PlayStation

Sony Announces 1080p PlayStation 3D Television for $499. We Have Details and Specs (updated)

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 7, 2011 | 14 comments

Right from the beginning of the PlayStation press conference at E3, it was clear that Sony was again going to heavily push 3D with the PlayStation 3. We were shown clips of games running in native 3D and looking more beautiful then ever. Some of those games included PS exclusives like Uncharted 3, inFAMOUS 2 (which you can now buy from Amazon) and Resistance 3. Still, as Jack Tretton, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America, stated, 3D content is only half the battle. After all, you can have all the 3D content in the world, but if there is no affordable way for the consumer to view it, then the adoption rate will continue, but at a slower rate.

That is, unless Sony and their PlayStation team have something to say about it—and they indeed do. Under the PlayStation brand, Sony is releasing a brand new television bundle that aims to make 3D available to the masses at a very affordable price. Although the TV is perfect for the dorm room, bedroom or a LAN party, it can really accommodate anybody. Set to be released this fall at retailers nationwide, this $499 TV bundle includes:

24” LCD screen
1080p Screen
5000:1 Contrast Ratio
176 degree Viewing Angle
Edge LED Lighting
2D and 3D
Dual View 3D (more on that later)
2 HDMI Inputs
1 Component
1 Composite
1 3.5 Audio Out
W 650 x H 391 x D 207 mm (stand included)
W 650 x H 346 x D 35 mm (stand excluded)
1 Pair of 3D Glasses
Built in Speakers and Subwoofers
6ft HDMI
Resistance 3 on Blu-ray disc (which of course is 3D)

Hit the jump for the full breakdown, including pictures of the television and its dual view 3D mode.

New Optional PS3 System Software Update Version 3.65 Now Available

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 7, 2011 | 12 comments

Sony has just released a new and optional PS3 firmware 3.65 update into the wild. This small update

improves the operating stability of some PS3 format software, and changes the XMB item SaveData Utility (minis) to [SaveData Utility(minis/PSP)]

Let us know if you’ve downloaded and if so, have you noticed any other changes besides the ones listed above?

Massive PlayStation Store Update. Lots of Price Cuts (06-03-11)

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 3, 2011 | 24 comments

The PlayStation Store has now been live for a little over 24 hours, with Sony earlier today updating the store again and offering users the promised ‘Welcome Back’ package. Now, just a few hours later and Sony has another massive update to the store, including a lot of price cuts for PlayStation users. Hit the jump for a full breakdown of the price cuts and new downloadable games. Let us know which entice you to click the download button in the comments section.

Sony NGP to be Backwards Compatible with PSP Games

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 3, 2011 | 2 comments

Whatever the NGP ends up being called, whether it is NGP, PSP2 or PS Vita, potential owners of it and current PSP users can rest assured that any current title that they may have downloaded for the PSP via PSN will be backwards compatible with the device. No matter if the purchase came from the PS3, PSP or Media Go store, users will be able to transfer their games on over and continue to play. The good news does not end there though. The NGP which is powered by a completely different architecture will playback the games via a software emulator which will also give users the ability to turn scaling on to help improve and smooth out the graphics. This is a huge plus, seeing how the NGP will run on a 5-inch OLED screen which can make anything slightly old look even worse, due to it’s extremely high quality nature. Those of you who are familiar with the NGP will also point towards the dual analog stick, something PSP owners have wanted from the beginning. Now, you will get you wish, as PSP games will also be able to take advantage of the NGP’s dual analog stick and other media outlets have already seen PSP games like Resistance: Retribution running on the device, using both sticks.

I’m sure we will have plenty more news, related to the NGP with next weeks E3 press conference. Just a reminder that we will be attending the attend and Live Blogging it for you so remember to check back in with us the day of! With the NGP being able to play PSP titles, which titles would you most likely replay again?

