Heres a new console released that will please all retro fans. 20 built in classics from the Master System/Game Gear era, firstly heres the screen of the packaging:
features
Plug & play portable video game system
TV out connection
20 built-in 8-bit SEGA licensed games
Built-in speakers
Function key: start / pause
Direction key: A, B, up, down, left, right
2.4" LCD TFT color screen
Requires 3xAAA size batteries. (battery not included)
The PlayPal Portable is a video game player, which is pre-loaded with 20 classic games from SEGA Master System and Game Gear games. There is no need to buy game cartridges. The high quality 2.4” TFT LCD and built-in speakers allows arcade like playing experience in the palm of your hand. The PlayPal Portable game player has an A/V connector and with the included cable the player can be connected to any TV. The built-in SEGA games provide action adventure while testing your intelligence and skill. Enjoy playing classic SEGA games anytime, anywhere with the new PlayPal Portable video game Player.
Games Include
Ecco Tides of Time
Sonic Triple Trouble
Fantasy Zone
Columns
Ken Kutaragi, the 'Father of PlayStation', has revealed that he already has a vision for PS4, 5 and even 6 - despite having announced his imminent retirement.
Speaking to the EE Times Kutaragi said that previously he had been unable to talk about "the next step" as PlayStation 3 had not launched globally.
"We've introduced PS3 in Europe, so now I can openly talk about" future plans, he continued.
"As a matter of course, I have the vision of Playstation 4, 5 and 6, which will merge into the network."
According to the EE Times report, Kutaragi has already supplied Sony's designers with ideas for cutting the cost of manufacturing PS3 - and with design models for two years into the future.
He is now focused on exploiting the opportunities offered by connectivity, stating, "The design concept of the Cell processor is the network processor."
Kutaragi announced his retirement as CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment last week. He told EE Times he will continue to have a relationship with Sony but that he will work independently of the company for the most part, adding, "Now I'm ready to start working with a much wider world."
Over the weekend a few European PS3 owners got lucky and got a little taste of Home (not the place, the beta version). Although there is no official confirmation from Sony that it was released, there are definitely people out there posting images proving that they have what boys like and what guys want.
"Over the weekend a few European PS3 owners got lucky and got a little taste of Home (not the place, the beta version). Although there is no official confirmation from Sony that it was released, there are definitely people out there posting images proving that they have what boys like and what guys want."
That makes America the land of the Home-less (yuck, yuck, yuck), but if you're desperate to have it now, you and/or a friend from Canada can sign up to be beta testers before the release.
The embargo just lifted on the Devil May Cry 4 details announced at last month's Capcom Gamer's Day. Mike McWhertor will have his impressions up later this afternoon, but for now check out this video showing PS3 gameplay.
The trailer can be viewed here. Leave feedback via comments.
Dr. Richard Marks, the man behind the PS3's upcoming Eye Camera, says that the device's most important feature is its background noise-reducing microphone.
Speaking to Level Up the good doctor said, "The hands-free voice input this enables may be the single most important feature of Playstation Eye. Previously, the only way to get clean voice data was using a headset worn by the player; now, without wearing a headset, players will be able to talk freely".
"The device is especially good at removing ambient sounds like traffic and wind noises from outside, the whirring of fans, etc. Also, there is special processing to remove the game sounds generated by the PS3 itself."
The Eye Camera was officially announced by SCEE last week, sporting a two-position zoom lens, various capture modes and improved tracking and responsiveness with a stupidly-quick frame rate upto 120fps.
It'll be in the shops this summer for an unknown price - though according to Marks it'll be quite affordable: "I don't know exactly when the price announcement for PlayStation Eye will be, but please note that the model used for the rough cost design was EyeToy."
One of Ben's most popular hacks recently was the PS360 controller, a SIXAXIS modded into an Xbox 360 controller's shell, crashing his site not once, but twice upon its release. This project resulted in a lot of requests to duplicate this mod, showing either a very universal disdain for the PS3 controller's decade-old shape, or some strange obsession with the Xbox 360's chubby, winged form. Unfortunately. Ben didn't have the time to meet all these requests (plus he charges an arm and a leg), so we asked him to show you How-To build your own PS360 controller. It's not terribly difficult, just takes some time, elbow grease and, of course, lots of hot glue. Let's get started!
Sony has scored its second No. 1 in the all-formats software chart with PlayStation 2 exclusive God of War II, says our old friend GamesIndustry.biz.
At No. 2 is the newly released RPG Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, which Chart-Track said is the second fastest-selling online-only PC title after World of Warcraft. Meanwhile the PlayStation 3 version of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion re-entered the All Format chart at No. 3 - despite the fact the new PS3 version game isn't being sold by leading high street retailer GAME.
Perennial favourite Wii Play dropped one place to No. 4 while last week's No. 1, Pokémon Ranger, was down in fifth place.
Elsewhere, Sony scored two new first-party new entries with SingStar Pop Hits entering the chart at No. 6, while Buzz!: The Mega Quiz went in at No. 16.
Meanwhile, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles dropped from No. 2 to No. 7. Harvest Moon DS was down four places to No. 8, followed by Brain Training in ninth place. Virtua Tennis 3 went up two spots to round out the chart at No. 10.
New entries in this week's top 40 include Diddy Kong Racing DS at No. 13 and Rebellion's Free Running at No. 33. There are several re-entries, such as Sonic and the Secret Rings, Bad Boys II and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
The highest climber is Hotel Dusk: Room 215, which leapt from No. 22 into eleventh place. The week's biggest faller is Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time down, from No. 8 to No. 27.
Over the weekend a few European PS3 owners got lucky and got a little taste of Home (not the place, the beta version). Although there is no official confirmation from Sony that it was released, there are definitely people out there posting images proving that they have what boys like and what guys want.
With only a select few G.A.P. members getting in, we imagine people are staring at their 30 person buddy lists in jealousy as a single one of their friends enjoys the thrills Home has to offer. Americans seem to be particularly jealous right now, as nobody on Western shores has yet confirmed their acceptance as of this writing. However, we've been hearing the date May 1st as confirmation for acceptance into the North American beta, so if that date is indeed true nobody will have to hold their breath for too much longer.
That makes America the land of the Home-less (yuck, yuck, yuck), but if you're desperate to have it now, you and/or a friend from Canada can sign up to be beta testers before the release.
