Big news for Sony PS3 owners who also have Netflix subscriptions – the two companies have announced a partnership to bring Netflix streaming to the PlayStation 3 platform. Due to arrive next month, Netflix streaming will be available to all Netflix members in the U.S. who also own a PS3 console.

Enabling Netflix streaming on your PS3 will be an interesting affair especially if you’re used to other means of activating Netflix-enabled devices. You’ll need to reserve a free instant streaming Blu-ray disc from Netflix which  leverages Blu-ray’s BD-Live technology to access the Internet and activate the Netflix user interface on the PS3. Of course, your PS3 console needs to be connected to the Internet in order for the activation to occur (or any streaming for that matter).

Once enabled, Netflix subscribers will be able to view movies and TV shows that can be watched instantly with titles organized into categories such as members’ personal preferences, popular genres, new arrivals, and members’ individual Instant Queues. You’ll also be able to add movies and TV shows to their Queues, read synopses, and rate movies on the PS3.

You can reserve the free instant streaming disc for the PS3 by going to www.netflix.com/ps3.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Sony, Netflix, PlayStation 3, Netflix Streaming

That 120GB hard drive on the Sony PS3 Slim not large enough for ya? Well get ready for a larger capacity version as Sony announced a new 250GB PS3 Slim on Thursday set to debut on November 3rd. The new console will maintain the same slim profile as the 120GB version and will retail for $349.99. Sony will continue to offer the 120GB version at the current price point (which was reduced just last month).

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Technorati Tags: Sony PS3 Slim, 250GB PS3 Slim

For those of you that have been waiting on the new social networking features of the Xbox 360 to arrive, you’ll want to check out the hands-on overview of the new apps over at News.com. The new features are due to arrive on the Xbox 360 at some point in November and will feature integrations with Facebook, Twitter, and Last.fm. Expect the Xbox Live Video Marketplace to also receive a slight overhaul as it will be called the Zune Marketplace. According to News.com, this follows Microsoft’s desire to make “Zune” their music and video brand.

Of the three social-networking features due to arrive on the Xbox 360, I have to say that the Last.fm one is the app with most functional appeal. Have a social function to hold at home or need some music playing in the background? Seems that Last.fm would be the perfect solution for those needs – simply start it up and let the music stream through to your Xbox 360 from the Net.

Don’t get me wrong of course – the Twitter and Facebook integrations are certainly interesting.. but if I want to check on my friend’s status, I’m more likely to do so on my iPhone or PC than on the Xbox 360. And yes.. Twitter/FB folks – expect many more useless status updates to hit the web once the Xbox 360 integration rolls out because clearly we all need to know that so-and-so is playing Call of Duty 4 right now on some particular map.

Joy..

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Technorati Tags: Xbox 360, Social Networking, News.com

Final Fantasy fans will be thrilled to hear that Sony has announced a new Final Fantasy XIII Lightning Edition PS3 at the Tokyo Game Show. The white PS3 features Lightning herself printed on the top of the console and comes bundled with Final Fantasy XIII.  The Limited Edition PS3 will be available in the middle of December in Japan for a price of 41,600 yen (or around $459 dollars). No word on when the new version will be available in the U.S.

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It’s really no great surprise by now but Sony has finally lifted the covers off of their new slimmer PlayStation 3 console with a new reduced price of $300 dollars. The new PlayStation 3 Slim will come with a 120GB hard drive, will be 33 percent smaller and 36% lighter than the current brick available in retail stores. Current PS3s will also have their prices dropped and based on these KMart ads – we’re guessing these PS3s will also be priced at umm.. $299?? Expect the new slimmer PS3 during the 1st week of September.

At $300 dollars, I’d consider the PS3 slim as a second Blu-ray player for the bedroom.. though not as a gaming console.

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Microsoft is set to release the next major software update for the Xbox 360 console starting on August 11th. Known as the Summer 2009 update, this is the first official update after the much heralded New Xbox Experience (NXE) update last November.

If you can’t wait for August 11th, you can always sign up at the Microsoft Connect website to be considered for the Xbox LIVE Update Preview Program. If you’re accepted, you’ll be able to check out the update before it actually comes out across Xbox LIVE on the 11th of August.

PC Magazine got a hold of the update and published a hands-on look over on their website here. Here’s a quick summary of some of the new features in the summer update.

