The New PS3 Slim

The fighting game genre is back and this year it’s bigger than ever. With many of the major fighters expected to make a comeback this year fans of the genre will have a lot to choose from. And many sore fingers.

1: Soul Calibur V

Starting the year off with a bang is Namco Bandai’s Soul Calibur V.The weapon based fighter’s return to the spotlight after a near four year absent paves the way for a big year ahead. Soul Calibur V takes place seventeen years after the fourth installment and introduces a new cast of younger fighters while playing host to returning favorites.

Keeping up with a tradition that began with Soul Calibur II the fifth game in the series includes special guest character Ezio Auditore da Firenze from Ubisoft’s acclaimed Assassin’s Creed franchise. Tekken creator, Katsuhiro Harada, also gets in on the fun as a special non-playable character in the game’s Quick Match mode. Namco is promising a better online experience with Soul Calibur V with an improved netcode to prevent nasty lag issues.

Soul Calibur V is due out in North America January 31st followed by a February 2nd and 3rd release in Japan and Europe, respectively.

2: BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend

Shortly after Soul Calibur V arrives Arc System Works brings an updated edition of its very stylish 2D fighter to the PS3, 360 and Vita. BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend includes new characters, new features and additional tweaks. Already available in Japan since December BB:CSE debuts in North America on the 14th of February. European players can look forward to playing the fighter on the 24th.

3: Street Fighter x Tekken

Street Fighter x Tekken brings legendary characters from both Capcom’s and Namco’s popular fighting game franchises together for one all out brawl of epic proportions. What brought these cast of characters together?

Story details are scarce at the moment but what we do know is that important cast members are after a mysterious object that plummets to Earth which empowers those around it with a water-like energy.

This 2D fighter features a hefty lineup of over 40 fighters including five confirmed guest characters exclusively for the PS3 and PS Vita.

Those five characters are Sucker Punch’s inFamous hero ( or villain as the case may be ) Cole MacGrath, Sony mas-cats Kuro & Toro, Pac-Man and a Mega Man design not seen in a very long time.

Expect tons of character customizations, online modes and other goodies when Street Fighter x Tekken debuts on the PS3 and 360 in March. A PS Vita and PC version of the game are in development.

4: Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown

After a five year absence Sega brings Virtua Fighter back to home consoles this Summer with Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown, a port of the Arcade version released in Japan over a year ago.  Read more... (942 words, 9 images, estimated 3:46 mins reading time)

The fighting game genre is back and this year it’s bigger than ever. With many of the major fighters expected to make a comeback this year fans of the genre will have a lot to choose from. And many sore fingers.

1: Soul Calibur V

Starting the year off with a bang is Namco Bandai’s Soul Calibur V.The weapon based fighter’s return to the spotlight after a near four year absent paves the way for a big year ahead. Soul Calibur V takes place seventeen years after the fourth installment and introduces a new cast of younger fighters while playing host to returning favorites.

Keeping up with a tradition that began with Soul Calibur II the fifth game in the series includes special guest character Ezio Auditore da Firenze from Ubisoft’s acclaimed Assassin’s Creed franchise. Tekken creator, Katsuhiro Harada, also gets in on the fun as a special non-playable character in the game’s Quick Match mode. Namco is promising a better online experience with Soul Calibur V with an improved netcode to prevent nasty lag issues.

Soul Calibur V is due out in North America January 31st followed by a February 2nd and 3rd release in Japan and Europe, respectively.

2: BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend

Shortly after Soul Calibur V arrives Arc System Works brings an updated edition of its very stylish 2D fighter to the PS3, 360 and Vita. BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend includes new characters, new features and additional tweaks. Already available in Japan since December BB:CSE debuts in North America on the 14th of February. European players can look forward to playing the fighter on the 24th.

3: Street Fighter x Tekken

Street Fighter x Tekken brings legendary characters from both Capcom’s and Namco’s popular fighting game franchises together for one all out brawl of epic proportions. What brought these cast of characters together?

Story details are scarce at the moment but what we do know is that important cast members are after a mysterious object that plummets to Earth which empowers those around it with a water-like energy.

This 2D fighter features a hefty lineup of over 40 fighters including five confirmed guest characters exclusively for the PS3 and PS Vita.

