Filed under: Gaming

While selling a PS3 soon after launch day probably paid some hefty dividends for those lucky enough to secure one, pistol-whipping someone in order to make it happen probably isn’t worth the trouble. Apparently a cash-strapped (or completely crazed) Massachusetts duo couldn’t quite weigh the consequences before taking action, and are now under arrest for “attempted murder and robbery.” One gunman, William J. Robertson, is already being held under a $1 million (or about 600 to 700 properly eBayed PlayStation 3s, whichever you prefer) bond, while his 17-year old partner in attempted larceny remains “on the loose.” While we knew the PS3 launch would potentially bring out the worst in people, unloading ammunition to get your game (or profiteering) on is just taking things a bit too far — so while camping out weeks in advance for a next generation console may surely pay off in the short-term, we’d say pulling a criminal stunt to get one probably won’t.

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Gaming

It’s starting to look like the greatest enemy to PS3 “security” is the PS3 itself. Thanks to that handy OS named Linux, which conveniently comes prepped for the console, we’re already seeing some pretty nifty things being done with the PS3, and now it’s being put to good use to siphon data off of those nifty Blu-ray discs. So far nothing more than a straight transfer has been achieved, but it appears the PS3 game file structure is similar to that of the PSP. We’re not sure how well on the way this puts us towards the ability to create “backup” discs of PS3 games, but at least it’s a start. Oh, and a quick note to the Xbox 360 fanboys: Madden ‘07 barely uses 7GB of that expansive storage medium of Sony’s, so we wouldn’t worry about missing out on content with your dual-layer DVDs just yet.

[Thanks, Tam]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Gaming

If you’re still on the hunt for a PS3 (and haven’t fell for one of those eBay scams just yet), here’s an alternate (and relatively safe) way to finally snag one of your own while earning some bragging rights to boot. If you’re not the savviest camper (or thief), but you’re packin’ the heat when it comes to programming skills, listen up — the “0wn a PS3 and own it” challenge is in full effect, and the one thing between you and a PS3 is a seemingly simple web hack. If you manage to replace the JPEG image (pictured above) on the linked website while abiding by the site rules (no DOS attacks, etc.), you become the proud owner of a modified PS3 which sports a 160GB hard drive, HDMI cable, Fedora Linux pre-installed, and a free game for when you’re not tinkering around in the OS. The site is reportedly running on this very PlayStation 3, loaded up with Fedora Linux and a presumed heavy amount of security around the said picture. So, what are you waiting for? Hit the read link and get to work, because you’ve only got until “the beginning of January 2007″ to pull it off.

[Via Digg]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Gaming, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Cookie cutter gadget? Passe. It’s all about skins, even the kind that may or may not ruin the shiny new finish on your valued consumer electronics. Submitted for your approval: tons of skins for your rare and lustworthy devices. Ok, so the 360 isn’t much of a skin, but we find the literal use of the term rather amusing, and when was the last time you saw a fake-fur faceplate?

P.S. -Big ups on the Xbox 360 and Eames-inspired PS3 and Wii skins above.

[Via Joystiq, thanks Craig]

Read - PS3 skins
Read - Wii skins
Read - Zune skins
Read - PSP, Xbox, etc. “skins”

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Gaming

All you owners of HDTVs that can only do 1080i, we’ve got some bad news for you. Sony Computer Entertainment America’s head honcho of Corporate communications, David Karraker, apparently retracted — or at least backtracked — on Sony’s previous statements about the increasingly infamous 1080i issue (the one that won’t let PS3s play games at 1080i on HDTVs that don’t support 720p). According to GameDaily, Sony cannot actually confirm this issue can be fixed via a firmware patch (although they’re not denying it, either), and that they are “looking into the issue and haven’t stated any actions that will be taken regarding it.”

[Thanks, Matt]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Gaming

As if Sony wasn’t losing enough coin on each PlayStation 3 sold fought over, now it’ll probably be invoiced for the police services that were required to maintain peace at Copley Plaza. While criminal activities weren’t hard to come by on the PS3’s launch night, there was apparently a smart way to handle the mobs of unruly potential customers, and then there was Sony’s way. Rather than planning for an organized flow of individuals, or better yet, turning away those who would end up empty handed anyway, nearly 500 eager (and likely delusional) individuals rushed the doors of Boston’s Sony Style, creating chaos that required “12 police cruisers” in order to halt the riot. None too pleased, the mayor (Thomas Menino) plans on “billing the company for crowd control,” although he failed to mention exactly how much those boys in blue charge per hour to fend off fanatical hopefuls.

