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God of War studio Sony Santa Monica hit with layoffs
Sony Santa Monica, the studio best known for its work on the God of War series, has suffered layoffs today. Sony representatives confirmed the dismissals with IGN, citing "resource re-alignment against priority growth areas" within Sony Worldwide Studios as the cause. The statement reads: "SCEA can confirm that we have completed a reduction in workforce at Santa Monica Studio. This is a result of a cycle of resource re-alignment against priority growth areas within SCE WWS. We do not take these decisions lightly. However, sometimes it is necessary to make changes to better serve the future projects of the studio. We have offered outplacement services and severance packages to ease transition for those impacted." Sony Santa Monica most recently shipped God of War: Ascension. Currently, the studios is working on three collaborations due to launch this year: Hohokum with Honeyslug; The Order: 1886 with Ready at Dawn; and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture with The Chinese Room. It's currently unclear how these layoffs will affect ongoing projects, so we've contacted Sony for clarification. We wish the best of luck to those affected. [Image: Wikimedia Commons]
All Gran Turismo 5 DLC drives off into the sunset April 30
Online play for Gran Turismo 5 is set to expire in May, but the company has announced it's pulling the plug on the game's DLC early. On April 30, all Gran Turismo 5 DLC will vanish from the PlayStation Store. In order to access Gran Turismo 5's "Racing Car Pack" and "Course Pack" after April 30, PS3 users will need to download and install a free supplemental piece of DLC called "Family Upgrade." Sony points out that, after online services have been terminated, some DLC can be re-downloaded through PSN even if local game data is erased from the hard drive – but not all of it. Sony also announced Gran Turismo TV is shutting down on March 14. Gran Turismo TV is a video-on-demand service where users can access a variety of car-focused content, including pay-per-view videos. [Image: Sony]
North American Vitas getting Murasaki Baby, No Heroes Allowed this year
Sony recently confirmed the appearance of two Vita games this year in Murasaki Baby and No Heroes Allowed: No Puzzles Either. The latter will launch this spring while the former will arrive in North America "later this year." Murasaki Baby, a twisted touch-based adventure from Italian indie developer Ovosonico, has players protecting a little girl from nightmarish threats. We spent a little time with the game in October and determined that it's "about as bizarre as could be." No Heroes Allowed: No Puzzles Either is the fifth game in the series, one of the previous being No Heroes Allowed for PSP. No Puzzles Either draws a few comparisons to mobile puzzler 10000000, as it challenges players with 64 levels of match-three-style puzzles to defeat over 200 enemies. [Image: Ovosonico]
Invizimals PS3, Vita games are ready to capture North America
The Invizimals series is bringing its reality-augmenting critters back to North America, with portable and console entries due this year. Vita game Invizimals: The Alliance and PS3 companion Invizimals: The Lost Kingdom hit Europe last year. Despite not bringing the series' PSP game stateside, Sony Computer Entertainment America stepped in to ferry the duo over this time around. Given the Vita's built-in augmented reality features, Invizimals: The Alliance was always a given. The portable game rekindles the series' Pokemon-like unearthing and capturing of monsters, with players using touch and noise to capture their psuedo-real prey. Meanwhile, PS3 game The Lost Kingdom is the first in the series to shy away from AR, instead dropping players into a colorful 3D action-adventure set in the Invizimals' world. The PS3 game syncs up with its Vita sibling, letting players duke it out in a cross-system battle arena for up to four players, additionally allowing players to transfer items across the two games. Fans of the three PSP games, including Invizimals: The Lost Tribes, which never made it stateside, will be pleased to hear SCEA's Nick Accordino say there's a "nice chance" of them showing up on PSN.
PS4 firmware update to unlock use of 7.1 surround sound Pulse headsets
A new system software update for the PS4 will open the range of options for compatible headsets for the console, Sony announced. Firmware version 1.60 will add support for Sony's Pulse and Pulse Elite Edition wireless stereo headsets for PS3, which feature 7.1 virtual surround sound and voice chat. The update is expected to land "late tonight." Sony also mentioned that its next PS4 and Vita-compatible headset, the Gold Wireless Headset, will arrive early this month for $99. The headset also includes 7.1 virtual surround sound in addition to "custom sound profiles" created by PlayStation developers. One of the developers to optimize a sound profile for the headset is Infamous: Second Son creators Sucker Punch. Sony will offer a Headset Companion App on PS4 for free, so players with either Pulse headset can access the sound profiles. Sony's description of the Gold Wireless Headset notes that it uses a wireless adapter, which makes sense given the PS4's limited recognition of bluetooth devices. It also includes a folding design and customizable face plates, which is pretty nifty. [Image: Sony]
Sony says PS4 failures have varying causes, affect less than 1 percent of units
The PlayStation 4 launch last week was quickly followed by mounting reports of defective units, including consoles that wouldn't display video. Had Sony shipped the console with a common flaw? No, an SCEA spokeperson tells us in a statement (found after the break). The company believes there "isn't a singular problem" at fault that would affect a large number of systems. The failure rate is also relatively small, according to the representative. With less than 1 percent of shipped systems affected by these problems (up from 0.4 percent in a previous claim), the number of broken systems is reportedly within the "expected range" for a product launch. While we're certainly used to new devices that ship with a few bugs in tow, that figure still leaves a lot of unhappy gamers -- one percent of the million-plus PS4 buyers would still equate to 10,000 people. Sony says it's working to get these systems replaced; let's hope it moves quickly.