Those five characters are Sucker Punch’s inFamous hero ( or villain as the case may be ) Cole MacGrath, Sony mas-cats Kuro & Toro, Pac-Man and a Mega Man design not seen in a very long time.

Expect tons of character customizations, online modes and other goodies when Street Fighter x Tekken debuts on the PS3 and 360 in March. A PS Vita and PC version of the game are in development.

4: Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown

After a five year absence Sega brings Virtua Fighter back to home consoles this Summer with Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown, a port of the Arcade version released in Japan over a year ago.  Read more... (942 words, 9 images, estimated 3:46 mins reading time)

With only 27 days until the launch of PlayStation Vita, we are excited to announce two PS Vita 3G/WiFi bundles. If you were one of the lucky consumers to pre order the PS Vita First Edition Bundle, in addition to the PS Vita 3G/Wi-Fi hardware, a limited edition case, a 4GB PS Vita Memory Card and Little Deviants game, we will now be including an AT&T DataConnect Pass good for one free 250MB session, and a PlayStation Network game – both provided upon 3G activation. And the best part, you still get it a week before the official launch date.

We are happy to announce today that we will be creating an extremely limited edition PlayStation Vita 3G/Wi-Fi bundle designed to reward those who brave the cold to stand in line on February 22nd (or even those who come in the few days that follow). In addition to the PS Vita hardware, we will be including an 8GB PS Vita Memory Card, an AT&T DataConnect Pass and a PlayStation Network game all for the usual MSRP of $299. This SKU is part of a promotional offer and will sell out immediately so we strongly recommend that you purchase your PS Vita early to make sure you get the extra value!

While the system is a fantastic option, the addition of 3G-network access is perfect for the gamer that wants convenience, community and connection – basically the ability to immediately socialize with your gaming community. 3G also allows you to engage in multi-player gaming, utilize GPS location-based digital gifting, stay up to date with continuous LiveArea scores and game ranking news feeds, compete for in-game achievements, engage in PS Vita to PS3 cross-platform game play, cross-game message with Party, and have access to software updates, all while on the go. You’ll also be able to login to the PS Store and download new content and add-ons for some of your favorite titles.

There are lots of exciting updates still to come as we get closer to launch, and we will be sure to keep you posted. Our goal here at PlayStation is to transform every aspect of life into an entertainment experience. We know when you get your hands on Vita you may really never stop playing!

I started at Ubisoft around the time that we launched the first iterations of Michael Jackson The Experience. Being a longtime fan of the King of Pop, I always hoped that I could experience the game on the road. With Michael Jackson The Experience coming to PS Vita on February 14th, my wish has been granted!

In Michael Jackson The Experience, you’ll experience the King of Pop’s chart-topping tracks as you draw shapes and tap on both of PS Vita’s multi touch pads to the beat and choreography of the Michael Jackson avatar. You’ll play through 15 HD scenes inspired by Michael Jackson’s iconic music videos and short films, including “Smooth Criminal”, “Thriller”, “Remember the Time” and many more, all with high-definition quality graphics. Master each of those performances and unlock collectibles and rewards, including alternative outfits and special effects. Michael Jackson The Experience will also have song-based leaderboards and an online Dance Battle mode, giving you a reason to to keep playing these classics over and over again.

Gamers and Michael Jackson fans can pick up Michael Jackson The Experience on February 14 in preparation for PS Vita’s launch — and just in time for the release of the First Edition Bundle. Thanks for checking out our series of PS Vita launch title posts this week on PlayStation.Blog. As you can see, we’re eager to see the platform launch!

Next up on our MLB 12 The Show developer blog tour is our Franchise mode and the improvements coming to players this year. One of our goals going into this development cycle was to enhance the trade logic for CPU teams to better mimic their real-life counterparts. In order to do so, we had to examine the current system and identify the faults to then build and improve upon it. This year we are considering more factors in each trade offer, with the end result being more realistic trades. Teams are valuing their rosters much higher this year, and they aren’t going to ship out prospects so easily, nor will they offer up too many players to fill a positional void. You’ll also see more trades that better suit the teams’ current strategies (i.e. playoff push vs. rebuilding strategies).

