PlayStation 3

Resistance 3 Demo to be Bundled with Battle: Los Angeles Blu-ray

by Jesse Fogarty | May 3, 2011 | 24 comments

Those of you that can’t wait for the release of Resistance 3 have a chance to get a taste of the game before the September release. It was announced yesterday on G4TV that the hit movie Battle L.A. will feature a 30 minute action packed single-player demo when purchasing the Blu-ray. The game demo will come installed directly onto the Blu-ray disc, so y’all don’t have to worry about multiple disks.

That’s not the only way to get your hands on the demo – there is one more. For those of you who purchased the SOCOM 4 add-on “Full Deployment Edition” count yourselves lucky – you’ll also be recieving a copy of the Resistance 3 demo.

The down fall to this is I’m unable to report if the demo will be available for download through the PSN. A multi-player demo is still in the works.

Battle: Los Angeles is slated to invade your Blu-ray player on June 14th while Resistance 3 is looking at a September 6th as for its own personal invasion.

Hit the jump for a video trailer of Resistance 3, exclusive on the PlayStation 3.

New Black Ops Map Pack Releasing May 3rd 2011

by Jesse Fogarty | Apr 30, 2011 | 29 comments

Call of Duty fans we have something to look forward to during this PlayStation Network fiasco – Activison recently added some new screenshots and trailers to the Call of Duty site to hype up the May 3rd (For xbox live) debut of the second Call of Duty: Black Ops Map-Pack. The pack includes 5 new intensive combat maps as well a new addition to zombies featuring an more in-depth story line to get users more into Zombie packed fun.

The multi-player section of the pack features 4 new maps for players to dive themselves into – the first map “Hotel” takes place on the roof of a Cuban luxury hotel, where players battle against the backdrop of old Havana. The next map players have to indulge themselves in is called “Convoy” and as the name suggest the map takes place at the scene of an ambushed US military convoy – the perfect map for those who like fast-paced close-quarter combat. Third on the multi-player list is “Zoo” which takes place in an abandoned Soviet Russian Zoo. Lastly we have “Stockpile” placing players in a remote Russian farm town housing secret weapons of mass destruction facilities.

Sony Drops Price of PS3 + Move Bundle to $349. Saves You $77 (expired)

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 28, 2011 | 2 comments

If you’ve been eyeing yourself a PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Move, the following will be welcome news to you. Sony has dropped $50 off of the PS3 + Move bundle to bring it to $349. The bundle gets you the following:

320GB PS3 system
Dualshock 3 wireless controller
PlayStation Move motion controller
PlayStation Eye camera
Sports Champions game

Have to say, this is not a bad deal at all. Especially if you consider that the PS3 is ($299), Move Motion controller ($49), PlayStation Eye ($39) and Sports Champion ($39) which totals $426.

[Via Sony]

Editorial: Please Back Up Your PlayStation 3. It’s Really Easy

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 16, 2011 | 91 comments

Anybody who has had their computer crash, wether it be caused by a virus or a bad hard drive can attest to the heart break that usually follows when you realize that you haven’t had a backup of your files and now your entire music library, photos, videos and documents is gone. Sure some services allow you to re-download an application or song but in general, most of your content is forever loved. The PlayStation 3 is really no different, especially with it’s easily upgradable hard drive which allows anybody to install upwards of a 500GB hard drive in minutes. And unlike other consoles on the market, many PlayStation3 not only have downloaded games from PSN (and remember, you can always log back into your account an re-download any old purchases), but also store photos, videos, music and interactive elements like Dynamic Backgrounds and Sony’s monthly Qore. As easy as it is to download content into your PS3, it’s just as easy to lose them. A failed hard drive, a spike in the power or heck, your PS3 just deciding to freak out on itself. Once any of these events happen and lets assume that your hard drive is still working, you cannot simply take out your hard drive, place it in another PS3 and continue from where you left off. But there is a cure for this and that is to simply backup your content. Sony has made the idea of backing up extremely simply on the PlayStation 3 as our following video will show. Remember, there is no need to do one weekly, because depending on your hard drive size, they can take a while but a two month backup sure beats nothing.

PSP Firmware 6.38 with Qriocity Install Overview (Video)

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 15, 2011 | 111 comments

As we mentioned in our prior post, we’ve been working on a video overview of PSP firmware 6.38 which finally brings Sony’s music streaming service, Qriocity, to PSP and PSPgo units. Our video below will show you how to install the service, give you some tips to make sure you experience a smooth setup and an overview of how well the streaming service actually works.

