Yes, I’m British. I spell “rumour” with two u’s. What U going to do about it? Well hopefully you’ll have no time to do anything, because either you’ll be embedded in Snake’s final mission on the Playstation 3, or engrossed in one of Snake’s first on the Xbox 360.

Yes, with knowledge comes…well, snappy Ripten headings, and this time it could read; “Metal Gear Solid Coming to the Xbox 360.” At least, not in the form you might expect. As we all know MGS4 couldn’t possibly fit on a measley DVD, but Metal Gear Solid 1 might fit into 350mb (though even that’s questionable.)

Indeedy do, MGS may be following its tactical steps onto the Japan PSN Store by infiltrating Xbox Live Arcade. This is not too surprising, since the series has made its way onto non-Playstation consoles a number of times, and Microsoft even published MGS for the PC release.

I expect you’re asking how we know, or who our source is. Lets just say a reliable individual tapped into our codec frequency after spying the game on a certain pre-release network. We shall say no more – nudge nudge, wink wink – except this; there are problems in bringing Kojima’s masterpiece to this new playing field.

Naturally, rumours can turn out to be false, so we’ll bring you more information as it becomes available.

*Update* – Some have responded rather violently to this story, so I must mention a few words of solace. This was posted as rumour, not fact. Nor is the rumour itself any challenge to PlayStation fans. I am not talking of Metal Gear Solid 4 being ported to the Xbox 360, but a 10 year old classic that has found its way onto a number of platforms, with Microsoft themselves publishing the PC conversion.

Of course, it’s hard to understand how MGS1 could fit into 350mb due to the lengthy dialogue, but it wouldn’t be surprising for Microsoft to make an exception.

I originally withheld our evidence due to possible difficulties, but after the response I will spell it out. MGS was spied by our contact on PartnerNet, the developers-only Xbox Live network used to beta-test unreleased downloadable Xbox 360 games.

Moreover, we’ve reported on rumours in the past and have mostly been proved correct. One notable example was our article on MGS4 using a 50GB Blu-ray, which was subsequently sourced around the web and on the infamous Neogaf forums. The news was finally confirmed by Ryan Payton in the following week’s Kojima Productions Report.

Of course rumours may offend you, for which this story is not of interest, but if they do interest you, we’re pretty confident in our sources this time.

We reported that BioShock would be coming to the PS3 back on May 22nd, however what we did not know at that time was that it would be “genetically enhanced”. The official press release (also genetically enhanced with extra vitamins, minerals, and marketing mumbo jumbo) can be found below.

PS: We apologize for not knowing that the game was going to be genetically enhanced initially, we have taken steps to assure this won’t happen again. As we speak, Dylan is being shackled down to a radioactive conductor “thing” against his will. The new and improved “genetically enhanced” version of Dylan will not make the same mistake twice.

2K Games Injects PLAYSTATION 3 System Owners with Genetically Enhanced Version of BioShock
2K Games Injects PLAYSTATION®3 System Owners with Genetically Enhanced Version of BioShock®

New York, NY – May 28, 2008 – 2K Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), announced today that BioShock®, the “genetically enhanced” story-driven action game, is in development for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system at 2K Marin. The PLAYSTATION 3 system title will be released in October 2008 with new features and content that heighten the award-winning experience.

BioShock for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Games for Windows® was released in 2007 and received numerous Game of the Year honors from prestigious organizations including Associated Press, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), Game Informer, Spike TV’s VGAs and Paste Magazine. BioShock’s extension to the PLAYSTATION 3 system will bring exciting new content to this amazing title and reach many new players, while giving the title the opportunity to once again be named Game of the Year.

“Since BioShock for Xbox 360 and Games for Windows won countless 2007 Game of the Year awards, we are excited to see the impact of this stellar title for the PLAYSTATION 3 system when it debuts this fall,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “Over the coming months we look forward to revealing the new features and content that will make this a must-have game for its new audience, as well as for those who enjoyed it on the other platforms.”

BioShock is a narrative-driven action experience that allows players to do the impossible as they journey through an amazing, immersive and terrifying world. Caught between powerful forces and hunted down by genetically mutated citizens, the player will come to grips with the mysterious and fascinating world of Rapture, a distinct Art Deco underwater utopia gone mad. BioShock not only challenges the players’ capacity to adapt and survive, but brings to question their values and commitment to the inhabitants of Rapture. With smart and adaptive AI, no encounter ever plays out the same, while numerous customization options provide gamers with an experience that adapts to their playing style.

