Review Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse (PlayStation 3)
In what reality is this considered fun?
News Soul Sacrifice Sets Up Major Clash with Monster Hunter 4
Fighting for the heavyweight title
News - 2012, Week 49
Sunday9th Dec 2012
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...
News Awaken Your Wallet with Massive Sleeping Dogs Savings
European sale goes insane
There have been some good deals on the European PlayStation Network lately – but this latest Christmas cracker is a real humdinger. Between now and 23:59PM GMT on 10th December, you’ll be able to snap up Square Enix’s excellent open world crime drama Sleeping Dogs for just £15.99/€19.99. That represents an enormous...
Saturday8th Dec 2012
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
News The Last of Us Terrifies the PlayStation 3 on 7th May
Dead rising
The Last of Us will send the PlayStation 3 off in style when it launches on 7th May. The date was announced at the end of a jaw dropping trailer which showed off friendly civilisation for the first time. It seems there are a fair few people at the end of the world. There are also horses. Don’t believe us? Check out the footage embedded...
News Yes, The Phantom Pain Is Almost Certainly Metal Gear Solid V
Standing ovation
During the early hours of this morning, we hypothesised that The Phantom Pain trailer debuted during the Spike VGAs probably had something to do with Metal Gear Solid. If nothing else, the trailer’s main character shared a striking resemblance to Snake, even down to scars and minor details. It turns out that there’s a lot more...
News King Washington Sure Knows How to Smirk in Assassin's Creed III
Evil tyrant
Ubisoft has released a trailer for Assassin’s Creed III’s upcoming Tyranny of King Washington DLC, and it shows the aforementioned monarch looking pretty pleased with himself. We suppose you would be stoked if you got to control a whole nation and feast on apple pie every day, too. We doubt he’s going to be smirking when he gets...
News Dark Souls 2 Will Make Your Life a Misery All Over Again
Praise the sun
Do you want the good news or the bad news? Alright, we’ll start with the good: Dark Souls 2 has been announced. And the bad: Dark Souls 2 has been announced. The sequel made a surprise appearance during the Spike VGAs, sending masochists all over the globe into an uncontrollable frenzy. We were too busy thinking about Jessica Alba...
News The Phantom Pain Quizzes the Spike VGAs
Great name
What is The Phantom Pain? Honestly, we’re not even sure developer Moby Dick Studio knows, seeing as its website focuses on wedding photography. Still, at least the title’s added some mystery to the typically predictable Spike VGAs. [Actually, it looks like this is Moby Dick Studio's website. Whoops. - Ed.] The trailer itself shows a...
News Digital Exclusives Highlight the Turning of the Tide at the VGAs
Living dead
Amongst classic Hideo Kojima mind tricks, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 commercials, and some lewd Samuel L. Jackson skits, this year’s Spike Video Game Awards also doled out a handful of gongs to the creators of 2012’s very best software. In the end, it turned out to be a banner year for downloadable titles, with both The Walking Dead...
Friday7th Dec 2012
Review Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse (PlayStation 3)
In what reality is this considered fun?
Games based on TV licenses don't have a great track record, but there's always the potential for something enjoyable to come out of them. Now it's Family Guy's turn, with the franchise's first PlayStation 3 title, Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse. Don't hold your breath for anything amazing, though. The...
News Now You Can Peruse the PS Store with Your Web Browser
Surprise
Sony’s launched a web-based version of the PlayStation Store which allows you to purchase games, movies, and TV content without ever needing to boot up your PS3. The wordy Sony Entertainment Network Store has been rumoured for years, but despite launching in Europe this morning, the company’s still yet to actually announce it. The...
News Ken Levine Backs Away from BioShock Vita
In the hands of 'business people'
Despite being announced over 18 months ago, BioShock Vita is still not in development. Chatting with Eurogamer in an exclusive interview, series creator Ken Levine has admitted that the portable spin-off is out of his hands. “Where the [PlayStation Vita game] stands right now, it's in the hands of the business...
News Sony's Shuhei Yoshida Reveals His True Passion via Wii U
Say it like you mean it
Remember when Sony Worldwide Studios gaffer Shuhei Yoshida purchased a Wii U? Well, he’s been using it quite a lot. The affable executive has been playing plenty of Nintendo Land – and sharing some brutally honest messages in the game’s Miiverse plaza. A recent post from the first-party president – picked up by Kotaku...
