PlayStation Network

The PSN Video Rental/Purchase Service Is Live

by Sohrab Osati | Jul 15, 2008 | 17 comments

As promised during todays E3 Press Confrence, the PlayStation Network has indeed been updated with movies, tv shows, rentals and purchases. Best of all, all these content are transferable to your PSP via USB Cable. Currently Sony Pictures, Warner, Fox, Lion’s Gate, Disney, MGM and Paramount. Leaving only Universal Studios to drag their feet (but they seem to be late comers as they were the only supporters of HD DVD and looked what happened there) so it seems like fresh of its Blu-ray victory, Sony and the gang are here to back up the PlayStation Network service.

My impressions so far is just wow. The sheer content available on launch date is fantastic and this ranges from TV shows to old cataloge movies. But most surprising is the fact that there is already 53 movies available in HD. Not bad at all (although the one information I cannot find yet is if the HD content is 720p, 1080i or 1080p)

As it stands, the store has a few nice catigory selections to help you find the content your looking for easily with New Arrivals, Movies, Television and Anime to name a few (and yes, there is even an Anime Section!) For example, under Television Shows, you can either find your show via the Network it airs under (and all Networks have their own page) or you can browse with Titles. So if you just know you like Prison Break, go ahead and glance under P while somebody else might just be curious as to what Discovery has and can select the given channel to find their content. My one beef currently and although everybody else does the same (like iTunes and the AppleTV) is the fact that TV shows cannot be rented. So as it stands, shows are $1.99 and only offered in SD (another bummer but again, iTunes seems to be the same way). Also, there dosent seem to be a simple Purchase Season button. Im currently hot off the heals of finishing “Prison Break Season 1” on Blu-ray and I wanted to purchase all of Season 2 on the PSN, but I must instead go through episode by Episode. This of course in the grand scheme of things should be a simple fix. Another odd issue is the placement of content. For example, if you go under new releases, there is Season 5 of 24. But if you go under Fox and selection 24, you are only offered Season 1 and 2. Again, small little glitches that dont take away from the experience in any shape or form. Mostly for it being live for only an hour so far.

The Movies section also gives you the same option, but also breaks it down via Rental or Purchase. With that in mind, if you selection a title that has all the given options (Rental SD, Rental HD and Purchase) you do not need to exit out to find its other options as once you have clicked on it, it will display it all for you.

More Impressions to come but first, a Dominoes Run

PSN Live

by Sohrab Osati | Jul 4, 2008 | 16 comments

By now, the all confirmed firmware 2.4 and i’m sure downloaded firmware is on every PS3 that’s connected to the web, but that dosen’t mean that Sony is looking to stop now. A “Senior” PS3 developer told VG247 that “there is Live-like stuff coming to PS3, yes. It’s going into titles in the works now”. Currently, a limited number of PS3 games support the new Trophy system, although older games are expected to be patched to also support the new system while future games are all expected to support this. With that have said, it seems like Sony has a lot more in mind for Trophies and possible Web/Home integration in the future. Look for a potential tease of the up coming features at E3? Till then, lets do what we PS3 owners always do after a new firmware, start bitching and moaning again about other things.

[Via VG247]

Firmware 2.4 Rumors Overdrive

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 30, 2008 | 27 comments

So by now, we all know that firmware 2.4 is going to bring in game XMB (Cross Media Bar) and Trophies. What we dont know is the release date although E3 makes big sense. But of course as with any new firmware comes loads of rumors so here is a new list of supposid new features:

* Friend category
* View, send, receive messages
* Manage downloads
* Set the vibration feature of the controller
* Sign in to PlayStation Network
* Register friends
* Manage Bluetooth devices
* Terminate the game
* Music category
* Use the system BGM
* Work the system BGM operation panel
* Settings category
* Assign controllers
* View profiles
* Game category
* Set audio devices
* Use the voice changer

Also expected is time travel.

