PlayStation Blog

Next week sees the release of Ubisoft’s phenomenal platformer Rayman Legends on PS4. The limbless mascot’s latest adventure won huge acclaim when it launched on PS3 and PS Vita last year, and we can’t wait to see how its gorgeous visuals translate on the new hardware.

With that in mind, we’ve been harvesting a few of your questions via Twitter and our official forums, and put them to Senior Game Designer, Emile Morel. Read on to find out more about what you can expect from the PS4 release.

Can we use the touchscreen of the PS Vita to get the most out of the game? (Fragbeat, Netherlands)
Emile: In the PlayStation 4 version of Rayman Legends, you can use your PS Vita in Remote Play mode, which means that you can play the entire game on your PS Vita, without the need to use the TV. This mode is useful when you’re in the middle of a game and someone wants to use the TV, so you don’t have to stop, and you can continue playing for as long as you want!
As you will see, we have adapted the game controls to PS Vita so the experience is as enjoyable on this console as it is with the PS4 joystick in your hands!

However, you cannot control Murfy in touch mode on the PS Vita, because even in Remote Play mode you will continue to play the same version of the game when you use the PS4 joystick. The Murfy levels on PS4 have been designed to be played with a classic character, such as Rayman or Globox, for example. So, in using your PS Vita in Remote Play mode, you will find the originality and specificity of this PS4 version.

There are many musical levels on the PS3 version. What music would you like to add in a future game or via DLC? (CyberDie21, Netherlands)
Emile: When we were developing the game, we had a fairly large list of songs that we wanted to add to the game to create new musical levels. In the end, we kept only the best songs to integrate into the game.

If we had to make a DLC with musical levels, I could not tell you specific titles of new songs that would integrate the game because we would make a whole new selection, but I can tell you what is important in a song to make a good musical level in Rayman.

The song must have a fast enough rhythm (to match Rayman’s speed when he runs), it must have several variations from beginning to end (in order to create a good level design that surprises the player), and it must be very popular (to be easily recognised by players despite the small touch it adds to Rayman).

Why does Rayman not have a girlfriend? (Chrisdenimes, France)
Emile: I tend to believe that we do not know all of Rayman’s private life. ☺ But what is certain is that he was so busy saving the Glade of Dreams in recent years, that he did not have enough time to find a girlfriend! That’s the price you pay for being a hero!

Regarding the online challenges, will the PS3 and PS4 boards be linked or will we only see PS4 scores? (Fourcherman, France)
Emile: Online challenges on these two versions are different, and rankings on these two versions will also be separated. This will allow the best players to shine on those consoles separately and to earn the best cups. Thus, players who discover the game on PS4 will have the chance to go higher in the rankings without having to face experienced players of the PS3 version who have been training with the online challenges since last August.

Why is it that the Land of the Glades, so calm and peaceful in Rayman 3, has become so sinister and dangerous in Rayman Legends? (Lechevalierdej, France)
Emile: Everything went wrong at the beginning of Rayman Origins. Rayman and his friends were snoring so loud they pushed the inhabitants of the Land of the Glades, who just wanted to live in peace, to the limit! Crazy with anger, the inhabitants of the Land of the Glades suddenly became very aggressive and terrifying characters, transforming the landscape of the place to their own image! Since then, the Land kept this evil aspect, but perhaps it will go back to being a calm place one day. You see, in the end it’s just a neighborhood story that went wrong!

What are the differences between the PS4 version and the PS3 and PS Vita versions? (erprimo10, Spain)
Emile: There are many differences and new features in this PS4 version. In this version, thanks to the power of the PS4, the textures of the game are more compressed, so you can see that the game’s graphics are clearer and more detailed than before. You will also see that there is no loading time when you enter or exit a level, which makes the navigation even faster and more enjoyable.

We have also integrated a new Camera Mode on PS4. By pressing the touchpad of the PS4 joystick, you pause the game and enter this mode, and by moving your fingers on the touchpad, you zoom in and out on the image and drag the image frame; and finally, by pressing the Share button, you can take a photo and share it with everyone. This Camera Mode is a great way to observe in detail all the characters and settings of the game, and a great way of expression to create wacky images with the elements found in the game.

On PS4, you can also use the touchpad to scrape the famous Lucky Tickets, then you will really feel like you’re scraping lottery tickets (with the sound of scraping straight from the PS4 joystick)!

Finally, in this PS4 version, you’ll also find new playable heroes: Assassin Ray (a character inspired by Edward Kenway, the hero of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag), Funky Ray (a delusional character that you can unlock by using Uplay points), and Champion Ray (a character who will be offered to the best players of the community and those who live in this community; this character correspond to the new VIP status, visible in the rankings of online challenges).

Rayman is a real video game icon – how much pressure to deliver did you feel during development? (Midgar_01, Spain)
Emile: Yes, the pressure is always big when you do a famous character like Rayman because you don’t want to disappoint the series fans! The pressure on Rayman Legends was even stronger because it was succeeding Rayman Origins, which is great title, so we had to prove we could still reinvent the game and bring new ideas!

That being said, once we were completely immersed in the game’s development, we released a little of that pressure because the force of Rayman is that his world is very open and free, bringing an incredible number of new features in each episode, and that gives the impression of having worked on a brand new game, and not a title that is part of a saga that has been around for almost 20 years! Rayman’s DNA is also there in this continuous changes that always bring a fresh element!

Where did the idea of Snoop Dogg promoting the next gen version of Rayman come from and will he be a playable skin in the game? (hayzink, UK)
Emile: It was the marketing teams who had the idea of using Snoop Dogg to promote Rayman Legends. The idea immediately appealed to its comic side, which goes very well with Rayman’s world. Snoop Dogg is not necessarily the first artist that comes to mind when we think of Rayman, so the idea of bringing together these two characters, these two legends, is something weird and funny! And, in addition, it proves that Rayman evolved with time, and it currently is a part of pop culture, just like Snoop Dogg!

And no, Snoop Dogg will not be playable in the game, he appeared as a character in the game just as a little joke in the trailer.

Is there any chance of having DLC with extra musical levels and will these type of levels be featured in future Rayman games? (dogwalker4000, UK)
Emile: So far, we have not announced DLCs for Rayman Legends, but if we ever do, we will make it clear that we would include new musical levels! We loved making these levels and, obviously, people also loved playing them! People always ask us for more musical levels, so there is a good chance they will be present in future Rayman games. I think that people now associate these levels with the brand and the character! It must be said that music has always been an essential part of Rayman’s world, so it is quite normal that these levels have fully found their place in this series!

Can we expect a Rayman game that will not be in 2D in the future? I’m a big fan of Rayman Revolutions on PS2. Although 2D games have their own charm, I’d love to play something like Rayman Revolutions again. (Hgtred, Germany)
Emile: Rayman Revolution (other title of Rayman 2: The Great Escape) was a great game, and it is very possible that Rayman will be in 3D again one day. After all, the series began in 2D, and then the games were made in 3D, and finally went back to 2D with recent titles – this is a story cycle and I think that all forms are possible in the future of the series!

Is there going to be an upgrade program for PS4 players who have the game on PS3?
An upgrade program will not be available for Rayman Legends.

What was the most difficult part of the development on PS4? What was the most exciting part?
Emile: Without a doubt, our engineers are the ones who have worked the most to optimise the game on PS4 and remove the loading time. It may seem pretty trivial when it’s said like that, but the element of not having a loading time when you enter or exit a level actually changes the gaming experience. I remember the first time we were able to test the game without the loading time: we spent time entering and exiting the tables, just for the pleasure of seeing the levels start immediately. It was almost two years of knowing the game with the loading time, so suddenly not having it really changed the experience.

The development of Camera Mode was particularly interesting as well, because it is a great tool for players to finally see all the details that our artists have placed in the character animations and decorations (including the backgrounds). When this mode was available, we played a lot trying to create the craziest images by stopping the game at the best moments. I cannot wait to see the crazy images that the community will create using this mode!

Earlier this evening at the inaugural Buzzfeed Brews event in New York City, HBO CEO Richard Plepler announced that HBO and PlayStation have partnered to offer the popular HBO GO app − first on PlayStation 3, with PlayStation 4 to follow.

With the HBO GO app on your PlayStation system and an HBO subscription via your cable or satellite provider, you’ll have unlimited, on-demand access to your favorite HBO shows, like Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire and True Detective. HBO GO offers every episode of every season of the network’s best shows. You can also enjoy hit movies, sports, documentaries, and comedy specials, as well as special behind-the-scenes extras.

As a huge Game of Thrones fan, I can’t wait to watch the show using my PS3. Speaking of which, click here to watch the season 4 trailer that premiered earlier this week, in case you missed it.

Keep checking back here for more updates on when the HBO GO app will be available to download on PS3 and PS4.

I have exciting news for PlayStation fans! I know you all have been eagerly waiting to get your hands on PlayStation 4, the best place to play. I’m happy to announce that PlayStation and Taco Bell are joining forces to give away PS4s before they hit stores on November 15th. One winner will be selected every 15 minutes starting September 26th through November 10th!

You have six weeks to head over to your local Taco Bell for your chance to “Play the Future First.” Taco Bell will mark their $5 Buck Boxes– which include a Cheesy Gordita Crunch, Crunchy Taco, Burrito Supreme and medium fountain drink– with a special code that you can text in for a chance to win a PS4 prize pack.

The prize pack, which includes one PS4, a copy of the PS4 exclusive launch game, Knack, and a one year PS Plus membership, will be shipped on or around November 12th.

For additional details, information, and rules head to www.tacobell.com/winps4.

This Thursday will kick off the start for your chance to “Play the Future First,” so mark your calendars and map your closest Taco Bell. Good luck and remember, Greatness Awaits!

Which PS4 games are you most exciting about playing? Let us know in the comments!

We here at the two-man development studio known as Zeboyd Games are pleased to announce that our next RPG, Cosmic Star Heroine, will be coming out on PS4 and PS Vita next year! And to go along with that announcement, here’s our Sega-CD inspired opening video for our game! Enjoy!

A very special thanks to Dean Dodrill (Dust: An Elysian Tail) who helped out with effects and animation, as well as Chris Geehan and Dan Byrne-McCullough over at Hyperduck (who did the music for our last RPG) for helping make that video go to 11! And of course, our own Bill Stiernberg, who handled the brunt of the work!

