Pre-order Killzone 2, and get a free PlayStation Home costume...

...that is exactly what Amazon has been doing in a move to attract customers to buy the next-big-game for the PS3- Killzone 2. 

After splasing out a few dollars on pre-ordering the game, you'll be able to decorate your Home avatar with "With costume pieces for your head, torso, legs, hands and feet; you can customize your Home avatar to look like an ISA Soldier, a Helghast Assault Trooper, or something in between."

Cool, huh?

COD series sells 35 million copies

For those of you who don't know what COD stands for, it is Call of Duty...

Reuters has stated that the COD series has shifted a massive number of copies, 35 million approximately! Although COD isn't as popular as Halo, Mario or God of War, it is has been gaining a large fan-following lately. Great story, gorgeous graphics and and awesome multiplayre mode is what has been luring gamers now a days...

PS3 now costs less to make, but still a burden for Sony

A teardown analysis by iSupply has found out that the second-generation PS3 now only costs $448.73 to make, which is really less compared to $690.23 when it was initially released(the cost DOES NOT include royalties, bix contents, software etc.). 

As many of you know, the PS3 sells for around $399 in the U.S.A, which makes it a loss for Sony everytime a PS3 is sold! Andrew Rassweiler, iSupply analyst, said on Monday that Sony has no doubt come close to breaking even, although they haven't hit the mark.

Sony is facing a financial crisis, due to poor television&camera sales, and due to recession...which has led to Sony laying off thousands of workers. Only time will tell whether Sony can really pull it off...

Killzone 2 box-art revealed!

Over at the PlayStation Blog, TJ(works in the Killzone 2 marketing team) unveiled the much-anticipated PS3 exclusive-Killzone 2! Here's a pic! 

Warner music videos disappering from YouTube

Warner Music Group's music videos on YouTube were pulled down, due to the casualty of a contract impasse between the Music giant and the Video-sharing giant-which is owned by Google.

People familiar with the discssions who weren't authorised to speak publicly said that negotiations broke down last week itself over licensing fees for the Music giant's videos.

PSP2 may be developed by Sony

According to a news report at Eurogamer, Sony will be launching a successor to the PSP and an upgrade dubed the PSP-4000. No light has been thrown on the new hardware pieces, but apparently, development has already begun.

Surprised? Well, I ain't! The PSP-2000 which succeeded the PSP-1000 was noticibly light, and the control system was slightly changed...and then came the PSP-3000. The latest version of the PSP had an inbuilt micorphone also! It made it all the more easier to chat via Skype! So, if and when Sony does release PSP-4000 or a successor to the PSP, it shouldn't come as a surprise to fans!

Google Chrome goes LIVE

And by LIVE I mean it is out of Beta! Google recently launched the slick Chrome browser for Windows. It is astonishing that the Search Giant pulled the browser out of Beta in merely 3 1/2 months! They might have just set a record by doing this! 

And mind you, Gmail is still in Beta, for literally 3 1/2 years or more! The development team have been working on fixing many bugs and glitches...and they have for sure brought to the stands an impressive browser! Chrome is not only fast; be it loading the webpages or booting, but it is also visually appealing with a slick interface, and this is what that makes Chrome a rock-solid browser! Hats-off to Google for this one!

PlayStation Home Open Beta launches tomorrow!

Yeah! You heard that right! The day you've all been waiting for will arrive-TOMORROW! Wondering why I didn't mention that it was the day I've been waiting for too? Because I'm already in the Closed Beta! Cool, huh?

The PlayStation Bluetooth headset or one of those cool PlayStation Keypads, you'll surely be having a great time chatting with all! It's really fun! The Central Plaza has been redesigned and a new game has also been developed! Many companies like Activision, Eidos, Lucas Arts, Electronic Arts et cetera et cetera have already been regularly participating in Home, like in Game Rooms and et cetera! 

