Midway Developing In-Game Advertising

Midway Games today revealed they have struck a multiyear deal with advertising company Double Fusion to place ads in upcoming games played via online connections. Midway will build Double Fusion's ad-serving technology into titles that will play on next-generation consoles which include PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and quite possibly the Revolution.

The first game to utilize this brand new technology will be Stranglehold that was announced at last years E3 2005 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Double Fusion's sales force will sell the ad campaigns, which will regularly update the game.

The company did say that the advertisements would appear in the form of signs or billboards, streaming audio and video or 3-d objects like soda bottles or cars. Midway expects the first game under the Double Fusion deal to ship at year-end.

Source: Gaming Horizon

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PlayStation 3 Gets Download Service

So much PlayStation 3 rumors in the past few weeks it’s driving everybody crazy. The latest rumor falls from Design Technica where they reveal a totally different plan then what was revealed last week by Next Generation concerning Sony’s online plans. This time around, the website is reporting the service will be launched in Asia first and have a online name of “WA! PS3 Online�.

The service is said to blast Microsoft’s Xbox Live Marketplace away and feature so much more including demos, music, movies, and more. Now all this depends on if the PS3 will have a hard drive at launch.

Gaming Horizon will be following this story until an official confirmation has been issued.

Source: Gaming Horizon

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That's one expensive disc drive

And it means PS3 will be one pricey console. CNET dissects the PS3 and compares the cost per component to Xbox 360.

FULL STORY:

Sony doesn't officially comment on the price of the PS3, but there's a healthy amount of educated guesses out there, and they're all very expensive. Merrill Lynch's highly publicized estimate put the cost at $800 -- a little high, some say (or out of the park, says Sony). But either way, this baby is costly, and CNET breaks down why.

Turns out the big difference is the Blu-ray disc drive, which is brand new technology and way more expensive than the standard DVD drive the Xbox 360 uses. A regular DVD drive costs $20; the Blu-ray drive costs between $200 and $300. Whoa!

If you use the low-end figures for Cell ($150) and the Blu-ray drive ($200) the PS3 materials bill comes to $700. The high estimate, including a $230 chip and $300 drive, comes to $880. The average is $790. The Xbox 360, meanwhile, comes in at $476 through averaging prices from different analysts. A study from iSuppli puts the figure at $525.

Interesting stuff -- the systems are almost exactly the same except for Blu-ray and the Cell processor. Unfortunately, those additions put PS3's price way up there.

Source: PS3 Week

Which Next Gen Console Survey - Nintendo Revolution, PlayStation 3, or Xbox 360?

Vote for the next generation console of your choice!

To vote for a system, simply click your selection.

• Nintendo Revolution
• PlayStation 3
• Xbox 360
• Not Sure
• Sticking to PC

View results: Click for current poll results without voting.

Source: About.com

What's wrong with fall?

How much will Sony really lose if it launches the PS3 later this year? Some say a lot, but we're not so sure.

FULL STORY:

This week's Game Over column addresses the recent flurry of news about a PS3 delay -- news that Sony, by the way, has categorically denied while failing to produce any tangible evidence to the contrary. The basic reasons behind the delay speculation: the PS3 is very expensive to produce right now, and the specs for the Blu-ray drive haven't even come in yet.

Chris Morris, the columnist, reminds us of all the pressures on Sony to get the PS3 on the market soon, and discounts a lot of the "chicken little" delay predictions.

Granted, the possibility of a delayed PS3 launch and prohibitively expensive production costs make for some great headlines and message board chatter, but there are a few other realities to consider.

He's obviously been reading our headlines. Check out the column for his list of reasons why the PS3 can't afford a delay, and why it won't matter for Americans anyway. He's right about one thing: if we get the system before the end of the year, all will be well and good. But he also cites a lot of market pressures that could force Sony to jump the gun. We'll dissect them here, and explain why they're not worth the rush.

Source: PS3 Week

Play as yourself on the Playstation 3?

Motion Portrait is a new technology developed by Sony. Currently implemented as software on a PC, it allows a persons’ image to be automatically converted into a 3D model. The software is then able to manipulate the 3D model to convey emotions, perform movement and add accessories.

......Senior Manager, Kilhara Sony Research Centre
......A picture is scanned into the computer

......This is how the young lady really looks like.
......And here is the animated 3D model, which is full of facial expressions and even has fun eating a butterfly(!).

A report about the amazing “Motion Portrait� software appeared on Japanese TV station TV Tokyo. The report triggered massive speculation amongst Japanese gamers, wondering whether the Playstation 3 will come equipped with the new software.

While the report has no direct connection to the PS3, it did not stop the rumors from arising. In Japan, forum debates followed the broadcast with many gamers hoping they will be able to scan their own images or use the future version of Sony’s Eye Toy camera to transfer their likeness onto the upcoming console and use their own image in Playstation 3 games.

