Sony Corp.

We're at CES 2011! Follow our Live Blog! (updated with pictures)

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 5, 2011 | 1 comment

We’re finally here at CES 2011! Follow our blog for live updates as they happen! We are equipped to the throat with iPhones, iPads, Macbook Pros, and an array of cameras and a Sprint 4G card to help bring it all to you. Got questions? Post them here, or on our Facebook and Twitter page!

2 MacBook Pros, 2 iPads, 2 iPhone 4s, Flip HD, Sony HX5, Sprint 4G Card

5:12:

Finally got our 4G card to get proper signal!

5:13:

Sony is talking about their 3D Product Roadmap. Sony is showing a very futuristic headset with full 3D viewing. Imagine Geordi from Stark Trek: TNG

5:15:

There will be a Sony Portable Blu-ray player with 3D and 5.1 Surround sound.

5:17:

Sir Howard Stringer is back on stage.
Sony wants all of their TVs to be web connected.
Nearly 180 Million US users watch video online.
In 2011, more than 65 Million web-based TVs will be sold.

Sony President and CEO, Sir Howard Stringer

5:20

TV is redefined because of the Web.

Kaz Hirai will be on stage soon to talk about Qriocity.
3D and Web TVs will be successful, just like Color TV, Blu-ray and High Definition TVs were first met with criticism and now are successful standards.

5:24:

By 2013, Sony will be the number Consumer Electronics provider in the United States.

Hit the jump to follow our Live Feed

We’re at CES 2011! Follow our Live Blog! (updated with pictures)

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 5, 2011 | 36 comments

2 MacBook Pros, 2 iPads, 2 iPhone 4s, Flip HD, Sony HX5, Sprint 4G Card

5:12:

Finally got our 4G card to get proper signal!

5:13:

Sony is talking about their 3D Product Roadmap. Sony is showing a very futuristic headset with full 3D viewing. Imagine Geordi from Stark Trek: TNG

5:15:

There will be a Sony Portable Blu-ray player with 3D and 5.1 Surround sound.

5:17:

Sir Howard Stringer is back on stage.
Sony wants all of their TVs to be web connected.
Nearly 180 Million US users watch video online.
In 2011, more than 65 Million web-based TVs will be sold.

Sony President and CEO, Sir Howard Stringer

5:20

TV is redefined because of the Web.

5:24:

By 2013, Sony will be the number Consumer Electronics provider in the United States.

Hit the jump to follow our Live Feed

Off to CES 2011!

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 5, 2011 | 1 comment

CES is the single biggest annual show that the tech industry puts together to announce new products, both for the consumer and professional market. But new products are only part of the mix; here we get to witness future technologies and strategies from some of the biggest names in electronics, including Sony Electronics. What makes CES so great is that both the consumers and press have access to see what Sony has to offer in the upcoming year, and outside of E3, this is the single biggest stage that Sony will have during the year to reach out and show their hand. Over the last few years, Sony has dominated each CES with news centered around Blu-ray and during the last several years, we have witnessed the growth and victory of the Blu-ray platform.

This year, expect nothing less from Sony with 3D being front and center in all of their offerings, including cameras and camcorders to capture the experience and Blu-ray players and TVs to playback the 3D. As part of our commitment to readers to bring you the best Sony news possible, the site for the first time will be headed to CES where we can bring you news as it happens, starting with the Sony press conference on Wednesday the 5th at 4:30pm. Throughout the next several days, we hope to cover all Sony news and bring you exciting photos and videos from the event. And if all goes well, we can hopefully bring you some Sony loot as well. Remember, this site would be nothing without your feedback and interaction so if you have questions or are wondering about a particular topic or products, feel free to drop a comment below, or interact with us on our Facebook page or Twitter.

We bid you farewell as we grab our bags, cameras, camcorders, MacBook Pros, and iPads and head off to Las Vegas for CES 2011!

Sony Spent $630K Lobbying US Government in 3Q

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 4, 2011 | 26 comments

In Q3 of 2010, two of Sony’s subdivisions, Sony/BMG (music division) and Sony Electronics spent $630,000 lobbying the US government for legislation related to compatibility of its devices with set-top boxes, among other issues. That is down from the $680,000 Sony spent in Q2 of 2010, but up from the $570,000 Sony spent during Q3 of 2009.

Some of the lobbyists on behalf of Sony include Joel Wiginton, a former special assistant of legal affairs for President Clinton. So was former senior legislative assistant for Republican Representative John Mica, and James Morgan, Christina Mulvihill who fought alongside Joel Wiginton. It’s unclear what, if anything, was achieved during this period, but we have to take into consideration that these spendings, compared to the millions most corporations spend, is fairly tame.