PSP Firmware 6.38 Now Available with Qriocity Music Unlimited Support for the PSP and PSPgo

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 14, 2011 | 4 comments

I apologize for calling the service Qriocity Music Unlimited in the headline but it’s what I sometimes must do for the Googler Interwebs search engines to dig us up. Sticking to what should just be called Qriocity, today Sony has released a new firmware up date for the PSP and PSP go system. Firmware 6.38 is a small download that builds upon the previous update and gives PSP and PSPgo users access to the Qriocity, Sony’s cloud based music streaming service. Those who download will note that they need to do 3 additional things before being able to use the service.

On their PSP, go to settings > Date & Time Settings > Date and Time > Set via Internet
Have over 200MB of free space available on their system
Via their PS3 or web browser, link a PSN account to a Qriocity subscription

After following these steps, you will be on your way towards streaming music. As I write this, I’m also importing and editing a video that will hopefully be up by tonight, if not tomorrow which goes over the installation via a PSP and PSPgo. Also, I go over how the service works and some of the tips I just gave. So look for that soon! Have you guys download Qriocity for the PSP or PS3 system yet? If so, what do you think and if not, what’s holding you back?

Will the PlayStation 3 Receive Google Chrome for its Future Web Browser?

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 12, 2011 | 70 comments

PlayStation 3 users have been a lucky bunch from the beginning, being the only console on the market with a web browser. As it is, the browser is a functional one with full flash support , giving users access to sites like YouTube, Facebook, IGN, and our very own (can’t help but plug ourselves in as well). From its inception, much like the PlayStation 3, Sony has done much to beef up the browser and make it a smoother and more powerful experience. Still, there is no denying that compared to your computer or even iPhone, the browsing experience is subpar. Especially if you have a laptop or iPad sitting around, there is no question that you will reach for that, over the PS3 web browser.

Now, it looks like things could change for the better for those of you need access to a better web browsing experience from their PS3. It’s really been a well document experience that the folks over at Sony and Google have become cosy over the last year. Sony has thrown its full support behind the Google TV initiative and offers an entire TV lineup based around the idea, and a separate Blu-ray Internet unit as well. Then, there is Sony Ericssons lineup of Android phone with Sony even hoping to reach the status as a top Android handset maker. It only makes sense for Google to give some love back to Sony and help beef up their product offerings and we’re sure that won’t mind the increased market share. Still, these are only hopes and wants and we don’t tend to report on those alone. Instead, the guys over at PS3 Life have discovered that within the recently updated webkit for the PlayStation 3 browser, lies the code from Google Chrome browser.

I’m going through ps3-webkit-support.diff because I’m bored. Looks like we’re getting Chrome Actually, since Geoff’s added a couple of files for ChromeClientPOSIX.

Naturally the full source of His changes are in that. Diff file also. From what I can tell, the only posix platform refers to the PS3 in webkit, It does not show up at all in the mainline source code (Unix versions are under Their Typically widget library like Qt or gtk). There’s a lot of Functions That Are not Implemented, but they’re Mainly Ones That involvement windowing That You Would not expect to be supported on the PS3.

Might this not mean much since I do not see the cool stuff from Chrome theses sources, like bookmark syncing, but it’s a freaking huge project., And only covers what the diff Needed to be changed so it works on the PS3. Might it not just get Chrome branding visible to the user, but I think if he’s calling it chrome client, we can expect good things for the future.

Those looking to see just what’s inside of this webkit can click here and dig a little deeper for themselves. Many times, companies place codes within their SDK that never come to fruition, due to cost or other initiatives taking precedent. However, the idea of a new web browser is too big of a feature for Sony to simply be testing the idea in just a closed environment and with previous rumors on this subject matter, we cant help but think that it’s only a matter time before the PlayStation 3 receives the Chrome web browser.

Do you currently use the PS3’s web browser and if not. how come? Also, what do you think about a beefed up web browsing experience on the PS3? Would you go back to using it if Chrome did indeed come to the PS3?

