There has been little news regarding the Blu-Ray vs. HD DVD war since Warner Bros. announcement earlier this year. This week, however, Blu-Ray got two new allies to back the format. Netflix, an online DVD rental company, announced that they will be phasing out all HD DVD stocks by the end of the year. Best Buy has also announced that it will recommend the Blu-Ray format to its customers, but will continue to offer an "assortment of HD DVD products" for customers who still want and prefer those.

Best Buy President and CEO Brian Dunn said, "Because we believe that Blu-ray is fast emerging as that single format, we have decided to focus on Blu-ray products." It was also added that the move was due to the decisions made by major film studios. It looks like the war is coming to a end slowly as more companies switch over to Blu-Ray. Which format do you prefer?

This weeks PlayStation Store updates are in, and we see the same trend as usual. The US has plenty of new content to enjoy over the weekend including a new playable demo, two new downloadable games and some new game add-on content. Europe has received two new playable demos, a new downloadable game and it’s share of game add-on content. Both stores also have several new videos and trailers to download and watch. Check out more details below.

European Update List:

• Playable Demos
  • Conflict: Denied Ops
  • Turok Demo
• Downloadable Games
  • Go! Sports Skydiving
• Game add-on Content
  • Folklore: Malion Pack
  • MotorStorm: Chinese New Year
• Video
  • Lost Planet Trailer
  • Pixel Junk Monsters Trailer

US Update List:

• Playable Demos
  • LOST PLANET Multiplayer Demo
• Downloadable Games
  • Go! Sports Skydiving
  • Crash Bandicoot 3: WARPED
• Add-on Game Content
• MotorStorm Chinese New Year Skin
• Rock Band
  • Calling Dr. Love – Kiss
  • We Care a Lot – Faith No More
  • Roam – B-52s
• Game Videos
  • Uncharted: Final Trailer
  • MLB 08 The Show First Look
  • Burnout Paradise Dev Diary
  • Burnout Launch Trailer 1
  • Burnout Launch Trailer 2
  • Conflict Destruction Dev Diary
• Movie and Blu-ray Disc Trailers
  • WALL E Trailer 2
  • 30 Days of Night Trailer
• PS3 Wallpaper
  • Uncharted Wallpapers (2)

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In an interview with Screen Play the Managing Director of Sony Electronic Entertainment Australia, Michael Ephraim, was asked to comment on the ridiculous delays between releases on the PAL/Australian PSN versus the US/Japanese PSN. Ephraim confirmed that the issue was the fact that all content needs to be localized for all the European languages. “We’re in an online space, it’s a global community,” he says.

When pressed that “digital distribution is supposed to break down geographic barriers,” Ephraim responds that “there are discussions and we have identified that. We have been very vocal about it and I think you will see an improvement over the next six months on this issue.” Should we take this to mean that a global online store is coming within the next half a year? Not impossible, but let’s be realistic – we’ll probably see European content lag become much shorter within that time frame (or, hopefully, nonexistent) rather than an entire global PSN Store. Of course, a global store would be a lot better.

[Source: Screen Play]

Sony has confirmed that the PlayStation 3 will be getting it’s own lineup of budget titles, similar to the Platinum titles found on the PlayStation and PlayStation 2. The budget titles will be available to purchase in Japan from March 19th 2008 and include FolkSole, Resistance, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Gundam: Target in Sight and Ridge Racer 7. Each game will retail for 3,800 yen (approx US$35/GB£18). It is hoped that the Platinum titles will also make it to the US and Europe shortly, but so far there has been no word from Sony.

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Japan already has the Black and White PS3 b­ut soon, they will also be getting a Silver one. Sony have announced that, on March 6th 2008, Japan will get a "Satin Silver" PS3. Retailing for ¥39,980 (USD$374), the new model will be available in the 40GB configuration and will be bundled with the new DualShock 3 standard SIXAXIS controller, also in silver. It would be good to see both the White and Satin Silver PS3 head to the US and Europe in the near future.