Killzone: Shadow Fall trailers get technical
Sony unveiled two new trailers for Killzone: Shadow Fall today, one of which shows how the game looks with and without its PS4-powered effects. The game launched this week before the PS4 hits shelves on November 15.
PS4 disc install trials: Knack playable in seconds, Killzone under 3 minutes
At a New York event yesterday, Sony demonstrated install speeds - the time from the point the disc is inserted, install is initiated and play can begin - for retail versions of two PS4 launch games: Knack and Killzone: Shadow Fall Knack, the action-adventure game from PS4 architect Mark Cerny, will take only tens of seconds before play can begin after priming the installation, Kotaku reports. Killzone: Shadow Fall will take a bit longer to reach play, Polygon reports, because there is an unskippable introduction movie and mandatory profile set-up. Guerrilla Games Managing Director Hermen Hulst told Polygon it takes under three minutes total to get into gameplay. Sony outlined the launch limitations of its PS4 console last month. All retail PS4 games will have to install data to the console's 500GB hard drive, which can be manually swapped out should the need for more space arise. The PS4 won't let users store data on an external hard drive or memory stick.
Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus Review - Surprises and snowmen
I've been wrong about Ratchet & Clank. I always thought Sony's series was the Dreamworks to Nintendo's Pixar. Yeah, they can be cute, and they can be funny, but Ratchet & Clank games always felt like the result of extreme market-testing, with whatever soul they could have had replaced with lowest common denominator pandering. Just look at Ratchet: He has that face, that smug smirk that every Dreamworks character makes (at least according to that popular web comic from a few years ago.) Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus isn't the first Ratchet & Clank that I've played, but it's the first to make me feel bad about writing these games off. Some of the dialogue and character designs might veer into that cloyingly sassy turf claimed by Dreamworks and so many smarmy kids' shows, but it doesn't happen as often as I had feared. Much of the game is legitimately funny. The variety of the game's action, and how smoothly it flows from third-person shoot-out to twisty platforming section, makes up for any of the story's creakier moments.
Here's how Knack's two-player co-op works
PS4 launch title Knack will feature local co-op support, allowing another player to jump in and control titular hero Knack's companion and helper, Robo Knack. Using a DualShock 4 controller or Remote Play through a PS Vita, this second player can use Robo Knack to pummel baddies or support Knack by hooking him up with spare parts - basically health - when he's running low. Knack, which is developed by Sony's Japan Studio and directed by PS4 architect Mark Cerny, will be available at the PS4's launch on November 15. The action-platformer centers around a Katamari-like creature known as Knack, who grows in size as he gathers objects known as Relics.
See the world in turmoil in Killzone: Shadow Fall's story trailer
This trailer for Killzone: Shadow Fall offers a taste of the game's story, which is set 30 years after the events in Killzone 3. The Cold War-inspired tale will launch November 15 on PS4, and will receive six DLC packs in its $20 season pass program.
Final Soul Sacrifice update adds 16 new (and tough!) quests
The Marvelous AQL and Japan Studio-developed Vita-exclusive Soul Sacrifice has been given its final update, SCEA producer Kumi Yuasa revealed in a post on the PlayStation Blog. Update 1.30 adds "16 challenging new quests" to the game, for free. Unlike previous updates, unlock keys from the PlayStation Store are not required to enjoy the content. Yuasa says the game's final bonus quests are all at level ten difficulty. "You'll be tasked with facing challenging boss characters you may have come across before," Yuasa adds. Soul Sacrifice launched for the PlayStation Vita in North America on April 30. The Joystiq review noted that playing it could exact an "unexpected toll on your thoughts." Spooky!
