02/07, 11:45pm
North American PS Vita users must buy games again
Sony in a quick brief has warned that North American gamers won't have access to the UMD Passport program for the PlayStation Vita like their Japanese counterparts. A spokesperson told Kotaku that gamers with legacy, physical PSP titles will have to buy them again if they're available on the PlayStation Store. Japanese gamers can currently register their UMD-based games through the PSP and then pay a much smaller fee to download the digital version.
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02/05, 11:20am
Sony gives PSN new SEN badge in days
Sony has given notice that the unification of its online entertainment services mentioned during its CES keynote would affect the PlayStation Network on February 7. A terms of service change will see the service renamed as part of the Sony Entertainment Network. Actual functionality should stay the same.
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01/23, 10:45pm
PS Vita can control full PS3 games with tricks
A new hack demoed on video (below) has shown that the PS Vita can play full PS3 games through Remote Play. A jailbroken and modified version of the PS3's 3.55 firmware, lower than the most recent official build, can pipe through full games such as Battlefield 3 and the Mortal Kombat remake without having to get official support. Sony only allows its current list of PSP-aware Remote Play games to work.
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01/23, 4:45pm
Sony PlayStation Certified program gets new games
The PlayStation Certified program will soon get a number of new titles, according to a number of new ESRB ratings. Thus far, the program, which was designed to bring legacy PlayStation games to PlayStation Certified devices such as tablets and smartphones, only offered a few PS1 titles. The Entertainment Software Rating Board names a number of other PSP titles that will be made available on Certified Devices.
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01/18, 8:20pm
PS Vita sales continue to drop
New Media Create data has made clear that the PlayStation Vita isn't yet threatening most other consoles or smartphones. After a blockbuster launch in December, it has tapered off for a second time in a month to just 18,361 systems as of January 15. Every console's sales dropped off sharply in the same period, but it still sat behind Sony's seven-year-old PSP, the PS3, and Nintendo's 3DS.
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12/31, 4:55pm
PS Vita proof of concept app hack appears
The first steps to get homemade code running on the PS Vita have taken place after Japanese developer teck4, with elaboration by mamosuke, has shown a very early example. The "hello world" app runs in the PlayStation's PSP emulator and uses just hardware controls. While rough, it lets gamers change the color and movement of the "snowfall" in a test scene.
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12/28, 3:40pm
PS Vita sells just 72K units in first full week
Sales of Sony's recently launched PS Vita handheld games console have cooled significantly, the latest numbers from Japanese site 4Gamer.net reveal. The first full week of the console's being on the market saw just 72,479 Vitas find homes, a marked decrease from the 321,400 units sold in its first two days on the market. This puts the system in fifth place after the 3DS, the Vita's predecessor the PSP, Nintendo's Wii, and Sony's PS3, respectively.
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12/22, 7:00pm
NPD tracks smartphone and digital gaming at last
The NPD Group in a rare step began tracking some of the contributions of non-traditional gaming to the industry for the first time. It estimated that about $1.64 billion came from "other content," which includes mobile games as well as direct downloads and social network games, generated $1.64 billion in revenue. The growth made it larger than the traditional software side of the business, which dropped to $1.3 billion
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12/20, 3:05pm
SCE VP Shuhei Yoshida talks about PS Vita
The PlayStation Blog has conducted an interview with Sony Computer Entertainment VP and President of Worldwide Studios, Shuhei Yoshida, revealing some insight about the development of the PS Vita handheld console. During the interview, Yoshida admitted that the company shifted focus away from the PSP, the Vita's predecessor, and concentrated on developing games for the PS3. Instead, the company will plan ahead for "constant supply of excellent games" for the PS Vita.
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12/05, 5:00pm
PS Vita to have limitations, at least initially
The upcoming PS Vita handheld console from Sony will be limited from web browsing while a game is running in the background. Users will have the ability to check friends' lists, music and Twitter, but can't browse the web while in a game. At the same time, only one PlayStation Network account can be set up on the device at the same time.