The full capabilities of the technology were demonstrated by a Senior Manager from the Kilhara Sony Research Centre, who raised the possibility that the technology could be used in gaming.

The Senior Manager said that he hoped when the software was implemented with gaming, the main characters features could be substituted for the players’ own - a statement which would have done nothing to stop the imaginations of the viewers from running wild.

“Motion Portrait� works by scanning an emotionless photo on to a computer and then assigning any number of 16 different emotions to the image.

The software runs at 30 frames per second and is not limited to human faces. The television program showed a number of examples including animation and even a pineapple being manipulated to talk, eat and wear glasses.

Toshiba and Sony, the co-developers of PS3’s Cell chip have previously displayed a “digital mirror� that was similarly able to digitize human faces, albeit in realtime.

The still photo version, amazingly able to use 2D images to create 3D models, is quite likely to become available as a standard feature in future PS3 games.

Link: tv-tokyo.co.jp (Real Player Movie)

Source: PS3 Focus

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Kutaragi: “I can produce the PS3 anytime�

Sony President Ken Kutaragi has made bold statements regarding Sony’s Playstation 3 and Blu-ray format at CES 2006.

Speaking to Japanese publication Mycom PC Web, Kutaragi challenged the PS3’s competitors and reinforced Sony’s current position as market leader, saying,

“I can produce the PS3 anytime. We are in a position to put pressure [on others].�

Kutaragi also addressed the issue of a format war between Sony-supported Blu-ray disc and rival HD DVD format. The Sony President believes that Blu-ray is technically the superior format, commenting,

“BD is technologically right. I hope the purely technologically innovative one wins.�

Sony was in a similar position during the VHS/Betamax format war of the 1980s, when its technologically superior Betamax format lost to JVC’s VHS. Including a Blu-ray drive in the PS3 console will undoubtedly give the Blu-ray format a post-launch boost, but whether it can hold off the challenge from lower-priced HD DVD hardware remains to be seen.

Source: PS Reporter

Sony Denies PS3 Delay

Despite that “spring 2006� date technically meaning “in the next three months� now, Sony has gone on record as denying that there will be any delays to the Japanese release of the PS3.

Sony spokesman Kei Sakaguchi gave the statement after financial analysts Merrill Lynch predicted that it would not make the spring date and may not even make it to the US before 2007. This contradicts a statement given from another Sony representative to the BBC today, which stated that last minute technical hitches could push the date back. No comment has been made on Merrill Lynch’s other prediction that the PS3 hardware could cost Sony $800 per unit to manufacture.

Rumors of PS3 delays have been rife recently since Sony has revealed nothing new about the machine since E3 last May, and with no major shows at which to announce pricing or release details between now and the next E3 a spring date is looking increasingly unlikely.

Source: Gaming Horizon

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New Report: PS3 delayed until August

The DigiTimes in Taiwan quotes Sony's manufacturers there as saying that Blu-ray problems will delay the PS3 launch until August.

FULL STORY:

The DigiTimes has been reporting heavily on its hometown Taipei Game Show, and now they've got a scoop from Sony's Taiwanese contract manufacturers. The site says that these manufacturers have reported that the PS3 will be delayed until August because of problems with the specs and price of the Blu-ray high-definition DVD drive.

The hitch is copy protection -- the final standards for the new disc format have yet to be agreed upon. This meshes with what Sony Asia's managing director said a few days ago, that the company will wait until it's "completely prepared" to combat piracy before it launches the PS3.

Meanwhile, the new Blu-ray disc drives may be prohibitively expensive for some time -- Merrill Lynch cites them at $350 apiece, and puts the PS3's total manufacturing cost at $800. So even when Blu-ray copy protection is ready to go, a delay might be in order to wait for Blu-ray prices to drop a bit.

So, is this report credible? Though we've just started reading the DigiTimes this week, they've done a good job reporting from Taipei thus far. And this news seems to match up with everything else we've heard, both from a Sony spokeswoman who discussed Blu-ray problems and Sony Asia's boss on piracy.

As far as the August date, who knows; we've heard September this week too. Maybe nobody knows, because the real date hasn't been decided. But you can bet on one thing: it ain't lookin' good for Spring.

Source: PS3 Week

More details on HUB, this time from Sony

According to the Japanese press, Sony Asia's managing director says games could eventually be downloaded from PS3's online service.

FULL STORY:

Apparently Sony's muzzle doesn't extend to Tetsuhiko Yasuda, the managing director of Sony Asia. A few days ago he spoke at the Taipei Game Show and made some ominous remarks about waiting until the PS3 was "completely prepared" to combat piracy.

