Like Microsoft, Sony held a pre-E3 event where they officially announced the next-gen PlayStation, the PS4. Without showing off the actual console, Sony filled in a lot of the blanks by talking up the advanced architecture that powers the machine, introducing the DualShock 4 wireless controller, a new PlayStation Eye camera, the system’s ability to share and stream gaming sessions, and the company even saved time to introduce some next-gen games. At last, Sony revealed the actual box behind it all and previewed many more games coming to PS4 (more than 140 of them are coming this year) at its E3 briefing. For more, jump after the break. (Click here for more…)

Do you remember at the 2012 Video Game Awards when an intriguing trailer by the name of “The Phantom Pain” from Moby Dick Studios premiered to much fanfare? Well it turns out that the mysterious title is actually the next installment in the Metal Gear franchise from Konami. At the Game Developers Conference this week, Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima of Kojima Productions revealed Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain with a brand new nearly six-minute trailer that includes cinematic cutscenes and a more extensive look at Snake’s next adventure. Previously Kojima announced another MSG game in development called Ground Zeroes but according to a recent tweet GZ will serve as a prequel to TFP with a potential to ship on the same disc as TFP:

“Ground Zeroes” is a prologue of “MGSV”. 9 years after that event will be “The Phantom Pain”. MGSV is constructed w/ prologue and main game “TPP”. The game play demo I presented today is the opening of “TPP” which is tutorial that starts from crawling.

MGSV takes advantage of Kojima’s new FOX Engine and the game is confirmed to hit the current generation of platforms including Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. No word if the game will make the leap to next-gen consoles such as the PS4 and the next Xbox.

Now, there are reports that Snake will not be voiced by David Hayter, the voice actor who has played the franchise’s protagonist since the beginning in all English-language versions of the MGS titles. In an interview with GameTrailers, Kojima explained it like this: “What we’re trying to accomplish is [to] recreate the Metal Gear series. It’s a new type of Metal Gear game and we wanted to have this reflected in the voice actor as well.” But for fans this pill is surely hard to swallow. David Hayter is Snake, just as Steve Downes is Master Chief in Halo.

There’s no release date in sight yet, but feast your eyes on the next Metal Gear Solid. Like all things Kojima, it’s candy for the eyes.

Gamers, take a trip down memory lane with three videos from Sony that encapsulate three generations of PlayStation. All three clips come in at under three minutes but they manage to successfully and succinctly relive the hype surrounding the launches and extended lives of the the original PlayStation, the PS2, and the PS3. The videos end with the hashtag #PlayStation2013 reminding us that this nostalgic look back comes at a time that is mere days away from the highly anticipated launch of Sony’s next home console and entertainment hub, the PlayStation 4. The announcement is expected to go down this Wednesday, so make sure to check back here for all the exciting details.

Embedded above is the first of three clips in Sony’s “Evolution of PlayStation” series and features the OG PS that released in 1994. After the break you’ll find the two others highlighting the massively popular PS2 and the still-going-strong PS3. (Click here for more…)

It feels like eons ago when video game developer Hideo Kojima debuted his Metal Gear spinoff game Metal Gear Rising at the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo. The slice-and-dice action game starring cyborg ninja Raiden is been in development for awhile and even saw a name change to Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. Kojima Productions failed to get the ball rolling, a deal was struck to have Platinum Games (Bayonetta) take over the reins and develop the game. Kojima’s team still remained heavily involved with the making of the title, however, as the game’s producer. Revengeance, which takes place four years after the events that occurred in MGS 4: Guns of the Patriots, retains Metal Gear DNA even though it plans to tell self-contained plot. Gamers can get a sense of the gameplay when a demo releases in one week on January 22. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance finally ships for Xbox 360 and PS3 in the U.S. on February 19. Preorder today.

Now sit back, relax, and hit play to watch the latest trailer for Revengeance, edited by Hideo Kojima himself. Like all of Kojima’s efforts this trailer is stunningly cinematic with gorgeous cutscenes and equally engaging gameplay.

