Online multiplayer is free this weekend on PS4
Sony is lifting its PlayStation Plus requirement for online multiplayer access on PlayStation 4 this weekend. This means online multiplayer will be free for all PS4 players from Friday, December 11th at 12:01AM PT to Sunday, December 13th at 11:59PM PT. Playing online usually requires a PlayStation Plus subscription, which costs $10 monthly, $18 for a three-month bundle or $50 for an entire year. A Plus membership also guarantees at least two free games and a lineup of discounts every month.
Star Wars: Battlefront is the latest blockbuster game to hit consoles and it happens to be a multiplayer-only experience. This weekend of free multiplayer allows Star Wars fans to try out the new game — and, if Sony’s marketing plan works out, buy a few months of PlayStation Plus afterward.
Source: PlayStation Blog
PlayStation launches a messaging app for your phone
In a world of WhatsApp, Line, SMS, Facebook Messenger and all the rest we can’t fit into an intro paragraph, there’s a space for very specific messenger apps. Maybe. Sony’s launched a companion companion PlayStation app, available now on iOS and Android, that lets you talk to anyone on your PSN friends list. PlayStation Messages does only that — you’ll need the full PlayStation app to explore new releases, PS4 news and anything to do with your PSN account. However, like Facebook and its messenger app, you’ll be able to jump between your PS apps through tabs. Useful features include the ability to see who’s already online at a glance (before you’re even home and warming up your console), as well as being able to send voice messages, as well as text and stickers to friends or groups of up to 100 players. And if you’re looking for more game-messaging options, there’s also that dedicated Twitch messaging app. Spoilt for choice
Via: @Wario64 (Twitter)
Source: PlayStation Messages (iTunes), (Google Play), PlayStation (Japanese)
PlayStation Now offers 12 months of game streaming for $100
For a game streaming service to succeed, it needs three components: a decent library, competitive pricing and reliable, silky-smooth performance. PlayStation Now struggles on all three fronts, but slowly those shortcomings are being rectified. For instance, there’s now a better value subscription plan — $99.99 will net you 12 months of access, which works out at just over $8 per month. Compared with Sony’s existing one-month ($19.99, or $240 per year) and three-month ($44.99, or $180 per year) plans, it’s a steal.
Via: Polygon
Source: PlayStation Now
The After Math: With great power
Well, this week as been rather terrible. With all the death and mayhem both at home and abroad, it’s enough to make anyone feel rather helpless. It’s times like these that we have to force ourselves to remember there is still a great deal of good left in the world. From life-saving medical advancements and clean energy promises to superior image scanners and kick-assier video games, this week’s selection shows that humanity isn’t all bad (just mostly).
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Watch two minutes of remastered ‘Final Fantasy VII’ on PS4
Square Enix teased a remastered, PlayStation 4 version of Final Fantasy VII back at E3 2015 — and today we get a better look at what that remake means. Final Fantasy VII kicked off the PlayStation Experience keynote this morning, with a two-minute trailer for the remaster (embedded below) and news that the original game is available on PS4 today. There’s no word on a launch window for Final Fantasy VII on PS4 just yet.
Double Fine’s next games include a ‘Full Throttle’ remaster
Double Fine isn’t counting solely on a crowdfunded Psychonauts sequel to capture your imagination — it just unveiled a ton of new projects at Sony’s PlayStation Experience event. The highlight (at least for gamers of a certain age) is a remastered version of Full Throttle, Tim Schafer’s action/adventure classic. It’s not certain just when the motorcycle-heavy game will arrive, but it’ll be available on both the PS4 and PlayStation Vita.
Source: Twitter (PlayStation), PlayStation Blog (1), (2)
Music shooter ‘Rez’ is coming to PlayStation VR
Sony has a ton of PlayStation VR content lined up at its PlayStation Experience gathering, but there’s a truly special title in that mix: a modern version of Rez. The upcoming Rez Infinite will bring immersive visuals to the legendary (and borderline hallucinogenic) music shooter, including 3D audio and brisk 60 frames per second gameplay at 1080p. There’s a whole new area, too, which will help tackle gripes that the original was too short. There’s no word on a ship date, but it’s safe to say this is good news if the game’s mix of iconic graphics and memorable dance tracks (Adam Freeland’s “Mind Killer,” anyone?) is still etched in your brain.
Source: PlayStation (Twitter)
‘Final Fantasy VII’ is out today on PlayStation 4
The original Final Fantasy VII is available today on PlayStation 4, Sony announced during its PlayStation Experience keynote. This isn’t the remake that Sony teased at E3 earlier this year, but it should tide fans over until that massive project launches.
Radioactive shooter ‘Nuclear Throne’ hits PS4, Vita today
Vlambeer co-founder Rami Ismail dropped a huge surprise during the PlayStation Experience keynote in San Fransisco on Saturday: Nuclear Throne is available now on PlayStation 4 and Vita, while the Steam version officially hits version 1.0. Nuclear Throne is an addictive, pixelated action game that’s amassed a cult following of more than 100,000 players since its launch on Steam Early Access in 2013 — and this community is about to grow (or mutate).
Sign up to try ‘Doom’ on PS4, XB1 or Steam this weekend
So you didn’t buy Wolfenstein: The New Order, but you still want early access to the new Doom game? Run, don’t walk to the sign-up page and get your information in (those who bought Wolfenstein last year should just search for the download on their respective gaming platforms), because this weekend it’s taking testers for the test version on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Steam. The website is (predictably) crushed by gamers seeking a return to demon-filled corridors of their youth, but with access promised “first-come, first-serve” it’s time to give that F5 key or auto-refresh script a workout. Good luck, but if you don’t get in then maybe this quick taste of some multiplayer footage will help.
Source: Bethesda Softworks (Twitter)
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