social Media Manager
Nick Suttner – PlayStation Account Support Manager
Justin Massongill – PlayStation Social Media Specialist
Derek Yu – Creator, Spelunky

[Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]

Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music.

Hands on with The Last of Us: Whatever it Takes

Sid Shuman — Fri, 17 May 2013 07:01:06 +0000

I’m low on ammo, so I clumsily swing my two-by-four at the incoming Clicker — dumb move. The creature sinks its fetid teeth into my jugular, chirping with malevolent glee as it rips out a gobbet of flesh. Arterial blood spurts across my face, now contorted in shock and agony.

I’m dead. This time, I try a different approach. I combine one of my remaining rags and a precious bottle of alcohol to create a Molotov cocktail, then hurl it towards the abomination. Flames envelop the lumbering shape as it wails and collapses, dead at last. I’m alive – for a little while longer.

The Last of Us isn’t afraid to kill you, over and over if need be. And that’s a big part of its considerable charm. As you struggle to survive the game’s inhospitable world, limping from one nail-biting combat scenario to the next, you’ll feel strangely alive and alert. In an era of game development that — at least to this old-timer — tends to babysit players with tutorials and handholding to dial down any chance of frustration, this game’s unapologetically tough-as-nails approach feels both refreshing and quietly revolutionary. Remember when games used to kill you? Naughty Dog does.

Later, I’m ambushed in a bombed-out store by a mob of coldhearted killers — human in name only, and no less dangerous than the infected that prowl the streets. I assess my arsenal: just three shotgun shells and a handful of 9mm rounds. Using the dim lighting to my advantage, I duck behind a counter and drop a nearby gunman with a blast of buckshot as Ellie runs for safety. With the shooter out of the way, I lunge for a pair of nearby attackers and subdue them with a series of wild haymakers. Grabbing a nearby two-by-four, I rush the survivors and bludgeon them into submission. I rendezvous with a nervous Ellie and we move on — though to what, only Naughty Dog knows.

That’s The Last of Us. You do what you need to do and you keep moving. It’s out June 14th, and I think you’re gonna like it.

PlayStation Blogcast 073: Who Watches the Watch_Dogs?

Sid Shuman — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:14:39 +0000

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Today’s show is a little late — but for good reason! Today we infiltrate the mind of Watch_Dogs Senior Producer Dominic Guay for an update on the PS3 and PS4 powerhouse. Then the gang learns about the wonders of pickle rolls (bon appetit!) and we discuss our all-time favorite films. Then we expose next week’s new PSN and retail game releases for May 14th, share new Listener Letters, and play a particularly enlightening voicemail.

Stuff We Talked About

Watch_Dogs
Iron Man 3
How to pronounce strange game names
Movies Sid and Justin haven’t seen, but probably should
Hohokum, Doki-Doki Universe and CounterSpy
Pickle Rolls

Send us questions and tips: blogcast@playstation.sony.com

The Cast

Sid Shuman – PlayStation Social Media Manager
Nick Suttner – PlayStation Account Support Manager
Justin Massongill – PlayStation Social Media Specialist
Dominic Guay – Watch_Dogs Senior Producer

[Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]

Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music.

Soul Sacrifice: A Sacrificial Q&A With Keiji Inafune

Sid Shuman — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:00:12 +0000

It’s been just over a week since Soul Sacrifice graced PS Vita in North America, so we tracked down celebrated creator Keiji Inafune to get his thoughts on the game’s launch — and how PS Vita players are adapting to the game’s morally murky gameplay choices.

But there’s more!

In Soul Sacrifice, you can unleash a breadth of special attacks and abilities by sacrificing various Offerings. Exclusively for the PS.Blog community, we’ve listed four vouchers below, which can be redeemed to obtain otherwise inaccessible Offerings (you can’t get them any other way).

NOTE: If you were unable to redeem the last two codes earlier, try the new ones listed below. Enjoy!

