As a goodie and to further spark your interest, I have brand new stuff to show you today, including a new launch trailer and another episode of our development diary video series. I will also tell you more about Rainbow Moon‘s main characters.

In total there are six main characters you will come across during your journey. You start your adventure with Baldren, a classic “tank and spank” fighter and the main hero of our story. Not far into the game you will meet Trisha, who has excellent bow skills and perfectly completes your party with her ranged attacks. Trisha can also slow down enemies and has a high speed attribute.

Deeper into the story, you will unlock four more characters. Dozeru, a heavy armored knight, loves to cleave all kinds of slimy beasts in two. What Gorodo lacks in armor, he compensates with massive melee damage and the best growth of hit points in the game. Serena appears a bit weak at first sight, but she is an excellent magician and can learn a number of really powerful skills that annihilate whole groups of enemies at once. Finally, Zelorus is a master of inflicting terrible conditions on his enemies, reducing their attributes and weakening their defenses.

Each character is specialized in his own weapon class, can be equipped with different gear, and learn unique battle skills. Once you have acquired a new character, you can then freely select your party leader and battle formation. Up to three characters will form a battle group and engage together in fearless battles. Choose from more than 20 different deployment grids you can acquire during your journey. The right battle setup and deployment formation can make a huge impact once it comes to fierce battles. Who will be in your battle party? It’s completely up to you to choose…

I hope you have enjoyed what we’ve shown you. Make sure to watch out for Rainbow Moon on the PlayStation Store later this afternoon. Rainbow Moon is our biggest game to date and available at just $14.99. PlayStation Plus subscribers can enjoy a 20% discount, valid until July 24th.

Last but not least, don’t forget to grab the Rainbow Moon Beginner’s Kit add-on, which is also available today free of charge. We’d love to hear your feedback. Join us on Facebook, visit Rainbow Moon’s official website and drop your questions and comments into the comment box below.

Summer is a great time to game. Open the window, turn up the volume to let everybody know what you’re playing. Another way to celebrate summer gaming is to watch this edition of PULSE which features new and upcoming releases and the annual PlayStation Store Summer Sale. Join Christina Lee for a look at Rainbow Moon — a classic looking 90′s RPG produced by the same folks who created Soldner X. For the PlayStation Vita, Zen Pinball 2 is coming soon supporting cross-play. The PS3 version supports stereoscopic 3D and is backwards compatible for those of you who’ve got the original.

In PlayStation Plus news, Gotham City Imposters is now part of this month’s instant game collection. Check out this zany take on the Batman universe with wacky costumes and bullet flying mayhem. And, finally, the Top 10 features the most popular downloads of June. Not a huge surprise in the number one spot, but check out a couple surprises lower in the list.

So, watch right here on the PlayStation.Blog or download HD, SD, and PS Vita versions from the PlayStation Store after today’s update.

We hope you enjoy this quick look at what’s happening on PlayStation.

Break out the fireworks for the July 3rd PlayStation Store update, where PlayStation Plus members will be able to download Gotham City Impostors, Pac-Man Championship Edition DX, and Renegade Ops for FREE!

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July 3rd PlayStation Plus Update

Gotham City Impostors: Previously announced as 50% off in Plus as part of the PSN Summer Sale, we’ve got a surprise for Plus members as Gotham City Impostors will be free for the month of July! Hatched from the twisted minds at Monolith Productions, Gotham City Impostors is a download-only multiplayer FPS that pits violent vigilantes (dressed up like Batman) against craven criminals (dressed up as the Joker) in open warfare on the streets of Gotham City. Since its release, there have been a ton of new additions to the game, including more customization options, thousands of player unlocks and upgrades, and more. Check out Giant Bomb’s review praising its gameplay and outstanding humor. Add this phenomenal multiplayer FPS to your collection this July – free with your PlayStation Plus membership.

Pac-Man Championship Edition DX: This edition of one of gaming’s most beloved franchises takes the series in a bold, and incredibly addictive direction. With fast-paced gameplay, countless twists on the classic Pac-Man experience, awesome head-bumping music, and crazy-good leaderboard integration, Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is a title that no gamer should miss — IGN gave it a 10 out 10! And now, with your PlayStation Plus membership, you won’t have to!

Renegade Ops: Last year’s PSN PLAY promotion introduced 4 amazing PSN games to heat up the last days of summer. Renegade Ops was one of those titles and deservedly so. The critically-acclaimed PSN game boasts 4 player co-op, destructible environments (using the Just Cause 2 engine), addictive gameplay, and lots of fun add-ons. This title will spice up your PlayStation Plus game collection with firepower on the back of co-op gameplay, and is a true must-download for all members. Check out 1up.com’s Renegade Ops review, where it scored a perfect “A” grade.