At this year’s Tokyo Game Show, Sony announced a new smaller and lighter PlayStation 3. This marks the second time the PS3 has gone under the knife since its debut in 2006. Here are the most significant changes, according to the PlayStation maker:

Thanks to a complete redesign of the internal architecture, the volume and weight of the new PS3 has been reduced by more than half compared to the very first PS3 model with a 60GB HDD, and by 20% and 25% respectively compared to the current PS3. By adopting a sliding disk cover, the new PS3 continues with the characteristic sleek curved body design, which fits various places in the home and enables users to enjoy an array of entertainment content.

Starting September 25, Sony will sell the newly redesigned PS3 in a $269.99 bundle that includes a 250GB HDD, a copy of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception: Game of the Year Edition, and a voucher to download bonus content for the game DUST 514. About a month later on October 30, a 500GB varient will release and come bundled with Assassin’s Creed III; pricing is still TBD. A white version and one with 16GB Flash storage were also unveiled, but these are exclusive to Japan for now. Browse the gallery below for a closer look at the even slimmer PS3.

Also announced at TGS is that PlayStation Plus is coming to the PS Vita. If you’re already a member of Plus on the PS3, there will be no entry fee to port your status to the portable. If you’re a new subscribers you’ll be able to choose from two options: $18 for 90 days or $50 for one year. Plus features for Vita include an Instant Game Collection, discounts for games and DLC, online game storage, automatic updates and trophy sync. Plus for Vita launches this November.

Lastly, Sony announced that PlayStation Mobile is coming to smartphones and tablets on October 3. PSM promises to bring “PlayStation-like” game experiences to PlayStation-Certified devices. Said devices will come from partners like HTC, Fujitsu, Sharp, and of course Sony.

And in related PS news, the augmented reality experience known as Wonderbook will ship November 13. For $79 you get the hardcover Wonderbook that’s filled with AR codes, a PlayStation Eye camera and a Move controller, and the Wonderbook launch title featuring source material from J.K. Rowling Book of Spells. This bundle is all that’ll be available this year, but Sony says to look forward to next year when new Wonderbook titles Diggs: Nightcrawler, BBC’s Walking with Dinosaurs, and others from Disney will come out to play.

[Via PS Blog 1, 2, 3, 4]

Sony was all about the games at this year’s E3. The company’s press event started off with a PS3 exclusive title from Quantic Dream, the development team behind the visually impressive Heavy Rain and the even better looking, emotional Kara tech demo that came out recently. Lead developer David Cage revealed his new project Beyond: Two Souls with an extended trailer that introduces the game’s main character Jodie Holmes. Cage hand-picked actress Ellen Page (Juno) to star as Holmes in a game that begs the questions what happens when you die? Cage describes the game as “emotional, mature, and unique, but also epic, breath-taking, and spectacular” and he teases that “if you make the right decisions, maybe you will discover what lies beyond.” Cage ranks up there with Avatar inventor James Cameron as a master of the performance capture technology. Visually mind-blowing with an intriguing storyline, Beyond: Two Souls is a strong exclusive for PS3.

Next, the PlayStation maker brought out developer Super Bot Entertainment to play a round of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. It’s Sony’s answer to Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros., a game that pits classic PlayStation characters against each other in a battle to a button-mashing death. The game stars Kratos (God of War), Sweet Tooth (Twisted Metal), Sly Cooper, Mael Radec (Killzone 2), Fat Princess, and PaRappa the Rapper; at the presser Nathan Drake (Uncharted) and Big Daddy (Bioshock) were added to the mix. More significant than the on-screen battle was that the demonstration consisted of some players using DualShock controllers on the PS3 and others participating with PS Vitas. The game will be released on both the PS3 and PS Vita and will come packed with Cross-Play and Cross-Save functionalities. The former meaning that you can fight players on your PS3 and wirelessly with PS Vita owners; the latter meaning you can start a battle on your PS Vita, save it, and resume it on your PS3 (and vice-versa).

