vendredi 23 février 2018

PlayStation Blogcast 282: Blogcast and Quill

Join the Blogcast crew as they talk about impossibly adorable PS VR platformer Moss (out next week!) and share an interview recorded on location at Polyarc’s Seattle headquarters. Enjoy the show!


Email us at blogcast@sony.com!

Subscribe via iTunes, Spotify, Google or RSS, or download here


Stuff We Talked About

  • Moss
  • Fortnite Battle Royale
  • Burnout Paradise Remastered
  • Your questions via Twitter
  • Justin’s a homeowner!
  • … in Final Fantasy XIV

Recent Episodes


The Cast

Official PlayStation Blogcast: Justin MassongillOfficial PlayStation Blogcast: Ryan ClementsOfficial PlayStation Blogcast: Kristen Titus

Justin Massongill – Social Media Manager, SIEA
Ryan Clements – Sr. Social Media Specialist, SIEA
Kristen Titus – Social Media Specialist, SIEA


Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music.

[Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]



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Share of the Week: Horizon Zero Dawn

Last week, we challenged you to take a creative eye to one of PS4’s biggest games released last year: Horizon Zero Dawn. While discovering the truth of Aloy’s past and taking down robot dinosaurs, you shared your best shots with us using the hashtags #PS4share and #PSBlog. Here are a few of the submissions that caught our eye.


@MikLSP took Aloy to new heights in this architecture-focused shot.


@DobbyPS4 created a unique portrait of Aloy, shot through an animal hologram in the Frozen Wilds DLC.


Aloy steadies her bow in this vibrant share from @TastyPizzaRolls.


We couldn’t resist giving a shout out to @dascalvin1, who submitted not one, but eight shots from his Bufferflies collection.

Head to #PS4Share and #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see other spellbinding entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week? Our new theme will take us all the way to Egypt.

Theme: Assassin’s Creed Origins
Share by: 9am Pacific on Wednesday, February 28

While scaling pyramids and helping Bayek find the first order of Assassins, share your best shots using #PS4share and #PSBlog for a chance to be featured next week.



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Jettomero: Hero of the Universe Launches on PS4 Tuesday

Hello, I’m Gabriel, the lone developer of Jettomero: Hero of the Universe. I’m thrilled to be able to announce that on February 27, 2018 Jettomero will be landing on PS4 at last!

Jettomero has been my passion project for over 2 years. If I had to choose a genre to properly describe it I might go with “Meditative Narrative Toy”. Being a solo developer I was free to experiment and take risks with this game. I found the development process very organic; the feel, the look, the sound all formed around one another into something I think is unlike anything I’ve played before.

Jettomero: Hero of the Universe

Taking inspiration from such magical games as Hohokum, Noby Noby Boy and Proteus, I wanted to create something that was playful and beautiful. A strong aesthetic was something I strived for from the beginning and a friendly and accessible experience always sat at the core.

The visual style of the game is what most people notice right away about Jettomero. Through rigorous iteration I eventually settled on a striking comic-like look, drawing on a fantastic history of stylized galaxies from many amazing artists over the years. This style went on to shape many more elements of the game, in some ways Jettomero is a lot like an interactive comic book. The game’s flexible photo mode also provided a way to elaborate on various experiments, handing off a wide variety of filters to view and tweak at any moment.

Jettomero: Hero of the Universe

Jettomero: Hero of the UniverseJettomero: Hero of the Universe

As a musician, creating the soundtrack to Jettomero was a highlight for me. I knew from the start that I’d want to record everything using analog synthesizers and electronic drum machines. I recorded a lot of music for the game but all the final tracks are a cohesive down-tempo set, setting a dark but calming mood for the zen experience of the rest of the game.

While the soundtrack plays to the darker themes of Jettomero, the controls quickly became a very humorous endeavour. I’m not much of an animator myself so it worked out especially well that I developed a procedural animation system for Jettomero. The giant robot struggles to walk in a straight line and wobbles from left to right at every turn, but this played completely into a crucial aspect of the game’s story as well. The unpredictable nature of Jettomero’s movements were refined over time but there’s still a wildness to it that I feel is essential to the character.

