Confirmed: Euro DUALSHOCK 3 for July 4 for £39.99

ust got this from Sony: 'I’m pleased to announce Dualshock 3 will be released in the UK on July 4th for £39.99'.

Press release:

DUALSHOCK®3 Wireless Controller
available for PLAYSTATION®3 this summer
Feel the full power of your games as the eagerly awaited DUALSHOCK®3 Wireless Controller arrives on PS3™

June 27, 2008: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) today announced that DUALSHOCK®3 Wireless Controller will be available for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) in Europe on July 4, 2008. The eagerly awaited wireless controller with vibration function will put truly responsive gaming power into players’ hands, shaking up gaming experiences when it arrives on PS3 this summer.

It’s not what you see – it’s what you feel that makes DUALSHOCK 3 the first choice for all gamers. More than 28 million DUALSHOCK controllers have been sold since the first DUALSHOCK release for PlayStation® in 1998. Now DUALSHOCK 3 puts some serious power into existing and future PS3 titles, with its vibration function offering even more interactive play between gamers and the many games – past, present and future – which support the vibration functionality. DUALSHOCK 3 also retains the high-precision, high-response motion-sensitive aspects that have made SIXAXIS so popular.

David Reeves, President and CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, commented, "We are delighted to confirm that DUALSHOCK 3 will be released in SCEE territories in early July. We hope this will add to the intense gaming experience for our fans, as we continue to evolve PS3, its software and its peripherals".

Almost all future PS3 releases will support DUALSHOCK 3, and the controller is already compatible with many existing PS3 titles (firmware upgrade 1.94 required). Face the heart-pounding fear of alien warfare in Resistance: Fall of Man™, hold tight as you tear through the streets of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue™, or feel the thrill of treasure hunting in Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune™ – your favourite PS3 games like you’ve never experienced them before.

Making your gaming experience more immersive, more intuitive and more realistic, DUALSHOCK 3 is the only Bluetooth® controller combining vibration function and SIXAXIS™ features, and the first choice for anyone wanting to get the most out of their PS3 gaming experience.

Official: FW 2.40 Video Walkthrough - Part #2: Trophies

Confirmed: Firmware 2.40 for July 2nd release

ust got this from Sony: “I’m pleased to announce Firmware 2.40 will be released Wednesday 2nd July.”

The following games are now confirmed to include Trophy support:

• BUZZ! Quiz TV
• LittleBigPlanet
• MotorStorm Pacific Rift
• NBA 09 - PS3
• PAIN
• PixelJunk Eden
• Resistance 2
• SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation
• Warhawk

Press release:

Get more from online gaming on PLAYSTATION®3
with the free 2.40 firmware enhancement

PS3™ to give online gamers the features they’ve been requesting:
XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) access in-game and trophies available in this free, automatic system upgrade

June 30, 2008: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe today announced new online gaming functionality for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™), which will become available on July 2, 2008 with the 2.40 enhancement, an automatic firmware upgrade that delivers several of the features most requested by gamers. Combined with PLAYSTATION®Network’s unique service of free* online gaming, the enhancement makes PS3 an even more attractive platform of choice for the online gamer.

Firstly, the 2.40 enhancement allows XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) access in-game. This means that you can access the PS3 menu at any time while playing most games, simply by tapping the PlayStation button on your controller. With 2.40, you can check if any of your friends are online (thanks to their own user profile), read and send messages, change some settings for games, all without having to quit the game you are playing. While you can’t pause an online multiplayer game involving other people, you can rejoin play at any time when you’ve finished browsing. Along with these enhanced communications features, the Friends list capacity will double to 100 Friends.

2.40 also delivers trophies to recognise players’ achievements in the online arena. Other competitive activities recognise winners with trophies – so why not gaming on PS3? Many online games will have gold, silver and bronze trophies – with platinum available for those who snag all three – all displayed on the XMB for everyone to see.

Super Stardust™ HD, a PLAYSTATION Network-exclusive released last year, will be the first game to leverage the Trophies system and will offer a variety of trophies**. The following first-party games are also slated to offer Trophy support:

• BUZZ!™ Quiz TV
• LittleBigPlanet™
• MotorStorm™ Pacific Rift
• NBA 09 - PS3
• PAIN**
• PixelJunk™ Eden
• Resistance 2™
• SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation
• Warhawk™**

The 2.40 enhancement is just one more reason to join PSN, the online network for PS3 users that lets you game online for free*. All you need to do to join is connect your PS3 to broadband and register, or go to the connection guide at www.eu.playstation.com to find out more.

