|
|
PSP News is a News and downloads site for the PSP, PSVita, PS4, PS3, PS2 and PSOne, We have all the latest emulators, hack and custom firmwares, homebrew and all the downloads on this site, we also cover commercial gaming and console news., the latest homebrew and releases, Part of the
DCEmu Homebrew & Gaming Network.
This Website
THE LATEST NEWS BELOW
|
March 22nd, 2007, 00:13 Posted By: Shrygue
via PS3 Fanboy
USA Today took the liberty of poking fun at Sony in this recent article, using some of the most depressing quotes since... (hold on, checking my watch that I don't wear) oh, about an hour ago. Things like Sony's performance "is simply abysmal", or "The PS3 is sucking wind right now." The list of negative factors against Sony and its newborn child go on, but whatever. Our focus is on David Karraker, one of the bigwigs at SCE. Karraker responded to these allegations thus: "I chuckle when you say we are in trouble, because when you couldn't find them on shelves, some said we were in trouble. So we're damned if we do and damned if we don't."
What Dan Hsu (of EGM fame) said rang pretty true about the future of the PS3: "Once you get [Final Fantasy XIII and Metal Gear Solid 4, you can get the mainstream audience from there. That's the way Sony did it with the PlayStation and PS2." This was in response to the massive sales of the Nintendo Wii, which is our next point. The ratio used to be closer to 3 Wii's to every 1 PS3, wasn't it? At least in America, the ratio is slightly below 2:1 -- nothing to praise, sure, but the gap isn't at its largest, you know? Europe will hopefully bolster the sales of the PS3 worldwide so we can say: "so yeah, uh, now it's 1.5:1... can we call this a win?" and many will answer, "no, no you may not".
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
 Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
 |
|
|
|
March 21st, 2007, 23:43 Posted By: Shrygue
via PSP Fanboy
It's been a long time coming, but internet tunneling for PSP seems to finally be in full-swing. With Xlink Kai, and a compatible Wi-Fi adapter, you'll be able to play Ad-Hoc games, like Monster Hunter, online. Watch Impress was able to squeeze in 2500 people into a Monster Hunter Portable 2nd game room. All that's needed is: an Xlink Kai account (which is currently free) and a compatible Wi-Fi adapter, such as the PCI Gamering XII, which includes the appropriate drivers.
When booting up a game in Ad-Hoc mode, it will make other Xlink Kai users appear as if they're in the same room as you. With Xlink, so many of the PSP multiplayer games that fans have been collecting won't feel so lonely anymore.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
March 21st, 2007, 23:22 Posted By: wraggster
via JOYSTIQ
So we knew that the PlayStation 3 1.60 firmware update would add the much requested background downloading function, and we'd heard rumors that background downloading wouldn't work while gaming, but thanks to a press release from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (we hear they've got something going on this week), it looks like the system will be able to download stuff while you're playing games. Apparently, the system will allow you to queue up six pieces of content from the PlayStation Store while using other functions of the system, notably playing games and watching videos (Blu-ray?). These downloads can be tracked using a new "Download Management" menu under the XMB's Network icon. While at first you may think the ability to just queue up downloads while gaming doesn't necessarily mean those downloads will proceed, IGN confirmed with Sony that "you'll be able to play games offline while downloads work in the background, and if you hop online your queue will simply pause until you disconnect." We'll be sure to test out the functionality tomorrow when 1.60 drops.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
March 21st, 2007, 23:18 Posted By: wraggster
Last week, Sony revealed that forthcoming 1.6 firmware update would let PlayStation 3 owners take part in the Folding@home project. Now, Sony has officially announced that when the update comes out this Thursday, it will also add several nonaltruistic functionalities to the console.
First and foremost, the 1.6 update will enhance the PS3's downloading system. A download-manager tab will be added to the XrossMediaBar (XMB) where users can queue up to six downloads from the PlayStation Store. The update will also add limited background downloading functionality, allowing PS3 owners to watch videos, view photos, listen to music, and surf the Web while downloading PlayStation Store content. Sony did not say whether or not PS3 owners could play games while downloading content, as Xbox 360 owners can. The Wii does not offer any background downloading functionality.
