Firmware 3.00 Live

Examiner: As promised, Sony just released firmware 3.0 for the PS3. Revealed during their GamesCom conference a couple weeks back, Sony really plans on showcasing some new ideas with this newest firmware and improving current features, too.

Newly introduced will be a new 'What's New' status bar. This bar will show you news, new releases, and your recently played games. This new feature will be located under the PlayStation Network icon. Also new to the scene is a status indicator. This indicator will show your user icon, friend icon, number of friends you have online, messages, and alert you when you get a new message.

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PS3 Slim, Firmware 3.0 Land Tonight

Thesixthaxis Well, tonight's the night that the brand new PS3 Slim finally becomes available. It was the 14th of May that we first got wind of the new design, and since then it's been a rollercoaster of legal threats, more leaks, claims of Filipino shops selling them and all climaxing in the official reveal during Sony's Gamescom conference. It's been fun, but now it's down to brass tacks, and the tricky decision on whether or not to make the leap and go out and get one tonight, something I'll spend the next hour pondering because if I decide I do want to trade in my perfectly functional European launch model chances are I'll never be able to get one again in this condition, and I'll need to take time out this afternoon to back up the contents of the current 160GB hard drive that's in there.

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Red, Blue DualShock 3 Pads Already Available

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Forget that Sony said the new DualShock 3 controllers would be out in October. Just, forget about it. It's only August, and already, they're out there, complete with the new PS3 logo.

Reader Boomy has already picked himself up a blue one, at Best Buy, while reader Presto117 got himself a red one at his local GameStop.

PS3 marketing shifts focus to 'total entertainment solution'

As Sony Computer Entertainment America relaunches the PlayStation 3 with its PS3 Slim model, its marketing campaign has deemed the console as a "total entertainment solution," rather than a video game console. Its fall and holiday ad campaign touts the console as "the greatest gaming, Blu-ray playing, movie downloading system around." Three bullet points no other console on the market can match.

Speaking with the LA Times, SCEA's vice president of marketing Peter Dille said the move wasn't to "walk away" from the console's gaming roots, but to reposition the system in hopes to "really own" home entertainment. According to Dille, SCEA's current campaign is the largest and costliest in the console's history and -- although the company has attempted to position the console as a "jack of all trades" entertainment device in the past -- Sony feels Americans care more about non-gaming capabilities now than ever before.

[Via Edge]

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars breaking into iPhones this fall

Having made less of a splash than expected on the DS, Rockstar now seems intent on throwing Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars at every handheld gaming platform to see what sticks. Days after showing the first screens of the PSP version, the company has announced a version of the game headed to iPhone and iPod Touch this fall.

There are no screens or details about this release yet, but in the announcement, Sam Houser calls Chinatown Wars "a perfect match for the iPhone and iPod touch." Almost as perfect as it was for the DS, the system for which it was designed! We're very interested in how GTA will work without buttons. In a morbid kind of way.

Gallery: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (PSP)

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God of War Collection coming to PS3 this holiday

It's like this, but more definition-ier.

Backwards compatibility is back ... sort of! SCEA has announced that the PlayStation 2 God of War games will be coming to PlayStation 3 on a single, HD-enhanced Blu-ray disc. Previously hinted at in a consumer survey, the God of War Collection will feature "reworked" versions of both games, running at 60 frames per second and 720p resolution. The port is being handled by Bluepoint Games, the team behind the PSN-exclusive shooter, Blast Factor. Hopefully, the games will be more than simply upscaled, giving original PS3 owners a reason to partake in the double dip. Update: And yes, it will have Trophies.

The Blu-ray collection will be available this "holiday season," and will cost $39.99 -- the same price as buying both of the games on PS2. This HD remix should give fans some time to practice Kratos' moves before God of War III completes the "triology" (oh, press release typos!) in March.

[Thanks, Rob H.!]

Sonic & Knuckles speeding into XBLA September 9

Once again, Xbox Live Arcade will be visited by a ghostly vision of Sonic the Hedgehog's good (see: not terrible) old days -- Shacknews is reporting that the Sega Vintage Collection 2 series will draw to a close on September 9 with the release of Sonic & Kunckles. As hinted at when this Sega collection was first announced, owners of the previous Sonic XBLA titles will have access to bonuses in the latest installment -- including the "Blue Sphere" mode (Sonic 1), as well as the ability to play as Knuckles in Sonic 2 and 3.

