The PlayStation 3 landed in our offices here in Europe earlier this week thanks to the guys over at Ominfo.fr.
It took a bit longer than expected (blame the EU customs - it was blocked there for like 2 weeks - they were probably playing the unit instead of filling in the required papers ;p) ... but the Japanese launch unit is finally in our hands!

You've probably seen this before already ... but we just had to do our own PlayStation 3 unpacking ;)

From ps3.ign.com:
[QUOTE]
As it stands, the PS3 can make for a decent simple task computer, allowing you to check email and browse the web with relative ease. It's not perfectly suited for media playback yet for a number of reasons, what with less than ideal video support and a minimal amount of RAM, not to mention the hassle of having to track down codec packages on your own. These same issues can be applied to gaming and other related tasks as well, at least for now.

We're hoping that the system will be able to make use of the other 256MB of RAM in there at some point in time, which will certainly boost performance. As it is though, it doesn't run too bad. We just wish that Linux was more user-friendly as a whole. Yellow Dog is certainly a nice flavor of Linux, though the base OS still has issues.

If you're interested in messing around with the OS, be sure to read the setup and introductory documents it ships with. If you pay attention it's pretty easy to get up and running. Beyond that, you're basically on your own, though the future is wide open.
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Read More: ps3.ign.com (3 pages)
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

The guys over at teknoconsoles.com made a video tutorial showing you how to clean the PS3 Blu-ray drive lens.

From gamesindustry.biz:
[QUOTE]
Sony and Polyphony Digital have scrapped plans for a boxed version of Gran Turismo HD for PS3 and now plan to release a GT demo on the PlayStation Store for a limited time instead.

Due out on 24th December, and currently only for Japan, Gran Turismo HD Concept will consist of ten cars and two layouts of a single track according to translations of the announcement and a message from designer Kazunori Yamauchi.

Polyphony now intends to throw all its weight behind Gran Turismo 5 when this is done, although there's the possibility of more "Concept" releases between now and the fifth proper Gran Turismo title's release, which is expected in 2008.
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Read More: gamesindustry.biz
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From team-xecuter.com:
[QUOTE]
We've been playing with a PS3. Didn't take long to come up with a useful product - codenamed the HYPERDRIVE.

Features:
* Connect any 3.5" SATA Hard Drive to the PS3
* Developing ability to connect IDE hard drive
* Supports upto 750GB (maybe more thats all we have here)
* Switch between external HYPERDRIVE and internal 2.5" HDD
* HYPERDRIVE USB2.0 Support to dump data to/from HDD

When you connect the system announces the drive requires formatting etc and then promptly begins to prep it. All system settings are unchanged so they are stored internally to the PS3 and not on the HDD.

We can assure you that larger hard drives will be essential in the near future. After speaking to colleagues from the Playstation Scene, booting games from HDD is possible and not far off. As the games are blu-ray (17gb+ dumps available) then the larger HDD the better, and you wont get very large and cheap 2.5" drives, however 250GB 3.5" drives are close to $60 these days.

We may release a simple adapter first so you can hook up with ease right now rather than wait for release of the HYPERDRIVE, that won't take too long at all to release.

Product pics / more info soon.

Here's some crappy pics showing our first attempts at 3.5" hook ups. Drive in this pics was 150GB - note how much OS space is taken up !!

From gamesindustry.biz:
[QUOTE]
Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter has dismissed suggestions that Sony's executive reshuffle signals the company's exit from the console hardware market as "foolish" and "embarassing".

"I think Kutaragi's promotion signals absolutely nothing about Sony's plans for a PlayStation 4," Pachter told GamesIndustry.biz.
"It is embarassing that an analyst could reach that conclusion so soon after launch. Sony cannot have made such a decision, and to draw such an inference is foolish."
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Read More: gamesindustry.biz
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From mcvuk.com:
[QUOTE]
A top law firm has told MCV that any profits made from importing PS3s could prove insignificant compared to the huge legal costs if Sony were to throw the book at unscrupulous importers.
Mitra Pahlabod of Davenport Lyons has warned that without a legal leg to stand on, anyone selling US or Japanese PS3s over here is taking a huge risk in defying the might of Sony.

