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Uncharted 3 single-player listed as free for everyone on US PSN [update: gone!]
The single-player campaign from Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception has been a PS Plus freebie in the past, but today it's showing up on United States' PSN as free for all users. We've reached out but are yet to verify with Sony if this is correct or some admin mistake. So, just consider this your heads-up with a grain of salt until we find out. Developer Naughty Dog did make the multiplayer side free-to-play just over a year ago, but single-player going free for all would be something else. E3 is just around the corner, so who knows what the Californian studio has up its sleeve? Update: Ladies and gentlemen, Nathan Drake has left the building. Sony has removed Uncharted 3's single-player from the PlayStation Store, so we're guessing - just maybe - it was a goof all along.
'Hunger' could add a touch of the surreal to PS4
Newly unveiled surrealistic action-adventure Hunger may be coming to the PlayStation 4 as a downloadable release. CEO Ola Holmdahl told Joystiq that "Tarsier is currently imagining Hunger as a PSN game for PS4." Hunger stars a young girl called Six who is kidnapped and forced to work at an underwater retreat called The Maw, which exists to serve the rich and powerful. The game centers on Six's journey through The Maw as she attempts to win back her freedom, and while on her adventures Tarsier says she'll catch "a glimpse at the corrupt heart of modern happiness." Clearly it's still early days for Hunger since it was unveiled just yesterday and only with concept art, but a PS4 release makes sense given Tarsier's ties to Sony. After releasing Rag Doll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic on PS3 and co-developing LittleBigPlanet Vita, Tarsier says it's currently working closely with Sony Computer Entertainment. It's unclear if that specifically relates to Hunger, but the game may well be the same unannounced title Tarsier signed a first-party deal with Sony for, back in 2010. [Image: Tarsier Studios]
Video preview: Socialized racing in PS4's Driveclub
After deciding to go a few more laps to ensure its social features functioned as envisioned, Evolution Studios is ready to unleash its delayed PS4-exclusive racer Driveclub onto the world. Launching on October 7 in North America, the racing game finds its place between the hardcore simulation style of a Gran Turismo and the arcade action of a Need for Speed. In our video preview, we discuss the game's look and tactility, marvelous sound design, microtransaction concerns and where the game's PS Plus version fits into the mix.
Make Killzone: Shadow Fall a friend zone with new co-op mode
Killzone: Shadow Fall gets a new four-player online co-op mode next month, and Guerrilla Games is also releasing it later this year as a "standalone version" that presumably won't require the original PS4 game to play. The "Intercept" expansion launches in June as a free download for season pass holders, but there's no word on a purchasable version for those without the pass. We've reached out to Sony to clarify all the details. Intercept centers around an infiltration and reconnaissance mission, with you and three pals relaying Helghast intel back to HQ through uplinks. That itself sounds like a horde mode, with your team defending uplinks from enemy captures and providing them with enough time to establish transmission. Establishing an uplink is tied your team's overall score, and this can be upped in various ways including successful defenses, "banking" personal actions like kills and recaptures, and calling on a good old artillery strike. Players also take on one of four "combat roles" in Intercept: The Assault role focuses on close quarter gunfire, Marksman on longer ranges, Tactician on maintaining defense, while the Medic patches everyone up. The mode also comes with four arena maps derived from locations in the single-player game, to join the new free multiplayer map released earlier this week. We'll have to wait a bit to see Intercept in action, but Guerrilla Games says it's prepping to reveal gameplay, with more info on that to come next week. [Image: Sony Computer Entertainment]
The Last of Us gets 'Grounded' with new DLC in early May
PS3 survival horror The Last of Us is getting the last of its season pass content in two weeks' time, just ahead of the upcoming PS4 re-release. The studio said it's releasing the Grounded Bundle DLC in the week starting May 5, which probably translates into May 6 for North America and May 7 for Europe and Australia. The Grounded Bundle comprises a few moving parts, namely one for single-player and four for multiplayer. For solo enthusiasts, a new Grounded Mode ($5) ups the difficulty to a level Naughty Dog's been billing as Everest-like. "The AI is relentless, smart, and brutal," cackled Community Strategist Eric Monacelli, "and survival will be near impossible." On the multiplayer side, there are four maps in the Reclaimed Territories pack ($10), five weapons in the Survivalist bundle ($6), and an assortment of skills across the Survival and Professional bundles ($4 each). For some nittier, grittier info, the PlayStation Blog goes into all the multiplayer content in clinical detail. As ever, if you're a holder of the $20 season pass you don't have to worry about those standalone prices in brackets. If you're not a season pass holder, you may want to get in on the deal before it's discontinued in mid-May, because it also includes the Left Behind and Abandoned Territories content released earlier this year. Or, you could wait for the PS4 "Remastered" edition. It comes with Left Behind, Abandoned Territories and Reclaimed Territories, and it's due to hit sometime this summer. [Image: Sony Computer Entertainment]
Minecraft PS3 boxes clever with a disc version in May
