Latest Features
Talking Point Who Will Be Responsible for Revealing the PlayStation 4?
Crowning glory
You’ve all seen the images of Sony Computer Entertainment founder Ken Kutaragi clinging proudly to the shiny chassis of an early PlayStation 3. Way back in 2005, the responsibility of revealing Sony’s next generation system fell at the feet of the former SCE president. But with the luminary’s status within the company now...
Talking Point What PS4 Games Will Be Announced During Sony's PlayStation Meeting?
Guessing games
At the end of the day, it’s all about the games. Sony may be planning to quench our thirst for new hardware with torrents of tech specs and refreshed controller designs, but tomorrow’s hotly anticipated PlayStation Meeting will be
Feature Sony's PlayStation Meeting - Our Hopes, Dreams, and Fears for PlayStation 4
Laying it on the line
In just a few short hours, we’ll almost certainly get our first glimpse at the PlayStation 4. Sony’s widely publicised 20th February press conference is scheduled to start at 18:00PM EST, and we’re awaiting the event with bated breath. But while we don’t possess the power to push the clocks forward, we can make the wait...
Talking Point How Will the PS3 and Vita Factor into This Week's PlayStation Meeting?
Going concerns
All eyes are on the PlayStation 4 this week. Sony’s widely publicised PlayStation Meeting is set to take place on 20th February, where we’ll almost certainly get our first glimpse at the platform holder’s next generation console. But while the emphasis has been very much on the future for the last couple of weeks, we can’t...
Interview Chewing the Cud with Hungry Giraffe Developer Laughing Jackal
Sahara dessert
The news that Laughing Jackal’s excellent ungulate muncher Hungry Giraffe is stretching onto PlayStation Vita had our stomachs growling louder than a cake connoisseur in a posh coffee shop last week, so we just had to reach out to the Essex-based developer in order to grill them about the upcoming re-release. In between bites of...
Talking Point How Important Are Motion Controls to the PS4?
Move it
It wasn’t so long ago that the industry was obsessed with motion controls. Believe it or not, PlayStation Move and Kinect were the key topics of discussion in 2010, with both Sony and Microsoft locked in battle over the affection of the casual gamer. But while the PlayStation 3’s saucily shaped solution never quite managed to match the...
Talking Point Why Gaikai Is Paramount to PlayStation's Future
Streaming solutions
Sony’s not enjoyed much financial success lately. The company has been bleeding money for years, primarily due to its diminished relevance in the consumer electronics sector. Where the Japanese giant was once considered the market leader, it’s been outmuscled by more versatile competitors such as Apple, Samsung, and even LG...
Talking Point How Will the PS4's Controller Change the Way That We Play?
Input innovations
If anything was going to leak, it was always going to be the controller. Speculation regarding the PlayStation 4’s refreshed input device has been mounting over the past couple of weeks, with the rumours culminating in last night’s leaked image. Sources have since confirmed that th
Talking Point What Will the Next PlayStation Be Called?
Name games
The number four is unlucky in Japan. The figure is pronounced “shi” in the land of the rising sun, which is the same as the word for death. As a result, many hospitals prefer to ignore the digit, skipping the integer when naming room and floor numbers. Furthermore, there are no seats with the numeral on passenger planes of the All...
Talking Point Could the Current Xbox Rumours Work in the PS4's Favour?
Speculation wars
You probably shouldn’t believe everything that you read online. We’re in what’s commonly referred to in other industries as the ‘silly season’ right now, an exciting period of speculation where even the most ridiculous rumours take on heightened meanings. With new next generation platforms looming, everyone wants a piece...
Opinion Why The Last Guardian Will Be a PlayStation 4 Game
Blooming great
While the PlayStation 3 has played host to its fair share of genre defining titles, it’s hard to shake the feeling that it’s still missing its most important release. The hotly anticipated Team ICO title The Last Guardian was officially announced almost four years ago, but despite receiving a release date in 2010, its troubled...
Talking Point What's the Problem with PlayStation Marketing?
Creating buzz
Everything seems to go wrong when you’re going through a rough patch. Sony learned this lesson in the hardest way possible with the launch of the PlayStation 3. “The next-generation doesn’t start until we say so,” former PlayStation president Kaz Hirai declared. But the promise of great things wasn’t enough to make up for the...
Talking Point Could 2013 Be PlayStation's Best Ever Year?
