Here’s what you need to know:

Who: You! This event is open to the PlayStation community, but you must be 21+ to attend. Bring ID!
What: Twisted Metal Multiplayer Tournament and Community Meetup
When: Thursday, February 2nd from 6:00pm to 9:00pm (Protip: Come early!)
Where: Mezzanine, located at 444 Jessie St. in San Francisco)
Why: Multiplayer competition and gameplay, plus sweet rare prizes
How: Participants can RSVP here or sign-up at on-site check-in.

I advise that you bring your A-game: The multiplayer tournament champion will win a very swanky and very rare Twisted Metal laser-etched PS3. But if you’re self-conscious about your skill level, never fear. Attendees will also be getting special Twisted Metal items (exclusive to this event!) all night long. You’ll need to be present to score them, though.

Oh, and a special treat for the Twisted faithful: Game Director David Jaffe will be in attendance, so bring those dusty old copies of Twisted Metal: Black and Twisted Metal 2…

To make things easy, why not RSVP? See you next Thursday!

Another year, another reason to celebrate here in Canada, and another PlayStation Holiday Event! We had such a tremendous response last year that we couldn’t for one second forget about you. I’d like to invite each and every Canadian PlayStation fan out again this year.

Right around the corner now, our Holiday Event will be taking place on October 12 from 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. at the Liberty Grand in “The Artifacts Room” in Toronto.

This year has been a big one in terms of great titles launching, and we’ll be giving you exclusive access to play them before they hit retail shelves. No matter what gaming appetite you come with, we will try to appease you, for example:

• Hungry for a desert adventure – Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
• Looking for an apocalyptic, “I need to save the world’, alien shooter – Resistance 3
• Limbs twitching, solid moves, confidence – Everybody Dance
• You never minded the balloon animals, or the clown that made them – Twisted Metal
• You thirst for a mysterious game, a break from the traditional – Journey
• Tired of playing by yourself? – Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One

We can’t forget hardware, and we’re happy to announce that the PlayStation Vita will be there! We’ll also have the 3D Gaming Display, Sony’s new 3D Headset, and much more 3D related products all at your button mashing fingertips.

Quite a few third party publishers will also be in attendance showing off their hottest games this holiday season. Activision, Bethesda, Capcom, Disney, Konami, EA, Namco, Sega, THQ, Ubisoft, Warner and many more just to name a few.

I can promise that we’ll have great titles, live music and a solid evening of gaming. So if Wednesday is a good night for you, come on out, invite your friends, your family, your neighbors, everyone! All you have to do is RSVP below through our PlayStation Canada Facebook page below.

To RSVP to the PlayStation Holiday Event, please visit our Facebook event page.

As you might expect, we’ll be demoing the latest content from our upcoming titles at our booth on the show floor (#4237). Come check out our booth and go hands-on with games including Resistance 3, Starhawk, UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception, Journey, Twisted Metal and more.

For a special treat, we’re busy putting the finishing touches on custom arcade cabinets for Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One that we’ll be unveiling at our booth this week.

That’s a 40″ Sony Bravia 3Dtv with 3D glasses, custom artwork from Insomniac Games and a set of illuminated custom DualShock 3 controllers painted with the colors of Ratchet, Clank, Qwark and Dr. Nefarious! We can’t wait to set this and the 2D model up on the floor. If you’re going to be at the show, be sure to let us know how the cabinets look and tweet a picture to @PlayStation.

Now get out your day planner, as we’ll be hosting a blockbuster lineup of panels throughout the week featuring highly-anticipated titles including UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception, Resistance 3, Twisted Metal, Starhawk and Journey. Here’s a taste of what you can look forward to at our panel sessions:

THURSDAY, JULY 21
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Get Into the Indie Spirit with PlayStation Network Game Developers: Meet and chat with thatgamecompany’s Jenova Chen and Kellee Santiago as they, along with Minority Games’ Vander Caballero (Papo & Yo) and OverKill Software’s Bo Anderson (Payday), provide insight on their creativity and the inspiration behind upcoming PlayStation Network releases, and discuss what it takes to be successful as an independent developer. We’ll also have a few hundred Journey t-shirts to give away on a first come, first served basis, so get there early. Room 23ABC

