Following Microsoft, Sony’s PlayStation business officially enters China
It’s only been about a month since Microsoft announced that it’ll be bringing the Xbox to China come September, courtesy of the local government lifting its somewhat lax ban on imported video games and consoles. Today, Sony finally confirmed that the PlayStation will indeed be joining Redmond’s console in the Far East. Just like Microsoft’s collaboration with China’s BesTV, Sony’s also be working with a local company called Shanghai Oriental Pearl Culture Development (OPCD in short). As pointed out by Sina Tech, the interesting thing is that both BesTV and OPCD are part of the massive Shanghai Media Group.
Sony and OPCD’s joint venture will form two companies: one to manage the manufacturing and sales of the hardware, and the other to manage the services plus the sales, licensing, distribution and R&D of the software. Sony China will own 70 percent of the newly formed Sony Computer Entertainment (Shanghai) (which presumably handles the non-hardware part), but just 49 percent of the other new company dubbed Shanghai Oriental Pearl Sony Computer Entertainment Culture Development.
As you’d expect, the announcement stresses that the joint venture “will introduce quality, healthy games that are suitable to China’s national conditions and the preferences of domestic players, as according to the relevant government policies.” This means we’ll likely see many censored PlayStation games over there (and also fewer games in general), plus our guess is that the consoles might not even be compatible with games released in other countries. That said, it’s worth remembering that Nintendo’s China joint venture, iQue, never applied this kind of regional restriction onto the DS and 3DS it sold there.
What’s unclear is when and which of the PlayStation products will officially hit the stores in China, but given Sony’s earlier attempts plus its long preparation for this launch, we wouldn’t be surprised if the Japanese company beats Microsoft to the race here.
Via: Engadget Chinese
Source: SSE (Chinese PDF)
Engadget Daily: Microsoft Surface Pro 3 review, hacking Watch Dogs and more!
We put Microsoft’s new Surface tablet through the review ringer, took a look at vaporizer technology, found out just how realistic hacking in a video game can be, and discovered that Sony’s new console’s raking in the cash. Read on for Engadget’s news highlights from the last 24 hours.
Surface Pro 3 review: Has Microsoft finally made a tablet to replace your laptop?
Microsoft surprised us with by announcing the Surface Pro 3. We got to spend some quality time with the device and shared impressions in our review. Can this laptop / tablet hybrid take on the latest and greatest tablets and computers from Apple, Lenovo and others?
The real-life hacking behind Watch Dogs’ virtual world
Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs is finally going to be released next week. How realistic is its portrayal of the world of hacking and cyber-espionage? To make it as real as possible (while keeping gameplay fun), the publisher consulted with digital security firm Kaspersky Labs.
What you need to know about vaporizers
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Sony’s PlayStation 4 is already profitable and on course to beat the PS2′s success
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Minecraft arrives on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 this August
Look, playing Minecraft on a console is really great. It’s basically the same delightful/terrifying experience from PC, albeit in the comfort of your living room. What’s not to like? Well, on last-gen consoles, there was at least one unfortunate side effect of the platform: the procedurally generated world of Minecraft was significantly smaller than what could be done on PC. With Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions arriving this August, that changes. As development studio Mojang puts it, “It brings significantly bigger worlds and a greater draw distance than Xbox 360 Edition.” Hot dog!
Of course, should the more bite-sized world of last-gen Minecraft suffice (and believe us, it’s plenty big), the PlayStation Vita version also arrives this August. Here’s even better news: if you already bought the game on PlayStation 3, you own it on Vita. A similar deal applies to folks converting from PS3/Xbox 360 versions to PS4/XB1 versions: if you already own the prior version and you want to upgrade to current-gen, it’s just $5. The latter deal only applies for the first year of availability, so you’ll wanna upgrade soon-ish to snag it on the cheap.
To sweeten the deal even further, saved games from last-gen/Vita will scale up to current-gen consoles (though it’s not possible to go back — beware!). All the updates to last-gen versions will come packed in to this August’s version, and the whole package goes for $20. Oh, and the creepers are still super, super creepy.
Filed under: Gaming, Software, HD, Sony, Microsoft
Source: Mojang
KitKat rolling out to Sony Xperia Z, ZL, ZR and Tablet Z
Earlier today we’ve reported that HTC One (M7) is getting updated in Europe and now we have another major manufacturer doing the updating as announced earlier this year.
Sony is rolling out Android 4.4 KitKat to Sony Xperia Z, ZL, ZR and Tablet Z devices. Sony pointed out that the rollout will vary depending on the market, which is expected of course. When done with the listed devices this Japan based giant plans on giving the KItKat treatment to its midrange offerings such as Xperia E1, Xperia T2 Ultra and Xperia M2. Sony is usually extremely late when updating its devices so this is a good sign.
