Several alleged screenshots from a Norwegian GameStop inventory system show what appears to be several 250GB PS3 bundles, according to Joystiq. The gaming systems have been paired with titles such as Need for Speed: Shift, FIFA 10, Uncharted 2, and Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time.
A 250GB bundled edition of the PS3 Slim could be available as soon as October, says a Spanish gaming publication. The bundle will allegedly cost €350, and include the EA soccer game FIFA 10. Distribution is expected to be handled exclusively through Game, a major European retailer.
An FCC filing indicates that Sony has created a 250GB variant of the recently-announced PS3 Slim. Despite efforts to conceal the company name as "Sand Dollar Enterprise, Inc." and the product as a "Computer Entertainment System," the documents were still spotted by PS3 News.
Sony today hoped to spur growth in add-ons for PlayStation systems by launching an expanded official licensing program. The new approach lets companies in most areas make controllers or other peripherals for PS2, PS3 and PSP systems with full technical help and an official logo. In return, these companies will have to meet certain standards; it's not mentioned if companies will also pay royalties for the right to use the logo.
Sony is just now developing a gaming-themed phone that would be targeted explicitly at the iPhone, Japan's Nikkei BP said this weekend. The company is supposedly creating a device team as soon as July that would merge the gaming qualities of the PSP with its Sony Ericsson handsets. It's implied that the device would have a touchscreen to better position the device against Apple's hardware.
Sony Computer Entertainment has recently released more information on its upcoming motion control technology for the PlayStation 3 gaming console that it introduced at E3. The technology is due to launch in the spring of next year and include both first- and third-party content. The technology relies on the PlayStation Eye to track movements of a wand users hold, and Sony has revealed developers can already begin developing for it as the PS3 Software Development Kit (SDK) already includes face-tracking and head-tracking capabilities.
Cease-and-desist requests sent today may have inadvertently supported rumors of a 120GB slim PlayStation 3 debuting at next month's E3 show. One of the notices delivered to Engadget asks the site to take down its copies of the images, claiming that they contain "confidential document [sic] and photos" that may break the law despite the photos now being widely available. No mention is made of issuing the takedown on behalf of Sony, which itself has remained silent on the subject.
Rumors of a slimmed-down PlayStation 3 have gained fuel today through a series of Chinese photos that appear to show the console itself. The shots show a much thinner design that, despite its dimensions, nonetheless manages to fit two USB reports and, significantly, a 120GB hard drive. They also show product packaging and a a change away from Sony's heavily used Spiderman font in favor of one closer to the PS2.
Rumors of a Xbox full-body motion controller gained fuel on Tuesday with a story corroborating the claims. The Wall Street Journal mirrors the earlier leaks and says the peripheral will hinge on a 3D camera system that recognizes not just basic movement but also depth, giving it more control than a device like Sony's EyeToy. It reportedly may show at the E3 gaming event, which starts June 2nd, but probably wouldn't ship until 2010 even if so.
Logitech on Tuesday announced it is now shipping its Harmony Adapter for PlayStation 3, letting users control their PS3s with their universal Logitech Harmony remotes. It connects to the PS3 via a Bluetooth connection, leaving the USB ports free for other peripherals, and includes an AC adapter for power. Logitech or other IR remotes normally can't control the PS3 as the game console relies on Bluetooth alone for communications with Sony remotes.
The PlayStation Network (PSN) currently accessible by users of Sony's PlayStation 3 gaming console that lets them download games, movies, songs and other multimedia content may soon make its way to other hardware from the electronics giant, company CEO Howard Stringer revealed in a recent interview. Bringing the Internet and downloadable content into family living rooms will be made possible by integrating the PSN into Sony Bravia HDTVs, for example, with Sony Ericsson handset owners and PlayStation Portable gaming console users also benefitting from a version of the interface.
Sony Ericsson chief Hideki Komiyama today said that his company had made several key mistakes that have contributed to the company's rapid decline in market share. Speaking to FT, the executive now says that the XPERIA X1, once intended as a flagship that would rival the iPhone, is one of these. The full touchscreen Windows Mobile phone was "a kind of experiment" and is no longer expected to carry Sony Ericsson's high-end phone business.
