http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin en Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:06:59 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/images/jnj/misc/rss.jpg http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266934&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:35:10 GMT Though yesterday's Sony investor's conference featured a concerning reference to the PSN's "new revenue stream from subscription," another slide from the presentation seems to indicate that the platform is already making money hand over fist. According to the slide (seen above), the company has set a lofty goal for the current fiscal year: It expects the PSN to bring in ¥50 billion (roughly $561 million) in revenue by the end of FY 2009. That's three times the amount of cash collected by the platform in the last fiscal year.

Exactly how Sony plans to boost its revenues so drastically is outlined by other statistics on the slide. According to the company's calculations, the PSN currently has 33 million registered users, 1.4 million of which visit the PlayStation Store on a daily basis. We fall into the latter group -- but only because we can't stop window shopping for celebrities we can fling into oncoming traffic. We confess: It's one of our dirtiest, guiltiest pleasures.

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/20/so...en-in-fy-2009/ ]]> PS3 News Forum wraggster http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266934 http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266931&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:27:28 GMT

After baptizing the remaining HD DVD faithful, Warner has moved on to teaching new Blu-ray converts the five pillars of faith with a trade-up program. Send in your old DVDs (just the box art won't cut it this time around, better buy some blanks and get to ripping if you still enjoy Training Day on long car trips), $7.95 - $9.95 per movie plus $4.95 for s&h (orders over $25 ship for free) and expect HD versions back in 4 - 5 weeks. Is it worth it? Depends on how many of the 55 flicks on the approved list you own (included after the break) but for most you're probably better off keeping the ones you have and eyeing budget bins carefully, nabbing catalog flicks like Harold & Kumar for less than $15 without any mail-in shenanigans shouldn't be too hard for the truly thrifty.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/19/w...dvds-leland-g/ ]]> PS3 News Forum wraggster http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266931 http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266921&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:13:47 GMT Big push coming in the form of festive TV advertising campaign for HD disc format The British Video Association has lifted the lid on a significant new TV advertising campaign designed to highlight the growing high definition Blu-ray format this Christmas. The push is being run on behalf of Sony... Big push coming in the form of festive TV advertising campaign for HD disc format
The British Video Association has lifted the lid on a significant new TV advertising campaign designed to highlight the growing high definition Blu-ray format this Christmas.
The push is being run on behalf of Sony Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal pictures, Walt Disney and Warner. It’s part of a £1m through-the0line campaign being orchestrated by the BVA.
Beginning on November 23rd, the 30” spot will be aired across ITV, Channel 4, Sky and Five. Estimates predict that the total viewing audience of the spot will be around 40m and reach 74 per cent of HDTV owners.
It will also highlight some of the many high-profile Blu-ray releases heading to retail this Q4 including Inglorious Basterds, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Disney’s Snow White.
“11m British households now own a HDTV, yet many of them are failing to make the most of their technology,” BVA director general Lavinia Carey stated.

“The best way to enjoy films at home is in high definition and on Blu-ray discs and our goal is to boost understanding of the benefits of Blu-ray in the run up to Christmas.”

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/36603/Blu-...hard-this-Xmas ]]> PS3 News Forum wraggster http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266921 http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266824&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:34:19 GMT Sony has listed 3D gaming as one of the five key advantages to the PlayStation 3 platform, and confirmed that the release of 3D games onto the console will form part of its 3D strategy in the future. In a presentation to investors, the company revealed its plan to add 3D capabilities to the PS3.... Sony has listed 3D gaming as one of the five key advantages to the PlayStation 3 platform, and confirmed that the release of 3D games onto the console will form part of its 3D strategy in the future.

In a presentation to investors, the company revealed its plan to add 3D capabilities to the PS3. "All PS3 units will be firmware upgradable to 3D", it said.

Offering 3D tools to third party developers in the future will form part of the plan as Sony aims to "lead to the 3D market."

Not only will it look to bring 3D technology to the PlayStation 3, but it is also looking to implement it into the Blu-ray format and its high-definition televisions.