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) today announced that the first phase, closed beta test for Home, the 3D, online, avatar based community for PLAYSTATION®3 had begun.
Starting with an initially small group of both internal staff and known beta testers, the test will be opened up to many others at some point during the summer, including those registered on www.homebetatrial.com.
Via pimpware.org comes a new release of the media streaming software for PSP,PS3 and Wii:
Finally a WPA version…
Argh after senseless debugging, I discovered that I forgot to initialize the crop tables in the memodule.prx . Anyway a good debugging experience is always a lesson well learned!
To make the WPA version I took the memodule from the libmemodule implementation of PMPMOD VLC, coming from the briljant coders jockyW and jonny.. Also I had to rewrite a part of the whole app for user mode.. Anyway it works now.. PiMPStreamer WPA..
The setup wiil install both versions of the software for 1.5 and 3.X. On vista don’t select the checkbox in the installer, but install the psp software after installing.
added bonusses of the WPA version: the psp 0.90 app will quit when pressing HOME
Also if you install manually, just place the PIMPSTREAMER090 dir in /PSP/GAME (not in /PSP/GAME150 anymore. )
The launch trailer for Spider-Man 3: The Videogame will have Spidey fans crawling up walls in excitement - look, there it is, running in our video player on the right.
Running for just over a minute and a half, it's wall-to-wall Spidey action with Black Suit Spider-Man on show along with plenty of confrontations with the superhero's arch enemies -Kingpin, Scorpion, The Green Goblin, Sandman, Venom... It's a long list that promises to make this the biggest Spider-Man game yet. Cross fingers it doesn't disappoint.
We'll find out exactly what Activision's achieved with the Spider-Man 3 game when it launches on May 4 (or May 18 on PS3). In the meantime you can read our recent preview for info.
A German website has published screenshots from Ubisoft's recently announced Tom Clancy's EndWar, the images are scanned from EGM magazine. It's the first time we've seen anything in-game, previously Ubisoft only teasing us with a couple of weird trailers.
Unfortunately many of the screenshots are quite tiny, but pass your mince pies over them anyway. Combat and tactical map action is on display.
The shots follow in the wake of new details on the RTS, which have revealed info on AI, the military forces involved in the game and the destructible battlefields of WWIII.
Tom Clancy's EndWar is in development for PS3 and Xbox 360.
David 'God of War' Jaffe's PS3 game Calling all Cars has been delayed due to issues with the game code.
We were expecting Calling all Cars to arrive this month, but Jaffe explained in a forum post yesterday that the game's been held up "as two very key bugs were found at the last second".
A spokesperson for SCEE told CVG, "The release date has slipped but we don't have a confirmed date yet. We're currently tracking an early June release", when contacted about the title's release date earlier today.
In his post, Jaffe added that fixing the bugs allowed the dev team time to "go back in and fix the issue (or what we think is the issue) that IGN had with the magnet. We are back in format q/a at the moment and we'd all be stunned if it did not sail thru...but we've learned to keep our mouths shut on it so as to not get people's hopes up and then let them down."
The two major bugs discovered, Jaffe said, were associated with voice chat and hosting a network game.
Calling all Cars features a cartoon-esque visual style and in a nutshell involves you driving around in a car and picking up escaped prisoners and returning them to jail. The snag is that you're not the only driver on this operation and can be up against AI and other players. The game features some crazy power-ups.
It's being suggested that peer-to-peer file sharing will be included in the feature set of Sony's online platform PS3 Home.
SonyProtectionGroup.com claims to have received information from a source on Sony's developing a P2P file sharing network "that will allow users to seamlessly watch and share movies."
The site adds how the network operates is that a user downloads a chosen file and the movie will then start playing automatically.
But it's all rumour of course, and the site labels it as such. Sony's European arms had not got back to us on our query regards the rumour at the time of writing.
Sony has begun the internal beat testing of Home and it'll be open to the public shortly. Just in case you don't know, Home is a customisable online community service that lets users create avatars, interact with other Home-ians, customise an assigned apartment, show media stored on your PS3 hard drive and display 3D trophies unlocked through in-game milestones in PS3 games.
As yet there's no official word on dates for an open beta, but previous information on Home coming to light has suggested such will kick off between August and October. The full version of Home, which will be a free download, is expected to hit in October 2007.
It appears that if Incognito has its way there'll be an opportunity to play its PS3 game Warhawk before full release via an open beta and a demo.
Dropping hints in this regard in a recent interview with Game Informer, the developer's Dylan Jobe teased, "What I can say is this: We are firm believers in demos and betas and stuff like that. We believe that we want to get feedback from our players and we want to give them the opportunity for them to play the game, because we're really excited about how word of mouth can really help our title.
"I can't say anything now, but definitely keep your eye out." We will. Both, in fact.
Warhawk, with its multiplayer-only focus and vehicular and ground-troop combat, has been described as more arcade-orientated version of Battlefield - which it turns out isn't something Incognito is throwing its toys out the pram over.
Jobe explained, "Actually, a fast-paced Battlefield is really what we wanted... There are a lot of little nuances and convenient things that are new to Warhawk, and we're very proud of. With the heart of Warhawk, we didn't want it to be so radically new that it was going to be this art piece game. We really went into it wanting to have a game that was a mass-market, fast, wargame.
"If people are saying, 'Well, it's a fast version of Battlefield,' so long as they're having fun, I'm happy with that", he added.
Although the two stars Dante and Nero are apparently very different (even though they look like the same bloke wearing different coats) Capcom says that the two console versions of Devil May Cry 4 will be pretty much identical.
Speaking to IGN, an unnamed DMC4 dev commented: "As far as the Xbox [360] and the PS3 are concerned, the capabilities and the features in the game, we expect will be the same. Our plan is to pretty much make them identical. You may be able to use some of the functionality in the PS3 as like a switch, but nothing spectacular."
So PS3 owners can feel safe in the knowledge that those pesky Xbox types are playing exactly the same game. As for PC gamers; keep your fingers crossed.
Devil May Cry 4, all going well, will be out before the end of the year.
Hironobu Sakaguchi, Final Fantasy creator and founder of Blue Dragon dev Mistwalker, has come out with the quality line regards 'Father of PlayStation' Ken Kutaragi - he says he doesn't like him.
