Peter vrabel

PlayStation By Peter vrabel

SCEA teams up with ESPN for X Games 13

For the upcoming X Games 13 event in Los Angeles in August, SCEA announced its "renewed sponsorship" for the global action sport competition. Lets hope the competitors aren't superstitious, eh? Like the last 8 years of Sony's sponsorship, this year's event will be highlighted with the presence of Sony, but this time in a new truck-like package. The gargantuan PlayStation Experience truck will allow players to get an up-close and personal hands-on with the latest software for the PS3, PS2 and PSP. A 52-inch LCD HDTV will be displaying your hands-on skills in games like Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction, Folklore, MotorStorm, Singstar Pop and even Parappa the Rapper. Leather chairs will ensure style and comfort while players game away. The absence of heavier and more violent content is a purposeful move to merge the event (oddly enough) with Sony's softer, more kid-friendly side. "As the X Games and PlayStation appeal to the younger audiences, we couldn't be happier with this partnership and look forward to future events with them," says Rick Alessandri, Managing Director of the X Games franchise. The X Games 13 event will take place August 2-5 at both The Home Depot Center and the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA.

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PlayStation By Peter vrabel

Sony president says no more PS3 price cuts for the US

In a recent Reuters interview, Sony president Ryoji Chubachi said, "we've announced the price cut in the US and have no additional plans beyond that at this time." Um, okay. They DID just announce the PS3 price cut two weeks ago. Dropping the price again so soon would be quite silly (at least, from a business standpoint). Or, and this is just a crazy theory of ours, maybe he is pre-announcing another price cut, by way of saying there isn't one, when it's already planned, right around the upcoming holiday season. Stranger things have happened, but looking back at all the price cut denials before the announcement of the $100 price cut before E3 certainly makes it seem all the more plausible.[Via GamesDigest]

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PlayStation By Peter vrabel

No exclusive content for PS3 GTA IV, says Rockstar

In the "news that blows" category, a Rockstar spokesperson confirmed the absence of any exclusive content for the PS3 edition of GTA IV. In speaking with Games Radar, Rockstar spokesperson Hosi Simon claimed that if gamers want the "complete experience with the episodes" that they would be best served by the Xbox 360 version, because the PS3 edition will not have any exclusive content to call their own. We're betting Sony's Phil Harrison was on the cusp of telling fans something quite tasty awhile back, so we shouldn't be surprised if a reverse announcement comes out down the road. Seriously, in light of past exclusives falling by the wayside, it would be hard to believe anything is sacred in one camp alone.[Via Pro-G]

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News

News By Peter vrabel

Target will sell standalone Blu-ray player, but not HD-DVD

Beginning in October, savvy Target shoppers looking to jump onto the Blu-ray bandwagon can join the party with a standalone Blu-ray player. The Sony BDP-S300 Blu-ray player will be offered in addition to the PS3, providing consumers with a decision for their Blu-Ray movie watching. With another "tug" in the HD tug-of-war, Blu-ray gets a bonus as being alone on the shelving space for standalone players. Target has yet to announce plans to begin offering HD-DVD standalone players (not counting the already offered Xbox 360 add-on drive). As far as retail space for HD discs, Target has still confirmed they will continue to sell both Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs, alongside the standard DVD movies.[Via Engadget]

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PlayStation By Peter vrabel

EMotion FX 3.5 character animation SDK now available for PS3

It looks like programming for complex real-time character animations just got a little easier, thanks to Mystic Game Development's EMotion FX 3.5 SDK release for the PS3. MysticGD's website shows a laundry list of current clients using EMotion FX, such as Sigil Games Online, Mythic and Piranha Bytes. The specs on the newest release are quite technical but a few highlights include "tight integration with 3D Studio Max and Maya," with "high quality automatic lip-sync generation" and "multiprocessor and multicore support." John van der Burg, Development Director at MysticGD says clients have been, "wanting next-generation performance, memory efficiency and cross-platform support, as well as clear focus on reducing the artist effort required to deliver high-quality next-gen character content in their games." New toolsets are certainly a welcome addition for PS3 programmers. Anything that makes their job easier and allows us full-on visual eye candy is a good thing, right? Lets hope this leads to exciting breakthroughs for those sometimes complicated port jobs.

