Yo! I’m excited to finally announce that our first wave of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale DLC will be available February 12th. Here’s what to expect.

Kat graces PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale with her presence, as an up-close melee fighter who utilizes her ability to manipulate gravity to turn the tide in battle. Players who enjoyed Gravity Rush on PS Vita know that Kat loves to bend gravity to allow her to dash, slide, and fly from one place to another, and her All-Stars incarnation is no exception. Those who enjoy AP burst combos and varied mobility will definitely gravitate towards Kat.

Emmett Graves from Starhawk joins the fray! He brings his signature “Build & Battle” style from Starhawk, calling down different structures to aid him in battle, including Rift Extractors for AP and Flak Turrets that fire at will. Aside from his default rifle and pistol, Emmett can also call for additional weaponry in the form of shotgun and rocket launcher loadouts, allowing him to adapt to any situation. These loadouts will also change his level 1 super, giving him a total of five supers to choose from!

Rest assured that these DLC characters will be getting the same treatment the rest of our cast was given, including updated official website pages with moves and bios, alternate costumes, Arcade Mode cutscenes, Trial Modes, and more.

Our newest level, Fearless — a mash-up between Heavenly Sword and Wipeout — will also be available to purchase in February. Please note that purchasing Fearless will allow you to select the stage offline and in non-ranked lobbies, while those who choose not to purchase it can still enjoy it in ranked games online.

Kat and Emmett will be available to download February 12th, and will be free for the first two weeks, so mark your calendar and get them as soon as possible! We’re not stopping there though. We still have some more All-Stars on the way, so keep your eyes peeled in March for more info!

What? Me again? Wasn’t I just here to let you know that PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale had gone gold?

Have you ever wondered what dev teams do after a game goes gold? If all is going well, often times they get down to business with DLC. And in fact that’s exactly what we have begun. I’m here today to announce the first DLC characters that will be joining the All-Stars roster: Kat from Gravity Rush, and Starhawk‘s Emmett Graves!

In addition to the signature weapons you’ll remember from his duels with the Outcasts on Dust, Emmett’s playstyle will also utilize Starhawk’s unique “Build and Battle” system, calling down help from the sky.

Kat’s approach turns gravity on its head with some mind-bending new ways to move as she positions herself for her unique brand of aerial assault. Together, they make up one of the most original duos in All-Stars.

These DLC All-Stars still have a long way to go before they’re ready to be shown off, but we wanted to let you know what the team will be working on now that we’ve gone gold with the main game, and that you can look forward to playing them… for free!

Yes, you heard that right. We’re very happy to announce these first two DLC characters will be free to everyone for the first two weeks once they are available for download early next year.

That may sound a little tricky, so let me be clear: once Kat and Emmett are finished, we’ll put them up for download. They’ll be totally free for two weeks. The only limit is that you have a two-week window to claim the characters. Once you have Kat and Emmett, they are yours forever. That may sound like a lot to remember, so don’t worry, we’ll be back closer to their release to remind you of all these details.

Everyone at SuperBot, Bluepoint, and Santa Monica Studio has tried hard not only to make a great game, but also to keep the fans very firmly in mind, offering the most we can wherever we get the chance. So far we’ve offered exclusive free pre-order costumes, an amazing digital version for PS Vita at no cost when you buy the PS3 version, frame-accurate cross-play, and now Kat and Emmett coming soon for free!

We’ll have more information about these characters and more DLC news coming soon, so stay tuned here for more announcements, and thanks again to everyone that has supported us as we prepare to cross the finish line. Come join the party on November 20th as PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale launches, and I’ll see you online!

I teamed up with Ray Bautista, Product Manager of Digital Platforms Strategic Planning to give you a sneak peek at the Instant Game Collection for PS Vita and all of the benefits and features that PS Plus has to offer. Today I’ll walk you through some of the other new features you can look forward to with the system software update, including an email app, the ability to transfer content wirelessly between your PS Vita and PC, and enhancements to the web browser.

With the addition of PS Plus, and such a great lineup of exclusive games launching by this holiday, now is the perfect time to purchase a PS Vita.

As Ray mentioned, PS Plus will offer exclusive discounts and bonus features for both PS Vita and PlayStation 3 members. In addition to online storage for game saves, automatic updates and Trophy synching, PS Plus members will get access to the Instant Game Collection, a constantly updated library selection of games, starting when the PlayStation Store updates on Tuesday, November 20th.