The 1.6 update will also offer an alternative to the cell-phone-like predictive text system PS3 users must currently use if they do not have a USB keyboard. The update will add a virtual QWERTY keyboard to the console, which will let players enter text with the Sixaxis controller. It will also add support for keyboards and mice that use Bluetooth wireless technology.
Other features included in the upgrade include Remote Play PSP support for 20GB PS3s, disc autostart, and Blu-ray Disc Rewriteable (BD-RE) playback.
via gamespot
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
March 21st, 2007, 23:16 Posted By: wraggster
Call it the digital equivalent of a rain out. The PlayStation 3 edition of Sony's first-party baseball game, MLB 07: The Show, appears to have been delayed.
The game, which was first expected to be released in early 2007, will now ship in May, according to the official MLB 07: The Show Web site. The game's previous release date was scheduled for April. PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable versions were released in February.
PS3-owning baseball fans aren't completely stranded on the bench. 2K Sports, which owns third-party exclusive rights to MLB-branded games, released a PS3 version of MLB 2K7, the latest in its annual franchise.
Sony was unavailable for comment as of press time.
via gamespot
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
March 21st, 2007, 23:08 Posted By: wraggster
Sony boss David Reeves says that if you can walk into a shop on Friday and buy a PlayStation 3 without a pre-order, that'll mean the company got the launch right.
"We don't want secret shoppers to go in there and say, 'Ah, it's not out of stock, therefore it's not selling,'" he told Reuters. "Indeed, what we're trying to say is we want to make it available to the normal shopper who goes in there and says, 'Do you have PlayStation 3?', and they will say, 'Yes.' And the same for the software."
Reeves, who is president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, told the news agency that the delay between the console's Japanese and North American launches last November and its arrival in Europe this Friday has been of great benefit in reaching the goal of shipping one million units of hardware for day one.
"It's rather like taking a bottle of soda water and we've shaken it so hard over the last six months that when we take the cork off, it's just going to explode," he explained (probably waving his arms around expressively). "I think that's a better way of looking at it than to say the delay is disappointing. It's not - it's really been beneficial for us. We're going to get it right."
via eurogamer
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
March 21st, 2007, 23:06 Posted By: wraggster
via engadget
Peripheral purveyor SplitFish has already brought some PC-style input to the PlayStation 2, but now, as promised, it's taken its game to the PS3, following up its EdgeFX mouse controller with the strikingly-similar FragFX device. Like the EdgeFX, the FragFX gives you a mouse to improve your aim in FPS games, with the separate left-handed grip controller getting an upgrade this time around to let you take advantage of the PS3's motion sensing abilities. Not one to let a potential selling point go unnoticed, SplitFish is also touting the controller as being "optimized" for use with Sony's recently announced Home virtual world. While you'll have to wait a while to put that particular claim to the test, you will be able to get your hands on a wired version of the FragFX next month for $60, with a Bluetooth version coming "later" for $70.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
March 21st, 2007, 22:45 Posted By: wraggster
Sega's confirmed that it'll have five games out to accompany PS3's launch in the UK and Europe this Friday, including Virtua Fighter 5.
The impressive beat-'em-up is being joined by Virtua Tennis 3, Sonic The Hedgehog, Full Auto 2: Battlelines and World Snooker Championship 2007.
Gary Knight, Sega's European marketing director has said the company is "thrilled to have one of the strongest lineups for the launch of the PS3 in Europe".
"The outstanding quality of software across such a range of genres means we will have something for everyone to enjoy from day one!" he added.
via cvg
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
March 21st, 2007, 22:44 Posted By: wraggster
Sony may drop the price of the PS3 by around $100 in October this year, if an analyst report proves to be accurate.
Goldman Sachs analyst, Yuji Fujimori, this week predicted the price reduction, noting that "the PS3 price has long been cited as high", and that a reduction would not undermine SCE's long-term profit from the console.
