Sony just sent out a press release letting us know that they will be making PlayStation Network cards widely available (kind of) in September. 7-Eleven, RiteAid, and Blockbuster will be stocking your PSN cards, funnily enough.

PSN cards — which start at $20 — have been spotted in the wild already at a few locations, but it’s a bit odd that Sony hasn’t shipped out any cards to the bigger retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target, or even, GameStop.

7-Eleven, out of those mentioned, seems like the most convenient. We can now shop for our favorite $3.59 “Sushi - Ready to Eat!” and a $20 PSN card (avoiding credit fees) at 3 o’clock in the morning! Just like it was always meant to be…

written by Carlos Macias \\ tags: blockbuster, Cards, credit, hasn, Mart, Network, Playstation, press, PSN, release, RiteAid, September, Sony, stock, Wal

Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty, Insomniac Games’s bite-sized $14.99 adventure, will be hitting the PlayStation Network on August 21 in North America and Europe — Japanese gamers get the game a day later.

We’re big fans of the team’s first Ratchet outing on the PS3 and are excited to be getting our fix of mascot action along with Resistance 2 this year. While the game may be released in digestible form (it will likely be 3-4 hours long), it further cements Sony’s drive to create compelling DLC on its system.

The game starts right after the events of the PS3 game, do you guys plan on quest-in’ for booty?

Via PlayStation Blog

written by Carlos Macias \\ tags: adventure, August, Booty, Clank, day, Europe, fix, game, Insomniac, Network, North America, Playstation, Quest, Ratchet, Starts, Team, year

Looking to show off your PSN ID’s on blogging sites.  Well, Sony just introduce this new feature that allows you to link your PSN ID with your PS3.  Once setup, You will receive your personal PLAYSTATION®Network portable ID. It displays who you are on the PLAYSTATION®Network to other users. It can also identify you on other social networking sites.

“What the heck is this avatar?”

Interested, try it here.

written by Juan Perez \\ tags: avatar, Feature, Heck, Interested, Network, networking, New, Playstaion portable ID, Playstation, Portable, PSN, psn link, psn portable ID, setup, Sony, Sony PS3

Sony launched its “Qore” interactive magazine a few weeks ago. I, personally, don’t see a purpose for the thing. Whoever came up with it must’ve really taken a hit of the ganja and people who are buying into it should realize that they are only fueling Sony’s ridiculous marketing schemes. And you’re paying them to do so!

Continue reading »

written by Carlos Macias \\ tags: ganja, Gears, Gold, Grinds, hook, Live, magazine, marketing, Network, Playstation, purpose, Qore, Sony, thing, Xbox

[NOTE: The file is currently available on the PSN, even though Konami's press release states June 26]

If you haven’t gotten your fill of Metal Gear Solid 4 information yet, Konami Digital Entertainment just announced they will be releasing a free download entitled ‘Metal Gear Solid 4 Database’ which will be available on the PlayStation Network starting June 26th.

The database is a comprehensive detailed archive including information on characters, weapons and plot elements from 1987’s original Metal Gear through Metal Gear Solid 4. Any fan of the series will definitely want to download this file.

In addition to typical database information, there will be a searchable glossary, maps and a timeline. In a world where quality downloads tend to cost money, it’s amazing that Konami is giving us this free gem.
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written by Will Snizek \\ tags: Database, Digital, download, Encyclopedia, Entertainment, fill, Gear, haven, information, June, Konami, Metal, MGS4, Network, Playstation, Solid

Our very own Will “Kezins” Snizek (WS) sat down for a fireside chat with our friends at Gaming Blog Networks’ owner Jason Townsend-Rogers (JTR).  Jason, a member of the ECA, jots down Will’s take on Government involvement in gaming.  Picking at the mind of the creator and owner of Kezins.com was a difficult task.  Nevertheless, Jason threw additional questions at Will that would have thrown me back into 1955.  (Back to the Future reference, not a good one)  But with the 1.21 jiggawatts powering that mind, Will spoke about his true passion of photography, blogging, and defending the negative critiscm games receive.

(JTR): My next question regards how games are being portrayed in mainstream media, what do you think video games, and the industry as a whole, can do to improve their societal image?

(WS): I don’t think we’ll ever get rid of the negative images entirely, because negativity is what sells news these days in the mainstream media; also, places like Fox News etc will always rather interview a wacko like Jack Thompson who is going to make off the wall and shocking statements than someone who has a more academic approach to things.

(WS): I really think the best way the industry can improve their image is to simply continue publishing game blogs and get the information out there. The smart people will do their research and discover what’s real and what’s media spin. Another thing I have noticed over the past few years is an increase in video game research from the academic community. I think as research continues, gaming will be seen in a more positive light

(WS): On another note, I do think the game companies need to make a stronger stand against minors getting their hands on “M” rated titles. That is a big issue now, and the only way to reverse the public image of this would be for game companies to start taking a stand against children playing the real violent and adult games.

Check out the rest of this great interview here.

written by Juan Perez \\ tags: blog, game, gaming, image, industry, Jack Thompson, Jason, Jason Townsend-, Kezins, mainstream, mind, Network, news, owner, research, Rogers, stand, video, way

Chris Kohler, over at Wired.com, chatted up the PlayStation Network’s Senior Director, Susan Panico, recently who said that the PS3’s social networking app will be available by the end of the year as an “open, working beta.”

