Sackboy Helps with Math and Science Education

We’re uber excited to team up with the MacArthur Foundation & the Entertainment Software Association to encourage students to pursue science, technology, engineering and math in new and revolutionary ways. As announced today at the White House, Sackboy will be playing a big role in the Game Changers competition launching nationwide in December. Stay tuned as we’ll have more info soon (unfortunately, I can’t say or the Secret Service will sack-slap me), but for now, check out the below links of official stories/announcements:

• Breaking New York Times Story
• MacArthur Foundation Press Release
• The Entertainment Software Association press release

What’s New?

LBP (PSP) Launch
As you all know by now, this week marks the launch of LittleBigPlanet (PSP) around the world. And while thousands of you are already playing, creating and sharing, there is a large audience we still have to cater too – our PSPgo and PSP owners who want to buy LittleBigPlanet (PSP) on the PlayStation Store. Read on…

LBP (PSP) on the PlayStation Store
Good news. After a lot of blood, sweat and tears, we have everything in place for a PlayStation Store release tomorrow, Tuesday, November 24…right before the turkey break. We apologize to our PlayStation fans for the delay. We’ve had our teams around the world working on bringing LBP (PSP) to you as fast as we could and we’re very happy you’ll have it before the break.

New Online Update
You’ll be happy to know that our development team at SCEE Cambridge will continue to support LBP (PSP) post launch with ongoing game improvements and upcoming downloadable content. And this has already begun with a new update available for download now. This first update will improve the performance of some of the physics and tools in the Create mode.

Updates are new to the PSP, so we thought a little step-by-step instruction would go a long way:

• Be sure to have online access on your PSP
• On the XMB, highlight the LBP game icon
• Open up the menu with and select “Update”
• Continue with the on-screen instructions

New on the PlayStation Store

So what’s on the store this week? I have two words for you: Mon. Tage. Sorry, couldn’t resist. All kidding aside, check out these two new items on the Store this week:

LBP (PSP) Demo
Download this today to see why Sackboy continues to get rave reviews from our friends in the press.

LBP (PS3) “Turkeyhead” Sackboy Costume
For all you LBP (PS3) owners who missed out last year, this special Sackboy costume is back for a limited time…so you better “head” there now!

Workshop of the Week

Over on our newly revamped LittleBigPlanet.com site, check out the three video podcasts/tutorials that Media Molecule created a while back. We recently watched these again, and now we have the “create” bug (I know what I’m doing this weekend). Head on over and refresh your knowledge. You can apply these principals to LBP (PSP), as well.

A Big Hello from Wanako, Artificial Mind & Movement’s studio based in Santiago, Chile! This is Luis, I’m the Producer of Revenge of the Wounded Dragons. We are very excited about this new release and I wanted to share with you some tidbits about the coolest features that this baby has for you.

In this dual-mission drama where you are the hero, your little sister was kidnapped by the local mafia Boss, while your grandfather has been killed by the same ruffian! But all these years, you were trained by the old man in the ancient art of Kung-Fu, your most lethal weapon.

One of our goals with this new title was to revamp the genre using today’s graphics capabilities, but keep the most entertaining arcade mechanics. And the PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation Network are the perfect place to make it happen! We know that some of you are big fans of old arcade games and that is exactly what we’re giving you!

Revenge is all about old-fashion arcade, and I mean it: Tons of enemies, loads of melees and fire weapons, challenging bosses, power ups, dragon rage, mini-games to let you breathe between chapters, finishing moves and much more!

You’ll be able to play the Story Mode either in single player or with a friend in cooperative multiplayer, but when you get to a mini-game, it turns competitive! Using a split screen, you’ll have to defeat your friends and battle for the best time.

As the game progresses, you’ll travel through a beautiful comic story between chapters, and contend with challenging Bosses, so be prepared!

Here is a more complete list of the coolest features in this action-packed game!

