Ken Levine seems to have a new-found love for Sony. At the publisher’s E3 press conference, he showed off BioShock: Infinite’s Move support and then proceeded to whip out a Vita and pledge to develop a BioShock title for the currently struggling little handheld. I can’t wait for said BioShock title to release but until then it’s pretty clear what we all have to do: because Ken is like Jesus to us and we heed his every word, we should all go out and buy a Vita. In fact don’t just stop there, take it to the next level and become a Sony freak. Screw that BB, get an Xperia.

Okay okay, I’m obviously kidding, mostly. Seriously though get an Xperia, they’re shiny.

Anyway, Ken Levine showed some more love for the Vita in the latest issue of PSM3. When asked what he thought about the handheld, he was initially cautious – probably because he wanted to choose his words carefully given the console’s precarious position – but then called the Vita a “really interesting platform,” citing the platform’s ability to preserve the purity of different gaming experiences and genres as a core strength.

“It’s a really interesting platform because, as a gamer, it’s the first platform that really sort of gives of everything. It’s the first time I can play things like shooters on an aeroplane; and I don’t like feeling I’m playing something that’s compromised in any way.”

Levine also believes that in the very near future “there will be whole kinds of games that you wouldn’t have been able to play before on the Vita.”

It may be that Irrational is currently working on BioShock: Infinite and that Vita’s BioShock will be built from the ground up but I can’t wait to see what it eventually looks like given how well Uncharted transposed itself onto the Vita with Golden Abyss.

Fan favourites that no one will remember when something better comes alo…ooohh look! Something shiny.

We have all started to use the word memorable to mean fun or enjoyable. I’ve been slapped by a woman before and it was neither fun nor enjoyable but it was pretty memorable.

This is the distinction I’m making. Memorable does not mean good or fun, it doesn’t even mean intense or shocking. It’s far more personal than that. What is memorable to one person might be completely forgettable to another.

What we find memorable is what touches us. Something about the world, story or gameplay somehow becomes linked with powerful emotion. Certain songs remind me of ex-girlfriends, some books are so vivid in my memory I still can’t believe they aren’t real, and some games I will remember forever.

Bioshock, Call of Duty 4, Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood. The first is a masterpiece, the second is arguable the first game to ever seriously grab you by the scrotum and pull you on a wild globe-trotting adventure so spectacular you’re left almost feeling sexually satisfied, but what about the third? Releasing to positive but not spectacular reviews, why do I lump that piece of coal in with those other gems? It’s personal. The game lets you choose which of the two brothers to play as and their interactions and dynamic were so similar to my own relationship with my brother that I genuinely loved the characters. I will remember them forever and I cannot defend the game as anything more than good. Memorable is personal.

Last week I wrote an article on 5 Games We’ll Remember In 20 Years. Those were the select few games from the last year or so that gave experiences that lead to a profound feeling of inner growth. They all had those “OMG!!” moments but what made them special was what you got left with afterwards.

The games on this list are the one night stands. Fun, special, one hell of a good time, and they make you smile when you think about them but I won’t remember them when their sequels release or bigger things come along.

I’m not speaking about recollection. Any normal person who has their morning coffee without whisky and leaves cocaine on toast only for special occasions will hopefully be able to recollect most of the good games they’ve played. They should even have some fond memories and when the ice caps melt, our grandchildren are plentiful and Half Life 3 is a folk legend, we should still be able to do a healthy bit of reminiscing while sitting in a nuclear-powered rocking chair, but they won’t make us fall silent. In our private moments we won’t suddenly remember them and get a warm sensation in our bellies.

5 games from the last 24 months that took the world by storm but that I won’t remember come the sunshine. These games burn bright and fiercely but when I put the down the controller, once the initial awe and excitement has died down, I’m left satisfied but I’m not in love.
 
 

5. Call of Duty. Anything After 4.

This may seem obvious but it’s being said anyway. This is the epitome of what I’m talking about here. Fun, well made and maybe even awe-inspiring, until the sequel comes along. These games are fast food, cheap wine and the easy, drunk chick at the party.

There’s fun to be had and lots of it too, but these game won’t stick with me. I barely understand their stories and the action starts to meld together into one big ‘splosion of Scottish, bearded, magnificent mustached, action.

I’ll probably continue to play them every year. The same way I’ll watch the new Transformers movies.

Pretty things and things that go boom.

Not everything has to be profound and that’s completely fine.

I love Blue Mountain State – who doesn’t?
 
 

4. Batman: Arkham City

Yes, I know – this was an outstanding game. Certainly the best Batman experience you can have short of actually eating gravel and becoming Batman.

Fluid, well designed combat, fun gadgets and even a memorable story.

Nothing new enough.

After Arkham Asylum swept me off my feet Arkham City was going to have to work really hard to impress me. It did to an extent but the problems start right at the conceptual level.

Arkham Asylum but bigger and more open world. If the game wasn’t so big and fleshed out this could have passed for an expansion.

As it stands, I remember the feeling I got when I first ran around feeling like Batman – in Arkham Asylum. Now I have a lot of fun but this just feels like an expanded game without any serious innovation or hooks to make me remember Arkham City over Asylum.

Rocksteady are talented developers and I’m excited for whatever they do next.

I’ll remember the first time I silently took out a room of thugs using my bad-assery. It was in Arkham Asylum.
 
 

3. Assassin’s Creed: Revelations

I know I’m not alone here. In fact my distinguished colleague wrote an entire article on why the Assassin’s Creed franchise has become that weird slightly over 40 woman at the teenage party.

In fact I’m going to quote him directly and link to his article because there is nothing left to say that he hasn’t already said.

Firstly, and amongst the biggest issues with the game, is that it showed me how exhausted the gameplay was. With barely anything worth writing home about added to the game, and an identical formula to its predecessors, Revelations couldn’t bring back the excitement of past games. Variety was a lot less, and things like the renovating system and slow pace often made playing it a serious chore. The game relied heavily on its previous successes, and failed to really build from its predecessors in any significant way.

Azhar’s Full Article. Go read it and then send a letter to Ubisoft.
 
 
Find the next two entries on the following page.

It looks as if Sony is working on a touchscreen handheld controller much like that of the Wii U. It’s a little more sophisticated though as Sony’s controller seems to be intended for use in conjunction with 3D TV’s so that the viewer’s perspective changes depending on the controller’s position in relation to the TV.

It’s called the “Position-Dependent Gaming 3-D controller, and Handheld as a Remote” and below you’ll find a description according to the patent information:

“Methods and systems for using a position of a mobile device with an integrated display as an input to a video game or other presentation are presented. Embodiments include rendering an avatar on a mobile device such that it appears to overlay a competing user in the real world. Using the mobile device’s position, view direction, and the other user’s mobile device position, an avatar (or vehicle, etc.) is depicted at an apparently inertially stabilized location of the other user’s mobile device or body. Some embodiments may estimate the other user’s head and body positions and angles and reflect them in the avatar’s gestures.”

If you hit the link above, you’ll notice that the patent was filed back in 2010 so Sony has had this idea for a while but the real question is whether this is in fact a potential controller for any potential PS4 that may come along between now and 2014 or thereabouts. You should also take a look at this aerial diagram of pretty much how the diagram is supposed to work although it’s a bit technical.

Not much info is given on the device other than that it’s a mobile device with position-dependency. Let the wild theories start flying.

The PlayStation Vita is by no means an outright failure just yet but that doesn’t mean it won’t be. It’s no secret that Monster Hunter kept the PSP ticking over for quite some time with the series’ huge Japanese following and Vita could follow suit.

It’s no surprise then that a Sony official has told the world that there is a Monster Hunter title scheduled for release on the Vita later this year. He’s made this statement before any official announcement was made but did it in response to the Vita’s slow Japanese sales. He firmly believes that launch sales would’ve been much better if Monster Hunter was there amongst Uncharted: Golden Abyss and those other titles when Sony popped Vita out.

“The games available at launch in Japan do not correspond to the typology of the Japanese public. It lacks a particular game, Monster Hunter, scheduled for the coming months,” said PlayStation France CEO Philippe Cardon. “Had it been there from the start in Japan, the story would have been different.”

I really hope Vita’s sales pick up although Monster Hunter is reputed for causing a console’s Japanese sales to soar. You’re also welcome to take this as an announcement for Monster Hunter Vita.

Short of free porn and comics, what should Sony do to push Vita’s sales up or are you of the belief that the console will eventually find its feet?

I quite like the Vita’s design and it isn’t really that bulky given the hardware it has on-board. However, being Japanese means that Takashi Sogabe, the console’s designer, isn’t quite happy with it. In fact, he wanted it to be skinnier.

