Wednesday, 8 July 2009

Lawsuit against cross-game voice chat


The following is a lawsuit between Hochstein and Microsoft over cross game voice chat this could be one of the reasons why Sony have yet to implement this feature on the PlayStation 3


Case Update: Hochstein v. Microsoft

Hochstein et al. v. Microsoft et al.
United States District Court for E.D. Mich.
Case No. 04-cv-73071, Filed August 11, 2004
On June 22, 2009, the day before trial began, the judge in this patent infringement case made a key decision by opting to use the special master’s construction of a disputed claim.

In 1991, Peter Hochstein and Jeffrey Tenenbaum came up with the idea of communicating live while playing the same video game in separate locations. They patented the technology for doing so in 1994. In 2002, Microsoft released Xbox Live, a gaming service that also allows users to communicate while playing the same game. Sony also released similar capabilities for PlayStation 2. In 2004, Hochstein, Tenenbaum and Harold Milton, Jr. (an assignee of the patent) brought a patent infringement suit against Microsoft and Sony alleging that the voice and data communications technology used in the gaming systems infringed on the patent claims. For relief they sought a permanent injunction and treble damages. Sony settled its suit in April 2009, leaving Microsoft as the only remaining defendant.


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While U.S. Patent No. RE36,574 is also asserted, the primary patent at issue is U.S. Patent No. 5,292,125, which is for an “apparatus and method for electrically connecting remotely located video games.” See representative claim 1:


1. A video game communication assembly (100) for communicating command signals between a local video game (28) having at least two player ports (A, B), at least one set of player controls (20), and at least two operating modes, and at least one remote video game (30) through a medium (110) capable of transmitting a plurality of data signals and voice signals, said assembly (100) comprising:

control means (106) for controlling command signals received from a set of player controls (20) of the local video game (28) and for creating communication signals;

modem means (114) for bilaterally transmitting said communication signals between said control means (106) and at least one remote video game (30);

first port means (112) for bilaterally transmitting said communication signals between said control means (106) and said modem means (114), said assembly (100) characterized by

said control means (106) including transit time means (126) for determining the amount of time required for said communication signals to travel between said first port means (112) and the remote video game (30).

After years of discovery, last fall Microsoft alerted the court that some claims still needed to be construed before trial began. Microsoft submitted its motion for construction of claim 39 in February 2009. See claim 39:


39. A video game communications circuit for communicating command signals between a local video game having at least two player ports (A, B), at least one set of player controls (20), and at least one remote video game (30) in a medium capable of transmitting plurality of data signals and voice signals, said circuit comprising:

a first microprocessor (140) electrically connected to one set of player controls (20), two player ports (A, B) and an oscillating circuit (Y1, C2, C3, R2);

two player port logic circuits (108, 124) electrically connected between said first microprocessor (140) and the two player ports (A, B);

a switch (150) connected to said first microprocessor (140) having at least two positions;

a modem circuit (114) electrically connected to said first microprocessor (140) for bilaterally transmitting communication signals to and from said first microprocessor (140);

a voice over data circuit (134) for filtering voice signals from communication signals and for transmitting both to said modem circuit (114); and

communication couplers (L1, L2) for connecting said voice over data circuit (134) to the medium of communication.

Microsoft wanted the claim to be construed to mean that the “video game communications circuit” and its associated components were separate and distinct from the video game computer to which the circuit is attached.

Microsoft argued that a distinction between the claimed apparatus and its video game computer was expressly reflected in claim 39, which asserts that the video game communications circuit is not the local video game, but instead, a separate circuit that connects to the local video game. ‘Plaintiffs want to collapse this distinction and ignore the claim's clear direction as to where particular components must be located — i.e., in a separate apparatus, and not in the video game computer itself,’ Microsoft argued in its motion.

In May, the special master to whom the matter was referred issued his report and recommendations, denying Microsoft's proposed limiting construction. Instead, he construed “video game communication circuit” to mean “a circuit operatively associated with a local video game and at least one remote video game without limitation as to such circuit's physical location or attachment to the local video game.” Microsoft objected to the master’s recommendations, but the court granted plaintiffs’ motion to adopt the recommendation anyway, dealing Microsoft a blow right before trial.

