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New Sony President and CEO Kaz Hirai Says Sony Could be in "Serious Trouble"

Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 02:00 PM ET
Tags: Sony, PlayStation 3 (all tags)

He'll be putting plans in place to turn the company around, but he definitely understands what the short-term future will look like.

Last week, Sony announced a new president and CEO - Kaz Hirai. Though he says that the company could be in "serious trouble," Hirai has big plans to turn Sony around.

For starters, he'll be strengthening the company's core businesses - digital imaging and gaming. Next up comes the challenge of turning around the TV business. He'll be considering collaborations with other companies and pushing Crystal LED and OLED technologies forward.

Gamers will certainly be familiar with the former SCEA/SCEI president from, among other things, his E3 reveal of the PlayStation 3 which turned phrases like "five hundred and ninety-nine US dollars," "giant enemy crab," and "Ridge Racer!" into internet sensations.

Though the PS3's initial launch was a disaster, Kaz quickly turned things around and made the PlayStation 3 into a relevant console that competes head-to-head with the Xbox for sales. Here's hoping he can do that with the rest of Sony.

Source: The Verge

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Internet Based VOD numbers are Dire, but Streaming on Game Systems on the Rise

Thu Dec 15, 2011 at 07:00 PM ET
Tags: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Streaming, VOD, Industry Trends, Smartphones (all tags)

On average, PS3 owners are using a over a third of system time on Blu-rays and streaming.

Two studies came out recently with some very interesting information that seems conflicting at first glance. The first is that, according to the NPD, online VOD purchases are incredibly low. The second is that streaming on videogame consoles is on the rise.

Internet based VOD numbers account for all devices capable of renting a movie online. According to the NPD report, only five percent of those that can rent VODs are doing so. " It’s understandable that smartphone owners might be hesitant to watch a full-length movie with limited screens and battery life," says NPD's Russ Crupnick, "but few of the other connected devices are showing strong uptake for Internet VOD, either."

Game consoles, however, have been seeing increased usage as streaming and entertainment machines. Nilsen says that 15 percent of the time an Xbox user is on the system, they're watching streaming movies. The PS3 accounts for 15 percent as well, while Wii users devote 33 percent of their time to videos.

An impressive 22 percent of time using the PS3 is spent watching DVDs or Blu-rays, which brings the total movie watching time to 37 percent.

Source: Home Media Magazine

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PS3 Software Version 4.0 Releases This Week

Wed Nov 30, 2011 at 09:30 AM ET
Tags: PlayStation 3, Firmware Updates, PlayStation Vita (all tags)

The system will be updated to play nice with the Vita, allowing you to use the system for content management and backup.

It's been a while since we've had an even numbered update to the PS3, which means that we're in for a big one. The primary features coming to the PS3 in the latest update are, as you might expect, related to the upcoming PlayStation Vita.

Patch 4.0 will let your PS3 act as a storage device of sorts for the Vita. You'll be able to transfer movies, games and even update software on the Vita using the PS3. You can back up saves too, which is essential, as anyone whose lost a memory card in the past will tell you.

The update also give PlayStation Plus members the ability to enable or disable automatic updates on games, system software, recommended titles and trophy information.

Of course, those are only the pre-patch notes. Once everything is up and running, Sony will release a full list of what's new and what was changed.

Source: PlayStation Blog

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PlayStation Introduces Crackle Movie Sharing and Ustream to PS3

Tue Nov 22, 2011 at 02:00 PM ET
Tags: PlayStation 3, Crackle (all tags)

This may actually give you a reason to use PlayStation Home.

PlayStation Home has been a pretty big flop since the onset. It's a virtual space that you can inhabit while not playing games, but there isn't a lot of reason to use it.

Sony is adding content though, and hopes that their new offerings will attract people to the service. The latest addition is Crackle, a free movie service owned by Sony. The selection is limited, but the price is right.

Crackle has been on the PS3 for a while now, but Home integration offers something different. If you and your friends navigate to the LOOT section of Home, you can all watch a movie at the same time and communicate with voice and text while doign so. It's a nice way to enjoy a flick with your friend or have a movie date with that special someone while traveling.

In addition to Crackle, Ustream will be coming to PlayStation Home, as will RadioIO - both of which will have social experiences attached to them as well.

Source: PlayStation Blog

(via Engadget)

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Latest PS3 model to be Slightly Lighter and Greener

Tue Jun 21, 2011 at 02:00 PM ET
Tags: Sony, PlayStation 3, PS3, High-Def Retailing, Industry Trends (all tags)

Continuing its evolution in the form of model number "CECH-3000B," an updated version of the PlayStation 3 will start shipping as soon as the current sock is depleted (according to Sony, beginning as early as this month). Though pricing should remain unchanged, the charcoal black, 320 Gb CECH-3000B will see a reduction in both power consumption (230W to 200W) and weight (3.0kg to 2.6kg).

Though detailed pictures have yet to surface, there have been rumors that there could be some minor exterior modifications as well to this updated PS3 Slim. Those include removing LED lamps and adjustments to certain external buttons such as Power and Eject. We'll have to keep our eyes peeled so see if these changes are actually noticeable. If any of you find yourselves with a CECH-3000B (or later) model PS3 in the next few months, hit up the forums and let us know what you think!


Sources: Sony, Andriasang

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Sony's PlayStation 3 Hits 50 Million in Worldwide Sales

Wed Apr 20, 2011 at 02:00 PM ET
Tags: PlayStation 3, 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray Players, High-Def Retailing, Industry Trends, 3D, PS3 (all tags)

The Move controller has done well too, coming in at a surprising 8 million.