In an interview featuring in EGM magazine's latest issue, Sakaguchi was asked why he had no games in development for PS3. "The machine's architecture is tricky, and I don't like Ken Kutaragi", he replied.
Meanwhile Microsoft, he said, needs to sort out its marketing strategy in Japan, calling the commercial for Windows Vista "terrible".
"There are a lot of excellent games on the 360, far better games than what's on the Wii or PS3. But not a lot of people in Japan have a clear idea what games like Gears of War are all about," Sakaguchi commented.
And as for Wii, he called the system intriguing but explained he has no plans right now to make a game for Nintendo's new console.
Amanda Schaffer has written a refreshingly balanced piece about the connection between video games and violence. Instead of regurgitating the typical reactionary voices in this debate, she looks at what scientific studies suggest about the issue. From the article:
'Pathological acts of course have multiple, complex causes and are terribly hard to predict. And clearly, millions of people play Counter-Strike, Halo, and Doom and never commit crimes. But the subtler question is whether exposure to video-game violence is one risk factor for increased aggression: Is it associated with shifts in attitudes or responses that may predispose kids to act out? A large body of evidence suggests that this may be so ... Given this, it makes sense to be specific about which games may be linked to harmful effects and which to neutral or good ones. Better research is also needed to understand whether some kids are more vulnerable to video-game violence, and how exposure interacts with other risk factors for aggression like poverty, psychological disorders, and a history of abuse.
Insert your own jiggling pun here, EGM is reporting the rumor that Team Ninja's crafting a new Dead or Alive title that will be exclusive to the PS3. There's no word on if this is a new branch of the series or the Dead or Alive 5 that alleged joker, smoker and midnight poker Tomonobu Itagaki confirmed last November.
Also slipping from Quarterman's silver tongue: Capcom may be working on a new version of the original Mega Man, remade for the PlayStation Network (what's the appropriate gift for the 100th Mega Man? Glass? Sapphire?). Oh, and, lest we forget, Q says a new Disgaea for PS3 and a new Kingdom Hearts (not Kingdom Hearts 3) are on the way. What's that? You want more? Well, only the first hit is free: You'll have to buy this month's EGM for more details.
Yellow Dog Linux v5.0.1 for the Sony Computer Entertainment PLAYSTATION(R)3
adds greater than 500 package updates to v5.0 and now includes support for
built-in wireless!
Yellow Dog Linux v5.0.1 offers:
- Support for the Sony PS3.
- More than 500 updated packages.
- Built-in Wi-Fi now supported.
- USB printers fixed.
- The bootloader is now included on the DVD.
Yakumo of Segagaga Domain is releasing the last of his Retro Core retro game show series, Retro Core: Volume 32:
The time has come although I wish it hadn't. Retro Core Volume 32 is the final Retro Core for the foreseeable future. I just no longer have the time to produce the show anymore now that I've become a father. Still, it's been a great 3 years and within that Time Retro Core has covered over 390 games.
In the final volume of Retro Core we take a look at the PC Engine and it's games. There are many PC Engine games that are also featured on the Mega Drive. Retro Core compare 4 of them side by side as well as taking a look at some of my personal favorite PC Engine games from my small collection. As well as that we've got Japanese game adds and the following games.
Dreamcast - Sakura Taisen 3 (Special Promotion movie)
Dreamcast - Shenmue 2 (Special Promotion movie)
Dreamcast - D2
Arcade - Wild Riders
Sega Saturn - Need For Speed
Sega Saturn - Burning Rangers
Sega Saturn - Duke Nukem' 3D
Sega Saturn - NiGHTS into Dreams (Game of the month)
Sega Saturn - Hyper Dual
Mega Drive - Aero Blasters
Mega Drive - Golden Axe
Mega Drive - Valis III
Mega Drive - Zero Wing
PC Engine - Aero Blasters
PC Engine CD - Golden Axe
PC Engine CD - Valis III
PC Engine Super CD - Zero Wing
PC Engine Arcade CD - Garoundensetsu Special (Fatal Fury Special)
PC Engine - Final Soldier
PC Engine - Space Harrier
PC Engine - Download
PC Engine - Paranoia
PC Engine - Ninja Spirits
PC Engine - Pop'n Twinbee
PC Engine Super CD - Psychic Storm
PC Engine Arcade CD - World Heroes 2
PC Engine Super CD - L-DIS
PC Engine Super CD - Shubibiman 3
PC Engine CD - Horror Story
PC Engine Super CD - Ranma 1/2
Mobile Phone - Shutokou Battle Evolution
Mobile Phone - Star Ward mobile Pod Racer
Mobile Phone - Ridge Racer Wide Screen
Mobile Phone - Cotton Magical Night Dreams
Use any Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 console from USA/Asia, that use 110V current, in countries that use 220V like Europe with this convenient power adapter. Plus it looks stylish and is very safe for your console.
Closed beta for Sony's virtual world has started in Europe and a official release date announced:
The first phase of the European beta for PlayStation Home kicked off yesterday evening, starting with "a small group of both internal staff and known beta testers."
Sometime during "summer," the online community will be made available to a wider group of testers. Those who are interested in signing up can register their interest on the company's Web site.
Sony Worldwide Studios president Phil Harrison first announced Home--billed as a community-based, three-dimensional sim for the PlayStation Network on the PlayStation 3 console--at this year's Game Developers Conference.
In the US, Sony confirmed that the beta would also run in two phases, with 15,000 users beta testing in April and 50,000 in August, although numbers have not been given for the European beta. Home is set for release in the US and Europe "around October or November time," according to SCEE's senior PR manager Jonathan Fargher.
FACT SHEET FOR ALL VERSIONS (Gameplay information based on console and PC versions)
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
Based on Hasbro’s TRANSFORMERS property and upcoming live-action feature film from DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures due out on July 27th, TRANSFORMERS: The Game lets gamers control the outcome in the battle for Earth as they choose to protect it as AUTOBOTS or destroy it as DECEPTICONS. Players will also experience the unstoppable power and massive scale of their favorite ROBOTS IN DISGUISE such as BUMBLEBEE, BARRICADE and others.
