If you are looking to buy a PS3, you may want to hold off for a little longer. SCEE has confirmed that the 80GB PlayStation 3 model will be heading to Europe on August 27th 2008, with the same specification as the current 40GB model, but with more hard disk space. David Reeves, President of SCEE, has confirmed that the new model will cost £299/€399, and will come with the DualShock 3 controller.

Stocks of the current 40GB are expected to run out just and the new model arrives. In other news, Reeves confirmed that the PS3 Platinum Games range will roll out on August 1st and will retail for £19.99/€29.99 each. Confirmed titles currently include Assassins’ Creed, Warhawk, Resistance: FoM, MotorStorm, Heavenly Sword, Ratchet and Clank: ToD and Drake’s Fortune.

On August 1st Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will get a 233MB update in Japan with improvements to the game and other features. This update will mark the start of the Pay-per-View service for GT TV too. Improvements have been made to the GT TV service, distribution of expansion data, races, rankings, vehicle physics and more. Six new background music tracks have been added and you can now see the players you have met online from the [Friends] > [Players Met] menu on the XMB. Full details below.

Changelog:

Improvement in Download Speed – Improvements in download speeds for online updates and content.

• Gran Turismo TV
  • Start of PPV (Pay Per View) service
  • It is now possible to fast forward, rewind, or move between chapters when viewing video content.
  • It is possible now to have up to 8 simultaneous background downloads running at the same time.
  • Individual downloads can now be paused or resumed.
• Distribution of Expansion Data
  • Instant distribution feature of My Page backgrounds added
• Race
  • Improvements in penalty judgments
  • Improved physics during collisions between cars in Online races.
• Time Trial
  • The tire selection in Arcade time trials changed from S2 fixed, to N1-S2
• Ranking
  • It is now possible to display top lap times in all courses in a list.
  • Improvements in the user interface
• Common Vehicle Physics
  • Improved controllability when using S1-S3, and R1-R3 tires.
  • Changed calculation rules for performance points.
• Option
  • Added [Standard Definition (SD) Display Size] in [Display Settings]
  • Moved the [Temperature] unit setting from [Network] to [Units]
  • Added Expansion Data settings and Advanced Download Option settings in [Network]
• Sound
  • 6 BGM tracks added
• Online race network specifications changed
  • Added port 5658 to the ports used in Online races.
• Other
  • Players matched in Online races now added to the [Friends] ? [Players Met] menu within Playstation 3.
  • The time and score from replays of time trials, drift trials, and distributed demo replays are now displayed after their replay. For distributed demo s, the Online ID is also displayed here.
  • Manual updated

Another update to the PlayStation Store this week with more goodies from E3. The second update to the PlayStation Store this week includes part one (of three) of Sony’s press conference and well as a new downloadable game, a selection of game trailers and new themes and wallpaper. Check out the list below.

US Additions:

• Downloadable Games
  • Fantasy Football: Draft Day Application
• Videos
  • SONY E3 Press Conference (Part 1 of 3)
  • PS3 Compilation Video
  • PSN :30 Second Sizzle
  • PSN Sizzle Video
  • PlayStation Family Video
  • PS3 Sizzle Video
  • DC Universe Trailer
  • Mirror’s Edge E3 Trailer
  • Dead Spece E3 Network Trailer
  • Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa E3 Trailer
  • Valhalla Knights 2 E3 Trailer
• Themes and Wallpapers
  • Resistance 2 PS3 Theme
  • LittleBigPlanet PS3 Theme
  • PixelJunk Eden Wallpaper
  • MotorStorm Pacific Rift Wallpapers
  • Siren Wallpapers (x4)
  • Resistance: Retribution PSP Wallpapers

Back in June at Sony’s Strategic meeting in Tokyo, a new service for the PlayStation 3 was announced: Life with PlayStation; a service that brings you live news, live webcam feeds and weather among other things. At E3 2008, Jack Tretton, CEO of SCEA announced that the service will be available for the PS3 at the end of July – most likely through a firmware update.

Tretton also mentioned the ability to upload gameplay videos directly to YouTube is on the horizon, allowing gamers to view and vote for videos on a dedicated PlayStation 3 Channel. It is speculated that it is up to the developer to include this in games, and so only certain games will support video uploading.

