Hey everyone! We are the midst of our winter break, recharging our batteries after shipping both Resistance 3 and Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One exclusively on PS3 this year. We hope you’ve had the chance to check out both games. If not, maybe you’ll find them under the Christmas Tree or use a gift card to pick them up after the holidays.

Last year, we shared with you several of our holiday cards over the past few years. We did want to share with you the latest – which should appeal to you fans of the Olly Moss Resistance 3 cover art.

For those Resistance players out there, we did want to remind you to check out the Brutality DLC Pack, which we just released this month. The DLC contains a brand new co-op Survival mode set on a dark and foggy version of the Wales map. Team up with a friend to fight off ever increasing hordes of grims, all set to seven tracks from Grammy-nominated metal band Mastodon. How many rounds can you survive?

We hope you have a great holiday season, filled with family, friends and gaming. We’re so thankful for all of our fans out there and for your support of our games. To keep up with us in 2012 and our brand new game Overstrike, be sure to follow us Twitter and Like Us on Facebook.

From everyone here at Insomniac, Happy Holidays!

The Holiday Season is upon us and we get to take over the PlayStation Blog for a day! We are going to start with a new trailer, yes after releasing inFAMOUS 2 and inFAMOUS: Festival of Blood some of us have had some time to play some of the user generated missions, as well as catch-up on Skyrim and Uncharted 3. This trailer shows off some amazing creations with UGC… perhaps your mission is featured in the video. If you find a cool UGC mission be sure to tell us in the comments below.

Later today look for our next blog post with some unreleased concept art from inFamous: Festival of Blood and our Sucker Punch Holiday Cards. Be sure to Follow us on Twitter or Like us on Facebook. From all of us here at Sucker Punch have a Happy Holiday.

Warheads –

The time has come to say “thank you and good night!” As of Tuesday, January 3rd, the lights will go down on the Starhawk Private Beta. It’s been a wild, wild ride and we want to thank ALL the participants that took time out of their schedule to help us test Starhawk. We’ve learned an enormous amount and have applied much of it already. We’ve still got a long way to go but the leg up this info has provided us is incredibly valuable. The Private Beta was our first step to try out the game in the wild and it’s been simply awesome. And because of this success, we’ve decided to keep the Private Beta live through the holiday break. After all, what would ringing in 2012 be without a little Starhawk beatdown session?!!

So what’s next? Why, the Public Beta, of course! In the next few weeks we’ll be announcing the dates for this important step. Many more players will be allowed access, including the UNCHARTED 3 owners who received a Public Beta voucher when they purchased the game! Look for more information and specifics on the PlayStation.Blog very soon.

It only takes a quick web search to find a TON of Starhawk info out there about the Beta. We’ve been really happy with the commentary/opinions and will taking all of the feedback seriously. Here is a convenient sampling of what’s out there: IGN, Kotaku, VG247, GameSpot, Major League Gaming, Pixel Nation, Dual Shockers, PS Nation, and Starhawk Radio—just to name a few.

We’d like to wish everyone happy holidays from LightBox Interactive and Sony Santa Monica. We hope that you enjoy your vacation time. Feel free to spend it waxing noobs in the Beta over holiday break!

“It’s closing time…one last call…”

How do you build a better warrior? Militaries have tried for centuries to answer that question, but you’ll be able to figure it out for yourself when DUST 514 launches next year. Infantry dropsuits are designed to protect and sustain the wearer in even the harshest environments. Different dropsuits offer specific bonuses to speed, mobility, defense and configurability. Like starships and planetary vehicles, dropsuits come in a variety of shapes and sizes, each with a unique slot configuration and powergrid (PG) and CPU that inform the decisions you make when customizing your chosen dropsuit.

The number and type of slots determine the modules (interchangeable hardware components that enhance or otherwise alter the functionality of the dropsuit), weapons, and equipment you can fit. The slot types available on dropsuits are as follows:

• Light
• Heavy
• Sidearm
• High
• Low
• Equipment
• Grenade

The three weapon slots – Light, Heavy, and Sidearm – cascade. That is, a Heavy slot can be fitted with a Sidearm, Light or Heavy weapon and, similarly, a Light slot can be fitted with a Light or Sidearm weapon. The high and low slots are module slots, each used for particular types of modules. Equipment slots allow the dropsuit to carry deployable or handheld equipment such as scanners, nanohives, drop uplinks, repair tools and more that will be covered in a future blog. Lastly, grenade slots determine the capacity (i.e. how many you can carry) of the grenade types – Locus, AV, EMP – fitted.

The intrinsic benefits of your chosen suit define, in part, the type of role you wish to fulfill on the battlefield but ultimately it’s how you choose to fit the suit that determines what it is capable of. Do you play to its strengths or do you surprise the enemy with an unconventional, risky fit? The choice is yours.

Dropsuits are classified as Standard, Advanced, and Prototype, each requiring specific skills to be trained before they can be used. Today, we’re going to take a look at two standard dropsuits: the Assault and Heavy.

