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PSN Store Update: MLB 14, God of War Collection, Sportsfriends
Good morning, sports friends, and welcome to this week's PSN rundown. Starting on PS4, there's baseball with MLB 14: The Show (eventually) at $60, followed by stickball in PS Plus game Stick it to the Man ($10 regular). Then, get ready for flameball in Bound by Flame ($50, and it hits retail later this week), spaceballs in Titan Attacks ($12 Cross-Buy with PS3 and Vita), and finally some good old-fashioned sportsball in Sportsfriends. The local multiplayer sportsfest is $15 Cross-Buy with PS3, but if you want the Cross-Buy feature you have to buy it on PS3. Moving onto PS3, in addition to Sportsfriends, Bound by Flame ($40) and Titan Attacks, there's Hakuoki: Stories of the Shinsengumi for $34 and the All-in DLC pack for F1 Race Stars ($8). Also, Plus members get Pro Evo 2014 as an Instant Game Collection freebie. Oh, and not forgetting Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, and that's confirmed as a PS2 Classic. The sportiness continues on Vita with Football Manager Classic 2014 ($40), and Mahjong Royal Towers & Mahjong World Contest Bundle ($8) - Majohong is a sport, right? Handheld owners can also grab Titan Attacks, God of War Collection ($30) and Broken Sword 5 ($17). In summary: Sports! And some other stuff. [Image: Die Gut Fabrik]
Kill gods on the go in Vita's new God of War Collection
For those days when you're going to be out of the house but still feel an undying thirst for bloody vengeance comes the God of War Collection, a Vita re-release of the original God of War and its sequel. Originally launched in 2009 for the PlayStation 3, the God of War Collection modernizes the first two God of War entries with improved, higher-definition graphics, a full complement of trophies and additional control options for the Vita's touchscreen quirks. Despite these additions, God of War Collection should still contain all of the key elements that made the original games such a hit: surly, bald dudes, copious arterial spray and a slanted take on Greek mythology that draws more inspiration from Heavy Metal magazine than Thomas Bulfinch. Though pre-orders initially listed God of War Collection at $40, the actual, final version of the game is now widely available from retailers (Amazon and GameStop being prime examples) at only $30. [Image: Sony]
Borderlands 2 hits Vita in spring, alongside slim Vita US launch
Borderlands 2 is coming to PS Vita in the spring, Sony head of hardware marketing John Koller announced at a PlayStation event in Santa Monica today. Vita's Borderlands 2 includes six bits of DLC, and it will allow four-player co-op and cross-play with access to save games from the PS3 version. The included DLC packs are Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty, Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage, the Psycho, the Mechromancer, Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack 1 and Collector's Edition Pack. The new, slimmer Vita will launch in North America this spring, bundled with Borderlands 2 and an 8GB memory card for $200. The remodeled Vita hit the UK on February 7 for £180 (just under $300), following its launch in Japan last year. This new Vita is 20 percent thinner, 15 percent lighter, has an LCD screen rather than OLED, 1GB memory and a micro USB slot. A God of War collection and a Sly Cooper collection are also on their way to Vita, courtesy of Sanzaru Games. The God of War bundle contains God of War 1 and 2, and is due out on May 6. The Sly Collection includes Sly Cooper and the Thievius Racconus, Sly 2: Band of Thieves and Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves, and launches on May 27. Borderlands 2 is 2K's highest-selling game ever, with more than 8.5 million units shipped. [Image: Sony]
Pre-orders open for God of War Collection on Vita
The God of War Collection for PlayStation Vita is now available to pre-order through GameStop. The pack includes remastered versions of Sony's first two PS2 games in the series with full trophy support. The listing does not indicate when the bundle will arrive, but it is priced at $39.99. Sony previously launched the God of War Collection on PS3 in November 2009 before packing the original games in with God of War 3, God of War: Chains of Olympus and God of War: Ghost of Sparta in the God of War Saga bundle for PS3 in August 2012. Those that own the former collection can already play the games on Vita thanks to a September 2012 update, which opened up remote play for the collection on the system.
