Joystiq [Playstation]

Xav de Matos

Toronto, Canada - http://

I'm the Internet's Xav de Matos. I write about games for a living. Strange?

EMAIL: xav [at] joystiq [dot] com
TWITTER: @XAV

Uncharted 2 gets big multiplayer site update

by Xav de Matos { 1 month ago }

Just before the clock struck midnight to round out the last decade, Naughty Dog unveiled (and released) a major overhaul to its online stat tracking for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. The game's new stat display digs let us get down and dirty into the tiniest little details. Need to know your kill/death ratio, and your lifetime loot stockpile, and see how you compare to the entire global average on a specific map? Done. Looking for detailed breakdowns of previous multiplayer showdowns? Covered.

This stat update is a monster and according to Naughty Dog, the team may still expand the system further. We're willing to let them sit on it for a while, but only because we're still a little busy swooning over our top pick of 2009.

European gamers finally get flOw trophy update

by Xav de Matos { 1 month ago }

While North American gamers have had the update for quite some time now, thatgamecompany has announced that European flOw fans are finally getting Trophy support for the moody, aquatic microorganism simulator. According to the dev's official blog, the Trophy update is now available to European and UK players. If you're looking for a leg-up on the additions, make sure to check Joystiq's own flOw Trophy list.

Gallery: flOw

Egg-man will teach you about PSN security

by Xav de Matos { 1 month ago }

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has just launched a new website catered to parents looking for tips and tutorials on safe gaming for younger players. PS-PlaySafeOnline.com includes explanations of the PS3's parental control settings function, security features for registered PSN Online IDs, and advice on what to do when faced with online jerks.

The entire site is wrapped around a strange (and way too cheery) Egg-man character, who seems to waver been non-threatening and subversively creepy. Our only real gripe? There is no glossary term for PlayStation Home's "Quincying" phenomenon. Everyone must be warned.

New LocoRoco Midnight Carnival DLC just in time for the holidays

by Xav de Matos { 1 month ago }

To celebrate the holiday season, SCEA has revealed that a three-level DLC pack for LocoRoco Midnight Carnival will be made available tomorrow. Included in the $2.99 pack are the strangely named levels "Shamplin 3," "BungaBongo 1" and "BuiBui Fort 3." SCEA promises each new level will add enough challenge for LocoRoco newbies as well as seasoned players.

Those still on the fence about purchasing the latest LocoRoco PSP adventure will be able to play the DLC content through the (already available) Midnight Carnival PSP demo (think: PSP Go's bundled Rock Band: Unplugged trial version). As an added holiday treat, SCEA released a slew of holiday themed LocoRoco Midnight Carnival wallpaper (as seen above) to get you in the festive mood.

Stack 'em up and watch this Socom: Fire Team Bravo 3 dev diary

by Xav de Matos { 2 months ago }

Hold on to your helmets, soldiers, because SOCOM: Fire Team Bravo 3 is breaching stores on January 12, 2010, and the game's dev team is excited. How excited? Excited enough to sit in front of a camera and talk about the PSP title's action-packed story and "authentic" gameplay. SOCOM: Fire Team Bravo 3 is set to continue the series' (sadly forgettable) storyline and includes online co-op and over 70 weapons to show terrorist scum who's boss.

Still undecided? Here are some more PSP Digital Comic samplers

by Xav de Matos { 2 months ago }

If you're on the fence about Sony's upcoming PSP Digital Comics service, the PlayStation UK blog has a few more sampler comics to decide whether the feature piques your interest. Available for lucky users in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are two sampler comics, featuring the service's highly touted Autoflow feature -- which mimics the way your eyes read a page. Following the release of the PSP's 6.20 firmware, PlayStation released comic samples of Transformers: All Hail Megatron and Aleister Arcane.

Free sample first-issues of Star Trek: Enterprise Experiment and Astro Boy: The Movie Adaptation are available until December 16. In order to grab your sample, make sure to first download the Comic App via the "Extras" section of the XMB (or through this link) for your PSP and use the redemption codes available on PlayStation's UK blog. Then prepare to use your amazing 3D hardware to ... read!

Shoot on sight: PixelJunk Shooter's first level

by Xav de Matos { 2 months ago }

For those anticipating the release PixelJunk Shooter, VG247 has footage of the first level in action to whet your appetite. Or drive you bonkers because you aren't the one playing it. Clocking in at around 12 minutes, the video gives you a taste of the game's unique blend of shooting and puzzle solving.

Sadly the game isn't set to hit the PSN until December 10, according to VG247. So for now, all we can do is wait... and dream of a brighter future. Check out the game in action after the break.

Gallery: PixelJunk Shooter

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LittleBigPlanet Creator's Edition DLC delayed, producer apologizes

by Xav de Matos { 2 months ago }

Budding LittleBigPlanet PSP level designers who invested in the game's Creator's Edition were promised exclusive DLC via a redemption code included in the package; however, technical issues have made the content unavailable, according to senior producer Mark Green. In a letter posted on the PlayStation UK blog, Green apologized for the "technical hurdles," promising the content would release in early December with additional bonuses, as an apology for the wait.

"We need to ensure that these issues are resolved properly so that you have the best possible experience with the game," Green wrote. The content is currently undergoing a "rigorous" quality assurance process and should be made available around December 7 -- unless other hurdles come up. So, just a few more weeks until Creator's Edition players are able to develop their exclusive (and probably phallic) levels.

