Via Playstatic

Research is being conducted on the technology used in the Playstation 3 in an effort to develop new national security devices in the US.

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington, USA, is using the processing power of Cell to help manage complex information, such as security videos and facial recognition technology. Apparently the PS3’s technology has approximately a quarter the computing power of the lab’s 8,000 square foot supercomputer.

Quoting lab researcher, Mark Goodwin;


The article doesn’t state exactly what “technology” is being made use of from the Playstation 3 but one might assume they refer to Cell, with its seven separate processing units. It may be an expensive toy for the average gamer, though cheaper than building another giant super-computer.

PS3 - not only Folding for cancer but Big Brother too. ...

Via GameDaily BIZ

You mean not everything is gumdrops and lollipops in Wii world? According to Sega of America marketing vp Scott Steinberg (right) it's not. He doesn't think there's enough creative depth to sustain the console, while the PS3 has a lot to offer, he said. More within...

Can it be? Did a publisher actually just say something with a negative slant towards Wii? While other publishers are praising the Wii for attracting new consumers and introducing new gameplay controls, Sega for the first time has questioned the longevity of Nintendo's console.

In an interview with Reuters, Scott Steinberg, vice president of marketing for Sega of America, said that he thinks the Wii will look less and less attractive in the next couple years.

"I am a little concerned about the creative depth of the Wii pool," Steinberg commented. "I'm not sure if they will top out in 2008 or 2007. The Wii will start to look really dated in a couple years when developers get more value from the 360 and learn more and more about the PlayStation 3."

In particular, Steinberg said he was worried that the motion-sensing controls would lead to derivative products after a while. "How much value can developers and creative folks get out of this wrist motion two years from now, or 5 years from now, or 10 years from now?" he questioned. "How can they design products that aren't too derivative of what's already out there?"

On the other hand, he believes the PS3 has much longer legs and despite its slow start will come out on top in the console battle when it's all said and done. "We know the PS3 pool is pretty deep. There's a lot to exploit there," he said.

Sega is supporting all platforms, and regarding the Wii specifically, you may recall that the company recently signed a historic deal to put Mario and Sonic together in an Olympics-based game. ...

Via Electronista

The HD DVD Promotional Group stepped up the battle of words today by claiming that more than half of all next-generation movie players sold use its format, giving the technology an edge over its Blu-Ray challenger. About 60 percent of all movie players use HD DVD, and are selling far more titles than before as well. Over 75,000 of the discs sold in the last week of May -- a record achievement for a still new format, the group says.

The spikes are primarily the result of recent price cuts for the entry-level HD-A2 and other players, according to the backers of the HD DVD standard. While reluctant to discuss sales before the surge, the group notes that sales doubled for all players when the HD-A2's price dropped to $399 in April; it doubled again with the late May promotion but has yet to slow down, the group reports.

No mention was made of whether or not the sales figures included Sony's PlayStation 3, which is considered a game console but can perform many of the same tasks as a dedicated movie player, eliminating the need in some cases for separate hardware. The HD DVD promoters also did not mention whether the statistic included the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player attachment. ...

Via Rotpod

Every gamer knows that the Wii is the most popular console of this generation thus far. It has been sold out since launch and is still relatively hard to come by. But what is driving this console’s success? Its simplicity, for one thing, is making it popular among the public, as is its cheap price point. But is this widely successful console really the best one?

The Wii is the only console of its kind, unless you count those “ALL-IN-ONE sports games” or those “GREAT-VIDEO GAMES FOR CHEAP,” that you will likely see at Wal-Mart. The Wii’s motion sensitivity is a unique factor that draws people to the console. The ability to easily pick up and play the console fares well with gamers from the elderly to the very young. And after they play it once, everyone says to themselves, “It’s cheap and easy, so why don’t I get one?”

This attitude has contributed to the console’s immense success in the industry, and has sparked waves of imitators, from the PS3’s motion sensing to the 3rd party Xbox 360 version. But the things that make the Wii great for casual players, such as simplicity and motion sensitivity, may not fare as well for hardcore gamers. This is exemplified when Nintendo puts out games like WarioWare, Raving Rabbits, Excite Truck, and Zelda for the Wii. These games were all very popular for the system and have had immense success, most notably Zelda.

