Does anyone have a time machine handy?

This poster was spotted at the Nuremberg Toy Fair, clearly showing that a new as-yet-unannounced Sonic the Hedgehog title will be released on all three platforms at some point in 2015. What’s curious however is that the poster makes no mention of the elusive third Nintendo exclusive Sonic game; it seems odd that Sega wouldn’t list that and yet list an additional game that’s more than likely around twenty two months away from release.

The post Sonic the Hedgehog Debuting on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in 2015? appeared first on SpawnFirst.

In a statement made to IGN, Gara cited the Vita’s ability to stream PS4 games via Remote Play as a major contributing factor, saying:

A significant number of PS Vita purchasers in the UK indicated that Remote Play was their reason for purchase, and we are subsequently seeing lots of these new PS Vita users connecting to PS4 with this feature.

Assassinâ€s Creed IV: Black Flag

So it would appear that the Vita is finally clawing its way back after a disappointing initial two year run, while the imminent release of the PS Vita Slim on 7th February in the UK should give PS4 owners an even cheaper way to play their next-gen games on the go and go even further to reverse the fortunes of Sony’s struggling portable.

The post PS Vita Sales Skyrocketed in UK Following PS4 Launch appeared first on SpawnFirst.

Previously only available in Japan, the 20% thinner, 15% lighter redesign comes packing most of the hardware features of the original Vita model, with a few notable dofferences. First off, there’s the internal memory; Vita Slim includes 1GB of space on which to store your downloaded and/or installed games. Although, if you’re planning on downloading anything other than smaller indie titles from PSN, this internal storage will in no way going to negate your need for the much maligned proprietary memory cards. Try downloading and installing Killzone: Mercenary with only 1GB of space to play with and see how well you do.

Original Vita on top, Vita Slim on the bottom. The difference is quite striking.

The Vita Slim will retail for around £180 in the UK and will be available a lot sooner than you might think. Mark your calenders because you’ll be able to grab it next week; 7th February 2014. There’s been no word from Sony on when or if the handheld will see a release in the rest of Europe or the US, but we’ll keep you posted should that information be made available.

The post PS Vita Slim Coming to UK Very Soon appeared first on SpawnFirst.

10. Fatal Frame

Facebook profile picture updated.

Known as Project Zero in Europe, the Fatal Frame series put a unique spin on the survival horror genre; namely, in order to defeat the ghoulish inhabitants of whatever nightmarish locale you were exploring, you had to snap their pictures. It sounds absurd, but Fatal Frame has a cult following – as shown by its appearance in this here top ten – and is one of the more successful survival-horrors-that-isn’t-Resident-Evil series to grace PlayStation consoles. Contrary to that, however, the most recent iteration in the core series remains a Wii exclusive. Titled Zero: Tsukihami no Kamen – informally known as Fatal Frame IV in the US and Project Zero 4: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse in Europe – this Suda 51-directed installment hasn’t even officially released in the West, despite the petitioning of fans; an unofficial patch presenting the only means of even playing the game in English. Series creators Tecmo have given little indication that they have any intent to either release Fatal Frame IV in the West or resurrect the series with a brand new installment, and with the videogame industry having proved time and again that it’s notoriously incapable of keeping secrets, the chances of Fatal Frame making a return on PS4 anytime soon are slim at best.

9. Okami

A scene that’s calming, beautiful, serene, picturesque… Amaterasu’s curled one out behind the rock though, so check your shoes.

Capcom’s vividly stylised and cel-shaded adventure Okami is – alongside the likes of Ico, Shadow of the Colossus and The Last of Us – one of those games that I sincerely hope the developers never revisit; it’s widely regarded as a masterpiece and is so utterly unique in its execution that to release a sequel would only tarnish our memories of the original or diminish the cultural or artistic impact it once had within the industry. Nonetheless, plenty of you are hankering to see sun goddess Amaterasu and her Celestial Brush return on PS4 for a second adventure. The Capcom in-house team responsible for Okami – Clover Studio – has been defunct since 2007, with its members having either been absorbed back into Capcom or moved on to form their own studios; however; with a Wii port, an HD remake on PS3 and an indirect sequel on DS named Okamiden having all met with critical acclaim and moderate commercial success, the fan interest is most certainly there. And the mere fact that these games exist in the first place – not to mention Amaterasu’s status as a playable combatant in Marvel vs Capcom 3 – is surely a sign that Capcom isn’t ready to let Okami fade from memory just yet.

8. Tenchu

If a ninja can stab you in the stomach through your front door, then it’s not doing its job.

