I want to thank each and every one of you for voting, debating, and commenting on our first annual awards! As predicted, the process wasn’t entirely without its hiccups, but in general I think it was a pretty good first attempt. That said, we absolutely want your feedback on next year’s awards, which will be bigger and better in many ways. Please provide your feedback in the comments – we’ll be referring to it in preparation for next year!

Also, be sure to listen to our new episode of PlayStation Blogcast, where GamesBeat Editor in Chief Dan Hsu joins us for a discussion of our favorite games of the year.

‘Nuff said. Read on to see the very best in PlayStation gaming for 2012 as chosen by PlayStation gamers worldwide.

PS3 Game of the Year

Assassin’s Creed III

This one was a squeaker, but Ubisoft Montreal’s period epic inched past a strong showing by Gearbox Software’s well-received shooter. FIFA 13 Soccer landed the most write-in votes, but not enough to place in the winner’s circle.

Borderlands 2

Call of Duty: Black Ops II

Far Cry 3

Dishonored – “In my book, this was the smartest, most distinctive FPS of the year, shoehorning adult themes, nuanced characters and sophisticated gameplay mechanics into a wincingly visceral campaign. Oh, and it was great to see so many primary colors too! Sequel please!”

– Fred Dutton, Manager, EU PlayStation.Blog

Borderlands 2 – “Sequels don’t always manage to one-up their predecessors, but Borderlands 2 does just that — in nearly every conceivable way. From the vastly improved story, to the motley cast of characters, to the massive volume of guns, Gearbox has planted their foot firmly in the ground as one of this generation’s premier FPS developers.”

– Justin Massongill, US PlayStation.Blog

XCOM: Enemy Unknown – “This game scratched an itch I didn’t know I had, weaving tense turn-based firefights into a shockingly addictive management simulation. This is a refreshing and utterly fascinating game with a surprise and a delight around every corner. Highly recommended.”

– Sid Shuman, Manager, US PlayStation.Blog

PS3 Game of the Year (PSN Only)

Journey

Thatgamecompany’s wildly original opus was always the favorite to win this category, though Telltale Games’ heartbreaking series The Walking Dead nearly overtook it in the final hours of voting. Queasy Games’ Sound Shapes took the most write-in votes.

The Walking Dead: Episodes 1-5

Tokyo Jungle

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Journey – “I’m going with the obvious choice here. Nothing else I played this year drew me in like thatgamecompany’s Journey. Despite the lack of communication and identity involved, I felt closer to my co-op partners in Journey than in anything else I’ve played this year… maybe ever. It’s an experience I wish I could wipe from my memory, just so I could have it for the first time again.”

– Justin Massongill, US PlayStation.Blog

Journey – “I won’t be alone in singling out thatgamecompany’s bewitching quest here. Some complained that it was too brief, but its three hours of playtime will surely live longer in the memory than almost any other release this year. This is joyful, uplifting, must-play material. And, no, there’s no shame in admitting its final moments set your bottom lip aquiver.”

– Fred Dutton, EU PlayStation.Blog

The Walking Dead: Episodes 1 – 5 – “Telltale’s memorable series starts small but slowly builds to towering emotional heights, culminating in what may be the greatest gaming moment of the year. This is a prime example of the narrative potential of videogames — don’t you dare miss it.”

– Sid Shuman, US PlayStation.Blog

PS Vita Game of the Year

UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss

The closest category in this year’s awards nearly ended in a three-way tie between Gravity Rush, Persona 4: Golden, and UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss. But in a photo finish, Bend Studios claims the Platinum prize. The most popular write-in vote was for Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward, which is also available on PS Vita game card.

Persona 4 Golden

Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation

Gravity Rush

Gravity Rush – “Alternately careening and frolicing through the skies of Hekseville provided some of the most enjoyable, empowering moments in gaming this year for me. A lush world and loveable character wrapped around a set of mechanics that feels downright awesome in the palm of your hands.”

– Nick Suttner, PlayStation Blogcast co-host

Persona 4 Golden – “JRPGs have seen a relative lack of representation in this gaming generation. But now that Atlus has rebuilt one of PS2’s most highly regarded games for PS Vita, they’ve proven that a well-written, visually striking, character-driven RPG can still find an appreciative audience.”