CNN Money reports that Fujimori also highlights that simplification of the PS3 hardware, which reduce production costs, would boost profitability, noting that the PSone started out with 700 components, which was eventually reduced to 200. Likewise, the 2000 components in early PS2s were reduced to 600.
He says that a 2000-component version of PS3 is "in the pipeline", reduced from 4000 in prototype versions. IBM has also last week unveiled its production of a cheaper 65mn version of the PS3's Cell processor.
We can only wait and see if the analyst report does indeed prove accurate
via cvg
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
March 21st, 2007, 22:41 Posted By: Shrygue
via PSP Fanboy
Don't throw out your handhelds: there's a lot of life left in them. According to an analyst at DFC Intelligence, the ever-expanding market for both DS and PSP will help allow it to beat the current generation systems: "Under the right scenario, by 2011 the combined installed base of the DS and PSP could exceed that for the Nintendo Wii, Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360," noted David Cole.
While Nintendo will be responsible for much of the growth of the handheld industry, Sony is certainly not out of the game--they will "establish a solid position in the marketplace" (if they haven't already). Cole reminds investors that "existing console game publishers have found it is possible to make over $100 million in revenue from a single PSP title based on the right franchise," a figure that's not to be scoffed at.
Ultimately, PSP's success will be determined by a number of factors, with Sony's support for the platform being key. Sony said they're working on exciting new things for the platform at GDC--hopefully, it's true.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
March 21st, 2007, 22:30 Posted By: wraggster
More bad news for PSP owners - the release of hotly anticipated military sims, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 and Rainbow Six Vegas, have been delayed.
GRAW 2, originally due for a March 30 release, has been shoved back two months and is now slated for a June release, along with the PC version which has suffered the same delay.
The May release date for Rainbow Six Vega now stands at 'spring' which isn't so bad, but the vagueness of this concerns us. And Driver 76 has also been pushed back to June to allow for extra development time.
This news comes after Konami revealed that Metal Gear Portable Ops would be launching in PAL territories in May as oppose to April, as originally planned. Still, that means May is going to be one hell of a good month for PSP.
via cvg
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
March 21st, 2007, 22:09 Posted By: Shrygue
via PS3 Fanboy
Over at a place known only as The Slug, some gents got to take a flight around the skies of Lair, due out this summer. If you don't know what the game's about, just imagine Drakengard, but good. If that doesn't help, think Dynasty Warriors meets Panzer Dragoon. Still nothing? Hmm... go watch Dragonheart. Anyway, here's what The Slug had to say about their time with the game:
- Environments and aerial combat looks great, even in the unfinished version
- The flight controls are getting tighter, not to mention very easy to get used to. Flick the controller back to do a 180? Excellent.
- Beyond some unlockable moves, the dragons will not be customizable.
No customization? Aww, but dragons are so much fun to dress up! You can give them silly party hats, fingerless gloves, an eyepatch, maybe a few swords sticking out of it... could be pretty neat. But, it's also understandable that adding full customization would be a lot of extra work. Perhaps for a future update of sorts? What's your two cents?
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
March 21st, 2007, 22:01 Posted By: Shrygue
via PS3 Fanboy
Here's another quick story for our Australian readers. Wonder what the downloadable games will cost you? Sony has priced them and they are as follows:
- Demos are free, of course
- Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection -- A$16.95
- Blast Factor -- A$8.45
- GripShift -- A$8.85
- Lemmings -- A$13.37
There are supposed to be more games due out upon launch, but they've not been confirmed/priced or something. We imagine most will be in the A$8.45 - A$13.37 range. Probably. We don't see Super Rub-a-Dub getting a massive price tag. That's it. See ya.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
March 21st, 2007, 21:55 Posted By: Shrygue
via Kotaku
New game types! New game options! New spectator mode! New death tally corrections when a player dies by drowning! It's finally here. Insomniac Games has released the game expanding update for Resistance: Fall of Man officially announced earlier this month and online PLAYSTATION 3 deathmatchers will want to download this puppy ASAP.
Another Resistance update is scheduled for May, which will include two new maps and worldwide online play support.
You can read the full list of changes after the jump. Watch for yours truly on R:FoM multiplayer this evening and enjoy kicking my ass.
