Joystiq reports that the acclaimed downloadable game Wipeout HD will be heading to Blu-Ray for European gamers. The bundle will cost £20 and, for now at least, is showing no signs of coming to the US.

Unfortunately, this bundle means that I no longer have an excuse to buy this game, as it will undoubtedly become a lot cheaper than £20 if you shop around. If you’ve been around these parts for a while you might remember our glowing review of the game, so this can really only be good news for everyone.

Everyone with a PS3, anyway. Everyone with a PS3 who lives in Europe, anyway. Everyone with a PS3 who lives in Europe and doesn’t already have the game, anyway. Everyone with a PS3 who lives in Europe and doesn’t already have the game and wants to buy the game, anyway. Alright, fine. Not everyone, then. Don’t be such a pedant!

Sony has told Eurogamer that the Killzone 2 demo will likely be hitting the PlayStation Network before the game’s release. This contrasts to the American PSN, on which the demo will not launch until after the game releases. Here’s some more salt on America’s wound: Europe seems to be getting the game 2 days earlier than the US.

Anyone looking forward to Killzone 2? I wasn’t, and then I played the game at the Eurogamer Expo. Now, I’m… still not looking forward to it. Have you ever played a first-person shooter? Then you’ve played Killzone 2. Yeah, it looks nice, and it’ll likely be an example of how to do an FPS right, but what I saw just had nothing to excite. I guess the early demo will have to prove me wrong, eh?

Via GameZine.

GTPlanet report that Sony’s chief executive in Southern Europe, James Armstrong, has stated that the release of Gran Turismo 5, the latest installment of the acclaimed series, is set for Christmas ‘09. In a statement to Spainish newspaper El Financiero, Armstrong said that he is in the process of developing “the new version of Gran Turismo, which will arrive at Christmas [2009].” He also mentions a new “thriller” game, adding “the player may be designing their own history.” A little early to speculate on that, perhaps.

Either way, it looks like Gran Turismo 5 is set for next winter, in time for the Christmas rush. Makes sense; it is one of the PlayStation’s bigger franchises, after all. The prestige around the series means that GT5 is certain to be highly realistic and a treat for fans of the series, so whenever it comes out, I’m sure plenty of people will be happy. Any thoughts? Will you be buying the game on release? Let us know in the comments.

According to Kotaku’s mailbox, Nintendo of Europe has officially changed their logo from the well-known red ‘Nintendo’ to the one seen in the above picture. Yes, the only difference between the two is the fact that it is now gray instead of red. What gives?

According to Nintendo’s PR partners, Popular PR, there really is no reason given other than “please start using the gray one”. The translated email reads as follows:

Dear Media Partner,

For several years, a new generation of Wii and Nintendo DS games have adorned themselves with a new logo, in discrete grey.

In various publications the former logo, with red lettering, can still be seen. In the event that you have not already done so, we would like to sincerely ask you to now only use the current, gray Nintendo logo.

Yours sincerely,

The team from Nintendo & Popular PR.

This reminds me of when the Army changed their slogan from “Be all that you can be”, one of the most recognized mottoes in the world, to the incredibly retarded “An Army of One”. Nintendo’s new logo at least didn’t really change anything except the color, but it still begs the question: why?

Source: Kotaku

It appears that the European version of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe will feature an uncensored version of the Joker’s fatality sequence. For those not in the know, the sequence featured the Joker firing a trick gun (one with a flag inside that says “BANG”) at the victim, but then taking out a real gun and shooting them right between the eyes. The American version was censored, having the victim walk off-screen before the fatal bullet hits, in order to receive a “Teen” rating.

The European version will however feature the sequence in full, with the headshot in full view. This is because in Europe, the game will receive a “15/16+” rating, and can feature more adult content. In an interview, Hans Lo, the game’s senior producer, said:

You know, for North America we have a Teen rating, and teen really means 13 and above. Thirteen is pretty young, you have to admit. For Europe we have a 15, 16+ rating – so it’s a bit different.”

Any hardcore fans of Mortal Kombat out there who want to see the fatality in full for the US version (maybe you just want to see the Joker shoot Superman, but I’m not one to judge)? Personally, I’m glad that they decided to keep it in the European version, but I’m not sure it should be different in the US version. It of course depends upon the individual but I don’t really think a shot to the head is the worst thing a 13-year-old can possibly see. Let us know what you think in the comments.

Source: Videogamer

I ran out of symbols.

The UK could soon be paying even more for its games if Microsoft’s predictions come true. Government plans to use two rating systems for games could cause an increase in price, as well as added delays.

When the Byron report was released a few months ago, the gaming industry expressed disagreement with its recommendation to use the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) to set the age rating on games, as well as the industry backed and Europe-wide PEGI (Pan European Game Information) system.

The proposed solution of using both system has come under heavy criticism, with EA’s VP and general manager, Keith Ramsdale, telling GamesIndustry.biz that “an extra and unnecessary layer of administration beyond a single system slows the process, and that delay will get passed on to the players themselves.”