"As far as importers of PS3s are concerned, they should bear in mind that any profit they may make from importing the consoles into Europe without Sony's consent this Christmas may well be short lived," Pahlabod stated. "They run the real risk of defending lengthy and costly trademark infringement proceedings."
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Read More: mcvuk.com
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From gamespot.com:
[QUOTE]
The prognostication reached a fever pitch today, when Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) shuffled its executive lineup.

While Sony spun the changes as a "strengthening" of its executive team, many analysts saw it as a vote of no confidence for Kutaragi's stewardship of the PlayStation 3.

"The appointment of Hirai could be the start of a shift from hardware to software," said Nomura Securities' Yuta Sakurai. "I cannot now imagine a PlayStation 4." According to the Financial Times, Sakurai's reasoning is that "Hirai's new global portfolio puts a predominantly software-focused manager in charge of the company." His logic is reportedly that, with the emphasis moving to software, Sony would go the way of Sega, transforming from a console-maker to a mere game publisher.
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Read More: gamespot.com
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From t3.co.uk:
[QUOTE]
Sony's proud of the PS3, so proud it's built a shrine in a secret central London location. T3 got its name on the door, took a frisking from the bouncers, then headed inside PS3 heaven.

Set up like the ultimate playboy's living room, there's wall to wall plasma and enough LCDs to send you bog-eyed, not to mention the comfiest sofas known to bottomdom.

From engadget.com:
[QUOTE]
Ok, so the PlayStation 3 wasn't exactly the most flexible high def device out of the gate; despite Sony's claims, DVDs aren't upscaled, there's no component out, and from what we've heard, even though its HDMI 1.3 output technically supports 1080p/24 (for the uninitiated, that's 24fps to match a film master print), we understand it's not yet playable as such. (Note: we've yet to try 1080p/24, as we don't have any media mastered thusly.) However, this could change according to a translated Impress interview of Sony PS3 A/V developers. Obviously something is bound to be lost in translation, but if the text reads correctly then the PS3 will not only be getting better software SACD support, but it'll also get user-selectable internal YCrCb image processing (instead of RGB -- although we've yet to hear of component output plans), 1080p/24 support, and will finally allow for DVD upscaling as well.
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Read More: engadget.com
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From joystiq.com:
[QUOTE]
Some of PS3's imperfections affect online play with the PS3. And those are the ones that bother us most.

We've been playing Ridge Racer 7 online every day for the past three weeks, and largely without complaint. A few recurring problems have, however, started to sap our Ridge Spirit (whatever that is). For one thing, intermittent Bluetooth downtime suffered by the Sixaxis has led us drifting helplessly into track barriers. That's a hardware fault, but a software anomaly was also experienced at this blogger's test location of Kyoto, Japan, where yesterday a race was won without any true racing.

Unfortunately, the Bluetooth deadzone niggle -- caused by automatic Bluetooth re-syncing -- continues to niggle. Worse, having to occasionally connect the Sixaxis via USB in order to manually re-sync its Bluetooth connection is something of a downer. And we want uppers. So, Sony, please release all the firmware updates you can. We've not written you off yet.
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Read More: joystiq.com
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From digitaldisplacement.com:
[QUOTE]
The PS3, impressively, uses barely anything when off; the Watt display on the Kill-A-Watt metering device showing between 0 and 1 watts.

When sitting idle at the crossbar navigation system, the equivalent to the Xbox 360 dashboard or the Wii's home menu, the PS3 used anywhere from 185 to 205 watts. When doing similar work the Xbox 360 uses 145 watts and the Wii just 15-20.

Now, for the gaming. We tested with three games and found consumption to be lowest when playing Tiger Woods 07, registering at 185-190 watts, and highest when playing Formula One Championship Edition, which demanded a rather more disconcerting 217 watts on average. By comparison the Xbox 360 comes in at 165 watts during gameplay with the Wii using only around 120. Finally, during Blu-ray playback the PS3 continued to draw a surprising 205 watts, just to spew the rather craptacular Ricky Bobby to my HDTV.
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Read More: digitaldisplacement.com
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From bloomberg.com:
[QUOTE]
Ken Kutaragi, the developer of Sony Corp.'s PlayStation game console, stepped aside from day-to-day management of the unit after production delays forced the company to slash shipment targets.