[Via Joystiq]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Gaming

We you know y’all want your damn PlayStation 3, but really, violence isn’t the answer. Unless it’s virtual violence, but no one’s set up a multiplayer match where the winner lands a PS3, or unlocked the Hot Coffee 2 mod that enables you to drive-by people standing in lines. But we have had eye-witness reports of depraved gamer violence; our own Boy Genius let us know he personally witnessed what came “close to a riot” at his local Circuit City. Waseem from Michigan told us how his local Best Buy kicked everyone out of line at 2.30AM this morning in the 30-degree weather, just to have people converge and duke it out for their same spot at 8:00AM. Like, literally fight. Seriously everybody, keep it clean, keep it real. It’s just a damned video game console.

P.S. -If you’ve seen any more incidents in the news or in person, please let us know!

Update: We take it back, you want to be violent about the PS3? We’ve got a target for you: none other than former Senator and Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards. First his son makes fun of other, less privileged children for buying their shoes at Wal-Mart (god forbid!), but then he has his aide call their local Wally and ask to cut in line to be assured a PS3. (Seriously, he’s not in office anymore, why the hell does he even need an aide?) Turning lemons into lemonade, Wal-Mart has issued a press release both praising Edwards’ selection for a retailer, and chiding his selfishness: “… and while the rest of America’s working families are waiting patiently in line, Senator Edwards wants to cut to the front. While, we cannot guarantee that Sen. Edwards will be among one of the first to obtain a PlayStation3, we are certain Sen. Edwards will be able to find great gifts for everyone on his Christmas list…” There, you want someone to riot on? You’ve got your man.

Read - Gunmen rob California store of PS3s in the nerdiest heist ever (ok, maybe the second nerdiest ever).
Read - 10 to 12 people robbed in PS3 line (dubious, but possible). [Via Digg]
Read - Sheriffs shut down another California store for rowdy behavior.
Read - Police break up NY SonyStyle store fight.
Read - Brawl breaks out at another Wally when manager plays musical PlayStation chairs. Seriously, what an idiot. [Thanks Kyle D.]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Gaming, HDTV

That’s what IGN has discovered in testing several PlayStation 3 games. Despite 1080p being “the true definition of HD“, most of the titles available are rendered internally at 1280 x 720 and scaled up accordingly… or at least that’s what should happen. On many older CRT HDTVs that only support 1080i input and not 720p, instead of scaling to the appropriate HD resolution, the PS3 goes back down to the positively Wii-like EDTV standard of 480p. The problem is confirmed to exist in Resistance: Fall of Man, Tiger Woods 07, Need for Speed Carbon and NHL 2K7 so far, but no word from Sony if this can or will be fixed in a downloadable update. The Xbox 360 scales to 1080i without a problem — although 1080p results may vary — if you’re not reading this from your place in line already be sure to check your HDTV’s manual for supported input resolutions before grabbing a lawn chair (and bulletproof vest).

[Thanks, Michael J.]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

After two days of playing with the SIXAXIS, have we reversed our previous thoughts of how good it is? Yes, I think we have.

Previously, we thought the trigger buttons were too slippery and the controller too light. Now that we’ve gotten a lot more play-time with it, the SIXAXIS feels just like a DUALSHOCK. The R2 and L2 shoulder buttons are pretty squishy (that’s good), and as long as you press it down in the middle of the pad, there’s fairly little chance of slippage. The weight issue is negligible, and the lack of rumble was hardly missed. Since rumble was never a uniform thing throughout games, not having it doesn’t really affect gameplay at all.

In the two games we tried, Genji and Resistance, the controls were tight and we didn’t have any problems. – Jason Chen

Filed under: Gaming

We know you’re probably sick of hearing about gadget disassemblies, and we know we already hit up that one PlayStation 3 getting taken apart and everything. But, see, this Japanese site did it on video, and we have to tell you it’s extremely graphic and wonderful. And considering the fact that it takes two guys cumulatively nearly fifteen minutes to oh so ceremoniously pull this bad boy apart, it’s really no wonder Sony’s monster of a console will set you back a half a grand (or more).

P.S. -Be sure to hit up part three, that heat sink is one of the most elaborate and impressive we’ve ever seen.

[Thanks, Gustavo]

Watch - part 2
Watch - part 3
Watch - part 4

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Gaming

Well, here we are. 2006, and perhaps the last console launch of the decade. And here they are, all decked out n’ pretty. Go ahead, debate it. Just be nice, ok? At the end of the day the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, they’re only video game consoles, and we love our babies the same. Oh, catch some more flame-stoking conversation-inspiring pics after the break.

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Gaming

And you thought you were a fanboy. A Cheap Ass Gamer forum member recently spotted 7 schmucks die-hard fans outside his local Best Buy, already queuing up for the PS3. A Best Buy employee claimed they’d been there since Monday, so we’re thinking these guys just got the date confused by a couple of weeks, and are really kicking themselves now that the Cheeto stash has run out.