KEY FEATURES:
Protect Or Destroy The Earth – As the TRANSFORMERS robot’s war comes to Earth, gamers make the choice to join the AUTOBOTS in protecting our planet or to join the DECEPTICONS in destroying it. With dual campaigns, the fate of the world is in players’ hands.
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE – Instantly change from a larger than life robot to a high-powered vehicle such as a sports car, fighter jet or helicopter. Seamless transformations leave enemies in the dust or enhance players’ combat strategy with a range of options in both vehicle and robot modes that take full advantage of the characters’ dual forms.
The World Is Your Playground – Players crush, topple and wreck every object, including buildings and vehicles, in their path or use the objects as weapons. It is up to the gamer to decide how best to use their surrounding environment.
Freedom of Choice – An unprecedented line-up lets gamers experience the massive scale, unique abilities and sheer strength of an army of characters from the TRANSFORMERS universe when they choose to play as OPTIMUS PRIME, MEGATRON, IRONHIDE, STARSCREAM, BUMBLEBEE and more.
Variety of Combat – For head-to-head battles, fans engage in melee combat that reflects each TRANSFORMERS robot’s character, scale, weight and power along with melee weapons and special moves unique to each character. The game’s ranged combat offers a wide array of projective weapons designed to take out enemies from afar.
PlayStation® Portable Features – The PSP version features 20 playable AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS, from both the live-action film and previous generations, that battle through an enhanced version of the film’s storyline. Players can customize their character by choosing more than 10 different weapon types in both single and Ad Hoc multiplayer gameplay.
LucasArts and development partner Day 1 Studios today announced Fracture™, in which players reshape the battlefields in a futuristic conflict with global implications. This epic war fought on American soil pits cybernetically enhanced soldiers against warriors augmented by the benefits of advanced genetic engineering. The company that brought you Star Wars and Indiana Jones, as well as successful new intellectual properties such as Mercenaries (the No. 1 new IP in 2005) and Thrillville (the No. 1 original children's IP of 2006), presents a new franchise full of groundbreaking next-generation gameplay, an intriguing storyline and compelling characters.
“Exciting new intellectual properties serve a vital role to the growth of LucasArts,” said Jim Ward, president of LucasArts. “Fracture represents the next step in this company initiative, complete with the intriguing story and compelling characters audiences expect of a LucasArts release.”
Fracture advances players to the year 2161, where ecological and seismological disasters have radically altered the planet’s landscape, and a clash in ideologies places society on the threshold of war. Players set foot on the frontlines of this epic conflict in the role of Mason Briggs, a demolitions expert fighting for the Atlantic Alliance, the side that relies upon cybernetic enhancement. Pitted against the genetically enhanced soldiers of the Pacifican army, players will experience a revolution in 22nd-century warfare. In utilizing the core gameplay mechanic of Fracture, a destructive next-generation technology known as Terrain Deformation, players are equipped with an arsenal of futuristic weaponry to strategically reshape their surroundings on the fly. Every action they perform dynamically reshapes the earth in ways no videogame has ever seen. When Briggs throws a tectonic grenade on a level battlefield, the ground blasts upward to provide access to an otherwise unreachable area. Moving on, when he comes across what appears to be an impenetrable structure, Briggs utilizes the alt-fire functionality on his rocket launcher to create enormous craters to burrow underneath the wall. Surrounded on all sides by enemies, Briggs heaves a vortex grenade, creating a swirling tornado-like mass of boulder, dirt and debris to dispatch his foes. These are just a few samples of the possibilities for Terrain Deformation. Players not only change the battlefield – they change the face of the battle itself.
“LucasArts sees simulation-based gameplay as an essential component of a true next-gen experience, and that’s exactly what Fracture delivers,” said Peter Hirschmann, vice president of product development at LucasArts. “Day 1 Studios has done a phenomenal job of creating true next-gen tech that not only dazzles on a visual level but also serves as a core gameplay mechanic. Unlike many other next-gen games on the market, Fracture simply isn’t possible in the previous generation of consoles.”
“LucasArts’ excitement for Fracture is palpable, and it only inspires us even further to ensure the game lives up to its lofty expectations,” said Denny Thorley, president of Day 1. “The opportunity to work with a company such as LucasArts, that knows not only how to launch large entertainment properties, but also successfully bring new IP to market, is truly a privilege. With Terrain Deformation leading the way, we know we’re creating something special, and we have absolutely no doubts that LucasArts is the only company to make sure Fracture receives its due.”
More information about the game can be found at the official Fracture website, www.fracturegame.com, which will continue to release details throughout the year.
Penny Arcade, creators of the popular online comic strip of the same name, today announced key details about this year's Penny Arcade Expo (PAX), the game- culture celebration to be held Aug. 24-26 at the Washington State Trade and Convention Center in Seattle.
Providing the PAX 2007 keynote address will be writer, actor and geek icon Wil Wheaton. Best known for his role as Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Wheaton has gone on to appear in a number of films and become a prolific writer. Wheaton has authored two books, Dancing Barefoot and Just a Geek, maintains a popular blog at www.wilwheaton.net, and is a frequent contributor to a number of game, media and tech Web sites.
One of the highlights of each year's PAX is the Omegathon competition, which pits PAX attendees against each other in a tabletop, videogame and computer game competition that spans all three days of the festival. Twenty "Omeganauts" are chosen at random from pre-registered attendees to compete in the single-elimination tournament, culminating in a final match on stage in front of thousands of their peers. The final game has yet to be revealed (previous final round games were Pong, Atari's Combat, and Tetris), but the grand prize has been announced: a trip for two to the Tokyo Game Show, along with $5,000 in spending cash. The 2007 Tokyo Game Show will be held Sept. 22-23 at the Makuhari Messe convention complex just outside Tokyo.
"PAX has grown by leaps and bounds each year," said Robert Khoo of Penny Arcade, "and the Omegathon grand prize has grown along with it. This year, with a projected attendance of 30,000 and a brand-new venue, we're upping the Omegathon stakes again with the biggest and best prize yet."
Also announced today was PAX 2007 headlining band The Minibosses, known for their instrumental rock covers of videogame music. The Minibosses have covered videogame themes including Ninja Gaiden, Metroid and Super Mario Bros. 2.
