Tag Archives: PS3

Latest PS3 ads feature Nazis, Joan of Arc [Updated]

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And I thought we had seen the creepiest, strangest ads from Sony already for it’s Playstation 3.

These latest ads feature a “gamer” giving a blood transfusion to a Nazi soldier and a heart transplant to Joan of Arc.  Sony PR, you might have gone a wee bit too far this time.

Update: Apparently this was a “mock campaign” and Sony never officially signed off on these outlandish creations.  Check out what Cristián Lehuedé B., the president of BBDO Chile (the advertisement company behind these ads) has to say on the matter after the break.

[Via Gizmodo]

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PlayStation Motion Controller announced for Spring 2010 release; more details

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At this year’s Tokyo Game Show (TGS), Sony’s Kaz Hirai has split the details of a launch window and initial game launches that surround the newest PS3 accessory, the PlayStation Motion Controller.  Sony plans on releasing the controller this Spring with the following games ready for launch: Ape Escape (Working Title), Echochrome 2 (Working Title), Eccentric Slider, Sing and Draw, Champions of Time, Motion Party, The Shoot, and Tower.  Note that these are all working titles.  Also announced was a new edition of RE5 called Resident Evil 5: Director’s Cut; this title will revamped so it can take advantage of the motion controller.  Sony stated that there will be a number of current PS titles that will receive motion control support via software updates; one of these games includes LittleBigPlanet.

For those of you who want a refresher about the PS3 Motion Controller’s tech and for some information, look after the break for the official Sony press release.  The gallery has a few images from the TGS below.

[Via Engadget; Gizmodo]

Continue reading PlayStation Motion Controller announced for Spring 2010 release; more details →

3D coming to PS3 in 2010?

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There has been a lot of news lately about 3D technology.  You may surprised to hear that all the news does not just surround the movie industry.  3D is coming to a TV near you, and the expected date for this technological evolution is 2010 (that’s next year!).  TV manufacturers such as Toshiba and Sony plan on embedding 3D tech inside their TVs that will allow broadcasts, DVDs and Blu Rays, and video games to display in glorious three dimensions, making for a more immersive experience in entertainment.  The latest news comes from Sony; a representative told Engadget that a future software update for the Playstation 3 will allow “all” existing games to display in 3D.  Today, though, Sony has stepped back and told Joystiq that they are “conducting a technological investigation” into the matter and that “there is no plan for the market launch of this at this time.”  So, although 3D TV tech is coming soon, a reality with 3D video games may be a bit farther in the future.  At least we know they are “investigating” its potential.  I’ll just wait over here with my 3D glasses until it all comes true.

[Via Engadget; Joystiq]

New PS3 slim Japanese commercials are bizarre, the usual

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Sony is known for making such crazy and strange commericals for their Playstation products.  Who can forget one of the original PS3 commercials that featured the scary crying baby doll?  Now the marketing team has done it again for the new PS3 slim.  Check it out above.

[Via Engadget]

Cheaper, slimmer PS3 is official, finally!

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Let’s get right to the details of the PS3 Slim:

  • 32% smaller, 36% lighter, 34% less power than its chunkier brother, the original PS3
  • Boasts all the same features of the bulkier PS3, so still no backwards compatability with PS2 games
  • Adds one feature: BRAVIA Sync – you can browse the PS3 XMB with your Sony TV remote, PS3 will power down when TV shuts off (if both devices are connected via HDMI)
  • Removes one feature: The ability to install an operating system (like Linux) is gone.
  • Matte finish
  • 120GB HDD
  • 2 USB ports (down from 4)
  • Price- $299; release date – early September
  • UPDATE: According to Engadget, the power and eject buttons on the front of the console are physical buttons that press down now; the HDD is swappable; the PS3 logo does not rotate; feels siginifcantly lighter in hands compared to the old PS3.  Also, according to Gizmodo, Sony plans to change the PS3 logo and reformat the PS brand name from PLAYSTATION 3 to Playstation 3.  That’s better!