Sogabe’s resume includes designing the Sony Walkman and he said the following in a recent Sony roundtable (via CVG): “The original design of the PS Vita…was very much thinner than the current retail product. From a designer’s point of view, thinner is better-looking, but the engineers wanted to put all the features in.”

So is a Vita slim on the cards?

“Maybe it will become thinner in the future, but the engineers would have to come up with a means to do that,” said the designer.

Sogabe also wasn’t thrilled about the positioning of the analogues although game publishers eventually won that battle citing that it was the best solution. That wasn’t all, though.

“As a designer, I wanted to use metal rather than plastic, but because there are a lot of antennae in the body, we couldn’t use metal.”

Again, I rather like the look of the PS Vita but a slim version certainly wouldn’t be a bad thing.

So someone decided that instead of receiving the super awesome Kevin Butler treatment, the best way to market the PlayStation Vita now that it has launched in Europe would be with some lifestyle shots showing how happy and aesthetically pleasing the average Vita user looks. I don’t know about you but they just look like colossal tools to me.

However, I am but a bespectacled nerd and so do not understand the finer nuances of coolness displayed by these strapping gentlemen.

I guess the only question remaining is which one of these guys most resembles Alessandro? Speaking of which, have you seen his rather cool unboxing of the PS Vita?

PlayStation Vita is nowhere near being a failure just yet but people seem to be writing it off already due to a slow start in sales. What they seem to neglect is the fact that Vita, like the 3DS is doing something largely different to other handhelds and so people are reluctant to buy in because they want to be absolutely certain that it’s worth the money and for the amount of cash a Vita will set you back, you can’t really blame them.

Vita is arguably making a giant leap in handheld gaming but only once people start seeing good reviews for the games and console and when they start to hear things like, “Person X has a had a Vita for almost two months now and they say it’s amazing,” will they consider forking out the cash.

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe president and CEO Jim Ryan told MCV that Nintendo’s success is a good sign for handheld gaming.

“One of the encouraging things about 3DS’ sales performance at Christmas is that it is confounding the naysayers who say that there is no room in the market for a dedicated handheld gaming device,” the European PlayStation boss said.

“And to that extent we were encouraged by how 3DS did over the last month.”

Ryan also said that it would be counter-productive to estimate launch sales in other regions based on how it started off in Japan.

“One of the things we have learnt over a long period of time, is that whether it is PS1, PS2, PSP or PS3, it is dangerous to the point of impossible to take any experience from the Japanese market and try and extrapolate it, and propose upon what will happen in Europe or North America.

“Not withstanding the fact that it is just way too early to make any conclusions. The markets are now just so different, I actually think they are diverging to a greater extent than they were different in the past – if that’s even possible.”

I personally think that Sony is on to a winner in the Vita but it’ll be a while before the sales figures begin to reflect that. Similarly, it was only after several years that PS3 console’s became profitable for Sony who had previously been selling them at a reported loss.

Mazel tov to Alessandro who will be taking delivery of his shiny new PlayStation Vita today but it seems like the good captain won’t have much of a crew to command if sales of the PlayStation Vita locally are anything like they’ve been abroad.

So Vita has sold around 500 000 units worldwide which isn’t abysmal but it’s not great either. The epic slap in the face though has got to be the fact that it is being matched in sales by the geriatric PS2. A newly released handheld console with some serious power under its skin is drawing level with a more than eleven year old console that many believed to be dead until it turned up as the base of a TV and was also revealed to be poised for launch in Brazil a few years ago.

According to an official release from Sony Computer Entertainment, “The PlayStation 2 platform continues its sales momentum and remains robust sales especially in emerging counties and regions such as Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and South America, and exceeded half million units worldwide.”

Despite it’s age, the PS2 is still a solid and affordable console with a vast library of even more affordable games that are still great to play otherwise we wouldn’t be getting all these fantastic remakes and HD collections.

Of course, it also helps that PS2′s are helping to fund Hezbullah since that’s always good for your bottom line.

This isn’t so much a slating of the Vita, which I sincerely hope picks up in sales and becomes successful, as it is a testament to the staying power of the PS2 and just what a phenomenal console it was. It’s doubtful the current gen of consoles will enjoy such a long and prosperous life but the PS2 doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of slowing down.

According to Sony Computer Entertainment president Andrew House, the firm isn’t yet contemplating talking about “anything to do with future console iterations at this point”.

There’s been a great deal of speculation regarding the PS4 as of late, but what should quieten it a little is that House told CVG at Japan’s December PlayStation Vita launch that Sony is “just entering into this great period for PS3″.

He said: “I don’t think we’re contemplating talking about anything to do with future console iterations at this point.

“But one thing I always point to is that, somewhat in contrast to our major competitors, we have, particularly with PS2, managed the length of the lifecycle and ensured its profitability for our publishing partners for a much longer lifecycle than has been true of the competition.

“I would say that’s in part because of the global reach of Sony from a distribution, infrastructure and marketing standpoint. Because in many markets, we work alongside really long-standing, established operations in electronics, we’re able to migrate out into rather more emerging markets much more easily and sustainably than is possible for some of our competitors.”

When pressed further regarding his thoughts on the next generation, House commented that in his opinion there are still “significant barriers” for game streaming on high-definition consoles, and physical media is still seen as “the easiest consumer experience”.

“There are clearly a lot of opportunities [in the future] with regard to business models around games, all of which we’re interested in and are exploring,” House said.

“Some of our group companies already have a stake in free-to-play models and so on. But in my view, for the very highest quality high-definition console gaming, I think there are still some significant barriers to streaming solutions.

“Whether it’s in mobile or cloud-based services, there are opportunities there for more casual content and in our case potentially for legacy content, which we would definitely like to explore. But I think we are a way away from being able to deliver the full-on top-end experience like that.

“The scale of data involved and issues around latency do mean that, at least for now, the easiest consumer experience is from physical media. Although, having said that, we’re starting to see some growth in the number or proportion of our consumers that want to access their content via download. But I think it’s still pretty small.”

What makes this all the more interesting is that House’s comments arrive shortly after MCV claimed that both the PS4 and Xbox 720 will be unveiled at this year’s E3 press conference.

But when CVG quizzed Sony’s Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida about the PlayStation 4, the man simply laughed and said: “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Sony seems to have learned from the overall mistake that is the PSP and promises to do things right with the PlayStation Vita. The Vita will be billed first and foremost as a gaming device as opposed to the PSP which Sony kept trying to sell as a multimedia device.

Speaking to Official PlayStation Magazine UK, SCEE president Jim Ryan was very candid and open about the company’s dead-in-the-water handheld console.

“I think with PSP we tried to position it as a rather broad multimedia device. We talked a lot in the early days of PSP about its video playback functionality its use as a music device and a host of other multimedia functionality that it had,” he explained.

“I think this time we’ve realised that perhaps ended up confusing consumers, and they weren’t quite sure what the device was really all about. So this time the Vita does all of that stuff that we talked about on PSP, and it does it a lot better.”

PS Vita still has plenty of multimedia functionality, the SCEE boss reminded, but this time “what it does best is play games.”

He said: “We’ve been a lot more single minded and much more focused in our positioning of Vita. We’re saying that this is primarily a gaming device. It has been developed from the ground up as a gaming device. What it does best is play games.

“The other thing would be that we learned that what consumers didn’t really appreciate [about PSP] was, in many cases, getting ports of PS2 and then PS3 games for their PSP.

“They said if that’s what you’re going to do, I’ll just play the game on PS2 or PS3. We’re helped here by the nature of the interfaces that are available on the Vita. What we learned is that the gaming experiences need to be unique and differentiated for gamers to be able to get into them.”

The Vita titles that I’ve seen thus far look great and the console should succeed if it keeps getting exclusives like those. Perhaps the biggest hurdle for Vita will be its price but then again, the PS3 wasn’t exactly cheap either in the beginning.

The PS Vita is due in February 2012 and should fetch for around R3200.

Okay so it’s not exactly a revelation and Sony’s not exactly dropping huge details on us but we finally know something about the PS3′s successor despite the complete lack of an official announcement or any real details yet.

After that truly epic intro are you ready for that little nugget of information? Well, are you? Okay, here we go.

PlayStation Europe deputy president Jim Ryan has come out saying that any possible PS3-successor would likely come very soon after the practically announced Xbox 720.

“I think we would consider it undesirable to be significantly later than the competition [with the next PlayStation].”

