This week marks a truly monumental point in the history of PlayStation Home, as one of the world’s biggest sporting events receives a dedicated space. PlayStation Home’s FevaArena – a virtual stadium devoted to the 2010 FIFA World Cup – will serve as the rallying point for soccer (err…futbol!) fans that want to play exclusive games, collect rewards and limited items, and indulge in their affinity for the most widely-viewed sporting event in the world. Start at the FevaShoot mini-game, where you can hone your penalty kick skills and earn points that can be cashed in for special rewards. Then head over to the FevaSimulation Center, and track the simulated progress of your favorite teams throughout the World Cup (and cash in some of those points for exclusive furniture and clothing rewards). Afterwards, you and your friends can hop into the Photo Booth or shop for exclusive virtual items (such as your favorite team’s jersey) from the FEVA Arena’s unique Mall area – all from the comfort of your console.

The FevaArena’s doors will open this Thursday, June 3rd for North American soccer fanatics, but a “Global Lounge” will be introduced on Thursday, June 10th, allowing over 14 million users from 32 countries around the globe to converge in one space to play games together and attend special events. PlayStation Home historians will recognize the FevaArena’s Global Lounge as another first in the platform’s ongoing evolution, informed directly by community feedback gathered from users across all regions of PlayStation Home.

BioShock 2 fans will have yet another reason to log in to PlayStation Home come this Thursday, when 2K Games releases their BioShock 2 Rapture Apartment. This visually dazzling personal space transports its inhabitants to the dystopian city of Rapture, in all its waterlogged, creepy glory. And, in true BioShock 2 fashion, it has plenty of Easter Eggs that only the most ravenous players will unearth (hint: try to figure out how to get to the second floor!) We’ve grabbed a few screenshots to whet your appetite, but trust me when I say these preview shots do not do this space justice. Pick one up later this week (or ask a friend for a tour), because you absolutely have to see this space up close for the full experience.

Anime fans will be treated to a full episode of Kekkaishi for one week, starting this Thursday. Watch the first episode for free in the PlayStation Home Theater, and then download it from the PlayStation Network by going to the PlayStation Store > TV Shows > Anime > Viz Media. Follow the journey of the legitimate heirs of the Hazama clan, Yoshimori Sumimura and Tokine Yukimura, carry out their family tradition of the Kekkaishi and set out to exterminate the Ayakashi demons that appear within the Karasumori site. And while you are in the Theater, be sure to check out the Killzone 3 video, courtesy of our friends here at the PlayStation.Blog.

From our daily Featured Game parties (we’ll be playing everything from LittleBigPlanet to multiplayer DLC from Dante’s Inferno this week – check out the posters in the Gamer’s Lounge or www.us.playstation.com/PSN/Home for more details) to our ongoing Top Avatar competition (this week is “Horror Week” – scary, eh? – check out the thread here), we have a new event waiting for you every day of this week (and every day that follows). If you haven’t been to one of our community events lately, we highly recommend that you log in this week and reacquaint yourself with the large and diverse group of gamers that make up the PlayStation Home community. You’ll quickly find that there is something for every PS3 fanatic going on at all hours of the day and night.

I also want to give all you guys and gals a quick reminder that PlayStation Home v1.36 is now live (we deployed this patch early Tuesday morning instead of during our regular Thursday content/maintenance windows, so it bears repeating). If you’ve not yet installed this patch, we recommend that you log in and download it today, as it will result in a more optimized in-world experience (specifically, you should notice that the loading times have been reduced even more). Helpful hint: If you notice that the yellow HDD activity light on your PS3 is flashing when you are greeted with the 1.36 patch notification, please wait for it to stop and then press X to start the installation process (Note: If you press any buttons while the yellow HDD activity light is flashing you will automatically restart your PS3, which is not necessary to apply this patch.)

See you in Home!

You asked for it, so we’re serving it up to you on a silver platter! Less than one month after the launch of the mega-popular ModNation Racers event in our Media and Events space, the just-released kart racer that has officially taken the genre to the next level with its near-infinite amount of highly customizable tracks, karts, and characters is getting a dedicated space in PlayStation Home. From the light and “sticky” (no pun intended) fun of the Sticker Wall to the maddeningly addictive built-in kart mini-game, the brand new ModNation Racers space lives up to the eponymously named game’s “Play. Create. Share” mantra. And this Thursday, May 27th, the doors will open for all to explore, experience, and enjoy. Check out this video for a quick look at what to expect when this space goes live tomorrow morning.