Following the innovations of Nintendo’s Wii U and Microsoft’s SmartGlass, Sony is looking to expand its services to a second screen, in this case the in-house PS Vita. In addition to Cross-Play and Cross-Save with Battle Royale, Sony also teased “cross-controller” downloadable content with LittleBigPlanet 2. Later this year the new DLC will allow gamers to “play, create and share using the PS3 and Vita” together. Sony’s Jack Tretton described the experience like this. “Utilizing dual-screen gaming in single player, Vita becomes an enhanced controller for the PS3. It’ll give each player their own controls and perspectives but working towards the same objective.” He summed up, “Cross-platform features will enhance gameplay and create completely new experiences.” They didn’t focus on cross-platform functionality as nearly as much as Microsoft did, but here’s to hoping that Sony is working closely with developers and content providers to enable this exciting technology more broadly across games and other forms of entertainment.

The PlayStation Move card was played this year by way of a new augmented reality experience called Wonderbook. Sony has invented a physical book filled with pages with AR markers on them that when laid out in front of a PS Eye camera will bring to life stories much like a pop-up book would, only on a much more grander scale. PS owners need only purchase one Wonderbook and it has the potential to tell theoretically an unlimited number of stories. Sony says they’re working closely with developers and authors to come up with various interactive tales. The first one comes from Harry Potter scribe J.K. Rowling and it’s called “Book of Spells.” It features “exclusive, new and original writing from Rowling herself.” The PS Move controller becomes a wand and the gamer-reader embarks on an journey that will reveal the origins of the spells introduced in the Potter books, like the levitation spell “levioso.” The book releases this fall. Sony makes a point that Wonderbook “isn’t limited to just stories.” It can also serve educational purposes: “imagine sailing the seven seas to explore an atlas, walking with dinosaurs, traveling beyond the stars to discover astronomy.” Though demos of this type of usage weren’t shown, Sony said that Moonbot Studios is developing “Diggs Nightcrawler,” a story inspired by film noir, so at least a couple of books will be ready when the physical Wonderbook hits shelves later this year.

Back to the games for the hardcore gamers… Assassin’s Creed III is coming to PS3 and its pirate-themed demo excited the crowd as did the announcement for Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation for the PS Vita. Link the two games together and another form of cross-functionality takes place. “Cross-goods” include bonus content like new personas for your assassin. Far Cry 3 enables four-player co-op; the prequel God of War: Ascension looks to be a bloody good time; and the next title from Naughty Dog The Last of Us faded out the press event with a bang. The visuals and mechanics of that game look stunning. With Beyond, God of War, and The Last of Us, Sony proved this year that they are fully committed to securing innovative and genre-defining games to the PS3. There’s a reason why PlayStation fans are so loyal; even though the PS3 is transforming into an entertainment hub akin to the Xbox, Sony never loses focus on what matters most: the games.

Other announcements made at Sony’s press conference include: (Click here for more…)

There are Nintendo fanboys and there are PlayStation fanboys. (And girls, of course.) Each side in the video game universe has its pros and cons, but there’s one major advantage Team Ninty has been able to hold onto for quite some time: the Super Smash Bros. series. Since 1999, Nintendo gamers have been able to take control of their favorite characters and duke it out in the middle of classic scenes from various console games. Mario versus Star Fox, Jiggly Puff versus Kid Icarus; Super Smash Bros. made this possible. Now it’s Sony’s turn to let their gamers get in on all the combative fun.

The makers of PlayStation and a developer named SuperBot Entertainment have taken a page out of Nintendo’s playbook to create a Smash Bros. competitor. PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale will bring together popular characters from PS games including Kratos (God of War), Sweet Tooth (Twisted Metal), Sly Cooper, Mael Radec (Killzone 2), Fat Princess, and PaRappa the Rapper and pit them against each other on battlegrounds from well-known franchises like Little Big Planet (Dreamscape), God of War (Hades), Jak and Daxter (Sandover Village), Ratchet & Clank (Metropolis), and the trivia game Buzz!. Gameplay is simple; X button is jump, and the others serve as attack buttons. To ensure a win players must collect Action Points and fill up their Super Meter. Each character has three levels of special powers, and more destruction can be achieved based on the level you’re at and good timing.

As we approach E3 this summer, more details will surely leak surrounding this anticipated button-masher. For now, check out the announcement trailer after the break and prepare your new arguments for the Nintendo fanboys.

