SCE
Latest
Tesla's Powerpacks are now lighting up California's grid
"Batteries are boring when they are successful." That's Tesla Chief Technology Officer JB Straubel, speaking on Monday to an audience of reporters, employees and government officials sitting in the middle of the new 20-megawatt Mira Loma energy storage station in Ontario, California. Behind him, row upon row of Tesla Powerpacks and industrial inverters filled the fenced-in 1.5-acre lot. Those gleaming white battery boxes, though boring looking, are capable of powering up to 15,000 homes for four hours during peak times, or roughly 2,500 homes for an entire day. This is an important development indeed, because it means utilities won't have to fire up fossil fuel-powered stations to fill the energy gaps.
Sony closes 'Driveclub' creator Evolution Studios
You likely saw this coming, but it's still sad to say: Sony has confirmed that it's closing Evolution Studios, the developer behind both the MotorStorm series and the troubled Driveclub. The tech giant isn't saying exactly what prompted the closure (we've published its full statement below). However, it tells us that the shutdown followed reviews of "short and medium term" plans, and that it's devoting attention to studios that will be in a "stronger position going forward." In essence, it didn't see Evolution's work leading to a bona fide hit in the near future.
PlayStation Vue is a cloud-powered broadcast TV service that launches in early 2015
If you thought cramming a PlayStation into your TV with the cloud-based PS Now was crazy, Sony's now trying to do, well, the exact opposite, bringing broadcast TV (and a bigger dose of on-demand content) to the PS4, PS3 and, at a later date, even the iPad. Oh good, another subscription service, you might already be thinking. However, Sony has already signed up some major networks and players (Fox, CBS, Viacom and ABC, for starters) and a no-contract setup: you'll pay month by month -- like how you pay for Netflix. The tie-ups will also include the ability to record programs, as well as play selected on-demand content. More device support for both Sony and non-Sony hardware is set to roll out to the service in the future, although there's no specifics just yet on what that'll include -- likewise, pricing remains a mystery. Beta testers will see around 75 channels of content, including local networks, when tests start later this month, although there's one proviso: they have to live in NYC, before it rolls out to Chicago, Philadelphia and LA. For the rest of us, the entire service is set to go live in early 2015.
California's giant battery test is a step towards clean energy
One of the biggest challenges of switching to clean energy sources is finding a place to store excess power. That's relatively easy on a small scale, but it's much more daunting for your utility company. Southern California Edison is apparently ready to take on that challenge, however. It just launched the Tehachapi Energy Storage Project, a large-scale experiment in using lithium-ion batteries (608,832 of them, to be exact) to preserve unused electricity. For the next two years, the 32 megawatt-hours array will scoop up leftover energy from nearby sources, including a wind turbine area; SCE will be watching closely to see how the lithium-ion packs improve its grid's real world performance.
PlayStation at E3 2014: an interview with Worldwide Studios head Shuhei Yoshida
Sony Computer Entertainment's Shuhei Yoshida wants his company's new game-streaming service, PlayStation Now, to be the Netflix of gaming. When it launches later this summer, it won't be. In fact, it's launching in open beta. "We have to walk before we run," Yoshida told us in an interview this week at E3, the game industry's big annual show in Los Angeles. He sees the service as a long-term plan, part of Sony's ongoing initiative to bring PlayStation games to many devices. And that plan is just kicking off.
