1d ago - Roll7 Creative Director John Ribbins announced today that the ice-cool skate 'em up OlliOlli video game kickflips onto PS Vita later this year.

Below are the details, to quote: Hello. I'm John. I'm the game designer at Roll7! We started in 2008, when I teamed up with two entrepreneurs Simon and Tom. The company's initial mission was to try and combine Simon and Tom's passion for training disengaged youth in video game design, with my love of making games.

The dream from day one was to make our own games, but as a business it seemed impossible to make it work, so for the next four years we worked for various clients, making everything from websites, to apps, to games controlled by your brain.

In the meantime I spent countless hours in the evenings making the games we really wanted to make, while Simon and Tom looked for viable ways to transition from an agency to an actual game developer.

By early 2012 we'd scraped enough cash together to take some time off from client work and we set about making a game for iOS called Gets to the Exit.

We got some nice reviews (an 8/10 in Edge), but not everyone liked it (Slide to Play):

"We hope you have insurance for your iPhone,...

2d ago - Thekla Incorporated President Jonathan Blow shared some video footage today which include conversations with the creators of upcoming title The Witness on the PlayStation 4 / PS4 video game console.

To quote: It's been a few months since our last post, so I think it's a nice time to let people know how the game is coming along.

If you haven't heard about The Witness, it is a game about exploration and puzzle-solving in an open world. Here's our trailer:





The open-world aspect of the design is important; it means you have freedom in terms of where you go and what puzzles you choose to approach right now. At any time you can just stop what you're doing, turn around and go somewhere else, and the game world has plenty of new things to show you.





It's interesting to try and design a puzzle game this way. Puzzle games are usually linear, because the designers want to make sure you have solved a puzzle before going on to a more difficult one.

But in The Witness we have a broader idea about what makes puzzles interesting, and this lets us be versatile in designing the flow of gameplay. We build systems of puzzles...

2d ago - Community Developer Zack Cooper revealed 2 of 4 Co-Op mission types today in a video spotlighting Splinter Cell Blacklist Co-Op for the PlayStation 3 entertainment system.

Below are the details, to quote: For those who missed the last couple of posts I did here, my name is Zack Cooper. I'm the Splinter Cell Community Developer (ComDev).

Recently we shared the Spies vs. Mercs reveal trailer, and just a few days ago, the CO-OP trailer.

What we bring to you today is a fresh look into the CO-OP experience. This time we're really going all out!

Ubisoft Shanghai is doing the maps, and we are incredibly proud of what they've been putting together. As you may know, they've got a rich history in the Splinter Cell franchise, having led the charge on Pandora Tomorrow and the current-gen version of Double Agent.

Here at Ubisoft Toronto, we're tasked with making sure everything fits appropriately into the grand package of Splinter Cell Blacklist. Not only are there 14 unique missions... there's a ton of variety contained within those missions.

There are four different mission types - two of which we're talking about today. They're given...

2d ago - Square Enix Senior Online Community Manager Matt Hilton announced that Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn arrives on PS3 8/27 alongside Collector's Edition details below, as follows:

PlayStation 3 gamers have been waiting a long time for their chance to set foot in the realm of Eorzea. The wait is almost over - Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn will come to PlayStation 3 on August 27th, 2013!

We're also announcing our pre-order details and Collector's Edition content!

We've created a host of exciting goodies for would-be adventurers; let's run down what you'll get when you pre-order the game.

Gamers who pre-order will earn early access to the game before the launch of the official service, and some exciting in-game goodies. Step foot into Eorzea in style with a Mog Cap, fashioned after the famed Final Fantasy moogles, and summon your own Cait Sith Doll minion to follow you around on your adventure!

The collectors among you won't want to miss the Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Collector's Edition! What've we got in there...?

• A gorgeous box featuring artwork by famed FINAL FANTASY illustrator Yoshitaka Amano
• The Art of Eorzea: - A Realm Reimagined - A hardbound art book, featuring concept art and more from Art Director Akihiko...

2d ago - Sony Product Planning and Platform Software Innovation Director Don Mesa announced today that Epic Mickey 2 hits PlayStation Vita this June with enhanced features as outlined below.

To quote: We're always looking for new experiences to bring to PS Vita owners, and many times it's as easy as looking at the extensive catalog of games that make up the PS3 library.

The powerful hardware included in PS Vita has no problem handling PS3-quality experiences on the go, and we're excited to bring another PS3 title to your favorite handheld.

Today we're announcing that PS Vita owners will be able to check out Disney Interactive's Epic Mickey 2 on PS Vita next month, on June 18th.

Epic Mickey 2 comes to PS Vita with a number of new features that are only made possible with PS Vita's unique touch capabilities. On the backend, we've added things like ad hoc network functionality, but we've also implemented new ways to control the game.

You'll be able to control paint, thinner and Oswald's electric beam using the touch screen, as well as use orientation-based controls for both the camera and while driving.

You'll find added touch screen functionality elsewhere; use it to give instructions to AI, select/drag/drop sketches, burst bubbles and projectiles, and navigate...