Today he seems to be mouthing off to the Japanese press about the possibilities of PlayStation 3's recently leaked HUB online service. Our buddies at PS3 Center report that Yasuda says that games may eventually be available for download from HUB, rather than buying hard copies at the store. This meshes with rumors in PSM about an iTunes-like downloading service, among many other PS3 media possibilities.

We don't speak Japanese, but if any readers out there can hook us up with a more detailed translation of the article, we'll be forever in your debt. Until then, check out PS3 Center's story and some other links on the subject below.

Source: PS3 Week

Someone got a hold of a PS3 controller?

Either the individual in the above photo snatched up a rare PS3 controller before launch or does a doozy with cut-outs and shady photography. Your guess is as good as ours.

Source: JoyStiq

PlayStation 3 could be delayed until next year

The North American launch of the Playstation 3 could slip to 2007 if the Merrill Lynch report we blogged about earlier is to be believed. The report states that as a result of Sony's design choices the PS3 is an "expensive and difficult to manufacture product" which could have the consequence of delaying the launch until next year. The components that seem to be causing the most trouble are the Cell processor and the Blu-Ray drive.

The Cell processor is a very complex chip which means it'll be a difficult and expensive part to manufacture. Processors are often a reason for delays in the computer industry (3GHz G5 PowerMac anyone?) so it's possible the Cell could be a factor in any potential slippages for the PS3. The second problem is Blu-Ray. The standard is so new that no-one is making the drives, resulting in another expensive component. The inference is that Sony might delay the PS3 until Blu-Ray is a more established format in order to reduce their losses.

What we've got here is a waiting game. The longer Sony waits to launch the PS3, the less money it'll lose on its consoles. However, as long as the PS3 remains off the market Sony runs the risk of losing out to its competitors.

Source: JoyStiq

Letter from a PS3 fanboy to Sony

We know various folks at Sony read this blog, so we're fulfilling a hardcore fanboy's wishes by reprinting his letter here, in its unedited entirety, both for Sony and for the rest of you who might get as big a kick out of it as we did.

This isn't the first letter of this sort. We're always getting letters addressed to EA, to Microsoft, to Nintendo. This is just one of the more entertaining ones. We just can't figure out if it's cutting parody or earnest entreaty. That's what makes it so brilliant!

whoever it may concern...

respected sir its my humble request to you to plz convey my message to the sony company.

I am a resident of india and believe me man i just cannot live without the playstation 3 see it makes no difference to you changing the prices of the ps3 from 500$ to 900$ or whatever but sir it does make a lot of difference to us i mean to me even if u increase 50$ u see the currency of india as compared to yours is very low and so in our country in costs us very high.

Source: JoyStiq

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PlayStation 3 estimated to cost $800 per unit [Update 2]

A team over at the investment firm Merrill Lynch took the liberty of breaking down the component costs of the PlayStation 3, concluding that the PS3 will cost Sony $900 per unit at launch. The figures which are based upon estimates and predictions, show that the lion's share of the parts costs come from the Cell processor and Blu-Ray drive, which total $580 alone. Fortunately for Sony, the firm has also estimated that the console's cost after 3 years could drop to $320.

What these figures show is that the fate of Sony's console lies in the circuits of two components: the Cell processor and the Blu-Ray drive. It's in Sony's interest to make sure that Blu-Ray drives and Cell chips are sold in vast quantities, which will lower prices and limit the amount of money that Sony will lose on each console. Of course we still don't know how much Sony will be willing to subsidize PS3s. Previous rumors have hinted that the PS3 will launch at $500. In other words, a $400 loss on each console.

For a little perspective, lets take a look at a similar example in the same industry, the Xbox 360. Earlier estimates suggested that the Xbox 360 costs $715 to make which means Microsoft is willing to lose around $350 per console sale based on a $299-399 retail price. If Sony wants to remain competitive with Microsoft (does it?) and rival the Xbox 360's price, it could lose as much as $500-600 on each PS3. Finally, it's worth noting that these companies have money to lose: as Yahoo finance indicates, Microsoft and Sony both have mountains of cash at their disposal. Although Microsoft happens to have a lot more.

Here's the link to the PDF file: view/download pdf file

Source: JoyStiq

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Sonic the Hedgehog - PlayStation 3 (PS3), Xbox 360 Screenshots

SEGA of America, Inc. and SEGA Europe Ltd. have announced the development of a brand new Sonic title, Sonic The Hedgehog, intended for the PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. SEGA hopes the reinvention of this popular franchise will thrill both the long-time Sonic fans as well as a new generation of gamers with the exciting speed and action only possible on next-generation platforms.

Sonic The Hedgehog for PLAYSTATION 3 and Xbox 360 will be developed under the direction of Yuji Naka, award-winning developer known for creating the hugely successful SEGA franchise. With an innovative combination of art, physics and game design, SEGA and Mr. Naka expect to create the most intense sensation of speed ever experienced in videogames. Sonic The Hedgehog for next-gen is expected to ship on multiple platforms in conjunction with the character's 15th anniversary in 2006.