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Gaming By Peter vrabel

Cross-platform support still up in the air for The Agency

While it hasn't been completely ruled out at this point, SOE hasn't made a decision on whether to make The Agency cross-platform compatible between the PS3 and it's distant cousin, the PC. Lead designer Hal Milton said, "we're evaluating cross-platform support" and then completely closed the topic with the declarative "we're not prepared to make a statement at this time." The Agency isn't the only game set to release on PS3 and PC without the confirmation of dual-platform support between the two. Seeing as how we're breaching a new frontier here, we are beginning to wonder if PS3 gamers can, or even want to live a happy co-existence with their PC brethren. Although critically flawed, Shadowrun seemed to offer a pleasurable cross-platform experience between the PC and the Xbox 360. What do you think? Can SOE pull it off with The Agency? %Gallery-3823%

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PlayStation By Peter vrabel

Stick-figures get their hero in Echochrome

Enter Echochrome, one of the most interesting and engaging new titles popping up at this year's E3. "Least graphics, most game play is their angle," said Sony's Phil Harrison, as he introduced Echochrome in the midst of Sony's E3 keynote. In addition to our earlier description as, "Jenga blocks, plus stick figure man plus acid," game play seemingly bears a distant resemblance to games like Crush (PSP) and the upcoming PC release Portal. Echochrome looks like it will have players assembling the game world to steer the stick-figure hero to his end goal. An orchestral score keeps an ambient atmosphere, which should help for those ultra-tricky sections that will be sure to induce cold sweats. Ah, the intense pleasures of a great puzzler. Echochrome certainly looks promising and the fact it will arrive on both UMD for the PSP and the PlayStation Store as one of the "more than 80 first-party games available" makes it all the more desirable.

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Gaming By Peter vrabel

Oblivion gets a Game of the Year release, this fall

Like all good things that sell over 1.7 million copies in one month, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is getting a "Game of the Year" edition. This one will hit the PC and all consoles (sans the Nintendo Wii) for a simultaneous release this fall. Just like the PS3 version you can buy in stores now, this "Game of the Year" edition will include the Knights of the Nine expansion. In addition, Bethesda's decided to now include the previously unavailable The Shivering Isles expansion. Thank goodness. We were beginning to wonder if Bethesda actually had any plans to make this one available over the PlayStation Network as previously suggested, being that recent news on that front had gone cold. The PS3 release of Oblivion came a lot later than its Xbox 360 counterpart, but thankfully, stands as a testament to the PS3's capabilities with improved frame rate, faster loading times and greater draw distance. This version will also be compatible with previous game saves, allowing players to pop the "Game of the Year" disc in and continue their questing right where they left off. Pricing details haven't yet been released for this "Game of the Year" edition, but we speculate if the $59.99 price tag doesn't hold, $69.99 sounds about right. Time will tell. So in case you've been living in a cave with your PS3 and haven't yet experienced the gaming bliss of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion or any of its two expansion packs, you can't do any better than picking up the "Game of the Year" edition this fall.

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PlayStation By Peter vrabel

PS3 European launch helped sell over 180,000 Blu-ray movies

The HD war over real estate in your living room just hit a new milestone with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's recent claim of just how successful the European launch of the PS3 was. Citing a 1000% increase in Blu-ray movie sales since the European launch of the PS3 in March, the boys (and girls) in the Sony camp are certainly smiling. Sony Pictures also mentioned sales of their movies account for 50% of all Blu-ray movies sold in Europe, thanks in large part to the permeation of their strongest release to date, Casino Royale. Other top-selling HD discs include The Departed, which previously enjoyed the top-selling Blu-ray movie slot prior to Casino Royale's runaway truck-like sales growth, and the fantastic BBC documentary Planet Earth. Both highly recommended, no matter what side of the HD fence you happen to fall on.

