According to Michael Pachter MS is expected to raise the price of XBL to $100 in the near future.  I’m not sure how MS thinks they can get away with this since PSN matches, and in some cases bests, XBL feature for feature and is still free on charge.  It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out.  Full quote and source below.

“Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter expects Microsoft to raise the price of Xbox Live Gold membership from the current $50 to $100 per year in the next few years.  “You can’t hook a guy into Xbox Live Gold if he’s playing on a PC,” Pachter said in a GTTV discussion talking about how Microsoft has seemingly given up on the PC gamer market. “that’s the other problem ‘ you really want to hook every gamer who has a 360, you want them to buy all their games on 360, play everything multiplayer, pay you 50 bucks a year so that, in a couple years, it’s a 100 bucks a year.”And that’s going up, we all know that ‘ it’s a profit deal,” he concluded.”

Source

Due to the massive influx of mail we’ve received since SDF 2.0′s takeover of the gaming media we’ve decided to reopen and revamp our mailbag section.  Here are just a few of the hundreds of letters we’ve received in the past few days alone.

From Rempager:
Hey,
first of all, i love SDF. And here you got a awesome forza gif. If you post it on sdf, please greet HighCaliber . He made this gif. btw “edel” means noble it is german.
sorry for my bad english, i am from germany. and we defending Sony and the Playstation on consolewars.eu 

Thank you for the kind words Rampager.   We are here to provide unbiased gaming news for the world and I’m glad you are fighting the good fight when and where you can.  We encourage all of our readers to spread the truth about Sony and what’s really going on in the video game industry.   Special thanks to HighCaliber for the fantastic animated gif.  If anyone has anymore animated gifs they’d like posted in future posts, feel free to send them in!

Our next letter is from an Xbox fanatic:

From MasterCheif:
lol wtf ur so bais how can you give forza 3 a 1/10???  greenburg and turn 10 said it wuz the definiate simulate racer out there and i belive dem over a sony sight like you lol stop posting go away

Turn 10 is trying to sell you a product of course they are going to spew hyperbole like “definitive racing sim.”  That’s why you need to go to unbiased gaming resources, like SDF, to get the truth.  And no, we won’t stop posting until the gaming media follows our lead and provides fair and balanced coverage of the video game industry.

Our final letter is from an ex-fanatic:

From Hipporoot:
Hey SDF!
I’m just writing in to thank you for your website.  I used to be a huge 360 fanboy, i paid for live and i even bought avatar clothing (rofl) but after reading your coverage  and revealing the truth to me i gotta say im done with MS.   last week i went out and bought a ps3 slim and ive not turned on my 360 since.   with games like uncharted 2, infamous, god of war 3, gran turismo 5, trico, demons souls and the rest, how could i possibly go back to 360 lol
anyway thanks again and see you guys on PSN!

Welcome to the PSN family!  Thanks for the letter but can’t take all the credit as I believe The Slim Effect™ has also contributed to your conversion.  Sony is making all the right moves as MS and Nintendo continue to stumble.

Well that’s all for this edition of SDF Mailbag.

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.

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.

The Most Portable and Powerful PSP Yet
The PSP Go, has all the functionality that older PSP hardware versions had, but includes many important and exciting changes. Unlike previous versions whose primary means of playing media was via a built-in Universal Media Disc (UMD) drive, the PSP Go does away with UMDs altogether and instead relies on a media solution combining download functionality via Sony’s PlayStation Network, larger onboard storage capacity and removable Memory Stick Duo support. This major change allows for a slim design, quicker access files and a much more quiet, energy efficient gaming experience since there are no longer any spinning UMDs.

Other major changes include: Bluetooth support, allowing Internet Skype calls to now be made using compatible headsets; and more importantly, a change to the control scheme. The PSP Go features convenient slide out controls. Although these are consistent with historical PSP controls–featuring four directional arrows, the four familiar Sony face buttons and a left-oriented analog thumbstick–their ability to be placed out of view when not in use allows the PSP Go to maximize the use of its screen and your viewing pleasure.

A Full Entertainment System in Your Hands
The PSP was designed to handle all varieties of applications and entertainment — music, video, communication, wireless networking, and, of course, gaming. PSP Go users will enjoy topnotch 3D games with high-quality, full-motion video, and high-fidelity audio. Its ultra-crisp 3.8-inch wide screen LCD display is bright and beautiful, and works well under many different lighting conditions.

A Wealth of Games to Choose From
The PlayStation Portable gaming library is hundreds of titles strong and covers a wide variety of genres. The PSP Go is compatible with all PSP formatted games and Sony has pledged to have all these available for download via the PlayStation Network’s PlayStation Store. Whether you are seeking the hard knocks of football or other sports games, the strategy of a puzzle games, or the action and adventure of shooters and racers, there’s sure to be many games in your future with the PSP Go. Via the PlayStation Store users can also download an assortment of PS One games ported over to the PSP format. The PSP Go is capable of graphics quality that is comparable to the PlayStation 2 console, but in a pocket-sized package, so whatever your game is you can be assured of a quality experience.