Once in, you’ll find online matches and leagues for all of your favourite games – whether that’s MotorStorm™, Resistance™, Warhawk™ or Gran Turismo™5 Prologue – absolutely free (although users are responsible for paying their broadband fees) and at any time of the day or night. You’ll also find PLAYSTATION®Store, where you can download entire games as well as extra levels, content for your existing games plus internet browsing, video chat thanks to PLAYSTATION®Eye and much, much more.

There’s never been a better time to join PSN. Sign up now to make the most of the 2.40 firmware enhancement - see www.(website).com to find out more.

* No subscription required, broadband fees apply
** Requires a game update to be downloaded and installed

Official: FW 2.40 Video Walkthrough - Part #1: In-Game XMB

Note: FW 2.40 Video Walkthrough - Part #2: Trophies will be available in a 'few days' with the actual FW 2.40 update being released soon after.

The extremely Limited Edition UK MGS4 watch

Isn't she lovely? This lovely Limited Edition Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots timepiece, now up for preorder at UK online retailer Gamestation, has been lovingly crafted using the finest stainless steel, engraved and numbered, and packed in a lovely black box with a silver MGS4 logo stamped on top along with a certificate of authenticity from Konami. Approved by Kojima himself, only 500 of these babies are being released on October 31st of this year, and they're only going to be available through Gamestation...who only ships to the UK, making me sad.

One of the team responsible for creating the limited edition dropped us a line to let us know that Gamestation accidentally put it up for order before the big announcement, so this would be an excellent time to order one before the rush. At £99.99 it makes an excellent gift for any member of the American gaming press sitting at their computer desk drooling over a watch.

Metal Gear Solid 4 Exclusive Watch [Gamestation Preorder Page - Thanks Dan!]

Guerrilla: Killzone 2 ready to take on Call of Duty 4

Killzone 2 developer Guerrilla Games has stated with confidence that it believes the highly anticipated First Person Shooter has lived up to the expectations of eager fans since the game debuted in trailer form at E3 2005.

"The level of anticipation for the 2005 trailer meant that people expected the biggest thing ever to materialize, and what we’ve shown so far, at last year’s E3 and today means that we’re living up to the expectation," commented Steven Ter Heide, Killzone 2’s senior producer.

Graphically, Killzone 2 has surpassed anything delivered on a console yet, with lifelike animations, facial expressions, and spectacular lighting and smoke effects. This combined with gameplay mechanics such as the "lean and peek" system, Killzone 2 looks set to deliver more than just a rudimentary FPS experience.


The firm also acknowledges the comparisons observed between Infinity Ward’s highly successful Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and virtually every new FPS on the market, though remains confident the studio can step up a gear when Killzone 2 hits shelves in February 2009.

"I’m not going to sit here and talk about the competition," said Guerrilla Games' Hermen Hulst. "COD is a game that virtually everybody in the office has played through and completed. We know where our game stands, and we’re up for it, definitely."

With over eight months left for development, Guerilla Games has plenty of time to ensure the title lives up to expectations when it releases exclusively for the PS3 early next year.

Blu-ray adoption outpaces DVD

Singulus has revealed that consumers are adopting Blu-ray faster than they did DVD, with the company having received 21 orders for Blu-ray dual-layer machines in the first quarter.

The information was revealed to shareholders at the technology manufacturer's Annual General Meeting of the Singulus Technologies in Frankfurt and directly contradicted claims by Microsoft's Robbie Bach that consumers were hesitant to upgrade to Blu-ray.

"This means that the orders for Blu-ray in the first year of the dual layer technology already by far exceeded the volume at the start of the DVD eleven years ago with 17 machines," said Stefan A Baustert, CEO of Singulus.

Blu-ray became the standard high definition format after Toshiba's decision to end its HD DVD business earlier this year. The announcement by Toshiba was then followed by Microsoft's decision to end production of the HD DVD player for Xbox 360.

