Southern Europe Is Sony's Land.

Only in three months since it was launched, PLAYSTATION 3 has became the preferred entertainment system by surpassing 216.000 units in Iberia (NdT: Spain+Portugal), being 194.000 of those systems sold in Spain", said James Armstrong, Senior Vicepresident of Southern Europe and managing director of SCEE. According Armstrong, "In this period, PLAYSTATION 3 has surpassed already X360 sales, which launched back in 2005, and it's tied with Wii, which launched in december of 2006, with a substantially lesser price". And he adds: "That sales figures make PLAYSTATION 3 the platform with faster market penetration ever

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E3 2007 Conference Schedule.

All times are British Summer Time (BST).

Wednesday 11th July
04:30 - Microsoft
17:00 - Nintendo
19:30 - Sony Computer Entertainment
22:00 - Electronic Arts
23:15 - Activision

Thursday 12th July
00:30 - Midway
01:45 - Konami
16:00 - Take-Two
17:15 - THQ
18:30 - Ubisoft
23:30 - Disney Interactive

Sony Reveals PSN E3 Coverage Plans.

Press conference, trailers, videos available for download

SCEA has revealed its plans to offer PlayStation Network coverage of the E3 Media & Business Summit.

Consumers will be able to download E3 content onto their PS3 consoles directly from the PlayStation Store, including the entire SCEA press conference to be held on July 11th. A variety of game trailers, videos, and other editorial content from the show will also be made available.

In addition to the downloadable content available through the PlayStation Network, consumers can follow E3 2007 through daily content on Playstation.com and the official PlayStation Blog.

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PlayStation 3 Boosts Sales At GAME.

Console responsible for 20 per cent like-for-like increase

High Street retailer GAME has reported that total group sales for the business were up 74.1 per cent for the first 22 weeks to June 30, with like-for-like group sales up 45.6 per cent.

Following the launch of PlayStation 3 last March, like-for-like sales in the UK and Ireland have grown by 46.6 per cent. Without including PlayStation 3 hardware, software and associated peripherals, like-for-like sales for the region were only up 24.6 per cent.

International like-for-like sales were also boosted by Sony's next-generation console, climbing 42.6 per cent - or 20.1 per cent when not including PS3 stock.

The company noted that consumer demand remains high for all formats, particularly for Nintendo's Wii, but the lower margins on hardware sales are likely to impact margins until next year.

"The higher volumes of new generation platforms will increase hardware participation in the sales mix for the year to January 2008," commented Peter Lewis, chairman of GAME.

"The substantially lower margins achieved on hardware compared to software will reduce gross margins. The acquisition of Gamestation will also impact margins, as Gamestation has traditionally operated on lower margins than GAME," he added.

Despite this, the retailer still expects to report a net profit of between GBP 1 million and GBP 3 million for the first half of the year.

The company also confirmed its expansion plans, with another 50 stores to open before the end of the year - the majority of which will be in international regions.

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Failure Rates: Xbox 360 High As 33%, Sony PS3 & Nintendo Wii Less Than 1%.

Retailers estimate that one in every three Microsoft Xbox 360’s sold fails leaving frustrated owners staring at the red ring of death, or worst a black screen that reads “disc unreadable”. When compared to other systems, former EB games associate Matthiew G said…

"Failure rates for all other consoles were not high enough for EB to consider revising their policies. Most other console systems have a failure rate of less than one percent, including the PlayStation 3".

Not to be left out of the conversation, when another EB Games manager was asked if the store warranty was "worth the price", he mentioned that the Nintendo Wii, with hundreds of units sold at their location has had ZERO come back as defective. We can hear Nintendo executives patting themselves on the back right now, no wait that’s just thunder.

A Best Buy associate who chose to remain anonymous claimed that the failure rate of the Microsoft Xbox 360 was in the ballpark of "between a quarter to a third" of the systems sold.

That said the Xbox 360 is the most successful console of the next gen bunch worldwide and has the largest market saturation to date with an impressive list of exclusive titles. Simple mathematics tells us that the more there are out there the more of a chance that some will fail, but 33% is still very high.

Microsoft stands behind their estimate that the Xbox 360 failure rate is within three to five percent, which they believe is well within the industry standard and in 2006 increased their warranty from 90 days up to 1 year. While they stand behind their estimate, it unfortunately does not seem to be accurate according to retailers of the product.

Based on a recent poll that was conducted by DailyTech with retailers nationwide, the Xbox 360 was unanimously named the least reliable gaming console in recent history. The high failure rate of the 360 has sent EB games officials back to the drawing board to revise their console warranty policy in 2007 and as a result the one year warranty price on a console is now nearly double!

Microsoft has made an effort in the realm of customer service to address the "ring of death" by adding an option to their customer support line (1-800-4MY-XBOX) called "three flashing red lights". Those of us that still have the Johnny Cash "Ring Of Fire" parody still stuck in our heads, please try and control yourselves.

So while the 360 is the market leader with the Wii gaining fast, maybe consumers should be giving the Playstation 3 a second or "third" look before picking up a next gen console. While we admit that things are not looking great for Sony right now, the company is not going to roll over and die, Blu-ray is the current market leader, and the Playstation 3’s list of titles will only improve as time goes by and more developers familiarize themselves with its specs.

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Europe Poised For Official PS3 Motorstorm Bundle.

An online Belgian retailer has added an Official SCEE backed PS3 Motorstorm bundle to its online catalogue priced at 619.99€, its currently scheduled for release today (June 27th 2007).

Unreal Tournament 3 A Timed PS3 Exclusive.

Next to Half-Life and Halo, it's probably the most recognizable name in FPS gaming: Unreal. As most every avid gamer knows, Epic's Unreal Tournament 3 is easily one of the most anticipated games of the new generation, and now, we learn the PS3 and PC versions will release ahead of the Xbox 360 version. Oooh, big news for PS3 owners; getting such a huge timed exclusive.

The rumor began a few days ago, and initially met with much resistance. After all, Epic has produced Gears of War, a 360 exclusive and arguably the best game on the system. Furthermore, their past comments regarding Sony's next-gen system haven't been exactly glowing. But thanks to that recent Geoff Keighley interview on GameTrailers yesterday, this rumor was proven true; Unreal Tournament 3 will be a timed console exclusive.

The reason? Well, Keighley said it's because Sony is allowing user-created mods for the game, and Microsoft thinks it could be used to "undermine" their Xbox Live service. The 360 version will come out at a later date after "they resolve some issues." That implies there's more than one issue, so we'll have to keep an eye on this...and also, how long is this "timed" exclusive? At last check, the game was scheduled for a January 2008 release (Q3 2007 in Europe), so do we have an update on this?

Guess we'll have to wait on the details. But for now, this is pretty good news for PS3 owners. UT 3 will kick much ass, guaranteed.

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US PS3 Owners Value Blu-ray Abilities.

A SCEA study has shown that for US consumers, the PS3’s Blu-ray Disc compatibility was a major incentive for buying the next generation console.

The PS3 was introduced in the states last November, some four months before its European debut so it is useful to look across the Atlantic at market trends that could indicate future drivers here in Europe.

According to Sony’s research, some 83% of respondents watch Blu-ray movies occasionally or frequently on their PS3 and 72% have purchased at least one Blu-ray disc since getting a PS3.

Most importantly, 87% intend to purchase at least one BD movie in the next 12 months and 82% of them watch movies on Blu-ray Disc as their first choice whenever they are available.

"In Europe, PS3 has only been on the market for 12 weeks, but we are already seeing a significant increase in sales of Blu-ray movies to the over 1m PS3 owners across the PAL region," said Nick Sharples, director, Corporate Communications at SCEE. “Just as DVD was a central element of PS2 and helped to establish that format, Blu-ray is a key enabling technology with PS3. We believe the two technologies – PS3 and Blu-ray together – are a killer combination and will take home entertainment to new levels globally".

Perhaps Sony was right with its belief that sales in the US look set to soar. Now let’s see how things play out in Europe…

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Sony Bundles Hot Shots With PS3.

New bundle represents 4,000 yen price cut.

The PS3's biggest game yet over in Japan is just about a month away from release, and, sure enough, Sony isn't being quiet about it. Following a heavily promoted downloadable demo of Minna no Golf 5 (known as Hot Shots Golf 5 oustide of Japan), Sony has announced a special PS3 package to coincide with the game's release.

Officially known as the PlayStation 3 Beginners' Pack, this bundle combines a PS3 system with a copy of Minna no Golf 5, all in a slick new box. It will be available on 7/26 at a cost of 61,980 yen for a 60 Gig version and 51,980 yen for a 20 Gig version.



There are a couple of points of note in this announcement. First, different from other territories, Sony seems to be continuing with sales of the two PS3 models in Japan. Currently, both 20 Gig and 60 Gig versions of the hardware are available for purchase at.

More importantly, the price of the bundle represents a savings of nearly 4,000 yen off the price of purchasing the game had hardware separately. It's not quite a price drop, but perhaps it will draw in a few holdouts.

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Exclusive: Sony San Diego Shifts Developers To PSN Games.

Talking to Gamasutra as part of an upcoming San Diego Studio Tour series, SCEA producer Jim Molinets has revealed that the San Diego studio's internal team has "shifted focus" from large-scale PS2/PS3 titles into three PlayStation Network PS3 downloadable games, underscoring Sony's support for digital downloads.

