A leaked memo to a Japanese retailer warning that final orders for the 80GB PlayStation 3 must be placed before Sunday August 9th has added fuel to the expectation that Sony will soon launch the PS3 Slim. According to the notice, retailer 7-Eleven has also been told to take down in-store displays for the 80GB model.
Sony have announced their latest financial results [pdf link], and given their last set of figures revealed a dire 95-percent crash in profits a quarter ago, all eyes are on the Japanese giant to see if they’ve managed to turn things around. Unfortunately, it’s still not looking good: sales decreased 19.2-percent compared to the same quarter 2008, and an operating loss of 25.7bn yen ($268m) recorded. That’s 99.1bn yen down from the previous year.
Sony have revealed plans to add facial recognition capabilities to their PlayStation Eye webcam, potentially stealing part of Microsoft’s Project Natal thunder. According to Kish Hirani, Sony Europe’s head of developer services, the functionality will soon be added to the existing hardware, with developer libraries available for games studios so that they don’t need to exert effort specifically coding for the new system.
Logitech have announced their latest gaming peripheral, the Wireless Drum Controller for Guitar Hero on the PS3. Consisting of three drum-heads with recessed rims, dual cymbal pads and a kick pedal, the system is licensed by Activision and connects to the PS3 via a 2.4GHz wireless USB receiver.
Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer has struck back at Activision chief Bobby Kotick, claiming his calls to cut PS3 prices are “a lot of noise” and that there’s no “logic” in discounting the console. Speaking to Reuters, Stringer suggested that “I (would) lose money on every PlayStation I make – how’s that for logic.”
Is a “no comment” statement even more of a confirmation than a staunch denial ever could be? That certainly seems to be the case with Foxconn, who have declined to comment on rumors that they’ve been picked as an OEM supplier of the much-rumored slimline PS3 by citing “customer confidentiality”.
Sony have filed a patent for a system whereby the PS3’s Cell Processor could emulate the hardware of a PS2, opening up the older console’s back-catalog. The patent describes how the Cell Processor would emulate the Emotion Engine chipset that was included in the first-generation of PS3 hardware but then removed midway through 2007.
It seems that the PlayStation 3 will be getting a firmware update shortly to 3.0 status. At least, that’s what a new rumor is revealing. In fact, this update will set up a reputation system for the PlayStation Network.
Sony let slip a bit more information about their PlayStation 3 motion control tech today, giving those who were anxious to hear more about it at E3 this year a little bit of reprieve from their desperate need to know more.
Game developer Activision have set their sights on bringing Sony down a peg or two, threatening to cease development for the PS3 and PSP consoles if the company does not reduce royalty fees. CEO Bobby Kotick has accused Sony of “losing a bit of momentum” and complained that the company does not “make it easy for me to support the [PlayStation 3] platform”. Kotick is now asking for a PS3 hardware price-cut.
SlashGear Japan
