Sony Falls Behind Japanese Shipment Targets.

Sony has failed to meet its stated shipment figures for PlayStation 3’s launch in Japan by 20,000 units.

The company had previously committed to ship 100,000 consoles for the November 11th launch. But according to a report in Japanese financial paper Nikkei Keizai Shimbun, that figure has now been cut by 20 per cent.

The newspaper reports that component shortages are to blame. The console’s launch was delayed in Europe because of a lack of blue laser diodes, part of the PS3’s Blu-Ray player.

PS3 will launch in North America on November 17th and in Europe during March next year.

Source

Sony Funding 'About 40' Download Titles For PS3.

Sony's Phil Harrison says the company is already working with developers on "about 40" exclusive titles that fit into its e-Distribution Initiative (EDI) - the PlayStation 3 equivalent of Xbox Live Arcade.

Speaking to Eurogamer's Rob Fahey as part of an interview being serialised on semi-official Sony blog Three Speech, Harrison said that EDI had been "a call to action to the development community to encourage them to create games specifically for us, that we would fund, that we would publish, in the online sense of the word, and distribute online".

"We're developing about 40 products that fit that strategy right now," he added. They showed off Flow at the Tokyo Game Show, of course, with others like Calling All Cars (David Jaffe's title, formerly known as Criminal Crackdown) also generating a lot of interest.

"My strategy was to encourage developers to push the machine technically, creatively, artistically - to innovate in lots of different ways. But don't be restricted by ghettoising games into a particular genre, or a particular display mechanic, because what we've seen on other systems tend to be retro 2D games, and we're pushing the 3D capabilities of the PlayStation 3. Plus, the fact that every PS3 has a hard disk drive means that we're not restricted by the size of the download, and that has a huge impact on the kind of game design that you can do," he continued.

"We're seeing an emerging strength in developers creating games specifically for downloadable content. We're seeing that as a really interesting way of stimulating creativity, experimentation... And it makes me feel as excited as about the games that we saw at the beginning of PS1, when there was a lot of really interesting innovation happening in the marketplace. I think we'll see that on PlayStation 3 as well".

Source

David Jaffe Renames 'Criminal Crackdown' To 'Calling All Cars'.

God of War architect David Jaffe revealed at his New Blog that his PS3 arcade title Criminal Crackdown has been renamed to "Calling All Cars".

Here's Jaffe's explaination of why the name changed:

We were in a mad rush to reveal the game at GAMER'S DAY a few weeks back and all the legal checks had not yet come down giving us permission to use that name. Unlike some other companies that seem to have no problem giving their games titles that SOUND pretty darn close to other games, Sony likes to give us as much room as possible between our game names and other game names. Which is nice. But challenging as well because there have been ALOT of video games made over the last 30-35 years so it makes it tough to find a name that is fresh and appropriate and fun, while at the same time being something that will not get you thrown into a court room.

Jaffe also mentions that Twisted Metal and God of War both had their names changed before the developmental dust settled.

Source

Stringer: "PS3 Tested, Creative Success".

Sony CEO Howard Stringer has conceded that the company must explore new ways of boosting profits in order to "offset the performance of the PS3".

Last week, Sony posted its Q2 financial results, revealing a drop in profits of more than 90 per cent - but Stringer is still confident of meeting margin targets.

"We promised the margins for next year will be 5 percent and we have every intention of doing that," he confirmed.

"Considering some of the additional costs of PS3, we have to generate some excitement and profits from elsewhere in the company to offset the performance of PS3".

Stringer added that Sony's consumer electronics division is performing well at present, and said the company's movie division is also set to pull in healthy profits.

He went on to concede that PS3 will perform better in its second year as software sales start to increase, but questioned the validity of rumblings about a delay.

"I think the idea of worrying about a delay in PlayStation is slightly strange to me. Every complex technology runs the risk of delays," Stringer said.

"The point really is that PlayStation 3 is already finished and has been tested in America and has been deemed a creative success. In the end that is what counts".

The PS3 is due to launch in the US on November 17, priced at USD 499 for the 20GB model or USD 599 for the 60GB version.

Source

Ridge Racer 7 Update.

