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Resident Evil: Revelations 2 out just after Jill Valentine's Day
Resident Evil: Revelations 2 reveals some but not all when its first episode launches on February 17, 2015 for PS4 and PS3 in North America. The debut of the four-part series hits Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Steam the following day, as well as the PlayStation Store in Europe and other EMEA territories. The series concludes on March 10 and 11. If you missed the memo on the transition into episodic content, Capcom's sequel spans four weekly episodes priced $6 each (£5/6 euros). In addition to Raid mode content, each episode includes two "playable scenarios" across two campaigns. One campaign is for Claire Redfield and Moira Burton as previously announced, and the other for Moira's pop Barry and new character Natalia Korda. We already suspected a Barry sandwich was on the menu, but you can see his confirmed return in a shiny new trailer below the break.
PlayStation Co-Op Sale: Dark Souls 2, Far Cry 3, Rayman
In the spirit of the money-saving holidays (and Thanksgiving, we guess), Sony kicked off a new Co-Op Gaming sale today that discounts games with local or online multiplayer functionality. The deals end on December 1, and PlayStation Plus subscribers get a bigger discount than other PSN users: up to 80 percent off the price of some games. Of the group, there are ten PlayStation 4 games on sale through PSN this week, among which are Awesomenauts Assemble ($5.39), EA Sports UFC ($13.99), Mercenary Kings ($8.99), Rayman Legends ($19.59), Surgeon Simulator: A&E Anniversary Edition ($6.39), TowerFall Ascension ($7.34) and Trine 2: Complete Story ($7.99). Other notable deals include Borderlands 2 (PS3, $4.54), Dark Souls 2 (PS3, $19.59), Rayman Origins ($13.29 on Vita, $9.79 on PS3) and Far Cry 3 (PS3, $9.79). [Image: Ubisoft]
Tales from the Borderlands rollin', rollin', rollin' out today
The first episode of Telltale's Tales from the Borderlands hits Steam across the globe later today, as well as PS4 and PS3 in North America. Next up are the Xbox One and Xbox 360, with worldwide releases due tomorrow, November 26, and December 3 respectively. Last but not least, PS owners in Europe also join the episodic party on December 3. As for prices, on PlayStations and Xboxen each individual episode is $5. On PSN there's the option to purchase all five episodes in a $20 season pass, while on Xbox Live you can get Episodes 2-5 in a $15 season pass upgrade. On Steam the asking price for the season is $25, which you can bring down to $22.49 with a pre-purchase. Finally, Telltale's previously said the first episode should hit iOS and Android before the end of the year. To see the launch trailer in action, move 'em on and head 'em out past the break. Also, that title is not referencing Limp Bizkit - you guys are just the Durst.
Sony denies hacker group's infiltration into PSN
There has been no intrusion into the PlayStation Network, Sony has told Joystiq in the wake of a hacker group reportedly leaking 2,131 PSN logins. "We have investigated the claims that our network was breached and have found no evidence that there was any intrusion into our network," a Sony rep wrote to Joystiq. "Unfortunately, Internet fraud including phishing and password matching are realities that consumers and online networks face on a regular basis. We take these reports very seriously and will continue to monitor our network closely." According to Cnet, the group leaked these logins in a public Pastebin document. However, both the group's Twitter account linking to the document and the document itself have since been taken down. Cnet reports that the group also revealed 1,473 Windows Live logins, and 2,000 2K Games logins. We've reached out to Microsoft and 2K to confirm network intrusion and will update if we hear back. [Image: Sony]
PSN Store Update: Stop He's Already Dead Edition
That scene in The Simpsons? November's new release pile-up is like that, except the games industry isn't about to let up. A glance here should tell you there's still an absolute drove of games waiting to beat us all up before the year ticks over. Brace yourselves, people. This is a particularly games-stuffed edition of our weekly PSN Store updates; there are 13 games out on PS4 alone, including the small matters of Far Cry 4, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Grand Theft Auto 5 and LittleBigPlanet 3. Since it's so games-stuffed, we're going to take a leaf out of our eShop round-ups and condense all of this week's new releases into a nice, digestible list. You'll find that below the break, complete with links for further coverage as well as SEN store links.
Explore Alaska Native stories with Never Alone's ice climbers
In a week stuffed with all-guns-blazing, triple-A new releases, something like Never Alone is a distinct anomaly. Out now on PS4, Xbox One and PC, it combines challenging puzzle-platforming with a story infused with Iñupiat folklore that comes direct from the source. Co-developers Upper One Games and E-Line Media collaborated with "nearly 40 members" of the Alaska Native community, including elders and storytellers, and the project was funded by the Cook Inlet Tribal Council to ensure its cultural authenticity. The end result is a 2D platformer in which an Iñupiat girl and an Arctic fox struggle against an immense, eternal blizzard as they climb and clamber together through the harsh Alaskan landscape.
