Sony making a bit less of a loss on PS3 - console now costs $448.73 to build

An investigation by tech research company iSuppli has estimated that it costs Sony $448.73 to build a single PlayStation3. The standard price of the entry level machine is the US is $399.

We are not businessmen, but that doesn't sound like the sort of deal Alan Sugar would sign off with much enthusiasm.

This is at least a staggering drop from the estimated $800-or-so it's believed to have cost Sony to stuff a blu-ray drive and all other electronic bits into PS3 back in 2006 when it launched in the US and Japan, so there's something Sony executives can put on a graph and make look impressive - "We are now losing less money than ever!"

Latest American PS3 ad is surprisingly good

Few can deny that Sony puts a lot of effort into their ads. Some of them, like the one showing the PS3 octopus/city thingie, work quite well. Others, like the This is Living campaign, seem to be so intent on being hip and viral that they forget to sell the console. This latest effort gets the balance just right. Great production values, a little odd, but most importantly you get to see the games that Sony's trying to sell you.

via PS3Fanboy

Related Posts:
Game breaking glitch found in LittleBigPlanet
Check out twenty minutes of Heavy Rain

Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3 case mod is amazing

Wow. Just wow. This amazing piece of PS3 moddery is currently up for auction on eBay. It has been personally signed by Hideo Kojima, has fifteen white micro LEDs to provide backlighting to that the console is viewable in complete darkness, and comes packing a special controller. Should you be successful in bidding for the item, you'll also get a custom embroidered Otacon patch - of which only 12 have been made- you'll also get a custom made hardcase for the PS3 with a massive Fox Hound logo on the side. 15 percent of the proceeds of the auction are going to charity Child's Play.

As you might expect, such awesomeness does not come cheap. As of writing the current bidding was at $9,100, with five days left to go.

eBay via PS3Fanboy

Related Posts:
Castlevania coming for PS3, Xbox 360
Molyneux says the PS3 still needs a defining game. He's right.

Will putting a solid-state hard drive in your PS3 improve install and load times?

As you probably know, you can upgrade your PS3's storage capacity by plugging in a hard drive of your choice. ExtremeTech's undertaken an interesting little experiment, connecting a super-fast, $598 solid-state hard drive to see if it gives you a speed boost. Install times, unfortunately, were not improved, capped by the speed of the Blu-ray drive.

Downloadable titles and demos installed a lot more speedily though, averaging in at about 40% faster. Startup and load times for games also because about 25% to 40% quicker.

So, if you've got $600 to spare... it's probably still not worth it. But as solid-state hard drives start to come down in price, more gamers might begin to consider it, especially given the quantity of quite substantial fare available on the PSN.

ExtremeTech via PS3Fanboy and Engadget

Related Posts:
PS3 Firmware 2.5 is live, adds Flash 9 support
Home arriving next month?

New Firmware update changes, umm, not much

You may have noticed that if you go into the XMB and click on System Update, you'll be able to upgrade your system firmware to version 2.43. Apparently though, it's only mandatory for those of us in Japan. However, a posting over at the Sony blog reads "...if you do perform the update, it will not cause any issues with your system or add any new functionality."

Well, that's good to know.

If you're obsessed with keeping your firmware up to date for some unfathomable reason, this might be of interest. Otherwise, maybe not.

via playstation.blog

Related Posts:
Rumour: next PS3 Firmware to bring screen grab option
PSP firmware patch counters Lumines exploit

France to get LittleBigPlanet bundle - how about the UK?

One French retailer has revealed a special LittleBigPlanet bundle will be available across the channel a couple of weeks after the game launches, on November 5th.

The pack comes with the latest 80GB model console, natch, as well as a Dual Shock 3 controller, an Ethernet cable and an AV cable.

However, after the UK missed out on a couple of other bundles that graced mainland Europe, MCV has reasonable doubts about whether UK retailers will be blessed with the same package. Comments from SCEE spokespersons seem to suggest that the UK doesn't get the same consideration for hardware deals as the rest of the continent.

It would seem like a surprising oversight though. Sure, the UK may not be swayed by petit Blu-ray deals and GT5 Prologue packs, but Sony has a lot of confidence in LittleBigPlanet's ability to add fuel the fires of the console hardware race which will probably be hotter than ever this Xmas. To not shamelessly emblazon its new PS3 mascot across as many PS3 boxes as humanly possible would seem like madness.

