Split/Second Release Date Revealed

Disney Interactive Studios has today revealed the release date for their forthcoming racing title, Split/Second. Currently in development at Black Rock Studio, the team behind 2008’s well respected PURE, Split/Second will be available on both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 simultaneously.

You have made the cut to join a group of elite drivers chosen to participate in the global broadcast event known as Split/Second. Racing through a city created specifically for destruction, your goal is to become the season champ where fame, fortune and glory await. But first, you must survive a gruelling 24-episode season of races in a variety of explosive locations to crush the competition and become the champion. When speed is not enough, the city is your weapon.

Players in Split/Second don’t just collide with other vehicles to knock them from the track, but can also trigger devastating events and epic Hollywood-style explosions to take out your opponents and drastically alter the dynamics of the race. Being fast is not enough as players must use strategy and pinpoint timing to obliterate huge structures and towering TV set pieces to tactically alter the track or create entirely new routes.

Split/Second, developed by Black Rock Studio, is set to launch across Europe on March 26th 2010, courtesy of Disney Interactive Studios.

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Yamauchi: GT5 To Use 80% Of PS3’s Power

Polyphony Digital’s Kazunori Yamauchi has estimated in an interview with Venturebeat that Gran Turismo 5 will use "80%" of PS3’s processing power.

Asked how much of the system’s capability the racer will use compared to Uncharted 2 .

Yamauchi replied:

"It is about the same for the PS3, about 80 percent of the processing power".

"The PS3 hardware has a very high peak performance. The better you manipulate it, the better it performs".

Yesterday, Sony delayed Gran Turismo 5, but only for Japan’s release in March.

There is no date yet for the US or Europe: something SCEE will be announcing "in due course".

It was announced earlier this week that the GT Time Trial demo, seen as a taster for the full game, was downloaded over 1 million times since its launch in December last year.

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Sony Working On New Disc Format, Possibly For PS4

In a recent interview with Play3, Sony’s Senior VP of Product Development, Shuhei Yoshida said that the PlayStation 4 will use optical storage discs like Blu-Ray for blockbuster games. This was surprising considering Sony’s digital push with UMD-less PSPgo, and the trend the gaming industry has shown toward digital distribution.

So if the PS4 is to feature an optical disc drive, what will the storage format be? Will we see yet another Blu-Ray equipped console? Or will Sony usher in a new technology much like the PS2 did with DVD and the PS3 did with Blu-Ray? We may have the answer after the jump…

Considering Sony’s track record of innovation and “future proofing” their consoles, it’s hard to believe that Sony will yet again equip their console with a Blu-Ray drive. Blu-Ray is what’s hot currently, and while games still aren’t quite filling Blu-Ray discs’ maximum storage capacity, the format is clearly the “present” and not the “future”. To fully “future proof” the PS4 to withstand the standard PlayStation 10-year lifecycle, Sony is going to need to go above and beyond Blu-Ray.

Sony, not-to-be outdone by anyone, is rumored to be working on a successor to Blu-Ray. According to an article in the current issue of GameInformer magazine (Dead Space Cover; Issue 201) Sony is hard at work on “the next jump”, a disc similar to the previously announced Holographic Versatile Disc. The disc is said to have a capacity of 6TB (terabytes) or 6,000GB (gigabytes), more than enough to support 1080p HD video, 3D imagery, uncompressed loseless HD audio, along with any other AV codec you could throw at it. On top of all that storage, the format can use the massive amount of available space to implicate extra security measures, a major positive when pitching the format to game developers (and movie studios) who don’t want their games pirated.

It’s difficult enough looking into the future to predict such a need, even more so now with digital distribution becoming more and more prevalent. Sony has done it in the past with Blu-Ray and with the help of the PlayStation 3, made the format an everyday, household name. While Blu-Ray is here to stay and certainly has plenty of life left in it, so does the PlayStation 3. When the time arrives for the PlayStation 4 to be released, there could be a need for such a massive capacity storage medium. If Sony sees a need for such a format in the future, they’d likely look to the PlayStation 4 to replicate the success the PS3 had in ushering in Blu-Ray.

Do you see a need for such a technology? Do you think the Sony would take the risk again with another new format debuting on a PlayStation console? Or have they learned a lesson from the PS3’s launch price and initial reception?

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Super Stardust 3D: 720p,120fps Confirmed

Last Saturday, Digital Foundry over at eurogamer.net , they took a look at the 3D gaming potential soon to be unlocked by a new system upgrade for the PlayStation 3. We talked about what was out there already, discussed Ubisoft's Avatar and the performance levels of current 3D titles, and suggested that Sony was planning something more technologically advanced than what we've seen in the current implementations of 3D games - something that justified the upcoming firmware upgrade.

Our theory? It made sense that the PS3 upgrade would facilitate support for the new 3D protocols in the HDMI 1.4 standard, specifically the provision for full resolution 3D - basically a double-height, or double-width framebuffer. Thanks to an assist from SCEE, Digital Foundry had the chance to pose a few questions to the Housemarque Super Stardust HD tech team: engine lead Seppo Halonen and creative director Harri Tikkanen.

The answers are hugely enlightening, revealing that Sony's stereoscopic 3D system is indeed based on the notion of full 720p resolution, unlike the current 3D games released to date. This is hugely significant, confirming that the new version of Super Stardust HD is effectively running at a native resolution of full 720p at a staggering 120 frames per second (60 for each eye). We're talking about something not just based on low-resolution buffers as in Invincible Tiger and Avatar, but something new, exciting and a whole lot more challenging to achieve: a true technical leap, and a definite unique selling point for the Sony platform.

Digital Foundry: Can you give us some idea of the re-engineering you had to do to Super Stardust HD in order to support 3D?

Seppo Halonen: For the first thing, we took SSHD and made it use the current revision of our game engine with over a year of additional development. As the engine is highly modular it was mainly a matter of adding stereoscopic cameras and configuring the engine to render everything twice. That was of course just the beginning: after that we had to optimise a lot, as we now had 8.3ms instead of 16.7ms to render a frame. Luckily we had 50 per cent of the SPU power left, so we tapped into that. The current version of the game heavily pre-processes the data that goes to RSX to make sure it can chew through it as quickly as possible.

Digital Foundry: What's the general principle behind your interpretation of 3D? Two lower-resolution frames incorporated into the PS3's 60Hz playback, or something more advanced? Is there support for 1080p?

Seppo Halonen: We render two full-resolution 720p frames with identical content compared to standard mode. Doubling the rendering is quite a challenge in itself to begin with, and we are happy with current 720p 60FPS stereo mode.

Digital Foundry: What are the main challenges of stereoscopic 3D - are you bound by pixel shaders, vertex shaders, drawcalls?

Seppo Halonen: It depends entirely on the game, and even different parts of a game are going to be bound by different things. For SSHD it was mainly drawcalls and polygons - we have lots of objects with lots of polygons and massive particle effects. I solved the issue by moving vertex processing from GPU to SPU and merging as many objects as possible to one drawcall. Previously every asteroid chunk and every enemy was in a separate drawcall; in the stereo version they go out in a few fell swoops.

Digital Foundry: Is support for 3D going to be a consideration for all your future PS3 games?

Harri Tikkanen: Some games lend themselves better to 3D than others, so we will make the decision on a game by game basis.

Want to know more about the origins of Housemarque's Super Stardust HD? Check out the Digital Foundry tech retrospective for an in-depth account on the development of what remains one of the best shooters of the current console generation.

