Skip to Content

AOL Tech

ps3 posts

Video Games

MAG's 256-Person Capacity Makes It the Biggest PS3 Shooter Yet

In gaming, there are online games and off, with the latter group of logged-off games largely becoming a relic of earlier, simpler times. Then, in the online realm, there are massively complex multiplayer games and games which are, well, somewhat less massive. First-person shooters, like Quake, tend to be smaller online affairs, rarely playable with more than 32 gamers. That may all change with MAG, an online shooter that supports a massive 256 simultaneous players in a single map.

A tactical first-person shooter, MAG is in a similar vein to another hugely popular online game for Sony: SOCOM. The series, and its multiple iterations on PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable consoles, is still going strong, but MAG takes things in a different direction. Ditching any true storyline, the focus rests entirely on online combat, though the player teams up with one of three factions fighting for global supremacy. You sign in, choose sides, then lock and load to start capturing territory.

Read more →

Video Games

Upcoming 'Gran Turismo' Games Come in PSP and NASCAR Flavors



'Gran Turismo' is hailed by many gaming racers as the /true/ driving simulation. There are plenty of other racers out there that offer more realistic physics or a more immersive experience, but none have become anywhere near as popular and none have had the massive impact on American car culture that GT has. This week at E3, Sony had two different versions of the frequently-delayed franchise on display, and we checked them both out.

Read more →

Video Games

Taking a Ride on Tony Hawk's New Wireless Skateboard

Getting Our Feet On the New Tony Hawk Ride
The 'Tony Hawk' franchise of skateboard games is one of the most popular and longest-running series of games in history. Lately, though, after ten iterations, it's become one of the most stale. That all changes with 'Tony Hawk Ride,' the upcoming release due this October that replaces all those fiddly button combos with a wireless skateboard that looks -- and more importantly -- acts like the real thing. We got a chance to try it out.

The controller is a black plastic wedge shaped like a skateboard, but it's thicker to accommodate some motion-sensors, AA batteries, and four infra-red cameras. The device lets you lean left and right to turn in the game and perform classic skate tricks like ollies, grinds, and kick flips just by moving the board. No, you never actually jump with it or flip it around, so living room injuries should be few, but it does simulate the feel of skateboarding. And yes, it requires some of the skill.

Read more →

Video Games

UFC Fighter Cut From Video Game Due to Wild Hairdo



Ultimate Fighting Championship's UFC 2009 Undisputed is the first game from the series in five years, and it's already running into some hairy territory. Despite its notable good reviews, the anticipated game is already getting flack for cutting popular lightweight Clay Guida -- all because of his 'do.

According to Joystiq (which, from what we gather, heard about the story as originally printed in Fight! Magazine), Guida's trademarked locks are causing "clipping problems" for the video game's producers at THQ. They offered the fighter money to get a haircut, but he apparently refused and consequently got axed from the game.

Note: This is PS3 and Xbox360, we are talking about. They couldn't spare a couple of pixels for some 3D hair? Particularly considering the quality of the above graphics? If we were to let unruly locks dictate playing capacity, we'd lose some crucial greats, including Troy Polamalu, Cloud Strife, and even Knuckles the Echidna. [From: Joystiq, via Fight! Magazine]

Video Games

Man Murders Son's Mother Over Gaming Addiction

Man Murders Wife Over Gaming AddictionIf domestic bliss is your goal, here is a bit of advice; do not put your big plasma TV and your PlayStation 3 in the bedroom. Oh, and certainly don't make your partner sleep on the couch so you can stay up all night playing 'Grand Theft Auto.'

Carol Cannom, 46, of Lincolnshire, England, purchased 'GTA' for her 10-year-old son (we're questioning the intelligence of that decision, too), but soon became addicted to the game, herself. She would often play until five or six in the morning while she forced her partner and the father of her child, 62-year-old Malcolm Palmer, to sleep on their couch.

Palmer eventually became convinced that Cannom was having an affair and went into a "violent rage." Palmer stabbed Cannom with a pair of kitchen knives, leaving 20 puncture wounds in her chest and ultimately killing her.

