We've already brought you the perfect gift guide for PC gamers but today is the turn of the console lovers and there are many, many, many of them out there. Quick show of hands? Yep. Many.

Each of the three big players in the field have all sorts of accessories all of their own, but what we've done here is to come up with a list as universal as possible. So, whether it's PS3,Wii or Xbox you'll find 10 excellent presents right here. Enjoy.

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Points & Subscriptions

Whether it's for downloadable content, new outfits for your avatar or for movie rentals, everyone needs virtual points for their console of choice, with their upkeep is probably one of the biggest bug bears for gamers. You can never have too many. So whether it's Nintendo Wii Points, PSN Live Cards, Xbox Live Points or even an Xbox Live Gold subscription, you can guarantee that it will be appreciated.

Memory

Slightly less exciting this one but nearly as important is getting more memory space to save all your gaming adventures and whatever content you may have downloaded and can't bring yourself to prune. As far as the Xbox goes, a nice big 120GB expansion pack for ?56 would be very well appreciated and you can get just about any kind of SD card for the Wii that you have the budget for. The PS3 involves a little more effort for your giftee than the other two, but present them a whopping great 2.5-inch 500GB HDD like this one and they'll happily work their way through a simple online tutorial of how to upgrade it themselves.

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Controllers

There are tonnes of these things for all three of the consoles and it really depends on what your gamer does and doesn't already have. For the Wii, the obvious new addition is the Wii Motion Plus for finer movement sensitivity or you might find that an extra Wii Remote and/or a Nunchuck could well go down well if they only have one already.

On top of that, the Nintendo console is an absolute magnet for all sorts of weird, wonderful and very game specific devices such as bowling balls, machine guns, babies, jogging devices and of course, the Balance Board.

Comparatively, it's all rather more sedate on the Xbox but a racing wheel for the 360 is available if you think that a more useful wireless controller might be dull. It's a similar situation on the PS3, but if you happen to know what game your loved one is into then something like the Modern Warfare 2 controller or the Street Fighter IV game pad would be a well chosen idea.

Battery Packs & Chargers

There's little more annoying than the batteries on your wireless remotes running out, particularly when in mid-gaming flow. Multiply that by 20 if there are no spares in the house.

With the PS3, you're rather stuck with what's inside, so the best gifts here are the docking stations with models like the Venom Pyramid and more standard look dual charger to choose from. Neither costs much, they get rid of the cables, they look quite nice and they generally encourage you to remember to charge up your kit.

There's some choice with the Nintendo Wii. The Wiimote power packs are, of course, removable and a two pack of spares will only cost around ?14. That's enough for a two-player change mid-contest which buys enough time to remember to put the next lot on charge. For an absolute bargain, you can even go for a four-way charging dock which even comes with four spare battery packs too. All for just over ?20.

For the Xbox 360, there's a few different schools of thought. Each works equally well. The unexciting but practical suggestion is to by a job lot of AA batteries. After that, the choice is between the completely wireless Quick Charge station for around ?17 or the Charge and Play kit for ?13. Both solutions are excellent and either way, make sure to pick up a couple of spare battery packs.

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Headsets

Online play is now a massive part of gaming, so a headset to communicate with team mates is a must. The more wireless the better and the one of choice for the PS3 would be the Logitech Vantage Bluetooth headset. It's got a noise-cancelling mic, delivers more than 12 hours of play time and recharges via USB or a wall adaptor. Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR and complete cordless freedom up to 30 feet. Yours, or theirs actually, for ?17.99.

For the Wii, it's arguably less important with a much smaller number of games that use the Nintendo headset Wii Speak. Nonetheless, it's a decent addition to the console and only ?14 as well.

Last of all, the Xbox 360. There are plenty available and you don't have to spend the cash if you'd rather go for the standard wireless ones but the best headset in town is the Turtle Beach Ear Force X3. It's got an excellent boom mic system eliminating bleed and background noise, really thumping bass and they look good too. Around ?80, but worth it.

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Gaming Chair

It's tempting to go with a suped-up stereo rocker seat for bum-buzzing game involvement but, in actual fact, a lot of these things aren't actually that comfortable which is rather the point in the first place. If you do want to go down this route though, then the Pyramat Game Bag 2.1 is more bottom friendly than most, but instead we'd rather recommend the pure massive cushions of the Sumo Omni bag or the IEX Game Bag. All three around ?100. If you can really afford it though, then it's all about a La-z-boy.

Slanket

Winter's setting in and sitting still under the hypnosis of the console can be a little chilly. The ultimate antidote is the Slanket. The fleecy half dressing gown, half blanket bundle of goodness gives you total body coverage while allowing easy access to your game controller and bio-fuels. There's even a double version out specially for this Christmas but the single will probably do.

Faceplates

No, this is nothing to do with the gamer's face but instead are a bunch of stick on fronts to personalise ones game controllers. You can get them for just about any big name games you could care to think of and the best part is that they don't cost much either. Perhaps not the best choice for the older gamer but they might just rock a kid's world.

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Bags

Sometimes, you want to take your machines round to some Luddite's place who doesn't yet have a games console. Now, it's easy enough to stuff your unit into one backpack or another but there's nothing quite like using a bag that's been specially built for the job.

The Enigma Wii bag isn't hugely exciting but it has excellent compartments for all the bits and pieces and is both highly competent in its task and pretty damn cheap at just ?12. Things get a little more stylish for the PS3 with the 4Gamers messenger bag but the Xbox is probably where it's at with slightly more colourful merch such as this one.

Games!

Yes, of course. We wouldn't forget the most important part. Now, make sure you find out what your loved one has already got, but new titles we'd recommend are: Modern Warfare 2, Dragon Age: Origins, Uncharted 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Battlefield 1943, DJ Hero, Left 4 Dead 2, Wii Sports Resort and Wii Fit Plus, amongst many others.

Or...

...of course, if you feel really flush and actually want to buy someone an entire games console or anything else for that matter, then take a look our Top Products section which will help guide you through to a suitable model and offer you only the best of the ones Pocket-lint's reviewed. And, as always, if you have any red hot tips for gift ideas of your own, then do let us know in the comments below. Good luck.

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Related links:

• Features - 10 perfect Christmas presents for...Apple Mac fans
• Features - 10 perfect Christmas presents for...laptop addicts
• Features - 101 life-saving Christmas shopping websites

Tags: Gaming Christmas Features Xbox 360 Xbox Nintendo Wii Wii PlayStation PS3 PS3 slim games hardware Controllers

10 perfect Christmas presents for...console gamers originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:33:39 +0000

A new football game instigates yet another opening paragraph proclaiming the state of sporting video game nation. With FIFA 10 being so damn brilliant, Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer series has a whole heap of catching up to do.

Most immediately striking are those almost unnervingly accurate player likenesses. Obviously a lot of time has been spent lavishing graphical goodness on some of the world's greatest players, as a chunky number of them look ridiculously close to their real life counterpart. Players like Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Lionel Messi appear almost identical to the players they’re trying to mimic.

Unfortunately things take a phenomenally rapid plummet downwards when these superstars of the footballing world decide they fancy a jog around. The straight backed sprinting remains intact, and continues to look comically terrible and startlingly unrealistic.

Similarly, while the 360 degrees of movement introduced in FIFA 10 was implemented with an incredibly high level of success, in PES 2010 things aren’t quite so impressive. Though more movement variations are possible, there’s no doubt whatsoever that the full 360 degrees simply can’t be explored to the maximum. Something certainly not helped by the computer's insistence to stick to the traditional 8 directions we’ve contended with for many years.

While in control of things out on the pitch, things continue to be hit and miss. Dribbling feels stilted and on rails, and passing still has the continued obsession with aiming towards a player nowhere near your chosen intention. Yet shooting, coming from someone who has extensively played the FIFA series over the last few years, feels fantastically weighty and packed with inertia.