On that note, we’d like to take a moment to call your attention to a special ModNation Racers event we will be hosting in PlayStation Home starting this Thursday, May 27 (deadline for entries is June 10). An opportunity for you to show the PlayStation Home community your mastery of mid-race maneuvers, the ModNation Racers “Snap a Trick” contest will award the winner with fame and fans beyond their wildest dreams (or maybe not – but it’s a sure-fire way to show the world just how much of a daredevil you are).

To participate, all you must do is load and start ModNation Racers and then enter into one of the following Game types via the Radial Menu or their respective Circle of Influences: Career, Split-screen, Quick Race or Time Trial (Photo Mode is not available online). During a Race, perform the craziest trick you can imagine, and then press the Start button to pause the game while performing said trick. Then, select Photo Mode from the Radial Menu, adjusting the camera positioning with the Left and Right Thumb Sticks until you have the optimal shot. Simply press L1 to take a picture, which will then be saved to the “Photo” section of your PS3. Then, submit your photo by emailing HomeContests@playstation.sony.com, with “MNR” as the subject line of the e-mail, and in the body, include your PSN ID. The winner will have their shot placed in the PlayStation Home ModNation Racers. How cool is that? The complete rules for this contest have been attached at the end of this post for your convenience, so make sure to give them a read before you enter.

My buddy Magnus Keynes — he, the wheeler and dealer of PlayStation Home, responsible for striking the deals that have lead to so many of the cool virtual items and spaces that you all enjoy on a daily basis — is getting the “sale bug” again (he does this pretty regularly, if you haven’t noticed). This week, he’s not only hosting the “Beach Week” segment of the PlayStation Home Top Avatar competition (you can find out all about it here) but is also giving away the Wizard’s Den personal space to those of you that choose to buy one of the following personal spaces: Summer House, City Penthouse, Lakeside Log Cabin, Paris Clock Tower, and Luxury Racing Box. It’s a pretty sweet deal, so head to the Estates store in the PlayStation Home Mall come this Thursday to take advantage of this limited-time offer.

See you in Home!

OFFICIAL RULES

ModNation Racers Snap a Trick Contest

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void outside the 50 United States and D.C. and where prohibited. The following promotion is intended for viewing in the 50 United States and D.C. only and shall only be construed and evaluated according to United States law. Do not proceed in this site if you are not a legal resident of, and located in, the 50 United States or D.C. and are at least 13 years of age at the time of entry. To enter, you must have a PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, a copy of ModNation Racers, a valid PlayStation Network account, internet access, and a valid registered PlayStation Network e-mail address.

1. ELIGIBILITY: Open to legal U.S. residents only aged 13 or older. Prize winners or prize winners’ parent or guardian (if the winner is under the age of 18) may be required to sign a notarized Affidavit of Eligibility and Release of Liability within fourteen (14) days of prize notification. By acceptance of prize, winners agree to the use of their name and/or likenesses for purposes of advertising, trade, or promotion without further compensation, unless prohibited by law. Return of any prize/prize notification as undeliverable or failure to return the affidavit within the designated time frame will result in disqualification and an alternate winner will be selected.

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

3. TIMING: ModNation Racers Snap a Trick Contest (“Promotion”) begins May 27, 2010 at 12:00pm PST and ends June 10, 2010 at 11:59pm PST (“Promotion Period”).

4. HOW TO ENTER: Load and start your ModNations Racers game. Follow these steps to take a picture of your Kart trick:

1. Enter into one of the following Game types via the Radial Menu or their respective Circle of Influences; Career, Split-screen, Quick Race or Time Trial. (Photo Mode is not available Online)
2. During Race, press the Start button to pause the game while performing the desired trick.
3. Select Photo Mode from the Radial Menu.
4. Adjust the Camera positioning with the Left and Right Thumb Sticks until at desired position. (The Left Stick controls the Zoom and the Right Stick rotates the camera.)
5. Press L1 to take the picture.
6. The picture will now be saved to the “Photo” section of your Playstation 3 system. You view the picture by selecting the image while in the XMB. (Image cannot be viewed while playing the game. However, a thumbnail of the image can be seen while playing if you bring up the In-Game XMB and selects the appropriate album).

Submit a photo of your Kart trick (“Entry”) by e-mailing HomeContests@playstation.sony.com, with “MNR” as the subject line of the e-mail, and in the body, include your PSN ID.