Molinets explained to Gamasutra: "Internally, we have shifted our focus from doing large-scope PS2 and PS3 titles to doing PSN titles exclusively. We've got three smaller groups now, and they're all doing very differentiated products with different requirements".

These comments specifically relate to Sony San Diego's self-contained development team of around 30 people, though the studio still includes motion capture, art-related and administrative staff, with a total of around 200 people in product development.

As the SCEA producer went on to detail: "Our maximum team size is ten people, so we really utilize the strengths of all the different people within the studio. Each individual product has a technical lead, a design lead, and an art lead".

Sony's model for PSN has been significantly more first-party oriented than Microsoft's similar plans for Xbox Live Arcade, which only uses its internal Carbonated Games studio (Uno). As a contrast, Sony's internal studios have already released Blast Factor and Calling All Cars, and there appear to be multiple new first party PSN games on the way.

Molinets explains the attraction of being able to interact with the PSN community and make changes and improvements to the title swiftly, even after launch: "Because the [development] team is smaller, the dev cycle is smaller, and because our expertise level is high, we may be able to address things like that very quickly, as opposed to having to wait for a full two-year product cycle".

Finally, while not confirming that Telltale's franchise would make it to the PlayStation Network in the future, Molinets referenced it when discussing episodic titles on consoles: "That's definitely an opportunity on PSN. Sam & Max is a great example of that. You've got great characters that can go through a bunch of crazy scenarios".

Further details from Gamasutra's San Diego Studio Tour, which visited Rockstar San Diego, SCEA San Diego, and High Moon Studios, will be published as features over the next few weeks.

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Namco Confirm Tekken 5 To Go Online For $10.

Namco Bandai has confirmed that the online-play update for Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection on the Playstation Network will be priced at $9.99 for North American Gamers. The new update will also include a survival and practice mode.

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Manhunt 2 Banned From Sale In UK.

"To issue a certificate would involve a range of unjustifiable risks, to both adults and minors"

The BBFC has rejected Rockstar's Manhunt 2, banning the controversial title from sale anywhere in the UK.

Both PlayStation 2 and Wii versions of the game have been banned, with the BBFC unable to recommend cuts or removal of content to make it suitable for public sale.

"Where possible we try to consider cuts or, in the case of games, modifications which remove the material which contravenes the Board’s published Guidelines. In the case of Manhunt 2 this has not been possible," revealed David Cooke, director of the BBFC.

"Manhunt 2 is distinguishable from recent high-end video games by its unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone in an overall game context which constantly encourages visceral killing with exceptionally little alleviation or distancing.

"There is sustained and cumulative casual sadism in the way in which these killings are committed, and encouraged, in the game," he continued.

The BBFC has stated that the sequel to Manhunt is far more brutal and bleak than the original title, which was granted an 18 rating in 2003.

"Although the difference should not be exaggerated the fact of the game’s unrelenting focus on stalking and brutal slaying and the sheer lack of alternative pleasures on offer to the gamer, together with the different overall narrative context, contribute towards differentiating this submission from the original Manhunt game," added Cooke.

"Against this background, the Board’s carefully considered view is that to issue a certificate to Manhunt 2, on either platform, would involve a range of unjustifiable harm risks, to both adults and minors, within the terms of the Video Recordings Act, and accordingly that its availability, even if statutorily confined to adults, would be unacceptable to the public".

The last game to be banned by the BBFC was Carmageddon in 1997. Publisher Rockstar has the right to appeal against the BBFC's decision.

Rockstar was not available at the time of writing.

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Sony Declines To Comment On Rumble Rumours.

Reports say new PS3 controller is coming

Sony has declined to comment on rumours that a new PlayStation 3 controller complete with rumble feature is currently in development.

Rumours began to emerge last week in a variety of internet reports, including one on Innerbits.com. The site claimed that "two independent sources at Sony" said they have been "working on prototypes for several months".

When contacted by GamesIndustry.biz, both SCEE and SCEA declined to offer comments on the reports.

However, there are strong indications that PS3 controllers could feature rumble in the future.

Following a long legal battle with Immersion Corporation over patent infringements Sony recently signed a new agreement with the company.

SCE boss Kaz Hirai stated, "We are very excited about our new partnership with Immersion and the potential for new and innovative products incorporating their technologies".

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Folding@home Capacity Doubled By PS3.

Extra computing power from idle PS3s has helped the capacity of Stanford University's Folding@home project double in the last month.

The project, which aims to further the understanding of how proteins fold in order to limit the development of a number of diseases, was given a boost by the dramatically improved processing power acquired following a system software update made available to PS3 owners last month.

Mass uptake of an application within the update has enabled researchers to utilize the processing power of hundreds of thousands of dormant PlayStation 3 consoles.

"The PS3 turnout has been amazing, greatly exceeding our expectations and allowing us to push our work dramatically forward," said Vijay Pande, associate professor of chemistry at Stanford University and Folding@home program lead.

"Thanks to PS3, we have performed simulations in the first few weeks that would normally take us more than a year to calculate. We are now gearing up for new simulations that will continue our current studies of Alzheimer’s and other diseases," he added.

Masayuki Chatani, corporate executive and chief technology officer of Sony Computer Entertainment, praised the efforts made by PS3 users to supprt the project.

"We continue to be thrilled with the ongoing contributions of the PS3 user community in helping the Folding@home program study the causes of many different diseases that afflict our society," he said.

"As we move forward, we are issuing a call to action for all PS3 owners around the world to download the Folding@home application and help this cause. These PS3 fans can also be part of history as the Folding@home distributed computing program inches closer to achieving a petaflop – a measure of computing power that has never before been reached".

Sony has stated that it is aiming to support similar distributed computing projects across various academic fields but has also revealed that it is considering using the distributed model for commercial applications.

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Sony Profit To Rise 'Sixfold'.

Shares in Sony climbed to a five-year high on Friday after a newspaper predicted a sixfold increase in its profits for the current year.

Strong sales of the Playstation 3 could push Sony's pre-tax income to 400bn yen ($3.4bn; £1.7bn), a sharp increase on the 60bn yen expected for 2006.

Launching the next-generation console is expected to put a 200bn yen hole in Sony's finances.

Sony closed the session up 2.7% at 6,510 yen.

Demand

The world's second-largest electronics maker will also benefit from increased demand in its liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions in the US and European markets, according to the Nikkei business daily.

Analysts cited in the newspaper expected group sales in the year 2007-2008 would be up 6% to 8.7 trillion yen, boosted by a two-thirds increase in sales of LCD TVs to 10 million in 2007-2008.
A 67% rise in PS3 shipments to 10 million units, better semi-conductor production yields and cost-cutting should also boost the business, according to the newspaper.

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Euro Charts: Resistance Holds Top Spot.

First-party PS3 titles dominate Italian and Spanish top ten

PlayStation 3 shooter Resistance: Fall of Man continues to prove popular in the European charts, while Sony's other first-party launch titles are also performing strongly on the continent.

Insomniac's first-person shooter tops the charts for the week ending April 1 in Italy and Spain, while Evolution's MotorStorm and SCEE Liverpool's Formula One Championship Edition both continue to sit in the top ten.

Sega's Virtua Tennis 3 is another strong title on next-gen systems while Atari's Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 proves there's plenty of life left in the more established last-gen consoles.

THQ's S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl is dominating the German charts for the week ended March 25, with the normal edition at number one and the Limited Edition sku at number three.

The top ten best-selling games for Italy, Spain and Germany follow:

Italy, week ended April 1

1. Resistance: Fall of Man
2. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2
3. MotorStorm
4. Formula One Championship Edition
5. Final Fantasy XII
6. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
7. Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars
8. Virtua Tennis 3
9. Ridge Racer 7
10. Pro Evolution Soccer 6

Spain, week ended April 1

1. Resistance: Fall of Man
2. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training
3. Formula One Championship Edition
4. Virtua Tennis 3
5. MotorStorm
6. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2
7. Spectrobes
8. Animal Crossing: Wild World
9. Call of Duty 3
10. Final Fantasy XII

Germany, week ended March 25

1. S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl
2. Resistance: Fall of Man
3. MotorStorm
4. S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl Limited Edition
5. The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar
6. Formula One Championship Edition
7. Silent Hunter 4: Wolves of the Pacific
8. Final Fantasy XII
9. The Sims 2: Seasons
10. Virtua Tennis 3

All charts supplied by Media Control GfK International.

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Sony In Talks On Commercial Use For PS3.

Sony PlayStation 3 users may soon be asked to share the supercomputer power of their video game consoles with companies that lack their own technology to run complex research projects, the Financial Times was told.

Sony Computer Entertainment is in discussions with a number of companies about possible commercial applications for the PlayStation 3. This comes in the wake of its non-profit partnership with Stanford University in March that harnesses the spare computing capacity of registered PS3s for the analysis of protein cells.

However, because this would be a commercial proposition that would benefit profit-making organisations, Sony is studying whether it would need to offer incentives, such as free products, to persuade PS3 owners to participate.

PS3s run on the revolutionary Cell processor – co-designed by Sony, IBM and Toshiba – and they can be linked with tens of thousands of other idle PS3s via the internet to run a single analytical programme. A network of just 10,000 PS3s would have as much power as a 200,000-strong network of personal computers.

