Sony Japan Announces PSP Firmware 3.0 @ Elektriq

After months of speculation and hundreds of articles speculating about the big 3.0 firmware update, it seems that the Sony Japan site has finally released some info about it.

Here's our trusty old friend Altavista translating the announcement:

"In addition, since selling in late November version it raises also PSP "PlayStation portable" Advanced Capability addition and strengthening of security are done via the version rise of continuous system software, in 3.00 and starts raising the cooperation function of PS3. As for everyone of the PSP user with the update to of version 3.00, for PSP which is transmitted inside PLAYSTATION Store "of PLAYSTATION Network"besides the fact that it reaches the point where utilization it can receive the game software, the remote play function of PS3*to enjoy 3 also it becomes possible to receive, (in PS3 of the HDD loading of 20GB from the fact that it is not wireless LAN function, it is not possible to utilize remote play)."

Yes, it's a bad translation, but you can see all the juicy bits there. It seems that the PSP's 3.0 firmware upgrade will come a few days after the release of the PS3. You will probably be able to get it from the PlayStation Store. The 3.0 update looks like it will be big on PS3-PSP interconnectivity. Also there seem to be some kind of "security updates" in there. Are we people missing something?

But think about it for a second. We seem to be missing something else too. Go on, we'll give you a moment to think... where's the PS1 emulation? Frankly, we don't know. Did Sony forgot to mention it? Possibly. Has Sony forfeited that function? We don't want to bet on that either. From the looks of it, we'll have to wait until the release date for more info. Stay tuned, we're gonna be covering every bit of it.

Sony firm on U.S. pricing for PlayStation 3 @ Msn

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sony Corp. has no plans to cut the price of its upcoming PlayStation 3 video game console in the United States, despite a recent cut announced for Japan, the chief of the company's U.S. electronic entertainment division said Wednesday.

Kaz Hirai, president and chief executive of Sony ComputerEntertainment America, told Reuters the company would stick with its planned price tags of $499 and $599 when the new PlayStation 3 consoles hit retailers' shelves in the United States on Nov. 17.

"We are very comfortable with the pricing we have announced and have gotten tremendous support from retailers for that price point," Hirai said on the sidelines of the Dow Jones VentureWire Consumer Technology Conference. "So it is full steam ahead with the pricing of $499 and $599."

Sony Calls Microsoft's XBL HDTV "A Disservice"

Yesterday, Microsoft announced a plan to make a large offering of high-def movies and TV shows available on Xbox Live on demand. And of course, Sony was quick to respond to the unveiling with a few scathing comments.

"I think they are doing a disservice to their consumer base because they are ignoring all those people who bought the Core system," said Sony Computer Entertainment America PR chief Dave Karraker, speaking specifically about the lower-end $299 360. That system doesn't come with the attachable hard drive required to store content acquired from Xbox Live.

SCEA's lead spokesman was quick to point out that both PS3 models will have the hard drives built in. "We would never segregate or shut out any of our consumers from our entertainment experience because they didn't buy the top of the line system," said Karraker.

Karraker went even further to remind us that 7 gigabytes of the 360's 20-gig hard drive are taken up by any preloaded content. Of course, he didn't mention that 4 of those 7 gigs are available for deletion if you really don't want them there, and we really don't know how much of the PS3's hard drive we'll need. The two drives available are the 20GB in the $499 PS3 and the 60GB in the $599 Premium PS3.

Microsoft intends to launch their new video and movie service on November 22. At Sony's Gamer's Day, we learned that the company is planning to "eventually" tap into that massive library of music, video, and movie content for online distribution on the PS3, but we don't have a definitive date just yet.

"We haven't announced when other entertainment content, beyond games, will be available from the PlayStation Store," finished Karraker.

Rough patch for Sony @ Japan Times

Sony Corp., which has built its fame through a global brand presence and innovative products, appears to be facing a difficult time. The Sony group's operating profit in the six-month period through September nosedived by 90.9 percent from a year before to 6.22 billion yen, although sales were up 9.7 percent to 3.6 trillion yen.

Behind this are the massive global recalls of its defective lithium-ion battery packs for laptop computers; a delay in launching the PlayStation 3 (a next-generation video-game console) due to problems with mass-production of the machine's Blu-ray disc drive; and a price cut on the PS3 in Japan to compete with Nintendo Co., its rival in the video-game machine business.

The battery recalls and the delay in the production of the Blu-ray disc drive could pique concern about Sony's in-house ability to develop mainstay, state-of-the-art technology. It is hoped that the company will mobilize its experience, wisdom and knowledge to overcome its technology-related problems and develop new hit products that will enchant consumers.

The lithium-ion battery packs caused lap-top overheating or short-circuiting problems. It is thought that microscopic nickel particles trapped inside during the manufacturing process caused the problems. When Dell recalled Sony battery packs used in its laptop computers in December 2005, Sony put forward the theory that the computers themselves were responsible for the problems. This suspicion apparently delayed an investigation and response by Sony.

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