Jettomero: Hero of the Universe

The story in its loosest form was one of the first things I knew I wanted in the game. Jettomero’s goal to save the humans is constantly at odds with its clumsiness. How can a being capable of so much destruction but with so little control ever be a hero? It’s a bit of a tragic comedy as far as I’m concerned. Overall, I wanted to create a relatable character, and I know I see more than just a little of myself in Jettomero, as I’m sure many others will too.

Jettomero is a very personal project and I’m always so happy to see when others connect with it. Being able to share this strange and unique experience with you is incredibly exciting. I sincerely hope you enjoy your time with Jettomero!



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jeudi 22 février 2018

Hardcore Rhythm Game DJMax Respect Comes West, Out March 6 on PS4

Hello, PlayStation fans!

We are thrilled to bring the beloved rhythm game DJMax Respect to the global audience for the first time on March 6. Start exercising your fingers to get ready for some intense rhythm action game some call the “Dark Souls of rhythm games.”

DJMax Respect for PS4

DJMax Respect for PS4DJMax Respect for PS4

We’ve developed and shipped a total of 9 games in the DJMax series on PlayStation platforms since the launch of DJMax Portable in 2006. We’ve taken a bit of a hiatus after the release of DJMax Technika Tune on PS Vita in 2012.

Now DJMax is back bigger and better than ever in DJMax Respect. We’ve worked hard to make DJMax Respect a game that we can be proud to share with our long time fans. From the inception of the design, the development team’s goal was clear. We were all agreed to create a game that was a true homage to our fans. We named the game DJMax Respect as a form of paying respect to our most ardent fans around the world. Here is what you can expect from DJMax Respect starting March 6.

Gigantic content

DJMax Respect’s base game contains an unheard of 147 songs with 40 new songs available exclusively for the title. With multiple difficulty levels and a rich achievement system, the base game alone should give our fans hours and hours of challenges. To let our fans take advantage of the content in today’s HDTV environment, we’ve completely remastered the tracks and the music videos to run flawlessly at 60 FPS in 1080p.

DJMax Respect for PS4

In addition, we will release all DLC that’s available in Asia within the first month of base game release so there is no need to wait. There a tons of DLC to choose from. We are especially proud of our collaboration with other games such as Guilty Gear, Brown Dust and Girls’ Frontline. The base game and the DLC will allow you to own every song that we ever shipped in DJMax franchise, remastered.

Play with your friend… or anyone!

For the first time in the series, you will be able to play with your friends either locally or online. Playing together is always fun and nothing is more satisfying than beating your friends in their own living room. Battle it out in Freestyle Mode! Once you’ve soundly beaten your friend, you can go online to compete with the best of the best and try your hands at climbing the global leaderboard.

Get ready for challenge

If you are up for a challenge and are a hard core fan of rhythm games, DJMax Respect will provide you with hours of challenging fun. Make sure to stretch and strengthen your fingers before you grab the controller, you will need to be nimble and accurate to be respected in DJMax Respect. Check it out at PlayStation Store March 6!



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Heroine Anthem Zero Episode 1 Launches February 27

Hi everyone, I’m Tavez Huang, producer of Heroine Anthem Zero Episode 1 at WindThunder Studio. I’m excited to announce that our side-scrolling adventure will be released at PlayStation Store on February 27!

This is the first time the 16-year old series will appear on consoles, and we’re honored to have this chance to present our story to a whole new audience. Heroine Anthem Zero features side-scrolling platformer gameplay coupled with RPG elements to tell its story.

Heroine Anthem Zero: Episode 1

The Story of Heroine Anthem Zero

Heroine Anthem Zero takes place in a beautiful, but harsh, fantasy world where men, faeries and other creatures have been abandoned by the gods. Humanity survives, co-existing with various creatures and monsters.

