Pre-Orders

Assassin’s Creed III Gold Edition + ACIII: Liberation ($119.99)

The American Colonies, 1775. As a Native American Assassin fights to protect his land and his people he will ignite the flames of a young nation’s revolution. In Assassin’s Creed III eliminate your enemies with guns, bows, tomahawks, and more! In development for over 3 years, the game features the new Ubisoft-AnvilNext engine. And with the Gold Edition, take home the Assassin’s Creed III Season Pass! This bundle also includes Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation for PS Vita.

Assassin’s Creed III Gold Edition ($89.99)

The American Colonies, 1775. As a Native American Assassin fights to protect his land and his people he will ignite the flames of a young nation’s revolution. In Assassin’s Creed III eliminate your enemies with guns, bows, tomahawks, and more! In development for over 3 years, the game features the new Ubisoft-AnvilNext engine. And with the Gold Edition, take home the Assassin’s Creed III Season Pass!

Assassin’s Creed III ($59.99)

The American Colonies, 1775. As a Native American Assassin fights to protect his land and his people he will ignite the flames of a young nation’s revolution. In Assassin’s Creed III eliminate your enemies with guns, bows, tomahawks, and more! In development for over 3 years, the game features the new Ubisoft-AnvilNext engine.

PS3 Full Games

NBA 2K13 ($59.99)

Executive produced by JAY Z and featuring an enhanced MyCAREER mode and all-new gameplay features, NBA 2K13 pits the best players in NBA history against the new dynasty of talent, including the much-debated matchup between the 2012 U.S. Men’s National Team and the 1992 “Dream Team.”
ESRB: E – Everyone // File Size: 9.1 GB

Resident Evil 6 ($59.99)

The bioterrorism nightmare continues. As the world teeters on the brink of destruction, what fate will await our heroes?
ESRB: M – Mature // File Size: 10 GB

LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 ($19.99)

LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 takes players through Harry Potter’s heroic adventures in the Muggle and wizarding worlds. Encounter new faces, new challenges and more magic, to prepare for the ultimate face-off with Lord Voldemort!
ESRB: E10+ – Everyone 10+ // File Size: 9.2 GB

PSN Games

Sonic Adventure 2 ($9.99)

In Sonic Adventure 2, will you choose to save the world or conquer it? The hunt for the Chaos Emeralds is on and battle lines have been drawn between Hero and Dark. Experience two unique adventures featuring both long-time heroes and new and returning villains as they battle for the fate of the world!
ESRB: E10+ – Everyone 10+ // File Size: 3.06 GB

NiGHTS Into Dreams ($9.99)

Slip off into the dream world and go on an aerial adventure as NiGHTS in this classic Saturn remake. Collect Ideya (colored orbs), rack up points, and battle bosses to help Elliot and Claris save Nightopia from Wizeman the Wicked. With all 7 original dreams, enhanced graphics, achievements, leaderboards, and playable content from Christmas NiGHTS, this beloved title is back and better than ever.
ESRB: E – Everyone // File Size: 1.98 GB

PS Vita

New Little King’s Story ($39.99)

New Little King’s Story comes to the PS Vita handheld entertainment system for the very first time! Based on the classic action adventure RPG, players can enter the role of King Corobo and experience his incredible journey to win back his kingdom.
ESRB: E – Everyone // File Size: 650 MB

PSOne Classics Added to Vita Store

• Spec Ops: Stealth Patrol
• Spec Ops: Ranger Elite
• Spec Ops: Covert Assault
• Spec Ops: Airborne Commando
• Mega Man
• Mega Man 2
• Maga Man 3
• Mega Man 4
• Cyberbots: Fullmetal Madness
• Darkstalkers
• Darkstalkers 3
• Street Fighter Alpha
• Street Fighter Alpha 2
• Street Fighter Alpha 3
• Dino Crisis
• Dino Crisis 2
• Breath of Fire IV
• Resident Evil Director’s Cut
• Resident Evil 2
• Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
• Final Fantasy Tactics
• Final Fantasy Origins
• Final Fantast VI
• Final Fantasy VIII
• Final Fantasy IX
• Tomb Raider 2
• Tomb Raider III
• Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation
• Gex
• Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko
• Fighting Force
• Parasite Eve
• Parasite Eve II
• Xenogears
• Legend of Mana
• Threads of Fate
• Vagrant Story
• Chrono Cross
• Chrono Trigger

PS2 Classics

Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon Special Edition ($9.99)

Farm, raise livestock, and help your neighbors on Heartflame Island put a stop to an ancient curse in this futuristic Harvest Moon!
ESRB: E – Everyone // File Size: 1.29 GB

Ruff Trigger: The Vanocore Conspiracy ($9.99)

Hunt down the missing Piglots as bounty hunter Ruff Trigger uncovers an evil plan to take over the galaxy.
ESRB: E10+ – Everyone 10+ // File Size: 1.91 GB

Apps

Neon Alley ($0.00)

Neon Alley is a 24/7 channel of ALL English dubbed, UNCUT, anime & more including weekly exclusive premieres of hit series and 1st time dubs along with classic kung fu, anime inspired live action movies & more! Catch premiere episodes of NARUTO Shippuden, Blue Exorcist & Tiger & Bunny plus favorites like InuYasha, One Piece, and Death Note all together only in one place – only on Neon Alley. Download the app and start your 1 WEEK FREE TRIAL now!
File Size: 15 MB

PlayStation Store Highlights

It’s officially October, which means our latest store promotion is in full swing. If you spend $100 this month you’ll receive a $20 PSN credit in November. Even better, if you already pre-ordered an October title last week, that money counts toward this promotion.