[Via EW; Joystiq] (Click here for more…)

Here’s your very first look at the next God of War game that’s subtitled Ascension. After watching the teaser trailer, it’s assumed that this GoW will serve as a prequel and take place before the events played out in the other Kratos-led games. “There was a time before Kratos became the monster known as the Ghost of Sparta,” growls the teaser’s narrator. Besides this announcement video, the only other facts surrounding Ascension are these: Sony Santa Monica Studios is currently developing the game and Todd Pappy, GoW 3‘s design direction, is serving as the game director this time around. Is it too early to be hoping for a holiday 2012 release? More as more comes in.

[Via PlayStationBlog]

Disney’s masthead Mickey is back in a sequel to the 2010 Wii exclusive Epic Mickey. Video game developer Warren Spector and his Junction Point Studios are hard at work on Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, refining the gameplay and aesthetics of the original. Fans of Epic Mickey will notice two key differences here: one, Mickey will have a trusty sidekick in the the sequel and it’s Oswald!; two, the game will release for Wii as well as the Xbox 360 and PS3, so gamers can now fully explore the grim but vibrant Wasteland in hi-def on the next-gen consoles. It has been confirmed that Epic Mickey 2 will be compatible with PlayStation Move accessories, however there are no plans to make use of Xbox’s Kinect. Check out the epic trailer above!

EM2 is expected to release this fall, and a 3DS companion game called Epic Mickey 2: Power of Illusion is on its way, too. Eye the box art after the break, as well as a video featuring Spector talking about the upcoming game. (Click here for more…)

This week Sony announced an overhaul for PlayStation Home, an avatar-based gathering place for the PS3 gaming community. The new Home experience revolves around the following new “genre-based districts”: Action District (a gathering place for hardcore gamers), Sportswalk (for sports fanatics), Adventure District (for Uncharted 3 fans), Pier Park (for arcade gameplay), PlayStation Home Theater (features videos tailored specifically for PlayStation gamers), and PlayStation Home Mall (sells avatar items and other downloadable content). Along with a new futuristic Hub and an integrated Activity Board, the upgraded Home will offer up a slew of free-to-play game titles “based
upon a freemium business model” including a FPS called Bootleggers ’29, a racer RC Rally, and a puzzler Cogs. For a quick preview, jump after the break to watch a video tour of the revamped virtual hangout; the full PR is pasted directly below it. After that, fire up your PS3 and roam free!

[Via PlayStationBlog] (Click here for more…)

The PlayStation branded 3D Display that was announced and detailed at Sony’s E3 press conference earlier this year now has an official release date. The PlayStation Blog reveals that the $499.99 set, which comes bundled with one pair of 3D Glasses, MotorStorm Apocalypse 3D-capable game, and an HDMI cable, will go on sale November 13. Early preorders offered a copy of Resistance 3 and Sony clarifies that if you put in an order on or before September 30, 2011 you will still be receiving that game. To refresh your memory, the 24-inch LCD display outputs 1080p HD picture and features 2D/3D support, high contrast (5000:1), a wide viewing angle (176 degree) and high response time (4ms GTG average) with a slim design, high quality sound with an integrated subwoofer, and two HDMI ports. And it’s got one really cool trick up its sleeve. Sony describes the SimulView feature like so: “This special two-player feature is unique to the 3D Display in that it significantly enhances two-player mode in select games. Ordinarily, two-player mode is played in split-screen format. With this unique two-player feature, each player gets their own full (2D) HD screen while wearing the 3D Glasses for the 3D Display.” The active 3D glasses contain the special sauce to perform the trick. Be aware that Sony will sell compatable 3D glasses separately at $69.99 a pop. If you want to learn more about the technologies powering the 3D Display head on over to the PS Blog where you’ll find an informative FAQ that should answer most, if not all, of the questions you might still have. Product images sit in the gallery below and an introductory video sits after the break.

[Via PlayStationBlog] (Click here for more…)

Today at Gamescom Sony announced new low price points for the PlayStation 3. The two standalone models currently in the marketplace are receiving $50 price cuts effectively immediately. The 160GB PS3 now costs $249 and the 320GB model costs $299. All of the current console + game bundles (Call of Duty: Black Ops, Killzone 3, inFamous 2 (new)) remain at the $299 price point. The Sports Champion Move bundle is the priciest at $349.

In related PS news, Sony has introduced a new PSP model into the European market. The PSP E-1000 features a sleek new matte design and ditches WiFi functionality. The new low price is €99.00 and will hit European PAL territories this fall. See images at the second source link. No word on whether or not it’ll make its way into the States. But no matter; Vita is coming.

[Via PlayStationBlog 1, 2]

The second big E3 press conference was hosted by the PlayStation makers. Again, here’s all the info in easy to digest bullet-point form.

• President of Sony Computer Entertainment of America Jack Tretton started by addressing the elephant in the room. He apologized to everyone for the recent PlayStation Network outage.
• Sony announced that the PS3 is the leading Netflix streamer amongst consumers, account for almost 30 percent of Netflix’s streams. Coming this fall to PS3 owners is Best Buy’s CinemaNow video service, providing consumers with access to more than 12,000 TV episodes and movies for rental or purchase.
• Upcoming PS3 exclusives include: Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (a demo was played and a 3D trailer was shown, due out November 1, 2011); Resistance 3 (Sony will ship a Resistance 3 Sharpshooter bundle dubbed the “Doomsday Edition” and it’ll come with the game, the gun accessory, the PlayStation Eye, and Move controllers, $150, due out September 6); the God of War Origins Collection will bring the PSP games Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta to the PS3 remastered in HD and 3D; the Ico and Shadow of the Colossus collection is also coming to the PS3 with support for 3D gaming.
• Speaking of 3D gaming, Sony plans to drive adoption for the new in-home format by selling a PlayStation-branded 3DTV. The 24-inch set features a mode where players can view individual, unique, full-screen images of gameplay when playing two-player games; the bundled set of 3D glasses do the trick. Other specs: LCD display, 1080p, 2D/3D support, high contrast (5000:1), wide viewing angle (176 degree) high response time (4ms GTG average), slim design, high quality sound, 2 HDMI ports. For $499.99 you get the 3DTV, Resistance 3, one pair of 3D glasses (PS-branded 3D glasses will sell separately for $69.99), and an HDMI cable. It’s a good idea, but question remains: is the lower barrier of entry low enough to get you to buy into 3D today?
• Upcoming games to utilize Move include: NBA 2K12 (Kobe Bryant popped by for the demo); Medieval Moves: Deadmund’s Quest (made by the devs who brought us the Move launch title Sports Champions); inFamous 2 (out now); deeper Move functionality is coming to LittleBigPlanet 2 this September; Starhawk; Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time (he’s back in 2012); Dust 514 (this PS3 exclusive releases spring 2012 and will extend to the NGP); BioShock Infinite (Irrational Games’ Ken Levine had to be convinced by Sony to incorporate Move support in this new title; though skeptical at first, Levine has found potential in it…he also announced that a new game set in the BioShock universe will release for the NGP some time in the future…and Infinite will come packed with the original BioShock); and Star Trek (will release next year alongside the J.J. Abrams sequel and will ship with a phaser-like accessory).
• New games from EA will provide PS3 exclusive content: SSX (Mt. Fuji map), Need for Speed: The Run (exclusive cars), and Battlefield 3 (Battlefield 1943 comes on the disc).
• Sony honcho Kaz Hirai also addressed the PSN outage and said, “We learned a lot during the recent outage of the PlayStation Network and one of the most important things we learned was the trust and loyalty of our customers.” On that higher note, he talked up the PlayStation Suite and PlayStation-certified Android devices.
• And then the announcement we’ve all been waiting for…the NGP is officially called PlayStation Vita. Where does the name come from? Sony explains: “Derived from the Latin word “Vita,” which means “Life,” this next generation portable entertainment system enables a revolutionary combination of rich gaming and social connectivity within a real world context.” It ships this holiday season and two models will be offered: WiFi only for $249.99 and WiFi+3G for $299.99. Sony has partnered with AT&T for the 3G data (the crowd moaned in laughter when this news was announced). The following games will be coming to PS Vita likely as launch titles: Uncharted: Golden Abyss, LittleBigPlanet, Ruin, Wipeout, and ModNation Racers. Capcom previewed Street Fight X Tekken; the game will feature InFamous‘ Cole MacGrath as a playable character. For a more in-depth look at the PS Vita, click here!
• Some DJ concluded the event with thumping beats.

Like Microsoft’s presser, I was left somewhat unsatisfied after watching Sony’s outing. They failed to excite me with a new franchise or by reinvigorating an old classic (though the return of Sly looks promising). PS Vita is an odd name for the PSP successor, but that won’t matter in the end if the content developed for it is good. And by the looks of it many developers are jumping on board to produce all kinds of fun, interactive experiences with the handheld’s OLED touch display, tilt functions, camera, and back touch pad. Here’s to hoping that Nintendo brings the goods tomorrow when they announce their new home console and new 3DS titles.

Is that minuscule Bluetooth headset Sony outed in November not good enough for you? Sony has invented a heavier duty headset for the audiophile living in all of us. The official PS3 Wireless Stereo Headset features 7.1 virtual surround sound that “lets you hear all the minor in-game audio clues clearly” and was “designed with comfort in mind for hours of gameplay.” The cans, which also feature a retractable mic, connect to the console via the included USB Wireless Adapter. Volume controls and microphone mute are easily accessible on the headset itself, and gamers will see “on-screen headset status updates” that provide battery status. The headset goes on sale this September for a cool $99.99.

[Via PlayStationBlog]

The ability to save game progress and content in the cloud is here; it’s exclusively for PlayStation Plus subscribers, though. For those who dish out $50/month for the premium service, listen here. After downloading the latest PS3 software update (v3.60, it came out today), you’ll be able to store up to 150MB of PS3 game save data in the cloud. Here’s the kicker: users who save their files to the cloud can access their data on any PS3, using their PSN sign-in ID. Secured game data backed up to the cloud and accessible anywhere–sounds like an extremely compelling hook to sign up for PS Plus.

Look after the break for the official PR that explains the process of backing up game saves.

[Via PlayStationBlog] (Click here for more…)

Fans of the beloved PlayStation franchise SOCOM, listen here!  Developer Zipper Interactive announced a release date for the latest installment.  SOCOM 4 hits shelves April 19 exclusively for the PlayStation 3.  As promised the game will boast multiplayer support we’ve come to know and love, as well as a significantly enhanced single player campaign.  As I’ve shared with you before, all SOCOM games following PS2′s SOCOM II never sat well with me. Thankfully, Zipper promises that they’re going back to their roots with SOCOM 4, eliminating all of the fluff and nixing all the problems of past iterations (namely SOCOM 3, Combined Assault, and Confrontation; online lag issues and weak (and sometimes totally absent) single player modes plagued these titles).  After previewing SOCOM 4 at E3 2010 I am happy to report that the updated graphics are stunning and at the same time the title manages to capture the classic feel I last experienced playing the 2003 sequel.  Add in the PlayStation Move support, and you’ve got a PS3 shooter that deserves wild anticipation.

Preorder SOCOM 4 at GameStop.  Why?  Because you’ll receive a GameStop exclusive map. “Abandoned” is a modern take on SOCOM & SOCOM II’s “Suppression” map and it’s being described like this: “Abandoned takes place in the daytime around an ancient Thai village deep in the misty jungle. Fight your way over dense hillsides, through dark caves, and into the close-quarters mayhem of the archeological site. Classic SOCOM heritage meets evolved SOCOM 4 action.”  That’s what I like to hear.  You’ll also receive a weapon, the Super M90 Shotgun.  Whether you purchase the game online or pick it up in-store, you will be given instructions and a code to download the exclusive map and weapon when you load the game.  Want to get in on the action early?  For a limited time new copies of Killzone 3 (which releases February 22) will include an access code to the SOCOM 4 multiplayer beta. Specially marked cases for the Killzone 3 standalone and Helghast editions are your ticket into the beta, so keep an eye out of them.  Zipper has not announced when they will turn the beta on.

