Sony confirms its recently announced network numbers include accounts from both the PlayStation 3 and PSP, but no duplicates; analyst estimates 50 percent of PS3s have gone online.
On Tuesday, Sony made a stir when it announced that its free PlayStation Network had attained 14 million "active users."
The number, revealed to celebrate the PlayStation 3's second birthday, was remarkable, as it appeared to match the 14-million-strong subscriber base for the pay-to-play Xbox Live. Microsoft's online service launched in 2002 and has been a central pillar of its strategy since the Xbox 360 launched in 2005, one year before the PS3.
Three days later, Sony has now clarified what exactly it counts as an active PlayStation Network user. "Seeing as PlayStation Portable does include PlayStation Network services (i.e. games store natively on PSP), yes those numbers do include all PlayStation Network registrations," said a Sony representative.
A couple days ago we reported on a few holiday adverts that are part of a “bigger campaign”.
Today Sony's Senior Vice President of Marketing & PlayStation Network Peter Dille detailed their PlayStation: Entertainment Unleashed ad campaign officially via PS Blog as follows:
This is one of the fun parts of my job, when we get to unveil our TV commercials and give you, our loyal fans, a preview of our spots before they hit the airwaves. This year’s campaign is dubbed “Entertainment Unleashed” and for good reason.
The campaign actually began quietly a few weeks back with three fifteen second “tease” executions. Hopefully, you’ve seen these by now. These initial ads depicted various people catching glimpses and reflections of beautiful PS3 game footage magically appearing ... More »
From the Abyss is a hack ‘n slash RPG in the spirit of true video gaming for the Nintendo DS.
In this parallel universe players will be able to explore the vast world of Rubenhaut through a unique world creation engine exclusively created for the game.
Press Release: THE NINTENDO DS IS NOT JUST A CONSOLE FOR GIRLS, DADS, OR MOMS!
In “From the Abyss”, the player will fight huge monsters with swords, spells and special abilities! A fast paced & action packed game for gamers!
The game also features an intuitive control scheme, lavish artwork, and an engaging 2 player co-op battle system.
Key Features:
• Explore your own unique Abyss!
Every time you start a new journey the game will randomly generate a custom world for a unique experience each time!
• Customize your character!
Distribute skill points that will define your character’s powers and destiny. Will you go the way o... More »
First details of the eagerly awaited downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV have emerged, with initial reports suggesting the Xbox 360 exclusive pack will shift the focus away from Niko Bellic.
Revealed by USA Today, the downloadable content is titled 'Lost and Damned', and centres around the character of Johnny Klebitz, a member of Liberty City's biker gang The Lost.
Rockstar's Dan Houser said of the add-on '"I can't go into too much detail on the story, because we try not to give away too much plot before the game is released. But I can say that the story will show you a different side of Liberty City."
Further details are scarce, although a February 17 release date has been attached to Lost and Damned.
Rockstar have released some video clips they made with GTA IV's in-game video editor, available only in the PC version.
Gamers will be able to upload their creations to the Rockstar Games Social Club. The game is set for release in the US on December 2 and in Europe on December 3.
There's general agreement that Sony stumbled out of the gate with the PlayStation 3. Months of intense hype were followed by a late launch (fully a year after the Xbox 360) and a staggering $600 price tag for the deluxe model.
Even worse, the PS3 didn't initially have any real must-have exclusive titles, and despite the power of its vaunted Cell processor, multiplatform games from third-party developers didn't look appreciably better than the respective titles on the Xbox 360.
Since then, the company's been modifying the PlayStation product line to better fit the competitive market landscape. As of August 2008, a new "bargain" PS3 is available with a larger, 80GB hard drive, and a "deluxe" model is due in November, doubling the capacity to 160GB.
Both, however, lack backward compatibility with PS2 games and do not come with flash card readers. If those features are a must, it might be best to pick up the 80GB "Metal Gear" bundle version on eBay w... More »
A new Firmware update for the Nintendo Wii has been released, specifically System Menu version 3.4. In the update, the following changes have been made:
- Enhanced parental controls
- USB Keyboard support for Mii channel added
- System functions improvement (Improved SD card read/write speed, Improved disc reading)
- Twilight Hack version 0.1 BETA1 cannot be copied to the console.
Sadly, the update also removes any illegal saves (i.e. Twilight Hack) and any other homebrew channels you may have on your Nintendo Wii.
To quote: It's recommended that you do not update your Wii through Nintendo, as it disables some homebrew (DVDx, PatchMii, Twilight Hack). Recent reports suggest System Menu 3.4 removes all custom channels.
It is suggested that you disable your Wii from the Internet as their network service privacy policy has been updated so that they now have the right to auto-update your system without notification.
... More »