Cosmic Star Heroine is our latest attempt to recapture the feel of some of the classic RPGs of the 90s, while putting our own unique spin on the whole experience. Inspired by games like Chrono Trigger (visual style, on-map battles, combo techniques), the Phantasy Star series (overall feel of the worlds and characters), and the Suikoden series (political intrigue, expandable player headquarters), we can’t wait to share Cosmic Star Heroine with you!

So who is the titular Cosmic Star Heroine?

Alyssa L’Salle! She’s one of the galactic government’s top agents, and has saved the galaxy more than once! But when she accidentally uncovers a dark conspiracy, her own government outs her as a legendary spy and the people’s champion! Sure, now she has hordes of adoring fans, but every villainous organization she’s ever crossed in her career knows who she is and is out for her blood! Can she save the day once more while she faces her greatest challenge… everyone!?

But she won’t have to go it alone! No, she’ll be leading a bizarre group of “heroes” into battle.

We’ve made several RPGs in the past (Cthulhu Saves the World, Breath of Death VII, Penny Arcade’s On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3 & 4), but we’re really stepping up our ambition with Cosmic Star Heroine. A deeper story, meticulously balanced play, a brain-melting soundtrack from Hyperduck, glorious 16-bit-esque pixel art, and much more await you!

And that means we need your help! We’ll be running a Kickstarter to raise needed development funds to make Cosmic Star Heroine the best “Shoulda been released in the 90s” RPG ever! And thanks to the good people at Sony, we’ll be able to offer cross-buy (buy once, get both versions!) PS4/Vita PSN codes for Cosmic Star Heroine at the low reward tier of $10! And of course, there’ll be plenty of other cool rewards if you choose to donate more!

Look for more news, screenshots, and the Cosmic Star Heroine kickstarter in the coming weeks! In the meantime, feel free to ask us questions in the comments!

I remember when the seven of us at Supergiant were days away from revealing our first game, Bastion, back at PAX Prime in 2010. The game had been in development for about a year but we were only just figuring out how to talk about it to the public. When people would ask us “what is this game about,” what would we say? We weren’t sure at first, because Bastion is an action RPG where an old man talks to you the whole time — and that sounds really, really terrible. Thankfully, those who played it tended to come away with a much more positive impression. We eventually came up with stuff we could say about Bastion with a straight face, but by far our favorite way of presenting the game to people was to invite them to play it. Now here I am trying to tell you about our next game, Transistor, and I wish I could just hand you a controller and let you try it for yourself. We revealed it earlier this year at PAX East, and today we’ve announced it will be making its console debut on the PlayStation 4 when we’re finished with it sometime early next year. If you check our reveal trailer, you’ll get a feel for what Transistor is like, though let me give you a little more background.

At Supergiant our games take inspiration from many of the most memorable games we played when we were kids. In my case it’s a very long list, everything from RPGs like the classic Ultima and Final Fantasy games, to fighting games like Street Fighter II and Samurai Shodown. Those games challenged my preconceptions of what games could be, and introduced me to unforgettable worlds and characters. Rather than throw back to the classics, though, we’re much more interested in capturing the experience of playing games like that for the first time. It’s that rush you feel when you find a game that’s incredibly novel but turns out to have a lot of depth there too… the kind of game you lose yourself in, and that leaves a lasting impression long after you’re done playing.

Bastion was our first attempt to act on this aspiration, and fortunately, it got a great response from around the world. It’s sold more than two million copies and earned more than 100 industry accolades, and put us in a position to maintain our independence, stick together as a team, and make something new. And, when it came to making something new, that’s exactly what we wanted. With Transistor, our aim is to create a unique-feeling game with its own strong, distinct identity, and many of its own surprises.

We’ve been working on Transistor for about a year and a half now, and most of the time has gone into finding that identity for the game. The result is a play experience that merges the kind of immediate moment-to-moment action we love with a much more deliberate and thoughtful strategic layer that lets you dictate the pace of a battle. We took inspiration from our favorite turn-based games and tactical RPGs, and aimed to capture the inherent drama and suspense of that style of play but in the context of an easy-to-learn action RPG. There’s nothing like turning the tables from the verge of defeat with some sort of spectacular last-ditch reversal, and the moment-to-moment play in Transistor should be packed with those kinds of opportunities. It’s all presented in a way that we think is unique to our game, and deeply connected to the story of this mysterious and powerful weapon you’ll be using throughout.

While I still sometimes struggle to find the words to describe the game I’m working on, I love talking about it almost as much as working on it, and I’d be happy to answer your questions right here in the coming days. In turn, if you want to know more about what we’re up to, please have a look at our web site or keep an eye on @SupergiantGames. In the mean time, we’ll keep doing our best to make a game that lives up to that Supergiant ideal.

With E3 right around the corner, everyone here at PlayStation is putting the final touches on what’s sure to be an exciting event for gamers everywhere. Among other things, we’re excited to see PlayStation Plus continue to evolve, and we’re happy to announce the inclusion of three new PS3 Full Games.

With next week’s PlayStation Store update, we’ll welcome UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and LittleBigPlanet: Karting into the Instant Game Collection!

As many of you keenly observed in Monday’s PlayStation Plus blog post, three PS3 Full Games – LittleBigPlanet 2, inFAMOUS 2, and Ratchet & Clank All 4 One – have only four days left in the Instant Game Collection. This means that it’s your last chance to download these great titles as they’ll be stepping down after a year of faithful PS Plus service.

June 11th PlayStation Plus Update UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception (PS3) Single Player and Free to Play Multiplayer Bundle

PSN Price: This item is only Free for PS Plus members

The highly acclaimed single player campaign of Uncharted 3, along with the Free to Play Multiplayer Mode will be available for all PS Plus members to experience, free with their membership! A search for the fabled “Atlantis of the Sands” propels fortune hunter Nathan Drake into a desperate bid for survival that strains the limits of his endurance, forcing him to confront his deepest fears. XCOM: Enemy Unknown (PS3)

PSN Price: $39.99, Free for PS Plus members

From the award-winning creators of Civilization comes an action-strategy game about humanity’s last stand. Threatened by an unknown enemy, Earth’s governments unite to form an elite paramilitary organization, known as XCOM. As the commander of XCOM, you must create a fully operational base, research alien technologies, plan combat missions, and lead your soldiers in fierce battles against a terrifying alien invasion. The decisions you make will affect the fate of humanity. You are our last hope. LittleBigPlanet Karting (PS3)

PSN Price: $39.99, Free for PS Plus members

Sackboy returns in a completely new Karting adventure to save the Craftworld universe! Get behind the wheel to race through fun-filled tracks, battle in hectic arenas, and collect items in open-world environments. Compete in exciting mini-games and modes unlike anything you’ve seen, and enjoy endless levels created by the LittleBigPlanet community. From game modes to weapon types, never before has Sackboy had so many customization options. If you can dream it, you can drive it!

You’ll find all the content detailed above with their Plus benefits active when the PlayStation Store updates on Tuesday; along with additional Plus content that was announced as part of the June preview, and special discounts as well.

Speaking of the June preview, with all this PS Plus content, this month is shaping up to be one of the best PlayStation Plus months yet. UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception (PS3), XCOM: Enemy Unknown (PS3), and LittleBigPlanet: Karting (PS3) are all dropping next week, joining Deus Ex: Human Revolution (PS3) which joined PS Plus last week. You’ll still have Machinarium (PS3), Saints Row The Third (PS3), Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward (PS Vita), and God Eater Burst (PSP, PS Vita compatible), all coming in June as well! It’s never been a better time to join up.

We’ve got more to come next week, so again, make sure you watch for all the PlayStation announcements to come at E3. In fact, you can watch Monday’s press conference right here on PlayStation.Blog. In the meantime, if you’ve got feedback or thoughts on this special PS Plus update, leave them below, or, if you’re looking to engage with more of the PS community, make sure you head over to the PlayStation Community Forums to discuss this week’s news more, find other topics to contribute your thoughts to, or start one for yourself. See you in the comments!

Greetings PlayStation.Blog. Today we’re really excited to announce that Gran Turismo 6 will be released Holiday 2013. The news was revealed today by legendary GT creator Kazunori Yamauchi himself at our Silverstone event held to celebrate 15 years of the 70-million-selling series.

GT6 for PlayStation 3 will see many enhancements, improvements and additions to the game. bringing new levels of authenticity to ‘the Real Driving Simulator’. Features revealed today include stunning new tracks and cars and an overhauled user interface. There’s also a new engine, which will improve game operation. Meanwhile, we are set for expanded connectivity with other devices, and increased social and community functions.

The cars and tracks from Gran Turismo 5 — which has now sold over 10 million copies since launching in 2010 — will return in GT6, but notable new additions will bring the car lineup to over 1,200. Players will also be able to customize their rides to a greater extent than ever before.

Amongst the track line-up, the UK’s famous Silverstone Circuit will be just one of seven new locations in Gran Turismo 6, taking the total to 33, with 71 different layouts available — 19 of them brand new. This already impressive lineup of cars and tracks will be added to by future DLC drops beginning after launch.

Enhancements and improvements also extend to a much-improved course maker function, which will provide several kilometers of gorgeous scenery, including the magnificent backdrop of Andalucía. The course maker will also include a new GPS data feature, which will increase the freedom of track creation in the game.

“It is amazing to think that it is 15 years since we first released Gran Turismo,” said Kazunori Yamauchi, during the announcement at Silverstone Circuit. “Things have changed a lot since then and now Gran Turismo 6 is a further evolution of my dream. We’re pleased to deliver GT 6 to PlayStation 3 as we have a very loyal community on that platform. However, we have refactored the game to make it very flexible and expandable, with a view to making many future developments.

“I am very pleased with everything about the new game and the new additions, but the launch will only be the beginning for GT6. The game will continue to develop throughout its life. I already have many ideas for things I want to achieve in the next 15 years of Gran Turismo!”

Further news about Gran Turismo 6 will be revealed at the forthcoming E3 and Gamescom events, and on www.gran-turismo.com.

Tearaway will be available on shelves and on PSN October 22nd! We can’t wait for you to get your hands on, and indeed in, our new game at the end of the year.

In Tearaway you’ll journey through a vibrant, living papery world, with a plucky messenger who has a unique message to deliver – to you!

As the papery world of Tearaway unfolds in your hands, you’ll be able to use your god-like powers to help your new messenger friend, iota or atoi, complete their very special delivery.

You’ll uncover a magical dimension inspired by folklore, and built realistically from paper that unfolds and comes alive before your very eyes. As you explore this world you’ll meet the papercraft creatures that live within it, help out strange new friends and encounter dangerous challenges.