Panico goes on to say that the “rollout will be similar to Gmail,” which is still in beta, as many news outlets have pointed out. It seems that the Senior Director was alluding to the fact that Gmail is fully functional, though, even in its “beta” stage. Gamers should, presumably, expect a working product when they fire up Home when its released later this year with incremental updates and changes as the beta continues.

Via Wired.com

written by Carlos Macias \\ tags: app, beta, Chris Kohler, com, director, Don, end, Gmail, Home, Network, networking, Playstation, rollout, Senior, Susan Panico, Trip, Wired, year

Playstation Network lover’s are getting something special this Thursday June 5th. It’s called Qore and it’s a monthly program that provides fans with everything they want to know about gaming.  As the first step in a series of planned original content for the PlayStation community, for a one time or monthly fee, will have special access into the world behind the brand, industry news, developer interviews, game demos and trailers, access to game betas and other downloadable and game-related content.

KEY FEATURES

• The only fully interactive monthly digital program available in the marketplace
• Major editorial content in each episode includes news, interviews, gameplay footage, concept art, music from the games, etc. available in HD format
• Episode downloadable content will feature exclusive themes, demos, beta invites, etc.
• Episodes will be available the first Thursday of every month

$2.99 per Episode/13x subscription is $24.99 (w/Calling All Cars as an added bonus)

written by Juan Perez \\ tags: access, are, Content, Episode, everything, game, June, lover, Network, news, Playstation, program, Qore, something, Thursday

My title wasn’t supposed to sound like Borat, and although I thought about re-writing it, I didn’t. Success! Anywho, Google announced a new service that helps website owners grow traffic by enabling any site on the web to easily provide social features for its visitors.

While this service is currently available through plugins, Google promises that “Friend Connect” will be programless (is that a word?). And we all know, where Google goes, everyone follows.

Websites that are not social networks may still want to be social — and now they can be, easily. With Google Friend Connect (see http://www.google.com/friendconnect), any website owner can add a snippet of code to his or her site and get social features up and running immediately without programming — picking and choosing from built-in functionality like user registration, invitations, members gallery, message posting, and reviews, as well as third-party applications built by the OpenSocial developer community.

Visitors to any site using Google Friend Connect will be able to see, invite, and interact with new friends, or, using secure authorization APIs, with existing friends from social sites on the web, including Facebook, Google Talk, hi5, orkut, Plaxo, and more.

For Site Owners: Traffic and User Engagement

Without requiring coding experience, Google Friend Connect gives site owners a way to attract and engage more people by giving visitors a way to connect with friends on their websites.

* Drive traffic: people who discover interesting sites can bring their friends with them, and can opt-in to publish their activities on those sites back into their social network, attracting even more visitors.
* Increase engagement: access to friends and OpenSocial applications provides more interesting content and richer social experiences.
* Less work: any site can have social components without hiring a programming team or becoming a social network.

Google Friend Connect is in a preview release, available tonight after Campfire One on a handful of whitelisted websites. All site owners interested in learning more about Google Friend Connect and signing up for the wait list can visit http://www.google.com/friendconnect/ starting tonight. In the weeks ahead we will be turning on more sites, adding more social applications, and integrating feedback from site owners and developers.

Currently, the “Friend Connect” site is not running. But here’s what you can expect:

written by Tony Clifton \\ tags: Connect, Engagement, friend, Friend Connect, Google, Network, OpenSocial, programming, service, site, tonight, traffic, user, way, web, Website

With all the latest developments in a technology world, those “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up” infomercials are yesteryears news. Bluetooth has now moved into the medical field. Just like a laptop within a wireless signal, your “in-body network” would immediately send an alert when a heart attack is happening.

“The communications regulator said that sensors could be implanted into people at risk of heart attack or diabetic collapse that would allow doctors to monitor them remotely.

If the “in-body network” recorded that the person had suddenly collapsed, it would send an alert, via a nearby base station at their home, to a surgery or hospital.

However, Ofcom also gave warning in its report, Tomorrow’s Wireless World, that the impact of such technology on personal privacy would require more debate.

The technology, which is being tested now in Portsmouth, could also be used if a patient failed to take his or her medicines. A pill dispenser would send an automatic reminder and, if the pills were not taken within a certain time, an alarm would sound and a message would be sent to the patient’s family or carers.

However, health experts say that they are skeptical about the level of take-up of “in-body” sensors while research into the possible radiation impact of wi-fi networks is going on.”

“Be sure to stay in range when your having the “Big One” Pops!”

This topic brings up a huge debate. On the one side, you’ll have a great healthcare system that monitors you and can assist those patients in need. On the other side, you’ll have Big Brother telling you when to take your horse pills and don’t sit on the toilet bowl for long periods of time because your hemorrhoids might pop out.

I now ask you, the viewer, what is your take?
A. Let the Gob’ment and Doctor’s monitor..
B. I don’t need no stinkin pills

Via Times Online

written by Juan Perez \\ tags: A. Let, alert, attack, B. I, Bluetooth, bluetooth devices, Bluetooth medical, debate, device, Heart, iMPACT, in-body network, Network, news, patient, Portsmouth, side, Suppository, Technology, time, world