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SCEE Confirms £110 Pricetag For GoW III Ultimate Trilogy Edition In UK

SCEE’s confirmed to today that the God of War III Ultimate Trilogy Edition will set you back £110 when it releases in March.

The package, which consists of the God of War Collection and GoW III itself as well as some other special bits like soundtracks and exclusive DLC.

Sony Shows Off Super Stardust HD In 3D

PlayStation 3 will receive a firmware update to display 3D movies and video games.

Avatar: The Game is one of the first 3D-enabled games to arrive at retail, but it won't be the last and it's possible that publishers could release patches to add 3D to already released games.

Like, for example, Super Stardust HD.

Sony briefly showed a clip of Super Stardust HD, the popular PlayStation Network downloadable twin-stick shooter, in 3D during their CES 2010 press conference. It appeared to be playable on the CES show floor too, along with Gran Turimo 5 and Avatar: The Game.

PlayStation 3 Sells 3.8 Million Units Wordwide In December

On the heels of its CES 2010 keynote speech, Sony released a press release declaring worldwide sales “exceeding 3.8 million” of the PlayStation 3 during the 2009 holiday season.

According to the company, “during the five weeks following the last week of November 2009″ , the console sold more than during any previous holiday season and had a 76% increase over 2008 numbers.

PS3 VidZone Downloads Pass 2 Million

VidZone is currently celebrating the fact that its PS3 client has been downloaded over two MILLION times. Personally, we absolutely love the service and think its a great coup for the PS3.

Hit music video streaming service VidZone has seen its PS3 client downloaded over 2m times, VidZone Digital Media has confirmed.

In addition, the service has now delivered over 200m videos to its many users spread across 18 countries .Throughout 2009 VidZone snared some high-profile video exclusives from the likes of U2, The Prodigy and Groove Amada.

Sony Increasing The Storage Capacity Of Blu-Ray Discs

Sony and Panasonic have announced plans to increase the capacity of Blu-Ray discs (such as those used by PS3 games) from 25GB to 33.4GB. Hideo Kojima will be so pleased!

According to a report from Nikkei, the increase comes courtesy of some new ways to evaluate content on the disc. Or, in more technical terms, is thanks to new partial response maximum likelihood (PRML) signal processing, which "assumes inter-symbol interference, which makes it difficult to base optical disc quality evaluation on jitter, as is widely done now for Blu-ray and many other optical discs".

Now, there's good news, and there's good news. Good news first: this advance will be compatible with all existing Blu-Ray players, as all that's required is a firmware update. So the technology will find its way to PS3 games soon enough.

And the good news? The increase applies to all layers of the disc. So as soon as dual-layered Blu-Ray discs start becoming common, you'll be able to fit 66.8GB of data on a disc.

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Say Hello To Snowy Sackboy..........

The sackboy upgrades to snow!

Just as adorable as ever, but unfortunately, much more terminal.

TheMethod of the Offiical PlayStation forums shared his homemade snowy Sackboy.

And since the PS forums is still in the spirit of giving, TheMethod will be receiving a copy of Ratchet & Clank: A Crank in Time and a MotorStorm t-shirt from the forums' Community Team Leader.

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Pirates Claim PS3 Hack Success

Hackers claim to have found way to play copied software on Sony’s previously impervious console.

With piracy rife in the Wii, Xbox 360, DS and PSP markets, the PS3 has to date proved the only current-gen machine to successfully fend off the hackers – but it seems that things could be about to change.

According to reports on Maxconsole, a lengthy and convoluted workaround has been discovered that allows users to play pirated copies of Killzone 2, PES 2008 and Burnout Paradise.

Users are also required to have an older PS3 (i.e. not a ‘Slim’ machine) onto which third party OS software can be installed as well as copies of Windows XP, the original MotorStorm and a host of piracy-related DVD software.

The exploit, however, has been met with widespread scepticism amongst many in the hacker community, not least because of the extreme cost and effort needed to implement it.

Even if the hack is real, any detrimental effects are likely to be minimal for now. The fear, however, is that this method could be the start of full-fledged hacking of Sony’s console.

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This Is It, The Michael Jackson PS3 Bundle Coming To Japan

No, your eyes do not deceive you.

There is a Michael Jackson PS3 bundle, and it’s coming to Japan on January 27th.

The pack will contain a 120Gb PS3, a DualShock 3 controller, power cable, AV cable, USB lead and a copy of the documentary 'This Is It' on Blu-ray.

It will go on sale for ¥33,500.

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Here's To A Great 2010 Gaming Year

Final 3-D Blu-ray Specification Announced

The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) today announced the finalization and release of the “Blu-ray 3D™” specification. It leverages the technical advantages of the BD format to deliver “unmatched picture quality” as well as uniformity and compatibility across the full range of Blu-ray 3D products, both hardware and software. The specification is also designed to allow the PS3 to play back Blu-ray 3D content in 3-D.

Notably, the specification allows every player and movie supporting it to deliver full HD 1080p resolution to each eye. Moreover, the specification is display agnostic, meaning that Blu-ray 3D products will deliver the 3-D image to any compatible 3-D display, regardless of whether that display uses LCD, plasma or other technology and regardless of what 3-D technology the display uses to deliver the image to the viewer's eyes.

Regarding compatibility, the specification supports playback of 2-D discs in forthcoming 3-D players and can enable 2-D playback of Blu-ray 3D discs on the installed base of Blu-ray Disc players currently in homes around the world.

The Blu-ray 3D specification calls for encoding 3-D video using the Multiview Video Coding (MVC) codec, an extension to the ITU-T H.264 Advanced Video Coding (AVC) codec currently supported by all Blu-ray Disc players. MPEG4-MVC compresses both left and right eye views with a typical 50% overhead compared to equivalent 2-D content, and can provide full 1080p resolution backward compatibility with current 2-D Blu-ray Disc players. The specification also incorporates enhanced graphic features for 3-D. These features provide a new experience for users, enabling navigation using 3-D graphic menus and displaying 3-D subtitles positioned in 3-D video.

The completed specification will be available shortly and provides individual manufacturers and content providers with the technical information and guidelines necessary to develop, announce and bring products to market pursuant to their own internal planning cycles and timetables.

“Throughout this year, movie goers have shown an overwhelming preference for 3-D when presented with the option to see a theatrical release in either 3-D or 2-D,” said Victor Matsuda, chairman, BDA Global Promotions Committee. “We believe this demand for 3-D content will carry over into the home now that we have, in Blu-ray Disc, a medium that can deliver a quality Full HD 3-D experience to the living room.”

“From a technological perspective, it is simply the best available platform for bringing 3D into the home,” said Benn Carr, chairman, BDA 3D Task Force. “The disc capacity and bit rates Blu-ray Disc provides enable us to deliver 3D in Full HD 1080p high definition resolution.”

“In 2009 we saw Blu-ray firmly establish itself as the most rapidly adopted packaged media format ever introduced,” said Matsuda. “We think the broad and rapid acceptance Blu-ray Disc already enjoys with consumers will be a factor in accelerating the uptake of 3-D in the home. In the meantime, existing players and libraries can continue to be fully enjoyed as consumers consider extending into 3-D home entertainment.”

