Japan Getting Metal Gear Rising Super Slim Bundle

Japanese PlayStation 3 owners will be treated to a sumptuous ‘Zan Datsu’ edition of Sony’s flagship console to coincide with the launch of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.

The bundle includes a custom-designed 250GB PS3 Super Slim, a DualShock pad, a copy of Metal Gear Rising and download codes for a PS3 theme and the Cyborg Ninja costume. Gematsu reports that it’ll cost 31,960 yen.

Elsewhere, Siliconera has caught wind of a Metal Gear Rising demo that will land on PSN in Japan on December 13. Apparently it’s the same one packaged with the Zone of the Enders HD Collection that the gaming press has been lapping up. No word on a western release but we’ll keep you posted.

Metal Gear Rising will be unleashed in stores for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in February 2013. In Japan the game is a PS3-exclusive and won’t be released there for Microsoft’s console.

Source: PlayStation Universe

PlayStation All-Stars: First DLC Includes Kat and Emmett Graves

SuperBot Entertainment showed off a new pair of fighters in PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale at the Sony Santa Monica studio recently: Kat from Gravity Rush and Emmett Graves from Starhawk will be the first two DLC characters to join the fracas. The character pack containing both will be free for a limited time when it arrives sometime early next year.

SuperBot’s director Omar Kendall also premiered a brand new level for the game, combining the worlds of Heavenly Sword and Wipeout into a beautiful but precarious environment. The actual pricing (and release date) for the level hasn’t yet been decided.

While letting us play a little bit with each character, Kendall talked to us about the reaction to PlayStation All-Stars, why these two characters are the first to make the DLC cut, and what else SuperBot has planned.

Source: JoyStiq

Hopefully the game focuses on more famous PlayStation characters as the DLC keeps coming. I’d much rather like to see strong PlayStation staple characters such as Crash Bandacoot, Altair or even Snake. Agreed there is a strong argument for these first two DLC characters, but for PlayStation fans who have been around for some time, bring back some of the original/famous stars of the platform!

PlayStation 4 or PlayStation Omni?

The chaps at Dual Pixels have unearthed a series of tantalizing  – albeit unconfirmed – chunks of information on Sony’s upcoming next-generation console, codenamed Orbis.

According to the site’s source, the machine won’t in fact be named the PlayStation 4 as previously speculated; instead it’ll be called the PlayStation Omni. The hardware will be “very capable” of pumping out visuals comparable to Direct X 11 technology, such as the Unreal Engine 4 and Frostbite 2.

As expected, the Omni will indeed be technically superior to the Wii U, though the leap won’t be quite as significant as some would have expected. In fact, the same source puts the new Xbox as more powerful than Sony’s next home console.

One of the more prominent features of the new hardware will be the omniviewer. This comes in the shape of a ‘slick’ head-mounted autosteroptic display designed to track the user’s head and presents a 360 image view with semi-transparent AMOLED screens.

This will essentially transform your bog-standard TV into a 3D compatible behemoth, in addition to throwing in augmented reality information outside of the screen. Meanwhile, the Omni’s new controller will have pulse sensors in the grips for biofeedback gameplay. No word on whether it’ll take the shape of the classic DualShock or the recently rumored Duo-Move pad, however.

Sony is apparently prepping a 160GB system with controller for $350-$399, and another pack including the omniviewer and a single game for $450-$499. The company is targeting a September 2013 release, which is slightly earlier than previous reports have indicated.

In terms of software, next-generation versions of Uncharted, Gran Turismo, Killzone and WipEout are in the works, alongside something called Omni  Fitness as well as a new Media Molecule title.

Take everything above with a pinch of salt though, as this is strictly rumor for now.

Souce: PlayStation Universe

BioShock Infinite Box Art Released

The folks over at Irrational Games have blessed us all with a glimpse at the official box art for BioShock Infinite, the hotly-anticipated spiritual successor that will rock your PlayStation 3 next February.

