Articles posted by Niraj Shah

PlayStation Network to be integrated with other Sony products

Sony, like most companies, is suffering a financial crisis which has lead to some restructuring and reevaluation of products and services. As a result, Howard Stringer has taken up the title of President and PlayStation boss Kazuo Hirai will become the Executive VP of the Networked Products and Services Group, but will also keep his position within the PlayStation Group. Hirai will be consolidating the PlayStation group, the VAIO group, Walkman products, and Sony Media Software and Services. The goal is to have all of these products gain common access to the Playstation Network.

What does this mean to the consumer? It means that the PlayStation Network will go beyond just delivering content for the PlayStation 3 and PSP. It might mean the PlayStation Network itself gets a transformation, and possibly a new name. Nothing regarding the PlayStation Network has been confirmed yet, so this is all just speculative.

[Via: Hardware News]

Upcoming PlayStation Home content for Europe

As you all know, the European version of PlayStation Home has received less than average treatment compared to North American and Japan, but this is looking to change over the next few weeks. According to TedTheDog, Home Community Manager for Europe, a load of new content is coming. Over the next few weeks, several new Game Spaces will launch including Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and Warhawk, which are both already available on the US version of Home. In addition, content for Street Fighter IV, Resident Even 5 and Siren will also be added in coming weeks.

The Home Square will be getting a small update, possibly in this week’s update and Game Launching compatibility will be expanded for certail titles. Once SOCOM: Confrontation releases in Europe, the SOCOM Game Space will also launch within Home. Here is a summary of what to expect, from TedTheDog:

Street Fighter IV
- The unlockable items are already available in Home and are rewarded for winning online matches in the game.
  Purchasable outfits will be available within a few weeks.
Home Square
- A slightly updated Home Square will arrive in early March, possibly as early as the 5th.
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune Space
- This is currently being worked on and we hope to release this for you within a few weeks
SOCOM: CONFRONTATION Space
- This Space is also nearly ready but a specific date for its release is not yet available, but we are expecting it within a few weeks.
Siren: Blood Curse & Resident Evil 5, Warhawk
- Content for all of these have arrived here and are being prepared for SCEE’s audience now. We will bring you more information on these as it becomes available.
Game Launching
- Many titles are preparing support for Game Launching but this often requires a patch to their title. It is not our intention to be announcing new releases and patches to other titles here in the Home community but hope to bring you news in the coming weeks.
Music within Home
- Playing your own music to others within Home is an extremely complex licensing issue that will take time to solve, if it is at all possible. In the meantime we are investigating various ways of allowing you to play your own music to yourself. We are also talking to other 3rd parties about making their music available to you in various ways.

PlayStation Store update for Feb 26th 2009

The last PlayStation Store update for February is a large one with several new demos, a bunch of new game add-on conent and more. The Tom Clancy H.A.W.X demo is available to download from both stores, and now that Killzone 2 is out, the Killzone 2 demo is now available to download from the US store without a pre-order code. As for game add-on content, there is new content for Street Fighter IV, Lord of the Rings, Skate, Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Check out the complete list below.

European Additions:

Playable Demos
- Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X Demo
Game Add-on Content
- Street Fighter IV – Brawler Pack (£3.19/?3.99)
- Lord Of The Rings – All-New Content! (£6.29/?7.99)
- Buzz! Quiz of the Year (£3.99/?4.99)
- Skate 2 – San Van Classic Pack (£3.19/?3.99)
- High Velocity Bowling
  - Candy Pack (£0.79/?0.99)
  - Dwayne (£0.79/?0.99)
  - Trickshots Pack 2
- Guitar Hero World Tour
  - Bob Seger Track Pack (£4.39/?5.49)
  - Old Time Rock & Roll By Bob Seger (£1.59/?1.99)
  - Get Out of Denver by Bob Seger (£1.59/?1.99)
  - Her Strut by Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band (£1.59/?1.99)
- Rock Band
  - Alt Country Pack 01 (£4.89/?6.59)
  - 3 Dimes Down (£0.99/?1.49)
  - Can’t Let Go (£0.99/?1.49)
  - People Got a Lotta Nerve (£0.99/?1.49)
  - Satellite Radio (£0.99/?1.49)
  - Time Bomb (Live) (£0.99/?1.49)
  - Jimmy Eat World Pack 01 (£2.49/?3.99)
  - Futures (£0.99/?1.49)
  - Lucky Denver Mint (£0.99/?1.49)
  - Sweetness (£0.99/?1.49)
Videos
- FIFA 09 Ultimate Team Intro Video Trailer
- Burnout Paradise Ultimate Bundle Trailer
- Echochrome Master Maze Makers
- Prince Of Persia Epilogue Trailer
- Lumines Supernova Promotional Trailer
- DISGAEA®3:Absence of Justice Trailer
- Flower Behind the Scenes Trailer
Themes
- LocoRoco 2 MuiMui House theme

