Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:19:19 +0700WeeblySat, 19 Apr 2008 05:07:20 +0700http://buyplaystation3.weebly.com/1/post/2008/04/firmware-v23-out.htmlFirmware version 2.3 has been released for Playstation 3. There are two big parts to the update. One is that there has been a total revamping of the Playstation Store. The browsing is quicker, the navigation smoother, and overall it looks much better. And second DTS-HD Master Audio support has been included for the Blu-Ray Discs that take advantage of it.

The new Playstation Store runs as an application rather than the previous web-based version. However, especially for auidphiles, the big thing is DTS-HD support. DTS-HD support was lacking for Playstation 3 and it was one of the major reasons why someone would opt for a seperate Blu-Ray player instead of the Playstation 3. Now even that has been settled.

]]>Sat, 19 Apr 2008 05:05:39 +0700http://buyplaystation3.weebly.com/1/post/2008/04/dualshock-3-getting-around.htmlAs some of you probably already know, Sony has replaced the Sixaxis controller that used to come default with Playstation 3 with their DualShock 3 controller. The DualShock series has finally come back after a long hiatus due to legal troubles. DS3 came out in Japan last year and Stateside a week or so ago. Though it seems out of stock in most retail stores.

The people of the island nation/continent of Australia have until now not been able to get their down under paws on the DS3. There are reports that the DS3 will be available sometime during next week. It will retail for AU$100 or so and it will be available in New Zealand on the 9th of next month. It will retail in the two island nation for NZ$110.

]]>Sat, 12 Apr 2008 08:43:50 +0700http://buyplaystation3.weebly.com/1/post/2008/04/buy-playstation-3-in-sweden-get-gta-iv.htmlYes you read that right, the lucky Swedes are getting GTA IV bundles when the game is released. I would not be surprised if this bundle is also released Stateside. Afterall its just one of the most anticipated games of Playstation 3 history. Rumor has is that the bundle will only be with the Playstation 3 40GB version, which though unfortunate is still not a bad deal at all.

I remember in the old days there would only be one, rather boring game that would come bundled with most console systems. Nowadays you have a bunch of various games you can choose from. In the Playstation, when it was first released, I got a demo disc which contained a bunch of barely playable games. Of course, back then the consumers couldn't arrange a mass protest online of that type that is possible now.

]]>Sat, 12 Apr 2008 08:43:33 +0700http://buyplaystation3.weebly.com/1/post/2008/04/psp-to-work-with-playstation-3.htmlThe PSP's next upcoming update will bring to the PSP functionality for it work with Playstation 3's Remote Play feature. In of itself, this is not an amazing development, but what is exciting is that Sony looks set to actually create an environment in which the Playstation 3 and PSP will work in better conjunction for games.

The firmware version 3.95 for the PSP will allow it to function as a pseudo-remote which will allow it to have control over the shutting down of the console. If you are a PSP owner make sure you get the next update.

]]>Sat, 05 Apr 2008 06:45:36 +0700http://buyplaystation3.weebly.com/1/post/2008/04/mandatory-installs-and-playstation-3.htmlLast month there was a lot of noise about the mandatory install that Capcom required for its Devil May Cry 4 video game. The problem was that these installs were required for Playstation 3 but not for Xbox 360 so the users were a little annoyed. On a first time run the game required the user to do a 20 minute install of certain content so that the game would load faster. I don't think it was much of a problem when I had to do the install, sure it was a bit odd, but no big deal. Apparently not everyone felt the same way.

Anyway, some people, the more curious ones, went out to find out why these installs were required on Playstation 3 and not on Xbox. The reason is that it has to do with the Blu-ray hardware. However, there are many games that are more resource intensive than DMC4, why don't they require installs? It has to do more with the developer optimizing the game for the Playstation 3 rather than anything else. After this whole episode I'm sure developers have taken note that users are not going to stand to wait 20 minutes to play their game, they need instant gratification, NOW!

]]>Sat, 05 Apr 2008 06:45:20 +0700http://buyplaystation3.weebly.com/1/post/2008/04/new-playstation-store-this-month.htmlThere is going to be a firmware version 2.3 update something during the month of April. Among other things, it will coincide with the release of a revamped Playstation Store. For those of you who don't have a Playstation, the Playstation Store is an online location that you can access through your Playstation. There you can buy games and addons, download free content, etc. With some games you can also interact with the Playstation Store via BD-Live.