– Justin Massongill, US PlayStation.Blog

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale – “A tough choice, but my voracious appetite for portable pugilism ultimately tipped the scales in favor of the All-Stars. SuperBot’s slavish attention to detail shines on the OLED screen and the characters feel intoxicatingly powerful, making this a perfect choice for mobile encounters.”

– Sid Shuman, US PlayStation.Blog

PS Vita Game of the Year (PSN Only)

Sound Shapes

Innovative indie titles placed strongly in this category, with Queasy Games’ charming musical platformer handily securing the lead. Fun fact: Grasshopper Manufacture’s shooter Sine Mora was the top write-in vote.

MotorStorm RC

Super Stardust Delta

Escape Plan

Frobisher Says! – “Not many games are silly. Yet Frobisher’s minigame madness is supremely silly in all the right ways, a ton of fun, kind of beautiful, and free, free, free as a bird. Whether I was finding flan, making a terrible din, or not smiling at pandas, it was some of the most fun I’ve had on PS Vita this year.”

– Nick Suttner, PlayStation Blogcast co-host

Sound Shapes – “Jonathan Mak’s unique approach to game design yields one of the biggest surprises of the year: A whimsical musical platformer that whisks you away on a magical tour of five imaginative worlds, leading inexorably to a momentous meeting with Beck.”

– Sid Shuman, US PlayStation.Blog

When Vikings Attack! – “Okay, maybe I’m biased, but I found When Vikings Attack!’s bonkers Britishness impossible to resist. If there was a more satisfying mechanic in gaming in 2013 than flinging a skip at a gang of Viking invaders, I certainly wasn’t privy to it. If you’re after a hidden gem to discover this Christmas, you could do a lot, lot worse.”

– Fred Dutton, EU PlayStation.Blog

PS Mobile Game of the Year

Super Crate Box

In a surprisingly tight race with several favorites jockeying for position, Super Crate Box’s accessible, addictive formula came out on top in the PS Mobile arena. The most popular write-in vote? Lemmings.

Sixty Second Shooter

Aqua Kitty

Everybody’s Arcade

Rebel – “Super Crate Box is the easy choice, but with that well-trod I want to make sure that no one misses out on Rebel. A sort of anti-Crate Box that has you dodging falling weapons crates while turning enemies against each other, Rebel feels satisfying thanks to a brilliant reward loop of upgrades that turn time-waster into skillful navigator.”

– Nick Suttner, PlayStation Blogcast co-host

Super Crate Box – “This feels like the no-brainer of the group, though Bullion Blitz and Puzziball are definite gems. Simple but focused, Super Crate Box is one of those indefinable instant classics that you’ll understand the moment you lay hands on it. A sheer delight.”

– Sid Shuman, US PlayStation.Blog

Super Crate Box – “Believe it or not, I reckon I’ve played SCB more than any game in any category. Vlambeer’s bite-sized score-attack platformer was an ingenious confection, and nailed that just-one-more-game catchiness better than any other title this year.”

– Fred Dutton, EU PlayStation.Blog

Best Use of PlayStation Move

Portal 2 In Motion

Another tight race, with Sixense’s Portal 2 expansion pack beating back a potent showing from PlayStation Move favorite Sorcery and close runners-up Wonderbook: Book of Spells and Sports Champions 2, while Okami HD claimed the most write-in votes.

Datura – “Probably the best example yet of how PS Move can open up new ways to interact. Navigating the dreamlike forests of Datura from a first-person perspective using PS Move brings a hypnotic surreal quality, as well as a more tactile interface. Really cool stuff.”

– Sid Shuman, US PlayStation.Blog

Datura – “I like touching trees.”

– Nick Suttner, PlayStation Blogcast co-host

PixelJunk 4am – “Sure, it’s something of an acquired taste and plays best, as advertised, in the small hours after a night on the town, but Q-Game’s music plaything really got its hooks in me over the summer. If you like your digital entertainment arty, freeform and very, very bleepy, this one’s for you.”

