PlayStation Store Returns To Japan July 6

Good news for those of us waiting to log into our Japanese PSN accounts and pick up more freebies! Oh, and also for people who actually live in Japan. Sony has finally straightened out all the issues holding back the relaunch of the PlayStation Store there, and will fully reactivate the store, Qriocity, and all other inactive services on July 6.

Japan is the last region to be reactivated, according to Sony; thus, with the renewal of all of the PSN services, Sony can now claim that the PSN is back. And we can soon claim our copy of Echochrome.

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Hulu Coming To PlayStation Network ‘Soon’ – Maybe

Once again, Hulu is drawing some attention from a possible partnership with a video game console. According to a report by Bloomberg, Sony may be close to securing a deal to bring a Hulu subscription to the PlayStation Network. In fact, “the partnership could be announced as soon as next week.”

Weeks ago, Reuters ran a similar report, claiming Xbox 360 and iPad would also offer a premium Hulu service. However, these claims have not yet been fruitful. Considering the clamor for Hulu on multiple devices, these reports can be the result of wishful thinking — or Hulu is planning an aggressive multi-platform approach, not unlike Netflix.

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Catan Finally Coming To PlayStation 3

The PlayStation 3 version of one of the world’s most popular board games is coming to the U.S.

Gamers will be able to download Settlers of Catan via the PlayStation Network starting June 15, the game’s official site said Wednesday.  Settlers of Catan is a popular board game created by Klaus Teuber. Since its first publication in 1995, the game has sold 15 million copies. Last year, Wired magazine called it a “perfect” game; we were not exaggerating.

Catan will cost $6.50 and support two- to four-player online games.  Xbox 360 owners have enjoyed playing a different version of Catan, developed by Big Huge Games, since 2007.

The PlayStation version Catan was developed by Game Republic, the Japanese developer responsible for games like Genji and Folklore.  But don’t hold that against them. The videogame developer has a little known sideline in board game design. A handful of its tabletop offerings, such as Owner’s Choice and Shadow Hunters, have been localized for American gamers by Z-Man Games.

Gamers in Europe and Japan have had access to the Game Republic version of Catan for more than a year.

Image courtesy Game Republic

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Sony Closing Its Only U.S. PlayStation Store

As Microsoft ramps up its own retail efforts, Sony will be closing its flagship PlayStation store in the Metreon Mall in San Francisco, California.

It may seem hard to believe, but the 5,500 square foot store has been open for nearly ten years, a substantial chunk of the life of many PlayStation fans. Sony representatives said the lease to the store expires on June 16, and it will not be renewed.

Sony opened the Metreon in 1999 with a principal concept of entertainment and retail fusion, or the “not-quite-a-mall” design. In addition to shopping and dining establishments, the four-story mall included such attractions as an IMAX theater and video arcade.

After Sony sold Metreon to Westfield in 2005, a design overhaul was imminent. The San Francisco Examiner reported last November that a large-scale remodeling effort would involve turning the majority of the space into outward-facing restaurants. The fourth floor has reportedly been leased by Tavern on the Green.

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Analysts Predict PlayStation 3 Price Cuts in 2009

Although it’s not yet official, most analysts expect the NPD Group’s January video-game console report to show Nintendo’s Wii game console as the clear winner for December, with the Xbox 360 a distant second.

Analysts are also predicting that even as Sony’s PlayStation 3 begins to gain some momentum, price cuts may be just around the corner as the once-leading console maker struggles to compete against its less-expensive competitors.

"We expect December {video-game] sales of $2.625 billion — up 10 percent compared to December 2007′s $2.39 billion. We expect next-generation software sales of $2.42 billion and current-generation software sales of $205 million," said Michael Patcher, an analyst at Wedbush Morgan. "Our forecast reflects growth of four percent year-over-year for Xbox 360 software, 71 percent growth for Wii software, and 48 percent growth for PS3 software."

