Hasta La Gadget!

With all of the rumors saying that the next PlayStation and Xbox are right around the corner, you might be expecting Microsoft and Sony to drop the price on their current consoles soon. Unfortunately, you’d be wrong, at least in the case of the PS3. Sony has said that there won’t be a PS3 price cut this year, despite the fact that many have been expecting one for a while now.

Even though there isn’t a PS3 price cut on the horizon, Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida thinks it’s the perfect time to buy one anyway. “PS3 is I think in prime time,” he told Eurogamer at Gamescom. “It’s a great time for consumers to look at purchasing PS3 this year. There are a variety of games coming out and new and exciting games coming out next year.” When pressed about an incoming price cut, Yoshida explained that Sony is “very happy” with the PS3 in general – including pricing – and at the moment there aren’t any plans to change that.

Yoshida was also the one to claim that the PS Vita won’t be getting a price cut this year, and with the PSP already pretty inexpensive, it seems that all of Sony’s gaming platforms are staying where they’re at for the time being. If the reveal of next generation consoles is as close as some claim, however, then we may not have to wait that long for the elusive price cut anyway. Once Sony announces the PlayStation 4 (or whatever it will be called), it’s likely that the company will discount PS3s in order to begin moving units before the arrival of the next console.

Still, we don’t know when the PS4 will be revealed, so that could be quite some time off. Also worth noting is Yoshida’s refusal to comment on the existence of the Super Slim PS3, saying that it was only a rumor. The Super Slim PS3 is said to be making its debut at the Tokyo Game Show next month, and if it does, there’s a chance that it may come with a smaller price tag. Stay tuned, because if Sony does reveal the Super Slim PS3 at TGS, we’ll be sure to let you know.

Sony ‘very happy’ with PS3, no price cut planned is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

PlayStation 3 owners have been able to access YouTube on their consoles for some time, but the experience was a little messy, to say the least. Google has rolled out a new app for the PlayStation 3 today, bringing with it a much needed graphical makeover along with improved search capabilities. Users will be able to download the native app for free from the PlayStation Store right this minute.

Just like the YouTube experience on desktop and laptops, users will see instant results as they start typing search queries, cutting down on unnecessary typing and getting users to their videos faster than before. HD video playback is also supported, although it’s not clear right now what resolutions the app supports. The PlayStation 3 is more than capable of displaying 1080p, but the worst case scenario will still see you watching 720p videos.

Video subscriptions can be accessed through the app as well, provided you’ve signed in using your Google or YouTube ID. The most important feature of all, however, is that you can control the app directly from your iOS or Android device. That should help users avoid using the awkward method of moving the onscreen cursor with the DualShock controller.

Google says the app should be rolling out to the North American store starting from today, and other countries will also soon see the app. Head over to the “My Channels” section in the PlayStation Store to see if you have access, otherwise sit tight for now.

[via Engadget]

Google releases native YouTube app for PlayStation 3 is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Apple IIGS? Of course. Commodore 64C? You betcha. NeXTstation Turbo Color? Booyah! These three classics are just part of Blake Patterson’s tricked-out technology den that’s known as the Byte Cellar — and yes, we’re seething with jealousy. Take notes, folks, because this is how it’s done. In all, the Byte Cellar currently plays home to 69 computers, video game consoles, PDA’s and other noteworthy gadgets. Need to switch between the Atari and the Amiga? Not a problem, as each system is thoughtfully laid out on a workbench that allows one to easily scoot between rigs. Even the walls bleed vintage cred with a Space Invaders motif, rare posters and hardware components from bygone eras.

Be sure to take it all in with a panorama photo that’s been linked up below, along with a complete list of the equipment currently in Blake’s collection. Regardless of whether you agree with his taste in hardware, one thing is for certain: the man must go through a lot of compressed air.

Filed under: Desktops, Misc. Gadgets, Handhelds

Blake Patterson’s Byte Cellar: the ultimate man cave for aspiring geeks originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 20:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Lifehacker  |  Byte Cellar (1), (2)  | Email this | Comments

There’s not long to go until OUYA’s Kickstarter project is finally over, but the company is still announcing new features and partnerships left, right, and center. OUYA has taken to its Kickstarter page once again to announce that Namco Bandai is in discussions to bring its games to the Android-based console. Namco name drops some classics such as Pac-Man, Galaga, and Tekken, but it wasn’t confirmed that those specific titles would make it to the platform.

OUYA is remaining tight lipped about exactly what you can expect from the console at launch too. Although the team says it has some titles lined up, it can’t delve into specifics due to legal obligations. No doubt negotiations are still active behind the scenes, so eager gamers will just have to sit tight until the company is ready to spill the beans.

The team has also said that support for four controllers will be added to the console to allow for some serious multiplayer gaming sessions. The company warns though that supplies may be limited, and urges backers to update their pledge amounts in order to accommodate the extra controllers needed.

Finally, OUYA announced a partnership with XBMC yesterday that would see the popular media center customized to take advantage of the console’s software and hardware. There are those out there who swear by Plex, so the team behind OUYA have pledged that the console will support that media solution on top of XBMC. Plex already has an Android port, and works on Google TV as well, so tweaking it to run on OUYA shouldn’t be too difficult.

OUYA adds Namco Bandai, Plex, and four controller support is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

OUYA, the Android-based gaming console, has secured yet another high-profile app. The team behind the console has courted the XBMC development team, promising that early prototypes will be delivered that should enable XBMC to run on the platform smoothly and without any issues. According to the OUYA Kickstarter page, the team behind OUYA fully support XBMC, with “nearly a third” of the XBMC development team having backed the “open” console.

It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise: the console is running Android after all, so anything that works on Android will work on OUYA without much issue, but it’s good to see that the experience will be customized for the OUYA interface as well as the specific hardware. OUYA has managed to promised backers that they’ll see a wealth of games, with this latest announcement covering the entertainment and media side of the equation.

In addition to the promise of XBMC support, OUYA has added radio support via a partnership with TuneIn. The service allows users to listen in on free radio stations across the world, plus on-demand content. The network is said to cover 70,000 stations and two million on-demand programs across 230 countries.

As of writing, there are 39 hours left until the Kickstarter project has finished. So far 52,173 members have backed the project, with OUYA accumulating over $6.9 million in funding. Backers will receive a small Android-based console with a customized interface and wireless hardware controller, all running on an NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor for $99. The streaming game company OnLive will support OUYA at launch, and Square Enix has promised a Final Fantasy III port among other games.

[via The Verge]

OUYA promises XBMC support is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.