The Baconing Is DeathSpank’s Meatiest Adventure

The Baconing, DeathSpank’s greatest and most delicious adventure EVER! The game will be available to download tomorrow from PlayStation Network. The Baconing is part of the PSN PLAY promotion so if you purchase the game before September 19th you will also receive co-op character DLC, Roesha – One Bad Mutha. Also, if you are PlayStation Plus subscriber, you can still get 20% off the full game price!

             

When we started developing The Baconing we didn’t want gamers to feel like they HAD to play through the previous DeathSpank games before taking onThe Baconing. We decided to make this game accessible for anyone to jump straight into, ensuring that new players and returning fans alike can both equally enjoy this game. Those familiar with DeathSpank will certainly experience just as much familiar fun plus a bucket-load of improvements too.

This is, by far, the funniest DeathSpank to date. We had an absolute blast making it, and it was an unwritten rule that we needed to laugh every day while working on the game. We added our comedic touch which was brought to life brilliantly by some incredible voice acting.

The world and characters we have created for this game are, let’s say….colorful to say the least! Mix this with some of our favorite, familiar sci-fi themes and references — from Tron to Mad Max to The Jetsons — and you’ve got a porky recipe for hilarity.

It just wouldn’t be a DeathSpank game without a new co-op sidekick for a friend, co-worker, lover, spouse, stranger-on-your-couch, or all of the above to help vanquish the hordes of evil. And have we got a guy for you: Meet Bob from Marketing! He’s a hammerhead shark in a business suit with an ferocious appetite for justice and leveraging a target market!

Bob wields a swordfish to poke holes in bad guys, shoots lasers from his eyes, devours enemies for health (he doesn’t care if they’re dead or alive), and can stealthily swim underground to take enemies by surprise. All in all, an incredibly deadly sidekick.

And one of the best things about Bob is that he was a suggestion from one of our fans. What better way to show we listen, than to create something in the game they suggested. We love our fans!

The Baconing is a game Hothead is incredibly proud of, because we created the entire adventure ourselves. Every mechanic was reviewed, and nothing was off limits when we looked at revamping many of the game systems. If it didn’t fit properly, we cut it. If it worked already, we improved it. If it was frustrating, we streamlined it. If it was edible, we ate it. You get the picture. And we’re certain everyone will be pleased with the results.

So before you download it tomorrow, enjoy our sizzling launch trailer for The Baconing above.

Who’s The Greatest Hero On Your Sofa?

Following on from the 2010 Move-exclusive smash-hit Start The Party! comes a heroic sequel that will turn every party into a race to save the world.

Packed with over 20 fun filled mini-games, Start The Party! Save the World! puts you, your friends and family into the heart of the action and on the screen. The evil Dr Terrible has gone berserk and is trying to destroy the world – use your PlayStation Move to stop him!

See how with the trailer below:



Get your face in the game and interact with some wacky objects that will appear straight into your living room: save stranded divers, defuse bombs before they explode, splat shoals of mutant piranhas, do battle with dinosaurs and zap alien invaders out of the sky.

As you can see, they are pretty dangerous missions – but no need to worry: you can always ask your friends and family to help out.

Every mini-game can be enjoyed in two types of multi-player mode: pass the controller to get your friends into the action or use both a motion controller and a Dual Shock to play simultaneously.

But pay attention: they might decide to hinder you instead… after all, this game is all about discovering who’s the greatest hero on your sofa!

And there are many ways to prove you are the best: speed the action up in Quick Fire Mode; select your favourite mini-game in Free Play or compete with your friends to be the ultimate hero in Party Mode.

So… are you ready to Start The Party?

VIDZONE UPDATE: HOTTEST New Videos, Gemini Exclusive, Emeli Sandé Competition + Even More Festivals

Not for a while have we had this many hot new videos for all of you… You think I am just saying that because I have to, but you would be wrong, surely you know by now that I speak only the truth. When I saw the list I was genuinely impressed. Have a look below, oh and if that doesn’t impress, then keep reading, we seriously have something for everyone (unless you don’t like music of course… in which case… might want to give this one a miss).

Hot New Videos Playlist


New videos from:

• Lady Gaga – Yoü And I
• Maroon 5 & Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger
• Taylor Swift - Sparks Fly
• Mika – Elle Me Dit
• Miss Dynamite – Neva Soft
• Nicola Roberts – Lucky Day
• Professor Green - At Your Inconvenience
• Will Young – Jealousy

Gemini – Graduation: World Exclusive

With your apparent love of VidZone based Dubstep goodness we thought we would give you a world first look at the video for Gemini’s smasher “Graduation”. Following hot on the heels of Nero, Chase & Status and Modestep I have a feeling you are going to like this one.