Spirits’ Storm Pinion

Bird feather provided by the Thunder spirits (Attributes: Volt)

C7DE-37NA-758R

Spirits’ Viviblossom

Flower of Healing provided by the Spirits (Attributes: Renew)

P5CJ-PNNL-R79C

Spirits’ Blazestone

Ball provided by the Fire Spirits (Attributes: Heat)

Q9GJ-BTNL-CEB5

Spirits’ Frostblade

Ice blade provided by the Ice spirits (Attributes: Frost)

4R7F-QENE-CD4L

IMPORTANT: Story progress to certain areas may be required before these Offerings can be used.

These universal PSN voucher codes are only valid in North America. They can be received in-game by going to “Librom” > ”Network” > ”Peddler” > “Claim Gift” AFTER the product code has been redeemed. Please note: these vouchers, once depleted, are gone forever.

PlayStation.Blog: Have you been watching how players interact with Soul Sacrifice now that it’s in the wild? Are they playing it the way you expected?

Keiji Inafune: I see users are playing the game the way I wanted them to, so I’m pleased. Users are enjoying the decision-making process of sacrificing and the consequences associated with it, which is what I intended and for that I’m grateful.

PSB: Are you hearing feedback about a particular moment or boss battle in the game?
KI: There are various things users are talking about, and many users seem to be talking about multiplayer. But I also hear users are complementing the storyline and that it unfolds in unexpected ways and that came as a surprise. They’re saying the story is in-depth and touching — that feedback is something I was hoping to hear, so I’m happy!

PSB: The game features some spectacularly grotesque monster designs — is there one you’re particularly proud of?

KI: We tried to have each monster make a big impression and I feel our designers did fantastic jobs. If I was asked what my favorite monster would be, I wouldn’t be able to pick one because I’m proud of all of them. However, I have a special place in my heart for Librom, the book character who is strongly tied to the storyline. I specifically like its personality and the design, so when I give autographs to fans I tend to draw Librom next to my autographs. I think Librom represents Soul Sacrifice very well.

PSB: Where did the idea for the Black Rites come from? Do you have a favorite?

KI: I learned that in life, you must sacrifice something big in order to gain a bigger outcome. If you want to become rich, you need to work hard; when you’re gambling, you may win big only if you bet big and risk losing a lot of money. So the idea of sacrificing and the consequence associated with it came to me first.

The biggest sacrifice, I thought, would be the limbs of your body. Or your own life or even your friends’ lives. This is how I came up with the idea of Black Rites. They are very powerful, but the cost is huge. For example, one of the Black Rites called “Gorgon” requires you to take your eyeballs out, which makes your vision very narrow afterwards. Using “Infernus” will cut your defence in half, but it’s an easy one to use because it can attack enemies without you targeting them precisely.

PSB: Mass Effect 3 and Telltale’s The Walking Dead have elevated impossible choices into a near-art form. Why do players seem to enjoy making excruciating decisions?

KI: Those types of choices heavily involve emotional aspects and the decision making process isn’t automatic. In the old days, the decision making process for players was a reflex: stepping right or left in order to avoid a bullet. That doesn’t involve your emotions. But let’s say you have two choices and either decision will cause a different character to die. Then you would have to question yourself and also consider the consequences you will live with. This has a stronger tie to your emotions.

I’ve been in the game industry for a long time and gaming in general seems to be headed towards emotion. I think we’re in the era of incorporating feelings and emotions in video games and it’s about how to design these. Soul Sacrifice, for example, asks you who to sacrifice be it yourself or your friends. You could make a decision not to sacrifice anything and let it be, too. You can’t make these decisions without being emotionally involved. I think future games need to incorporate emotional elements.

PSB: You’ve had a long history in game development – where do you see games going next?

KI: If I was asked what trend would come next in gaming, I wouldn’t be able to put a finger on it to be honest. But I believe console games will evolve dramatically. I think social aspects will be incorporated in its best way with console games. When I say “social”, I don’t mean the social element in social games these days. I think the true social aspects, not just connecting via online will be implemented to console games in the best way ever. The cycle of console games up till now was to buy a game and play it for several hours and then buy a new game. I think the cycle will change and something other than this cycle will become the next trend. A new console such as PS4 needs to incorporate this aspect well to maximize its potential.

