As 2012 draws to a close, we look back at an eventful year for Guerrilla and the Killzone series. In February we released Killzone 3 Multiplayer, a standalone version of Killzone 3’s online mode and DLC maps, on the PlayStation Store. In August we announced a new handheld title for PlayStation Vita called Killzone: Mercenary, which sees its protagonist fight on both sides of the ISA-Helghast conflict. And in October we simultaneously released Killzone Trilogy, a bundle containing all three first-person shooters in the Killzone series, and Killzone HD, a high-definition remaster of our original Killzone game.

In addition to these planned events, there were also a few surprises along the way. In early November we were wowed by a 15-minute fan-made live action film called Killzone Intercept, which even blew our own live action trailer for Killzone: Mercenary out of the water.

Director Brian Curtin had been in touch with Guerrilla about his ambitious plans for a short Killzone movie, but we were still unprepared for the level of awesomeness he’d bring to the project. The end result is a testament to the sheer creativity of our fans, and we feel very blessed to have such dedicated followers.

But the biggest highlight of the year was being able to welcome SCE Cambridge Studio into our fold. We’ve officially become a multi-studio company! Guerrilla Cambridge — as our new sister studio is known — is working hard to ensure that Killzone: Mercenary will be the ultimate handheld first-person shooter experience when it launches for PlayStation Vita in 2013.

The team is intimately familiar with handheld game development, having previously worked on titles such as LittleBigPlanet for PSP, and they’ve done a phenomenal job adapting the Killzone 3 engine to the PS Vita platform.

2013 is gearing up to be another big year for Guerrilla – quite possibly the biggest since we released the original Killzone way back in 2004. We’ll have more details for you at a future date, but until then we hope you share a wonderful holiday with your loved ones, and we’ll see you in 2013.

Since its release on the Internet last week, Killzone Intercept has been a small sensation among Killzone fans and novices alike. At the time of writing, the fan film has amassed nearly 170,000 views – and it’s not showing signs of slowing down. We got in touch with director (and longtime Killzone fan) Brian Curtin to find out how Killzone Intercept came together.

PlayStation.Blog: Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get started making fan films?
Brian Curtin, Director of Killzone Intercept: I consider myself an Art Director/Graphic Designer by day and Independent Filmmaker by night. I’ve always been interested in the arts. Early on in high school it was illustration and animation. Moving on to college I studied Graphic Design, but I was always making stupid little videos with friends in the dorm rooms and around school. I graduated with a Graphic Design focus, but I kept making videos on the side. They’re a great creative outlet. Plus, they kept getting better due to my growing experience and improvements in technology. The first video we uploaded to YouTube was Concrete Hustle, a humorous lightsaber duel. We technically tried to make it serious, but I think that’s what makes it funny. It took a year before it really started becoming popular. That gave us motivation to tackle bigger projects that inspired us, like the Half-Life based Beyond Black Mesa and after that, Killzone Intercept.

PSB: When did you decide you wanted to create a Killzone fan film?
BC: I’m a sucker for futuristic first-person shooters that take place in distressed environments where you battle glowing-eyed enemies. So it’s not a surprise that I would want to attempt a Killzone film. I played Killzone years ago and much like the original Half-Life, it’s one of those games you get lost in. When Killzone 2 and 3 came out, they blew my mind with their fun gameplay and, most of all, their beautiful graphics. The character and environment designs are incredible. Instantly, I started to want to see it in real life. That was the biggest motivation and the biggest challenge at the same time. How do you bring to life characters and a world that is so far out there with limited resources? Nevertheless, we knew we had to try.

PSB: What excited you the most about doing a project based on the Killzone universe?

“It’s crazy to see a squad of glowing eyes running at you.”

BC: I love the Helghast. They’re menacing, mean, and at the same time awesome-looking. It was really exciting to be able to see them and the ISA battling on set. Even though the muzzle flashes and special effects were missing during the shots, it’s still crazy to see a squad of glowing eyes running at you from behind a wall of smoke. Never gets old!

PSB: Did you communicate your plans to Guerrilla? How was the reaction?
BC: Luckily we were able to get in contact with the developers at Guerrilla. They were super supportive for the ideas we had. It’s not often you get a response from the creators of a game who care about your crazy project. They were gracious enough to let us use the Killzone soundtracks, sound effects, and a few 3D elements. Those make up a small part of a film, but they’re very crucial for accuracy. Plus, it was fun to get feedback from them during the process. I’m sure they cringed at some points, but ultimately they enjoyed seeing a fan’s interpretation.

