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Sony's $15 million PSN hacking settlement pays out in free games
Way back in 2011, PlayStation Network services and websites went dark due to "an external intrusion." Anonymous claimed responsibility, names, passwords and possible payment information was lost in a data breach, and everybody in general had a bad time. Sony apologized for the fiasco with a "Welcome Back" package, handing out free (older) games to anybody willing to turn their PlayStation back on -- but that wasn't the end of it. The company still had to face a class action lawsuit for losses caused by identity thefts and the needs of gamers who failed to participate in its apology giveaway before it closed. Now the company has reached a $15 million settlement. The short version? More free stuff.
Entwined tunnels to PS3 and Vita today
Entwined is now available on PS3 and Vita in North America, and will float to Europe tomorrow. The game launched on PS4 in June on the same day it was announced during Sony's E3 2014 press conference. Developed by a group of Carnegie Mellon University graduates, Entwined has players controlling two characters at once - a fish and a bird - flying through a colorful tunnel and collecting memories. The brief getaway elicits "a sense of serenity and peace," according to our review, and is also easy on the checkbook: The $10 game is Cross-Buy compatible, so those that own the game on PS4 can download it for free on PS3 and Vita. It's also Cross-Save capable, so Entwined veterans will be able to carry their progress across the three consoles. [Image: Sony]
Ratchet & Clank Collection brings lombax memories to Vita [update]
Sony quietly announced the Ratchet & Clank Collection is coming to Vita tomorrow, July 22, as a PSN downloadable. The publisher unveiled Insomniac's compilation for European and Australian Vitas in May before finally ending the radio silence over North America. Over on PSN Europe the Ratchet & Clank Collection is cross-buy, meaning if you buy either the new Vita version or the original PS3 compilation, you'll get the other for free. There's no word yet if the same deal is coming to North America, though. As for a physical release, the PlayStation Blog only denotes the game as "digital." Update: The PS Blog has updated its post, saying Ratchet & Clank Collection will in fact not launch on July 22. According to the update it's now scheduled for release on July 29.
PSN service 'intermittent' during Destiny beta launch
Sony warns that the PlayStation Network is "intermittently available" as Bungie prepares to launch its Destiny public beta for registered users. "The PlayStation Network is currently experiencing high volume and users may experience issues when connecting to the service," Sony's PlayStation Knowledge Center reports. "We will update you with any changes that may occur in regards to this issue. Thank you for your patience." Destiny beta keys are now being sent out to players who redeemed early access codes. Destiny's beta launches for PlayStation platforms today. Xbox One and Xbox 360 owners will receive beta access on July 23. [Image: Bungie]
4-player Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds beats up Vita this month
Retro-styled beat-em-up Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds hits Western Vitas for the first time on July 29, both in North America and Europe. 5pb plans to release details on pricing and DLC soon, though it did confirm - no surprises - a PSN release only. Xbox 360 owners may already be familiar with the four-player chibi-fied spinoff of fighter Phantom Breaker. Oddly, that game is still limited to Japan, yet Battle Grounds will soon be in the West on two separate platforms. As for new content, in Japan the game received new modes and characters as DLC, but we'll have to see how much 5pb has brought across. [Image: 5pb Games]
PSN 2-for-1 sale pairs up 22 discounted games this week
The PlayStation Network is offering a 2-for-1 sale on 22 featured games this week, collecting varied pairs of PlayStation 3 and PS Vita releases at bargain prices. Featured PS3 pairings include NBA Jam: On Fire Edition and NFL Blitz for $14.99, Max Payne 3: The Complete Edition and Red Dead Redemption for $29.99, and From Dust and I Am Alive for $14.99. Vita owners can pick up Corpse Party and its sequel for $19.99, along with the portable Grand Theft Auto series entries Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories for $19.99. Sale prices remain in effect through July 21. A full list of featured games is available at PlayStation Blog. [Image: Sony]
Don't Starve: Reign of Giants just eats it on PS4 next week
The Don't Starve: Reign of Giants expansion stomps all over the PS4 next week, starting July 22 in North America and July 23 in Europe. The single-player DLC is priced $5 on PSN, while PS Plus members get to feast on a 10 percent discount at launch. PC players have been getting familiar with Reign of Giants over the last few months, while Vita owners can look forward to it as part of the upcoming port. Besides the eponymous giants, the content includes new characters, seasons and biomes to explore, as well as an extra save slot. If you fancy a quick walk among giants, you should watch the replay of our Reign of Giants livestream with Klei's Seth Rosen.