According to a Zipper rep, “the good news is that this is just the beginning of an upcoming flood of SOCOM goodness.”  So stick it right here for the latest news in SOCOM 4 single and mulitplayer news.  For now, check out the brand new multiplayer trailer (embedded after the break) called “Not For Self” and look in the gallery below for game stills.  And that’s some slick box art up there, huh?

[Via PlayStationBlog; Socom]

(Click here for more…)

Sony is really doing a splendid job at racking up the movies selection for its PlayStation 3 users.  After making deals to bring television and movie content from Netflix and Hulu Plus, come November 23 PS3 owners will have access to VUDU’s on-demand movie service which includes more than 4,000 HD movies for all major Hollywood studios, including new releases available the same day they are released to DVD.  VUDU supports 1080p HD and Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 surround sound streaming, which is a big plus.  VUDU plans to release a UI revision in mid-December, and it will bring a more streamlined user experience, intuitive structure, and support for next-generation motion-based input devices including the PlayStation Move controller.  VUDU offers $2 for a two night rentals and new customers will receive a $5.99 credit; that’ll get you a ticket for one free HD streaming movie. Sony and VUDU official PR sits after the break.  Catch a peek of VUDU on PS3 in the gallery below.

[Via Engadget]

(Click here for more…)

What you’re looking at here is the newly redesigned Bluetooth headset for PlayStation 3 users.  It’s glossy, sleek, and 30% more compact than its original counterpart which debuted in 2008.  Hungry for specs?   It offers a dual-microphone design, automatic pairing via USB cable, in-game headset status indicator, an easily accessible microphone mute button, a charging cradle which also functions as a desktop microphone, a special High Quality mode that promises “crystal clear voice chat” during gaming sessions, and built-in noise cancellation.  It also packs three-way calling and call waiting support if you feel like pairing it with a mobile phone; its got six hours of talk time, so it’s definitely a viable cell phone companion.  All this can be yours for the same price of the original model–$49.99.  It will release sometime this month.

[Via PlayStationBlog]

The suits at Sony have something to smile about.  Today the company reported having shipped 1 million PlayStation Move controllers in North and Latin America in the first 30 days of availability.  SCEA CEO Jack Tretton is enthused to say the least.  “Retail demand is incredibly strong and we’re working hard to keep the product in stock”, he said.  “We believe consumers have already shown their preference for a precise, interactive game experience.  We are on target to meet our end of year goals and expect sales to increase as our publishers and developers continue to update popular titles and introduce new games.”  This is certainly great news for Sony, but Joystiq makes a solid point when they say this announcement does not help you figure the precise install base of the new motion controller.  Many PS3 owners likely purchased more than one Move for two-hand and multiplayer functionality.  Still, this does not take away the fact that Sony has something powerful in their (er, our) hands.  Right now there’s 24 Move-supported titles out, with 17 more promised before the year runs out.  I gotta get my Move on.  Full PR after the break.

[Via Joystiq] (Click here for more…)

Are you a Netflix subscriber?  Do you own a PS3?  Well boy I have great news for you!  Starting this Monday, October 18 you will be able to access, manage, and play Netflix content from your PS3 without the (until now) necessary instant streaming disc.  Oh-ho-ho but there’s more.  Netflix on PS3 will allow for full HD 1080p playback and 5.1-channel surround sound.  Netflix has partnered with Dolby to support Dolby Digital Plus audio for selected content.  In addition to all this, the Netflix user experience on the gaming console has undegone a redesign.  Menu selection and browsing looks quick and intuitive, plus there’s the new option to search!  Nabbing the new version of Netflix on Monday is a snap; scroll over to the Video icon in the XMB and it’ll be sitting there waiting to be downloaded.  Look after the break for a brief video demonstration of the service.

Starting Monday, Netflix on PS3 will be the best way to stream Netflix on your TV.  No other Netflix-enabled box supports Netflix 1080p + Dolby 5.1 surround sound content…yet.

[Via PlayStationBlog; Engadget] (Click here for more…)