Hello folks! James here from FuturLab, creators of the hit PlayStation minis game Coconut Dodge! Our newest game is quite different than Coconut Dodge, but there are some strong similarities:

1. A tried-and-tested game mechanic with a new twist
2. Extremely addictive gameplay
3. Quality throughout and value for money

These things have made Coconut Dodge one of the best scoring minis games so far. We learned a whole bunch of tricks making Coconut Dodge, and we’re applying the same level of care and attention to gameplay addictiveness on this project!

If that sounds good to you, read on! :-)

September 7th, 2210

Vilio — the beating heart of the Toron nebula — exploded last September, becoming an ominous red giant in the process. Luckily, and somewhat miraculously, no one was hurt, though a galaxy wide electromagnetic pulse shuddered through our fleets, nullifying mining ships and colony vessels as well as our Special Forces fighters. Power and communication ceased instantly; those ships now survive on fossil fuels, remote and helpless. A rescue mission was launched in October; those craft are now expected to reach Toron in approximately ten months time. This much you know.

However, close monitoring has revealed that Villo has begun to collapse in on itself, the spectral red light bending inwards to form the beginnings of a black hole. The speed of collapse is debatable, but at best we expect Vilio to be a full-blown black hole within a matter of months.

As we expected, our director of operations was invited this morning to brief the government on the current state of our Quarp Drive project. It was concluded that all resources necessary for the completion of our testing period should be redirected as appropriate; their intention being to use our prototype Quarp Jet as the basis for an immediate rescue mission.

Being the lead test pilot, you are the obvious choice to take the lead on this mission. Since we only have one prototype craft, you’ll have to go it alone, and we’ll provide support as soon as possible.

I would like to end the brief there, but unfortunately the situation has become even more complicated. Our warring neighbours have seen potential reward from our misfortune, and have deployed a fleet of ships to prey upon our helpless drifters for precious minerals and our coveted technologies.

You’ll begin your mission in the relatively safe zone of the Toron outer rim. Once there you will locate and rescue any drifters you find, protecting them from scavenger attacks. Good luck.

What you see above is some concept artwork and the back story for a vertical scrolling space shoot ‘em up!

The game is in development now, and features a unique teleport mechanic, allowing you to teleport around the screen and throughout a level in order to evade enemy attacks and solve action based logic puzzles!

Exciting huh? However, you may have noticed that we don’t have a name for the game yet, and that’s where you come in!

We’d like you to give the game a title, and suggest a name for the test pilot lead character!

To help you get in the mood, you can play the game’s theme tune — Teleport Rescue — and some tasty wallpaper artwork to share in the vision we have for the game. People who make suggestions that are shortlisted will be credited in the game, and will each win a copy of the game when it is released!

The lucky people whose suggestions we actually use for the game will also win a copy of the game, and a bunch of other goodies so awesome we haven’t even thought of them yet!

So head on over to http://www.futurlab.co.uk/nameourgame/ to take part, find out more about the game, and have a look around to see if there’s any other cool stuff you can find ;)

Any fan of Disney, Final Fantasy and RPGs are more then familiar with the Kingdom Hearts series. Sadly, being a fan of all three — I am not. With my upcoming travels to Japan next week to cover Tokyo Game Show 2010, I’m looking forward to jumping head first into Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep on my PSP to help pass the time on my long flight. Gamers with schizophrenia, and a lack of arachnophobia will be web-slinging on their PlayStation 3 when Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions hatches this week as well.

PlayStation fans can also put their hockey and MMA skills to the test when they’re given the chance to body check or guillotine their opponents in the rink or the octagon. The PlayStation Network and PlayStation minis also have some neat releases in the second dimension of gaming with galactic and terrain exploration. Come hither Keyblade Masters for this week’s The Drop.

PlayStation 3

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions – Blending together the many alternate universes of the world-famous webslinger with four unique take on Spider-Man’s history in comics. Spider-Man attempts to retrieve a piece of a tablet that’s been scattered across multiple parallel dimensions, and in doing so he crosses over to storylines famous to comic book aficionados as variant tellings of the Spider-Man mythology.

Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2 – Plunge into explosive environments where you can become elite aerial soldiers in control of the world’s most technologically advanced aircraft. You will have the chance to control pilots trained to use cutting edge technology in aerial warfare missions.

R.U.S.E. – This is a one-of-a-kind real-time strategy game, allows players to bluff their enemies to lead their nation to victory. Controlling the action using views that range seamlessly from the heart of the battlefield to the full theatre of war, players will be plunged into the action thanks to the exclusive IRISZOOMTM Engine which offers an intuitive interface.

NHL 11 – Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the franchise, NHL 11 aims to to raise the bar yet again for hockey fans. With a real-time physics engine that brings a realism to the franchise, gameplay innovations — like broken sticks and a revamped face-off system — as well as the addition of the Canadian Hockey League, NHL 11 promises to be the most complete hockey videogame ever created.

PlayStation Network

TerRover – TerRover’s gameplay is based on navigating a terrain rover through over forty stages of puzzling arcade levels in five different 2-D art styles including the icy vistas of Congelata. TerRover features three local multiplayer modes for up to four people, leaderboards and PlayStation Network trophies.

PlayStation Portable

Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep – A tale of a new trio of heroes, told across three scenarios utilizing the technology of the PSP. With new features introduced on top of the traditional controls, game system, and visual style of its predecessors. Before Sora took up the Keyblade, there were other Keyblade masters. One of these masters, Xehanort, disappeared one day along with his apprentice. This event proved to be a foreshadowing of great disaster to come. Aware of the threat, another master ordered his three apprentices to seek out Xehanort and his cohort.

UFC Undisputed 2010 – Players manage Octagon control with a variety of strikes, submissions, transitions, cage positions and more. In addition, players will have customizable freedom with created fighters by combining move sets from numerous MMA disciplines to become true mixed martial artists.

PlayStation minis

Ace Armstrong vs. the Alien Scumbags! – This is a fast-paced horizontally scrolling shooter with a unique, slapstick take on the best of 50s and 60s sci-fi movies and cartoons. The game features a unique weapons system: instead of collecting power-ups, Ace must down enemies using the incredible power of the Recyl-o-Ray! before turning the Scumbags’ own weapons against them!

Hey there, PlayStation faithful! It’s Scott from Creat Studios, back again like a bad vampire movie sequel. Haven’t heard about TerRover, our upcoming release from Sony Online Entertainment? Let me tell you all about it. TerRover will hit the PlayStation Network on Tuesday, September 7th for $14.99 and keep you playing for untold hours thereafter.

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The TerRover is a cute little robot buggy with a big smile and warm heart in need of your help to find a new planetary home for him and his friends. You get weapons and tools and a chassis equipped with rocket launchers, magnet cables and more to assist in collecting all the mechanical parts scattered about and discovering the secret areas and hidden passages.

Now, the new stuff: TerRover features over 40 stages of puzzling arcade levels on five strange and different planets, each with its own physics and funky, eye-popping 2D art style. All pose unique threats and their own version of fun! The icy vistas of Congelata let you dig through snow and glide along stretches of ice. The all-tech surfaces of Mechanica toss you about its gears and motorized hazards. Robot-eating plants, underground rivers, and strange vegetation on the terrains of Acor and Aura will keep you and your TerRover on your toes (er… wheels?) The treacherous volcanoes and lava of Volcanus can thrust you high into the air or melt you on contact.

When you do complete a challenging level and feel the need to show the world just how you did it, you can! TerRover offers YouTube support to upload your latest escapade to the internet and crown yourself as TerRover champion. That’s not enough? Well, then you’ll have to rack up the multitude of Trophies available and make your status official to everyone.

And if you need a break from all that pressure of trying to relocate the TerRover population to safety, there’s great local multiplayer action, too! Up to four players can compete in a number of different modes and races in different locations. While the multiplayer is competitive, it occasionally takes a cooperative turn, and forces you and your opponent to briefly work together.