As one of the highest-rated titles of 2007, BioShock was unanimously praised by the editorial industry’s top critics:

“While delivering a level of intrigue you rarely see in games, its most captivating element is its gameplay – which I can easily say delivers the most rewarding and adrenaline-filled experience I have ever had with an FPS.” – Game Informer Magazine, 10 out of 10, Game of the Year

“There’s ample flexibility in the game’s linear storyline that makes a second run through Rapture’s unique brand of madness an exciting prospect.” – Associated Press, 4 stars out of 4

“Why settle for watching the hero in a film have a thrilling adventure when you can all but live a narrative this masterfully woven.” – Paste Magazine, Game of the Year

“BioShock stands as a monolithic example of the convergence of entertaining gameplay and an irresistibly sinister, engrossing storyline that encompasses a host of multifaceted characters. This is an essential gaming experience.” – IGN.com, 9.7 out of 10, Editor’s Choice Award

“More so than any other game in recent memory, BioShock is dripping with atmosphere and intrigue, and it’s one of those rare titles where story, dialogue and character development are just as important as the action sequences.” – USA Today, 9 stars out of 10

BioShock for the PLAYSTATION 3 system will be available in October 2008 and is not yet rated by the ESRB. For more information on BioShock, visit www.bioshockgame.com.

Playstation 3 owners who felt left in the dust after 360 and PC users got their hands on Bioshock will be happy to hear that Big Daddy will be stomping his way onto the Playstation 3 for the 2008 holiday season. Hit the jump to read more.

According to a flurry of websites, the news is being reported the latest issues of game magazines EGM, PSM3, and Swedish magazine GameReactor. The latest issue of EGM also has some screenshots as well as an interview with Jordan Thomas (the man taking the reigns from Ken Levine) about the future of the series.

Sources: 1UP, CaVG, Sixth Axis

Annoyed that you have to buy two guitar controllers to play Guitar Hero 3 and Rock Band? Frustrated because the Guitar Hero III controller doesn’t work with your Guitar Hero I and II games? Well, worry no longer.

The Ant Commandos (TAC) today announced its wireless V Shaped Double Range Guitar, which is the first controller that’s 100% compatible with all Guitar Hero and Rock Band games for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3. No word on an Xbox 360 compatible version just yet. The controller retails for $59.99 and comes in jet black, flame red, and electric blue.

TAC’s Double Range Guitar enhances players’ gameplay experience no matter which music-inclined video game or PlayStation system they are using. By utilizing 2.4GHz wireless technology, players can hurl themselves around as they thrash to the beat, up to 30 feet away from the console.

A second set of FeatherTouch fret buttons on its Xtended Fret Array allows players to fully take advantage of experiencing a full range when performing earth-shattering solos, then using the higher set for rhythm parts. The Double Range’s lower 5 buttons are 100% compatible with Rock Band’s Solo Guitar play and it offers a 5-way switch to support the sound effect feature in Rock Band.

When playing Guitar Hero, the lower 5 buttons behave just like the top 5 buttons, thus allowing gamers to simulate solo action in Guitar Hero I, II, and III.

Additionally, gamers will be able to rock out like a true musician with the 360FLY Clip, a special belt clip that attaches to the guitar with a single pivot point, allowing players to wildly spin the guitar to replicate the moves of their favorite famous guitarists.

After reporting on the native rendering resolution of the Haze demo, some questioned my reasoning that the final game would sport the same resolution. This is despite there seldom being an example of a game’s resolution differing from its demo. In visiting Free Radical’s studio near Nottingham, creative lead Derek Littlewood confirmed our suspicions.

When I mentioned our story, Derek told me that the final game does indeed render at 1024by576, contrary to what is said by Ubisoft on the Playstation Blog; “From some other comments I read, I wanted to clarify that the game runs at 720p resolution.” Of course, Haze will output at 720p since the Playstation 3 can upscale, but this is not reflective of the game’s native resolution. Derek exclusively told us why they made the decision to render at a lower than HD resolution:

We prioritise a nice smooth framerate over a different res. Personally, I don’t really buy the whole thing. People did the same with Call of Duty, they did the same with Halo, and they say with those games ‘It’s not running at true HD!’ And it’s like, I don’t care. If the game looks good and it runs smoothly, those are the important things to me.

In asking whether the resolution was decided towards the end of development, Derek replied:

Yes. Well, as you develop an engine you’re aiming for a certain thing, but as all the pieces slot into place, you end up realising what sort of resolution you can run it at and that’s where we ended up with for Haze.

If you were to move forward with our next games, then as we optimise the engine we might be going, ‘Oh yeah, we’ll step things up and change things.’ But then different games we work on might have different requirements, so things may change there again. It’s all about how you use the resources you’ve got. But I don’t understand why people care whether there’s 20 pixels, 50 pixels, or 100 pixels more…

Naturally, I said that it’s not only a 100 pixel difference. 720p is over 300,000 pixels more than 576p:

Well, I always say, judge it [Haze] by the whole experience. Sit down with it and enjoy it. If people come away from that saying ‘Yeah, the resolution was a bit lower than I was expecting’ then I hope people wouldn’t, because it has other things it does really well.

For even more Haze goodness, our friends at PS3Attitude are holding a Haze week, starting tomorrow.

EA has confirmed that the follow-up to SKATE is currently in development for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. No release date has been set at this time.