Caldari Assault

The Caldari dropsuit design and aesthetic philosophy is heavily influenced by the culture’s origins on brutally frigid home worlds, dismissing stylistic notions in exchange for the ruthless, bare-minimum functionality requirements needed to keep a soldier alive. As such, the Caldari suit is notoriously uncomfortable and outright ungainly in some instances, yet remains in high demand due to its remarkable resilience in smart battlefields.

Standard Assault

The Assault dropsuit is a versatile frontline combat suit that combines excellent protection, good mobility, and sufficient equipment hard points for mission-specific customizations.

A flat-coil e5000 fifth generation fusion core runs up the inside of the back plate, powering the entire suit. Its output and heat buildup are controlled by a L2 “Gatekeeper” regulator conduit, which connects directly to the sensor system at the base of the neck. Every joint is reinforced with kinetic sensors and two-way, high torque servos to enhance the soldier’s strength, balance, and resistance to impact forces. The suit’s helmet has more integrated sensor, communication, targeting, and data processing systems than most civilian vehicles. Furthermore, every armor plate on the suit is energized to absorb the force of incoming plasma-based projectiles, neutralizing their ionization and reducing thermal damage.

Assault dropsuits are intended for standard combat operations or those in which the objectives are likely to change at a moment’s notice. Its ability to carry anything from small arms and explosives to heavy anti-vehicle munitions and deployable support gear makes it the most adaptable suit on the battlefield.

Amarr Heavy

The look of this Amarrian suit has changed little since it was first created, due largely to the commonly held belief that its original form is immaculate; the perfect amalgam of science and religion. Aesthetics are as important as function, because to the Amarr, aesthetics are function. Enshrined within the armor, the wearer becomes a vessel, the embodiment of God’s will and an instrument of holy wrath, unmistakable, and feared, by all who look upon him. To the Amarr, the dropsuit itself is the weapon.

Standard Heavy

The Heavy dropsuit is a second-generation solution designed to withstand concentrated small arms fire and protect the wearer from the concussive, thermal, and impact forces of low-grade explosives. Additionally, its power-assisted exoskeleton facilitates usage of the heaviest caliber personal weapons.

Every vital area of the wearer is protected by 25mm composite ceramic shell or high tensile steel plates, layered with impact absorbing, compressed carbon latticework. A secondary thermal dispersion membrane channels excess heat away from the point of contact, distributing it over a larger surface area and thereby lessening the potential damage. Superconductive veins of hybrid silver coat the outer layers and connect every piece of the armor to a grounding heat sink, dampening the harmful effects of direct fire electromagnetic weaponry.

Heavy dropsuits lack the mobility of lighter suits, but this trade-off results in a defensive system that defies standard infantry conventions. No other classification of personal armor can claim to be able to stand toe-to-toe with enemy vehicles and survive.

Even with just these two dropsuits, we can already see battlefield tactics starting to take shape. The Heavy can withstand a lot of punishment, but it has no equipment slots. Pairing it with another dropsuit capable of dropping ammunition replenishing nanohives or repairing from a distance will substantially increase the effectiveness of the Heavy. Alone, a Heavy could easily be outnumbered and outmaneuvered, but surrounded by allied Assault dropsuits it becomes a tank in every sense of the word, soaking up damage while the rest of the squad picks off the enemy.

Although formidable, the Heavy and Assault suits represent only one aspect of the battlefield eco-system. Sheer firepower will only get you so far. A smart squad will utilize the force multiplying support of the Logistics suit; the recon and electronic warfare specialties of the Scout; and all the modules and equipment they have at their disposal to become an unstoppable force. After all, one should never underestimate the value of a well-placed EMP grenade.

Hope you’re enjoying the most wonderful time of the year – the holiday gaming season! One of the chief perks of a massively multiplayer online game is that the developers have a lot of freedom to make changes to the world, including creating special events throughout the year. In DC Universe Online, we’ve just begun our new holiday-themed event Season’s Greedings, which gives players fun new things to do set in a festive new look. As you make your way around Gotham City and Metropolis, you’ll see that both are decked out in celebration of the season. But that’s only the beginning!

All players are able to take part in a fun Holiday event starring our newest DCUO character, Larfleeze, the leader of the Orange Lantern Corps. Orange Lanterns? Yes, the Orange Lanterns, much like the Sinestro Corps or the Red Lanterns, are rivals of the Green Lanterns and are powered by the orange light of avarice, aka “greed.” Being a greedy little guy, it makes sense that Larfleeze wants all of the holiday presents for himself. As the player, it’s up to you to track down the stolen presents, battle Larfleeze’s deadly orange light constructs, and report your success back to Hal Jordan (if you’re a hero) or Sinestro (if you’re a villain) to collect your just desserts.

In addition to all of the fun, we’ve also added some great new holiday items to our in-game marketplace and vendors so you can make sure your character is dressed just right for the season. I mean, who wouldn’t want to fight crime dressed as a heroic snowman?

DCUO is now free to download and play on PS3. Just look for the game in the PlayStation Store and check it out. Season’s Greedings is running until January, so you have plenty of time to jump in and experience the holidays DCUO-style. We hope everyone has a great Holiday and wonderful New Year. See you in 2012!

