Author Archive
Watch the Sony CES 2012 Press Conference Right Here
Posted by Jeff Rubenstein in Uncategorized on January 9th, 2012
One of the things that I like about working for PlayStation is that immediately following the holiday break, we’re right back into the action with the International Consumer Electronics Show. While CES isn’t a huge gaming show, there is always a gaming component – PlayStation Vita is our focus on the show floor this year. And since many gamers are technophiles, many of us have more than a passing interest in the tech on display at this mega-conference. For instance, I first laid eyes on the Bravia XBR HX929 HDTV at last year’s CES…and now I lay eyes on it every night as it hangs on my living room wall.
So with that in mind, we’re once again embedding the CES press conference are livestream right here for your viewing convenience. You’ll see the latest gadgets and tech from Sony Electronics, and you may even spot a celebrity or two. The event kicks off at 5:00pm Pacific/8:00pm Eastern; until then, there won’t be much to watch unless you enjoy gazing into inky blackness.
If you’re having trouble viewing the livestream, please click here. The show starts tonight at 5:00pm Pacific.
Directly after the press conference (around 6pm), the Sony Electronics team stream a live after-show Q&A with Sony Electronics’ president, and our own Kyle Shubel will demo PlayStation Vita live.
We’ll be updating the PlayStation.Blog throughout the week with the latest PlayStation Vita news coming out of CES, so don’t be a stranger to these parts. If you’d like more on the electronics side of the Consumer Electronics Show, click here to visit Sony CES blog.
PlayStation Around The Web: What We Read
Posted by Jeff Rubenstein in Uncategorized on January 8th, 2012
It’s a whole new year, and around here that means: It’s time for CES.
The 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show will be held this coming week, with the Sony press conference taking place tomorrow evening (5pm Pacific time). As we did last year, we’ll be streaming the press event live into the PlayStation Blog. While some game publishers are always in attendance, CES isn’t nearly as game-centric as E3 or Gamescom, and so you’re more likely to see updated impressions of Q1 games than you are to hear earth-shattering announcements. That said, we’ll be featuring PS Vita at CES, so look for new coverage on the PS Blog later this week.
The PS.Blog weekly reading list (Week of January 2, 2012)
- Toys’R'Us has Rayman Origins for $20 with free shipping – Destructoid
- Amy’s PlayStation 3 price to be decided by Facebook poll – Destructoid
- Noby Noby Boy reaches Uranus – Shacknews.com
- Parasite Eve Storyboards Slip Out – Siliconera
- Escape Plan Before Sony Brought It To Vita (Plus Dark Fairytale Game Concept Art) – Siliconera
- dust 514 closed beta signup now live – EVE Insider | Dev Blog
- Trine 2 Review – PlayStation 3 Review at IGN
- The House of the Dead 3 and 4 Coming to PSN – PlayStation 3 News at IGN
- Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus added to North America’s Vita launch lineup – Joystiq
- Media Molecule: We must continue taking risks – Game Development | News by Develop
- Sonic CD Review – GameSpot.com
- An orchestral ‘Journey’ for thatgamecompany’s new video game – USA Today
- PlayStation Move Game Guide – VGBlogger
- Uncharted Vita: The Art of Treasure Hunting – IGN
- 5 Family-Friendly Features of PlayStation Vita – Wired.com
- Review: The Playstation 3D Display Lets You Bring All Of Your Friends – TechCrunch
- Best of the PS3 in 2011 – YouTube
- Sony PlayStation Vita review (Japan) | The Verge
Resistance: Burning Skies – George Washington Bridge Playthrough
Posted by Jeff Rubenstein in PS Vita on December 23rd, 2011
I can’t wait to finally be able to play a proper FPS on the go, and that time will come when Resistance: Burning Skies launches for PlayStation Vita in 2012. Recently, Rob Huebner of developer Nihilistic talked us through the newly-revealed George Washington Bridge area of RBS. Since this is Day 1 of the Chimeran invasion, don’t expect a leisurely jaunt across the Hudson River; the bridge is lousy with Chimeran Scouts, armed with infrared beam-enabled sniper rifles.
In this video, Huebner narrates as producer Frank Simon drags and drops grenades right where he wants them. Also, take note of touch-screen melee controls, the first person cover system, the touch-activated weapon wheel, and the Sixeye sniper rifle’s alt-fire mode.
Official PlayStation Blogcast Episode 005: Game of the Year Edition
Posted by Jeff Rubenstein in Uncategorized on December 22nd, 2011
Subscription Links:
We’re only 5 episodes into the Official PlayStation Blogcast, and it’s already time for a clip show! We wrap up 2011 with a double episode delivering exclusive first details of the last PSN new game releases for the year (that’s Tuesday, December 27th) as well as the first PlayStation Store Update of 2012 (Tuesday, January 3rd).