Once you update your PS Vita to v2.00 and PS Store publishes next Tuesday, PS Plus members will be able to download the Instant Game Collection, which includes PS Vita games Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Jet Set Radio HD, WipEout 2048, Gravity Rush and Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack!, as well as (PSP) PlayStation Portable hit Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions.

Don’t forget that PS3 users with an existing PS Plus membership will be able to enjoy PS Plus features and services on both PS3 and PS Vita systems at no additional cost. You will be able to choose between the two subscription options — a three month plan for $17.99 and a one year plan for $49.99.

For more information on System Software Updates, please visit this page, which will provide additional details on v2.00 when the update goes live.

Great news for Canadian gamers – the PlayStation Vita 3G/Wi-Fi model will be available in Canada on October 2nd. We’re putting together a great bundle to launch the 3G/Wi-Fi Vita. It includes a download voucher for two exclusive PS Vita games – Gravity Rush and Unit 13 – and will be on-sale for $299. Rogers data packages will be available on a month-to-month basis.

The addition of 3G-network access is the perfect pairing for the gamer who wants convenience, community and connection on the go. PS Vita systems with an active Rogers data package can use software functionality developed specifically for the 3G-enabled model, including turn-based, asynchronous multiplayer gameplay, instantly updated rankings and leaderboards, immediate access to the latest downloadable add-on content, and real-time community news.

Gravity Rush was based on the inspiration I received from the artwork I saw in a magazine when I was a teenager. When I joined the industry, I thought that someday I would want to create a game with a world setting as vivid as that piece of art.

It’s been awhile since Japanese videogames have carried the clout that they used to in our industry. When I began my career, I was striving to find a way to break through. I thought about making a game based on the top global marketing strategies, major genres that were popular at that time, and even based on a character that would be widely accepted in the Western market. However, none of those concepts produced the results I desired, which is when I realized I was trying to put the cart in front of the horse.

After that, my ideas began to gain more momentum. The Gravity Rush project started with the simple idea of ‘making something based on my original vision,’ a game that has a brand new and exciting mechanic, gorgeous visuals, a captivating setting, fascinating storyline, and lovable characters. The goal was to deliver a game that contained each of these aspects. If you think of it, that’s what most games are targeting, and it makes sense to go back to the basics.

During the production process, we faced a few challenges and there were times when the game was misunderstood. However, thanks to the potential of PlayStation Vita, we were able to create something completely unique to the market. The path we took was similar to the character Kat’s, where she started off unsure of herself, but slowly gained the trust of her peers and became accepted and admired.

We’ve been receiving a tremendous amount of feedback from players since the title was released in Japan. I was both surprised and overwhelmed by the amount of comments I received. Most of the feedback was positive, and one comment that really touched me was: “It’s been awhile since I enjoyed a game like this that is truly innovative, and I believe that only a Japanese developer could have created such a work of art.” I really feel that my vision fit what the players wanted to see, and that I have truly achieved what I was striving for. That comment almost brought me to tears. This assured me that our thought process wasn’t wrong. I feel a state of fulfillment, and I’m sincerely hoping that everyone who plays the game will have a similar opinion.

With Gravity Rush launching today in the U.S., I wanted to not only take this opportunity to reflect on my experience creating the game, but look to the future and share that we have a great lineup of DLC on the way. First, I’m pleased to announce that if you purchase Gravity Rush for the first week on PSN for $35.99, you’ll also receive the Military DLC Pack for free (this promotion will run from 6/12 to 6/19).

In addition, on June 26th we’ll be releasing the Spy Pack. For just $3.99 you’ll receive a Spy Costume as well as two exciting new Side Missions and two Challenge Missions to unlock.

Then, on July 10th, you’ll be able to download the Maid Pack. Priced at $3.99, the Maid Pack offers a stylish Maid Costume and two additional unlockable Side Missions and Challenge Missions.

If you miss out on the Military Pack during launch week, you will also have the opportunity to purchase it starting on July 24th for $3.99.

I hope that you enjoy experiencing Gravity Rush and these three DLC packs as much as the team and I enjoyed creating them!