This week both NBA 2K13 and Resident Evil 6 are hitting the PlayStation Store the same day as retail. Remember, there are still a few titles you can pre-order to receive an exclusive theme and a discount if you’re a Plus member. In case you missed picking it up before, LEGO Harry Potter Years 5-7 is also available on the Store today.

Other goodies out today include Sonic Adventure 2, NiGHTS Into Dreams and PS2 classics Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon Special Edition and Ruff Trigger: The Vanocore Conspiracy. In terms of add-on content there are items available for Dead or Alive 5 and NBA 2K13.

For PS Vita owners, New Little King’s Story is now available for download, along with a bunch of newly compatible PSone classics. Popular franchises like Mega Man, Final Fantasy, Chrono, Tomb Raider, Street Fighter, Resident Evil and more are now playable on your PS Vita.

As always, please leave your thoughts in the comments below. You can also chat about this update in the PlayStation Community Forums.

PlayStation Plus

Click here to learn more and purchase online or go to the PlayStation Store to activate instantly.

Instant Game Collection	NFL Blitz
Pre-Order Deals	Dishonored (10% Off) – PS Plus Price: $53.99 DOOM BFG Edition(10% Off) – PS Plus Price: $35.99 Need for Speed Most Wanted (10% Off) – PS Plus Price: $53.99
Full Game Trial	LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
Discounts	Alex Kidd in Miracle World (80% Off) – PS Plus Price: $1.00 Spelunker HD (50% Off) – PS Plus Price: $5.00 Spelunker Championship Area 2: Nasty Cave with a Stream (50% Off) – PS Plus Price: $1.00 Spelunker Championship Area 3: Fiendish Ancient Ruins (50% Off) – PS Plus Price: $1.00 Spelunker Championship Area 4: Frigid Icy Depths (50% Off) – PS Plus Price: $1.00 Spelunker Championship Area 5: Ancient Creature’s Fossils (50% Off) – PS Plus Price: $1.00 Spelunker Championship Area 6: Cave of Glowing Moss (50% Off) – PS Plus Price: $1.00 Spelunker Championship Area 7: Scorching Cave (50% Off) – PS Plus Price: $1.00 Spelunker Championship Area 8: Mysterious Mining Facility (50% Off) – PS Plus Price: $1.00 Spelunker Championship Area 9: Unforgiving Characters (50% Off) – PS Plus Price: $1.00 Spelunker Championship Area 10: Heinous Creature’s Lair (50% Off) – PS Plus Price: $1.00
Last Chance (Leaving on 10/9)	Instant Game Collection – Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Instant Game Collection – Sideway New York Full Game Trial – Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit Pre-Order — Dishonored (10% Off) – PS Plus Price: $53.99 Discount — Alex Kidd in Miracle World (80% Off) – PS Plus Price: $1.00 Discount – Tokyo Jungle (20% Off) – PS Plus Price $11.99 Free Add-On – Tokyo Jungle – Pomeranian Black Free Add-On – Tokyo Jungle – Pomeranian White Free Add-On – Tokyo Jungle – Silky Terrier Free Add-On – Tokyo Jungle – Fat Cat

PS3 Game Demos (Free)

Sonic Adventure 2

In Sonic Adventure 2, will you choose to save the world or conquer it? The hunt for the Chaos Emeralds is on and battle lines have been drawn between Hero and Dark. Experience two unique adventures featuring both long-time heroes and new and returning villains as they battle for the fate of the world!
ESRB: E10+ – Everyone 10+ // File Size: 3.06 GB

PS Vita Game Demos (Free)

Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward

Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward is a suspense-driven visual novel/puzzle game and spiritual sequel to the hit, 999. Zero has kidnapped nine people and placed them in a warehouse to play the deadly Nonary Game. Play as Sigma and decide who among the eight others to trust and who to betray in this plot twisting visual novel! With fully voiced dual language support, new puzzles and more, solve the mystery that is Zero!
ESRB: M – Mature // File Size: 132 MB

Silent Hill: Book of Memories

Enter your very own horror story with the newest release of Silent Hill, for the PS Vita system. Silent Hill: Book of Memories is a chilling exploration of the best that Silent Hill has to offer. Enter a world full of untold stories, change the past, and write your own ideal history. Encounter a chilling lineup of iconic Silent Hill characters and scenes that will leave you craving more! Download the demo today!
ESRB: M – Mature // File Size: 552 MB

Price Change

• Assassin’s Creed: Revelations – PS3 Full Game (now: $29.99 original price: $39.99)
• Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood – PS3 Full Game (now: $19.99 original price: $29.99)
• Saints Row: The Third – PS3 Full Game (now: $39.99 original price: $49.99)

Sales

• Foosball 2012 – PSN Game (now: $5.99 original price: $7.99)
• Foosball 2012 – PS Vita Game (now: $5.99 original price: $7.99)
• Hyberballoid HD – PSN Game (now: $2.99 original price: $4.99)
• Susume Tactics! – PSP Game (now: $2.49 original price: $4.99)

PS Vita Add-ons

Escape Plan

• Director’s Cut ($4.99) – The Director’s Cut pack is filled with the most devious and evil tricks that Bakuki ever conceived, including the Slap-a-ma-tron 9001, and a butt-ton of mind-bending puzzles. Continuing with tradition, we have added four new costumes to the dressing room. Dress Lil and Laarg in a new spectrum of costumes such as Timeless and Lost Clause.

