Every so often, the team at San Diego Studio allow me up from the basement, favorite red stapler in hand, to take a peek at the upcoming week’s new features. I’ve learned to “extend” my gameplay sessions with “coincidental” occurrences of…

1. Free highly-caffeinated energy drinks and donuts in the break room.
2. A sudden rash of car alarms blaring from the parking lot like a jet plane just grazed the roof top.
3. A bogus announcement over the company P.A. system that Kevin Butler has arrived on campus.

These events usually buy me an additional hour or so with the game. This is a purely selfish endeavor as it really only takes a few minutes with the game to see and understand the brilliant, creative, and subtle, yet powerful features of ModNation Racers: Road Trip. I have yet to (voluntarily) set the game down and not walk away saying, “now that was just flat out fun!” Indeed when it comes right down to it that’s what ModNation Racers: Road Trip for Vita is… a flat out fun kart racing game!

Let me share with you a little of what I experienced…

1. Controlled Drifting
An essential element of any great kart racing game is the drift mechanic. In ModNation Racers: Road Trip drifting is no longer solely about building up your boost meter to gain acceleration or as a cache for shielding from weapons or hazards. Though these abilities are still a large asset of drifting in the game, we have made many improvements allowing players more complete control of their racing lines. In a correctly-executed drift your forward momentum is increased while your outward momentum (inertia) can be managed (or decreased). You will find your kart easier to hold a desired line by being able to carve and progressively link drifts together without over- or under-steering into walls, guardrails or flying off the track. This refinement allows veteran racers to rely more on their racing skills as well as allows newbies a greater sense of control.

2. More Forgiving Collisions
Now racers will notice fewer if any “dead stops” brought on from an opponent’s attacks. Racers will also find it easier to get back into the pack if they happen to land a jump a little off kilter or accidentally slam into a wall with the new auto-correct feature built into the racing controls. It can be frustrating in any racing game to have the slightest error result in what seems like an eternity of reverse Y-turn after Y-turn to get you back in the race. ModNation Racers: Road Trip = problem solved.

3. Refined Braking
Braking? What’s braking? I don’t need no stinking braking!
Sure you can still go all out and avoid your helpful little friend (the brake button) but if you truly desire to master the art of racing in ModNation Racers: Road Trip you will appreciate the ability to finesse your level of control with the a reworked braking system. Players can now use the brakes to adjust steering controls while drifting and this does not stop or cancel the drift.

4. The Best For Last!
These “tweaks, changes, and improvements” not only improve the experience for all Vita-centric tracks but also insure that all PS3 user-generated tracks played on Vita would enjoy the same enhancements. This means a brand new exciting racing experience on all your favorite PS3 tracks. That ModNation is quite frankly awesome! We hope you’ll agree!

ModNation Racers Road Trip: Recent Features Preview

Track Studio I – ModNation Racers: Road Trip Track Studio – Your Wish is Our Command!
Track Studio II – ModNation Racers: Road Trip Track Studio – Part Two

Mod Studio – ModNation Racers: Road Trip – Mod Studio Preview
Kart Studio – ModNation Racers: Road Trip – Kart Studio Preview

PS3 ModNation Racers News

Creation Challenge: Holiday Themed Mods, Karts, And Tracks!
We are looking for some great Holiday themed Mods, Karts and Tracks to promote in our upcoming Mod-Holiday blog.

1. If you would like to submit your TRACK or recommend a Holiday themed track you liked click HERE.
2. If you would like to submit your MOD and/or KART or recommend a holiday themed Mod / Kart you liked click HERE.

This Week’s Top Tracks: Best of IndustrialSavior

Check out his player profile HERE
Creations of the Week: Best of PSN ID: rainbowhillbilly

Hot Lap Tracks of the Week: University Challenge by atheistsw
atheistsw has outdone himself yet again! He has built us a complete college town including what I perceive to be a world renowned library, a top research facility and charming off campus housing. I know I added at least 15 I.Q. points after only racing one lap (that takes me up to 37!). Yes, he’s that good!