The pace of each match up certainly feels a lot faster than its FIFA opponent, with local multiplayer games in particular absolutely jam packed with frantic penalty box action.

The AI however doesn’t exactly give a helping hand to proceedings, with some particularly dodgy goalkeeping spoiling the party. A number of long range efforts right at the keeper were simply "kneed in" by a flailing ‘keeper, seemingly oblivious that he has the opportunity to utilise his hands in stopping the ball.

Similarly, your fellow pros on the pitch aren’t too bright either. They’ll refuse to make the obvious runs, neglect to mark the opponent in their area of the pitch, and simply try and make it as difficult as possible for you to score.

It’s an odd situation for a series that always offered a decent single player experience, thanks to the (still included) Master League. All the options remain to really test your gaming metal long-term, but the AI you’ll come up against is so random, awkward, and seemingly lacking in any real quality and skill that Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 is essentially a multiplayer-only title.

Which makes the online problems all the more damning. Despite promises that this year we’d be back to the kind of smooth online experience the series enjoyed back on the original Xbox, lag still regularly ruins games and makes almost every online experience fraught with frustration.

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Verdict:

One day we’re sure that Konami will once again come up with the magic footballing formula, but once again we’re left lacking a next generation Pro Evolution Soccer experience that anyone could recommend.

AI is universally poor, animation is sometimes laughable, and every facet of the entire game is at least a step behind the FIFA series. A real shame as this year had looked to be a tight call.

Tags: Gaming Sports games PS3 Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 Konami

Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 - PS3 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:01:44 +0000

Sony's latest advert for the?PlayStation 3 Slim?will push its Blu-ray credentials in the US by telling consumers, possibly looking to buy the console, that really you're paying for the gaming bits and the Blu-ray player is free.

"You get the best Blu-ray player around built in for free", says the Sony man to some punk ass whiny teenager complaining that his grandma is watching Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

In December, consumers will have access to the first ever hybrid disc that will feature Sony Pictures' District 9 movie and a demo of God of War 3.

The ad airs in the US next week.?

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Tags: Gaming PS3 Adverts Sony PS3 slim Blu-ray Video

Sony: "PS3 Blu-ray built in for free" originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:12:59 +0000

Sony Ericsson has hinted that it could launch a "PS3" app similar to that found on the Sony Ericsson Aino handset launched earlier in the year for the Android OS, when the company's new?Xperia X10?handset launches in February.

"It makes a lot of sense for it to be on other handsets", said Christopher David, head of developer and partner engagement at Sony Ericsson, before backing up that statement with an "it should be expected".

It is not certain at this time whether an app, if developed, would be restricted to the X10 and Nexus UX platform or be available to all?Android?handsets, but could mean that phone users opting for devices sporting the Google Android OS could access their PlayStation 3 and stream content to their phone from around the world, in a similar way to the Sony Ericsson phone or the PSP console.

The phone, which packs the same DLNA and wireless connectivity as the Aino, before building on the specs with a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset and 4-inch screen, would be a perfect hardware device for such an app, something that David acknowledges.

"For it to work you would need wireless and DLNA connectivity," said David, after we tried to lure more than an "it's possible" answer from the man, when asked to engage in the new Sony Ericsson Nexus UX platform for the X10.

As for other apps to expect in the future? David was keeping quiet, however we did get a chuckle and acknowledgement of a "good question asked" as to whether Sony Ericsson's Play Now store, that allows users to download movies and music, would get an Android app of its own.

"You never know", was the official response with a wry smile.?

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Tags: Gaming Phones Mobile phones Mobile phone apps Sony Android PS3 Sony Ericsson Xperia X10

PS3 Remote Play for Android "makes sense" originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:23:13 +0000

Following the screenshots unveiled recently, Sony is now offering an early peek at PlayStation 3 v3.10 firmware update.

Keepin' up with the Jones, the update incorporates Facebook into the PS3 experience with the option for the PS3 to automatically update Facebook News Feeds with Trophy and PlayStation Store activity.

Other 3.10 highlights include the photo category on the XMB getting revamped, a modification to the PSN Friends List and the option to choose a colour for a PSN ID on the XMB.

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Tags: Gaming Sony PS3 Software updates Facebook Video

VIDEO: Sony unveils 3.10 PS3 update that brings Facebook originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:34:08 +0000

Here are the nominations for Best Home Cinema Device in The Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009.

The following products were chosen because we feel they represent the best home cinema devices on sale in the last 12 months that are available in the UK.

The nominations are:

Philips 56PFL9954H Cinema 21:9 television

Panasonic DMR-BS850 Freesat Blu-ray recorder

LG 37LH7000 television

Sony PlayStation 3 Slim console

Humax Freesat+ FOXSAT-HDR recorder

Now in its 6th year, the Pocket-lint Gadget Awards, thought to be the longest running in the UK, pick the best gadgets and gizmos from the last year released in the UK.

Pocket-lint's vigorous vetting process means that all the gadgets up for nomination have to have been seen by a member of the Pocket-lint team (so far over 600) and have to have been available in the UK between December 2008 and December 2009.?

The awards, voted by a panel of leading gadget journalists from around the world, including the staff from the Pocket-lint team, will decide the real must-have gadgets of the year, rather than those simply deemed cool or anticipated, being the definitive guide for consumers looking to buy gadgets.

Winners will be announced at an Awards evening in London on Monday 7 December.

If you would like to order tickets to the event please visit our awards event page.

Public voting will start on Wednesday 18 November.

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Related links:

• Link - vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009

Tags: Home Cinema Televisions Blu-ray PVRs Humax Sony Philips Panasonic LG PS3 PS3 slim Pocket-lint Awards Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009

Best Home Cinema Devices 2009 nominations originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:00:00 +0000

Here are the nominations for Best Video Game in The Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009.

The following products were chosen because we feel they represent the best video games on sale in the last 12 months that are available in the UK.

The nominations are:

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Guitar Hero 5

Battlefield 1943

Batman: Arkham Asylum

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Now in its 6th year, the Pocket-lint Gadget Awards, thought to be the longest running in the UK, pick the best gadgets and gizmos from the last year released in the UK

Pocket-lint's vigorous vetting process means that all the gadgets up for nomination have to have been seen by a member of the Pocket-lint team (so far over 600) and have to have been available in the UK between December 2008 and December 2009.

The awards, voted by a panel of leading gadget journalists from around the world, including the staff from the Pocket-lint team, will decide the real must-have gadgets of the year, rather than those simply deemed cool or anticipated, being the definitive guide for consumers looking to buy gadgets.

Winners will be announced at an Awards evening in London on Monday 7 December.

If you would like to order tickets to the event please visit our awards event page.

Public voting will start on Wednesday 18 November.

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Related links:

• Link - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 PS3 Nintendo Wii PC games Sony Activision Warner Bros EA Pocket-lint Awards Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009

Best Video Games 2009 nominations originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:22:07 +0000

The news that Sainsbury's is cutting the price of the 120GB PS3 Slim by 20% - now available for ?200 - is admittedly pretty widespread, but the fact that it's a pretty decent offer, and just in case you weren't aware, meant that it deserved a slot.

A quick look, however, on the Sainsbury's website will show that Sony's sought after console is now out of stock. Your best bet, therefore, is to click on the "email me when in stock" button, so you can be right there to order when it comes back in.

If you simply can't wait, we had a look around and the next best deal seems to be from Tesco -? selling its 120GB PS3 Slim with Fifa 10 for ?249. Obviously only suitable if you were going down the Fifa route anyway, the deal means you'll be around a tenner down on the Sainsbury's offer - with Fifa being sold separately for ?40.

Click here for the Sainsbury's deal if you're of a patient disposition and don't mind waiting, alternatively there's a link here to the Tesco deal. Before you make a your decision, however, you might want to click through to our full review of the PS3 Slim, which received a whopping 9/10 score.