LittleBigPlanet PS Vita

• The Pirates! Costume Pack ($2.99) – Arrrr! Download this costume minipack to dress your Sackboy or Sackgirl in swashbuckling pirate attire! This includes the Pirate Captain, Cutlass Liz and Black Bellamy costumes. Cross-entitled for PS3.

Treasures of Montezuma Blitz

• 1,000 Crystals Pack ($0.99) – Crystals are the game’s Virtual Currency. They can be earned while playing the game or purchased here to bypass the balancing restriction. This pack provides the player with an additional one thousand Crystals. Crystals are used to rent and upgrade bonuses that increase a player’s chances of racking up a high score.
• 1,000,000 Crystals Mega Pack ($69.99) – Best deal on ToM Blitz Crystals! Crystals are the game’s Virtual Currency. They can be earned while playing the game or purchased here to bypass the balancing restriction. This pack provides the player with an additional one million Crystals. Crystals are used to rent and upgrade bonuses that increase a player’s chances of racking up a high score.

PS3 Add-ons

Dead or Alive 5

• Costume Pack 1 ($0.00) – Fight in style with this free pack of costumes for 11 Dead or Alive 5 characters.

LittleBigPlanet 2

• The Pirates! Costume Pack ($2.99) – Arrrr! Download this costume minipack to dress your Sackboy or Sackgirl in swashbuckling pirate attire! This includes the Pirate Captain, Cutlass Liz and Black Bellamy costumes. Cross-entitled for PS Vita.

NBA 2K13

• Blue Diamond Jewelry Collection ($24.99) – Unlocks a diamond jewelry set for your MyPLAYER that provides a +10 boost to all attributes. Collection includes diamond watch, bracelet, earrings and rings. Attribute boosts are applied upon ownership, and jewelry items need not be worn to receive boosts. Collections do not stack, and if multiple collections are owned, only the highest boost will be applied to your MyPLAYER.
• Gold Jewelry Collection ($4.99) – Unlocks a gold jewelry set for your MyPLAYER that provides a +3 boost to all attributes. Collection includes gold watch, bracelet, earrings and rings. Attribute boosts are applied upon ownership, and jewelry items need not be worn to receive boosts. Collections do not stack, and if multiple collections are owned, only the highest boost will be applied to your MyPLAYER.
• Platinum Jewelry Collection ($9.99) – Unlocks a platinum jewelry set for your MyPLAYER that provides a +6 boost to all attributes. Collection includes platinum watch, bracelet, earrings and rings. Attribute boosts are applied upon ownership, and jewelry items need not be worn to receive boosts. Collections do not stack, and if multiple collections are owned, only the highest boost will be applied to your MyPLAYER.
• Spanish Commentary Pack ($4.99) – Enjoy in-game NBA commentary in Spanish from three of Spain’s most prominent basketball journalists – Antoni Daimiel and Sixto Miguel Serrano from Canal+ along with Jorge Quiroga of Marca – with this Spanish Commentary Add-On pack.

Sonic Adventure 2

• Battle Mode ($2.99) – Up the ante in the fight between heroes and villains with Sonic Adventure 2’s Battle Mode DLC! Upgrade your Sonic Adventure 2 experience with six new characters, 21 additional two-player battle maps, and Chao Karate from Sonic Adventure 2: Battle!

Street Fighter X Tekken

• Boost Gem Trial Pack 6 ($0.00) – A total of 3 Boost Gems that all characters can use. Note: If you would like to see the effects of the Gems individually before purchase, please use the Store from the game’s Main Menu. The effects of the Gems may be subject to change.
• Color Palette Add On 8 ($0.00) – The 8th color pack (4-color set) for character color customization. Note: This add-on is exclusive content for STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN.
• SF Boost Gem Pack 13 ($0.99) – 10 Boost Gems exclusively for Street Fighter characters. If you are being the aggressor in a match, as you attack the effects will activate.
• SF Boost Gem Pack 14 ($0.99) – 10 Boost Gems exclusively for Street Fighter characters. A stronger version of the Gems that activate upon performing a technical action. Note: If you would like to see the effects of the Gems individually before purchase, please use the Store from the game’s Main Menu. The effects of the Gems may be subject to change.
• SF Boost Gem Pack 15 ($0.99) – 10 Boost Gems exclusively for Street Fighter characters. These Gems activate upon performing normal moves. Note: If you would like to see the effects of the Gems individually before purchase, please use the Store from the game’s Main Menu. The effects of the Gems may be subject to change.
• TK Boost Gem Pack 13 ($0.99) – 10 Boost Gems exclusively for Tekken characters. These Gems activate as you are on the defensive but looking for your chance to strike. Note: If you would like to see the effects of the Gems individually before purchase, please use the Store from the game’s Main Menu. The effects of the Gems may be subject to change.
• TK Boost Gem Pack 14 ($0.99) – 10 Boost Gems exclusively for Tekken characters. The activation conditions for these Gems are simple and the effects are well-balanced. Note: If you would like to see the effects of the Gems individually before purchase, please use the Store from the game’s Main Menu. The effects of the Gems may be subject to change.
• TK Boost Gem Pack 15 ($0.99) – 10 Boost Gems exclusively for Tekken characters. These Gems activate upon countering your opponent’s attacks. Note: If you would like to see the effects of the Gems individually before purchase, please use the Store from the game’s Main Menu. The effects of the Gems may be subject to change.

