Sony Have taken down the all new PlayStation 3 firmware 2.4 release following a small number of reports online reporting that once the update is installed, users PS3’s will no longer boot up.
Sony’s official response on the issue is below as found on the US PlayStation blog:
“As has been reported on many gaming blogs and websites, we have temporarily taken Firmware v2.40 offline. We’ve received a limited number of calls from consumers experiencing an issue with installing the system software update on their PS3. While our consumer services department has seen a low volume of calls on this topic, we are committed to providing the PS3 community with XMB access features delivered in the v2.40 update. We are working diligently to isolate the problem for those few consumers and to identify a solution before we put the firmware back up.”
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Xleague TV and Codemasters are running a free to enter GRID competition with a £300 prize pool going to winners. Two tournaments will be running with one and Xbox 360 and the other on the PlayStation 3 version. Races will take place as a one V one setup with a group stage beginning on 14 of July and running until the 30th of August. A final televised knockout stage will then run at a date yet to be decided where qualifiers will face off to win the prizes on offer.
Registration for the competition closes on the 07/07/08 so players need to act quick in order to secure a slot. A maximum of 128 players will be allowed to register for the PlayStation 3 event with 70 registered players at time of publication. 256 slots are available in the Xbox 360 competition with 163 players currently registered at this point in time. Qualifying races will take place on Bridgestone Challenge, Le Mans Series (GT1) and Philips World Championship over 3 laps. Default game options will be used which means catchup switched off, damage on and assists on. For more information and to sign up for the tournament head on over to Xleague TV’s site and get signed up. Qualifying finalists will need to be available for filming at Xleague TV studios in London so the competition is only really plausible for residents of the UK.
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Sony today announced a major upgrade to the PlayStation 3’s Cross Media bar. The update being released this Wednesday (July 2nd) allows the bar to be accessed in game to check if friends are online send messages and much more. The update also brings achievements trophies to the PlayStation 3 whereby certain in game accomplishments are rewarded with a trophy going against your online id. The new features are best explained in the two video walkthroughs below. By the way Frosty, I just beat your score in Pixel Junk Monsters Encore, what are you going to do about it?
Sony is to finally implemented the last gen feature of rumble into it’s European PlayStation 3 controllers. The DualShock 3 will be available to buy separately as of July 4Th (that’s this Friday) for £39.99. Sony Says:
“Making your gaming experience more immersive, more intuitive and more realistic, DUALSHOCK 3 is the only Bluetooth® controller combining vibration function and SIXAXIS features, and the first choice for anyone wanting to get the most out of their PS3 gaming experience.”
There’s no information given on the controller being bundled with a purchase of a PlayStation 3 console. Presumably then Sony are happy for people to have to buy the first choice controller separately while bundling the second choice one with console purchases until stocks have ran out.
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IGN report Codemasters E3 lineup includes Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising. It’s not known what form the games presence will take at this stage and could be nothing more than a trailer. Little information has been released about the game up to now coming to PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in the fourth quarter of 2008. This will all change next month as Codemasters Community Liaison Officer Helios advices PC Gamer in the UK US and France will be running a lead cover story in their July issue featuring ”a huge in-depth article regarding what you can expect to see in the game!”.
For now the press release excerpt and CGI target render footage below will have to make do:
“Set on a vast oil-rich island located off the eastern coast of Russia, just north of Japan, Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising’s plot takes place during a time of tension between Russia and China over the island’s disputed ownership,” explains Andrew Wafer, Brand Manager for Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising, at Codemasters. “The game opens as Chinese forces launch an offensive, and referencing the game’s title, as the dragon rises over the island, players will find themselves in a situation that is set to flare up into a flashpoint like never before.”
SEGA have put out a new trailer for Sonic Unleashed, the 3D platformer being released towards the end of 2008 on practically all formats. The game is generating a lot of buzz online as it’s hoped it will be the first good 3D Sonic platformer since Sonic Adventure on the Dreamcast (although a lot of people didn’t like that either).
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With the rumour and controversy surrounding the length and amount of cut scenes in Metal Gear Solid 4, we decided to take a look at the first 90 minutes of the game and attempt to calculate the amount of time spent playing compared to time watching. The following are not 100% accurate timings but we believe them to be roughly correct. Events going on in the game have not been included to avoid spoilers.
With the disc loaded we first have to wait for the game to install which takes around 8 minutes. Following this the intro plays which lasts for around 10 minutes. At 18 minutes in we now get our first chance to play, with the next 6 minutes being a 50/50 split of stop go gameplay mixed with short cut scenes. Next up is a 12 minute cut scene which sees us view a second intro, this time the introduction to the first act of the game.
The latest issue of GamesTM has revealed the first concrete details on the next installment in the Call Of Duty franchise. VideoGaming247 report the game will be titled “Call of Duty: World at War”. The game will be going back to a World War II setting based around the time period of the American battles with Japan and the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The magazine goes on to say that the the Call of Duty 4 game engine will be used despite the game being developed by Treyarch who developed Call Of Duty 3 rather than Infinity Ward who developed Call Of Duty 4. The magazine also reports the game will feature online co-op gameplay as well as use of vehicles and squad based tactics in multiplayer modes. The game is being marketed as “gritty”, with the opening sequence apparently setting the tone for the rest of the game which features “a Japanese commander stubbing a cigarette out in the eye of a prisoner before slitting his throat - the blood splatters and dribbles down the side of the tent you are being held in. He turns towards you to deal out the same treatment but help arrives just in time. Cue a daring level-long escape.”
Call of Duty: World At War is released on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Wii and PSP some time towards the end of this year, most likely in November.
(Image: Call Of Duty 3)
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Codemasters have announced the list of features, changes and bug fixes on the way in their forthcoming patch for Race Driver: GRID. The patch is planned to go live at the end of next week although this date is subject to change. Unless platform specific the list applies to all versions of the game. Further changes may also be included on release but as it stands, the list is as follows:
Network bug fixes: • When viewing in spectator mode – wheels should now turn correctly.
• Session searching now functions correctly when there are lots of full sessions (PC and PS3).
• Track and route options no longer change when host gets back to lobby in private/LAN.
• Race results are now correct if a host migration occurs at the end of the race.
• Other player’s progress/positions are now correctly updated when you enter the race results screen.
• Several NaN (brown screen) related fixes. (also this should fix the “thousand-mile-warp”)
• Increased bandwith use in network games (to reduce lag)
• Fixed a problem whereby it was only possible to upload one world record ghost to each track (PC and PS3)
It’s Capcom’s turn to hold their no gamers allowed “gamers day” and with it comes the release of a new Resident Evil 5 trailer. In it Chris Redfield confirms his last partner was a woman, putting to rest those rumours that have been floating around lately.
Sony Have taken down the all new PlayStation 3 firmware 2.4 release following a small number of reports online reporting that once the update is installed, users PS3’s will no longer boot up.