Source: About

PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) Release Date, Details and Specifications

Sony's PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) to be released Spring, 2006.

At a press conference held in Los Angeles, California, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) revealed the outline of its PlayStation 3 (PS3) computer entertainment system, incorporating the world’s most advanced Cell processor with super-computer like power. Prototypes of PS3 will also be showcased at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), the world’s largest interactive entertainment exhibition held in Los Angeles, from May 18th to 20th.

Source: About

PS3 rumor: SOCOM 4 at E3, God of War shaping up

Not to be outdone, Computer and Video Games have their own PS3 inside man who gave them the scoop on some upcoming PlayStation 3 games. SOCOM 4 is not only "absolutely gorgeous looking" but is "confirmed" for E3, and is probably a launch title. A sequel to the award-winning God of War may not make it to E3 but--rest assured--is "well into development." They also revealed that (Ratchet and Clank creators) Insomiac's next-gen FPS, heretofore titled I-8, is now known as... Resistance. Really? Resistance?

Perhaps most interesting is the claim that both SOCOM 4 and God of War (2?) will also see current-gen releases: "...Both [God of War] and SOCOM 4 will also be appearing on PS2, underlining Sony's commitment to its favoured current-gen son for the next few years." Sure, there's almost 100 million of the things out there, but those games are sure to be system sellers. Unless the next-gen variants provide more than just prettier graphics, a $X00 dollar PS3 with the same games will be a tough sell. Please apply salt liberally.

Source: JoyStiq

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Sony expects strong PS3 shipments in 2006, may work with Microsoft

Sony expects to ship over 100 million PlayStation 3 (PS3) game consoles, according to Tetsuhiko Yasuda, Sony Computer Entertainment Asia’s corporate executive managing director and senior vice president of Asia. He also said Sony may work with Microsoft in the future.

Sony has not finalized the specific time frame for the PS3 launch, as well as pricing, he said. The company aims to launch the PS3 at the same time throughout Asia. However, not all the regions in the global market will see the same launch day, as the Internet infrastructures differ in each individual market, Yasuda said.

Sony has shipped over 100 million PS1game consoles and similar amount of the PS2 game console, with Taiwan and Hong Kong accounting for 10% of its PS2 sales in Asia, Yasuda indicated.

Sony does not regard Xbox as a competitor. Rather, the company may even consider working with Microsoft to develop games together, Yasuda noted.

The company is currently showcasing the PS3 at the Taipei Game Show (TGS) 2006, which is taking place from February 16-20.

Source: Digi Times

Bain to talk PS3 at IGDA even

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe development support manager George Bain is to deliver a speech on developing games for the PS3 at an event in London next week.

The IGDA event, which will be hosted by recruitment agency Mary-Margaret, will see Bain offering insight into the challenges and opportunities for game development on Sony's next-generation console.

The technical presentation will serve as an introduction to the PS3, offering an overview of the system architecture, the Cell proccesor and new graphics processor (RSX) plus a discussion of the Blu-Ray storage medium.

A well known face in the development community, Bain has been working for SCEE since 1997 and manages the developer support team - providing support services for all SCEE partners, development studios and affiliated software production firms. In addition to his multiple on-site visits and in-house consultancy, he has presented at numerous venues for other local IGDA chapters, GDCE, AGDC, KRI and SCE Developer Conferences.

The event will take place at O'Neill's "Irish" pub in London's Kings Cross on Wednesday, 22nd February. Entry is free of charge.

Source: Euro Gamer

PlayStation 3 Not Ready For Market

A lot of PlayStation 3 news has surfaced the past few days and the only thing we haven’t heard until today was the status of the console. According to a senior official of Japan's Sony Corp., the company has still not decided when it will begin marketing the PlayStation 3.

"We want to be completely prepared when we bring PlayStation 3 to the marketplace," Tetsuhiko Yasuda, managing director of Sony Computer Entertainment Asia said. "Our No. 1 competition is not other companies but counterfeiters. We want to work with governments to stop this."

So at this point who knows what the status of unit is in, but we will report back on any developments.

Source: Gaming Horizon

PlayStation 3 HDD Sold Separately

The product specification sheet for the Playstation 3 on the PlayStation.com official site lists a 2.5� Hard Disk Drive as the primary storage device for the highly anticipated console. However, scrolling down to the bottom of the product sheet reveals the following disclaimer, “Storage media (HDD, “Memory Stick�, SD memory card, and Compact Flash) are sold separately.� This seems to indicate that the PS3’s hard drive will not come bundled with the PlayStation 3. While Sony has yet to confirm exactly what will be included with PlayStation 3 for its Spring 2006 release, the disclaimer does not bode well for those hoping to get a hard drive included with their PS3.

