NEWS: Bit.Trip Runner 2 Coming To PS Vita

Europe and North America will be getting a PS Vita port of the addictive 2D platformer.

Originally released through Nintendo's eShop for the Wii U, Bit.Trip Runner 2 will be making its way to Sony's PlayStation Vita very soon - December 17 in the US and December 18 throughout Europe.

The game will retail for $9.99/€6.99, and subscribers of PlayStation Plus throughout the US will be given a 20% discount, reducing its original price to $7.99.

Creators Gaijin Games describe the game as "the IGF award-winning rhythm/music platformer that helped to define the auto-runner genre and marks the first fully character-based adventure for CommanderVideo!"

NEWS: Sony Giving Away More Free Games On PlayStation Mobile/Vita

The latest games as part of Sony's PlayStation Mobile campaign are now available.

Three weeks into Sony Europe's campaign of free games available on both PlayStation Mobile and PlayStation Vita, we are treated to some early Christmas presents; Super Crate Box and Fuel Tiracas.

Described as a "smash hit", Super Crate Box "brings back the glory of the golden arcade age when all that really mattered was getting on that high score list!" - players will take part in hectic action fighting "endless hordes of enemies", whilst collection numerous weapons to do so.

On the other hand, Fuel Tiracas is a "fast-aced action puzzler" behind the creative talent from Futurlab, who were responsible for the  game; Velocity Ultra.

The game has been described as "the ultimate test of fast reactions, memory and time management ability!"

Check out Sony's blog post to see instructions on how to install the PlayStation Mobile application, so you can get these games right now for free before its too late.

NEWS: Sony To Give Away Free Games On PlayStation Mobile

Throughout the next five weeks, Sony will be distributing free games on PlayStation Mobile devices as well as PS Vita.

Sony are getting into the festive spirit as European Product Manager Mayumi Donovan revealed various games will be periodically released in blocks over the next five weeks completely free of charge.

Two new games will release each Wednesday, however the first games are available right now, including Passing Time, which has been described as "An all-new touch-controlled football game", with the objective to "burn the opposition with a blistering fireball". Sounds fun, right?

The second game is Rymdkapsel "a meditative strategy game set in the depths of space.", players will be "tasked with building the best possible space station by commanding your minions to collect and utilise the different resources at your disposal."

In order to get these games, you'll need the PlayStation Mobile App installed or you can head over to the PlayStation Store to directly download the games to your PS Vita.

NEWS: PlayStation Vita 3.00 System Update Details

Highlight of the update includes PS4 Link in preparation of the console's launch this month.

The 3.00 update has gone live today and offers lots of changes, including the PS4 Link and general application alterations.

PS4 Link will enable players to use their PS Vita's to play the PS4, as well as supporting second screen functionality. In terms of availability, PlayStation blog has said:

"We expect that most PS4 titles will support remote play - some titles will not support remote play however, including titles that require the use of peripherals such as PlayStation Camera."

Other updates include the Parental Controls application - now it can be customised to edit the duration of gameplay, as well as controlling access to Internet Browser and Location Data. Users can now take photos using the newly added Panoramic feature.

The general layout of the 'Friends' application has improved, offering four new tabs - 'Find Player on PSN', 'Friends', 'Friend Requests', and Players Blocked. The rest of the changes are minor, check out the US PlayStation blog for more info. Watch the video below for a demonstration of PS4 Link, amongst other update changes.

NEWS: PlayStation Vita TV Demonstration

A new video has emerged showing just how the PlayStation Vita will work - understanding Japanese is a bonus.

Sony have released a new video showcasing the recently announced PlayStation Vita TV - the console allows its users to play PSVita games on their TV, along with the streaming of various media content. 

The device can be connected to TV's using either HDMI or AC cables, and will also allow remote play, which enables users to stream PS4 games to a separate TV. 

There will be a combined 1,300 games available from PSVita, PSP, PS1, and PS2, in this particular video we see God Eater 2 and a glimpse of the PS4-exclusive launch title Knack. Whilst there is no confirmation of a Western release, the device remains to be released just in Japan November 14 with an introductory price of  ¥9,480. Check out the demonstration video below.

NEWS: PS3 System Software Update 4.50 Details

Sony has revealed details regarding the scheduled 4.50 update.

It seems that not only PlayStation Plus subscribers will be the only ones with access to the auto-download feature according to the latest details on the system software update 4.50 coming this week.

The update will primarily focus on downloading content automatically and transferring data from PS3 to PSVita, as well as the ability to hide trophy data.

Straight from Sony themselves:

• Auto download of system software updates has been expanded to support all PSN users.
• Auto download support of purchases made on the Web Store will be made available to all PSN users.
• New options for trophy privacy settings allows users to set which trophies are visible.
• Data can now be transferred from PS3 to PS Vita using wi-fi and ethernet connection.

FEATURE: PlayStation Plus - Is It Worth It?