Click here to visit the Official PSN Summer Sale page

PSN Summer Sale: If you saw the PlayStation Store’s Summer Sale news this morning, you know that you’ll be able to heat up your PSN games collection by taking advantage of some deep discounts on major PS3 Full Game titles: Shadow of the Colossus, Killzone 3 Multiplayer, and more are all on sale this week with 50% off deals for PlayStation Plus members!

July 10th PlayStation Plus Update

Rainbow Moon: This PSN exclusive strategy role-playing game comes packed with strong emphasis on exploration, character development and turn-based battles. And the best part is that PlayStation Plus members will receive a 20% discount when it releases on July 10th! With a classic isometric open world, six playable main characters, more than 20 dungeons, around 100 special skills, fully customizable weapons, armor and accessories; Rainbow Moon is a massive game that offers all the features that you want from a traditional RPG… and a lot more!

That’s it for now! We’ll have another update for you midway through the month with more great Plus content, including offers on a psychedelic racing game, exclusive access to an action-packed beta, and amazing deals on anticipated new PSN releases. Keep an eye on the PlayStation Store Update posts every Tuesday to stay current with all the offerings made available to PlayStation Plus members.

Also, please share your feedback regarding this month’s PlayStation Plus update in the comments. Some of the burning questions we have for you include: Do you prefer monthly Plus free games updates all at once, or more of a steady feed of content arriving through the month? On a scale of 1-10, what would you score the current Instant Game Collection lineup?

Want Plus? Click here to purchase online, or activate on the PlayStation Store.

(Please note that Virtua Fighter 5, Hard Corp: Uprising, and Zombie Apocalypse will be rotated out of the PlayStation Plus catalog on 7/3. However, you can still download them prior to the 7/3 PlayStation Store Update hits, and will be able to keep them in your collection as long as you are a PlayStation Plus member – so if you haven’t added these awesome games to your queue then we suggest you do so now! )

Less than two weeks until our new RPG Rainbow Moon hits PlayStation Store! Today, we’re going to share more details with you, along with another entry from our Dev Diary video series.

Previously, we talked about Rainbow Moon’s battle system and the game’s character development system. Now I’m going to tell you more about all the weapons and equipment that you can acquire in Rainbow Moon, as well as how to improve them through the crafting system.

The six characters that you’ll come across during your journey can be equipped with five different equipment types: weapons, hats, body armor, amulets and rings. All these items have their own attributes, and some even have built-in passive skills or conditions. In true RPG fashion, equipping better gear will make your characters more powerful during battles.

You’ll start your adventure with very basic gear — just enough to take on the game’s weaker creatures. As you progress through the story, you’ll be able to purchase new gear from merchants. And if you’re lucky, you’ll find some useful equipment in hidden treasure chests!

You’ll find hundreds of different items along the way, giving you tons of possible gear combinations. And whenever you equip your characters with new weapons or armor, their look changes immediately. Try to find the ultimate gear for all your party members!

If the plethora of gear to find in Rainbow Moon isn’t enough to keep you busy, we’ve also implemented a crafting system to upgrade your existing gear. Each piece of equipment has a different number of crafting slots, which can be filled with all sorts of materials you collect from defeated monsters. While most crafting results can be previewed, we’ve also added plenty of secrets. Crafting is free of charge, so make sure to experiment a lot.

Rainbow Moon will be available on PlayStation Store July 10th for $14.99. PlayStation Plus subscribers can enjoy a 20% discount for the first two weeks after launch. Make sure to follow our development and other news on Facebook or visit Rainbow Moon’s official website.

Please share your feedback and ask any questions you have in the comments below. I appreciate all the feedback that I’ve received from you so far, and I’ll be sure to get back to all your questions.

The last time we spoke, I explained Rainbow Moon‘s battle system. This time, I’d like to give you some insight into the game’s character development system. Many gamers think that character development is just about battling and leveling up. While that’s partly true in Rainbow Moon, there’s a lot more that can make or break a game.

Aside from RPG standards like experience points and gaining levels, in Rainbow Moon you can earn a resource called “Rainbow Pearls.” You can exchanged these for improved character attributes or increased health and magic limits. This system gives you a certain freedom in how you’d like to develop your characters. A higher “speed” attribute, for example, will grant you a turn order advantage during battles, while an increased “luck” attribute increases the chance for critical hits.