The Wii U has already been announced and could still be the major contender that the original Wii never was and there’s been a lot of talk about Microsoft’s next Xbox but Sony has been mum on the so-called PS4.

Let us remind you that the Xbox 360 got a year up on the PS3 and it has stood the console in good stead.

Free movies will be coming to the virtual world of PlayStation Home thanks to a deal that Sony has signed with movie streaming provider Crackle.

The movies will be available on the LOOT EOD screens found around Home – in the LOOT EOD Theater, Sunset Yacht, and the Hollywood Hills House. The lineup is currently limited to Step Brothers, Cruel Intentions, Snatch, Resident Evil, A Few Good Men, and Final Fantasy: Advent Children.

And now the bad news. The service is currently limited to the US PSN but should be making its way abroad in due time. By then, it will hopefully have a lot more on offer.

This is not exactly the most concrete scrap of news since industry site Develop references only “a trusted source connected to the matter” as the origin of this information. However, if it is to be believed then a number of Sony’s 16 internal studios are already at work on coming up with concepts for PS4 games.

Let us remind you that the list of studios under Sony’s wing include Sucker Punch, Naughty Dog and a host of other quality outfits. So irrespective of the validity of this rumour, Sony’s PS4 will have a very strong contingency of launch titles.

Develop also claims that, according to the source, Sony has yet to finalise the technical specs of the console and that the next-gen console is not due until 2014. This comes amid talk that the NeXtBox (Xbox 720) is set for a Christmas 2013 launch.

Sony has undoubtedly made one of the coolest gaming TV adverts ever, if not the best we’ve seen to this date. Seriously, check it out yourself.

The advert features some of the most iconic gaming characters around, including Solid Snake, Ezio, Nathan Drake and Kratos, all rallying to honour and thank their collective hero – which is you.

The advert is the latest part of Sony’s Long Live Play PlayStation 3 campaign, which made its debut in August when Sony dropped the famous “It Only Does Everything” slogan in favour of the new ‘Long Live Play’. And it’s a pretty brilliant move at that, I think.

Also, the ad kinda makes you think how cheesy some of these characters sound out of context. Like Snake.

One of the PS Vita’s big back-of-the-box-advertised features is the PS3 Remote Play which allows users to play all of their favourite PS3 games on the Vita by remotely accessing your PS3 system.

SCE Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida used his keynote address at this eyar’s Tokyo Game Show to demonstrate the Remote Play feature. In the video you’ll see him playing Killzone 3 off the Vita and while it doesn’t offer all of the DualShock 3′s buttons, the controls incorporate the console’s rear touch panel.

Excellent news for all of you sitting at home with a heap of PSP titles and wondering whether any of them will be playable on the new Vita handheld console. Because after all, there are some really great PSP titles and it would be a shame for them to just be forgotten with the PSP. Well, if Sony comes through on their UMD conversion program, which is currently being considered, then you might just be able to enjoy all your favourite PSP games on the new console.

In the same way that Sony has made a number of PS1 games available on PSN, Sony said at its pre-TGS conference that some 500-600 PSP titles will be playable on Vita, as almost all digital PSP games on PSN are compatible with the new console.

According to Destructoid, Sony is also “considering some kind of program to offer special download versions” of older PSP titles although this has yet to be confirmed.

And here we are again with the Vita adding even more games to its catalogue, even if these are oldies.

No controller is perfect, right? The PS3′s one has clunky ergonomics and sticky trigger buttons whereas the Xbox 360 has a soft D-pad. Do you prefer to 360 or PS3 analogue layout, convex or concave analogue sticks? So many variables so many possibilities for the perfect controller in every indivdual’s eyes.

Usually perfecting the ergonomics and layout of your controller is more expensive than coating it in Muir but Mad Catz has an answer. They’ve developed a modular controller where every aspect of it can be swapped, tweaked and adjusted.

Christened by Major League Gaming ( that’s usually an indication that it’s pretty good), the Pro-Circuit controllers from Mad Catz utilise what they call the ProModule system. What it entails is a controller designed for elements such as the D-pad and analogue sticks to cheaply and easily be swapped out and adjusted.

Each controller also comes with four analogue sticks, two concave and two convex as well as a PS3 and Xbox style D-pad. The layout can also be tweaked sicne each analogue and the D-pad can be locked into any one of three open slots.

If you really want to get anal (no homo), Mad Catz has designed a special compartment in the base of the controller which allows suers to add or subtract as much as 70g from it so as to control its weight and feel.

For aesthetics and being arbitrarily different, the controllers are also fitted with a series of magnetic faceplates which can be removed and skinned for a custom look.

Pricing is yet to be announced but this definitely sounds like one to consider if you’re into crafting a precision controller for the ultimate in gaming control.

Jack Tretton, president of Sony Computer Entertainment America and presenter of Sony’s press conference, revealed Sony’s big plan of action to show their commitment to 3D and HD classics.

The first exciting announcement was that of two HD collections, namely God of War Origins Collections and the ICO Collection. God of War Origins Collections includes both of Kratos’ PSP adventures, namely Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta. The ICO Collection of course features ICO and Shadow of Colossus.

But here’s the grand kicker. Both collections will not only be remastered in HD, but will also be entirely playable in 3D as well. The two collections will both be releasing in September of this year.

Tretton then unveiled two highly impressive new 3D hardware products. First was a PlayStation branded 3D display monitor, 24 inches in size, designed to be an affordable 3D and HD screen for bedrooms and family rooms. With this monitor, you’ll get to watch your favourite movies, TV shows and play your favourite games in HD and 3D (varying depending on functionality and support for it), but the massive cherry on top was what was said next.

This new display monitor from Sony will launch with the ability to view two separate images on one screen using your 3D glasses. This means, no cutting the screen in half for split-screen play. You’ll literally be able to view two completely different images on the same screen.

On top of that, Sony recognises that the call for more affordable 3D glasses has been a common one. This lead them to create a new, affordable pair of 3D glasses to work with most 3D capable screens.

Finally, Tretton revealed a new bundle, which includes the PlayStation 3D Monitor, Resistance 3 the game, a pair of the new unveiled 3D glasses and a six meter HD cable. The entire bundle will cost $499, which is approximately R3360.76, and that’s a pretty neat price tag to say the least.

Overall, this is Sony’s way of broadening their 3D market and really pushing towards making it a key part of the PlayStation experience.

Like the proverbial 16 year old who can be convinced that strawberry jam is an effective contraceptive, Sony really doesn’t seem to care about using proper protection. Yes, PSN has been hacked yet again.

According to NeoGAF, EuroGamer and Nyleveia.com, Sony’s PSn password reset system, which was put in place after the major PSN hack some weeks ago, has been compromised i.e. it too has been hacked. This allows hackers to change user’s PSN passwords if they know your e-mail address and date of birth, which they very well could after the original hack yielded the personal information of 1000′s of PSN users. Or possibly from the Deus Ex website hack where the perpetrators got away with the personal information of around 80 000 users  registered to the site.

Luckily, if your account was compromised then you should have received an e-mail from Sony stating that your password was reset and your account should be safe, for now. An official community moderator on the PlayStation EU forums noted that the following services are offline:

PlayStation.com
PlayStation forums
PlayStation Blog
Qriocity.com
Music Unlimited via the web client
All PlayStation game title websites

Well, just when things looked like they were on the road to recovery for Sony, PSN and PS3 owners, the hackers swooped down once again. You know, it’s fine to prey on helpless fools like those at Sony once but to go back for seconds (possibly thirds) is simply cruel. When will it end?

From the depths of hell, better known as the Activision CEO’s office, have come murmurs from a figure we’d almost forgotten about. Yes, your favourite rabid capitalist and mine, Bobby Kotick, is back with fresh news that is bound to steal the money from right under our mattresses.

Speaking to Financial Times following Activision’s first quarter earnings call, Kotick said, “We’ve more confidence in consumer spending, we feel like some of that has stabilised and there are price cuts on the [console] hardware in the works.”

Wait, what? Nani? Did he just say something concerning us SAVING money? This is unbelievable. Some good news, some hopeful news has escaped his lips.

Kotick did however say that current platform holders, i.e. Sony and Microsoft, should focus more on developing their online networks rather than looking ahead to the next generation. Possibly a jab at Sony for the PSN disaster.

Strangely, he may be on to something, Nintendo has already announced price cuts for the Wii and Microsoft are rumoured to be planning to announce the Xbox 360′s successor at E3 so it’s price could well drop but the only unknown is Sony with the PS3. As usual though, we will have to wait until E3 to see what materialises and separate the speculation and rumours from fact.