Rock Band 3 – Build your Rock Band library by purchasing song game tracks. For music credits, visit www.RockBand.com.

• Down ($1.99) – 311
• Amber ($1.99) – 311
• Beautiful Disaster ($1.99) – 311
• 311 Pack 1 ($5.49) – Includes “Amber,” “Beautiful Disaster,” and “Down.”
• Adonaï ($1.99) – ETHS
• Move Your Body ($1.99) – Eiffel 65
• That’ll Be the Day ($1.99) – Jerry Naylor
• The Restless Mind ($0.99) – Francisco Meza
• This Round’s On Me ($1.99) – Blackguard

RockSmith

• Bright Lights ($2.99) – Gary Clark Jr.
• Caring is Creepy ($2.99) – The Shins
• Paris (Ooh La La) ($2.99) – Grace Potter and The Nocturnals

Spelunker HD

• Championship Area 9: Unforgiving Characters ($1.99) – The pyramid cave is filled with pretty unforgiving chambers.
• Championship Area 10: Heinous Creature’s Lair ($1.99) – The lair of this mysterious creature is truly heinous.

Game Videos (Free)

• ALIENS: COLONIAL MARINES ESCAPE TRAILER
• NEON ALLEY Trailer
• PAGE CHRONICA GAMEPLAY TRAILER
• PLANETS UNDER ATTACK TRAILER
• REALMS OF ANCIENT WAR – COOP MODE TRAILER
• REALMS OF ANCIENT WAR – THE ROGUE TRAILER
• ROCKSMITH BASS EXPANSION DLC TRAILER
• The Last Of Us E3 Extended Demo Video

PS3 Avatars

• RESIDENT EVIL 6 – ADA AVATAR — $0.49
• RESIDENT EVIL 6 – B.S.A.A. AVATAR — $0.49
• RESIDENT EVIL 6 – CHRIS AVATAR — $0.49
• RESIDENT EVIL 6 – HELENA AVATAR — $0.49
• RESIDENT EVIL 6 – LA VITA NUOVA AVATAR — $0.49
• RESIDENT EVIL 6 – LEON AVATAR — $0.49
• RESIDENT EVIL 6 – PIERS AVATAR — $0.49
• RESIDENT EVIL 6 – SHERRY AVATAR — $0.49
• RESIDENT EVIL 6 -D.S.O. AVATAR — $0.49
• RESIDENT EVIL 6 -JAKE AVATAR — $0.49
• RESIDENT EVIL 6 PSN AVATAR BUNDLE — $1.99

PS3 Themes

• Dynamic Comic Hero 3 Theme — $2.99
• Dynamic Fairy Tale Red Riding Hood Theme — $2.99
• NIGHTS INTO DREAMS PREMIUM THEME — $1.49
• Partytime Dynamic Theme — $2.99
• Platonic Dream Dynamic Theme — $2.99
• RESIDENT EVIL 6 CHINA INVASION DYNAMIC THEME — $2.99
• SONIC ADVENTURE 2 PREMIUM THEME — $1.99
• TRANSFORMERS: FALL OF CYBERTRON – DECEPTICON THEME (PUBLIC RELEASE) — $2.99
• Typescape by Wallzo Dynamic Theme — $2.99

Available In-Game Only (Not on PlayStation Store)

Rock Band 3

• Down ($0.99) – Pro Guitar (In Game Only) – 311

The sequel to 2009’s Africa-set Resident Evil 5 is an absolute beast of a game, offering one of the largest single player campaigns in recent memory. Ahead of its global release today, we caught up with executive producer Kobayashi-san, director Sasaki-san and producer Hirabayashi-san at Tokyo Game Show, to find out how Capcom went about creating such a mammoth title.

Fred Dutton, PlayStation.Blog Europe Manager: What makes Resident Evil 6 stand out from its predecessors?
Sasaki: I think it’s the human drama that we really wanted to convey. The script is just so packed with stuff. Trying to blend everything from the script with the game design and make that come together was really a challenge. What we tried while writing the script was to incorporate the level design and the design of the game itself so they blended seamlessly together. That was the toughest part.

