Games Cheats and Reviews

There have been rumors about a Blu-ray drive (both of the internal and external variety) coming to the Xbox 360 a number of times, but that notion was once again shot down by Microsoft’s UK director of Xbox and Entertainment Stephen McGill last week. Asked about the prospect of Blu-ray on 360 in an interview with CVG, McGill said, “We have no plans to adopt Blu-Ray drive for the Xbox 360. In fact, the future of home entertainment started last autumn when Xbox 360 became the first and only console to offer instant-on 1080p streaming HD movies.”

Speaking about the same subject, Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg highlighted the lack of Blu-ray in the Xbox 360 as one of the reasons why the 360 is currently positioned ahead of the PS3. “Sony bet on the physical disc, and there are costs associated with that,” he told Edge. “The fact that we’re able to offer a console starting at $199 is a benefit of not being burdened with that cost.” He also noted that “being $100 cheaper [than PS3] is part of the reason we’re nearly twice their installed base,” a comment he has since clarified on Twitter as being based on NPD data that has the 360’s U.S. install base at 20 million units to the PS3’s 12 million. The same can’t be said about worldwide numbers, especially in Japan (where PS3 leads) and Europe (where the 360’s lead is much smaller than it is in the U.S.).

Greenberg then reiterated what McGill talked about, saying, “For us, our bet was on digital distribution, that was the future — the ability to [play] 1080p movies with no disc, no download required; we have the largest movie and TV library, the largest HD library of any console.”

Sony Computer Entertainment today announced that PlayStation®Move motion controller for PlayStation3 computer entertainment system, launches worldwide this fall, offering a motion-based, high-definition gaming experience unlike anything on the market. Concurrently with its launch, SCE will also release PlayStation®Move sub-controller to be used along with the motion controller for intuitive navigation of in-game characters and objects. The PlayStation Move platform, including the motion controller, sub-controller, and PlayStation®Eye camera, together with a strong lineup of software titles, will deliver an innovative and highly immersive experience on the PS3 system.

The combination of the PS3 system and PlayStation Eye camera detects the precise movement, angle, and absolute position in 3D space of PlayStation Move motion controller, allowing users to intuitively play the game as if they themselves are within the game. PlayStation Move motion controller delivers unmatched accuracy through its advanced motion sensors, including a three-axis gyroscope, a three-axis accelerometer, and a terrestrial magnetic field sensor, as well as a color-changing sphere that is tracked by PlayStation Eye camera. Through PlayStation Move system, both fast and subtle motion can be detected, whether the user is swinging a tennis racket, or painting with a brush. With PlayStation Move motion controller, users can provide direct input through action buttons and an analog trigger, while receiving physical feedback from rumble functionality and visual feedback from the sphere’s ability to display a variety of different colors. Furthermore, PlayStation Eye camera can capture the player’s voice or image, enabling augmented reality experiences.

The newly announced PlayStation Move sub-controller is a one-handed controller, developed to further expand the game play options that PlayStation Move games can offer. PlayStation Move sub-controller features a sleek curved design that pairs with the motion controller and comes with an analog stick and directional buttons that allow users to easily control the game when moving characters or choosing a direction. Like all other Wireless Controllers for the PS3 system, it comes with a built in lithium-ion rechargeable battery as well as Bluetooth® technology, enabling the controller to transfer the input information wirelessly to the PS3 system without a cable. PlayStation Move motion controller and sub-controller will further broaden the gaming experience on the PS3 system for all genres, from games that use one motion controller to games that use both controllers.

Sharing: It’s Win/Win

Sony’s Lucy Duncan has said that she believes Heavy Rain "looks brilliant" and that is "shows off the power of the PS3", but that funding the "original and innovative IP" was a "gamble" for the company.

From the PlanetXbox360.com feature editorial:

"Since even before the launch of the PS3, Sony fans were touting the system’s incredible processing power as several orders of magnitude beyond that of the Xbox 360. So far we haven’t seen much proof of that in terms of graphical performance, but much of that is due to the general downturn in exclusive titles- developing two separate versions of a game would be far less cost-effective. Having recently picked up Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 to play with my fiancée on the PS3 (she finds the 360 controllers a bit too bulky) we popped in the disc, excited to once again run around as superheroes and pound various enemies into oblivion. Nothing was available until after it finished the lengthy installed."

GG posts, "Stuart Hughes has now unveiled the gold and diamond studded Sony PS3 Supreme video game console. Fashioned and designed specifically by Stuart Hughes, the company states that the system is the most expensive PS3 in the world."

PlayStation LifeStyle writes:

"When you purchase a brand-new PlayStation 3, you are posed with one important question: "What do I buy with my new PS3?? Sony Computer Entertainment of America have made it easier for you to decide by releasing the perfect PS3 starter kit. The box even states that the contents of the bundle are "Perfect Additions for Your PS3 System"…"

Texas-based Blast Factor developer Bluepoint helps switch PS2 titles to PS3.

Sony has announced plans to release retooled versions of its God of War PS2 games for the PS3 – and has signed up US independent studio Bluepoint to help with the conversion.

The new versions of God of War 1 and 2 will boast Trophy support and HD visuals, all stored on a Blu-ray disc – which conveniently arrives in stores a few months before the arrival of 2010’s God of War 3.

The games were originally developed by SCEA’s Santa Monica Studio.

Sony’s much vaunted PS3 Slim is practically released, allowing curious testers to make the shocking discovery that the slimline version is actually slower than the corpulent original.

Sony Computer Entertainment Hong Kong sent out a press bulletin proudly announcing they are going to host the global launch party for the slim PlayStation 3. The system arrives in stores on September 1st everywhere, but Japan.

Sony is celebrating the slim PS3’s launch with a party in Causeway Bay, one of Hong Kong’s busiest shopping districts. The event starts at 6PM and goes on past 12AM when the console goes on sale.

Sony is under increasing pressure to lower the cost of its lagging game console.