Ahead of the  NPD Group’s release of official market data this week, game industry analysts have weighed in with their own sales predictions for the month of April, in the US.

Analyst firms Wedbush and EEDAR both predict that Microsoft’s Xbox 360 will be named the month’s top-selling console, with the “It only does everything, except go online” PlayStation 3 tipped to edge out the Wii.

Wedbush’s Micheal Pachter said in a research note that things aren’t looking great for the 3DS. “The long-awaited introduction of the 3DS has so far had a smaller impact than we originally expected,” he wrote.

“The handheld is off to a slow start, as a lack of compelling software has kept many consumers on the sidelines for the expensive hardware.”

Mostly because Nintendo have released an expensive piece of hardware with almost zero first-party application support. Well fucking played, guys…

On the software front, Pachter expects April sales to be dominated by everyone’s favourite puzzle-orgy, Portal 2, and everyone’s favourite guts-orgy, Mortal Kombat.

Here are the actual numbers for those who are interested:

Hardware sales estimates, Wedbush / EEDAR (year-over-year change):
360 – 315,000 (+70%) / 315,000 (+70%)
DS – 300,000 (-32%) / 325,000 (-26%)
PS3 – 210,000 (+16%) / 215,000 (+19%)
Wii – 215,000 (-22%) / 200,000 (-28%)
3DS – 200,000 (N/A) / 250,000 (N/A)
PSP – 90,000 (+37%) / 80,000 (+22%)
PS2 – 15,000 (-66%) / N/A
Total – 1,345,000 (+13%) / 1,385,000 (+16%)

Sony Computer Entertainment has provided the latest update on the whole PSN downtime business, while the service is fast approaching its third week of being offline.

Sony’s head of communications Nick Caplin, speaking on the PlayStation Blog, reiterated that the company will not restore the service to its functioning online status until it’s completely sure of security.

The statement from Sony Computer Entertainment reads as follows:

“As you may know, we’ve begun the process of restoring the service through internal testing of the new system. We’re still working to confirm the security of the network infrastructure, as well as working with a variety of outside entities to confirm with them of the security of the system. Verifying the system security is vital for the process of restoration.

“Additional comprehensive system checks and testing are still required, and we must complete that process before bringing the systems online.
As you’ve heard us say, our utmost priorities are the security of the network and ensuring your data is safe. We won’t restore the services until we can test the system’s strength in these respects.

“When we held the press conference in Japan last week, based on what we knew, we expected to have the services online within a week. We were unaware of the extent of the attack on Sony Online Entertainment servers, and we are taking this opportunity to conduct further testing of the incredibly complex system.

“We know many of you are wanting to play games online, chat with your friends and enjoy all of the services PlayStation Network and Qriocity services have to offer, and trust me when I say we’re doing everything we can to make it happen. We will update you with more information as soon as we have it. We apologize for the delay and inconvenience of this network outage.”

Elsewhere, in case you missed it, Sony revealed this past weekend that it will offer two free games to all PSN users for all of the trouble caused by PSN’s downtime and as a thank-you for those who remained patient.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope that things are back up and running as soon as possible.

If you’ve been following recent news over Sony’s PSN network outage and we know you have, you’ll be delighted to know that at least some PSN and Qriocity services will be available this week. Or will you? Here, have a read of the official statement by Sony regarding the latest on the mater:

SOME PLAYSTATION NETWORK AND QRIOCITY SERVICES TO BE AVAILABLE THIS WEEK

Phased Global Rollout of Services to Begin Regionally; System Security Enhanced to Provide Greater Protection of Personal Information.

Tokyo, May 1, 2011 – Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) and Sony Network Entertainment International (SNEI, the company) announced they will shortly begin a phased restoration by region of PlayStation®Network and Qriocity™ services, beginning with gaming, music and video services to be turned on. The company also announced both a series of immediate steps to enhance security across the network and a new customer appreciation program to thank its customers for their patience and loyalty.

Following a criminal cyber-attack on the company’s data-center located in San Diego, California, U.S.A., SNEI quickly turned off the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services, engaged multiple expert information security firms over the course of several days and conducted an extensive audit of the system. Since then, the company has implemented a variety of new security measures to provide greater protection of personal information. SNEI and its third-party experts have conducted extensive tests to verify the security strength of the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services. With these measures in place, SCE and SNEI plan to start a phased rollout by region of the services shortly. The initial phase of the rollout will include, but is not limited to, the following:

• Restoration of Online game-play across the PlayStation®3 (PS3) and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) systems
• This includes titles requiring online verification and downloaded games
• Access to Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity for PS3/PSP for existing subscribers
• Access to account management and password reset
• Access to download un-expired Movie Rentals on PS3, PSP and MediaGo
• PlayStation®Home
• Friends List
• Chat Functionality

Working closely with several outside security firms, the company has implemented significant security measures to further detect unauthorized activity and provide consumers with greater protection of their personal information. The company is also creating the position of Chief Information Security Officer, directly reporting to Shinji Hasejima, Chief Information Officer of Sony Corporation, to add a new position of expertise in and accountability for customer data protection and supplement existing information security personnel. The new security measures implemented include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Added automated software monitoring and configuration management to help defend against new attacks
• Enhanced levels of data protection and encryption
• Enhanced ability to detect software intrusions within the network, unauthorized access and unusual activity patterns
• Implementation of additional firewalls

The company also expedited an already planned move of the system to a new data center in a different location that has been under construction and development for several months. In addition, PS3 will have a forced system software update that will require all registered PlayStation Network users to change their account passwords before being able to sign into the service. As an added layer of security, that password can only be changed on the same PS3 in which that account was activated, or through validated email confirmation, a critical step to help further protect customer data.

The company is conducting a thorough and on-going investigation and working with law enforcement to track down and prosecute those responsible for the illegal intrusion.

“This criminal act against our network had a significant impact not only on our consumers, but our entire industry. These illegal attacks obviously highlight the widespread problem with cyber-security. We take the security of our consumers’ information very seriously and are committed to helping our consumers protect their personal data. In addition, the organization has worked around the clock to bring these services back online, and are doing so only after we had verified increased levels of security across our networks,” said Kazuo Hirai, Executive Deputy President, Sony Corporation. “Our global audience of PlayStation Network and Qriocity consumers was disrupted. We have learned lessons along the way about the valued relationship with our consumers, and to that end, we will be launching a customer appreciation program for registered consumers as a way of expressing our gratitude for their loyalty during this network downtime, as we work even harder to restore and regain their trust in us and our services.”

Complimentary Offering and “Welcome Back” Appreciation Program

While there is no evidence at this time that credit card data was taken, the company is committed to helping its customers protect their personal data and will provide a complimentary offering to assist users in enrolling in identity theft protection services and/or similar programs. The implementation will be at a local level and further details will be made available shortly in each region.

The company will also rollout the PlayStation Network and Qriocity “Welcome Back” program, to be offered worldwide, which will be tailored to specific markets to provide our consumers with a selection of service options and premium content as an expression of the company’s appreciation for their patience, support and continued loyalty.

• Each territory will be offering selected PlayStation entertainment content for free download. Specific details of this content will be announced in each region soon.
• All existing PlayStation Network customers will be provided with 30 days free membership in the PlayStation Plus premium service. Current members of PlayStation Plus will receive 30 days free service.
• Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity subscribers (in countries where the service is available) will receive 30 days free service.

Additional “Welcome Back” entertainment and service offerings will be rolled out over the coming weeks as the company returns the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services to the quality standard users have grown to enjoy and strive to exceed those exceptions.

SNEI will continue to reinforce and verify security for transactions before resuming the PlayStation®Store and other Qriocity operations, scheduled for this month.

For more information about the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services intrusion and restoration, please visit http://blog.us.playstation.com or http://blog.eu.playstation.com/

About Sony Corporation

Sony Corporation is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, game, communications, key device and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. With its music, pictures, computer entertainment and on-line businesses, Sony is uniquely positioned to be the leading electronics and entertainment company in the world. Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of approximately $78 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2010. Sony Global Web Site: http://www.sony.net/

About Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Recognized as the global leader and company responsible for the progression of consumer-based computer entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) manufactures, distributes and markets the PlayStation® game console, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system and the PlayStation®3 (PS3®) system. PlayStation has revolutionized home entertainment by introducing advanced 3D graphic processing, and PlayStation 2 further enhances the PlayStation legacy as the core of home networked entertainment. PSP is a handheld entertainment system that allows users to enjoy 3D games, with high-quality full-motion video, and high-fidelity stereo audio. PS3 is an advanced computer system, incorporating the state-of-the-art Cell processor with super computer like power. SCEI, along with its subsidiary divisions Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd., and Sony Computer Entertainment Korea Inc. develops, publishes, markets and distributes software, and manages the third party licensing programs for these platforms in the respective markets worldwide. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, SCEI is an independent business unit of the Sony Group.

