Sony Computer Entertainment To Expand “Official Licensing Program” For Playstation

Sony Computer Entertainment today announced the expansion of the “Official License Program” to peripheral manufacturers in Japan, Asia, North America and Europe/ PAL territories to further enhance the PlayStation peripheral and accessory line-ups and offer richer entertainment experience on the PlayStation platform. By entering into a license agreement with SCE through this program, peripheral and accessory manufacturers will gain access to technical documentations necessary for designing and creating variety of licensed products for PlayStation platforms including PSP (PlayStation Portable) handheld entertainment system, PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. Furthermore, SCE will provide “Official Licensed Product logo” to be used on product packages, proving that the peripherals and accessories have been designed for each respective PlayStation platform, qualifying SCE standards and requirements. Further details on the “Official License Program” are available on the official site.

SonyStyle Experience and Sony Walkman X series

Past weekend I had an opportunity to swing by the Tyson’s Corner mall which houses one of the SonyStyle stores in DC area. Prior to my visit, I gave them a call to find out if they had any new Walkman X series on sale and was informed that, they do not have any for sale, however there is one demo model available to play with. I figured I would spend some time with it and post my initial impressions.

Frankly, I was anticipating to see this new creation of Sony to be situated in the store where people would be able to see it right away and be able to check it out. After browsing around and checking out the area, I noticed it was sitting next to their pricey VAIO RT desktop on a charging cradle. I was like OK, so much for marketing. So I sat down comfortably on a chair and started to explore that lil wonder.

First off all, like many have mentioned, built quality is great, the granite surface makes it stand out, buttons are well situated. I checked out the firmware and it was at 1.0 version. The OLED screen, well it is OLED! After being spoiled with XEL-1 at home, I could tell the joy of using such a screen overwhelmed me somewhat, there is one little but…the screen size needs to be slightly bigger. It is perfect for the first gen model, however bigger screen would bring all the benefits of OLED technology even more. Just watch MS Zune and future Apple Touch and its OLED players, will definitely feature bigger screens. Resolution has been also somewhat crippled on it as it can handle more goodies, but frankly it is not that noticeable on a 3″ display.

The good old Walkman menu is very responsive and worked flawlessly for me. Navigating through options was easy, however if I were to go back on step in some areas, there was no back button option, you had to tap on List, then Up option. I jumped on YouTube and checked out its functionality, and it worked as advertized. Web access on this Walkman is …well it is OK, I could not see myself browsing the net or checking my email on that player. One thing that many users might not like is the absence of onscreen QWERTY keyboard. Text input is very similar to your phone text input which I find very cumbersome, though predictive text is there to help you along the way. Sony definitely needs to incorporate QWERTY which will call for bigger screen in order to be able to use it.

I did not bother testing the FM radio as I am not interested in using it, maybe if the HD Radio was an option, I’d try it. Video playback was awesome, as I tested some of the preloaded samples. Same with Music, cover flow is nice but it did not show up right away if you tap Music.

What is this player missing? I believe it is the social media factor, that Sony has been pushing within its corporation. There is no way for you to install an App like you would on an Apple Touch, all those perks can be added through firmware if Sony chooses to improve its player. Unfortunately there is no way to download music or videos on the go as well, you would need your computer. It needs access to PlayStation Store where Sony has been compiling loads of video content, but Walkman is not a part of PlayStation family, so there is a conflict of interests here?! What happened to “Sony United” chant that has been proposed by sir Stringer?

I would also love to see this player to be DLNA compatible and be able to serve music or pick it up from your local network server. WebRadio like Shoutcast or Pandora would not hurt this Walkman at all. I did not test the Slacker Radio, sorry guys. All in all it needs to be a networkable player.

My title for this post did mention SonyStyle experience statement and I wanted to share it with you as well. Frankly, there was none… here is why. I have approached and played with that Walkman twice for over 10 minutes each time. No SonyStyle employee came by and asked me what I thought about it or whether I had any questions (which I did not mind as I knew all about this player long before Sony introduced it to the market, however if I was working there and saw someone spending time with a product, I’d be all over that customer). I figured I’d ask them myself and here is a little convo that went between us:

- Are there any Walkman X series available for sale?

The SonyStyle dude said, “None, in stock. We don’t expect them to go on sale for a while”.

- Pretty strange…SonyStyle.com has been shipping it for a week now. – I answered.

The employee pondered for a while and had to ask someone else about Walkman’s destiny in that store. I just felt like certain staff there was pretty indifferent. It was an evening time, on a Saturday, so I understand… I went to Apple, the store was buzzing……..as usual.