Palmer's son called the police during the melee, after which Palmer reportedly took the phone and said into the receiver: "I'm sorry. I think I've killed her."

Let this be a lesson to those who think that their video game addictions aren't dangerous. [From: DailyTech]

Related Links:

Computers, Video Games

Man Targets 11 Year-Old Girl Using PS3/Camera


Think the worst your kids are exposed to in online gaming services like the Playstation Network is profanity? Think again.

It seems that even the console gaming world is not safe for children anymore. Our friends at Joystiq recently caught wind of a 24-year old Sommerset, Kentucky man who has been arrested and charged with three felonies after he allegedly convinced an 11-year-old girl in Houston, Texas to send him nude pictures of herself -- via an Internet-connected PlayStation 3. Anthony Scott O'Shea didn't own a computer, so he used the tools he had at his disposal: a PlayStation 3 (PS3) and its PlayStation Eye webcam.

Local authorities said O'Shea befriended the little girl over the online Playstation Network and then guilt-tripped her into taking the photos. Sgt. Gary Spurger of Harris County Precinct told Houston ABC station KTRK that by the time the girl's parents contacted authorities, O'Shea had already distributed the pictures via e-mail "across the country," O'Shea has been charged with online solicitation of a child, sexual performance of a child, and promotion of child pornography.

We're glad O'Shea enjoyed meeting friends on the Playstation Network, because, if he is convicted, he is going to have a ton of them in prison. [From: joystiq]

Related Links:

Audio/Video, Computers, Video Games

YouTube Comes to the Wii and PlayStation 3


Sure, there's already TVs and devices out there ready to bring the YouTube experience directly to your living room, but yesterday YouTube launched a page just for browser-enabled living room devices (the PlayStation 3 and Wii) to browse on a TV screen. Point your console to www.youtube.com/tv for the new page, those limited by their PC's can check out the video embedded after the break for a demo. It seems like it would be easy to throw a bone to Windows Media Center Extender devices and HTPC owners by opening things up a bit, but the Official YouTube Blog indicates this beta is intended to encourage more manufacturers to include unrestricted browser support (Xbox 360, please pick up the white courtesy phone.) Take a look and tell us what you think.

Read - Official YouTube blog
Read - PlayStation Blog

Read more →

Video Games

Collectible Video Games Made Worthless by Digital Re-Releases

If you own a Wii, Xbox 360, or PS3, and you haven't tried any of the many downloadable games that they offer, you're seriously missing out! Each system has a collection of fun and simple games available to download, usually for $10 or less. Many are new, but a large number of them are re-releases of classic titles, and some of of those were games that had become quite rare. That's good news for those who missed a chance to own them the first time around, but bad news for serious game collectors.

Certain games, like the Dreamcast title Rez HD, had been selling for upwards of $50, the same as new despite being a 10-year-old game, but after the game was re-released electronically for the 360 those games are now going for just $15 or less. That's more than it would cost to download the game, but not by much, and a huge loss for anyone who was hoping to retire on a box full of classic titles. Surely there will always be some willing to pay extra to get the original games in their original format, but clearly they are in the minority. [From: arstechnica]

Video Games

PlayStation 3 Lags Behind Wii, Xbox 360 This Holiday Season

Considering the way that the Wii flew off shelves last month, this next item probably won't come as a shock to anyone. According to the Wall Street Journal, both Nintendo's console and the Xbox 360 trounced the PlayStation 3 in holiday sales, with U.S. sales falling nine percent from this month last year. During this same period, sales doubled for the Wii and rose eight percent for the Xbox 360. Perhaps none of this should be a surprise, as Sony declined to cut prices on their system, while a lack of exclusive game titles and a number of inexpensive Blu-ray players went a long way towards making the PS3 the least attractive option in an already difficult retail climate. If anything, it looks like Sony won't be able to rely on the console to help prop up a flagging electronics division that just announced it will be cutting thousands of jobs in a bid to boost profitability going into 2009. Happy New Year, indeed.