The always-on DRM systems that many developers/publishers embed into their games in the war on piracy have yet to curb piracy by any noticeable margins but they have succeeded in frustrating at least one in every 3 gamers; and quite often too. Capcom’s system is the latest to cause widespread annoyance, no rage-quitting though because players can’t even access the games.

Capcom’s specific anti-piracy system requires an active connection to PSN for games to be played, even if you’re playing offline. This is a problem since PSN has been down for a number of days now and could be down for a few more.

Capcom has confirmed that Bionic Commando Rearmed 2, Final Fight/ Magic Sword game pack are both unplayable as a result of PSN currently being down. Admittedly not the biggest loss if you can’t play these games.

Sony continues to work to bring PSN back online after an “external intrusion” forced the company to take the system down. DRM continues to do absolutely nothing to prevent piracy.

Again we give you a graphical representation of what DRM is in-fact doing to the paying consumer:

Exhibit A

According to Epic Games VP Mark Rein, the all new DX11 Unreal Engine, which was showcased at GDC last month with a tech demo, justifies the next generation of gaming consoles from Sony and Microsoft. The studio claims that the engine’s support for DirectX 11 (DX11), physics engine PhysX, APEX, and NVIDIA 3D vision brought “bring unprecedented new levels of realism”.

“The DX11 demo itself, that’s our love letter to hardware manufacturers. We’re able to give people another road map. If companies are building new consoles – and, who knows, I mean Apple just released an iPad that’s nine times the power of its predecessor.

“If Apple continues on this scale, they’ll have a device that can run this [points to Unreal Engine DX11 demo] in a couple of years. But, that demo we’ve shown is aimed at the game console makers. We’re telling them that this is the big leap that we think justifies that new piece of hardware you’re going to build, and we’re telling them that this is what we need next-gen consoles to be capable of, because we can’t build a more powerful PC than the one that’s running the DX11 demo! [Laughs]

“For us, now when we sit down with various companies and talk about the future, the discussion is no longer theoretical. We can show them this. We can say ‘here’s our demo, try it on your hardware’. And we want feedback – let us know what we can simplify, let us know what we can improve.”

The PS3 still has at least 5 years on its acclaimed life span while the Xbox 360 may trundle along for some years still so I doubt whether this really justifies the next generation of consoles. Also, both consoles should certainly be capable of handling the engine, if not a bit stretched.

Quantic Dream boss and Heavy Rain creator David Cage has made claim that he isn’t about to leave the PlayStation just yet, calling Sony’s console the “best platform out there.”

Speaking during a chat with CVG, Cage spoke of Quantic Dream’s “fantastic” relationship with Sony during the course of Heavy Rain’s development, and described Sony’s internal studios portfolio as the ‘best in the world.’

“The relationship on Heavy Rain has been fantastic,” enthused Cage. “They trusted us from day one, supported us all the way through. It was really a very risky project [for them] and they never let us down.”

“Being a part of a company with the best studios in the world is something really pleasant for us. We’re happy to continue this relationship and create content for the PlayStation brand. But they fund our projects, so we’re staying exclusive to PlayStation.”

“I am very loyal in general – or I try to be. I know that trusting me is always a big risk and when people do, I feel like I owe them something. It’s not just because I want to thank them, though. We have a relationship that works, we’re excited by the platform – we think it’s the best platform out there. We’re glad to continue to work this way.”

When asked if Quantic shared tech with Sony’s internal studios, Cage side-stepped a little bit, but he did confirm that the studio often engages with the likes of Naughty Dog and Guerrilla Games and other great studios.

“We talk to Naughty Dog, Santa Monica, Guerrilla, Media Molecule – all these great studios,” he revealed. “We talk about technology, best practise, how we do things – we share experience and expertise. I think that’s of real value for everybody.”

Personally, I’m a big fan of David Cage and his work on Indigo Prophecy (Fahrenheit) and Heavy Rain, and I’m eager to see what his next project looks like.

Speaking of, Cage recently revealed that has interest in working on a war-themed game as soon as his business with current projects is sealed.

Scott McCarthy, the senior brand manager for Sony’s MLB: The Show, has revealed that the big guys over at Sony are making PS3-only in-game content their priority instead of PS3 exclusive titles.

McCarthy was recently asked by Scrawl FX if Sony is still working together with third party developers in order to secure exclusives.

He replied: “We work very closely with our 3rd parties publishers, not necessarily to lock down games exclusively, but to lock up exclusive parts of games. A good example is Batman: Arkham Asylum, where you could only play as the Joker on PlayStation 3.

“When you make a title exclusive, you limit its promotional power; we don’t want to do that. We want games to be as big as possible – it’s great for the industry.

“However,” he added, “we want to make sure that you play it on the best system possible, so we like to take parts of games and make them exclusive to the PlayStation system.”

Sounds reasonable, and it’s great to get extra exclusive goodies with each game purchased.

SCEI chief Kazuo Hirai has revealed that the matter of a next-next generation console, in this case a PlayStation 4, is something that Sony hasn’t even started debating yet.

Chatting to PC Impress Watch (although it had to be translated by Eurogamer), Hirai once again reminded us all that Sony is targeting a 10 year life span for the PlayStation 3, and because of this people shouldn’t be waiting in anticipation for a PlayStation 4.

“As regards home consoles, the PS3 was put into business in 2006, and it has a 10 year life cycle,” said Hirai.

“This means that we aren’t even at the halfway point. There are certainly many more desirable first and third party titles coming out. As we announce and implement new initiatives on an annual basis, I still believe in the importance of improving the software and feature set of the PS3.”

He went on to add that the PS3, together with the upcoming Next-Generation Portable (NGP), will be the product of what Sony describes as a “new, co-operative partnership.”

Hirai said that this is currently where Sony’s attention is for the future.

“I think the value of the PS3 will continue to rise. Because of this, a near-future PS4 or next-generation home console is not something that we are even debating now. That is to say, we are still concentrating fully upon the PS3. Right now, I appeal to you to think of the PS3 and NGP as a new, co-operative partnership,” he revealed.

The PlayStation 3 first launched in Japan and North America all the way back in November 2006, while the European and of course the South African debut happened in March 2007.

*Note: Don’t let the header image mislead you. It doesn’t mean anything in the context of the article – just looks cool.*

It’s official, after much speculation and countless rumours, Sony has made a PSP Phone or a gaming phone, whatever you want to call it. It will be known as the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY and will combine the best that both Sony Ericsson and PlayStation have to offer for such a device.

The Play will land in March in the US preloaded with 50 games, 4” multi-touch display and a very decent 5.0 megapixel camera with LED flash. Of course a big feature on the phone is its dedicated gaming controls which slide out and come complete with right/left shoulder buttons, touch-pad analogue sticks and to put those gaming controls to good use, the Play wil use the 1GHz Snapdragon processor and further optimised with enhanced GPU the Adreno 205.

Besides the dedicated gaming and PlayStation features, the Play will run on the latest Android platform and subsequently be open to all the great customisation, personalisation and apps that it offers. PlayStation features will come via the PlayStation Pocket App although it is believed that PSN functionality and the downloading of games will be dealt with separately.

Here’s a decidedly comprehensive list of just about everything you need to know about the Xperia PLAY. Unfortunately, the two key factors: namely price and release date are crucially unknown. Since it will release in the US in March, we can only assume that it will hit SA around the first quarter of next year (that is usually the trend with phones) and as far as price is concerned, it’s anybody’s guess but my personal estimate wouldn’t put the standalone price anywhere above R7500. If you find the list of features and specs a tad too lnegthy and, err, wordy for your tastes just skip straight past it all to see the Engadget video preview which, despite a difficult to handle accent, will show you exactly what the phone is about, what it’s functionality is like and how all the key features work. Sony has yet to release any of the games that will be available for the phone at launch and so you will notice a stark lack of any gameplay in the preview but fear not because the third-party has come to the rescue.

The Xperia Play will support third-party PSX (PS1) and GBA emulators and there’s a nice little video after the Engadget preview to show you just what it’s like and should give you a fairly good idea of what gaming will be like on the Play. The full graphics capabilities of this machine are still something I’d love to see. Bare in mind that the phones in the videos are preview models and any minor issues that are encountered in the videos will almost certainly be solved by the time the phone releases in March and most definitely by the time it finally crawls onto SA shores.