On the other hand, I'm sure games retailers will be more than happy to come up with their own bundles when push comes to shove - just try not to be accidentally saddled with a copy of That Game That Isn't Time Splitters 4 in the process, eh.

Related posts: Hands on with LittleBigPlanet | Copyrights in LBP explained

Stringer laughs off PS3 R&D costs, claims that Sony can't keep up with console demand

Sony CEO, Sir Howard Stringer, has had a bit of a light-hearted chat with German news source Welt Online. He revealed that the $3 billion spent on developing the PS3 probably won't be recovered; well, "Not for as long as I live," he said. He had a good old chuckle about it though.

You've got to wonder at the wisdom of the amount of money spent on Sony's latest console endeavour, even though we're now pretty happy with the end result. I'm not sure Sir Howard is not playing a hand close to his chest here. Sure, that $3bn is NEVER going to earned from hardware sales of the PS3 - or at least not until it reaches PS2 levels of sales, which is now only a very distant prospect - but there's got to been a certain financial value on the high definition format war.

Sony has basically won that war, although Blu-ray hasn't yet succeeded in the same way as DVD. The PS3 was absolutely fundamental to that victory and the revenue that it will generate for Sony in the long term can only be guessed at.

Itagaki: It was harder developing for the Famicom than the PS3

Infamous Ninja Gaiden masterbrain, Tomonobu Itagaki, reckons that people who say that PS3 is hard to develop for are just pathetic. And he's got all the dark glasses and attitude he needs to back up his case.

Itagaki told 1Up "I don't think that developing for the PS3 is hard at all. It was much harder developing for the Famicom."

Strong words there, and certainly refreshing for the ears of PS3 owners saddened by the inability of many fine development teams to make PS3 ports run as well as their 360 counterparts, or to even bother themselves supporting the platform at all. *Cough* Valve *cough*.

But will he put his money where his mouth is? Sure he will. Well, he'll put beer on it in any case: "I mean, give someone who's developing for the PS3 a Famicom and see if they can make a game for it," he said. "They won't be able to. Yeah, that'll prove it. We'll bet a drink on it."

It's settled then. PS3 development is easy or you're just 8 bits of wussy pants. In fact, it's so easy that Ninja Gaiden 2 was an Xbox 360 exclusive...

Related posts: Itagaki's not happy with Tecmo | And not happy with the PS3 Ninja Gaiden port either

PSP passes 10m sales barrier in Japan, top 5 games revealed

Big congrats to PSP - the little piece of tech that just refuses to fizzle out. The handheld has just sold its 10 millionth unit in Japan alone. We won't go into what the rival Nintendo DS has done in that time, but at least we can say it's trouncing Microsoft on this count. Arf arf.

You might like to know which games has pushed the sexy black box of tricks over the 10m milestone. People who aren't fans of endlessly milked franchises should look away now:

• 1. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (Capcom)
• 2. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd (Capcom)
• 3. Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII (Square Enix)
• 4. Monster Hunter Portable (Capcom)
• 5. Phantasy Star Portable (SEGA)

This isn't the anywhere near the end of the PSP either - there's a brand new bit of hardware coming out in October that should breathe fresh life back into the platform.

Related posts: Stella branded PSP | PSP teams up with FON

David Reeves gives Home status report: everything is on track

With PlayStation Home being a good six months late already, you can perhaps understand why people are eager to keep an eye on its progress. Especially seeing as there was neither hide nor hair of it in sight at, oh, Europe's biggest games event last week in Leipzig.

Well, we really should stop our fretting - it's on straight and narrow, it's going as planned and there'll be an open beta soon. "Everything is absolutely on track. I can look you in the eyes and tell you it's on track," Reeves said.

Another area of constant speculation is the price of PS3s. Again it's business as usual: "There is no price cut," he told GamesIndustry.biz. Certainly not this year anyway.

(via VG247)

Related posts: Home to have adult areas | Closed beta access expanded

Sony boss categorically says 'No' to chances of PS3 price drop this year

You've just got an extra 40GB for your money and in a couple of months, you 'll be getting an extra 80GB on top of that for £40 more; what else could you possibly want? Oh, a price drop? Well, sonny, you're appear to be approaching the situation like the proverbial small orphan boy, bowl in hand, demanding some MORE.