Microsoft have now backed EA up on the matter. Neil Thompson, Microsoft’s senior regional director for EDD across UK and Ireland, has added that “we’re concerned with any measures that would mean this process is made more unwieldy, or incurs additional costs which have to be shared with the consumer.”

So, if you thought it was already unfair that UK gamers are paying between 50% and 100% extra for their games and waiting up to 6 months for them to come out, it looks like things could get worse.

In related news, Super Smash Brothers Brawl gets released today in the PAL territories, 5 months after it’s release in the US.

Source: GamesIndustry.biz

The Xbox 360 has now passed the landmark sales figure of 5 million units sold across Europe, a figure reached by the PS3 nearly 2 months ago. Regardless, Microsoft insist they are ahead in sales.

Before you start getting confused because everybody is saying contradictory things, remember, these are PR people. Sales figures are never very accurate for many reasons, and even if they are, you will never see a breakdown of numbers to find out what they really mean.

With that in mind, David Gosen, the European VP of strategic marketing for interactive entertainment at Microsoft, told MCV that the Xbox has now sold “well over” five million units across Europe.

He also went on to dash claims by analysts who have said that this Christmas season will see the dominance of the PS3 saying that “anyone trying to call a winner this Christmas is calling too early”. He went on to say that “contrary to what’s been reported we are at least, if not more than, three quarters of a million ahead of PS3.”

Further hammering home of his message, if needed, comes in his response to industry analysts who have said that sales of the Xbox are slowing dramatically. Gosen said that his message to them “is to check their numbers”.

So I did. Granted, vgChartz are never the most reliable source of industry sales figures, but they do give at least some indication to the state of the main consoles. The 360 is selling fine, no wall to report on.

However, I did discover few more interesting facts. The Hardware Sales From Launch graph shows that the total sales between the PS3 and the 360 are basically the same right now in Europe, give or take a few tens of thousands. Even though the 360 launched a year before the PS3.

Looking at the Weekly Hardware Sales Chart paints a much bleaker picture for the Xbox in Europe, showing the PS3 has outsold its rival every month, consistently, since last September.

What do you think, are these numbers enough to convince you we are likely to be seeing a blu-ray Christmas, or does Microsoft have something planned to turn the tables back on Sony?

Source: MCV

The first ever Sonic convention is to be held this summer in London, UK. The event will combine the efforts of the two largest Sonic fan sites; The Sonic Stadium and Sonic Wrecks, with support from Sega Europe.

Taking place on Saturday the 9th of August, Sega have said that the event will have “competitions for big prizes, interactions, special guests” as well as a chance to play the upcoming Sonic Chronicles a good two months before it’s released.

Summer of whaaaa? Yes, SEGA has teamed up to give some backing to a fan venture for the first full on Sonic Convention which will be taking place in London on Saturday August 9th. It’s a creation of the Sonic online fan base and its arguably two most involved websites The Sonic Stadium and Sonic Wrecks – whilst we’re still confirming details, the event is scheduled to have competitions for big prizes, interactions, special guests (tbc) and the chance to look at how Sonic as a brand has diversified over the years and the output of both fans and the company behind the gaming icon. There’ll also be some surprises in store, Sonic in attendance and the chance to get a play on Sonic Chronicles a good couple of months before it comes out. Anybody intending to come will need to register their interest on the website. Find out more details at http://www.summerofsonic.com.

If you fancy spending a day running round with blue face paint on (if they don’t have blue face paint, I’m going to cry), make sure to get yourself registered with the Summer of Sonic website and we’ll see you there.

Do you feel like a mindless minion at work, slaving away for the glory of your overlord boss? Well, you may be able to get something for those months or years of drudgery. How does a PlayStation 3 sound?

Codemasters is searching for a real-life Overlord in a contest to promote the upcoming Overlord: Raising Hell for the PS3. The game arrives in Europe on June 20th and in North America on the 24th.

Codemasters is asking UK employees to anonymously send stories of their most bizarre boss experiences. Winners will get a copy of the Overlord: Raising Hell and yup, a PS3 to play it in. To enter, send in your entry to worst.boss@codemasters.com. The weirdest and funniest stories are printed on www.codemasters.co.uk/worstboss.

It’s a shame that this contest is only running in the UK, because a friend of mine can send his story of his wackjob ex-boss who would have acid flashbacks at work. He’d often assign people to do things then turn around and yell at them, wondering why they were doing them in the first place. I’m sure any of you can top that story though!

Fancy adding a few more games to your Wii collection quickly and (fairly) cheaply? Nintendo’s WiiWare has launched today in the EU, allowing you to do just that.

If you didn’t already know, WiiWare is Nintendo’s downloadable content service that allows Wii owners to download original content, as opposed to the strictly old school content found in Wii Shop Channel.