*Talk time GSM/GPRS: Up to 8 hrs 25 min*
*Standby time GSM/GPRS: Up to 425 hrs*
*Talk time UMTS: Up to 6 hrs 25 min*
*Standby time UMTS: Up to 413 hrs*
*Talk time CDMA2000®: Up to 7 hrs 40 min*
*Standby time CDMA2000®: Up to 405 hrs*
*Game play time: Up to 5 hrs 35 min*
*MP3 playback: Up to 30 hrs 35 min*

Camera
5.1 megapixel camera
Auto focus
Flash / Photo light
Geo tagging
Image stabiliser
Send to web
Touch focus
Video light
Video recording
Video blogging

Music
Album art
Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
Google™ Music Player
Music tones (MP3/AAC)
PlayNow™ service*
Sony Ericsson Music player
Stereo speakers
TrackID™ music recognition application

Internet
Android Market™*
Bookmarks
Google™ search*
Google™ Voice Search*
Pan & zoom
Web browser (Webkit)

Communication
Call list
Conference calls
Facebook™ application (from Android Market™)
Google™ Talk*
Noise Shield
Polyphonic ringtones
Speakerphone
Sony Ericsson Timescape™***
Twitter™ application (from Android Market™)
Vibrating alert

Messaging
Android Cloud to Device messaging (C2DM)
Conversations
Email
Google Mail™*
Instant messaging
Picture messaging (MMS)
Predictive text input
Sound recorder
Text messaging (SMS)

Design
Auto rotate
Keyboard (onscreen, 12 key)
Keyboard (onscreen, QWERTY)
Picture wallpaper
Touchscreen
Wallpaper animation

Entertainment
3D games
Dedicated gaming keys
Flash Lite™
Gesture gaming
Motion gaming
Video streaming
YouTube™

Organiser
Alarm clock
Calculator
Calendar
Document editors
Document readers
E-Manual
Flight mode
Google Calendar™
Google Gallery 3D™
Infinite button
Phone book
Set-up Wizard
Widget manager

Connectivity
3.5 mm audio jack
aGPS
Bluetooth™ technology
DLNA Certified
Google Latitude™
Google Location Service
Google Maps™ with Street View
Media Transfer Protocol support
Micro USB Connector
Modem
Synchronisation via Facebook™**
Synchronisation via Google Sync™
Synchronisation via Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync®
Synchronisation via Sony Ericsson Sync
USB 2.0 high speed support
Wi-Fi™
Wi-Fi™ Hotspot functionality
* The service is not available in all markets.
** Requires Facebook™ application installed on the device.

Google™ services*
* These services may not be available in every market Android Market™ Client

Gmail™
Google Calendar™
Google Gallery 3D™
Google Latitude™
Google Maps™ with Street View
Google Media Uploader
Google Music Player™
Google Phone-top Search
Google Search widget
Google Sync™
Google Talk™
Google Voice Search
Set-up Wizard
YouTube™

Facts
Size: 119 x 62 x 16 mm
Weight: 175 grams
Phone memory: 400 MB
Memory card support: microSD™, up to 32 GB
Memory card included: 8GB microSD™
Operating system: Google™ Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
Processor: 1 GHz Scorpion ARMv7

Sony Ericsson Xperia Play Engadget Preview

Third-Party Emulators On Xperia Play

Is it an iPhone-killer or just maybe the one to really put Android on the map despite its steadily growing support? Only time will tell but it’s a safe bet that the Xperia Play will be something quite special and definitely not a rehash of the woeful Nokia N-Gage.

Ever since I can remember, when you buy a PC game you have to enter a code to install or play it, now Sony’s PS3 may be headed the same way. It started with a bunch of hackers who managed to round the PS3′s security system, went on to a lawsuit against said hackers and may conclude badly for all of us, not just the hackers.

According to Dutch site PS3-Sense, Sony is considering implementing serial codes as a security measure in much the same way as PC games. You would have a lengthy 10-or-so digit code that you have to punch and that would only work on a maximum of 5 consoles. While it is without doubt that some bright sparks will find a way to negate these codes, they will still annoy and frustrate the average gamer and retailer alike.

Entering the code will be a task that you know you shouldn’t have the need to do and lending games out will effectively become a measure of who your real friends are. People will have to start thinking long and hard about who they lend their games to and as a result only your absolute closest friends will receive your games and vice versa. Hell, I’ve already loaned several of my games out more than 4 times and still sold them.

This is another drawback of Sony’s possible scheme, the second-hand market will dry up. Buy a game that’s been loaned out too many times and you won’t even be able to play it.

When confronted by Kotaku, Sony has this to say:

“We are looking at a few options”, but are “not ready to confirm our next steps yet”.

For the love of God don’t do this. The piracy paranoia that’s gripping the gaming industry already threatens the PC, don’t let it spread to consoles as well. Like DRM and a host of other equally ludicrous ideas, companies are taking the wrong direction. Instead of making life more difficult for the honest gamer, reward them with retail incentives.

According to a source who attended a Sony NGP developer meeting recently, Sony is pushing for developers to make cross-platform games that will be designed to work across both the NGP and PS3.

“They want us to do cross-platform,” the source told Eurogamer.

However, Sony has apparently said that it “does not want exactly the same game” on the NGP and PS3.

“They want at least some kind of interactivity between the two versions with NGP-only extras,” the site was told.

“Any shaders for PS3 stuff will just work,” said the source. “We won’t have to rewrite. What would have taken two-to-three months before looks like it could take just one-to-two weeks now. The architecture is obviously different, but it’s the same development environment.”

In the developer presentation Sony listed the wifi only NGP model to be releasing in “2011″, while the 3G-included model was listed as “Holiday Season 2011″, which possibly means that the 3G model won’t be available at the console’s launch.

It was also revealed that pricing details and a more specific release date would be provided “very soon”.

Sony may have just reinvented the wheel with the rear touch pad that will feature on its NGP (PSP2) handheld console.

The NGP has an OLED touch screen which in itself is nothing to boast about despite the awesome visual quality that teh screen can produce but what really sets the NGp apart from its competitors is not the touch-screen up front but the one in the rear. The rear pad is the same size as the screen and therefore allows for intuitive and instinctive touch interface with every movement on the rear pad being able to correspond perfectly with what’s on-screen.

Sure, using the front touch-screen as one would in any other touch interface isn’t exactly impossible but especially where gaming is concerned, it can clutter the screen up so being able to keep the screen completely clear gives you a perfect view of the screen. It is also a very natural place for your fingers to be since your hands tend to wrap around a controller/handheld console anyway.

Interestingly, there is an iPod patent froma few year’s ago which boasts similar tech but Sony is intent on filing their own patent. There are also plans to extend the technology to other Sony devices possibly phones and maybe even some new kind of PS3 control but we can dream for now.

Yes, the PS3 Slim has gone bling with a Satin Silver colour option coming in March. Luckily, it is not actually plated in silver and will therefore cost the same as a regular PS3 and will even come with a DualShock 3 controller.

Unfortunately, the silver Ps3 has only been announced for Japan at present and it is not yet known whether it will sneak out to the rest of the world. I have an oroginal PS3 in white, which I got from Malaysia and I’ve never seen another anywhere else.

While it is not a listed feature, it’s safe to assume that a silver DualShock 3 to the heart will safely kill the kind of sissy werewolves that frequent the silver screen when a new Twilight gets rolled out each year.

The much rumoured and very intriguing PlayStation Phone seems to be quite real having received a handful of reviews along with some fersh shots of the device.

Officially the XPERIA Play, the device is said to have a solid 1 GHz of processing power and according to reviwes, employs a very similar UI to the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Arc and contains 315MB of memory with the option, like most Android phones, to ramp it up with a bigger memory card.

The Play comes with Timescae, a new media menu and a PlayStation Pocket app which will allow PSN-exclusive games. Unfortunately, the service wasn’t live at the time of the reviews and so could not be tested but it has been claimed that the Play will feature PSN access.

The XPERIA Play is expected to be announced during tyhe Mobile World Congress in Barcelona fro 14-17 February and rumoured to be set for a June 2011 release which means that it could find its way into SA early on in 2012. Provided all the rumours pan out.

Read the review here

Thought the PS2 was dead did you? Thought it was only still on sale in 3rd World countries where everyone is called Jose, Juan or Agmed? Well think again because the PS2 is still alive and kicking albeit on life support.

You see, it’s been symbioted onto this Sonia Bravia LCD TV. Officially it’s recently been released in Europe and features a 22” screen with 4 HDMI ports, 2 optical audio ports and 3 USB ports. What’s more they’ve incorporated a PS2 into the base of the TV to give it not only built in gaming functionality but also make it a combo DVD/CD player.

