GamerNode: Latest PlayStation 3 News

Sony VP "confident" for 13 million PS3 sales

Among a slew of much-touted fiscal strategies revolving around improving the PS3's technology and firmware, Sony Executive VP Kaz Hirai has said that he is "confident" the PS3 will climb to over 13 million units sold by March 2010, the end of Sony's fiscal year.

Hirai certainly appears to have some solid numbers backing up his statement; a total of 4.3 million units have been sold within the first and second quarter of the year, which lends some crucial momentum for the game console to remain a strong contender for the upcoming holiday season.

With the imminent launch of Final Fantasy XIII nearing the horizon, Sony will probably see increased PS3 purchases within the Japanese and worldwide market to accompany the highly-anticipated title.

Sony has also laid the groundwork for a new online med...

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PS3 firmware 3.10 to include Facebook integration

Not ready to rest on their laurels, Sony has announced that they too will be adding Facebook to their console. The update will come as part of the PS3 firmware 3.10, allowing users to log into Facebook straight from the XMB. The integration will allow users to update their status, see friends' status, upload their trophy stats, and display games they have recently purchased in the PSN Store. Developers will also be able to get in on the fun by allowing updates to be sent from games to your feed.

Other additions include an updated Photo category to make photo viewing easier, and a redesigned friends list that reduces the clutter of the previous version. The new firmware is coming soon, but no release date has been set. 

[Playstation.Blog]

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Atlus to publish 3D Dot Game Heroes in North Ameri...

Atlus USA, publisher of unique and interesting games such as Demon's Souls, Odin Sphere, and the Shin Megami Tensei series announced today that the company has licensed the rights to publish From Software's 3D Dot Game Heroes in North America. The game will be released on May 11, 2010 for the PlayStation 3 at a MSRP of $39.99.

If you're unfamiliar with this little slice of re-imagined gaming nostalgia, 3D Dot Game Heroes is the perfect love letter to 8- and 16-bit action-adventure fans, and it looks and plays like a three-dimensional, yet still pixelated Legend of Zelda game -- I mean identical. From the drawn-back, overhead view, to the blippy, bleepy, adventurous tunes, to the quest "to gain the power of the six sages and the six orbs that protected the kingdom of Dotnia, which now stand...

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24kt gold PS3 Slim brings the bling

The zany bunch at hardware modding company Computer-Choppers are at it again. Swapping the drab murkiness of a gaming console to something with a little more color is nothing new, of course--but how about a PS3 Slim encased in a glittering 24kt gold shell?

Like all things involving rare and overpriced metals, only a small amount of these aurelian systems will be available for purchase--five, to be exact.

Interested in depleting your wallet? Shoot an e-mail over to the fine folks at Computer-Choppers for further inquiry.

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Battlefield: Bad Company 2 beta exclusive for PS3

A recent PlayStation Blog post written by EA DICE Associate Producer Gordon Van Dyke chalks up another victory to PS3 gamers by revealing the multiplayer beta for the upcoming Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be exclusively available on the PS3 beginning November 19.

The beta contains a solitary map, "Africa Harbor", that showcases the "Rush" game mode in which players battle over equipment crates. The map highlights fluid transitions between vehicular and infantry combat by featuring an assault on a military outpost followed by intense street-to-street fighting through an industrial harbor.

Interested in joining the fray? While each country will have differing methods of accessing the beta, North American players will be able to get the beta through pre-ordering the game from certain retaile...

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Uncharted 2 getting update, Halloween treats

The multiplayer mode for PlayStation 3 hit Uncharted 2 will be getting an update today set to address a number of issues. But that isn't all that's coming to the game's multiplayer this weekend.

Naughty Dog will be having a "Double Cash Weekend" for Uncharted 2, where players will earn twice as much in-game cash towards leveling their profile in multiplayer matches than normal. In addition, the Naughty Dog staff will be playing publicly over the weekend. It is believed they will be recognizable by the creepy skeletal skins shown in the image above.

[Joystiq]

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God of War 3 Ultimate Edition is ridiculous, aweso...

If you're a game is a high-profile release, you can expect to receive an extravagant (Insert Title Here) Edition. Not to be outdone, God of War 3 is set to compete with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for craziest box set for a video game. Dubbed the God of War 3 Ultimate Edition, the set includes a replica, high-end sculpted Pandora's Box from the game and a limited edition art book.