PSB: At the beginning of development, do you start out with a story, or do ideas for gameplay and set pieces come first?
Sasaki: I try and get a bunch of different situations in my mind – things that I want to see happening in the game – and they’re usually not connected at all. It’s independent of any story at that stage. For example, with this game when we started, the image I had in my mind was the one of Chris and Leon pointing their guns at each other. That was a cool thing that I wanted to see, but I hadn’t even thought about where the story would be at that point. I just thought that’s a cool thing I wanted in the game – how do we make that happen? How can we make a really cool story around that, and add horror elements and make it work?

PSB: The Resident Evil series is famous for its hammy dialogue, catchphrases and visual memes. Do you consciously try and work those sorts of things into the script?
Sasaki: We are aware of those things but that doesn’t mean we go out of our way to create those situations. When we’re making the story we try to come up with lines that reflect the situation that is happening in the story. Everything has to match the story. I personally have lines which I’m a fan of – and the fans have their favorite lines as well – but we don’t say to ourselves “let’s put this line in the script and everyone will like it and it will become a meme”. That’s not something we try to do; I think it’s something that’s born out of people’s experience with the game.

PSB: Resident Evil 6 is an enormous game – are you worried that some players won’t have the stamina to make it all the way to the end?
Sasaki: Yes, just a little worried about that. But because of that we developed this new service that ties into Resident Evil 6 called REnet. We hope this service will really motivate people to keep playing the game. It’s for you and your friends – it will help keep all of you connected and looking forward to clearing the game.

There are lots of different aspects that will allow that. One of the basic elements is you’re going to be able to check in on your friends’ progress and see how they’re progressing. Conversely they’ll do the same with you, so it will be a challenge for both of you to see how far you can get, and see who is doing better. There are a lot of ways you can compare your progress with that of your friends. It’s compatible with Twitter and Facebook so you can get push notifications from friends. It should spur people to continue playing and make it to the end.

PSB: Resident Evil 5 saw some great Move support. Do you have plans to offer anything similar with its sequel?
Sasaki: Right now, we don’t have plans for that.

PSB: And can you tell us any more about your plans for post-launch support?
Sasaki: We can’t talk about the DLC we are preparing for the game, but in the near future we will be making an announcement about additional content for Resident Evil 6. But the main portion of the game is so loaded with stuff that it should take people a long time to get through this game before they are even ready for DLC.

PSB: I know the PlayStation community would love to see Resident Evil come to PS Vita. Any plans you can discuss?
Sasaki: First of all I’m glad there is a clamoring for something like that. That’s something we will have to look at. If there are enough people clamoring for Resident Evil on Vita that’s definitely something we’ll have to do.

PSB: The Resident Evil fanbase is a particular passionate one and isn’t afraid to voice its concerns when it doesn’t approve of the direction you take with a game. Is it frustrating trying to keep them happy?
Kobayashi: The way I always think of it is that if Resident Evil represents a child, then the fans and us as creators are the two parents. The resulting games are like the children that are born between both of us. And just like real parents, you’re not always going to agree on what is best for raising that child.

Now, we do always have our ear to the ground and listen to what the fans are saying and we try to take that into account when we’re making the game. But it’s our job to create a new gaming experience and to offer them something that’s fresh and challenging. We want to make sure that what we do pleases them but the initial reaction might not always be positive. We do listen to the fans but we can’t be beholden to them at every turn or I don’t think we’ll ever make progress in terms of the series’ development.

PSB: The zombie genre is getting increasingly crowded these days. Do you think there’s still room for innovation?
Hirabayashi: I still think there is room for innovation with the zombie genre. We have to think about what we do next, but at the core of it the zombie element is almost like its own genre now. There are so many things you can do with them. For us, the challenge for the next Resident Evil outing will be sitting down together and thinking what can we do that we haven’t done before.

PSB: After so many years working on RE6 doesn’t the thought of getting started on the next one fill you with horror?!
Hirabayashi: If there are any discussions about furthering the series, yes, the first feeling I would have would be one of fear! But right now we’re so far from that stage – everything is focused on Resident Evil 6.

]]> http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/10/02/resident-evil-6-interview-can-capcom-inject-new-life-into-the-undead/feed/ 73 http://blog.us.playstation.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2012/10/RE6.jpg 2.14SCEE Blog Manager 73 0 http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/09/24/survival-horror-invades-playstation-the-official-magazines-november-issue/ http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/09/24/survival-horror-invades-playstation-the-official-magazines-november-issue/#comments Mon, 24 Sep 2012 22:25:00 +0000 Roger Burchill http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=85711 PTOM’s November issue as we get the world-exclusive first crack at Resident Evil 6 for our cover feature. Executive editor Mikel Reparaz dives in deep to determine whether the newest installment in the survival horror series still delivers the scares with its move towards more action. One thing is for sure -- RE6 and its multiple storyline format doesn’t skimp on play value with more than 30 hours of zombie-battling goodness. We’ve also got the PS3-exclusive review of Borderlands 2. The first Borderlands game was pleasant surprise when it hit in 2010, but it fell a bit short when it came to gameplay polish and presentation. 2K Games and developer Gearbox Software pulled out all the stops for the sequel and review editor Scott Butterworth’s reaction can be summed up in one word: wow. Clear your schedules as this legitimate Game of the Year contender looks to consume an obscene amount of your gaming time.]]>

Blockbuster reviews highlight PTOM’s November issue as we get the world-exclusive first crack at Resident Evil 6 for our cover feature. Executive editor Mikel Reparaz dives in deep to determine whether the newest installment in the survival horror series still delivers the scares with its move towards more action. One thing is for sure — RE6 and its multiple storyline format doesn’t skimp on play value with more than 30 hours of zombie-battling goodness.