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11/10, 4:40pm
Offers 10X rewards points for games and rentals
Sony has teamed up with Capital One to offer a rewards card for PlayStation enthusiasts. The PlayStation Card will offer ten times the reward points for every purchase made on the PlayStation Network. This includes game-related PSN purchases as well as PSN movie or TV show purchases and rentals.
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11/09, 1:50pm
Flurry shows Apple and Google in control of games
Smartphone OS platforms from Apple and Google now make up the majority of mobile game revenue in the US, Flurry said in a new study. Both year-to-date figures and estimates give Android and iOS a combined 58 percent of money spent on games in 2011. Nintendo would now be a minority by a significant margin, at 36 percent, while Sony's PSP would be just six percent.
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11/04, 10:20am
Sony limits PS3 and PSP game reach to curb sharing
Sony on Friday outlined a plan to curb the number of devices that can use a game. Any PlayStation Store game for the PS3 or PSP bought after November 18 will be limited to two activations at a time for each device type, down from the current five. Gamers will have to turn activations on or off either on the devices themselves or on the web.
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10/24, 10:45am
PSP goes out in US with FIFA bundle on November 15
Sony gave the PSP one last bundle in the US on Monday to keep sales going until the PlayStation Vita arrives in February. The new pack includes the regular PSP-3000, a UMD-based copy of EA's FIFA 12 for soccer fans, and a code coupon to download a digital version of the Disney/Pixar Cars 2 game. A 2GB Memory Stick Pro Duo is in the box as well and provides just enough space to save games for most titles.
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09/08, 7:50pm
Microsoft claims Xbox 360 leads August 2011
Microsoft claimed one of the longer unbroken video game console sales streaks in recent memory as the Xbox 360 was once more the top-selling console in the US, according to NPD data. August sales bounced back from July's low point and hit 306,000 of the systems. Nintendo added that the 3DS price cut made a meaningful impact and saw sales jump to 235,000, about 185,000 of which were after the August 12 drop to $170.
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09/08, 10:45am
ATT dates and prices Xperia Play 4G
AT&T on Thursday set out launch details for its promised version of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. Now called the Xperia Play 4G, it expands on the original both with 14.4Mbps HSPA (technically 3G) and the inclusion of Sony Ericsson's own DK300 media dock and a music cable for RCA-equipped speakers. Gamers also get a better game loadout on the PlayStation phone, which brings in Dungeon Defenders, The Sims 3 and Tower Bloxx to existing titles like Crash Bandicoot, Madden NFL 11 and Gameloft titles.
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09/06, 7:45am
Security chief ups confidence for online plans
Sony has tapped a veteran of the US Department of Homeland security for the newly created position of chief information security officer. Former director of the U.S. National Cyber Security Center Philip Reitnger will become a senior vice president with the company and report to general counsel Nicole Seligman. The move comes in response to the attack on Sony's Playstation Network in April that caused a monthlong shutdown of the network and compromised the personal information of millions of PSN subscribers.
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08/16, 6:00pm
PSVita gets free social and VoIP from the start
Sony's Gamescom keynote on Tuesday saw it give future PSVita buyers a slew of social apps for when the console is ready. The handheld will have apps available on or near launch for Facebook, Foursquare, Skype, and Twitter. All will be free in the PlayStation Store.
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08/16, 2:20pm
Sony PSP minus Wi-Fi headed to at least Europe
(Update: E-1000 name and official shots) Sony at its Gamescom keynote unveiled an unusual new PSP model as a going-away version. The new E-1000 will ship without Wi-Fi, but with UMD, and is intended to catch budget users. In Europe, it should cost about 99 euros ($143), or a third less than the 127 euros ($183) of the current edition. Timing wasn't narrowed down.
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08/10, 1:50pm
New Sony PSP bundle due at end of August for $160
Sony just revealed it will release a new PSP bundle on August 30 that includes the portable games console and EA's Madden NFL 12 and Need for Speed Shift. Also included is a 2GB Memory Stick Pro Duo. The bundle will cost $160 when it launches in the US.
