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The PlayStation Store updated today with new games across every platform, led by the launches of Thief and Basement Crawl on PS4. Thief joins another new release in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 on PS3 this week.

PS3 owners can pick up The Batman Bundle, which includes Batman: Arkham Origins and the Batman: The Dark Knight Returns animated film as well as the Tales of Symphonia Chronicles bundle that comprises both Tales of Symphonia and Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World. Rounding out this week's PS3 additions is Magus and Pac-Man Museum, the latter being a $20 pack of games spanning the yellow gobbler's series.

Vita owners only get one new game this week: Mahjong 2 World Contest, as well as PSOne Classic Herc's Adventures, also available on PS3 and PSP. Though Vita owners can now download the Crackle app to watch movies and TV shows, the marquee media streaming addition this week is the WWE Network app on PS3 and PS4. [Image: Square Enix]

Sony Santa Monica, the studio best known for its work on the God of War series, has suffered layoffs today. Sony representatives confirmed the dismissals with IGN, citing "resource re-alignment against priority growth areas" within Sony Worldwide Studios as the cause. The statement reads:
"SCEA can confirm that we have completed a reduction in workforce at Santa Monica Studio. This is a result of a cycle of resource re-alignment against priority growth areas within SCE WWS. We do not take these decisions lightly. However, sometimes it is necessary to make changes to better serve the future projects of the studio. We have offered outplacement services and severance packages to ease transition for those impacted."
Sony Santa Monica most recently shipped God of War: Ascension. Currently, the studios is working on three collaborations due to launch this year: Hohokum with Honeyslug; The Order: 1886 with Ready at Dawn; and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture with The Chinese Room. It's currently unclear how these layoffs will affect ongoing projects, so we've contacted Sony for clarification. We wish the best of luck to those affected.

In November, Atlus revealed four new games in the Shin Megami Tensei spin-off series, Persona. Notably absent from that announcement was any information on a North American release, but now Atlus has revealed its plan to bring those games to the West.

Chibi-style dungeon crawl Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth will reach the 3DS in the Fall of 2014. Atlus describes the dungeon crawl as a cross between Etrian Odyssey and Persona, that sees characters from Persona 3 and 4 plumbing the first-person depths of an alternate version of Yasogami High School.

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, an enhanced re-release of Persona 4 Arena, is slated to debut on the PlayStation 3 in the Fall of 2014. Atlus' description of the fighting game mentions the addition of two characters from Persona 3, Junpei Iori and Yukari Takeba, as well as a wholly new character, the mysterious Sho Minazuki.

A more nebulous "2015" release window has been attached to Vita rhythm game Persona 4: Dancing All Night. According to Atlus' description, Dancing All Night stars pop idol Rise, who returns to Inaba only to discover something called the "Midnight Stage." This Stage is populated by evil shadows, but these foes can't be defeated by simple elemental attacks. Instead, Rise will have to rely on funky fresh dance moves.

Persona 5, the latest entry in Atlus' fan-favorite series, will also reach the PlayStation 3 in 2015, though Atlus offers no further information on this heavily anticipated roleplaying game.

Alongside this confirmation comes a swath of new media. Above you'll see a new Persona 5 teaser, while footage from both Persona 4 Arena Ultimax and Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth can be found below the break. Screenshot galleries are below this text. [Image: Atlus]

Most birthday celebrations involve a cake, paper hats and some light tomfoolery, but celebrating the life anniversary of an inanimate object is understandably a little less rowdy. The PS Vita enters its third year of existence by slashing prices on a bunch of games, starting tomorrow.

The PS Vita Anniversary sale, which runs through March 3, makes it a good week to be a PS Vita owner. PS Plus subscribers can grab games for up to 75 percent off, while everyone else can enjoy deals of up to half-off. Cheap downloads for Hotline Miami, Escape Plan, Flower, Killzone Mercenary and many more are available. If you're a PS Plus member, you can grab Machinarium for a paltry $1.75.

