Update: Via Sony's online help desk in response to the 2.4 issues:
"The PLAYSTATION 3 system software version 2.40 has been temporarily taken offline and will not be available for download as our engineers examine any possible issues with this update. The Knowledge Center will be updated with information as it becomes available; please check back here for further details."
After countless reports of problems across the Internet (here, here, a... More »
Thanks to reader Ben Torode, we've got a proper translation of this Watch Impress article, detailing a number of new features coming to 2.40 not yet mentioned by SCEA, as far as we know:
1. The way to quit games has also been modified in line with these changes, and a game can be exited by pressing the PS button during a game and selecting "Game" then "Quit Game" from the XMB.
2. On the XMB in general, added functions include a clock displayed on the XMB, a function to delete all entered text in the entry field when using text entry with a keyboard, and a function which displays an icon to indicate when operation of the PS button is disabled.
3. In "Users" under the XMB, an item has been added to power off the PS3 console. Under "Settings", options have been added to automatically power off after a system software update, and "assign controller", "controller vibration fu... More »
If any of you have ever been on any PlayStation-related blog at any point in time since the PS3’s release (and let’s be frank, that’ll be a fair few of you) you’ll have noticed that the demands for an in-game Xross Media Bar have been ever-ongoing.
Every single post on the the PlayStation.blog (still not understanding the need for that dot) has received streams of comments from the rabid PS3 owners complaining about a lack of service and a lack of respect for the consumer base who’ve splashed out several hundred dollars/pounds/Euros/et cetera on their shiny black behemoth.
The thing is, I’m wondering why, as a collective, they don’t seem to have a single brain cell between them to share some sort of common sense when it comes to developing features such as the in-game-XMB, which we’ve just received after months and months of demand. Even after we’ve picked that up, we’re still baying for more. My ultimate slating of PlayStation fanboys con... More »
In response to a purported sceenshot showing PS2 game downloads for PlayStation 3, Sony says the image "must have been mocked up by an excited consumer."
I'm not sure where the image came from," said Sony's Patrick Seybold, when questioned by GamePro on visible allegations that PS2 games would be coming to the PlayStation Store.
"At this point, we haven't made any announcements, and there are no plans for PS2 downloadable titles on PS3."
Earlier yesterday, an unverified user of the N4G Forums posted the shown photo, claiming to have received the image directly from Sony Europe by way of an insider contact.
According to the anonymous source, Sony will unveil PS2 game downloads while attending E3 next month, this in response to Microsoft's Xbox Originals which debuted on Xbox 360 last year. Despite Sony's denial, said expansion to... More »
Recently, Sony rep Eric Lempell premiered the Playstation 3’s in-game XMB system along with their answer to Xbox 360’s “achievements”, the PS3 trophy system. Jubilant PS3 owners can now listen to their favorite tracks during those marathon CoD4 sessions, message their friends without leaving Snake in the cold, connect Bluetooth headsets in-game and even enter a different game – all without quitting back to the XMB.
True, 360 owners have had the privilege of using these exact features for the past two and a half years, but with an ever expanding market for Blu-Ray, a wealth of excellent titles for ’08 and Playstation Home on the way, Sony’s now burgeoning online service can now compete directly with Microsoft’s.
Storefront: PSN Both PSN and Xbox Live allow you to download arcade games, download demos, additional content for games, trailers and wallpapers for your menu. Both offer roughly the same amount of demos each Wednes... More »
A man who convinced a 15-year-old girl he met on the Internet to fly to Melbourne and meet him has been convicted of child stealing. Anthony Taylor, 31, of Horsham, sent sexual messages to the Tasmanian girl while they engaged in the multi-player online game World of Warcraft.
As the relationship grew the pair also spoke on the telephone. When the girl's father found out about the relationship he confronted Taylor on the game telling him he would kill him if he touched the girl.
In spite of this Taylor bought the girl a flight to Melbourne and deposited money in her bank account so she could get a taxi to the airport. He was arrested as he waited for the girl to arrive at Melbourne Airport.
When confronted by police he admitted buying the girl's airline ticket and said he "thought the age could be a problem''. Taylor pleaded guilty to one count of child stealing.
The court was told Taylor has previously been found guilty o... More »
This week's price cuts are too little too late to save the Xbox 360, says Nathan Taylor. The 360 glory days may be over, with only Fable 2 up its sleeve and Blu-Ray scoring wins for the PS3.
Microsoft has a lot to worry about these days. It’s frustrated by it’s inability to crack Google, or buy anybody else who might; people are hating Vista, and the life of Windows XP keeps getting extended; it’s actually having to compete with Linux on the desktop, and now on the mobile as well; and it’s console, once the market leader, seems to be slowly fading away.
Its latest announcement is clearly designed to stave off the latter. It may be too little too late, but Microsoft just announced a new round of price cuts for the Xbox 360, making the cheapest version of the console, the hard disk-less Arcade, $50 cheaper than the Wii.
It’s now just $349, half the price of the PlayStation 3, and some retailers are selling it for considerably les... More »
Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) will be launching the fourth version of PlayStation 2 (PS2) by Diwali this year. This will simultaneously be released in the European and Indian markets, said SCE country manager (PlayStation) Atindriya Bose to ET.
The higher-end version promises to be slimer, sleeker and more suave in its looks. There will be no more external AC adapters, all of which will be in-built and the product price will also be the same as the earlier version (Rs 6,990).
SCE India will also be launching the playstation network for their PlayStation 3 in India, which will allow gamers to download free games and also buy them online. This portal is already available in the US and Europe.
“The PlayStation Network is ready for India. It is only the integration of the payment gateway that needs to be done.” said Mr Bose. We shall launch it by the end of this fiscal, he added.
Sony PlayStation, over the last 13 years... More »
A purported Kmart ad began tearing through the Internet last week, showing a "new low price" of $299 for the 20GB Xbox 360 Pro model, and a July 6 shelf date. Such a price tag suggests a $50 price drop for the Xbox 360 model even before the E3 Media and Business Summit, taking place a week later. While Microsoft won't confirm the price drop, gaming sites are abuzz with speculation.
Now, five top industry analysts have told Next-Gen that they believe an Xbox 360 price drop is not only imminent, but likely required if Microsoft intends to fend off competition from rival PS3.
"We believe Sony will be forced to follow suit [with their own price cut], although we suspect they may wait a little bit," said Arvind Bhatia with Stern Agee. "A price cut sometime between July and September is possible [for PS3]."
A price cut would expectedly increase the PS3's installed base, and create an opportunity to sell more high-margin software to offset hardwa... More »
