Consumers rethinking PS3 purchase

LOS ANGELES, CA, United States (UPI) -- Delayed release dates and a steep price are driving U.S. and Canadian consumers to think about gifts other than Sony`s PlayStation3.

Michael Patcher, director of research for Los Angeles-based Wedbush Morgan Securities, said consumers said were considering buying games for their existing consoles rather than wait for the next generation system, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. said.

The PS3 console is scheduled to launch Nov. 17 in North America.

The PlayStation3 is expected to cost in the United States between $449 and $599 -- more than $300 higher than the PlayStation 2 at its launch and $160 higher than the Xbox 360 a year ago.

Copyright 2006 by United Press International

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Intercooler unit to be released for PS3

Nyko Technologies, developer of that handy little cooling unit for the Xbox 360 known as the Intercooler, will be developing a PS3 model that will come onto the market with the release of the PS3 itself this holiday season. The Intercooler utilizes technology that runs off the PS3's power and vents to create a wave of cooling air that will keep flowing into your machine and prevents your PS3 console from overheating as it runs. Pretty, errr..cool! The device will be marketed somewhere between 19.99 and 29.99 depending on the retailer you go to. So keep an eye out for that this holiday season and, also, keep coming back to MyGamer.com

New E3 Dates and Location Revealed

New E3 Dates and Location Revealed
The ESA reveals fresh details on the revamped show.

The revamped Electronic Entertainment Expo will be held July 11-13, 2007 in Santa Monica, California, where a number of hotels and the Barker Hangar will host press conferences, smaller meetings, and gameplay demos, the Entertainment Software Association announced today.



In late July, the ESA stirred game developers, press, and gamers alike when it announced that E3 -- a massive yearly games convention which had become an institution in the industry -- would be overhauled. Rather than the boisterous, crowded, Vegas-like affair it had become, the ESA said it would now offer a significantly more intimate, invitation-only event. The new E3 focuses specifically on game developers, retailers, and the press.

Today's announcement is the first official word on where and when the new E3 will be held.

In addition to conferences and play time, the new E3 will offer a daily luncheon session with executives and analysts; time for evening parties; and events like the Serious Games showcase and "Into the Pixel" art exhibit.

The nearby Barker Hangar, where companies will set up games for hands-on demonstration, will accommodate display areas ranging from 100 to 400 square feet.

"By combining suite-based meetings with the software showcase in a controlled and business-like environment, we believe we will successfully fulfill our primary objective of giving high-level media the best of all worlds -- the chance to engage in highly personal, one-on-one dialogue with leading game company executives, as well as the chance to demo games on their own time and to check out offerings from both the best known and emerging game publishers and developers," said ESA president Douglas Lowenstein. "It will also provide an excellent opportunity for meetings with retailers, developers and other audiences."

Participating hotels are within walking distance of each other, and the ESA will provide shuttle service between hotels, the Barker Hangar, and off-site press conferences.

Assassin's Creed Official Website Launched

Ubisoft has just launched the official website for upcoming Xbox 360 and PS3 title Assassin's Creed. The site features sections including; Game Info, Media, Downloads, Community, and the Forums.

Official Assassin's Creed Website

Sony PS3 to outsell Xbox 360, Wii: Japan publisher

TOKYO (Reuters) - Sony Corp. may fall behind rivals in the initial phase of the next-generation game console race, but is likely to grab the top spot eventually, Japan's top video game magazine publisher, Enterbrain, said on Friday.

Sony and Nintendo Co. Ltd. will in November start rolling out their latest game gear, the PlayStation 3 (PS3) and Wii, setting a stage for a three-way showdown with Microsoft Corp.'s


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already available Xbox 360.

"The PS3 will have a tough time globally at the initial stage. Its launch titles in Japan and exclusive software titles overseas are quite limited," Enterbrain President Hirokazu Hamamura told a seminar.

"But its overwhelmingly realistic graphics will give it a long life span. It will stay competitive even when a game console battle breaks out among a newer generation of machines in 2010. Sales should grow every time Sony cuts prices," he said.

Costs of manufacturing consoles come down as production yields improve, helping game makers cut prices to stoke fresh demand.

Enterbrain expects Sony to sell 4.13 million units of the PS3 worldwide in the current business year ending March 2007. Sony itself aims to ship 6 million units over the same period.

The publisher also expects Nintendo to sell 5.47 million units of the Wii by March, compared with Nintendo's own target to sell 6 million units.

Besides the lack of game titles at the start, PS3 sales will be hampered by its high price tag, Hamamura said.

Sony expects a model of the PS3 with a 20-gigabyte hard disk drive and a Blu-ray high-definition optical disc player to sell for $499 in the United States, about twice as much as the Wii price.

But in the longer term, Enterbrain expects the PS3 to outsell both the Wii and Xbox 360, helped by its lifelike graphics and a rich pool of potentially popular game software that will be released in 2007 or later.

Those software titles, many of which are sequels to existing games played on the blockbuster PlayStation 2, include "Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns of the Patriots" from Konami Corp..

By the end of 2009, Enterbrain expects Sony's PS3 sales to total 34 million units, surpassing an estimated 25 million Wii sales and 28 million Xbox 360 sales.

Sony Computer's PS3 seen overtaking Nintendo's Wii despite delay - report

TOKYO (XFN-ASIA) - Sony Computer Entertainment Inc's unprecedented pre-release domestic price cut on its PlayStation 3 (PS3) is expected to help the console outsell Nintendo Co's Wii by the end of 2007, despite the postponement of its European launch, The Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported, citing figures from Enterbrain Inc.

With both next-generation systems due out at year-end, the game magazine publisher projects that cumulative sales through the end of March will total 4.13 mln units for the PS3 and 5.47 mln for the Wii, the report said.

