In Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation, you play as Aveline de Granpré, an assassin of mixed French and African heritage. Her assassination skills span multiple disciplines, and she is especially adept at manipulating the perceptions of others in order to move stealthily through all levels of 18th century New Orleans society.

In order to understand Aveline’s talents, it helps to have an accurate picture of the world in which she lived. 18th century New Orleans was a tumultuous place, having just transitioned from Spanish to French occupation. People from all over the world and all walks of life interacted with one another on a daily basis in all sorts of capacities: rich landowners rubbed elbows with freshly imported colonists and wealthy merchants mingled with indentured servants. It was a roiling hodgepodge of nationalities, ideologies, religions, social castes and political affiliations — perhaps more so than any other part of the burgeoning United States.

Born of a French father and African mother through a commonlaw marital system referred to as plaçage, Aveline enjoyed all the privileges of her father’s position as a wealthy merchant. Her mixed race heritage did not impede her ability to blend into high society, as her situation was not uncommon in Louisiana.

As Aveline grew into her role as an assassin, she discovered that she could fluidly switch between social strata just by altering her clothing. This is the basis of the game’s Persona System, accessible through a variety of changing rooms scattered throughout the game world that are unlocked in a way similar to unlocking shops in previous Assassin’s Creed games. Aveline has three personas she can use to blend into different venues: the Slave, the Lady, and the Assassin.

The Slave Persona

Dressed as a commoner of the lower peasant class, Aveline can blend seamlessly with slaves, indentured servants and other workers. As such, she can quickly fade into the background by simply picking up a crate… nothing to see here, just another porter, toting a merchant’s goods. Aveline can also call on her fellow workers for aid and incite them to cause public disturbances on her behalf. There are some drawbacks to this persona, however, as Aveline must eschew her traditional tools of the trade. She’ll be vulnerable if her ruse is discovered!

The Lady Persona

Some places are only open to the highest echelons of society. In order to access these locations, Aveline will need to adopt the aristocratic Lady persona. Dressing in gilded garb befitting the wealthiest and most influential members of high society enables Aveline to charm or even bribe certain individuals, opening up new opportunities for assassination. Sadly, you can’t stash many armaments in a bustle, so Aveline’s weaponry options are extremely limited in her Lady persona. Of course, certain accessories can be modified for lethal effect… poison dart-shooting umbrella, anyone?

The Assassin Persona

The Assassin persona is designed for combat, agility and durability — as such, you’ll spend most of your time in this lethal, nimble guise that boasts many similarities to the Altair and Ezio’s traditional assassin uniform. Though Aveline has access to a much wider variety of weapons and tools in this persona, the Assassin persona has a tendency to stick out like a sore thumb in most social situations. Consequently, guards will naturally become more alert in the presence of the leather-clad Aveline… just think of how relaxed you might feel around someone with a huge machete strapped to her belt!

Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with our heroine Aveline and the tools that she can employ, you’ll be well prepared to tackle Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation when it lands on PS Vita this October 30th. Ignite the revolution!

PS Vita Assassin’s Creed III Liberation Bundle out on October 30th for $249.99, includes White PS Vita Wi-Fi system, Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation, and 4GB Memory Card. Click here for more photos and information.

Our first-party studios and an army of publishing partners have been extremely hard at work to ensure that PS Vita launches with a vast library of titles that deliver unique gameplay experiences that go beyond any handheld or mobile device on the market. We have more than 100 games currently in development globally that span many different genres, including Sound Shapes, Resistance: Burning Skies, Uncharted Golden Abyss, Capcom’s Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed, EA Sports’ FIFA, Activision’s Call of Duty, and numerous others that you’ll hear about in the months ahead.

I’ve had the chance to spend some time with several of these titles and I think you’ll be blown away by how each takes advantage of the technology packed into PS Vita to deliver amazing gaming experiences. With its vibrant 5-inch OLED screen, dual analog sticks, dual cameras, and front and rear touch panel, PS Vita will deliver rich, immersive games with stunning graphics, which simply can’t be found anywhere else. Now you’ll be able to play shooters and action titles on-the-go with controls that are familiar, and you won’t have to block out the gorgeous screen to interact with the games.

