PS3 Rally

Yeah, remember how everyone was psyched for the price-drop regarding the 60GB PS3? Yeah, turns out Sony was only messing with our hearts.

In an interview with w Norwegian website, Kaz Harai himself is quoted as saying:

We’re no longer in production for [the 60GB PS3], so once that product is gone from the retailers shelves, then we’re back to the $599 SKU only, so it’s not like we have a two-price strategy here in the US market, which we found out very early on, that consumers react mostly to having one SKU as opposed to two.

…oh, Kaz… you guys sure know how to squander away ANY good publicity you get. You had a strong showing at E3, you were FINALLY getting the people on your side… and then you go and do this bullshit.

Piss.

Sony, Playstation 3, Kaz Harai, De-Evolution, E3

We Americans never get the cool stuff. The Japanese get all the cool Box Art, and the Europeans get all the killer hardware bundles. Case in point, the newest bundle just announced by Sony. With a release date that is not yet known (or I just couldn’t read it since it’s in French, or somethin’.), and a pricetag of €599, this PS3 bundle gives you the 60GB console, two controllers, MotorStorm and Resistance: Fall of Man.

A pretty sweet deal, if you live over in Europa. Now, if anyone can make heads or tails (aka can speak a foreign language) of the news story that broke this, do let us all here at the PS3R know what it says.

[PlayerOne.be]

Sony, Playstation 3, Europe, Buncke Pack, MotorStorm, Resistance: Fall of Man

Here it is, people. The footage we’ve been waiting nearly two years for.

Sony, Playstation 3, Killzone 2, E3

Well, the long-standing rumor of an 80GB PS3 has finally become official as Sony, attempting to make a big Pre-E3 Splash, has announced that they will indeed be releasing an 80GB PS3 as. The console, which will have MotorStorm as a pack-in game, is expected for an August release.

In other news, the rumored “temporary” PS3 Price Drop has become permanent, dropping the PS3 price-tag to a slightly-more-affordable $499.

This makes the PS3 the first of the big three consoles to lower their price. I think I can speak for you, me, Magdalena, Tommy, Paco, Tim, Stuart, Alex, and the ever-mysterious “Staff Writer” when I say that I hope the other manufacturers follow suit with a price-drop.

Sony, Playstation 3, Price-Drop, 80GB, MotorStorm, E3

According to IGN, it appears that Namco-Bandai has canned the PS3 version of their upcoming Beautiful Katamari.

Up until recently, the developer continued to work on both versions of the project. However, sources close to Namco Bandai tell IGN that the studio ran into some trouble with the port of the game to PlayStation 3 and these issues, coupled with the stalled sales of the system, have led to the project’s quiet cancellation. Looking to better-than-expected sales of Wii, the company has, say insiders, re-shifted resources to ready a Wii build of Beautiful Katamari instead. Given that the title cannot be ported from Xbox 360, the game is being re-concepted for Wii.

Now, to add to the confusion, Newsweek’s N’Gai Croal is reporting that Beautiful Katamari may, in fact, becomt an Xbox 360 exclusive.

A little birdie with good reason to know–and to gloat–informed us that the We Love Katamari sequel, Beautiful Katamari, would join the ranks of Xbox 360 exclusive titles… We’ve since confirmed that an exclusivity deal between Namco and Microsoft is very close to fruition, likely to be announced at the E3 Media and Business Summit in July. Namco is enjoying the warm embrace and ever-deepening ties with Microsoft, while Microsoft sees this as an opportunity to change the perception of Xbox 360 as the barracks for bald space marines and little else.

So, really, no one knows what the hell is happening with Beautiful Katamari. At best, all you can do is keep an eye on the developments, and hope for the best.

Sony, Playstation 3, Namco-Bandai, Beautiful Katamari, IGN, Newsweek

It was a pretty long, drawn-out battle that Sony had with Immersion regarding the rumble technology that we have come to not so much love, but expect in our controllers. Let’s be perfectly honest with ourselves — after ten years of having your controller shake, It was awkward to not feel that familiar shake, rattle and roll when you got owned by a twelve year-old half a continent away.