In addition to being praised for its environments and soundtrack, SKATE featured an innovative control scheme; using the thumbsticks the player could not only move around, but could launch grabs, perform manuals, accomplish flip tricks, and every other move possible. Hopefully the sequel will bring even more new features to the table.

Nintendo will also be seeing a version of SKATE on their platform in the form of SKATE It, which will utilise Wii Fit’s balance board.

Source: MCV.UK

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

Though we will get juicy new info and possibly footage of Killzone 2 today, Sony’s Playstation Day also brings the sad news that Killzone 2’s release has been pushed forward into 2009.

David Reeves, who is currently presenting to a crowd of hungry journalists, has revealed that Killzone 2 will not release until February of next year.  At least, that’s the release date for Europe.

The thought that Resistance 2 and Killzone 2 would compete was always worrying, but it’s now amusing to think that Insomniac will have put out three Playstation 3 games by the time Guerilla release their first.

Source: Gamespot

*Update* -  15 minutes of gameplay footage is on the way, so sit tight.  For now, enjoy this new image posted by Gamersyde.

(Click the image to enlarge)

Sony wants you to buy a PlayStation 3 for Metal Gear Solid 4, so they’re trying to make it as easy as possible. Aside from the bundles already announced in Japan and North America, Sony is adding three more to tempt Japanese gamers. Come see the pretty colors!

Going for 49,800 Yen, the new PS3/MGS4 bundles include the Dualshock 3 controller, a copy of MGS4 and the 40GB PS3 hardware in one of three colors: Clear Black, Ceramic White and Satin Silver.

The package is invitingly titled “Welcome Box”.

Now, Konami, how about you let us know in North America how we’re going to get the bundles you’ve announced for us and what’s up with the special edition hardware? It’s not often we get special colors over here and all anyone will tell me is that EB doesn’t take pre-orders for hardware.

This could get messy.

Source and pics: Watch.Impress.co.jp

Over this past weekend a video detailing a Playstation 3 fan test made its way onto the internetz. The test runs through the fan speeds, ending in a rocket boost to blow out as much dust as possible.  Sadly, it only works on the 40GB model, so many were still left with a trusty can of compressed air, or hoover.

In an act to save all the 60GB plebs, a kid shows us how to achieve the same results.  The method he demonstrates is not going to free your PS3 of dust; it’s going to kill it like a baby goat to the slaughter house.

The first test consisted of a combination of button presses that would automatically carry out the test.  This is clearly an official test installed by Sony for its technicians to carry out and so it’s not advised that you do the same yourself. At least, don’t do it weekly.

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The next “test” sought to appease non-40GB owners.   However, it isn’t an official test, nor is it a “fan test” at all.  What is demonstrated in the following video is similar to putting your hand down a dieter’s throat to make them cough up the fat. Warning: Do the following and open yourself up to ridicule.

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It’s worrying that the demonstrator appears to think this is an actual fan test – that somehow the PS3 has a magic level installed to detect when it’s upside-down. The fan is not meant to work upside-down, nor should the vents be obstructed. So, in reality, hot air continues to circulate through the system and the fans attempt to compensate – going all the way up to its highest speeds to desperately cool down.  In effect, you’re suffocating your console.

When this kid says “You may even get a warning that your PS3 is overheating, even though it’s not,” he’s lying.  That’s exactly what it’s doing – it’s overheating and the fan is compensating.

Here’s another chap telling us to do the same thing, this time conciously covering the vent with his hand and exclaiming that “it’s not bad for it at all” and your PS3 will be “quicker” once the dust is gone:

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Here at Ripten, we have another tip for you. If you want the insides of your PS3 to be sparkling clean, turn it on inside a sauna.

If you’ve had your head in the sand, or something far worse, for the last year or so, then the words LittleBigPlanet may not mean a thing to you. If this is true, then maybe I can explain and get you excited about it reaching the Alpha stage of development.

2008 will be the year that Media Molecule release their game, LittleBigPlanet. At it’s heart, it’s a platform game that will go a long way in spinning that very old genre on it’s head. Exclusive to the Playstation 3, LittleBigPlanet will let players build their own playable levels with the aid of their in-game character, affectionately know as “Sackboy.” They can then share these levels with other PS3 owners, and even complete them co-operatively with 3 other players.

Allowing players the freedom of creativity, LittleBigPlanet looks to be a game with almost ultimate re-playability, and in essence shares something in common with another likely September release, EA’s editor driven game, Spore. O.K., the release date of LittleBigPlanet may not be official yet, but the hinted date of September looks to be in Media Molecule’s sights. Their most recent official blog update tells us that LittleBigPlanet is nearing the Alpha stage of development:

We’ve been slaving away pushing LittleBigPlanet toward the Alpha stage of its development cycle. Basically this means all the cool stuff we said will be in there should be playable, even if it isn’t pretty enough to release.

The game seems to change every day at the moment and it is very exciting to be able to sit down and play what feels more and more like a complete experience.