Japan isn't into the whole first person shooter thing, so unless Genji is really, really good, Ridge Racer 7 is going to be the title to beat at the 11/11 Japanese PS3 launch. Bandai Namco Games seems to be putting its best foot forward with the game, based on comments shared by producer Hideo Teramoto in the latest issue of Famitsu PS2.

Teramoto seems particularly proud of the game's technical merits. He feels that no other machine in the world is capable of producing Ridge Racer 7's combination of 1080p and 60 frames per second visuals. He also made a note of the game's 5.1 support for both sound effects and music.

But in Teramoto's mind, the robust online experience offered by Ridge Racer 7 is equal in importance to its technical merits. The game offers the 14 player races that Ridge Racer 6 offered last year on the X360. But Teramoto feels that the RR7 online experience has evolved beyond that title. Players enter a virtual world in which they compete against other players for money and rank. There's no separation between the main mode of play and an "online mode." Your money and rank are used both for single and online battles.

Famitsu PS2 quizzed Teramoto on one area that's on everyone's mind right now: hard disk support. Ridge Racer 7 makes extensive use of the PS3's hard disk. In addition to saving your game and saving future download contents, the hard disk is used for speeding up gameplay. The game does a hard disk install to the tune of five gigabytes.

The hard disk use could actually increase with Bandai Namco's download plans. Teramoto hopes to make stickers, music and race events available for download. Race events will be downloadable for free from the PlayStation Store. New music tracks will cost money, but Teramoto hopes to make available tracks that are worthy of the download.

Teramoto expects players to get a full half year of play time from Ridge Racer 7, which should be perfect if the PS3 sees a PS2-style software drought following launch.

Source

Sony To Sell PS3 Rainchecks.

We can see it now. Little Tarou-kun wakes up on New Years day expecting a new, next-generation gaming console as a gift for having endured a year of intense cram school sessions. But oh the disappointment when his parents hand him not a box containing a new console, but an envelope with a raincheck for one.

Mainichi Interactive reports today that Sony, anticipating potential PlayStation 3 shortages for the year-end sales season, has come up with a means of keeping from missing out on potential sales. In place of actual systems, potential PS3 owners in Japan will be able to purchase a voucher guaranteeing a system early next year.

Specifics were not provided from Mainichi, which cited as a source a speech given yesterday by Sony's Chief Financial Officer, Nobuyuki Oneda.

As far as we can tell, this plan concerns only the Japanese market. A good thing, as the whole raincheck thing probably wouldn't go over too well on our shores.

Source

Sony Demanding $188,000 From Lik-Sang.

After causing the company to close down because of the lawsuits filed against them, Sony is actually demanding the payment of £100,000 (US$ 188,000) in legal fees by November 1st.

This news stirred up mix reactions, with some people saying Sony deserves to get it, while some would say that there's just no sense kicking somebody when he's already down. Says Pascal Clarysse, Lik-Sang's marketing director, "Sony should be proud of having such a die-hard import gamers community rushing to buy their products and supporting them with a passion. Instead, they march all over us".

As for Lik-Sang's allegation that four of the top executives of Sony Europe actually got their own PSPs via Lik-Sang just a few days after the Japanese launch, well, it's just safe to surmise that was pretty embarrassing for them. However, Sony in Tokyo declined to comment on the issue, citing the reason that they have this no-comment policy on pending or completed legal action.

Ironic, though, is Sony's revision of shipment forecasts for PSP from 12 million units down to 9 million units supposedly because of a decline in demand for the handheld, just when they succeeded in closing down an unauthorized sales channel to patrons from Europe.

Source

5 Reasons Why Sony Won't Lose The Nex-Gen Console War.

No console maker has ever dominated three consecutive platform generations. Will Sony pull it off? We think so. Here's why the PlayStation 3 will assume the PS2's throne in the next few years...

Let's face it; Sony's seen better days. The company's turnaround plan hasn't been going quite as smoothly as they'd hoped, they've been forced to recall thousands of laptop batteries, they've significantly downsized their PlayStation 3 launch quantities and delayed the launch altogether in Europe, and their net profit forecast for the current fiscal year was recently slashed by almost 40%. In fact, in their most recent quarter, profits plunged 94%.

