PlayStation celebrates 500 million consoles sold

Sony celebrates 500 million PlayStation consoles sold with a stylish limited edition PS4 Pro. The highly sought-after console was available to pre-order from selected stockists in the UK from 10:00AM this morning.

However, demand was so great, Smyths Toys website crashed, ShopTo sold out in seconds and Amazon UK mistakenly went live before 10:00AM. Such was the online retailer's error, the company has cancelled all pre-orders and contacted affected customers.

Anyone interested in pre-ordering from Amazon will be able to do so from 10:00AM Wednesday here (affiliate link). A commemorative DS4 is available here (affiliate link).

What are your first memories of PlayStation? Let me know in the comments below.

Limited edition PS4 marks 20 years of PlayStation

Today Sony will announce pre-order details for its limited edition 20th anniversary PS4 during the company's keynote at the PlayStation Experience.

The console, in original gray to commemorate the brand that obliterated the Nintendo and SEGA duopoly, is limited to 12300 units. Most fans (including myself) will have to settle for the free classic PlayStation theme, which is downloadable from PSN. Pro-tip: disable Key Tone (found under Settings) to keep it old school.

The 20th anniversary PS4 will be available to pre-order from the Sony Store worldwide.

Will you be pre-ordering one? Let me know in the comments below.

PS Vita to support OS X

On February 8th Sony's PS3 and PS Vita will be updated with new firmware as part of a wholesale move to the Sony Entertainment Network (formerly PSN). The PS Vita will receive a dedicated map app and video recording, but that's not all.

Contents Manager for PlayStation will now support Mac OS X! This means no more running Windows in Boot Camp. Mac Users will be able to upload videos, music and pictures from Mac to PS Vita and vice versa. Saving backup files will be possible, too.

After selling my Nintendo 3DS, I was initially reluctant to purchase a PS Vita on day one! However, Amazon's pre-order bundles are too tempting, OS X support out of the gate and Netflix should look fantastic on an OLED screen.

Lookout for the upcoming review.

PS Vita to steal iPod touch crown?

Casting aside memories of the much-maligned PSPgo. Sony lifted the wraps off its successor to the PSP at this year's E3. PS Vita.

“Successively launching in the global market for $249 starting the end of this year, PS Vita incorporates a beautiful 5-inch multitouch organic light emitting diode (OLED) as the front display and a unique multitouch pad on the rear. Two analog sticks enable a wider range of game genres. Together with the front touch screen and the rear touch pad, PS Vita offers new gameplay, enabling entirely new experiences.”

Not sure about the nomenclature, but the hardware is on par with the PS3 and this could pose a serious threat to the iPod touch and Nintendo 3DS. The entry level machine is competitively priced at £229 to match its rivals and there's a Wi-Fi/3G option for £279! Retailers are aggressively discounting the 3DS from £229 to as low as £159. I snapped up a 3DS (Cosmos Black) over the Whitsun Bank Holiday weekend along with a copy of Dead or Alive: Dimensions (review to follow).

First and third-party support is integral to a successful launch and Sony's looking to inhouse franchises for a fillip. LittleBigPlanet (translated to the portable medium with such aplomb that I prefer the PSP version over its larger sibling), Uncharted: Golden Abyss and WipEout 2048 lead the charge.

Unlike Nintendo's draconian policies, you'll be able to download/transfer previous purchases from PSN onto the new machine without incurring additional costs. So, don't delete those PSOne classics just yet. UMD collectors will be left high and dry. Sony is abandoning optical media storage in favour of removable memory cards and there's no internal memory like the 3DS.

I'd suggest buying the Wi-Fi model as free wireless hotspots are in the ascendance or you could tether it to MiFi.

Pre-order PS Vita today.

Is PlayStation Plus for you?

A few days ago I decided to knix the idea of investing in Microsoft's Kinect platform! An Xbox 360 4GB with Kinect will cost £249.99 (not including a new games library) and that's money I'd rather not spend during the current economic recession. After consolidating my video game console collection. Enter PlayStation Plus!

When Sony announced its plan to introduce a subscription add-on to its free PlayStation Network (PSN) service, I was reticent about signing up! How much added-value would there be for £39.99 per year? The marketing spiel suggests savings of up £200 on selected products, automatic downloads and exclusive betas and demos...

During the first month subscribers could pick up free copies of LittleBigPlanet and WipEout HD Fury! Many gamers, myself included, already own these games. However, they're both enticing AAA titles and suggest that Sony is serious about taking on Microsoft's Xbox Live in the mid-to-long-term.

In its current form PlayStation Plus is difficult to recommend as a "must-have". There's risk involved with any subscription; you can only play free games for as long as you're a member and there's a chasm between the US and European offering. For example US members received an extra 3 months free for signing up to the annual tarif.

4oD will be joining BBC iPlayer on the XMB in the coming months. Sony should consider its brilliant BRAVIA Internet Video as a PlayStation Plus exclusive! This should be in addition to cross-game chat, which has yet (if ever) to be announced.