The new store will be smoother and more intuitive by having more items available for display per page. This will make the navigation system simpler and cut down on the time spent flipping pages. I believe this store will make it easier for people to use hence making it more profitable for Sony. This in turn will lead them to invest more into the store making it a better experience for everyone.

]]>Sun, 23 Mar 2008 11:11:32 +0700http://buyplaystation3.weebly.com/1/post/2008/03/metal-gear-solid-4-guns-of-the-patriots.html"No Place to Hide!" That is the line that they are marketing the highly anticipated game for Playstation 3. It is no exaggeration to say that Sony has a lot riding on the success of this game. Apparently this is going to be the last game of its kind that will be designed by Hideo Kojima. Kojima has been involved with the previous incarnations of this wildly successful series and his success has some really big shoes to fill. MSG4 will also be the last game to feature Solid Snake as a character.

The Metal Gear series consists of spy tactics and the use to stealth to complete missions. On the whole, the games are kind of a puzzle/spy game. There are various missions and scenarios with a multitude of items and tools that you can use to help you complete the missions. The design is so that the more stealth you use the better it tends to be, though of course this is not a hard and fast rule. This is a wildly successful series that has fans from every culture and group, though I believe it tends to have more fanatical fans in Japan than anywhere else. Anyway, it is definitely a game to look at when you buy Playstation 3.

]]>Sun, 23 Mar 2008 11:00:33 +0700http://buyplaystation3.weebly.com/1/post/2008/03/microsoft-getting-on-the-blu-ray-bandwagon.htmlSony, finally got its revenge from the Betamax and VHS war, with the win of Blu-Ray over HD-DVD. Awhile back Toshiba announced that it is finally giving up the fight for HD-DVD and that would mean that Blu-Ray is going to be the new defacto standard for portable media. After this coup, the sales of Playstation 3 have been going through the roof as people realize that the Playstation 3 is a great buy because for its price you get a great gaming system and a Blu-Ray player.

Apparently the rumor mill is abuzz with news that Microsoft is now going to be soon announcing an addon to the XBox 360 that will allow it to use Blu-Ray so that it can play Blu-Ray movies and maybe even play games that are created for the XBox on Blu-Ray Discs. Of course, at this point it is just a rumor, and though there are officials in Microsoft claiming that it is only a rumor and that there is no truth to it, the rumor is surprisingly persistent. Apparently there is something that they are not telling us.

]]>Sun, 23 Mar 2008 10:47:20 +0700http://buyplaystation3.weebly.com/1/post/2008/03/playstation-3-80gb-sold-out.htmlSony announced awhile back that they will stop selling the Playstation 3 in the 80GB version. This has lead to people clamoring to buy Playstation 3 80GB everywhere. Amazon is sold out, you can only buy it from third-party retailers at Amazon now. However, you can pick it up on eBay. If you look at the trajectory of prices on eBay for the Playstation 3 80GB, you will see that it has been steadily rising ever since Sony announced that it will discontinue it.

Sony is planning on replacing the current Playstation 3 80GB with the Silver Playstation 3 according to the rumor mill. It seems that this rumor looks to be coming true, but we can't say for certain until it actually does come true. Overall, I think it is important to realize that if you are interested in good old game support you should pick up a Playstation 3 60GB and if you really want a large harddrive you can always hack it yourself, there are many DIY tutorials available online that can help you with that.

]]>Sun, 23 Mar 2008 10:33:01 +0700http://buyplaystation3.weebly.com/1/post/2008/03/sony-to-bring-back-the-rumble-in-april.htmlLongtime Playstation fans can finally rejoice - the beloved rumble is back. Sony has announced that by April of this year it will be replacing the currently bundled Sixaxis controller that comes with the Playstation 3 with the DualShock 3 controller. When I first upgraded from Playstation 2 to Playstation 3 I was puzzled as to why Sony got rid of the amazing rumble capabilities. Actually when Nintendo released the rumble pack for its controller it was a big hit. Sony released the DualShock controller as competition.

But when Sony Playstation 3 came out, there was no DualShock to be found. Apparently the reason was that Sony faced some legal problems and therefore they were forced to discontinue giving rumble capabilities to the Playstation 3. Immersion Corp. claimed that Sony infringed on its patents with the DualShock controllers. After Sony settled, now we will soon be able to get our rumbling back on.

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