Sources have indicated to GamesIndustry.biz that the head of Sony Worldwide Studios, Phil Harrison, who will leave the company at the end of this week, is to join Atari in the near future.

Harrison, who recently expressed his frustration at Sony Japan’s lack of foresight on the casual games front - ceding ground to Nintendo in the process - will apparently join up with ex-EA executive David Gardner and spearhead Atari’s push into the casual space.

He’s going to be a big loss to Sony. It’s going to be very interesting to see how Sony’s First Party output develops from this point onwards.

Phil Harrison to Resign from Sony?

This doesn’t include PSN sales for GT5:P

Someone at NeoGAF translated from Polyphony Digital’s site

Release Title Units Shipped
2007/12/13 Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (Japan) 0.25M
2005/03/10 Gran Turismo 4 (S.Korea) 0.11M
2005/03/09 Gran Turismo 4 (Europe) 5.64M
2005/02/22 Gran Turismo 4 (North America) 2.87M
2004/12/28 Gran Turismo 4 (Asia) 0.07M
2004/12/28 Gran Turismo 4 (Japan) 1.23M
2004/05/26 Gran Turismo 4 Prologue Edition (Europe) 0.41M
2004/01/15 Gran Turismo 4 Prologue Edition (S.Korea) 0.05M
2003/12/04 Gran Turismo 4 Prologue Edition (Asia) 0.11M
2003/12/04 Gran Turismo 4 Prologue Edition (Japan) 0.79M
2002/07/25 Gran Turismo Concept 2002 Tokyo-Geneva (Asia) 0.03M
2002/07/17 Gran Turismo Concept 2002 Tokyo-Geneva (Europe) 1.00M
2002/05/16 Gran Turismo Concept 2002 Tokyo-Seoul (S.Korea) 0.09M
2002/01/01 Gran Turismo Concept 2001 Tokyo (Asia) 0.01M
2002/01/01 Gran Turismo Concept 2001 Tokyo (Japan) 0.43M
2001/12/13 Gran Turismo 3 A-spec (Asia) 0.01M
2001/07/20 Gran Turismo 3 A-spec (Europe) 5.84M
2001/07/10 Gran Turismo 3 A-spec (North America) 7.14M
2001/04/28 Gran Turismo 3 A-spec (Japan) 1.89M
2000/01/28 Gran Turismo 2 (Europe) 3.68M
1999/12/23 Gran Turismo 2 (North America) 3.96M
1999/12/11 Gran Turismo 2 (Asia) 0.02M
1999/12/11 Gran Turismo 2 (Japan) 1.71M
1998/05/12 Gran Turismo (North America) 3.99M
1998/05/08 Gran Turismo (Europe) 4.30M
1997/12/23 Gran Turismo (Asia) 0.01M
1997/12/23 Gran Turismo (Japan) 2.55M

In North America, sales clearly peaked at GT3 and dived by over half for GT4. I suspect that GT4 was much more improved and polished, but the novelty and fad of the hyper-realistic sim concept simply died down.

Anyone else have any other interpretations? Does anyone think that interest will be revised with GT5 or GT5:P?

I know I just quoted this article, but I’ll do it again. GameIndustry.biz talked to SCEA’s vice president of product marketing, Scott Steinberg, about the 80GB PS3 and sales. Here’s what he had to say:

Last year we saw the price drop, coupled with the introduction of new SKUs and the discontinuation of some SKUs in certain territories. It still doesn’t seem to be very settled. Can you talk about any plans for this year in terms of finally settling on hardware?

We’re still looking at a lot of that stuff.

The lessons from the fall were pretty acute to us. We expected to sell a lot more of the USD 399 system than the USD 499 system. We entered 2008 pretty dry on the 80GB at USD 499 because of the equilibrium on sales for both systems.

We found that the hardcore guys were willing to spend that extra hundred dollars, and the more casual consumers without the bells and whistles were quite comfortable with a Blu-ray machine that, from a consumer electronics comparison, is still much more expensive than USD 399.