With Beta testing the next step from Alpha, there couldn’t be a better time to sign up to Sony’s Beta Trial Programme. You never know, you may just get the chance to play one of the most exciting PS3 titles of 2008 before it’s released.

Source: MM Blog

It almost sounds too good to be true. Almost? It is too good to be true. Could Cry Engine 2 on consoles really look any where near as good as Crysis on the PC? Crytek’s Engine Business Manager, Harald Seeley, states that they expect the console versions to “look like they’re running at high settings, or nearly high settings, on a PC.” *Shock.*

When asked what differences there would be between the PC and console versions of the Cry Engine 2, and whether the engine will be tailored to each platform, Seeley replies:

Yes, we definitely tailor the engine specifically to each platform. More than just the difference in CPU and video hardware capabilities of PCs and consoles is at play here. So are the much smaller memory budgets we must work with, the lack of a hard disk on some models, and the acceptance requirements of the hardware vendors themselves. All have an effect on how we approach each version of the engine.

The surprising thing has been how well the consoles can perform visually, once this tailoring is in place. We expect the final outcome will result in games that look like they’re running at high settings, or nearly high settings, on a PC. Actually, we found it as much or more challenging to address the memory limitations of the consoles when converting our current AI system, as we did while converting our rendering engine or physics system, which was not something you might have expected at the start.

As to the differences between Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 development, and the possibility of a Wii engine, Seeley states:

Well there is no doubt that porting our engine to the PlayStation 3 is the more challenging of our two ongoing conversion projects, but that works to our advantage in the end. We feel certain we have the ability to get the most that is possible out of that platform, and therefore PS3 games which run on our engine in the future will definitely stand significantly apart from other games that don’t.

We haven’t seen a great deal of demand for third party engines for the Wii, the limited complexity of games which can be developed for that console also limits the need for the kind of sophisticated tools and middleware which we are known for. So I doubt we will be providing any engine technology for that console in the near term.

Poor Wii, but bring out the parade for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3! For the rest of the interview, please visit IGN.

It’s hard to put exclusivity disputes to rest. What’s worrying is that there are disputes – anger and seriousness over the possibility of losing a game to the “competition.” There’s been buzz around Metal Gear Solid 4, Bioshock, and most certainly HAZE.

Free Radical’s script writer, Rob Yescombe, attempts to put the bickering to rest in this interview we held at Sony’s Playstation 3 Rooms.

What makes HAZE (and to a lesser extent Bioshock) more complicated than MGS4 and Final Fantasy XIII, is that it was originally announced for three platforms. Moreover, the game’s producer turned a presumed Playstation 3 exclusive, Assassin’s Creed, into a multiplatform game. Ubisoft don’t appear to be the exclusive type.

This begs the question, why did Free Radical choose Ubisoft as their producer this time around rather than Sony, or the previous Codemasters? Rob Yescombe had this to say of their decision:

Well their pedigree for shooters is pretty good. I mean, they’ve got a good gambit of things under their belt. And part of the pleasure of being an independent studio is you don’t have to work with the same guy every time.

It’s not that we’ve had problems with any other publishers, it’s just that in order for us to remain…er…vigilant in the market that we occupy, it’s important to know what it’s like working with various people. Ubisoft have been bloody great, I mean they’ve put us here [Playstation 3 Rooms, London.] This is nice.

Still, as a result of Ubisoft’s indecisiveness over console exclusives, there has been a continuous cycle of reports saying Haze is no longer exclusive, to it being a timed exclusive, and then to exclusive again. So what is the truth of the matter? I asked Rob whether HAZE really is Playstation 3 exclusive?

Why does everybody keep asking that? It’s a Playstation 3 exclusive. Buy a Playstation 3 and play it. I want it to be the reason people buy a Playstation 3.

That’s all well and good, but will this really put the rumours to rest? Couldn’t it just come out on another platform further down the line?

We’re a Playstation 3 exclusive. If by some magical wave of the wand that happens, I won’t be complaining. But we’re a Playstation 3 exclusive.

Rob has certainly put things into perspective. Like any good business decision, I presume it’ll all depend on the game’s sales on the Playstation 3. Still, as obvious as this sounds, people will still be talking about whether HAZE really is Playstation 3 exclusive. In reply to the sentiment that everyone is talking about HAZE’s exclusivity, Rob muses:

I find it so confusing that some people are so offended at the idea that it will be format exclusive. But it’s like people get angry about it. What are you angry about?

Indeed, what are people angry about? I expect most are annoyed by the conflicting reports from both news sites and Ubisoft/Free Radical themselves. It would help to know who’s decided on the gam’es exclusivity. Perhaps it wasn’t Ubisoft’s decision, but Free Radical’s choice to concentrate on one platform?

No, it’s not our decision.. It’s a publisher decision. And it’s not like this bizarre practice of gamers kind of demonising publishers like they’re some evil guy. Ubisoft have helped us out a lot on this game, in terms of being very supportive to the decisions that we wanted to make and to approve it.

