The sales figures keep rolling in and they are looking more and more unfavorable for the PS3. Analysts often cite three problems preventing the PS3 from achieving successful sales figures; its price, users’ apathetic attitudes towards the blu-ray, and the lack of a good video game library. While I personally disagree with the last 2, I can definitely agree with the first point made. The PS3 sits at $400 dollars which is significantly more expensive than the Xbox 360 or the Nintendo Wii which can often be found at half that price. Xbox and Wii are both overtaking the PS3 by margins that get bigger with every month. Sony cannot afford to lose so many potential users by having its price so high and will definitely need to adjust to fit the market if they want to stay afloat.

It has long been rumored that Sony is poised to attack Nintendo’s motion sensing controller market. After all, the PS3′s controller does have the six-axis which has had limited success. Leaked images of a new patent currently being filed reveal a break apart controller that will have capabilities far superior to the Wii remote. The motion sensing will utilize the Playstation eye as well as ultrasonic waves to map out motions in 3D space. Simulating the shaking of a rain stick (see above) is but one of the many possibilities that the new controller will provide. My 2 cents? If Sony does decide to implement this, they should do it now or at least soon…

PC

• Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway (Limited Edition also available)
• Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (game only)
• Nancy Drew: The Haunted Castle of Malloy
• Everlight
• Dark Horizon
• Etch-A-Sketch
• Can You See What I See?
• Sniper: Art of Victory
• Exodus From The Earth

Nintendo DS

• Bleach: Dark Souls
• Prey The Stars
  
• Pop Cutie: Street Fashion Simulation
  
• Imagine: Babysitters
• Crash: Mind Over Mutant
• Imagine: Fashion Designer New York
• The Legend of Kage 2
• Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals

Wii

• Line Rider 2 Unbound
• Game Party 2
• Crash: Mind Over Mutant
• 10 Pin Alley 2
• NBA Live 2009: All-Play
• Army Men: Soldiers of Misfortune

PlayStation Portable

• NBA 09: The Inside
• My Spanish Coach
  
• NBA Live 2009
• Midnight Club: LA Remix
• Cake Mania Baker’s Challenge

PlayStation 2

• NBA 2K9
  
• Crash: Mind Over Mutant
• NBA Live 2009
• NBA 09: The Inside
• Cake Mania Baker’s Challenge
• Avatar – The Last Airbender: Into the Inferno

PlayStation 3

• Fracture
  
• NBA 09: The Inside
• NBA Live 2009
• NBA 2K9

Xbox 360

• Fracture
  
• Guilty Gear 2: Overture
  
• NBA 2K9
• Crash: Mind Over Mutant
• NBA Live 2009

- Geoff

[Source: ArsTechnica]

It has been reported that a memo from Blockbuster has leaked and it contains information about the discounted 40GB Playstation 3s and how they will be gettinga  price cut soon. The 40GB Playstation 3 will be gettinga  $40 price cut, bringing the final retail price to $359. The memo also mentioned a PS3 bundle that icludes a HDMI cable, Spiderman the Movie, and the Transformers game. This seems to be the only price cut that any Sony PS3 will be getting. So if you are in the market for a new PS3, this is the deal to take advantage of.

- Geoff

[Source: Gizmodo]

PC

• Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Colonization
• Command & Conquer 3: Deluxe Edition
• The Settlers VI Gold
• EA Sports 08 Collection
• Medal of Honor 10th Anniversary Edition
• Everlight
• Flight Simulator X Gold Edition
• Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge
• Mount & Blade
• Battlelord: King’s Bounty
• Nostradamus
• Line Rider 2 Unbound
• LEGO Batman

Nintendo DS

• Disgaea DS
  
• Kirby: Super Star Ultra
• Di-Gata Defenders
• Brain Quest Grades 3 & 4
  
• Brain Quest Grades 5 & 6
• Nancy Drew: Hidden Stair Case
• My Little Pony Pinkie Pie’s Party
• Drop Cast
• SimCity Creator
• Shaun the Sheep
• My Japanese Coach
• Dinosaur King
• Barbie Fashion Show: Eye For Style
• LEGO Batman
• Time Hollow
• My SAT Coach: Princeton Review
• Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure
• Pipe Mania
• Margot’s Word Brain
• Hi! Hamtaro Ham-Ham Challenge

Wii

• De Blob
• Wario Land: Shake It
• SimCity Creator
• Samba De Amigo
• Brothers in Arms: Double Time
• Twin Strike: Operation Thunder
• Rebel Raiders
• Lost in Blue: Shipwrecked
• Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2009
• Pitfall: The Big Adventure
• LEGO Batman

PlayStation Portable

• Buzz Master Quiz
  
• LEGO Batman
• Pipe Mania

PlayStation 2

• LEGO Batman
• SingStar Pop Vol.2
  
• Onimusha: The Essentials
• Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2009
• Pipe Mania
• Dragon Ball Z Trilogy
• Warriors Orochi 2
  

PlayStation 3

• Baja: Edge of Control
• Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway
• LEGO Batman
• Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2009
• BUZZ Quiz TV

Xbox 360

• Baja: Edge of Control
  
• LEGO Batman
• Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway
• Warriors Orochi 2
• Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2009

- Geoff

[Source: ArsTechnica]

Sony has just released a Playstation 3 firmware update, firmware 2.43, that is exclusive to Japanese PS3 consoles. Now what makes this update interesting is that the Sony Playstation 3 blog announced the update, but mentioned that this update was only required for Japanese Playstation 3 consoles. Gamers in other regions have the ability to download the firmware update, but they are not “required” to do so. So what exactly does this firmware update do? Go download the update and remember to come back here to comment on your experience with the new update. What changed? What’s new? What do you think?

- Geoff

[Source: Wired]

PC

• S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Clear Sky
• Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
• Crysis: Warhead
• The Witcher: Enhanced Edition
• American McGee’s Grimm: Beauty and the Beast
  
• Pure
• Line Rider 2: Unbound
  
• Discovery
• Cooking Academy
• Hell’s Kitchen
• The Settlers VI Gold
• The Price is Right

Nintendo DS

• Dragon Quest IV
• Drawn to Life: Sponge Bob Squarepants edition
• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
• Line Rider 2: Unbound
  
• Di-Gata Defenders
• Animal Paradise
• Igor
• Red Bull BC One
• My Secret World
• Unsolved Crimes
• Happy Cooking
• Imagine: Fashion Designer New York

Wii

• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
  
• Rebel Raiders
• TNA! Impact
• Kidz Sports: Crazy Golf
• Igor
• Zoo Hospital
• Littlest Pet Shop

PlayStation Portable

• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
• Yggdra Union
• B-Boy

PlayStation 2

• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
  
• Speed Racer
• Namco Classic Fighter Collection
• Naruto Ultimate Collection
• Pac-Man Power Pack

PlayStation 3

• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
• Armored Core: For Answer
• Pure

Xbox 360

• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
• Battle Fantasia
  
• Armored Core: For Answer
  
• Pure

- Geoff

[Source: ArsTechnica]

PC

• American McGee’s Grimm: The Devil and His Three Golden Hairs
  
• CSI Super Pack
• FlatOut: Head On

Nintendo DS

• Lock’s Quest
• Viva Pinata: Pocket Paradise
• Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir
• Hell’s Kitchen
• Mazes of Fate
• The Price is Right
• Rain Drops
• Air Traffic Chaos

Wii

• NHL 2K9
• Cabela’s Legendary Adventures
• Hell’s Kitchen
• The Price is Right
• Active Life Outdoor Challenge
• Ten Pin Alley 2

PlayStation Portable

• Cabela’s Legendary Adventures

PlayStation 2

• Yakuza 2
• TNA Impact!
• Dance Dance Revolution X Bundle
  
• Dragon Ball Z Trilogy
• Cabela’s Legendary Adventures

PlayStation 3

• NHL 2K9
• NHL 2009
  
• TNA Impact!

