One of the world’s biggest video game franchises is getting a new title: Capcom today announced Resident Evil 6 [JP] for the Xbox 360, Sony PS3, and the PC. What’s interesting is that the company also said when exactly the game will come out, namely on November 20 in North America and Europe, and two days later in Japan.

Note that the release dates are for the console versions, the PC version hasn’t been dated yet. By way of comparison: Resident Evil 5 was announced in 2005 and went on sale four years later.

The new game is the first addition to the Resident Evil series (which is called “Biohazard” in Japan and sold 47 million units so far) in three and a half years.

Next to a number of new characters, it will star former protagonists Leon S. Kennedy and Chris Redfield who have to fight a series of global bio-terrorist attacks. Capcom also said that Resident Evil 6 will have both single and cooperative play, just like the previous game in the franchise.

Here is the first US trailer:

Sony Computer Entertainment reported some solid sales numbers for its various PlayStation systems for the past holiday season today. Sony says that they moved a total of 6.5 million PlayStation 2/3/PSP/Vita units worldwide (Sony defines “holiday season” as between November 21 and January 5 in Asia, November 21 through December 31 in America, and November 18 through December 31 in Europe).

To be more specific, the company sold:

• 500,000 units of the PlayStation Vita (which launched in Japan on December 7 and in Hong Kong and Taiwan on December 23)
• 3.9+ million PS3s (Sony says the system is on track to sell 15 million units in the fiscal year through March 31)
• 1.6 million PSPs (all models combined)
• 500,000 PS2 systems
• 1.7 PlayStation Moves (not part of the 6.5 million total)

Sony also said that Vita owners can choose between 24 different games at the moment and that 70 additional titles are currently in development. The company’s newest video game system will hit Europe, Australia, and America on February 22, 2012.

Japan’s video game industry is the world’s second biggest (after the US), but it’s on a downward streak for the fifth consecutive year. Based on sales, the country’s video game industry has contracted by as much as 8% year-on-year, Japan’s biggest gaming magazine Famitsu is reporting [JP].

Between December 27, 2010 and December 25, 2011, Japanese game companies generated US$5.9 billion in sales. The Famitsu says that sales from hardware makers actually went up 2.4% (thanks to the launch of the 3DS and PlayStation Vita) to reach US$2.3 billion. Software revenues in Japan dropped 13.7% to US$3.6 billion last year.

This is how often the different video game systems sold in 2011 (total sales numbers in parentheses):

1. Nintendo 3DS: 4,135,739 units
2. Sony PSP: 1,960,177 (18,237,108)
3. Sony PlayStation 3: 1,467,261 (7,417,148)
4. Nintendo Wii: 937,451 (12,167,743)
5. Nintendo DS (all models combined): 711,204 (32,835,502)
6. PlayStation Vita: 402,794
7. Xbox 360: 114,075 (1,520,738)

This overview shows the top selling games in Japan in 2011 (total sales numbers in parentheses):

1. Mario Kart 7 (Nintendo 3DS): 1,082,391 units
2. Super Mario 3D Land (Nintendo 3DS): 1,042,511
3. Monster Hunter Portable 3rd (Nintendo 3DS): 1,021,457 (4,502,446)
4. Monster Hunter 3G (Nintendo 3DS): 809,322
5. Final Fantasy XIII-2 (Sony PS3): 697,146
6. Final Fantasy Type-0 (Sony PSP): 696,428
7. Rhythm Heaven Forever (Nintendo Wii): 633,429
8. Tales of Xillia (Sony PS3): 632,151
9. Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo Wii): 612,807 (2,732,655)
10. Wii Party (Nintendo Wii): 584,545 (2,123,773)

Features:

• 24-inch 1080p 3D Display
• 240Hz Refresh Rate
• Includes One Game, HDMI Cable, And One Pair Of 3D Glasses
• Supports Dual-Player Gaming, Each Player Sees a Different Screen
• MSRP: $499

Pros:

• Excellent build quality
• Cool 3D dual-gaming feature
• Bright, crisp video

Cons:

• Oddly-placed buttons
• Screen is glossy and reflective
• Not all games are supported

What Is It?
Back at E3, the gaming world let out a collective groan when Sony announced they were making a special 3D TV for the PS3. However, that groan swiftly turned into a clamor of adoration once it was explained that the TV, in addition to displaying 3D content, would also allow two players to play side by side, seeing different displays through two pairs of 3D glasses. Called SimulView, it was pretty darn cool.