If you're struggling on deciding whether to subscribe to PlayStation Plus, look no further as I'll be giving a detailed breakdown of what the service has to offer and how much money you could potentially save. I became a member in October 2012 and since then I don't regret ever subscribing. I sound like a Sony salesman here, but I genuinely would like to share the benefits of this service.

1. The Price

There are currently two prices in the UK to pay for PS+, you can pay £11.99 every 3 months or can pay £39.99 for the whole year round. It may sound like a lot, or it could very well seem reasonable, whichever way you look at it, you will definitely be getting your money's worth. For any US readers, that comes to $17.99 every month or $49.99 each year.

2. The Games

Each month the store is updated with a generous amount of full retail games (including Vita) and a few PSN games here and there, these games are completely free and as long as you're a subscriber, you can delete them, re-download them - the reason I point this out is because recently all of the free content has taken it's toll on my HDD space, so I've had to delete games I no longer play in order to download the newer ones, but I never have to worry about deleting the games as I can get them back whenever I want with no hassle. 

This month's free content has included Spec Ops: The Line, Mafia II, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, Lego Lord of the Rings (Vita), and When Vikings Attack (PSN and Vita). 

Now, you might notice the diversity in those games, each one is considerably different to the other, which shows that no matter what type of gamer you are, they'll probably be something for you each month to enjoy. This next bit relates back to the price, but I did a quick search of those games mentioned earlier on a popular gaming shop website, and found that to actually but all those games it would cost around £65-£70, and I'm not saying you would actually buy all those games but it's a good example of the money you can save. 

Of course, you will be getting the digital version and not the physical copy, so if you're a bit of a collector, you might want to spend the extra cash instead of subscribing. I'm a self-obsessed hoarder when it comes to video-games but I still do enjoy the benefits of PS+ - free random games each month, it's just something to look forward to and enjoy. 

3. The Games So Far

This is the complete list of games given away for free to PS+ members since the service started, this list is based on the European PlayStation store. However, please remember that past games are no longer available if you weren't a PS+ member at the time, but this is just here to give you an idea on what's being offered if you do decide on subscribing.

Full PS3/PSN Games

• Batman: Arkham City
• Battlefield 3
• Big Sky Infinite
• Binary Domain
• Bioshock 2
• Borderlands
• Bulletstorm
• Catherine
• Chime Super Deluxe
• Crysis 2
• Cubix HD
• Darksiders
• Dead or Alive 5
• Dead Space 2
• Demon's Souls
• Deus Ex: Human Revolution
• Double Dragon Neon
• Gotham City Imposters
• Guardians of Middle Each
• Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit
• Hitman Absolution
• ICO and Shadows of the Colossus HD Collection
• InFamous 2
• Joe Danger 2: The Movie
• Just Cause
• Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
• Knytt Underground
• Lara Croft & The Guardian of Light
• Limbo
• LittleBigPlanet 2
• LittleBigPlanet Karting
• Lord of the Rings: War in the North
• Machinarium
• Mafia II
• Magic Orbz
• Mahjong Tales: Ancient Wisdom
• Malicious
• Mass Effect 3
• Mortal Kombat 9
• Motorstorm: Apocalypse
• Mushroom Wars
• Need For Speed: Most Wanted
• Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD
• Okami HD
• Payday: The Heist
• Quantum Conundrum
• Ratchet and Clank All 4 One
• Red Dead Redemption
• Renegade Ops
• Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition
• Retro/Grade 
• Rock of Ages
• Saints Row 2
• Saints Row: The Third
• Scott Pilgrim Vs The World
• Sky Fighter
• Sleeping Dogs
• Smash Cars
• Spec Ops: The Line
• Starhawk
• The Cave
• Thomas Was Alone
• Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
• Vanquish
• Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown
• Wakeboarding HD
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine
• XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Full PS Vita Games

• Big Sky Infinite
• Chronovolt
• Coconut Dodge Revitalised
• Gravity Rush
• Jet Set Radio HD
• Knytt Undeground
• Lego Batman: The Video Game
• Lego Lord of the Rings
• Metal Gear Solid HD Collection
• Mortal Kombat 9
• Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus
• Pinball Arcade
• Puddle
• Rayman Origins
• Sine Mora
• Super Stardust Portable
• Thomas Was Alone
• Uncharted: Golden Abyss
• Unit 13
• Velocity Ultra HD
• When Vikings Attack
• WipEout 2048
• Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward

It's quite rare, but sometimes PlayStation 1 and 2 games are free too, examples of this are Resident Evil and Max Payne.

4. Other

There are other benefits of PS+ that include free themes, avatars, and opportunities to try out full retail games for 60 minutes long, in other words - an hour long demo of a fully finished game. Early beta access is also sometimes available for soon to be released games.

Cloud Storage also becomes instantly available when you subscribe, meaning you can store your save data files on a virtual server, so if by some horrible way your HDD becomes corrupted, your saves will still be safe. Discounts on games are offered to subscribers too.

Based on what you've read, I hope you can come to a decision. The benefits are huge and I'm extremely happy personally as a subscriber and as a gamer. Feature1