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

THIS Is The PSPgo Everyone Can Afford; A Fake China Gadget.

By Benedict Wee

Sony made a big mistake when it decided to maket a smaller-screened, non-removable battery, expensive hardware and software version of the PSP (a.k.a PSPgo), proving that they have no idea how to cater to the gaming market... wait. We did this already.

If you have do not own a PSP Slim to modify into Tim's PSPgo killer then perhaps you might want to give this China-made knockoff a look.

The PXP-2000 is a power-packed handheld that runs NES/Famicom, Gameboy, Gameboy Color, SFC and MD (32-Bit Rom) games and plays a whole list of video extensions such as RM, RMVB, WMV, ASF, MPG, MPEG, MOV and MP4. It also has a voice recording function, speakers, a 3.5mm headphone jack, camera with photo and video recording and a TV-Output that supports PAL/NTSC televisions.

The price of this knockoff? US$84/NZ$114.40, a pretty good deal considering this has more functions than the US$250/NZ$340.48 PSPgo. Yeah it won't play PSP games but they're way more expensive to download compared to their UMD counterpart anyways.

Note to Sony: When a China knockoff has better functions than the original product you're selling, it means you have failed big-time.

Source:

PMP Today - PXP-2000 MP5 Player and Gamer > Than PSP Go?

THIS Is The PSPgo Everyone Wants.

By Benedict Wee

Sony made a big mistake when it decided to maket a smaller-screened, non-removable battery, expensive hardware and software version of the PSP (a.k.a PSPgo), proving that they have no idea how to cater to the gaming market. Thankfully someone from JoblessPunk DESIGNS has managed to create the Sony handheld many have been waiting for.

Tim Magoolaghan has modified an old PSP Slim by giving it dual nubs, a second USB port for charging, an integrated camera, 32 GB worth of storage space and custom firmware capable of playing SNES, Genesis and Nintendo 64 games.

This 20-year old young man has single-handedly destroyed the PSPgo, he's even provided a tutorial on how to modify the PSP by yourself. Sony, Nintendo... hell even Microsoft should consider hiring this guy for their game hardware division.

JoblessPunk DESIGNS PSP Link.

Source:

Engadget - PSP O Rly? Modder Adds Camera, Custom Firmware To Slim, Films His Own Informercial.

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.

EB Games NZ Won't Be Stocking PSPgos Either.

By Benedict Wee

Looks like the PSPgo hate has spread to New Zealand. EB Games has just sent word that they will not be stocking Sony's new handheld which will be released this week internationally. The decision isn't final however as they said the situation could change in the future.

It makes sense though, selling something that would end up cannibalizing your business would be pretty silly.

PSPgo: Retailers Don't Want It. No-Go For UMD Transfer Program.

By Benedict Wee

Sony has confirmed that they currently do not have any plans for an exchange system that will allow you to convert your UMD-based PSP games into digital versions for their latest portable console system.

The PSPgo -which will be released internationally next week- does not have a UMD reader, rather it relies on an internal hard drive to download and play games.

Not being able to play their current collection of games would be a huge barrier for those who already own a PSP though it might appeal to those who do not already own Sony's handheld as the PSPgo is lighter and slimmer compared to its predecessor. Sony says that due to legal issues they will not be able to carry out an exchange system for PSP owners but they are working on finding a solution.

The PSPgo looks to be stirring up some controversy with its imminent release, with rumors that the downloadable games would cost more than the physical retail versions and they won't be available on the same day online as the ones you can get in the store. Also, certain retailers from the Netherlands and Australia have commented that they won't be stocking the new portable console and though they have not given specific reasons why, it is clear that the PSPgo's digital distribution model would be a threat to their business of selling and trading video games.

We've contacted EB Games in New Zealand and asked if they'll carry the handheld and will wait for a comment from them.

Source:

Kotaku - Another Retailer Says Nothankyou To The PSPgo

Kotaku - Sony Nixes Plans For UMD Conversion Program For PSPgo

Buying Guide: Playstation 3 Slim

By Benedict Wee

Alright, I gave it one day for the "Ohhhh! Shiny toy!" excitement to wash over me and now that my head's cleared up and am much more sober I'm thinking to myself: would I buy the Playstation 3 Slim? I've already got an Xbox 360 and a Nintendo Wii so would the price cut and a new sleek design be enough for me to fork out another thousand bucks or so to get another console?