Mojang is releasing Minecraft: PlayStation 3 Edition onto store shelves on May 16 in North America and May 14 in PAL regions, which is no surprise given how the Xbox 360 discs continue to strike gold. Mojang revealed the physical PS3 port includes everything in the sandbox game as of title update 14, but there's no word yet on a price. Check out the PS3 Edition box art by digging below the break. The PS3 port sold one million copies within its first month of availability, adding to the 12 million sales on Xbox 360, 14 million on PC, and 21 million of the Pocket Edition. But why stop at gajibillions when you can try to take over the world? To that effect, UK porters 4J Studios have PS4, Xbox One, and Vita versions in the works, although there remains no word on when to expect them. [Image: Sony Computer Entertainment]
Vita online combat game Freedom Wars makes a break for the West
A year after being announced for Japan, multiplayer action game Freedom Wars gets a surprise confirmation that it's coming to North America and Europe later this year. Co-developed by Devil Dice and God Eater 2 studio Shift and Sonic veteran Dimps, Freedom Wars blends unusual sci-fi with fast-paced combat for up to four players ad-hoc and eight players online. Players take on the role of people suffering a dystopian totalitarianism, where the world is depleted of resources and population growth. These people are born into a sorry life of imprisonment and a rather harsh, somewhat impossible 1 million year sentence. They are doomed to spend their lives in penal communities called Panopticons, which as they sound are filled to the brim with surveillance. To become free of their lengthy incarceration, players complete rescue missions with their friends to reduce their sentences, bit by bit. Maybe not the most well-thought out regime, but it makes for an interesting-sounding game. Freedom Wars is due to hit Japan on June 26, while today's news didn't bring word of a concrete date for the West. Today Sony also confirmed suspicions it's bringing Soul Sacrifice Delta to the West - May 13 in North America, May 14 in Europe - and that it's also ferrying RPG Ore no Shikabane wo Koete Yuke 2 to Western shores at some point as Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines. The Vita game is a follow-up to the 1999 PlayStation game, and it's based around yet another set of cursed individuals, this time a Japanese clan of people who only get to live for 2 years each. So, if you're in a Japanese Vita game you either get 1 million years in prison or 2 years of living - good deal. [Image: Sony]
The Last of Us: Remastered may be official, but its first trailer is a bit shy
Don't expect to see too much of how The Last of Us: Remastered looks on PS4 in its first trailer. It's a bit shy on content unless you really like footage of game of the year awards - hey look, there's ours! For something a bit meatier to keep you satiated until the summer, check out Sony Europe's video interview with Naughty Dog. [Image: Sony Computer Entertainment]
InFamous: Second Son hit 1 million sales in 9 days
InFamous: Second Son has exceeded a million sales, which includes both the physical retail copies and those sold on the PlayStation Network store. Sony made the announcement this morning on the PlayStation Blog, noting this makes Second Son the fastest selling game in the franchise to date. In our review we said the PlayStation 4 exclusive "establishes a high standard" for the new console.
Sony confirms The Last of Us Remastered is coming to PS4 [Update: Summer]
Update: Sony Worldwide Studios chief Shuhei Yoshida tweets the following message from SCEA's PR team: "SCEA can confirm The Last of Us Remastered is coming to PS4, and we'll be sharing more details with you shortly." The PlayStation Blog offers some of those details and lists a release window of summer 2014. The game will feature commentary from Creative Director Neil Druckman, Joel voice actor Troy Baker and Ellie voice actress Ashley Johnson for all of the game's cinematics. Pre-orders receive a lineup of bonuses. Original Story: The Last of Us is coming to PS4 in a "Remastered" edition, according to Sony's own advert on the Sony Entertainment Network Store. The banner, spotted on NeoGAF and verified by ourselves this morning, appears on the US storefront noting a $60 price tag and a "Day 1 Digital" release, although clicking it takes you to a broken link. Sony has yet to formally announce the PS4 version of Naughty Dog's PS3 survival horror, although this is the second time it's let slip of a potential re-release. Sony Eurasia executive Sercan Sulun told CNN Turk last month that a PS4 version was on the way in the summer, with the Left Behind' DLC included. When we approached Sony about that, a representative told us, "At no time have we announced that The Last of Us is coming to PS4 and therefore, have nothing to say on the subject." Unless whoever's in charge of Sony's US Store is playing the worst kind of joke, today's news is all but confirmation that a PS4 version is indeed on the way. I expect Sony will probably fill in the blanks in the near future, and it wouldn't be a surprise if what Sulun said last month proves to be accurate. We'll wait to hear more from Sony and will update this post with any further details that spill today. [Image: Amazon]
Rumor: UK retailer lists Ratchet & Clank Trilogy for Vita
It looks like UK retailer ShopTo jumped the gun this week by posting a listing for an unannounced Vita version of the Ratchet & Clank Trilogy. Sony re-released Ratchet & Clank, Going Commando, and Up Your Arsenal in a PS3 HD Collection back in 2012, and since then we've seen PS3 entry Into the Nexus get rated for Vita in Europe and Brazil. ShopTo's since removed the listing, but our screengrab shows the box-art the UK retailer posted along with a June 20 due date and a PEGI rating of 7. When contacted by CVG about a possible Vita re-release, Sony declined to comment.
