Posts Tagged ‘PS3’
Microsoft: Xbox 360 Not Having Blu-ray is Good
Microsoft pats itself on the back for not having a high-definition optical storage medium such as Blu-ray Disc.
During infancy of the current console generation, there was much debate regarding Sony’s inclusion of the Blu-ray Disc format with the PlayStation 3. The blue and violet lasers did drive costs up, but it was hard to argue with the value of a 50GB storage medium for Sony’s console.
Fast forward ahead years to today, and we’re still on the same argument but on a different scale. Xbox product director Aaron Greenberg told CVG that the Xbox 360 lack of a Blu-ray Disc drive has allowed it to take a massive lead against the PS3.
“Being $100 cheaper [than PS3] is part of the reason we’re nearly twice their installed base,” Greenberg said, referring to the North American market, according to CVG.
PlayStation 3′s added investment in Blu-ray Disc, while it does cost more, pays off with games such as Final Fantasy XIII, where it ships on one disc versus three DVDs for the Xbox 360.
“The fact that we’re able to offer a console starting at $199 is a benefit of not being burdened with that cost,” Greenberg said to Edge magazine.”For us, our bet was on digital distribution, that was the future – the ability to [play] 1080p movies with no disc, no download required; we have the largest movie and TV library, the largest HD library of any console.”
Ironically, Microsoft’s $199 version of the Xbox 360 doesn’t come with the accessory that is needed most for the company’s bet on digital distribution – a hard disk drive.
Sony Launches Desi Adda for The PS2 and PSP
Sony Computer Entertainment has announced the launch of Desi Adda: Games of India – specially developed by an Indian Game Development Studio – GameShastra Solutions Pvt Ltd, for the PS2 and PSP.
Desi Adda: Games of India are the first console games to be playable in 3 Indian languages – Hindi, Punjabi and Tamil. It features 6 traditional Indian games – Pachisi, Goat & the tiger, Kite Fight, Kabaddi, Gilli Danda and a dance game.
Developed for both PS2 and PSP, ‘Desi Adda: Games of India’ will be available in the Indian market at a suggested retail price of Rs. 499, for PS2 and Rs. 999 for the PSP.
Atindriya Bose, Country Manager – PlayStation, Sony Computer Entertainment said, “We are very proud to launch the first Indian game on PSP with localized content, in 3 Indian languages completely developed in India These are the long-established, traditional games of India that are now inspiring games on the very modern interactive platform of PlayStation. On PS2 and PSP platform, people will, for the first time, get to play these time-honored games and carry forward the flavors of traditional India to the newer generations”.
Prakash Ahuja, CEO, Gameshastra, said, “When we presented the concept of Desi Adda to SCEE , we were pleasantly surprised with the enthusiasm and the support that we got from SCEE to build India based thematic content for the Indian market and the Diaspora globally. We are very excited with the way the game has evolved and are thankful to SCEE for all their belief in launching this title across their major platforms. Currently, we are also working on a new genre of game based on Indian Martial Arts, along with multiple titles for the PSP Minis platform for the global market.”
The game is the story of Avinash, son of an NRI businessman, who comes to visit his ancestral village. Since Avinash has lived all his life abroad, and this is his first visit to an Indian village, he is fascinated by what he sees. The story unfolds as he roams around the village, plays the different village games, and meets Gowri and Gopal, a couple who are in love, but cannot get married as the village head, Garjan Singh, is opposed to their match. Avinash must now seek different people in the village, who play a part in this story one way or the other, and try to find a way to get Gowri and Gopal married and also save the village from the evil plans of Garjan Singh.
The 6 traditional Indian games include:
Pachisi – Pachisi is a turn based board game played using the cross shaped board and two rectangular dice. It’s a game of change and strategy. Pachisi game played between the Pandavas and Kauravas is the significant event in the great epic of Mahabharata.
Aadu Puli Aatam (Goat & the Tiger) – This is a hunting game between the extravagant Tigers and the deceitful goats. The general rule of this interesting strategy game is the number of tigers varies from 1 to 4, and the number of goats from 11 to 12 to 23 or 24. The general aim is to hem in the tigers so that they cannot move, but the arrangement of pieces, the method of play and the rules of capture vary from game to game.
Kite fight – In India people fly kites to cut other kites. Specially made threads, mostly coated with fine powdered glass, are used for the kite fight. Kites are made from colored paper and are available in various shapes. Two bamboo sticks called “tuddah” (which is straight) and “Kaamp” which is arched, hold the paper together. The string attached determines the performance of the kite.
Kabaddi – Two teams compete with each other for higher scores, by touching or capturing the players of the opponent team. Each team consists of 12 players, of which seven are on court at a time, and five in reserve. The two teams fight for higher scores, alternating defence and offense.