Fast forward to December and the 24-inch TV has shipped and costs $499. The display has two HDMI ports and little else – you plug in a PS3 and start playing games and Blu-Ray disks. Is this PS3-branded widescreen 1080p monitor good? Definitely. But is it a necessary accessory for gamers and non-gamers alike? That remains to be seen. Read on.

What Do You Get In The Box?
First, I’ll admit that a 24-inch widescreen monitor for $500 is a hard sell. But you get a lot for your money.

The screen has two HDMI ports, stereo inputs, and component jacks on the side. There is also a stereo headphone jack. There are control buttons on the lower right side which makes for some nice hunting and pecking when you’re trying to turn things on. However, I suspect Sony believes many will just plug this thing in and connect a PS3 with little tweaking and I suspect they may be right. It’s a pure-play gaming monitor and the lack of a VGA or DVI jack bears that out.

PlayStation 3D display includes one pair of 3D glasses, a copy of MotorStorm: Apocalypse, and an HDMI cable. There is no remote control and there is no independent TV tuner.

The display is surprisingly thin and quite light, even with the small base attached. Although MSRP is $500, this thing is as low as $399 on Amazon and Wal-Mart right now, which prices it more in the realm of possibility for many gamers.

The Good
The picture was excellent in both 2D and 3D modes. I was able to try a few games and Blu-Ray disks on this thing and I was pleased enough to keep watching. The display has internal stereo speakers with subwoofer, LED backlighting, and a bright 1920×1080 pixel screen.

Setup is dead simple – HDMI in, power, turn it on. There are a few mode settings but most games will handle the jump from 2D to 3D with aplomb. The worst part is trying to find games that support 3D, a feat that could frustrate first-time players who pick this up expecting everything to start flying at them through the screen. You’re going to want to check this list for games that support 3D. For example, I put in Need For Speed: The Run, incorrectly assuming it was 3D-compatible, and spent a few moments switching modes before realizing it wasn’t. It’s not a big deal, especially if you’re, you know, literate and can perform a simple Google search, but clearly I am not.

That said, the games that do work in 3D are as good as you’d expect. I’ve played 3D titles on the PC and I found this screen to be equal if not superior to the older gear I’ve had for about two years. There was a slight dimming in 3D mode, but it became less noticeable over time. The high refresh rate ensures little crosstalk between lenses and 3D content is deep and clear without artifacts. Most of this is thanks to the PS3′s own graphics processor, but the display had a bit to do with it as well.

The Bad
First, it was nearly impossible to get a good shot of this thing in the wild. The glossy screen is very reflective, a fact not noted in the marketing materials. It also takes fingerprints quite enthusiastically.

The buttons are definitely in the wrong place. Sony could have put a mode and power button on the front and, although it works with the Sony Playstation Remote, a small remote would have been a nice touch even for audio control.

Other than that, this 3D display is spot on, but I can’t say the same for its price tag. $500 is pretty darn steep, even for a 3D LCD, but clearly Sony has aimed this as a niche product for hardcore fans, so the market can probably support that price.

Bottom Line
To be completely fair, you could get a 24-inch (non-3D) 1080p display (with a tuner built-in) for much less than $500 (although pricing has settled to around $400 right now with sales). However, the Playstation 3D Display is made for one thing – playing games – and it’s tuned to play PS3 games as well as it possibly can. It is definitely not a TV replacement and it’s not even a good 3D monitor for PCs (although the Xbox 360 looks great on it as well). It is, in short, a display made for gaming and, more precisely, 3D gaming.

Is it worth the investment? If you have a small room and a friend, then “Yes.” The SimulView feature is amazingly clever and the screen renders 1080p content beautifully although 720p is a bit more interpolated than I’d like. If you watch a lot of HD video and play newer games, you won’t notice any issues.

If this is supposed to be your primary screen, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. The display does not have enough features to act as a standalone media consumption monitor. You can feasibly use it with a PC if you so desire, but you’re probably better off picking up a dedicated, cheaper monitor. Extra glasses cost $50 if you want to play SimulView, which is the real draw here.

Again, this isn’t for everyone but if you’re a die-hard PS3 player and need a monitor for your bed- or dorm-room, you could do worse than to pick up this clever, cool, and ultra-thin display.

The “Other OS” controversy is one of those things that, while in a way trivial, is really a proxy battle over a much larger problem. Briefly stated, Sony upset some users by removing the ability to install another OS on their PS3, an option that allowed the powerful console to be used as a PC, media center, or pretty much anything. The removal of this option and effective outlawing of the practice caused a geeky backlash that had less to do with the inability to run a Linux box on your TV than the fact that Sony was dictating what you could do with your device after the fact.