Kaz Hirai, head of the U.S. game division, will take over as president of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., the Tokyo-based company said in a statement today. Kutaragi, 56, will become chairman of the unit.
[/QUOTE]

Read More: bloomberg.com
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

Sony released the full changelog of the v1.11 system software update released 2 days ago.

* General
- You can now use PLAYSTATION Network services.
- You can now use the single tap text entry method on the on-screen keyboard for English and other European languages.

* Settings
- [Audio CD Output Frequency] has been added as a feature under [Music Settings].
- [Enable ATRAC] has been added as a feature under [System Settings].
- [Cross Color Reduction Filter] has been added as a feature under [Display Settings].
- [After 5 Minutes] has been added as an option to [Screensaver] under [Display Settings].

* Video
- You can now select [Full Screen] under [Screen Mode] when playing video files saved on the hard disk or storage media. (An appropriate USB adaptor (not included) is required to use storage media with some models)

* Network
- You can now download and save music and video files on the hard disk under [Internet Browser].
- You can now download the following types of content under [PLAYSTATION Store].
PLAYSTATION 3 format software
PLAYSTATION Network titles (The term "PLAYSTATION®Network titles" refers to PlayStation format games (PS one) downloaded from PLAYSTATION Store and PSP format games distributed electronically)
- Simplified and traditional Chinese characters can now be displayed under [Internet Browser].
- [Online Instruction Manuals] has been added as a feature.

* Friends
- New for 1.11: [Account Management] has been added.

* Other
- The method of calculating hard disk capacity has been changed. (Free space on the hard disk is calculated as 1 GB (1024 x 1024 x 1024) = approx. 1,073,740,000 bytes. As a result, the free space value displayed may be less than the value that is mentioned under specifications in the product documentation. You can check hard disk free space under [Settings] > [System Settings] > [System Information])
- Playability status with the PS3™ system has changed for some PlayStation and PlayStation 2 format titles. To check on the latest status, visit the search site for compatible titles.
- New for 1.11: Some PLAYSTATION Network features have been revised.

Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From romsteady.net:
[QUOTE]
Back in April, I was interviewed for a FPQA Manager position at Sony Computer Entertainment America's San Diego office. Sony was extremely nice. They flew me down and back first-class, took me out to lunch, etc.

Everyone I met there was a consumate professional, but there was a lot of underlying tension. I signed an NDA so I can't go into specifics, but there was talk about issues that only came up on production UMD's for PSP games, major friction between test and development teams with little to no management backing for test, little to no shared technology, extremely lax "user effect" bug metrics for determining whether or not to fix something, and a variety of other fairly hefty issues, not just from a process standpoint, but a overall culture standpoint. Microsoft is known for giving QA a bit too much say in the products that are developed, but the feeling I got inside Sony was that QA was seen as nothing but a bunch of monkeys with controllers.

The straw that broke the camel's back came in the last hour of my interview. I was told that the way that Sony tests their games is that there are one or two test leads on a project starting at about six months out. At T-8 weeks, between 80 and 100 temporary testers are brought on to test the game for those eight weeks. That's it. This was done for financial reasons, and as a QA Manager, I would be expected to run test the same way. Obviously, I didn't feel that was a valid way of handling QA.
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Read More: romsteady.net

From kotaku.com:
[QUOTE]
We got two separate tips today from our retail chain connection, both with info on forthcoming Wii and PlayStation 3 shipments. First, let's check in with our Circuit City pals:
"Also, every Circuit will be getting 5-40 PS3's across this week (before 12/1) and next week (between 12/1 and 12/6). My store is getting 26 across both weeks. The PS3's will be both 20 and 60 GB models. Mostly 60 GB's at roughly a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio. The PS3's are supposed to be sold upon receipt, so people might want to check their local store's truck schedule."
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Read More: kotaku.com
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From ps3news.com:
[QUOTE]
Today CJPC has dumped the first PS3 Blu-ray Movie as well- namely Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby! Before we get into the specifics, the reason why many were having issues dumping a PS3 MOVIE (via Linux on PS3) versus a PS3 GAME is because the Blu-ray MOVIE filesystem differs being UDF 2.5 and the stock PS3 Linux kernel only has support for 2.01. When attempting to MOUNT the disc you will receive the following error: UDF-fs: minUDFReadRev=250 (max is 201). It's important to NOTE that you do not need to mount the drive to be able to do a raw read from it.