News Spyro the Dragon Is Flying onto the European PSN Next Week
At last
After many months of enthusiastic enquiries, Spyro the Dragon will finally land on the European PlayStation Store next week. The entire trilogy of PSone Classics will launch on the same day, providing you with ample platforming action to keep you engaged over the festive period. Better yet, they'll all be compatible with the PlayStation...
News 007 Legends Developer Eurocom Closes for Good
You only live twice
Blighted British developer Eurocom has been forced to close its doors just weeks after announcing huge redundancies. The Derby-based studio employed over 200 people prior to releasing 007 Legends earlier this year. It slashed that headcount to just 50 in November, before letting the remaining staff go earlier today. “Today...
News November NPD: Sales Drop, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Rocks
Bang on trend
The excellent hardware figures for Black Friday week weren’t enough to offset the North American video game industry’s continued decline in November. According to the NPD group, numbers for the period fell by 11 per cent year-over-year, with sales amounting to $2.55 billion, compared to $2.87 billion in 2011. Hardware sales were...
News BioShock Infinite Delayed Yet Again, Launches 26th March
Booker DeWhat?
Bad news: BioShock Infinite has been delayed yet again. The hotly anticipated first-person shooter will now launch on 26th March, as opposed to 26th February. Series creator Ken Levine confirmed the delay at a press event in North America earlier this week, noting that former Epic Games director Rod Fergusson planted the seeds for the...
Thursday6th Dec 2012
Review Worms: Revolution (PlayStation 3)
Wriggle room
There's always been a charm to destroying unfortunate invertebrates with outrageous weapons. As such, when Worms: Revolution debuted as a downloadable title on the PlayStation Network, we jumped at the chance to take up arms. It turns out that the tongue-in-cheek strategy game remains a great way to waste time, but not necessarily for...
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...
News Dead or Alive 5 Plus Features a First-Person Mode
Up close and personal
Dead or Alive 5 Plus for the PlayStation Vita will boast a brand new first-person mode that will allow you to inspect your opponents with the system's accelerometer. The nifty feature will prompt you to hold the platform vertically in order to get a “full-screen view” of your foe. We can’t imagine why you’d possibly...
News Peter Molyneux Thought LittleBigPlanet Was Too Ambitious
Brain wave
Legendary game developer Peter Molyneux has pitched many preposterous ideas in his time, but even he was baffled by LittleBigPlanet. Chatting with EDGE magazine as part of a studio spotlight feature, Media Molecule’s Alex Evans has revealed that the Populous creator was one of the first people to sample the company’s customisable...
News Retro City Rampage Rolling Back the Clock in Europe Soon
Wayback machine
Retro City Rampage will party like it’s 1989 in Europe very soon. One-man developer Brian Provinciano has reached out to us to confirm that the international version of the critically acclaimed 8-bit adventure is in certification with SCEE right now. The title will boast a slew of improvements over its original North American...
News Need for Speed: Most Wanted Floors Ultimate Speed DLC
Pedal to the metal
Petrol heads will be able to accelerate their Need for Speed: Most Wanted experience later this month, when the title’s Ultimate Speed expansion pack drifts onto the PlayStation Store from 18th December. A press release from EA’s UK branch confirmed the add-on, which includes a selection of exotic new vehicles to drive and 25...
News Vicarious Visions Was Working on Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 for Vita
Natural disaster
A portable version of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 was in development at Vicarious Visions, a report has revealed. According to Kotaku, publisher Activision had planned to release a scaled down version of Treyarch’s latest console shooter on the PlayStation Vita, before the “flawed” project was eventually canned and passed off to
News Journey Soundtrack Makes History with Grammy Nomination
Blimey
Clearly not content with the mass of awards that it’s already won, Journey has made history by becoming the first ever video game to be nominated for a Grammy award. The title’s scorching score – composed by Austin Wintory – is up for contention in the ‘Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media’ category. It’ll face off against...
News New Dishonored DLC Trailer Drops Some Different Beats
Rap master
Dishonored publisher Bethesda has clearly exhausted its reserve of creepy nursery rhymes, as it’s been forced to use a fan-made rap song for this debut Dunwall City Trials trailer. The video demonstrates the various deadly activities you can expect to occupy your time when the expansion launches next week. It’ll set you back...