Apollo Cinemas (UK) Embracing Sony 4K Digital Projectors

Sony Digital Cinema and Apollo Cinemas, the UK cinema chain whose theatres are common for their high quality movie presentation, auditoriums and seating, announced an agreement for the deployment of 83 CineAlta 4K digital cinema projectors. A third of which will be able to deliver content in 3D, allowing Apollo Cinemas to showcase Hollywood’s new 3D blockbusters and leading the way into the 21st century Cinema Experience. The agreement provides Apollo with Europe’s first Sony VPF transaction.

Rob Arthur, Managing Director Apollo Cinemas commented, “This agreement puts Apollo amongst the most innovative cinema operators in the world and will establish the UK’s first fully digital circuit and in CineAlta 4K. Our partnership with Sony Digital Cinema allows Apollo to offer the ultimate digital cinema experience to all our valued guests. The CineAlta 4K digital systems provide outstanding image and sound quality, and will enable us to extend our programming to alternative content, delivering new and exciting experiences for our existing and future customers.”

Oliver Pasch, Head of Sony’s Digital Cinema business in Europe commented, “This really is an exciting agreement that clearly demonstrates Sony Digital Cinema’s commitment to the long-term success of the cinema industry, heralding a new era for digital cinema. This agreement enables Apollo to capitalize on the enormous opportunities that digital cinema offers to strengthen and sustain their business, as well as to revolutionize the movie-going experience.”

New Playstation 3 Bundles Showing Up In USA

Two new Playstation 3 bundles have been spotted in the USA in the last week – one at Best Buy, and the other at Blockbuster. What do you think about these bundles? I think I like the Blockbuster one better, but the Wall-E/LittleBigPlanet combo is solid and much more entertaining than Transformers/Spider-Man 3. Here’s more info:

Spotted at Blockbuster:

• A PS3 bundle consisting of a 40gb console, Transformers: The Game, Spider-Man 3 Blu-ray, PS3 remote, HDMI cable, and a 12-week rental card (which allows you to rent one movie each week), all for $359.99.
• Same bundle at 80gb at Click Blu-ray (instead of Spider-Man 3) for $499.

Spotted at Best Buy:

• 80GB PS3 bundled with a copy of LittleBigPlanet and Pixar’s Wall-E on Blu-ray.

HP And SOE Bringing In-Game Print On Demand Services To Everquest Series, Free Realms

HP today launched an innovative print-on-demand service for Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) gamers. The HP print-on-demand technology will allow players to view, create and purchase custom prints of classic characters, imagery and scenes frm SOE’s various fantasy worlds, games and artists. The service, which will be accessed directly from the online games, is scheduled to launch later this year in EverQuest, EverQuest II and Free Realms. Through the in-game Station Cash commerce system in SOE’s games, players will access the Marketplace and choose from a list of select art images and sizes. A simple in-game and/or web-based interface will walk players through the entire process from the initial order to purchase confirmation, without ever closing the game world and/or current game session.

For the initial launch of the service, SOE will debut 10 art images from the Legends of Norrath series. The companies plan to feature and debut new prints, limited edition collector’s prints and select prints from top game artists throughout the year. Ultimately, SOE and HP plan to offer players the ability to personalize and customize their own art prints, posters, and other merchandise using their avatar, screen shots and artwork.

“There is a significant opportunity among SOE’s gamers to provide personalized and customized offline souvenirs from the games and fantasy worlds they love,” said Rohit de Souza, Vice President and General Manager, Retail Publishing Solutions, Imaging and Printing Group. “We believe this program is a first of its kind in the MMO gaming segment and demonstrates the wide range of opportunities available for delivering custom print-on-demand services.”

Freedom Of Internet Is Dead On Sony China’s Vaio Computers

Green Dam is content-control software developed in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Under a directive from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) of the PRC taking effect on July 1st 2009, it is mandatory to have either the software, or its setup files pre-installed on, or shipped on a compact disc with, all personal computers sold in Mainland China, including those imported from abroad. The government says the filtering software, called “Green Dam-Youth Escort,” is aimed at blocking pornography and other content inappropriate for children. But industry officials fear it will also be used to block political content – exposing them to accusations of abetting censorship – and that the software contains security and technical flaws. Green Dam automatically downloads the latest updates of a list of prohibited sites from an online database, and also collects private user data. Update: Looks like Green Dam is getting delayed.

