The Unofficial Playstation Weblog

Sony dumping off old SIXAXIS controllers in MGS4 "Welcome Box" PS3 bundles

2008-05-03T23:39:00.002-05:00

Now that the Dual Shock 3 is finally here, it looks like Sony's finding creative way to dump off old SIXAXIS stock -- like tossing 'em in MGS4 PS3 bundles. Japanese PS3 buyers will be able to choose from three "Welcome Box" MGS4 bundles in Satin Silver, Ceramic White, and Clear Black, and in addition to Snake's latest adventure and a Dual Shock 3, they'll find a SIXAXIS inside. The bundles will cost ¥49,800 ($470), compared to ¥51,800 ($492) for the gunmetal gray bundle that doesn't include the extra controller, so basically Sony's giving Japanese buyers $20 to take a SIXAXIS home.

Sony's Grand Theft Auto IV PS3 bundle spotted in Belgium store

2008-05-02T16:11:00.002-05:00

Yeah, that fancy press shot has a certain beauty to it, but there's just nothing like spotting a highly coveted console in the wild. Here the first image of the GTA IV bundle sitting on a shelf just waiting for someone to trade their €450 in and take it home.

PlayStation Home beta adding more users this Fall

2008-04-22T05:14:00.001-05:00

After hitting delays already, we can't say that this was the PlayStation Home press release we've been expecting. Nevertheless, Sony just announced that it is expanding the closed PlayStation Home beta to more users in "Fall 2008." Kazuo Hirai, prez and ringmaster of Sony Computer Entertainment, said, "We understand that we are asking PS3 and prospective PS3 users to wait a bit longer, but we have come to the conclusion that we need more time to refine the service."

PS3 to get smaller Cell and/or RSX chips in August?

2008-04-21T05:15:00.000-05:00

Nikko Citigroup upgraded its rating on Sony this morning in anticipation of it breaking even on PS3 costs earlier than expected. At the moment, Sony sells the PS3 at a loss. The respected group of analysts is now earmarking August as the milestone month. Sony's CFO recently suggested that the move would occur in the second half of the year -- a date analysts then pegged at November. No details behind the new upbeat expectations were provided by Nikko CG. However, it's safe to assume that the PS3's break-even event will be realized by a switch to a sub-65nm cell processor, sub-90nm RSX graphics chip, or both, since the smaller chips are less-costly to manufacturer.

Movies and TV shows coming to PS3?

2008-04-16T04:08:00.001-05:00

The PlayStation 3's newest v2.30 firmware just came out yesterday, but Sony isn't show any signs of slowing down its updates for the PS3. In a blog yesterday, Senior Vice President Peter Dille wrote this enticing tidbit:

Many of you have been hearing rumblings about a video service that will allow you to download full-length TV shows and movies via PLAYSTATION Network for North America. While I don't have any new announcements here for the PlayStation Nation, it's already been confirmed that we'll be offering a video service for PS3 in a way that separates the service from others you've seen or used. Ultimately the goal of the PLAYSTATION Network service will be to break through the overwhelming clutter of digital media to give you the TV, movies, and gaming content you want. More on this very soon...

That sounds pretty promising for PS3 fans, but until we get more information, all we can do is speculate. Just a few months ago, there were plenty of rumors about Netflix coming to the PS3. That would certainly be a great score for the PS3, as many people already have Netflix subscriptions and consumers seem more open to subscription plans for movies than they do for music. Another solid option would be support for Hulu, which offers a bunch of TV shows from Fox and NBC--plus some Universal movies--broken up only by short 15-second ads. This might seem even better to some PS3 owners, mainly because it's 100 percent free. The most likely option is that Sony rolls out its own video service, and that has the biggest potential to be a bust. Sony always seems to be a little quirky with digital media downloads (see: Sony Connect and ATRAC3), and we're betting that a proprietary "Sony Video Store" would be much more expensive than Hulu or Netflix--probably more in line with iTunes pricing.