If this turns out to be anything like Xbox Live Arcade or the Playstation Network then it can only be a good thing, both for games as a whole and smaller games companies looking to show just how damn good they are. Poker Smash, N+, Everyday Shooter… these downloadable XBLA and PSN games are awesome!

Star Soldier R

As with many Wii games, I’m sure the lure of releasing a game onto WiiWare where all you have to do is waggle the Wiimote for thirty minutes in order to complete it will be too hard to avoid for many third party developers. Here’s hoping that won’t be the case.

Six games are now available for download, one from Nintendo themselves and five from third party developers.

Now, if Nintendo would just hurry up and release some form of adequate storage device, for the people who have already filled their quota with Virtual Console games, then this release would be good news for everyone!

Full list of games and prices are below. Many of these are also available in the U.S. as well.

Dr. Mario & Germ Buster (Nintendo) – remake of the classic Dr. Mario, which utilizes the Wiimote and includes online play. (1000 points – Approx GBP 7 / EUR 10).

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life As A King (Square Enix) – City building game with a Final Fantasy type storyline. (1500 points – GBP 10.50 / EUR 15).

LostWinds (Frontier) – Puzzle/Platform allowing you to control the power of the wind. (1000 points – GBP 7 / EUR 10).

Star Soldier R (Hudson Soft) – Top down shooter, lots of colour, flashy lights, things that go bang; you get the idea. (800 points – GBP 5.60 / EUR 8).

Toki Tori (Two Tribes) – Puzzle/platformer allowing you to control the power of a chicken. (900 points – GBP 6.30 / EUR 9).

TV Show King (Gameloft) – Guess what… quiz game! (1000 points – GBP 7 / EUR 10).

Fear not European’s, Sony is bringing the Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Playstation 3 bundle to Europe on June 12th.

The bundle will include a copy of the game, the Playstation 3 itself, a Sixaxis controller and cost €439.99.

The main point of contention is that a Sixaxis is included rather than the new DualShock 3. Sony claims this is “one of the most exciting bundles to date”, though I personally think it’s rather lacklustre.

Hopefully alternative MGS4 bundles will be announced down the line, which will include the DualShock3.

Even though I’m dying to get a limited edition gunmetal PS3, no rumble, no sale.

Source:  Kotaku

Konami have had a lot of trouble with the Metal Gear Online Beta, from wrong codes, to mysterious Konami and Gamer ID’s.  Events have gone from bad to worse, with their servers being unable to hack the influx of players.  The Beta is delayed indefinitely in the US and Europe, and has been officially delayed until the 25th April in Japan.

Don’t worry though, this is what Beta’s are for.  Hopefully with our patient help, the launch of the retail game will be a smooth process without this list of problems. As for the Beta, there will be another announcement tomorrow as to when it will be up and running again:

We would like to thank all players for their keen interest in taking part in the beta test. However, we regret to inform you that due to extraordinary levels of traffic from all around the globe, we have been unable to run the service to the level we expected.

As a temporary measure, we will be deferring the start of the US public beta test until we are able to stabilize our server. We would like to apologize for all inconveniences as well as confusion caused.

We would like to add that due to the above reasons, we will be making the following changes to the schedule:

1) Starting date: TBA. We will be making another announcement on 22/4/2008 23:00(PDT)
2) Beta Test closure: This will now be on 11/05/2008 at 24:00(PDT) rather than 06/05/2008 at 24:00(PDT)

At least the Beta has been extended.  How long will the delay be?  We expect it to launch at the same time as the Japan Beta, which was meant to continue online despite problems in the US and Europe.  The Japan Beta will relaunch this Friday:

Japan plans to resume beta test: 2008.04.25 (Friday) until midnight.
Japanese beta test completion date: 2008.05.11 (days) until midnight.

It’s at times like these that we should remind ourselves patience is a virtue and gaming is a luxury…  Yeah, right.

Source: Konami.jp

*Update* – Konami’s website has now been updated to include the US and Europe in the April 25th relaunch date:

Start date: Planned for 04/25/2008 24:00(PDT). While the start is planned for the weekend, it may change due to unforseen circumstances.

No, we don’t like the possibility of further delays either.

With the 2008 UEFA European Championships just around the corner, UEFA Euro 2008 steps forward to satisfy the fans of football (also known as soccer, to some) who are hungry for goals, dives and, in England’s case, disappointment. Is this merely a repackaged Fifa 08, or does it have something more to offer?

First things first: Yes, England (and the other home nations) are included in the game, as are every other nation that took part in the qualifying stages. This means it’s possible to change the course of history and guide England, past Croatia and Russia, into the finals and all the way to cup glory. So if that was all you were worried about, you need not worry any longer.

What is most impressive about this game is that it certainly is not just a repackaged Fifa 08. The developers seem to have taken into account the criticisms levelled at the game and have reworked the gameplay to an impressive degree, given the relatively short period between the two games release.

