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Sony: PS4 demand is challenging European supply
The PlayStation 4 is in high demand for the second holiday season in a row, according to Sony Computer Entertainment Europe CEO Andrew House. Without offering specific sales numbers, House told Reuters that the console is potentially "going to be quite inventory challenged." Shipments for the PS4 reached 13.5 million consoles as of the end of October. "I'm not going to say you won't be able to find a PlayStation 4," House added. "I think it's going to be kind of hand to mouth in terms of that market." The CEO noted that sales for the system in December were in line with Sony's projections, though it was a "tougher" month thanks to the $50 holiday price cut by its main competitor in the United States, Microsoft's Xbox One. While its gaming division is thriving, Sony upped its loss forecast to $2 billion in September due to struggling smartphone sales and opted to not renew its FIFA sponsorship at the beginning of this month to spend more money on structural reforms. [Image: Sony]
Resogun Defenders brings two new modes to PS4 next year
While Resogun is firing up its engines to launch on PS3 and Vita later this month, a new expansion for the game is in the works: Resogun Defenders. Priced at $5, the final add-on for the game introduces two new modes: Protector and Commando. It also features new ships and planets for players to "save the last humans" on (we're pretty sure they mean it this time). Resogun Defenders will launch early next year, and will be part of the game's $8 season pass. The season pass includes the "Heroes" DLC, which hit digital shelves in June. Housemarque will also issue a free content update alongside Defenders codenamed "Challengers," which offers new challenges for players across Resogun's existing modes. [Image: SCEE]
Resogun saves the last humans on PS3, Vita this month
Carousel-scrolling shooter Resogun will reach PlayStation 3 and PS Vita on Tuesday, December 23 in North America. The game will launch nearly a week earlier in Europe on Wednesday, December 17. Resogun first arrived as a launch title for Sony's latest home console, PlayStation 4, in November 2013. While originally developed by Housemarque, the PS3 and Vita ports are courtesy of Climax Studios, the developer behind the PS4 and Vita version of Housemarque's Dead Nation. PlayStation Blog notes that the PS3 and Vita versions of Resogun run at 30 frames per second as opposed to the 60 fps seen in the current-gen version of the game. The game will be Cross-Save and Cross-Buy compatible, so those that own the PS4 version will be able to download it on the other two systems for free instead of ponying up $14.99. Resogun on Vita will feature ad-hoc cooperative multiplayer and the ability to customize controls in order to use the system's touch panel options. [Image: SCEE]
Europe's heroic Vita Mega Pack has Worms, Ratchet & Clank
Sony Europe revealed a new "PS Vita Heroes Mega Pack" for its handheld system today, bundling together five games and a memory card for the console just in time for the holiday season. Slated to launch on November 19 (November 21 in the UK), the pack includes the following games: Worms Revolution Extreme Ratchet and Clank Jak and Daxter Lemmings Touch LocoRoco Players can opt to pick up the games alone with an 8 GB memory card for €40 ($49.75). Those without the console can also choose to purchase the games, memory card and a PlayStation Vita in one pack for €200 ($248.80) instead, the same price as a standalone Vita system. Sony issued other "Mega Pack" bundles for the Vita in the past, including the more recent adventure game pack revealed in August, which includes Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Tearaway and Gravity Rush. [Image: SCEE]
Report: PS4 Share Play caps at 720p for guests
The PlayStation 4's latest update, codenamed "Masamune," adds a major feature, Share Play, to the console today. PlayStation Plus members can now share their games over PSN with friends that don't own a copy (and aren't necessarily PS Plus subscribers themselves unless both are playing), hosting one-hour play sessions at a time. As a Sony rep confirmed to Video Gamer, Share Play sessions are capped at 720p and will "have a limited frame rate" for friends partaking in the action, while those hosting the game will still see 1080p games on their screens at the full resolution. SCEE product planning manager Kazuhiro Yanase said that while Share Play "doesn't require any super-fast broadband," the company won't disclose recommended upload and download speeds for those looking to share games sessions with friends over PSN. "The internet environment is really different user by user. For example, some users will be using a LAN cable, some users will be using Wi-Fi, sometimes you use the microwave in your house," Yanase told Video Gamer. "It's very difficult for us to guarantee you can use Share Play if you have [a certain] speed." Today's update also adds the ability to play music from a USB device with support for MP3 and AAC file types. The Masamune update introduces YouTube as an option for gameplay clip uploading as well as home screen themes. We've reached out to Sony to confirm the Share Play restrictions and will update as we learn more. [Image: Sony]
Driveclub PS Plus temporarily held back to ease server load
Evolution Studios announced it's delaying the PlayStation Plus edition of Driveclub following the server troubles and connectivity issues the retail version's endured since launch. In a Facebook post, Game Director Paul Rustchynsky apologized for holding back the content-lite version free for Plus subscribers, which was due to launch alongside the full game this week, noting that "we want to ensure that when you come on board, you get the best experience possible." Rustchynsky didn't provide a new due date for the Plus edition, but said once Evolution's happy with server performance the studio will announce when it'll be available. The delay also applies to the racer's companion iOS and Android app, which did launch on Google Play yesterday but was since pulled. As for users who've pre-ordered the full game upgrade from the Plus edition, Rustchynsky said "you will still get the full version of Driveclub digitally." - we've reached out to Sony to clarify if that means they can obtain the full version now or when the Plus version launches [Update: A Sony UK spokesperson told Joystiq, "If someone has purchased the PS Plus version, they will be able to get the full game - as the game isn't out yet here, this would be on Friday in the UK."]
