Sony-Computer-Entertainment
Latest
Vita gobbles up Don't Starve: Reign of Giants next week
Don't Starve for me, soon on (E)Vita. The truth is Klei's dark realization of wilderness survival hits the Sony handheld on September 2 in North America and the day after in Europe, priced at $15 and 14 euros. It includes the Reign of Giants expansion that came to PS4 separately back in July, but at no extra cost. Despite that disparity, Klei's made the Vita version cross-buy; if you own the game on PS4 you unlock it on Vita, and vice-versa. Don't Starve isn't cross-play, though, so saves won't cross over between PS4 and Vita.
Infamous dev Sucker Punch hit by layoffs, numbers unknown
Sony-owned developer Sucker Punch laid off some of its staff this week, just days ahead of Infamous: Second Son standalone expansion First Light releasing on PS4. Sony Computer Entertainment America confirmed the layoffs to IGN yesterday, though it's not known how many employees at the Infamous and Sly Cooper studio lost their jobs. "SCEA can confirm a reduction in workforce has taken place at Sucker Punch Productions," reads Sony's statement. "Sucker Punch is appreciative of the tremendous work team members contributed to the Infamous and Sly Cooper series, and wishes them the best in their next endeavors."
Bloodborne has Dark Souls in its veins
When Sony showed us Bloodborne at E3, it was like that disconcertingly racy feeling of seeing someone you really like and then realizing it's their younger, even more attractive sibling. It looked like a Souls game, albeit one even deeper into a goth phase, but bits and pieces felt weirdly unfamiliar. After putting hundreds of hours into three such similar games, it was surreal to sense the shifts in something that clearly has its roots in the Souls series, even if it doesn't share a surname. I think what I needed was hands-on time, and that's what I got at Gamescom, even if it was for just 15 minutes. Once I picked up the DualShock and navigated the shadowy hero along the game's cobblestone alleys, things began to click. It was like stepping into a pair of your favorite shoes, but using them to ride a brand new bike. While wielding a shotgun.
Motions, emotions and decisions in cinematic horror Until Dawn
This post contains minor spoilers for events in Until Dawn. You may think it's brand new, but teen horror Until Dawn has been lurking in the shadows since its Gamescom 2012 reveal. Sony re-revealed it at this year's Gamescom with one key difference: It's now on the PS4, and that means you'll be using the DualShock 4 instead of the Move. Now we've spent half an hour in the game's bloody clutches, we can shine more light on what to expect from Until Dawn on PS4.
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.
3D Blu-ray support arrives in latest PlayStation 4 update
PlayStation 4's latest firmware is available to download and install now, bringing 3D Blu-ray support to the system as promised. If you're hoping for the same feature on Xbox One, it's due to hit in next month's system update. Today's PS4 update also means users can choose to automatically download "Featured Content" from the PlayStation Store - according to Sony Europe's Chris Owen that includes things like demos and time-limited trials, and no charged content. Also, system messages that were in the top right will now appear in the top left, and most importantly of all, the sound quality on 1.5x DVD and Blu-ray playback is improved. Finally, we can all move on! [Image: Fox]
Watch The Last of Us: One Night Live, but not the unseen epilogue
If you played The Last of Us and thought "hey this would make a really great stage show" then you're kind of weird. But also perhaps a visionary, since a The Last of Us stage show is exactly what Naughty Dog and Sony put on last night in a special one-off performance. It's of course closer to a table read than a grand Broadway spectacle, but if you like seeing voice actors like Troy Baker (Joel) and Ashley Johnson (Ellie) apply themselves to their roles, it's worth a watch. Also, rather than telling the full plot, the show takes select scenes from various parts of Naughty Dog's horror. In short, it doesn't really explain the story but it sure as heck spoils it, so if you've not played the game, go do that first (it's really good!)
Watch The Last of Us' Ellie reminisce about pushing around another Joel
Sony's pumping out the promos ahead of The Last of Us: Remastered's launch this week, but a new interview between actors Troy Baker (Joel) and Ashley Johnson (Ellie) covers some interesting ground. The best bit is when Johnson talks about recording a heated scene with a different actor going up for the Joel part, giving us a glimpse into how motion-capture can get emotional, and quick. The video also touches on the very enjoyable "alternate" ending - if you've not seen that in full, that footage is waiting for you below the break. The Last of Us: Remastered hits PS4 on July 29 in North America and August 1 in Europe.
