From 1up.com:
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Microsoft and Nintendo have both adopted a system of "points" into their online marketplaces. Instead of labeling purchases in real-world currency, users must load up on "points." In Microsoft's system, one point does not equal one dollar or one cent or anything easily calculated mentally; the points essentially exist to confuse users into believing they're paying less for something they're not.

Eurogamer's been able to fool around with a network-enabled PlayStation 3 recently, exploring how Sony's approaching online this time around -- you know, like actually having a strategy this time. See, Sony's avoiding points, so everything in Sony's store is labeled in dollars and cents. Doesn't that, you know, simply make sense?
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Read More: 1up.com

From joystiq.com:
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San Jose-based eBay angered traders when it cancelled their PS3 auctions this week, and now it looks like they're cancelling Wii sales too.

We feel your pain, greedy bastards console-camping entrepreneurs, but we've got to side with eBay on this one. None of the PS3s or Wiis that were preordered earlier this week were guaranteed for November 17th/19th delivery, and history's taught us that no console launch ever goes exactly according to plan.

This launch season looks no different from other launches for Sony. We've all got ample reason to be skeptical of Sony's ability to deliver plenty of the consoles to North America, given delay upon delay that's plagued the difficult-to-manufacture console.
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Read More: joystiq.com

From eurogamer.net:
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Sony is late to the party. The PlayStation 2 didn't even have a built-in network port, let alone a network service as part of the core offering - and while isolated online titles like Final Fantasy XI proved massively popular on PS2 (in places where it was available, anyway), even the most die-hard Sony fan couldn't exactly describe the PS2's online service as a success. Certainly, it had more users than Xbox Live did last generation - but then again, the PS2 also had an installed base five times larger. In terms of ease of use, consistency of interface, and simple accessibility - not to mention software support - PS2 online was a distant second place to Xbox Live.

Sony doesn't intend on allowing that to happen again - and despite Microsoft's five-year headstart in the online arena, the creators of PlayStation 3 are hoping that they can roll out an online service to rival Microsoft's for the launch of their console in Japan and North America in just a few scant weeks' time. A quick glance around the Internet suggests that skepticism regarding that particular goal is high - to say the least. Can a company whose online strategy in the last generation was so patchy, and their actual service so weak, really turn things around on the online front in time for the PS3's launch?
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Read More: eurogamer.net

From news.yahoo.com:
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Sony Corp may fall behind rivals in the initial phase of the next-generation game console race, but is likely to grab the top spot eventually, Japan's top video game magazine publisher, Enterbrain, said on Friday.

Sony and Nintendo Co. Ltd. will in November start rolling out their latest game gear, the PlayStation 3 (PS3) and Wii, setting a stage for a three-way showdown with Microsoft Corp.'s already available Xbox 360.

Enterbrain expects Sony to sell 4.13 million units of the PS3 worldwide in the current business year ending March 2007. Sony itself aims to ship 6 million units over the same period.
The publisher also expects Nintendo to sell 5.47 million units of the Wii by March, compared with Nintendo's own target to sell 6 million units.
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Read More: news.yahoo.com

From gamesindustry.biz:
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Sony has told GamesIndustry.biz that reports the PlayStation 3 could be delayed in Europe until May next year are "categorically not true."

The rumours emerged after Spanish gaming site Meristation claimed Ken Kutaragi had warned that there could be a shortage of PS3 stock in Japan and North America - leaving European consumers with an even longer wait.
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Read More: gamesindustry.biz

From joystiq.com:
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Sony shot down last month's scuttlebutt that they'd be using Xfire as the middleware for their still secret -- and still horribly named -- PlayStation Network Platform. Instead, we've learned that Sony won't be using Xfire as the foundation for the PNP, but rather it will be used on "multiple titles" in addition to the already confirmed Dark Kingdom. Speaking with Next Generation, Xfire's Mike Cassidy calls their platform "complementary" to the PNP. PC Xfire users will be able to do things like chat with PS3 Xfire users ... and, uh, see what games they're playing. Seriously, it looks like that's it. Apparently, Sony is going it alone: "They have their own network platform that they will describe and roll out." We know ... but when?
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Read More: joystiq.com and next-gen.biz

From gamasutra.com:
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Leading Japanese video game publication Weekly Famitsu has released a survey of attendees of the recent 2006 Tokyo Game Show on the level of interest and future purchase tendencies of next-generation game consoles.