The set also comes with a bunch of downloadable content that will be accessed from the PSN Store with code vouchers:

- God of War Combat Arena containing an exclusive environment and seven challenges- Premium Kratos Skin - Dominus- God of War: Unearthing the Legend Franchise Documentary - a full-length movie documentary depicting the history of the God of War franchise- God of War Trilogy Soundtrack - God of War...

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Nolan North hints Hugh Jackman is favorite to play...

Nolan North, the voice and motion capture actor for Nathan Drake in the popular Uncharted series, has hinted heavily in a recent interview that Hugh Jackman is the front-runner to land the lead role of Drake in the upcoming Uncharted movie.

North, a favorite of fans to play the role himself, said in a telephone interview with The Official PlayStation Magazine UK, "I would love to do the movie, obviously I'd love to do it as Nathan Drake [...] but I've done film and television and I understand the reality of the business."

He was then asked who he would like to see play the role of Drake if he was not chosen.

"Jackman is who I'd like to see," North answered. "I think the producers would like to see Jackman too, because he has that tough guy exterior, but [...] there's also a lot going on behin...

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God Of War III demo included with District 9 Blu-r...

Sony has spruced up the December 29 Blu-ray release of Neill Blomkamp's film District 9 by throwing in a holiday nugget for PS3 gamers worldwide -- namely, an exclusive God of War III demo.

Contained within the disc along with the movie, the demo features a special clip that showcases GoW III's development that can be unlocked if you manage to guide Kratos through his latest escapade of button-mashing carnage.

Peter Dille, senior vice president of marketing and Playstation Network, lauds the Blu-ray support of the PS3 as an incentive for PS3 gamers to uphold their systems as a capable entertainment platform:

"Blu-ray functionality has long been a differentiator that separates the PS3 from other home entertainment systems. Through this collaboration with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment we...

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3D Dot Game Heroes coming to America

If you haven't heard of 3D Dot Game Heroes yet, take a seat and open your ears. The action adventure game from developer From Software is a love letter to retro gaming and the days when 8- and 16-bit games ruled the world.  The game releases November 5 in Japan, and up until now, American gamers' only option to get it was through your favorite importer.

Well no more! The official PlayStation Twitter page has announced that the game is indeed receiving a U.S. release. "No need to import - 3D Dot Game Heroes for PS3 is DEFINITELY coming to NA! Spread the word, more to come."

No word on which publisher is localizing the title and what our release date will be, but this is one game to definitely keep an eye out for.

[PlayStation Twitter]

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Update: Netflix support for PS3 announced, uses sp...

Well, the cat is finally out of the bag. After countless rumors and whispers around the industry about Netflix coming to other consoles, today the video rental service announced that their streaming service will be coming to the PS3. The service will also be free for all Playstation Network users who have Netflix accounts, compared to the Xbox service which requires a Xbox Live Gold account.

PSN users will have access to all the features that Xbox users have, such as managing your queue right from your PS3 and HD streaming. The service is expected to drop sometime next month.

Update: It looks like PS3 Netflix users will be required to use a special Netflix disc in order to access the streaming service. You can reserve your disc here and it will ship to you when they are available. The disc w...

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God of War 3 DLC may include challenge rooms

It would be crazy to think a huge release like God of War 3 wont have DLC content, but according to director Stig Asmussen, they are only considering the option. In an interview with GamePro, he said the game will of course ship with series standard challenge rooms, with the possibility of more for download. They have a few ideas, including  "riding a Cyclops to get through a certain type of hazard or area or something like that."

We should expect the DLC rooms considering the popularity of the God of War franchise, and hopefully there will be a steady trickle for fans to keep interested come the game's March 2010 release date.

[Gamepro]

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SOCOM: Confrontation Cold Front DLC enlists for du...

Attention faithful SOCOM players! Playstation Blog reports that a new DLC expansion for SOCOM: Confrontation is set to release soon on PS3. Titled Cold Front, the DLC pack brings players to the snowy area of Eastern Europe with two new maps and three remakes from past SOCOM games.

The expansion also brings new gear, weather conditions, and a new game mode called Arms Race. Arms Race has teams fighting over missle launchers placed around the map. The special forces team must destroy them, while the mercenaries have to activate them. The new gear includes winter camo and a thermal scope that allows you to scope out enemies in the harsh conditions or at night.

A full list of features is as follows:

* New Russian / Eastern European Area of Operation* Snow setting complete with snow effects, new s...

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New 250GB PlayStation 3 priced and dated for North...

Sony's new 250GB PlayStation 3 console has finally been given both a release date and a price for North America. The console is set for a November 3 shelf date and will retail at $349.99.

