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Killzone: Ascendancy Author Sam Bradbury Talks Novelization

Victor Zuylen — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:59:19 +0000

You saw through their eyes and guided their actions, but do you really know what drives Tomas ‘Sev’ Sevchenko and Rico Velasquez? Sam Bradbury does – for his novelization of Killzone 3, the author delved deep into the game’s story to answer these and other questions. We sat down with Sam for a short Q & A about Killzone: Ascendancy.

Killzone.com: What was the most challenging part of writing Killzone: Ascendancy?
Sam Bradbury: It was maintaining the excitement and forward momentum of the game as well as delivering the depth and insight that readers expect from a novel. And there were times when the gameplay elements were incompatible with the demands of a book, so working to make them gel and complement each other was demanding, but of course very fulfilling when it all comes together.

Killzone.com: What was the most fun part of writing Killzone: Ascendancy?
SB: Apart from the above, it was being able to go into detail about Sev’s background. We fleshed out his character in the book, I think, in a way that informs many of the decisions he makes in the game, so the book really acts as a companion piece to the game in that sense. An essential companion piece I would say – but then I would!

Killzone.com: If it was up to you, what would you explore next in the Killzone Universe?
SB: One of the best things about the Killzone universe is that doesn’t break down into ‘these are the goodies and these are the baddies.’ The morality is a lot more nuanced than that. I’ve seen people debating on the forums about who’s the worst: the Helghast or the ISA. So for that reason I think it would be great to do something from the perspective of the Helghast. We touched on it in Killzone: Ascendancy, but there’s a whole other world there to explore. Also I found the appearance of Visari’s daughter at the beginning very tantalizing…

Killzone: Ascendancy is now available from Penguin Books in paperback format and from Amazon.com in Kindle format.

PlayStation: 15 Years In The Making…

Rey Gutierrez — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:01:42 +0000

Today we celebrate 15 Years of PlayStation, the gaming industry and most importantly, the PlayStation fan. It is an honor to officially kick off our celebration on the PlayStation.Blog with a retrospective journey and history lesson 15 years in the making.

The PlayStation, the PlayStation 2, the PlayStation Portable, the PlayStation 3 — these aren’t just names to Sony gaming products — these are milestones in every gamers’ coming of age story. Twisted Metal, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy VII, Killzone and God of War, aren’t just clever titles to PlayStation classics — but defining moments in gaming history where PlayStation stands above the rest, delivering memorable experiences and jaw-dropping moments.

Sitting at PlayStation and being part of this amazing journey as a gamer and now working with the PlayStation team, I can’t help but recollect my first encounter with Metal Gear Solid. Within moments of popping in my PlayStation Underground disc, and booting the MGS demo — I knew right there and then what I wanted to do with my life. I must have shredded through several layers of protective coating on the PlayStation disc, playing the MGS demo over and over, patiently waiting for Hideo Kojima’s classic. If I can define my favorite PlayStation moment in two words, it would be: Pyscho Mantis.

Where were you on September 9th, 1995?

New in PlayStation Home: 3 New Personal Games + Killzone 2 & Monkey Island 2 Items

Locust_Star — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:18:03 +0000

With every passing week more and more awesome games arrive into the ever-expanding world on PlayStation Home. And this week promises to continue in this rich tradition of compelling content and exclusive gaming experiences, as we release three highly-anticipated games for use in your clubhouses and personal spaces.

By popular demand, our friends at VEEMEE are delivering special versions of Darts and Pool that you can share with your friends in the personal location(s) of your choice. To sweeten the deal, those of you that have already added VEEMEE’s London Pub personal space to your collection will receive a discount on each of these games ($1.99 for Darts, $2.49 for the English and American Pool package), which will be available from the Exclusives store beginning this Thursday, July 15th. So take this as your “cue” to “dart” on over to the PlayStation Home Mall and prove once and for all that you are the King (or Queen) of two of PlayStation Home’s most popular games.

Fans of the recently-released Midway space will finally be able to add the Trigger Happy-in-a-Box game to their collection of personal games. This game will be available at a discounted price of $0.49 for players that have purchased the Midway Bar Key (similarly, if you purchase the Trigger Happy-in-the-Box game at its full price of $2.99 you will receive a discount on the Midway Bar Key). Be sure to add this game to your collection by visiting the Midway space or the Exclusives store in the PlayStation Home Mall starting this Thursday.

Last but not least, the long-awaited Killzone 2 Radec costume will be made available this week along with additional Monkey Island 2 items. You can pick up the former from the Threads store in the PlayStation Home Mall while the latter can be found in the LucasArts store come this Thursday.

See you in Home!

