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UPDATE: Click here to find out what really happened at this years Playstation E3.

According to the rep, Sony have some interesting things to unveil at the show. The first thing which caught our attention was 4 new PS3 exclusive games which are to be released later on in the year and early 2009. These 4 new games will be shown as well as the following games which have been officially confirmed by Sony:

Killzone 2 (PS3)
LittleBigPlanet (PS3)
MotorStorm Pacific Rift (PS3)
PixelJunk Eden (PS3)
Resistance 2 (PS3)
SIREN: Blood Curse Episode #1 (PSN)
SOCOM: Confrontation (PS3)
Buzz! Master Quiz
Buzz! Quiz TV

We’re guessing that one of the 4 games to be announced by Sony later on today will be God of War 3. For the others, we’re unsure.

The Sony rep said that Home has a few more features/additions and these will also be demonstrated. What these features are exactly, we don’t know.

A new Playstation controller is also supposed to be in the making. Apparently it has a much longer battery life (not that the current controllers don’t have a long battery life!), will be lighter than the current DualShock3, and of course will include rumble. A wireless headset is also said to be included in future PS3 packages and we’re told that we could be seeing a new PS3 bundle in time for Christmas. With Resistance 2 being released in November, there’s a very good chance that Resistance 2 could be part of the new PS3 bundle.

A new PS3 firmware is supposed to be demonstrated, displaying “In game mic chat”. A few more “surprises” will be detailed later today, we’re not told what, so we’ll just have to sit back and wait.

As this is not officially confirmed by Sony, we’re currently calling all this a rumour for now - we’ll see it all happen later on today.

We’ve just been informed that PS3’s game Pain has received a minor update.

Nothing great appears to be within the update except just a few bug fixes and adverts for other games avaliable on the PSN store now appear on Pain’s loading screens. We’re guessing that the update is also preparing itself for it’s upcoming trophy update too. That’s right, we think trophies in Pain are not far off!

According to our friends over at TheSixthAxis Warhawk update v1.5 will give full trophy support.

The Warhawk update v1.5 will provide us with 56 trophies to unlock which will be assigned to our PSN ID. 10 of these 56 trophies will be achieved by completing some of the in-game challenges which are already avaliable to us through the current Warhawk stat/emblem system. If you’ve already completed all, or most of the in-game achievements already avaliable - don’t worry you don’t have to repeat the challenge again to receive your trophy within these 10 challenges! The PS3 software v2.40 will be able to detect whether you’ve already completed these 10 challenges and will be able to award you, respectively.

The downside to this is that we have to wait until Warhawk update v1.5 is released - v1.4 isn’t released yet, so we could be waiting for some time.

Just a quick note to let you guys all know that the long awaited PS3 firmware v2.40 has finally been released! Head on over to your PS3’s system update now and grab it via the internet.

That’s all I have to say really, so go over to your PS3 and download this update!

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Due to the overwhelming amount of questions Sony have received (and I’m telling you; a lot of questions indeed!), Sony have published an FAQ concerning the upcoming PS3 firmware v2.40 which is being released tomorrow (July 2nd).

Here’s their FAQ:

Will voice-messaging/private chat be featured in 2.40 as well? If not, can we expect to see this feature added in the future?
We are evaluating the opportunity to offer voice chat, but for this update, we wanted to focus on text messaging as the key priority for communications that our users have asked for.

Can you use the web browser in game?
No, you must exit the game before browsing the internet.

Will In-Game XMB come up during playback of PS2 games, Blu-Ray discs, and DVDs?
The XMB is an exclusive feature for PS3 game titles. Accessing the XMB during gameplay was the top request from our users, which we focused on for this update. However, we continually engage PS3 owners for feedback and will evaluate the opportunity to offer XMB access during movie playback in the future.

Can we go to the display settings and change anything there in-game (resolution, input, etc)?
No, you must exit the game before changing these settings.

Will it be possible to change in-game the sound output?
Yes, sound output changes are supported.

Will we be able to access the PLAYSTATION Store while in-game?
No, but you can view your downloads in progress.

Read the rest of this entry »

Eric Lempel, Director of PlayStation Network Operations has recently announced the a PSP system software update - v4.00 - and has revealed some of it’s features. He says that the main feature of the update will be adding Google Internet search directly to the XMB interface.

This new upgrade replicates the Google Internet search experience, delivering the same search results that you’d get at www.google.com. And with a search history recall of 20 items, Web searches couldn’t be easier.