[Via Gizmodo]

PlayStation Network is Back, Nothing New

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 24, 2008 | 3 comments

So as many might know, today from 8am-2pm, Sony took down the PlayStation Network, no PlayStation Store or online friends in order to do some maintenance on the network. Now many people started to speculate that this meant that the up coming Firmware 2.4 with now confirmed Trophies and in game XMB (Cross Media Bar) but that is not the case as pointed out and confirmed by a SCEE employee at the Official European Playstation forum:

“The PLAYSTATION Network will be offline for 5 hours today from 3pm BST (4pm CEST) for maintenance work. It’s pretty much all behind-the-scenes work and is, most definitely, not the 2.4 System Software update. Sorry, you need to wait a little longer for that one!”

With that in mind, there is no doubt that the update is coming at this downtime with the recent firmware 2.36 is setting up the ground work, but were not at 2.4 just yet. Im gonna go ahead and pen down E3 for firmware 2.4 but im down for a surprise Sony.

PSN Cards. Come and Get Them. Soon

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 5, 2008 | 32 comments

Even though the PSN cards have been spotted here and there, there not here yet. Its kind of like the Lockness Monster. So word comes that Meijers (mostly an Midwest thing) has a spot for the $20 and $50 cards up. This can only mean that its coming with firmware 2.4.

[Via Kotaku]

TV Shows All But Confirmed For PSN?

by Sohrab Osati | May 13, 2008 | 7 comments

Sony has released a new Music Video like add that not only is visually pleasing, but is also educational. For the longest of times, one of the main barriers of the PS3 has been that it can do so much and touch in so many markets, but there has been little to no education on it. Although this music video add isn’t what I had in mind, it is a step towards the right direction. But more specifically to this Ad, you can see that during the PS Store, paused at the right time, one can see a list of network logo’s appearing in the new PlayStation Store. Although many seem hold overs as NBC and CN appear their twice, it does seem that the creators had whether by accident or not, footage or screen shots of a future build of the PlayStation Store. Does this confirm it? No but it might as well as not only has TV shows or films coming to the PlayStation Store been long rumored, network icons as place holders for anything else would be just too random. Again, I don’t have a lawyer with me so I feel like I’m obligated to state at some point that this is just a rumor. So without further adieu, This Is Just a Rumor!

Hit the Magic Button for the video.

MagicGate!

MMO To The Rescue?

by Sohrab Osati | May 12, 2008 | 10 comments

John Smedley is big supporter of MMO’s as first, you can make tons of cash (and I think you need to do that to keep your job) seeing how he was the Co-Founder of Verant Interactive and now the President of Sony Online Entertainment who has its hands firmly in the MMO world with Matrix Online, EveryQuest Online, EQ2, Star Wars Galaxy to name a few. Seeing how EQ Online was a hit for the PS2 when online gaming on consoles was just beginning to start should be a clear sign for Sony that there might be something to it.

I think MMOs are going to be a real strong selling point for the PS3 long term — there’s going to be some great ones on the PS3. You’re not going to find “The Agency” on the [Xbox] 360.

We first start off with the basics, till the PS2 Slim came out, an Ethernet port was not yet standard on the PS2 and that means probably more then 70% of owners had to purchase the online adaptor kit to play and yet EQ Online was released long before the slim. In retrospect, the PS3 is not only equipped with Ethernet, but you also have built in Wi-Fi and of course you have the PSN and Home.

Having both of those puts Sony at a very unique position because the fact that PSN is free unlike other services. Now that does not mean the there wont be a monthly charge for the MMO, but that means with a free network store, the developers can easily have access to their user base with expansions and add ons. Currently with other consoles, you have to pay either a early fee to have access to network, or with PC users, there is still not a nice easy way to shop for content and most people just rely on going to a gaming store to buy their next expansion. With the PSN, Sony can give the developers the upper hand and allow them to reach every single user and that creates a fantastic business model for the developers (because remember, if there is no incentive involved, they wont bother) but this also helps the users to by giving them access to anything and everything related to that game.