Xbox 360

• Rock Band 2
  
• NHL 2K9
• NHL 2009
  
• Zoids Assault
• TNA Impact!

- Geoff

[Source: ArsTechnica]

With last week’s news that Sony was forced to recall 438,000 Vaio laptops over burn concerns, it got me thinking about Sony, its place in the tech industry, and what’s really going on at this once powerful company.

Sony’s stock price is down more than 30 percent this year as its Vaio laptops fail to captivate audiences, its Playstation 3 still lags behind the competition, and its ill-fated attempts at holding on the Walkman brand have proven detrimental to its growth. And all the while, the company believes that it’s doing everything right and it can hold on to its position as the single company in the industry that can release products in practically every market and be successful.

For years, Sony was successful because it brought high-quality products at an affordable price to store shelves. As it gained in popularity, the company was able to rely more on its name and solidify its brand as the single most popular in the entire industry. But as that happened, I feel like Sony lost its way.

When we rank some of the best products in each market, Sony once came to mind in every instance. But right now, I’d say that Sony is only in the top five in HDTVs, Camcorders, and gaming. Everywhere else, Sony products need not apply.

With that in mind, it’s time Sony forget about being the company that releases products in every single market and start working on offering only those products that people want. If Sony relies on its name for too much longer, it may lose all the credibility it once enjoyed.

There’s no debating the fact that Sony is an extremely profitable company. Last year alone, the company realized a net income of almost $4 billion. But that doesn’t mean that everything is going well for Sony. Sony is a mainstream brand, a household name. How much longer can it release products that are barely useful before it’s forced to call it quits in some markets?

I’ve had the opportunity to use a slew of Sony products and compare those to others in the respective market. Aside from camcorders, HDTVs, and gaming, Sony doesn’t stack up nearly as well as it used to. Cell phones? No. Computers? Irrelevant. Digital cameras? No way.

Taking all that into account, we can’t downplay the fact that Sony products still sell extremely well. Some say it’s because Sony knows how to market a product. I think it’s based solely on the fact that Sony is on the top of everyone’s mind when they go to the store.

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve spoken with someone about buying a certain product, only to be looked at with a quizzical look and be asked if Sony has a product in that market. Worse, I hear people look for digital cameras and as soon as they see Sony’s digital camera, they put the Canon down and opt for the Cyber-shot. We may know that Sony products aren’t necessarily the best, but the mainstream has no clue. They see Sony’s brand and they buy it.

But how much longer will that last? Once those people bring Sony’s digital camera home and compare it to their neighbor’s Nikon, will they really want another Sony product?

Evidently, the answer is no. Sony’s market share in key markets like the PC industry and the cell phone market have been nominal at best, and there’s some indication that the vitality of the Sony brand is diminishing as it slowly but surely falls from top of the best-selling list.

Sony has relied on its name for too long. The company needs to get out of those markets where it’s barely relevant and become a more agile company that’s capable of putting its money into those endeavors that matter most. Being an also-ran isn’t acceptable anymore for Sony and it needs to start realizing that the future is in being the best in every market it competes in.

- Geoff

[Source: CNET]

In a recent interview with Gamasutra, Julie Han of Sony’s corporate communications department has stated that “there’s a lot we can do on the marketing front. We don’t talk enough about Sony’s future-proofing strategy. With this recession, as people are … on tighter budgets, they’re going to be much more conscious of how they spend their money.”

Despite the price cuts on Microsoft’s Xbox 360s, Sony has stated that they have no plans of cutting the price of Playstation 3 consoles for the upcoming holiday season. We’re really confident that consumers are making choices driven by value,” she says, “and we know PS3 offers that value across the board, with the built-in Blu-ray player the broadest and deepest software lineup in the industry, with LittleBigPlanet, Resistance 2, Motorstorm [Pacific Rift]… we’re quite confident our holiday sales will be good.” Hopefully Sony will follow Microsoft’s strategy of cutting prices of their consoles, but as we have reported before, this seems very unlikely as Sony is just trying to make up for production costs.

- Geoff

[Source:Gamasutra]