Hey there Baseball fans,

In this post I’ll be describing the details of the all-new and revamped Online Season League system for MLB 10: The Show. Forget what you knew about SportsConnect leagues last year, and please continue reading…

Our goal coming into this year was to give online users the same season experience online as they’ve come to expect in the offline season mode. However, there are still the Online League specific features, like creating a Draft or Non-Draft league. The draft still allows for 6-30 teams, with some audio queues for “your turn” and “countdown.” A few new Create League settings: Custom Sliders, Presentation Mode, Umpire Balls and Strikes, Ejections, Home Run Celebration.

We are again providing you with all online user stats and leaderboards, but the huge change this year is the addition of all player stats for your full 40-man roster. You will get access to the full “Around the League” screens, including Playoff Brackets, Standings, Statistics, Team Rankings, League Leaders and Awards. Just to relay the amount of data available in Online Leagues, we are potentially talking about 30 teams, with 40 players, each with 70+ stats!

Beyond stats, we are including the pieces, essential to effectively managing a team during a season: Team Management. Under Team Management you can set your lineup, defensive positioning, pitching rotation and more. One of the keys to making a season mode realistic is the concept of Energy and managing your team with energy considered. This year, you won’t be able to use your ace for every game, over and over. If you overuse your players, your attributes will take a hit, and you run the risk of injury. This is a great segue to our next set of additions…

Injuries, disabled list, trades and free agents are all now a part of Online Season Leagues. Unfortunately, injuries are a part of the game. Just like in the big leagues, you’ll have to deal with injuries. Luckily there is the addition of the free agent pool and a 40-man roster to help you manage. You can now perform trades online. Trades can be 1 for 1, 2 for 1, 3 for 1, etc. There is a league voting system, so don’t think you’re going to get away with trading a scrub for an ace.

Now this is still an online league, so there are league management tools available that you wouldn’t need in an offline league. First, you can drop a user from your league. New to this year, you can also replace that user with another from the Invite Player screen. This is something that really helps a commissioner keep quality players in a league and ultimately the league progressing nicely. Another league management change is that any user, commissioner or league member can abandon or quite a league at anytime. This used to only be available while a league was in the forming stage. Now, you can quite while in season.

There are a few new additions and changes I wanted to rattle off:

• Additional Commissioner Slot (6 total leagues now)
• NEW Auto-resolve feature. Set to On/Off when creating a league and helps keep leagues progressing
• Ability to Drop and Replace players within an In-progress league
• Apply a Custom Slider to a league
• League Invitation system upgrade
• New My Complete Leagues list, showing a summary of all completed leagues, the winner and playoff participants
• New League Round-up and League History tabs in Gamer Card
• More emails and communication on league changes
• Players Needing Leagues upgrade. Commissioner can now send invites directly from that screen
• Additional information about users for a commissioner resolving a game
• Quit a league at any time (commissioner or league member). No more being held hostage

We look forward to seeing a ton of leagues created and played to completion.

We’re just two weeks out from the launch of SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3 for PSP and we’ve got some big things to share with you. Today, IGN ran the first review and exclusive first look at the launch trailer for SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3. You can check it out here.

We’re also happy to announce that a SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 demo will be available Thursday, February 11 for download on the PlayStation Store. Get a taste of the enhanced single-player gameplay, or assemble your own four-player fireteam in the new co-op via Ad-Hoc with a playable campaign mission from the game. The multiplayer trailer is also included to give you a look at the full multiplayer and infrastructure co-op features for SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3.

Don’t forget to pre-order your copy of the game today to secure two exclusive new multiplayer units: the British SAS with the AS-50 BMG sniper/anti-material rifle and the German KSK with the F2000 assault rifle. You can pre-order your copy of the game at Best Buy, GameCrazy, GameStop, Amazon.com and other participating retailers. Fans who purchase the game from the PlayStation Network within the first 30 days of launch will receive the pre-order Special Forces.

You’d think this day couldn’t come soon enough, and here it is! Today, White Knight Chronicles is officially shipping in the US and we’d like to mark this occasion with a brand new launch trailer:

We’d also like to update you on a few things White Knight Chronicles as you begin your brand new adventures!