VidZone Competition: Win tickets to see Emeli Sandé (UK only)


Coming from nowhere to win our hearts and top the charts with debut single ‘Heaven’, Emeli is touring and you can win tickets to the hottest show in town with VidZone, click here for details and to enter.

THIS WEEK
Festival Fever Continues at VidZone – Reading/Leeds Festival (UK, Ireland), Rock en Seine (France), Creamfields (UK)


Not many festivals left to feature now but we are winding down the season with three of the best. Featuring 30 Seconds To Mars, Jane’s Addiction, Foo Fighters, The Chemical Brothers and more…

Artists Of The Week -Foo Fighters


A week late but worth the wait (I hope my rhyme makes up for it) Dave and the gang rock out featuring all of the bands videos from ‘Everlong’ to ‘Walk’.

Greatest Hits – Snow Patrol

While not policing the arctic, Mr Lightbody and crew make music just for you, so we are celebrating by featuring all the bands videos as well as new video for ‘Called Out In The Dark’.

VidZone Recommends – The Kooks

Luke, Hugh, Pete and Chris have newness for you and a lot of amazing oldness for you too. So watch all the classics plus new video “Is It Me” from the bands highly anticipated album ‘Junk Of The Heart’.

Artist Spotlight – Sugababes (UK Ireland)


All the Sugababes want in life is to be free hence their latest video ‘Freedom’ we have that plus Behind The Scenes Footage for your viewing pleasure.

VMA TV


The world famous Video Music Awards are upon us again so check out all the videos nominated for the forthcoming awards and let us know your favourites. Including… Beyonce, Kanye West and Foo Fighters!

Darren Hayes – Celebrity Playlist (UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand)


Ex Savage Garden front man come solo artist has so very kindly picked his favourite videos of all time as well as his own new video ‘Talk Talk Talk’.. well he didn’t pick that one… but we thought we should put it in there.

NEXT WEEK
Festival Roundup


Post festival blues a’knockin? Keep the party going with our Festival round-up featuring live videos from some of this Summers top festivals!


80's Party TV

Without this decade pop music wouldn’t exist, watch it to love it or watch it to laugh, either way watch videos from Blondie, Bon Jovi, Michael Jackson and many more.


OTW -Talay Riley

Featuring on many top artists’ tracks such as Chipmunk and now making it on his own with latest video ‘Make You Mine’ plus acoustic versions of ‘Humanoid’, ‘Say’ and much more


Artist Spotlight – Washington (Australia, New Zealand)


Aussie songwriter and multi instrumentalist, Megan “Washington” Washington has a new video ‘Holy Moses’ we also have some Behind The Scenes footage so you can get to know the girl with a big city name.


VidZone Recommends – Rise To Remain


We do, because we love metal… and it doesn’t get much better than this. Featuring new video ‘Power Through Fear’


OTHER STUFF


Don’t forget to like our new face book page below. We will be shutting down our old one soon so make sure you get over to the new one. Plus there is loads of competitions and stuff to enter there so it’s definitely worth it.

Twitter - http://twitter.com/vidzone

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/pages/VidZone/229267403752915

Website – http://www.vidzone.tv

Video Requests – playstation@vidzone.tv

Customer Support – ps-problems@vidzone.tv

‘Heads-Up’ Game Store Update 24th August 2011

Hello Guys – it’s Wednesday and it’s PLAY time!
Yes, the first of the PlayStation Network PLAY titles launches this week in the form of Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition. If you haven’t already pre-ordered the title you can grab it from today and get the GILL character unlock as part of the package.

Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition, one of the most revered, deep, and sophisticated fighting games of all time, now takes the battle online. Fighting game fans new and old owe it to themselves to experience this mastery of 2D fighting. Throw down with enhanced HD-filtered graphics, arcade-perfect gameplay, GGPO seamless multiplayer, YouTube replay sharing, new art, and I am assured there is no Capcom Online DRM (for those of you who were worried).

If you have pre-ordered, after the publish today you can visit the PLAY section and download a bundle of the Trial/Unlock/DLC at no cost. You should also be receiving an email in the next day or two as a reminder.

And for those of you in Italy, Capcom (after discussion with us) has taken the decision to hold back the publish of SF III for you guys, which should only be for short time – this is because we are currently planning to involve Italy in the PLAY program, but without the pre-order element. I will keep you Italian consumers updated on this as much as possible but the plan is to provide you with the titles, free gifts and the chance to get a free copy of PAYDAY: The Heist too. I will update you with the status on this as soon as I can, but we are working on it.

So what else is publishing today? We’ve got lots. Plenty of trial and unlocks, we’ve got demos for PES 2012, NHL 12 and Space Marine (and we’ve made it available in Germany for Plus subscribers), there’s also a truck load of DLC (including some for White Knight Chronicle II) and loads of Street Fighter III avatars.

