News - 2012, Week 46
Saturday17th Nov 2012
News Assassin's Creed III Patch Stabs Bothersome Bugs
In the back
Assassin’s Creed III will take a step closer to completion “by the end of next week”, when a planned patch for the title eliminates any lingering game-breaking bugs. Multiplayer updates will prevent players from getting stuck on the warm-up screen for the Fort Wolcott map, while other tweaks will stop cunning participants from...
News Sonic the Fighters Sours the Japanese PSN This Month
Hedgehog haymaker
SEGA’s atrocious anthropomorphic fighting game Sonic the Fighters will invade the Japanese PlayStation Network on 28th November, the company has announced. It’ll be joined by fellow Model 2 brawlers Virtua Fighter 2 and Fighting Vipers on the same date. The publisher has yet to announce a Western release date, but all three...
Friday16th Nov 2012
Review XCOM: Enemy Unknown (PlayStation 3)
Martian orders
Sgt Brown, purposefully named after a personal friend and modelled to appear in much the same way, was a competent, proficient warrior out on the battlefield. In the face of unimaginable terror, combating his own nerves on an alien-infested Earth, without question, his fortitude and intensity remained true. Yet, it was his lack of...
News Buy a Bargain with PlayStation's Black Friday Bundles
Start queuing now
We’re too civilised to participate in anything as vulgar as Black Friday overseas – we wait until Boxing Day instead. Still, Sony clearly understands the importance of the day, and, as such, it has collated some of its best holiday bundles on the PlayStation Blog in order to keep you in the loop this year. Unsurprisingly,...
Rumour Final Fantasy Type-0's Localisation Was Nearly Finished
On hold
According to a group lobbying for the release of Final Fantasy Type-0 overseas, a localised version of the PlayStation Portable exclusive was nearly completed back in 2011. Apparently, publisher Square Enix recorded an English dub for the game at the tail-end of last year, shortly after the title released in Japan. However, despite the...
News Gearbox Readies a Campaign of Carnage for Borderlands 2
EXPlosive
Pandora will grow yet again next week, when Borderlands 2’s second expansion pack Mr. Torgue’s Campaign of Carnage targets the PlayStation Store. The expansion – which was leaked courtesy of an errant set of Trophies last month – will add new environments, narrative, and, of course, loot to the addictive first-person shooter...
News PlayStation 3 Surpasses 70 Million Units Shipped Globally
Celebrate good times
While we all lament the PlayStation Vita’s current commercial woes, it’s worth remembering that the mighty PlayStation 3 once faced a similar predicament. There was a time when armchair analysts were calling for the console to be scrapped – but over the years, Sony has proved that the knee-jerk reactions were premature...
News PSN Rolls Out the Red Carpet for More Retail Releases Next Week
Digital life
We’re rapidly approaching the point where most new PlayStation 3 releases are available digitally on the same day as retail, but that hasn’t always been the case. As such, Sony has ushered the online arrival of a wealth of older titles in recent weeks – and that’s set to continue with Darksiders II, Kingdoms of Amalur:...
News These Kids Are Really Stoked About Sonic & All-Stars Racing
Passing breeze
SEGA didn’t really need to splash out on child actors to promote Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. All that the publisher needed to show was Gilius Thunderhead power-sliding around OutRun Bay. Still, at least the kids look like they’re having fun – even if they are sitting in front of an industrial fan while someone tips...
News Sine Mora Targets PlayStation 3 and Vita Soon
Bullet hell
Digital Reality’s quaint side-scrolling shooter Sine Mora is still on course for a collision with both the PlayStation 3 and Vita, a brand new trailer has confirmed. The video shows off plenty of new gameplay footage, which is sure to get sadists salivating over the sheer number of hostile projectiles on screen. There’s no release...
News Fuse Fashions a Handful of Pre-Order Bonuses
Keeping up appearances
Those of you eager to lend your services to Overstrike 9 will be rewarded with a handful of in-game extras. Pre-orders for Insomniac Games' upcoming Fuse will be recognised with four Hyperion Prototype Agent armour skins, four Hyperion Prototype weapon skins, and a Quickdraw team perk which enhances your squad’s one-handed...
