News

Hi everyone,

It’s been fun to watch all the speculation on whether or not God of War III would get its own spot with Kevin Butler. The answer? Of course, how could it not? We’ve been looking forward to the launch of God of War III for some time now (as you all have) as it’s one of the best examples of “It Only Does Everything” that you’ll find. Where else can you get epic storylines, groundbreaking depth of scale, dynamic 3D realism, and our signature gameplay that is God of War. Yes, God of War III will be one of our biggest sales drivers this year, selling multiple millions of copies and becoming a system seller for PS3. It’s that good and everything you’ve heard is true. With more than 35GB of Blu-ray gaming goodness, it’s truly a shining example of “Only on PlayStation.”

The early reviews are echoing what we already know, that the wait for God of War III will not have been in vain. PlayStation: The Official Magazine has given God of War III a score of 5 out of 5 while Game Informer has followed suit with a 10 out of 10, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg as we expect an onslaught of positive reviews to hit newsstands next week.

Some of you already know what to expect from the final installment of this Olympic-size trilogy. For those of you who don’t, comparing God of War III’s scale and scope to previous chapters is like comparing Kratos’ Blades of Chaos to a letter opener. We are confident that if you haven’t jumped on board yet, this game will certainly be the incentive you’ve been waiting for to get a PS3. Our hats are off once again to our studio organization for creating another amazing experience. I’ve been saying it for awhile, but the depth and breadth of content on PS3 is unrivaled and will continue to be a catalyst to our sales all year long.

While the game itself won’t be in stores until March 16, many of you dedicated God of War fans have already been feeling the Fury of Kratos at your local 7-Eleven. Already, thousands of vouchers from the cups have been redeemed for exclusive downloadable content. Kratos will also be invading the world of NASCAR. On Saturday, March 20, the No. 20 car will be sporting a brand new God of War III and GameStop themed paint scheme driven by Joey Logano during the Scotts Turf Builder 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway. For our die-hard fans, we’ve produced our first collector’s item with the “Ultimate God of War III Edition” which comes packed with exclusive collectibles and downloadable content (priced at $99.99). Several retail partners are seeing huge demand on pre-orders for this edition, so make sure to grab yours on launch day.

Which brings us back to our good friend Kevin Butler, who will also play his part to promote God of War III with a new TV commercial that begins airing the end of this week. Suffice it to say that Kevin can’t possibly ignore the game’s star power. We will also have a 15 second commercial highlighting all the glowing accolades this game is already garnering. We hope you all enjoy your exclusive access to both commercials here before they hit the airwaves:

I look forward to hearing your feedback on the commercials and this amazing game.

By now we’re hoping many of you out there are enjoying everything White Knight Chronicles has to offer on the PS3. For those of you who have gone through the single player campaign, there’s still plenty to do on GeoNet and with the Georama. If you haven’t taken a look, be sure to check out this video that tells you all about it!

And if you think you’ve done it all, guess again. Beginning this Thursday, March 11th, we’ll be offering up additional quests for free every week through the end of June! You read right, free. Just log into the PlayStation Network, start up your copy of White Knight Chronicles and you’ll see new quests pop up on the World Map. Each week we’ll be releasing a new permanent quest, as well as limited quests that will only be available for two weeks at a time. To find out which quests are active, be sure to follow our Twitter account. We’ll be shooting the names of the permanent and temporary quests out through there.

To celebrate these weekly updates, we’re going to run a sweepstakes! Just log into any of the following quests in White Knight Chronicles:

• All in the Cards
• All in the Cards II
• Station Attendant
• Station Attendant II
• Heat Waves
• Heat Waves II

Log in between 5pm PST on Friday, March 19 and 11:59pm on Sunday, March 21 to get entered into a drawing to win a 12-inch White Knight figure:

Specific rules to the contest are below.

Good luck!

“Get The Loot” Sweepstakes

The following promotion is intended for viewing in the 50 United States and D.C. only and shall only be construed and evaluated according to United States law. Do not proceed in this site if you are not a legal resident of, and located in, the 50 United States or D.C. at the time of entry.