And don’t forget the PSP sale starting today – check out Andy’s post for the full listing, there should be something for everyone in either this bunch of offers or the next.

Okay I will be on and off for comments today and I’ll also be back for comments tomorrow, but if I get swamped Andy will step in.

See you all later on!

Special Offer Selection

For all this information go visit Andy Stewart’s new Special Offers Update.


Trial & Unlock (PS3)

• Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition (£11.99/€14.99) Rating: PEGI 12

Availability: Not available in Italy

• Hamilton’s Great Adventure (£7.99/€9.99) Rating: PEGI 7

Availability: All Locales

• Backbreaker: Vengeance (£11.99/€14.99) Rating: PEGI 3

Availability: Not available in Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, India, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine, or UAE

• Crazy Machines Elements (£7.99/€9.99) Rating: PEGI 3

Availability: Not available in South Africa


Full Games (PS3)

• Disney’s Cars 2: The Video Game (£47.99/€59.99) Rating: PEGI 7

Availability: Only available in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden

• Dead Space (£15.99/€19.99) Rating: PEGI 18

Availability: Now available in all locales

• Arkedo Series: 01 – JUMP! (£1.59/€1.99) Rating: PEGI 3

Availability: Not available in Australia or New Zealand



NEOGEO Station (PS3)

• Baseball Stars 2 (£7.19/€8.99) Rating: PEGI 7

minis (PS3 and PSP)

Availability: All locales

• Revoltin’ Youth (£1.74/€1.99)Rating: PEGI 3

Availability: All locales
Rating: PEGI 3

• Doodle Fit (£1.74/€1.99)Availability: All locales

Availability: Not Available in India, Portugal or Spain


Demos (PS3)

• NHL 12 Rating: PEGI 16

Availability: Not Available in India, Portugal or Spain    

• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine

(Single Player Demo)

Rating: PEGI 18
Availability: All locales
Only available in Germany for Plus Subscribers

• PES 2012 – Pro Evolution Soccer Rating: PEGI 3

Availability: All locales


Add-On Game Content (PS3)

• Dead Block – More Dead to Block Map Pack (£2.39/€2.99)

Rating: PEGI 12
Availability: All Locales

Brink

• Fallout And Spec-Ops Combo Pack (£1.19/€1.49)
• Brink Doom®/Psycho Combo Pack (£1.19/€1.49)

Rating: PEGI 6
Availability: All Locales

• EyePet – Lucky Dip Styling Pack: Rain 1 (free)

Rating: PEGI 3
Availability: All Locales


Dragon Age 2

• All-Class Item Pack II Bundle (£3.99/€4.99)

(contains the following content also available separately)

• Mage Item Pack 2 (£2.39/€2.99)
• Rogue Item Pack 2 (£2.39/€2.99)
• Warrior Item Pack 2 (£2.39/€2.99)

Rating: PEGI 16
Availability: All Locales
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3

• ‘True Dynasty Warrior Gundam… May Your Life Be Eternal’ (£0.79/€0.99)
• Final Trial Against the Giants’ Extra Mission (£0.79/€0.99)
• ‘Humankind and Gundams’ Extra Mission (£0.79/€0.99)

Rating: PEGI 12
Availability: Not Available in New Zealand

• Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planewalkers 2012 – Foil Conversion “Ancient Depths” (£0.79/€0.99)

Availability: All Locales


Motorstorm Apocalpyse

• Eurogamer Racing Truck (free)
• Games Radar Superbike (free)
• Glowing Wheel Rims Pack (free)
• Summer Livery (free)

Rating: PEGI 16
Availability: All Locales

Rock Band Network

• Demons with Ryu – Emmure (£0.99/€1.49)
• Epic Symphony In A Flat Minor, Third Movement: Zero Hour – Van Friscia (£0.59/€0.79)
• Give It Up! Give It Up! – His Statue Falls (£0.99/€1.49)
• River Of Glass – Rishloo (£0.59/€0.79)
• Zombies!! (Coming Out Tonight) – Ultra Saturday (£0.59/€0.79)

Rating: PEGI 12
Availability: Not Available in Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, India, Israel, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Poland, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE


Rock Band 3

• Incubus Pack 01 (£2.49/€3.99)

(contains the following songs also available separately)

• Adolescents (£0.99/€1.49)
• Pardon Me (£0.99/€1.49)
• Wish You Were Here (£0.99/€1.49)

Rating: PEGI 12
Availability: Not Available in Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, India, Israel, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Poland, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE


Yoostar2

• 500,000 Bucks (£1.39/€1.75)
• Take Off Your Hat (£1.39/€1.75)
• Re-Entering Earth’S Atmosphere (£1.39/€1.75)
• From The Desk Of Tony Montana (£1.39/€1.75)
• Yoo Are The Light Of Zartha (£1.39/€1.75)
• Child, You Always Knock Me For A Loop (£1.39/€1.75)
• Sleep Tight, Daddy (£1.39/€1.75)
• Shut Up And Pick Your Weapon (£1.39/€1.75)
• I’M In Way Over My Head (£1.39/€1.75)
• All Hail K! All Hail J! (£1.39/€1.75)
• I Coulda Been A Contender (£1.39/€1.75)
• It Is A Good Day To Die (£1.39/€1.75)
• A Pandacide (£1.39/€1.75)

Rating: PEGI 12
Availability: Not Available in Belgium, India, Netherlands, Portugal, Russian Federation and Ukraine


White Knight Chronicles II

• Black Knight Ticket (free)
• Dragon Knight Ticket (free)
• Moon Princess Ticket (free)
• Sun King Ticket (free)
• White Knight Ticket (free)

Rating: PEGI 16
Availability: All Locales


Worms 2: Armageddon

• Retro Pack (£2.99/€3.59)
• Time Attack (£2.99/€3.59)

Rating: PEGI 7
Availability: All Locales
Both available at 15% off for Plus subscribers


Avatars


Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike

• Akuma
• Alex
• ChunLi
• Dudley
• Elena
• Gill
• Hugo
• Ibuki
• Ken
• Makoto
• Necro
• Oro
• Q
• Remy
• Ryu
• Sean
• Twelve
• Urien
• Yang
• Yun

All available @ £0.20/€0.25 each

Themes (PS3)

Studio Themes

• End Of Anarchy Dynamic Theme By Check Morris (£2.39/€2.99)
• Peaks And Flow Dynamic Theme By Jeffrey Bowman (£2.39/€2.99)
• All You See Is Rbg Static Theme By Roya Hamburger (£1.59/€1.99)
• Feeding Time Dynamic Theme By Matthew Green (£2.39/€2.99)
• Elements Static Theme By On Repeat (£1.59/€1.99)

All 20% off for Plus Subscribers


Games

• Bane Of Yoto Dynamic Theme (£1.59/€1.99)

Abstract

• Dynamic Abstract Background Theme 2 (£1.59/€1.99)
• Dynamic Jazz Session Theme (£1.59/€1.99)

Nature

• Dynamic Calm Lake Theme (£1.59/€1.99)
• Dynamic Swimming Pool Theme (£1.59/€1.99)

Sci-fi/Fantasy

• Alpine Assassin (£1.99/€2.49)
• Dragunov Theme (£1.25/€1.59)
• Gold Tiger Mp5 Theme (£1.25/€1.59)

Wallpapers (PS3)

• Fast Draw Showdown Wallpaper (free)

Availability: Not Available in Germany


Videos (PS3)

• Brink Gameplay Trailer #1 – Weapons
• Brink Gameplay Trailer #3 – Teamplay/Objective
• Gldx Trailer 1 – Preview
• Renegade Ops Upgrades Trailer
• The Cursed Crusade – E3 Trailer

‘Heads-Up’ Game Store Update 31st August 2011

Hi everyone, it’s Store update day and the second title in the PlayStation Network PLAY series is released today – The Baconing – the third instalment in the saga of Deathspank, defender of the downtrodden and thong enthusiast.

You are DeathSpank, a hero and the ultimate Dispenser of Justice. You must defeat the Anti-Spank and his army of Cyborques, before they cast an evil shadow over Spanktopia. Discover exciting new worlds and battle hordes of enemies as you search to unlock the secret within the Fires of Bacon.

Your free gift with this title is an extra character, Roesha, who will be available to download from next week’s publish – you can grab it from the PLAY Offer section on the Store, where you’ll also be able to pick up your pre-orders.

Also new this week, we have Elevator Action Deluxe from Square Enix, a retro-reboot of the classic spy, document collecting arcade game from days of yore. Well, 1983 was not quite the days of yore but it was a long time ago in videogames! The original arcade game is included in this release so you can see what all the fuss was about.

We also have the PSN version of 4 Elements HD, a digital BD version of TV Superstars and as usual, plenty of DLC to expand your titles, including a new Toy Story 3 LittleBigPlanet 2 bundle.
The Resistance 3 Multiplayer Beta also stops being a Plus exclusive today, so you can all try out the multiplayer ahead of the game’s release on the 9th September.

I’ll be around most of the afternoon today, mercifully I am meeting free until 5pm, so I’ll be around for your comments.
I’ll see you from 2pm – bye for now.