US Additions:

PULSE 2/26 Edition
Playable Demos
- Killzone 2 Demo
- Major League Baseball 2K9 demo
- Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X Demo
Downloadable Games
- No Gravity: The Plague of Mind for PSP ($9.99)
Digital Guides
- Killzone 2 Strategy Videos ($5.99)
Gane Add-on Content
- BUZZ! Quiz of the Year 2008 ($5.99)
- Disgaea 3
  - Demon & Detective Set ($3.99)
  - Kogure ($1.99)
  - Marjoly ($1.99)
- Street Fighter IV’s Femme Fatale Pack ($3.99)
- Skate 2 San Van Classic Pack ($4.99)
- The Lord of the Rings: Conquest Content Pack #2 ($9.99)
- Rock Band
  - "Lucky Denver Mint" – Jimmy Eat World ($1.99)
  - "Futures" – Jimmy Eat World ($1.99)
  - "Sweetness" – Jimmy Eat World ($1.99)
  - "Jimmy Eat World Pack 01 ($5.49)
  - "3 Dimes Down" – Drive-By Truckers ($1.99)
  - "Time Bomb (Live)" – Old 97’s ($1.99)
  - "Satellite Radio" – Steve Earle ($1.99)
  - "People Got a Lotta Nerve" – Neko Case ($1.99)
  - "Can’t Let Go" – Lucinda Williams ($1.99)
  - Alt Country Pack 01 ($8.49)
- Guitar Hero World Tour
  - "Get Out of Denver" by Bob Seger ($1.99)
  - "Her Strut" by Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band ($1.99)
  - "Old Time Rock & Roll" by Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band ($1.99)
  - Bob Seger Track Pack ($5.49)
- Game Videos
  - Metal Gear Online SCENE Trailer
- Blu-Ray Trailers
  - Lakeview Terrace Trailer
  - Rachel Getting Married Trailer
  - Cadillac Records Trailer
- PS3 Themes
  - Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice Kogure Custom Theme ($0.99)
  - St. Patrick’s Day Theme ($1.49)
  - Irish Girls Theme ($1.49)
  - Bald Eagles Theme ($1.49)

Metal Gear Online SCENE Expansion Pack

Metal Gear Online will be getting a new expansion pack next month, containing three new maps and two new characters. Dubbed SCENE, the expansion pack will also include new gear, and a couple surprises. As the expansion pack can be purchased out side of the PlayStation Store, Konami have added PayPal support to their store in addition to using your PlayStation Network Wallet. Also, if you pre-order the pack, through Metal Gear Online‘s in-game shop or Konami’s shop, there?s a special gift in store. Check out the trailer below.

The new characters include Raiden and Vamp, both with impressive special abilities and offensive power to spare! The new maps are Outer Outlet, an all new environment that takes place in a commercial mall area made up of lots of buildings and subterranean areas. Hazard House, set in a huge three story mansion, and Ravaged Riverfront, a take on the Eastern European environment.

PlayStation Home: Warhawk Command Center Video

As we reported yesterday, the Warhawk Command Center is now live in PlayStation Home. Dylan Jobe, game director for Warhawk, has created a video to walk you through the game space and it’s various features. To promote the new game space, the price of Warhawk and the booster packs have been reduced on the PlayStation Store for the next two weeks. You can pick up the fill game for $19.99 and the booster packs for $4.99 each or $9.99 for all three.

