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PSN Tuesday: Dead Island Riptide, Star Trek, Thomas Was Alone

PSN Tuesday Dead Island Riptide, Star Trek, Thomas Was Alone
The PlayStation Store update this week includes four full games, two new for PSN and three Vita games. The full games are Star Trek, SoulCalibur 5, Dead Island Riptide and Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII, while PSN gets God Mode and Thomas Was Alone.

Thomas Was Alone is a Cross Buy game, making it available on Vita today as well, along with Draw Slasher and Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R.

Fire Pro Wrestling Returns is out as a PS2 Classic and PSP gets Black Rock Shooter The Game. The Spring Sale is still on, with discounts on Resident Evil 6 and Thomas Was Alone this week.

Dragon's Crown arrives on Vita and PS3 August 6

Dragon's Crown sits atop VitaPS3 August 6
Vanillaware's pseudo-retro side-scrolling hack and/or slash game Dragon's Crown will launch for the PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 3 on Tuesday, August 6, at $39.99 and $49.99 respectively, publisher Atlus has announced. Can you imagine getting a new crown put in for $50? You'd figure dragon dentistry would be a lot more expensive than that, what with the size and plentiful nature of their teeth.

... Get it? Because it's a Dragon's Crown, like one you get when ... You know what? Fine. Be that way about our dentistry jokes. Here's some screenshots of various things getting hacked/slashed/exploded.

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Nordic Games involved with THQ since January, is talking sequels

Nordic Games involved with THQ since January, is talking sequels
Nordic Games picked up most of the IPs in THQ's back catalog auction, dishing out $4.9 million for Darksiders, Red Faction, MX vs ATV, Titan Quest and a slew of unannounced games from THQ's long list of for-sale properties. Nordic was a surprise to some, especially next to Gearbox, which picked up the Homeworld franchise, and 505 Games, which snagged Drawn to Life and its sequel. But Nordic isn't new.

"We've been in conversation with THQ since January," Nordic CEO Lars Wingefors told Game Informer. "We signed all the NDAs in January."

Wingefors has been in the gaming industry for 20 years, he said, and has handled "a lot" of THQ products during that time. In November 2011, Nordic acquired publisher JoWood, in charge of Painkiller and Torchlight, and also ended up with Canadian publisher Dreamcatcher, spawning Nordic's publishing focus.

Nordic took part in the first THQ auction as well, which sold off properties such as Saints Row and some development studios for upwards of $20 million. That sale was too rich for Wingefors: "Saints Row went for $22 million and Koch bought that development studio with that burn rate on a daily basis. Even though I do have financial resources, I don't have those kind of resources."

Wingefors didn't want a studio. Nordic is a "middle man" looking for the right team to make some new sequels; there's already been plenty of interest in Darksiders, he said.

"We have to be very honest," Wingefors said. "I am a business man within the games industry. We are not the creative, talented developer that brings out new versions in house. I understand the potential of the IPs. I respect the original creators and the creative people who are able to create sequels. In the past 24 hours, we have been contacted and there have been a few discussions (but I can't confirm names)."

Nordic took home more than 50 former THQ games, but has yet to release the full list.

"As we still have some open points with regards to a couple of titles we will not publish a comprehensive list at this stage," a Nordic Games representative told Joystiq yesterday. "However, once everything is fixed and the ink is dry – around mid-May – we will go out with a comprehensive list of titles which we have acquired in the process."

Nordic will hold talks this summer with different developers, during E3 especially. Don't expect any sequels too soon, though.

"You won't see a new Darksiders this year," Wingefors said. "I don't believe in bringing out a shitty sequel."

Rayman Legends Vita listed by Spanish retailer

The once Wii U exclusive Rayman Legends may be leaping, running and helicoptering to yet another platform: The PlayStation Vita. According to a listing on Spanish retailer FNAC, the gorgeous platformer is headed to Sony's handheld. It's not too big a leap to make, as Rayman's last (excellent) outing, Rayman Origins, was also available for the Vita. Gamepur notes that FNAC lists a release date of August 29, though that appears to have been removed as of this writing.

The Wii U, Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Rayman Legends are slated for September.

