We’re excited to announce that the PS4’s 3.0 updated system software has been rolled out in Australia and is now currently available on all PlayStation 4 consoles.

There are a lot of changes in this update, from entirely new features to UI enhancements. This new update is focused on creating new ways to connect with friends and players around the world, expanding the social capabilities of the system even further.

Please see below for an overview of the top new additions:

Events: A new Events app has been added to PS4, which is accessible from the home screen. This provides an overview of activities taking place in the games most played, as well as official broadcasts. For example, this week there is a double XP racing event in Driveclub and a Team of the Week Event in FIFA 16, for which players can register directly from the Events app. Once registered, utilise the auto-boot functionality to set the PS4 to automatically turn on and launch the game and Event at the Event start time. Stay tuned for new gaming events and broadcasts.

Communities: PS4 users will have the ability to create and join communities based around shared interests, such as games, genres, and more. Communities include a message board with general discussion, screenshots shared by players, and the ability to join parties/games. The Communities for owned games can be found on its live detail page, as well as from friends that have joined in the Friends app.

PlayStation Plus: This is a new dedicated section to all things PlayStation Plus, which can be accessed from the PS4 home screen. It allows players to easily manage memberships, see the monthly free games to download and deals for PS Plus members, and all the games redeemed through PS Plus on PS4. In addition, online storage on PS4 for members has increased to 10GB. 

Sharing video clips to Twitter: Video clips can now be shared directly from the PS4 to Twitter. All video clips are maximum 10 seconds — to trim longer clips, double tap the SHARE button to start recording a video, and press it again to stop. 

YouTube live: Livestream directly from the PS4 to YouTube. All livestreams will be made viewable across YouTube. 

Request to Share Play and Broadcast: Been dying to try out a friend’s new game? Now players can Request to start a Share Play session or watch friends play via a Broadcast.  

Live from PlayStation: Keep up with the hottest gaming trends by viewing the most popular broadcasts, video clips, and screenshots uploaded from around the world. 

PNG Screenshots: For high quality game screenshots, images can now be saved in PNG instead of JPEG. To access this feature, press Share > Share Settings > Screenshot Settings > Image Format.  

Favourite Groups: Favourite Groups is a new addition to the Friends app, making it easier for players to access groups of people they play with frequently. Already available are groups for Call of Duty, Rocket League, and (of course) Destiny fireteam. Once players are in the favourite group, they can see the online status for players, the games they’re playing, and the option to message or chat in party. 

Stickers: From the PS4 system’s Messages app, there is a new option for Stickers. The 3.00 update will contain stickers themed around Uncharted 4, Knack, Little Big Planet3, Resogun, and more.

We hope you enjoy the new PS4 3.0 software system update.

Curve Digital announces Peter Moorhead’s ‘Murder’ – a cyberpunk short story adventure for PC and mobile

Peter Moorhead’s new point and click narrative-heavy adventure title will be heading to Steam, Humble, iOS and Android on October 21st.

London, Wednesday 30th September 2015

Developed by Peter Moorhead and published by Curve Digital, Murder is a short story told in the form of a classic point and click adventure, creating an experience that prides itself on environmental storytelling and confident, cinematic flair. Heavily inspired by the works of Masamune Shirow, Katsuhiro Otomo, Neal Stephenson, and other cyberpunk greats, Murder aims to be a fresh, but familiar take on the setting.

Over its memorable twenty to thirty minute playtime, murder takes players on a journey through a near-future Tokyo, following the actions of Lieutenant Motomeru Minori of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police on an unusual and dangerous case, in a story that explores the intersection of morality and sentience in a future where both have become commodities.

Designer and lead developer of Murder, Peter Moorhead said: “Murder aims to deconstruct the fundamentals of the point-and-click genre, creating a style somewhere in-between the classic form and a more minimal, story-focused and streamlined one.  It’s a different experience, but one that really suits the story that we wanted to tell.” ”Where Stranded scattered its message throughout the world’s canyons and caves, Murder stashes its message behind a firewall of noise and information; it’s designed and written to reward attentive and thoughtful play.”

The world of Murder is brought to life through beautifully constructed and highly detailed pixel-art drawn by Lucas “Midio” Carvalho and Glauber Kotaki, full voice-acting, a dynamic noise-hop soundtrack by KubrixXx, and sound design from “Steven Universe” composer Surasshu. The game is playable with a traditional mouse and keyboard setup, or through Big Picture mode using a controller.

Murder will be available for PC, Mac and Linux for £1.99 / $2.99 / €2.99 on October 21^st, with a 10% launch discount. Mobile versions of the game for iOS and Android will be available in November. Press can request review codes from Curve Digitals Do Distribute which will begin to be sent out from October 6^th onwards, and more screenshots and assets are available on the games press kit, here.

More information can be found on the Murder website here: http://petermoorhead.com/murder/

SUPER MARIO MAKER FOR Wii U HAS SOLD 1 MILLION UNITS AROUND THE WORLD

Fan Created Levels Have Been Played a Whopping 75 Million Times by Fellow Mario Fans around the World 

September 30, 2015 – With over 310 million units sold worldwide in the Super Mario franchise, it is clear to see that for the last 30 years, Super Mario fans have proven to be some of the most passionate, loyal and dedicated video game fans in the world.  Since Super Mario Maker  for Wii U launched on September 12*, it is clear to see that dedication continues, as today it was revealed that more than one million units** have been sold around the world so far, making Super Mario Maker the 32^nd game in the Super Mario franchise to sell at least one million units globally.

With Super Mario Maker, Nintendo has a new way to measure fan engagement: level creation, and the  addition of one million new “fan” developers has led to the creation of more than 2.2 million Mario courses, which combined have been played nearly 75 million times.

Using the touch screen of the Wii U GamePad controller, Super Mario Maker players can create levels in four different Super Mario game styles. The game offers dozens of enemies, items and power-ups, and lets people design everything from the terrain to where to place Warp Pipes. Completed levels can then be uploaded and enjoyed by other players around the world. Some seem simple, some offer fun challenges and some prove maddeningly difficult – it all depends on the designer. But everyone can find courses to enjoy and may find some courses to provide insightful inspiration for their own new creations.
For more information on Super Mario Maker, please visit the game’s website. 

Note to Editors:
* Super Mario Maker launched on Sept. 10 in Japan; on Sept. 11 in Europe and the Americas; and on Sept. 12 in Australia and New Zealand
** Based on Nintendo’s internal sales figures. Includes standalone physical, bundled physical and digital units.

Additional Links:
Nintendo Australia website: http://www.nintendo.com.au 
Nintendo Australia Twitter: https://twitter.com/NintendoAUNZ
Nintendo Australia Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NintendoAUNZ
Nintendo AU on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/nintendoau
Super Mario 30^th Anniversary website: http://gamesites.nintendo.com.au/super-mario-30th/