THURSDAY, JULY 21
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Exploring a 1950′s Altered America: The Continuing Creation of the Resistance Universe: Get an exclusive first look at new game content with members of the Insomniac team including Marcus Smith (Creative Director), Kevin Grow (Animation Director) and Grant Hollis (Art Director), and actors from the Resistance 3 cast including Robin Atkin Downes (Joseph Capelli) and Crispin Freeman (Charlie Tent). Room 7AB

FRIDAY, JULY 22
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Developing Interactive Entertainment: The Performance Capture Techniques of the UNCHARTED Franchise and Today’s Film Industry: Join UNCHARTED 3’s Creative Director Amy Hennig, cast members Nolan North, Richard McGonagle, and Emily Rose to discuss the influence of theatrical techniques and styles from the history of film that have helped the team continually produce industry-leading and award-winning interactive entertainment. Room 25ABC

SATURDAY, JULY 23
6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Twisted Metal @ SDCC 2011: Join David Jaffe, co-director of the upcoming PlayStation 3 exclusive Twisted Metal as he reveals the newest Twisted trailer, unveils a near final cut of the game’s opening live action cinematic, and shows off the single player campaign, including a sneak peak of a new boss: The Brothers Grimm! Room 5AB

SUNDAY, JULY 24
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. The Evolution from Warhawk to Starhawk: The New Universe that is Starhawk and the Characters Behind the Conflict: Join Starhawk’s Lars DeVore (Creative Director), Harvard Bonin (Senior Producer), John Hight (Studio Director), 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 and exclusive story details. Room 25AB

So come visit us at Comic-Con – but don’t worry if you can’t make it down to sunny Saint Diego. The PlayStation.Blog will feature the latest coverage from the show, including video recaps from the panels.

The PlayStation Loft is a 60’x60’ pop art inspired space designed to let the PS3 experience blow you away. You’ll be able to get your hands on awesome stereoscopic 3D games like Killzone 3, compete in a Home Run Derby with MLB 11: The Show with PlayStation Move, and Kompete as Kratos in Mortal Kombat before it hits stores!

Along with all the hot games, every day between 4 and 5pm we’re hosting a Mortal Kombat Hour where you can see and hear the Mortal Kombat soundtrack and meet Coachella performing DJs like Skrillex and JFK from Death From Above 1979. They’ll even be gaming against the fans! And to make things cooler, artists like Sleigh Bells and Phantogram will be stopping by.

To get you dressed and ready to go, we’re giving away 100 Coachella virtual t-shirts and poster for your PlayStation Home avatar RIGHT NOW with this code: 6JKM-2TNK-HQLP (first come, first served!)

If you can’t make it out to the event, we’re bringing Coachella and all of our other live events right to you on Twitter. Follow us at @HeyPlaystation to keep up with what’s going down at the PlayStation Loft at Coachella, the PlayStation Experience Truck, and all of our other live events. You’ll also get a chance to win some cool PlayStation stuff including games, premiums, and more – like that Coachella PlayStation Home shirt, which we expect won’t last long…

Honda will have a huge 3D Spectacolor screen installed to show off their new “Eclipse” commercial in 3D (at 46th, between Broadway and 7th), and there will be a host of other 3D content that will be showcased at the event.

Some other items to keep an eye out for:

• Exclusive musical performance by N.E.R.D. at the Honda Stage at 12:30pm located on Broadway between 42nd and 43rd Streets
• Interactive CR-Z vehicle displays
• Racing simulators for fans to play Gran Turismo 5 in 3D, featuring the CR-Z in-game
• Maxim models on site to distribute copies of the first ever 3D issue which includes a CR-Z 3D ad
• Polite in Public photo booths with 3D backdrops
• Distribution of special screen-printed shirts on-site

The event is this Thursday, September 23rd going from 10am to 6pm. Hope to see you there!

Yes, unbelievably, it’s that time of year again and we are rapidly approaching what many PlayStation fans look forward to all year: the PlayStation Holiday Preview Event party!

This year’s event will take place on October 5 from 5pm to 9pm at the brand-new Sony Centre in downtown Toronto (formerly the old Hummingbird Centre). We’ll be the second event to open up the centre, and everyone is welcome.

