PS3 -- Engadget

Buy a 1080p BRAVIA and Sony Australia will toss in a PS3 for free

by Paul Miller posted Dec 26th 2007 at 10:59AM

It looks like we're going to have to postpone our move to South Korea momentarily as we jet over to Australia and clean 'em out of PS3s. Sony Australia is giving away a free 40GB PS3 with every 1080p TV purchase in the XBR, X or W BRAVIA series of LCDs. The 40-inch W series starts at AU$2,999, while the 40GB PS3 retails for $699 kangaroo bucks, so it really is a hefty discount. Who's to say if this is a desperate move by Sony to sell more TVs, PS3s, PS3 games or Blu-ray discs, but whatever the reason we're not complaining. The offer lasts until January 28th.

[Via CNET; thanks Toby]

PS3 firmware 2.10 allows Remote Play of PS1 games

by Nilay Patel posted Dec 18th 2007 at 5:01PM

That new PS3 firmware that just dropped has a little more going for it than just DivX and WMV support -- Sony's enabled PSP Remote Play of PS1 games from a PS3, no matter whether they're downloaded from the PSN Store or the actual physical games inserted in the PS3's drive. Our peeps at PSP Fanboy tested it out and found it worked great with both a downloaded copy of Wild Arms and the disc of Metal Gear Solid. This means you could theoretically leave all those pesky UMDs at home and play games from anywhere in the world with a net connection -- as soon as Sony gets some more PS1 games online.

[Via Joystiq]

PSP 3.80 and PS3 2.10 firmware updates now available

by Thomas Ricker posted Dec 18th 2007 at 12:57AM

You knew they were coming, now PSP 3.80 and PS3 2.10 are out and ready to dance on your Sony console. That's DivX and WMV video support with Blu-ray profile 1.1 now ready for your PS3 in addition to Internet radio and a few other goodies for your PSP. Now get to it Sony boy, you might want to call in sick to do it up right.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

PS3 firmware version 2.10 apparently coming tomorrow

by Donald Melanson posted Dec 17th 2007 at 12:05PM

It looks like PlayStation 3 owners could be in for a welcome surprise when they boot up their console tomorrow, at least if an apparent slip-up on Sony's European website is any indication. As a user on the NeoGAF forums noticed, it recently put up a page which revealed that 2.10 firmware update "was released on December 18, 2007," bringing with it a number of additions, including DivX support (with some limitations) and, as rumored, support for Blu-ray Disc Profile 1.1. You'll also apparently soon be able to take advantage of the new "Voice Changer" feature, which will let you disguise your voice in voice or video chat, and you'll be getting support for (VC-1) WMV files in addition to the aforementioned DivX ones. If any of that interests you, we'd suggest keeping an eye out, 'cause it sure looks like this one's about to drop.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

Sony's Stringer: PS3 games "infinitely more fun" than Wii

by Thomas Ricker posted Dec 14th 2007 at 8:29AM

Joystiq just noted a peach of a sound-bite from Sony's quip hero, Sir Howard Stringer. In an interview with The Guardian he started by saying, "I'm happy the Wii seems to be running a bit short of hardware." He then chest-thumped a prediction that the PS3, "will come into its own because its [high-end games] are infinitely more fun, demanding and exciting." A theory to be known henceforth as Stringer's Bloated Hyperbole Postulate.

[Via Joystiq]

Nyko rolls out Charge Base 2 for PS3

by Donald Melanson posted Dec 12th 2007 at 11:32AM

Nyko's already delivered one SIXAXIS charging station in the form of the original Charge Base, but those that don't need to charge four controllers simultaneously may do well to consider the company's just-announced Charge Base 2, which'll accommodate a pair of controllers and save you a few bucks. It's still not a perfect solution, however, as you'll have to attach a pair of adapters to the SIXAXIS's mini-USB ports before you drop 'em in, and try not to lose them when you take 'em off. But if you want to give your PS3 a rest and get rid of one less tangle of cables, you should be able to grab one of these next week for $30.

Sony DualShock3 Stateside "early 2008"

by Thomas Ricker posted Dec 10th 2007 at 1:41AM

We were just alerted to an "easter egg" of sorts hidden in plain site in the text of the PS3 firmware 2.01 update released on November 20th. It's not much, but an asterisked notation for "Vibration Function" says that the DualShock3 will be "Available for purchase in early 2008." Goodish news for those of you having trouble acquiring the rumbler from Japanese importers.

[Thanks, Arun]

Is AIBO returning from the dead?

by Joshua Topolsky posted Dec 9th 2007 at 6:16PM

You heard that right, folks. Supposedly, AIBO is back... with a vengeance. According to rumors, the feisty-but-killed robo-dog from Sony is making a comeback with a new paintjob and whole slew of fresh features. First and foremost, the re-upped model will be tailored to interface wirelessly with your PSP and PS3, will have a built in headcam which utilizes a motion sensor and facial recognition, and can stream its POV video over WiFi to your system. In addition, you'll apparently get to remotely trigger the bot with your handheld and control its movements, plus you can set it to "guard" your house (though we're pretty sure most enterprising burglars will just turn the little dude on its side if provoked). Of course, right now this is speculation -- Stuff Magazine's piece on the subject (above) gives the rumored bot a 53-percent chance of becoming a reality -- but there certainly seems to be some meat behind these murmurs. C'mon Sony -- the pup deserves a second chance.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Sony rumored to give PS3 owners Blu-ray Profile 1.1 for Christmas

