Gaming Blog

Playstation 3

Next-gen woes

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Playstation presentation

Gamers all over the world are hotly anticipating the launch of the newest gaming consoles from Sony and Nintendo. Both Sony�s Playstation 3 and Nintendo�s Wii are the hottest topics in almost all of the gaming forums online. And I really understand where all the excitement is coming from. Heck, I think I�m even one of them!Nintendo�s Wii, though not quite a graphics powerhouse when compared to the HD machines of both Sony and Microsoft, is getting a lot of buzz because of its very noble attempt to try to redefine how people play games. The company is known for its spirit of innovation and it looks like Team Nintendo is going to outdo themselves with Wii. The much vaunted controller is really getting strong positive reaction from the gaming community and, personally, I can�t wait until I try it for myself. And we�re not yet even talking about the games side of Nintendo�s console! With a number of games at launch coming from Shigeru Miyamoto himself, Nintendo is really gearing for an impressive debut.

But it looks like things are not running as smoothly at Camp Sony. The enthusiasm for the debut of Playstation 3 is only getting more dampened with a series of pronouncements from Sony itself. First, they announced that the projected units that will be released on launch day will be cut from 2 million to a mere 500,000. And then they followed this with the announcement that the launch in Europe will be moved to March 2007. These news is not helping Sony one bit. And it will be interesting to see how it will impact the console�s performance come launch day.

Rumors abound of two Gran Turismo �flavors�

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One of the biggest rumors circling around the gaming community is that there will be two versions of the venerable Gran Turismo franchise for the PlayStation 3.

The source of the information was an alleged interview with Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi in the Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu. Based on that interview Gran Turismo will be arriving in stores in two distinct forms. One to be called Gran Turismo HD: Premium and one called Gran Turismo HD: Classic.

The Premium �version� of the game will use the full graphics capabilities of the PS3 and will also include 30 cars and two courses. Gamers will have the option to buy more cars or courses later. There will also be one particular mode that will not include the usual Gran Turismo gameplay of winning races and earning cars and medals.

The Classic version, on the other hand, will allegedly came with no cars or courses and will basically be the demo that was made playable during the recently held Electronic Entertainment Expo. Based on the interview, the 750 cars can each be downloaded for 50 to 100 yen � about $0.43 to $0.86. While the 50 race tracks can be downloaded for 200 to 500 yen ($1.72 to $4.30) each.

Understandably, many gamers are up in arms over this exploitation of the concept of microtransactions. Even though there are certain benefits to microtransactions (publishers can get additional revenue, while gamers can choose what additions they want to put in their games for a fraction of the price, this kind of interpretation of microtransactions can be potentially harmful not just for the concept itself but also for Sony as they can be seen as money hungry with no concern for what is fair to gamers.

Sony Commits To Replace Sixaxis Batteries

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When Sony revealed the details about its new Sixaxis PlayStation 3 controllers one of the first concerns that were raised by many people was its lifespan. This concern was brought about by Sony�s announcement that the controllers will have built in lithium ion batteries and these are inaccessible to users. In other words the batteries are not replaceable. Of course, the immediate question became � what would happen to the controllers when the batteries are already dead? The prospect of disposable controllers was not a good idea because of the high price of replacement or extra controllers.Consumers and gamers can now breathe a collective sigh of relief because Sony is planning on setting up a service where wireless PS3 controllers can be replaced if the lithium batteries have already degraded and could not carry a charge anymore. The company has not yet given the exact details on the service as well as the cost for changing the controllers.

[tags]PS3, Playstation 3, Sony, Sixaxis[/tags]

Sony reveals accessories, Blu-ray bundle for PS3

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As part of its participation in the Gamers’ Day event being held in San Francisco, Sony finally revealed the first accessories that will be made available for the PlayStation 3. The first batch of add ons for the console, which will be launched in the US on November 17, will be relatively modest and would consist of only four devices.The first accessory announced is the PS3 HDMI cable, an accessory that will be needed to get the vaunted 1080p resolution in high definition televisions. The cable was removed from the basic PS3 package much to the consternation of many gamers. The cable will be selling for $49.99, which is so much higher than the price of HDMI cables available in audio/video stores.

