Novus Prime gets four new game-enhancing virtual items this week with the Alpha Squadron Arsenal. Deck out your pilot’s jacket with the menacing Twin Pulse Cannons for an added XP bonus and fill your hands with the stylish new Disruption Shot Pistols, complete with animated barrels and permanent in-game Nebulon boost!

Blend into your surroundings and boost your XP by 5% with the holographic Avatar Projection System outfit, and harness the destructive power of the Handheld Arc Drill to increase your Nebulon gains even further. Head over to the Novus Prime space station to get your hands on the Alpha Squadron Arsenal today!

Look forward to a new game in the Lockwood Publishing Showcase next week as part of Lockwood’s epic Fantasy Update. Brinsop the Evil Dragon descended and started wreaking havoc – Brave warriors will be rewarded!

Prepare your friends for action by sending a fantastical pet their way – Rachis the fire breathing Cockatrice and Gribbler the Dragon are available from the Lockwood Gift Machine one week early! Visit the Gift Machine now and get sending.

In the future world of Forthstar, humanity has traveled to the stars. But, in the last few decades, the situation has begun to unravel: Central government exists in name only and feudal states are at constant war. The rim of explored space is where only the hardiest can survive as Gunslingers and Dropship pilots. Gunslingers are outlaws and warriors who sell their skills to the highest bidder, while Dropship pilots help get goods and people into and out of the danger zones as war spreads.

The exclusive x7 nightclub gets another members-only bundle this week as well as a collection of Fire Opal clothing for men and an Amethyst collection for the ladies. Head there and be the first to dazzle your friends and torture your frenemies with your unique taste in fashion.

Delirious Squid stretches its tentacles once more with a range of bright tees and quirky accessories. Who wouldn’t want to look as if they have a bear trying to swallow their head? Boring people, that’s who! Crazy-cute pretty much sums up the theme of the ladies’ tees, hats and peeptoe shoes. The guys’ range is more rugged, but includes some familiar freaky faces. MC Squid and Squiddy Bones have draped themselves all over each item. Go backpacking in Delirious Squid world – these bags and boots are all you need!

Konami brings you their newest line of Auras. Check out some of their unique auras like the plasma shields, rainbow glow and glow dust. Check out Konami’s take on some classics such as hellfire, lightning storm and snowstorm. Unleash the power within!

This week in the Community Theater, HomeCast busts out the east coast Jersey accent to cover “stuff and stuff,” complete with a cameo by the Demon Warhorse. Among the “stuff” covered: the many new changes introduced with Home 1.65, as well as Super Madhouse, the new Bigyama items, the Casino’s update and more.

Codeglue brings a touch of the East here to the West with some elegant new furniture. Let the minimalist styling of hand carved, dark woods put your mind at ease while you enjoy the rest of nature around you.

Another exciting premier this week, Wrangler brand clothing launches their first ever virtual items with a collection of 10 pieces in PlayStation Home, including dark denim jeans for men and women. These will be available in both the VEEMEE and Threads stores in the Mall. With 10 new items available at launch and many more to follow, Wrangler will continue to bring their latest designs to the Home community in the months ahead.

Last but certainly not least, this past Friday the Home Community Volunteer program turned three! On behalf of the PlayStation Digital Platforms Community team, we wish to thank all HCVs past and present. You have added so much to the culture of the Home community, offering a bit of guidance to the newbs, and a friendly face to masses and healthy dose of friendly competition to the leader boards. May you continue this journey with us for years to come.

See you in Home!

Street Fighter X Tekken – New challenges and rewards await you this week in our exclusive Street Fighter X Tekken Total Game Integration event. For the first time in Home history, you can brawl using your avatars! Complete all 10 challenges to unlock Ryu and Kazuya costumes, which will allow you to throw fireballs and perform custom jump kick attacks. And if you pre-order Street Fighter X Tekken from Home you’ll even receive the Boost Gem Trial Pack 1 bundle, which increases your Vitality, Defense and Cross Gauge meter build-up speed in Street Fighter X Tekken!

