PS Vita

PS Vita’s game library is growing rapidly, and some of the biggest franchises in gaming are launching on the platform this holiday. In addition to the PlayStation Plus announcement providing an instant game collection for PS Vita, we are also celebrating the holidays with several incredible deals. The Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation, Call of Duty Black Ops: Declassified, and Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes PS Vita bundles will be available for $199.99 (MSRP)* on Black Friday and Saturday only. Here are the details (check your local retailers for availability):

PS3

Black Friday is also a big day for PlayStation 3, where we continue to offer incredible value and the only platform that continuously celebrates the gamer. Two of the most popular first party PS3 franchises will be combined to bring you the Ultimate PlayStation 3 Value Bundle for only $199 (MSRP). This bundle includes a 250GB PS3 System, 30 Day PlayStation Plus Trial, Uncharted Dual Pack (including Uncharted 1 and Uncharted 2), and inFAMOUS Collection (including inFAMOUS 1 and inFAMOUS 2), giving you over $119 in savings.

There will also be special pricing available for new and existing colors of DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controllers at select retailers nationwide. Find a variety of DS3 controllers for only $39.99 (MSRP).

All of these bundles are in limited supply so don’t wait to take advantage of and save on these deals. Happy shopping PlayStation fans — we hope you have a happy holiday!

* Please check local retailers for pricing and availability.

Available today at retailers near you and September 25th on the PlayStation Store, the PlayStation Collection is packed to the, uh, packaging with extra digital content that guarantees you’ll be getting the most out of your purchase this fall. Whether for yourself or as a gift, these are going to be a great chance to check out some of our greatest exclusive franchises.

To quickly recap, here’s what your getting in each Collection:

God of War Saga ($39.99)

• God of War, remastered in HD
• God of War II, remastered in HD
• God of War III
• God of War: Origins Collection (which includes God of War: Chains of Olympus and God of War: Ghost of Sparta)
• Full PlayStation Network Trophy Support
• Exclusive Bonus Content
• Voucher For 1 Trial Month of PlayStation Plus

inFAMOUS Collection ($39.99)

• inFAMOUS
• inFAMOUS 2
• inFAMOUS: Festival of Blood
• Extra missions
• Additional character costumes, power ups and weapon styles

Ratchet & Clank Collection ($29.99)

• Remastered versions of classic Ratchet & Clank games from PS2 in 1080p with 3D support (in 720p)
• Ratchet & Clank
• Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando
• Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
• Online Multiplayer Support for Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
• Full PlayStation Network Trophy Support
• FREE 10th Anniversary Ratchet & Clank Avatar
• EARLY ACCESS to the Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time Demo

As an added treat for those of you wondering what the inside covers are going to look like – here they are in all their glory!

We’ve been really happy to see such a positive response from the community and thank you for your continued support of PlayStation. This is just the beginning. Keep an eye out as we announce even more additions to the PlayStation Collection in the coming months!

The newest additions to the “Greatest Hits” library include:

• inFAMOUS (Sony Computer Entertainment)
• God of War Collection (Sony Computer Entertainment)
• Killzone 2 (Sony Computer Entertainment)
• LittleBigPlanet Game of the Year (Sony Computer Entertainment)
• Resistance 2 (Sony Computer Entertainment)
• Dead Space (Electronic Arts)
• Fight Night Round 4 (EA Sports)
• Resident Evil 5 (Capcom)
• Soulcalibur IV (NAMCO BANDAI Games)
• UFC 2009 Undisputed (THQ)

With nearly 40 “Greatest Hits” titles for you to choose from, you can pick up that AAA game you’ve had your eye on. Enjoy!

