We have mentioned in the past that Sony could consider dropping optical drives on their next generation Sony Playstation 4 when launched, although Sony have more recently indicated that they are not yet ready to abandon physical medium just yet. Also the poll we ran also indicated that 74% of our readers would want an optical drive.

This leads us on to another thing to discuss that we have also mentioned before, and that is if Sony will continue to use Blu-ray optical discs, or if they will move on to something else as they traditionally do between generations of consoles. One idea is that they could make use of Holography on their optical discs to cram even more data on to them. A while back GE were apparently testing HVD for storage with theoretical capacities of up to 3.9TB per disk that would provide plenty of space for a game or even a good number of games.

By increasing the capacity of optical storage it would further allow developers to more comfortably work with 1080p HD video formats and high quality audio in games without worrying about being restricted to certain physical limits, or spanning across to a second or third disk.

Another reason for such large capacities being needed could be related to security according to psxextreme who mention an area of the disc could be used for enhanced security keeping copied games to a minimum.

We haven’t really had any official word on the Playstation 4 just yet although plenty of hints at a next gen console have been dropped by high profile gaming folk along with some of Sony’s staff. We expect that the PS4 will arrive in the next 2 to 3 years though sometime in 2012… maybe with a new optical drive format.

Over a year ago we first heard of a technology referred to as both Super Hi-Vision or UHDTV as it was also known as. At the time the resolutions it was expected to show were a very high 7680 x 4320 making it the equivalent of 16 HDTV’s.

We spotted a TV built by LG recently that claims to show a UHDTV resolution although this particular screen has a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. What it allows you to do is get real close up to the TV and still see a clear image.

The main problem is that it is expected that the higher 7680 x 4320 resolution screens could be seen in around 2020 along with content created at that resolution. The question has to be asked if an in-between resolution that LG have made would be worth aiming for. Currently no content is created at that resolution, so is it worth switching equipment over to something that wont be around for much longer after that?

Also, are there any benefits to a regular home sized screen of say 40 – 50 inches to display higher than 1080p? or should it be just reserved for the huge screens? Who knows. Maybe the larger content will allow zooming in to zones of the screen showing more details for those who want to see more detail. One thing to note is that the images shown here are of an 84 inch LG screen.

Relating to the Sony Playstation 4, I personally think the PS4 will focus on making good 1080p content rather than focussing on too many things.

Via: OhGizmo

A recent poll was run over at TechRadar that asked what the most desirable next gen gadget would be. The Sony PS4 beat the next gen XBox 720 by almost twice the amount of votes.

Although it’s not a particularly scientific poll where results are predicting a future set in stone, it does show a surprising amount of interest for the rumoured PS4.

It will be certainly interesting to see what kind of interest each next gen console gets in the near future when launched. Will the PS4 really gain more than double the interest?

Some speculation about the Sony PS4 has been doing the rounds on the web today with some supposed inside information saying that Sony are looking at using a multi-core processor for the next generation console.

Reasons stated for this are that the PS3 used Cell architecture which was challenging to work with for some developers. Other processors have also been reviewed which included Intel’s Larrabee although more power was wanted by Sony.

PC Watch Impress mention that it takes around 24 months to design and build a new console, so if development has been started recently then perhaps 2011 would be too early, but 2012 or 2013 could be a possibility for a Playstation 4 launch.

Other information was also mentioned at PC Watch Impress saying that handheld consoles also precede a console launch which could mean we see a PSP2 sooner rather than later.

Of course I am sure there is a lot of speculation written in the report but still interesting to see where Sony might be heading.

Via: SlashGear, Kotaku and PC Watch

A while back we posted about the possibilities of 3D gaming coming to the PS4.  Well, Sony have just announced that they’re bringing 3D gaming not to to the PS4, but to the PS3 instead, yeehaaa. Apparently, the 3D features will be released on all PS3′s, we’re guessing just in a regular Firmware update.

Now, we managed to play a Burnout game in 3D recently on a PC and were impressed, but not blown away. It was novel, but at the same time required glasses so the view for onlookers was reminiscent to that of having had a few too many beers. This is just one of those inherent problems with 3D media…for the watchers it’s not good at all.