New PS3 Greatest Hits Titles Available Now

Ami Sheth — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 16:01:54 +0000

Hi everyone! We have some exciting news for those of you looking for another way to take advantage of the great value of the PS3 system. We’ll be rolling out ten, yes TEN, new PS3 “Greatest Hits” titles at retailers in U.S. and Canada over the course of the next few weeks. For $29.99 (MSRP), you can expand your library with some of our best-selling games like inFAMOUS, God of War Collection, Killzone 2 and Resident Evil 5 at an incredible price.

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!

Happy Holidays From Guerrilla!

Sebastian Downie — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 12:59:49 +0000

Between the release of Killzone 2, the Behind The Bullet demo, the three DLC map packs and the PlayStation Home content, this has been an extremely eventful year for all of us here at Guerrilla. We wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to you, the fans, for supporting us throughout 2009 – by cheering us on, by playing our game, by giving us feedback and by sharing your passion. Without your enthusiasm, there simply wouldn’t be a Killzone 2. We hope you have a wonderful Christmas and an exciting New Year!

We hope you’ll come visit us regularly at Killzone.com.

Killzone is (almost) Five! – Celebrate with a Double XP Weekend and More

Eric Boltjes — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:04:32 +0000

November 26 will be a very special day for all of us here at Guerrilla. On that day, exactly five years ago, the very first Killzone title for PlayStation 2 hit the shelves in Europe. Sure, the game had already been released in the US three weeks prior, but hey…Guerrilla is based in the Netherlands. We commemorate the 26th because that’s the date that we were finally able to see the fruits of our labor in Dutch stores.

Of course, it would be a shame to leave this occasion unmarked –- and I’m not talking about the champagne and strange Dutch snacks we’ll undoubtedly be having at the studio. We also want to celebrate it with you, the fans. After all, the Killzone brand wouldn’t be where it is today without your support. So here’s what we have in store for you over the next few days:

Looking back at Killzone 1
Later this week on Killzone.com, Seb “Motherh” Downie and I are going to play through the first Killzone game for you. We’ll be commenting on our favorite sections and wallowing in beer-induced nostalgia.

Killzone 2 retro tournament
This weekend (November 27-30) Guerrilla will host a Killzone 2 retro tournament, using only the Beach Head and Southern Hills maps from the second DLC pack. And there’s more to be gained than valor alone, because…

Double XP Weekend returns
…the tournament will take place during a Double XP Weekend! Just like last time, any game created in the weekend of November 27-30 will yield extra XP to help you boost your ranking.

Killzone 1 and 2 side-by-side
Finally, Killzone.com editor Victor Zuylen will compare various features of Killzone 2 with its predecessor next week, illustrating exactly how far we’ve come since the first Killzone game was released.

And starting today, Killzone 2 DLC goes on sale on the PlayStation Store — Flash & Thunder is now $2.99 and the Map Pack Bundle is down to $9.99 — until December 10. I hope you’ll join us in celebrating the fifth anniversary of Killzone! In the meantime, I’m going to put on my Top Hits of 2004 album and try to remember how I partied five years ago. Eric out.

The PlayStation Recap

Chris Morell — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:01:39 +0000

Brütal Legend’s Tears of the Hextadon DLC Launches for Free on PSN! — The Brutal Legend Tears of the Hextadon downloadable content pack is free for two weeks exclusively on PSN!!
God of War Collection Ships November 17th, Plan Your Trophy Hunt Now! — Trophies and HD added to two absolutely amazing games, now dated: It’s November 17!
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time Out Today + Insomniac Community Day Recap — Insomniac Games Community Day was amazing. Thanks to everyone who showed up, and if you couldn’t make it, check out the recap video for a rundown of the festivities.
Call of Duty: World at War Map Packs 50% Off, New Playlists! — For one week only, get Call of Duty: World at War map packs for half price! Go!
Winners of the UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Fortune Hunter Edition! — We know you’ve been asking…for a while. Well, here’s the giant list of the Fortune Hunter Edition winners. Congrats if you hit the jackpot!
Celebrate Halloween PlayStation Home-Style at the Zombie Rally — Zombies are invading Home. Don’t believe us? Head Home now!
District 9 Forged Together With God of War III — Pick up the District 9 Blu-ray on December 29, and you’ll get the God of War III E3 2009 demo included on the disc. The first of it’s kind!
Update: SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3 — The new FTB3 PSP release date is January 12. Get much more details in the coming months.
Developer Diary #2: The Saboteur for PS3 — Number two in our developer series for the Saboteur for PS3. Tom French is back, this time describing what it’s like to recreate the in-game city of Paris.
MLB 09 THE SHOW’s World Series Prediction: Phillies Stun Yankees in 7 Games — Philly wins in our simulation, Jeff’s happy. But really, I’m hoping the Phils win in five so my avatar can go back to normal operation.
Zombie Tycoon Shambles to PSP Minis Today — Frima Studio drops by to tell us all about their brand new PSP mini, Zombie Tycoon for $7.99!
LocoRoco Midnight Carnival Launches Today! — Your pal Tsubasa is back on Loco launch day to talk about the new global LocoRoco leaderboard and more!
Fat Princess: Her Majesty Gifts Unto Thee … — The Fat Princess demo and patch are out now! To New Pork and beyond!
PlayStation Store Update — Another big update this week brings plenty of new games and more. Don’t forget to check out the Ratchet demo for Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time, and there’s a great sale on Super Stardust Portable and other PSP games!
PlayStation Network Video Content Update — If you haven’t picked out a dynamic theme for your PS3, may I suggest the new South Park dynamic theme?
God of War III Ultimate Edition and Pre-Order Items Announced — Presenting the God of War III Ultimate Edition. This thing looks epic thanks to everyone who took the pool earlier this year.
UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Celebrates Halloween with a Title Update and a Double Cash Weekend — An update to UNCHARTED 2 makes the game even better (is that even possible?), plus the first double cash weekend!
The 7th Annual Gran Turismo Awards at SEMA Coming November 4 — And check out Autoblog to win a GT PSP pack each day next week!
LittleBigPlanet: Sack it to Me – LittleBigHalloween Edition — Get free Halloween digs for your Sackboy, plus updates on LBP PSP, community picks, and free stuff!

