via Games Industry


Entertainment retailer HMV has told GamesIndustry.biz that supplies of the 40GB PlayStation 3 are already thinning out as retail awaits the delivery of the 80GB SKU, due to go on sale August 27.

The 80GB unit was announced at E3 last week, and will retail for the same price as the outgoing 40GB unit – GBP 299 / EUR 399.

Sony will also be offering the console with bundled software from September until December.

"40GB stock has been in very short supply over the last few weeks," offered Jonathan Hayes, commercial manager for games at HMV.

"Although we expect demand to fall due to the 80GB announcement we would not expect to have stock issues if availability remains restricted."

"PlayStation 3 will now boast a monopoly on Blu-ray, increased storage space and Play TV in the near future," he added. "All this points to a stronger proposition for Sony going into Christmas. The only disappointment was the lack of backward compatibility compared to the US version."

Sony is also due to roll-out a range of Platinum budget titles for the PS2 at the beginning of August, with titles such as Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, MotorStorm and Assassin's Creed included in the first batch of titles.

"We are pleased that PS3 is getting a platinum range," said Hayes. "With the format being over a year old it is great to have a strong budget proposition.

"We see this range as adding sales to the format rather than taking them away."

via Eurogamer


Sony is adding another meaty update to the PS3's SingStore this Friday.

Leading the 33-song influx has to be Toni Braxton with her ballad "Un-Break My Heart". [Rob is clearly too young to appreciate it is in fact Foreigner who top the list. Now this mountain I must climb feels like a world upon my shoulders. - Dep Ed]

Also on the list is "Step by Step" by New Kids on the Block, who were all ridiculous but we watched the cartoon about the band anyway. [In this order: Jordan, Joe, Jon, Donnie, Danny - Dep Ed] There's some Shakin' Stevens, Foreigner and Leonard Cohen too.

Songs cost GBP 0.99 each from the PS3 SingStore.

Here's that list in full:

English

• Toni Braxton - "Un-break My Heart"
• Maria Mena - "Just Hold Me"
• Aleksander With - "The Other Side"
• Margaret Berger - "Samantha"
• Turbonegro - "High On The Crime"
• The Proclaimers - "Letter From America"
• Sandi Thom - "I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair)"
• OutKast - "Idlewild Blue (Don'tchu Worry 'Bout Me)"
• Weird Al Yankovich - "Like A Surgeon"
• Shakin' Stevens - "This Ole House"
• Elvira Nikolaisen - "Love I Can't Defend"
• The Offspring - "All I Want"
• Santogold - "L.E.S Artistes"
• Beth Orton - "Stolen Car"
• HIM - "Killing Loneliness"
• Foreigner - "I Want To Know What Love Is"
• Leonard Cohen - "Famous Blue Raincoat"
• New Kids On The Block - "Step By Step"
• Surferosa - "Saturday Night"

French

• Christophe Willem - "Jacques A Dit"
• Mademoiselle K - "Ça Me Vexe"
• Fatal Bazooka - "Fous ta cagoule"

Norwegian

• Vamp - "Tir Na Noir"
• Erik Og Kriss - "Det e’kke meg det er deg"
• Erik og Kriss - "Den Låta"
• Erik Og Kriss - "Dra Tilbake"
• Anne Grete Preus - "Manens Elev"
• Vamp - "Månemannen"

Spanish

• Melendi - "Kisiera yo saber"
• Danza Invisible - "Sabor de amor"
• Duncan Dhu - "En Algún Lugar"

Swedish

• Arja Saijonmaa - "Högt Över Havet"
• Lasse Holm & Monica Törnell - "È Dé Det Här Du Kallar Kärlek"

via Eurogamer


2K Marin has explained how you'll be able to collect a few of the Trophies in the PS3 version of BioShock.

These range from bronze to platinum, according to producer Alyssa Finley on the US PlayStation blog, and are designed to entice you into exploring Rapture.

Bronze rewards will be dished out for researching, modifying weapons, hacking and crafting, with each skill apparently "loaded" with awards. You could find yourself up to "your armpits in prizes", said Finley.

Silver Trophies will be more rare. The one example used was the historian award, given to those who find all the audio diaries in Rapture. They reveal lots of back-story behind events unfolding during the game and it's worth doing anyway, we reckon.

Meanwhile, gold Trophies are for those playing through BioShock multiple times. "Brass Balls" will be awarded to anyone who beats the game on hard with Vita-Chambers (respawn points) turned off.

Finally the coveted BioShock Platinum Trophy will be reserved for those who can "take down a Big Daddy without shivering", which presumably means losing no health.

Trophies were recently added in a PS3 firmware update and are gradually appearing across a number of titles. You can collect these and show them to your friends in PlayStation Home, whenever that virtual dream is finally realised.

BioShock PS3 will be out sometime this October and is also receiving exclusive downloadable content in the form of Challenge Rooms. These are puzzle-based and have you solving problems using Plasmids, those super-power abilities you inject in-game.

via Games Industry


PlayStation Home is "important enough of an initiative for the [PlayStation 3] platform and for SCE" to warrant taking as much time as is needed in order to come up with a "fun service" at launch.

That's according to Sony Computer Entertainment president and group CEO Kaz Hirai, who told GamesIndustry.biz that the company was committed to "doing it for the right reasons".

When asked if he was concerned that the product might become something of an anticlimax after such a long period of hype and anticipation, Hirai was bullish: "Well I would put it the other way around," he said.

"Because we got so much buzz, had we launched it before we thought it was the right time and the right features and functionality to launch it - with the high anticipation, people would go there in droves the first time around, they would check it out and say, 'This isn't fun at all, so I'm not coming back again.'"

And Hirai is happy to take the flak for delaying the open beta of of Home: "Okay, we've been dinged, I've been personally dinged many times," he said, "But if I know we're doing it for the right reasons and that once we launch the service this Fall it's going to be something that the consumers once they go there see that it's actually going to be a fun service, that to me is a lot better than doing it the other way around.

"I've said this on many occasions, and right now we're aiming for a Fall open beta programme, but no beta should be opened before its time, and it's important enough of an initiative for the platform and for SCE, that we don't want to prematurely launch it and then be dinged for having a bad service."

SuccessHK have restocked the 40GB Silver PS3 Consoles that has of writing are only on sale in Japan/Asia area, we in America and Europe are stuck with just Black at this time



They are retailing for $412 (£204) at this time and for anyone in the UK expect to pay £35 for delivery and always choose airmail and ask SuccessHK to mark the parcel as Sample to avoid crappy customs ;)

via Eurogamer


Sony Europe has told Eurogamer that all user-generated content in LittleBigPlanet will be free at launch.

The publisher was clarifying comments made by David Reeves to PS3 Fanboy. He said you will be able to make money by selling your LBP creations using an "iTunes meets eBay" system, and even teased that we may see someone become a millionaire off the back of it.

"SCEE and Media Molecule can guarantee that all consumer-generated content will be free at launch. We know how important this is to the LBP community and what we want most is for people to enjoy playing, creating and sharing their content," Sony told Eurogamer.

"Obviously, we're also excited about the future and David was talking about how user-generated content could potentially evolve in the long term. Any decisions that are taken to evolve LBP in the future, will include the community and focus purely on enhancing the user experience."

LittleBigPlanet was one of the stand-out successes at E3 last week; Tom dribbled and drooled over the game during his hands-on play test.

LittleBigPlanet is due out exclusively on PS3 this October.

Newly released today:



The White Version released today:

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-2sxw.html

Newly released today:




features
The most dynamic football animation system ever lets you take complete control of the game like never before
With huge cut-back lanes, arm tackles, over-pursuing defenders, and downfield pump fakes, never before has the college game felt more wide-open
Build a collegiate powerhouse online and invite up to 11 players across the country
Shape your program into a perennial powerhouse and watch your team's prestige rating increase after every winning season
Experience the pageantry of college football Saturdays as cheerleaders bring the sidelines to life with aerial stunts, celebrating every momentum-swinging moment
Maintaining your composure is key as less experienced players are prone to making bad decisions in hostile environments. Signal callers can re-gain composure by acing the Quarterback Quiz mid-game

description
NCAA Football 09 will unveil the all-new Break Away Animation Engine which allows gamers to break in and out of moves giving the user more direct control as well as instant influence and responsiveness on the field. At its core, NCAA Football 09 will focus on wide-open collegiate style gameplay featuring unique animations that you will only find on college football Saturdays. This style of gameplay will allow agile backs like McFadden to show off their break out speed and maneuverability in-game

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-2meu.html

via Games Industry


Sony's Kaz Hirai has said that the company is targeting PlayStation 3 sales figures of 150 million units during the console's lifecycle.

The PlayStation 2 has sold over 140 million units since it launched nine year's ago, and the original PlayStation hit 102 million units sold.

"It's not fun for me replicating the PS2 numbers. I've seen that movie already," said Hirai, speaking to the FT.com.

"I want to try to see if we can exceed the PS2 numbers after nine years, otherwise why are we in this business?"

Sales of the PlayStation 2 were 12.85 million in March, and the company expects to sell another 10 million by the end of the fiscal year.

via Eurogamer


Konami has admitted there are currently "no permanent solutions" to technical hiccups relating to the Metal Gear Online Gene Expansion.

That's according to information on the official game website, where the publisher apologised for any inconvenience caused.

"We regret to inform that the release of expansion pack Metal Gear Online Gene Expansion on 17th July 2008 was marred by major system related problems resulting in great inconveniences for all our customers," reads the statement.

"We have been taking numerous corrective measures since the problems initially started, but unfortunately there are no permanent solutions we can announce at the present moment."

For now, restrictions on which IP addresses can access the MGO Shop are still in place, but Konami is confident this will speed up waiting times. The company has no idea when the Reward Shop will re-open.

Still, Konami has finished refunding everyone who bought items from the MGO shop but never received them - so that's something.