We’ve designed the world of Tearaway to blend with our own through the unique features of the PS Vita, which allow you to help your messenger buddy to solve puzzles using the power of touch, literally breathe new life into this papercraft land, and reach up into the world using the rear-touch panel to see your fingertips appear inside the game! We think this is an adventure unlike anything you’ve played before.

Here’s a little more backstory on how Tearaway came to be from our very own doodle-meister and lead designer, Rex Crowle.

Normally a game has just one piece of box art, but we have two main characters for you to choose from – iota and atoi. Who should go on the front of the box then? It was an impossible choice for us to make, so instead of making it, we made a reversible double sided inlay, so you can decide for yourself! See both versions at the top of this post.

We’ll be back with more Tearaway news soon!

Thirteen years after the first book was published, it was announced that J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series would be getting its own free interactive online experience built around the books.

Pottermore.com opened to all on April 14th, 2012, allowing fans across the world to delve deeper into the world of Harry Potter, illuminating the stories with a mix of evocative interactive artwork called ‘Moments’, a range of exciting mini-games and over 20,000 new words from the author herself.

As well as housing a dedicated social platform, Pottermore became the exclusive online retailer of the Harry Potter eBooks, which until then had never been available.

Over the last two years, we’ve been working closely with the Pottermore team to take that unique online experience one step further. Taking inspiration from the Pottermore universe, we have developed fully-realised 3D environments, packed full of mini-games and activities, allowing you to step inside Pottermore in ways never possible before now.

That’s right, Pottermore is coming to PlayStation Home.

The team here at the London Studio has been working tirelessly to bring a bit of magic into PlayStation Home, and we are so proud to finally reveal it to you.

In our first release, you’ll be entering the world of Harry Potter by taking a trip to Diagon Alley and boarding the Hogwarts Express. You’ll find a multitude of fun things to do:

Go head to head with two to four players in Book Herding. Round up a consignment of escaped magical books and return them to their cages before any of the other players. Be careful though, your opponents will be out to stop you, using spells and general craftiness to impede your progress and scatter your books at the most inopportune moments.

Around the Pottermore spaces on PlayStation Home, you may discover hidden collectible Pottermore Trading Cards. You might also gain cards by participating in mini-games. In order to trade these cards with people you will need to have an account on Pottermore.com, have progressed past Chapter Seven of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and have been sorted into one of the four Hogwarts houses (Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw). Link your account via our handy Navigator App, and you’re all set! Haggle for doubles and trade for the cards you’re missing at one of our dedicated trading tables. Be the first to complete your collection!

Kit yourself out in a range of Hogwarts house robes and accessories from Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions or Twilfitt and Tatting’s in Diagon Alley. Pick up a friendly companion from the Magical Menagerie or, if it’s owls you love, visit Eeylops and choose your bird from their finest selection.

Approach the slightly dubious character at the end of the Hogwarts Express to gain access to an illicit Wizard’s Duel. Practise your moves and prepare to duel. Jump right in via Quickstart, or develop rivalries and pick your opponents via the Game Lobby.

Pack your Puffskein, board the Hogwarts Express and test your knowledge of the wizarding world with a Pottermore quiz for two to six players. The first to ten correct answers wins. If more than one player gets to ten correct answers at the same time, you’ll enter tiebreaker mode!

We’re really excited to bring you this content, and we hope you enjoy this first venture into the world of Pottermore at PlayStation Home. Believe me, there’s more to come….

After a few months of dropping hints our secret is ready to be made public. We are extremely fortunate to have some of the most devoted and amazing fans in gaming and we wanted to introduce those fans, and the world of UNCHARTED 3 multiplayer, to as many people as possible. We also wanted everyone who plays our multiplayer game to engage with it in a way that best suits their own unique play styles. So, it’s time to go big and grow our community even more. With that, we’re thrilled to announce that UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception Multiplayer is going Free-to-Play!

To date, more than 3.5 million people have played in over 37 million matches of UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception Multiplayer. All Free-to-Play players will become a part of this same player pool of over a half a million passionate players actively playing our game every month. So if you haven’t tried yet, you have no excuse to not be playing one of the most exciting multiplayer experiences on the PS3 — it’s free! Join the adventure starting today.

Once you download the Free-to-Play game from the PS Store you can hop online and play for as long as you want, as much as you want, up to Level 15. Upon reaching Level 15, you’re welcome to continue to play as long as you want without paying a penny more. We’ll continue to track your earned experience points as you play, although you won’t be able to unlock or access them. However should you choose to unlock the level cap, we’ll retroactively apply those achievements to your profile and we’ll continue to allow you to build up your profile right from where the Level 15 cap stops you. Although if you choose not unlock the level cap or purchase anything you’ll be missing out on a slew of cool in-game items and downloadable content we have made for the game to date. Here’s a rundown of what you can unlock:

• UNCHARTED 3: Multiplayer Co-op Adventure Add On – Unlocks Co-Op Adventure mode including the Fort Adventure DLC
• UNCHARTED 3: Multiplayer Co-op Arena Add On – Unlocks to gain access to the Co-Op Arena Playlist including the Co-Op Shade Survival Mode DLC for UNCHARTED 3: Multiplayer Free to Play
• UNCHARTED 3: Multiplayer Competitive MP (No Level Limit) – Removes the level cap for UNCHARTED 3: Multiplayer Free to Play
• UNCHARTED 3: Multiplayer Competitive MP (Level 25 Limit) – Removes the Level 15 cap and allows you to play UNCHARTED 3: Multiplayer Free to Play up to Level 25
• UNCHARTED 3: Multiplayer Split Screen Add On – Unlocks Co-Op Adventure mode including the Fort Adventure DLC
• UNCHARTED 3: Multiplayer DLC Map Packs – Unlocks all three DLC map packs released for UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception. Includes Flashback Map Pack 1, Flashback Map Pack 2, and Drake’s Deception Map Pack
• UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception Single Player Experience – Uncover the Truth. Unlock the Single Player campaign

If you really enjoy UNCHARTED 3: Multiplayer Free to Play and are looking for the full UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception experience, the best deal is to pick up the UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception Game of the Year Edition from the in-game store, which also launches today for $39.99. This digital version of the UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception Game of the Year Edition includes all 12 DLC maps, all Co-Op multiplayer modes, and over 40 character skins. Purchase the digital version of the UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception Game of the Year and essentially you’re getting the single-player game for free!

If you already own UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception and you are a long time multiplayer participant, we gave you some very special gifts as a way of saying thank you. Next time you log in online you’ll see a custom Naughty Dog Paw on your rank icon and you’ll receive the Naughty Dog Paw shirt for your custom characters.

Also, to celebrate the launch of UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception Multiplayer Free-to-Play we’re getting more colorful. Every character item and every character skin in multiplayer will now have more color options. These new color options are completely free.

During the coming months, more than 40 additional DLC items will be made available. Every DLC drop will have a theme and we’ll be unveiling that content here on PlayStation.Blog, over on the Naughty Dog Blog, and on our Free-to-Play webpage.

Patch 1.17 was also released recently. It includes some big changes you can read about over on the Naughty Dog Blog. For instance, we’ve added another tier to our Tournament. It’s the Platinum level and we have some very cool permanent Platinum level prizes for people who achieve this prestigious level.

We can’t wait to welcome all the new players into our community. Happy Fortune hunting! See you online!

Stretching back from my roots as a tournament player to my current gig as lead game designer for Sony’s Santa Monica Studio, I’ve spent over two decades in fighting games, and have been thrilled to revisit so many great memories from my own PlayStation history with the characters and stages of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale.

I’m here today on behalf of SuperBot Entertainment, Bluepoint Games, and Santa Monica Studio to announce that PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale has gone gold on PS3 and PS Vita! All of us are extremely grateful for the help from our beta players in testing our networking, and thrilled to see the amazing response from all of you that played the beta, which is just a small slice of the full game.

In celebration of this milestone, we wanted to share something special as a small “thank you!” to all the amazing PlayStation fans who have helped us come so far. Today we’re officially unveiling the opening cinematic sequence to the game. We’ve been pretty tight-lipped about our final boss, but if you hang in until the end you’ll get a glimpse of the villainous mastermind that’s returned from the depths of PlayStation history to pull the strings in All-Stars.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and if your interest is piqued, remember to pre-order All-Stars today! Pre-ordering scores you an exclusive costume for every character in the game, and with Cross-Buy, every PS3 copy comes with a download code for the PS Vita version at the low, low cost of zero!

Thanks again to PlayStation fans around the world for your incredible support, and come November 20th, I’ll see you online — just look for the unbeatable Drake player at the top of the leaderboards. :P

We hope you’ve been keeping track of all the recent updates on PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale news, from an in-depth update on the PS Vita version to our behind-the-scenes look at mashing up different worlds, we’ve shown you what this game is shaping up to be…and we think it’s high time you try it out for yourselves!

Today, we’re happy to announce that the PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Beta will kick off for PlayStation Plus members on PS3 tomorrow, October 16th and expand to everyone October 23rd through PlayStation Store! What’s more, as a special treat, PS Vita users will be able dive right into the multiplayer beta starting tomorrow – no Plus subscription required. The Beta will support Cross-Play, so PS3 and PS Vita owners will be able to fight with and against each other.

So what will be in this limited Beta?

• You’ll be able to play as Kratos, Sweet Tooth, Colonel Radec, Sly Cooper, PaRappa, and Fat Princess.
• You’ll be able to play in both the Metropolis and Hades stages.
• You’ll be able to try out four-player online tournaments and 2 v 2 online tournaments. For the 2 v 2 games we’ll be supporting friend invites, so you and a friend can fight another team online.

This, of course, is only a tiny fraction of what PlayStation All-Stars has to offer, but we thought you’d love the chance to try it early and see what all the buzz is about. Be sure to hop on quickly as we’ll be ending the Beta on October 30th!

But that’s not all. As you know, we have a pre-order program [blog link] running right now that unlocks a set of exclusive costumes in the game. Today we’re happy to unveil the rest of the costumes you’ll be getting with your pre-order of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale.

Unlocked with your pre-order at participating retailers, these costumes will work for both the PS3 and PS Vita when it releases on November 20th, so be sure to reserve your copy today. And don’t forget: PlayStation All-Stars features Cross-Buy support, so if you purchase the PS3 version, you’ll get a downloadable PS Vita version for no extra cost.