Home Beta v.1.01 impressess

As one of the lucky gamers to receive the code to test out PlayStation Home Beta, I really had a wonderful time! Home is a 3D social space for the PS3-similar to SecondLife for the PC. The graphics is top-notch, everything is perfect! Although there were a few glitches, like some squatting gamers were floating mid-air! everything else was fine! 

I was able to check out the 'Central Plaza'-the central hub of Home, my own apartment(it was rather empty) and the Home Theater-a theater where game trailers and stuff are showcased. When I visited the Home Theater-there was a game trailer of SOCOM:Confrontation being played, and since I have a really dead slow connection, it took like 20 mins to load the video! 

At first; you start off in your apartment(known as 'HomeSpace')...customising your character. Afterwards you can explore your HomeSpace...but there isn't much in it at first, so you would rather be wise to head out elsewhere. I decided to immediately visit the Central Plaza, and so I had to download a 30MB odd file which was the Central Plaza scene. Then I just walked right through the door...and I am at Central Plaza! 

Overall the expereince was really fun, and I had a really great time! I was also able to interact with some gamers, listen to some songs, boo some gamers, and dance! It was awesome!

Ubisoft is working on a sequel-syas Ubisoft

Assassin's Creed was a wonderful game-technically and gameplay-wise. So, it wouldn't much of a surprise to hear that Ubisoft is working on a sequel. The game which had an abrupt ending left many gamers dissatisfied, and Ubisoft isn't going to make any mistakes with the sequel. Who knows, the game may be even more technically brilliant than the original! It may be released between the timeframe of April 2009 to April 2010. Only time will tell.

Killzone wont feature pre-game installations

Run out of hard drive space on your PS3? Like Killzone2 but scared that the game will feature gigantic pre-installation files that will consume your PS3's remaining hard drive space altogether? Then rest assured my friend, for at PlayStation Official Forums, Seb Downie, Guerilla's testing manager reported that the game will NOT feature installation-optional or otherwise! So, Rest.In.Peace until then!

Google adds colour to Gmail...

Gmail users rejoice, as Google in a recent move to popularise Gmail, has added a new 'Themes' feature. The feature enables all users to select a theme from a choice of many, which will then be applied to your account! There are some pretty cool themes like 'Bubblegum', 'Cold shower', 'Pebbles', 'candy','Desk','Ninja' and many more! There's also a picture attached.  Now checking emails has become more fun and colourful!

PS3 turned two!

Yesterday, on the 17 of November 2006, Sony's stronghold PS3 turned two years old! Sony did celebrate, by posting a PlayStation.Blog! And so did I! Although I got my PS3 on the 14 of July 2007, it's a feat that Sony has achieved for which all PS3 users ought to celebrate! The mean, shiny PS3-powered by a Cell Processor has a large install base, an install base which helped Sony make it to the Guinness World Records-for Folding@Home's achievement! The PS3 is sure going strong!

THREE CHEERS FOR SONY AND THE PS3! HIP-HIP-HURRAY! HIP-HIP-HURRAY! HIP-HIP-HURRAY!

The PlayStation Experience...

The experience at PlayStation Experience was really wonderful! It was houseful! The event started at around 11:45AM and went on till around 7:30PM. There were a lot of games on display including Killzone2! Among others were FIFA09, Mirror's Edge, Resistance2, MotorStorm Pacific Rift and many more including Buzz! and SingStar. 

I got a hands-on experience with Killzone2 and I must say I was really satisfied! The textures were just amazingly detailed, and the physics was very well indeed! Although there was a glitch with the shadows, the player moved very realistically and fluidly! The lighting and the environment was just perfect! 

Although I couldn't try out Resistance2 due to the swarming crowd waiting to play the game, just by watching it, it sure looks like a next-gen FPS! Especially, since the first instalment sold pretty well, I believe this one will be welcomed by all PS3 gamers. Insomniac has yet again come out with a attractive for the PS3 gamers! 