Another accessory is the PS3 Memory Card Adapter that will retail $14.99. The adaptor is not needed for saving PS3 games but it is required for loading saved games from PS2 and PlayStation memory cards.

The PS3’s Sixaxis controller will also be selling for $49.99 each. It has a built in Bluetooth wireless connectivity to the PS3 and can support up to seven controllers at once.

The most significant part of the announcement though is that Sony is planning to bundle a single Blu-ray movie with each PS3 for a limited time, much like what it did with PSP when it was released in 2005.

[tags]PS3, HDMI, PS2, PlayStation, Sixaxis[/tags]

PS3 to lead Wii by end-2007?

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During the 2006 Tokyo Game Show, Sony announced to the public that it was going to bring down the price of the lower end model of the PlayStation 3 in Japan. The price drop will make the 20gb version of the console cost around 49,980 yen (about $429) when it goes on sale in November 11 in Japan.

With the recent announcement, various analysts in North America, where the same model of the PS3 will cost $499, were initially skeptical of the move and many saw it as a sign of weakness on the part of the company as well as a questionable business decision.

But the likelihood is that the price drop is just a sign of things to come. The Nihon Keizai Shimbun cited a study made by Enterbrain, Inc. (the publisher of Famitsu) that it is expecting more price reductions as well as a more expanded software catalog for the PS3 by the end of the 2007 holiday season.

Because of this, Enterbrain predicts that the PS3 will outsell its biggest rival in the Japanese market, the Nintendo Wii by the end of next year.

[tags]Enterbrain, Sony, Nintendo, Wii, PS3, PlayStation[/tags]

Sony denies PS3 problems

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As if Sony does not have enough problems what with the recall of batteries it has manufactured for some of the top laptop computer companies in the market, yesterday, Sony�s stocks fell by 2.75 per cent on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. This downturn was a result of the release of analyst downgrades that have sent traders tripping over one another to unload their excess Sony stock. According to one of the reports, which was issued by Macquarie Equities, one of the concerns expressed by many who were able to play with one of the 200 or so PlayStation 3s on demo and the floor of the 2006 Tokyo Game Show is that the units allegedly operated erratically and that it had to be reset repeatedly.Macquarie Equities� report said that the reason for the malfunction was unknown the general suspicion as that the PlayStation 3 was actually overheating as a result of it being in enclosed units as well as the high temperatures in the venue. The report stated that with the problem occurring at such a close date to the actual launch and thus, fulltime production, this is clearly bad news for Sony.

Sony though has issued its own statement regarding the matter saying, that “despite the report from Macquarie Securities implying that they had heard of reports of PS3s needing to be rebooted at TGS, SCEI are not aware of any instances of this occurring at TGS, nor have we received any reports from third parties to such effect.”

Sony is very adamant that its units are not prone to overheating. Is this a company trying to contain a potentially bad situation? Or is it really just defending a unit that for all intents and purposes is really working well? We now have technically a month to finally find out!

[tags]Macquarie Securities, PS3, Tokyo Game Show, Sony[/tags]

Next Gen Star Wars: Battlefront likely

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The Star Wars franchise may be a cash cow for George Lucas and his company what with all of the best selling toys, movies, DVDs and other sundry merchandise, but when it comes to gaming, most Star Wars licensed games are pretty much hit and miss. But with the release of the first Battlefront in 2004, LucasArts seems to have finally stumbled on to a formula that has both reviewers and gamers raving. Star Wars: Battlefront actually mixes Battlefield style fighting along with the very rich Star Wars mythology. The first Battlefront game that was released on the PC, Xbox and Playstation 2 was a certified hit. Seeing that they had a winner on their hands, LucasArts promptly turned it into a series with the eventual sequel proving to be as popular on the very same three gaming platforms as well as the Playstation Portable when it was released the following year.It now looks like Battlefront will be getting a third installment through the geniuses at UK based design company Free Radical. The company, which became famous for its TimeSplitters titles, recently signed a long term contract with LucasArts and it looks like it was also given the Battlefront franchise to develop. If this rumor turns out to be true though it would effectively mean that LucasArts partnership with original Battlefront developer Pandemic has reached its end.

