PlayStation

Sony Would Like Developers to Consider PlayStation Move and 3D Support

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 17, 2011 | 0

Sony has been on the forefront of cutting edge with the PlayStation 3, creating a device that, unlike previous PlayStation units and other consoles on the market, can be expanded upon and offer new features that even those who bought the PlayStation during its launch can enjoy. Over the last 9 months, the PlayStation 3 has been updated via software to allow for 3D games and movies. Shortly after that, Sony also released the PlayStation Move, which continues to be the most advanced and precise motion sensor gaming attachment on the market. In order to show consumers and other developers the capability of these new technologies, Sony has taken it upon itself to offer these advacements in some of the hottest games of 2010 and 2011. Titles such as Gran Turismo 5, LittleBigPlanet 2, Killzone 3, MotorStorm Apocalypse and the upcoming Uncharted 3, Socom 4 and Infamous 2, will all support native 3D. Current titles on the market such as LittleBigPlanet 2, Killzone 3 and again the upcoming Socom 4 and soon to be released Move Heroes game, featuring some of PlayStation most well known characters, like Jak & Dexter, Ratchet and Clank, and Sly, will support PlayStation Move on top of native 3D.

Now, Sony wants developers outside of the Sony family to leverage these PlayStation 3 features and incorporate them into their games to offer a more unique and rich environment for the players.

“Whenever we come out with new technology, whether it’s Move or 3D, there is always the request that goes out to the [development] teams that says, ‘Hey it would be great if you could implement it.’ We know that adds to the layer of not only the marketing message we have access to but it also adds to the availability of different Sony channels that we can broadcast our message out to,”

Sony has gone on record and states that in no way or shape is it requiring developers to offer these. Instead, it wants them to look at games like Killzone 3 which has been said to be one of the best looking games ever created on the PlayStation 3 which also offers the most native and natural Move experience while still implementing 3D. The point here is that developers can add these features to their game without worrying about tapping out the PlayStation 3 or the need to sacrifice quality.

Hit the jump for a full list of PlayStation Move and 3D-supported games.

Sony Puts Country Before Profits, Cancels MotorStorm Apocalypse for Japan

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 14, 2011 | 0

By now, we have all have seen the countless images and videos on CNN and other places from the recent natural disasters that took place in Japan. With cities destroyed and the country’s spirits and energies going towards their people and the much needed recovery that is taking place as each day passes, it’s nice to see a company set aside its profits and instead focus on the people. In an alternative universe where a 8.9 earthquake and tsunami had not rocked the country of Japan, this week Sony’s PlayStation division would be releasing MotorStorm Apocalypse for the PlayStation 3. This genre-defining racing game has always been centered around all forms of jaw-dropping environments where the player can race, crash and taunt away the opponents in all forms of manors. Prior to this installment, the series had raced into the deserts and tropical landscapes for the game’s backdrop. For MotorStorm Apocalypse, the developers wanted to instead focus on an old abandoned city where the environment itself played like an opponent. With falling buildings and destroyed streets, the game was a spectacle to look at and play through, if you had not recently been exposed to a trauma of the same magnitude. Sony instead believes that the game will hit too close to home and will not be appropriate for the people of Japan and through an email issued out to the press, has stated that the game will be postponed (indefinitely) for Japan. From a capitalistic standpoint, this might not be a good move. After all, millions are/were spent on making this game, let alone localizing it for Japan, but from a humanity standpoint, it’s nice to see a company forgo profits and instead focus on the people.

Sony NGP to Release on November 11th in Europe?

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 11, 2011 | 0

The NGP is a hot tech topic. Announced a little over two months ago, the PSP successor, previously dubbed as the PSP2 and currently codenamed the NGP which is an internal codename and not the products actual name was met with great reactions from all over. The latest handheld from Sony packs some of the most state of the art technology in any device with many components of it not yet released into the market, like a quad core CPU and graphics card. Originally Sony’s Kaz Hirai had indicated that the NGP would launch during the 2011 Holiday season. We now know, thanks to clarification from SCEA Jack Tetton that Sony is looking to launch the NGP in at least one territory in 2011 with others to follow through. Part of this is the limitation in resources which make building large quantities of a unit like this extremely hard.

it’s very difficult to have the quantities to be able to launch on a worldwide basis on the same date” and that “our goal is get at least one territory out by the end of holiday 2011”.