Video: the PS3 Laptop in action

2008-04-11T04:17:00.004-05:00

The PS3 Laptop: check out the video of Ben Heck's latest creation.

The PS3 Laptop from Ben Heck

2008-04-10T04:12:00.001-05:00

Ben Heck has already managed to build a Xbox 360 laptop and a Wii Laptop, so it was only natural that there would we a PS3 laptop next. On and off for almost a year and a half, he has finally managed to build... the PS3 Laptop!

The essential specs:

Original backwards compatible 60GB model
17-inch LCD HDTV screen: 720p
HDMI-DVI connection (same as last Xbox 360 laptop)
Built-in keyboard, USB ports, stereo speakers, headphone jack
Size: 17 x 13.75 x 3-inches
Weight: 16 pounds!

Limited edition gunmetal gray MGS4 PS3 coming to America, hearts flutter

2008-04-10T04:11:00.001-05:00

It's no secret that we've been drooling over all the hot limited-edition Metal Gear Solid 4 swag that Sony and Konami are dishing out in Japan, but it looks like a select few in this country will be able to score the baddest of them all: the gunmetal gray PS3 / MGS4 bundle with matching DualShock 3. Yep, it's coming Stateside on June 12th like the rest of the MGS4 editions and the standard 80GB PS3 / MGS4 bundle.

PS3 firmware v2.30 walkthrough: DTS-HD MA support / new PS Store included

2008-04-10T04:09:00.002-05:00

A sneak peek (on video) of the looming PlayStation Store revamp and a confirmation of DTS-HD Master Audio output in the next PS3 firmware update, that's what. Over on the PlayStation Blog, we're casually walked through the impending v2.30 update, and just as we had heard, Blu-ray fans can shout in unison as the inclusion of their favorite audio codec (as well as DTS-HD High Resolution Audio) is just days away. Word on the street has v2.30 headed down the pipes on April 15th.

PS3 firmware engineers interviewed, DTS-HD MA support on the way

2008-04-09T04:16:00.000-05:00

AV Watch scored an interview with some of the engineers behind the frequent PlayStation 3 updates -- most recently adding BD-Live in 2.20 -- and uncovered details on what's been going on under the hood so far, as well as what to expect in the future. 1080 deinterlacing and DTS-HD MA support are definitely in the works, although no date is given. A possible answer why it's not there yet, is the indication that the just implemented mosquito noise reduction on MPEG-4 AVC videos uses less processing power than the original version of BD player software, which used 100% of resources for DVD upconversion, but now only maxes out on PiP streams with BD-Java running. For best PQ, play your digital files from disc or USB stick instead of DLNA, since they are currently processed differently. Otherwise, we can expect future updates quarterly, and for those beyond the reach of the net, updates are also packed onto discs, like the Resident Evil flick with 2.10 firmware on it. Check out Beyond3D for more highlights and see if all your most burning questions have been answered.

PSP firmware 3.95 hits the tubes

2008-04-08T01:12:00.001-05:00

The last round of PSP firmware updates brought Skype support, but it looks like 3.95 isn't nearly as exciting: Sony's added in reconfigurable button mapping to PS1 emulation, and made it so that you can choose to either shut down your PS3 or leave it running when you're done with a remote play session.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue gets Smashed

2008-04-03T01:44:00.000-05:00

Vehicle deformation could arrive as soon as Autumn says Yamauchi.

It may have taken more than a little time for Polyphony to warm to the idea, but Gran Turismo head Kazunori Yamauchi has confirmed that the series is finally going to be implementing damage, saying it could be included as a downloadable feature for Gran Turismo 5 Prologue as early as this Autumn.

In an interview with IGN earlier today, Yamauchi said that, "maybe by Fall we'll be able to implement it," before confirming that it would feature as a download for Prologue, which launched in the UK and across Europe last week. Gran Turismo has long been famed for its refusal to include any vehicle deformation, despite heightening demands from its fan-base, and any inclusion of the feature would be a massive boon for the series.

