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The Most Interesting Console Things
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Posted by Blog Admin at 10:13 AM Permalink 0 comments
by Donald Melanson
Peripheral purveyor SplitFish has already brought some PC-style input to the PlayStation 2, but now, as promised, it's taken its game to the PS3, following up its EdgeFX mouse controller with the strikingly-similar FragFX device. Like the EdgeFX, the FragFX gives you a mouse to improve your aim in FPS games, with the separate left-handed grip controller getting an upgrade this time around to let you take advantage of the PS3's motion sensing abilities. Not one to let a potential selling point go unnoticed, SplitFish is also touting the controller as being "optimized" for use with Sony's recently announced Home virtual world. While you'll have to wait a while to put that particular claim to the test, you will be able to get your hands on a wired version of the FragFX next month for $60, with a Bluetooth version coming "later" for $70.
Posted by Blog Admin at 3:43 PM Permalink 0 comments
by Marcus Yam
PS3's next big update to add new Web surfing options and background downloading
The powerful PlayStation 3 will soon be getting the ability to simultaneously walk and chew gum, so to speak. An upcoming system update to bring the PS3 firmware to version 1.6 will give users the ability to download files from the PlayStation Network in the background.
Currently, PlayStation 3 owners must halt all activity and remain focused on the download progress bar. Any attempt at another operation on the console will cancel the download, which is non-resumable. Users will greatly appreciate this new feature when it comes to downloading large files, such as Gran Turismo HD Concept at 625MB.
Another recently announced feature to be included in the 1.60 update is the introduction of Folding@home functionality, giving owners of a PS3 the opportunity to use their new game system to help find real-life cures to diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, cystic fibrosis and many cancers.
Version 1.60 will also improve the Web browsing ability of the PS3. The update will bring zooming and new resolution settings for easier surfing, plus a full-sized keyboard on-screen for more convenient text entry.
Although the 20GB PS3 may soon be extinct, especially after confirmation from retailer memos, Sony is adding a software feature so that the WiFi-less PS3 variant will be able to connect with the PSP for Remote Play.
Details of the update were first found from a Japanese press release dating the release date of the new firmware to be March 22. The timing of the new firmware closely coincides with the launch of the European launch of PS3.
While not yet applicable to Japanese and North American consoles, the European PS3 features revised hardware that omits the Emotion Engine and Graphics Synthesizer, a chip used for hardware backwards compatibility for PS2 games, in favor of costs. An upcoming firmware update is expected to introduce software emulation of over 1,000 PS2 games for the European PS3. It is unclear how the different hardware specification and software requirements will affect future and current Japan and North American PlayStation 3 consoles.
Posted by Blog Admin at 1:54 PM Permalink 0 comments
by Darrin Olson
In a speech by Bill Gates at CES earlier this year, Gates talked about upgrades to the Xbox 360 including live IPTV service. Microsoft is now planning on showing off this service integrated with the Xbox 360 and the Connected Home show in London the week of March 5th.
IPTV in the game console will be demo’d by Ed Graczyk, Worldwide Director of Marketing and Communications for Microsoft TV, during his keynote speech at the event. “Separately the Xbox 360 and Microsoft TV IPTV Edition deliver unique and exciting entertainment experiences, but IPTV on Xbox 360 delivers a real value proposition for consumers, service providers and content and game developers alike. By integrating these industry-leading solutions, we continue to drive innovation and enable new connected entertainment experiences for consumers.”, said Graczyk. This will be the first time consumers will get a chance to actually see what Microsoft has planned for the integration.
This new feature incorporated into the Xbox 360 game console will bring it additional value as more of an integrated fixture in a home entertainment package allowing users to browse, record and watch television shows through the console, along with other features such as chatting over Xbox Live while watching television. “This will be a unique opportunity to witness first hand the possibilities which IPTV offers to service providers and to the online gaming market and we are delighted that Microsoft has chosen the IPTV World Forum event to showcase this demonstration.”, said Ian Johnson, director of the Junction Group who organized the IPTV world forum.