Read the court's claim construction order here.

A couple side notes:

This is the same case where Microsoft got in trouble for wasting the court’s time by filing an objection to discovery because of a typo Hochstein made in the discovery request. In February 2009, Hochstein deposed a Microsoft employee, Ms. Mason, about Xbox marketing and then filed a formal request for all marketing documents related to Xbox “including but not limited to all such documents identified by Ms. Mason at her February 12, 2008 [sic] deposition.” Microsoft responded five weeks later with general objections, including “Microsoft objects to this request as vague in that Ms. Mason’s deposition took place in 2009, not in 2008.” Over the next week, Microsoft proceeded to provide over 140,000 documents to Hochstein without any index.

The court, upset by Microsoft playing dumb in its written response, said the frivolous objection to an obvious, harmless typo was a waste of time for all the parties involved. The court issued a separate order directing Microsoft to explain why its counsel shouldn’t be sanctioned “for unreasonably and vexatiously multiplying the proceedings.”

Microsoft’s five week delay and “document dump” less than two months before trial also annoyed the court. The court ordered Microsoft to provide an index of the marketing documents within one week and barred Microsoft from introducing the marketing documents against Hochstein or contesting the admissibility of the marketing documents at trial.

Read the court’s discovery order here.

Also, in January 2009, Hochstein filed an almost identical suit as the one discussed here (dubbed Hochstein I), again brought against Microsoft and Sony. According to the complaint, during a Hochstein I pretrial conference in January 2008, the parties discussed whether the defendants’ new game consoles (Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3) should be litigated in Hochstein I or a separate lawsuit. Hochstein filed this complaint to adjudicate the possible infringement of the new products separately.

Read the Hochman II complaint here.

Mass Effect 2 To PS3?




There is still a chance Mass Effect 2 could be coming to the PS3, Bioware are focusing on the xbox360 and pc versions at the moment "We've only announced 360 and PC. At this point we're really focused on those platforms." said BioWare's Matt Atwood but have not ruled out a ps3 version. The Mass Effect ip is owned by EA "Yes. EA owns the rights to Mass Effect." so that rules exclusivity to Microsoft out "That's right," seeing how EA tends to release its games on as many systems as possible could there still be hope for a ps3 version? Maybe once the 360 and pc versions are finished Bioware will look into a ps3 version.



Comic download service hitting PSP by end of year in Japan


Remember when we discovered an early prototype of a downloadable comics service for PSP? Well, looks like it's coming to fruition. According to a release by PlayStation Japan, comics will be made available through the PlayStation Store by year's end. The comics will take advantage of the high resolution screen offered by the PSP, and will be compatible with all versions of the PSP, from the original 1000 to the new PSP Go.

SCEA and SCEE have not announced plans to follow Japan's footsteps. However, we're hopeful that by year's end, PSP owners will be able to read both English and Japanese comics on the go




Alex Evans wants LittleBigPlanet 2 with backwards compatible levels


Media Molecule's Alex Evans told GamesIndustry.biz that he would "love there to be a sequel" to LittleBigPlanet in a recent interview. "If you look at online distribution for LBP, when the sequel comes along, what do we do with all that content? We can give [consumers] backwards compatibility with those levels." It looks like Evans sees a sequel as inevitable, though he's keen to say that currently everyone at Mm is still working on LBP. Though recent job listings suggest otherwise.

Evans also mentions that a demo for LittleBigPlanet will be released soon, allowing people who still haven't picked it up a chance to try it out. It's unclear whether any of the almost 2 million user generated levels will be playable in the demo, but it should "capture [the game's] essence." More additions to the game are also on the way, such as one that was originally planned for the game, but axed along the way -- sharing objects in a similar way to sharing levels. So more features -- "changing the tools themselves, and changing how you share -- are coming."




