Zombie week continues over here at SonyRumors. First, we attended the Dead Rising 2 LA party and got to score some cool swag and hang out with Playstations The Tester Season 1 candidate, Amped. Then, Sony scored big with the 4th Resident Evil movie, having it become the number one movie in the US. So what better way to continue the week? Why not give away that swag!
Contestants, all you need to in order to be a winner is to show us your zombie pride in a picture. Get creative. Whether it’s your Resident Evil collection (games and movies), you as a Zombie, you as a Zombie with your Resident Evil and Dead Rising games and action figures. Dosent matter! Just show us some zombie love.
First place winner will get a Greens Hardware box that includes a T-Shirt, “I Am 8-Bit” sticker and newspaper add. showcasing weapons from Dead Rising 2 (perfect for framing and displaying your zombie love!). Second and Third place will receive a hug and a Greens Hardware box. So go ahead and email us your Zombie Love at SonyRumors@bebicorp.com
For the last few months, Sony and its partners, Discovery and IMAX, have been working away at a 3D channel. This is of course different then the current offerings from ESPN who broadcasted the World Cup 2010 in 3D, as well as their upcoming coverage of the NFL in 3D. Instead, this new venture is designed to offer 3D content all the time. That means 24/7 3D for those who own able sets.
On Monday, Sony announced that Julia Rao, a former executive at Discovery Channel, will serve as chief financial officer. Mark Ringwald from the AmericanLife TV Network will be director of scheduling and acquisitions. Although to the public the following might not be too exciting, this shows that Sony is indeed serious about this new venture of theirs and that there is a lot of work being done behind the scenes to make sure the channel gets ready for its 2011 launch date.
“Julia and Mark bring extensive industry experience and incredible enthusiasm to our fast-growing 3D team,” said Tom Cosgrove, president and CEO of the joint venture. “By leveraging the unmatched strength and expertise of Sony, Discovery and IMAX, we will establish this network as a leader in 3D with the most extensive library of original and exclusive high-quality 3D content available anywhere.”
Sony continued its box office domination with the release of Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D, now giving them four movies in the top ten. Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D marked the fourth release in the Resident Evil franchise while continuing the series trend of having a larger opening then its predecessor. Also what’s seemed to work out for Sony as of late is having no huge blockbuster title, but smaller budget based movies that have all done well for them.
Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D ended its first weekend as the number one movie at the box office with a $26.6 million gross on a $60 million budget. There is still no word on an international release of this movie, but I expect that to be sooner then later. Overall, this movie outdid the prior series top, Resident Evil: Extinction which opened with $23.6 million. The Resident Evil franchise itself is one of those rare breeds in which every single movie has outdone the prior one in terms of box office gross. Expect news on Resident Evil 5 soon.
Continuing its streak, last week’s number one film, Takers, has now slipped to the number two spot, putting its total to $47.6 million on a $32 million budget. Holding on firmly, The Other Guys has actually gone from number 7 to number 6 at the box office, now sitting on a $112.4 million gross. The Will Ferrell comedy had a $100 million budget. The last movie in the Sony camp is the Julia Roberts film, Eat Pray Love. The $60 million film is now coasting away with a easy $74.6 million gross and again shows another successful Sony Pictures film.
What’s really great about these movies from the standpoint of Sony is that they have all made up their budget at the box office. This means that Sony not only gets to enjoy the gross after the cost for profit, but can now easily take in all the extra revenue these movies will eventually give to their bottom line via DVD and Blu-ray. Look for Sony to finish out September with two comedies, starting with Easy A on September 17th and The Virginity Hit on September 24th.
Update:
For those who think 3D is going to be a fad, a whopping 84 percent of Afterlife’s business was from 3D presentations. The 2,062 venues showing the picture in regular 3D accounted for 74 percent, while the 141 IMAX 3D venues made up ten percent.
