We’re excited to announce that Days of Play is back for 2021 to celebrate the passionate PlayStation community around the globe! Play Video We wanted to make this year’s event even more special and engaging for our gamers. That’s why this year’s Days of Play will feature various activities across a few weeks to celebrate the power of play and the vibrancy of our community by connecting gamers together. PlayStation Player Celebration* PlayStation Player Celebration is back! This special event calls on our player community to join together to achieve a shared set of goals and earn exclusive PSN avatars and PS4 themes in the process.** Registration starts today and will remain open until May 31. Stage One kicks off on May 18 –  here are steps to participate: Play Video 1. Sign Up Register with your PSN Sign-In ID here.  Once you sign up, you’re automatically entered into all future Stages of the program. The event is open to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 users in the following locations: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, UK, and the United States. 2. Start playing on May 18 There are three Stages throughout the event, with the first Stage kicking off on May 18. Each Stage will have the following Community Goals: Games Goal ●       Play PS4/PS5 games — the Community must play a target number of games each week. Every PS4/PS5 game that each entrant plays for at least an hour (across as many sessions as you’d like during the week) will count towards the Games Goal. You’ll earn double points towards the goal if you play games with users on your Friends List (who have also signed up to participate). Trophies Goal ●       Earn Trophies — the Community must earn a target number of Trophies each week. Each entrant can have a maximum of six PS4/PS5 Trophies count towards the Trophies Goal. Bonus Goal ●       If the first set of goals are reached before the end of each Stage, there will be a new set of Bonus Goals the Community can work towards. 3. Earn exclusive PSN Avatars and PS4 Themes Everyone who signs up before a Stage begins can earn exclusive PSN avatars as well as PS4 dynamic themes (with custom music and icons) when the Community achieves the Games and Trophies Goals for that Stage. If the Community also achieves the Stage’s Bonus goals, players who signed up prior to the start of that Stage will receive additional PSN avatars. Finally, if the Community Goals for all Stages are met (excluding the Bonus goals), players who signed up and participated in all three Stages will receive a cumulative prize featuring an exclusive PSN avatar and PS4 theme set! The rewards will be delivered directly to your PS4 or PS5 via Notifications approximately 1-2 days after each Stage ends. Please note that the PS4 themes will only be downloadable on PS4, and not PS5.   Check out the chart below to see the goals for each Stage. The goals reset at each Stage. Stage OneMay 18, 12:00am PDT – May 24, 11:59pm PDTMay 18, 8:00am BST – May 25, 7:59am BST Community Goal:2.4M Games played7.2M Trophies earned Bonus Goal:3.0M Games played8.8M Trophies earned Prize:An exclusive PS4 dynamic themeAn exclusive PSN avatar Bonus Prize:3 exclusive PSN avatars Stage TwoMay 25, 12:00am PDT – May 31, 11:59pm PDTMay 25, 8:00am BST – June 1, 7:59am BST Community Goal:2.9M Games played8.5M Trophies earnedBonus Goal:3.6M Games played10.4M Trophies earnedPrize:Five exclusive PSN avatarsBonus Prize:3 exclusive PSN avatars Stage ThreeJune 1, 12:00am PDT – June 7, 11:59pm PDTJune 1, 8:00am BST – June 8, 7:59am BST  Community Goal:3.0M Games played9.0M Trophies earnedBonus Goal:3.7M Games played11.0M Trophies earned Prize:An exclusive PS4 dynamic themeAn exclusive PSN avatarBonus Prize:3 exclusive PSN avatars Cumulative Prize: If all goals (excluding bonus goals) are reached, entrants who participated every week will receive an additional PSN avatar and PS4 dynamic theme. Click here to learn more about the PlayStation Player Celebration and track the latest progress on goals and see Official Rules here. Make sure to check back often to see how the Community is doing, when each goal has been met, and when the next Stage begins. Days of Play Celebration Sale A Days of Play sale will kick off later this month, and the sale will feature PS4 and PS5 software titles, other select products, and more. Products on offer and prices will vary by region. We’ll have more details to share soon, so stay tuned! Free Online Multiplayer Weekend If you haven’t tried the online multiplayer benefit for PlayStation Plus yet, later this month, we’re hosting a free online multiplayer weekend where you’ll be able to access the online multiplayer modes in PS4 and PS5 games that you own. (Online multiplayer game sold separately. Requires internet connection and PlayStation Network account.) Play Video Share of the Week In celebration of Days of Play, PlayStation Blog will also host a specially themed Share of the Week. The first theme will be announced on May 14, so make sure to keep an eye out for that. We hope you’ll enjoy this year’s Days of Play and we’re looking forward to playing together. Happy Gaming! *Sign-ups May 11 – May 31. Competition ends June 7. The PlayStation player community may earn rewards by contributing to and meeting the Community Goals set each week. If you play with PSN friends, your contribution counts twice towards Games Goal. PlayStation Plus membership not required to enter or earn rewards. See Official Rules: playstation.com/days-of-play-celebration-rules. Participants must be 18+. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. **Entrants who are PS5 users will not be able to download the dynamic PS4 themes.

