195w ago - The PS3 Slim was reported as running on 34% less power than the previous 'fat' PlayStation 3 model, however, that figure is inaccurate.

CNET's Crave (linked above) decided not to take Sony's press releases at their word, and instead plugged a Slim into machines to test its actual power output. And their findings are a little surprising!

The Slim uses a lot less power than Sony have given it credit for. In standby mode, it's around 70% more efficient, while playing games and Blu-Rays its just over 50% more efficient.

In relative terms, it appears the PS3 Slim is now a lot more efficient than it's fatter, older, more wasteful brother. Those interested can check out the Power Consumption chart below!

195w ago - With its new price tag and leaner form-factor, the PS3 Slim clearly offers great value.

Unfortunately Sony had to strip Linux support, backwards compatibility, and some memory card ports in order to get the price down.

But consumers still get a great gaming machine, free online support, and a competent Blu-ray player. There are also some intriguing services unique to Sony such as Home and PSP connectivity, which might entice some users.

The Xbox 360 Elite, even with a price drop to $299, still struggles to compete feature-for-feature. The most glaring omission is the lack of on-board wifi adaptor. Microsoft currently sells its own, expensive adaptor as an extra accessory.

If gamers want to go online using their Xbox 360, they will have to pay for Xbox Live Gold, at a cost of around $49 per year. Silver members still get access to game demos, achievements, and Avatars, but little more.

Finally, the Xbox 360 still relies on DVD disks for content, which is fine for games but may disappoint videophiles who want the HD capability of Blu-ray movies.

On the other hand, Microsoft is the only manufacturer to allow users to stream Netflix movies from their console, which is ultra-convenient. Zune users can also connect their devices to Xbox Live to access multimedia...

197w ago - Now that we have PS3 Slim confirmation, specs and a release date, GamesRadarUS has shared a video on the PlayStation 3 Slim unboxing.

Those interested can check it out below, with the video's caption reading as follows: GR jumps in while PTOM unboxes their just-announced PS3 Slim! Watch us touch it!

To quote: "Playstation: The Official Magazine has one, but seeing as we're friendly neighbors, GamesRadar was right there to record the glorious unboxing. Look internet, it's slimmer! It's lighter! It's fingerprintlesser!"

Here it is, via YouTube!

201w ago - Has Microsoft's Xbox 360 finally cemented itself as the 'it' console for this generation? You know, the most talked about, played, respected and in the forefront of peoples minds?

If listening to the words of US President Obama are to be taken at face value then perhaps so.

To quote: You can't just contract out parenting. For our kids to excel, we have to accept our responsibility to help them learn. That means putting away the Xbox -- putting our kids to bed at a reasonable hour. It means attending those parent-teacher conferences and reading to our children and helping them with their homework."





With his recent public comment about 'putting away the Xbox' it makes you wonder why his words focused on the Microsoft brand name. If we're to go by sales then surely the most sold is the Nintendo Wii, yet there was no mention of 'putting away the Wii'.

Maybe Obama's speech writers felt it didn't roll off the tongue as smoothly as Xbox, but at least it proves that the masses understand and recognize the Xbox branding, which last generation would have certainly been PlayStation.

Microsoft has seen some great growth with...

201w ago - According to an internal memo JoyStiq (linked above) received, Zellers - the Canadian retail chain - may no longer be stocking the 80GB PlayStation 3 Core bundle.

The memo specifically notes that employees are not to take rainchecks on an advertised deal allowing customers to purchase an 80GB core bundle with any PS3 game under $30 for a total price of $380 (after a $20 discount).

To quote: The memo notes that rainchecks can't be accepted because the company "can not promise" to fill them with the same item.

Assuming the document is real (the contact info - which we've redacted - is legitimate), it could imply that Sony is no longer offering the 80GB PS3 Core bundle to the retailer, possibly meaning the bundle itself is being discontinued.

The memo certainly jives with industry speculation that Sony will clear 80GB stock in advance of a price cut, new 160GB bundles and possibly even the elusive PS3 Slim as well.

Of course, it's also possible that the store is simply waiting for more 80GB Core models to be manufactured, though it seems unlikely that it would choose to stop taking rainchecks if that were the case.