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Six more import PS1 games slated for PSN release
Publisher GungHo Online America continues its campaign to bring under-the-radar, import-only classics to North America, announcing that six more Japanese-language PSOne games will hit the PlayStation Network soon. The company's upcoming re-releases include the Recettear-like item shop RPG Dungeon Shoutenkai: Densetsu no Ken Hajimemashita, pinball game Dragon Beat Legend of Pinball, terrain-shaping planetary simulation Neo Planet, oddball rock-paper-scissors action-RPG Tokyo 23ku Seifuku-Wars and idol-raising strategy games Heroine Dream and Heroine Dream 2. GungHo hopes to "bring over as many PSOne Classics as possible," and previously spearheaded North American releases for games like Zanac X Zanac and Makeruna Makendo 2. GungHo's PSOne import games are priced at $5.99 apiece. [Image: GungHo]
Watch some footage of the canceled Bonk game
Bonk, Hudson Software's headstrong caveman that made his gaming debut on the TurboGrafx-16, was set to make a Stateside comeback in Bonk: Brink of Extinction on WiiWare, PSN and XBLA. Unfortunately, Hudson Software shut down before the game was released, leaving Brink of Extinction in an uncompleted state. Judging by a trio of videos posted by YouTube user "Bonk Brink" though, who appears to be running the game on a PS3 development kit, a decent amount of progress was made on Brink of Extinction before Hudson closed up shop. One of the three videos gives a brief overview of apparent features planned for the title, including online play, downloadable content, a Horde mode and a secondary "Dactyl" story, which follows Bonk retrieving his dinner from a thieving pterodactyl. The other videos are more focused on pure gameplay, one of which is embedded above. Amassing points from collectible vegetables, head butting enemies out of this plane of existence ... yup, looks like Bonk! [Image: YouTube user Bonk Brink]
MLB 14: The Show misses first pitch on PSN for PS4 [Update: Resolved]
MLB 14: The Show was expected to be available on PSN as a day-one digital download for PS4 this morning at 12:01 a.m. Eastern. Those that pre-ordered the game have not been able to download it at all however, as indicated by a 70-page PlayStation Forums support thread. Sony San Diego acknowledged the issue via Twitter, noting it is "aware that some users are unable to download the PS4 game from the PS Store. We're working with the PS Store team to resolve asap." This is the series' first crack at the next-gen console following MLB 14's launch on PS3 and Vita at the beginning of April. "Thanks for your patience, we won't rest until you guys are playing," the developer added in another tweet. We've reached out to Sony for more information on the issue and a timetable for its resolution, and will update as we learn more. [Thanks to everyone that sent this in!] Update: Sony added a note to its launch announcement post on the PlayStation Blog, which reads: "Due to unforeseen technical issues, MLB 14 The Show for PS4 is not currently available for download via the PlayStation Store. All parties are working as quickly as possible to remedy the issue. We'll update this post as soon as a resolution is reached. Thank you for your continued patience." Update #2: In another update, Sony says the "PlayStation Store download issue regarding MLB 14 The Show on PS4 has been resolved. We apologize for any frustration this caused, and thank the community for its patience and understanding." [Image: Sony]
Take a free shot at Call of Duty: Ghosts multiplayer this weekend
Those of you scratching your heads in bewilderment as to why so many people buy each new installment of Activision's Call of Duty will have a chance to get in on the action themselves at the always attractive price of "free." From May 2 until May 5, both the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 will play host to a Call of Duty: Ghosts multiplayer demo. Once the demo has been pulled down from the PlayStation Network, players will be granted access to three of the game's multiplayer maps as well as three gameplay modes, ranging from the typical Team Deathmatch to the objective-based Search And Rescue. Finally, the demo offers players a gratis opportunity to play the first episode of the Extinction co-operative game type, where soldiers battle waves of invading aliens in a small Colorado town. Luckily, that state shouldn't have any issues with the game's new-found affection for the devil's weed. [Image: Activision]
PlayStation Network hosts a store-wide Easter sale in Europe
Sony kicked off a PlayStation Network Easter sale in Europe today, dropping the prices of dozens of featured games -- including Retro City Rampage, Hotline Miami, and Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate -- for a limited time. Starting today, PlayStation 3 owners in Europe can pick up digital versions of Battlefield 4 for €29.99, The Jak and Daxter Trilogy for €19.99, and the recently updated PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale for €9.99. PlayStation Vita fans can grab cheap copies of The Walking Dead, TxK, Terraria, Spelunky, Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition and many more sale-eligible games throughout the month. Sony's Europe-exclusive Easter Sale ends April 30. [Image: Sony]
Report: PlayStation 4 survey proposes player reputation system
A recently-issued user survey indicates that Sony may institute a player reputation system on the PlayStation 4 in a future update, IGN reports. The system would assign users reputation ratings based on feedback from fellow players. The survey also mentions an improved matchmaking system, which would likely take reputation into consideration when pairing players with teammates and opponents. Sony's proposed additions resemble Microsoft's recently announced plans to expand its own reputation system on the Xbox One. Microsoft plans to "introduce rewards for good behavior" while punishing problematic users by restricting Xbox Live functionality in a forthcoming system update. [Image: Sony / IGN]