But PS3 sales are seen topping the Wii's by the end of 2007 as more software becomes available and because further price reductions are expected.

Microsoft Corp's Xbox 360, released in late 2005, is not very popular in Japan, the report said, although its sales are growing in the US and Europe, and its cumulative sales are predicted to reach 17.46 mln units by the end of 2007.

DigitalFocus: Hands on With the PS3

For us, DigitalLife began on Wednesday evening with Pepcom's "An Evening in Tuscany" DigitalFocus event. We were served wine at a bar made entirely of ice, and we got to play with the long-awaited PS3 among other tech toys. The graphics on the PS3 are amazing--it looked like we were watching a real basketball game. You gotta see it.



The PS3 is also on display at Digital Life this weekend--and it's not behind glass like the Xbox 360 was last year. So come to the Javits Center this weekend to get your hands on the PS3--your friends will be so jealous!



As always, we just couldn't resist the Tivo dolls (right).

Oblivion producer talks PS3

PLAYSTATION 3 fans were recently delighted with the news that Oblivion would be a launch title for the console, and were even more pleased with the exclusive content which will reportedly be added. However, in a recently interview, Executive Producer Todd Howard confirmed that the extra content will only be a timed exclusive.

During th interview with IGN, Howard revealed that Bethesda's aim is to make the game consistent across all platforms, so content such as the Knights of the Nine will eventually be added to the Xbox 360 and PC as well: "We always aim to have all our content available across all platforms, so [adding the Knights of the Nine to those versions] is our goal."

The only feature unique to the PLAYSTATION 3 version will most likely be new shaders. "The PS3 is benefiting from us continuing to develop our core technology that drives all our Elder Scrolls games. Some of that is noticeable on the screen -- like all the new graphic shaders -- and some isn't. The best examples are those new shaders we have for how "near detail" and "far detail" blend together on the landscape. You no longer have a harsh line cutting across the two levels, they blend together seamlessly and the distant detail and land looks much nicer," Howard said.

During the interview, Howard also confirmed that the PLAYSTATION 3 version will not make use of the SIXAXIS' tilt feature, nor will a Game of the Year version be available at launch.

Sony Exec: Australia to have Sony Christmas despite PS3 delay

While the delay of the PLAYSTATION 3's launch in PAL regions have left many gamers disappointed, Sony's Michael Ephraim remains optimistic. During an interview with GameSpot, the Sony Computer Entertainment Australia and New Zealand managing director pointed out that although the console's launch has been pushed back, no retailers have canceled pre-orders.

Ephraim believes that Sony will still win in the long-run and that the delay was just a minor bump in the road. "No retailers have canceled pre-orders. [...] The war for a generation of a console takes place over five or six years. And we think this delay over Christmas is unfortunate and not ideal, but in the long run we don't think it will play a significant role at all," he said.

During the interview, Ephraim also voiced his faith in Sony: although the Xbox 360 has already been launched in the country he remains confident that the PlayStation brand will win. "We think PS2 numbers are going to be huge. Between now and Christmas we're going to put in between 150,000 and 200,000 consoles," Ephraim said. "We think the PS2 is going to be the number one seller full stop by units."

A set release date for PAL regions has not be announced, although Sony has promised a March 2007 release window. Stay tuned to PS3Land.com for updates.

NBA 2K7 for PS3 gets tilt control free throws

2K Sports has released some new details for the PlayStation 3 version of NBA 2K7.

NBA 2K7 from 2K Sports is released for PS2, Xbox and Xbox 360 on October 27 here in the UK, but with the delayed release of the PlayStation 3, the European release of the game on the PS3 won't arrive until March. However, the PS3 version does look to have some features that might be worth waiting for.

Unique to the PS3 game is free throwing using the tilt sensing capabilities of the PS3's Sixaxis controller, which 2K Sports say creates a more realistic free throw experience. Also unique to the PlayStation 3 is five-on-five online play, and offline play for up to seven players at one time on a single console - not bad for a console that supposedly doesn't have a good online service.

PS3 battle has two fronts Wii thinks

As numerous commentators (and Nintendo fanboys) have pointed out, PS3 will find itself up against a pretty tough competitor in Nintendo Wii when it hits the market this year.

The Wii has not only has been getting tons of favourable reviews for its new single-handed motion sensitive console gaming experience, but also has an enormous price advantage over PS3. To make things worse for PS3, the Wii will have about twice as many consoles (4 million versus 2 million) in stores by the end of December.

However, the PS3 has the added dimension of also being a Blu-ray player and the market dynamics are somewhat different on this front. Whereas the PS3 will be the most expensive games console on the market, it will be the cheapest Blu-ray player.

For Sony, a lot hinges on the success of PS3. Gamers concede that it will be the most powerful console in terms of raw power and graphics capabilities. However, many say that they're not looking for more realism but a new type of gaming experience, which PS3 does not really provide, unlike Wii.

Thus, the clear differentiator for PS3 will be the non-gaming feature of having a cheap integrated Blu-ray player. Whether that will be enough to lure PS2 and other gamers, as well as non gamers to part with their cash in the same numbers they did with PS1 and PS2 remains to be seen.

Call of Duty 3

Call of Duty 3 is a first-person shooter set in World War II, only moreso. I am obliged by the sacred covenant of games writers everywhere to mention at this juncture that World War II is played out beyond all measure.

Call of Duty 3 bypasses this unfortunate fact of life by being, essentially, what you’d want a next-gen shooter to be. It couples smooth, crisp graphics with fast-paced action, as well as CPU squadmates who, for the first time in convenient memory, are not completely retarded.