You can’t help but applaud EA Sports on this one, they really do seem to be focused on innovating and improving this franchise to match the performance capabilities of the current generation of hardware. This is something Konami, and their Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) series, needs to learn, and fast, because on the evidence of this game, they’re in danger of being dealt a knockout blow the next time Fifa and PES do battle.

If you’ve played Fifa 08, the first thing you’ll notice with UEFA 2008 is just how much faster this game plays in comparison. Fifa 08 was often criticised for being too much of a passing game– it didn’t really allow players to knock the ball past defenders and have a crack on goal.

This time around, running straight at the defense with a quick attacking player will often lead to a goal. The defenders will just not be able to keep up. This adds a whole new layer to the gameplay that was sorely lacking in last year’s Fifa, and makes this a much more enjoyable experience.

In addition to an increased pace, the A.I. seems to have also gone through a bit of an overhaul. In comparison to Fifa 08 and PES 2008, it feels as though you’re taking on an actual team, rather than a few fancy (or not so fancy) algorithms.

Opposing players will pass it around you with a fluid ease that makes Arsenal’s passing prowess look distinctly schoolboy. You’ll also see players taking shots from impossible distances and angles that have no hope of hitting their target, but what is neat about this is that it only tends to happen with players that try similar antics in real life, so don’t be surprised to see this happen a lot when you go up against a team such as Portugal.

Graphically the game neither disappoints nor impresses. It seems to be running the same graphics engine as Fifa 08 during match play and it serves its purpose well enough. What is impressive however, is the level of detail in terms of presentation. As you’d expect, being an EA Sports title, the game menus all look beautiful and are stuffed full of the official logos and artwork that have been licensed for this game.

All the stadiums that will host the tournament this summer are present and correct, and a special mention needs to go to the quality of the crowd noise. Fans will sing team specific chants and anthems, when the team is performing well, and notably there are multiples of these for each team.

Of course, no discussion of a sports title would be complete without mentioning something about the quality of the commentary. In the English language version of the game, this is taken care of by Clive Tyldesley and Andy Townsend.

Compared to other recent football titles, it’s fairly impressive, due in mostly to the fact that it takes a slightly more conversational style. This means they’ll often go off on a long dialogue about a specific player, or team, rather than just describing the action. While it doesn’t reach the quality of the announcers in a game like NBA 2K8 it’s certainly a step in the right direction.

In terms of game modes there are a couple of interesting additions. As well as the obvious inclusive of the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament itself, and various exhibition modes (both online and off), you also have Captain Your Country and Story of Qualifying.

Captain Your Country is an expansion of the Be A Pro mode found in Fifa 08, in which you control only one member of your selected team. Rather than just being an exhibition only game mode (as Be A Pro was), Captain Your Country encourages you to create a player from scratch and then earn your way into the national squad, eventually proving yourself worthy of the captain’s armband.

For football fans with enough patience, this mode is extremely satisfying. The improved A.I. of your teammates means they can usually understand your intentions when, for example, you’re making a run into space, they’re able to recognise this and pass the ball accordingly.

After each match you gain experience based on a number of categories; goals, assists, passes, tackles and perhaps most interestingly, positioning. This means that if you choose to be a central midfielder you can’t just sit up front with the strikers and try to put the ball in the back of the net; you’ll have to give a hand to the defense when the time comes if you want to earn maximum points.

Story of Qualifying is a scenario-based game type in which you must match (or better) certain scenarios that occurred during the qualifying stages of the tournament. For example, one of the earlier scenarios challenges you to come back from a two-goal deficit against Romania using Bulgaria. The twist? There’s only ten minutes left in the game. This mode offers a good change of pace and is fun to drop in and out of for shorter gaming sessions.

Overall, though, there isn’t that much content to keep you satisfied for long. With a limited number of players and teams, and a lack of game modes this is a game you probably won’t be playing, outside of multiplayer, much after the tournament itself ends on June 29th.

There are a couple of other drawbacks as well. While the graphics during gameplay (on my 360) are good enough, the cut-scenes graphics– goal celebrations, substitutions, replays etc.– are not so great. Player models look poor and, in some cases, barely resemble their real life counterparts. There also seems to be some frame-rate issues and the odd glitch (the pitch flickering constantly from green to black for example), which ruin the atmosphere during these moments.

It’s a shame, because I really would like to give this game a higher score, but the aforementioned lack of content and animation issues mean I can’t do that. If you are a huge football game fan, or you can’t wait to live the dream of taking your country to the finals, then think about picking this up, if not, you should probably wait for the 2009 versions of either Fifa or PES.

After rumours that the Xbox 360 would be seeing a price cut in Europe, today is the day Amazon.co.uk let the numbers slip before the end of the announcement’s NDA. The NDA has now been lifted. Follow the jump for the new prices and PR.

