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!

It’s funny how quickly “soon” turns to “tomorrow” in the rapidly-growing world of PlayStation Home. As the holiday weekend approaches us (and with it, all those extra hours to play our favorite games), we figured tomorrow would be the perfect time to launch what is easily one of the most epic gaming experiences to ever be released in PlayStation Home.

The Midway — available Thursday, July 1st — launches with 10 games, over a hundred rewards (including the Darla’s Den personal space), and plenty of secrets that you will have to uncover for yourself as you progress through this massive new game space. Simply collect your tickets from the kiosk at the entrance to the Midway and embark on a journey where a new reward is unlocked for every level of every game you master. Hang out in the space for long enough and you can even be rewarded with more plays for your favorite games (or the ultimate bragging rights at the Meet Darla photo booth). You can even collect exclusive arcade-style games like Trigger Happy-in-a-Box for the Darla’s Den personal space! Just enter the hilarious Tele-Porta-Potty in PlayStation Home’s Central Plaza to access the Midway when it launches this week.

For a holiday as important as Independence Day, we wanted to make sure we delivered the best event we possibly could to you, the loyal PlayStation Home community. And we wanted to make sure that both Canadians and Americans got an ample opportunity to celebrate – hence, Captain Kablooey’s Boombastic Bonanza! Simply head to the Central Plaza on Canada Day (Thursday, July 1st) and/or the 4th of July to participate in the festivities by playing the brand new Independence Day game with your friends, unlocking exclusive rewards (that you’ll have to see to believe), and then using those rewards to unlock progressively bigger and badder fireworks displays for the enjoyment of all onlookers. It’s easily one of the largest and most awesome events we’ve ever thrown — and it will only be available for a limited time — so come out to Central Plaza and show your national pride Home-style.

This week also plays host to some serious updates in the PlayStation Home Mall — with the highly-anticipated Active 8 Apartment UFO (which we’ve heard has a penchant for cattle abductions), new Independence Day-themed items from the Sodium store, full Woody, Jessie, and Zurg costumes from Toy Story 3 (and a bunch of furniture to boot), and tons of Alpha Protocol clothing items (including Michael Thornton, Sie, and Scarlet Lake costumes). So be sure to head to the PlayStation Home Mall this Thursday to keep your collection complete with these awesome new items.

See you in Home!

Needless to say, the virtual E3 Booth event space has been a tremendous success. And we have you, the 14 million users that make up the illustrious PlayStation Home community, to thank for that.

After all, it was your idea to recreate the PlayStation E3 Booth for the hordes of gamers unable to attend in the flesh. It was your requests for bigger and better rewards that led to the development of all the awesome commemorative items associated with the space. It was you that asked for the behind-the-scenes look at SCEA’s PlayStation Home development team that has been airing in the VIP area of the virtual E3 Booth. It was you that demanded that the SCEA PlayStation Home Community Management team get out from behind the screen and chat face-to-face on the show floor (many thanks to those of you that took the time to stop by the booth and talk to us, learn about some of the new content we have coming down the pipe and, most importantly, give us your feedback on the platform — we had the time of our lives!)

We have tremendous momentum coming out of E3, and you can bet that we’re going to continue to come correct and deliver the content that you demand between now and our next big event. This week, we are releasing a brand new personal space based upon Disney-Pixar’s third installment in the critically acclaimed Toy Story series. “Andy’s Room” transports players to the world of Buzz Lightyear, Woody, and the other toys owned by Andy Davis. Packed with mini-games and fun interactives, Andy’s Room is a must-have addition to your personal space collection. Pick yours up this Thursday from the Estates store in the PlayStation Home Mall. In the meantime, check out this video we’ve scored that highlights some of the key elements of the space (Note: Some of the virtual items that are shown towards the end of the video will be released over time — stay tuned for specific release dates).

In other Toy Story 3 news, be sure to head to the PlayStation Home Theater this Thursday to load up on some exclusive Toy Story 3 virtual item rewards. All you have to do is watch the Toy Story 3 footage and — voila! — Toy Story 3 t-shirts will magically appear in your wardrobe. Pretty cool, eh?