LittleBigPlanet took the spotlight, with people in numbers more than you could imagine waiting to play the game! Anyways, I could play the game for nearly 2 hours! Although the graphics isn't state of the art, the physics and the soothing background music was the most enriching element in the game! I played offline multiplayer with my Brother, and we had loads of fun! Although my Brother isn't a regular gamer at all, he took little less than 10 minutes to learn the controls! The 'Pop-It' element was good as expected! Being able to flip, scale and rotate stickers we had lots of fun decorating the level  by oursleves!

I also got to try out Mirror's Edge-the game which took the gaming industry by storm! I was satisfied with the graphics particularly, as there were jagged edges everywhere-and that too the display was a Sony 46-inch Full HD TV! Yet, Faith's hand was amazingly detailed, with even the finger-nails looking realistic! Due to  the controls being a bit clumsy, I couldn't even do a proper jump! Alwasy jumping off the towers only to fall with a thud on the road way below, and re-spawning again, I personally didn't like the game-although the 2-D flash version was ridiculously good!

MotorStom Pacific Rift was nothing like what the original MotorStorm was! The gameplay was a little choppy, and the environment was that richly detailed or textured unlike Uncharted:Drake's Fortune.

Sony India announced that  LittleBigPlanet would be launching soon in India, and so will a 80GB version of the PS3 which is selling like hot-cakes in the U.S.!

There was also a PSP section where gamers pit themselves against others in multiplayer modes in a variety of games. LocoRoco2 is to be launched soon , said Sony.

In the PS2 section, there was Cricket, and WWE fo course! Cricket was confusing, but WWE was good!

I was too sad to leave the stadium, expecially after being mesmerized by LittleBigPlanet...

PlayStation Expo to be held by Sony India during November

If you're living in the West, then you really are lucky-as gamers in the West can attend the never-ending mid-night launches of games and other Expos. But rarely has an Expo been held in India. Sony looked after that by holding India's first 'PlayStation Experience' last year. Although the Expo at Delhi and Mumbai are long gone, Bangalore still remains.

And this year is no exception! Sony India will be holding an Expo known as 'PlayStation Experience' in all the major cities of India-Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi. On the 15&16 of November, PlayStaton Experience wil be held in Bangalore at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium. Be sure to check it out, there will surely be loads to see!

AMD to refresh its Opteron processor line with new 'Shanghai'

AMD-rival to leading Intel-will release the long-awaited, next-gen processor version of Opteron known as 'Shanghai'. This might send AMD into taking the lead over rival Intel.

Shanghai-using the technogically advanced 45nm fabrication- will put AMD on par with Intel which has been manufacturing 45nm fabricated processor for nearly a year.

The first Shanghai models will be available for x86 sockets. The chips officially named as Opteron 8000 and 2000 series will be clocked at around 2.3GHz to 2.7GHz...consuming 75 watts of power. AMD also plans to release a low-power-consuming processor which consumes only 55 watts and also a powerful, faster chip consuming 105 watts of power by the first quarter of the coming year. Also, a code-named 'Deneb'-for desktops- will be released before the end of this year. 

Full-length TV shows to be broadcasted on YouTube

YouTube- the world's largest video sharing website in the world- stated that it would show full -length television shows and films from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's archive in a bid to boost advertising and increase revenue. YouTube, owned by Search giant-Google- will make the announcement on Monday.

MGM will set everything rolling by broadcasting its decade-old extravaganzas like:

• American Gladiators
• Bulletproof Monk
• Legally Blonde
  
• The Magnificent Seven

Until now, everybody has known YouTube as a video-sharing website among others like Metacafe which allows users to upload home videos and enjoy and online audience...but that can change now-YouTube is taking a giant step towards becoming the world's most popular video-sharing website...and in the process eradicating all the others. In a few years time, I don't think there will be anyone who wouldn't heard of the word 'YouTube' or even 'YouTube channel'. 

Two new demos! One of them includes MGS4!