Yes, you’re fighting World War II again, and in Call of Duty’s trademark style, you’re fighting it as a host of different characters in several different theaters throughout the war, like an SAS soldier sent to assist the French Resistance, an American sniper making tentative inroads into Germany in 1944, or a Polish tank driver. It helps, then, that you’re fighting the greatest generation’s war on a next-generation platform.



Call of Duty 3 does away with the concept of a “health meter,” instead allowing you to basically walk off bullet wounds by finding cover. If you take too many shots in rapid succession, you’re an unfortunate statistic. It allows combat to proceed at a surprisingly rapid pace, since you’re not often hunting down weapons or health, and also lets you get away with incredibly reckless and foolhardy stunts from time to time. Since this is Call of Duty, and as such, you’ll occasionally be asked to play the time-honored party game of Step In Front Of The German With The Mounted Machine Gun, this helps.

The 360 and PS3 versions are cosmetically identical, as far as I can tell; it’d be disingenuous to call one better than the other, since I played two different levels on two different consoles, and I was playing the PS3 on a larger screen in better light. The big difference between the two is that the PS3’s Sixaxis pad allows you to throw a melee attack by wrenching the controller sharply to the right.

The Wii version, naturally, is an entirely different thing. It’s not as graphically polished as the other two versions; it’s unmistakably a game, whereas the PS3 or 360 Call of Duty 3 are occasionally nearly photorealistic.



That said, you can use the Wiimote or whatever it’s called to guide your gunsights around the screen, much like using a mouse, while you move your character with the thumbstick. Throwing a grenade involves a gentle tossing motion, while melee combat requires you to thrust the controller forward suddenly. It’s not quite as intuitive as the other versions’ controls are, because we’ve been playing first-person shooters with the same basic setup for years. The Wii version of Call of Duty 3 is, oddly, more immersive, because it feels more like you’re in the game. You’re there, throwing grenades, looking around, and sighting down the rifle; there’s less of a layer of abstraction between you and the action.

The 360 and PS3 versions, however, unlike the Wii, offer online play into the bargain. In Call of Duty 3 online, you select one of several character classes, such as rifleman, light assault, anti-armor, heavy assault, medic, or scout, and go after the Nazis or the Allies in teams. There are vehicles all over the map for you to use, from motorcycles to tanks, and several different versions of the game to try out. We had a lot of fun with Capture the Flag, which you may be familiar with, and War, where you capture spawn points to win.

Whichever version of it you’re looking to play, Call of Duty 3 will be out next month for all three next-generation consoles, just in time for the PS3’s launch. This ought to be interesting.

Another PS3 Delay In Europe

Things just don’t seem to be going very well for Sony, at all. After all the console bashing, the shortages and consumers being simply fed up with all the crap Sony has been feeding them you’d think Sony would get their act together from here on out. Well, just to pile on the heaps of bad news here’s some more:

MeriStation is reporting that Ken Kutaragi recently admitted that supply problems for Japan and North America could force the European PS3 launch to be delayed until May — which would mean that Japanese and American consumers might have their systems nearly six months before the eager gamers in the rest of the world.

MeriStation is actually a Spanish gaming system that has no direct ties to Sony, so none of this information is confirmed. If the rumor does turn out to be true, we’re going to see even more pissed off European gamers. It seems as though Sony isn’t even trying anymore. Maybe they’re disappointing for the world for the publicity? Remember, earlier this week, every single PS3 preorder at Gamestop sold out a few hours in.

PS3 online details revealed

Sony is integrating Xfire’s online technology into its PS3 Network Platform, allowing console gamers to play online alongside PC owners.
Xfire, which was acquired by media giant Viacom in April for $102 million, currently exists as a free piece of PC software which provides a network for a range of community features including friends lists and instant messaging.

This will be the first time Xfire’s technology has been integrated into consoles. So far Xfire has been confirmed for use in Sony Online Entertainment’s Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom, as well as in Sony’s own middleware development.

Some are predicting that the software will form the backbone of PS3’s multiplayer service in the future as it offers a base from which Sony can begin to rival Microsoft’s Xbox Live platform.

“Many of our PC game players already use Xfire to find and play with their friends online,” staed Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley. “By integrating Xfire features into our games we are able to strengthen our online community, making it even easier for our players to remain connected, whether they’re on a PC or a PS3.”

New Survey Shows PS3 First, Xbox 360 Last

A new survey from recently the recently formed research company Interpret shows the Xbox 360 trailing in mindshare in the next generation console wars. Interpret’s survey targeted 2,000 online users; these users were then apparently weighted against 2004 Census data. In the data released to Next Generation, the weighted data shows 8.9 million consumers ready to pony up money for the PS3, 5.7 million would purchase the Wii, and 800,000 would buy the Xbox 360 at full price. It’s hard to attach much weight to the survey, though, without further information.

While Interpret LLC is a new company, its founders consist of veterans from ratings giant Nielsen; there is a lot of experience at the helm. But without more particulars, it is hard to judge if Interpret’s extrapolations are valid. There are some interesting points from the research; Interpret believes that while Microsoft has had tremendous success over the past year, the company has not been able to expand its audience beyond the hardcore gamer. It is also easy for gamers online to get an insulated view of the industry. Certainly, Sony has had a lot of bad news related to the Playstation 3, but a lot of this information will not trickle down to the mainstream audience. While this survey paints a bad picture for Microsoft, there is a huge gap between surveys, statistics, and the real world.

PS3: component cables sold separately

Both models of the Japanese PlayStation 3 will be packaged with only composite (red, white, and yellow) cables, according to a report from uber-popular gaming magazine Famitsu. We've talked to death about its lack of an HDMI cable, component cable inputs are available even on standard definition screens to enhance the image, as are S-video inputs.

