Extra Missions:
Once you complete Episode 17 of the main story, you’ll unlock the new “Game Rules” side mission. In this mission, Kat has been asked by Commander Yuri to train as a military officer. As she trains with her rival, Seawasp, a message comes in saying that the Nevi have appeared and it is up to you to defeat them. After you clear this mission, you’ll receive Kat’s unique military costume!

Complete the “Game Rules” side mission and you’ll be able to access a second side mission: “Visionary courage.” In this mission, D’nerica has ordered for the capture of a massive amount of Nevies. En route, a disaster strikes and Hekseville is swarmed. Amidst the chaos that ensues, Kat must decide which is more important – her mission, or her friends.

Challenge Missions:
Once you’ve completed Episode 8 and Episode 11 of the main game, you’ll also be able to access the “Factory Energy Gate Race 2” and “Slide Race in Another Dimension” challenge missions respectively.

Gravity Rush’s launch is right around the corner, so be sure to take advantage of the exclusive Military DLC Pack by pre-ordering at any of our participating retailers.

A lot of you have been wondering about a North American release date for Gravity Rush on PS Vita, which released to great response in Japan on February 9th under the name “Gravity Daze.” Today, we’re pleased to confirm that Gravity Rush will come to PS Vita in North America on June 12th, as both a digital release on PlayStation Store and a game card at retailers nationwide.

If you’re not yet familiar with this epic action-adventure game, read on for a quick overview. In the world of Gravity Rush, a futuristic world is under attack from unknown forces: So-called “gravity storms” have begun appearing in the sky, wreaking havoc while strange creatures terrorize the population. Amidst the mayhem, a young girl named Kat wakes up with a phenomenal new ability to control gravity.

Playing as Kat, you set out to stop the world from disintegrating around you, to piece together your lost memories, and to uncover the truth behind it all. There is a huge open world to explore and this is only amplified by Kat’s ability to control the forces of gravity. Before you know it, you’ll be walking on any surface imaginable, flinging yourself miles into the sky, and initiating special attacks in a gravity-free state to plunge down on your enemies. Just be careful who you’re standing next to, lest unsuspecting civilians be caught up in your gravity power!

Brought to life by beautiful cel-shaded graphics and engrossing art direction, the PS Vita functionalities of twin sticks, motion sensor and front touchscreen let you navigate the rich narrative of Gravity Rush. If you’re wondering what Gravity Rush looks like in action, watch the new trailer above as well as some new screenshots for you to enjoy.

In keeping with the theme, here are a few words from Mick Hocking, Vice President for Liverpool, Evolution and London studios, on where he thinks gaming will be in 2048. Mick is largely responsible for the creation and development of such series as WipEout, MotorStorm and SingStar, and is well placed discuss where we have been and, crucially, where we are heading.

At gamescom you appeared as part of a panel looking at the shape of gaming in 2021. The latest WipEout game is set in 2048; what will gaming be like then?
Mick Hocking: Well the pace of change is already so fast. Just look at the advances from PSP to PS Vita. In just seven years we have added touch screens, cross play, next-gen graphics, dual analogue sticks. I mean seriously; that’s pretty incredible.

At gamescom I talked about the potential of mixing stereoscopic 3D with augmented reality. I can see a point where home headsets will become a real possibility. They’ll be lightweight, with high resolution screens and tracking sensors too. Possibly even these headsets’ screens will be transparent, so players can see the real world as well as augmented reality stereoscopic 3D at the same time. So you can have a fully immersive experience, a partially immersive one, or an augmented reality experience with this one device.

And what about portable gaming?
Mick Hocking: Well if we stick with the headset idea, I see no reason why once such technology became established in the home, it couldn’t be modified for portable use. I was playing Heavy Rain recently and thought that the AR technology that Norman Jayden uses to solve cases could be amazing if applied to gaming. Everyone who has played that game remembers the scene when he gets given that pokey office and uses the AR glasses to completely modify the way he sees the world around him. One minute he’s underwater, the next he’s on the surface of Mars, then he’s above the clouds in a stunning mountain vista. Imagine if, by wearing a set of similar glasses, or even some kind of contact lens you could completely transform wherever you are – on the bus, in the park, wherever – into a completely immersive and interactive game world.

What will 2048 bring in terms of software rather than hardware? What types of games will we be experiencing on the portable consoles of the future?
Mick Hocking: Well, I really hope that we’ll still be making WipEout games!

What I do think you’ll see are games that increasingly blur the lines between the gaming and real-world environments. PS Vita is already doing this in a few ways. The front and rear cameras are used to put game objects in a real world setting on-screen, Reality Fighters is a launch title that really shows off this capability. Also the “near” functionality allows you to collect virtual items by passing by real-world locations where PS Vita users are, or have been. Fast-forward 30 years and think back to the AR- style technology we discussed and imagine the possibilities. Even when not actively playing a game you could look around you and spot gaming items, characters, perhaps even entire ‘levels’ to interact with.

I see it this way: Thirty years ago when the only real handhelds were the Game & Watch kind, the kind of power and gaming experience that PS Vita is offering would have seemed impossible. In the future, technology is going to allow game designers to create experiences that are limited only by our imaginations.

