Facebook Arrives To The PlayStation 3 Too.

By Benedict Wee

Taking a leaf from Microsoft's book, Sony's next PlayStation 3 update (firmware 3.10) will come with Facebook integration.

Starting this thursday, PS3 owners will be able to assign their PlayStation Network (PSN) IDs to their Facebook accounts which will send status updates of PSN purchases and Trophies earned in games played. Unfortunately, writing your own status update from the console isn't possible yet but on the bright side the service is free, unlike the Xbox 360 which requires a Gold membership account in order to use its social networking features.

The update also brings a better photo browsing interface to the Cross Media Bar (XMB), an improved PSN Friends List and the ability to choose a color for your PSN ID.

Check out the video below to learn more about the new update.

Sources:

Engadget - Facebook for PlayStation 3 'begins' this Thursday with firmware update 3.10 (video)

PlayStation Blog Europe - PlayStation 3 Firmware (v3.10) Update Preview

250GB Playstation 3 Slim Coming To New Zealand Soon

By Benedict Wee

If you love streaming tones of media on your television or if you're the "download-everything-from-the-Playstation Network Store" kind of person then good news, Sony's just confirmed that there is a 250GB version of the Playstation 3 Slim and it'll expect to hit New Zealand stores on the 15th of October.

The bigger-volumed console will retail for NZ$699 which -as usual- is a major rip off as Australia is charging Au$600/NZ$724.20 but it'll come with a bundle of either:

- Uncharted 2

- Singstar Motown

- Ratchet & Clank: A Crack In Time

- EyePet

That is NZ$25.20 more for a brand-new game.

If you've already gotten a Playstation 3 Slim don't fret about the smaller 120GB space as you can always expand it by attaching an external HDD.

Current Playstation 3s To Get Immediate Price Cut

By Benedict Wee

Announced along with the PS3 Slim is a price drop of the 80GB models which will be lowered to US$299/NZ$442.76 while the 160GB version will also be cut to US$399/NZ$590.84.

The price drop happens immediately but is only available in the US. Will update if we get a similar price cut over here but chances are you might want to hold off on buying the console till the PS3 Slim gets released.

Source:

Kotaku - Surprise! Playstation 3 Price Drops $100

Playstation 3 Slim Announced, Cheaper and Thinner (Updated)

By Benedict Wee

We speculated a fortnight ago that signs pointed to the impending revamp of Sony's Playstation 3 console and it seems that they're true.

Announced today at Sony 2009 Gamescom in Germany, the PS3 Slim comes with a 120GB hard drive and is 33% smaller and 36% lighter. And it doesn't look like a George Forman Grill (yay!). Other altered specs include a BRAVIA sync function where you can control the PS3's main menu using the television's remote, the removal of the manual install OS feature and 2 USB ports.

The PS3 Slim will be available in the first week of September and will retail in the US for US$299/NZ$442.76, in Japan: 29980 Yen/NZ$458.61 and in Europe: 299 Euros/NZ$479.50.

No surprises that we'll probably be relegated to paying for the higher end of the console spectrum since we are in the PAL region but if you got mates in the US then by all means import away since Playstation 3 games are not region coded.

Update: Looks like we'll be paying much more for the new console than the rest of the world (again) as an article on NZGamer states that the RRP for the PS3 Slim in New Zealand is NZ$629.95. Ugh.

Source:

Gizmodo - Sony's Playstation 3 is $300 in September

Kotaku - Sony Announces Slim PS3 -It Lives This September!

NZGamer - New PS3/Firmware 3.0 Arrive In September

Telltale Signs A Slimmer PS3 Is Coming

By Benedict Wee

We all know that Sony's current-generation console -the Playstation 3- has not been as popular as its previous two iterations and is struggling with sales especially in our current economic slump. With many complaining that it is too expensive and losing game exclusivity (Devil May Cry, Grand Theft Auto and Final Fantasy etc.), most gamers have moved to the Xbox 360 while the casual/old-school groups have adopted the massively popular Wii.

So maybe it's time for a console relaunch, and what better to do it with than compacting Sony's current behemoth console into a smaller form factor. The original Playstation and Playstation 2 went though similar changes throughout their life cycles as chips were made more compact and were cheaper to manufacture, all during a time when Sony was still riding high on the healthy sales of their consoles. Perhaps a sleek looking PS3 is what Sony needs to get back their market share that they've lost to Microsoft and Nintendo.

Recent reports do point to such a revamp. Starting with Kotaku spotting a notice to Japanese 24-hour dairy chain 7-Eleven, informing them that pre-orders for the 80GB PS3s will cease on Sunday the 9th of August at 10am. The 20GB, 40Gb and 60GB versions have already been discontinued way back so it means that either a new 160GB PS3 is going to be released or a different model will be introduced.

The next telltale sign of the PS3 slim debut is tech-blog Digitimes' report on PS3 components demand is growing significantly, with an average monthly volume enough for making one million consoles in the 3rd quarter of the year. This follows the report by Kotaku with Sony revealing that manufacturing costs for their console are down 70%.

The last clue is not a very clear one but it still lends to the PS3 slim rumor, Engadget caught sight of Amazon Germany's listing for a 'Playstation 3 Konsole slim' with no release date or price. The page has since been pulled down.

The details might be scant right now but it's pretty easy to connect the dots to see what Sony is planning. Hopefully a slimmer PS3 (that doesn't look like a George Forman Grill) will come with a lower price tag otherwise I'll be sticking to my other 2 consoles.

Sources:

Kotaku - 80GB Playstation 3 To Be Discontinued In Japan

Digitimes - Sony PS3 Components Demand Growing Significantly

Kotaku - Sony: PS3 Manufacturing Costs Down 70%

Engadget - Playstation 3 Slim Listing Pops Up On Amazon Germany