Here's a quick buying guide/review.

Why I like it

Does not look like a George Forman Grill:

Let's get the petty issues I've had with it out of the way first. Ever since Sony revealed it's current-gen console I have not once seen an image of the PLAYSTATION 3* without thinking that I could do with a good surf and turf combo with a side of corn. The new model is thinner, lighter, compact and can be held in one hand which makes it easy to fit into my ever-growing tower of entertainment systems and carry around with me in my travels.

*The original name of the console was put in caps so I'm using it to distinguish the older model from the new one.

Swappable Hard Disk:

The Xbox 360's specifically designed HDD is made in such a way that you can only purchase the ones made by Microsoft and they're about twice as expensive as the normal ones you can find in any tech store. That is a huge rip off. Either that or I could just delete the games I've stored in the HDD and re-download them again if I want to play a particular title but that just wastes time and money (for the internet data, you don't need to purchase the game again).

If I ever felt the 120Gb worth of space in my PS3 Slim is not enough I could always buy any standard HDD and plug it into the console which should be the way these things work.

It's the PS3 I've always wanted:

Like I've just mentioned before, the PLAYSTATION 3 was a hulking monstrosity which departed from my traditional view of consoles. It was big, shiny, expensive, a finger-print magnet and used that Spider-man font in caps which clearly meant that Sony was having an identity issue when designing the console.

And it did. With so many PR snafus and empty promises it seemed like the console maker had completely disconnected with the fanbase that made the Playstation and Playstation 2 popular.

The PS3 Slim is Sony's way of saying: "Forget about the last 3 years, lets start over." And it has. With a lower price point and a console which looks similar to the PS2, it's the successor I always wanted it to be.

I don't need to pay to play with other gamers online:

Xbox Live is expensive. It can go from as low as $6.70 to as high as $10.95 per month to upgrade to the Gold membership just so you can play with others online. Combine that with having to pay for the broadband connection and it all accumulates. And it's not like I want to play with people 24/7 so all those lost days/months of not playing online do get wasted.

The Playstation Network is free. Win.

Region Free (And Easy):

Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 games cost around the same price: a lot. But a big difference is that the 360's games are region locked while the PS3's are not. This gives you a variety of outlets (read: the internet) to purchase your games from. Import them from America, Singapore, Japan, England etc. anywhere you can find cheaper games from. It also makes it far more convenient to get the latest game releases instead of having to wait for them to reach our shores. A wait which can take up to months sometimes.

Meh

No more manual OS install:

You can't install a Linux OS on the PS3 Slim which wouldn't make a big difference to anyone since a) this is a feature utilized only by a small number of tech experts and geeks, b) no one knew this feature existed anyway.

2 USB ports:

I don't see myself using them anytime soon. Probably for Rock Band but you only need 1 anyways.

Blu-Ray:

I can finally climb aboard the High Definition train by watching my movies/tv shows in glorious full HD. Then again, not everyone has a Full HD television and mine's only HD Ready. Also, blu-rays are still expensive and have not been adopted as readily as DVDs were. The format might have triumphed over HD-DVDs but it has yet to prove itself worthy of following and in a world that is moving towards digital distribution (the downloading of movies/shows/games) the blu-ray might end up a lame duck.

Why I do not like it

Stand Straight Boy! :

The new PS3 Slim cant stand vertically like the old PS3 can: That's alright.

You can buy an optional stand however: Oh ok.

It'll cost you US$24/NZ$35.60, possibly more since you live in NZ: No.

It's a plastic base to hold the PS3 upright for God's sake. Why are you charging me so much for what is -in essence- a bicycle kickstand!? Couldn't you have included it in the set? Are you that desperate to make a quick buck from us?

I recommend waiting for 3rd party accessory makers to come up with their own PS3 Slim stands, they'll be cheaper and you'll get an assortment of colors, designs and extra features (charging base perhaps?) to choose from.

Still too expensive:

It's US$299/NZ$442.76 in the United States, 29980 Yen/NZ$458.61 in Japan and 299 Euros/NZ$479.50 in the EU. Why on earth is it NZ$620 here?! That is a good $140 more than what it costs in Europe. With that extra cash you could get one new PS3 game or 2 used PS3 games or an extra controller with change or 3-and-a-half official Sony PS3 Slim stands!