With all that said, Sony really has another secret weapon if used properly and that’s Home. The big draw to MMO’s is a community. It’s that you get to know the people you play with, you go on adventures with each other and you have a community to turn to when you need help or if you just want to have fun. Having all the news slowly trickle from Home, we can see that it’s exactly what Sony is attempting to create with Home. A community. From lounges to trophies, to game rooms and apartments to meet, discuss and launch games, Home seems to be a perfect way to target the MMO community and give them something more unique then just a forum to base off their Pre-Raid strategy. From that point, the possibilities are endless with the capability of Remote Play with the PSP, giving users the ability to stay in touch while not being on their PS3.

This then brings us to the final draw of the PS3. The first draw to the MMO community should be the fact that their Bluetooth Keyboard and Mouse or USB Keyboard and mouse work and this should also make it easy for the developers. Their not limited to random gimmicky 3rd Party accessories or trying to cram 50 Macro’s by holding X,O, L3,Shake Sixaxis,X, L1,R2. They can just configure for a Keyboard (although offering a controller setup is nice) but with a Keyboard and Mouse, this can be one less barrier for the more hard core fans. Another draw that Sony can help push is the fact that gaming on a PC can and is getting expensive. When your rig dies or can no longer handle it, a $400 Dell isn’t going to get you up and running and neither is a built $500 rig. A decent card alone will cost you $200 from Newegg, let alone Processor and MOBO. With having an MMO on the PS3, a developer can create a consistent game for everybody because the specs are the same. They don’t have to focus their resources of making sure a game runs on 30 different cards and supports every driver and doesn’t have issues with Vista but runs still fine on XP Pro etc. Also, when it comes to gaming, many PC users are stuck with a 15″ or 17″ monitor on avg. Having a game on the PS3 gives you the flexibility to run to any monitor (HDMI to DVI) or run that game on a nicely sized 40″ Bravia and really get immersed with your 5.1 setup. A PC rig does not offer the flexibility.

So in conclusion, do I think that MMO’s are going to become a huge market on the PS3 like a FPS, no but then again, there is a huge untapped market that the PS3 can accommodate to. With the success that WOW has established, it took MMO’s out to the spot light and now we from the young to the elderly enjoying them. What the PS3 can establish is that you don’t need to be a wiz to get that up and running. One box can hook you up to your audio, your monitor, to the community and to the game. Simplicity.

[Via Seattle Times]

New PS Store Wont Be Region Locked

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 17, 2008 | 3 comments

So because of my recent trip to Japan, I wasnt able to break the news of the PlayStation Store design confirmation, although we did break the news on the talks and looks of it. With the new store design, many of started to grow fears that the new stores might be region locked and that we might no longer be able to cross pollinate into other territories and have access to their goodies. Well have no fear as SCEA has stated “no changes to the store will be made as part of this revamp relating to region locking.” This means that I can continue to download Japanese demo’s that I dont understand buy hey, nothing beats pushing the X button on random words.

Haze Demo Coming Soon!

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 16, 2008 | 3 comments

I must say that I’m a big fan of demos because I get to try a game out before I buy it. Now some might argue that if you hadn’t played the demo, you wouldn’t have known the game is shitty and wouldn’t have pissed off $60. This works well for the company but now they have a pissed off gamer on their hand who is gonna go on every forum and tell everybody it sucks so in the end run, its a no go for companies.

On the flip side, what if you tried a game out and ended up loving in. In my case, it pushed me to purchase both Heavenly Sword (although I was going to anyways at some point but the demo helped me to it faster) but more so, really brought me into the world of Ratched & Clank, thanks to the demo. Now, they have a happy gamer who is more then pleased and is ready to preach to all his friends to try out the amazing game. So I think, it only hurts companies when demos are not released. Mostly if its not a massive title like Final Fantasy or Grand Turismo (although FF and GT games have always had demos so take hint?)

But this brings us to the Exclusive, yes I said Exclusive PS3 game, Haze. The game has been in lingo for such a long time. First going back to Multi-platform. Then back to PS3 exclusive. Then a delayed. But the guys at Ubisoft have smartened up a tad and are going to give the May 20th scheduled game a demo. Haze is poised to be a very unique game in terms it offering a verity of game modes (both offline and online) and an indebt multiplayer, but more so, Co-op that’s had fans very excited.