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Pursuit Force designer promises "the whole cow" for meatier PSP sequel

Designers say the darnest things sometimes. Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice lead designer for Chris Whiteside recently sat down for an interview with IGN and immediately responded to past forum suggestions and direct pleas for more content in the sequel. According to Chris, "many people commented on forums that they wished there was a little more 'meat on the bone', and with Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice you get the whole cow." No kidding. For the second go-round, the team of developers decided to sit down for a fireside chat with Hollywood script writers to encapsulate that "blockbuster-type feel" and from the sounds of it, it worked. The extra content includes Pursuit Force "recruits" that will have "their own behaviors and characteristics" of which to help the player progress. The game will also feature a new "Boss" feature, in which the boss battles seem more of a stage on their own, taking the player "onto huge vehicles and navigating huge hazards to reach your opponent." Lets see. 24 new weapons (including our all-time favorite in just about any game, the flamethrower), assault rifles, rocket launchers, 54 drivable (and more responsive) vehicles, control sentry guns, hovercrafts, 4-player ad hoc wireless, story mode with purchasable content, three difficulty settings and more ... the whole cow, no kidding. Look for more on Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice as we near its September release. %Gallery-3216%

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Gaming By Peter vrabel

Tomb Raider Anniversary looking less chunky in new screens

A fresh batch of screen shots from Lara Croft's upcoming Tomb Raider Anniversary go-round on the PSP shows a prettier and less "chunkier" Tomb Raider than Legend was, though at this point we're more curious as to how it plays. Last year's Tomb Raider Legend turned out pretty decent, but frame rate issues, chunky textures and clunky controls hurt the overall reception of the title. Feast your eyes on the recent released screenshots of the PSP-bound title and let us know if this reiteration is still on your radar. Despite the slight delay from its original June release, Tomb Raider Anniversary is still on the agenda for a late July arrival. Lets hope the extra time spent on its development results in a classier and smoother ride. %Gallery-4525%

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PlayStation By Peter vrabel

Store managers detail PS3 failure rate at less than 1%

The inquisitive folks over at Ripten decided to do a little research on the failure rate of current next-gen consoles. Their conclusions should come as no surprise, with the PS3 resulting in a low failure rate. What is surprising however, is the failure rate for one console in particular appears to be higher than previously anticipated. An EB Games associate singled out the Xbox 360 console by advising "failure rates for all other consoles were not high enough for EB to consider revising their policies" further claiming the failure rate of the Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii to be "less than one percent." An EB Games manager reiterated the low failure rates of the Nintendo Wii by exclaiming that "zero [consoles] have come back defective." A Best Buy manager then went on record saying "a quarter to a third" Xbox 360 consoles sold, come back defective, confirming the 33% failure rate percentage. The methods used to determine failure rates for these consoles appear to be too elementary to really prove anything concrete. Nevertheless, this story allows us to breathe a little bit easier, as it continues to prove our console of choice can still fold like a champ and have a longer lifespan than that of its direct competition.[Via digg]

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Reviews

Reviews By Peter vrabel

PS3 Fanboy review: Rainbow Six: Vegas

After much delay, PS3 owners are finally able to taste the dish Ubisoft first baked for Xbox 360 owners back in mid-November. Has the extra six months in the Ubi incubator, provided PS3 gamers with a far superior version? Does the PS3 version blow its Xbox cousin out of the water? Does the PS3 rendition give you superhuman powers?Rainbow Six: Vegas weaves an interesting-enough plotline, centering around southern boy Logan Keller, a recent rising star amongst the ranks of the Rainbow team and whose face you'll become intimately familiar with as you duck him behind crates or crane his neck around doorways to spot and eliminate bad guys. One of our hero's first missions starts the Rainbow team off in Mexico, where you're being sent to eliminate a terrorist threat led by international terrorist Irena Morales. The game's plot is riddled with conspiracy-a-plenty, taking twists and turns while leading the Rainbow team to locales like Mexico, Vegas (of course) and later, an expansive hydroelectric dam.

