232w ago - For the time being this is simply a rumor, however, French site JV247.com (linked above) is reporting that a game publisher told them Sony was planning to add PlayStation 2 backwards compatibility in a recent PlayStation 3 Firmware Update... but pulled it at the last minute.

They continue to mention that it may be added in a future update, and that we may see PlayStation 2 games on the PlayStation Store.

Adding fuel to the rumor is news that the original Medal of Honor and the ESRB-rated PlayStation 2 game "Rayman 2: Revolution" are slated for the PlayStation 3, which usually means they're going to pop up on the PlayStation Store at some point in the future.

As always, more details to come as they are available!

233w ago - The US Producer of SingStar, Aaron Orsak, shared the following via PS Blog today:

With SingStar ABBA hitting the shelves today for PLAYSTATION 3 and PlayStation 2, we wanted to share with you some new SingStar updates.

We've been listening to your feedback over the last few months and wanted to let you know that we will be adding 60+ songs to the North American SingStore over the next few months.

We'll be sure to keep you all posted as we begin rolling out new songs to the SingStore. In the meantime, here's a highlight of songs to appear in the coming weeks:

• UB40 - 'Red Red Wine'
• Billy Joel - 'We Didn't Start the Fire'
• Chumbawamba- 'Tubthumping'
• David Bowie- 'Let's Dance'
• Pink - 'Get the Party Started'
• Queen- 'The Show Must Go On'
• New Order- 'Blue Monday 88′
• Men at Work - 'Down Under'
• Starship - 'We Built This City'

Just in time for the holidays we will also be releasing a Christmas song pack to the SingStore in mid-December featuring popular Christmas carols from top artists such as Toni Braxton, Celine Dion and Paul McCartney. The pack will be available for $6.99 and will include the following tracks:

•...

237w ago - Today Sony's semi-official blog Three Speech has made available SCEE's release dates for all of the first-party PlayStation 3 and PSP titles coming next month in Europe.

To quote: Wondering how to fill up a cold November? Not any more - you've got gaming to do! There's a glut of great first-party games coming out on PS3, PS2 and PSP over the next month. We've got the release schedule right here - and the first game is out today...

PS3

Buzz Quiz TV Special Edition - October 31st
LittleBigPlanet - November 5th
MotorStorm Pacific Rift - November 7th
SingStar Volume 3 - November 14th
SingStar ABBA - November 14th
Resistance 2 - November 28th

PS2

SingStar Singalong with Disney - November 7th
SingStar ABBA - November 14th
EyeToy Play PomPom Party - November 14th
EyeToy Play Hero - November 14th

PSP

LocoRoco 2 - November 21st (TBC)
Buzz Brainbender - November 28th (TBC)

238w ago - Even though Resident Evil 5 producer Juntake Uchi thinks the Wii is a "wonderful piece of hardware," he also believes that "even the title screen of this [Resident Evil 5] couldn't have been done on PS2 or Wii."

In some ways, this is an insult to the hardware of the Wii, but it's not exactly a hidden secret that Nintendo's system is vastly underpowered when compared to the 360 and PS3.

To quote: Kawata: First of all, and quite obviously, the graphics. Even the title screen of this couldn't have been done on PS2 or Wii. Online co-op as well; the number of enemies you can have on-screen at one time; destructible scenery, physics - we're using Havok this time.

We can do more complex stuff with AI; the concern I had in the very beginning is that sometimes an AI partner can become very frustrating. Now she handles fine and you can play through the game without her becoming a frustration.

When you see the new stuff you'll say "Oh my God, I can do this and this and this", but you'll probably get used to it quite quickly and then get into the story.

How complicated could the title screen of the game be that it would be impossible to duplicate on the Wii and PS2?

242w ago - IGN has revealed the track lists for SingStar ABBA on PS2 and PS3. There are 20 songs on PS2 version for $29.99, and 25 on the PS3 for $39.99. Finally, Singstar ABBA is set for release on December 2, 2008.

To quote:

SingStar ABBA (PS3)

"Chiquitita"
"Ring Ring"
"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)"
"SOS"
"Take A Chance On Me"
"Summer Night City"
"Dancing Queen"
"Super Trouper"
"Does Your Mother Know"
"Thank You For The Music"
"Fernando"
"The Day Before You Came"
"Happy New Year"
"The Name Of The Game"
"Head Over Heals"
"The Winner Takes It All"
"I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do"
"Under Attack"
"Knowing Me Knowing You"
"Voulez Vous"
"Mamma Mia"
"Waterloo"
"Money Money Money"
"When All Is Said And Done"
"One Of Us"

SingStar ABBA (PS2)

"Chiquitita"
"One Of Us"
"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)"
"Ring Ring"
"Take A Chance On Me"
"SOS"
"Dancing Queen"
"Summer Night City"
"Does Your Mother Know"
"Super Trouper"
"Fernando"
"Thank You For The Music"
"I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do"
"The Name Of The Game"...