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07/29, 5:05pm
Sony may use Samsung CPU for PS Vita processor
Sony may have turned outwards to get a processor for the PlayStation Vita. A claim made by Semiconductor Industry News, caught by Hachimaki, claims that the quad-core, ARM Cortex-A9 chip in the Vita will be made by Samsung. The exact model wasn't given, but it would be on a present-day 45 nanometer chip design rather than something smaller, like 28 nanometers.
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07/14, 8:35pm
NPD June data give Xbox 507K units in huge lead
Microsoft kept up a year-long string of leads with new NPD data giving it the lead in June. About 507,000 Xbox 360s shipped last month, making it not only the top selling game console but giving it a wide lead. The NPD's decision against providing open data made comparisons difficult, but Microsoft in a comment said it sold "nearly twice as many" systems as rivals, with Nintendo's DS or Wii the most likely runner up.
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07/14, 12:45pm
Sony chief says PSN outage was great for learning
The four-week long PSN outage was a "great experience," according to president of Sony Network Entertainment Tim Schaaff. The claim, made during an interview with VentureBeat on Wednesday at the MobileBeat conference, argued that the pressure of the breach made the PlayStation service stronger. Customers were also at least as interested as they were before.
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07/12, 6:00pm
Sony Ericsson Xperia Play gets ATT release
AT&T at a media event Tuesday confirmed that it would carry Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play. Its version will support 21Mbps HSPA+ 3G and will come in an optional dark, AT&T-hued blue along with the regular black. The carrier hasn't said if it will customize the game loadout.
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06/28, 4:50pm
Includes choice of PSP in 3 colors + accessories
Sony will be offering special PSP bundles in Japan this summer. The PSP-3000 "value pack" includes a PSP bundled with several helpful and frequently color-matched accessories. These include a 2GB Memory Stick Pro Duo, an AC adapter, a 1,200mAh battery, a pouch, and wiping cloth.
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06/24, 12:10pm
Sony sued again over PSN, staff cuts pinned
A second lawsuit over PSN hacks this week has accused Sony of cutting jobs whose absence may have worsened or contributed to the hack. A "substantial percentage" of Sony Online Entertainment, including some in the network operations center, were let go just two weeks before the April 19 incident that hit both SOE and PSN. Sony lowered its safeguards through job cuts just as the attacks came in, the lawsuit alleged.
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06/17, 5:40pm
Sony's Tretton says PS Vita could fill in for iPod
Sony's SCEA president Jack Tretton in a conversation Friday hoped that the PlayStation Vita would be as essential for many people as an Android or iOS device. When asked about competing with Apple and Google, he saw it as a matter of making the Vita an essential device. The system had to be so closely linked to entertainment that it became as important as taking a cellphone or a wallet, and he told Forbes that he saw it often filling the role.
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06/09, 5:30pm
Sony PSVita gets detailed FAQ
Sony has quietly rolled out an FAQ for the PSVita that has answered some of the deeper questions surrounding its new handheld. The system will play PSP games but, without a UMD drive or an add-on reader, will have to rely on downloadable games. The console maker was considering "every possibility" to accommodate gamers with an existing library but wouldn't say more.
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06/07, 1:15am
Sony sells 70 million PSPs ahead of Vita launch
Sony has used E3 2011 and the launch of the PlayStation Vita to highlight the worldwide sales of what will be its predecessor, the original Sony PlayStation Portable. First launched in December 2004, the handheld console has now gone on to sell 70 million units up until the end of April this year. Its library of 3,200 UMD titles has also shipped over 298 million software units.
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06/06, 8:00pm
Sony talks PSVita and more at E3 2011 event
Sony is holding its E3 press conference for E3 2011 on the USC campus tonight. The company is expected to formally rechristen the NGP as the PSVita, its main challenge to Apple and Nintendo in the gaming space. Visit our live coverage page from 8PM Eastern or 5PM Pacific for real-time updates as they happen.