White Knight Chronicles International Edition “Get The Loot” Sweepstakes

OFFICIAL RULES

1. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void outside the 50 United States and D.C. and where prohibited. To enter, you must have a valid PlayStation Network account, a PlayStation 3 system and a copy of White Knight Chronicles International Edition (“WKC”). Entries are submitted by signing in to the PlayStation Network and playing an on-line quest within WKC. The on-line quests are titled “All in the Cards”, “All in the Cards II”, “Station Attendant”, “Station Attendant II”, “Heat Waves”, and “Heat Waves II”. Each time you log in and play one of the quests listed above, you will qualify for an entry into the Sweepstakes. Quests do not need to be completed to qualify for an entry.

To be valid, entries must be received between March 19, 2010 5:00 p.m. (PST) and no later than March 21, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. (PST). Sony Computer Entertainment America (the “Sponsor”) is not responsible for lost, late, mutilated, illegible, incomplete or misdirected entries. Sponsor is not responsible for technical, hardware or software failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections or failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions which may limit an entrants ability to participate in the contest. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to modify, cancel or suspend this sweepstakes should virus, bugs or other causes beyond Sponsor’s control corrupt the administration, security or proper play of this Sweepstakes. If the Sweepstakes is cancelled for any reason, winner will be selected from among all valid entries received prior to cancellation and all prizes will be awarded. Entries not satisfying these Official Rules will be automatically disqualified.

2. PRIZES: Twenty Five (25) Winners will receive one (1) White Knight Figure (approximate retail value, $100). Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prize of equal or greater value if prize is unavailable. Prizes are non-transferable and no substitutions allowed. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery of prizes.

3. WINNERS: Winners will be determined by a single random drawing of all valid entries received by Sponsor, whose decisions are final. Drawing will be held on or about March 26, 2010. Winners will be notified by the e-mail account used to set up their PlayStation Network ID within 10 days of drawing.

4. ODDS OF WINNING: The odds of winning depend on number of valid entries received.

5. ELIGIBILITY: Open to legal U.S. residents 13 years or older. Return of any prize/prize notification as undeliverable will result in disqualification and an alternate winner will be selected. All unclaimed prizes will not be awarded. If the winner is a minor, then prize may be awarded to winner’s parent or legal guardian. By acceptance of prize, winner agrees to the use of their name and/or likenesses for purposes of advertising, trade, or promotion without further compensation, unless prohibited by law. Additionally, by acceptance of prize, grand prize winner agrees to release Sponsor, its parents, subsidiaries and affiliates from any and all liability, claims or actions of any kind whatsoever for injuries, damages or losses to persons and property which may be sustained in connection with the receipt, ownership or use of the prize or while participating, in any prize-related activity. Employees of the Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries and affiliated companies and their immediate families are not eligible to participate in this sweepstakes. Neither the Sponsors nor its affiliates, subsidiaries, division or related companies are responsible for any damages, taxes, or expenses that winners might incur as result of this sweepstakes or receipt of prize.

6. WINNER LIST: To obtain a copy of the rules and/or the name of Prize winners, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: “Get The Loot” Attn: Promotions, 919 E. Hillsdale Blvd. 2nd Floor Foster City, CA 94404. Prize winners name request will be fulfilled within four weeks after prizes have been awarded. Requests for winner list must be received by April 30, 2010.

7. RESTRICTIONS: Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

8. SPONSOR: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., 919 E. Hillsdale Blvd. Foster City, CA 94404

The big day is finally here. As Yakuza 3 begins the journey to stores across the west, we take another look at what makes Yakuza 3 something you’ll find only on the PS3.

“If there’s one thing about Yakuza that these last few months have taught people,” I thought as I sat at lunch on Monday, “It’s that the fans are a force to take seriously…usually.” Fans can be the biggest allies and proponents of games that may not be the huge, multi-million sellers like (insert generic FPS here), or (insert additional generic FPS here). They can create amazing successes for games that were never expected to have them – looking at you, Valkyria Chronicles – and they can just as easily do the opposite, in some cases.