This week, Final Fantasy XIII-2 for PS3 is hitting stores across Japan with critical praise, garnering perfect scores from respected gaming magazines Famitsu and Dengeki PlayStation. Granted, the original FFXIII is the best-selling PS3 title in Japan by a wide margin, but this direct sequel isn’t resting on the laurels of its predecessor. For starters, it will offer a dynamic narrative, addressing one of the main complaints about FFXIII – linearity. The new game also has a darker and more serious tone, in line with the conclusion of the previous game, putting the glitter and glam of FFX-2.

When FFXIII-2 reaches US stores on January 31st, making it the fastest localization cycle among numbered episodes of the franchise – it will also deliver an improved combat system, an area full of mini games, branched dialogue trees with NPCs, and even multiple endings based on your time-traveling journey. To learn more about how Square Enix plans to “exceed Final Fantasy XIII in every aspect,” we reached out to Motomu Toriyama, who is reprising his role as director for Final Fantasy XIII-2. Read on for more details about Serah’s quest to find out what happened to her sister Lightning.

PlayStation.Blog: Of course, the Final Fantasy series was always known for its rich storylines, but Final Fantasy XIII had an unusually heavy focus on a linear narrative. Does Final Fantasy XIII-2 offer more opportunities for players to stray from the main narrative path this time?

Motomu Toriyama, Director, Final Fantasy XIII-2: In Final Fantasy XIII, our concept was to be story-driven and so the game had a very linear development. In XIII-2, we changed the concept to being player-driven and so we’ve prepared story options based on the area and time period the player chooses with plenty of side quests. We have changed it so that the player can enjoy just the main story, or progress in the game while straying from the main narrative path.

PSB: Square Enix typically does not utilize play testing for its Final Fantasy titles during development, but FFXIII-2 is reportedly incorporating user feedback from focus groups into its development process. How has this improved the game? Did users pinpoint any particular issues you did not expect?

Toriyama-san: During the development stage, we conducted numerous play testing and focus group interviews in Japan, North America, and Europe. By incorporating user feedback before the game was complete, we were able to analyze the level of completion objectively, which in turn polished not only the UI but the gameplay elements as a whole. In terms of elements that the users found positive, the US audience enjoyed the Cinematic Action, which is one of the action elements, and the Japanese audience liked the Live Trigger, which gives choices in dialogue. It was a great experience for us, and it let us know what the different sensibilities are between users of the different countries.

PSB: Final Fantasy XIII-2 will feature time travel elements and multiple endings. Will it work in a similar way to Chrono Trigger? How many different endings will we have?

Toriyama-san: We have introduced a new system called “Historia Crux”, which is a portal menu that allows time travel. To best describe it, it’s as if you’re browsing videos on YouTube to get a preview of one part of the story, then the game progresses when you choose which time and area to go to next. It’s a system that’s geared towards busy adult users of this age. Plus, if you want to go back to work on a particular part of the game, you can always rewind the time of that area and try again as many times as you like. It’s designed to be an RPG style of the new generation, different from that of “Chrono Trigger.” We hope you enjoy your journey with this interface with which you can freely travel through history. In terms of how many different endings we will have, I recommend playing the game and checking it out on your own.

PSB: Considering the different phases of its development process, Final Fantasy XIII took more than five years to be concluded. Now, this sequel comes about two years after the original. What contributed to speed up the development process?

Toriyama-san: In the previous installment, we had to start with developing a new engine intended for a next-generation console from scratch, that’s why it took so much time. In this installment, the foundation engine is that of XIII, and so we were able to devote more time to development of the new game, which in turn shortened the development period. Of course, since we were able to use our time to build the game, we were able to make the game better than the previous installment.

PSB: Although there were plans for DLC in the original Final Fantasy XIII, these plans were eventually put on hold. Are you considering DLC for Final Fantasy XIII-2?

Toriyama-san: We were aiming for the previous installment to be in its ultimate form as a packaged software, so DLC in the form of later additions didn’t come to fruition. For this installment, we have designed and planned for content including DLC that would expand on the world of XIII-2 since the beginning of its development, and so I’m sure you will be able to continue playing the game long after its release. In terms of a lineup of specific DLC, please stand by for more information.

PSB: Are there any special treats reserved for those who are holding on to their Final Fantasy XIII save files? Can you share any details on how that will work?

Toriyama-san: If you have any save files from XIII, they will be recognized upon the start of XIII-2, and you can get extras. Some of the bonuses include adornments for monsters that can be used in-game, and a bonus that can be obtained from the title screen. You don’t necessarily have to have save data of the finished game; you can still get something even if you’ve only played a little.

PSB: The most prominent Moogle from the series, Mog, makes a return as a companion to main character Serah. Can we expect more references to the series’ recurring elements?

Toriyama-san: We weren’t able to showcase the Moogle in XIII, and so in this installment we’ve made the Moogle much more prominent, like a mascot. The Chocobo will make its appearance throughout this installment as well, so if you’re a fan, I hope you look forward to it.

PSB: When will we finally be able to play Final Fantasy Versus XIII? You know, the game has been in development for eons. Do you have anything to share at this time? Anything!

Toriyama-san: First, please enjoy XIII-2 while you wait for additional information.