Great expectations
Throughout the uncharacteristically barren first-party release schedule of 2012, it always felt like Sony’s attention was elsewhere. Twisted Metal, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, and Starhawk were all strong releases, but they felt like disposable distractions designed to fill the time ahead of the looming onslaught of...
Feature Five Mistakes That the PlayStation 4 Must Avoid
Potential pitfalls
The PlayStation 4 will finally be announced on 20th February. Sony shocked the gaming industry with a mysterious trailer that teased the reveal last night, confirming that it will be hosting a PlayStation Meeting in New York City later this month. But while the imminent announcement is understandably exciting, there are a number...
Talking Point Killzone: Mercenary Concludes a Killer Week for PS Vita
Back in the zone
It’s not been the best first year for the PlayStation Vita. Shunned in its home territory and disregarded overseas, the powerful portable has struggled to secure a foothold in the brutal video game market. But there have been signs this week that the system is not dead and buried yet, and while there’s still a long road ahead...
Feature Crafting the Contrasting Sounds of The Unfinished Swan
Secret gardens and synths
The Unfinished Swan is a blank canvas; an engrossing adventure open to interpretation and debate. It’s a title that’s defined by contrasts, be it the bold blobs of colour that paint your progression through the game’s otherwise vacant world, or the juxtaposed personalities of the protagonist and his counterpart, the...
Interview SWERY Discusses the Success of Deadly Premonition, Sequels, and Strange Snacks
Going back to Greenvale
This year PlayStation 3 owners will finally be able to journey to the mysterious town of Greenvale, where purple fog pollutes the air, axe-murderers grace the streets, and the rain never seems to stop falling. We recently caught up with Deadly Premonition: Director's Cut honcho Hidetaka 'SWERY' Suehiro, producer Tomio...
Talking Point What if the PS4 Is Not Backward Compatible?
Legacy support
It’s ironic that Sony has had such a tumultuous time with backward compatibility of late. In the transition from the PSone to the PlayStation 2, the platform holder essentially set the expectation for the feature moving forwards – but it hasn’t always managed to uphold that standard in recent years. Initial models of the...
Talking Point What's the Big Deal with Microtransactions?
Spend a penny
Dead Space 3 will allow you to enhance your arsenal in a more efficient manner by spending real money. As reported earlier today, if you lack the sufficient salvage for a specific upgrade, the game will direct you to the PlayStation Store where you’ll be able to purchase more for an undisclosed fee. Apparently, there will be a range...
Talking Point Is It Time to Say Goodbye to the DualShock?
Changes are taking place
Sony is supposedly planning to ditch the DualShock controller with the release of its impending next generation console, the PlayStation 4. The iconic input device, with its pointed handles and symmetrical analogue sticks, has been a pivotal part of Sony’s gaming ecosystem since its original release in 1997. But is it time...
Talking Point Are Collector's Editions a Waste of Money?
Bobby dazzlers
Collector’s editions are a relatively new phenomenon. They only came into fashion about ten years ago, rewarding franchise fans with steelbook cases and behind the scenes footage of their favourite games. Since their humble origins, package sizes and price tags have increased, as publishers go in pursuit of additional profits from...
Feature Castlevania's Gory PlayStation Bloodline
We take a look back at the Sony history of Konami's famous franchise
Konami’s Castlevania series may have established its reputation on Nintendo consoles, but in recent years it has branched out to find commercial and critical success on other systems, most notably the PlayStation line of consoles. With Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 looming...
Talking Point Does It Matter if the PS3 Overtakes the Xbox 360?
Console combat
According to sales estimates released by the International Data Corporation earlier this week, the PlayStation 3 is now the second-best selling console of the generation. The research firm predicts that Sony surpassed the Xbox 360 in global shipment figures this December, putting the platform ahead of Microsoft’s machine for the...
Talking Point Does the PS4 Need 4K Resolution?
A question of perspective
As expected, Sony’s CES press conference focused heavily on 4K resolution. Like 3D before it, the manufacturer spent the majority of its showcase demonstrating a new line of Bravia televisions that will attempt to drive the standardisation of the burgeoning format. The company also touched upon re-mastered Blu-rays, video...
Feature The Twelve Stories That Shook PlayStation in 2012 - Part Two
Stop press
While the big stories of 2013 are looming larger than a professional basketball player, we’re still not quite finished looking to the past. We’ve cranked up our DeLorean’s Flux Capacitor and set it on a crash course with the last twelve months, where we’ll be taking a look back at six more of the most scorching PlayStation stories...