Video Games

PlayStation Home Launching Worldwide on December 11th

We knew it was coming this month, now we have the day: tomorrow. Yup, PlayStation Home will launch globally on December 11th. The 3D virtual on-line community is like 'Second Life,' only with the risk of rootkit. Hot. All kidding aside, the new service gives PS3 owners a customizable place to chat (voice or text) and play games with other PlayStation Home users through personalized avatars. Just like real life except without acne and all your social shortcomings. Home will be available to download and "experience basic features" for free -- some services (like creating a "club") will require cash though, so be prepared.

Update: Added video of Red Bull's PlayStation Home Air Race game after the break. It's also worth noting that the US is positioning this as an "open beta" whereas the Japanese announcement seems to position this as full production launch.

Check out Engadget for a gallery of PlayStation Home.

Read more →

Video Games, Holiday Gift Guide 2008

Confirmed: PlayStation Home Launch Coming This Month in US


We know you aren't going to believe it 'til you see it, but SCEA has confirmed to our brethren at Joystiq that PlayStation Home will hit the US market before 2009 dawns. In the words of PS Home director Jack Buser: "We've been saying it will launch by the end of calendar year 2008, and that's getting very, very close." He continued by affirming that "launch is imminent," but stopped short of giving us a date to mark down in our calendars. Tick, tock.

Video Games

Gamer Overcomes Disability with Custom PlayStation 3 Controller


Yeah, we may be hardened cynics -- our cold, black hearts have closed off to all but the most extraordinary tech-related stories, and we don't talk about the triumph of the human spirit a lot, but PlayStation 3 forum user KitsuneYume has us stepping outside our usual box today. With the help of an engineer, he made an "adaptive controller" that allows him to game with the pros despite serious disabilities. 20 out of 25 functions are accounted for by the system, and he uses his fingers, toes, and even his tongue to play -- your regular, everyday controller mod it ain't.

The creator said he uploaded the pictures to make sure folks who might need it are aware the technology exists, as he contacted Sony a while back and they weren't able to tell him where to look. We hope this helps gets the word out, because we think everyone should have and chance to lie, cheat, and steal their way through 'Fallout 3.'

[Thanks, Jason]

Video Games, Editor's Picks, Reviews, Holiday Gift Guide 2008

Does 'LittleBigPlanet' Live Up to the Hype?

Hype Check: 'LittleBigPlanet'

'Little Big Planet'

What it is:
'LittleBigPlanet' is rather unlike anything else you've experienced on a video game console. It's Sony's hope to bring alternative gamers to the PlayStation 3 (PS3) this holiday season, and is a wonderfully charming game to boot. From a purely gameplay perspective, it's an evolution of the fairly standard side-view run-and-jump style games (like the old 'Super Mario Bros.') way back in the day. No two levels are alike, largely because the entire game is all about expressing creativity, whether it be customizing your character to look exactly as you like, or building your own level from scratch to be exactly how you want it.

Or, if you're not feeling so creative, you can just download the levels made by others online, or play through those that ship on the disc with the game. There's no real plot here, and no real point either except to do whatever you want -- and have fun, of course. It's all wrapped in a lovely hand-made aesthetic that includes characters who appear to have been stitched from burlap and the levels composed of cardboard and styrofoam. It looks fantastic, but that hand-made feel goes well beyond looks.

Why it's different: 'LittleBigPlanet' is at the forefront of a new movement in video games that focuses on user-generated content. In this case, that means that anyone who buys the game can create their own levels and post them online to play. In fact, all the levels that are included with the game for playing offline could also be re-created through the game's unique level editor tool.

What we like: While most level editors are imposing and technical things full of menus that take hours and hours to begin to figure out, LBP's level editor is an intuitive cinch. Creating levels is actually a fun thing, driven by your character who floats around on a blank template, dropping blocks here and creating obstacles there -- all at your direction, of course.

You can even get a bunch of friends (either sitting next to you or online) in there to create levels with you, helping you out to build that giant roller-coaster level. In fact, the entire game is very multiplayer-friendly, supporting up to four players online or offline to run through any level. The controls are simple (run, jump, and grab are really all you need to worry about) and the little sack characters so undeniably cute (little beggars with big grins and burlap textures donning top hats and goofy clothes), that it's hard to imagine anyone not wanting to have a go at it.