Masa Chatani, chief technology officer at Sony Computer Entertainment, said in an interview with the FT on Tuesday that the company had received numerous inquiries regarding this "distributed computing" model.

Under Stanford University’s Folding@Home programme, which studies how protein cells assemble, PS3 users can join the network by clicking on an icon on the screen. Stanford automatically sends packets of data out to these machines – which have to remain switched on when they are idle – to analyse and collect, tabulate and visualise the results.

"This kind of computing model could be used in a commercial application," Mr Chatani said. "For example, a start-up or a pharmaceutical company that lacks a super-computer could utilise this kind of infrastructure. We are discussing various options with companies and exploring commercial applications".

He added: "If there is a big problem to be solved, each computer is responsible for processing a small chunk of information, then by analysing it all together a big conclusion can be made. At any single moment, there are 11,000-12,000 PS3 users participating in Folding@Home. The number of contributors is far greater than we had anticipated".

A commercial endeavour would be a more difficult strategically, Mr Chatani admitted, because users would be loathe to let companies use the power of their PS3 Cell processors for free.

One scenario, he said, would be for a company to offer each of its PS3 users incentives such as free products, or points, in exchange for their participation in distributed computing.

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Evolution Scores European No. 1 With Motorstorm.

After taking pole position in US and Japan

Having already achieved number one positions in the US and Japanese software sales charts, Playstation 3 exclusive Motorstorm has also secured the top spot in Europe.

Developed by Runcorn-based Evolution Studios, Motorstorm was launched alongside Sony's new console in all three territories. Although it was beaten to pole position in the UK by fellow first-party title Resistance: Fall of Man, the game has scored a number one across Europe overall - just as it went straight to the top when PS3 launched in Japan and North America.

"To see Motorstorm top the European, the Japanese and the US Playstation 3 charts is just fantastic," said Evolution boss Martin Kenwright.

"Developing Motorstorm to a standard we were all happy with was certainly a challenge - but the team here really delivered. Evolution has a reputation for delivering high quality racing titles, but the consensus was to come up with something really special for Sony’s new hardware.

"We’re delighted that the public has agreed with the press and made Motorstorm a worldwide number one Playstation 3".

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Retailers Praise "Biggest-Ever" PS3 Launch.

But warn that offloading stock quickly could harm long-term sales

Now the dust has settled on the Playstation 3 launch, UK retailers are beginning to report on what they've seen as the "biggest-ever" launch for a home console.

Retailers are expecting to continue selling the luxury console over the busy Easter sales period, but some have warned that reducing prices to lower stock levels could harm long-term sales.

"Given the relatively plentiful supply, it's fair to say this was our biggest-ever console launch in unit and value terms," HMV's head of games Tim Ellis told GamesIndustry.biz.

"We still have some consoles in stock around the chain, as we were able to order plenty, but we expect these to sell these through over the coming days and weeks, especially as new games titles are released," he said.

"It's been a remarkable week for us here at GAME following the successful launch of the Playstation 3," revealed Anna Macario, marketing director at GAME.

"We have seen huge demand and seen fantastic sales throughout our 400 stores around the country".

With all pre-orders taken care of, retailers are in the unusual but desirable position of having enough stock in store to sell to customers walking in off the street.

"We've managed to fulfill every one of our pre-orders and continue to see strong interest in the console into this week as well," said Macario.

While sales are good, managing director of Chips Don McCabe called for the retail community not to panic if stores still have plenty of stock left from their launch allocation.

"In many respects it was an exceptional launch, Sony put an awful lot of product in the channel when we're used to previous launches where we have to manage customers expectations," he commented.

"Day one sales were very good, but since then it's not been so good. There seems to be a lot of discounts going around on the machine and on games".

"The market needs to stabilise because there's some retailers that have got a few too many units. They're trying to bring down their stock levels too quickly," he said.

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PS3 Breaks Sales Records:600K Sold In Europe.

The PlayStation 3 console has broken UK sales records with more than 165,000 machines sold in the first two days of release, say analysts Chart Track.

More than a million consoles were shipped across Europe on launch day last week with 600,000 sold.

Sony is hoping to retake its title as the console market leader, as Microsoft and Nintendo head the next-gen race.

Meanwhile, games firm Namco Bandai has said it is to use the PS3's Cell chip in arcade machines.
Microsoft sold 71,000 Xbox 360 consoles during its UK launch weekend, while Nintendo sold 105,000 Wii machines.

But both companies offered limited stock to retailers, which led to shortages.
Ray Maguire, managing director of Sony Computer Entertainment UK said the figures were a vote of confidence in the machine.

"Having broken the record for launch sales, we are now replenishing retail stock across the country," he said.

The first arcade title to use the PS3 microprocessor will be fighting game Tekken 6, Namco said.
While PlayStation technology has been used in arcade machines in the past it is believed to be the first time that the Cell will be used for games not running on Sony's console.

Namco Bandai has sold its PlayStation 2 arcade technology to other firms, but it is still undecided about whether to sell its PS3 Cell-based technology, a spokeswoman for the firm said.

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UK Charts: PS3 Storms The Top 10.

Resistance and Motorstorm take top two positions

After hardware sales saw Sony's PS3 achieve record success in the UK, it's not surprising to see software for the new home console also bedding into the all-formats charts.

Insomniac's Resistance: Fall of Man and Evolution Studios's Motorstorm take the number one and two positions respectively, scoring hits for first-party development.

However, Codemaster's Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 took the number three position in the charts, proving that it wasn't necessary to be on a new console to achieve high sales during the busy launch weekend.

The multiformat Virtua Tennis 3 took the number four position in the charts, while Activision's Call of Duty 3 saw a boost from new format sales – jumping from number 20 to number five.

Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories still managed to perform well at a budget price, sitting at number six in the charts and beating the PS3-exclusive Formula 1: Championship Edition at number seven.

THQ's long-awaited PC shooter S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl achieved good sales on its first weekend of release, taking the number eight position in the all-formats chart.

EA's Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 is at nine this week and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 is at number ten.

There are plenty of other new entries in the top twenty this week, with Bandai Namco's Ridge Racer 7 at number 11 just ahead of EA's Def Jam: Icon at number 12.

Sega's Virtua Fighter 5 enters the charts at number 14, EA's UEFA champions League 2006 – 2007 at number 15 and Sony's Genji: Days of the Blade at 16.

Ubisoft's TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles also makes its debut this week at number 19, while EA's Fight Night Round 3 and Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog both enjoy a sales spurt due to PS3 releases - they're at numbers 13 and 24 respectively.

A look at the specific PlayStation 3 chart reveals that Sony has four first-party developed titles in the top twenty, with Resistance, Motorstorm and Formula 1 holding the top three positions. Electronic Arts has five titles in the top twenty, Sega has four and Activision has three.

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Record-Breaking 165,000 PS3's Sold At UK Launch.

New format becomes fastest-selling home console ever over its debut weekend.

ChartTrack has confirmed that 165,000 PS3 units were sold during the console's launch weekend.

The figure is three quarters of the total 220,000 UK launch stock for day one, and makes PS3 second only to PSP in the overall launch weekend sales stakes. The Sony handheld shifted 185,000 in its opening weekend back in September 2005.

PS3’s record-breaking debut for a home console comfortably beats the previous top seller Nintendo Wii, which sold 105,000 after its frantic launch weekend in December last year. Fellow format rival Xbox 360 racked up an estimated 70,000 at launch in December 2005.

The figure also means that Sony has not sold all of its opening weekend stock, something the platform holder claims is part of its overall strategy at retail.

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Namco Bandai To Launch New Arcade Game With Sony's PS3 Technology.

Fighting game "Tekken 6" will go on sale later this year as the first arcade game using Sony's PlayStation 3 technology, game developer Namco Bandai Games Inc. announced Monday.

"Tekken 6" will be available for amusement parks and other game arcade facilities worldwide, but the company has not decided on the exact launch date for that game or others that will follow, using Sony's latest game technology, Namco Bandai spokeswoman Miki Baba said.

Tokyo-based Namco Bandai, Japan's second largest toy and game business group and maker of the "Ridge Racer" and "Pac Man" games, has previously used the predecessor PlayStation 2 technology to develop arcade versions of games, Baba said.

Namco Bandai has sold its PS2 arcade technology to other makers, but it is still undecided about whether to sell its PS3 cell-based technology, Baba said.

The PlayStation 3 went on sale in the U.S. and Japan late last year and in March in Europe.
Technology for PlayStation 3 includes a new computer chip called "Cell," which Sony Corp. developed with IBM Corp. and Toshiba Corp. and will be used in new gadgets for the home as well as video game products.

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Sony Gives Out Free Bravia TVs To UK's First PS3 Buyers.

Virgin Megastore customers get a surprise

The Playstation 3 finally arrived in Europe last night, and there was a surprise in store for those buying a console at the official UK launch - a free 46" Sony Bravia television worth around GBP 2000.

The flagship Virgin Megastore on Oxford Street store opened its doors to the first customers keen to get their hands on PS3 at noon on Wednesday. Although Only a handful turned up to spend the night in the store, by 11pm on Thursday the queue had grown to over 100 people.