You can also strengthen your characters by equipping them with different kind of weapons, armor, amulets, rings, and purchasing active and passive skills, as well as by taking advantage of the game’s crafting system. We’ll chat more about that another time!

Be sure to check out the following gameplay video, which is part of our development diary video series. It’s a great recap about Rainbow Moon’s battle system.

Thanks to all of you for your interest in Rainbow Moon. Don’t forget to watch out for Rainbow Moon on PlayStation Store this July 10th. We’re really eager to see what you think!

In the meantime, if you want to stay in touch with us or read up more on Rainbow Moon, make sure to follow us on Facebook or visit Rainbow Moon’s official website.

If you have any questions or comments, please let me know through the comments below and I’ll be sure to get back to you.

Although much of Rainbow Moon’s appeal is in its exploration and character development, the battles are what matter most. Akin to our Soldner-X game series, we have taken an innovative approach by combining classical elements with new ideas. An example is the triggering of battle encounters. Random encounters? Yes or no? Well, how about both?! In Rainbow Moon you will find foes roaming the surface of the planet and have a chance to battle in additional random encounters. The latter, however, are 100% optional and can be disregarded if you so decide.

All battles take place on grid-sized maps and are completely turn based. That’s right, just like the good old days: No stress, no chaos. Take your time to observe the situation and make the right move. Up to three party members can encounter a variety of evil beings. There are a number of commands at your disposal. The most important are Move, Attack, (using short or long range standard attacks), Skill (we’ll talk more about this in a moment), Defend, Use an Item, and Escape (all battles can be abandoned during your turn).

Using the right skills at the right time will decide your victory, and there are over 120 special skills of different types you can use throughout your journey. These range from powerful attacks, to support such as healing and other unique skills such as casting light or analyzing enemies. Some skills can be learned by only one of your characters, while others are suitable for multiple characters.

So, how about enemy behaviors? In Rainbow Moon you will encounter around 100 different enemies from 17 classes, each with its own characteristics. Besides attacking you with standard and special attacks, enemies can do a lot more, including casting support skills, focusing their attacks on certain characters, splitting, merging, self-destructing, fleeing, and a few more we will leave for you to discover for yourself.

I will not go into all the details, but I can promise you there’s a lot more than meets the eye. You will find different deployment grids, a wide variety of status conditions (poison and enchantments), weapon affinities, a BIAS system, passive skills, skill levels, speed bonus system, and so on.

As you can see, a great amount of effort and attention to detail has gone into the development of the game. You’ll be happy to hear that Rainbow Moon will be one of the few games on PSN with Platinum Trophy support. In total, you’ll find more than 50 trophies are up for grabs.

There’s a lot more I’d love to share with you. If you want to know more about Rainbow Moon, please make sure to visit the official website and follow us on Facebook at Rainbow Moon will be published on the PlayStation Store by our long-term partner eastasiasoft in just a few weeks.

PS: Please share your thoughts and feel free to ask questions using the comments box below. I’ll be more than happy to get back to you.

Hello everyone, this is Marcus from SideQuest Studios, the developer that brought you the PSN exclusive shoot’em up series Söldner-X. Today I am telling you about what we’ve been working on with our publishing partner eastasiasoft during roughly the last year and a half. No, it’s not another shooter, but it’s once again a very classical genre that we are bringing back to life on the PlayStation 3 in 2012.

Our latest creation is titled Rainbow Moon. It’s a strategy role-playing game (or, for short, “SRPG”) with a strong emphasis on exploration, character development and turn-based battles. This genre is one of my personal favorites that I enjoyed playing most when I was growing up (and still enjoy a lot now as far as time allows).

I can promise you that Rainbow Moon is going to be massive, and it’s got all the features that you want from a traditional RPG. First of all, it will take you around 30 hours just to play through the main story mode, but that’s far from all what the game has to offer. Your playtime can be extended to 100 hours or longer if you want to complete all side quests and achieve full character development.

What else can you expect from Rainbow Moon? A classic isometric open world, six playable main characters, more than 20 dungeons, around 100 special skills, fully customizable weapons, armors and accessories, and a lot more.

At the moment, we are still putting on the last finishing touches, and I can’t wait to see when Rainbow Moon hits the PlayStation Store in the first quarter of 2012. Until then, I will surely have more information for you here on the PlayStation.Blog. If you want to stay up to date on Rainbow Moon’s development, you may also check out the official website at www.rainbowmoongame.com or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RainbowMoonTheGame.

P.S.: Make sure to let me know what you think about Rainbow Moon, and leave your feedback or questions in the comments.