In total, the publication queried 4,000 show attendees, though the report notes that most questions were answered by between 2,500 and 3,000 people. According to the report, 58.3 percent of those surveyed identified the PlayStation 3 as their most anticipated next-generation platform, while the competing Wii and Xbox 360 platforms topped just 33.8 percent and 7.9 percent participants' wish lists respectively.

Looking to the price of each console, 56.5 percent of respondents noted that they felt the 20GB PlayStation 3 model was too expensive at 49,800 yen, while 35.7 percent felt it was just right and 7.8 percent noted it was inexpensive. Looking to the 60 GB version, which will carry an open price, 64.6 percent of those surveyed felt the price was "extremely high", while 20.1 percent noted that it was just right and 15.3 percent who felt it was cheap. The survey also found that Konami's Metal Gear Solid 4 ranked as the most anticipated future release for the PlayStation 3, as well as across all platforms.
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Read More: gamasutra.com

From engadget.com:
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This whole PS3 delay game has really become something of an amusing sideshow at this point: after so much bad press concerning nearly every single aspect of the console, you'd think that Sony would do everything possible to ensure that things run smoothly from here until launch, and yet word on the street is that Europe may be victim to still another postponement. It should be noted we have no independent confirmation of the following information, but Spanish gaming site MeriStation is reporting that Ken Kutaragi recently admitted that supply problems for Japan and North America could force the European PS3 launch to be delayed until May -- which would mean that Japanese and American consumers might have their systems nearly six months before the eager gamers in the rest of the world.
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Read More: engadget.com and meristation.com (translated by google)

From Ozymandias' Blog (alias Andre Vrignaud, Microsoft's Director of Technical Strategy for Xbox Live):
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This is actually really good news for PS3 owners as it's the first credible online service technology to raise its head up from the murkiness around launch. Frankly, I expected Sony to purchase XFire a year or so back to jumpstart their efforts - sadly, Viacom beat them to it. The good news is that enabling an Xfire plugin will allow some (not all) PS3 games to be connected to the Xfire network (and hence to their brethren on the PC). Kudos for that!

The bad news? This definitely isn't what Sony would have wanted to do if they had other options. What we end up with is a bit of a mishmash of online accounts, logins, and services. For example, now when I play a PS3 title I simply can't depend on having a single Friends list. Sony will manage the "master" list, which should have presence in every PS3 title, and Xfire will be a plugin that some publishers integrate into some games. This means gamers can't depend on finding their friends in one place (if the game even supports Xfire). The possibility exists that Sony might do a larger deal to integrate Xfire into every PS3 title, but frankly, they should have simply swallowed their pride and purchased Xfire a long time ago and made it their default backend technology.

Another challenge is that Xfire is now effectively middleware - and that's not free. Had Sony purchased and integrated Xfire into their SDK I could see the effective cost of integration being "free" to publishers. Now, unfortunately, each and every publisher has to look at their budget and decide whether adding a second online service/friends list/presence is worth it. I have no idea what Xfire's licensing costs are, but whatever it is, it's not free - Sony lost that opportunity. And that means publishers have to decide whether to spend extra dollars, effort, and time in an era when game costs are already spiraling higher and higher.

Sadly, this appears to be an artifact of Sony's online service being late to the game and likely underwhelming. Don't take my word for it - just wait a short month or so and see what Sony delivers for their "free online service" (vs. any Xfire capability). I'll bet you a dollar it's underwhelming, and will highlight just how desperately this Xfire deal was needed (even with all the issues around it).
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Read More: Ozymandias' Blog

From arstechnica.com:
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So my preorder is safe in the bowels of EBGamestop... I think. Being #2 at my location gives me some hope of getting a unit on launch day, and one of the things I'm looking forward to is having a Blu-Ray player.
Luckily, I won't need to buy the PS3-branded remote, because I have a nice universal remote. Of course, the PS3 has an IR port. Right?

