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Could All PlayStation 3s Soon Be Backwards Compatible?
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Subject:
Could All PlayStation 3s Soon Be Backwards Compatible?
Poster: fantasy
Date: June 30, 2009, 10:34 |
Sony’s PlayStation 3 and the issue of backwards compatibility have a long and storied history, despite the fact that the console has only been around for a few years. Between the Emotion Engine chip (the PS2’s CPU) initially being available in some SKUs, to the Emotion Engine chip being pulled from later SKUs, to some models including emulators, it’s just a big mess. Basically, the major point to take away from all this is that currently, Sony is not producing any PS3s with backwards compatibility support (via hardware or software). However, that could be changing sometime soon.
As SilconEra reports, Sony recently filed a patent that would allow the PS3’s Cell processor to emulate the Emotion Engine. If successful, this process would add backwards compatibility to every PS3 on store shelves and in homes. In addition to most likely being built into the rumored PS3 Slim expected to be out sometime later this year, this feature could also be made available via firmware update for all current PS3 owners.
It would be impressive if Sony could pull this off, even though this whole Cell-powered backward compatibility function should have been part of the PS3 from the beginning. But I’m guessing that most PlayStation fans will see it as a “better late than never” scenario, and they’re probably right.
Source: G4tv.com
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Square Enix 'considering' FFXIV Online for 'Microsoft hardware'
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Subject:
Square Enix 'considering' FFXIV Online for 'Microsoft hardware'
Poster: fantasy
Date: June 04, 2009, 11:32 |
LOS ANGELES--Square Enix's announcement last year that Final Fantasy XIII would arrive on the Xbox 360 in addition to the PlayStation 3 was one of the biggest news items from the 2008 Electronic Entertainment Expo. This year, the company delivered one more shocker, abruptly announcing during Sony's E3 2009 press conference yesterday that Final Fantasy XIV Online is due for release on the PS3 in 2010.
A Final Fantasy for a persistent, online world. Final Fantasy XIV Online will be the second massively multiplayer online role-playing game in the franchise. The first such game, Final Fantasy XI, debuted on the PC in 2003 and found its way to the PlayStation 2 the next year. An Xbox 360 edition followed in 2006. In a follow-up announcement, Square Enix said that FFXIV Online will also see a global release on the PC, with localized editions appearing in Japanese, English, French, and German.
Thus far, the only hard detail Square Enix has shared about FFXIV Online is that the game will be set in the world of Eorzea, a new setting that has not appeared in previous franchise installments. However, that will soon change, as Square Enix is hosting a press conference today, the second day of the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo, to discuss the new title.
Source: Gamespot.Com
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PLAYSTATION 3 system software update (v.2.76)
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Subject:
PLAYSTATION 3 system software update (v.2.76)
Poster: fantasy
Date: May 18, 2009, 10:33 |
The PLAYSTATION 3 system software update (v.2.76), was made available on May 13, 2009. Changes included:
- Universal Game Invites and Join Session Button(XMB)
- Voice Mail and Private Voice Chat in-game
- Add OPTIONAL sound for notifications(sign on, new messages,etc.)
- symbols and numbers that show friends online and new messages on the XMB and beside message box
- Auto Sync Trophies
- More developed profiles + mentioned options on profiles(refer to image below)
- Report feature to report issues and stuff
- Faster loading in-game XMB and profiles
- When you receive a message you should be able to push the PS button
for it to automatically pop up as long as the notification is still
there
- More Avatars
- XMB for movies, browser and PS2
Source: Playstation.Com
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PS3, PSP sales rise as Sony posts first loss since 1995
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Subject:
PS3, PSP sales rise as Sony posts first loss since 1995
Poster: fantasy
Date: May 18, 2009, 10:19 |
PlayStation maker hit hard by strong yen and falling electronics sales; net loss of $1.03 billion reported, games division posts $612 million operating loss; PS2 sales plummet, but PS3 software shipments skyrocket to 103.7 million units.
Earlier this year, Japan's Nikkei business news service predicted that Sony would end its fiscal year with an operating deficit in excess of $2 billion, a significant contrast to the company's own forecast of ¥200 billion ($2.1 billion/£1.4 billion) in operating profit.
