'Metal Gear Solid 4' Limited-Edition PlayStation 3 Coming to the US
by Thomas Ricker, posted May 16th 2008 at 2:16PM
[Source: Konami via Playstation.Blog]
Posts with tag ps3
[Source: Konami via Playstation.Blog]
Florida Man Kills Neighbor Over Missing PlayStation 3
by Joshua Fruhlinger, posted May 9th 2008 at 10:39AM
Edward Keith Stoddard Jr. really likes his PlayStation 3 (PS3). So much, in fact, that if you were to touch it, he may just kill you. Such was the fate of his neighbor, Douglas F. Abrams, who Stoddard suspected of stealing his PS3. Police reports say that during an argument over the missing console late Wednesday night, Stoddard shot Abrams, fatally wounding him. After police showed up on the scene, Stoddard surrendered and is now in Land O'Lakes jail in Dade County, Florida.
Love your console, people. Just don't get jealous if it drops by the neighbors' house for some tea. [Source: Bay News 9, via PS3Fanboy]
'Grand Theft Auto IV' Scores Perfect Reviews Ahead of Release
by Tim Stevens, posted Apr 28th 2008 at 6:17PM
The oft-delayed, eagerly-anticipated, and always controversial 'Grand Theft Auto IV' is just a day away from public consumption (less if you're hitting one of the many midnight launches tonight). But that doesn't mean that the lucky video game journalists of the world haven't been having their kicks with the game for the past few weeks and, with the press black-out lifted ahead of today's release, there's a veritable crush of reviews online to peruse today. If you had any doubt out whether to pick this one up, then reading any of them will get rid of that quickly.Reviews were almost entirely perfect, with a string of 10-out-of-10 and 100% scores meaning this could be the highest scoring game of all time. IGN called the game "the American dream," raved about the graphics and fast load times, and said it delivered an immersive artificial world unseen anywhere else, giving it a perfect score in a whopping seven-page review. 1UP had much the same to say, talking about the game's "breathtaking vistas" and also laying on a perfect score -- despite complaining about a few minor flaws (repetitive car models and no mid-mission checkpoints to save your progress). Even the usually conservative Eurogamer gave this one a perfect score, calling it "miraculous" and indicating that it is the best written and most engrossing game yet in the series.
As far as the question of which version is best to play -- PlayStation 3 (PS3) or Xbox 360 -- the reviews seemed to show little preference. When there was any preference, the reviews tended to favor the PS3 version for its slight graphical edge, but ultimately leaned towards the Xbox 360's achievement system and promise of extra downloadable content in the future.
Regardless which platform you choose, it looks like you're in for some fun.
The PlayStation 3 Laptop - For Real
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!
For more images, check out Engadget's gallery
PlayStation 3 Upgraded to Blu-ray 2.0
So the high definition disc format war is over, which is good news. But, if you celebrated the end of the war by running out and buying a standalone Blu-ray player then we hope you kept the receipt. A few of the newest players and disc releases support the new Blu-ray 2.0, offering a number of nice upgrades -- upgrades that the older players can't take advantage of. The exception is, of course, Sony's wunder-console, the PS3, which will be receiving an update later this month to make it Blu-ray 2.0 compatible.Blu-ray 2.0, also called BD-Live, delivers a handful of niceties that were missing in the first Blu-ray spec. The big one is picture-in-picture, which means special feature videos can pop-up during the main feature if you so desire. Also added is Internet connectivity to allow you to download new special features and trailers. Not exactly must-have functional enhancements, but frustrating just the same to owners of non-upgradeable 1.0 players.
On top of the BD-Live update, the PS3 will get a few other minor tweaks, including: the ability to resume playback of Blu-ray movie where you left it off; the ability to use your PSP as a big, expensive remote control; performance updates for the PS3's web browser; and the ability to play back WMV and DivX videos that are larger than two gigabytes in size.
Again, no firm launch date, but it is expected by the end of the month.
From Engadget
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New Computer Could Be First True Artificial Intelligence
A smart computer is growing at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in upstate NY. It's not the beginnings of Skynet (we hope) and won't be able to drive your car for you or do anything else you might consider practical. But, if everything goes right, it might just be able to fool you into thinking it's human, becoming the first such device to pass the benchmark Turing Test.In 1950 computer science and artificial intelligence pioneer Alan Turing proposed a simple test that has since come to be synonymous with his name. In his test, a person using a monitor and keyboard chats with with an anonymous entity using only text. The person is free to ask any question they like to try to figure out if the entity on the other end of the wire is a person or just a computer pretending to be one. Turing proposed that if you couldn't tell the difference between the two the machine has passed the test.
