From videogaming247.com:
[QUOTE]
A source close to Atari, speaking under conditions of strict anonymity, has told us that an announcement from the publisher's top brass is expected on Monday morning.

Word has also reached us that new Atari boss David Gardner and Phil "you're not SCEEing any more" Harrison are are on the same flight to New York on Monday.
[/QUOTE]

Full Story: videogaming247.com
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From spong.com:
[QUOTE]
Sony's PS Eye-based motion-tracking system that uses head movements as game controls, and which was recently shown at GDC, was merely a tech demo. This means it is unlikely to be coming to a shop near you soon.

A Sony representative told SPOnG this morning, "We have no details on the tracking software. As far as I'm aware it was developed by someone at SCEA and was shown at GDC as a technical demo of what is possible with the PS3 and PS Eye."
[/QUOTE]

Full Story: spong.com
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From ps3fanboy.com:
[QUOTE]
Apparently, Circuit City employee's have been talking about receiving some mysterious shipments of late. These shipments are meant to replace the SpiderMan 3 bundle PS3 and come with the serial number "CECHH01". If you frequent Kotaku, you may recall they deduced this serial number was for the new White PS3.
[/QUOTE]

Full Story: ps3fanboy.com
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From informationweek.com:
[QUOTE]
If 2006 was the year of the Xbox 360 and 2007 was the year of the Wii, 2008 is shaping up to be PlayStation 3's turn in the spotlight, as it stokes demand in the $19 billion computer gaming industry with some hotly awaited game titles.

Nintendo's Wii outsold Sony's more expensive PS3 console 4-to-1 in Japan this month, but the PS3's maiden victory over the Wii last November showed that under the right conditions, the tables could turn.

Exclusive PS3 titles like puzzle-solving, community-based game "LittleBigPlanet", production improvements that will give Sony room to cut prices, and the recent victory of its Blu-ray technology in the high-definition DVD format war, should drive demand for the games console.

"2008 will be a turning year for the PS3," said iSuppli analyst Pamela Tufegdzic. "Sony is offering a better forthcoming software pipeline with blockbuster titles like "Gran Turismo 5", which will boost PS3 sales this year."
[/QUOTE]

Full Story: informationweek.com
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From next-gen.biz:
[QUOTE]
Confirming a Jeux France report, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe told Next-Gen that an SCEE-wide Gran Turismo 5 Prologue bundle will be released on March 28. It will include a 40GB PS3, a copy of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue and a single Sixaxis controller for €399.

Additionally, a PS3 Blu-ray bundle initially limited to France will be released on March 19 for €399. The Blu-ray bundle, which will feature a 40GB console, a single Sixaxis controller and Blu-ray copies of Casino Royale, Spider-Man 3 and 300, may subsequently be released in Spain and Italy where it could feature different movies.
[/QUOTE]

Full Story: next-gen.biz
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From the press release:
[QUOTE]
Following opening remarks made during the General Session at the 2008 Destination PlayStation retailer event in Scottsdale AZ, Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. confirmed several new initiatives related to Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, including a North American street date, online multiplayer, and pre-sell program.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is the final chapter in the saga of Solid Snake which sends him around the world in pursuit of his arch nemesis, Liquid Ocelot. Armed with new gadgets and abilities, Solid Snake must shift the tides of war into his favor, using the chaos of the battlefield to infiltrate deep into enemy territory. In his globetrotting final mission, Snake must sneak deep into enemy locations in the Middle East, South America, and other corners of the Earth to foil Liquid Ocelot's plans for total world domination.

Street Date
Opening remarks revealed that the final chapter in the saga of super spy Solid Snake is expected to arrive in stores in North America on Thursday June 12th, 2008. "Blockbuster events and premieres are a tradition of the summer," said Kazumi Kitaue, Konami Digital Entertainment Inc. Chairman and CEO. "We anticipate that Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots fits that bill perfectly, and consumers will be waiting in line to get their copy of the game just like it's a hit Hollywood movie."

Metal Gear Online Starter Pack
It was also confirmed today that Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will launch with the Metal Gear Online "Starter Pack" supporting online gameplay. In addition to the single player experience, gamers will also be able to take the action online with up to 16 players and battle it out using the latest weapons and stealth techniques.

