Join us for a streamed presentation hosted by Mark Cerny, Lead Architect of the PS5 console. The 9-minute Technical Presentation will focus on PS5 and innovations in gaming technology.

How to watch

The stream will be broadcast in English on the PlayStation YouTube channel September 10 at 8:00am PT / 11:00am ET / 4:00pm BST.

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Regarding co-streaming and video-on-demand (VOD)

Please note that this broadcast may include copyrighted content (e.g. licensed music) that PlayStation does not control. We welcome and celebrate our amazing co-streamers and creators, but licensing agreements outside our control could interfere with co-streams or VOD archives of this broadcast. If you’re planning to save this broadcast as a VOD to create recap videos, or to repost clips or segments from the show, we advise omitting any copyrighted music.

Astro Bot made his anticipated return to PS5 with last week’s release of the titular game. Team Asobi, the PlayStation Studio behind Astro’s Playroom, infused the little bot’s big new adventure with enough stages, power-ups, secrets, and fun to make any 3D platforming fan grin.

With the game’s launch fresh in our minds, I visited Team Asobi’s studio to interview the development team about the studio’s history, development style, and tribute to 30 years of PlayStation. Let’s delve right into it.

Art & Animation: Everything begins with gameplay ideas

Left: Jamie Smith, Principal Animation Director, Team Asobi
Middle: Sebastian Brueckner, Principal Art Director, Team Asobi
Right: Maki Murakami Senior Animator, Team Asobi

PlayStation Blog: What do you prioritize the most when creating characters?

Jamie Smith: I pay close attention to “playfulness.” When creating animations, we model how children express joy, like jumping up and down with excitement, to elicit jubilant feelings among players. Children are packed with actions and emotions, and we strive to imbue all these essences in our character designs.

How do you decide which of these ideas make it into the game?

Sebastian Brueckner: First and foremost, everyone must agree that these ideas will enhance the gameplay. We don’t choose ideas solely from the art aspects, but everything begins with the gameplay ideas. As a team, we collectively envision a series of gameplay scenarios and make decisions on the world and its details. For instance, if the gameplay involves ice, we further collaborate on the idea and may suggest the sea as the world setting. Once the details are finalized, the art comes in to refine the world.

Maki Murakami: This brainstorming process is particularly palpable in Astro’s new power-ups and enhancement designs. Handy-D is one example. The idea behind this long-armed monkey was to assist Astro in climbing. Then we explored the ideas on how we could make it cuter and agreed on the design for it to be carried on Astro’s back. We create prototypes, then playtest them and refine them together to take the level of fun to eleven.

Tech & Programming: New features stem from the pass

Last week, we asked you share gaming characters getting to work using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:

MrioMoreno5 shares Lake protagonist Meredith delivering mail and package in her hometown.

snejku23 shares Rivet grabbing a selfie with some industrial workers in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.

juniaxe shares Ada showing off her credentials in Resident Evil 2 Remake.

fsantos1697 shares Sam Bridges pausing to collect himself while delivering things in Death Stranding.

call_me_xavii shares Alan staring down writer’s block (or worse) in Alan Wake 2.

SeeyoulaterHihi shares Judy hard at work editing brain dances in Cyberpunk 2077.

Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?

THEME: Astro Bot
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on September 11, 2024 

Next week, Astro Bot’s off on his next big mission! Share adorable and adventurous moments with the titular bot and his many rescued friends using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com!

Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or download here

Hey folks! This week the podcast crew got to sit down with Team Asobi Studio Director Nicolas Doucet and SIE Studio Business Group CEO Hermen Hulst to talk all things Astro Bot. Plus, we discuss a few games we’ve been playing including Star Wars Outlaws, Doom + Doom II, and of course sweet Astro Bot.

Stuff We Talked About

• Next week’s releases:
  • Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II | PS5
• Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake new Monster Wrangler vocation
• EA Sports FC 25 hands-on details
• Interview w/ Nicolas Doucet and Herman Hulst (begins at 7:55)
• Astro Bot
• Star Wars Outlaws
• Doom + Doom II

The Cast

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Hello PlayStation fans! As we celebrate this Friday’s upcoming release of Astro Bot, Team Asobi’s tribute to 30 years of iconic PlayStation characters, stories, and magical moments, we want to thank you for the love and passion you’ve shown for PlayStation. Your enduring support has made these past three decades possible. While PlayStation’s 30th anniversary is still a few months away, today we’re delighted to share some of the ways we’ll be commemorating this milestone with all of you.