Source: Gaming Horizon

click for a bigger view
original image source from Sony

PS3's online service: The HUB

More scoops for Next Gen -- they reveal some insider info about PS3's competitor to Xbox Live.

Source: PS3 Week

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A big PS3 speech scheduled for March

Sony Worldwide Studios President Phil Harrison will deliver a keynote at the Game Developers Conference in San Jose.

Source: PS3 Week

Sony exec talks PS3 and piracy

So here's the biggest news from Taipei -- a Sony Asia exec says the company will launch PS3 when it's prepared to take on piracy.

Source: PS3 Week

No PS3 gameplay in Taipei

Despite the flurry of launch news in the past couple days, the PS3 remains unplayable and behind glass. And the boomerang is back!

FULL STORY:

Just like the Consumer Electronics Show, which was held in Las Vegas in January, there was hope for the Taipei Game Show. Not as much hope, but still a glimmer or two. So much for that.

The PS3 is indeed on display at the Taiwan expo, but it's still unplayable and behind glass, the same thing we saw at CES. And the "boomerang controllers suck" crew suffered a setback -- the boomerang has returned for Taipei after its conspicuous absense from Vegas.

Sony did make a comment about releasing the PS3 "when it's ready," or some such doublespeak, but most interestingly, they claim to be taking on piracy as their biggest competitor (rather than Microsoft). We'll get to that in a bit.

Source: PS3 Week

September PS3 launch for US and Japan?

Next Generation is reporting that sources who have seen the software launch dates on paper point to a date in mid-September.

FULL STORY:

In what may be the first real break in PlayStation 3 launch news since last year's E3, when Sony scheduled the system for the now-unlikely Spring 2006, the web site Next Generation has an industry source who says the PS3 will be released in September.

This isn't official yet, but here's the basis for the speculation:

A launch games release schedule seen by our sources states a September launch. Although the schedule does not explicitly state a hardware launch date, nor a launch territory, we understand Japan and U.S will both see the machine in September.

They go on to suggest that this could mean Sept. 16 in Japan (the Saturday before a holiday), and Sept. 21 in the U.S. (a Thursday).

So, what does this all mean? nVidia, which created the PS3's graphics chip, has already said that they won't be collecting any royalties from Sony before the end of April, so that pretty much rules out a launch before then. And we've been speculating a late summer to early fall release since the PS3's no-show at CES in January, so this rumor is certainly credible. Maybe not the exact dates, but the month for sure.

We've got a few more stories on the way about the PS3's online service and other Taipei Game Show revelations, so stay tuned this afternoon.

Source: PS3 Week

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nVidia expects no PS3 cash this quarter

That means the PS3 won't launch until at least the end of financial quarter, which ends in April.

FULL STORY:

Dean Takahashi, the gaming writer at the San Jose Mercury News, scores his second gaming scoop of the week after listening in on nVidia's quarterly corporate conference call. He noticed that nVidia says they don't expect any royalties from Sony in the current financial quarter, which ends in April.

And since nVidia built the graphics chip used in the PS3, they'll collect a piece of every sale. That means the console won't launch before the end of April, anywhere.

We've also heard from Next Generation that the PS3 is scheduled for a September launch in both the U.S. and Japan, which stands to reason based on the scant evidence we have so far.

Source: PS3 Week

Exclusive: Hands-On with PlayStation 3

Kikizo presents a detailed, early account of its first-hand experience with a little known console called PS3. Is it looking like a new generational leap, or emotion engine tears? We have some answers.

Nearly twelve years since Sony entered the gaming space, PlayStation's legacy remains untouchable and its leadership barely challenged. But the industry has never seen one company stay on top this long, and a reorganised Sony is surely hoping it won't be third time unlucky for PlayStation 3.

But Sony's silence - deafening ever since the legendary unveiling at Sony Pictures Studios last May - is raising more questions every day. We haven't much of a clue when the next concrete news on PlayStation 3 will turn up - we know it has to be soon, but analysts and gamers alike are seriously beginning to question the machine's ballsy 'Spring' launch date - not to mention its potential, ever since it transpired that the better proportion of its E3 trailers were not the performance indicator we wanted to believe. And that's putting it politely.

Now, we are thrilled to provide at least some form of update for anxious gamers - a behind-the-scenes look at PlayStation 3 with a controller in our hands, leaving no doubt as to the realtime authenticity of what we see on the screen. Last month Sony shipped final development PS3 hardware to many developers - albeit a month behind the latest schedule - and Kikizo has been able to sneak in some time at not just one, but three PS3 developers in multiple territories - one very prominent, and boasting some of the strongest experience working on PlayStation 3 in the world to date.

click to enlarge

Source: Kikizo

Looks TOTALLY amazing?!? Why not get a Free Playstation 3 Pre-Order? Yup, that is correct! Stay away from the hassles of waiting in long lineups for you can get it the simple way .... straight to your doorstep! Free! Interested? Then find out how to get a Free PS3 Pre-Order now!