3D gaming was specified as one of the five key advantages PlayStation 3 offers, alongside motion control, Blu-ray, PSN and PSP linkage.

Sony also revealed, reported yesterday, it was expecting to return its PlayStation business to profitability by the fiscal year ending March 2011.

Higher revenues would be generated, it said, by further cost reductions, greater hardware and software sales, and the development of the PlayStation Network.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ncorporate-ps3 ]]> PS3 News Forum wraggster http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266824 http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266614&goto=newpost Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:19:13 GMT Image: http://i50.tinypic.com/3359ri9.png Sony gave attendees at their media/investors conference a better look at their motion controller. The device has been revised from its first showing and has at least six buttons. You can see the standard four face buttons: square, X, triangle and circle,...

Sony gave attendees at their media/investors conference a better look at their motion controller. The device has been revised from its first showing and has at least six buttons. You can see the standard four face buttons: square, X, triangle and circle, the home button, and a big button on the wand.

The PlayStation 3 Motion controller also has force feedback, a gyroscope (the technology that powers Wii Motion Plus), an accelerometer, and “rendition by light”.

http://www.siliconera.com/2009/11/19...on-controller/ ]]> PS3 News Forum wraggster http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266614 http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266613&goto=newpost Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:13:19 GMT “We see 3D as a pillar of our strategy,” said Hiroshi Yoshioka, a senior Sony executive during a briefing at the firm’s headquarters at Shinagawa, Tokyo. At the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year, Sony demonstrated their 3D technology with WipEout HD, which involved putting on a pair of... “We see 3D as a pillar of our strategy,” said Hiroshi Yoshioka, a senior Sony executive during a briefing at the firm’s headquarters at Shinagawa, Tokyo.

At the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year, Sony demonstrated their 3D technology with WipEout HD, which involved putting on a pair of black glasses. Sony Computer Entertainment president and CEO Kaz Hirai confirmed at the briefing in Tokyo that this 3D functionality would be introduced to all existing PS3s via a firmware update and also made mention of the special lenses that were used to demonstrate the effect.

A summary of the briefing sent out by Sony states that the company plans to introduce 3D functionality for TVs, blu-ray players / recorders and the Playstation 3 in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2011. Remastered Shadow of the Colossus for PSN in 3D, anyone?

http://www.siliconera.com/2009/11/19...by-march-2011/ ]]> PS3 News Forum wraggster http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266613 http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266604&goto=newpost Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:02:31 GMT Whoa, hey. Slow your roll, sir. We know seeing the terms "PSN" and "subscription" in the same headline might have set off a few red flags for you, but let's look at this logically. Earlier today, Sony released the presentation report from its media and investor conference, one portion of which focused on the future profitability of its gaming platform. One element of the company's strategy is turning a larger profit on PlayStation Network -- and yes, according to the report, Sony's planning to obtain a "new revenue stream from subscription."

Now, this doesn't necessarily mean the currently free online service will start charging its users at some point during this next year. It's far more likely that the line in the report was referring to new subscription-based features, such as the PSP rental service or one of SOE's upcoming MMOs.

We contacted Sony about the reference to PSN subscriptions, and a representative responded, saying, "We have not made any formal announcements on a subscription based service. We're looking into a variety of options." It sounds like the company has yet to set any subscription plans in stone -- or perhaps Sony's just now gauging the community's reaction to the concept of a pay-to-play PSN. If that's the case, the comments on this post could likely provide an adequate barometer for how this news would be received. But that's just our hunch ...

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/19/so...evenue-stream/ ]]> PS3 News Forum wraggster http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266604 http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266602&goto=newpost Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:59:16 GMT Modern Warfare 2 has made about a bazillion dollars so far around the world, but that's not all profit. You've got to subtract the game's development costs. And for such a polished game, those must be pretty high...

And they are. An LA Times report on the game's launch says the game "cost $40 million to $50 million to produce". That's, uh, a lot for a game that's built atop a preceding title. Gran Turismo 5 has cost $60 million so far, but that game's been in development for five years, not the two it took to get MW2 out the door.