For full details of the games available in the PSP Power Sale please see Andy Stewart’s Blog post, here.
Blue Toad Murder Files: Episode One is now permanently free of charge
A bundle of episodes 2-6 is also available.

The Baconing (£9.99/€12.99) Rating: PEGI 12
Availability: All locales
The Baconing will be available at no cost to those who have pre-ordered this title as part of PLAY and available at 20% off for Plus members

4 Elements HD (£6.29/€7.99) Rating: PEGI 3
Availability: All locales

Elevator Action Deluxe (£7.99/€9.99) Rating: PEGI 12
Availability: All locales

TV Superstars (£14.99/€19.99) Rating: PEGI 7
Availability: All locales

Left to Die in Zombhai (£2.49/€2.99) Rating: PEGI 16
Availability: All locales

Snowy: The Bear’s Adventures (£7.99/€8.99) Rating: PEGI 3
Availability: All locales
Rating: PEGI 18
Availability: Not available in Germany
Rating: PEGI 18
Availability: Not available in Germany

YooStar 2
I work only 16 hours a day (£1.39/€1.75)When the goin’ gets tough (£1.39/€1.75)Mrs Hangley’s a lot better than you (£1.39/€1.75)The promise of a woman (£1.39/€1.75)
Rating: PEGI 12
Availability: Not available in Belgium, Netherlands, Portugal, Russian Federation and Ukraine

LittleBigPlanet 2
Toy Story 3 Costume Kit (£4.79/€5.99)Mr Pricklepants Costume (£1.59/€1.99)Lots-o-Huggin’ 
Bear Costume (£1.59/€1.99)Trixie Costume (£1.59/€1.99)Dolly Costume (£1.59/€1.99)
Rating: PEGI 7
Availability: All locales

Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3 – Cherudim Gundam Pack (£3.19/€3.99)
Rating: PEGI 12
Availability: Not available in New Zealand

Championship Jockey: G1 Jockey and Gallop Racer – Variety Pack (£1.99/€2.49)
Rating: PEGI 3
Availability: All locales

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Elite Pass (£6.29/€7.99)
Rating: PEGI 18
Availability: All locales

Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 – ‘Ancient Depths’ Full Deck (£0.79/€0.99)
Rating: PEGI 7
Availability: All locales

Homefront – The Rock Map Pack (£3.19/€3.99)
Rating: PEGI 18
Availability: All locales

Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition – Street Fighter III Dipswitch Pages (£0.79/€0.99)
Rating: PEGI 12
Availability: All locales

Rock Band Network
Bed Intruder Song (Feat. Kelly Dodson) by Antoine Dodson & The Gregory Brothers (£0.99/€1.49)Betus Blues (Retro Remix) by db Soundworks (£0.59/€0.79)Caves by Chiodos (£0.99/€1.49)Pray For Plagues by Bring me the Horizon (£0.99/€1.49)Turning Sheep Into Goats/Systematomatic by Rishloo (£0.59/€0.79)
Rating: PEGI 12
Availability: Not Available in Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, India, Israel, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Poland, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE

Rock Band 3
I’m With the Chili Peppers Pack (£6.69/€9.99)
(contains the following tracks, also available separately)By The Way (£0.99/€1.49)Californication (£0.99/€1.49)Look Around (£0.99/€1.49)Monarchy Of Roses (£0.99/€1.49)Otherside (£0.99/€1.49)Parallel Universe (£0.99/€1.49)Scar Tissue (£0.99/€1.49)The Adventures Of Raindance Maggie (£0.99/€1.49)
Rating: PEGI 12
Availability: Not Available in Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, India, Israel, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Poland, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE

Games
Spelunker HD Theme (Retro) (free)Spelunker HD Theme (HD) (free)
Abstract


Military (£1.19/€1.49)Skull (£1.19/€1.49)Dynamic Blue Flames Theme (£1.59/€1.99)
Animals
Fish (£1.19/€1.49)Monkey Business (£1.59/€1.99)


Nature
Campfire at Night (£1.59/€1.99)Dynamic Sea Background Theme (£1.59/€1.99)Dynamic 


Volcanic Lava Theme (£1.59/€1.99)Dynamic Waterfalls Theme (£1.59/€1.99)
Places/Landmarks
Destination: Brooklyn Bridge (£1.59/€1.99)
Sci-fi/Fantasy


Dynamic Bots Sci-Fi Theme (£1.59/€1.99)Dynamic Dragon Warrior Theme (£1.59/€1.99)My Pet Zombie Dynamic Theme (£1.59/€1.99)
Sports


TV/Movie
Warner Bro’s ‘Horrible Bosses’ Theme (Germany) (free)Gatling Gears Launch TrailerAce Combat Assault Horizon E3 TrailerAssassin’s Creed Revelations Gamescom TrailerCrazy Machines Elements In-game TrailerWrecked: Revenge Revisited WeaponsTrailerResistance 3Resist TrailerFollow Capelli TrailerThe Road Trailer

InFAMOUS 2: Festival Of Blood – Witness The Resurrection

Greetings from the deck here at Sucker Punch Productions! As many of you may have heard we had an excellent panel at PAX Prime last weekend about creating our 2D cutscenes. Those lucky enough to attend got a sneak preview of a cutscene from inFAMOUS 2: Festival of Blood, and a free inFAMOUS 2: Festival of Blood t-shirt to boot. We can’t wait to share more details about Festival of Blood, so here’s the sneak peek. Let us know what you think in the comments!

