Harrison: "Sony took absolutely the right decision" to recall LBP

Atari president Phil Harrison has told GamesIndustry.biz that he believes Sony took "absolutely the right decision" in recalling LittleBigPlanet over the controversial references made to the Qur'an.

Harrison, who was previously president of Sony Worldwide Studios before taking on his current role - and who championed the title from the very beginning - also thinks that the delay won't affect the game's ultimate success "one iota".

Source

Sony and Toshiba to begin mass producing 45nm cell processor in 2009

Japan's Nikkan is reporting that Sony and Toshiba will begin mass production of the 45nm Cell processor in 2009 -- not this autumn as previously rumored. The smaller chip which cost less than the current 65nm Cell to manufacture also require 40% less power to run. This opens the door to possible price drops on existing PS3 consoles in 2009 as well as slimmer, cooler running rigs should Sony decide to refresh the industrial design.

Source

LittleBigPlanet Goes gold

Alex just announced on the Media Molecule website that LittleBigPlanet is finished!

“LittleBigPlanet is nearly in your hands! Rejoice! Time for champagne…” he said. Congrats to Media Molecule, it looks like LBP is right on schedule. The wait will be over soon!

LittleBigPlanet to Embarrass Xbox Live

Sackboy is about to show Xbox Live where it's at.

Is Microsoft's Xbox Live service better than the PlayStation Network? At one stage in this generation such a question would get little debate: Xbox Live for the win – at least from a user’s perspective. We’d still tend to give a nod in Live’s direction. With all of Microsoft’s extensive PC networking experience behind it, consumers have rallied behind the marketplace (despite its questionable pricing plans: microtransactions our collective arses!) and fallen in love with the social mechanics and achievements.

Sony has been playing catch-up all along. But catching up they have been, with each firmware update the PlayStation Network has become a more robust online alternative, to the point where there is a hint of the cross-media bar in the upcoming Xbox Live re-skin. Now Sony just need some killer software.

For a while there it looked like Home was going to be Sony’s big PSN hope, but a run of delays has seen interest in the product wane. But a new beast has risen to take its place: having just spent a few days goings hands-on with LittleBigPlanet and chatting with Nick Robinson, its Senior Product Manager, we think it could be LittleBigPlanet that really rocks Xbox Live’s boat in this key skirmish of the console war.

For the uninitiated, LittleBigPlanet is one of the bravest software concepts of all time. A side-scrolling platformer on the surface, its beating heart lies in user-creation, with gamers empowered to construct their own levels and freely distribute them across the Net to all other community members. As Nick informed us, the driving mantra during the game’s creation was ‘no cheating.’ Each of the 50 levels constructed in the main experience is developed with exactly the same tool kit provided to users in the creation mode.

In fact, Nick stated that originally they weren’t going to provide any maps at all, just the editing software. But instead the 50 levels were designed and included for the specific purpose of illuminating what can be achieved with the tool kit: they’re instruments of inspiration first, entertainment second. And while Nick informed us that there is already 12 months of planned DLC for the game, it will come in the form of new editing tools – a mini music studio was spoken about but not confirmed – coupled with levels that show off what it can do.

The possibilities in LittleBigPlanet are next to endless. As part of our time with the game, the assembled journalists were each given two hours to construct a map, with everything from skate-boarding simulations to hardcore platformers and cut-scene driven puzzlers spilling out of the nation’s finest critics.

Nick is aware that this leaves the door open to just about anything – he believes that they’ll probably get every Mario bros level ever developed day one – and they have strict moderation features to counter spam and indecency. But the truth of it is they are genuinely clueless as to what is going to happen. They really don’t know: they’re going to press the big green button step back and watch what happens. It’s the great unknown, but ultimately Media Molecule, and Sony, are charging headfirst into the unknown with barely contained excitement.