A note on spelling

Earlier this year, the blu-ray.com team unanimously decided to use the spelling "3-D", with a hyphen, for everything related to stereoscopic images, and "3D", without a hyphen, for three-dimensional graphics and animation. We shall continue to do so, except when citing the name of the “Blu-ray 3D” specification, which doesn't use the hyphen.

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Final Fantasy XIII : Lightning Edition - PS3 Unboxing

Looks awesome.:D

PS3 Firmware 3.15 Full Change List; Now Live

As mentioned in an early post, a firmware update (3.15) was coming to fix some issues that had arisen after the 3.10 firmware update. Along with these minor fixes come a few new features such as the ability to play PSP minis on the PS3.

Check out the full firmware update details:

Bluetooth sync issues fixed

Trophy syncing issue resolved

PSP Minis now playable on the PS3 (starting December 17th all PSP minis will be playable on the PS3, for now you must go to your download list and re-download any previously purchased PSP minis for them to function on the PS3)

XBM Icon Added – Minis Save Data Icon

LAN Data Transfer Utility

1. Turn both the current PS3 (A) and new PS3 (B) on and connect them with a LAN cable; PS3 (A) should be connected to the TV. Please note, firmware (v3.15) must be installed on both systems.

2. On the XMB of PS3 (A), scroll to the Settings category and select [System Settings] and then [Data Transfer Utility]

3. Follow the instructions on-screen and transfer data

4. After transferring the data, follow the instructions on-screen, and then connect PS3 (B) to the TV to view the XMB

5. If content that was downloaded from PlayStation Store, was transferred as part of this operation, you must activate PS3 (B) before you can use the data. Log in to the PS3 system as the user who owns the content, and then select (PlayStation Network) > (Account Management) > (System Activation) to activate the system.

PS3 System Software Update 3.15 Announced

The next system software update for PS3 was anounced yesterday, and will be available very soon. Update 3.15 is an optional update and has two key features which are explained below –

‘minis’ come to PS3:




Minis launched for PSP back in October but from the 17th December you will be able to enjoy these bite size games on your PS3 as well as your PSP. This firmware update allows the minis emulator to work on PS3 and we are working on getting the majority of the current minis ready for the PS3 from the 17th December.

Check out great titles like ‘Blast off’ (8.5/10 – IGN), ‘Fieldrunners’, “a wonderfully crafted casual nugget” (8/10 – Eurogamer) or ‘Kahoots’, “a must-buy” (8/10 – Videogamer).
If you buy a minis game from the 17th it will work on both platforms so if you have a PS3 and a PSP you will only need to buy it once and it will be available to download to your PS3 and your PSP.

If you have already bought a mini for PSP and want to get it on your PS3 as well, just go to your download list in the Store and download it again for free. The game will then work on your PS3 as well.

PS3 Data Transfer:




This feature enables you to transfer all of your saved data from one PS3 to another. So if you decide to get a new PS3 you can make sure you don’t loose any of your existing content. Content such as games, game save data, and videos downloaded from PlayStation Network can be transferred to the new PS3 system and deleted from the current PS3. Other content, including personal media files (photos, music, videos), can be copied onto the new PS3 and remain on the current PS3 system.


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24k Gold PS3 Not Over $9000

A few weeks ago, computer Choppers teased us with an image of the shell of it’s 24k Gold PS3. At that time nothing was known except that it was a PS3 Slim dipped in 24k gold. Today, Computer Choppers has released it’s 24k Gold PS3 to the world and been kind enough to supply us with some information.

The 24k gold PS3’s are now available and can be ordered like any of their other products. Units start at $4,999, come with 2 24k gold controllers, and a 1 year warranty(just in case). Customers who purchase one of these can get custom logos in chrome, black chrome, 24kt gold, white gold, rose gold, or platinum.

If customers would like to take things a step further and make theirs a little more unique, they will be allowed to create a PS3 logo with diamonds or almost any exotic material. No word on how much extra that will cost you, but I’m sure it will.

There is a “jeweled” limited edition PS3 on the way for those seeking something more extravagant and limited. Computer Choppers told us, “The limited edition model will be released in the coming weeks, unfortunately not in time for the Christmas holiday.” By limited there will only be a few of these “jeweled” PS3s made.

We believe these will be the five 24k Gold & Diamonds PS3 Slims we were told about a few weeks back. We’ll let you know when those come around. Those will probably be a bit more pricey, but for those who can’t afford those, the $5000 model is perfect for you!

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Sony's Plans To Win The Console War

Ever since the start of this current generation of consoles, Sony has been playing catch up to Nintendo, and to a lesser degree, Microsoft. Whether it was due to launching a year after the Xbox 360, or retailing at a more expensive price point than the Wii, the PlayStation 3 struggled in its infancy. But, ever since the price drop and the introduction of the PS3 Slim, the brand appears on strong legs, and Sony says it is poised to have a significant 2010.

Yesterday PSU had a chance to speak with John Koller, director of hardware marketing at Sony Computer Entertainment America, about Sony’s momentum leading into the holidays. When asked about catching up to its competitors, Koller said, “We are making every effort to do so.”

“We know our heritage, we have the PlayStation and PlayStation 2, and we’re a company of strong sales,” he said. “We really enjoy providing consumers with what they ask for. There’s tremendous value in the PS3 and going into next year, we have so much wind at our back. Consumers are still going to be heavily demanding our product in 2010.”

In 2010, Sony will introduce its motion controller, a concept that Koller describes as “the holy grail of gaming, placing people in the game.” The PlayStation version will be more precise and fun than any other product on the market, he said. If Sony’s motion controller appears to rip off the Wii’s technology, it’s important to note that Sony has been developing its motion control technology for many years.

Beyond the new motion controller, Sony has a stellar list of games launching for the PS3 in 2010. We already know about God of War III, MAG, Heavy Rain, and ModNation Racers, but Koller says Sony has some big tricks up its sleeves in the software department, both first and third party titles. We’ll have to wait for more details, but it sounds like 2010 is going to be a huge year for Sony as it builds off the momentum from the past few months.

PSU will have more of the interview with Sony shortly, along with a look at a time that we believe is Sony’s new golden age.

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PS3 Central: Top 10 PS3 Exclusives As Of The End Of 2009

Sony really strengthened their development core during the past few years since the launch of the Playstation 3. In addition to some exceptional efforts from third-party studios as well, the exclusive lineup for the Playstation 3 is top notch. So which games are the best of the crop? Here are the PS3 Central Top 10 Playstation 3 exclusives as of the end of 2009.

Check em out.

10. EyePet(Solus) - £19.97, EyePet Bundle - £29.97

This cute little game lets you raise 3D virtual pets with the power of the PS3. Using PlayStation Eye, you can interact with your pet through gestures in realtime. Existing in Augmented Reality, your EyePet will be fully aware of people in the room and will interact with you and your friends in realtime -- it will even recognize items in your room and attempt to play with them! You can play with your EyePet (including tickling, playing chase games and teasing it to jump around,) customize its look and outfit, and even draw toys for it to play with!

Bundled with this release of EyePet is the PlayStation Eye camera, allowing gamers to hook up and instantly become friends with their EyePet companion.

9. Uncharted: Drakes Fortune - £22.97

A 400-year-old clue in the coffin of Sir Francis Drake sets a modern-day fortune hunter on an exploration for the fabled treasure of El Dorado, leading to the discovery of a forgotten island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The search turns deadly when Nathan Drake becomes stranded on the island and hunted by mercenaries. Outnumbered and outgunned, Drake and his companions must fight to survive as they begin to unravel the terrible secrets hidden on the Island.