But you know what? Despite these setbacks and all the negative press the company has garnered over the last six or so months, when it's all said and done the PlayStation 3 will be No.1 worldwide, although not as dominant as the PS2 has been.

Here are five reasons why we believe Sony will stay on top in the console race:

The Brand

Go up to any random person on the street and ask them to name a video game system. Odds are that the vast majority of the time the individual will respond with "PlayStation" or "PlayStation 2." In the late '80s and early '90s Nintendo was king, but on today's market there is no brand more synonymous with the world of video games than PlayStation. It's true that Microsoft has made great strides in this area with the Xbox and now Xbox 360, but on a pure mindshare basis Xbox still can't compare.

"Rather than bolting the door shut, Microsoft has left it slightly ajar, just waiting for Sony to slam it wide open."

Sony is well aware of the power of its brand and it will do everything it can to leverage the PlayStation name. Providing backwards compatibility with both the PS1 and PS2, as well as offering full PS1 titles for download through the PS3, can only help to reinforce that brand and remind gamers of the PlayStation games they hold so dear.

Selling over 100 million units, twice, has its advantages. In fact, there are a number of people who have probably owned nothing but PlayStation consoles, and those consumers are likely to stick with a brand they know and trust. Before they've even learned anything about Sony's new console, many consumers have already made up their minds that they want the next PlayStation no matter what. A strong brand should not be underestimated.

Microsoft (somewhat) Squandered its Lead

Prior to the 360's launch, all we heard about was how Microsoft didn't want to be beat to market. They wanted to get all the time they could to convince consumers to buy into their "HD Era" before Sony unleashed its PlayStation 3. Well, now it's almost a year later and is Microsoft really that far ahead? According to NPD data, Microsoft sold around 2.7 million units in the U.S through September. MS' figures indicate that the company sold 5 million units worldwide through June, and just yesterday they revealed that they had reached the 6 million units mark.
That said, some analysts believe the 360 is tracking below market expectations. There's certainly no guarantee that MS will hit its goal of 10 million units sold by the end of 2006, even if Microsoft CFO Chris Liddell remains "confident".

The fact of the matter is that although there have been many truly solid 360 offerings (GRAW, PGR3, Call of Duty 2, to name a few) there have been basically no "killer apps," except for perhaps Bethesda's Oblivion. And guess what? That'll be a PS3 launch title—so much for that advantage. If Microsoft really wanted to run away with the lead they would have needed Halo 3 to be released within the first four to six months of launch, or at the very least a near-Halo category title like Gears of War.

When the PS2, a six-year-old console, outsells your next-gen hardware month after month—which has been the case in recent months—something is not right. And according to Deutsche Bank analyst Jeetil Patel, the Xbox 360 continues to underperform the original Xbox at the same stage of its life. Rather than bolting the door shut, Microsoft has left it slightly ajar, just waiting for Sony to slam it wide open.

Japan is Ripe for the Taking

Let's not forget that this is a global market. Sure, Microsoft can do just fine with North America and Europe, but in order to win on a worldwide basis, all three of the major territories become quite important. The original Xbox was an outright failure in Japan, and despite Microsoft's renewed efforts in the country the Xbox 360 is simply continuing the struggle. The company has tried to make itself more attractive to Japanese gamers by courting developers who can make games that appeal to Japanese tastes, but those games were needed much sooner in order to make some headway in a market dominated by Nintendo and Sony.

Early reports suggest that pre-orders for Blue Dragon and related bundles are selling out, but will that be enough to stand up against the introductions of both the Wii and the PlayStation 3 this year? Yes, there will only be 100,000 PS3 units available on day one in Japan, but recent consumer surveys indicate an increasing interest in Sony's next-gen console as its launch approaches. What it comes down to is that the PS3 will have the content Japanese gamers (and plenty of Western gamers) want—Metal Gear Solid 4, Final Fantasy XIII, Virtua Fighter 5, Devil May Cry 4, Gran Turismo, etc.

And if the incredible success of the Nintendo DS is any example, the Japanese seem ready to embrace alternate control methods and unique gameplay. The Wii's innovative controls, cheaper price, and valuable catalog of IP could potentially lead to sales on the level of the DS in the land of the rising sun. Ultimately, Japanese gamers are far more likely to flock to either the Wii or PS3 than some American-made system.