Yup, you heard that right! Hideo Kojima's latest MetalGearSolid 4 or simply MGS4 is up at PSN in a new form-a demo! All of those who couldn't ge their hands on one of the best games of the millenium(or should I say, the best game of this millenia!) can simply head over to PSN and download the demo version! Once again the PlayStation Network is proving it's worth!

Fallout 3 tops UK charts!

Good news eh? Well, not if you're a PS3 fanboy! Surprisingly, Fallout 3 has sold more on the box(360) than on the PS3! The 360 accounts for 55% of the sales while the PS3 accounts for only a meagre 28%! 

I guess this was inevitable since many top reviewers like IGN have stated that the PS3 version has 'jagged edges' and 'washed out lighting'. So, obviously people would have a bought the game for the 360 which costs around half the price of the PS3 but has better graphics! 

Well, it seems Bethesda hasn't yet figured out the Cell processor's architecture and it's true potential!

Spark Unlimited's Legendary does not appeal

Legendary from Spark Unlimited, has, this time released in the UK first and yet to release in the U.S. Now, let's get to the point; it has NOT managed to create hype and stir up gamers... and in fact, has received an average score of 50 from Metacritic.

Here's the deal: you play as a jewel thief who accidentally unlocks demonic creatures during a burglary (ridiculously silly) and is tasked with cleaning aforementioned demonic mess up. To help you, you'll get an assortment of firearms as well as use of mystical powers that allow you to absorb magic power from defeated bad guys.

Sony recalls 100,000 laptop batteries

The Japanese Electronics giant-Sony-on Friday said that it was cooperating in a recall of 2.15Ah lithium-ion cell batteries made in Japan and sold around the world in laptops made by HP(Hewlett Packard), Dell, Toshiba, Lenovo and Acer . There have been 40 reports of overheating, in some cases involving smoke or flames, according to a company statement.

Sony-world's second largest Lithium-ion battery manufacturer after Sanyo- two years ago in a similar incident recalled nearly 9 million high-capacity batteries. The result? It affected the economy of all global competing PC manufacturers, and cost Sony close to $400 million! So, why hasn't Sony learned from its previous experiences? Beats me! That's the big question!

Sony stated that the faulty batteries were from the same subsidiary that made the batteries recalled two years ago, Sony Energy Devices in Tochigi, Japan. Sony said efforts to make manufacturing lines there more efficient appeared to have backfired, leading to substandard cells. A possible flaw in the metal foil for electrodes could also have led to overheating, the company said.

Dell and HP have taken immediate measures- HP has a website for its owners to check whether their batteries are defected, and Dell too has a similar website. This is definitely not good news for Sony.

Firmware 2.50 for the PS3 is OUT!!!!

Well, what are you waiting for? Go get it! Oh, so first want to know what are the features so that you don't waste time downloading an update that does nothing-like the previous one. Well then, lets get down to business!

• First of all, the way you create a PlayStation Network account has been redesigned. And believe me, it looks good! I would rather say, more appealing and simple for casual gamers. Then again, only hardcore gamers buy the beloved PS3 right?
• You can also turn off your PlayStation 3 after a background download or an installation has completed!
• Various names have been changed: like 'BD/DVD Settings' has been changed to 'Video Settings'. A feature worthy to be noted, 'Sequential Playback' has been added under the renamed 'Video Settings'.
• If your electricity bills are unusually high, you know who the culprit is-your PS3! Thankfully, Sony has added 'Power Save Settings'-a feature Xbox360 owners have long been used to! It means, you can turn-off your Sixaxis/DualShock3 after a period of inactivity! Cool, huh?
• The method of reconnecting Bluetooth devices has been changed! And, you can select 'HP' as an option under 'Printers' if you want to print your favourite pictures!
• You can use 'Mosquito Noise Reduction', support for Adobe Flash 9 has been added! There's much more! Click this link to get to know all the features!

You know what, I think you've heard enough! GO DOWNLOAD IT IMMEDIATELY!