A supplemental Back to 2013 sale provides further temptations tomorrow with discounts on Dragon's Crown, Guacamelee, Spelunky, Super Motherload and Injustice: Gods Among Us. Many of the PS Vita games are cross-buy enabled, and PS3 users can enjoy discounts on Diablo 3, Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, Rayman Legends, Terraria and more.

Both promotions will be active after the PlayStation Store updates tomorrow. There's quite a lot to pore over, so we'd suggest taking a second to review your checkbook first. Checkbooks are still a thing, right?

It's been almost two whole months since we bid farewell to 2013, but it's so hard to let go of the good times. Sony takes a nostalgic look back at the year we left behind with an upcoming round of PlayStation Network price drops on some of 2013's notable digital releases.

Sony's Back to 2013 Sale has a lot to offer for RPG fans, with Tales of Xillia available for $19.99 ($14.99 for Plus members), Dragon's Crown up for $24.99 ($17.49 for Plus), and Ni no Kuni dropped to $9.99 ($6.99 for Plus) -- its lowest digital price to date. Atlus' classic PSone RPG Persona 2: Eternal Punishment is also on sale this week for $4.99, or $3.49 for Plus subscribers.

Other noteworthy drops include Diablo 3 for $39.99 ($34.99 Plus), Rayman Legends for $41.99 ($29.39 Plus), and WWE 2K14 for $39.99 ($29.99 Plus). Sale prices start tomorrow, and last through next Monday.

[Image: Sony]

On February 21, Twitch user Bananasaurus_Rex (the gaming community really does have the best handles) set a new high-score record in developer Mossmouth's much-loved roguelike, Spelunky. The history-making run took seven and a half hours to complete, with a final tally of $3,105,850.

Bananasaurus is known in the Spelunky community for being the first recorded player to beat the game's final boss using an eggplant in single-player mode, as well as being the first recorded player to have killed the game's ghost monster. You can watch the $3.1 million run above. [Image: Mossmouth]

A child's innocence is near impossible to preserve in the zombie apocalypse. So it should come as no surprise that adolescent protagonist Clementine has no problem battling the undead in these screens for The Walking Dead's next episode, "A House Divided."

Rex Crowle and Christophe Villedieu don't say the kinds of things most of the video game developers I've ever spoken to say. For example, when they're feeling down they... go to Twitter to see what people have to say about their game.Read more...

The second downloadable addition for PlayStation-exclusive 2D action game Muramasa Rebirth has been unveiled, and instead of more samurai combat, players are thrust into the role of a lowly dirt farmer.

Entitled Genroku Legends - A Cause to Daikon For, the DLC casts players as Gonbe, a widowed farmer who grows weary of the local lord taxing his village to death. Instead of instituting democratic elections, Gonbe opts to solve things the old-fashioned way. Unfortunately for this assault, Gonbe isn't much of a trained warrior so the weapons he carries with him into battle are repurposed farm implements.

Genroku Legends - A Cause to Daikon For is slated for release on the North American PlayStation Network Store come February 25. A European release will follow the next day. Aksys has yet to announce a price point for this DLC offering. [Image: Aksys Games]

The latest trailer for the PS3 and Vita remasters of Final Fantasy X and X-2 showcases the HD games' new features, including the additional audio episode and expert sphere grid, and the Iutycur dungeon from the International version of X-2. Sadly, Square Enix didn't add a scene of Wakka telling wakka wakka jokes for 10 minutes straight, like we requested.

We recently caught up with Yoshinori Kitase, the Square Enix veteran who produced the two remasters, and he told us how much of a challenge it was to remaster the PS2 JRPGs.

"Some people might argue it's a simple high definition version of the game released ten years ago, but it had to be more than that," Kitase said, "because those who played the original version ten years ago, in the space of ten years all those memories become sweeter. They probably remember those games actually better than it was really."

Some two and a half years after they were announced, Square Enix is finally ready to put the remasters on Western retail shelves next month. You can relive Tidus and Yuna's stories on PS3 and Vita starting March 18 in North America, and March 21 in Europe. [Image: Square Enix]

Curve Studios will bring a game bundle called Titan Invasion to PS3, PS4 and Vita early this summer. The pack includes two arcade-style games from UK developer Puppygames, Titan Attacks and Revenge of the Titans.

