Sony
2.5 and 5.0 are live
As of 12 hours ago both PS3 firmware 2.5 and PSP firmware 5.0 went live…both are great additions to the sony software line-up…with the PSP store being excellent.
Read two posts down for what you get when you upgrade.
God of War III announced for Playstation 3
According to GameSpot.com, Sony Computer Entertainment American have just announced that God of War III is in development exclusively for Playstation 3 in their Santa Monica studio. It doesn’t come as much of a surprise, since Sony have been hinting and hinting for ages, but if this article is true (They don’t give a source) then at least we finally have some official confirmation. The fact that there isn’t even a screen shot yet though tells us that we’re in for a loooong wait.
SCEE confirms Metal Gear Solid 4 / Dualsock3 / PS3 bundle
According to PSXExtreme, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe have confirmed a Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots bundle for Europe before easter. As well as MGS4 and a PS3 (not sure which version, 40GB or 60GB but since 60GB is phasing out most likely 40GB.) Sony have too apparently said that the bundle will include a Dualshock 3 (I.E SIXAXIS rumble) in the box.
“We are working on a PlayStation 3 bundle that includes Metal Gear 4 Solid and the new DualShock. We want it to hit the high street before Easter. That’s what we’re pushing for at the moment.”
Not too sure on this story being 100% true, so we’ll wait for some official word and some boxshots.
HD DVD wearing down - Blockbuster goes Blu-Ray
According to El Paso Times Home rental giant Blockbuster will be renting out high definition DVD’s only in the Blu-Ray format in 1,450 of its stores in next months update. This, of course, is a huge step for Sony and a massive blow to the HD DVD format. Blockbuster have been renting out both Blu-Ray and HD DVD in 450~ stores only to find that 70% of the time the consumer was choosing Sony’s Blu Ray Disc.
“The consumers are sending us a message. I can’t ignore what I’m seeing,” Matthew Smith, senior vice president of merchandising at Blockbuster.
HD DVD isnt completely out though,as Blockbuster will still be renting them at 250 stores and online. Huge movies like Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Spider Man 3 and Casino Royale are all exclusive to the Blu Ray format which also helps Sony along the way. Can we say the format war is over? Not just yet. But its getting close and I think we can see the winner…
Sony claims 91% BluRay sales in Q1 2007
APC Mag is reporting that Sony have sold 91% of the total HD media format sales in Austrillia, which is very impressive.
This information was released along with Sony’s new Blu-Ray player, BDP-S1E which retails at $1399 (AU) but despite the heavy price tag, looks rather sexy.
Blu Ray Disc player BDP-S1E by SONY [Image]
So where does HD DVD stand in all of this? Only time will tell, but at the moment it looks like the Blu-Ray disc is in clear runnings to defeating its rival, HD DVD.
Sony threatens to pursue legal action against PS3 hackers
Recently, the Playstation 3 Firmware has been hacked, and as quickly as we found out, so have Sony. Speaking to Gamesindustry.biz, SCEA spokesperson Dave Karraker has stated that Sony will “aggressively pursue” any hackers who try to exploit the Playstation 3 system software. The new firmware hack allows you to boot illegal copies of games from the Playstation 3. As you may or may not know, Sony makes a loss on the console and a profit on the games so people downloading games illegally obviously costs them.
“Naturally, any use of an exploit on the system software does void the warranty on the PS3 system… Which could be a costly mistake to see if you can run an old SEGA CD game on it,” David said.
Considering that the hardware is very reliable and people don’t hesitate to downgrade their PSP’s in the same way, this probably wont deter a lot of people, but be on the look out if you decide to downgrade, you never know when they’re looking! :P
The Church of England vs Resistance: Fall of Man and SCE
You may or may have not have seen it on the BBC the otherday, but The Chruch of England are threatening to sue Sony Computer Entertainment or have Resistance: Fall of Man removed from the shelves.
The Church of England have expressed with discust after noticing that a level in Resistance: Fall of Man is inside a church where gunbattles obviously take place. The Bishop of Manchester had this to say:
“For a global manufacturer to re-create one of our great cathedrals with photo-realistic quality and then encourage people to have guns battles in the building is beyond belief and highly irresponsible.”