The Wardrobe Wars/E3 Sweepstakes – Week 2 of our Wardrobe Wars/E3 Sweepstakes begins this Wednesday. All you have to do to enter is play Wardrobe Wars, the new game the pits players against one another in an ongoing fashion battle and rewards winners one-of-a-kind virtual items. We’ll be randomly selecting one winner a week at between now and March 21st, 2012 and sending them (plus one friend) on a gamers’ ultimate adventure to E3 2012. The prize package includes everything you’ll need – roundtrip airfare, hotel, transportation to and from the event, E3 pass, and plenty of spending cash! Be sure to read the Official Rules HERE then gear up for the challenge going on now in PlayStation Home!

Iron Fusion Samurai & Geisha Costumes –Four very different robots join Lockwood Publishing’s growing Iron Fusion family this week: Kojiro, Musashi, Ume and Matsu, powerful ancient robots of unknown origin. The former two are impressive and honorable Samurai Bots; the latter two are graceful and intelligent Geisha Bots. Explore their powers by trying out their custom animations!

Free Items for LOOT Space Apartment Owners – This week those of you that own the LOOT Space Apartment will find 45 free items accessible through the LOOT store and the LOOT EOD (Note: If you don’t own the Space Apartment you can still purchase these items from the LOOT Store. Also available this week from LOOT: The LOOT Animal Furnishings Bundle!

Brisk/Star Wars Event – Get your Lightsaber skills in check. Go to Pier Park and play the Jedi Training game to unlock exclusive rewards for your avatar, brought to you by Brisk and Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace 3D. Be sure to call **WARS (9277) to download Brisksaber, the all new Lightsaber app from Brisk and Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace 3D, you’ll earn additional exclusive gear for your PlayStation Home avatar (Msg & Data rates apply).

The Tester 3 Quest – Head to the Activity Board this Wednesday to take the newest Tester 3 Quest and unlock a special reward for watching the latest episode of this hit PlayStation Network reality show in the PlayStation Home Mall!

Costumes Sale – We have select costumes on sale this week – from CAS outfits to rock star get-ups, all at super-low prices. Head to the Costumes store in the PlayStation Home Mall this Wednesday to snatch up these killer costumes at sweet deals!

New Movies in the LOOT EOD – We have tons of new movies, TV shows and Anime coming to the LOOT EOD in PlayStation Home on March 1st including FAMILY BUSINESS, STEALTH, DESPERATE MEASURES, CHEECH & CHONG’S NICE DREAMS, AGAINST THE DARK, DIRTY, THE MARSH, CRUEL INTENTIONS, SCREAMERS: THE HUNTING, TRUE BELIEVER and much more!

The Frozen Peak Palace – We’re releasing a special preview space of the upcoming Frozen Peak Palace this week and we want you to come check it out and then tell us what you like, what you don’t, what we should save, and what we should scrap. Tour the Frozen Peak Palace when the preview space releases this Wednesday and then give us your feedback on the official PlayStation Home forums.

The French Chateau – We previewed this new personal space to you last week and are releasing it to the masses this Wednesday. Head to the Estates store in the PlayStation Home Mall to pick up this palatial property and show your friends how you roll, you international real estate mogul, you!

Huge Novus Prime Sale – Select items are 30-50% off this week only in Novus Prime! Suit up with the Power Mech and Rogue Mech outfits with in-game bonuses for $6.99; explore the Novus Prime universe with the Escalation Map Pack for only $1.49; deck out your spaceship with a new paint-job and pilot helmet bundle for $0.99, and much more!

New Collectibles – From a range of winter and summer wear from Billabong to Prototype 2 uniforms, we have yet another awesome array of items coming to the PlayStation Home Mall this week. Here’s Magnus to give you a quick overview of what we have in store for you this Wednesday!

Keeping with the tradition of the last few posts we’ve put up here for all you Home-boys and Home-girls, we want to use this as an opportunity to give you a sneak peek of some upcoming content. This week, we’ll look at three soon-to-be-released personal spaces. Bonus: These spaces will be available as both apartments and as clubhouses that you can share with your friends. What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments and/or over at the official PlayStation Home forums.

Moon Forest – Camping will never be the same after you spend a night in the Moon Forest. Complete with an outdoor fire pit, this three room exotic getaway is a great way to lose yourself in nature and spend time with friends. Reward yourself and your friends with exclusive camping gear furniture item, only available in the Moon Forest (Gift Machine is available in the Moon Forest apartment only).