What titles are you looking forward to playing? Killzone 3? Gran Turismo 5? SOCOM 4? What about LittleBigPlanet 2? Have a few titles in mind that aren’t first party? That works too, because we are giving you, our fans, exclusive access to all the hottest titles before they hit the retail shelves this holiday season.

Partying at our own ‘centre’ is great, but it wouldn’t be a party without some third party developers. Activision, Disney, Konami, EA, Namco, Ubisoft, Warner and many more will be on board to show you what games they’ve got up their sleeves.

While we can’t guarantee a Kevin Butler appearance like we had at E3, we will provide you with hands-on time with all your favourite titles, live DJs spinning, and delicious food. Because everyone knows that the way to a gamer’s heart is through the games they play and the food they eat!

October may not be cold enough for toques and mittens, but what you can bring are your friends, family members, and frenemies if you like. So if you’re not too busy on a Tuesday evening, come down to the Sony Centre and find out what we’re up to this year.

RSVP to the PlayStation Holiday Preview Event, and please visit our Facebook page for more information.

Tomorrow Tonight we’re hosting an awesome community event in Los Angeles where Dead Rising fans can attend (for free!) and get their hands on the game. In addition to being able to play Dead Rising 2 prior to release we’ll have prizes, food, music, contests and more. Be sure and get there early as we’ll be giving away some cool, exclusive Greene’s Hardware t-shirts too (created by iam8bit). If you’re in the SoCal area, here are the specifics for tonight’s event:

What: Greene’s Hardware Super Sale (Dead Rising 2 Community Event)

Where: 2147 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026

When: Friday 8PM – 12 Midnight

If you haven’t heard about the game yet, here’s my 30 second elevator pitch….

Dead Rising 2 takes the zombie survival horror franchise to Fortune City, America’s latest and greatest entertainment playground. It features a new storyline, a brand new cast of characters, two online multiplayer modes (two-player co-op campaign and a four-player “TV show”-themed Pay-Per-View event that pits humans against zombies), thousands of on-screen zombies and more. As Chuck Greene, you have 72 hours to save your infected daughter, clear your name and survive the hordes of hungry zombies before the military comes in and nukes the city. To ensure your survival, you can combine everyday objects to create deadly combo weapons to use against the zombie horde. The weapon combos in Dead Rising 2 have to be seen in order to be believed and are the true “stars” of the game. There are loads of them in the game and besides being deadly they’re hilarious! My favorite is probably the Freedom Bear.

Dead Rising 2 for the PS3 ships on September 28th. Be sure and grab a copy before the zombie apocalypse hits…

Hope to see folks on Friday night in LA for the community event!

Games on hand will include:

• Brunswick Pro Bowling
• EA Sports Active 2
• EyePet
• Get Fit with Mel B
• Heroes on the Move
• Kung Fu Rider
• LittleBigPlanet 2
• Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest
• NBA 2K11
• Racquet Sports
• Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition
• SingStar Dance
• Sports Champions
• Start the Party!
• The Fight: Lights Out
• The Shoot
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11
• Time Crisis: Razing Storm
• Tumble
• TV Superstars

PlayStation HQ, will offer gamers and non-gamers alike a chance to get hands-on experience with the PlayStation Move, while being immersed in the world of PlayStation. In addition to hands-on time with all the titles, visitors can take their photo in Kevin Butler’s office, surf the Web in the lounge, or participate in family challenges for an opportunity to win PlayStation Move Bundles.

The mall events will include special programming including individual and family challenges for PlayStation prize packages and the opportunity to win your own PlayStation Move Party Night. One-on-one training will also be made available for Moms who want to learn more about PlayStation Move: reservations can be made here.

Whether you want to come in for an in-depth training with one of our Move experts or just pop in to play the latest games, we guarantee an engaging, hands-on experience. Be sure to check back for details on tournaments, special events and ways to win some great prizes.

