What if you had 1,001 lives in your favorite 2D platformer? Think you could beat the game? That’s 1001 Spikes.

1001 Spikes will likely be the most challenging game to come to the Vita this year. In developing the game, we looked to classic games such as the original 8-bit Spelunker and Hudson’s Famicom game Challenger as inspiration. Aside from utilizing a truly 8-bit art style, in developing 1001 Spikes, we’ve focused on making an incredibly difficult platformer with very precise controls requiring pixel-perfect inputs.

On the surface, the short levels seem minimalistic, but at the core, they’re loaded with strategically placed obstacles hidden to the naked eye. The designers have spent countless hours fine tuning placement of every obstacle and item in the game, literally every detail of the game was meticulously planned and thought out, tested, tuned and retested.

Broken down to its most basic design, the goal in 1001 Spikes is to find the key to open the door to the next level. Each level will present a different challenge both in the procurement of the key and then making it to the door alive. Although some levels look impossible at first, the determined gamer will prevail.

The main character, Aban Hawkins, wields unlimited throwing daggers to fight off anything he may encounter in the deadly ruins. Like classic 2D platformers, 1001 Spikes’ controls are simple: throw daggers, short jump, and high jump. There are very specific times when the high jump may or may not have the advantage, leaving you with using the short jump to progress through the level. In fact, there are areas where you’ll have to use one jump versus the other to advance.

Content-wise, there are six worlds with multiple levels each that lead to more than one finale. Additionally, 1001 Spikes will feature unlockable guest characters and authentic 8-bit style cutscenes! For anyone who doesn’t want to go on the experience alone, we’ve included three multiplayer modes. Multiplayer is both co-op and versus, but we all know that almost every co-op game will eventually turn into a versus match anyway.

We know our game is cruel, and know that the players of today are up for the challenge. With many games purposefully made to be easy and accessible, 1001 Spikes was an opportunity to make a game that is anything but that, yet still make it fun and meaningful. Gamers have to be comfortable with the idea of dying… a lot. What will happen when all your 1001 lives run out? That’s for you to find out! We can’t wait to see what you think when it releases later this year.

*The release in Asia has not yet been confirmed.

Hello from Dakko Dakko! Today I’m here to talk about ‘Floating Cloud God Saves the Pilgrims in HD!’, which we’re bringing to PS Vita this Summer!

This brand new Vita remake of Dakko Dakko’s second game ‘Floating Cloud God Saves the Pilgrims’ (originally released on PSP minis last year) comes with a set of enhancements and upgrades over the original to take advantage of its new home on Vita.

When we embarked on this version there were two things we most wanted to do – the first was a full re-mastering of the game’s art to make the most of the Vita’s huge screen, and the second was a new way to control Floating Cloud God.

The original ‘Floating Cloud God Saves the Pilgrims’ on PSP featured beautiful artwork depicting Japanese folklore and myth, by Army of Trolls’ Gary Lucken (http://www.armyoftrolls.co.uk). Drawn as pin-sharp vectors, the art was a perfect fit for the Vita. It was great to go back to the original images and re-create all the sprite sheets at double the size (to match the Vita’s resolution), and the results were amazing. Below is an image showing just how much better it looks on the new system.

Implementing a whole new control system was less straightforward! We were determined to leave the original controls intact, and to add a new system alongside that taking advantage of the Vita’s extra control options. The original game combined player movement and shot direction on the d-pad or left stick. For the Vita version, we wanted to try separating the player’s shot direction from movement, to allow skilled players to save their pilgrims with more flair!

We started by using the rear-touch panel to control Floating Cloud God’s shooting arm, but it was when we switched to a twin-stick configuration that we knew we had nailed it. Plenty of balancing later, the game retains both the original’s control options and this new vita-exclusive system that really opens the game up, whilst keeping the original challenge, which we’re really proud of.

With a full set of trophies and all the little fixes and tweaks we did along the way, we think this is the definitive version of the game. I’ll be around on the blog to answer all your questions of course, and we hope you enjoy playing ‘Floating Cloud God Saves the Pilgrims in HD!’ as much as we have enjoyed making it.

*The release in Asia has not yet been confirmed.

Good day, PlayStation fans! It’s the Curve team here, bringing you news about Stealth Inc, the stealth-puzzle-platformer for PS3 and Vita that means to exterminate you at any cost. Taking control of one of PTi Industries’ many cloned test subjects, it’s your job to hack, leap and lurk your way through an enormous test facility, with only an assortment of disgruntled, laser-wielding security drones for company.

With its focus on hiding in the shadows, Stealth Inc allows you to experience stealth in its purest form, away from pesky distractions like “weapons” and “armor”. Now brought to you in crisp, shiny HD, an innocent, defenceless clone being bisected by a laser has never looked so good.

The Curve office is hard at work gearing up for Stealth Inc’s release, but it seems that we’re missing a couple of our game designers! Curve inmates Sam and Hamish have snuck away to E3, where they’ll be showing off their handiwork to the gaming world from the PlayStation booth. Look out for Stealth Inc (and Sam and Hamish’s gurning faces) in this year’s E3 coverage!