Resident Evil Village has a ton of new monsters for Mr. Ethan Winters to face, but not all of them are totally original designs. At least according to Frankenstein's Army director Richard Raaphorst. Raaphorst took to LinkedIn and Twitter to draw similarities between his designs and those of some of the creatures in Resident Evil Village. The similarities are so striking, that even his fans began taking to social media in order to point out the seemingly carbon-copied takes on those that go bump in the night. For direct side-by-side shots, Twitter user @CloneKorp broke it down in the simplest way, showing side-by-side shots of Village monsters next to their Frankenstein's Army counterparts:  It's hard not to see the similarities and Raaphorst himself even retweeted the above thread with a reply, saying, "Oh dude, this is worse than I thought. First I felt angry, then proud, but now I see this, I feel sad."  When PC Gamer's Mollie Taylor spoke with the director, he told her that he wasn't sure if Capcom took the designs purposefully, but that the similarities across the various creatures was "too much of a coincidence" to ignore. He also added that he would have been "super flattered" if Capcom had reached out to him to inquire about design inspiration, but that the lack of credit (if it was intentional) turned the entire experience sour.  Some in the replies mention that this isn't proof of theft, that all horror entries draw inspiration from a similar place. While that is true, can that be said when there are so many obvious ties to the film material? Is this a giant coincidence or did Capcom get a little bit too tribute happy without consent? You decide.  So, dear reader, what do you think? Do you think some of the creature artists were a little too inspired by Frankenstein's Army or is it all just a misunderstanding? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below! Be sure to also check out our Resident Evil Village review here if you're interested in learning more about the latest Capcom adventure. 

Resident Evil Village is one of the biggest games of the year, and in many ways it doesn't disappoint, but it's not without its flaws either. Several Game Informer editors, including Dan Tack (@dantack), Blake Hester (@metallicaisrad), Liana Ruppert (@DirtyEffinHippy), Kimberley Wallace (@kstar1785), and Ben Reeves (@Benjaminreeves) all sit down to talk about those highs, lows, and all the surprising twists in-between. On this show, we're also joined by freelancer Suriel Vazquez (@SurielVazquez), who offers some valuable insights. We want to emphasize that we SPOIL everything about this game including the boss fights, Chris' role, and the post credit scene. If you haven't beat Resident Evil Village, we highly recommend you do that before you watch this video. Bookmark this page and come back when you're ready as we'd love to hear what everyone thought about the game! Also there are a number of uncensored curse words in this episode.  If you enjoyed the video and want more coverage of Resident Evil Village, be sure to check our spoiler-free tips, the written review, and the video review! Thanks for listening! Please make sure to leave feedback below and share the episode if you enjoyed it. You can watch the video above, subscribe and listen to the audio on iTunes or Google Play, listen on SoundCloud, stream it on Spotify, or download the MP3 at the bottom of the page. Also, be sure to send your questions to [email protected] for a chance to have them answered on the show!

3D audio has been one of PlayStation 5’s headline features ever since the console’s announce last year. Much like the system’s lightning-fast SSD and the DualSense wireless controller, the custom-built Tempest 3D audioTech was conceived to make your video game experience as immersive as possible in games that support it.   On PS5, gamers can experience 3D audio with the stereo headphones that many already own, either through a USB dongle, USB wired headset, or wired headphones connected into the DualSense wireless controller’s 3.5mm jack. But you can fine tune the experience further: navigate to the 3D audio section within the Sound menu of your PS5 settings and pick which one of the five 3D audio profiles that sounds best to you.  Play Video “We spent a long time deciding on the five audio profile settings for PS5,” explains Kenichi Imai, Deputy Head of the SIE Software Engineering Group, who helped build the Tempest engine. “Each person hears 3D audio differently, so these settings allow players to adjust sound to a level that’s closest to their ear level.” 3D audio has tantalizing applications for every genre. In the past few weeks, we’ve seen how it benefits action and horror with Returnal and Resident Evil Village. To learn more of how the tech is pushing the boundaries of immersion for those two titles, we went directly to the source: Housemarque and Capcom’s sound teams. Wataru Hachisako, Resident Evil Village’s Audio Director, believes 3D audio can bring something new to the iconic survival horror series. “It’s very important in the horror genre to apply fear to the player’s imagination through elements they cannot see,” he explains. “I want players to be able to enjoy the experience of encountering a new enemy, even before they’ve visually chanced upon it. I believe 3D audio has the specs to really amplify what we’re aiming for, not only before players get a chance to see an adversary, but also when coming directly in contact with it as well. The sounds that an adversary makes are more fleshed out and fill the space in a 3D environment, which helps to amplify the immersion a player may feel.” An extra level of cognizance that’ll only add to the tension as you are hunted by growling Lycans or stalked by Lady Dimitrescu and her daughters. That perception