Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Obsession Confessions: Fright Night

Find out which games have had the official PlayStation community quaking in their boots.

We asked the members of the official PlayStation Forums at community.eu.playstation.com to tell us their favourite spine-tingling game on PlayStation. Check out the ghoulish top ten below.

1. Silent Hill (PS one)
“Hearing the static of the radio that tells you that there are hostile beings nearby that you can't see but feel is priceless.” (blucerkiato, Italy)
“I'd hear that radio everywhere for weeks after playing – a top class game!” (T-e-X, United Kingdom)

2. Dead Space (PlayStation 3)
“The surroundings, the sound, each step I take in this game makes me fear what’s around the next corner.” (davidsantos, Portugal)
“What an adrenaline shot! That spaceship, alone in the dark and so many frights coming from those aliens! There were some moments when you could take my sofa away and I’d have remained in the same position.” (kragny, Spain)
“Dead Space was pretty jumpy in parts and I always felt pretty tense about what was going to come around the next corner. Standing in the lifts always gave me the jitters as well.” (Rooney53, United Kingdom)

3. Project Zero (PlayStation 2)
“If a haunted house is scary, imagine being able to see dead people through a camera... that is even worse.” (Panquecas, Portugal)
“You cannot hide from your enemies since they are ghosts who can go through walls. The only way to defend yourself is using your picture camera, changing to first person mode and not being able to see who is coming from behind.” (Vis_T, Spain)
“I remember all these ghosts that suddenly appear out of the blue and you have to try to capture them with the camera.” (Jackfriz, Italy)

4. Resident Evil 2 (PS one)
“One of the worst experiences with survival horror videogames, not just because I was really young but for the way that one moment things are calm and quiet and then suddenly change for the worse.” (OuterHeaven__, Spain)
“I remember that playing this game, the biggest fright was when the zombie's hands reached through the window in the police station and grabbed me.” (Rympal, Poland)
“For me it is without a doubt the moment when Leon stops in front of a pool of blood, examines it and then raises his head before you see a Licker. I remember quickly putting the disc away in its box.” (Mauno, France

5. Clock Tower 3 (PS2)
“The idea of being an innocent little girl chased by evil murderers without the chance to escape grabbed my attention.” (Lost_rider, Italy)
“That doll still gives me the heebie-jeebies to this day.” (penguin_on_speed, United Kingdom)

6. Silent Hill 3 (PS2)
“Definitely the scariest game I’ve ever played mostly because of the oppressive atmosphere of the whole game.” (Remy2405, Germany)
“Silent Hill 3 scared the living hell out of me... that bit with the bleeding mirror... not nice at all at three o’clock in the morning in darkness with loud headphones on!” (FatBoyJack, United Kingdom)

7. Resident Evil (PS one)
“When everything was quiet, the dog zombies would smash throug the windows from outside and jump at you in the corridor of the mansion when you were least expecting it.” (rialivo, Italy)
“The original Resident Evil for the fact I nearly got the fright of my life the first time the monster came smashing through the window at the start of the game.” (McNeilio, United Kingdom)
“Like many, I jumped when the dogs shattered the windows of the corridor. I dreaded opening a door and falling on two or three hungry zombies while my charger was almost empty.” (bobby526, France)

8. Siren Blood Curse (PS3)
“Claustrophobic locations, killer nurses, mad doctors and the decline of a broken family...” (TheQueenC, Italy)
“Typical Japanese horror stories with graphics done so well that make you feel like you’re really there...” (Sand_Snake, France)

9. Fallout 3 (PS3)
“Fallout 3 was pretty scary because you didn't expect to be scared by it. You could just be walking around the wasteland, and then you’d notice a deathclaw in the distance. You know it’s going to try to attack you, so you have to quickly think about what you’re going to do before it kills you. That’s the kind of horror that I see a lot in the game: you’re presented with a sudden task and you need to resolve it quickly, and it makes you panic – lovely!” (Mattiebo123, United Kingdom)

10 BioShock (PS3)
“There are scenes in this game when you really want to hide underneath your bed.” (kokinhas4, Portugal)

Thanks to all those who got involved and contributed via the official PlayStation Forums. Head over to community.eu.playstation.com and keep the conversation flowing about your most chilling game experiences and all things PlayStation.