Plum Tree Pavilion – Take a deep breath and inhale the soft sweet aroma of the Plum Tree Pavilion. Its gentle landscaping and exquisite architecture makes this space ideal for anyone who’s a fan of fishponds and rock formations, to own. Reward you and your friends with an exclusive Lantern furniture item, only available in the Plum Tree Pavilion (Gift Machine is available in the Plum Tree Pavilion apartment only).

Hillside – Built with a view in mind, the Hillside is the place to get away from the confines of a concrete jungle and bask in the luxury of a home away from home.

See you in Home!

Leveling Up the Core Experience

Since the launch of Novus Prime in December 2010, we’ve learned a lot about what our players enjoy most about the Novus Prime experience. With Vindication, we knew we had to deliver more missions, ships, weapons, avatar items, outfits, and more – but we’re also excited to give our community their #1 request: raising the level cap from 20 to 30 and adding tons of new rewards!

With the new expansion, players will now unlock rewards at every other level. This means players who’ve already reached the rank of Captain at level 20 will instantly earn several rewards when they log in to Novus Prime: Vindication. Newcomers will earn more rewards than ever before as they rise up the ranks to Commander.

Players will find several new items in the shop to improve their game experience in Novus Prime, including the Tech Goggles & Enemy Scanner bundle, the super-fast Obsidian Blade fighter ship, and our new Memory Conditioning Conduit bundle, which comes with three virtual items and permanently triples your XP point gains so you can rank up even faster.

Meet the Obsidian Race

We’re also expanding Novus Prime’s lore as the new playable Obsidian race joins Earth Fleet against the Bot armada. Aside from some concept art we’ve cleverly hidden away in Novus Prime’s VIP area, not much has been made public about the Obsidian race until now. With Vindication, everyone can join the fight as an Obsidian fighter with the Obsidian Pilot Suit bundle, which comes with some seriously unique custom animations as well as the Obsidian Blade, the fastest player ship in the game.

Here’s your first glimpse at the new Obsidian technology before Vindication goes live:

Finally, we know our veteran players have been clamoring for more missions (that’s our second most requested update), so we’ve truly expanded Novus Prime’s core content this time around. Novus Prime: Vindication delivers two challenging new missions (“Claustrophobia” and “Wrecker’s Waltz”) as well as Master versions of every current mission, so there’s no shortage of adventures to be had with your friends in the cold confines of space. Keep an eye out for the new Executioner mini-boss!

More Ways to Join the Fight

We’re big fans of the recently-redesigned PlayStation Home core experience, and one of its coolest features is the opportunity to find great new games in each of the Districts. Starting January 11th, players can warp straight to the Novus Prime space station from our new Action District location – just look for the colossal hovering spaceship.

Last but not least, we’re celebrating the launch of Novus Prime: Vindication and our recent 1-year anniversary in PlayStation Home by giving away this free Personal Lightning Shield virtual item as a token of appreciation for our fans!

Click here to get your free code

It’s been just over a year since we made PlayStation Home our own home for quality game development, and we’ve got big plans for 2012! We’d like to say thanks to everyone in the PlayStation Home community for your support, and we look to hearing what you think about Novus Prime: Vindication.

If you love free stuff, don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to get the latest Novus Prime updates and code giveaways straight to your new feed, and remember to Join the Fight on Wednesday, January 11th!

Snow has begun to fall in the Lockwood Publishing Showcase, transforming it into a magical winter scene. Visit the Lockwood Publishing Showcase this Thursday to dance with Timmy the Gingerbread Man, marvel at the new festive Stitchkins and get a sneak peak at what Figment and Iron Fusion have in store for the future. And if that’s not enough, there’s a fantastic winter spa area where you can have chill out in a hot tub with your friends… not to mention a new batch of limited time rewards! Pro tip: pay attention to what Locky says, as he’ll give hints on how to unlock the rewards. Some of his clues may help, some may confuse, but one way or another, they will eventually lead you to the prizes – just be sure to keep checking back in order to collect all the Holiday rewards.

In other Lockwood news: Vintage and Athletic clothing packs are being released as part of the Drey collection. Give the gift of impeccable style with Drey items available this week exclusively from the Lockwood Gift Machine!