Meanwhile, we‘d like to hint at some new and exciting revelations. Firstly – this is less of a hint, more of a straight-up declaration, to be honest – we’re delighted to announce that The Teleporter Chambers, a Stealth Inc level pack containing 20 new levels, will be available on release day. This level pack, which puts a radical spin on Stealth Inc’s gameplay, gives the amazing teleporter equipment its time in the limelight and will make you think more strategically to beat its mind-bending puzzles.

Secondly, we’re planning to release not one, but TWO new DLC level packs for Stealth Inc, both of which will be debuting exclusively on PS3 and Vita later this year. We’re looking forward to telling you all about them, so keep an eye on our blog if you’d like to hear more, and let us know if you’ve got any questions about the game!

*The release in Asia has not yet been confirmed.

Since Lone Survivor game developer Japser Byrne announced the Playstation 3 and PlayStation Vita versions of the game in March, both he and the team here at Curve have been working flat out to deliver one of the most unique horror games you’re ever likely to play.

Jasper will be joining Curve developers Sam and Hamish at the Sony area at E3, where he’ll be showing off the very latest developments on the PlayStation version of the game, answering questions and revealing more information about the game, which is due to be released this summer. We are very excited to be demonstrating the very first playable build of the game at E3.

The original Lone Survivor was released last year on the PC and was well received by critics, scoring 81% on Metacritic, nominated for a Golden Joystick as well as other awards and official selections, and picked up by many sites as Horror Game of the Year. The soundtrack was also consistently praised.

For us at Curve, one of the best things about working on a game like Lone Survivor is that we get to take a game that people really enjoyed and use it as an opportunity for the creator to add even more content, and for us to take that and produce something that we believe is the ultimate version of the game.

We work really closely with Jasper on all aspects of the game development, allowing him to focus on creating cool new elements for the game. That means bringing Trophies, Cross-Buy and Cross-Play support to Lone Survivor, but it also goes far beyond that…

Firstly, Jasper has put in over half a year’s work to bring new content to The Director’s Cut. As well as improving many smaller aspects of the original game, he’s added more than twenty new items, several new locations, new side-quests, new dialogue for all characters, several new pieces of music, a brand new movie-like lighting system and new flashlight effects, and even two completely new endings.

Secondly, we’re working on the little details that make a great game ever better, including a control system that perfectly matches the PlayStation consoles, smoother scrolling and movement, and all those little details that enhance the overall feel of a game. We’re also working on PlayStation specific features, like the ability to manage inventory through the Vita touchscreen.

Expect even more news about the definitive version of Lone Survivor to follow very soon!

*The release in Asia has not yet been confirmed.

Amidst all the E3 announcements happening this week, we have a special one of our own – introducing Destiny of Spirits, a new free-to-play social experience that integrates strategic fantasy battles with your everyday PS Vita activity.

Our teams in Japan, in conjunction with Q Entertainment, have been working hard to bring a gaming experience that you can play every day, but more importantly, provide a community where you’ll be able to contribute, even when you’re not playing.

Collaborate with Friends in Battle

In Destiny of Spirits, evil Spirits lay claim to areas around the globe, and it’ll take the collaboration of friends around the world to remove these threats, known as Chaos Spirits. Battle by customizing your own team with powerful elemental Spirits, trade Spirits with friends around the world to diversify your squad, or let your friends borrow from your collection – the game is much more dynamic as you connect with more friends.

Hunt for Spirits with Location-Based Technology

As Spirits are all around us, there are several ways to obtain new Spirits and add them to your collection. By using the Vita’s location-based technology and traveling real-world distances with your PS Vita – on the bus, in the car, on the train – you can unlock new Spirits with every journey. Interaction with fellow players from around the world will enable you to trade spirits and obtain unique Spirits ONLY available in certain regions – your friends in Japan and Europe will have an entirely different set of Spirits that you’ll want to get a hold of!

Find Your Daily Destiny

One feature we’re particularly excited about is the Destiny Engine. Everyday, you’ll receive a unique fortune that will guide your destiny in a number of ways. In battle, your fortune could increase or decrease certain Spirits or elemental attacks, so you’ll need to plan your assaults wisely. On another day, your destiny may affect your travels by increasing the chance to obtain extremely rare Spirits. With a new fortune everyday, you’ll be constantly on the hunt for new Spirits or defeating evil ones, and you’ll want to be checking back every day to see what your fortune will hold

Let us know what you think of the game and we’ll get back on the blog to give you more details about the Spirits and your Destiny that awaits…

And if you’re interested in learning more about some of the social features, check out more, including additional videos, by heading over to our game page on PlayStation Japan.

If asked, most of us can recall a favourite scene or two from a movie, a shot or sequence that lingered with us long after the lights came on and we left the theatre. We retain the visual, but often it isn’t until we see that same scene muted that we discover the music, the aural accompaniment, was a far greater part of our experience than we realised.

Just as in cinema, music is a huge part of what makes many gaming memories so rich. It’s a significant ingredient in creating a sense of grandeur and making something feel epic.