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Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution coming to PSP

Not to be left out of the Civ lovin', the PSP is getting a Civ fix in the form of the brand new rendition, Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution. The official press release is a bit loose on exactly which handhelds will be getting this title, saying only that Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution will be coming to "next gen consoles and handhelds." We think we can safely assume a Nintendo DS version will be dropping in tune with the Sony PSP's release but hey, why get the Nintendo version? (wink, wink). The game is said to have "extensive multiplayer capabilities" with "integrated video and voice chat." Voice chat on the PSP? Maybe not, but at least having "extensive multiplayer capabilities" and "downloadable content" should prove a worthwhile venture on the PSP, especially for Civ gamers on the go. 16 civilizations are making the grade here, with Sid Meier himself in the hotseat as lead designer. Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution is set for a Spring 2008 release, so we imagine it won't be much longer before we can share some screen shots. Stay tuned.[Via Joystiq]

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Gaming By Peter vrabel

Scans of early-build Fallout 3 show much promise

Finnish magazines get all the love. Well, at least when it comes to recent press on Fallout 3. Finnish magazine Pelaaja grabbed a few scans of the game in progress and we must say, it seems to be coming in line nicely, following details already laid out by Bethesda. These scans look great, even if they are a little blurry (likely due to the fact they are scans and not pure screen shots of the game in progress). The character models appear to be fleshed out with texture-a-plenty and we'll bet the lighting will hold similar Oblivion-like bloom effects upon the game's release. The Fallout franchise certainly has its fair share of rabid fans, so it was extremely important that Bethesda carry the torch with gloved hands, as to not disrupt or crack the foundation already set in place. Without a preview of the game, it's far too early to tell if the plot will hold firm on the foundation set by former developer Black Isle, but the scans show mighty promise. The colors are fairly drab and muted, kept to a palette rich in silver and brown (perfect for a post-apocolyptic setting such as this). Also, the scans confirm Bethesda's previous confirmation of using a modified Oblivion engine and keeping the 1st and 3rd person perspective for RPG narrative. We've put all four scans into a gallery and will be updating with more scans and screen shots as they come in. Fallout 3 is quite a ways off, scheduled for release in Fall of 2008.

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PlayStation By Peter vrabel

Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution is coming to PS3 [Update]

2K Games, courtesy of Take-Two Interactive, dropped a Civ bomb today, announcing their publishing deal for Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution for both PS3 and Xbox 360. As of yet, no announced plans for a PC release. That's because consoles rule and PC's drool. (/Humor) In all seriousness, this endeavor should pose quite a challenge, as the console audience is vastly different in control and appeal (especially considering the plethora of trigger-happy preteens from FPS overload). This marks the first time Sid Meier actually has a hand in producing a Civilization console release, which we hope will bear significance on its quality and polish. Sixteen civilizations will be available for player control with real-time interaction with leaders and advisors, packed with "extensive multiplayer capabilities" featuring "integrated video and voice chat." No screenshots as of yet, but that should change as the sands of time bear down on us. According to Sid Meier, "Civilization Revolution is the game I've always wanted to make! We are excited to take advantage of the power of next generation consoles and the ingenuity of handhelds, to create a great and unique strategy game for newcomers to the series, as well as the millions of fans around the world who enjoy Civilization on the PC." We guess he wasn't kidding when he professed his love for Sony. Welcome to the party, Sid. Glad you came aboard.[Via Joystiq][Update: Added the newly-released trailer, embedded for your enjoyment.]

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Gaming By Peter vrabel

Where is Rainbow Six: Vegas?