• Netflix functionality gets expanded. You’ll finally be able to add titles to the Instant queue directly on your Xbox 360 console (yup – no more heading to the PC to add titles). You’ll also be able to view titles by genre, or from Netflix recommendations
• There’s also supposedly improved Netflix playback experience and support for the virtual theater allowing you to watch a movie with seven other friends
• Avatar Marketplace allows you to dress up your Xbox 360 avatar (tho you’ll need to spend money to do so)
• Games On Demand – purchase and download full Xbox games directly to your hard drive. Available titles include older titles such as Grand  Theft Auto, and Splinter cell.
• User ratings for games
• Streamlined updates for Xbox LIVE Parties

Check out the PC Mag hands-on for more info and pictures. Head over to Major Nelson for more info on how to sign up for the Preview Program.

Technorati Tags: Xbox 360 Summer 2009 update

Guitar Hero World Tour fans on the PS3 will love this one. Logitech announces the new Logitech Wireless Drum Controller for the PlayStation 3 platform today – complete with three premium fully adjustable drum heads and two cymbal pads.

The key features of the Wireless Drum Controller include:

• Quiet controls – you’ll hear less of the controls while making sweet music (ha)
• A durable bass pedal with a stainless steel surface
• Comes with a 2.4GHz wireless USB receiver for the PS3 and PS2 platform
• Sets up quickly and folds flat in seconds
• Uses two AA batteries
• Wireless range up to 30 feet

The Logitech Wireless Drum Controller is available in the US starting this month and in Europe starting in August for a price of $199.99.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Logitech, Wireless Drum Controller, Guitar Hero, PlayStation 3

Looks like new PlayStation 3 bundles are starting to appear at Blockbuster and Best Buy.

According to Joystiq.com, Blockbuster’s bundle varies from store to store (if your local store even carries it that is). One store had a bundle featuring a 40GB PS3 console, Transformers: The Game, Spider-Man 3 on Blu-ray, a PS3 remote, an HDMI cable, and a 12 week rental card for $359.99. Another store had an 80GB PS3 console, Transformers: The Game, a PS3 remote, HDMI cable, and a 12 week rental card for $499.99.

Meanwhile, Best Buy’s bundle is far more concrete. For $399.99, you’ll get the 80GB PS3, LittleBigPlanet game, and Wall-E on Blu-ray.

It’s not clear if these bundles are temporary holiday related bundles or a sign of things to come for the PS3.

via SonyInsider.com

Technorati Tags: Sony PlayStation 3 bundle, Blockbuster, Best Buy

It’s day 2 of E3 which means its Nintendo’s turn to make a slew of product announcements for their Wii and DS gaming systems. Without actually rewriting everything, here’s a recap of all the new announcements courtesy of the Nintendo Press Release. Enjoy!

Nintendo Wii announcements:

• Wii MotionPlus: Nintendo’s Wii MotionPlus accessory offers motion-controlled precision when combined with specially designed games. When connected to the Wii Remote controller, it delivers on Nintendo’s promise to provide even more immersive physical reality in its games. The device senses subtle motion and can locate where and how players hold the Wii Remote controller in 3-D space. It pushes active gaming to new levels of immersion and a new standard of control. Wii MotionPlus will complement a host of third-party games launching in the next few weeks.

• Wii Sports Resort: Nintendo showcased the versatility of the Wii MotionPlus accessory in demos of some of the activities included in Wii Sports Resort, an immersive, expansive active-play game. Wii Sports Resort includes a dozen fun resort-themed activities that maintain the wide-ranging appeal that attracted millions to the original Wii Sports. Wii Sports Resort is easy to pick up and play, but comes coupled with deeper levels of play that are sure to challenge even the most experienced gamers with precise controls. The Wii MotionPlus accessory will help players come much closer to the physical reality of engaging in the actual sports. The Wii MotionPlus accessory launches June 8 at a suggested retail price of $19.99, and comes bundled with Wii Sports Resort on July 26 at a suggested retail price of $49.99.