– Fred Dutton, EU PlayStation.Blog

Most Anticipated PS3 Game

The Last of Us

Despite powerful resistance from Grand Theft Auto 5, Naughty Dog’s highly anticipated post-apocalyptic journey The Last of Us claimed the coveted Platinum prize. Bronze winner BioShock Infinite topped Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch by just a handful of votes, while Namco Bandai’s RPG Tales of Xillia earned the most write-in votes.

Grand Theft Auto 5

BioShock Infinite

God of War: Ascension

Puppeteer – “A close call between this and BioShock, but my innate predisposition towards anything involving 2D visuals, running, and jumping won through. Japan Studios’ lovely platformer is a true feast for the senses, shot through with a delightfully dark sense of humor and A-grade character design. One to watch out for.”

– Fred Dutton, EU PlayStation.Blog

The Last of Us – “An agonizing decision, but (sorry BioShock Infinite) I’m putting my money on Naughty Dog. I’m drawn to the game’s suffocating atmosphere of hopelessness, but I’m also dying to learn more about the fragile relationship between innocent Ellie and world-weary Joel. Fingers crossed that Naughty Dog pulls off something extraordinary here.”

– Sid Shuman, US PlayStation.Blog

Sportsfriends – “If you’ve ever managed to catch one at a gaming event such as PAX, you know that Johann Sebastian Joust, Hokra, BaraBariBall and Super Pole Riders are already some of the best local multiplayer games EVER, even in their unreleased forms. Having all of them on PSN, upgraded and collected as Sportsfriends, is just too exciting for words. Get ready to Joust!”

– Nick Suttner, PlayStation Blogcast co-host

Most Anticipated PS Vita Game

Killzone Mercenary

Strong showings from Sly Cooper, Soul Sacrifice, and Tearaway weren’t enough to unseat Guerilla’s upcoming powerhouse. Intriguingly, Atlus USA’s mysterious Dragon’s Crown earned the most write-in votes.

Soul Sacrifice

Tearaway

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time

Guacamelee! – “It’s been far too long since I got my hands on a unique exploration-based platformer. Guacamelee’s hyperactive art style and elbow-dropping personality promise to revitalize the genre popularized by games like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.”

– Justin Massongill, US PlayStation.Blog

Soul Sacrifice – “Inafune’s dark fantasy promises to bring some serious emotional gravity to the co-op battlefields, such as tragic boss monsters that beg for mercy and an alarming array of life-or-death choices. I’m particularly drawn to the grim, almost grotesque art style.”

– Sid Shuman, US PlayStation.Blog

Tearaway – “Can’t wait. Expect wild innovation, free-wheeling creativity and charm in abundance. If you don’t covet a PS Vita now, just wait until this one lands on shelves.”

– Fred Dutton, EU PlayStation.Blog

Journey also recently received the following nods so far this year. And while it’s such an honor to just be nominated for such prestigious awards, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this list grow even more over the course of the upcoming months:

• IGN Best of 2012 – Game of the Year, Best Overall Graphics, Best Overall Music, Best Overall Story, Best PS3 Graphics, Best PS3 Sound, Best PS3 Story, Best PlayStation Network Game, Best PS3 Game nominee
• Machinima Inside Gaming Awards 2012 – Best Art Direction winner
• X-Play Best of 2012 – Best Art Direction winner, Best Original Game winner

Today, on behalf of SCEA and the entire PlayStation Nation, I’d like to extend my congratulations to the extremely talented development team at thatgamecompany, including Journey composer Austin Wintory, whose brilliance and creativity has truly inspired us all. Thank you to the team at Santa Monica Studio and everyone else that has had a hand in bringing this transcendental and astonishing game to life. Journey, for many, remains one of the most amazing game experiences of our lives — one that we may never forget.

Please join me in congratulating the team by sharing your most memorable Journey moment.

We are so excited about the book and all of its special features that we wanted to share one of them with you today by giving away some of the exciting technology that is included in The Art of Journey. Our talented friends at Daqri have out done themselves and put together a truly unique experience for the Art of Journey. The Daqri team has developed an app that you can download for iOS here or for Android here and use it to enhance the book in a way we’ve never seen done.

The images literally come to life with scenes taken from some of your favorite moments in Journey! Check it out!

We’ve posted one of the images used for the 4D experience at www.TheArtOfJourney.com, labeled page 57, so you can try it on your own smart phone or tablet. There are several more 4D experiences in the book that you can play with once you have your own copy!

