89w ago - Today PlayStation 3 homebrew developer Andreas Oman has officially updated Showtime PS3 Media Player to version 3.1.228, which now includes multichannel audio output on the PlayStation 3 console.

Download: Showtime PS3 Media Player v3.1.228 (PKG) / Showtime PS3 Media Player v3.1.228 (SELF)

To quote: Another release. This build adds support for multichannel audio output on PS3 (AC-3, DTS and 8 channel linear PCM). Note that due to how the PS3 audio frameworks applications can not output raw digital bitstreams.

So Showtime still needs to decode the audio and than the PS3 will reencode the audio in the best available encoding mode the user has selected (or don't do any encoding at all if 8 channel PCM is available)

Still this is a major step compared to having just 2 channel stereo.

For all you who roll your own builds of Showtime, please note that you need latest version of my PSL1GHT fork for Showtime to build.

I've also fixed a major memory leak that manifested itself when rendering fonts with outline (which is default for subtitles). So if you watched a movie with...

100w ago - Today Sound Director and Chief Creative Officer Akira Yamaoka at Grasshopper Manufacture has revealed the audio influences for Shadows of the Damned on PS3.

To quote: Greetings fellow demon hunters! I'm the Sound Director and Chief Creative Officer at Grasshopper Manufacture.

Some people may know me from my work on the Silent Hill series, but today I'm here to talk about our latest game -- Shadows of the Damned, out now on the PS3.

Music plays an incredibly important role in setting the atmosphere for games, and it's especially vital in an action-horror game like Shadows of the Damned.

When scoring Damned, I tried to imagine tracks that would bring Hell to life for the player and the lead character Garcia. Designing music isn't always the most transparent task, so in this blog post I want to explain my thoughts behind the creation of a few tracks included in the pre-order bonus soundtrack.

Broken Dreams

You could say I created this track to be the title song for Shadows of the Damned. Originally, I had planned to make it a duet, as sort of a theme for the two lovers: Garcia and Paula. I wanted to match the heavy, aggressive sound to the game world with Paula and Garcia at the center.

I never thought that the game's...

136w ago - Today Dead Nation Composer and Sound Designer Ari Pulkkinen has shared a Sound of the Dead: Audio Design Dead Nation interview and sample track with fans.

To quote: It's been a big month for Dead Nation! We've confirmed that online co-op play will be included from day one and also shown off three special zombies - the Mouth, Jumper, and Bombie -- in our new "Know Your Enemies" video and there's still more to come in October.

But one thing we haven't yet discussed is audio. With Dead Nation, it's vital that we create a skin-crawling atmosphere; more importantly, the music needs to adapt to the intensity of the on-screen carnage.

I thought it would be fun to address some common questions related to Dead Nation's audio design, everything from the zombie groans to dynamic music to soundtrack inspirations. I hope you enjoy it, and be sure to listen to the sample track here.

How did you start working with Housemarque?

The first game that I worked on with Housemarque was Super Stardust HD, the original soundtrack and sound design. I was in-house audio director in Frozenbyte Inc. back then and working outsourced. SSHD was a awesome...

161w ago - A few days ago PS3 Firmware 3.30 was released, and aside from breaking PlayStation 3 consoles it was also reported to update the PS3 browser's Flash version and fix some region-free Blu-ray disc issues.

Engadget.com (linked above) has added to the list of 'hidden' updates PS3 Firmware 3.30 includes, noting both the addition of Remote Play from PC and supporting bitstream audio options.

To quote: "Additional trophy sorting and 3D gaming readiness should have been enough to satisfy and PS3 owner after the latest v3.30 system update (hey, at least it didn't take anything away this time) but there's a couple other surprises in store.

If you're the kind of person who loves (or hates) their beeps and bloops, there's a toggle for Bitstream Direct (output audio with the original digital signal prioritized) or Mix (mixed with sound effects such as button sounds and then converted to bitstream format) on Blu-ray movies, while future VAIO PC owners can get a taste of remote play without any PSP intermediary."

269w ago - According to reports, owners of Condemned 2 on the PS3 are reporting that the game's audio seems to snap or drop out during the game, particularly within the first level.

Sega has responded by saying that it is investaging the issue but indicates using a regular AV cable instead of a HDMI cable should work as a quick fix for the time being.

To quote: According to a post on Sega's forums, Sega is currently investigating the cause of the problem, but suggests that using a standard AV cable, instead of an HDMI cable, should fix things in the mean time.

The audio is an integral part of Condemned 2's gloomy and creepy atmosphere. Having it drop out every thirty seconds, as some reports claim is happening with the PS3 version, would all but ruin the immersion and experience.

Hopefully Sega will release a patch to solve the problem soon.