This year, we’re excited to share that art from four exclusive PlayStation titles is included in this year’s list of winners – The Last of Us (PS3), Journey (PSN), Gravity Rush (PS Vita) and wipEout 2048 (PS Vita) were chosen for this year’s collection. This is a true honor for SCEA and our developers.

Browse the gallery below to see the award-winning pieces (click to see the high-resolution versions) and read a few words from their creators. Congratulations all around!

The Last of Us

Developed by Naughty Dog, Inc.
“Broken Overpass” by Shaddy Safadi

Early in the pre-production of The Last of Us we all gravitated toward the idea of “beautiful decay” and “nature reclaiming the Earth.” We also knew that if we were going to go for survival action we had to push it a different direction. Certainly there would have to be moments of darkness and fear, but as much as possible we wanted to capture the awe and mystery that inherently comes from seeing something man-made being slowly overtaken by nature. There is an insane love of detail at Naughty Dog…not just a desire for detail but a LOVE for it. The way a rust texture creates a pattern on a disused soda machine, the way light bounces and reflects through leaves, and the story behind how these things got the way they are.

In this piece, we had started with no overpass and giraffes instead of deer! Our thought was that they escaped from the zoo, but after some iteration we realized that the idea looked silly. We ended up with deer, and the overpass was a last minute add-in to give some movement to the piece; but it ended up being the focus. We also tried three or four placements of Joel and Ellie, coming in from the foreground, coming in from the right and in the end I decided showing their small scale was the most compelling.

I love the way this game is shaping up and I’m grateful for this incredible honor from Into the Pixel. –Shaddy Safadi, artist

Journey

Developed by thatgamecompany
“The Call to Adventure” by Matt Nava

I’m glad this piece was chosen as this was taken directly from the game. This art piece is a collaboration between Art Director Matt Nava and Lead Engineer John Edwards, and one that captures the mood and essence of Journey. –Jenova Chen, Creative Director, thatgamecompany

Gravity Rush

Developed by Sony Computer Entertainment Japan Studio
“Gravity Daze” by Takeshi Oga

This is the scenery of Vendecentre, the biggest downtown area of Hekseveille in PS Vita’s upcoming open-world adventure Gravity Rush. I designed a great deal of scenery surrounding the city for this project. What I tried to achieve in this piece of art was to capture the best part of Hekseville and its surrounding atmosphere. The game itself is a series of intense action sequences; however in this image for a brief, quiet moment, our protagonist looks over her shoulder and sees the view.

When I was working on this piece, I had no idea that it would be used for the package art. I’m so pleased that our team found it to be such a defining representation of the game that they selected it for the cover.

Concept artists from overseas have always influenced me and that’s how I started working in this industry. I was not sure if my concept art would be accepted and valued overseas; so I am extremely happy and honored that my artwork was chosen for the Into the Pixel collection. I feel fortunate to be able to work on such a great title as Gravity Rush that inspires your imagination endlessly. –Takeshi Oga, Artist

wipEout 2048

Developed by SCE Studio Liverpool
“The 2048 Grid” by Darren Douglas // Art Directors Lee Carus and Marcus Tanner

The team has created a bunch of start-grids over the years in various Wipeout titles, and while it’s not something we usually get to explore in game too much, we all get excited and brainstorm ideas for just how those little pilots get into the ships and just how exciting it would be to be in that arena as the ships are being prepped for the race – the sounds, the smells, the anticipation. We always get carried away. This time, the race takes place on real city streets so we decided to have the ships and the pilots brought into the arena with much more fanfare in larger drop-ships and deposited on the race grid while the crowd looks on.

This image came as a bit of a surprise to me, it started off as a simple study of the unfolding gantry that holds the ship in check while doubling as the gangway for the pilot to get from the drop-ship to his or her racer….it ballooned into something a bit more intense, and once again, I got carried away. I added a city backdrop I’d created for an earlier image just to give it a little context. Now that I’d done the job of showing off the mechanism I realized I could put that version to one side and make another image which sacrificed the clarity of the mechanism for some real ground level intensity, something akin to the prepping of fighter jets on an aircraft carrier or the classic sci-fi launch sequences we all loved as kids. So I duped the ship fore and aft and was able to get some depth and chaos into the image.