News Fuel Overdose Gets Fired Up in Explosive New Trailer
Fan the flames
I-Friqiya has lavished its multifaceted car combat title Fuel Overdose with a brand new trailer. The footage focuses on the layered racer’s action elements, demonstrating the wealth of artillery you’ll have at your fingertips during an average sprint to the finish line. Weapons include standard machine guns, mines, and rocket...
News Crysis 3 Targets North American Store Shelves on 19th February
Cloaked approach
Crytek founder Cevat Yerli has augmented the company’s upcoming first-person shooter Crysis 3 with a 19th February release date in North America. The sci-fi adventure will fire into European stores a few days later on 22nd February. Last month, publisher EA Games revealed that pre-ordering the title at participating retailers...
Wednesday5th Dec 2012
News Analyst: Sony May Need to Cut the PS Vita's Price Drastically
All aboard
Despite the PlayStation Vita showing serious signs of life during Black Friday week, industry analyst Billy Pidgeon has admitted that Sony may need to “drastically” slash the price of the device in order to resurrect its fortunes. The pundit pointed to Nintendo’s 3DS price drop, adding that if “the [system's] install base remains...
News Ruffian Games Was Working on a Modern Streets of Rage
Blaze of glory
Crackdown developer Ruffian Games was working on a modern reimagining of classic arcade brawler Streets of Rage – and it looked awesome. A leaked video of the cancelled title was uploaded to Vimeo earlier this month, showcasing 90 seconds of rain-slicked footage. The project was supposedly intended for digital platforms such as the...
News Yes, Zindagi Has Considered Making a Standalone Table-Tennis Game
Ping pong
As far as we’re concerned, the table-tennis mini-game included as part of the original Sports Champions is the best example of motion control available on any platform. As such, we’ve always longed for a fleshed out version of the PlayStation Move-powered activity with online multiplayer and an in-depth career mode. But could it...
News One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 Punches PlayStation 3 and Vita
Heavy hitters
A sequel to Namco Bandai and Tecmo Koei’s anime tie-in One Piece: Pirate Warriors is coming to both the PlayStation 3 and Vita. The sequel – unsurprisingly named One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 – was announced in the latest issue of Japanese magazine Shonen Jump. The sequel will be set within the so-called ‘New World’ story arc,...
News Ragnarok Odyssey Warms European Vitas This Winter
It's getting hot in here
Game Arts’ decent PlayStation Vita role-playing game Ragnarok Odyssey will attack European consoles this winter, according to publisher GungHo Online Entertainment America. The title will be available as a digital exclusive, alongside undead puzzle platformer Dokuro. Both titles are already available in North America,...
Store Update 4th December 2012 (North America)
Top trumps
We hope you weren’t expecting a slow week on the North American PlayStation Store, because December’s inaugural update is brimming with tasty treats. Highlights include Far Cry 3, former Xbox 360 exclusive Mass Effect, and card-game spin-off Uncharted: Fight for Fortune. As always, let us know what you’re buying in the comments...
News Sony Unwraps Tokyo Jungle Discount on European PSN
It's an animal
If you haven’t experienced Sony’s utterly bonkers Tokyo Jungle yet, now’s your chance. As part of the platform holder’s ongoing European Christmas countdown, the company has cut the bizarre post-apocalyptic adventure’s price-tag down to Pomeranian dog size. For the next 48 hours, you’ll be able to pick up the mad wildlife...
Store Update 5th December 2012 (Europe)
Fight for fortune
It’s another bumper week on the European PlayStation Store, with plenty of goodies up for grabs. Highlights include Uncharted: Fight for Fortune, Rotastic, and the original Mass Effect. There’s also the unfortunate arrival of awful arcade brawler Sonic the Fighters, but we’ll try not to talk too much about that. We think
News GungHo Resurrects Forgotten PlayStation Classics for PSN
Weird and wonderful
The holiday period may be perfect for big retail releases, but sometimes you need something a little more niche. Thankfully, newcomer GungHo Online Entertainment America has stepped up to the plate – bringing a bevy of bizarre PSone classics to the North American PSN. The six new arrivals include shoot ‘em up compilation...
News Sony: We Haven't Announced a Release Date for The Last of Us
Walmart reckons it has
Naughty Dog’s been agonisingly quiet about The Last of Us’ release date up until now, but a photo of an errant Walmart pre-order card may have broken the silence for the award winning studio. The image shows a voucher for the post-apocalyptic adventure, complete with a tentative launch window of ‘Spring 2013’. With the...
News Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Earned $1 Billion in Just 15 Days
Back in black
There may be some debate over whether Call of Duty is still the juggernaut that it once was, but one thing’s for certain: most publishers would give their left arm for a franchise this successful. Activision has revealed that the latest instalment in its modern military series Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 has grossed an eye-watering $1...
Tuesday4th Dec 2012
Review Chronovolt (PlayStation Vita)
Marble sadness
As part of the opening salvo for PlayStation Plus' expansion to the PlayStation Vita, Chronovolt received plenty of pre-release coverage. The lure of a modern take on the seminal Marble Madness, tailor-made from the ground up to show off the system's wealth of control schemes, was an attractive bait. Unfortunately, Chronovolt displays...
Review Planets Under Attack (PlayStation 3)
Space invading
Planets Under Attack is a space-warfare strategy game that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Backed by cartoon visuals and comedic characters, the game attempts to mix accessibility with addictive, tactical gameplay. To an extent, Planets Under Attack succeeds in what it sets out to do. Its gameplay mechanics are easy to...
News Activision: PlayStation Vita Faces Challenges in Mobile Market
Classified information
Despite boasting a growing catalogue of outstanding exclusives, the PlayStation Vita hasn’t quite achieved the commercial success that many of us expected yet. The device is performing particularly poorly in Japan, where it can’t seem to get a foothold – but it’s not exactly setting the sales charts alight overseas...
News Special Metal Gear Rising PS3 Adds a Splash of Blue
Cut and take it
We think it’s safe to say that custom console redesigns just don’t work as well with the PlayStation 3 Super Slim. Previous hardware bundles for Yakuza 3 and Ni No Kuni have prompted stunning new styles – making this Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance tie-in look bland by comparison. The console – due out on 21st February in...
News Sony Executive Shuhei Yoshida Owns a Wii U
Testing it out
Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida is one of the most brazen executives in the gaming industry, so it’s no surprise to see the likable suit openly admit that he’s purchased a competitor’s system on Twitter. Here's the message: [tweet While we’ve no doubt that Yoshida’s purchase was partly motivated by...
News PlayStation All-Stars' Latest Level Fuses Heavenly Sword with WipEout
Asse-Kai
It’s only been a few weeks since Seth Killian shared the very first details about PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale’s DLC – but already developer SuperBot Entertainment has updated with some fresh information. In a post on the PlayStation Blog, game director
News PlayStation Vita v2.01 Fixes Cloud Save Sync Issues
Clear skies
A new firmware update is available for the PlayStation Vita. As promised, the hastily prepared refresh fixes issues pertaining to automatic cloud save syncing. The feature was introduced last month as part of PlayStation Plus’ expansion to the handheld. In addition to cloud saves,
News Far Cry 3 Raises the Stakes with Exclusive PlayStation 3 DLC
In too deep
Far Cry 3’s online experience will expand next year, when the title’s High Tides DLC washes up exclusively on PlayStation 3. The co-op expansion – which is due out in January – will add two new chapters to the existing campaign: Jailbreak and Redemption. These, according to Ubisoft Massive’s Meghan Watt, highlight “the hard...
News PlayStation 3 Is the Most Popular Platform for Netflix in the World
Connected consoles
More people stream Netflix to their televisions with the PlayStation 3 than any other device in the world, platform holder Sony has announced. Considering the sheer number of compatible gadgets and set-top boxes available, it's easy to understand why the company is shouting about the statistic. "PlayStation 3 is our largest...
News Sorry Europe, You're Not Getting BioShock with BioShock Infinite
Would you kindly add it in?
European gamers expecting to get a free copy of the original BioShock with upcoming sequel BioShock Infinite have had their hopes dashed by publisher 2K Games today. Chatting with Eurogamer, a company spokesperson explained that the offer applies to the North American region only. “I can confirm that the PS3 version of...
News Sound Shapes Drops Some Sweet New Beats This Week
Music to your ears
If you’ve already exhausted Sound Shapes’ existing audio toolbox, then you might be tempted by the three new sound packs drumming their way onto the PlayStation Store this week. Fresh sample sets include the Acoustics sound pack, Drum Kits sound pack, and 8-Bit sound pack. Each audio bundle will set you back $0.99, and will...
Monday3rd Dec 2012
News Soul Sacrifice Sets Up Major Clash with Monster Hunter 4
Fighting for the heavyweight title
Sony Computer Entertainment Japan is either really brave or very stupid. The publisher has announced the Japanese release date for PlayStation Vita exclusive Soul Sacrifice – and it just so happens to fall in the same month as its main competitor Monster Hunter 4. The title's set to release on 7th March...