We recently posted a video showcasing the ability for the A33 to shoot in its burst mode at an insane speed. Now we have the follow-up video, courtesy of Engadget, of the amazing new capability of the A33; Auto Focus. In order to activate this, all you need to do is to place the camera in video mode and the camera takes care of the rest. It does not matter whether you are recording or not as the camera will continue to pull focus as need be, a true first in the DSRL world.
During the IFA conference, Sony unleashed a series of new Xplod Navigation display systems that now use TomTom for their GPS functionality while still incorporating audio/video playback into their 7- and 6.1-inch WVGA touchscreens. Titled XNV-L77BT, XNV-770BT, XNV-L66BT and XNV-660BT, the models will all support:
Bluetooth
Auxiliary
USB jacks
DivX playback
DVD drive.
The higher end series which have L in their model number will also come with traffic, weather and local Google search. Currently, this series is only announced for Europe, designed to cover 45 countries. Expect a November shipping time although no price has yet to be announced.
Sony has just launched a new site to promote the Playstation Move before its September 17th release. Designed to contain both facts and be cheeky at the same time, I feel like the site gives out a lot of information for those who want it. For example, not sure how to tell your mom or girlfriend that you want the Playstation Move? Use the ‘Sensitive Fireman’ tool and in no time, the website will give you a personal video that you can play to your loved one to help convince them that you need a Playstation Move.
This weekend, Sony is releasing the fourth movie in the Resident Evil series, titled Resident Evil: After Life 3D. For those who have followed the series, this is a continuation of Alice’s story; expect to see cameos from Jill, Chris and Claire in the movie. For those who still need to catch up, there is a pretty good deal on the Resident Evil Trilogy on Blu-ray. What excites me about this movie besides them being creepy and fun is that this entire film was shot in 3D. That means no post conversion; everything from the start of the cycle was filmed and planned in 3D so expect to see some amazing action sequences. Also, the film is currently sitting on a 8.7/10 on IMDB.
But if thats not enough zombie fun for you, Sony is also hosting a Dead Rising 2 event here in Los Angeles. As the Playstation Blog reports:
In addition to being able to play Dead Rising 2 prior to release we’ll have prizes, food, music, contests and more. Be sure and get there early as we’ll be giving away some cool, exclusive Greene’s Hardware t-shirts too.
What: Greene’s Hardware Super Sale (Dead Rising 2 Community Event)
Where: 2147 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
When: Friday 8PM – 12 Midnight
Our gang is going to be there as well so expect both me and Domino to be there and we hope to catch you as well. So feel free to stop by and say hi. Also, feel free to follow us on Twitter as I’ll be Tweeting away. Hopefully I can get you guys some cool swag while I’m there.
Again for those who want to get some Resident Evil Trilogy on Blu-ray, if you guys buy it from this link, it helps our site out as well!
Update 8:04:
Just got here. Line is long as fuck. Store looks tiny…not sure how we are all fitting in.
Update 9:15:
So the place is actually much bigger then it appears. We just also had our first break dance contest of the night.
Sony has recently announced their new lineup of Blu-ray DVR recorders, as well as their new 3D Bravia series, the HX810. Based on that same lineup and technology, Sony is also introducing the 3D LED HX80R and the 3D LED EX30R. This new series grabs the same panel technology used in the HX810 lineup and combines them with a built in 500GB hard drive, as well as a full Blu-ray recorder and player, giving you a nice all in one setup. (Reminds me of my old TV/VCR combo TV).
The HX80R:
1080p 3D
LED Backlight
500GB internal HDD
Blu-ray Player/Recorder
XMB
CREAS 3 Image engine
DLNA
10Wx2 speakers
Sizes: 40″, 46″ and 55″
The EX30R:
HD 1366×768 (Slightly higher then 720p but not quite 1080i) 3D
LED Backlight
500GB internal HDD
Blu-ray Player/Recorder
XMB
CREAS 3 Image engine
DLNA
8Wx2 speakers
Sizes: 26″ and 32″
No word on price or release date for the US.
