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PSN Store Update: Digital Pros and CoDs
We're knee-deep in silly season, so it was already a stuffed-enough PlayStation Store update. Factor in that we've just had the first Tuesday of November and therefore the PlayStation Plus slew of games, well, we've got a fair bit to get through here. First off, there are the retail releases that get their downloadable accompaniments. That's MotoGP 14 (PS4 $60, PS3 $40 and Vita $30), The Wolf Among Us ($25 on PS4 and Vita), the standalone Toy Box download for Disney Infinity 2.0 ($20 on PS4 and PS3 for a limited time, regular price $30), Rocksmith 2014 ($60 on PS4), and finally the small matter of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare ($60 on PS4 and PS3.) If you've got $100 to burn, you qualify to be a Digital Pro thanks to CoD: Advanced Warfare - Digital Pro Edition. Earning this prestigious title comes with the added benefits of the season pass, a bonus multiplayer map and other in-game goodies.
PS Plus in November: Binding of Isaac, SteamWorld Dig
November brings PS4 owners a final tide of big 2014 releases like Assassin't Creed Unity and Little Big Planet 3, but it also brings PS Plus subscribers some slick downloadables like the long-percolating Binding of Isaac: Rebirth. Sitting alongside Isaac on PS4 is Image & Form's SteamWorld Dig: A Fistful of Dirt. While you spend an inordinate amount of time underground in both games, Isaac has you exploring adorably grotesque, randomly-generated dungeons while SteamWorld has you digging through an interconnected, sprawling cave system under an Old West town. PlayStation 3 owners get a hearty selection of games as well. Luftrausers, Vlambeer's minimalist dogfighting escapade, joins strategy shooter Frozen Synapse Prime on Sony's elder statesman console. PS Vita owners can pick up The Hungry Horde as well as the tricky, creepy launch game Escape Plan. Lucky for them, Luftrausers, Rebirth, and SteamWorld are all Cross Buy on the platform as well. Vita owners with PS Plus are going to have a busy Thanksgiving. [Images: Nicalis]
Vita looking for someone to share in Europe's Adventure bundles
Did you follow the Adventure Line all the way to the end, Stanley? Did you? Because if you had, we wouldn't be stuck here telling you about the new Vita Adventure Mega Pack that's coming to Europe this fall, now would we? You silly goose. Anyway, it bundles in voucher codes for five games including Uncharted: Golden Abyss, TxK, Tearway, Gravity Rush and Escape Plan. It also chucks in a 8GB memory card for good measure, and wraps up the lot in a 40 euro bow - that's normally the cost of a single new Vita game, Stanley. There's a new 200 euro Vita bundle that includes the handheld too. So onwards, Stanley! To destiny! [Image: Sony]
Flower, flOw, Sound Shapes, Escape Plan coming to PlayStation 4 in November
Sony announced today that upgraded PlayStation 4 versions of Flower, flOw, Sound Shapes, and Escape Plan will hit the PlayStation Network shortly after the console launches at retail next month. The PlayStation 4 version of thatgamecompany's Flower will run at 60 frames-per-second and in 1080p when it premieres alongside an updated version of Queasy Games' rhythm-platformer Sound Shapes on November 15. On November 29, Sony will launch PS4 ports of thatgamecompany's flOw and Fun Bits Interactive's PS Vita puzzler Escape Plan, both of which feature reworked controls optimized for the DualShock 4. All four games are Cross-Buy titles, and will be available as free downloads for players who purchased previously-released editions for the PlayStation 3 or PS Vita. Sony additionally revealed that the PS Vita version of Flower will feature Cross-Buy support when it hits PSN on November 15.
PSA: Escape Plan Director's Cut DLC flees onto PS Store
Fun Bits Interactive keeps churning out downloadable content for Escape Plan, with another pack for the Vita game now available on the PlayStation Store. The 'Director's Cut' DLC promises 21 levels of the "most devious and evil tricks" for the puzzle game to date, including something called the "Slap-a-ma-tron 9001" which because of its name by default is brilliant. It's priced at $4.99 - sadly there isn't another 25c promotional offer this time around.Free for all, though, is the 1.04 patch. It brings with it poke controls to, via an easy button press, stop characters from marching to their gruesome demises. There are also four new costumes to clad the long-suffering Lil and Laarg in.