[Via EuroGamer]

PlayStation Network’s ‘Welcome Back’ Package is now Live. Plenty of Free Games for You

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 3, 2011 | 6 comments

Eager PlayStation fans across the US and Europe were greeted to good news yesterday that the PlayStation Store was up and running. Even though PSN has been back up for nearly two weeks, Sony needed some additional time to sort the store itself out. Still, fans were wondering where the promised “Welcome Back” package which was set to include lots of free goodies and 2 games like,

Dead Nation
inFAMOUS
LittleBigPlanet
Super Stardust HD
Wipeout HD + Fury

While PSP owners would get to pick two of the following:

LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
ModNation Racers
Pursuit Force
Killzone Liberation

Now, the mystery is no more as Sony has announced that the PlayStation Store ‘Welcome Back’ package is live and ready for both continents. All PS3 and PSP fans have to do is to bring up the store and navigate to the new link/banner that they will see in the store. Other things to look forward to are free movie rentals on the Movie side of the store. Of course, PlayStation Plus fans who pay a monthly fee for additional goodies and cloud game storage will also receive an extra 60 days on their subscription. Fans will have exactly a month to download the free content as the tab containing the free goodies will disappear on July 3rd, 2011.

It’s also been noted that some users are experiencing an issue where after they leave the store and revisit it again, they no longer see the free content. Well after the jump, we have an official fix for you so that you can once again access the free content. Also after the jump, you will find the full breakdown of the ‘Welcome Back’ offering from Sony. So what do you guys think about the free content? Do you like it? And if so, which titles have you or will you be downloading?

Meet the PlayStation 3 Portable, a Water-cooled Laptop

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 1, 2011 | 3 comments

What do you do if you want to take your ultimate gaming machine with you everywhere, you have a thing for taking computers apart and you know a thing or two about software? You built a custom PlayStation 3 laptop of course which of course would be water-cooled because anything else would just be too easy. After nearly three years of designing and testing, Ben from PS3Hax has created the ultimate mobile PlayStation 3. Better yet, this puppy isn’t just portable and water-cooled, but also offers the following upgrades and features:

Water cooled with easy accessible reservoir
HD: 720p/1080i screen (via HDMI)
4x USB
500 gb HDD
External PSU
Built in keyboard
Built in speakers with volume controls with 2.5mm headphone jack.
The stock PS3 was a 40gb SKU (there was no PS3 slim when I started the project).
Dimensions are 16.75”x13”x2.5” (16.75”x13”x3.5”with lid closed)
Weighs ~15lbs.

Coming in at 15lbs though, it might not be something you will take to the office or school but sure beats lugging out your television and additional accessories when you go to your next LAN party. And if this is something that interests you, look no further then eBay as Ben is looking to sell the machine to help pay for his servers while the rest of the proceeds will go towards the tornado relief efforts in Joplin, Missouri.

Hit the jump for some additional pictures, as well as video of the machine in action with some epic music. Is a portable PS3 something you would ever desire? Or better yet, have you ever put anything together like this before? We want to hear your thoughts.

[Via PS3Hax]

[Bid on eBay]

PlayStation Move to come to PSP Go or NGP?

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 1, 2011 | 1 comment

If the patent office is an indication to go by to see where a company will be headed in the future, then look no further to Sony’s 2009 filing. The patent which specially points to the PSP Go would allow the handheld system to gain PlayStation Move compatiblity via a dock. Those who own Move for the PS3 will note that you need a camera to make the motion gaming add-on work and that’s exactly what this dock would have offered. A built-in camera in the top center of the dock would much like the PlayStation Eye track the Move controllers, allowing users further freedom and interaction with their PSP Go.

But seeing how the NGP is around the corner and we expect plenty of news on the device at E3 next week, we doubt that Sony would suddenly release such an accessory for the PSP Go, seeing how they have slowed down production for the unit. However, a device like this could further add a special touch the NGP. In fact, seeing how the NGP has a front and rear facing camera, chances are that an implementation of this could be done, without the need of an additional dock like the above patents shows.

“Methods, systems, and computer programs for wireless interaction with a portable device supported by a stand are presented. In one method operation, a communications link is established between the portable device and the stand. The stand tracks the motion of an input device within an interactivity zone. In another method operation, the portable device interfaces with the input device to generate actions associated with game objects in the portable device, where the interface takes place when the input device is in or near the interactivity zone. Additionally, the stand moves when the tracking detects that the input device is outside predefined boundaries near an edge of the interactivity zone. The stand movement information is transferred via the communications link to update the location of the interactivity zone.”

Seeing how one of Sony’s goals has been to create a seamless gaming experience between the NGP and PS3, allowing users to start gaming on one device and continue it on the next as Hideo Kojima has pointed out, using the PlayStation Move could be further prove of concept for such a vision.