If you want to know how we created these sequences you can read our detailed summary of our PAX Prime panel, A Panel on Panels: Creating the Comic-Inspired Cutscenes of inFAMOUS 2, over on SuckerPunch.com. For more updates, be sure to follow us on Twitter, and ‘Like’ us on Facebook.

View the original article here

Co-op, The Battlefield 3 Way

Hi all! This is Tommy Rydling, Product Manager at DICE. Having just come back from a great GamesCom show in Germany, here’s your chance to learn all about the co-op campaign in Battlefield 3 that we showed off on PS3.
We designed co-op is designed to be the perfect blend between the strong narrative from single player and the open-ended action from multiplayer. We are fusing the replayability of multiplayer with a pick up and play mentality to create a totally new flavour of Battlefield.
Co-op follows the same philosophy as our award-winning multiplayer game mechanics. Teamwork is practically never forced upon you, but working together will make things much easier and — more importantly — lead to victory.

“Snake-66 is mission go!”

The missions in the co-op campaign are for the most part asymmetric. This means that one mission can have you piloting a helicopter while your friend is the gunner, for example. Other situations have one player disarming a bomb and the other one defending him. Or (as you could see in our press conference playthrough at GamesCom) you can do tandem kills to avoid detection. There are also other mechanics requiring teamwork, such as spotting enemies to make large firefights easier, or the essential concept of reviving one another to avoid ending up at the game over screen.

The co-op missions in Battlefield 3 all take place in the same world as the single player campaign, and follow a unique series of events that lead up to an explosive finish. Players in co-op will take the role of soldiers that are not tied to any one particular branch of the Armed Forces. This is an intentional design decision to allow for a vast variety in gameplay in the different co-op missions.


Extract Hamid El Zakir
At GamesCom 2011, we ran Battlefield 3 in co-op for the first time, with the mission Exfiltration on 10 PlayStation 3 stations. During the five days of the show, thousands of fans and journalists got hands-on time with Exfiltration.

The mission revolves around a defecting informant, El Zakir, that you and your co-op friend need to escort to safety. The mission starts outside the building where El Zakir resides. You need to move in, remove any opposition, and extract the target. If you can make it that far without raising a single alarm, there’s a little bonus in it for you. Part two of Exfiltration has you clearing a path for your convoy so you can reach the outskirts of the city, before entering two of the vehicles and assisting by manning the top-mounted machine guns. There’s much more to the mission, but that gives you an idea of what to expect.

Man down! Give your co-op buddy a helping hand to stay in the game.

Lend a helping hand
To survive through the co-op missions, you’ll need to stay close to your buddy. If he goes down, lend a helping hand with the new co-op “Man down!” mechanic, that lets you revive him in the heat of battle. While being down, you can still use your secondary weapon to defend yourself, while slowly crawling to a safer spot where your friend can help you without getting shot. If both of you go down, it’s game over.

You fight together. You die together. And you score together. After having cleared a co-op mission with your friend, your total combined score will be displayed via Battlelog, our suite of free social features that connect all Battlefield 3 players. Missions are designed to be shorter than single player missions, so you can easily do multiple rounds in an evening to try and beat your friends’ high score. The best score of your Friend will be displayed for each mission, so you know what to aim for.

Difficulty is high. We are definitely going for a tough challenge in all missions. Also, since competitive players will likely try each mission several times, all of the co-op missions contain randomized elements to keep every playthrough fresh. Clearing the co-op missions not only gives you scores and bragging rights – it also has benefits for your multiplayer career. There are a number of weapons that you can unlock in co-op and take with you to the regular multiplayer modes. These unlocks are based on your combined scores accumulated throughout the co-op campaign.

We hope you enjoyed this first look at Exfiltration. It was very rewarding meeting our fans at GamesCom, and we hope you stay tuned for more blog posts here at the PlayStation blog as we move ever closer to launch. And don’t forget there’s an upcoming Open Beta in September!