PlayStation HQ Location and Dates

San Francisco:
658 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
September 13th through October 12th

Santa Monica:
1228 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica, CA 90401
September 16th through November 12th

New York:
3 W 57th Street, New York, NY 10019
September 13th through October 16th

Chicago:
445 N Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60601
October 5th through October 31st

PlayStation Move Mall Tour Locations and Dates

Atlanta:
Lenox Square, 3393 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30326
September 20th through November 21st

Houston:
Katy Mills, 5000 Katy Mills Circle, Katy, TX 77494
September 20th through November 21st

NYC:
Garden State Plaza, 1 Garden State Plaza, Paramus, NJ 07652
September 20th through November 21st

Washington, DC:
Arundel Mills, 7000 Arundel Mills Circle, Hanover, MD 21076
September 20th through November 21st

San Francisco:
San Francisco Center, 856 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
September 20th through November 21st

Chicago:
Gurnee Mills, 6170 Grand Avenue, Gurnee, IL 60031
October 11th through November 28th’

So for those of you attending this mega conference (about 125,000 last year), I’ve put together a primer of the PlayStation presence at the San Diego Convention Center (and beyond).

The PlayStation Booth

We’re booth #4237, right next to our friends at SOE, and a stone’s throw from Capcom and WB. Play E3 favorites like LittleBigPlanet 2, Killzone 3, Gran Turismo 5 (in glorious 3D), The Sly Collection, God of War: Ghost of Sparta, a host of PlayStation Move titles, and more. Plus, we’ve always got cool giveaways and schwag!

PlayStation Gaming Cocktail (Thursday night)

This event is invite only – but we’re inviting (40 of) you! Join the PlayStation team to go hands-on with our latest first-party PS3, PSP and PSN titles, including MotorStorm Apocalypse, Dead Nation, Pixeljunk Shooter 2, echochrome ii, and more (in addition to everything we’re also showing at the booth). Grab a cocktail, chat with developers and go hands-on with content from the show floor and additional software titles.

Due to space restrictions, we can only get 40 of you into this exclusive event. If you’re going to be in San Diego on Thursday night, and are 21 or older (no exceptions), drop us a line at playstationcomiccon10@gmail.com (one entry per email) before midnight tonight PT (Monday, July 19th). Please include your first and last name, and if you’d like to bring one friend. We’ll notify you if you’re selected by end of day tomorrow, July 20th. Invitees will be selected randomly.

PlayStation Panels

Comic-Con is known for its panels, where you can get face time with your favorite creators. Make sure to line up early!

Origins and Evolutions of a Video Game Superhero – inFAMOUS 2 Panel & Q&A
Time: Thursday, July 22: 6:30PM –7:30PM • Room: 7AB
Sucker Punch Productions, the developer behind the critically acclaimed PS3 summer blockbuster inFAMOUS and the upcoming inFAMOUS 2, takes you behind the scenes in the making and evolution of superhero Cole MacGrath.

Twisted Metal Returns!
Time: Friday, July 23: 1PM – 2PM • Room: 8
Come meet game directors David Jaffe (God of War) and Scott Campbell (Downhill Domination) as they introduce the demented characters of the new game, share some early looks at the game’s twisted end stories, and show concept art of the PS3 Twisted Metal that never was!

The World That is God of War
Time: Saturday, July 24: 1PM – 2PM • Room: 7AB
Ru Weerasuriya and Dana Jan have helped to expand the God of War universe with their smash hit on PlayStation Portable, God of War: Chains of Olympus. Now they’re back, along with their talented team at Ready At Dawn Studios to expand upon this blockbuster mythological world with God of War: Ghost of Sparta. Join Ru, Dana, and team for this one-on-one interview and Q&A session.

Finally, here are a few of my (non-PlayStation-specific) picks for Comic-Con. These are the ones I’m going to try to make it to when I’m not covering the events above.

1:00-2:00 Video Game Comics: The Next Big Thing— Are video games the biggest thing to hit comics since superheroes? Richard George from IGN explores this phenomenon, along with representatives from Dark Horse, EA, IDW, and WildStorm. Featuring some of the hottest video game properties in comics, this is one panel fans of either medium won’t want to miss! Room 5AB

3:30-4:30 Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II Exclusive Live demo— LucasArts’s executive producer Haden Blackman presents a thrilling look at the sequel to the fastest-selling Star Wars game of all time. Blackman will share the latest scoop on Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II and show attendees how to use the Force at a devastating level never seen before. Room 6BCF