Hit the jump for one more picture from this patent. While you are there, let us know what you think about this accessory. Would it be something that you would want to purchase for your PSP or NGP? How about if it was built in?

[Via Free Patents Online]

NGP to be “More Affordable” and Less Costly for Sony

by Sohrab Osati | May 31, 2011 | 2 comments

We all now by know how the PlayStation 3 saga played out. Though this current generation is far from over, the road ahead is bright for the PS3, unlike the first two years of the consoles life. When the PS3 was born, long before the E3 debut and Tokyo Game Show trailers, Ken Kutaragi, the father of the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable and then PlayStation 3 had one clear goal in mind. To create the most powerful and cutting edge machine that he possibly could. This meant offering features that many at the time would not be sure of like a Blu-ray player, 3D gaming and movies. Now of course, in retrospect, those have all been fantastic choices as Blu-ray is the definitive and ideal way to playback HD, 3D movies and 3D games. However, with Blu-ray, 3D, Bluetooth, Cell Processor and custom graphics cards, Sony paid a huge price for it. Not only did the PlayStation 3 come out a year later then the Xbox 360, it also cost a lot more which slowed the adoption rate and Sony was still losing $300 on each machine sold. This dug a big whole for the PlayStation division which was losing a massive amount of money, due to the high cost of the machine. Now nearly 5 years later, the PlayStation division is doing fine and is about to unveil more information for their second generation PSP at this years E3, codenamed the NGP.

So would Sony repeat the same trend that the PS3 set? Not so says Massaru Kato, Sony’s Chief Financial Officer when he spoke to the WSJ. The NGP will be less “investment heavy” and instead, rely on less custom GPUs and parts and more off the shelf products from partners. This means that Sony can turn to a manufacture who is already producing the parts they need in high volume and therefor, be able to get a lower price on the part, unlike the PlayStation 3’s cell processor for example which is being used exclusively in the PS3. Lower component costs for Sony will also translate to a lower product price for consumers, meaning that the NGP will be much more competitively priced to Nintendo’s recently released 3DS.

What do you think about the NGP and the price tag it will carry? Will it be PS3 expensive or something less? Let us know in the comments below.

[Via WSJ-Subscription Required]

PlayStation Store and Qriocity to Return by Weeks End

by Sohrab Osati | May 30, 2011 | 1 comment

Sony and Sony Computer Entertainment have just announced the time table for the full return of PSN, including the PlayStation Store and Qriocity services in the Americas, Europe/PAL territories and Asia, excluding Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea and it couldn’t be coming at a better time, the end of this week. This means that by Friday, PSN will be back to its former glory and everything will back to as it was. End the end, just know that before E3, you can have full access to the following:

Full functionality on PlayStation®Store
In-game commerce
Ability to redeem vouchers and codes Full functionality on Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity for PS3, PSP, VAIO and other PCs
Full functionality on Media Go

“We have been conducting additional testing and further security verification of our commerce functions in order to bring the PlayStation Network completely back online so that our fans can again enjoy the first class entertainment experience they have come to love,” said Kazuo Hirai, Executive Deputy President, Sony Corporation. “We appreciate the patience and support shown during this time.”

As we’ve previously reported, there is a large “Welcome Back” package awaiting for PlayStation fans which includes free games like LittleBigPlanet and Wipeout while all Qriocity customers will be receiving an additional 30 days of service, on top of the days of the outage.

Hit the jump as always for the official press release.

Sony Remasters Select PSP Game Titles

by Jesse Fogarty | May 24, 2011 | 17 comments

It’s been a while since the PlayStation Portable System was improved or for that upgraded in anyway. With the Nintendo DS advancing into newer technology *Cough*3D*Cough* before Sony’s PSP system. Even the most devoted PSP gamers are becoming fed up with the low definition graphics (all be it, still better then the Nintendo DS), and are to frustrated to wait until the PSP’s successor the NGP is released.

Two days ago on May 22, Sony announced the Japanese release of a new “PSP Remaster” title series. The name itself serves as a dead giveaway, Sony will be revitalizing select PSP game titles for the PS3 in high-def Blu-Ray.

In addition to remastering select game titles, some games may receive new add-on content plus stereoscopic 3D support. However, Sony didn’t stop there users will also be able to share game save data between their PSP and PS3 systems. Imagine for a second, being able to play on the subway – and when you get home being able to continue where you left off earlier that day on a large TV screen.

