The PlayStation Recap – EVO 2012 Edition

This weekend marks one of my favorite times of the year: The EVO Championship Series set in sun-drenched Las Vegas! It represents a chance for the greatest international fighting game competitors to gather and settle their differences, but it’s also rapidly evolving into a showcase of the future of fighting games. This year, Namco Bandai Games, Capcom, NetherRealm Studios, Atlus, and our good friends at SuperBot Entertainment have gathered to give the tens of thousands of attendees some hands-on play with the next wave of fighters: Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Persona 4 Arena, and of course PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale“>PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale are all here and playable, months ahead of their releases.

Of course, the world finals remain EVO’s biggest draw — luckily, you can watch the action live right here. Who are you rooting for?

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale handily dominated the headlines this week with its announcement of an October 23rd release date for PS3 and PS Vita, the reveal of new characters Heihachi and Toro, confirmation of hands-on play at EVO, and word of exclusive alternate costumes for those who pre-order. In other news this week, the LittleBigPlanet Karting beta was confirmed to launch on July 10th, Sony Santa Monica Studio gave us an inside look at God of War: Ascension’s multiplayer behemoth Polyphemus, the creators of the ultra-addictive PSN gem The Pinball Arcade revealed August launch plans for four new DLC tables, SOE launched a half-off sale on all items in the DC Universe Online PS3 marketplace, and a new Pulse that details upcoming PSN releases Rainbow Moon and Zen Pinball 2. Not a bad week, all in all!

What are you playing this weekend?

I’m playing: Tekken Tag Tournament 2, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale and The Pinball Arcade on PS Vita

I’m watching: Sherlock: Season One on Netflix Streaming, EVO 2012 World Finals, this

I’m reading: Paleontologists now say all dinosaurs probably had feathers, A Short History of Gay and Lesbian Superheroes

I’m listening to: PlayStation Blogcast 032: Tomb Raider and the Art of the Reboot

Most-Watched Video of the Week: Transformers: Fall of Cybetron Megaplex Trailer

The 10 Most-Viewed Posts of the Week

New Games Coming to PlayStation Plus Instant Game Collection — Gotham City Impostors, Renegade Ops, Pac-Man Championship Edition DX, a ton of new discounts and more.

Today: 50% Off Atlus Games in the “HOJAEFJAAM” PSN Sale — Atlus has a winner! This deep discount for PSN users garned a ton of eyeballs this week.

Pre-Order Bonuses and Release Date for PlayStation All-Stars — Mark your calendars for October 23rd! Check out some of the pre-order-exclusive alternate character costumes here.

A Message from Sony Santa Monica Studio’s Newest Employee — Seth Killian sheds a bit more light on his new role as lead game designer at Santa Monica Studios.

Meet Metroplex: Exclusive New Trailer for Transformers: Fall of Cybertron — This walking city figures prominently in High Moon Studios’ upcoming action epic.

PlayStation Comic-Con 2012 Panels Detailed — PlayStation is all over San Diego Comic-Con, with panels for Beyond, The Last of Us, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, and The Unfinished Swan.

EVO: Go Hands-On With PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale — Are you at EVO? Then come on down and go hands-on with Heihachi, Toro, Parappa, Drake and the rest of the gang.

PlayStation All-Stars EVO Reveal: Heihachi and Toro — The first character reveal of many for PlayStation’s upcoming PS3 and Vita fighter. Watch first video here!

Celebrate Independence Day in PlayStation Home — Lockwood Fireworks, $15k in prizes for The Midway Ca$h Carnival, new X7 exclusives and more.

Kratos Conquers PlayStation: The Official Magazine’s August Issue — Hot cover artwork for this month’s PTOM. Check out the high-res image here!