Sale spotlight: God of War series, Mass Effect 2 on EU PSN this week
For the next week, PSN users across the pond can snag a slew of God of War stuff on the cheap, with PlayStation Plus members getting an additional 10 percent off everything. Dramatic discounts have been extended to the God of War Collection, each individual God of War game sans God of War 3, and even LittleBigPlanet DLC and the trilogy soundtrack. PlayStation Plus subscribers get an additional 10 percent off on all of that.This week also marks the debut of Mass Effect 3 as a free game for PlayStation Plus members in Europe, kicking off a month of pretty great freebies. To celebrate ME3's Instant Game Collection status, Sony is also discounting downloads of Mass Effect 2 by 30 percent for everyone – as with the God of War stuff, PlayStation Plus members take an additional 10 percent off.
Bluepoint Games offers insight into MGS, Ico, God of War remake process
At one point, God of War, Ico, and Metal Gear Solid games were all being made in the same location ... in Austin, Texas. Well, remade, anyway. Bluepoint Games, the company behind the God of War, Ico/Shadow of the Colossus, and Metal Gear Solid HD Collections, recently explained elements of its process to Edge. According to company president Andy O'Neil, Bluepoint reverse engineers the games, rather than collecting the original source files and recompiling. "The problem with source asset drops is that you don't know if it's the final shipped data," O'Neil said. "People will go and make last-minute changes." Of course, Bluepoint is careful to keep the games running as-is, even when that keeps bugs found in the original versions. Some bugs were fixed for the PAL Shadow of the Colossus update --- "But it was a deliberate decision: this can break the game," O'Neil explained. "But we won't change anything without talking to the original developers."
God of War 2's lost Atlantis level pulled from the abyss
When God of War 3 director Stig Asmussen recently revealed that "we cut less" from the PS3 game than from its PS2 predecessors, he wasn't kidding! As PlayStation Blog has unearthed, God of War 2 has the entire "lost" city of Atlantis buried in its design history. In the video after the break, level creator Jonathan Hawkins guides us through the blueprint. This was his first "big chance," recalls Hawkins, who says "knowing what i know now, it cracks me up how all out I went." He reckons three to four months were spent on the intricate Atlantis level before it was eventually scrapped as the game's story evolution went in a different direction. (Kratos does take care of unfinished Atlantis business in the new Ghost of Sparta PSP game.) "As a designer you have to have tough chops and, you know, roll with the punches," Hawkins warns with a chuckle about the unsentimental creative process. "I wish you guys could have played it."
PSN Tuesday: God of War bonanza
Kratos is committing bloody vengeance all over this week's PSN update. The God of War Collection is available for download on PS3 and God of War: Ghost of Sparta is ready for handheld brutality on PSP. If you're a PlayStation Plus member you also get a "full game trial" of God of War 1 and 2, which you can test drive for an hour apiece. Also, Trophies and game progress will roll over if you purchase the game after taking the blades out for a spin. While you're taking advantage of your membership, you should also check out the Vanquish trial. There's plenty of more stuff in this update, so head on past the break for all the details. Note: In addition to this week's update being really behind schedule, Sony is telling PSN users that, while all of the content is now live, it's not actually appearing in the PlayStation Store interface. You'll need to use the PS Store search function to find the new additions until the problem is addressed. Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
God of War Collection coming to PSN in November
Does the very thought of standing up, walking to your PlayStation 3 and inserting a Blu-ray disc incite utter, uncontrollable rage? In an effort to counter vengeful rampages against Sony's higher management, the publisher has announced a downloadable version of God of War Collection. Set to arrive on Tuesday, November 2, alongside God of War: Ghost of Sparta, the PlayStation Network compilation will feature the remastered God of War and God of War 2 -- both running in 720p native resolution at 60 frames per second -- but will not include any of the bonus content from the Blu-ray release. According to the European PlayStation Blog, the greek growl-a-thons will be sold separately for €18/£14 each, or as a bundle for €30/£24. That's quite a bit higher than the cost of the Blu-ray collection, and we hope the observation won't apply to the US price when it's announced. You have enough reasons to be angry as it is -- just look at how far away the remote control is today. %Gallery-75756%
GameStop offering God of War 3 for under $40
God of War 3 has already received a $10 cut to its regular price at Amazon and GameStop, but we'd surely anger the consumer gods by not mentioning that there's another $11.75 in discounts to be had. Gamerdeals.net points out that bargain warriors who enter the following codes when buying Kratos' conclusion from GameStop will receive a further price slashing. Enter promo codes at checkout: 10AUTO 15NEW SAVER The discount codes work on other titles beyond God of War 3. You could use them to pick up the God of War Collection and have the entire trilogy for about the same as what the latest adventure cost at launch.