Those with PS2 component cables will be happy to know that they work with the PS3. A quick search on GameStop reveals a third-party PS2 component cable for only $14.99. While $15 is relatively little money to the consumer, it would likely cost Sony even less to pack in a cable of its own, or at least create a six-prong composite/component hybrid, similar to the Xbox 360.

Sony PS3 Auctions on eBay

Some of the Gamestop Sony PS3 reservations that have been briefly available this week are turning up on eBay.

The sellers claim that they have been first in line at GameStop or EB Games. The Buy Now price for a premium PS3 is set around between $1,500 and $2,000.

When the Xbox 360 launched prices went as high as $3,000 for a premium package on eBay.


I see currently 25 auctions for Sony PS3 premium consoles on eBay. That is still not a lot. I guess sellers still holding back. It is still early in the game.

I already wonder how many days before launch day Sony Fanboys will camp out in front of a Best Buy. The low supply will despite the high price generate a tremendous shortage and disappointment for many Sony fans.

Japanese Gamers Side With PS3

The Tokyo Game Show had several highlights, but perhaps the biggest one didn't arrive until the results of a Famitsu survey arrived. We recently reported on the results of a Japanese developers survey, where it was evident the Nintendo Wii intrigued the devs most. But when it comes to the gaming public, it's a slightly different story.

The following results came from around 4,000 show attendees, with between 2,500 and 3,000 answering every question.

First on the list was the system price, and remember we just posted a story on U.S. consumers being prepared to pay the PS3 system price. For the Xbox 360 Core System, which launches in Japan on November 2 for 29,800 yen, 65% of those surveyed consider it a "fair" price, 25.2% think it's pricey, and 9.8% believe it's cheap. For the Wii, 60.5% feel the price is just right, 25.9% consider it cheap, and 13.6% think it's expensive.

And then we come to the PS3, which needed two answers; one for each model. 56.5% believe the 49.800 yen price tag for the 20GB model is pricey, 35.7% feel it's just right, and 7.8% think it's cheap. For the 60GB model (which will have an open retail price on launch day), 64.6% expect the actual retail price to be extremely high, 20.1% expect it to be just right, and 15.3% believe it will be cheap. And while these results are telling, the key lies in which of these systems they actually plan to purchase...

For the Xbox 360 Core, 66.4% said they currently have no plans for a purchase, 1.4% said they'd buy it on launch day, 0.8% hope to get one as a Christmas gift, 15.1% said they'd buy it if "the appropriate software came out," and 16.3% said they'd only purchase it if they had money to spare. For the PS3, 36.2% said they currently had no plans to buy the system, 10.5% said they'd buy it at launch, 0.8% said they were hoping to get one as a Christmas gift, 26.4% said they'd buy a PS3 if the appropriate software released, and 26.1% said they'd make the purchase when they had money to spare. For the Wii, 33.0% said they don't plan to buy the system at this time, 17.8% plan to buy it at launch, 1.8% want to receive it as a Christmas gift, 26.5% will make the purchase when the appropriate software is available, and 20.9% who said they'd but it when they have money to spare.

In terms of games, there weren't many surprises. For the 360, Blue Dragon was the most popular, followed by Gundam: Operation Troy, Lost Odyssey, Dead or Alive Xtreme 2, Earth Self-Defense Force 3, Sonic the Hedgehog, Culdcept Saga, Winning Eleven, Lost Planet, and Onechanbara VorteX. For the PS3, it was all about Metal Gear Solid 4, and then came Gundam Target in Sight, Devil May Cry 4, Gran Turismo HD, Hot Shots Golf 5, Armored Core 4, Virtua Fighter 5, Ridge Racer 7, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Genji: Days of the Blade. For the Wii, Zelda was easily the biggest game, followed by Smash Bros. X, Super Mario Galaxy, Fire Emblem, Animal Crossing, Made in Wario, Kirby, Mario Party 8, Metroid Prime 3, and Brain Age Academy.

Famitsu than asked an all-encompassing game question, which asked what game - over all platforms - the fans were looking forward to. In this category, Metal Gear Solid 4 won the popular vote; it beat out Final Fantasy XIII, Zelda: Twilight Princess, Blue Dragon, and Smash Bros. X. But while a Konami game may have taken top honors here, attendees selected Nintendo as the company that most holds their interest. Following on down the list, show-goers selected Square-Enix, Konami, Capcom, and Bandai-Namco Games.

And finally, we come to the big question: which next-generation system are players most looking forward to? Here's where the overall preference comes to light: 58.3% selected the PS3 as the next-gen system they most want, 33.8% picked the Wii, and 7.9% went with the Xbox 360. However, it's worth mentioning that the Wii didn't have a big presence at TGS, and really didn't have enough of an impact to sway voters.

Still, combined with the report that U.S. consumers aren't fazed by the PS3's price tag, Sony will likely take these results as a positive.

GameStop Canada to pimp PS3, Wii pre-orders Oct. 16

GameStop Corp. this week announced that GameStop and EB Games Canada stores will begin accepting pre-orders for Nintendo Wii and Sony's Playstation 3 on Monday, Oct. 16.
The pre-orders will be offered on a first come, first serve basis. A $50 CDN in trade or $200 CDN cash / credit deposit is required to reserve the each machine.

GameStop on Tuesday began offering PS3 pre-orders in U.S. stores and quickly sold out at nationwide locations.

Sony will release the PS3 on Nov. 17 in the U.S. for $499 and $599. Launch quantities will be limited due to a production delay in a key machine component. The company is expected to deliver 400,000 units to the U.S. for launch.

Beginning Fri., GameStop and EB Games U.S. stores will start taking reservations for Wii, due out on Nov. 19.

