Looks like the latest PS3 firmware update has borked a bunch of controllers, possibly only knock-off ones. What’s funny about this situation is that Apple does stuff like this all the time. In fact, it specifically upgrades its systems in order to lock out other hardware and software. People seem okay with that (at least, they continue to buy Apple stuff), but I get the feeling if this turns out to be Sony shenanigans, heads will roll.
Whether either practice is really justifiable, or beneficial to consumers, is a serious question, and one that I am not paid enough to answer. So I’ll leave it to the fanboys.
Dealnews has found a nice little trick to get the PS3 Slim for only $200. Yeah, you have to jump through some hoops and have good credit, but hey, it’s worth a try.
From the fine folks who brought us the first video comparison comes another batch showing that the PS3 Slim is, in fact, faster than the PS3 fatty. However, I’m sure you noticed that the Slim is running firmware v3.0 while the fat is still on v2.8. Regardless, the Slim is booting up and loading faster than the fat all across the board. Hit the jump for two additional videos showing off Slim’s speed on Uncharted and Blu-ray start ups. Oh, it’s just a comparison between firmware v2.8 and v3.0 on the Slim. It’s pretty fast, right? Read More
The PS3 Slim literally took the world by storm last week, shaking the Heavens themselves in the process. But this new development warrants our attention: is the PS3 Slim slower than the PS3 Fat (or is that Phat? Help me, Internet.)? A bunch of videos posted to YouTube certainly seem to indicate as such.
What would it be like to have a real testing lab instead of working in the makeshift “lab” that is John’s attic? A blogger can dream. Or we can take a look at an outfit like Cnet.
The boys over at CBS tested the new PS3 Slim against the PS3 Fat using an array of power consumption tests. The verdict?
Well, they got off to a good start, but Rapid Repair has been passed up by iFixit in the race to tear an unsuspecting PS3 Slim to pieces. What’s in there? Well, apparently, the whole thing is taken up by an enormous fan and the Blu-ray drive. Where’s the PS3?! Under the fan, I suppose. Check out the whole process here.
Rapid repair is breaking down the PS3 Slim as we speak. Actually, they’ve only just finished taking the screws off it. Want to be the first to know that it’s fusion-powered, or actually just two PS2s taped together? Keep an eye on the post, they’ll be updating it as the pictures and hinkfo come through.
I’ll bump this post when they finish up (they expect it to be several hours at least) but if you want to ride the wave, don’t let me stop you.
Wow, that’s quite a lot off the actual price there. If you’re too impatient to wait for the PS3 Slim, or just don’t plan on using more than 40GB of space, this is a pretty unbelievable deal. Free shipping, even! Unfortunately this isn’t one of the PS2-compatible models, so I won’t be picking it up. Still, though.
I’ll save you the trouble of having to read a full review of Watchmen: The End is Nigh Part 2, folks. It stinks just like Part 1 stunk. Both parts are ridiculously repetitive and there’s only so much you can take of Rorschach hitting a guy in the nuts, head butting another and breaking some dude’s arm. There’s also the incessant repetitiveness of having Nite Owl lifting a garage door so that Rorschach can get through.
Really? All this over a snuff film, Rorschach? The gameplay is lackluster and the storyline makes it marginally tolerable. At least it comes with the Blu-ray Director’s Cut of the movie, which is visually appealing if nothing else.
I’m not sure where to even begin. In the months leading up to G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, I made the decision to avoid all trailers for the movie and opt out of all hands on demos of the game. I knew the movie was going to suck, but I had a glimmer of hope that the game might actually turn out OK. Turns out I was wrong. The only Hasbro-licensed video game worth a damn this year is Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Why EA and Hasbro even bothered to release this piece is beyond my comprehension. Tie-ins are plenty these days and make sense, but this was downright atrocious.
Oh, you’re still here?
Really?
All right then – it’s not like I didn’t warn you. Read More
Speaking to the Times Online at GamesCom, Sony head Kazuo Hirai confirmed that Sony’s answer to Microsoft’s Project Natal is set for a spring launch next year.
I’m as ticked off as you guys at Sony removing the “install other OS” option from the PS3, but really, who are they kidding? Removing the ability to install Linux on something is like writing “HACK T3H PS3 SLIM” on the moon. So you can’t select a menu option? Don’t make me laugh! Linux fanatics would install it on their TI-83s if they could (and probably have). Mark my words: the PS3 Slim will have Linux running on it within a month of its release.
It’s not too hard to believe that Sony would have tinkered under the hood of the PS3 Slim and today we’ve learned that those assumptions are, in fact, true. The Slim now has a 45-nanometer Cell microprocessor, which was jointly developed by Sony, Toshiba and IBM.
Benefits of the new fangled chip based on IBM’s Power architecture promises improved performance with less power being drawn on the whole. And we all know how much of a power hog the last gen PS3 was/is. An improved Nvidia graphics processor is also on board, but neither Sony nor Nvidia have revealed any details on the new chip.
Sony isn’t giving up on PlayStation Home anytime soon and PS Home Online Community Specialist Locust_Star has detailed the upcoming fall update, v1.3, and it’s serious business, people, or as Locust_Star points out, “This is the for real deal upgrade!” Yeah, sure, whatever you say, dude (or dudette).
In spite of Sony’s best attempts to conceal it, evidence of a PS3 Slim 250GB version has been uncovered at the FCC’s website. This larger capacity version will most likely be released this fall, after the buzz has died down around the recently announced 120GB version.
Sony went so far as to set up a fake company through which to submit the hardware. That’s dedication.
Now that Sony finally dropped the price of the PS3 down to $300 will you buy one? A better question might be: are you going to pick up a 80GB or 160GB PS3 because the Slim doesn’t support Linux? Sound off in comments on that last one.
We’ve just received the official images and press release from Sony regarding the PS3 Slim. The new SKU, CECH-2000A, will rock a 120GB HDD and goes on sale in NA, Europe/PAL and Asian countries on September 1 for $299 and €299, respectively. Surprisingly, Japan will get the Slim two days later for 29,980 yen. The 80GB PS3 price drops down to $299 starting today in NA and down to €299 starting tomorrow. The 160GB PS3 also saw a price drop of $100 and now goes for $399. The rest of the press release can be found after the jump.
Update: We’ve added a picture of the last gen PS3 with the new Slim PS3 so you can see the difference in size.
Gamescon is currently under way in Germany and Sony has just revealed the upcoming features for the PS3’s firmware v3.0. Changes to 3.0 are mostly cosmetic, but the PSN Video store will be invading the UK, France, Germany and Spain in November with further expansion in 2010. Those of you in the short list of countries just mentioned will be privy to SD and HD movies for purchase and rent.
Another announcement out of Gamescom reveals that the PSP will be getting a digital comic book reader in November and Marvel is on board to bring “hundreds” of titles to the PlayStation Portable.
The full list of features in 3.0 can be found after the jump. Read More
Looks like the latest PS3 firmware update has borked a bunch of controllers, possibly only knock-off ones. What’s funny about this situation is that Apple does stuff like this all the time. In fact, it specifically upgrades its systems in order to lock out other hardware and software. People seem okay with that (at least, they continue to buy Apple stuff), but I get the feeling if this turns out to be Sony shenanigans, heads will roll.
Update: 
It’s not too hard to believe that Sony would have tinkered under the hood of the 