And, like the ungrateful workhouse boy, you're not getting any (although Sony may refrain from peddling you off to an undertaker for your impertinence... this time). SCEE president David Reeves, when quizzed by VG247, clearly stated "No," and added "We're not going to drop the price this year."

But, strong though his assertion might be, "No" really means "We aren't talking about it yet". Last year, Sony, having failed to drum up sufficient consumer enthusiasm from a semi-reduced bundle pack offering announced at E3 (a bit like this year's 80GB announcement for Europe), turned the PS3's ailing fortunes around in an instant by suddenly slashing prices with the 40GB model, announced in early October.

However, with PS3 performing stronger than ever, there's a lot less need for a dramatic, desperate price cut, so we're inclined to believe Reeves for the time being. This is a quiet time of year though - once the three console makers start playing their aces in the run up to Xmas, things might seem a lot different.

(via MCV)

Related posts: 80GBs out today according to retailers | Well, we've had a sort-of-price-cut already

New 160GB PS3 model announced for Europe, lands October 31st

More exciting hardware news emerges from the mighty Games Convention in bonny Leipzig. Sony has unveiled yet another PS3 hardware SKU. It is essentially the same as the 80GB and its predecessor, the 40GB, but has doubled the hard disc capacity again, taking it to 160GB.

It is due to launch on October 31st across Europe and is set to cost 449 Euros. Crucially, the price difference between this and the 80GB model launching on Friday is roughly the same as the cost of buying the smaller version with a larger hard drive to install immediately.

The fact that Sony has generously madeit so simple to replace PS3 hard drives up to any capacity you like does potentially put these larger models at a disadvantage, so to even it out, the 160GB will also come with 70 Euros worth of additional downloadable content. There's no indication as to what that is - it seems unlikely to be PSN games though. We'll be finding out somewhere closer to the October launch.

Update: UK price has been confirmed at £339.99

Related posts: Acclaim boss not impressed with PS3 | Sales from Sony's games division double

PSP-3000 officially confirmed, due for release in October

Sony has given the nod to the badly kept secret of the upcoming PSP redesign. The PSP-3000 is a slight but significant tweak to the Slim and Light model. The new hardware now includes an integrated microphone and an improved LCD screen. They will be available in black, silver or white.

David Reeves, head of Sony Europe, was keen to hype the latest model as more communications orientated. The addition of Skype and Go!Messenger in the past year have demonstrated the PSP's communications potential, but forcing users to buy additional headsets and mics has presumably not gone down so well. With a mic on board though, there should be better uptake of the services. It may also serve as incentive for developers to include more VoIP features in their games too.

The LCD screen is where the biggest single improvement is this time. Sony claims the screen quality has been enhanced to offer not just a wider colour gamut for better looking graphics, but also a sharper contrast and an anti-reflective coating to make it easier to see in natural light. One of main gripes has been the struggle to see the screen in sunlight - something the DS Lite manages - so this is a serious lure for me and a good incentive to upgrade from my old 1000 model.

The 3000 is due out in October. They'll be part of bundle packages that include a fairly family friendly (as in naff) choice of games. For 199 Euros you'll get a PSP 3000 and either the Go! Communications software package, or Buzz!: Master Quiz, FIFA '09 or Harry Potter.

Update: UK price has been confirmed as £149.99

Related posts: PSP to get GPS games? | Go!View launches

David Perry: Sony lost more money on PS3 than it made on PS2

Acclaim boss David Perry had some rather cutting things to say about the Sony and PlayStation 3 at his Developers Conference at Leipzig. "Sony basically has pretty much no chance of making money on the PS3," he told attendees at the conference.

Furthermore, he revealed the extent of those loses: "[PS3 has] lost more money than [Sony] made during the entire peak of the PlayStation 2," he said.

I've no doubt that Sony will have something to say about those figures, probably quoting return on investment and emerging markets and so on, which is only really interesting for Sony shareholders and investors. The question is what this really means for the PS3.