Tags: Gaming Gaming hardware Sony PS3 PS3 slim Sony PS3 Slim Sainsburys Tesco direct Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: 20% off Sony PS3 Slim at Sainsbury's originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

In 3 year's time the 3DTV market will see shipments of up to 46 million 3D-capable flatscreen televisions, suggests market research from US-based GigaOM Pro, stating that despite the market being in its infancy today, by 2013 the technology will be widespread in consumer's homes.

"While the initial shipments of flat-panel 3DTVs will be small in 2010 due to premium pricing strategies by the large TV manufacturers, volumes are likely to grow quickly in just a few short years as manufacturers begin to implement 3D as a standard feature across their HD flat-panel product lines", said Alfred Poor, author of the report.

The report suggests content owners and broadcasters will soon "convert large portions of their back-catalogues of content to 3D", in order to satisfy consumers hungry for three dimensional content.

"Just as many consumers are voting with their wallets today for the 3D version of their favourite movies in the theatre, we expect over time that many will choose 3D for their favourite shows and movies at home as well", said Poor.

Interestingly, Sony is highlighted as a company working hard to push 3D. "The company will provide a complete user experience with full HD Bravia in 3D taking center stage. In addition to television, Sony will enable more devices, such as Blu-ray, Vaio and PlayStation 3, to be 3D compatible", says the GigaOM Pro report.

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Tags: Home Cinema 3DTV Statistics Sony 3D PS3 Televisions

3DTV shipments to reach 46 million in 3 years originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:59:10 +0000

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, not content with annihilating UK video game sales records, has done the same trick across the Atlantic, by shifting 4.7 million copies in the United Kingdom and North America combined.

That firmly puts it at the top of the chart of first-day sales for non-bundled video games, which was previously topped by GTA IV and the two expansions for World of Warcraft. The achievement has seen cash roll in to Activision to the extent of $310 million in the first 24 hours.

However, the game's launch on Xbox 360 and PS3 has been dulled slightly by the rocky entry of the PC version of the game. Before its release, fans were already protesting that dedicated server functionality had been taken out, and the PC launch had to be delayed 2 days so that retailers could get exclusives, but also so that pre-orders could be served.

The whole maelstrom has been covered in great depth by PC gaming blog Rock, Paper, Shotgun, who posit that it would be entirely possible if the next instalment of the game didn't come to the PC at all, despite the series originating on the platform.

What do you think? Are you a happy Xbox 360 or PS3 owner, or a distraught PC user? Should consoles get exclusives over PCs? Tell us in the comments.

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Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 PS3 PC Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare 2 Statistics Activision

Modern Warfare 2 breaking US records too originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:31:18 +0000

Some images have emerged of a forthcoming firmware update for the PS3 that introduces Facebook functionality to the games console. The integration with the world's biggest social networking site is already available on the rival Xbox 360, but not on the Nintendo Wii.

Also in the images is the option to change the colour of your gamercard, as well as a new interface for looking through photos that are stored on the console. Not quite as exciting as the Facebook integration, but may be of some interest to those who just aren't satisfied with the default gamercard colours.

It's not clear exactly when the next firmware update will be issued - right now these are just screenshots found on Sony's PlayStation website. What's clear, though, is that Sony needs integration with web services - and soon - to compete with the Xbox, which is rolling out similar features at an ever-increasing rate.

Read

Tags: Gaming Sony PS3 PlayStation Facebook Rumours Software updates

PS3 update bringing Facebook integration originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:25:51 +0000

Activision's?Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2?has smashed the previous record set by Grand Theft Auto IV for opening weekend sales for a video game.

Modern Warfare 2 sold an estimated 1.23 million units in its first day on sale, grossing Activision, the games publisher, around ?47 million, according to official figures by Chart Track, the body that tracks sales in the UK.

The figure, which doubles the previous record held by Grand Theft Auto IV, shows how far the video game market has grown to be an entertainment powerhouse.

“These first day sales figures are astonishing and clear evidence that video games are now mainstream in the UK", said Michael Rawlinson, director general, Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), in a statement.

The game has come under heavy fire from pressure groups complaining about its tone and violence.

Although the 1.23 million makes it the biggest UK opening weekend, the title is still a long way from being crowned?Biggest selling video game?of all time.

Developers are already working on a?third instalment.?

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Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 PS3 Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare 2

Modern Warfare 2 smashes UK games records originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:23:19 +0000

Sony's PlayStation 3 hadn't quite enjoyed the success it deserved, thanks to lofty launch prices for the original version and strong competition on the gaming front from the Xbox 360. Both consoles have evolved over time, with the PS3 Slim following Sony's trend of trimming down.

The PS3 Slim now measures 290 x 65 x 290mm, so it is more compact overall, especially in height. The overall design is still instantly recognizable as a PlayStation 3, but it is leaner and meaner. The construction materials have changed too: gone is the elegant glossy, to a matte black finish. It is perhaps less showy than the previous edition, but you don't have to spend your time polishing it either.

The redesign brings with it a new price point, which some will credit with its success: a 120GB PS3 Slim retails at ?249, a new entry point for the console. Considering what the PlayStation 3 offers you, it is something of a bargain in its new guise. Those wanting more storage can opt for a 250GB version, currently available for around ?285.

Those who jumped in for the original console will find changes: the lift-up flap housing and array of memory card readers is gone, as are the four USB connections, the PS2 emulation and the ability to install a different OS. These niceties are perhaps not worth premium prices that the older PS3 model asked: whatever you are trying to do, the two USBs on offer will pretty much handle it.

Internally the big guns are still here. You have a Blu-ray disc drive and you have Wi-Fi built-in, something that the Xbox 360 cannot boast. Perhaps this accounts for the current price contrast: the Xbox 360 120GB version comes in at under ?200, but you don't get the benefit of a Blu-ray player, and you'd have to fork out for the Wi-Fi adapter too.

This is one area that makes the PlayStation 3 look like a tempting offer. Now you have your high-definition TV wall-mounted in your lounge, it deserves to be fed a diet of HD content. Blu-ray looks fantastic on the PS3 and it is widely regarded as one of the best Blu-ray players out there, thanks to the easy updatability and connectivity that the rest of the box offers. If nothing else, the PS3 Slim saves you buying a standalone Blu-ray player, which might be ?100 alone.

Before you even approach gaming, the PS3 slim is screaming in with media from all corners. Connect it to your home network, either by Wi-Fi or through the Ethernet connection on the back and it opens a world of media possibilities. It not only lets you take advantage of BD-Live functionality on Blu-ray discs, but it will also find media servers (or other DNLA devices) on your network so you can stream media into your TV. We hooked it up and it instantly found our Cisco Media Hub to stream video, music or photo content into the TV, or you could stream direct from a PC or Mac.

It's blissfully simple, and again, it saves you forking out for some sort of media bridge. File format support isn't fully comprehensive with MPEG4/H.264, MPEG2, AVI (MJPEG), AVCHD, DivX and WMV video support. If you have a diverse collection of video you'll find that there are holes in codec support for some of these file types, but some sort of conversion software will cure those evils and save you repeated "This file is corrupted" messages. Music support gives you WMA, AAC and MP3. The PS3 now offers BBC iPlayer access direct from the XMB too.

In terms of connectivity, besides the networking features we have mentioned, around the back you get an HDMI connection, which will satisfy most users, an optical out, for connecting into your AV receiver to take advantage of the PS3's Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding. Finally you have Sony's AV Multi connection which, with the cable bundled in the box, will allow you to hook up to TVs which don't have HDMI.

All that, and we haven't yet mentioned games. For many people gaming is the PlayStation 3's primary calling, but it stands its ground as a home media hub in a way that the Xbox 360 really can't compete with. The PS3 is a hulking great power house of a gaming machine and now is a better time than ever for PlayStation 3 gaming, with the likes of Uncharted 2 receiving rave reviews.

The PS3 admittedly beats the Xbox 360 on raw power, but we've seen over the last few years that this hasn't manifested itself in a mass of better gaming titles. Graphically, there is little to separate the two once you get into big name titles and there is little difference between loading times or response either: both offer a sublime gaming experience.