It’s also expensive, as all new technology is. However, as more 3D capable TV’s are sold, the price will begin to drop, so that’s not the deal breaker! For us though, the main deal breaker will be the content. If the games are poor, boring or badly implemented, people just will not buy them. If this happens, 3D gaming could be a bit of a non-starter.

But the future could be bright. All new technology concepts start off slow and expensive, but as soon as more people begin buying them, and more developers begin working on them, we’ll hopefully have quality products at a reasonable price. This, coupled with the new Wii Mote (i mean PS3 Motion Sensor Controller), could mean some very interesting games coming out! Imagine the next UFC game, where you actually get to wrestle on the floor against an imaginary oppenent with a BoBo doll type thing, it’s be ace!

We’ll keep you updated on more news regarding 3D gaming, but in the mean time go to your local IMAX cinema to get yourself in the mood!

On a side note, Sony recently scared a few people in the very same conference with mention that they would obtain revenue through the PSN Network. The free service from Sony has always been a big win over for us over fierce rivals MS, and it was a little scary. However, it appears that the revenue will be from subscriptions to premium content, such as magazines, games, movies etc. Online gaming should still be free…phew!

Via psu.com

Well people, it’s a happy day for those PS3 users of the American variety who have pre-ordered the next installment of Battlefield: Bad Company. The beta officially starts today, and the visuals look stunning! Check out the videos and information posted by Dice on the official BC2 blog here.

The game looks like it’s a slower pace than Call of Duty, which is never a bad thing in our eyes. One really nice feature that we are quite excited about is the ability to create your own vantage points. For example, when playing as the engineer you can drill a small hole in a wall, from which you are able to attack, but remain shielded. Check out this video, at time 4.35min to see what we mean.

One feature we hope for the game is a lot of unlocks, such as with CoD. I love the millions of perks, awards, badges etc, it keeps you playing for hours. But, it’s not exactly a deal breaker is it now! Either way, we’ll still be picking this game up on release day.

So let us know what you think of it then if you’re one of the lucky enough ones to receive a beta key! If you’re in the UK and wanting to get in on the action, keep your eyes peeled on the official BC2 blog for information of which shops are gonna be giving beta keys with pre-orders.

Oh yes, Sony really do love the old Three Letter Acronym’s (TLA) don’t they. What, with PSP, PS3, GTA, MAG and now LBP-PSP. Anyway…we’ll move swiftly on.

LBP is released 20th November here in the UK, and today in good ol’ USA. <—another TLA, wow. LBP was probably one of my favourite games over the last year. I loved every minute of the single player campaign and loved the multiplayer too, but only when it worked that is. Even my wife loved playing LBP, life really was awesome with that game. Well, now Media Molecule have brought it to the handheld beauty that is the PSP.

The game looks great, with first opinions of the game being very high indeed. I don’t know how they squeezed it onto this portable little console, but they have. Maybe the PS3 wasn’t even being pushed with the original LBP, who knows?! But it’s here anyway, and I can’t wait.

Media Molecule appear to have somehow kept all the original features of the game…oh except the multiplayer that is. Apparently it was just too hard to keep multiplayer in, with all the physics involved. I think we’ll let them off though since they managed to keep all the play-create-share stuff in there. The only other notable mention is that the game now features only 2 planes of depth, rather than 3. But that’s not a huge problem.

LBP portable is gonna be amazing! Since I am from the UK I am still eagerly awaiting the game, whilst you lucky Americans have already got it! Let us know what you think though. Hopefully LBP will continue for a long time, right onto the PS4 platform.

Via EuroGamer.net

Recently, Jan-Bart Van Beek, Guerilla Studios, is reported to have said that they are already on with the production of KZ3 and that it’s currently pencilled in for 2011, but he did hint it may even come as early as 2010. This is great news for PS3 fans, as I personally loved KZ2 and a sequel would be much loved.

However, the quick turnaround time between games does lean me towards the opinion that the game will be a re-working from the KZ2 engine, similar to the way Rockstar do with GTA. For example, GTA 3 was released on PS2, and then Vice City and San Andreas were released, with many improvements, but based on the same engine. This would sit well with me though. For me, KZ2 was great and I loved how it looked and played.