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PlayStation Network scheduled maintenance

PlayStation Network is offline for scheduled maintenance from 16:00 on Thursday 28 October 2010 until 00:30 on Friday 29 October 2010, BST.

During the maintenance, you will be unable to access the following services:

PlayStation Store on PS3, PSP and PC.PlayStation Network Account Management.PlayStation Network Account Registration.

In addition, you will not be able to sign in to PlayStation Network from eu.playstation.com. If you wish to play online during the maintenance, please ensure you sign in to PSN before 16:00 on Thursday 28 October 2010.

During this maintenance, you can continue to collect in-game trophies and these will be updated on your profile once PlayStation Network is back up and running.

If you have any questions about this down time, feel free to visit the official PlayStation Forums at community.eu.playstation.com where you can post your query and a member of the moderation team will get back to you.

For the latest maintenance updates, visit the PlayStation Blog at blog.eu.playstation.com, keep an eye on our Facebook page at facebook.com/SonyPlayStation and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/PLAYSTATIONEU.



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FirstPlay: See the future of PS3. First. Episode 32

Premier Manager, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, Dead Nation, Costume Quest, Castlevania: Lords of the Shadow, Eat Them!

This week - along with episode 32 of FirstPlay, which hits the Store this Wednesday, we've got an exclusive demo of highly addictive boot-room simulator Premier Manager!

And that's just the start, next we have a big preview of US-set occupation shooter Homefront, we're also going hands on with the online multiplayer of Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, rounding up a stack of recent releases, and taking a look at the lean, mean Predators on Blu-ray.

And that's not all. In Network Highlights this week we preview another beautiful apocalypse in upcoming PSN shooter Dead Nation, chat to Tim Schafer about the making of Costume Quest, interview Deus Ex: Human Revolution art director Jean Jacques-Belletete and present our utterly spoilerific guide to beating the toughest bosses in Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow.

Rounding things off we have our screenshot galleries, which this week include the latest prettiness from the aforementioned Deus Ex, Splatterhouse, Hunted: The Demon's Forge and new PSN monster 'em up, Eat Them!

As always this comes for just 99p, or even less if you buy a 12 week subscription for 8.99.

We’d also like to remind you that you can stay in touch with all things FirstPlay by following us on Twitter at @firstplay_uk and on our Facebook page: FirstPlay (official). We also have a YouTube channel up and running.And don’t forget you can sign up for the FirstPlay newsletterhere to have regular news and content updates delivered directly to your inbox.

The FirstPlay team would love to hear from the PS3 community so if you’ve got anything to share, from videos and grabs to suggestions for content feel free to get in touch.



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minis Mondays 1

Check out the great minis titles that released on PlayStation Store in October 2010.

Fun and snackable, minis have been gracing the screens of PlayStation 3 and PSP for over a year now. Read on to find out which ones hit the virtual shelves of PlayStation Store last month.

Get hooked

Put your fishing skills to the test in the new angling adventure, Flick Fishing. Cast your line in seven different locations and reel in loads of fish using a combination of different bait and techniques.

If you want to show off your fishing finesse, enter one of the 12 fishing tournaments and see if you can catch some exotic species - just make sure you don't lose your prize to a snapped line.

A walk on the wild side

Take on the role of a member of the Mafia in Crime Spree, the new action title from GameShastra.

Collect loads of cash as you drive through the city without getting busted by the cops. Try to collect all your loot within a time limit in Arcade Mode, or just grab as much as possible before the police catch up with you in Survival Mode.

Grab the cash for the notorious godfather and don't get caught.