These things get resolved in all sorts of ways, but this one ended up in a class action lawsuit that said Sony was in breach of its agreement with users. Unfortunately for the class members, the suit has been dismissed on the grounds that the behavior may have been questionable but could not be shown to be illegal. Here’s U.S. District Judge Seeborg on the matter:

As a matter of providing customer satisfaction and building loyalty, it may have been questionable. As a legal matter, however, plaintiffs have failed to allege facts or articulate a theory on which Sony may be held liable.

It’s a fair judgment, in my opinion: while I think it’s a form of bullying that Sony removed the option, it’s also part of their right to secure their console environment. I wrote in my User’s Manifesto that while users are justified in employing whatever means necessary to circumvent unreasonable protections, manufacturers are free to do the same to avoid those circumventions, and part of that is withholding updates and other negative reinforcements.

The fact is, as the judge points out, the updates are quite optional, though you will miss out on certain abilities and perhaps online play, but Sony is within its rights to take those away if you are working outside the agreement. Hacking your device is a right, but what companies like Sony provide is a privilege. By exerting your rights, you sometimes lose privileges — it’s just part of the deal.

But legality doesn’t mean it’s a good idea or consumer-friendly practice. Sony needs to be more open and permissive or it risks the ire of more and more users. Random restrictions on the way you can use and share your games and hardware will only cause more people to chafe and seek relief in hacks, as they should. I’d like to say this ruling won’t embolden Sony to further restrictions, but considering they are now immune to class action lawsuits among other things, it will probably only get worse.

For those undaunted by the prospect of potential excommunication from the church of Sony, you can keep up with Other OS news here or at other fan sites.

Love or hate gaming, this Sony advert properly captures the very essence of video games. It’s about the experiences. It’s about the memories. Video games allow a person to, even briefly, become someone else, and enter their life and see a different world. Link, Ghost, and Gordon Freeman all become part of a gamer’s narrative with just as much consequence as Tom Sawyer or The Hardy Boys.

Sure, this particular video spot is for Sony and the Playstation 3, but it portrays the vast draw to gaming in general. Good job, Sony. You won the Internet today.

Do you remember the 3D HD display specifically designed for gaming that Sony Computer Entertainment unveiled back in June at E3? It took them a while, but now big S in Japan announced [JP] the final release date for the device in its home market: November 2. For the equivalent of US$582, buyers will get the 24-inch monitor itself, an HDMI cable, and a set of 3D glasses.

A game isn’t included in the Japanese package – a separate set of (active shutter) 3D glasses will cost $78,. PSP games are displayed in full screen, while a system called SimulView allows 2 users to play 3D games on one display but to see full-screen images each.

The display produces images in 1,920×1,080 resolution, comes with LED backlight, offers 5,000:1 contrast ratio, 3W×2ch+5W speakers and two HDMI interfaces.

We’ll let you know when Sony announces the 3D display for markets outside Japan.

Japan is getting yet another special edition PS3: Sony announced [press release in English] the so-called “PlayStation3 NINOKUNI magical edition” bundle pack for the local market today. In the package, buyers will find a PS3 in “magical gold” color with a pearly touch, in addition to Ni No Kuni, a fantasy RPG currently in development at Level-5.

The PS3 comes with a 160GB HDD and comes with a Dual Shock controller that’s painted like the limited edition console.

Sony says the bundle will be available in Japan only and plans to start selling it on November 17 (price: US$443). Separately, the game will sell for US$115.

Component video’s glory days are behind it. Sony might even be getting rid of it on future PS3 models. But, if this is true, it’s likely more to do with the Blu-ray’s restrictions than Sony’s hatred of the average consumer.

Kotaku posted a screenshot of what is supposed to be info on a new PS3 release. The important thing to note is the statement that indicates the PS3 will no longer support HD video over component. Instead, consumers are going to have to use HDMI, thus this retailer memo states that the salesmen should sell an HDMI cable every time. (that sounds about right)

As long as Blu-ray has been around, the industry has fought over its DRM scheme. The latest revision, which applies to all players sold after December 31, 2010, states that Blu-ray analog video output must be limited to interlaced standard definition. (480i/576i) Then no player sold in 2013 can output encrypted video over analog sources like component at all. Note: The retailer’s memo doesn’t say that the PS3 will ship without component outputs but rather component outputs will not be able to transmit HD videos and thus probably has to do with the AACS Final Adopter Agreement. That doesn’t mean that Sony won’t drop component support altogether in the future.