Seriously though, why are we always getting the short end of the stick? Are we trying for a world record for most expensive electronics sold in a country? High prices are a perfect excuse to resort to piracy and the last thing game developers and console makers want us to do is to start modifying our consoles and getting our games illegally. It's ridiculous.

Fortunately -as I've mentioned above- the console is not region locked so I highly recommend you contact your relatives/friends overseas to help you purchase the system. If you can't find someone there are always online shops that ship to New Zealand.

Another point to make is that though the current price tag of the PS3s is the same as the current Xbox 360 Elite model, we're expecting a price drop for Microsoft's console soon, thus still making the 360 a cheaper current-gen console.

And let's not forget how much the console really costs. The reason why I said I'd have to spend around a thousand dollars for the PS3 slim is because we all tend to forget the extra bits and pieces that add up. Its $620 for the system, another $100+ for an extra controller, games ranging from $55 (old/used) to $140 (new), blu-ray movies from $30 (old/used) to $90 (tv series) and PSN points at $30/$50 to download games can tally into almost paying for the PS3 slim twice over.

Games:

Exclusive 3rd party titles are a thing of the past. Devil May Cry, Silent Hill, Grand Theft Auto, Final Fantasy and Resident Evil are examples of popular 3rd party franchises that appear on both the Xbox 360 and PS3. If you already own an Xbox 360 and are a fan of these established franchises chances are you've already played these games. So what could Sony offer you in terms of software that would justify a purchase of another console?

For every Gran Turismo on the PS3 there is a Forza on the Xbox 360. For every SingStar there is Lips, for every Resistance, a Gears of War.

Yes the gameplay differs from each title but they do not make an enormous leap in mechanics to lure gamers from one console to the other.

Conclusion

Not everyone is in the same situation I am so I'm going to give a conclusion into different tiers.

If you already own an Xbox 360: Stick with it. You're not missing out on much as 3rd party developers are making games for both platforms and Sony exclusives are few and far between to not justify buying another console.

I know it has a high failure rate of breaking down but you've got 3 years warranty on the console which does help and the new models that they replace it with are fitted with better chips that prevent it from dying so often. If the warranty period is over you can look forward to a price drop on the Elite model. Also, it may not mean a lot but you'll be giving up your Gamerscore and Achievements you've collected when you were playing those games.

There are other glaring negative points about the 360 as well though don't get me wrong. The silly banning of under 18s from Xbox Live and the ludicrous prices to download games online are totally unfair but it's something that can be easily worked around with (i.e. lie about your age and buy physical games respectively).

If you own a PLAYSTATION 3: There's no point in changing to the newer system. Chances are you got one with the better configuration out there (with PS2 backwards compatibility and all) and Sony systems are made to last. Stick with your behemoth.

If you own a Wii/neither consoles: It's a good time to join the high-definition party and a good way to do that is getting the PS3 Slim. Bear in mind that it is quite a big investment, don't go into a shop with $600 and expect to be ready to experience an onslaught of brilliant graphics and gameplay when you get back. I'd prepare at least $850 for games/movies/tv shows and an extra controller to get myself up and running decently.

If possible import. It'll save you tons which means more games and blu-ray movies.

So there you go. I won't be buying one for myself because I don't think the purchase is necessary but if you're considering getting one think about the time/money that this investment is going to cost. Chances are most gamers have already selected the console of their choice and though the PS3 Slim has a lot going for it, it's been 3 years and it may have come a little too late.

PSP gets Minis and Digital Comic Reader

By Benedict Wee

Along with the big PS3 Slim reveal today Sony has also announced that their Playstation Store will come with an additional category selling casual games for the Playstation Portable.

PSP Minis will host a collection of games which will be cheaper than the current titles available in the Playstation Store and not take more than 100MB in space, making it ideal to store on the handheld's Memory Stick or the new PSP Go's internal hard drive.

The Minis store will launch in October with 15 games available for download. Sony hopes for at least fifty titles by the end of the year.

Another new feature announced for the PSP is that it'll be able to read Digital Comics (legally). Marvel is the first comic book publisher to enter a partnership deal with Sony to provide downloadable titles for the handheld with more companies signing on eventually. The Digital Comic Reader is set to arrive in December.

Looks like the PSP is set to follow the DSi in competing for the downloadable casual game market, currently dominated by the iPhone.

