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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.
Are you good enough for 'Bloodborne'?
Am I "good" at games? I don't know. I'm 30 years old: I've been playing video games for 25 of those years, give or take, and covering games professionally for just over six years. I spent two weeks this year completing Mega Man 1 through 4. I've sunk hundreds of hours into Spelunky. Whether I'm "good" at games is up for debate; I love challenging games. Despite this, I've never loved the divisive, feverishly adored/hated Souls games (Demon's Souls, Dark Souls 1 and 2). Their challenges felt too great to overcome, their systems too inscrutable, their technical issues too great in number. They felt frustrating instead of challenging. Bloodborne -- the latest entry in the series and the first without a "Souls" moniker attached -- changes that. This is a game I love to hate. But I mostly just love it.
Playdate: We're livestreaming 'LittleBigPlanet 3' on PS4! (update: game over!)
Sony's PlayStation 4 may be off to a heady start in terms of sales, but the console's exclusive content this holiday is on the light side. Driveclub, which was plagued by connectivity issues, makes up 50 percent of the PlayStation 4's exclusive lineup this holiday. The other 50 percent is thankfully adorable and, as of yesterday, critically-acclaimed: LittleBigPlanet 3. This year's LBP is the first major console release not created by the team of Brits behind the first two (Media Molecule); rather, it was created by another team of Brits at Sumo Digital. We're taking a wild guess that LBP 3 retains the cheeky British humor from the first two games, but we're also checking for good measure with a stream just below the break. Join us at 2PM ET and we'll find out together!
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.
Sony Computer Entertainment to fuse Asian and Japanese units into one
As part of recent restructuring and cost-cutting efforts, Sony's Computer Entertainment (SCE) division will merge its Asian and Japanese operations into a single entity. The company said that it would result in a new management unit, with SCE Japan president Hiroshi Kawano taking the helm and the Asian unit's ex-chief, Hiroyuki Oda becoming his deputy. Departments like marketing and finance will also merge in an effort to save cash, as the company hopes to stanch all the recent bleeding and try to make its fiscal 2012 a throwback to the glory days.
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.
3G Vita headed to Canada via Rogers on Oct. 2, Canadian gamers remain non-plussed
Despite having launched elsewhere in the world already, Sony's 3G PlayStation Vita is heading north to Canada with help from Rogers Communications this October. Beyond the usual features of the Vita, the 3G model offers access to various social networks while on-the-go, as well as a handful of games that support asynchronous multiplayer via 3G. Mostly, though, it just offers a $50 bump to the usual Vita price of $250 (at least in the US). In Canada, however, the 3G version is getting bundled with Gravity Rush and Unit 13, and the whole shebang is launching on October 2 for $299.99. It's unclear how much the unit will cost as a standalone (or if it's even being offered that way), but we've asked Sony Canada for more info. 3G plans with Rogers run $15 and $30 for 30-day packages bundling 250MB or 5GB data streams, respectively. Update: PlayStation's Canadian reps tell us the standalone unit will also cost $299, and the bundle is only being offered for an unspecified limited time. So get it while you can!
Sony's Nasne TV tuner finally set to go on sale later this month in Japan
Less than a month ago we heard the news of Sony having delayed the release of its Nasne system due to quality control issues, but that all looks to be sorted out now. The electronics giant's said the NAS media streamer will finally be ready to hit Japanese shelves on August 30th for the previously known price of 16,980 yen (about $215) -- which, as you know, offers a decent 500GB of storage for all your entertainment content. There's still a few weeks until the eventual launch date, so that should be plenty of time to gather up some cash and be among the first to call one of these your own.
Sony buys Gaikai cloud gaming service for $380 million
Cloud-based gaming service Gaikai has had plenty of spring in its step recently, and now we know why: it's been tying up a deal to sell itself for a rather substantial sum of cash. The $380 million agreement is slightly below the $500 million bandied about it in some rumors last week, so perhaps SCE execs feel like they've got themselves a bargain. SCE boss Andrew House promised that the union of Gaikai's "engineering talent" with his company's "game platform knowledge" would lead to "unparalleled cloud entertainment experiences." For his part, Gaikai CEO David Perry said he was "honored" to help Sony "grow their ecosystem." None of this sheds much light on precisely what the Japanese giant will do with its new acquisition, or how it'll deal with the potential (imaginary?) awkwardness of supplying a service direct to TV rivals like Samsung and LG. In any case, the two companies need to secure regulatory approval before getting down to the tricky stuff.