For the tribes of men in this world, protecting the World Tree Terasyr is their duty — the reason for their existence. Legend tells that Terasyr is the origin of all life, and to this day the Engora dynasty still protects this World Tree that stands tall in the clouds.

The seven tribes of men are spread from seven rivers to the ends of the world. They take pride in living at the origin of life, believing that they protect the center of the world. Our protagonist, Wanin Sarem, is a young Forest Keeper, part of the Uzato tribe who are tasked with protecting forests on the border.

Heroine Anthem Zero: Episode 1

The world of Heroine Anthem

In creating a fantasy world that players will feel connected to, we crafted the basic foundation of the world — creating myths and legends mimicking oral storytelling traditions of indigenous cultures. For the denizens of this world, these stories are not only historical events, but a blessing (or possibly a curse) that makes up their identity. These myths not only tell of the past — some foretell the future.

Heroine Anthem Zero: Episode 1
Heroine Anthem Zero: Episode 1Heroine Anthem Zero: Episode 1

The art direction of the game is something we take very seriously, from the architecture of the world, to the garments that different tribes wear, to the design of the boss creatures. The costumes of the characters reflect their culture and tell their own stories. Norse mythology has always been a source of inspiration for this series, and that influence is apparent in the game’s visuals.

Heroine Anthem Zero: Episode 1

Boss Creatures and Other Beasts

Humans are not alone on this world, sharing the land with other humanoid races like Faeries and the Darui — and some not so human. Ranging from magnificent beasts deemed to be divine, to furry animals to grotesque primordial creatures, they are the result of a world constantly stricken with strife and abandon by higher powers.

Rentolus is one such example — coming from a race of holy beasts found in White Feather Mountain, the Uzato tribe believes it has sacred powers, evident as White Feather Mountain is the only place immune to the evil encroaching into other mountains in the Longhorn Woods area. As a partner in fighting evil, Uzato Forest Keepers had begun calling them the White Feather Forest Keepers.

Heroine Anthem Zero: Episode 1

Other smaller creatures also roam the land. The Horned Wolf is mainly found deep in the forest, very protective of their own territory. Recently the Horned Wolves have begun encroaching into the village, and reports have seen crimson colored wolves in the Longhorn Woods.

Heroine Anthem Zero: Episode 1

In addition to the mythology, stunning visuals and memorable creatures, the soundtrack of the game is also an important part of Heroine Anthem Zero. Created by a collaborative team of musicians from Japan and Taiwan, the music utilizes rare instruments especially selected to convey the atmosphere of a world of fantasy.

The first Heroine Anthem game was released 16 years ago in 2002, and it is a special opportunity for a series to be given new life 16 years later. The team at WindThunder Studio is excited for this first console release, and we hope you’ll enjoy your adventure in the world of Heroine Anthem Zero!



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Fortnite Battle Royale: Full Details on Season 3 Battle Pass

We’re kicking off Season 3 of Fortnite Battle Royale this week, and along with it our new Battle Pass! In addition to the Battle Pass, we have some awesome features coming in, a movement tool in Save the World, and improvements to how you build in Battle Royale!

Fortnite Season 3

Fortnite in 60 FPS!

The v.3.0.0 update brings a new 60 FPS mode for PS4 and PS4 Pro. You’ll be able to pick up those Victory Royales with more clarity than ever before with buttery smooth framerates. If the highest-quality graphics are still your preference, you can toggle the 60 FPS mode at any time for improved visuals instead. We plan to continue work on the mode and improve it over time so definitely give us your feedback!

Better Building

Building is vital to your survival in Battle Royale, so we want to make it feel as good as possible. Find a tiresome tree in your way? No problem, now you can build right through it and continue on your way to a Victory Royale. Additionally, with the Turbo Build mode and Material Swapping you can keep building those stairs as you sprint ‘n shoot and if you run out of wood the brick or metal (whatever is available) will swap right in!

Save the World Updates

Fans of our Save the World mode also get a slew of new content. Cruise around the storm in style with the brand-new Hoverboard, a new way to traverse the map. No need to use stamina as you surf to your quest objectives and complete them quicker than before. The v.3.0.0 update also brings in a new Lunar New Year questline with all new Heroes and weapons.