Slashing Console Prices

In September, Microsoft cut the price of its three Xbox 360 models to $199, $299 and $399. Sony responded by increasing hard-drive sizes and maintaining its PS3 pricing at $399 and $499. In October, Microsoft countered with the launch of its holiday bundles with free games Sega Superstars Tennis for the Xbox Arcade, and LEGO Indiana Jones and Kung Fu Panda for the Xbox 360 Pro and Elite.

"We believe these moves increased hardware sales, and note that the bundled software is not included in NPD’s overall figures, so Xbox 360 software sales may show only a modest year-over-year increase," Patcher said. "Microsoft hardware sales have been up modestly over the last two months, due to a higher value proposition and by having its core model priced below $300, and we expect this trend to continue in December."

Once the PS3 is at a more affordable price point — Wedbush expects a cut to $299 in April — the company thinks sales will begin to grow. However,…

Source: Top Tech News

Microsoft expects PS3 price drop ‘in the next couple of months’

Now that the PS3 costs less to make, shouldn’t Sony be passing on its savings to you? That’s what Xbox 360 product manager, Aaron Greenberg, expects will happen via a price cut before summer.

Speaking to Edge Online, Greenberg said that, “We [Microsoft] absolutely expect the PS3 price drop to happen in the next couple of months,” adding, “We’re frankly surprised it’s taken this long.”

Sony isn’t surprised; it’s poised to turn a profit on the system for the first time … in the next couple of months. SCEI president Kaz Hirai very much wants this to happen — no doubt even more so given the fine mess Sony currently sees itself in — but the pleasing of stockholders just might have to take back seat to making sure PS3 stands a fighting chance with consumers.

Source: Joystiq

Is Sony’s Playstation 3 On Its Last Leg?

How about this for a lead sentence: “Sony’s PS3 is dying on the shelves.”

Silicon Alley Insider has spun NPD’s November report into a death sentence for PlayStation 3 and its little buddy, pointing to an 18 percent drop in November sales of the console from 2007 to 2008 as proof that PS3 is “flopping.” (Comparatively, Xbox 360 sales recorded a modest percentage gain and Wii sales more than doubled.)

The cause? It’s a three-way tie, according to the analysis:

• The cost: PS3 is the most expensive console. Period. (But it ain’t exactly cheap to piece together a comparable Xbox 360.)
• The Blu-rays: Americans continue to buy DVDs (by May’s count, at least). Things are starting to reverse … in Japan.
• The games: Silicon Alley Insider believes PS3 doesn’t have “any” must-have exclusives. That’s ridiculous. But it doesn’t have many.

Conclusion: “Tell yourself the PS3 has superior graphics if it makes you feel better, but a $400 console with a mediocre game library simply cannot compete against an Xbox 360 priced at $200 in this economy.” Ooh! Dem’s fightin words.

Source: Joystiq

Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe Goes Gold For Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3

Press Release

Chicago, Illinois, November 5, 2008 – Midway Games Inc. (NYSE: MWY) today announced that Mortal Kombat® vs. DC Universe has gone gold and is scheduled to be available in retail stores throughout North America on November 16, 2008, and throughout Europe on November 21, 2008. The next chapter in the venerable Mortal Kombat series, Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe showcases powerful heroes and villains from two vastly different universes.

For the first time in the series, players will step outside the Mortal Kombat universe to assume the heroic identities of world-renowned characters from the DC Universe, including SUPERMAN, BATMAN and WONDER WOMAN, as they join video game icons such as Scorpion, Sub-Zero and Raiden. Making a fiendish appearance alongside their comic counterparts will be notorious DC Universe villains such as CATWOMAN, LEX LUTHOR and The Joker, who along with MK favorites such as Liu Kang, Sonya and Shao Kahn, all play a part in unraveling the mystery of what has caused these two universes to collide

“We are proud to release to manufacturing Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe, the culmination of two years of effort and a rewarding collaboration with our friends at Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Comics,” said Ed Boon, executive producer and co-creator of the Mortal Kombat franchise. “So far the response has been overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic, and I can’t wait to get this into the hands of MK diehards and DC Comics fans alike when the game becomes available on Nov. 16 in North America and Nov. 21 throughout Europe! ”

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, and will be available for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game system and entertainment system from Microsoft. Read more