Monday: University Challenge by atheistsw
Tuesday: Oasis River Run by OnePoppa
Wednesday: Guards Guardin’ Gardens by Yika
Thursday: CITY the shuttle bridge by inosan0518
Friday: Christmas Shopping V 1.1 by JNM-CIM
Saturday: Verazzo Pass by atheistsw
Sunday: Mega Skyscraper Hop by statickey_660

Videos have been flying around all week about a new PS3 exclusive called The Last of Us. It was revealed at this year’s VGAs and we’re very excited to confirm that The Last of Us is developed by Naughty Dog Inc, the creators behind the UNCHARTED, Jak and Daxter, and Crash Bandicoot series. Neil Druckmann, Creative director and Bruce Straley, Game Director chime in below to divulge what The Last of Us is all about.

The Last of Us is a genre-defining experience that blends survival and action elements to tell a character driven tale about a modern plague decimating mankind. Nature encroaches upon civilization, forcing remaining survivors to kill for food, weapons and whatever they can find. Joel, a ruthless survivor, and Ellie, a brave young teenage girl who is wise beyond her years, must work together to survive their journey across what remains of the United States.

We hope this teaser trailer has whet your appetite. We’re excited we can finally begin to peel back the curtain on The Last of Us and discuss how we’ve been working as a two team studio. For further information about The Last of Us, the PlayStation.Blog will be the first place to hear about this exciting new title from some of the industry’s most talented game designers.

Earlier this week, Team Ninja set up a temporary dojo in San Francisco to share news and game time with Ninja Gaiden 3 and Dead or Alive 5 on the PlayStation 3. Of particular note was the first hands-on demo of Ninja Gaiden 3’s multiplayer offering in the form of 4v4 Team Deathmatch and Battle Royale modes. It’s a bold move to add a competitive multiplayer mode to a melee-based action game, and I struggled to think of a comparable product out there; it definitely stands on its own in the action genre. My favorite touch: when struck by a deathblow, you can fight off your attacker by mashing the buttons, and then choose to “die with honor” via seppuku.

After a lengthy playtest, we were granted some face-to-face time with the team’s Head Ninja, Yosuke Hayashi. Here we chat PlayStation Move support in NG3, working on the Vita, and how many actual ninja are on Team Ninja:

PlayStation.Blog: A focus at today’s event is multiplayer. The format for successful multiplayer shooters is well established, but there are strikingly few melee-based action games which incorporate 4v4 online multiplayer. What do you think is the core recipe for success?

Yosuke Hayashi, Head, Team Ninja: The Ninja Gaiden series is traditionally for a single player and there’s no multiplayer modes for action games. That is one of the reasons we decided to do so, because there isn’t any such thing in the market.

PSB: There were some cool co-op missions in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 for PS3. Did that set the stage for this competitive multiplayer mode, and will we see something similar in Ninja Gaiden 3?

YH: NGS2 had a co-op mode, and we’ve always been thinking about adding a multiplayer mode into NG3. Of course, a co-op mode is less difficult to implement than a multiplayer mode. NG3 has a multiplayer competitive mode, as well as a co-op mode, so you can enjoy both.

[It was also revealed at the event that new NGS+ will feature new controls and challenge modes, as well as incorporating some styles and features from Ninja Gaiden 3.]

PSB: At Gamescom this year, you spoke to my colleague James Gallagher about how you were looking to integrate PlayStation Move into Ninja Gaiden 3. How is that coming along?

YH: Ninja Gaiden 3 has a so-called “Hero Mode”, where the system can assist you in protecting your character from attack. Making NG3, we’ve been focusing on the feeling of cutting somebody. By having the Move, that helps the player feel the action of killing someone.

PSB: Sounds like fun. [laughter]

YH: Yes.

PSB: We put out a call about talking to you, and there were a lot of questions about blood and violence in NG3. What’s your take on their importance? Are people too focused on those aspects over the gameplay?