Source:

Kotaku - PSP Minis: Bite-Sized Fun At Bite-Sized Prices

Gizmodo - Digital Reader (And Marvel Comics) Coming To PSP

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

Sony Notebooks To Have Touchscreen Windows 7, Playstation Network, Perhaps Be Cheaper?

By Benedict Wee

In an interview with the vice president of the Sony Information Technology Products Division -Mike Abary- tech blog Laptopmag was given details on the new features and marketing plans for their future notebooks.

When asked about their new netbook -the VAIO W- and its higher price point compared to other netbooks in the market right now Mike admitted that all Sony products would have to be reviewed price-wise in order to remain competitive. This is in light of a report in May made by Sony predicting their 110 billion yen loss for the financial year ending March 2010.

"I’ll acknowledge we have had those issues across the board on all of our products and there has been a paradigm shift in the marketplace that has rendered Sony products to be seconded guessed in terms of its competitiveness by consumers. It means we have to do a better job of being relevantly competitive in terms of price points, but it doesn’t mean we are going to abandon our position in the marketplace."

Does this mean we'll get to see cheaper consoles and notebooks soon? The Playstation 3 costs around NZ$729 and plays most games the Xbox 360 does but the latters' low price tag has attracted more consumers into buying their console instead. The price for the new PSP Go has also been criticized by many game journalists and gamers to be too expensive and Sony computers are known for having Apple-like prices.

When asked about having the Playstation Network (an online service for the Playstation 3 and PSP which allows users to download games, movies, television shows and music) integrate with Sony computers Mike said that the VAIO team are working on bringing it to not just Sony PCs, but all of them.

"We are absolutely talking about that internally. The PlayStation network is growing. We believe that network will have an option with VAIO PCs or any PCs for that matter. What we are trying to do is collaborate with our peers at PlayStation in that regard."

He also highlights the point that though they are currently focusing on just providing movies and television shows via the PSN, video games are a possibility in the future

"That is a possibility but we are concentrated more on movies and TV content. We find casual gaming to be interesting for PCs and we are driving right now to establish our role in that area. We believe this segment of end user of causal gaming is growing we can address that marketplace in a way that is unique on VAIOs."

Lastly, when queried on touchscreen notebooks running Windows 7, Mike hints we could expect them between when Microsoft launches their new OS and the holiday season.

"There are certain things that will be native on Windows 7 that we are certainly going to take advantage of. Without giving too much away, we think touch on Windows 7 is something we find compelling and we will certainly introduce touch into some of our products at the launch of Win 7. You will see touch capabilities introduced on VAIO products that take advantage of Windows 7."

Looks like Sony has some interesting stuff in the works. Me? Am just waiting for the PSP2 to be announced later this year *fingers crossed*

Source:

Laptop - Sony Promises Touchscreen VAIOs for Fall, Playsation Network Support Coming

Android News Roundup - Sony Ericsson Android Phone Update and Motorola's Android Phone

By Benedict Wee

The guys at Phandroid have the latest news on Android phones being released by the two mobile manufacturers, Sony Ericsson and Motorola.

First up, more details and pictures of SE's phone have been leaked onto the eXpansys UK website along with its official name. The Xperia X3 -though still officially unannounced- will spot the following features:

• 4-inch touchscreen
• 800x400 pixel display
• 8MP Camera with LED Flash, Auto Focus and 8x Digital Zoon
• Video Recording at VGA resolution (640x480)
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• MicroSD slot (Thank God they gave up that silly Memory Stick nonsense)
• Buletooth, WiFi and AGPS
• Quadband GSM/GPRS - 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

I'm pretty excited about the camera as the guys at Sony are known for their good camera-phones but am a tad disappointed at the lack of 2100MHz support which means that I won't be putting a Vodafone SIM inside this mobile. Also, why aren't there any secondary cameras on Android phones? Is video calling passe already?

The next piece of news is about Motorola's new Android mobile. Named Morrison, this would be one of Moto's last attempts at gaining back a share of the mobile market as Nokia, the iPhone and other smartphones like the Palm Pre are already taking a up a big chunk. Too bad its target demographic for the phone seems to be tweenies as no self-respecting person over 18 would ever be seen holding that toy. Some employee at the company appears to be carrying a working handset and spy shots have been taken of the phone.