Full update changelog:
- Google’s Android 4.4; KitKat as standard – bringing improved performance & user interface (UI) optimisation…
- If you’ve got a Sony PlayStation 4, you might recognize our new user interface – we’ve added the same sleek launch animation and live wallpaper across the lock and home screens. You’ll also spot a revamped Status Bar and Quick Settings… now more intuitive and customisable (also with a fresh new look)… cleaned up to ensure you only get the notifications you really need
- As you might expect, we’re also uplifting Sony’s entire native app portfolio to the latest versions bringing tweaked / improved / current experiences for one and all… some of our favourites look like:
- Messaging – a few UI adjustments here & there, including a slicker “send” animation, and deeper Emoji support for some expressive fun… also worth noting, you’ll find smileys wherever there’s an app with a keyboard
- Email – you’ll be able to both load and see more mails… but don’t fret, navigation of said load is easier with a more responsive viewing pane – split screen modes divide info for easy digest… especially useful / works a treat on Xperia Tablet Z
- Smart Social Camera – our social imaging experience makes its debut on our first Z Series devices; a selection of Xperia Camera apps directly accessible from your viewfinder… including personal favourite “Creative Effect”, and more for download to boot!
- Battery STAMINA Mode – level-upping our unique power management feature, bringing smarter data management & more for prolonging your juice
- Sony’s Media apps: WALKMAN, Album and Movies, with Sony Entertainment Network cloud service integration* – a more converged and full Sony entertainment experience – Sony Entertainment Network & PlayMemories integration with a more intuitive UI, better download speeds, and more…
- And proving pretty popular, now totaling over 2 million downloads (!) – our unique custom interface experience: “Xperia Themes”, with downloadable UI packs from Sony Select – skin up to 280 assets across your Xperia smartphone with a variety of styles…
- Compatibility with our SmartWear Experience; SmartBand SWR10 and Lifelog app– enabling you to record social, physical and entertainment activities and have them all visualised in a beautiful interface… reminisce at that past, make the best of the present and plan for the future
SOURCE: Sony
The post KitKat rolling out to Sony Xperia Z, ZL, ZR and Tablet Z appeared first on AndroidGuys.
SingStar for PS4 employs your smartphone for belting off-tune renditions
When SingStar arrives on PlayStation 4 consoles later this year, it won’t require shelling out extra dough for a shiny new microphone. Instead, the title will allow you to use your smartphone or tablet as the mic thanks to a free app for iOS and Android. The newfangled software will play nice with both PS3 and PS4 versions of the game with support for custom playlists built in. There’s also improved social sharing and song downloads from the SingStore. Heck, they’ve even added Bruno Mars tunes, so get your pompadour wig ready.
Source: PlayStation Blog
Virtual Joey app arrives with satellite TV for your PS3
Dish Network earned one of our Best of CES trophies a few months ago for its Virtual Joey app, and now PS3 owners (with the satellite TV service and Hopper DVR) can try it out. Instead of plugging in yet another set-top box, just open up the app and watch live TV, video on-demand or recorded programs, all through your console. You can even control the experience with your regular Dish Network remote — all without changing inputs away from your gaming / Netflix / Blu-ray machine. A PS4 version is still waiting in the wings, which is fine if you prefer extending the life of older consoles. It should be available under the My Channels section on your PS3 right now, download it and see if you liked it as much as we did.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Sony
Source: PlayStation Blog
Brazilians will see every blade of World Cup grass on outdoor 4K screens
If you’re in Rio de Janeiro this summer but can’t attend any World Cup matches in person, don’t fret; you may still be in for a treat. Brazilian TV giant Globo is teaming up with Sony to broadcast three live Cup games (a second-round match, a quarterfinal and the final) in 4K quality, and it’s putting 65-inch sets in Rio’s Jardim Botanico neighborhood so that the public can watch. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen live soccer futebol play out in 4K, and there will be a handful of feeds in other countries. However, Globo’s offering promises to be one of the more exciting test runs for high-res sports — particularly for locals determined to cheer on the home team.
[Image credit: AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Sony
Via: Bloomberg
Source: Globo (translated)
PlayStation Now’s game streaming beta comes to PS4
Back in January we were impressed by just how well Sony’s PlayStation Now game-streaming service worked, and the chance to test it out yourself could be coming rather soon. The closed beta program is making its way to the PlayStation 4 on May 20th (tomorrow!), according to the PS Blog, invites for new testers will be making their way select inboxes shortly. What’s more, the outfit also says that it’s opening the service’s PS3 beta to more users as well. If you haven’t thrown your last-gen console out just yet, this might be another reason to keep it around for a bit longer.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Sony
Source: PlayStation Blog
How would you change Sony’s Xperia Z?
Sony’s been trying to reinvent itself, and in doing so, is hoping that we can put these turbulent last few years behind us. Nowhere is this more evident than in the company’s smartphones, like the Xperia Z. The Z was the first “omnibalance” phone, and the first not to be associated with the company’s former partnership with Ericsson. It brought along a 1080p display, water resistance and, surprisingly for a phone significantly more expensive than a Nexus 4, pretty crappy battery life. That fact alone was enough for it to register a measly 80 score from our reviewer, but did you agree with them? This is How Would You Change, where you’re encouraged to leap onto our forums and talk us some smartphone.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony
Source: Engadget Product Forums
Engadget Daily: Sony’s Alpha A7s, WP8 gets home automation app, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
‘Halo 5: Guardians’ and live-action Halo TV show set for fall 2015 launch
We knew a Halo 4 successor was coming, but today, Microsoft and 343 Industries announced that Halo 5: Guardians will arrive fall of 2015. What’s more, the live-action Halo TV series may debut around the same time. And now, we wait.
What you need to know about online advertisers tracking you
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Microsoft brings home automation app and devices to the Windows Store
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Full-frame and 4K-ready: The Sony Alpha A7s can be yours in July for $2,500
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Filed under: Misc
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