FIFA 15 among games blocking PS4 Share Play in US
Users are reporting a number of issues with using the PS4's Share Play feature, Sony's online pass-the-controller multiplayer service. Namely, it appears FIFA 15 is giving players fits, as visiting players are unable to view the footage shown on the host's console. Rather, one half of the Share Play tandem sees the screen above, which says, "Viewing the game screen that the host is currently playing is not allowed due to content restrictions in your country or region." In our tests between two US-based PS4 players this morning, the Share Play visitor was unable to view game footage on four separate occasions: In FIFA 15, WWE 2K15, Guacamelee and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. Share Play for FIFA 15 was functional once we tested the service with our UK-based editor, Sinan Kubba (albeit with some bouts of lowered resolution and frame-dropping). However, it appears the error message being displayed is entirely inaccurate, as PlayStation noted on Twitter, adding that the support team is investigating the issues. Eurogamer's big list of Share Play-functioning games notes that FIFA 15 "works fine," so your mileage (or kilometer-age in this case) may vary at the moment. Share Play arrived in October as part of the PS4's version 2.0 update, which itself caused a number of other issues for players. Sony issued another update just this week, version 2.02, to rectify some of the console's lingering problems. We've reached out to Sony to find out what might be causing the hiccups with Share Play and which games are affected.
Extensive PSN maintenance scheduled for November 17
Heads up, PlayStation owners: Sony plans to bring the PlayStation Network down on Monday, November 17 to "deploy a series of back-end improvements to the network." According to a notice on the PlayStation.blog, PSN will be unavailable for "approximately 6 hours" from 1PM to 7PM ET (that's 18:00GMT to 00:00GMT, Tuesday morning for our friends in Europe). The good news is that if you've logged into PSN at any time between November 13 and November 17, you'll still be able to play games online and use online apps like Netflix during this maintenance period. However, PlayStation Home, the PlayStation Store and your console's account management features will be unavailable. This is where we cross our fingers and pray to the gods of tech support that nothing goes catastrophically wrong with these backend updates, as they come mere hours before the debut of a number of high-profile PlayStation 3 and PS4 games including Far Cry 4 and the re-release of Grand Theft Auto 5. [Image: Sony]
Towerfall expands into the Dark World on PS4 in 2015
Towerfall Ascension's forthcoming Dark World expansion will arrive on PS4 early next year, developer Matt Thorson revealed via PlayStation Blog. The update adds new playable archers, four levels, power-ups and more to the archery combat platformer. The developer also upped the number of team deathmatch levels per tower to five in the expansion. Thorson announced the Dark World update in September, and has since detailed several improvements to the game via his blog. Dark World will add the Vainglorious Ghoul red archer to the game's roster along with her ghostly ship as one of the levels, The Amaranth. The final tower of Towerfall's expansion, known as Cataclysm, features procedurally-generated levels to keep the action fresh for multiplayer bouts. Dark World will also include power-ups such as Prism Arrows and Trigger Arrows, the latter behaving like remote mines. [Image: Matt Thorson]
PlayStation 4 firms up with 2.02 system update, available now
Hot on the heels of the PS4's 2.01 system update is - you guessed it - 2.02, available to download now. We've successfully nabbed and installed the firmware, but the patch notes currently offer little to report on what it's changed. According to Sony's support page, with 2.02 "system software stability during use of some features has been improved." Well, then. 2.02 is the second PS4 update within a week, so it seems likely that, like 2.01, it's designed to tackle some of the problems that arose after the major 2.00 update. 2.00 caused a variety of glitches for some users, such as the console not powering up from Rest Mode (as addressed by the 2.01 update). 2.00 has also got on badly with certain games, including the Evolve alpha and, as our review attested to, the upcoming Dragon Age: Inquisition. Here's our Editor's Note from the review: "The PlayStation 4 version of Dragon Age: Inquisition currently experiences severe crashing hourly, requiring consoles be unplugged and restarted. EA and Sony have told us this is due to the console's recent 2.0 firmware update. Joystiq has been informed this issue will be corrected in a day one patch. We were provided a console by Sony with an advance copy of the upcoming patch. Following that we experienced only one crash that went immediately to the dashboard. We will update this note on the game's launch day." [Image: Sony]