First Bloodborne alpha invites roll out to Europe
Alpha testing invites for Bloodborne are now appearing in select email inboxes. Joystiq's own Sinan Kubba received an invite to the "small-scale test," which features early access to the game and "a sample of its online features," according to the email. Those that would like to take part in the testing phase for From Software's next sort-of-like-Dark Souls game can apply on the PSN Beta page. The trial is for European players only, as invites are granted at SCEE's discretion. The enrollment period ends on Tuesday, September 23 at 11:59am BST (6:59am EST). Bloodborne will launch on February 5 in Japan and early 2015 in Europe. [Image: From Software]
Driveclub additional to regular PS Plus allocation, says Sony [update]
PlayStation Plus members are getting the service's edition of Driveclub on top of next month's regular number of games, according to Sony Europe. That means the PS4 racer's lite edition is effectively a bonus for Plus subscribers, who can download and play it as well as the two PS4, two PS3 and two Vita freebies due monthly in the Instant Game Collection. The confirmation comes from Sony Europe's Fred Dutton on the region's PlayStation Blog, so we've reached out to Sony America to confirm the same deal applies. [Update: A Sony Computer Entertainment America spokesperson told Joystiq the same does apply for North America] Evolution Studio's sim is out October 7 as a full retail game and in an edition free for Plus members, with the latter missing most of the cars and tracks available in the former. The Plus edition includes 10 cars and 5 tracks with 11 variations or routes, while the full game features 50 cars and 25 tracks with 55 routes. It's unclear whether or not the hashtag is included in the Plus edition, but the good news those who download the Driveclub freebie can upgrade to the full game for $50. [Image: Sony Europe]
Vita oddball Murasaki Baby on board next week
Murasaki Baby - AKA that touch-based Vita game where you guide a little girl who has her mouth on top of her head - is out on September 16 in North America and September 17 in Europe. It's priced $15 for regular users, but if you've got Plus membership you'll be able to grab it for $12 during its first week. Murasaki Baby marks the debut of Sony Europe's self-proclaimed "avant-garde" Ovosonico studio, which was founded by former Grasshopper Manufacture director Massimo Guarini. That might explain the why of the game, but not the what: Well, in it you're guiding the head-mouth girl, a lost child called Baby, through nightmarish landscapes. While you can drag, tap and swipe to help Baby along, you're also in control of the world around her. Swipes of the rear pad, for example, can change the background to useful effect, like bringing in a wind turbine to drive lurking bats away. You can also tap on the front screen to take out dangers like, er, flying safety pins. They may not sound the deadliest of foes, but if one of them hits Baby's heart balloon then she immediately dies.
PlayStation 4 surpasses 1 million sales in the UK
The PlayStation 4 is the first current-gen console to hit one million sales in the UK, making it the second-fastest of all to reach seven figures in the country's history. The Sony system took 42 weeks to pass the million barrier, four weeks less than the PS3 and eight less than the PS2. However, the crown for fastest seller remains atop the Nintendo Wii, which shifted a million to UK customers in just 38 weeks. Sony Europe's Chris Owen confirmed the figure as "sell-through," meaning it represents sales to customers rather than retailers. Sony UK boss Fergal Gera explained to Eurogamer the figures come from data compiler Chart Track.
Infamous: First Light in the pink on Europe's retail shelves
A physical edition of standalone PS4 entry Infamous: First Light will light up Europe's storefronts on September 10. The Infamous: Second Son prequel is also coming to the region in download form, and according to the PS Store, that hits a smidgen earlier on August 27. That tallies with the listing of August 26 for North America. First Light revisits the story of Abigail "Fetch" Walker, the delinquent Neon-empowered Conduit that you meet early in Second Son. The content - which you don't need Second Son to play - focuses on Fetch's journey to becoming the hardened killer she is in the main game, taking players back in time to a dark past lurking underneath her fuchsia locks. There's no word on how much the physical copies cost, but First Light is priced £12 on the UK PS Store and $15 stateside. Check below the break to see the box art in full.
Driveclub joins the PS4 bundle club in Europe
Driveclub is gearing up for its October launch with a newly unveiled PS4 bundle, as if to cement over the chances of another delay. The package is only confirmed for Europe so far, where it's priced 440 euros and includes the game, console and a DualShock 4 controller. It's the second PS4 bundle of recent that Sony's unveiled for Europe but not North America (yet) the first being for The Last of Us Remastered. It would be more than a little surprising if neither bundle was headed stateside, even if Naughty Dog's polished-up horror is only a few weeks away. Well, at least the shiny white Destiny PS4 is definitely on the way.
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]
Slimmer Vita remodel announced for UK, arriving February 7
We've had liftoff for Sony's slimmer Vita breaching the west, after Sony UK announced the thinner, lighter PCH-2000 is coming to the isle on February 7. As revealed at a conference attended by UK press this morning, it'll be priced around £180 in the country (that converts to just under $300) and will replace the older model there. The price is a big markdown on the launch figures we saw for the original handheld: around £230 for the Wi-Fi only model, and £280 for the 3G+ models. That said, it's a big markup on the PCH-2000's price in Japan of 19,929 yen, which converts to around $195. The remodel, which was introduced to Japan in October 2013, is 20 percent thinner and 15 percent lighter than the original Vita, and replaces the OLED screen with a LCD offering. There's also a new micro USB slot for data backup and charging, a 1GB internal memory card, six hours battery life, and new power and notification indicators on the top. There's no news yet about the slimmer iteration coming to other countries in Europe, let alone North America and beyond. Sony UK's other announcement this morning was a 10-game indie pack for the whole of Europe, featuring Alien Breed, Thomas Was Alone, Velocity Ultra, Men's Room Mayhem, Coconut Dodge Revitalized, Limbo, Hotline Miami, Total Recoil, Superfrog HD, and Floating Cloud God Saves the Pilgrims in HD. It'll be priced €25, or in a Vita bundle that also includes a 4GB memory card for €200 - no word yet if the Vita in this bundle is the original or new model.
PSA: Gran Turismo 6 PSN pre-orders now available in Europe
The European territories can now ensure that they're able to race on launch day thanks to the addition of a Gran Turismo 6 pre-order option to the PlayStation 3's online store. Those who pre-order the standard edition of the game will receive a bonus "Precision Pack," which adds five new sports cars to the game. Additionally, they'll be able to choose from one of four other car packs or one million in-game credits. The more expensive Anniversary Edition of the game includes all five car packs and that oversized stack of cash. Gran Turismo 6 is scheduled to debut on December 6. The game can now be pre-ordered either from your console or by visiting the Gran Turismo website.
Mega Pack, Remote Play boost Vita momentum in UK
Sales of the Vita handheld increased by more than 100 percent in the UK over the summer, leaving Sony feeling optimistic for the portable's future. "Vita had a good summer, the Mega Pack is one of the things that has boosted performance by more than 100 per cent," said PlayStation UK managing director Fergal Gara . "It's now in growth year-on-year. And you've seen several pieces of news at Gamescom which will only help. So that means we can feel optimistic." As Gara mentioned, Sony attributes much of this success to the release of the Mega Pack, a collection of 10 Vita games installed on a single 8GB memory card which has a retail price of £35 ($54.57). The Mega Pack is also available as a pack-in game with certain Vita systems for £170 ($265.06). Both the bundle and the standalone game made their retail debut on June 21. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe president and CEO Jim Ryan also believes the Remote Play functionality of the PlayStation 4 will provide a boost to the handheld's sales. "The ability to play all 32 PS4 launch titles using Remote Play does a lot for the Vita catalogue," said Ryan.