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06/03, 3:30pm
PSN Welcome Back greets PS3, PSP gamers before E3
Sony wrapped up its pre-E3 run with word that its Welcome Back program was now live. As promised, PSN members from before the service went down April 20 can choose two PS3 games and two PSP games if they own one or both systems. Both platforms get older but major titles, such as Infamous and Wipeout HD Fury on the PS3 and LittleBigPlanet or Killzone Liberation on the PSP.
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06/02, 3:45pm
Titles from PSN will be supported
Amid Sony's NGP-related announcements, the company has confirmed that its upcoming handheld will be compatible with PSP titles. Backward compatibility will be limited to digital releases available in the PlayStation Network, though the hardware differences will require many games to be reconfigured for the NGP's input options.
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06/02, 1:20am
PlayStation Store and PSN completely back
Sony at the turn of midnight Thursday said it had brought back the PlayStation Store as promised this week. The shop and its DLC were available immediately in North America and also included new content, including new demos, full games, add-ons, and sales. Both PS3 and PSP owners could get to the new content.
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05/29, 5:25pm
LulzSec plans new wave of Sony hacking
Hacking collective Lulz Security teased on Sunday that it was about to launch a fresh campaign against Sony "within the next day." Following attacks on Sony Music Japan and elsewhere, the first phase of "Sownage" (Sony ownage) was coming along with a "pre-game show." As expected, the group didn't name its targets other than some Sony websites.
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05/27, 11:20am
Sony promises PSN back in Asia this weekend
Sony has announced that it would restore PSN gaming service in Japan and other regions in Asia on Saturday. The return would come over a month after the gaming network was voluntarily shut down following a hack and over a week later than other regions. Japan's government didn't let Sony reinstate user access to the network until Sony could ensure it made the necessary fixes to ensure this kind of hack doesn't happen again.
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05/27, 9:50am
Sony may slash NGP features to hit Nintendo, Apple
Sony might be stripping down the performance of the NGP to better take on the Nintendo 3DS and Apple's iPod touch. A rumor late Thursday from France's 01net claimed that developers had been told the NGP would have half the main RAM, 256MB, and a similar cut to 128MB of video RAM. It may also drop the 16GB of built-in storage and shed the plain SD card slot in favor of a possibly more proprietary format with copy protection; whether that was Memory Stick or another format wasn't mentioned.
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05/26, 5:55pm
Sony hints PS4 in progress
Sony gave the first signs of the PlayStation 4 already in development through the earnings call for its latest results. The electronics giant's CFO Masaru Kato explained a rise in research and development costs by noting that "development work is already underway" for the PS3's future replacement. He couldn't say what it was or when it would ship in VentureBeat's recall of the event, although the timing made it unlikely it would be 2011.
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05/25, 11:30am
Sony gears up Black Ops PS3 and Limited PSP pre-E3
Sony ramped itself up for the E3 show with two special deals to put sales over the top. A new Call of Duty: Black Ops Limited Edition PS3 bundle gives users both a 160GB version of the console but also the still-current first-person shooter and the new First Strike add-on pack. It ships on May 31, just a week before the start of E3, for $300.
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05/24, 3:10pm
Sony promises 6.39 update for PSP, PSN updated
Sony on Tuesday announced it will soon release a system software update for the PSP system, which is effectively the equivalent of the PS3 3.61 update. It will guide users through the process of changing their PSN password and also improve system stability in specific cases. The update is required to get back on the PSN after the hack that took the gaming network offline for more than three weeks.
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05/23, 2:30pm
Sony to intro PSP Remaster games for PS3
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) on Sunday revealed it will launch a new PSP Remaster series of games for the PS3. They will first hit the Japanese market on Blu-ray discs and will be redone versions of current games for the handheld. In the changeover, they will get HD graphics and new features, including support for Sixaxis and DualShock controllers.