Taking full advantage of the power of PS3, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is developed using proprietary technology that promises to impress players with incredibly realistic characters and lifelike environments. Building on its legacy of extraordinary storytelling, developer Naughty Dog has created an elaborate plot that will have players guessing at every turn. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, brings players into a world ripe with realism and unexpected juxtapositions.

8. Valkyria Chronicles - £27.97

Originally developed for the Xbox 360, Valkyria Chronicles features a unique mix of genres: third-person shooter, strategy and role-playing. As a result, the gameplay feels fresh and original. With beautiful graphics and an engrossing story to boot, Valkyria Chronicles is one of the best exclusive games on the system so far.

7. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots - £24.97

No Playstation 3 exclusive was more anticipated than Metal Gear Sold 4: Guns Of The Patriots. The final saga for Solid Snake easily lives up to the tremendous hype with an unforgettable cinematic experience that streamlines the classic stealth gameplay from the long-running series. Not to mention that the much underrated Metal Gear Online provides plenty of fun long after you finish the epic story.

6. LittleBigPlanet - £22.97

LittleBigPlanet pretty much has everything you want for an exclusive game: outstanding graphics, fun online multiplayer and an instantly recognizable protagonist in Sackboy. The 2D physics-based platformer also pushes new grounds with the ability to create and share user-create levels over the Playstation Network. Moreover, it is constantly evolving thanks to constant updates that adds new features in addition to the endless streams of levels.

5. inFamous - £22.97

What would you do if you could channel millions of volts through your fingertips? Take to the streets and try to right the world's wrongs? Create pandemonium with your newfound abilities, dealing out death and destruction with the flick of a wrist? Or simply kick back on the sofa and impress your mates as you flick through the digi-box without the aid of a remote control? That's the predicament at the centre of Sucker Punch's inFamous, an open world game with a superhero lilt that's easily one of the finest PlayStation 3 exclusives to date.

4. God Of War Collection(US Import) - £39.97

Perhaps more than any of its franchises, God of War stands out as the most looked-upon series in Sony's library of fantastic titles as even people who don't own a PlayStation system take a look at what Kratos is up to every time new info hits. While we still have some four months to go until we can get our hands on God of War III, the wait is being made a little bit easier with the release of the God Of War Collection.

3. Gran Turimo 5: Prologue - £22.97

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue has most everything you've loved about the GT franchise in the past, though with some notable improvements and additions while simultaneously on a smaller scale. The AI is much improved, the online, while basic, works really well, and the series (or really any other racing game in existence) has never been more realistic nor arguably fun to drive (with Burnout being its only "fun" competition).

Prologue is not necessarily a game for someone who wasn't quite into Gran Turismo in the past and is thinking of giving it another go (that'll be the full GT5 release next year), but it's definitely a worthy pickup for fans of the franchise.

2. Killzone 2 - £22.97

No one could have suspected that the sequel to 2004's Killzone would be this good. Killzone 2 is a tremendous package, offering an exciting campaign and terrific competitive online play, neither of which create new paradigms for first-person shooters, but rather set new standards in subtle but significant ways. From groundbreaking visuals to well-crafted multiplayer maps, most of Killzone 2's individual elements stand out in a crowded genre, making its meager attempts at storytelling easy to ignore. PlayStation 3 owners looking for a shooter to keep them busy for the rest of 2009 and beyond need look no further: The fierce action will keep you glued to your television screen for some time to come.

1. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves - £39.97

As great as Uncharted: Drake's Fortune was, the sequel absolutely blows it out of the water. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves features a far more epic and better paced single-player campaign. Moreover, you have plenty of cooperative and competitive online multiplayer modes to plow through as well. Add in the fact that Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is by far the best-looking game on the system and you have yourself one of the best exclusive titles on the Playstation 3 as of the end of 2009.

Honorable mentions:

MotorStorm: Pacific Rift
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In Time
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
Resistance: Fall of Man
Resistance 2

Most of the above games can be purchased from Bits & Bytes, our ebid store.

To browse store: sign up to ebid(which is free).

Feel free to post your own Top 10 PS3 Exclusives so Far.

Firmware 3.00 Q&A

Posted on 8 September by Mark Bowles - PS3 Brand Manager:

Many of you have been asking why we haven’t responded to your complaints about last week’s 3.0 update until now. Sorry it’s taken us a while to get back to you – this is obviously an emotive subject and there have been a lot of issues raised surrounding the release, so we wanted to make sure we could come back to you with a comprehensive response that answers your most frequently asked questions.

I don’t like the “Fizz”. How do I turn it off?

To turn the fizz off, go to the Theme Settings under Settings on the XMB, you can choose different themes from here. “Classic” is the default theme without the fizz.

Where’s the game start chime gone? Why would you remove it?

One of the reasons we removed the PS3 jingle is that it was created to indicate the start of a game, but now we’re offering non-game content such as Vidzone in addition to games. More importantly though, this change makes the loading time a bit quicker than before, which we think will be a noticeable benefit for all game users.

The BBC iPlayer icon hasn’t appeared on the XMB. How can I get it?

There are 2 criteria for the presence of the iPlayer icon on the XMB:
(1) A PSN account or guest account as a UK resident
(2) A PS3 console sold in the UK. If you don’t have either of them, the icon will not show up. You can access the BBC iPlayer without the icon, by using the PS3 browser. The quickest way to get around it, is to type “iplayer” in the Google search shortcut on the XMB and click “iplayer” from the search result. You will be redirected to the PS3 special site of iPlayer, where you can then press “Select” to add to your bookmark.

For a better experience in the future, we are looking at the possibility of removing point (2). However (1) is required to identify your country of residence.

I don’t like the size of the font and the icons. Why can’t I change it back to its old size?

Based on your feedback, we are looking at the possibility of making the changes optional.

The US and Japan have a few Dynamic Themes available already. Where are ours?

The Dynamic Themes were supplied to all three regions at the same time, but unfortunately, due to the complexities of the PAL region’s PlayStation Store publishing process, they missed our publishing window last week. (Remember, we have 29 stores across 25 countries, which require the use of 13 currencies and 8 languages, so it’s more difficult for us to publish last minute content than it is for either the US or Japan).

We can confirm that some Dynamic Themes will be made available on the EU Store this week, and we have a little surprise prepared especially for our PAL readers that we hope you’ll agree is worth the wait!

I used to be able to surf the net and listen to music simultaneously. Now I can’t. Why?

The PS3 extended the upsampling capability to audio tracks stored on HDD and storage media with v3.00. Some function on the XMB such as the internet browser and photo gallery outputs with 48KHz only so you need to set audio outputs as 48Khz to enjoy music and net surfing.

The first thing I see when I turn my PS3 on is adverts. What does this offer me?

It’s not just about adverts — the primary role of the “What’s New” screen is to get you into the game more quickly. You’ll be able to jump straight into the last three games or applications that you’ve been using. It’s basically acts as a short-cut to the games that are resident on the HDD, so that they can be automatically booted up rather than having to go via the game selection icons on the XMB. In addition, “What’s New” will give you a chance to discover some of the best deals on offer, read about the hottest stories currently making news across the web or even give you a heads up about some exclusive content our own EU Blog. We’re planning to improve “What’s New” in the future with some exciting content and customisation, so we eagerly await your feedback and ideas.