Corpse Party: Blood Drive takes the celebration to Vita in Japan

Corpse Party Blood Drive heading to Vita in Japan
Corpse Party: Blood Drive, a new game that continues chapter eight of Corpse Party: Book of Shadows, is on its way to the Vita in Japan, Siliconera reports, citing a translation of Famitsu. The game is set to launch this year and will include the end of the series' story, according to the translation.

Corpse Party: Book of Shadows launched in 2012 on PSP and on PSN in January. There's no word yet on a western Vita launch of Blood Drive.

Now Playing: April 22-28, 2013

Now Playing April 2228, 2013
Fun, sun and the undead await you this week in Dead Island: Riptide...

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Soul Calibur Broken Destiny free on PS Plus tomorrow, Spring Fever sale continues

PlayStation Plus subscribers can snag a free copy of PSP (and PS Vita-compatible) fighter Soul Calibur Broken Destiny tomorrow when the PlayStation Store update drops. Soul Calibur Broken Destiny launched on PSP in 2009 with a feature set largely similar to its console predecessor from 2008, Soul Calibur IV.

Curve Studios' port of Mike Bithell's BAFTA-nominated puzzle-platformer Thomas Was Alone makes its debut on PS Vita and PS3 this week. The cross-buy enabled game takes place within a computer mainframe, tasking players with escorting erratic AI entities to their destinations.

Finally, PSN's Spring Fever sale continues unabated, slashing prices across the entire Resident Evil series this week. Highlights include Resident Evil: Director's Cut for $5, Resident Evil 6 for $21 and Resident Evil 4 at $14.

Injustice: Gods Among Us prevails in this week's UK charts

Injustice Gods Among Us prevails in this week's UK charts
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's this week's UK charts! Oh.

But no, it is exciting, because BioShock Infinite's three week reign of terror is finally over, all thanks to the brave efforts of Injustice: Gods Among Us. NetherRealm's superhero brawler becomes the ninth new game to take the UK top spot this year, and ousts Infinite into the runner-up position for the first time.

That means another run comes to an end; Tomb Raider's six week run in the top two is done, although it's still going strong in fourth. Beating it to an impressive third is new release Fire Emblem: Awakening, the 3DS RPG looking to continue the series-best sales it posted in North America. One thing Europe got that North America didn't was the game's snazzy blue 3DS XL, and that seems to be a hit in the UK; 31 percent of the XL's sales this week came from the bundle, boosting the XL's sales by nearly half over the previous week.

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ESRB rates 'Sly Collection' for Vita

The Entertainment Software Ratings Board has issued an "E" classification to the PlayStation Vita version of The Sly Collection, which is interesting since that game hasn't been announced for that platform – insert dramatic musical sting here.

As is typically the case with these sorts of ESRB leaks, the rating summary gives very little pertinent information beyond the fact that the port exists, and that one of the games briefly shows a barrel marked "ale." We've reached out to Sony for more information and will update with any official word we receive. In the meantime, we're going to follow the ESRB's lead and see if anything in our fridge is also marked "ale."

Draw Slasher ninja attacks zombie monkeys (fruit gets in the way)

Image Draw Slasher for the Vita, announced earlier this month and due out on April 23 for PSN, looked like third-person Fruit Ninja meets a pirate monkey zombie apocalypse. Now that we've seen this trailer and the collateral damage experienced by fruit, we're pretty assured in our early assessment. ... Continue Reading

Dragon's Crown introduces the Dwarf

Image Having previously showcased the Fighter and the Sorceress, Vanillaware beat-em-up Dragon's Crown moves onto another player class: the Dwarf. While he's not infirm in the slightest, the sudden gymnastics halfway through does remind us of that bit from Attack of the Clones. ... Continue Reading

Jak and Daxter Collection hops over to Vita in June


The Jak and Daxter Collection released for PS3 last year is coming to the Vita in North America and Europe in June. There's no set date yet for the remastered compilation, which comprises Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Jak II, and Jak 3, but Sony did announce prices of $29.99 and €29.99.

While it's not clear how much difference there'll be between the versions, Sony revealed the HD collection has its own trophy list on the porbable, separate to the PS3 version.

PSN Tuesday: Injustice, pre-order Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen

PSN Tuesday Injustice, preorder Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen
The PlayStation Store gets a beefy update today with the full games Injustice: Gods Among Us and Sniper Ghost Warrior 2, along with pre-orders for Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen, the expanded re-release of Dragon's Dogma, live now for $40.