Another addition to the trades system is the interface itself. We’ve revamped the trade screen to bring you more detailed information about the players involved and the likelihood of the trade offer being accepted. All of this is aimed at providing more information to help you make sound moves. Here’s a look at this feature on PS Vita. As we’ve said from the start, MLB 12 The Show on PS Vita will utilize all of the core gameplay features found in the PS3 version, and this is no different here!

I know there’s a lot of interest out there about our PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita integration this year so I wanted to make sure I touched on our Cross-Platform Saves functionality. This feature allows you to take your Franchise, Season, and Road to The Show save files up to the cloud where you can then access those files from either your PS3 or PS Vita. You are limited to one file per mode per PSN user account, which can be overwritten as many times as you’d like.

Moving on to other areas of change, we’ve gone back through the player generation logic to bring you more realistic skill sets for the CPU generated players. You will now see more authentic pitch repertoires, with velocities to match, and less overall balanced players (more speedsters, good hitting/average, below average fielding, etc.).

After addressing the player generation issues, we dove into the team lineups and how they slot players. We’ve come up with a more accurate system that better mimics real Major League lineups. This enhancement is carried throughout all of our season-based modes, including Franchise, Season, and Road to The Show. Once again, here’s what this feature will look like on your PS Vita screen!

After we addressed the important player logic issues, we looked at areas of the user interface to further improve your Franchise experience. The Franchise home menu has been enhanced, bringing you more team and league content, including…adding in your next game information, displaying the current standings, and showing you the current league leaders for batting and pitching. These additions aren’t limited to the Major League ball club, and are also accessible to your Triple-A and Double-A teams.  Read more... (644 words, 8 images, estimated 2:35 mins reading time)

The three main characters in Trine 2 are icons in the gaming industry. They represent to us, gamers, the mysterious dungeons, the prized weapon at the end of a painful quest, and above all, the classic old school RPG that we all adore. However, Trine 2 is NOT an RPG. It’s best described as a side-scrolling action adventure/puzzler/platformer/ … OK, so Trine 2 might not have a definitive nature, or a remarkable story, but I’ll tell you what it does have: lots of charm, sharp controls, and some of the most beautiful visuals I’ve seen. Surprisingly, that combination works!

The Story

Regardless of the weak story, storytelling in Trine 2 is surprisingly satisfying!

Trine 2 tells the story of 3 companions’ adventure through an ordinary tale to save a princess. The iconic trio (Amadeus the wizard, Zoya the thief, and Pontius the knight), return to the magical forests to fight goblins and solve more puzzles, while discovering their path and unveiling the secrets of the Trine 2 universe. You will uncover more of the story through poems found in some of the treasure chests distributed evenly through-out the game. While I found the poems a bet helpful to storytelling, I was a bit disappointed after spending a good amount of time reaching my first chest.

You see, the chests in the first Trine were more rewarding, as you can acquire some cool items (armors, weapons …etc) to aid you in your battles. While the story is fairly simple, it has nothing new to offer in general and I found it was merely put for the purpose of transitioning between levels.
The Main Characters

Despite his ongoing research for finally learning the Fireball spell, the Wizard’s talent is for conjuring peculiar boxes, and occasionally even planks. He can also levitate small inanimate objects. Amadeus is married to a lady by the name of Margaret. They have three children, all of whom know the Fireball spell.
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The Knight is an eager champion of the kingdom, the protector of the common man with a great sense of justice. Armed with his sword, his shield and the powerful Storm Hammer, he’s a formidable fighter. Pontius’s great weakness is food. This shows around his waist.
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The Thief makes her way up to rooftops and over walls with her trusty grappling hook. Zoya is not so concerned about family or duty, but she is content to be a hero of the Trine, for she loves adventure. Zoya’s love for treasure, however, often leads her astray.
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The Gameplay

Oh look! … a dragon!?

While Trine 2 lacks in the story department, it still packs some of the most beautiful visuals and outstanding game mechanics ever created for a platformer. Each of the main characters has a set of unique abilities and you can switch between characters easily during the game by simply pressing the R1, or R2 buttons on your Dualshock 3 controller.  Read more... (1286 words, 18 images, estimated 5:09 mins reading time)