[Via PS3 Life]

PlayStation Move Goes Linux Multi Gestured, Controls Facebook and More

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 12, 2011 | 69 comments

Though we failed to report on it, in early March, Sony announced a new initiative called Move.me which is an server application that promises to let researchers, hobbyists and others use the Move as a controller for a PC. Currently in closed beta and set to be released into the wild by Summer, Move.me hopes to capture the enthusiast crowd’s imagination by giving them access to PlayStation Move’s source code with little guidance. Instead Sony and PlayStation want users to hack away at the motion based controller till their hearts desire. Now Jacob Pennock is one of the first to report back in with his findings. Using the PlayStation Move, he is able to navigate around in his desktop, navigate through Facebook and create gesture based shortcuts to launch movies, Pandora and more. What’s more impressive is that Jacob only received access to the currently closed SDK last Thursday. It should be noted that Jacob will share is findings with the rest of the closed beta community of Move.me till the program goes out of private beta, in which case he and the rest of the community will be able to publish their codes for the web, and anybody wishing to give it a go will be able to have access to the SDK from Sony.

“We want to see what innovative applications programmers can create using the PS Move controller, the PS3™ system, the PlayStation®Eye camera, and a PC,” Sony said in its Move.Me site.

For all those interested, some of the key areas that Sony would like you to focus on is:

Games and tools that support kids’ physical fitness and nutrition
Kid-friendly programming interfaces for computer/technology classes or individual learning
Physical therapy and rehabilitation
Sports physiology or fitness training
Music and the creative arts

Hit the jump for one more video.

[Via JacobPennock]

Our Site Editor, Allegra, Unboxes LittleBigPlanet 2: Collectors Edition (Video)

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 7, 2011 | 3 comments

I know we were late to the party when it came to getting our hands on LittleBigPlanet 2, but we really wanted the Collector’s Edition and I was under strict orders that I wasn’t allowed to play the new game till our site editor, Allegra, had arrived back in Los Angeles. Because she was able to spend a week here, we finally got the opportunity to not only play LBP2 but also do an unboxing.

PS3 Firmware 3.6 Video Overview with Cloud Game Saving

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 25, 2011 | 5 comments

Sony recently released PlayStation 3 firmware 3.6 which enabled users to set a controller auto-off timing of their choice and more importantly, gave PlayStation Plus users access to save game files to the cloud. In todays video, we go over the features, show you how to use them and answer your questions.

PlayStation Move Continues to be Sold Out at GameStop

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 24, 2011 | 6 comments

It’s been almost 8 months since the PlayStation Move was introduced to the market and it’s been almost 8 months of sold out inventory. Designed to cater to both the casual and hardcore gamer with titles like Resident Evil 5, Killzone 3 and the upcoming SOCOM 4, the PlayStation Move was an effort on Sony’s part to extend the reach of the PlayStation 3 platform while giving gamers one more way to interact with their content. Having experiencing the sellout first hand as it took my own family over a month to get me two PlayStation Move Controller and Navigation Sticks for Christmas and after 3 weeks of waiting for my PlayStation Move Sharp Shooter, I’m still empty handed, I believe it when GameStop announced today that they are having a hard time keeping these units on the shelves.

“We have struggled to stay in stock on the Sony Move controllers; there’s a tremendous amount of demand for that,” said GameStop’s Tony Bartel. “Provided we can get more into stock, we should see some strong growth there as well.”

[Via IndustryGamers]

Sony Would Like Developers to Consider PlayStation Move and 3D Support

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 17, 2011 | 0 comments

Sony has been on the forefront of cutting edge with the PlayStation 3, creating a device that, unlike previous PlayStation units and other consoles on the market, can be expanded upon and offer new features that even those who bought the PlayStation during its launch can enjoy. Over the last 9 months, the PlayStation 3 has been updated via software to allow for 3D games and movies. Shortly after that, Sony also released the PlayStation Move, which continues to be the most advanced and precise motion sensor gaming attachment on the market. In order to show consumers and other developers the capability of these new technologies, Sony has taken it upon itself to offer these advacements in some of the hottest games of 2010 and 2011. Titles such as Gran Turismo 5, LittleBigPlanet 2, Killzone 3, MotorStorm Apocalypse and the upcoming Uncharted 3, Socom 4 and Infamous 2, will all support native 3D. Current titles on the market such as LittleBigPlanet 2, Killzone 3 and again the upcoming Socom 4 and soon to be released Move Heroes game, featuring some of PlayStation most well known characters, like Jak & Dexter, Ratchet and Clank, and Sly, will support PlayStation Move on top of native 3D.

Now, Sony wants developers outside of the Sony family to leverage these PlayStation 3 features and incorporate them into their games to offer a more unique and rich environment for the players.

