Tag: Hardware - Page 21
News Sony Encouraged By Nintendo 3DS' Resurgence
While obviously fierce competitors, Nintendo and Sony are also in the same boat
Both are the target of the mainstream media, who seem keen to push an agenda against the dedicated portable gaming platform. As such, it's unsurprising to hear SCEE executive, Jim Ryan, comment on the Nintendo 3DS' sales resurgence in a positive manner. One of the...
Rumour Sony Cuts PlayStation Vita Shipment By 50% In France
In news that will almost certainly bring out the mainstream media's pitchforks, Sony has supposedly cut the PlayStation Vita's shipment by 50% in France
The cull is probably designed to better service other regions, but we daresay it will bring out the the "doomed" brigade in the coming days. For what it's worth, the unconfirmed report...
News Japanese Sales Charts: PlayStation Vita Holds Steady As 3DS Dominates
At this point in time, there's no chance of any system catching up to the Nintendo 3DS in Japan, so there's no point in even discussing it
Nintendo might have seemed "doomed" after a disappointing 3DS launch last year, but it's now conjured up a triple threat of unstoppable software releases. There's nothing anyone can do. As a result, a...
News CES 2012: Sony Sells A Whopping 6.5 Million PlayStation Consoles Over Christmas
More than 6
5 million PlayStation branded consoles were sold during the Christmas period (November 18th to December 31st, 2011), Sony has announced. Of those sales, more than 500k units were contributed by the PlayStation Vita, following its Japanese launch on December 17th. But it was the PlayStation 3 that was the big seller — moving a whopping...
News CES 2012: PlayStation Vita Sells 500,000 Units, Getting Netflix At Launch
Speaking during Sony's CES 2012 press conference last night, not-quite-president Kaz Hirai revealed that the PlayStation Vita has sold a respectable 500,000 units since its launch in Japan just 20 days ago
The numbers look great when stacked up like that, but it's hard to forget that the system sold just over half of that tally within its opening...
The 3G version of the PlayStation Vita will not require a contract in North America
The service will come in two flavours, with $15 bagging you 250MB of data and $25 netting you 2GB. Unsurprisingly, the prices are near identical to those offered for the iPad in the US. Players will be able to purchase data on a month-to-month basis, making the 3G...
News Sony's Planning Its Biggest Marketing Campaign Ever For PlayStation Vita's UK Launch
It's still a little bit too early to start wondering where the PlayStation Vita billboards and TV commercials are; it's only January after all
The good news is that the marketing campaign is coming, and, in the UK at least, Sony's aiming big. Speaking with MCV, SCE UK's marketing manager, Mark Bowles, revealed that the platform holder is planning...
Rumour PlayStation 4 Already 'More Powerful' Than Next XBOX
Two PlayStation 4 rumours in a single day? The next generation must be nearing
PSM3 magazine's the latest publication to jump on the bandwagon. The magazine speculates that early signs already point to Sony's next console being "quite a bit more powerful" than the next XBOX, though it's unclear of the publication's sources for the claim...
News Japanese Games Market Declines In 2011 Despite New Hardware
The Japanese games market declined in 2011, according to reports published by Enterbrain via Famitsu
That was despite a 2.4 percent increase in hardware sales — up to ¥179,740 million ($2.3 billion) — spurred by the releases of the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita. Indeed, while the hardware bump was significant, it wasn't enough to stave off...
News Japanese Sales Charts: PS Vita Sells 42K, 3DS Unstoppable
Considering all the doom and gloom around the Internet regarding the PlayStation Vita's unspectacular second week sales, the system actually held relatively well in its third week
Given some armchair analysts were expecting the sytem to drop as low as 10k units, its actual sell through of 42k units looks mightily impressive in comparison. Of course,...
News Just To Clarify: No, The 3G Edition Of The PlayStation Vita Is Not Cancelled In North America
Sigh
The media's smear campaign against the PlayStation Vita hit a new high last night, when a batch of US media outlets jumped on an erroneous Amazon listing that claimed the 3G SKU of Sony's new portable system had been cancelled before release in North America. Of course, those with an ounce of common sense would have realised this was a mistake...
News Wave The White Flag: Japanese Retailer Cuts The Price Of 3G PlayStation Vita
When we saw headlines popping up around the web this afternoon regarding the price of the 3G PlayStation Vita, we wondered for a split-second if Sony had done the unthinkable -- prematurely slashed the price of the PlayStation Vita
After all, there's a lot of headlines filling our Twitter feed right now that run with the words, "Japanese...
News Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before: Mainstream Media Says PlayStation Vita Is In Trouble
Anyone else got a sense of deja-vu? Those of you that follow the wider video games media in detail will recall hearing the death knells for Nintendo's 3DS earlier in the year
The agenda-pushing mainstream media informed us that dedicated handheld games devices are in decline, and that the market Nintendo once dominated was lost. Of course, no amount...
News Japan Sales Charts: PlayStation Vita's Second Week Sales Disappoint
The PlayStation Vita got off to a reasonable, if unspectacular, debut in Japan -- but its second week sales paint a troubling picture for the platform in the near future
The well equipped handheld was outsold by the 3DS, PSP, Wii and PS3 during its first full week on the market, recording sales of just over 70,000 units. For comparison, Nintendo's...
News Sony Bumps PlayStation Vita's Firmware Up A Notch
Staying true to PlayStation's irritating penchant for frequent firmware updates, Sony's bumped up the PlayStation Vita's official firmware for the second time since its Japanese release earlier in the month
A tiny update released in Japan overnight ups the system's on-board software to version 1.51, which aims to alleviate any crashing and freezing...
News Did You Know? PlayStation Vita Was Designed By The Same Person As The Original Walkman
Here's a fascinating little factoid for you that comes courtesy of a feature published on the PlayStation Blog: the PlayStation Vita was designed by the same person as the original Walkman
Turns out that the man behind PlayStation Vita's sleek design was none other than Takashi Sogabe, a man that's spent 27 years working at Sony on products such as...
News PlayStation Vita Sold 300,000 Games In Just Two Days
Sales tracking firm Media Create has revealed that the PlayStation Vita pushed 300,000 units of software during its first couple of days on sale in Japan
As previously reported, Sony's sassy new piece of hardware shifted just under 325k units during the same period, giving the system a software attach rate of 0.92 titles per PS Vita. Despite the PS...
News Sony Announces Gargantuan PlayStation Vita Launch Lineup, Prices Memory Cards And Accessories
Sony's lifted the lid on the PlayStation Vita's gigantic launch line-up for North America
Director of hardware marketing, John Koller, described the unprecedented 25 game strong launch line-up as the "biggest and best" any platform has ever released alongside. Even if Koller is paid to say these things, it's hard to disagree. Day one...
Rumour PlayStation Vita Glitch Leads To... Dolphins?
So much for Sony denying any awareness of widespread PlayStation Vita glitches
A new video spotted by Andriasang shows a brand new PlayStation Vita running a bizarre underwater debug mode. The screen shows four swimming dolphins, a floating oyster and a pearl, all from different perspectives. The debug mode would be cool if it could be exited, but...
News Sony Bewildered By PlayStation Vita Glitch Reports
Sony has downplayed any suggestions that the PlayStation Vita is suffering from crashing or freezing problems following the device's launch in Japan over the weekend
Speaking with The Guardian, SCE UK's head of public relations David Wilson said, "We're annoyed with these stories, because we can't find any evidence of widespread glitches."...
Sometimes we deliberate whether to even bother typing up the Japanese sales charts
There's often not much to commentate on, but this week is huge. Final Fantasy XIII-2 topped the Media Create sourced charts, selling over 500k units on the PlayStation 3. While the numbers look impressive on their own, it's worth noting that the game's predecessor...
News Media Create Reports 325,000 PlayStation Vitas Sold In First Week
Following up Enterbrain's figures yesterday, Japanese sales tracking firm Media Create has released an alternative preliminary report on the PlayStation Vita's opening sales figures
Andriasang reports that the company puts the PS Vita's opening sales at about 325,000 units — slightly higher than Enterbrain. The firm also noted that the the initial...
Report Sony Shipped 500,000 PlayStation Vitas For Japanese Launch
If you were a little disappointed by yesterday's PlayStation Vita sales numbers, it's probably because you believed an earlier rumour that put the system's initial shipment at about 700,000 units
But that number's been clarified overnight. In a column posted on Nikkei, IGDA Japan vice coordinator Kyoshi Shin said that the shipment was closer to...
News Japanese PlayStation Vita Sells 321,000 Units In First Two Days On Sale
The newly released PlayStation Vita enjoyed a strong start in Japan, but failed to outpace the Nintendo 3DS in its first two days on sale
Famitsu reports that Enterbrain recorded 321,407 PS Vita consoles were sold within the system's first 48 hours on the market. In the same period the Nintendo 3DS scooped up 371,326, but Sony will be not be...
News Pick Up Sony's PlayStation 3D Display For Less Than $300 At Best Buy
Those of you in North America don't know how lucky you are
Not content with getting products for rock-bottom prices out of the gate, your nation hosts some of the greatest discounts in the history of, well, discounts. Take the recently released PlayStation 3D display (not yet out in Europe, we might add). Best Buy's already knocked $100 off the...