Exclusive gaming titles will always be a consideration the aforementioned Uncharted 2 being an example. With many big titles coming out cross-platform, exclusives are the exception rather than the rule in many cases, but the toughest decision you might have to make is which camp to set yourself in. There are some great exclusives on both sides and ultimately, if you are going to dive into online multiplayer, the decision might come down to what consoles your friends have.

Control of the PlayStation 3 now comes in the form of the DualShock 3 controller, which adds a little extra oomph over previous versions. The controller is, ironically, one of the points that divides the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3; when it comes to the crunch, we prefer how the Xbox 360 controller feels. This is common among those who have both consoles and if you are lucky enough to be in this position, you'll probably find yourself doing most of your gaming on the Xbox and almost everything else on the PS3. As we've just said, this has nothing to do with how the games look or play, it simply comes down to choice of controller.

Sony's XrossMediaBar lies at the centre of the PS3 and offers an easy to navigate interface. We like the Xbox interface, but the PS3 is more accessible overall. It also gives you access to the PlayStation Network, which isn't as slick as Microsoft's Xbox Live, but at least you don't have to fork out for membership to get full advantage, another cost of ownership that needs to be considered.

One of the biggest changes you'll notice with the PS3 Slim is volume. Not in terms of audio output, but purely in terms of fan noise. This is one area that the PS3 and the Xbox 360 both struggled in the past. The Xbox hasn't improved dramatically, but the PS3 Slim has overcome the heat and noise problem. It is perhaps a little louder than your average Blu-ray player, but it is no longer a distraction. You don't feel like it is pumping out heat into your room like a fan heater either, which makes it much better suited to slipping under the TV. It is more energy efficient too.

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Verdict:

The PS3 Slim makes a number of changes over its forebear, making this the best PlayStation to date. Being more compact and quieter makes it more appealing as a home media hub, reinforcing the solid performance that it delivers.

The new price, though, is really the killer blow. It is more affordable than ever and with stores pushing out game bundles with the new PS3 Slim, if you have been holding off, now is the time to step out and buy one.

The PlayStation 3 Slim is an accomplished piece of home entertainment hardware, with something for everyone from streaming media, to high-definition movies, to adrenaline fuelled gaming, and we love it.

Tags: Gaming Gaming hardware Sony PS3 PS3 slim

Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) Slim console originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

"The new Sony PlayStation 3 Slim is about to receive a luxury treatment unlike any others before it". So says Computer Choppers, a US company that offers a line in blinged up consumer electronics.

A "sneak peak" of the Midas-touched console shows that the firm, instead of rather just say subtlety picking out the logo in gold, has opted for the all-out gold-plating.

Only five limited edition units are to be produced and pricing and availability is strictly on a get-your-butler-to-call-and-enquire basis.

Tags: Gaming PS3 Sony Computer Choppers

PlayStation 3 gets gold plated originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:31:20 +0000

The Prince of Persia film trailer has just hit the intertubes and with it our hearts both flutter and sink at the same time as we realise that it's going to be terrible. It may sound premature but anyone who knows anything about either games, films or ideally both, will know that out of countless console to silver screen conversions there has been a sum total of no good ones whatsoever. Yes, some have had brushes with the acceptable - Tomb Raider and Silent Hill at a push - but the fact remains that history just doesn't lie. Not here.

So, why are they so bad? What's the deal? First and foremost game plots just aren't up to it. At the best we get some lengthy cut scenes between gruff-talking men in over-sized armour between levels of dealing death to any creature that gets in the way of Player 1 and the next room/access key/elevator/bigger weapon/mushroom. They may contain over 200 hundred hours of gameplay but you could probably condense the storyline into around 20 minutes.

Even if these plots do have any staying power, then they're rarely as sophisticated as what hundreds of years experience of stage and screen writing can produce, and the results are laughable. We laugh, usually around an hour in, well after our hearts have been broken in two because our favourite title is being ridiculed in front of the world. The trouble is that video games aren't designed to be stories. They're games. They're about skill and puzzles rather than a meaningful narrative. There are narratives, more and more, and they're better than ever these days, but they're still tertiary to the structure of the game beneath both playability and graphical appeal.

Then there's characters who are largely two-dimensional. We don't really want to know about Ryu's anxiety when taking on Zangief and fortunately Capcom didn't bore us to death in case we did. Even more involved RPG or adventure pieces only ever get as far as overt emotions like fear or anger at current events and only at the most complex might we see a flashback from the character's past, and only then if it's germane to the plot. The point is that it's up to us, the players, to form the deeper reaction in response to a series of ruthless/kind/good/evil and if we're really lucky, traitorous characters. The added colour simply isn't written in for a very good reason - that of personal subjective involvement.

So, here's how the situation works given the already shaky starting materials. First, a game gets big enough and a movie producer gets bored enough to decide that they're going to make a film out of it. So, they plonk it down in front of an upcoming writer and director, most likely still learning their trade or they'd probably have an original or more worthy project on the slate. Faced with a thin plot and characters that no one's going to care about, they then do their level best to add some colour to the proceedings which is inevitably flawed, most likely because they won't be big players of the game, and what they fabricate will not be in the spirit of thing. Either that or they don't add enough and it's dull as ditch-water anyway.

They then present the project to similarly aspiring actors who take it on because, hey, it's work whereby a few months down the line and several million on special effects later we have one film destined to disappoint.? What's worse is that this film will make more money than it cost and so the cycle repeats itself. Perhaps the only good that's ever done is that the artists involved might have graduated to the higher echelons of film making by then. Good luck to them.

There are, of course, minor exceptions. Dennis Hopper was in Super Mario Bros, Angelina Jolie was Lara Croft and now Jake Gyllenhaal has taken the lead in the Prince of Persia, but these stars alone aren't going to be enough to fill all the gaps. Incidentally, if you want a real laugh, watch the DVD extras on Dungeons & Dragons for the out take where Jeremy Irons storms off the set. There's the look of an actor regretting the fact they got involved with it in the first place.

So, what of Prince of Persia then? Is it as doomed as we make out? Well, it's got a stronger plot than some. They've integrated the use of the Dagger of Time really nicely (I'm a sucker for films with time travel). They've got an excellent director in the shape of Mike Newell and a star studded cast with class acts like Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina supporting the adept and watchable Gyllenhaal, but a good game adaptation that's not necessarily going to make. What do they know about the Prince of Persia? Gyllenhaal has said himself that he's over-prepared for this movie by bulking up with five or six pounds in added muscle. Now, that doesn't sound like the right kind of training. How about a copy of the game, a dark room and bulking up with five or six pounds in added KFC?

Mercifully, the game's creator, Jordan Mechner, has been part of the team on the script, but time will only tell whether Jerry Bruckheimer listened to him or not. Still, most of you reading this will probably watch it, you'll probably hate it and you'll probably wonder why you fell for the same trick again. Thankfully, you'll probably have downloaded it for nothing too.

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Tags: Gaming PS3 Xbox 360 PC games Prince of Persia Films Movies Comment

Why are game-inspired films so terrible? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:38:52 +0000

In the States Sony has announced new "entertainment offerings" for the PlayStation Network from Lucasfilm, Cinetic FilmBuff, ContentFilm International, Image Entertainment, MPI Media Group and New Video.

The content, available now in the US for purchase or rent, includes Star Wars: The Clone Wars, TV series Leverage, feature films Powder Blue and Management, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and online mini-series Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog from New Video.

Additional content from these providers will be added over time joining the 10,000 hours of downloadable entertainment content that's currently pegged at over 2300 full-length movies for American consumers.