News Journey Walks Away with Seven Spike VGA 2012 Nominations
The road less travelled
It may have been a somewhat muted year for exclusive PlayStation 3 software, but thatgamecompany’s staggering Journey has ensured that the platform has a big presence at this year’s Spike Video Game Awards. The downloadable epic has been nominated for a whopping seven gongs, alongside the coveted Game of the Year award...
News Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Earned $500 Million in 24 Hours
But Activision keeps sales numbers secret
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 earned a cool $500 million in 24 hours, publisher Activision has announced. The estimated figure is considerably higher than the previous records held by both Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and the first Call of Duty: Black Ops. However, the company failed to share actual sales...
News Hitman: Absolution Launch Trailer Turns on the Charm
Watch your six
We lied. Last week’s Hitman: Absolution trailer was not the game’s final promotional video – but we’re pretty sure that this one is. The footage sets up the plot for the upcoming sandbox stealth ‘em up, while also showing protagonist Agent 47 stick a sword through an unsuspecting crook’s throat. You'll be able to try out...
Thursday15th Nov 2012
Rumour Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified Was Developed in Five Months
Urgh
People have been pretty harsh on developer Nihilistic Software, but it turns out that the studio may have actually worked miracles in order to release Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified at all. According to reliable online super sleuth Supererogatory, the PlayStation Vita exclusive shooter was developed in just five months – which explains...
News Why Isn't Grand Theft Auto V a PlayStation 4 Game?
Maturity
Rumours suggest that the PlayStation 4 is set to launch as soon as Christmas next year, but Rockstar Games isn’t holding Grand Theft Auto V back for the next batch of hardware. The open world crime drama is set to release in Spring 2013, making it very much a PS3 title for the time being. But why is that? "Rockstar is a content company
News Sony Bend Recruiting for Blockbuster Vita Game
New blood
Sony Bend, the North American first-party studio responsible for the Syphon Filter franchise and the recent Uncharted: Golden Abyss, is staffing up for a new blockbuster PlayStation Vita title. A job listing for a Senior Staff Technical Animator on Gamasutra notes that the developer is currently looking for “top artistic talent to help...
News Gravity Rush's Kat Soars into PlayStation All-Stars
Emmett Graves, too
If there’s one character that’s been a consistent source of conversation during the build-up to PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale’s release, it’s Gravity Rush’s loveable heroine Kat. Despite being rumoured on a number of occasions, the protagonist is not part of the upcoming mascot mash-up’s initial roster – but...
News Black Ops 2 Sold One Million Copies in 24 Hours at GameStop
Boom
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 sold an outrageous 1 million copies in 24 hours at US retailer GameStop. Company president Tony Bartel revealed the number to Bloomberg Businessweek, adding that it was the outlet’s largest launch of all time. Amazon echoed the executive’s comments, noting that the first-person shooter was the most pre-ordered...
News Have You Ever Wondered How Sony Could Afford Gaikai?
Convertible bonds
Sony is supposedly a shuffling financial wreck, but it still stumped up the $380 million required to acquire Gaikai. That doesn’t quite add up. Indeed, it turns out that the company is not quite as broke as it seems, having recently offloaded a slew of convertible bonds to the tune of $1.9 billion. A third of that cash will be...
News Wonderbook Was Originally Conceived Over Seven Years Ago
Once upon a time
Sony will conjure Wonderbook: Book of Spells onto store shelves later this week – over seven years after the magical adventure was originally conceived. Chatting with VG247 at an industry event in London, art director Masami Kochi explained that the family friendly idea pre-dates even the PlayStation 3. “Back in 2005, when I...
News The European Version of Retro City Rampage Is Finished
Party like it's 1986
It feels like forever since Retro City Rampage took the North American PlayStation Network by storm, but the throwback title is still not available in Europe. That’s because one-man developer Brian Provinciano decided to delay the international release while he worked on an update for the game based on player feedback. "As...
News The Walking Dead Shuffles to a Conclusion Next Week
Did you make the right decisions?