Sony has already embraced this mandatory software by having the software installed in VAIO computers destined for China well in advance of the mandate, but is disclaiming responsibility for any damage caused by the Web filtering software. We’re not blasting them for having this software – Sony has to so they can continue to sell computers in the country, but it sure is a major step backwards for freedom of information. How can young Chinese children, aspiring for worldly knowledge, know about democracy, or the tragedy of Tienanmen Square?

A photo of a Sony document disclaiming the authenticity, legality, and functionality of Green Dam has been posted online at RConversation, a blog maintained by Rebecca MacKinnon, assistant professor at the Journalism & Media Studies Center at the University of Hong Kong. The picture was originally posted via TwitPic by a Chinese blogger in Hangzhou, China, who found the notice in a box with a new Sony Vaio computer.

Sony Embracing Software Developers And Wireless Operators In Taiwan

Sony Computer Entertainment Asia (SCEA) signed deals with six local gaming developers yesterday to produce a wide array of digital content for its PlayStation 3 (PS3) and PlayStation Portable (PSP) products. Under the agreement and through its Taiwanese subsidiary, the Japanese videogame powerhouse will for the first time open up its proprietary PlayStation platform to domestic digital content creators, including XPEC Entertainment Inc (樂陞科技), Intersev International Inc (昱泉國際), Yeck Entertainment Co (耶克娛樂) and SOGA Interactive Co (果子獸) as well as telephone operators Tatung InfoComm Co (大同電信) and Far EasTone Telecommunications Co (遠傳電信), SCEA president Tetsuhiko Yasuda told a press conference in Taipei yesterday.

Sony Adding 1,500 Jobs To Tijuana

Sony is adding 1,500 positions to its work force in Tijuana, hailing it as a hopeful sign of the sector’s recovery. Sony’s decision to expand in Tijuana follows the company’s announcement last month that it is shutting down an LCD television manufacturing plant in Mexicali, one of five Sony factories being shuttered worldwide. State officials say they are nonetheless encouraged by the company’s decision, which represents a $10 million investment for Tijuana, and the expansion of the company’s work force to 5,000 employees from 3,500 before the end of the year.

Alfonso Alvarez Juan, Baja California’s subsecretary for economic development, said Wednesday that the investments are signs of recovery in the city’s maquiladora sector, which has struggled with a drop in U.S. demand for cars, televisions and other consumer products. Sony officials have told Mexican media that the 500 remaining workers at the Mexicali plant, which had more than 2,300 employees in 2007, will be gradually laid off through September.

Due to Tijuana’s proximity to Southern California and the US border and its large, skilled, diverse and relatively inexpensive workforce it is an attractive city for foreign companies to establish extensive industrial parks composed of assembly plants that are called maquiladoras, even more so than other cities in the US-Mexican border zone, taking advantage of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to export products.

Sony Investing More Into Sharp’s LCD Unit

Bloomberg is reporting that Sony has agreed to invest in a Sharp’s LCD unit, the Nikkan Kogyo newspaper reported, without saying where it obtained the information. Sony will probably invest 10 percent in Sharp Display Products by the end of March next year. Sony may raise the stake to 34 percent in the future, the report said.

Sacktue Of Liberty Coming For LittleBigPlanet To Celebrate Independence Day

Media Molecule, makers of LittleBigPlanet, are marking this years Independence Day (on July 4th for the USA) by releasing a Sacktue of Liberty costume available for free. Featuring the iconic crown and robe from the Statue of Liberty, the costume also includes the famous torch of enlightenment, complete with glowing flames of fabric. The Sacktue costume will be available on the PSN Store this July 2nd. Don’t forget the recently released (and free) Druid costume is still available this week, but for a limited time only, so don’t miss out on that incredible beard.

For the millions who came by ship to America in the last century — either as privileged tourists or needy, hopeful immigrants — Lady Liberty, standing in the Upper Bay, was their first glimpse of America. No monument so embodies the nation’s, and the world’s, notion of political freedom and economic potential. Even if you don’t make it out to Liberty Island, you can get a spine-tingling glimpse from Battery Park, from the New Jersey side of the bay, or during a ride on the Staten Island Ferry . It’s always reassuring to see her torch lighting the way.

Proposed by French statesman Edouard de Laboulaye as a gift from France to the United States, commemorating the two nations’ friendship and joint notions of liberty, the statue was designed by sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi with the engineering help of Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel (who was responsible for the famed Paris tower) and unveiled on October 28, 1886. Here are some incredible pictures of the monument I found around the Internet:

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