Battlefield 1943 Playtest



By Liam B [FRUITofDOOM]

source

He’s in my sights, that bastard that blew my tank up – now I have become a sniper and the little sod has no idea he is a breath away from meeting his maker. Lined up and compensating for targets distance and movement speed… patience… squeeze gently… 3… 2… HOLY CRAP – jump! Damn, too late! An enemy plane shot down by a flak cannon just ditched right into my observation tower, which I thought was a safe vantage point from which I could snipe from. I was wrong and this game just slapped me around the face with a big reminder that anything can happen here. Am I really playing a downloadable title? Did I really pay so little for such quality? Ouch, yep – I’m not dreaming.

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Above is a description of the first ten minutes into my play test on Battlefield 1943. For a non-retail downloadable title you expect to be called to forgive a lack in features and sophistication. Happily BF: 1943, developed by Dice and published by EA, dishes out surprise after pleasant surprise, providing an instant action rush yet backing it up with a fully fledged gaming experience. Pick it up and drop a few birds from the sky or dismantle a tank with a well place demo’ charge, or get down and dirty with a serious “this island belongs to us” approach and “my team and I are not giving it up!” Dice have tweaked and boosted their Frostbite engine for this title – the Frostbite game engine allows a good deal of destruction and fantastic sounds and effects, and whilst anyone having played Battlefield Bad Company will instantly recognise the graphics and game play (this feels like the same game) the isolated island in the Pacific and setting make ‘1943 really stand out.

But let us get to what you the reader wants to know: is it fun? My answer to you is: damn right skippy! Jump in to a quick match and you are less than a minute away from a battle taking place on the ground, on the water and indeed in the air. Want to play with friends? Then squad up with anyone you wish to carry your letters in case you don’t make it and start hurling lead towards the enemy. Want to know if there will be TSA only “boot camps”? Yes, yes there bloody well will be! This game caters for all trades and will see pilots strafing landing craft and raining highly explosive tickets to hell on the poor ants battling below. It will see snipers with a smile the length of the Nile after dropping an unsuspecting foe from across the other side of the island. Gamers will be shouting “did you frickin see that?” after hitting the detonation switch when a tank roles over some well placed explosives. With so many ways to dish out death – 43,000,000 kills doesn’t seem so far away but it is going to be one hell of a blast getting there.

The mechanics are pretty much the same as all other FPS games. It doesn’t try to be complicated and is really easy to just pick up and get on with it. Run around guns blazing and you’ll soon rack up the kills. However, get tactical and form a good team and you’ll be dominating the island and sending the enemy a clear message that you won’t go down easy. Planes are easy to control and offer machine guns and bombs to deal out the pain, with dogfights being the highlight. Should your plane take too much damage you can nose towards the enemy on the ground, or jump out with the safety of a parachute and live to fight another minute. The controls are easy enough that anyone can fly but take the time to master them and become an ace and you will nail other fighter pilots whilst making craters where the enemy once stood. Tanks are truly rolling beasts of steel and take as much punishment as they can dish out. You can drive and gun whilst a team mate takes the 50 cal’ on top. With a canon, a coaxial machine gun and a mounted 50 these babies will become a nuisance for even the most skilled of opponents. You will also see nimble jeeps to tear across the island whilst dodging shells and decorating your bonnet with a new coat of red gloss.

The aim of the game is to capture all the points on the island. With each point offering its occupants new vehicles and advantages such as capturing the airfield to give you aircraft on the island. Some points offer you tanks and jeeps, some even offer you a communications bunker allowing you to guide three bombers over the island to perform a bombing run anywhere you want to drop it – and a damned destructive bombing run it is too. Both sides start on a carrier ship with planes and landing craft (via water) for starting your assault. The carriers also house flak canons and defences to make sure your planes are safe from any enemy planes circling above for an easy kill. You will then land to take control of all points on Wake Island, Iwo Jima, Guadal Canal and a battle over the Coral Sea once all PSN members hit a combined 43,000,000 kills. You can get up close and personal with the Infantry class packing a machine gun, bazooka and hand grenades. Stay at a distance with a sniper rifle or get sneaky with the explosives using the Scout class. Finally there is the Rifleman that gets a semi-automatic rifle good in medium to long range battles, with the ability to slam on a grenade to launch like a make-shift mortar.