1. Many of you have had questions about clarifying micro-transactions in White Knight Chronicles. The Georama will have parts that you can create and parts that you can choose to purchase using micro-transactions to further enhance your space. These are by no means mandatory purchases, as there is PLENTY for you to work with in the game itself, but an option for those of you looking to take your Georama spaces even further.
2. For those of you who are going to be investing significant time in your characters, there will be an option to remake them without having to start the game over by purchasing a special key through the PlayStation Store for only $4.99. This will allow you to redesign your avatar at any point and keep all that hard work you’ve put in intact. This feature will go live this Thursday on the PlayStation Store.

And that’s about it! We hope to see you online and are looking forward to seeing what you put together in the Georama!

We haven’t covered Tecmo’s Fret Nice on the PlayStation.Blog, and here we are…two days away from launch. So we’re trying something a little different here. Fret Nice is coming to PSN/PS3 this Thursday, so Producer Ray Murakawa and Creator/Designer Mårten Brüggemann provided a back-and-forth interview with all the details you’ll need when it hits later in the week. Hope you like it!

Ray Murakawa (Fret Nice Producer, Tecmo) – Everyone’s going crazy here for the release of Fret Nice. It’s been a treacherous road up to this release date, but everything came together better than expected wouldn’t you say?

Mårten Brüggemann (Creator/Designer of Fret Nice, Pieces Interactive) – Rock On!

RM- To commemorate the band’s new release and to get a bit into the Fret Nice spirit, we’re gonna rock these paper Fret Nice face masks for this interview, cool?

MB- What?

RM- OK, you get the Hairbänger one and I’m sporting the Maja one. I’m usually the only one around the office wearing this thing so just roll with me on this one. And NO you don’t have a choice. Marvelous. Since we’re now in true character let’s start this blog off with a little background on Fret Nice. A lot of groupies wonder “Music game or not?” Well, Fret Nice is musically endowed, but it’s an action platformer with a cool new mechanic that’s played with a guitar controller or any regular controller. And no- this is NOT a rhythm game! So how did this twisted idea come to be?

MB- The game actually started as a degree thesis project and as that aimed at looking into the concept of adding an unorthodox game controller into an ordinary game genre such as the 2D platformer to see what benefits could be drawn from the new way of controlling the game. Although the game has since evolved to being not so much about the academic side of things, the guitar controller and what it can be used for in its new context has always been the essence of Fret Nice’s design.

MB- You having trouble breathing in this thing?

RM- NO. We’re rolling bro. The game definitely keeps its retro roots, but playing with the guitar controller really takes it somewhere new. It takes patience at first, but once it seeps in, you begin to notice the advantages of being able to pull off quick riffs.

MB- One important point while designing the game around the guitar controller was to never lose the feeling of actually using a guitar for controlling the game and that it, in this case, would be the ideal choice of controller. We in fact wanted the game to be played like a rock song, and from that the attack system of the game, The Riff Combos, are derived.

RM- Riff combos get really intense on some areas of the game. There are some instances in the game where I need that quick strum to rock my way out of a danger zone- You sadistic designer you!

MB- The Riff Combos focus on a part of music playing that is usually non-existent in existing music games. The games that are normally played with the guitar controller or dance mat games have their focus on rhythm based interaction. In Fret Nice we wanted to add the improvisation part of music, and the Riff Combos combined were a perfect way to explore this.

RM- Good point. Fret Nice is not a traditional music game because your success isn’t rhythmically tied to the music, but how well you freak the combination of notes to attack enemies. How about those of us who were born on the wrong end of the musical gene pool?

MB- Fret not, no need for any musical experience as the magic Riff Combos will always play in tonality with the background tracks. The Riff Combos will always blend into the rest of the soundtrack.

RM- That’s fantastic! No musical “skillz” required! Not that I lack in this department… The game still feels good with the regular controller. It’s a slightly different game from that perspective as well.

MB- It’s getting kinda itchy behind this mask man.

RM- I feel nothing. Let’s get back to the game Mårten.