“Soul Sacrifice”, the next title from legendary developer Keiji Inafune, has just such aspirations.

It may be a handheld action title, but there is nothing portable or small about the game’s scope or presentation. Case in point: the game’s soundtrack is composed by Yasunori Mitsuda and Wataru Hokoyama, two of the most recognised composers in the industry. Moreover, their soaring, charged score was recorded using full orchestras and choruses on the Scoring Stage at Skywalker Sound in Marin County, CA, a world-renowned studio with some of the best acoustic technology and audio engineers in the world.

“Soul Sacrifice”’s satisfying action and adventure may conveniently fit in the palms of your hands, but expect its sights and sounds to feel much bigger!

Watch the music of “Soul Sacrifice” come to life in this special abridged cut of our “Behind the Scenes” video:

There’s much more news to come regarding the music of “Soul Sacrifice”, not to mention the game itself, so please stay tuned!

Last month I announced “UNCHARTED: Fight for Fortune”, an original PlayStation®Vita title building on the“UNCHARTED” universe, was going to launch exclusively on the PlayStation®Store in December. I'm here now to let everyone know that you can download it today!

“UNCHARTED: Fight for Fortune” is an action-adventure turn based card game featuring all the heroes and villains that you have met throughout the “UNCHARTED games”, including “UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss” onPS Vita, which directly ties into your experience in “Fight For Fortune”.

The learning curve for card games can be steep, but rest assured we spent a considerable amount of time in the early design of “UNCHARTED: Fight for Fortune” to make sure it was going to be easy to learn, engaging and a whole lot of fun to play. You will be playing within minutes of booting up the game.

The first thing you will probably want to do once you launch ”UNCHARTED: Fight for Fortune” is kick off the Fortune Hunter single player campaign. This campaign features more than eight hours of gameplay that will be spent playing against various characters from “UNCHARTED”, and the first couple games will teach you everything you need to know -- with a gentle learning curve.

Games you win in the campaign will unlock not only Trophies, but also new items including characters, weapons and armor, artifact cards, and player avatars and backgrounds. Use them to customize the game to suit your personality, and use the items to create powerful combos to devastate your opponent.

Speaking of unlocks, everyone who’s played “UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss”, in the last month can start powering up and collecting cards for use immediately in “UNCHARTED: Fight for Fortune”! You’ll just need to make sure that “Fight For Fortune” is installed on the same memory card as your “Golden Abyss” save, and you will be good to go. Already collected everything? No worries, just launch “UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss” to receive your cards and they will all be available automatically in “UNCHARTED: Fight for Fortune”.

If that wasn't enough to keep you busy, “UNCHARTED: Fight for Fortune” also includes competitive asynchronous multiplayer. Play against your friends in the same room with a “Pass & Play” option, or over aWiFi / 3G connection via matchmaking competitions. Impress your friends and start making a name for yourself on the leaderboards (which reset monthly) today.

“UNCHARTED: Fight for Fortune” is available today on PlayStation®Store for $6.4. It includes all your favorite heroes, villains, weapons, and artifacts from “UNCHARTED: Drake's Fortune”, “UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss”, and the motion comic “UNCHARTED: Eye of Indra”.

Although you’ll have more than 100 cards to unlock and Trophies to collect, we didn't stop there. Available immediately are expansion packs for $3.9 each that bring both “UNCHARTED: Among Thieves” and“UNCHARTED: Drake's Deception” to the table, bringing along with it expansions to the single player campaign, more unlockables, and of course even more Trophies to earn.

Download the trial today and find out for yourself what this new “UNCHARTED” experience is all about. I look forward to putting your new-found strategies to the test online!

I’ve got a gaming confession to make: I’ve never played a “Silent Hill” game. Never really had much of an interest in the series, even… until now. “Silent Hill: Book of Memories” is a Survival Horror Action-RPG coming to PlayStation®Vita later this month. Like chocolate and peanut butter, this is a mashup I can get into. After sampling the game at PAX Prime, I met up with the game’s producer, Tomm Hewlett, in San Francisco to find out how Konami plans to please fans of both genres.

Jeff Rubenstein, PlayStation.Blog Social Media Manager: How do you adapt an incredibly scary survival horror series into this action/RPG format? Why did you choose this genre?

 

Tomm Hewlett, Game Producer: We heard about PS Vita, and we really wanted to make a “Silent Hill” that was specially suited for that. We really wanted to experiment with multiplayer. Survival horror is a very particular genre, but with PS Vita’s online capabilities, it just made sense to do multiplayer here. So we started to experiment with different gameplay styles, what was kind of compelling, and through a long random assortment of events and demos, we came across a dungeon crawler, action/RPG thing which is really compelling with multiple players. “Phantasy Star Online” does it, and “Diablo” of course. So then we can kind of mess with it; if I’m with my friends and we get separated, that’s a classic horror trope right there. It’s not a totally different genre that doesn’t make any sense, it’s just sort of a new angle on “Silent Hill”.