When it comes to product launches, Sony users are no doubt accustomed to Japan, Sony’s home territory to receive a product with Europe and US to follow a few months after. This is especially true in the PlayStation division where all unites, including the PSone, PS2, PS3 and PSP launched in Japan and were eventually followed with a US release date. With such a track record, many assumed that the NGP would fall in line and Japan would receive the product sometime during the 2011 Holiday with Europe and US receiving shipments in the Spring. Now an online leak is pointing towards Europe receiving the honors and being the first territory to receive the NGP. This should partially come to as no surprise as Europe is one of Sony’s strong holds where the company sold over 9 million Sony Ericsson Android devices and the PlayStation 3 has continued to stay ahead of the Xbox 360. Still, this early on, it’s hard to take any leaks seriously as I’m sure final configuration and logistics of the NGP are still being sorted out.

[Via MCVUK]

LG Loses Against Sony. PS3 Shipment Begin to Flow to Europe

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 11, 2011 | 0

Remember the earlier scare that Sony went through where all PS3 shipments were ordered to be halted into Europe, thanks to a Sony vs. LG patent war? Well after the initial judge ruled on LG’s favor, the over all ruling has now come in favor of Sony Electronics. The more then 300,00 PlayStation 3 units that are currently sitting at customs are set to start flowing to inventory channels. Considering how fast this was resolved, we doubt retailers saw much of a dip in their inventory as most companies have 2-3 weeks worth of supplies for any given product. The judge has also ordered LG to pay 130k ($181k) Euros to Sony for costs incurred during the hearing and an additional 200k ($278k) Euros for everyday that shipments of the PS3 are not returned to Sony.

[Via GamersMint]

Official PlayStation App Version 1.05 Goes Live for Many Countries

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 10, 2011 | 0

The official PlayStation App is set to get an update and be bumped to version 1.05 with version 1.1 being already in the works. This new update adds plenty of new countries and languages to the iOS (iPod Touch, iPhone) and Android App. The PlayStation App launched in early January giving users features such as:

Check out your PlayStation Network trophies and keep up to date with your friends’ games and online status.
Discover all the latest games, news and hardware for your PlayStation 3, PSP and PlayStation 2.
Read all the announcements on the European PlayStation.Blog.
Share your favourite products or news with your friends on Facebook, Twitter or via e-mail.

Hit the jump to see a full detail list of the added countries.

PS3 Firmware 3.6, Brings Cloud Storage, Online Game Saving

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 9, 2011 | 0

When the PSN (PlayStation Network) entered it’s usual scheduled maintenance time, no one would have guessed that Sony was taking down the service to beef up the PS3 offering for PlayStation Plus users and giving them one of the holly grail features that people have been wanting, saving games to the cloud.

When PS3 firmware 3.6 goes live tomorrow, PlayStation Plus users will be able to back up game save data to the cloud. This new feature not only will ensure that your files are saved off location, in case your hard drive were to go south, but users will be able to access these files from any other PS3, simply by logging into their PSN account.

The new online storage feature allows gamers to store up to 150MB of game save data and a maximum of 1000 data files per PSN account.

Saves games to the cloud will happen automatically for PlayStation Plus users and while most games current available will work with this online storage method, all future games are required to have cloud saving compatibility. I’ve been a long time PlayStation Plus users, having written a piece why I believe every PlayStation 3 user should have PlayStation Plus. Now, I can finally get another PS3. I’ve long wanted a secondary PlayStation 3, leaving the current one in the living room while having a machine in the bedroom as well. But the idea that I cannot continue my career in Gran Turismo 5 or the levels I’ve completed in LittleBigPlanet 2 always held me back and copying saved files back and forth from each machine via a USB drive seemed too tedious and bound for disaster. With Cloud Storage, I’m well on my way towards ordering another PlayStation 3. Press release after the jump.

Our LittleBigPlanet 2: Collectors Edition is Here!