• Single player and local multiplayer modes
• 4 beautiful environments with immersive levels, totalling 24 areas all of them packed with enemies
• 10 mini-games: Play them in single player or against your friends
• Finishing moves to defeat your enemies
• Dragon rage, your special power
• Coop moves to use with your friends in multiplayer mode
• Cool animated comic storytelling between levels
• 12 PS3 Trophies
• Leaderboards
• The ability to create your own soundtrack and relive your game by taking screens through the XMB!

Thanks for reading about our game and get ready for some unique Kung-Fu action! Revenge of the Wounded Dragons will become available on the PlayStation Network tomorrow for $9.99.

The premise is simple: in celebration of the impending Turkey Day, users will approach the giant stone turkey in Central Plaza and, of course, pledge their allegiance to the almighty Meleagris Gallopavo by stating “Gobble gobble” and/or other assorted turkey-isms. If your homage pleases your turkey overlord, you will be given a chance to chase a bunch of wily turkeys around Central Plaza (word to the wise: these turkeys are quite cunning and as such get progressively more difficult to catch as the game goes on, so you’d better bring appropriate footwear). If you can manage to catch them all, you will unlock some truly hilarious rewards that are sure to make you an object of envy amongst your peers. Sound borderline insane? Of course it does – which is exactly why we are doing it! Check the video below for a look at what we have in store for you.

Also, in celebration of the release of Assassin’s Creed 2, new AC2-themed virtual goods will be released this week. Hardcore fans of the franchise are sure to find these items to be true must-haves (and we bet they’ll geek out hard over the full Ezio costumes set to release in PlayStation Home come next week). Any way you cut it, if you “Live by the Creed” then PlayStation Home is the place to be (when you aren’t sneaking up behind enemies and performing other stealthy maneuvers in various Italian locales, of course).

In other PlayStation Home-related news: We’re pleased to announce another opportunity for you, the PlayStation Home community, to win a copy of the super-limited UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Fortune Hunter Edition. Here’s how this contest works: PlayStation Home community members should enter the new UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves game space in PlayStation Home between the hours of 8:00am PT on Friday, November 20th and 12:00pm PT on Saturday, November 21st to play the Fortunate Thieves mini-game. The user that secures the #1 slot of the game’s leaderboard will win a copy of the UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Fortune Hunter Edition. Included in this prize package is a Phurba Dagger ornamental replica (plus stand), a special “book case” with art book autographed by the Naughty Dog team, a ton of downloads, and the UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Strategy Guide. This is arguably the most sought-after prize we are giving away all year, so read the official rules and regulations below and then head into PlayStation Home right at 8:00am PT on Friday, November 20th (this is when we will wipe the leaderboards) and get that first place slot.

The following promotion is intended for viewing in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia only and will be construed and evaluated according to United States law. Do not enter this contest if you are not a legal resident of, and located in, the 50 United States or District of Columbia at the time of entry.

PLAYSTATION HOME UNCHARTED 2 FORTUNATE THIEVES MINI GAME CONTEST
OFFICIAL RULES

Void outside the 50 United States and District of Columbia and where prohibited.

1. Eligibility. The UNCHARTED 2 FORTUNATE THIEVES MINI GAME Contest (the “Promotion”) is open only to legal residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are at least 18 years of age or older at the time of entry and hold a PlayStation Network account in good standing as determined by Sponsor. Employees of the Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries and affiliated companies and their immediate families are not eligible to participate in this Promotion.

2. Sponsor. Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., 919 East Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City, CA 94404 (“Sponsor”).

3. Timing. The Promotion begins on November 20, 2009 at 8:00 A.M. PST and ends on November 21, 2009 at 12:00 P.M. PST (the “Promotion Period”).