Unfortunately for Sony, the results were at the very bottom end of Nikkei's predictions, with the electronics giant today posting an annual operating loss of ¥227.8 billion ($2.38 billion/£1.57 billion) and a net loss of ¥98.9 billion ($1.03 billion/£682 million)--its first since 1995. A company's operating margin is defined as sales minus the cost of goods sold and administrative expenses. Net income includes deductions relating to taxes, as well as changing values of a company's assets and other factors not directly related to sales.
Sony, which late last year announced that it would be slashing 16,000 jobs and would undergo "sacred-cow slaying" changes to cut costs, has blamed the strong yen and the current economic climate for the losses, which lie in stark contrast to last year's profits of ¥374.5 billion ($3.9 billion/£2.6 billion) and Nintendo's significant revenue increases this year. Anticipation of losses in the earnings announcement caused shares to fall 6.8 percent this morning.
The games division, which encompasses PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PSP hardware and software, saw an operating loss of ¥58.5 billion ($612 million/£403 million), an improvement on last year's loss of ¥124.5 billion ($1.3 billion/£859 million), which Sony is attributing to an improvement in the PS3 business and reduced hardware manufacturing costs.
Overall, game hardware sales were down, due to significantly slowing PS2 sales, with the PS2 hitting 7.91 million units, a decrease of 5.75 million over the previous 12 months. However, sales for both the PSP and the PS3 were up, selling 14.11 million (an increase of 300,000) units and 10.06 million (an increase of 940,000) units respectively.
Software sales for both the PS2 and PSP saw significant dips, with 83.5 million pieces of PS2 software (a decrease of 70.5 million) shipping and PSP software shipments down 5.2 million units to 50.3 million units. PS3 software sales, however, saw a massive jump, up 45.8 million units to reach 103.7 million shipped.
Sony presented a bleak outlook for the next 12 months, forecasting a net loss of ¥120 billion ($1.3 billion/£827 million). Sony also warned that there would be an overall decline in the games business, due to the likely change in value of the yen and a further decrease in PS2 sales, and expects that it will record a loss again next year. The firm remained optimistic about the PS3 business, however, which it expects to improve in profitability due to reduced hardware costs and an "enhanced" lineup of software.
Source: Playstation.com
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Konami revs hit $3.22 billion, profits fall 40%
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Subject:
Konami revs hit $3.22 billion, profits fall 40%
Poster: fantasy
Date: May 18, 2009, 10:15 |
Konami has a big announcement lined up for Monday, one that may or may not be an Xbox 360 edition of Metal Gear Solid 4. However, what's certain is that the big reveal won't be in the publisher's fiscal year-end results, which were announced today. Wait, there are making a lost of money on record revenue?
Konami said today that revenues hit record levels during the April 1, 2008-March 31, 2009 period, thanks largely to the PlayStation 3 launch of MGS4 in June 2008 and its Pro Evolution Soccer franchise. During the 12 months, Konami pulled in ¥309.7 billion ($3.22 billion), a 4.2 percent year-over-year increase. Broken out by segment, Konami's digital entertainment arm--which includes console, handheld, arcade, and card game businesses--led revenue gains, growing 4.9 percent to ¥187.6 billion ($1.95 billion).
Despite those company-best revenues, the publisher saw a significant drop-off in net income, which fell 40.7 percent to ¥10.8 billion ($113.3 million). Konami did not directly address the cause of the large falloff in profit, saying only that the Japanese economy had entered a recession, the strong yen hurt overseas income, and consumer spending declined during the year.
During the period, Konami continued to see strong performance from its Metal Gear series. According to the publisher, the franchise--including the top-rated MGS4--sold 4.75 million units worldwide. Though Konami did not break out specific sales figures for MGS4, the publisher did say that its online component--Metal Gear Online--had accrued 1.3 million accounts worldwide since launch.
Projecting results for its current fiscal year ending March 31, 2010, Konami said revenue growth should be flat, rising an insignificant 0.1 percent to ¥310 billion ($3.23 billion). However, the publisher expects to see a significant rebound in profit, which it forecasts to grow 47.1 percent to ¥16 billion ($166.7 million).
Source: Gamespot.Com
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