A very easy to play and offering many incentives to master type game, ideal for a community get together and offering weeks and weeks of multiplayer fun. With great graphics, a very good damage model, and fantastic sound effects this game gives a real sense of a hectic battle for control in every match. Plenty of variety and buckets of fun for up to 24 players, you can rest assured that this game will get the TSA community touch and receive the attention it deserves. Why waste time downloading the demo when you could be making your mark in the full title?

The community race between the PS3 and 360 formats to reach 43,000,000 kills and unlock a 4th map (Coral Sea) begins 10th July 19:43 (GMT+1) that being 7.43pm here during summer months in the UK. TSA will be hosting events and ongoing community sessions for this title, more information will be made available very shortly. Now I’m off to take to the skies, no I’m nicking that tank, no wait I’m going to snipe… ah sod it – charge!



Eurogamer Expo 2009







Eurogamer Expo 2009 is coming to the following places and dates

London - Old Billinsgate (30-31 October 2009)

1 Old Billingsgate Walk
(Riverside Entrance)
16 Lower Thames Street
London, EC3R 6DX
Tel: +44 (0)20 7283 2800
Fax: +44 (0)20 7626 1095
Web: www.oldbillingsgate.co.uk

Leeds - Saviles Royal Armouries Square (27-28 October 2009)

Armouries Square
Armouries Drive
Leeds
LS10 1NF
Tel: 0113 220 1906
Fax: 0113 220 1997
Web: www.raievents.co.uk


IndustryGamers Interview With Eric Lempel


IndustryGamers: So what in your view is the big story for PlayStation Network right now?

Eric Lempel: I think the biggest story is actually PSP Go because this really speaks to PlayStation Network; the Go and the delivery mechanism to the device is completely powered by PSN... So we're saying to that consumer, 'This unit is just for you, it speaks to your lifestyle and what you've been asking for.' It also helps us push a lot more content through the network for PSP. PSN of course still exists on the other PSP units, but I think this reminds people that there's a lot you can do with those units as well. So that's the big news, that we've got a network-powered device.

IG: I know Sony has said the PSP Go is not intended to replace the traditional PSP model, but it does sort of seem that with this digital push that is going to eventually happen. Don't you think this will phase out UMD permanently?

EL: I think it really depends on the consumer and what they want. As Kaz [Hirai] mentioned it was really about going out there, talking to people and seeing what they wanted. That's what led to PSP Go, but it wasn't 100% of people saying, “We wan't something that just connects to the network and we're done with UMDs.” There's a good amount of the audience that still wants a tangible product; they're more comfortable with it, they like it better or they may not have the means to buy online. In our region we're doing pretty well with online penetration but it might not be the case worldwide. So I think there'll be a shift and the shift will be greater over time, I still think the tangible goods business is a viable business for us. It's still important to a segment of the market that we still want to sell to.

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IG: So every game is going to be released both in digital form and on UMD going forward?

EL: Yes, that is the plan. So it'll be day and date with retail, and in some cases depending on where people are today in development, they might not have the rights for digital distribution, but the goal is to get 100% day and date with UMDs and I think we'll do pretty well in that area. We're also converting a lot of the back catalogue; we already have a lot of “UMD Legacy” titles on the PlayStation Store and we're looking to rapidly increase that now with PSP Go. We've been working on that behind the scenes for a while so that when Go launches you'll see there's a lot of titles already available [on PSN] that you've known about for years.

IG: And the pricing on the digital games will be identical to the UMD counterparts?

EL: Well, we don't actually control pricing, so we can sell to retail at a wholesale price and then they set the resale price. On the PlayStation Store we do set the pricing for first-party titles, but on third-party they give us a wholesale price. On games where we do control pricing, what we'll steer towards is having it cost the same; it won't cost more [at retail or digitally] for the launch of a new title.