PS Plus subscribers get free Powers in December
The PlayStation Network will be bitten by a radioactive crime drama series later this year; Powers, a live-action adaptation of the comic of the same name, will be available via the PSN starting in December, with the debut episode available for free. Meanwhile, PlayStation Plus subscribers will be able to view the entire series at no charge. David Slade (Hannibal, Breaking Bad) will direct the first two episodes of the show, which focuses on detectives who investigate cases involving people with superhuman powers. The original comic, published by Image until 2004 and currently by Marvel, is written by Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy) and illustrated by Michael Avon Oeming (Judge Dredd, Catwoman). [Image: Marvel]
PlayStation Store Flash Sale offers up 99-cent deals
Surprise sales are always nice, especially when you've got a weekend to spend with whatever you pick up from them. The PlayStation Blog has detailed the PlayStation Store's latest Flash Sale, which offers a range of PSOne and digital-only titles at an impulse-friendly 99 cent pricepoint. Highlights from recent times include Papo & Yo, Machinarium, Double Dragon Neon and separately-offered PS3 and Vita versions of Thomas Was Alone. There's some love for the original PlayStation's library as well, with Dino Crisis 1 and 2, Legend of Dragoon, Harvest Moon: Back to Nature, Wild Arms 1 and 2 and the Syphon Filter trilogy up for grabs. You could always re-fuel some of your long-standing arcade rivalries with Virtual Fighter 2, too. If you're a shrewd shopper no matter how low a price is, you've got plenty of time to decide – the Flash Sale runs until 3 p.m. EST on July 14. [Image: Sony]
PSN Tuesday: Another World, The Wolf Among Us finale
This week's PSN Tuesday is out of this world, headlined by classic adventure game Another World 20th Anniversary Edition on PS4, PS3 and Vita as a Cross-Buy for $8. In other tri-platform Cross-Buy news, there's cheesy puzzle game Mousecraft for $15. The Wolf Among Us Episode 5 is out today on PS3 for $5 – a screaming deal, if we may say so (our review certainly does). Up for pre-order is the Destiny Digital Guardian Edition for PS3 or PS4 ($90), and Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty for PS4 ($30). With today's update, PS3 also gets Le Tour de France – Season 2014, One Piece Unlimited World Red and Sacra Terra: Kiss of Death. For one week, PS Plus members can get DC Universe Online: The Hand of Fate for $4.90, DC Universe Online: War of the Light Part 1 for $4.90, Another World for $7.20, and the PlayStation Plus pack for Blacklight Retribution for free. Everyone can snag that DC Universe Online content for $7 apiece during the sale this week, along with a lineup of DLC for Assassin's Creed 4 Black Flag, Canabalt for $1.50, Kung Fu Rabbit for $2.50, PS2 Classic Stella Deus for $4 and Breakquest: Extra Evolution – Minis for $1.50. [Image: The Digital Lounge]
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]
PSN Tuesday: Valiant Hearts, BlazBlue, Farming Simulator
The PlayStation Store is packed with pre-orders and releases this week, headlined by the launch of Valiant Hearts: The Great War on PS4 and PS3, and BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma and Farming Simulator 14 on Vita. Sniper Elite 3 is up for pre-order on PS4, while Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn is available for pre-order on PS3. Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark is out now for PS3 and PS4, while Vita gets Atelier Rorona Plus with 3 DLCs, XBlaze Code: Embryo, Z-Run and End of Serenity. That last one is also out for PSP today. We can't speak for all of these games, but Valiant Hearts is truly a breathtaking and brilliant game about the people and heroes of war. [Image: Ubisoft]
Mutant Mudds Deluxe washes up on PlayStation Plus this week
You can remove even the muddiest stains thanks to Mutant Mudds Deluxe, starting at the low price of $0 for PlayStation Plus subscribers. The dirt-destroying 2D platformer will join the North American Instant Game Collection when the PS Store updates tomorrow. Just to note, Sony specifies the Plus game for Vita, but Mutant Mudds Deluxe is cross-buy with a PS3 version. It's unclear if a Plus download will unlock both versions, but if you are getting it for Plus you'll need to grab it on Vita rather than PS3. Next Tuesday will see July's PS Plus offerings join the service, and they'll all arrive in one great big clump of freebies. As Sony revealed last month, from now on two PS4, two PS3 and two Vita games will be available on the first Tuesday of each month, and will remain so until the first Tuesday of the following month. [Image: Sony Computer Entertainment]