Talking Point Why the PlayStation 4 Won't Block Used Games
Keep calm and carry on
Sony likes to patent a lot of things. The manufacturer is so trigger-happy with its technology registrations that we could probably dedicate the entirety of our editorial output to the innumerable crazy ideas that the company has. The reason that we don’t is because ideas aren’t nearly as interesting as final products, and...
Feature The Twelve Stories That Shook PlayStation in 2012 - Part One
On the Richter scale
If you’re reading this then you successfully survived the Mayan’s reported apocalyptic prediction, Christmas dinner, and yet another lousy New Year’s Eve party. But while your freshly erected ‘Cute Kittens’ calendar may be wearing the number 2013, we’re not quite done with the past twelve months just yet. In order to...
Game of the Year Best PlayStation Game of 2012
Top of the drops
After weeks of careful consideration, heated discussion, and hard work, we’ve reached the conclusion of our game of the year countdown. We know you’re probably still suffering from last night’s New Year festivities, but focus your optics for five minutes while we crown the finest PlayStation game of 2012. Best PlayStation...
Game of the Year Best PlayStation 3 Game of 2012
Hit discs
For a year that promised so much from a retail perspective, 2012 was more of a letdown than adulthood. Multiple delays, mismanaged expectations, and some genuinely below-par blockbusters sucked the air out of the period more promptly than a perfectly positioned Whoopee Cushion. But while the past twelve months were defined by...
Game of the Year Best PSN Game of 2012
Divine downloads
The quality of the content available from the PlayStation Network has been growing faster than a lawn dressed in Miracle-Gro – but no year emphasised that better than 2012. Sony’s digital storefront was practically bursting with blockbuster titles this year, many of them pushing the boundaries of the medium itself. With so much...
Game of the Year Best PlayStation Vita Game of 2012
Pocket rockets
Sony clearly intended for the PlayStation Vita to sprint out of the starting blocks quicker than Usain Bolt when it deployed the system in February. It didn’t. But by launching the platform alongside a star-studded software line-up, at least it ensured that we had plenty to play on the train this year. Best PlayStation Vita Game of...
Game of the Year Best PlayStation Move Game of 2012
Motion in the ocean
With new console launches hogging the headlines harder than Kristen Stewart and Harry Styles, the PlayStation Move was pushed to the sidelines slightly in 2012. But while the motion peripheral may have been left howling for attention louder than a member of The Wanted, it still managed to muster a selection box of software worth...
Game of the Year Best PlayStation Minis Game of 2012
Mini marvels
If this year proves to be the last for Sony’s short-lived PlayStation Minis initiative, then at least the platform holder can boast that the service bowed out with a bang. Sure, the selection of bite-sized blockbusters may have struggled to fill the bottom layer of a cheap box of chocolates, but slim pickings are satisfactory when...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Christmas?
Play another day
Now that the chaos of Christmas Day is finally over, you can lean into the most enjoyable part of the season: the aftermath. Assuming you’ve done the sensible thing and avoided the Boxing Day sales, you should have the rest of the week to sit back and enjoy some quality time with your PlayStation 3 and Vita. Before we ask what...
Round Table Time for a Festive Chat
Visiting the gaming ghosts of past, present and future
So this is Christmas, and we hope you have fun. That is the whole point of video games anyway, and we're sure that as Sony gamers you've had a rather good year. We've seen the release of the fabulous Vita which — despite disappointing sales — has redefined the power and multi-functionality...
Talking Point Could 2013 Be the PlayStation 3's Biggest Year Yet?
On autopilot
It hasn’t exactly been a banner year for the PlayStation 3. The system’s trundled along, there’s no doubt about that – but from a first-party perspective, the past twelve months have been all about treading water. A quick glance at the console’s upcoming release schedule e
First Impressions LittleBigPlanet 2's Cross-Controller Expansion Actually Works
Second screen
LittleBigPlanet 2’s hotly anticipated cross-controller add-on launches later today in North America (tomorrow in Europe), and we’ve already been lucky enough to experience the content's first couple of stages. For those out of the loop, the $4.99/€4.99 expansion adds several new cross-controller levels to the PlayStation 3 game...
Talking Point Should Sony Release Less Exclusive Games?