The cover art, shown below, clearly depicts former Pinkerton agent and main protagonist Booker DeWitt striding through the fires of Columbia, an airborne city that houses a conflict between hardcore American patriots and a movement of rebels called the Vox Populi. In Columbia, Booker must navigate this conflict while rescuing the captive Elizabeth, a girl who may have a greater connection to the events at hand than Booker realizes.

As the cover art confirms, PS3 buyers will receive a free copy of the original BioShock with their purchase of BioShock Infinite.

BioShock Infinite is planned for release on February 26, 2013.

Source: PlayStation Universe

Bungie’s Codenamed “Destiny” Coming to PlayStation 3

The arrival of storied developer Bungie has been a long time coming for PlayStation fans. The studio best known for creating the lion’s share of the Halo franchise is no longer owned by Microsoft, and is therefore free to develop for non-Xbox platforms. Those who follow the industry closely have heard hints of Bungie’s next project, allegedly codenamed “Destiny”, in recent months, and a leak via IGN seems to confirm that Destiny will indeed be coming to PlayStation 3.

The leak originated from an IGN reader, who sent documents containing story information and concept art to the video game website. The details were corroborated by Bungie, who has confirmed their veracity. Destiny is marked as a game that is “social at its core”, and a detailed plot synopsis provides context for an experience that’s “fun and accessible to all” and aims “to create a universe as deep, tangible and relatable as that of the Star Wars franchise”.

The plot synopsis is as follows:

“Our story begins seven hundred years from now in the Last City on Earth, in a Solar System littered with the ruins of man’s Golden Age. A massive, mysterious alien ship hangs overhead like a second Moon. No one knows where it came from or what it’s here for, but only that it’s our protector. Meanwhile, strange, alien monsters creep in from the edge of the universe, determined to take Earth and the Last City. We are young ‘knights’ tasked with defending the remains of humanity, discovering the source of these monsters and – eventually – overcoming it.”

The massive alien ship in question is later identified as The Traveler, and can be seen in a variety of concept art images, including those shown below.

Above images credited to IGN.com

It should be noted that the only official piece of artwork is the one given below, posted on Bungie.net earlier today in response to this leak. Bungie had this to say on the leak in question:

“Go ahead. Take a peek. It’s alright. We weren’t quite ready, but we will be soon, and we can’t wait to finally show you what we’ve really been up to.

Stick around, we haven’t even started yet.”

Source: PlayStation Universe

PlayStation Controller You Will Never Have

After five years with the team, Sony Computer Entertainment America PR man Jeff Rubenstein recently left the company. In leaving, though—or at least for being there for five years before he left— the guys over at Kotaku got a chance to see something neat.

Behold, SCEA’s five-year service reward/award. Sure, five years doesn’t sound long, but in a world where people jump careers like Mario jumps flagpoles, five years is forever. And this sure beats a gold watch.

Source: Kotaku

Mirror’s Edge 2 Coming Next Year?

According to Ben Cousins, the former general manager of Electronic Arts’ Easy Studio, DICE is indeed underway on a sequel to 2008 parkour hit Mirror’s Edge.

Cousins, who is now manager of ngmoco Sweden, said on Twitter  “It is general knowledge in the Stockholm dev scene that Mirror’s Edge 2 is in production at DICE.”

Mirror’s Edge received luke warm reviews upon its release four years ago, though nonetheless gained a cult following. A sequel has been rumored for some time now, and while EA has pledged its support for the franchise, nothing has materialised as of yet.

However, going by Cousins’ comments we assume that an official reveal can’t be that far off – if the game is indeed in the works, that is.

This would also tie in with recent comments from EA’s Patrick Soderlund, who said that DICE was in the process of working on non-Battlefield projects. Could one of these be Mirror’s Edge 2?

Source: PlayStation Universe

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is Here!

Throughout its almost 20-year history, PlayStation has allowed us as players to explore new worlds, triumph over adversaries, and realize our dreams of rapping superstardom. Three years ago, SuperBot Entertainment, BluePoint Games, and Santa Monica Studio set out to create a game that pays tribute to the amazing memories we as PlayStation fans have all experienced together. Today is the day that we’re able to share that game with you. PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale has arrived!