In order to succesfully dump PS3 Blu-ray MOVIE discs, you must use the command: dd if=/dev/cdrom of=/blu-raymovie.iso, however, there is an untested patch available for 2.50 which may work... we will update on this after CJPC recompiles the kernel and verifies whether it works or not. For those who updated to v1.11 Firmware today, CJPC has also confirmed that it will not adversely affect (block) the dumping of PS3 discs so that is refreshing news indeed!

As for the Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby PS3 Blu-ray MOVIE dump, it weighs in at 20.9GB (22,474,719,232 bytes) and a FileList.txt is also available for those interested!
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Read More: ps3news.com
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From 1up.com:
[QUOTE]
Blu-ray. The Cell Processor. The RSX graphics chip. The PS3 was supposed to be the most insanely advanced gaming machine ever created. It was supposed to be able to deliver visuals well beyond anything capable on console or PC. According to Sony, the next generation wasn't supposed to begin until PS3 arrived.

So why is it, then, that all these PS3 games look just the same as they do on the Xbox 360?

When the PS2 first launched, Sony demanded that all games on the system be enhanced visually over their rival platform counterparts. The PS2 represented the next generation of gaming, and software was required to support this notion. With the PS3, Sony seemingly has no such requirements, offering us only that it "expects and encourages publishers working on PS3 titles to take full advantage of the technology and features that PS3 provides." Well, encouraging may not be enough. And promises for better looking games in the future don't really cut it. The PS3 is here now, it costs an extra $200 (at minimum), and the visual difference is questionable.

Don't believe us? We put the PS3 lineup to the test. We captured images and video of several games and their Xbox 360 counterparts - using the same exact capture device, with same type of connection cables, running at the same exact resolutions. Now you tell us, are we just missing something or was the next generation here all along?
[/QUOTE]

Read More: 1up.com (incl. video/picture compare)
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From ft.com:
[QUOTE]
The all-time weakness of the yen against the euro and pound could "save" the delicate economics of the PlayStation3 games console, and rescue Sony from an estimated four years of losses on its complex machine.

New calculations by UBS suggest that if the historic strengths of sterling and the euro against the yen continue into 2007, Sony will make only a tiny loss on each console when the PS3 is launched in Europe next March.

Recent reports by independent engineers who have stripped the PS3 to its component parts suggest that each unit is currently costing Sony a little over Y90,000 ($763). This in turn causes the company a loss of about Y30,000 every time a PS3 is sold in the US or Japan.

But based on analysts' assumptions that the high-end PS3 will be sold at retail for about €590 ($757) in Europe and Britain, Sony will be losing less than Y3,000 per unit when the revenues from those markets are translated back into yen.
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Read More: ft.com
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From gamesindustry.biz:
[QUOTE]
GDC boss Jamil Moledina has told GamesIndustry.biz that many studios are holding back on starting PlayStation 3 projects due to the challenges of developing for Sony's new console.

Speaking in an exclusive interview, Moledina said, "It's a relatively complex platform to develop for, considering it has a very unique multi-core processor with the Cell. A lot of developers are new to figuring out how to work with that structure, as well as the RSX, the graphics processor.

But according to Moledina, things will change as third-party developers get more support from the platform holder. "A lot of Sony's effort has been focused on helping first party understand how to develop games for it," he stated.
[/QUOTE]

Read More: gamesindustry.biz
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From kotaku.com:
[QUOTE]
Late last night Sony released a firmware update for the Playstation 3, but for the life of me I can't figure out what it does.

The only new thing I can seem to find on the Media Cross Bar is an Account Management icon under the Friends list, which seems to let you edit your profile and such. I suspect there must be some other tweaks added with firmware 1.11, but Sony's site still just lists 1.10 as the latest firmware.
[/QUOTE]

News-Source: kotaku.com
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From the gamespot.com:
[QUOTE]
Sony has been saying that it sees its new next-gen machine, the PlayStation 3, as more of a computer than a console. Terra Soft Solutions is now making Yellow Dog Linux 5.0 available for download for the PS3, taking that idea a step closer to reality.