Our team at Creat Studios frequently gets asked about the inspiration for TerRover’s expressing emotions. To better explain it, let’s hear from TerRover’s producer, Olga Solokova:

“We discussed it at the very beginning, based on our experience of making an inanimate character come to life on previous project, Digger HD. We thought it was cool, so we set out to push it further and make TerRover smile, gasp and frown, get angry or frustrated, to make him feel and express emotion. Early into production, TerRover was alive due to the amazing work of our art director, Anastasia Vasilieva. She’s a master of perfecting small and cute things, like she did on Mushroom Wars. We laughed a lot while working on TerRover, and I hope that we’ll make the players feel that and smile at TerRover’s funny faces, too.”

Everyone at Creat Studios really hopes you enjoy our newest game, and we want to hear from you. Please drop by our website, check us out on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter, and tell us what you think. As always… thank you again to all of our fans out there. We can’t do what we love without you.

Guerrilla Games has been hard at work making the most explosive shooter possible on the PlayStation 3 system. At E3, the development team gave you a glimpse of Killzone 3 in 3D where they walked away with Best Shooter, Best 3D graphics, and Best PS3 game to name a few of the E3 awards received.

Last month, we unveiled elements of Killzone 3’s stellar new multiplayer at gamescom and revealed new vehicles.

Today, on behalf of Guerrilla Games, we are happy to announce the official release date of Killzone 3 in North America is February 22nd, 2011!

We’re at PAX today so if you’re at the show, please stop by the Killzone booth and check out multiplayer for yourself.

Hey everyone, James Stevenson from Insomniac Games here. We’re very excited to see you at PAX this weekend, where we have a couple of panels that we are very excited about. This will be your first opportunity to get a look at the never-before-seen extended demo of Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One:

Saturday, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM, Serpent Theatre
Insomniac Games: Behind the Scenes on Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One Insomniac Games, the development team behind the critically-acclaimed Ratchet & Clank and Resistance franchises, discuss their next Playstation 3 project, Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One.
Attendees will be treated to the first official U.S. demo of Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One and will also have the opportunity to ask questions during a Q&A with Insomniac.

G4TV’s Adam Sessler will be moderating a panel featuring Insomniac Games North Carolina Studio Director Chad Dezern, and Production Director Shaun McCabe. In addition, you can look forward to hearing Insomniac Games Senior Writer TJ Fixman’s wit and Jersey-accent, as he discusses not only All 4 One, but the upcoming comic series as well!

For those of you who are fans of the Full Moon Show – please join us for a live taping of our next episode on Sunday:

Sunday, 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM, Unicorn Theatre
The Insomniac Games Full Moon Show LIVE

One of gaming’s most beloved and long-time developer podcasts brings the show live to PAX Prime. Join host James Stevenson (Senior Community Manager, Insomniac Games) and key leaders from Insomniac Games as they record the next episode of the Full Moon Show. Also on tap will be a special mystery guest, and a new Behind the Scenes look at Insomniac Games. The live show will also feature a segment of “I Want Your Job!” as well as plenty of time for you to ask questions – and perhaps even win some rare swag!

We are very much looking forward to seeing you in Seattle this weekend, so please make sure to drop by and say hello!

JS

You may have seen some new impressions of PlayStation Move recently. A number of sites, both gaming and mainstream, received their press kits last week, hence the new reviews. We’ve been linking out to many of them on the sidebar, and we’ll fully recap on Sunday’s What We Read.

But what about you, the customer? How will your Move experience begin? We just got in the final retail packaging for the PlayStation Move Bundle. Here’s what you get in the box:

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Like we said in the video, the included demo disc is so stuffed with content – 11 games! – that we decided to make a whole seperate post on it. Look for that one soon.

Hi Battlefield fans! Don’t tell anyone, but I didn’t pick up Battlefield 1943 when it originally launched. For a DICE employee, that’s perhaps best kept a secret. The good news is: I have the perfect excuse to catch up on it now.

More Battlefield goodness than you can shake an RPG at.

You get a ton of stuff in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Ultimate Edition, with Onslaught Mode, Limited Edition Unlocks and the full version of Battlefield 1943 — DICE’s PSN WWII shooter from the summer of 2009, now making its first appearance in retail stores.

