Here's a big list of developers and publishers working on NGP projects

Beyond the handful of games revealed onstage during last night's big Sony event, an enormous list of developers and publishers currently working on games for this holiday's "next generation portable" device has surfaced. Game Informer posted up the entire list broken down by region, which features big names like Activision, Ubisoft, 2K Games, Square Enix, and Capcom.

Perhaps more notable than the big name publishers is the group of listed developers, including Rockstar Games, Capybara Games, From Software, and Grasshopper Manufacture. As GI points out, both Electronic Arts and THQ (and their respective development studios) aren't currently listed as working on games for NGP, though we imagine that will change as the year goes on (we already know that EA has had exposure to the in-development system).

Japan

• Acquire Corp.
• Alvion Inc.
• AQ Interactive Inc.
• Arc System Works Co. Ltd.
• Arika Co. Ltd.
• Artdink Corporation
• Ascii Media Works Inc.
• Capcom Co. Ltd.
• Chun Soft Co. Letd.
• Codemasters Software Company Limited
• Crafts & Meister Co. Ltd.
• CyberConnect2 Co. Ltd
• D3 Publisher Inc.
• Dimps Corporation
• Edia Co. Ltd.
• Enterbrain Inc.
• From Software Inc.
• Gameloft K.K.
• Genki Co. Ltd.
• Grasshopper Manufacture Inc.
• GungHo Online Entertainment Inc.
• Gust Co. Ltd.
• Hamster Corporation
• Hudson Soft Co. Ltd.
• Idea Factory Co. Ltd.
• Index Corporation (Atlus)
• Irem Software Engineering Inc.
• Kadokawa Games Ltd.
• Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co. Ltd.
• Konami Digital Entertainment Co. Ltd.
• Level-5 Inc.
• Marvelous Entertainment Inc.
• Media5 Corporation
• Namco Bandai Games Inc.
• Nihon Falcom Corporation
• Nippon Ichi Software Inc.
• Nowproduction Co. Ltd.
• Q Entertainment Inc.
• Sega Corporation
• SNK Playmore Corporation
• Spike Co. Ltd.
• Square Enix Co. Ltd.
• SystemSoft Alpha Corp.
• Tecmo Koei Games Co. Ltd.
• TOMY Company Ltd.
• TOSE Co. Ltd.
• Ubisoft K.K.
• Yuke's Co. Ltd.

North America

• Activision Inc.
• Capybara Games
• Demiurge Studios
• Epic Games Inc.
• Far Sight Studios
• Frima
• High Voltage Software
• Kung Fu Factory
• Paramount Digital Entertainment
• PopCap Games
• Powerhead Games
• Trendy Entertainment
• Ubisoft
• Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
• 2K Games
• 2K Sports

Europe/PAL

• Avalanche Studios
• Climax Studios Ltd.
• Codemasters Software Company Ltd.
• Eurocom Developments Ltd.
• Eutechnyx Ltd.
• Exient Ltd.
• Firemint PTY Ltd.
• Gameloft SA
• Gusto Games Ltd.
• Home Entertainment Suppliers PTY Ltd.
• Impromptu Software Ltd.
• Rebellion
• Rockstar Games
• Sidhe Interactive
• Sumo Digital Ltd.
• Team 17 Software Ltd.
• Ubisoft Entertainment SA
• Zen Studios Ltd.

Report: PS3 getting cloud saving in firmware update 3.60

According to a recent report from Kotaku, unnamed sources in the game development community have received notifications from Sony telling of a feature which will be incorporated into PS3 firmware update 3.60: Cloud storage for saved games. According to the report, the feature (called "Online Saving") gives developers the opportunity to let players set up their save files on a remote server, preserving the precious, precious space on their own hard drives, and allowing players to access save data from multiple consoles.

These developers also reportedly explained that the feature will only be made available to PlayStation Plus subscribers, or, as they'll henceforth be called, the "Save File Insured." This report sounds fairly believable -- remote storage was one of the rumored features of PlayStation Plus before its reveal, and there was also that Sony trademark for "PS Cloud" back in 2009. We've contacted Sony for a comment on this report

Source: Kotaku

NGP features two proprietary card slots for memory storage, games

The NGP's memory storage capabilities are puzzlingly absent from the hardware specifications released by Sony today. During the PlayStation Meeting 2011 press conference, the company briefly introduced a "new game media" format, a flash memory-based card on which retail titles will be sold (replacing the clunky, power-sucking UMD). These SD-looking game cards -- said to be proprietary -- will feature extra storage for relevant data, including games saves and add-ons.

"NGP adopts a new game medium, a small flash memory based card, dedicated for NGP software titles," a Sony press release later confirmed. "Taking advantage of the flash memory feature, this innovative card can store the full software titles plus add-on game content or the game save data directly on to the card. By adopting flash memory based card, SCE will be able to provide game cards with higher capacity in the future, allowing developers to store more game data to deliver rich and immersive games."

But where will users store non-game data? The NPG's LiveArea UI suggests that multimedia applications will be integral to the handheld, and many of these apps will obviously require data storage -- not to mention the storage requirements for downloadable games. While Sony has not mentioned an internal flash memory component of the NGP, SCE Worldwide Studios head Shuhei Yoshida revealed to Game Informer that the device will feature "two slots" for memory cards; one for the new game cart format (which Yoshida confirmed would be proprietary -- not SD) and a second port for additional storage.