The Motorola Morrison's design reminds me of the Sidekick, which was popular amongst teenagers in the US (the cheerleader from Heros uses one in the first season ) because of its aquamarine blue colored slide-out QWERTY keyboard and the T-Mobile (US) logo (they're the exclusive carriers of the Sidekick).

There are still no details on this phone though rumors say it's due to hit US shelves during the holidays.

Sources:

Phandroid - Sony Ericsson Xperia X3 Android With Specs & Pics!

Phandroid - Motorola Morrison Picture Snapped, Appears Black And Blue

Video Game Preview - Assassin's Creed Bloodlines: Ass Creed 1.5

By Benedict Wee

The folks over at Ubisoft have announced that their Assassin's Creed franchise will be coming to the Playstation Portable and will support full roaming environments and an intuitive combat system like its console counterpart did, which is pretty amazing since the game was launched on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, two current-gen consoles.

The game takes place immediately after the events of the original game as you control Altair (pronounced "al-tie-ear") again, this time in Cyprus instead of the Holy Land. The storyline also has something to do with with the sequel -Assassin's Creed II- which you might find weird as it takes place during the renaissance in Florence and has nothing to do with the Third Crusades in 1191. There will be connectivity between this game and Ass Creed II for the PS3 coming in the from of health and weapon upgrades for Bloodlines and being able to use the weapons in Bloodlines for II.

The graphics look beautiful and pretty crisp, like playing on a Playstation 2. It's not surprising that the handheld is capable of rendering good images, God of War: Chains of Olympus for the PSP looked almost close to its PS2 console version as well. Let's just hope that Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines will have more missions than God of War's 6 measly levels which could be finished in a day.

There will be a special Assassin's Creed PSP-3000 bundle when the game is launched though there have been no news of a PSP Go! one.

Sources:

Kotaku - The PSP's Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines in Action

Kotaku - PSP's Assassin's Creed Will Have Free Running, Open World and PS3 Connectivity

PSP Go is expensive because.. people are dumb enough to buy it

By Benedict Wee

We know that when it comes to our country, New Zealand gets ridiculous mark ups on mobiles, handhelds and pretty much everything else gadget-adjacent. So when the new PSP Go's price was announced in the US and UK we gave the estimated cost of Sony's new handheld based on the how much we're paying for the PSPs on the shelves currently. But have you ever wondered how Sony came to pricing their new handheld much higher than the older models?

UK video game site mcvuk.com recently interviewed Andrew House, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) and asked the same question. His response should shed some light on the price of the PSP Go:

MCV: There’s a clear price difference there, too. Are you charging more for the PSPgo to protect retail margins as they won’t be selling software? Or to cover R&D costs?

Andrew: Those aren’t the factors. When you introduce a new piece of hardware you have the opportunity to say there is a certain premium that is associated with it, and we took that into account.

So there you have it. Sony is not charging so much more because they've spent a lot on research, development and to compensate for the lack of game sales, they're selling it at a high price because (at least, they think) people are willing to pay for it.

Source: MCVUK

PSP Go's battery worse than PSP 3000, mystifies everyone.

By Benedict Wee

When Sony's first portable gaming system was released way back I chided the handheld for choosing to use discs instead of carts as they were noisy when running and because they took a considerable effort to read (they used lasers), the battery life was short (3-6 hours) and thus not very portable-friendly. 

Jump to a couple of years later when the 2000 model (aka Slim and Lite) was released and we find that the new battery gave the same amount as its predecessor, however if you used the old PSP battery (which would give a slight bulge to the back of the gadget) you would get 8-10 hours of playtime while the Sony stamina battery would give over 10 hours which made it a decent competitor to the DS lite. 

Last year's introduction of the PSP 3000 gave us a slightly longer battery life (4-6 hours) which was pretty alright. 

It would be logical to think that the PSP Go would have an improved battery life because games would run from the 16GB hard drive instead of using UMDs. Unfortunately Sony is beyond petty things like logic. Siliconera has found out that the newly announced portable will have the old PSP's 3-6 hours of battery life. Bear in mind we might be paying $485 for this new handheld and combine that with the fact that it has the same functions the older models posses and you'll get one more reason why you shouldn't be buying this gadget. 