With Beta access beginning tomorrow, we look forward to getting your feedback on the game and seeing what you think of this highly anticipated title. Spread the word and we’ll see you online!

Tokyo Game Show is always an exciting time for gamers everywhere, as we all look forward to new games and other news being unveiled during the show. This year is no exception. We are always looking for ways to create better experiences for our gamers, and to that end, we just unveiled a smaller, lighter PlayStation 3 at the show.

The new PS3 will be available in two different models, with 250GB and 500GB HDDs which will allow you to store even more of your digital life. It also features a smaller, streamlined design that will look great as part of any entertainment system. The new model is approximately 20% smaller and 25% lighter than the current PS3.

In order to maintain the superior gaming experiences that you expect from us here at PlayStation, we are always looking for ways to change and evolve with your gaming behavior. You might remember the smaller models that we launched for PlayStation 2 and PSP (PlayStation Portable), and we know that many of you love the opportunity to add these streamlined models to your home. Additionally, as developers continue to release deep and rich digital gaming content, providing an option for larger HDD is essential, especially for games with large DLC packs, and full game downloads, as well as personal entertainment content. The biggest and best games live on PS3 this holiday season, and the new PS3 is the perfect way to play.

We are also excited to announce that the launch of this new PS3 model will include incredible additional value. The 250GB PS3 will be available on September 25th for $269.99 (MSRP) as part of a limited edition bundle featuring UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception: Game of the Year Edition and a voucher for more than $30 worth of bonus digital content for the highly acclaimed digital title, DUST 514. This bundle offers more than $70 in total combined value.

The winner of over 60 industry and Game of the Year awards, UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception will be re-released next week in an all new Game of the Year Edition, which includes 12 new multiplayer maps, over 40 multiplayer skins, Fort Co-Op Adventure, and Shade Survival Mode, a value of over $45 in bonus content. In case you somehow missed it, UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception is the latest installment in Naughty Dog’s storied UNCHARTED franchise that chronicles the adventures of Nathan Drake. UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception Game of the Year Edition is a great way to kick off your gameplay experience on the newest PS3 model.

UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception Game of the Year Edition will also be available as a standalone title on September 25th for $39.99 (MSRP).

CCP Games’ DUST 514 brings intense infantry combat, large-scale warfare and deep character advancement to PS3 in an exclusive free-to-play massively multiplayer shooter. Set in, and integrated with, the massive universe of EVE Online, players wage war in the next generation of first-person shooters, where a single victory could prove the crushing blow to a galactic empire of thousands of online gamers. This bundle includes an incredible amount of bonus value – more than $30 in total.

For those of you who do not own a PS3 yet, or have been looking to add another PS3 to your household, this is the perfect opportunity to jump in before the next wave of blockbuster games launch this holiday season.

The new 500GB PS3 will be available in a limited edition bundle on October 30th in conjunction with the release of Assassin’s Creed III – one of the most anticipated games for this holiday season featuring four exclusive levels, only available on PS3.

PlayStation fans – let us know what you think of the new PS3 model. Stay tuned for more PlayStation 3 updates here on PlayStation.Blog!

Yo PlayStation.Blog readers! Gamescom is finally upon us, and you know what that means: time for some highly anticipated Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale reveals!

We’re thrilled to announce the inclusion of Insomniac’s Ratchet and Clank in PlayStation All-Stars! Given the wealth of tools and gadgets at their disposal, it made perfect sense to us to include them in our roster. This duo is strongest at mid-range, and they can cut off many points of entry with varied angles of attack. We made sure that iconic Ratchet and Clank weapons such as the Combusto Pistol, the R.Y.N.O., and Tesla Spikes are available for players to utilize on the battlefield. Clank joins in on the fight wielding his powerful Chronoscepter, and even Mr. Zurkon can be summoned to lend a hand!

Also joining the cast is Spike from Sony Computer Entertainment’s franchise Ape Escape — a character that was on our radar from early on. We here at the studio have fond memories of the original Ape Escape on the PlayStation, which was revolutionary at the time for introducing unique gameplay elements facilitated by the first Dual Shock controller. The Ape Escape series has cemented itself in PlayStation’s history, and it’s our pleasure to have Spike as part of our roster. He’s a well-rounded character that can compete at close range, or from a distance with traps and projectiles, including the classic R.C. Car. He comes brandishing not only his signature stun clubs, but also peculiar gadgets, crazy weapons, and, of course, apes!

Dante from Capcom’s Devil May Cry has also made his way into PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale! It was imperative that a character with such a rich history and dazzling play style was part of the cast, and Dante fans can finally pit their favorite demon hunter against heavy hitters like Kratos and Heihachi. Dante’s offensive capabilities and mobility allow players to be creative in their assault, ensuring Devil May Cry fans will feel right at home hacking, slashing, and shooting their rivals into oblivion with devastating weaponry and stylish combos.

Lastly, we are pleased to announce that Media Molecule’s Sackboy from LittleBigPlanet is joining the rumble! Fans have been clamoring for his inclusion in our roster, and we’re more than happy to oblige. We had a panoply of items and gadgets to draw inspiration from in forming Sackboy’s moves for our game, so we eventually decided we’d give him a quirky and curious moveset that makes him stand out from the rest of the cast. He can produce various objects, gadgets, and tools that have varying effects when in play, affording him a distinct playstyle that is likely to catch foes off guard. Sackboy can pester enemies from a distance with his Cakeinator, and bounce them back to a non-threatening distance with a bounce pad!

We are also excited to show you our newest level, Stowaways, taken straight from one of the more frantic sequences in Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. Stowaways is a unique stage that forces players to adapt to both long-range and close-quarters combat. The environment is constantly moving and changing, benefiting those who can quickly adapt. As usual, players can expect this Uncharted-themed level to be mashed up with elements from another franchise — which will it be this time?

We’re also really excited about the promotional pricing announcement for PlayStation All-Stars that was made at today’s press conference. For all of you that purchase the PlayStation 3 version of PlayStation All-Stars – at retail or digitally through the PlayStation Network – you will be able to download the PS Vita version of PlayStation All-Stars from the PS Network at no additional cost. How awesome is that?!? Now you’ll be able to experience all of the great cross-save and cross-play features that PlayStation All-Stars has to offer on both the PS3 and PS Vita at one great price. So if you haven’t pre-ordered your copy yet, perhaps this news will pique your interest.

That’s all for now! We appreciate the continued support for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale from the fans. We still have plenty more surprises in store for everyone between now and our November 20 release date, so keep checking back for more news!

Did you all experience Metal Gear Solid 4 back in 2008? Or maybe for some reason you missed it? The Trophy system was introduced to PS3 in the middle of 2008. However, by that time, MGS4 had already finished development and was about to launch, so we were regrettably unable to implement Trophies at launch. But, we’ve always had it on our to-do list and users have given us continuous feedback requesting Trophies over the years.

For all those who have asked “where are the Trophies?” we are very sorry for the long wait. However, in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Metal Gear series, we are very pleased to announce that trophies will finally be coming to MGS4 in the beginning of August!

Furthermore, retail versions of the game in stores will be updated to offer native Trophy support out of the box.

For loyal fans and new players alike, there’s never been a better time to relive the experience of MGS4. The timeless PS3 classic is back – now with full Trophy support!!

Bronze You enjoy all the killing, that’s why. Killed many enemies in one area, and vomited. Bronze Divine Wind Caused a “divine wind” using the Tanegashima. Bronze Hands Up! Held an enemy soldier at gunpoint and performed a body check. Bronze Emotion Control Controlled an enemy soldier’s emotions using an Emotive Magazine. Bronze Hurt me more! Shocked an enemy soldier using Mk. II/III. Bronze Drum Can Addict Knocked an enemy soldier flying using a Drum Can. Bronze That Tune Is His Mind Control Music Played Oishii Two-han Seikatsu and made one of the BB Corps dance. Bronze Overhead view — just like old times… Used overhead view on Shadow Moses Island. Silver SUNLIGHT! Obtained the Solar Gun. Silver I Just Don’t Fear Death Caused ALERT status while wearing the Corpse Camo. Silver Where I Can See Ya Located enemy soldiers using the Scanning Plug. Silver Ghost Photography Addict Snapped at least 5 shots of ghosts on Shadow Moses Island. Silver FaceCamo Addict Obtained 10 or more types of FaceCamo (excluding types obtained via password). Silver Can you feel my power now!!!? Took control of an enemy soldier’s body using the Mantis Doll or Sorrow Doll. Silver Are you an Otaku too? Viewed all model posters. Silver You’re pretty good. Got kissed by Ocelot during the final battle. Gold Flashback Mania Viewed all flashbacks. Gold Sounds of the Battlefield Obtained all iPod® tracks (excluding tracks obtained via password). Gold I am THE expert on weapons, equipment and cutting-edge technology. Obtained all weapons (excluding weapons obtained via password). Platinum The Legendary Hero Obtained all trophies.

Earlier this year, we cut some cake and popped some champagne to celebrate Media Molecule’s sixth birthday! We’ve had an awesome time during the last six years, seeing how the experiment we started here in Guildford has grown, giving rise to a thriving LittleBigPlanet community. This year will be no different, filled with DLC, plus new experiments from the LBP family for you to play with.

You already know about the fantastic LBP work that Tarsier Studios and Double Eleven Studios are doing on LittleBigPlanet for PS Vita, and now we are delighted to announce today a new LBP collaboration with the hugely talented team at United Front Games who will be leading a new project called LittleBigPlanet Karting! We’ve all seen that UFG has a wealth of racing experience and they’re also intimately familiar with LBP’s cornerstones of “Play, Create, Share.” With LBP’s powerful and diverse toolset in their capable hands, LittleBigPlanet Karting is sure to be an adventure that both LBP fans and kart-racing fans alike will enjoy! We are eager to see what you think of this union and especially excited to see what happens now that you can create in a 3D environment — it’s the start of a whole new LBP world! Have a look at the debut trailer to see for yourself.

Thank you so much for your continued support of LittleBigPlanet! Lots of love!

James Grieve, Sr. Producer, United Front Games

Thank you to everyone at Media Molecule, we greatly appreciate the warm welcome into the LittleBigPlanet family. The team here at United Front Games has long been huge fans of LBP and all of the exceptional work done by everyone at Mm. Sackboy has become one of the iconic gaming characters of this generation and to have the opportunity to make a LittleBigPlanet game ourselves is truly an honor.