As you may or may not remember, when Battlefield 1943 first launched, DICE ran the Coral Sea Challenge. As soon as the gamers on PS3 reached 43 million kills collectively, a fourth map would unlock. For a latecomer to the party, it’s still a blast to soar through the skies on the Coral Sea bonus map, even though I missed out on contributing in the challenge.

Back to the beautiful Pacific in Battlefield 1943.

Back then, it took the PS3 gamers only eight days to reach the 43 million kill limit! Which got me wondering: What has happened since then in the Battlefield universe, numbers-wise? So I dove into the official PS3 stats for Bad Company 2 (released only six months ago) and came back with the following impressive figures:

Total body count: 2,551,119,430
Total time played (hours): 61,391,471 (that’s 7,000 years!)
Total dog tags taken: 76,712,440
Number of deaths by defibrillator: 828,069

Turns out a medic can use his tools for more offensive duties than reviving his comrades! Of course, by the time you read this, these numbers will have increased even further. So make sure to stop by and check out the global stats, as well as your individual, detailed battle records.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Ultimate Edition is out now for $59.95. If you want to get the skinny on everything happening in the Battlefield community, stay tuned on Twitter @OfficalBFBC2 and battlefield.com.

Oh, and as always, remember to keep your squad tight.

Hello from Big Sandwich Games! As you’re reading this, we’re packing up the truck and preparing to head to PAX. But first, we present to you the official Hoard PAX 2010 trailer!

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Hopefully that gives you an idea of what the game’s all about. Intense action, leaderboard score attack, crazy multiplayer duels, diabolical powerups, and over 100 badges to earn! Get ready for HOARD!

Stop by booth #3012 if you’ll be at PAX, and we’ll give ya a chocolate gold coin. If you won’t be there, don’t worry: the PlayStation.Blog will have a PAX report for you to feast upon.

If you’re heading to the 2010 Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle, Washington this weekend, we’ve got a bit of a treat for you: Killzone 3 will be there, and YOU can go hands-on with the game’s multiplayer mode! This will be the first time the Killzone 3 multiplayer mode is accessible to the public, so we’re really anxious to hear what you think. To make sure as many people as possible get a shot, we’ve got 16 multiplayer pods set up, with 8v8 matches rolling over constantly. On top of that there’ll be seven single-player pods available, three of which sport glorious 3D! We’ll be giving away Killzone swag bags at the booth so make sure you get down there early since quantities are limited.

So be sure to visit the Killzone 3 booth at PAX 2010 (that’d be the one patrolled by Helghast Troopers), to get your first taste of the game’s single and multiplayer modes. And bring your buddies, because Brutal Melee is also part of the package. ;)

One last thing: keep your eyes out for collectible art cards we’re giving out at the Killzone 3 booth with the image above. We’ll have specific instructions on there letting you know how YOU can win a Killzone 3 Beta code!

Killzone 3 “Twitter Killzone 3 Feedback” Sweepstakes
Official Rules

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER THE PROMOTION OR CLAIM PRIZE. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

Void outside the 50 United States and D.C. and where prohibited.

1. ELIGIBILITY. The Killzone 3 “Twitter Killzone 3 Feedback” Sweepstakes (the “Promotion”) is open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia, who are at least eighteen (18) years of age or older at the time of entry and are attending the Penny Arcade Expo (“PAX”) located at Washington State Convention & Trade Center, 800 Convention Place, Seattle, Washington 98101 and have visited the Killzone 3 booth; played the Killzone 3 video game and received a card with entry instructions. Employees and their immediate family members of Sponsor and their parent and affiliated companies, subsidiaries, advertising and promotional agencies and any and all other companies associated with this Promotion (“Promotion Entities”) and the employees, agents, officers, directors, and their immediate families (parent, siblings, children and spouse) and persons residing in the same household (whether related or not) of such employees are not eligible to enter or win. Void in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. Military installations in foreign countries, anywhere outside of the U.S and where prohibited, taxed or restricted by law.

