Hasta La Gadget!

We’re but three years removed from the US introduction of both Nintendo’s Wii and Sony’s PlayStation 3, and already the rumors are running rampant about the future iterations of both consoles. Two separate reports from Japan’s Impress touch on both units, with speculation and insider information on the former suggesting that Intel could be in talks with the Big N about powering the second Wii. Hard details are obviously tough to come by, but word has it that the two are mulling a GPU / CPU combo similar to the Larrabee; granted, we’d prefer something a touch more potent in the Wii 2, but we wouldn’t be shocked if Nintendo chooses the less powerful path yet again. In related news, it seems as if Sony could be looking for an alternative to its Cell CPU in the PlayStation 4, an alternative that involves some sort of “multi-core CPU.” Potentially more interesting is the notion that Sony’s next-gen handheld could be out before said console, which is loosely pegged for a 2013 release. We wouldn’t take any of this to heart just yet, but we’re pretty certain we can’t stop the dreamers from going too far.

Console scuttlebutt: multi-core CPU for next-gen PlayStation, Intel inside future Wii originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 07:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Could the PS3 Slim have been even slimmer? It could have, according to Sony’s Masayuki Chatani, but it would’ve cost you. That word comes from a wide-ranging interview Chatani gave to Tech-On!, in which he revealed (seemingly for the first time) that Sony had considered using SSD drives or even network storage to further reduce the size of the console. SSD drives were ultimately rejected, as you might have guessed, due to cost reasons, and Chatani says that network storage ultimately proved to still be simply too impractical for a game console. He also said that the PS3 could have been made slimmer if Sony had just left the power supply on the outside, but that would have “imposed restrictions on transport and use, making it harder to use freely.” Not a whole lot in the way of big revelations otherwise, but you can check out the complete interview at the link below.

Sony considered SSD, network storage for PS3 Slim originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A newly published patent from Sony Computer Entertainment, which looks a lot like the company’s PlayStation 3 motion controller, showcases a plethora of possibilities for the forthcoming device, more attachments than you could shake a Wii Remote at.

The patent for an “Expandable Control Device Via Hardware Attachment” touches on a number of control options. According to details from the patent, Sony’s motion controller may offer the option to join two motion control units together lengthwise—previously seen in an earlier patent—or in an H-shape.

And as pictured above, a unique, secondary controller attachment may offer a solution to the one DualShock in one hand, one motion controller in the other hand scheme seen at Sony’s Tokyo Game Show press conference.

Other potentially interesting add-on possibilities are attachments shaped like a baseball bat, a the business end of a flashlight and a rattle-like sphere that’s very maraca like.

Perhaps more interesting is a proposed biometric reader attachment, including a “thumb reader used to validate the identity of the person holding the controller by analyzing the biometric data provided by the attachment.”

Additional possibilities included microphone attachments and swappable control faceplates—letting the player customize whether a motion controller has buttons or a d-pad or even a dial.

Of course, this is a patent, not a product announcement. Sony could simply release the motion controller as previously seen, with none of these possibilities becoming actual products. But take a look at some of the drawings in the gallery below and check out the patent to see what Sony may have in mind.

Expandable Control Device Via Hardware Attachment [USPTO.gov]

We were as surprised as anyone when the USAF threw down the cash for 300-odd PlayStation 3s back in March of last year, but what’s more shocking is that it’s now back for more — seven times more, in fact. Already employing its PS3 cluster for research into high-def video processing, the Air Force Research Lab wants to expand its capabilities significantly and it seems that Sony’s Cell processor is still its weapon of choice. We would use this opportunity to make a few jibes about lazy engineers upgrading their setups in time for Modern Warfare 2, but we’re better than that. We’ll also totally avoid noting that the US government’s skimping on costs now is leading it to commit to an instruction set tailored specifically to the Cell processor, which contrary to the latest Xeons — pricier though they may be — is not guaranteed to keep updating in pace with the USAF’s needs. Those are things we’ll leave for someone who isn’t afraid of death lasers and autonomous attack drones to say.

US Air Force orders up 2,200 more PS3s — for thinking, not gaming originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When Sony isn’t busy adding Facebook functionality or potentially courting Firefox for its PS3, it likes nothing better than to dream of global all-encompassing online services and stores. A step toward that goal is the company’s recent introduction of the PS3 Video Delivery Service into the heart of Europe. PlayStation loyalists in Deustchland, España, France, and the United Kingdom can now use their beloved console (or the PSP) to grab movies from a selection that is set to grow at a consistent pace of 50 new films being added per week. Both SD and HD versions are available, with the cheaper variants going for €1.99 / £2.49 to rent or €7.99 / £6.99 to purchase, and you can see a trailer for the new service after the break.

Continue reading PlayStation 3 Video Delivery Service spreads to Europe

PlayStation 3 Video Delivery Service spreads to Europe originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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