PlayStation Home: More Zombies And Alice Cooper

PlayStation Home will be taken offline for scheduled maintenance this Thursday 25th August at 8AM BST. During the maintenance, you will be unable to access PlayStation Home. Here’s a taster of what to expect from the update…

We have unconfirmed reports of a second wave of zombies ravaging the once peaceful island resort of Banoi this week as the undead virus continues to thrive. It is as yet unknown how far the virus has spread throughout PlayStation Home and authorities advise stocking up on the weaponry now available at the local store before leaving the area.

In a more peaceful corner of PlayStation Home, Diesel have a few tricks up their sleeve. Here’s what they have to say:

Here at Diesel we’re as proud as excited mountain goats to present you with a whole heap of tantalising new things. Our Island now has quaint, but not too posh huts that you can now own as your very own personal space to do with what you will. House parties, soirees or even teddy bear tea gathering all excepted. 

We’re also introducing items that no telemarketer would dare rival: a vintage sewing machine, transgenic fruits and a nice fluffy army kit with all you need for a successful bellicose campaign. And best of all? All profits Diesel make will be given to the charity: Only The Brave Foundation, who work in education, agriculture and development in many countries around the world.

Over in the AAA store, it’s time for a little bit of Alice Cooper!
Ol’ Black Eyes is back! The shock-rock master returns with his epic new album ‘Welcome 2 My Nightmare’, produced by the legendary Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, KISS) and featuring huge guest spots from rock and pop megastars like Rob Zombie and Ke$ha! To mark this most monstrous of occasions, Alice comes to PlayStation Home with a whole host of incredible new items stamped with his own unique and darkly warped twist including mind-blowing stage props and one-of-a-kind outfits from his latest tour.

Visit the AAA store today to delve deep into Alice’s nightmare and get that edge your apartment and avatar desperately needs. Do it now, or Alice might just ‘Bite Your Face Off’!

In other news, Lockwood Publishing is very proud to present the new Silicon Lounge personal space from Sodium. The Silicon Lounge is a personal counterpart to the Sodium Hub festival environment; allowing friends to get together and party under the desert moonlight for the first time.

We like to think that this magical party space is the perfect solution to all your entertaining needs. Set in a secret desert location, the Silicon Lounge contains everything players need to host parties the likes of which PlayStation Home has never seen. Make a statement in this neon paradise, show off your moves on the interactive animated hexagonal dance floor or surprise your friends with luxurious gifts from the integrated Lockwood Gift Machine. And of course, when you’re all partied out, relax in the space’s hidden underground chill-out snug – if you can find it that is!

The Silicon Lounge personal space from Sodium contains:

• Ultra-cool after dark desert setting
• Colourful and stylish neon environment
• Animated interactive melodic dance floor
• Integrated Lockwood Gift Machine
• Luxury underground hideaway snug
• Teleporters to Sodium2, Sodium
• One and the Sodium Hub
• Animated raised stage area

The Silicon Lounge also comes in 3 excellent value bundles. Look out for the Silicon Lounge in the Lockwood or Sodium store this week.

Double Time are back and this time, things are going to get messy. Lockwood’s leading sports brand have produced everything you’ll need for a day’s paintballing.

Before you embark on a paint-firing mission, you’d better make sure you have everything on Double Time’s checklist:

• Paintball Shoes – When the ground is slick with splattered paint, you need shoes with grip.
• Paintball Gun and Gloves – Only to defend yourself, naturally.
• Paintball Body Armour – When those paintballs are zinging at you at 200 miles per hour, they HURT! Double Time’s lightweight body armour will ensure you get through your game with minimum bruising.
• Paintball Trousers – You don’t want to use your designer jeans for this!
• Paintball Mask – Because a paintball in the eye is not something any avatar should have to experience.

Got all that? Okay, then you’re good to go! . . . What do you mean you don’t want to get it dirty? Oh well, Double Time have thought of that too, you pristine little creature, you – slip into the non-splattered version if you want the look without the mess. Value packs are available containing both a clean and a splattered set of clothing.

In the Threads store, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night shirts are now available in Konami’s Retro Collection. Sport your favourite character with Dracula, Alucard or Death. Also check out Konami’s new Gothic range of clothing with some arcane apparel for female avatars.

Due to popular demand Baseline Battle is back! And just in time for the US Open. Whether you’re defending your title or competing to be the new champion, you’ll be mad to miss out on this ace game. Available in the Home Square from this Thursday.

House Of The Dead: OVERKILL Extended Cut – Creeping Flesh

Not content with simply revealing the first exclusive level for the PS3 release of House of the Dead: OVERKILL, I’m back to give you the scoop on the second one too. Set in the cosy confines of an abattoir taken over by a meaty disease of sorts, Creeping Flesh delivers you more of the additional awesome content we’ve lovingly added to the extended, and definitive, edition of OVERKILL.