4. How to Enter. No purchase necessary. Internet access, a PlayStation Network account, and a PlayStation3 computer entertainment system required. Using the PlayStation3 system, go to the PlayStation Network and access PlayStation Home. Users who wish to enter (the “Entrants”) shall use their avatars to enter the UNCHARTED 2 Among Thieves Nepalese Village Space (the “Event Space”) (accessible via the World Map on the Entrant’s Menu Pad), navigate their avatars to the “Fortunate Thieves” mini game, and select the “Fortunate Thieves” icon. Entrants will be directed to the Fortunate Thieves menu and will be presented with the four (4) following options:

• HOW TO PLAY:
  Entrants selecting this option will be presented with three (3) screens of instructions listing the details of gameplay, including the game purpose and game strategy.
• CREATE GAME (“HOST”):
  Entrants selecting this option will be the game “Hosts”. Hosts are in charge of setting the following variables in the game:
  • Maps – Hosts determine the map game will be played on. There are eight (8) maps total in game. The terrain and layout of each map varies. Some maps have more treasure winning potential than others.
  • Public v. Private – Hosts determine whether to make the game public (anyone in the space can participate) or private (only Entrants who are on the Host’s PSN friends list can participate).
  • Number of Turns – Hosts determine how many “turns” the game will consist of. (“turns” are defined as one round for each player in the game). The turn choices are 10, 15, 20, 25.
  • Number of Seconds – Hosts determine how many seconds a player will have to act once it is their “turn”. The seconds choices are 20, 40 or 60 seconds.

  Once the above parameters are set, a Lobby is created. A minimum of two (2) players are needed to start a game. The host can join the game as a player and must wait for a minimum of one (1) other player to enter the Lobby before a game session can begin. A maximum of four (4) players are permitted per game.

• JOIN GAME (“PARTICIPANT”):
  Entrants selecting this option join the game as Participants and are taken to a list of available games where they can see the Host options set for each game and determine which game they would like to join. Participants can then join any open game.
• SPECTATE GAME:
  Entrants selecting this option are taken to a choice of games that they can watch. Spectators cannot enter a game.
  Hosts are responsible for controlling the game, including setting and determining the game variables listed above in each game. To enter the Promotion, Entrants can either select the “Create a Game” icon as the Host or the “Join a Game” icon as a Participant. Once Entrants have selected a method of entry, they may join any open game. A minimum of two (2) players are required and a maximum of four (4) players are permitted per game. Players will receive a set of four (4) cards. Cards will be continually dealt to Players throughout the game so that Players will always have a set of four (4) cards to play with. To play, Players must use the cards to accumulate points. Instructions for playing the cards are presented to Players in pop-up format and are revealed to Players as they scroll over individual cards. Players should attempt to accumulate as many points as possible. Once the game ends, timing stops and Player’s score is recorded. Players can play an unlimited number of games within the promotion period to attempt to better their score. The 10 (ten) highest scores and the online IDs of the players who earned them in an individual game from all games played during the Promotion Period in all instances of the UNCHARTED Nepalese Village space will be posted on the Global Leaderboard located in the UNCHARTED Nepalese Village Space. (An instance is a new event space that is created when the number of users in the original space has reached its maximum capacity. Fortunate Thieves can support multiple instances of the same Event Space so that Players will be able to access the space.)

5. Entry Conditions and Release. Entrants may participate as many times as they like. Sponsor is not responsible for technical, hardware or software failures, malfunctions, lost or unavailable network connections or failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions or unforeseen schedule changes that may limit an entrant’s ability to participate in the Promotion, even if caused by Sponsor’s negligence. Sponsor is not responsible for changes to Entrant’s contact information. Entries not satisfying these Official Rules are automatically disqualified. Sponsor has the sole discretion to modify, cancel or suspend this Promotion should virus, bugs or other causes beyond Sponsor’s control corrupt, change or adversely affect the Promotion’s administration, security or proper play and to award prizes from among all eligible entries received prior to Sponsor’s action. Automated entries are prohibited and any use of automated devices will cause disqualification. Sponsor has the sole discretion to disqualify any entrant who tampers with the entry process.

