PSN expansion, new firmware, and a PS3 Slim, oh my!
With
sales figures for the PS3 falling short of both the Xbox and Wii, at least in the UK, Sony aren't one to admit defeat. Half way through the life cycle of these consoles, Sony have issued a number of updates to their online network, PSN. Along with added online features, we are also looking forward to the PSP Go, and a possible new slim-line PS3 before the end of the year.
PlayStation Network (PSN)
To kick off, there have
already been a few PSN exclusive titles launching recently, and PSBeyond are sure that there will be many more to come. Not only does this save on production costs and make games cheaper for the consumer, it also allows gamers to ditch the bulky disc or UMD collections for their Sony consoles, instead opting for an all-in-one memory card or hard drive for their games in future.
As well as a
storming selection of downloadable games, demos, add-ons, and themes – for both the PS3 and PSP – Sony have now added a
heap of multimedia content, including HD movies from Valkrye to Twilight, and popular TV shows such as Family Guy and Dexter.
This all seems to be part of a much larger expansion for PSN, as Kazuo Hirai
told Fortune. Supposedly, the PSN infrastructure will serve as a hub for a range of Sony products. For instance, "image transfers between digital cameras and televisions, the displaying and editing of video, and the sharing of content between friends." It is worth noting, though, that these PSN expansions were announced just weeks after E3, where rival brand Microsoft announced their plans to expand the popular Xbox Live Marketplace.
At this point, Sony have been churning out the updates to make PSN more integral to gamers every day lives, and aid the PS3 as an all around multimedia device, rather than just a games console.
Firmware 3.0
PSBeyond
recently reported the new leap in version numbers when firmware 2.80 was released earlier this week. Although that turned out to be just a minor update, it
seems that there is a lot of speculation that 3.0 is not far off, and shall contain a "huge overhaul" that is compareable to the New Xbox Experience "in some respects". Although, Sony's Patrick Seybold
squashed all claims as "completely untrue".
PS3 Slim
Other additions to Sony's upcoming lineup include the PSP Go, and the rumoured slim-line PS3. The UK's PSW Magazine say that "the PS3 Slim packaging looks almost identical to the confirmed PSP Go, so it isn't a fake."
"Expect the smaller, lighter PS3 to be announced at the Tokyo Games Show in September, just in time for Xmas."
Oh my
All in all, Sony are launching a grand campaign in order to generate more interest in their products, more functionality to their loyal customers, and most importantly, some crucial sales for the Christmas period – sales that they've been lacking in comparison to the competition so far.
But is this enough, or do you want to see more from Sony? Do you want your twitterbookface notifications pushed to your email through your PSN portal, while you multitask with messenger applications and improved web browsers? Sign up to the forums and let us know what you want from Sony.
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