The hotly anticipated finale to Telltale’s critically acclaimed The Walking Dead series will debut next week, the developer has announced. Entitled ‘No Time Left’, the episode will launch on 20th November in North America, and 21st November in Europe. It will mark the end of the current narrative arc, with...
News Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Enters the Digital Arena This Month
Ready to rumble
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is already available from the North American PlayStation Store, but that doesn’t mean that the digital release is not heading overseas. Namco Bandai has just sent us word that the tag-team fighter will flock to the European PlayStation Store on 21st November, giving you the opportunity to conquer the world...
Wednesday14th Nov 2012
Review Under Defeat HD: Deluxe Edition (PlayStation 3)
Nice chopper
Famous for being one of the SEGA Dreamcast’s final releases, Under Defeat is a vertically-scrolling shooter which wears its old-school credentials as proudly as possible. Updated with high-definition visuals and boasting deluxe features to entice on-the-fence buyers into making a purchase, Under Defeat HD is a fantastic way to...
News PlayStation Vita Slumps to Its Saddest Defeat Yet in Japan
Hide behind the sofa
The PlayStation Vita is a stunning system with some great games, but it’s becoming more and more difficult to overlook the platform’s commercial problems – especially overseas. While we still believe that it’s too early to pull the plug on the handheld, the situation in Japan is not looking good. In fact, it’s gone...
News Lone Survivor Shacking Up on PlayStation 3 and Vita
Alone in the dark
Superflat Games’ indie survival horror side-scroller Lone Survivor is coming to the PlayStation 3 and Vita, creator Jasper Byrne has announced. The terrifying title has been stranded on the PC and Mac for quite a while now, but Explodemon developer Curve Studios has kindly offered to rebuild the game's code for Sony’s premium...
Store Update 14th November 2012 (Europe)
In motion
As with the North American refresh, this week’s European PlayStation Store update is a touch quiet. There’s the arrival of a handful of new PlayStation 3 titles – including Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed later in the week – but the real standout is Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified for PlayStation Vita. Let us know...
Store Update 13th November 2012 (North America)
Breathing space
There’s not a whole lot of new content available as part of this week’s North American PlayStation Store update – but what is up for grabs is worthy of your attention. In addition to a pre-order option for the digital version of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, there’s also the arrival of Call of Duty: Black Ops...
News Devil May Cry Demo Destroys PlayStation 3 Next Week
Soul crushing
Devil May Cry fans will be able to throw yet another hissy fit next week, when a demo for Ninja Theory’s conflicted reboot slashes its way onto the PlayStation Store. Frustrated followers will be able to flip over Dante’s hair colour on 20th November in North America, and 21st November in Europe. We can confirm that punching your...
News Grand Theft Auto V Bounces Back with a Killer Bassline
Best enjoyed with a bottle of beer and lime
Never bet against Rockstar Games. The publisher has released a brand new feel-good trailer for Grand Theft Auto V, which effortlessly encapsulates the upcoming sequel’s sunny vibe. Across the video’s two minute running time it introduces the title’s trio of protagonists, the city of Los Santos, and...
News That Groovy Grand Theft Auto V Trailer Tune Is By Stevie Wonder
Hum the bassline
Rockstar Games always selects the perfect tracks to accompany its trailers, and it made another bold choice with today’s hotly anticipated Grand Theft Auto V re-reveal. The funky jam at the heart of the footage is Stevie Wonder’s Skeletons, which was a 1987 hit off the Motown artist’s 21st studio album Characters. We’ve...
News Rockstar Is Thinking Big with Grand Theft Auto V's Multiplayer
Los Santos large
Rockstar Games is plotting a revolution. The ambitious publisher expects Grand Theft Auto V’s multiplayer to have a similar impact to 2001’s genre defining GTA III. “For GTA V we want to push all of these to a new level while incorporating new gameplay elements that would not have been possible before,” Rockstar North’s...
News Katamari Damacy Is Rolling onto the Japanese PSN Soon
The King of All Cosmos
Namco Bandai’s oddball PlayStation 2 title Katamari Damacy is rolling onto the Japanese PlayStation Network next week, the publisher has announced. The game – which sees you collecting objects by piloting an ever-expanding ball across a slew of different environments – will be available from 21st November in the land of...