LBP Beta levels will make their way in to the retail version!

All you lucky ones who got to work on the Beta levels of the much anticipated LittleBigPlanet! It has been confirmed that the Beta levels created by gamers will eventually make their way into the full version of the game, that is, as long as you remembered to 'publish' the levels!

This must make it easier to market the tough concept of the one-of-a-kind game. Although there will be loads of default levels, custom Beta levels will only add spice to the game and also prove how dynamic the level creation system is! Only 9 more days to go for the American release and only 12 more days to go for the European release! I can't wait!

New, revamped Xbox360 interface slated for release on November 19

At the Tokyo Game Show, Microsoft revealed an improved interface for Xbox Live and Marketplace- and it is called the 'New Xbox Experience'. It will be available on November 19 and will be available in 26 countries in 19 localized languages!

The redesigned Marketplace interface will feature a new "back of the box game details". The blade interface has been removed, and now users will be able to see info about games on the web, even when they are not using Live.

A lot of features have been added and the new interface certainly looks glamorous! Read more at Daily Tech.

Tekken 6 is a multiformat release...

Namco Bandai, the makers of Tekken franchise, have stated that Tekken 6 will be released in Autumn 09. And, oh, it's also for the infmaous 360! Well, nothing else!

No more price cuts, and a no is a no!

Sony while talking to Edge stated that there will be no price cuts for the PS3 during Christmas. Although the PS3 hasn't yet had any 'ambassador' titles unlike its counterpart, titles like LittleBigPlanet might become system seller...or maybe not (I know it will!). If doesn't, the reason will be that many gamers do not understand the core of the game, and its simple yet vast game experience. It may look kiddish, but it isn't.

Whereas Resistance2 will mostly be a success-because of the appealing content to many gamers. You have to make note that many gamers now a days are atlease 15 years old, and so to them, only such games will seem fun! Yet, this holiday season, the stream of games to be released are multi-platform, and the 360 costing less than even half the PS3's price!...who knows what will happen.

XP reborn

Microsoft has once again extended it's best-selling OS-XP's deadline from 31 January 2009 to 30 June 2009. Guess Microsoft did realize that 'old is gold'. Many PC manufacturers still offer XP as a OS variant apart from Vista- which did not appeal to many, although the 31 January will apply to small PC vendors. Microsoft claims that they are extending XP's 'kill date' to a new date just because many users are taking time to shift to Vista- who knows if this is true!

Nero's new LiquidTV can turn your PC into a T.V.

Reminds you about TiVo right? Well, in all aspects it is...except that it has some more new features, like:

1. Ability to export recorded media to portable devices(PSP too may be)
2. Formats supported are: '.tivo', MPEG-2, MPEG-4,  AVI, WMV and you have the ability to burn-to-DVD

Retailing for $119.99 in the U.S/Canada, you also get a one year subscription to TiVo. You will need a dual-core processor, which goes without saying- that is, if you are an enthusiasist. For any normal consumer, who doen't prefer HD signals...any modern processor would do. As for hard disk space, you will at the least want a minimum 40 gigabytes of storage.

Nintendo DS to be reborn

The Nintendo DS is going to be given a new life...this time with the sense of sight and hearing! Yes, the new DS is going to double up as a music player and a camera! Nintendo has stated thatthe new DS will be released before the end of this year although the giant hasn't hinted anything about the new DS's release in othe regions. Reports offer a convincing a hint that the new DS will have larger screen and will more easy to connect with the Wii-the gaming console counterpart. After since, there haven't any more rumours about the larger screens. Nintendo fans will be sure hoping that this is true.

Mirror's Edge will sell 3 million copies: DICE

Marketing director for DICE Martin Frainis projecting sales of around 3 million for upcoming releaseMirror's Edge. He thinks thatMirror's Edge is an example of how an IP can appear out of nowhere and grab the public imagination "just by being different." Mirror's Edge is a parkour centric first-person game that features you playing a futuristic data courier. You're tasked with getting across rooftops and through buildings using your impressive array of acrobatic skills.

