Sony’s set to launch a slimmed-down version of its 7-year old PlayStation 2 console in Japan on November 22nd. It’ll cost roughly $140 and weighs about a pound and a half thanks in part to the power cord that plugs directly into the unit, eliminating the clumsy brick apparatus. It’ll come in Charcoal Black, Ceramic White, or Satin Silver. Other than that, it’s a PlayStation… → Read More
The PlayStation 2 is no doubt one of the most successful consoles in video game history. After recently celebrating its 7th birthday, the PS2 will now undergo yet another redesign in an effort to build-in the system’s power supply and continually trim the overall design down. In addition to a new design, the new PS2 is expected to take a price cut down to $99, making the system affordable to… → Read More
Confirming what everyone in the world already knew, or assumed to know, a Wedbush Morgan analyst has said that Halo 3 was at least partially responsible for moving 450,000 Xbox 360s during the month of September. In dollars-and-cents, the game generated some $200 million for Microsoft. (All of these numbers are the analyst’s predictions; verifiable NPD numbers should be released within the… → Read More
Activion is pulling out all the stops on Guitar Hero 3. They’ve just announced 16 more tracks for the guitar wielding rock fest. I just wish I didn’t suck at it so much because Sunshine of Your Love by Cream is the shiznit. The Sonic Youth, Dead Kennedys, White Zombie, Aerosmith (!), Bloc Party, Disburbed and The Killers (why? wtf!) have joined the stacked lineup. Hit the jump for the full… → Read More
Get ready to rock! Pricing and launch dates have been announced for Guitar Hero’s closest rival, Rock Band. The MTV and EA mashup will be available on the PS3, PS2 and Xbox 360 platforms with varying kits that include guitars, drums and mics. The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions will begin shipping November 23 for $169.99 and will include the aforementioned accessories. The PS2 version, which was… → Read More
You can build just about anything out of LEGOs if you’re crafty enough. A dinosaur, a spaceship, or a working PS2 controller that’s in the shape of a Gibson Explorer guitar. In this case, it’s the latter and this LEGO guitar for Guitar Hero actually looks better than the standard guitar controllers. Shred, anyone? It works for PS2 and no, you can’t get one. But you can make… → Read More
It is hard to believe it is August already. That means summer will soon be turning to fall. Kids go back to school, the weather gets cooler and the leaves change color. But most of that doesn’t matter to a lot of guys, because fall means football season. But in the world of video games you don’t have to wait until September for the kickoff. The games are already here! This week we look at the… → Read More
Traditionally known for the longest press conference at the Electronic Entertainment Expo Sony Computer Entertainment hasn’t been one to “leave them wanting more.” And despite the scaled back E3 this year the company still managed to have an event that clocked in a tad bit on the long side, but with plenty of great news it was worth every minute… almost! Here is a look at what Sony had to… → Read More
Nick at TC found some weird Sony PS2 ads that came out in India which essentially say that your girlfriend sucks and that you should play your PS2. While the concept is clever and edgy, I think the message isn’t quite as clear as it could be. Perhaps they should have a young man with his girlfriend tied up in a box while he plays God of War. Why stop at low-level misogyny when you can really… → Read More
Say goodbye to all those games you bought for PS2 With cost cutting measures going into effect at Sony, it makes sense for the console manufacturer to remove the Emotion Engine chip inside the PS3. But what does it mean for you? Essentially, that Emotion Engine chip is a PS2/PS1 on a chip. Take it out and use a software emulation solution instead and you’ll find that half your older games no… → Read More
Take Two has “temporarily suspended” Manhunt 2 in response to the game’s ban in the UK and AO rating here in the U.S. The game was supposed to come out on July 10, but its publisher had to shelve it in order to “review its options.” While I’m personally opposed to games that feature such wanton violence—oh, excuse me, art—I definitely feel for the… → Read More
The British Board of Film Classification has banned the sale of Manhunt 2, which was scheduled to come out next month for the Wii, PS2 and PSP. As you might expect, the ratings board cited the game’s encouragement of “visceral killing with exceptionally little alleviation or distancing…. There is sustained and cumulative casual sadism in the way in which these killings are… → Read More