The first PSP Remaster title announced was Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, sadly this is set only to launch in Japan at an unknown time and date. Meaning for now North American PSP users will have to deal with the low definition, eye straining graphics they’ve grown accustomed to.

With the Monster Hunter Portable series making its way to the PS3, what other titles would you like to see come? I for one would love to see MGS: Peace Walker and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 make their way in glorious HD to the PS3.

Hyperkin’s PS3 Remotext Combines QWERTY, Blu-ray Controls and D-Pad

by Sohrab Osati | May 24, 2011 | 3 comments

When gamers sit down and I’ve been guilty of this myself, we sometimes tend to surround ourselves with a slew of gadgets to enrich our experience. A Dualshock 3 controller to game with, a bluetooth headset to talk with and a keyboard to chat online with. Sometimes, even that Blu-ray remote will sneak into that pile as well. Now, the folks at Hyperkin are looking to change this experience with the Hyperkin’s Remotext for PS3. This multifunction remote offers gamers two analog nubs with a near-complete set of gaming controls, a QWERTY keypad, and a slide-out Blu-ray remote panel. Though not bluetooth enabled, you will find a USB receiver in the box, as well as a pair of rechargeable AA batteries. We don’t have a price or release date to report but the guys at Hyperkin’s will be officially showcasing the hybrid remote at E3.

As always, hit the jump for the official press release. While there, what do you guys think about the remote? Do you like devices like this or prefer a more individual setup with separate keyboard and remote?

PlayStation Network Undergoes Maintenance (05-24-11) (updated)

by Sohrab Osati | May 24, 2011 | 11 comments

The PlayStation Network is set to go under maintenance today from 8am until approximately 5pm Pacific time. During the down time, Sony is looking to tweak and enhance registration, password reset and Account Management which means those services will be unavailable during the down time. According to Sony, although some users might have difficulty signing into PSN on the PS3 and to additional services like the PlayStation Blog, the majority of users should have no problem accessing the services, including playing online.

It also comes as no surprise that the PlayStation Store, therefor will not be returning today as it had been rumored in the past. Instead, Sony has gone on record and stated that their goal is to have the store up by the months end. Meaning, check it out next Tuesday folks.

I personally wouldn’t be surprised if this maintenance further has to do with the recent hacking incidents as Sony wants to test for any weaknesses in their system. A few down hours to test and beef up the system is a lot better then another major downtime. You can bet that ever since PSN came back up, that hackers have been doing their best to to try and exploit the system game.

Hit the jump for the official press release fro Sony. While you are there, let us know if you are experiencing any problems with PSN or if things are going smooth for you.

Updated:

Maintenance has now been completed and full PSN services have been restored to all web and console users.

PlayStation Move Sharp Shooter Unboxing (video)

by Sohrab Osati | May 19, 2011 | 17 comments

I know we are more then a little late but it took me over two months to get my order fulfilled by Amazon, seeing how as they were sold out in every retail store that I visited. After that, even thought our video unboxing was filmed, it’s been sitting in my editing cue for the past month but alas, I’ve finished. Bellow is a video unboxing of the PlayStation Move Sharp Shooter. Besides seeing what’s inside the box, I go over some tips on how to properly place your Move controllers inside and a list of games that are compatible. Those looking to purchase one will note that you can place an order on Amazon who has them in stock with no sales tax!

OMFG FINALLY! PSN & Qriocity Services Restored!

by Jesse Fogarty | May 16, 2011 | 24 comments

Saturday night Phase 1 of Sony‘s long awaited database restoration was set into motion rolling out globally for all users, finally putting an end to the largest PSN outage to date effecting close 100 million PlayStation and Qriocity users.

As we now know the outage was thanks to an “external intrusion” where hackers were able to read users personal account information such as their credit-card numbers, address, postal code, and names. So what exactly is phase 1 of Sony‘s restoration.

Phase 1 of the restoration was a software update forcing users to change their account passwords from the PlayStation 3 system they had originally activated the account on. Along with new security for Sony servers.