Don't stop the music

Try your hand at keeping the beat in the musical Boom Beats. Tap the rhythm to a range of different tracks inspired by drum and bass, dub step and house music, all produced by a professional DJ. As you become a musical master, unlock more difficulty modes to put your tempo to the test.

Take down the Scumbags!

Fancy an old school sidescrolling shooter? We've got that covered too. Ace Armstrong vs. the Alien Scumbags is also available to download from PlayStation Store.

Play as space pilot Ace Armstrong and eliminate the relentless extraterrestrial menaces that lurk just about everywhere. Battle over a dozen flavours of Alien Scumbag and try to defeat five huge bosses to save the world.

A different kind of construction...

You'll have your work cut out for you in the latest minis title from Nordcurrent, Urbanix. Conquer three very different worlds and build on them whilst avoiding attacks from dangerous enemies.

Begin your adventure as a tiny tractor on Earth, before progressing to the North Pole and then the Moon where your mission becomes harder and your enemies more deadly. Delve into 150 levels of building mayhem.

All minis can be downloaded from PlayStation Store. Keep your eyes peeled for more exciting bite-sized titles coming your way soon.



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Play Like A Pro: The Fight

Limber up for The Fight on PS3 with these top tips from the game's producer John McLaughlin.

Playable in amazing stereoscopic 3D and with support for two PlayStation Move motion controllers, The Fight puts your moves, and your actions, directly into the game with an unprecedented level of freedom. Make sure you're a champ not a chump with these handy hints to getting the most out of this brand new way to slug it out on PlayStation 3.

1. Define your space
You’ll need to clear some space to play, since you’re going to be fighting and swinging your arms around. When calibrating the PlayStation Move motion controller, pay attention to the live video feed. If your hands disappear off-screen when you do certain moves, tracking will suffer, so ensure you’re always in full view of the camera and take a step back if you have to.

2. Straight as an arrow
The PlayStation Eye camera likes it best when it’s right in front of you. The more you tilt it, the more complicated it gets to track your movements accurately. Ideally, since you’ll be standing up to fight, place the camera quite high, and angle it straight on.

3. The light! It burnssss!
Stay away from very bright lights, such as direct sunlight or strong spotlights. It drowns out the coloured light from the motion controllers' spheres, which makes them hard to track.

4. Head shots
Head tracking requires good lighting conditions to work well. You want bright and even lighting (but not too bright), without too many shadows. If your room is too dark, or you have flickering fluorescent lights, or lots of movement, (curtains, cats, friends) chances are head tracking won’t work.

If head tracking is disabled, you can lean and dodge just as well without it, and you can crouch down by pressing the X button (and crouching down).

5. Strike a pose!
When you do the T-pose calibration, stretch your arms out straight to the side and try to reach as far as you can. Otherwise, the game won’t be able to match your movements quite as accurately, because your arm length will be measured wrong.

6. Relax
When calibrating your guard pose, relax and stand just like you want to stand when you’re actually fighting, or your guard pose in-game won’t match. For instance, if you lean forward a lot when fighting, then calibrate like that, or things will look a bit wrong. You can always recalibrate in a fight, by pressing the Circle button.

7. Stand still, please
The game only registers hand movements, so if you move too far away from your calibration pose, it’ll look like your hands are moving away from you. You can dodge and lean all you want, but try to stay in one place.

8. The Circle button is your friend, use it!
Since this is a very physical game, with pretty much non-stop action, it is easy to forget not to move your feet and if you move too much calibration can sometimes suffer. If this happens, get back to the guard pose and then press the Circle button to do a quick recalibration. It takes half a second to do, and it’ll ensure that you’ve always got accurate and responsive controls.

9. "There is no spoon"
When you throw punches, try to punch like you’re not actually holding a controller at all. Don’t stab, chop or wave, or any of the other stuff you might’ve come to expect from other motion controlled games. Just throw normal, proper punches, and try to hit with your knuckles.

10. Put some effort into it
The harder you hit, the more damage you will do. The faster you punch, the faster your combos will land. How far you make it in the game is all down to your skill and your ability.