The Banner Saga, Armikrog journey to PS4 in early 2015
Four games from independent developers will arrive on PS4 in early 2015, each courtesy of publisher Versus Evil. The publisher, which specializes in assisting independent devs reach new platforms and regions, revealed Stoic Studio's viking RPG The Banner Saga among the handful of games destined for the PlayStation Network. The Banner Saga's first episode launched in January after a successful $723,886 campaign on Kickstarter funded the game in April 2012. Versus Evil will also help another Kickstarter-funded game to reach PS4 early next year, Pencil Test Studios' clay-sculpted adventure game Armikrog. The other two games arriving on PS4 in 2015 thanks to the publisher are Kyn and Toren, the latter developed by Brazilian studio Swordtales. Players guide a "Moonchild" through the stages of childhood while ascending a tower in Toren, solving puzzles and slashing at enemies along the way. Versus Evil noted in PlayStation Blog's comments that none of the games are slated to reach Vita as of yet. [Image: Stoic Studio]
Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition hits PS3, Vita in January
Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition will launch on Vita and PS3 in January, Devolver Digital announced via Twitter today. The game will arrive in North America on January 13, 2015 and in Europe the following day. The port was revealed in August 2013, months after its launch on Steam in March. The PC, Mac and Linux versions of the Megaton Edition includes the core game as well as three DLC packs, and is still available for $10. It also received competitive and co-op multiplayer gameplay modes in a January update, allowing up to eight player to duke it out across the three platforms. The PS3 and Vita versions hit a few bumps since Abstraction Games took on the porting duties; the games were submitted to Sony in May and ran into "lots of certification issues" as of September. [Image: Devolver Digital]
PSA: Destiny sign-in issues on PS4 [Update]
Those hoping to play Destiny on PS4 this morning may encounter a few issues getting into the game, and Bungie is on the case. The developer's support team tweeted today that it is "actively investigating issues impacting players' ability to sign in to Destiny on PlayStation 4." While not determined to be related at this point, the log-in issues hit the game on the same day as the PS4's next major system update, Version 2.0. The update adds the online multiplayer Share Play feature to the console as well as the ability to play music files from a USB stick. Destiny was also recently patched on all consoles to remove an exploit in its Vault of Glass mission. We will update as we learn that the fix for Destiny's sign-in issues on PS4 is in. Update: Bungie says the "issues preventing PlayStation 4 players from signing into Destiny are resolving." [Image: Activision]
The Unfinished Swan painting PS4, Vita next week
Giant Sparrow's surreal exploration game The Unfinished Swan will arrive next week on PS4 and Vita, just over two years after it first launched on PS3. The game will launch on Tuesday, October 28 in North America and the following day in Europe for $14.99 (€12.99/£9.99). The Unfinished Swan will also be Cross-Buy enabled, so those that own any version of the game will be able to download it on the other two systems. Our review of the PS3 game noted that The Unfinished Swan's power "lies in its engagement with our imagination, in its ability to remind us of that capacity for whimsy and fantasy." It's the first game from the Santa Monica-based developer, which is currently working on an as-yet-unannounced game that is not a sequel to The Unfinished Swan, but is "not a million miles away either." [Image: Giant Sparrow]
PSN Sale of the Dead is 2 weeks of spooky game discounts
PSN is a scary place right now. The Sale of the Dead starts today, offering discounts of up to 65 percent – and 80 percent for Plus members – on a lineup of games over two weeks. On sale in the first week's round is Dante's Inferno ($6.50, $3.90 for Plus), Dead Space 2 ($6.50, $3.90 for Plus), Dead Nation Apocalypse Edition ($7.50, $6 for Plus), Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare on PS4 ($26.50, $19.90 for Plus) and Tiny Brains on PS4 ($5, $4 for Plus), among others. Week two begins on October 28 and includes Castlevania: Symphony of the Night ($5, $4 for Plus), Catherine ($10, $7 for Plus), Corpse Party: Book of Shadows ($10, $9 for Plus), Guacamelee: Super Turbo Charged Edition ($10.50, $7.35), Manhunt ($5, $4 for Plus), Outlast ($10, $5 for Plus) and Silent Hill Book of Memories ($15, $12 for Plus). Week one of the sale concludes on October 27, and week two ends on November 3. There's also a lineup of horror movies and television shows on sale during both weeks. [Image: Sony]
PSN Tuesday: Shadow Warrior, The Legend of Korra