Sony Ericsson PlayStation Phone to be called Xperia Play?

by Allegra Osati | Jan 3, 2011 | 4 comments

As we get closer and closer to the inevitable launch of the Sony Ericsson PlayStation Phone, there still remains plenty of unanswered questions. Let’s forget that we still don’t know how the device will function, let alone the exact specs and offerings of the system, even after all the leaks we have had. But could we at least finally find out the device’s name? If a recent Sony Ericsson EU trademark registration is to be believed, Xperia Play will be the name. Not only does a trademark for Xperia Play now exist, but Xperia Play.com, .net and .org have been snatched up by Sony Ericsson PR firm Jung Relations as well. But that’s not all, other new trademark fillings include Xperia Arc, Xperia Duo, and Xperia Neo. This of course does not mean there will be multiple PlayStation Phones coming, but it does indeed indicate that there is more than likely a slew of new handsets to be released from Sony Ericsson during 2011.

[Via Unofficial XperiaX10 Blog]

New Cybershots and Bloggie from Sony During CES?

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 3, 2011 | 2 comments

As we get closer to CES 2011, the rumor mills tend to work in overdrive, sometimes delivering very credible insider information and other times, nothing more then a fanboys dream. The good news is with CES less then a week away, we won’t have to wait long to find out how much weight these rumors have. So without further wait, I give you Sony CES rumors.

First off, Sony is expected to renew its Cybershot fleet with all new models and 3D is rumored to play a part in the higher end versions. However, Sony is not expected to make any changes to the current NEX and Alpha lineup, though there might be some software update announcement. Outside of that, the current and well received Bloggies are to get a update and expect to see plenty of new 2D and 3D camcorders from Sony. The one hot rumor is that there might be some kind of showing, all be it prototype of the NEX-7 and Alpha77 but I personally won’t put too much though into that.

I got the Move! The Move Review – Full Game List – Upcoming Games for 2011

by Jenni Petot | Jan 3, 2011 | 4 comments

Just over a week ago, on glorious Christmas morning, I opened up the unexpected, the Playstation Move. And…with an extra move controller?! I’m lucky but not that lucky. I must say I’m thankful I received Sports Champions along with a navigation controller but for the past week I’ve been searching for a second Move Controller. They are out of stock everywhere. Period. The only place I found them on was Amazon.com for a whopping $70 (retail price $49.99). I really hope Sony stocks up on controllers soon. Well, some of you might have the Move and wonder, what games are out there? What games are coming in 2011? Well, those questions are answered below. But first, a short review on Move games I own.

I have two Move supported games, Sports Champions (included in The Move bundle) and TRON: Evolution. I’ll start with a short review on Sports Champions. It’s a really solid title and a great way to get introduced to the Move and its controls. The six games included are volleyball, table tennis, disc golf, gladiator duel, bocce and archery in one package. Each of these games can be played with just one PlayStation Move controller, but a few (volleyball, gladiator and archery) support two PlayStation Move controllers (which I wish I had) to give a more realistic feel to them. My favorites in this game are by far archery, and suprisingly, bocce. I didn’t even know what bocce was until Sports Champions. I got really into it with my boyfriend and ended up buying a real bocce set on Amazon! I have played this with friends and family and we all have a great time. Luckily for some games like bocce and disc golf, you can play multiplayer with one controller. I can see how some people might think Sports Champions gets old fast, but I don’t think I’ll get there. Each game has four tournament modes (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Champion) which are entertaining and challenging. I have enjoyed earning trophies and still have plenty of tournaments to beat. The only drawback I have found is the characters are pretty bland and there’s not a ton to unlock in the game.

The second Move compatible game I own is TRON: Evolution. Honestly, the move with this has been disappointing. It only works in the light cycle and tank stages of the game, which are short and very sporadic. I actually do better in the game using the dualshock controller than with the move when I was able to use it. I was looking forward to fight sequences with the Move, especially throwing discs to derez enemies.

I have those two games, but, I am craving more. There’s a great variety and selection of games available, but personally I am only interested in a handful of games that are out now. I do know there’s some great titles being released this year that I am very excited for.

Here’s is a list of games available now for the Move:

Auditorium (PSN title)
Beat Sketcher (PSN title)
Brunswick Pro Bowling
Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2011
Create
Dance Dance Revolution
EyePet
The Fight: Lights Out
Funky Lab Rat (PSN title)
Get Fit With Mel B
Heavy Rain (via software update)
High Velocity Bowling* (via software update)
Hustle Kings (via software update)
John Daly’s ProStroke Golf
Kung Fu Rider
MAG (via software update)

Keep reading for the full list!