Gilli Danda is a game like cricket or baseball but without a ball and with a different set of rules. The ball is replaced by a small stick called Gilli. The Gilli 3 to 4 inches long and both the ends are tapered. Danda is a 24 inch long cylindrical stick used like a bat. Player can enjoy batting the Gilli or fielding among the free cattle.
Dance game is a beat matching game, in which the user has to match the beats of a song playing in the background, by pressing a combination of buttons at the right time as they scroll on the bottom of the screen. The aim is to try and successfully press the right combination of buttons at the right time in order to win the game.
Sony Ericsson Finally Launches Satio, Aino and Yari in India
Sony Ericsson has unveiled their ‘Communication Entertainment’ consumer proposition, the pinnacle of what the company has been working towards since the start of the joint venture in 2001 – the true fusion of communication and entertainment. Bringing this offering alive and it’s take some time but Sony Ericsson has finally launched its new product line of handsets that include the much awaited 12MP camera phone the Satio and of course the Aino and Yari are also here now.
The future of mobile entertainment, the Satio, Aino and Yari phones are designed to offer users the ultimate multimedia experience with Remote Play access to videos, television shows and photos and they also incorporate gesture based gaming.
Satio
“Bringing together rich content, unique applications and best in class entertainment experiences, our Communication Entertainment proposition is the next step in our evolution”, said Anil Sethi, President, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications India at the launch. “Everything that we have done to date has brought us to this point and we are now ready to unveil the next chapter in the evolution of the company – Communication Entertainment – providing consumers unlimited opportunities to share their entertainment experiences.”
Aino
“The introduction of the Satio, Aino and Yari phones in India will redefine the communication and entertainment experience for mobile users.” said Sudhin Mathur, General Manager, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications India. “The range packs in the best technology and applications, to deliver the ultimate entertainment experience on the go.”
Sony Ericsson’s Communication Entertainment consumer proposition is based around three key promises:
Uniting best in class entertainment experiences into one offering such as the Walkman music experience, the Cyber-shot imaging experience, Java gaming and messaging integrated with services and applications.
Broadening entertainment experiences by integrating the mobile phone into other devices in the home letting consumers share and enjoy entertainment content through a variety of channels including TV, PC and Hifi systems.
Fusing communication with entertainment by removing barriers and offering unlimited sharing opportunities, multiplying the value of people’s entertainment experiences through a host of web applications and Sony Ericsson’s unique Play Now offering.
Yari
A quick recap of the handsets features –
The Satio runs on a Symbian operating system and features -
3.5 inch TFT Touchscreen (360 x 640 pixels, 16 million colors), 16:9 widescreen format
3G (HSDPA), GPRS/EDGE
Wi-Fi, DLNA, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, USB 2.0
GPS with A-GPS support (Google Maps)
12.1 megapixel camera and Xenon flash, LED for Video, geo-tagging, Face and Smile Detection
FM radio
MicroSD card support
The second handset, the Aino slider that offers Remote Play for the PS3 comes with -
3 inch limited touchscreen (240 x 430 pixels, 16 million colors)
3G (HSDPA), GPRS/EDGE
Wi-Fi, DLNA, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0
GPS with A-GPS support (Wayfinder, Google Maps)
8 megapixel AF camera with LED flash, geo-tagging, Face Detection
FM radio
MicroSD card support
The last handset that made its India debut is the Yari slider that has -
2.4-inch limited touchscreen (240 x 320 pixels, 256K colors)
3G (HSDPA), GPRS/EDGE
Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, USB 2.0
GPS with A-GPS support (Wayfinder)
5 megapixel AF camera with LED flash, geo-tagging, Face Detection
FM radio
MicroSD card support
Personally, since we did get a chance to test them at their Singapore event a couple of months ago, I can quite confidently say that the handsets make a great addition to the existing range of mobile handsets in general that are available here in the country today. The price tags on the handsets are as follows -
Rs. 35,950 for the 12 megapixel camera phone the Satio
Rs. 28,950 for the Remote Play, PS3 compatible Aino and
Rs. 16,950 for the Yari that incorporates gesture gaming.
Obama Says iPad, iPod, Xbox, PS3 are Distractions
The U.S. President works his BlackBerry fine, but doesn’t know how to work an iPad, iPod, Xbox or PlayStation.
U.S. President Barack Obama spoke to an audience of the class of graduating students at Hampton University, Virginia with his views on education, technology and modern media.
“You’re coming of age in a 24/7 media environment that bombards us with all kinds of content and exposes us to all kinds of arguments, some of which don’t always rank all that high on the truth meter,” Obama said, according to the AFP.
Some of Obama’s comments were made in light of how certain blogs and talk radio shows can publicize their views; “Some of the craziest claims can quickly claim traction,” Obama said. “All of this is not only putting new pressures on you, it is putting new pressures on our country and on our democracy.”
Obama then specifically named a couple of popular Apple portable devices and HD gaming systems as diversions and distractions.
“With iPods and iPads and Xboxes and PlayStations, — none of which I know how to work — information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation,” he said.