We pick up the story with Varla and Candy again, and this time circumstances lead them to the local abattoir. I’m not going to spoil any of the story and the detail around what leads them there, but let’s just say it’s the standard House of the Dead fare; there are guns, motives for revenge and mutants galore, all wrapped up with the usual Grindhouse styling.

As you can see from the above image, there is something of a meaty infestation starting to take hold inside the building, and internally we’ve affectionately referred to this as the meat wall (there is also a meat tunnel later in the level, so that’s something to look forward to). Varla and Candy find themselves fighting amongst this wall of flesh, and as they proceed through the ‘meat factory’ they’ll be forced to take action against the new mutants shown above too. These mutants take the expression ‘meat shield’ to a new level, seeing as the additional flesh they’re lugging around makes them slightly more impervious to gunfire than your standard mutants: it’s body armour made of bodies, so to speak.

I also wanted to give you a sneak peak at the level boss, which is one of the most horrid creations I’ve ever seen in a House of the Dead title. Meat Katie is a savage hybrid of mutant and…cow. Yes, cow. I can only imagine where all that anger has come from, but my personal belief is that she’s harnessing the powers of all the lost cow souls from within the abattoir. Don’t mock, you come up with better!
Anyway, Meat Katie is armed with a massive cleaver, and has a nasty habit of flinging large chunks of meat at her intended victims; I imagine Varla and Candy have had plenty of practise avoiding unwanted meat, so it’s probably not too much of an issue though. In other words, you’re going to need good reflexes, steady aim, and perseverance, because this melee monster is going to take a lot of bullets until she’s beaten.
I hope this serves to only get you more excited about this exclusive PlayStation Move title, and confirm just how much effort the team at Headstrong have put into making the game even more brilliant this time round. You’re in for a meaty treat later this year!

PlayStation Home: Sodium 2 Update And Deus Ex Sneaks Into PS Home

The Velocity Racing League enters a new phase this week with the highly anticipated Sodium2 Nemesis Update.

With the start of the Nemesis stage of the Velocity Racing League a new challenge awaits you in the form of a new track – Wasteland Spires. Set within the site of an ethically questionable and borderline illegal mining operation on the exoplanet Iridos, the twists and turns of this track will see you speeding past the abandoned machines and facilities that the long-gone corporations left behind. What’s more, you’ll also be able to prove your worth on the reverse version of this track.
New technological advances pioneered on Iridos have also paved the way for a new set of Velocity Racer upgrades, also released this week. New rocket boosters and hover engine upgrades will give you even more customizability options for your craft, allowing you to make the decisions that could see you sitting pretty at the top of the Sodium2 leaderboards.

Your hard fought quest for bragging rights also gets a boost with the introduction of the Holo-rank system. When you enter the Launch Grid, your level will be displayed on the back of your avatar for all to see – wear it with pride!
Also added are a range of smaller improvements to Sodium2 based on your feedback such as the ability to quickly select new classes of vehicle in multiplayer, and removing chat bubbles in race. Head to Sodium2 now to check out all the Nemesis Update has in store.

Konami brings their wildly popular hip-hop karaoke title, Def Jam Rapstar, into the world of PlayStation Home this Thursday. The Def Jam Rapstar Sound Studio is a new personal space styled after a state-of-the-art recording studio and befitting a world-class hip-hop artist. Pick yours up from the Estates store in the PlayStation Home Shopping Centre.

Also new this week, we have a range of clothing from Deus Ex: Human Revolution, the critically acclaimed cyberpunk prequel from Square Enix. Head over to Alter Ego to kit yourself out in Adam Jensen’s overcoat, shades, and combat armor.

Lots of PlayStation Home users have been asking for more canine companions, and LOOT have answered that call with their latest release of three cuddly Schnauzer puppies. Head over to the LOOT store in the first Shopping Centre to take home Snoop, Georgie or Mona from Thursday. Don’t worry – they’re already house-trained!
Once upon a time in the West, the good, the bad and the ugly people of the fledgling United States of America endured hardship beyond measure. Now nDreams brings you the Wild West pack to keep you warm on your trails, cut-outs and backdrops to add a touch of Western flair to your apartment and the almighty Tumble Weed Cannon; all of which can be yours for only a fistful of dollars (or equivalent). Also available as a bundle, for a few dollars more.
Feeling a bit under the weather? Well then, get nursed back to health with this week’s offerings from Universal in the form of an Alice Cooper-esque Nurse’s outfit bundle! It includes a hat, glasses, gloves and dress.
Keep the summer alive with the new SingStar Summer outfits out this week, including the Beach Babe, Beach Hunk and his and hers Holidaymaker outfits, all available from the SingStar Store and of course everyone’s favourite Threads store.