With just 20 minutes to go until the console officially went on sale, Sony UK boss Ray Maguire stepped up to address the crowd in front of a large flatscreen TV.

"This is a 46-inch Bravia W series. It's an award-winning flat panel," he said. "And do you know what the good news, is guys? I'm going to give you one free".

The cheers were muted at first, but then the news began to sink in. When Maguire clarified, "Every single one of you in this queue is going to get one," the crowd responded with whoops and applause.

At midnight, the first Playstion 3 was handed over to 17 year-old Ritatsu Thomas, who'd been waiting since 5am on Wednesday. He also received a Bravia TV to take home, but everyone else in the queue - 125 people in total - was told they'll receive their television next week.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz about the decision to give away the TVs, Maguire said, "PlayStation 3 is about the new generation of high definition. There are some people in that queue for whom the HD part is the more difficult part of the equation, and I think it's a way of just saying thank you.

"They've got the best console, and now they've got the best screen".

Maguire said he thought the launch had "gone great, considering that we weren't allowed to let people queue up outside and there were loads of restrictions".

"People waiting for 36 hours and sleeping overnight is absolutely unbelievable - it shows the affinity people have for the brand, and it's really humbling," he added.

Maguire's comments were echoed by Sony PR boss David Wilson, who told GamesIndustry.biz, "When retailers are going on record saying there's free stock, there's no point for any of these guys to come here and spend 36 on that floor down there - so I'm touched that so many have".

For full coverage of the PlayStation 3 launch, read our feature here

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PS3 Selling Faster Than Xbox 360 In US.

Although sales figures from the United States show the PlayStation 3 is currently being outsold by its rivals, a US based sales tracker has said the machine is ahead of Xbox 360 in real terms.

A spokesman from NPD, a respected sales tracking firm, said, "figures show that the PS3 is selling slightly faster in the US than the Xbox 360 did at the same stage in its release".

After a delay of more than four months, one million PlayStation 3 consoles went on sale from midnight across Europe, with over 200,000 available in the UK.

Although current UK figures show the Nintendo Wii is outselling all other consoles at the moment, one analyst believes Sony can become number one if it releases the right games.

Gartner principal analyst Paul O'Donovan said, "The real issue for Sony is whether they can get back the momentum they had with PS2. The only thing that is going to drive that is the number of titles available".

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PS3 Is The Biggest FLOP Of Them All, TFLOP That Is...

Stastics of the Folding@home progam taken at 8AM eastern time reveal that PS3 machines are delivering 251 trillion floating operations per second, over 100 trillion MORE than ten times the active number of PC CPU's. Impressive stuff, check out the standings in full at Stanford.edu.




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PS3 Launch Stronger Than Wii & 360, Says GAME.

Good stock supply means less disappointment for consumers

High Street retailer GAME has told GamesIndustry.biz that it expects the PlayStation 3 launch will be far stronger than that of the Wii or Xbox 360 – due to a good supply of consoles leading to less disappointment amongst eager consumers.

While Nintendo admits it's still struggling to supply units to retail, and the Xbox 360 release was marred by a slow supply of consoles months after launch, GAME sees Sony's stock building as essential to pleasing every consumer who wants a PlayStation 3.

"It's very unusual that we're going to be in a situation where we've got enough stock to fulfil demand in the short term – that's never happened before," commented Anna Macario, marketing director at GAME.

"Sony withheld the release of the PS3 in order to build up stock levels for launch. The situation with the Xbox 360 was terrible and the Wii doesn't even hit the sides when it comes in".

"I think this is a very good move on Sony's part – it won't have that negativity of not being able to supply enough units," she said.

Macario wouldn't be drawn on how quickly GAME is likely to sell out of its PS3 allocation, but believes that customers turning up on launch day should be able to get their hands on the next-gen console whether they've pre-ordered or not.

"The noise and the hype around it will drive more people to stores than just those that have pre-ordered," she offered.

"We've certainly dressed stores up and made it available so that customers understand they can come in and buy the PS3".

"The good thing is that we're not going to have this whole raft of disappointed consumers on launch day who won't be able to buy the console for another month," she added.

As well as an early morning launch at the company's flagship store on Oxford street, over two thirds of its UK stores will be opening tonight to sell units at midnight.

Macario also revealed that Resistance: Fall of Man and MotorStorm are the two most popular titles requested, with Sega's Virtua Fighter 5 and Activision's Call of Duty 3 also top of the list.

"All the stores are really revving up for it and prepared to put in the long hours to be able to get through the customers".

"The concern is that there's a lot to sell during the day and we'll need the extra hours to get through it all," she concluded.

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Leave Your PS3 On For A Good Cause This Sunday Night!

While the PS3 won't bring about world peace or solve world hunger, there's a good chance that it can help cure cancer. But your PS3 can't to it without you. With firmware update 1.6 just around the corner, it's time to do your part for humanity. This week marks the first ever Sunday Night Foldathon in support of Stanford's cancer research efforts.

"The S.N.F event is simple. On Sunday Night (March. 25th 2007) everyone who wants to participate in the S.N.F event simply turn there PS3 on and start the folding program, could be anytime you want or when you goto bed, you may let the program run as long as you want but would be great if it could atleast last till 7am Monday morning, its all up to you since anything helps. This is to see how much help we (the playstation community) can be for this program and to show them that the feature is being widely used and maybe saving lives in the process."

Let's use the comments section as a virtual "pledge card." Let everyone know that your committed to leaving your PS3 on Sunday night in support of this great initiative and to help make the world a better place. Truly, this is a time for fanboys to unite!

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Close-up Look At The PlayStation 3.

On March 23, Britain will see the launch of the latest and undoubtedly the greatest video game console ever as Sony bring the PlayStation 3 to its most technology-led customers yet.

Already on sale in Japan and America, the system has been doing most notably well in the States. And in the UK, despite the high asking price of £425, there’s huge anticipation building up to the launch with most electrical retailers promoting pre-order deals as gamers keen to buy the most technically advanced console on the market sign on the dotted line.

Digital Spy have managed to get our hands on a PlayStation 3 before it goes on sale so here we take a close-up look at the system and reveal whether we believe the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 will be the outright winner in the battle of the consoles.

In the Box

Before handing over your £425, here’s a rundown of what you will find inside the PS3 packaging:

One PS3 console
One Sixaxis controller
Power cord
Ethernet cable
Composite AV cable
USB mini-cable
Casino Royale on Blu-ray Disc (to first 500,000 buyers)

Design

The look and feel of the PlayStation 3 is very modern and stylish. Its sleek curves are just the ticket when standing it underneath a hi-tech plasma or LCD television.

Front ports are neatly hidden behind a cover and the disc player has no pop-out tray, but instead works like a car CD player where you simply push the disc into the empty slot.

Power

The driving force behind the PlayStation 3 is its much publicised Cell processor. Co-developed by IBM, Toshiba and Sony, this 3.2Ghz superchip has 64-bit PowerPC processing along with eight separate elements that can be assigned to specific tasks in a game such as handling animation, while another processes the Artificial Intelligence involved.

This increases the speed games run at, but not significantly so as Xbox 360 also has a 3.2Ghz chip built-in.

PlayStation 3 also includes a powerful 550hz Nvidia graphics card, offering true 1080p HD resolution and graphics that are ahead of anything else out there. Play Virtua Tennis 3 or Ridge Racer 7 and you can’t fail to be impressed.

Xbox 360 features a 500Mhz graphics card that is undoubtedly stunning, but just falls short of the PS3’s visual crispness, speed and immense attention-to-detail.

Backwards Compatible

There has been much debate on how compatible the PlayStation 3 will be with games from earlier models.

According to Sony, "PS3 embodies a new combination of hardware and software emulation which will enable PS3 to be compatible with a broad range of original PlayStation titles and a limited range of PlayStation 2 titles".

Sony has also said it will offer downloadable updates from its site to allow certain PS2 games to work on PS3.

The firm has launched a website listing all compatible games with PlayStation 3. To take a look, log on to the: official website.

PlayStation Interface

The PlayStation 3 features an upgraded version of the Portable PlayStation’s Cross Media Bar interface and works very well.

It makes operating the PS3 simple allowing you to add a profile, archive your digital photos, upload and listen to MP3 tracks and much more.

Online Play

With built-in wi-fi connectivity for those with a wireless router and an Ethernet cable for those with a wired Broadband connection, getting your PS3 online is a doddle.

The console has been built for online use and comes with a multitude of features for this. There’s a full web browser, allowing the user to visit any site on the Internet including those that are flash-enabled. There’s chat – both voice and video – and best of all is Sony’s very own online PS3 high-street.

The PlayStation Store will offer a range of items that can be downloaded – many for free. This includes games, content such as updates and demos and trailers of forthcoming PS3 titles.

A good proportion of commercially released PS3 games will take advantage of the online world. Ridge Racer 7, for example, offers an online ranking system that lets you compete with players from around the world.

Sony is also tinkering with the idea of offering downloable chart music and movies for PS3 owners.

PlayStation Portable

If you’re lucky enough to own both a PlayStation 3 and a Portable PlayStation you will find the two can ‘talk’ to each other.

Using wi-fi, Sony’s PSP can access the PS3 hard drive and playback music, video and even utilise the PlayStation 3’s web browser.