Official Press Release

Tokyo, February 5, 2008 – Sony Computer Entertainment Japan (SCEJ), a division of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) responsible for business operations in Japan, today announced that it would release PLAYSTATION3 (PS3) 40GB model in a new "Satin Silver" color in Japan on March 6th, 2008, at a recommended retail price of 39,980 yen (including tax). "Satin Silver" will also become available for DUALSHOCK 3 Wireless Controller at a recommended retail price of 5,500 yen (including tax).

A new fine metallic "Satin Silver" is offered as an additional color to the existing PS3 (CECHH00 Series) line-up of "Clear Black" and "Ceramic White". Choosing from a broader selection of colors to match their lifestyle and preferences, users will be able to enjoy next generation interactive entertainment contents on Blu-ray Disc as well as via the broadband network at home.

Users will also be able to enjoy immersive game play experience on upcoming PS3 titles compatible with separately sold DUALSHOCK 3 Wireless Controller, including "Ryu ga Gotoku KENZAN!" (SEGA CORPORATION) and "echochrome" (SCE WWS). SCEJ will continue to further expand the PS3 platform with enhanced line-up of PS3 systems and peripheral products.

Team ICE, a while back, discovered that they could crash a Sony PlayStation 3 using a well-crafted TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) file loaded in the Sony PS3’s XMB. The team have now released that same TIFF to the public yesterday, in the hopes that someone will be able to find a way to run unsigned code. The exploit is confirmed to work on all firmwares including the current version (Firmware 2.10).

The TIFF exploit causes a heap overflow and will permit injection of simple code if the background workings of the PS3 are known. A similar exploit unlocked PSP Firmware 2.00 to the world of homebrew a long time back, and it is possible that this exploit may just unlock the PS3, which has otherwise been hack-proof so far. Whether this exploit leads to ISO loading remains to be seen. The release of a "Hello, World" application would prove that this exploit works.

It that’s time of the week again, and lets just say that for once, Europe got a pretty decent update to the PlayStation Store. Europe has received two new playable demos and three new PlayStation One titles. The US has received a new playable demo, plus the final add-on packs for Folklore. In addition, the­ US also got more add-on content for Rock Band and a number of new themes, wallpaper, videos and trailers. Check out what’s new below.

Europe Additions:

• Playable Demos
• Devil May Cry 4 Demo
• MX Vs ATV: Untamed Demo
• PSOne Titles
• Fade to Black
• Motorhead
• Theme Hospital
• Game Videos
• PixelJunk Mosters Trailer

US Additions:

• Playable Demos
• Conflict: Denied Ops Demo
• Game Add-on Content
• Folklore:
• Add-on Pack 5
• Add-on Pack 6
• Add-on Bundle 3
• Rock Band:
• Siva – Smashing Pumpkins
• Ten Speed – Coheed and Cambria
• Working Man – Rush
• Game Videos
• Battlefield: Bad Company: Haggard’s Blog
• Go! Sports Skydiving Trailer
• Movie Trailers and Videos
• Prince Caspian Trailer
• Prom Night Trailer
• Across the Universe Trailer
• Daddy Day Camp Trailer
• Themes
• PixelJunk Monsters 2
• Wallpaper
• PixelJunk (2)

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The Internet has been alive this week with rumours of the 80GB PlayStation 3 model being discontinued. The rumours began with a leaked memo from Best Buy stating that the particular SKU would
b­e ph­ased out, then followed with the mysterious removal of the 80GB
PS3 from Best Buy’s website. However, new evidence has come in further
confirming the – what now seems like inevitable – discontinuation of
the 80GB SKU. A GameStop conference call was held today, which supposedly explained
that the system was no longer being produced, in favor of a 120 GB or
more model bundled with the Dual Shock 3 controller.

Sony denied the rumours last week regarding the discontinuation of the 80GB model, and as a result, they have not revealed any information to the contrary. There’s no official date for when this enhanced model will be ready for
purchase, or the price, for that matter, but it should be relatively
soon. SCEE has already confirmed that a new model will not be available in Europe in the near future. As for the US, they could be getter a 120GB or even a 160GB model.­