PSB: An important part of Action-RPGs is leveling up and gaining new abilities. What’s your philosophy with that in this game?

TH: It was an odd tightrope to walk, because RPGs are entirely about leveling. If you can’t pass a thing, level up some more. Now you can pass that thing. With “Silent Hill” we thought – did we want to do that? Or do we wanna keep that fear of if you’re in this situation, you’re always screwed? So when you level up, you can add stat points and build your character however you want. You can equip things and sort of create the ideal build for your character. But then, weapons can break. So this isn’t like the “Gilded Dragon Sword” in Diablo that you want to hold onto. You know that I have a sweet sword, but you know it’s going to break. So do you hold onto it for the bosses, or Pyramid Head if I walk into a room with him? Or do I just use it and have an easy three rooms and now it’s gone.

 

So we’ve kind of – I hope – found the ideal way to balance building a character: they are getting stronger, getting more moves, more capable. But at the same time you’re not gonna become this empowered demigod and the whole game is your oyster.

 

PSB: Yeah, power can be the antithesis of horror. Talk about this world that we’re in.

TH: We have seven different environments. Through the initial 21 stages of the game, at the end of which you’ll get an ending, they’re structured so that you’ll get three of each in a row. After that it’s endless, a mix and match of anything. “Silent Hill” has had many different “other worlds” – it’s had the fiery, rusty one, it’s had water in Downpour. This kind of lets us bring them all back, so players can play it again without being stuck there for 100 hours. It also ties into the story in specific ways.

PSB: If you get an ending after 21 stages, how does the endless part of the game work?

TH: The cool thing about our premise is that you have this book and you’re rewriting your life. So why should I have to re-roll the character when I beat the game, just to try something new? I should just be able to re-write this book. So that’s how we built the game. You’re not going to have all the story elements just by beating the game once. You’ll have a reason to keep playing: unlock everything, find every monster, and so on. The levels will start to randomize and the game will become crazy, and the enemies will keep scaling. I think the furthest our testers have gotten is zone 340, so that’s a challenge to any players out there.

 

PSB: How does the multiplayer work? Is it cooperative?

TH: It’s co-op by design, but people will find ways to compete and find all the items. It’s important to note that when playing single player or multiplayer, you’re using the same character, so you’re not losing out by choosing one over the other. You can swap back and forth between them as much as you want. Basically, one player is the host, everyone else joins their game. Things you find in your friend’s game will add to your collection, your database of stuff. You can split up, you can all stay in one room. Difficulty will scale up depending on the level of all the players. If you’re a low-level guy in your friend’s game and he’s trying to level you up, you don’t wanna break off from him because you’re going to get trapped and you’re pretty much screwed at that point.

PSB: What do you think is the single most unique aspect about “Silent Hill: Book of Memories”?

TH: With “Silent Hill”, the games loosely tie into each other, but you don’t see a direct sequel. By the time someone’s escaped Silent Hill – if they even escape – their story is told. So you don’t get something like with “Final Fantasy”: “Here’s every single “Final Fantasy” character hanging out in this rhythm game!” You can’t do that with “Silent Hill”, normally, but with “Book of Memories”, you kind of can. So you can finally see these old creatures you’ve loved, and see them interact with creatures from other games. And the story will tie in with other games. So it works as a greatest hits celebration, and an introduction to everything.

I’ve enjoyed my time thus far with “Silent Hill: Book of Memories”, and look forward to taking it with me on the go beginning (18th Oct @PS Store). The Action-RPG elements are familiar, with an aesthetic that I find very creepy, though not nearly as scary as a traditional “Silent Hill” game would be. Well, at least that’s what I’m told. Now I’m interested in finding out for myself.

“LittleBigPlanet™ PS Vita” is out now! The reviews are brilliant! We’ve got PlayStation®Network promotions for the launch week and a brand new “Arcade“ trailer.

Rave Reviews – High scores galore!

“LittleBigPlanet™ PS Vita” has taken some super-high scores:

IGN - 9/10

“When the LittleBigPlanet community gets its hands on the PS Vita version, amazing stuff is going to happen, and the PlayStation®Vita is going to have a free App Store.”

EDGE - 9/10

“If anything, this is the most inventive LittleBigPlanet campaign yet, in fact, with each level throwing in a new twist or an unexpected gimmick as you catch trains across an endless junkyard or move through haunted houses leaping from one dumb waiter to the next.”

CVG - 9.2/10

“Tilt control? That's in too. Camera? Yup. Having all these functions is one thing, but what really sets them off is the way levels have been perfectly designed to integrate the features. Nothing here feels like a novelty feature; it's all here for a reason, and that makes the single-player the best LBP campaign on any format.”

Celebrating the LittleBigPlanet™ launch on PlayStation®Store
For all you PlayStation®3 fans, these top-selling costumes, like all costumes will be, are cross-buy so you can play on LBP Vita too! For this month – 50% discount on the top-five sellers.

Free launch promotion DLC!

Before September 26^th, purchase on the Store and receive free DLC packs : Knights of Old AND BioShock!!

Rare T-Shirt!