We've contacted Sega to confirm the release date and get pricing details -- and also to discover whether the Wii version of the game (revealed by an ESRB listing) will be made available simultaneously.

EyePet Brings the Dawwww Nov. 17

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Sony's given a release date and two pricing schemes for EyePet, its augmented-reality, cute widdle fuzzy wuzkins-ownership sim. North America gets it Nov. 17, price is $39.99 without PlayStation Eye, $59.99 bundled with.

The announcement on the official PlayStation blog yesterday was accompanied by a developer demo vid, embedded below.

It's a pretty sharp inducement to grab up a PlayStation Eye, a peripheral many folks haven't given much thought to. Is it enough for you? Seriously, you big meanie, wook at EyePet and tell him you don't wuv him. Thought so. Now give him a scratchy behind the ears. Good boy.

EyePet in Stores on Nov. 17 [PlayStation.Blog]

EyePet making your coffee table more adorable Nov. 17

Finally, we can attach a date to the exact moment kids across the world can stop begging for real-life, responsibility-mandating pets, and can instead fall in love with their virtual, responsibility-free counterparts. That is to say, we know the release date for Sony's EyePet -- it's set to drop November 17 in the States. If you've got a PlayStation Eye already, you can pick up the core game for $39.99 -- though an Eye-equipped bundle is also coming for $59.99.

For a quick breakdown of what EyePet is all about, check out the recent PlayStation.Blog video posted after the break. Here's a quick summary: It's like Seaman, only way less creepy, and with a Monkey-esque thing instead of a Man-Fish, and also the Monkey-thing will never learn to speak and question you about your sex life. We hope.

Continued →

TODAY IS THE WARZONEGAMER'S BRITHDAY

E-MAIL ME AT JUELZSANTANA876@AOL.COM TO SHOW YOUR LOVE THANKS TO ALL THE GAMERS OUT THERE THANKS AGAIN AND ONE LOVE

EA releases Fight Night Round 4 DLC, dubious sales data

First thing's first: EA's official blog informs us that the new DLC we reported on a few weeks back is available for download, which adds a bunch of new faces to pummel. There's also a title update that flips the switch on the new button-based control scheme. Okay, now onto the juicy stuff.

EA also sent us a press release about the new content in ad server Fight Night Round 4, but took care to point out that the game had "sold over a million units in its first month," according to NPD data. Our more observant readers may remember the game sold 471.1K on Xbox 360 and PS3 in June and 116K on Xbox 360 in July and, considering the PS3 version wasn't even on the July list, you can see it just doesn't add up. Even if we assume FNR4 on PS3 sold 96K -- lower than the last title on July's list -- it still doesn't add up. We're not mathologists (well, okay, one of us is), but Denmark is stinkin' something fierce right now.

Rock Band Network Store to offer free song demos

Even if you're not willing to spend 20-40 hours creating an original Rock Band song, the upcoming addition of the Rock Band Network to Rock Band 2 will prove to be a worthwhile experience for all fans of the franchise. A new patch will add the Rock Band Network Store to Rock Band 2 this November, and will grant PS3 and Xbox 360 owners access to a whole new catalog of music that goes well beyond the scope of official Rock Band Weekly releases.

To prepare for what could be an overwhelming amount of new content, the new store will offer an even more comprehensive sorting method. Options available in the front menu will grant easy access to the "Top 10," "Harmonix's Picks," "Random," and "Browse." Players will be able to browse music by artist (alphabetically), or by an expansive amount of sub-genres, as eclectic as speed metal and rockabilly.

None of the songs on the Rock Band Network will be free, ranging from $1 to $3 in price (set by the artist). However, players are encouraged to try out these user-provided songs through free demos. Every song on the Rock Band Network will offer a free demo lasting one minute or 35 percent of the song's length, whichever is shorter. The songs download to the system hard drive and can be played from the Quick Play menu as any other track. The song will abruptly end when the demo is over, and players will be given an option to quit, purchase the song, or delete it from the hard drive. Purchasing the song will grant immediate access to the full track; there's no need to re-download the entire song.

