Hi all! Back at E3, we had announced that we will be releasing an all-in-one Surround Sound System for the PS3 system with built-in subwoofer. A device made for the ultimate gamer, the Surround Sound System will be available next week in the U.S. and Canada. It’s perfect for use with games and Blu-ray movies and more importantly, is easy to use. You’ll be able to enjoy immersive audio by simply placing the Surround Sound System in front of the television and connecting it to the PS3 system with the optical digital cable. The sleek design of the Sound Bar compliments the design of your PS3.

So, why pick up the Surround Sound System? The Surround Sound System utilizes cutting-edge technologies, including Sony’s S-Force PRO Front Surround Sound that creates the equivalent of a home theater system, bringing to life in-game sounds not normally audible with conventional acoustic systems. Bringing in SCE’s expertise in both entertainment and technology acquired from developing games, four sound fields and two sound modes have been designed with the help of our expert game sound designers. Check out this video that has excerpts from our conversations with the game sound design team:

To learn more about the features and specifications of this Sound Bar, visit our web site. Many retailers across the country have it on display as well. Visit one of the online retailers listed on our website for more info. Enjoy!

Tokyo, June 16, 2010 – Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) today announced that it will release a subwoofer built-in, all-in-one Surround Sound System for the PlayStation®3 (PS3™) system in fall 2010 in Japan, North America, Europe/PAL territories, and Asian countries/regions at a recommended retail price of 19,800 yen (including tax), US$199, and €199 respectively. Users will be able to enjoy immersive audio on the PlayStation®3 system, including upcoming games supporting PlayStation®Move motion controllers, Blu-ray movies, as well as stereoscopic 3D content by simply placing the speaker in front of the television and connecting it to the PS3 system with the optical digital cable.

The Surround Sound System utilizes cutting-edge technologies, including Sony’s S-Force PRO Front Surround Sound that generates rich realistic surround sound over one front speaker. Delivering a dynamic sound environment with audio virtually coming from all directions, the Surround Sound System will immerse users into a cinema-like experience in the living room, making them feel like they are actually in the game or movie itself. Bringing in SCE’s expertise in both entertainment and technology acquired from developing games, four sound fields of the speaker system have been designed with the help of SCE’s expert game sound designers, to optimize the cinematic experience of all forms of entertainment.

The Surround Sound System comes with two audio inputs − an optical audio input for connecting high-end entertainment systems including PS3, and an analog audio input for connecting portable devices like the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system to enjoy listening to music in the living room. The form factor of the system features a sleek and casual design that matches perfectly with the PS3 system, and delivers dynamic sound without the physical space required by a traditional home theater system.

Through the introduction of new peripherals, SCE will continue to further expand the PS3 platform and create a new world of computer entertainment that is only possible on PlayStation.

Fan Axxess allows gamers to obtain all DLC for WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011 for single 800 MSP / $9.99 payment

As publishers continue to dabble with new ways of offering ‘added value’ to gamers through digital content, THQ has revealed a new model to accompany the release of WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011.

Those who buy the game will be offered the chance to buy a ‘Fan Axxess’ pass. Doing so will allow them to download all future DLC for the title at no additional cost. Content will include playable characters, alternate costumes, new arenas, a character customiser and an in-game badge to “recognise the game's biggest supporters”.

Fan Axxess will cost 800 Microsoft Points, or $9.99 on PSN.

“The Fan Axxess program for WWE SmackDown vs Raw 2011 offers consumers a very attractive value proposition to significantly enhance the virtual WWE experience,” THQ’s executive VP of core games Danny Bilson stated.

“We have some of the most passionate fans in the industry, and we are pleased to offer them an opportunity to access premium gameplay content, customization features and recognition for their loyalty for one price point.”

THQ has already announced that the game will ship with a single-use DLC code that is required to access the online mode. Pre-owned buyers will have to pay extra to take the game online.

Development around the original Cell processor hasn't stalled and IBM will continue to develop chips and supply hardware for future gaming consoles, a company executive said.

IBM is working with gaming machine vendors including Nintendo and Sony, said Jai Menon, CTO of IBM's Systems and Technology Group, during an interview Thursday. "We want to stay in the business, we intend to stay in the business," he said.

The Cell processor, which was developed by IBM in conjunction with Sony and Toshiba, made its first appearance in Sony's PlayStation 3 gaming console in 2005. The hybrid chip includes processor cores based on IBM's Power architecture. However, there have been questions surrounding Cell's future and its implementation in gaming consoles. Consoles such as Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii also use IBM processors, though not the Cell chip.

IBM confirmed in a statement Friday that it continues to manufacture the Cell processor for use by Sony in its PlayStation 3. IBM also will continue to invest in Cell as part of its hybrid and multicore chip strategy, Menon said.

"I think you'll see [Cell] integrated into our future Power road map. That's the way to think about it as opposed to a separate line -- it'll just get integrated into the next line of things that we do," Menon said. "But certainly, we're working with all of the game folks to provide our capabilities into those next-generation machines."

Menon did not elaborate on specific chip and hardware developments for gaming systems, but said its Power processors have capabilities that are similar to those of the Cell chips.

"The kinds of things you used to be able to do with the Cell you can do in ... [the] Power line," Menon said.