11. Shadow-boxing
Try to imagine someone standing right in front of you, and aim your punches there. If, for instance, your TV is placed very low, punching down towards the screen will result in your character in-game punching down. So imagine you’re shadow-boxing, and punch straight forward.

12. Keep your guard up
Don’t forget to keep your guard up. This is a 1:1 game, so your character does what you do. If you just stand there with your hands hanging by your side, that’s what happens in-game. You might get away with it in the first few fights, but not for long.

13. Moving really is important
Just like in a real fight, finding the proper range to your opponent is key to mastering this game. You’ll step forward every time you punch but if your opponent is trying to escape, punching to close the distance will eat up all your stamina. Press the Move button and tilt the motion controller forward first, and when you’re close enough, unleash your punches.

14. "The body, the body!"
Some fighters are quite defensive and cover up well. Don’t just burn all your energy punching into their guard, mix it up! Hit the body or try a different angle. You are free to punch anywhere, any way you want. Use that freedom.

15. Stick ’n’ move
When you’re facing really hard-hitting opponents, don’t just stand there and trade punches. The game helps you block some attacks, but not all, so unless you want to get beaten up, learn to get in close and throw your combinations, and back out before your opponent can retaliate.

16. Red bars and flashing red screens are bad
Pay attention to your stamina bar when fighting. When you swing your hands around, the bar starts to turn red, which means you’re getting tired. If you get too tired, the screen will flash red, you’ll do very little damage and you’ll be super easy to knockout. So don’t punch non-stop as that’ll just wear you down. Punch in controlled bursts instead and make sure to upgrade your speed and stamina.

17. Give yourself a boost
Don’t forget to raise your in-game skills as well. You need to level up to get stronger and quicker. Play the training games, and upgrade yourself to stay ahead of the competition.

18. Dirty moves are different
Dirty moves are very effective. But they’re gesture based, so when you’re flailing all over the place and then trying to do a gesture from that position, it can look like a completely different gesture to the game. So always start all dirty moves from the guard pose. And make sure you’ve got a nice and full Rage bar when you use them or you won’t do as much damage.

Grab a copy of The Fight now and fire up your PS3 for your shot at fighting glory.



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PlayStation Network scheduled maintenance

PlayStation Network is offline for scheduled maintenance from 16:00 on Thursday 28 October 2010 until 00:30 on Friday 29 October 2010, BST.

During the maintenance, you will be unable to access the following services:

PlayStation Store on PS3, PSP and PC.PlayStation Network Account Management.PlayStation Network Account Registration.

In addition, you will not be able to sign in to PlayStation Network from eu.playstation.com. If you wish to play online during the maintenance, please ensure you sign in to PSN before 16:00 on Thursday 28 October 2010.

During this maintenance, you can continue to collect in-game trophies and these will be updated on your profile once PlayStation Network is back up and running.

If you have any questions about this down time, feel free to visit the official PlayStation Forums at community.eu.playstation.com where you can post your query and a member of the moderation team will get back to you.

For the latest maintenance updates, visit the PlayStation Blog at blog.eu.playstation.com, keep an eye on our Facebook page at facebook.com/SonyPlayStation and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/PLAYSTATIONEU.



‘Social Network’ Director David Fincher Is ‘Unapologetic,’ Stars SayPlayStation Network scheduled maintenance

Weekend Essentials 52

Prepare for action this weekend on Mount Olympus, a huge battlefield and the football pitch.

Castle Crashers, MUBI and God of War arrive on PlayStation this weekend, read on the find out why they're on our essential list.

"The name's Bond..."

Take on the role of Britain's slickest secret agent in an action-packed story from the writer of GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies.

Use brutal fighting skills and advanced driving techniques to take down enemies in exotic locations in 007 Blood Stone on PlayStation 3.

Bare-knuckle brawling

Fancy your chances against some of the toughest fighters around? If so, get your hands on The Fight, available now on PlayStation 3. Intense, gritty and brutal, this game will put you through your paces.