10 games added to PS3 Greatest Hits lineup, Sony confirms
Looks like the Walmart ad we posted yesterday actually undersold the number of PS3 games that Sony will soon add to the $30 Greatest Hits collection. The following 10 titles will be decked in red and reduced in price in the U.S. and Canada within the next few weeks: inFAMOUS (Sony Computer Entertainment) God of War Collection (Sony Computer Entertainment) Killzone 2 (Sony Computer Entertainment) LittleBigPlanet Game of the Year (Sony Computer Entertainment) Resistance 2 (Sony Computer Entertainment) Dead Space (Electronic Arts) Fight Night Round 4 (EA Sports) Resident Evil 5 (Capcom) Soulcalibur IV (Namco Bandai Games) UFC 2009 Undisputed (THQ) That's a pretty good assortment of quality titles -- assuming, of course, that this isn't some kind of horribly distasteful April Fools' Day joke.
'God of War Trilogy' boxset announced for Europe
We don't know how one box (unless it belongs to Pandora) can contain this much rage, but the God of War Trilogy boxset will rip Europe asunder in April. If it wasn't obvious from the title, the package contains all three titles in the anger management epic. Releasing at the same time as the God of War Collection, which includes the original game and the first sequel in one box, the Trilogy will cost €89.99 (£64.99), while the Collection requires a sacrifice of €39.99 (£24.99). Kratos's Blu-ray battle against the gods begins: UK, Ireland, Germany and Austria: April 30, 2010 Australia and New Zealand: April 29, 2010 The remainder of PAL lands: April 28, 2010 We're currently following up with Sony America to find out if the Fates deem the States worthy of the trilogy set. Check out the full box after the break. Update: There is no announcement for the Trilogy set in the States. %Gallery-75756%
God of War Collection to release separately in Europe [update]
Since it hasn't been released there, we had assumed that the only shot our friends in the UK [Update: We've been told by SCEE that this is coming to all of Europe!] would have at the God of War Collection would be contained inside the monstrous "Ultimate Trilogy Edition." However, VG247 has relayed a quote from Sony, stating that "there are plans to release the GOW Collection separately" after all. It's uncertain just when those plans will come to fruition, but it counts as good news for people who don't want to lay out the cash for the limited edition box set ... or those who would prefer not to have a screaming visage of demonic horror on their mantles.
God of War Collection now $30 on Amazon
If you've held off on picking up God of War Collection, then know that Amazon has slashed the price to $30 for an unspecified amount of time. That's a tremendous deal for two of the best action-adventure games ever designed -- now with those very tight HD facelifts. Oh, and if it's been a while since you've played, and you're wondering how you'll get back into the swing of stabbing demons in the face, we've got your covered. [Via CAG]
Best of the Rest: Randy's Picks of 2009
Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes If I had my way ... well, a lot of things would be different. When it came to video games, I'd make sure that everyone -- whether they own a Nintendo DS or not -- had a chance to play Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes. Now, I know, Might and Magic? Isn't that some long-dead RPG franchise that's probably best left in the ground? Well, yes -- but Clash of Heroes is about as far from any of the other games in the series as you can get. At its core, it's a puzzle game -- a combat puzzle game -- developed by Capybara, the same team behind PSN's wonderful Critter Crunch. Take that game's core mechanic, add a load of clever new ones and build a story-driven experience around it and you have one of the finest (not to mention most addicting) DS games ever.