News EA Resurrects Gothenburg Studio as Ghost
Will haunt your hardware soon
EA’s new Gothenburg studio has been renamed Ghost, according to a snazzy makeover on its website. The team is thought to be working on a next-generation entry in the Need for Speed series, with legendary producer Alan Baker at the helm. Former DICE executive Marcus Nilsson is currently in charge of the new developer...
Tuesday13th Nov 2012
Review Wonderbook: Book of Spells (PlayStation 3)
Muggle magic
In a generation where Sony’s casual content has aimlessly followed the lead, Wonderbook serves as a stark reminder of the platform holder’s chops when it comes to capturing the attention of the mainstream market. Advancing the company’s ongoing obsession with augmented reality, the exciting educational endeavour is an original...
News So, What Is Chronovolt for PlayStation Vita Anyway?
Marble madness
Despite readying itself for release as part of PlayStation Plus’ expansion to the Vita next week, very little is known about PlayerThree’s upcoming portable puzzler Chronovolt. Fortunately, we had the mental fortitude – and spare time – to ask, er, Google for a little more information. The game – which looks like a mash-up...
News Black Ops 2 Sold 10,000 Copies in Five Minutes at Blockbuster UK
Kerching
Call of Duty is still in fashion, then. Blockbuster UK’s commercial director Gerry Butler has revealed that Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 sold a dizzying 10,000 copies in just five minutes across the retail chain’s 450 British stores. “It was fantastic to see thousands of people turn out at over 450 Blockbuster stores last night and our...
News PlayStation Plus Expands to Vita in Style with Free Copies of Uncharted and Gravity Rush
Service launches next week
Frequent participants in the PlayStation Plus predictions post might want to pull up a pew – because the first Instant Game Collection update for PlayStation Vita beggars belief. Premium subscribers in Europe will be able to download free copies of both Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Gravity Rush when the service expands to...
News Firmware Update v2.00 Adds Emails to the PlayStation Vita
Connected world
The PlayStation Vita’s upcoming v2.00 firmware update will not only add PlayStation Plus to the portable platform, but also a new email application as well. You’ll be able to hook up any accounts to the handheld assuming you have the appropriate information available – but there will be quick select options for Gmail and Yahoo...
News Ubisoft Satisfied with Assassin's Creed III: Liberation's Sales
Signs of life
We’re so used to wallowing in woeful PlayStation Vita sales reports that this story has taken us by surprise. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, publisher Ubisoft has revealed that portable exclusive Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation has actually posted very positive sales numbers worldwide. “It's the first time we've...
News You May Have to Wait Until PS4 to Play Rainbow 6: Patriots
Staying frosty
Do you remember Rainbow 6: Patriots? The stunning tactical shooter was first revealed a few years ago, with an incredible concept trailer that took plenty of inspiration from Heavy Rain. Sadly, the game’s been missing in action for a while now, prompting publisher Ubisoft to admit that development may have switched to...
News Derrick the Deathfin Developer in Deep Water
Gulp
Derrick the Deathfin creator Gordon Midwood is in deep water, and is struggling to come up for air. The developer racked up a whopping $63,000 in debt while producing the papercraft PSN exclusive – a figure which he is never likely to earn back. “It’s entirely possible, or indeed by the looks of things at the moment 100 per cent...
News Future Publishing Shutting Down PSM3 Magazine
Dropping like flies
Hot on the heels of the closure of PlayStation: The Official Magazine in North America, print media giant Future Publishing has announced that it is shutting down PSM3 in the UK. The unofficial PlayStation publication dates all the way back to 2000 – where it was originally known as PSM2 – and has published over 160 issues...
News SEGA Paints Jet Set Radio HD onto the Vita Next Week
Get some sleep
As you’ve probably already gathered from the North American PlayStation Plus update, Dreamcast classic Jet Set Radio HD is coming to the PlayStation Vita next week. The title was originally due out earlier this year, but was delayed due to technological challenges. Still, after a small hiatus, the cel-shaded extreme
News Sleeping Dogs Spreads to a New Island with Upcoming DLC
Mortal combat
There’ll be plenty of opportunity to stock up on pork buns later this year, when the Zodiac Tournament pack adds new single-player content to Square Enix’s stellar open world adventure, Sleeping Dogs. The upcoming add-on will see protagonist Wei Shen invited to an exclusive fighting tournament held off the coast of Hong Kong...
