The details of the update are as follows (taken from the Playstation 3 Blog):

* Trophy enhancements – Now you can more easily sort trophies in the Trophy Collection and Comparing Trophy sections. Sorting can be done with Trophy Collection in the Game Category and also when comparing trophies with your friends in the Friend Category.
* Trophy Folder (Title List) can be sorted by game name/by title according to the date in which you earned your last trophy (ascending/descending)
* Add-on list (Group list) can be sorted by original/the date in which you earned your last trophy (ascending/descending)
* Trophy list can be sorted by original/trophy name/grade/date of obtaining the trophy (ascending/descending)

The new PS3 with a massive 250Gb hard drive will retail at £50 more than the standard 120Gb PS3 Slim that has been available for a number of weeks now.

Sony’s recent introduction of the PS3 Slim and now this 250Gb huge hard drive Premium product is all part of a major marketing plan to attempt to ensure the PS3 outguns Microsoft’s machine this Christmas.

PS3 Slim 250Gb available to order in the UK here

‘The Tester‘ will involve a series of challenges, including gaming as well as finding out your knowledge of video games.

Sony describe it as:

This original program will challenge a select group of gamers in a series of tests to determine if they have what it takes to make it as an official Game Tester. The elimination competitions throughout the series will not only test the contestants’ video game knowledge, but they will also challenge the gamers’ memory, stamina, dexterity, and overall mental prowess. Contestants must have the whole package to take home the coveted prize in this new original series. That’s because the lucky winner will earn a contract position at Sony Computer Entertainment’s Quality Assurance department in San Diego, CA, where he or she will get hands on time with the most highly anticipated games in the industry.

So, do you think you have what it takes to be ‘The Tester’. You can register your interest in taking part on Sony’s website.

Oh and good luck!

Here’s a list of the main features:

““What’s New” – The “Information Board” will be replaced with a “What’s New” section, which allows you to enjoy interactive PlayStation news every time you start the PS3 system. Located under the PlayStation Network icon, “What’s New” displays the latest and greatest game, video, PlayStation Network and PlayStation news and releases, as well as your recently played games, in a sleek, new animated format.

Status Indicator – In the top right corner we’ve added an indicator bar, which displays your user icon, friend icon, the number of friends you have online and a small message icon to let you know if you have any new messages. The indicator also includes a scrolling ticker that features the latest news from PlayStation Network. In addition, when you press the PS button, the battery life indicator will no longer cover up the clock.

Friends List – Now your PlayStation Network friends will appear in a slightly redesigned format on your Friends List. Also, messages will now be viewable from each of your friends’ respective profiles.

PlayStation Store Shortcuts – We’ve added a handy shortcut icon to the PlayStation Store under both the Game and Video categories so you can access the latest content quickly and easily.

Personalization – Personalize your PS3 with new dynamic custom themes and avatars. Dynamic themes as well as free and premium avatars will be available through PlayStation Store. A dynamic theme takes your screen to a whole new level as it incorporates animated objects into the background.

Trophies – Showcasing your hard earned trophies just got better. Update 3.00 gives game developers the ability to modify how they display trophies for add-on content. Base and add-on game trophies will continue to be combined into a single list so you can see where you stand in a game as a whole. Within that list, trophies will be broken out into subcategories-base trophies and add-on trophies-that way, you can easily view the percentage of your base game trophy collection, and separately track your trophy progress in add-on packs. Look for this enhancement to be included in upcoming games.”

Screenshot

Video

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ3C_iKB0kU[/youtube]

Game developers Naughty Dog have been busy working away on the sequel since late 2008, and we will move away from the gorgeous graphics of the Jungle to some downtown grittiness.

The game will feature more of the free movement that was used in Assassins Creed, and as well as a traditional competitive multiplayer there will also be a co-op mode in which up to three players can take the roles of the three main characters.  Online was a key missing ingredient of the first game, and the co-op mode especially enables a whole new type of gameplay.

We are expecting a release date pencilled in for the second week of November.

Enjoy the following trailer for what will be a future smash hit on the PS3 – Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Trailer

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69EBDlnDw2k[/youtube]

Make sure you download the demo of Battlefield 1943 and have a look at the trailer for this game (click the HD tab when the video starts).