There are also giant servers that will provide gaming capabilities through the cloud for which the company will also provide hardware, Menon said.

"Some of this consumer stuff is also a cloud play. There are giant servers out there that provide some of the gaming capability. Some of that will come through cloud-based offerings as well," Menon said.

The company earlier this year released the Power7 processor, and is working on the next-generation Power8 processor. IBM is putting a lot of resources into developing Power8, and the company is in line to release the new chip in the same time frame as earlier processors, Menon said.

The company has a history of releasing chips every three years, which points to a Power8 chip release for 2013.

The PlayStation 3 combines Power processor cores with specialized hardware to deliver advanced gaming capabilities. IBM is trying to increase its focus on developing multiple processing components in systems to intense graphics requirements and specific application needs.

"There are many things we are doing that will impact the consumer," Menon said.

Everyone knows CD sales are down. The solution? Bundle it with a videogame. That seems to be the trend these days, the latest one coming from Lil Wayne, who has partnered with the makers of "Def Jam Rapstar" and Best Buy to give away his latest album "I Am Not A Human" to anyone buying the game. There are limitations. The giveaway only lasts from Oct. 12 through Oct. 19, and only in Best Buy locations.

The deal was struck between Rapstar creators Def Jam and 4mm Games, and Wayne's label Cash Money Records. Wayne's single "A Milli" is also featured in the game, which is a sort of rap-centric karaoke game that lets users record and share video of themselves performing.

The news comes on the heels of a similar album-game bundle from Soundgarden. The reunited group is piggybacking on the newly released "Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock" videogame, attaching a copy of the greatest hits retrospective "Telephantasm" to 1 million versions of the game.

That was a one-week exclusive made available to "Guitar Hero" fans a week before the album was otherwise available for sale. Soundgarden also provided an exclusive track to the game, "Black Rain," and the full "Telephantasm" tracklist is available in the game as downloadable content.

This practice of bundling albums with games inspired the RIAA to revise its rules on awarding Gold and Platinum status to albums. "Telephantasm" for instance was given Platinum status as a result of the 1 million bundle, as the units were non-returnable. However, since the product was scanned by retailers as a video game, sales were not able to be counted by SoundScan as an album purchase and therefore were not reflected on Billboard's charts.

So far, these experiments have been limited to music-focused games like "Guitar Hero" and "Rapstar." It will be interesting to see if artists start doing the same with other types of games that enjoy even more widespread popularity, such as the "Modern Warfare" franchise or other action based titles.

Game Boat™ is de facto the first accessory for the peripheral which doesn't need any. The first product in the Play On™ line-up brings the entertainment of Kinect Adventures™ game out of the tv set, directly in your living room! Game it Real™ ! With this real-size replica of Kinect Adventures™'s awesome dinghy.

Size: 150 x 150 cm. Ideal to comfortably play in 2 gamers simultaneously, still without being clumsy in the living room.

Easily inflated in a few minutes through the practical pump (included). Game Boat™ can also be used in the water, at the sea or at the pool, by children and adults.

Here is a program I created called Simple AVCHD Manager v0.1 based on Open Manager and for use on JailBroken PS3 consoles.

From the ReadMe File: "Based on Open Manager. Thanks to all who have been involved with creating and fixing it.

This is for use with USB devices that contain directories of movies processed with the windows AVCHD manager, it allows the selection of the movie for viewing under the XMB with subtitles if available.

If you dont know how to get your videos into AVCHD format use google.

Functions

• Scans connected USB devices for folders processed by the windows AVCHD Manager.
• Any current AVCHD folder is automatically changed to the movie name as defined in details.txt.
• Changes the selected movie directory name to AVCHD to allow playback through XMB.
• Displays custom cover/screenshot icon "ICON0.PNG" if present in the movie directory. Resolution up to 320x176 supported.
• Allows deletion of movie directories.
• No FTP or copy mode as I do not see the point when you can just connect your usb device to the pc and copy files that way.
• No ability to copy to internal drive as AVCHD files do not work from there.
• This is only version 0.1 as there is more work needed to the code to remove unnecessary portions."

Good news for Playstation 3 fans.

Sony is not sitting idly and watching the PSJailbreak wreck havoc. Apart from sanctioning the very mention of the name over at US websites, Sony has finally succeeded in banning the selling of the modchip in Europe.

After releasing a security firmware update which made the PSJailbreak useless, Sony has gone 1up now and the Japanese manufacturer has cut the grass from under the feet of prospective hackers through an order which makes it illegal to sell the modchip and all its clones in Europe. This news has been confirmed by ChipSpain, one of the leading modchip online retailers who have taken off their stock of the PSJailbreak from their website following this recent order.

Friday, October 8, 2010 · Prohibition to sell PS Jailbreak and its clones.

Friday, October 8, 2010 · Prohibition to sell PS Jailbreak and its clones. PS jailbreak and similar products have been withdrawn from stock. All orders will continue to receive full support.

This is really positive news for Sony and we hope they can soon stop the selling of this modchip throughout the world. It won’t be foolish to say that hackers are having a tough time. First, the security update and now this. As for PS3 fans, you should be relieved that being loyal to your console has paid off and you can still do whatever you want with your PS3!

We will keep you updated as more on this emerges.