YH: The reason why people focus on the blood on violence is maybe because the ninja has a very cruel aspect. Now we are focusing on the violence, but focusing less on the blood.

PSB: Have new games in this genre, like, say Bayonetta or God of War III, done anything that made you think, “oh, that’d be a great fit for Ryu?”

YH: Games in general have improved and changed a lot since Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, but action games haven’t changed that much. So, we are thinking about making action games, and we are trying to make the genre more updated like other games. That’s why we’re focusing on the story and the online modes.

PSB: Ryu Hayabusa is clearly the focus here in NG3, but will there be other playable characters? In the spirit of the Sigma games, i’m sure many fans would like the option at some point for a different character and the change in gameplay it brings. Personally, I was a fan of Momiji and her halberd weapon in NGS2.

YH: Sigma is kind of a sister game to the Ninja Gaiden series, and after releasing NG3, we may consider releasing a Sigma game for it.

PSB: Will Ninja Gaiden 3 feature 3D support?
YH: We aren’t thinking about supporting 3D, no.

PSB: Please talk about your experience developing Ninja Gaiden Sigma+ for PS Vita.
YH: It’s been a long time since we lauched the first Ninja Gaiden Sigma on the PS3. The new title is called Ninja Gaiden Sigma+, which means we’ll be able to add new things onto the game.

PSB: Finally, how many actual ninjas do you have on Team Ninja?
YH: We have over 200 members on Team Ninja, enough people for the production of Ninja Gaiden 3, Dead or Alive 5, and Ninja Gaiden Sigma+ for Vita — at the same time.

PSB: I think that qualifies you all as ninjas, then.
YH: We have a lot of ninjas. [laughter]

Ninja Gaiden 3 will be out for PS3 in March. Ninja Gaiden Sigma+ will become available for PS Vita in the “launch window,” and before NG3.

Despite my bulging pectorals, rippling six-pack abs, and chiseled physique, I’m honestly not much of an athlete. But I don’t need to be a sports expert to see the appeal behind MLB 12 The Show, the slavishly faithful baseball simulation that consistently ranks as the sport’s most respected gaming franchise. At a holiday showcase event in New York City last night, I took a few swings with an early build of MLB 12 The Show, including the PlayStation Move-enhanced PS3 edition and the all-new PS Vita iteration.

The game’s community manager, Ramone Russell, described how the San Diego team began development with a gruelingly in-depth focus test. The goal: to suss out what core players didn’t like about last year’s edition. “The key feedback we heard involved our presentation and commentary, so that’s our number one focus this year.” Russell described a new feature called True Broadcast Presentation, which accurately recreates broadcast camera cuts and other presentation signatures you’d see in a televised MLB broadcast. “We’re trying to blur the lines between baseball simulation on your PS3 and what you’d see on MLB.TV sitting on your couch,” Russell explained. “When a batter strikes out, the camera will cut and you will see his face, his anger.”

Commentary, which Russell specifically described as the “number one complaint” from last year’s game, is seeing a similarly massive overhaul. “You’ll hear more season-specific commentary, more conversation pieces,” Russell explained. “The commentators are going to talk about the MVP race, the Cy Young race, the series that you played in two days before. They’re going to talk about how your pitcher is having an awful year because he’s 5 and 15.”

Expansive PlayStation Move support is another key upgrade this year, being tightly integrated into almost every facet of the game, from batting to pitching to fielding to baserunning. Then there’s the hotly anticipated PS Vita version, which will mirror virtually every game feature, mode, and mechanic from the PS3 version and displays graphics that sparkle on the system’s 5’’ OLED screen. You’ll also be able to share your PS3 save files to the cloud, then pull them down on PS Vita and pick up your progress seamlessly.

I sat down with Russell to dig into the all the new details. If you’ve got further questions, let us know in the comments and we’ll do our best to get you answers.

