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Alice in Chains DLC strums along with Rocksmith 2014
If you've already played the entirety of Rocksmith 2014's set list behind your back while your guitar was on fire ... well, maybe you should go on tour. Five songs from Alice in Chains have been added to its DLC lineup though, so you'll still have something to practice with when you're not on stage. You rock star, you. The new offerings include "Man In The Box," "Hollow," "Would?," "Check My Brain" and "Them Bones." You can pick and choose by paying $2.99 per song, or you can buy them up collectively for $11.99. The DLC is currently available on the Xbox Live Marketplace and will reach the PlayStation Store on November 19.
30 days of PlayStation Plus, $10 PSN voucher free with US, Canadian PS4s
Expect to find a 30-day trial for PlayStation Plus, a $10 voucher for the PlayStation Store, and a 30-day trial for Music Unlimited in your new PS4 if you live in the US or Canada. Sony has announced via the PlayStation Blog that, for a limited time, new consoles will come with these three pack-ins to help new users get all nice and comfy with their shiny new box. While PS Plus will be required for online multiplayer on the PS4, you'll also get access to the Instant Game Collection and the ability to cloud-save your games. The PS4 will also limit your music-listening options to Music Unlimited - which is kind of ironic when you think about it - so if you want to crank some tunes, the trial will get you started. The $10 voucher is arguably the real treat here, as you can use it however you like in the PlayStation Store. Movies, games, TV shows and more will be available on your new PS4, but if you're a Call of Duty fan, you've probably already noticed that $10 is the same amount it will cost to upgrade from a PS3 copy of Call of Duty: Ghosts to a PS4 copy. Update: Note that Ghosts isn't the only game that can be upgraded for $10. Battlefield 4 will also be available to upgrade for the same price, as will Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag and Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition.
Sony to gift early PS4 owners $10 PS Store credit, 30-day Plus and Music trials
Microsoft may have dropped a whole lot of news on us today, but that doesn't mean Sony hasn't got a few surprises up its sleeve. With just a week until the PlayStation 4 hits stores in North America, the company has revealed a trio of surprises for PlayStation 4 buyers when they receive their units on launch day. As part of a special promotion, Sony will include $10 credit for its PlayStation Store, which can be used to against games, music or movies, a free 30-day membership to PlayStation Plus and a 30-day trial for its Music Unlimited streaming service. Sony appears to be onboarding gamers in the hope they'll enjoy its multiplayer gaming and media services enough to stump up the cash for a full subscription. The company says the offer is available for a limited period, and that its music offer will only apply to new users.
Sony adds mobile billing option to PlayStation Store, SEN
In addition to credit cards, pre-paid giftcards and PayPal, the PlayStation Store and Sony Entertainment Network now support a "mobile billing" option for buying Hatsune Miku DLC, episodes of Teen Wolf, Music Unlimited subscriptions and whatever else the kids are into these days. When adding funds to your virtual wallet through either the PS3's PlayStation Store or SEN's Account Management site, selecting the "Use Mobile" option will initiate the procedure. After receiving and confirming a text message (standard carrier rates apply, natch), the amount added to your wallet will either be tacked onto your phone bill, or deducted from your pre-paid phone account if that's how your plan swings. We're still holding out for a poultry-based bartering system. How many chickens do you think Battlefield 4 DLC is going to cost?
PS Store update: NCAA Football 14 added, Far Cry 3 reduced to $40
Today the PlayStation Store adds NCAA Football 14, Binary Domain and History Legends of War: Patton to its full-game lineup, alongside five new games for Vita, including Total Recoil and Lego Legends of Chima: Laval's Journey. The Summer Blast sale is still on, flipping over to its second round of discounts today. PlayStation Plus members can grab deeper discounts than standard members on Summer Blast games like Alice: Madness Returns, Just Cause 2, Prince of Persia Classics Trilogy, Silent Hill: Book of Memories and more. For everyone, Far Cry 3 gets a price change today from $60 to $40, with the Ultimate Edition down from $65 to $45.
PSN Indie Games section comes to Vita
Sony extended the PlayStation Store's Indie Games section onto the Vita this week. The section was introduced to the PS3's Store last month, but with Sony's big push to bring indies to the Vita, it's no surprise to see it come to the portable, too. SCEA's Don Mesa noted the Vita indie section has 53 games at launch, and that there are more than 50 indie games in development for the system at present. Sitting at the top of the launch pile is Hotline Miami, which rampaged onto both the PS3 and Vita this week.
