Sony tests Early Access framework on PlayStation 4 with Dungeon Defenders II

By Danny Cowan Updated September 24, 2015

A PlayStation 4 version of Trendy Entertainment’s co-op tower defense game Dungeon Defenders II will launch at the end of September, arriving as the platform’s first-ever “Pre-Alpha” release.

Adapting an approach similar to Steam’s Early Access service and Microsoft’s Xbox Game Preview program, Sony will offer paid access to featured games prior to their completion, giving players a chance to serve an active role in development.

Related: The Long Dark and Elite: Dangerous are coming to Xbox One through the new Xbox Game Preview program

“Our controls aren’t there yet,” producer Brad Logston warns in the above gameplay video. “Some of the menu work isn’t there yet. We’re still iterating on these things. That’s part of us being in this program: [working with Sony] to make it the best Dungeon Defenders experience on a console we can.”

The PC version of Dungeon Defenders II is currently available via Steam’s Early Access program. While core gameplay features have been implemented, Trendy Entertainment notes that the current version suffers from bugs, missing features, and balance issues.

“Some [PS4] features, like local co-op and controller support, will be ahead of the PC version, but other features and content will be rolling in after they are released on PC,” developer Philip Asher explains in a post at Sony’s blog.

Sony’s VP of developer and publisher relations Adam Boyes previously told Gamasutra that the company has had “massive conversations internally” regarding the feasibility of paid alphas. To date, Sony has not announced plans for additional pre-alpha releases on the PlayStation 4 beyond Dungeon Defenders II.

Microsoft recently launched its own Early Access-styled program for the Xbox One with in-progress versions of Hinterland Studio’s wilderness survival game The Long Dark and Frontier Developments’ open-world space exploration sim Elite: Dangerous. Games like Shelter and DayZ are also due to premiere via the Xbox Game Preview initiative in the coming months.

Dungeon Defenders II will be available digitally via the PlayStation Network on September 29. PS4 owners can access the pre-alpha version of Dungeon Defenders II by purchasing an in-game currency bundle at launch.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Danny’s passion for video games was ignited upon his first encounter with Nintendo’s Duck Hunt, and years later, he still…

Gaming

MLB The Show 23 returns to Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch this March

Jazz Chisholm's cover art for MLB The Show 23.

Sony San Diego Studios announced MLB The Show 23 today, and confirmed that it will launch across all major PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo systems on March 28.
No new platforms were added this year, so PC players aren't getting in on the fun. Still, this announcement makes it clear that MLB The Show is a multiplatform series across PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo platforms for the foreseeable future. Xbox's version of the trailer also confirms that MLB The Show 23 will be on Xbox Game Pass at launch, making this first-party Sony series a day-one Game Pass title three years in a row.
MLB The Show 23 - Cover Athlete Reveal
As is typically the case with sports games, MLB The Show 23's reveal was primarily focused on its cover athlete. We learned that Jazz Chisholm Jr., a second baseman for the Miami Marlins, will grace the cover of the game. Like last year, the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch versions of the game will cost $60, while players on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S without Xbox Game Pass will need to pay $70. So far, no new gameplay features have been teased, although a blog post confirms that cross-platform multiplayer, saves, and progression across all versions of the game will return this year.
So far, there's not a lot that actually seems new about MLB The Show 23, but this reveal concludes the genesis of a new era for the long-running baseball series. MLB The Show 23 will be released for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch on March 28.

Gaming

CES 2023: Project Leonardo is PlayStation’s new accessibility-focused controller

Sony's Project Leonardo controller sits on a table.

Sony is creating a new PlayStation controller built with accessibility in mind, dubbed Project Leonardo. The "highly customizable" controller aims to allow more players to experience PlayStation games.

The new comes from Sony's CES 2023 keynote, which featured several gaming announcements. The company put an emphasis on innovation at the show, revealing additional details about the PlayStation VR2 and more. Project Leonardo came as an unexpected surprise, though.

Gaming

Elden Ring, Modern Warfare II discounted in big PlayStation holiday sale

Four players fight in an Elden Ring colosseum.

PlayStation's annual holiday sale is now live offering discounts up to 75% off on a wide variety of games, old and new. The sale includes some of 2022's heavy hitters, from Elden Ring to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II.

The sale is live right now and you can access it through the PlayStation Store on consoles or a web browser. There are 3,725 items on sale in total, though that list includes discounts on in-game currency for games like Grand Theft Auto V as well as special editions of games.