[Via Slashdot]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Gaming

Even though we’re basically on the eve of Sony’s big launch of the PlayStation 3, we still had a few outstanding questions about some of the minutiae of the console. Yeah, we’re dorky sticklers for detail like that. So here are a few interesting facts about the PlayStation 3 you may (or may not) be interested in knowing:

• After plenty of gameplay the console is cool — or at worst warm — to the touch on every surface. In a side by side test with the Xbox 360, the console is comparably virtually silent, and the Blu-ray drive is significantly quieter than the 360’s DVD drive.
• USB keyboards and mice will be plug-n-play, no fuss at all. Who really wants to browse the web with a PlayStation controller anyway?
• Bluetooth mice and keyboards will not work with the system at launch.
• Any (A2DP) Bluetooth headset should theoretically work with the system, though Sony will have a recommended hardware list.
• The EyeToy is the only USB webcam that will work with the system. The original PS2 EyeToy should still work with the PS3.
• There are currently no plans for VGA out on the PlayStation3.
• The system will not support more than seven controllers.
• There are currently no plans for a cheaper, wired version of the SIXAXIS.
• With its media playback software one can have in-game custom soundtracks, as with the Xbox 360, Wii, etc.
• Despite rumor, Sony insists the US is still officially targeted for a 400k unit launch; Japan is still set for a mere 80k. Sony execs are actually expecting an upturn in unit production before launch, so those numbers may actually go up.
• Some titles have an option to install some amount of game data (in addition to saved data) to the drive. Genji can install 4GB worth of data to decrease load times (quoted to drop from 12-15 seconds down to 3-4); this game data can be removed at any time without affecting your saved games.
• The drive can be upgraded, although not on any official basis (read: YMMV, do so at your own risk, you may void warranty, etc.).
• You cannot leave voice or picture messages for other users on the PlayStation Network, only text.

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Gaming

Sure, most Sony fanboys these days are probably saving all their pennies for one of those shiny PS3s just around the corner, but if they can’t quite swing enough hundies to grab a next gen unit along with enough games to keep them occupied, they can always settle for this “limited edition” silver PS2, which looks to be quite shiny in its own right. GameStop has been listing the $130 unit for pre-order for a while now, but now we’ve got word from a Target employee that confirms the price and date (October 24th) and reveals the quantity of the limited edition run: 500,000. While we’d hardly call that a limited edition with a new console on the way and current-gen sales waning, it’s good to have this silver edition finally in the States after eyeing those Japanese units jealously for a year and a half. It’ll also go well with that silver PSP we spotted last month, though hopefully we won’t have to wait quite as long for that one to get here.

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment

Sony’s Kutaragi gave the rumor mill plenty of fodder by speculating that multiple operating systems were being mulled over for use in the PlayStation 3, and eventually Sony posted an article confirming its interest in both OS X and Linux options. Now it appears that we just might have a winner. Terra Soft’s website proudly displays that the forthcoming version of Yellow Dog Linux “supports the PlayStation 3 console,” and leaves hints that we might see a few sweet video demonstrations in the near future. While intricate details about the the OS’s compatibility with the sure-to-be-scarce console are still few and far between, we’re expecting it to drop “in mid-November” to presumably coincide with the November PS3 launch dates — but at least pulling strings to get your name on a less-than-assuring pre-order list probably won’t be necessary here.

[Thanks, Clint]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Filed under: Gaming

It’s not really fair to judge the PS3’s online component before, like, the console is actually released and gamers start putting it through its paces, but it’s still interesting hear Eurogamer’s take on a pre-launch version of the PlayStation Network, courtesy of some exclusive face time with Sony exec Phil Harrison. From the site’s extensive coverage of many aspects of the service, the most noticeable theme is that Sony seems to have been closely watching the successes and failures of Xbox Live, and is serious about its promise to meet or exceed all of Live’s capabilities. Therefore, many of features that 360 fans have become accustomed to — consistent UI, multiple methods of communicating with friends, and downloadable content – are prominently featured in the Network experience, with other aspects — namely a full web browser, multitude of game-specific mini-stores, and pricing in real currency as opposed to “points” — clearly designed to one-up Microsoft’s offering. Other nice touches here include the ability to create a master account and regulated “associated” accounts (helpful for parents looking to police their kids’ usage), a global “Wallet” with which you make all micro-payments (including those required by third-party publishers), and of course, an upgradable OS that leverages the hard drive on both versions of the PS3. Downsides? Unlike Xbox Live, the first iteration of PlayStation Network doesn’t let friends communicate while playing a game; even though you’ll get a notification of new messages during gameplay, you have to exit the game in order to read them and respond. Also, it’s still not clear if / how Sony will implement player rankings a la Live’s leaderboards, which is a feature that naturally-competitive gamers have come to expect. All-in-all, though, it sounds like Sony has put a lot of thought into the usability of this increasingly important aspect of the console experience, and assuming that the company is able to overcome potential shortages, lack of rumble, and other well-known nitpicks, the PlayStation Network looks poised to attract the same fervent following as XBL.

[Via PS3 Fanboy and Joystiq]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time