One of the big differentiating factors between Xbox LIVE and PLAYSTATION Network is the cost. PSN has tried to stand out as the better value, by offering free online gameplay. The Network is trying to expand to other free services, such as Home and the Euro-exclusive VidZone, which offers streaming music videos for free.
Of course, that's not the end to Sony's ambitious plans. Shuhei Yoshida explains to GI.biz that Sony alone cannot manage all the experiences it wants to provide. "We can't support all the needs of the consumer," Yoshida admits. However, "there are great companies providing services on the PC already - so we're very open to provide the opportunity to those companies to reach our user base as well."
Once again, it looks like unique advertising relationships must be established. By offering advertisers a unique platform to highlight their goods, players will be able to enjoy an expansive lineup of services for free. "We like to provide as many services as possible for free - we already provide our network access for gameplay for free - and the interesting thing about the network side and the Internet business is that there's a variety of revenue sources," he said. "Not necessarily getting people to pay, but with advertising and so on."
PS3FANBOY
8/28/2008
MTV Games, via Entertainment Weekly, has unveiled the six upcoming downloadable albums for Rock Band 2. Each one is suppose to a "seminal full album" by each artist:
- "The Colour and the Shape" -- Foo Fighters
- "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" -- Red Hot Chili Peppers
- "Nothing's Shocking" -- Jane's Addiction
- "Peace Sells ... But Who's Buying" -- Megadeth
- "Texas Flood" -- Stevie Ray Vaughn
PS3FANBOY
In an interview with Die Welt, Sony CEO Howard Stringer tells the German newspaper he believes Sony captured the casual audience before Nintendo did. "We held the same target group with the Singstar karaoke game. But perhaps we neglected to pursue that avenue." He admits that PlayStation titles target hardcore gamers. "Playstation games are rather designed for those who play a lot. Although it's a different strategy, it pays off. We currently have a production bottleneck with the PlayStation 3 ... Consumers are purchasing our PlayStation 3 video game consoles faster than we can produce them." Stringer also doesn't see Nintendo as a rival. "The Wii is not succeeding at our expense – it is not hurting us. We decided years ago to build a game console that offers much greater functionality."
Stringer confesses that the $3,000,000,000 spent on the PS3, discounting R&D, will take a long while to recuperate. Though Sony is still losing money on hardware, the CEO informs us that the amount they are making with software is greater than the lost they suffer with hardware. Finally, he doesn't think they will be a price cut for the PS3 before Christmas.
With games like the recently announced Eyepet, it seems like Sony at least wants in on some of that casual gamer action that Nintendo has been getting. Another point to ponder is, should Sony reconsider their strategy of selling a system with such huge losses the next time around? Or will the PS3 make back all the money it lost in the beginning, just like the PS2?
PS3FANBOY
8/27/2008
If you've been meaning to pick up Soulcalibur IV -- which was released about a month ago -- but have yet to, then perhaps you've been waiting for that demo that was promised. If you find yourself in with that crowd, perhaps getting some playtime with the newly released demo off the Japanese PS Store will tickle your fancy.
The demo, which is completely in English, weighs-in at about 879MB. It'll allow players to fight a few rounds as either Cassandra (pictured getting whacked in the head) or Nightmare (not pictured). For those of you who want to check out the weapon-clashing blades of SC IV, log into your Japanese accounts and download it. For those of you who don't have a Japanese account and are not in a rush, there's a pretty big chance of seeing the demo on your local PS Store update tomorrow.
PS3FANBOY
We love bizarre Japanese promotions, like this one between Sony Computer Entertainment and Tokyu Hotels. During the month of September, they'll have a special campaign which starts at 19,000 yen. Special Afrika-themed rooms will include a special projector screen displaying high-resolution images from the upcoming PS3 safari game. A special exotic meal will be prepared and delivered to your room as you enjoy the digitally rendered African environment from the PS3. At the very least, this beats having to stay in a boring non-Afrika themed room, right?
PS3FANBOY
he only time we ever saw a PLAYSTATION Network card was when Sony gave us one for Christmas. Never -- not even once -- have we seen these cards available at a retail store. This is easily one of the most demanded items from our readers, many who don't have a credit card to use for the PSN. Thankfully, support for these cards will expand in September to stores we've actually heard of.
According to the PlayStation website, these pre-paid cards can be found at Blockbuster, 7-Eleven and Rite-Aid this September. So whether you're renting a movie, drinking a Slurpee, or buying some condoms in a rush -- keep an eye out for these PSN cards.
PS3FANBOY
In a game like LittleBigPlanet, sharing user generated content is a big part of the experience. Ever more so, protecting one's personal creations is going to be an even bigger issue. With players expected to swap content daily, one has to wonder how will players control the distribution of unique content in the do-it-yourself platformer?