Finally, a PS3 hands-on report (which is unfortunately still lacking in title-specific details)

Kikizo is claiming that they've gained access to "three PS3 developers in multiple territories," which--of course--means that they can't say anything about the games in development without jeopardizing the jobs of their confidential friends. They were willing to talk about the current working state of the PS3, however, so here are a few highlights of what they had to say:

1. The hardware's close to final, but still hasn't squeezed into those empty PS3 cases yet. An alleged senior developer is quoted as saying: "I think to fit everything that Sony wants in there AND leave space for a 2.5 inch hard drive, the machine would have to grow. The models they're showing off are way too small for what they want."
2. Upgraded controller or games media? Well, "developers are designing games with the familiar DualShock 2 controls in mind," and they're "programming the game as if it will be written for a 10-speed DVD drive" (so as not to "affect load time"). The situation may change in the future, but that's the reality for these devs right now.
3. Games oughtta be more immersive thanks to the PS3's supposed ability to handle "more stuff simultaneously" as "a machine barely superior to Xbox 360." For this small system gap to widen, "...Sony will have to make available to [devs] libraries and new routines... something they've been severely lacking at so far."
4. For reference, "current playable content" looks more like Fifth Phantom Saga than Killzone or Motorstorm, but MGS4-quality graphics are looking more and more possible (which is probably a good thing), while launch titles may resemble "nice Xbox 360 material" like Dead or Alive 4 and Gears of War.

Source: JoyStiq

Sounds impressive? Why not get a Free Playstation 3 Pre-Order? Yup, that is correct! Stay away from the hassles of waiting in long lineups for you can get it the simple way .... straight to your doorstep! Free! Interested? Then find out how to get a Free PS3 Pre-Order now!

PlayStation 3 spreading itself thin?

The PlayStation 3 is being packed full of bleeding-edge, next-gen technology. It promises 1080p gaming, HD movies, TiVo functionality, iTunes-like content distribution, and an Xbox Live-killing online service. BusinessWeek is running an article titled, "This PlayStation May Play Too Much," covering the fear that, with a glut of admittedly expensive features, consumers may be intimidated by the PS3. He compares it to a similarly ambitious Sony project that met just such a fate upon its release:

"Exhibit A: the PSX. Released in Japan in 2003, it was designed to appeal to a broader audience than the hard-core gamers attracted to the PS2. It comes with a 250-gigabyte hard drive and a simple Web browser and plays games, movies, and music. But the PSX bombed as consumers were confused by the hybrid and put off by its $800-plus price tag."

There is a fear that the system may prove more popular as a multimedia device, like the PSP, resulting in a lower attach rate for games, then lower licensing income. With the expected cost of the console, that could prove disastrous. "But since the PSP also plays music and movies, fewer people are buying games designed for it. In the PS2's initial year on the market, players bought more than three games for each machine that was shipped. For the PSP, that ratio slipped to 2 to 1."

Source: JoyStiq

IBM's new servers use PS3 technology: should gamers care?

The New York Times is reporting that IBM's working on a new line of servers that use their new Cell processor for purposes other than gaming. We all knew this was coming, because IBM's been all over the media with bullish predictions about how the Cell will change computing as we know it today. It'll be paradigm shifting! Mind-blowing! Jaw dropping!

Whether these newfangled servers eventually succeed in the marketplace is almost a non-issue from our perspective here in games land. Some think that the recent spate of glowing press (check the Forbes fluff piece) is all part of a concerted marketing effort to promote the PlayStation 3. Your thoughts?

Source: JoyStiq

Sony to strut PS3 at the other TGS?

Sony is devoting one quarter of its booth space at the Taipei Game Show (the other TGS) to the PlayStation 3, according to the Chinese-language Commercial Times. It is not clear if Sony intends on displaying the unit behind glass, with nothing playable and no demos, similar to the console's appearance at CES. Considering the torrent of info unleashed from magazine scans lately, it sounds like Sony may be ready to give us more than a little peak. Heck, one quarter of their booth sounds like Sony is gonna be a little frisky.

Source: JoyStiq

Good news for PS3 launch supply

According to Warren Communications News, William Zeitler, Senior Vice President of IBM’s Systems & Technology Group, told a news conference yesterday that "yield learning" on the Cell processor that forms the core of Sony's PlayStation 3 console has been "faster than on any chip we’ve done." In English, that means that IBM is learning quickly how to produce more working Cell processors per batch of chips they cook up. This bodes well for supply of this critical component if factories contracted by Sony to produce components for the PS3 are able to crank out lots and lots of Cell processors in record time once the PS3 heads into full production.