"...at this stage of the game when I really look at PSN and the entire offering I think we're in great shape. I don't think there's a lot of “catch up” [with XBL] anymore. In some cases, I think we've got more, and we've got some other things they don't have."
IG: What kind of feedback have you gotten from retailers? As you go more and more towards digital they are kind of left out...

EL: [Feedback] has actually been quite positive. Some of the retailers were brought in early on this, and we said, 'Hey, here's the direction we're going with this.' As you know, there are lots of other devices on the market that just don't have a software component at retail. So surprisingly, they're excited. So I definitely understand where the question's coming from and I also thought it would be interesting to see what happens when you say [to them], 'Sell this but there's not going to be a software component.' But there's still an accessory component and we've got a pretty strong accessory line; there will be new accessories planned for Go at some point. So retailers were embracing it and it seems like they're happy with the product. They're happy with the [model] 3000 PSP as well. Currently we're also doing a pretty good PlayStation card business with our $20 and $50 cards. Surprisingly, it's a good segment of our audience that uses cards only... so they can still sell these things. I think in other cases with other digital products, they really don't have anything [else to sell].

IG: I know one of the focuses also has been to bring PSOne classics onto PSN and PSP. Is there a certain goal for the percentage of that PSOne library that you plan to get onto the network?

EL: From my perspective, it's as much as possible. We're going to have a lot more by the end of the year. We'll easily double the amount we have currently, which I believe is 38. We'll at least double that by the end of the year, but the goal for me would be to get as many on there as possible because consumers love it, it's easy for third parties and our first-party studios because the content is done, and it's a place where you can get a lot of games that perhaps you never had or some that are out of print and you can't find anymore. In a lot of cases there are legal issues or contractual issues, because if you think back to the PSOne business no one was thinking “How can I someday distribute this content digitally for another device?” So when you look at a lot of these contracts, you're licensing it for that media on that specific device and you're done. But we've done a pretty good job in our region so far of getting some good stuff over and we'll aggressively seek that on both the first and third-party side.

IG: Microsoft unveiled an Xbox 360 games-on-demand service for Xbox Live, which will let users actually download full 360 games over their network. I know Sony has done a little bit of that with bigger PS3 games for download, but is their a plan in place to bring full PS3 games-on-demand to PSN?

EL: Not right now; it's not something we have planned, just because the size of the games is massive. With Blu-ray we can put up to 50 gigs on a dual-layer disc, while [Xbox 360] is still on a 9-gig media. So technically it's possible, but I think the issue would be, “Do you want to download 40 gigs and keep that on your hard drive?” I think there's great opportunity there in the future, and it's something we'll always look at, but for the time being it's not a direction we're going in.

IG: Obviously Xbox Live has had a big start on PSN, but how do you feel the two services stack up today? What do you believe are some of the things you need to work on to get on parity with Xbox Live?

EL: That would be a much different question two years ago and I'd have a much different answer, but at this stage of the game when I really look at PSN and the entire offering I think we're in great shape. I don't think there's a lot of “catch up” [with XBL] anymore. In some cases, I think we've got more, and we've got some other things they don't have. In terms of strengths, of course we're still free, and we're giving you a lot for free. It's not just free online gaming, but we've got PlayStation Home, which is a massive community and application that's totally free to use. Our video download service is also a little bit different from theirs in that we sell movies in addition to renting movies, so consumers who want to keep that digital media or pull it off their hard drive and store on an external device, [we offer that]. I think there's a lot we're doing that in some cases they're not doing, and I don't see a lot of things they're doing that we're not.

From my perspective, we have our own strategy and we've always been building our roadmap and saying here's what comes next; I think you've seen PSN has evolved tremendously since we've launched. In 2008 we redid the store and brought the store to PSP, we launched the trophy system, the in-game XMB feature which was much needed, along with other UI enhancements and other smaller features. So we'll continue to do that and I don't see anything now that makes me say, “Oh we must be able to do X,” because I think we're doing a lot really well ourselves.