Courtesy of Ken Chan

God of War Collection ships November 17th, Plan Your Trophy Hunt Now! – Still wondering when you’ll be able to get your hands on the God of War Collection? Well, wait no more. The God of War Collection has gone gold!
District 9 Forged Together With God of War III – Come December 29th, when you snag your copy of District 9 on Blu-ray, included on the very same disc will be the highly sought after God of War III E3 2009 Demo.
God of War III Ultimate Edition and Pre-Order Items Announced – SCEA and Santa Monica Studios are thrilled to announce the first Ultimate Edition for God of War. Earlier this year, we polled a number of fans on what would make an awesome collector’s edition for God of War. Well, we took your advice and created something epic and filled it with premium collectible and exclusive digital content.

Over 100 New Pieces of Content Releasing This Thursday in PlayStation Home

Locust_Star — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:57:11 +0000

Attn: Killzone 2 fans. We’ve seen you in Central Plaza all decked out in your Helghan wares. We’ve seen you in the Bowling Alley showing your love for the ISA. We’ve heard you proudly boasting your Warzone rank in the Gamer’s Lounge. So we know that this Thursday, August 27th, you’ll be rushing into PlayStation Home to grab the new KZ2 content we’ll have waiting for you – specifically, the Killzone 2 Visari Throne Room.

This special personal space is based on the final stage of Killzone 2 in Scolar Visari’s Palace and is the absolute ideal gathering space for you and your KZ2-obsessed friends. Releasing in tandem with the Visari Throne Room will be a variety of virtual items that you can use to customize your area (including the Helghan Defense Painting – my personal fave). Check out the video below for a sneak peek of this space and other Killzone 2 items available in PlayStation Home.

We know that you guys and gals love collecting personal spaces, furniture, and gear for your avatar, which is why we’ve been working night and day to make this publish the biggest ever virtual items content release in PlayStation Home. In addition to the Killzone 2 Visari Throne Room, we’re also dropping an all-new, all-original personal space on you. The new Post-Apocalyptic Apartment is sure to appeal to your inner Road Warrior, and to celebrate its unveiling we’re offering a value bundle of furniture that runs the gamut from chairs to couches to tables to flooring to storage to assorted décor all at a special introductory price that just can’t be beat. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. We have approximately 70 items total being released just for this personal space, so the customization options for this area alone are virtually endless.

But that’s not all. No siree. Come this Thursday, you’ll also be able to rep your favorite big cities with the release of some new animated t-shirts that broadcast your hometown pride. And are those animated glow sticks I see too? Watch the video down there and let me know that my mind ain’t playing tricks on me.

As always, this week is jam-packed with events – and we’re counting on seeing you at all of them. Head on over to the official Home Clubs and Events sub-forum at www.us.playstation.com for more details about our daily game launching parties…and a special celebrity look-a-like event planned for this Thursday in PlayStation Home where you can win some of the rarest items ever to appear in our world.

See you in Home!