Blu-ray Will Matter

No, we're not talking about Blu-ray as a next-gen movie format. The worst case scenario for Sony is that Blu-ray will fail as a movie format, HD DVD will be crowned the successor to DVD, and Sony will be left with a proprietary game disc format. And while that would certainly hurt them as a company, it wouldn't take away the fact that Blu-ray provides PS3 developers with much more storage space. Microsoft can tout highly advanced compression techniques all they want, but the extra space on the Blu-ray discs affords developers the opportunity to make their games more expansive and more detailed without having to worry about whether it will fit. Of course, if the best case scenario occurs, and Blu-ray beats out HD DVD, then the PS3 will get the added boost of being the first viable hi-def movie player for many consumers, just as the PS2 introduced DVD to many for the first time.

Sure some of this is hype, and maybe we're falling for it, but certain PS3 launch games (e.g. Resistance: Fall of Man) already look as good as the best Xbox 360 has to offer. In one to two years, we think the combination of the Blu-ray medium and the Cell processor will lead to a noticeable difference between the visuals of the PS3 and the Xbox 360, as developers begin to really harness the technology in the PS3. And by that time the PS3 won't be retailing for $500 or $600 anymore. Nintendo may not care about hi-def graphics, but in the ultra-tech battle between Microsoft and Sony, it's beginning to look like Sony has the edge.

Free Online

In the next five years and beyond, online is going to take on much greater importance, not only in terms of online gameplay, but also as a way of downloading games, extra content, and episodic material. Judging by the company's recent Gamer's Day announcements, this appears to be one area that Sony is prepared to make great strides in. PS2 online, despite Sony's arguments to the contrary, hasn't been a great experience. Xbox Live, on the other hand, continues to be a fantastic experience. Microsoft's certainly got the online advantage for now, but the Redmond giant has a weakness that Sony can and will exploit—the company, as far as we know, has no plans to make its Xbox Live Gold service free of charge. Moreover, it now appears that free, Silver-level Xbox Live membership doesn't always entitle you to free content at the same time that Gold members can access it. Meanwhile, the PS3 will offer full online gaming and other online features completely free from day one.

Yes, the argument can be made that for the price of the PS3 gamers should be entitled to free online gaming, but we think this is a great move on Sony's part nevertheless. With the inclusion of free online play, publishers know that anybody in the PS3's install base can go online. Not only does that automatically encourage developers to make use of online functionality, but it also could have important ramifications with regards to in-game ads that are streamed online. All of a sudden the potential audience for these ads is that much bigger, while on the 360 publishers of online titles with streamed in-game ads will still be limited to the number of Xbox Live Gold subscribers. Ultimately, we think that Microsoft will have no choice but to go free as well (perhaps with some ad-supported scheme with the help of MS-owned Massive Inc.), even if it's not for another couple years.

Final Thoughts

New console launches are often some of the most exciting periods to witness in the video game industry and we can't wait to watch it all unfold. This industry is poised for some tremendous growth in the years ahead, but we still believe it'll be Sony that'll maintain a leadership position and will lead the charge forward.
We don't expect Sony to dominate the way it did with the PS2. Certainly the first six to twelve months could be rough going for the PS3 as Sony deals with ramping up its manufacturing, but at the end of the day Sony will have done the "impossible" by winning three console generations in a row.

Agree? Disagree?

Source

Hori Considering Making Rumble Controller For PS3.

The latest issue of Famitsu PS2 has a short Q&A session with Hori, maker of some of the finest officially-licensed PlayStation 2 peripherals. The biggest bit from the interview concerns a piece of technology that's missing from Sony's new Sixaxis controller: rumble.

Asked if Hori was considering a peripheral to give PS3 players the gift of shake, the representative stated, "We have some ideas. However, we'd need cooperation from software makers".

Let's hope some third parties are willing to make their games compatible with a non-standard rumble accessory.

Hori has three PS3 related items due for release at the Japanese launch. A multi card reader/writer, compatible with Memory Stick, SD, Compact Flash and a variety of other cards, will retail for 2,604 yen. Hori will also release a set of SD cards in 256 MB (2,880 yen), 512 MB (3,980 yen) and 1 Gigabyte (6,780 yen) flavors.