Soul Sacrifice Delta triangulating West, AUS rating suggests
A couple of new clues point towards a Western localization of Soul Sacrifice Delta, and first and foremost of those is a rating from the Australian Classification Board. That's a strong sign the follow-up to last year's Vita game is preparing to journey out of Japan, so a now-deleted listing from Spanish online retailer Xtralife only adds fuel to the fire. Keiji Inafune's Comcept released the beastie-butchering of Soul Sacrifice worldwide last year, but the studio only announced the sequel for Japan - the game hit retail shelves there in March. When Inafune unveiled Delta last year, he described it as more than a "mere update" to the original game: "This is a brand new version with brand new elements and brand new items which gives the unique flavor of Soul Sacrifice." The name Delta refers to the introduction of a third faction in the follow-up, Grimm, as well as a third "Luck" choice that gives you a roulette-like alternative to saving or sacrificing the beasts you defeat. There are also plenty of new monsters to take down, including ones inspired by Brothers Grimm' takes on fairy-tales like Red Riding Hood and Snow White. [Image: Sony Computer Entertainment Japan]
More Sony departures: Justin Richmond now at Riot, Seth Killian left in December
Former Naughty Dog game director Justin Richmond announced he's decided to leave the company to join League of Legends studio Riot Games, while former Capcom marketing director Seth Killian revealed this week he left Sony Santa Monica back in December 2013. Richmond's departure from Naughty Dog follows that of Uncharted writer and creative director Amy Hennig, who parted ways with the company earlier this month. While Hennig has stayed silent on her departure and the circumstances surrounding it remain unclear, Richmond gave his best wishes to his former employer in a statement to IGN. "I have in fact made the decision to leave Naughty Dog," Richmond, who was working on Uncharted 4 as a game director, told IGN. "I love the company and the people and know that they will continue to create awesome games going forward. On a happier note, after careful consideration and exploration I have joined Riot Games. There is some really innovative stuff going on here that I can't wait to be a part of." Killian's departure from Sony Santa Monica appears to precede the layoffs that occurred at the Californian studio last month. God of War 3 creative director Stig Asmussen has since left the studio, and it's speculated he was overseeing a AAA sci-fi project that was canceled after several years of development. As for Killian, the Street Fighter guru said he left Sony on "great terms" to pursue his own project, having joined Sony Santa Monica back in 2012. "Hi guys, I chose to leave my Sony family back in [December] and on great terms. I was inspired by their amazing indies to do my own thing," Killian tweeted this week. "You'll see the games I had the privilege to work on at Sony soon - Santa Monica Studio has a stellar lineup coming. As for what I'm up to, stay tuned..." [Image: Sony Computer Entertainment]
Report: The Last of Us is coming to PS4, says Sony Eurasia exec [update: Sony statement]
The Last of Us is making the trek to PS4 if comments from a Sony Eurasia executive are to be believed. Sony hasn't formally announced a port of Naughty Dog's PS3 survival horror, but Software Marketing Manager Sercan Sulun appears to have let slip of the PS4 version on a recent CNN Turk video interview. According to an IGN translation, Sulun told CNN Turk, "There is no information about a new The Last of Us game but I can share this knowledge: As of this summer, The Last of Us will be on the PS4. Both on PSN and physically. The PS4 version will also include the DLC so you will be able to play Left Behind as well." To reiterate, Sony hasn't announced a PS4 version of The Last of Us; yesterday the company published a list of the games confirmed as coming to the system this year, and there was no sign of Ellie and Joel's adventure. We've contacted Sony to clarify Sulun's comments. That said, Naughty Dog has been cautious on the subject. When queried on the possibility of a PS4 port by Eurogamer, Creative Director Neil Druckman said last month, "We have such limited resources, and it's a question of where you put the resources. It's something where we can have a feel of where the demand is, and where our time is best spent. It's something that we'll figure out as we move forward." Update: When approached, a representative for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe provided Joystiq with the following statement: "'At no time have we announced that The Last of Us is coming to PS4 and therefore, have nothing to say on the subject." [Image: Sony Computer Entertainment]
Driveclub, Killzone Mercenary and Playroom devs hit by layoffs
Several Sony studios in the UK have been hit by layoffs. VideoGamer reports Evolution Studios, Guerrilla Cambridge (Killzone Mercenary) and SCE London Studio (Wonderbook, Playroom) were all affected in the "focused restructure." The one studio on that list with an announced project in development is Evolution and its oft-delayed Driveclub. In a follow-up, Sony said development of Driveclub would not be affected by the layoffs. Don't let your mind wander into the paradox of an already delayed game not being affected by layoffs.