Though the PlayStation gets the bulk of new additions in today's PlayStation Network Store update, most of the biggest releases are available on multiple Sony devices. Koei Tecmo's musou brawler Samurai Warriors 4 and arcade flyer Race The Sun are now available on the PlayStation 4, PS3 and Vita. Battlefield 4 Premium Edition and Platinum Games' Legend of Korra game adaptation are now available on both PlayStation 4 and PS3. Just Dance 2015 likewise graces both the PlayStation 4 and PS3. Devolver's Shadow Warrior and Season Two of Telltale's The Walking Dead adventure game are now available on PS4 as well. For a full rundown of the new games, DLC and pre-orders available via the PlayStation Network, visit the PlayStation Blog. [Image: Koei Tecmo]
PSN Flash Sale highlights heroines across games and movies
Sony is discounting 20 games and 30 movies as part of this weekend's PSN Flash Sale – and it's not hard to figure out the theme. The deals include PS3 games like Bayonetta ($7.99), BloodRayne: Betrayal ($2.49), Portal 2 ($4.99), Remember Me ($11.99), Mirror's Edge ($2.25) and Beyond Good and Evil ($3.49). The sale also features a few games for both PS3 and Vita, such as Hatsune Miku: Project Diva ($11.99 for Vita, $19.99 for PS3), Knytt Underground ($2.49) and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis ($1.49). PSN's discounted movies vary in price based on whether viewers pick up the standard or high-definition versions. Kill Bill Volume 1 and Volume 2 are $6.99 each ($9.99 HD), as is Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and its follow-up, Lara Croft: The Cradle of Life ($10.99 HD each). Plus, Five Resident Evil films as well as four Underworld movies are discounted this weekend to $8.99 each ($9.99 HD). The sale ends at 3:00 p.m. EST (12:00 p.m. PST) on Monday, October 20. [Image: Majesco]
Race the Sun, Escape Goat 2 on PSN next week, says PS Blogcast [update]
The PlayStation Blogcast often quietly slips out a surprise or two in its weekly rundown of new releases, and this week is no exception. According to the podcast, Race the Sun and Escape Goat 2 hit PSN in North America next week, which would pin them for October 21 release dates. There's been no other official word on that and Blogcast details have been off the mark before, so we've reached out to devs Flippfly and MagicalTimeBean to confirm. [Update: Sony confirmed Race the Sun indeed hits PSN in North America on October 21, priced $10. Flippfly's Aaron San Filippo told Joystiq the team's working on confirming the date for Europe, and the game will be available there at a roughly equivalent price.] [Update 2: MagicalTimeBean's Ian Stocker confirmed to Joystiq that Escape Goat 2 will also reach North America on October 21, and while its European launch is yet to be set in stone, Stocker notes it "won't be far behind."] Race the Sun is already confirmed as a cross-buy game for PS4, PS3 and Vita, meaning if you buy the game on one PS platform you get it for free on the others. Cross-save is also supported to carry scores across systems.
Sony: PSN currently offline, no word on when it will return [update: it's back]
In a brief statement posted to its official support page, Sony notes that the PlayStation Network is currently down. "PSN is currently offline, and we are hard at work to resume service," the message reads. "At this time an estimate as to when PSN will be online is unavailable; however, we will update this article as soon as there's additional information." Those affected by the outage are urged to follow the @PlayStation Twitter account for updates on when service has resumed. Anecdotally, reports we've received suggest that the PSN Store is available to some players, while connecting to an online match results in a server error. Internal testing reveals that Joystiq staffers are unable to connect to Destiny's multiplayer Crucible mode. Update: As commenter Mule points out, Sony's Twitter suggestion isn't quite accurate. For updates on the status of PSN, follow @AskPlayStation. The @PlayStation account may let you know once the service is back up, but for now is just angry PlayStation owners complaining en masse. Update 2: PSN is once again online. [Image: Sony]
Sound Shapes, Muramasa, and more get PSN Ultimate Editions
If you're looking to catch up on some of the PlayStation Network's best releases to date, a gaggle of new digital Ultimate Editions have launched this week, offering DLC-bundled versions of Sound Shapes, Muramasa: The Demon Blade, and Batman: Arkham Origins. Other newly-collected Ultimate Editions include Dead Island: Riptide, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and Toukiden: Age of Demons. Sony is also hosting a sale this week on many previously-released Ultimate Editions, including Deadly Premonition: The Director's Cut, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Saints Row 4, and Resident Evil 6. PlayStation Plus members get an additional discount on top of listed price drops. Sale prices remain in effect through October 20. [Image: Sony]