It has been a joy to collaborate with all of the folks at Mm. Since the project’s inception, they have been great partners in getting to where we are today. Looking ahead, we can’t wait for all of the LBP fans out there to get their hands on LittleBigPlanet Karting. The LBP community is unparalleled in the gaming world for the passion and creativity they bring and it’s going to be exciting to see where they’re able to take this new journey for Sackboy.

Our goal with LBP Karting has been fairly simple – provide a fast-paced experience that captures the best of classic karting gameplay, married with the unbridled creativity of LBP. This new adventure will be accessible to players of all ages and have all of the variety necessary to satisfy both the hardcore and more casual players.

This is an LBP game, so we could never talk about it without mentioning the Create tools. LBP Karting is set in an entirely 3D world that will enable players to create rich and varied gameplay experiences. Tons of familiar LBP gadgets will be present, along with a new toolbox specifically tailored to allow for building in LBP Karting’s 3D world. Along with fan-favorite racing and battle modes, players will be able to modify the rules of the game itself to create completely new modes and challenges. All of this is wrapped up in a community experience that should have LBP fans feeling right at home.

Well, that’s all for now, but we’re looking forward to sharing more news on this exciting new game in the coming weeks so stay tuned for more info and get ready for the new world of LittleBigPlanet Karting in 2012!

Heavy Rain, one of the most talked-about titles ever to be released exclusively for PS3, will be re-released next week, but this time with lots of extras making it the perfect gift for the holidays. In addition to the original game, Heavy Rain: Director’s Cut will include DLC, the original soundtrack, bonus videos, and more. One loaded release for the great price of $29.99!

Heavy Rain: Director’s Cut starts shipping on November 8th in the US. Here is a list of all the great content fans can look forward to:

• Complete, original game, Heavy Rain
• Heavy Rain Chronicles: Episode 1 – The Taxidermist DLC
• Heavy Rain Original Videogame Score by award-winning film and television composer, Normand Corbeil (16 tracks)
• New front-end menu and interface with built-in Move support
• A series of 8 “Making of” Bonus Videos
• Three Dynamic Themes (Heavy Rain, Heavy Rain ARI Forest, Heavy Rain ARI Mars)
• 15 additional pieces of new concept art
• 2 bonus Trailers (Thank You Trailer, Love Trailer)

As a thank you to all current (and future) Heavy Rain fans, SCEA is making the Heavy Rain Crime Scene Dynamic Theme available FREE through the PlayStation Network (PSN) to commemorate the release of the Heavy Rain: Director’s Cut. Starting November 8th, PSN members can download this visually stunning dynamic theme, depicting one of the game’s most chilling crime scenes visited by FBI profiler, Norman Jayden, in his frantic search for the Origami Killer.

We hope you enjoy the new Director’s Cut!

Remember back in September when we announced that DC Universe Online was going to be Free-To-Play? Well, it’s here! Starting today you can download DCUO from the PlayStation Store for free, and play all you want with no monthly fee required. Experience the game play features that have gotten players excited about DCUO since it launched, including the intense, fast-action brawler style combat system that makes it feel more like an action game than a massive online game. Now, you can see for yourself how DCUO offers the best of both worlds. Fight, fly, speed, battle with friends, pummel your enemies, explore the amazing locales of the DC Universe, hobnob with Wonder Woman… all for free!

We’re really excited about this transition because you all have been asking us to make this change, and now we’ve done it – we’re making DCUO accessible to so many more players. We heard all of you out there who told us at conventions, on Facebook and elsewhere that you’d love to jump in to the game, if only it didn’t have that pesky monthly fee. Well, now’s your chance. With our three levels of access there’s something for every type of player. Free-To-Play. Your way.

Are you a new player? Then just jump in and play for free. If you buy a few of the awesome items in our marketplace or a DLC pack (totaling at least $5), then you’ll get permanently bumped up to Premium Access, which gives you extra features such as more character and inventory slots. You can continue to play at Premium Access for as long as you want with the option to purchase extra features, or jump in to a Legendary membership for a monthly fee and get access to maximum game features and all DLC packs. Don’t want to pay that membership fee for a while? No problem, you’ll automatically become Premium Access if you drop your Legendary membership.

And for you current players, you may have already noticed that you’ve already been migrated to a Legendary membership. Former players, come on back! You’ll be granted automatic Premium Access as soon as you log in. We have all the details on our website if you want to know more.

We look forward to seeing all of the new faces, and old friends, zipping around Metropolis and Gotham City. Let’s hear from you in the comments below. See you in game!

We’re excited to announce a new program called “Only On PSN,” which features brand new games that are exclusively available on PlayStation Network throughout October. Every week starting tomorrow, October 4, you will find new titles, unique to PSN that are part of this program – games that you’ve likely read about here on the PlayStation Blog, or seen during our showing at E3 2011. You may recall our announcement a few months ago about investing $20 million in exclusive PSN titles, and the Only On PlayStation Network program showcases two titles spawning from this investment: Eufloria and Okabu.

We can’t wait for you to get your hands on the Only On PSN games yourselves, so we’re giving you a few special offers throughout the course of the program. First, to sweeten the deal, we’ll be offering PlayStation Plus subscribers a 20% discount on each game during the first week of its availability.

Additionally, users who spend $60 or more out of their PlayStation Network/Sony Entertainment Network wallet through the month of October will get $10 back in November. This includes any of the Only On PSN games, purchases of games, add-ons, movies and TV shows in both the game and video sections of the PlayStation Store, your paid subscriptions for PlayStation Plus or Music Unlimited, movie rentals or purchases through Video Unlimited and any games or virtual items you buy in PlayStation Home.

Be sure to keep an eye on the PlayStation Twitter feed, as we’ll be giving away download codes for each game in the line-up every week. Don’t miss your chance to get this week’s Only On PSN games for free!

Now, let’s check out the games:

October 4:

• Eufloria – An addictive ambient game of space exploration and conquest, plant growth and bio-mechanical evolution. Explore a beautifully realized universe rendered in a style that is unique and compelling. Conquer asteroids in deep space and use their resources to literally grow and nurture semi-organic plants and creatures to do your bidding.
• Rochard – A fun and original space adventure game that features a resourceful hero, ominous villains, rugged machinery, big explosions, even bigger stunts and sharp one-liners. The game tests players’ coordination and wits as they use gravity to their advantage, changing it at will to solve environmental puzzles and advance through each level.

October 11:

• Sideway: New York – Help defeat Spray, a sinister tagger who wants to dominate both Sideway and the real world in this unique sidescroller that offers you the chance to leave your mark on the city.

October 13:

• Sodium Collection – A more than $35 value available for $9.99, this PlayStation Home value pack includes the SodiumOne Pilot’s Jacket, which unlocks the full 50-level tank combat Salt Shooter game, and weapon upgrades for your SodiumOne tank. Also included is a variety of upgrades for Sodium 2: Project Velocity, a high-speed, free-to-play, futuristic multiplayer racing game exclusive to PlayStation Home, and the wildly-popular Blaster’s Paradise personal space, which hosts a tabletop version of Salt Shooter. Buy from the PlayStation Store and play in PlayStation Home.

October 18:

• Okabu – An action-puzzler, where players will guide Kumulo, Nimbe and four cloud-flying heroes as they battle to save their people and their world from the industrialized threat of the Doza. Dive into a hyper-tactile toybox world filled with a huge number of puzzles, playthings, adorable creatures and devious machines spread across an epic co-op campaign.
• RocketBirds: Hardboiled Chicken – Annihilate an evil penguin regime in this cinematic platform adventure game offering full solo and co-op campaigns with stereoscopic 3D support. Destroy enemies with a slew of weapons and illuminate the secrets to his past while uncovering the real enemies of Albatropolis.

October 25:

• inFAMOUS: Festival of Blood – Vampires swarm New Marais, and revered superhero Cole MacGrath has been bitten. To save his soul and city, he has just one night to find and kill the head vampire. Featuring hours of new gameplay, themed environment settings and new characters/enemies, Festival of Blood explores the darker side of the inFAMOUS universe.
• PixelJunk Sidescroller – Q-Games goes old-school with a completely retro side-scrolling shooter that reinvents the genre from the ground up while maintaining that nostalgic feeling. Dodge flurries of alien bullets and strategically upgrade weapons while battling through sweeping stages full of hazardous fluid and endless shooting mayhem.

Also starting tomorrow as part of Only On PSN, we’ll also be offering a selection of rare classic games in the PlayStation Store: God Hand, GrimGrimoire, Maximo: Ghosts to Glory, Odin Sphere and Ring of Red.

So head into the PlayStation Store tomorrow afternoon to check out Eufloria and Okabu, and don’t forget: If you’re a PlayStation Plus subscriber, be sure to take advantage of the 20% discounts for the new games each week before we move onto the next week of Only On PSN titles. We hope you enjoy the month of October gaming with these exclusive titles on PSN!

What could possibly be better than battling with thousands of other players online in the first, and only, action MMO on the PS? How about battling FOR FREE? That’s right, DC Universe Online will soon be free to download from the PlayStation Store, and free-to-play with no monthly fees required.

So what’s the catch? There is none. The entire game will be open for you to play for free. We have gotten a lot of feedback from gamers asking for an opportunity to play without a subscription requirement. So, that got us thinking about how to offer access to the game in a way that allows gamers to play their way. We wanted something that would give players options. We know different types of gamers are playing – and want to play – DCUO, and we want each person to be able to play in a way that best fits their style. That’s why we’ve created three levels of access to the game:

• Free Access – Just like it sounds. Download and play the game for free. You also get all ongoing game updates (except DLC packs).
• Premium Access – This next level of access opens up to you if you spend at least $5 in the in-game store. Premium Access grants you additional benefits that improve your experience in the game, such as more inventory slots, more character slots, bank slots and more free Vault tickets. So all you have to do is pick up some cool items in the store or buy a DLC pack and you unlock Premium Access. The best part? Once you unlock Premium Access you keep it for the life of your account.
• Legendary Access – With Legendary Access you can unlock the maximum level of features and benefits. To unlock Legendary Access you can pay for a $14.99 per month game pass, or save big with a discounted multi-month pass. Lifetime members are automatically granted Legendary access. Legendary Access also includes all DLC packs at no extra charge.