Free music video streaming available for PS3 Kiwis

By Benedict Wee

Sony's music video streaming service is available for free for Playstation 3 owners in PAL countries (this means us in New Zealand). Vidzone allows you to not only stream videos from your favorite artists but create playlists as well. The service can be downloaded from the Playstation Store now. 

Saturday Edition: E3, iphone rumors and "where's the Magic Vodafone?"

By Benedict Wee

Nothing much to report about the NZ mobile scene this week except for the blunder Telecom made with their prepaid add-ons. The HTC magic is still not out on our shelves which I think is a big mistake on the part of Vodafone because should the WWDC announce the new iphone on monday (and they will), people might end up holding off on an android phone purchase which would be a pity. It's kinda hard to market the new android platform when it'll be overshadowed by everyone talking about the new iphone in the upcoming weeks till its launch and even if it does get advertised it'll be viewed as a "wannabe iphone" because of the timing of the news. 

Oh and Sony gets an application store too but it's nothing worth getting all excited over (yet). 

A lot of exciting news from E3 though, which will make gamers save up their cash: 

Microsoft has announced sequels to their games (Lips:NOH, Crackdown 2, Dead Rising 2, Forza 3) with 2 new Halos (ODST and Reach) and a new Metal Gear Solid series. They've also announced a better New Xbox Experience with the incorporation of a free music streaming site (Last.FM) as well as social networking sites; facebook and Twitter to the dashboard. 

The highlight of the event of course was Project Natal; the Xbox 360's new camera which provides seamless gameplay and a Minority Report-like interface. 

Nintendo finally showcased games staring their famous mascots (Metroid: Other M, Super Mario Galaxy 2, New Super Mario Bros.) proving to jaded fans that the Wii is a console for them too and not just non-gamers (they'll have WiiFit Plus and Wii Sports Resort to look forward to). 

Other major announcements include a new Golden Sun game for the DS which many people have demanded for, facebook photo uploads from the DSi and two other Wiimote extensions to clutter up your already full drawer of Wii periperals; the Wii motion plus and Vitality Sensor. 

Sony too announced their exclusive sequels (Uncharted 2, God of War 3) and surprised everyone with the MMORPG sequel; Final Fantasy XIV as well as debuted new titles (MAG, Agent, The Last Guardian). The highlight of their show however went to the new PSP iteration; the PSP Go which didn't surprise many as it was leaked out last weekend. I just thought of a major reason why it is a big mistake to buy this new model but I'll save it for my Buying Guide segment in the future. 

What I was more interested in were the new games for the handheld (MGS: Peace Walker, Little Big Planet, Gran Turismo). Sony also previewed their new motion controller which seems like it's caught between the Wiimote and Project Natal. 

In addition to the Big 3 conferences a whole lot of other games were seen on the show floor and I've got some of the highlights in part 1 and 2 of my blog.  

And what do we have to look froward to next week?

Well the new iphone announcement at the WorldWide Developers Conference of course! The event will start with a presentation by Phil Schiller where he'll announce the new iphone and its many new and shiny features as well talking about the new Snow Leopard OS for the Mac, a new ipod touch/iphone firmware update, new ipods and ipod touches and (mayhaps) an Apple tablet? 

Nothing is confirmed for sure (cept the new iphone) but whatever they're gonna announce, it'll be awesome as always. In the meantime -since we're on speculation- let's compile the list of rumors floating around on the internets. 

The new iphone will:

• change its shiny back to matte
• have cheaper (US$99) models
• have slightly different components
• have a better camera with autofocus and (finally!) video recording
• have improved RAM to run better games and applications 
• have a better processor to run applications faster and more efficiently 
• have VoiceOver like the iPod shuffle
• have bigger memory. Expect it to have at least 32GB to 64GB. 
• have an OLED screen
• have a glowing Apple logo on its back
• have a magnetometer
• have a front camera for video conferencing which will work with the ichat application in the new firmware update. 
• have a 3D graphics chip for better looking games and applications
• work on a faster network
• have better Bluetooth support so it'll be able to pair with 3rd party peripherals like keyboards and game controllers. 
• be released on the 17th of July

That is a long list of rumors. How many do you think are true? Of course nothing is certain till the actual day so stay tuned as I'll be waking up early to watch the live blog and posting the news as soon as it hits. Till then have a great weekend!