It works directly off your monitor if you don’t have access to a printer, but it works best when printed out in color so you can move it around however you like and show all your friends. Just launch the “Journey AR Viewer” app on your smart device, and point the camera at the image, and that’s it!

So be sure to order the book right away! And don’t forget that you can also now pre-order the Journey Soundtrack by Austin Wintory on CD here!

One final note: We wanted to say thanks to everyone who showed up at the book’s launch event hosted by Bluecanvas during the LA Art Walk! That night was really special for all of us, and we’re glad you could be a part of it. Also, For those lucky individuals that pre-ordered signed copies of the book, know that your books are on their way! We’re very excited to finally get to pull the curtains back on this spectacular book and release it to all the fans.

Seeing how Journey has resonated with players across the world, we wanted to work with the Santa Monica Studio to provide a deeper look into the visual development behind this critically acclaimed hit. So, we’re excited to let everyone know that we will be presenting you with a wonderful first-time look at the extensive artwork that went into bringing Journey to life. It’s the first book directly inspired by one of our games and is titled The Art of Journey and will be available for purchase in September.

This book, designed and written by and Matt Nava, art director on Journey, and in conjunction with BLUECANVAS Magazine provides an insider’s view into the stylistic influences, narrative functions, and game design goals that shaped the final look of the game.  Readers will discover how Journey’s landscapes, cut-scenes, and much-loved robed traveler came to be. For your enjoyment, The Art of Journey will come bound as an embossed hardcover book filled with gorgeous concept art, intricate pencil drawings, and 3D models printed in full color on art-quality paper.

In addition, the book has an innovative “augmented reality” feature powered by the Daqri 4D platform. By downloading a free companion app, readers will be able to point their smartphone or tablet’s camera at special images and see animated 3D models appear straight from the game. It’s a truly unique and innovative way to more fully experience the artwork of Journey.

We are especially proud to include a tribute in the book to the game’s players. Journey’s touching experience and memorable visuals have inspired many players to create their own artwork. Matt has collected some of the team’s favorites in a special fan art section which I hope will speak to those of you who have been moved by the Journey experience.

The Art of Journey will be accompanied by a voucher that will allow readers to download a free copy of the game’s soundtrack to their PS3.

Please continue to stay tuned for updates and sneak peeks for The Art of Journey. In the meantime, don’t forget to check out the Journey Collector’s Edition, which will be available on store shelves this coming Tuesday, August 28, and take a look at the video below for some insight into The Art of Journey.

From the simplicity of flOw, to the beauty of Flower, to the awe of Journey, this special Blu-Ray bundle features thatgamecompany’s three award-winning PlayStation Network-exclusive titles, paired with exclusive new content and previously released digital content.

The complete set of bonus flOw, Flower, and Journey content includes:

• Thirty-minute behind-the-scenes documentary about the making of Journey
• Creator Commentary playthroughs of all three games
• Three exclusive mini-games from thatgamecompany
• Concept art and screenshot galleries for all three games
• Original soundtracks for all three games
• PS3 dynamic themes and wallpapers
• PSN avatars including eight exclusive new Journey avatars never released before
• Official game trailers and developer diary videos
• Reversible cover art

We are particularly excited about the Creator Commentary play-throughs of all three games, because we get to share with fans insights about flOw, Flower and Journey straight from the minds of the designers, artists, engineers and composers who worked together to make these games so special.

Another really great treat for fans featured on the disc are the three exclusive mini-games. These were born out of a tradition we have here at thatgamecompany: the 24hr Game Jam. As the name implies, each of these games was created start to finish in just 24 hours. For the first time ever, thatgamecompany’s mini-games Gravediggers, Duke War!!, and Nostril Shot, will be available to play outside of our studio. We share these extra treats as a “thank you” to our players for supporting us over the years. In case the names didn’t already give it away, these mini-games showcase thatgamecompany’s lighter side with screwball competitive multiplayer action. We hope you sincerely enjoy their silliness as much as we have.

Please enjoy the official trailer for Journey Collector’s Edition, which highlights what’s in store for fans when thatgamecompany’s first Blu-ray disc release hits stores on August 28.

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.

