Sony’s PlayStation 3 and PSP will be receiving new Firmware updates… very soon we’re told.

We’re liking the addition of letting you know when your friend last played on his PS3.  You can then bust his chops and mention to turn on that dust collector.  Here’s the quick recap on what’s changing:

PlayStation 3
* Support for the PS3 Official Bluetooth Headset - we’ve told you about the upcoming Bluetooth Headset and SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation Bundle on the Blog. This latest firmware installment enables High-Quality (HQ) mode, which delivers clear and wide-band online voice chat. On top of that, an added on-screen indicator shows battery status, volume level and use of HQ mode.
* PlayStation Trophies interface enhancements - I know that many of you are busy collecting trophies and raising your PlayStation Trophy level. This update makes sharing and comparing your trophies with your friends even easier. On 1st part of the profile page you’ll see a symbol under level that represents level and the actual percentage towards the next level along with the existing level meter. The level symbol carries over to the trophy comparison screen where you will now be able to see your level, your friend’s level and the percentage towards the next level for both users along with all of the game by game comparison information you see today.
* Friend status – Offline friends on your Friends list will have information below their avatars that will indicate how long it has been since they were last online.
Continue reading »

written by Juan Perez \\ tags: Battery Status, Confrontation, Dust Collector, firmware, Firmware Sony, Firmware Updates, Game Comparison, Interface Enhancements, Level Meter, Minute Intervals, Network Cards, Next Level, playstation 3, Psp Firmware, Search Feature, SOCOM, Sony PS3, Sony PSP, Trophies, U S Navy, update, Video Section, Video Settings, Voice Chat, Volume Level

For those of you who popped Halo 3 into your 360 today, you might have noticed some changes. Namely, the game’s second title update. It has upgraded you’re copy to a few changes we’ve talked about in the past (achievements) and other Halo 3 tinkering.

Bungie has givens us the full rundown on their site’s blog. Most interesting from the bunch are the “Vidmaster” achievements which will NOT give you achievement points, but Bungie hints that unlocking them should be a worthy investment of your time. Might they finally grant regular folk the flaming Hayabusa helmet (seen above) that only developers — and “special” people — have been privy to?

New achievements after the break…

Via Bungie Blog Continue reading »

written by Carlos Macias \\ tags: Achievements, Bungie, Halo 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, podcast, title, update, xbox live

Too cheap to buy the full retail version of SoulCalibur IV?  Well, this week’s FREE demo is a nice appetizer to the main dish.  Also, The Last Guy looks pretty cool, but stay here for review.  Other than that the two Warkhawk Add-on’s are the other updates worth noting.  Enjoy your last update in August!

Downloadable Games

• The Last Guy ($9.99)

Add-on Content:

• Rock Band DLC
  • “She Does” - Locksley ($0.99)
  • “Don’t Make Me Wait” - Locksley ($0.99)
  • “Don’t Make Me Wait” - Locksley ($0.99)
  • “All Over Again” - Locksley ($0.99)
  • Locksley Pack 1 ($2.99) - includes: “All Over Again,” “Don’t Make Me Wait,” and “She Does” by Locksley.
• Warhawk Fallen Star Pack ($7.99)
• Warhawk Booster Combo ($15.99)

Game Demos

• NHL 09
• Soulcalibur IV

Game Videos:

• SOCOM Confrontation Extraction trailer
• LittleBigPlanet Leipzig “Sackzilla” Trailer
• Motorstorm Pacific Rift Leipzig Trailer
• PAIN Trauma Mode Trailer
• GT5 Prologue Play the Pros with Tanner Foust!
• Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway Machine Gun & Bazooka Video
• Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway Squad Gameplay Video
• Facebreaker Audition Video #1
• Facebreaker Audition Video #2
• Facebreaker Audition Video #3
• Madden NFL 09 Gameplay Trailer
• Madden NFL 09 Madden Moments Trailer
• Madden NFL 09 Play Call Trailer
• Top Spin 3 Player Creator Trailer

Movie and Blu-ray Trailers:

• Quantum Of Solace
• Prom Night

PS3 Wallpaper:

• (2) The Last Guy
  

Via Blog.PlayStation

written by Juan Perez \\ tags: All, are, Ares, August, band, Blu-ray, Brother, buy, call, combo, Combos, Content, cool, Creator, Demo, DLC, download, Downloads, Edition, Enjoy, Facebreaker, Facebreakers, Fallen, free, game, game games, gaming, GUI, gun, guy, Hell, Highway, Include, Leipzig, LittleBigPlanet, look, Looks, machine, Machines, Madden, make, Makes, making, mode, MotorStorm, movie, Movies, NFL, NHL, night, Pacific, Pack, PAIN, play, Player, Playstation, PlayStations, Pretty, Prologue, Retail, retailer, Rift, Rock, Soulcalibur, Spin, Star, Stars, Stay, store, Than, Top, Tops, Trailer, update, Updated, Updates, version, Via, video, Videos, wait, Waiting, Wallpaper, Warhawk, Week, Weeks, WIth, worth

The new Brett Favre jersey is now on sale at the Jets Shop.  The replica jersey which should be a very popular one sells for $80.00.  While Brett Favre is still featured on the cover on Madden 09 in his Packers jersey, I’m sure the first roster update will have him with the Jets.  While Favre being traded to the Jets may just seem like the typical “over the hill” QB trying to get in one last season, I think the trade may have a heavy impact on this season and possibly the next.  If the Jets perform poorly this season, the draft choice they sent to the Packers now becomes more valuable.  The Jets do have some quality receivers with Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery, meaning that Favre should be able to jump right in and stretch the field with these guys as long as they all stay healthy.  Basically, the New York Jets just went from a mediocre team behind Clemens or Pennington to a playoff potential with Favre.  I assume either Clemens or Pennington will be traded soon.  If the New York Jets could somehow beat the New England Patriots at least once this season, they will be in serious business. While some may think the Packers are doomed, that’s probably not the case.  They will have a really strong defense this season.  If Rodgers can step up and play to his potential, they might make the playoffs as well…

written by Will Snizek \\ tags: Brett, Clemens, Cover, draft, Favre, hill, iMPACT, JERSEY, Madden, New England, New York, Pennington, Replica, Rodgers, roster, sale, Season, shop, Trade, update

The Red Faction: Guerilla Beta just received a very nice update for the Xbox 360 testing going on right now.  Gaming Today recently reported on the update and it certainly looks nice. The following changes have been reported:

• Fixed clients seeing excessive lag when performing destruction with the sledgehammer.
• Fixed a few crashes during gameplay.
• Fixed players sometimes dropping out during matchmaking.
• Fixed clients not seeing the countdown timer during matchmaking before there are enough players to launch the game.
• Fixed the countdown timer halting at zero without starting a match
• Fixed the excessive darkness of Deadzone.
• Added NAT type to the bottom right of the main menu.
• Changed patience dots to not cause a line break when matchmaking.
• Changed “BACK” to “DONE” on the match results screen.
• All party members can now hit Y to bring up their friends list in the party lobby, rather than just the leader.
• Finishing a match now awards 25 XP, rather than 5 XP.
• Removed the backpack info popup when you pick up a backpack.

written by Will Snizek \\ tags: backpack, beta, Changed, countdown, Faction, Fixed, game, Guerilla, match, matchmaking, NAT, Party, Red, timer, update, Updated, Xbox

Do you love PlayStation Trophies?  Well then get out there you rookie!  The very addictive ‘PixelJunk Eden’ has joined the PSN today for $9.99.  It’s the first game to support trophies at its release.  And don’t forget that you can upload your in-game footage to Youtube.  Grab your “Grimp” and get swingin’.

Also in this weeks PSN update, ‘Facebreakers’ will have you reaching for Neosporin.  Check out the rest of the list below:

Playable content

• PixelJunk Eden full game ($9.99)

Add-on content

• Soul Calibur IV “Customization Equipment” pack 1 ($1.50)
• Rock Band DLC
  • “They Say” - Scars on Broadway ($2)
  • “This is it” - Staind ($2)
  • “Electric Crown” - Testament ($2)
  • “Yomp” - The New No 2 ($1)

Demos

• LEGO Indiana Jones demo (free)
• Facebreaker demo (free)
• Madden 09 demo (free)

Game Videos

• The Last Guy trailer
• Vampire Rain Altered Species trailer 3
• Beijing 2008 “track” trailer
• Beijing 2008 “swimming” trailer
• Bionic Commando Rearmed Making of - part 2
• AST Dew Tour - BMX Progression trailer
• AST Dew Tour - BMX Rewind trailer
• AST Dew Tour - FMX Unleashed
• AST Dew Tour - Skate Highlights