None of these products are strictly for the PS3 -- in fact, they don't even contain the PS3 logo. But Hori is a big player in the peripheral business, so we expect true peripherals to appear in the not-so-distant future. And hopefully, some of them will bring rumble back to PlayStation gaming.

Source

PS3 Media Formats Supported.

Sony is clearly intent on making the PS3 the all-in-one hub for your home entertainment. A new list of media formats supported by the system right out of the box includes a variety of hard and digital formats, and should satisfy the needs of just about everyone.

The hard media has been known for some time, but here's the full list:

BD-ROM
BD-R
BD-RE
DVD-ROM
DVD-R
DVD-RW
DVD+R
DVD+RW
CD-ROM
CD-R
CD-RW
Super Audio CD

The PS3 will also allow you to access a variety of media file formats from the video, music and photo menus of the Cross Media Bar. We're assuming these files can be stored anywhere, including the hard disk and memory cards.

Video:

MPEG-1
MPEG-2 (PS,TS)
H.264/MEPG-4 AVC
MPEG-4 SPMUSIC
ATRAC (.oma .msa .aa3)
AAC (.3gp .mp4)
MP3 (.mp3)
WAV (.wav)

Images:

JPEG
GIF
PNG
TIFF
BMP

Source

PS3 To Debut HDMI 1.3.

Announced back in June, the HDMI 1.3 format apparently more than doubles HDMI's bandwidth and adds support for a broader color space, new digital audio formats, automatic audio/video synching capability, and an optional smaller connector for use with portable devices such as digital still cameras and camcorders. So why should gamers care? The first HDMI 1.3 machine on the market will be PlayStation 3 in November.

In December we'll see an HD-DVD player from Toshiba and a 1080p projector from Epson that uses the new technology. But HDMI backers expect the format to expand throughout 2007.

"Reports from manufacturers indicate that most Blu-ray Disc and HD-DVD players, and a substantial proportion of conventional DVD players, will include HDMI 1.3 capabilities in 2007," said Leslie Chard, president of HDMI Licensing. "During the first half of 2007 we expect to see HDTVs with HDMI 1.3 functionality, allowing them to display Deep Color content. We also expect the introduction during 2007 of HDMI 1.3 technology for PCs, audio-visual receivers and a range of other source and display devices".

The HDMI group is touting "Deep Color" technology of the new format, claiming it increases the number of colors onscreen from millions to billions, increases contrast ratio, and smoothes out gradations between colors.

HDMI 1.3 also supports Dolby TrueHD, which is a 100% lossless audio format. Its compression capabilities take up less resources than other audio formats to allow for more video and audio punch and more special features on a disc without compromising audio quality.

As great as all of this sounds, it's probably going to tough for the average consumer to tell the difference with Sony's HDMI upgrade. But at least they're staying true to their credo of forward looking technology in the PS3.

Source

Creepy PS3 Baby Commercial.

The best way to market your new console to gamers everywhere: make them evacuate their bladder in hysteria.

What more can be said about this Playstation 3 advertisement? A horrible, dead-eyed baby doll with its eyelids cut off and possessed by the souls of a thousand Chuckies screeches with the horrifying falsetto of Eraserhead's reptilian infant. Then its eyes begin to bleed... backwards.

It seems what the advertisement is saying is that the PS3 will cause your toys to come to life. Upon becoming sentient, these toys will go into the kitchen and remove a knife from the drawer. It will then creep to the bedroom where you're sleeping and, before you can wake, it will blind you, deafen you and cut out your tongue. The next hours will be spent cutting away wet pieces of you and you will experience it all in a black world sensationless but for your own terror and agony. Buy a PS3.

Source

BBC:Be Part Of Our PlayStation 3 Launch Coverage.

Do you live in the US or Japan? Are you an avid gaming fan? Are you excited about getting your hands on a PS3?

If the answers are yes to these questions, then you might be able to help us.
The long awaited PS3 will be going on sale on 11 November in Japan and 17 November in the US.

Can the PS3 beat the acclaimed Xbox360? Have the reports of problems and delays damaged the brand? Can the console ever live up to the hype?

We are looking for two US and two Japanese gamers who will have a PS3 on launch day to help us to answer these questions.