Tags: Gaming Playstation Network PS3 Sony Video on demand Home Cinema

PlayStation Network gets more video in the States originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:32:31 +0000

Back at Mobile World Congress 2009 Sony Ericsson introduced us to the concept of Entertainment Unlimited, typified here by the Aino. The phone drops to the Walkman and Cyber-shot branding, but punches hard in both the camera and multimedia sectors, including Remote Play on the PlayStation 3.

Out of the box you get a slider handset measuring 104.0 x 50.0 x 15.5mm. You'll find a 3-inch widescreen display with a 432 x 240 pixel resolution. The screen is touch-enabled, but the Aino is a hybrid device, meaning sometimes you can touch and sometimes you can't, which we'll come to later.

The design of the phone is pretty sleek: the front is free from buttons with the screen closed and moving around the body the only other buttons are the lock on the top and the volume rocker and camera button on the right-hand side.

Slide the screen up and it opens with a nice crisp action, exposing the 12-key keypad and usual range of control buttons across the middle. The keyboard is pretty average for Sony Ericsson's handsets, giving a reasonable response, but not the best for fast action messaging. It does feel like a good quality keyboard and feels like it will last the length of your contract. Our review version was finished in black throughout and it looks like a cool phone overall.

The menu system is typical Sony Ericsson stuff, with a main menu divided into icons giving you access to all the main areas. It is looking a little tired, as essentially the layout and content of these menus hasn't changed over the years, it's just expanded. With Apps now taking centre stage on many phones, Sony Ericsson still has "Applications" languishing in "Organiser".

You get the feeling that things are no longer cohesive: you have Entertainment, Media, Music Player menus, but they don't contain all the options for media control. The main media menu employs Sony's XMB, which is great to use and mirrors the PSP and PS3 layout.

You also get a separate media interface that is operated by touch control when the phone is closed. This is the only time that the Aino does accept touch however (except to take incoming calls and set camera controls), and gives you access to the camera, photos, music, video and radio. Sadly, this touch menu has its own design, dropping the XMB, but it does give you access to media without opening the phone.

It is a shame that you can't do more via touch. Whilst being able to access your media and use the camera is nice, it seems like a missed opportunity not letting you browse your messages for example.

Our Aino came with an 8GB microSD card in place, so it is ready and willing to get funky with all your tunes on the move. It is perhaps a surprise to find that the Aino doesn’t feature a 3.5mm headphone jack given that it is pitched squarely as a multimedia beast. But our rage was thwarted by the inclusion of the MH100 Bluetooth adapter, meaning you can simply plug your headphones into the Bluetooth dongle and stash your phone in your pocket. The MH100 even gives you volume controls, play/pause and track skip functions and a mic for when you need to make a call.

The bundled headphones can be bettered if you have a decent set of your own, which will really get the most out of your music, but the bundled set aren't too bad. Taking things a step further you also get a neat dock to sit both the handset and the MH100 on, meaning you can charge and sync your phone with your PC with minimal hassle.

One of the big headline features in the Aino is the PS3 connection. In reality it isn't that exciting and isn't very reliable as you are given little guidance for configuration. However, once you have made your connection you can connect over 3G or Wi-Fi. You don't get to remote play games, but you can access content on your PS3, if you have any, or drive PlayTV whilst you are away from home.

You can also connect up to UPnP servers to play music over a network, if you have such a service available. The handset is DNLA certified and also supports BBC iPlayer, so you can download programmes you've missed and watch them on the train, or stream them.

The second big headline feature of the Aino is an 8-megapixel camera. But hold your horses and remember that 8 is just a number and not a gauge of performance. In fact, the 8-megapixel sensor here inhibits the performance terribly.

The camera interface is fairly clean, with controls selected through on-screen options. You can capture an image either through the button, or by pressing the screen, which in reality is a bit of a pain, as the slightest touch and you'll be taking a picture of something you didn't want.

Writing a full-resolution file to the memory card takes about 10 seconds, so this is time you'll just be sitting and waiting. Better performance is offered by turning the thing down to a more reasonable 3-megapixels, which will save you standing around for such a long time waiting, at least. Unless you have perfect lighting and a perfectly still subject, it isn't worth using the full resolution anyway as there is a lack of detail to offer opportunities for large scale prints or cropping, so best to stick with something more manageable.

The camera suffers not only lag on buffering, but also in the shutter, with noticeable delay. The shutter speeds are often slow, even with the LED "flash", so any movement in low light, or even average lit indoors scenes, result in blur and high contrast scenes attract a great deal of fringing around edges.

Video is offered at a top setting of 640 x 352, giving you a widescreen aspect, or 640 x 480 for 4:3, captured in MPEG4. The results aren't too bad, but there is a noticeable lag on the display when filming. It captures at 25fps, so copes with moving subjects better than some but low light shots can be very noisy. Given the phones media "sharing" angle, we'd have expected a higher video resolution, but as it is it performs well enough.

In terms of data you get HSDPA and Wi-Fi, so you can enjoy the rich media experience whilst on the move or at home. There is a GPS too with Google Maps doing the usual business. The browser does leave you wanting however, so if browsing the Internet is high on your list of priorities, you might want to look elsewhere.

The Aino doesn't really step to the plate against smartphones. It doesn't give you access to thousands of applications to further expand what the phone will do. You do get a Facebook app pre-installed, with Facebook links appearing in photos and messages for example, and a homescreen status update "widget" that although nice, took about 3 days before it would show us any info.

We also found that the battery life was surprisingly poor for a slider handset. We found ourselves charging it every day during testing.

Verdict:

The Sony Ericsson Aino offers features galore, but fails to wrap them into a package that really wows. There is a lot on offer here, but you feel like you have to work for it at times, finding the best route to get to the content you want. The link to the PS3 is a nice addition, but doesn't feel like a reason to buy the phone.

The same can be said for the 8-megapixel camera offering. It is just a number and comes with limitations not found on your compact camera, so don't choose the Aino because you think it will replace your compact camera – it won't.

The Sony Ericsson is something of a premium handset too, because it comes in a quite a price, comparable with smartphone rivals, which will ultimately offer greater flexibility and a better user interface.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Sony Ericsson Sony Ericsson Aino 8 megapixels PS3

Sony Ericsson U10i Aino mobile phone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:35:02 +0000

For those too impatient (or too rubbish) to get there themselves, EA is taking the unusual step of offering a video game complete with six special gameplay unlocks good to go from the first load of the game, rather than being dependent on achievement.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will see a "Limited Edition" version with unlocks that give players "a tactical advantage on the battlefield from the minute they fire up the game".

Due to be available while supplies last, the Limited Edition version of the game will be sold at the same price as the standard version of the game exclusively with GAME in the UK.

The six unlocks are improved vehicular armour, supreme vehicle firepower, a vehicle motion sensor, and a tracer dart pistol (pictured) as well as a M1A1 submachine gun and a M1911 pistol.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be available on 5 March 2010 for Xbox 360, the PS3 and the PC.

Tags: Gaming EA Xbox 360 PS3 FPS

EA offer "Limited Edition" version of Bad Company 2 with unlocks originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:12:31 +0000

Brit Bear Grylls is soon to get his own big budget video game as Discovery has revealed a "Man vs. Wild" (aka "Born Survivor") title will soon go into production.

Game publisher Crave will create the game, and is also confirmed to be working on turning another Discovery series - "Deadliest Catch" - into a game.

The titles, described as "action-oriented" will launch for the PlayStation 3, the Nintendo Wii and the Nintendo DS while the Grylls game will also be available for Xbox 360.

The "Man vs. Wild" game will see gamers use survival skills in various landscapes and climates and it's said to be "likely" that Grylls will voice the game.

The "Deadliest Catch" game will see players captain crab boats on the Bering Sea and follows a similarly-themed game that was launched for the Xbox 360 but is said to have not "stayed true to the action of the show".

"Deadliest" is due in the spring, while "Wild" will be out by the end of 2011.