Sony updates PS Vita sales figures: 'over 1.2 million units worldwide', 2 million in software
As of recently, the PS Vita has become available in the locales of America, Europe and PAL territories, and now Sony's updated sales figures are in. How does "over 1.2 million units worldwide" sound? Because that's how many systems were purchased as of February 26th. If you'll recall, just two days after its December 19th arrival in Japan, the Vita rushed out of the gate, with Sony citing 321,000 units sold. Sales quickly slowed, however, despite the system making its way across Asia, as that number only rose to 500,000 by the time CES hit in January. Considering that means an additional 700K+ units were moved in less than two months, it seems that Sony's latest handheld isn't doing too shabby. Furthermore, it looks like a healthy amount of early adopters stocked up on games, as Sony also noted that more than two million pieces of software have been sold (out of 25 currently available titles) via retail and the PlayStation Store -- that said, there's no telling how popular those slightly cheaper digital editions have proved. Hit up the press release after the break for all the details, courtesy of the House of Kevin Butler Kaz Hirai.
Sony's Kaz Hirai to step up as president as early as April (updated)
Nikkei is reporting that Sony will be promoting current Executive Deputy President Kazuo "Kaz" Hirai to president as soon as April, while Howard Stringer is expected to remain chairman and CEO of the company. As you may recall, Sony started its search for a new president as far back as November 2010, and with Kaz's two promotions last year (to Executive Deputy President in April and to Sony Computer Entertainment Chairman in September), it isn't surprising that he's the chosen one to pick up some of Sir Howard's work. It'll be a while before we see the consequences of this promotion, and anything can happen between now and the board meeting as early as next month to seal the deal; but here's hoping that under Kaz, Sony will go easy on all these new memory card formats while it further unifies its various groups within the corporation. Update: Bloomberg has received a brief statement from Sony clarifying that the board has not yet made a decision on this promotion, which isn't really a denial of the plan considering the final board meeting has yet to take place.
Kaz Hirai: Sony is 'in discussions with non-Sony companies' over PlayStation Suite
Wondering whether Sony's PlayStation Suite will ever really leave its nest? While the SDK won't be out until next month, SCE Chairman Kaz Hirai just told us here at AsiaD that this Android-friendly framework's still open to all other manufacturers, and he emphasized that it "isn't an ecosystem where we want to keep everything within the Sony family" while pimping the three PlayStation Certified Android devices so far: Xperia Play, Tablet S and Tablet P. Kaz also confirmed that Sony's currently "in discussions with non-Sony companies to bring them onboard," but as to when this will come to fruition, the company will make those announcements "when it's time to go public with it," so we shall see.
Sony shows off PlayStation Vita's initial setup process and user interface (video)
While we're still months away from seeing the PlayStation Vita show up in the stores, Sony continues to tease us with more live demonstrations here at the SCEJ press conference -- what we saw just now was a quick walkthrough of the initial setup procedure, and our first look at the interface in action. Setup is simple and predictable: select your region, create or log into your PSN account, enter your birthday -- pretty standard for today's handheld gaming devices. The UI itself looks primed to make smartphone users feel right at home, spreading a cloud of large, friendly app icons across the Vita's five-inch touchscreen.Our hosts skipped through a few media applications, showing off a pair of movie trailers and concurrently running the device's music player and photo viewer. We didn't see it live today, but Sony suggested that cross-app multitasking is compatible with games as well, stating that a player could hop out of a game session, pop-into a Twitter app, and then jump right back into the game. We'll give you a more detailed account once we've hit the TGS show-floor. Can't wait? Peek our gallery below, or see Sony's live demo above.%Gallery-133574%
Sony announces bucketload of PlayStation Vita launch games, teases PSP downloads for UMD lovers
Wondering how many games the PlayStation Vita will be launched with on December 17th? 26 is the answer, with 100 games in total to be released. Launch titles include Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, Power Smash 4, Fish On, Project N.O.E.L.S and more in the photo above. These will be followed by Metal Gear Solid HD Edition, Rayman Origins, FIFA, etc. If new titles aren't enough to whet your appetite, Sony announced that as many as 500 to 600 PSP titles will be available for download via the PlayStation Network, given that you're willing to re-purchase your last-gen favorites. Don't toss out your UMDs just yet though -- Sony said they are working on a solution to bring your old games to your new handheld, mentioning "special download plans" that they will discuss at a future point. We wouldn't hold our breath, but hit the break for a splash image featuring the full list of launch games you will be able to get -- good luck with the Japanese.