Pre-Sell Program
Beginning April 2008, consumers that pre-order Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will receive the Metal Gear Saga 2.0 DVD, containing a Prologue that recaps the Metal Gear franchise, a 20th Anniversary retrospective, character bios for Big Boss, Liquid Snake, Solidus Snake, and Solid Snake, plus a collection of international trailers of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. This pre-order package also contains an insert with a download code and special instructions for accessing the Metal Gear Online beta test when it goes live in late April. This special pre-order package will only be available while supplies last.
[/QUOTE]

Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From engadget.com:
[QUOTE]
We were already blown away by Johnny Lee's headtracking demo using a Wiimote, but it looks like Sony's trying to take it mainstream in a much slicker way. The company was demoing a PS3-based headtracking system at GDC that doesn't require any special IR glasses to function -- it just uses a bone-stock Playstation Eye camera to track your ugly mug around the room.
[/QUOTE]

Full Story: engadget.com (incl. video)
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From gamepro.com:
[QUOTE]
GamePro examines four recent multi-platform titles (Assassin's Creed, Burnout Paradise, Call of Duty4, Devil May Cry 4) to determine which console has the better games--PS3 or Xbox 360. What we discovered challenges the common wisdom that "Xbox 360 is better."

While we can't definitively name one console as having better multi-platform releases across the board, there's a clear winner among these four games: PlayStation 3 beats the Xbox 360 handily. Call of Duty 4 plays nearly the same on both systems, differing only in superior online integration on PlayStation 3. With Devil May Cry 4, the game is all-around better on PlayStation 3 (despite the horrendous installation process). Burnout Paradise emerges as decidedly better on Sony's system thanks to EA Criterion's decision to make it the leading version of the game. The exact opposite is true for Assassin's Creed where Xbox 360 beats out its PlayStation 3 counterpart visually.

Judging by what we've seen with these recent games, you may be better off picking up PlayStation 3 versions of high-profile multi-platform games for the time being. The notion that PlayStation 3 ports are inherently inferior to Xbox 360 simply doesn't hold water these days. Some games do perform worse on Sony's console--Blacksite: Area 51 has been plagued with performance issues, for instance, and The Orange Box suffers from groan-inducing load times and chugging framerates.

These issues are slowly being addressed, though, as many publishers are starting to churn out multi-platform releases with an eye for the PlayStation 3. LucasArts recently announced an initiative to make the PS3 their leading platform for development, joining a growing wave of developers seeking to improve multi-platform games heading to Sony's console. With any luck, this movement will result in better performance for all gamers, Xbox 360 and PS3 alike. For now though, just enjoy fragging terrorists, crashing cars, and slicing demons in half on your PlayStation 3.
[/QUOTE]

Full Story: gamepro.com (4 pages)
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From ps3.ign.com:
[QUOTE]
The latest issue of Famitsu reports that Konami will be commemorating the Japanese release of MGS4 with three packages. The game's base pack includes MGS4 and Metal Gear Online. But real fans of the sneak will want to pick up the Special Edition box set, which includes a Blu-ray disc featuring all the trailers released so far along with making-of footage. Finally, there's the premium pack, which will include everything in the Special Edition version along with a PlayStation 3 unit.

Famitsu referred to the hardware that's set to be bundled with the Japanese version as a "special model," but said that it couldn't reveal the color. Konami will give out the details on March 21, according to the magazine.
[/QUOTE]

Full Story: ps3.ign.com
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From next-gen.biz:
[QUOTE]
The newly announced Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3 bundle will feature an 80GB PS3 with "some PS2 backwards compatibility".

Following rumors that the 80GB PS3 was set to be discontinued, SCEA president Jack Tretton announced Tuesday that, due to "incredible demand", the company would be manufacturing more 80GB PS3s for North America to ship as part of a Metal Gear Solid 4 bundle.

"Yes, similar to the MotorStorm bundle, the new MGS4 bundle features an 80GB PS3 with some PS2 backwards compatibility," he wrote in a PlayStation Blog post.
[/QUOTE]

Full Story: next-gen.biz
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From the press release:
[QUOTE]
At its annual retail and publisher conference Destination PlayStation, Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) announced details of upcoming PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) (PSP-2000) hardware bundles with two of the most highly anticipated 2008 titles. The company also announced the April 2008 availability of DUALSHOCK®3 wireless controller in North America.

To coincide with the much-anticipated North American launch of Metal Gear Solid®4: Guns of the Patriots in late Q2 2008, SCEA will introduce a PS3 bundle, which will include an 80GB PS3, the upcoming blockbuster Metal Gear Solid®4: Guns of the Patriots and a DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller for $499 (MSRP).