Sony Pleased with PlayStation Plus, Sees Betas as a Big Draw

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 1, 2011 | 17 comments

Announced during the 2010 E3 press conference, PlayStation Plus is a 3-month ($17.99) and 1-year ($49.99) plan that gives members access to early titles, downloads, discounts and betas (View our earlier review of the PlayStation Plus service to get a full understanding of it). Until now, Sony had been quiet about the reception of the service and member count, but with the year finishing out Sony is ready to talk a little how consumers are reacting to the service. Susan Panico, senior director for PlayStation Network, pointed out that a big recent draw to the membership has been due to exclusive beta access to games like Killzone 3, DC Universe Online and Assassins Creed: Brotherhood. She went on to say:

PS Plus, we haven’t released figures yet, but in the most recent month, it’s been very successful. We’ve listened to the feedback and have tried to offer the content that they want. We are running a business, so we had to look at a way to create reoccurring revenue, and we looked to see what would people be willing to pay for and PS Plus was what we came up with, providing a lot of great content, exclusive discounts and exclusive access to betas, and it enhances the overall experience for fans, but it also has a chance to reach a whole new audience for people who want whole new content.

Throughout her interview, Panico was clear to point out that they see PSN being free to all users a big reason for their continued growth and success. This is especially true when their “primary user is male 18 to 35” which Panico sees as a “lucrative audience” and they indeed are the audience that advertisers and content providers target the most. This statement should also go a long way towards those rumors that creep up every few months about how PSN is going to eventually be a paid in service like Xbox Live.

Hopefully people are drawn to the open access to the service, because if you’re going to spend $60 on a game, we’re not going to charge you for just playing the game; it doesn’t make sense from the consumer experience. Also, when you’re looking at strong franchises on multiple platforms, it shows that we are a destination for hardcore multiplayer gamers, but we’ve also introduced games like Singstar and LittleBigPlanet where more casual players can socially play online.

Have you tried PlayStation Plus yet? If so, what are your thoughts and if not, what’s holding you back? Let us know in the comments!

Next Generation of Sony Xperia X10 Mini Pro Leaked?

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 31, 2010 | 4 comments

When it comes to keep things under wrap, Sony Ericsson might as well use one of Apple’s flagship glass stores so everybody can watch and at least get the proper info. Another leak from China points towards the next generation Sony Xperia X10 Mini Pro (Never a mouthful when it comes to Sony and their product names). This Android 2.3 machine is set to sport a

3-inch 320 x 480 multitouch LCD screen
1GHz chip processor with an Adreno 205 GPU

Though not much is known about this product, I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before we find out more. One last little interesting tidbit; when looking at the Neocore (42.5fps) and Quadrant (1,533) benchmarks of the Xperia X10 Mini Pro compared to previous Android handsets, it looks like Sony Ericsson has created quite the powerful little monster.

Japanese Taxis to Gain WiFi and PSPgo

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 29, 2010 | 13 comments

Japan continues to push the idea of technology and how it can be used in our everyday lives. While in the States, coffee shops continue to lock their WiFi for special rewards members only and our planes and airports are slowly getting WiFi (again for a fee), Japanese taxis are looking to make the commute for their passengers a little easier by adding WiFi to the ride as well. 820 taxis in Tokyo will be outfitted with WiFi while 100 of them will also be getting a PSPgo as well, giving those sitting in the backseat some form of entertainment during their travel. Best of all, this is a free service for anybody who decides to use the taxi service. Would-be passengers can identify the taxis with these equipment by looking for a red DoCoMo sticker on the cab’s door. Though the service is currently live, expect the entire fleet to be fully operational by March 2011.

[Via Docomo]

Sony Offers the Best 3D LCD TV, According to Consumer Reports

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 29, 2010 | 13 comments

Over the last several months, Consumer Reports has done a lengthy amount of tests on different LCD 3D TVs from Sony, Samsung, and LG. Using exclusive 3D test patterns developed in-house, as well as 3D Blu-ray movies and recorded 3D sports broadcasts, Consumer Reports pitted these units against each other to test the 3D quality, including black level, brightness, image detail, and viewing angle. Another major factor that comes into play with 3D is the leveling of ghosting a TV produces, especially in 3D. This is something that plasma TVs do not have to deal with, but LCDs are limited to their refresh rate and thus ghosting can appear.

