Updated: Sony’s PSP-Go Revealed

E3 is just a few days away and the Internet is full of rumors and true facts of upcoming hardware and titles and one of the slipped true facts is a new PSP-Go that will be show cased in its full glory on Tuesday, but thanks to the leaked Qore Exclusive, PlayStation forums are buzzing with news!

Noticeable improvements and it looks like the new UMD-less PSP is a direct kin next to recently discontinued Mylo. It is still not clear if it is a touchscreen or not. I am looking everywhere I can to find out the exact specs of the screen.

PSP-Go will be featuring 16 GB of internal storage; 3.8 inch screen, smaller – 43% lighter than the PSP-3000, Bluetooth (and tethering for cell phone? random, but nice, and probably means stereo A2DP), Memory Stick Micro expansion slot (good stores have 16gb memory stick micro for $60-75USD). It also has direct access to the Playstation store, and movies and tv content. It’s obvious you will need to get some memory stick micro cards very quickly if you plan on having good content. Check out this amazing leaked PSP Go video courtesy of engadget (great work guys) as well as some really good shots here. Coming this fall. Wow.

On an unfortunate note, the launch has not been doing too well. The comments section of engadget and Gizmodo (1, 2), the two biggest technology blogs in the world, were basically a bloodbath of hatred – mostly calling on Sony to release the product with two analog joysticks instead of one, and other complaints about the “akward button layout.” What do you think?

More info to come!

Sony Adds Six More Titles To PS3′s Greatest Hits

Sony Computer Entertainment America today announced that six best-selling titles have been added to the “Greatest Hits” library for the PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) computer entertainment system. Starting June 16, the following games, representing some of the most popular hits on the platform, will be available for $29.99 MSRP: Army of Two, Battlefield: Bad Company, Devil May Cry 4, Gran Turismo(R) 5 Prologue, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, and Ratchet & Clank(R) Future: Tools of Destruction.

This is the second set of PS3 games to reach “Greatest Hits” status, and they showcase some of the platform’s best-selling titles across a broad range of genres, including first-person shooter, platforming, racing, and action/adventure.

“Games deemed ‘Greatest Hits’ have reached a significant sales threshold. This latest selection features several critically acclaimed titles, including Gran Turismo 5 Prologue and Metal Gear Solid 4, which represent the high caliber of quality software that is available on the PS3 system,” said Scott A. Steinberg, vice president, product marketing, SCEA. “We’re looking forward to making this group of best sellers even more accessible to consumers, while we continue to deliver more value to the overall PS3 platform.”

About the “Greatest Hits” Titles:

• Army of Two (Electronic Arts) – Fight along side a teammate to become the deadliest TWO man military outfit a government can buy. To survive, players must bring down a vast Private Military Corporation conspiracy – where the good guys and the bad guys are one and the same. Rating: “M” for Mature
• Battlefield: Bad Company (Electronic Arts) – Set in the near future, the Battlefield: Bad Company single-player campaign drops gamers behind enemy lines as part of a squad of four soldiers – risking it all to go AWOL on a personal quest. Rating: “T” for Teen
• Devil May Cry 4 (Capcom) -Devil May Cry 4 immerses gamers in a gothic supernatural world, where a new protagonist clashes with a familiar hero. As the new leading man, Nero, players will unleash incredible attacks and non-stop combos using a unique new gameplay mechanic, his powerful “Devil Bringer” arm. Rating: “M” for Mature
• Gran Turismo(R) 5 Prologue (Sony Computer Entertainment) – With more than 50 million units shipped worldwide, Gran Turismo is the world’s most popular racing franchise. Developed by Polyphony Digital, Inc, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue sets the standard for unprecedented realism in the racing category with its quality of design and physics technology. Players can race, either online or offline, more than 70 meticulously detailed vehicles on tracks from around the world. Rating: “E” for Everyone
• Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (Konami) – is the final chapter in the saga of Solid Snake which sends him around the world in pursuit of his arch nemesis, Liquid Ocelot. In his final mission, Snake must sneak deep into enemy locations in the Middle East, South America, and other corners of the earth to foil Liquid Ocelot plans for total world domination. Rating: “M” for Mature
• Ratchet & Clank(R) Future: Tools of Destruction (Sony Computer Entertainment) – An orphan of the universe, Ratchet has never known anything of his Lombax origins. When an alien tyrant, driven by an unexplainable hatred for Lombaxes attacks Ratchet and Clank’s home, the two heroes are thrust into an epic adventure where they discover that Ratchet’s past is the key to the galaxy’s future. Rating: “E 10+” for Everyone 10 and older

Understanding The Features Of Sony’s Greenest Television: The Bravia WE5

Here is a helpful image to demonstrate how the Sony Bravia WE5’s Presence Sensor works in action. It’s the first BRAVIA with an intelligent Presence Sensor, which detects your body heat and movement when you’re sitting near the screen. That means if you leave the room the sensor activates an energy-saving ‘Picture Off’ mode, while leaving the TV sound on. The picture turns back on as soon as you re-enter the room. This means you can be sure it won’t switch off when you’re sitting watching TV, but if you can hear your TV from the kitchen, the five minute Picture Off mode can be very useful. You can see from the image that it really does use less electricity in both of the modes (and hence saves money).

In fact, the WE5 is so sensitive that when in ‘Idle TV’ timer mode it actually switches the set to standby after a preset time. PC Power Management mode also switches to standby if no signal is received from a computer for 30 seconds. That’s especially handy if you’ve connected the TV to your computer for big-screen gaming action and want to pause without switching everything off. The sensor can be tailored to suit your viewing habits, with both the Picture Off mode and sleep mode settings able to kick in after a user set time of 5 minutes, 30 minutes or 60 minutes.

Also, when you’re watching a BRAVIA WE5 you’re experiencing the world’s first micro-tubular Hot Cathode Fluorescent Lamp (HCFL) backlight—which reduces power consumption by more than 50% compared to previous LCD TV models from Sony. That’s quite a difference! This is also the first BRAVIA with a new Energy Saving Switch. Did you know other televisions draw a small amount of power even in standby or when switched off? Now you can flip a switch to turn it off completely—drawing virtually no power. Switch it back on and the TV immediately returns to its previous state. It’s a more convenient alternative to manually unplugging the TV when it’s not in use.

Dodge This: The Matrix Online Turns Off On July 31st

Sony Online Entertainment’s Matrix Online MMO service will be discontinued and the servers will go dark on July 31st. It is an official continuation of the The Matrix storyline. After 4 memorable years of sharing amazing stories and epic adventures with a wonderful and dedicated community, organizers “saw how deep the rabbit hole went and it was time to write the final chapter of the story.”

The team will also be whipping up an end-of-the-world event. It won’t be quite the same as having over 100 developers in the game as Agents like when they ended beta, but with 4 years of tricks up their sleeve. It’ll be a chance to revisit all the things that make MxO the memorable experience it is. And how they we pull the plug without crushing everyone’s RSI just one more time?

What happens to all the code/data for The Matrix Online?
Sony Online Entertainment and Warner Brothers will retain all of the code and data from The Matrix Online.

Can someone open an emulated server for The Matrix Online?
Sony Online Entertainment and Warner Brothers hold the copyrights for The Matrix Online stories and data so creating a fan owned and operated emulated MxO server would be against those copyrights.

What happens to the staff that made The Matrix Online?
Staff that were involved with The Matrix Online will transition over to new projects and responsibilities at SOE.

How are The Matrix Online subscriptions refunded? / I just re-subscribed, how will I get a refund?
As of June 1, 2009 any currently entitled active player with an account in billing will not be billed again. For players who have previously purchased prepaid subscription time via a multi-month subscription service, SOE game time card or other retail game time card that extends the service period past June 1, 2009, SOE will refund these accounts for the unused time and where indicated will mail refund checks to the current billing address on the account. Please be sure to update your email and physical address in your Station Account as this will be critical to the refund process.

Are The Matrix Online subscribers going to be compensated for their loyalty to the game?
On July 31, 2009 at 11:59PM PST the ability to play The Matrix Online will cease. We encourage players to transition their active service to one of the other SOE games available for trial during the transition period of June 1 through August 1, 2009.

Will The Matrix Online be at Fan Faire?
While there won’t be any official panels at Fan Faire 2009, there will be many Sony Online Entertainment staff members that have worked on or supported The Matrix Online who would enjoy hearing your favorite in-game memories from your adventures in Mega City.

Will The Matrix Online story come to a conclusion when the servers are shut down?
The final days of The Matrix Online will include revisiting some of the great events experienced in-game, leading up to a climactic final event.

Will the MxO Website, Players Pages, and Forums be available after the service shuts down?
The main The Matrix Online page will not be available after June 1, 2009 and the MxO Players Pages will be available through July 31, 2009. The MxO Forums will be available for a short period of time after the service shuts down and there will be an update posted there at that time as to how long they will be available.

Movies Coming To Sony Ericsson’s PlayNow

Sony Ericsson today strengthens its commitment to providing unique entertainment experiences on the mobile handset with the  launch of PlayNow arena with movies, the latest addition to the PlayNow arena content delivery platform. The announcement delivers upon the company’s Communication Entertainment strategy which was shared at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this year.

PlayNow arena with movies is a bundled movie service from Sony Ericsson, included out-of-the-box for selected handsets, allowing consumers to watch up to 60 movies a year on their mobile phone. Optimised to give consumers the best possible viewing experience, users can choose from a selection of around 15 movies at any one time, with additional titles being added to the catalogue each month. After ‘side loading’ feature length films onto your phone, you can watch them as often as you like for up to 90 days.

Downloaded movies will be automatically formatted to match the performance of your phone. Experience sublime picture quality, soulful sound and images so sharp you’ll have no trouble reading subtitles and seeing the small details.

“Consumers are increasingly looking for exciting content and premium entertainment experiences wherever they are. By adding a bundled movie proposition to PlayNow arena we continue to remove barriers for consumers to easily access entertainment through their mobile phone” said Martin Blomkvist, Head of Content Acquisition and Management at Sony Ericsson.

PlayNow™ arena with movies – how it works

• Download movies to your computer from www.playnow-arena.com/movies
• Transfer them to your Sony Ericsson phone by ‘side loading’ them from your computer to your phone using your USB device
• Watch them as often as you like for up to 90 days. The specially formatted movies are not playable on any other device
• Choose from a selection of around 15 movies at any one time, with  approximately four additional titles being added to the catalogue each month to replace outgoing content
• A total of up to 60 movies can be downloaded during a twelve month period
• The available movie catalogue will be a country-specific mix of classics and  newer titles

PlayNow arena with movies will make its debut with the W995 Walkman, launching in Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Germany and the UK from June 2009. Additionally the service will also be made available on upcoming phones such as Satio and Aino which were also announced today.

Sony Ericsson Says Goodbye Idou, Hello Satio

Idou, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night. Sony Ericsson’s highly anticipated Idou has been renamed the Satio, which is a total mistake. Why build so much hype with one name and change it to another? Not the smartest marketing move we’ve seen here at Sony Insider, but when you get past this error the details of this phone are incredible. The most attractive thing about the Wifi-equipped Satio is the screen – a true 16:9 display on a 3.5 inch widescreen (640×360) with 16 million colors!

Three colors will be available, and Sony Ericsson surprised me here by not having overly crazy names for each – expect the touch screen Satio in black, silver and Bordeaux. Electricpig.co.uk has a nice hands on with the Satio.

The camera included with the Satio is equally incredible at 12.1 megapixels and 12x digital zoom. Auto focus, face detection and geo-tagging with the built-in GPS are included. Image stabilization should guarantee that when you’re trying to take pictures of friends, it doesn’t take multiple tries to get the right shot. Other interesting features include red-eye reduction, smile detection and Xenon flash. We found the ability to touch focus very interesting – which basically means when you are taking a picture, you can touch on the screen what you want to be in focus.

What’s unusual here is Sony Ericsson’s adoption of the Micro SD format for Satio, and the inclusion of a 8GB Micro SD card to compliment the 128mb of built-in memory. Very nice – adopting open standards is pretty much the only path to success at this point.

Music features include FM radio (with RDS), and A2DP stereo Bluetooth. Further downloadable music content will be available through PlayNow. Interesting software offerings include HD and 3D games, Facebook, Youtube, Google Maps and turn by turn navigation. The press release also mentions document readers and editors, which is probably hazy wording that the Satio can view and edit Microsoft office files.

We applaud Sony Ericsson for not including the NetFront web browser in the Satio and using the much better Webkit software. We really hope that all Sony devices drop NetFront and embrace the Webkit web browser, as it is a superior experience in just about every single way possible.

Sony Ericsson did NOT include battery life figures with the Satio press release, which we found rather unusual.

Sony Ericsson’s Aino Is Drop Dead Goregous And Has PS3 Remote Play

Gather round my friends, because you’re about to read news of a phone that will be one of the greatest offerings Sony Ericsson has ever brought to the table. This isn’t marketing hype, or over-enthusiasm – it’s the new touch screen Aino (available 4Q 2009). This little multimedia powerhouse is one of the most stacked devices I’ve ever read about. The biggest feature of this phone is the ability to access media (locally or abroad via Wifi) from a Playstation 3 anywhere through remote play, similar to the PSP. Europeans who have access to PlayTV can also use the Aino to enjoy their recorded content, or watch, pause and record live TV all in the palm of your hand.

Electricpig.co.uk has a nice hands on with the Aino.

Sony Ericsson also includes an 8GB MicroSD card with every Aino to compliment the 55MB of built-in memory. Color options include Obsidian Black and Luminous White. GSM (aka EDGE) talk time rounds out at 13 hours, while standby is 380 hours. UMTS (aka 3G) talk time is 4.5 hours, and standby is 367 hours. Video talk time is 1 hour 40 minutes, and Sony Ericsson says continuous music playback is an impressive 31 hours. We assume 31 hours is a 128kbps MP3 file with other settings (brightness, etc) turned down.

Did I mention that the Aino has a 3 inch TFT LCD screen (240×432) with 16 million colors? Yeah. Wow. This is the unofficial PSP phone without UMD. The camera is pretty slick too at 8.1 megapixels and 16x digital zoom. We found the ability to touch focus very interesting – which basically means when you are taking a picture, you can touch on the screen what you want to be in focus. Video recording comes standard, along with face detection, red-eye reduction, and image/video stabilization.

“Sony Ericsson has established itself as the communication entertainment brand and Aino highlights our commitment to bringing the latest communication technology to the market in fun and innovative ways for consumers to enjoy,” said Alexandre Cardon, Market Business Manager at Sony Ericsson.

Music abilities in the Aino are well-rounded as always, with a FM radio (RDS), A2DP Bluetooth stereo, clear bass, clear stereo, built in stereo speakers, and more. You can also set a MP3 or AAC file as a ringtone.
Another great feature is video calling, which isn’t really mainstream in the United States yet but will ensure that this phone is future-proof. Some interesting software offerings include Facebook, motion gaming, Youtube, Google Maps, and DLNA compatibility. The web browser is NetFront, found in most other Sony Ericsson phones.

Sony Ericsson is also touting Media Home, which is an application that essentially syncs all media on your PC via Media Go through Wifi. So, plug in your Aino in the charging stand, and any new songs you have on your PC is now on the phone. I assume that you can specify what folders you wish to keep sync’d with the Aino. Nice touch.

Sony Ericsson’s Yari Slider Phone Has Unique Gesture Gaming

Sony Ericsson is on fire today, responding to calls from industry analysts to fill out their smartphone lineup. The new Yari (due in the 4Q of 2009) is a rather interesting offering, which touts “gesture gaming,” a term we really haven’t heard before. Apparently gesture gaming means you make moves in front of the screen for action. The Yari will come preloaded with several motion-based games, including tennis, boxing, and other standard offerings. Games will be easily accessible via a “games carousel” on the phone’s desktop similar to flicking through cover art in iTunes. Further downloadable content will be available through PlayNow, which is set to offer free and premium items.

“Yari is the industry’s first mobile phone with gesture gaming outside the Japanese market,” said Catherine Cherry, Market Business Manager at Sony Ericsson.

What is unusual here is Sony Ericsson’s adoption of the Micro SD format for Yari, and the inclusion of a 1GB Micro SD card. Very nice – adopting open standards is pretty much the only path to success at this point.

Color options seem exotic with Sony Ericsson’s unusual nomenclature – options include Achromatic Black and Cranberry White. The 2.4 inch screen is a 262k color TFT LCD at 240×320 QVGA. Built-in memory rounds out at about 60MB. Talk time for GSM/GPRS (aka EDGE) is 10 hours, while standby is 450 hours. UMTS (aka 3G) talk time is figured to be about 4.5 hours, while standby is the same at 450 hours.

The Yari has a five megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom. The camera is actually pretty decent, and makes me wish my iPhone had some of this stuff. Some interesting camera features include face detection, GPS based geo-tagging, smile detection, and video recording. Music playback is also well-rounded, and consumers will enjoy the built-in FM radio (with RDS), A2DP stereo Bluetooth and access to the PlayNow music store. Users will be able to set MP3 and AAC files as ringtones as well.

Other software features worth mentioning is support for motion gaming, DLNA support, Youtube access, GPS, and Google Maps. Yari also includes retro A and B buttons for gaming. Another interesting feature is “music call,” which allows you to press a button and share music while you talk to someone on the phone. The web browser is NetFront, found in most other Sony Ericsson phones.

Sony Set To Launch Budget DSC-W180/DSC-W190 Cyber-Shot

According to some new information sent our way, Sony is set to offer the black and silver 12 megapixel DSC-W190 Cyber-shot camera soon. We’re not 100% sure if this is a Japan only release yet, but it looks like it could go international. This is a budget oriented point and shoot that has a 2.7 inch TFT LCD and the usual features you’d find in this range. The DSC-W190 has 3x optical and 6x digital zoom, face detection, smile shutter, red-eye correction, exposure settings, and more. Unfortunately, the camera will be sold without a memory stick and is limited at 12MB of internal memory. The movie mode, a popular feature in any point and shoot camera is decent at QVGA (320 × 240, about 30fps).

Multiple image modes include: Auto / Smile Shutter / Program Auto / Scene Selection (Night Scene / Night Scene & Portrait / Landscape / Snow / Beach / Soft Snap / High Sensitivity. ISO settings range from Auto to 100/200/400/800/1600/3200. A USB 2.0 and AV Out are also included. We assume that this will probably cost less than $200USD at launch, and some Japanese retailers already have it listed for Y19,800.

Update: Akihabara News has more information. Looks like this baby will also be available in red, is hitting Europe in July, and is also available in a 10.1 megapixel version dubbed the DSC-W180.

The Real Problem With The Sony Retail Experience

One of my favorite past times is to visit an electronics store. I love to look at tech items on display, and of course, especially items from Sony. I love to visit companies like Best Buy or Fry’s with zero intention of buying anything, but rather just to wander around aimlessly for a half hour and just get my fix. Recently, I’ve found myself very disappointed as of late with the Sony experience – and I’m not talking about SonyStyle – I’m talking about the Sony experience at other stores where Sony products are sold. I think that the problem I’m about to discuss here is found in many retail stores across the United States, and perhaps the even the world.

Ever walk up to a Sony product at a store and its simply not operating? I have visited major cities in several states in 2009 and have found several Sony cameras, Walkmans, Readers, iPod/iPhone/iPod Touch docks, Vaio computers, Bravia televisions, etc. either off or not working. I’m not saying it is like this for Sony products 100% of the time, but next time you’re at a place where Sony products are sold (not SonyStyle) see if you come across this problem where a Sony device isn’t working. There’s a good chance you will; please leave a comment as to what product it was, and what store you found it at.

I lose motivation for promoting this brand and running this website when I experience this phenomenon. How can people really identify with a Sony product if it isn’t functioning? At an Apple store, you can guarantee that at least 95% of the products there are working perfectly. If a product isn’t working, then I’m pretty sure it is replaced instantly with a functional unit. This ensures that the consumer can test out the device and decide if they wish to purchase it. Every single iPod and Apple computer is at peak performance and ready to be fully manipulated. Obviously the case would be the same at SonyStyle stores, but I think you understand what I’m trying to say here.

Imagine a consumer that is looking at a wall of ten televisions made by five separate brands. What if the Sony TV wasn’t on? Would the consumer still purchase it? Would they use a lesser Sony model that might be working as reference in comparison to the others? These are real-world unbalanced scenarios that fuel problems for Sony and happen every day around the world.

I remember being in a Best Buy a few months ago looking at various MP3 players. Apple, Samsung, Sandisk, Microsoft and Sony all had units on display. There was a NWZ-E438 sitting there, feature-rich and battery life out the ying-yang, and much to my frustration it wouldn’t turn on. I didn’t even bother asking an employee for help, because I didn’t want to deal with the hassle. I can imagine that many other consumers, looking to make an impulse purchase, would do the same thing. And that’s the point I’m really trying to make here; impulse purchases are a driving force of this industry, and demonstration electronics that are functioning will sell better than those that are not working and just sitting there.

It is time for Sony to have a task force of secret shoppers that visit various major retail stores in major US cities and the surrounding suburbs once or twice a month and ensure that each and every Sony product is working perfectly. Or, require retail stores to put a sticker on each demonstration product that says, “If this demonstration product is not working, please call Sony at #.” and have a hotline just for this. Sony, please penalize the retail store that isn’t ensuring that the product is always working by reporting it their corporate headquarters. Sony cannot fully trust retail, and they must put their foot down. I am calling on Sony to do something about this – it is about time that when I walk into an electronics store I get the same experience with a Sony product as I would at an Apple store.

Anything less than perfection with Sony demonstration products is simply inexcusable. I have no doubt that this is a factor that contributes to consumers choosing other products other than a Sony.