The operating system will be rolling out in three stages. The first starts today, November 27, and users can obtain the software from YDL.net. The second starts December 11, when customers can buy DVDs from the Terra Soft store, priced at $99.99--the final phase is due sometime during the week of December 25, when downloads will be available via public mirrors. Once the software is released for download on the public mirrors, it will be free of charge.

To install Yellow Dog Linux, users must first split the PS3's drive into two partitions so that the GameOS and Linux can run on dual partitions. The gamer will also need a USB keyboard and mouse to run the operating system. The installation manual is available on Terra Soft's Web site.
[/QUOTE]

Download: http://www.ydl.net
Official Website: http://www.terrasoftsolutions.com
News-Source: gamespot.com
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From next-gen.biz:
[QUOTE]
John Hight with Sony Computer Entertainment Santa Monica says that the maximum size of PS3 game downloads will be 10 times that of Xbox Live Arcade games.

Hight, who is director of external development, told Firing Squad, "We've arbitrarily set a limit of 500MB to keep download times reasonable. Since we've got plenty of HD space we can accommodate even bigger games and a lot of them."
[/QUOTE]

Read More: next-gen.biz
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From t3.co.uk:
[QUOTE]
Worried that massive porn, sorry, "movie" collection won't fit on the PS3's puny hard drive? Well fret no longer our gadget loving friends - upgrading the new PlayStation's hard drive is so simple even a monkey could do it, providing you give him a crosshead screwdriver.

From next-gen.biz:
[QUOTE]
Ebay sellers of PlayStation 3 made an average mark-up of around $600, effectively doubling their investment, according to new stats.

According to Ebay Marketplace Research, the online auctioneer saw sales of 14,675 PlayStation 3 consoles between the November 17 launch and Friday November 24 at an average price of $1,186.
[/QUOTE]

Read More: next-gen.biz
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From gamasutra.com:
[QUOTE]
Talking to the San Jose Mercury News, Bach was asked about the new Microsoft portable music player Zune, and why it had avoided any significant games support. Bach claimed that there was a purposeful attempt not to create a new games machine and to focus attentions on the Xbox 360.

"I need the people who are focused on gaming to focus on Xbox 360 ... you have to distract a whole group of people that are doing content and the Live service and a whole bunch of other things to do that", he said. "I think Sony, frankly, suffers a little bit from this problem, which is they're spread really thin across all these areas. And trying to do PSP, competing with Nintendo, PSP to DS; competing with us, 360 to PS3, I think it does strain -- it would naturally strain any organization."

When questioned as to how Microsoft would gain a theoretical 40 percent market share in North America, compared to 30 percent each for Nintendo and Sony, Bach replied, "There are a couple of things you have to look at. You do have to look at the content. Where's the best content? Is it cross-platform? Where was it first developed? I think that does matter in the marketplace. The second thing you have to look at is economics. You have to ask the question, over the life cycle, who has the cost advantage? Who can price most effectively? Who can reach the price points quicker? That has a huge impact on what gets driven."
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Read More: gamasutra.com and mercurynews.com
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From next-gen.biz:
[QUOTE]
The company says new shipments will arrive on a weekly basis through the end of the Holiday selling season. An undisclosed quantity was reportedly distributed out to retail at the end of last week; inevitably selling out immediately.
[/QUOTE]

Read More: next-gen.biz
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

From redkawa.com
[QUOTE]
Red Kawa File Server is a free file server developed by Red Kawa. Our free file server allows you to view and copy files from your computer (where the server running) to your PlayStation 3 (PS3) or PlayStation Portable (PSP) video games system over your wired or wireless computer network.

To learn how to setup and use Red Kawa File Server, please visit our tutorials section for screenshots and more detailed explanations about the features of Red Kawa File Server.
[/QUOTE]

Download: here
Official Website: http://www.redkawa.com
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com

Shimpinomori started an original "0wn a PS3 and own it" contest.
The contest website is running on a PS3 with Fedora Core 5 installed and your goal is to hack your way into the webserver and modify an image.
If you're the first to replace the image you'll win the PlayStation3 with 160GB hard drive, HDMI cable, Fedora Linux pre-installed and Resistance.

Official Website: http://ps3.shimpinomori.net/index_en.html
Discuss on our forums: forums.ps3scene.com