4:45-5:45 Capcom 2010 and Beyond!— See the latest trailers and get the inside scoop on all of Capcom’s most highly anticipated games for 2010 and beyond: Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, Sengoku Basara, Okamiden, Bionic Commando Rearmed 2, Ghost Trick, Dead Rising 2, and more. On top of all that, hear details on an exciting new game announcement by Capcom legend Keiji Inafune, the father of Mega Man! Room 6BCF

Friday

11:15-12:15 Marvel Interactive: Marvel Video Games— Learn all about Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, Super Hero Squad Online, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Thor and and other new games via exclusive trailers, surprise reveals, and Q&A with the game creators, as well as the Marvel writers working on the next wave of Marvel Games from some of the industry’s top publishers. Room 6DE

2:00-3:00 Marvel Vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds— The wait is over! After a decade of demand, Capcom delivers with Marvel Vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds! Learn all you need to know about the characters, levels, storyline, fight moves, and combos from producer Ryota Niitsuma and special advisor Seth Killian of Capcom, along with TQ Jefferson, director of games at Marvel Entertainment, and Frank Tieri, storywriter for Marvel Comics. Then show off your fighting game skills as audience members are chosen for some spontaneous challenge matches to win exclusive MVC3 prizes, followed by a Q&A session. Room 24ABC

3:30-4:30 Building a Horror Entertainment Franchise: Dead Space 2— The sequel to 2008′s award-winning horror videogame returns with its highly anticipated sequel in January 2011. Dead Space 2 unleashes a truly epic terror experience that will bring the psychological thrills of deep space to a terrifying new level beyond just video games. Executive producer Steve Papoutsis, art director Ian Milham, and producers Rich Briggs and Chuck Beaver will be talking about how they intend to establish Dead Space 2 among the top horror entertainment franchises in the world with a novel, animated feature, graphic novel, Motion Comic game and fan merchandise. Room 3

Saturday

3:30-4:30 DC Universe Online: The Next Legend Is You!— Superstars Jim Lee (Batman: Hush) and Mark Hamill (voice of The Joker, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: The Animated Series) join forces with the DC Universe Online development team to reveal the exciting backstory of this action MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) game. Jim, Mark, and key members of the development team from Sony Online Entertainment discuss how an earth-shattering chain of events will make you the key to the salvation or ruin of the DC Universe when the game launches this November. Room 5AB

4:00-5:00 Scott Pilgrim Vol. 6: Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour vs. The Fans— It’s been six years and six volumes spanning over 1,000 pages, and you’ve been there since the beginning! But there’s always been one burning question itching at the back of your brain that you thought would never be answered. Think no more! Ready your Q’s, mind your P’s, and join Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O’Malley for a battle royale as he quibbles the quips of his worst enemies…his fans! Room 25ABC

If you’ll be there, I’ll hope to see you. Don’t forget to pack your deodorant! If you’ve been to Comic-Con before, you know what I’m talking about.

Hey PlayStation.Blog Fans, SCEA is heading to Comic-Con this week and giving you the opportunity to play some of the new games from E3 last week. Each morning from 9:30am to 12:00pm, we’ll be holding BUZZ! Quiz TV competitions on the stage, come test out your knowledge of trivia and win prizes. In the afternoon, the stage will become the showcase for new talent with SingStar for PS3 from 1:00pm to 7:00pm.

Come by Thursday and Friday to play SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation with real Navy SEALs in the competition area. They will be making appearances at 11:00am, 2:00pm, and 5:00pm.

Saturday and Sunday, the competition area will feature Motorstorm: Pacific Rift. Race head-to-head and win free stuff.

All four days will also give you the opportunity to learn the in’s and out’s of creating and playing levels with LittleBigPlanet. Onstage demonstrations will take place daily at 11:00am and 2:30pm, but the LittleBigPlanet feature area will let you get hands on time with this falls most highly innovative title.

The PSP and PLAYSTATION Network will be making appearances as well. Come learn more about Skype, the PC store, internet radio and more for PSP; and see some of the hottest downloadable titles coming from PLAYSTATION Network.

For the swag lovers out there, we’ll be giving away bags everyday at 9:30am and 3:00pm along with a chance to win a PS3!

Our booth number is 4901, we hope to see you all there! For the rest of you, stay tuned for updates here on the PlayStation.Blog!