PSN gets Mad Dog: The Lost Gold and Sacred Citadel, while Dragon Fantasy Book 1 is a cross-buy game for Vita and PS3, out today for $10. RPG Maker 3 comes to PS2 Classics and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge bundles up for $40. Of course PS Plus members get special deals, this week snagging a free copy of Malicious, and the Spring Fever sale is ongoing.

Catherine stalks PS Plus EU on May 1, Velocity Ultra shoots in May 15

Raunchy puzzler Catherine is one of the five games coming to Europe's PlayStation Plus next month. The not-so-sheepish Atlus game joins Malicious and the previously announced Hitman Absolution in the PS3's Instant Game Collection on May 1.

Meanwhile, Vita-owning subscribers can power up with a couple of shoot-em-ups. First up is the oddball steampunk of Sine Mora on May 8, and that's followed by Velocity Ultra on May 15. The Vita upgrade of Futurlab's Mini was penciled in for May in North America, so its arrival on PS Plus EU likely means it'll be released on PSN the same week.

As ever, newbies shooting up the place forces old stuff to scream in terror as it flees the service. F1 Race Stars, Okami HD, and Quantum Conundrum leave a collective puff of smoke on May 1, with Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward and Thomas Was Alone soon scampering after on May 8 and May 22 respectively.

PlayStation Store update delayed by ongoing PSN maintenance

Tuesday's PlayStation Store update in North America is delayed due to extended PSN maintenance in some areas. The PS Store updates on Tuesdays usually, but this week's additions are in limbo while PSN maintenance runs over from Monday, April 15.

When the update does come, it'll bring a Soul Sacrifice demo, Sacred Citadel, Mad Dog 2, and others to the Store. While you may be able to sign into PSN currently, you won't be able to acquire these games until the Store updates.

Soul Sacrifice demo progress transfers to the full game

Soul Sacrifice demo saves transfer to full gameThe
A Soul Sacrifice demo out on PSN today gives you an early look at the first chapter of the game. Progress made in the demo will transfer over to the main game, the PlayStation Blog revealed, allowing you to fully commit to the demo without sacrificing your free time on repeats. You even get an exclusive item, the "Spirits' Heart," for transferring data.

The demo also includes multiplayer co-op for up to four locally or online, just like the final game. Soul Sacrifice will be available in North America on April 30.

PlayStation Plus gets free Malicious, cheap Grand Theft Auto

This week's free North American PlayStation Plus game is Malicious, a third-person action game in which players defeat an eclectic collection of bosses and pilfer their powers.

Meanwhile, the Spring Fever sale event continues for PlayStation Plus with a series-wide sale on the Grand Theft Auto games, including recent PS2 Classics GTA 3 (for under $5) and GTA: San Andreas (for under $8).

Superbot 'substantially' smaller after Sony split, working on new IP

Superbot, the developer behind PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, is a smaller studio following its split with Sony earlier this year, which saw the Culver City-based outfit make a number of positions redundant. Its next step is to work on a new property.

"We have substantially shrunk down our operations but are still going strong while we work on a new IP," director of operations David Yang told Edge.

Superbot was formed in 2009 as Broodworks, a studio focusing on developing video games for Sony handhelds. The studio was later renamed Superbot Entertainment and made its debut with PlayStation All-Stars.

Now Playing: April 15-21, 2013

Now Playing April 1521, 2013
Jump into the superpowered brawl this week with Injustice: Gods Among Us...

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BioShock Infinite keeps on going in this week's UK charts

BioShock Infinite is the first 2013 game to top the UK charts for three weeks in a row. With no new entries to challenge it, it seems April is making way for Irrational's shooter to live up to its name and stay at No. 1 forever and ever - or for a fair old while at least.

Tomb Raider lands second again, with only a bit more than 2,500 sales between it and Infinite. That's six consecutive weeks in the top two for the apparently underperforming reboot, by the way.

Maybe it's FIFA 13 moving upfield to third which sums up this charts week. The evergreen soccer sim nudges shooter MMO Defiance down to fourth, while 3DS ghost cleaner Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon sweeps up its own hattrick, placing fifth for the third week running.

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