This doesn't necessarily mean that the PS3 won't be scarce at launch, though. Consoles are made of many components. A shortage of any single component can disrupt an entire plan, as Microsoft learned during the launch of the Xbox 360. Plus, IBM's Zeitler notes that the company was able to ramp up their production of Xbox 360 parts quickly as well. What this tells us is that if the PS3 is delayed or is hard to come by, it probably won't be IBM's fault.

Source: JoyStiq

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Activision on board for PS3 & Revolution launches

Activision publishing president and CEO Michael Griffith revealed that his company is planning to be involved with both of the upcoming next-generation launches. While Griffith avoided name-dropping, he did announce that Activision would ship three PlayStation 3 launch titles and one Revolution title.

Don't get your hopes up for new IPs though. With Gun shooting blanks, Activision is likely to fall back on their bread and butter franchises (translation: Tony Hawk, et al.). It's also worth noting that Griffith's announcement specifically addressed Activision's April 2006-March 2007 schedule, which suggests that the PS3 and Revolution are still on track for late 2006 releases—early 2007 at the latest.

Source: JoyStiq

Sony's Cell: "programming nightmare" or "far less complicated"?

In a 2641-word article that is two parts hype, one part balance, Forbes Asia author Daniel Lyons writes of the promise of the cell chip that will power the PlayStation 3 console to be launched by Sony later this year. Here's a quick summary of the article.

Believe the hype? The Cell is called a "supercomputer for the living room," a "mind-boggling" performer of "2 trillion calculations per second," the kind of power that enables programmers to "create videogames that look as realistic as film." (Where have we heard that promise before?) Cell will run "at least" 10 times faster than the very fastest Intel Pentium chip and will usher in "the next microchip revolution" including "mind-blowing," "fast and seductively immersive games, virtual-reality romps, wireless downloads, real-time video chat, interactive TV shows with multiple endings and a panoply of new services yet to be dreamed up."

Source: JoyStiq

Sony To Show Off PS3 At Taiwan Game Show

According to news posted today at Digitimes, Sony is planning to reveal further details about the PlayStation 3 at the Taipei Game Show this month in Taiwan.

Second to the Toyko Game Show as the largest game expo in Asia, the Taipei Game Show attracts more than 500,000 visitors each year, and runs from February 16-20. At the rate of $2,000 per booth, Sony has taken out 80 of the displays on the show floor.

While it hasn't been confirmed, other media sources have speculated that Sony will display real-time demos of PS3 games, as well as a working prototype of their next-generation console. Stay tuned until next week, and we'll keep you updated on what Sony reveals in Taiwan.

Source: Gaming Horizion

Fight Night Round 3 Video

Electronic Arts has published a new gameplay trailer for Fight Night Round 3, this time showcasing the Ali Vs. Fraiser fight. Enjoy.

This game will be available for both the XBox 360 and the Playstation 3. It is a 1 player game, but it can be played online. It currently has no rating and neither does it have a release date.


For more screenshots and to see the trailer visit: Gaming Horizion

Sony announces Blu-ray pricing

Movies released by Sony Pictures Entertainment on the new Blu-ray DVD format will sell wholesale for between $17.95 and $23.45.

FULL STORY:

Sony announced the price structure for Blu-ray DVDs released by its movie arm, Sony Pictures Entertainment. Older movies will sell to retailers for $17.95, and new releases for $23.45. This is the price for the stores to buy them, not the price you pay -- but for comparison, it's about 15 percent more than the stores pay for DVDs. Don't worry, they'll pass that increase on to you.

Sony also announced that it'll be packaging some DVDs with a UMD version of the movie (the small discs that play on PSP). Those packages will go for $28.95, which is a good deal, since purchasing them separately could cost up to $45.

Source: PS3 Week

Developer Kuju shows off PS3 teaser

At a gaming event at Tokyo's UK Embassy, the developer shows off a trailer full of realistic bullets, blood and gore.

FULL STORY:

The game in question, called "Redwood Falls," doesn't have a publisher yet, but Kuju showed it off at a gaming event in Japan to demonstrate the realistic physics behind blowing every piece of an enemy's body off with gunfire. Gruesome? Yes. An indicator of an awesome game in development? Quite possibly.

Seriously, though, this is kind of gross. But it must have been pretty cool as far as graphics go. Here's what IGN had to say:

The clip showed what appeared to be an enemy creature being blasted with gunfire. The enemy body reacted realistically to the fire, with positional damage leaving open wounds that exposed detailed innards, right down to the bones. With enough damage, body parts started falling off. Instead of collapsing to the ground from the beating, though, the enemy's body regenerated itself, returning to original form.