The new security system was developed by Sony with the help of their outside security consultants in hopes of never repeating an outage such as this. The new security system will include the following:

Advanced Technology Security System
Increased Levels of Encryption
Added Firewalls
Earlier warning signals in the chance of another “External Intrusion”

As for those of you greedy guss’ out there the welcome back package was not launched with phase 1 of the restoration – Below are FAQs provided by the Sony PlayStation Blog

Q: So what exactly is working right now?
A: Sign-in for PlayStation Network and Qriocity (including the resetting of passwords), online gameplay for PS3 and PSP, playback of rental video content on PS3 (if within rental period), Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity on PS3 (for current subscribers), access to services such as Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, and MLB.tv, “Friends” category on PS3 (including Friends List, Chat Functionality, Trophy Comparison, etc), in-game leaderboards, and PlayStation Home.

Q: I’m having trouble changing my password/I forgot which email I used on my account/I used a fake email to set up my account.
A: Click here for a set of tips on resetting your password. If you’ve gone through the process and are waiting for an email from us, please note that the very large number of requests has caused certain ISPs to slow the rate at which recipients get emails from us. Please be patient as the systems work through the backlog.

Q: The PlayStation Store hasn’t updated since April 19th. When can I download digital games that were planned to be released since then?
A: To date, three Tuesday publishes were missed, which included items like Under Siege and the MotorStorm Apocalypse demo. Rest assured that you won’t miss any of this great content. To catch up on the large amount of material, we’ll be publishing to the PlayStation Store multiple times per week once commerce functionality is restored. We will update the PlayStation.Blog with information on timing of the Store restoration, as well as the full list of new content as each publish occurs.

Q: How will PlayStation Plus members be affected by the PSN downtime? A number of games/items were slated to go live or come down on April 26th.
A: We will be picking back up with the PlayStation Plus content calendar where we left off to ensure that you won’t miss out on anything.

Q: Sucker Punch has indicated that they will extend the inFAMOUS 2 beta. Any details?
A: Sucker Punch is evaluating extending the inFAMOUS 2 beta, as well as expanding its scope. Stay tuned for more details here in the coming days.

Q: Is anything special planned for the SOCOM 4 multiplayer community?
A: Zipper will announce details on activities to re-engage fans of SOCOM 4 who have patiently waited to play online.

Q: What about the Call of Duty: Black Ops Double XP weekend that was missed while PSN was down?
A: We have been in discussions with our friends at Treyarch, and they have ensured that all Call of Duty: Black Ops fans will get an extra Double XP event as soon as PSN comes back online. We don’t have details on timing just yet, but look forward to an announcement as soon as we have news.

Q: How can I redeem the Welcome Back offer that was mentioned by Kazuo Hirai? What’s in it?
A: Hang tight – we’ll be announcing all the details soon.

Q: How can I sign up for the Debix AllClear ID Plus protection announced last week?
A: More details are coming soon.

Q: When will the PlayStation.Blog start talking about games again?
A: Tomorrow! Thank you for bearing with us as our role changed over the past few weeks. We’ll be once again talking games every day leading up to E3, which is just a few short weeks away

PlayStation Rewards Package

by Sohrab Osati | May 13, 2011 | 9 comments

What is it that I have here in the mail from PlayStation? You see, nearly 8 moths ago, Sony and their PlayStation devision brought to light a new program called PlayStation Rewards. The aim of the program is to give loyal PlayStation users something in return for all the time they spend playing games, as well as their purchases from Playstation Home, PSN and interactions in the community. Since then, the program has been in a beta phase a select but large number have partaken in the program as Sony tweaks and adjusts the free service. Though there is no immediate roll out of the program, that hasn’t stopped Sony from rewarding those who are in it.

The program works mainly like this. Once you log into your PlayStation account from a web browser, you can see the different goals that you have which range from unlocking trophies, to downloading 5 demos and clicking on 10 different links from PlayStation news letter emails. The more you do, the higher your ranking goes which enables you to get free Avatars to use and show off with, which display your rank. Now months later and to my surprise when I checked my mail, I’ve also received a free gift from PlayStation. Inside the package was both a cool and exclusive t-short, but also a thank you note from PlayStation. The exclusive t-shirt was given to me as thanks for not only being part of the program, but also being part of different beta programs and actually reporting back what I had found and not just playing the game like a demo. Once Sony fully rolls out the program, all those who wish will be able to enter the program and get some cool loot and hopefully help improve the community. The only problem, the shirt they sent me is an adult XL and those who know me will tell you that I can float between a small and medium shirt. I guess next time I wear it, I’ll invite everybody to wear it with me! Hit the jump for some more pictures.