At around $310 (R 2400) it’s a great buy even if you get a puny screen and outdated console. At least you’ll have a piece of gaming history and be able to play all those original copies of God of War or Shadow of the Colossus or the Sands of Time trilogy.

Sony will be releasing goodies in February to coincide with the release of the hotly anticipated Killzone 3, namely the “Jungle Green” Dual Shock 3 controller and the “Sharp Shooter” PlayStation Move gun attachment.

Priced at $39.99, which is about R276.61, and looking really cool, Sony is quite adamant that this gun will be the revolutionary enhancement to motion control in shooters.

“The PlayStation Move sharp shooter provides the most intuitive and immersive control experience for shooter games,” says Sony.

“The streamlined design features easily accessible buttons, responsive digital trigger, realistic pump-action, firing mode selector, adjustable shoulder stock and convenient access to the navigation controller, allowing gamers to take aim and move into the firefight for hours of comfortable and engaging gameplay.”

The PlayStation Blog writes:

The PlayStation Move sharp shooter houses both the motion controller and navigation controller, giving you complete control over aiming, movement and interaction within the game. It will truly offer the most intuitive and immersive control experience ever found in a shooter game. It was designed for both comfort and precision, including easily accessible buttons, a responsive digital trigger, adjustable shoulder stock and convenient access to the navigation controller. In addition, the sharp shooter has incorporated a firing mode selector, realistic pump-action and a reload button that allow for new ways of engagement.

So what games will you be able to use the PlayStation Move Sharp Shooter with? The PlayStation Move sharp shooter was designed specifically with games such as Killzone 3 and SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs in mind and even comes with a Killzone 3 and SOCOM 4 sticker pack. Other compatible titles include Time Crisis: Razing Storm and Dead Space Extraction, but you can expect many more upcoming games that will work with it as well.

Check out the gadget below. If it’s looking plain to you, Anand Agarwal, Product Marketing Manager at Sony, said in a comment on the blog, in response to a reader, that “the sharp shooter will come with Killzone3 and SOCOM4 stickers for you to dress it up with.”

As for the new Dual Shock 3 “Jungle Green” controller, it’s basically just a standard controller with different looks. It may be called Green, but the back casing is black, and while it looks pretty decent, the price isn’t going to make many people happy. Then again, it’s hard to accept sometimes how expensive controllers actually are. Either way, the new controller will cost $54.99, which is round about R380, but that price will be very different over here in South Africa of course.

It looks like Sony has churned out a wireless keypad that fits on to the SIXAXIS and Dualshock3 controller.

The keypad provides the freedom to use texting and mouse input capabilities, all while maintaining full gameplay functionality in one easy-to-hold device.

This Bluetooth^® device attaches to any Dualshock3 or SIXAXIS wireless controller and enables effortless internet browsing, e-mailing and instant messaging on the PlayStation^®Network and PlayStation^®Home.

It features a touch pad allowing convinient scrolling and mouse input on the PS3 system on-screen display as well as dedicated short cut keys providing instant access to ‘Message Box’ and other online communication applications on the PlayStation Network.

• Key Features:
• QWERTY keypad designed for fast, thumbs-only typing.
• Touch pad mode turns the main key area into a touch pad. When touch pad button is pressed, user can not use the keys for character input but can slide her finger on this area to select something on the screen. On the internet browser, user can see a cursor when this mode is set on.
• Dedicated short cut keys provide instant access to text-based communication applications on the PlayStation^®Network.
• Automatic pairing with the PS3™ system via a USB cable.
• Charges by connecting it directly to the PS3™ system using a USB cable.Technical Specifications
• Bluetooth^® 2.0
• Up to 33 feet (10 meters) operating range
• USB 2.0 full speed (for battery charging and Bluetooth^® pairing only)
• Rechargeable Lithium-ion polymer battery (Capacity – 610mAh)

It sells for about R443,60-R466.95 on Kalahari and R438 on Take2

The Crytek boss is back praising the PC. Cevat Yerli said this time round that Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 developers are holding back on game quality for the PC. Yerli firmly believes that PC is a generation ahead of consoles.

Yerli admits that his own studio, Crytek, is being limited by Sony and Microsoft and that’s why they are developing games with mediocrity for the PC.

“As long as the current console generation exists and as long as we keep pushing the PC as well, the more difficult it will be to really get the benefit of both,” said Yerli.

“PC is easily a generation ahead right now. With 360 and PS3, we believe the quality of the games beyond Crysis 2 and other CryEngine developments will be pretty much limited to what their creative expressions is, what the content is. You won’t be able to squeeze more juice from these rocks.”

According to Yerli, games which do not reach full potential on PC can be blamed on consoles.

“I generally think it’s still developers’ mentality [that is to blame],” he said. “A lot nowadays don’t consider PC a big issue any more; their [sales] expectations are nowhere near what they are for the console versions. Until the PC market creates comparable revenues, companies are not going to spend enough on the PC SKU of a game.”

Earlier this year Yerli said that PC games will soon be king as they will be available for free with players having to buy in-game features and extras. Essentially, monetizing of PC games will change completely and the market will once again be popular.

Obviously PC vs Console is a hot topic, and there are loads of reads as to why PC is being neglected. For one, people wouldn’t like to upgrade all the time to play new games – a problem which many have whenever something impressive is released. This problem doesn’t concern consoles.

To be honest, PC technology surpasses that of console however it’s pointless to upgrade because nothing needs so much power.

Is it fair for PC to suffer?

VUDU, a popular HD movie Streaming service, is coming to the PlayStation 3 next week.

VUDU is pay-as-you-go HD streaming service, and it is one of the few services to offer full 1080p HD films with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. It contains over 4,000 HD movies and it’s Cloud based, so users do not have to download or wait for lengthy buffering times.

Users can rent or buy the movies they wish to watch, where the availability of the movies will sync with the Blu-Ray release date.

PlayStation 3 users will be able to download the movie streaming service through the PlayStation Stone, after which they can access the service on their XMB. If the user has a PlayStation Move, they can use it as a pointer.

Sony is gearing up to launch a new Bluetooth headset for the PlayStation 3 “soon”.

It will be made available at US retailers this month for $49.99, which is approximately R340.37, and this is round about the same price as 2008′s original headset. Details regarding a UK and South African launch for this headset have not been revealed yet, but the packaging for the headset has European writing on it, so we might hear more about that soon.

Naturally, the identical price means that there should be some changes, as buying the same thing again wouldn’t be all that appealing.

“New features include a redesign, making it sleeker, high-gloss and more compact – 30% smaller than the original model,” says Sony.

“In addition, the Bluetooth Headset now has built-in noise cancellation for filtering out ambient noise when used with the PS3 system as well as your mobile phone.

“Gadget fiends take note – the new Bluetooth Headset isn’t just for gaming. The improved mobile phone feature support allows you to use features such as three-way calling and call waiting. And with nearly six hours of talk time, you can easily take the Bluetooth Headset with you straight from the living room to the streets.”

The new headset will be compatible with devices that feature Bluetooth 1.1 and above.

Sony made quite an impressive impact on us back when we reviewed the PlayStation Move. However, we were unfortunately unable to trial and test the Move Navigator, which is the secondary controller meant to be used alongside the Move, as it was not released over here at the time.

Now, we’ve happily gotten our hands on the little gadget and we’ve given it a thorough play with our Move kit – and here are the results of our experience.

The Design

The PlayStation Move Navigator, for those who don’t know, is a secondary controller designed to be used in conjunction with Move, acting as the left side of a standard PS3 controller.  The device features a PS button in the centre with a nicely implemented D-pad just above it. On the left and ride sides you’ll find the and face buttons, while at the top of the controller is a smooth left analogue stick, which is also able to use the L3 button function by pushing it down. At the back of the controller, behind the analogue stick, there are the L1 and L2 trigger buttons. While the L2 feels similar to the PS3 controller’s marshmallow triggers, it’s much smaller and easier to control and press, making it effective. Lastly, at the tail section of the controller there is a USB port for connecting the controller to your PS3 to either synchronise or charge the device. Also, there is space to fit a wrist strap on it, in case you’re fearful of accidentally throwing it.

The PlayStation Move Navigator feels great in your hand, it’s easy to grip and is very light. The analogue stick and trigger buttons are smooth and great to use, but the L1 button can at times feel a little awkward if you press it at certain angles. However, that doesn’t prevent it from working without any issues. The buttons are solid and deliver good tactile feedback.