Insomniac Games and Sony Computer Entertainment America have released the second content update for Resistance: Fall of Man. This update features two new modes of play amongst a host of other changes.
New Gametypes
- Added Team Conversion
In Team Conversion your goal is to kill everyone on the other team before they kill your team. Players are given a limited number of lives as a human and Chimera. If your team has at least one player with at least one life when the other team is completely dead, your team wins. You become a spectator when you have lost all your lives.
In Team Conversion mode, you are scored by how long you survived and how many other players you killed, like in free-for-all Conversion. However, the win goes to the last team with one or more players alive.
- Added Assault
Both teams start with a few nodes and all of the base defenses from Breach. To win, destroy the enemy reactor. When you deactivate an enemy node, it becomes permanently neutral, and your opponents lose some base defenses. At the start of the match, both reactors are shielded (invulnerable), so you must deactivate at least one of the enemy nodes. Nodes do not regenerate health in Assault, but they take substantially more damage than in other modes.
Individual players are scored based on damaging the enemy reactor and defending your reactor and nodes. Unlike other gametypes, players are also awarded points for damaging enemy nodes.
When you are killed, the map will appear. In an Assault match you can choose to respawn at nodes that have been deactivated as well as your team's reactor and active nodes, or with your squad if you are a member of one.
New Game Options
- Added "Round Balancing"
Round balancing can be set to either "on" or "off". It will default to "on". When round balancing is "on", if the number of players on each team is uneven at the end of the round, players will be moved from the team with too many players to the team with too few players to attempt to balance the teams. Parties will not be seperated, so it is not guaranteed to result in perfectly balanced teams. Round balancing is turned ON for ranked games.
- Added "enhanced" radar mode
"enhanced" radar is a new radar option. In custom games, the radar option can now be set to "on", "off", and "enhanced". In enhanced radar mode, human radar will show any enemies who are moving (not just sprinting/raging), jumping, or firing. Enemies who are crouching and moving will not show up on radar in "enhanced" mode.
Spectator mode
- Added "Spectator mode"
You may now join a game in "spectator mode", either by selecting "spectate" from the "Join Game" popup in the "Find Game" screen, or by bringing up your options menu from the "Staging" screen and changing your team until it says "Spectators". Games are limited to having 10 spectators, and there is a new game option "Allow Spectators" which defaults to "on" that may be turned off if the game creator does not want to allow spectators. Ranked matches do not allow spectators.
Spectator players will not be visible to anyone else in-game (although they will be visible in the staging screen), nor will they be able to talk to anyone except other spectators using the voice chat. Spectators can see all players on both teams on their radar. Spectators can toggle between two modes, "Observer" and "Free roam". In "Observer", spectator will see through the eyes of the player they are observing, including seeing the player's first person weapon and animations. Spectators can switch between observing different players with the "Melee/Action" key (default: Triangle), or switch to "Free roam" mode with the "Reload" key (default: Square). In "Free Roam" mode, spectators may wander freely about the map to view the action however they want. Spectators in "Free Roam" mode can switch back to "Observer" mode by pressing the "Reload" key (default: Square). If a spectator in "Free Roam" mode toggles to "Observer" mode while aiming at a player, he will observe the player he was aiming at instead of randomly selecting a player to observe. In both "Free Roam" and "Observer" mode, spectators can toggle their onscreen HUD on or off by pressing the "Zoom" key (default: R3).
In gametypes with limited lives (such as conversion, or if limited lives has been turned on by the game creator), players who lose all their lives and are eliminated will enter spectator mode, with a few small differences: Eliminated players cannot observe players on the opposite team, they can only see what their team sees on the radar, and they can only chat with other eliminated players (NOT with spectators).
UI Improvements
- Sorted buddy list by online status
- Made text on the map easier to read
- Players added to the ignore list will be removed from the buddy list
- Previously the health of a node was indicated by how fully shaded it was in the color of the team that controlled it or was capturing it. This was difficult to see, and it did not distinguish between nodes that were in the process of being captured from nodes that were in the process of being detroyed. Now nodes will have a health bar underneath the node (which will be team colored) to indicate its health, and the color of the node icon will indicate whether any team is in control of that node or not (it will be colored that team's color, or gray if no team controls it). Therefore if a node is in the process of being captured will have a team colored health bar and a gray icon, and a node in the process of being destroyed will have a team colored health bar and a team colored icon.
