Tag Archives: sony

Sony Announces New PS4 Just When I Buy A New PS3

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Before you judge me – I had to re-buy my PS3 because it along with my Xbox 360 got stolen a little while ago. Between the two I decided to go fore the PS3 because traditionally Sony ops for the ten year life cycle for their consoles. Thinking I knew better, I figure Microsoft would update quicker than Sony so I bought the PS3 since it has a nice blueray player and online play is free. Since I wagered Microsoft would put out their device before Q4 of this year, I’d just wait to get that console next.

Looks like my gamble was a little off. When I pulled the trigger on the purchase the rumors of the next gen device from Sony started to come in fast and heavy. Spec sheets, design mocks, and rumors galore! Today was the confirmation and the device sounds good. Sony hasn’t gone so far as to show what the device looks like yet, but there is an honest-to-goodness spec sheet available now. We also get to see the new controller. 

 

 

Spec Sheet:

  • Single-chip custom processor, with eight x86-64 AMD Jaguar CPU cores and 1.84 TFLOPS next-gen AMD Radeon based graphics engine
  • 8GB GDDR5 memory
  • Built-in hard drive
  • 6x Blu-Ray and 8x DVD drive
  • USB 3.0 and auxiliary ports
  • Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 2.1
  • HDMI, analog AV-out, and optical S/PDIF audio output
  • DualShock 4 controller, with two-point capacitive touchpad, three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer, vibration, light bar with three color LEDs, mono speaker, micro USB port, stereo headset port, extension port, 1000mAh battery
  • PlayStation 4 Eye camera, with two 1280 x 800 cameras, f/2.0 fixed focus lenses, 85-degree field of view, 30cm minimum focusing distance, four-channel microphone array

It looks like Sony is putting a lot of emphasis on social gaming. New features include the ability to watch someone else play a game remotely or even take or yield control of the game online. It looks like you will be able to browse content with your smart phone as well.

There is at least one downside to the upgrade however which comes in the lack of backwards compatibility with PS3 games. This is a major shift in the status-quo that we are used to from Sony. They usually pride themselves on an ecosystem that spans several generations. Personally I don’t think it’s a bad move, but time will tell whether or not it’s a good move. One thing is for certain, and that is that someone at the top is listening to what’s going on in the market. Sony seems to realize that if they drag their feet here, they will be left in the dust by the likes of up and coming whippersnappers like the Valve Steam Box and the Android Ouya consoles.

[Source: TheVerge]

Update: Check out this awesome new video of the new “Destiny” Trailer from Bungie (creators of Halo) for PS4!

Update#2

Apparently the PS4 will have the ability to play used games, however, the folks over at Eurogamer are saying that

Shuhei Yoshida, Sony’s head of Worldwide Studios wasn’t able to clarify past vague comments about how selling used PS4 games would work. This is becoming a sore point as the next generation Xbox System is rumored to lock down games so that no one other than the original purchaser can play them.

Sony Xperia Ion Review

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We managed to snag us a Sony Xperia Ion and played with it for a bit this week. The phone came out on AT&T the end of June and many people are wondering how it stacks up with some of the other devices in AT&T’s stable. Read on to find out!

As usual, I’ll be breaking down the review on the points I liked and the issues I didn’t feel comfortable with or wish could be changed.

Likes:

  • Form Factor

As soon as I pulled this puppy from my pocket, no less than two people around me approached me to ask me what type of phone I had. I gladly told them what it was and what I was doing with it. I was really surprised, because I don’t usually get that strong of a reaction when I’m holding a phone. Granted, it could have been dumb luck, but I can definitely see why someone might be intrigued with this device. It really does have a sleek, elegant beauty to it – yet you can tell it’s functional. Sony has a way of making electronic devices look and feel really high-grade and the Ion is no different. there is nothing flimsy about this phone which I find really important if I’m going to spend a couple hundred on any piece of equipment.

Samsung Infuse Review

There is the standard 3.5mm headphone jack at the top, and your volume rocker as well as power-button and dedicated camera button which I’ll talk about in a bit. Nothing but a mic on the bottom, and the HDMI, and Micro USB on the left.