I know all of this sounds great for the soon-to-be new players, but it’s just as good for all of you who still play, or used to play. Current players who are currently on a month-to-month or multi-month game pass will automatically be granted Legendary Access for the remaining time on their game pass once we officially transition to free-to-play. They can continue to play and stay at the Legendary Access level, or opt to migrate to another level.

If you used to play DCUO, this gives you a great opportunity to come back and rejoin your old crimefighting (or evil-doing) friends without spending a cent. If you previously purchased DCUO at a retail store or through a PSN download and activated your account, you will automatically be granted Premium Access when you come back.

You can go to our website for more details on the three levels of access, plus a FAQ that should cover any other questions that you may have. We can’t tell you how excited we are to be making this move, and can’t wait to have you all join us in game. Talk to us in the comments below and let us know what you think. We’re listening.

You keen-visioned PlayStation.Blog readers are bound to know that the LittleBigPlanet 2 PlayStation Move DLC was officially announced at the E3 PlayStation press conference (huzzah!). You were no doubt left with questions around what it does, how it works and what marvels will be possible once our army of LBP creators get their hands on it.

In a nutshell, the PlayStation Move Pack lets you create levels with (and for) the PlayStation Move motion controller, and it includes a set of levels built by Media Molecule to make your creative juices juicier. LBP has always been all about communities creating and sharing, so rather than show you our 200-slide marketing presentation, I’ll hand you over to Andrew, AKA Chimpanzee, creator extraordinaire and editor of the splendid Rocket Cheetah, for enlightenment…

Back in May I was lucky enough to be invited to the hallowed grounds of Mm Towers to check out the new LittleBigPlanet 2 features they were working on and hang out with some well-known Creators to see what they could do with them. We all knew that Media Molecule were working on an update to the game, introducing brand new tools which make use of the PlayStation Move motion controller, but what we saw was so much more than LBP 2 with added ‘waggle’.

15 members of the community from as far afield as the USA and France descended on Media Molecule’s Guildford studios and to kick things off we were given a brief demonstration of some of the features of the Move Pack.

Looking back, I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised by how much was being given to creators – after all, Media Molecule aren’t exactly known for doing things by halves. Aside from features that people are expecting, the Move Pack also includes a wealth of amazing new gadgets and tweaks which Creators have either been asking for forever or don’t even know that they need yet, but will soon wonder how they ever did without.

First up was the Manipulator, a power-up which can be dropped into a level to instantly enable Move gameplay. It works just like other power-ups that you’re already familiar with; It’s equipped when a player walks over it and can be removed with the power-up remover. With the Manipulator, the player aims by pointing the Move motion controller and can pick up, move around and carry grabbable objects using the trigger. It has a set range (similar to that of the grappling hook) indicated by a translucent orb around Sackboy.

The Moveinator is the PlayStation Move’s equivalent of the Controlinator. As well as all the standard buttons, it gives Creators access to all of the Move’s sensors: Gyroscopes for rotation and tilt on all and the accelerometers to detect up. down, left and right movement. Anyone who’s used the Controlinator in their levels will find the Moveinator’s circuit board very familiar. All of the outputs can be wired-up to Mover logic to allow the player to control any object directly.

Combine the Moveinator with the Move Cursor and you’ve got instant point and shoot gameplay. Just plonk one of these new logic chips down on the Moveinator’s circuit board and you’re given a reticule which you can aim with the PlayStation Move. You can customize the pointer to be any sticker you like and you can even tweak a range of options to have it change color or even switch to a completely different graphic when it hovers over specific objects.

To illustrate how some of the new features could be used, we were shown a few of the MM-made levels that’ll be included in the downloadable pack. It’s the largest piece of DLC that Media Molecule have released so far and the variety of gameplay is bound to inspire Creators to come up with even more exciting and original ideas. The main story levels consist mainly of puzzle/platformers where you play using with a DualShock or Sub-controller in one hand and the PlayStation Move in the other – a control scheme that was surprisingly easy to get used to. But the mini games are where I was really blown-away. One was a Labyrinth-style game where you had to tilt the Move to guide a ball through a maze-like track. In another, you had to use the Move Cursor to arrange objects, conveyer belts and bounce pads on a board to guide a dumb Sackbot from one side to the other.

Overwhelmed? I was. But grab a cup of coffee and take a deep breath because we aren’t even nearly done yet!

Next we we shown some of the smaller but equally pleasing new tweaks and tools. Firstly, Media Molecule have been listening and have delivered on a much-requested feature: Multipliers on Score Givers! Huzzah! You can even tweak how often the score is multiplied and by how much. They’ve also introduced Speed and Rotation Sensors which output if and how much an object is moving, which I’m sure will be music to many Creators’ ears. There’s also a new Slicer Tool. This works in a similar way to the Corner Editing Tool but allows you to pick any two points on the edge of a shape and slice it in two – a big time-saver.

Yet another new tool is the Move Recorder – a new logic chip which records the fluid motion of the Move controller. This allows Creators to give realistic, organic behavior to any object and anyone who’s used Sackbots’ “Act” function will instantly recognize how it works.

Well, that’s about it. Oh wait, no it’s not!

Just a small thing really, no big deal, it’s just that LittleBigPlanet 2 now has a freakin’ paint studio! The fully-featured Sticker Creator takes you to a whole new interface where the Move controller is your paint brush. Excuse me while I gush here for a moment but it really is no exaggeration to say that the artistic types among you will be able to create fully-fledged masterpieces with this. There’s a selection of brush types, shapes and colors to choose from and you can also change the brushes opacity, allowing you to blend several colors together to get that precise shade that you’re after. You could also take any existing sticker and use it as a brush or stamp. I used it to make a rather lovely ocean of bright yellow rubber ducks but you could of course get a little more creative with it and compose hundreds of different stickers together into something incredible

The paintings you make can then be used as stickers in-game, shared in prize bubbles or exported in high-resolution to the XMB.

With all these awesome new stickers you’ll be making, you’ll want a way to display them in their full glory in your levels. Mm has you covered, yet again, with the new Sticker Panel material. This mysterious new substance is magical; draw out a block of it in Create mode and as soon as you stick a sticker to it, it becomes completely invisible, leaving only the sticker behind. Sticker Panels behave in a similar way to the Hologram material in that it has no physical properties, can pass through other objects and can be stacked on top of one another in the same layer. However, unlike Hologram material, a Sticker Panel doesn’t affect the sticker’s color or opacity… unless you want it to of course.

Phew! That about does it for my ‘brief’ round-up of the LBP 2 Move Game Jam. It was a truly amazing to see some master Creators in action, let loose with some new toys. I really cannot wait to see what the rest of the community does with them.

A huge thank you to Spaff, Tom and everyone at Mm for making it happen and to everyone who was there on the day for letting me tap them on the shoulder every 10 minutes with a curious “Whatcha dooin’?”

We’re so excited to welcome you back to PlayStation Network. With the PlayStation Store back online, we’ve been getting all caught up this week, having launched an abundance of amazing content for download on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable devices across games, movies, themes and DLC. Today, we’re excited to launch the Welcome Back program to thank you for your loyalty, and below, we’ve got what you need in order to get access to the included content. So, here’s a list of questions about the program. If you don’t see your question below, mention it in the comments and we’ll do our best to provide an answer. Thanks again for your patience and understanding as we restored the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services – your support has meant a lot to us and is greatly appreciated.

Q: What’s in the Welcome Back Program?
A: To start, all PSN members who had signed up before the outage (April 20, 2011) will be able to select two games for the PS3 and two games for the PSP systems.

For PS3 owners, go to the ‘Welcome Back’ section in the PlayStation Store, and select 2 titles from the following list:

• Dead Nation
• inFAMOUS
• LittleBigPlanet
• Super Stardust HD
• Wipeout HD + Fury

For PSP owners, go to the ‘Welcome Back’ section of PlayStation Store on your PSP system and select 2 titles from the following list:

• LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
• ModNation Racers
• Pursuit Force
• Killzone Liberation

Select your first game from “Game 1”, then return to the Welcome Back page and go to “Game 2” to select your second game out of the remaining choices available. This goes for both PS3 and PSP.

In addition, we’re giving access to our premium subscription service, PlayStation Plus, which includes games, huge discounts, exciting exclusives and added features like online storage and automatic downloads, to all PSN members for 30 days at no charge, requiring no long term commitment. As with the games above, go to the PlayStation Store and under the ‘Welcome Back’ section, select ‘PlayStation Plus: 30 Days Free’, and you’ll be given access to all of the benefits of PlayStation Plus. Note that this will not auto-renew and simply expires 30 days after activation.

Current Plus subscribers receive an extra 60 days added to their existing subscription at no charge. For current Plus subscribers, no action is needed as the 60 days are automatically added to your subscription.

PlayStation Network users will also get 100 virtual items in PlayStation Home as a show of appreciation for your patience while Home was inaccessible. Additional content is coming soon, including the next addition to the Home Mansion personal space, and Ooblag’s Alien Casino, an exclusive game.

A selection of “On Us” movie rentals are currently available to PlayStation Network customers this weekend only, where Video Service is available.

Finally, current Music Unlimited Premium subscription members will receive an additional 30 days of premium subscription plus days lost due to the outage.

Q: When will I have access to the Welcome Back Program?
A: The content offered as part of the Welcome Back Program is available for download today and will be available through July 3.

Q: I have both PS3 and PSP. Does this mean I will get 4 games all together?
A: Yes, as long as you were a PSN member before April 20, 2011, you’ll be able to receive up to 4 games based on the titles listed above; 2 on each platform.

Q: Are there any limitations to the PS3 and PSP games we are receiving as part of the Welcome Back Program?
A: None. These games are yours to keep.

Q: How long do I have to get into the PlayStation Store and receive my content for Welcome Back?
A: Access to the Welcome Back content will be expiring on July 3. Once this date has passed, the Welcome Back section in the PlayStation Store will be removed.

Q: When does the 30 days of my PlayStation Plus access expire?
A: Your PlayStation Plus 30-day access will expire 30 days from the date you activated it in PlayStation Store.

Q: When will (insert game here) be published?
A: Look forward to posts over the coming days that will show what content will be available at that point, or coming soon. We’re planning frequent store publishes offering lots of new content for everyone to enjoy.

Q: I’m getting 30 days of access to PlayStation Plus; can you refresh my memory on what I get with this service?
A: From the time you activate your 30 days of PlayStation Plus, you’ll be able to download games and game related content, purchase select store items at a discount, and have access to the exclusive features of Plus. You’ll also be able to get early access to any Plus exclusive Demos and priority Beta invitations that might be scheduled during your 30 days.