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is a celebration of the PlayStation history: its characters, its universes, and most importantly, its fans. And what better way to celebrate that with some good old-fashioned butt-kicking! In PlayStation All-Stars, up to four players can simultaneously control any of the 20 great PlayStation characters featured on our roster, including Kratos from God of War, Nathan Drake from UNCHARTED, Sackboy from LittleBigPlanet, Big Daddy from BioShock, and Dante from DmC Devil May Cry, and fight it out brawler-style on one of our 14 levels, each one created by mashing up two PlayStation worlds — like the topsy-turvy world of LocoRoco mixed with the war-torn battlefields of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.

While our Versus Mode, which pits player against player (against player, against player) will undoubtedly provide endless memorable experiences, venture into Arcade Mode to find out what brings all of these great characters together into one crazy world. And if you’re strong enough, discover what it’s like to face the oldest and most powerful PlayStation All-Star, Polygon Man. Or, head over into the Combat Trials Mode to learn the ins and outs of the Battle Royale combat system. Insight into the various fight mechanics and individual character instructions come together in the form of a fun yet educational mode. And when you’re ready, jump online to challenge the world in either our Tournament or Quick Match Modes, which offer what we feel is an online multiplayer experience virtually indistinguishable from offline play.

Available on both PS3 and PS Vita (digital and retail), PlayStation All-Stars takes full advantage of the interconnectivity between the two platforms via Cross Play, allowing players to battle it out against one another on either device. Owners of both a PS3 and PS Vita can even transfer their saves from one machine to the other, allowing PlayStation All-Stars to be played wherever the fans want to play it. And best of all, if you purchase the PS3 version of the game,you get the PS Vita version at no extra cost! There’s no reason not to take advantage of such a great deal. As a friendly reminder, in order to redeem your digital PS Vita copy form the PS3 on-disc benefit, you’ll need to ensure your PS3 system is updated to the latest firmware, version 4.31.

Source: PlayStation Blog

Best Black Friday Deal?

Toys ‘R’ Us’ Black Friday ad is 32 pages of red and green deals, and as usual, the toy store’s got plenty of gaming deals ready for purchase, including a few deals on consoles.

The biggest hook is a big “buy one, get one for $1” sale going on, with dozens of games available for a buck each when you buy one at a standard price. In addition to lots of great DSi games, even modern Xbox 360 and PS3 games are on the list, including Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops and more current titles like Dishonored and Need For Speed: Most Wanted. All Wii U games are also “buy one, get one 40% off,” so if you want to fill out your library for Nintendo’s new console, there you go.

Read on for more choice Black Friday offerings. For the complete list of Toys ‘R’ Us deals, check out the retailer’s Black Friday flyer.

Source: JoyStiq

 

Splinter Cell Movie to Star Tom Hardy

Ubisoft Motion Pictures has confirmed that the planned movie adaptation of Splinter Cell will star Tom Hardy.

No details on the flick have been revealed so far, and Ubisoft is currently in talks with a number of studios to support the project, including Warner Bros. and Paramount.

Hardy of course featured in a number of Hollywood blockbusters including The Dark Knight Rises and Inception. No further cast details have been revealed at present.

The Splinter Cell movie will feature a script penned by The International’s Eric Warren Singer.

Ubisoft Motion Pictures’ CEO Jean-Julien Baronnet commented: “Tom Hardy is currently one of the biggest talents in the film industry, and he has a phenomenal ability to take on complex and varied roles with his broad range of acting skills.”

“His involvement in the Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell movie is exciting news for movie and video game fans alike.”

“Meanwhile, Eric Singer is one of the most talented writers of the moment, and … we’re confident he’ll bring a fresh approach and create a thrilling story … while still respecting all the codes and traditions of the franchise that are so important to fans.”

The next instalment in the Splinter Cell videogame franchise is currently in development at Ubisoft Toronto.

Source: PlayStation Universe