With all the games being shown off at E3 2008 in California, the PlayStation Store has been updated to give gamers around the world a chance to get a piece of the action. The new Super Stardust HD add-on pack, Team Mode, is now available to purchase, and lots of new tracks for Rock Band have also been added to the store. The update also includes over 15 videos from E3 2008.

European Additions:

• Playable Demo
  • Fatal Inertia EX
• Downloadable Games
  • Fatal Inertia EX Full Game (£14.99)
  • Super Stardust Updated game file (£4.99)
• Game add-on content:
  
  • Super Stardust HD Team (£2.99)
• Videos
  
  • Gran Turismo TV E3 2008 Trailer
  • LittleBigPlanet E3 2008 Trailer
  • Pain E3 2008 Trailer
  • PixelJunk Eden E3 Trailer
  • Resistance 2 E3 2008 Trailer
  • MotorStorm Pacific Rift E3 Trailer
  • Buzz TV Ad (Sofa VS Sofa)
  • Buzz Quiz TV Ad (Brand)
  • Munich: Engine Trouble
  • Movement – Munich: Sausages?
  • Munich: Hot in the Park
  • In Vain: Wake Me Up
  • In Vain: Not Enough
  • In Vain: Interview
  • Black Diamond: Ride My Pony
  • Black Diamond: Can’t Take…
  • Black Diamond Interview
  • Black Diamond: I want You…

US Additions:

• Game add-on content
  • Super Stardust HD Team Mode Add-on ($4.99)
  • Rock Band
• Rock Band The Best of the Who Rock Band Edition Track Pack ($19.99), individual songs ($1.99/ea)
  • Amazing Journey
    
  • Baba O’Riley
    
  • Behind Blue Eyes
    
  • Eminence Front
    
  • Going Mobile
    
  • Leaving Here
    
  • My Generation
    
  • Good Looking Boy
    
  • Sea & Sand
    
  • Summertime Blues
    
  • Who Are You?
    
  • Young Man Blues
• Videos
  • God of War III
  • Motorstorm Pacific Rift
  • Xam’d Lost Memories
  • Buzz PSP
  • Resistance: Retribution
  • Ratchet & Clank Quest for Booty
  • PixelJunk Eden
  • Siren Blood Curse
  • PAIN Amusement Park
  • Gran Turismo TV
  • MKU vs DCU
  • Blitz The League II
  • Valkyria Chronicles
  • Resident Evil 5
  • This is Vegas
  • TNA Impact! Wrestling

The PlayStation 3 Video Store is now live in the US. The Store will allow gamers to purchase and download movies and TV shows in SD or HD quality. SD content has no expiry period but renting HD content gives you only 14 days to watch it and a 24 hour period after the video is played for the first time. So far, there are over 300 movies already available for download and over 1,200 TV shows. You can download videos for the PSP via the PlayStation Store for PC.

Rentals are $2.99 to $3.99 in SD and can be upscaled using the latest 2.41 firmware. HD rentals are $5.99. SD copies can be purchased for $9.99 to $14.99. You can transfer purchases from the PS3 to the PSP, so you can take your movies with you but the same restrictions will apply. In addition, remote playing rented videos on the PSP via the PS3 is not allowed. Shows must be downloaded to the internal PS3 hard drive and cannot be copied over to an external device.

The Video Store will be available in Europe and Japan later this year.

The video-on-demand service, Go!View, is now live for PSP owners in the UK and Ireland. Go!View is a online download service operated by SCEE and Sky, allowing you to download TV, movies and sport content to your PSPs. Subscribing to the service gives you access to TV shows like Weeds, Hustle, and Little Britain, plus access to the latest movies and sport content. You also get one month free subscription when you subscribe to three entertainment packs.

Entertainment Packs:

• Entertainment
• Comedy
• Sports

Pricing:

• Buy 1 pack for £5/?7 per month
• Buy 2 packs for £8/?11 per month
• Buy 3 packs for £10/?14

[Via: Go!View]

The new Warhawk patch (v1.4) will be able to download in July 16th 2008 at 10:00 AM GMT according to Dylan Jobe. The new patch will come with two new game modes for every map (including the booster packs), and will be available for free. The two game modes are Hero and Collection (details below). The update also includes several improvements including "Quick Join", lower Rank and Reward restrictions, minimum rank hosting option, select respawn area, new "Winning Team" ribbon and more.

