Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown to be free for PlayStation Plus subscribers

Those who have dropped the dough for PlayStation Plus are getting a rather nice addition to their "instant game collection" as Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown is to be free for subscribers from now until July 3rd, 2012.

Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown is also the PlayStation Plus Game of the Month. All PlayStation Plus subscribers will be able to download the game as part of their instant game collection free between June 5th to July 3rd. In addition, we will be offering 20% off on both character customization bundle packs to Plus members for two weeks (6/5-6/19). We will also be offering one free dynamic theme and 20 free avatars (scheduled to be available on 6/26) to Plus members.

Others will have the following to choose from:

Two additional customization bundle packs, one consisting of nine character customization DLC packs and the other with 10 character customization DLC pack, are also available at launch for $14.99 each. Yes, that means there will be thousands of customization items per bundle pack.

However, only on PSN, for two weeks only (from June 6th to June 19th), the Complete Edition ($45 value), which includes the full game and all 19 character customization DLC packs, will be offered storewide at a discounted price of $29.99.

[Via PlayStation Blog]

E3 2012: Sony Conference Recap

Incase you missed the PlayStation Event tonight here are the main talking points shown and/or disscussed:

• The briefing starts off with a montage highlighting all that is PlayStation.
• Jack Tretton takes the stage to begin the talk about PlayStation.
• First to take the stage after Jack is David Cage to announce Quantic Dream’s next title in Beyond: Two Souls. Ellen Page is announced to be the lead of the game, Jodie Holmes. A demo of Beyond follows.
• Jack Tretton returns to the stage to introduce PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. Chan Park announces that the game will be also available for the PS Vita and be cross compatible with the PS3. Two new characters will be available on the E3 show floor. (probably Nathan Drake from Uncharted and A Big Daddy from Bioshock).
• Jack Tretton returns to the stage once again. Little Big Planet will receive an update later this year that will add cross controller play with the PS Vita with a new story mode and items.
• It is announced that 80% of PS3 and PS Vita users are network connected. The Unfinished Swan is coming to the PSN exclusively. Each member in the audience is to receive one free year of PlayStation Plus ( something that makes those in attendance very happy obviously). PS One Classics are coming to PS Vita ( Tomb Raider and Final Fantasy VII are cited). Hulu Plus and Crackle are soon to arrive on PS Vita. Call of Duty Black Ops: Declassified is announced for the PS Vita.
• Imfamous 2, Saints Row 2, ad Little Big Planet 2 to be made free for PlaStation Plus members on 6-5-12 ( that means tomorrow).
• Assassins Creed 3: Liberation is detailed and shown via a trailer. It will be available on October 30^th. A PS Vita Assassins Creed 3: Liberation hardware bundle will be also made available with the game coming with a new Crystal white unit, a 4GB memory card, and a copy of the game of course.
• A demo of Assassins Creed 3 on the PlayStation 3 is given. A sailing section of the game is demoed for the first time. A PS3 hardware bundle of the game will be made available with the game and exclusive day one DLC.
• Far Cry 3 is demoed next. It is revealed that the game has four player co-op which is demoed for the first time.
• Andrew House takes the stage (President and Group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment America). Wonderbook is announced for PS3 which uses AR (Augmented Reality). Developer Moonbot Studio’s is developing Diggs NightCrawler for Wonderbook. Wonderbook: Book of Spells is also announced for Wonderbook brought to you by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling using the PS Move. Dan Ranyard is brought out to demo Book of Spells.
• PlayStation Suite is also covered by Andrew House. HTC is first 3^rd party to be PlayStation Certified. PlayStation Suite along with this will be renamed PlayStation Mobile.
• Jack Tretton returns to the stage with a single gameplay demo of God of War: Ascension. The release date for the date is revealed to be March 12^th 2013.
• The first gameplay demo for Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us is next.

The PSN's 'Welcome Back' Program commences now

Something is afoul here folks. Is that free content I hear flying across those famous internet tubes? Why yes, it is free content. Unfortunately, this free content had to come at the cost of your identity possibly being compromised. 

With the Playstation Store restored the switch on the Welocme Back Program has officially started. If you have any outstanding questions about the content or how to get it the PlayStation blog has an FAQ ready for you here. Just remember that you would have to have been a PSN member before April 20, 2011 for the following available content:

For PS3 owners, go to the ‘Welcome Back’ section in the PlayStation Store, and select 2 titles from the following list:

• Dead Nation
• inFAMOUS
• LittleBigPlanet
• Super Stardust HD
• Wipeout HD + Fury

For PSP owners, go to the ‘Welcome Back’ section of PlayStation Store on your PSP system and select 2 titles from the following list:

• LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
• ModNation Racers
• Pursuit Force
• Killzone Liberation

As this is the first day of the 'Welcome Back' program the PSN is currently being pummelled with everyone trying to get there hands on the above content. Some of you may be greeted with error codes were the option do download dissappears. If you encounter this problem the following should get you back to the download or either game 1 or 2.

In response to issues stated by PSN members:

+ Kristi Fernandez on June 3rd, 2011 at 10:18 am said:

If the game is gone from the store check for it in account management> transaction management>services list>SCEA promotions.

Let me know if that works.

Worms 2: Armageddon now on PSN

Worms 2: Armageddon has now found itself on the PlayStation Network. No longer do PlayStation 3 owners have to feel left out. A demo for the game is also now on the PSN.

Key Features:

• Full online or offline multi-player for up to four players over a wealth of game modes – beginner, intermediate, pro, races, forts and crazy crates!
• Hilarious Sony endorsed hats for the Worms to wear out on the battlefield – Sackboy, Motorstorm, Lemmings, Helghast and Buzz hats are all available for unlocking!
• All new improved landscape generator for unlimited random level design.
• Play standard or ranked games in a bid to scale the leaderboards.
• 27 Trophies to collect.
• Headset supported.

*Worms 2: Armageddon will set your PlayStation Store wallet back $14.99.

Angry Birds is headed to PlayStation minis

Those with iPhones and iPod Touches have been enjoying Angry Birds for quite sometime if they purchased the title. And with that said, the fun is now to be had as a PlayStation mini title as well. But not only is Angry Birds turning into a PlayStation mini -- it's coming with extra content not seen anywhere else. The game will feature:

• Four Exciting Worlds with over 120 levels that require logic, skill and brute force to crush the enemy!
• A Brand New World 4: “The Big Set Up”- Full of addictively fun surprises unseen before!
• A Bonus Golden Egg Worldthat clever players can unlock!
• A New Big Brother Bird capable of massive destruction!

Those wanting to get every bit of Angry Birds news can do so on twitter by following http://www.twitter.com/Chillingo and http://www.twitter.com/RovioMobile

[Via Press Release]