PlayStation 3 Stuff

Battlefield 1943 Pacific (Full game (£9.99) and 30 minute demo)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTu5AgY03c0[/youtube]

The game for this FPS is available from the store at £9.99 and there is also a playable demo, not that you need it because this is a great price for a great game. There are about half a dozen maps for you and your friends to work together through.

Ghostbuster (Demo)

The games already out, so if you haven’t checked it out just yet then you can give the demo a whirl.

FUEL (Demo)

Only one event, but we understand that there will be an online option available for the first couple of weeks from release.  We’re big fans of demo’s that enable you to sample the  online gaming aspect, and with up to 16 players in a race this should be a good one to try out.

Game Add-On’s (DLC)

Singstar

Two packs of 5 songs from the music legends that are ColdPlay, a bit of Lily Allen, Pet Shop Boys, The Offspring and a fair few more. (Full list here)

Rock Band & Guitar Hero

A Victory Pack of three songs for GH, and Rock Band sees a few more with track packs from Green Day and Marilyn Manson amongst others

Sony’s CEO, Howard Stringer, moved quickly to deny rumours that were growing on the internet.

This is in response to games developer, Activision, when their CEO suggested they may stop developing games for the PS3 because of the high price of the system.

But the Sony boss responded to the Activision’s CEO:

“He likes to make a lot of noise. He’s putting pressure on me and I’m putting pressure on him. That’s the nature of business.”

And on cutting the price of the PS3?

“I [would] lose money on every PlayStation I make. How’s that for logic?”

Activision’s game titles include Call of Duty and Guitar Hero.

We found the purchasing of items (all free at this stage!) to be seamless.  You enter the store and choose your items adding them to a virtual basket.  When you checkout you are greeted by the normal PlayStation basket that you find on the store.

The servers appear to be coping very well, and I’m sure that Home will be rolled out sooner rather than later.

Enjoy

The row centres on the inclusion of some copyrighted materials included in the levels, usually in the form of pictures placed on to objects.  However many levels have been rejected because they are based on other platformers such as Super Mario World.

Many gamers are working hard on creating levels and the least they expect is to be asked to alter their levels if there are copyright issues.

The ethos of the game appeared to be big on ‘create whatever you want’ – but the game is rapidly turning in to one of THE most moderated games ever created.

Such an epic picture / screen grab would be great as a wallpaper too on the XMB background.

If this rumour turns out to be true, it is unknown if there will be a bigger intended use for this feature or if it is just purely for fun.

Anyhow when we here more so will you.

However the details at the moment only involve the USA apparently so other parts of the world will have to watch this space.

Up for grabs is a Kratos and Heavenly Sword down-loadable sack boys which are bound to make all of your friends green with envy. Secondly is a nifty and cute game pouch to keep your precious game case free of dust, plus it will eventually be a collectible too.

Thirdly there is an also pretty nifty LittleBigPlanet sticker book. When the list of retailers is released with a list of who is getting what we will sure be there to post a copy for everyone to see. Below are pics that were released on the official PlayStation blog here.

You can pre-order LittleBigPlanet now from either GAME or Gameplay for a measly £39.99 in the UK.

This would tie in nicely with the announcement of an October 30th release date on the official Japanese LittleBigPlanet site. Considering that the game is also rumoured to be available worldwide pretty much at the same time would also back these October rumours up.

Only time will tell as they say. In the meantime however you can enjoy an image of the game box-art for your viewing pleasure.

Sega who will be the publisher of the game says on their web-site, “Experience the heat of the battlefield by leading your troops from the front line, instead of the traditional way of controlling the units from a detached view point”.

It then goes on to say ” The experience is heightened by a simple yet effective control system tailored specifically for consoles, which allows easy unit selection, rapid navigation and precise deployment,” so for those that complain about the lack of mouse on consoles may not have anything to complain about this time.

