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.

Epic Mickey 2, as many of you already know, will be releasing on the Xbox 360 and PS3. That wasn’t the case for the original Epic Mickey, which was exclusive to the Nintendo Wii. Now that we know Epic Mickey 2 is coming to HD consoles, fans are wondering if developer Junction Point will bring the original to Xbox 360 and PS3. Apparently studio boss Warren Spector wants it to happen, but he needs your help.

Speaking to Joystiq during Gamescom, Spector said that he’s been trying to get Disney to go along with a port. “It’s been about four or five days since I’ve asked to get that project greenlit. It’s not my call to make. I can’t even tell you how much I want to see the first game with all the enhancements and improvements we’ve made on Xbox 360 and PS3,” he said, going on to suggest that those who would like to see such a port email Disney and show their interest.

Indeed, many fans felt shafted when it was revealed that Epic Mickey would be a Wii exclusive. Mickey Mouse has starred in some excellent games in the past, and Epic Mickey was something a lot of people were getting excited about. It’s encouraging to see Spector trying to get the greenlight from Disney, but despite the fact that he’s the legendary Warren Spector, he can only do so much by himself.

So, how about it? Would you like to see Epic Mickey come to HD consoles? If you do, there are plenty of ways to get in touch with Disney to show your support for such a project, but with Epic Mickey 2 currently soaking up the limelight, it’s going to take a lot of convincing to get Disney to go along with such an idea. Here’s hoping that Disney can be swayed, because Spector isn’t the only one who’d like to see Epic Mickey come to Xbox 360 and PS3.

Spector rallies fan support for Epic Mickey on 360, PS3 is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If you’ve been marathoning a new favorite TV show on Netflix recently you may have noticed that on the PlayStation 3 (above) and browser-based (after the break, along with a quick demo video) players it’s got a new tweak. At the end of each episode as the credits roll it pops up a quick (and very basic cable TV post movie-like) prompt with info about the the next episode and, unless you select a particular viewing option, search or go back to browsing, keeps right on playing. For movies, it pops up three similar recommendations instead. This “post-play” experience takes a couple of remote presses out of long viewing sessions, and on Netflix’s end probably makes it easier for folks to choose to sit through “one more episode” and keep those viewing hours boosted.

On the other hand, not every one likes the automation, either here or on the Xbox 360 app. Whether that’s because viewers need an emotional pause after a particularly gripping episode of Lost or they — and by they, we mean this blogger in particular — tend to doze off mid-episode, the good news is that every other episode it prompts the user if they want to keep playing before moving on. Like every other tweak or announcement even this move will probably be debated amongst viewers, feel free to dive into the lone season of Terriers in the name of research before letting us know if you’re a fan.

Continue reading Netflix rolls out new ‘post-play experience’ on web player, PS3 (video)

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment

Netflix rolls out new ‘post-play experience’ on web player, PS3 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 14:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We already told you that Electronic Arts used its Gamescom press conference to reveal Battlefield 3 Premium Edition, but it was also there that the release date for Dead Space 3 was announced. The latest installment in the excellent Dead Space series will launch on February 5, 2013 in the US and February 8 in Europe, so get ready to go to war with the Necropmorphs all over again. Electronic Arts also announced that those who pre-order Dead Space 3 will be getting a free upgrade to the Limited Edition, which includes two DLC bundles.

The bundles in question have been dubbed “First Contact” and “Witness the Truth.” First Contact grants players the First Contact suit of armor and the Negotiator weapon. Both sport a golden finish, with Negotiator capable of “bursting a man-sized organism into several pieces with a single shot.” On the other hand, we have the Witness the Truth bundle, which comes the Witness armor and the Evangelizer weapon, a gun that is both a tactical shotgun and an AL-2g assault rifle.

To accompany the release date announcement, Electronic Arts also revealed Dead Space 3‘s new weapon crafting system. A first for the series, this system will allow players to craft and upgrade weapons using various components (obviously). We’re told that the weapons included in the Limited Edition bundle packs can be used as blueprints in crafting mode, so it sounds like you’ll be able to make those two weapons even more absurd if you wish.

Dead Space 3 has experienced its share of controversy among series fans, as this new games takes the conflict out of space and places it on the frozen planet Tau Volantis. It also introduces a new co-op mode, which is another first for the series, so there are some pretty significant changes this time around. Will Dead Space 3 still be able to muster the excellent review scores the series is known for? We’ll find out on February 5.

Dead Space 3 release date targets early February 2013 is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

It’s Gamescom week, and Electronic Arts has kicked things off by announcing Battlefield 3 Premium Edition. No, that isn’t a typo – Battlefield 3 is indeed getting a new edition, 10 months after release. As the name suggests, this new version of Battlefield 3 comes packed with a membership to Battlefield Premium, so if you’ve held out on buying Battlefield 3, this might be worth checking out.

As many of you already know, Battlefield Premium is a service that allows die-hard fans to get more out of Battlefield 3. Much like Call of Duty Elite, it gives access to all past, present, and future Battlefield 3 DLC, allowing players to get in on new DLC a couple weeks earlier before non-Premium members. There are other bonuses, such as exclusive weapons and dog tags, but the early access to DLC is the main draw of Battlefield Premium.

Battlefield Premium memberships run $50 a pop, but this Battlefield 3 Premium Edition is only going to cost $69.99 in the US, something that’s bound to make early Premium adopters angry. You’ve probably already figured out that Battlefield 3 Premium Edition comes with the currently available Back to Karkand and Close Quarters DLC packs (along with the upcoming Armored Kill, End Game, and Aftermath packs), but this edition also comes with a “Multiplayer Head Start Kit.” The kit includes 15 weapons, gadgets, and vehicle upgrades, so new players will be going into multiplayer with a little bit of an edge.

So there you have it, Battlefield 3 Premium Edition is a real thing, and it’s coming next month. Electronic Arts says the game is launching in the UK on September 13, which makes us think that it’ll be releasing in the US on September 11. That’s just a guess though, as we don’t have an official US release date just yet, so keep it tuned to SlashGear for more information!

Electronic Arts announces Battlefield 3 Premium Edition is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.