Well, now that Sony and Immersion are BFF again, it looks like Sony is ready to acknowledge that rumble isn’t as “last gen” as they made it out to be. Now, I’m going to warn you… I know little about French. I took a class in 7th grade, and that’s it. So this translation… it may be rough. From the French Playstation Magazine:

The gyroscopic functions can cohabitate with the vibrations. The explanation? The speed to which a player can move the guage is quite lower at the speed of the vibrations. The engine of vibration could be included in the guage without having to modify the form of it. There is enough room for the new engine, and this one, [curtesy?] of Immersion, are lighter for an obstruction equivalent.

One would have to expect a reduction in the autonomy of Sixaxis. Nevertheless, the new vibration motor does not consume more than the old models (Dualshock) in spite of the fact that it is more powerful. The new engine is less expensive to build, and a possible rise in price of the pad should be only very small. With an update of the firmware, we will be able to have the vibrations for playing PS2 [games as well].

To any French majors out there… I am SO sorry for butchering that translation. Either way, people… Sixaxis is getting rumble. Rejoice. And print the press release in English, for God Sake!

Sony, Playstation 3, Sixaxis, Rumble, Immersion

Finnish magazine Pelaaja grabbed a few scans of the game
Fallout 3, in progress and what can you say other than God damn it’s Fallout it must be good especially since Bethesda is the name behind the game.

These scans look great and will probably satisfy the rabid part of the fans for a while.

The scans confirm Bethesda’s previous confirmation of using a modified Oblivion engine and keeping the 1st and 3rd person perspective for RPG narrative. According to pcgamingrally.com the Ps3fanboys will be updating with more scans and screen shots as they come in.

Fallout 3 is scheduled for release in fall of 2008 and comes for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.

More screens here

fallout3, Ps3, games, RPG

Hello boys and girls… yeah, I’m shocked as hell to be here, too. Now, before I start on anything, let me just say that yes, I KNOW I’ve said some pretty mean things about the PS3 in the past, but for the next couple of weeks while Tommy is off in Bangladesh wrestling lions, I promise to be impartial. With that said, let’s get to the goods, shall we?

Rainbow Six Vegas, one of the Xbox 360’s top sellers, has shipped for the Playstation 3. If you haven’t played through Rainbow Six Vegas yet, now is your chance to jump in to one of the most intense gaming experiences you can ask for.

The stakes are high when the world’s most elite counter-terrorism unit enters Las Vegas, a city more than 36.7 million men, women and children visit each year. “Sin City,” the home of the Las Vegas Strip, flashy hotels, high-rolling casinos and world-famous celebrities, becomes the setting for a terrorist threat of global proportions. What happens when one of the world’s most famous cities is held hostage by terrorists?

What happens? You grab some weapons and kick major ass, that’s what happens! Now, in addition to the single-player campaign, Rainbow Six 3 offers one of the best online games around, and the PS3 will have ten new multiplayer maps and two new modes of gameplay to keep you coming back for more, and more, and more, and more, and… well, more.

Rainbow Six Vegas is currently retailing for $59.99.

Sony, Playstation 3, Ubisoft, Rainbow Six Vegas

So if you never played Sid Meiers games claiming you are not a PCgamer now you can’t escape anymore …
The popular Sid Meier series is coming to Xbox 360 and PS3 in spring 2008 and it’s called Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution.

The Sid Meier games has sold over 8 million copies world-wide and Firaxis games will be optimizing this mix of war and diplomacy for the console.

This is from the Press release:
Delivering Civilization’s renowned epic single-player campaigns featuring vast re-playability and unmatched addictive game play as well as revolutionary features like real-time interaction with leaders and advisors, extensive multiplayer capabilities and integrated video and voice chat, it will completely transport the Civilization series to a level of game play that fans have never seen before.

Some of the key features that will resonate with fans of strategy games and the Civilization franchise include 16 civilizations to master and lead to victory, an array of famous historical leaders to play as or compete against, and accessible maps and streamlined time scale for quicker games, intense combat, and constant action.
In online multiplayer mode, players will compete for world conquest and glory among their peers as they battle in teams, head-to-head or epic free-for-all matches. In addition, auto-matching, ranked games, leader boards, achievements, downloadable extra content and integrated video and voice chat make the online play more versatile and fun than any previous version of Civilization and will allow players to see where they stand against the competition. Finally, the position of ruler of the world can be settled online.

As I sad Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution will be released in spring 2008!
Read more here

Sid Meier, Ps3, Civilization, new games