Then we discuss the best PS3 and PSN games of 2011, as well as hear GotY picks of special guests from around the industry, including Capcom’s Seth Killian, IGN’s Podcast Beyond team, Naughty Dog‘s co-presidents, Double Fine Productions, Max Scoville from Destructoid, Game Informer’s Andy McNamara, plus N’Gai Croal compliments me on the blazer I wore at the VGAs (after talking about Portal 2 – listen closely).
As always, we encourage you to leave your feedback and questions in the comments here and rate us on iTunes. And while you’re at it, let us know your favorite game of 2011. See you in 2012!
The Cast
[Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]
Learn FIFA Soccer’s New Vita Controls
Posted by Jeff Rubenstein in PS Vita on December 22nd, 2011
EA’s first foray onto the PlayStation Vita is a strong one, as the EA Sports team in Vancouver isn’t just miniaturizing the PS3 experience into a portable size, but refining the controls to take advantage of the new hardware. In this hands-on video, producer Matt Prior demonstrates what he calls “the most controllable version of FIFA ever.”
As is quickly becoming standard practice when console franchises debut on the Vita, these touchscreen controls are optional. Yet I think longtime video footballers will find themselves using at least some of these new tricks pretty quickly, as they feel right at home.
I spent some time with this demo version of FIFA Soccer after the event, and I found myself toying around with the playable menu screen for a long time, just taking shot after shot on goal. The accuracy of the rear touch shooting has won me over, and I look forward to hearing your impressions of it once it debuts in just a few short months.
PlayStation Around The Web: What We Read
Posted by Jeff Rubenstein in Uncategorized on December 18th, 2011
The PlayStation Vita is now available – in Japan. As we count down the 66 days until PS Vita lands ashore here in North America, we can at least read updated impressions of the hardware and the games that we’ve been previewing recently. For me, it’s all about Gravity Rush, as well as the Vita version of the series I spent the most hours playing on PSP: Hot Shots Golf.
In the list, keep an eye out for plenty of Vita tales, as well as updated tidbits on The Last of Us. Speaking of which: grab a free PS3 Dynamic Theme, won’t you?
The PS.Blog weekly reading list (Week of December 12, 2011)
- Little Deviants is cute and cuddly fun times – Destructoid
- Hands-on with Zipper’s Unit 13 on the PlayStation Vita – Destructoid
- Army Corps of Hell bolstering Vita launch lineup on February 22 – Joystiq
- Merry Christmas: Demon’s Souls Just Got a Smidge Easier – Kotaku
- Hating the VGAs Is Boring – Kotaku
- Mechs, Jets and Beam Cannons Shine in the Starhawk Beta – Kotaku
- On the Subject of the PlayStation Vita, and the Games You Should Be Watching Out For – Giant Bomb
- ‘The Last of Us’ is Naughty Dog’s next chapter – USATODAY.com
- Sorcery Is Back With A Bang – PlayStation 3 Preview at IGN
- The Last of Us Preview • Previews – Eurogamer.net
- Stretching and Squeezing Katamari Onto the Vita – GameSpot.com
- Sony’s PlayStation Vita launches in Japan today – The Verge
- Gamers Line Up For PlayStation Vita Launch – Andriasang.com
- Veni, Vidi, Vita – Kotaku
- For my daughter, I play Shadow of the Colossus – Bitmob.com
- The DeanBeat: Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception tops our list of the 10 best games of 2011 – VentureBeat
- Sony: PS3 still on track for 15 million sales this year – VentureBeat
- Sony: Sorcery Shows Why Move Is Superior to Kinect and Wii – IndustryGamers
- Sorcery PlayStaion Move Interview – GamerFitNation.com
- PS3 Is Lead Platform For Metal Gear Rising – PlayStation LifeStyle
- Hands-on video with the hottest PlayStation Vita games – Destructoid
- Sony to launch handheld game system in Japan – USATODAY.com
- Sony Says New Vita Portable Player Sold Out in Pre-Ordering – Businessweek
- Best PS3 (PlayStation 3) games of 2011 – Digital Trends
- Impressions: Starhawk Beta - PSNation.org
- Plants vs. Zombies on Vita? Yes, Please. – PlayStation Vita Preview at IGN
- PlayStation Vita plays it smart with phone-like UI, we go hands-on — Engadget
- Sony On PlayStation Vita: ‘We’re In This For The Long Term’ – IndustryGamers
- Sony’s PlayStation Vita: Can It Win the Portable Gaming Crown? – Mashable
- PlayStation Finds Its Groove with 2 Innovative Music Games
- A Walk in the Woods With a Family Secret – Giant Bomb
- The Last of Us could be one of the best new original games – VentureBeat
- Medieval Moves: Deadmund’s Quest – The PS3 Attitude Review | PS3 Attitude
- Dead or Alive 5 is alive, hitting, throwing, kicking… – GAMER LOOP
- Ten Shining Examples of How the PlayStation Vita Will Change the Way You Play Games – Kotaku
- Up close and personal video of Resistance Burning Skies on PS Vita (video) – VentureBeat
Uncharted: Golden Abyss – See Vita’s Intu-Aim Feature
Posted by Jeff Rubenstein in PS Vita on December 15th, 2011
Earlier this week we held a massive PlayStation Vita event in San Francisco, rife with new games, first hands-on time, and newly-debuted features. The Sony Bend Studios team working on Uncharted: Golden Abyss rolled into town touting something in that last category – the Vita-specific Intu-Aim feature. This “aiming modifier” allows gamers to combine the six-axis gyro features of the Vita to fine tune the shots you line up with the right analog stick for greater precision.