Tenchu: Stealth Assassins and Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins are two extremely highly revered PSone stealth action games that represent the pinnacle of what the genre had to offer in the late Nineties. Thing is that they’re probably the only two reasons why Tenchu placed so highly in our poll, as since the series made the transition from PSone to PS2 – and simultaneously also went multi-platform – its been steadily declining in quality, the critical success has dwindled and it’s all but fallen off the radar in the past few years. From Software currently owns the rights to Tenchu, which is about as good a situation you could hope for. From has churned out a fair few sleeper hits in its time and certainly isn’t afraid to hedge its bets on niche concepts; and with the popularity of the stealth genre at an all-time high, now could be just the right time for a Tenchu reboot. Tenchu‘s stealth mechanics mixed with the hardcore gamer mentality of From’s own Dark Souls could potentially bring the series back in a huge way.

7. Soul Reaver

If I had the slightest clue what I was talking about, I’d witty caption your ass back to Nosgoth.

OK, so technically the name Soul Reaver doesn’t actually apply to the series as a whole, or so my research tells me. I’ll level with you: I’m no expert on the subject nor have I ever played an entry in series of games that bear either Soul Reaver, Legacy of Cain or Blood Omen in their titles. All I know is that the legions of Cain fans have been clamouring for another instalment in the critically acclaimed bloody adventures of the eponymous vampiric antihero Cain for quite some time. The last time he appeared was on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox in 2003’s Legacy of Cain: Defiance; the closest we have to an upcoming sequel is the mysterious – see: nobody knows anything about it – multiplayer game Nosgoth, which Square Enix confirmed the existence of last year before promptly neglecting to feed anymore information through regarding the title.

6. Parasite Eve

“AK-47. The very best there is. When you absolutely, positively got to kill every motherf****r in the room; accept no substitutes.”

Square Enix – or Squaresoft at the time – was largely popularised during the PSone era due to the worldwide phenomenon that was Final Fantasy VII. Then Final Fantasy VIII and IX also came along and Square became synonymous with the brand. But they had other stuff going on too; mostly Final Fantasy-esque RPG’s if we’re being truthful, but if you were after something from the Japanese development powerhouse that wasn’t merely about stat-crunching and chocobo husbandry, Parasite Eve and its sequel had you covered. A pair of “survival-horror meets action RPG” titles, Parasite Eve and Parasite Eve II were actually developed as a direct sequel to the Hideaki Sena novel of the same name. Apart from a lone spin-off in 2010 – the PSP-exclusive The 3rd Birthday – nothing’s been seen or heard from Parasite Eve since the second game launched internationally in 2000 and with Square Enix’s hands full with the development of Kingdom Hearts III and no less than three Final Fantasy titles, the chances of seeing it again in the next few years are almost non-existent.

5. Dino Crisis

Dr. Ian Malcom called. He said, “told you so.”

As we move into the top five, we reach one of my personal dream resurrections and/or reboots: Dino Crisis. Best described as “Resident Evil with dinosaurs”, Capcom’s 1999 PSone survival panic – their words, not mine – thriller starring hordes of time displaced prehistoric nasties epitomised what makes dinosaurs such cool videogame adversaries; unlike zombies, Nazis and foreigners, they’re fast and they’ll stalk you until you’re nothing but a few chunks of flesh stuck between their teeth. Dino Crisis was popular enough in its day to warrant a light gun spin-off – remember those? – as well as two full-blown sequels; the equally awesome Dino Crisis 2 (also on PSone) and the ill-conceived Xbox-exclusive Dino Crisis 3, the latter of which saw the series move away from secluded jungles and into the far-flung future, pitting the player against mutant alien dinosaurs aboard a ginormous transforming space station. Like I said: ill-conceived. Dinosaurs don’t get nearly enough screen time in videogames nowadays, so like you I’m hopeful that Capcom will return to Dino Crisis on PS4. I’ve often wondered what a game that takes the shooting, hunting and jungle island setting of Far Cry 3 and replaces the pirates and indigenous wildlife with a variety of dinosaurs – you know, like Jurassic Park: Trespasser; only… not rubbish – would be like. Then I quickly stop wondering because there’s no denying that it would be ABSOLUTELY AMAZING, and I’d be more than happy to have my dream game proudly bear the Dino Crisis name.

4. Onimusha

Onimusha’s great and all, but let’s be honest: those kinda look like pink ass beads.