It’s a mentality that parallels the ground-breaking work being done by Will Wright on Spore, and it’s already working. In fact, Nick informed us that other Sony studios – including Guerrilla Games – are chomping at the bit to make their own themed-levels for their games – Sack-Helghast anyone? The game is filled with brilliant features that are sure to facilitate exponential community growth. Like the ability to create props and images that you can hide in your level as Easter eggs which, if discovered, will be delivered as prizes to the gamer for use in their worlds. Or to chain-link multiple levels together, so when you finish one it downloads the next, allowing guilds and clans to develop whole games of their own styling. Not to mention full website support covering things like stat-tracking of your average map rating, and fastest times in race maps. Not to mention that the game supports Trophies.

It’s going to go off. And it’s all facilitated by the freedom Sony gives to developers in the way they use the PSN. Such freedom does not exist on Xbox live.

We broached the subject of Xbox 360 with Nick and whether LittleBigPlanet could function as desired on the format: the answer was a disappointed shake of the head. Echoing the thoughts we heard from Epic Games Mark Rein last year regarding the issues they faced with wanting mods available for the Xbox 360 version of Unreal Tournament III (which subsequently resulted in a delay), and the frustration shown more recently by the developers of N+, Microsoft’s Draconian – and frequently hypocritical (seems to be ok in Halo 3 and Forza 2) – restrictions on user-generated content is proving to the be Live’s Achilles’ Heel.

Just today the developer of the highest rated XBLA game ever, Braid, sugested he would never work on the system again due to Microsoft's restrictions.

Getting a straight answer out of Microsoft as to what precisely is their problem has been a long trek down a dead-end. On the surface they’re saying it’s a bi-product of Xbox live being a ‘closed system’, and then there’s been a bit of the old ‘we can’t guarantee the quality, or that the content will be kosher’. But there are more than enough hints to suggest that Microsoft is simply worried that it will devalue the premium content on the Marketplace: as in they will lose money. Or more precisely, will not get as much money. Certainly Bizarre Creations, who were told they couldn’t give Geometry Wars away for free, would agree with this theory. Even Mark Rein has moaned about the need of “convincing Microsoft to let us give some things away for free."

As it stands, LittleBigPlanet is set to embarrass Xbox live and really challenge Microsoft’s views on user-generated content. The game has a tremendous amount of hype and having played it for hours now, that hype is certainly warranted. It’ll be a trendsetter for sure, and a host of LittleBigPlanet clones will surely appear down the track, all of which will seemingly need to head to the PS3. And LittleBigPlanet is just the first wave in an onslaught of user-driven experiences, including such big hitters as Guitar Hero: World Tour and Spore.

Indeed, if LittleBigPlanet fulfils its potential, appealing to mainstream and gamer alike, then it could very well force Microsoft’s hand by humiliating the revered Xbox Live system. Worse still for Microsoft is this all important question: what other unannounced games have already pledged themselves to the PS3 in order to jump on the user-content bandwagon?

Source

PS3 Trophies system having teething problems..........

Various forums are reporting few problems with the PS3's trophy & gamecard system. Several of the games that support trophies are not updating the gamecard with the trophy. I have had this problem my self with 'Buzz Quiz TV!'. My gamecard still shows a total of 19 trophies. When it should read a total of 24 trophies. Lets hope this problem will get sorted soon.

Let me know if you are having any of the mentioned problems.

E3 2008: Sony Conference overview

Playstation 2:
Hardware:

• Bundle with LEGO Batman and Justice League: New Frontiers DVD - R1140

Software:

• Buzz! (2008)
• LEGO Batman
• Madden NFL (2008)
• Mercenaries 2 (2008)
• NCAA Football (2008)
• Singstar (2008)
• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (2008)
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour (2008)
• Yakuza 2 (2008)

------------------------------------------------------------

Playstation Portable:
Hardware:

• Bundle with Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters, National Treasure 2 UMD, a 1GB memory stick, and echochrome PSP voucher - R1520

Software:

• Buzz! Master Quiz (2008)
• LEGO Batman
• Loco Roco 2
• Madden
• Midnight Club Los Angeles Remix
• NBA 09
• Patapon 2
• Restistance Retribution (2009) - by Sony Bend, a third person title.
• Star Wars: Unleashed
• Super Stardust Portable