PS3 Bundled With Composite In Japan

Many of us have wondered what will be included in the PlayStation 3 box, and now, we have the answer. Well, Japan has an answer, at least.

As we know, the PS3 will feature a HDMI port, Blu-Ray, and the Cell processor, and it seems the system will ship with everything you might need for high-def playback...except the high-definition cables themselves.

According to the latest issue of Famitsu, both the 60GB and 20GB Japanese PS3s will come with a power cord, USB cable, ethernet cable, and the standard composite AV cable. However, there is no component, HDMI, or D cables included. Sony hasn't confirmed this package for the U.S., but in Japan, gamers are gonna have to purchase high-definition cables separately.

But it's not all bad news. The PS3's AV Multi-Out interface does accept the same cables you used with your PS2, so if you've already got S-Video, D, or Component cables, you can just switch 'em over to the PS3. When we have news regarding the PS3 packaging for the U.S., we'll be sure to let you know

Buena Vista Games Signs Multi-Title Agreement with Emergent

Emergent Game Technologies announced today in a press release that Buena Vista Games has signed a multi-title deal to use Emergent's Gamebryo Element for their PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 developments. If you want to know more on Gamebryo Element check out our interview with Emergent Game Technologies here.

Outside of using Gamebryo, Buena Vista Games has also signed to work with Emergent's Custom Engineering group to design a range of upcoming development projects.

Mark Meyers, Vice President of Internal Studios at Buena Vista Games stated, "This toolset is a proven cross-platform technology that will allow our teams to fully leverage our intellectual properties and focus on our core competencies in developing for next-gen consoles such as the PLAYSTATION 3 and Xbox 360...Gamebryo gives BVG the flexibility and hands-on customer support we demand from new technology that will be used across multiple development teams--each of which uses a mix of different technologies to create games spanning a full range of genres."

"Industry leaders such as BVG recognize the importance of technical flexibility and modularity in choosing enterprise-wide solutions," said Geoffrey Selzer, CEO of Emergent. "With Emergent Elements, we offer developers unparalleled flexibility--across platforms and development teams. Also, our Custom Engineering team's involvement reflects our deep commitment to our customers, ensuring that each of these new titles will enjoy the full benefit of our technology and expertise. This is a winning combination that only confirms our leadership role in next-gen
console development, and we look forward to working with BVG."

PS3Land.com will keep you updated as more information is available on Buena Vista's upcoming titles so be sure to check later.

Research shows massive support for the PS3

In recent research done by Los Angeles based Interpret (a technological research company) the findings show an overwhelming consumer support for the PLAYSTATION 3. The study shows that around 8.9 million Americans are prepared to pay full price ($500-$600) for the PS3, 5.7 million who are prepared to buy the Wii at $250 and 800,000 who are willing to pay $300-$400 for the Xbox360.

The study consisted of 2,000 random interviews Interpret gave online. They then weighted it to the 2004 U.S. Census data of people in the U.S. Lastly, they backed it up by a telephone survey to make sure the online data wasn't over-represented by females, which is an issue with online surveys.

The research also predicts that by 2008 the PS3 will have an established fan base of 12 million in the U.S. The Xbox360 for over a year now has held an unanswered lead in the nex-gen war. However, with the ratios stated above, the Xbox360 might have a hard time keeping that lead when the PS3 and Wii launch this fall. The key to winning in the U.S. lies in Sony's ability to keep to marketplace supplied with ample nex-gen consoles. If they can keep their supply up, then Microsoft may be in trouble.

PS3Land.com Interviews Emergent Game Technologies

Recently I had the opportunity to interview Ed Holzwarth, lead PS3 Software Engineer at Emergent Game Technologies, on their game engine Gamebyro for the PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles.

If you are not familiar with Gamebyro, it is a flexible game engine that allows developers to create the most beautiful and graphically rich games. Their engine can be found in games like Oblivion and Civilation IV and will soon be found in PS3 games near you.

In the interview we cover the technology itself, which games it powers, what the PS3 is like to develop for and the relationship of the RSX and Cell. Images and videos available at end of interview


Part 1: Gamebryo


1. How long has Gamebryo Element been in development?
Gamebryo has been available for use since 1998. Since then, more than 200 titles have shipped or are in development using Gamebryo.

2. What are some key features that set Gamebryo apart from other game engines?
What really sets Gamebryo apart is its flexibility—it’s been engineered for developers making any type of game. Not just, say, first-person shooters. And I think you see that flexibility in the range of titles using the engine – everything from role-playing games like Oblivion and Dark Age of Camelot to strategy games like Civilization IV. Because of that flexibility, every Gamebryo title can have its own unique look.

3. What are some next-gen games using Gamebryo? Any PS3 titles?
Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is by far the most well-known next-gen game using Gamebryo. There are a number of PS3 games in development now using Gamebryo, but we can’t disclose those at this point. We’ll make some interesting next-gen announcements over the next couple of months.

4. In a brief summary, how does the scene designer of Gamebryo work and save game developers time?
The Scene Designer makes it easy to get a game up and running in no time. It lets developers place objects and lights in a scene, assigning a range of attributes and features to those objects. You can instantly see the scene running in Gamebryo, and save scenes and entire levels for importing them into Gamebryo apps. Basically, you can very quickly pull together a scene, have it running in the engine, and poke and prod until you’re happy with it. It’s an amazing tool—and again, it’s very flexible.