Crytek reckons the PS4 will show up in time for London Olympics

Woah, shameless SEO alert! Crytek boss, Cevat Yerli, reckons that the PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720 next-next-gen games consoles will be landing in around three or four years time. This news is basically unrelated to the London 2012 Olympics - it's merely a coincidence there that I chose to exploit. If you have been duped into coming here in search of Olympic goodness, I'm sorry.

Speaking at the Games Developers Conference ahead of the Leipzig Gmaes Convention, Yerli said "The PlayStation 4 and Xbox '720' will arrive in 2011 or 2012, we think."

He hasn't got any concrete reason to put these dates on the consoles - they are basically guesswork with zero chance of official acknowledgement from either Sony of Microsoft.

Still - PlayStation 4... How many kinds of awesome is that going to be? How about 1080p at 60fps for all games? Yeah, THAT awesome. These stats are also the result of Yerli's guesswork, but at least it's a ball park figure for developers to start gunning for.

(via GamesIndustry.biz)

Related posts: This would be the PS4 that allegedly scared Harrison off then | Kuturagi had ideas for the PS4, then he went too

PS3 put to shame by Xbox 360 on its home turf

Credit where credit is due: Microsoft did a real number on Sony last week as Japanese gamers went nuts for the Xbox 360 after the latest Tales of Vesperia launched as an exclusive on the console.

While the Xbox 360 had previously failed to show up as more than a mere blip on the Japanese console radar, the launch of the new title had people queuing up in the street for the hardware and shifted nearly 25,000 units. Meanwhile, the PS3, which basically had no new games to offer, exclusive or otherwise, lingered at a paltry 9,673 units.

Frankly, this reversal of fortunes is unnerving and unwelcome, and leaves a peculiar taste of bile and pus in our delicate mouths. It is however nice to know that even a steadily aging console can still make a splash in an unfamiliar locale when it asserts itself. Next week, who knows, maybe America will suddenly go nuts for the PS3?

(via Xboxer)

Related posts: Steinberg: PS3 to gain a graphical advantage over competition | Microsoft: Only a handful of titles on PSN

80GB PS3 to launch this Friday

Britain's long wait for the 80GB PS3 model is about to end and surprisingly sooner than expected. Various online retailers are saying that the first shipments of the updated console will begin this Friday which will be a bit of a relief for anyone who has been holding out for the new hardware.

It costs the exact same as the current 40GB models - although it's not to unreasonable to expect to find some decent deals as older 40GB stock is shed to make way for the more spacious version.

Sony has made it very clear that it won't be slicing any more of the price either. Some people were hoping the manufacturer might be using the Leipzig Games Convention, which begins tomorrow, to announce a price drop to make it more competitive with its cheaper rivals. However a spokesmen said "It's not going to happen", adding "If you're coming for that you'll be disappointed".

via TechDigest

Related posts: PS3 begins to make money | Kaz reassures 40GB owners

FCC confirms new PSP model, with no PlayStation button

As usual, internet rumours have turned out to half right. Well, right-ish. A few weeks ago, Sony was denying the existence of a new PSP 3000 model. Now the FCC has let slip that there is a new model - the PSP 3001.

The 3001 notably doesn't feature any major external design changes. There's no PlayStation button marked, no sign of a built-in mic, no WiFi upgrade, and apparently no Bluetooth either. All this is a shame, but then an FCC testing report isn't the best indicator either. Sony would no doubt prefer to keep these changes under wraps while it manoeuvres the new hardware into position.

We'll have to wait and see on those counts. We'll also be keen to see if Sony is making any changes to the size and weight of the device, already significantly scaled down for the PSP 2000 Slim and Light model. It is also believed that Sony may be upgrading internals to improve anti-hackery defences and lowering manufacturing costs.

(via Gizmodo)

Related posts: PSP Camera sparks fire fears | N+ heads to PSP

Sony wants Sackboy to be the PlayStation 3 mascot

I have often bemoaned Sony's lack of clearly identifiable mascot. It is, arguably (though it would yield an interesting debate), one of the more serious failings in the console and has perhaps directly caused some of the more ludicrous and confusing PS3 advertising campaigns.

Sony is about to try and remedy the situation though. It's not using Kratos (Greenpeace's preferred choice apparently), though he would have been a strong, if not globally appealing character. Instead, Sony's hopes are pinned on LittleBigPlanet's Sackboy. "We want LittleBigPlanet to lead the charge into a new genre of gaming and turn Sackboy into the next emblematic character for the PS3," Mark Valledor, product marketing manager for LBP at SCEA said.

This is of absolutely no surprise, given how much weight Sony is throwing behind LBP in general. It has already confirmed that it expects LBP to be a system seller. At E3 we got the impression that the company would rather just chuck in the towel and let Sackboy direct and probably narrate through the future financial announcements.

Another PS3 laptop surfaces

Unfortunately, you can't start a post about a big PS3 mod without tipping a hat to Ben Heck, the creator of the original PS3 laptop. Well, it's good to know that others have been inspired to hack their console warranty to bits in order to pursue far-flung dreams of squeezing the device into something that resembles portability.

This latest mod was created by PS3HaX modder Pirate, who included a custom light-up logo on the front, a full sized logo on the rear, a full QWERTY keyboard, integrated speakers, and generally the heftiest black box we've witnessed since the PS3 first launched.

Check out the video here. Pirate plans to improve the portability (might I suggest integrating a forklift?) and slimness when he next has a go.

(via Engadget)

Related posts: The original PS3 laptop | Something less original, but considerably cheaper

UK gets 80GB PS3s on 29th August

UK retailer GAME has spilled the beans on when the new 80GB PS3 model will be hitting the UK. You can pre-order now and the shop expects them to start shipping in time for an August 29th release date.

GAME's page ties up a few neat ends. The console WILL come with a DualShock 3 controller, thus waving the Sixaxis a not particularly tearful farewell. The list of what the new model WON'T have is somewhat longer though. It doesn't feature any of the following:

• Backwards Compatibility with PS2 Games
• Memory Stick Card Readers
• SACD Playback
• Ethernet Cable
• 4 USB Ports, (The PS3 80GB model features 2)

*Eyes 60GB launch model with 250GB HDD installed* And they say early adoption is for suckers.

(via MCV)

Related posts: Sony MAKES money off PS3 | Cut-prices = more sales (duh)

Sony declares LittleBigPlanet to be a "hardware seller"

It wasn't too hard to guess that Sony was pinning its hopes of taking back the reins of the hard-fought console market with LittleBigPlanet. The game has already been subject to gargantuan levels of hype and is systematically rolled out at most major events.

Sony has confirmed its confidence in the title to GamesIndustry.biz. "It's going to be a hardware seller," associate producer Eric Fong said. "Not only do you have the platforming experience that a lot of other games will have, you have this creativity that really is exclusive to Little Big Planet."

That doesn't make a lot of difference to current PS3 owners, of course, but it will almost undoubtedly mean that there will be a new LittleBigPlanet bundle going on sale in time for the game's launch and that should mean a decent number of new players getting on board for the title, hopefully bringing with them the kind of user generated efforts that should sustain the title in the future.

The challenge faced by Sony is just how to explain to ordinary people that this is much more than a 2D platformer. "How do you explain the game...without getting your hands on it?" Fong wonders, admitting "It's a difficult thing to do." Errr... a demo?

(via 1Up)

Related posts: New LBP News website launched | US pre-orders begin

Naughty Dog: multi-platform PS3 games to outshine other versions soon, current games only managing about 30% of consoles power

It's been a long time since anyone tried to put a percentage on the amount of power still left untapped inside the complex monster that is the PS3. Naughty Dog has a ballpark figure though, and one that should be music to the ears of those us still waiting for the PS3 to outstretch its allegedly less powerful rivals *cough* Xbox 360 *cough*.

"We think we're probably only using 30 or 40 per cent of the power of the PS3 right now, and there's this great, untapped potential," explained Naughty Dog's Richard Lemarchand. "All third-party developers can get the Edge libraries for free and are going to be able to use them in their own ways, to get more and more and more out of the PS3 over the years."

The Edge libraries he mentions are a new set of developer tools which Naughty Dog helped create for the benefit of other Sony developers, and are also shared with third-party developers creating multi-platform games or ports for the PS3.

Scott Steinberg sez: PS3 starting to pull ahead from competitors graphically

In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, SCEA's Scott Steinberg has revealed that he reckons the PS3 is starting to pull away from its competitors in at least in one area.