Extra Life and Sony partner for 25-hour charity drive
Charitable foundation Extra Life is teaming up with Sony Computer Entertainment America to host this year's series of 25-hour gaming marathons to raise money for hospitals within the Children's Miracle Network. The first 50,000 participants that raise $10 or more will earn a 30-day PlayStation Plus membership. The first 20,000 that clear the $25, $50 and $75 goals will win When Vikings Attack, Wipeout HD and LittleBigPlanet Vita, respectively. The event's grand prize consists of a 1 year PS+ membership and "a lineup of PS4 games" that includes Knack, Killzone: Shadow Fall and Driveclub. It will be awarded to the team that raises the most funds from today until 8am PST on November 3. If you're interested in participating, sign up here. Due to laws in the UK and Australia restricting the ability of non-profit organizations to raise funds in either country, international participants will need to play their marathons for the benefit of the international efforts of three hospitals: Boston Children's, SickKids in Toronto, or Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
Destiny of Spirits global beta starts October 24
Q Entertainment's monster-collecting Vita game Destiny of Spirits will enter a beta test phase on October 24. The free-to-play RPG has players engaging in turn-based combat with their upgradable minions, which players can trade or lend to others. The game encourages players to bring their Vitas with them while traveling, as the system's location-tracking tech is used to unlock spirits with every trip. The global beta program, which allows players to collect every spirit and access every location in the Destiny of Spirits, will end November 1.
Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus hits PS3 Nov. 12, pre-order bonuses outlined
The budget-priced end-cap to this generation's stable of Ratchet and Clank games, Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus, will bring zany weapons and robotic antics to the PlayStation 3 on November 12, to the tune of $29.99. Folks who pre-order from "participating retailers" will receive Ratchet's "Pyronox Armor," which reduces incoming damage by five percent. Amazon pre-orders also include "roughly $30" worth of Ratchet and Clank items for PlayStation Home (according to the PlayStation Blog), though the exact nature of said items is not specified. Meanwhile, Insomniac also released this faux-VHS orientation video detailing Ratchet's hands-on involvement in the series' development process, including his failed mo-cap suit made out of DualShock 3 controllers.
The Last of Us story DLC introduces new character this winter
The first story-based DLC add-on for The Last of Us will feature a new character, Naughty Dog's Eric Monacelli has declared in a post on the PlayStation Blog. Following a lengthy casting phase, this extra chapter, which is due sometime in December or January and part of the Season Pass program, will begin its motion-capture filming sessions next week. "This is an ambitious story with strong ties into the narrative of The Last of Us," Monacelli writes on the PS Blog. There is no mention of whether protagonists Joel or Ellie will make an appearance. Prior to the single-player content, the multiplayer-focused Abandoned Territories Map Pack will arrive on October 15. Four maps in total are included: Suburbs, Bus Depot, Hometown and Bookstore. The third piece of Season Pass content will also be multiplayer-centric and is due within the first half of 2014. The Last of Us Season Pass is priced at $20 – which Naughty Dog says represents a 75 percent savings over picking up all of the DLC piecemeal – and available through PSN and GameStop.
Killzone: Shadow Fall gets $20 season pass for six DLC packs
A $20 season pass for Killzone: Shadow Fall was announced by Sony today. The pass grants access to six DLC packs as they become available after the game's launch. The DLC included in the season pass are three online co-op map packs, one online co-op expansion and two other multiplayer expansion packs. The three co-op map packs include two arena maps per piece of DLC. Killzone: Shadow Fall, the latest entry in Guerilla Games' gritty shooter series, will launch alongside the PlayStation 4 on November 15.
Gran Turismo 6 getting 'fairly large' day-one patch
When Gran Turismo 6 launches on December 6, it will come with a sizable patch. The day-one patch will primarily address a few issues with the game's online features, Polyphony Digital boss Kazunori Yamauchi told Eurogamer, adding that the developer is "still overflowing with stuff we'd like to do. So I think the day one patch will be a fairly large patch." Yamauchi noted the patch isn't out of the ordinary for the developer, as Gran Turismo 5 was updated shortly after the game's launch. "It's the same every time. Everything's very tight. It's an incredibly tight schedule," Yamauchi said. "As to being able to include everything we want to on day one, we probably won't be able to. I think for the 12 months following the release we'll continue to update the software. Because in Gran Turismo 6 we're preparing a lot of different things we haven't even touched on yet."
Gran Turismo documentary announced
Sony has announced a documentary film based on the Gran Turismo racing series. Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi showed off the first trailer for the documentary at the Jalopnik Film Festival held in the Classic Car Club Manhattan in New York. Directed by Tamir Moscovici, the film revolves around Yamauchi's journey to "push beyond the virtual divide in his pursuit of perfection." Sony did not specify when the full film will air, though it wouldn't surprise us if it were closer to Gran Turismo 6's release on PS3, December 6. It also wouldn't surprise us if it were delayed like the game often was.
Driveclub gameplay trailer speeds through the night
This video for Driveclub takes an Audi R8 V10 Plus through the game's nighttime Salar de Surire track. Driveclub will launch with the PS4 on November 15.