is equally crucial if you favour fight over flight. In Housemarque’s Returnal, you’re battling your way across a hostile alien planet. Atropos’ aggressive wildlife is diverse and weaponised. You’re always outnumbered and surrounded. In such dire circumstances, 3D audio is an important component to help you stay alive. “[It] gives you a real-time, total awareness of the battlefield,” explains Loic Couthier. Returnal’s Audio Lead outlines how the Tempest tech communicates essential info to the player. Be it dictating enemy positions (“it tells you what is above, below, behind you”) or where sounds are layered in the audio mix (“enemies you cannot see are given a higher priority than the ones you can”). One aspect of 3D audio is the ability to emphasize depth in a 3D space through noise. Returnal’s a great showcase for it, with every weapon discharge sounding distinct, based as it is on your position and the 3D space around you. Couthier details the technical science behind the wizardry. When you pull the R2 trigger on the DualSense controller, the game fires three dimensional sound rays from your weapon. When those rays hit an obstacle, be it a wall or other physical shape, a unique reflection sound is played back at you. As an example, blast off in a tunnel that opens up into a larger chamber, and you’ll hear that echo continue to cascade around that larger space. Those positional sounds are generated in real time, all in the split second it takes you to fire. It’s a lot of work, and all because of 3D audio. “It would not be worth the effort without it,” he concludes. Returnal’s audio mix smartly resequences that ‘ear-candy’ (as Couthier calls it), depending on the situation. In combat, they’re consigned to the background to allow you to focus ears (as well as eyes) on the immediate threat: the enemies that surround you. “Obviously, there is a visual UI that helps you figure out the direction from where an attack or enemy comes from. But 3D audio tells you the exact position to get to. It’s an instant, muscle memory action to turn and aim at the enemy. Without 3D audio you would have to navigate the camera until you see where the enemy is, you will probably get some damage due to the time spent searching. The tactical advantage is huge because you gain on reaction time and can plan a strategy according to your awareness of the battlefield.” He illustrates with a gameplay example. “Some of the most dangerous attacks can be melee from closest enemies. Even with those off screen, with 3D audio you can time and dodge their attacks in the right direction, while still shooting at another. Or decide to dodge and melee kill that close enemy before you resume your shooting. “This is all subconscious and intuitive. Sometimes you will notice 3D audio in some cool moments, but most of the time you use it without knowing. That is the real strength of it.” And it’s in the intertwining of 3D audio with other sensory inputs that helps elevate the entire gameplay experience on PS5. “By adding 3D audio to the presentation, greater detail and depth is added to the graphics, and players will also sense more minor differences in the depth and feel of all the different areas they encounter,” answers Hachisako when asked what 3D audio adds to Resident Evil’s horror vibes. “Whether it’s a cold winter breeze rattling a rooftop, the absence of sound that hides the presence of something hiding in the darkness, an adversary that jumps in front of the player, or the peaceful melody of the safe room, all of these elements are distinct and more profound with the addition of proper audio and music… 3D audio is really able to provide the player with a more impactful experience.”

It looks like a new Halo Infinite trailer is dropping very soon for those itching to see more Craig the Brute. Halo Infinite's Joseph Staten took to Twitter to share an update for his week, and it very much looks like he's teasing a new trailer for the ongoing Master Chief tale. 343 Industries recently stated that it would have more to share on Halo Infinite "soon," and it looks like "soon" could very well be this month. Even more so with Staten's follow-up tweet, which you can see below:  Care to guess what the final count will be? — Joseph Staten (@joestaten) May 8, 2021 The "117" is obviously a reference to John 117, also known as Master Chief. Sneaky, sneaky Staten!  I'm personally excited to see more gameplay. When the studio behind Halo Infinite first shared gameplay, the reactions to the inside look were mixed. Some thought it was a lackluster show of the "power" of next-gen technology with the Xbox Series X. In contrast, others were excited that it looked like an authentic Halo experience. For me, I definitely fell in the second camp. While I certainly understand the criticisms, all I got from that gameplay demonstration was heavy Halo Reach vibes, which made me so happy. Every part of what was shown looked artistically like Halo and authentic in its stylization. The reveal had me excited for the next step, though the community was very much divided. That being said, the decision to delay came shortly after the criticism, and the team is hard at work at making Infinite the Halo experience fans are craving. To see the hard work 343 has put in following the previous reveal is going to be interesting.  We don't have an estimated release date at this time, though an actor allegedly tied to Halo Infinite did seemingly confirm that the next step for this story would be arriving this November. Thoughts on what you hope to see from the upcoming trailer? What are you looking forward to the most about the upcoming continuation of Master Chief's story? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below! You can also catch up on what else is new with our dedicated Halo Infinite hub here.