For all the Gran Turismo fans out there, you’ll be happy to know that there will be a new video to download from the PlayStation Network Store on May 4th - ‘PSN Content’. It’s also worth keeping an eye on www.granturismoworld.com, for future announcements.
*The image isn’t actually from the game, however, the downloadable video features this car (Nissan Xanavi Nismo Z) on the ‘Eiger Mountain Track’.
Here’s a submission from regular Three Speech contributor, Anthony Hanses. Must reinforce that these are very much his thoughts (and there’s alot of them), let us know what you think?
If there’s anything that you’d like to submit to Three Speech, drop us an e-mail at: [email protected].
I am but one person. There are those who have played games longer, or owned more systems. There are those who are more involved with the industry, or who spend more time playing video games. I don’t claim to be any sort of expert on the inner workings of the large variety of professions that video game development and sales includes, but I contend that it no longer takes an expert to make the assertion that I have come to recently: the video game industry as a whole is losing its soul, and while it may be able to end-over-end continue to raise profits, it will on the long term lose the respectability and clout that it deserves if they continue on their current course.
Read more…
Those of you using Linux to really put your PS3 through its paces are probably doing so through the underground community’s trusted Yellow Dog.
Well, there’s some new competition from Ubuntu, the highly acclaimed Linux distributor, which has released a new version of their popular operating system specifically for the Sony PlayStation 3.
For those of you still scratching your head, wondering what this Linux talk is all about, essentially it allows you to boot your PS3 into more of a desktop PC style mode, to check your email and browse the web – pretty much like a mini PC. Also, the PS3 doesn’t suffer from any of usability issues that the PlayStation 2 version may have had.
Installation of the new Linux operating system is very easy, all you have to do is use a Live CD method, which is a wizard tool. Go in the XMB of the PlayStation 3, then go to settings > system settings > format utility > format hard disk. From here, you can partition the hard drive to allow for the space needed for whichever Linux software you chose to use. Follow the steps and you will be up and running in no time.
Your PS3 sets itself to boot either Linux or PS3 OS by default, so you can switch back and forth but you need to reboot each time.
For more info, the review here from Eurogamer should help clear things up - they installed Fedora Core 5, another version of Linux that also runs well on the PS3:
http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=70611
Here’s some answers from Sony to a selection of PlayStation Eye questions.
Does the new Eye differ from EyeToy much?
“It’s superior to EyeToy in nearly every way: four times the resolution, two times the frame-rate, two times the sensitivity and no compression artefacts. It has two fundamental new features: a two-setting optical zoom lens, and a built-in microphone array.”
Is the EyeToy even compatible with the PS3?
“Yes, but the picture quality is inferior to the PS Eye.”
Is the PlayStation Eye backward compatible with the PS2?
“No.”
What software comes with the camera? And what software and games will be available at launch or in the near future?
“It’s supplied with EyeCreate, which allows people to save photos, video and audio clips, as well as editing them and create truly individual movies using the different capture modes such as time-lapse and slow motion. Future software and games planned for use with the Eye will include Eye of Judgement, Ember, Skyblue and Aqua Vita, but the list will grow considerably over time.”
It sounds nice but what does ‘ability to reduce background noise and focus on the spoken word for smoother, more accurate speech recognition and transfer’ mean to a consumer?
“PS Eye’s high-quality mic array allows PS3 to analyse the audio input and separate human voices from other sounds, such as fans, traffic sounds, laundry, vacuums, etc. This makes your voice clearer on the other side during chat, and makes it easier for games with speech recognition to understand what you are saying.”
Can the PS Eye work in low light?
“It’s much more sensitive than EyeToy, to the extent that although it still works best in a well-lit room, it can produce reasonable quality video by simply using the illumination given off by the television set.”
If you compare the PlayStation Eye with a normal digital camera, how does the zoom lens compare?
“The lens on PlayStation Eye has two optical settings: normal, which is a 56 degree field of view and wide, which is a 72 degree field of view. This is similar to some point-and-shoot cameras. The normal setting is similar to EyeToy’s configuration and the addition of the wide setting is intended for full-body tracking. The user can switch the setting according to match his desired experience.”
And how does the frame rate compare to other web cams?
“It has a very fast frame rate. Most webcams max out at 30 frames/sec, but the Eye typically runs at 60 frames/sec, which makes it twice as responsive and can also run at 120 frames/sec mode for extreme high-speed tracking applications. This makes it a very unique camera.”
What format(s) do the video and audio save in?
“All video and audio files produced via the Eye are specific files created for use only on EyeCreate, the software available free with the Eye. These files cannot be used on the XMB and therefore not exported.”
Sony has announced that their next gen Eye camera will be launched in Europe this summer. Picking up where the EyeToy left off, the new device is custom built for the PS3 and works as an accessory for voice, video chat and online gaming. It’s a pretty slick looking device as well. PlayStation say it’s designed specifically to work with the next generation of social gaming titles and new services being developed for PS3. Key features of the PlayStation Eye include:
• A sophisticated microphone with the ability to reduce background noise and focus on the spoken word for smoother, more accurate speech recognition and transfer
• The ability to capture videos and audio clips directly to your PS3’s hard disk drive
• Engineered to perform well even in low-light conditions
• A range of different capturing modes, including slow motion and time-lapse
• Faster frame rate for improved tracking, responsiveness and smoothness
• Two position zoom lens for close-up and full body options
• A range of eye-catching visual effects to apply to photos and videos
• Bundled with EyeCreate™ editing software, which allows users to save and edit photos, video and audio clips
Following our previous update on downloadable titles for the PS3, here’s the latest on Super Stardust HD and Snakeball, which are set to launch on PSN in June and July respectively.
Info from the press releases follows
New press release below -
PLAYSTATION®3 USERS SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE FOLDING@HOME™ PROGRAM
Tokyo, April 25, 2007 – Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) today announced that great progress has been made in the one month since PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment systems became part of Stanford University’s Folding@home™ program, a distributed computing project aimed at understanding protein folding, misfolding and related diseases. Since the program launched in March, participation by the PS3 user community has been phenomenal, providing Folding@home with immense computing power that is helping to fast forward its research. Furthermore, thanks to PS3’s powerful Cell Broadband Engine™ (Cell/B.E.), the Folding@home program has become one of the most powerful distributed computing networks in the world and is quickly approaching a level of computing power that is of historical proportions.
Exhibiting its continued commitment to the program, SCE also announced that starting tomorrow, it is providing a Folding@home application update that will further enhance the user experience. The updated software features an improvement in folding calculation speeds, increased visibility of user location (*1) on the globe and the ability for users to create longer donor or team names.
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Some more Ratchet and Clank screens:
Here’s some screens to give you another taster of Insomniac’s Ratchet and Clank:
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has announced that it plans to lower the price of the PSP in the UK from £149.99 to £129.99, with the new price taking effect from May 4. They’re also releasing five new Platinum titles at £14.99 (a new, lower price for all PSP Platinum titles) The new Platinum titles are: Ridge Racer 2, Tekken, Killzone, Loco Roco, and Moto GP.
Making the PSP more accessible/affordable seems a good indication of PlayStation’s plans to grow the relationship between the handheld device and the PS3. It’s a point that Sony Computer Entertainment MD Ray Maguire makes in the quote below.
“PSP is unique and is constantly evolving. It offers the widest palette of mobile entertainment, from gaming to video, music, photos and internet. But now the exciting possibility of connecting remotely to PLAYSTATION®3, makes PSP more relevant than ever. So what better time to offer a brand new price point, and the launch of five new Platinum titles?”
More about the Platinum titles below -