Escape Plan visits the Underground in new DLC
Vita puzzle platformer Escape Plan will get some new DLC this week. Entitled "Underground," the DLC adds 21 new levels and a pair of costumes for Lil and Laarg, namely the "Tourist" and "Furry" costumes, which are unlocked after completing the DLC. For the first two weeks of availability, Underground will be offered at $1.99. Come August 14, the price will go up to $4.99.Also coming this week is patch 1.03, which makes several tweaks to the game based on user feedback. In addition, the patch adds two free costumes, Flower Power and the oddly adorable bee costume seen above.
Scrape up some Escape Plan DLC for 25 cents on PSN
Escape Plan's most recent DLC pack, The Asylum, is $0.25 right now and for two more weeks on PSN. That's just one quarter or five nickels or one piece of one dollar bill ripped into four equal strips.Today Patch 1.02 for Escape Plan goes live, PS Plus members get five free avatars, and the game demo is available for PS Vita users, on top of that DLC sale we mentioned up there. The Asylum introduces 18 new levels, seven new challenge modes and four trophies, with a story picking up where the primary game ends.On June 26, The Asylum will revert to its natural state at $5 on the PSN store.
European Vita PS Store offering rotating game sales through July
The PlayStation Store for Vita in Europe will offer a rotating selection of discounted games from June 13 through July 4. The first week's offering will be digital-only titles, followed by digital versions of retail releases and, finally, retail and PSP/mini Vita compatible games.The first batch listed on the EU PlayStation Blog includes Escape Plan, Motorstorm RC, Hustle Kings, Super Stardust Delta and more. There is currently no announcement for a similar promotion in North America.
I Am Alive tops April 2012 PSN downloads; Escape Plan still atop PS Vita list
The full PlayStation downloads list for April – as opposed to the sneak peek we got thanks to Pulse earlier this month, where the list is not segregated by platform – has been released and Ubisoft's I Am Alive was indeed the top download. On the PS3 and PSN list, thatgamecompany's Journey followed Ubisoft's long-awaited title. Reverge Labs' debut Skullgirls managed to snag the third spot.On the PS Vita side, Escape Plan continued to dominate – no surprise since there's not much else for the PS Vita right now, though that changes today. Modern Warfare 3's Content Collection #1 drop on PSN also did well, topping out the PS3 add-on category. Finally, Final Fantasy VII was the top PSOne Classic, but then again you already knew that because it's always Final Fantasy VII.
I Am Alive tops April PSN downloads, just one Vita game charts
Ubisoft's post-apocalypse third-person-survivor I Am Alive apparently struck a chord with PlayStation 3 owners last month, topping the PlayStation Network's download charts for April 2012, even edging out March's big PSN release, Journey.The Walking Dead's game adaptation from Telltale managed more than a shambling start as well, taking up two spots on the top 10 with the season pass and first episode in third and fifth place, respectively. Just one Vita title landed on the list, Escape Plan, in the number 10 spot. All of this information – and more! – can be found in the latest PlayStation "Pulse" video, which we've dropped just below the break.
Escape Plan locks up some free DLC April 10
Some free downloadable content is headed to Escape Plan later this month. Entitled "Bakuki's Lair," the DLC is a prequel to Escape Plan and sees protagonists Lil and Laarg trying to exit a (presumably evil) sausage factory.Bakuki's Lair comes bundled with the Escape Plan Patch 1.01, which also includes improvements to the overall game. The patch features "a host of tweaks and improvements based on player feedback." It sounds like it should address some of our complaints, specifically promising "more pin-point accuracy on tap blocks." Patch 1.01 and Bakuki's Lair will land on PSN April 10.
The Simpsons, Escape Plan top February PSN downloads
The Simpsons Arcade Game took the top spot in the list of downloaded PSN and PS3 games for the month of February, though there is no mention of whether free PlayStation Plus downloads are considered. [Update: Sony has confirmed that PlayStation Plus downloads were not factored into this list -- this list is all sales.] Following The Simpsons is Gotham City Impostors and House of the Dead 3, according to the PlayStation Blog.With the launch of the PS Vita last month, Sony is now ranking downloads for that platform in its own specific, monthly list. Escape Plan was the most downloaded Vita game for the month, followed by 3G freebie Super Stardust Delta and Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack.Hit up the PlayStation Blog for the full list.
One post for three very different Vita launch trailers
The Vita supports a cornucopia of differing games, developers and play styles, and today we bring you the launch trailers for just three of the bunch: Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen, Touch My Katamari and Escape Plan.One of these is a serious sword-based fighter, one a showcase of Vita's black and white capabilities and the other an awkward, slightly dirty rainbow event. We'll let you figure out which is which.
