Tag: Vita

Destiny Of Spirits Out Today On PS Vita

Have you been itching for a new free-to-play RPG? If so, you might be getting just what you want on the Vita.

Sony announced today that Destiny of Spirits, a free-to-play location-based RPG, will be out today on the PlayStation Vita. The game has players summoning spirits to do battle with and against players from all over the world. Players will also be able to rent and trade spirits with other players.

Here’s how the game works:

In Destiny of Spirits, the world contains three types of magical substances: Spirit Points, Summoning Stones and Destiny Orbs. Spirit Points are earned after battles and can be used to rent other player’s Spirits, merge Spirits to level up, and trade Spirits with other players. Summoning Stones are also earned through battles and you can use these to summon Spirits. Destiny Orbs are available for purchase on PlayStation Store. Some features require Destiny Orbs like Advanced Summon, Rare Summon, restoring a Spirit’s health, and other features at the Shop.

As you can see, free-to-play game design is strong with Destiny of Spirits. While it’s technically possible to enjoy most of what the game has to offer for free, you’re going to have to spend money to get the most out of it.

Speaking of spending money, you’ll have to spend some cash to unlock the first rare summon – Knack. Sony says Knack is just the first of many PlayStation characters being added to the game as rare summons. If you want to see more, you’ll just have to keep playing.

Destiny of Spirits will be available once the PlayStation Store updates today.

Image via PlayStation/YouTube

March 25, 2014
Outlast Free On PS4 Next Month For Plus Members

Every month, Sony serves up a number of free games for PlayStation Plus members. January was a touch act to follow with great games like BioShock Infinite and Brothers going free on the PS3, but it looks like February might be even better.

Sony unveiled this morning that Outlast – the indie horror title that scared PC gamers in 2013 – will be going free on the PS4 at launch in February for Plus members. Outlast is only the fourth free game to hit PS Plus on the PlayStation 4, but it may be the most “next-gen” game thus far outside of Resogun.

For PS3 owners, they can look forward to a trifecta of excellent games – Metro: Last Light, Payday 2 and Remember Me. Metro: Last Light is the sequel to 4A Games’ excellent Metro 2033. The original game was never available on the PS3, but gamers who only have a PS3 won’t be lost as the game’s opening does an admirable job of catching players up on the plot.

Payday 2 is the popular co-op shooter that has four players taking on the role of bank robbers as they attempt to get away with the perfect heist. The console versions of the title haven’t been supported as well as the PC version, but it should still be a fun time for those looking for a good co-op game.

Finally, Remember Me is a new IP from Capcom that features a near future Paris, combat with customizable combos and a memory manipulation mechanic that makes the game worthwhile.

As for PlayStation Vita, fans of the handheld will get Modnation Racers Road Trip and Street Fighter X Tekken in February.

Here’s a short preview of all the games in February’s update:

Image via TheDufase19089/YouTube

January 30, 2014
Sony Says Games Are Central To Its Overall Vision At CES

The Consumer Electronics Show is not usually a place where you expect to see games. It’s a show that’s usually focused on the biggest things in tech that aren’t games. Sony bucked that trend just a little bit this year by focusing on its PlayStation brand during its press conference, including the announcement of PlayStation Now.

What made Sony’s presence at CES more interesting than usual, however, was how it singled out its gaming operation as the inspiration behind its latest comeback strategy. At CES, Sony CEO Kaz Hirai said that the company was working to deliver “wow” moments to consumers. Those “wow” moments are apparently best represented by games.

Of course, no other Sony studio makes gamers say “wow” more than Media Molecule. The developer helped usher in an era of user-created content on PlayStation 3 with LittleBigPlanet and LittleBigPlanet 2. They also gave the Vita a shot in the arm with 2013’s Tearaway. As part of Sony’s presser, Kaz invited Media Molecule to elaborate on their creative process.

To see more from Sony at CES, check out the full keynote:

Image via PlayStation/YouTube

January 10, 2014
Sony’s PlayStation Vision Previewed in New Video

Early this morning, Sony held its big Tokyo Game Show presentation in Japan. In addition to some new game previews and a Japanese release date for the PlayStation 4, the company also chose the venue to tout its new, slimmer Vita and a set-top box it’s calling the Vita TV.

The Vita TV in particular is a bit confusing. It can stream movies and TV the same as other set-top boxes, but it can also play PS Vita, PSP, and PlayStation One games on a TV using a PlayStation 3 controller. In addition, it will be able to network with the upcoming PlayStation 4 console to provide remote play on other TVs.

Just how this all fits into the variety of other PlayStation devices Sony has can be confusing, so the company has put out a video showing all of its devices working together. The video demonstrates how Sony is imagining gamers will interact with PlayStation over the course of one day using their smartphones, PlayStation 4s, and Vitas. It also includes how parents might use the the Vita TV to avoid family conflict over the living room TV and a vivid demonstration of how Sony is using wireless streaming to turn the Vita into a mobile PlayStation 4:

September 9, 2013
Killzone: Mercenary Will Retain The Series’ Strong Multiplayer

Killzone’s multiplayer has always been pretty solid. It looks like the series will retain that pedigree with its second foray into handhelds.

In a new video released today, Guerrilla Cambridge looks at all the new features they’re bringing to the multiplayer experience in Mercenary. The team confirmed that players can carry their character between single player and multiplayer modes. This will allow players to rank up and earn new weapons in multiplayer by playing the campaign.

The team said also taking balance very seriously. Every weapon has something that can counter it. One of those countermeasures appears to be a shield. It’s a little boring so maybe there’s something more interesting in the final game.

Killzone: Mercenary launches on September 10 exclusively for the PlayStation Vita.

