PlayStation

Sony Chief Executive Kazuo Hirai has a warning for Nvidia as that company eyes the gaming space.

"It's not an easy business to get into," Hirai told The Wall Street Journal in an interview published yesterday. He went on to say that it's too early to tell if Nvidia can succeed in the hotly contested mobile-gaming space, adding that the industry is littered with the remains of companies that have tried and failed.

Nvidia earlier this week announced a new portable-gaming device, named "Shield," that runs on Android and its new quad-core Tegra 4 … Read more

Console sales are set to make a rebound in the next couple of years, thanks to the next generation of hardware.

According to research firm IDC, worldwide console sales hit 34 million units last year, representing a 24.4 percent declined compared with 2011. However, IDC believes that the Wii U and the launch of a next-generation Xbox at the end of this year will push console sales up 10.1 percent to 37.4 million this year. In 2014, console sales could rise 19.1 percent to 44.6 million units.

"2011 and 2012 were tough for many … Read more

Sony won't try to block used games on its PlayStation 4, despite a patent application indicating plans to the contrary, one analyst says.

Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter, who has followed the industry for years and conducts research on a wide range of game companies, said in a note to investors yesterday that any claim that Sony would try to block used games on its next console fails to realize that the company "benefits little from a unilateral decision to block games."

"Sony would be materially hurt if its console blocked used games and competitor consoles from … Read more

Sony has researched and filed a patent for new technology that could be implemented to block used games.

As spotted by a NeoGAF user, patent application No. 20130007892 for an "Electronic Content Processing System" and "Use Apparatus" would associate individual game discs with matched user accounts.

Games that are discovered to be tied to another user's account could potentially be rejected. The system works, according to the document, by attaching contactless RF "tags" to each game that can be be read without a network connection.… Read more

Epix, the joint venture between a host of prominent movie studios including MGM and Paramount, has announced plans to bring its service to Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita devices.

At some point during the first quarter, Epix will be available to PlayStation 3 users. The console will offer support for over 3,000 Epix titles, including newer releases, like "Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol" and older titles. Epix's library of comedy, music, and sports events will also be available.

The PlayStation Vita will also receive Epix films and events, but owners of that device will … Read more

Sony has discontinued the PlayStation 2 in Japan, says a report, nearly 13 years after the device's introduction.

Famitsu broke the news that Sony halted Japanese production of PlayStation 2 hardware in its home country, but the blog also noted that the company plans to continue developing and selling games for the video game console. We've reached out to Sony Computer Entertainment America for more information about future PS2 plans in the U.S. -- check back later for a response. … Read more

This year was a big year for rumors -- remember the iPhone 5? -- but the rumor mill never stops churning.

As we put a lid on 2012, we look forward to the rumors that will still hound us next year. Which rumors do you think will finally be put to rest? Let us know in the comments.

Thanks for watching, and happy holidays! See you in a couple weeks.

Heard a tech rumor you think we should cover? Leave a comment below; ; send us a tweet (@EmilyDreyfuss, @karynelevy, and @CNETRumorShow); or call and leave us a voice mail at … Read more

With 2012's best and most disappointing games now behind us, let's look into the future at what 2013 is set to bring. If these titles stay on schedule, this year is already looking to top 2012 in the first four months alone. That's great news for gamers, but terrible news for our wallets.

We're barely more than a month into 2013 but the list continues to grow. Of course it's worth mentioning that some of these games will probably have release date changes and it's more than likely that a number of titles will … Read more

Sometimes I get bored with the same old holiday song and dance.

If you do too, you can create your own theme, techy-style, with a unique Web page that turns your smartphone, tablet, or PlayStation Vita into an on-the-fly holiday music loop maker. German design firm deepblue came up with the site, which blends HTML5 and the powerful WebSocket protocol to offer a unique live mobile-to-browser experience that many of you probably have not experienced before. … Read more