Uncharted freezes ever since 3.00 was released. Is there a fix coming soon?

We’re aware of the problem with Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune following the latest system software update and have a team working hard to isolate the issue. We’ll update further information here on the blog, as and when we get it. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused and appreciate your patience and understanding.
–
Well guys, I hope that’s helped answer some of your questions. Thanks to all those of you who have provided positive feedback on 3.0.

As a wise person once said, “You can please all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot please all the people all the time” — We love hearing everyone’s opinion so keep the comments coming!

Source

BBC iPlayer proves a hit on PS3

Sony's PS3 games console now accounts for 10% of all viewing of the BBC iPlayer, according to the UK pubcaster, which has launched a new version it says "bodes well" for Project Canvas.

A PS3-compatible version of the iPlayer has been around for about a year but last week the BBC launched a new version, which it says has already overtaken Apple Macs to become its second most popular platform for IP-delivered TV.

PS3 claims 10% of all iPlayer viewing while Apple Macs have 8.5%. PCs meanwhile are still number one, accounting for around 70%. Virgin Media cable, which claims around a third of total iPlayer viewing, is not included in this count.

"We'll have to wait and see whether this holds up in the coming weeks, but this enthusiastic reception makes it clear that users do want iPlayer on their TV - something that bodes well for Canvas and other IPTV propositions," said BBC Future Media and Technology online and Vision controller Anthony Rose.

The reference to the BBC's plan to create an open IPTV standard comes as the Future Media and Technology executive awaits the outcome of the BBC Trust's final decision on whether it should be allowed to go ahead.

Rose commended Sony on technical work it has carried out recently which made the process of putting the new version of iPlayer on the PS3 much easier.

Sony last week announced that it was bringing its Bravia Internet Video capable devices to Europe early next year with broadcasters across the continent, including the UK's Five, on board.

A BBC spokesman said today that developments with the iPlayer on PS3 would not necessarily mean it would also mean the BBC catch-up service would be compatible with the new Sony TVs.

Source

Porn king calls for PS3 support

The kingpin of the world's largest pornography producer has called on Sony to make downloadable HD adult movies available worldwide through PSN.

The Vivid Entertainment founder and co-chairman, Steven Hirsch, told MCV that he believed the distribution of porn films on PS3 had "real potential" for the adult entertainment industry.

Japanese firm DDM.tv last month revealed that it had launched an HD porn download service for owners of the PS3 – but it is only available in its home territory for the time being.

Source

Euro FFXIII date to be announced in the “very near future”

Square Enix Europe has announced that European FFXIII date is imminent.

"We plan to announce the PAL release timing of Final Fantasy XIII in the very near future", said a rep.

The company has just confirmed a December 17 launch for the RPG’s exclusive PS3 version in Japan, priced 8,800 yen. Sony has also mentioned that a possible FFXIII slim bundle is in the works.

We were told by the game’s developers at GamesCom that it'll hit both the US and Europe on the PS3 and 360 early next year.

Sony investigating PS3 3.0 firmware issues

Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) has confirmed that it is aware and is actively investigation isolated reports of PS3s behaving badly after the latest firmware, v3.0, has been installed. PS3 3.0 included a lot of aesthetic changes to the XMB as well as the addition of "What's New, Status Indicator, Friends List, PlayStation Store Shortcuts, Personalization and improved Trophies".

However, since it was released, there has been numerous reports made on forums about the console acting badly after the latest firmware update has been installed. "SCEA is aware of reports that PS3 owners are experiencing isolated issues with their PS3 system since installing the most recent system software update (v3.00)," the blog reads.

It continues:

"Rest assured that we are looking into the matter and will provide an update here as soon as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience, as it’s our mission to deliver the best consumer experience on all PlayStation platforms".

Source

PS3 Slim Sells 500,000 units worldwide in the first week

According to VGChartz.com, PS3 Slim launch sales will top 500k worldwide for the first week, making it one of the most successfull console re-launches in history. The break down of sales are as follows:

Europe(incuding UK)

Approx 200k

US

Approx 150k

Japan

Approx 150k

PS3 software sales around the world have also increased because of the amount of new users. UK sales of Call of Duty 4 saw a 137% rise as a result of retailers bundling the game with the PS3 Slim.

Sony Announces PSN Reality Series: Win a Job at SCEA

PLAYSTATION®NETWORK LOOKING FOR GAMERS TO PARTICIPATE IN NEW COMPETITIVE REALITY PROGRAM

SCEA to Award Job at PlayStationSony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) today announced an open casting call for “The Tester,” a new competitive reality series created for PlayStation®Network, which will become available exclusively for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™).

The program will follow a group of gamers as they face off in a series of elimination challenges designed to test their mental prowess, dexterity, and video game knowledge and compete to win a gamer’s ultimate dream job – an official PlayStation game tester. Open casting for the series begins today.

To enter, gamers must complete the online form and submit a short video at.

www.us.PlayStation.com/psn/thetester

Explaining why they have what it takes to be a part of the PlayStation family. Selected contestants will then compete over the course of eight episodes, going head-to-head in a series of game-themed challenges designed to test the will and grit of even the most dedicated gamer. The winner will earn a contract position as a tester at PlayStation’s Quality Assurance department in San Diego, CA, where he or she will get hands on time with the most highly anticipated games in the industry.

Leveraging its unequalled studio relationships, PlayStation Network has partnered with reality programming veterans, 51 Minds Entertainment to produce “The Tester.” Widely credited for inventing the celebreality genre of reality programming, 51 Minds Entertainment’s previous credits include many iconic, pop culture hits such as “The Surreal Life,” “Flavor of Love” and “Rock of Love.”

The latest in a series of original programs designed exclusively for PlayStation Network, “The Tester” will debut this winter. Each episode of “The Tester” will be available in high-definition and distributed digitally through the PlayStation®Store. Episodes can be purchased individually or all eight at once through a season pass.

For more information on “The Tester” and how to participate please visit: www.us.PlayStation.com/psn/thetester

PS3 Slim Uses 45nm Cell Processor

Now we know what the Playstation 3 Slim offers as far as energy consumption and size, but how has the hardware changed to make it possible?

Way back in September of last year, the first rumblings of a 45nm Cell Processor were heard. It was reported that mass production of the smaller, more efficient chip would begin in 2009. Well, here we are in 2009, faced with a smaller, more efficient PS3 Slim. Does it incorporate the new technology?

IBM says yes. The PS3 Slim's Cell Processor was "manufactured using an advanced 45-nanometer manufacturing process," bringing "many performance improvements while drawing less power than earlier chips".

The original report from International Data Group goes on to say that the PS3 Slim "adds hardware enhancements that make it speedier".

Wait, so Sony knew about the Slim the whole time they were denying the rumors? Those sly dogs!

Sony Throwing A Global Launch Party For Slim PS3

Sony Computer Entertainment Hong Kong sent out a press bulletin proudly announcing they are going to host the global launch party for the slim PlayStation 3. The system arrives in stores on September 1st everywhere, but Japan. Due to time zone differences Hong Kong will be the first region to sell the system.

Sony is celebrating the slim PS3’s launch with a party in Causeway Bay, one of Hong Kong’s busiest shopping districts.

The event starts at 6PM and goes on past 12AM when the console goes on sale.

Video: GamesRadar and PTOM unbox the PS3 Slim

Gamecom 09: Slim Is Real

The MEGATON announcement has just happened, Kaz Hirai has just reaveled the PS3 Slim and a price drop on all other PS3 models effective now.