In the 58 years since, no machine has repeatedly passed the test and RPI's researchers believe they may be the first when their "Rascals" system is fully ready to roll in October. It's powered by the world's fastest supercomputer, IBM's Blue Gene, which is so fast we can't easily compare it to even the fastest desktop computers without filling this post with a lot of 0's. Suffice it to say it would take a couple trillion PlayStation 3's with their powerful Cell Processors to match what that thing can do.
OMG!
From Engadget
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U.S. Air Force Wants 300 PlayStation 3's
What exactly the Air Force plans to use the 300 PlayStations for is unclear, but the branch of the armed forces is getting price quotes from resellers.
Knowing that the PS3 is less a gaming machine and more a super computer in disguise, all we can say is we're glad it's the Air Force and not the NSA.
From Newsvine
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Draw Your Own PlayStation Game With Sony's "Sketch and Scan"
Microsoft recently made it easy for would-be game developers to get their games running on the Xbox 360 with their XNA platform. Sony's showing off some interesting software that lets people make their own games too, but in a very different and more simple way.The app is called "sketch and scan" and it lets you draw characters and objects on a piece of paper. Then, using the PS Eye peripheral, a webcam that connects to the PlayStation 3, you can scan those into the system and drop them in the game.
You won't exactly be making your own game from scratch here, just the characters and surroundings you see in it. But, it still could be an interesting creative exercise -- assuming Sony ever decides to release it. Right now there's just one demo game that uses it, a little clone of the classic Atari game 'Combat,' letting you draw your own tanks and drive them around.
From TG Daily
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Netflix Movies for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360?
Last month when Netflix decided to offer unlimited streaming of its online movies, rumors started swirling of partnerships with Microsoft and Sony video game consoles to keep the service ahead of new competition from iTunes. Now we have some potential details culled from a Netflix survey that shed some light on just how streaming movies to consoles would work. According to the blogger, the survey asks the following question:
If as part of your Netflix membership you could instantly watch movies and TV episodes on your TV with your PS/3 or XBOX 360, how likely would you/anyone in your household be to do that?The answer, for many at least, is very, very likely indeed! The survey goes on to detail that, for the PlayStation 3 (PS3), a $3 disc would be required to enable streaming of Netflix. For the Xbox 360, however, no disc is mentioned. Presumably this is because Netflix already works with Microsoft's copy protection, something the 360 can already handle. The PS3, however, needs a little help, but beyond the possible $3 disc there'd be no additional charge for this service.
There's no mention of when this might come to pass, though. So don't get too excited about it yet, since there's only one source talking about this survey. If and when console streaming becomes a reality,however, Netflix, having already dispatched Blockbuster, should have plenty of ammunition to stay ahead of iTunes in the online rental business.
From Seanbajuice
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Kid, Expecting PlayStation 3, Finds Phonebook in Box on Christmas
Picture this: it's Christmas morning. You've been drooling over the PS3 for a year now but haven't been able to afford one. You open one final, big present under the tree and, low and behold, it's that Sony console you've been dreaming of. But, when you open the box, you're not greeted by the smell of plastics and expensive electronics or the sight of a sleek, black console. Instead you find a ratty old phone book.The very real kid, who lives in Thousand Oaks, California, got this surprise earlier this week when he opened the PS3 purchased for him by his parents. No, they didn't buy it from a guy in a white van on the street corner; they purchased it at the EB Games franchise down the road, and it's unclear just what the store is going to do about it. Sadly, this has become a somewhat common trend in the electronics world, whether it's a computer hard drive box filled with bathroom tiles or a rock-filled iPod box.
What can you do? The most fool-proof approach is to just open the box before you leave the store. But, if the recipient decides they didn't really want that new gadget you're stuck paying a restocking fee because you opened the box. You can of course videotape the opening of the gift, but not everyone likes having their gift opening moments recorded. So, we'd recommend just giving the box a little shake before you take it to the cash register.
From Engadget
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AIBO Robo-Dog Coming Back in 2008! Maybe.
From the ashes of the fallen AIBO comes...another AIBO?
The print edition of Stuff magazine is reporting a rumor item that a resuscitated version of Sony's robotic dog companion, to go by the name of Sony AIBO PS, will be released by Sony's PlayStation division in an attempt to "bolster the PS3's arsenal." The next incarnation of Sony's robotic pet will be compatible with the PlayStation 3 and the PSP -- you'll have full control over the dog with your PSP, via Wi-Fi. The dog's head is supposedly equipped with a camera, with which to send a real-time video feed to the PSP's screen.
AIBO PS will allow for either voice control or remote control, and will be able to e-mail you at work when there's something fishy going on. He'll even appear with its own avatar within PlayStation Home, and react in the real world as he does in the PS3's upcoming service.