Titan Attacks is an arcade shooter in the same vein as Galaga and Space Invaders, though Curve Studios says it includes "modern features, new strategies" as well as online leaderboards and an upgrade system. The game features over 100 levels, spanning five worlds. Puppygames' other creation, Revenge of the Titans, is deemed a thematic sequel that mixes real-time strategy and tower defense elements together.

Both Titan Attacks and Revenge of the Titans are available for $9.99 on Steam for PC, Mac and Linux. The Titan Invasion bundle will be Cross-Buy compatible on all three Sony systems. [Image: Curve Studios]

Double Helix's surprisingly good action game Strider headlines this week's PlayStation Store update in Europe. With favorable reception behind Killer Instinct and Strider, we imagine Amazon is extra happy with its recent acquisition.

Joining Strider this week is Rayman Legends and standalone expansion Assassin's Creed 4: Freedom Cry, both available on PS4. Earth Defense Force 2025 drops on PS3 this week and retro 2D side-scroller Gunslugs makes an appearance on PS Vita. Battlefield 4 Premium subscribers can also grab Second Assault today.

Knack and Tearaway have had their prices almost halved this week as part of a February sale promotion, and Lost Planet 3 receives a substantial permanent price drop down to £39.99 (€29.99). This simply scratches the surface of all the content added to the European PS Store this week, so head on over to the PlayStation Blog for the complete lowdown. [Image: Capcom]

An English-language localization of Game Arts' action-RPG Ragnarok Odyssey Ace will hit the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita platforms on April 1, publisher Xseed announced today.

An upgraded multiplatform version of 2012's PS Vita-exclusive Ragnarok Odyssey, Ace layers new bosses, equipment, and features on top of the previous game's existing content. Ace boasts a new AI mercenary mechanic, allowing players to tackle the game's challenges with assistance from computer-controlled companions. Ace is also compatible with all DLC released for Ragnarok Odyssey, and many existing character attributes and unlockables can be directly transferred over to the new game.

The PlayStation 3 version of Ragnarok Odyssey Ace will be available at retail and digitally via the PlayStation Network for $39.99. The PS Vita port will hit PSN at $34.99, while a physical edition packaged with a soundtrack CD will retail for $39.99.

[Image: Xseed]

The creators of Magicka have never made a console game before, but their first—Helldivers—is one hell of a doozy. The chaotic co-op charm of Magicka never quite felt right on a gamepad, but with Helldivers, Arrowhead Game Studios hits that mark hard.Read more...

The PlayStation Store updates later today, adding download versions of retail games Earth Defense Force 2025 and Rayman Legends PS4. On the download-only side it's a busy week, with three new releases and three restored classics to sink time into.

Leading the new releases is a game with plenty of retro about it: We gave Capcom's Strider resurrection four stars in our review, lauding the PS4 and PS3 game's "absorbing fusion of action and platforming." If sci-fi ninjas aren't your bag, the PS3's Forest Legends: The Call of Love offers some lighter puzzling, and Vita indie Gunslugs brings dynamically generated run-and-gunning to the mix.

As for the classics, you can choose from fan favorite PSOne platformer Tomba! 2, the PSOne version of Mr Driller, and the divisive PS2 outing of Neo Contra. If you've come this far and you're still shrugging your shoulders, head back to the top for the first ever PS Plus TV spot. [Image: Capcom]

Presidents Day, son! Today the Joystiq crew is dreaming of a winter break atop a mountain and enjoying the excess snow we seem to have on our hands. In fact, the heavy precipitation has gotten Mike Suszek, Joystiq's Contributing Editor, itching to hit the slopes.

The roughly rendered, low-polygon slopes of Cool Boarders 2. Cool Boarders was Sony's own snowboarding series back on the PS1 and, while the series didn't have the same wild magic as SSX, it was still something special. Behold Mike's shredding skills. If you're feeling inspired, you can download Cool Boarders 2 yourself on PS Vita, PlayStation 3 and PSP Go... because why not.