The newest additions to the LOOT EOD screens (available in the LOOT EOD Theater public space, Sunset Yacht personal space, and the Hollywood Hills House personal space) will arrive this week as part of Crackle’s monthly catalog update, which brings new movies to you free-of-charge (and some excellent movie poster rewards) . Don’t miss out on your last chance to catch Cruel Intentions, Rudy, Bat*21, Krull, Loser, Silent Hill, Starship Troopers, Striking Distance, Tekkonkinkreet and Universal Soldier: The Return before the new batch arrives. December brings you awesome titles like: The International, Quarantine, Fright Night and Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo!

The PlayStation Home Mall will host a Community Appreciation event this week with prices on select items being slashed and a variety of free items being hidden within the stores, so be sure to log in this Thursday and start the treasure hunt. This is just the first of many special Community Appreciation events scheduled for the Holiday season in PlayStation Home – keep your eyes on this blog for more details!

Konami expands their popular B’Loons line this week with the new Breakdancer, Pirate, Hula Dancer, and Martial Artist costumes —each with custom animations. Also available this week from Konami is the new Urban Camo line. With these outfits you will be able to hide in plain sight. Grab your friends and change the look of your environment or pull a prank on the unsuspecting with these hilarious new costumes!

While the cooler days here in San Francisco make me bust out my winter hoodies in real life (yes, I arrange them according to season), we have some new virtual hoodies hitting the shelves of the PlayStation Home Mall that will help keep you warm in the winter months. Choose from among the Glowing Star, the Checkered, and the Atomic designs in our new line of animated hoodies (available for both men and women).

To help kick off the Winter Holidays in PlayStation Home, some classic holiday outfits are being brought back to the shelves of the PlayStation Home Mall- including the Elf outfit, the Christmas Tree outfit, the Ms Claus outfit, Reindeer Horns, tons of statues and ornaments, [cue singing] and a Partridge in a Pear Tree [/singing]. Log in this Thursday to stock up and deck your halls (and yourself) out with these festive fashions.

Finally, be sure to head to the PlayStation Home Community Theater this Thursday to check out the latest episodes from HomeCast Rewind and SOCAST. This week HomeCast Rewind covers what’s new in PlayStation Home, while SOCAST returns with a discussion of the new SOCOM 4 Demolition DLC!

See you in Home!

The PlayStation Home Mall receives an update this week with some new, nerdy additions to Mass Media’s hilarious line of Weird Wear, some truly spooky Halloween decorations courtesy of nDreams (also available as a Horror Pack bundle), additional Access All Areas’ Alice Cooper items, new Granzella swimwear for the ladies, and more!

Starting this Thursday, gamers that register through the PlayStation portal at Playstation.Extra-Life.org will receive a voucher for a special PlayStation Home virtual item. Extra Life is an annual 24-hour video game marathon that raises money to help kids at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. It’s never been this much fun to do this much good. Register today to get your own personal page and begin tracking your progress. To learn more about the Extra Life charity event, click HERE.

Novus Prime: Escalation fans take note: Our friends over at Hellfire Games are ready to hook you up with the exclusive Pirate Chainsword weapon. Originally salvaged from the ruins of an old pirate stronghold, the Novus Prime engineers have re-examined and perfected the pirate technology to bring you this fantastic new item. Since no pilot should ever be caught unarmed, the folks at Novus Prime have decided to outfit everyone with this weapon absolutely free. All you’ve got to do is head over to their promo page and join the Hellfire Games mailing list. Not only will you get a voucher for your own Pirate Chainsword but you’ll also be kept in the loop about any cool new stuff coming from the Hellfire Games team.

In other news, nDreams’ Aurora game space is receiving an update with new games and rewards. They’ve uploaded a teaser trailer to the nDreams Facebook fan page – check it out!

Like clockwork, the mega-popular PlayStation Home Community Theater receives an update this week. Log in the Thursday to watch as HomeCast Rewind gives a walkthrough of Granzella’s hit Southern Island Hideaway game space. Next PSX Extreme discusses the eagerly-anticipated PS Vita. That’s not all – players that visit the Community Theater this week will receive special rewards to help you ease into the Fall season. Enjoy the cool weather in style with these fashionable coats, courtesy of your friends on the PlayStation Home Community Management team.

See you in Home!