General
- Optimized net code
- Improved respawn algorithm to avoid selecting spawn points near enemies
- Optimized join game process for ranked game to be faster and more reliable, especially for large parties
Balancing
- Increased points for a "defense" kill from 1 to 4 in all modes
- Shotgun damage will decrease faster as range increases
- LAARK respawn time increased to 90 seconds, ammo respawn time increased to 60 seconds
- LAARK splash damage radius reduced
- Carbine headshot damage increased
Bug Fixes
- In FFA gametypes, you can no longer incorrectly see players on the radar who are within radar range of other players but not within radar range of you.
- Chimeran players no longer take extra melee damage from some weapons
- Enemies killed after you die but before you respawn will no longer count towards your killing spree for your next life
- Deaths will now tally correctly when a player dies by drowning
- Fixed a bug that sometimes caused the wrong map to load after a map vote
- Fixed problem where the quality of the microphone chat would degrade over time when in a party or long game
- Fixed bug that would cause you to reload after firing one shot if you had full ammo and hit reload and then fired in rapid succession
- Fixed several collision problems, including potential methods of escaping from the intended play area
- Fixed several potentially exploitable gameplay glitches
- Fixed several rare crash bugs
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
March 21st, 2007, 21:23 Posted By: wraggster
nataku92 posted an entry for the Neoflash Coding Contest:
.
Here's my newest version of Cspsp, with the following updates:
_________________
| |
| CS PSP |
| version 1.2 |
| by Kevin Chen |
| 2007 |
|_________________|
-UPDATES-
Finished all gun configs
Implemented buy menu
More compatibility with custom maps
Implemented Options
Implemented new Update feature
Screenshot/Download and Give Feedback Via Comments
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
March 21st, 2007, 21:19 Posted By: Shrygue
via IGN
Today XSEED announced it will be publishing Dungeon Maker: Hunting Ground for the PSP this July. Developed by Japanese studio Global A Entertainment and released in Japan last September, Dungeon Maker lets players design their own hack and slash playgrounds.
The game's story follows a novice dungeon maker from a small town which is defenseless against monster attacks. He buys a plot of land just outside of town and begins building a dungeon with which to lure the monsters and their master -- the legendary Wandering Demon. If players can defeat this demon, they will free their hometown from the constant fear of attacks.
Battles are fought in real-time with melee and ranged weapons, spells, and summon creatures. A large selection of building materials is available with which to customize your dungeon, and players can share their work with other gamers through the PSPs network connectivity.
Screenshots can be viewed via the source link above or here. Leave feedback via comments.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
March 21st, 2007, 21:07 Posted By: wraggster
Grimfate126 has updated his entry for the Neoflash Contest fixing a naughty bug:
Heres the full release details:
Welcome to Space Escape! We hope you enjoy playing this game.
Here is the basic rundown:
// ABOUT //
The aim of the game is to survive as long as you can in a dangerous asteroid field.
// CREDITS //
-- PROGRAMMERS --
Nikhil Dixit (Grimfate126)
David Perry (InsertWittyName)
-- MUSIC --
Abhoth
-- SPECIAL THANKS --
InsertWittyName's Phoenix Game Engine. It was used a lot throughout the game.
Anyone that contributed or tested.
You, for playing.
The official site is: http://insomniac.0x89.org/
Here is a video I made of the game:
Also, here is the high scores table, so you can check how you rank worldwide:
http://insomniac.0x89.org/index.php?id=74
Here is the entire readme:
http://insomniac.0x89.org/index.php?id=71
Download and Give Feedback Via Comments
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
March 21st, 2007, 20:55 Posted By: wraggster
Sektor has posted an entry in the Neoflash Contest :
This application displays advice from a cow...
