We have some exciting news, fellow Spartans! In celebration of God of War: Ascension hitting stores March 12th and to commemorate one of our most popular and epic franchises, we’re releasing a limited edition God of War: Ascension Legacy Bundle for our die-hard fans!

For $349 (MSRP), this bundle comes complete with a 500GB Garnet Red PlayStation 3 system, the entire God of War storyline including God of War: Ascension and God of War Saga (which includes all five of the previous games from the franchise) and a 30-day PlayStation Plus trial membership. You can get your hands on this collector’s bundle when it hits stores on March 12th.

The Limited Edition God of War: Ascension Legacy Bundle is a must-have for series fans. You can experience Kratos’ epic story with a stunning Garnet Red PS3 system, whose color is inspired by Kratos’ signature tattoo. The 500GB of storage is perfect for all of your games, movies, music, photos and more.

The complete God of War game collection allows fans to relive their favorite series moments with the God of War Saga, which includes God of War, God of War II, God of War III, and God of War: Origins Collection, comprised of God of War: Chains of Olympus and God of War: Ghost of Sparta.

The collection also includes God of War: Ascension, the newest addition to the franchise and a prequel story that introduces fans to a Kratos they’ve never known before. Ascension boasts a host of enhancements to the single-player experience, with new gameplay mechanics and combat systems, and also offers the franchise’s very first multiplayer experience.

Let us know what you think of this bundle in the comments below. Will you be picking it up?

*This article was updated on January 31st to clarify the price of the bundle ($349).

When we launched the new, slimmer, lighter PS3, one of the top requests we heard from you was to bring the white PS3 to North America. We’ve answered the call — for the first time in North America, we are introducing a bundle that features a Classic White PS3.

For $299.99 (MSRP), the Classic White PS3 Instant Game Collection Bundle comes packed with value. It includes a massive 500GB hard drive and a one-year membership to PlayStation Plus that includes a dozen PS3 games with the Instant Game Collection. The bundle hits store shelves on January 27th.

With a 500GB hard disk drive, the Classic White PS3 makes it easy for you to store your favorite games from PS Plus, like inFAMOUS 2 and LittleBigPlanet 2, along with movies, TV shows, music, photos and other PSN DLC. Your one year membership to PlayStation Plus gives you exclusive access to a host of features including:

If you’re already a PlayStation Plus member and want to add the new Classic White PS3 to your collection, the one-year PlayStation Plus membership can be added to your current PS Plus membership (thereby extending it another year).

For more details, click here.

So tell us, what do you think about the new Classic White color for PS3?

As mentioned last week, this bundle is packed with incredible value. It’s available for $269, and it includes the new 250GB PS3, so you’ll have plenty of storage space to house all of your favorite games, videos, photos, and music.

In addition, you’ll get:

• UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception Game of the Year Edition Blu-ray
• Voucher worth over $30 towards Dust 514 bonus digital content
• Additional voucher for a free 30 day membership of PlayStation Plus

PS3 continues to lead the way in innovation and is the ultimate gaming and entertainment system choice for those of you looking for the best value this holiday season. With thousands of content choices to choose from, PS3 has something to offer everyone in your entire family.

For more information, click here.

Stay tuned for more PS3 news and updates right here on PS.Blog, and we’re looking forward to your feedback in the comments.

Available on September 11, this bundle includes a 320GB PlayStation 3 System and EA SPORTS NHL 13 for $299.99 at most major retailers.

Featuring the speed, creativity, and strategy of today’s NHL with revolutionary True Performance Skating, NHL 13 is the biggest innovation for the franchise in six years. New social experiences like GM Connected and NHL Moments Live connects you with your friends and the real world of hockey, making NHL 13 the definitive hockey experience.

This bundle also includes a month trial of PlayStation Plus — our premium subscription service that offers online storage for game saves, free games, huge discounts, great exclusives, early access to demos and priority beta invites, and full game trials. This is a great add-on if you’re new to the PlayStation family.