When the PS3 first launched, sales were slow, systems sat on shelves and people balked at the high price. Now, a few price drops later and after the release of a new slimmer model, the PS3 is neck-and-neck with the Xbox 360 to be the most popular HD console on the market.

Part of the reason for the popularity of the system, and the primary reason for many buyers, is that the PS3 can act as not just a Blu-ray player, but a 3D Blu-ray player. It's updated regularly, it has Wi-Fi capabilities and access to streaming video sources. Oh, and it plays PS3 games too.

50 million PS3s sold means that there are 50 million Blu-ray players in houses that might otherwise not have upgraded. Possibly more significant in the coming years, it also means 50 million 3D capable Blu-ray players.

Source: PR Newswire

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PlayStation 3 Banned in Europe - Shipments Seized

Wed Mar 02, 2011 at 10:00 AM ET
Tags: PlayStation 3, LG, Legal Cases (all tags)

A patent dispute between Sony and LG could mean a complete shutdown of European sales.

Lawsuits are nothing strange to major tech companies, but results are. Usually something like the current patent dispute between Sony and LG would be settled out of court, but it looks like things are starting to heat up.

A preliminary ruling in the Hague demands that all PlayStation 3s coming into Europe be confiscated by officials. Tens of thousands of systems have been seized already, according to the Guardian.

If the court decides to extend the injunction, retailers will have to start pulling PS3s off of the shelf. Potentially even worse for Sony, if the company is found to have infringed on LG's patents, Sony will have make financial compensation. That means LG will get a cut of every PS3 sold to date.

Source: Guardian

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PS3 Getting a 3D Update in June – But it won’t do 3D Blu-rays

Tue Apr 20, 2010 at 01:10 PM ET
Tags: Sony, PlayStation 3, 3D, Industry Trends (all tags)

We’re about two months out from the first 3D firmware update for the Playstation 3, but it’s games only for now.

If you’re a PS3 owner hoping to start watching 3D Blu-rays by the time this summer rolls around, you’re out of luck. Sony is releasing a 3D update for the PS3 in just two months, but it’s only handling games for now.

It doesn’t seem like you’ll have to wait too long though. Sony has promised 3D Blu-ray compatibility this year, and all signs point to a fall release for the update. The move is almost certainly designed to spur the sale of 3D Blu-ray players, since ‘Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs’ will be hitting shelves (in Europe at least) in June.

The new update will enable users to play 3D games though, including new 3D versions of Wipeout HD, Pain, Motorstorm Pacific Rift and Super Stardust HD.

Source: Home Cinema Choice

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Don’t Turn On Your Old PS3!! – Warns Sony

Mon Mar 01, 2010 at 06:10 PM ET
Tags: Sony, PS3, PlayStation 3 (all tags)

If you’ve got an older – non-slim – PlayStation 3, an internal clock error may kill your system.

Let me get this out of the way. I absolutely love the PlayStation 3. I own one and use it as my primary Blu-ray player and my secondary game system. I’m addicted to PSN download titles like Flower and Mushroom Wars and I play more Burnout Paradise than I’d care to admit. Unfortunately, it’s been having a lot of problems recently.

Reports of the recent firmware update bricking systems were spotty, relatively isolated incidents. There wasn’t much in the way of a response from Sony, and issues were worked out individually. This one’s different.

Sony has put out word officially that older systems are having trouble dealing with March 1st. Apparently, due to an internal clock error, fat PS3s are freaking out. Clock times are being reset, data isn’t being saved, saved data isn’t being recovered, and trophies aren’t being given out.

If you use your PS3 as a Blu-ray player and nothing else, you might be in the clear. Blu-rays still play and the loss of trophies won’t affect you. Regardless, Sony is urging owners of older PS3 systems to keep their consoles off until the issue is cleared up.

A post on the official PlayStation blog says that the problem should be resolved within 24 hours.

Source: PlayStation Blog

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PS3 Operating System Slims Down – New Features Could Come Soon (UPDATED)

Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 11:00 AM ET
Tags: PS3, PlayStation 3, Industry Trends (all tags)

The formerly bloated operating system used by PlayStation 3 consoles has been getting some stealth reductions in recent firmware updates. The PS3’s OS now takes up 70MB less of the main system RAM.

You may have heard of the PS3’s impressive Cell processing. It’s being used in all sorts of fields including Toshiba’s CELL TV. It’s a great processor and it still hasn’t truly reached its full potential. But games can still run slow, Blu-rays can still load slowly, and the Xross Media Bar still gets unresponsive every now and then.

One of the main chokepoints for the PS3 is the incredibly small amount of RAM used in the system. The graphics processor has 256MB and the main system processor has 256MB. The Xbox 360 has the same 512MB of ram, but it's shared between the two, which means when it's not needed for one process, it can be used for another. Combine this with the obscene amount of RAM taken up by the operating system – originally a 120MB footprint – and you’ve got a recipe for system slowdown.

Sony knows that the limited RAM is a problem and they’ve been addressing it by slimming down their operating system over the last few firmware updates. The formerly chunky 120MB footprint has been cut by more than half. It’s now down to 50MB.

This should result in a slight improvement in system performance, though nothing’s been announced at this point. At the very least, the extra 70MB should help to avoid some system bottlenecks. It’s more likely though, that this space was freed up to add more in demand features.

Source: Joystiq

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