Source

EU/US PlayStation Store Update 5th June 2008

EU

Games/Demos:
- Battlefield: Bad Company Demo (PS3)
- Dragonball Z Demo (PS3)
- Rainbow Six (PS1)
- Killzone Liberation (PSP)

DLC:
- Toy Home DLC
- 2 x Guitar Hero 3 Packs

Trailers:
- Resident Evil 5 Trailer
- Top Spin 3 Trailer

Other:
- Retro Theme

US

Games/Demos:
-Wolf of the battlefield: Commando 3 (Full Game)(PS3)
-Novastrike (Full Game)(PS3)
-Civilization Revolution Demo (PS3)
-Battlefield: Bad Company MP Demo (PS3)
-NASCAR 09 Demo (PS3)

Quore Digital Magazine:
-Qore Episode 001: June 2008 ($2.99 Issue, $24.99 Annual Subscription)

DLC:
-Guitar Hero III: God Of War Add-On
-Guitar Hero III: Motorhead Track Pack
-Rock Band: Tracks

Trailers:
-Resident Evil 3: Spring Trailer 2008
-Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 Trailer
-LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures Launch Trailer
-Dead Space Story Trailer
-Fracture Trailer
-Fracture Behind the Scenes ' Story'
-Hail to the Chimp: 3.00 AM

Game Music:
-God Of War 'The End Begins' Music Track

Introducing Qore: Taking you behind the curtain with PlayStation

Today we are announcing that Qore: Presented by the PLAYSTATION Network, a highly interactive, monthly lifestyle gaming program covering the world inside PLAYSTATION is on its way to PS3. Qore has been developed to give PS3 users early access to game related content at a level of quality, interactivity and depth. Everything is filmed in HD. Qore will feature exclusive news, developer interviews, in-depth game previews and behind-the-scenes looks at PlayStation games and special access to game demos, special beta invitations, game add-ons and other downloadable game-related content.
Our premier episode will be available on Thursday, June 5. The premier episode includes in-depth exclusive and never-before released content on upcoming PlayStation titles such as SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Secret Agent Clank, Soul Calibur 4 and Afro Samurai, as well as the latest Blu-ray Disc trailers, an exclusive SOCOM: Confrontation theme with an invitation to the SOCOM: Confrontation beta, art galleries and other surprises. We also know that many of you are big fans of Veronica Belmont, the widely-known host of numerous online video programs and podcasts and an avid gamer, so we’ve chosen her to be your host.

To get Qore, simply log onto PSN and go to the PLAYSTATION Store, as you would purchase any other form of downloadable content. Once the single Episode or annual subscription is purchased, that month’s episode will be downloaded under the “Game” heading on the Cross Media Bar (XMB). Users who purchase the “Qore Annual Subscription” will notice only that month’s episode is available to download. The following month, the new episode will automatically appear in your download list. The introductory price for Qore is $2.99 for a single episode and $24.99 for an annual subscription of 13 episodes, using your PLAYSTATION Network wallet.

As Peter Dille mentioned in a previous PLAYSTATION Network post, the broader service and community initiatives launching on the PLAYSTATION Network this year such as Qore, PlayStation Home and the Video Download Service are all evidence of our dedication to delivering an all-encompassing entertainment experience for PS fans. Qore is the first in a series of planned original programming specifically created for the PLAYSTATION Network community and we hope you enjoy it.

Source

Sony stops work on Eight Days and The Getaway

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has announced that it has stopped production on two PlayStation 3 titles that were in development at the Sony London Studio - Eight Days and The Getaway.

A statement from the Corporation read as follows: "It has been agreed that production of both Eight Days and The Getaway will cease immediately due to the redistribution of resources and budget.

"This decision was made following an internal review of all games and it was deemed that with the incredibly strong list of exclusive first party titles coming up both this year and in the near future, resource should be reallocated to enhance those projects closer to completion.

"Worldwide Studios has a reputation for innovative and entertaining games, with titles such as LittleBigPlanet, SingStar,Buzz, EyeToy and Eye of Judgement, and will continue to push the boundaries on all PlayStation platforms."

The move follows shortly after the appointment of Shuhei Yoshida as the head of Sony Worldwide Studios, replacing previous company icon Phil Harrison, who departed to take up the role of president at the re-imagined Atari.

Eight Days was first announced at E3 in 2006 with a trailer showing a mixture of what appears to be in-game action and cinematic footage, involving a shoot-out at a remote truck-stop in the Arizona desert.

The Guardian reported just a few weeks ago that the title was "just ramping up to full production," suggesting that the decision was taken only recently to terminate the title.

The Getaway, which was due to receive full attention once Eight Days had been released, was apparently still in the early stages of development.

Sony London Studios was previously responsible for the fantastically successful SingStar and EyeToy franchises. There has been no indication that the decision would result in any redundancies, or whether work on the projects would restart at a later date.

Source

Want a gunmetal gray PS3? all you need is a tin of spray paint

A member of the official Playstation forums has done a good job creating his own gun metal gray PS3. He used a tin of Tamiya Gunmetal TS-38 spray paint and used Testors Dullcote 1260 for the flat clear.
Source

PSM confirms BioShock for PS3, better on PS3

The June issue of UK PlayStation mag PSM3 has confirmed that Take-Two's Bioshock is coming the PS3. According to the magazine cover it will tell us "why Xbox's best shooter is better on PS3".