Media Molecule wants to share PS3 memory tool with devs

by Xav de Matos { 2 months ago }

Media Molecule lead architect Paul Holden said he would like to make a proprietary memory monitoring tool his company developed for the PlayStation 3 available to other studios. Speaking at the Montreal Game Summit, as reported by Develop, Holden said the tool helps map and control memory usage in games, which became necessary during the development of LittleBigPlanet.

"It would be great if we could release it for people to use," Holden told the crowd during a Q&A session following his keynote address. "We could definitely get it released to PS3 developers with little difficulty." The tool, named HeapMon, allows software to make and manage numerous requests of the PS3's hardware memory.

However, before Media Molecule is able to hand the "very simple tool" off to other development teams, Holden clarified that Sony would first need to approve the decision. We suspect an online petition is in the works, because they work.

SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 multiplayer deets uncovered

by Xav de Matos { 2 months ago }

Over at the PlayStation Blog, details for the competitive multiplayer modes for SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 have spilled out revealing the game will feature 16-player competitive multiplayer games across eight maps and seven new modes. The modes -- which are available both locally and over the Internet -- include a "Leader Mode" allowing players to designate team captains and a "Tug-of-War" mode, where teams fight for tickets similar to the Battlefield franchise.

Playing SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 online also allows worldwide players to experience tournaments, clan modes, character customization and voice chat. Voice chat, you say? Finally our dream of bringing hateful language on the go can be realized.

Comet Crash update brings new content and features

by Xav de Matos { 2 months ago }

A new (and free) title update, now available for the PSN-exclusive Comet Crash, introduces new levels, maps, battle settings and an "expert" difficulty mode to the Tower Defense-style game. What sets Comet Crash apart from other titles in the genre is the game's offensive gameplay, allowing players to send waves of their own forces against an ongoing alien threat. Aliens as enemies in a video game? Creativity! According to the PlayStation Blog, the 1.03 update includes:

"Expert" difficulty setting for seasoned Comet Crash players.
4 new Resurgence levels -- one unlocked at the end of each comet during the Campaign.
4 new Battle maps.
Battle timer setting. After the timer runs out, all mobile units generate at 8x the normal rate.
Thorium setting to tweak available resources in Battle mode.

Race against the Motorstorm: Arctic Edge devs tomorrow

by Xav de Matos { 3 months ago }

The development team at Bigbig Studios -- who are ironically comprised of employees under 5 feet tall on average* -- will face off against Motorstorm: Arctic Edge players tomorrow in an evening multiplayer event. According to the PlayStation UK Blog, the event will take place on European servers from 17:30 GMT (1:30PM EDT) to 19:00 GMT (3:00PM EDT).

Along with (probably) destroying the community at the PSP racer they made, the developers will offer a live Twitter commentary to the Europe-only event. That's right. Bigbig Studios is so confident they will destroy the opposition they will be tweeting as they race. That, kids, is called confidence.

*This information is probably not accurate.

PlayStation UK Blog brings BioWare doctors in for Dragon Age live chat

by Xav de Matos { 3 months ago }

BioWare fans should start polishing up their Dragon Age: Origins related questions, because the good Canadian doctors from the famed studio will be on hand for a live chat with fans this Friday, October 23, on the PlayStation UK Blog.

Beginning at 7PM BST (2PM EDT), BioWare co-founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuck will be on hand taking questions about its latest role-playing game. The hour-long event will give fans a chance to ask about upcoming content, exclusive bonuses and what it's like working with ~~that evil clown from Steven King's It~~ Tim Curry.

Dizzee Rascal gets first keys to Home's new SingStar VIP space

by Xav de Matos { 4 months ago }

British artist Dizzee Rascal will headline the European launch of the new SingStar VIP space during an online PlayStation Home event on September 24 at 20:00 BST (UK time)/ 21:00 CEST (Mainland Europe). The Mercury Award-winning rapper will be on hand to promote his upcoming fourth album Tongue N' Cheek and answer fan questions, but not before taking the stage to perform some of his chart topping jams and his upcoming single.

If you need more incentive to connect, Home users who join the artist's launch party can get their hands on a free Dizzee Rascal mask (as terrifyingly seen above) for 48 hours. With an accessory as crazy as that, we hope to see a quick Quincy resurgence.

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September Qore heads to Skywalker Ranch, subscribers get MAG beta

by Xav de Matos { 5 months ago }

September's episode of Qore features a view from Skywalker Ranch, as the soundtrack to Naughty Dog's Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is mixed and mastered at George Lucas' famous estate. Qore also sits down with gear head Jay "Retired for 10 Seconds" Leno and talks about his involvement with PSP's long-in-development installment of Gran Turismo. But, the real meat of this month's episode is access to the upcoming MAG beta -- for gamers not lucky enough to have been invited already.

Users are automatically entered into the beta test -- set to begin later this month -- if they are Qore subscribers. If you're thirsty for large-scale online battles, users who subscribe to Qore on or before September 17 will also be invited. Sadly, purchasing September's episode alone will not net you the beta access. Even sadder, we're used to having to pay our way into these exciting bonuses.

Check out a preview for this month's episode after the break.

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