Explore a nostalgic homage to the original Gran Turismo, enjoy digital soundtracks from classic PlayStation games, and create fun moments with our new “Shapes of Play” collection – these are just a few of the ways we’re inviting you to join our community celebration, which starts this month.

And for everyone excited to jump into Astro Bot, we’re pleased to share a first look at a 30th anniversary photo opportunity located in the game’s central hub where Bots you’ve saved throughout your spacefaring adventures will hang out, ready to dance along with your stylish moves.

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An early look at what’s ahead

• My First GT.  This holiday, look forward to a free trial version designed to attract diverse players of all skill levels to the globally acclaimed Gran Turismo 7. This upcoming release will include some of the favorite cars, tracks, and race events that evoke the nostalgia and excitement of the very first GT experience. Look out for more details on My First GT, available to all PS5 and PS4 players this holiday.

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Authenticity and style are hallmarks of EA Sports FC’s take on the beautiful game, and there’s no denying that comes through in EA Sports FC 25, which is warming up for a September 27 launch (with early access from September 20 for those that pre-order the Ultimate Edition).

I had a chance to examine the studs of this latest footballing signing with some time on its pristine new pitch, testing its new tactical options and the enticingly fresh Rush 5v5 experience.

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Polish and improvements across the presentation

The gloss expected of EA Sports FC is fully present, with some tweaks made to the TV-style presentation, as well as the style of its matches. The referee and player point-of-view camera for replays and stoppages is used more, offering an up close and personal first-person perspective on goals. The player walkouts have returned to pre-match cutscenes, too, and there are nice little extra in-game details like increased animation on the players’ shirts.

There are also some classic elements that have stayed. DualSense controller feedback is responsive enough to not feel overwhelming when reacting to fouls and shots, while its built-in speaker still captures referee whistles and the oh-so satisfying rustle of the ball hitting the net.

Further to that, many clubs keep some of their highlight chants, whether it’s Manchester City’s Blue Moon, I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles for West Ham (and yes, the actual bubbles floating around the pitch have returned, too) or Allez, Allez, Allez from the stands of Villa Park.

Meanwhile, the emphasis on statistics is as impressive as always, with on-pitch overlays popping up to show details such as shots taken in and around the box, and who are the most fatigued players. As before, they remain informative and – most importantly – unobtrusive to the action.

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August was packed with plenty of summer gaming with titles that hit almost every genre in the medium. What did you enjoy most about last month’s title lineup? 

How does it work? At the end of every month, PlayStation Blog will open a poll where you can vote for the best new game released that month. After the polls close we will tally your votes, and announce the winner on our social channels and PlayStation.Blog. 

What is the voting criteria? That’s up to you! If you were only able to recommend one new release to a friend that month, which would it be? Note: re-released games don’t qualify, but remakes do. We define remakes as ambitious, larger-scale rebuilds such as Resident Evil 4 (2023) and Final Fantasy VII Remake.

How are nominees decided? The PlayStation Blog editorial team will gather a list of that month’s most noteworthy releases and use it to seed the poll. 

Produced and written by the legendary Hironobu Sakaguchi, and accompanied by a mesmerizing score from Nobuo Uematsu, Fantasian Neo Dimension’s release on PS5 is set to enchant both new players and long-time Final Fantasy fans alike. Despite being originally designed for mobile in 2021, Fantasian is a full-scale JRPG with undeniable charm. I recently had the chance to dive into an early preview through the Ancient Hill area with Leo, Kina and Cheryl in my party. This segment included a few voiced cutscenes, a small area to explore, and a handful of fights, including an enigmatic special encounter and a classic boss battle. Here’s what stood out.

What’s new in this version

Fantasian Neo Dimension brings several exciting upgrades with its release on PS5. The most noticeable is the stunning 4K resolution, which makes every detail of the meticulously crafted world pop with breathtaking clarity. Another welcome addition is the dual-language voice acting. Whether you prefer the authenticity of Japanese dialogue or the accessibility of English, Fantasian Neo Dimension offers a fully voiced experience that brings its cast to life. Finally, the addition of an easier difficulty option means those who are new to the genre will get an easier time going through the title despite its classic JRPG difficulty.

One of the most intriguing new features is the ability to customize your soundtrack. For battles, players can choose between the original music composed for Fantasian —which is obviously excellent considering its author— or mix it up with iconic tracks from a selection of older Final Fantasy titles. You can choose a particular title, or use the random option to get a surprise soundtrack to play over each fight.