I'm delighted with free PSOne games (PS3 and PSP compatible), exclusive content, and now toying with the idea of repurchasing a PSP! Despite having a love-hate relationship with Sony's portable gaming platform, PlayStation Plus makes it much more compelling.

The best is yet to come...

PlayStation video delivery goes live in Europe

More than 2000 movies available, to rent or to own, at the click of a button

LONDON – 19th November 2009: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) further expanded its PlayStation® entertainment experience today with the launch of the PlayStation®Network video delivery service for Europe. Now available in France, Germany, Spain and the UK, with other countries to follow in 2010, the service allows film fans to download hundreds of movies, including the latest releases, straight to their PlayStation®3 (PS3™) and PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable).

More than 2,000 movies are available across the stores to rent (from €1.99) or to buy (from €7.99), many in High Definition* (HD) as well as Standard Definition (SD), from major movie studios including 20th Century Fox, The Walt Disney Company1, Lionsgate2, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM), Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Starz Media2, Universal, and Warner Bros. The service also provides a broad selection of content from local market studios including ContentFilm International, E1 Entertainment UK and Optimum Releasing (UK), and Constantin Film, Kinowelt and Universum Film (Germany), MK2, EuropaCorp, Pathé, SND and Wild Side Video (France) and Vértice Cine (Spain).

Titles available within the launch window include Angels and Demons; Bruno; Disney/Pixar’s Cars; Walt Disney Pictures’ The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe; Crank 2; The Dark Knight; Dead Space: Downfall; Drag Me to Hell; Gran Torino; Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; National Treasure; Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl; Public Enemies; Star Trek; Terminator Salvation; Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen; and Valkyrie; and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Additional content will be added on a weekly basis.

“The launch of the PlayStation Network video delivery service extends our entertainment offering and provides consumers with another way to access their favourite movies, whether at home or on the go,” said Andrew House, President and CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. “With the choice of content constantly expanding, including full games, bite-size downloadable “minis” games, demos and now movies too, the PlayStation Network is the gateway to a world of entertainment.”

At launch, there will be a special offer for existing PSN members, allowing them to receive a complimentary copy of The Da Vinci Code if they buy Angels and Demons. There will also be a special promotion to encourage new members. Anyone who registers for a PlayStation®Network account using their new PS3s between 19th & 30th November 2009 will receive a voucher to download a complimentary copy of Transformers to own3.

Located on the PlayStation®Store under the “Video Store” section, the PlayStation Network video delivery service provides consumers with an exceptional entertainment experience, adding HD and SD movies for rental or purchase, to the already comprehensive line-up of games, demos, trailers and other content.

The video delivery service will be fully integrated within the PlayStation Network, using the same log-in, wallet system and user-interface. Visitors can search for movies by name, or can browse categories such as “new releases”, “genres” and ”most popular downloads”. PS3’s progressive downloading allows viewers to start watching a film shortly after the download begins. They can also access certain games or other content on their PS3 while the download is taking place.

Consumers who choose to rent have up to 14 days to watch their movie, and, once playback is started, they have 48 hours to watch the content. Purchased movies are stored on the PS3 hard disk drive and can be accessed at home via PS3 or transferred to PSP for content on the go.

The PlayStation Network video delivery service takes prime position in a line-up of PlayStation entertainment features, alongside streaming music video with VidZone®, Catch Up TV services and free digital TV viewing with PlayTV™. With games, music, Internet, photos, communications and more, it’s yet another reason to make PS3 and PSP the heart of your entertainment world. To find out more, visit www.eu.playstation.com.

* Initially HD content will only be available to rent

1 Content only available to rent or to buy in the UK and to rent in Germany at launch

2 Content from these studios will be available only in the UK

3 The promotional code will be sent to eligible customers in December 2009.

20 million users is a new PSN milestone

Remarkable Milestone Achieved in Only 2 Years and 3 Months Since Its Launch on November 11, 2006

Tokyo, February 25, 2008 - Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) today announced that the cumulative number of registered accounts on PlayStation®Network worldwide has exceeded 20 million as of February 20, 2009. The registered accounts on PlayStation Network reached 5million in 1 year and 2 months, 10 million in 1 year and 8 months, and exceeded 20 million in only 2 years and 3 months from the service launch on November 11, 2006*1. The number of users connected to PlayStation Network is ever growing, thus successfully building a robust network business platform.

PlayStation Network is a free to access network service for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3®) computer entertainment system and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system, that has more than 70 million sell-in units*2 around the world both platforms combined. Directly accessible from PS3, PSP or PC, users are able to enjoy a broad range of on-line content and services, including on-line gaming, video chat and text messaging with other PS3 users on-line, as well as many games and video content downloadable from PlayStation®Store. Since its launch, PlayStation Network has expanded its services to over 55 countries and regions around the globe, gaining strong support from users for its breadth of entertainment content available for both PS3 and PSP systems in addition to its free to use basic features and services.