by Erik Hanson posted Dec 7th 2007 at 1:04AM

Sony is said to have yet another PlayStation 3 firmware update ready for download before Christmas, with the gift for movie-loving gamers being Profile 1.1 compatibility for Blu-ray Discs. Competing format HD DVD has had support for Profile 1.1 features such as picture-in-picture, secondary audio, and local storage since its inception, while in the Blu-ray spec they were optional. There aren't any Profile 1.1 Blu-ray titles on the market yet, and only a single 1.1-compatible player for sale from Panasonic, so this is really about having one more bullet point on a box for fanboys to argue about. The only major HD DVD feature that becomes required in Profile 2.0 is Internet connectivity, so downloadable content will still be optional for some 1.1-compatible BD players -- but not the PS3 with its built-in Ethernet jack. Considering the PS3 is still one of the cheapest and most widely-owned Blu-ray players, and Sony continues to improve its capabilities via firmware updates, PS3 fans and Blu-ray Disc aficionados have that much more ammo to use in the never-ending format war.

[Thanks, ag23]

Dragon lets loose cheapo DuoShock 3 PS3 controller

by Donald Melanson posted Nov 19th 2007 at 5:11PM

Dragon's new DuoShock 3 may not be anything more than a pale imitation of Sony's own PS3 controller, but at least it's a dirt cheap pale imitation, with it setting you back just $17. For that price you will get 2.4GHz wireless capabilities, but it seems that you'll have to make do without the SIXAXIS' motion sensing capabilities, which could pose quite a problem depending on the games you plan to play with it. On the upside, you'll also be able to use the controller with your PC, as well as your PS2 with the included adapter. The controller does also boast a vibration function, although it seems pretty safe to assume that it'll only work with the PS2. If that's not too much of a deterrent, you can pick one up right now.

[Via PS3 Evolution]

Sony slashes PS3 dev kit cost by half

by Paul Miller posted Nov 19th 2007 at 9:16AM

Sony's extending its PS3 birthday celebrations today with a hefty price cut on its PlayStation 3 "Reference Tool" (developer kit) to ease the barrier of entry for fledgling developers and the cheapskate majors. The kit now goes for the rock bottom price of $10,250, and Sony's promising more price cuts as more developers sign on board. In comparison, a Wii dev kit is somewhere in the ballpark of $2k, and while we're unclear what the actual 360 dev hardware runs for, the XNA "YouTube for games" Game Studio Express license is a mere $99. That said, we're liking this price cutting trend out of Sony, and can only hope it continues.

[Via Joystiq]

Sweet, delicious swag: Sony sends PS3 birthday cakes to the press

by Ryan Block posted Nov 16th 2007 at 4:11PM

Usually we're accustomed to turning over -- not receiving -- birthday cakes for others' super-special day, but Sony's PR team shipped out an unknown number of butter-cream frosting PS3 birthday cakes (with what appears to be an edible t-shirt iron-on) to press today. Well, your stunt worked Sony -- you got a post on Engadget, and again, happy friggin birthday. Now, who wants to come over to Engadget HQ for some cake and warm milk?

Gallery: Sweet, delicious swag: Sony sends PS3 birthday cakes to the press

PS3 turns one year old, outsells Wii in Japan last week

by Donald Melanson posted Nov 16th 2007 at 3:28PM

It sure looks like Sony has plenty to celebrate on the PlayStation 3's first birthday today, as the console has not only doubled its sales in the US since that little price cut, but it also apparently outsold the Wii in Japan last week. What's more, it seems that the PS3 actually beat the Wii by a fairly wide margin, selling 55,924 units in the week ending November 11th, as opposed to just 34,546 for the Wii. Of course, those numbers could also have a little something to do with the Wii's short supply, but we don't expect that little detail will put much of a damper on Sony's enthusiasm.

Read - Sony Computer Entertainment America Celebrates First Birthday of Playstation 3
Read - Joystiq, "PS3 outsold Wii in Japan last week"

Sony's PS3 sales in US more than double since price cut

by Thomas Ricker posted Nov 15th 2007 at 6:50AM

A few of our readers were scoffing at the idea of a $399 40GB PS3. "What's the big deal," you said. This: according to Sony's CEO, Sir Howard Stringer, they've more than doubled sales in the US in the weeks since its launch. "It's the breakthrough we've been waiting for," said Stringer, "We've been holding our breath. Finally, the turning point has been passed." Prior to the October 18th price cut, Sony was selling just 30k to 40k consoles per week. Sales rose to 75,000 in the week ending October 29 rising to 100,000 the following week. Stringer also credits Wii shortages for helping the boost. Andrew House, Sony's chief marketing officer even takes a jab at HD DVD saying, "It puts us vastly ahead of where the other format is going to be in terms of an installed base in people's homes by the end of this holiday season." Perhaps, but we don't expect the boys at Microsoft, Nintendo, and Toshiba to just roll over and let this progress continue unabated now, do we?

DivX playback headed for the PS3

by Paul Miller posted Nov 13th 2007 at 10:58AM

The press release is a bit short on details, but it's hard to miss the meat of the story: the PS3 is set to include DivX playback in the near future. Users will be able to add the feature for everyday media playback with a forthcoming update, and developers can start using DivX playback in their games with the latest version of the Development Kit. With all the rumors of DivX support coming to the 360 -- other Media Center Extenders already manage DivX and XviD -- it's hard to tell who will add the feature first, but perhaps we should instead be asking ourselves why it took this long for the both of them.