5. Will there be features of the engine specifically for the PS3?
There already are, in fact. We optimize and customize the engine for each platform so that the developer can access all the features and performance in the raw iron. Gamebryo now ships with Floodgate, an API that helps you squeeze the most processing power out of every core. Once the programmer specifies the operations to perform and the associated streams of data (think graphics, AI, sound and physics data, etc.), Floodgate executes those operations with maximum efficiency—meaning that you can harness the power of idle SPUs on the PS3. Floodgate also allows users to create entire workflows of interconnected tasks – which are then analyzed, broken down, and scheduled for execution across all available cores. Workflows can be created during execution based on information at runtime, or they can be cached for execution multiple times. With this flexibility, developers can combine scores of small operations in a very simple way to achieve complex objectives. You don’t have to predefine everything at compile time—the game can adjust dynamically during execution.

6. I see you have a version of Gamebryo for XLA developers...will there be a version for PS3 network developers?
We unfortunately can’t talk about future versions of the platform. That said, we’ve always made Gamebryo available for the major platforms.

7. Are there any other tools from Emergent Game technologies that are being developed for the PS3?
All our software tools are made for cross-platform development—including for the PS3. Gamebryo is just one part of Emergent Elements – a whole family of modular tools for game development—from building and testing every type of game to launching, hosting and managing online games. Our Metrics Element, a tool for extracting, displaying and managing game data, is built to work with every major platform, including the PS3.

8. Any plans to provide the game engine for the Wii, EVO:Phase One, or Infinium Labs Phantom?
We don’t currently support those platforms.


Part 2: Developing for the PS3


9. How are you utlizing the power of the PS3 to get the most for your games?
Most of the PS3’s power comes from the SPUs, but taking advantage of that power can be a tremendous challenge. It’s easy to get into a situation where the PPU is 100%% utilized while the SPUs are waiting for work to do. Avoiding this requires careful SPU task scheduling and optimal asynchronous data transfers. Floodgate provides this ability.

In addition, when Floodgate is used in conjunction with the Gamebryo for PS3 renderer, it can take advantage of a cool feature of the RSX to verify completion of graphics data transfers. That avoids having the Cell wait for such transfers to complete before issuing draw calls. Gamebryo for PS3 already does this automatically when it renders particle systems, but it can be used all kinds of of dynamic or procedural data, whether it’s geometry or textures.

Floodgate really breaks down the challenges involved with getting work done on the SPUs. The bonus for cross-platform developers is that when you use Floodgate, you see benefits on all multi-core platforms—not just on the PS3.

Our Metrics Element product makes it easy to gather and analyze any of the thousands of performance metrics that can be queried on the PS3.

10. What's your opinion on the PS3 being difficult to program for? Strengths, weaknesses?
If it were really easy to program for the PS3, developers wouldn’t be looking to us for better answers. Multicore development is tough work. And it always takes time for good development tools to emerge for a new platform—compiling, debugging, and performance analyzing tools are still evolving for the PS3, which adds to the challenge.

11. How would you descibe the RSX and its ability to work with the Cell?
I think Sony and nVidia did a great job with the architecture. There are quite a few details that can be tricky, and performance will suffer if you’re not careful—but when used as designed, the RSX is a great match for the Cell.

12. How long do you think it will take to truly tap into the PS3's power?
It will take a few years of developers finding innovative ways to squeeze more out of the PS3, just as it did with the PS2.

So thats the interview - we hope you enjoyed it. Just to add a bit more, TimeGate Studios has recently signed a deal with Emergent Game Technologies to use their game engine in an upcoming next gen MMO. It has yet to be confirmed it the title will appear on the PS3 or not but PS3Land.com will keep you updated as more information is available.

We would like to thank Ed and the rest of the team at Emergent Game Technologies for working with us on the interview.

Blaster Effect Movie (7.18 MB)Depth of Field Movie (20.47 MB)Post Processing Movie (8.58 MB)

Sonic's new Princess

For the first time in Sonic history, SEGA has decided to implement the voice acting of a Hollywood star: Lacey Chabert of Party of Five and Mean Girls. She will be the voice talent of Princess Elise in the upcoming Sonic game set to release this holiday season.

When asked about how it felt to switch to games, she stated, "I couldn't be happier to make my video game debut in Sonic the Hedgehog, I've been playing Sonic games since I was nine years old, and I am so excited to be part of his 15-year legacy!"

As for SEGA's thoughts:"We are thrilled to work with Lacey Chabert for SEGA's premiere franchise, Sonic the Hedgehog," said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Marketing for SEGA of America. As we take Sonic into the next generation of gaming, Lacey's experience and talent are the perfect match for the game's deeper storyline, delivering the powerful emotional connection that gamers have grown to expect from Sonic titles."

So keep an ear out for Lacey this shopping season when playing the new Sonic title!

Level 5 talks White Knight

Many gamers have already seen the impressive White Knight trailer from TGS, and after the show, Famitsu had a sit down with Level-5's president of developer, Akihiro Hino to talk about the title:

Hino went into detail stating that developers did not want to make White Knight a rushed launch-RPG, even though there was pressure to do so. He says that their goal is to make White Knight a 50-60 hour game, which is about averagel for RPGs.

Level-5 will not be cutting any corners by shortening the storyline, in the hopes to "surpass the volume of the RPGs" that they have made in the past. Hino didn't go into any detail about the game itself, other than White Knight will be on par with visually stunning titles such as Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey.

Stay tuned for more information on what looks to be a great RPG, and a full preview as soon as more information is available.

GameStop pre-orders sold out

We hope you've got your preor-der at GameStop, EB Games, or Software Etc. early this morning, because if you missed out, you will have a tough time getting one on hold. It has been reported across the net that stores are sold out nationwide today.
With each store getting a reported 8-16 consoles, it comes to no surprise that every one of those have been nabbed at this time.

GameStop has not made any announcements yet as to whether they will be reserving a second shipment of consoles, like they did for the Xbox 360 launch, so there is still hope for those of you wanting to get a PS3 before Christmas. As always, they are still reserving games, and will shortly be taking pre-orders on controllers and accessories so stay tuned, as we will update you with what you need to know.