PS3 Wallpapers and Themes

• Killzone 2 theme
• 2x PixelJunk Eden themes
• 2x Siren Blood Curse wallpapers
• 2x Soul Calibur IV wallpapers
• Street Fighter IV Summer 2008 wallpaper

Game Music

• 17x Sould Calibur IV tracks ($0.99 individually, $14.99 as a set)

Via PlayStation.Blog

written by Juan Perez \\ tags: Beijing, Calibur, Demo, Dew Tour - BMX, Dew Tour - FMX, Dew Tour - Skate, Eden, Edition, game, Guy trailerVampire, Indiana, July, Pixel Junk Eden, PixelJunk, Playstation, Playstation store update, PSN, psn store, Rain Altered, release, Rock Band, rookie, store, Today, trailerAST, Trophies, update

As of now, nothing special to report.  From the keyboard on PlayStations Blog:

“Just wanted to give everyone a quick heads up that a PS3 firmware update (v2.42) is now available for download. This update improves the playback quality of some PLAYSTATION 3 and PlayStation format software.”

Some sites were reporting the release of Life with PlayStation.  Here is what Life with PlayStation is all about:

Via PlayStation Blog

written by Juan Perez \\ tags: blog, download, everyone, firmware, firmware 2.42, format, keyboard, life, nothing, playback, Playstation, PlayStations, ps3 2.42, PS3 Firmware, quality, release, software, update

It’s Thursday again. If you have any PlayStation 3 knowledge you’d know that today is the last PSN Update before E3. Sony sends us some interesting demos and videos to chew on. This weeks demo hit has to be Siren: Blood Curse.  Monster Madness is a close 2nd.

Playable Content

* Siren: Blood Curse demo
* Monster Madness: Grave Danger demo
* Wall*E demo
* Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian demo

Add-on Content

* Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 Gift Pack (free)
* Rock Band DLC (posted after the break)

Continue reading »

written by Juan Perez \\ tags: AST, blood, Chilli, Content, Curse, Demo, Dew Tour, Dew Tour - Bilko, Dew Tour - Burnquist, Dew Tour - PlayStation, DLC, hot, Madness, Monster, Peppers, Playstation downloads, Prince Caspian, PSN releases, PSN Updates, Red, Rock Band, Siren, Trailer, update, Vegas

Well, since Sony pulled firmware 2.40 many user’s wondered why. I know many gamers who downloaded it and never had an issue. I guess 1% does mean something to someone. Anywho, the problem has now been fixed with Firmware 2.41 and the world seems good again. One special update for those who already had 2.40, a new Platinum Trophy. Our Friends over at Kotaku picked up on the new icon, so we’ll promptly show you the pic below:

Straight from Playstations lips..er keyboard keys:

Hi, everyone. As many of you know, we released PS3 firmware update v2.40 last week, but had to take it offline temporarily because, for a limited number of users, the XMB wouldn’t display after the update was installed. We’ve been able to fix the problem, and I’m happy to report that firmware update v2.41 will be released shortly.

We want to extend our apologies to the PlayStation community for any inconvenience. Now we’ll be looking forward to seeing everyone online and racking up those trophies!

Thanks Sony for the Update!

Pics Via Kotaku

written by Juan Perez \\ tags: Anyhwo, Features, firmware, firmware 2.41, Gold, icon, issue, Kotaku, Platinum, Playstation, problem, PS3 2.41, someone, something, Sony, Trophy, update, user, world

After close to 15 hours of uptime, the firmware for the Playstation 3’s, 2.40 has been taken down. The official Playstation Blog has the latest on what’s happening. In the meantime, please read below what Sony has posted concerning the 2.40 update:

As has been reported on many gaming blogs and websites, we have temporarily taken Firmware v2.40 offline. We’ve received a limited number of calls from consumers experiencing an issue with installing the system software update on their PS3. While our consumer services department has seen a low volume of calls on this topic, we are committed to providing the PS3 community with XMB access features delivered in the v2.40 update. We are working diligently to isolate the problem for those few consumers and to identify a solution before we put the firmware back up.

For those of you (me) who have downloaded the updated firmware, if you’ve got no problems your all set. Enjoy the wonderfulness that is in-game Xross media bar. And the trophies.. oh baby the TROPHIES! For you Xbox360 jerks, have your moment. With your working XBox Live achievements and all. Ahh Shut it!

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written by Juan Perez \\ tags: blog, consumer, firmware, gaming, issue, meantime, number, offline, Playstation, PS3 2.40 down, ps3 2.40 taken down, software, Sony, system, update, uptime, Xbox