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PlayStation Home 'not a priority right now' for Sony, most people seem to feel the same way (update: misquote)

by Paul Miller posted Nov 2nd 2009 at 12:20PM

Just earlier this month we'd been hearing word from Sony that it was seeing PlayStation Home as more of a "social game platform" than a "social network," and now we're hearing that Sony might not be seeing it as much of anything. Peter Edward, the director of Home for Sony, says that the service is "not a priority right now." Kind of at odds with his other statement that it's "proved there is a market out there and we've got a lot of people that spend a lot of time in [Home]," but we'll let is slide. So, is this a roundabout way of saying Home hasn't been as great as Sony thought it would be, or just a different way of saying the emphasis is changing? We've never minded Sony's Home efforts on their own, but in the context of an also-ran multiplayer platform, it's easy to see why the company should be focusing on other aspects of the gaming experience.

Update: Sony has gone on record saying that this statement as reported by T3 from a talk at the London Games Conference is a misquote, instead saying that Peter was talking about how monetizing Home was not as big a priority as building the platform -- which others have confirmed.

How would you change Sony's PSP Go?

by Darren Murph posted Oct 23rd 2009 at 11:36PM

Sony's PSP Go hasn't had the warmest reception of all time or anything, but does it really deserve all the negative vibes being flung its way? The UMD-less console leaked way earlier than Sony intended, but after a proper launch and you inevitably trekking out to snag one, we're curious to know whether or not you're enjoying things. Would you have kept UMD support? Would you have added more internal memory? Enlarged the screen? Offered it in neon yellow? Be sure to spill your thoughts in comments below, and you'll get a few bonus points if you're coming from the world of an original PSP. Promise!

250GB PlayStation 3 Slim coming to US November 3rd

by Ross Miller posted Oct 15th 2009 at 4:04PM

It's no Uncharted 2 bundle (hello, Europe), but US gamers will indeed be getting their own 250GB PlayStation 3 Slim bundle, due to hit stores on Novvember 3rd for $349.99, just one Ulysses S. Grant more than the 120GB model. No other difference beyond the storage capacity, and of course you can always swap out the 2.5-inch SATA drive yourself with warranty kept intact. Holding out for some limited edition artwork or PS2 compatibility? Keep on dreaming.

Sony's 250GB Uncharted 2 PlayStation 3 Slim bundle on sale in Spain

by Darren Murph posted Oct 14th 2009 at 8:44PM

See that there? That's a whole gaggle of 250GB Uncharted 2 PlayStation 3 Slim bundles ready and waiting for owners in a Spanish retailer. Of course, SCEA won't mention if this thing is ever coming to US soil, but hey, that's what importers are there for. Anyone managed to pick one up yet? Let us know in comments!

[Thanks, Alex]

Sony Ericsson Aino now Remote Playing with European PS3s

by Darren Murph posted Oct 14th 2009 at 10:41AM

We know Sony Ericsson's PS3-lovin' Aino would be hitting European shelves at some point during the month, and now Sony itself has stepped forward to confirm that the handset is on sale. We're hearing that it's selling for £399.99 ($639) sans a contract, and just in case you're wondering why you and your PlayStation 3 should care, the Aino is capable of turning your console on and off, browsing the XMB user interface, accessing DRM-free content on the HDD, shopping for items in the PS3 Store and watching live TV via PlayTV. Hit up the read link for all the nitty-gritty, and be sure to hit your British friend up if you're stuck yearning here in the States.

[Via Joystiq]

PSP Go Rewards program hitting DRM-laced brick wall

by Darren Murph posted Oct 8th 2009 at 9:50PM

Needless to say, none of this applies to the Americans in attendance, but for international PSP Go buyers looking forward to taking advantage of Sony's PSP Go Rewards program, the always user-friendly DRM seems to be putting a solid kink in those enjoyment plans. According to a growing number of users at the official European PlayStation boards, an error by the name of 80109D53 is causing downloaded titles to not play back on the new handhelds. We're told that Sony is aware of the issue and is toiling away in an effort to fix things, but for now, it seems as if you can sidestep some of the risk by downloading your trio of free titles (which Sony offers if you're an existing UMD owner) directly to the PSP Go rather than sideloading 'em from a PS3. Any others having this issue? Figured out a solution? Shoot your mouth off in comments below.

[Thanks, James]

PSP Go already discounted in the UK

by Nilay Patel posted Oct 5th 2009 at 4:16PM

Oop. So much for the PSP Go's premium "aspirational" pricing -- several UK retailers have already discounted Sony's newest handheld to £199 ($319) after launch weekend. That's not a massive drop from the £224 ($358) MSRP, but it's still pretty notable, especially considering the PSP-3000 has an MSRP of £139 ($221). No wonder Sony thinks the Go will drive PSP-3000 purchases -- too bad it couldn't figure out a way to make the Go interesting enough to sell itself.

Sony's PlayStation Motion Controller now codenamed Sphere?

by Donald Melanson posted Oct 5th 2009 at 1:45PM

Sony may still have officially been using the less-than-imaginative "Motion Controller" name for its, um, motion controller at the Tokyo Game Show last month, but it looks like some developers working with the technology weren't sticking as close to the script, and may have revealed the project's proper codename. As Joystiq notes, Sega producer Yasuhito Baba referred to the device as "Sphere" during an interview at the show, and Polyphony Digital's Kazunori Yamauchi also seemed to respond to the "Sphere" name without missing a beat when asked if Gran Turismo would support the peripheral. So, certainly less of a mouthful, and not exactly the worst of names if true -- in fact, it's such a good codename that none other than Microsoft has already adopted it for one of its projects.