Arriving concurrently with the PS3 Slim hardware is the 3.0 firmware update:

  • XMB redesigned
  • Information Board replaced with “What’s New” – populated with news and information from the world of Playstation (latest and greatest games, videos, etc); you can launch immediately from recently played games
  • Playstation Store game and video sections placed under the Games and Video icons in the XMB, respectively
  • Animated themes are available in the PS Store (themes can change with time of day, etc.)
  • Upper right hand corner – space for avatar, friend icon w/ # of friends online, mail
  • More avatar selections available through the PS Store (free and premium)
  • Available via a free download on September 1

At the GamesCon in Germany, Sony had additional announcements concerning PS3, PSP, and the Playstation Network (PSN):

  • Effective today, all PS3 systems will cost $299; that is a $100 price drop.  Once the PS3 Slim releases in early September it will take the place of its thicker older brother.
  • Sony introduced Minis; they are “bite-sized” games that will be made for the PSP & PSP go! and will sell as digital downloads only in the PS Store.  The titles will have a 100MB size limit.  The first bunch of Minis will be made available on October 1, the same day as the release of the PSP go!  Sony has planned to release 15 Minis for launch, and about 50 games for the remainder of 2009.  Some of these games include Tetris, Field Runners, Hero of Sparta and Minigore.
  • PSN video store and PSN cards will be available to access and sell, respectively, in Europe this fall.  The video store will initially sell movies only, and will expand its library from there.  The PSN cards will sell in 20 and 50 euros demoninations.
  • Sony announced the PSP Digital Reader; the plan is to digitize a bunch of comics, sell them in the PS Store, and make them available to read on the PSP.  Sony’s first major partner is Marvel and they plan to have “hundreds available, including the Marvel Comics stable.”
  • Three new PSP color variations will be sold in Europe this November: “Turquoise” blue, “Lilac” purple, and “Blossom” pink.

See the galleries below for: (1) official PS3 Slim shots; (2) Engadget’s PS3 Slim unboxing shots

Look after the break for: (1) a video tour of the PS3 3.0 software; (2) firmware 3.0 full details; (3) a video of PS President Jack Tretton talking about the new announcements; (4) PS3 Slim spec sheet

[Via Engadget; Gizmodo; Joystiq; PlaystationBlog]

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E3 2009 Round-up: Microsoft Takes the Prize

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Project Natal

The Big Three–Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo–showed off their present and future technologies in the video game and entertainment businesses at this year’s bigger and badder Electronics Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, California.

In my opinion, Microsoft stole the show with a brilliant keynote presentation that showed off a great line-up of games including tons of first-party (Halo 3: ODST, Halo Reach) and third party (Splinter Cell Conviction, Alan Wake) sure-fire hits.  The special presentation by Harmonix with The Beatles: Rock Band definitely has people excited about the next game in the Rock Band series.  Xbox’s exclusive song, “All You Need is Love” will surely get people to buy the game for the Xbox over the other consoles.  Xbox 360-exclusive games worth mentioning include Forza Motorsport 3, Crackdown 2, Left 4 Dead 2, and Shadow Complex.  The Xbox 360 plans on stealing Sony’s thunder with legendary PlayStation-exclusives games such as  Final Fantasy XIII and Metal Gear Solid: Rising coming to the Xbox 360 this fall.  Tony Hawk: Ride and Modern Warfare 2 also made exciting appearances.

As great as the Xbox 360 game line-up looks, it was the unveiling of Project Natal that made everyone’s jaws drop with amazement.  Natal is Microsoft’s way of making YOU the controller.  No Wii-motes, nunchucks, or wands.  Natal is a device, similar-looking to the Wii Sensor bar.  It sits below or above your TV set.  It contains a camera, IR sensors, and a built-in microphone.  With facial and voice recognition, the technology built into it is extremely advanced.  Simply put, Natal can pick up and output your every movement from your head to your feet.  It has full-body motion control.  Here’s an example of Natal in natural action.  You walk in front of your TV, your Xbox 360 recognizes who you are, automattically signs you into your Xbox Live account, and bring you to the New Xbox Experience home screen.  You can use hand gestures to play a game, watch a movie, and so on.  You decide to play a racing game with some of your family members.  Your hands control the steering wheel, your feet the pedals.  Take a quick pit stop, and your dad can jump in the action and replace your tired wheels by unscrewing and placing in new tires.  Then it is back to the races.  Natal opens up a whole new world of interactive gaming.  It truly has me excited about the future of video games, especially the Xbox 360.  There is no price point and release date for the code-named Project Natal.  However, it has been said that it will definitely not be out this year (possibily in 2010), and the price will be under the cost of the console itself (under $250).

Check after the break for videos of Natal in action, as well as quick overviews from the Sony and Nintendo (not nearly as impressive) keynotes.

Continue reading E3 2009 Round-up: Microsoft Takes the Prize →