So if your skeptical about Haze (and im not, hence my pre-order already) look forward to this demo to give the a test drive. Having said, many companies end up fracking up demos. An example would be, The Simpsons game that was recently released. Instead of building up the player and getting them excited by putting them in an interesting level that really shows the game off like (Burnout Paradise or Ratched & Clank), the game started you off in a random boss battle. Heres to them not messing it up.

So hit the MagicButton for the official press release.

MagicGate!

PS Store. More Then Meets the Eye?

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 15, 2008 | 13 comments

So by now, we all know that there is going to be a new look to the PS Store and although a new look is always welcomed (mostly when its functional and elegant like XMB) functionality is always nice too. So its nice to hear Sony talk about that a new look isnt all they have in mind for PS3 users. First is the impending release of an open Home Beta but that we already knew. The second is more vague but equally interesting. Sony’s Scott Steinberg stating:

MagicGate!

New PlayStation Store (Firmware 2.3) is Live (Updated)

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 15, 2008 | 6 comments

Its 12:01 am. Do you know where your PS3 is? If you do, walk run to it and hit the magical update button because Firmware 2.3 is up and live (although it didn’t prompt me for it, I went and checked for the update) and things are looking good. Installation took 5 minutes at most and the store is up and fully functional. So go on and get it!

Update: Although the store is functional, it seems like there is an issue with the icon images loading. Although the icon seems broken for many things, on the left hand side, you still get a preview of what your looking at with the description. I’m assuming this is all due to the update being fresh off the factory and information still being sorted out on the server side.

Bionic Commando is Still Coming Soonish!

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 14, 2008 | 91 comments

Straight from the horses mouth Blog, the game’s Creative Director Simon Viklund talked about the PSN Game:

The final date for completing Bionic Commando Rearmed is closing in – we’re stabilizing the game and polishing all the details now, and soon this product of almost a year of late nights and hard work will ship to a digital distribution channel near you! …Within weeks we will see with sad eyes how it leaves to enter the approval process, and I’m sure that just days after things have calmed down here at the office and our schedules say “wait and see”, the team and I will already start longing to get back to the backbreaking work we’ve gotten used to during the project.

See. Its Coming.

Latest PlayStation Network Stats

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 12, 2008 | 7 comments

It seems like the PSN is off to a good start, now there is plenty of room for improvement but that will be a later piece from us so here is some numbers. Do as you wish with them. In the US, 2.8 million registered users and that happens to be half of the PS3 users here with a 100,000 new users being added a week. From those 2.8 million users, surprise! 92% are male and 79% are between the ages of 18-34. With just a little over a year old, there is 46 Million downloads. From those, Flow is the highest selling PSN title in the US with Tekken 5 for UK. So there you have it. Numbers.

New Playstation Store Leaked?

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 10, 2008 | 52 comments

Remember that Rumor Mill we were talking about before? Either somebody forgot to turn it off and threw in Photoshop in the middle of it, or this is going to be the new look for the Playstation Store. A quick look at it will reveal that alot of the original content from the current Playstation Store are there, including Featured Items, Games Videos and Search tab but all this of course, with a twist of a fresh paint job. Other details seem to be that one can just simply scroll of the icon of the wanted content, and have it reveal the information without having to take you into another page like the Store currently does.

So before you start running to your PS3 to check this out, remember that this is just a “rumored leak” and for all we know, can just be another PhotoShop fantasy. Although, Sony does always work in advance with content providers so a leak is not out of the question.

PlayStation Store Version 1.2?

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 3, 2008 | 15 comments

Slap this purely in the rumor bin but reports have it that sometime in April, Sony is looking to do a little big of change up to the PlayStation Store. From what we have heard, this might coincide with the April 15th launch of Grand Turismo 5. If this indeed does become true, dont expect a huge change as this is suppose to bring some changes, but not a makeover but hey, were all up for a more elegant and functional store. Now, cross your fingers for in game XMB.