In addition to the deep portfolio of games, you’ll also have access to native social applications – near and Party – that help you connect with your friends and fellow PS Vita owners. We also recently announced that PS Vita will have your favorite social networking applications like Facebook, foursquare, Skype, and Twitter, so you can share and connect with friends. With PS Vita, you can enjoy the best handheld gaming experience available and stay connected to the people and interests you care about.

It’s never been a better time to be a part of PlayStation Nation and I can’t wait for you to experience this revolutionary handheld system. Stay tuned for more exciting updates as we near the February 22, 2012 launch!

Hey there PlayStation Assassins! We have something exciting to share today: thanks to a special partnership with PlayStation and the incredible storage space offered by Blu-ray discs, we are offering a full version of the original Assassin’s Creed for free if you’re one of the first to buy Assassin’s Creed Revelations! Supplies are somewhat limited, however, so you’ll need to act quickly (pre-ordering might help ;D) in order to get a copy of the original Assassin’s Creed included on your Assassin’s Creed Revelations Blu-ray disc.

As you know, Assassin’s Creed Revelations will see Ezio follow in the footsteps of the legendary Assassin Mentor Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad on a quest to understand the true nature of what it means to be an Assassin. To prepare you for this journey, we thought it might be a good idea for you to have the game that started it all on-hand just in case you needed a quick refresher on Altaïr’s history.

Vittoria agli Assassini!

Resistance fans will be happy to hear that the signature PlayStation franchise will join the PS Vita software lineup with Resistance: Burning Skies, a new Resistance experience developed specifically for PS Vita that takes full advantage of the system’s dual analog sticks and features an all-new hero and story written by William C. Dietz, author of Resistance: The Gathering Storm and Resistance: A Hole in the Sky.

SCEE also announced a brand-new title: Escape Plan, a ‘touching adventure’ where you use touch controls to guide our newest characters “Lil” and “Laarg” through a dark labyrinth of puzzles and traps.

Our publishing partners also unveiled some big news at gamescom: Ubisoft will launch a brand-new Assassin’s Creed for PS Vita, and EA Sports is bringing FIFA, the world’s most popular sports title, to the platform. As we mentioned at E3, the biggest and best games are coming to PS Vita, and today’s announcements further confirm that promise.

Please stay tuned as we bring you more updates from gamescom in Germany, and let us know what new titles and applications for PS Vita you’re most excited about in the comments below.

First up is the legendary IREM Square, a dusk-flanked carnival scene based upon a traditional Japanese festival that is a veritable reward heaven. Enter into this gamers’ gala and rack up a ton of unique virtual items by interacting with a variety of local characters and playing the space’s dedicated game. Check out the pics below for a sneak-peek at what this cool new space has in store for you.

Fans of the fantastical have more than ample reason to roll [their 13-sided dice] into PlayStation Home this Thursday, as we release the otherworldly Wizard’s Den personal space. This dragon-encircled castle is the perfect place to let loose the sword-wielding, orc-slaying, spell-casting, sorcerer (or sorceress) that resides within. The best part? The super low price, of course ($2.99 USD). Check out the pics below to get a feel for this dreamscape domicile, and be sure to drop into the official PlayStation Home forums after you’ve had a chance to check out your new pad and give us your ever-so-valuable feedback.

Assassin’s Creed fans – I’m looking at you – are being treated to yet another addition to the long line of AC virtual items in PlayStation Home. Ubisoft is releasing male and female versions of the Altair ibn La-Ahad costume from Assassin’s Creed and Assassin’s Creed Bloodlines. Show the world that you “Live by the Creed” by adding the Altair costume to your Assassin’s Creed collection this week.