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Tags: Gaming Action games PS3 Nintendo Wii Xbox 360 Sports Fitness Discovery Crave Bear Grylls Deadliest Catch Man vs Wild

Bear Grylls to get own video game originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:13:52 +0000

While we're waiting to hear more on Netflix's outside the US streaming plans, in the States the movie rental company has announced its content will soon be available to PS3 owners.

Sony and Netflix have announced a team up that will see thousands of movies and TV episodes from Netflix available to be streamed instantly to TVs via the PS3. For those not yet Netflix members, the service starts from $8.99 a month and offers "unlimited" movies and TV episodes.

Netflix says it expects to begin streaming via the PlayStation Network next month at no additional cost to Netflix-ers who have a PS3, but users will need to stick a special Blu-ray disc in their consoles to get the service to work.

The free instant streaming disc uses Blu-ray's BD-Live tech to access the Internet and activate the Netflix user interface on the PS3 system, via Wi-Fi or Ethernet, something Xbox 360 Netflix users don't need, but without the Gold membership cost Microsoft demands.

Netflix members and PS3 system owners can now reserve a free disc for PS3 systems by going to www.netflix.com/ps3.

Tags: Home Cinema Media streaming Video on demand PS3 Sony Netflix Gaming

Netflix streaming announced for PlayStation 3 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:19:50 +0000

While most gamers have pinned all their Holiday gaming hopes on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Uncharted 2, despite the mass hype, had slipped a touch below radar, until reviews started appearing that is.. The sequel to Nathan Drake's Tomb Raider-esque exploration seemingly expected to be decent enough, but not quite hitting the heights of the Call of Duty juggernaut.

Uncharted 2 starts out with a cliffhanger. Literally. You begin with a stunning set piece, with Indiana Jones-a-like explorer Nathan Drake clinging onto the remains of a half obliterated train that's precariously hanging over a huge cliff face. Slowly and methodically you pull yourself up and finally come to rest on solid ground. Only for all hell to break loose.

This supremely bombastic opening does its level best to show off right at the very start every major asset that Naughty Dog have crammed onto a Blu-ray disc. Most obviously there's the huge attraction that are arguably the greatest visuals witnessed in a video game thus far. Everything from eye popping vistas, through to incredible character animation, via stunning lighting effects. It all culminates in quite a stunning visual spectacle.

Similarly high levels of production have been plunged into the aural experience too. The voice acting – in part due to the hefty quality of the script – is absolutely top notch, with none of the usual hammy over the top, or bored sounding individuals simply eager to grab their pay cheque. This helps bring about the almost unimaginable; cutscenes that you will want to witness multiple times.

The high quality continues with some superb physics, more obviously helping make Drake's regular climbs and jumps seem all that more real, but also enemies that perish and move in stunningly realistic manners. We spotted one recently blasted enemy caught on a high railing, and couldn't resist giving him a nudge off his precarious resting place and watch him land bone-crunchingly hard on the rocks below. Yet another sign that some real love has been fed into this game.

Enemies also show a huge amount of intelligence in the way they duck behind cover, try to flush you out with grenades and flank your position, rather than wait to be slowly picked off one by one. With combat outnumbering exploration/platforming by a factor of about 2:1, it helps make the most of every single level of the game.

Drake's adventure isn't quite the new Tomb Raider that some might have you believe, with gunplay playing a major part to proceedings. Weapons are well powered and sound wonderful, and the cover system is as fluid as any other title out there. But when you do get the chance to climb, Uncharted 2 makes it feel so incredibly fluid when compared to Lara Croft's still somewhat stilted nature. There's no slow methodical lining up of jumps required, and you can easily cover huge distances in seconds. It just feels so natural.

Spread throughout the entire game there are a number of fantastic set pieces coming your way. Where some titles may keep the most spectacular experiences for passive cutscenes, Uncharted 2 sets you as the star, allowing you to frantically run from a truck, or swiftly jump across a crumbling bridge. You can always assume that one more breathtaking moment is only a few minutes away.

The single player experience described above lasts a solid 8 to 10 hours of game time, and certainly contains enough to keep you coming back time and time again. There are a few less than stellar moments however. While the latter enemies who can soak up a number of bullets are explained away, one earlier human who can withstand clip after clip of ammo is a strange anomaly.

And then there's the online multiplayer. All the usual standards apply, with the usual Deathmatch and Capture The Flag options made available. But they've been crafted with the same unnerving brilliance that the single player story offers, culminating in something which might not be brand new, but you can't help falling in love with.

Verdict:

Uncharted 2 is just an incredible package. One of the most stunning single player outings in years is fantastically complimented by such an impressive multiplayer offering that all PS3 owners can't pass up this opportunity. It might not have the hype of Modern Warfare 2 behind it, but Activision have got a real test on their hands if they want to be sure of being the PS3's Christmas must have.

Tags: Gaming PS3 Sony Uncharted 2 Among Thieves Action

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves - PS3 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:42:28 +0100

The BBFC has insisted on an 18 rating for coming soon Call of Duty title Modern Warfare 2, although it has passed through the official hurdle with no cuts.

It seems the rating ruling will not come as a surprise to the developers as promotional packaging has already been labelled "TBC 18".

It is however, the first game in the Call of Duty series to get an 18 certificate from the BBFC.

Previous titles in the series have either been rated as 15 by the BBFC or 16+ under the PEGI system, which considering the gratuitous violence in the previous, lower rated titles suggests that Modern Warfare 2 could well be a blood bath.

Those looking forward to such delights should note the game goes on sale in the UK on 10 November.

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Related links:

• News - Xbox 360 Modern Warfare 2 console announced

Tags: Gaming BBFC Call of Duty Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare 2 Xbox 360 Nintendo Wii PS3 Activision

BBFC gives Modern Warfare 2 an 18 rating originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:22:47 +0100

Sony has confirmed that it will be bringing the 250GB PS3 slim, already confirmed and available in Europe, to the US in November.

"Today, we announced the availability of a new PS3 system with a 250GB hard drive hitting store shelves on November 3". Sony wrote on its company blog. "The PS3 250GB system has the same slim look, feel and features as the 120GB system, but with a 250GB built-in hard drive for $349.99. With the new, larger capacity, you’ll have even more room to store your favourite games, movies/TV shows, music, photos and PlayStation Network downloads".

The US arm has also stated that "more than 600 million pieces of content have been downloaded from PlayStation Network" to date.

In the UK the 250GB bundle costs ?339 from Amazon and includes two games, there will be a range of different bundles on offer in the hope of enticing gamers to sign up with Sony rather than Microsoft's Xbox 360.

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Tags: Gaming PS3 PS3 slim Sony

250GB PS3 Slim heading to USA originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 06:50:58 +0100

It's no great secret that Spotify is expanding sideways at a rate of knots. Now that it's got its core desktop music-streaming experience locked down, it wants more little added benefits that it can turn over to premium subscribers to convince them to shell out an tenner a month.

Among those little added benefits are the removal of ads, higher audio quality, mobile applications, exclusive content, and they could soon be joined by the ability to stream music through your games console - specifically the PS3.

MusicAlly has spotted that during a presentation showing distribution strategies for the music service, a slide titled "Consumer Electronics" mentioned?games consoles, media extenders and TVs. Some of those emerged the other day in a deal with Telia, but as MusicAlly points out - we've not heard anything on the console front and the slide was illustrated with a shot of a PS3.

Meanwhile the same article also shares a rumour about a Spotify Facebook app being on the cards. It will initially revolve around expanding the Facebook sharing functionality to get more info out of Spotify (rather than just an URL and a green logo, as it currently is) but could eventually expand into a Facebook app that can play music.

We'll bring you more news of both rumours as we get it, but neither seem out of the realms of possibility.

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Tags: Audio Spotify Music Rumours Facebook PS3

Is Spotify coming to the PS3? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:58:37 +0100

It's a week since the Uncharted 2: Among Thieves demo went live on the PlayStation Network, and it's been played over a million times.