God of War 'Ultimate Trilogy Edition' coming to Europe
Dear Europe, We're really sorry you weren't able to get God of War Collection this year. But we wanted to let you know that it's not you, it's us. Yeah, you really wanted it, but we thought you would want EyePet instead! To make up for the delay, we're making you an Ultimate Trilogy Edition of God of War III. Not only will it include a fancy box and a copy of God of War III, but it will also include God of War Collection, so you can have all three games in one garish box. We're also throwing in an art book and postcards, along with a lot of digital extras that America is also receiving. Does this make you feel better, baby? Love, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
GameStop's Black Friday bundles are delectable
First off, we just want to apologize in advance if this post is the catalyst that forces you to wake up at 3 a.m. on Friday morning. Sincerely, we're sorry. But we just thought you'd want to know that GameStop will be offering some mighty tasty console bundles from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. on the day after Thanksgiving. For $300, you'll be able to pick up an Elite 360 with Pure, Lego Batman and your choice of Bakugan or Call of Duty 4, which is sort of like Sophie's Choice, if Sophie had to choose between eating delicious pie or a rusty folding chair. Those same three Benjamins will also net you a 120 GB PS3 Slim with LittleBigPlanet and the God of War collection. Now, keep in mind that our friend Cheapy D says you'll probably be just as well served getting Black Friday deals from an online retailer like Amazon. We know, we normally don't trust bald people either, but you don't have to wake up before the paperboy this way. We think the choice is pretty clear. .nounderline a { text-decoration: none; } Check out Joystiq's Black Friday Game Deals Hub or jump to a retailer guide below: Best Buy | GameStop | Kmart & Sears | Target | Toys"R"Us | Walmart For more Black Friday coverage, check out Black Friday Deals, Cyber Monday Sales, And other Black Friday 2009 stories today from Walletpop.com
God of War Collection players complain of freezing issues
Some folks over on the official PlayStation Forums allege to be having trouble playing God of War Collection. Several users are complaining that the game has been locking up on them, specifically after God of War's first cutscene and during the first mission. Most of the people who claim to be running into this freezing issue are running the game on 60GB launch PS3s, though a few PS3 Slim owners have also jumped into the threads to report the game is locking up on them, too. Additionally, commenters on PlayStation.Blog have reported the same problem and specifically implicate 60GB PS3s. While we didn't experience such issues playing the final game code on a debug PS3 unit, we've contacted Sony for comment on this report and will update as necessary. %Gallery-75756% [Thanks, Scott] Source - "God of War Collection Freezing Issues" [PlayStation.com Forums] Source - PlayStation.Blog comments
Reminder: This is how you play God of War
Just in case your God-killing skills have rusted since the end of God of War II on PS2, QA Tester Stephen Peterson has a few tricks up his sleeve. While this video from the PlayStation.Blog is meant to illustrate how to achieve the "15 Min Fight Scene' Trophy, it provides general hints that will be useful throughout Kratos' adventure. Pay attention to the weapons he chooses, and the magic he deploys. You'll see that with these tactics, a 500 hit combo goes from "ludicrous" to "entirely possible."Study this video like a textbook -- God of War Collection is only days away, and you won't want to miss out on two Platinum Trophies, right?
Inspect Kratos' HD facelift in God of War Collection
Sure, the upcoming God of War Collection is a lot more resolution-y than the original PS2 games, but does that produce a noticeably better-looking game? Bitmob tested the original God of War games on their backwards-compatible PS3 systems and took comparison shots of both. It's clear that the Blu-ray remastering is better than the PS2 original, even with the PS3 upscaler turned on.It certainly helps that the original source material was so good. Looking back at the first game has us impressed -- we'd forgotten how much muscle the last generation could flex.Source - Graphics Comparison (part one) God of War 1 vs. God of War CompilationSource - Graphics Comparison (part two) God of War 2 vs. God of War Compilation