Monday12th Nov 2012
Review Assassin's Creed III (PlayStation 3)
Talkin' 'bout a Revolution
The Assassin's Creed franchise has taken us to a lot of places – Jerusalem, Istanbul and much of Italy for some — but it's only in the fifth mainline entry and PS Vita spin-off Assassin's Creed III: Liberation that Ubisoft has ventured to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean and breached North American shores. Neatly...
News Full PlayStation Plus for Vita Details Dropping This Week
Pinky promise
We assumed that PlayStation Plus would have already expanded to Sony’s hottest handheld by now, but the eagle-eyed amongst you will have noticed that it hasn’t. That’s likely to change later this week, though, when the platform holder promises to reveal all about the service's expansion to the PlayStation Vita. On the subject of...
News Targem Games Currently Undecided on PlayStation Vita
Never say never
Russian developer Targem Games is currently mulling over the prospect of bringing a title to the PlayStation Vita. Asked whether it intends to release the upcoming PlayStation Network strategy title Planets Under Attack on the handheld, the developer informed us that it doesn’t have any "short-term" plans for the platform...
News UK Sales Charts: Some Dude in a Gaudy Green Suit Tops
Your guess is as good as ours
We’ve never heard of this week’s best selling game in the UK. Apparently it involves a character named Master Chief – yeah, we thought that was kind of dumb too. Still, it seems like the people of Britain are rather fond of him. Something they’re not so keen on is LittleBigPlanet Karting, which has crashed its...
News Devil May Cry DLC Depicts Vergil's Downfall
Family affairs
You’ll be able to bathe in the cockles of brotherly love early next year, when developer Ninja Theory unlocks 'Vergil’s Downfall' for its upcoming Devil May Cry reboot. The borderline incestuous add-on promises hours of new gameplay, multiple difficulty levels, and the “opportunity to play as one of the most wanted Devil May Cry...
News Grand Theft Auto V's Open World Is Big Enough for Planes
The high life
Just Cause 2 fans will have a new adventure to migrate to next year, as Rockstar Games has confirmed that Grand Theft Auto V will facilitate plenty of aerial shenanigans. Chatting with The Guardian in an interview published earlier today, Dan Houser revealed that the hotly anticipated sequel will boast an open world bigger than Gr
News Solve a Quantum Conundrum with This Week's PlayStation Plus Update
Headache inducing
This week’s North American PlayStation Plus update is short but sweet. Following the addition of Resident Evil 5 to the Instant Game Collection last week, Sony has announced that Kim Swift’s mind bending Quantum Conundrum will be joining the party. The first-person puzzler sees you cycling through different dimensions in order...
News David Cage: I Wish I Could Say Nothing About Beyond
Keeping secrets
Quantic Dream's eccentric head honcho David Cage is keen to keep Beyond: Two Souls spoilers under wraps – to the point where he’d rather not talk about the game at all. Speaking with the PlayStation Blog in an interview published earlier today, the likeable director explained: “Like other game creators, I wish I could say...
News Mass Effect 4 Will Be Fuelled By DICE's Frostbite 2 Engine
Exploring the galaxy
The in-development Mass Effect 4 will take advantage of DICE’s fantastic Frostbite 2 engine, publisher EA Games has announced. The sequel is the latest in a long line of internal projects to adopt the proprietary technology. It will also be harnessed by the upcoming Dragon Age III: Inquisition. In addition to the engine...
News You Won't Feel Shortchanged By This Yakuza 5 Story Trailer
How long have you got?
Most story trailers run for a couple of minutes at most – but we suppose that the Yakuza series has always been eager to buck conventions. This brand new Yakuza 5 video lasts for a whopping 10 minutes, and you still get the impression that it could have been longer. In fact, this is fairly tame by the franchise's usual...