2. SPONSOR. Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC, 919 E. Hillsdale Blvd, Foster City, CA 94404 (the “Sponsor”).

3. TIMING. The Promotion begins on September 3, 2010 at 10:00a.m. Pacific Standard Time (“PST”) and ends on September 5, 2010 at 10:00p.m. PST (the “Promotion Period).

4. TO ENTER. Anytime during the Promotion Period Entrant may enter as many times as they like but may only win once. To enter Entrant should (1)have played the Killzone 3 game and received a card with entry instructions; (2) sign into their Twitter account (“Account”) or, if Entrant is not already a member become a member of Twitter.com and sign into their Account. Please note that Entrants must agree to comply with the Twitter Terms of Service in order to create a Twitter account visit http://twitter.com/tos. (3) tweet a message that contains feedback to the Killzone 3 game Entrant has just played as a targeted reply to @PlayStation using Twitter’s “@Reply” function along with exactly the following unique term (“Term”) in their tweet message “#Killzone3PAX” (collectively, “Entry”).

5. ENTRY CONDITIONS AND RELEASE. Sponsor, at its sole discretion, may accept a mis-typed Term or Entry. If Entrant’s Twitter account is set to “protected mode”, their updates/responses will not be visible in Sponsor’s @Reply inbox; and, therefore, will not be received by Sponsor, resulting in Entrant’s failure to enter the Promotion. Normal Internet access and usage charges imposed by Entrant’s online service will apply. If Entrant opts to receive Sponsor’s tweets via their wireless mobile device (which may only be available via participating wireless carriers), standard text messaging rates, airtime and carrier charges will apply for each text message sent or received from their handset according to the terms and conditions of Entrant’s service agreement with their wireless carrier. Entrant understands that by participation in this Sweepstakes via mobile phone or text message, if they are a potential winner, the Sponsor may contact Entrant via mobile phone or text message, which will be subject to the charges pursuant to their carrier’s rate plan. Entrant must have a mobile phone with text messaging capabilities to enter using Twitter. Sponsor is not responsible for technical, hardware or software failures, malfunctions, lost or unavailable network connections or failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions or unforeseen schedule changes that may limit an Entrant’s ability to participate in the Promotion, even if caused by Sponsor’s negligence. Sponsor is not responsible for changes to Entrant’s contact information. Entries not satisfying these Official Rules are automatically disqualified. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion to modify, cancel or suspend this Promotion should virus, bugs unauthorized human intervention or other causes beyond Sponsor’s control affect the administration, security or proper play of the Promotion or Sponsor otherwise becomes (as determined in its sole discretion) incapable of running the Promotion as planned. Entrants who violate these Official Rules, tamper with the operation of the Promotion or engage in any conduct that is detrimental or unfair to Sponsor, the Promotion or any other entrant (in each case as determined in Sponsor’s sole discretion) are subject to disqualification from entry into the Promotion. All entries become the sole property of Sponsor and receipt of entries will not be acknowledged or returned. Any individual who attempts or otherwise encourages, directly or indirectly, the entry of multiple or false contact information under multiple identities or uses any device or artifice to enter or encourage, directly or indirectly, multiple or false entries, as determined by the Sponsor, will be disqualified. In case of a dispute over the identity of an entrant, the authorized account holder of the Twitter account used to enter will be deemed to be the entrant. “Authorized account holder” is defined as the person who is assigned to a Twitter account by www.twitter.com.

6. RANDOM DRAWING. Ten (10) Winners will be selected in a random drawing from among all eligible entries received. Prize drawing will be conducted by Sponsor whose decisions shall be final and binding. Winners shall be notified via Twitter using the Direct Message function.