First off, LOOT releases their brand new Space Station – a public space devoted to videos and special events. Check it out when it releases this Thursday into the wide world of PlayStation Home.

You’ll notice a few changes to the Sodium Hub including a brand new extension to Scorpio’s bar, teleporters (get ready for the impending launch of Sodium Two), and other desert mysteries. Head to the Sodium Hub this week and see what you can find.

Jet Set Games delivers a batch of new items, sure to help you sneak your way through a crowd (or at least help you appear to not be part of the ongoing Conspiracy) all while allowing you to continue #WINNING!

Poor Lucy the Goose has been robbed and the thief, Baron von Eggenschtealer, is still at large! Let the egg hunt begin by picking up the Baron’s Eggcellent Plan Active Object – available this Thursday in the Sodium store. And while you are there, be sure to pick up the Spring rain gear, guaranteed to help you survive the April showers.

Come this Thursday you can transform your personal space into a true rockstar’s pad with a selection of new instruments, throw a fiery birthday bash with our new active items, or even deck your avatar out in Judge Dredd gear. Check out this video for a look at the newest additions to our long line of PlayStation Home original virtual items.

The PlayStation Home Community Theater receives another update this week first with a new episode of HomeCast Rewind where the staff interviews HellFire Games about the recent major update to Novus Prime. Next up, Replay with Doc delivers interviews with Sodium One’s reigning world champ, Grimm, as well as the winner of the recent MLG MAG tournament, TheLastNinja-.

See you in Home!

The PlayStation Home Mall’s shelves will be lined with new items starting this Thursday. Check out this video for a look at some of the new items coming soon to the PlayStation Home Mall.

Spring is in the air and Lockwood Publishing is offering new additions to their Cucumber furniture range, bringing everything you need for your next backyard event. Their J’Adore Outdoor Garden Furniture is perfect for those of you who are looking to make the most of the beautiful weather in PlayStation Home. Check it out!

Those of you that own the Sunset Yacht are in for a treat this Saturday, April 3rd, when LOOT and Fuel TV host a very special live event, accessible only via this popular personal space. Beginning at 4:00pm PT (7:00pm ET), a live stream of the Ride Shakedown 2011 snowboard competition – one of the most exciting and highly-anticipated extreme sporting events of the year – will be broadcast on the Sunset Yacht’s big screen. Round up your friends and set sail on the Sunset Yacht this Saturday to take part in this exclusive PlayStation Home video event.

This week in the PlayStation Home Community Theater, Urgent Fury dives deep into Killzone 3 and serves up a full review of this hit FPS while the guys and gals over at GamerIndepth present the 10th episode of their ever-popular “ShoutOuts” which focuses on the latest and greatest from the PlayStation Home community. Log on this Thursday to check out these exclusive videos and more – only in the PlayStation Home Theater.

See you in Home!

We’re excited to announce Novus Prime: Escalation, our biggest expansion yet for Novus Prime in PlayStation Home, is going live on March 31 with tons of new content. The Hellfire Games team has been working on Escalation for quite some time, and we can’t wait to see it go live! Until then, I’d like to give you a sneak peek at what to expect in Novus Prime: Escalation.

Multiplayer Sci-Fi Action, Escalated

At its core, Novus Prime is a free-to-play multiplayer space combat shooter that can be played cooperatively or solo. As a pilot recruited by the Earth fleet against the insidious Bot armada, you’ll learn the basics of space flight, personalize your ship with custom weapons and special add-ons, and embark on missions to earn XP and level up.

With Novus Prime: Escalation, we’re essentially doubling the game’s content in one huge expansion. It’s our biggest update yet, featuring new missions, enemies, weapons, companion bots, avatar items, leaderboards, voiceovers, a completed pilot outfit, a new personal space with zero-gravity simulator, and more.

We listen to our players to provide the strongest content offering possible in each update, and Novus Prime: Escalation outdoes every previous update so far. We hope you’ll like the latest content, and if you’re new to the Novus Prime universe, we hope you’ll stick around and check out what’s still to come!

