Play.com big-boss-man tells T3 that new Blu-ray punters have sky-rocketed, since the end of the format war.

Those cagey folk who refused to hedge their bets in Hi-Def Match showdown sure didn't waste much time once Toshiba closed the door on HD-DVD, this week.

Play's Stuart Rowe informs us that on VHD (Victory in Hi-Def) Day this Tuesday, the company sold more Blu-ray players than in the previous week combined.

"There was a seven fold increase in Blu-ray player sales, on that day alone." said the Chief Operating Officer.

"People have been waiting a long time to move into the Hi-Def era and now they have the confidence that this is going to be the format.

"Our cheapest player (The Samsung BD-P1400/XEU) is now £199 and you'd expect the prices to come down further as Sony try and build the brand. It's all great news for the consumer."

Play was among the first to react to Toshiba's white flag on Tuesday by knocking £40 off their cheapest HD-DVD player, making it just £79.99 - the first of what Stuart is predicting will be a slew of bargain basement offers.

"There's going to be a lot of great deals out there in the coming weeks. HD-DVD player prices will fall in line with DVD players with people now buying them more as great DVD players with the capacity for upscaling."

Don't expect to be finding too many HD-DVD flicks on the clearance stock shelves just yet however...

"There are no real plans for us to slash prices on the disks," says Stuart. "A lot of people have the players and collectors will keep buying them for the time being."

http://www.t3.com/news/blu-ray-playe...en-fold?=35296 ...

The creative result of a collaboration between Designer Hiroshi Fujiwara and Japanese fashion magazine Honeybee, this Nintendo DS Lite sports a matte black exterior with co-ordinating jazzy white interior and hinges. Ok, so "creative" means they just painted it black and white, but it is classy isn't it? Wait 'til you see the inside.

Apart from its Limited Edition status, we know nothing more, but that doesn't stop us from drooling over it.

http://gizmodo.com/359030/limited+ed...ted-japan+only ...

From afar, this may look like a real-life Wall-E robot, but it's actually a modded Gamecube, complete with tank treads.

First we build a movable platform out of a child toy and a rest of Plexiglas. The Gamecube itself is covered with a thin layer of acrylic which we airbrushed like the original wall-e. The Arms were made out of some plastic and plexiglas tubes and rods. The arms and the hands are both moveable so that wall-e can take up various positions

http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/t...mod-is-robotic ...

Toshiba has confirmed that it isn't ruling out going Blu on its laptop range in the future.

Although the company has confirmed that it won't be offering a standalone Blu-ray player anytime soon, Olivier VanWynendaele - deputy general manager, HD DVD has said at the company's annual UK event that Toshiba is "still reviewing the strategy for our laptop range when it comes to the next generation format."

The announcement means that Tosh laptop owners might be able to watch high-def movies on the go in the future.

We will keep you posted.

http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news/ne...ok-drive.phtml ...

News from Play Asia

Welcome to this week's Games & Toys update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.

After several calm weeks, plenty of exciting games have been published this week. Hot products include the US version of Lost Odyssey and Dark Messiah Might & Magic Elements for Xbox360™.

Also featured this week is the Rock Band Drum Set, which is compatible with both the PlayStation3™ and Playstation2™ games of the same title.

The Japanese version of the most popular soccer game Winning Eleven Play Maker 2008 is out on Wii. So get ready for some action.

It has also been a strong week for the PlayStation2™ with the release of NiGHTS [Standard/Limited], the revival of a fondly remembered Sega Saturn title.

Fun games for portable consoles that came out this week include the critically acclaimed Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice and the hilarious Barnyard Blast on Nintendo DS™. As for Sony PSP™, Musou Orochi, a crossover between two of Koei's best selling series came out along with the exhilarating racing game, Wipeout Pulse.

Last but not least, Art of Shunya Yamashita Series 2 Funny Knights 1/7 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Petra No.1 (International Version), designed by the famous illustrator has been released. Also available on Play-Asia.com from the series are the regular edition and Petra No.2 (Milestone Limited Edition).