Attention seekers
If variety is the spice of life, then the PlayStation 3 is a particularly posh brand of pepper. Arguably more than any other platform holder over the past five years, Sony has provided its system with a stream of high quality content. From big-budget blockbusters like Heavy Rain and Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, to smaller...
Feature How a Picnic Shaped the Development of Sports Champions and Its Sequel
Motion in the ocean
Despite the device being on the market for over two years now, few developers have managed to get the same precision out of the PlayStation Move as Zindagi Games. The second-party studio – which is based in the heart of sunny California – describes itself as a motion control specialist, having already shipped three top titles...
Reaction The Last of Us' Launch Date Points to the PlayStation 4's Imminent Arrival
Final countdown
Sony, like most other publishers, is not a massive fan of mid-year releases. The platform holder has had some success launching Sucker Punch’s two supercharged inFamous titles during the sunny window, but it typically reserves its heavy hitters for the start of the year or the festive period. It’s interesting, then, that the...
Talking Point What Went Wrong with PlayStation All-Stars?
Worse for wear
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is an excellent game. It may lack polish in areas – the menus in particular are some of the worst we’ve ever seen – but the core gameplay is superb. Developer SuperBot Entertainment clearly invested a lot of time into making each character’s fighting style unique, and it
Preview On the Rob with Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time
Back to the Cooper
There’s more variety crammed into the opening chapter of Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time than most games manage across an entire campaign. Within the first three hours of the PlayStation 3 sequel, you’ll have performed two heists, spent an afternoon fishing, and even completed a rhythm action mini-game in which an anthropomorphic...
Preview Committing the Combat of Remember Me to Memory
Pressen matters
Earlier this year, we were lucky enough to receive a behind the scenes presentation from DONTNOD Entertainment, where co-lead designer Philippe Moreau helped demonstrate the brawling and melee mechanics in Remember Me, its Capcom published third-person action-adventure. It was clear that Nilin, the acrobatic female protagonist, was...
Talking Point Does the PS4 Need to Do More Than Push Polygons?
Generation game
Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aime reckons that Sony will need to do more than manufacture cutting edge technology in order to compete with the Wii U. The executive was responding to a query regarding the longevity of the recently released platform once the next generation console eventually arrives. “In the end, our...
Interview Trading Punches with PlayStation All-Stars' Seth Killian
Fighting talk
Since switching Capcom for Sony Santa Monica, lead game designer Seth Killian has been spending a lot of time with first-party upstart SuperBot Entertainment, where he’s been helping apply the finishing touches to PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. We were lucky enough to catch up with the fighting game aficionado, where we grilled...
Feature How a Group of University Students Created a Commercial PlayStation Game
Purely academic
Steel Minions may sound like any other indie start-up on the surface – but the studio has a much more interesting tale to tell. Founded in 2010 by British university Sheffield Hallam, the outfit was conceived in order to provide game production students with hands-on experience within an operational development environment...
Preview God of War: Ascension Is Familiar but Fantastic
Monster mash
Playing God of War: Ascension is a lot like riding a bike after a brief hiatus: for a few fleeting moments the gameplay feels foreign, but then everything clicks into place. Sony Santa Monica’s fourth outing in Greek mythology bashes you over the head with the many combos you’ve spent years perfecting, and then it invites you to...
Preview Sitting Behind the Wheel of GRID 2
Test drive
Ask any racing fan what their favourite gaming experience has been over the past five years, and there’s a good chance that Codemasters’ Race Driver: GRID will rank at the sharp end of their list. Since its release in 2008, GRID has developed something of a cult following, thanks in part to its strong racing heart and fine damage...
Preview Hitting Some Winners with Sports Champions 2
Down the line
The furore surrounding the introduction of new motion peripherals back in 2010 meant that the excellent Sports Champions got lost in the shuffle. Sony pushed the mini-game compilation as the first must-have title for the PlayStation Move, but post-release discussion almost always centred on the title’s technology rather than the game...
Feature Why PixelJunk Studio Q-Games Is Creating Trip-Hop During Its Lunch Break
Massive attack
For all the satisfaction that comes alongside creating video games, there are times when it can be a gruelling occupation. Thankfully, the Kyoto-based studio behind the PixelJunk series has happened upon an innovative means of maintaining morale throughout the day. For the past six months, Q-Games has been using its lunch breaks to...