Persona 4 rated for PlayStation 3 by ESRB
A content rating for an unannounced PlayStation 3 version of Atlus' PS2 JRPG Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 has appeared on the ESRB's website, hinting at a future re-release via the PlayStation Network. A PlayStation 2 Classics version of Persona 4 would complete the series on the PlayStation Network, joining downloadable PSOne versions of Persona and Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, the PlayStation 2 game Persona 3 FES, and PSP remakes of Persona, Persona 2: Innocent Sin, and Persona 3. Persona 4 previously saw an expanded re-release on the PlayStation Vita in 2012. Atlus announced that a quartet of new series entries -- Persona 5, Persona 4: Dancing All Night, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, and Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth -- will hit consoles and portable platforms throughout 2014 and 2015. [Image: Atlus]
Minecraft PS3 update adds blocky skins from Uncharted, Heavy Rain, more
When the PlayStation Network is next updated, those playing Minecraft on the PlayStation 3 will find two new skin packs available for purchase. One features koalas and cavemen, while the other focuses on the most famous faces of the PlayStation 3. According to the PlayStation.blog, the Battle And Beasts skin pack will allow players to dress as koala bears, cavemen, an ocotopus or a particularly angular Cleopatra. The other pack, simply titled "Skin Pack 1", is aimed at "hardcore PlayStation fans" and features Minecraft versions of Uncharted lead Nathan Drake, larcenous raccoon Sly Cooper, "folks from Heavy Rain" and "some Killzone dudes." We'd like to be more specific on who exactly will be representing Heavy Rain and Killzone, but neither Sony nor Minecraft creator Mojang offer further clarification. Likewise lacking from the announcement are the price points that will be attached to those two DLC skin packs, though territorial Sony devotees will be pleased to hear that Skin Pack 1 is exclusive to the PlayStation 3 incarnation of Minecraft. [Image: Mojang]
Jet Car Stunts flipping onto PSN, XBLA, PC this summer
Driving through the streets of Jet Car Stunts must be pretty stressful - there are chasm-like gaps leading to the blue abyss below, and there aren't even guide rails lining the edges of its loops! Then there's the clean, simplistic geometry and levitating rings, which are kind of pretty until you've crashed into them a dozen times. PS4, PS3, Vita, Xbox 360 and Steam's PC users can witness Jet Car Stunts' hazards firsthand when it lands on the platforms in Q2 2014. The tricky racer will have 36 tracks across three different modes, including a Puzzle Mode. While the press release doesn't specify what the other two play styles will be, the mobile counterpart includes Performing, Time Trial and Tutorial modes, so Jet Car Stunts' port may pull from that pool. [Image: Grip Digital]
PlayStation Network gets original TV with superpowered crime drama
Microsoft and Xbox won't be the only producers of original television content aimed at console owners this generation. Variety reports that Sony Pictures Television will be producing an original series called "Powers," which will air via the PlayStation Network. Powers will be an adaptation of a long-running comic of the same name, written by Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy) and illustrated by Michael Avon Oeming (Judge Dredd, Catwoman). The comic mixes crime drama and superhero fantasy, sort of like Law & Order, if Jack McCoy was prosecuting Magneto. Bendis and Oeming will also serve as producers for the show, which currently has 10 episodes in the works. No release date was given for Powers. [Image: Sony]
PlayStation Network's first original TV show is an adaptation of the 'Powers' comics
Sony executives have revealed the company's first entry into original content for the PlayStation, a TV show based on the Powers series of comics. Sony Pictures Television is producing the show, made up of ten one-hour episodes focusing on a detective who investigates cases involving people with superhuman abilities. Sony's push for original PlayStation Network-exclusive video content is moving forward alongside its planned internet TV service, and will have competition from Xbox that includes a Steven Spielberg-produced series based on the Halo games. So far, Sony hasn't said if there will be an extra charge to watch the show or if it will be included with the PlayStation Plus package somehow, but its PSN exclusivity only applies in the US -- internationally Sony Pictures will license it to networks just like Breaking Bad or Justified. The Hollywood Reporter mentions Powers has been under development for FX since 2011 when a pilot starring Jason Patric wasn't picked up, and attempts at adapting the source material for TV or movies have been under way for more than a decade. Unlike Microsoft's Halo project, we know some of the names attached to this show, at least behind the camera. Writer Charlie Huston has been working on the project with series creator Brian Michael Bendis and producers include several names attached to the Circle of Confusion company along with Bendis and co-creator Michael Avon Oeming. In previous videogame generations console exclusives consisted of games and occasionally services, but it looks like Sony and Microsoft's next battleground is the one already occupied by internet video streamers like Netflix, Amazon and Hulu.