The Metagame

Because our game lives in PlayStation Home, the full Novus Prime experience doesn’t end with completing missions and leveling up. The Novus Prime space station serves as a social hub for players to meet up and hang out, enjoy a nice spacewalk, shop for new items, and upgrade their ships for battle. Novus Prime: Escalation takes that experience further with a new personal space, the Officer’s Quarters, and a private hangar where players can play custom games with friends, view their customized ship up close, and track their score on a private leaderboard.

From concept to completion, a lot of work goes into creating new spaces for our players! We’re fortunate to have some über-talented artists on hand to create some of the best looking environments in PlayStation Home. For example, here’s the concept art for the Officer’s Quarters below:

And here’s how it looks in-game, complete with spacewalk simulator and decorative Novus Prime artwork on the walls:

We asked our community on the PlayStation Forums what they wanted to see in this update, and the majority wanted more missions and their own personal apartment. So, ask and ye shall receive, plus a whole lot more!

Developing for PlayStation Home

One of the great things about developing for PlayStation Home is the ability to continually gather feedback directly from our players in-game and make timely updates to make sure we’re providing our community with the most satisfying game experience possible. It’s super-gratifying to jump into the Novus Prime space immediately after an update goes live and talk to players about the new content as they check it out in real time.

Novus Prime launched in PlayStation Home in December 2010 and already boasts a very active community, with dedicated players constantly competing for the top leaderboard spot and new names showing up each week. It’s feedback from players like you that keeps us cranking out quality content each month, so keep telling us what you want to see in the next update!

We’re having a blast working on the premier sci-fi multiplayer experience for PlayStation Home, and we hope our players love the new content coming soon in Novus Prime: Escalation on March 31. Thanks for stopping by to read about the expansion, and join our Facebook page for the chance to win some awesome giveaways!

Beginning this Thursday, February 3rd, PlayStation Home will serve as a respite to the battle-hardened survivors of the zombie apocalypse known as Dead Nation – the explosive action-shooter now available exclusively on the PlayStation Network. The Dead Nation “Safe House” is one of the last bastions of humanity in a world ravaged by a deadly virus that has turned the majority of mankind into a sweeping horde of brain-thirsty zombies. Complete with an improvised shooting range, the Dead Nation “Safe House” is the perfect retreat for you and the remaining pocket of survivors to recoup and reload. Hone your skills in this brand-new game space by taking out as many zombie targets as you can, placing on the leaderboard and demonstrating your undead-slaying abilities. Just remember to always aim for the brain.

Novus Prime – Hellfire Games’ hit sci-fi space shooter – receives an update this week. Earth Fleet scouts have reported sightings of very large fighter ships among the enemy armada. Evidence also suggests that all bot vessels are being outfitted with new weapons. In response, a new shipment of gear is arriving at Novus Prime. The commercially-built fighter ship known as the Codebreaker leads the new arrivals. Outfitted with the latest in defensive shielding technology, the Codebreaker disrupts nearby AI systems, turning bot ships into allies. A specialized interface helmet is included, which may be worn at any time.

New weapon technology: Capable of dealing out massive damage, the Ion Beam is a turret-mounted cannon that fires upon the turret’s target for as long as the fire button is held. Once the beam connects, it takes a few seconds to reach the maximum damage potential. If you buy the Ion Beam you also get the Ion Blaster Cannons. Slip these cannons over your arms and feel the power of a thousand suns!

Looking to experience the ultimate freedom? Now you can with the Zero-gravity Simulator jet pack! With this on your back, you can float freely throughout the space station. And if you want an extra speed boost, grab a pair of Propulsion Boots. The Propulsion Boots also include the Turbo-Matrix Speed Booster which can be equipped to a ship’s upgrade slot to significantly increase its top speed.

Two new companions are now available! Say hello to DataBot Jr., a highly-portable companion bot that hovers over all terrain, following diligently as your faithful pal. It also fits into most overhead storage compartments.

These Rogue Mech Suits were recovered from an abandoned outpost that was believed to be operated by space pirates. They are fully operational and should not require oil changes for at least 3,000 miles.

To celebrate the one-year anniversary of Blue Toad Murder Files releasing on the PlayStation Network, we are releasing a host of Blue Toad items for sale in the PlayStation Home Mall. Stressed after a hard days investigation? Relax in your very own Blue Toad Hot Tub. Or go nuts and deck out your personal space with the Giant Sheep, Bongo Drum and stylish Murder Rug. While you are at it, pick up the variety of Blue Toad costumes, including a life-sized Toad outfit and a deer-stalker hat (for all you budding detectives).