We love being able to try free demos, and we're certain that Rock Band Network will prove to be a new way for people to discover music. However, why keep this feature exclusive to user-created songs? We pressed Harmonix to confirm the expansion of a demo option into licensed DLC releases, but for now, there are no plans to transplant the demo experience into the full Rock Band Store. Boo.

Rock Band Network

Rock Band Network Store coming to PS3, Wii players out of luck

Aspiring artists that want to publish their songs in the Rock Band Network will have to stick with Xbox 360. The tools, which were developed through Microsoft's XNA program, can't be ported over to Sony's machine. However, PS3 owners will still be able to access a large number of user-uploaded songs through the Rock Band Network Store, which will be patched into Rock Band 2 late this year; most likely in mid-November.

Not every song from the Rock Band Network will be available for PS3 owners. The option to bring a song over to the PS3 version of the Store will be offered at Harmonix's discretion, and even then it will be entirely "opt in." Artists will have to do some paperwork to properly port their songs onto the PlayStation Network, a process Harmonix believes no one will refuse. "It's more revenue, right?"

Essentially, PS3 owners will have access to the "greatest hits" of the Rock Band Network, while members of the Xbox 360 Creator's Club will be able to play and review every song that passes through the servers. Wii owners, on the other hand, are completely out of luck. "We would love to get it running on the Wii," Harmonix told us. However, the studio doesn't have the ability to patch games on Nintendo's platform. Until Harmonix discovers a workaround, Wii owners can only purchase additional songs officially distributed through Rock Band Weekly.

Rock Band Network

Amazon's 'Gold Box' erupting with game savings this Friday, Aug. 28

Sorry, folks looking for schweet dealz on washing machines and bounce houses -- this Friday's "Gold Box" event on Amazon is all about video games. Which games, we don't know. In keeping with tradition, at 12:01 a.m. PDT on August 28, the retailer will reveal the day's Gold Box Deal: a discounted game that'll remain on the cheap until it sells out or Saturday rolls around.

After that, the lightning rounds begin. The identities of the specially-priced games won't be revealed until the moment they're up for grabs (although hints at what they'll be will appear beforehand). We'll be back with those once the sale kicks off. Until then, just keep wishing really hard that the game you've had your eye on gets put in the Box.

Microsoft confirms Xbox 360 price cut: $300 Elite on Friday; $250 Pro 'while supplies last'

Surprising ... well, surprising exactly no one, Microsoft has announced a $100 price cut on its Xbox 360 Elite model, bringing the 120GB console down to price (if not feature) parity with Sony's recently revealed PS3 Slim. While the Elite will take the place of the 60GB Pro at $300 beginning this Friday (that's tomorrow!), the Pro will enjoy a temporary $50 price drop. We say "temporary" because, once those are sold out, that's it. The hard drive-less Xbox 360 Arcade unit remains at $200.

While this $300 Xbox 360 Elite may have a fancy new package (see above) it's the same ol' Elite inside the box. But the rest of the bundle isn't quite the same: taking a page out of Sony's PS3 handbook, this cheaper package ditches HD cables entirely (accessory sales ahoy!) in favor of bundling a standard AV connector. Want HDMI? Get thee to Monoprice.

Most disappointing is that Microsoft continues to leave WiFi out of the Xbox, a console that – more than any other – excels in the online department. Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg told Joystiq, "We have not announced any change to our accessory pricing as part of this announcement." In other words, the WiFi adapter is not only missing from the console but, at $100, it's still insultingly expensive. Despite our misgivings about some of Microsoft's cost control measures, a $100 price drop on the 120GB Elite is nevertheless a welcome change ...

... even if it's just (barely) keeping pace with Sony's WiFi-packing, Blu-ray having PS3 Slim.

L4D2's Dark Carnival playable at PAX '09

Left click 4 larger image.

Valve has announced that the recently revealed Left 4 Dead 2 campaign, "Dark Carnival," will be playable at this year's Penny Arcade Expo, which takes place next week. The campaign will be playable at both the Valve and Microsoft booths, and each booth will be showing off different portions of the campaign. Valve is also planning on revealing "a few more of the 20-plus new items" that will appear in the game, though the company disclosed no hints as to what those might be. Napalm? More Depeche Mode memorabilia? Who knows?