In a previous concept I’d added large strips of intense red lighting on the ground that would change to amber, then to green as the race kicks off. This justified the intensity of the red under-glow that adds a little energy to the scene. So pretty quickly I’d wound up with a pic that seemed to sell a little of the drama of the race grid world. This is why I love the versatility of working on a computer, although I still can’t seem to drop that pencil for the initial stages. I’m pleased that this image has been accepted by ITP. It’s a good feeling when an image seems to work out – it more than makes up for all the ones that don’t! – Darren Douglas, artist // Art Directors Lee Carus and Marcus Tanner

For more information on Into the Pixel, please be sure to visit their official website.

Hi everyone! Gravity Rush launches exclusively on PS Vita on June 12 — not long from now! Today, we’ll be giving you a sneak peek at what’s to come with a new demo which will be available later today on PlayStation Store.

The Gravity Rush demo introduces you to our protagonist, Kat, as she awakens with no memory in the mysterious city of Hekseville. You’ll get a chance to help Kat discover new powers while testing out the game’s unique gravity mechanics which utilize PS Vita’s motion sensors. Then you can explore a bit of the Gravity Rush’s vibrant open world environment and try your hand at defending Kat and the city of Hekseville from an array of attacking Nevi enemies.

Be sure to check out the Gravity Rush demo on PSN later today! Also, don’t forget that the full game will be available in stores for $39.99and *and on PSN for $35.99 on June 12.

Hi everyone! Gaming is the bread and butter of PS Vita, with titles such as Resistance: Burning Skies, Sound Shapes and Gravity Rush launching soon.

Starting today, you’ll have even more reason to never stop playing. We’re very excited to announce the following PSP titles and minis will be available on the PS Vita Store, with many more coming soon. These aren’t just the same games you might have played at one time in the past! Check out the full list below, and we’ll keep you posted as further titles are brought to PS Store.

Available Today

PSP Titles:
Cho Aniki Zero (Aksys Games Localization, Inc.)
Strikers 1945 Plus (PM Studios, Inc.)
Tom Clancy’S Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 (UbiSoft, Inc.)
Tom Clancy’S Rainbow Six: Vegas (UbiSoft, Inc.)
Valhalla Knights 2: Battle Stance (XSEED JKS, Inc.)
Ys: I & II Chronicles Digital (XSEED JKS, Inc.)

PSP minis:
Aero Racer (Halfbrick Studios)
Age Of Zombies (Halfbrick Studios)
Blast Off (Halfbrick Studios)
Dynogems (StormBasic)
Echoes (Halfbrick Studios)
Me Monstar: Hear Me Roar (Cohort Studios)
Vempire (Impressionware Srl)

Coming Soon

PSP Titles:
3D Twist & Match (Sanuk Games)
Aedis Eclipse: Generation Of Chaos Legacy (NIS America, Inc.)
Bejeweled 2 (Sony Online Entertainment LLC)
Beta Bloc (D3 Publisher of America)
Brain Challenge (Gameloft)
Dead Head Fred (D3 Publisher of America)
Field Commander (Sony Online Entertainment LLC)
Gods Eater Burst (D3 Publisher of America)
Groovin’ Blocks (Sony Online Entertainment LLC)
King Of Pool (Nordcurrent UAB)
Luxor: Pharaoh’S Challenge Umd Legacy (Mumbo Jumbo)
Major League Baseball 2K10 (2KGames)
Mercury Meltdown (Ignition Entertainment)
Mx Vs Atv Untamed (THQ, Inc.)
Peggle (Sony Online Entertainment LLC)
Prehistoric Isle (SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION)
Puzzle Quest: Challenge Of The Warlords (D3 Publisher of America)
Reel Fishing: The Great Outdoors Legacy (Natsume, Inc.)
Split Second (Disney Interactive Studios)
Super Pocket Tennis (D3 Publisher of America)
The Red Star (XS Games, LLC)
Unbound Saga (Vogster Entertainment, LLC)
Undead Knights Digital (Tecmo Koei America Corporation)
Uno (Gameloft)
Untold Legends: Brotherhood Of The Blade (Sony Online Entertainment LLC)
Untold Legends: The Warrior’S Code French (Sony Online Entertainment LLC)
Work Time Fun (D3 Publisher of America)
WWE All Stars (THQ, Inc.)
WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2010 (THQ, Inc.)

