With only five gamers remaining, the group isn’t pulling any punches when it comes to these final challenges. Last week’s episode found the group battling blindfolded on the beaches of Santa Monica in a God of War-inspired challenge with the winners earning a behind-the-scenes tour of Santa Monica Studio. If you missed this rare inside look, you can still watch it right here.

This week, it’s every gamer for themselves as Dylan Jobe, president of Lightbox Interactive, puts the gamers to task in a Starhawk-inspired “Build and Battle” challenge. Each gamer will attempt to build the highest tower out of blocks and also be forced to reveal brutally honest opinions about their fellow housemates.

As always, you can watch the entire episode in the What’s New section of the XMB, PlayStation Home’s Theater 2 (where the limited edition ‘The Tester 3” game over hoodies are awarded), or download in glorious HD from the PlayStation Store after today’s update. And, once again, we’re hosting the full episode below, so you can watch right here on The PlayStation Blog! (Please do not post spoilers!)

Also, the ‘Superfan’ viewing quest continues in PlayStation Home and you still have a chance to re-join the quest as a special The Tester 3 marathon is running in Theater 6 where you can earn the previously released limited edition “The Tester 3” hoodies for your avatar.

The sixth Twitter giveaway for The Tester 3 is next Monday, March 19. Follow @PlayStation to participate, and keep an eye out for a trivia question related to Episode 6. Congratulations to @candisbross for winning yesterday’s Episode 5 prize package!

For next week, the prize package is for the Starhawk aficionado:

• The Tester 3 t-shirt
• 1 month PlayStation Plus voucher
• Signed copy of Starhawk by Dylan Jobe
• Starhawk Poster
• Starhawk T-shirt

Please remember to allow fans the chance to enjoy the show by NOT posting any spoilers in the comments below, or in the PlayStation forums.

With Journey‘s wide release taking place later today, this edition of Pulse presented by PlayStation Network celebrates the innovative gameplay and stunning visuals from the most anticipated PSN game this year. For those of you who haven’t experienced this beautiful title, note that Journey also kicks off this year’s Spring Fever campaign starting today on PlayStation Store. Christina Lee also checks out last week’s release of MotorStorm RC for both PS3 and Vita, which comes wiith 16 unique tracks and customizable models. The PS Vita version of MotorStorm RC is FREE courtesy of the new Scion IQ. Also new for PS Vita this week is Reality Fighters, an augmented reality fighting game where the battle arenas are created using the PS Vita’s camera system.

Pulse also examines recent updates to the Starhawk multiplayer beta (now available to all on PSN) that now supports up to 32 players on the new Planet Dust map (with my favorite new vehicle – the Sidewinder Jetbike) and the UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception Co-op Shade Survival Mode that pits Drake and company against hordes of flaming demons. Finally, we highlight the top 10 PSN games that you guys downloaded during the 29 days of February.

Download full HD, SD, and PS Vita editions of Pulse from PlayStation Store after the update this afternoon.

We’re now halfway through the third season of The Tester, and the battle to earn a Production Associate position at Santa Monica Studio is really heating up. Last week’s episode found the gamers reinventing themselves as fighting game characters in a competition themed around Street Fighter X Tekken. There was action, drama, fiery special effects and hilarious over-the-top performances by the remaining contenders. If you missed it, check it out right here.

This week, the gamers don togas and head to the beach for a God of War-inspired challenge. Like Poseidon blinded by Kratos in God of War III, the gamers will be blindfolded and put to task under the watchful eye of Santa Monica Studio creative director, Todd Papy. The winners will accompany Todd for a behind-the-scenes tour of Santa Monica Studio.

As always, you can also watch the entire episode on the What’s New section of the XMB, PlayStation Home’s Theater 2 (including limited edition ‘The Tester 3′ game over hoodies), or download in glorious HD from the PlayStation Store after today’s update. And, new this week, you can watch the entire episode on the PlayStation Blog!  (Please do not post spoilers!)

For those of you needing to catch up on the season, we’re holding a mid-season marathon in PlayStation Home where you can watch episodes 1-4 of The Tester 3 in Theater 6 starting today. If you missed a week of the ‘Superfan’ viewing quest, this is your chance to rejoin the journey to earn limited edition “The Tester 3” hoodies for your avatar, so don’t miss out!

Our fifth Twitter giveaway for The Tester 3 is next Monday, March 12. Follow @PlayStation to participate, and keep an eye out for a trivia question related to Episode 5. Congratulations to @PS3Gamer87 for winning yesterday’s Episode 4 prize package!

For next week, the prize package is all about God of War:

• The Tester 3 t-shirt
• 1 month PlayStation Plus voucher
• Signed God of War Limited Edition Art Book autographed by Todd Papy and team
• Toy Blade of Chaos

Please remember to allow fans the chance to enjoy the show by NOT posting any spoilers in the comments below, or in the PlayStation forums.

March’s episode introduces us to fights in space and against zombies.