MB- With the console version of Fret Nice one goal was to make the game playable with a normal gamepad as well, to include players that don’t own guitar controllers, or just to make it easier for players to gather enough controllers to play cooperatively with a friend. When playing the game with a gamepad the player also expects the controls of a platformer to behave a specific way, and this also led to some tweaks in how the game was played with a guitar. Both controller types have their advantages over the other, the guitar being tailored for the music-based Riff Combos and the conventional gamepad stemming from the conventions of the platformer, but none of them should totally outdo the other.

RM- We should also mention that not all Guitar Controllers are built the same. You can change the sensitivity of the tilt motion in the game to compensate for some controller mechanics, but if you have a GH Guitar Controller- pull that one out at the top of my list.

RM- So explain to me the style of these crazy masks we’re wearing. What compels a man to think hipsters chasing furballs would turn out to be a cool game?

MB- The art style of Fret Nice is a greatly stylized version of the real world with a touch of crazy randomness. The presentation of the world and its inhabitants is inspired by traditional cutout animation made out of paper. Fret Nice mixes 2D and 3D in an unconventional way to create a fresh look. Colors are the strongest tool to express the mood in the world and it’s creatures are simplified but very characteristic.

RM- I think that wraps it up for this installment wouldn’t you say? The game is available on PlayStation Network on Feb 4th! Plug in and rock out!!! I can’t tell you how many compliments I get on these masks! The different gear, instruments, hairdos, you know I’ve been growing out a mustache hoping it’ll boost my Fret Nice skillz!

MB- OK, I’m done with this mask thing…

White Knight. From the critically acclaimed RPG developer of the Dark Cloud series and Rogue Galaxy, Level-5 once again delivers an unparalleled role-playing game experience with the introduction of the first true Role-Playing Game (RPG) experience on the PS3 system. With its highly anticipated North American release, White Knight Chronicles provides RPG fans with visually stunning backdrops, a unique battle system, and robust online gameplay rooted in an unforgettable adventure.

Release Date:Tue, 02 Feb 2010

Become part of Star Trek: The Star Trek universe will appear for the first time in a massively multiplayer online game. Everything from the elegant domes of Starfleet Academy to the ancient temples of Vulcan, from the towers of Qo’noS to the Fire Caves of Bajor, from the mysterious Mutara Nebula to the unexplored voids of deep space, all will be represented in stunning 3-D graphics. Immerse yourself in the future of the Trek universe as it moves into the 25th century: a time of shifting alliances and new discoveries.

• Adventure in the Final Frontier: Explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civilizations in an expanding vast universe. Make contact with alien races, discover resources and uncover mysteries that will change the future of the Star Trek universe.
• You Are the Captain: Command your own starship as a Federation Captain or a Klingon Warrior. Outfit it with the systems that you need to make your mark in the galaxy. Customize your ship as you see fit. Recruit, train and mold your crew into an elite force for exploration and combat.
• Surface, Shipboard and Deep Space Adventures: Command your vessel in thrilling space battles, or beam down to planets with your away team for face-to-face confrontations. Missions will take you and your friends into space, planetside and even inside starships!

The Star Trek Online Collector's Edition comes with:

• Limited Edition Collectible Box
• Exclusive Art Book
• Buddy Passes (Allows your friends free trial play)
• Exclusive Die Cast Starfleet Comm badge (pin)

Release Date:Tue, 02 Feb 2010

Become part of Star Trek: The Star Trek universe will appear for the first time in a massively multiplayer online game. Everything from the elegant domes of Starfleet Academy to the ancient temples of Vulcan, from the towers of Qo’noS to the Fire Caves of Bajor, from the mysterious Mutara Nebula to the unexplored voids of deep space, all will be represented in stunning 3-D graphics. Immerse yourself in the future of the Trek universe as it moves into the 25th century: a time of shifting alliances and new discoveries.

• Adventure in the Final Frontier: Explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civilizations in an expanding vast universe. Make contact with alien races, discover resources and uncover mysteries that will change the future of the Star Trek universe.
• You Are the Captain: Command your own starship as a Federation Captain or a Klingon Warrior. Outfit it with the systems that you need to make your mark in the galaxy. Customize your ship as you see fit. Recruit, train and mold your crew into an elite force for exploration and combat.
• Surface, Shipboard and Deep Space Adventures: Command your vessel in thrilling space battles, or beam down to planets with your away team for face-to-face confrontations. Missions will take you and your friends into space, planetside and even inside starships!