Watch Movies and Videos on the Go
When you just want to sit back and enjoy a movie or video on a long plane trip, or anywhere else, the PSP Go has you covered. It offers two options to do this: you can either transfer media ahead of time to a Memory Stick Duo, or using the PSP Go’s Wi-Fi functionality, your free membership to the PlayStation Network and access to a hotspot, you can download movies, TV shows, game trailers and more directly to your PSP Go. If users prefer they can also download content ahead of time to a PS3 or a Windows-based PC, via Media Go software, for faster transfer to their PSP Go, and can also watch recorded television content downloaded to a Memory Stick Duo with the TiVo-To-Go service. (additional fee and a TiVo Series2 connected to your home network also required).

Music and Other Functionality
With the ability to play MP3, WAV, WMA, ATRAC3+, and MP4 files, you can easily use your PSP Go as an audio player. Simply place your music on a Memory Stick Duo, and you can navigate your collection using the PSP Go’s XMB (XrossMediaBar) to select your song to play.

Built-in Wi-Fi Allows for Internet Browsing, Online Gaming and More
With built-in Wi-Fi capabilities, you can access the Internet from any accessible hotspot. Once connected, you can surf the Web, check e-mail and visit the PlayStation Store to download games, exclusive demos and game content and even update your system and game software in seconds. The PSP Go is first and foremost a gaming device though. Ad hoc enabled multiplayer games allow PSP players in close proximity to play together, but your PSP Go’s Wi-Fi connection also allows you to battle other gamers anywhere in the world over the Internet, in online infrastructure multiplayer games. Other functionality available remotely via a broadband connection includes: Internet radio; LocationFree TV, allowing you to view your home media setup from anywhere; RSS feeds; Remote Play, which gives you access to your PS3; and more.

Source:  Amazon.com

inFamous, Uncharted 2, God of War 3, exclusive Modern Warfare 2 DLC, PSP Go…

2009:  It begins, the Year of the PS3

It begins.

It begins.

[Update: Video no longer works]

While the status of being a ‘Halo Killer’ certainly isn’t an impressive accomplishment, we’re here to tell you that KILLZONE 2 not only destroys the HALO series in every single regard, but it will also make xbots question the very foundation of their pathetic existence. For years, there’s been a legion of Xombies following the lead of their master Microsoft, even if it meant having their poorly designed system fail on them twenty five times. And why? Becaude Microsoft’s system has a title called ‘Halo’ on it. Supposedly, the only first person shooter that matters to these savage fanatics. Ever since Halo 3′s release, there’s been a post-traumatic stress syndrome associated with the product; Halo 3 failed to deliver on all accounts and ultimately ended up being a very poorly received product in the hearts and minds of even faithful xbox fans. This resulted in the massive sales bitch-slapping the PS3 has given the Xbox 360 in 2008, despite the system costing $200-300 more than the competition.

We’ve spent the last few months extensively playtesting KILLZONE 2 at Guerrilla Games in Amsterdam in order to provide proper feedback for the final release, and it is unquestionably the greatest title in existence. The graphical fidelity of the product represents a true generational leap over Xbox 360 titles like Gears of War 2 and Halo 3. The graphics were so impressive that we were left wondering whether or not we were playing on Playstation 3 hardare rather than prototype Playstation 4 dev kits. Guerilla Games assured us that the game was playing on standard Playstation 3 systems and that no trickery was involved. The playstation 3′s power over the 360 was always readily apparent, but KILLZONE 2 makes the difference seem all the more astounding; like comparing the 360′s graphics to the Wii.

However, the good news is that KILLZONE 2 plays as good as it looks. While we can’t reveal much about it since we’re under strict NDA, it’s safe to say that the suicide rate is likely to increase in the coming months as Xbox fans question the meaning of their lives since the system they blindly support is an utter failure with a derivative, shoddily made title called Halo 3 failing to deliver. For many of these individuals, they will never be able to afford the quality of the Playstatation 3 and KILLZONE 2, which will ultimately lead them to suicide.

But for all of the Xbots out there that are feeling depressed that KILLZONE 2 rapes anything on the Xbox 360– fear not. You can still turn in your fanboy shirt at the door and purchase a reliable, quality system with true next generation graphics. Most doctors agree that the purchase of a Playstation 3 completely cures all illnesses associated with fanboys feeling depressed by purchasing an inferior Xbox 360. SDF supports life, and that’s why we support the Playstation 3. Can’t wait to see you guys in February.

The groundbreaking 2.4 Firmware update which boasts of in-game XMB access is reported to brick the Xbox 360 in more ways than one (both literally and figuratively). Sony Defense Force has received an anonymous tip from a poster by the name of “XboxHater4Lyfe” that updated his Playstation 3 to the latest 2.4 firmware update and then subsequently turned on his Xbox 360 only to find that his 360 had received the infamous “RROD” system error.

Clearly, this is a sign. We’ll update you on this story as we receive further developments. We expect Microsoft to make an announcement soon.

On Sony’s official blog they just confirmed what’s going to be in their 2.4 (ie XBL killer) update:

A new PLAYSTATION 3 firmware update (v2.36) will be launching soon, improving system stability when playing select PlayStation format software titles. We’re also happy to officially report that the 2.40 system software update for PS3 will include “XMB” access in-game. The update will also include “trophies,” an exciting new feature that we’ll be providing more details on soon, as well as some other new enhancements. We’ve talked about some of this on the blog previously and know that many of you can’t wait to get your hands on these features. You can expect us to share all of the official details shortly.

Source