But more than anything, most fans just want to be heard. Fans want interaction, and to be responded to. So let’s begin this blog post by jumping right in to one of the biggest things fans have been asking about: the content.

Yakuza 3 is huge. Besides exploring Tokyo and Okinawa, you can also visit restaurants, pick up ramen at a local convenience store, go golfing, bowling, fishing, karaoke, or bust some heads in a local street fight.

As someone who enjoyed Shenmue, my love for Yakuza grows in knowing that some of the people who developed the original Shenmue games also work on Yakuza now. The similarity in feel between the two is no coincidence – and the epic feel of exploration, and Japanese culture, that the game offers are things you won’t find anywhere else. I’m also a big fan of playing darts while drunk – the extra level of difficulty is quite entertaining, besides being notably safer in Yakuza 3’s virtual world than it is in real life. (Note: I do not condone playing Darts while intoxicated. You’ll probably take someone’s eye out.)

Also, we’d like to make special note that while not everything from the Japanese version made it to the western shores, our community team has been – and will be– reading, compiling, and passing all of that feedback upwards here at SEGA. I can’t say more than that presently, but know that you are being heard, and we’ll make sure of that for you. To clarify additionally, as has been mentioned: Hostesses are in the game, and you can take them out on dates, build relationships, and sing karaoke with them to your heart’s content.

As Yakuza goes out the door and into the homes of hundreds of thousands of fans, I’d also like to take a moment to give some thanks to the people that really deserve it – and that’s you guys. It goes to the people who pushed from the beginning to show SEGA how much they wanted this game here. To those who post in the comments sections encouraging us, offering bright and helpful viewpoints even when the going got rough. And finally, to those who continue to support this PS3 exclusive by picking up the game, and in doing so give the franchise the legs on which to stand.

Know that we appreciate the support so many of you have already given to this series – and that we are now, and will continue to listen to your feedback.

That said – here’s to Yakuza 3!

Hi Everyone – Break out the bubbly, because today marks a milestone on the Video Store! Starting today, PlayStation Network’s video delivery service is the first to offer high-definition movies for purchase from all of the major movie studios, including 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. Digital Distribution.

So head to the Video Store today, and on your PS3 from the comfort of your own home, download popular movies to own in dazzling HD, such as This Is It, 2012, The Hangover, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and Zombieland, plus recent Oscar winners and nominees like Inglourious Basterds, Up and District 9. Enjoy!

Since the game launched, the Hustle Kings team has been watching with interest how the game has been received and where you guys think it can be made even better. After weighing up a lot of commentary from the community and how we’ve seen the game played online, we’re gearing up to release our first title update for the game. First out of the gate, we’ve added some amazing new features that will greatly enhance your experience with Hustle Kings, as well as some general updates to the game as listed below:

• General improvements to game stability
• In-game Voice Chat
• In-game Video Chat
• Game Launching from PlayStation Home
• More stats for the loading screens
• The sound effect for the chalk has been turned down
• Chalk can now be used by pressing the R3 button as well as shaking your SIXAXIS
• Free Play mode
• Blue chalk only online rooms
• Online: Opponents are now allowed to change view while watching the player at the table
• Online: The player that breaks is now randomly chosen
• A new, “minimal” aim line
• Dampening effect on the pockets, to stop accurate high powered shots from always bouncing out of the pockets
• Small adjustments to the fine tune aiming to make it easier to use

Soon after this update is out and you’ve had a chance to experience it all, we have more features coming via the PSN Store. First up will be the Time Saver Pack which is aimed at the Hustle Kings player who wants to experience everything the game has to offer, but doesn’t have the time to unlock all the items. This pack unlocks all the cues, avatars, balls, and the unlock packs from the in-game Hustle Kings Store.

If that weren’t enough, we’ve then got not one, but two awesome freebies to give away! Two bizarre and challenging Crazy Tables Packs are heading your way soon, adding a whole new dimension to your game when you want a fun challenge aside from regular pool. To whet your appetite check out these pics of the tables.