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05/23, 10:15am
Sony fiscal year sees 3.2b loss and 171m for PSN
Sony revealed a major blow to its finances in an early warning regarding results for its latest fiscal year (PDF). The company said it had lost $3.2 billion in the 12 months ended March 31 through several factors. Its nearly month-long PSN outage due to hacks is now known to have cost the company $171.17 million, both through repairing the damage as well as free PS3 and PSP games and a month of PlayStation Plus access.
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05/18, 3:55pm
Sony solves PSN password exploit in same day
Sony quickly responded to talk of the PSN password reset exploit with a response of its own. Senior corporate communications head Patrick Seybold acknowledged that there had been a "URL exploit" in the password reset tool but that it already been fixed. He rebuffed claims by some that it was a hack and emphasized that it was on the web.
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05/18, 11:50am
Sony PSN hit again through password exploits
Sony took an embarrassing blow on Tuesday as it confirmed that it had taken down its PSN and Qriocity password reset tools just after bringing service back. An exploit has surfaced that needs only a gamer's e-mail address and the holder's date of birth to get a new password and hijack an account. Eurogamer had seen video evidence of the exploit proving that it worked.
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05/16, 6:20pm
Company announces perks following outage
Sony has announced a new "customer appreciation program" that aims to pacify frustrated customers who have been affected by the ongoing PlayStation Network and Qriocity outages. Customers will be able to choose from two free PS3 games, including Dead Nation, inFAMOUS, LittleBigPlanet, Super Stardust HD, or Wipeout HD + Fury. PSP owners will also be eligible to download two PSP games such as LittleBigPlanet, ModNation Racers, Pursuit Force, or Killzone Liberation.
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05/13, 6:10pm
iPhone 4 and App Store set Guinness game records
Guinness World Records upturned expectations late Thursday by giving Apple three records for gaming. The iPhone 4 was now the fastest-selling handheld game system ever, having reached an estimated 1.5 million devices on its first day. Officials noted that just 200,000 Sony PSPs moved on its launch day, and the DS took a full week to hit 500,000.
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05/12, 10:50pm
Nintendo 3DS still struggling to outsell DSi
Nintendo faced a hurdle in its hopes to retake some of its share in mobile gaming from Apple on Thursday after NPD results showed that the 3DS wasn't outselling its predecessor. The company shipped 194,000 3DS systems in April but moved 257,000 of the DSi the same month. A statement from the console maker argued the gap, despite it being the first full month for the 3DS, was due to the "staying power" of the older systems and the recent dual Pokemon games driving sales.
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05/10, 2:20pm
Sony update on PSN status: a few more days
Sony has posted an update on its PlayStation blog regarding the near three-week long PSN outage. While it cannot give an exact date for when access to the network will be returned, an apologetic Sony says it will "likely be at least a few more days." The security breach potentially exposed the private information or more than 100 million user accounts.
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05/10, 1:40pm
Business as usual despite recent security problems
Sony today has announced a family of six in-ear headphones brandishing the PSP badge. The headphones provide 100dB/mW output at 16 ohms and are specially designed to produce high resolution sound. Neodymium magnets are incorporated to provide a strong bass tone to complement a relatively crisp treble output. A 3.5mm stereo plug enables them to be used with almost any of today's portable audio devices, not just Sony's gaming handheld.
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05/09, 7:45am
Sony says PSN may stay partly down until May 31
Sony spokesman Shigenori Yoshida said Monday in Tokyo that the ongoing PlayStation Network outage wouldn't be resolved until May 31. While basic service didn't have a timetable for coming back, it wasn't expected to impact a more definitive plan to have everything back by the end of the month, he told Bloomberg. PSN is due to come back with a new security model and will require a password change along with new PS3 and possibly PSP firmware.
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05/02, 2:15pm
PSN passwords were crypto hashed, not encrypted
Sony has once again commented on the longest PlayStation Network outage to date, assuring users their passwords were protected, if not encrypted. The method used instead was called a cryptographic hash function and Sony has provided a link to help PSN users understand the difference. The passwords were not simply offered up in clear text form in Sony's database, the company said.
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