PlayStation 3

E3: Is LittleBigPlanet 3 Also Coming to the PS3?

E3_2014_LBP_3Being in the right place at the right time got us the opportunity to reveal LittleBigPlanet 3 prior to the game’s announcement at E3. Since that time, we’ve come to learn that LittleBigPlanet 3 is coming to the PlayStation 4 and will allow gamers to play the over 7 million levels created by the community in the previous two installments with improved graphics. The fact that LBP 3 was coming to PS4 wasn’t all that surprising, seeing how Sony announced months back that all first party studios had begun developing exclusively on the PS4. Now, it seems like there is hope for LittleBigPlanet 3 to arrive on PlayStation 3 as well.

E3: PlayStation TV Announced, We Have Prices and Details

PlayStation_TV_1Sony’s E3 2014 press conference was all about games. From small indie titles to mega AAA games, Sony showed exclusive after exclusive coming to PlayStation. The one exception in all of this was the PlayStation TV. Released in Japan last year under the title of PS Vita TV, the new hardware from Sony promises some big things for those who own a PlayStation console and for those who do not at a very affordable price. So what the heck is the PlayStation TV? Let us explain after the jump.

E3 2014: Ubisoft Press Conference 3:00 PDT/6:00 EST

e3E3 2014 is well underway and there has already been a big announcement regarding the Battlefield Hardline beta. Next up will be Ubisoft’s Press Conference where they will definitely be covering huge franchises like Assassin’s Creed and the much anticipated The Division. Ubisoft and Sony often partner to provide exclusive content for PlayStation users so there is potential for big announcements. Keep reading to check out the press conference which begins at 3:00  PDT/6:00 EST.

Jack Tretton Won’t Be Joining Microsoft or Nintendo; Focus on New A.I. Startup

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Despite having parted with PlayStation, a company that Jack Tretton has been with since 1995, the former CEO and President of Sony Computer Entertainment America has nothing but good things to say about his former employers. Jack intact talks candidly about the troubles PlayStation faced and calls the PlayStation3 “a great redemption” for the company. While it’s no surprise that Jack has nothing but praise for his former employer, seeing how he left on his own accord, what may surprise fans is where Jack is currently employed and where he won’t be.

Jack Tretton Sees PlayStation 4 As “a Great Redemption”

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Having been with PlayStation since 1995, Jack Tretton, CEO and President of Sony Computer Entertainment America, made the shocking announcement that he’d be parting ways with the company, come end of March. A fan favorite, Tretton most recently helped launch PS4 during E3 2013 to a standing ovation by fans and press alike. Since that time, the PS4 has enjoyed great success and is easily beating its competitor, the Xbox One. Now in his first interview since departing with PlayStation, Tretton reflects back on his time with the company.

His thoughts after the jump.

PlayStation Store Update (06-03-14)

Psn-UpdateWelcome to the PlayStation Store update for June 3, 2014. We have a great update this week packed full of new content and sales. Several new titles come to the PlayStation 4 this week including Murdered: Soul Suspect (also available for PS3), War Thunder, and 1001 Spikes (Cross-Buy with Vita).

By far the most interesting title to grace the PlayStation 3 this week is Don Bradman Cricket 14 also comes to the PlayStation 3 this week. As someone who has no idea how cricket works, I still find it intriguing that PlayStation has released a full blown and full priced ($59.99) Cricket game for the system. The other big news this week is a RPG Flash Sale that lasts until Friday June 6th. Some of the deals you can look forward to are Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch for only $4.99 and the entire Mass Effect Trilogy for $14.99. If you haven’t played either of these titles you owe it to yourself to buy them at these highly discounted prices!

Finally, PlayStation Plus users will be receiving PixelJunk Shooter Ultimate (PS4/PS Vita), Trine 2: Complete Story (PS4), and NBA 2k14 (PS3)  for free along with many discounts on several games. Keep reading to see a complete list of content available on the PlayStation Store this week!

No LittleBigPlanet 3 or New IP from Media Molecule at E3

Media_Molecule_Sackboy_LogoWhile there is plenty to be excited about when it comes to E3 with Naughty Dog and Santa Monica Studios expected to reveal major titles, one key PlayStation developer won’t be part of the celebration. Media Molecule, the studio behind the beloved LittleBigPlanet franchise, won’t be attending the show.

While disappointing at first, it doesn’t mean the team isn’t working on something for gamers and they can’t wait to show you.

‘The Last of Us’ Directors in Charge of New ‘Uncharted,’ New Project in Development at Naughty Dog

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In an exclusive interview with Game Informer, the co-presidents of Naughty Dog have revealed that they have new projects in the works, one of which is “on the scale of Uncharted in very early pre-production stages,” and that the directors of last year’s The Last of Us have assumed control of the upcoming Uncharted game for PlayStation 4.

Oriental Opportunity – Sony Brings PlayStation to China

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A magnificent opportunity for Sony’s PlayStation brand has emerged which could lead to many years of new revenue, market share and added optimisim on top of the current success of the brand. Sony has just announced a partnership with China’s Oriental Pearl Group to produce and sell games consoles in China. This follows a change in policy from China earlier this year relaxing a 14-year ban on games consoles for their ‘corrosive cultural effects’. The world’s largest consumer market is now open for business to the video games manufacturers like Sony.