The plot looks like this:- “Set on a bleak and barren earth, devastated by a catastrophic event centuries ago, Stormrise sees the Echelon and the Sai battling to survive in a hostile and uninhabitable wasteland. Remnants of a superior technological people the Echelon survived the event through self-educed hibernation, whilst the Sai, a more tribal faction, still exist having learnt to adapt to their surroundings and the new environment”.

“Having evolved in vastly different ways, the differences between the two factions have spurred much animosity and hatred between the two races, and the future of the planet is now hanging by a thread”.

The game itself is pencilled in for a 2009 release, and in the mean time you can check out a screen shot of the game below.

The PlayStation version is said to have “new features and game-play tweaks,” over the recently released Xbox 360 version. Some gamers who purchased the 360 version however complained that it was a tad too difficult, and so a new 8 track training section has been included to slowly guide gamers into the world of Fatal Inertia racing.

However the only down side (if you can call it that), is the fact that it is said to not include any trophy support, but we can only hope i suppose that a patch may be released at a later date as some older games may be doing. (Fingers crossed). If you have not experienced this game yet, there is currently a downloadable demo available on the European PlayStation Store now.

The download is available on the Europe store as we speak for a measly £6.99 for the PS3 version. The game has you trying to guide your poor crash dummy looking man from one side of a puzzle to the exit, whilst all the time being challenged by perspective based puzzles that are sure to fry your brain.

The game is enjoyable to play as it has an original twist and a unique feel to it.

There is currently a list of all available PS3 games, which when a title is clicked on, will automatically compare the current prices from many retailers so that you can always find the best deal available.

The information is updated every single day and we are adding new PS3 game sellers all the time. Click on a title and you may be pleasantly surprised (e.g. FIFA 08!)

You can try it now to save yourself a tidy sum HERE

Not everyone who downloaded it had problems though and it seemed to be the luck of the draw, so to speak.

Anyhow, there is rumoured to be a working version of the new firmware (2.41) due for release the week beginning 7th July, although what day in particular we do not know.

So hopefully everybody will be able to try out the awesome new trophy feature of the firmware, and of course in-game XMB functionality.

A list of some of our favourite features for the new firmware can be found below:-

Well the reason it can do this is partly due to the fabulous cell chip that can be found within the PS3 you have sitting under your TV. The new super computer has approximately 12-13,000 of them in total which are also linked up to between 6-7,000 AMD Opteron chips.

Can you imagine Unreal Tornament III death matches on that baby. This new supercomputer is now in the record books due to it being able to calculate one quadrillion calculations per second ( roughly 1 petaflop).

]]> http://www.ps3pad.com/ps3-news/2008/06/19/new-ps3-powered-super-computer/feed/ 2 http://www.ps3pad.com/ps3-news/2008/06/18/mgs4-tops-uk-charts/ http://www.ps3pad.com/ps3-news/2008/06/18/mgs4-tops-uk-charts/#comments Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:00:44 +0000 PS3 Paul http://www.ps3pad.com/?p=340 I knew it and you knew it. Metal Gear Solid 4 was always going to sell big upon its release, but how big was anybody’s guess. Well it is now known that it has become the second fastest selling game of all time in the UK.

Although the title had sold more than Gran Turismo 5 in its first week and is number one in the charts, it still could not move the almighty Grand Theft Auto from its record breaking position.

Below is a complete run down on the chart as it stands now:-

1. Metal Gear Solid 4
2. Lego Indiana Jones
3. Grand Theft Auto
4. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
5. Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training
6. Race Driver: Grid
7. Wii Play
8. Sports Island
9. Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution
10. Wii Fit

Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2008 ELSPA Ltd

If however you have been living under a rock or for some other reason have still not bought a copy of this frankly spectacular game, then you can do so now HERE.

Apparently the features that will be included if they are to be believed include:-

2D Trophy support

In game XMB support such as friend invites in games

The ability to listen to your own music in games

A nifty clock will now be viewable on the XMB itself

This update does seem too good to be true, however if true the rumours at the moment are pointing towards a June 10th release date (Tuesday), which ties in with other rumours saying that the new firmware will be released before Metal Gear Solid 4 is released (June 12th).
Please take all this information with a pinch of salt though, and as ever, when we know any more info so will you.