We’ve also got the PS3-exclusive review of Borderlands 2. The first Borderlands game was pleasant surprise when it hit in 2010, but it fell a bit short when it came to gameplay polish and presentation. 2K Games and developer Gearbox Software pulled out all the stops for the sequel and review editor Scott Butterworth’s reaction can be summed up in one word: wow. Clear your schedules as this legitimate Game of the Year contender looks to consume an obscene amount of your gaming time.

Another 2K game that’s been running a bit under the radar is XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Developer Firaxis’ reboot of the classic ’90s PC strategy game feels surprisingly fresh and involving. The strategy genre may not register at the top of most gamer’s must-play lists, but our preview feature details why XCOM is an experience that shouldn’t be missed.

Elsewhere in the issue, there’s Sony’s next wave of PS3 and PS Vita games including Puppeteer, Until Dawn, Tearaway, and Killzone: Mercenary. Big hands-on previews include Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation, GRID 2, and PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale, while we’ve got more final review verdicts on games like Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, and Madden NFL 13.

It’s all in the November issue of PTOM hitting physical and digital newsstands on Tuesday, September 25th. (Or to subscribe, click here.)

]]> http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/09/24/survival-horror-invades-playstation-the-official-magazines-november-issue/feed/ 48 http://blog.us.playstation.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2012/09/ptom.jpg 3.4Editor in Chief, PlayStation: The Official Magazine 48 11 http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/06/18/resident-evil-6-bringing-people-together/ http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/06/18/resident-evil-6-bringing-people-together/#comments Mon, 18 Jun 2012 20:17:02 +0000 Fabio Santana http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=77972 E3 2012, Capcom offered a glimpse of the three different scenarios we’ll be playing in Resident Evil 6. Players could enjoy a co-op between Leon Kennedy and newcomer Helena Harper in classic survival-horror style in a Tall Oaks full of zombies, face a boss battle with Jake Muller (son of longtime series baddie Albert Wesker) and Sherry Birkin (aka the little girl from RE2), or battle across the rooftops of China with Chris Redfield and his partner Piers Nivans. But the company also revealed a new feature behind closed doors: the Crossover system, an evolution of the dual-threaded Scenario mechanic from Resident Evil 2, this time not only intersecting the story of different characters but also bringing their gameplay together in four-player co-op situations. To demonstrate Crossover, Capcom’s developers played a scene where Leon and Helena meet with Jake and Sherry in China. En route via airplane, the US agents are attacked by a B.O.W. (that’s Bio-Organic Weapon for the uninitiated) and crash.]]>

At E3 2012, Capcom offered a glimpse of the three different scenarios we’ll be playing in Resident Evil 6. Players could enjoy a co-op between Leon Kennedy and newcomer Helena Harper in classic survival-horror style in a Tall Oaks full of zombies, face a boss battle with Jake Muller (son of longtime series baddie Albert Wesker) and Sherry Birkin (aka the little girl from RE2), or battle across the rooftops of China with Chris Redfield and his partner Piers Nivans. But the company also revealed a new feature behind closed doors: the Crossover system, an evolution of the dual-threaded Scenario mechanic from Resident Evil 2, this time not only intersecting the story of different characters but also bringing their gameplay together in four-player co-op situations.

To demonstrate Crossover, Capcom’s developers played a scene where Leon and Helena meet with Jake and Sherry in China. En route via airplane, the US agents are attacked by a B.O.W. (that’s Bio-Organic Weapon for the uninitiated) and crash. Wesker’s son and his young partner are already on the ground when they cross paths with the crash survivors, and the four of them are then attacked by a huge creature known as Ustanak. Each of the four characters is controlled by an online player, and they must cooperate to take down the beast, which can hold and punish a character with his claw and hold another one at the same time in a cage on his back.

Eventually, the pairs get separated and switched, and players are stuck with a different partner – Leon is thrown with Sherry to one side of a wall, and Jake has to cooperate with Helena on the other side as the battle with Ustanak rages on.

Producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi tells us that the Crossover system brings together random pairs of friends who are simultaneously getting to the same section where different scenarios crosses in the storyline. Sounds like an unusual concept for online co-op matches, so we took the opportunity to get more details from Hirabayashi-san about this new feature of Resident Evil 6, which is coming out for PS3 this October.

PlayStation.Blog: So Crossover randomly pairs players around the world playing at the same part of the game and at the same time? So we can’t just invite friends to get through a specific crossover section?
Yoshiaki Hirabayashi, Producer, Resident Evil 6: Yes, that’s exactly how it works….The concept of this feature is to have people joining you in real time and seamlessly, so whenever you happen to be at a point where you get to China as Leon, for example, somebody else in the world who’s playing roughly at the same time and they’re also about to get at that point or they’re already there as Jake, he or she will join you. So the idea is more to have a surprise about who’s going to play with you. If want to play with your friends, we recommend, first and foremost, playing with them within the storyline on the co-op, so you’ll be Jake and your friend is Sherry, or you’ll be Leon and your friend is Helena.