Not only have Amazon.co.uk listed the new prices, they have cut them by a further £10. As far as price drop rumour rumblings, these came from the German Financial Times and two stores in the Netherlands. The price cut was rumoured to be as follows:

Xbox 360 Arcade – from €279.95 to €199.95
Xbox 360 Premium + 2 games – from €399 to €299.95
Xbox 360 Elite – from €449 to €399.95

Amazon.co.uk can now confirm the new UK prices. The Xbox 360 Arcade will drop from £199.99 to £159.99 (cheaper than the Nintendo Wii no less, a phenomenon we can recall from December 2007), the Xbox 360 Premium from £249.99 to £199.99, and the Xbox 360 Elite from £299.99 to £259.99.

The Xbox 360 Elite is still priced considerably higher than the Premium even though the value added does not appear to match £60. Still, at a further £10 off of each model at Amazon.co.uk, Microsoft have set themselves up for some jolly shopping by the time Grand Theft Auto IV comes out. This is especially clear when compared to the PS3’s current cost of £284.99 at the online retailer.

You’ll find that the price cut will be officially announced at approximately 2pm GMT today.

*Update 12.55pm GMT* Amazon.co.uk have returned their Xbox 360 prices to the original costing, presumably because they have jumped in front of the official press release. Thankfully we have a screenshot to prove the price drop.

*Update 2.20pm GMT* Just after 2pm, as I predicted, the Microsoft Press Release comes. The price cuts will be effective in Europe as of March 14th.

Microsoft today announced it is lowering the estimated retail price (ERP) for its Xbox 36 family of consoles in Europe. Now with an entry-level ERP of £159.99, Xbox 360 is a mass market entertainment proposition with something to offer for every interest and budget.

From Friday, 14th March, Xbox 360, which includes a 20GB hard drive and one wireless controller, will have an ERP of £199.99 – a saving of £50 on the current ERP. The Xbox 360 Elite, which comes with a massive 120GB hard drive enabling consumers to store huge quantities of content downloaded from Xbox LIVE Marketplace as well as their own music, will have an ERP of £259.99 – a saving of £40. The Xbox 360 Arcade console, perfect for those wishing to make their first foray into the gaming and entertainment world of Xbox, will have an ERP of £159.99 – a saving of £40.

Xbox 360 is the number one next-gen console in EMEA, owning 42% of the market in terms of life-to-date revenue. Xbox 360 continues to enjoy the highest software attach rate of any game console in Europe with more than 7.0 games sold per console (PS3: 3.8; Wii 3.5) after 26 months on the market.

The new ERPs are part of Microsoft’s ongoing strategy to open up the ultimate in high-definition gaming and entertainment to an even wider audience, with an offering for everyone.

“Xbox 360 is now mass market in Europe,” said Chris Lewis, Vice President, Microsoft Interactive Entertainment Business Europe. “We have reached and surpassed several key milestones that form part of our long term strategic plan to achieve critical mass in Europe; and our portfolio now offers the kind of mainstream entertainment experiences that secure wider appeal for Xbox 360. These factors allow us to execute on our strategy to widen the market for Xbox 360, as planned.

“We continue to offer intense, immersive gaming experiences for gamers – but now we’re priced in a way that will allow new consumers to find out for themselves why Xbox 360 is the ultimate in high-definition entertainment.” said Lewis. “History shows that £159.99 is the price point where a console’s audience begins to expand, and with these new ERPs in place we’re ready to bring more consumers into the Xbox 360 world.”

Credit: Gamer.nl for magazine scan
Full Press Release can be found at MCV.UK
Xbox 360 Price Cut Q&A with Chris Lewis, Regional Vice President Xbox Europe: Wonderwallweb.com

Sony Computer Entertainment of Europe has confirmed that two different PS3 bundles are going to making their way into Europe. Both are going to be the 40GB SKU with a Sixaxis One. One contains Gran Turismo 5: Prologue and the other (initially only available to the French) packs 3 Blu-Rays: 300, Casino Royale, and Spiderman 3.

The Blu-Ray bundle may later expand to Spain/Italy. Both sets are due for a March 28th release.

I say Europeans are only semi-lucky because both bundles are priced at €399. What do you have to show for this price? No backwards compatibility and a Sixaxis (instead of a DualShock 3).

Although I applaud Sony for trying to add value, they could’ve at least included software backwards compatibility and a DualShock 3, which will more or less render the Sixaxis obsolete. Unless you enjoy a lack of rumble, that is.

At least some good comes of this. For you car-heads across the pond, this confirms a March 28th release of GT5: P, if not sooner.

Although, given the choice. I’d still go for that just announced snazzy MGS4PS3, partly because I love acronyms.

Source: Next-Gen.biz

It’s not surprising because of the install base of each console in Japan, but what shouldn’t be scoffed at is that each version of DMC4 had a 60% sell through. Here are the relevant numbers:

DMC4 PS3: 140k
DMC4 Xbox 360: 30k

With the price of DMC4 apparently $10/£10 cheaper on the Xbox 360, we expect this version to do very well.