High-Definition

With a built-in HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) port, those with an HD-ready TV can buy an HDMI cable and hook up their PS3 to experience stunning visuals at 1080p resolution.

For Xbox 360 owners, an HDMI output is something they can only dream of and is the machine’s most notable shortcoming.

Blu-ray Disc Player

The reason the PlayStation 3 costs so much is largely down to the inclusion of a Blu-ray disc player. These normally retail at upwards of £600, so taking this into consideration it’s clear that Sony has done well in keeping the price of the PS3 as low as it is.

The choice of format is something up for debate. Many believe the HD format will win in the movie stakes, but Sony is backing Blu-ray. Both offer the same 1080p resolution, but there is one distinct difference between the two.

While HD-DVD’s can store up to 9Gb on a single-layer disc and up to 30Gb on a dual-layer, Blu-ray can manage a more impressive 25Gb on a single-layer and 50Gb on a dual-layer. Furthermore, Sony is rumoured to be developing 200Gb discs.

The result is that there’s the potential for a lot more game on PlayStation 3 in the future. Indeed, launch title Resistance: Fall of Man is believed to use 20Gb of space. But there’s also a chance there won’t be as many movies on Blu-ray as on HD should the latter eventually win the format war.

To offer the best of both worlds, Warner has announced Total HD hybrid discs which offer a movie in Blu-ray on one side and HD on the other. The first commercial releases on this double format DVD will be the second half of 2007.

Standard DVDs can also be played via the Blu-ray disc player.

Connectivity

The PlayStation 3 features an impressive array of connection ports, including one Gigabit Ethernet port, four USB 2.0 ports for hooking up a keyboard, mouse, MP3 player or camera and there’s also full Bluetooth support.

There’s an SD/Mini SD card slot, Compact Flash and Memory Stick Duo slot built-in. And there’s even the chance to hook up seven gamepads via Bluetooth.

Sixaxis Controller

Sony must have examined the innovative gameplay functions of the Nintendo Wii when developing the Emmy award-winning Sixaxis gamepad for the PlayStation 3 as it works on much the same principles.

Although it looks the same as the PS2 pad, there are some key differences. The vibration function of the DualShock 2 controller has gone and – instead – Sony have introduced motion-sensing. Play a driving game and you can move the pad as if it were a steering wheel. If you’re in control of an on-screen character, you can tilt the pad around to make your on-screen character look around their environment.

It works superbly well and is also wireless so you’re free to move the pad around at will. Many PS3 games are already taking advantage of it. For example, in Call of Duty 3you can row a boat and in the forthcoming Metal Gear Solid 4you will be able to shake items out of an enemy guard’s pockets.

Two Models

In the US and Japan, both a 20Gb and a 60Gb PlayStation 3 were available from day one. In the UK, Sony is only making the 60Gb hard drive version available - for the foreseeable future, at least.

With such a high asking price for the 60Gb model, it’s odd that Sony are not launching the cheaper 20Gb PS3 into the UK from launch. Instead, the firm claims it will offer it later in the year if there's enough demand. Cynics could argue this is down to the fact Sony wants to maximise profits by selling the more expensive model to early adopters.

The PS3 hard drive is also fully upgradeable and a larger drive can be added to increase capacity therefore a 20Gb drive could have been updated at a later date.

Xbox 360 or PS3?

Although an add-on HD drive is available for Xbox 360, when you add together the cost of this, the console itself and a year’s subscription to Xbox Live it actually costs more than the same package on PS3.

While Xbox 360 is still a mighty fine console, the huge storage capacity of the Blu-ray discs, the innovative controller, the PS3’s HDMI port, its higher-powered graphics card and the amount of titles already in development means PlayStation 3 is the winner in the latest console wars - at least from a technical viewpoint.

The PS3 price is - despite what many believe - low when taking into account it offers a next-generation games machine, mini Internet-ready PC with hard drive, a high-definition Blu-ray DVD player and is fully MP3, video and digital camera compatible.

A 20Gb machine would, of course, have been much better priced and made the PS3 more mass market but those willing to wait could see a price drop in the not too distant future thanks to retailer discounting.

Whatever you think of the PlayStation 3, there's little doubt its excellent use of technology gives it plenty of ammunition to fire out some amazing games in the future.

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Over 70% Of PS2 Titles To Work On PS3.

1,782 of the 2,451 available PS2 titles compatible with PS3 at launch.

Sony has made available the complete list of PS2 and PSOne titles that are backwardly compatible with the upcoming PS3, revealing that 1,782 of the 2,451 European published titles will work out of the box. That figure represents 73 per cent of the total PS2 catalogue.

As is reported on unofficial Sony blog Threespeech, the figure is well in excess of the 1,200 number previously hinted at. It was also confirmed that as previously reported, users will have to download the latest firmware patch to make sure their machines are able to run the listed software.

However, included in this number are numerous titles that Sony claims will run with ‘minor’ or ‘noticeable’ issues. Big games amongst this category include Metal Gear Solid 3, Final Fantasy XII, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and the recent versions of Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer and EA’s FIFA series.

"Our engineers have been working overtime, and have succeeded in delivering a significant number of playable PS2 titles for the European launch," SCEE president David Reeves stated.

"We will be adding additional titles to this list in future firmware upgrades, but as we have made clear before, in the future our resources will be increasingly focused on developing new services and entertainment features exclusively for PS3, rather than on delivering PS2 backwards compatibility".

The complete list of backwardly compatible titles can be found here.

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Euro PS3 Sales Will Hit 4m By Next Year - Analyst.

X360 demand has peaked, says Screen Digest.

Sony is set to sell 4 million PS3 units to European consumers by the end of 2007, according to Screen Digest.

Speaking to The Times Online, analyst Nick Parker dismissed suggestions that plentiful stocks of the console could be seen to indicate poor sales performance.

"The lack of shortage is supply driven; what Sony has shipped will sell," he said.

"We estimate that Sony will sell around 4 million units in Europe this year, with 1 to 1.5 million in the UK".

This would mean, according to Parker, that PS3 could overtake Wii in the sales stakes next year - if not by the end of 2007.

The analyst also said that with the European PS3 launch just days away, sales of X360 are just 1 per cent higher than this time last year - suggesting that demand for Microsoft's console has peaked.

PS3 will go on sale in Europe this Friday, with 1 million units promised for launch. The 60GB model will retail for GBP 425 / EUR 599, but according to The Times, retailers are predicting a pre-Christmas price cut.

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Retailers Get Ready For "Huge" PlayStation 3 Launch.

Stores praise supply chain ahead of multiple midnight launches.

Retailers are expecting a "huge" launch for the PS3 next week, as Sony's latest home console finally reaches Europe.

Aside from the official launch at Virgin Megastores' flagship Oxford Street branch, entertainment, specialist and independent stores across the UK are opening at midnight to fulfil pre-orders and sell consoles to punters eager to get their hands on the next-gen Sony machine.

"The launch of the PS3 is going to be huge," commented Jorden Jones, product manager at specialist chain Gamestation - which will be opening over 200 stores at midnight on March 22.

"We are very excited and have been working alongside Sony to create specially modified PS3 concept bays in some of our stores. By opening at midnight our customers can collect and play on their pre-ordered consoles as soon as possible," he said.

"After nearly twenty years in the business I've never known such charged anticipation for a console launch - it's getting a little crazy and we're still over a week away," said Steve O'Brien, veteran independent retailer.

While detractors are citing the fact that consumers are still able to take pre-orders this close to the consoles' release as evidence of a lack of interest, retail sees it as one of the first times they'll be able to actually sell hardware to punters who haven't pre-ordered on launch day.

"The doom-mongers can say what they like about stock, the units I've seen Sony ship out shows that it's pulled an absolute coup in terms of supply," commented Don McCabe, MD of Chips.

"Where pre-orders are concerned we'll fulfil them all, and we'll have some units to sell to customers on day one, which is great," he added.

"Interest in PS3 is building the closer we get to launch. Much of our stock is accounted for via pre-orders, which may mean that some of our stores can actually look forward to selling some live stock for a change," agreed Tim Ellis of HMV, currently planning around 50 midnight openings.

In the eyes of the retail community, Sony has not only done a great job in supplying PlayStation 3 units for sale, but also in helping to market the product in store and wow customers unfamiliar with the new console.

"We've been lucky enough to have a store large enough to give home to Sony furniture and that in itself is quite a piece of kit," commented O'Brien.

"We've had it a little over 24 hours now and we quite literally have to kick customers out the door come closing. I don't think your average gamer was quite prepared for how big a leap in quality the PS3 offers," he said.

The PlayStation 3 launches in Europe March 23, priced GBP 425 / EUR 599.

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Blu-ray Beats HD DVD For Second Month.

PS3 format selling double the units of its rival in the US.

According to US trade magazine Video Business, Blu-ay has outsold HD DVD in North America for the second month running.

The magazine’s figures put Blu-ray at an approximate 250,000 sales for February, with HD DVD lagging behind on 125,000.

Oscar winner The Departed was released simultaneously for both formats on February 13th. DailyTech reports that the film had one of the highest first-week sales totals for either format, selling over 20,000 units on Blu-ray and 13,000 on HD DVD.

In the US, the Blu-ray version of the movie retails for about five dollars less than the HD DVD version. The reason for HD DVD’s higher price point is because of its combo format, which places a standard-definition DVD version on the flip side of the disc – a commonplace feature on HD DVD.

