Random PS3 News Thread

[jefXfree]

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe have announced that they are hosting a We are PlayStation photography competition that has now launched in Europe. Electronic Theatre ImageThe team?s jubilation at getting a BUZZ! question right; the laughter of a room full of SingStar fans; the entertaining journeys playing your PlayStation Portable! They?re all classic PlayStation moments that you?ve seen or experienced hundreds of times - but can you capture them in a photo? If you can, your name could be in the hat to win some great prizes. There?s also the possibility of a serious cash prize, the possibility of the images being used in future PlayStation campaigns as well as a new Sony D-SLR a350 digital camera and lens. Get snapping and upload your photos by the 16th March 2009 for a chance to win.

The rules are simple ? capture the perfect image of you, your friends or your family enjoying a PlayStation moment with your PLAYSTATION3, PlayStation2 or PlayStation Portable and upload it to www.weareplaystation.com. There are different categories your photos could enter: Caught in the Moment, Unexpected Places, PlayStation Parties, True Love and Endless Play. A panel of guest judges will assess top user-rated snaps on their merits and work out which photographer deserves the top prize of 1000 euros and a Sony D-SLR a350 camera. Ten runners up will receive cash prizes of 100 euros each, while the next best 100 entries will get their hands on a top PlayStation game or vouchers for the PlayStation Store. All entries have the chance of being used in a future PlayStation marketing campaign.

Of course, PlayStation is all about its community ? and that?s why we?re asking you to judge the first round of the competition. PlayStation fans can visit the website and decide which shots will be put before the judges by rating each photo with a score from one to five. Also, every time you Electronic Theatre Imageenter the site, you can give your favourite image a secret ?Super Vote? which will be used to determine the finalists in case several entries generate the same overall rating. The images with the highest average score and, in the event of a tie, with the highest number of ?Super Votes? will go before the judging panel ? so it pays to get everyone you know onto the site and voting.

With so many great moments for so many different PlayStation communities, this is the chance not only to show off your natural eye for a photograph, but also to show the world just how much fun you have with your friends ? and a PLAYSTATION3, PlayStation2 or PlayStation Portable. Visit www.weareplaystation.com for competition terms and conditions and get snapping!
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PRILOSEC DEATH

 

[BlueCali]

Six Reasons PSN is better!

* Free access / No double fees: Unlike Xbox Live, there's no annual service fee to access PSN. You also don't have to pay a Netflix subscription (because there's no Netflix!) and have the FREE ability to purchase whatever video content you want!
* Video content on the go: The PSN's video delivery service allows you to transfer certain types of content between your PS3 and PSP at no additional charge (unless your PSP's battery is in need of ... a charge).
* Faster download speeds: After a lengthy study, the respected scientists at the MTV Multiplayer labs have proven PSN downloads to be faster than all other current systems. Especially if you're downloading Mega Man 9.
* Quality HD experiences: The PSN gives you HD content in a reliable way -- there's no waiting for streaming connections like on Xbox Live. Connections which might not ever be made.
* Blu-ray and streaming: Streaming is awesome, especially when you use it to watch videos through PS3's web browser! You can also download HD movies from the PlayStation Store or buy them on Blu-ray disc.
* Relevant new releases: Um, Max Payne is out now on Blu-ray!

So, what do you think? Would you take this argument seriously if we published it unfettered on Joystiq? What if it was a tongue-in-cheek repetition of a press release Sony sent us? Like the one we've published verbatim after the break.


Subject: PlayStation Network

Just a few reminders..

As you may know Microsoft announced its recent partnership with Netflix and
latest subscription number. PlayStation 3 and PlayStaiton Network offer a
comprehensive digital entertainment experience of its own.

Free Access/No Double Fees: Instead of paying for a separate monthly
Netflix subscription on top of an annual service fee for Xbox LIVE,
PlayStation Network users have free access to the content they want.

Video Content on the Go: One of the main value propositions of the
PlayStation Network's video delivery service is the ability to
transfer standard-definition content from the PS3 system to the PSP
system. For one price, consumers can transfer and view certain types
of content on multiple devices.

Faster Download Speeds: In a recent study by MTV Multiplayer,
PlayStation Network was found to be the fastest service for
downloading games amongst current consoles, whether through wired or
wireless connections.

Quality HD Experiences: PlayStation Network provides HD content
reliably without waiting for streaming connections that might not
ever be made.