Sony says Nazi PS3 ad is a "mock campaign" and not real

by Nilay Patel posted Oct 1st 2009 at 1:31PM

We can't say this was unexpected, but Sony just pinged us to say that that Nazi PS3 ad is "totally fake" and was made without their approval -- here's the statement from the executive president of BBDO Chile, which made the ads:

This creative design did not involve and was never approved by Sony Computer Entertainment or Sony. This "mock campaign" was developed by BBDO Chile staff and was submitted to various creative competitions/festivals without prior notification or approval from SCE/Sony, and it is not representative of the views or advertising policies of SCE/Sony. BBDO Chile apologizes for using this creative concept without authorization or prior approval, and for its misrepresentation of the PlayStation brand and its values.

Settles that, we suppose -- although we're guessing BBDO Chile isn't going to be Sony's agency of record very much longer.

Sony thinks its "aspirational" PSP Go might encourage an uptick in PSP-3000 purchases

by Paul Miller posted Sep 30th 2009 at 4:43PM

We've heard plenty of arguments for high priced products before -- many of them from Sony, oddly enough -- but this has to one of the odder ones. Sony UK's Claire Blackhouse says that Sony was actually expecting a greater backlash from retailers than it got in regards to the PSP Go, and that many retailers are seeing the new launch as a way to get consumers into stores, at which point they'll realize they're too poor for a PSP Go and might end walking out with a PSP-3000 instead. Sadly, the logic sounds pretty sound, though Claire's own suggestions that some families might get a PSP Go for dad and PSP 3000s for the kids seems a little fantastical -- kinda hard for dad to rock those Hannah Montana UMDs, yeah Sony?

[Via Joystiq]

PSP Go review

by Ross Miller posted Sep 28th 2009 at 9:00AM

At last, Sony's other worst-kept secret, the UMD-less PSP Go, is working its way through retail channels this week. The device itself is a marked improvement, but of course that's not the whole story. In many ways antithetical to the hype surrounding the PlayStation 3 Slim, the debut of the Go has been marred by some pretty downtrodden decisions on Sony's part, most notably the $250 price tag, an utter lack of compatibility with any previous PSP accessories, and no UMD conversion program. Will newcomers flock to the system? Will veterans upgrade? Read on for our full impressions!

Gallery: PSP Go vs. PSP-2000... fight!

Continue reading PSP Go review

Video: a brief history of game console teardowns

by Ross Miller posted Sep 25th 2009 at 7:42AM

Granted, none of these are teardowns we haven't already seen ad nauseam, but seeing every Sony and Microsoft console ripped to shreds and placed side-to-side in a series of glass cases is still a sight to behold. Peruse the display yourself, found at Tokyo Game Show and shown courtesy of the Museum of GAME Science, in a video tour after the break.

Continue reading Video: a brief history of game console teardowns

13 PS3 motion control games confirmed for next year, motion-enhanced Biohazard 5 coming Spring 2010

by Ross Miller posted Sep 24th 2009 at 1:23AM

Sure, the company's Tokyo Game Show keynote was a bit of a bore, but in a second press conference for Japanese media, Sony did what it could to make up for it by revealing Biohazard 5: Alternative Edition, the first PS3 title we've heard of to support the new motion controllers -- and better still, it's due out Spring 2010. Also confirmed is the existence of 13 first-party titles with motion support coming at some point next year, including Pain, EyePet and Flower. Both Biohazard 5 (known in the US as Resident Evil 5) and a LittleBigPlanet tech demo were shown on stage, and pics from the announcement are being uploaded now, so stay tuned!

Update: Some new details of the LittleBigPlanet motion control demo from our friend Ittousai of Engadget Japan. In the presentation, one player was playing the normal way via DualShock while a second person was "assisting" by means of the motion control.

Gallery: LittleBigPlanet motion control tech demo

PS3 Motion Controller confirmed for next spring, finally ready for its close-ups

by Paul Miller posted Sep 23rd 2009 at 9:55PM

We've heard plenty about Sony's PS3 Motion Controller, but we hadn't actually seen a press shot of it until now. Looks pretty PlayStation-ey, wouldn't you say? Sony has also confirmed that spring 2010 is the launch window (with those rumors of a March date in Japan floating around). It can't come soon enough! At the TGS announcement Kaz Hirai reiterated that the controller will meet the "stringent" requirements of hardcore gamers -- which is always a comfort, no matter how much of that gamer-pleasing will have to come from the actual games themselves. Hit up the read link for Joystiq's live coverage of the Sony keynote from TGS!

Update: Press release!

Gallery: PS3 Motion Controller finally ready for its close-ups

Continue reading PS3 Motion Controller confirmed for next spring, finally ready for its close-ups

250GB PS3 bundles aplenty headed to Europe?

by Donald Melanson posted Sep 21st 2009 at 3:51PM

Well, Sony may still be denying any plans of a 250GB PS3 bundle for the US, but it looks like the rumors just keep on cropping up in Europe, and this latest one is quite the doozy. According to Joystiq, that all too familiar inventory screen above comes from a purported Norwegian GameStop employee, and quite clearly reveals no less than five different 250GB PS3 bundles, including your choice of Ratchet & Clank, Assassin's Creed 2, FIFA 10, Need for Speed: Shift, or Uncharted 2 for a game. Prices are reportedly the same for each (a 500 kr, or $85 increase over the standard 120GB model), although there's unfortunately no release dates given for any of 'em. Of course, there is a confirmed date for the Tokyo Game Show, which would seem like a prime opportunity for them to get official, if they are indeed the real deal.