Joystiq Tiny Streams air every Monday and Friday at 4PM EST right here on Joystiq.com. Anyone who wants to enjoy more of Mike's streams can follow his Twitch channel. Full Joystiq Streams broadcast live on the Joystiq Twtich channel every Tuesday and Thursday at 4PM EST. [Image: Moby Games/Daniel Hawks]

It's the middle of the month; that means new games on PlayStation Plus. Tomorrow, Remember Me is free to subscribers on PS3; for PS Vita, it's Street Fighter X Tekken. That means today is your last day to download Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed on Vita and Poker Night at the Inventory 2 on PS3 before they cycle out.Read more...

PlayStation Plus members, don't forget: Remember Me for PS3 and Street Fighter X Tekken for PS Vita will be free to download to your Instant Game Collection starting tomorrow. This week also marks the release of Gunslugs, which will be discounted to $1.99 until February 25. Lastly, if you need some brainteasers in a nice little to-go package, this week is your last chance to download Smart As... to your Vita for free. [Image: Sony]

Pinball Arcade has a quite a few tables in its virtual collection of real-world machines, but fans looking for a one-and-done purchase of its third season of content are now out of luck. In a recent newsletter, Farsight Studios explained that it has pulled season three passes across all platforms due to Apple denying Farsight the ability to sell the pass on iPlatforms.

"We have come to [the] decision that we will be removing the Season Three Pass from all platforms to preserve consistency of purchasing options," Farsight wrote. "Nothing will change for those that already purchased the Season Three Pass, you will be entitled to the tables just as you were before."

While season passes might not be an option, Farsight will continue on with the development of new tables. Farsight also announced last month that it's aiming Pinball Arcade for the ramp to the Wii U eShop, a Linux version on Steam and a relisting on the Xbox Live Arcade in 2014. [Image: Farsight Studios]

Pinball Arcade, FarSight Studios' digital pinball hall dedicated to creating counterparts of real-life pinball machines, will add more Williams and Bally tables to its future lineup. The associated Facebook post states that a renewed license with Williams and Bally will allow FarSight to add more tables from the classic pinball manufacturer's archives, starting with Black Knight 2000. An estimated release date was not offered.

Pinball Arcade has reached a lot of platforms, but its absence from Xbox Live Arcade is explained in the FAQ on the game's site, noting that unavailability on the platform stems from "legal problems with Microsoft and [publisher] Crave and we must wait for legal resolution while we consider other options." A forum post from January, spotted by Polygon, notes FarSight's plans to "re-launch" Pinball Arcade on XBLA. This post also shares a Linux version on Steam in 2014 as well as plans to submit a Wii U version to Nintendo in early 2014.

FarSight shared hopes to continue expanding Pinball Arcade's lineup for as long as sales "stay strong!" Hopefully the renewed license doesn't make FarSight think they're the Bally king; that crown's already been claimed.

If you're not much for the romantic angle of Valentine's Day and haven't gone broke buying up pounds of discounted holiday chocolate, the PlayStation Store is offering deals on select PS3, PS4 and Vita games until February 17.

Among the listings are co-op friendly titles LEGO Marvel Super Heroes for $19.99 on Vita, $24.99 on PS3 and $29.99 on PS4. The team-up brawler Castle Crashers is available on PS3 for $3.49, as is the puzzling ibb & obb for $4.99. If you're aiming for something more competitive, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is available on PS3 for $9.99, and the Cross-Buy compatible Divekick is on PS3 and Vita for $2.49. You could always fight for court dominance in NBA 2K14 on PS3 for $39.99, too.

If you're gaming alone, don't worry! There are plenty of fish on the PlayStation Network. [Image: PlayStation Blog]

Last night, the small but spunky team at NIS America reminded downtown San Francisco of its dedication to quirky JRPGs and unusual adventures. Sporting matching white and blue “Dood” jerseys, the team presented its lineup for 2014 at a local venue, with a little help from a torrent of teaser trailers. Anime in-jokes, self-referential dialogue, and explosions of color dominated the multimedia showcase, staying true to NISA’s tradition of catering to otaku culture.