Other musical guests at PAX 2007 will include The OneUps, MC Frontalot, Jonathan Coulton, Freezepop, The Neskimos and Optimus Rhyme. Microsoft, Sony, Ubisoft, Electronic Arts/Mythic, Sierra/Vivendi Universal, Wizards of the Coast, NCSoft, Sabertooth Games, Telltale Games, the Behemoth, Namco- Bandai, Upper Deck, Wizkids, ArenaNet, Harmonix and Rockstar top the list of over 50 announced companies exhibiting at PAX 2007.
The World Series of Video Games (WSVG), Presented by Intel, the world circuit of video game tournaments, announced today that a record number of attendees showed up for the kick-off of the 2007 series this week, with more than 25,000 people showing up at the event for yesterday’s matches. This followed on a tremendous first-day turnout of 11,898.
"We were amazed to see such a turnout—there were 2,000 people in line outside who we could not let in,” said Matthew Ringel, president of the World Series of Video Games. “Last year’s event in China was the biggest stop on the 2006 tour with 17,000 over four days, and this year’s attendance numbers offer an incredibly promising beginning for our second season. Next year, we may have to find a stadium!”
The Wuhan event, the first of six events planned for the WSVG’s second season this year, is occurring during China’s “Golden Week” holiday and is one of the official welcome events for the Sixth Intercity Games of the People's Republic of China, the last major sporting event in China leading up to the 2008 Chinese Olympic Games.
Nearly $50,000 in cash prizes will be distributed at this week’s event, which features titles including “World of Warcraft®: The Burning Crusade,” “CounterStrike,” and “Warcraft® III: The Frozen Throne™“
World Series Schedule of Events:
April 30 - May 3 Wuhan, China
June 21 - 24 Louisville, Kentucky
July 5 - 8 Dallas, Texas
Aug. 23 - 26 Orlando, Florida
October TBA Major European city
Nov. 29 - Dec. 2 Jönköping, Sweden
About The World Series of Video Games
The World Series of Video Games is the world’s premier video game tournament circuit, which recently began its second season. In 2006, the World Series of Video Games attracted more than 90,000 attendees, produced 250 hours of broadband video, and 20 hours of programming on CBS, MTV, CSTV and GamePlay HD. Registration for all events, a full list of rules, and all prizing for circuit events is available on the WSVG website at www.thewsvg.com.
iGames, the world’s leading game center organization, is pleased to announce The Gamers Tour, an ongoing series of competitive tournaments and events for gamers who like their summer gameplay hot and fun. Beginning in May and running through the end of the year, the Gamers Tour brings communities of gamers together to experience the excitement of competitive play in the social, fun environments that are iGames LAN centers.
Presented in association with CEVO, who will administer the WAN portion of the competitions, the Gamers Tour finds iGames teaming their elite member LAN centers with a variety of corporate sponsors to offer competitive play opportunities with impressive prize pools for six of today’s top competitive games, including Gears of War™, Halo™ 2, Call of Duty® 2, Counter-Strike™ 1.6, Counter-Strike Source™, and Command & Conquer™ 3: Tiberium Wars.
“With over 600 game centers in the US, Canada and Mexico, we look forward to bringing regional and national tournaments for all gamers to enjoy,” said Robyn Stein, Events Director of iGames. “Just like in traditional sports, localized clubs provide perfect venues for competitors of all skill levels. iGames and the game center industry look forward to supporting the continued development of eSports with the “clubs” of the games industry.”
Prize pools among 3 classifications of tournaments range from $2,000-$20,000. Whether a casual or serious competitor, gamers of all levels can find a tournament that appeals to them.
These classifications include Open Tournaments, which are open to all, on a first-come, first-served basis. Invitational Tournaments, by contrast, are intended for top-placing individuals and teams from previously held Open Tournaments, while Restricted Tournaments are intended for the more casual player and are restricted to teams and players that have placed in a recent Open Tournament.
For the first round of events, the competitions are all open play LAN/WAN events, except for the iZ3D CS 1.6 competition on 7/14-715, which will be online from LAN. For registration and rules, and to get the latest info on the Gamers Tour, visit www.igames.org
2K Sports, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), announced today that Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals All-Star first baseman and power hitter, will be the cover athlete for The BIGS. The BIGS is an innovative, action-packed pick-up-and-play MLB® licensed video game that will be available this summer.
"The BIGS celebrates the heroes of Major League Baseball® and the epic moments of professional baseball," said Erik Whiteford, Vice President of Marketing at 2K Sports. "Throughout his career, Albert Pujols has delivered unforgettable plays at the most amazing times. His larger-than-life abilities and flair for the dramatic embody the spirit we are striving to capture in this game, making Pujols the perfect cover athlete."
"I'm honored to represent this revolutionary new baseball title from 2K Sports," said Albert Pujols. "I've been blessed to have played in some monumental baseball games in my career and it's amazing to see how The BIGS captures the most dramatic plays and brings them to life in a baseball video game."
As the youngest MLB player to hit 250 home runs, Albert Pujols has garnered many accolades in his young career. With three Silver Slugger awards, Pujols added his first Gold Glove in 2006 playing for the 2006 World Series Champions, the St. Louis Cardinals. The bigger the moment, the greater Pujols performs, making him a natural choice as the official representative player for The BIGS.
The BIGS will be available this summer for the Xbox 360TM video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system and Nintendo's WiiTM.
Gamers no longer want to play games that last 60 or 100 hours according to Silicon Knights president Denis Dyack.
"Legacy of Kain had about sixty hours of play, but games have changed. People don't want that any more. I don't care how good the game is, I don't want to play something that's one hundred hours long," Dyack told GamesIndustry.biz in an interview published today.
"If we're going to craft an epic story we decided we had to divide it into manageable chunks for the consumer," he said, referring to Silicon Knights' proposed Too Human trilogy for Xbox 360, the first instalment of which is currently in development. "At the same time we wanted to do a game that it has a chance to evolve and take advantage of development changes.
"We think the future is all about content. By getting our flow of process together for the first game we can then look at it and evolve the way we work for the next games in the series. We didn't want to have to start from scratch again after the first Too Human. Is it gutsy to promise so much? Yes, but making games is hard."
However, Dyack warns that even if you split your story into chunks, you can't expect every player to keep up. "Each game needs to be self contained," he argues. "That was flaw in the The Lord of the Rings movies. Too Human will be self-contained across each game of the trilogy.