Fortnite Season 3Fortnite Season 3

P.S. If you’re feeling Heroic, I’d give a listen to the newly overhauled orchestral Save the World music. There may even be a little in Battle Royale as well ;)

New to the Battle Pass? It’s a way to get exclusive loot by playing Fortnite, and then earn or buy tiers to unlock even more rewards!

When you buy the Season 3 Battle Pass, you’ll instantly unlock a batch of great in-game rewards including the new Mission Specialist Outfit! As you play during the season, you unlock a series of reward tiers. 100 tiers, 100 rewards. The more you play, the more you’ll unlock.

Fortnite Season 3

So what’s different from the Season 2 Battle Pass? There are now 30 more tiers in Season 3 (100 total), and with more tiers comes more loot. Even though we added 30 tiers, you’ll still be able to complete the Season 3 Battle Pass in the same amount of time as the Season 2 Battle Pass (typically 75-150 hours). Don’t have the time? You can always purchase tiers for 150 V-Bucks each.

See you in Fortnite!



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Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom Has Gone Gold, Go Behind the Scenes

Greetings, PlayStation fans! We know you’re super excited about the upcoming release of Ni no Kuni II on March 23, but we’ve got a huge update to tide you over…

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom has gone gold, and March 23 is the date! The wait is almost over for the sequel to one of the most critically acclaimed RPGs ever. The graphical upgrade from the first game is astounding, the music composed by Joe Hisaishi is magical and the story created by Level-5 is something that will keep you enthralled from start to finish!

Now then, let’s get into the details from the Behind the Scenes video. First off there’s the combat system, it’s a lot different from the first Ni no Kuni in many ways. You’re now able to move, attack, switch weapons and characters in real-time. This allows allow an unprecedented amount of freedom in how you approach each battle.

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom for PS4Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom for PS4Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom for PS4

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom for PS4Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom for PS4Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom for PS4

Another huge aspect of combat are the Higgledies, if you’re familiar with the Familiars from the first game, you’ll feel right at home giving commands to these little guys. Higgledies are much more than just combat fodder, they’ll go on the offensive during battle, cast spells, summon weaponry and buff your party. There are also a special class of Higgledies called Higgledy Heroes to discover and recruit throughout your adventure, each Higgledy Heroes has a unique look and personality. Outside of assisting you in battle, Higgledy Heroes are invaluable during your travels as they will open up new routes, clear pathways, and show you hidden passages.

Behind the Scenes – Kingdom Mode

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom for PS4

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom for PS4Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom for PS4

Our main character of this story is Evan, a deposed King who must rebuild his kingdom. We didn’t want you to just watch Evan return to glory as a ruler. To truly have a significant impact, we wanted you to experience what it’s like to pick up the pieces and build your realm back up from scratch. That’s where the Kingdom Mode comes in, this mode will allow you to develop your very own kingdom full of shops to buy items, forges to build weapons, centers to study magic and even facilities where you can build an airship to travel the over-world map. You can spend hours in Kingdom mode. It’s so huge, it can be a game onto itself!

Behind the Scenes – Skirmish Mode

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom for PS4Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom for PS4

One of the most difficult aspects of ruling a kingdom is defending your kingdom from invaders. In order to showcase the large-scale battles associated with invasions we’ve created the Skirmish Mode. In this mode, Evan becomes a field commander with four units made of characters you’ve recruited to join your cause and kingdom. Completing these skirmishes will net you Kingdom Points that allow you to recruit new subjects, construct new buildings or expand your facilities in Kingdom Mode. In short, take out the invaders, grow your new kingdom and gain advantages on your journey to reclaim your place as the rightful king!

That’s all for now PlayStation fans! The next big RPG is right around the corner. Get ready to experience Evan’s tale when Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom hits the PlayStation 4 on March 23, 2018. Pre-order Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom digitally and receive the Special Swords Set and Proper Tidy Ring that will aid Evan in his travels.



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