Don't know about the whole pre-ordering scene? Check out our Pre-order Guide in the features section for an in depth report on all you need to know!

PS3 OS shown at Tokyo Game Show isn't final

Many people were thrilled to see the operating system shown at TGS this year running on the PS3, but it has been confirmed that it will not be OS that will be shipped with the console. According to a statement made by Sony to GameDaily.BIZ, the OS shown at TGS was not final, and will be updated and changed to best suit the players, even after launch.

As of now, it is possible that the operating system is still in the works, however, we have been told that this should in no way affect production- the PS3 is still on track for a November launch in Japan and North America.

Sony has announced that there will be updates for the OS, to add new features and fix any problems with existing features, and that these updates will be available through downloads straight to the console, or downloading the updates to a blu-ray disc or memory stick and inserting them.

All in all, Sony's operating system is beginning to sound like the Xbox 360 dashboard, so expect great things. As soon as us here at PS3Land.com get our hands on a PS3 console, we will make a video walkthrough of the OS and go in depth of it's features, so stay tuned!

Gamestop's PS3 game release list

I went to my local Gamestop this morning to pre-order my PS3 and as I was there I picked up their complete list of PS3 pre-order release titles. With this list you will be able to sort out which launch titles to pick up and which games you can look forward to in the future.

Release..Titles:
11/01/06 NBA 2K7
11/01/06 NHL 2K7
11/07/06 Call of Duty 3
11/07/06 Marvel Ultimate Alliance
11/07/06 Tony Hawk's Project 8
11/14/06 Blazing Angels
11/14/06 Fear
11/14/06 Full Auto 2
11/14/06 Madden NFL 2007
11/14/06 Rainbow Six: Vegas
11/14/06 Sonic the Hedgehog
11/14/06 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007
11/17/06 Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
11/17/06 Genji: Days of the Blade
11/17/06 Mobile Suite Gundam Crossfire
11/17/06 NBA 07
11/17/06 Resistance: Fall of Man
11/17/06 Ridge Racer 7
11/17/06 Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom
11/20/06 Need for Speed: Carbon
12/12/06 Fight Night Round 3
12/19/06 NBA Live 2007
01/01/07 Stranglehold
01/01/07 Unreal Tournament 2007
02/05/07 Eye of Judgement
02/05/07 Godfather
02/05/07 Half-Life 2
02/05/07 NBA Street Vol 4
02/05/07 SingStar
02/15/07 Bladestorm: Hundred Years War
02/15/07 Fatal Inertia
03/01/07 Assassin's Creed
03/01/07 Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
03/01/07 Heavenly Sword
03/01/07 Lair
03/01/07 MLB 07: The Show
03/01/07 MotorStorm
03/06/07 Army of Two
03/06/07 Burnout 5
03/06/07 Def Jam
03/06/07 Medal of Honor Airborne
03/13/07 Virtua Fighter 5
03/20/07 Virtua Tennis 3
04/02/07 The Darkness
04/03/07 Moster Madness
06/01/07 Warhawk

Fight Night Round 3 coming this December

EA Sports has just announced that Fight Night Round 3 will be available on December 12th for the PlayStation 3 and will feature a few new upgrades.

Some of the exclusive content mentioned in the PS3 version includes; updated graphics (skin textures, muscle structure, veins), newer animations, ESPN integration, "Get in the Ring" First person mode, and an all new splitscreen multiplayer mode.

It is still unsure how EA and Sony are working out the online modes for Fight Night but we'll keep you updated as the launch of this title gets closer.

Official PlayB3yond site for the US goes live

The official PlayB3yond site for the US has gone live and features a Dali-esque melting clock with the hands pointing to 03:00. What this means is anybody’s guess? Why is the clock melting? Perhaps it’s pointing at the 3 to symbolise PS "3"? Who knows? Anyway you can check out the site by going ot the link below.

Official site: http://www.playb3yond.com/

Not to be outdone hgowever the Japanese PlayB3yond site has also launched and features a fantastic introduction of the PS3 game pad smashing its way through black walls – each time leaving the tell-tale PlayStation button icons X, Triangle, Square and Circle.

Official site: http://www.playbeyond.jp/

Call of Duty 3 PS3

To be released only a year after its predecessor, Call of Duty 3 will be hitting all consoles and PC this November. Developed by Treyarch and published by Activision, Call of Duty 3 looks to bring back everything great about COD2 and at the same time delve into new territory with brand new features.
Single Player:Dropping the whole D-day cliche, Call of Duty 3 takes gamers into the heart of the inland battle during the German Blitzkrieg where you will play as the Polish, Canadian, American, and British forces. Also, Activision looks to change things up a bit and this time have you be able to play multiple campaigns, each running simultaneously to complete one overall objective. Basically being able to switch from playing as the American front taking on the German Panzers to playing as the Canadians for the 4th Armored Division and Grenediers.
One of the first things noticed from the screenshots would be the graphical upgrade from COD2 and the fact that many of the levels take place at night allowing for some pretty spectacular lighting and particle effects. Other terrain that you and your allies with travel over include forests, villages, and swamps.
Multiplayer:New details have emerged on the multiplayer aspect of Call of Duty 3 and everything is sounding great! So far Activision has 6 multiplayer modes in the game including; Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, new version of Headquarters, and a new mode called WAR.
Most of the game modes are self explainitory although since WAR is new we'll give you a bit of insight on what is being offered. WAR can basically be described as a King of the Hill mode where players will be split into teams starting at opposite sides of the map and have the goal of controling and defending one outpost in the center of the level.
Other new features that Treyarch and Activision have added include level destructability, support of 24 players online, PS3 tilt functionality for melee combat, and user-controlled vehicles in multiplayer.
Activision has announced that Call of Duty 3 will be available at the launch of the PlayStation 3 and that the PS3 version may be played in 1080p.