Of course, if want to play with friends there’s a setting for it, so whenever you come to a chapter or a story section where there’s going to be a crossover, you get a little prompt before that section asking if you want live players joining your game at this point. If you feel like playing on your own or you don’t want to play with a guy you don’t know, you can go with the AI and it’ll be you and three other AI-controlled characters. You can also choose between letting anyone come in or only friends. Of course, because you’re playing in the storyline, it means you’re not going to have a lobby as in a deathmatch, you’re going to get in touch with your friend and tell him to play the same section at the same time with the specific characters, and both will have to set the online co-op to “friends only.”

We see the concept of this feature as not necessarily being “get your friend on the other side of the crossover”, but “get your friend at the same side as you”.

PSB: What about a chapter selection feature after you finish certain sections? This could help if players really want to set up crossover play with friends.
YH: Yes, you have chapters and, if you pick a specific one and tell your friend to play at the same one, you can increase the chances of getting your friend in there. So let’s say both of you only have each other as their only PSN friend and the setting is to play with friends only, then it’s a 100% chance you’ll be playing with each other [laughs].

But let’s say we both are popular and have 100 PSN friends each, and we both choose to play with friends only; there’s still a chance we’re going to play together, but the idea of the design is meant to this kind of scenario. You can manufacture a situation to play with a specific person, but we don’t see it as the main idea behind the Crossover concept. If players want to play with friends, they can do it in Resident Evil 5-style: two friends playing a scenario in co-op.

PSB: In order to see every side of the story, we’ll have to play multiple times, each one with a different character, right?
YH: Yes, there’s three separate storylines with two characters in them each. You could see every aspects of it yourself, but you’ll also have the chance to join someone else who’s already seen the other side of the storyline, maybe before you’ve seen it or maybe after you’ve seen it.

Let’s say you start as Leon. At some point you cross over with Jake, and then, once your crossover is done, you’re back to Leon, and then start another crossover with Chris. Then you decide “Okay, I’ve seen enough of Leon’s story” and start with Chris from the start, and you see his missions and then he crosses over with Jake separately, and later on he gets to the Leon crossover – you’ve already seen it from the Leon side, and now you see it from Chris’ side.

PSB: So in terms of replayability, how much content will the game offer?
YH: If you play all three storylines all the way through, you’ll see everything you can see from every side in terms of story, and you’ll obviously have the chance, depending on the settings of the lobby, to have people joining you in these crossover intersections. It’s quite a lot of volume: we estimate that each one of these storylines is probably around 70% to 80% of the volume of the whole game in Resident Evil 5. So with three separate storylines, there’s plenty to play here.

PSB: We noticed you were switching between a lot of guns and equipment in real time. Does Resident Evil 6 do away with the inventory management?
YH: It’s just a demo for the E3, but yes, as you’ve seen, with the weapons and items, it’s all in real time. That’s not to say that you’re going to have plenty of bullets for a hundred different weapons. It’s still survival horror, you need to have those limits in order for the game to work. You’ll have to manage your resources in terms of having guns and ammo, but you won’t be popping in and out of a menu like you’ve seen before. It’s much more fluid.

PSB: This section you demoed is more action based, but you said the game is still a survival horror. How are you balancing the pace of the game in that sense? Will we have scenes more based on tension and fear like in the earlier Resident Evil titles?
YH: First of all, we’ve tuned this demo to show how the Crossover works, to show an enemy so strong that it needs four players coordinating to take it down. So you have lots of action, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be all like that during the whole game. Also, we’ve set it so people don’t keep dying in the middle of the demo, so it has plenty of guns and plenty of ammo. That’s not how it’s going to be when you come across the Ustanak in the final game – you’ll still have Resident Evil-style situations where you have a shotgun with only two shells in it and you have to make sure you make it counts. Those elements will come into play in the real flow of the game when you get to this point, and we think that’s what survival horror is all about. “Can I live through this situation with the resources I have at hand?” You should feel like that, like you’re playing a Resident Evil game.