E3 Highlights (the other stuff) Part 2

Star Wars: The Old Republic

for: PC
Why I like it: The previous Star Wars MMORPG rubbed people wrongly with it's archaic control scheme and overall *bleah* gameplay but the series might redeem itself since the people at Bioware (Mass Effect, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: KOTOR) who are experts in all things role-playing are taking the project. Personally I don't do MMORPGs but anything that Bioware has created so far is good stuff so I might give this a second look. And speaking of milking franchises for all their worth...

LEGO: Rock Band

for: PC & PS3 & Xbox 360 & Wii
Why I like it: I don't. There's no reason why LEGO has to whore itself off to every franchise that moves. Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Batman and the recently announced Harry Potter all have LEGO video game versions which are decent but having it on Rock Band doesn't make any sense. Is there a LEGO genre of music that I'm ignorant to? I don't even like the normal characters in Rock Band (would rather see the music video of the song I'm playing in the background), so what would be different when you replace an 80s rocker with over-processed hair with a 80s mini-fig with over-processed hair? This gets mentioned here cause I do really want someone to explain this phenomenon to me. 

Assassin's Creed 2 

for: PC & PS3 & Xbox 360
Why I like it: While I found the first game to be repetitive and couldn't wait to finish it, I nonetheless appreciated its plot and was keen to see how Ubisoft's new series might take off. This sequel is set in a later era (the Renascence) than the previous game and sets you up as an assassin-in-training in order to take revenge on someone or another. To help you out you've got the world famous artist/inventor Leonardo Da Vinci providing you with his inventions to aid you in your search for vengeance so that is a plus point in my book. The game is out November 17th (US).

Invizimals

for PSP
Why I like it:It's an argumented reality game for the PSP that allows you to collect monsters in your own surroundings. The game comes with a PSP camera which you use to "search" for monsters around you. Once they appear on the screen you'll be given prompts to try and catch the aforementioned monsters such as blowing into the mic or using a special disc to slap them so they'll be stunned. There are over 100 to collect, grow and fight with and different species appear only in certain conditions so that's a perfect excuse to go out and get some on that sun. Like all Digimon copies many might be put off by the kiddy game but it looks pretty decent and I just might fork over my hard-earned cash to play with the invisible monsters that roam my room. I always knew that they were there!

Video Games | Invizimals | E3 09: Debut Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

E3 Highlights (the other stuff) Part 1

So we've seen pretty exciting stuff from the big 3 console makers in their respective conferences, although they've mostly talked about the games and peripherals that are exclusive to their system. So what about the rest? Here's a quick highlights rundown of the other games that you should look forward to. 

Muramasa The Demon Blade

for: Nintendo Wii

Why I like it: It's a side-scrolling beat-em-up published by Ignition Entertainment exclusively for the Wii and it's graphics are gorgeous!!   Seriously, its art style is so well done you get entranced looking at it (which in hindsight might be bad cause you won't notice the bad guys beating up on you). It's like playing a video game in a painting which reminds me of the similarly beautiful Odin Sphere by Vanillaware on the PS2. Give the trailer a look. 

Metal Gear Solid Arcade

for: Arcade

Why I like it: People who did not get the chance to play the PS3 version of the game (Metal Gear Online) can now pop on by to their local arcade to see what's this popular series is all about. It's a good call on Konami's part because it does help break the "looks pretty difficult and only for hardcore gamers" barrier which means you can bring down a couple of mates and enjoy the game together. 

Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny

for: PSP

Why I like it: I've always been a fan of the Soulcalibur series and squeezing it onto the handheld makes it easier to bring on trips. Plus the game follows its tradition of adding extra characters into its titles and this time we get Kratos from God of War! That is pretty cool. 

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

for: Ps3 & Xbox 360

Why I like it: I don't like it, I love it. Ever since the critically acclaimed Symphony of the Night for the PS1, I've been following this series faithfully (except the abomination; Judgement for the Wii). This time however its designer (and the dude responsible for making the game famous) Koji Igarashi has passed the baton to Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima to take the franchise into current generation territory which is something to look forward to. My primary concern is that 3D Castlevanias have never sat well with gamers (Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness for the PS2 being perfect examples) so I'm hoping this third time's a charm. Also, Patrick Steward is voicing it so having Professor X's in any game is cool. Take a look at the trailer. 

Video Games | Castlevania: Lords of Shadow | E3 09: Kojima Announcement

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii