Pre Slim Line PS3's were Linux friendly

(Gamespot) – When the PlayStation 3 debuted in 2006, Sony played up the fact that alternate operating systems could be installed on the console. However, when the PS3 Slim was released last year, it lacked the “Other OS” feature, causing some grumbling from the Linux community. That grumbling turned to outrage today, when Sony Computer Entertainment announced the April 1 v3.21 PS3 firmware update will disable the Other OS option altogether.

On the PlayStation Blog, SCEA director of corporate communications and social media Patrick Seybold said the move was due to “security concerns.” Though no specific concerns were named, the move comes almost exactly two months after American hacker George Hotz, who famously unlocked the iPhone, announced he had hacked the PS3′s operating system. In a BBC Interview, the software wunderkind said the effort took five weeks, and would allow hacked systems to play pirated games. Sony’s PSP has suffered from similar exploits, leading to widespread piracy on the portable.

Seybold emphasized that the v3.21 firmware update is optional for current PS3 owners with Linux on their systems. However, consoles which do not have the update will no longer be able to log onto the PlayStation Network, play games online, use online features of games, play newer Blu-ray discs, or play copyright-protected videos from media servers.

The “Other OS” feature allowed technically savvy gamers to legitimately install the open-source Linux OS on the device, turning it into an alternate home computer. The US government also took advantage of the feature, with the Air Force ordering 2,200 of the powerful consoles to use as a linked supercomputer. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement Cyber Crimes Center is using a similar system to to crack encrypted child pornography.

Image of the Sony "Move" provided by AP Photo/Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Sony unveiled its highly anticipated motion controller today in a direct challenge to the Nintendo Wii. Aptly named the “PlayStation Move”, it’s obvious that Sony is trying to lure gamers who may be ready to move from the Wii. The “Move” will be used in conjunction with the PlayStation Eye camera and the wireless controller can reportedly track a players’ body movements in addition to movements of the controller itself.

Scheduled for a Fall release, there has been no mention of exact pricing by Sony for the “Move” but it is rumored that the controller will be bundled with the Playstation Eye and one game for under $100. Consistently outsold by the Wii, Sony obviously hopes the “Move” will be a step in the right direction in gaining ground on Nintendo.

“Move”-compatible games are already in the works from major publishers like Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, and Square Enix.

With nothing new to report from Microsoft in regards to its own “Project Natal”, which reportedly combines a camera, depth sensor, microphone, and processor, it would seem Sony has one again got a jump on the software giant with the latest technology.

Whether they can maintain their lead once Microsoft and Nintendo respond to the “Move” with their respective technologies remains to be seen.

Gritskrieg – End of Line

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WTF

It would appear the Playstation Network is experiencing a “minor” hiccup at the moment of which symptoms seem to include data loss on the older PS3′s. Some users of the PS3 began reporting yesterday that their units were seeing the dates on the systems being set to January 1, 2000 (Y2K flashbacks anyone?) and this issue was confirmed by a Sony blog post that reported the issue with data loss appears to be a bug in the clock functionality.

Sony is urging customers of the older systems (the problem does not seem to be present on the new slim models) to refrain from using the systems until the problem is resolved and have warned that using the systems at this time can result in errors that would prevent the systems from recording gaming achievements and could potentially lead to data that could not be restored.

While Sony is not the first company to have issues with electronic devices and bugs in their internal clocks, this may very well be the most widespread. This comes at an unfortunate time for Sony as sales of the PS3 had recently began to show an upswing.

Sony has not reported the number of users affected by the current problem but is saying that the situation should be resolved within the next 24 hours.

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Gritskrieg – End of Line

Screw the Breakfast of Champions, I want the Drink of a Warrior!

Kratos has killed gods and now he is coming to conquer something a little closer to reality. Announced on the US Playstation Blog, Sony and 7-Eleven teamed up to provide you with the coolest Slurpee on the block. Kratos Fury will be available at your local 7-Eleven starting February 1st and ending March 31st. If this combination of blackberries and limes in a Slurpee isn’t epic enough, the cups will feature codes on them so you can redeem exclusive content! If you get the Kratos Fury, you can get a code for 7-Eleven armor. While you are there, pick up some Mountain Dew to get dynamic PS3 themes and Playstation Home shirts.

For all details on this event, stay tuned to Slurpee.com and the Official Playstation Blog. God of War III is due out March 16th in the US, March 19th in Europe and 25th in Japan. Wait for February 11th for a new trailer to hit the Playstation Blog!

Between February 1st and March 31st, you can stop into any participating 7-Eleven store to quench your thirst with a one-of-a-kind fruit flavored Slurpee drink and pick up one (or more!) of four God of War III cups to collect Slurpee Nation rewards codes that can be redeemed at Slurpee.com for exclusive God of War III and Slurpee-themed downloadable content.

Coming to PS3 and PC - March 30th

Coming to the PS3 and PC, both downloadable episodes for Grand Theft auto that were once exclusive to the Xbox 360 only are now coming to computers and a Sony console. March 30th, they’ll both be available for the expensive price of $20 per episode or if you want to get the Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City, you can pick it up for $40.

Officially announced via @RockstarGames, Rockstar later posted an article on the official website putting this announcement into more detail. The Lost and the Damned, the first DLC, tells a the dark story of Johnny Klebitz with this biker gang. The story seemed to be weaved in with the original story of Niko Bellic. The Ballad of Gay Tony is lead by Luis Lopez, moving through the fast-paced nightclub lifestyle with a little bit of base-jumping on the side.

In an interview with Kotaku, Rockstar representative Sam Houser said this: “It’s been a long time coming, but we are proud to finally deliver Episodes From Liberty City for the PC and PlayStation 3. We appreciate the patience of our PlayStation 3 and PC fans worldwide, and we look forward to putting the games in your hands this March.”

Rockstar says there’ll be new activities that weren’t playable before, but the question arises: is this new content that isn’t available for the previous versions of the DLC or is it just new for the PS3 and PC? I guess we’ll have to wait for March 30th to find out.

No roleplaying needed, point, aim, shoot.

The massively-multiplayer first-person shooter PlanetSide launched in 2003 but has never earned the numbers of more traditional MMOs like World of Warcraft.

Hurdles like not enough variants of battles, or the lacking of rpg-elements could be why PlanetSide seemed like a great idea but never really took off.

In a mass email sent last week to current and old PlanetSide subcribers, SOE is asking players to fill in a survey that would help SOE design the next generation version of this game. The email read, in part, “We plan to expand the PlanetSide universe with another game and we need your help with the design.” The original game will not be closed down.

Further evidence: The company registered the domain www.planetside2.com on September 21, 2009.

Now that it’s 2009, technical hurdles could be cleared, and a few tweaks in level design could eliminate some of the repetition of the original. Seems like the timing could be good for a change in the old level grinding MMO, so were anxious to see SOE’s shot a improving on this games previous shortcomings. We all need another monthy MMO charge right? /yuck

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-BG Crew

Bobby Kotick (Activision’s head honcho) stated to Sony recently, “I’m getting concerned about Sony; the PlayStation 3 is losing a bit of momentum and they don’t make it easy for me to support the platform. It’s expensive to develop for the console, and the Wii and the Xbox are just selling better. Games generate a better return on invested capital on the Xbox than on the PlayStation.???

Somewhat subtlely (or NOT!), Mr. Kotick says his company paid $500 million to Sony in royalties and other goods last year, which “probably still worked out at 400 per cent of the profit they made???. Actually, Sony’s games division lost $597 million last year, and Mr. Kotick seems to think it may have to risk more losses if the £299.99 PlayStation 3 is to develop.

“They have to cut the price, because if they don’t, the attach rates [the number of games each console owner buys] are likely to slow. If we are being realistic, we might have to stop supporting Sony.???

“When we look at 2010 and 2011, we might want to consider if we support the console — and the PSP [portable] too,??? says Kotick.

If Activision decided to stop supporting Sony (PS3 and PSP), then that would mean no Guitar Hero, Call of Duty, or DJ Hero for that market. Yeah that’s a big deal for all the PS’ers out there, can you say “Pwnd”?

With this being a “worse case scenario” of course, someone (Kotick) is obviously talking some real serious business.

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PSP GO

(Gamespot) – As had been widely rumored, the PSP Go will have a sliding form factor like the Mylo, Sony’s ill-fated Internet communicator device. The new handheld (which does not sport a second thumbstick) is shown several times in a video, which features Qore host Veronica Belmont and John Koller, director of hardware marketing at Sony Computer Entertainment America.

According to Koller, the main differences between the PSP Go and the PSP-3000 are “on-board memory, the flash memory, and 16 gigs of space. There’s Bluetooth on board as well, so you can use a Bluetooth headset, and you can actually tether it to your cell phone as well. But ultimately, it’s the portability. Since you can bring all that content with you in a smaller form factor, you’ve got the most immersive games to play, and now you’ve got a smaller unit to do it with.”

Koller also said the emphasis will be on downloadable games. “Little Big Planet, Jak & Daxter, and even a new Metal Gear Solid will be available. So will all the first-run movies you can rent or buy on the PlayStation Network. So you can bring so much content over with you and fill up that 16 gig of flash memory.” The new MGS PSP game was previously hinted at in a Web post by the Japanese arm of the 7/11 convenience store chain.

Koller also appears to reveal that the long lost PSP Gran Turismo Mobile game (first shown off in 2004) will resurface at next week’s expo. “There are games like Gran Turismo being announced at E3,” said the executive.