They allowed us to delay it. You know people are so furious “Oh god, I pre-ordered this game and it’s delayed.” The fact of the matter is, what we want for people to do is not just to have a knee jerk buy at Christmas. You know, we want people to feel like they spent $50 and it was worth that money. You know, that’s what that delay was about.

In addition to delaying the game, changing focus from three platforms to just the Playstation 3 must have helped the game’s quality also:

Originally it [development] was kind of open ended. The fact of the matter is our pedigree at Free Radicial, when we were doing Timesplitters, all of that started out on Sony hardware. And so those guys have a lot of experience working in that realm.

Starting on any new hardware has its quirks, and Playstation 3 is no different, but it meant that we were able to hit the ground running maybe a little bit faster than some of the other developers that found it a bit tricky.

Hopefully such focus would enable Free Radical to concentrate more on the Playstation 3’s quirks, such as the Cell Processor:

Well, I mean, it’s something that those guys, the technical guys, are very capable of doing.

Even then, Sony’s technical wizards have been relied upon by some developers, especially before the arrival of improved Playstation 3 tools. So have Free Radical had any support from Sony’s techies?

Well to be honest with you, we haven’t really needed that kind of tech support. I mean, they’re willing and able to provide it, but we just haven’t run into that problem.

Which is pleasing to hear, since this is one game where the framerate won’t falter. Expect a locked 30fps on release. We all hope that this little interview has put HAZE’s exclusivity into context and will potentially put the bickering to rest. Then again, we’ll only be able to guess at why Ubisoft made this decision.

For more information on Haze please follow this link, or have a gander of our gallery. Stand by for our incoming hands-on preview.

Bioshock 2 was officially announced last month for a Q4 2009 release date. Now, based on recent job listings for Bioshock 2 positions, it looks as though we may see the game on multiple consoles. Hit the jump for details.

If you check out the job listing for Senior Designer here at GameSutra, you’ll see that the platforms listed are Playstation 3, Xbox, and Wii. Also, under qualifications, they list that Playstation 3 experience is required.

Could we see Bioshock 2 on multiple consoles?

Source: Kotaku

As if June wasn’t going to be busy enough with Lego Indy on the 6th and Guns of the Patriots on the 12th, two more heavy hitters have been stamped with a June release. 

Sierra have let out that the Bourne Conspiracy will be released on the 27th for both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. We sat down with three levels at Play.com Live a few weeks back – expect a preview shortly.

Meanwhile, Tecmo’s claret-heavy Ninja Gaiden 2 for 360 is mooted as the 6th following an update to retailer GAME’s website – an assertion that has allegedly been confirmed by ‘inside sources’. 

True or not, better start raiding the piggy bank; July’s going to be tight.

Source: Bourne Conspiracy, Ninja Gaiden 2

Over the next couple of weeks things will function as usual on the PlayStation Store, but no new downloads will be made available as Sony is in the middle of updating the store’s interface.

Due to arrive in mid-April, the store’s new design is intended to make navigation of content easier by adding more categories and allowing more space per page to list items.

In addition, the store will lose its previous web interface, embedding itself into the Playstation 3 for faster loading. Noel Silvia lets us in on some other goodies on the Playstation Blog, telling us that the store will dynamically change each time you enter, though the background will currently remain the same.  Moreover, the mouse pointer is on its way out. Navigating the new store will now be more like scrolling through a menu.

The downside to new design is that no new content will be made available for the next two weeks while changes are being made.

When the store re-opens it will be accompanied by firmware update 2.30 that will allow users to access the new store, and the Thursday content releases will be resumed. 

What can we expect on the day the new store arrives?  Warhawk: Operation Broken Mirror, the Metal Gear Online Beta, and if this is to be believed, a new Lair pack and the first trailer of Resistance 2.

The PlayStation.Blog promises a closer look at the new design soon, including a video walkthrough.  For now we have these four images:

One of the most wanted features missing from the Playstation 3 is the ability to use a custom soundtrack during gameplay. Movement has been made in this area with some games beginning to offer support, notably Super Stardust HD and High Velocity Bowling, but it’s yet to be offered for all games.

Though many expect the inclusion to come when Sony supports an in-game version of Playstation 3’s cross media bar, the implementation of this feature might just stay with the developers, since Microsoft owns a patent for this very functionality.

Microsoft implemented the ability to play your own music during gameplay in their first gaming system, the Xbox. The functionality naturally moved over to the Xbox 360, where Microsoft was patiently waiting for a patent to go through.

The custom soundtrack patent was submitted well before the release of the 360, presumably with the intention to lock down the feature for the next generation. It wasn’t issued until mid-2006, luckily just before the US/Japan release of the Playstation 3.

The US patent named “Method and Apparatus for Creating and Playing Soundtracks in a Gaming System” appears to cover any application that allows users to create soundtracks using their own audio tracks, such that they can be played during the execution of the game instead of the game’s default soundtrack.