Of the 14 sets that were tested, Consumer Reports found that “Sony’s LCD TVs came closest to the plasmas: ghosting was minimal” and they offered a much better viewing angle, compared to that of Samsung and LG.

“It remains to be seen whether 3D TV is just a novelty or a new product category in the consumer electronics space,” said Paul Reynolds, electronics editor for Consumer Reports. “But, our tests show that there are some fine 3D TV sets out there for those consumers eager for a new experience.”

For those who are still on the fence about a 3D TV, I highly recommend going to a store with a proper 3D setup and really experience it hands on. On top of that, the difference between a 3D-ready TV (one that will need a transmitter bar like the Sony HX810 series) and the not-3D TVs like the EX700 is about $350. I look at it like this: a TV isn’t something I purchase once a year or even every other year. I would much rather spend a little more and know that my TV will be able to do 3D if I ever want to get into it, no matter if its 6 months later or a year later instead of needing to invest into a new TV down the line just to experience 3D. I know personally I will be getting a 3D TV this upcoming summer and I’m already starting to invest in my 3D Blu-ray catalogue.

[Via Consumer Reports]

Hulu Plus Comes to the Sony Dash

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 28, 2010 | 1 comment

Hulu and Sony have announced that all Sony Dash owners will now have the ability to access Hulu Plus content via the Hulu app. This marks an ever growing expansion and partnership between Hulu and Sony. As of last week, all Playstation 3 members were treated to a downloadable Hulu Plus app as well while Hulu will continue to expand to other Sony platforms like their Blu-ray players in the near future. If you haven’t picked up a Sony Dash yet, Amazon has a great deal going on them for the holidays.

[Via Sony]

Editorial: Games & The Value of Their Aesthetics

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 28, 2010 | 3 comments

During the year of 2010, I thought about the following topic a considerable amount: the value of aesthetics in interactive entertainment. This was partly a result of there being a less than abundant supply of games that I found engaging this year.

I firstly want to make clear that – obviously – there were games that I greatly enjoyed in 2010. To give a few examples – God of War III, GoW: Ghost of Sparta, Heavy Rain and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. These games consumed a lot of my free time. Yet, the time I spent with the aforementioned titles pales in comparison to the time I invested in older games released in the 90s and the first half of this decade.

In order to analyse this concept faithfully, I’ll need to touch on other issues that influence the situation.

The currently slug-like state of my internet connection accentuated this thinking. I was cut off from the pulsating flow of community consciousness. It brought to the forefront of my mind the huge similarities in fundamental gameplay when comparing what we buy today and what we bought ten or fifteen years ago. This idea is not new, and many people are acutely aware of it.

So, if what I’m saying has any weight to it — if we’re essentially buying the same games over and over again – what makes us do it? Among other smaller, varying factors, it seems that marketing / hype, narrative, and graphical fidelity are the main culprits.

Sony Bravia KDL-22PX300 LCD Hides a PS2 Inside

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 28, 2010 | 16 comments

If you are looking for a TV for your cabin, side bedroom, or, hell, any room, and you want to get some entertainment out of it for under $300, then Sony is going to be your one and only destination. The Sony Bravia KDL-22PX300 LCD is not only a 22″ 720p TV, but also a mean gaming machine as the base stand is actually a PlayStation 2. This little harmony between HD TV and PS2 means that you can not only have access to one of the greatest gaming libraries of all time, but also play any PlayStation One games as well. Of course, the PS2 also supports online gaming, as well as DVD and CD playback for your enjoyment. Not enough? How about 4 HDMI ports on the back of the TV, in case you want to plug in any other device you own? Sadly, we’ve only seen listings for this device in Europe, but we hope it finds its way to the US shores as well.

[Via Richer Sounds]

PSP2 Dev Kit Spotted?

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 27, 2010 | 30 comments

Although we’ve seen plenty from the PayStation Phone, the PSP2 still continues to be a mystery which exact specs and designs. That is, until the guys over at VG247 published the following pictures of what they claim to be a PSP2 developers kit. I’m not going to stick my neck out and say these are real or fake but it’s almost an industry practice that leaked shots have to be taken with a 2003 cell phone camera with .2 megapixels. From what we can tell from the picture is that the unit sports a dual thumbsticks which should be a crowd pleaser, as well as a front facing camera and microphone, something that the current PSPgo actually also has. You also tell from the design that this indeed is a followup and evolution to the PSPgo and that is actually fine, given how great the PSPgo feels in the hand. Still, whether this is real or fake, we have to take into account that developer kits can look very different from the final product so take all of these pictures with a grain of salt. Hit the jump for a backside shot as well.

[Via VG247]