Online retailers are either still showing the release date as June 26th, which was previously expected, or delayed until Thursday, Friday or even Saturday. According to Gamestop's website, the game "usually ships within 24 hours," which generally points to the game being in stock at many stores. However, our local Gamestop in central New York says Rainbow Six: Vegas for PS3 won't be in stores until June 30th, at the earliest. Message boards across this crazy worldwide web are lighting up with tales of Gamestop employees reiterating similar tales, that the shipping date shows June 29th with expected in-store availability for June 30th.How about other retailers? Best Buy online shows the game coming in tomorrow (June 27th). As is par for the course, their in-store clerks can only confirm its current absence in store shelves, without any further idea as to when the game will come in. Mega-retailer Amazon doesn't fare much better, showing its release date as June 26th with an 11-13 day shipping time frame. Yeesh. Sans an Ubisoft developer connection, it doesn't appear likely that gamers will be able to experience the PS3 reiteration of Rainbow Six: Vegas until later this week. Weekend releases are practically unheard of, but we at least hope this one proves true. Waiting another full week for some hot online Rainbow action? Too much. Now where's that copy of The Darkness ... Thanks to all who sent this in.

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The Bourne Conspiracy snipes a PS3 release [Update]

Yes folks, another tie-in. The Bourne Ultimatum is coming to theaters this summer while a different, next-gen offering The Bourne Conspiracy, hits PS3 and Xbox 360 next year in 2008. The game is tailoring its plot around Jason Bourne's identity, borrowing heavily from source materials of ... The Bourne Identity. We don't fully understand why Ludlum Entertainment doesn't just call the game The Bourne Identity, other than perhaps to induce confusion amongst the franchise titles. Considering the first film already has a well-established fan base, it would seem starting the game franchise at the base level and allowing sequels to follow the film release time line would make more sense. But hey, we don't make games, we just play 'em. What do we know? Fans of The Bourne Identity novel and film reiteration will also notice new story elements added to the game. For example, the game will include the pivotal moment when Jason Bourne first learns his identity and the discovery of the overabundant cans of whoopin' he has at his disposal. No release date yet, but expect to hear more on this after The Bourne Ultimatum's release this summer and subsequent (and highly likely) DVD release.[Update: The Bourne Ultimatum is coming to theaters this summer. The Bourne Conspiracy is the game title only, of which there has yet to be a film reiteration. Corrections made to the post clarifying this. Thanks, The Sh0wstopper & Jon K]

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Gaming By Peter vrabel

Dev for SEGA Rally Revo calls PS3 and Xbox 360 "equal"

Add yet another console comparison to the pile. This time around, the flame bait can't really be cast either way. SEGA Racing Studio boss Guy Wilday came out calling both consoles equal on development opportunities. SEGA Rally, an arcade favorite since 1995, is making its way to both the Xbox 360 and the PS3 in a title appropriately called, SEGA Rally Revo (gallery below). According to Guy Wilday, both games look fairly identical when comparing graphics, saying "you're really hard pushed to tell the difference." In sync with earlier confirmations made on the PS3 development, he stated, "the learning curve is steeper in that you have to do certain things to get the most out of the platform." It may come as a shock to some developers, but this appears to be concise proof that simultaneous development for both platforms can prove successful with identical results. Now lets get to the good stuff and make that PS3 really shine. SEGA Rally Revo makes its way to PS3, Xbox 360 and PC platforms this September.%Gallery-3246%

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Sir Howard proclaims with PS3's help, Sony "is on a comeback"

The always cheery Sir Howard Stringer awoke from his six-month hibernation tossed a few nuggets of positivity to investors at the annual shareholders meeting in Tokyo. First, he announced the company is on the road to recovery and held the PS3 in high regard as "vital" for a successful Sony future. Pronouncing that "production problems have been solved" he went on to ease investors likely nervous from the last earnings report by reassuring them of the cyclical nature of console profits. "We always lost money in the hardware, initially and recover that money gradually," he said. And in downplaying his non-Japanese citizenship, he beat his chest and exclaimed, "I am not a foreigner. I am a warrior." Uh-huh. Perhaps if he wore a headdress and performed a tribal dance, his warrior statement would've been more compelling instead of just ... silly.