• Wii Fit Plus: Wii Fit attracted millions of new players to the world of video games, and now Wii Fit Plus offers a range of new features and enhancements, along with exercises and balance games designed to keep workouts fun. Players will find an additional dimension to the Wii Fit experience as they easily set their own customized daily workout routines or choose 20-, 30- or 40-minute workouts based on how much time they have available. Users will also be able to choose from specialized workout routines that help players strive toward specific objectives, like toning tummies, tightening arms or even reducing stress. Workouts combine the original Wii Fit activities and selections from 15 new balance games and six new strength training and yoga activities. Wii Fit Plus will come packed with the Wii Balance Board accessory, and also will be sold separately as software for people who already have a Wii Balance Board at home. Both will be available in fall 2009.
• New Super Mario Bros. Wii: Developers at Nintendo have dreamed of creating a simultaneous multiplayer Super Mario Bros. game for decades. The Wii console finally makes that dream come true for everyone this holiday season. Now players can navigate the side-scrolling worlds alone as before or invite up to three others to join them at the same time on the same level at any point in the game for competitive and cooperative multiplayer fun in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. With the multiplayer mode, the newest installment of the most popular video game franchise is designed to bring yet another type of family entertainment into living rooms and engage groups of friends in fast-paced Super Mario Bros. fun.

• Super Mario Galaxy 2: This upcoming adventure for the Wii console marks the first time a second 3-D Mario game has arrived in the same console generation. In the game, Mario rides his trusty dinosaur companion, Yoshi, to new stars and the fantastic worlds found there. This 3-D platforming adventure provides longtime video game fans with a fresh round of out-of-this-world challenges in the style introduced in the critically acclaimed original. The game is planned for 2010.
• Metroid: Other M: Nintendo showcased a trailer for a new installment in its acclaimed Metroid franchise for the Wii console. Metroid: Other M marks an unprecedented collaboration with world-renowned developers Team Ninja, and provides fans with high-energy, action-packed game play as it delves deeper into the back story of famed deep-space bounty hunter Samus Aran. This game is scheduled for release in 2010.
• Wii Vitality Sensor: Nintendo’s newest groundbreaking product, the Wii Vitality Sensor, expands the appeal of video games. It will initially sense the user’s pulse and a number of other signals being transmitted by their bodies, and will then provide information to the users about the body’s inner world.

Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi:

• Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!: This game marks the third installment of this franchise and, more importantly, the first Nintendo DSiWare game to let players design levels from the ground up. Mario will need to dodge obstacles to confront his longtime nemesis Donkey Kong, but this time the players will have full control over where to set traps, enemies and a host of power-ups in the construction zone. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! will be available in the Nintendo DSi Shop beginning Monday, June 8, for 800 Nintendo DSi Points.
• Integrating Photos with Facebook: For its Nintendo DSi system, Nintendo announced the ability for users to upload pictures taken with the system’s built-in camera and interactive lenses directly to Facebook. Using Facebook Connect, the integration will be available this summer with a Nintendo DSi system update, making it even easier for people to personalize and share their photos with friends and family on Facebook.

• Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story: Nintendo revealed Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story, a new chapter to the popular role-playing franchise that places players into the belly of the beast – literally. Players will get to enjoy trademark hilarious dialogue in the fall of 2009 as they juggle two concurrent storylines. Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story is playable on the Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi systems.
• Golden Sun DS: After going dark six years ago, 2010 will see a new dawn. Golden Sun DS updates the popular portable Golden Sun role-playing series with an impressive graphical style. This installment follows the story of the previous heroes’ descendants and immerses players into the magic of its adventure by pushing the boundaries of intuitive touch-screen controls. Golden Sun DS is playable on the Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi systems.
• WarioWare D.I.Y.: This game, which puts the concept of user-generated content on center stage, allows players to design their own micro-games from scratch. Every element, such as the characters, the environment, the actions and even the purpose of the micro-game itself, is controlled entirely by the player. Players will then be able to share their completed micro-games with other WarioWare D.I.Y. owners. The latest game in the WarioWare series is playable on the Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi systems.

Technorati Tags: Nintendo E3 2009

As most of you know by now, the big news of the day belonged to Microsoft and the Xbox 360 gaming entertainment platform. The software company made a flurry of announcements on Day 1 of E3 including the introduction of the world’s first “controller-free” gaming platform code-named “Project Natal” as well as several enhancements and additions to the Xbox LIVE service. Here’s a rundown of all the major announcements related to the Xbox 360 platform:

Project Natal:

Yes this wasn’t exactly a surprise to most folks on the Internet. There had been rumors for months on end now that Microsoft was working on a new motion-based controller a la the Nintendo Wii. However, today was in fact the first time Microsoft publicly acknowledged the existence of the project as well as providing images and video clips of how it all worked.