IG: One thing that I noticed from Microsoft and Nintendo was a bigger focus on social networking like Facebook, which is going to be integrated into XBL and is going to work with DSi for photo uploads. Is Sony looking to partner with Facebook or Twitter as well?

EL: We're always looking at new partners and for things to do. Right now you can access Facebook from the browser on the PS3, so that's something the other guys couldn't do – so we were kind of ahead of the game there.

IG: I still think getting Netflix integrated into the XMB as part of PSN would be great. And Microsoft also announced their own separate 1080p streaming video on XBL. There's still no HD streaming on the PS3 – is there any plan for streaming video on PS3?

EL: There's no streaming plan right now. From our perspective, when we set out to build a video delivery service we wanted to do a few things. One was to give the consumer full choice – which again goes back to the fact that we don't charge a subscription to access our service and we don't charge any fee to access a movie service. [For Netflix on XBL] you're paying two companies to get that piece to work, which might not be appealing for everyone. The other thing we were looking at doing was providing a high quality experience. I haven't seen their 1080p streaming, but with us when we do these downloads it's a high quality file. With a lot of the streaming I've seen elsewhere it's not that great, and it's a little grainy and doesn't really match with the PS3 in the living room on the nice big TV. It's also about selection. We wanted to make sure we had a nice selection of new releases... you can't get the brand new DVD or BD releases on a streaming service early. So right now we're happy with where we are. We've added some new partners; we have all the majors and we're going after some more niche and interesting genres for our users.

IG: Regarding the new motion technology from Sony, from a PSN perspective how do you see the network leveraging that?

EL: From the PSN perspective, I would see a lot of great PSN content for that device. It looks like a great device that can do really deep and intense games or components of games that also use a controller, or just kind of mini-games or other applications for fun... PSN would be great for that. We can sell something at a low price that takes advantage of it and could probably provide hours of fun for the user. So I'm excited to see new content coming our way once the device is introduced.

IG: Sony has been pretty good at expanding its slate of original PSN games from independent developers. What guidelines do you follow as you look to grow the library of original PSN titles?

EL: We wanted to be an independent experience but a high quality experience when we look at this stuff. I think a lot of what you're talking to is that the games are innovative and really unique, but they're also made for PS3, so they're usually HD and they're different. That's what I love about PSN, as opposed to our consoles in the past where you had to put something on a disc to get it out there, and there were mass distribution costs and retail issues, but now we can provide a channel for these unique games. We have things like Flow and Flower and PixelJunk and Everyday Shooter, and Fat Princess coming... just all this neat content that's great on the console. We're always looking at new people, and we have several different groups within the company on both the Worldwide Studios side and our third-party relations side doing that. I think we've made strides there. As Kaz announced, we lowered the price of the PSP development tool – that's a step in the right direction because now a lot of people who might not have been able to make the big investment can get in and start making content for us. So the guidelines right now are not that stringent; we have some technical guidelines to protect the experience, but it's really about quality and bringing something innovative. If it's priced right and the consumer likes it, we're happy to distribute it. That's one of the greatest benefits of the network. As opposed to what others are offering, we're offering truly new and unique games that you can't find anywhere else. And about 45% are exclusive to PSN, so it's one of our biggest strengths.

IG: With PSP Go being all digital and the fact that you can access the store on the PSP itself, do you feel it's one step closer to competing with the iPhone?

EL: What's a little bit different with us is that PSP is a game-centric device; it was built for gaming. A lot of this other stuff you see on other devices – lots of smaller games, not that deep – might not provide the best experience. The PSP Go has a lot more horsepower and there's a lot more you can get out of this. I think the Go will open [the door] for more unique stuff that you probably wouldn't find on another platform because they can't run it or they just don't have the controls.

IG: Have you given any thought to encouraging more free software for PSN/PSP? The App Store has lots of free content, including free games. Is there consideration being given to expanding a free catalog?