We’ve seen you coming out in droves for our LittleBigPlanet Featured Game parties, and we’ve heard your feedback loud and clear. That’s why we’re pleased to announce that LittleBigPlanet will have full game-launching functionality come this Thursday. This should make setting up your LBP game launching sessions a breeze. Be sure to come out to Central Plaza all throughout this weekend and launch into your friend’s best levels – and take part in our other Featured Game parties this weekend, which include Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, UFC 2009 Undisputed, and NCAA Basketball 10 (details can be found at the Listen@Home kiosk in Central Plaza).

In other news, the Legion shirt that so many of you grabbed last month from the Theater will magically sprout wings this Thursday. Don’t ask me how they did it; it must be some type of divine intervention. Check out the pics below – pretty cool, huh?

See you in Home!

• New PSP bundles coming in 2009, including an Assassin’s Creed PSP Entertainment Pack and a Hannah Montana PSP Entertainment Pack, which includes a new Lilac PSP.
• Some of your favorite games are going portable for the first time, with exclusive PSP editions: MotorStorm Arctic Edge (also coming to PS2), LittleBigPlanet, and the Petz series.
• The Warhawk Command Center launches in PlayStation Home this week.

There’s more, so read the rest straight from the press release. Look for more details to come later in the week.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., February 24, 2009 – At its annual retail and publisher conference Destination PlayStation®, Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) announced its unprecedented line up for PSP®(PlayStation®Portable), including a new hardware offering that extends the PSP market to young female gamers, the debut of blockbuster franchises MotorStorm® and LittleBigPlanet™ on the platform, and major software support from Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, MTV Games, Square Enix, Ubisoft, and other publishing partners.

“With a year of record sales ushering us into the new year, we continue to raise the bar on providing consumers the deepest and broadest entertainment content for every member of the family to enjoy,” said Jack Tretton, president and CEO, SCEA. “With new content being added every day to the PlayStation Network combined with an unmatched line up of exclusive titles on PSP, and the roll out of truly groundbreaking games such as Killzone® 2 for PS3, we remain confident in our approach and strategy for another record year of growth and momentum.”

SCEA also previewed its deepest and broadest content line up for the PS3 system, including groundbreaking exclusives such as Killzone® 2, inFamous, MLB®’09: The Show™, MAG, UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves and God of War® III to hit throughout the fiscal year. Promising to be a blockbuster hit, Killzone 2’s immersive and sensory gameplay sets the stage for PlayStation’s continued momentum on the PS3 this year, accompanied by truly innovative and genre-defying content such as MAG, the industry’s first online shooter to allow up to 256 players, combined with artistic and niche games like Flower™ and Ragdoll Kung Fu™: Fists of Plastic on PlayStation®Network.

With a rapidly growing install base, the PSP platform is riding a wave of momentum that will be paired with a new hardware offering and its best software line up to date, demonstrating significant support from SCEA’s publishing partners. Two new limited-edition PSP Entertainment Packs will be available in 2009, bundling everything consumers need to jump onto the PSP platform, from the hardware to games, videos, and other content – all for $199.99 (MSRP).

• Hannah Montana PSP Entertainment Pack – As part of a new focus on expanding the PSP market to female gamers, SCEA will launch this new bundle in July. The pack includes the introduction of the “Lilac” PSP system, Disney Interactive’s Hannah Montana PSP game (an exclusive dancing and rhythm action game for gamers to design the show and go on tour as the teen icon), a selection episodes from the Hannah Montana TV series on UMD, a 2GB Memory Stick PRO Duo, and stickers to customize the PSP.
• Assassin’s Creed™ PSP Entertainment Pack – Ubisoft will debut an exclusive installment of the popular Assassin’s Creed franchise on PSP later this year. To commemorate this highly anticipated title, SCEA will launch a new bundle that includes the game, a “Piano Black” PSP, and other content that will be announced later.

SCEA’s push toward teen and “tween” girl gamers will also be supported by Ubisoft’s Petz® software line, which will make its debut on PSP with new, unique titles later this year. The Petz series allows young players to create and care for cute, furry pets chosen from many different breeds of dogs, cats, horses, hamsters, dolphins, tigers and bunnies.