Cel Damage HD coming to PlayStation 4, PS3, Vita in spring
Man, how long has it been since you've thought about Cel Damage? Released as a launch title for the original Xbox in 2001, Cel Damage didn't quite rank in the same league as Halo or Project Gotham, and likely resides in the hazy regions of your brain devoted to remembering games like Mad Dash Racing and Fuzion Frenzy. Toronto-based developer Finish Line Games bets that a number of players have fond memories of trading blows in the classic car-combat game in between Halo matches, announcing that Cel Damage HD is due for release on the PlayStation 4, PS3, and PS Vita. Cel Damage HD brings its cartoonish brand of cel-shaded, Twisted Metal-like vehicular mayhem to Sony's current crop of consoles with 13 levels and six playable characters. Online multiplayer hasn't been confirmed, but is a likely addition. Cel Damage HD will be available as a Cross-Buy release when it hits the PlayStation Network this spring. [Image: Finish Line Games]
Sony's Back to 2013 Sale brings price drops for Ni no Kuni, WWE 2K14
It's been almost two whole months since we bid farewell to 2013, but it's so hard to let go of the good times. Sony takes a nostalgic look back at the year we left behind with an upcoming round of PlayStation Network price drops on some of 2013's notable digital releases. Sony's Back to 2013 Sale has a lot to offer for RPG fans, with Tales of Xillia available for $19.99 ($14.99 for Plus members), Dragon's Crown up for $24.99 ($17.49 for Plus), and Ni no Kuni dropped to $9.99 ($6.99 for Plus) -- its lowest digital price to date. Atlus' classic PSone RPG Persona 2: Eternal Punishment is also on sale this week for $4.99, or $3.49 for Plus subscribers. Other noteworthy drops include Diablo 3 for $39.99 ($34.99 Plus), Rayman Legends for $41.99 ($29.39 Plus), and WWE 2K14 for $39.99 ($29.99 Plus). Sale prices start tomorrow, and last through next Monday. [Image: Sony]
Indie fighter Skullsgirls Encore re-debuts on PSN come February 11
Having finally sorted its issues with original Skullgirls publisher Konami, developer Lab Zero Games has revealed the date the game will return to the PlayStation Network: February 11. Instead of simply re-releasing the fighter, Lab Zero is offering players an upgraded version of the game dubbed Skullgirls Encore. While very similar to its predecessor, Skullgirls Encore technically qualifies as an entirely new game. As a result, none of the DLC released to date for the original Skullgirls will be compatible with Encore, according to Lab Zero Games. To offset this inconvenience, Skullgirls Encore brings a host of gameplay tweaks as well as a new character, a meek opera singer named Squigly who attacks foes via an erudite, dragon-like parasite. Further, Lab Zero is offering Skullgirls Encore at no charge to those who previously purchased the original incarnation of Skullgirls on PSN. So far there is no word on when Skullgirls Encore will see an Xbox Live Marketplace release, but Lab Zero has issued two trailers for the fighter. You'll find a launch trailer above, while below the break lies footage focused on newcomer Squigly. [Image: Lab Zero Games]
PS4 strategy game Basement Crawl delayed until later in Q1 2014
Indie developer Bloober Team has announced that PlayStation 4-exclusive strategy-action game Basement Crawl will not be released this week as originally planned. This marks the second major delay for Basement Crawl, a game first announced as a PS4 launch release. "While the completed version of Basement Crawl was prepped for launch during the last week, several exciting opportunities to partner with major industry players to enhance, refine and add to the game arose," stated Bloober Team CEO Piotr Babieno in an announcement this morning. "Although a difficult decision, we decided that the best choice for us, as a team, was to delay Basement Crawl so that we could take full advantage of these opportunities." Babieno makes no mention of what these opportunities might be, nor does he offer a new release date for Basement Crawl. Intriguingly, he does say that these opportunities will help "grow and improve the game while still providing an amazingly fun multiplayer experience for PS4 owners." Despite whatever changes Basement Crawl may see, Bloober Team still plans to release the game to the PlayStation Network during the first quarter of 2014.