Clearly it's not sales - the Wii is way off in the distance and Xbox 360 is grimly hanging on to its lead. It can't be games either - the others have tons (no matter how generic and half-arsed some of them might be); some have even set the now de facto standards of current-gen titles. Nope, it's graphics.

"We're seeing, graphically, PS3 games starting to create some distance and some of the other competitors are going to feel that they're getting long in the tooth, looking quite dated," Scott explained.

Ah. I'm not sure that's a wise observation, Scott. History, after all, hasn't been kind to the consoles with the 'best' graphics and most powerful hardware. I seem to remember the PSOne do a right number on the more powerful N64. I also recall the graphically superior Xbox failing dismally against the pixelly, low-res textures of the PS2.

For crying out loud, the Wii is already pooing all over both of it HD competitors and its graphics are as ugly as opening a Quality Street tin to find a long dead sparrow.

Kaz: The PS3 doesn't have to appeal to "everyone"

PlayStation global boss Kaz Hirai shared some surprisingly candid thoughts with MCV in a recent interview that shed light on Sony's decision to axe PS2 backwards compatibility.

Well, we know why that happened - it was to save some cash at a time when PS3 badly needed a price break. But it has greater ramifications too, and unfortunately it also means that we'll probably never see a backwards compatible PS3 console model again.

"We don't have to rely on PS3 to appeal to everyone at this point in time," he explained. "If we're talking about the casual gamer, the PS2 is probably the right choice for them.

"We don't need to have one console try to be everything to everybody," he added.

So essentially, if you were serious about playing PS2 and PS3 games you'd have jolly well bought a launch console. Otherwise you've made your decision and you'll have to man up and get with the hardcore games on PS3 or wait for the girly party games to catch up before making the switch. Or something.

Either way, Kaz's timing seems good enough with lots of hardcore Ninty fans feeling somewhat disenfranchised by the company's belligerent refusal to give a shit about them. Come on over, guys! We've got online play with voice chat and hard disc storage space and high definition graphics and a motion sensing controller that we NEVER use. You'll love it.

Related posts: Kaz sez PS3 is very powerful | Kaz wantz 150 million PS3 sales

Sony's games division sees sales double - is the PS3 actually MAKING money now?

Sony has been having a spot of financial trouble in the first financial quarter. Its net income has dropped a staggering 47.4 percent to ¥35.0 billion (around £163m). The company has issued a profit warning. The problems stem from a strong Yen and problems at Sony Ericsson's end (perhaps due to the fact it has been making the same boring-ass phone handset for the past decade).

But salvation is at hand from what might seem an unlikely source: the game division - specifically the PlayStation 3. In fact, over the past year, PS3 sales have doubled and Sony expects the performance to help drive the company on the road to recovery.

Overall, the revenue from the games division has improved 16.7 percent year on year. It even moved form an operating LOSS of ¥29.2 billion in the first quarter of last year to a PROFIT of ¥5.4 billion this year. Once again, the PS3 is specifically cited as a source of this.

Despite price cuts and the ongoing struggle to claw back market share from Microsoft, the increased software sales and reduced manufacturing costs have put the console in fine fettle. At the same time PS2 sales continue to slow, but PSP sales are still inching upward.

(via Gamasutra)

Related posts: PS3 sales downturn following MGS4 | 80GB hardware heading to Europe

Famitsu boss states obvious - price cut will help PS3 sales

It's been quite a while since I've had the opportunity to poke fun at some analyst and their irritating obsession with stating the bloody obvious. So good on Japanese gaming mag, Famitsu, boss Hirokazu Hamamura for giving me a chance.

According to Hamamura, when speaking about the PS3s "slow penetration" (stop sniggering) said, "If the console gets another price cut by the year-end shopping season, I believe its penetration pace will become accelerated."

Brilliant. Why the bloody hell hasn't anyone thought of that one before? How have we gone through so many years of existence without realising that if you chop the price of something, that the people will come flocking.

Alright, maybe I'm being a little harsh picking at a short quote from an interview. But bugger me, can't this higher ups in the gaming industry come up with something better than what anyone with even the vaguest grasp on economics realise.

Source: MCV
Related posts: Sony say no PS3 price cut, They'll just introduce a new model instead

EA says PS3 development has caught up with 360

Great news! EA reckons that its mad PS3 dev skillz are so awesome that they are "at least as good" as its 360 ones. Yeah. Smoke on that, Xbox.