  • Camera
The Camera is a whopping 12 MP with 16x zoom.  It can also record full 1080p video – which looks pretty great on my HD TV. Was quite surprised with the quality of the crappy video I took of my living room on the big screen. The camera is also capable of a 3D Panorama shot. I did find it slightly cool for the first 5 minutes, but then it started to feel a little gimmicky. I couldn’t really think of very many reasons to use it – however, I’m sure there are a few of you who can come up with some ideas. There’s also a front facing camera (1.3 MP) for video chatting with Skype or whatever your favorite video telephony app is. I also liked the fact that you could jump right into not only the camera app, but taking a picture instantly by depressing the hardware camera button.
  • Speed
AT&T’s LTE network really flies when it wants to. I can’t speak for those in Manhattan in the middle of the day, but when I was using it – downloading apps and playing video was a breeze. I could definitely get used to that.

Dislikes:

  • Operating System
Now to the disappointment. Androids next iteration of its mobile operating system,Jellybean, has already been announced and is being pushed out to Galaxy Nexus owners as we speak. Ice-Cream Sandwhich is now old. This device is running Android 2.3, a.k.a Gingerbread. Now the OS skinning seems to be a double edged sword. There are UI refinements that were refinements when Gingerbread was the main OS for android, but it also slows down updates. It’s really up to you, but in my humble opinion – this is where the device falls short. I also noticed a bit of lag when moving from screen to scree, however, others haven’t noticed it so perhaps it was my device. At any rate, navigating the older OS, even though it is heavily skinned, was a little annoying knowing that there was something two generations better out there.
There is also the smart dock – which I didn’t have, but got around by just connecting the DMI cord directly to the tv. It’s a pretty nifty idea, and it can be fun playing games on the phone and displaying the image on the big screen. You can also, ofcourse, play movies or music – basically any media on your device on your HD TV. However, I put this under dislikes because there are tons of other ways to get the media from your device to your TV. For example, if you have an HD TV, chances are you have either some apps, or a game system, or some other way to consume third party media. So why go through the trouble to connect your phone? To watch home movies taken from the phone? Yes, but that’s pretty much it. You can also purchase a remote, but it works best with a Sony TV. When playing games on the HD TV, you can’t really take your eyes off of the mobile screen because then you can’t control your character so its really for everyone else’s enjoyment which I found frustrating. I found myself wishing the phone just displayed controls while I played the actual game on the tv.
  • Little Thick 
Not a very big deal here, but I found the device slightly on the chunky side. It’s so slick and cool looking that I just wished it were a little thinner, but those are really my personal aesthetics at this point. Most may not find this to be an issue and it’s definitely not a deal breaker.

Summary:

All-in-all, I enjoyed the device. I will warn you though, there isn’t a specific date announced as to when the device will get an ice-cream sandwich update. A rep told me “later this year”, but that’s all I got.  And then when it does, it will only be behind by one update. Other than that, I really can’t find too many other glaring issues with the device. It has a solid build, and a great camera with decent specs.

New Sony Xperia ION an AT&T Exclusive

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Had a little time with the phone and a few things jumped out at me.

First was the screen. It will have a 4.6 inch HD Reality Display (1280×720) which looks awesome. Everything looks crisp and bright. Second was it’s ability to dock with the Sony Smart Dock and display phone content via HD Cable to your High Def TV. If it’s a Sony TV you can even use the remote to control content which was pretty cool though I would have much rathered a wireless connection. Then was the Playstation Certification. This means genuine PlayStation titles can be played through the phone which is pretty cool. Was playing Modern Combat on the big screen and it rocked. Though I had a tough time enjoying the experience because I had to keep looking back to the phone to figure out what the heck I was doing. I think giving the phone the ability to simply become the controller once docked with the TV would be a much more elegant approach. The key Details are as follows:

  • Playstation Certification
  • 16GB internal memory with the option to expand up to 32GB via microSD.
  • 12MP Camera
  • 4.6″ 720p HD Reality Display
  • 1.5Ghz dual core processor

One serious downer was the fact that this phone will not ship with Ice Cream Sandwhich. It will get the upgrade eventually, but who knows when. If the ION is something that tickles your fancy it will be available on AT&T exclusively on the 24th for $100 bucks on a 2 year contract.