Minecraft sales exceed 1 million in first month on PS3
After a month of generating new lands for PS3 users to explore, Minecraft has sold one million copies on the PlayStation Network. Mojang's David Kaplan shared the news on Mojang's blog, proving that there are actually still people on this Earth that have yet to buy the build-what-you-want adventure game. Kaplan noted that the Mojang team is grateful for the support and hopeful that fans are receptive of future updates. As a sales recap, 11 million units of the PC version were sold by last June, and the Xbox 360 version has creeped out another 10 million players with the unsettling hiss of Creepers. Wii U sales are just a bit lower in comparison, as Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson noted in December that there are "no current plans" to reach the console.
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Marvel Super Hero Squad: Infinity Gauntlet unavailable on XBLA, PSN
Marvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity Gauntlet's band of superheroes can no longer assemble on the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network. The game's PSN listing now notes that the game is available in a "disc only" format, while the XBLA listing doesn't offer a price or way to purchase the game. Revealed in 2010 as a sequel to Marvel Super Hero Squad, Infinity Gauntlet's cast brawled their way through hordes of Lethal Legion followers in a plot related to the second season of a Cartoon Network series. Infinity Gauntlet's digital unavailability follows the disappearance of several Marvel-branded games earlier this month, as well as Capcom's pulling of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 in December. It's possible that Disney's acquisition of Marvel in 2009 is resulting in lapsed licensing agreements, but no explanation has been given as to why these games have been removed from console storefronts. In contrast, the more recent LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is still available in both stores. Of course, you can still hunt down retail copies of any Marvel games you were still considering purchasing. Considering warnings for some of these delistings were scattered across social media accounts, retail copies might be the easiest option to keep track of anyway.
Minecraft, Battlefield 4, Terraria top December's PSN sales charts
Sony has listed the top-selling PlayStation Network games across all of its platforms in December, outlining the most popular digital releases in the month following the PlayStation 4's launch. EA DICE's Battlefield 4 ranks in as PSN's biggest-selling PlayStation 4 game in December, while Call of Duty: Ghosts emerged as the platform's most popular digital upgrade. Minecraft: PlayStation 3 Edition rose to the top of the PS3's charts in its debut month, meanwhile, beating out the first episode of The Walking Dead's second season and Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto 5. 505 Games' Terraria led PS Vita software sales last month, as Media Molecule's Tearaway and Drinkbox Studios' Guacamelee! trailed close behind at second and third place. The full platform-specific sales charts are available at the PlayStation Blog.
PSN Tuesday: Don't Starve, Tiny Brains on PS3, free DmC
This week's PlayStation Store additions are marked by Klei Entertainment's Don't Starve, which is now available on PS4. The roguelike survival game from the makers of Mark of the Ninja is $14.99, but also happens to be one of two games that are free for PlayStation Plus members starting this week. The other PS Plus freebie is DmC: Devil May Cry for PS3. Two games joined DmC on the PS3's digital storefront this week: Tiny Brains ($19.99) and Twisted Lands: Shadow Town ($11.99). Tiny Brains already launched on PS4, and the game is Cross-Buy-compatible for those with multiple Sony consoles in their household. StreetKix: Freestyle is also available on PSP for $11.99, discounted to $10.79 for PS Plus members. Among PSN's new add-ons is the Illustrious Pirates Pack for both PS3 and PS4 versions of Assassin's Creed 4, which is $9.99 and free for season pass holders. This week also saw a handful of permanent pricing changes on PSN, including Saints Row 4 ($39.99), Need for Speed: Most Wanted ($19.99), Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 ($39.99) and the Artorias of the Abyss DLC for Dark Souls ($9.99).
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, MVC2 to leave XBLA/PSN, DLC on sale
If you were thinking about taking Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3's DLC for a ride, you might want to decide already - a Capcom Unity post announced a DLC sale and encouraged fans to snatch up content for the crossover fighter, which will be "leaving the PSN and XBLA stores." The post calls for players to pick up UMVC3 and Marvel vs Capcom 2 "before they go away," but the next sentence calls out MVC3 as the game which will depart with its younger, Ultimate brother. With the standard version of MVC3 unavailable on either store however, we're pretty sure that's a typo and that the announcement is related to MVC2. While the entry asks readers to "stay tuned" for sales info concerning XBLA, PSN users can perform a 50 percent off combo on the DLC of their choosing for UMVC3 content. December 17 will be the final day the DLC is available in the US, with the European PSN offering the sale until December 19. While sales for XBLA have yet to be specified, the post does list December 26 as a global final call for DLC for Xbox owners. The games themselves have remained at full price on Xbox Live - UMVC3 is $29.99, while MVC2 is $14.99. PSN users can currently purchase MVC2 at $7.49, or for $3.75 with PlayStation Plus.