PS3 Slim will be release first week of September, priced at:

299 euros, 299 dollars and 29,980 yen.

The PS3 Slim is smaller, lighter, and has all the same features as current PS3 Models.

Kaz has left the stage, to thunderous applause.

Gamescom 09: Video Download Service Available Later This Year

The Video Download service will be for both the PS3 and PSP. At first it will offer just movies, but will be expanded to include local content.

Movies will be available to rent or buy, either in SD or HD formats.

The service will cover UK, France, Germany and Spain, and is coming in November.

Gamescom 09: VidZone Is Been Expanded Across Europe

Later in the year VidZone will get expanded across more European territories.

Gamescom 09: PSN Cards Are Coming To Europe

The PSN Cards will be available as 20 Euro or 50 Euro versions.

They will be released in September.

Gamescom 09: SingStar Getting own Home Space

Live from Sony's Gamescom Conference, Andrew House is showing off the SingStar Home Space.

The new Home Space includes a music quiz, a video jukeboz, an interactive dance floor and "more to come..."

Gamescom 09: LittleBigPlanet to get 'Water' via DLC

Today Media Molecule has announced that water is coming to LittleBigPlanet.

They have also shared a video dubbed 'Just add water' (available below) and have posted the following prelude on their site.

Ever feel like something was... missing?

That’s right folks.

Water is coming to LittleBigPlanet as part of a future downloadable addon kit.

Source

Gamescom 09: Battlefield 1943 Hits 1m Downloads

During EA's Gamecom press conference, EA announced that the digital download only game 'Battlefield 1943' has been downloaded over one million times since it's release on the PS3 & 360 on July 8th.

The impressive new figures highlight the huge growth currently being enjoyed by the digital download space.

GamesCom Schedule Of Events

The GamesCom conference kicks off today in Germany, where more than 350 exhibitors from 30 countries have already registered for the first ever GamesCom conference.

Over the next 3 days, members from the public as well as journalists and industry professionals will get a distinctly european glimpse at the hottest electonic entertainment products.

Starting this afternoon, we will be covering the big Sony press conference.

Here is the official schedule of events for GamesCom Germany. Please note that local European time is used:

Tuesday, 18 August 2009

4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Press conference Electronic ArtsPalladium, Schanzenstrasse 40, 51063 Cologne

6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Press conference Sony Computer Entertainment EuropeE-Werk, Schanzenstrasse 37, 51063 Cologne

Wednesday, 19 August 2009

8:10 a.m. Opening ceremonyOutdoors in front of the North entrance

8:30 a.m. Opening press conferenceRheinsaal, Sections 1 - 4, Congress Centre North

9:00 a.m. Press breakfast Electronic ArtsAt the trade fair stand, Hall 6, Stand A 071 / C 070

10:00 a.m. Press conference Microsoft Game Studios / Lionhead Press BriefingKonrad-Adenauer-Saal, Congress Centre North

11:00 a.m. Press conference German Association for the Protection of Children, State Association Bavaria [Deutscher Kinderschutzbund Landesverband Bayern e.V.]Conference room D, Congress Centre North

11:00 a.m. Press conference Turtle EntertainmentAt the trade fair stand, Hall 9.1, Stand C 061a

12:00 p.m. Press conference KONAMI DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT GmbHRheinsaal, Sections 1 + 2, Congress Centre North

1:00 p.m. Press conference Koch Media / Deep SilverAt the trade fair stand, Hall 7.1, Stand B 041

1:00 p.m. Press conference ProSiebenSat.1 / SevenOne IntermediaRheinsaal, Section 3, Congress Centre North

3:00 p.m. Press conference ASUSRheinsaal, Sections 4 + 6, Congress Centre North

4:00 p.m. Press conference NAMCO BANDAI PartnersAt the trade fair stand, Hall 8, Stand B 040

5:00 p.m. Press conference Bethesda SoftworksAt the trade fair stand, Hall 6, Stand B 051

6:00 p.m. Press conference Ankama GamesRheinsaal, Section 3, Congress Centre North

6:30 p.m. Opening of gamescom (only for invited guests)Konrad-Adenauer-Saal, Congress Centre North

Thursday, 20 August 2009

All day open for public

12:00 p.m. Press conference KalicanthusRheinsaal, Sections 4 + 6, Congress Centre North

Rumour: GT5 In Playable Form On PS3 At GamesCom

According to Japanese magazine Express, Polyphony Digital's PlayStation 3 game Gran Turismo 5 will be playable at GamesCom in Cologne, Germany. The article is mostly about Gran Turismo on PSP, but a small box features Gran Turismo 5, titled "PS3 GT5 Playable," and reads:

"GT5 will be playable at Gamescom and next will be at Tokyo Game Show".

Though we'd like to take this as a rumour for now, Sony is expected to announce a release date for the game later today during their conference.

[UPDATE] - The appearance YouTube walkthrough of GamesCom's show floor by Brian Crecente of Kotaku all but confirms GT5 will in deed be in playable form on PS3 - you'll spot a load of GT5 demo pods at 1.30 minutes:

SingStar: The Beatles On way

MCV have revealed that EA are to release Singstar: The Beatles exclusively to the PS3.

SingStar: The Beatles will basically be an instrument-free port of The Beatles: Rock Band. Sources at Gamescom in Cologne told industry site MCV that, as with The Beatles: Rock Band, the title will be published by MTV Games and distributed by Electronic Arts.

The title, which will come bundled with SingStar microphones, will be released “within days” of The Beatles: Rock Band’s arrival on September 9th.

Source

PlayStation®Network Maintenance

The PlayStation®Network will be taken offline for maintenance on August 18, 2009 from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM PST. We apologize for any inconvenience.

During this time you may:

* Not be able to access the PlayStation®Store
* Not be able to play online games
* See a maintenance page when attempting to access the PlayStation Network

Please click here to check the status of the PlayStation Network. Please note when you log into the PlayStation Network, a message indicating the PlayStation Network has been suspended may appear. This does not mean that your account has been suspended, it simply means the PlayStation Network has been taken offline. Please wait until the maintenance has been completed before attempting to connect to the PlayStation Network.

Sony again apologize's for any inconvenience.

Sony Sculpts Giant “SandStation” 3

Donghae City was the held the first Korean Invitational World Sand Sculpting Championship. What does this have to with video games? Sony Computer Entertainment Korea showed up and joined the sand sculpting fun.

That’s what SCEK made and they seem quite proud of it since they sent out a news bulletin reporting their marketing stunt.

Thats cool.

What do you think?

Pimp My Console ebid Store Now Open

Hi, the Pimp My Console ebid Store is now officially open. Check it out. We specialise in upgrading PS3 hard drives. Hard drive sizes go from 160Gb - 500Gb, prices suitable for all budgets. At present our service covers UK only.

Be sure to bookmark our site. Thank You.

Naughty Dog 50 'Uncharted 2 Beta Codes' For EU.

Naughty Dog has posted 50 'Uncharted 2 Beta Codes' for EU PS3 users on there facebook page. To redeem code goto 'Playatation store' and enter code under the 'redeem code' function. Be quick. Enjoy!