Still a rumor, but a good one, right?
From Stuff (via Gamespot UK and Engadget).
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Video Downloads Coming to PlayStation 3
After the launch of the Xbox 360 console, Microsoft was quick to add a video-on-demand service, stuffing the Xbox Live Video Marketplace with content ranging from episodes of 'Family Guy' to movies like 'Bourne Identity.' It's been a (relative) success, out-pacing Amazon's digital distribution service last year. Sony is jumping in the video download game, at least in Japan, with the announcement of its own video distribution service for PlayStation 3.The first downloadable videos will all be related to the upcoming 'Gran Turismo 5 Prologue.' First up will be a three-part documentary on the immensely-popular Nissan GT-R, a series produced by the BBC . The first will be free (as usual), but it's unclear whether future episodes will be free as well. It's unclear just how this will fit in with the already announced Gran Turismo TV, a sort of in-game movie player, or whether those video downloads that will appear in-game will be free. Subsequent videos, which presumably will feature something other than automotive porn, will come sometime early next year, costing around $1.85 each.
Still no word on U.S. plans for direct-to-PS3 video downloads, but since you can already stream just about whatever you want from your PC or Mac to your PS3, does anybody really care?
From Evil Avatar
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PlayStation 3 Out-sells Nintendo Wii in Japan
For the first time ever, Sony's PlayStation 3 outsold the Nintendo Wii over a four-week period in Japan. Fanboys, start your engines, because in November the PS3 sold 183,217 units, topping the Wii's 159,193.The PS3 has struggled since its launch to make a significant dent in the home console market. After being a market leader with the PlayStation and PlayStation 2, Sony has taken a somewhat distant third behind the Wii and Xbox 360 this generation.
A new influx of games, a hefty price drop, and the introduction of a new midrange model with a 40 Gigabyte hard drive have finally brought some life to the Sony system. Only time will tell if this is a fluke or if the trend is sustainable. The real test will be this holiday season. If Sony can post comparable numbers to the Wii and Xbox Sony, execs will likely declare a victory and we're pretty sure you'll be hearing about it.
From Reuters
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Nintendo Ends Up On Bottom of Green Electronics List
Greenpeace has been making a lot of noise lately with its attacks on Apple for using nasty stuff in the iPhone and in general for not being very green. Apple is implementing plans for getting greener, and now it seems Greenpeace is moving on to, well, greener pastures, attacking a whole boatload of tech companies with its latest Guide to Greener Electronics.
The guide rates electronics manufacturers based largely on their commitment to recycling old gear and reducing the use of toxic compounds in new stuff. This is the first time Greenpeace has chosen to include Nintendo in the list, and it has ranked the Wii-maker dead last -- not because the motion-sensing abilities of the Wiimotes are powered by globs of toxic waste, but instead simply because the company doesn't provide any information about things such as what it's doing for recycling and when it plans to phase out the use of PVC.
Nintendo's competitor in the video game battle, Microsoft, is also new to the list and also scores low, though slightly better than Nintendo, thanks to having a plan for phasing out the use of PVC and other materials that result in the creation of toxic compounds. Sony, the third player in the current console war, scores much higher in the green rankings thanks largely to its acceptance of expired electronics from Japanese consumers for recycling.
We here at Switched find this ordering somewhat confusing. Sony's console, the PlayStation 3, is by far the most power hungry of the three, drawing 200-plus watts of electricity when playing games. Microsoft's Xbox 360 averages a somewhat more efficient 145 watts, while Nintendo's Wii uses just 15-20 watts, which is less than 10-percent of the power of Sony's machine! Yet Nintendo is ranked as the worst electronics maker on the planet? We think Greenpeace should care a little more about the pollution caused by power generation.
Top of the charts was Sony's celly spin-off Sony Ericsson, which has already phased out the use of PVC to a large extent, while most others are still just thinking about it.
From Greenpeace (via Engadget)
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Rock Band (under $250, Gamer)
If you don't already know, now you do: This is the must-have party game of the year. Rock Band takes the Guitar Hero concept (it's made by the folks who created the first two Guitar Heroes, Harmonix), and merges it with Karaoke Revolution and a sophisticated drumming simulation. It comes complete with virtual guitar/bass, drum set, and microphone -- and 58 songs (Blue Öyster Cult's "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", David Bowie's "Suffragette City", and The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" to name a few. It's ridiculously fun with four other players -- the $170 version for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 comes with mic, guitar, and drum set peripherals -- and can be even be played online if you don't have enough friends to, you know, form a Rock Band. Welcome to your newest addiction.
From Harmonix
