PS3 2.50 update

Firmware Update 2.50 for the PS3 is all set and now ready for download today, 15 October 2008

The new update could be a good one, offering exclusive options for support for official wireless headsets, like an on-screen indicator that shows volume, battery charge, and mute functions.

There is also a High Quality (HQ) mode. The HQ mode helps to improve the voice chat experience.

The best feature for me has to be the new Flash 9 support; this means that you are able to browse web pages with full Flash support. The 2.50 update also has an enhanced the user interface for PS3 Trophies.

Another important feature of the v2.50 update is the ability to take screenshots within the game. Players will be able to snap pictures and send to friends via the PlayStation Network or transfer them to a PC via a local network connection. Unfortunately, not all games will support the feature immediately. "This will be supported on a game by game basis," says Sony. "Please check back to find out which games will support this feature."

Other notable updates include a refined PlayStation Store with a new "redeem codes" option, a Scene Search feature in the Video section and a better Trophies. Gamers can also set the PlayStation 3 to turn off automatically after a certain time frame, and can even allow the console to shut down once downloading a demo or movie has completed. Have friends? Now information will be stored under their avatars, displaying the date last seen online.

Additionally, Sony is updating the PSP system firmware as well. The v5.00 firmware update will add a PlayStation Network icon on the XMB. Now PSP owners can access the PlayStation Store directly without the PlayStation 3 connection. Sony also redesigned the XMB background as well as throwing in a sleep timer option. There’s also a full on-screen keyboard heading to the PSP, a vast improvement over the current multi-character key listing.

Although the firmware updates for both consoles are certainly welcomed, many PlayStation 3 owners anxiously await the PlayStation Home interface, bringing a Second-Life type virtual community right to their TV. The update is scheduled to enter open beta sometime in Q4 2008 with a release date set for next year. In the meantime, let’s hope that this new firmware update doesn’t brick the PlayStation 3 console like v2.40 did back in July.

Only time will tell if Sony PS3 firmware update 2.50 is any good, or if it has any bugs! Hopefully not this time :)

PS3 Premium Themes

Tomorrow Sony will be releasing the first batch of premium themes for the PS3. How much will they cost? They are being priced between $0.99 and $1.99 per PS3 theme.

Free themes aren't going anywhere, and according to the announcement on PlayStation.Blog, Sony is planning on releasing only 6-8 premium themes each month.


You'll find these under a new section under the Themes & Wallpapers section of the PlayStation Store beginning tomorrow.

Maybe it's not right to complain after having nothing but free options until now, but suddenly releasing themes at a premium with no additional functionality seems backwards, to say the least.

Xmas 2008 PS3 price war

A Christmas 2008 PS3 vs Xbox 360 price war is predicted as analyst calls for Xmas PS3 price cut as potential buyers are plumping for cheaper Xbox 360

Sony is feeling the pinch in the US following Microsoft's recent spate of Xbox 360 price slashing and needs to reduce the cost of the PlayStation 3 before Xmas 2008, according to latest analyst reports.

EDAAR analyst Jesse Divnich claims that the PS3 is "too steep" in price for a mainstream market, urging Sony "to consider a possible hardware price cut this holiday season."

"We should note that if Microsoft's first-party titles perform significantly better in quality and popularity than Sony's this holiday season, we could begin to see a considerable amount of potential PS3 owners, who may be waiting for a PS3 price cut, to choose the Xbox 360 over the PS3."

Xmas 2008 - War of the console

Divnich goes on to predict that Epic's Gears of War 2 (exclusively developed for Microsoft's Xbox 360) will be the biggest selling game in the US this coming Christmas holiday season.

While the Microsoft Xbox 360 Arcade system now costs under $200 in the US, the PlayStation 3 cost of $399 over in the States "is simply too steep to entice the casual and mainstream markets, regardless of how great Resistance 2 and LittleBigPlanet may be," adds the analyst.

Casual surge

Divnich estimates that there were 320,000 Xbox 360s sold in September in the US compared with 215,000 PlayStation 3, but also notes that "if September hardware sales fall below our estimate (under 200,000 units), it could be an indication that the Xbox 360 price cut played a bigger role on hindering PS3 sales than what we originally expected."

"The surge in Xbox 360 sales likely came from the mainstream and casual markets who were enticed by a sub-USD 200 Xbox 360 SKU," he added.

Cheap Call of Duty World at War

Call of Duty, World at War according to Best Buy will be released for on November 11 2008 ready for Christmas. The cheapest prices will be found shopping online on website such as play.com and shopto.net.

If the trailer is anything to go buy, this is going to be on the Christmas Gift list of millions of PS3 and Xbox 360 owners this Christmas.

View the World at War trailer here:



View the Official Call of Duty website

World at War will feature a more mature theme than previous installments in the series. Swimming will be introduced to the series. While in water, the player cannot sprint and will only move at half speed. Flamethrowers, introduced in Call of Duty: United Offensive, will appear alongside flammable environments. The game will be more open-ended than previous games in the series, as there will be multiple ways to complete missions.

Cheapest Prices to buy World at War from:

Play.com (also available on the wii) £39.99
Shoptonet £37.99

I will update this nearer the time for the most accurate game prices.