Jesse Blaze Snider kicks off March Qore with a tour of Starhawk. From Austin, Texas, he visits LightBox Interactive to meet with Dylan Jobe, Lars Devore and Josh Sutphin for a fast and furious flight around the world of Starhawk. From jetpacks to the transforming ‘hawks, along with the heavily promoted build and battle system, you definitely want to see this comprehensive extended preview of this May release.

While mechs are definitely part of Starhawk, for the hardcore mech-head, Armored Core V is stomping up with the next installment featuring persistent online war and plasma swords!

And it’s time for another T-virus outbreak with Resident Evil: Raccoon City Outbreak jumping back to an earlier era of the franchise. But, this time Slant Six and Capcom have joined forces to shoot up this staple of the survival horror genre. Qore previews the story and 4 player online co-op that’s always been a huge part of the series.

With so many games incorporating free running and Parkour into the game play mechanics, Tiffany Smith tries her hand (and feet, of course) at learning the basic techniques exhibited by game characters like Ezio Auditore. She literally dives into one of the largest Parkour gyms in the country.

If you missed a recent episode of Qore, remember you can still download it for FREE from the PlayStation Store, or visit Qore’s new episode pages to view individual feature stories right here.

We hope you enjoy the March episode of Qore.

Last week on The Tester 3, we saw the gamers endure a rigorous challenge inspired by UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss. Their ability to overcome a demanding obstacle course and quickly adapt was tested. Nolan North also came by the PlayStation Loft to show off his new PS Vita title, and an unexpected double elimination caught everybody by surprise. If you missed it, watch it right here.

This week, the fight literally begins with Street Fighter X Tekken. Not only will we see head-to-head competition in the upcoming new game, but each gamer’s creativity will be tested when they must create new game characters and choreograph fight scenes for guest panelist, Capcom Special Combat Advisor, Seth Killian.

Check out this week’s preview of episode 4 below, and watch the full episode here. You can also watch the entire episode on the What’s New section of the XMB or download from the PlayStation Store when today’s update is published.

If you are looking to complete your PlayStation Home quest for The Tester 3, we have a marathon beginning Tuesday, March 6, where you can watch all previous episodes (1-4) in Theater 6. Be sure to stop in so you can rejoin the quest and earn limited edition “The Tester 3” shirts for your avatar!

Our fourth Twitter giveaway for The Tester 3 is next Monday, March 5. Follow @PlayStation to participate, and keep an eye out for a trivia question related to Episode 4. Congratulations to @_meridian for winning yesterday’s Episode 3 prize package!

For next week, the prize package is perfect for all you Street Fighter X Tekken fans:

• The Tester 3 t-shirt
• 1 month PlayStation Plus voucher
• Mad Catz Street Fighter X Tekken FightStickPro autographed by Seth Killian

As a reminder, please allow fans the chance to enjoy the show by NOT posting any spoilers in the comments below, or in the PlayStation forums.

In this edition of Pulse presented by PlayStation Network, host Christina Lee sets her sights on the first FPS for PS Vita, Unit 13. With 36 tactical missions and nine high-value target battles, it’s the perfect showcase for PS Vita’s precise dual analog sticks. Other PS Vita previews include must-play sports titles MLB 12 The Show, incorporating front/rear touch controls and cross platform play, and Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational.

With Mass Effect 3 dropping next week, this week’s Pulse also shows off the unique in-game Argus rifle and exclusive PS3 theme available for those who pre-order from PlayStation Store. Other “Only on PlayStation” content shown in this episode include a look at SSX’s Mt Fuji mountain and Street Fighter X Tekken’s exclusive character Cole MacGrath.

Finally, with the Academy Awards behind us, the Top 10 highlights the most popular past Best Picture winners you guys are watching from Video Unlimited.

Download full HD editions of PULSE from the PlayStation Store after today’s update.

Last week’s Twisted Metal inspired episode of The Tester 3 really pushed our gamers as the two teams scrambled to build a replica of Sweet Tooth’s ice cream truck under the intense scrutiny of David Jaffe. If you missed it, catch the full episode right here!

Week 3 tests their ability to overcome obstacles and stay focused in a challenge inspired by UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss for PS Vita. Golden Abyss’ creative director John Garvin visits from Sony Bend Studio to evaluate each team’s performance in the most demanding challenge of the season thus far. And this week, the winning team gets to spend some quality time with Nathan Drake himself, Nolan North. But the fun and games abruptly end during this week’s intense elimination.

Speaking of PS Vita, beginning with today’s PlayStation Store publish, The Tester 3 will be available to watch on PS Vita’s beautiful 5” OLED screen. You can catch up on the first two episodes on PS Vita as well.

Check out this week’s preview of episode 3 below, and watch the full episode here. You can download in HD and SD from the PlayStation Store when today’s update is published.

We’re also set to launch our third Twitter giveaway for The Tester 3! This takes place next Monday, February 27. Follow @PlayStation to participate. Congratulations to @kancer for winning this week’s prize package!