5. ENTRY CONDITIONS: All Entries must be received by June 10, 2010. Limit one Entry per person and valid e-mail address during the Promotion Period. Subsequent Entries will be disqualified.

6. PRIZES: Winning entrants will have their Photo Entry and PSN ID displayed in the ModNation Racers public space. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prize of equal value if prize is unavailable. Prizes are non-transferable and no substitutions allowed.

7. JUDGING CRITERIA: The following criteria and criteria weights in judging Entries:
(a) Creativity– 60%; (b) Aesthetics – 40%.

8. WINNERS: The Sponsor will determine the ten (10) prize winners. Winners shall be notified by e-mail within two weeks at the conclusion of the contest.

9. GENERAL CONDITIONS: All Entries are subject to Sponsor’s verification. Sponsor’s decisions are final and binding in all matters related to the Promotion. Potential winners must comply with the Official Rules, and receipt of prizes is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements. 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 the ability to participate in the Promotion, even if caused by Sponsor’s negligence. Sponsor has the 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 incapable of running the Promotion as planned. Sponsor is not responsible for changes to contact information. Sponsor reserves the right to reject any entries that it deems, in its sole discretion, to be inappropriate including, but not limited to, gratuitous depictions of violence or sexual behavior, or positive depictions of alcohol or tobacco. The Submission must be the original, unpublished and sole work of the entrant. The Submission cannot defame or invade the rights of privacy of any person, living or deceased, or otherwise infringe upon any third party personal or proprietary rights. Sponsor has the sole discretion to disqualify any participant who violates these Official Rules, tampers with the operation of the Promotion or engages in any conduct that is detrimental or unfair to Sponsor, the Promotion or any other participant.

10. RELEASE: As a condition of participating in the Promotion, all participants agree to release Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries, agencies, divisions and affiliates from liability, for loss, harm, damage, injury, cost or expense whatsoever including property damage, personal injury and death that may occur in connection with, preparation for, travel to, or participation in the Promotion, or possession, acceptance or use or misuse of prize or participation in any Promotion-related activity and claims based on publicity rights, copyright or trademark infringement, defamation or invasion of privacy and merchandise delivery.

11. WINNER LIST: To obtain names of the winners, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to ModNation Racers Snap a Trick Contest Attn: Promotions, 919 East Hillsdale Blvd. Foster City, CA 94404. Prize winners’ name request will be fulfilled within four weeks. Requests for winner list must be received by June 24, 2010.

12. RESTRICTIONS: Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

Calling all Sackboys and Sackgirls! Hot on the heels of this week’s massive LittleBigPlanet 2 announcement, we here on the PlayStation Home team are proud to unveil two – you heard me, TWO – new spaces dedicated to this celebrated franchise. True to the “Play.Create.Share.” mantra, these brand new LittleBigPlanet spaces provide the perfect locations for users to indulge in their affinity for all things LittleBigPlanet, from creating custom content to playing addictive games to finding new friends to launch into multiplayer sessions of LittleBigPlanet for your PS3.

Start with the King’s Snap Happy Photo Challenge in the LittleBigPlanet PlayGround space – find the target, snap the perfect shot, and unlock some exclusive rewards. Next, team up with your friends to create custom wallpapers in the Creator mini-game, where you can build, stick, place, and shoot the perfect XMB backdrop. Finally, you can nurture your inner sharpshooter at the LittleBigDerby mini-game, which recalls the carnival games of yesteryear, albeit in a patented LittleBigPlanet fashion.

After earning your rewards and stocking up on all the LittleLittleBigPlanet-themed clothing and furniture items available in the PlayStation Home Mall, head to the LittleBigPlanet Pod Penthouse – your very own LittleBigPlanet personal space, rife with opportunities to personalize and customize. This excellent new personal space (as well as the LittleBigPlanet PlayGround public space) will be available this Thursday, May 13th.

All of you Qore fans will have a unique opportunity to meet host Veronica Belmont and correspondent Audrey Cleo during an in-world appearance this Thursday, May 13th from 6:00pm – 8:00pm PT (9:00pm – 11:00pm EST) in the PlayStation Home Theater’s Qore screening room. Come out to meet the ladies of Qore and watch a special Qore video focusing exclusively on PlayStation Home and its vibrant community. And be sure to pick up Episode 24, now available from the PlayStation Store, which contains a large segment on PlayStation Home (and also offers a sneak peek at a brand new space!)