Hero:

This is a team-based game mode in which one member of each team is randomly selected to be their team’s Epic Hero. Players score points for their team by killing the enemy Hero or by killing enemies while they’re the Hero. The team that reaches the score limit first (or has the most points when time runs out) wins the game.

Really what it all boils down to is a huge battle between 2 armies that are being lead by 2 Epic Heroes!

While you’re the Hero, you get some pretty incredible buffs…the mode’s called Hero after all so you’ve gotta be tough!

You get crazy high damage resistance which is like having 500% health. All of your weapons do twice the damage. And the armor-piercing values for your weapons are increased so that some weapons that normally can’t hurt vehicles like Tanks and Turrets, now can!

Now you aren’t the Hero for the entire game. Once you are selected as the Hero, you have a limited amount of time to go on your berserker-blitz-rampage-of-carnage-awesomeness. See the shots above for the Hero meter in the upper left-hand corner. Also note the crazy visuals that are rendered when you’re the Hero. You glow your team color, you emit light the same color as your team, you growl a scary sound that strikes fear in you’re your foes, and of course, energy sparks…must….have…energy sparks!!!

Scoring is simple: If a Hero kills a player, he scores 1 point for his team. If a normal player, or more commonly, a group of players, kills the Hero, 1 point is granted for the team. If a Hero kills the other enemy Hero, then 2 points are scored for the team.

Oh…but here’s the downside for the Hero…everyone is gunning for you! If you die, then a new Hero on you team is given the chance for Epic Hero Greatness!!!

Did I mention that Heroes are always displayed on the mini-map!?!?…and with a star no less!

Simply stated…this mode is wicked intense!

Collection:

This new gameplay mode is like multi-flag CTF. There are 4 energy cores scattered around the map, generally positioned in the center or between the 2 team’s main bases. Each team has a Reactor where Energy Cores are taken to score points.

In the screen shot above you can see 2 Energy Cores positioned on a Eucadian bridge. Bringing these Cores back to your team’s reactor will score points for your team…and you can carry more than 1 Core at a time.

The scoring system is progressive, so if you score just 1 Core, your team gets just 1 point. 2 Cores will score 3 points. 3 Cores are good for 6 points…and if you manage to work as a team and bring all 4 Cores back to the Reactor at once, then your team scores a whopping 10 points!

As you can see in the screenshot below, the Cores are displayed on your character and the more you are carrying, the more you see whirling and orbiting around you. You’ll also see them on the mini-map as pulsing energy symbols. The score is displayed in the upper right corner as usual, but there is a new display there for Collection mode. It’s the little yellow number that shows you how many Cores your team currently is currently carrying. This ends up being critical for knowing where your focus should be; Offense or Defense.

Collection mode is fun as &#@%! and really helps promote teamwork and yield some truly fantastic risk-vs-reward moments!…and you can press the TRIANGLE button to throw the Cores you are carrying! Passing Cores among your team is “super-effective” 🙂

So that’s a quick run down of the new modes and we can’t wait to have our player around the world start playing 2 completely new ways to enjoy the fast-paced world of Warhawk!

After an announcement over at the PlayStation Blog by Eric Lempel, director of PlayStation Network Operations, PSP Firmware 4.05 is now available for download. This minor update adds new music visualizations: the XMB wave and wallpaper movement. For Japanese PSPs, some minor changes to the One-Seg player are included too. Until the official English changelog is included, we have included the Japanese translated one below.

Japanese Changelog:

• TV
  • Record Book can be multiple.
  • Specifying the date and time are now booking.
  • Book and repeatedly set to allow automatic extension.
  • Silent can now record. Video and audio output without recording.
• Music
  • Visual types have been increased.
    • Wallpaper in the country to choose. Wallpaper on the play of the music in a move like have a rough surface.
    • A time has not been set. Playing the music in a move like a wave swinger.