Apparently on track to become the most downloaded demo on the PlayStation Network ever, the plays tally at 1,217,424, seeing a cheery 92,110,787 kills and over 9905 day's worth of gaming.

The demo is available now and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is due out in the UK on 16 October, a little earlier in the States.

Tags: Gaming PS3 Uncharted 2 Among Thieves Playstation Network Statistics Video

VIDEO: Uncharted 2 demo sees over a million plays originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:27:06 +0100

Amazon has announced that in the States it will be offering digital access codes for more than 200 PlayStation Network games and related content for the PS3 and PSP.

This follows the similar news back in April that Amazon customers would be able to buy Xbox LIVE games, subscription cards and Microsoft Points cards.

"We are excited to expand our current library of video game platform downloads", said Paul Ryder, vice president of consumer electronics for Amazon.com. ?

"PlayStation Network games are an important addition and we plan to continue making it easier for customers to instantly enjoy new content as well as their favourite games from the comfort of their living rooms".
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Digital access to PlayStation Network games works on a code-redemption system and is live over on Amazon.com now.

Tags: Gaming PS3 Sony Amazon Playstation Network

Amazon offers digital access codes for PlayStation Network content originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:07:45 +0100

Activision has finally ponied up the full tracklisting for DJ Hero, and it comprises 93 exclusive mashups that span rock, rap, techno, house, pop, indie, psychadelia and classical tracks.

Here's the full list, but before you start scrolling, you might want to be reminded that the game will be out on 30 October and cost ?110 with the turntable kit. At the time of writing, though, Amazon is doing the kit for ?90 on pre-order, so that might be worth checking out, too.

2Pac - All Eyez On Me vs. The Aranbee Pop Orchestra - Bittersweet Symphony (Instrumental)
50 Cent - Disco Inferno vs. David Bowie - Let's Dance
50 Cent - Disco Inferno vs. InDeep - Last Night A DJ Saved My Life
Afrika Bambaataa - Zulu Nation Throwdown vs. Freedom Express - Get Down
Beastie Boys - Here's A Little Somethin' For Ya vs. DJ Shadow - The Number Song (2009 Version) (Produced and mixed by DJ Shadow)
Beastie Boys - Intergalactic vs. Blondie - Rapture
Beastie Boys - Lee Majors Come Again vs. Daft Punk - Da Funk (Produced and mixed by Cut Chemist)
Beck - Where It's At vs. DJ Shadow - Six Days (Remix ft. Mos Def)
Bell Biv DeVoe - Poison Beat Juggle
Bell Biv DeVoe - Poison vs. Beastie Boys - Intergalactic (Produced and mixed by DJ AM)
Bell Biv DeVoe - Poison vs. Cameo - Word Up!
Benny Benassi - Satisfaction vs. Ti?sto - Elements Of Life
Billy Squier - The Big Beat vs. N.E.R.D. - Lapdance (DJ-Guitar mix)
Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow vs. Benny Benassi - Satisfaction
Bobby Blue Bland - Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City vs. 2Pac - How Do You Want It
Bobby Blue Bland - Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City vs. Connie Price & The Keystones - Fuzz And Them
Boogie Down Productions - Jack Of Spades vs. David Bowie - Let's Dance (Produced and mixed by DJ Shadow)
Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers - Bustin' Loose vs. The Zombies - Time Of The Season (Produced and mixed by DJ Shadow)
Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers - Bustin' Loose vs. Young MC - Bust A Move
Common - Universal Mind Control (U.M.C.) vs. Masta Ace - Jeep A** Gutter (Aaron LaCrate & Debonair Samir RMX) (Produced and mixed by The Scratch Perverts)
Cypress Hill - Insane In The Brain vs. Classics IV - Spooky
Cypress Hill - Insane In The Brain vs. David Axelrod - The Edge
Daft Punk - Around The World vs. Young MC - Bust A Move
Daft Punk - Da Funk vs. N.A.S.A. - Strange Enough ft. Karen O, ODB & Fatlip
Daft Punk - Megamix 1
Daft Punk - Megamix 2
Daft Punk - Robot Rock vs. Hashim - Al Naafyish (The Soul) (Produced and mixed by The Scratch Perverts)
Daft Punk - Robot Rock vs. Queen - We Will Rock You
Daft Punk - Short Circuit vs. Boogie Down Productions - Jack Of Spades
Daft Punk - Technologic vs. Gary Numan - Cars
Daft Punk - Television Rules the Nation vs. No Doubt - Hella Good
David Axelrod - The Edge vs. Eric B. & Rakim - Eric B. Is President
Dizzee Rascal - Fix Up, Look Sharp vs. DJ Shadow - Organ Donor (Extended Overhaul)
Dizzee Rascal - Fix Up, Look Sharp vs. Justice - Genesis
DJ Shadow - Six Days (Remix ft. Mos Def) vs. D-Code - Annie's Horn
Eminem - My Name Is vs. Beck - Loser
Fedde Le Grand - Put Your Hands Up For Detroit vs. Sandy Rivera and David Penn - I Can't Stop (David Penn Remix)
Foo Fighters - Monkey Wrench vs. Beastie Boys - Sabotage (DJ-Guitar mix)
Foreigner - Juke Box Hero vs. DJ Z-Trip ft. Murs - DJ Hero (Produced and mixed by DJ Z-Trip)
Foreigner - Juke Box Hero vs. DJ Z-Trip ft. Murs - DJ Hero (DJ-Guitar mix, produced and mixed by DJ Z-Trip)
Gang Starr - Just To Get A Rep vs. Mobb Deep - Shook Ones, Pt 2 (Produced and mixed by J. Period)
Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc. vs. Blondie - Atomic
Grandmaster Flash's - Boom vs. Tap (Produced and mixed by Grandmaster Flash)
Grandmaster Flash, DJ Kool, DJ Demo - Here Comes My DJ vs. Gary Numan - Cars (Produced and mixed by Grandmaster Flash)
Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl vs. Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc.
Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl vs. InDeep Last Night A DJ Saved My Life (Produced and mixed by DJ AM)
Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl vs. Rick James - Give It To Me
Herbie Hancock - Rockit Beat Juggle
Herbie Hancock - Rockit vs. N.E.R.D. - Lapdance (Produced and mixed by Grandmaster Flash)
InDeep - Last Night A DJ Saved My Life vs. Cameo - Word Up!
Jackson 5 - I Want You Back vs. Gang Starr - Just To Get A Rep (Produced and mixed by DJ Yoda)
Jackson 5 - I Want You Back vs. Third Eye Blind - Semi-Charmed Life (DJ-Guitar mix)
Jackson 5 - I Want You Back vs. Third Eye Blind - Semi-Charmed Life
JAY-Z feat. Pharrell - Change Clothes vs. 2Pac - All Eyez on Me
JAY-Z - Izzo (H.O.V.A.) vs. Eminem - My Name Is
JAY-Z - Izzo (H.O.V.A.) vs. Jackson 5 - I Want You Back
JAY-Z - Excuse Me Miss vs. Rick James - Give It To Me
Jean Knight - Mr. Big Stuff vs. Masta Ace - Born To Roll
Jurassic 5 - Jayou vs. Billy Squier - The Big Beat
Jurassic 5 - Jayou vs. Herbie Hancock - Rockit
Kid Cudi - Day 'N' Nite vs. Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow
Kool Moe Dee - How Ya Like Me Now vs. Reel 2 Real featuring The Mad Stuntman - I Like To Move It
Little Richard - Tutti Frutti vs. Shlomo - Beats (Produced and mixed by DJ Yoda)
M.I.A. - Paper Planes vs. Eric B. & Rakim - Eric B. Is President (Produced and mixed by The Scratch Perverts)
M.I.A. - Paper Planes vs. Wale - Lookin' At Me
Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine vs. David Bowie - Let's Dance
Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine vs. Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc.
Mot?rhead - Ace Of Spades vs. Noisia - Groundhog (DJ-Guitar mix)
N.A.S.A. - Strange Enough ft. Karen O, ODB & Fatlip vs. Isaac Hayes - Theme From Shaft
Noisia - Groundhog Beat Juggle (Produced and mixed by The Scratch Perverts)
Paul van Dyk - Nothing But You vs. Sandy Rivera and David Penn - I Can't Stop (David Penn Remix)
Public Enemy - Shut 'Em Down vs. Beck - Where It's At
Public Enemy ft. Zakk Wylde - Bring The Noise 20XX vs. Justice - Genesis (Produced and mixed by DJ Z-Trip)
Public Enemy featuring Zakk Wylde - Bring The Noise 20XX (DJ-Guitar mix)
Q-Tip - Good Thang vs. Billy Squier - The Big Beat (Produced and mixed by J. Period)
Queen - Another One Bites The Dust vs. Beastie Boys - Brass Monkey (Produced and mixed by DJ Z-Trip)
Queen - Another One Bites The Dust vs. Daft Punk - Da Funk
Rihanna - Disturbia vs. Kid Sister - Control
Rihanna - Disturbia vs. The Killers - Somebody Told Me (DJ-Guitar mix)
Rihanna - Disturbia vs. The Trammps - Disco Inferno
Shlomo - Beats vs. Billy Squier - The Big Beat
Street Sweeper Social Club - Fight! Smash! Win! vs. Beastie Boys - Intergalactic (DJ-Guitar mix)
Tears For Fears - Shout vs. DJ Shadow - Six Days (Remix ft. Mos Def)
Tears For Fears - Shout vs. Eric B. & Rakim - Eric B. Is President (Produced and mixed by DJ Jazzy Jeff)
Tears For Fears - Shout vs. Eric Prydz - Pjanoo
The Aranbee Pop Orchestra - Bittersweet Symphony (Instrumental) vs. LL Cool J - Rock The Bells (Produced and mixed by DJ Jazzy Jeff)
The Scratch Perverts Beats and Pieces (Produced and mixed by The Scratch Perverts)
The Killers - Somebody Told Me vs. Eric Prydz - Pjanoo
Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby vs. MC Hammer - U Can't Touch This
Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby vs. Paula Abdul - Straight Up
Wale - Lookin' At Me vs. Black Eyed Peas ft. Tippa Irie - Hey Mama
Weezer - Beverly Hills vs. Evidence, The Alchemist, Aceyalone, Rakaa & 88 Keys - Fresh Rhymes And Videotape (DJ-Guitar mix)
Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music vs. Gang Starr - Just To Get A Rep (DJ-Guitar mix)

