via Games Industry


Sony Computer Entertainment has announced it will be launching the fourth version of the PlayStation 2 for the European and Indian market by October 28.

SCE country manager Atindriya Bose told the Indian Economic Times that the launch would be simultaneous in both markets and the that the new PS2 would be a slimmer model with in-built AC adapters.

"PS2 is an entry-level console, which helps first timers to enter the gaming zone," said Bose.

He further revealed that the new console, which will keep the RRP of the outgoing model, is aimed at penetrating India's and Russia's burgeoning market for games.

"We feel PS2 has the potential to penetrate further into the Indian and Russian markets. Console gaming is in its nascent stage in India. These are untapped markets and are new to the gaming world, hence we have no plans to phase out PS2 anytime soon," he added.

When asked if thought it would impact PS3 sales, Bose responded: "We do not market it as a PS2 or PS3. It is the experience of the PS that we market. PS3 is for the next generation. People who are first timers in the gaming market want to pick up PS2 and experience that, before upgrading to PS3," he said.

Sony has made a number of attempts over the past couple years to ingratiate itself with the Indian games market, including the opening of a studio in the region and signing up 13 local developers to work on games for the PS2. ...

via IGN


If you signed on to the PlayStation Network last night to get Trophies for Super Stardust HD, you may have noticed a humble expansion nestled in the title's in-game store. At the time this article was written, the pack is not mentioned or linked anywhere on the PlayStation Store and can only be purchased in-game, though this is sure to change tomorrow when the store updates.

Called the Team Expansion, this new pack adds several features to the experience. Split-screen co-op and various deathmatch modes have been added, as well as a Ship Editor for tweaking your heroic little vessel. A new Orchestral soundtrack was also added, joining the Default and Retro soundtracks already in place.

The expansion can be purchased for $4.99, though you're really just purchasing the expansion key. From the looks of things, the content is already installed during the free software update that adds Trophy support, version 4.00. ...

via IGN



Image from Kotaku

Nyko Technologies, the premier gaming peripherals manufacturer, today revealed details for its upcoming Media Hub for the PlayStation 3. The Media Hub easily attaches to the console, adding three additional USB ports and a media card reader slot that supports SD cards and Memory Sticks. Compatible with all PS3 models, the Media Hub matches the color and contour of the system to expand its media capabilities while maintaining a clean form factor.

The all-new Media Hub from Nyko attaches to any available USB port and enables the connection of three additional USB devices including flash drives, PSP, MP3 players and additional controllers. Its unique design requires no tools or internal modifications, draws its power directly from the PS3, and easily installs in just seconds.

"We found that many of our customers who had purchased the popular 40 GB version of the PS3, which has less USB ports and no media card reader, were looking for an affordable solution to expand with these features," said Chris Arbogast, Director of Marketing at Nyko Technologies. "With the Media Hub, an additional three USB ports and a media card reader are now possible for all PS3 models, allowing consumers to enjoy the full capabilities of their multimedia system no matter which model they choose."

Nyko's Media Hub for PS3 is expected to hit store shelves by August 2008 for the suggested retail price of $19.99. ...

via Kotaku


While it seems like every time the PlayStation 3 undergoes a firmware upgrade is plagued by people trying to blame broken systems on the update, last night's 2.40 update seems to have caused genuine issues with many posters over at the official PlayStation forums. Owners of PS3s in all shapes and sizes have been reporting that their systems were loading to the initial PlayStation wave screen and simply hanging there after applying 2.40. No icons, no controller functions, no nothing, just the wave across the middle of the screen.

There doesn't seem to be any real pattern as to which systems are affected. 60GB, 40GB, 20GB, and 80GB systems alike have all been afflicted with the issue. We've contacted Sony for word on the issue, but in the meantime several of the more tech savvy forum posters have determined how to fix the issue, if you're willing to yank out your console's hard disk drive.

Users found that removing and reformatting their PS3 hard drive and then reinserting it into the console would get the system to boot completely, after which it asks to reformat the disk again and everything runs normally. Of course they lose all of their saved games and have to redo all of their downloads, but I suppose that is better than sending in the system for a $150.00 [£75] repair.

One can only assume that the update was the catalyst that caused certain data on affected hard disks to become corrupt, rendering the system unbootable. It would certainly explain why only certain systems are being affected, and why Sony couldn't have caught the problem in the first place.

We'll keep you updated on the issue as we learn more. In the meantime, feel free to hit the link below to read through 30 plus pages of quality PS3 forum drama. ...

via Computer and Video Games


Police who previously used internet chat rooms to set up sting operations are now playing Grand Theft Auto IV online to catch kiddie fiddlers.

"Child predators are migrating from traditional methods to alternate media," said Detective Lt. Thomas Kish of the Michigan State Police to the USA Today. "They are going to places where children are."

And so the police are apparently following. According to the newspaper, cops are now playing everything from GTA IV to chess and chequers online to make arrests.

Last December, Michigan prosecutors sentenced a man to 10 years in prison for using WoW to lure a twelve year-old girl into having sex with him. The police found that the man had been using a variety of online games to pursue other children.

A number of similar cases have occurred in the past year, with Lt. Jessica Farnsworth of the Utah Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force claiming the division has seized many Xbox machines for investigation.

Apparently, Microsoft has been forthcoming on how to extract information from them. ...

via Computer and Video Games


Sony has released two new shots of its alien-powered FPS, Resistance 2.

Due around November, the game will feature two campaigns. A single player one with you fighting the war as Nathan Hale a co-op campaign (for up to eight players) that runs parallel to Hale's story. Now that's a lot of action, man.

Check out the new shots on your right and look out for a lot more info on the game at E3 is a few weeks' time.


Screenshots ...

via Computer and Video Games


Sony's PlayStation Network director of operations, Eric Lempel, has said that Sony will fully support any developers who want to patch trophies into their games that are already on sale.

"Right off the bat when the firmware update goes live we'll be patching Super Stardust HD, so that game will include Trophies from Wednesday," Lempel told Next-Gen. "We're also patching Warhawk and PAIN, while Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, a completely offline title, will also be patched over the network, so it's definitely an option for developers and we're fully supporting first and third parties that want to patch, and of course those that want to implement this system going forward with new titles."

There are still a few features missing in the new update, but Lempel added that 2.4 wouldn't be the last PS3 firmware enhancement. "We're not going to stop enhancing the features. Every time we do a firmware update we enhance old features as well as providing new features, so we're taking a lot of the feedback very seriously. Going into this we knew there were some things that wouldn't make it but there's always time to fix those and get them in, but in the meantime this should keep consumers satisfied for some time."

And it look likes PSN will remain free, at least for the short term. "We're happy with what we're doing right now and we're going to stick with it," he stated. "I think being free is always an advantage. The fact that it's free is nice for consumers who want to try out the online experience, those who may be new to it and may not be ready to commit to spending dollars, and that's a really good message for us.

"Being free also gives them the opportunity to spend the money that they may have spent on a subscription on online items or online games instead. We have a ton of games for the price of a subscription and offer a significant amount of great original content that you can't get anywhere else."

Read the full interview here. ...

via Eurogamer


Media Molecule co-founder David Smith has revealed LittleBigPlanet will run at 30fps in 720p.

Speaking in a Eurogamer live text interview, he said, "The game uses a lot filmic techniques like depth of field and motion blur, so this fits the game pretty well."

When asked about the game's HD install Smith replied, "We haven't finalised the details on this."

However, he did go on to add, "The game is designed to be fairly lightweight, to make the sharing of new content easier. Our levels squidge down into really tiny files, which means that when the community makes new ones, they'll download quickly.

"The HD install is perhaps around a gig. Perhaps more or less. It's not finalised yet."

LittleBigPlanet is out this October. Read the full live text interview for all the latest news. ...

via Computer and Video Games


Square-Enix has revealed that a remake of Chrono Trigger will be released in North America this Christmas.

The new edition will contain all the original elements whilst introducing dual-screen options and touch-screen functionality available on DS.

It will also contain artwork by manga artist Akira Toriyama and a musical score created by Yasunori Mitsuda, who scored the original.

The original Chrono Trigger was released for the SNES in North America and Japan, but not Europe. Fans have been campaigning for the title to be released on the Virtual Console, but to no avail. This could be why...


One screenshot ...