Comprising of a thorough list of points and diagrams, the patents stand out claim is outlined thus:

1. A method comprising:

- receiving a request to launch a game in a gaming system;
determining whether the game has a user-associated soundtrack;
- if the game has a user-associated soundtrack:
launching the game; and
playing the user-associated soundtrack;

- if the game does not have a user-associated soundtrack:
allowing a user of the gaming system to select a soundtrack to play while the game is executed; and
playing a default soundtrack if the user of the gaming system does not select a soundtrack.

What does this mean for Microsoft’s competitors? Will this patent stop Sony from implementing the console-wide custom soundtrack functionality? This is possible, and could be the reason why it has been missing from the Playstaiton 3 for so long.

Sony may have already found a loophole in the patent to allow them to provide custom soundtracks for particular games, as long as the functionality is not system-wide. In this way they could avoid the patent. Microsoft could charge Sony for the privilege, but it would be a lot of wasted effort to patent this particular feature and then allow competitors to implement it.

Therefore, when Sony’s in-game XMB eventually comes around, custom soundtracks might be left on the cutting room floor. It will all depend on how constricting the patent actually is, and how kind Microsoft are feeling. Reasons for the in-game XMB delay may be found here – Sony are trying their best to get custom soundtracks installed legally.

Source: US Patent Office

The latest PS3 firmware update brings the Playstation 3 up to version 2.20, adding further functionality to the victor of the latest format war; Blu-Ray. But Sony also left out the ability to copy a SD version of a Blu-Ray movie to your PSP for portable watching. Details after the break.

Even so, it’s not really that big of a deal, get a laptop and just shove a DVD in there and you’ll be happy. Although, they promise that this feature will be on the way soon.

The Playstation 3 is now fully BD-Live compatible.  This includes abilities to access downloadable video, ringtones, games, and more content straight from the Blu-ray disc.   “BD-LIVE promises to offer PS3 users the ultimate interactive film experience.” And it will begin to do so when The 6th Day and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story hit the shelves on April 8th.

While BD-Live was the headliner of this update, it’s not the only feature included. Resume Play has been added, which means that your PS3 will resume from the point you left off watching your DVD/Blu-Ray, even if it has been removed inbetween play throughs. The PSP’s remote control compatibilty with the PS3 has been improved; larger DivX and WMV files will now be playable; and you can now improve your DVD experience with mosquito noise reduction.

So, although v2.20 left out a crucial update that consumers were waiting for, this is certainly a welcome update and knowing Sony, it shouldn’t be too long ’til the next one.

Source: I4U

Maybe not all systems are created equal, but it turns out a lot of them are built by the same company.

Digitimes reports that Pegatron Technology and Unihan Technology recently secured an OEM order (Original Equipment Manufacturer: the original manufacturer of a component for a product, which may be resold by another company – Thanks Wikipedia!) to begin producing Xbox 360s to the tune of 500,000 systems a month.

Pegatron and Unihan are also OEM producers of Sony’s PlayStation 3. So, many systems will share a common place of birth – China, of course. Hopefully this should sort out Microsoft’s reported Xbox 360 shortages and get them all set in time for GTA IV.

Via MCV

News coming straight in from Play.com Live in Wembley stadium is final confirmation that Haze will eternally be a Playstation 3 exclusive.

The full game is playable at the event – that’s right, the full game and Kev Lochun will be giving a preview this weekend. It’s looking clean and sharp, and overdosing on Nectar is a pleasing yet disorientating experience.

While playing through the game we got speaking to two independent Ubisoft reps. When asking both on whether the game will ever come out for the Xbox 360, they said in a resolute fashion that the game is not just a PS3 timed exclusive, but will never make its way onto any other platform.

This result is apparently a recent decision, but final. Sony must have paid Ubisoft/Free Radical a nice little packet to bag this one.

It was revealed last month that a Blu-ray disc wasn’t big enough to hold all languages for the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 4. Since all previous Playstation 3 games have resorted to the more constricted 25GB Disc, it was unclear whether MGS4 was to stray from this trend.

In a Konami retailers meeting yesterday, it was exposed that the game would be produced on a 50GB Blu-ray disc.

Ryan Patyon announced on the Kojima Report Podcast that US/European copies of MGS4 would not contain a Japanese voiceover and visa versa:

Unfortunately because of disc space, we don’t have the space to include other languages, other voice over files for the respective versions.

So the Japanese version’s not gonna have English voiceover, and the North American and European versions won’t have Japanese voiceover.

Many presumed that Kojima decided to go with a 25gb Blu-ray disc to save on costs, but it was yesterday revealed in a Konami retailers meeting that the game is the biggest of the series, and will be presented on a 50GB disc.

What’s taking up so much space we can only imagine. There will be hours of high-quality surround sound, and perhaps HD movies even though previous series had cutscenes rendered in real-time. How much space is taken up by game assets is unknown, but the release of MGS4 might be the greatest production of double-layer Blu-ray discs in the format’s short history.