To celebrate one year full of tons of great content (including the mega-popular LOOT Living Room Stage Set personal space), our friends at LOOT are sponsoring the first ever Machinima contest in PlayStation Home. All of you Machinimators are invited to join the next round of the legendary Aliens vs. Androids battle –- the “Fight for Freedom.”

Here’s the back story: After defeating the invasive Alien species in the epic Aliens vs. Androids dance-off, the metal-clad Androids became little more than a useful, shiny asset for the PlayStation Home community. That was, of course, until they became self-aware. The former guardians of PlayStation Home took control, and thus the Reign of the Androids began. Characterized by the “Safe Human Behavior Protocol” (strict rules including mandatory curfews), the Androids will either be overthrown by the residents of PlayStation Home…or it will stretch on through future generations.

The way this story ends depends on you, the loyal PlayStation Home community, and the Machinima you create based upon this historic battle. LOOT, Sony Pictures, and PlayStation Home Community Management judges will vote on the top videos posted in the official PlayStation Home forums. The participants responsible for the winning entry will be awarded the LOOT “Best Machinima” trophy and a gold director megaphone – exclusive items that only the winners of this contest will own. Interested? Then read the official contest rules and guidelines, included below for your convenience.

See you in Home!

The following promotion is intended for viewing in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia only and will be construed and evaluated according to United States law. Do not enter this contest if you are not a legal resident of, and located in, the 50 United States or the District of Columbia at the time of entry.

OFFICIAL RULES

LOOT™ Machinima Contest: “Aliens vs. Androids II – The Fight For Freedom”

1. Eligibility. The LOOT™ Machinima Contest: ”Aliens vs. Androids II – The Fight For Freedom”(“Promotion”) is only open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, who are at least 18 years of age or older on or before May 12, 2010. To be eligible to participate, you must have a PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, a PlayStation®Network account in good standing, internet access and PlayStation®Home installed on your system. No purchase necessary to enter or win. Employees of the Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries and affiliated companies and their immediate families are not eligible to participate in this Promotion.

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

3. Timing. The Promotion begins on May 12, 2010 at 12:00P.M. (noon) Pacific Standard Time (“PST”) and ends on June 14, 2010 at 12:00P.M. PST (the “Promotion Period”).

4. How to Enter. Get together with other PlayStation Home users and form a production team. Production teams can have a maximum of 12 team members (individually, “Entrants” and collectively, “Team”). Each Entrant must be eligible to participate in the Promotion. Teams must designate one Entrant as the “Lead Team Member”. The Lead Team Member will be responsible for all required communication with Sponsor. At least one Entrant must have access to a computer capable of creating a machinima style video and uploading to a video sharing internet website. Create an original and unpublished machinima-style video filmed entirely within PlayStation Home that continues the LOOT™ Aliens Andriod vs. Androids II “The Fight for Freedom” storyline occurring within PlayStation Home during the Promotion Period. To enter, post a link to your video on boardsus.playstation.com under the official thread LOOT™ Machinima Contest: “Aliens vs. Androids II – The Fight for Freedom” (“Entry”). To be valid, Entries must conform to the following requirements:

4.1. Cannot exceed three minutes in length

4.2. MP4 or MOV format

4.3. file size cannot exceed 300MB

4.4. the Entry must include end credits that list the Team name, the PSN IDs of all Entrants, and indicate who will serve as the Lead Team Member.

5. Entry Conditions. Limit one Entry per Team. All Entries must be posted by 12:00 pm (noon) on June 14, 2010. The Entry must be the original and unpublished creation of the Entrants. The Entry must not contain any copyrighted content, including movies, TV series, photos or soundtracks. Sponsor reserves the right to reject Entries that it deems, in its sole discretion, to be inappropriate including Entries containing foul language, gratuitous depictions of violence or sexual behavior, positive depictions of alcohol or tobacco or any illegal activity. The Entry’s content must not defame or invade the rights or privacy of any person, living or deceased or infringe upon any third-party personal or proprietary rights. For any Entry that includes a likeness of third party or contains elements owned by a third party (such as depictions of buildings, trademarks or logos), the Lead Team Member must provide legal releases permitting the Team’s use and Sponsor’s use of the Entry, in a form and substance satisfactory to Sponsor. In the event fewer Entries are received than the number of prizes to be awarded, Sponsor reserves the right to take action as it reasonably deems necessary under the circumstances.