Blu-Ray and Streaming: PlayStation 3's browser and Flash 9 support
allows users to easily stream content and watch videos through
internet sites on their TV's. Users can also download HD blockbuster
movies from the PlayStation Store or enjoy Blu-ray movies.

Relevant New Releases: The Rocker, Swing Vote, Traitor, Max Payne
(Unrated), Step Brothers, Eagle Eye, Mirrors (Unrated), Pride and
Glory, Dead Space, RocknRolla, Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist,
Resident Evil: Degeneration

 

[Horhay]

I was checking out the Netflix stuff on XBL and you have to sign up to Xbox Live Gold in order to sign up to Netflix, that's if you have Netflix! otherwise you will have to also subscribe to Netflix and pay for it on top of the 54.99 thats a load of BS!

 

[BlueCali]

I was checking out the Netflix stuff on XBL and you have to sign up to Xbox Live Gold in order to sign up to Netflix, that's if you have Netflix! otherwise you will have to also subscribe to Netflix and pay for it on top of the 54.99 thats a load of BS!

Mmmm Money.. my name is MS.. mmm money....

 

[Horhay]

Yeah that's a bunch of BS, but whatever I didn't pay it I'll just watch VOD on my PC from Netflix.com and avoid 54.99 bunch of BS

 

[BlueCali]

Blu-ray/videogame discs to be released for PS3!!!

Sony is promising PlayStation 3 hybrid game/movie Blu-ray Discs this year, as it seeks to broaden the console's consumer appeal.

As the PS3 is no longer one of the cheapest Blu-ray players on the market—high-definition set-tops are now $250 and under—Sony wants to emphasize the $399 console's ability to play games as well as movies.

Further, Sony Computer Entertainment executives figure the available 50GB capacity of Blu-ray discs could give PS3 a creative edge over other videogame formats. (For comparison, the maximum capacity for Xbox 360 discs is considered to be 9GB, and disc room is even less for Nintendo’s Wii.)

A PS3 videogame, typically taking up 30GB to 40GB of Blu-ray Disc space, features richer graphics and skill complexity over Xbox 360 and Wii games, according to Sony. But that strength is proving not advantageous enough for PS3, which has been trailing the Xbox 360 and Wii in sales. The most recent third-quarter sales of the PS3 declined from its performance during the same frame the prior year.

The details of the hybrid PS3 game/movie product are still being finalized, but the idea is that a PS3 videogame disc would also provide access to an entire feature film. Plus, consumers would be able to transfer the film for view on the PlayStation Portable, similar to the way Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s digital copies can be transferred to the PSP.

“We are actively pushing, and the way that we see the future is that the movie and the game are placed on the same disc,” said John Koller, director of hardware marketing for the PS3. “There are a lot of developers who say, we have this game based on a movie, wouldn’t it be great to marry these concepts? We will definitely see this stuff this year.”

Koller declined to specify which studios are in talks with which PS3 developers for such a hybrid videogame product, but he predicts that as many as two to three such hybrids could launch in 2009.

PS3 management believes creating this heftier bridge between its gaming and movie features will win over consumers.

“This is a value message with the PS3,” said Koller. “Consumers can capitalize on the larger amount of space with Blu-ray. There are grander experiences for movies or games.”

Many videogame industry analysts have advocated that Sony lower the price of the PS3 to jolt sales. During the Future of Packaged Media conference earlier this month, BMO Capital Markets senior analyst Edward Williams circled a $299 PS3 sweet spot.

Koller did not rule out upcoming price adjustments, but said PS3 is sticking with its $399 tag for now.

“We are always looking for market opportunities,” he said. “We are comfortable with the price point we are at today, but we are always looking at the market.”

There is also a drive to link movies tighter to PS3, after executives noticed a console sales jump coinciding with Warner Home Video’s release of The Dark Knight on Blu-ray.

“We saw a hardware blip during that week of Dec. 9, and numbers were above our forecasting,” said Koller. “We directly attribute that to the [title’s] release. We see that movies can help sell hardware.”

Beyond engineering hybrid Blu-ray discs, Sony will promote more PS3 games with console-exclusive features. The March 23 bow of Command and Conquer Red Alert 3: Ultimate Edition for PS3 will come packed with a developer strategy video, exclusive maps, bloopers and outtakes—material not available with other game console versions.

PS3 marketing also will stress additional assets over straight Blu-ray set-tops. Currently, the PS3 features one of the few Blu-ray players that can connect to the Web wirelessly. Plus, the PS3 is synced up to download and/or stream movie and game content from its PlayStation Store.