EL: Right now our free catalog consists of demos, wallpapers, themes and videos about games. I don't think we want to degrade the experience you get from a PSP. Because [iPhone] is not a gaming-centric device, I think a user picks it up and [plays a simple free game] and says, “This is kind of dumb, but I don't care because I know this device wasn't intended for games.” So I want to make sure we uphold the quality of games on PSN; that doesn't mean they can't be shorter or quirky but we don't want to see a bunch of little things that don't quite make sense or provide a good experience because I think that takes away from what the device is intended for.

IG: How much marketing are we going to see for PSN? It still seems to me like awareness around the network with consumers is not quite where it needs to be.

EL: There will be a lot of marketing around PSN later this year, aside from the PSP Go launching, just focusing on the network. We will have the network kind of tagged on to all of our big marketing campaigns, and we'll probably have a separate network campaign as well just to speak to all the different features because there's lots to talk about now. You're right, we need to educate the consumer and let them know that there's all this stuff you can do at no cost. All you need is the device and you're set to go. I'd like to see us do a much better job there because there's a lot to say.

IG: With PSP Go launching for $249, will Sony look to drop the price on the old PSP to say $129 to match it with DS Lite?

EL: There are no plans in place to adjust pricing. There are bundles coming out over the next few months and the hardware plan is kind of locked and loaded. I don't think anything will be changing. [The old PSP] will be in the market and we're fully supporting the UMD PSP along with this; we're happy with where it is today.

IG: Some people may be worried about filling up the internal memory of the PSP Go, so what would you say the average size of a game file is going to be? How many games could a user fit onto the device?

EL: If you're strictly talking games, and not movies or other stuff, with the average game being perhaps 800 MB you could probably get about 20 games onto the PSP Go.

IG: And of course there's still memory stick storage...

EL: Right, and you can hook up via USB so you can offload this stuff if you need to. You can use the Media Go application to manage all of that.

IG: Thanks for your time, Eric.

Stringer Comments On Activisions Threat


A reporter brought up the recent ‘threat‘ from Activision’s Bobby Kotick to withdraw support for the PS3 unless Sony dropped the prices. Stringer’s opening remark was priceless, “He likes to make a lot of noise,” he said before continuing, “He’s putting pressure on me and I’m putting pressure on him. That’s the nature of business.”

When pressed on the logic of Sony’s current approach of not reducing the price of the PlayStation 3, he replied, “I (would) lose money on every PlayStation I make — how’s that for logic”.

Sony have been working hard to bring down the cost's of making the PS3 including 45nm cells to replace 65nm cells. Since launch, the Cell has had its process shrunk from 90 nm to 65 nm. According to rumors and early Sony plans the RSX GPU has also been shrunk, but that the actual switch would have happened has not been confirmed by Sony or third party disassembly. Further improvements are planned, with IBM/Toshiba announcing plans to commence fullscale 45 nm Cell production in 2009, which will result in a further 40% reduction in power consumption over the 65 nm Cell.

The PS3 slim could include the 45nm cell if that is the case it should reduce the cost per PS3 system and allow a price cut to happen.Now we need to wait and see if the rumour of the PS3 slim is true but its looking more and more likely, the Tokyo Game Show in September could be where Sony announce the slim and price cut.



Petition: Sony need to sort out the yellow light of death!


I just found the following thread on the EU Forum


I just got the yellow light of death on my ps3 after a couple of years of owning it and I am out of warranty and really dont want to pay £145 to fix it.

Sony need to fix this yellow light of death thing. After paying as much as people do for the ps3, Sony could at least make sure it works there is clearly something wrong at the sony manufacturing end because to many people that have had their ps3 die on them for it to be a coincidence.

Sony need to fix this problem as its really not fair on us, the customers, the least they could do is repair or replace the ps3 free of charge outwith warranty.

Petitions do not generally work when it comes to Sony, and I realise that, but by commenting on this thread you, like me, want this changed. This may not help me in my situation and I may just have to stump up the cash to get mine fixed but it might help you when your ps3 dies and Sony want you to pay for thier mistake.

LINK FOR THE FORUM POST