PS3 Fanboy

Thought playing Gran Turismo 5 in 2160p wasn't insane enough? Then how about playing it in 3D? How about combining the two ... er, we're getting a little too excited about the future here -- let's get back on track. At CES in Las Vegas, Sony had been showing off some 3D tech tie-ins for the PS3, displaying WipEout HD and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue running in true 3D.

Ars Technica went through the whole orgasmic experience recounting it as "one of the best demos of 3D technology [they] have ever seen." But hold your horses, folks; Sony says it's all for show ... for now. "We're not going to talk about specifications," said a Sony rep. "This is just a look at what 3D could look like if Sony decided to move in this direction."

The black shades the gent is wearing in the picture is the 3D goggles for gameplay. It's not as dorky as Ars thinks it is ... imagine wearing those horrid red/blue specs, ew! The blur screen is no doubt an effect of the 3D and, well, we're dying (as much as you are) to know what it actually was like. Guess we'll never know for quite some time.

[Thanks Julian A. and Erico316!]

Two of Europe's brightest development teams will share a home in the future, according to a recent interview with SCEE's Michael Denny. Studio Liverpool, developers of the popular Wipeout franchise, and Evolution Studios, developers of the MotorStorm series, will eventually merge to work at one location. The two teams have already merged "management structure" and are currently using "combined resources." The two teams are already in close proximity to each other, so it makes sense that these PlayStation teams should combine.

Each studio will continue to have their own "internal concepting group" to think up "new opportunities and new IPs." Perhaps their next game will feature futuristic hovering ... off-road monster trucks. Wait a sec. That sounds incredibly awesome.

According to a story published by The Times, insider sources from Sony Corp. say the company is in for some "sacred cow-slaying" cost cuts. This alleged drastic restructuring goes so far as to suggest that there will be closures of company factories and that major divisions will be shut down. This news comes roughly a month after it was revealed that Sony had plans to cut 8,000 jobs from its non-SCEA workforce.

However, as MCV reports, Sony is already denying the supposed corporate restructuring. "We do not plan to announce additional restructuring measures at this time," said Sony spokesman Atsuo Omagari. "We don't have any such plan." Whether true or not, Sony's corporate outlook is rather dire; analysts are saying that a radical restructuring is long overdue. They suggest that Sony needs to focus on content and software, and to give Sir Howard Stringer complete control of the business.

"The most important thing is that, to improve organizational strength in the areas of development, purchasing and marketing, it will be necessary to further concentrate power in the hands of [Sir Howard] and unless this is achieved we believe [Sony] will be unable to close the gap with competitors such as Apple and Nintendo."

Source 1 - The Times [Via GamesIndustry.biz]
Source 2 - MCV

There's one company that's getting rich out of every video game system you buy. IBM chips are at the heart of all three home consoles, from Wii to PS3. While PS3's unique Cell processor is well-known for its supercomputing power, a new book from one of Cell's designers explains how R&D spent on PS3's advanced chip was used in making the Xenon processor for Microsoft's Xbox 360. "The Race for a New Game Machine" from David Shippy and his co-worker Mickie Phipps delves into their time at IBM working on the chips for both of these competing consoles.

Sony approached IBM to create the Cell processor in 2001, with plans to target a Christmas 2005 launch for the PS3. Microsoft approached IBM in 2002, and it appears Sony agreed to let Microsoft not only see early prototypes of Cell, but purchase components as well. "All three of the original partners had agreed that IBM would eventually sell the Cell to other clients. But it does not seem to have occurred to Sony that IBM would sell key parts of the Cell before it was complete and to Sony's primary videogame-console competitor. The result was that Sony's R&D money was spent creating a component for Microsoft to use against it," the Wall Street Journal book review summarizes.

While the end result for Cell and Xenon are both quite different, it's ironic to think that Sony may have inadvertently aided its primary competitor. Of course, console success stories are always based on quizzacle corporate decisions. Let's not forget that Sony's first console, PlayStation, was originally a collaboration with Nintendo to make an extension to the SNES.

[Thanks, DirtyOFries!]

Have you ever tried to open one of those annoying plastic containers that so many companies seem to use? Y'know what we're talking about. These nearly indestructible packages hold your favorite toys (like the PlayStation Eye), but required Herculean strength to open. Sony Electronics has declared "death to the clamshell," and we're hoping that means SCE will follow suit as well. You wouldn't want to be like this guy, would you? (Video after the break.)