Nope. The remote is actually Bluetooth; the PS3 has no IR port. That means that you're stuck either using a Sixaxis controller or the special PS3 remote if you want to use the PS3 as your movie player. That's ridiculous. If Sony wanted the PS3 to integrate into my home theater, infrared should have been a no-brainer. I hate having multiple remotes, and using a controller feels tacky to me, but it looks like I won't have a choice.
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Read More: arstechnica.com

From arstechnica.com:
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The next-generation optical format wars have begun, and so far the most common response from consumers is a collective yawn. Market research firm Forrester believes that those yawns will ultimately translate into a victory for Blu-ray down the road, but with adoption of either next-gen format moving at a glacial pace in the near term.

Along with the number of movies available for each format, Forrester is tracking four other metrics it believes will tell the story on which format will win the battle. Console sales are one key to that equation, with Sony using the PlayStation 3 as another beachhead in the next-gen format wars. Strong sales of the PS3 would bode well for Blu-ray's long-term outlook, and if Sony is able to meet its projections of 6 million PS3s sold by the middle of 2007, the blue laser format should be in a better position than it would be otherwise.

Microsoft is countering the PS3's Blu-ray capability with a $200 HD DVD add-on, which places the Xbox 360 and HD DVD drive combo at roughly the same price point as the high-end PS3. If the drive is a hit during the holiday season, it could swing the next-gen momentum back towards HD DVD.
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Read More: arstechnica.com

From spong.com:
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Following SPOnG's earlier news on the PS3 eBay gold rush, it seems that the auction site has now banned the many recent attempts to sell pre-ordered PS3s. The company claims that Sony's next-gen' hope must be less than 30 days away from a buyer's hands for it to be legitimately sold via the site.

So, for all those looking to make a quick buck from flogging their pre-ordered machines, October 18th is the earliest date eBay will allow PS3s to go on sale.
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Read More: spong.com

From gamesindustry.biz:
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Xfire is developing a middleware solution that will allow developers to incorporate cross-platform communications between users playing on PC and the PlayStation 3 console.

Sony's PS3 launch title Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom will be the first title to incorporate online functionality via the Xfire gaming service, allowing users to communicate whether using console or home computer.

The announcement confirms rumours that surfaced last month, and highlights Sony's willingness to incorporate third-party solutions in its answer to Microsoft's Xbox Live.
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Read More: gamesindustry.biz

From next-gen.biz:
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According to the study by Los Angeles based Interpret, 8.9 million U.S consumers ‘are prepared' to pay full price ($500 or $600) for the PlayStation 3 this fall, compared to 5.7 million consumers who are willing to buy Wii at $250 and just 800,000 people who are willing to pay full price for Xbox 360 ($300 to $400).

This research, released first to Next Generation, was derived from a sample of 2,000 interviews Interpret conducted online, weighted to 2004 Census data of 13 to 54 year-olds in the U.S. Researchers ran a parallel random digit dial telephone study as a back-up to weigh the data to what the US population looks like to ensure that the online data was not over-representing females, which often occurs with online surveys.

The numbers skew high in general (it will be 2008 before PS3 has an installed base of over 12 million in the US) but what's interesting is the ratios, and the clear brand presence owned by Sony. Xbox 360 has enjoyed tremendous success in the past year, unopposed by competitors, but the real test will come when it is up against PS3, and is attempting to break into mainstream demographics. If these numbers are true, it has a tough time ahead.
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Read More: next-gen.biz

From joystiq.com
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* The line to fork over $100 to reserve a Playstation 3 started at 6 a.m. at the Gamestop on Route 1 in Laurel, MD. Mike (the red-shirted gentleman in the picture above, who refused to give a last name) lined up at the early hour to ensure he got a system for himself and said he planned to go to another local store to reserve a system "for eBay." By 9 a.m. the line had grown to the seven hearty souls above, who still had an hour to wait before the store would open and take their money.
Continue reading PS3 pre-order procession (East coast edition)