As if you needed any more confirmation on just how great the Nintendo Wii is, the latest Japanese sales numbers show a 5 to 1 advantage in terms in consoles sold compared to the PS3. Again, this doesn’t mean that the Wii is any better than the PS3, but it does show that Nintendo’s gamble of tapping into the non-gamer market is paying off. (Compare that to the PS3 where you need to take… → Read More
Nintendo knows it’s got a winner on its hands with the Wii and now it looks like the company is starting to project some hubris. George Harrison, the head of marketing for Nintendo of America, says Sony screwed up by releasing a PlayStation 3 that’s simply too expensive for what it does. Hence, as Harrison points out, Sony is still selling a large number of PS2s. → Read More
Can’t get enough Guitar Hero? Don’t worry! Activision realizes you’re not just a casual gamer and need more rockage. That’s why they’ll be releasing Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s sometime this year hopefully. A new tracklisting has been posted, showcasing some of the hits of the 1980s. Songs include: → Read More
Some of us have trouble pulling ourselves away from the computer and sometimes that can be OK. But if you need your fix of video gaming and Internet surfing and happen to live in Austin, Texas, you may want to call Ricky Gray for a cab. Gray has outfitted his minivan-turned-taxi with two LCD TVs on which customers can play Playstation 2 games on, watch TV, and surf the Internet. Gray’s… → Read More
The band is back together. Activision confirmed today the long-running rumor of a 1980s-themed Guitar Hero. Called Guitar Hero: Rock the 80s, the game is scheduled to be released exclusively for the PS2 (sorry, 360 fans) this summer. Most importantly, Activision revealed a couple of songs Clapton wannabes can look forward to, uh, shredding. • Twisted Sister’s “I Wanna Rock”… → Read More
The NPD Group tracks all sorts of data related to video games and a report due out later today breaks down just exactly the online gaming world looks like. There’s two big shockers right off the bat: a majority of online gamers are console owners (whaaa?) and that girl gamers—excuse me, grrrl gamers—account for 42 percent of all online gamers. I call bravo sierra. → Read More
For all the hullabaloo surrounding the next-gen console war, and the Nintendo Wii in particular, Sony’s PS2 (yes, PlayStation 2, the one released here in 2000) will continue to outsell the Wii until 2009. Again, one of those analyst types has gone on record saying that Nintendo’s inability to produce enough Wii consoles will hurt its standing among “mass market” consumers… → Read More
Alex over at Joystiq tells an interesting story about a Sunday-drive to Gamestop where he tried to purchase God of War II. When Alex entered the store and asked for a copy of GoW2, the employee behind the counter asked if a reservation had been made. When he replied “No”, the employee at the Gamestop walked over to the display wall, grabbed a case, opened it, and stuck a copy of the… → Read More
Recently, I reported that Europeans would not be getting a PS2 Emotion Engine chip inside their PS3s thanks to Sony trying to cut costs. Now that Sony has pissed off a bunch of Europeans, it’s now launching a PR campaign to try to rectify the situation to the best of its ability. A list that shows which PS2 games will be compatible has been released on the web for all to see. The official… → Read More
Word on the wire is that folks in the good ol’ USA may be getting PS3s without the PS2 Emotion Engine chip. Europeans and those using the PAL version of the PS3 already have gotten the shaft. Not having that Emotion Engine chip means the PS3 is forced to emulate a PS2 through a software-based method. Because this is the same way Microsoft is doing Xbox-support on the 360, only a limited… → Read More
? MojoPlay understands and for 2007 the display maker is rolling out three new displays made specifically for console gaming. The MP-920XB made for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is a 9.2-inch LCD with a mounting system that seamlessly connects to the 360 without affecting the cooling vents on the top of the console. It’s resolution is a decent 800×480 and there are built-in stereo speakers… → Read More
Blaze Games announced today that it would be releasing it’s Xploder HDTV package in the States. The system allows PS2 users to upconvert PS2 games for use with HDTV. Compatible with over 95% of all PS2 games, the Xploder HDTV Player is a unique software utility that unlocks the inherent High Definition capabilities of PS2 games – providing gamers with 480p, 576p, 720p and 1080i HD modes. → Read More
Bundled with the popular UK game Singstar Pop, which lets you Karaoke along with your favorite pop tunes, this Pink PS2 will be landing the Queen’s country with as much grace as Ken has when he’s dressed in Barbie’s clothes. Not only is the body pink, the controller, control cables, and even the memory card is pink. Boy, we bet they’re going to get the girls to play video… → Read More
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