Starting this morning you can catch Kevin Butler and, well, more Kevin Butler, on some of your favorite networks including ESPN, G4 and Comedy Central. Of course this all leads into next week when you’ll finally have your chance to take Killzone 3 home to play however you choose — whether it be in 3D with your DUALSHOCK 3, PlayStation Move or PlayStation Move sharp shooter. Praise has been pouring in from critics with some stating that “Killzone 3 is the kind of game you buy so you can show off what your PlayStation 3 can do” while others crown the title as “the shooter to beat,” and finally that Killzone 3 “deserves to be in the conversation of top-tier console shooters.” Add the PlayStation Move and PlayStation Move sharp shooter into the mix and we’re hearing things like “BEST motion control for ANY FPS EVER” and “…the first instance where we felt the motion control system actually improved our play in a hardcore game.” (PlayStation: The Official Magazine).

Coming off the heels of our exciting NGP and PlayStation Suite announcements and leading the charge into a year that will bring more than 20 PlayStation 3 exclusives, Killzone 3 marks the first 3D motion control enabled FPS on the market—and it’s one you don’t want to miss.

Killzone 3 has already become an instant favorite here at the PlayStation headquarters, one million of you have already experienced it for yourselves in the single player demo and highly successful beta, but we look forward to hearing what the rest of you have to say when you try it out for yourselves next week.

Thanks,
Scott

In this latest ad Kevin joins us as the VP of Infinite Infinity, referring of course to the endless possibilities that arise when you combine LittleBigPlanet 2’s new features and functionality with access to the over 3.2 million existing online levels created with the original LittleBigPlanet. This spot is one of my personal favorites to date.

In the coming weeks you’ll be seeing a lot of LittleBigPlanet 2, starting today with this Kevin Butler ad as well as the video above which features some of the great levels created during the LittleBigPlanet 2 beta. Both will be rotating on some of your favorite networks including ESPN, G4, Comedy Central, and more. Of course, be sure to also check in on Monday when we begin our attempt to set five gaming records with Guinness World Records in New York City over a three-day period.

Additionally, from now through the end of February, you can drop into 7-Eleven stores around the country to get your hands on one of two limited edition Sackboy Slurpee cups and collect codes redeemable for exclusive downloadable items to make your LittleBigPlanet 2 experience even more exciting. But that’s not all we have in store for you— the team has been hard at work creating some amazing DLC that you’ll be hearing more about in the next few weeks.

The anticipation is building for next Tuesday’s return of Sackboy in LittleBigPlanet 2. While some of you have already played this instant classic via the beta and demo on PSN, next week you’ll have the opportunity to officially add the game to your collection and begin building original games of your own. The feedback from fans thus far has been great and the praise from critics, just overwhelming. Media are raving about the abundance of tools, inspiration, and many opportunities to share your creations, Others are calling it a “celebration of creativity” and “one of the best games you can pick up this year.” Gaming web sites have awarded the title extremely high marks and flattering compliments, including IGN (9/10, Editor’s Choice), Game Informer (9.5/10), 1UP (A-), GamePro (5/5) and Joystiq (5/5).

Many of you took advantage of our great Black Friday promotions at retailers around the country last week, but if getting in line at 6:00am to begin your shopping wasn’t your idea of fun, you’ll be happy to know there are still amazing deals to be found. It’s not too late to get a great deal on a PlayStation 3 bundle while upgrading your home’s HD entertainment system, so you can enjoy the latest in HD gaming, movies and television in the comfort of your own home.

You may remember that last year we joined forces with Sony Electronics and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment to introduce you to BestBuy employee Nick DeVita and a deal so irresistible, many found it hard to pass up. The response to the exclusive BestBuy entertainment bundle confirmed what we’ve known all along; today’s consumers have a voracious appetite for the best in home entertainment. That’s why we’ve partnered again with BestBuy, Sony Electronics and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment to bring you another incredible HD entertainment bundle. In keeping with tradition, we decided to let Kevin and Nick create a team so unstoppable no challenge can stand in their way. Here’s the first look at the uncut full-length version featuring our own “Boombassador of Deals” Kevin Butler and BestBuy’s Nick DeVita.

This exclusive bundle packs a PlayStation 3, a copy of the just released GranTurismo 5, Grown Ups on Blu-ray disc and a select Bravia HDTV–for a total savings of over $1,300. This deal is available now through December 11th across BestBuy stores nationwide and online at BestBuy.com. Be sure to go to BestBuy.com/SonyPS3Bundle for additional details and happy shopping!

With Black Friday just one week away, we are preparing to kick off the start of the traditional holiday shopping season. Retail stores will fill to capacity with tech-hungry shoppers looking for the year’s best bargains. While some can navigate the mass of home entertainment options with ease, others may find it overwhelming. We know that many of you who read the PlayStation.Blog already understand the incredible value and unmatched features of PS3. But some consumers are still educating themselves on different gift options and not everyone fully understands what an all-in-one home entertainment powerhouse the PS3 is, much to Kevin’s dismay.