* Continuing our Joystiq World Team PS3 Launch Pre-order Coverage, I headed to San Francisco's Mission district and its EB Games. I usually think of suburban malls as game-store habitat, but this EB Games is nestled in a busy neighborhood of taquerias, thrift stores, clubs, and bars.
The line of about thirty passed a few shops, including a boot store, terminating in front of a seafood market. (My favorite part of this fish store is the laminated dive-cards in the window, identifying how the fish would look if encountered underwater.) As I was shooting photos, a man in a white jumpsuit -- maybe on his way to repair a refrigerator -- stopped next to me. He asked, "What are they waiting for?"
"PlayStation 3," I said.
"Why?" he replied and kept walking.
Continue reading PS3 pre-order procession (West coast edition)
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From gizmodo.com:
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NEC announced plans to ship a pair of chips that will make it easy to read Blu-ray discs and HD DVDs on the same player. The processors will reportedly cost the same as single format chips do today, and NEC vows to ship 300,000 of these bi-lingual parts by next April. To whom it will ship these chips, the company didn't say.
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Read More: gizmodo.com

From next-gen.biz:
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Investment analyst Wedbush Morgan Securities says the PS3 will attract a tie-ratio of just two games this year, contributing less than $150 million to publisher coffers. In comparison, Xbox 360 launched with a tie-ratio of 3.9 games.

The firm said it expects total U.S. software sales of $144 million for the PS3 and $288 million for the Wii, with additional European software sales of $156 million for the Wii in 2006. These figures are based upon an estimated sell-through of 1.2 million PS3s in the U.S. and a tie ratio of only two (given the likely limited release slate), and sell-through of 2 million Wii hardware units in the U.S. and 1 million in Europe with a tie ratio of three.
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Read More: next-gen.biz

From gamasutra.com:
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The same report predicting specific holiday numbers for next-gen consoles issued by Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter has also detailed the entirety of what the firm believes will make up the software launch line up for both the Wii and PlayStation 3 platforms in November.

WMS Anticipated Sony PS3 Software Release Schedule (from launch to December 31, 2006)
1 Call of Duty 3 - Activision (600,000)
2 Marvel Ultimate Alliance - Activision (300,000)
3 Tony Hawk's Project 8 - Activision (300,000)
4 Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Bethesda Softworks
5 Fight Night 3 - Electronic Arts (400,000)
6 Madden NFL 07 - Electronic Arts (700,000)
7 NBA Live 07 - Electronic Arts (500,000)
8 Need for Speed Carbon - Electronic Arts (800,000)
9 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 - Electronic Arts (400,000)
10 Mobile Suit Gundam: Target In Sight - Namco Bandai
11 Ninja Gaiden Sigma - Namco Bandai
12 Ridge Racer 7 - Namco Bandai
13 Full Auto 2: Battlelines - Sega
14 Sonic the Hedgehog - Sega
15 Gran Turismo HD - Sony
16 NBA 07 - Sony
17 Resistance: Fall of Man - Sony
18 Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom - Sony
19 Genji: Days of the Blade - Sony
20 NBA 2K7 - Take-Two Interactive (400,000)
21 NHL 2K7 - Take-Two Interactive (200,000)
22 Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII - Ubisoft
23 Rainbow Six: Vegas - Ubisoft
24 F.E.A.R. - Vivendi
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Read More: gamasutra.com

From next-gen.biz:
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HPCWire reports that tomorrow, Terra Soft will formally announce "the construction of the world's first Cell-based supercomputing cluster," which comes from a partnership between Sony and Yellow Dog Linux developer Terra Soft.

Sony contracted Terra Soft in August to build a 3,000 square foot extension of Terra Soft's existing facilities in Loveland, Colorado. At that location, the company will build a test cluster called "E.Coli" and a larger production cluster deemed "Amoeba."

The clusters are set to be fully operational by the end of the year. Certain universities and Department of Energy labs will have access to the production "Amoeba" cluster for life sciences research.
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Read More: next-gen.biz

From the press release:
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Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) today announced the imminent arrival of its first three 50GB dual-layer Blu-ray Discs (BD). The heart-warming comedy Click, starring Golden Globe-Nominee Adam Sandler, Oscar-Winner Christopher Walken and Kate Beckinsale, will be available on store shelves October 10. Black Hawk Down, the Oscar-winning, action-packed drama from director Ridley Scott, starring Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore and Eric Bana, features new Blu-Wizard technology and will be available to film fans on November 14. The hilarious box office hit, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, starring writer and producer Will Ferrell and Oscar-nominee John C. Reilly, hits shelves December 12. All three titles were authored by the Sony Pictures Digital Authoring Center (DAC) and manufactured by Sony DADC.