PSP minis:
5 In 1 Solitaire (Digital Leisure)
Alien Zombie Death (PomPom Games)
Arcade Air Hockey & Bowling (Icon Games)
Babel: The King Of The Blocks (StormBasic)
Bashi Blocks (Icon Games)
Bermuda Triangle (SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION)
Breakquest (Beatshapers)
Bubble Trubble (Creat Studios)
Card Shark (Laughing Jackal Ltd)
Carnivores: Ice Age (Beatshapers)
Cohort Chess (Cohort Studios)
Doodle Fit (Gamelion)
Doodle Pool (Big Head Games)
Duael Invaders (Laughing Jackal Ltd)
Enigmo (Beatshapers)
Family Games (Icon Games)
Farm Frenzy (Alawar Entertainment, Inc.)
Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock Of Firetop Mountain (Laughing Jackal Ltd)
Fly Fu (Invictus Games LTD.)
Galcon Labs (Beatshapers)
Gamocracy One : Legend Of Robot (AYEWARE / Bearded Ladies Consulting)
Gold Medalist (SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION)
Guerrilla War (SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION)
Hal 21 (SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION)
Hero Of Sparta (Gameloft)
Hysteria Project 2 (Sanuk Games)
Ikari Warriors (SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION)
Ikari Warriors Ii: Victory Road (SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION)
Jelly Pops (PomPom Games)
Karimogi (StormBasic)
Labyrinth (Bigben Interactive, S.A.)
Let’S Golf (Gameloft)
Marvin’S Maze (SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION)
Mecho Wars (Creat Studios)
Omg-Z! (Laughing Jackal Ltd)
One Epic Game (Grip Digital)
Ozma Wars (SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION)
P.O.W. – Prisoners Of War (SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION)
Pipe Madness (AYEWARE / Bearded Ladies Consulting)
Pix N Love Rush (Sanuk Games)
Psycho Soldier (SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION)
Red Bull X-Fighters (Xendex)
Rumble Trucks (Playerthree Ltd)
Street Smart (SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION)
The 2D Adventures Of Rotating Octopus Character (Dakko Dakko Ltd.)
The Impossible Game (Grip Digital)
The Marbians (Nordisk Film Distribution A/S)
Twin Blades (Sanuk Games)
Vanguard Ii (SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION)
Wackylands Boss (Creat Studios)
Yetisports (Xendex)
Zombie Racers (Big Head Games)

It’s been almost three months since we launched PS Vita here in the U.S. and we’re continuing to find ways to add to your portable entertainment experience. With the recent launch of non-gaming apps such as Skype and Paint Park, and upcoming apps such as Treasure Park and Wake Up Club, all available for free, the PS Vita is an ever-evolving platform that keeps you connected to the content and experiences that are most important to all of you gamers.

What PSP games are you most excited to play on PS Vita?

Gravity Rush incorporates the theme of Bande Dessinee (BD), a popular Franco-Belgian comic book art style. There are various types of BD style and they can be perceived in many ways. We first approached an element of BD we thought would fit well into the pre-existing game art. One of the differences between realistic expression and schematic expression represented by BD is that BD exaggerates the information that author wants to convey to the audience. By doing so, it conveys more of the accurate information that the author wants to be recognized.

While considering the gravity mechanic in the game, we brainstormed with these elements in mind. If a player can move around freely, the level should not only be big horizontally, but also vertically. Therefore, we designed the city with multiple levels of layers and structures.

Additionally, the line drawing method was used to exaggerate buildings and allow them to be more easily recognized. We also enhanced the color of the sky in order to give additional sensory information to the players.

The direction we chose to use for the game’s graphics conveys the necessary information with exaggeration that matches the player’s sensation. Taking that into consideration, we also wanted to use line drawings, the characteristic of BD and the simulation of beautiful air effects. I think the broader the game art expression becomes, the more interactive a game becomes.

Another important factor is the concept of a “living background.” This is the idea of bringing the game world itself to life so that users can actually ‘feel’ it. Basically, players can interact with certain objects in the game and they can actually get into the scenery within the remote background. Environmental background is not a piece of a picture, but it actually exists within the game, and we can use that background with our gameplay. That was our ultimate goal. By combining the unique art style of BD and the idea of living background, we created a sensation that could only be brought to life with a video game.

As a special treat, I am happy to share this concept movie that we created during the early stages of Gravity Rush’s development. Click on the video below for a sneak peek at the game’s unique art style in motion before it launches in North America on June 12th.

What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

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.