Sony eases PS4 indie development with new publishing tools
As if Sony's support of independent developers hasn't been apparent enough, the console manufacturer will make it easier for indies to bring their games to Sony's platforms. The company announced partnerships today to offer PS4 exporting tools for game development software GameMaker: Studio and MonoGame for free to licensed Sony Computer Entertainment developers. Sony also made "fully-integrated solutions" for PS3 and Vita available for Unity users, with an early access PS4 version arriving on Unity in April. Lastly, the company opted to offer its Authoring Tools Framework as a free, open source download available on GitHub. SCE uses the framework to help craft games like The Last of Us and Beyond: Two Souls. Created by Yo Yo Games, GameMaker was used to create games such as Hyper Light Drifter, Risk of Rain and Nuclear Throne. Conversely, MonoGame is the backbone of games like TowerFall: Ascension, Mercenary Kings and Transistor. One GameMaker-developed game is Savant Ascent, which Yo Yo Games named as its favorite game of 2013 for the development platform. The stylistic shooter was announced for PS4 this morning following its debut on PC, Mac, iOS and Android in December. [Image: Matt Makes Games]
Here's the retail packaging for PlayStation 4 and its many accessories
You probably could've guessed, but the retail box for the PlayStation 4 rocks the same blue and white color scheme Sony's been employing for some time now. That box and the packaging for the DualShock 4, its charger, the PlayStation 4 Eye, and the console's vertical stand (yes, seriously) were all revealed on PlayStation Europe community manager Chris Owen's Twitter account earlier today, and they all look like pieces of one big family. A handful of DualShock 4 flavors are on display, from classic black to "Wave Blue" and "Magma Red," and everything looks just about how we'd expect given the last eight months of introducing the PS4. The only bizarre standout -- the vertical stand -- is, well, it's a silly hunk of plastic that keeps the PlayStation 4 vertical. We've got high hopes that 3D printing enthusiasts the world over will print more creative (and less costly) versions for us to use.
Sony tried including PlayStation 4 Eye camera at $399, may include in future bundles
The $100 difference between the Xbox One's $500 launch price and the PlayStation 4's $400 launch price comes down to Sony's PlayStation 4 Eye: the motion and voice-sensing peripheral that acts very much like Microsoft's Kinect. Apparently Sony intended on including the Eye with its PS4 at launch this November, but word came from on high at Sony Computer Entertainment that the console needed to keep its $400 asking price and not lose "too much" in the process (the console, at $400, is being sold at a loss). SCE president and group CEO Andrew House doesn't see the Eye's exclusion as an issue for PlayStation, though, as he told Business Spectator, "the vast majority of the audience that we speak to tells us that their primary wish is for the full controller interface and there's not necessarily a huge emphasis being placed on camera interaction." House said he could see SCE "adjust messaging" on the Eye in due time, but it remains to be seen how much users demand the Eye as part of the PS4 hardware bundle. Somewhat bizarrely, the console comes with a copy of PS4 tech demo The Playroom, much of which employes the Eye (see a lengthy walkthrough in video form below). Regardless, the difference in strategy here is one major distinction between two game consoles that are, in many ways, extremely similar. Microsoft's taken an "all-in" approach with its new version of Kinect, risking a higher initial price for the ubiquity that including Kinect brings. Considering the company sold over 24 million of its standalone motion-sensing camera on Xbox 360, we're anxious to see what including Kinect in the box will mean for Xbox One sales.
Rumor: Infamous coming to Vita
A single sentence uttered by a developer in a recent Q&A has spawned the rumor that Sucker Punch Productions' Infamous series will be making an appearance on Sony's Vita handheld. At the 5:45 mark of the DualShockers interview above you can hear Infamous: Second Son director Nate Fox obliquely reference a potential Vita entry in the Infamous franchise when asked point-blank about its existence after misinterpreting a question regarding Vita-related functionality for Second Son. "Right now we're only talking about the PS4 game," states Fox. "I would love to talk to you about any Vita-related titles when, or if the time comes." Was this a casual slip of the tongue or something more meaningful? VGLeaks sees the quote as evidence of an upcoming Infamous game in development for the Vita. "This statement sounds like Sucker Punch has been working on Infamous for PS Vita, however it could be just a project in an early stage, a test for that hardware," said the site. The next entry in the franchise, Infamous: Second Son, is currently slated for exclusive release on the PlayStation 4 in Q1 2014. We've reached out to both Sony and Sucker Punch for more information. Update: This article's sourcing has been updated based on new information.
Helldivers coming to PS4, PS3 and Vita with Cross-Play
Helldivers, the next title from Magicka developer Arrowhead Game Studios, has added the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita to its landing schedule. The top-down shooter was first shown on the PlayStation 4 during Sony's Gamescom press conference, "As part of the elite unit called the Helldivers, you choose your deployment zone and dive into battle on procedurally-generated battlefields," Arrowhead boss Johan Pilestedt said in a new PlayStation Blog post. Helldivers features "Cross-Play and Cross-Save" between the PS4, PS3, and PS Vita versions, allowing a mixture of up-to four players across all platforms either locally or online. Whether the game is Cross-Buy as well, however, is unclear. Arrowhead Game Studios says it is partnering with Sony Computer Entertainment and Foster City Studios - a development squad responsible for overseeing first-party development at Sony - to bring Helldivers to PlayStation.