Playable in amazing stereoscopic 3D, use your PlayStation Move motion controller to throw mean punches and dodge your opponents' handy work, then take the fight online against opponents on PlayStation Network.

Return to Mount Olympus

Are you ready to learn the truth behind the troubled life of Kratos? Embark on a deadly mission as the tormented Spartan Warrior to discover more about his cursed past with new weapons and combat moves in God of War: Ghost of Sparta on PSP.

If you can't get enough of Kratos, pick up God of War: Ghost of Sparta from PlayStation Store. To celebrate its launch for the first week only, you can download the title and receive a Kratos PlayStation Network avatar, the original Ghost of Sparta soundtrack and much more.

Head to blog.eu.playstation.com to find out what else is available in the week one bundle.

Collection of chaos

While Kratos is on your mind, why not download the HD versions of God of War and God of War II from PlayStation Store? The first two titles in the epic saga, both originally launched on PlayStation 2, are now available to purchase together or separately for PlayStation 3.

Head over to PlayStation Store to complete your God of War collection.

Unleash some rage

The Dragon Ball series welcomes a new addition this weekend as Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 arrives on PS3.

Discover the moves and transformations of over 90 playable characters and experience a story that unfolds during battle.

Enjoy a film festival in your living room

Fancy a different kind of entertainment this weekend? MUBI, the new streaming film service on PlayStation 3, is packed with loads of international and independent films for you to discover.

There are three titles that you can watch completely free to introduce you to this great new service, namely The Housemaid, Dry Summer and Alice in Wonderland.

Download MUBI now from PlayStation Store, then share your opinions with film fans on Facebook and recommend titles to your PlayStation Network friends.

Dream team

Start picking your players this weekend, as FIFA 11 Ultimate Team is available to download for free from PlayStation Store. Build your ultimate fantasy football squad on PS3 by purchasing packs of cards and entering online and offline tournaments.

Head over to PlayStation Store to check it out.

Enter the castle

Put on your armour and prepare for battle as Castle Crashers arrives for PS3 on PlayStation Store. The game follows four colourful knights as they head out to rescue their princesses who have been kidnapped. Use weapons and magic to defeat your foes and play with friends via PlayStation Network.

Begin your adventure now at PlayStation Store.

Rock Band 3 demo

Need to brush up on your music skills? Check out the Rock Band 3 demo for PS3 available from PlayStation Store. Take to the stage and play guitar, drums and even the keyboard before you move on to real instruments.

Make time to check out the demo over the weekend.

Gather your troops

This weekend you can download the new MAG Escalation pack, which pits the forces of Raven, S.V.E.R. and Valor against each other at the same time. Up to 96 players can get involved online as each group tries to earn as many points as possible.

Head over to PlayStation Store and fight for your faction.

Dig for victory

Take on the role of the bad guy this weekend as the God of Destruction in No Heroes Allowed on PSP. Destroy your heroic enemies over 33 stages and team up with a friend to punish them together.

Take on the heroes now at PlayStation Store in this riotous dungeon game.

Kratos Yourself

Fancy showing your respect for the mighty Kratos? You can now turn yourself into a fellow Spartan warrior with the Kratos Yourself application. Upload a picture of your face and transform yourself into a brutal legend.

Check out blog.eu.playstation.com for more information.

Fancy a spin?

You're in pole position to check out Split/Second Velocity on PSP this weekend as the demo for the game speeds into PlayStation Store. Experience epic action sequences and explosive car chases on the move.

Download the demo from PlayStation Store now.

Keep an eye on PlayStation Blog at blog.eu.playstation.com for the latest PlayStation news as it happens.

Be sure to opt in to receive PlayStation emails when you sign up for a PlayStation Network account. If you already have an account, sign in to your PlayStation Network account settings at eu.playstation.com/registration or via the XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) and opt in. That way, you can keep bang up to date and receive the latest PlayStation news direct to your inbox.



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