In other news, Wii’s Super Smash Brothers Brawl smashes DMC4 to bits, selling 500k in an 80% sell through.

Source.

With the rise of the Wii, casual gaming has taken off and what better way to advertise it than to set it against the background of hardcore gaming titles. Insomniac’s Resistance: Fall of Man is the first to the table, with a “Resistance: Fall of Mandy” poster displaying a girl who is supposedly Mandy, being carried by a European metrosexual man.

It wasn’t the only game to be in (or out) of the joke, with “Couch of Duty” and “Make Up Of Honor” making their own appearances. Who’s could tell Nintendo to Ninten-don’t, when they’re advertising has been nothing short of spectacular – the whole world has gone Wii mad.

Read our review of Ghost Squad here, and check out the rest of this odd ad campaign below.

Source: Wii Insider

Thanks to Destructoid for the riske title image.

The US Store is taking a break this week and a well deserved one, since last weeks update was bursting. But to keep us impatient folks happy SCEE have provided three gifts on the European Playstation Store:

Snakeball Demo (free)
The Club demo (free)
Super Stardust HD demo (and free Upgrade)

It’s about time we saw a Super Stardust HD demo. Being one of the best PSN games, it’ll now have a chance to sell itself. In addition, if you already have the full game, then downloading the demo will upgrade it to join the rumbling ranks and Custom Soundtrack supporters. Hopefully this is a sign that the clan support update that we spied a couple of weeks ago will be on its way soon.

Seeing The Club was a surprise, especially since it’s landed in Europe and on the Playstation 3 first. Weighing in at 1.7GB, it’s quite beefy. How juicy it is, we’ll let you know.

The Official Playstation Magazine placed Play TV at a guesstimate price of £70 and a loose release date of between January and April 2008. Play.com have solidified the price to 154.99 Euro’s and provided its shoppers with a release date of 28th March next year.

Whether this is a typical retailers approximation designed to generate pre-orders, or an unofficial confirmation from Sony to Play.com is anyone’s guess. But it sounds about right.

Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store will be open for business on 11th December for the UK, Ireland, France and Germany. Films will come with the following prices:

Standard definition: From 250 MS Points
HD: From 380 MS Points

The “from” is a tad worrying, I’d prefer it to say “up to” or “max”, but nevertheless I don’t expect they’ll be that pricey.

Microsoft seem to be stepping on the toes of Sony, for they have recently announced their Playstation TV service which will be launched this month in Japan. Nonetheless Sony haven’t announced a movie download service yet, but since they own so many Hollywood studios, and presuming it wouldn’t jeoperdise Blu-ray sales, we could see the same very soon on the Playstation3.

However, Microsoft have got the 1up again and Robin Truchy, Director of Xbox LIVE for Europe, makes the video Marketplaces advantages very clear:

“Xbox Live Marketplace Video Store in Europe is all about adding to the ever-expanding number of entertainment choices that our consumers have on their Xbox 360. We want to give them the entertainment they want, in the format they want, when they want it and at an affordable price. We were already offering HD games, HD music videos and the option to enjoy HD-DVD format films, now we are offering HD movies to download and rent as well. This is very exciting for us and the consumer.”

And now here are the films split into the different locations:

UK/Ireland

300
HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE
HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS
ZODIAC
MATRIX, THE
MATRIX REVOLUTIONS, THE
MATRIX RELOADED, THE
OCEAN’S ELEVEN
PERFECT STORM, THE
SWORDFISH
THREE KINGS
TRAINING DAY
FUGITIVE, THE
RISKY BUSINESS
SPACE COWBOYS
EYES WIDE SHUT
ANALYZE THIS
DEMOLITION MAN
ERASER
EXECUTIVE DECISION
LETHAL WEAPON 3
LETHAL WEAPON 4
LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION
MARS ATTACKS!
CLASH OF THE TITANS
SUPERMAN III
DEAD CALM

France

THE GOOD GERMAN
MATRIX, THE
MATRIX REVOLUTIONS, THE
MATRIX RELOADED, THE
OCEAN’S ELEVEN
PERFECT STORM, THE
SWORDFISH
THREE KINGS
TRAINING DAY
FUGITIVE, THE
RISKY BUSINESS
SPACE COWBOYS
EYES WIDE SHUT
ANALYZE THIS
DEMOLITION MAN
ERASER
EXECUTIVE DECISION
LETHAL WEAPON 3
LETHAL WEAPON 4
LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION
MARS ATTACKS!
CLASH OF THE TITANS
SUPERMAN III
DEAD CALM
TAXI 4
ARTHUR ET LES MINIMOYS
TAXI 2
ONG BAK
FIGHTER IN THE WIND
MICHEL VAILLANT
MICHOU D’AUBER
WASABI
TIGER BLADE
HAUTE TENSION
RIRE & CHATIMENT
15 AOUT

Germany

300
HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE
HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS
MATRIX, THE
MATRIX REVOLUTIONS, THE
MATRIX RELOADED, THE
OCEAN’S ELEVEN (2001)
PERFECT STORM, THE
SWORDFISH
THREE KINGS
TRAINING DAY
FUGITIVE, THE (1993)
RISKY BUSINESS
SPACE COWBOYS
EYES WIDE SHUT
ANALYZE THIS
DEMOLITION MAN
ERASER
EXECUTIVE DECISION
LETHAL WEAPON 3
LETHAL WEAPON 4
LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION
MARS ATTACKS!
CLASH OF THE TITANS
SUPERMAN III
DEAD CALM

Source: Totally360

Most signs point to a Playstation 3 recovery after a price cut and a solid advertisement campaign. Moreover, the all important quality titles are starting to hit, from Ratchet and Clank to Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. Even Assassin’s Creed ads only sport the Playstation 3 logo, showing Sony has got something right at last.

Yet there are other signs to suggest that perhaps this increase in sales is not as large as we and Sony think it is. We know Sony is very good at getting enough stock to retailers, but Playstation 3’s are in abundance after Black Friday. That needn’t be of too much significance though, since the hard to find Wii is severely understocked, and Sony can take advantage of the hungry buyers who can’t get hold of Nintendo’s offering.

Nevertheless, a 300% increase in the US may not be that much if both the Wii and the Xbox360 saw similar gains during the holidays. Here in the original article I looked at Amazon charts for the location of each of the consoles on the bestsellers list.

However, after listening to all your comments, which I truly appreciate, the relevance of looking at Amazon charts is put into question. The original article puts the charts into context and suggests the significant drop that has seen the PS3 at that position for well over a week, is perhaps a sign that the sales for the console are not as high when compared to its competitors.

Update: 11/28/07

Instead, lets now look at some more numbers to perhaps support my original scepticism. There’s no doubt that the PS3 is selling better than it used to, if not much better. Therefore, if we take a cross section of recent PS3 sales we can have a better understanding of things. We can use recent Famitsu numbers and predictions from VGChartz (the accuracy of VGChartz is known to be up to 15% out of more official numbers from NPD, so they too must be taken with a pinch of salt).

Looking at the worldwide numbers from the week ending November 18th, in Japan the PS3 sold a whopping 53,000 units, compared to the Wii at 36,000 and the Xbox360 at a dismal 6,000. In Europe, the Wii leads with 132,000 units, followed by the PS3 at 84,000 and the Xbox360 at 58,000 units sold. In the United States, the PS3 is last at 95,000 units, followed by the Xbox360 at 163,000 and the Wii at 254,000.

Totting up these numbers we get an approximate world total of 422,000 for the Wii, 232,000 for the PS3, and 227,000 for the Xbox360. So here it can be seen that although the Playstation 3 leads in two major sections of world sales, it comes in almost equal with the Xbox360. This of course is impressive, considering the past numbers the PS3 was doing, but in comparison to increases from competing consoles, the PS3 is selling well but not that well.

Where does Sony’s reported 300% sales increase come from? Without official numbers it is difficult to hazard a guess, but once again looking at the estimates from VGChartz we can perhaps see. Sony said there was a 300% increase since the 2nd of November. Well on the week ending the 3rd November, VGChartz lists the PS3 as selling 55,000 in the US. Comparing to their forecast of this weeks sales (week ending 25th November), a staggering 174,000 PS3’s were sold. You can now see an approximate three fold increase. Sony could have made their increase sound even more impressive by using sales numbers from the week ending 20th October, where the PS3 sold only 28,000 meaning they could have reported an insane 600% increase in sales!

However, although this increase is impressive for the previously lagging console, looking at US numbers for the other consoles in the week ending 25th November, the Xbox360 has an increase to 254,000 and the Wii an increase to over 350,000 as reported by Nintendo themselves. In conclusion, the Playstation3 is certainly making a come back, but when compared to the increases made by other consoles in this Holiday period, it’s not selling as magnificently as we may have thought after Sony’s press release.

NB: The above picture can either be interpreted as the Playstation3 defenders in the guise of Darth Vader, as I in the green cower in front of you. Or Darth Vader could be seen as the Playstation 3 itself showing its dominance in recent sales, with the man in green being the Xbox360, and the storm troopers behind representing the huge numbers of the Wii.

We have seen reports from Japan and Europe showing that Playstation 3 sales are up, even thrashing the Wii in Japan three weeks running. Yesterday saw Sony boast a 300% sales increase in America since the beginning of November. But are things really that rosy for the Japanese giant?

Most signs point to a Playstation 3 recovery after a price cut and a solid advertisement campaign. Moreover, the all important quality titles are starting to hit, from Ratchet and Clank to Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. Even Assassin’s Creed ads only sport the Playstation 3 logo, showing Sony has got something right at last.