Release Date:Tue, 02 Feb 2010

Enter the dark and savage lands of the Asharin Empire as you battle to avenge the atrocities the Empire brought upon your tribesmen. On your challenging quest you will fight fierce beasts and battle hardened warriors with a new puzzle combat mechanics that will test your skills. This new puzzle combat system is based on real time action so players will have to think fast and posses sound strategies to best their opponents.

As you progress through the adventure you will level up your character through a diverse skill tree full of magical and physical attacks. Players can collect a wide variety of weapons and armor by winning them in combat and purchasing them at vendors. Players can also venture into the depths of the many dungeons to search for rare and powerful items. Expanding on the already high replay value of the main storyline, players can challenge your friends to duels, level up your character in Quick Battles, or play Mini-Games to unlock new spells, items, or potions.

• Puzzle Combat RPG—An active puzzle combat mechanic blends the fun and skill of puzzle games with the strategy and adventure of RPGs for a truly epic gaming experience.
• Dungeon Exploring—Seek out hidden treasures and equipment that only true Heroes should have by battling your way through dungeons throughout the Asharin Empire.
• Versus Mode Battles—Challenge your friends locally or online to a puzzle battle to see who will reign supreme as the ultimate champion of the Asharin Empire.
• 5 Mini-Games—Test your puzzle skills in 5 mini-games that will unlock items and provide even more enhanced abilities.
• Persistent Hero—No matter what mode you are playing in, Single Player, Versus, Quick Battle, or Mini-Games, your Hero will acquire skills and experience, unleashing new ways to experience the game.
• Loot and Battle Skills—Customize your Hero’s puzzle combat style by using mighty weapons, enchanted armor, special battle skills, and more.

Release Date:Tue, 02 Feb 2010

Enter the dark and savage lands of the Asharin Empire as you battle to avenge the atrocities the Empire brought upon your tribesmen. On your challenging quest you will fight fierce beasts and battle hardened warriors with a new puzzle combat mechanics that will test your skills. This new puzzle combat system is based on real time action so players will have to think fast and posses sound strategies to best their opponents.

As you progress through the adventure you will level up your character through a diverse skill tree full of magical and physical attacks. Players can collect a wide variety of weapons and armor by winning them in combat and purchasing them at vendors. Players can also venture into the depths of the many dungeons to search for rare and powerful items. Expanding on the already high replay value of the main storyline, players can challenge your friends to duels, level up your character in Quick Battles, or play Mini-Games to unlock new spells, items, or potions.

• Puzzle Combat RPG—An active puzzle combat mechanic blends the fun and skill of puzzle games with the strategy and adventure of RPGs for a truly epic gaming experience.
• Dungeon Exploring—Seek out hidden treasures and equipment that only true Heroes should have by battling your way through dungeons throughout the Asharin Empire.
• Versus Mode Battles—Challenge your friends locally or online to a puzzle battle to see who will reign supreme as the ultimate champion of the Asharin Empire.
• 5 Mini-Games—Test your puzzle skills in 5 mini-games that will unlock items and provide even more enhanced abilities.
• Persistent Hero—No matter what mode you are playing in, Single Player, Versus, Quick Battle, or Mini-Games, your Hero will acquire skills and experience, unleashing new ways to experience the game.
• Loot and Battle Skills—Customize your Hero’s puzzle combat style by using mighty weapons, enchanted armor, special battle skills, and more.

Release Date:Tue, 02 Feb 2010

Uncover the latest news scoops as a journalist in Imagine Reporter! Build your career from a local newspaper reporter all the way to hosting your very own national TV show! Develop exciting news stories, track information in the field, and take photos. Interview movie stars, athletes and more, then report breaking news stories to your audience! This is a simulation game in which players assume the role of an aspiring journalist as she works her way from local reporter to the host of a TV news show. Players engage in mini-games such as taking notes, filming news segments, investigating photos, and interviewing people. Use the DSi camera to capture photos of celebs as though they were right next to you!

Release Date:Tue, 02 Feb 2010