This pack also comes with a nice selection of stickers to help you create your own Journey levels in LittleBigPlanet.

However the fun doesn’t stop there for Sackboy this week…

Also Coming This Week: Escape Plan Costume Pack!

If Sackboy isn’t journeying somewhere, then chances are that he’s escaping from somewhere instead and now Sackboy has the perfect outfit for the job, thanks to this great new costume based on the iconic characters from Escape Plan by the lovely folks over at Fun Bits Interactive.

These lovely new additions to Sackboy’s ever-growing wardrobe of popular video game costumes will be available on the PlayStation Store this week!

Mm Picks!

Last week’s Mm Picks saw a wonderful array of levels including a couple of amazing mini-games that really push the boundaries of artistic design, two classic platforming levels for Sackboy and if you’re just looking to relax, why not just play a nice game of Snakes and Ladders with some fellow Sackfolk or against some bots?

Test your Taste! Cartoon [1- 4 Player] by little-big-playe

Cubefield by pate59

Paris is for Lovers by TOBSn08

Neon Nature by iDance360

Snakes and Ladders by NemesisNinja

LittleBigPlanet Wiki – How To Enable/Disable Your Comments and Reviews

With the release of last week’s update for LittleBigPlanet 2, we gave players the new ability to be able to enable or disable their reviews and/or comments via LBP.me

So with the new update, the very friendly folks over on the LittleBigPlanet Wiki published a step-by-step tutorial to help inform the community on how to do just that!

LittleBigPlanet Wiki – Comment and Review Disabling Tutorial

If you’re wondering how to use LBP.me to make the best use of this new feature, then be sure to check out this helpful little tutorial.

The LittleBigPlanet Wiki is an ever-growing community collaboration of information and tutorials for LittleBigPlanet, which anybody is allowed to contribute to!

So if you feel that you have something to contribute to this massive encyclopedia of LittleBigPlanet knowledge or wish to contribute your own tutorials to help educate the LittleBigPlanet community, just head on over to the LittleBigPlanet Wiki and help spread the word to the community!

LittleBigPlanet on the Web

LittleBigPlanet Twitter – @LittleBigPlanet
LittleBigPlanet Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/littlebigplanet

LittleBigPlanet Community Team Twitters

Steven – @StevenIsbell
Spaff – @thespaff

Also of note is Escape Plan’s second month in a row in the #1 spot on the PS Vita lists! Can Lil and Larg go for a third month in April? Or will the releases of new PS Vita content like Disgaea 3 and The Pinball Arcade shake things up a bit?

Check out the full lists below for all the details from March. Did you help get Journey to the top spot? What are your predictions for April’s top PSN Game? Let us know in the comments below.

Top 20 PSN and PS3 Full Games

1) Journey – A true gem; Journey surpassed expectations with many gamers. Be sure to pick up the soundtrack when it drops on April 10th.
2) inFAMOUS Festival of Blood
3) Resident Evil 4
4) MotorStorm RC
5) Killzone3 Multiplayer
6) Mass Effect 3 – Debuting on the PlayStation Store the same day as it was available at retail, Mass Effect 3 took PSN users by storm.
7) Gotham City Impostors
8) Grand Theft Auto IV
9) Mass Effect 2
10) The Simpsons Arcade Game
11) Rayman 3 HD – Part of Spring Fever, Rayman 3 HD brought 3D platforming goodness in style!
12) NBA JAM: On Fire Edition
13) Warriors Orochi 3
14) The House of the Dead III – PlayStation Plus armed subscribers with a day-one discount that many felt was too good to pass up.
15) Limbo
16) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
17) Real Steel
18) Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection
19) Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
20) Sonic CD

Top 10 PS Vita Games

1) Escape Plan – The free Bakuki’s Lair level for Escape Plan hits users on April 10th!
2) Unit 13
3) Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack
4) Super Stardust Delta
5) Plants vs. Zombies
6) MLB 12 The Show
7) Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3
8) Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus
9) Rayman Origins
10) Hustle Kings

Top 5 PS3 Add-Ons

1) MLB 12 The Show Road to the Show Training Points (6,000) – Boost your Road to the Show player’s stats instantly.
2) Mass Effect 3: From Ashes
3) Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand
4) MLB 11 The Show Road to the Show Training Points
5) Final Fantasy XIII-2 – Sazh: Heads or Tails?

