Interested to see new developments on the Motion Controller for the PlayStation 3? We’ve included the video shown off at GamesCom 2009 below, courtesy of GameTrailers. Although the video is just a developers update, lots of new features are shown off. Sony promises to bring more news and a bigger update at the Tokyo Games Show in September.
Have you pre-ordered your PSP Go! yet? Sony has announced that gamers who register their PSP Go! during the launch week will each receive a free digital copy of Gran Turismo for PSP. Andrew House (CEO of SCEE) announced at GamesCom that registering your PSP Go! between the 1st and 10th of October will get you a free downloadable copy of the game.
Sony has announced that the PSP will be getting new ‘mini’ titles this year, with the launch of the PSP Go! in October. The announcement was made earlier today at their GamesCom Press Conference. “Minis” is new section on PlayStation Store that offers a range of all-new downloadable games for PSP. Available exclusively via digital distribution, “minis” will have a 100MB size limit.
Sony announced a Digital Comic Service for the PSP earlier today at their GamesCom Press Conference. The new service will allow PSP owners to access a range of media on their PSP. The digital reader service will be launched with Digital Comics this December in select countries, the U.S, and regions in Europe. The service will include content from leading comic publishers, Marvel Entertainment, as well as other partners.
We have a complete specification for the PlayStation 3 Slim, which was officially announced earlier today at Sony’s GamesCom Press Conference. The new model features 120GB hard disk drive whilst being significantly slimmer and lighter, with reduced power consumption. Available in stores the week of 1st September 2009, the new PS3 will be priced at €299. The current PS3 will also be reduced to €299 from 19th August 2009. Firmware 3.0 will be released on September 1st to coincide with the launch of the PS3 Slim.
Over at Sony’s GamesCom press conference today, Sony announced that Firmware 3.0 will be arriving on September 1st 2009. It’ll be packing animated themes, a “What’s New” section and more, according to Director of PlayStation Network Operations Eric Lempel on the PlayStation Blog. The latest update incorporates changes that improve navigation on your PS3. According to Lempel, “you’ll notice some cosmetic changes to the design of the XMB. We’ve enhanced the look and feel of the XMB so that it’s easier and even more intuitive to use. We’ve also added network improvements and personalization options to help enhance your PS3 experience.”
Read More
Only moments ago, Sony revealed the PS3 Slim for the first time at the GamesCom Press Conference in Cologne, Germany. The PlayStation 3 Slim is lighter and smaller than the current model, but has the same features. The Slim will be available from the first week of September, retailing for €299 / $299. The price for the current PS3 model has also be reduced, as we saw earlier this week.
We’ve covering Sony’s GamesCom Press Conference Live. Unfortunately, you need to refresh the page to see our updates. This time around, no one is streaming the conference live so you will have to make do with text-based commentary. The conference started just before 5:50PM BST and lasted just under an hour. The PS3 Slim is officially revealed along with the price cut. So all the rumors were true after all. Firmware 3.0 was also mentioned with some of the new features.
PSN cards for Europe will be out in September and the Video Download Service will launch in a few selected countries in November.
Earlier today, Kmart.com ran an advertisement today promoting a “new low price and a new exciting PlayStation 3”. The banner even goes far enough to touch on the rumors of an impending PlayStation 3 price drop and PS3 Slim redesign, but does not show an actual image of the PS3 Slim. The advert seems a bit unusual as the term ‘Playstation’ is used, instead of ‘PlayStation’.
Today, SCEA has announced LittlebigPlanet, the Game of the Year Edition. The game ships to stores on September 8th for $59.99 with a “Sackful” of bonus content. Bonus content includes 18 user-made levels, 7 add-on packs from the PlayStation Store and for a limited time only, access to the ModNation Online Beta. Altogether, the bonus content adds up to over $30 in savings.
