From reuters.com: [QUOTE] Sony Corp's PlayStation 3 outsold Nintendo Co Ltd's Wii game console in Japan in November for the first time, raising the prospect that Sony might regain its dominance in the global videogame market. Sony, which launched the consoles a year ago, sold 183,217 PS3 in Japan in the four weeks to Nov. 25, topping sales of 159,193 Wii consoles, according to game magazine publisher Enterbrain, a key watcher of trends in the sector.
Analysts said the latest data was encouraging for the prospects of the PS3, but it was too early to paint a rosy picture for the Sony machine. "Overseas, I don't really see the PS3 doing that much at Christmas time primarily because it's still more expensive than the other machines and has less software," KBC Securities analyst Hiroshi Kamide said. "It's nice to see the system selling much better than six months ago. But is it a sustainable trend? Is it going to really escalate from here? I'm not so sure." [/QUOTE]
From kotaku.com: [QUOTE] Variety is reporting that Sony plans to bring a high-definition video on demand service to Japanese customers early next year, courtesy of the PlayStation 3. Sony has already revealed plans for such a service in the Korean market, with SCEA's Jack Tretton hinting at a similar plan for the North American market at E3 2007. With UK customers already in line for a VOD service on the PSP, it should come as no surprise that Japan is getting access, too. [/QUOTE]
From digitimes.com: [QUOTE] While Toshiba has enjoyed exceptionally booming sales of its HD-A2 HD DVD player in the North America market, Blu-ray Disc (BD) appears to have gained the upper hand in the PC-use drive segment.
Sony has recently launched a new BD burner, the BWU-200S, and Taiwan-based Asustek Computer is promoting its BC-1205PT BD Combo drive in the China market, according to industry sources in Taiwan.
Pioneer and Philips have also launched BD drives, the sources noted, while Lite-On IT will launch a BD-ROM drive for sale under its own brand Liteon soon. Additionally Matsushita Electric Industrial (Panasonic) will debut a BD Combo drive later this quarter, the sources indicated. [/QUOTE]
From seattlepi.nwsource.com: [QUOTE] Sony hasn't disclosed the raw number of PlayStation 3 units it sold last week. (A Sony spokeswoman says it will give those numbers when NPD Group stats come out in mid-December.) The company did say that PlayStation 3 hardware sales were up 245 percent last week, when compared with the same week last year, among the top 10 North American retailers. This morning, Microsoft said the Xbox 360 still outsold the PS3 two-to-one last week, according to "estimates from top retailers."
Update, 12:30 p.m.: Sony is disputing Microsoft's statement about the ratio of Xbox 360 to PS3 sales. Here's what Kimberly Otzman, a Sony spokeswoman, said in an e-mail just now: "It's (Sony Computer Entertainment America) policy not to disclose our unit sales numbers until NPD numbers are officially released which will be December 13th. However, I can assure you that Microsoft's estimates of our PS3 unit sales numbers are way off and they did not outsell PS3 2:1 during Black Friday week." [/QUOTE]
From reuters.com: [QUOTE] "Metal Gear Solid 4" is not only one of the most eagerly awaited games for Sony's PlayStation 3, it is also among the last of a dying breed -- games designed exclusively for one gaming console.
For years, the console makers have sought to secure such exclusives as a way to drive adoption of their machines.
"We're telling our fans that if you want to play 'Metal Gear Solid 4', you have to buy a PS3," said Ryan Payton, the assistant producer of the game. "The PlayStation brand has always been good to us, and we're pretty bullish on the PS3." [/QUOTE]
From adage.com: [QUOTE] Sony Computer Entertainment of America Wednesday eliminated its agency of 13 years, TBWA/Chiat/Day, from a review for its $150 million PlayStation advertising account, according to a number of executives familiar with the situation.
TBWA was one of five finalists in the pitch. Two contenders, Publicis in the West, Seattle, and Deutsch, Los Angeles, apparently were called back to present further information. The remaining two, Venables Bell & Partners, San Francisco and RPA, Santa Monica, Calif., are said to not yet have been contacted.
A decision is expected by the end of the week. [/QUOTE]
It is not yet finished, and mostly untested, but it shows my plan for the interface with userspace. Basically we have two options to access the FIFO: - exclusive: we disable framebuffer redraw, allocate a context, then use the FIFO workaround to start running the context's FIFO and use it until the application is over. No other application can use the GPU, and any blit from either the fb driver or another context would break the application in exclusive mode. That's how we've been using the RSX so far. - shared: we allocate a context, then run the FIFO for some time using a fake blit (size 0x0). When commands are finished processing, a new fake blit is needed to kick the FIFO again and process more commands. In the meantime, other contexts (including FB driver) can use the GPU. Note that contexts are not preempted, so if we put FIFO in a loop, other contexts are not able to execute commands (and we get error -24 for FB blit). So this is cooperative sharing.
I want to be able to support both modes. The former is easier to use and more efficient (useful for e.g. 3D demo or game), while the latter allows mixing multiple users of the GPU (e.g. Desktop usage, with one context for Xorg, one for GLX, and one for VRAM used as swap). The current module provides those two modes, with one ioctl() to enter exclusive mode, and one ioctl for one-shot kicking of the fifo (shared mode). The Xorg driver still uses exclusive mode ATM; I've code for shared mode but it needs testing and benchmarking. My short term goal is usable Desktop usage (X is improved, now we need more RAM).