So, yes, if you were wondering how Activision got so much detail, Fiddy and Keith David into the game, that's how they did it. By throwing money at it.

http://kotaku.com/5407981/how-much-d...dern-warfare-2 ]]> PS3 News Forum wraggster http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266602 http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266601&goto=newpost Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:56:55 GMT Image: http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/9/2009/11/500x_integrationone.jpg Back in May, Sony talked about expanding the PlayStation Network to cover other hardware devices. Today the company further details these plans, leveraging the PSN infrastructure to create an online service for all...

Back in May, Sony talked about expanding the PlayStation Network to cover other hardware devices. Today the company further details these plans, leveraging the PSN infrastructure to create an online service for all Sony hardware.

The PlayStation Network has been a big hit with PlayStation 3 and PSP owners, and now Sony wants to bring the same experience to other areas of hardware, including televisions, MP3 players, ebook readers, and laptops. According to a Sony presentation delivered this morning, the same infrastructure that is used to deliver video and games to the PlayStation and PSP will be used to deliver games, video, music, and ebooks to other Sony devices. Consumers would connect to the Sony Online Service using a single user ID, meaning that most likely your PlayStation Network ID would also be your Sony Online Service ID as well.

The network would also be used for devices like digital cameras, allowing users to share their photos and videos directly with the PlayStation 3, PSP, or newer Sony televisions without requiring the use of a computer or memory card.

A unified service would further strengthen Sony as a brand, while giving users a unified interface familiar across all products. If they pull it off, it should be a real boon to the company, with hardware users knowing exactly what to expect when they purchase a Sony product.

http://kotaku.com/5408411/sony-aims-...ice-out-of-psn ]]> PS3 News Forum wraggster http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266601 http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266589&goto=newpost Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:39:06 GMT Slide presentation offers insight into Sony strategy, including ‘Sony Online Service’ and possible PSN subscription charges A Sony presentation detailing the firm’s consumer strategy moving forwards has offered a few insights into the direction of both Sony’s gaming and online distribution plans –... Slide presentation offers insight into Sony strategy, including ‘Sony Online Service’ and possible PSN subscription charges
A Sony presentation detailing the firm’s consumer strategy moving forwards has offered a few insights into the direction of both Sony’s gaming and online distribution plans – and it seems that both 3D and cross platform gaming are at the core of it.
Firstly, Sony has confirmed that it intends to position the PS3 as a 3D games console to be backed in conjunction with its upcoming range of 3D TVs. Furthermore, current PS3s “will be firmware upgradable to 3D”.
In addition, Sony plans to play a greater role in the content market, with the Sony Online Service – which is apparently a temporary name – looking to leverage PSN content across a number of devices such as PC, TVs and smartphones.
The presentation also mentions “new revenue streams from subscription” in regard to PSN, raising the ominous spectre of an Xbox Live style annual subscription charge to access Sony’s top-end PSN services.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/36583/3D-u...-coming-to-PS3 ]]> PS3 News Forum wraggster http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266589 http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266467&goto=newpost Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:55:08 GMT October saw the highest month of revenues on record for the PlayStation Store, with downloads up 60 per cent on the previous year, according to new information released on the official PlayStation Blog.

As part of celebrations of the PlayStation 3's third birthday in the US, SCEA revealed that to date more than 650 million pieces of content have been downloaded worldwide from the PlayStation Store, from more than 31 million registered PlayStation Network accounts.

Sony also trumpeted US hardware sales growth of almost 70 per cent over the last year, claiming the PS3 as the only console to experience "significant growth" year on year.

Sales of the PS3 have been boosted considerably since the launch of the cheaper PS3 slim and a new marketing campaign, although last month's NPD results for the US show that the Wii still outsold the PS3 by 506,900 units to 320,600.

Sony remains upbeat at the console's turnaround though, highlighting the fact that the company had a total of 17 nominations at the 2009 Spike Video Game Nominations - more than any other publisher.

"Many believe a console race is a 100-meter dash, but it’s really a marathon," said Jesse Divnich, director of analyst services at EEDAR.

"The PS3’s ten-year lifecycle is clear testament of Sony’s commitment to providing entertainment value to consumers, PS3’s growth in recent months is a perfect example of how a new low price along with upcoming innovative, exclusive titles such as MAG, Gran Turismo 5 and God of War III, will act as large catalysts for driving the PS3’s install base even higher," he added.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...s-break-record ]]> PS3 News Forum wraggster http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266467 http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266464&goto=newpost Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:52:36 GMT Sony Computer Entertainment Europe president and CEO Andrew House has told GamesIndustry.biz that the newly-launched PlayStation Video Delivery Service - which encompasses around 2000 films across Europe, including about 800 for the UK - will grow its offering at a rate of about 50 movies every... Sony Computer Entertainment Europe president and CEO Andrew House has told GamesIndustry.biz that the newly-launched PlayStation Video Delivery Service - which encompasses around 2000 films across Europe, including about 800 for the UK - will grow its offering at a rate of about 50 movies every week.

Speaking in an industry-exclusive interview ahead of the launch of the service, House explained that SCEE would be following the template set out by the US, which has increased its offering "something like 700 per cent" since its launch 15 months ago.

"It'll be a little bit more complex, because we're trying to maintain that mix between Hollywood content as well as local studio content, and also I think we'll see short form and television become part of that play as well," he said.

"But I think we're in a good spot - I think we have something like 2000 movies available at launch, which is a pretty substantial library. Break that down to a per-country basis and there's around 800 films available for the UK, for example.

"So we're starting out with a really strong offering - there's plenty there to choose from, a tremendous number of current hits - and then I think we'll grow it somewhere in the region I hope of about an additional 50 movies per week. So that'll encourage return traffic, people coming back, something new for them there to check out - we're feeling fairly comfortable about the content line-up we've got, and that's led us again to this being the right time to launch."

He also indicated that, following the launch of the PS3 Slim a couple of months ago - which along with a new, lower price point has prompted a 300 per cent increase in the platform's sales numbers - now was the right time to release the service to the market, although there were other considerations as well.

"First and foremost, clearly - if you're going to launch a sufficiently robust video delivery service in Europe then that requires full support from all the Hollywood studios, but another critical component is making sure we have the right mix of local content as well," he explained.

"That takes somewhat longer in terms of the range of partners that are involved, making sure those business deals are put to bed - so I think in some part we didn't want to launch the service until we had all of those components in place, and that's come together now.

"Also, we felt that we were launching at a time - as it turns out, fairly correctly predicting - that with the launch of the PS3 Slim and the new price point that there would be a significant shift in momentum in the market place. It's a good time to have a more... let's say 'family-friendly' price point, to be able to start to introduce services which probably have a broader appeal to the mass market than just pure videogame focus.

"So I think it was a culmination of those factors that made this feel it was the right time to move ahead."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ll-grow-weekly ]]> PS3 News Forum wraggster http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266464 http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266292&goto=newpost Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:18:46 GMT It seems that the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Cyber Crimes Center, known as C3, has replaced its '$8,000 Tableau/Dell server combination' with more efficient and much cheaper $300 PS3s. Each PS3 is capable of 4 million passwords per second, and C3 currently has 20 PS3s with plans to buy 40 more. Naturally this is only being used to break encryption on computers seized with a warrant and suspected of harboring child pornography

http://it.slashdot.org/story/09/11/1...eak-Encryption ]]> PS3 News Forum wraggster http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266292 http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266177&goto=newpost Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:59:50 GMT Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) celebrates the third anniversary of the PlayStation 3 (PS3) computer entertainment system and PlayStation Network this week. Three years into its ten-year lifecycle, the PS3 system continues to exhibit tremendous momentum. This year, SCEA unveiled its best... Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) celebrates the third anniversary of the PlayStation 3 (PS3) computer entertainment system and PlayStation Network this week. Three years into its ten-year lifecycle, the PS3 system continues to exhibit tremendous momentum. This year, SCEA unveiled its best software lineup to date, with AAA titles such as UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves, Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time, InFAMOUS and Killzone 2 garnering critical acclaim. In fact, today SCEA led the 2009 Spike Videogame nominations with 17 nominations, more than any other first or third party publisher. Strong consumer demand for rich, digital and connected entertainment experiences continue to drive the popularity of PlayStation Network. What began as an online commerce option for games and content has evolved into an innovative entertainment network in just three short years.

"We are extremely proud that in just three years into its lifecycle, PlayStation 3 and the unmatched digital offerings of PlayStation Network have helped to redefine the connected home entertainment experience," said Patrick Seybold, Senior Director of Corporate Communications and Social Media, SCEA. "From a tremendous lineup of blockbuster titles, to Blu-ray movies and games, to access to a library of thousands of movies, TV shows and games on the PlayStation Store, no other system on the market today delivers a more complete entertainment experience or a better value than PS3. With the continuing addition of new features such as Netflix and Facebook integration, highly anticipated break-out games like MAG and God of War III on the horizon, and the on-going evolution of connected experiences through PlayStation Network, we've only just begun scratch the surface."

In October 2009, U.S. sales for the PS3 system grew nearly 70 percent when compared to October 2008, making it the only console to experience significant growth year over year. October also marked the highest month of revenue on record for the PlayStation?Store, with downloads increasing 60 percent over October 2008. To date, more than 650 million pieces of content have been downloaded worldwide from PlayStation Store. Currently, there are more than 31 million registered PlayStation Network accounts worldwide.

"Many believe a console race is a 100-meter dash, but it's really a marathon. The PS3's ten-year lifecycle is clear testament of Sony's commitment to providing entertainment value to consumers," said Jesse Divnich, Director of Analyst Services, EEDAR. "PS3's growth in recent months is a perfect example of how a new low price along with upcoming innovative, exclusive titles such as MAG, Gran Turismo 5 and God of War III, will act as large catalysts for driving the PS3's install base even higher. Add in the robust offerings on the PlayStation Network and there's no doubt that PS3's success will continue well throughout 2010, and beyond."

As the PS3 system enters its fourth year, it is well on its way to delivering ten years of value to consumers and serves as a testament to the leading innovation and unbeatable entertainment the PlayStation brand provides its consumers. Launches from much anticipated first-party titles including, MAG, Heavy Rain, Gran Turismo 5, EyePet, Modnation Racers and God of War III, as well as third-party releases such as Bioshock 2 from 2K Games, Battlefied: Bad Company 2 and Dante's Inferno both from EA, FINAL FANTASY XIII from Square Enix, and Capcom's Super Street Fighter IV, will enable SCEA to continue to redefine gameplay in 2010.

PlayStation today offers an unmatched breadth of entertainment and content choices, including streaming movies and TV shows from Netflix, in addition to PlayStation Network's expansive library of 17,400 TV episodes and movies for rent and purchase; a rich selection of more than 450 games for PS3 and PSP, 4,000 pieces of add-on game content and exciting new offerings such as "minis" and the "digital comics," which will be available later this year. PlayStation has been redefining consumer entertainment for the past 15 years and consumers can remain confident that the PS3 system and PlayStation Network offerings will only continue to grow and expand as consumer entertainment needs evolve. ]]> PS3 News Forum wraggster http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266177 http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266151&goto=newpost Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:13:20 GMT We recently received a tip from a source very close to Sony who says that they have been in talks with Mozilla lately about possibly porting firefox over to the PS3. That said, our source made sure to point out that they were unsure if any deal had actually been reached at this point, but it is... We recently received a tip from a source very close to Sony who says that they have been in talks with Mozilla lately about possibly porting firefox over to the PS3. That said, our source made sure to point out that they were unsure if any deal had actually been reached at this point, but it is great news none the less considering the complaints Sony has been getting about the lack of reliability with their current built in PS3 web browser. Throwing firefox into the mix would give PS3 the ultimate advantage when it came to internet functionality. I know I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for this one, and PSInsider will be sure to bring you any updates to this rumor as they become available.

http://psinsider.e-mpire.com/index.p...articleid=1447 ]]> PS3 News Forum wraggster http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266151