Q: Do I get to keep the games in PlayStation Plus forever?
A: Content that is free in PlayStation Plus will not be available after your PlayStation Plus time has expired. However, if you decide to join PlayStation Plus, you’ll have access to all of the content you downloaded during your 30 day access for as long as you are a subscriber.

Q: Do I get to keep any games or content I purchased with the PlayStation Plus discount?
A: Yes. Any content you purchase at a discount is yours to keep, regardless of your subscription status.

Q: Aside from the games and discounts; does PlayStation Plus offer anything else?
A: Yes! PlayStation Plus includes the Online Storage for Game Saves feature, allowing you to backup treasured game saves or access them from another PS3. In addition, you get the Automatic Download feature, which automatically updates your 10 most recently played games while the system is in stand-by mode so you don’t have to wait for updates before playing your games.

Q: What content will be in PlayStation Plus when I activate my 30 days?
A: PlayStation Plus content and discounts are regularly updated throughout the month. For up-to-date information on content within PlayStation Plus, please visit the Plus homepage.

Q: Where can I find the Welcome Back content in Home?
A: The 100 virtual items can be found in the kiosk in Home’s Central Plaza along with two personal spaces – Dragon’s Lair and the Mansion Garage. A new game – Ooblag’s Alien Casino – will be released soon (June 2011). This game will be 100% free-to-play. As an added bonus, players that access the Ooblag Alien Casino space will be rewarded an active item version of the Ooblag game that can be played in your personal space(s).

Remember, if you didn’t see your question answered above, drop us a line below and we’ll do our best to answer it. Welcome Back!

Now that some PlayStation Network and Qriocity services have been restored and you’re once again enjoying online gaming and entertainment, we’re happy to provide details about the “Welcome Back” appreciation program for customers in North America. We developed the program as an expression of our gratitude for your patience, support and continued loyalty during the service outage. From all of us at PlayStation, thank you and welcome back!

This package will be made available to all existing registered PlayStation Network and Qriocity users in North America (US and Canada), and will be made available shortly after we have fully restored the service. More specific details about these offers and eligibility requirements will be posted as the services go live.

All PlayStation Network customers can select two PS3 games from the following list. The games will be available for 30 days shortly after PlayStation Store is restored and can be kept forever.

• Dead Nation
• inFAMOUS
• LittleBigPlanet
• Super Stardust HD
• Wipeout HD + Fury

For PSP owners, you will be eligible to download two PSP games from the following list. The games will be available for 30 days shortly after PlayStation Store is restored and can be kept forever.

• LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
• ModNation Racers
• Pursuit Force
• Killzone Liberation

• A selection of “On Us” rental movie titles will be available to PlayStation Network customers over one weekend, where Video Service is available. Those titles will be announced soon.
• 30 days free PlayStation Plus membership for non PlayStation Plus subscribers.
• Existing PlayStation Plus subscribers will receive an additional 60 days of free subscription.
• Existing Music Unlimited Premium Trial subscription members will receive an additional 30 days of free premium subscription.
• Additional 30 days + time lost for existing members of Music Unlimited Premium/Basic subscription free of charge for existing Premium/Basic members.
• To welcome users Home, PlayStation Home will be offering 100 free virtual items. Additional free content will be released soon, including the next addition to the Home Mansion personal space, and Ooblag’s Alien Casino, an exclusive game.

We’d like to thank all of our publishing and development partners who’ve contributed to the Welcome Back program, including Bigbig Studios, Codeglue, Digital Leisure, Guerilla Games, Heavy Water, Housemarque, Lockwood, Loot, Mass Media, Media Molecule, SCE Cambridge Studios, SCE Studio Liverpool, SCE San Diego Studios, and Sucker Punch Productions. We couldn’t have created such a compelling package without them!

As a reminder, you will be able to access the above content shortly after services are fully restored. We are doing everything we can to make that happen as soon as possible. Please visit the following sites for more information about the Welcome Back program in Europe and Latin America.

Thank you again for your support!

SOME PLAYSTATION®NETWORK AND QRIOCITY™ SERVICES TO BE AVAILABLE THIS WEEK
Phased Global Rollout of Services to Begin Regionally;
System Security Enhanced to Provide Greater Protection of Personal Information

Tokyo, May 1, 2011 – Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) and Sony Network Entertainment International (SNEI, the company) announced they will shortly begin a phased restoration by region of PlayStation®Network and Qriocity™ services, beginning with gaming, music and video services to be turned on. The company also announced both a series of immediate steps to enhance security across the network and a new customer appreciation program to thank its customers for their patience and loyalty.

Following a criminal cyber-attack on the company’s data-center located in San Diego, California, U.S.A., SNEI quickly turned off the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services, engaged multiple expert information security firms over the course of several days and conducted an extensive audit of the system. Since then, the company has implemented a variety of new security measures to provide greater protection of personal information. SNEI and its third-party experts have conducted extensive tests to verify the security strength of the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services. With these measures in place, SCE and SNEI plan to start a phased rollout by region of the services shortly. The initial phase of the rollout will include, but is not limited to, the following:

• Restoration of Online game-play across the PlayStation®3 (PS3) and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) systems
  -This includes titles requiring online verification and downloaded games
• Access to Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity for PS3/PSP for existing subscribers
• Access to account management and password reset
• Access to download un-expired Movie Rentals on PS3, PSP and MediaGo
• PlayStation®Home
• Friends List
• Chat Functionality

Working closely with several outside security firms, the company has implemented significant security measures to further detect unauthorized activity and provide consumers with greater protection of their personal information. The company is also creating the position of Chief Information Security Officer, directly reporting to Shinji Hasejima, Chief Information Officer of Sony Corporation, to add a new position of expertise in and accountability for customer data protection and supplement existing information security personnel. The new security measures implemented include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Added automated software monitoring and configuration management to help defend against new attacks
• Enhanced levels of data protection and encryption
• Enhanced ability to detect software intrusions within the network, unauthorized access and unusual activity patterns
• Implementation of additional firewalls

The company also expedited an already planned move of the system to a new data center in a different location that has been under construction and development for several months. In addition, PS3 will have a forced system software update that will require all registered PlayStation Network users to change their account passwords before being able to sign into the service. As an added layer of security, that password can only be changed on the same PS3 in which that account was activated, or through validated email confirmation, a critical step to help further protect customer data.

The company is conducting a thorough and on-going investigation and working with law enforcement to track down and prosecute those responsible for the illegal intrusion.

“This criminal act against our network had a significant impact not only on our consumers, but our entire industry. These illegal attacks obviously highlight the widespread problem with cyber-security. We take the security of our consumers’ information very seriously and are committed to helping our consumers protect their personal data. In addition, the organization has worked around the clock to bring these services back online, and are doing so only after we had verified increased levels of security across our networks,” said Kazuo Hirai, Executive Deputy President, Sony Corporation. “Our global audience of PlayStation Network and Qriocity consumers was disrupted. We have learned lessons along the way about the valued relationship with our consumers, and to that end, we will be launching a customer appreciation program for registered consumers as a way of expressing our gratitude for their loyalty during this network downtime, as we work even harder to restore and regain their trust in us and our services.”

Complimentary Offering and “Welcome Back” Appreciation Program
While there is no evidence at this time that credit card data was taken, the company is committed to helping its customers protect their personal data and will provide a complimentary offering to assist users in enrolling in identity theft protection services and/or similar programs. The implementation will be at a local level and further details will be made available shortly in each region.

The company will also rollout the PlayStation Network and Qriocity “Welcome Back” program, to be offered worldwide, which will be tailored to specific markets to provide our consumers with a selection of service options and premium content as an expression of the company’s appreciation for their patience, support and continued loyalty.

Central components of the “Welcome Back” program will include:

• Each territory will be offering selected PlayStation entertainment content for free download. Specific details of this content will be announced in each region soon.
• All existing PlayStation Network customers will be provided with 30 days free membership in the PlayStation Plus premium service. Current members of PlayStation Plus will receive 30 days free service.
• Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity subscribers (in countries where the service is available) will receive 30 days free service.

Additional “Welcome Back” entertainment and service offerings will be rolled out over the coming weeks as the company returns the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services to the quality standard users have grown to enjoy and strive to exceed those exceptions.

SNEI will continue to reinforce and verify security for transactions before resuming the PlayStation®Store and other Qriocity operations, scheduled for this month.

For more information about the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services intrusion and restoration, please visit http://blog.us.playstation.com. or http://blog.eu.playstation.com/

About Sony Corporation
Sony Corporation is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, game, communications, key device and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. With its music, pictures, computer entertainment and on-line businesses, Sony is uniquely positioned to be the leading electronics and entertainment company in the world. Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of approximately $78 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2010. Sony Global Web Site: http://www.sony.net/

About Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Recognized as the global leader and company responsible for the progression of consumer-based computer entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) manufactures, distributes and markets the PlayStation® game console, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system and the PlayStation®3 (PS3®) system. PlayStation has revolutionized home entertainment by introducing advanced 3D graphic processing, and PlayStation 2 further enhances the PlayStation legacy as the core of home networked entertainment. PSP is a handheld entertainment system that allows users to enjoy 3D games, with high-quality full-motion video, and high-fidelity stereo audio. PS3 is an advanced computer system, incorporating the state-of-the-art Cell processor with super computer like power. SCEI, along with its subsidiary divisions Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd., and Sony Computer Entertainment Korea Inc. develops, publishes, markets and distributes software, and manages the third party licensing programs for these platforms in the respective markets worldwide. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, SCEI is an independent business unit of the Sony Group.

Thank you for your patience while we work to resolve the current outage of PlayStation Network & Qriocity services. We are currently working to send a similar message to the one below via email to all of our registered account holders regarding a compromise of personal information as a result of an illegal intrusion on our systems. These malicious actions have also had an impact on your ability to enjoy the services provided by PlayStation Network and Qriocity including online gaming and online access to music, movies, sports and TV shows. We have a clear path to have PlayStation Network and Qriocity systems back online, and expect to restore some services within a week.

We’re working day and night to ensure it is done as quickly as possible. We appreciate your patience and feedback.

Valued PlayStation Network/Qriocity Customer:
We have discovered that between April 17 and April 19, 2011, certain PlayStation Network and Qriocity service user account information was compromised in connection with an illegal and unauthorized intrusion into our network. In response to this intrusion, we have:

Temporarily turned off PlayStation Network and Qriocity services; Engaged an outside, recognized security firm to conduct a full and complete investigation into what happened; and Quickly taken steps to enhance security and strengthen our network infrastructure by re-building our system to provide you with greater protection of your personal information.