At January’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Samsung became the first set-top manufacturer to announce a wireless Blu-ray model, for launch at an unspecified time. Some set-tops are just now adding streaming film capabilities via such services as Netflix and Amazon Video On Demand.

PS3’s 2009 TV, print and online advertising will be themed around this all-encompassing feature message.

“We will have a fairly robust ‘educational’ campaign,” said Koller. “We’ve talked about the player holistically up to this point. It was a brand effort versus a feature-based effort. We really need to elevate that point, that [rival players] don’t match up dollar to dollar, feature to feature with the PS3. We need to make consumers understand the total message.”

http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6636623.html?desc=topstory

 

[BlueCali]

come on, i'm not even an insider and beat br.com to this, come on..

 

[Horhay]

I noticed that!

 

[DaMexiRican]

Haha. I seen that too. I wanted to post on their site and say we beat them too it, but don't want to cause any trouble.

 

[Wreck]

Blockbuster to start online rentals of games!

In April BB will now allow you to rent games via its Total Access.

So you can rent movies or games online and or pick them up at the store!

FEB. 11 | Blockbuster customers will be able to start renting videogames through its online-ordering service as soon as April, reflecting the largest U.S. movie-rental chain's efforts to capitalize on the surge in gaming popularity.

Subscribers to the company's Total Access service will be able to choose from Blockbuster's inventory of gaming titles as part of the company's pilot program, Blockbuster said in a statement today. Blockbuster will be the only company providing online rentals of both movies and games, the company said. The company will not rent downloadable videogames.

Videogame sales have surged as demand for DVDs and CDs has fallen. In December, international research firm Media Control GfK International reported that global videogame software sales jumped 20% last year and for the first time accounted for a majority of the $61 billion global packaged-media industry.

Trade group Entertainment Software Assn. reported that the U.S. videogame revenue rose about 17% last year to about $22 billion. Meanwhile, 2008 home entertainment spending fell 5.7% from a year earlier to $21.7 billion, according to data compiled by Video Business and Rentrak.

"We already rent more videogames than any other company, store-based or online, in the nation, so we know our core customer loves games as well as movies," Bob Barr, VP and general manager of Blockbuster.com, said in today's statement.

Blockbuster started its Total Access service, which allows customers to rent movies through the Internet and have them delivered by mail, in late 2006 in an effort to stave off competition from Netflix, the largest U.S. movie-rental service via mail. Netflix doesn't offer videogame rentals.

Blockbuster, which doesn't break out revenue from videogame sales and rentals, said in November that its fiscal third-quarter U.S. same-store merchandise revenue surged 31% largely on sales of videogame software and hardware.

 

[BlueCali]

Square Enix to buy Eidos

Square Enix has revealed that it is the company behind the offer to buy UK publisher Eidos, first noted in the middle of last month, which could end the long-running saga of uncertainty that's surrounded the Tomb Raider house since late 2007.

The bid is valued at GBP 84.3 million, and the Eidos board of directors have agreed to recommend the offer to shareholders, which is worth 32 pence per share - a hefty hike on the company's stock price at the time of the bid, and since.

Overall it's a premium of 258 per cent over the price at the time the offer was made, January 14, and a premium of 91 per cent over the price average of the last three months.

The agreement involved the acquisition of Eidos by a Square Enix holding company, called SQEX Ltd, and the Final Fantasy publisher hopes that the deal will "reinforce the Square Enix Group's position as one of the world's leaders in interactive entertainment with a broad portfolio of market leading franchises," according to a statement.

That statement also notes the position of Warner Bros, which holds 20 per cent of the company, and was thought for a long time to be sizing up a bid of its own for Eidos.

"Warner Bros Entertainment Inc is contractually obliged under a Subscription Agreement with Eidos to provide an irrevocable undertaking in respect of 52,518,080 Eidos shares representing approximately 20 per cent of the existing issued share capital of Eidos," it read.

President of Square Enix, Yoichi Wada, said of the deal: "Eidos is a talented developer and publisher of interactive entertainment products with a broad portfolio of highly successful mass market franchises, led by Tomb Raider, one of the most successful videogame franchises of all time.

"Eidos maintains a strong reputation for high quality development and proven expertise in creating characters and storylines that appeal to consumers. Eidos' products are highly complementary to our business and will accelerate our aggressive expansion into Western markets.