  For launch timing only – the Rare LittleBigPlanet™ PS Vita T-Shirt!

This rather snazzy Rare T-Shirt will suit any Sackboy or Sackgirl’s personality by automatically matching the colour of the t-shirt with their chosen Popit Colour and with a simply adorable animation on the front, who could possibly resist adding this costume to their wardrobe of costume delights for “LittleBigPlanet 2”, “LittleBigPlanet PS Vita” and “LittleBigPlanet Karting”?

Don’t forget though that the “LittleBigPlanet™ PS Vita” Rare T-Shirt will only be available for a very limited amount of time!

Don’t delay in picking it up – once it’s gone, it’s gone forever and will never return!

The Launch Spacesuit Returns!

Reserved for the launch of a brand new “LittleBigPlanet™” game, we have the ever-popular Launch Spacesuit returning to the Store next week.

The Launch Spacesuit is FREE and will be returning for one week only too, so make sure you don’t miss out on getting a hold of everyone’s favourite astronomical attire for Sackboy.

LittleBigPlanet™ PS Vita: Arcade Trailer

In celebration of all this news we have a brand new trailer for you, which take a closer look at the Arcade theme, a theme outside of the main story that is entirely dedicated to a new suite of arcade style mini-games.

As you can see from the trailer, “LittleBigPlanet™ PS Vita” goes far beyond the realms of platforming and will give everyone the opportunity to play a whole host of awesome mini games on the PlayStation®Vita.

In the world of video game development, Keiji Inafune is a giant among men. The illustrator and former global head of production at Capcom has played a key role in the development of an astounding array of games spanning a diverse lineup of genres, everything from Mega Man to Resident Evil to Lost Planet and many more.

With his new role at Comcept and Intercept, Inafune is expanding his influence to new projects, including the upcoming “dark fantasy” PS Vita title Soul Sacrifice. During Gamescom, we caught up with Inafune to learn more about his ambitious new game that forces players to make painful decisions.

 

PlayStation Blog：How do you take something painful — sacrifice — and make it fun in a gameplay setting?

 

Keiji Inafune：If you hear the word “sacrifice” it obviously sounds painful. But that’s because you think of sacrifice as sacrificing yourself. But when you’re playing together with your friends, it could be entertaining because it creates a new dialogue. If my character is dying, and my friend decides to sacrifice me, I might say “hey, what are you doing?! Don’t sacrifice me!”

 

So it creates a reason to come up with new ways to fight. It could lead to different kinds of heroism; you could save a bad situation by sacrificing yourself or a friend, or ask your friend to sacrifice himself for the good of the group. I don’t know that it’s always “fun,” but it’s a new kind of entertainment.

You’re forced to make choices in this game. Of course you could go through the game making smaller sacrifices – anything you find in nature you can use as offerings, rocks or a rat you find in a field – and you’ll get a smaller amount of power. The more you sacrifice, the more power you’ll gain. You’re the one to make that choice.

PlayStation Blog：You recently revealed the backstory about one of the game’s monsters, the Griffon. When you don’t know someone’s motivations, it makes it easier to kill them. Do you want us to sympathize with these monsters?

 

Keiji Inafune：One of the things I want to illustrate is a feeling of guilt, a feeling of complexity. So there is sacrificing, but there is also saving. Those are the two extreme choices, the dilemma that you’ll face every time. I want you to make sacrifices, but I also want you to think about saving. Perhaps you’re fighting a powerful enemy but you learn that he has a sick daughter that he has to save back home by earning money in battle. When you hear this during the battle, the nice part of you might think about losing so he can save his daughter. But you want to win your battle, too!

 

So you’ll feel these complex feelings. I wanted to make this a big part of the game. Can you make these extreme choices given the situation?

PSB: Do you think moral ambiguity is something that’s missing from video games? Are too many game stories focused on black and white, good versus evil?

 

KI: I’ve watched the evolution of games and the games industry for the last 25 years; I’ve always had a front-row seat. In many modern action games, it’s about how realistic you can make the experience, how sensational the action is.

  But the creators of the best games today have realized that they need to do something more than becoming more realistic, more sensational – it’s probably already hit the ceiling. They’re thinking about creating something new by including that emotional aspect. In thinking globally, in order to compete with the top game creators today, I’ve also had to think about including that emotional aspect. The games I work on will all include that as a big theme.

 

PSB: Is there an advantage to sacrificing versus saving? Does your character develop differently?

 

KI: You’ve probably heard that you can customize your character, and you’ll have a lot of choices and options. But the way you choose to fight will affect your appearance. So if you keep on saving, or keep on sacrificing, the visual effect will look different; you’ll look more angelic if you keep saving, more evil if you keep sacrificing.

If you go towards one extreme or the other, the time will come when it may be difficult to keep on going [in your chosen path]. If it’s easier to sacrifice a particular enemy, you might face a difficult decision if you you want to save him. But you can choose to stick with an extreme approach, and you’ll earn more power if you choose the hard way. That might come into effect when you’re playing with a party.

 

PSB: What more can you share about Soul Sacrifice’s multiplayer mode? How can the different players work together?