On the long term, my plan is to add RAMIN/VRAM memory management to the module, have libps3rsx provide the user space API for FIFO control and object instanciation. Also, Xorg driver should use libps3rsx to avoid code duplication. Maybe when can then move slowly from ps3rsx.ko/librsx to drm/libdrm API (but keep exclusive mode option in parallel). Sound good? [/QUOTE]
From gamedaily.com: [QUOTE] Sony Computer Entertainment Europe passed along some figures today regarding the next-gen disc format across the pond. Total Blu-ray Disc movie sales across Europe have now surpassed one million units. Moreover, of the high-def movies purchased by consumers this year in Europe, 73 percent have been in the Blu-ray format (the other 27 percent being HD DVD, of course) - through the week ending November 4, according to Media Control Gfk International.
In the latest week ending November 4, Gfk said that Blu-ray movie sales, which totaled 66,000 units, were at their highest level since the format's debut. This was attributed to the release (in some markets) of titles such as 300, Spider-Man 3, Die Hard 4.0 and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. [/QUOTE]
From ps3.ign.com: [QUOTE] According to a report from Nikkei late last week, Toshiba is planning on switching manufacturing of the PlayStation 3's RSX graphics processor to a 65nm process next month. Currently, the chip is manufacturing using a 90nm process, the same as it's been since the system's launch.
The latest versions of the system's Cell CPU are being manufactured using a 65nm process. It is widely believed that the switch to 65nm for the Cell is one of the main reasons Sony was able to drop the PS3's price down to $399 in time for the holidays.
Nikkei also reports that Toshiba is planning on beginning manufacturing at 45nm in the latter half of the next fiscal year, and speculates that the RSX and other PlayStation 3 chips are prime candidates for the new line. [/QUOTE]
From psu.com: [QUOTE] The newest build of online communication hub Home has been released [to beta testers].
According to members of our forum, several new options are now available in build 0.7.7: -There's a new building in the world, although it's currently not able to be entered -You are finally able to enter your Home Space's patio -You can now use your own pictures in your Home Space -A game launching option has been added, though it is not functioning completely at the present time -The cinema's movie theatres have transferred from the second floor to the first floor -America, Japan, and Europe each have their own server now [/QUOTE]
From videogamer.com: [QUOTE] Redtribe is one of the leading developers in Australia and is responsible for Warner Bros Interactive's Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal.
"Redtribe was one of the very first in Australia to develop for next-gen and we initially spent two years developing our engine," said Mosely. "The move for us was very smooth, as our engine is constantly developed and refined on pc and then is ported across. Our engineering teams have been working on the PS3 for a year with very few issues."
The absence of ACME Arsenal on PS3 is said to be nothing to do with performance issues, with Mosely citing the console's smaller install base as the deciding factor. [/QUOTE]
From reuters.com: [QUOTE] High definition movie DVDs in the Blu-ray format have outsold the rival HD DVD standard in Europe this year, breaking the 1 million barrier and constituting 73 percent of all HD movie discs sold. Citing industry sales data, the Blu-ray disc association said in a statement on Tuesday Blu-ray movie disc sales had topped 1 million units and when counting Blu-ray gaming discs the total number produced for sale in Europe exceeded 21 million units.
Home Media Research said in October Blu-ray Disc DVD titles had outsold rival HD-DVD titles by almost two-to-one in the first nine months of the year in the United States. [/QUOTE]
From smh.com.au: [QUOTE] New Zealand-based security researcher Nick Breese claims to have used the year-old gaming console to crack passwords at speeds 100 times greater than Intel hardware is capable of.
Breese, a security consultant with Security-Assessment.com, presented his findings to the Kiwicon hacker conference in Wellington, New Zealand.
"Suddenly we have a massive increase in terms of . . . cryptography cracking," he told Next. "Eight-character 'strong' passwords can be broken in a couple of days whereas before it would take weeks." [/QUOTE]
From the press release: [QUOTE] Today, Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) announced that overall PlayStation brand unit sales during the week including Black Friday increased by 178%, sales dollars increased by 154%.
Below are the sales figures for each PlayStation platform for the week including Black Friday for the top 10 retailers in North America:
PLAYSTATION3 (PS3) hardware sales increased by 245% when compared to Black Friday sales last year. Since November 2nd, and the availability of both the 40GB and 80GB PS3 models, PS3 hardware sales have increased by 298%.
PSP (PlayStation Portable) hardware sales increased by 136% when compared to previous week sales.
PlayStation2 (PS2) hardware sales increased by 287% when compared to previous week sales. [/QUOTE]
From next-gen.biz: [QUOTE] Dubai International Capital has purchased a "substantial" stake in Sony Corporation.
While the size of the investment was not disclosed, Dubai International Capital, which manages a $13 billion fund for the emirate's ruler, said last week that it was looking to invest $500 million in a Japanese business, reports Bloomberg. [/QUOTE]
From gamesindustry.biz: [QUOTE] The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences has named Sony's Ken Kutaragi the recipient of the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award.
Kutaragi, considered the "father of the PlayStation," will be honoured for revolutionising the global in-home entertainment market with the creation and success of his game console.
"If it wasn't for Ken and his concept of the original PlayStation, there wouldn't be the billion dollar industry there is today. His contributions have clearly set new standards for developers, publishers and consumers worldwide."
"Ken Kutaragi is the smartest guy in the history of the video game business," said Trip Hawkins, Electronic Arts' founder and AIAS Hall of Fame member. [/QUOTE]
From gamer.tm: [QUOTE] The PS3 has received another boost in its homeland, after four PS3 games featured in the top ten most wanted games in Famitsu.
01. Dragon Quest IX (DS, 2,544) 02. Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, 2,525) 03. Resident Evil 5 (PS3, 1,894) 04. Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3, 1,498) 05. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii, 1,327) 06. Dragon Quest IV (DS, 1,018) 07. Lost Odyssey (360, 998) 08. Dragon Quest VI (DS, 973) 09. Devil May Cry 4 (PS3, 861) 10. Final Fantasy VI (DS, 818) [/QUOTE]
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