E3 2013: DCUO plans to remain completely free on PS4
The PlayStation 4 made headlines at this year's E3 thanks to its console wars one-upmanship as well as its newly announced launch library. But one previously announced had a live demo at the L.A.-based convention extravaganza; DC Universe Online offered players a chance to experience some next-gen superhero shenanigans for themselves, so we totally jumped in on the action! After engrossing ourselves in the world of capes, masks, and super powers, we nabbed Executive Producer Lawrence Liberty to talk with us about DCUO's conversion to the PS4. He shared details about performance, uses for the touchpad on the new controller, a new companion app, and the plan for DCUO to be available at the console's launch. Liberty also noted that the team is working with Sony to keep the game free on the PS4 so players won't have to purchase a PlayStation Plus membership.
PlayStation 4's Shuhei Yoshida on Oculus Rift: We have dev kits, 'I love it'
Sony Computer Entertainment head of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida is a big Oculus Rift fan, it turns out. "We've got a couple of the development kits, and I tried it out and I love it," he told us in an interview this morning at E3 2013. Whether the PlayStation 4 will support it is another question. "No, it doesn't," Yoshida told us. Not yet, that is.When we asked whether the company's planning on offering support in the future, he only offered a "No comment" with a big smile. The picture of the retail Oculus Rift is potentially a bit clearer now, especially given this week's addition of an HD version of the headset. We'll be sure to keep on Sony about Oculus support on the PlayStation 4 as the year goes on.
Sony's 'Rain' shows its invisible world in a downpour of pictures
Sony's Rain stars a young boy trapped in an invisible world brought to life only by the rain – when it pours, the boy, a young girl and all manner of strange creatures are made visible, gallivanting around our own world. Six new images, separated into dry and wet pairs, demonstrate the breadth of emotion and action Rain hopes to achieve.The first set of images come with the tagline, "Sometimes rain reflects loneliness." The second reads, "Sometimes rain brings melancholy," and the third pair says, "Sometimes rain soaks through the heart." We'd like to add that rain also helps flowers grow. Check out all of the images in the gallery below.[Thanks, Roger!]%Gallery-183058%
Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time sneaks to Europe March 27
We knew that Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time would launch February 5 on PS3 and Vita in North America, but even Sly Cooper can't be in two places at once. We can now expect his arrival across the pond on March 27, according to the PlayStation Blog.To top it off, we have a nifty new story trailer for the game, which is great. Suspiciously great. %Gallery-155701%
PlayStation 3 Slim review (late 2012): is the third time a charm?
More Info Sony announces a slimmer PlayStation 3, 250GB bundle launches September 25th for $269 Sony PlayStation 3 (2012) up close and personal (eyes-on) Sony explains missing PlayStation 3 price drop on old models, EU exclusivity of Flash memory version What else can be said about the PlayStation 3 at this point that hasn't already been said? Since launching in 2006, there have been approximately 400 different permutations of the console: variations on hard drive sizes, functionality, physical shape and, of course, price. The latest model, the PlayStation 3 Superslim, is no different. It comes in just two permutations: 250GB ($270) and 500GB ($300). With the latter launching at the end of October, we've spent the last week with the already available 250GB model. Is it time to finally jump in to the PlayStation 3 party, or upgrade that aging 2006 model? Head below to find out.
Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time hits PS3, PS Vita and PSN on Feb. 5
Nothing is quite as adept at stealing your precious free time like video games. Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is making a grab for your life minutes when it launches on February 5, simultaneously on the PS Vita and PS3.Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time will also be available as a PSN download on February 5 – purchasing the PS3 version through retailers or PSN will automatically give you the PS Vita version free, and both are cross-play compatible, the PlayStation Blog reports.Our brothers and sisters across the pond will need to wait a little longer for Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time. It will launch in Europe sometime in March across both PS3 and PS Vita, and the PSN version will also be available there day-and-date with the boxed retail versions. Ain't technology grand?