PlayStation.Blog: What’s your personal favorite addition this year?
Ramone Russell, Community Manager: I think it’s our new ball physics. Our programmer ripped out every line of last year’s code and completely re-invented the way the ball acts. It’s a nerd feature, but it adds so much to the game. The baseball gains and loses energy like a real baseball, and if you go into replay, you can count the rotations – that ball is going to spin the way it’s supposed to. This opens up the game because we have bloopers, ricochets off the bases, balls going into no man’s land…it’s much more dynamic and engaging.

PSB: Let’s talk turkey on PlayStation Move. It’s not just for batting, right?
RR: Last year was just Home Run Derby mode, but this year it’s used for batting, pitching, fielding, and base running. There is a learning curve to all of this, but we wanted to make it more fun than just flicking your Move at the screen over and over. That would get boring!

Batting’s much better. Last year, you just saw a floating bat, which created a disconnect. This year, you see the full batter on screen and he’ll move his bat around as you move your bat around. Pitching is really simple: you grab the Move, draw it back, and “throw” it like a real baseball. For fielding, you’ll actually catch the ball when you’re playing with Move, then flick it over to throw it to first base, flick it up for second base, or down for home plate. When you’re running bases, you’ll play as the base runner coach. To signal to your runner to advance, you swirl the Move clockwise; to stop him, you hold the Move straight up. We wanted to be creative with the motion control support, so we hope people like it.

PSB: What was the overall goal for the PS Vita version of MLB 12 The Show?
RR: We started out with a prototype phase. We had to decide on what kind of experience we wanted to give PS Vita players – it’s a handheld, so the play sessions are usually quicker. We thought about doing something totally different, maybe an arcade version of baseball. But we ultimately thought it made the most sense to recreate the entire PS3 experience on PS Vita. The Vita’s powerful enough to do that. So every single feature this year, from MLB 09, 10, 11, and 12 are all in the PS Vita version.

We’re also taking advantage of the unique hardware. You can use the front touch to navigate menus or select pitches, and you can use the back touchscreen for fielding and pick-offs.

Have you designed any special modes for PS Vita to accommodate those quicker play sessions?
Yep, that was important because research shows that handheld players play for 15 to 30 minutes, tops. We give you the ability to fast-play through a game by cutting out a lot of the presentation, the camera cuts, to shorten the length of games.

Will PS3 and PS Vita players be able to compete with each other online?
Not this year. It’s something that’s on our radar and we’ll investigate for next year.

Will the PS Vita version include multiplayer at all?
In some way, shape or form, yes. We’re still in the works on that.

What’s the release timeframe for the PS Vita version?
It’ll be release in a similar timeframe as the PS3 version. We haven’t nailed down the exact timing yet for either game, but you can expect it around the same timeframe as the PS3 version this spring.

Graphically, how would you say the PS Vita version stacks up to the PS3 game?
When you see it, I think you’ll be surprised. Vita’s a powerhouse. We have it locked at 30 frames per second, and the visuals are very comparable to the PS3 version. That’s something we just couldn’t accomplish on PSP.

You’ve been suspiciously quiet about multiplayer modes so far – you’re probably still ironing out the details, but can you give PlayStation.Blog readers a sneak peek of what’s in store?
For PS3, we have a brand-new mode that is really, really innovative. Nobody has ever done a multiplayer mode like this in any sports game, ever. We’re going to reveal it in early 2012. So in addition to the other features I told you about, there’s still this secret feature that we’ll be talking about soon. We think people are going to love it.

“This economy’s been down for the last few years, and it’s hard to ask somebody to spend $60 every year,” Russell concluded. “But we never want anybody to have to think twice about that, we want it to be a no-brainer. There’s so much content here that you’ll never want to touch MLB 11 The Show ever again.”

The handheld weapons are a key part of any MMOFPS and DUST 514 is no exception. There were a few things that were very important to us.