7. PRIZES. Each winner will receive an invitation to participate in the Killzone 3 Beta (“Beta”).

8. WINNERS: Potential winners will be notified on Twitter by Direct Message to the potential winner’s account which shall be revealed at a later time due to the time-sensitive nature of the information. Potential winners will receive a voucher code which will be redeemed via the PlayStation 3 XMB in order to download the Beta. Approximate retail value (“ARV”) of each prize is $0.00. No prize substitution or cash equivalent permitted. Each prize is non-transferable. Sponsor, in their sole discretion, may substitute a prize (or prize component) of equal or greater value due to unavailability of prize (or prize component) for any reason. Sponsor is not responsible for changes to the Twitter Direct Message function that may interfere with winner notification. At the sole discretion of the Sponsor, disqualification, forfeiture and the selection of an alternate winner may result from any of the following: (1) Failure of notification due to deactivation of the potential winner’s account prior to receipt of notification; or (2) a potential winner’s failure to become a follower of @PlayStation, resulting in the potential winner’s failure to receive a Direct Message from Sponsor; or (3) a potential winner’s account “protected mode” is set so that the potential winner’s updates/responses may not be visible in Sponsor’s @Reply inbox; or (4) a potential winner’s failure to include “#Killzone3PAX” and feedback regarding the Killzone 3 game or (5) any other non-compliance with the Official Rules.

9. GENERAL CONDITIONS AND RELEASES. By entering, all entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and by the decisions of the Sponsor, which shall be final and binding. By accepting prize, each winner grants to Sponsor the right to use his/her name, likeness, image, voice, hometown, and biographical information in advertising, trade and promotion, including on the Internet or via wireless application protocol, without further compensation or permission, except where prohibited by law. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. All prize claims are subject to verification by Sponsor. Participants agree to release and hold harmless Sponsor and parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, divisions, advertising and promotional agencies, wholesalers and retailers, and each of the foregoing entities’ employees, officers, directors, shareholders and agents (collectively the “Released Parties”), from and against any and all claims, actions and/or liability for any injuries or death, loss or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with participation in the Promotion or acceptance or use of any prize. The Released Parties are not responsible or liable for any incorrect or inaccurate information, and assume no responsibility for (i) any error, omission, interruption, defect or delay in operation. By participating, entrants agree to comply with these rules. Any participant who attempts to tamper with this Promotion in any way shall be disqualified. Additional restrictions may apply.

10. ODDS OF WINNING. Odds of winning depend upon the number of eligible entries received.

11. PROMOTION RESULTS. You may request the names of winners by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope by October 31, 2009 to “Twitter Killzone 3 Feedback” Sweepstakes Winner’s List, 919 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City, California 94404.

12. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION. The information necessary to operate the Promotion was collected by Sponsor at the time of entry, and without limiting Sponsor’s rights under its privacy policies with regards to its use of the information, will be used to contact you specifically for operation of the Promotion. Information collected in connection with the Promotion will otherwise be collected in accordance with Sponsor’s privacy policy, available at http://www.us.playstation.com/Support/PrivacyPolicy. By agreeing to these Official Rules, you are also agreeing to the terms of Sponsor’s privacy policy.

13. RESTRICTIONS. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

The big day has finally arrived! If you haven’t already signed up, the God of War: Game Directors Live is hours away, and our Facebook Fan Page is filling up with respondents.

That said, be sure to show up early as seating is first come, first served, and there’s only a total of 150 seats available.

This will be your last reminder. Be sure to RSVP!

Date: September 1st, 2010 (aka, “today”)
Time: 4-7pm
Location: El Portal Theater (5269 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601)

You must be at least 18 years old or accompanied by a parent. ID will be checked!

Now… what’s a God of War event without prizes? Here’s a sneak peek at some of prizes we’ll be giving away at the event:

God of War: Ghost of Sparta Entertainment Pack on 11/2/10

Available at launch on November 2nd, this limited two-tone, black-and-red PSP Entertainment will be signed by all five game directors.

God of War Franchise Bundle

Receive the entire God of War franchise signed by each of the five game directors. Includes the God of War Collection (God of War, God of War II), God of War III, God of War: Chains of Olympus, and God of War: Ghost of Sparta (on 11/02/10).

And ONE God of War exclusive premium item to be announced and given out at the event! You’ll have to attend to find out what it is…

Additionally, all God of War Live attendees will walk away with a limited edition God of War OMEGA PSP strap and a voucher to download the God of War: Ghost of Sparta Demo!

Every End Must First Begin…