Virtual Reality Feedback head and inventor Craig Thorner this week sued Sony's PlayStation divisions in Japan and the US, as well as PDP/Electro Source and multiple attorneys, over the alleged theft of intellectual property relating to force feedback technology that would ultimately be used in the DualShock 3 controller for later PlayStation 3 consoles. New Jersey-based Thorner claims that Sony violated trust by failing to defend him and his patents against lawsuits from Immersion.
German magazine Manager claimed on Wednesday that Ericsson plans to back out of phone maker Sony Ericsson. The Swedish half of the partnership has reportedly brought up a split with Sony, which has "expressed interest" in talking to banks for help buying out Ericsson's 50 percent stake and leaving Sony in full control of the company.
Sony on Friday continued efforts to improve its business and said (registration required) that it would launch a major reorganization of its electronics groups. Under the new plan, company CEO Sir Howard Stringer will also become president of the electronics business; simultaneously, the company's key PlayStation, VAIO and Walkman divisions will be united. The moves take effect at the start of April and put current electronics president Ryoji Chubachi in a vice chairman position, while consumer products VP Katsumi Ihara leaves his position and will instead have just a board position at Sony's financial group.
Despite recent rumors about a possible split between Sony and Ericsson in its joint cellphone venture, Sony Ericsson's senior marketing manager, Richard Dorman, is countering the claims. "The relationship between Sony and Ericsson is a strong as it ever has been, and neither plan to walk away," he says in a Wednesday TechRadar report. Recently, Sony was believed distancing itself from the partnership by allegedly refusing to let Ericsson have a hand in developing a PlayStation-branded handset.
The graphics processor in Sony's widely-expected PlayStation 4 console will be designed by Intel, a new report claims. The information is said to come directly from Sony staff at CES, who also indicate that the company is not happy with the way NVIDIA has treated it with regard to supplying PS3 technology. Intel by contrast is said to be a more reliable corporation, which should not only around for the introduction of the PS4 in 2012 but armed with plenty of cash.
Sony today revealed that the PlayStation 3's version 2.6 update will add a major new photo management feature. The simply-titled Photo Gallery will give the console much more advanced control that can sort images down to the specific time window and choice of camera hardware but also less tangible data such as the dominant colors in images or visible smiles. Slideshows are also more advanced and let users create specific playlists, including ones set to the user's choice of music.
Alleged sources have claimed late yesterday that Sony may have sabotaged plans for its Sony Ericsson partnership to make a PlayStation-branded phone. The electronics firm is said to have directly denied Sony Ericsson's requests in December to use the PlayStation brand and that it would only ever produce a PlayStation phone if the device was made by Sony itself. The statement is characterized as distancing Sony from its relationship with Ericsson.
One week after initial reports of the 2.53 update to the Sony PlayStation 3 gaming console, the software has launched and brings with it full-screen Flash video playback capabilities. Users who use their gaming console to often access YouTube or Hulu video services can now select full-screen options along with a 480p mode in Hulu that ups the quality of the content considerably, especially when using an HDTV.
LaCie recently introduced a new connected hard drive called the Internet Space, available in 500GB and 1TB capacities. The multimedia drive can attach to home networks via its Gigabit Ethernet port, as well as share multimedia content on compatible UPnP or DLNA-certified players and adapters. This includes compatible game consoles such as Microsoft's Xbox 360 or Sony's PlayStation 3.
Logitech on Thursday announced the release of its newest gaming peripheral, the Wireless Guitar Controller Premiere Edition for Guitar Hero for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 gaming consoles. The guitar is designed to replicate a real instrument and sports a wood neck, a rosewood fingerboard, metal frets and a gig bag. It also represents the frist device in an upcoming line-up of premium peripherals for the Guitar Hero game series that are targeted at frequent players or avid musicians who want a similar experience.
Foxconn Electronics -- the Chinese company that does final assembly on iPhones -- has posted its highest September revenues ever, figures show. The company accumulated the equivalent of $4.86 billion, a 9.61 percent growth over August and a 36.65 increase year-over-year. Notably, the growth is being attributed to increased shipments of specific products, namely the iPhone, Sony's PlayStation 3 console and various PCs. This seems to have defied global economic problems, though the full impact of the credit crisis would not be felt until October.