PSA: PlayStation Store returns to South Korean PS3s May 16
After being taken offline last July, the PlayStation Store will finally reopen for business on South Korean PlayStation 3 units on Thursday, May 16. The service was originally removed to comply with new South Korean legislation that made it illegal for persons under the age of 18 to verify online accounts with their real name or age. As a result, use of the PlayStation Store is now restricted to users 18 and older, regardless of whether the service is actually being used to buy something. As an apology to all users affected by the months-long outage, Sony Computer Entertainment Korea is gifting all eligible users one free month of PlayStation Plus.
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment downloadable on Vita and PSP March 12
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment will be downloadable from the PlayStation Store on Vita and PSP starting March 12, thus making it possible to collect the whole Persona series from the comfort of your Vita.The PSOne Classic was released in February, intended for use on PS3, PSP, and Vita, but mysteriously only playable on PS3. That was later patched to work on Vita and PSP, but only when transferred from PS3. Now, it is finally being added to the store on those platforms.PSOne Classics on Vita can be kind of complicated.
Sony aims for US web PS Store launch this month, automatic downloads in the works
Sony is planning to introduce the web-based Sony Entertainment Network store to the US this month. According to CNET, who spoke to Sony Network Entertainment chief operating officer Shawn Layden, the SEN store will ultimately let users buy content there and then set it to be automatically downloaded to their PS3s.The SEN store, which allows users to buy PS3 and Vita content via a browser, launched very quietly last month in Europe, with Sony eventually saying the store is being tested there. As it currently stands, content bought via the SEN store appears on Vita and PS3 download lists, but cannot be automatically downloaded to those devices via the web-based store.
Sony launches web store for PSN content, only in Europe for now
A new Sony Entertainment Network web store quietly launched in Europe this morning, now making it possible to buy PSN content via a PC. We've confirmed the store is accessible in certain European regions, including the UK, but it's not available in the United States or Canada as yet. Approached for comment, a Sony Computer Entertainment UK rep told us, "We are testing a new web store, which we look forward to announcing and launching to the PlayStation/Sony community shortly."The SEN store offers a slick black look in line with the redesigned PS Store. Content can be filtered by platforms, genre, type (games, add-ons, demos etc.) and release date, and then further filtered by things like price range and required accessories. Much like the Xbox Live Marketplace via Xbox.com, purchases made via the web store then appear on download lists of compatible Sony devices, a process we verified on both PS3 and Vita. However, unlike with Xbox.com, purchases cannot be set to automatically download.Sony converted PSN accounts into SEN ones earlier this year, a move clearly intended to give its online content a more universal umbrella. That changeover surely reached its logical conclusion this morning, one will that evermore save us from finding out about a cracking PSN deal and then being forced to boot up and navigate our PS3s and Vitas to actually purchase it.[Thanks, Simon!]
Vita discounts hit PSN next week
The PlayStation Store is being swamped with Vita discounts next week, as revealed on this week's PlayStation Blogcast. A total of ten handheld games see their prices tumble as of November 27's PSN update.First up, Hot Shot Golf: World Invitational, Little Deviants, MLB 12: The Show, ModNation Racers, Reality Fighters, and Wipeout 2048 are all being reduced to $17.99. Slightly dearer are Resistance: Burning Skies, Smart As, and Unit 13, all coming in at $26.99. Finally, as of next week Uncharted: Golden Abyss sets you back $35.99. Just to note, Golden Abyss and Wipeout 2048 are currently part of the PlayStation Plus Instant Game Collection, along with four other Vita games.
Redesigned PlayStation Store now live in North America
PS3 owners: do not adjust your TV sets, the PlayStation Store has received a makeover. Sony's new revamped media portal is now available in the US, Canada, Mexico and Brazil. If you're experiencing a case of déjà vu, the update was originally set to hit back on October 23rd, but was sidelined after its UK launch was derailed by some early performance hiccups. Now that it's here, users will be treated to a snazzy new UI along with Most Popular charts, streaming videos on item pages, improved filters and an enhanced search engine. If you haven't already, you can grab this update by firing up your PS3 and directing the XMB to the PlayStation Store icon.
PlayStation Store revamp goes live in North America
The new-look PlayStation Store is now live in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil. The update, originally scheduled for October 23, was delayed following teething troubles with the prior European launch.The second redesign in the portal's history isn't limited to a glossy makeover. New features include a greater number of filters, Most Popular charts, a tumbling-letter search engine, and video streaming on item pages.