Note from the Soul Sacrifice team: Soul Sacrifice players: Thank you for supporting the game! While most are enjoying the game without issue, we’ve had a few people get in touch with us regarding issues redeeming the game’s Online Pass and/or accessing bonus launch content. We apologize for any frustration caused!

In order to get to the bottom of these issues as quickly as possible, we’ve created a detailed walkthrough (with screens) on the official PlayStation community forums to help address what some folks are encountering.

Watch_Dogs: 7 Things You Need to Know

Sid Shuman — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:00:03 +0000

Watch_Dogs’s dark vision of technological totalitarianism is heading to PS3 and PS4, and we were lucky enough to see the first live gameplay demo in San Francisco earlier this week (played on a DualShock 4, no less!). We’ve carefully studied the footage, asked pressing questions, and present you with this breakdown. Read on, then submit your questions in the comments below!

1. Aiden Pierce isn’t your typical videogame protagonist. “Aiden is a man with a dark past who has made questionable choices,” Lead Story Designer Kevin Shortt explained in our first live gameplay demo. Growing up in Chicago, Aiden used his technical prowess to infiltrate bank accounts and access surveillance systems, becoming something of a vigilante. Naturally, these pursuits earned him some powerful enemies on both sides of the law. As you play Watch_Dogs, you won’t be choosing between stark extremes on some binary morality scale, but defining where Aiden resides on much murkier spectrum of acceptability.

2. Chicago isn’t your typical videogame city. We’ve all played open-world action games where cities feel more like a collection of giant painted boxes than a living, breathing urban community. Watch_Dogs’s densely detailed Chicago feel less like a pretty façade and more like a densely populated city. Alleys are riddled with rotting cardboard boxes and detritus and parking garages are honeycombed with gloomy staircases — hack the right device and you may even find yourself peering into the living room of a Chicago citizen.

3. You can hack almost anything. Thanks to Chicago’s Central Operating System (ctOS), the city’s expansive (and invasive) technology is constantly at your fingertips. Take control of a nearby security camera to map out the positions of guards in a well-fortified area, raise a garage door or forklift to confuse and distract your would-be enemies, or — if you’re in particularly dire straits — tamper with the traffic grid and cause a multi-car pileup. These aren’t scripted scenarios, but dynamic and occasionally unpredictable events that can change the course of an escape in a nanosecond.

4. Stealth and no-holds-barred combat are viable options. Aiden is no sedentary computer geek — he’s quite capable of dispatching his enemies using lethal and nonlethal force. The stealthier player will value misdirection and surveillance, using remote cameras to tag and monitor enemy positions while skirting past trouble. Brute-force players will have a wide range of armaments to choose from, but you’ll want to keep civilian casualties in check lest your reputation suffer.

5. Multiplayer and single-player will overlap. Watch_Dogs will feature a full-blown multiplayer mode set in the mean streets of Chicago, though final details are still under lock and key. More intriguing is that multiplayer and single-player will “seamlessly” overlap, an effort by Ubisoft to demolish the wall that has divided single-player gaming and multiplayer for decades. This interconnectivity will extend to a companion experience on mobile devices, though details remain scarce.

6. Voyeurism is more fun than it sounds. Connecting to “FREE PUBLIC WI-FI” is risky business in the real world, so you can imagine what’s in store for anyone foolish enough to hop on an unsecured network in Aiden Pearce’s city. Aiden can activate Wi-Fi hotspots around the city, then hack into any device that connects to it granting him access to, among other things, a webcam on an unsuspecting citizens’ computer. This enables you to score valuable data, but also peer into the strange domestic lives of Chicago’s apartment dwellers.

7. The side quests are novel and varied. Once you hack into a district of Chicago’s ctOS, you’ll find yourself swimming in an ocean of data including the city’s crime prediction algorithms. If you want to go full-on Batman, you can use the crime prediction data to track down potential “victims” from the passers-by on the street, then intervene before their lives are cut short by a hail of bullets or a baseball bat to the head. Other side missions are less grim; one of our favorite was NVZN, an augmented-reality arcade game that tasks you with blasting marauding aliens with ray guns.