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• News - DJ Hero gets "Renegade Edition"

Tags: Gaming Music games DJ Hero Activision Xbox 360 PS3 PS2 Nintendo Wii

DJ Hero gets full tracklisting originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:56:16 +0100

Harmonix has announced a ten-song pack of downloadable content for Rock Band. The songs are all from one band - British rock legends Queen. The pack comprises of:

Another One Bites the Dust, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, One Vision, Fat Bottomed Girls, I Want It All, I Want to Break Free, Killer Queen, Somebody to Love, Tie Your Mother Down, and Under Pressure.

The band is about to release another best-of collection - this time compiling its three best-of collections into a single CD titled "Absolute Greatest". All the songs in the pack are on the record, except Fat Bottomed Girls and Tie Your Mother Down.

The DLC pack will be available on 20 October.

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• News - Iggy Pop turns up in Lego Rock Band

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 PS3 Rock Band Harmonix Queen Music games

Rock Band gets ten-song Queen pack originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:04:27 +0100

Sony is to offer a unique series of multi-player gaming events in the States that will see forthcoming PS3 game "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves" played on the big screen.

Powered by Sony Electronics 4K digital cinema technology, which provides image resolution four times greater than high-definition consumer televisions, it's angled as a way to promote cinemas as "digital entertainment destinations" rather than just movie theatres.

The "sneak peek" events will take place on 5 and 6 October at the Landmark Embarcadero, San Francisco, California, Muvico Theaters, Rosemont, Illinois, Muvico Theaters, Thousand Oaks, California and Lincoln Square Cinemas, Bellevue, Washington.

Tags: Gaming Cinema Sony Uncharted 2 Among Thieves PS3 Adventure games

Uncharted 2 to debut on the big screen originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:02:47 +0100

After FIFA 09 did such an incredible job at astounding football gamers worldwide with its brilliance, the arrival of this year's iteration appeared with more than just a hint of caution. Change too little and we'll be back in the bad old days when everyone loved to hate EA and their seemingly obscene addiction to ripping us off. Fiddle too much with the core gameplay however and we might be right back to the times of the FIFA series being stuck in mid table obscurity.

The biggest shouting point for this years update is surely the inclusion of full 360 degree dribbling. In comparison, football games previously have been stuck to rigid 16 directions (at best) of movement, making the kind of free flowing and multi-directional dribbles witnessed with the likes of Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi almost impossible to replicate.

When running merely with a prod of the left analogue stick, your players now pack incredible freedom. For the first time in almost a decade, a football game arrives with the opportunity to go on wickedly tricky runs in the exact manner you desire. Upon sprinting, things do drift back in to the old directional methods due to obviously hampered control and body flexibility, but that's something you'd hope to be included rather than a flaw. Now you can finally curve your runs properly without having to force your player to make slow changes to their body shape and ball control.

Another major inclusion is the Virtual Pro. Fans of last year's version will remember the Be A Pro mode, which allowed you to embark on a career as a created footballer. This has been expanded in a number of ways, making for much more organic development of a footballer.

Firstly, you can, using an uploaded picture, give the player your own face. Not a game changing option, but one that stops you fiddling with the options in order to give your Pro a somewhat vague resemblance of yourself.

Second, this player is available in the squad of your favourite team in all options. Which means that simply playing an exhibition match allows you to increase your player's stats and abilities. There's a huge number of Achievements to unlock using your Virtual Pro, some of which will take a ridiculously lengthy amount of time to unlock, with each affecting your players abilities.

Getting 100% of them seems to be impossible at first glance, particularly as a number are striker/defender centric. But only a number of months with the game will show if this adversely affects this particular option. You can even use your player online, and sign-up to online teams to play as a part of huge leagues and competitions. A real treat, especially as your stats are constantly updated so you can easily see just how impressive you truly are.

The last, and probably not quite fully realised addition, is the chance to design your own set pieces. In the Arena, you can set-up and test out your own designed free kicks and corner routines. You can set runs for specific players in order to create holes in the defence, or simply send your big lumbering centre halves to attack the far post for a lofted free kick. It initially feels unwieldy and complex, but after a few minutes it dawns on you just how little there is you can play around with other than simply creating curved runs for your attacking players. It's a shame a little more time hasn't been spent making sure this options is an essential piece of the FIFA jigsaw, but its still worthy of your time.

Other than those major additions, things aren't that much different to last year. The usual exhibition and tournament modes remain, as do the usual wealth of multiplayer options both on and offline. There does seem to be much more in the way of setting options for online play in order to avoid constant fixtures against gamers obsessed with playing as the top teams, and points are alleged to be rewarded for performances and not just results, but at the time of writing the servers are yet to be populated.

On the pitch, the ball physics have undergone huge improvement. Cross-field passes now are much harder and flatter, and not the lofty interception-waiting-to-happen offerings included last year. Crosses into the box too are much more curved and appearing much closer to the whipped-in versions we see in real life. Similarly, player physics have also been ramped up, with much more weight and jostling between players fighting for the ball.

Verdict:
The best football simulation game ever? We'd say so. The additions have hugely improved what was already a stunning title, and the new Virtual Pro options will surely keep many a gamer addicted as they attempt to be the best in the world.

If Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 is to better this, Konami have really got a lot of time on the training pitch ahead of them.

Tags: Gaming PS3 Sports games FIFA 10 EA Sports Fitness

FIFA 10 - PS3 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:43:01 +0100