The answer is that the game will utilize a simple system called "copyright" which is not the same as the legal sense. Players can "copyright" objects which are collectibles in their levels; copyright items can be used by the people who've collected them, but they won't be able to alter your content or give it away to others. Non-copyright items can be edited and shared freely by anyone. Additionally, you can control who is allowed to use your levels by setting a difficulty rating and/or giving away invite keys.
PS3Fanboy
8/26/2008
Looks like the 80GB Core PS3 may be more energy efficient than ever. A user at the Slickdeals forum connected his brand new 80GB Core system to a Kill-a-watt and discovered a slight energy savings. For example, the 40GB model used 155.2 watts when playing MGS4 -- the 80GB model used only 130 watts. The 40GB used 125.8 watts when idle on the XMB, while the 80GB used 111.9 watts. The popular theory is that Sony has secretly switched to new 65nm RSX chips: these are cheaper to manufacture, and are considered more reliable. Sony has not yet responded to these claims, but we wouldn't be surprised if each new SKU introduces new savings for the costly PS3 manufacturing process.
PS3FANBOY
Home and LittleBigPlanet have a lot of common elements. Both focus on empowering the player with a wide range of customization options, both are PS3 exclusives, and both will be available this fall season. With so many parallels drawn, it's only natural that somebody would ask Media Molecule co-founder Alex Evans if the two would share cross functionality with one another. Eurogamer were not shy to inquire; however, Mr. Evans was a tad reluctant to spill the Sackboy beans.
While Evans said that he couldn't "announce anything right now," he did open up the doors to possibility. Pointing back to GDC, Evans reminded of a presentation which was done in Home and had a Sony-built LittleBigPlanet space. Not only was there proof that such content can exist, but he also cited how close the LBP crew was with the Home team -- they're "just down the road from us ... I'm looking forward to getting the LittleBigPlanet space in there, working on it and making it cool." It seems like the possibilities are very real; however, it also looks like you'll be customizing levels in LittleBigPlanet first before ever tinkering with LBP in Home.
PS3Fanboy
8/25/2008
It's funny you should ask, because Joystiq just posted a hands-on report of Killzone 2's Multiplayer from Leipzig. So if you're as intrigued by this game as we are we suggest you check it out and see what they thought. By which, we mean us. All this third-person talk is starting to get a little confusing, so just click the link and be done with it.
Killzone 2 is shaping up to be an incredible game, and not just graphically. While we didn't originally expect the multiplayer to be a big draw for the game, it's definitely now the most exciting aspect. If Guerilla Games succeeds in giving us an awesome single player campaign too, Resistance 2 will have to make the most of its few months head start, because Killzone 2 has the potential to flatten it.
PS3FANBOY
Repeating its E3 performance, LittleBigPlanet took top honors at this year's Games Convention show as the "Best PS3 Game." At this point, we shouldn't have to explain exactly why it's so popular -- we're pretty sure you can see for yourself.
Another repeat winner took the crown for "Best PSP Game" -- Resistance Retribution. The upcoming Sony Bend shooter bridges the gap between the first and second games and does so in jaw-dropping style.
Finally, "Best Xbox 360 Game" went to Mirror's Edge ... which coincidentally enough, is also coming on PS3. See the full platform winners on GameDaily.
PS3FANBOY
8/24/2008
US Games
* Disgaea 3: Absense of Justice
* Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09
* Ferrari Challenge
* Vampire Rain: Altered Species
EU Games
* Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09
Asian Games
* Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09
* Afrika
* Battlefield: Bad Company
* Disgaea 3: Absense of Justice
The much-anticipated former HD-DVD exclusive TV series Heroes is making its way over to Blu-ray this week. That alone is enough to make many of us quite happy, but check out the rest of this week's releases:
* Action Starter Pack (Miami Vice / End of Days / U-571)
* The Adventures of Robin Hood
* Afro Samurai: Season One - Director's Cut
* Blue Man Group: How to Be a Megastar Live!
* Dude, Where's My Car?
* End of Days
* Guge: The Lost Kingdom of Tibet
* Heroes: Season 1
* Heroes: Season 2
* Miami Vice (Unrated Director's Edition)
* The Nightmare Before Christmas
* Ocean Oasis (IMAX)
* Pale Rider
* Postal
* Redbelt
* The Secret
* U-571
* What Happens in Vegas
A favorite amongst the Hot Topic crowd, a definitive edition of The Nightmare Before Christmas featuring a ton of new bonus materials is a must-have for fans of the film. Ashton Kutcher devotees should savor his comedic films Dude, Where's My Car? and What Happens in Vegas. The Action Starter Pack, which includes the movies Miami Vice, End of Days and U-571, are a collection of rather mediocre affairs that can be used to show off your new HDTV to the neighbors. The Secret takes an old concept of spirit possession and takes it into a taboo territory, and the results are a little mixed. Pale Rider, one of Clint Eastwood's lesser known Westerns, is also worth checking out.