Escape Plan review: Shades of grey
Escape Plan makes a far better showcase for the PlayStation Vita's control methods than, say, Little Deviants. It makes logical use of the front and rear touchpads and the accelerometer, as you prod, swipe, tilt, and otherwise cajole two characters out of a series of deadly traps.Interacting with Lil and Laarg shows exactly what the capabilities of the Vita's alternate control methods are, but unfortunately throws their limitations into sharp contrast as well.%Gallery-148156%
PSN Tuesday: Escape Plan, House of the Dead 3, The Simpsons Arcade
Naturally, a large part of this week's PSN content dump is devoted to the launch of the PlayStation Vita -- Escape Plan, Hustle Kings, and Super Stardust Delta are all available for download, the latter being the revealed free 3G game. For launch game reviews and pertinent PS Vita information, check out Joystiq's convenient launch guide.PSN Plus subscribers get the aforementioned free copies of The Simpsons Arcade Game and Far Cry 2, while PS3 users looking to pay for something to download have House of the Dead 3, Worms Ultimate Mayhem and Inferno Pool to choose from. You can check out the full list of this week's content over on the PlayStation Blog.
PlayStation Vita's 25-game North American launch lineup, pricing laid bare
When PlayStation Vita arrives in North America on February 22, 2012, it's bringing the cavalry. More specifically, 25 games will launch alongside the console in late February, with another 10 filling out the "launch window" from both Sony internal and third party studios. Sony says the games will range in price from $9.99 to $49.99, though the company isn't pinning specific prices to any of the titles. Interestingly, several titles are listed as "PSN Only," including Escape Plan, Plants vs. Zombies, and Hustle Kings - we've reached out to Sony for clarification on how that will affect pricing. The full list is available after the break, as well as an enormous list of accessories that you'll be able to pick up on or near launch.
Get in touch with Vita launch titles with ten new trailers
Sony sent out a bunch of trailers for first-party launch Vita games, focusing on the Vita-specific features each game uses. The good news: we see clever combinations of controls here, like Escape Plan's "pinch" of both the front and back touch panels. And Gravity Rush looks really neat regardless of how it's controlled. The bad news: we're not nearly mature enough to see ten references to "front touch" and "rear touch" without giggling. If that's how Sony is going to refer to those features permanently, we're going to have a problem at press events.
TGS Vita screen 'splosion: Escape Plan, LittleBigPlanet, Dark Quest, Legion of Hell
We don't know if you realized, but Tokyo Game Show is actually conducted entirely in stop motion, through a series of giant screencap cutouts and mulitcolored strobe lights. Really, it is. No, really. OK, fine. It isn't. We do, however, have a ton of screenshots from TGS, including the following batches of Vita games: Escape Plan, LittleBigPlanet, Dungeon Hunter Alliance (Dark Quest in Japanese) and a new title from Square Enix, Legion of Hell (make sure your speakers are turned up all the way for that website). Switch on your strobes and let the show begin below: LittleBigPlanet %Gallery-134126%
Fun Bits explains Escape Plan controls and the vocabulary of Vita
You might think it's a privilege to be among the first to develop for a new platform, and you'd be right. You're getting to play with a new toy, plus there's plenty of extra publicity being a launch title. You get to play pioneer for a couple of years! But, as Escape Plan developer Fun Bits will attest, being the first on a new console also means pressure. Sure, there was the usual "How do we exploit this tech to get the best graphics?" but, on the PlayStation Vita, there's was a whole new challenge: "What are we supposed to do with all these inputs?" %Gallery-130793%
Escape Plan preview: More than a touch of disappointment
[Ed. note: Fun Bits address some of our issues with controls, as you can see in this interview.] Can I tell you how excited I was to check out Escape Plan? 'Cause I was, like, really excited. It had potential game of the show written all over it, with its black-and-white aesthetic, quirky main characters, and bold showcasing of the PlayStation Vita's many control inputs. And after sitting through a presentation at Gamescom, I was promised hands-on the next day. Ooh, goody! My excitement, however, was immediately rattled after putting just one finger on the game. I was trying to wake up Lil, the thinner of the game's main two characters and introductory plaything, but pushing on the screen to wake her initially didn't do much. After mashing my finger repeatedly against the Vita's touchscreen, Lil finally woke up. Unfortunately, this was just the beginning of my problems.%Gallery-130793%