[Via Joystiq]

Sony stock fell 5.9 percent in Japan today as two analysts downgraded their investment rating of the company, "citing a loss of competitiveness." Credit Suisse reduced its rating of Sony from "neutral" to "underperform," believing "fundamental changes" are needed to get Sony back on track. The Credit Suisse analyst cut its share-price estimate of the company by 59 percent, to 1000 yen. He predicts Sony's net loss for this fiscal year will be 150 billion yen ($1.66 billion).

Deutsche Bank AG also cut its recommendation from "buy" to "hold," as it lowered its share-price estimate by 49 percent, blaming Sony's "high level of operating costs." It appears drastic measures, and further layoffs, will be necessary to restore investors' faith in Sony Corporation.

[Via GI.biz]

As expected, this month's NPD numbers look grim for PS3. 378,071 hardware units sold in one month is certainly not a figure to scoff at, and we're glad to welcome these new PS3 fans. However, Microsoft's Xbox 360 outsold PS3 more than twofold due to its attractive new $199 price point.

It's incredibly costly to fight the console wars, and Sony's high-tech console is a pricey gadget to manufacture. Instead of focusing on the grim, Sony should be proud of its software numbers, with more than 3.5 million units sold in November alone. That represents a year-to-date growth of 150%. Sony can also take comfort in having sold a million hardware units across the entire PlayStation brand, with PS2 and PSP picking up the slack. To see the numbers, click past the break. Update: Software sales added!

While the holiday battle is clearly lost to Sony, fans of the platform can still look forward to 2009, where releases like Heavy Rain and Killzone 2 will undoubtedly reinvigorate sales. However, we urge Sony to consider a price drop -- no matter how insignificant -- as soon as possible. In economic times like these, people are far less willing to buy a $399 system over a $199 one, no matter how much more the PS3 may offer.

We won't insult your intelligence by telling you that the current global economic climate is a bit cloudy and that companies are closing and making cutbacks left, right and center. Actually, we just did, but we did it in a way that suggests that you already know it. We have faith in our readers. Sony's the latest big company to announce cutbacks, with 8000 people losing their jobs in their electronics division.

At the moment, this has no effect on the Sony Computer Entertainment division, which is separate from Sony's electronics division. Though SCE has told GameIndustry.biz that the division is, along with the rest of the company, under review. With analysts saying that these 8000 jobs won't be enough, there's a chance that more cutbacks could be made as part of this corporate review, which has the potential to affect SCE and the PlayStation brand. We'll be keeping our eyes open for any developments.

Here's some great news for the PS3 in the land of the rising sun: sales have more than double during the week of November 24th to November 30th, going from 17,436 units sold to 34,978 units sold. You can check out the sales chart in Japanese here. This is largely due to the release of Pro Evolution Soccer 2009, which debuted at second place on the weekly software sales chart by moving 168,405 copies. Epic win!

[Via MaxConsole]

Greennpeace, an environmental organization, had put together a report on how environmentally friendly a number of leading companies are. Each company is given a score out of a possible 45 points; the higher the score is, the greener the company is deemed. Included in them are the big three video game manufacturers: Sony received a 24/45, compared to Microsoft's score of 15/45 and Nintendo's abysmally low score of 4/45.

So why does Sony deserve the higher score? Speaking to Edge Online, Greenpeace's toxics campaigner Iza Kruszewska cites a number of reasons, including high marks for "chemical management and take-back initiatives." Sony is the first company to introduce a take-back recycling program for all their products in the US, according to Kruszewska.

But what about all those reports which indicate each PS3 uses as much power as a fridge? Kruszewska admits they are true, but reminds us that "there is a wider picture to look at than just the power consumption of a console." He offers this in the PS3's defense: "If you look at the graphics processor that your PS3 or 360 will have, it's hard to put them into exactly the same category [as the Wii]. I mean, the PS3 is being used by universities globally when they have lots of number crunching to do because it's that powerful. We're talking about a 9-core processor here."

Well, there you have it, environmentally-conscious boys and girls -- now you know the PS3 is Mother Earth's console of choice.

The Regal Gamer talks about something rarely seen on other gaming sites -- PlayStation India. It may not be a major player in the gaming scene, but Sony's throwing some serious support to the country. India is home to the PS2, PSP and PS3 -- but how has PlayStation been doing there?