Yet there are other signs to suggest that perhaps this increase in sales is not as large as we and Sony think it is. We know Sony is very good at getting enough stock to retailers, but Playstation 3’s are in abundance after Black Friday. That needn’t be of too much significance though, since the hard to find Wii is severely understocked, and Sony can take advantage of the hungry buyers who can’t get hold of Nintendo’s offering.

Nevertheless, a 300% increase in the US may not be that much if both the Wii and the Xbox360 saw similar gains during the holidays. Just a little look at Amazon.com’s best sellers list we can find the Xbox360 at Number 12, the Wii at Number 24 and the Playstation 3 all the way down at place 44.

The Playstation 3’s price cut and new 40GB model also saw big gains in the United Kingdom, with the console being in the top 10 of Amazon.co.uk’s best sellers list week after week. However, looking at this list now, sees the Wii at an impressive Number 5, the Xbox360 at a respectable 19, the Playstation 2 at a surprising Number 29 and the Playstation 3 at the shocking Number 71.

Looking at Amazon charts of course does not necessarily reflect on the reality of things, but it can hint at an underlying trend. Take it all with a pinch of salt, but the Playstation 3 has rarely been at those extreme lows on Amazon. It could of course be a sign that people are out shopping for Christmas, rather than shopping online, but then you’d expect that to be the same for competing consoles.

So what are we asking here? Of course more evidence is needed. But is the increase in Playstation 3 sales really that impressive if the competing consoles have also increased in sales. Furthermore, could the increase be a short lived side effect after the price cut? Online sales suggest this, but more official numbers for each of the three consoles will be needed to discover the real story.

To lighten the mood, there is a second-hand Playstation 3 on sale at Amazon.co.uk for only £200! The catch can be seen in this comment: “Has been kicked a few times!!! Don’t think it’s working anymore.” Haha, O.K.

How is the Playstation 3 really doing?

Update: 11/28/07
Lets look at some more numbers to perhaps support this scepticism. There’s no doubt that the PS3 is selling better than it used to, if not much better. Therefore, if we take a cross section of recent PS3 sales we can have a better understanding of things. We can use recent Famitsu numbers and predictions from VGChartz (the accuracy of VGChartz is known to be up to 15% out of more official numbers from NPD, so they too must be taken with a pinch of salt).

Looking at the worldwide numbers from the week ending November 18th, in Japan the PS3 sold a whopping 53,000 units, compared to the Wii at 36,000 and the Xbox360 at a dismal 6,000. In Europe, the Wii leads with 132,000 units, followed by the PS3 at 84,000 and the Xbox360 at 58,000 units sold. In the United States, the PS3 is last at 95,000 units, followed by the Xbox360 at 163,000 and the Wii at 254,000.

Totting up these numbers we get an approximate world total of 422,000 for the Wii, 232,000 for the PS3, and 227,000 for the Xbox360. So here it can be seen that although the Playstation 3 leads in two major sections of world sales, it comes in almost equal with the Xbox360. This of course is impressive, considering the past numbers the PS3 was doing, but in comparison to increases from competing consoles, the PS3 is selling well but not that well.

Where does Sony’s reported 300% sales increase come from? Without official numbers it is difficult to hazard a guess, but once again looking at the estimates from VGChartz we can perhaps see. Sony said there was a 300% increase since the 2nd of November. Well on the week ending the 3rd November, VGChartz lists the PS3 as selling 55,000 in the US. Comparing to their forecast of this weeks sales (week ending 25th November), a staggering 174,000 PS3’s were sold. You can now see an approximate three fold increase. Sony could have made their increase sound even more impressive by using sales numbers from the week ending 20th October, where the PS3 sold only 28,000 meaning they could have reported an insane 600% increase in sales!

However, although this increase is impressive for the previously lagging console, looking at US numbers for the other consoles in the week ending 25th November, the Xbox360 has an increase to 254,000 and the Wii an increase to over 350,000 as reported by Nintendo themselves. In conclusion, the Playstation3 is certainly making a come back, but when compared to the increases made by other consoles in this Holiday period, it’s not selling as magnificently as we may have thought after Sony’s press release.

Sony will start selling a new configuration of their Playstation 3 console in Europe starting October 10th of this year. The new model will have a 40-gigabyte hard drive compared to the 60-gigabyte model out right now.

Sony is listing the price of the 40-gigabyte model at 399 euros ($564.17 U.S.) and will lower the price of their 60-gigabyte model from 599 euros to 499 euros ($705.56 U.S.).

In an effort to keep the price down, the 40-gigabyte model will not feature backwards compatibility for older Playstation games. So if the ability to play your Playstation 2 games is important to you, the 60-gigabyte model is the way to go.

Does the release of this 40-gigabyte model in Europe mean that the U.S. can look forward to the same soon? As the holiday season approaches, one can only hope that the answer will be yes. It would seem only logical if Sony hopes to steal some of the Wii’s thunder. Ripten will keep you posted.