July 31, 2013
Sony Opens An Indie Games Store On The PlayStation Vita

The PlayStation Vita has been pretty much abandoned by the major publishers and developers of the world. Indie developers, however, have been very proactive in supporting the platform.

To celebrate the indie developers keeping the Vita alive, Sony has opened a new Indie category in the PlayStation Vita store. As its name suggests, it will be the one stop shop for all things indie on the Vita.

The new Vita indie store mirrors the recently opened indie section of the PlayStation Store on the PS3. A concern then was that Sony would push off the indies into their own store while keeping them out of the more high traffic categories. Sony has already calmed those worries so indie developers on the Vita won’t have to worry about losing their competitive edge against games from major publishers.

Will indie games convince people to pick up a Vita? Probably not, but it’s a nice gesture on the part of Sony and indie developers for those who are still waiting for publishers to notice Sony’s handheld.

June 26, 2013
Hotline Miami Hits PS3, Vita Consoles Next Week

In February is was announced that ultra-violent, fast-paced indie game Hotline Miami would be coming to PlayStation 3 and Vita consols sometime this spring. Devolver Digital and Dennaton Games have missed the spring deadline, but only just, as the game will be hitting the Sony consoles next Tuesday, June 25.

The game will be $10 on either console. As a cross-buy title the game is also playable on either console once purchased.

Hotline Miami for Sony consoles will have an exclusive mask designed by Abstraction and Dennaton Games. The mask is named Russell and is shaped like a bull’s head. It turns everything in the game black and white, save for any neon text and, of course, the blood. Leaderboards and trophies have also been added in for the console release, and the Vita version features touch-screen lock-on targeting.

In addition to the console release, Dennaton Games this week officially announced Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number. The sequel will be coming to PC sometime this year.

June 21, 2013
Soul Sacrifice Comes To The Vita’s Rescue Today

The PlayStation Vita is in a bit of a rough spot. It doesn’t have a lot of great games. Sony hopes to remedy that situation by just a bit today with the handheld’s latest release.

Soul Sacrifice, a new title from Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune, launches today in the US exclusively for the PlayStation Vita. In celebration of the game’s launch, Sony has gone all out with a live action trailer that would be right at home in a direct-to-VHS movie about mystical warriors from the farther realm.

Soul Sacrifice, and its Monster Hunter-inspired gameplay, has already proven popular in Japan. Unfortunately, the genre has never really caught on in the US. That being said, it could find more success on the Vita as the handheld is starved for content.

To further tempt Vita owners, Sony will be offering the following items to those who purchase a digital copy of the game.
Two Unique Costumes with which players can customize their character
Three Magic Items to aid players in battle:
Spirits’ Flamepike: Shards of the spear provided by Fire spirits. (Attribites: heat) Enables five combo attacks.
Spirits’ Blightstone: Explosive stone provided by the spirits. (Attributes: venom)
Spirits’ Fulgurwood: Root provided by the Thunder spirits. (Attributes: volt) It tracks enemies on the ground and attacks with thunder spell.
The Japanese voice-over pack. Get it for no added cost during the promotion!

Soul Sacrifice is the first major release for the Vita this year, but it’s not the last. Sony and third parties will be bringing a number of titles to the handheld later this year to ensure that Vita gamers have plenty of play over the coming months.

April 30, 2013

The smartphone is going to be the death of the dedicated handheld. That’s the line being fed to us by pretty much every analyst these days. The handheld defense league would refute these claims, but mobile proponents now have cold, hard numbers on their side.

A recent report from IDC and App Annie has revealed that the total money spent on iOS and Android has surpassed the total money made by dedicated handheld software – digital and physical – during Q4 2012. It’s significant because it shows that mobile revenue has caught up and surpassed the dedicated handheld market which has long been the stalwart leader in the space.

What’s interesting about these numbers is that App Annie only counted total app sales through game sales and in-app purchases. The amount made would probably be much more if the numbers counted how much is made by advertising in the numerous free games available on mobile devices.

iOS Android Dedicated Handhelds

It’s clear that mobile gaming has become an unstoppable force of mindless consumerism. It doesn’t hurt that the install base for mobile devices far exceeds that of the 3DS, DS, PSP and Vita. That’s because dedicated handhelds doesn’t enjoy the same benefits that mobile devices do, such as subsidized hardware and cheap or free software.

Those on the mobile side of the business will tell you that Nintendo should stop making their own hardware, and start making games for mobile devices. The thinking is that anybody would want to play a Mario or Pokemon game on their iPhone or Android device, and that thinking is probably right. Nintendo probably won’t do anything of the sort, however, as it has always been a company focused on building hardware that compliments its software.

As for Sony, the company is more open to embracing the rise of mobile. It introduced PlayStation Mobile last year to bring high quality games to mobile devices. It hasn’t exactly taken off for them just yet, but there’s definitely promise there.

All that being said, Nintendo and Sony have a chance to emerge as leaders in handheld entertainment if they embrace ideas from mobile and apply them to their own products. Mobile devices have been enjoying millions of sales thanks to carrier subsidies. Nintendo and Sony could very well subsidize their own hardware with a monthly subscription just like Microsoft does with the Xbox 360.

Of course, that doesn’t fix the problem of software being too expensive in the minds of the mobile gamers used to spending $1 on games. Nintendo and Sony both need to better demonstrate the value of their software, and prove that it’s worth the investment by offering experiences that can’t be found elsewhere.

Are dedicated handhelds ever going to take back the lead over mobile? Probably not, but these devices can stay relevant in their own little niche of the consumer market. I’d argue that it’s incredibly important that they do as well. Without them, mobile gaming would become a barren wasteland of derivative running games and physics-based flingers.

[h/t: The Next Web]