And according to IGN.com, just under 2 million PS3's have been sold in the territory since launch last November, which means roughly the same number of HD DVD and Blu-ray players are installed in US homes.

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65nm Cell Chip Production Starts.

IBM announced today a significant step towards PlayStation 3 cost-cutting, as the chip maker announced the production of a 65nm version of the Cell processor.

The Cell launched as a 90nm processor. The 65nm version will be manufactured at IBM’s East Fishkill, New York plant.

IBM created the chip with Sony and Toshiba in a collaboration which began in March 2001. IBM recently began reaching out to game developers to help them harness the Cell's potential.

A Sony exec recently said that a move to a 45nm Cell would occur in late 2008 or early 2009.

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Virgin Megastores To Host PS3 Launch.

Sony chooses entertainment outlet as official UK retail partner.

Virgin Megastores will host Sony's official launch of the PlayStation 3 on March 23rd.

The event will take place at Virgin’s flagship Oxford Street store and include official merchandise giveaways and incentives for the first customers to collect their consoles.

Online rumours surfaced in January that Sony had inked a deal with HMV, which hosted the official Wii launch last year.

But Virgin confirmed this afternoon that it had secured exclusive rights to the prestigious event.

"The PS3 is without a doubt one of the most anticipated console launches ever so it is very exciting to be able to offer our customers the complete Sony experience at launch," said Senior Promotions and PR Manager at Virgin Megastores, Stephen Lynn.

"We can't go into too much detail in terms of what we have planned, as we are currently in a period of consultation with the authorities. Needless to say though, the experience and safety of our customers will come first and it will be an amazing launch".

"Virgin Megastores is the perfect partner for the launch of PS3," added managing director of SCE UK Ray Maguire. "We are well aware how patient and loyal our customers have been waiting for PS3 to arrive and fully intend to reward them with the launch they deserve. Plans are already well underway and we are working with local authorities to ensure we delivery the best console launch ever".

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Gundam Musou Bumps Up PS3 Sales.

As we've been suggesting for quite some time, preliminary reports out of Japan have indicated that Gundam Musou -- the Namco-Bandai and Koei love child that mixes Gundam with Dynasty Warriors -- has had an impact on the PlayStation 3's sales. The game itself went on to sell somewhere in the neighborhood of 180,000k copies, which is very impressive. Likewise, sales of the PlayStation 3 rose from a mediocre 20k units, to a respectable 40k. The software Media Create numbers should be released tomorrow afternoon, with the hardware numbers to follow on Thursday. Look for them, as always.

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Harrison To Showcase New PS3 Services, Games In Keynote.

Sony confirms that previously unannounced products will take centre stage at GDC.

New games and services for the PlayStation 3 will be making their global debut in the keynote address by Sony's worldwide studios boss Phil Harrison at the Game Developers Conference, Sony has confirmed.

In a statement issued today, the firm revealed that Harrison's speech, titled "Game 3.0: Developing and Creating for the 3rd Age of Videogames", will include "live demonstrations of previously un-announced services and games for the PS3".

While the unveiling of new game software for the console will obviously be welcomed, the key phrase in that statement may well be "services" - since speculation has been rife in the past week that the company will unveil a major new expansion of its online services in the keynote.

Sony's definition of "Game 3.0" encompasses a wide variety of concepts including user-generated content, community, collaboration and commerce, all of which the firm claims will be demonstrated in the products which Harrison will introduce.

Harrison's keynote, which takes place tomorrow at 10.30am PST (6.30pm GMT), is the centrepiece of Sony's presence at the Game Developers Conference, which is taking place in San Francisco throughout this week.

The company is also using the event as an opportunity to showcase its new development tools, with the firm's booth showing off techology including the Tuner For PS3 profiling tool, Unreal Engine 3, the PSSG high-level graphics package, and other tools including analysis and physics packages for the console.

"This is a very exciting time to be part of the game development community," Harrison commented in today's statement. "Advancements in technology combined with new consumer trends mean the industry has a great opportunity to create engaging new entertainment experiences for the world".

"I believe we're at the threshold of a new era in creative game development that's destined to drive our industry growth through the next decade or more," he concluded.

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Sony Ships A Million PS3's Per Month On Increasing Supply Of Blu-ray Pick-Up Heads.

Sony is currently shipping its PS3 game consoles at a rate of about one million units per month due to an increasing supply of pick-up heads (PUH's) from Sharp for its Blu-ray drive, the Chinese-language Commercial Times quoted market sources as saying in a March 1 report.

With a planned March launch in Europe and later on in Australia, total PS3 shipments are expected to top 3-4 million units in the first quarter of this year, as compared to the two million units shipped in the fourth quarter of 2006, the paper said, citing estimates by analysts at Taiwan-based securities houses. For 2007, total shipments of PS3 consoles are expected to top 12-14 million units, the paper indicated.

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Sony Sharpens Edge For New PS3 Dev Tech.

The internal technology teams at Sony Computer Entertainment have teamed up to deliver PlayStation 3 Edge, a new set of tools for developers working on the format-holder's new console.

Due for imminent release to PS3 developers, PlayStation 3 Edge has been put together by three first-party technology teams within Sony, the WWS Europe Advanced Technology Group, WWS America ICE team (a technology group based at Naughty Dog that specialises in graphics systems and tools for the PlayStation 3), and WWS America Tools and Technology group.

Edge is described as "a set of cutting edge technologies. Rather than an overarching engine, these teams have chosen to create specialized systems that demonstrate best practices of SPU and RSX utilization" in the description of a recently announced GDC session which will formally take the wraps off the new technology.

The GDC session, hosted by Mark Cerny (Cerny Games), Jon Olick (lead programmer, Naughty Dog) and Vince Diesi (principal programmer, SCE Worldwide Studios) looks at advanced graphics tools and technologies for PS3 development an will also show delegates "a unique tool for RSX performance analysis, extensively used in the tuning of first party titles".

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Sony: PS3 In Stores Is Testament To Strong Supply, Not Poor Sales.

"Our goal is not to have empty shelves, it's to have full shelves" - Tretton

The amount of PS3 units on store shelves throughout North America is due to the strength of Sony's manufacturing and supply chain, according to SCEA chief executive Jack Tretton.

While critics have suggested the next-gen console is not a hit with consumers due to the fact it hasn't sold out in many locations, Tretton has stated it's because the company has never been this well organised.

"It's a testament to the fact that we've been able to manufacture and ship units on a greater pace than any previous console," Tretton said in an interview with Reuters.

"Our goal is to fill shelves across the United States. Our goal is not to have empty shelves, it's to have full shelves".

"If we have a empty shelves that's one less consumer who could have bought a PS3," he said.

The PlayStation 3 is on track to reach Sony's sales target of 2 million units in the US by the end of March, according to Tretton.

"We're in pretty good shape to do that. The early returns are quite favourable," he revealed.

The chief executive also predicted there would be no console shortages in the supply chain by May 2007.

"April or May is when we feel like we're going to catch up to demand and have product fully in stock across North America and stay there," he said.

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Sony Fights Hard On Euro Games Prices.

All UK Sony published games for PlayStation 3 will come with a price of £39.99, a full £10 cheaper than the RRP of most Xbox 360 games, Sony has revealed this morning.

Resistance: Fall of Man and Motorstorm will be some of the first Sony games to hit the shelves at £40. It should be noted that this comes in at $78. New Xbox 360 games cost between 60 and 70 Euros. PS3 games from Sony will cost 60 Euros. Sony says it wants third parties to follow suit.

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Backwards Compatibility Of 'New Spec' Euro PS3 In Doubt.

PS2 game support to be "limited"

Sony has changed the specification of the PS3 for Europe, raising doubts over the number of PS2 games that will be compatible with the next-gen machine.

"Rather than concentrate on PS2 backwards compatibility, in the future, company resources will be increasingly focused on developing new games and entertainment features exclusively for PS3," said David Reeves, president of SCEE.

Sony has said that 'a new combination of hardware and software emulation will enable the PS3 to be compatible with a broad range of original PlayStation titles, and a limited range of PS2 titles'.

Sony will publish a backwards compatibility list on the PS3's launch day, March 23, with additional titles becoming compatible through downloads via the PlayStation Network.

"The backwards compatibility is not going to be as good as in the US and Japanese models," a Sony spokesperson told Reuters.

Although Sony has yet to detail the new specification fully, analyst Datamonitor suggests that a new PS3 model will feature a "new chassis" designed to bring manufacturing costs of the console down.

"By utilising the latest hardware Sony is able to rationalise the number of components required," said the firm.

"This move is significant, as it will have a positive impact on the PS3’s long-term cost profile".

"By launching the PS3 in Europe with the new chassis, Sony has at a stroke removed one of the barriers to future price reductions, and providing it can make enough units available, Datamonitor believes there will be sustained growth in PS3 ownership as new users seek to benefit from the PS3’s enhanced features and functionality," said the analyst.

Sony was unavailable for further comment at the time of going to press.

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IBM Engineers Step-In To Help PS3 Game Developers.

The engineers behind the Cell processor lend a hand to the people behind the PS3 games.