Infamous: Second Son beats Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes to UK No. 1
Infamous: Second Son racked up the second-best first week for a PS4 game in the UK, only placing behind launch title Killzone Shadow Fall. Those sales were enough to ensure the system exclusive took the UK No. 1 ahead of Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes this week, with last week's leader Titanfall titanfalling to third. Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster was the other big new release of the week and the re-polished PS3 and Vita game took fourth. February and March's swathe of big-name games has finally given the UK charts a more current feel: Eight of this week's top ten were released in 2014, and most of those only in the last few weeks. The two lingerers from last year? Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition and, no surprises, FIFA 14. [Image: Sony Computer Entertainment]
Puppeteer director to pursue smaller games next, steer clear of retail
In a Puppeteer postmortem peppered with prickly punditry, Sony Computer Entertainment's Gavin Moore gave attendees of the Game Developers Conference a small idea of what he and his team hope to craft next. Coming off Puppeteer, a dark and clever PlayStation 3 platformer carved from the world of theater, Moore intends to pitch and pursue three to four smaller games beyond the borders of retail stores. "I think we're too reliant on stores to sell our products for us," Moore said. Though Puppeteer failed to find a large audience – "not a disaster by any way," he added – it seems to have spurred a serious rethink of retail, marketing and the backbreaking work of creating a unique and polished game. Moore intends to "make three or four products at once, and put them up on the net somewhere for people to download."
Sony eases PS4 indie development with new publishing tools
As if Sony's support of independent developers hasn't been apparent enough, the console manufacturer will make it easier for indies to bring their games to Sony's platforms. The company announced partnerships today to offer PS4 exporting tools for game development software GameMaker: Studio and MonoGame for free to licensed Sony Computer Entertainment developers. Sony also made "fully-integrated solutions" for PS3 and Vita available for Unity users, with an early access PS4 version arriving on Unity in April. Lastly, the company opted to offer its Authoring Tools Framework as a free, open source download available on GitHub. SCE uses the framework to help craft games like The Last of Us and Beyond: Two Souls. Created by Yo Yo Games, GameMaker was used to create games such as Hyper Light Drifter, Risk of Rain and Nuclear Throne. Conversely, MonoGame is the backbone of games like TowerFall: Ascension, Mercenary Kings and Transistor. One GameMaker-developed game is Savant Ascent, which Yo Yo Games named as its favorite game of 2013 for the development platform. The stylistic shooter was announced for PS4 this morning following its debut on PC, Mac, iOS and Android in December. [Image: Matt Makes Games]
Watch nine minutes of Infamous: Second Son beatdowns in glorious neoncolor
Infamous: Second Son hero Delsin Rowe boasts neon, smoke, and other superpowers he acquires by defeating fellow conduits. Sure, the smoke powers are cool, but neon is fun to watch because it's deadly and pretty, like a daffodil wielding a morning star - a daffodil that was somehow capable of using a morning star. You get the point. Sucker Punch's open-world superhero game trips the light fantastic on PS4 next week, when it hits retail shelves worldwide on March 21. [Image: Sony Computer Entertainment]
Gran Turismo 6 adds multi-monitor support in latest update
The latest update for Gran Turismo 6 gives players more to look at, as it adds multi-monitor support to the PS3 racing game. After updating the game, those with two or more connected screens simply need to hit the start button in the game, then select "options," then "display options" to enable the setting. Update 1.05 for Gran Turismo 6 also adds the ability to search for cars using a number of parameters in the game's car dealerships. Racing gear has seen a price shift, as players can now acquire individually-colored items as opposed to full color sets. The update also adds other features, such as the ability to select karts in one-make races on weather-enabled tracks and select time trial, drift trial and free run options in the "event settings" screen. [Image: Sony Computer Entertainment America]