As with all things though, only time will tell for the real release date and game specifics. But keep your eyes peeled.

And just so you believe us, here is Jan-Bart Van Beek’s direct quote…straight from the horses mouth as they say: “Right now, Killzone 3 for a release in 2011, is being developed. Who knows, maybe we’ll see the game even as early as 2010.”

Via: ConnectedConsoles

Although I think Sony will stick with the regular design for the next-gen Playstation 4 controller I thought I’d still show this concept controller called Project Cobra.

The Cobra was designed by Jiang Qian and looks a little different from the usual PS4 controller shape we commonly see. The controller has a d-pad to the left, 4 buttons to the right along with 2 analogue sticks and a number of function buttons in between the mentioned buttons. 2 left and 2 right shoulder buttons can also be found. One of the unique features (although unconfirmed) is that the whole controller seems to be vented through out on both sides which looks to take in air from the top to keep your hands cool while holding it.

What are your thoughts on the Cobra? Should Sony look in to different designs or should we carry on using the regular controller with a few tweaks like we have in the past.

Via: PS3Maven and Walyou

We haven’t seen too many PS4 design concepts just yet apart from a few silly ideas and a few PS3 concept ideas with a scribbled out logo saying PS4. These images represent a rather cool looking PS4 games console and are the work of Tai Chiel.

The PS4 3D model was created to show that gamers already have an interest in what the future console will look like. Looking at this concept it is partly transparent and the transparent section also houses what appears to be an OLED style screen that shows the various menus, picture, saved games etc…

Although still unclear when the PS4 will be revealed we can expect to see a very nice looking games machine that will use a lot of advanced technology. If you know of any other concepts, post them in the comments below.

Via: Walyou

Electronic Arts suggest that rather than Sony and Microsoft releasing a PS4 and XBox 720 that they will actually release in-between models such as a Playstation 3.5 and an XBox 560. The reason for this is that Sony and Microsoft didn’t get the ball rolling as well as previous generations and that 2011 is just too quick for next-gen consoles to be launched.

For that reason it is expected that Sony and Microsoft will launch these mid updates to the hardware to extract more out of them.

What are your thoughts on this? Would you like to see another PS3/XBox 360 being created as a stepping stone to the real next-gen consoles? I do think there is a lot that can be done with the current generation of consoles, but 2 – 3 years is quite a while away still and a lot of advancements in technology will happen in this time period. It will be great seeing what path the 2 console makers are going to travel.

Via: CVG

Upon reading more about the new improved slim PS3 it became apparent to us that Sony appear to have “overcooked” the PS3. When the PS3 was released it had full backwards compatibility, 4 USB Ports, Linux Capabilities, fancy touch sensitive on/off and eject buttons (clutching at straws here with that one), a 60GB HDD and a Card Reader. This has steadily all been removed. So, the PS3 price has dropped which is great news, but so has the feature list, and quite extensively. Sure the Slim PS3 HDD is 120GB, but it did temporarily drop to 40GB, which sucked. I don’t seem to remember any features being dropped from either the PS1 or PS2, even with the slim-line models they released.

Don’t think I am in any way Sony-Bashing here, just stating a point. It appears to me that Sony are admitting that the PS3 doesn’t need to do all that it does/ did. Gamers just want a good console which plays great games. Had Sony not added all the extra features, maybe they would have been sooner to market with the PS3 at a cheaper price, and then not had such a gap to catch up on with Microsoft.

There are still so many features that I love about my PS3. A standard HDMI output, ability to use nearly any bluetooth headset, included wifi, batteries built into the controllers (and not just AA ones), free online gaming, game sharing, and many more.

However, with all this in mind, are Sony currently over-cooking the PS4? Are we going to see a PS4 which retails at $1000, does everything we need, and then slowly over the years all the fancy extras are lost until it gets to a price point where the masses decide they can now afford to buy it. The hardcore gamers will always buy the latest and greatest, but a massive percentage of users will, and have, proved that more often than not the cheapest consoles get purchased more.

I am very interested to see what news we get of the Sony PS4 over the coming months/ years, and how the new console is shaping up.