 

KI: Multiplayer mode is definitely a big part of Soul Sacrifice. It’s not just about four people getting together and fighting one monster, though. You have to be strategic in terms of creating your party and choosing your sorcery. One player might want to be aggressive and fight on the front line, while another might want to save more and heal more. Another player might stop time in order to help the others.

Every party you come up with will have a different strategy, different ways to attack and fight. That’s a big element of the game.

 

PSB: Developers have taken many strategies in creating PS Vita titles, from bite-sized games to home console-style games. What do you think makes the best portable experience?

 

KI: I was very involved with the Monster Hunter series, one that pioneered multiplayer gaming in a portable device, and I think my experience there will be very valuable as I explore PS Vita’s opportunities. That said, though there are many ways to approach game design I think that real-time online multiplayer is the most fun and exciting, though it can be challenging to create.

 

In a portable gaming environment, you can’t have hours and hours of gameplay – 30 minutes is probably the comfort zone. I like to view it as playing chapter by chapter, as opposed to the whole book. At the end of each chapter, I like to see results. In Soul Sacrifice, for example, you fight the boss character and at the end of the battle you decide whether to save or sacrifice [and that provides a payoff]. At the end of the game, you’ll have a whole “book” of experiences. From my perspective, that approach makes a lot of sense for PS Vita design.

 

PSB: What more can you tell us about the universe of Soul Sacrifice? What inspirations did you draw from to develop the look and the lore?

 

KI: You begin Soul Sacrifice as a weak, hopeless human locked up in a mysterious cell waiting to be sacrificed. I wanted to create a dark fantasy world, but it’s not about just creating a story. If your character is placed in a hopeless situation, and you look through his eyes, anything would seem dark and depressing. “Dark fantasy” is a result of the situation you’re in.

 

PSB: You’ve mentioned that one reason you’re making this game is because you made sacrifices in your career. In your life, would you say you’ve saved more or sacrificed more?

 

KI: [laughs] I would say that up until now, I’ve probably sacrificed more. But I believe I’ve made those sacrifices in order to earn something back. I want to save people…I want to save a lot of things, moving forward.

Zen Studios is fresh off an exciting and successful E3. Although our presence was modest, we still made a big impact. KickBeat for PS Vita won Destructoid’s Best of Rhythm E3 award, and Zen Pinball 2 was nominated for Best of E3 2012 by IGN and Best Portable Game by Destructoid. We are extremely honored to be included alongside the industry’s best!

KickBeat sure received a positive response at E3. We think it’s because there is nothing else like it, and a lot of people caught on to that. There were also some people who simply told us we were crazy when they watched us play, but once they got their hands on the game they had BIG smiles on their faces. We have some new video that was released right before and then during E3, we wanted to make sure you guys got a chance to view as well.

  The first video is the intro story chapter to KickBeat, setting up our Kung Fu style cheesy story. All of these story scenes are hand animated, and yes, we hired professional voice actors. As a matter of fact, at least one of the actors we’ve used came by the Sony booth to say “hi,” as they are all from Los Angeles.

The next video is actual gameplay, set to “I Can’t Wait” by Celldweller. The game is being played at a high difficulty, so you can really see how the game looks when played at its fullest potential.

The next few weeks will be very busy for pinball. The new Marvel Pinball: Avengers Chronicles pack will release next week, and we will have some detailed info to share on Monday (along with a NEW trailer). Zen Pinball 2 should be out in mid-late July for PS3 and PS Vita. We also want to give a big thanks to our friends at PlayStation for showcasing Zen Pinball 2 on PS Vita in their E3 booth.

This was our very first time having our own setup at E3, and it was a total blur – in a good way! Nine hours of nonstop meetings everyday with seemingly every member of the gaming press, Five Hour Energies, and zombie hands (thanks to our Concourse Hall neighbors, Telltale Games and the amazing The Walking Dead Game which I hear was #1 in May on PSN. And that’s just a taste of what our week was like!

Speaking of the PlayStation booth, by the end of the show everyone was wearing the first piece of Zen Studios swag – some really comfy slippers. We do not wear shoes in the Zen Studios office. We wear slippers! They are much more comfortable and relaxing, and these are actually the same style worn in the office. It’s pretty funny, but a lot of people have been Tweeting us pictures of their feet, and a lot of our followers have been asking for these so I think we might actually start making them available on our website. Let us know if you want them as well.

Thanks to all of you for your support over the years!

#3 The Little Tyrant

We have come to the third comic episode of PlayStation®Vita exclusive title “GRAVITY RUSH”. As time goes by, our heroine Kat starts to get a grip with her everyday life of gravity-defying actions. So, what kind of episode is she going to bring us this time?

Today we will look at how Kat takes care of a baby, a difficult challenge that requires some special skills! Let’s see how Kat makes good use of her ability to control gravity to coax the baby.

The princess of gravity has shown us a fantastic way of using gravity to turn a baby’s tears into laughters!
Please look forward to the last episode of  comic coming up next week!