For next week, the prize package is themed around the UNCHARTED series:

• The Tester 3 t-shirt
• 1 month PlayStation Plus voucher
• “UNCHARTED: Drake’s Journal” autographed by Nolan North
• UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception Collector’s Edition
• UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception Soundtrack
• UNCHARTED Notebook

As a reminder, please allow fans the chance to enjoy the show by NOT posting any spoilers in the comments below, or in the PlayStation forums.

On last week’s premiere episode of The Tester 3, we put our gamers through an intense challenge involving a mock job interview and hissing cockroaches. We literally got to witness how each cast member dealt with bugs. For episode 2, things gets really twisted, as David Jaffe, Twisted Metal’s co-director, is this week’s guest panelist on hand to evaluate teamwork in a Sweet Tooth-inspired competition. You also don’t want to miss the gamers taking on the first boss battle in the new Twisted Metal as part of this week’s challenge. Mr. Jaffe appeared in an earlier video here on the PlayStation.Blog, and discussed the great opportunity this season’s winner will have working as a Production Associate at Santa Monica Studio. Check out the below video to get a taste of today’s episode, which you can watch right here and download from the PlayStation Store later today.

We also have our first collection of extra scenes from last week’s season premiere of The Tester 3, which you can watch right here. As an added bonus, we’ve produced a PlayStation 3 static theme featuring Adrianne Curry and Meredith Molinari, which will be available on the PlayStation Store later today.

Also, our second Twitter contest giveaway takes place next Monday, February 20. Follow @PlayStation to participate. Congratulations to @DownBoundSoul for winning our first week’s prize package!

For week 2, here’s the full list of prizes we’re giving away in the next contest:

• The Tester 3 t-shirt
• 1 month PlayStation Plus voucher
• Signed copy of Twisted Metal by David Jaffe
• Sweet Tooth Mask
• PlayStation Wireless headset

As a reminder, please allow fans the chance to enjoy the show by not posting any spoilers in the comments below, or in the PlayStation forums.

We hope you enjoy episode 2!

This edition of Pulse also takes the Mass Effect 3 demo (coming to PSN later today) and SSX demo (coming soon) for a test drive. And, with only a week until PS Vita rolls out here in North America, Christina Lee takes a quick look at the must-have launch titles such as Escape Plan, wipEout 2048, and UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss. We also take you behind the velvet rope of PlayStation Home’s exclusive VIP Club ‘X7.’

Remember, you can watch the full editions of Pulse in the “What’s New” section under the PlayStation Network icon when the PlayStation Store updates later today and download in full HD or to your PSP.

The time has finally come: it’s premiere day for The Tester 3! We hope you’ve enjoyed getting an inside look at this exciting season: we’ve introduced our diverse group of contestants, panelists, and special guests, provided a sneak peek at the first episode, and gone behind the scenes at  the future workplace of the season 3 winner. Here’s a look at the first minutes of the season premiere of The Tester 3:

Watch The Tester 3 – Episode 1

To celebrate the start of season 3, we’ve brought our past two winners of The Tester here to the PlayStation.Blog to talk about their experiences. Both season 1 winner Will Powers (Cyrus) and season 2 winner Matthew Brown (Gaymer) have gone on from their experience on The Tester to full-time careers at Sony. We spoke to both of them recently, and below, they’ve given us their thoughts on being a part of the show, and where it has taken them.

Will Powers, Associate PR Generalist, SCEA
Because of the nature of The Tester, upon winning I was exposed to various media interview requests, all of which had to be staffed by individuals from the Public Relations team here at PlayStation. The general consensus was that during these media opportunities I came off as well-spoken and knowledgeable. There happened to be an opening in the Public Relations department in San Diego, where I was recruited based upon the relationships and impressions that I hadn’t even known I was making as a neophyte within the organization. Now over the past year and a half I’ve been working to help organize events and promote product publicity for various titles in the PlayStation portfolio, including working on The Tester itself.

Matthew Brown, Marketing Coordinator, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Being on The Tester has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Filming the show, testing for Sony Computer Entertainment, going to E3 and meeting so many people, it’s all been an absolute blast and has only deepened my love for the industry and PlayStation. I’ve since moved to Los Angeles and joined the Sony Pictures family (my hiring manager saw the show), where I’m laser-focused on rounding myself out as a marketer and storyteller. I’m confident that as the entertainment and tech industries grow there will be more and more crossover between games and films, and I can’t wait to be a part of that with Sony.

Impressive. Who’s next to win season 3? The best way to find out is to catch the show every Tuesday: Log into PSN to watch the show through your PS3 or PSP, or stay online and watch the show at PlayStation.com. Full episodes are also hosted in Theater 2 in PlayStation Home, where you can get exclusive The Tester 3 avatar shirts for watching the show. And keep an eye on the official PlayStation Twitter for ways to win great PlayStation prizes throughout the season.

Members of The Tester 3 join past cast members, panelist Brent Gocke, and host Meredith Molinari at the LA premiere party.

We hope you enjoy this season!