T368-2JBE-96FM
9A3H-8CB9-278N
APEI-ARB3-2634
FTTB-G5B6-FC99
34JF-ETB8-TIRA
GCFA-AGBP-9X2P
GIEG-HGBC-X67P
PBAX-PTB4-AEKT
KF3P-B9BI-K755
FJJT-P5BC-MR96
FAXI-DKB9-6FC2
R93K-BABB-32RJ
3IF5-B2B8-R2EP
3XTT-KGBC-XKJ8
D6NN-T7BH-XEMP
MTF4-FTBT-82J5
R6N2-MGBF-PBTA
82PR-E9BN-RE39
E3B7-MBBA-BHNK
MN5P-RJB2-XCX3
8GM5-FKBC-768F
XAR7-2MB2-P2KB
2RPP-R2BM-H5B9
5NMG-N4BK-533R
E83N-CJB8-EI2C
MN6P-AIB4-5IMP
PAM2-3MBE-5TIA
KN25-NCBT-ITC6
K5P9-JPBA-HPND
EKMI-GJBE-I7X5
3G2N-H7BG-DI9K
H2PK-MEB7-GNMB
4EDA-6BBM-JR4A
3KT4-E5B5-MHCA
6FK8-2KB5-3E5M
GAB6-GCBJ-MMP9
HXAB-C6B8-26G7
5PTM-B8BI-4983
F9NG-B8BM-F4HD
T7C4-IKBK-6ATT
J7AP-44B6-96TN
CA3G-87B3-4BP3
X5B8-H7B7-F5DD
AXXN-8GBA-GEJT
TIM8-JNBI-BJ5J
9BCN-ABBM-A3CF
MRCI-PFBT-M5F9
23RR-PGBI-BBIG
TE5T-F4BK-F7TF
BXG5-PJBA-C9K6

Bits & Bytes ebid Store Now Open

Hi, the Bits & Bytes ebid Store is now officially open. Check it out for all the new games releases on PS3 at great prices. At present we can supply games to only the UK & europe.

Be sure to bookmark our site. Thank You.

E3 2009: Castlevania : Lords Of Shadow Trailer

E3 2009: Split/Second Trailer

SingStar: Take That Is Heading to Sony's PS3 & PS2

Featuring a collection of new and classic tracks from their multi-million album selling career, SingStar Take That is packed full of those tunes that will tug on your heartstrings and have you delivering the performance of your life.

Grab your Wireless SingStar Microphones and get your mates together for a harmonious performance of uplifting, chart topping single Shine - or serenade your loved one with the heartfelt Back for Good and Could it be Magic.

Press Release: Let it Shine with SingStar Take That!

London, 5th June 2009: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe today announced SingStar® Take That is coming to PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) on Blu-ray Disc and PlayStation 2. Take That fans are in for a treat this year as one of Europe’s hottest acts comes to SingStar.

Set to launch late 2009, SingStar Take That will have fans and music lovers singing along to classic pop hits and soulful ballads that span the group’s hugely successful career. You can get practising this summer when the Take That SongPack comes to SingStore™, giving you five exclusive tracks so you’ll be ready to impress when SingStar Take That arrives later this year!

Whether Take That stole your heart in their early days or won you over with their latest releases, prepare to put on a performance you’ll Never Forget and perform the hit ballads of one of the world’s hottest groups when SingStar Take That launches on PS3 and PlayStation 2 later this year.

As proud sponsors of the band’s record breaking UK stadium tour which sees the band perform to an audience of some 1.2 million people in just twenty shows, there’ll be the opportunity for fans across the country to warm up their vocal chords early, in dedicated SingStar sampling areas, at many of the concert venues.

For those with a PS3 there will be a taster Take That SongPack to download from SingStore, these tracks will be on the disc, but for those that just can’t wait – this SongPack is sure to get you singing.

Breaking News: UK Gets 80GB PS3 InFamous bundle

There’s one thing Sony UK like more than anything its bundling First party titles with a PS3 at no extra cost and today is no exception. Following on from previous bundles which included Gran Turismo 5: Prologue, Killzone 2, Uncharted: Drakes Fortune and LittleBigPlanet we now have the 80GB PS3 with the rather excellent InFamous retailing at £299.99 in most stores now.

Available at Amazon

Sony PLAYSTATION 3 80 GB Console with inFamous (PS3)

for Only £279.99

Uncharted 2 Beta Has Been Updated

For some lucky people, and I'm one of them. I have little news about the multiplayer beta of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. There is a persistent bug that your PlayStation 3 suddenly restart when the beta closes. Naughty Dog is already aware and will fix this very soon. The matchmaking problem will be solved too.

The Limits of both the Deathmatch and Plunder games, has been increased. The kill limit Deathmatch has gone from 25 to 50 and looting limit of 3 to 5 gone. This extends the game naturally, making it more enjoyable.

I'll keep my readers upto date with any tweaks the Uncharted 2 beta may get over the next couple of weeks, the time the beta runs. Overall Uncharted 2 is shaping up to be another solid game.

E3 2009: EyePet Preview

Virtual pets have been tried time and time again. From Tamagotchi to Pokemon, these imaginary creatures have been amusing some and inspiring thoughts of torture in others for over a decade now. Be that as it may, the concept of Eyepet is nothing new, but the way that it is presented is. Using the Eyetoy camera and a paper thin object known as the magic card, Eyepet lets you interact with these furry critters in every way imaginable, offering all new dimensions of functionality to these cute little varmints.

The goal of Eyepet is to bring the virtual pet into your living room and make them just as interactive as an actual pet. You start by aiming your Eyetoy towards a surface, placing the included magic card down within the camera's view and tapping that area to bring your pet to life. The demo that we witnessed had him jaunting forward from the middle of the card and beginning to prance around. The creature looked like an amalgamation of a monkey, dog, and cat, happily running to and fro within the camera's view. The woman sitting behind the table began to wave her arms near the pet, and he reacted to them realistically. When she swiped her hand across the surface, the pet leaped to avoid getting smacked. When she waved her arms over the table, the critter jumped upward attempting to nip at her fingertips while waving his tail incessantly. When she waved her arm over the pet's back, the little guy smiled and purred like any regular household pet would. This level of interactivity is astonishing, and there was plenty more to be revealed.



Placing the magic card on the floor and tapping it brings up the toy menu, which is full of fun activities to entertain both you and your pet. One of these is a bubble machine that sends a ton of bubbles flying in your pets direction when you press the button on top of it. Your pet will be overjoyed at this development, jumping at the bubbles and smiling when one pops. The developer then created a trampoline toy, which has the magic card appearing as a trampoline that your buddy can bounce on. You have to move the card underneath the bouncing pet so that he doesn't land on his rump, which the developer promised would be one of many available toys for both of you to enjoy.

The Eyepet needs nurturing just like any other animal, so you have to pay attention to their face to see how they are feeling. The creatures are very expressive, as it was visibly upset when the developer removed the trampoline from the screen. You can turn the magic card into an X-Ray, which shows you the innards of your critter as you wave it in front of him. This presents you what the creature is feeling, be it happy, sad, hungry, weak, or dirty. We were also shown the customization options, which allows you to change the fur color, fur length, skin pattern, clothing, and almost anything else. This insures that every single pet can be completely unique. I officially call dibs on the turtle costume, as it makes the little dude look totally rad.



