Sony Computer Entertainment Europe today announced a new initiative called Shoot!.
Shoot! will deliver series of short films that will be free to download from 13th November via PlayStation®Network for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) or PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable), allowing owners to watch cutting-edge film from up-and-coming directors and experience this unique content.
The films will also be screened across Europe on ShortsTV from January 2009.
Press Release: Six of Hollywood’s award winning filmmakers Armendariz, Bruckheimer, Kounen, Rothermund, Vinterberg, Winterbottom have chosen an emerging film director from their own country to mentor for the project. The emerging directors then created a short film, shot in High Definition, based on an open brief, shaped only by one of a number of words that capture the essence of PlayStation: Play, Create, Share, Connect, Discover and Challenge.
The emerging directors will showcase their mo... More »
A bullish Microsoft has declared it's happy to go toe-to-toe with rival Sony products, as the two companies prepare for another bloody battle at retail this Christmas.
Speaking exclusively to GamesIndustry.biz, Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft Games Studios, has declared that first-party publishing has always been about exclusives, and he's confident his titles can better anything his bitter rivals at Sony can turn out.
"Let's start from the beginning of both consoles - PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 - which first party has had more success on their own platform? We have Gears, Halo, Forza, we're continuing to push existing IP while bringing new IP to market. I'll line up against Sony's first party any day," offered Spencer in the first part of an interview published today.
Despite closing internal studios such as Ensemble and FASA, Spencer says the company has spent the n... More »
Alex St John, CEO of WildTangent, has said that Sony and Microsoft will continue to close internal studios as both companies strive to become profitable.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, St John commented that Microsoft was "ramping down" it's investment in the Xbox 360 and was entering a "recovery phase". He said that console makers were keen to become profitable and would no longer take on the risk of developing their own titles.
"You will clearly see Sony and Microsoft ramping down their investment in those platforms... What's interesting to note is that Microsoft [Game] Studios: the number of titles they're producing is in decline. So they're investing a lot less in the Xbox, and Sony is doing the same, because they're in a cost recovery phase," he said.
The comments came as Microsoft revealed plans to close Ensemble Studios, as soon as the developer has finished work on Halo Wars. In a leaked email, Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft Gam... More »
Looks like the French games company is targeting proven Sony stars. Their high-profile acquisition of former Worldwide Studios giant Phil Harrison took the industry by surprise. Many of us were shocked to see such a successful reign at Sony Computer Entertainment move to a company with a track record like Atari.
Today, it's been revealed that the gorgeous Paulina Bozek, creative director of Sony's popular SingStar franchise, is also finding a new home at Atari. She will head a new studio, based in Hammersmith, London, that will focus on developing other mass-market games for "online-enabled devices," including PCs and consoles.
"I am very excited to be joining Atari at this pivotal time for both the company and the industry," said Bozek.
Phil Harrison, Bozek's former boss at Sony, added: "This is a significant step in expanding Atari's online game development capability.
Paulina is one of the industry's most respected ... More »
Sony's David Reeves believes that deals with publishers to make certain titles exclusive to a platform are probably a thing of the past. However, Reeves noted that working directly with developers is something that generally works.
To quote: He was speaking during an interview at last week's Games Convention on how a platform's software line-up was more of a hardware sales driver than price point - and whether or not that speaks to the company's investment in first party exclusives.
"It does, and I put it this way: we believe that investment in our own intellectual properties - as particularly Phil Harrison and I tried to do in the last five years with SingStar, or with The Getaway, or with Buzz! - these are ours, we can put them in our cupboard," he said. "It's like a patent. We can take them forward.
"We have to accept more and more that platform holders themselves cannot have exclusives unless they're given millions and millions of doll... More »
EA Sports has released the breakdown of all the changes within the roster update for Madden 09 that will be out by (or on) release day. An update has already been done taking care of many of the changes that are detailed even as they continue to add to the upcoming one to make it the most accurate possible.
Last year there was an average of just below two updates a month which would seem sufficient. The problem was a long painful stretch from mid-November to mid-January that lacked any. If they can keep the consistency up this year than everyone should be pleased with the post-release roster support.
One thing that isn’t noted in this list is the fixing of player numbers. I immediately noticed that Julian Peterson had gone from the #59 of last year to the #98 of this year. Continue on to view the complete list of transactions, ratings adjustments, new contract lengths, and injured reserve placement.
Our ears are so close to the ground they’re all mossy. Highly placed sources said today that the real reason for Phil Harrison's departure from Sony was that work is now starting on PS4 and deja vu was setting in.
“He could see he was about to get involved in another PlayStation cycle, and obviously wanted something new,” we were told. “The same thing was happening again and he’d been through it enough times to want to move on.”
The timing of Harrison’s decision to leave Sony confused many, given that PS3 was finally starting to bloom after a troubled seedling period. The PlayStation front-man announced he was to quit in February, giving no reason for the move.
He immediately joined Infogrames as president, saying he was finding the company’s focus on casual gaming and an increased influence on internet business models “very exciting”.
Sony is apparently working on touch screen devices with gaming firmly in mind. One such device, according to the EETimes site is named Phil Harrison.
From our past news, according to the US Patent Office a patent referenced to 20080150911 refers to a "A hand-held electronic device..."
The inventor is stated as Phil Harrison... can't be the same Phil as the one who has recently departed Sony for Infogrames/Atari? Can it?
"The device may comprise a case case having one or more major surfaces; a touch screen disposed on one of the major surfaces, the touch screen; a processor operably coupled to the touch screen; and one or more tactile pixels disposed proximate the touch screen."
Section of the USPO's page mentions, "22. The met... More »
(0) 