Peripheral maker Logitech on Tuesday announced it will soon release the Logitech Wireless Microphone for avid gamers. The microphone connects to PCs and is compatible with the Sony PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 as well as the Microsoft Xbox 360 gaming systems thanks to a USB port. The microphone relies on the 2.4GHz frequency to provide the wireless connection to its USB base which doubles as a holder, with range of up to 30 feet. Logitech claims the two included AA batteries will last more than 20 hours.
The Mac has seen a significant jump in the representation of computers on the web, according to tracking figures from Net Applications. Site visitors browsing from a Mac are said to have amounted to 8.23 percent of the market in September, a rise from 7.86 percent in August. This marks the largest increase during the period, and may have come at the expense of Apple rival Microsoft, as well as several more marginal platforms.
Sony's eventual replacement for the PlayStation 3 may simply rely on a continuation of Cell technology rather than a whole new architecture, according to info obtained by Impress. Where the PS2 and PS3 both represented major changes in architecture, the PS4 will reportedly focus on driving down costs both for actual buyers and for Sony itself, which is said to consider yet another complete change in processor design too expensive when it has to compete against Nintendo's less expensive Wii and has alredy invested heavily into developing Cell with IBM and Toshiba.
It was announced today that Immersion Corp. will pay $20.8 million to Microsoft to settle a lawsuit regarding vibration technology used in the latter's gaming system controllers. As part of the settlement, Immersion will join Microsoft's Certified Partner Program. The now-discarded lawsuit stems from a previous settlement Sony and Immersion reached that saw Sony pay Immersion $121 million for use of its patented technology, with Microsoft claiming its sublicense agreement gives it a claim to a portion of the Sony/Immersion settlement that Immersion initially refused to pay.
Sans Digital has announced a new network attached storage (NAS) server with RAID and direct attach options, supporting connections to gaming systems. It is available in silver, the MobileNAS MN4L+, and black, the MobileNAS MN4L+B. The server offers digital media playback for the PlayStation (both PlayStation 2 and 3) and Xbox over UPnP and DLNA protocols, adding value to its home server appeal. It provides a Gigabit Ethernet NAS connection and can also be used as direct attached storage over an iSCSI connection. In addition to the iSCSI support, the unit also offers eSATA, FireWire 400 and USB 2.0.
Sony at its E3 press gathering this afternoon formally introduced a Video section to the console side of the PlayStation Store. Users of the PlayStation 3 will be able to buy or rent content from most major studios, including not just its own Sony Pictures but also Disney, Fox, NGM, Paramount, Warner, and other smaller studios. The company is uniquely one of the first to allow TV show purchases in HD as well as in standard definition, and prices them at $2 each; movies can be rented in either resolution for typical prices of $3 to $4, with permanent movie downloads selling for $10 to $20.
About two weeks later than originally promised, Sony and Sky have today launched the Go!View video-on-demand service for the PlayStation Portable gaming system. The Go!View service will allow users to transfer content downloaded via PC TV to their PSPs. Subscribers will be able to download TV shows such as Lost, Desperate Housewives and Top Gear, among others, as well as FA Premier League soccer and full-length movies.
Sony today revealed it will begin selling virtual advertising space in PlayStation 3 games in order to help the company offset the losses it suffers with each sale of the console. The ads would appear on billboards, posters on walls, shopping bags, TV screens and soda cans in games where they wouldn't seem to be out of place. The company teamed up with in-game advertisement companies Double Fusion and IGA Worldwide in the undertaking, which would target advertising per game genre, said a Sony spokesperson.
Sony is exploring the development of a likely game-oriented touchscreen device that may also be a communicator, according to a newly published US patent filing. A patent shows a handheld touch device that would allow both direct and gesture-based input and which would also provide force feedback across the entire display through a system known as "tactile pixels;" a grid of small bumps would lift to reach the screen and help simulate physical button presses or other effects based on touch input.
An entry on Sony's PlayStation Blog by Eric Lempel, Director of PlayStation Netowrk Operations, today revealed the electronics giant will soon launch a couple of software updates for its PlayStation 3 gaming console. The first update, version 2.36, will reportedly fix some bugs users experienced when playing certain PlayStation titles. The one to wait for, however, is 2.40, which will bring the long-anticipated XMB in-game main menu interface, as well as a Trophies feature previously undescribed by the console maker.