PlayB3yond Site Updated

When you open the site you will be prompted to enter your age. You must be 18 years of age to view. When opened you get treated to a weard growing plant on the right side that opens up a bunch of broken and 4 complete button symbols from the PS Controllers. This is my personal opinion here but it seems to be some sort of puzzle. Maybe if you hit the right symbols in the correct order it opens something or else its a secret message. Only Sony knows. Ive stared at it for the last half hour and cant make heads or tales of it. Good Luck to you guys when it comes to solving it.

PS3 GAMES PHOTO'S DB

Oblivion PSP Minor Update

Once Bethesda issued an official statement stating the fact that their action/RPG, The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion would be headed to the PSP, the first question on every one's mind was how the hell would Bethesda manage to fit the vast world of Tamriel onto Sony's handheld? Well, Bethesda isn't going to fit the vast world of Tamriel onto Sony's handheld as they've completely axed the free roaming idea for the PSP and have decided to go in for a more 'dungeon crawling' experience.

No need to slit your wrists though; even though Oblivion for the PSP will be a different game with a different storyline, "all the core attributes and perks as well as most of the skills from the original game will be in the PSP version."

No official media is out as of now, but we'll keep you posted as more info gets released. Oblivion will release for the PSP sometime in 2007.

Assassins Creed has been shrouded in secrecy ever since it was introduced as Project Assassin way back at X05. Too add insult to injury, Ubisoft kept playing these cat and mouse games with us, teasing and tantalizing us with tit bits of information that lead to us asking even more questions. Would the game be a PS3 exclusive? Would it come to the Xbox 360 or the PC? Will there be any difference in content across different platforms? Am I asking too many questions?

Fortunately a lot of those questions were answered at X05 where we learnt that the game would be coming to the 360; in fact we caught a glimpse of the game (live in-game footage baby) running on the 360 for the first time. We also know that Assassins Creed will be a part of a trilogy, the details of which are extremely hush hush, but before I get into the thick of things, here’s a slight summary for the uninitiated. It’s the year 1191 AD; the land’s been thrown into turmoil and the only people who can do something about it are a sect of people called the Assassins, (think of these dudes as medieval hitmen) and that, ladies and gentlemen is where you come in. You’ll play as an Assassin called Altair (which means Flying Eagle in Arabic) and it’ll be upto you to liberate the land from all these problems using any mean necessary (and we all know it’s going to be force).

Crysis 'Could' Come to Next Gen Consoles

Developer Crytek's upcoming jungle based shooter (not Far Cry 2) Crysis, is one pretty game and will push the limits of the PC, but according to lead artist, Michael Khaimzon, this game could very well see the light of day on next gen consoles namely the Xbox 360 and the PS3 (don't worry, the Wii is getting its very own Far Cry).
I have no clue as to what brought about this change of heart as Crytek were adamant that consoles wouldn't be able to handle Crysis sometime ago, but I guess that's been sorted out now and here's what Michael Khaimzon had to say in an interview with gamesindustry.biz. "I don't think there would be any problem to convert anything we work on to the next-gen consoles if we decided to. We have enough power here, with programmers and artists, to be able to do such a thing. It's just a matter of making the decision. We would just have to see how much of a sacrifice to the game we'd have to make. Or whether there would be a sacrifice at all, maybe we could find a way to make the game look exactly the same as it does on PC on the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3".
When asked for some sort of a confirmation, he played it safe by saying that there weren't any 'official plans' as of now, so we’ll just have to wait and watch.

5 GTA clones till GTA IV

Grand Theft Auto is a phenomenon in itself. Not only has it firmly established itself its iconic status in modern pop culture, but it has single handedly managed to become a benchmark of sorts for games that follow the same formula; go anywhere, do anything.Even though there were games that followed the very same formula before GTA rocked our world (take Urban Chaos for example), none of them managed to achieve the sort of cult status this game so effortlessly managed too. As you all know, nothing’s free in this world, and the game’s developer’s, Rockstar had a hefty price to pay with nearly every iteration of GTA (after III) being embroiled in some sort of controversy, the last one (Hot-Coffee) burning them the most.Since we don’t have a new Grand Theft Auto till around 2007 (that’s when GTA IV releases for the PS3 and the Xbox 360), we’ve compiled a list of five games that have followed this formula successfully enough to be bide your time with.
The Godfather (2006)


Based on Mario Puzo’s novel of the same name, The Godfather put players in the boots of an unnamed gangster as he rose to take control of New York’s Crime Syndicate. The game was structured like GTA, which meant you could go anywhere and do anything, and the game even managed to one-up San Andreas in the customization department with its proprietary Mob face technology, that allowed you to customize your gangster to the max. Only problem was that halfway through the game, the missions ended up getting pretty repetitive, and even though the game was based on the movie/book, there weren’t any memorable characters like some of the blokes from San Andreas.

Duke Nukem Forever

Duke Nukem Forever
By: Avinash Bali

All right people, the wait is finally over; Duke Nukem Forever is nearly upon us. The kind blokes over at Ars Technica have been kind enough to share their thoughts on one of the most infamous FPS's known to mankind. Keep in mind, this isn't the finished product, it's merely a demo that's unfortunately not available to the masses. Even at such an early stage the game looks extremely good and can definitely compete with games like F.E.A.R. or even The Elder Scrolls Oblivion in the graphics department. It seems the seven years and gazillions of dollars pumped into this game was definitely time and money well spent. Expect the game to be released for the PC next month, with a PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Revolution, PS2, Xbox, Nintendo DS and PSP port to follow soon.