So what is Natal (pronounced “nuh-tall”)? It’s an entirely new way of interacting with the game console – extending the motion-based controller concept first introduced by Nintendo to a “controller-free” paradigm. Using a device combining an RGB camera, depth sensor, multi-array microphone, and a custom processor running proprietary software, Natal is capable of tracking full body-movement in 3D and responding to commands, directions, and shifts in emotion in your voice. Remember the movie “Minority Report” and how Tom Cruise interacted with that slick user interface with a glove? Picture that – minus the glove.

With Natal, Microsoft elevates immersive entertainment to a whole new level. Kick a soccer ball across the field simply by imitating the kick. Swipe a menu tile across the screen simply by mimicking the swiping motion. Yes.. I can see it now – a whole new slew of accidents in the home including slippers flying across the room, twisted ankles, bruised shins and feet.. you name it.

Other interesting tidbits about Natal – it’s not light-dependent and it’ll work on every single Xbox 360 out there. It’ll recognize your face when you walk into its field of vision. It’s also not dependent upon keywords – the system will try and understand what you’re saying.  You can find out more about Project Natal here at the Xbox.com website (as well as see video clips etc). No word on when it’ll come out nor the pricing for the system.

More of the Internet comes to the Xbox 360:

Moving on now, Microsoft announced that the Xbox 360 console was getting into the social groove with the introduction of Xbox LIVE Party for movies, Facebook, and Last.fm.

Xbox LIVE Party for movies allows Xbox LIVE subscribers to share a movie experience with friends – whether they’re with you or on a couch someplace else around the world. Think of it as a virtual movie theater where you can gather together with other Xbox LIVE subscribers. Users will see and  interact with friends using avatars and voice chat.

Continuing the social integration front, Xbox LIVE subscribers will soon be able to directly  interact with their Facebook account via the Xbox 360 console. The social aspects of Facebook meet the snazzy user interface of the Xbox 360 console. You’ll be able to perform status updates, read news feeds, share pictures, as well as share snapshots of supported games directly onto your Facebook profile.

Finally, Last.fm brings millions of songs directly the Xbox 360 platform. Xbox LIVE subscribers will be able to create their own free personalized radio stations and listen to them with friends in the same room or across the country via the Internet. Strangely enough – there’s no integration with the Zune Music marketplace.

1080p HD direct to you instantly:

Microsoft also announced today that they would be the first platform to deliver true instant-on 1080p movies and TV shows with 5.1 surround sound directly to the Xbox 360 console (assuming of course you had a 1080p compatible HDTV set). The new movies and TV shows will appear in a new Zune branded video section of the Xbox 360 user interface starting this fall. The best premise? The content will be available nearly instantly at the click of a button (assuming of course you had the necessary bandwidth connection).

Microsoft also announced that it will more than double the number of markets where Xbox LIVE will offer TV shows and movies – from the current 8 to 18 markets. The company will add Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland into the supported country list.

And finally, Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace in the U.S., U.K. and Ireland will have:

• Netflix enhancements including the ability to browse and add selections to your instant queue as well as share movies with others on the Xbox LIVE Party platform.

• Live TV with BSkyB Ltd. – for the first time, watch live or on-demand TV from Sky on the Xbox 360 console.

More and more games…

Because the Xbox 360 console is after all, still a gaming console, Microsoft announced the new titles due out for platform including:

• 1 vs 100
• Alan Wake
• Crackdown 2
• Forza Motosport 3
• Gears of War 2: Dark Corners
• Halo 3: ODST
• Joy Ride
• Left 4 Dead 2
• Shadow Complex
• Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction
• Final Fantasy XIII
• Metal Gear Solid: Rising
• Modern Warfare 2
• The Beatles: Rock Band
• Tony Hawk: RIDE

You can get additional details about the games over at this Microsoft press release here.

And.. that’s a wrap for the Xbox 360 console!

Technorati Tags: Microsoft, Xbox 360, Project Natal, Facebook, Last.fm, Zune video marketplace, 1080p HD videos