The console will feature the same "Slim" body of the newest 120GB PlayStation 3 and will perform exactly the same. The only difference will be the more than doubled size of the console's hard drive.

[PlayStation 3 Blog]

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Sucker Punch lacked guidance with inFAMOUS

When inFAMOUS was released earlier this year, it was expected to fare no better than the (then) ailing PS3 library of games that didn't meet gamer expectations. Much to everyone's surprise -- including Sucker Punch, the developer behind the game -- inFAMOUS was a huge hit that propelled the validity of the PS3 as a worthwhile gaming platform into the spotlight. However, the road to gaming glory was nothing short of rocky for Sucker Punch.

During an interview with the October issue of Game Developer Magazine, Sucker Punch co-founder Chris Zimmerman described the hardships the development team suffered while struggling to find some sort of guidance with inFAMOUS:

"For the first year of the project, we really didn't have much of an idea of what kind of game we were building. We were sure about ...

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PS3 cross-game voice chat accidentally confirmed

Recently a Naughty Dog developer went and did something, well, naughty in accidentally confirming cross game voice chat for the PlayStation 3 on the official PlayStation 3 message boards. The developer's fitting user name, ReklissAbandon, has since edited the post to "deleted," but that didn't stop both word of the update and the quote itself from getting out into the internet.

"I think they wanted people to have fun and enjoy the show since all dead players can talk to each other no matter what team you are on," posted the developer on why it is possible to spectate an opponent when information on the opponents can be given out over Skype. "But I will suggest it anyway."

ReklissAbandon then dropped the unintended bombshell. "Not to mention that the next PS3 firmware update is going to allow...

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Uncharted prequel comic planned

Recently picked up Uncharted 2: Among Thieves? I hope you are enjoying it, but have you always wondered where Nathan Drake came from? Well if you have, Naughty Dog looks to answer your many questions in an Uncharted motion comic, titled Uncharted: Eye of Indra.

Naughty Dog's Travis McIntosh and Neil Druckmann recently spoke with PlayStation.Blog, announcing the project. They said that many of the game's voice actors are participating and that the story to be featured was formerly a part of Uncharted 2, but was cut from the game.

Here's hoping the motion comic retains the wit and humor from the games and is just as explosive.

[PlayStation]

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Movie prop outs Resistance 3?

Over on NeoGAF, user "goldsoundz" took the picture you see above, a billboard for what seems to be Resistance 3 by Insomniac Games. According to the user, this was taken on the set of Battle: Los Angeles, a sci-fi action movie starring Aaron Eckhart of The Dark Knight and Thank You For Smoking fame. The movie is currently filming in Shreveport, Louisiana, where the user snapped the pic.

Of course, the reality of the picture is in question, but a franchise like Resistance was bound to get a third installment anyhow, and with Ratchet and Clank's newest venture due out in two weeks, perhaps there will some nugget of info tucked in there to confirm what we see above.

Two questions first: first, the Statue of Liberty in the A of Resistance foreshadows a trip to New York City, eh?

Secondly, why is...

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Voice actor verifies inFamous 2

The recent success of the PS3 Slim isn't the only thing that PS3 gamers can celebrate about. A fresh Tweet by a voice actor confirms the development of inFamous 2, the sequel to developer Sucker Punch's first PS3 title.

"First voiceover/motion capture audition today for a video game. Re-casting of Cole in the sequel of inFamous. 'I'll melt your face.' e.g"

inFamous follows the sandbox-style adventures of bike-messenger-turned-electric-god Cole MacGrath in a city steeped in chaos. The game was lauded for its solid and engaging gameplay along with a compelling story to support the electric fireworks. A sequel seemed inevitable, as similar open-ended titles have spawned numerous follow-ups and spin-offs that continue the story from where it left off and inFamous is no exception.

No official ...

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Sony claims newest PS3 issues not firmware-related...

Sony is holding their ground in the midst of new issues being reported by PlayStation 3 owners based on the newest Firmware 3.01 update affecting their consoles. Sony claims these recent problems are "not an issue with the firmware."

The issues that have taken up several pages on the US PS Blog have stated that Blu-ray movies and games have frozen after the firmware update was installed and could not continue. The majority, if not entirety, of these claims say that there had been no previous issues with the consoles prior to the update. These are all coming on the heels of complaints and issues reported after the Firmware 3.0 update a few weeks back.

Sony has told customers suffering from these issues that they will have to send in their PS3s for repair, which will cost them $150 if the one...

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