Episode #1 The Guardian of Hekseville

Episode #2 The Red Balloon

#1 The Guardian of Hekseville

GRAVITY RUSH Chinese/English version hits the stores today!

Kat, the heroine of PS Vita exclusive title GRAVITY RUSH, is an adorable girl who is able to manipulate gravity to roam freely in a 3D space. We will be presenting in a comic series about the intriguing incidents and Kat’s skills as she attempts to safeguard the floating city Hekseville.

Today, we will first look at Kat’s unique ability of gravity manipulation.

From now on we will feature episodes revolving around Kat, so please look forward to next week’s comic! And of course don’t forget to get a copy of the title released today!

Social network services. The PlayStation Vita was built with them in mind right from the very beginning - even back when the device was still referred to by its codename, "Next Generation Portable".

Social media is one of the main reasons why 3G is included in one model of the PS Vita (3G/WIFI). So that you may stay connected with your friends wherever you're playing.

By default, your PS Vita does not have any social media apps installed. Only the Sony Entertainment Network (SEN) is supported fresh out of the box. This allows you to see what your friends are playing, go into party chat with and more.

But you can also connect with friends on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks by downloading the corresponding apps from the PlayStation®Store for free.

Here's a look at three of the apps currently available - Facebook, Skype, and foursquare - and what you can do with them.

Facebook: Share with friends a snapshot of what you're playing

Facebook notification function has been available on the PS3 for a while now. If you look under your SEN account details, you'll find options to automatically share updates on Facebook every time you unlock new trophies or purchased something from the PlayStation®Store.

The Facebook app for PS Vita, however, takes that integration a step further. You will actually be able to check your news feed and see what your friends are up to in real-time - just like on the PC or your smartphone.

Personally, this has been extremely convenient for me since I tend to play games on the PS Vita on my bed at night; no need to climb out of bed and go on the PC just to see what my friends are talking about on Facebook. Commenting on your friends' status updates is also a breeze thanks to the incredibly sensitive on-screen keyboard.

Additionally, you can also post pictures on Facebook directly from your PS Vita - either photos you've taken with the Vita's cameras, or screenshots you've captured by hitting the Start and PS buttons simultaneously.

Skype: Turn your PS Vita into a bona fide phone

One of the hardware features I love on the PS Vita is its built-in microphone, which is great for doing party chats with your friends on SEN. You won't even need to wear a Bluetooth headset - just speak into the PS Vita directly!

That said, I have not used the party chat functionality as often as I would have liked to, simply because party chat only works between PS Vita users.

The Skype for PS Vita app, on the other hand, allows you to chat with friends even if they're on the PC or some other device.

If you've purchased Skype credits on your account, you'll be able to make calls to landlines and mobile numbers too.

Even when used on 3G, the sound quality is good enough to go on without needing earphones. Although obviously depending on the quality of your 3G connection, your mileage may vary.

When the Skype for PS Vita app is running in the background, you'll be able to receive calls in the middle of playing a game (*note: this will not work with games that disable the PS Vita's network connections while you're playing it). A pop-out notification appears whenever someone's calling you on Skype.

foursquare: The perfect primer to places you've never been

If you travel outdoors with your PS Vita very often, then this is the one app that you absolutely must download. It's the perfect complement to "near", the Vita's location-based app that helps you find other Vita users near you.

"near" lets you tell the world what games you've played, and simultaneously checks to see what games other PS Vita users near you have been playing and I look forward to finding people to play the game with through "near".

foursquare, like "near", is also location-based. Except instead of letting you see what nearby PS Vita gamers are playing, foursquare gives you an inside look at where people are hanging out, eating, or shopping at. It's the perfect primer to places you've never been.

Of course, most of you would already be familiar with foursquare - if you have a smartphone, chances are you've installed the app and used it at some point.

In that case you'll be pleased to know that the interface in the PS Vita foursquare app is remarkably similar to the original incarnation on smartphones. As far as I can tell, everything works exactly the same.

There is one big difference with the app here, however: if you thought food photos on foursquare looked scrumptious on your smartphone's screen, wait till you see it on the PS Vita's glorious 5" OLED display.

The Facebook, Skype, and foursquare apps for PS Vita are available for download on the PS Store now, for free.

Which PS Vita apps are your favourite, and why? Let us know in the comments below.

The wait is over! Resistance: Burning Skies hits store shelves and PSN today, ushering in a new era of portable first-person shooters. Dual-analog control isn’t the only thing going for Resistance: Burning Skies though. In addition to the multiplayer features and weapon functionality we’ve introduced over the last few months, Resistance: Burning Skies brings a new hero into the war between man and the Chimera – and Tom Riley’s story is one you won’t want to miss. Take a peek at the debut of our Resistance: Burning Skies launch trailer!

This isn’t all we have to share with you today though. You’ll remember back in April when we talked aboutResistance: Burning Skies’ multiplayer modes we mentioned that through “near,” Resistance: Burning Skies introduces a new social perk which rewards players with XP multipliers that you can carry into multiplayer battle. Today we’re going to shed a little more light on exactly what that means.