Our uber-popular PlayStation Home’s Top Avatar events continue with our 80s Week contest. Decorate your avatar in neon garb, spandex, and other loud and proud attire, snap a pic, and upload to this thread on the official PlayStation Home forums. The winners will be awarded the fame they’ve always vied for (or maybe not, but you will get your picture emblazoned on a billboard in Central Plaza, which is a good first step towards your own TV show, or so I’ve heard…)

The recently released Playground space is a smash hit, with tons of users gathering in this highly immersive space to partake in games of H-O-R-S-E and chess, party of the rooftop lounge, and enjoy the high-quality, original hip-hop and funk music circa-1980 that is blaring throughout the space. Come this week, you’ll be able to bring the party back home with the Playground Boombox, which allows you to take the music of the Playground space to your personal space for your own private bash. A first for the platform (the ability to play music in personal spaces and clubhouses), the Playground Boombox will be available on Playground Boombox this Thursday, June 24th from the Furniture store.

Finally, the Sodium store will be updated this week with additional female clothing items and furniture, and the popular Dog and Cat suits will be released as well. Check the Latest Update tab under the Community section in your Menu Pad on Thursday for a complete list of the newest content.

See you in Home!

To celebrate the release of the first ever DLC for what is inarguably one of the biggest titles of the current generation — Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 — the Community Management team will be in the Gamer’s Lounge this Friday, May 7th at 4:00pm PT (7:00pm ET) to launch into the new multiplayer maps of the Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package. You make the call as to whether you want to jump into the Bailout, Salvage, Storm, Crash, or Overgrown maps — just let us know when the time comes to set up the multiplayer session. More details, including host accounts, will be posted in our Message of the Day prior to the event start time this Friday.

Also coming this week into the ever-growing PlayStation Home universe (which is currently expanding at the rate of your average supernova) are special items from the upcoming remake of the classic martial arts film The Karate Kid. Available from the LOOT store in the PlayStation Home Mall, these hot new items are essential for fans of the classic film that are anxiously awaiting the June 11th release of this highly-anticipated remake. Be sure to grab yours first thing Thursday morning.

Those of you that, like me, obsessively collect each and every unlockable reward from your favorite PS3 and PSN games in PlayStation Home will be stoked to learn that Rockstar’s upcoming sandbox-style western game Red Dead Redemption (available for the PS3 on May 18th) will unlock exclusive outfits for your avatar upon reaching in-game milestones. We don’t want to spill any beans concerning the plot of this sure-to-be-hit title, so we’re not going to tell you how to earn these rewards just yet but trust me when I say that, if you love Red Dead Redemption, PlayStation Home is the place to be when you are looking for people to challenge to a good ol’ fashioned Mexican standoff in the 16-player max multiplayer.

In other news, Sodium is getting yet another update this week. Be sure to keep an eye out for Vendy – the artificially intelligent vending machine-bot conveniently placed in the Sodium Hub to provide all you scorpion stompers with Vetoxade, the anti-venom needed to stomp the fiendish blue scorpions.

Finally, we want to alert you to a pretty awesome event in which PlayStation Home will play a pivotal role. As the excitement builds for the highly-anticipated release of METAL GEAR SOLID: PEACE WALKER for the PSP, Konami, Best Buy, and Sony Online Entertainment will feed the frenzy by hosting a code-collecting contest that begins the month before the game’s launch. The CODE HUNT will have contestants 18 and older in the United States scouring locations for elusive Peace Walker codes, each of which gets them closer and closer to the grand prize. Hint: Hunters that visit PlayStation Home should keep their eyes peeled. The contest begins today, May 5th and will end just in time for the Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker release on June 8th. Join the hunt now at http://www.konami.com/mgscodehunt and win big (official rules can be found at http://www.konami/user/rules)!

See you in Home!

Speaking of highly-requested content, we’ll be partying like its 1968 in Central Plaza come this Thursday when Big Daddy and Big Sister costumes (along with some other BioShock 2 virtual items) are released in PlayStation Home. We’ve snagged a few pics to give you a taste of what to expect when you add these creepy items to your collection (fun fact: Mr. Magnus Keynes – Home’s resident business guru – is too scared by BioShock 2 to even review these new items whereas our very own CydoniaX regularly schools the rest of the team in multiplayer mode and is sporting the Big Sister armor as I type).

In other news, Sodium will be receiving an update this week which will result in faster loading, new objectives being doled out by VICKIE (with new rewards, of course), and a new interactive map. As with all things in PlayStation Home, these updates come at the request of our loyal community members who regularly contribute great ideas on the official PlayStation Home Sodium forum. So, please, keep the good thoughts coming!