New PS3 doesn't mean price drop for old models, Sony explains why
The newer, slimmer PS3 comes in two versions: 250GB for $270 and 500GB for $300. The old PS3 models, 160GB for $250 and 320GB for $300, will not see their prices drop, even though they now have price-point competition from the same brand. This is all because of consumer demand for quality content, says John Koller, Sony Computer Entertainment America VP of marketing, handhelds and home consoles."There's no price drop formally, but the thing that's been happening in the market over the last year or so is that there's been so many retail price promotions, and so many different gift card offers and all those things, being done by all of us [Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony], that we've heard from our consumer, 'Enough with all these weird price moves. What we really want is content and games and value,'" Koller tells Engadget.Most consumers we can think of (ourselves included) love having great content, but hold an equal passion for cheaper consoles. Koller says his answer is "kind of a long way of saying, 'No, no formal price drop.'" Besides, there are only so many older PS3 models on the shelves, he points out.At the Tokyo Game Show, Sony Computer Entertainment president Andrew House tells Reuters he thinks SCE will be profitable this year. "We have a growing installed base, growing connectivity of the PS3," House says.After announcing the Vita "may be trending behind in certain territories," and a projection for the company's largest-ever yearly loss, $6.4 billion, it looks as if SCE is relying on the new (and old) consoles to boost finances.
Soul Sacrifice sacrificing souls Spring 2013
Soul Sacrifice will launch itself -- and presumably a blade forged from the spine of a ruthless warrior -- into Japanese homes sometime in the spring of 2013, creator Keiji Inafune announced during Sony's pre-Tokyo Game Show press conference earlier today. No information was give regarding a North American release window."It's not that development has been delayed," Inafune said during his presentation, but rather that Comcept wants to implement user feedback gained from this week's Tokyo Game Show, as well as an upcoming demo. Sony Computer Entertainment has been gracious with development scheduling, says Inafune.It makes sense when you stop and think about it, considering that spring is the time for love, and what love comes without sacrifice? Well, that may not be the best comparison since our relationships usually don't involve trading body parts and loved ones for unimaginable power. Usually.
Ico and Shadow of the Colossus producer Kenji Kaido leaves Sony
The man who led production of both Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, Kenji Kaido, is no longer working with Sony Computer Entertainment (the company's Japan-based gaming arm). "This August, I left Sony Computer Entertainment," Kaido wrote on Twitter (via Game|Life). He said he has no plans for now ... aside from continuing his summer vacation.Despite his silence, it sounds like Kaido knows where he's headed next. "I'm also excited about whatever I'm going to be doing next," Kaido said in response to a tweet from fellow Japanese game designer Masahiro Sakurai (of Smash. Bros. fame). It's unclear whether Kaido worked on Team Ico's latest project, The Last Guardian, or what work he's done since shipping Shadow of the Colossus in in 2005.
PlayStation Vita sales topped 2.2 million worldwide as of June 30
Sony says that its latest console, the PlayStation Vita, topped 2.2 million units sold this summer. "The latest figures we've released for Vita (as of June 30th) are 2.2. million sales worldwide," an SCEE rep told us. We reached out following a report from PlayFront.de, where German PlayStation head Uwe Bassendowski mentioned the number in the context of the Vita's marketing.The last update we had on Vita sales was back in May, when Sony CEO Kaz Hirai said the system sold 1.8 million units worldwide – meaning the console moved around 200K units each month in May and June. For some context, before the Nintendo 3DS received its price cut to $170 – and just days after its US launch – the then $250 handheld had sold 1.41 million units more than the Vita's current lifetime sales. As of September 2011 (one month after the price drop), the 3DS was at 6.68 million units sold worldwide – or more than triple where the Vita's selling at right now. "Yikes" is the word we'd use to describe that situation.A strong showing of Vita games at Gamescom 2012 and the subsequent launch of said games will hopefully bolster the Vita's sales numbers. We sure aren't gonna see a price cut anytime soon.