We greatly appreciate your patience, understanding and goodwill as we do whatever it takes to resolve these issues as quickly and efficiently as practicable.

Although we are still investigating the details of this incident, we believe that an unauthorized person has obtained the following information that you provided: name, address (city, state, zip), country, email address, birthdate, PlayStation Network/Qriocity password and login, and handle/PSN online ID. It is also possible that your profile data, including purchase history and billing address (city, state, zip), and your PlayStation Network/Qriocity password security answers may have been obtained. If you have authorized a sub-account for your dependent, the same data with respect to your dependent may have been obtained. While there is no evidence at this time that credit card data was taken, we cannot rule out the possibility. If you have provided your credit card data through PlayStation Network or Qriocity, out of an abundance of caution we are advising you that your credit card number (excluding security code) and expiration date may have been obtained.

For your security, we encourage you to be especially aware of email, telephone, and postal mail scams that ask for personal or sensitive information. Sony will not contact you in any way, including by email, asking for your credit card number, social security number or other personally identifiable information. If you are asked for this information, you can be confident Sony is not the entity asking. When the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services are fully restored, we strongly recommend that you log on and change your password. Additionally, if you use your PlayStation Network or Qriocity user name or password for other unrelated services or accounts, we strongly recommend that you change them, as well.

To protect against possible identity theft or other financial loss, we encourage you to remain vigilant, to review your account statements and to monitor your credit reports. We are providing the following information for those who wish to consider it:

U.S. residents are entitled under U.S. law to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit bureaus. To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll-free (877) 322-8228.

We have also provided names and contact information for the three major U.S. credit bureaus below. At no charge, U.S. residents can have these credit bureaus place a “fraud alert” on your file that alerts creditors to take additional steps to verify your identity prior to granting credit in your name. This service can make it more difficult for someone to get credit in your name. Note, however, that because it tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect you, it also may delay your ability to obtain credit while the agency verifies your identity. As soon as one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the others are notified to place fraud alerts on your file. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, or should you have any questions regarding your credit report, please contact any one of the agencies listed below.

Experian: 888-397-3742; www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013
Equifax: 800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
TransUnion: 800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790

You may wish to visit the web site of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission at www.consumer.gov/idtheft or reach the FTC at 1-877-382-4357 or 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580 for further information about how to protect yourself from identity theft. Your state Attorney General may also have advice on preventing identity theft, and you should report instances of known or suspected identity theft to law enforcement, your State Attorney General, and the FTC. For North Carolina residents, the Attorney General can be contacted at 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; telephone (877) 566-7226; or www.ncdoj.gov. For Maryland residents, the Attorney General can be contacted at 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; telephone: (888) 743-0023; or www.oag.state.md.us.

We thank you for your patience as we complete our investigation of this incident, and we regret any inconvenience. Our teams are working around the clock on this, and services will be restored as soon as possible. Sony takes information protection very seriously and will continue to work to ensure that additional measures are taken to protect personally identifiable information. Providing quality and secure entertainment services to our customers is our utmost priority. Please contact us at 1-800-345-7669 should you have any additional questions.

Sincerely,
Sony Computer Entertainment and Sony Network Entertainment

We sincerely regret that PlayStation Network and Qriocity services have been suspended, and we are working around the clock to bring them both back online. Our efforts to resolve this matter involve re-building our system to further strengthen our network infrastructure. Though this task is time-consuming, we decided it was worth the time necessary to provide the system with additional security.

We thank you for your patience to date and ask for a little more while we move towards completion of this project. We will continue to give you updates as they become available.

An external intrusion on our system has affected our PlayStation Network and Qriocity services. In order to conduct a thorough investigation and to verify the smooth and secure operation of our network services going forward, we turned off PlayStation Network & Qriocity services on the evening of Wednesday, April 20th. Providing quality entertainment services to our customers and partners is our utmost priority. We are doing all we can to resolve this situation quickly, and we once again thank you for your patience. We will continue to update you promptly as we have additional information to share.

Starting at 10AM Pacific Time today, the Killzone 3 Multiplayer Open Beta is live! Japan and Europe are already hard at frag and now it’s time for North America and Mexico to join the party! You’ll find the Killzone 3 Beta on the main page of the PlayStation Store; it’s also listed under the 3D and PlayStation Move categories for added convenience.

The Open Beta includes one map, Frozen Dam. All game modes can be played on this map:

• Warzone: The traditional Killzone game mode with game types changing on-the-fly
• Guerrilla Warfare: Our take on Team Deathmatch
• Operations: Our new story driven multiplayer game mode
• Botzone: An offline version of Warzone which can be played against AI opponents

The Killzone 3 Open Beta is playable in 3D and supports the PlayStation Move motion controller. The Beta trial runs until February 15th, so get on board while you can! If you have any feedback, Killzone.com has a section of the forum specifically set up for this purpose. You can of course track all your stats on Killzone.com as well.

Lastly, don’t forget that from Friday, February 4th through Sunday, February 6th we will be giving away 20 Limited Helghast Editions each day. Team members will log on to the Open Beta each of the three days to randomly select players in matches. We will not select players more than once during the sweepstakes and will notify the winners via the email address associated with their PSN account. Check here for official sweepstakes rules.

See you online!

Now that 2010 is drawing to close, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our fantastic community members, as well as all of our friends in the media who continue to support LittleBigPlanet. We’re now less than a month away from our January 18th release and I’m thrilled to report that LittleBigPlanet 2 has now ‘gone gold,’ meaning the game is 100% finished! The wait is nearly over and as you might imagine the folks at Media Molecule are extremely excited.

New Storyline Trailer!
I’m sure you’ve seen all of the videos for LittleBigPlanet 2 and enjoyed learning about all of the new gameplay elements in the game. Well, we have another great trailer for you, especially for those fans out there who fell in love with Sackboy’s adventure, the cast of characters, and the world of the first LittleBigPlanet. Check it out above.

First Review!
The next piece of good news is that LittleBigPlanet 2 reviews are starting to come in. Online reviews won’t be posted until after the new year, but print magazine impressions will trickle in over the next few weeks and that started this week with our first worldwide review from the UK’s Official PlayStation Magazine — an impressive 10 out of 10! Here are a few choice quotes…

“Full of simple-to-grasp tools, all with huge potential—and you could easily lose more time to LBP2 than any other game released in 2011.”

“Never going to build anything at all? This is still an indispensible package, rammed with creative potential and imaginative gameplay.”

Free Demo Today!
Don’t forget that the LittleBigPlanet 2 Story Mode Demo will be available on the PlayStation Store later today. Here’s your chance to experience a few of the new gameplay additions, like the Grapple Hook and Sackbots, and also meet some of the new characters who will be joining you on your epic Sack-quest.

Hi everyone,

I’m happy to let you know that we’ll offer our biggest PlayStation Plus publish to date coming up in December just in time for the Holidays! We will be giving more than $50 of content over the next two weeks, essentially paying for a full year’s subscription to PlayStation Plus, making December a great month to sign up.

Kicking things off on December 7 is the LittleBigPlanet spin-off PSN title, Sackboy Prehistoric Moves. This ten level downloadable games gives an early look at the PlayStation Move features that will be included in LittleBigPlanet 2. Best of all, PlayStation Plus subscribers get Sackboy Prehistoric Moves free AND a week before everyone else.

Earlier this year, European PlayStation Plus subscribers were given a full season download of Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, regularly priced at $34.99. We heard the feedback that US subscribers would like the same content and are happy to report that all five episodes will be available to US PlayStation Plus subscribers on December 14 as well.

Along with Sam & Max, we are discounting Marvel Super Hero Squad PSP for those PlayStation Plus subcribers that have a PSP. Gamers can take Blue Tongue’s humorous outlook on the Marvel universe for a spin. Marvel Super Hero Squad PSP will be available for 50% off starting December 14. These three games barely scratch the surface of the upcoming PlayStation Plus content publish, so be sure to check the full release list down below.

As always, here’s a friendly reminder to pick up the content that will be removed from PlayStation Plus, including free downloads of Shatter, DYNOGEMS, Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus, and a discount on Landit Bandit, Hustle Kings, Crash Bandicoot 2, and MAG DLC.

Finally, if you haven’t signed up yet, check out our offer giving new subscribers of a full year of PlayStation Plus an additional three months for free.

PlayStation Plus Highlights for 12/7:

Featured Games/DLC
Sackboy Prehistoric Moves (Free and early access to PlayStation Plus Subscribers, regular price $5.99)
Tron: Evolution: Black Guard Multiplayer Skin (Free and exclusive to PlayStation Plus Subscribers)

Featured Avatars
Hustle Kings Avatar Bundle (Free to PlayStation Plus Subscribers, regular price $1.49)

Featured Qore Episode
Qore December Episode 31 (Free to PlayStation Plus Subscribers, regular price $2.99)

PlayStation Plus Highlights for 12/14:

Full Game Trial
Prototype Full Game Trial (Free and exclusive to PlayStation Plus Subscribers)

Featured Games
Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse (Episodes 1-5) (Free to PlayStation Plus Subscribers, regular price $34.99)
Fieldrunners (Free to PlayStation Plus Subscribers, regular price $6.99)
Crash Tag Team Racing (Free to PlayStation Plus Subscribers, regular price $5.99)

Discounted Games
Marvel Super Hero Squad PSP (PlayStation Plus price $15.00, regular price $29.99)
Flow PSP (PlayStation Plus price $5.99, regular price $7.99)
Tomb Raider III PS One (PlayStation Plus price $3.00, regular price $5.99)
Galaxy Fight – PS One Import (PlayStation Plus price $3.00, regular price $5.99)

Featured Home Item
Burn Zombie Burn Home Item – Zombie Heads (Free and exclusive to PlayStation Plus Subscribers)

Last Chance, Get Them While You Can – Coming down on December 7:

Featured Offers to PlayStation Plus Subscribers
Qore November Episode 30

Last Chance, Get Them While You Can – Coming down on December 14:

Featured Offers to PlayStation Plus Subscribers
Shatter
Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus
DYNOGEMS – Minis

Discounted Games/DLC
Landit Bandit (50% off)
Hustle Kings (50% off)
Crash Bandicoot 2 (50% off)
MAG – Interdiction Mission Pack (50% off)