playstation

Next-gen gaming consoles go mano-a-mano

And then there were three.

The Xbox 360 has had the next-gen mantle to itself for a year, but it's about to get some major competition in the form of the Sony PlayStation 3 (November 17) and Nintendo Wii (November 19). We've compared the final shipping versions of the two newcomers with our tried and true 360, and we've posted our hands-on reviews of each.

Note to fanboys of all stripes: before you unleash venomous attacks that question our sanity (whoops--too late!), please keep a few things in mind.

With these reviews, we've focused on … Read more

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

All I Want for Christmas is a PS3

Gamers everywhere are anticipating the launch of Sony's latest offering to the console market, the PlayStation 3. As the official launch day of November 17 nears, everyone is clamoring to get in on the preorder frenzy. With a severely limited production run of consoles for launch day (only 400,000 units), many are finding it hard to secure a preorder. Gamestop took in-store preorders on October 10. For a $100 deposit, consumers could get a chance (no guarantee) to obtain a unit on launch day--though each Gamestop was slated to receive only 8 to 16 units (with 2 units … Read more

CNET previews PS3, on video

CNET's Rich DeMuro got invited to a special preview today. Not a gamer, he was still game...and he took a look and leveled a few poorly aimed shots on the PS3. The rest of us won't get our hands on one until Nov. 17.

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

PS3 launch list: 21 games, 4 accessories, and 1 average movie

With just under a month before the long-awaited PlayStation 3 video game console releases, we finally have firm information about what will join the system on store shelves during the holiday season. Courtesy of GameSpot, here are the 21 games (likely selling for $60 each) that will be available on or soon after the PS3's November 17 release:

Blazing Angels Squadrons of WWII (Ubisoft) Call of Duty 3 (Activision) EA Sports Fight Night Round 3 (Electronic Arts) The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Bethesda Softworks) F.E.A.R. (Vivendi Universal Games) Full Auto 2: Battlelines (Sega) Genji: Days of … Read more

The mother of all game desks

Japanese companies have historically employed a unique nomenclature in their game products. Think Pac-Man, GameBoy and, when they tired of human references, Pokemon.

But with the "Roccaforte," they hit it spot-on. We have no idea what the name means, but to us it conjures images of something formidable or even gargantuan--both adjectives that can describe this monstrous game station, which can apparently accommodate three monitors, at least two joysticks and all manner of peripherals. (More photos here.)

Kotaku says the set-up is made by a Japanese company called M-S-Y and retails for $500. That's just for the … Read more