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 8, 2011 | 0

We’re a little late to Media Molecule master piece, LittleBigPlanet 2 but our lovely editor, Allegra Wilson was able to get her hands on a collectors edition and our team will soon be rocking it with Sackboy and Sackgirl. Released on January 18th of this year, this sequel has gone to receive critical praise like the original title. With an average score of 9.1 from the critics and 9.3 from users, this PlayStation Move enabled sequel is as refreshing as the first round with plenty of new tricks and features. Did we mention there is already over 2 million user generated levels, in addition to the 50+ game levels? Look for my dressed up as either Captain Jack Sparrow, Spider-man or Clu from Tron under Fusion_ID and Allegra as Miss Elizabeth Swan or the Human Torch under The_Prancer. Unfortunately, the Collectors Edition is extremely hard to find but the normal edition can be found on Amazon for $53.88.

New DualShock 3 Docking Station from Sony

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 4, 2011 | 0

One thing I hate more then anything when it comes to my gear is cheap accessories. I didn’t shell out over $600 for a PlayStation 3 or over $900 for my iPad to turn around and buy a cheap dock, case or peripheral from companies who we won’t name. Those of us who have wanted a charger for our DualShock 3, know that there isn’t much quality options in the market. That’s why it’s nice to see Sony step into the game by releasing the DualShock 3 Charging Station (CECH-ZC2JYB). The device can charge two controllers at once and is plugged into an AC outlet, as opposed to the PS3’s USB ports, bypassing the need to have your PlayStation 3 unit on. This Charging Station is set to release on April 21st in Japan for 2,480 yen ($29). No word yet on a US release date.

[Via SCEI]

ncmogo CEO Thinks ‘NGP Will Be Dead on Arrival’

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 4, 2011 | 0

Coming into the spotlight a little over three years ago, ngmogo is the game developer behind such popular iPhone games like Dropship, Star Defense, We Farm and We Rule. Since then, the small developer has grown to provide games for the full range of iOS devices (iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad) and Android. With their bread and butter invested into mobile games for cellphones, it’s no surprise to hear ngmogo CEO Neil Young bash the upcoming handheld from Sony, the NGP. The CEO thinks that the NGP which previously was called the PSP2 will be “dead on arrival” because the system wont be able to keep up with the advances in the iOS and Android ecosystem. Of course, every time I hear random CEO’s taking a shot at their competitors, it’s because they need some attention or they actually know there is real competition coming.

“I think they are hurt; I think they’re clearly hurt,” Young said of the traditional portables from Sony and Nintendo. “I think PSP is done and the new [NGP] is dead on arrival. It’s really difficult to compete with an app store that has hundreds of thousands of applications and a wide range of options where the average price paid is around $1.20 and there are tens, if not hundreds of thousands of free applications that are really high quality. So I just don’t think Sony’s going to be able to compete with that.”

PlayStation 3 Stats: 41.6 Million Sold, 70 Million PSN Accounts, Revenu Way Up

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 3, 2011 | 0

During Sony’s GDC press conference, the maker of the PlayStation 3 revealed some new stats that show the system making great strides in the last year to help Sony’s profitability and close the gap between their immediate rival console from Microsoft. Pierre Gravereau, SCEA digital distribution manager revealed that the PlayStation 3 has crossed over 41.6 million units sold worldwide with 80% of them being web connected, thanks to their free PSN (PlayStation Network) service, opposed to Microsofts Xbox 360 which requires $70/year to go online. Sony has also been able to pull in 70 million PSN subscribers, which helped the store see an increase of 60% store traffic and 70% boost to their profits.

Breaking: PSPgo Price Drops to $150 (Updated)

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 3, 2011 | 0

On the heels of Sony dropping the price of the PSP-3000 to $129, Sony has now dropped the MSRP of the PSPgo to $150, down from the current $199. The PSPgo debuted over a year ago in October to a $249 price point and eventually dropped to $199 a year later. The PSPgo debuted as a sidekick to the original PSP with one major difference, outside of its form factor, the loss of the UMD drive, instead paving the way for only downloadable content from PSN. The PSP-3000 and PSPgo will be succeeded later this year by the NGP.

Updated:

It seems like the price drop has disappeared from Sony’s website with no mention left. Considering that I saw the price drop on Sony’s own site and not a random retailers, I cannot imagine it being long before this makes a full comeback. This also does play into my curiosity as to why Sony never made an announcement of the price drop. The simple answer seams to be that somebody pulled the trigger before the company was ready for it and expect to see the official MSRP down to $150 in the near future again.