In addition to including one of the best Blu-ray players on the market, and boasting a deep and varied line-up of exclusive must-have titles, PS3 also provides free access to PSN. This means you and your entire family can dig into thousands of your favorite movies and TV shows, enjoy some of your favorite sports, and benefit from an extensive selection of downloadable games. As Kevin points out, combining a world class game system with one of the “sweetest” Blu-ray players around is nothing more than a match made in entertainment heaven.

While these ads showcase the incredible value of both PS3 and PSN, that’s only one piece of what makes the PS3 the perfect gift. In addition to a list of blockbuster titles for PS3 that includes Gran Turismo 5, UNCHARTED 2: Game of the Year Edition and The Sly Collection you will also be able to add PlayStation Move to your cart. PlayStation Move has already shipped more than 1 million units in North and Latin America alone and is primed to bring the family together in the living room this holiday season. With a large selection of PlayStation Move games, from gritty favorites like The Fight: Lights Out to family friendly titles such as EyePet, SingStar Dance and Start the Party!, PlayStation Move is the only motion control solution on the market that provides a precise and engaging experience with games that everyone on your holiday list will enjoy playing together.

Whether you’re a last minute shopper or a Black Friday deal fanatic, we hope PS3 and PlayStation Move are on your list of must-haves this holiday season!

Best,

Peter

In just six short days, the franchise that revolutionized the racing category as we know it will be making its exclusive debut on PlayStation 3. Gran Turismo 5 will be racing onto store shelves this coming Wednesday, November 24. This highly anticipated installment will no doubt raise the bar on the franchise’s unparalleled graphics, presentation and gameplay – bringing you an experience so life-like you’ll find it hard to distinguish from a live race.

While we think features such as the all-new Course Maker, an expansive online racing community built right in, stereoscopic 3D compatibility and more than 1,000 cars from the world’s top manufacturers, including karts and select NASCAR cars, speak for themselves, we still couldn’t resist giving one of our most anticipated and loved franchises the “Kevin Butler” treatment. In this latest ad, we find Kevin Butler taking a call from a devoted Gran Turismo fan anxiously waiting for the game’s release. In between showing off his own real-life GT garage and some serious stuntman skills, Kevin fills us in on just how many amazing features were added to GT5 in order to bring you the greatest racing game of all time.

As always you’re the first to see the new ad here but you can also check it out when the Indianapolis Colts take on the New England Patriots on CBS this Sunday as well as on some other great NFL match-ups and many of your favorite shows in the weeks to come.

With the holidays just around the corner, we couldn’t be more excited to welcome GT5 into a robust product lineup that includes PlayStation Move and an exciting roster of Move titles, UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Game of the Year Edition, The Sly Collection, and much more. There’s something for everyone so spread the word and get PS3 on as many holiday shopping lists as you can.

See you in stores on Wednesday and more importantly online in GT5!

The multi-titled Vice President of Everything shares his thoughts about the Video Delivery Service north of the border and about how the PS3 “Only Does Everything” for Canadians also.

Click below and enjoy…eh!

It has been more than two weeks since the launch of PlayStation Move here in North America and we’re blown away by the fantastic reception we’ve received from avid gamers, new gamers, the press and retailers. Positive reviews continue to pour in for PlayStation Move, with one critic labeling it “the pinnacle of motion-sensing technology” and and another crediting it with going “further than any other system to date in bridging the physical and virtual worlds.”

By now you’ve hopefully gotten your hands on PlayStation Move and have seen Kevin Butler’s big “move-in” with the Maguire family. With a few weeks under their belts, the family raises the stakes with a little friendly competition on Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11. EA Sports has done a fantastic job highlighting the incredible precision of PlayStation Move with a game that the Wall Street Journal recently pointed to as being one of the best justifications for getting your hands on a PlayStation Move.

Part of the inspiration for this next commercial came directly from Tiger as a young boy. Tiger’s father Earl would rattle the change in his pocket to teach him not to be distracted. Well, the Maguires have kicked this up a notch or two.

We have many more PlayStation Move games coming for the holiday including The Fight: Light Out and SingStar Dance which will hit stores later this fall. These two games couldn’t be more different: one is a gritty bare-knuckle brawler that lets you throw punches with 1:1 precision and the other offers an engaging and entertaining experience for the whole family. We’re confident that both will deliver hours of fun for the entire family.

In the meantime, grab a copy of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 and see if the PlayStation Move’s precision helps your game!

Last week we kicked off the new advertising campaign for PlayStation Move with Kevin Butler moving in with the Maguire family to demonstrate how PlayStation Move has something for every gamer in the household. I hope you’ve been able to catch the commercials on some of the season opening NFL games and college football games, as well as on tons of other premium programming.

Our next installment is aimed at the younger members of the family (the Maguire’s as well as yours). EyePet is being hailed by IGN as the “most exciting Move game” thanks to its introduction of augmented reality. Seeing yourself in the game interacting with your EyePet is a cool experience no matter what your age. And as Kevin Butler shows in this commercial, all of this obviously spells trouble for man’s best friend.