6. Winner Selection. One (1) Grand Prize winner will be selected during the Promotion Period. Winner will be determined as follows:

The player who accumulates the highest score in an individual game from all games played during the Promotion Period will be declared the Grand Prize winner. In the event of a tie in winning scores, Entrants with the highest tied winning scores will play a tiebreaker game in the Fortunate Thieves Event Space on November 23, 2009. Time and details of tiebreaker will be determined by Sponsor. Entrants will be notified at approximately 12:00 P.M.PST on November 18, 2009 via the email address associated with their PSN account with instructions regarding the time the tiebreaker will occur. The player with the highest score in the tiebreaker will be declared the Grand Prize winner. If the tiebreaker score is tied, additional tiebreaker games will be held from among the remaining highest scoring tied Players until the Player with the highest score remains, who will be declared the Grand Prize winner.

Winner’s PSN online IDs will be posted on the global leaderboard within the mini game located in the UNCHARTED Nepalese Village Space beginning on November 21, 2009 at approximately 12:00 P.M. PST. Winner will also be notified by Sponsor via the email address associated with Winner’s PSN account on or about November 23, 2009 at approximately 12:00 P.M. PST. Grand Prize winner must claim his or her prize within 48 hours from Sponsor’s notification. If Grand Prize winner does not respond within 48 hours from Sponsor’s outreach, an alternate winner will be selected by Sponsor based on the player who has the next highest score from all games played during the Promotion Period (or if a tie exists, the next highest score from the tiebreaker). This method will continue until a Grand Prize winner has responded.

7. Prize(s). One (1) Grand Prize for the Promotion Period. Grand Prize consists of one copy of UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Fortune Hunter Edition which includes a copy of the video game UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves, a phurba dagger replica and an artbook. The approximate retail value (“ARV”) of Grand Prize is $300.00. Prize fulfillment is based on availability. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value if a prize is unavailable. Sponsor may disqualify a winner and select an alternate winner if any prize notification or prize is returned undeliverable. If the player with the highest score is under 18, the prize will be awarded to the Entrant with the next highest score from all games played during the Promotion Period (or if a tie exists the next highest score from the tiebreaker). Prizes are non-transferable and Sponsor need not substitute a prize based on winner’s request. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of the prize.

8. Odds of Winning. Odds of winning are determined by the number of eligible entries received.

9. Publicity. By accepting the prize, winner agrees to the use of his or her name and likeness for purposes of advertising, trade or promotion without further compensation, unless prohibited by law, and agrees to sign and return a notarized Affidavit of Eligibility and Release of Liability (the “Affidavit”) within Fourteen (14) business days of prize notification.

10. Limitations of Liability. By attempting to enter, entering a Promotion or accepting a Promotion prize, an entrant or prize winner agrees to release Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries, agencies, divisions and affiliates from liability, claims or actions or any kind for injuries, damages or losses to persons and property that may be sustained in connection with the receipt, ownership or use of the prize or while preparing for, participating in or traveling to or from the Promotion or any Promotion or prize-related activity. Sponsor’s employees, employees of Sponsor’s parent, subsidiaries, agencies, and affiliates and each of their related companies and their immediate families are not eligible. Neither the Sponsor nor its parent, affiliates, subsidiaries, agencies, divisions or related companies are responsible for any damages, taxes or expenses that winners might incur as a result of this Promotion or receipt of prize.

11. Promotion Results. Sponsor will post winner’s name in the Message of the Day on November 23, 2009 at approximately 10:00 A.M. PST, and winner’s name will also be announced in the PlayStation Home forums until December 30, 2009. To obtain a winner’s list by mail, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to PlayStation Home UNCHARTED 2 Fortunate Thieves Mini Game Contest Promotion, Attn: Promotions, 919 E. Hillsdale Blvd. 2nd Floor, Foster City, CA 94404. Sponsor will fulfill a winner’s list request within 4-6 weeks after it awards prizes. Requests for the winner’s list must be received by December 30, 2009.