We weren’t quite predicting that. We weren’t predicting the evenness of those sales numbers and we got pretty light on the 80GB. You’ll see that correct itself as we get deeper into the year. We are still sort of evaluating what that means from a going forward strategy. We’re pointing to that commercial flow in the fall as a reason why we are still a little bit light at retail for those 80GB machines.

So maybe Sony’s problem right now is that they just don’t have enough 80GB PS3’s lying around to satisfy the demand. Once some more are manufactured, you’ll be seeing it on the shelves again.

GDC: Leverage Will Be Key to Sony’s Victory

GameIndustry.biz got to talk to SCEA’s vice president of product marketing, Scott Steinberg, and they talked about stuff like the fact that Sony didn’t have a keynote or make a big announcement at GDC ‘08. They also talked about this:

In terms of titles you are looking at in 2008, what do you have to counteract the just-announced Gears of War 2? One of the downsides of having a breadth of titles is that you might not be able to point to any one title like a Halo 3 or a GTA that are going to sell consoles. Is there a single strong PS3 title in your mind that you can point to like that?

Well, I think it is really easy to point to one when you’ve only got one. And so by default, that sort of solves itself.

I don’t want to say that we have an embarrassment of riches, but we have the ability to go in a bunch of different directions depending upon the choice and the taste of the gamer. So we’re not just forcing one genre upon our population, our installed base.

Nice!

One of the great things about the PS2 was its breadth of titles, and I fully expect the PS3 to be the same. While I love a good FPS as much as the next guy (unless it’s Gary), I also want to play some other great game genres too. I think that’s what differentiates PlayStation gamers from Xbox gamers more than anything else. Xbox gamers seem to be more racing and gunning oriented, while PlayStation gamers like that stuff and other stuff too. Correct me if I’m wrong.

GDC: Leverage Will Be Key to Sony’s Victory

The update will arrive next week and will include a lot of things. The user interface is better and graphics have been upgraded too. You can check who’s online from your friends list and you can tell if there just online or in Home.

But the most interesting part is the new Marketplace in the main square. Once you’re inside you can get clothes, furniture and other things. Maybe the PlayStation Store will be moved in there eventually? Also they are working on Game Launching, and some games work some don’t. But it’s a start. I hope there is a open Home beta soon.

Check out the full update below:

Read the rest of this entry »

Sony brought the PlayStation Eye Tank War demo to the Game Developer Convention. They have added turret support, and the option to add moving treads to your tank. I personally would buy this demo. I’ve always been a fan of the Eye Toy & PlayStation Eye.

Hit the link below for the video.

PlayStation Eye Tank War Demo Is “Next Gen” Tech

I hope the “Toy Home - 2nd Gear expansion” makes it to the other regions stores today There is word that more PAIN content is coming today. We may get a PixelJunk Monsters demo today too. I’ve been wanting to try that out. Is the Lost Planet demo working correctly now? I haven’t tried that in a while.

Games/Demos:
-PixelJunk Monsters demo
-Jet Moto 3 (PS1) - $5.99

DLC:
Rock Band tracks - $1.99 each:
Weezer - “El Scorcho” (master)
Stone Temple Pilots - “Sex Type Thing” (master)
Garbage - “Why Do You Love Me?” (master)

Trailers:
-Bionic Commando: Rearmed
-Conflict: Denied Ops - “Developer Diary 4″
-MLB08 The Show - “Replay Vault Tutorial”
-MLB08 The Show - “Pitcher Batter Analysis Tutorial”
-MLB08 The Show - “Stolen Base”

Games/Demos:
-Lost Planet (online) demo
-Snakeball - 4.99 pounds/7.99 euros

Trailers:
-Assassin’s Creed - “Developers Diary - Altair”
-Conflict: Denied Ops - “Launch”
-Conflict: Denied Ops Diary 3 - “Co-Operative Gameplay”

Other:
-Devil May Cry 4 wallpaper (7 new ones)
-Sport theme

Games/Demos:
-50% off of:
-Lemmings
-Super Rubadub
-Super Stardust HD

DLC:
-Toy Home - 2nd Gear expansion - 500 yen

Trailers:
-Bionic Commando: ReArmed
-Devil May Cry 4 - “Interview”
-Lost Planet - “Trailer 2″