Ever since we released the new and improved Gamer’s Lounge last week, our nightly Featured Game parties have been hopping. And while you can always count on at least one official event being staged every single day in PlayStation Home (like this upcoming Saturday night’s Battlefield: Bad Company 2 game launching party), you can also bet that we’ll regularly break the mold and offer additional, 100% exclusive giveaways complete with the best prizes we can get our hands on. Starting this Friday, April 23rd and running to next Friday, April 30th, we’ll be giving away Wireless Keypads to 10 lucky contestants who participate in our Wireless Keypad sweepstakes. Want to learn how you can enter to win? Read the official Rules and Regulations, tacked on below for your convenience.

See you in Home!

The following promotion is intended for viewing in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia (“D.C.”) only and shall only be construed and evaluated according to United States law. Do not enter this sweepstakes if you are not a legal resident of, and located in the 50 United States or District of Columbia at the time of entry.

PLAYSTATION®HOME WIRELESS KEYPAD SWEEPSTAKES
OFFICIAL RULES
Void outside the 50 United States and D.C. and where prohibited.

1. ELIGIBILITY. The PlayStation®Home Wireless KeyPad Sweepstakes (“Promotion”) is open only to legal residents of the fifty United States and the D.C. who are 13 years of age or older at the time of entry and hold a PlayStation Network account in good standing as determined by Sponsor. Employees of the Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries and affiliated companies and their immediate families are not eligible to participate in this Promotion.

2. SPONSOR. Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC, 919 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City, CA 94404.

3. TIMING. Promotion begins April 23, 2010 at 12:00pm (noon) PST and ends April 30, 2010 at 12:00pm (noon) PST.

4. HOW TO ENTER. No purchase necessary. Internet access, a valid PlayStation®Network account, a PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system with a copy of PlayStation®Home installed on your system required. Log into your PlayStation Network account and launch PlayStation Home application The following question will be posted on a billboard in one of the core Home spaces: How would owning a wireless keypad improve your PlayStation®3 experience? To enter, send an e-mail to HomeContests@playstation.sony.com. Enter “Keypad” in the subject line and in the body of the email include your PSN ID and your answer to the question. To be valid, entries must be received no later than April 30, 2010 at 11:59pm PST.

2. PRIZES. Each prize winner will receive one (1) Wireless Keypad compatible with the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system (ARV $49.00). Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prize of equal value if prize is unavailable. Prizes are non-transferable and no substitutions allowed.

3. WINNER SELECTION. Ten (10) prize winners will be selected following the Promotion Period. Winners will be determined by a single random drawing of all valid entries received by Sponsor, whose decisions are final. Selection will be held on or about May 1, 2010. Sponsor will send a notification email to each winner’s registered PSN e-mail address. If any winner does not respond to Sponsor’s notification email within 7 days of the date of the notification email, he/she will be disqualified and a new winner will be selected based on the original selection criteria. Winners may be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Release (“Affidavit”) within seven (7) days of the date indicated on the correspondence sent by Sponsor. Failure to execute and return Affidavit within the stated time period will result in forfeiture of prize and an alternate winner will be selected. If a winning entrant is a minor, then Sponsor will award the prize to that winning entrant’s parent or legal guardian. If the potential winning entrant is a minor, then the Affidavit must be signed by potential winner’s parent or legal guardian and returned within the stated time period or prize may be forfeited and an alternate winner will be selected. Please allow four to six weeks for receipt of prizes.

4. ODDS OF WINNING. The odds of winning depend on number of valid entries received.

5. ENTRY CONDITIONS AND RELEASE. Limit one entry per person and e-mail address. Subsequent entries will be disqualified. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, mutilated, illegible, incomplete or misdirected entries. Sponsor is not responsible for technical, hardware or software failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections or failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions which may limit an entrant’s ability to participate in the Promotion. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to cancel or suspend this Promotion should virus, bugs or other causes corrupt the administration, security or proper play of this Promotion. Entries not satisfying these Official Rules will be automatically disqualified. Return of any prize/prize notification as undeliverable will result in disqualification and an alternate winner will be selected. Sponsor’s decisions are final and binding in all matters related to the Promotion. Potential winners must comply with the Official Rules’ terms and conditions, and receipt of prizes is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements.

6. PUBLICITY. By attempting to enter, entering or accepting a Promotion prize, an entrant or prize winner agrees to the use of their statements, name and/or likenesses for purposes of advertising, trade, or promotion without further compensation, unless prohibited by law.

7. LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY. By attempting to enter, entering or accepting a Promotion prize, an entrant or prize winner agrees to release Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries, agencies, divisions and affiliates from liability, claims or actions or any kind for injuries, damages or losses to persons and property that may be sustained in connection with the receipt, ownership or use of the prize or while preparing for, participating in or traveling to or from the Promotion or any Promotion or prize-related activity. Neither the Sponsor nor its parent, affiliates, subsidiaries, agencies, divisions or related companies are responsible for any damages, taxes or expenses that winners might incur as a result of this Promotion or receipt of prize.

8. WINNER LIST. To obtain names of winners, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Wireless Key Pad Sweepstakes, Attention: PS Home-Annabelle Garcia, 4th Floor, 919 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City, CA 94404. Prize winners’ name request will be fulfilled within four weeks. Request a copy of the winner list must be received by May 15, 2010.

9. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION. Sponsor will collect information in connection with the Promotion in accordance with Sponsor’s privacy policy, available at http://www.us.playstation.com/Support/PrivacyPolicy.

10. RESTRICTIONS. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

The reviews are rolling in and, to say the least, they are positively glowing. FINAL FANTASY XIII, Square Enix’s latest addition to what is inarguably one of the critically-applauded RPG franchises of all time, has just been released and, chances are, you are reading this blog on a brief detour to the ultimate destination: Pulse. Which means that we caught you just in time to let you know about an additional option for those of you who, like me, simply must immerse themselves in all things FINAL FANTASY-related – namely, the brand spanking new FINAL FANTASY XIII personal space (as well as the corresponding furniture items) that is releasing tomorrow, March 11 into the ever-expanding world of PlayStation Home.

Also releasing this week is a brand new personal space sure to make every racing fan’s pulse pound – the Luxury Race Box. A true must-have for all you speed demons, the Luxury Race Box is the ideal location to kick back and relax with your friends. That’s if your idea of “relaxing with your friends” is being bombarded with the shrieks and squeals of cars that are motoring by mere feet away whilst the smell of burning rubber fills your nose. Peep the video below for a closer look at this exhilarating new personal space.

Magnus Keynes’ Mall Madness sale continues this week with a huge price cut on some of the most popular personal spaces to ever grace the PlayStation Home platform. We’re talking the Summer House, Lakeside Log Cabin, Wizard’s Den, Post-Apocalypse, and even the Halloween favorite “Deadquarters” (which turns you and all of your friends into zombies just by entering) – with prices ranging from $1.99 to $4.99 for a bundle. Needless to say, Magnus has been going a little nuts with the proverbial scissors but it fares well for the rest of us, so let him do his thing! Here are a couple shots of some of the spaces that are on sale this week. These spaces are only available at this super-low price for a limited time, so be sure to pick yours up on tomorrow morning.

It’s a new week, which means that a new episode of The Tester will be playing in the PlayStation Home Theater come late Thursday afternoon. And, of course, we’ll be giving out free items to everyone who watches Episode 4 of this PlayStation Network exclusive reality series, as well as offering commemorative items in the Central Plaza and Theater kiosks – like this special The Tester jersey!

In other news, another batch of Indiana Jones items are coming to PlayStation Home this Thursday – including your very own Ark of the Covenant for your personal space. Of course, you need to make sure you are pure of mind, body, and soul before you pick this one up…

In terms of Sodium updates, two new Salt Shooter weapons will be available this Thursday: The Multi Shot Grenade Launcher and the Long Range Plasma Emitter. The MSGL is a powerful and deadly addition to your arsenal that is perfect for taking on multiple enemies at once, while the LRPE boasts fantastic accuracy, rapid rate of fire, impressive range, and an efficient cooling system (the LRPE can be upgraded to become the most powerful weapon in the game and will help you achieve new personal high scores left, right and center!) To get these new weapons, all you have to do is purchase the corresponding items of furniture from the Sodium store. When you have these, you will be able to equip your tank with the weapons next time you play the Salt Shooter game.

Come tomorrow, you’ll also start receiving Bronze, Silver and Gold Accolades as you progressively earn more credits playing the Desert Quench mini-game in the Sodium hub. To earn credits as a thirsty customer you must drink your way through beverage after beverage following the command prompts which appear on screen – the less prompts that you miss, the more credits you’ll earn. As an employee, you should aim to serve customers the right drink combinations – correct combinations will earn you the most credits and get you closer to those precious accolades.