"There'll be more background for those that play all three. It's not a hook, it's a promise that if players want something epic, this is where to come. What we're trying to do is create something that moves the industry towards a very content-rich environment. I love trilogy books and series. We've got a lot of things to say in Too Human and we couldn't do it in anything shorter than three games."
Do you agree or disagree with the "Gamers want shorter, better games" comment ?
Days after Sony's Ken Kutaragi hinted his plans for PlayStation 4, an unnamed "Sony insider" has reportedly claimed that a new PlayStation could be available next year.
The report on Smarthouse.com suggests that the insider has tipped the new PlayStation to include the same chipset as the current PS3, but will boast other hardware modifications in the "drive bay" and "attachment areas".
The report refers to the mystery machine as the PS4, but if it does exist, it sounds more like a reworked PS3 to us - like the slim-line PS2.
Kutaragi has already hinted: "As a matter of course, I have the vision of PlayStation 4, 5 and 6, which will merge into the network."
Best start saving now, then.
Could it be the PSP 2, the article above doesnt mention that but a new version of the PSP aka PSP Lite could well be on the cards.
EA's recreation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will boast a new gesture-based spellcasting system that lets you perform magic with motions on PS3 and Wii.
While the 360 version will remain stuck with conventional analogue sticks, the PS3 and Wii versions will be more interesting.
Executive producer, Harvey Elliott, explained to GameSpot: "Instead of pressing buttons to fire off specific spells, we use each console's unique controls.
"So if you want to use 'depulso' to push an object away from you, you press the right analog stick forward on the 360 and PS2, you push the Sixaxis controller away from you on the PS3, and, of course, you flick your 'wand' away from you on the Wii," Elliott revealed.
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Other features to use motion gestures include igniting objects, for which you must "slide the Sixaxis or Wii Remote from side to side as though you were lighting a match".
The game will also be packed with humorous mini-games and scenarios, "such as turning a courtyard into a swamp or pouring potions into a tannoy system," Elliott explains.
And if you're a hawk for accuracy, you'll have no problems because EA is going all out to make sure the game is exactly like the film and books.
"We followed the movie storyline very closely, supported by the fiction from the books as you explore locations or narrative threads that we don't visit in the films," said Elliott.
THQ has confirmed it has "entered into a development agreement" with Big Huge Games on a new RPG, shortly after we posted news saying as much earlier today.
Unfortunately, the announcement's a complete disappointment on the game detail front, the only new piece of information given being that the game is due out in 2009. It's not even been named.
So, 'un-named RPG' is in development for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, Big Huge Games securing the talent of Ken Rolston for the project. Rolston, who is assuming the role of lead designer on the game, is an RPG heavyweight who has worked on the Elder Scrolls series and also a number of pen and paper RPGs.
Rolston has said he's "flabbergasted by the talent, craft and boundless energy of the Big Huge Games team. In such splendid company, I'm privileged to embark on a bold pilgrimage to create a refreshingly original RPG experience."
Sony is rumoured to be working on a downloadable demo for the quirky Little Big Planet title that was unveiled at GDC earlier this year.
In the game you start off as a small teddy bear-like creature made from wool, and you use your little avatar to construct in-game objects using materials such as wood and cloth.
At the GDC conference Media Molecule developers placed a lump of wood, and then attached a cog to demonstrate the physics-based building. You can read our first impressions from GDC here.
According to zie Germans over at Gamefront.de, Sony is planning to release a demo of the download-only four-player game. The site suggests it could launch around the time that the Home service goes live. We'll chase Sony and see what they have to say.
While it may have trouble prying folks away from their do-it-all GP2Xs, Plezo's new PMG-250 portable media player looks like it could attract the interest of at least a few nostalgic gamers, boasting some game emulation support in addition to the usual audio and video capabilities. Of course, you'll be somewhat limited in your gaming options, with the NES, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Sega Mega Drive (a.k.a. Genesis) the only consoles supported, although that should still be more than enough to help you re-learn some of those old school skills you may have forgotten. The device itself also looks to be decent enough, with a 2.5-inch LCD, 2GB of internal memory, and an SD slot for some sure-to-be-needed additional expansion. Not surprisingly, this one looks to be exclusive to Korea for the time being, where it'll set you back 169,000 won, or about $180.
At last! North Americans can now splash alongside Europeans in PSN's virtual tub. Anyone up for a game of Super Rub-a-Dub? ... Didn't think so. The tech demo turned 'bath-time nostalgia action-puzzler' has been tossed into the PlayStation Store pool today, treading water with (previously announced) Gauntlet II and some trailer filler. Here's a breakdown of the new content:
Super Rub-a-Dub ($6.99); free trial also available
Gauntlet II ($4.99)
Super Stardust HD Trailer (free)
Rampart Trailer (free)
BlackSite: Area 51 Trailer (free)
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Movie Trailer (free)
If you've been hankering to play those classic PSone games on something besides your PSP (or your, uh, PSone ...), then your reception of Sony's recent 1.7 PS3 firmware update was likely something of a mixed bag. On the one hand, news that the PSone emulation software was enabled, allowing you to play the games you've already been rocking on your handheld, was great; however, the revelation that the functionality would not work until May probably left you a little frustrated.
Well, it's May and Sony has announced that the PSone format software available from the PlayStation Store will now be operable on both the PS3 and PSP systems. If you've already purchased any titles, you'll be able to re-download them to your PS3 at no additional charge. We'll give our copy of Crash Bandicoot a spin on the PS3 later today and report back on how it goes. Now, if we could only skip the PS3 entirely and download straight to the PSP ...
Compatible titles include:
New Ken Rolston-led project will sally forth on the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC in 2009.
More details are slowly emerging about the new Ken Rolston-led role-playing game--THQ has announced it has entered into a "development agreement" with studio Big Huge Games to bring the new RPG to the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC platforms in 2009.
Rolston, who has 25 years' experience in RPG design, began his career working on pen-and-paper RPGs, including games and supplements for Paranoia, Warhammer, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Star Wars, and Rune Quest. His most recent video game projects have been Bethesda Softworks' massive fantasy RPGs The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
In February 2007, Rolston put off retirement and instead joined the Maryland-based Big Huge Games to work on an "original and cunning" RPG. Big Huge Games was founded in 2000 by four veteran game designers, with the original focus to be on "top quality strategy games." It has previously worked on gamees including Rise of Legends, Rise of Nations, and Catan, but with the hiring of Rolston, the company announced it would be branching out into the RPG realm for the first time.