Source: Gamesmaya

Next time you jack-in with your PlayStation 3, you’ll be prompted to update to the latest firmware release, version 2.17.

Sony is detailing only minor changes with this upgrade. The online stability of some unnamed PS3 games has been addressed.

Slightly more interesting, Kotaku is reporting that the Japanese Playstation.com site claims the update also makes PS2 games that require the PS2 HDD playable on the PS3. If you’re playing Final Fantasy XI, give it a shot.

Sony’s subdued presence at GDC this year may have convinced many gamers that they’d have to wait a bit longer for information on some of the company’s upcoming plans and software. It turns out the wait was not long.

Today at Destination PlayStation—a PlayStation-retailer-3rd party event currently underway in Arizona—Sony announced some big news: A Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots PS3 bundle, Metal Gear Online beta test, God of War: Chains of Olympus red PSP pack and the North American release date for the DUALSHOCK 3 controller. A post on the official PlayStation Blog details the announcements.

So far advertised only to “coincide with the much-anticipated North American launch of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots in late Q2 2008,” Sony will be releasing a PlayStation 3 bundle comprised of an 80GB PlayStation 3, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and a DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller for $499.99.

While Kotaku is reporting that MGS4 will see release on June 12, 2008, there doesn’t appear to be any mention of a specific date just yet in the information from Sony, only that the game is coming late second quarter 2008.

Also of particular interest, the previously mentioned Metal Gear Online “Starter Pack” will be included with MGS4. Further, there will be a pre-order incentive for MGS4 that “guarantees access” to a multiplayer beta test set for late April.

Referred to only as “nationwide,” there were no specifics given as to the details of the pre-order incentive or the beta, or whether people purchasing the hardware bundle would be included (which seems unlikely, especially if the beta happens prior to the game’s/bundle’s release).

Aside from its inclusion in the MGS4 bundle, Sony also announced that the North American release for its new DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller will be in April 2008. Bringing the rumble back to the PlayStation platform alongside the SIXAXIS motion-sensing technology, Sony is already saying the DS3 is compatible with 100+ PS3 games. It will retail for $54.99.

Sony has previously proven that Nintendo isn’t the only company that likes to spice up their hardware with new colors—and the God of War PSP Entertainment Pack continues in that respect. Releasing for $199.99, this Pack will include a somewhat odd amalgamation of goods including a limited-edition “Deep Red” PSP with Kratos image on the back, God of War: Chain of Olympus, the movie Superbad on UMD and the capability to download Syphon Filter: Combat Ops from the PlayStation Store at no cost. Those interested will have to wait until June to get their hands on the Entertainment Pack however, while God of War: Chains of Olympus will arrive on March 4, 2008.

Sony seems to be starting the year off with a bang, and the Spring/Summer period is looking like it’ll be more eventful than usual across all platforms. If you’re at all interested in the PSP or PS3 especially, Sony seems to be supplying some incentives to get you off the fence and into the store.

Source: PlayStation Blog

Following the report of Toshiba officially pulling the plug on HD-DVD, Sony’s shares rose as much as 5% throughout the day.

The death of HD-DVD will likely lead to a higher adoption rate of the PS3, which in turn may lead to more NPD results in the vein of January, that had the PS3 outselling the 360 in the United States.

This then perpetuates the domino effect that we seem to be having. Both Universal and Paramount have now obviously announced their allegiance to Blu-ray, solidyfying the potential the format has to succeed.

Regardless of where our allegiances may lie, there’s no denying that a Playstation 3 that sells upwards of 250k in a US month is a good thing for the gaming industry.

Source: Next-Gen.biz

Image: Shiho Fukada for The New York Times

Toshiba have officially thrown in the HD-DVD towel, announcing today that they will no longer develop, manufacture, or market the HD-DVD format.

After rumours of the company’s withdrawal from broadcaster NHK, this outcome comes as little surprise. Though the Toshiba Corporation denied such rumours over the past couple of days, they were clearly waiting for the right time and manner with which to give the news.

Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation had this to say:

We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called ‘next-generation format war’ and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop.

While we are disappointed for the company and more importantly, for the consumer, the real mass market opportunity for high definition content remains untapped and Toshiba is both able and determined to use our talent, technology and intellectual property to make digital convergence a reality.

What they mean by this support for high definition content does not appear to be in support of Blu-ray (yet at least), but in the creation of high capacity NAND flash memory, small form factor hard disk drives, next generation CPUs, visual processing, and wireless and encryption technologies.

Toshiba will begin to reduce shipments of HD-DVD players and recorders to retail channels, aiming for cessation of these businesses by the end of March 2008. The company also plans to end volume production of HD-DVD disk drives for such applications as PCs and games in the same time frame.