Europeans free to buy physical copies of Vita's Freedom Wars
Sony Europe U-turned on its decision to only release Freedom Wars online, and now the Vita action game will be available on European retail shelves. In one of those all too rare cases of publishers listening to consumers, Sony says it gave in to demand for a physical edition. The game's already confirmed to hit retail in North America. To recap, Freedom Wars isn't a recreation of Braveheart, but a futuristic online multiplayer game in the vein of Vita entries Soul Sacrifice and Toukiden: The Age of Demons. In the game's totalitarian landscape, you play as one of a world of prisoners who are born into million-year sentences. Since a million years is pretty dang long, you'll want to reduce your incarceration by completing missions for your "Panopticon" penal community.
Uncharted movie director aims to start filming early 2015
Like a lot of movies based on games, the Uncharted adaptation has been years in the not-much-making. Now, director Seth Gordon sounds unnervingly confident filming will begin around the start of next year. "I think very early next year. That's the plan," Gordon told Zap2it. The King of Kong director added, "That's like tomorrow, essentially, because the prep is so complicated for that movie."
Japan's white Destiny PS4 is that little bit prettier
Like in the West, Sony is releasing a shiny white PS4 bundle in Japan for Bungie shooter Destiny. The difference is that Japan's system is a smidgen cooler thanks to the addition of a laser-etched faceplate bearing the game's logo - pretty swish, I'd say. It's interesting to see Japan getting these PS4 faceplate bundles while there's been no sign of them across the ocean. Sony revealed another one for The Last of Us this week - you can check that one out below the break, but it's not doing it for me, big-time. We saw another last week for - of all things - Disney musical film Frozen, while ones for Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes and Final Fantasy 14 are already in Japanese homes. So, would you like to see the faceplates released over here? For now, only Japan's getting the TLOU-plated PS4 on August 21, while the Destiny system checks in on September 11.
The Last of Us: Remastered includes optional 30fps lockdown [update]
Update: Asked on Twitter if the 30 frames per second (fps) lock indicated any fluctuations from the regular 60fps, Naughty Dog Co-President Evan Wells said, "Not at all. We included it at the request of the purists who wanted the experience as close to the original (PS3) as possible." Original story: Reports this morning confirm new details for PS4 revamp The Last of Us: Remastered, including an option to lock framerate at 30 frames per second. As the PlayStation Blog notes, the polished-up PS4 version of Naughty Dog's 2013 game runs regularly at 60fps and 1080p resolution. Sony's Sid Shuman said he suspects choosing between framerates will "boil down to personal preference," while Eurogamer speculates the option may indicate there's some judder at regular settings. A Game Informer hands-on preview doesn't note whether there are any significant drops. The Game Informer preview provides several other new details. For one, saves won't carry over from the PS3 game to the remastered PS4 version. Similarly, the trophy set is entirely separate, even though the trophies themselves are identical to the original ones on PS3. DLC, however, does carry over to the new version. As revealed previously, the three major released DLC packs - that's Abandoned Territories, Reclaimed Territories and Left Behind - all come as standard with the $50 PS4 game. But Game Informer notes you'll also be able to grab other DLC that you purchased on PS3 and use it in the new PS4 version too.
Put your hands together for Skullgirls Encore on PS4, Vita
Lab Zero revealed Skullgirls Encore is set to make another encore, this time on PS4 and PS Vita. The reborn edition of the 2D fighter is due to arrive later this year, with all Indiegogo-funded DLC characters, stages and story content included. Additionally, the Vita version works on PlayStation TV with local multiplayer support for two DualShock 3/4 controllers. Lab Zero said it'll have more info on features and pricing info closer to launch - that includes if the PlayStation ports have cross-buy and/or cross-save support. In the interim, players on the game's current platforms can look forward to receiving the third free DLC character, Eliza, later this summer. For an early look at the imperious Egyptian, check out Lab Zero's work-in-progress video below the break.
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.