Top 5 PSone Classics

1) Final Fantasy VII – The king returns, along with Square-Enix’s other PS one Classics to take over the top 5.
2) Final Fantasy IX
3) Final Fantasy VI
4) Final Fantasy VIII
5) Chrono Trigger

Top 5 PSP Games

1) Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions – This classic may be benefitting from new life as a downloadable on PS Vita.
2) Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection
3) Monster Hunter Freedom Unite
4) Dissidia 012[duodecim] Final Fantasy
5) Mega Man Maverick Hunter X

It’s official: Spring Fever has been elevated to a full-on pandemic and gamers everywhere are showing symptoms. Case in point: our week-one title Journey has become the fastest-selling PSN title ever released by SCEA! Due to the overwhelming response to Spring Fever, we are delivering a bonus week packed with more special offers, starting with the multiplayer car combat game Wheels of Destruction and a 20% discount for PlayStation Plus members!

Wheels of Destruction‘s vehicular mayhem gives you tons of awesome weapons to decimate your enemies in the multiplayer arena. You can learn more about Wheels of Destruction in a series of dev diaries and videos here.

If automotive ultraviolence isn’t your bag, we hope you got a chance to check out PSN’s fastest-selling game Journey, an immersive online adventure that has enchanted gamers and critics alike. Journey is one trip you won’t want to miss, providing a deeply personal experience in which your path crosses with other players in unusual ways. You’ll also want to explore the eerie puzzles of Closure, last week’s highly reviewed Spring Fever entry.

Also arriving with this final week of Spring Fever is a deep 30% discount for Mortal Kombat content, with PlayStation Plus subscribers getting a whopping 50% off! Choose from any of the DLC packs for WB Interactive’s 2011 fighter Mortal Kombat, or pick up Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection and Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe! They’re a bloody good time.

Read on for the full list of this week’s Spring Fever releases.

Wheels of Destruction

• PS3 Game (Reg. $9.99, PS Plus $7.99)

Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection

• PS3 Game (Reg. $9.99, Sale $6.99, PS Plus $4.89)

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe

• PS3 Game (Reg. $19.99, Sale $13.99, PS Plus $9.79)

Mortal Kombat

• DLC Warrior Bundle (Reg. $14.99, Sale $10.49, PS Plus $7.34)
• Warrior Freddy Krueger (Reg. $4.99, Sale $3.49, PS Plus $2.44)
• Warrior Kenshi (Reg. $4.99, Sale $3.49, PS Plus $2.44)
• Warrior Rain (Reg. $4.99, Sale $3.49, PS Plus $2.44)
• Warrior Skarlet (Reg. $4.99, Sale $3.49, PS Plus $2.44)
• Klassic Skins Pack 1 (Reg. $4.99, Sale $3.49, PS Plus $2.44)

After we released Flower in 2009, players sent hundreds of emails about their experience with the game. They varied from a nine-year-old girl to a 65-year-old man, from a marine serving duty overseas, to a soldier returning from Iraq. There were even stories about a mother’s memory of her two children in the wheat fields, a surreal butterfly fantasy from someone’s grandmother who passed away, and a young man who spoke about his brother who has Down syndrome. Those kinds of letters are what drive us at TGC to keep working.

And now, the reaction to Journey has been even more overwhelming. We have received more letters from fans in the two weeks since Journey’s launch than we did for Flower over the past three years!

We owe a lot to our fans. In fact, idea of forming the thatgamecompany team to create games with Sony Santa Monica originated from several dozen emails that players sent in after playing our first student game, Cloud, from our time at USC. It was the players who told us how moving the game was and how it is important that we keep making these types of games so that more people in the world will realize what video games can be, and can grow to love games through our work. To me, that was a life-changing moment. I knew making games was my life calling.

This art piece expresses our gratitude.

Lastly, a lot of you have seemed to really enjoy the music in the game, which was composed by Austin Wintory. And we’ve received a lot of requests to release the soundtrack of the game. Well, I’m happy to announce that the soundtrack will be hitting the PS Store and iTunes on April 10, and there will be a limited CD release in the near future as well.

Thanks, again, for all your support. We’ll see you online!