In this exclusive new video, producer Darren Yager shows Drake’s Intu-Aim aided gunning efficiency in action:
Also of note: Intu-aim is an optional feature; the team is committed to allowing you to play how you want to play. Having tried it out, I found that you’ll probably end up using it without even realizing you’re doing it.
Naughty Dog’s First Comments on The Last of Us
Posted by Jeff Rubenstein in PS3 on December 12th, 2011
Unless you’ve been far, far away from the internet this weekend, you should already know that the VGAs afforded us our very first look at Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us. If you haven’t, watch the trailer now! Then come back.
As soon as Zachary Levi walked off stage and the lights came up (I think the credits were still rolling!) we grabbed Naughty Dog co-presidents Christophe Balestra and Evan Wells to ask them about their next title.
You surely haven’t heard the last of The Last of Us; stay tuned to the PlayStation.Blog for more.
PlayStation Around The Web: What We Read
Posted by Jeff Rubenstein in Uncategorized on December 11th, 2011
Good afternoon! We’re all still reeling from last night’s [best Geoff Keighley voice] World Premieres at the VGAs. One of the cooler moments was the mixing of PS Vita’s Soundshapes and masked dj Deadmau5. Which reminds me…
If you haven’t already, swing by our Everybody Dance Facebook tab to enter the ‘Everybody Dance with deadmau5’ contest. If you upload a video showing us your best Everybody Dance moves to deadmau5’s “Ghosts ‘N’ Stuff,” you could win an official deadmau5 head or even a trip to London. Deadmau5 will be judging the finalists himself, so try to impress!
The PS.Blog weekly reading list (Week of November 28, 2011)
- Raiden Returns in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance – Wired.com
- Dynasty Warriors NEXT coming to North America February 22 – Destructoid
- New PS Vita screens for Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention – Destructoid
- New BioShock Infinite trailer is moving – Destructoid
- Step Up to the Plate With MLB 12: The Show – PlayStation 3 Preview at IGN
- Corpse Party Review – PlayStation Portable Review at IGN
- ModNation Racers: Bring on the Vita – PlayStation Vita Preview at IGN
- See How Touch My Katamari Uses PlayStation Vita’s Touchpad – Siliconera
- Tales Of Graces F Is Coming To North America On March 13 – Siliconera
- Portabliss: Corpse Party (PSP) – Joystiq
- PlayStation blog’s all-stars enter week three of official ‘blogcast’ – Joystiq
- I’m on Board. The PlayStation Vita is Going to Launch with a Bang. – Kotaku
- Skyrim PS3 Fixes Coming Eventually, Bethesda Offers Pro-Tips – Giant Bomb
- Uncharted 3: Charting A Huge Campaign to ‘Convert The Masses’ – IndustryGamers
- Sony Has Sold 13 Million Copies of Uncharted Series – IGN
- 2011 Holiday Buyers Guide: PlayStation Network – Joystiq
- Sony PlayStation 3D Display – The Top 10 Everything of 2011 – TIME
- PS Vita’s user interface pictured | Crave – CNET
- Journey: Halls of Blue – IGN
- Sega Brings Samurai & Dragons to Vita – 1UP
- Bethesda Updates PS3 Gamers on its Patch Plans – IGN
- Things You May Have Missed in Skyrim – The DamnLag
Watch the VGAs Live Right Here
Posted by Jeff Rubenstein in Uncategorized on December 10th, 2011
The Video Game Awards has turned into one of the gaming industry’s biggest nights, and it’s all about to unfold live! Between the awards, the known quantities (a new Bioshock Infinite trailer!), and the rampant speculation, it should be an intriguing and entertaining watch. I’m lucky enough to have seen some things ahead of time, and believe me when I say that you want to see them, too.
The stream starts at 7.30pm Eastern/4.30pm Pacific, and you can watch it right here. Note: If you just see a white space below this line, refresh the page and the player should appear.
As the show progresses, let us know if you like what you see in the comments…