Hey PlayStation Nation! I’m pleased to announce that we’ll be launching PS Vita’s all-new social brain training game, Smart As, on October 31st.

We’ve been hard at work loading Smart As with fun and engaging puzzle games to test your mental might, with challenges in four key areas: Logic, Arithmetic, Language and Observation.

As we recently announced, Smart As also features the voice talent of Monty Python’s John Cleese; so as you train, you’ll receive his encouragement and amusing commentary. Better still, as you play to improve your scores, you’ll get to share your stats with Smart As fans from around the world via the online leaderboards, as well as notifications on Facebook and Twitter.

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The PS Vita version of 2007 PlayStation 3 dice ‘em up Ninja Gaiden Sigma was satisfying evidence of just how comfortable a full, lightning-fast console action game can feel on a handheld. Duly, Team Ninja’s announcement last month that a sequel – Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus – is currently in development came as very welcome news.

PlayStation Blog sat down for a quick chat with Team Ninja boss Yosuke Hayashi to find out what it has in store with its new Vita game, as well as mysterious new project Yaiba: Ninja Gadien Z and recent release Dead or Alive 5.

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Just two more weeks until the Killzone Trilogy bundle is launched. There’s only one way to properly celebrate such an occasion: organise a post-launch Double XP Weekend!

From Friday, 26th October at 5:30pm UK time, until Monday, 29th October at 9:00am UK time, you can earn twice the regular amount of XP during online multiplayer matches of Killzone 2 and Killzone 3.

If you’re new to the Killzone universe, this is your chance to catch up with the higher ranks! If you’re a hardened veteran, this is a great opportunity to revisit some of your favorite maps!

As a reminder, Killzone Trilogy not only includes Killzone HD, Killzone 2 and Killzone 3, but also every multiplayer map pack for Killzone 2 and 3. The full set of map packs is as follows:

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The loyal PlayStation Blog readers amongst you might have noticed that Square Enix has been unusually quiet here in recent times, but no longer! Today we come bearing gifts! For all our RPG-loving fans we’re excited to bring you the world’s first screenshots of FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn on the PS3 (Chocobos included)!

In our first PlayStation 3 reveal we wanted to give you a guided tour around the UI and menus. With a wealth of different options and commands at your fingertips at any one time it was important for us to create an elegant UI that is easy to read and navigate. Taking inspiration from previous games the look and feel of the new FINAL FANTASY will be instantly familiar to long-time fans of the series. (more…)

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At its core, The Unfinished Swan is about the joy of creation and self-discovery. These themes revolve around two central characters: one young, who has dealt with great loss and loneliness, and one old, who must reconcile his current stage of life as well as his fate.

One of the initial conversations I had with Peter Scaturro, music supervisor at the Santa Monica Studio, involved using the key components of the score to offset the melancholy of the story. I consciously steered away from anything that felt too sad, stark or desolate. Instead, I focused on crafting a mood that was lush, curious and warm.

We wanted the music to serve as a companion for Monroe and the player as they explored the world of the game. To achieve this, I chose to highlight certain instruments and sounds that were inspired by the characters themselves.

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