To which Sony Rep David Willson replied, in a statement in the Times Newspaper:
“It is entertainment, like Doctor Who or any other science fiction. It is not based on reality at all. Throughout the whole process we have sought permission where necessary.”
The church is demanding that the game be pulled from the shelves and have an official applogy from Sony or they will be forced to take legal action. Resistance: Fall of Man is the top seller for the Sony Playstation 3 by selling over a million copies worldwide, there is little or no chance that this game will be withdrawn from sale.
Devil May Cry 4 goes Multi-Platform
Capcom announced today that Devil May Cry 4, previously exclusive to the Playstation 3 is now going to be released on Xbox 360 and PC to “maximize profits”.
” Capcom’s “Devil May Cry 4″ Goes Multiplatform! Mega-hit Title set for PLAYSTATION® 3, Xbox 360™ and PC!
Capcom Co., Ltd., a world-wide leader in the gaming industry, is proud to announce the development of “Devil May Cry 4″ for the PLAYSTATION®3, Xbox 360™ and PC platforms.
“Devil May Cry” is a series of popular, stylish action games, with a cast of unforgettable characters. Since the release of the original “Devil May Cry” in 2001, the series has shipped 6,800,000 copies as of December 31st, 2006, proudly making it one of Capcom’s flagship titles. The series appeal is not limited to games; an animated TV series to be broadcast on Japan’s WOWOW network is slated to air Spring 2007. The latest iteration, “Devil May Cry 4″ will take advantage of each platform’s hardware strengths to achieve the most stunning visuals in the series to date, and the introduction of a mysterious new protagonist will keep the action fast and fresh. Even before its release, “Devil May Cry 4″ has been met with tremendous anticipation, as fans patiently endured long lines at TOKYO GAME SHOW 2006 for the chance to play the demo. “Devil May Cry 4″ will be released simultaneously for the PLAYSTATION®3 and Xbox 360™ platforms.
Capcom was among the first software developers in the world to make games for the next-generation consoles, and those efforts have been met with great success. In addition, Capcom’s use of an integrated development environment is one of the many methods being employed to improve efficiency and help take advantage of the cutting-edge functionality in next-generation systems.
Capcom will continue to produce titles that appeal to users while pursuing a multiplatform strategy to help enhance profits.”
I’m not really upset or anything. :P Its a bit disapointing that PS3 has lost another exclusive but I understand why. The PS3 is 4/5 months old, there aren’t enough consoles in homes to handle a popular exclusive like Devil May Cry4 from a developers point of view. Though saying that, lets hope that other Sony exclusives don’t go this way. :P Hopefully this choice by capcom means that Devil May Cry 4 might come out a little sooner than we thought.
Final Fantasy XIII, Metal Gear Solid 4, Devil May Cry 4 already released!
If only. :P
Sony’s Blu-Ray website has a nice section dedicated to Blu-Ray discs being used for games. This page features a list of games “Already available on Blu-Ray” these are:
- 6Gun 2
- Avalon
- Dark Sector
- The Darkness
- Devil May Cry 4
- EA Sports Fight Night Rd 3
- Eyedentify
- Fifth Phantom Saga
- Final Fantasy PS3
- Formula One PS3
- The Getaway PS3
- Heavenly Sword
- I-8 – Insomniac Games
- Infraworld – Quantic Dream
- Killing Day
- Killzone PS3
- Metal Gear Solid 4
- Mobile Suit Gundam
- MotorStorm
- Ni-Oh
- Omikron 2
- Possession
- Project Delta
- ShadowClan
- Tekken PS3
- Vision GT
- Warhawk PS3
As you may or may not know, alot of these titles arent even finished yet. It’s probably mis-communcation butits still pretty funny. :P
Source: Blu-RayDisc.com Via QJ.net
Folding@Home video
As you might have earlier read, Sony have teamed up with Sanford Uni to introduce a Protein folding system to help cure serious diseases such as cancer. The PS3 is 20x faster folding than a PS3. You can see a video explaining it if you continue reading.
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