HDMI is now the golden child, capable of passing a higher quality video single and HD audio over its one, easy to use cable. Movie studios and the like favor HDMI for its robust DRM support. Where analog video, like component video, can be captured from countless retail devices, it’s notable harder to do so with HDMI. They like the control.

Now, however, Lenovo is skirting the ban by selling a home entertainment device called the iSec. The iSec is described as having Kinect-like controls and, if that’s the case, could the real Kinect, PS3, and Wii arrive on China’s shores (legally, and not in the grey market) sooner than later?

“Somehow they’re getting away with this where the other console companies are not,” Lisa Cosmas Hanson of game consultants Niko Partners told Reuters. “Let’s say you’re touting this product as a competitor to the Kinect, then why doesn’t Kinect qualify?”

The decision to allow Lenovo to sell the iSec smacks of protectionism but could lead to wider availability of consoles and titles in the China. Considering the original ban cannot be maintained thanks to illicit sales of consoles and software, it’s only a matter of time before the Great Console Wall crumbles.

via Reuters via Kotaku

Taiwanese daily Digitimes is reporting that Sony is planning a PS4 launch for 2012, based on manufacturers’ claims. Foxconn and Pegatron are supposedly to assemble the systems in late 2011. Digitimes usually has its finger on the pulse when it comes to this sort of thing, but I can’t help feeling there may be some misinterpretation here.

Sony has always considered its PS3 to be a long-lived device. They said in 2006 (when it was ludicrously expensive and had few must-have games) that they were playing a ten-year game. Sony doesn’t tend to joke about that kind of thing. I suspect that 2013 represents the earliest time we’ll see a truly new console, either from Microsoft or Sony (some say 2014); as it is, they’re barely keeping a margin on their hardware, and have been working mainly on driving down the cost of the components. A new system now would likely be very expensive and require a price drop on the old consoles — something neither company can really afford.

We heard rumors of a new Xbox a while back, but Microsoft quickly denied them (though they would) and it seems that Sony is still in active development around the PS3, since they have a new version coming out this summer in Japan. Supposedly the new Playstation would feature “body movement-based control like Kinect,” but I wonder whether Sony is dumb enough to copy-paste its competitors twice in a row like that. Don’t get me wrong, the Move is fantastic, but it didn’t sell for… well, a number of reasons, but among them that it simply wasn’t original.

I’m sure we’ll hear more soon if there’s anything to these whispers. In the meantime, I’d take the “PS4 in 2012″ thing with a grain of salt.

Last year, Sony unveiled PlayView, a service for the PS3 that makes it possible to view high-resolution images on your display, for example in manuals or guides for games. And yesterday, big S announced in Tokyo that PlayView will be able to produce pictures in 4K×2K (4,096×2,160) resolution, or, in other words, four times the resolution of full HD.

The next version of PlayView, due out next month, will also support 3D in 4Kx2K resolution, which is pretty cool.

At a press conference yesterday, Sony said that their technology will be used to launch in Japan the so-called PLUP SERIES of digital “visual magazines”, which will be the first in the world to feature 4Kx2K resolution.

PS3 owners in Japan can buy the first digital magazine of that kind, iQueen, on August 9 for $26 in the PlayStation store (a print version will be released at the same time). Buyers get a boat load of pictures, some in 3D, of lovely Japanese actress Masami Nagasawa (the print version has 96 pages in A4 format).

Via AV Watch [JP]

Following the security breach in the PlayStation network in April (77 million PlayStation Network user accounts were compromised), Sony saw a radical management reshuffle in its gaming division, Sony Computer Entertainment (SCEI), today. As you could expect, big S denies a connection between both incidents, but today’s decision probably doesn’t surprise anyone.

So what will happen? On September 1, Kaz Hirai, the current President and group CEO of SCEI, will take on the role of Chairman of Sony’s video gaming division. At the same time, Hirai’s position will be taken over by Andrew House, who is currently President, CEO and Co-COO of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE).

In March, Sony boss Howard Stringer called Hirai the “leading candidate” for the job as the company’s next CEO. Sony also announced that one day before Hirai becomes Chairman of SCEI, Akira Sato, the current Chairman and one of the founding members of the video gaming unit, will step down.

What’s also interesting is that Ken Kutaragi, legendary father of the PlayStation, retired from his role as Honorary Chairman of SCEI to become a “senior technology adviser” of Sony proper – effective as early as today (Kutaragi is also a former Chairman and chief executive officer of SCEI).