To offer more fun and excitement to users, PlayStation Network is continually enhancing gaming experience through online game features such as online battle and team play, as well as adding more and more downloadable game items. More than 600 titles incorporated with online features have been released for the PS3 system worldwide, including Resistance: Fall of Man™, Gran Turismo™ 5 Prologue and LittleBigPlanet™ from SCE.

PlayStation Store offers more than 14,500 diverse digital content, ranging from exclusive on-line games, downloadable version of UMD™ titles, game demos and items, and titles from “Game Archive,” through which legendary and popular titles from the original PlayStation are made playable on PS3 and PSP, to more than 5,900 movies and TV episodes that are available through Video Delivery Service*3 that started in the United States in July 2008. To date, more than 380 million pieces of content*4 have been downloaded, with total sales exceeding 180 million US dollars*5, and the business scale is rapidly expanding.

PlayStation®Home launched its service in December 2008 and in less than 2 months, the number of users has exceeded 4 million. Within the ground-breaking 3D environment, users are able to meet, share gaming experiences, and enjoy communication with each other. Collaborative initiatives with various game titles and franchises are underway to offer more new fun on games in the world of PlayStation Home as it evolve over time, adding new spaces, features and functions to create a living, growing platform for the PlayStation community.

Additionally, the number of users enjoying Life with PlayStation® has now exceeded 2.6 million*6. Life with PlayStation offers users a new way to obtain information on a TV monitor in the living room by connecting it to the network via PS3. With “time” and “place” as keywords, Life with PlayStation will add more channels to enjoy content on the internet and broaden the world of entertainment beyond the realms of games that is made possible through connecting PS3’s vast computational power to the network.

SCE, along with content providers and users will continue to further expand the entertainment experiences with PS3, PSP and PlayStation Network to create a new world of computer entertainment.

*1 Launched in Japan on November 11, 2006.

*2 PS3: 21.3 million units as of December 2008, PSP: 50 million units as of January 2009.

*3 Launched in July 2008. As of February 2009, over 1,400 movies and 4,400 TV episodes are available for download.

*4 Includes free of charge content (downloadable demos and promotion videos).

*5 As of February 2009.

*6 As of February 2009.

Shop Street Fighter IV

Street Fighter IV is garnering rave reviews and looks like it'll erase any residual memories of Street Fighter II on the Commodore 64!

Capcom will be wasting no time with Street Fighter IV DLC, revealing plans to launch a number of expansion packs post launch.

A completely free Championship Mode expansion pack due shortly after launch (no exact date specified) will add:

* Replay Mode - Record, upload, and download top matches to share with the Street Fighter IV community. Players can analyze top tiered fighters matches, leave voter feedback for others, and share their own triumphant victories.

* New Points System - Two new points systems to measure your skill (Championship and Tournament Points)

* Enhanced Tournament Matching System - Skill level matching system offers improved tournament match making for beginners and mid-level players. Competitors earn Grade Points (GP) to earn entry into more advanced tournaments.

Adding to that, Capcom has revealed new costume packs, that are due to hit PSN and Xbox Live throughout February and March. "The packs are grouped by themes and will be available for 320 MS points for Xbox 360 or £2.72 / €3.84 on PlayStation 3 post launch," explains Capcom.

Empire *****
IGN 9.5
Telegraph 10/10
Times Online ****

Shop now for Street Fighter IV on PS3 and XBOX 360!

Gadget Review: GO!VIEW on PSP

A few months ago I was asked to trial GO!VIEW on PSP! A joint venture between Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and BSkyB. Giving PSP owners the opportunity to access TV Shows, Movies and Sports on-demand and on the move.

From top entertainment shows including Heroes, Desperate Housewives and The Mighty Boosh, through to sporting highlights such as Barclays Premier League football from Sky Sports, and a wide selection of top movies, there’s content to suit every PSP owner’s tastes. With a full range of programming that is frequently updated, GO!VIEW provides a constant source of entertainment for PSP owners to use wherever they want, whenever they want.

Pros
*High quality video codec and small file size
*Available directly from the PSP's Cross Media Bar (XMB)
*Recession-proof rental and subscription tariffs

Cons
*Not platform agnostic - should support Mac OS X and Windows
*Multiple pop-up windows during file transfer
*Library settings do not stick
*No download indicator after a programme has been selected - I accidentally downloaded the same content 3 times
*File transfer is clunky and counterintuitive
*Using the PC for file transfer is cumbersome! I'd rather the service be available via wireless connection - PSN for example
*The GO!VIEW application does not boast the intuitiveness of XMB, which goes against my expectations as a consumer of Sony products

If GO!VIEW quickly addresses the negatives (no longer behaving like a half-baked product), and the PSP undergoes a refresh to include a touch screen, the iPhone and iPod touch would be battling a genuine contender for the crown of portable King! Incidentally, the PSP's recent press and television advertising campaign confusingly implied a touch screen - the whole world in your pocket, yes, only if you buy an iPhone or iPod touch!

Whereas GO!VIEW failed to convey the 'wow' factor, Remote Play stole the show for me! Remote Play allows the PSP to directly access many features on a PlayStation 3 console from a remote location using the PS3's WLAN capabilities, a home network, or the Internet. I was able to watch PlayTV anywhere! Streaming 4Music into my studio enlivened the working day!