Kaz Hirai to become Sony Computer Entertainment Chairman, leave Andrew House with tough CEO gig
When you've had to deal out as many public apologies as Sony has had to perform over its protracted PSN hacking saga, the typical expectation is that someone somewhere will be getting fired or "reshuffled" into a new post. No firings at PlayStation headquarters, however our old pal Kaz Hirai is getting a new position as Sony Computer Entertainment Chairman, with Andrew House succeeding him in the CEO hot seat. Mr. House was previously Sony's PlayStation chief in Europe, so he's simply stepping up to be responsible for the company's global operations, but Kaz's new duties are less clearly defined. Both changes will go into effect on September 1st, a day after current Chairman Akira Sato retires, giving both Kaz and Andrew a little time to get accustomed to their new(ish) surroundings before tackling Sony's massively important PS Vita launch at the tail end of the year.
Sony to remaster select PSP titles for PlayStation 3, allow cross-device continuous gameplay
As much as you love your PSP, we suspect that its low graphics definition is starting to bug even the most devoted fans. Sure, you can wait for the almighty NGP, but for the time being, Sony's offering the next best thing for you game connoisseurs: the PSP Remaster series for PlayStation 3. As the name says for itself, Sony will be porting select portable game titles to the PS3 in high-def Blu-ray flavor, and some may even come with new add-on content plus stereoscopic 3D support. But that's not all: gamers will also be able to share game save data between the two platforms, meaning you can pick up where you left off on your preferred device. Pretty neat, though it'll be interesting to see how much Sony and the studios wants to charge for what are essentially the same games you already own. The first PSP Remaster title announced is Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, but this is only heading to Japan at an unknown date -- gamers in other countries will just have to keep squinting at the PSP for now.
Norio Ohga, former Sony chairman and multimedia pioneer, dies at 81
There's more sad news out of Japan this morning, we're afraid -- Sony is reporting that former chairman Norio Ohga passed away in Tokyo yesterday from multiple organ failure. He was 81. You may not personally remember a Sony under his reign -- Ohga directly helmed the company from 1982 to 1995 after decades of service in product planning -- but Norio Ohga was arguably the man responsible for turning Sony from a high-profile analog electronics manufacturer into a digital multimedia conglomerate. He helmed the deals that formed Sony Music, paved the way for Sony Pictures and established the very same Sony Computer Entertainment that would birth the PlayStation, and it was he who pushed the optical compact disc standard that all but replaced the magnetic cassettes and diskettes that held portable media. Without him, DVDs and Blu-rays might have fallen by the wayside, and that's another thought that brings tears to our eyes. You'll find Ohga's official obituary after the break.
Confirmed: The PSP Go is no more
The Sony PSP Go is today being reported to have "completed" its production and shipment in Japan, seemingly foreshadowing a worldwide discontinuation of sales. Such is the word from Impress Watch, which cites an official statement from Sony Computer Entertainment that promises support, firmware updates, and repairs for the PSP Go, but no further stock of the handheld. We doubt it'll be missed too much, what with its high price and inability to play UMD games, but if you're afraid this signals a similar demise for the PSP-3000, worry not. Sony has said it'll focus on shifting as many units of that classic device as possible until the NGP strides in and revolutionizes everything.
PlayStation One games appear in Android Market, predictably restricted to Xperia Play (update)
If there was one thing that bothered us most about the Xperia Play, it was the dearth of original PlayStation games we could, you know, play on it. That's getting a shot in the arm tonight with the introduction of five PS One titles to the Android Market: Syphon Filter, MediEvil, Cool Boarders 2, Destruction Derby, and Jumping Flash. Each is priced at £3.99 in the UK, with the first two games on the list also being available in five languages. That pricing translates to $6.38 when the games are accessed from the US, but we imagine the final pricing may differ once the Xperia Play lands stateside. And yes, the Xperia Play will be your only way to access these for now (R800i is its codename), leaving the rest of us Android PS One lovers with a bunch of games to envy and one less emulator to enjoy. The Android giveth, and the Android taketh away. Update: Sony Ericsson wants you to know that since the Xperia Play is, in fact, an Android handset, it won't be restricted to just those five PS One games -- it will also feature quite a few titles that you can also find on the Android Market and even a few temporary exclusives like Backstab and Dungeon Defenders Second Wave. Still, it's a little light on actual PlayStation gaming... See the full list in the press release after the break.