So, as you play through the multiplayer experience in Resistance: Burning Skies, there’s a chance that you will become “infected” with a form of the Chimera virus. Although being infected with the Chimera virus didn’t end too well for Nathan Hale, these particular strains of the Chimera virus actually give you a bonus to your in-game XP multiplier. That means that you can have double and in some cases up to triple XP for a limited amount of time to gain levels and to unlock upgrades more quickly.

The really interesting part is that once you’re infected, through “near” you can spread the virus to your friends or drop it off as a gift to a fellow PS Vita player. Conversely you can also pick up the virus that’s been left behind by other Resistance players via “near.”

If you’re a shooter fan and enjoy portable gaming, get out there and pick up Resistance: Burning Skies today and join the fight against the Chimera on PS Vita!

Hi Everyone, I’m happy to announce that we have an exciting lineup of downloadable content coming your way for PlayStation® Vita’s Augmented Reality brawler, Reality Fighters.

Starting from the beginning of this month, you can login to PlayStation®Store and download the Weapons Pack featuring 15 new weapons including a smoke bomb, a jetpack, a cannon and more – absolutely free!

On May 10th, we put on shelves the Ghostbusters Pack which comes with two brand new costumes: the Ghostbusters uniform featuring goggles, a shirt, gloves, pants and boots, as well as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man costume which includes the signature marshmallow head, body, hands, legs and feet. You’ll also pick up three new weapons with this pack including the Ghostbusters proton pack, the Ghostbusters ghost trap, and Ecto 1! You can get all of this for only SG$3.79 when you download the Ghostbusters Pack from the PS Store.

Then, on May 23^rd, you’ll also be able to download the new Football Pack which gives you access to the brand new football fighting style equipped with over a dozen unique battle moves for just SG$3.79.

Note: The above message is a revised version of the original message from Emerson Escobar for Reality Fighters DLC with content release information updated according to Asia schedule. The names and release dates of the DLC may vary across regions.

By Hector Sanchez // Producer, Mortal Kombat 

Developing new and inventive missions for the Bonus Challenge Tower was something our talented Design team at Netherrealm Studios jumped at. It allowed us to not only come up with unique and innovative scenarios that took advantage of the numerous PS Vita features (such as the touchscreen and the accelerometer), but also a long-awaited opportunity to create challenges based around the DLC characters that released after the launch of the PS3 version. Yes, that means Freddy Krueger missions!

With Mortal Kombat finally emerging today on PS Vita game card and via PSN, our designers at NetherRealm Studios wanted to share some of their favorite missions from the all-new Challenge Tower. We hope you guys have just as much fun playing through these missions as we had making them.

Brian Lebaron — Designer, Mortal Kombat for PS Vita

1. Missions 39 and 96: “Figure It Out”

These missions are really fun! We give the player very little info on how to pass the mission hence the “Figure It Out” title. We just drop the player into an event and the player must use the different PS Vita functionality to figure out how to get past the events or to a goal.

2. Missions 8, 36, 52, 80, and 138: “Juggle”

In these missions, you have a few missile launchers on the bottom of the screen and the player must keep the falling character from hitting the ground. It was a lot of fun tweaking the gravity and finding the sweet spot to make these really enjoyable. In one of the juggle missions you have to juggle a fat Baraka; gravity was a bit heavier for him, unlike juggling a mini Sektor.

3. Mission 50: “My Baby”

This one was an inside joke on the team for years and I decided to create a mission around it. It’s really fun: Sheeva leaves her baby and you must shoot missiles at a horde of zombies trying to get to her baby.

4. Mission 108: “Don’t Call me Yellow”

The goal is simple – you must use Reptile’s invisibility to survive for six seconds without being hit by a very angry Sektor.

5. Mission 34: “Isn’t it Marvelous”

You’ll have to wait to see why I love this mission.

Derek Kirtzic – Designer, Mortal Kombat for PS Vita

1. Mission 96: “Figure it Out II”

I really like this mission because it’s nothing like any of the other Tower missions. It has a platformer feel to it and it will take people a while to figure out.

2. Mission 84: “Arrow Pong”

Arrow pong is one of my favorite missions because the arrow progressively gets faster and faster and if you make one mistake, you have to start over. It also teaches the player the timing you need to reflect a projectile.

3. Mission 114: “Kentoichi”

This mission reminds me of the old West: 3, 2, 1 draw! Be careful to not draw too early or you’re dead.

4. Mission 51: “My Children”

This mission is unique because you start off as Freddy Krueger and you have to resurrect zombies to fight for you. I like this mission because you have to avoid Sonya’s attacks while trying to resurrect a zombie– or multiple zombies, based on how good you are.

5. Mission 117: “Kintaro Time”

In Kintaro time you play as Kintaro against four Earthrealm warriors. I have personally played this mission a dozen times just because it’s fun to play as the ultra-powerful Kintaro and use his moves against the game’s AI. There is a little learning curve to playing as Kintaro, too – it’s basically learning a whole new character.

If you’ve picked up the game already, what’s your favorite new Challenge Tower mission? Let us know in the comments!