"As consumers make the leap to Blu-ray's incredible high-definition picture and theatre quality audio, they want access to a diverse selection of content packed with added-value features and reference titles like Ridley Scott's powerful war epic Black Hawk Down, that will add to their growing Blu-ray Disc libraries," said David Bishop, President, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. "We're proud to be the first studio to deliver a 50GB Blu-ray Disc title to the marketplace with Click on October 10, along with two other highly entertaining titles this year that offer the expanded capacity and special features only a 50GB disc can provide."
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From gamesindustry.biz:
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Sony has confirmed to GamesIndustry.biz that UK gamers will get their first chance to go hands-on with PlayStation 3 at the Best of Stuff show in London next month.
The event, which is being held as part of the What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision Show, will take place between November 3 - 5 at the Novotel London West hotel in Hammersmith.
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Read More: gamesindustry.biz

From next-gen.biz:
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Sony in Japan has announced the price for two of its upcoming launch titles for the PS3.

Resistance and Genji will be sold at 5980 yen ($50). The company also confirmed that MotorStorm (December 7th) will be sold at the same price. There had been some speculation in Japan that Sony might be tempted by a price closer to the equivalent of $60; roughly what third parties will be looking for in the U.S and Japan.
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Read More: next-gen.biz

From joystiq.com:
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Last year around this time Forrester Research predicted that Blu-ray would triumph over HD-DVD. They reiterated that opinion (paid access only) on Thursday, noting that Blu-ray will win because it's got:
* Greater manufacturing support
* More movie titles
* A great distribution vector (PlayStation 3)
* Greater storage capacity (making it more useful in the long run)

Still, Forrester's calling BRD's ultimate triumph a pyrrhic victory because the war between BRD and HD-DVD "will significantly slow down adoption of standalone players." Furthermore Forrester's analysts believe that "neither HD-DVD nor Blu-ray will flourish until consumers think they see a winner."
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Read More: joystiq.com

From ps3fanboy.com:
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While Sony is apparently waiting until the last minute to announce the PS3 launch title list, the good folks over at About.com have produced the most realistic launch title lis yet.

* November 9 - Call of Duty 3 - Activision - Shooter
* November 9 - Marvel: Ultimate Alliance - Activision - Action RPG
* November 09 - Tony Hawk's Project 8 - Activision - Action Sports
* November 11 - Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom - Sony Online Entertainment - Action RPG
* November 16 - Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII - Ubisoft - Flight
* November 16 - Full Auto 2: Battlelines - SEGA - Racing Combat
* November 17 - Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire - Bandai - Mecha Action
* November 17 - Madden NFL 07 - Electronic Arts - Sports
* November 17 - Fight Night Round 3 - Electronic Arts - Sports
* November 17 - College Hoops 2K7 - 2K Sports - Sports
* November 17 - Sonic the Hedgehog - SEGA - Platformer
* November 17 - Need for Speed Carbon - Electronic Arts - Racing
* November 17 - The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Bethesda Softworks - RPG
* November 17 - Ridge Racer 7 - NAMCO BANDAI Group - Racing
* November 17 - F.E.A.R. - Vivendi Games - Tactical Shooter
* November 17 - Resistance: Fall of Man - Sony Computer Entertainment - Shooter
* November 17 - NBA Live 07 - Electronic Arts - Sports
* November 17 - Genji: Days of the Blade - Sony Computer Entertainment - Action
* November 17 - Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 - Electronic Arts - Sports
* November 17 - flOw (PS3 Hub Download) - Unknown - Action
* November 17 - Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas - Ubisoft - Shooter
* November 17 - NHL 2K7 - 2K Sports - Sports
* November 17 - NBA 2K7 - 2K Sports - Sports
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Read More: ps3fanboy.com