Firstly, we wanted to avoid the feeling of “Vietnam in space” that you sometimes see in sci-fi games. The goal was to create weapons that had recognizable roles but used more advanced technologies than the equivalent weapons of today. The power of these guns would tear apart a modern day battlefield. In DUST 514 the only way your mercenary can survive the power of these weapons is due to the advanced shielding and armor of the dropsuits they wear. Without them, simply firing these weapons would severely injure or even kill you!

Secondly, it was important to us that the weapons felt like a natural part of the EVE universe. In the same way that the ships in EVE have distinct racial designs and specialties, the weapons of DUST 514 had to encapsulate the values and technology of the race that created them. The ruthless efficiency of the Caldari, the progressive aesthetics of the Gallente, the resilience and resourcefulness of the Minmatar as well as the proud arrogance of the Amarr Empire. All of this had to be communicated through the design of the weaponry; the different styles should be evident when you look at the three examples below.

What we didn’t want to do though, was to limit players to the use of one racial type. After all, you are a mercenary, so you use what works best for the job at hand. This way players are able to use a variety of different weapons to find what suits them best, regardless of its origin. Players are able to use different classes of weapon in different load outs so that they can make meaningful tactical choices and can respond to changing situations on the field of battle. There are three basic weapon classes, light, heavy and sidearm, and here we’re going to take a look at some of the weapons in these classes.

Light Weapons

Light weapons are probably the most common on the battlefield and for many players the light class will be their primary offensive weapon. The Gallente G75-VLB Plasma Assault Rifle is the perfect example of this. A solid all-purpose weapon, effective at short to medium ranges it is very flexible and comes in a number of variants: standard, breach, tactical and specialist. This allows the player to select the style that best suits them: trading fully automatic fire for targeted bursts, and lower rates of fire for increased accuracy over range amongst a variety of other benefits and trade-offs.

Gallente G75-VLB Assault Rifle

Conceived by Duvolle Laboratories, a corporation best known for its ceaseless R&D, the G75-VLB solves many of the problems inherent in mass-manufactured plasma weapons. The result is a weapon that offers improved accuracy and greater containment field stability (which equates to faster, longer bursts of fire) than anything in its class.

It is a magazine-fed, short-to-mid range weapon offering fully automatic fire. Charged plasma munitions are pumped into a cyclotron that converts the plasma into a highly lethal bolt before it is expelled from the chamber. Upon impact with the target, the magnetic field surrounding the bolt collapses, venting superheated plasma onto the contact point.

Specifications
Designation: G75-VLB
Variant: Standard
Length: 98cm
Weight (loaded): 6.2kg
Weight (unloaded): 5.8kg
Max. effective range: 55m
Ammunition: Charged plasma slug

Heavy Weapons

Heavy Weapons are a different animal altogether. They can only be wielded by those skilled enough to use heavy dropsuits which immediately makes them a more specialized choice. They also tend to utilize a high amount of dropsuit power grid and CPU systems making them unsuitable if you favor a more “generalist” approach to your weapon and equipment load out. They are however devastating in the right hands. Nowhere is this more evident than in the DCMA S-1 Forge Gun. This Caldari built ordnance is an incredibly powerful anti-material weapon with only one purpose, engaging and destroying hostile Heavy Attack Vehicles, a job at which it excels.

Caldari DCMA S-1 Forge Gun

Adapted from Deep Core Mining Inc.’s proprietary technology, the DCMA S-1 subverts conventional expectations of what a man-portable anti-material weapons platform is capable of. Despite its excessive weight and extended recharge times, the “Forge Gun” as it has become known, is regarded as the most devastating infantry weapon on the battlefield, and an invaluable tool for those capable of wielding it.

Powered by a Gemini microcapacitor, the Forge Gun utilizes a stored electric charge to fire kinetic slugs at speeds in excess of 7,000 m/s, enough to penetrate even augmented armor systems. During the pre-fire charge, the forward armature locks into position, stabilizing the magnetic field and helping to shield the user from backscatter and the excessive heat produced. Power generation remains the single largest drawback of the current design, the onboard capacitor requiring a significant amount of time to reach full power after each discharge.