With the high-definition format war officially over, Sony’s Blu-ray format has been given free reign of the marketplace, with only downloadable HD content to hold them back. Such a conclusion to the “war” may have positive results for sales of the company’s Playstation 3, the piece of kit that ultimately put Sony ahead of their rival in HD disc sales. Ironically, Toshiba had a hand in the PS3’s CPU, the Cell – a technology that they intend to ingrate into their HDTV’s.

The smug Blu-ray Assossiaction had this to say about Toshiba’s decision:

We in the Blu-ray Disc Association are very happy that this long format war is officially over. Now the task ahead for our member companies is to promote the Blu-ray Disc format as the best way to bring premier quality high definition content into consumers’ lives.

Though Toshiba will lose a lot of money from ending their format, as well as stretching their relationship with partnered companies/studios (Microsoft, Intel, HP, Universal Studios and Paramount Studios), the potential savings made from ending the battle now rather than later, greatly outweigh the losses.

Source: Toshiba Corporation

A Japanese online retailer has posted the initial lineup of a ‘PlayStation 3 the best’ series, better known as Greatest Hits or Platinum in the US and UK. Five titles will debut at 3,800 yen on March 19 – Resistance: Fall of Man, Folklore, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Gundam: Target in Sight and Ridge Racer 7.

While there’s no official word form SCEJ just yet, the time’s about right. All those titles have pretty much fallen off the radar – I’d certainly want to milk them for what they’re worth.

Frankly we can’t wait for them to launch outside Japan, because even when we are lucky enough to get review code in, we certainly don’t get a copy each. Thankfully Gamesindustry.biz has been informed that a platinum collection in Europe is “likely”.

Since there hasn’t been an official announcement, there is obviously no word on when we’ll get to stop agonising over our purchases.

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.

However, this will be at the expense of the current 80GB SKU in order to make way for a newer and probably more expensive 160GB SKU.

If you’re crazy about spider-like humanoids, then you may want quickly buy the current 80GB SKU that comes with Spiderman 3. If not there is a very good reason for you to wait it out for the 160GB SKU. A conjunction, and a number – DualShock3. That’s right, say bye-bye to your weightless tilt sensor and say hello to a tilt sensor with unnecessary last-gen all important rumble.

Upon further digging I found the rumored specs for this new 160GB SKU that has a very high likelihood of being on it’s way in.

* Code: CECHG06 (SPECIFICATION)
* Sony PlayStation 3
* 160gb 2.5 SATA 5400rpm HDD
* CELL Broadband Engine (65nm process) @ 3.2ghz
* PPU x1, SPE x8
* RSX GPU (65nm process) @ 550mhz
* Blu-Ray Optical Disc Drive @ 2x
* Memory Card Reader- Memory Stick Duo, Compact Flash, Secure
* Digital
* 6x USB 2.0 ports
* 2x HDMI 1.3 ports
* 3x Gigabit Ethernet ports
* DUALSHOCK 3 controller

Source: Arstechnica

*Update* – Bad news for UK gamers: if there is a SKU with a larger HDD in the works, they’re not going to see it.

Despite SCEE’s previous claims that “Even 60GB may not be enough eventually” a spokesperson for the company has now revealed:”We do not currently have any plans to release a 120GB PlayStation 3 in the UK.”

Sad face.

It’s a bitter blow for anyone who was hoping that a new SKU would finally bring full backwards compatibility with it. US gamers shouldn’t get too smug yet though; SCEA are keeping mum.

December was the last we heard of the lifetime sales of the next generation of consoles in France. We were given the figures 270,000 for the Playstation 3 and 500,000 for the Xbox 360. According to the French newspaper Les Echoes, the Playstation 3’s lifetime sales have since doubled.

Microsoft announced in December that they had sold 500,000 Xbox 360s in France since the console was released, and Jeux France filled in the gaps for the PS3 and Wii, placing them at 270,000 and 1,100,000 units sold respectively.

It is now been divulged that Jeux France’s estimate for PS3 sales were either inaccurate, or that the PS3 has sold more than the same amount in the holiday period.

According to Les Echoes, who reported Microsoft’s sales announcement, the PS3 has sold 563,000 units, compared to the Xbox 360’s 589,000 as of this month. Although the Xbox 360 leads in these numbers, Microsoft’s console was released over a year before Sony’s offering. These numbers are supposedly from the Gfk Institute, suggesting that Sony’s price drop considerably narrowed the gap during the holiday season.

It’s surprising that this could happen so soon, but with a statement from SCEE’s vice president George Fornay, this jump in sales is explained:

By selling, on average, three times more PS3 than Xbox 360 a week, it took precedence over Microsoft

Always defiant, Microsoft responds with the fact that the Xbox 360 still leads in lifetime sales:

Sony is in catch-up mode, but we are still the market leader, according to our data, even in France.

After the price drop, Europe has really taken to the Playstation 3, barring the UK, and with sales like they are in France, Les Echoes claims that the PS3 will double the Xbox 360’s sales in the coming weeks. I’m not so sure about that.

Source: Xbox Mag