There are over 250 outfits and toys available within the game, and they are unlocked by completing various challenges. You will be given new toys every day, giving you reason to check in with your pet as much as possible. If you get tired of the preset toys, it was revealed that you will be able to create new ones in a unique way. Using an ordinary piece of paper, you can draw an object and your creature can bring it to life for you. The example that was shown was an airplane, which was scanned in by holding the paper near the Eyetoy and recreated in-game by the pet. A 3D plane then popped out of the pet's notepad, which he was able to hop on and ride up into the sky. This drawing feature was very impressive, but I am afraid to think of what more deviant minds will create. After flying through the clouds for a bit, a minigame launched that had the pet popping a certain number of balloons within a time limit. This is just one of what the developer promised would be dozens of available minigames to try.

From what I saw, Eyepet looked remarkably impressive, though the limitations of what they showed—like the drawing feature—were not discussed. Eyepet will be launching in October 2009 for Europe, but no US date has yet been determined.

E3 2009: Fat Princess Trailer

Coming to PSN sometime in June.

European PS Store Update 04/06/09

As was reported here first, this week's Playstation Store update gives us PSOne Classic Final Fantasy VII, just a few days after our cousins on the other side of the Altantic received it.

Elsewhere on the store this week we also get a demo for Fight Night Round 4 and the downloadable game, Trash Panic.

A great week for content really.


PS Store Update - 04/06/09

PS3/PSP Add On's

GTI Club+ Content
•Car Pack 1 (£2.39/€2.99)
High Velocity Bowling Content
•Don Carlos Caliente Pack (£0.79/€0.99)
•Milan Travallage Pack (£0.79/€0.99)
Motorstorm Pacific Rift Content
•VooDoo Signature Livery Pack 4 (Free)
Resistance Fall of Man 2 Content
•Grim Skin (free)
•Malikov Skin (free)
Rock Band (PS3 Content)
•A Favor House Atlantic by Coheed and Cambria (£0.99/€1.49)
•Shimmer & Shine by Ben Harper (£0.99/€1.49)
•Steady at the Wheel by Shooter Jennings (£0.99/€1.49)
•The Running Free by Coheed and Cambria (£0.99/€1.49)
•Wilson (Live) by Phish (£0.99/€1.49)
•Wolf Like Me by TV on the Radio (£0.99/€1.49)
•Bonnaroo Pack 01 (this combines all the above tracks in one pack) (£4.99/€7.99)
Rock Band Unplugged (PSP Content)

•Crushcrushcrush by Paramore (£0.99/€1.49)
•Feed The Tree by Belly (£0.99/€1.49)
•Gimme Three Steps by Lynyrd Skynyrd (£0.99/€1.49)
•Hysteria by Muse (£0.99/€1.49)
•Inside The Fire by Disturbed (£0.99/€1.49)
•Just A Girl by No Doubt (£0.99/€1.49)
•The Kill by 30 Seconds To Mars (£0.99/€1.49)
•Typical by Mute Math (£0.99/€1.49)
•Under The Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers (£0.99/€1.49)
•Wonderwall by Oasis (£0.99/€1.49)

PS3/PSP Demos

Fight Night Round 4 Demo - Free

PS3/PSP Games/PSOne Classics

Trash Panic (£3.99/€4.99)

Tokobot (PSP) (£9.99/€14.99)

Final Fantasy VII (PSOne Classic) (£7.99/€9.99)


PS3/PSP Themes / Wallpaper (Free Unless Stated)

infamous – Red Wallpaper

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PS3/PSP Trailers/Videos (Free Unless Stated)

E3 Video Content•Gran Turismo 5 Trailer
•White Knight Chronicles Trailer
•Pain Museum Trailer
•The Agency Trailer
•DC Universe Trailer
•Final Fantasy XIV Trailer
•Burnout Paradise Big Surf Island Trailer
•Split Second Gameplay Trailer
•Castlevania: Lords of Shadows
•Assassin’s Creed 2 Cinematic Trailer
•Assassin’s Creed 2 Commented Gameplay Trailer
•Tekken 6 PSN Trailer
Weekly Video Content•Trash Panic Tutorial Trailer
•inFamous Behind The Scenes Story Trailer
•Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time Teaser Trailer
•Terminator Salvation Launch Trailer

E3 2009: Metal Gear Solid Coming To PS Store June 18th

Konami has announced that the original Metal Gear Solid will finally be heading to the PlayStation Store in America -- and pretty soon, too.

You'll be able to replay Solid Snake's original adventure on June 18 and, similar to previous high-profile PS1 releases, will cost $9.99.

As for Europe? No word, yet.

E3 2009: Sony's Koller Talks Motion Control Rivalry, Core Vs Casual

When assessing the head to head between Microsoft and Sony's E3 briefings this year, there may be something of a role reversal visible.

Whereas Sony once stressed the PlayStation 3's potential as a multimedia device, this year it gave a very software-focused, core-targeted presentation, while it was Microsoft talking more about the "future of home entertainment" than it has in years past.

Even some analysts seemed to think that Sony's gesture recognition scheme debut was more 'gamer-oriented,' while director Stephen Spielberg's comments about accessibility and broader audiences led attendees and industry-watchers to peg Microsoft's Project Natal as having more relevant implications for wider or more casual audiences.

But Sony director of hardware marketing John Koller says that although capturing the core audience is certainly a goal, there was no deliberate attempt to refocus on prioritizing that market, and that Sony, too, remains interested in being "expansionary".

"Most of the games you saw... there are certainly others we didn't get into, some things the Xbox 360 got into -- for example, Rock Band: Beatles is coming to PS3 as well,".

"We didn't want to wave the defensive flag for every single game".

When it comes to those motion control solutions, Koller says Sony is "intimately familiar" with Microsoft's approach and how its own differs.

"Microsoft's is impressive because it does a full-body scan," he says. But he claims Project Natal has "depth issues on the Z axis" that Sony's PlayStation Eye-tracked solution avoids. "The PlayStation Eye is more accurate and more precise," he adds.

Taking a wider-lens view of both solutions, the largest question becomes whether or not it is preferable for the player to have an object in hand. At its briefing, Microsoft said controllers and their buttons were the last barrier between video games and "everyone else".

Sony counters that argument with the assertion that there are some gameplay experiences that require an object in hand or a button to push. "It's not necessary for every genre," says Koller. "But without it, you can't play every genre".

"Microsoft's [solution] is going to have issues with shooting games, for example," he suggests. "We want to be as diverse as we can; the controller that we're looking at will be open as possible".

With both technology concepts in such early stages, there are few definitive conclusions to draw about the merits of one approach versus the other. Analysts suggest the concepts are different enough that, alongside a lengthening lifecycle, it might drive opportunities for more individualized audiences for each console, as it could become more relevant for users to own both.

The first to market will also be a factor. "It's not going to be this calendar year," says Koller of Sony's plans. He suggests the company is currently working on having a strong lineup of software to support the peripheral at launch.

"Developers are looking at it now," he says. "The halfway answer is that there are a number of first-party and third-party games that will launch, and the idea is to have both franchise-type games [that are] very familiar, and to have new IP".

PSP Go pre-Orders Begin (US)

Pre-orders for the new PSP Go system have already begun. Just announced at E3 2009 this week, the new PlayStation Portable is available for pre-order now at $249.99.

Some of the main features of the PSP go include 16GB internal flash memory, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, 3.8 inch screen (16:9 format), 5.56 oz weight, USB 2.0, Memory Stick Micro (M2), Analog Video Out, built-in speakers and microphone. An AC adaptor
, USB cable and CD-ROM with Media Go ver.1.1 is also included.


Nice!