This inspiring revelation comes FIFA 09 producer David Rutter. Oh I see, it's a football game we're talking about then? Well that's embarrassing. There was me thinking that this might relate to a genre that hadn't been completely devoid of creativity since 1994.

If for some inexplicable reason you do care about football or 'soccer' *cough* wanker *cough* games, you may be pleased to learn that EA is certain, hand on heart, that FIFA 09 will be the exact same game as it was last year. Wait, no, it will be the exact same game on the PS3 as it was on the Xbox 360 last year. Oops, hang on. It will be the exact same game on the PS3 as it will on the Xbox 360. There we go.

Kojima: "PS3 is a monster machine"

In a recent interview with the Beeb, Metal Gear Solid creator, Hideo Kohima has described that PS3 as "a monster machine", adding that this explains why MGS4 took a fair old while to arrive on the platform.

We're not exactly sure if "monster machine" is a compliment or an insult. It certainly could be taken as the latter: MGS4 was four years in the making and Konami / Kojima Productions had some time to get an early look at, analyse and experiment with the hardware, yet the game still was released a lot later Sony was hoping for.

On the other hand, monstrous might mean the power and that once Kojima and his colleagues had time to get a handle on it, there's no arguing that the game didn't milk a lot of performance from the hardware. Hopefully that points to good things from other developers once they've had as much time with it. I'm not sure that many other games could get away with those punishing install times though.

Kojima also expressed his love for the joystick, keyboard, mouse and Wii controllers and expressed doubts about any new tech coming along to steal their place. Good for him; I can't stand this anti-mice sentiment that Auntie has been pushing lately.

(via BBC)

Related posts: Kojima's world tour | Voice of Snake clears up misinterpretations

Hirai: 40GB PS3 still a "very powerful machine"

With Sony now phasing the 40GB PS3 out in Europe, to be replaced by an 80GB model, Sony boss Kaz Hirai has been swift to reassure all those PS3 owners stuck with a 40GB model.

"40GB is obviously less than 80GB, but it's still a high number and a very powerful machine. We strive to evolve and offer the most compelling value we can at any point in time. If consumers require extra hard drive, they can just swap it out," said Hirai.

Which is essentially fair enough. This current generation of consoles are constantly being tweaked and fiddled around with to prove the best value for the manufacturer/consumer, so we can't be too hard on Sony in this regard. We ARE going to start to need more space on our hard drives soon, so the introduction of something a little bigger was always expected.

Still, it's a little odd that Sony have introduced yet another version of the PS3 when they were originally so critical of Microsoft doing the same. Especially with the lost functionality from the original 60GB machine with backwards compatibility.

Source: MCV
Related posts: Kaz aiming for 150 million PS3 sales, Sony confirms 80GB PS3 for Europe

Kaz guns for 150 MILLION sales over PS3's lifetime

The PS3 is here to stay. Well, that much was obvious already. But with the strength of its rivals, the success of its future has suffered a lingering doubt. We always knew that Sony was planning to play a long game. This has been very much apparent in the ongoing dearth of decent stuff to play. That's not to say there hasn't been good stuff, great stuff even, out there, but the long gaps between it is getting very wearing.

Sony is still very confident in its long-term strategy though and SCE President, Kaz Hirai, has put a figure on that success. He expects to hit a sales target of 150 million over the ten year course of the PS3's lifetime.

Putting that into perspective, the PSOne has sold 102 million units and the PS2 has surpassed 140 million in the eight years of its life. Kaz's PS3 goals display a bold and bullish ambition - the market now is very different to what the PS2 faced then and the PS3 has not enjoyed a particularly smooth start in life. Even well over a year down the line it still seems to be overcoming serious hurdles that competitors scaled easily and, more worryingly, PS3 developers don't seem to have successfully tapped into the extra power that's hidden inside our shiny black boxes.

So far, the PS3 is still lingering below 15 million unit sales too, and is losing money and ranking third in the next-gen console race. But then again, nine years is a mighty long time to turn the console's fortunes around. Kaz also expects to make PS3 operations profitable by the end of March 2009. That probably means future price cuts are out the window then.

(via Gamasutra)

Related posts: Piracy sells PSPs | How much does Sony lose per console sold?