Hearing what you have to say and getting your feedback on our products is very important to us here at PlayStation. We want to add to our line-up of DualShock 3 colors, but this time we want you to be the designer. Starting today, and ending August 15th, you can go to PlayStation.Blog.Share to submit your idea for the design of the next DualShock 3 controller. Whether your design is based on your favorite game or your ideal color, all PlayStation fans will be able to vote on your idea. How cool would it be if you saw a new DualShock 3 that was inspired by you at your local game store?

You can find more details on how to submit your idea here, or just click below to get right to it. Be sure to select the DualShock 3 category when submitting. If you just want to vote, you can see all of the idea submissions here.

Please note that ideas are manually vetted for duplicates, so they won’t show up immediately. We look forward to your feedback!

E3 is just around the corner, and we hope you’re as excited as we are about all of the games that will be unveiled and the upcoming announcements we have in store for you.

Before we get to the big week, we’ve decided to curb your appetite by giving you a sneak peak at the newest addition to the PlayStation accessories family. Last year we introduced the Official PS3 Wireless Stereo Headset, and this year we’re amplifying your audio experience with the brand new Pulse Wireless Stereo Headset – Elite Edition, featuring “BassImpact” technology.

BassImpact technology translates bass sounds into ‘pulses’ around the earpads of the headset. Pulse – Elite Edition combines 7.1 virtual surround sound with BassImpact to deliver an unprecedented level of immersion, while sharpening your perception on the battlefield or anywhere else you play. This is truly the ultimate audio advantage. Additionally, Pulse – Elite Edition incorporates all the great features of the Wireless Stereo Headset and these new features:

• Higher fidelity speaker drivers for dynamic sound
• Preset Modes to optimize your audio experience for select gaming genres, movies, and music
• Hidden noise-cancelling microphones deliver crystal clear voice chat and allow for a more streamlined design
• Compatible with your PS3, PS Vita, favorite mobile device or MP3 player (connects via built-in 3.5mm audio jack and included auxiliary cable)

Available this fall for $149.99 (MSRP), this headset is an incredible value, giving you a great sound experience for gaming at home on PS3, or on the go using your PS Vita or mobile device.

As promised, we will be releasing a new PS3 firmware update to address the unintended effects in certain games that were created by the “Sidetone” feature introduced with the PS3 system software update (v4.10). Thanks for your continued patience.

Stay tuned for more updates on “PULSE” headsets, right here on the PlayStation.Blog.

Check out the following FAQ regarding the 3G compatibilities of the PS Vita and how to best take advantage of the features it offers.

How can I activate my 3G data service on my PS Vita?
Activating the 3G data service doesn’t require going to an AT&T store or even being at a computer. From right on the PS Vita’s home screen, touch the icon entitled “Network Operator” to launch into the process.

Once you’ve initiated the process, you’ll automatically drop out of any WiFi signal you’re attached to and begin syncing with the AT&T 3G service to pull up the activation site.

You’ll be prompted to purchase a DataConnect Pass, which is month-to-month with no contract.

Continue the process by filling out basic information into the website in order to activate your service. Do NOT hit the PS button to back out of this process or let your PS Vita go to sleep while filling out this form, or you’ll lose all progress and have to start from the beginning.

What are the benefits of a 3G-enabled PS Vita?
With the 3G-enabled PS Vita, you can game with real-time connection and immediately socialize with your community through news feeds and turn-based multiplayer game sessions. You won’t miss a beat since you can stay up to date with continuous scores and game ranking news feeds with LiveArea, compete for in-game Trophies, cross-game text messaging with Party, and connect through popular social apps like Facebook and Twitter, all while on the go. Don’t forget that you can also login to the PS Store over the 3G network to download add-ons for some of your favorite titles and browse new games and content.

What are the different sizes and prices of the data plans offered for AT&T’s 3G service?
Data plans can be purchased month-to-month with no contract (see step-by-step instructions above). The plans come in 250MB ($14.99), 3GB ($30), and 5GB ($50) varieties.

How do I access the Free 250MB 30-Day Promo from AT&T?
Here is how you can gain access to your free 250MB DataConnectPass once you’ve paid for and activated your 3G data package (250MB or larger before 3/31/2012):

1. Login with your user ID and password
2. Expand the “My Devices and Plans” in the account overview
3. Select the Vita device
4. Select “Add a Plan”, and then select “You have earned coupon(s), would you like to redeem?”. The redeemed coupon will be stacked – meaning after the initial purchased session is consumed/expires, then the earned coupon plan will go into effect.