As it is there are still no concrete details on the development of a new Battlefront title but it is quite safe to assume that if there is any development on going for the title it will be more likely for a next gen console release.

And somewhere, millions of Star Wars geeks wait with bated breath.

[tags]LucasArts, Star Wars, Star Wars: Battlefront, TimeSplitters[/tags]

EA Working on Tony Hawk Killer

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electronicarts.JPG

Electronic Arts practically has a chokehold on all things that are related to sports. Just look at the sports titles sales chart year in and year out and you will most of EA�s game offerings practically clogging up the list. EA�s sports title offerings practically cover all sports genres and these titles all range from decent to exceptional. One genre though that EA has not been able to dominate as much is the extreme sports genre, more specifically skateboarding.For years, Activision has held the skateboarding crown from the moment it came out with the ground breaking Tony Hawk series. The innovations that were set by that game has actually resulted in the release of a slew of copycat titles that tried to emulate the sublime controls and gameplay of Tony Hawk�s skateboarding titles.

Now EA has announced that it is working on a new skateboarding game, simply called Skate, to the Sony PlayStation 3.

EA has actually produced a skateboarding game before, 1987�s Skate or Die, but with lackluster results.

At this point actual details about the game are still not readily available but it is confirmed that EA Black Box is developing the said title. The game is said to feature about 14 skateboarding pros.

As I have previously mentioned, the main competitor of Skate would be the Tony Hawk series of Activision. In fact, for 2006 the company will be releasing Tony Hawk�s Project 8 for the Xbox 360 and the PS3 while the Wii will have Tony Hawk�s Downhill Jam.

Electronic Arts: PS3 development on schedule

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electronic arts

The development schedule of game publishers and developers can be a crucial factor in the success of launch consoles. What good is a nifty next generation console if you have no games to play with right?Based on the recent presentation at the Merrill Lynch Media and Entertainment Conference, Electronic Arts Chief Financial Officer Warren Jenson has told its investors he feels good about where they are right now in terms of the company�s efforts to produce games for the PS3. According to him, compared to where development of the Xbox 360, they are so much further along the development cycle. He also explained that they are now developing for a far more complicated machine � which could be reference to the vaunted Cell processor.

Jenson�s optimism is also being shared by many pundits who are foreseeing that EA is at a position to really take advantage of the launch of the PS3. This really excites me because this only means that EA�s impressive sports titles will have an early show in the PS3.

Speculations rife that most PS3 launch units will be high end

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ps3

Along with the advent of the HD generation of consoles, a new trend has also emerged along with it � the release of consoles with two versions. The Xbox 360 began it last fall when it came out with the $399 premium pack that includes a wireless controller, a 20 gigabyte hard drive and high definition video cables as well as a $299 �core� se that has no hard drive and only has a wired controller. Despite the price difference a great many consumers and gamers preferred to get the premium pack. This trend was so prevalent that the premium pack actually ran out of stocks that most disgruntled consumers settled for the core pack.Sony has followed suit when it announced that it will also carry two variants of the PlayStation 3, a premium model that will cost $599 and will come equipped with a 60 gigabyte hard drive as well as an HDMI high definition video output, and a $499 model that only has a 20 gigabyte hard drive.

Now reports are coming in with regards to the ratio of the initial PS3 shipments upon launch. According to reports from market analysts the expected break down of shipped units will be roughly 80 � 20, with majority of the units being the premium version. It should be noted though that these are only estimates and not an official announcement of Sony itself.

My personal opinion about the whole matter? If this is true then I think Sony is making the right decision. A hundred dollar difference is already quite small when you consider that the unit is a high ticket item. For people who can afford 499 dollars, an extra hundred will not matter especially if the hundred dollars will mean a larger hard drive, HDMI output for true HD quality video, and from what I have heard the premium version will also have Wi Fi.

I�ll definitely get the premium version when it comes out � that is if I can actually get a unit. Based on the feverish waiting of many people for the arrival of the PS3, this will be quite a feat.