Big Huge Games' president and COO, Tim Train, commented, "We've wanted to do an RPG for years and I think we have a great direction that will knock everyone's socks off." Lead designer Rolston, added, "I'm privileged to embark on a bold pilgrimage to create a refreshingly original RPG experience."
GameSpot will bring you more details on the project as and when more information becomes available.
Product Features of Playstation 3 Cooling Fan Automatic Temperature Adjustable
Cooling the console off and prolonging console life
Be used to cool automatically for PS3 console.
With built-in forced cooling fan, help cooling automatically for PS3 console.
Work more steadily.
According to an unnamed source, we have received word that Sony has developed a Peer to Peer (P2P) file sharing network that will allow users to seamlessly watch and share movies. There won’t be any hassles to deal with involving the use of the network. The system works on the premise that one simply downloads the specific file and the movie will automatically begin playing. To expand on this network, we’ve heard that they’re planning to integrate the service into “Home”, Sony’s new online avatar-driven platform. Creating this service and offering it within "Home" would only further Sony's attempts at offering the ultimate multi-media experience. As of now, this is only a rumor, we'll have to wait till Sony openly confirms this.
Go on, be honest. WWII games are soo 60 years ago. You'd think that shooting Nazis would never get old, and yet, here we are. It's time to move on, but before we do that, let's take a quick look back.
The WWII shooter genre was here to stay from the moment Medal of Honor stormed onto the scene back in the days of the PSone. Gamers loved the authenticity of the weapons and liveries, the recreations of famous campaigns and the grittiness of the setting as a whole. It was with Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, however, that the fledgling genre took its first big step forward, with the player's role no longer falling into the Rambo category - single-handedly taking down the enemy forces, but instead became that of a cog in the war machine. The scale of the battles suddenly grew, and the player now assaulted enemy positions flanked by squads of allies, with fire echoing all around.
Call of Duty took that this concept one step further. Little wonder either, given that many members of the Allied Assault development team left to form Infinity Ward. Call of Duty was intensely cinematic - comrades fell as they charged, shells rocked the ground and planes got shot down as you were desperately crouching behind cover. Since then, the series has become one of the WWII shooter genre's greatest stalwarts, with a slew of releases across both PC and consoles. Ask the hardcore fans about the games in the series, however, and they'll tell you that it's the Infinity Ward titles that stand head and shoulders above the rest, which is why it's so exciting - after Treyarch developed Call of Duty 3 - for Infinity Ward to be back for Call of Duty 4. And let's not forget the biggest bombshell; that this is the first game in the series not to be set during WWII.
It's been six months since we received any details about Devil May Cry 4, Capcom's latest installment in the fast paced action franchise. We learned at TGS that a new character named Nero was taking the lead role of the title instead of Dante, and that his abilities will be somewhat different than the legendary Son of Sparda. However, the build that was shown then was still very early, and while it featured some slowdown and hints of large boss characters, we were teased without a lot of information about the upcoming title. Well, at their recent Gamer's Day, Capcom finally revealed the latest details about the game as well as a new playable demo of the title.
Hiroyuki Kobayashi, the producer of the title, was on hand to fill in more details about the upcoming game, which sounds like it will be much larger than any of the previous titles in the series. He started by introducing Nero once again, a young man from the town of Fortuna who belongs to a group of devil hunters known as the Order of the Sword. Nero is a unique member of the organization thanks to his weaponry and abilities. Instead of packing twin pistols like Dante, Nero's sidearm is a double barreled pistol known as the Blue Rose, which packs a serious punch. His sword is just as dangerous. Known as the Red Queen, it's a massive blade with a motorcycle handle in the hilt which Nero can rev up to inflict even more damage on his target.
It's becoming a familiar tune, and it's one we really don't mind hearing. Once again, Nintendo is topping the videogame charts in Japan, producing a pinnacle of payload payoff for both Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii. As reported by Japan's Weekly Famitsu magazine (the top source of gaming info in Japan), April 23 - 29 was all about Nintendo once again, as software sales continue to dominate on both the handheld and console fronts. Though specific numbers aren't given, the magazine reported on the top ten list for software sales. The following info is taken directly from that report:
Top Ten Japan Software Sales: 4/23 - 4/29
1. Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings (DS)
2. Super Paper Mario (Wii)
3. Momotarou Dentetsu DS: Tokyo & Japan (DS)
4. Wii Sports (Wii)
5. Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree (Wii)
6. Gyakuten Saiban 4 (DS)
7. One Piece Unlimited Adventure (Wii)
8. Panel de Pon DS (DS)
9. Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis (DS)
10. Wii Play (Wii)
So with Nintendo DS currently leading the pack with Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, both systems have five out of ten places on the list, showing an equal dominance of both handheld and console for Japan sales. No specific numbers were given, but we'll have the latest in US and Japan sales as the info becomes available. From the looks of it thus far, Nintendo is starting to take back the industry it's credited for creating, at least in Japan.
Welcome to this week's Games & Toys update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
As a result of the Japanese Golden Week holiday this week there has been only very few new releases. We did however get a number of interesting Asian & US version games. Also we received a number of interesting new toys and figures.
As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week.