News 8-4 Play Podcast Releases Four Hour PlayStation Vita Launch Special
The PlayStation Vita is now out in Japan
That means there are impressions, videos and information already all over the Internet. But if you want some definitive discussion all in one place, the 8-4 Play podcast has got your back. For those unfamiliar: 8-4 Play is fronted by a couple of former US games journalists who now work in Japan on video game...
News Ever Wondered What A PlayStation Vita Looks Like Without Its Clothes?
As has become customary at every new hardware launch, images of a dismantled PlayStation Vita have emerged online
We were saddened to discover that the system is not powered by fairy-dust and the blood of Ken Kutaragi, but instead totally boring electronic parts. Still, make sure you enjoy these photographs: someone sacrificed their PlayStation Vita...
News It's A PlayStation Platform Alright: PS Vita Launches With First Firmware Update
The PlayStation Vita's not one to buck the trends of a lifetime: the portable system has launched with a day-one firmware update in Japan
It's unclear at present what the firmware update actually does, but we suspect it's for stability reasons. After all, we imagine a lot of the PlayStation Vita's launch stock has been sitting in a warehouse for the...
News Sony Launches PlayStation Vita In Japan
There's officially a new member to the PlayStation family
Almost 12 months after Sony unveiled its "Next Generation Portable" to the world, the platform holder has released the PlayStation Vita to much fanfare in Japan. Despite the inclement weather, gamers in their hundreds gathered outside Japanese retailers to get their hands on the new...
News In Case You Wondered, Here's A Helpful PlayStation Vita Box Comparison
With the PlayStation Vita due out in less than 24 hours in Japan, we're starting to get a slow and steady trickle of news and information
The littlest details are always the most fascinating. Take for example the PlayStation Vita's boxes — just how big are they? ShopTo News has got your back, with a selection of images comparing the PS Vita...
Report First PlayStation Vita Shipment To Top 700,000 Units In Japan
Yesterday Sony suit Andrew House said that the PlayStation Vita was all but sold out in Japan due to advance orders, but he failed to provide any concrete numbers
Today we've got a better idea of just how well the PlayStation Vita is going to sell out of the gate, with Andriasang reporting that the system's opening shipment could exceed a whopping...
News On The Rollcoaster Of Life: PlayStation Vita Only Supports One PlayStation Network Account
This is brilliant: if only to see the hordes of self-entitled trash-talkers flip-the-heck-out on the NeoGAF forums
After reassuring potential PS Vita purchasers that PlayStation Network accounts would be tied to memory cards last week, Sony has since back-tracked — meaning that, as originally believed, you'll need to wipe your entire PlayStation...
Rumour 3G PlayStation Vita Pushed Back Until April 2012 In Canada
According to Kotaku, the launch of the 3G PlayStation Vita has been pushed back by two months in Canada
The North American website reports that "due to extensive planning and testing with [Sony's] 3G partner", the SKU has been delayed until April 2012. The website speculates that difficulties in reaching a pricing agreement with the 3G...
News Sony Claims The PlayStation Vita Has Already Sold Out In Japan
Without providing any numbers, Sony's Andrew House has announced that the PlayStation Vita has already sold out in Japan -- despite it not releasing until Saturday
The former SCEE executive told Bloomberg that the system had sold out purely on pre-orders. There were lines to make reservations for the machine at retailers, he said. It's unclear...
News Sony: PlayStation 3 Hardware Sales Ahead Of Expectations
Good news for those that choose to enjoy their games based on sales numbers: Sony has announced that the PlayStation 3 is actually slightly exceeding expectations
The platform holder previously predicted that it would sell 15 million consoles during the fiscal year ending in March 2012, and executive Andrew House has told journalists that he fully...
News New PlayStation Vita Trailer Sells Us On The System All Over Again
It doesn't take much to sell a great product; all you need to do is explain exactly what it can do
Sony's released a brand new trailer for the PlayStation Vita that does exactly that. It covers every feature in just over two minutes, and it's hard not to get excited. Dual analogue sticks, multiple touch interfaces, cross-game chat, social...
News Sony Talks Up Cross-Platform Play With New PlayStation Vita Trailer
It looks like cross-platform play is going to form a key component of Sony's promotional activities for the PlayStation Vita
The platform holder's released a brand new trailer showing off all of the handheld's PS3 connectivity functions. The snippet shows save sharing in the Diablo-esque dungeon crawler Ruin, cross-platform multiplayer in Wipeout...