Paint the PS4 red when Crimsonland hits on July 15
Crimsonland is "not a complicated game," admits 10tons PR co-ordinator Jaakko Maanemi. The top-down shooter, hitting PS4s in North America on July 15 and Europe on July 16, is certainly aptly named. In Crimsonland your task is to gun down aliens using 30 ridiculous weapons, splatter blood everywhere, try to survive, and then shoot some more aliens and splatter more blood everywhere. Truly an avant-garde concept for gaming. Not that we're being snobby, it's just refreshing to see a studio put forward a game as it is. So, the lowdown on 10tons' remake of its 2003 affair: The new version adds HD visuals and a few fresh modes, with four-player local co-op supported across the whole game. A total of 60 campaign missions and full leaderboard support should keep PS4 and Windows PC players busy - the game's out now on Steam - while Mac, Linux and Vita versions are also on the way. The game is $14/£10.59 on Steam so expect that price on PSN, too. [Image: Sony Computer Entertainment]
Vita action game Freedom Wars offers Japanese audio only
The Western version of Freedom Wars features Japanese audio with subtitles in multiple languages, but no English dubs, says Producer Nick Accordino, who also revealed a physical edition of the sci-fi Vita game is "definitely planned" for North America. Sony's also published a new subtitled story trailer, which you'll find below the break. Freedom Wars is set in a dystopian future where players are born into penal communities called Panopticons and have to fight to earn their freedom. Completing the game's action-RPG, Monster Hunter-like missions helps to reduce your incarceration, but - and it's a but big enough to please Sir Mix-a-Lot - your sentence begins at 1 million years. Bit harsh. From a gameplay perspective, there is an interesting regional difference to do with the Panopticons. In Japan, where the game just released, there are 47 Panopticons based on the country's real-life 47 prefectures. According to Accordino (possible sitcom?), the West's Freedom Wars features 50 Panopticons based on cities across the globe, and players can choose which one they'd like to be placed in.
Bloodborne is the PS4's darkest, bloodiest new game
Seeing Bloodborne behind closed doors, it was evidently clear this once beastly project has its roots in the developer's lauded Souls series. From Software may be approaching the PS4-exclusive action-RPG as an original property, but in that hands-off demo, differences and similarities were both patent. In short, Bloodborne felt both familiar and unfamiliar. For example, killing enemies produced a familiar sucking noise indicating something gained, but it wasn't shown if this was experience, souls, or whatever. There were glowing lights floating in their corpses, but it wasn't clear if these were items to be picked up. Entrances were engulfed in white light, enemies burst into view through barrels, the camera sat familiarly behind the hero - who's customizable, by the way - and the combat looked methodical and strategic. As director Hidetaka Miyazaki explained, the three major layers From wants in Bloodborne are exploration of the unknown, truly perilous combat, and a unique online concept. You could easily attribute those qualities to any Souls game.
Keep on trekking: The Last of Us hits PS4 on July 29
PlayStation 3 hit The Last of Us completes its remastered journey onto PS4 next month. At Sony's E3 conference, the company announced a July 29 release date for the survival horror on Sony's newest system. The announcement wasn't the first The Last of Us-related news of the night. Earlier in the evening, Sony revealed the PS4 edition of Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition will feature a dungeon based on Naughty Dog's game. [Image: Sony]
Hohokum squiggles out across PlayStations in August
IGF finalist Hohokum wiggles into its promised summer window, launching on PS4, PS3 and Vita on August 12 in North America and the day after in Europe. In the words of co-creator Richard Hogg, "you can say that it's colorful, you can say that it's exploratory, you can say that it has a creative, informative element to it. I think you need to see it, though." In a new video, Frobisher Says dev Honeyslug says its new game originally featured a man as the player character. Indeed, he's shown leading procession of creatures behind him in what looks like a far more typical platformer than the real deal. Instead, Honeyslug went with a weaving, flying technicolor worm, and his freedom of movement seems to epitomize the studio's ambitions for the game.
PS4 launch a 'great redemption' to Tretton
Former Sony Computer Entertainment America President - and upcoming co-host of Spike's E3 coverage - Jack Tretton told GamesIndustry International that part of the reason for his departure from Sony earlier this year was that he wanted to "go out on top." Calling the PlayStation 4 a "great redemption" from the financial woes that plagued the PlayStation 3, Tretton said he was ready to break out of the platform and company-specific boxes he had previously been defined by. "Figuring everything out and making that platform such a success quite frankly contributed to me being more comfortable with getting on to the rest of my career," he said. Since April, he's been pursuing other interests. "I really see myself more in a free agent role and really trying to branch out and smell the fresh air of being able to be platform agnostic and not just dedicated to console gaming," Tretton said. "I've really been spending more of my time during the last couple months looking into mobile gaming and other forms of entertainment that I haven't had the time or ability to focus on." Last Wednesday, it was announced that Tretton had joined the advisory board for a startup company called Genotaur, which researches artificial intelligence and human-computer interfaces. [Image: Sony]