Because it’s aimed at kids and parents, this spot will be running across different channels than some of our previous ads. For those that missed its debut on Nickelodeon, you can also look out for it on networks like Nick Toons, Discovery, and Animal Planet.

You only have a few more days to wait until you can pick up your own PlayStation Move. We’ve been thrilled with the reaction and the early reviews. A recent review on WIRED stated that with PlayStation Move “your whole living room might become a videogame” and it’s games like EyePet that bring that vision to life.

We hope you enjoy it!

Peter

This is a particularly special week for the PlayStation brand. Today, we’re celebrating the 15th anniversary of PlayStation in North America. As someone who was here at SCEA on 9/9/95, I can honestly say that the same enthusiasm and commitment to delivering great entertainment still drives the brand forward. Which brings me to why this next week will also be special – the launch of one of the most exciting new products of the year: PlayStation Move. We’ve been gearing up for the big launch of PlayStation Move in stores across North America next week and over the course of the next few months you’ll be hearing quite a bit about PlayStation Move on your TVs, online, at your favorite PlayStation retailer, at your local mall and on some of your favorite products.

Beginning next week “PlayStation Move Headquarters” stores will come to San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago and a larger scale mall tour will debut in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston, DC and Chicago. We’ll have our team of Move experts at these locations throughout the fall, happy to provide in-depth demonstrations for those looking to gain a better grasp on Move’s full functionality or try out the latest games. If you’re not in one of these markets, we’ve been updating our PlayStation 3 interactive kiosks at retailers across the US and Canada to deliver PlayStation Move functionality. And maybe before you get a chance to try PlayStation Move firsthand, you’ll want to check out our new PS Move website. It’s got a lot of great info and some fun surprises too. And if we don’t get through to you with any of the above, from now through December you’ll be able to win some great PlayStation Move prizes through promotions with two of our key brand partners, SUBWAY Restaurants and Coca Cola.

As if that wasn’t enough, the hardest working man in the Marketing Department has returned to help get the word out about why PlayStation Move is perfect for every family. As some of you may have seen last week, Kevin Butler sent us a tweet to give us a glimpse into the future. Well, the future is just about here. Tonight, when the NFL kicks off its new season on NBC with a marquee matchup between the Vikings and the Saints, we’ll kick-off our new marketing campaign for the PlayStation Move. The new campaign features Kevin moving in with the Maguire family to prove that the PlayStation Move is the right entertainment solution for every family. The ad running tonight is a 60-second kick-off to the campaign. You’ll continue to see several other spots on some premiere programming this fall as KB observes how the Maguires adapt to having a PS3 and PS Move in their home. For those who may have missed it, be sure to check out the “Epic Move-tage” featuring our VP of Epic Gaming for All.

Your enthusiasm, excitement and loyalty have helped build PlayStation into a worldwide iconic brand. Here’s to the next 15 years!

Best,

Peter

From the desk of Kevin Butler
VP of International Diplomacy
Sony Computer Entertainment America

As the star of PlayStation’s current advertising campaign, I get compliments on my performances just about every other day. But recently it has come to my attention that a certain television network named TV3 has created an amazing homage to my marketing prowess. A commercial that is nearly identical to one we created here in the states aired on TV in New Zealand, found its way to the internet, and ultimately to my desk. Few film greats have been treated to a shot-for-shot shrine (actually I think it’s just me and Alfred Hitchcock).

If you haven’t seen our PS3 “Montage” ad in question, here it is:

And Here’s TV3’s ad:

It’s been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If so, color me flattered. However, I do have some constructive criticism for the work that I would like to share.

1. No title for your guy? VP of Big Bigness? PS3 Commercial Tribute Manager? Details, folks.

2. The TV3 version was completely lacking in PS3 video game footage. Clips from Uncharted 2, MAG, God of War 3, or even clips of our upcoming releases Killzone3 and Twisted Metal would have really added some epicness to the spot.

3. The beard. I think it should have been longer.

4. I did like the slow motion effect at the end on the guitar solo. Way to plus it out.

5. Two-color mylar confetti > rainbow paper confetti. Just sayin.

It’s clear to me that TV3 appreciates great advertising and I’d like to thank them for their efforts. In fact we’d like to help them out and make our ENTIRE LIBRARY OF COMMERCIALS available for them to copy in order to promote their programming. I only ask that TV3 doesn’t use our actual footage, but all future homages of this sort are now Kevin Butler sanctioned.

You might be asking, “What’s in it for you, KB?” Well, I asked that too, and here’s what I’ve come up with: I’d like TV3’s support in making the PS3 the OFFICIAL GAME CONSOLE OF NEW ZEALAND. I see this as the only way to make it right with the world. Our super hero team-up could bring the benefits of incredible HD games, Blu-ray movies and the wealth of content available on the PlayStation Network to billions of New Zealanders. Only a total victory in that fine country will satisfy this situation. That, and a box set of Flight of The Conchords sent to the fine creative team in our marketing organization.

Let’s do this.

I await your reply via my Twitter account: @TheKevinButler