A unique art direction

The art direction of Fantasian Neo Dimension is nothing short of extraordinary. The game’s world is built entirely from hand-crafted dioramas, which have been digitally recreated using drones equipped with 3D scanning technology. This meticulous process resulted in over 150 dioramas that form the game’s various environments, each one brimming with hand painted details.

The dioramas are crafted with an unparalleled level of care, with contributions from notable artists, including Akira Toriyama, the mastermind behind Dragon Ball, and veterans from Japan’s Tokusatsu industry, known for their work on practical effects in films and television. 

Exploring these diorama-based environments feels like stepping into a work of art, with layers of textures and intricate details I wished I could simply reach through the screen and touc

If you’re an RPG fan, you probably need no introduction to Dragon Quest III. This RPG is one of those rare, precious games that captured the imagination of players, critics, and creators alike, and changed the genre. If you’ve ever played a Japanese RPG, it likely owes a debt to Dragon Quest III.

So, it’s pretty exciting that this legendary game is making a return as Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake. The new game reimagines this classic adventure from the ground up, bringing its world and characters to life in the vibrant HD-2D visual style made famous by games like Octopath Traveler I and II and Live A Live.

But Dragon Quest III HD-2D remake doesn’t just look to recreate the past – it builds on it. The game includes new features that make the game feel fresh, modern, and deeper.

We’re excited to reveal just a few of these new additions.

New party customization

In Dragon Quest III HD-2D, you play as a young hero sent on a quest to do what your father could not: defeat the Archfiend Baramos. It’s not an easy task, but fortunately, you can get some backup to help you out.

You can form a team of up to four characters, including your hero, near the start of the game by visiting Patty’s Party Planning Place. In the original game, you could simply choose their vocation, which determines their role and skills in battle. Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, however, gives you a lot more options.

For example, you can now change up how they look…

… with fourteen different hair colors to choose from.

You’ll also get to select what kind of voice they have – their appearance won’t limit the voice types you can give them.

Combined with the many different personalities, which affect characters’ strengths and weaknesses, it lets you create a party that’s easier to become attached to – after all, they’re distinctly yours.

Friends forever

What if you create your perfect party member? Once your adventure is done, is that bold recruit lost forever?

Not in Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake! The new game lets you register a volunteer so you can use them in another playthrough on the same account. They’ll even keep the attributes, level, and equipment they had when you registered them!

Meet the Monster Wrangler

Everyone in the party, your protagonist included, has a vocation. This determines what spells and abilities they’re capable of learning, how their stats will increase and the equipment they can use.

There are multiple vocations in the game, including classics like Warrior and Mage, but this remake adds a brand-new addition: Monster Wrangler!

Dragon Quest III features some of the most charming and iconic adversaries in gaming – even those new to the series will likely recognize the humble Slime, for example. Monster Wranglers know more than most about the world’s monsters and will help you befriend any creatures you find who looks lonesome.

They can also do battle with an array of monstrous abilities, from awesome attacks that hit multiple enemies at once, to helpful heals that can bring your party back from the brink.

Master the Monster Arenas

Concord fans — we’ve been listening closely to your feedback since the launch of Concord on PlayStation 5 and PC and want to thank everyone who has joined the journey aboard the Northstar. Your support and the passionate community that has grown around the game has meant the world to us.

However, while many qualities of the experience resonated with players, we also recognize that other aspects of the game and our initial launch didn’t land the way we’d intended. Therefore, at this time, we have decided to take the game offline beginning September 6, 2024, and explore options, including those that will better reach our players.

While we determine the best path ahead, Concord sales will cease immediately and we will begin to offer a full refund for all gamers who have purchased the game for PS5 or PC. If you purchased the game for PlayStation 5 from the PlayStation Store or PlayStation Direct, a refund will be issued back to your original payment method.

Customers who purchased from other digital storefronts will also be refunded. More information about refunds from Steam and Epic can be found below:

Steam Store – Steam Store will refund players who bought the game over the coming days. Steam will send confirmation of the refund once it has been processed.

Epic Games Store – Epic Games Store will refund players who bought the game over the coming days and will contact each customer directly to confirm that the refund has been processed.

Other retailer refunds – For customers who have purchased a physical copy at a retailer location outside of PlayStation directly, please refer to the refund process of the retailer you purchased it from to obtain your refund.   

Once refunded, players will no longer have access to the game. 

We’ll keep you updated and thank you again to all the Freegunners who have joined us in the Concord galaxy.

* Refunds for PlayStation Store and PlayStation Direct purchases may take 30-60 days to appear on your bank statement. If your original payment source was unavailable, the purchase amount will be refunded to your PSN wallet.