The developer goes on to say that the game isn't about "destruction," but "regeneration," whatever that will eventually mean. We just hope it involves zombies.

Source: PS3 Week

Activision plans 3 games for PS3 launch

The bright spot in an otherwise underwhelming quarterly report -- we get to play more games at launch.

FULL STORY:

Activision's CEO made some big PS3 announcements in his conference call about the company's sub-par holiday earnings -- the publisher plans to release three unnamed PS3 titles at the system's launch.

This is all slated as part of the company's April 2006 - March 2007 release schedule (that's Fiscal Year 2007 for you economy gurus), and the company threw a Nintendo Revolution launch title into the mix for that time frame, too. Unfortunately it doesn't give us much insight into when Sony plans to release the PlayStation 3, but we're glad to see Activision officially on board.

And though we don't know the names of the games yet, Gamespot suggests that they'll be long-time franchise titles, since the original Gun for Xbox 360 has returned disappointing results.

Source: Game Spot

The amazing PS3 media center (if it's real)

PlayStation Magazine sends some more anonymously sourced PS3 news our way -- this time, it involves DVR and PSP.

FULL STORY:

The other day we reported on a PSM story that has been scanned onto the forums -- the first page discussed Sony's plans for a 'full-on assault' against Xbox Live. Today we get the second half of the story, complete with a healthy dose of skepticism.

PSM (if that is their real name) quotes a source close to the PS3 saying that the console will come equipped, at least in some form, with DVR (i.e., TiVo) features, and that it'll have all sorts of cool hookups to iTunes-like downloading services. On top of that, the media you collect on your PS3 will be transferrable to the PSP, which will beam things around, and so on and so forth.

Fact is, we don't really know the validity of all this, but it'd be pretty cool. Both Engadget and Ars Technica have detailed their skepticism as to the legitimacy of the source's claims (and, judging by the spelling of "Blue-ray," the validity of the mag scans themselves). We'll let you check it out for yourself, and hope for the best while preparing for the worst. See ya out there.

Source: PS3 Week

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Japanese Analysts on the PS3

Overseas analysts are predicting a slow release for the PS3, as game developers struggle to finish their games. Also, its immediate "off the bat" advantage of having Blu-Ray is predicted to be less than when the PS2 was released with a DVD drive.

While Sony still has its PS3 launch set for spring, the analysts predict that the console will come out a bit later since the console's games are behind in development. The PS3 is reportedly difficult to develop for, and while there are 71 developers currently working on 102 games, only eight titles have been announced for release in 2006, with just two slated for spring.

Daiwa's Maeda predicts the PS3 is likely to hold the top share in the next-generation console war, but he cites the lack of launch titles as one of the factors that may affect its sales in 2006. Maeda also says the PS3's Blu-ray drive isn't as strong a sales point as the PlayStation 2's DVD drive. Back in 2000, consumers were drawn to the PS2 because it was also a DVD player, eliminating the need to buy a then-expensive stand-alone player. Another point cited by Maeda is the system's price. Maeda predicts that the PS3 will be priced in the 40,000 yen range ($343) at the lowest, while Nintendo's Revolution will be 30,000 yen ($257) at its highest. He also believes that by the time the PS3 comes out, Microsoft will likely have dropped its price on the Xbox 360.

Source: Game Spot | Max PS3

More PlayStation 3 Details Revealed

The March issue of PlayStation Magazine reveals new information on Sony’s upcoming PlayStation 3. According to the article the PS3 will have an online service to rival Xbox Live, work as a DVR (Digital Video Recorder) to record television broadcasts, and will also act as a Location Free player for the PSP. This will allow PSP users with broadband internet access to watch television and movies streamed from their PS3 to their PSP anywhere in the world.

In addition to the surprising multimedia features, the PS3 will also have an online download service similar to iTunes which will allow PS3 owners to download high definition videos to their PlayStations. The article goes on to mention that several titles are already in development in the U.S. and that a North American release for the system will likely occur this fall.

The full article can be viewed in Sony’s PlayStation forums.

Source: Gaming Horizon

Sounds amazing? Do you want this Sony Playstation 3 system, but cannot afford the near $500 price? Then get a Free Playstation 3 Pre-Order? Yup, that is correct! Stay away from the hassles of waiting in long lineups for you can get it the simple way .... straight to your doorstep! Free! Interested? Then find out how to get a Free PS3 Pre-Order now!

PlayStation 3 Interface Images

I bet everybody was tired of all the fake Revolution interface screenshots that were released within the past few months. Well, today thanks to Kotaku, we now have images of what could be the first PlayStation 3 interface. Check them out below. No official word from Sony on this recent development.

Click the images below for a bigger picture...





Source: Gaming Horizon