Taking the historical figures that shaped Japanese history as its inspiration and infusing said history with a healthy dose of supernatural elements, Onimusha steadily garnered strong critical acclaim with every subsequent PlayStation 2 release. In fact, here’s some tasty trivia for you: not only is Onimusha the sixth most successful franchise in Capcom’s almost unbeatably diverse portfolio,  but the first game in the series – Onimusha: Warlords, released in 2001 – was the very first PS2 game to break one million units sold. So it’s no wonder that Capcom’s hack and slash action adventure series placed so highly in our poll, nor is it unclear why its eight-year absence has gamers aching for Samanosuke Akechi’s return. Onimusha Soul – a 2012 browser-based strategy spin-off – was the last time Onimusha saw the light of day, while there’s no word on Capcom returning to the core series on PS4, or any console for that matter. I’m calling it though: should an Onimusha sequel and/or reboot be announced, chances are that Capcom will get the right people on it. Remember Ninja Theory’s DmC: Devil May Cry? Need I say more?

3. Syphon Filter

“Sony! Release another Syphon Filter game and none of the hostages have to die!”

It’s frankly criminal that Sony has allowed this third-person shooter (with a heavy emphasis on stealth) to all but fade into obscurity. The popularity of the globe-trotting adventures of Gabe Login attempting to thwart bio-terrorism hasn’t dwindled after three outings on PSone, one PS2 iteration and two absolutely stellar instalments on PSP; and yet Gabe has remained hidden in the shadows throughout the duration of the PS3’s lifespan thus far despite fan demand for another Syphon Filter still being at an all time high. The impending release of Metal Gear Solid V and the renewed success Splinter Cell has enjoyed since its revamp in Conviction and Blacklist both prove that the stealth action genre continues to be a huge draw for gamers, and with the current activities of series stalwarts Sony Bend currently under wraps, we can only cross our fingers and hope that their unannounced PS4 project turns out to be a Syphon Filter revival.

2. Jak and Daxter

Sure it’s all blue skies and sandy shores right now, but just wait until Jak II.

I absolutely adore Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy; the whimsy and wonder it installed within me when I first played it place it right up there with Banjo-Kazooie, Super Mario 64 and Tearaway as one of my all time favourite 3D platformers. Just writing about it now has renewed my intense desire to see the genre undergo its own renaissance, in much the same way 2D platformers have over the past few years. On the flipside, I’m not nearly as enthusiastic toward the series as a whole; when the vivid colours and playfulness of The Precursor Legacy disappeared and were replaced by a dystopian setting and – ugh! – guns in Jak II: Renegade, my love for Jak and Daxter all but died and I’m yet to pluck up the courage to give Jak 3 a go. Don’t get me wrong: I still love the platform-hopping duo as characters and the more serious tone that Naughty Dog has taken since Jak II is all well and good when applied to the likes of Uncharted and The Last of Us – two spectacular franchises – but Naughty Dog was built on pure, simple platforming fun (as you’ll see below) and thus I long for the day when the studio announces a long overdue return to the series’ colourful roots. So yeah; Jak and Daxter… number two slot. Bring ’em back.

1. Crash Bandicoot

Look for the door marked “WE MISS YOU”.

And so we reach the franchise you desire to see resurrected on the PlayStation 4 more than any other. It should come as no surprise that another platforming legend, Crash Bandicoot, took the top spot in our poll, given the sheer amount of speculation and fevered discussion that arises whenever a rumour emerges regarding Crash’s return. The more recent rumblings that the Crash Bandicoot property had been bought by Sony proved to be false when Activision chimed in on the Internet discussion to inform us all that they still held the rights and that they’re actively exploring how to revive the franchise. And revive it they should; it was, after all, one of the few IP’s they opted to retain the rights to during their merger with Vivendi Universal in 2008. The latest in a long line of increasingly lacklustre outings for the marsupial – Crash: Mind Over Mutant – released the same year, and only a handful of forgettable mobile entries have appeared since. Naughty Dog’s original trilogy on PSone – Crash Bandicoot, Cortex Strikes Back and Warped – are fondly remembered for a reason and the fan demand for a Crash revival grows ever stronger; by picking the right team and returning to the series’ 2D roots, Activision would practically be printing money. Oh, and a modern take on the awesome kart-racing spin-off CTR: Crash Team Racing wouldn’t hurt either.

The post Top 10 PlayStation Sequels/Reboots We’re Dying To See On The PlayStation 4 appeared first on SpawnFirst.

Kick ass, chew bubblegum, etc, etc.

Devolver Digital, publisher of the upcoming PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita ports of Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition, has confirmed that the mighty bundle of wise-cracking, alien-slaughtering first-person shootery will boast Cross-Play between the two platforms. Up to eight players will be able to participate in either Dukematch – deathmatch, but with Dukes – or tackle the multitude of included campaigns cooperatively.

Already available on Steam, Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition bundles together Duke Nukem 3D, the extra episode found in Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition, Duke Caribbean: Life’s a Beach, Duke It Out in D.C. and Duke: Nuclear Winter. No exact release date has been announced regarding the PS3 or Vita versions, but they’re due out sometime in the first half of 2014.