Pictures emerge of impending PlayStation Store redesign

2008-04-01T01:43:00.000-05:00

It's no big secret that Sony is gearing up to redesign the PlayStation Store for users in Europe and the US, but with just days to go until the hard hats are donned, we figured it prudent to pass along the latest tidbits surrounding the change. Apparently the refacing will start on April 3rd and finish up in around a fortnight, but until the job is finished, "no additional downloadable content will be posted." Of course, existing content will remain available, and chances are you'll appreciate the updates when all is said and done, but we know how tough it'll be to not log on weekly and eagerly sniff for all new material.

PS3 homebrew hack found, Hello World!

2008-03-31T01:42:00.000-05:00

We haven't heard much out of the PS3 homebrew scene so far, which could be due to the console's delayed popularity, or perhaps because Sony did users a solid out of the gate and included Linux. That said, there's no stopping these hardcore homebrew types when they put their minds to something, and now Dragula96, a well known PSP hacker, has supposedly found an exploit on the PS3 that let him get a little Hello World proof of concept up and running. At the moment he's not saying how he did it, but he does say the hack is working on 60GB and 40GB PS3s, running the current 2.20 firmware.

PSP slim modded for dual analog sticks

2008-03-30T22:42:00.002-05:00

Been longing for a second analog stick on your PSP? Modder LordNico's got you covered with the Razor X (seriously, where do these guys come up with their names?), a user-installable analog stick that appears to mimic the functions of your standard four button pad. (In other words, getting the games to take advantage of the controls is another matter entirely.) Apparently details of the mod will be released soon enough for those brave enough to consider relocating their power switch to the start button.

PlayStation Store Update

2008-03-27T20:50:00.000-05:00

Hey, everyone. It’s time again for the PLAYSTATION Store weekly update.

Downloadable Games

flOw bundle ($8.99)
flOw is a game about piloting an aquatic organism through a surreal biosphere where players consume other organisms, evolve, and dive into the abyss. Bundle includes the full game as well as the Expansion Pack.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 226 MB

Warhawk limited-time discount ($29.99 for 2 weeks until 4/15)

Add-on Game Content

TUROK Multiplayer Map Pack 1 ($4.99)
A new multiplayer map pack for Turok is now available for download, providing new challenges and an opportunity for new fans to join the fight against the planet’s vicious creatures and dinosaurs as well as enemy soldiers. The map pack is now available for $4.99 and contains five new maps providing additional head-to-head and co-op challenges while you’re playing on PlayStation Network.
File size: 276 MB

High Stakes: Poker Edition camera add-on (free)
High Stakes is raising the poker bar! Download this add-on to access to video capabilities and catch every tell from your opponents in this face-to-face poker showdown! Don’t forget to download the first two add-ons to play all 10 poker styles. Compatible with the PLAYSTATION Eye and EyeToy USB camera, and may be compatible with other USB cameras!
File size: 101 KB

Unreal Tournament 3 Map Pack (free)
Download the first official bonus pack for Unreal Tournament 3 and expand your game with three new maps that cover the full spectrum of environments and play styles. Players can visit an orbiting space station, a remote mountain temple, or infiltrate an alien island. Returning classics and fresh new designs let you experience Unreal gaming like never before.
File size: 82 MB

Rock Band
Build your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. Boston Pack 01 includes all six songs. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.

“More Than A Feeling” - Boston ($1.99)
“Hitch A Ride” - Boston ($1.99)
“Peace of Mind” - Boston ($1.99)
“Rock and Roll Band” - Boston ($1.99)
“Smokin’” - Boston ($1.99)
“Something About You” - Boston ($1.99)
Boston Pack 01 ($9.99)

File sizes: 23.7 MB - 36.5 MB (singles), 189 MB (Track Pack).

Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore sownloadable songs ($1.50 each)
Plug in the microphone and live out your dream as a singing sensation! Expand your Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore library by purchasing tracks from the in-game store. For music credits, visit the Karaoke Revolution section of www.konami.com. Full list of tracks after the jump.

Game Videos (free)

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Mars Volta Video
Download the latest trailer featuring a special version of The Mars Volta’s “Goliath,” remixed by EL-P.
File size: 64 MB (1080)

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Thin Lizzy Video
Download the latest trailer featuring Thin Lizzy’s “The Rocker (Richard Evans Mix)” from the game’s soundtrack.
File size: 75 MB (1080)

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Weezer Video
Download the latest trailer featuring an exclusive remix of Weezer’s “Automatic,” available only in Gran Turismo 5 Prologue.
File size: 53 MB (1080)

Warhawk Update v1.3 Trailer
Download the Warhawk Update V1.3 trailer today and check out the new pick-ups that will alter the field of battle.
File size: 60 MB (HD)

GTA IV Trailer 4
Grand Theft Auto IV Trailer 4: “Good Lord, What Are You Doing?” aka “Everyone’s a Rat”
File size: 55 MB (HD)

Winter X Games ‘08 Play the Pros
Sony Computer Entertainment America hit the slopes this year for the 12th annual ESPN Winter X Games, held at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen, Colorado. Fans had the opportunity to compete against their favorite X Games athletes in our PlayStation Play the Pros event with Gran Turismo 5 Prologue! The lucky winners received PlayStation prizes and some unique bragging rights.
File size: 235 MB (HD)

God of War: Chains of Olympus - TV spot
IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS DARKNESS. The ancient world speaks of a mortal that slayed a God. But long before his legend, Kratos pledged himself as a champion to the Gods.
File size: 22 MB (HD), 35 MB (1080)

Wyclef’s “Fast Car” Music VideoWyclef’s latest music video, “Fast Car”! (limited time only)
File size: 195 MB (HD), 323 MB (1080)

PURE Gameplay Trailer
PURE, the next gold standard in off-road racing games, perfectly captures and emphasizes the feeling of adrenaline rush. It stands for everything fast, furious & frenetic.
File size: 104 MB (HD)

PURE CG Trailer
PURE, the next gold standard in off-road racing games, perfectly captures and emphasizes the feeling of adrenaline rush.
File size: 143 MB (HD)

Movie and Blu-ray Disc Trailers (free)

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
A wild and wicked send-up of every musical biopic ever made, WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY is gut-busting proof that when it comes to hard rocking, living and laughing, a hard man is good to find.
File size: 119 MB (HD), 152 MB (1080)

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Fall 2007 TV Spot
File size: 30 MB (1080)

PS3 Themes (free)

Eye of Judgment Theme
Customize your PS3 system with a cool Eye of Judgment theme. This theme allows you to change up the look of your background and XMB icons. Download today!
File size: 6.08 MB

PS3 Wallpaper (free)

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots SNEAK OUT Wallpapers
File size: 118 KB - 434 KB

Here is this week’s content release for the PLAYSTATION Store for PC. To download these games to your PSP, navigate to http://store.playstation.com. There, you’ll find descriptions of the content and directions on how to get started. For more on the PLAYSTATION Store for PC, please click here.

Game Demos (free)

* R-Type Command Demo (also downloadable via PS3)

Game Videos (free)

* God of War Chains of Olympus TV Spot
* GT5 Prologue Weezer Video
* GT5 Prologue Mars Volta Video
* GT5 Prologue Thin Lizzy
* GTA IV Trailer 4
* Winter X Games ‘08 Play the Pros
* Wyclef’s “Fast Car” Music Video (limited time only)

PSP Themes (free)

* Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

PSP Wallpaper (free)

* R-Type Command Wallpapers (x3)

Major security vulnerability discovered for PlayStation Network, lock up your PS3s

2008-03-27T20:44:00.001-05:00

Details are still sparse, but Sony's announced a fairly severe security vulnerability on the PlayStation Network, which would actually allow an attacker to access your account, personal information, and Wallet -- but not your credit card on file -- as well as change your password.

