PlayStation.Blog

Essential Picks promotion comes to PlayStation Store
NBA 2K22 gameplay deep dive
Become the fearsome Cleopatra with this month’s new additions to Predator: Hunting Grounds
Astro’s Playroom: the story behind those fun PlayStation character cameos
Relaxing photography adventure Toem out September 17 on PS5

Essential Picks promotion comes to PlayStation Store

Posted: 31 Aug 2021 05:00 PM PDT

Celebrate the start of a new month with some PlayStation Store discounts! Starting this Wednesday, September 1 for a limited time* a number of PlayStation games are available at a reduced price. That includes fantastical co-op adventure It Takes Two, galaxy-spanning epic No Man's Sky and thrilling race sim F1 2021.

*Essential Picks promotion runs from Wednesday, September 1 at 00.00am (local time) until Wednesday, September 15 at 11.59pm (local time).

NBA 2K22 gameplay deep dive

Posted: 31 Aug 2021 09:00 AM PDT

Hello, PlayStation Nation! It's that time of year when we get to unpack all the exciting gameplay enhancements and new features coming your way with NBA 2K22!

We had an ambitious feature list that we wanted to tackle this year: faster-paced gameplay, tighter and more responsive movement, more skill-based offense, and big changes to the player builder. We made a strong push to ensure that we were delivering the same quality gameplay upgrades on both PS5 and PS4, so no matter which version you run with this year, you're going to get a brand-new experience.

Defense

The primary goal for defense was to give gamers the tools to be able to really change the outcome of the game on the floor and at the rim. If you were a great perimeter defender who anticipated well, we wanted you to be able to clamp up the dribbler and force a pass. If you were a rim protector, we wanted to give you the ability to send away weak shot attempts at will.

The shot contest and blocking systems were completely rebuilt, leading to several new snatch blocks and volleyball spikes that never happened before. The shot contest rewrite removed the "ghost contests" that many complained about, and this year, being out of position or not getting a hand in the shooter's face will lead to some easy buckets for the offense. On the other hand, properly crowding shooters with good contests will result in plenty of bricks and airballs, as they should.

Next-Gen Defending

For floor defenders, body-up rides and bumps feel much more rewarding; particularly for those using the PS5 DualSense Wireless Controller, thanks to the haptic feedback. Shifts, launches, stops, and cuts all feel much tighter, and PS5 players will see a lot less sliding on both ends of the floor as a result of improvements to foot-planting.

Defense was also a major focus on the next-gen AI front. New on-ball defensive positioning logic gives defenders more consistency in their positioning, regardless of their distance from the basket. This, along with motion improvements, allowed us to tighten up general defensive positioning, which means PS5 players will feel more defensive pressure on-ball than was present in last year's game.

Dribbling

This year, the goal was to marry the Basic Size-ups and Signature Size-ups together and give each player a unique feel and rhythm when sizing up, while also giving the gamer complete control over how the series plays out. The speed stick that we introduced on PS5 last year also returns. So, flicking the stick quickly results in quicker dribbles while slower flicks give you more rhythmic ones. There are around 50 unique signature size-up packages and 32 unique dribble sequences to choose from. Make sure to give all of them a try to find out which one best suits the rhythm of how you like to play. From the movement to the new moves and combos, they'll be identical between PS5 and PS4!

Post Play

Now a little treat for the bigs. We spent a lot of time upgrading post play with loads of new content, including new movement and a new arsenal of back-to-basket moves. Similar to face-up ball handling, many of the new moves are cancels and aborts. For example, start a post spin by twirling the Pro Stick, then immediately move the left stick in the opposite direction for a spin back. There are also new R2 fakes that keep you engaged in post, allowing you to chain multiple fakes together without disengaging.

Shooting

Shooting has undergone many changes for NBA 2K22. There's a new shot meter with a dynamically resizing make window. This window will expand when you're taking high-quality shots with good shooters, but will shrink when heavily contested, shooting with a low-rated shooter, or fatigued. The major emphasis for shooting success this year is Shot IQ. The teams that work for open looks and take smart shots are going to see much more success than the teams that force up bad shots. We've heavily focus-group tested the new shooting mechanics with players of all skill levels and believe this is the best that shooting has ever felt in NBA 2K.

Finishing

We've revamped the blocking system in NBA 2K22 and we're now giving rim protectors more tools to make great stops at the rim. On top of that, on PS5, we've added timing meters to both alley-oop and aggressive skill dunk attempts. When an alley pass is in the air, you'll need to press the Shot Button at just the right time to finish off the oop. And on the dunking side, holding Sprint and pulling straight down on the Pro Stick will trigger the aggressive skill dunks.

