Via Gamesindustry

Sony has dismissed rumours that the 20GB PS3 will not be compatible with wireless controllers, and that consumers will not have the option to upgrade the hard drive.

"Both queries to my knowledge are completely false," a spokesperson told GI.biz.

"Both configurations will support bluetooth PS3 controllers. The only non-upgradeable feature of the 20GB configuration will be the HDMI output."

This confirms comments made by Sony's Phil Harrison in a recent interview with GI.biz, where he stated: "You can upgrade to whatever size of drive you like. You can put in any drive that you like - it is a computer, after all."

The spokesperson went on to reveal that Sony plans to release a Wi-Fi adaptor for the 20GB PlayStation 3. Consumers will also have the option to purchase a separate adaptor that will allow the use of memory sticks, SD cards and compact flash cards with the machine.

However, there's still no word as to whether the 20GB PlayStation 3 will make it to the UK at all. ...

Via Gamesindustry

The UK headquarters of Japanese gaming giant Nintendo is set to move from its current location in Slough to a new, larger office in Windsor, which should accommodate the firm's staffing needs as it prepares to launch into the next-generation console market.

It's not known how much Nintendo UK will be able to expand in its new offices, but following the huge success of the DS handheld and with the launches of DS Lite and Wii on the horizon, it's no surprise that some expansion is required.

Ironically, Nintendo's decision to move to the Berkshire town comes as publisher Take Two plans to move its European operations, which have been based there for around ten years, to Geneva in Switzerland, copying a move made by EA in recent months.

Nintendo's UK office, however, is just that - a UK office only, with the firm's European arm being administered from the firm's regional headquarters in Grossostheim, Germany. ...

kevinc posted this news and release:

Hi! This is my second attempt at a program for the DS, a small MSN messenger, so I'm looking for testers...
It doesn't have many functions, since I'm not sure how much the wifi library can handle, but at least you can -theoretically- connect and chat. The program uses GBFS, I think some cards can't handle that...

The wifi config is taken from the firmware, so make sure you have it available. L acts as a quick backspace, left and right to change tabs, Start to connect/disconnect. Your password is shown -since the keyboard seems to be quite buggy- so be warned :]

I'm not sure whether this will work at all, since I've only checked it on my DS, but anyway...

Download and Give feedback Via Comments ...

Via Slashdot

2old2play has a great editorial up regarding the next generation of gaming, and suggests that maybe 'next-gen' graphics and sound will not be what sells games this time around. Instead the next-gen champions will be the ones that provide better content and innovation in their games." From the article: "The average gamer is in their mid-thirties. Many of these adult gamers understand the value of a dollar and have a firm grasp on technological trends. The trend is simple: new technology arrives and costs a ton of money, then prices lower as newer technology hits the market. Developers are not screaming for larger removable disk capacity, yet Sony is forcing a consumer (and developer) to purchase a high capacity Blu-ray device 'for the future.' By the time Blu-ray and HD-DVD's are needed for gaming we will be in the 8th generation of console systems. Why force it on us now? ...

Via Slashdot

In a story at Forbes, Merrill Lynch predicts that Nintendo will severely undercut the competition with a $200 price point on the Wii." From the article: "An executive from SEGA, one of Nintendo's largest publishers, told Forbes.com on Tuesday that he expects the Wii to sell for less than $200. Post said the Nintendo machine, which features a wireless controller that responds to players' body movements, 'will appeal to a broad demographic of both hard-core and casual gamers. ...

Via Eurogamer

Bungie has taken time out from a busy schedule of, you know, doing Halo 3 to answer a few questions about the trailer that was on show at E3 last week.

In a Q&A on the Bungie website, they confirmed that work on the game began immediately after Halo 2 was finished, and that this game will have a much "darker feel".

It's also been confirmed that the trailer shows the ruins of New Mombasa, and that it's Mount Kilimanjaro you can see in the background. The spartan who appears is indeed John 117.

When asked how the polygon count compares to that in Halo 2, Bungie replied that it's "Not as high as it looks. A lot of detail is achieved using a combination of lighting, textures, normals and bump-maps. We're saving our polygon budget for other things."

And don't go expecting them to start getting all new-fangled just for the sake of it, either: "Halo 3 will utilise features and technologies that Bungie thinks are cool and appropriate to our game. No more, no less." We are, however, promised "some graphical features that you haven't seen yet, that sort of blow stuff away." ...

Via Eurogamer

UK retailer Gamestation has told our sister site, GamesIndustry.biz, that Sony has yet to confirm whether or not the lower spec 20GB version of the PlayStation 3 will go on sale in the UK.

As previously confirmed, Gamestation is already taking pre-orders for the 60GB model - but is not currently offering the option to reserve a 20GB version.

Speaking to GI.biz, a spokesperson said: "Gamestation are currently taking pre-orders for the PS3 60GB sku, on the understanding this will be the most popular and available (if not only) sku launched."

"When a final decision has been made by SCEE as to whether the 20GB sku will be released in the UK or not, Gamestation will react accordingly."

The spokesperson went on to say that the company was keen not to mislead consumers by "taking pre-orders for a console that has not been confirmed for release by the publisher."

"At this early stage in the pre-order campaign, Gamestation are acting on confirmed information only, and are in no way suggesting that should the PS3 20GB sku be released it would not be available to pre-order in Gamestation stores."

Yesterday, a Sony spokesperson said the company was "still in planning" with regard to the UK PS3 launch, adding that sales teams "are currently liasing with retailers/buyers to discuss projections and consumer demands" for both PS3 configurations.

For many in the industry, it would not come as a great surprise if Sony declined to release the 20GB PS3 in the UK. Microsoft launched two Xbox 360 bundles last year - the 'Premium' system, which came with a hard drive, and the 'Core' system - and demand was much greater for the Premium bundle. Since it sold old much faster, many consumers keen to get their hands on an Xbox 360 but faced with the problem of stock shortages were forced to opt for the Core system instead. ...

Via

We're not suggesting you try this, since, in addition to voiding your warranty, you run a real chance of bricking your Xbox 360, but we just thought we'd mention it: a new firmware hack for the 360, known affectionately as "Xtreme firmware for TS-H943 Xbox 360" by its creators, can apparently mod your 360's DVD drive so that it'll work with just about anything you can put in it, including "backup" discs made for both the original Xbox and the 360. According to about seven pages of posts on an Xbox forum, the hack does indeed seem to work, but only with 360s that have a Toshiba/Samsung DVD drive, and only if you're willing to take the time to follow the instructions very carefully. We'll pass -- at least until there's a version that lets the 360's HD DVD drive output 1080p video from protected discs over component cables. Make that work, and we'll happily risk bricking our 'box. ...

Via Engadget

Assuming the Xbox 360 Core pack price stays the same at around $300 US, that gives Microsoft a $200 window to play with in order to make a next-gen optical capable 360 competitive in price with Sony's Blu-ray toting PlayStation 3. Of course by this November the Xbox's price structure could change drastically, as they have stated many times their intentions to drive down price and cost. What GamesIndustry heard from a UK retail source, however, is that the 360 + HD DVD (which may or may not come bundled together) will still weigh in lighter on the wallet than the PlayStation 3 by a significant margin -- however, that margin is pending British pounds, with the Xbox and HD DVD being £339 ($640 US), and the PS3 at £399 ($750 US). So what isn't immediately taken into account here is the effective price differential in currency conversion between nations; in the US that same PlayStation 3 will debut for $499, about $250 less than it will for our British counterparts, thus making the window for pricing the drive competitively much larger in overseas markets. If you ask us, we'll vote for a US price window of $200 to $250 (depending on the going rate for an Xbox at the time of launch), but any more than that and it'll be a hard sell being that it's really only a movie add-on to gaming platform. ...