Read more →

Video Games

New PlayStation 3 Game Delayed Over Potential Offense to Muslims

PS3 Title 'Little Big Planet' Delayed Over Qur'anic Phrases
'Little Big Planet,' a new highly customizable platform game for the PlayStation 3, is garnering attention -- for all the right and wrong reasons. Initial reviews and reaction to the game have been very positive, but the game has also drawn attention for a potentially offensive song on its soundtrack that contains phrases from the Qur'an.

Sony was alerted to the potential problem by a Muslim beta tester who alerted the company that some Muslims may be offended by the lyrics, since the Qur'an is considered to come directly from God.

Sony has recalled copies of the game and producing a new version with out the controversy-courting track. Manzoor Moghal, of the Muslim Forum, told the BBC he praised Sony's decision and quick action. [From: BBC]

Video Games

PlayStation 3 and PSP Updates Available Now


Good news, friends, you won't have to wait until later to get at that new Flash 9 support offered up by the PS3 2.50 update: the firmware is available now. Sony tossed in a few other assorted updates like power-saving options and voice chat enhancements, but we're sure you'll be too busy watching 'Doogie Howser, M.D.' on Hulu to notice. Happy downloading!

Update: PSP 5.00 is available now too.

[Thanks, Tony]

Switched Video

Follow Switched on Twitter
 

Weirdest Techie Heists and Scams

    Elderly Amish Man Caught on Film With Prostitute, Blackmailed
    When a 75-year-old Amish widower slept with a prostitute, he -- we feel certain -- felt pretty bad about it the next morning. As if that guilt weren't enough for the old man, the prostitute and her boyfriend demanded $67,000 from him, claiming that they had filmed the scene with wall-mounted cameras and would upload the recording to the Internet. The pair was later arrested and, we can only imagine, the Amish man abhorred technology more than ever.

     

    Bank Robber Gets Away With the Help of Craiglist
    In October, a bank robber -- wearing a safety vest, blue shirt, face mask and goggles -- eluded police with the help of Craiglist. Just outside the bank, while the robbery was in progress, stood a group of men who were responding to a Craiglist day labor opportunity. As the advertisement required, they were all wearing safety vests, blue shirts, face masks and goggles.

     

    Nude New Zealander Arrested After Responding to Fake Sexy Text Message
    Late in 2007, a Wellington, New Zealand man received a racy text message from two anonymous "ladies," giving him only an address and a request that he show up naked. Well, he indeed showed up naked... at the home of one appalled, unsuspecting New Zealander. Both the nude Romeo and the sadistic texter were arrested, though neither were prosecuted.

     

    Fake Craiglist Ad Costs Man Most of What He Owns
    Last Spring, a post appeared on an Oregon Craigslist board stating that the owner of a specific house was leaving all of his worldly possessions (still in said house) to whoever wanted them. When homeowner Robert Salisbury rushed home -- on a tip from a woman suspicious about the offer of a free horse -- he found his house being ransacked by 30 strangers. We suggest he take that horse and collect some vengeance Clint Eastwood-style.

     

    17-Year-Old Jailed for Stealing Virtual 'Furniture'
    When a 17-year-old Dutch boy hacked into several accounts on the Second Life-style site 'Habbo' in 2007, the the law got involved. The boy was discovered to have stolen $5,800 worth of virtual furniture and knick-knacks. Apparently, crime -- whether actual or virtual -- does not pay.

     

    Phishers Going After Your Phones in New 'Vishing' Trend
    Over the past year, sneaky spammers have begun to forsake the worn-out territory of e-mail in favor of cell phones' fertile frontier. The result? "Vishing." Get it? Voice mail phishing. It might be more ominous if it didn't sound like a James Bond villain saying, "Wishing."

     

    Burglars Break Into Restaurant, Steal HDTV, Leave Money / Food Behind
    Around Halloween of last year, a truckload of thieves drove into -- that's right, into -- a Pennsylvania Mexican restaurant, where they -- apparently uninterested in the cash register -- stole a mid-grade 47-inch HDTV and fled the scene. We've all heard about how this generation is lacking in ambition, but this generation's thieves, too?

     

Latest Reviews from CNET.com

CNET provides the latest tech news, unbiased reviews, videos, podcasts, software, and downloads, making tech products easy to find, understand and use.

Top Product Reviews

  • Home Audio Reviews

    9.0 out of 10

    Denon AVR-4306 (black)
    Incredibly well-featured 7.1-channel receiver; excellent sound quality; three HDMI inputs; converts analog video to HDMI output; upconverts analog video to 720p/1080i HD resolution; iPod and USB MP3 player connectivity; Internet radio and MP3/WMA streaming audio via built-in Ethernet port; XM Satellite Radio compatible; touch-screen remote; multizone, multisource operation; browser-based control via home network; accurate autocalibration routine. Full Review

    8.8 out of 10

    KEF KHT3005 (black)
    The KEF KHT-3005 is one compact, beautifully designed speaker package with solid aluminum satellites that feature unique driver technology to produce incredible clarity. Meanwhile, the equally astounding dual 10-inch, 250-watt powered subwoofer delivers ultradeep bass. Full Review

    8.8 out of 10

    KEF KHT3005 (silver)
    The KEF KHT-3005 is one compact, beautifully designed speaker package with solid aluminum satellites that feature unique driver technology to produce incredible clarity. Meanwhile, the equally astounding dual 10-inch, 250-watt powered subwoofer delivers ultradeep bass. Full Review

  • Cell Phone Reviews

    8.6 out of 10

    Wi-Ex zBoost YX510-PCS-CEL cell phone signal extender
    The Wi-Ex zBoost YX510-PCS-CEL significantly boosts your cell phone reception and is easy to operate. Also, it uses a wireless connection to your phone. Full Review

    8.6 out of 10

    Turbo Charge Tc2 portable cell phone charger
    The Turbo Charge Tc2 portable cell phone charger successfully delivers emergency power to your cell phone. It's easy to use and comes with a couple of surprising features. Full Review

    8.3 out of 10

    LG VX6000 (Verizon Wireless)
    Compact and stylish; impressive battery life; solid audio quality; sharp color screen; built-in camera; USB ready; affordable. Full Review

  • Digital Camera Reviews

    9.3 out of 10

    Canon EOS 1D Mark III
    Extremely fast, 10-megapixel continuous shooting; very low noise; highly customizable; well-designed body with weather sealing; 3-inch LCD; abundant optional accessories. Full Review

    9.3 out of 10

    Nikon D3 (body only)
    Full-frame sensor; well designed, pro-level weather-sealed body; very low noise, even at extremely high ISOs; fast. Full Review

    9.0 out of 10

    Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III
    Very low noise, high quality images; 21.1 megapixels; live view shooting; pro-level build-quality and performance. Full Review

  • Desktop Reviews

    8.5 out of 10

    Apple iMac (24-inch, 2.8GHz)
    A minor specification update results in some significant performance gains; graphics upgrade an option on this 24-inch model; sleek, polished design didn't receive an update, but we won't start clamoring for a new design until the current one is at least 12 months old. Full Review

    8.4 out of 10

    Velocity Raptor Signature Edition Gaming PC
    One of the fastest PCs we've tested; a PCI Express RAID card helps media encoding performance; typically immaculate Velocity Micro assembly; strong, three-year warranty. Full Review

    8.3 out of 10

    Dell Studio Desktop Computer (Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200, 750GB HDD, 6GB)
    Best performance in its class; dedicated graphics card; large hard drive. Full Review

Featured Galleries

MacBook Pro (WWDC)
Maker Faire 2009
Faulty GPS Led These Poor Folks to Disaster
Flip Mino HD Balloon Flight
Budget PCs We Like
Disaster Related Games
5 Loud Games That Might Get Your Neighbors Calling the Police
Celebrity Hackings
Cell Phone Bans Across the U.S.A.

 

Switched Desktop

Get the New Switched Desktop

Latest tech news, Switched mail, and more.

AOL Tech Network

Resources