Source

Dev responds to IGN's Haze review - "MEGAowch"

With early reviews for Haze looking good (Famitsu 34/40 and Italian PSM 9/10), it came as a bit of a shock when IGN bestowed a dreaded 4.5/10 on the game in their review this morning. In curiosity, PSU.com contacted Rob Yescombe of Free Radical to hear what he had to say.

"My thoughts are "Owch". No, wait - MEGAowch," wrote Yescombe. "Haze has had mixed reviews, but even GoldenEye got a 4/10 when it first came out. With a 9/10 in the Italian PSM, and an extremely positive review in Famitsu, we're looking forward to people playing Haze and making a judgment for themselves".

According to IGN, Haze suffered from "a bland story with weak characters... [and] tons of visual issues, from texture tears and non-descript environments to pop-in and odd animation problems."

This comes as a surprise to us because back in March, PSU was given hands on with a near final build of the game and we thought the title looked fairly good. The graphics in particular looked crisp and the framerate was smooth.

With Haze releasing today in the US, and Friday in Europe, we'll see how well gamers will jump on board with the new PS3 exclusive.

Source

Sony to take action over 'Uncharted' replica gun sales

Sony Computer Entertainment has told GamesIndustry.biz that it will take action against a retailer selling air guns using branding from hit PS3 game Uncharted: Drake's Fortune.

At least one internet retailer is advertising the 'PS3 Uncharted Drake's Fortune Full Metal M92 Airsoft Gun', on sale for USD 169.88, using artwork from the game developed by Naughty Dog.

When contacted, Sony said that the product is not in any way officially endorsed and the company will take the appropriate action against retailers advertising such products.

"The Drake's Gun is not licensed or in any way sanctioned by SCE and one we certainly do not condone.

"We are investigating the source of this product and will proceed with the most appropriate action," said Sony.

Source

SCEA: Killzone 2 fact sheet

A Killzone 2 fact sheet has been released. The release details the story line and the features list talks mainly about the graphics. Experience a beautifully lit world brought to life by deferred rendering technology. Multiple shadows casting light sources bring out the highly detailed environments and character animations.

Press Release
KillzoneTM 2

FACT SHEET

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Platform: PLAYSTATION®3 system
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Rating: “RP” for “Rating Pending”

OVERVIEW

Developed by Guerilla Games, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Killzone™ 2 is the highly anticipated first-person shooter created exclusively for the PLAYSTATION®3 system. Following events and action from the original Killzone for PlayStation®2, Killzone 2 brings players into a highly detailed, ultra-realistic “theater of war” that truly leverages the processing power of the PS3.

Throughout the campaign, players will encounter lifelike and adaptable artificial intelligence (A.I.) from enemies as well as fellow soldiers, destructible environments, and stunningly detailed scenery. Additionally, players will be tasked with utilizing a host of new weapons and vehicles in the war to stop the Helghast. Featuring an extensive single-player campaign and thrilling multi-player mode, Killzone 2 delivers a host of new gameplay elements and an intense storyline that will once again drive gamers to join the ranks of the ISA and fight the Helghast…this time on the enemy’s home planet.

STORYLINE

Two years after the Helghast assault on Vekta, the ISA is taking the fight to the enemy’s home world of Helghan. The ISA goal is direct: capture the Helghast leader, Emperor Visari, and bring the Helghast war machine to a halt. Assuming the role of Sev, a battle-hardened veteran and a member of the special forces unit known as the Legion, players will lead a group of highly trained soldiers on a mission to take out the Helghast threat. For Sev and his squad, the invasion of Helghan is just the beginning. Tasked with securing Pyrrhus, the Capital City, the team quickly discovers that the Helghast are a formidable enemy on their home planet. Not only have they adjusted to the planet’s hostile conditions, they have also harnessed a source of power they can now use against the ISA. Sev discovers his squad isn’t just fighting enemy forces – their fiercest opponent may be the planet itself.

KEY FEATURES

• Experience realistic, highly atmospheric environments that respond dynamically to the violent conditions on the planet Helghan.

• Witness the devastating effects of Helghan’s climate as it forces you and your enemies to adapt to new tactics.

• Control an arsenal of new and unique weapons and vehicles, in addition to trusty Killzone classics like the M82-G and the StA-52 LA.