According to Atindriya Bose, country manager of PlayStation India, "PS2 and PSP sales are healthy." However, "the PS3 still has to pick up." The high price of PS3 makes it rather lucrative for buyers to look towards the gray market. The PlayStation Network is also unavailable in India, due to the lack of "required infrastructure." "Many people in India don't have high speed internet connections so if they are trying to download a game over the PSN store they'll have to wait for days together. So, we are still waiting for better infrastructure."

With India becoming an increasing force in the global market, it's understandable Sony wants to get their foot in early. It'll be interesting to see how Sony takes on the unique aspects of the Indian market, and if they're able to translate that into success.

[Thanks, ShreeDuge!]

Impressive. That pretty much sums up how we feel after watching this new collection of PlayStation adverts for holiday season 2008. The three commercials you are about to watch are all very different, but they have one unifying theme (well, other than PlayStation duh). They all utilize holographic images to show off PS3-exclusive titles. Our favorite one is posted above, which shows off some exclusive action titles: Resistance 2, MotorStorm: Pacific Rift, and the Dark Knight film on Blu-ray.

Another commercial touts the PlayStation Network. It clearly promotes lively, social gaming as you'll notice the happy people going about their daily business. It's interesting to note that each person has their own holographic game image imposed on their bodies giving a hint at saying, "hey, we've got a little something for everyone." A sharp contrast to this one is the next, somewhat dark series of adverts. It's sort of eerie with its slow-motion and starry-eyed actors. It's an interesting piece that asks you "have you made your wish list yet?" We wonder if you have?

Check out the other two vids after the break, or, get ready to see them on TV very soon.

It's not surprising to see Sony placing PS3 advertisements in a place like Shibuya Station for the company has been making the Tokyo metro station tours for a long time now. Shibuya, a high traffic destination with ties to trendy youth culture, seems to be a plausible locale for such advertisements. IGN's Anoop Gantayat, who took the recent photos of the ads, has translated the slogans and posted them on a personal blog.

Here's a breakdown of what each one says. The all-caps words represent the over-sized characters in each poster. Clockwise from the top left:

• PS3 Console: "Everyone awakens here."
• MGS4: "Finish the MISSION to completion."
• LBP: "IMAGINATION that's learned from play."
• Blue Shirt Guy: N/A
• Lady Hugging PS3: N/A
• Girl with Blu-ray Disc: "Beauty like a DREAM."
• Guy with Controller: "The PRIDE of exceeding super realism."

It's an interesting campaign to get people to buy PS3s. There was also a PS poster with Final Fantasy XIII's "Lightning" on it. The slogan on that ad reads: "The COURAGE to seek truth." Check that one out after the break.

[via N4G]

What happens if you're a gamer and you're struck with a medical condition which could take away that very activity you so dearly love? We know, it's a tough thought to think of it ever happening to you. But it has happened to someone -- it's happened to PSN and PS Forums user KitsuneNoYume. What's a gamer to do when he can barely move an inch, let alone walk over to the couch and fire up the latest title?

Not deterred by his ailment, the intelligent young lad found a way to overcome his situation. He modified his controller and assigned multiple switches to his fingers, his toes and even his tongue. "Each and every jack has a predetermined function and whichever one I plug into is what's [sic] the switch becomes," said KNY (his real name is not given). "So depending on the game I generally use the left analog joystick directions and the right analog joystick using my tongue."

"The main reason I put this on the PlayStation website was to show people that even the most limited person can still enjoy console gaming just as much [as] anyone else. The controller was pretty easy to make, except for converting the analog signals into digital signals for when I use the various switches. This took about two months to build and get working effectively." KNY wants to know if there are any others out there like him, so he could give them back the ability to game, too. We wish him the best and hope he's enjoying his games. See more pics of KNY's design here.

[Thanks Marcoco11!]

We know you've all been wondering who's going to be replacing Paulina Bozek as head of the SingStar franchise after she quit to join Atari. Finally, we've got an answer. Dave Ranyard has been appointed as the franchise's head and leaves his previous position of creative services manager to Dan Bardino. We'll be intrigued to see what changes, if any, will be made by this wee resuffle. SingStar continues to release decent DLC every other week and with SingStar ABBA and SingStar Disney on the horizon before Christmas the series is the strongest it's ever been.