This follows rival Microsoft’s announcement back in late April when it announced its own plans to produce and sell consoles with BesTV in China. Sony clearly isn’t willing to let the Xbox One find any way out of its slow sales predicament and knows that it cannot afford to leave that market potential to its rival alone. It essentially presents a new opportunity for all games companies to grow and with a market as large and entertainment-hungry as China, the bounty is high.

What’s Sony’s plan for PlayStation in China’s $14bn / €10bn gaming market?

Microsoft CEO ‘Xbox Won’t be Sold’

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Sony isn’t the only corporation undergoing a strategic rethink. Over at rival Microsoft, there has been talk for over 6 months now about what to do with divisions such as Xbox.

It started with the lacklustre reception for the Xbox One combined with dead Windows 8 sales. That and more generated enough frustration from within to oust the CEO Steve Ballmer. Enter: Satya Nadella. In the few months he’s been in the job, he’s faced the pressures left behind from strategic mis-fires.

Some of us may have blown up a balloon or two when even Microsoft founder and veteran Bill Gates commented just a few weeks ago that should the new CEO decide that the loss-making Xbox division had to go, that he would “absolutely” support it.

The new CEO has finally spoken on this. Read on to find out what’s happening at PlayStation’s rival.

PlayStation Store Update (05-27-14)

Psn-UpdateWelcome to the PlayStation Store update for May 27, 2014. We have a great update this week packed full of new content and sales. The biggest title this week is easily the highly anticipated and discussed hacking/adventure game Watch_Dogs for both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3.

PlayStation Vita owners receive a lot of new content this week including Lemmings Touch, Mind Zero, and The Sly Collection. There are also several great sales including Persona 4: Golden for the PS Vita (Which I recommend every time it’s on sale…if you haven’t bought it yet, DO IT NOW), Rayman franchise titles for PS3 and PS Vita, and The Lego Movie Videogame for all 3 systems.

Finally, PlayStation Plus users will be receiving Limbo (PS Vita) and a 2o Hour Timed Trial of Battlefield 4 (PS3) for free along with many discounts on several games. Keep reading to see a complete list of content available on the PlayStation Store this week!

SingStar Turns 10, Coming to PS4 Later This Year

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It’s been ten years since the original SingStar came out on the PlayStation 2, and today Sony’s London Studios celebrated that birthday with the announcement of SingStar: Ultimate Party coming to the PlayStation 4. Over on the PlayStation Blog, game director Chris Bruce broke the news about the classic party game’s first entry on the PS4, and some really great details about how you’ll interact with the game if you don’t want to seek out those old plastic microphone peripherals.

PlayStation Store Update (05-20-14)

Psn-UpdateWelcome to the PlayStation Store update for May 20, 2014. We have a great update this week packed full of new content and sales. The PlayStation 4 receives several titles this week including the highly anticipated Transistor and Wolfenstein: The New Order (Also available on PlayStation 3).

PlayStation 3 users receive Drakengard 3Mugen Souls Z, and R-Type Dimensions. Those interested in imports will be excited to learn that there are 6 PS1 Imports this week including titles such as Dragon Beat Legend of Pinball and Tokyo 23-KU Seifuku Wars.

Finally, PlayStation Plus users will be receiving Puppeteer (PS3) and Surge Deluxe (PS Vita) for free along with many discounts on several games. Keep reading to see a complete list of content available on the PlayStation Store this week!

PS4 Success Backed by Robust Software Sales, Results Show

E3 2013 PS4 Price Tag

As far back as February, we knew that Sony was enjoying success with its PS4 sales, after the corporation mentioned that its full year target had already been met. A crucial companion to unit sales is software sales, and the 2013 results show a surge of 33%, ensuring that the new alpha console is profitable at the start of the new generation of gaming.

A total of 14.6m units of consoles were shipped in 2013, with at least 7m being Ps4 units alone.

What’s changing rapidly in the gaming division? Read on to find out.

Behind for the 3rd Console Generation In a Row, Microsoft Enters New Delusional State About Status of Xbox 360

xbox_ps-580-75For those playing at home, you’ll note that the PS2 crushed the Xbox (Xbox One?) in lifetime sales. Specifically, Sony moved 157.68 million PS2 consoles while Microsoft did a fraction of that with 24.65 million sold units. The generation after that was something completely different. Microsoft rightly designed the Xbox 360 for a connected multiplayer world and brought it to market a full year ahead of the PS3 at a lower price point. This resulted in the Xbox 360 being ahead of the PS3 for most of its lifetime but towards the end, the balance began to shift. Despite still costing more than the Xbox 360 and being out for one less year, the PS3 sits at nearly 83 million units sold with X360 trails at 81 million. This gap will likely continue to widen as Microsoft has ceased support for the console with games and updates for quite sometime now as it did with the original Xbox when the next generation console launched.

With the next gen (now current gen) consoles on the market, PlayStation 4 has lead the race by launching slightly ahead of the Xbox One and being available in more territories. With a lower price point of $399 vs. $499 and far greater game library, the PS4 is well past 7 million units sold while the Xbox One (still baffling name choice) has shipped (not sold) 5 million units. What Microsoft Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer thinks about all of this is bizarre and borderline delusional.