PSN Content 02/21/08

America

1. flOw
2. Mortal Kombat II
3. Tekken 5 Dark Resurrection
4. PAIN
5. Warhawk
6. High Velocity Bowling
7. Super Stardust HD
8. Calling All Cars
9. Aquatopia
10. Everyday Shooter

Europe

1. Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection
2. Warhawk
3. flOw
4. LocoRoco Cocoreccho!
5. Mortal Kombat II
6. Super Rub a Dub
7. Calling All Cars
8. Gripshift
9. Lemmings
10. Super Stardust HD

Bot flOw and Mortal Kombat II came out at the right time: when the PS3 was new, people wanted to try out buying a download, and there wasn’t much else to choose from.

If you haven’t tried LocoRoco or Super Puzzle Fighter yet, I would give those a look. Those didn’t get as much buzz as the other titles, but I think lots of people would love them.

Driving Force GT

• Designed by Polyphony Digital specifically for GT5. Also backwards compatible with PS2 + GT4. This probably means it will connect via USB.
• Everything that the Driving Force Pro has: 900-degree steering radius, full variety of force feedback effects including rumble, full controller buttons.
• Improved force feedback effects.
• A horn
• A “unique realtime adjustment dial, a first for force feedback wheels, allowing people to fine tune the car’s balance by adjusting the brake bias, traction control and damper settings”.
• Available in Europe/US in May for list of $150 (the Driving Force Pro had the same retail price but sold online at most sites for about $100)

FYI: These wheels have always worked with force feedback in games like Burnout Paradise, NFS, and Ridge Racer. I’ve tested this personally with the Driving Force Pro, and this is sure to continue working for this newer wheel.

EDIT: Minor clarifications.

The photo below is from the Game Developers Conference. Is it a hint that it’s coming soon? Or just a joke? Either way I want that shirt, lol.

There are rumors that In Game XMB is finished and will arrive with the next firmware update. Future games coming out wlll support it, and past titles will receive a patch.

I mainly want In Game XMB for checking to see if my friends are online, what they are playing, check and write messages, etc. It would be nice to have access to the web browser in game as well.

I know my gf would like to have custom soundtracks in Toy Home, so I hope that happens as well

PS3 In-Game XMB Ready To Release, Home Coming Soon

So now that HD-DVD is out of the picture, and every single major movie studio (even Universal and Paramount) is now backing Blu-Ray, will this impact the console battle between 360 and PS3?

I vote a definite yes. Sure, HD-DVD was always strictly optional to the 360, and none of the main functionality is adversely affected by this, but there are two big reasons, why this most definitely does affect the console battle.

People actually want HD movies on discs

More and more people are buying HDTVs and high end sound setups every day. Not so surprisingly, they want content with improved sound and video to go with that expensive hardware, and Blu-Ray is the only option that does that on physical media which is what most consumers are used to. Also, the audience for HD movies has a high overlap with the audience for games. Since the PS3 and 360 are priced very similarly, Blu-Ray is a strong differentiator.

Perception

Mass market sales and the whims of the zeitgest are about perception. Even if the loss of HD-DVD doesn’t affect the actual functionality of the Xbox 360 it definitely hurts perception. A year ago, every news website, magazine, and discussion forum was flooded with overwhelming pro-360 and anti-PS3 sentiment. Events like this strongly shift that sentiment in the PS3’s favor.

Remember how strongly Microsoft execs and PR promoted their HD-DVD add-on strategy and predicted it the winner, or how the 360 fans and fansites were loudly cheering HD-DVD in online and offline discussions around the globe, or how the media always aligned the 360 with HD-DVD and the PS3 with Blu-Ray? HD-DVD failing so spectacularly is definitely affecting public perception.

(OK, guys, that’s enough Blu-Ray posts for now. Back to games! )

Agree? Disagree? Let’s hear it in the comments…

With the victory of Blu-Ray, I expected plenty of bitter tears to flow, but the complete meltdowns of otherwise sane technology pundits and analysts have exceeded my expectations.

Here is a handy translation table: