The Summer of Arcade has been a great way for Microsoft to launch new games on the Xbox Live Arcade over the last three years. So Sony has decided to hold a Summer promotion of their with the similarly themed PlayStation Network Play.
The promotion will begin on August 23 with the release of Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition. But PS3 owners will actually be able to “pre-order” any PSN Play pick five days before each game is released (and they’ll receive a free theme as a bonus). Hothead’s DeathSpank sequel The Baconing; Majesco’s BloodRayne: Betrayal sidescroller; and Sega’s top-down vehicle combat game Renegade Ops round out the PSN Play lineup.
Like the Summer of Arcade, gamers who purchase every PSN Play offering will receive a free game. In this case, it’s Sony’s Payday: The Heist (which is scheduled for a Fall release). And that’s not all! Each game will also include exclusive DLC and PlayStation Plus subscribers will receive 20% off any of their Play purchases.
Sony has promised that the PSN Play promotion will be a yearly event, so start counting down to PSN Play 2012 now! Or get your fill of information for the 2011 lineup after the break.
2011 PSN Play Schedule
Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition (August 23) – This highly-anticipated action-fighting title from Capcom features 20 playable characters, HD graphics, more than 200 pieces of unlockable content, more than 100 trials and more than 100 challenges. When Street Fighter III Third Strike Online Edition is purchased through Play, purchasers will be able to unlock GILL, the self-proclaimed god, without having to beat the game with every character, as day-one DLC. Street Fighter III Third Strike Online Edition will be $14.99 and will be available for pre-order through August 18.
The Baconing (August 30) – The latest action-RPG title from Hothead Games features the popular hero, DeathSpank, in an attempt to defeat the Anti-Spank and his army of Cyborques before they cast an evil shadow over Spanktopia. Discover exciting new worlds and battle hordes of enemies as you search to unlock the secret within the Fires of Bacon. When The Baconing is purchased through Play, purchasers will receive an additional co-op character, Roesha – One Bad Mutha. The Baconing will be $14.99 and will be available for pre-order through August 25.
BloodRayne: Betrayal (September 6) – This 2D side-scrolling platformer from Majesco Entertainment features 15 bloodthirsty levels where Rayne attempts to infiltrate a treacherous castle, take out a fiendish horde and stop an evil vampire massacre. When BloodRayne: Betrayal is purchased through Play, purchasers will receive a BloodRayne: Betrayal virtual item for their PlayStation Home avatar and an exclusive dynamic theme. BloodRayne: Betrayal will be $14.99 and will be available for pre-order through September 1.
Renegade Ops (September 13) – This top-down, driving shooter from Sega features a huge variety of vehicles, guns and endless enemies. The game features Sandbox-style missions, so there are many different ways to play. When Renegade Ops is purchased through Play, purchasers will receive a Vehicle & Character Pack with two new vehicles and special weapons. Renegade Ops will be $14.99 and will be available for pre-order through September 8.
Payday: The Heist (Bonus Gift) – This gritty, first-person shooter from Sony Online Entertainment lets players take on the role of a hardened career criminal executing intense, dynamic heists in constant pursuit of the next “big score.” A voucher code for Payday: The Heist will be provided as a bonus gift to players, ages 18 and older, that purchased all four Play titles, for redemption when the game releases. The game can also be pre-ordered separately starting September 20, 2011. Payday: The Heist will be $19.99.