SOCOM.com Now Ready For Confrontation

2008-03-26T20:47:00.002-05:00

Sony is happy to announce that SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation will be hitting store shelves and the PLAYSTATION Store on September 16th, 2008. You’ll be able to download it from your couch or pick up a copy at your favorite brick-and-mortar and get to business.

They have released an all new SOCOM community site: www.SOCOM.com. There you can find the official Blog and Message boards where you can find the latest updates on everything SOCOM related; including screenshots, video, behind-the-scenes blogs and more. It will also give us a method to directly communicate with the SOCOM community. You can sound off in either the comments section for each post or in the message boards. We have agents gathering intel and dev team members will respond when they can.

PSP to get ColorWared on April 14th

2008-03-24T20:41:00.001-05:00

Look, who could blame you for wanting to personalize your PSP a little. At the moment you can wait around for limited edition models like the God of War or get your kitchen-beige or month-old-mint models from a friendly, price-gouging, Japanese importer. Else, why not hold out until April 14th when ColorWare plans to unveil its new PSP colorization service. Although nothing has been announced, it's probably safe to assume the same level of "buy new" or "send in" service ColorWare already offers for the DS Lite.

PS3 2.20 update is out, get your BD-Live while it's fresh

2008-03-24T20:40:00.000-05:00

Nothing beats that straight-from-the-oven firmware smell, and Sony just hit the internet with its PS3 2.20 firmware update goodness. The big win here is BD-Live interactive Blu-ray compatibility (Blu-ray 2.0), but there are some other minor tweaks as well, mostly multimedia and web browsing related.

PS3 firmware 2.20 bringing BD-Live interactive Blu-ray this month

2008-03-20T09:36:00.001-05:00

The Blu-ray 2.0 spec (or BD-Live) is just days from launch. Sony just announced that the next PlayStation3 firmware updated -- v2.20 -- will add the new interactive features to your PS3. As such, PS3 owners should expect downloadable video content, ringtones, interactive movie-based games, and the always intriguing "more" when the software is released in "late March." In other words, in the next 11 days. The update will also allow you to copy photos and music playlists over USB from your PS3 to your PSP. Other features include:

"Resume play" will enable PS3 system to start playing a Blu-ray disc and DVD at the point it was stopped, even if the disc had been removed.(*1)
"Audio Output Device" will be a new Remote Play setting, enabling PSP to serve as a remote control for music played through PS3.
PS3 system's Internet browser will be enhanced: Video files directly linked from a Web page will be able to be streamed, and the browser's view speed will be improved.
DivX and WMV format videos that are larger than 2GB will be playable.
"Mosquito Noise Reduction" will be added as an AV setting in the control panel of the DVD/BD player for improved movie playback.(*2)

*1 BD-J format disc is not supported.
*2 BD discs recorded with BDMV format are not supported.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue: one million preorders in Europe

2008-03-17T11:21:00.000-05:00

There's little debate that the PlayStation 3 had a rough start. Much has changed since then, though, and new numbers indicate that the momentum behind Sony won't be going away soon. Presales data for Gran Turismo 5 Prologue paints a bright picture for the system's exclusive titles; hitting the platinum mark prior to release is a fairly good indicator of a game's popularity, and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue has done just that in Europe. In addition to extremely strong sales of the title in Japan, European preorder sales strictly for the Blu-ray version of title have already toppled the million mark, according to SCEE New Zealand's Marketing Manager Dave Hine.

Combined with the inevitable sales generated by the downloadable version of the game and the recently-announced Euro GT5 PS3 bundle, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is on track to rock Europe hard when it lands later next month. Fellow download and disc title Warhawk, the leaderboards for which indicate that over 500,000 players have played at least a single ranked game, has set the pace for full retail-equivalent downloadable titles. That's a pace that Polyphony Digital's sim racer will likely be more than able to best.