Screenshot / Download and Give Feedback Via Comments
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
March 21st, 2007, 19:14 Posted By: Shrygue
via IGN
Sony and official retail partner Virgin Megastore have kicked off the UK launch of PS3 in fine style by setting up camp for early queuers inside the Virgin's Oxford Street branch, ready for the glitzy midnight opening on Friday.
With the promise of a roof over their heads, free drinks, food and some games - plus a taxi ride home once customers have purchased their PS3 - we expected people to be queuing up just to join the actual queue inside the store. So, you can imagine our surprise when we discovered only two people inside the makeshift 'camp'.
Ah well, at least 17-year-old Ritatsu Thomas, the first person in line for a UK PS3, was excited about the launch. He told us that he'd already been queuing for almost 10 hours but was looking forward to the night/day ahead. "This is the way to do a launch," he said. "There are security guards here and I've even heard the police will be here on Thursday night to make sure nothing happens."
Several big London stores have reportedly cancelled their midnight openings amid security fears. The Oxford Street Virgin Megastore is the only large high-street retailer opening its doors at midnight in central London.
Ritatsu told us he felt compelled to join the 'queue camp' after he was unable to secure a pre-order elsewhere. However, although excited about getting his hands on the next generation console, he would consider selling it "if eBay prices go silly and they're going for double".
Next in line was hardcore PlayStation fan Shanie Chatfield, who's been interested in PS3 since it was first announced at E3 2005 and thinks the console is "brilliant". "I know some people have been complaining about the price but I definitely think it's worth the cost," she told us. "It's not just a gaming console, it's an entertainment system."
Unfortunately, Shanie was just as surprised as we were that more people weren't already lining up. "It's certainly more low key than I thought it would be. I was expecting to be about tenth in line. I guess it could be because it's an expensive console. You could almost buy a 360 and Wii for the price of a PS3."
We'll have more on the exciting UK PS3 launch tomorrow, so stay tuned ready to hear how the queues have grown... or not.
Leave feedback via comments.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
March 21st, 2007, 17:55 Posted By: Shrygue
via Games Industry
Italian gamers have been picking up PlayStation 3 units this morning after retailers across the country chose to start selling the console two days early.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz Davide Sher of Trade Interactive Multimedia (TIM) magazine - the leading specialist publication for Italian retailers - said, "It's a strange situation. This is the first time retailers have broken street dates by two days."
Sher explained that problems began to emerge earlier this week when small-scale retail chain Darty took out adverts in national newspapers.
The adverts stated that customers would be able to purchase PS3 at Darty stores from 7pm on Wednesday - regardless of the fact that the official launch date is set for Friday March 23.
A response was quickly forthcoming from rival Media World, which has around a 20 per cent share of the market. The retailer announced the cancellation of its planned March 23 midnight launch event, declaring that PlayStation 3 would go on sale at Media World stores from 9am on Wednesday.
On learning of Darty and Media World's plans, retail chain GameStop stated that its policy is not to break street dates - but said it may be forced to do so if rival stores start selling PS3 early.
According to Sher, the situation is causing serious problems for specialist videogame retailers. "The mainstream consumer electronics retailers get their PS3 stock early, so they can start selling early," he said, confirming that Sony's new console did indeed go on sale at Media World this morning (picture courtesy of TIM).
"But many specialist retailers don't have any units yet and won't receive any until Friday morning. This puts them at a real disadvantage."
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz a Sony spokesperson said, "Sony Computer Entertainment Europe is deeply disappointed by the unilateral decision of some Italian retail chains to commence the sale of PlayStation 3 to consumers before this official launch date.
"Such decisions run counter to our policy of consumer protection which seeks to ensure that all of our consumers have an equal opportunity to purchase PlayStation 3."
Sony also warned that it plans to "carefully consider all available options in relation to retailers who have commenced sale of PlayStation 3 prior to 23rd March 2007".
Leave feedback via comments.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
« prev
1351
1352
1353
1354
1355
1356
1357
1358
1359
1360
1361
1362
1363
1364
1365
1366
1367
1368
1369
1370
1371
next » |
|
|