6. Grant of Rights. Each Entrant is responsible for the Entry and the consequences of posting or publishing it. In connection with the Entry, each Entrant affirms, represents, and warrants that: (i) the Entrant owns or has the necessary licenses, rights, consents and permissions to use the Entry in the manner contemplated by Sponsor; and (ii) the Entrant has obtained the written consent, release and permission of each and every identifiable individual person in the Entry for use of the name or likeness of those persons and for use of the Entry in the manner contemplated by Sponsor. By submitting the Entry to Sponsor, each Entrant grants to Sponsor a perpetual, fully paid, irrevocable, non-exclusive license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, distribute, display, transmit, and permit others to use and perform the Entry throughout the universe, his or her likeness and performance and every identifiable individual person’s likeness and performance in the Entry in any media. Sponsor is under no obligation to use an Entry.

7. Judging Criteria. All Entries received will be judged by a panel of judges composed of members of the SCEA Home Community Management team and members of the Sony Pictures Entertainment LOOT™ team. The panel will use the following criteria and criteria weights in judging Entries: (a) originality and creativity – 50%; (b) narrative – 40%; (c) editing – 5%; (d) video and sound effects – 5% (“Judging Criteria”).

8. Winner Selection. Winning Entries will be selected based on the Judging Criteria from valid Entries submitted by eligible Entrants received during the Promotion Period. Sponsor’s decisions will be final and binding. Each winning Entrant will be notified via their registered PSN email address. The Lead Team Member must respond to Sponsor’s prize notification email within 48 hours from that date and time of the Sponsor’s prize notification email sent to the Lead Team Member. In the event that the Lead Team Member of the winning Entry does not respond to Sponsor’s prize notification email within the specified time or the prize notification email is returned as undeliverable, a new winning Entry will be chosen based on the Judging Criteria. Alternate winners will be contacted via their registered PSN email addresses and the Lead Team Member of the alternate winning entry must respond to the Sponsor’s prize notification email within 48 hours from that date and time of the Sponsor’s prize notification email to the Lead Team Member. Winners will be announced on or around June 24, 2010.

9. Prizes.

9.1. Grand prize: One Entry will be chosen as the grand prize winner and its Team members will receive the grand prize. Each grand prize winning Entrant will receive a voucher code redeemable for the entitlement to download the LOOT™ “Best Machinima” Gold Trophy and The Gold Director Megaphone.

9.2. Runner up prize: Nine Entries will be chosen as runners up, and Team members of the nine runners up will receive the runner up prize. Each Entrant awarded the runner up prize will receive a voucher code redeemable for the entitlement to download a Director Megaphone.

9.3. Each valid Entrant that submits a valid Entry during the Promotion Period will receive a voucher code redeemable for the entitlement to download the LOOT™ “Alien vs. Androids” Trophy.

Prize fulfillment is based on availability. Sponsor has the sole discretion to substitute a prize of equal or greater value if a prize is unavailable. Prizes are non-transferable, and Sponsor need not substitute a prize based on an Entrant’s request. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of prizes via email.

10. General Conditions. Potential winning Entrants are subject to Sponsor’s verification. Sponsor’s decisions are final and binding in all matters related to the Promotion. Potential winners must comply with the Official Rules, and receipt of prizes is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements. 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 has the 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 incapable of running the Promotion as planned. Sponsor is not responsible for changes to Entrant’s contact information. Sponsor has the sole discretion to disqualify 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

11. Release. As a condition of participating in the Promotion, Entrants agree to release Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries, agencies, divisions and affiliates from liability, for loss, harm, damage, injury, cost or expense whatsoever including property damage, personal injury and death that may occur in connection with, preparation for, travel to, or participation in the Promotion, or possession, acceptance or use or misuse of prize or participation in any Promotion-related activity and claims based on publicity rights, copyright or trademark infringement, defamation or invasion of privacy and merchandise delivery.

12. Publicity. By accepting a prize, a winning Entrant agrees to the use of his or her name and likeness for purposes of advertising, trade or promotion without further compensation, unless prohibited by law, and agrees, if required, to sign and return a notarized Affidavit of Eligibility and Release of Liability within a period that Sponsor specifies.

13. Promotion Results. The winners will be posted on the www.us.playstation.com on or about June 24, 2010.

14. Collection of Information. The information necessary to operate the Promotion is collected by Sponsor at the time of Entry submission, and without limiting Sponsor’s rights under its privacy policies with regards to its use of the information, the information collected 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 participating in the Promotion, each Entrant agrees to the terms of Sponsor’s privacy policy.

15. Restrictions. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.