Briton gets world's first PS3 tattoo, has certainly sparked trend

2008-03-07T19:24:00.004-06:00

Forget the Zune tattoo guy. Make way for the new cool kid on the block. Some Briton decided it would be cool to get a PS3 tattoo. We can only assume that Blu-ray's victory in the format war pushed this particular Briton over the edge and made him truly believe that the PS3 is in fact "the best console ever made" -- his words, not ours.

Vehicles, Tracks and Additional Features Confirmed for Gran Turismo™5 Prologue in North America

2008-03-06T13:21:00.005-06:00

SCEA announced today the robust vehicle roster, track list and a host of additional features for the April 17 North American availability of Gran Turismo™ 5 Prologue, exclusively on PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™). Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is the latest installment of the billion dollar selling racing franchise and intense precursor to Gran Turismo™5. Headlining the roster of over 60 vehicles and 14 additional tuned cars is the Ferrari 599, the Nissan GT-R and the Audi R8 4.2 FSI R Tronic. Players can race these cars and many more around six meticulously rendered tracks, including Daytona International Speedway®, London City track and a series favorite, High Speed Ring. Furthermore, additional features will be available to North American consumers, including a Drift Mode, Car Tuning, two-player split screen racing and a new set of offline and online Race Events.

“This impressive vehicle lineup and the additional features that cater to North American racing fans are great compliments to Gran Turismo 5 Prologue’s stunning 1080p graphics and revolutionary online features,” said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President, Product Marketing, SCEA. “Fans are sure to be pleased with the first Gran Turismo product for sale on PLAYSTATION 3.”

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Additional Features for North America

Drift Mode – The player’s drifting technique is measured based on drift angles, racing lines, and speeds within evaluation zones located at various turns on the course.
In Depth Car Tuning – Players have the ability to adjust the vehicle’s performance, including power, weight, tires and suspension.
Two-player Split Screen Racing – Allows players to race head-to-head against friends and foes offline.
New Race Events – New racing events and time trials are available for players to race both offline and online. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue supports up to 16 players racing online simultaneously.

Summary of differences between Japanese version and the American version:

A whopping 30+ additional vehicles (compared to the Japanese version), including tuner cars from Amuse, Mine’s, etc.
Another track to race on: an all-time favorite in the series - frantic and chaotic High Speed Ring!
In Drift Mode, measure your drifting technique based on driving line, angle and speed within scoring zones on the course
With the Quick Tune feature, adjust your vehicle’s settings including power, weight, tires and suspension
All new set of online and offline race events and time trials to jump into, win, and unlock cars/features
With Logitech’s new Driving Force GT racing wheel, you can adjust brake bias, traction and damper settings on-the-fly like they do in real-life with Formula One and rally cars. GT5 Prologue will support DualShock 3, too!

In-Game Communication Coming to PS3 This Summer

2008-03-05T08:49:00.001-06:00

Ray Maguire, Sony Computer Entertainment UK’s head, recently spilled the beans on an upcoming feature the PlayStation 3 will be getting – in-game communication. Presumably this means being able to have a private chat with friends while playing a game, similar to what you can do on Xbox Live.

Speaking with MCV on the PlayStation 3 reaching one million units at retail in the UK – a mark surpassed faster than either the PlayStation or PlayStation 2 – Maguire stated, “Our momentum will continue with the introduction of in-game communication in the summer, firmware update 2.4 and the strongest line-up of games through our third party partners and our own studios. I’d personally like to thank our trade and business partners for helping us on the start of the PS3 journey.”

Now it’s unclear whether or not in-game communication is directly a part of firmware v2.4 or if he was referring to two separate items. Hopefully v2.4 will include in-game XMB support, and that will be what enables you to chat with friends while in-game. I know I’d really like to see support added for the feature, so fingers crossed that this is the case.