Builds, Badges, and Takeovers

In NBA 2K21, we debuted a brand-new player builder on PS5 that allowed you to set up your attribute caps however you saw fit. We've made a lot of adjustments to the system this year, including significantly increasing the amount of badge points at your disposal, and making it easier to identify the available badges, the cost at each tier, and the attribute thresholds required to hit each tier.

There's also a new MyPLAYER upgrade that's exclusive to PS5 called Takeover Perks. These are modifiers that you can unlock and equip to strengthen your existing Takeover abilities! We won't list them out because we want them to be a surprise, but it's a great upgrade to the Takeover system that adds a layer of depth and strategy to how you compete online.

From the outset, our goal was to create fun and competitive gameplay for all. The community's passion for 2K is what drives us, and many of our features come directly from you. So, have a great time with NBA 2K22, and we can't wait to read your feedback, watch your videos/streams, and continue to work with you to mold the best basketball game on the planet! Tip off on September 10.

Become the fearsome Cleopatra with this month’s new additions to Predator: Hunting Grounds

Posted: 31 Aug 2021 08:00 AM PDT

Previously, we shared our roadmap and the time has come to share details for August. We are excited to bring both a Paid DLC and a Free Update to the community this month. Cleopatra joins the powerful Yautja race for this month's Paid DLC character, bringing with her a passion of collecting trophies from only the most worthy. In this month's Free Update, Isabelle's tapes can now be unlocked and friendly Fireteam Bots join the battle in the jungle.

While encounters with Predator females have been rare, Predators of Cleopatra's prowess are rarer still. As the only Predator to defeat Dutch in combat, she’s also the only Predator known to spare an armed opponent. Was it mercy or a threat? Perhaps it was just professional courtesy from one hunter to another. Do you have what it takes to step into this powerful Yautja's shoes or will you be worthy of going toe-to-toe with her in the jungle? Cleopatra brings with her a special skin for the smart disc. By purchasing this DLC you will get early access to this new weapon skin variant.

This month's Free Update brings the NRV-E (Unlock at Level 100) to all players. In addition, we are expanding the lore of the universe again with additional tapes. Have you wondered what Isabelle has been up to, where she has been, or how she got back to earth? There are now four level unlocked tapes featuring Isabelle telling her story (Unlocks at 1, 10, 20, 40). The community has been asking and we have been hard at work on it, we are so excited to bring friendly Fireteam Bots to the jungle. These Fireteam Bot members will fight alongside you in the jungle. They'll also play a support role throwing ammo and health packs when you’re low; They’ll revive you if you’re downed; and if you are killed you can take over an Bot with your loadout. Now you never have to enter the jungle alone!

We have heard the requests for more Yautja and modes, and while we can't share any details yet – be sure to keep an eye on our social media handles and forums! We have more in store in the months ahead and we cannot wait to share more information with you.

Astro’s Playroom: the story behind those fun PlayStation character cameos

Posted: 31 Aug 2021 07:01 AM PDT

Hi everybody, we hope you are all doing well and keeping healthy. This is Jamie, the Animation Director over at Team Asobi. First things first, a big thank you for your feedback, comments and reviews of Astro's Playroom (fact: we do read them all!). We are genuinely delighted to see so much love and positivity around the game. You guys are great!

Looking at your comments, one thing that stood out in particular were the various PlayStation game tributes and cameos hidden all over Astro's Playroom. Being huge fans of the PlayStation heritage ourselves, we had a real blast creating these! And as you can imagine, with so many amazing and cherished game characters to pick from, we felt a big responsibility to deliver the fun and quality that would do justice to them.

Today, let us give you a short insight into the creation process of these fun cameos!

As often is the case, we started with concepting these ideas on paper. Toshihiko Nakai, our concept artist oozes creativity and his ideas just jump off the page. Looking through the PlayStation games history, he started drawing lots of fun bot cameos based on PlayStation characters from the last 25 years.

The selection process was simple, if a given cameo was instantly recognisable, made us smile, laugh, and got our inner geek excited, then it would make it through the first step.

Choosing iconic items of clothing or tools from the given game was paramount to getting that instant recognition while still leaving a little bit of guessing work to do for the player. It had to be a fun game of deciphering, even for players who knew where these cameos originated from. For this to work, a precise knowledge of each of the games was necessary. Once again, Toshihiko proved to be an incredible gaming encyclopedia!

