October 15th, 2009 BlamBurg
Sony continues to boost PS3 sales to new heights. Nintendo and Microsoft are going to have to scramble this Christmas to keep up with this momentum. Are they up for it?
From Sony:
Sony Computer Entertainment America Annouces New 250GB PlayStation 3 System
Following the successful launch of the slimmer and lighter PlayStation®3 (PS3™) system with 120GB hard disk drive (HDD), Sony Computer Entertainment America today announced that a new PS3 system with a 250GB HDD will be available on November 3 for $349.99 (MSRP). Launching in time for the holiday season, the 250GB PS3 system provides consumers with plenty of storage capacity to download more games, movies, and TV shows from PlayStation®Network, as well as to store their personal media files, including music, photos, and videos.
The 250GB PS3 system offers the same form factor and functionality as the current 120GB system, which achieved retail sales of 1 million units worldwide in the three weeks since its launch on September 1. Both models will be available at retail this holiday, providing both gamers and gift-givers with the opportunity to choose the PS3 system that’s right for them.
“The PS3 platform is poised for a tremendous holiday season,” said Scott A. Steinberg, vice president, product marketing, SCEA. “We kicked things off early with the new price point and sleek form factor and have continued the momentum with this week’s launch of the universally acclaimed exclusive, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. The new 250GB PS3 provides consumers with another compelling hardware option and speaks to the growing consumer appetite for digital content from the PlayStation Network – particularly high-def content that showcases the power of the PS3 system.”
More than 600 million pieces of content have been downloaded from PlayStation Network as of September 2009, and in conjunction with the launch of the 250GB PS3 system, PlayStation Network will continue to expand with a broad range of original games and blockbuster entertainment content for download this holiday season. Exclusive downloadable games launching soon on PlayStation®Store include PixelJunk Shooter, Gravity Crash, and Hustle Kings.
In addition, PlayStation Network’s video delivery service, which offers downloadable movies and TV episodes for rental or purchase, will soon add Star Trek, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Bruno, and other summer blockbusters to its movie lineup. The PlayStation Network currently offers 2,300 movies, one-third of which are available in HD format, as well as more than 13,300 TV episodes.
Posted in Industry News, Other Systems, Playstation 3, The Slim Effect™ | 19 Comments »
October 14th, 2009 MitchMcCanan
Our inside sources are telling us that Sony is set to unleash cross-game voice chat on the PS3 via PSN when the 3.1 firmware update drops.
With a feature set that already surpasses Xbox Lag, PSN is getting better with every update… and it’s all for free.
Remember folks, you read it here first.
Posted in Industry News, Playstation 3, Playstation Network | 11 Comments »
October 6th, 2009 BlamBurg
Sony gives an unbiased, real talk opinion of the gaming industry… a very good read.
SCEA president Jack Tretton has said that one of the major advantages the PlayStation brand holds over its rivals is its ability to appeal to the masses on a worldwide basis.
The executive spent a chunk of a recent Forbes video interview contrasting his own company with Microsoft and Nintendo. He said that Sony is more profit driven than Microsoft in the short-term, suggesting that the Xbox maker “can afford to be more patient” when it comes to generating a return on investment.
He then argued that “Nintendo is almost the polar opposite”. For the Japanese firm, “features are nice” but “profitability is king and I think that is enviable”, he said, adding that Nintendo’s successful delivery of a “casual, youth-oriented entertainment experience” for 20 years now enables the company to “print money”.
“I think we like to see ourselves somewhere in the middle,” he said of Sony. “We don’t have unlimited money, we cater to a more mass market audience. I think we’re willing to take a little bit more risk than a competitor like Nintendo is and ultimately we deliver to the masses on a worldwide basis and that’s what we’ve done for the last 15 years.
“In an industry that’s certainly had its challenges this year, we like to say that the environment where PlayStation wins is best for this industry, because we have a brand that can play on a worldwide basis, young and old, male and female, where our competition tends to be relegated to either select regions or to select consumer audiences.”
Elsewhere in the interview Tretton said that the PS3 had enjoyed “skyrocketing sales” since the introduction of a price cut on September 1.
Posted in Industry News, Other Systems, Playstation 3, The Slim Effect™ | 24 Comments »
October 5th, 2009 MitchMcCanan
Sony has told GamesIndustry.biz that sales of PSP hardware are up over 120 percent in the UK, following the launch of the PSPgo.
Sales of the PSP-3000 have also grown, as the hardware benefits from the release of the long-awaited Gran Turismo for PSP on UMD and EA’s FIFA 10, which this weekend broke records for the franchise.
“PSPgo has performed in line with our expectations, driving 100 per cent incremental volume for the category and has benefited the broad PSP portfolio with PSP-3000 also enjoying a big lift,” said SCEE in a statement. “PSP software sales also having been a standout with both new releases GT PSP and FIFA 10 performing well.” The new PSPgo launched last Thursday and sells in the UK for around GBP 224.99.
Early adopters are able to download a free copy of Gran Turismo PSP until October 10, and UK consumers can also access a deal which allows them to download another three games for free if they register with Sony online.
When contacted by GamesIndustry.biz this morning, Chart-Track in the UK said it would not reveal any independent sales data for the PSPgo. “It’s a new format and we are simply not revealing the figures for public consumption,” said director Dorian Bloch. Update: Sony has clarified that sales of the PSP hardware are up over 120 percent compared to the previous week.
The PSPgo sold as many units as the PSP-3000 during the period.
Yet another successful hardware launch from Sony. 2010 is going to be a great year for the company.
Posted in Industry News, Playstation Portable, The Slim Effect™ | 10 Comments »
October 1st, 2009 BlamBurg
The groundbreaking PSP Go has been released today and the portable gaming industry has been changed forever.
Below are all the details you need on the new PSP Go:
Key Features:
- 16GB built-in memory.
- Bluetooth support.
- Slide out control design.
- Ultra-portable entertainment.
- All digital content – no UMD disks required.
- Download games and movies directly from the PlayStation Network.
- Ultra-crisp 3.8″ LCD screen.
- Built-in microphone for Skype communication.
- Memory Stick Micro support for added memory.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Industry News, Playstation Network, Playstation Portable | 7 Comments »
September 30th, 2009 lambron
During SDF’s hiatus we underwent a major staff change and we’d like to take this time to thank BennyB and crew for their blood, sweat and tears over the past four years. SDF wishes them well in the future.
Why the hiatus? Why the staff change? After E3 2009 it looked like there was no longer a need for the Sony Defense Force. After all, our single greatest goal was to stop the F.U.D. spread by Sony’s competitors and provide truthful and insightful reporting about Sony and the entire video game industry. But as Microsoft had seemingly laid off a lot of their viral marketing staff, the Wii fad was (and still is) dying a slow death, and Sony’s sales and media perception was up across the board the SDF staff decided it was time to take a much needed break. No goodbyes, no dramatic exits… they just wanted their leave of SDF and let the work to speak for itself.
Since that time, however, things have slowly started sliding back to 2006 levels of FUD. Between Turn 10 overhyping the graphical prowess of Forza 3 to the $60 expansion pack that is Halo 3: ODST, it seems that Microsoft is up to their old games again. Nintendo is also on the downward spiral so things will only get worse as they, like MS, ramp up their FUD campaign. We’ll not even mention how Apple has laughably chosen to directly compare the iPhone/iPod Touch to the PSP. Needless to say, we have a lot of work to do.
With this new challenge comes a brand new, hungry team to path the way to a place where the media is able to report the actual story, instead of spin, and give honest, hard-hitting reviews that aren’t beholden to any one company or system. This is the new SDF… same as the old, but new.
Posted in Industry News, SDF News | 7 Comments »
September 30th, 2009 BlamBurg
PS3 continues to dominate the Wii week after week in Japan and last week was no different.
PS3 50000
PSP 20000
Wii 13000
360 3700
01. [NDS] Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver (Pokemon) – 166,000 / 2,068,000
02. [NDS] Tomodachi Collection (Nintendo) – 90,000 / 1,156,000
03. [PS3] Tales of Vesperia (Bandai Namco Games) – 45,000 / 272,000
04. [PSP] Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu Portable 4 (Konami) – 43,000 / 151,000
05. [WII] Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo) – 34,000 / 1,194,000
06. [NDS] Dragon Quest IX: Hoshizora no Mamoribito (Square Enix) – 34,000 / 3,925,000
07. [360] Halo 3: ODST (Microsoft) – 33,000 / NEW
08. [NDS] SaGa 2: Hihou Densetsu – Goddess of Destiny (Square Enix) – 29,000 / 30,000
09. [PSP] Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s Tag Force 4 (Konami) – 14,000 / 66,000
10. [PS3] Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (BEST) (Square Enix) – 11,000 / 41,000
11. [PSP] Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (BEST) (Capcom) – 11,000 / 1,007,000
12. [PSP] Ys Seven (Nihon Falcom) – 10,000 / 53,000
Posted in Industry News, Other Systems, Playstation 3, Playstation Portable, The Slim Effect™ | 3 Comments »