Specifications
Designation: DCMA S-1
Variant: Standard
Length: 135cm
Weight (loaded): 58.4kg
Weight (unloaded): 55.1kg
Max. effective range: 1,200m
Ammunition: Solid-state

Sidearms

Lastly, we have the sidearm class. Don’t be fooled by their size, these are very dangerous weapons in the right hands. Often used as a backup weapon by frontline assault troops they really come in to their own when providing a close range infantry combat solution for players in highly specialized roles (such as those using a Forge Gun). A favorite amongst these is the CAR-9 Scrambler pistol. This Amarr weapon, whilst hindered by a low ammunition count, is extremely high on power. Accurate shots with the CAR-9 will tear through shields and armor. It is particularly effective when striking the head due to its high damage output and the thinner armor plating in that area. This last point makes it a particularly popular choice for highly skilled players.

Amarr CAR-9 Scrambler Pistol

The Scrambler is a semi-automatic pistol originally designed and manufactured by Carthum Conglomerate. A small-scale directed energy weapon, the CAR-9 produces a laser-induced plasma channel capable of dealing short-range pin-point damage to a target.

Power consumption is excessive, but The CAR-9 addresses this via a rear-loaded fuel cell, allowing cells to be exchanged quickly and easily once exhausted. Moreover, advances in the polymers used in the weapon’s construction have greatly reduced heat build-up and improved heat dissipation, resulting in improved reliability over earlier modules.

Specifications
Designation: CAR-9
Variant: Standard
Length: 25cm
Weight (loaded): 1.8kg
Weight (unloaded): 1.7kg
Max. effective range: 40m
Ammunition: Energy fuel cell

This Holiday season, Sony Entertainment Network is offering the gift of a special 60 day free trial of the Music Unlimited Premium service for a limited time, just for PlayStation 3 users!

The Music Unlimited Premium plan includes offers unlimited access to a catalog of millions songs featuring classic favorites and the latest hits. You can find personalized channels categorized by Genre, Era, Mood or your favorite artist. No ads and unlimited skips.

You can even set up a cloud library of your favorite songs, playlists and channels accessible from a range of home, mobile and gaming devices including PSP, Android phone, Sony Tablet, network enabled Blu-Ray Disc player and Bravia TV, and any PC.

Here’s how to download your free 60 day premium trial now:

1. Go to the PlayStation Store and click on Media and Apps
2. Click on the Apps Icon
3. Download the Music Unlimited 60 Day FREE trial app.
4. Go to the Music Icon on the XMB. Enjoy the Music Unlimited Premium Plan for free for 60 days!

Take a look at the Music Unlimited service and what it has to offer by watching this video:

You must be age 18 or over. Credit cards details required. Unless you cancel your subscription prior to the end of the free trial, it will automatically renew and you will be charged a recurring subscription fee.

This Holiday season, Sony Entertainment Network is offering the gift of a special 60 day free trial of the Music Unlimited Premium service for a limited time, just for PlayStation 3 users!

The Music Unlimited Premium plan includes offers unlimited access to a catalog of millions songs featuring classic favorites and the latest hits. You can find personalized channels categorized by Genre, Era, Mood or your favorite artist. No ads and unlimited skips.

You can even set up a cloud library of your favorite songs, playlists and channels accessible from a range of home, mobile and gaming devices including PSP, Android phone, Sony Tablet, network enabled Blu-Ray Disc player and Bravia TV, and any PC.

Here’s how to download your free 60 day premium trial now:

1. Go to the PlayStation Store and click on Media and Apps
2. Click on the Apps Icon
3. Download the Music Unlimited 60 Day FREE trial app.
4. Go to the Music Icon on the XMB. Enjoy the Music Unlimited Premium Plan for free for 60 days!

Take a look at the Music Unlimited service and what it has to offer by watching this video:

You must be age 18 or over. Credit cards details required. Unless you cancel your subscription prior to the end of the free trial, it will automatically renew and you will be charged a recurring subscription fee.