News Sony Debunks Beyond: Two Souls Release Date Rumours
Indigo prophecy
Sony has squashed rumours suggesting that Quantic Dream's upcoming PlayStation 3 adventure Beyond: Two Souls is set to release on 25th May in North America. The date was touted when a PlayStation.com page updated with the information, but the platform holder has since admitted that the details were added as a mistake. “We have not...
What a Piddy
The indie game market is saturated with 2D platformers. Ever since the runaway success of Braid, indie developers have been tripping over themselves to try and create the next big thing. Pid is the latest attempt – but does the puzzle platformer, from Swedish developer Might and Delight, add anything new to the medley? Thankfully,...
News Sony Celebrates Soul Sacrifice Release Date with Vita Bundle
Worth an arm and a leg
Soul Sacrifice is by far the PlayStation Vita’s most important exclusive in Japan. As such, it’s not especially surprising to see the platform holder lavish the title with its own hardware bundle. Announced alongside the title’s controversial release date, the special edition will include a gorgeous crimson console, a...
News Big Sky Infinity Blasts PS3 and Vita Next Week
Flying high
If you’ve already exhausted every last atom of gameplay from Super Stardust Delta, then Ripstone’s upcoming Big Sky Infinity deserves a spot right at the top of your most wanted list. The PlayStation 3 and Vita twin-stick shooter promises a “fast-paced” arcade experience with “several unique attributes that significantly...
News The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim DLC Spreads to PS3 in Early 2013
No, really
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’s latest expansion pack Dragonborn will fly onto the PlayStation 3 in early 2013, publisher Bethesda has announced. The add-on is due out on the Xbox 360 tomorrow, but will officially spread to Sony’s system next year. It concludes almost a year of excuses from the developer, as content has frequently sk
News North American PS Plus Returns to Rapture with BioShock 2
Up and ADAM
PlayStation Plus subscribers in North America will be able to enjoy an all expenses paid trip to Rapture this month, when BioShock 2 joins the Instant Game Collection. The controversial sequel – which is a lot better than you may have heard – will be accompanied by a 10 per cent discount on the Rockstar Games Collection, which...
News New The Last of Us Video Draws a Sharp Blade
Hold still
Naughty Dog’s itching to tell you more about The Last of Us, but it’s going to make you wait a little bit longer. In the meantime, it’s prepared an agonisingly brief teaser trailer, which focuses on a man with a 70s haircut and a dude with a blood stained knife. It strikes us that the duo are planning an impromptu trim. After all,...
News Ni No Kuni Demo Travels to North American PSN This Week
Ocean drive
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch will endeavour to warm your cockles this week, when a demo for the delightful PlayStation 3 exclusive boards the North American PlayStation Store. The gameplay teaser was confirmed as part of a PlayStation Blog post, but there’s no word on whether the sampler will sail to European shores. We’ve...
News Battlefield 3's Price Crumbles with New European PSN Deal
Pew pew
Sony’s unwrapped another offer as part of its festive European PlayStation Network advent calendar. From now until 23:59PM on 4th December, you’ll be able to snuggle up with a digital copy of Battlefield 3 for just £29.99/€39.99. That represents a huge saving over the listed price of £59.99/€69.99, but it’s still cheaper to...
News Rotastic Is Stardrone But with Cartoon Characters
Like a record
What happens when you give a Viking a hookshot? No, there isn’t a punch line – this is the premise for Dancing Dots’ upcoming PlayStation Network arcade game, Rotastic. As the name so effortlessly illustrates, the downloadable title sees you snapping onto targets, and, er, rotating around them. This allows you to navigate a slew...
News Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Takes UK Sales Charts Hostage
The future's black
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 may not be selling as well as its predecessors, but it’s still utterly dominating the UK sales charts. The first-person shooter has held onto its position at the top of the best sellers list, forcing new release Far Cry 3 into second. That's despite the insanity simulator securing the ninth biggest...
Most Read
Reaction The Last of Us' Launch Date Points to the PlayStation 4's Imminent Arrival
News Soul Sacrifice Sets Up Major Clash with Monster Hunter 4
News Analyst: Sony May Need to Cut the PS Vita's Price Drastically
News Activision: PlayStation Vita Faces Challenges in Mobile Market