Our official forums (available at boardsus.playstation.com) have been buzzing with speculation as to when nDreams’ wildly-popular Musicality personal space was going to hit stateside. We here on the PlayStation Home Community Management have been anxiously awaiting the opportunity to announce that this highly-interactive personal space will be available in the Estates store come Thursday, March 18. Why? Because not only are we all bona fide music nerds, but because this is easily one of the most unique personal spaces to ever grace the platform. A veritable cornucopia of creativity, the Musicality personal spaces allows up to four people at a time to take control of an array of keyboards, drums, guitar, and a DJ console and perform music live in front of their friends. With hundreds of different loops at your disposal, the possibilities are endless in terms of the songs you and your friends can create and perform. Check out the video below for a taste of what to expect when this revolutionary new personal space releases this week.

Also available this week is a new addition in our line of luxurious personal spaces – a tropical retreat plucked straight out of the south Pacific and hand-delivered to your Home. Whether you are a straight up beach bunny or just taking a break from your latest surfari, this seaside abode is the perfect place to lay back and relax (or jump into the sand and kick a ball around). Watch this video for an overview of this hot (no pun intended) personal space, which promises to offer as much fun as it does sun.

Months back we asked you, the loyal PlayStation Home community, what kind of virtual items you would most like us to release. We all anticipated the answers we would receive (hello Star Wars!), but nonetheless I love to be the bearer of good news; the one that gets to say “boo-yah” in this here Blog. So, without further ado, we present new Resistance, inFAMOUS, and Twisted Metal ornaments and costumes galore! We’re talking everything from a Sweet Tooth costume to a Daedalus statue to a full Alden get-up. Don’t believe me? The evidence is below…

This week plays hosts to a ton of community events that can only be experienced in PlayStation Home. For instance, tonight from 6:00pm – 7:00pm PT (9:00pm-10:00pm EST) in PlayStation Home’s Theater 8, there will be a special meet-and-greet with Doc and Luge from the exclusive PlayStation Network reality show The Tester. Come prepared with your most burning questions, and stay tuned to the Blog for details regarding additional guest appearances from The Tester cast in PlayStation Home.

And, as with any week, be sure to visit the Theater each Thursday to watch the newest episode of The Tester, pick up free rewards, and grab commemorative items from the kiosks in the Theater and Central plaza (pictured below). This week we are airing Episode 5 as well as hosting a marathon screening of Episodes 1-4 in Theater 7 over the weekend!

Also scheduled for this week is a special PlayStation.Blog Meetup in the PlayStation Home Theater. Come out on Thursday night from 5:00pm – 7:00pm PT (8:00pm – 10:00pm EST) to watch an exclusive PlayStation Move video with the PlayStation Home and Blog community, get some face time with the players that bring you a never-ending stream of news on the Blog, and pick up free – and exclusive – virtual items. I grabbed a quick shot of my fellow HCM team member, GlassWalls, sporting the exclusive PS Blog belt buckle to post below. Be sure to come out tomorrow night and participate in the festivities or you will lose out on the opportunity to add these limited items to your collection.

Speaking of my buddy GlassWalls – As many of you hardcore Home-people know, he is heading up the Home Community Volunteer program, which is now accepting new candidates. He sent me this message just a few moments ago and asked that I pass along the good word…

Hey everyone!

Over the past year, the PlayStation Home community has expanded its population exponentially. With this growth comes a need for more friendly and knowledgeable power users to help the throngs of newcomers that may need a little help getting oriented. That’s why I want YOU to apply to be a member of the PlayStation Home Community Volunteer program!

From serving as a guide for new users to helping out with community events, the PlayStation Home Community Volunteer program offers a great outlet to the most passionate Home users to help give back to the community that enriches their online gaming experience. So if you want to contribute to the growth of this vibrant social gaming community, I urge to you to follow THIS LINK and apply to become a member of this quickly-growing, and highly-popular, volunteer program!

Looking forward to hearing from you!

–GlassWalls

If the new price point’s not incentive enough, beginning on December 10th, Cole’s ‘Gigawatt Blades’ Super Power, will become available for FREE on PlayStation Network. The Gigawatt Blades supercharge Cole’s arm into blades of pure energy which can be used to cause massive damage against enemies during melee combat.