It’s no secret that the Cell processor makes the PlayStation 3 a very powerful machine, but its complex architecture also makes it difficult for developers to program their games. While Sony is likely doing its best to improve software tools, some developers are longing for lower-level detail on the Cell.

IBM, one of the creators of the Cell architecture, is stepping in and giving developers tips on how to better harness the PS3 processor. According to Next Generation, IBM engineers are participating at a game developer’s workshop at High Moon Studios in Carlsbad, Calif. with Vivendi Games studios' Radical Entertainment and Swordfish to learn the ins and outs of the multi-core Cell.

High Moon chief technical officer Clinton Keith says that that IBM's expertise goes beyond what Sony's support can offer in regard to the Cell. “We’ve been talking to Sony for almost two years now, but they didn’t create the Cell,” he said.

“They created the architecture for the PS3 and they’ve created a lot of the developer libraries. We’ve had access to those [Sony] engineers… but they’re not the hardware engineers,” continues Keith. “We want to hit [the Cell] on all fronts. We’re talking to the guys [IBM] who designed this chip and have been working on it for five years now.”

As part of the workshop, programming teams will use software development kits from IBM’s Global Engineering Solutions labs to create the best Cell-based game development algorithm. The teams will share their knowledge and findings from their work on the processor.

Sony’s Phil Harrison said that the current PS3 launch window titles use “less than half” of the system’s computational power, and that “nobody will ever use 100 percent of [the PS3’s] capability.”

Developers haven’t kept quiet on the challenges for making games on the Cell. John Carmack, lead programmer of the Quake and DOOM 3D engines, has expressed his thoughts, saying, “I think the decision to use an asymmetric CPU by Sony was a wrong one. There are aspects that could make it a winning decision, but they’re not helpful to the developers … It’s not like the PlayStation 3 is a piece of junk or anything. I was not a fan of the PlayStation 2 and the way its architecture was set up. With the PlayStation 3, it’s not even that it’s ugly--they just took a design decision that wasn’t the best from a development standpoint.”

Japanese developer Hideo Kojima shares Carmack’s sentiment, though his team was able to achieve stunning results on the PS2 with Metal Gear Solid 3. “Overall I think it is difficult, of course. But if it's easy and simple, then how can you differentiate from other games?” posed Kojima. “Other people will do the same thing as you. Therefore, we're trying to use [the Cell's] difficulty to create something different.

“If I say too much, Mr. Kutaragi might get really upset. I think that the PS3 is difficult to work with, but so was the PS2.”

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Biggest Jan Sales For Sony, As PS3 Finally Begins To Perform.

PlayStation enjoys record revenues of $550m in first month of year

It may have started off slowly due to stock issues and a controversial price, but after the PlayStation brand scored its best January performance ever, the company believes the PS3 is finally out of the gates and picking up momentum in the next-gen showdown.

NPD sales data for January puts the total of PlayStation 3 consoles at 243,554 in North America, helping the PlayStation business record revenues US $550 million (EUR 419m) during the five weeks of the month.

"We are pleased with the numbers from January as they demonstrate overall sales improvements for our legacy systems year over year and continued momentum for PS3," said David Karraker, director of corporate communications for SCEA.

Admitting the issues of restricted supply at retail, Sony believes the channel is finally getting regular stock, and coupled with increased marketing and a strong line-up of titles, the PlayStation brand as a whole is set to rocket in 2007.

"With supply levels stabilising, you can expect to see increased marketing for PS3 and PS2 in weekly retail circulars, which should garner strong numbers, boosted by big software launches, such as MotorStorm and Virtua Fighter 5," commented Karraker.

According to Sony, tie-ratios for the PS3 have improved by 80 per cent since launch. The company has also finally kick started its marketing campaigns with leading US retailers BestBuy and Target.

Sales data from NPD put the PlayStation 3 in third place throughout January, with the Wii shifting 436,000 units and the X360 selling 294,000 units.

Sony is also bullish about the performance of the PSP in the handheld sector, claiming it is closing the gap on the market-leading Nintendo DS and pinning sales hopes on titles such as the forthcoming Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters.

"PSP sales in January were exceptionally strong with the system quickly closing the gap on the leading competitor," said Karraker.

Despite touting the PS3 figures, sales of the PS2 were still higher than the next-gen console, reaching 299,352 units, a year-over-year increase of 20 per cent.

The current generation system still has a handful of blockbuster titles due in the first half of this year in the US and Europe, including God of War 2 and Okami.

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PS3 Demand "High And Sustained" - UK Retailers.

UK retailers have countered claims that PlayStation 3 isn't generating much pre-order interest, with two firms declaring it their most successful console campaign ever.

Woolworths told our sister site GamesIndustry.biz that PS3 is "fastest selling games product" it has ever offered through its website. Argos said it was their "most successful pre-ordered campaign for consoles".

Meanwhile Amazon.co.uk described interest as "high and sustained" and said it was confident the machine would be among its top sellers for 2007. "We are only taking pre-orders until all our initial stock from Sony is accounted for - that way, no customer will be disappointed come day of release. We don't expect stocks to last long," a spokesperson said. HMV echoed that satisfaction, telling GI.biz that demand was in line with expectations.

Sony boss Ray Maguire added that the response from retailers had been "incredibly positive", adding that early indications suggest it will be Sony's "biggest hardware launch to date".

All of which came in response to scattered reports of PS3 failing to capture interest among European gamers ahead of its 23rd March launch. And when we say "scattered reports" we mean UK Resistance and some wacky forumites, obviously.

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Asda Set To Sell PS2's For £50.

MCV has learnt that Asda is to slash the price of PlayStation 2 consoles to just £49 tomorrow morning in its latest eye-catching deal on electrical equipment.

The details of the offer are still unclear, but what is known is that the deal will be limited to a set number of consoles in the chain’s 316 stores. The units will go on sale when Asda’s electrical department opens tomorrow morning – 7.30am in most stores.

One Asda store assistant told MCV: "Yes, we will be selling PS2s for 50 quid tomorrow morning. But I'd get here as early as you can if I were you. We're expecting a massive response once word gets out – and we've only got a certain number available".

It follows a similarly headline-grabbing deal run by the firm last month, when it offered a DVD player for just £9.

Meanwhile, Play.com has started selling the core Xbox 360 console for £150 – a full £50 cheaper that the model’s RRP. Rival Amazon has also cut its price on the console to £189.99.

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Retailers Say PS3 Is Most Pre-Ordered Console Ever.

Maguire predicts "biggest hardware launch to date"

Retailers are reporting huge demand for PlayStation 3 as Sony gears up for what UK boss Ray Maguire says could be the company's "biggest hardware launch to date".

His comments were echoed by Gerry Berkley, head of games at Woolworths, who told GamesIndustry.biz, "PS3 pre-orders are coming in thick and fast. It is the fastest selling games product we have ever sold online and it is shaping up to be our biggest ever pre-order campaign for a console".

Berkley said Sony's new machine is "the hottest gaming system since the PS2", adding, "Demand will inevitably outstrip supply, so our advice to customers is to pre-order to avoid disappointment".

A spokesperson for Amazon.co.uk revealed that only one other product has seen a more rapid rate of pre-orders during 2007 - J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

"The customer demand for the PlayStation 3 is high and sustained and we are confident that it will take its place as one of the top selling items on Amazon.co.uk throughout 2007," the spokesperson said.

"We are only taking pre-orders until all our initial stock from Sony is accounted for - that way, no customer will be disappointed come day of release. We don't expect stocks to last long".

It's a similar story at Argos, with videogames buyer Anthony Stocker telling GamesIndustry.biz, "We're very pleased with the interest in the new PS3 and it is our most successful pre-ordered campaign for consoles".

Entertainment retailer HMV also said there is healthy demand for the console, as predicted. "Pre-orders are going well in line with expectations," a spokesperson confirmed.

But with such a high level of interest in PlayStation 3 and still just over a month to go until launch, will there be enough consoles to go round?

"Previous console supplies have been restrictive but Sony is promising such a big amount for day one that people can pretty much pre-order from whoever they like, and expect to be happy on the day of release," observed Chips MD Don McCabe.

"We've had they highest level of pre-orders of any machine to date - it's been phenomenal. Sony has guaranteed a healthy amount of units and we have every reason to believe they'll deliver".

The PlayStation 3 will launch in the UK on March 23, priced at GBP 425. Sony has previous stated that it plans to have one million units available in Europe on day one. A sizeable proportion of those will be allocated to Britain as it generally accounts for between 25 and 30 per cent of the market.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Sony Computer Entertainment UK boss Ray Maguire said, "Feedback from retail has been incredibly positive, with early indications suggesting that this will be our biggest hardware launch to date.

"Whilst a successful launch is great, the real task is to build upon those foundations, in order to create a solid and sustainable platform, for consumers, developers and retailers alike," he concluded.

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Disney Blu-ray EU Line-up In March.

Disney and Buena Vista Worldwide Home Entertainment have announced that Blu-ray titles will begin launching in Europe on March 19th with the following movies:

• Eight Below
• Chicken Little
• Enemy of the State
• Flightplan
• Gone in 60 Seconds
• The Guardian
• Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
• Hollywoodland
• Pearl Harbor
• Scary Movie 4
• Sky High
• The Wild

In addition, Buena Vista stated that Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest will both be released on Blu-ray in May along the theatrical release of sure box office hit, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.