LittleBigPlanet getting new search options

In a update on the PlayStation.Blog, MediaMolecule has announced new search feature to be included in the PlayStation 3 version of LittleBigPlanet. The blog post also reiterated that a PSP version of LBP is in development, but will not affect downloadable content for the PlayStation 3 version. The new search features will allow gamers to search for specific levels using PSN IDs, as well as keyword search (see below for details). New downloadable content is also on the way, including Killzone 2, Buzz! Quiz and Heavenly Sword costumes.

How level search will work:

@ searches for a specific author (e.g. @Sackboy)
searches for words in a level’s title (e.g. PSP yields level names with "PSP" in it)
‘ ‘ (single quotes) will search for the input word on level titles and descriptions
" " (double quotes) just like in search engines, searches for exact phrases
You can combine these techniques for a more comprehensive search.

PlayStation Home gets Warhawk Command Center

Today, PlayStation Home will be getting an update adding several new features to the online world. The biggest of these features is the Warhawk Command Center (or Game Space). The Command Center will allow gamers to discuss the game, strategize their next attack (using the interactive sand table), and launch directly into the game. Once the Game Space is live, Sony will be hosting a launch party at the Command Center so drop by if you can.

In other changes, some Street Fighter IV clothing will be integrated into Home too. Items can be unlocked when you perform certain actions in the game. Gamers will be able to get their hands on Chun Li, Ryu, Guile, and Ken costumes.

How do I enable WMV playback on the PS3?

As of PS3 Firmware 2.10, the PlayStation 3 supports the playback of VC-1 (WMV) encoded files. In order to play VC-1 content, WMV playback must be enabled by going to [Settings] > [System Settings] > [Enable WMA Playback]. Videos encoded using VC-1 larger than 2GB or with copy protection cannot be played on the PlayStation 3.

PlayStation Store update for Feb 19th 2009

This week’s PlayStation Store update is a large one for both Europe and the US. Noby Noby Noby is now available to purchase from both stores and Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix is finally available on the European Store. New game add-on content is also available for several games including LittleBigPlanet, Naruto, Burnout Paradise, Rock Band and Guitar Hero: World Tour. The US Store also had two new playable demos: Afro Samurai and Zuma. Check out the complete list for both stores below.

European Additions:

Downloadable Games
- Noby Noby Boy (£3.19/?3.99)
- Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix (£11.99/?14.99)
Game Add-on Content
- Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Pack 7
- Skate 2 – Dyrdek’s Fantasy Plaza Pack (£3.19/?3.99)
- LittleBigPlanet Wipeout Costume Kit (£2.39/?2.99)
- Mirror’s Edge – Pure Time Trials (£6.29/?7.99)
- Burnout Paradise
  - Burnout Paradise Legendary Cars Collection (£6.29/?7.99)
  - Burnout Paradise Time Savers Pack (£3.99/?4.99)
  - Carson GT Nighthawk (£1.59/?1.99)
  - Hunter Cavalry Bootlegger (£1.59/?1.99)
  - Hunter Manhattan Spirit (£1.59/?1.99)
  - Jansen 88 Special (£3.19/?3.99)
- Guitar Hero World Tour
  - Wings Track Pack (£4.39/?5.49)
  - Hi, Hi, Hi by Wings (£1.59/?1.99)
  - Jet by Wings (£1.59/?1.99)
  - Junior’s Farm by Wings (£1.59/?1.99)
- Rock Band
  - Wasted Again (£0.99/?1.49)
  - Pick Up the Pieces (£0.99/?1.49)
  - Black Sunshine (£0.99/?1.49)
  - More Human Than Human (£0.99/?1.49)
Videos
- Flower – Behind the Scenes Trailer
- Mini Ninjas Announcement Trailer
Wallpapers
- Flower Wallpaper
Themes
- LocoRoco 2 Planet Theme
- Flower Theme
- Mahjong Tales Ancient Wisdom Theme
- Cuboid Theme
- Magic Ball Theme, FRE

US Additions:

Playable Demos
- Afro Samurai Demo
- Zuma Demo
Downloadable Games
- Noby Noby Boy ($4.99)
- Zuma ($9.99)
Add-on Game Content
- LittleBigPlanet WipeOut Mini-Pack ($2.99)
- High Velocity Bowling: Patches Pack Two
- Street Fighter IV Brawler Costume Pack ($3.99)
- Skate 2 Dyrdek’s Fantasy Plaza Pack ($4.99)
- NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja STORM Pack 9
- Mirror’s Edge Pure Time Trials Map Pack ($9.99)
- Burnout Paradise
  - Burnout Paradise Time Savers Pack ($4.99)
  - Carson GT Nighthawk ($1.99)
  - Hunter Calvary Bootlegger ($1.99)
  - Hunter Manhattan Spirit ($1.99)
  - Jansen 88 Special ($3.99)
  - Burnout Paradise Legendary Cars Collection ($7.99)
- Rock Band
  - "Wasted Again" – Turbonegro ($1.99)
  - "Black Sunshine" – White Zombie ($1.99)
  - "More Human Than Human" – White Zombie ($1.99
- Guitar Hero World Tour
  - "Jet" by Wings ($1.99)
  - "Junior’s Farm" by Wings ($1.99)
  - "Hi, Hi, Hi" by Wings ($1.99)
  - Wings Track Pack ($5.49)
Game Videos
- Killzone 2 first look

MLB 09 The Show – Mets Stadium
MLB 09 The Show – PS3 Trailer
MLB 09 The Show – Road to The Show
MLB 09 The Show – Yankees Stadium
LUMINES Supernova Trailer
FIFA 09 Ultimate Team Intro Video
Red Alert 3: Ultimate Edition Trailer
Resident Evil 5 Trailer 2009
Watchmen: The End is Nigh Video
Mount Snow Freeskiing Thrills
Mount Snow Recap
Mt Snow Snowboarding Highlights
PK Hunder and JF Houle
PS Pro Moments ? Mount Snow
Scotty Lago
SNB Slope SLOMO
Style in SNB Pipe

TV, Movie, and Blu-ray Trailers
- GameTrailersTV: PlayStation Network Announcement
- Frozen River Trailer
- Quarantine Trailer
- Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist Trailer
PS3 Themes
- Zuma Theme
- LocoRoco 2
PS3 Wallpaper
- Watchmen: The End if Nigh Wallpaper (x2)
- Red Alert 3: Ultimate Edition Tsunami Tank
- Red Alert 3: Ultimate Edition Apocalypse Tank Wallpaper
- Red Alert 3: Ultimate Edition Cryocopter Wallpape

PS3 Firmware 2.70 details leaked?

A member of the GameTrailers forum has revealed some of the (rumored) features of upcoming PlayStation 3 Firmware, version 2.70. The member, who claims to have a friend who works for the R&D department at Sony, revealed a number of changes including changes to the gamer card layout, faster retrieval of trophy information and gamer cards, quicker XMB loading times and more. The list includes a number of significant changes gamers will be please to see, however, the list has not been officially confirmed, and so it falls under the rumor category for now.

Changes include:

Friends List
- Voice Messaging is now available as an alternative to text after selecting a user on the friends list. Voice message recordings are capped at 30 seconds.
- Home Integration: Saved PlayStation Home avatar photos can be selected as photo ID for Gamer Card/Friends List.
- Trophy number and Gamer Level are listed under Friend names for quick reference.
Gamer Card & Trophies
- Gamer Card layout has been changed to more closely resemble the PlayStation Store aesthetic.
- Past Trophy information can be viewed in detail by selecting "Recent Trophy History" option.
- Newly acquired trophies auto-sync in the background
- Server infrastructure for Trophies has been optimized. Resulting in faster retrieval time for Gamer Card and Trophy information.
In-Game XMB
- Loading time for In-Game XMB has been drastically reduced, resulting in a more seamless in-game experience.
- "Theme settings" options while in-game is now available, allowing custom themes to be applied to the In-Game XMB.
- Internet Browser can now be accessed while in-game.
- Voice messaging and voice chat options can be used while in-game.
- Options that cannot be used in the XMB during game sessions are grayed out (but still selectable) to eliminate user accessibility confusion.
Misc
- Other slight UI tweaks and enhancements.

[Source]

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