12. Restrictions. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

To elaborate on a few things – you can follow the Official Battlefield Bad Company 2 Twitter here, and one of those sites giving out beta codes is… this one.

We’ll be giving out beta vouchers starting Thursday afternoon (PST) via our Twitter and Facebook accounts. So start following!

Kratos has finally come to the PS3! Just in time for the holidays, fans can now enjoy the award-winning God of War and God of War II in stunning HD. To give you a refresher on specifics, God of War Collection includes both critically acclaimed games remastered in full HD resolution complete with 2X anti-aliased graphics running at 60 frames per second — all on a single Blu-ray disc. And if this ultra smooth gameplay wasn’t enough, we’ve also added PlayStation Network (PSN) trophy support to the franchise for the first time (included for both games).

Our team did an exceptional job supporting the release of God of War Collection while at the same time tending their work on God of War III. It’s inspirational for us to see the critical acclaim and the overall positive reception we’re receiving for this package. We take pride in everything we do and it’s cool to see that our fans appreciate the effort. An Olympic-sized thank you goes out to the entire Santa Monica Studio, as well as Bluepoint Games, for this momentous accomplishment. With the God of War III launch getting closer everyday, we’re hoping the God of War Collection will get you fired up to reconnect with Kratos!

Here’s another look at our trailer, as well as some of the reviews that have hit so far. In the end there will be only chaos!

God of War Collection Reviews

• IGN
• 1UP
• GamePro
• Examiner
• PlaystationLifestyle

That the game manages to accurately capture the look of a classic title or genre? The sound? The feel? Does it more effectively evoke memories of childhood for the gamer than other games? Does it shun complexity in favor of simplicity?

We ask the question because it’s at the heart of our latest game (we’re Atlus, by the way, publishers of SMT: Nocturne, SMT: Persona 4, and the sleeper hit of 2009, Demon’s Souls). 3D Dot Game Heroes for PlayStation 3 is the ultimate love-letter to retro gamers, the definitive homage to the action-adventure legends we all grew up with. This is in part because of all the tangible things it does right, like the gorgeous next-gen visuals that retain that 8-bit pixel sprite charm, and the irresistible 8-bit music and sound effects. Still, we think that sometimes it’s what you can’t really put your finger on that makes a game “retro.”

You’re an adventurer in a kingdom troubled by a powerful evil demon, and you’re living in the shadow of a hero of old who, long ago, used a legendary sword to save the land from a similar threat. Already whisked back to your youth? We thought as much. Moreover, your quest, at the behest of the king, will take you across a vast, varied, and beautiful landscape, littered with secret caves to uncover and explore, interesting NPCs to chat with, and puzzle-filled dungeons to master.

Is 3DDGH “retro” because it gets that flawless 8-bit aesthetic just right? In part, yes. Is it “old school” because it doesn’t drown you in tutorials, quick tips, and hints? Definitely. But there’s also that intangible, ungraspable magic. It’s what made those 8- and 16-bit gems so memorable, so able to stand the test of time. It’s how smartly the levels are designed, how original the puzzles are. It’s that easy-to-pick-up, impossible-to-put-down addictiveness. 3D Dot Game Heroes is a game that pays tribute to a number of all-time classic games, but it also manages to blaze a trail all its own, with its unique sense of humor and tongue-in-cheek pizzazz.

Launching on May 11th and priced at an enticing $39.99, 3D Dot Game Heroes for PS3 system brings a bold mix of old and new to the table. When retro chic and modern sleek collide, the end result is oodles of fun for gamers of all ages. Also, it is confirmed: your childhood memories fit on a single Blu-ray disc.

Pre-order your copy today, check out the 3D Dot’s official website, and stay tuned for tons more info.

