Console World

Today Sony Associate Product Manager, Cristian Cardona, has published on the playstation blog the Heavy Rain US packfront.

Here’s what it looks like:

MAG – Massive Action Game PS3 Beta officially starts today!

You may have downloaded it already but in case you didn’t, you can still do it.

During a short demo presentation of Gran Turismo 5 earlier this week, SCEA Associate Producer Chris Hinojosa-Miranda confirmed the March 2010 as the month of the PS3 GT5 release.

For those who don’t live in Japan, he revealed that Sony is vaguely pointing to a “Summer 2010″ release.

Interestingly, Hinojosa-Miranda had mentioned to me that he was traveling the U.S. in the coming week to photograph cars for Polyphony’s reference material. With nearly 1,000 cars in the game, it’s not that big of a stretch to think that they may still be working to flesh out the game’s roster. And while he wouldn’t confirm how far along they were towards completing Gran Turismo 5 development, he did say this work wasn’t necessarily for the current game.

“It’s not for Gran Turismo 5 or a DLC release,” he said, clarifying that it’s constantly building on its reference material archives. After years of development and multiple Gran Turismo titles, how else do you think it’s filling those garages but with non-stop research?

On the subject of DLC for the title, he said it was something it was considering, but had nothing to announce at this time.

When asked if there would be any difference between the Japanese version set for release in March and the North American version many months later, he was also non-committal, saying simply they hadn’t yet revealed the full feature list. Details, he told me, would be coming soon.

If you’re seeking to get your hands on it, you won’t need to wait until next year, the demo will be available on PSN next week.

Source: Destructoid

Sony has been quiet when it comes to talking about the upcoming PlayStation 3 Motion Controller. They haven’t mentioned it since its reveal at the past E3.
However, a conference held in New York this morning with Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello might have spoiled Sony’s surprise.

When talking about console pricing and innovation at the UBS 37th Annual Global Media Conference, Riccitiello mentioned the two upcoming Motion Controllers:

In the coming year, both Sony and Microsoft have announced new controllers. Motion sensor controls, Natal and Gem, these are likely to bring new consumers into the marketplace,

Is it an acronym? Did John misspoken its name? Was he referring to the glowing ball at the end of the controller?

When IGN asked Sony about Riccitiello’s comment, Sony told them:

No official name for the PlayStation motion controller has been announced.” Electronic Arts, meanwhile, said they were unable to confirm the accuracy of his remarks at this time.

The controller is set to be released in 2010 and maybe we’ll need to wait until then to find out its name.

Source: IGN

Christmas is getting closer and Common Sense Media has decided to publish a list of 10 games that they think that do not fit kids.
But they didn’t just say which games shouldn’t be played by kids, they also said which games can be played instead.

Here’s the list:

• Assassin’s Creed (Mirror’s Edge)
• Borderlands (Infamous)
• Brutal Legend (Ghostbusters)
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Battlefield: Bad Company)
• Dead Space: Extraction (Deadly Creatures)
• Dragon Age: Origins (Braid)
• Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony (Batman: Arkham Asylum)
• Demon’s Souls (Uncharted 2: Among Thieves)
• Left 4 Dead 2 (Overlord II)
• Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (C.O.P.: The Recruit)

However, they have made some weird suggestions.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, they have suggested Battlefield: Bad Company. Not sure why, if it’s because of the No Russian level, well you kill people in Battlefield: Bad Company too..Same goes for inFamous and Borderlands.

Source: Common Sense Media

EA has confirmed that Visceral Studios working on Dead Space 2, which is going to be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC although no release date has been specified.

In Dead Space 2 you will see the return of hero Isaac Clarke and the hordes of Necromorphs .

Executive Producer Steve Papoutsis said:

We’re thrilled to jump back into the series, making the next chapter in Isaac’s journey,

…

The infection continues to spread throughout space and our hero Isaac Clarke is the only person able to contain it,

…

There are still loads of Necromorphs that need killing. In Dead Space 2, not everything is exactly as it seems. Expect plot twists that will surprise you and a huge cast of twisted, disgusting monsters that are sure to scare the daylights out of you.

No release date has been specified and only a few details were provided. We’ll keep you up to date.

Source: IGN

Before Sony had officially launched its PSP Minis line of games in September, Sony Europe’s Zeno Colaco hinted the possibility of some popular PSP Minis titles turning into PS3 Minis titles.
Now, it seems that it might turn into reality this month.

Some “handful of reliable sources” have reported to JoyStick that it will turn into reality “this month”, “before Christmas”.

Sony says:

We don’t comment on rumor or speculation.

So not official confirmation and let’s just assume this is another rumour.

Even if it’s true, it’s still not great because you still need to purchase the SDK from Sony in order to develop PSP Minis (and PS3 Minis?).

Source: JoyStick

Activision announced today the Call of Duty series retail sales have surpassed $3 Billion, making it one of biggest gaming franchises ever!

Activision Blizzard, Inc. said:

If you consider the number of hours our audiences are engaged in playing Call of Duty games, it is likely to be one of the most viewed of all entertainment experiences in modern history.

Since the first Call of Duty release, the franchise has sold 55 million units worldwide. The latest game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has sold over 500 million units only in its first week!

Source: IGN

According to IGN, Sony’s planning to expand the PS3 to the 3D market.
Here’s what IGN said:

During the company’s conference meeting earlier this morning, Sony revealed plans to roll out a line of 3D-related products for your home, including a new series of televisions and Blu-ray players, and also plans to upgrade all PlayStation 3 consoles with a firmware update adding 3D capability by fiscal year ending March 31, 2011.

Daily Fix Video

In line with the company’s 3D strategy going forward, Sony also plans to have ready 3D compatible software. Whether that means entirely new 3D games or simply upgrading older titles remains to be seen.

“Next year, in tandem to the Sony 3D TV product launch, PS3 also plans to launch 3D game titles, not just first-party, but we’re also actively supporting third-party 3D software development,” said Kaz Hirai, head of Sony Computer Entertainment.

Sony CEO Howard Stringer hinted at this movement this past September, but details at that time were unclear. Sony has also yet to unveil pricing for its new 3D televisions, but it is assumed they could cost in upwards of $3,000 during the initial launch.

Looks like Sony is trying hard to get the PS3 the best choice between next generation consoles.

Source: IGN

Today PlayStation Network Operations Director Eric Lempel has shared a preview video of the new v3.10 firmware which is coming soon for the PS3 systems.

Hi everyone, here’s an early peek at PlayStation 3 (PS3) firmware update (v3.10). The latest update incorporates Facebook into the PS3 experience. By linking your PlayStation Network account to your Facebook account, you will have the option for the PS3 to automatically update your Facebook News Feed with Trophy and PlayStation Store activity. This update also enables developers to set specific criteria in their titles to publish additional game information to your News Feed. You can then check out your updates, and those of your friends, on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media favorites through the PS3’s built-in web browser.

This is just the beginning of our integration with Facebook and we are looking forward to adding new features enhancing the experience in future updates.

Additional highlights from update 3.10 include:
* The Photo category on the XMB has been revamped to make it easier to see more of your photos stored on the PS3.
* The PSN Friends List has been modified based on feedback we received after update 3.00. Additionally, you can now choose a color for your PSN ID on the XMB.

To get a preview of what’s coming in update 3.10, check out the video below:

We’re looking forward to releasing firmware update 3.10 soon. As always, we appreciate your feedback.

And by the way, happy birthday PS3! Three years old already.

Source: Playstation Blog