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Gaming By Peter vrabel

New Call of Duty 4 trailer astounds in a non-WWII kind of way

We have to admit we weren't really excited at the last Call of Duty reiteration, Call of Duty 3. A fine game, to be sure, but we couldn't overcome the been-there done-that feeling. Then the announcement and subsequent first peek at Call of Duty 4 in action, which did more than generate a frenzy of renewed interest. We had long since grown tired of WWII shooters and now, the leader of WWII shooters was going all modern. We took a peek at the latest trailer and literally, were blown away. The lighting on your fellow solders, the smoke entrails from heat-seeking rockets, the spinning and exploding helicopter: jack the sound up as you watch and you may find yourself sharing similar "OMFG" sentiments. Call of Duty 4 is reported to be on track for an Xbox 360, PS3 and PC release, sometime this fall and it's definitely on our "must buy" list now. How about yours?

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Rumor: Paris airport gets some serious PS2 and PS3 lovin'

All Paris PS3 fans would be wise to book all future flights out of Charles de Gaulle International Airport. According to a translated story off PS3 site Playfrance, on June 27th, 14 PS3 consoles will be connected individually to Sony Bravia 1080p HDTV sets in the "Galerie Parisienne" terminal. A slightly easier-to-read translation mentions the stations will be spread amongst "three comfortable" sections and "able to accommodate up to 28 players simultaneously." On an even harder to swallow note, "80 PS2 consoles" were deployed in the same airport, in order to allow a new generation of potential gamers to "discover the new plays of PlayStation 2." Wait, 80 PS2 consoles already deployed, and now 18 PS3's connected to 1080p Bravia HDTV's? Hmm ... something sounds awfully fishy about this. Until we can confirm it with more reliable sources, we're labeling this as "rumor." Although not the first case of gaming in airports, if it proves to be true it would certainly make flight delays a whole lot more enjoyable. By chance, would any of our French readers happen to be on their way to the Charles de Gaulle airport? Screenshots, or it never happened![Via PS3 Forums]

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News

News By Peter vrabel

Has Blu-ray won the HD war? Panasonic exec thinks so

Joseph Taylor, the executive VP/COO of Panasonic Corporation of North America, spoke a bit more profoundly on his predictions over the ongoing HD format war. Profoundly as in, "I'm giving a very politically incorrect answer. I think the battle is over. I think Blu-ray has won." Strong words indeed, but considering Blockbuster's large announcement earlier this week and growing exclusive support from home video libraries, it would certainly seem his prediction has merit. Mr. Taylor gives basis for his claim on two key points. One, the number of content providers on the Blu-ray front (sans Universal) and two, the number of Blu-ray units sold compared to HD-DVD, citing a 2-1 ratio. Other reports may suggest the fight may be closer than that, but we can't say we don't prefer one format over another. Bring on the Blu-ray![Via PS3 Forums]

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Canadians get a crack at a red PS3

Want to be the coolest Canadian on your block? Better head on over to the Canadian PlayStation site and register to win your very own Adrian Anz designed, red PS3 T-shirt! We should also mention that t-shirt comes with a PS3 console. No worries, it's a 60GB version and similar in every way to the shiny, black obelisk-looking ones you can buy in retail stores. Except it's red ... "china red" to be exact, with "wine red" tinted clear coat. Red-a-licious. Head to their website for additional information. We're already in the process of telling all our Canadian friends about this sweet contest. Since only three of these bad boys will be given away, all Canadian gamers ought to not delay further and head over to enter. [Via PS3 Forums]

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PlayStation By Peter vrabel

Ubisoft CEO says the PS3 launch price was "right"

CEO's can sometimes say the darndest things. The always outspoken CEO of Ubisoft, Yves Guillemot, spoke with Gamesindustry.biz about the cost of the PS3, which clearly differed from his earlier views. Speaking about Sony directly, he says, " [they] sold a machine that is actually expensive to build at the right price for consumers. It's just that if we want more consumers, we'll have to have a price that will make more people come in." Well Sony has at least one CEO in their corner in mild agreement about the launch price of the PS3, except it just further exemplifies a growing demand for a price cut now. The interviewer inquired about the possibility of a price cut before the all-important holiday season, to which Guillemot of course, agreed would be nice. "For publishers, we want as many machines sold as possible, so for us the lower the price the better," he says. Previously, analysts have estimated a PS3 price cut could already be on the way. Time will tell.[Via Joystiq]

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