Update:
Just like the HX810 series, these units are 3D ready, meaning you will still need a 3D transmitter ($150) and 3D glasses. I have to admit though, I hated the idea of the transmitter until I actually saw it in store. They are fairly small and unintrusive.
As I’ve pointed out in prior articles, Sony and Disney have had many partnerships together. They both decided to tackle Blu-ray and set up online and television campaigns to promote the format. From there, they each had their own respected “tent events” in major cities where they would show off the technology to the consumer and help educate them. Well recently, Sony and Marvel (a division of Disney) teamed up on the animated front and there now comes news that Sony and Disney will be teaming up on the 3D front as well.
Starting this holiday season, the only way to get Walt Disney’s mega hit, Alice in Wonderland, and their animated film, Bolt in 3D will be on a Sony. That’s because with the purchase of any 3D Sony Bravia television, you’ll receive a copy of either title. Lori MacPherson, general manager of Home Entertainment for The Walt Disney Studios said,
“We are excited to partner with Sony on 3D offerings and to offer consumers their first chance to experience one of 2010’s top 3D films and the amazing spectacle of Wonderland in their very own homes,” Lori went on, “We recognize Sony is a leader in HD hardware and we know movie lovers will enjoy the immersive content that is a part of Disney’s 3D titles.”
For the 3D campaign itself, both companies will again want to help educate both the consumer as well as retail chains to give them the proper knowledge about 3D and how it can benefit them. From there, the campaign will take form in other promotional offers, as well as television, online, social media, and print campaigns which will ramp up even further as we near the holiday season.
Lets say that you are a hardcore Android fanboy or maybe you just need yourself a new T-shirt for free. During the entire month of September, the first 15 people every Saturday who go to a SonyStyle store and tell the employees the secret code will get a free Team Android T-shirt. But that’s not all! If you are planning on buying a Sony Xperia X10, then do it on Saturday as well because the first 25 people each Saturday will also get a Team Android T-shirt.
“Each week during the month of September, we’ll be posting a unique code name to our readers. You’ll also be able to find the code by following us on Twitter or on Facebook. Come that Saturday (Sept 9th, 11th, 18th and 25th), visit your local Sony Style store, walk up to a staff member and tell them that week’s secret code. If you’re one of the first (15) people, they’ll give you the t-shirt off their back. Well not exactly but they will give you one that looks just like it.”
Starting October 1st, Japan will be seeing new animated series, starring some of Marvels biggest, like X-men, Iron Man and Blade, thanks to Sony. This new deal between Sony and Disney (owner of Marvel) continues a long trend of work between Sony and Disney who both helped push Blu-ray together and will soon be doing the same with 3D. Sony and Marvel are also no strangers with each other as Marvel characters have appeared on the Sony PS3 exclusive LittleBigPlanet as downloadable characters. Expect to find these new animated series and movies on both DVD and Blu-ray as Sony and Marvel hope to reach new audiences in the worldwide market. I say, give me some Spider-man, and I’m in!
Can you believe that the Playstation has finally turned 15? What really started out for Sony as a crazy ambition has really rocked the technology sector since then, helping with the adaptation of both DVD with PS3 and now Blu-ray and potentially 3D with the PS3. During 1995, when the Playstation was set to arrive, nobody took Sony seriously on it. Back then, the gaming world was dominated by Nintendo and Sega and for a electronics maker to get into the gaming culture only meant certain disaster. Fortunately for both Sony and the gaming market, that’s not how it turned out.
Sony took a different approach with the Playstation. They wanted to give consumers cutting edge technology and a great gaming device. Thus, the Playstation could play back audio CDs and play games that were 3D, not 2D based. For the first time, characters had depth and the music could have actual scores and games could have true cinematic scenes with the extra space that you were able to get on a CD versus the then standard cartridge.
I remember this commercial like it was yesterday. For those of us who grew up then, you knew that when you say the commercial for Final Fantasy 7 and then actually go to play it, the visuals were jaw dropping. The starting train sequence alone could convince anybody to pick up the system and play one of the greatest games of all time. The Playstation also lent itself to some fantastic tricks.