News November NPD: Call Of Duty & Skyrim Top The Software Charts
It was a monster month for software releases in November
Unsurprisingly, Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim came out on top. But despite the high profile roster of software releases — and growth in unit sales across the board — NPD analyst Anita Frazier warned that "a decline in average retail price in all...
News PlayStation Vita Not Limited To A Single PSN Account, But There's Still A Small Caveat
The PlayStation Vita is not limited to a single PlayStation Network account, as was widely reported last week
But you'll need to own multiple memory cards if you want to use different PSN accounts on the same system, Sony has confirmed. Sony suit Crystal MacKenzie confirmed the news in an interview with Wired, explaining that accounts are linked to...
Nintendo's 3DS dominated the hardware and software charts in Japan this week, with Mario Kart 7 getting off to a stormer
But while the system-seller pushed over 400k units, the PlayStation 3 port of popular arcade title Gundam Extreme VS wasn't far behind — selling a very respectable 349k units. Newcomer Assassin's Creed: Revelations managed to...
News Sony: PlayStation 3 To Skew Towards 'Younger Demographic', Core Gamers Won't Be Neglected
The PlayStation 3 still hasn't reached a mass market price-point, but it's getting there
And with the hardcore gaming crowd already well serviced, SCEE boss Jim Ryan believes that the console's next challenge is to appeal to a younger demographic. I think youll see us taking the console more towards a slightly younger demographic. More family...
News No, You Won't Be Able To Browse The Web While Playing PS Vita Games
The Internet's going batty once again
Despite there being zero precedent for mid-game web browsing functionality on other video game systems, people aren't impressed that the PlayStation Vita won't do exactly that. Which we must concede is shame — we've always dreamed of having an FAQ open alongside a game on the same device. But, whatever. Sony...
Rumour PlayStation Vita Is Locked To A Single PSN Account
Goodwill peaks early during a new platform announcement
It's the aftermath that a platform holder must weather. Nintendo just went through this very thing, with the 3DS appearing almost infallible at last year's E3 only for consumer positivity to be practically diminished by launch. Now it's Sony's turn to weather the storm, and we feel caught in...
News Sony Negotiating Flash Support For PlayStation Vita, Comments On Proprietary Memory Cards
Despite what Sony says, the PlayStation Vita is as much a multimedia power-house as it is a gaming machine
But while games such as Uncharted: Golden Abyss are stealing all the headlines, some of the PS Vita's lesser known features are getting brushed under the carpet. In an interview with Impress Watch, a selection of Sony's hardware developers...
News Sony Releases PlayStation Vita UMD Passport List, Internet Gets Mad
We're starting to wonder whether Sony would have been better off not announcing any backwards compatability plans for PlayStation Vita at all
The fact that it's offering anything — albeit in the form of the clunky UMD Passport initiative — is just bringing out malice and moaning from online forum users. The latest brouhaha pertains to a list of...
News Buy A PlayStation 3D Display At Best Buy, Get A PS3 For A Song
Deal!
Are you one of those people that's yet to jump into the next generation? You've still got a PlayStation 2 hooked up to an old CRT television? Look, we're not going to judge, but we are going to let you know about a great upgrade path if you happen to be based in North America. Sony's announced a special promotion with US retailer Best Buy,...
News Sony Believes PlayStation Vita Will Break UK Launch Records
Some gamers may have a negative opinion of the PlayStation Portable, but believe it or not the system still holds the UK's biggest hardware launch records
The portable, which released in September 2005 in the UK, sold over 185,000 units at launch — a number yet to be beaten. But SCEE boss Jim Ryan believes that the PlayStation Vita will easily...
News Japanese Sales Charts: PlayStation Platforms Continue Chugging Along
Despite a smattering of new software releases, it was pretty uneventful seven days for PlayStation in Japan this week
Hardware sales were down after the enthusiasm of new colours last week, with the PlayStation 3 shifting 34k units and the PSP just behind with 33k units. After its tremendous debut last week, Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 dropped to...
News Sony To Take 'More Tailored Approach' To PlayStation Vita Software Pricing
With the smartphone gaming sector still a hot point of discussion, Sony has said that it intends to offer multiple price-points for PlayStation Vita software in order to counter the burgeoning threat of mobile phones
While the company's still keeping those pricing details close to its chest, SCEE executive Jim Ryan told GamesIndustry.biz: "I...
News New Firmware Update Prepares The PlayStation 3 For The PS Vita
With the PlayStation Vita's arrival imminent in Japan, Sony has released a new firmware update for the PS3 transforming the home console into a content management device for the upcoming handheld
"It will allow users to copy their media content such as games, music, photos, and videos between PS Vita and PS3, back up PS Vita save data to your...