Konami is hosting another one of their uber-popular parties this weekend. Come out to the Konami space this weekend in your SAW II: Flesh and Blood items and earn extra points!

The PlayStation Home Mall gets an update this week with new Valentine’s Day-themed items. Pick up the Heart-Shaped Box active item (pictured below) and the array of Codeglue items – including three new companions (as well as multiple clothing items).

Visit the PlayStation Home Community Theater this week to watch the newest edition of Replay with Doc as well as a new episode of the Hip Hop Gamer videocast – which focuses on the Homefront, THQ’s upcoming first person shooter.

Finally, don’t forget to take part in the on-going Killzone 3 “Total Game Integration” experience, available in PlayStation Home for a limited time only. Join your fellow soldiers and defend the Central Plaza against waves of Helghast infantry, airships, and ground vehicles by manning the Central Plaza Defender and mowing down the approaching enemy forces. Complete all the community challenges to unlock exclusive rewards – including a voucher good for three Unlock Points that can be redeemed for new weapons and abilities in the Killzone 3 multiplayer. Pre-order Killzone 3 through Amazon.com straight from the kiosk in Central Plaza to receive:

• A limited edition Killzone 3 jetpack for your Home avatar, not available anywhere else
• Unlock and Load Pack, instant access to an additional three Unlock Points to use on the weapon or ability of your choice in Killzone 3 multiplayer
• Retro Map Pack, featuring two of the most popular maps from Killzone 2

Novus Prime, the recently released space combat game exclusive to PlayStation Home, also receives an update this week. Pilots who have earned the rank of Airman or Captain will receive pilot jacket rewards upon reporting for duty on Thursday, December 16th. Earth Fleet is also proud to announce the new Mini-Mech companion (there’s no longer any need to walk alone!).

Sodium celebrates its one year anniversary with a special sale and new rewards. Watch this video to learn more.

Konami is throwing their first event this weekend, and you are invited! Check out the Konami Penthouse in PlayStation Home this weekend for a Soccer-themed party. Wear your Konami gear and earn more points. The more Konami Soccer items you wear, the more points you get!

This Thursday, December 16th, the PlayStation Home Mall will receive an enormous update. Just in time for the peak of the holiday season, our friends over at Doublesix Games will release some hilarious Burn Zombie Burn costumes.

Speaking of the holiday items, Codename releases some festive tops for the guys and the gals as well as a White Christmas mini-game. And check out this ridiculously awesome “Santa on a Reindeer” costume from Codeglue!

Also available this week from the PlayStation Home Mall: New Ghostbusters and “Mad Scientist” furniture items (these can be found in the LOOT store), a musical “Ballerina Box” for your personal spaces, and nDreams’ epic “Bling Reaper” costume (also pictured below).

Those of you who pick up the full PlayStation Network game, Tales From Space: About A Blob, when it releases next year, will be able to unlock special rewards in PlayStation Home by successfully completing select levels in the game. See the below for a sneak peek of some of these exclusive rewards.

The PlayStation Home Community Theater receives another update this week, with episode 7 of Replay with Doc: CastOffs, now playing in-world (in this episode Doc interviews War Princess from the Tester 2). Also airing this week in the PlayStation Home Theater is a full episode of Buso Renkin, the popular anime show from Viz Media. Be sure to log in to PlayStation Home this week to watch these awesome videos and pick up rewards (including the new Tester 2 “Game Over” shirt, available from the Tester 2 Theater, and the PlayStation Home 2-Year Anniversary shirt, available in the Community Theater).

On that note, we want to invite all of you out to a live event in the PlayStation Home Theater with the finalists from The Tester 2 on Monday, December 20th between the hours of 6:00pm and 8:00pm PST (9:00pm and 11:00pm EST). Chat with the finalists of the latest season of The Tester and hear about their experiences firsthand, only at this exclusive PlayStation Home event.

Finally, I want to remind you all that the holiday celebrations continue in the mega-popular Winter Wonderland space, now accessible via PlayStation Home’s Navigator. Be sure to visit the Winter Wonderland daily between now and December 25th for new games, quests, and rewards.

See you in Home!