Other announcements indicate Disney/Pixar Cars will also be released this year with a window set for Summer 07.

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PS3 Firmware Check Bypassed!

Here is a video which shows a successful bypass of the PS3 firmware check! This is confirmed to allow you to play PS3 games online WITHOUT updating and you can access the official store without upgrading your firmware. This method may also allow for some form of downgrading methods too.

Tutorial for PS3 Firmware Bypass in Windows

Here's a simple way to setup your PS3 to bypass the firmware check using a Windows machine as a dns server, its basically the same thing as what Wii users did to use the wii shop as a browser:

1) Download the SimpleDNS software from http://www.simpledns.com/download.aspx

2) Run SimpleDNS (you don't have to reboot despite the installer telling you to..), click on the Records button.

3)In the records window, click on Tools > Quick Domain Wizard.

4)For domain name enter: ps3.update.playstation.net

For Web server IP enter 67.15.88.46

delete the Secondary DNS name entry, you do not need it.

5) Now that you have your new server added, you need to add A Name entries so the ps3 gets redirected on the firmware requests, to do this simply right click and choose New Host Address (A-Record)

6) we need to add two A-Name entries, depending on what region you are in. You can add as many as you'd like if you want to cover your bases though

For the us, we need fus01.ps3.update.playstation.net and dus01.ps3.update.playstation.net

So, In the host address window, enter fus01.ps3.update.playstation.net for Record name, and 67.15.88.46 for IP Address, set the Time To Live to 999 days. Repeat this for dus01.ps3.update.playstation.net.

7) Your end result should be a setup similiar to this, once done simply close the records window in SimpleDNS so that it is back at the activity window

8) On your playstation 3, go into internet settings and enter manual setup and set your PS3's DNS server entry for the IP of the pc on your lan which is running SimpleDNS, then away you go!

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Rumour: Sony Planning PS3 Without Hard Disk.

According to the Japanese magazine "Game Labo" Sony is planning to introduce a Playstation 3 model excluding the HDD. The console is planned to retail for Yen 25.000 which equals 209 US$ or 159 Euro. As Sony has not officially announced this SKU yet.

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PlayStation 3 Is "Most Pre-Ordered Console Yet", Says Play.com.

Online retailer Play.com is taking six times more pre-orders than it received for PS3 than X360 - and 15 times more than the Wii.

That's according to head of games Gian Luzio, who told GamesIndustry.biz that PS3 is "the most pre-ordered console yet" for Play. The retailer is offering a GBP 524.99 bundle which includes first-party titles MotorStorm, Resistance: Fall of Man and Genji.

Play also ran pre-order schemes for the Wii and Xbox 360, but some customers were left disappointed when they failed to receive their consoles on day one.

"We underestimated the demand and we were very disappointed that we could not fulfil all pre-orders due to stock shortages," admitted Luzio.

However, Play has pledged to deliver all pre-ordered PS3 units on launch day, with Luzio stating, "We have taken the necessary steps to ensure that customers will only be able to pre-order the system up until Play's allocation has been reached.

"We will always want more consoles to satisfy customer demand, however, we are satisfied that Sony are doing all they can to fulfil demand," he added.

Luzio went on to say that the inclusion of a Blu-ray player in the PS3 will have a "massive impact" on the retailer's business.

"Figures from the US show that Blu-ray movie sales are outselling HD-DVD by a factor of 2:1 since the launch of PS3 and we have similar sales expectations.

"In addition to the games and movie growth we expect to see a large increase in the sales of 1080p TVs to make full use of the PS3's superior resolution," he concluded.

It's not just Play which is seeing healthy pre-orders for PS3, according to Sony. A spokesperson told GI.biz, "With an unprecedented day one shipment of 1 million machines into Europe and a software catalogue of over 30 titles available at launch, retailer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

"Woolworths, Amazon and Play, to name a few, are reporting record breaking pre-orders and an overwhelming demand for PS3".

The PlayStation 3 will launch in Europe on March 23, priced at GBP 425 / EUR 599 for the 60GB model.

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Register Your Euro PS3 And Get Casino Royale Blu-ray Movie Free.

Bond's gone all Blu-ray for the European of launch of PS3. The first half a million console owners that register for the PlayStation Network will be rewarded with a Blu-ray version of his latest martini-swigging gun shooting flick Casino Royale.

While it might have missed out on Best Picture award at last night's BAFTAs, Casino Royale is still the most successful Bond film of all time - grossing more than $560 million at the box office.

For the Blu-ray release you get a "ground breaking collection of added-value features in 1080p high definition visual quality, and with uncompressed audio features for the best possible audio experience". Plus, if you're so inclined, you can keep looking at that bit where Daniel Craig goes topless.

Darren Carter, VP brand and consumer marketing said: "We are offering the phenomenal incentive of Casino Royale, on Blu-ray disc, to PS3 owners who register on the PlayStation Network. Casino Royale not only makes the most of the features and capabilities of the Blu-ray format, but is one of the most exciting and entertaining movies to debut on Blu-ray this year." Yeah, if you don't count 50 First Dates!

Note:
Don’t assume that because you’ve pre-registered via the website for Player ID that you will automatically be signed up for the Casino Royale Promotion. To get Casino Royale you must connect your PS3 to the network and register your console.

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Blu-ray Is Winning The DVD Format War, Says Sony.

Sony has declared that Blu-ray is already winning the next-gen DVD format war, with discs outselling HD-DVD by a ratio of more than two to one.

The company is quoting a report by consumer research firm Nielsen VideoScan which states that Blu-ray is winning in the cumulative sales stakes. During the first week of January, 47.14 HD-DVD movie discs were sold in the US for every 100 Blu-ray films shifted.

During the second week that ratio increased even further, with 38.36 HD-DVD titles sold per 100 Blu-ray discs.

Sony has also announced the results of an online survey in which 100,000 Playstation 3 owners took part. In total, 90 per cent said they had watched a Blu-ray film on their console, and 80 per cent said they planned to buy more movies in the future. In addition, per cent said they intended to rent Blu-ray films.

Many games industry analysts have predicted that the battle between Blu-ray and the Toshiba-backed HD-DVD format will be key to determining who wins the battle of the next-gen consoles.
Last year, Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter observed that Sony would have an "insurmountable advantage" over Microsoft if movie studios adopt Blu-ray as the standard.

Microsoft released a HD-DVD player for Xbox 360 in the US last November. According to NPD data around 42,000 units were purchased during its first month on sale, rising to 50,000 in December.

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220,000 PS3's Hit UK For March Launch.

SPOnG quizzed Sony Computer entertainment UK's managing director Ray Maguire about the £425 price tag on the 60GB PS3, why there are no cheaper 20GB PS3’s being made available at the UK launch and to find out exactly how many PS3s will be available in Blighty on March 23rd.
Firstly, why no 20GB models? Surely the price controversy could have been played down a little if the cheaper model, with no built-in Wi-Fi and no memory card slots, which Maguire has said in the past would retail for around £350, was also going on sale. Why isn’t it?

Maquire told us that, “The response that we’re getting back from the marketplace – not only from retail, but also from consumers – is that what they really want is the best. They want to go for the wireless model; they do understand that the PlayStation 3 is a machine which has a lot of downloads available right from day one, and that they want to put their own media on it from day one".

He continued, "So a big preference has been shown towards the 60GB model. And when we look at the sales figures from both Japan and the US, that's reflected at retail. You can either have not enough of both in the marketplace for day one, or you can have round about the right amount of one".

But surely consumers can still get their photos and video on to 20GB PS3s via USB cables. Plus, the hard disk is user-upgradeable. Ah well, those arguments are all by the by as we are only getting the £425 60GB model this March, like it or lump it.

Whatever, lets get onto the other important question. How many are we getting?

“[The UK] constitutes just over 22 per cent of the market in PAL – I say PAL rather than Europe, because PAL now extends out to over 100 territories, and some of those territories are quite strong. For instance, we have some of the strongest Middle Eastern and Russian sales forces compared to competing products. That means my overall number is a bit lower than it would be if I had a less well-established product. So we’re round about the 22 per cent mark which, if you divided that into the million would give you 220,000 units".

Maguire adds, “I think if I go down on bended knee, I might get a little bit more… I will try to get as many units as I possibly can. But it will certainly be the biggest launch that the games industry has ever seen, in terms of day one numbers into the marketplace. Probably over four times PlayStation One, and close to double the amount of PS2s. So, it’s going to be a logistical nightmare – that’s a lot of trucks to get around. Product is already on its way, on ships, at the moment, and there is more being generated every single day”.

Woohoo! So there’ll be plenty to go around at least. Finally, we asked Maguire if he was relieved, after the well-documented problems with the delay in Europe, to which he replied, “Absolutely. It’ll be great to finally unleash it upon the world in every area, and give people a chance to see exactly what the machine can do first-hand. Because I think PlayStation 3 is such an all-encompassing product that it’s hard to grasp all its elements until you see it and touch it”.

“Once it’s out with general consumers and they’re seeing it for the first time in many cases, then I think our job really begins. As people get an idea of what they want – more games, better games, wider genres – and we start making sure the games really start doing justice to the 1080 panels they’ve bought, then that’s the start of things”.

More games, better games, wider genres. Yes please Sony!!

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