Now you can fill your PS4 wallet with PayPal bucks
PS4 owners can now buy games like Towerfall and Octodad: Dadliest Catch by stuffing their wallets full of moola from their PayPal accounts. Those looking to fund their digital purchases in this manner can do so on their PS4 consoles during the checkout process by selecting "Add Funds," then the PayPal option and picking the amount of dough to add to their wallet. Alternatively, players will be able to access the chunk of change in their PayPal accounts via their Sony Entertainment Network accounts, which are tied to their PSN wallets. Similar to the console method, eager buyers simply need to log in, select the "Account" tab, then the "Wallet" section, click "Add funds to Wallet," then follow the instructions to use PayPal as their funding option. PayPal funding, which was added to PS3 in November, is available to PS4 owners in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Chile and Argentina. [Image: PayPal]
Zen Studios creating The Walking Dead pinball table
Zen Studios is developing a table inspired by Telltale Games' The Walking Dead series for its pinball games. The table will launch across console, mobile and PC versions of Pinball FX 2 and Zen Pinball 2 this summer. The table will "bring the story and choice-driven gameplay" of the game's first season to the pinball series, complete with original dialogue from The Walking Dead's cast. Zen Studios' undead pinball table will offer locations based on Telltale's first five episodes, including Clementine's treehouse, Everett's pharmacy and "down the tracks to the walker-infested streets of Savannah." As the game rolls on, players will need to choose who lives and who dies during a zombie attack, search for food and supplies and improve their group's morale, not unlike the decisions they were pressed with in The Walking Dead as well. Zen Studios issued a brief teaser trailer that shows series stars Clementine and Lee as well as the table itself. [Image: Zen Studios]
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.
Persona 4 Arena digital rights in Europe back with Atlus
P-qube, partner company of Zen United, confirmed to Joystiq it's returned the European digital rights for Persona 4 Arena back to Atlus. Head of Marketing Geriant Evans explained that's why the game and its DLC disappeared from PSN two weeks ago, though curiously it remains available on Xbox Live. Persona 4 Arena was infamously the first retail game to be region-locked on PS3, a decision that came under scrutiny following the fighter's long delay in reaching Europe. We've reached out to Atlus for more information on the decision, as the company's yet to comment on the move. The transfer could be minor housekeeping, or it could speak to a change in Atlus' approach to publishing in Europe. Traditionally Atlus goes through third parties like Zen United, NIS America and Rising Star to distribute its games in Europe, with release dates often lagging behind North America. It's also possible the decision is tied to bringing follow-up Persona 4 Arena Ultimax to the continent. As things stand, there remain no European release details for Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, Persona 4: Dancing All Night, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax and Persona 5. [Image: Atlus]
This week's PS4 Plus adds Trine 2, Pixeljunk Shooter Ultimate
Trine 2: Complete Story and Pixeljunk Shooter Ultimate hit PS Plus in tomorrow's North American update, as the first month to add two PS4 games gets going early. Pixeljunk SU is a cross-buy deal, so if you get the subterranean shoot-em-up on Plus you'll net it on Vita too. Over on PS3, NBA 2K14 also gets the Plus treatment this week. As ever, the influx of newbies forces old-timers out of the Plus-house, and that's happening next week. You've got until June 10 to "purchase" and tie up Skullgirls Encore, Stealth Inc: A Clone in the Dark, Lone Survivor: The Director's Cut, Payday 2 and XCOM Enemy Unknown. [Image: Sony Computer Entertainment]
PSN Tuesday: Watch Dogs, Sly Collection
The PSN Store is updated today with Watch Dogs and the Watch Dogs Gold Edition on PS4 and PS3. Meanwhile, Vita gets Lemmings Touch, Mind Zero, Monster Monpiece, The Sly Collection PS Vita and Fort Defense & Fort Defense North Menace. PS Plus members get Limbo on Vita and the Battlefield 4 Timed Trial on PS3. We gave Watch Dogs a spin on PS4 and found it to be ... magical, from a certain point of view. [Image: Ubisoft]
'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]