Sony confirms 80GB PS3 for Europe

August 27th is the date you need to pencil in, if for some inexplicable reason you haven't already bought a PS3. If not, what were you waiting for? Metal Gear Solid 4 only gets released once, you know. Oh, yeah, there are those other games that don't involved mumbling cancer cowboys with a no depth perception, and they are out after August I hear. Fair enough then.

The price you'll pay for an 80GB model is £299, or 399 Euros for our brethren across the Channel.

The other pressing question that I have not found an answer to yet, is whether or not the new 80GB version will be accompanied with a DualShock 3 controller or a crappy old Sixaxis one. Of course, it should be the former, but that doesn't mean shit really. I'll update you as soon as we hear for definite.

Now, no doubt you'll be asking 'what on earth will I put on that extra 40GB of storage space'? Well, I can tell you what it won't be. It won't be any video content from the brand new PSN TV and Movies rental service, that's what.

Sony Europe has declared that the video store won't be hitting PAL regions this year. However, Sir Howard Stringer "has made the commitment that [it] will come to all regions in due course". In the meantime there's always Go!View for PSP owners. Or, y'know, copyright infringement. Your call.

(via TechDigest)

Related posts: 80GB price-cut announced in US | Take your PSN ID to the web

Sony lied (in a nice way) - 80GB PS3 prices are being cut

Ooh Sony you naughty fibber. Before E3 you told us there wouldn't be any price cuts. But what's this then? The 80GB PS3 is going cost $399 from September. That sounds awfully like a price cut to me. Why, I would put you over my knee if you weren't just so darn incorrigible.

Of course, had Sony actually called it a price cut, we might not have felt so charmed. This isn't such a straightforward case as chopping a big chunk of money off the 80GB RRP. These 80 gig models don't have the same backwards compatibility that the current ones do.

So essentially it's more a case of sticking a larger hard disc in the current 40GB consoles. At least it's keeping them one step ahead of the Xbox 360 though and you'll need that extra memory to make use of the movie and TV rental service, you lucky Americans, you.

It also isn't surprising to learn that the current 40GB model is going to be given the boot. There's no indication of when Europe can expect its 80GB models to replace current stocks, but given the nature of the change, I'd guess not too long. In the meantime I'd snap up any decent 40GB deals you see.

Related posts: 80GB models rumoured to arrive in UK this summer | Older (better) PS3s becoming increasingly valuable

Sony won't be slashing the PS3 price to keep up with Microsoft

Microsoft might have confirmed that they're introducing a 60GB console (I wonder where they got that idea) to the masses, but Sony have denied claims that they'll follow with a price cut.

With Microsoft intruding this heftier sized version of the Premium/Pro console, the old 20GB model will be seeing a price cut to $299. And most expect Sony to hit back with a similar price drop to keep the PS3 competitive in terms of price at the tills.

But according to Nobuyuki Oneda, Sony's chief financial officer, that isn't quite the case. "Our plan is not to reduce the price. Our strategy is not to sell more quantity for PS3 but to concentrate on profitability."

Which is fair enough really, considering Sony's eagerness to keep the PS3 from being too much of a financial strain on the company. Safe to say that this little price trim will do bugger all for the Xbox 360 as the PS3 marches relentlessly on to an ultimate victory. Had to get that in.

Source: Gamespot
Related posts: Sony deny another price cut, Sony nervous. Apparently

Sony boss calls Wii an "expensive niche"

Speaking at the Allen & Co. media conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, Sony CEO, Sir Howard Stringer, called the Nintendo Wii "an expensive niche game device".

Don't worry though, if you thought that Nintendo's ability to sell twice as many units to its niche market was in any way a threat to Sony's cut-price mainstream games console, Sir Howard observed that he "doesn't see it as a competitor". Phew.

``I've played a Nintendo Wii,'' Stringer revealed, although apparently he didn't look at the price tag nor take any interest in the people buying it. PS3 owners may now be wondering what their console is, if not the most expensive console on the market, and one that so far has sold to the smallest subset of electronic consumers in the latest console generation. Well, "it's still the best way to buy a Blu-ray player," he said.

To think I've accused Sony of forgetting that it's trying to sell a games console. I take it all back - it seems it actually was a just low-cost Blu-ray player all along.