Host Belmont then asks, “So since it’s called the PSP Go, I would image it will work with Remote Play as well.” Koller responds with the following blanket statement: “Integration with the PS3 is very important, and it works just like the PSP-3000. A lot of people like to be able to take their PS3 content with them on the go.”

As for the PSP Go supplanting its predecessor, Koller said flatly: “It won’t replace the PSP-3000. We’re going to keep them both on the market.” Koller did not mention a price, release date, or whether or not it would have a touchscreen when closed. Sony Computer Entertainment America reps had not responded to requests for comment as of press time.

A second video from Qore shows the PSP Go in even greater detail, and also reveals its logo. The handheld will have a 3.8 inch screen (versus the PSP-3000′s 4.3-inch screen) and will be 43 percent lighter than the original, and will have “all digital content,” according to Koller. “The UMD drive goes away…and it has a Memory Stick Micro, so you can add memory to it if you like…It will be something the digitally savvy consumer can really enjoy,” he explains, before revealing some new PSP games will be download-only.

PS3 game pubs now pay extra DL fees

(MTV Multiplayer) – Until October 1 2008, video game publishers who wanted to offer downloadable content on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 didn’t have to worry about getting a bill from Microsoft and Sony.

The million-plus downloads that a popular demo or map pack might receive could delight gamers, but rack up some expensive bandwidth costs. No problem: the publishers, who already pay a licensing fee to get their games on the two big platforms, could count on the platform holders — Microsoft and Sony — to pay the cost of piping that digital content to gamers.

That situation changed with the PS3 on October 1 of last year, when Sony implemented a 16 cents per Gigabyte fee to publishers for paid and free downloadable content, according to publishing sources familiar with Sony’s policy.

Game publishers are not happy about it.

MTV Multiplayer has verified that a letter sent to publishers last fall detailed the policy. It applies a 16-cent charge to every Gigabyte of content downloaded from the PS3’s PSN online store. For free content, like demos, those charges apply only during the first 60 days of the content’s release. For paid content, like map packs, the charges rack up in perpetuity, or until that content is removed from the PlayStation 3’s online store.

This “PlayStation Network Bandwidth??? fee has been unpopular with game companies, according to at least three publishing and development sources who spoke to MTV Multiplayer about the policy on the condition of anonymity so as not to get their companies on Sony’s bad side.

“It definitely makes us think about how we view the distribution of content related to our games when it is free for us to do it on the web, on Xbox Live, or any other way — including broadcast — than on Sony’s platform,??? one publishing source said. “It’s a new thing we have to budget. It’s not cool. It sucks.???
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Too much PlayStation may cause painful lumps

LONDON (Reuters) – Gamers beware: Keeping too tight a grip on the console and furiously pushing the buttons can cause a newly identified skin disorder marked by painful lumps on the palms, Swiss scientists said on Tuesday.

Called “PlayStation palmar hidradentitis” by the scientists, the skin disorder can cause painful lesions on the palms similar to patches found on the soles of children’s feet after taking part in heavy physical activity, they said.

“The tight and continuous grasping of the hand-grips together with repeated pushing of the buttons produce minor but continuous trauma to the (palm) surfaces,” Vincent Piguet and colleagues at University Hospitals and Medical School of Geneva reported in the British Journal of Dermatology.

A spokesman for Sony Corp, which makes the PlayStation, noted the study involved one person and said the company had sold hundreds of millions of the consoles since the product was introduced in 1995.

“As with any leisure pursuit there are possible consequences of not following common sense, health advice and guidelines, as can be found within our instruction manuals,” Sony spokesman David Wilson said.

“We would not wish to belittle this research and we will study the findings with interest, but this is the first time we have ever heard of a complaint of this nature.”

Excessive gaming is already seen as a public health issue, sparking addictive behavior that can lead to a range of psychological problems, the researchers said.

Other researchers have identified acute tendonitis from playing too much of Nintendo Co Ltd’s Wii, and now a disorder related to the PlayStation can be added to the list, the team said.

Their study described the case of a 12-year-old girl who attended the Geneva hospital with intensely painful lesions on her hands, which she had developed four weeks earlier. She had no other lesions anywhere else on her body.

After questioning, the doctors discovered that several days prior to the appearance of the lesions the girl had started to play a game on her PlayStation for several hours each day.

The researchers suspected that grasping the console’s hand-grips together with repeated pushing of the buttons produced minor but prolonged injury to the palm of the girl’s hands, which can be made worse by sweating during a tense game.

The doctors recommended the girl stop playing and she recovered fully after 10 days, the researchers said.

“If you’re worried about soreness on your hands when playing a games console, it might be sensible to give your hands a break from time to time, and don’t play excessively if your hands are prone to sweating,” Nina Goad of the British Association of Dermatologists said in a statement.