The day is approaching for you to finally get your hands on PlayStation Vita! For some of you, that day is already here with the delivery of the First Edition Bundle. As we’ve discussed in several previous Blog posts, the connection between PS Vita and PS3 is one of the most compelling features that sets gaming on PS Vita apart. Because we want all of you early PS Vita owners to check out the cross-platform gameplay experience, we’re offering content on both platforms for one promotional price with two launch titles, Hustle Kings and WipEout 2048. Our friends at Capcom are also offering shared content for no additional cost with Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.

Here’s how it works:

• If you purchase Hustle Kings for PS Vita, you will get Hustle Kings on PS3 for free. If you already own Hustle Kings on PS3, you’ll be able to download the PS Vita version for free.
• If you purchase WipEout 2048, you will be able to download WipEout 2048’s DLC packs, WipEout HD and HD Fury for free when they launch on PS Vita later this spring (if you already own the PS3 versions)
• DLC purchased for the PS3 version of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 can be used on the PS Vita version for free (and vice versa).

As we’ve noted previously, WipEout 2048 owners on PS Vita will be able to race against WipEout HD owners on PS3 across four tracks beginning at launch, which is separate from this promotional pricing. Hustle Kings also offers turn-based multiplayer pool between PS Vita and PS3 at launch. And Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 offers the “Ultimate Controller,” an exclusive configuration in which you can use PS Vita as a controller to play the PS3 version of the game, complete with touchscreen special move selection. All of this cross-play functionality is among the unique, new ways to play that we are ushering in with PS Vita.

Let us know which games you are most excited about below, and be sure to check out the full list of launch titles here.

What did you think? Pretty cool, no? What’s really interesting about WipEout 2048 and the direction the team at Studio Liverpool took with it, is that it takes place in the not too distant future and serves as a precursor to the events that take place in the original WipEout on PS one. And because of that it differs from WipEout experiences in the past.

Races are now multi-tiered – one minute you’re barreling through the busy streets of Nova State City and the next you’re scrambling for first place up the side of a building. The world in which WipEout 2048 takes place in is grittier than what’s come before it simply because we’re entering into it when the sport is still at a nascent stage.

Teams are finding their feet, sponsorship is there – yet not as rife as it is in later seasons – and there is a lot of money at stake on the part of investors desperate for the sport to succeed and capture the world’s imagination. Not to mention competition from rival sports hankering after audience numbers and, in turn, capital. It’s raw; it’s real (ish) and its WipEout like you’ve never seen it before.

So, there you have it – a quick glance of the streets of Nova State City and motorsport metamorphosis in the year 2048 with Graeme and Lee. Let us know what you think of it in the comments, and in the meantime have a look at the clean version of the intro below presented just as it is in the final game, winging its way to you in a little over a month on PlayStation Vita.

Download the game that everyone is talking about! Today we’re happy to announce that the full inFAMOUS 2 game is now available for download on PSN.

If you are a PlayStation Plus member, you can play up to 60 minutes of the full game for free as a trial and even earn in-game Trophies (Trophies will be realized after purchasing the full game). The cost for the game will be $59.99. Visit the New Releases category on PlayStation Store to download the game today! If you aren’t familiar with the inFAMOUS series, you can now also download the original inFAMOUS game for free on PSN as part of the “Welcome Back” program. For more information, please visit www.infamousthegame.com.

In celebration of the upcoming release of inFAMOUS 2, Sucker Punch Productions and DC Comics today are announcing all-new chapters in the inFAMOUS storyline. Penned by William Harms and illustrated by artist Eric Nguyen, the series bridges the story between inFAMOUS and inFAMOUS 2 and chronicles Cole’s struggle to save Empire City before fleeing to the Southern city of New Marais.

Spanning six heart-stopping volumes, the series will reveal sinister motives, dark secrets, and introduce a new threat to Cole and all of mankind. We’re also happy to reveal the cover art, drawn by the famed Doug Mahnke, who has illustrated for legendary DC Comic franchises such as Justice League America, Batman,and most recently Green Lantern.

If you are going to PAX this weekend, I wanted to let you know that inFAMOUS 2 will have its very own booth space at the show! Sucker Punch will be on hand and we’ll have 7 kiosks featuring a demo of the game that will feature Cole’s new melee weapon (the “Amp”) and a new power called the Ionic Vortex.

Our booth number is #122 so swing on by to get your inFAMOUS destruction on! We’ll also be giving away a limited number of t-shirts to players until we run out.

If that wasn’t awesome enough news, the inFAMOUS 2 team will also be holding a panel on the topic of “Creating Super Powers” and showing some new gameplay featuring a power called the Kinetic Pulse, and a new enemy, the Ravager. Details are below, so hope to see you there!

inFAMOUS 2 Panel “Creating Super Powers”
Seattle Sheraton, Pegasus Theater
Time: 6:30-7:30pm 7:00pm

inFAMOUS 2 PAX Booth #122

As you’ll see in this electrifying new gameplay, Cole has some new melee combat and cool new super powers. Be sure to watch out for Cole’s new super-charged Ionic Vortex.

We’ll have much more to come on inFAMOUS 2 in the coming months, so be sure to watch this space!