The PlayStation Recap

Jeff Rubenstein — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 19:01:57 +0000

Announcing: LittleBigPlanet – Game of the Year edition – same price, much more content on the disc. Good thing those Blu-rays are spacious.
Additional PS3 Greatest Hits Titles Available Now – Nathan Drake’s half-tuck is now half-price. You’ve got less than 2 months to pick it up and beat it before the sequel!
This week on the SingStore – Get your George Clooney on ! This awesome song is part of the update.
Sack it to Me – the “Big Announcements” Edition – water among the the most abundant substances on earth, and in the world of LittleBigPlanet, it’s going to mean some big changes.
PlayStation 3 Firmware (v3.00) Update – sure those animated themes look awesome, but admit it – you’re secretly ecstatic that the battery indicator won’t cover the clock.
PlayStation 3 now $299, slimmer version coming September 1st – the two biggest pieces of news you’ve been expecting all year, combined into one awesome console.
Digital Comics Store for PSP Coming in December – Marvel is already on board. Who’s next?
Introducing LocoRoco Midnight Carnival – attention future PSPgo owners – you’ll be able to play this one in the ‘closed’ position.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – the New Gamescom Trailer – I hear it’s an awesome trailer, but I’m totally on spoiler-lockdown until the October 13th release date. Someone describe it to me please!
PlayStation Home v1.3 Coming This September – Joystiq’s Andrew Yoon put it best – with the upcoming coin flip ability, Home is about to be filled with Harvey Dent wannabes.
Street Fighter Hadoukens Zen Pinball Today – fireballs and pinballs, perfect together (just like New Jersey and You… in the 80′s)
Gamescom Virtual Booth Tour: MAG – see what the beta will have in store for you September 17th.
PlayStation Store Update – The bad news is, Andy Dick is involved. The good news is, you can throw him at stuff.
Gamescom Virtual Booth Tour: Heavy Rain – A new scene is debuted, and a fine bottle of bubbly goes upside some dude’s head. Breathtaking.
PlayStation Network Video Content Update – Attention Buffalo Bills fans: The T.O. Show is on the PS Store. Also, he’s your problem now. Go Eagles!
Gamescom Show Floor Report: LittleBigPlanet PSP – Play. Create. Share… in the bathroom. Sign me up!
SOCOM: Confrontation Patch 1.50 coming Tuesday – The patch you’ve been asking for, all the details are here.

Courtesy of Ken Chan

Kratos unleashed in Germany! – Be sure to check out the newly released God of War III images from Gamescom!

Courtesy of David “Point Man” Brothers

SOCOM: Confrontation Patch 1.50 – Patch 1.50 is almost here. How close? How about… Tuesday! Come see the details.

The PlayStation Recap

Chris Morell — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 19:01:22 +0000

Sackboy @ Comic-Con: A MARVEL-ous announcement!!! — Original Iron Man, Wolverine and Captain America content in LBP? Who am I to complain?
Fat Princess: Worth the Weight (Here’s the Date) — I’m pretty sure you’re playing it right now, but if you’re off somewhere where princesses run skinny, I suggest hopping on to the PlayStation Store post haste!
The King of Fighters XII Ignites Your PS3 this Week — KOF XII dropped on Tuesday, plus Ignition sparked our Twitter feed with Mercury Meltdown vouchers.
Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny – New Interview — More Kratos, more problems…for other Soulcalibur opponents, that is. Hear more about what the Spartan brings to the PSP.
PixelJunk Shooter Ice Stage Walkthrough with Producer Matt Morton — A must-see…check out lots of new footage from the ice stage in PixelJunk Shooter from Comic-Con.
Ratchet & Clank Comic-Con Recap (with Videos!) — A mega recap, if you will. See the Clank’s time-based gameplay, the winner of the My Blaster Runs Hot contest, and more!
Demon’s Souls Pre-order Bonus Expands, Now Also Includes Full Soundtrack — If you’re thinking about exploring your inner Demons, the pre-order bonus should have you covered.
Unbound Saga – Going Digital (plus free codes!) — Vogster talks Unbound Saga, and even drops a little code hacking contest on us.
The Curtain Rises on the 10-Screen Movie Theater in PlayStation Home, MotorStorm Game Launching Crashes In, and Fat Princess Needs Cake! — And the PSB has it’s own theater (woot!) where you can view all our original Blog videos!
DC Universe Online Comic-Con Walkthrough — It’s been a while, but this check-in with DCUO was well worth the wait.
PlayStation Store Update — Demos, add-ons, themes…ah, who am I kidding…FAT PRINCESS!!!
PlayStation Network Video Content Update — A Fast & Furious update, plus one of my all-time favorite movies — Parenthood — hits the Video Store.
A New PS3 Platformer “topatoi” Coming to PSN This Fall — A new platformer coming to PSN, video and screens included.
Sack it to Me: The “Back from Comic-Con” Edition — More LBP updates than you can shake a stick at, including lots of Comic-Con Sackboy pics!
Gran Turismo PSP Cover Revealed — The official packfront, four pics of the Corvette ZR1 and a special message from Mr. Kazunori Yamauchi himself.

Courtesy of Ken Chan

God of War III playable at All Points West New York Music Festival! – Forget the mosh pit and come out to the All Points West music festival from Friday, July 31st through Sunday, August 2nd.