The evening began with NIS President Souhei Niikawa — donning a regal Prinny hat — thanking members of the press for their continued support. Niikawa also revealed that NIS is working on a PS4 game that would enjoy a proper announcement at this year’s Tokyo Game Show.

His brief but humble wishes were followed with a host of trailers, each representing one of NISA’s projects for the year.

Click here for a complete image gallery of all the games presented last night.

Disgaea 4: A Promise Revisited

PS Vita — Summer 2014

The rich and engrossing strategy RPG returns to PS Vita. The latest in the long-running, cult-classic series, A Promise Revisited packs tremendous amounts of content into one portable experience.

The PS Vita follow-up features all the downloadable content from the PS3 version, brand new scenarios, new characters, and additional musical tracks (making for more than 100, total). Along with another tier of spells and job techniques, A Promise Revisited looks to be the definitive version of Disgaea 4.

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair

PS Vita — Fall 2014

On the heels of the fun and sinister original, NIS America announced Danganronpa 2 would be coming to the states later this year.

As the Hope’s Peak Academy class travels to a tropical paradise for a “heart-throbbing school trip,” the murderous bear Monokuma returns to play his deadly game of truth and lies. New characters, new mini-games, and a new tribal council make up this unique story. Prepare for the same dark humor and intrigue when Goodbye Despair comes to PS Vita.

Fairy Fencer F

PS3 — 2014

One of the new game announcements emerging from the event, NIS America pulled the curtain back on its latest acquisition: Fairy Fencer F.

With concept art by famed designer Yoshitaka Amano and music by legendary composer Nobuo Uematsu, Fairy Fencer F tells the story of a great battle between the Goddess and the Vile God. Long sealed away, the weapons fashioned by these two deities remain scattered throughout the world. As the young man Fang pulls one such weapon — called a Fury — from a stone, he finds his destiny forever changed.

Battle Princess of Arcadias

PS3 — 2014

Another one of the new games announced last night, Battle Princess of Arcadias is a colorful, side-scrolling brawler RPG. Guide Battle Princess Plume through the Kingdom of Schwert and engage in skirmishes against the enemy.

Employ an ample number of skills, weapons, and collectable gear in massive boss battles and team-based fights.

The Witch and the Hundred Knight

PS3 — March 2014

The Forest Witch and the Swamp Witch have been bickering for 100 years. Fortunately for the Swamp Witch, she just uncovered a legendary soldier deep in slumber. Suddenly the century-long feud has tipped in her favor.

Play as the Hundred Knight, and serve the Swamp Witch Metallia in her goal of covering the entire world in mud. Equip five weapons simultaneously and chain attacks together to unleash devastating combos on Metallia’s enemies.

Demon Gaze

PS Vita — April 2014

Explore labyrinthine dungeons in this first-person RPG. Fight battles with screen-popping art, brimming with up-beat Japanese rock and adorable inn owners.

May or may not include a dragon princess. Spoilers: it does include a dragon princess.

Mugen Souls Z

PS3 — 2014

The Undisputed God of the Universe, Chou-Chou, returns with a brand new story. A direct sequel to the original Mugen Souls, this turn-based RPG features a hero with an empty coffin on her back (and, apparently, an empty head).

One of the silliest trailers on display last night, Mugen Souls Z allows players to enslave their enemies with a “fetish pose,” and inflict billions of points of damage in over-the-top attacks. A rainbow-colored barrage to the senses.

Hyperdimension Neptunia Producing Perfection

PS Vita — 2014

The first “idol simulation” from the team at NIS, Producing Perfection allows players to help produce the idol careers of the young ladies from Hyperdimension Neptunia.

Help the stars master the art of singing, dancing, and promoting themselves in order to win fame and adoration.

After watching NIS America’s presentation, there’s no doubt that the team continues to showcase its familiarity with niche game genres and it’s fervid love of the community around them. PlayStation.Blog will continue its coverage of the above games as they approach their respective launches, dood.