In other inFAMOUS news, the official game soundtrack which features three previously unreleased bonus tracks will be released December 8th to retail outlets through Sumthing Else Music Works and is now available for digital download on Sumthing Digital.

And one special final note, we’d like to send out congratulations to Sucker Punch Productions as inFAMOUS has sold over 1.2 million copies as of October 2009 – congrats guys!

Welcome back to your all-points BOLO bulletin wherein I give you, the beautiful people of the PlayStation Home community, a head’s up on what to keep your eyes open for in our next publishing update. This Thursday, you’ll see that we decided to start the 4th of July festivities a few days early – and with a serious bang – by shooting some truly explosive content your way.

Up first is the electrifying inFAMOUS game space: The Abandoned Docks of Empire City. This awesome space supports the next level of UGC (User-Generated Content) on the Home platform with its Graffiti Wall mini-game. Here, you can use our graffiti tools to design your own unique art to display to your friends. There’s also a voting feature so that you can give props to the creators of your favorite designs, and a feature that allows you to share your masterworks and check out your friends’ latest and greatest creations – be it simple scribbles or extravagant frescos.

The Abandoned Docks of Empire City also marks a first for Home in that it will broadcast exclusive media developed by Sucker Punch, specifically for the hardcore inFAMOUS fans. And to top it all off, we also managed to squeeze an extra mini-game into the space – a scrolling shooter-type button-masher called Reaper Shock that lets the community compete for high scores on the built-in global leaderboard (and rewards the most highly skilled with some rad reward items to decorate your avatar and your personal space with). For a full walk-through on the new space, check out the story on IGN.

In other news: Ubisoft continues to deliver by patching their hit title Far Cry 2 to support game launching in Home. So be sure to visit the Far Cry 2 space to meet up with new people to launch into the multiplayer version of this groundbreaking FPS, and keep your eye on the official PlayStation Home Clubs and Events forums at PlayStation.com for more details about the special Far Cry 2 game-launching events we have planned for later this week.

Those of you that participated in the epic Hamsters vs. Humans battle a few weekends back will be rewarded with your free aviator helmets (for the guys) and fedoras (for the girls) for doing your part in helping keep Home pro-Human…for the time being at least. We’ll also be making available some limited Independence Day-themed goods, some basketball and hockey gear for you sports fanatics, free G-Force shirts, and assorted other apparel. So be sure to check out the Mall for updates to our stores come Thursday morning.

On top of all this, we’ve managed to work out a few pesky bugs that you have reported to us over at the official PlayStation Home Support sub-forum at PlayStation.com. You’ll notice that your Ghostbusters Firehouse and Loot Sound Stage personal spaces can now support Picture Frames (and that the latter has been patched for voice chat capabilities). As always, we thank you for your patience while we work to optimize your Home experience and encourage you to continue to report any bugs to us using the aforementioned Support sub-forum.

See you all in Home!

• In addition to the kitchen espresso, the inFAMOUS team traveled to Starbucks approximately 18,200 times. Two groups of 10 people per day, five days a week.
• There were 10 inFAMOUS babies born during development. One employee had two during that time.
• It took over 70,000 separate art, code and media check-in submissions to make inFAMOUS.
• The inFAMOUS team consumed 17,472 cans of diet Coke and 13,104 cans of diet Pepsi during development.
• There were no less than 14 high rise buildings constructed within 3 blocks of Sucker Punch’s offices during the inFAMOUS development cycle.

Here are a few more fun facts about inFAMOUS worth mentioning…

• inFAMOUS is the fastest demo to reach the 1 million milestone on the PlayStation Network.
• According to a recent NPD report, inFAMOUS was the fifth best-selling software title for the month of May after being on the shelves for only 6 days (the title launched on May 26).

We’ve also got a new video to share… check out this walk-through video of the Titanic Beatdown mission with commentary from Sucker Punch Game Designer, Darren Bridges.