Going forward, I'd like to see GO!VIEW integrated into a future firmware update/download from PSN on the PS3! PSP + PS3 is an excellent combo and may inspire me to buy another PSP in the future.

As it stands, the PSP continues to flounder even with the delayed arrival of GO!VIEW... Is that Nintendo's DSi that I spy on the horizon?

FIFA Interactive World Cup 2009 final to be held in Barcelona

Record numbers already signed up for FIFA Interactive World Cup 2009.

Barcelona confirmed as venue for 2009 competition grand final in May.

Zurich, Switzerland, 13th January 2009: FIFA, the world’s governing body of football, Electronic Arts Inc (NASDAQ: ERTS) and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) today announced that Alfonso Ramos, the FIFA Interactive World Cup 2008 Champion, has received his official winner’s trophy at the FIFA World Player Gala in Zurich. Ramos was joined by some of the world’s greatest footballers, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Fernando Torres at the star-studded event which also saw XXX crowned the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year.

The FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC) 2009 has received a record number of entrants with around 320,000 competitors already signed up to compete in this year’s competition. The FIWC has become one of the largest and fastest growing sports gaming competitions in the world with players from around the globe battling it out on EA SPORTS™ FIFA 09 for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) in a bid to be crowned the best virtual footballer in the world and receive the $20,000 1st place prize. For anyone who thinks they’ve got what it takes, there is still time ahead of 31st March to enter and show the world what you’re made of, so get registered and start laying your claim to the crown.

FIFA, EA and SCEE have also announced that the FIWC 09 grand final in May will take place in Barcelona, one of the world’s greatest football cities. The glamorous grand final marks the culmination of months of qualifying rounds currently taking place both online via the PlayStation®Network and at FIWC 09 Live Qualifier Events around the globe, in countries including Australia, Brazil, UK, Germany, France, Italy, South Africa and the US.

“We got involved in the FIFA Interactive World Cup with the intention of creating an iconic gaming competition, but to achieve the huge increase in competitors that we have seen this year is something that exceeds even our most optimistic predictions”, said Darren Carter, Vice President for Brand and Consumer Marketing, SCEE. “Everything about the FIWC this year is bigger and better and to see so many competing online on PlayStation Network really highlights how PlayStation® has grown along with the tournament. We can’t wait to welcome the best virtual footballers to Barcelona, Spain.”

“We are extremely proud to once again be supporting the FIWC alongside FIFA and Sony Computer Entertainment”, said Matt Bilbey, Vice President International Marketing, EA SPORTS. “We believe that FIFA 09 is our best ever football title and we are delighted to see so many gamers battling it out in the game both online and at physical qualifying events around the world. The FIWC has grown over the years to become a truly global gaming competition which captures the heart and spirit of football and gaming and we look forward to crowning this year’s victor at the grand final in May.”

Details about the live qualifier events near you will be made available over the coming weeks at www.FIFA.com/FIWC, so check in regularly to keep your fingers on the pulse of the FIFA Interactive World Cup 2009.

Footage and photography of the FIWC 08 is accessible on the FIFA Media Channel** now: http://mediachannel.extranets.fifa.com/regproc.aspx

* Feature not active in FIWC tournament settings
** Requires registration at http://mediachannel.extranets.fifa.com/RegProc.aspx

The Watchmen aren't Home Alone on PlayStation

As predicted in The Sunday Times' ingear section, Sony's PlayStation Home is now in Open Beta and can be freely discussed! I can't compare PlayStation Home with Microsoft's New Xbox Experience (NXE) as I don't have access to an Xbox 360! Lets not dwell on minor technicalities!

My initial impression of PlayStation Home is favourable despite the inherent danger that Sony's answer to Second Life is nothing more than a walled garden promoting the vertically integrated company's products and little else! Such churlishness aside, I'm confident that this won't be the case in the mid-to-long term.

The latest trailer for the highly anticipated (an understatement to be sure) The Watchmen movie premièred on PlayStation Home this week! I have an acute interest in this adaptation as I interviewed The Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons for an audio documentary I made at Bournemouth University in 1995. At the time there was speculation that Terry Gilliam or Tim Burton would be undertaking directing chores and I asked Dave Gibbons what his thoughts were? Dave, unsurprisingly, welcomed both! It would be interesting to ask him, again, now!

From a social networking perspective. PlayStation Home affords the perfect platform for virtual Tweet-Ups or Tweet Meets! I've already met several Twitter peeps and played games in the bowling alley! And I welcome the facility that games such as FIFA 09, Resistance 2 and Call of Duty: World at War can be launched from within PlayStation Home (PSN members must each own a copy of the game).

I can foresee Sony BMG Music superstars Britney and Beyoncé performing virtual stadium concerts on PlayStation Home.

PlayStation Home Open

Highly Anticipated Service Open For All PLAYSTATION 3 Users

Tokyo, Foster City, London, December 10, 2008 – Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) today announced that its highly anticipated PlayStation®Home Beta service for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) will become available for all PS3 users around the world *1 on December 11, 2008. Following the successful completion of the closed beta service, PlayStation Home’s open beta service will continue to evolve with new features and functionality.

PlayStation Home is a ground-breaking 3D social gaming community available on PS3 that allows users to interact, communicate and share gaming experiences. By leveraging the power of PS3, PlayStation Home delivers overwhelming visual graphics and rich gaming social experiences only possible on the PS3 platform. Within PlayStation Home, users can create and customize their own unique avatars and explore the virtual community in real time where they can communicate freely through text or voice chat. PlayStation Home users will not only be able to enjoy variety of entertainment content such as mini-games, videos and special events along with their friends, but will also be able to create their own community by using the “Club*2” feature to create clubs with other PlayStation Home users who share the same interests. PlayStation Home also allows groups of users to launch directly into their favourite online games together from PlayStation Home.

PlayStation Home, available as a free download*3 starting December 11, will launch directly from the PlayStation Home icon on the PlayStation®Network column of XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) on PS3. Users will be able to experience basic features and services of PlayStation Home, free of charge*4. PlayStation Home will allow open interaction among users, business partners and SCE, and will evolve with additional features including dedicated game spaces, special events and exclusive themed items, to further enrich the entertainment experience on the PS3 platform.

“PlayStation Home is truly a promising network community service on the PlayStation platform, made possible with the powerful combination of PS3's overwhelming computational power and PlayStation Network that covers many countries around the globe,” said Kazuo Hirai, President and Group CEO, SCE. “We are committed to providing PS3 users with exciting gaming experiences with PlayStation Home and together with our partners and users, expand the new world of interactive entertainment as we move forward.”

For users accessing PlayStation Home in the Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) regions, themed virtual environments will be available to explore. Starting with a themed Far Cry 2 space, PlayStation Home will offer game inspired environments that allow people to discuss the specific games, plan strategies and access content and clues that will enhance the gaming experience. The number of gaming environments such as this will regularly increase, with spaces for Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune™, Warhawk™, Motorstorm and SOCOM following very soon. SCEE is working with leading publishers such as: Electronic Arts, UBISOFT, Midway, Sega and Atari to create engaging environments that will provide users with an on-going gaming experience.

“We are very excited to be bringing PlayStation Home to Europe and the PAL territories, offering users an interactive, social, gaming experience,” said Daniel Hill, Home Service Manager, SCEE. “PlayStation Home is unique to anything else in the gaming world and by partnering with both global and regional gaming and non-gaming brands, we are able to offer exciting and entertaining content that will enhance the PlayStation experience.”

SCEE today also announced the first partnerships with some of the world’s most respected lifestyle brands for the Open Beta. Fashion leader Diesel, contemporary furniture designers Ligne Roset, energy drink Red Bull, film studio Paramount Pictures and video content providers Hexus TV and Eurogamer are the first on board. They will offer resident’s virtual clothing for their avatar, virtual furniture for their PlayStation Home apartments, exclusive video content and a virtual flying challenge: the Red Bull Air Race.

Visitors and residents will be able to explore PlayStation Home with their avatar character and, thanks to Diesel, avatars can look great from the start with Diesel offering the latest men’s and women’s designer avatar clothing, with items ranging from free of charge to €1.50. So for those visiting PlayStation Home, they can dress their avatars in the latest jeans and jacket prior to getting out and about.

On the home front, PlayStation®Home gives everyone their own apartment to spend time in and entertain friends - who will now be able relax on exclusive Ligne Roset furniture. At the virtual store, people will be able to choose from a selection of the most popular Ligne Roset designs, including the iconic Togo and Facett upholstery collections. It will be possible to personalise furniture by selecting from a wide selection of fabrics and leathers allowing a unique and individual look. This is an opportunity to get acquainted with Ligne Roset’s cutting edge designs created by some of Europe’s most talented designers.

As the very first consumer brand space, Red Bull has created the Red Bull Island where visitors to the Island can interact and take part in many of Red Bull’s unique events. Initially there will be the opportunity to get inside the cockpit of a Red Bull Air Race plane and compete against the PlayStation community. The real-world Red Bull Air Race World Championship has become a global phenomenon in just four years, attracting millions of spectators. Now those spectators can leave the stands, become a pilot and tackle the Red Bull Island course themselves. The Red Bull Island will continue to expand, adding new and exciting content in early 2009.

Taking full advantage of the PlayStation Home Theatre, SCEE has partnered with various content providers to enhance the cinematic experience. Offering a wide range of content, the PlayStation Home Theatre will provide lifestyle technology programming from Hexus TV, gaming content from Eurogamer and exclusive film content from Paramount Pictures. Starting with the release of the highly anticipated film, Watchmen, Paramount Pictures International will use PlayStation®Home to promote its latest films. Initially, PlayStation®Home residents will be able to view an exclusive video greeting from Watchmen Director Zack Snyder as well as the latest Watchmen trailer. A selection of virtual Watchmen merchandise e.g. T-Shirts with the smiley face logo, Doomsday clocks and character statues, will also be available in the New Year, ahead of an exclusive Q & A event where cast and filmmakers will meet selected press and competition winners fans within the Watchmen themed environment.

PlayStation Home is exclusive to PS3, free to download and easy to join. It’s the ultimate online community – a place where you can meet friends, try the latest games, hear new music, watch videos, relax in the apartment of your dreams and much, much more. With more and more spaces being created and partners like Diesel, Ligne Roset and Red Bull coming on board, the PlayStation Home experience is just getting started.

SCE will vigorously promote the expansion of the world of PS3 by introducing new services that will open up new possibilities and enjoyment in interactive entertainment.

*1 PlayStation Home will not be available in some regions.
*2 To be a “Clubhouse” owner, user will need to buy the entitlement to run the club.
*3 When the service is available, PlayStation Home icon will appear after booting/ re-booting the PS3 system. To enjoy PlayStation Home, users will need broadband network connection and PlayStation Network account in addition to the PS3 system.
*4 Some content and services are charged.

PlayStation Home Beta & GO!VIEW on PSP

Black Friday is not short of surprises! Not only have I received an exclusive invitation to join the PlayStation Home Beta (PlayStation Home is a 3D, interactive, evolving service, exclusive to PS3™). But, a PSP Slim & Lite has arrived!



Looking forward to exploring PlayStation Home and reviewing GO!VIEW on PSP during December. Incidentally, I'll be comparing and contrasting the PSP Slim & Lite against the iPod touch to see which (if any) is the new king of portables!

My PlayStation Network ID

In keeping with yesterday's post and extending social networking beyond blogging and services such as Bebo, Facebook and MySpace.

Got a PS3 and a PSN account? Then please add me:

Marvel_Megatron

I can usually be caught, online, playing the likes of FIFA 09, Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Online, Grand Theft Auto 4 and SoulCalibur IV.

FIFA 09 wins without WAGs!

Late last night I removed the shrink wrap from FIFA 09 (PS3) and loaded the Blu-ray disc with a mixture of excitement and trepidation! The last time I bought a copy of FIFA was during the heyday of the Sega Mega Drive in the 1990s! Would FIFA 09 rekindle a long lost love and steal me away from Konami's upstart Pro Evolution Soccer (PES)?

FIFA 09 is closer than ever to the pick-up-and-play prowess of PES, without detracting from the franchise's trademark realism, and looks even more attractive. Premier League players move and act like their real-life counterparts. However, lower league players look like zombies leftover from Capcom's Resident Evil franchise!

The online component of FIFA 09 has been bolstered by the addition of adidas Live Season. adidas Live Season, an optional premium service, is activated once you've linked your Playstation Network (PSN) gamer profile with an EA Master Account, which can be set-up directly from within FIFA 09! You are entitled to free updates, for the league of your choice, using an exclusive redemption code found on the back of the manual. Naturally, I've chosen Barclays Premier League in order to follow the fortunes of my beloved Manchester United. Should you wish to subscribe to all supported leagues, additional charges will apply.

Even without WAGs, FIFA 09 is an irresistible football video game package that's almost impossible to beat! I'm looking forward to another friendly between Exeter City FC and Manchester United at St James Park, Exeter!

Sony PlayTV review

Sony's long-awaited Freeview dual-tuner adapter add-on has arrived in the somewhat functional form of the PlayStation-branded PlayTV! Will it transform the PS3 into a credible personal video recorder (PVR)?

The PlayTV pack-in includes a Blu-ray installation disc and mini USB cable! Be warned: PlayTV has no loop-through and there's no aerial splitter, a serious oversight! As my PS3 is conveniently placed near the sky+ box, I connected PlayTV directly into the RF2 output, which proved a useful workaround! I'd recommend using a high quality coaxial cable, to minimise signal loss, such as Profigold's BA-PGV8921!

Installation is a breeze and, following a system reboot, PlayTV is immediately accessible from the PS3's XMB! The GUI is intuitive and responsive with a luxurious 7-day electronic programme guide (EPG) that compares favourably with Apple TV and eclipses current offerings from sky and Virgin!

Scheduling recordings, with either the SIXAXIS controller or, more preferably, Sony Blu-ray remote, is the epitome of simplicity! I'd like to have seen a series link option and the ability to record two channels at once, but Sony assures customers that PlayTV will be continuously updated via PSN (a broadband connection is required)!

Background recordings can be performed whilst watching Blu-ray discs such as Wall-E or playing video games! However, there is a caveat. The quality of recordings maybe adversely affected according to Sony! During gameplay tests (using Devil May Cry 4 and Soul Calibur IV amongst others) I've yet to note any detriment to playback.

The overall quality of recordings is excellent (contingent on compression and signal strength) and is upscaled to 1080p (if your television supports the resolution)! Incidentally, native 1080i support for Freeview HD will be added in the future.

Bear in mind that 1GB of HDD space roughly equates to an hour of recording time and there's no means to adjust the bit rate to trade-off picture quality against recording duration! Therefore the PS3 40GB model won't pass muster if you're going away for weeks at a time and recording every episode of EastEnders and Neighbours.

With disk space at a premium, I'd suggest going for the 80GB model or higher! Sony promises a limited edition 160GB model for the upcoming holiday season!

Going forward, the engineers at Sony Cambridge should consider picture-in-picture (PiP) and conditional access for subscription-based services such as Setanta Sports!

As it currently stands, PlayTV is an absolute "must-have" for anyone with a PS3 and PSP! I cancelled my sky+ subscription and PlayTV trumps it in almost every regard! Look no further for a scalable multimedia PVR that can be accessed (via PSP) from anywhere in the world!

Update
PlayTV crashes with alarming alacrity! Worst of all, it's a hard lock that necessitates a reboot of the PS3, stopping any ongoing recordings until the power's back on. Hopefully Sony will push a PSN patch ASAP!

Download FIFA 09 demo on PSN

Start practising your skills today with the all new FIFA 09 demo available for download from PLAYSTATION®Network

Geneva, Switzerland and London, UK, 11 September 2008 – FIFA, the world’s governing body of football, Electronic Arts Inc (NASDAQ: ERTS) and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) today announced the new season of the FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC), the world’s only official FIFA global football gaming competition. The FIWC is a season-long tournament mirroring the real world of football in which competitors from all around the world can participate playing EA SPORTS™ FIFA 09 on the PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™).

This year marks the fifth FIWC season, which will kick off with the launch of FIFA 09 on 3 October. Players will be able to compete at one of 19 physical FIWC 09 Qualifier Events across the globe, kicking off in New Zealand on 25 October and covering countries all over the world, including Australia, Brazil, Czech Republic, France, Italy, South Africa and the US[BM1] . Players will also be able to compete for the 13 places available in the final for the best online players via the PLAYSTATION®Network. The 32 finalists will compete to be crowned FIFA Interactive World Player of the Year, rewarded with an invitation to the FIFA World Player Gala along with a USD 20,000 cash prize and an all new KIA ‘Soul’. For the first time in the tournament’s history, the runner up will receive USD 5,000, while the player coming third will be awarded USD 1,000.

Hopeful competitors can get a head start and practise their skills for the tournament from today by playing the official FIFA 09 PS3 demo available for download worldwide now via PLAYSTATION®Network. Registration for participating in the online leg of the FIWC 09 tournament will take place directly inside the retail version of FIFA 09 on the PS3 in early October.

“The FIFA Interactive World Cup has established itself as a premier gaming tournament, and the only one under the FIFA banner. Over the last years I have witnessed incredible virtual football action which promises thrilling games and excitement at the upcoming interactive season. I am really looking forward to the kick-off of the 5th edition where everyone has the unique chance to become a real FIFA World Cup champion,” said FIFA Executive Member Chuck Blazer, himself an avid gamer.

“Over the last four years, the FIFA Interactive World Cup has become the gaming competition for football fans and gamers. It’s the only tournament in which competitors can play as their football heroes and have their virtual skills recognised by FIFA, the real life world governing body of football,” said Matt Bilbey, Senior Director, Sports Marketing, EA. “With our partners at FIFA and PlayStation, we’re excited for this year’s season to kick off when FIFA 09 launches in early October. The development team has done an incredible job in making FIFA 09 even more authentic and fun to play, so make sure you get a taste of it now and start practicing with the demo on PLAYSTATION Network.”

”This year is PlayStation’s second season involved in the FIWC and we are very excited to see the tournament grow and evolve to establish itself as the biggest online football tournament in the world,” said Darren Carter, VP for Brand and Consumer Marketing, SCEE. “This season players will be able to truly understand the unique experience FIFA 09 on PLAYSTATION 3 and PLAYSTATION Network offers and we look forward to seeing players from around the world go onto the PLAYSTATION Network and get practising immediately.”

During last year’s tournament, players spanning the globe from New Zealand to South Africa, Brazil to Korea to the USA and Italy dribbled and scored their way through the tournament’s 20 live qualifiers, while over 25,000 players competed in the online leg. In the end, it was Alfonso Ramos from Spain who emerged victoriously from the Grand Final in Berlin. He will join his real life football heroes on the 12th of January 2009 at the FIFA World Player Gala in Zurich to accept his trophy.

EA SPORTS™ FIFA 09 for the PlayStation®3 is now powered with dynamic real-world data and analytics, lifting the game to new heights of authenticity for football fans and gamers connected online. The adidas Live Season* service is based on how real players performed in the most recent real-world matches. Gameplay will change dynamically as the performance of players and football teams in the real world experience the highs and lows during their campaigns. Additionally over 250 gameplay additions and enhancements, Custom Team Tactics, 10v10* Online Team Play and the enhanced Be A Pro: Seasons will offer players a unique football experience that matches the complexity, finesse and beauty of the real-world game. To learn more about FIFA 09 visit www.FIFA09.ea.com.

Details about the live qualifier events near you will be made available over the coming weeks at www.FIFA.com/FIWC, so check in regularly to keep your fingers on the pulse of the FIFA Interactive World Cup 2009.

Footage and photography of the FIWC 08 is accessible on the FIFA Media Channel** now: http://mediachannel.extranets.fifa.com/regproc.aspx

* Feature not active in FIWC tournament settings

** Requires registration at http://mediachannel.extranets.fifa.com/RegProc.aspx

PS3 to get XMB in July

PS3™ to give online gamers the features they’ve been requesting: XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) access in-game and trophies available in this free, automatic system upgrade

June 30, 2008: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe today announced new online gaming functionality for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™), which will become available on July 2, 2008 with the 2.40 enhancement, an automatic firmware upgrade that delivers several of the features most requested by gamers. Combined with PLAYSTATION®Network’s unique service of free* online gaming, the enhancement makes PS3 an even more attractive platform of choice for the online gamer.

Firstly, the 2.40 enhancement allows XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) access in-game. This means that you can access the PS3 menu at any time while playing most games, simply by tapping the PlayStation button on your controller. With 2.40, you can check if any of your friends are online (thanks to their own user profile), read and send messages, change some settings for games, all without having to quit the game you are playing. While you can’t pause an online multiplayer game involving other people, you can rejoin play at any time when you’ve finished browsing. Along with these enhanced communications features, the Friends list capacity will double to 100 Friends.

2.40 also delivers trophies to recognise players’ achievements in the online arena. Other competitive activities recognise winners with trophies – so why not gaming on PS3? Many online games will have gold, silver and bronze trophies – with platinum available for those who snag all three – all displayed on the XMB for everyone to see.

Super Stardust™ HD, a PLAYSTATION Network-exclusive released last year, will be the first game to leverage the Trophies system and will offer a variety of trophies**. The following first-party games are also slated to offer Trophy support:

· BUZZ!™ Quiz TV

· LittleBigPlanet™

· MotorStorm™ Pacific Rift

· NBA 09 - PS3

· PAIN**

· PixelJunk™ Eden

· Resistance 2™

· SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation

· Warhawk™**

The 2.40 enhancement is just one more reason to join PSN, the online network for PS3 users that lets you game online for free*. All you need to do to join is connect your PS3 to broadband and register, or go to the connection guide at www.eu.playstation.com to find out more.

Once in, you’ll find online matches and leagues for all of your favourite games – whether that’s MotorStorm™, Resistance™, Warhawk™ or Gran Turismo™5 Prologue – absolutely free (although users are responsible for paying their broadband fees) and at any time of the day or night. You’ll also find PLAYSTATION®Store, where you can download entire games as well as extra levels, content for your existing games plus internet browsing, video chat thanks to PLAYSTATION®Eye and much, much more.

There’s never been a better time to buy a PS3!

* No subscription required, broadband fees apply

** Requires a game update to be downloaded and installed

Enhanced PLAYSTATION®Store Launches on 15th April

Redesigned with Improved Interface for Easier Navigation New Content Available — Metal Gear Solid Online Beta Trial Launches

On 15th April, the new look PLAYSTATION®Store, the online content store on PLAYSTATION®Network launches; bring with it improved navigation, more functionality and a whole raft of new content.

The revamp comes in response to a survey last year which showed that many PLAYSTATION Store users wanted a better interface and easier navigation. The new design will deliver a hugely improved navigation system, much greater scope for categorisation and a dynamic new user interface.

To accompany the launch, the PLAYSTATION Store will see an exciting selection of content available from 17th April, consisting of the launch of the Metal Gear Online Premiere Beta, building up to the launch of the next chapter in one of PlayStation’s most loved franchises, Metal gear Solid: Guns of the Patriots. Also available will be Warhawk™: Operation Broken Mirror, a great new addition to the hugely popular Warhawk experience and Lair™: Diabolical Dragons Pack and Skyguard Upgrade pack, offering new and exciting features and functions. There will also be a collection of trailers including the latest for GTA IV, as well as a Sega Superstars tennis demo.

The PLAYSTATION Store revamp will not affect PLAYSTATION Network accounts or the virtual wallet system.

PLAYSTATION®Store to undergo April revamp

Customer feedback drives new design, interface and navigation Updates on hold for two weeks; new-look Store launches mid-April

This April, PLAYSTATION®Store, the online content store on PLAYSTATION®Network, is getting a whole new look and feel – and it’s in response to feedback from the millions of PSN registrants in the PAL region.

The revamp comes in response to a survey last year which showed that many PLAYSTATION Store users wanted a better interface and easier navigation. The new design will deliver a hugely improved navigation system, much greater scope for categorisation and a dynamic new user interface.

Content will be suspended for two weeks while the improvements are carried out but users can look forward to a special update in mid-April.

There will be no weekly content updates between now and the re-launch, although users can still download content from the back catalogue, such as Warhawk™ and Gran Turismo™ 5 Prologue.

The PLAYSTATION Store revamp will not affect PLAYSTATION Network accounts or the virtual wallet system.