PSN posts best ever revenue for second quarter in a row
Between July and September, PlayStation Network enjoyed its highest revenue ever for a quarter, making it two best ever quarters in a row for Sony's online service. Speaking to GamesIndustry International, a Sony Computer Entertainment America spokesperson said, "Our last quarter was the biggest in terms of transactional sales in PSN's six-year history." Speaking to Joystiq, a SCEA spokeperson expanded upon that statement:"Transactional sales refer to PlayStation Store sales through the PSN/SEN Wallet. Our last quarter (July - September 2012) was our 'biggest' on a global basis with regard to revenue."So, PSN is apparently on the up, with Sony claiming 97 percent customer satisfaction for the service along with 93 percent renewal intent. The company says the success of PlayStation Plus is driving PSN sales.Having been around for over two years, PlayStation Plus membership sales almost doubled this summer following the announcement of the Instant Game Collection. Sony is still keeping quiet about specific subscriber numbers, but it sounds like PS Plus is proving to be a significant addition to the PlayStation arsenal.
PSA: New PlayStation Store now live in UK, across Europe
The new-look PlayStation Store is now live in the UK, after its initial launch stuttered last week. Sony UK revealed the makeover went temporarily up and then quickly down again following technical issues.Those issues are now apparently resolved, with a tweet on the PlayStation Europe account confirming the new store is now live across all EU territories. The new-look PlayStation Store was expected to arrive in North America tomorrow, but has since been postponed.[Thanks, Cristian L.]
PlayStation Store revamp postponed in North America
The glossy revamp of Sony's PlayStation Store has been delayed in several territories, including the United States, Canada, Mexico and Brazil. Sony Network Entertainment VP Eric Lempel says "an exceptional experience with the new store" must be certain before a new launch date is announced, and that means adjusting the overhaul in response to inconvenient issues that have bothered customers elsewhere.The new storefront missed its launch date with the UK, but is already available in seemingly imperfect form in PAL territories like Turkey, Greece, Hungary and where can we get a panini right now?
PlayStation Store reboot misses UK launch, no new date provided
While the PlayStation Network Store makeover is now live in other countries across the PAL territory, technical problems with the UK launch forced Sony to remove the update and return the store back to its previous design. Speaking to Joystiq, Sony couldn't disclose a time frame for the new look to relaunch, instead stating it's hard at work trying to bring it back online as soon as possible.Sony also released an official statement: "The phased launch of the new PlayStation®Store has been temporarily postponed in some territories as teething issues related to the global roll-out of the Store are being addressed and resolved. It is really important to us that the best possible Store experience is delivered and we appreciate your patience as we resolve these matters. The new PlayStation®Store is now live in the following countries: Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, UAE, Kuwait , Qatar, India, Israel Poland, Turkey, Greece, Slovenia, Hungry and South Africa."The new-look PlayStation Store is expected to launch in North America on October 23.
PlayStation Store redesign goes live in Australia, Europe and New Zealand with a rocky start
Sony vowed a long (long, long) overdue PlayStation Store remake starting this week, and it delivered just that today with launches in Europe as well as Australia and New Zealand. As promised, the PS3 shop's cleaner design scales more elegantly from standard to high definition, brings more intelligent searching and makes it easier to find everything related to a given game. We still wouldn't be too eager to dive in just yet, as there's been hiccups early on -- the sheer amount of traffic has reportedly brought the new store to a crawl, on top of teething issues with adding funds and recognizing PlayStation Plus memberships. Sony has promised fixes, but we're suddenly not feeling so bad about having to wait for that October 23rd North American launch.
PSA: New PlayStation Store up today in Europe for PS3
European PS3 owners will be greeted today by a totally new PlayStation Store with a "What's New" page (which is both about new content and, itself, new.)The new design uses a series of refreshed feature categories, and a mosaic of large on-screen images to present new content. Enjoy your sneak peek at ... peeking at lists of games, as the redesign does not come to North America until next Tuesday, October 23.
PlayStation Store update hitting PAL regions on October 17th, North America on October 23rd
If you feel the current design of the PlayStation Store leaves a lot to be desired, then you'll probably be glad to hear it's being totally revamped. A new UI should do a better job of pushing fresh content at you, and its appearance will be consistent regardless of whether you're outputting in standard or high def. Searching has been improved to handle abbreviations and misspellings, and a dynamic list of suggestions will try to work out what you're looking for as you type. Also, Vita and PSP content will be separated, new filters will be available and content hubs will offer everything linked to a certain title, à la the Xbox 360 Marketplace. Sound good? Well, there's not long to wait – it'll be launching in PAL regions (Europe, Asia, Australia and others) on October 17th, while North Americans will receive it almost a week later, on October 23rd.