]]> http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/06/18/resident-evil-6-bringing-people-together/feed/ 53 http://blog.us.playstation.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2012/06/7395430138_e45793c72c_z.jpg 2.93PlayStation.Blog Manager, Brazil 53 0 http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/04/10/captivate-2012-resident-evil-6-in-october-sf-x-tekken-vita-cross-play-lost-planet-3-dmc-update/ http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/04/10/captivate-2012-resident-evil-6-in-october-sf-x-tekken-vita-cross-play-lost-planet-3-dmc-update/#comments Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:39:52 +0000 James Gallagher http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=73512 Capcom to attend their Captivate event, an annual showcase of what’s in the pipeline for such game series as Street Fighter, Resident Evil, Devil May Cry and Lost Planet. While I could spend a couple of hundred words on fountains and pizza, there is a lot of game news to cover; here’s a handy digest of all the best bits. The game features three playable characters – Leon S. Kennedy, Chris Redfield and Jake Muller – with three unique, intertwining stories that the player can choose to play through in any order. While the action takes place in various locations around the world, we do know that a large portion is set in China. If you’re wondering who Jake Muller is, he is a new character, a mercenary in Eastern Europe, and the son of maniacal sunglasses advocate, Albert Wesker. We saw a playthrough of some of Leon’s story, set in Tall Oaks University after a bio-terrorist attack that turns the American President into a zombie, forcing Leon to kill him and subsequently face the blame for his murder (that might sound like a spoiler for the whole plot but this all happened in the first four minutes). ]]> Last week I was in Rome with some friends from Capcom to attend their Captivate event, an annual showcase of what’s in the pipeline for such game series as Street Fighter, Resident Evil, Devil May Cry and Lost Planet. While I could spend a couple of hundred words on fountains and pizza, there is a lot of game news to cover; here’s a handy digest of all the best bits.

Resident Evil 6 is coming sooner than you think

We got to see an hour-long presentation on Resident Evil 6 that oozed with new information, including the announcement that the game’s release date has been brought forward to October 2nd, 2012.

The game features three playable characters – Leon S. Kennedy, Chris Redfield and Jake Muller – with three unique, intertwining stories that the player can choose to play through in any order. While the action takes place in various locations around the world, we do know that a large portion is set in China. If you’re wondering who Jake Muller is, he is a new character, a mercenary in Eastern Europe, and the son of maniacal sunglasses advocate, Albert Wesker. We saw a playthrough of some of Leon’s story, set in Tall Oaks University after a bio-terrorist attack that turns the American President into a zombie, forcing Leon to kill him and subsequently face the blame for his murder (that might sound like a spoiler for the whole plot but this all happened in the first four minutes).

Little things we noticed include the return of proper zombies. These aren’t brainwashed villagers – their skin is falling off, they love hiding behind corners and they make noises like neglected drains. We also noticed that the interface has been streamlined to make things like changing weapons and consuming green herbs easier on the fly. There are also more shooting controls, such as the ability to fire while laying on your back, and some fun contextual attacks. We also learned that Resident Evil 6 features drop-in and drop-out co-op throughout, both locally in split-screen and online.

Street Fighter X Tekken on PS Vita features 12 new characters and PS3 Cross Play

The fighting game equivalent of beans and hot dog sausages in the same tin is already making my teenage dreams come true on PS3 and is set for PS Vita later this year. More than a straight port, it includes 12 new characters that you will also be able to use in the PS3 version if you own copies on both formats. Those extra characters are (in their respective story pairs): Dudley and Elena; Christie and Lei; Sakura and Blanka; Lars and Alisa; Brian Fury and Jack X; Guy and Cody.

The portable version also supports Cross Play allowing you to crossover cancel against PS3 players, along with other PS Vita specific features, such as creating your own, customisable shortcuts using front and rear touch. The development team told us that there are more additions to come and, while we couldn’t get them to spill everything, they did suggest that they are looking into Augmented Reality and Near functions.

We’ll have a full interview with the game’s producer later in the week so here’s a preview where he reveals which of the new characters has the most unique play style:

“Lei Wulong from the Tekken side of the cast has some very interesting play styles. He fights in the ‘Drunken Fist’ style which has a few different stances, not dissimilar to Gen from Street Fighter 4. Players who are familiar with fighting games are going to find these stances – and the different move sets associated with them – very interesting.”

Lost Planet 3 Coming to PS3 in 2013

Lost planet 3 was announced with a trailer pointing to an ‘early 2013’ release date. Series creator Kenji Oguro told us that the third in the series is “the closest to our original vision of survival, exploration and discovery” and puts the player in control Jim, one of the early colonists on the planet E.D.N. III.

Set before the original Lost Planet, the game features such series hallmarks as a hostile, frozen world; giant alien enemies; and mech machinery – these are called ‘Utility Rigs’ this time around and, while they designed to aid construction, you’ll find yourself using their mechanical claw and drill to dispatch larger enemies in gruesome fashion.

DmC trailer includes new weapons and convenient pizza

When Ninja Theory Creative Director Tameem Antoniades told us that his team’s intention with DmC is to “Strip Dante down to his essence and build him back up as a character,” we didn’t realise quite how literal he was being until we saw this trailer:

We also got to play the game and can confirm that the combat will be reassuringly familiar to Devil May Cry fans. The additions the team have made are carefully thought out and include an easier to understand ranking system and two new weapons. Cyrus and the Arbiter – angel scythe and demon axe respectively – can be equipped on the fly using the L2 and R2 buttons and add an extra layer of strategy to the well-known sword and gun play.

So there you have it. We saw an awful lot more from the world of Capcom at Captivate 2012; if you have any questions about these games then please ask in the comments and I’ll answer if I can.

]]> http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/04/10/captivate-2012-resident-evil-6-in-october-sf-x-tekken-vita-cross-play-lost-planet-3-dmc-update/feed/ 57 http://blog.us.playstation.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2012/04/7063123457_bac685d6f8_b-1.jpg 3.27Blog Manager, SCEE 57 0