Dark Void’s due out on January 19, but for now, there’s plenty of footage to peep below.

Joining me via PlayStation Eye is developer Bluepoint Games President Andy O’Neil and CTO Marco Thrush, along with Santa Monica Studios Director of Technology Tim Moss. The trio dishes over five brand-new minutes of HD footage, revealing some great info on the development of God of War Collection and how they made the magic happen.

Beyond that, Capcom Senior Community Manager Seth Killian (a SF player so good he can beat you with one hand) walks us through some of the new features and moves we’ll be seeing when Super Street Fighter IV drops in 2010. Better yet, he promises to try and get hands on time for some of you readers (like last year’s Street Fighter Club and game launch). Go on, watch.

One of the reasons we built a scaled down version of Paris was to make sure we could create a world filled with stuff to do. Every block of Paris has content in it; in fact, it’s not just Paris but our entire world is filled with plenty of stuff. So what is all this our world is filled with? The Nazi occupation, which includes things like sniper towers, AA guns, Nazi tanks, SS generals, propaganda speakers, search lights, radar dishes, and more. These occupation targets are like a collections mechanic, but instead of passively finding these things in the world and walking over them, you’re blowing them up.

There are roughly about 1300 of these spread throughout our entire game, so you see I wasn’t kidding when I said every block has content in it. You also earn contraband for destroying these Nazi objects, which is our currency in the game because money was worthless during the war. Their destruction is persistent so taking these out in advance might actually help you with a mission in that area later on because you’re not getting attacked by a sniper anymore, for example. There’s a great risk/reward for destroying this stuff, though. If the Nazis see you, you’ll raise suspicion and someone will blow a whistle, setting off the alarms and bringing in Nazi reinforcements. So you should always make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into when deciding to destroy them, because you might get a bunch of Nazis onto your heels. You’ll then have to either escape the alarm area or cool down the alarms by using one of the game’s hiding spots like the rooftop shacks or public “pissoirs.” This is actually a good time to work on your perks.

Perks are a way for the player to improve Sean’s skills. You see, Sean’s a racecar driver by trade, not a soldier, and he gets better by doing things. Blow up enough Nazi installations and Sean will plant explosives faster. Kill enough guys with a machine gun and Sean will better understand how to hold the gun, reducing the recoil when firing. Shoot five guys with a scoped rifle and the drift will be reduced, making it easier to aim with a scope. Each perk has three tiers to it. The first tier is pretty easy, but tier two and three require the player to set more micro-objectives. Take sniping for example; tier two requires fifteen head shots with a scoped rifle. But the rewards get better the higher tier the perk. Perks sometimes improve skills, unlock all new mechanics (e.g. the ability to plant explosives in a car while driving, then bail out creating a car bomb), or unlock weapons in the black market shops.

The black market is the place where Sean can stock up with all kinds of gear by trading in the contraband he has earned. There’s all kinds of weapons: machine guns, rifles, sniper rifles, pistols, shotguns, explosives, etc — but it’s not just weapons. There are different upgrades to be found as well! For example, you can increase the different amounts of ammo Sean can carry or you can choose to equip the Resistance with better weapons. This is obviously useful because, like I mentioned in the previous post, the Resistance shows up in the High Will to Fight areas in the streets or at the fight-back zones. So helping them out with better equipment will actually help you in return. The black market shops also offer area maps, which will mark the locations of the occupation I mentioned above. As I mentioned earlier, there are about 1300 of these in the game, and having a map that shows you where to look will definitely help you destroy them all. These maps also mark locations of things like resistance supply crates (filled with contraband and sometimes bonus weapons), “sweet jumps”, monument postcards, and scenic spots. They’re quite helpful for those looking to earn some contraband or for those completionist types like me.

And you can do this stuff whenever you want, in or out of missions. It’s really up to you when you deal with it, but you might want to think about taking it out sooner rather than later; because it’s always there… watching and waiting.