The Last of Us: Meet the Infected

Sid Shuman — Mon, 06 May 2013 17:41:48 +0000

I’m ready for The Last of Us. This morally grey gem from the brilliant minds at Naughty Dog combines exploration, scavenging, and brutal hide-and-seek combat against hordes of deadly Infected that prowl the remains of a ravaged United States. June 14th can’t come soon enough!

Not long ago, we asked The Last of Us Creative Director Neil Druckmann and Game Director Bruce Straley to give us an intimate tour of the game’s sights and sounds. Among many other topics, our new interview details the disturbing origins of the game’s Infected, an idea which sprouted from nature documentaries. Our discussion also plunges deeper into the turbulent but vital relationship between Joel and Ellie, as unlikely a pair of game protagonists as you’re likely to find.

Please watch, and then leave your thoughts in the comments below!

PlayStation Blogcast 072: Movin’ On Up

Sid Shuman — Fri, 03 May 2013 01:43:37 +0000

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Download the MP3 here on PS3, PS Vita or PC (Right-Click->Save As)

Welcome back! We’ve finally moved into our shiny new office building, complete with a new recording space (hopefully we don’t sound jarringly different!). Due to the stresses of moving, today’s show is a bit less structured and ~~articulate~~ formal than usual. Naturally, we’ve got all the new PSN and retail game releases for next Tuesday, May 7th, some bonus PlayStation Plus info from our pal Morgan, and a generous dollop of the movie talk that apparently drives the kids wild. So I’m told, at least.

Enjoy!

Stuff We Talked About

This month’s PS Plus lineup
Post-apocalipstick movies
Pinball
PaRappa, and other music games
Nick’s luxurious, silken beard (when do we stop talking about that, though?)
What, exactly, is the Mystery Theme?

Send us questions and tips: blogcast@playstation.sony.com

The Cast

Sid Shuman – PlayStation Social Media Manager
Nick Suttner – PlayStation Account Support Manager
Justin Massongill – PlayStation Social Media Specialist
Morgan Haro – PlayStation Community Manager

[Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]

Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music.

PlayStation Blogcast 071: Ice To See You

Sid Shuman — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 04:05:11 +0000

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We scour Lost Planet 3 in a revealing first interview with Capcom Producer Andrew Szymansk! We focus on this upcoming PS3 prequel’s alien ecosystems and design philosophy. Then we turn to talk of tea, Diet Coke, and Quentin Tarantino before delving into the North American new releases for next Tuesday April 30th, 2013.

Happy birthday, Justin!

We scour Lost Planet 3 in a revealing first interview with Capcom Producer Andrew Szymanski focusing on the prequel’s alien ecosystems, talk tea and Tarantino, then delve into North American new releases on PSN and retail for Tuesday April 30th, 2013.

Stuff We Talked About

Send us questions and tips: blogcast@playstation.sony.com

The Cast

Sid Shuman – PlayStation Social Media Manager
Nick Suttner – PlayStation Account Support Manager
Aram Jabbari – PlayStation PR Manager

[Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]

Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music.

PlayStation Blogcast 070: Fantasy Stars

Sid Shuman — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 02:08:19 +0000

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Download the MP3 here on PS3, PS Vita or PC (Right-Click->Save As)

We gulp a Pheonix Down and enjoy a random encounter with Bryan Sawler and Adam Rippon of Muteki Corporation, the creators of the PS3 and PS Vita retro-inspired RPG Dragon Fantasy: Book I and the upcoming Dragon Fantasy: Book II — with an Origin Story segment you won’t want to miss. Then we share the new PSN and retail game releases for April 26th and serve up a fresh batch of new listener letters. I even score a couple of cheap shots on Nick! Listen in and let us know what you think.

Stuff We Talked About

Send us questions and tips: blogcast@playstation.sony.com

The Cast

Sid Shuman – PlayStation Social Media Manager
Nick Suttner – PlayStation Account Support Manager
Adam Rippon – Muteki Corporation
Brian Sawler – Muteki Corporation

[Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]

Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music.