I very much hope that Mirror's Edge turns out to be a game that fulfills its potential. The FPSgenre is stuck in a bit of a rut on next-gen consoles at the moment. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare probably epitomised this- incredibly well balanced shooter action, but not a game that felt remarkably different in gameplay terms. Adding a more physical element to the first-person title could indeed be the shot in the arm the genre needs.

Limited edition LEGO Batman Bundle PS2 on shelves NOW!

LEGO Batman: The Videogame PS2 bundle is now available at retail. You can find it at all major retailers for $149.99 . This is a bundle that is perfect for families and comic enthusiasts alike.

The bundle includes:

• The Black PS2 system
  
• DUALSHOCK 2 Controller(DS2)
  
• LEGO Batman: The Video Game - The fun of LEGO, the drama of Batman and the uniqueness of the combination make for a comical and exciting adventure to save Gotham City. Fight the mayhem as super-heroes Batman and Robin, or spread anarchy as one of the city’s many super-villains…all in LEGO form.
  
• Justice League: The New Frontier - Based on Darwyn Cooke’s award-winning graphic novel, this thrilling adventure reveals the origin of the Justice League.
  

Limited supply, mind you!

I'm going Home next month! No, wait; Home is coming next month!

Yes, you heard that right my friend- the much awaited Home is coming next month! Well that's how it looks. Posting on the Home beta message boards in response to a bug , Home Manager "TedtheDog" wrote that the bug should get fixed with the next system software update.

 "2.5 is what we're waiting for and 'October' is what I've heard, later October is my guess."  According to the post, Home 1.00 would come bundled with the firmware update, and it sounds like there's a good chance that Home 1.00 will be the first full release.

Home is a next-gen virtual world where gamers from different regions of the world can meet, share media and stuff. It's similar to Second-Life from Linden Labs except for the part that Home hosts next-gen graphics and that it is exclusively for our beloved PlayStation 3!!! I can't wait for it to release! Every user gets his/her own apartment which can spruced up by decorating it with some basic furniture available for free or pay and download new exquisite furniture! Well, I'll go for the stripped down version anyways... So, lets cross our fingers and just hope that it does release in October. Til then, tata!

Intel to officially ship dual-core Atom

Intel is dominating the world of the netbook with its Atom processor(single core). The processor running at 1.6GHz speed powers the vast majority of netbooks that are available to purchase right now. The tiny chip is absolutely perfect for the netbook market thanks to its low cost and low power requirements.

It's no secret that Intel is bringing new Atom processors to market for the low-cost computer segment. Intel announced that its dual-core Atom processor is now shipping. The part is known as the Intel Atom Processor 330. The dual-core processor cores run at 1.6GHz and have 1MB of L2 cache.

The processor has an 8W TDP and supports DDR2 667 RAM. Intel says that the new Atom is available as an integrated package and has been validated with the Intel 945GC Express chipset. The chipset features integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 950 and Intel High Definition Audio.

DailyTech reported in mid-August that Intel was going to be releasing its dual-core Atom precessor and Intel sure did; just a few days before September end. Intel is still having shortages of its single-core Atom processors in the channel.

Mercenaries2 on PSN this Thursday

Mercenaries 2 has been garnering quite some attention...and mixed reviews too! Scores of the game run from a highly respectable B+ from 1UP and a slightly less respectable 5/10 from Eurogamer. If sandbox destruction and explosions are your thing, then you might be interested to know that you'll get the chance to try for yourself, with a demo scheduled to appear on the PSN on Thursday.

Despite its mixed reception, Mercenaries2 has done pretty well at retail in the UK and topped charts last week. The original as definitely a solid little title, featuring a welcome spin on the open-world model. Being able to blow up almost anything in sight was an undeniable draw. Given what seems to be a solid retail debut, a third part is looking increasingly likely.

A new nex-gen speaker from Sony!

Sony has developed next-generation prototype speakers that hang from a ceiling or come with an entire home audio system built-into the base, utilizing the same technology in its distinctiveSountina .

The two working prototypes were unveiled Wednesday at a Sony event in Tokyo held for electronics retailers and its dealers. Like the Sountina, they emit sound from long, glass tubes, saidNobukazu Suzuki, an acoustic system engineer in Sony's audio business group and developer of the speakers.

Also like the recently-launched Sountina, the glass tube in the prototypes is energized by small drive devices that couple with the tube and vibrate vertically. Waves travel up through the tube and are dispersed in a 360 degree spread horizontally from the tube. What all this means is that sound spreads out from the tube in a uniform manner and can be heard equally well from any position around it.

The hanging speaker, dubbed "Hibiki," looks like a stylish light and is envisaged as something that could be positioned over a table or in a room where it could hang without looking like a speaker, said Suzuki.

The second prototype, named "Kanade," is an upright speaker not dissimilar to the Sountina only smaller and not as imposing. Just under the speaker a digital audio player is integrated into the device so the unit can function as an all-in-one audio system with nothing but a power cable required.

Technology development of both devices is complete, so the biggest hurdle standing between them and the store shelf is a marketing decision. That's something that Sony hasn't yet taken so there's no word on when or if they might ever become products.

Sony's NSA-PF1 Sountina, which was unveiled in May, went on sale in Japan in June at the premium price of ¥1 million (US$9,295)(Rs 422113). It's also becoming available in major markets around the world.

Blu-ray's demise around the corner: Samsung

In a recent interview, the director of consumer electronics at Samsung UK, Andy Griffiths, has put a 5 year limit on the next-gen media format war victor. That's not even as long as the PS3's anticipated shelf life and puts a gloomy future on the thriving format.

"I think it [Blu-ray] has 5 years left, I certainly wouldn't give it 10," Griffiths said. Great, now Samsung is now on Toshiba's side!

Being a seller of stand alone Blu-ray players by itself, I don't think they will make mcuh profit by shooing away their customers.

On the upside, 2008 is going to be a good year for the format, Griffiths reckons[I hope he one day becomes a forcaster!], citing rental services like LoveFilm which have adopted the disc format and are offering a clear path for Blu-ray adoption.

SCEE to release a PSN tri game pack in 1 UMD for PSP

SCEE has announced plans to release a pack of three PSN titles on UMD under the name 'PlayStation Network Collection - Power Pack'.

The Power Pack will contain Beats, Syphon Filter: Combat Ops and flOw. It will be available in October when the new re-maked PSP will be launched. It will be joined by 'PlayStation Network - Puzzle Pack' which includes Lemings, Go! Sudoku and Go! Puzzle. More are in the works, and will be revealed just as Sony can come up with a few more alliterations.

Official headset for PS3

Over at the PS Blog, Anand Agarwal-Product Manager for PlayStation Peripheralsinformed us that the headset will be offered in one retail version of SOCOM: U.S. Navy Seals Confrontation(this October). The headset was unvieled during the SOCOM Media Day. There are a host of features which interested me. Here they are...nah, just forget it...head over towww.blog.us.playstation.com for a list of all the features. Just too tired to post them here. 

LittleBigPlanet Beta opening this month!

LittleBigPlanet developer, Media Molecule, is opening an "all but complete" version of the game to beta testing later this month, a post on PlayStation forum revealed. Although the game is not due for full release until October 24th, some lucky people will soon be getting early access to as I mentioned before, an "all but complete" version. Sadly, spaces are going to be few and far between but they'll be looking at "the sharing, uploading, downloading and multiplayer server side of the game before it launches to ensure that under a large number of users it does everything it is supposed to."

You'll be able to spot the former beta testers come launch day as they'll be the ones whipping up lifelike representations of the Mona Lisa propelled by hundreds of independently controlled tentacle arms and laser-eyes within ten minutes of the servers going online.