Sony Ericsson is readying consumer versions of its XPERIA phone line more explicitly targeted at the iPhone, if a Sony Ericsson promo video proves accurate. The short clip shows users running primarly touchscreen-driven phones that are likely media centric; icons floating around them recall the Xross Media Bar (XMB) that Sony uses for its PlayStation systems and BRAVIA TVs to navigate games, music, and video. Panels swirling around the users recall the panel-based interface that Sony Ericsson is using as the front end for the XPERIA X1's navigation.
Sony on Tuesday announced it will once again delay the launch of its Home virtual online world for its PlayStation 3 gaming console, with the new date slated for sometime in the fall. Last September, Sony said Home will launch early in 2008. If Sony holds to the new date, this latest announcement would mean the interactive online service will arrive about a year after its intended launch date. The company did promise a limited-test service is planned to start this summer.
A updated version of Sony's PlayStation 3 console has been sent to the FCC, documents show. Any new device with wireless technology must be approved by the FCC; the Sony application notes, however, that the company has only made two minor changes, one of which is merely an adjustment to the construction of the Bluetooth module. The other is a switch to an 80GB hard drive, a boost from the presently-offered 40GB capacity. The storage should allow gamers to keep more games, music, videos and other material.
Apple's collective market share is rising, according to a web traffic report posted by Net Applications, citing that Mac computers have about 7.46-percent share, and iPhones claim 0.14-percent. Windows sits on top of the list at 91.58-percent, which has slowly eroded from 92.91-percent in the year prior. The iPhone was listed as having a higher marketshare than that of the Playstation 3, Sun OS, Nintendo Wii, NetBSD, OpenBSD, and several other platforms.
Quazal, a developer of network gaming code used in titles like Rock Band and Company of Heroes, has announced the shipping of Mac versions of some of its key software, in some cases enabling cross-platform play between Macs and PCs with "very little" extra programming. Net-Z provides a low-level multiplayer core, and handles authoring and integration; mechanics are defined through an object layer, saving developers from the need to define packets, sockets, and client-server messaging.
A PlayStation 1 emulator for the iPhone and iPod touch, whose development was revealed just two weeks ago, is now available in its first public version. The software is installed directly to jailbroken devices, and utilizes images of PS1 discs converted to ISO, IMG, BIN, Z or ZNX formats. Users can also increase the performance of the emulator by installing a specific PlayStation BIOS file, and excuting hidden commands to increase the clock cycle and/or speed of their handhelds.
One independent software developer is hard at work on a Sony Playstation emulator for iPhone, which will allow iPhone owners to play original Sony Playstation games on Apple's cellular handset. The author says the software will support both the iPhone and iPod touch, and that a beta testing stage is due to arrive in the near future that will allow users who donated money to receive a pre-release test version.
Sony may be reawakening its long-dormant Aibo product, rumors from Stuff Magazine suggest. While the dog gained media attention as one of the first advanced robots on sale to the public, it was generally sold in low quantities, and went off the market for several years. In 2008 however the Aibo may be back as the "Aibo PS," taking advantage of modern consoles and wireless technology. It is primarily said to be controllable via Wi-Fi, using the Internet, a PSP or a PS3 controller.
Nintendo today revealed that it has come close to setting a record for sales of its Wii console over the Thanksgiving week, selling about 350,000 units in the seven-day span for the US alone. The number is a jump of roughly 50,000 over the previous week, the company says; the result is less than the 600,000 units sold on launch a year ago but shows the console selling at least as well as it did in the immediate aftermath of the release. About 40 percent of total sales were from Americans and Canadians while about 35 percent came from Asia, particularly Japan.
The Blu-ray disc format accounts for nearly three quarters of all HD movies sold in Europe and is contributing to an overall lead for the format, according to new reports from manufacturers. The Blu-ray Disc Association says it has sold about one million movies on the continent compared to about 370,000 HD DVD titles, giving the former standard a 73 percent marketshare. The wider adoption of the format becomes even clearer if PlayStation 3 games are factored in at 21 million units total for Europe, the Association boasts. No games are currently made for the Xbox 360's HD DVD attachment as the drive is considered strictly optional.
