Category: PS3 (Page 7 of 16)

      December 17th brings a shady GT5 demo

      December 4, 2009 /

      Gran Turismo 5 shots.Today, Sony said we’ll get a look at their next-gen racer before year’s end. There’s just one small hang up: it’s not really GT5. Not by name anyway. Well, not in the US, anyway. The new content, available as a download on December 17th, will be called “Gran Turismo 5 Time Trial Challenge” in the US and “GT Academy 2010” in Europe.

      So why not just a demo? Why not a racetrack from the game, like we saw for Forza 3? As things are, it seems like Sony is just trying to tease us along, reminding us that GT5 exists. The whole thing feels like some really poorly done GT5 marketing, where no one goes home happy and everyone wonders what the hell happened last night.

      The worst part is…this is GT5! Come the hell on, Sony! This is the game that pioneered serious racing for console gamers. The game that created the Forza franchise. The be-all-end-all of racing sims on any console. Looks like we’ll be waiting a few weeks to see anything remotely inspiring about the franchise.

      Development, Previews, PS3

      PS3s are the backbone of DoD supercomputers

      November 30, 2009 /

      PS3 is running the DoD.Who feels safe? Well, when you look at the numbers behind the decision, you might. The DoD has decided the PS3 is good enough to purchase 2,200 to add to the 336-unit PS3 cluster in use by the USAF.

      With respect to cell processors, a single 1U server configured with two 3.2GHz cell processors can cost up to $8K while two Sony PS3s cost approximately $600. Though a single 3.2 GHz cell processor can deliver over 200 GFLOPS, whereas the Sony PS3 configuration delivers approximately 150 GFLOPS, the approximately tenfold cost difference per GFLOP makes the Sony PS3 the only viable technology for HPC applications.

      Gotta admit, it makes good sense, and as a taxpayer in this fine country I’m relieved to hear that some thought goes into the ways we spend a couple hundred grand. Thank god for that recent price cut.

      Source: Ars Technica

      PS3

      Sony wants to lead 3D, return to profitability in 2011

      November 20, 2009 /

      3d glasses workin their magic.Sony wants to be the company that leads us all into the three dimensional future, for both gaming and video. During a presentation for investors today, the company laid out its plan for the next few years, which included news that the PS3 is upgradeable to stereoscopic 3D through firmware upgrades.

      Sony hopes the 3D gaming and video markets will help return the company to profitability by 2011. That’s a big step for a company set to post $1 billion in losses for the second year in a row. The company plans to install 3,000 3D cinema projectors in movie theaters around the country, along with expanding its 3D support for game developers and offerings to Blu-ray users.

      Sony CEO Howard Stringer also made a point to applaud the success of the company’s restructure schedule, which is outperforming the initial plan. Sony aimed to save $5.6 billion dollars, a goal that was obviously helped when it cut 12 percent of its work force and then boomed 70% on PS3 sales. Thank you very much, PS3 Slim.

      For now, I think the 3D thing is a gamble. It’s too gimmicky for widespread adaptation, and I don’t think it will have nearly the impact on gaming that motion control has had. Also, I’m not sure how 3,000 cinema installs can possibly help a return to profitability, but then, I guess I haven’t seen the numbers for 3D cinema audiences. I’ve seen the others, though, and they’re all over the place – not exactly the industry I’d bet on at the moment.

      Source: Associated Press

      PS3

      PS3 to get Facebook update in 3.10 “soon”

      November 16, 2009 /

      Facebook for PS3.The Playstation 3 blog has officially announced Facebook integration with the firmware 3.10 update. By downloading the update you’ll be able to link your PSN account to your Facebook account, including updates for Trophy and Playstation Store activity. The update also gives developers the ability to include Facebook updates for certain achievements made in-game.

      There’s no date associated with the announcement other than “soon,” which is funny considering the Xbox Live update adding Facebook integration comes out, oh, tomorrow. The rest of the update is just a bunch of UI tweaks, mostly to undo some of the fugly color changes that came with 3.00. There’s also a nice photo update that allows you to see more photos. Easier media browsing is pretty much always a good thing.

      Almost forgot, the live feed updates for in-game accomplishments can be patched in for already released games.

      PS3

      Bioware’s Ray Muzyka talks multiplayer and DA:O

      November 16, 2009 /

      Bioware CEO Ray Muzyka.Bioware co-founder and CEO Ray Muzyka talked with Videogamer.com about Dragon Age: Origins today and made some interesting statements regarding multiplayer in RPGs. Two of Bioware’s most recent releases have been single player RPGs, something I found a little distressing. As I get older I’m finding I want games to be more social, and Bioware is one of my favorite developers, so naturally I’m most excited for the upcoming Star Wars: The Old Republic. But I don’t want to miss titles like Mass Effect or DA:O because I really love the storyline, which is something that dissolves the deeper you get into an MMO. Lucky for me, Muzyka wants to help.

      He sees the same sort of paradox in multiplayer/RPG gaming. It’s hard to keep control of a good story when you open the world to millions of player interactions, but those single player experiences leave something to be desired. As Muzyka puts it, “It’s hard to weave a great single-player storyline into a multiplayer experience. It’s not impossible. We’ve done it, and we’re doing it again now in Star Wars: The Old Republic. But it is challenging.”

      As for the other way around, he’s not totally thrilled with the idea of a co-op mode for something like Mass Effect 2. “They could make a great gameplay experience,” he said. “Whether we’ll do them or not remains to be decided.” I think “could” is key because I’ve yet to see a co-op experience that I would choose over the single player, at least in an RPG.

      For more on DA:O you can read the full interview at Videogamer.com.

      MMO, PC, PS3, Xbox 360

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