[Via Sony]

GSM Version of Sony Ericsson Xperia Play Revealed by FCC

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 2, 2011 | 0

During the initial announcement of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, previously called the PlayStation Phone, it was believed that the device would launch as a Verizon Exclusive. Since that time, it’s became clear that an exclusivity is no longer in the cards with all mentions of it being removed from Sony Ericsson’s website. Now a new publishing from the FCC reports that the Xperia Play will also sport a global GSM bands and 900 / 2100MHz 3G, which are primarily used in Europe and Asia. This reveal here does indicate that multiple carriers will be getting the Xperia Play but for our friends in the North, Rogers will still be the exclusive carrier.

[Via FCC]

Sony to Launch PlayStation Home Version 1.5 in Spring

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 1, 2011 | 0

LittleBigPlanet space in PlayStation Home

Today at GDC, Sony lifted the vail off of the upcoming PlayStation Home 1.5 update, showing a slew of improvements that the company has in mind for the free PlayStation 3 service. For those who are not familiar, PlayStaiton Home gives users a play to hang out, chat, talk games and actually play tons of games, many which are free. Home is a destination to meet players who enjoy the same games, and gives users options like shopping for virtual items, decorating their Home space and avatar. With all that, the core existence of Home is gaming. Here, users can create groups and launch into multiplayer games together like Uncharted 2 or LittleBigPlanet, making it a great pre-gaming environment. Since the service launched, Sony has had many updates which have added to gaming spaces, and user features. PlayStation Home Community Manager had this to say:

While versions 1.3 and 1.4 brought user-facing features like Voice Chat, Cross Game Invites, Navigation Improvements, In-Store Previews, New Item Types (such as Active Items and Companions), Optimized Load Times and Universal Game Launching, PlayStation Home v1.5 is packed with tools and features that will enable developers to expand the types of games possible on the platform – from first-person shooters with real-time, peer-to-peer multiplayer to kart racers and more.

Home currently offers a ton of free mini games, based around popular franchises like Killzone, LittleBigPlanet and Resistance while the company has also created many unique games like Sodium. Now with PlayStation Home 1.5, Sony is looking to up the ante by giving developers more control and power to create deeper, richer and more fulfilling games that will be exclusively on PlayStation Home.

[Via PlayStation Blog]

PlayStation 3 Shipments to Europe Now Halted, Thanks to Sony vs. LG Lawsuit

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 28, 2011 | 0

You might remember that at the beginning of 2011, Sony Electronics started a lawsuit against Korean giant, LG. The lawsuit alleged that LG had violated on Sony’s cellphone patents in which case, Sony wanted all shipments of LG phones to the United States halted and civil damages be award to them. Quick to respond, LG filed a set of patent claims against the Sony’s PlayStation 3, indicating that they were the actual victims in this sad electronic world we all live in. With the first round over, LG has come out on top with the courts ruling in LG’s favor. This means that all current PlayStation 3 systems headed to Europe will be confiscated by customs for at least ten days while this mess continues to be sorted. The good news for European PlayStation fans is that most retailers have a few weeks worth of inventory on hand and there should not be an immediate impact. The bad news is that this is a temporary stock and until this lawsuit is settled, Sony cannot feed that market with new PlayStation 3 units. With an average of 100,000 units shipped to Europe each week and Sony closing the world wide sales gap of the PlayStation 3 versus Microsofts Xbox 360, Sony cannot let this drag on for long. Sony would not comment much on this matter:

“We are currently looking into this matter, and cannot make any comments at this point in time.”

[Via The Guardian]

The PSP Drops to $129

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 25, 2011 | 0

Well ahead of the NGP, Sony has dropped the price of the PSP-3000 down to $129.99 MSRP in hopes of spurring up sales and cleaning out inventory slowly. Now you can find older games at $9.99, greatest hits at $19.99 and brand new titles at $29.99. This is great for those who want to experience some amazing AAA games like Killzone: Liberation, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7, God of War: Ghost of Sparta and Gran Turismo to name a few. Fans can also expect the PSP to live beyond the release of the NGP (PSP2), much like the PS2 currently still lives on with new releases. Despite the stigma, with nearly 67 million units sold, the PSP has been an extremely successful handheld, despite its lack of 3rd party publisher support, something that Sony is looking to change with the NGP.