Overall, it’s easy to say that we’re really happy with the design, which was to be expected after the fantastic design of the PlayStation Move controller itself.

The Play

Due to the great design of the Navigator, it already manages to become a great replacement to a standard controller when used with Move, before even testing it out. Naturally though, the real fun comes in when using it, in certain games that require it of course, and it’s here that the device proves to be excellent. The Navigator is instantly responsive and incredibly easy to use, requiring absolutely no time to get used to, which is perhaps what can make it an instant hit. It just works great, and this was to be expected as the device is not only part of the Move get up, but is also an infinitely better option than holding a standard controller in one hand and using the left side of it only.

It’s great to use, and easily manages to make gaming with the Move much more enjoyable.

The Verdict

There is not much more that really needs to be said about the Move Navigator, save for the fact that the device will cost you around R300 at retail. While it may be roughly half the price of a brand new PS3 Dualshock 3 controller, there is no doubt that it’s definitely worth the money to anyone who owns PlayStation Move, and it will make gaming with the motion control device a far more enjoyable experience.

The PSP Phone that popped up on tech site Engadget  about a week ago has now been confirmed to be the real thing.

At least, that’s what Engadget has said after numerous claims that the specs and shots of the phone were fake. The site stated that the details came from multiple trusted sources.

“The PlayStation Phone in the photos we ran last night, and the device reported on back in August is most definitely real,” says the site.

“We’re not saying that because we want to believe or because we’re gingerly trying to nab pageviews: we’re saying it because we know it to be true. This is a device which has been confirmed through multiple, trusted sources,” it adds.

“And we’re not just talking good tipsters — some of our information comes from people much more closely connected to the project.”

The phone has been codenamed ‘Zeus’ (an indication of some serious power?) and is said to be running Google’s Android OS. If you need further confirmation, Sony’s Peter Dille openlya dmitted to CNN that the PSP console is not capable of fulfilling the company’s vision of having devices that allow PSN to be on all the time.

“I don’t think we fully realise that vision with a Wi-Fi device,” he said. “If it’s not connected [to a mobile network] then it does sort of limit people.”

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman present during the PSP-related interview reiterated: “We have relationships with Google.”

The firm’s Sony Ericsson division uses Android in its handsets – but there has been no Google/PlayStation crossover up to now.

Dille said he wasn’t worried by iPhone’s dominance of the handheld market as its games were “time-killers”, which PSP’s audience didn’t care for.

CNN reports: ‘But “the portable market moves so fast,” he said. At six years, the PSP may be looking dry. Indeed, Sony has had to reverse its marketing strategy to target younger gamers for that system, Dille said.’

A PSP Phone running Android… oh the possibilities.

Sony is planning to release a series of tutorial videos for its XMB interface used on both the PS3 and PSP. This will apparently help users to unlock the interface’s hidden secrets and unleash its true potential.

PSN director Susan Panico says the company is “creating educational videos that will be a great welcome kit for people that are coming to the PS3 and the PlayStation Network.” It will promote some features that new users may not know about, and answer questions such as “How do I make Netflix do its thing on my thing with the thing?”

I’m not entirely sure if this is entirely necessary although the Ps3′s interface is undoubtedly the most complicated with both the Xbox 360 and Wii’s being very easy to use and navigate. It’s nota s if the XMB interface is completely unfathomable though. I would be interested to know what some of those hidden secrets are.

Sony’s President and CEO, Jack Tretton released a blog post in celebration of the PlayStation 2′s 10th birthday for the North American market where he praised the console for upping the standards of gaming.

Tretton said that “the industry was forever changed by the introduction of a device that came built in with a DVD/CD player and offered Internet connectivity and online gameplay for the very first time.”

According to Tretton the PS2′s contribution to the gaming world offered new franchises and new technologies to fans.

“The PS2 went on to introduce brand new entertainment formats, such as motion technology with the EyeToy and has broken several industry milestones,” said the CEO.

He then added that the “PS2 is also solely responsible for bringing to market some of today’s most well known and beloved franchises such as Ratchet and Clank, Killzone, God of War, SOCOM, and Jak and Daxter.”

In celebration of the console Sony put together a clip which looks at the journey of the PlayStation brand.

The European birthday for the PlayStation 2 is next month.

It’s been an incredible 15 years since the Sony PlayStation launched in Europe, it’s only 2 years younger than me! What underscores this milestone is the fact that the PS brand and everything that goes with it has become such an overwhelming success is that when the console was initially released, analysts and experts expected it to fall flat on its face.

Some key members of the SCE Europe team get nostalgic and divulge some pretty interesting things about the creation of what is arguably the greatest series of consoles in gaming history, next to Game Boy and Xbox (which is still quite young).

“Not only was the original PlayStation console new, so was the company,” recalls SCE UK boss Ray Maguire. “Although most of us came from the games industry, Sony had no credentials in video games and the pundits thought we would fail. As a start up, we had the chance to ‘do it another way’. The early years were about establishing PlayStation as a brand and although the business today is very different, it’s as much fun and as rewarding as it ever was.”

R&D boss Paul Holman remembers the firm keeping its tech in a cooler – as it was so cutting edge.

“Back in 1995, a typical console game could be made in 12 to 28 months by a few dozen people at most,” he says. “We communicated with them via a cutting-edge BBS Bulletin Board System, which was basically a 486-based PC with a number of modem cards next to my desk. The CD was a new and expensive novelty that we kept in fridges during the ramp up to the original PlayStation’s launch. Flip forward to 2010 and games need Blu-ray Discs to hold all their content, while teams range from 70 to 100 people, to a tiny crew working on a PSN game.”

How far we’ve come, just imagine where we’ll be 15 years from now.

About a week ago we mentioned a Move Rifle. Now the problem with the rifle is that it was only available in foreign places and we were heartbroken because we thought we were going to miss-out on its shear badass-ness.

Below is the Move Rifle available to the rest of the world i.e the US of A. (They do seem to think they are the whole world) :

That is what they have.

We have something Similar in South Africa!

Below are what we found so far, on take 2, which makes it available to us here in Suid-Afrika.

Designed by Logic 3.

the move "machine gun"

and

the "move sports gun"

You can see them for yourself here.

As you can see the “move machine gun” is quite weak, but it serves the same purpose as the move rifle – which is featuring a place for the navigational controller as pictured at the beginning of the article.

The “sports gun”, however, seems to be pretty hardcore. It’s a freaking Peace Maker.

While I was doing some research, I happened to come across something very, very interesting.

We really hope all of those come to South Africa. They are just all, well most of them, so freaking awesome. Let’s hope that the Move Rifle and all the others find their way to our Move Controllers in South Africa.

We all remember that at E3 a pistol/gun peripheral attachment was announced for the move. Well there seems to be something much better and much more badass.

Behold the Move rifle:

Acording to CVG:

“It’s listed on the US Amazon site for $29.99 and is apparently usually bought alongside the Move Precision Shot 3 at $24.99.”

As for Suid Afrika none of our online retailers have stock of this amazing awesome piece of equipment.

This attachment is what We and I personally have been waiting for. Imagine Killzone 3 with this baby.

When someone that studied avionics at MIT, has a PhD in underwater robotics from Stanford and is the father of the EyeToy, PlayStation Eye and the PlayStation Move, says something you usually listen to what they have to say.

Meet Dr. Richard Marks.

However this is not eGameFame so that’s the last you are going to hear about the guy himself.We are more interested in what he had to say.

Right now he has a thing for buttons such as those on the move and the ones you wont find anywhere near the Kinect.

In an interview with Edge Marks was asked to respond to Microsoft’s ‘one controller is too many’ position, and said that although using cameras provide new opportunities, they are also quite limited.

“I don’t think that point of view is quite right. When we did EyeToy we wanted to create a new way to play games but we didn’t want to replace the existing way. I think that you can do some things really well with just a camera, or just a 3D camera, but there’s just some stuff you can’t do as well.”

When asked if he thought buttons could be intimidating the good doctor stood firm on the relevance of the universal input method.

“Buttons are irreplaceable as an input device. Too many buttons are overwhelming, but one single action button is very powerful feeling. For core games you really do need a set of buttons to quickly choose things. Trying to replace buttons with gestures doesn’t work very well.”

Let us know about your experiences with the move if you have bought or tried it out. I know I got so into it I ended up with a sprained shoulder.

iFixIt.com has taken it upon themselves to dismantle the PlayStation Move to see how it was made. There’s quite a lot inside this nifty piece of technology, and while we’d love to talk about it – you should probably rather head on over to the site that took it apart.

You can however, read our review here.