Publisher support for the PSP system will continue throughout the year with Rock Band Unplugged™, launching exclusively on PSP. MTV Games and Harmonix announced separately that gamers will be able to take Rock Band Unplugged on the road with the first ever portable version of the popular music and gaming experience. Rock Band Unplugged will take center stage as it leverages the PSP system’s Wi-Fi capabilities and becomes the first PSP game to include a fully-featured in-game store for downloadable content in the North American and Europeans markets.

The third party support for PSP will continue throughout the year with a stellar line up of titles from EA SPORTS. Madden NFL 10 will enable NFL fans to build their own formations and plays from scratch on the PSP. Then, through connectivity with the PS3, the plays can be downloaded and perfected on the console. In addition, Madden NFL 10 will deliver a faster and more “PSP-friendly” gameplay experience to adapt to the PSP owner’s lifestyle. And for the golf fans out there, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 10 will allow gamers to experience the drama of major golf tournaments with revamped gameplay modes for on and offline play. Look for more EA SPORTS titles to be announced for the PSP this year.

Rounding out the unprecedented publisher support, Square Enix’s DISSIDIA™ FINAL FANTASY, which has sold 850,000 units since launching before the holidays in Japan, will make its way to North America this summer.

From a first party perspective, SCEA will bring its biggest franchises from the PS3 to the PSP this year, starting with MotorStorm® Arctic Edge and LittleBigPlanet™ in Fall 2009. These titles will be built from the ground up for PSP, offering users a unique portable experience based on the critically acclaimed franchises. Following are details for each game:

• LittleBigPlanet – Developed in conjunction with MediaMolecule, the critically acclaimed game LittleBigPlanet makes its way to the PSP, offering new SackBoy™ adventures with the same play, create, share experience for gamers on-the-go, in addition to brand new levels and environments specifically created for the platform.

• MotorStorm Arctic Edge – Developed by the award-winning Bigbig Studios, the team behind the best-selling Pursuit Force™ series, MotorStorm Arctic Edge sees the music, the festival and the brutal off-road racing arrive in the breathtaking yet lethal and unpredictable setting of Alaska. The game is also expected to hit the PlayStation 2 platform in Fall of 2009.

As the connective tissue of the PlayStation experience across the PS3 and PSP systems, SCEA announced continued PlayStation Network content from new movie releases through the video delivery service and new game spaces for PlayStation®Home. Launching this week, the new “Warhawk™ Command Center” space makes its way into PlayStation Home offering Warhawk fans a new place to socialize and strategize featuring the sand table. PlayStation Home is the ultimate social community gathering gamers via a rich, 3D high-definition environment and will continue to expand overtime.

About Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. continues to redefine the entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation® and PS one® game console, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system, the ground-breaking PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system and its online and network services the PlayStation®Network and PlayStation®Store.

Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. markets the PlayStation family of products and develops, publishes, markets, and distributes software for the PS one, PlayStation 2, PSP and PS3 for the North American market. Based in Foster City, Calif. Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc. serves as headquarters for all North American operations and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

In celebration of tomorrow’s launch of Assassin’s Creed for PS3, last week Ubisoft and SCEA hosted a red carpet event at Opera, one of the hottest night clubs in Los Angeles. Hundreds of attendees and an impressive contingent of celebrities turned up, including, Greg Grunberg (Heroes), John Hensley (Nip/Tuck), Lauren Conrad (The Hills), Masi Oka (Heroes), Shawn Pyfrom (Desperate Housewives) and Zachary Levi (Chuck).

They were on hand to get exclusive hands-on time with the game before launch. Heroes’ Kristen Bell, whose mysterious role is an important part of the game’s storyline, co-hosted the event and spent the evening dancing to DJ Cubeechee who opened up the set on the turntables and DJ Vice who closed the party down – much to everyone’s dismay. Check out a few photos from the event, and be sure to pick up the game when it hits stores tomorrow.

And if you haven’t seen it before, watch the Assassin’s Creed PS3 TV spot here.