As part of our launch coverage, we want you to write us a series of short pieces for the site about:

• the run-up to launch day.
• how you feel as the launch-hour nears.
• and, once you've finally got hold of your PS3, whether playing it actually lives up to your expectations.

If you fit the criteria and want to be part of our coverage, send 150 words on why gaming is so important to you, and why you are excited about the PlayStation 3 launch.

Source

SCEA Sponsors Voodoo Music Experience.

Sony Computer Entertainment America(SCEA) announcemed today that it will sponsor the Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans, Louisiana. The eighth-annual edition of the event will take place from October 28 - 29 in City Park with acts such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Duran Duran,Wu-Tang Clan, The Flaming Lips and more. Of greater import to gamers is the "PlayStation Experience," which will be a huge truck featuring playable PS2, PSP, and yes, PS3 games.

"The Voodoo Music Experience is the perfect match for our audience, and we're thrilled to once again return to New Orleans," says Sharon Shapiro, senior director of promotions and sports marketing, SCEA. "This year's show features the debut of our new 'PlayStation Experience' truck featuring PS3. Not only will this event be the first stop on its national tour, but it also marks the first chance for many consumers to see, touch, play, and enjoy PS3 before it launches on November 17".

Source

Sony Reasserts PS3 Shipment Targets.

Sony's second quarter financial briefing, held on the 25th in Tokyo, was full of bad news for stockholders, but had some good news for gamers. Japan's Mainichi Interactive reports that Sony Chief Financial Officer Nobuyuki Oneda said of the firm's target to ship six million systems worldwide by the end of the fiscal year (March 31, 2007), "We don't believe this is a difficult target".

Many analysts and industry insiders have expressed doubts in Sony's ability to reach the goal, especially given recent shipment cuts that brought the number of worldwide units expected in retail by the end of December to two million units. Recently, Famitsu publisher Enterbrain issued a prediction that Sony would be able to sell just 4.13 million PS3 units by the end of the fiscal term.

Source

Sony Announces PS3 Download Content.

Sony has at long last gone about detailing its network plans for the PlayStation 3. The company announced today the online content that will be available via the new PlayStation Store at the system's 11/11 Japanese launch and beyond.

Sony plans to make available the following new, downloadable PlayStation 3 games in 2006: Blast Factor, flOw, Lemmings, Kazuo, Puzzle and Mainichi Issho. A few of these were revealed by Sony at last week's press event, but we managed to get some details on the new Japanese content.

Kazuo is a number puzzle game that has also been released for the PSP. The PS3 version includes the 1000 problems of the PSP version but adds flashy PS3 visuals. The game will be distributed in separate packs based on the mode of play: easy, normal, hard, extreme and multiplayer. Sony is also planning a number of future downloadable elements for the game.

Puzzle (this is just a tentative name) is a Sony Computer Entertainment Europe developed puzzle game with three puzzles based around exploding blocks. Modes of play include timed puzzle mode and time attack.

Mainichi Issho, whose name translates to "Every Day Together," ought to remind you of Sony's Doko Demo Issho, a communication game featuring the company's Toro mascot cat character. Sure enough, Toro and friends are the main characters in this communication title, which delivers online content to you every day. The game will initially ship with the "Toro Station" mode, where Toro and friends share new information with you on a daily basis (we're not sure what this "information" is just yet). Sony will provide updates in the future adding stations for item and simple game distribution.

All the above content comes from Sony Computer Entertainment Japan, and all will have free demos available for download. Mainichi Issho is the exception, as the full title will be available for free download. Sony hasn't announced pricing for the full versions of the other games. Blast Factor and Mainichi Issho will be available on 11/11, with the other titles to folllow by the end of 2006.

Sony will also be making PlayStation 3 demos available via the PlayStation store. So far, it has announced just one, a demo of Ridge Racer 7. This trial version of the Bandai Namco Games launch title will be available on 11/11.