Posted by Blog Admin at 2:51 PM Permalink 0 comments
It has been revealed that Sony's PS3 launch titles will be £10 less than the Xbox 360 title's were. This means Brits can pick up the likes of Resistance for just £39.99.
quote:
SCEE’s five disc-based first-party releases – Resistance: Fall Of Man, Motorstorm, Formula One Championship Edition, Ridge Racer 7 and Genji, Days Of The Blade – have been given an Official price point of just £39.99 (E59.99). The suggested retail price of Xbox 360 titles is usually £49.99.
In addition to the disc-based games SCEE has also announced that titles downloadable via its PlayStation Network, such as BlastFactor, flOw and Super Rub a Dub and Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection, will be available for an introductory period at prices from E2.99 to E9.99 (around £2 to £6.70).
Additional content, such as video content and game items, will be priced on sliding scale from E0.99 (around 66p).
Posted by Blog Admin at 2:48 PM Permalink 0 comments
by Marcus Yam
The Wii off to a great start for 2007
Nintendo’s Wii continues to sell at a torrid place, outselling the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 during January. Market research firm NPD Group reports that consumers bought 436,000 Wii, while Xbox 360 sold 294,000 units, followed by PlayStation 3 with 244,000.
Nintendo is crediting much of its success to the broad appeal of Wii compared to machines from Microsoft and Sony. “I do think that we're selling to additional and different customers,” said Perrin Kaplan, VP marketing for Nintendo. “We've had an incredibly healthy start and we think there's going to be a pretty long tail on this product.”
Each console experienced a drop in sales when compared with figures from December 2006. The Wii saw the least decline when compared to its previous month at 604,200, while Xbox 360 saw the biggest decline from its 1.1 million units sold. PlayStation 3 also fell from its 490,700 sold during December.
The PlayStation 2 continues to be a strong seller, likely because of its price point, with 299,000 units—but down from the amazing 1.4 million during the holiday month. The Nintendo DS also loosened its grip, selling 239,000 during January—a steep drop from the 1.6 million during the gift-giving season. PSP also fell to 211,000 from 953,200.
Posted by Blog Admin at 4:23 PM Permalink 0 comments
by Patrick Garratt
Peter Moore - VP of Microsoft's interactive entertainment business, entertainment and devices division and Chris Satchell - general manager of Microsoft's game development group - launched an unprecedented attack on Sony's PlayStation 3 business at CES in Las Vegas yesterday.
Speaking exclusively to GamesIndustry.biz, the two senior executives branded the Japanese firm's online service for the newly-launched console a "disaster" and said the company lacks the talent and the "DNA" to ever deliver a suitable online console service for consumers.
"It's going to take [Sony] a couple of years to get up to speed on this, and I'm not sure that they necessarily have the talent, or it's built into who they are as a company," Moore said.
"They're struggling with some of their hardware issues, and apparently they're going to deliver another five million in the next 90 days. But this business is about hardware, software and services now. And the consumer expects that."
Moore's comments came as he explained how much commitment Microsoft has needed to create the currently available Live offering.
"It's taken a company like Microsoft four solid years to get where we are today - the richness of the experience, the consistency of the experience, constantly updating features and making it feel fresh - and we're a software company and this is a software plane," he said.
"It is not in Sony's DNA to be able to get that up and running from zero."
Satchell bore similar sentiments. "If I wanted to make my online service better, and I wanted to give [Sony] a little piece of advice, it would be to copy Xbox Live a little more closely," he said.
"My honest opinion is that it's pretty much a disaster. They keep saying that they have a free service. Well, if they don't have anything, of course it's free. And you know what: what's free about $600?"
Moore and Satchell were speaking after announcements at CES from Bill Gates on Sunday that Xbox Live will be brought to Windows Vista this summer, and an announcement from Sony on Monday that 1 million PS3s have now shipped in the US.
The full interview with Peter Moore is now on GamesIndustry.biz. The interview with Chris Satchell will follow tomorrow.
Posted by Blog Admin at 7:06 PM Permalink 0 comments