After you loaded up Ridge Racer you could remove the disc and put in your own audio CD to race along to your own music. If you swapped out discs while using a pencil eraser to fool the system into thinking it wasn’t open, you could play imported games. Audio CDs could be played with an interesting visual program running in the background.
I know my own personal story with the Playstation because it’s really what helped this site form. At the time, I was only 10 years old and I had always heard of the Nintendo 64. Now we have to remember that times werent like now where you could go online and look at videos and reviews. You heard about the N64 and you would have to go to Sears to maybe find one in the gaming section to play with. I knew the N64 is what I wanted but my dad begged to differ. He kept telling me that he would do some research and see what else is out there and I of course, kept getting more pissed. One day, in 1995, my dad walks home and what does he have with him? A Playstation One. Since then, I’ve been pulled into the Sony world and have been a believer of their products. Games like Twisted Metal 1 and 2, Warhawk, Final Fantasy 7-9 and Resident Evil 1-3 on the Playstation really changed me and defined my future. It’s with this view that I look back to the Playstation era and get a big smirk on my face.
If you don’t know by now, 33 Chilean miners are trapped 2,300 feet beneath the surface where everything collapsed around them during a mining operation. It took 17 days, but finally on August 22nd, the miners were found to be alive but in poor health. The authorities since then have been in constant communication with them while the rescue attempt is being put into place. It is believed that the operation itself can take up to four months. During this time, the miners are receiving capsules of supplies, which include rehydration tablets and high-energy glucose gel.
Food and health supplies aside though, these men need entertainment as well to keep their minds and thoughts from not getting the best of them. The chosen entertainment device? The Sony Playstation Portable. Although details are scarce whether Sony was a part of this or not, we know that a few PSPs have been lowered down via a tube to the miners to offer them entertainment during this time and give them something to do.
If Sony is reading this, we hope that they take the time and offer those men some more goodies (just remember, it has to fit inside of a tube) so more PSPs, games and battery packs seem to be just what these miners need. I’m sure some FIFA games will especially go over very well down there.
After spending the better time of the weekend sorting through the emails we received from you, I finally narrowed it down to a top 5 and from those, our winner, Joe Belette, was chosen. Rocking it as the man himself, Kratos, and casually sporting Pandoras Box, it’s easy to see the passion Joe has for this series and we think this means he deserves the God of War: Ghost of Sparta demo a little earlier then everybody else. 😉
So, congratulations Joe! We also want to thank both Sony for providing us with a Demo code to give out, and our new wonderful friend Raychul from Raychul.com!
First, congratulations to Sony for not having some weird and long name for this device: The Bloggie™ Touch. It makes sense and is easy to remember. Now, onto the product itself. Here to replace the older, multi-button and confused Bloggie, the Bloggie Touch offers a beefy array of specs while having the simplicity of the Flip HD series.
Sporting a brushed aluminum body that will come in pink, black and silver, the Bloggie Touch will replace most of the buttons found on its predecessor with a new 3-inch touch screen. The device, via its F2.8 wide angle lens and Exmor CMOS sensor, will give you the capability to record in full 1080p and take stills at a 12.8 megapixel resolution with 4X zoom. The Bloggie Touch also has a USB out for computer and Playstation hookup with also an HDMI out for direct playback. Look for these units to be release in October at $180 for a 4GB unit and $200 for the 8GB version.
Hit the jump for a full gallery and press release.
Zombie week continues over here at SonyRumors. First, we attended the Dead Rising 2 LA party and got to score some cool swag and hang out with Playstations The Tester Season 1 candidate, Amped. Then, Sony scored big with the 4th Resident Evil movie, having it become the number one movie in the US. So what better way to continue the week? Why not give away that swag!
. What excites me about this movie besides them being creepy and fun is that this entire film was shot in 3D. That means no post conversion; everything from the start of the cycle was filmed and planned in 3D so expect to see some amazing action sequences. Also, the film is currently sitting on a 8.7/10 on IMDB.
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