Elite Social Club Starring the PS Vita!

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I’m sure you’ve heard of Sony’s new handheld gaming system called the PS Vita. You know about the 5″ screen, and the front and rear facing cameras. You may also know about it’s wi-fi, 3G, and Bluetooth connectivity. However, have you actually handled one? Held it gently in your arms and played the day away? If not, then here’s your chance! Sony has set up 8 “Social Clubs” around the country for people to go to, to experience the Vita. The eight towns are: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, New York, Boston, Chicago, and Austin. You can go here for more information. I went to the one in New York located at 154 Stanton Street, New York, NY. They hooked us up with free snacks and beverages as well as let us play as long as we wanted on the Vitas strewn across the many tables in the room. The hip decoration and trendy music made for a vibrant and cool experience. You also get to sign up for free which locks you in to the possibility of winning a Vita for yourself. If you haven’t gone yet, you better hurry as the promotion ends on the 22nd!

A couple of the games you’ll be able to play are listed below. There’s also some pretty cool footage of some of the games and their developers, so click the links below.

New PSP – PS Vita Now on the Scene

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The Sony PSP has finally been revisited and completely revamped. The end product is that pretty little thing you see above. The PS Vita, as its called, has all sorts of goodies under the hood. For starters, it will come with front and rear facing cameras, 3G and Wifi, dual joysticks, and a 5 inch screen. You will reportedly be able to speak with other gamers while playing and even play with gamers near by. Retail price is looking like $249. Take a look at the video below:


[source: Slashgear]

Socom 4: U.S. Navy Seals Review

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I checked out Socom 4: U.S. Navy Seals a little while back at a Sony event, but got my hands on it and decided to spend a little more quality time with it. The game has some great hits and some minor misses. Check the below for the details.

Likes:

In-Game Gun Customization

After missions, the game allows you to make customizations to weapons you have earned. This way, you can get to know your weapon more…intimately. This also helps taking out the enemy easier. In many shooters, I don’t really get the ability to customize until you get online so this is a welcome characteristic

Always Knowing Where to Go

So there is this diamond that is always onscreen. Its main purpose is to point you to areas of interest. Since the game is pretty linear, you end up following it to the end of the mission. Stay sharp though because it doesn’t alert you to ambushes.

In Depth Team Commands

As a guy who likes to play war-strategy games on the pc, I really liked the ability to command your fellow comrads. Socom 4: U.S. Navy Seals takes it a little further by giving you a little more than many other games in the same genre. You can delay attacks to coordinate kills as well as set way points so you can be a little bit more strategic with the way you play the game. Two thumbs up for tactics!

Dislikes:

Too Linear

As I mentioned before, the game is linear, and this can get to be a little annoying at times. You find yourself in one of two situations. Either being lulled into a pattern of game-play then someone suddenly shoots you or you being frustrated by not getting to explore and finish the level in your own way. It’s not very “sandboxy” so you pretty much have to do what the designers had in mind.

Environment Interaction Very Low

very little environment interaction. I took away from being brought into the Socom universe. The shrubbery doesn’t move when you’re hiding in it. You kind of phase right through the leaves. It’s small, but I thought that was a detail that adds to the ambiance of the the game as a whole. Also, you don’t seem to get burned by fire when its smoldering on the ground, and you can’t do a ton of exploring even though you can do some. Also on one of the early stealth missions, silent kills weren’t so stealthy but none of the guards seemed to notice the guy yelling or the splattered blood on the ground. Again, not a huge deal, but it detracts from the believability of the game scenarios.

Controls can be complicated

This is something that most will probably get over with trial and error. But if your new to the franchise get ready for a big learning curve. zooming in to kill the enemy literally takes three button presses and keeping track of your gear is simple but time consuming when in battle. Switching between first and third person views can be disconcerting as well. It’s doable ofcourse but very tough at first.

 

Wrapup:

Very good, but I’ve played better.  Got to say that the command system was one of the best I’ve played with so far. I’m a big fan of war strategy games and this power is definitely for those who like to control the action at a micro level. However, so many controls felt cumbersome at times especially when in the middle of a large fire fight. Oftentimes I had to die a couple times just trying to get my controls down. That said, it was quite enjoyable taking baddies down with precision and control and it’s definitely worth checking out and adding to the collection if you like shooters.

 

Sony Busting a Move – a 3D Move

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We tagged along with some folks from Sony to see some of their upcoming titles and gear, and we were not disappointed. They have a great line-up coming down the pipe and they are really putting some muscle behind 3D Technology. To be honest, I’m not sold on 3D just yet, but last night was definitely an eyeopener. I got to demo Virtua Tennis 4, Kill Zone 3, along with U.S. Navy Seals all in 3 D and they all looked fantastic.

Kill Zone 3:

This game is awesome! Not only were the graphics visually stunning, gameplay was relatively smooth and intuitive. I got to play with the Sony Move Sharpshooter apparatus which gives you the ability to play the game standing up and pointing a gun towards the screen. It has shooting options such as automatic, and semi-automatic, and you can reload by striking the bottom of the apparatus as if you are actually changing a clip. Very cool.

 

Virtua Tennis 4: It looked great in 3D and can definitely become a good work-out with the playstion Move Controller, especially if you play against anyone good! They have completely revamped the Virtua Tennis world and you can now look at a map of events which makes it feel RPG-ish. Your character suffers from fatigue as times goes along as well. There are also a bunch of mini games to sharpen your skills.

 

 

U.S. Navy Seals: I was most impressed with their use of 3D with this game. There are images on the screen that represent where your team is and enemies as well as ammo etc that seemingly  float above the action. So your most important information is right on the screen with you, but not in the way. The shrubs and other objects in the game really pop out at you and I enjoyed sneaking up on enemies and executing a well thought out plan with my computer teammates!

 

 

We did get to check out the XPeria Play which is Sony’s Playstation phone. I think it looks great and it will definitely resonate with gamers who want a more serious gaming experience on their phones. It runs Android Gingerbread which is the latest Android release from Google, and also sports full directional and action button pad. It also has two analog stick touch areas which I thought was a great addition. It will be coming out for Verizon fairly soon.

Take a look at some of the images below

 

The Fight: “Lights Out” Video Game

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Look! It’s Machete (not to be confused with Danny Trejo) at Club Mighty playing “The Fight:Lights Out” with Sony’s new PlayStation®Move motion controllers and the PlayStation®Eye. It appears no one real suffered any violence, however, the same can’t be said about his pixilated opponents.

Mr. Trejo actually plays a trainer in the game. There are different moves to master including throws, combos, locks, and of course the art of dirty fighting. One thing we want to know – can we have one?

Sony Ericsson “Motions” Forward with MH907

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Sony Ericsson thinks they have a game changer here with their new headset. The hype they had was crazy…and honestly I’m a little underwhelmed. Now that’s not to say that it isn’t a good idea for the headset to recognize gestures, but I thought it was going to be a little more in depth. The gestures are just inserting and reinserting the ear-buds, which if you ask me will just get annoying over time or give me some rash in my ear from all the chaffing.  I thought they were going to go the route of increasing and decreasing the volume based on brain impulses. That would’a been far cooler. Alas, guess I got to write that one down and do it before someone else does! But if you are still interested it comes in three colors for now…yellow, white, and titan chrome.  Click on the image to see the cool promotional video.

PSP3 slim….Finally

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If you thought the PS3 was a bit bulky for your taste, you have company. That’s been a complaint for a while…that along with the hefty price tag. However, both have been addressed by Sony which will be offering a slim version of its PS3 in September, as well as a price cut of the 80 gig model of the original PS3. You can find more details over at Engadget. This is most-likely what the procrastinators have been waiting for. Time for some blue-ray goodness!