After you download and install the firmware on your PSP, click on the XMB’s Network icon and then the new Internet Search icon. Enter your keywords and then let Google’s algorithms do the work. You’ll need to be connected to the Internet via a wireless access point or Wi-Fi hotspot. Googling something on the go has never been more convenient on your PSP.

Another feature of the future update “is the ability to change viewing speed during playback of videos stored on your Memory Stick PRO Duo, so you can speed through or slow down what you’re watching.”

We’ll let you know more about the update as the news rolls in.

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Sony Computer Entertainment’s running hot in the news waves right now, after PS3 Metal Gear Solid 4 exclusivity and BD Live caught on well at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show. But Sony’s Paul Purdy just turned up the heat to insanely sizzlin’, and it’s because he’s just confirmed a long-requested feature: in-game XMB access for the Sony PlayStation 3.

That’s right: we say confirmed. Word is that the bombshell was dropped at CES 2008 and the target period for the anticipated update would be within the Year of the Rat. That’s within this year folks! So we repeat: Xross Media Bar access while playing a game is coming to PlayStation 3 gamers soon.

But because Sony hasn’t divulged more information, we’re bound to hear more updates from its camp as time rolls by. More intel on this once the signals read five by five.

In light of the recent announcement of Lionsgate’s BD-Live movies, the latest firmware update for the PlayStation 3 has been speculated to be released as early as this month already. We’re not sure if it’ll already have DivX technology, but here’s what movie studios expect: the next PS3 firmware could pave the way for interconnectivity functions of BD-Live Blu-ray movies.

In the same conference in which Lionsgate made their announcement, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment executive VP Don Eklund expects that the new firmware will give the PS3 system a Profile v1.1 (PiP) upgrade.

This should include support for picture-in-picture interactivity that the HD-DVD camp already had for quite some time now as a standard. Eklund suggests that this firmware update would do good to roll out during this holiday season.

“We have an aggressive program underway to use network capabilities on our titles next year,” stated Eklund.

Meanwhile, he also forecasts that another future PS3 firmware update could eventually bump up the machine into a Profile v2.0 for full BD-Live support, thereby upping the ante once again on the never ending format wars.

Warhawk update v1.2 is said to be coming in December. Here’s what’s said to be in the new update:

Operation Omega Dawn gets its name from the single new map that it brings to the table: The Omega Factory. The Eucadians and the Chermovans are fighting over a high-tech rig called the Omega Factory which houses some very sweet goodies. Your duty is to pick your side and secure the area.

Set in a night battle which makes the area even more treacherous, players will find themselves trying to outgun and outfox the opposite team in order to gain control of the map’s crown jewel: the KT-424 Combat Dropship. Like the name suggests, one pilot, six soldiers and a ground vehicle can fit all at once in this baby. Use it wisely to gain an edge over the opposition.

And if you think that the Combat Dropship is a sitting duck with only transport purposes in store, you might have to learn the hard way that it hosts a MBEC-3 Heavy Support Cannon. The MBEC-3 packs some serious sting, so beware of it. Here’s a more info from the press release:

* Omega Factory battlefield includes 5 new map layouts featuring advanced building complexes and huge industrial towers.
* The 5 large layouts from the original battlefields have been modified to include the KT-424 Combat Dropship.
* All this in one single download from PlayStation Network this December

We’ll give you an update when this PlayStation Network DLC has an exact date of release announced. Until then, keep it here with us.

Sony Computer Entertainment Japan (SCEJ) has released a new firmware update for the PlayStation Portable, bringing the official firmware up to version 3.72. This update concerns models PSP-1001 and PSP-2001 sold in North America.

Here’s the official changelog of newest system software update, PSP firmware 3.72:

* You can now set a theme under [Theme Settings].
o The home menu color, background and icons for XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) will change, based on the theme that is selected.
* You can now search for a scene when playing a movie that is saved on Memory Stick Duo media.
o You can select and play the scene you want to see from a thumbnail image.
* Simultaneous playback of content under (Music) and (Photo) is now supported.
* Games
o New for 3.72: Support for PLAYSTATION ®Network titles has been expanded.
* Network
o [Assign Buttons] has been added to the (Remote Play) menu.
* Video
o Sequential playback of videos saved on Memory Stick Duo™ media is now supported.

* Support has been added for [Remote Start]* of the PS3 system under [Remote Play].
o To use this feature, the PS3 system software must be version 2.00 or later. For detailed information about [Remote Start], visit the PS3 Help & Support section at eu.playstation.com and select Connecting to other devices in the General Guides area.