Geek In Me

by Andrew Yoon via ps3fanboy.com

CVG has learned from a shadowy “development source” that the next major PS3 firmware update, possibly 2.5, may include the ability to capture screenshots directly from the PS3. “Exactly how this would be done and what you could do with the shots once you’ve grabbed a piece of the action isn’t yet known.”

The PS3 already has the ability to save images from games to the hard drive, but they must be specifically programmed into each game. For example, players can save low-res images from Metal Gear Solid 4’s camera. They can also save images from replay videos in WipEout HD. Having the ability to take screengrabs whenever will let us immortalize our most cherished gaming moments … and will certainly make our jobs easier.





by Ludwig Kietzmann via joystiq.com

With game installations, downloadable content and digitally distributed titles cluttering up our PlayStation 3’s brain, it comes as little surprise to see Sony announcing yet another SKU with increased storage capacity. The word from its 2008 Games Convention press conference is that a 160 gigglebyte model — which is otherwise identical to others units — will be hitting Europe on October 31st, complete with €70 worth of downloadable game content. But is the €449 price tag a trick or a treat?





by Thomas Ricker via engadget.com

Er, you know that September 10th, €99 (about £78) PlayTV launch announced by David Reeves? Well, turns out that the Sony Europe president jumped the gun or the product’s been dragged through a trough of delay. Whatever the case, Sony Europe told Eurogamer that the PS3 TV tuner / DVR add-on will launch on the 19th of September now and cost a bit less at just 70 Quid. It’s also said to be HD ready should local DVB-T broadcasters decide to throw that switch.

by Donald Melanson via engadget.com

We can’t in good conscience recommend trying this one at home for sake of your own sanity, but one enterprising PS3 enthusiast has thankfully gone the extra mile and installed Windows Vista on the console so you don’t have to. As you might have guessed, however, it’s not a pretty sight, with the OS running under emulation and requiring nearly 25 minutes to fully boot up. You can also add an extra five minutes and thirty seconds on top of that to load the start menu, and about twelve minutes to load up that most demanding of applications: Notepad.

via ubergizmo.com

PS3 owners, there is a new firmware for you to download - version 2.42 is now available, but it doesn’t look like anything major was thrown into the fray. Apparently, the official stand on this firmware would be “This update improves the playback quality of some PLAYSTATION 3 and PlayStation format software.” Sorry, don’t expect any groundbreaking features here, but at least it has not yet burnt as spectacularly as the previous firmware release.

via ps3fanboy.com

Over the weekend, a video of Darth Vader and Yoda fighting each other in Soulcalibur IV was leaked onto the internet (and then it was subsequently pulled). Currently, Darth Vader lives only on the PS3 version, while Yoda lives only on the Xbox 360 version. Could Namco Bandai be planning DLC which unlocks the famed Star Wars characters in both versions? It would make a lot of sense, wouldn’t it?

According to the Korean PlayStation site, Yoda will be available for download from the PSN. That sounds like DLC to us. While Namco Bandai hasn’t confirmed anything yet, we wouldn’t be surprised if Yoda (and who knows what other characters) ended up appearing in Soulcalibur IV.