• Face off against fearsome enemies who have learned to wield the hostility of Helghan itself against their opponents.

• Between Killzone 2’s unique visual style, the power of PS3, the use of EDGE tools, and the proprietary technology developed by Guerrilla, the game promises to impress players with its benchmark visuals, smooth character animation, detailed, effect-laden environments, and realtime cutscenes.

• Experience a beautifully lit world brought to life by deferred rendering technology. Multiple shadows casting light sources bring out the highly detailed environments and character animations.

• With true next-gen audio the player is further immersed in the world, supporting 7.1 surround and location-specific audio with wave tracing. Players will not only notice the difference between indoor and outdoor but also experience sound and music that are dynamic and contextual.

• Studio grade special effects will provide unprecedented visual fidelity. With full screen anti-aliasing, motion blur, internal lens reflections, and depth-based color grading, players will experience a picture that is sharp, smooth, and full of detail.

Source

Sony Sees Revenues And Profits Rise

Sony Corporation has reported its financial results for the year ending March 31, 2008, with revenues and profits up on the previous year.

In total, across the group, the company took JPY 8.87 trillion (USD 84.4 billion), a rise of 6.9 per cent on the previous year, with net income hitting JPY 369.4 billion (USD 3.51 billion) - almost tripling the previous year's total of JPY 126.3 (USD 1.20 billion).

Sales of buildings, as well as funds received from the flotation of its financial business last year, contributed to the strong showing, although its consumer products also performed well.

The majority of the good news came from its electronics division, with record sales and operating income on the back of Bravia TV and Cyber-Chot camera sales, but the videogames unit also posted a far more promising set of figures than last year.

Sales in that department increased 26.3 per cent year-on-year to JPY 1.28 trillion (USD 12.2 billion), resulting in a narrowing of the loss from JPY 232.3 billion (USD 2.21 billion) to JPY 124.5 billion (USD 1.18 billion).

The company cited the principal reasons for the reduction of those losses as a lower cost of production for the PlayStation 3 console combined with a strong performance - particularly in Japan - of the PlayStation Portable.

Sales performance in the next twelve months is expected to improve slightly, with revenues rising by 1 per cent to JPY 9 trillion (USD 85.6 billion), although the company forecasts a fall in profits, by 22 per cent to JPY 290 billion (USD 2.76 billion) mainly due to the expected appreciation of the Yen against the Dollar.

Source

LittleBigPlanet - Killzone 2 characters video

Below is a video showing LittleBigPlanet - Killzone 2 characters. The video was shown at the Playstation Day yesterday.

PS3 & Folding@Home reaches 2 Petaflops

Folding@Home computing power reaches 2080 Terraflop mark (2 petaflops).

As of November 2007, the IBM Blue Gene/L at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is the fastest operational supercomputer, with a sustained processing rate of 478.2 TFLOPS.

The Folding@Home network is over 4x more powerful than the second most powerful supercomputer.

The PS3 is providing 81% of the computing power. In comparison, Windows PCs are providing 9%. This is especially amazing since there is almost 4 times less PS3 than computers contributing.

Therefore the average computing power of a PS3 is approximately 32 times more than the average PC. This is due to recent updates to the Folding@Home application which make it more efficient.

100,000 MGS4 PS3 Bundles for Japan

That's a lot. Maybe.

Japan is recovering from its Golden Week period of holidays, making news slow from the island nation, but we did stumble upon one little bit that ought to help those who take part in office pools over system sales. The web version of Mainichi Shimbun newspaper reports today that Sony plans on shipping between 80,000 and 100,000 units of the recently announced MGS4 PS3 bundle. Sony refers to this as a limited edition bundle, so we presume they intend to sell out of it quickly.

First announced last week, this bundle combines a 40 gigabyte PS3 in your choice of Clear Black, Ceramic White, or Satin Silver colors, with an extra Dual Shock 3 controller and a copy of the standard version of MGS4, all for 49,800 yen. This amounts to a 4,000 yen savings over buying the items separately.

Konami has its own bundle on the way, which combines a new metallic color version of the PS3 with a copy of the MGS4 limited edition for 51,800 yen. Shipping quantities have not been revealed for this set.

Source

Haze Demo Coming To US PlayStation Network Tomorrow

Today, Ubisoft confirmed that a playable demo for Haze will be coming to the US PlayStation Store tomorrow. The demo was released yesterday on the European PlayStation Network, following the Playstation Day event. The demo features a sample of the single-player campaign, online 2-4 player co-op (drop-in/drop-out play), and 2-player split-screen play.