“Whenever we come out with new technology, whether it’s Move or 3D, there is always the request that goes out to the [development] teams that says, ‘Hey it would be great if you could implement it.’ We know that adds to the layer of not only the marketing message we have access to but it also adds to the availability of different Sony channels that we can broadcast our message out to,”

Sony has gone on record and states that in no way or shape is it requiring developers to offer these. Instead, it wants them to look at games like Killzone 3 which has been said to be one of the best looking games ever created on the PlayStation 3 which also offers the most native and natural Move experience while still implementing 3D. The point here is that developers can add these features to their game without worrying about tapping out the PlayStation 3 or the need to sacrifice quality.

Hit the jump for a full list of PlayStation Move and 3D-supported games.

Sony Puts Country Before Profits, Cancels MotorStorm Apocalypse for Japan

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 14, 2011 | 7 comments

By now, we have all have seen the countless images and videos on CNN and other places from the recent natural disasters that took place in Japan. With cities destroyed and the country’s spirits and energies going towards their people and the much needed recovery that is taking place as each day passes, it’s nice to see a company set aside its profits and instead focus on the people. In an alternative universe where a 8.9 earthquake and tsunami had not rocked the country of Japan, this week Sony’s PlayStation division would be releasing MotorStorm Apocalypse for the PlayStation 3. This genre-defining racing game has always been centered around all forms of jaw-dropping environments where the player can race, crash and taunt away the opponents in all forms of manors. Prior to this installment, the series had raced into the deserts and tropical landscapes for the game’s backdrop. For MotorStorm Apocalypse, the developers wanted to instead focus on an old abandoned city where the environment itself played like an opponent. With falling buildings and destroyed streets, the game was a spectacle to look at and play through, if you had not recently been exposed to a trauma of the same magnitude. Sony instead believes that the game will hit too close to home and will not be appropriate for the people of Japan and through an email issued out to the press, has stated that the game will be postponed (indefinitely) for Japan. From a capitalistic standpoint, this might not be a good move. After all, millions are/were spent on making this game, let alone localizing it for Japan, but from a humanity standpoint, it’s nice to see a company forgo profits and instead focus on the people.

LG Loses Against Sony. PS3 Shipment Begin to Flow to Europe

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 11, 2011 | 18 comments

Remember the earlier scare that Sony went through where all PS3 shipments were ordered to be halted into Europe, thanks to a Sony vs. LG patent war? Well after the initial judge ruled on LG’s favor, the over all ruling has now come in favor of Sony Electronics. The more then 300,00 PlayStation 3 units that are currently sitting at customs are set to start flowing to inventory channels. Considering how fast this was resolved, we doubt retailers saw much of a dip in their inventory as most companies have 2-3 weeks worth of supplies for any given product. The judge has also ordered LG to pay 130k ($181k) Euros to Sony for costs incurred during the hearing and an additional 200k ($278k) Euros for everyday that shipments of the PS3 are not returned to Sony.

[Via GamersMint]

PS3 Firmware 3.6, Brings Cloud Storage, Online Game Saving

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 9, 2011 | 11 comments

When the PSN (PlayStation Network) entered it’s usual scheduled maintenance time, no one would have guessed that Sony was taking down the service to beef up the PS3 offering for PlayStation Plus users and giving them one of the holly grail features that people have been wanting, saving games to the cloud.

When PS3 firmware 3.6 goes live tomorrow, PlayStation Plus users will be able to back up game save data to the cloud. This new feature not only will ensure that your files are saved off location, in case your hard drive were to go south, but users will be able to access these files from any other PS3, simply by logging into their PSN account.

The new online storage feature allows gamers to store up to 150MB of game save data and a maximum of 1000 data files per PSN account.

Saves games to the cloud will happen automatically for PlayStation Plus users and while most games current available will work with this online storage method, all future games are required to have cloud saving compatibility. I’ve been a long time PlayStation Plus users, having written a piece why I believe every PlayStation 3 user should have PlayStation Plus. Now, I can finally get another PS3. I’ve long wanted a secondary PlayStation 3, leaving the current one in the living room while having a machine in the bedroom as well. But the idea that I cannot continue my career in Gran Turismo 5 or the levels I’ve completed in LittleBigPlanet 2 always held me back and copying saved files back and forth from each machine via a USB drive seemed too tedious and bound for disaster. With Cloud Storage, I’m well on my way towards ordering another PlayStation 3. Press release after the jump.