PSB: How many people were involved with the project? Was it the same crew that worked on Beyond Black Mesa?
BC: I believe we had a crew of 15 – 20, that’s counting a few others on the post-production side. Not very big for what we were attempting, but a lot bigger than I’m used to. It was nice to have everything covered, not to mention covered by very talented people. They probably handled the workload of 50-75 people and I’m not talking about myself, they are just that good! On our past film Beyond Black Mesa, it was literally four of us at a time – if you weren’t in the shot, you were probably lighting three smoke grenades and then grabbing the camera to shoot. The core Infectious Designer crew who worked on BBM and Concrete Hustle were all a part of this film. Ultimately, they are the guys behind the camera or behind the masks that have helped make all our films possible.

PSB: How long did the project take to complete? How much of that was pre-production, and how much was post-production?
BC: Answering this question always makes me depressed, because the ratio is so bad. Two years for 14 minutes. I have to remind myself that I do all of this between my full time job and my fiancée is patient enough to stay with a workaholic. The first year was mostly pre-production – writing the script, finding locations, figuring out how we were going to make Helghast and ISA costumes and props. The second year was eight very long days of shooting and the rest was editing and post-production. Phew, I’m tired just thinking about it.

“Two years for 14 minutes.”

PSB: Assuming you didn’t really visit Helghan to film Killzone Intercept, can you tell us about the location where it was filmed?
BC: Surprisingly, Birmingham Alabama has a good look when you’re trying to reproduce Helghan. Since steel production was huge back in the day here, it has left us some really great post-apocalyptic factories. We shot half of the film at two factories and the rest in an active rock quarry. When you add a few futuristic elements, they both look like they’re on a foreign planet.

PSB: The story unfolds very much like an actual Killzone mission, but the flashback at the beginning is unique to Killzone Intercept. Was that a deliberate decision?
BC: The flashback at the beginning with the mother and son was an element I personally wanted to include. I knew early on that some people would really appreciate it and others would find it unnecessary, but ultimately I felt the film needed it. There were a few things I wanted it to do. First of all, I wanted to infuse the concept we often overlook, that war is horrible and no one really wins. I find that soldiers fight for one reason, to keep the ones they love safe, regardless of the many actual reasons or underlying motives of the war they’re in. Second, I wanted it to give our William character a little more depth and show you what he’s fighting for. Third, I really wanted to show a glimpse of Vekta, and show the viewer William’s home town.

It was challenging to dive into serious matters so early on, but I wanted to set a theme that would leave the viewer with some type of take away message at the end. I love non-stop action, but it would have been a really shallow video if it just opened up with four guys riding into a factory shooting, blowing stuff up and then “the end.”

PSB: Which elements from the Killzone universe did you insist on having in the film? Were there any you had to leave out due to time or budgetary constraints?
BC: There are a lot of things I insisted on having in the film. The ISA had to have their glowing blue tech lights. They ended up not being as bright as we wanted in camera, so it was painful, but we amplified them in post. We had to have a Capture Trooper, visually he’s my favorite character. We were lucky enough to find Anthony Kitchens, who was talented and gracious enough to tackle it. He really brought the trooper to life. I did want to have a medic Helghast and a Hazmat Helghast, but those were extremely hard to produce, so they didn’t make it. Lastly, I wanted to shoot a few long shots using a Helicam – it’s basically a miniature helicopter with a RED Epic hanging underneath and it can pretty much fly anywhere – but we just didn’t have the resources. Maybe next time.

“Of all our films, it’s had the most positive feedback.”

PSB: What was the biggest challenge in creating Killzone Intercept?
BC: I know why there aren’t very many live action Killzone films! Everything about it is challenging to create. The characters and environments are so unique; it’s hard to bring them into the real world.

PSB: How do you feel about the response from the fans so far?
BC: I’m very pleased with the response, it seems the majority really appreciates it. I think I can say out of all our films, it’s had the most positive feedback. I’ve learned that putting anything out on the web is going to be loved and hated, but it still baffles me, there are always a few people who put a lot of time to inform me that it’s garbage and watching it was a complete waste of their time….yeah, it’s that guy. I apologize for interrupting troll time. :)

Lock and load: the newest addition to the ever-growing PlayStation Collection library will be Killzone Trilogy — hitting stores on October 23rd, 2012 for $39.99 (MSRP).

Like the Collection line-up so far, the original Killzone has been treated with the signature 720p HD makeover, along with full Trophy support.

In addition to Killzone HD, the Trilogy also includes Killzone 2. Act 2 in the series brought an even more ambitious sense of scale, storytelling and action to the franchise. Finally, the breathtaking last installment — Killzone 3 — rounds out the set. It’s an endless cinematic warfare experience in one jam-packed bundle.

Not only will the Trilogy include the three games, but it will also include all the Killzone 2 and 3 multiplayer map packs free of charge. The full map package is as follows:

Check back often — there will be more news as we march toward launch, and you’ll find it here on PS.Blog.

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.

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?

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!

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!

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

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.

• 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.
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