The post Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition To Feature Cross-Play on Sony Platforms appeared first on SpawnFirst.

In an email sent out to customers (myself included) today, ShopTo advertised that the PS Vita Slim would be available to pre-order from 30th January. No release date or pricing information has been given thus far.

Preemptive and/or presumptuous advertising, or blabber-mouthed screw-up? We’ll know for sure tomorrow morning when Sony officially unveils… whatever it is they’re unveiling.

The post UK Retailer Outs PS Vita Slim Worldwide Release appeared first on SpawnFirst.

From that date and throughout the entire month, Battlefield 4 players will receive a bronze Battlepack on every weekday they log into the game, and a silver Battlepack on Saturdays and Sundays. DICE estimates that to earn that many Battlepacks through regular play would take approximately thirty hours, so it’s well worth logging on to receive those extra weapon mods, soldier camos and XP boosts.

During Player Appreciation Month, DICE will also be running a Double XP weekend for all players, while Premium members will also be able to participate in an additional Double XP weekend on top of that. Furthermore, DICE will also be setting up global community challenges – the first of which will task players with obtaining a cumulative amount of dog tags – and hosting DICE Developer Talks. More details on these will be made available in the coming weeks.

The post Battlefield 4 Player Appreciation Month Kicks Off in February appeared first on SpawnFirst.

If you’re a PlayStation fan, chances are that you’ve enjoyed your fair share of quirky, imaginative and unique indie titles; Sony has made every effort to entice independent developers to bring their wares into the PlayStation ecosystem. If, however, you’ve thus far resisted the temptation to indulge in anything other than the latest AAA games – hang your head in shame – then Curve Studios has just the thing to introduce you to some of the most delightful games the PSN has to offer.

The introductory offer on the Curve Studios Mega Bundle only runs for two weeks, at which point it’ll be available for $26.99 / £19.99 / €24.99, so if you’re yet to play these incredible indie titles, grab the bundle soon.

The post Curve Studios’ Mega Bundle Available Now on PSN appeared first on SpawnFirst.

Following the biggest launch in PlayStation history, join us for an introduction to the slimmest. Thursday, 30th January 2014, 09:00 – 11:00

Slimmer, lighter, longer-lasting battery and now in vomit-inducing neon pink!

 

Thereâ€s no further concrete information regarding what Sony plans to announce in less than a weekâ€s time, but with the word “slim” being bandied about, there are only so many feasible possibilities. The first is the Western launch of the PS Vita Slim; already available in Japan, this model is 20% thinner and 15% lighter than the existing one, replaces the OLED screen with a 5-inch LCD display, includes 1GB of internal memory and comes in a variety of colours running the gamut from delightful to offensive. Vita hardware sales saw a massice surge around the time of the PlayStation 4 launch – likely due to the oft-advertised Remote Play functionality – and Sony

The second possibility is that Sony is releasing the PS Vita TV in the West. Available in Japan since November 2013, this microconsole essentially allows users to play PlayStation Vita games on their TV using either a DualShock 3 or DualShock 4, although games dependent on the Vita’s front touch screen, rear touch pad, microphone or cameras are incompatible. Personally, this seems like the most likely announcement to come to light come 30th January: first off, the thing’s tiny – lending credence to the “slimmest launch” blurb; secondly, the Vita TV – like its portable brethren – supports PS4 Remote Play and thus would allow PS4 users to stream their next-gen games not just to a Vita but to another TV in their house, potentially presenting the PS4 with a huge advantage over the Xbox One.

Small, compact and able to stream inFAMOUS: Second Son to another TV. Tempted?

And in the interests of uninformed Internet discussion and wholly preposterous speculation, how about these theories?

1. The PlayStation 3 Super-Duper Slim: everything you love about PS3, now the same thickness as a credit card.
2. PlayStation 4 Slim: because why should Nintendo hold the record of most console redesigns in a generation? Best for Sony to get in there now if they hope to snatch that title away.
3. “Slim” isn’t alluding to the size of a hardware unit; instead it’s all a ruse to try and get us hyped up for some new console-based fitness game titled PlayStation Slim.

And that’s all. Even I’m struggling to think of anything more stupid than those. As soon as we have more information regarding what Sony actually has up its sleeve, we’ll let you know.

The post Could the PS Vita Slim Or PS Vita TV Be Heading West? appeared first on SpawnFirst.

Demon Gaze is definitely one of the bigger Vita-exclusive titles heading our way in 2014 and you’ll be able to pick it up either on the PSN or at retail from 22nd April in North America or 25th April in the UK and Europe.

The post Vita-Exclusive JRPG Demon Gaze Gets April Release Date appeared first on SpawnFirst.