Another important aspect of making a good cameo was the comedy aspect: each of these scenes had to be funny to watch and not shy away from making a bit of fun of the original games while, of course, still paying respect: that was a balancing act and one of the more difficult things to get just right.

Here are a few examples of early cameo sketches from Toshihiko.

Next was the modelling into 3D. The modelers channelled their inner cosplayer to create unique clothes and props for each scene, resizing where needed to give all props a cute finish that would fit Astro's world like a glove. At times, and with the approval of the original creators, weapons were modified to be more friendly and bullets would give away to colourful plastic balls. These modifications towards a cuter finish would, in return, put more accent on the light-hearted, humorous nature of the game and that's how a cohesive style for all cameos would start gelling in.

Finally came our part, the animation process. The animators' focus always revolved around three concepts: Fast, Frantic & Fun! All animations were done by hand and we aimed to pack every frame with tons of humor and energy.

In the name of 'research', we got to relive some of these great gaming memories, controller in hand. Playing through our favorite PlayStation games from the last 25 years, we picked actions, poses and situations that best crystalised the way those characters are remembered. We then used these key moments as the basis of our animations. All we had to do then was let our creativity loose. As long as it was fast, frantic and fun, it made the final cut!

Because we know you love anecdotes, here’s a funny one: some of the animators at Team Asobi who created these funny cameos actually worked on the original versions of these very games! A funny way to revisit your past work and go full circle, wouldn't you say?

Aside from seeking out and finding these funny scenes, we thought you might (accidentally of course) throw them a cheeky punch or two and see what happened? We made sure that all characters were made interactive with unique, funny reactions: Kratos chilling in his boat would suddenly start growling angrily with red eyes when attacked, Ellie would cower and Joel would freak out, dropping his precious brick clumsily and catching it at the last second in embarrassment… We totally geeked out making these cameos!

Of course, we involved all original makers of those games from the beginning to the end, which was a real privilege for us. Along the way, we got to make new friends, learn about the making of some of the most amazing PlayStation game series, and, errr… maybe even got a few of our own old games signed. You know, for posterity. :)

Considering that each and every creator we asked agreed to lend their amazing characters to the cause goes to show there is a real fraternity and comradery between creators but also a definite common love for PlayStation between us all. This is true for our PlayStation Studios friends, of course, but also for our many other partners who created the most iconic games on PlayStation during the last 25 years. We can never thank these teams enough for their kindness and trust.

There was only one catch, however. Although we would have liked to stuff every possible iconic PlayStation character into the game to the point Astro would have nowhere left to run, time ran out and we had to draw the line. Back in Team Asobi, we still often debate between us as to what other character could or should have been included. It makes for fun, endless discussions. :)

That's all from us today. Take care, friends, keep rocking and speak again soon!

Relaxing photography adventure Toem out September 17 on PS5

Posted: 31 Aug 2021 05:30 AM PDT

Hello everyone! We at Something We Made and the rest of the development team are beyond excited to release our small adventure game Toem on PS5 September 17! It's a game where you chat with quirky characters, solve their problems by snapping neat photos, and make your way through a relaxing landscape.

To think that our little game has made it onto a next-gen console on launch is really something. If we'd known back when we first started in 2018 that our initial prototype would shape out to be the game it is today, we would not believe it.

Do you remember the first time you visited a new city? Being in awe of the architecture, the excitement of not knowing what lies around the corner, and all the happy memories you form along the way? Those are feelings that fuel Toem.

The game has had a long and interesting development cycle, all from changing genre to completely overhauling the game from scratch! It took a lot of us tinkering to realise the actual design of the game. That very first idea for what would become Toem started with a simple drawing, and even though a lot has changed, we think the spirit from that first sketch can still be found in the final game.

Toem is heavily inspired by Scandinavia, taking the bus to small towns and big cities, seeing the folks that live there and visiting the different tourist sights! We really want to emphasize the journey the player makes through the world of Toem, and what could possibly make this journey a little bit more memorable? A camera of course!

As you help out nice strangers you are granted stamps, these stamps are a neat sign of gratitude, and with enough stamps you can exchange them for a free bus pass to travel to your next destination. Your ultimate goal? Experience and take a photo of the magical, natural phenomenon known as Toem!

In the end, our hope is that you feel content and at peace while playing our game. We can't wait to see the pictures you take along your journey. Send them to us on social media!

Food And Recipe Fusion

Wednesday, September 1, 2021