SCEA also announced the June 2008 availability of the limited-edition God of War® PSP Entertainment Pack for $199.99 (MSRP). The God of War Entertainment Pack will include a "Deep Red" PSP with God of War himself, Kratos, silk-screened on the back of the unit, a copy of the highly anticipated upcoming God of War: Chains of Olympus game for PSP, the hit comedy movie from Columbia Pictures, "Superbad™," on UMD™ (Universal Media Disc), and a PLAYSTATION®Network voucher to download Syphon Filter®: Combat Ops from PLAYSTATION®Store. The stand-alone version of God of War: Chains of Olympus launches on March 4, 2008.

"Working closely with our retail and publishing partners and sharing our hardware and software roadmaps at Destination PlayStation gives us a great opportunity to outline some key milestones for the year. In response to incredible demand, we will be manufacturing more 80GB PS3s for North America and the Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots 80GB PS3 bundle is an ideal way to offer that continued value to our consumers," said Jack Tretton, president and CEO, SCEA. "With Blu-ray having won the format war, our stellar software line-up and a broad product portfolio, we will continue to drive the incredible momentum we've been generating since last fall."

SCEA will introduce the DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller for the first time in North America in April 2008 for $54.95 (MSRP). DUALSHOCK 3, which incorporates both rumble and motion sensing SIXAXIS™ technologies, maintains the award-winning design and precise, responsive features of PlayStation controllers. The added rumble feature, combined with the SIXAXIS system, enhances the gamer experience with more interactive, intuitive and immersive game play experience and will work with more than 100 current PS3 titles.

In additional news coming from Destination PlayStation, SCEA announced Metal Gear Solid®4: Guns of the Patriots will be available in North America in late Q2 2008. A Metal Gear Online "Starter Pack" will also be launched to support online game play. Gamers can select a single player experience or take the action online with up to 16 players and battle it out using the latest weapons and stealth techniques. For those eager to take on Solid Snake's nemesis, Liquid Ocelot, a nationwide pre-sell promotion will enable gamers to pre-order Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and be guaranteed access to a multiplayer beta test for Metal Gear Online scheduled for late April.
[/QUOTE]

Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From kotaku.com:
[QUOTE]
We have more word from retailer conference Destination PlayStation: the DualShock 3--you know, that DualShock we've been waiting for since the PS3's launch--has gotten a US release date.

Set to launch April 15th for $54.99, it's slated to coincide with the release of GT5 Prologue.
[/QUOTE]

Full Story: kotaku.com
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From kotaku.com:
[QUOTE]
Word from Destination PlayStation, a retailers-only conference for all things PlayStation related, is that Metal Gear Solid 4 is coming to the PlayStation 3 on June 12, 2008. According to sources there now, the release of Kojima Productions action-stealth game will arrive on a Thursday, oddly enough. Even more interesting is that we're hearing word that Sony will be offering a hardware bundle that features MGS4, an 80GB PlayStation 3 and a DualShock 3 packed-in.
[/QUOTE]

Full Story: kotaku.com
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From ps3.ign.com:
[QUOTE]
It looks like Phil Harrison's sudden resignation was not the only change in Sony's executive lineup as of late. In a recent press release, Sony Computer Entertainment America announced the appointment of three new key executives: Robert Dyer to Senior Vice President of Publisher Relations, Ian Jackson to Vice President of Sales and Sally Buchanan to Vice President of Human Resources. These positions will take effect in March and April of 2008, and the executives will report directly to SCEA President and CEO Jack Tretton.
[/QUOTE]

Full Story: ps3.ign.com
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From dvdtown.com:
[QUOTE]
Sources close to Sony has said that a BD Live update to the Playstation 3 could arrive as early as May or June.

Sony told Home Cinema Choice Magazine that PS3 owners can expect the firmware update when the first BD Live stand alone players hit the market.
[/QUOTE]

Full Story: dvdtown.com
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From gamedaily.com:
[QUOTE]
In a surprise announcement this morning, Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) revealed that Phil Harrison, President of SCE Worldwide Studios, will step down from his post on February 29. Currently, the plan is for Kaz Hirai, President and Group CEO, to assume Harrison's responsibilities in addition to his regular duties. A reason for Harrison's departure was not given, nor was it stated where he'll be going next.

"As one of the founding members of SCE, Phil played a key role in the development and growth of the PlayStation business and our industry," said Hirai. "It is sad to see him departing from SCE, but I wish to express my gratitude for his many invaluable contributions and also wish Phil the very best of luck in his future endeavors."
[/QUOTE]

Full Story: gamedaily.com
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com