Downloadable original generation PlayStation games will be available starting late November. Included are some mega hits that should be familiar to any PlayStation gamer:

• Resident Evil Director's Cut (Capcom)
• Konami Antiques MSX Collection Vol.1 (Konami)
• Konami Antiques MSX Collection Vol.2 (Konami)
• Bishi Bashi Special (Konami)
• Arc the Lad (SCEJ)
• Jumping Flash (SCEJ)
• Minna no Golf 2 (aka Hot Shots Golf 2, SCEJ)
• Silent Bomber (Bandai Namco)
• Tekken 2 (Bandai Namco)
• Mister Driller (Bandai Namco)

These games will initially be playable only on the PlayStation Portable. Sony plans on adding 10 titles per month to the service. Pricing was not announced today.

The PlayStation Store will also, as previously announced, stock downloadable items. Sony plans on making PS3 and PSP items available for download following the release of games. Specifics were not announced.

Sony also refrained from sharing too much on its video and music download plans. The company will start video downloads off with game and movie promotional videos.

Finally, Sony gave out a couple of new details on the community features that the PS3 will offer out of the box. Once you've logged into the PlayStation Network section of the Cross Media Bar, you'll be able to send text messages with attachments to the people in your friend list. You'll also be able to engage in voice and audio chat by accessing the Cross Media Bar's AV Chat option.

Source

Full Auto 2: Battlelines Soundtrack Revealed.

The official in-game soundtrack to Full Auto 2: Battlelines has been unveiled.

Pseudo Interactive, the developers of the game, have taken licensed music and implemented it in such a way that each main rival that players battle against will have a dedicated song. Not only that, but each dedicated song will become increasingly louder the closer players get to their rival.

Kudos to PI, since every good gamer knows that you can't kick a$$ without a blisteringly ear-splitting soundtrack. To this end they've shored up contributions from the likes of Megadeath, Stone Sour, Wolfmother, and more heavy hitters.

Full Auto 2: Battlelines In-Game Soundtrack Track Listing:

We Are Scientists - "Callbacks"
Stone Sour - "30 30 150"
The Exies - "Slow Drain"
Megadeth - "Symphony of Destruction"
Living End - "Carry Me Home"
Methods of Mayhem - "Crash"
Wolfmother - "Colossal"
Sum 41 - "No Reason"
The Used - "Take It Away"
Stretch Arm Strong - "The Hardest Part"
Strung Out - "Analog"

Source

Play PS3 Games On PSP?

Despite a release set for less than a month from now, numerous questions linger about the PlayStation 3. In the latest issue of Famitsu, Sony's Izumi Kawanishi, the guy in charge of the development of both the PS3 and the PSP hardware, cleared up a few of our concerns and also hinted at big things to come in the future.

The biggest revelation from Kawanishi concerns the connectivity options Sony has planned for the PSP and PS3. It's already known that you'll be able to use your PSP as a remote viewer for your PS3's media content. At launch, the two systems will have to be within direct ad-hoc connection range of one-another, but following launch, Sony plans to extend the functionality across the internet.

Kawanishi revealed to Famitsu that Sony's plans go beyond just media viewing, though. In the future, Sony hopes to allow players to play PS3 games remotely via the PSP. While Kawanishi didn't get into specifics, we imagine the PSP being used just to display game footage sent to it by the PS3 and send back controller data input by the player.

This type of connectivity has apparently been on the cards for some time. Kawanishi noted that he had such a system in mind when making the PSP's aspect ratio identical to that of high definition televisions, 16x9.

In other parts of the interview, Kawanishi tackled a few lingering issues.

First up, a caveat to PSP connectivity. The Famitsu article warns that you'll be able to use the PSP as a remote media player only if you purchase the 60 Gig PS3 model, which has Wi-Fi built in. It's unclear if the same functionality can be achieved by connecting your 20 Gig model to a USB Wi-Fi socket or by hooking it up directly to a wireless router. We'll be sure and run some tests once (if?) we get a system at launch.

Kawanishi also commented on region free software. This feature, which has been confirmed by various Sony reps in the past, is indeed a reality. "It's often been the case that past game systems would have a region code system, and would not play overseas games," explained Kawanishi. "However, PlayStation 3 game software does not have this region code. In other words, if you can get your hands on overseas software, you can play as is. There are exceptions, however, so SCE does not make guarantees about operation".

Finally, some details on how you'll be updating your PS3's system software. Kawanishi revealed that, in addition to updating via the internet, Sony plans on letting users update via flash memory (presumably by downloading update files to a memory card) and via game and media software. These two latter options sound similar to Sony's current policy of forced PSP system software updates.