"We believe that wide range of both companies' quality products encompassing major genres will enable us to meet diversified customers' expectations upon a global basis."

And Phil Rogers, CEO of Eidos, added: "Eidos has a strong portfolio of established franchises, with highly talented employees. Square Enix recognises this and sees Eidos as both complementary to their business as well as a valuable brand within videogames.

"We are one year into our new strategy and believe that the prospects for the further development of our strategy and the business as a part of Square Enix would offer an exciting opportunity for the Eidos Group."

More details on the offer are expected to be posted in early March, with the offer to be put to shareholders at an EGM.

Background to the offer

The future of Eidos, formerly badged SCi, has been uncertain ever since an initial acquisition bid was launched in September 2007 which the company said it was considering.

That process dragged on, with no better offers coming in for the publisher, until early 2008 - by which time the company stock has fallen to a fraction of its previous value, and the former management team resigned.

Phil Rogers then took over as CEO with the task of steadying the ship and went about restructuring the business into a studio-led set-up, as well as entering into a strategic partnership with Warner Bros, which saw the media giant take a slice of the company and responsibility for US distribution.

Speculation over further acquisition bids continued, with Infogrames/Atari revealing that it had made a bid in the middle of last year which was rejected, while the directorship movements of Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment president Kevin Tsujihara stoked the fire further.

The business didn't fare as well as expected over the Holiday trading period, following worse-than-expected sales of its flagship Tomb Raider title - blamed partly to distribution issues in the US - and the share price hit its lowest point in the middle of January, the point at which Square Enix submitted its offer.

At first I didn't create this thread because I thought it was stupid, but its news, so hey i'll post it.

 

[BlueCali]

Midway Games Files for Bankrputcy

The long-struggling publisher of Mortal Kombat filed for bankruptcy this morning, calling it a difficult but necessary decision.

The voluntary petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 effects all of its U.S. subsidiaries, but none of its international ones.

"This was a difficult but necessary decision," said Midway Chairman, President and CEO Matt Booty. "We have been focused on realigning our operations and improving our execution, and this filing will relieve the immediate pressure from our creditors and provide us time for an orderly exploration of our strategic alternatives. This Chapter 11 filing is the next logical step in an ongoing process to address our capital structure."

"Midway enters this process with strong underlying fundamentals, as evidenced by solid fourth quarter sales that exceeded expectations in spite of a challenging retail and general economic environment," Booty added. "Overall, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe sales are approaching two million units shipped, TNA iMPACT! has shipped approximately one million units, and our Game Party franchise has sold close to three million units in total."

The publisher and developer said it expects the protection will help the company conduct business as usual, but it needs permission from the court before it can move forward. Chapter 11 means they want to keep operating, chapter 7, which they didn't file, means they are liquidating.

 

[BigRick]

Wow didn't see this coming :eek:

 

[Horhay]

Wow about time! I remember buying FFVII for PC and the publisher was EIDOS while the dev was Square Enix that's a good move there.

 

[j_rocca42]

So, will it cost me more than what I'm doing now? or any word on the cost yet?

 

[Wreck]

No idea ... didnt think about that ... proabably cost more , to upgrade your account to it ... who knows tho, if they are smart they will have an introduction special for it.

 

[Wreck]

I did ... Sucks too, MK vs. DC and BLITZ 2 The League are great games.

 

[BlueCali]

I did ... Sucks too, MK vs. DC and BLITZ 2 The League are great games.

ill agree with blitz.... MK needed to be mature...

 

[j_rocca42]

So they say it'll be business as usual? I doubt they'll be puting out as many games. probably for the better!

 

[Wreck]

Yeah, it'll be business as usual for now, they now are protected from owing any creditors money ... depending what state they company is registered in they will have to abide by those laws ... in any case, more than likely they got about 60 days before court says they got an extension which im sure they will get ... they closed down their ATX office and I'm sure they will do another or lay some peeps off .. and then get a better marketing plan to kick some ass .... They needa put out some DLC and try to bring in more revenue ... from what has always been said the MK vs. DC DLC is ready to go .. that would be a good start.

Btw cali , I know mature rating woulda been cooler for the game ... but I doubt they woulda reached 2 mill sales by now if they did that. Just think, LBP and MKvs.DC have practically sold the same... it goes to show you what kids are interested in .. fighting/shooter games ... and thats why they sold so much of this game because it was readily accessible for them to buy it.