As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week

Xbox360™:
BioShock JPN US$ 68.90
Burnout: Paradise JPN US$ 64.90
Conflict: Denied Ops US US$ 59.90
Dark Messiah Might & Magic Elements US US$ 64.90
FIFA Street 3 ASIA US$ 44.90
Jumper: Griffin's Story US US$ 64.90
Lost Odyssey US US$ 64.90

PlayStation3™:
Burnout: Paradise JPN US$ 64.90
Conflict: Denied Ops US US$ 59.90
FIFA Street 3 ASIA US$ 49.90
History Channel: Battle for the Pacific US US$ 49.90
Logicool Wireless Headset JPN US$ 99.90
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition ASIA US$ 49.90
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition JPN US$ 59.90
Rock Band Drum Set US US$ 129.90
Stuntman: Ignition JPN US$ 64.90

Nintendo Wii™:
Go Diego Go: Safari Rescue US US$ 49.90
Jumper: Griffin's Story US US$ 59.90
Miburi & Teburi JPN US$ 49.90
Winning Eleven Play Maker 2008 JPN US$ 64.90

PlayStation2™:
Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA 2 JPN US$ 64.90
Go Diego Go: Safari Rescue US US$ 34.90
Jumper: Griffin's Story US US$ 44.90
Last Escort 2: Shiya no Amai Ira JPN US$ 59.90
Last Escort 2: Shiya no Amai Ira (Gorgeous Version) JPN N/A
NiGHTS into Dreams... JPN US$ 39.90
NiGHTS into Dreams... (Nightopia Dream Pack) JPN US$ 49.90
Pachinko Kamen Rider: Shocker Zenmetsu Daisakusen JPN US$ 64.90
Stuntman Ignition JPN US$ 59.90

Nintendo DS™:
Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice US US$ 29.90
Barnyard Blast US US$ 24.90
Bokujou Monogatari: Kira Kira Taiyou to Nakama Tachi JPN US$ 48.90
Brain Challenge ASIA US$ 32.90
Command and Destroy US US$ 24.90
Hisshou Pachinko*Pachi-Slot Kouryoku Series DS Vol. 1: Shinseiki Evangelion - Magokoro o, Kimi ni JPN US$ 48.90
Keiji J.B. Harold no Jikenbo: Satsujin Club JPN US$ 39.90
Miami Nights: Singles in the City ASIA US$ 32.90
New Zealand Story: Revolution US US$ 24.90
Populous DS JPN US$ 48.90
Sekaiju no Meikyuu 2: Shoou no Seihai JPN US$ 48.90
Space Invaders Extreme JPN US$ 39.90
SuperLite 2500 Tokyo Odaiba Casino JPN US$ 25.90

Sony PSP™:
Antenna Cable Portable JPN US$ 12.90
Idol Yakyuuken DX Portable JPN US$ 37.90
Musou Orochi JPN US$ 52.90
Need for Speed: Pro Street ASIA US$ 42.90
Soreiyu: Me, Myself & Master JPN US$ 41.90
Space Invaders Extreme JPN US$ 39.90
Space Invaders Extreme ASIA US$ 29.90
Wipeout Pulse US US$ 34.90

PC & MAC™
Conflict: Denied Ops (DVD-ROM) US US$ 44.90
Rail Simulator (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 29.90
The Sims: Castaway Stories (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 29.90

Toys & More:
Art of Shunya Yamashita Series 2 Funny Knights 1/7 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Petra No.1 (International Version) JPN US$ 64.90
Artworks Collection Ultraman Battle EX Edition Part 2 Non Scale Pre-Painted PVC Trading Figure JPN US$ 7.49
Bad Boys Glare of Eyes Vol.3 Non Scale Pre-Painted Trading Figure JPN US$ 5.90
Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion - 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Kallen (Alpha Omega Ver.) JPN N/A
Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: C.C. Alpha Omega Ver. JPN N/A
Diamond & Pearl Pokemon Mini Car Candy Toy JPN US$ 3.90
Diamond & Pearl Pokemon Picture Book with Mascot Key Chain Toy JPN US$ 2.49
Dragon Ball Z Super Saiyan 3 Pre-Painted Figure: Broly JPN US$ 19.90
Dragon Ball Z Super Saiyan 3 Pre-Painted Figure: Gogeta JPN US$ 19.90
Dragon Ball Z Super Saiyan 3 Pre-Painted Figure: Son Gokou JPN US$ 19.90
Dragon Ball Z Super Saiyan 3 Pre-Painted Figure: Trunks JPN US$ 19.90
Encore Transformers 07 Pre-Painted Figure: Sky Lynx JPN N/A
Excellent ...

We've been annoyed with the Wii's lack of downloadable Virtual Console demos for quite a while now, so we probably shouldn't be too surprised that Nintendo has declared games in their upcoming Wii Ware service will not be required to have downloadable demos. Surprised isn't really the world ... slightly miffed is more like it.

We're only slightly miffed because Nintendo hasn't quite banned demos from the service. In an interview with Newsweek's N'gai Croal, Nintendo of America director of project development Tom Prata said that "having demos [is] ... not a requirement from Nintendo." If we're reading that right, that means demos would be allowed on the service, but that they won't necessarily be available for every game.

The decision to forgo a demo mandate was made, according to Prata, because demos are a "very costly type of endeavor" for a developer. That might be true in the short term, but overall we wonder if developer can afford not to have demos on a service like this. After all, Xbox Live Arcade has managed just fine by requiring developers to create those "expensive" demos -- in fact, by, early stats showed about 20 percent of XBLA demo players bought the full game, leading directly to increased revenue for all involved. Still, we guess giving developers more choice in these matters is usually a good thing. We just hope many developers will choose to help their customers and themselves by letting us try before we buy.

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/ni...i-ware-titles/ ...

North American gamers who wish to live out their long held fantasies of frolicking through Escher's world of Relativity will get their chance this summer, when Echochrome, Sony's perspective swapping puzzle platformer, will be made available for download on the PlayStation Network. In the usual fashion for Sony developed games, Japanese gamers will be able to pick up the game long before the rest of us -- some time in March.

No news has been heard about a stateside release date for the pricier PSP version of the game, though Siliconera is claiming that a Sony rep told them the handheld edition is "up in the air". This isn't a death knell for the portable port -- we don't know why they'd cancel the U.S. version, considering that Japan's March release date is for the PSP as well. We'll let you know when we know a more definite release date for the two versions, until then, we suggest enrolling into some sort of MENSA organization in order to garner the massive, genius brain you'll need to navigate these impossible constructions.

Update: The PS3 version is on track for a Spring release.

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/ps...version-up-in/ ...

Quietly unveiled at yesterday's PSN session was PhyreEngine, a new "free to use graphics engine" from Sony Computer Entertainment. According to the presentation, the package includes full documentation, "70+ samples" and "full source code and artwork" of sample game templates. Working on both OpenGL and Direct3D, this engine will allow developers to more easily develop for the PS3 by using PC environments they're more familiar with. A "simple recompile" is supposedly all that's needed to make the game run on the PS3. Sony is promising "ongoing development and support" for the PhyreEngine.

The ramifications of this subdued announcement are actually quite significant. Three titles have been revealed to have used the PhyreEngine for development: flOw, GripShift and DiRT. Of those three, only one is exclusive to PlayStation. It appears that the PhyreEngine is truly cross platform -- Sony is indirectly contributing to the development of PC (and Xbox 360) games.

But why make it potentially easier to make games on a competing console? Well, it's undeniable that developers are increasingly focused on multiplatform development. It's been rather commonplace for developers to neglect PS3 with inferior and oftentimes delayed versions of multiplatform games. With PhyreEngine, Sony is making a much more attractive plea: make games on PS3 first, guaranteeing high quality games that will not only match their 360 counterparts, but in many cases can exceed them. Sony's message is clear: start games on the PS3, and they will be better for both PS3 and 360 owners. It appears to us that PhyreEngine is a crucial part of that plan.

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/21/gd...atform-engine/ ...

We already thought that 4G iPod Bluetooth mod was pretty sweet, but Fstedie has managed to top himself, cramming a BT adapter into a 5G video iPod without altering the stock appearance, apart from that clear third-party faceplate. The basics of the hack are pretty similar -- replace the hard drive with a CF card, wire up a Bluetooth adapter -- but the cramped internals of the 5G case makes it much more difficult to pull off, apparently. If you're feeling brave, instructions are soon to come just beyond the read link.

http://www.ipodhackers.net/

http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/21/b...o-the-5g-ipod/ ...