Source

PlayStation 3 Shines In Prelaunch Test.

Cnet - I'm standing in a room full of gamers in what must certainly feel to some like heaven: Sony's PS3 prelaunch press event.

From the street, it's not clear why such an event would matter, but inside, on two floors filled almost literally to the rafters with high-definition TVs and PS3s, it's obvious that this is the centre of the video game universe today. And that's borne out by the fact that nearly every important American video game journalist is on hand.

Earlier in the afternoon, the 200 to 300 reporters, analysts and video game industry professionals in attendance sat for an hour-plus press conference in which Sony unveiled the PS3 launch titles lineup, as well as information about the next-generation console's peripherals, online and networked functions and more.

But now, everyone has moved to two levels above for hours of video game play, cocktails and light snacks. And for anyone who has wanted to try out the PS3, this is the best chance they'll get before the November 11 Japanese or November 17 North American launch of the much-anticipated console. Australians, unfortunately, will have to wait until March 2007 before the console gets a local release.

This event, by the way, is being held at Dogpatch Studios, an increasingly popular events venue. I know that, in part, because Microsoft held an invite-only reporter's showcase for the X360 here last year in advance of that console's launch. And in talking with Sony PR folks, I'm not sure they were aware of that. It doesn't seem like they would want to convey the message that they're following Microsoft.

Some details on the machinery: There are two versions of the PS3, both of which come with Bluetooth wireless functions and a Blu-Ray drive for high-definition video. The low-end version, which has a 20GB hard drive, is priced at AU$829.95, while the high-end console swaps in a 60GB hard drive and adds Wi-Fi capabilities for a price of AU$999.95.

PS3 players who don't want to do their gaming in isolation will be able to use the PlayStation Network to indulge in multiplayer games and chat with other players. They'll also be able to download games, surf the Web, view photos and video, and listen to music.

Last week's event, meanwhile, is a chance to compare the PS3 to Nintendo's Wii, which I tried out last week and Microsoft's Xbox 360. It's a bit of a challenge, since I'm not a hard-core gamer and many of the games that Sony and its publisher partners have brought together here are aimed at those who are nearly certain to be in line to buy a PS3 at 12:01 a.m. on launch day and who will no doubt be buying as many of the well-reviewed games as they can afford.

Still, I'm attracted by a healthy number of the games in the room, even if I can't actually get close enough to play them all. That's because there are so many people in the room -- which is small, and therefore overly crowded -- that there seem to be at least three people for every available console.

Finally, though, I get to a console loaded with Sony's own basketball game, NBA 07.

I'm excited to try this because I do like sports games, and because I'm eager to give the PS3's motion-sensitive controller a road test. After all, that was the feature I liked best about the Wii: A controller that removes some of the guess work by tying on-screen movement to the way you actually move your controller. On the Wii, it's a snap to learn, and as someone who has had trouble with the complex controllers of other consoles, motion-sensation is a real gift.

I'm certain I'm not the only one, of course, since the whole reason Nintendo and Sony have included this feature in their controllers is to give gamers an easier time. Plus, it's pretty cool to be able to control things simply by moving your hands, something that is a heck of a lot easier and intuitive than thumbing a joystick.

I start to play NBA 07 and promptly get my head kicked in by the computer's Golden State Warriors team. But it's not as bad as it seems. For the first few minutes, my Seattle Supersonics team is playing the computer close. I hit about five straight baskets and I feel like I'm getting the hang of the controller and the game itself.

Source

Colin McRae: DIRT On PS3.

Rally games have been popular for years, and the Colin McRae titles have a reputation for being the cream of the crop. So after a 2 year rest the man is back with a new PS3 title. Some of the nice new touches we’ve seen before in other games - the 3D people in the crowd, for example, have been used in Project Gotham Racing 3 on the Xbox 360. But it’s still a nice touch. In fact given that this is a rally game, and so you will be racing solo against the clock for much of the time, it’s even more important to make the rest of the screen interesting.

The car graphics look lovely, and the damage model looks like providing a satisfying crunch when that tree jumps out of nowhere right in front of you. Take a look at these gorgeous screenshots.






Source