Yakuza 3 Marches West

Hey everyone! Aaron Webber here again – some of you may remember me from the Valkyria Chronicles 2 blog post a while back. This time, I have the privilege of bringing you guys some more exciting news – news that I know many of you are about to be extremely excited about!

After months upon months of requests, a myriad of rumors, and even full campaigns that speak to the unparalleled dedication of the fans, we can finally speak those words that all of you have been waiting anxiously to hear. So, here they are:

Yakuza 3 is coming West.

 Featuring the original all-star Japanese voice cast and subtitled in English, Yakuza 3 chronicles the next steps in the life of the man once known as the Dragon of Dojima – Kiryu Kazuma.

As Kiryu works to begin a new life running an orphanage in Okinawa, the world he left behind in Tokyo also moves quickly. When the chairman of the Tojo clan is shot and the rivalry between the families plunges the city into chaos, even Okinawa is not far enough away to escape the grasp of the mysterious forces pulling the strings.

Then, when one of Kiryu’s close friends in Okinawa is found with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest, things take a new turn for the worse. Driven to protect his friends, the Dragon is alive again – Kiryu returns to the dark city of Kamurocho, and will stop at nothing to find those responsible and give them his own taste of justice.

Releasing March 2010, the epic Yakuza saga continues, exclusively on the PlayStation 3.

Last but not least, we’d like to give special thanks to you guys, the Yakuza fans! Your passion and dedication has helped make this a reality, and we’d like to extend that thanks by letting you submit questions to the Yakuza 3 development team in Japan! To do so, just put *Dev Question* before typing your question here in the comments.

Until next time – we’ll have lots more news and in-depth looks at what Yakuza 3 has to offer very soon. Spread the word – Yakuza 3 is coming!

Credit : blog.us.playstation.com

DC Universe Online Animation Contest Starts Today

The DC Universe Online/Mass Animation – Animation Contest has officially kicked off! Now, budding animators and fans alike can compete by animating shots in a cinematic trailer or animating character gestures for in-game emotes for the upcoming PlayStation 3 game, DC Universe Online.

All of the tools that you will need to enter will be provided including a special edition of Autodesk Maya 3D Animation software, storyboards, designs and fully-rigged 3-D models, along with access through the Mass Animation application on the DCUO Facebook fan page. Once your entry is complete, you can upload your submission for viewing, voting and sharing with friends through the Facebook application. Each week voters, and a panel of judges which included members of the DCUO team, will help determine what shots qualify as the “best” and will be eligible for voter prizes.

There will be 60 submissions chosen as runners-up for the game trailer and each will each receive $500.00 and a copy of DCUO when it ships. The 40 runners-up of the Emote animation entries will win $150, the opportunity for inclusion of the submission in the DCUO Game, your name in the game credits, and a copy of the DCUO when it ships.

Finally those who choose not to submit, but wish to vote are also eligible for great prizes! A top weekly voter prize will be drawn from each week’s voter database for both the Game Trailer and Game Character Animation!

Sign up now on Facebook!

Below are the official rules and regulations:

To enter the contest you must be at least eighteen (18) years of age at the time of entry (twenty (20) years old if resident of Japan) (iii) are registered users of the Facebook website located athttp://www.facebook.com (the “Facebook Site”) and (iv) did not purchase any products, services or equipment for the purposes of entering this Competition. Limit: The Competition is open to only the first ten thousand (10,000) persons who meet the eligibility requirements in accordance with these Official Rules. Employees of Mass Animation, LLC, Sony Online Entertainment LLC, DC Comics, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., Autodesk, Inc., Reel FX, Inc., and any entity involved or affiliated with the promotion or execution of this Competition and any of their parent and affiliate companies are not eligible. The Competition is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations and is not open to any individual person who resides in any country in which this Competition is prohibited or otherwise restricted. Void in Cuba, Burma/Myanmar, Iran, Syria, Sudan, North Korea, the Netherlands, Quebec (in Canada) and where prohibited or otherwise restricted.

For Contest Rules please visit: http://www.facebook.com/DCUniverseOnline

ABOUT SOE: Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games which have entertained millions of players around the globe. SOE creates and delivers compelling entertainment for the personal computer, online, game console and wireless markets. Known for its blockbuster franchise EverQuest, its successful online trading card game Legends of Norrath, as well as the recent kids’ phenomenon Free Realms, SOE continues to raise the bar for online gaming and players worldwide. Headquartered in San Diego, with additional studios in Austin, Seattle, Denver, Tucson, and Taiwan, SOE has a slate of engaging, high-quality games currently in development across new genres for all platforms and audiences.

SOE, the SOE logo, EverQuest and PlanetSide are registered trademarks of Sony Online Entertainment LLC.

All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

DC Comics, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world and home to such iconic characters as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the Sandman. These DC Super Heroes and others have starred in comic books, movies, television series (both animated and live-action) and cyberspace, thrilling audiences of all ages for generations. DC Comics’ Web site is located at www.dccomics.com.

Credit : blog.us.playstation.com

PS3 3.15 System Software Update

Hi everyone, PlayStation 3 (PS3) will receive its next system software update shortly – v. 3.15. This is an optional update, and it enables existing PS3 owners who purchase a new PS3 system (perhaps as a second unit for the household) to transfer their content from their current PS3 to the new system. Content such as games, game save data, and videos downloaded from PlayStation Network can be transferred to the new PS3 system and deleted from the current PS3 system. Other content, including personal media files (photos, music, videos), can be copied onto the new PS3 and remain on the current PS3 system.

Here’s a quick primer on how the Data Transfer Utility works.

Data Transfer Utility

1. Turn both the current PS3 (A) and new PS3 (B) on and connect them with a LAN cable; PS3 (A) should be connected to the TV. Please note, firmware (v3.15) must be installed on both systems.
2. On the XMB of PS3 (A), scroll to the Settings category and select [System Settings] and then [Data Transfer Utility]
3. Follow the instructions on-screen and transfer data
4. After transferring the data, follow the instructions on-screen, and then connect PS3 (B) to the TV to view the XMB
5. If content that was downloaded from PlayStation Store was transferred as part of this operation, you must activate PS3 (B) before you can use the data. Log in to the PS3 system as the user who owns the content, and then select (PlayStation Network) > (Account Management) > (System Activation) to activate the system.

More details on Data Transfer Utility will be available here once the firmware update is live.

“minis”

The 3.15 update also enables “minis” to be played on a PS3 system. As we’ve reported here before, “minis” launched on PlayStation Network this fall in conjunction with the launch of PSPgo. These bite-sized games offer a more casual experience and are ideal for shorter gameplay sessions. Now PS3 owners will be able to play “minis,” and those who own both a PS3 and PSP system will be able to play on either platform. “minis” for the PS3 system will be available for download onPlayStation Store in the coming weeks. If you’ve purchased any “minis” already for your PSP and the title becomes available for PS3, you’ll simply need to download the title to your PS3.

As always, we look forward to your feedback.

 Credit : blog.us.playstation.co