Nintendo DS™:
Classic Action: Devilish US US$ 24.90
DS Stand (light blue) US$ 15.90
Headphone DS Lite (black) US$ 9.90
Inner Ear Earphone DS Lite (black) US$ 12.90
Lite Slipon Punching (black) US$ 9.90
Lite Slipon Punching (white) US$ 9.90
Naruto DSLite Silicon Cover & Touch Pen (Black Version) US$ 16.90
Osawari Tantei: Osawa Rina (Good Price) JPN US$ 24.90
SNK vs. Capcom Card Fighters DS US US$ 39.90
Touch Pen DS (green) US$ 5.99
Touch Pen DS (orange) US$ 5.99
Touch Pen DS Max (light blue) US$ 5.99
Touch Pen DS Max (pink) US$ 5.99
Touch Pen DS Max (white) US$ 5.99
Sony PSP™:
7 Wonders US US$ 24.90
Face Cover Portable (black) US$ 7.99
Face Cover Portable (blue) US$ 7.99
Face Cover Portable (pink) US$ 7.99
Face Cover Portable (white) US$ 7.99
Generation of Chaos: Aedis Eclipse US US$ 39.90
Lost Regnum: Makutsu no Koutei KOR US$ 49.90
MLB 07: The Show KOR US$ 49.90
Pocket Pool US US$ 34.90
The Cube US US$ 24.90
The Fast and the Furious US US$ 39.90
Xbox360™:
Guitar Hero II with Guitar ASIA N/A
Xbox 360 Faceplate (Forza Motorsport 2) US US$ 24.90
Xbox 360 Memory Unit (512MB) US US$ 49.90
Xbox 360 Play & Charge Kit (Black) US US$ 24.90
Xbox 360 Wireless Controller (Black) US US$ 49.90
Xbox Live 12-Month Gold Card (Halo 3) US US$ 49.90
F.E.A.R. First Encounter Assault Recon US US$ 64.90 PC & Mac™:
Sakura Taisen 4 ASIA US$ 19.90
Sora No Kiseki - The Legend of Heroes VI ASIA US$ 24.90
Sora No Kiseki - The Legend of Heroes VI [Limited Edition] ASIA US$ 34.90
Toys & Misc:
Arcadia Magazine [June 2007] JPN US$ 12.90
Chaos Gate Jingai Makyo Kaze no Ushiro wo Ayumumono - Kazeko (1/10 Scale Painted PVC Figure) JPN N/A
Dragon Ball Mini Big Head Figure Collection JPN US$ 2.90
Famitsu Wave DVD [June 2007] JPN US$ 16.50
Fate/Hollow Ataraxia 1/6 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure - Rider (Swimsuit Version) JPN N/A
Fate/Stay Night Pre-painted PVC Action Figure - Saber JPN US$ 20.90
Figure Meister Air Gear Feat. Girls Trick Trading Figure JPN US$ 7.90
FineScenery Witchblade 1/7 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Amaha Masane JPN US$ 54.90
He is My Master 1/7 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure: Sawatari Izumi JPN US$ 59.90
Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ Ultimania JPN US$ 25.90
Naruto Ninja Accessories Candy Toy - Strong Wind Transmission JPN US$ 4.49
Nohohon Anniversary (5 Million Sales Achievement Limited Color) N/A
PlayPal Portable Player US US$ 29.90
Sakigake!! Otokojuku Mini Big Head Figure Collection JPN US$ 3.49
Sakura Taisen 1/10 Scale Pre-Painted Heroine Figure Collection : Sakura Shinguji JPN US$ 39.90
Shakugan no Shana 1/8 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure - Shana (Noir Ver.) JPN US$ 50.90
Shining Tears 1/8 Scale Painted PVC Figure - Blanc Neige JPN US$ 54.90
Solid Works Collection DX Gunslinger Girl Figure Collection JPN US$ 7.99
Solid Works Super Robot Taisen Original Generation - 1/8 Scale Pre-painted Figure: Serena Recital JPN US$ 59.90
Super Mario Bros. Plush Doll Gum Candy Toy JPN US$ 3.90
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu 1/6 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure - Yuki Nagato (Bunny Girl - Black Ver.) JPN US$ 61.90
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu 1/6 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure - Yuki Nagato (Bunny Girl - White Ver.) JPN US$ 61.90
Sweet Dreams Shunya Yamashita Sakuhinshu 1/7scale PVC Figure - Rosanna JPN N/A
The Art of Shunya Yamashita 1/7 Scale Pre-Painted Figure: Mirei San JPN N/A
Witchblade 1/6 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Amaha Masane (Big Blade) JPN US$ 64.90
Witchblade 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Amaha Masane (Pain Clothes Ver.) JPN US$ 48.90
Video Game related Soundtracks:
Boku To Watashi No Renai Jijo - Miwaku No Miracle Ido JPN US$ 27.90
Elvandia Story Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 27.90
Kirakira Idol Rikachan Sunshine Live Tour JPN US$ 11.90
Persona 3 FES Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 18.90
A report published by market intelligence firm Niko Partners, specialists in the Chinese game industry, states that the country's video game market saw spectacular growth in 2006.
The report found that revenue from the overall video game market jumped by 68% last year, with the online gaming sector generating USD 995 million in revenue, an increase of 74% from the previous year.
Unsurprisingly, the report singled out China's booming internet cafe culture as the main driver for this growth. The introduction of free-to-play massively multiplayer online games - in which players pay for virtual items - has, according to Niko's managing partner Lisa Cosmas Hanson, further stimulated this trend.
"Chinese gamers pour into the cafes every day to play online and LAN games with friends. They spend money in the games on virtual gifts for friends, services for their characters, and virtual items to help with leveling," said Hanson. "The intertwined nature of China's Internet cafes, social gaming culture, and few entertainment alternatives at a low price point, will continue to be the basis for strong growth through 2011."
But the Niko report goes on to paint a picture of overall good health for the Chinese market. Sales of offline PC games, mostly from Taiwan, rose 28.5 per cent to 904,000 units in 2006. And alongside the 20 million PCs in China's 225,000 internet cafes are an increasing number of consoles, although these are all grey imports, console hardware currently being prohibited in China.
Hanson added: "If a game company can get an impressive game or console to market in China, the gamers there will embrace it. That said, getting a product into the market is not easy. The complex regulatory environment in China is still the greatest barrier to entry for foreign game companies."
China added 3.4 million gamers in 2006, reaching a total gaming population of 37.5 million, 90 per cent of whom play online games. Niko projects this number to increase to 71.9 million gamers by 2011.
An Australian technology website has suggested that a revised PlayStation 3 could be less than 18 months away, citing "a Sony insider" as its source.
The Smarthouse report refers to the proposed machine as a "PlayStation 4", but goes on to state that it will be based on the same chipset as PS3, differing from the current model only in the "drive bay and attachment area". According to the source, it will also include a software suite for managing streaming of content to TVs and hi-fis, and feature improved output.
A Sony spokesperson declined to comment on the story, classing it as speculation.
Smarthouse quotes the source as saying, "We have even looked at a Sony home server based on PlayStation technology. This would allow consumers to connect home automation device