But wait, we still have one more fun fact to share with you all…

We’re excited to announce that a new inFAMOUS space will be launching in Home very soon. We’ll have a lot more details on the new space for you all next week, so please stay tuned!

As we mentioned in an e-mail to subscribers, we experienced a delay in releasing the final version of Episode 13 and apologize for the inconvenience.

This month marks a milestone for Qore—its first birthday! When the PlayStation Network launched the show a year ago, we were very excited about the opportunity to give gamers a unique glimpse into the world of PlayStation.

We want to thank everyone for their support during this fast and furious year for PlayStation Network’s first original production.

And now, the episode at hand:

Almost inFAMOUS
In Episode 11, we saw how the unique music of inFAMOUS was created. This time, we head to Seattle to visit Sucker Punch, developers of the Sly Cooper franchise, to witness the fascinating way they’ve created “karma” in their electrifying PS3 debut. We also utilize their development rig to capture the amazing particle effects of the game in super slo-mo.

Lords of the Ring
Muhammed Ali is the self-proclaimed ‘Greatest of All Time.’ Mike Tyson was unstoppable in his prime. EA’s Fight Night 4 provides the setting for the ultimate fantasy boxing match as Veronica visits the passionate pugilists at EA Canada to go a few rounds and stir up the debate.

Playing With Dolls
What does it take to join one of the most well-known clans in gaming? How do these ladies handle themselves in a predominantly male-dominated activity? Veronica Belmont finds out as she competes for an opening on the Frag Dolls’ roster.

Everyone who downloads Qore this month will receive an exclusive inFAMOUS PS3 “Bad Karma” theme as well as Qore T-shirts for Home that you can wear with pride! Enable the T-shirts in Qore and access them through your Home wardrobe. New Qore subscribers will also receive High Velocity Bowling.

Finally, to commemorate the release of a slew of new PSone classics on the PlayStation Store, we’re offering all Qore purchasers the original Spyro the Dragon. Fans of the classics will be happy to know that the number of PSone titles available on the PlayStation Store will nearly double by the year’s end.

Look for Qore Episode 13 available Thursday.

We are starting NOW with inFAMOUS, the incredible new open world action title from Sucker Punch that hit store shelves last week, MAG – the first and only 256 player FPS coming out of our Zipper studio, UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves, the latest epic creation from the brilliant, creative minds at Naughty Dog, and Ratchet and Clank Future 2: A Crack in Time, another exciting chapter in the Ratchet series from our long-time partners at Insomniac… and the list goes on.

Our team invests the time and dollars to bring you a diverse library of games, games which our competitors might find too risky to take a chance on. Make sure to check the news from the press conference to see and hear a little more about Worldwide Studios future vision. We showed an incredible 14 disc based first party games today that you simply will not find on another system.

For example, I’m excited to announce the debut of the next big thing in the Play, Create, Share genre – ModNation Racers. This game joins LittleBigPlanet as another truly innovative title in a genre that continues to be defined by Sony. In ModNation Racers, the players can design their own karts, drivers and tracks with an intuitive, yet amazingly deep set of tools. In fact, the tools are so deep, the developer, United Front Games, is using the tools to build the entire game! We will have a lot more to share on ModNation Racers, so stay tuned.

I’m incredibly excited about the SCE first party exclusive lineup over the next 6-12 months, and I’m only scratching the surface in this quick post. To whet your appetite, take a look at the new UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves.

Be sure to check back for details during and after E3 for more updates.

Destroy and Rebuild is a Brooklyn based collective centered around four graffiti artists instrumental in inspiring the current generation of street artists. At the heart of the collective is legendary graffiti artist, Mike “2ESAE” Bacca, who was featuring in 2008’s groundbreaking documentary, Bomb It. Check out their other pieces here.

Please note that the promotion is U.S. only and at select 7-Eleven stores that carry the inFAMOUS game. To find your local 7-Eleven, click here.