Coke-branded PlayStation All-Stars advergame hits iOS, Android
Sony recently announced a partnership with Coca-Cola to bring a Coke Zero-branded game to iOS and Android by the name of PlayStation All-Stars Island. The game features four characters: Sackboy from the LittleBigPlanet series, Nathan Drake from the Uncharted series, Cole MacGrath from the InFamous series and Kat from Gravity Rush. Those four characters tackle four mini-games in which players collect Coke Zero "orbs," which are then used to unlock "Make it Possible" moves. PlayStation All-Stars Island is available now for free through the iOS App Store and Google Play store. %Gallery-195705%
Sony Europe plans quarterly events for self-publishing developers
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe will keep in touch with its network of indie developers by hosting quarterly events, Develop revealed. SCEE hopes to launch the initiative in September, but dates have not been finalized. SCEE Senior Account Manager Agostino Simonetta said that although the events will focus on Europe, all developers are welcome, regardless of their location. Each event will update developers on the PS4, PS3 and Vita. Discussions concerning the PSN's performance and each console's install base will also be a focus. Simonetta hopes to use the events to support the "incredible numbers of new companies coming to the [PS4]." The proposed events align with Sony's supportive stance towards self-publishing developers on the PS4.
PlayStation Europe PS4 ad says 'Coming 2013'
A new PS4 ad in Europe provides further indication the continent can expect the console to arrive there this year. While Sony announced the PS4 was due "Holiday 2013" back at February's reveal event, the company declined to commit to which regions that window applied to. However, a new PS4 ad, first spotted in today's Metro newspaper in the UK, then later tweeted by PlayStation Europe, says the PS4 is "Coming 2013." Europeans have good reason to be cautious about a tentative window. The PS3 reached the continent in March 2007, having arrived in North America and Japan some four months prior - and that was via a last-minute delay, too. When asked if this confirmed the PS4 is coming to Europe this year, a Sony Computer Entertainment Europe representative told us, "We announced at the PlayStation Meeting event on February 20 that [the] PS4 would be coming in 2013... the adverts are simply re-stating that message." "More information about [the] PS4 and all PlayStation platforms will be announced at E3," he added.
Sony completely revises list of PS4 EU studios, down from 53 to 30 [updates]
Sony made wholesale corrections to the list of European/PAL companies confirmed as PS4 developers and publishers, reducing the list of named studios from 53 to 28. Curiouser, not one of the developers and publishers named on the previous list makes an appearance on the new roll call. A spokesperson for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe confirmed to us the first list, sent out last week, was erroneous, and this new one is correct. There are no revisions for any other regions.The new list removes a number of significant names, including Mojang (Minecraft), Rovio (Angry Birds), Frozenbyte, Criterion Games, and City Interactive. In their stead are some new noteworthy studios, such as CD Projekt, who've confirmed The Witcher 3 as a PS4 game. Also included are Bohemia Interactive, Deep Silver, Ninja Theory, IO Interactive, Codemasters, 2K Games, and Sumo Digital. The full list can be found after the break.We've reached out to a number of studios for comment. Mojang's Daniel Kaplan reiterated to us the comments he gave to Gamasutra, saying his studio hasn't decided anything yet, and that the error is "confusion from Sony's side." Gamasutra's article also confirms Super Crate Box developer Vlambeer and Skulls of the Shogun creator 17-Bit, both included in the original list, as not currently working on anything for the PS4.A spokesperson for Monsters (probably) Stole My Princess developer Mediatonic, included in the original list but not in the corrected one, told us he couldn't make any comment on his studio and PS4 development. Meanwhile, Sumo Digital's inclusion adds weight to the rumor the British studio is working on LittleBigPlanet 3, but for the PS4. When approached previously about LBP3, a studio representative told Joystiq, "No comment." Update 1: A spokesperson for 505 Games tells us the Italian company is "definitely" planning to publish games on the PS4. 505 Games was in the original list of European/PAL PS4 developers and publishers, but not the revised list. The spokesperson noted the company's logo appears in the image showcasing PS4 partners, as shown during last week's event, as do many of the names in the revised list. Update 2: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe informs us the list of European PS4 studios has been further revised. Two more studios are now present in the form of Criterion Games and Ghost Games (an EA studio) - both were in the original list of 53. That takes the tally of confirmed European studios up to 30.