Good News, Danganronpa Fans: NIS America just announced that Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair is coming to Vitas in North America and Europe this fall. Unlike the (very cool) first game, the sequel takes place on a sun-drenched island. Word is it's good, too. Read/download the full announcement here.Read more...

Combining intrepid rodents with the gaming industry's favorite suffix comes Mousecraft, a new puzzle game from indie developer Curve Studios.

"The basic gameplay [in Mousecraft] is very simple: Your goal is to lead a group of mice through a machine to find the cheese at the other end of the level," wrote Curve Studios PR manager Rob Clarke on the PlayStation.blog. "You don't control the mice directly however, but instead control their environment through the use of many different types of classic 'Tetromino' blocks that can be dropped onto the level."

"Imagine the careful strategy and planning of a game like Lemmings with the blocks and fast-paced decision making of Tetris, and you've got an idea of how Mousecraft works," Clarke added.

According to the developer, Mousecraft will feature 50 stages of increasing complexity, online leaderboards, an in-game ranking system, collectables to hunt and a "fully-featured level editor available during launch."

Curve Studios claims that Mousecraft "should" be available on Vita and PC at some point in May, with a PlayStation 4 version of the puzzle game following this summer. It's currently unknown what price point will be attached to Mousecraft. [Image: Curve Studios]

I grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, and Bobby Knight has been a small part of my life for as long as I can remember. I don't think about the guy much any more, but every now and then, the red-sweatered shouter turns up in an unexpected place. That said, he has perhaps never turned up somewhere this unexpected.Read more...

Just as everyone's favorite pitchers and catchers report this week ahead of the MLB's spring training sessions, Sony opted to reveal the launch dates for MLB 14: The Show today. The Sony-published baseball game will arrive on PS3 and Vita on April 1 with the PS4 version stepping up to the plate in May.

Sony San Diego discussed some of the game's new features in a PlayStation Blog entry, such as cross-platform save compatibility and the guarantee that players will be able to transfer their careers from this year's game to future versions. MLB 14: The Show will also include community-created challenges, an online franchise mode with draft, free agency, trading and scouting support and some as-yet-unannounced improvements to the Road to the Show career mode.

Additionally, Sony will implement a universal in-game currency for MLB 14: The Show called "Stubs." Stubs will be earned from general gameplay (similar to experience points) and can also be purchased using real-life dollars. Sony stressed that it is "not designing the system to pressure players into spending money. It will be the same system it's been in years prior, just all rolled together with a new name." Stubs can be used to purchase career mode boosts like training points for players' Road to the Show athletes and increased franchise budgets. [Image: Sony]

MLB 14 The Show will release April 1 on PlayStation 3 and PS Vita and will arrive in May on PS4, Sony said today, ending an anxious stretch for baseball fans wondering if they would be playing a new version of the game on Opening Day.Read more...

Nariko, wielder of the titular Heavenly Sword in the upcoming film, is a life insurance company's worst nightmare. In this trailer she kills over a dozen soldiers in under a minute - wait, do henchmen even get life insurance?

Yesterday the North American PlayStation Store was updated with a host of new software. Today it's Europe's turn.

The highlights of this update include the addition of Jeff Minter's retro-shooter TxK, unexpectedly great roleplaying epic Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13 and Left Behind, the final singleplayer DLC release for award-winning zombie apocalypse drama The Last of Us.

In addition, European Vita owners now have access to Toukiden and Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc. The former is a riff on Capcom's Monster Hunter formula that pits players against oversized beasts drawn from Japanese mythology, while the latter is an anime-inspired visual novel that melds courtroom tension with teenagers murdering one another. It's less grim than it sounds.

In less modern news, this update also brings with it the PSN digital release of Atlus' excellent PlayStation 2 roleplaying game Persona 3: FES. While this incarnation lacks certain mechanical improvements added to the PSP's Persona 3 Portable, it still features hundreds of demons to befriend, loveable characters and more teenaged drama than your average inner city high school.

A full rundown of today's additions can be found on the European PlayStation.blog. [Image: Llamasoft]

I was wrong about handheld video games. Very wrong indeed.Read more...