Crazy Tables are coming soon and they’ll be absolutely free! We’re already hard at work on even more exciting content for Hustle Kings for release later this year. If you haven’t already downloaded Hustle Kings, be sure to grab it today and start enjoying first-ever billiards simulator made exclusively for the PlayStation 3.

The FINAL FANTASY franchise has long been synonymous with the PlayStation brand – who could forget FINAL FANTASY VII on PSone and FINAL FANTASY X proved to be a landmark achievement when it launched on PS2. And, now we have the highly-anticipated FINAL FANTASY XIII for PlayStation 3 hitting store shelves today.

For those of you headed out to pick up your copy, we’re happy to announce that FINAL FANTASY XIII for PS3 offers an exclusive bonus offer for FINAL FANTASY XIV. Some of you may remember the announcement we made at our E3 press conference last June, but just a reminder that PS3 will be the only console you’ll be able to play FINAL FANTASY XIV when it launches in 2010.

Players who purchase a copy of FINAL FANTASY XIII for PS3 will receive a FINAL FANTASY XIV secret in-game item and be able to enter for a potential opportunity to become a beta tester for FINAL FANTASY XIV for PS3.

Included inside copies of the initial production run of FINAL FANTASY XIII for PS3 are Campaign Codes printed on a special SQUARE ENIX MEMBERS Point Card. Players can register at SQUARE ENIX MEMBERS and receive a code to unlock the special FINAL FANTASY XIV limited offer.

For additional details on FINAL FANTASY XIV, check out the official website and be sure to stay tuned to the PlayStation Blog for much more to come on the game this year.

Hey God of War fans. We are excited to unveil Path to Olympus today, a new exclusive feature on GodofWar.com.

So what is it?
In short, it’s a primer to get you prepared for March 16 when Kratos will storm retailers. Kratos has come a long way since his days as Captain of the Spartan Army, and the Path to Olympus episodes will take you through some of his most prolific and darkest moments, while providing the back story leading up the beginning of God of War III.

Who is it for?
This feature is for you if:

• You are a new player and want to learn what all this Kratos mania is about.
• You’re a gamer who has played the God of War games but are scratching your head trying to remember who Kratos killed, who has killed Kratos and everything in between.
• And lastly, if you’re a hardcore fan that wants to experience, once again, some of Kratos’ most exciting and brutal moments before plunging into God of War III.

What to expect
We will be releasing new content leading up to launch that will quickly get you up to speed on the story, preparing you to take control of Kratos as he catapults towards his destiny in God of War III.

Take a look at some of the video content from the first chapter:

Click to begin!

One last thing to share. Many of the God of War developers are now on the GodofWar.com forums answering questions. Head on over to the community section of God of War and hear what they have been saying.

Hey everyone, happy Monday! Mick Perona here again with your “This Week in DLC” goodness! And because it’s been crazy busy in the world of PlayStation, this week we’re combining the usual “Sack it to Me” post with today’s DLC update. Here’s what’s going on with LittleBigPlanet.

New This Week

St. Patrick’s Day Costume for LBP PS3 (FREE) – Celebrate St. Patty’s Day in your favorite LittleBigPlanet levels with this FREE costume!

In Case You Missed It

Canyons Costume for LBP PSP (FREE) – Get a sneak peek of what’s in the Canyons Theme Pack with this FREE Canyons costume!

Canyons Theme Pack for LBP PSP ($2.99) – Download a new set of goodies to create your own Canyons themed levels. The Canyons Theme Pack includes 2 Costumes, 19 CREATE Materials, 15 Stickers, 1 Music Kit, and 1 Background.

What’s New?
A heartfelt welcome to all the folks over at Media Molecule as they join us as part of SCE’s global development operation, SCE Worldwide Studios (SCE WWS).

Ever Wonder “who’s who” over at Media Molecule? Allow us to introduce our new family members!

Workshop of the Week

At LittleBigWorkshop.com, it’s time to get in on the fun for their March contest, and this time up it’s a sports theme! Have at it, SackPeeps!