See you in Home!

As many of you know, 2009 was a big year for PlayStation Home. The millions of you that use PlayStation Home saw us transform from a 3D virtual world into a true social gaming platform with more than 50 spaces and over 100 games. One of the biggest highlights of the year was the launch of the popular Sodium One space, which has redefined what a social game can be by combining massive action, stunning graphics and social experiences in a way never done before. PlayStation Home has become a leader in the evolution of social games from simple 2D web games to immersive high-definition 3D experiences made possible by the tremendous horsepower of the PlayStation 3.

As we start the new year, we are not slowing down. We are adding new spaces, community events and virtual items each and every week, with many of these updates based directly on your feedback. Last week marked an important milestone in our evolution with a new iteration of the Mall, which was heavily influenced by our community’s request to have a more streamlined shopping experience. The Mall now features stores from some of our closest partners, including Loot from Sony Pictures who brought us all of the awesome Ghostbusters gear, our friends at Lockwood – creators of Sodium, and of course EA Sports, who have been among the strongest supporters of PlayStation Home since the earliest days after launch. One new face to PlayStation Home is LucasArts, who brought both Star Wars and Indiana Jones to their new store in the PlayStation Home Mall. I for one will be rocking the Imperial Stormtrooper outfit for the foreseeable future.

PlayStation Home is based on a “freemium” model, which allows you, our community to play games, meet friends, explore and discover rewards – all for free. In addition, there are opportunities to personalize your experience with virtual items that allow you to stand out from the crowd, or even play your favorite games in PlayStation Home better (thank you Stomper Boots!) Whether you buy virtual items or just play games and hang out, I would like to extend a huge “thank you” for your support from everyone on our team.

With all that said, this is just the beginning of what we have in store for you. Many of our long time community members have been asking for features, fixes and content that we have been secretly hard at work on, and will be rolling out over time. Rest assured that we hear your requests loud and clear (I personally use Home and read the forums daily), and although we can’t deliver everything we’re asked for, we will compliment all of these new features and content with a renewed focus on open dialogue and service. Our Home Community Managers, along with myself, continue to work on addressing your questions regarding our direction for the next year, so stay tuned to the PlayStation Home forums for what is sure to be a lively conversation!

We have an incredible number of new surprises ahead, so if you’re not already a member of the PlayStation Home community, there has never been a better time to jump in and experience all of the fun.

Thank you Home Community. Keep being awesome.

Best,

Jack

A new benchmark for social gaming in PlayStation Home, Sodium One will launch with an explosive game known as Salt Shooter – a 50 level combat challenge where players can collect items to level up gameplay and strategically customize hovertanks with weapons, armor, and countermeasures. These level-ups can be obtained in a variety of ways, including meeting in-game objectives, trading resources collected in the Sodium world, and purchasing items that unlock upgrades in the Sodium environment (such as the tank pilot jackets, which grant access to additional levels of the game, leaderboards, and the pilots’ VIP lounge). All of this is built upon an MMO framework that includes additional games like Desert Quench and Scorpion Stomp, associated rewards and collectibles, and personal questing adventures, all of which are tracked by the Sodium AI Information Android known as VICKIE. The above games make for a truly next-level PlayStation Home space that centers on the concept of offering persistent objectives and long-term rewards to the PlayStation Home community, so users may work together to reach score targets and unlock future content and continuously upgrade their personal gaming experiences.

A dynamic and immersive gaming environment that will continue to expand over time by offering new games, community events, and virtual items, Sodium One is an experience unique to the PlayStation Home platform. By leveraging the computing power of the PS3, Outso Ltd. has succeeded in creating a graphically-rich, community-based game that is leaps ahead of anything offered on other consoles. To celebrate this momentous event, we will be making a limited number of unique voucher codes – good for a full unlock of the entire Salt Shooter combat game – available to 1,050 PlayStation Home community members that explore the space during the first 7 days (150 users per day). All you have to do is log in to PlayStation Home, enter the Sodium One space and interact with VICKIE for your chance to unlock the full game.

We are proud to join you, the PlayStation Home community, as we embark on a journey to the next level of social gaming on the PS3. So make sure you log into PlayStation Home today to take part in all that this amazing new gaming world known as Sodium One has to offer. And, as always, stay tuned to the official PlayStation.Blog for updates regarding the Sodium One space and all other events and content scheduled to appear in PlayStation Home throughout what is sure to be an incredibly exciting new year.