PS2

A 40GB PlayStation 3 is coming to Asia on November 11, following a similar move on the European market last week. Retailing at around $380, the Blu-ray-loving game console is the first to be equipped with a 40GB hard drive and will be available in white, as well as black. However, there's an important catch: You might still want to stick your guns with the earlier 60GB version of the PS3 because latest model is not compatible with PS2 games.

Sonos in action

One of my former neighbors, the Captain, recently informed his sons that he intends to spend their inheritance. His eldest son, who's about my age, helped him with this task by installing a state of the art multiroom digital music system in the Captain's house.

This weekend, I went to the Captain's annual block party, and while I've seen the Sonos system demonstrated at the last couple Consumer Electronics Shows, this was the first time I've seen it in action. My friend kept the set-up fairly simple, with only two zones: Upstairs encompasses the living … Read more

Electronic Arts announces 'Simpsons' game

Electronic Arts on Wednesday announced that it will release this fall a new Simpsons video game.

The announcement, by the world's-largest video game publisher, came just minutes before an invite-only press event in San Francisco where it was expected to make a "special announcement." It's not yet clear if the two announcements are one and the same.

The game, which is expected to be released this fall in conjunction with Gracie Films and Twentieth Century Fox, will feature the familiar Simpsons characters, and presumably, the storyline. It will also feature the voice actors from the TV … Read more

Open up your game systems

Have you ever wanted to see how your game system works? Do you scoff at warranties? Do you not mind risking your $80-to-$600 gadget just so you can screw with it? Then this toolkit is for you.

Modding peripheral companies like Divineo and Mod-chip.com are selling the Zoozen Access Pro Tool Kit v2, a toolkit with virtually everything you need to crack into virtually every game system you have. It includes a socketed handle with standard driver bits for slotted, Phillips, and Torx screws, and specialized driver bits for the "tamperproof" screws many systems use (Ever … Read more

You rock, 'Guitar Hero'!

Guitar Hero II is quite addicting, challenging, and FUN! I would definitely recommend this game, and you can play it if you have a Sony PlayStation 2. Buying a PS2 right now is a great deal because it can double up as a DVD player, and iit's at a good price right now, about $129.99. So, for about $170, you can ROCK!

5 bux

If you are recovering from the holiday overspending and want a little something cheap but fun for yourself, Gamefly is offering preplayed games as low as $5 through tomorrow. Here are some of the games worth browsing through, all at $4.99. Xbox games - NBA Live 06 (Xbox) - X-Men: The Official Game (Xbox) - Peter Jackson's King Kong (Xbox) PS2 games - Da Vinci Code (PS 2) - MVP 06 NCAA Baseball (PS 2) - EA Sports Arena Football (PS 2)

PS3 backward compatibility: Less than 100 percent

One of the advantages of the PlayStation 3 that Sony's been touting is that it's fully backward compatible with games for the PlayStation 2 and even the original late 1990s-era PlayStation 1. In other words, there's no need to scrap your collection of old games: you can still play PS2 favorites such as Grand Theft Auto, SOCOM, and the upcoming God of War II while you wait for those franchises to make their inevitable jump to native PS3 versions, replete with all the attendant high-def eye candy.

Or, at least, you can play most of those PS2 … Read more

Don't forget about the PS2 (in silver)

For anyone scared of dropping $250 for a Nintendo Wii, $399 for an Xbox 360 or $599 for a PlayStation 3 this holiday season, fear not: Sony wants to remind you that a perfectly serviceable video game console is still available for a mere $129.

Sony Computer Entertainment of America--which, coincidentally, is also releasing the PS3 on Nov. 17--said Monday that it plans a holiday release of a "silver edition" PS2 that will retail in the U.S. for $129. Canadians will pay $139.

The company did not say precisely when the new PS2 package--which sounds like it'… Read more