What free game do I get with the AT&T promotion?
Along with the free 250MB DataConnectPass, purchasers of a 3G data package will also receive a digital copy of the newly released Super Stardust Delta Bundle, featuring the full game plus DLC for PS Vita ($14.99 value). This redemption code will be sent to you in an email within 30 days from the date of purchase of a DataConnect Pass.

If I have a DataConnect Pass with AT&T for my iPad, can I login with the same credentials?
No. You will need to create a new account using a different email address for your PS Vita.

If I travel internationally, will my 3G unit still work?
The 3G / WiFi unit will still be able to pick up a 3G signal even when outside of the country. However, additional data packages will need to be purchased in order to cover your data usage during these scenarios. These plans can be purchased on the PS Vita just like your standard 3G data packages.

1. $24.99 for 50MB in over 100 select countries*
2. $49.99 for 125MB in over 100 select countries*
3. $99.99 for 275MB in over 100 select countries*
4. $199.99 for 800MB in over 100 select countries*

*see www.att.com/datconnectglobal for a list of countries. Countries in the Global Data Connect plans may change at AT&T’s discretion.

Who can I contact if I run into service issues with the 3G service?
The AT&T customer care contact info and hours are as follows:
AT&T technical support hours: 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM Monday through Friday, 9:00AM to 9:00PM Saturdays, closed on Sundays (Local Market Time)
AT&T Customer Service number: 800-331-0500

How can I view my current data usage?
From the PS Vita, go into the Network Operator application. Once there, selecting “My Devices and Plans” will bring up a list of all of the 3G activated devices under your account. Upon selecting a device, the current data usage will be displayed.

How can I cancel my data plan?
From the PS Vita, please go into the Network Operator application. Once there, selecting “My Devices and Plans” will bring up a list of all of the 3G activated devices under your account. Upon selecting a device, there will be an option to cancel the data plan.

I have a very specific 3G PS Vita and/or AT&T question, is there a place where these answers might be?
For more granular questions pertaining to the 3G / WiFi PS Vita or AT&T’s service, please refer to our detailed FAQ — http://us.playstation.com/psvita/att/faq/

If you see a white space above here – please refresh the page – you should then see the livestream. If you’re still having issues watching, please click here.

The PlayStation Vita: after over a year of hype, the first of us will get to take one home (or on a plane, train, submarine, or hot air balloon) this week. The Vita is more than just a shiny OLED screen and dual analog sticks; it’s a complex, cutting edge device, and we know you have questions about some of its finer points.

Over the weekend we took questions via Twitter, and today John Koller and I will be answering many of them and demoing features as appropriate. No smoke and mirrors, we’ll do it live!

And for those of you who think you already know everything there is to know about PS Vita, we’ll show a few other things to you for the first time. It all starts at 3pm Pacific/6pm Eastern, so see you then!

The PS3 system provides a great entertainment experience on its own, with high-definition gaming and other great features like video streaming and access to a huge library of movies, games, and shows via the PlayStation Network, but PS3 accessories add another great way to enhance your gaming and entertainment experience.

The following PS3 accessories will be available as part of the Play Days promotion:

PlayStation Move accessories that allow you to be part of the fun though a completely immersive and realistic motion gaming experience.

Audio accessories that deliver explosive sound and crystal clear voice chat capabilities giving you an advantage in multiplayer games.

Accessories to enhance your 3D gaming and Blu-ray movie experience.

DualShock 3 accessories that keep your controllers ready for action and simplify text input.

Below you will find a list of participating retailers:

• Amazon
• Best Buy
• Fred Meyer
• Fry’s
• Gamestop
• Kmart
• Sears
• Sony Retail Stores
  
• Target
• Toys R Us

We’re very excited to deliver even more savings to you this holiday season. Which accessory are you looking forward to playing with?

For exact promotional prices, please check at the participating retail stores.