------------------------------------------------------------

Playstation 3:
Hardware:

• 80gb SKU - same functionality as 40gb

Software:

• 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand
• Buzz Quiz TV (2008)
• DC Universe Online - Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Joker, Bane.
• God of War 3
• Gran Turismo 5 Prologue - Pay Per View content coming
• Ghost Busters
• Guitar Hero: World Tour
• HOME - Dedicated rooms. Graphical update.
• inFamous (2009)
• Killzone 2
• LittleBigPlanet (October 2008)
• MAG: Massive Action Game - Zipper Interactive. 256 players possible online!!!
• Mirror's Edge
• Motorstorm: Pacific Rift
• NBA 09
• Quantum of Solace
• Resident Evil 5
• Resistance 2 (2008)
• Singstar
• Socom: Confrontation
• Soul Calibur 4
• The Agency

• Crash Commando [PSN]
• Fat Princess [PSN]
• Flower [PSN]
• Pain: Amusement Park [PSN]
• Siren: Blood Curse [PSN]
• Ragdoll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic [PSN]
• Ratchet and Clank Future: Quest for Booty [PSN]

------------------------------------------------------------

Playstation Network:
Software:

• Single user sign-in for all Playstation customers

• Video rental service - Sony, Fox, Disney, Warner, MGM, Lionsgate, 20th Century and even Funimation. Studio backgrounds replace normal backgrounds. 85 films from Sony available on SD. HD rental also available for certain titles, with purchase as an option at R115. Files can be transfered to you PSP.

• Life with Playstation - News and weather with google earth.

E3 2008: Every confirmed PS3 game

E3 2008 begins today in LA. We waited until the last possible minute to bring you the final list of confirmed games, including all those that are PS3 exclusive.

Of course, we are expecting all sorts of additional titles to appear during the Sony conference on Tuesday 15th, but this is the list of games actually confirmed to be on the floor at the event.

• Baja: Edge of Control
• Bionic Commando
• Bionic Commando Rearmed
• BioShock
• Blitz: The League II
• Borderlands
• Buzz! Quiz TV(PS3 Exclusive)
• Damnation
• Dark Void
• Darksiders: Wrath of War
• Dead Space
• Edge of Twilight
• FaceBreaker
• Fallout 3
• Free Realms(PS3 Exclusive)
  
• Just Cause 2
• Killzone 2(PS3 Exclusive)
• Legendary
• LEGO Batman: The Videogame
• LittleBigPlanet(PS3 Exclusive)
• Madden NFL 09
• Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
• Mirror's Edge
• Monster Madness: Grave Danger(PS3 Exclusive)
• Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
• MotorStorm: Pacific Rift(PS3 Exclusive)
• NBA 2K9
• NBA Live 09
• NCAA Football 09
• NHL 2K9
• Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising
• PixelJunk Eden(PS3 Exclusive)
• Plunder
• Project Origin
• Pure
• Red Faction: Guerrilla
• Resident Evil 5
• Resistance 2(PS3 Exclusive)
• Rise of the Argonauts
• Saints Row 2
• SIREN: Blood Curse (Episode 1) (PS3 Exclusive)
• SOCOM: Confrontation(PS3 Exclusive)
• Soulcalibur IV
• Street Fighter IV
• Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
• The Agency(PS3 Exclusive)
• The Last Remnant
• The Lord of the Rings: Conquest
• This is Vegas
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09
• TNA iMPACT!
• Tomb Raider Underworld
• Wheelman
• WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009

Other PS3 games that are not confirmed too appear at E3:

• Final Fantasy XIII(PS3 Exclusive)
• Gods of War III(PS3 Exclusive)
• Twisted Metal PS3(PS3 Exclusive)
• White Knight Story(PS3 Exclusive)
• WipeOut HD(PS3 Exclusive)
• Uncharted 2(PS3 Exclusive)

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