In the months to come, the new SCEI team will have to manage the aftermath of the security breach from this spring, the launch of the PSP successor Vita, and the launch of Nintendo’s Wii U as a new PS3 competitor, among other things.

Microsoft is still riding the Kinect wave, and may wait to see what tack Sony takes before doing any bundles or promotions. Add that to the apparent revised console Sony is producing and it’s looking more and more likely that we’ll see a new price point and slightly different hardware. Oh, and that TV.

Of course, a fall promotion like this means less bargaining power come the holidays, but Sony may be relying on the Vita for its fourth-quarter sales. Too bad it’s not shipping until December 31st.

Now, this rumor is based in the UK, so there’s no guarantee any price cuts (which may really end up giving them price parity with the US and Japan) would carry over to this side of the pond. It would probably be announced at the huge Gamescom convention in Cologne.

Sony Computer Entertainment announced [JP] the CECH-3000B for the Japanese market, a new/modified version of the PS3. When compared with the previous model (the 2500B), the new PS3 is 400g lighter (it now weighs 2.6kg) and consumes 30W less power (200W now). Sony also said they will stop producing the 2500B series.

Buyers in Japan will be able to lay their hands on the new PS3 model, which has a 320GB HDD, later this month (price: $436). On June 30, Sony also plans to ship the CECH-3000B as part of an “HDD Recorder Pack” (PS3+torne TV tuner), which is pictured below.

The Tales Of Xillia PS3 package (due out in Japan in September) will also come with the new model (160GB).

They also announced a bundle with Resistance 3 and the Sharpshooter Move accessory for $150, and more or less dated the Ico and God of War remasters. They’ll be out in September (same as Japan).

It’s been a while since the last one, but Sony announced a new PS3 package for the Japanese market over the weekend. Buyers will get a special 160GB HDD model bundled with Tales Of Xillia, an RPG made by Namco Bandai (and the newest addition to their hit “Tales Of” RPG series that kicked off in 1995).

The PS3 in the box comes in Charcoal Black and with Tales of Xillia’s main protagonists Jude and Mira printed in metallic red and gold color.

The bundle will go on sale in Japan only on September 8 (that’s also when the game itself will be released), costing $467.

The main issue seems to be in the first week, when it seems that Sony failed to notify its users that there was a serious breach and their data may be at risk. Stringer told the Wall St Journal:

We told people what we believed to have been lost and what we couldn’t rule out within a day of finding that out. That’s fast. That’s faster than what most companies have done. That’s faster than the law required and it was the responsible thing to do for our customers. You can’t find a company that acted any quicker once it found out. What you’re talking about is when we didn’t know anything you wanted us to reveal the information. That would have been irresponsible. If your house has been burglarized, you find out if you’ve lost something before you call the police.

It’s true that once they knew for the extent of the breach for sure, they were quick about saying so, and that’s to their credit. But the burglar analogy misses the mark, because in this case it’s not Sony that’s at risk here, it’s the users. And Sony absolutely, positively should have taken the bull by the horns within a day or two of the breach (the potential extent of which must have been known early on) and said “We got hacked. It’s serious. We don’t know how serious just yet, but serious enough that you might have to get a new card and change your password. We’ll have more information soon, but keep an eye on your accounts and let us know immediately if you see anything suspicious. Sorry for etc. etc. etc.”

Stringer was honest about Sony’s limited knowledge of the origins and intent of the hack, though he does put it at Anonymous’ door, which is playing with fire. But they have found no evidence of identity theft or credit card abuse, and are working closely with law enforcement, in addition to offering complimentary protection against those crimes.

It’s up to posterity to judge, of course, but I think the general consensus on this will be that Sony acted quickly and authoritatively, but by not inoculating themselves against the worst by being up front with their consumers, they allowed the news to get out by other means, and appeared to be afraid of the truth.

Twice as many people are buying FIFA 11 for 360 as for PS3, a pattern that likely extends to other games on both consoles. While PS3 sales are still hovering around a healthy 200,000 per month, this security disaster is costing companies like EA and Capcom millions upon millions in lost business, and while Sony’s loss of face is difficult to calculate monetarily, you better believe it’s worth a buck or two.

It’s not exactly a mass exodus, but in the console wars, a flesh wound like this hurts a lot more down the road, since it affects things like third party support and customer perceptions of reliability. It’s going to be a while before Sony walks this one off.