For those that can't make it to PAX, have no fear, because Joystiq has you covered. You can bet your soon-to-be zombie-chewed brains that we'll be spending some time with the game during the show.

Left 4 Dead 2

You Bought A PS3 At Launch. Was That Smart?

"Sony's PlayStation 3 was criticized in it's past for a number of things with the price point being the biggest reason. Over time, many of the PS3's flaws were fixed. Although they were pretty slow improving, eventually we witnessed improvements in the system such as a revamped PlayStation Store, an increased Friends List cap, in game access of the Cross Media Bar and other features that Sony's fans have asked for. Now that 2009 is half-way through and steadily meeting the holiday season, the PlayStation 3 (and PlayStation Portable) look to deliver on an array exciting things..."

Updates:

We greatly appreciate the feedback in just a days' time. However, there seems to be a misunderstanding. To clear things up for those who didn't read the entire article. I own an original 60GB PlayStation 3. In my eyes, was it smart? It was the best investment I've made in gaming. There is no reason to think this article was to get anyone upset (like I stated in the paragraph above). It was simply meant to show the public how many original 60GB PS3 owners didn't just buy an expensive console, they made an investment. Please take the time to read the article before jumping to conclusions. Thank you.

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PS3 motion games: Dual wanding not required

Did Dirty Harry ever need a second Model 29 to mop up the streets? No sir. Likewise, you'll get by just fine with one PS3 motion controller on your person. "We are approaching the launch [of the PlayStation motion controller] by making sure that all games that we create can be played with one controller and the camera," Sony boss Shuhei Yoshida assured penny-pinching purchasers during a recent interview with Eurogamer.

Of course, adding a second motion controller to your loadout could really make the magic happen: "It's like putting your arms into the TV, like a gaming space, and you have total control of the 3D space in front of you," Yoshida described of the experience of dual wanding.

Woah. Did anyone else just feel that? For a second there we were totally transported into the fourth dimension.

Natal to be 'a union' of Microsoft and Rare's philosophies

Despite having released a number of games on the platform, Rare's Xbox 360 franchises haven't had the fan following of your War Gears and your Halos -- the developer's design director, George Andreas, chalks this up to the fact that the "hardware is aimed at a different demographic, and so we've always battled against that." That is fairly true -- the hardcore Xbox 360 audience has little patience for anthropomorphic piñatas or bird-backpacked bears. However, Andreas has hope for the future -- a future which will see the introduction of Microsoft's full-body controller, Project Natal.

Andreas has stated Rare's interest in the new technology before, but in a recent interview with VideoGamer.com, he further explained the studio's excitement -- "it's a union of the two philosophies of the different companies, I guess," he said. Sounds like Rare's sticking to its family-friendly roots -- we suppose that rules out the possibility of Rare's secret Natal project being Gun Murder 3: The Legend of the Lost Shoot-Blaster.

Sgt. Johnson shows off Halo 3: ODST's Firefight mode

This latest ViDoc from Bungie on Halo 3: ODST is quite the treat. It focuses on the Firefight mode, complete with narration from cigar-chomper Sgt. Johnson himself, even revealing a few of the Achievements and Skull modifiers. It's a pretty content-rich video for only being around two minutes and, well, we'd say more, but then that would only get in the way of you clicking the play button.

[Thanks, jakob!]

Retailers list Gears of War 2: Game of the Year Edition

The cogs of retail agree: a Gears of War 2: Game of the Year Edition will soon emerge. The package will allegedly bundle the full game with the $20 All Fronts retail compilation which includes the Flashback, Combustible, Dark Corners and Snowblind map packs along with the deleted "Road to Ruins" campaign chapter.

GameStop currently has the product listed at $40 while Amazon has it for $37; what they both agree on is that the GOTY edition has a September 1, 2009 release date. We're currently confirming the release date, price, and existence (!) of the GOTY edition with Microsoft and will update as soon as we hear back on our coms.

[Thanks, crazeeseal]

Gallery: Gears of War 2 'All Fronts'

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