Although Twilight Princess did get great reviews, it was a departure from the standard Action-Adventure games that die hard gamers have come to play and love. At first this game too felt awesome to play, but after a while the game lost most of its novelty, and I was looking for shortcuts just to finish it. For me, this is the case for many of the games that I have played on the Wii. The games really do seem fun at first, but eventually they become dull and repetitive.

With the exception of mini-game collections like Raving Rabbits and Wario Ware, the groove that Wii games have been falling into may not be a problem for developers now, but as the console grows in age, it may. People who really play alot of video games may begin to realize that there is not that much innovation that can be done on the console, and could stop investing money into its games. Another factor that might drive some gamers away are the sub-par graphics that are standard for Wii titles, and the lack of HD output.

The Wii features a ‘Broadway’ processor and an ATI graphics card; these are roughly equivalent to a spot in between the Gamecube and the first Xbox. To say the least, this is not stunning, and could make a gamer start to think. The hardware capabilities (or lack thereof) are revealed in many games, a main example being Tiger Woods PGA Tour: 2007. The graphics in this game are down-right horrible and rumor has it that for the PAL version, they get even worse. Graphics this bad are unheard of in this generation, but can still be seen on the Wii. The idea that this console could never even come close to matching the graphical power of the 360 or the PS3 really turned me off as a gamer.

These bad graphics are again emphasized by the lack of any resolution above 480p. High-Definition is slowly becoming a new standard for gaming, and HDTVs are quickly becoming common objects in many households. Therefore, the lack of the HD on the Wii becomes more of an issue because one is unable to unlock the full-potential of his or her TV, while the Wii looks worse on this HDTV than it would on a normal display.

So far the Wii is plagued by gimmicky games, bad graphics, and lack of HD output. The Wii is also brought down by its uniqueness because game ports from developers are much harder to make comparable to the other platforms. Game developers can no longer simply port their games over to the console because of the changed control scheme and hardware. This, in turn, causes the Wii to miss out on major multi-platform titles.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved the Wii when it came out; I beat Twilight Princess, downloaded VC games, voted on the Everybody Votes Channel, and created countless Miis. But, after spending a lot of time with my 360, I realized that it would be hard for me to have quite as much fun with the Wii. Therefore, in my eyes, the Wii has not met my expectations.

PS- Where is online play?

This Article Expresses the Opinions of it’s Author, Which do not Necessarily Represent Those of Rotpod.net or It’s Contributors ...

Via Gamer.Blorge

Jack Thompson, that lawyer we love to hate just won’t quit, it’s hard to imagine how his family does not now loathe his very existence. He is on a crusade to put an end to gaming, especially violent gaming. On his list now is Manhunt 2 for the Wii. It doesn’t end there.

According to QJ.net, he is also gunning for Super Smash Brothers 2 since it "encourages kids to beat and throw their friends out of the stage" oh yeah, that’s so violent… it’s so violent I can’t bear to watch people play it, turn it off, turn it off NOW! (of course, that’s sarcasm of the highest degree). Just think what will happen if your kid decides to do more than stab your TV with the Wiimote. They might think a white knife is the Wiimote and go off on a rampage, oh the horror!

But, Manhunt 2 on the Wii is slightly different, instead of pushing buttons on a controller like you would with the XBOX 360 or PS3, you are required to mimic stabbing motions with the Wiimote making the act of in-game killing, all the more real.

Dear old Jack isn’t satisfied with the M rating of the game and thinks it should be banned all together. Australia has seen some success in completely banning some of the Grand Theft Auto games but here in the US we like shooting, killing and destroying stuff in games, it’s what we like to play.

I’m not a fan of the Manhunt series nor I have I played it, I’ve seen demos but I won’t touch the game. It’s simply not my style because there is no point to what you do in the game, unlike in the WWII games or Halo series in which there is a point to your mass destruction.

Here’s hoping Jack Thompson gets exactly what he deserves, permanent disbarment in every single US state and Territory. The minute he manages to win a case is the day gaming as we know it dies. He cannot ever be successful. Let’s all make it our mission to make sure he isn’t. With practically the whole gaming industry against him and the Florida bar… and the Alabama bar, how could we possibly lose? ...

Via Gaming Today

No, it's not going to end up on the PSP. Parappa the Rapper 3 is going to be a PS3 title.

And thank God, because that was a deal breaker for me–no PR3, no PS3 for Andrew.

I actually loved the original. For some reason, I was the only one of my friends to actually be able to beat the game, or at least get through a majority of the levels. It was so cheesy and delicious that you couldn't help but put it on your pizza and eat it with pepperoni.

Wait, no, I just haven't had dinner. ...

Via CVG

"...at the moment we don't see a requirement for launching this version in Europe. Certainly not in the foreseeable future", says SCEE CEO David Reeves

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe CEO and president David Reeves has come out and said there's no chance we'll see the 80Gb PS3 released in Europe any time soon.

"As for the 80Gb console, there are markets like Korea where there's very high broadband penetration and the people there are used to downloading content, so they require a certain size hard drive. But at the moment we don't see a requirement for launching this version in Europe. Certainly not in the foreseeable future", Reeves has explained

In an article appearing on MCV, he mentioned too that PS3 sales have just topped the 1 million mark in PAL territories, with the UK making up around 25 percent of those sales, and spoke about the fate of the 20Gb machine (remember that?) - "I can confirm that it's highly unlikely that the 20Gb version will be launch in PAL territories", he said.

Finally, he touched on the online service battle with Microsoft, explaining that Sony doesn't have its eyes "on the competition in any way".

"In terms of registered PlayStation Network users, we're at around the 460,000 mark, which we're very happy about. We have about about 100 pieces of content online in PAL territores. And we've achieved that in 10 weeks", Reeves informed.

"I don't feel competing with Xbox Live; we feel we're in a different stadium. And with the introduction of Home at Christmas, we're going in a completely different direction with something very entertaining." ...

***This in no way supports piracy, just reporting the news because this could lead to homebrew exploits! Dont talk about PS3 rips***

Via MCV UK

Hackers have successfully broken into older versions of Sony's PS3 firmware to boot copied games, though homebrew is a way off.

Just over six months after it first hit the shelves, hackers claim to have successfully circumnavigated the PS3’s anti-piracy software by exploiting firmware versions 1.10 and 1.11, CVG reports.

By doing so they have successfully booted up copied versions of PS3 games – although at the moment, hackers are yet to get the copied software to run. To date there has also been no success in getting the console to run homebrew software.

Despite Sony’s ongoing efforts to halt it, the PSP is home to a thriving homebrew community, and the publisher will no doubt be hoping that the PS3 does not go the same way.

However, the fact that networking and internet connections are so integral to the PS3 experience works in Sony’s favour, as any user who wishes to modify their machines faces the prospect of being cut off from Sony’s PlayStation Network.

Microsoft has implemented similar measures with its Xbox 360, blocking access to Xbox Live.

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Only discuss about this issue as a way to find a exploit for homebrew. Not about piracy. ...

Via Guardian - Gamers Blog


Cost, games, functionality - it's all too easy to criticise the PS3. But while the big titles are still lacking things are apparently getting better for the embattled console. Sony Europe boss David Reeves recently announced the one millionth PS3 sell-through in PAL territories - faster than both PSOne, and more relevantly, PS2. Not bad for nine and half weeks.

Predictably the biggest game successes have been Resistance Fall of Man and Motorstorm, while 460,000 PS3 owners have signed up to the PlayStation Network online service. Elsewhere Reeves confirmed that the 20Gb and 80 Gb consoles were unlikely to launch in Europe any time soon. Quietly impressive figures then, which confirm the endearing popularity of the PlayStation brand in Europe. And surprising too, especially when there is no real reason to buy a PS3 at the moment.

There's no doubt that some timely PS3 updates have improved the online experience - although it still doesn't compare to Xbox Live - and beefed up the the media elements. The latter, especially the PSP connectivity, is really beginning to fulfil potential. And you can't underestimate how important reliability and build quality are - two areas where PS3 trounces the 360. But unless you are really desperate to watch Blu-ray movies then it pays to wait. This time next year the PS3 should actually have some games worth shouting about - hopefully a PS3 "Gears of War" that really highlights the graphical potential of the console - plus the more intriguing draws like Home and LittleBigPlanet will have launched.

Whether that will be enough to tempt you away from the 360 version of multiformat games - with decent online play, achievements etc - remains to be seen, but the PS3 will be only get more attractive over the next 18 months. Currently 360 has the games and Wii has the momentum, but does PS3 have the future? ...