Whether the additional slot has been designed for Sony's existing proprietary Memory Stick (the "Micro" version is used for PSP Go memory expansion) has not been specified. "At this point, all we're saying is it is proprietary storage capabilities," SCEA boss Jack Trenton told Engadget, "we're not getting into defining what it is yet."

"Digital distribution's role and scope and ratio of sales will definitely increase," Yoshida suggested to GI, indicating that memory expansion is important for the NGP to flourish. "It's just a matter of time as people get faster internet connections. So the role and importance of digital sales will increase. But at the same time, there are people who just want to buy a game at a store and plug and play. That's why we decided to adopt the flash media format."

However, according to SCCE president Andrew House, digital distribution of games -- via the PlayStaiton Store -- could be NPG's primary retail format. "So what we're intending to do is have everything available on PlayStation Store," he told Eurogamer, "and potentially be on physical media as well." He reiterated the general perception that "if you have games that are only available for digital download, you remove clearly a huge amount of risk for publishers."

"I wouldn't want to call too many things too early," House added, "but I think what you'll see in the physical space is the larger, and I mean in terms of data capacity but also in terms of bigger, blockbuster franchises that will probably lend themselves more to the physical medium -- you know, big games that you don't necessarily want to spend an awful lot of time downloading." Can you imagine pulling down MGS4 over 3G? No, thanks.
Source: Game Informer, Engadget, Eurogamer

ModNation Racers for-pay cheat unlocks everything, coming tomorrow

The latest of what we like to call "lazy gamer" cheats -- downloadable unlocks that open up entire games, for a price -- is actually inbound from Sony for ModNation Racers. It's called the "Career Unlock All Key" and, for $3 tomorrow on the PlayStation Store, evidently does what its name suggests. 

Given the ultra-creative nature of the game, we can't really knock the idea of having access to all of the stickers, karts, tracks, themes and other various parts on the disc (and those added by DLC, if you've already bought it). Then again, if you've already sunk $60 into the retail release and more into DLC, you'd think the least Sony could do is throw in some seat covers a code.

• Source: PlayStation Blog

Sounds like Chime is headed for US PSN, too

Originally developed for Xbox Live Arcade as the first of OneBigGame's for-charity titles, music-based puzzler Chime is one step closer to release on PS3 via PlayStation Network. Already rated by classification boards in Australia and Germany, the game has now received an "E" rating from the ESRB.

Now this PS3 version of the game just needs to be, y'know, announced. (Hopefully with Portal's "Still Alive" included.)

Source: ESRB

Red Dead and Limbo lead nominees for 2011 GDC Awards

It's almost time once again for the industry's premier awards show that doesn't feature regular appearances by Jersey Shore cast members: the 11th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards. The event's organizers have released the mercifully Mountain Dew-based-category-free list of nominees, which includes a number of potential merits for Limbo, Red Dead Redemption, Mass Effect 2 and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood.

Check out the full list of nominees after the jump and discuss your favorites in the comments! (Oh, that's your pick for Best Visual Arts? Well, we can't say we agree with you, there.)

2011 GDCA Nominees

Best Game Design

• Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo)
• Mass Effect 2 (BioWare)
• Limbo (Playdead)
• Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar San Diego)
• God of War III (SCE Santa Monica)

Innovation

• Heavy Rain (Quantic Dream)
• Kirby's Epic Yarn (Good-Feel & HAL Laboratory)
• Minecraft (Mojang)
• Limbo (Playdead)
• Dance Central (Harmonix)

Best Technology

• Starcraft II (Blizzard)
• Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar San Diego)
• Heavy Rain (Quantic Dream)
• Mass Effect 2 (BioWare)
• God of War III (SCE Santa Monica)

Best Handheld Game

• God of War: Ghost of Sparta (Ready At Dawn/SCE Santa Monica)
• Cut the Rope (ZeptoLab)
• Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (Kojima Productions)
• Game Dev Story (Kairosoft)
• Dragon Quest IX (Level 5)

Best Audio

• Limbo (Playdead)
• Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar San Diego)
• Halo: Reach (Bungie)
• Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (DICE)
• Mass Effect 2 (BioWare)

Best Downloadable Game

• Costume Quest (Double Fine)
• Limbo (Playdead)
• Super Meat Boy (Team Meat)
• Minecraft (Mojang)
• Monday Night Combat (Uber Entertainment)

Best Writing

• Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar San Diego)
• Heavy Rain (Quantic Dream)
• Mass Effect 2 (BioWare)
• Costume Quest (Double Fine)
• Fallout: New Vegas (Obsidian)

Best Debut Game

• Limbo (Playdead)
• Darksiders (Vigil Games)
• Minecraft (Mojang)
• Monday Night Combat (Uber Entertainment)
• Super Meat Boy (Team Meat)

Best Visual Arts

• God of War III (SCE Santa Monica)
• Limbo (Playdead)
• Call of Duty: Black Ops (Treyarch)
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (Ubisoft Montreal)
• Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar San Diego)

Game of the Year

• Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar San Diego)
• Mass Effect 2 (BioWare)
• Call of Duty: Black Ops (Treyarch)
• Limbo (Playdead)
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (Ubisoft Montreal)

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow DLC named ‘Reverie’

Konami have just left on their facebook page a mysterious note detailing one of the newly announced DLC.

“Tick tock… It’s time for another glimpse into the upcoming Castlevania: Lords of Shadow ‘Reverie’ DLC. What might Gabriel try to change with this time machine?”

The answer to that is obvious, bring his Marie back by preventing her demise in the first place. But how? Where is this time machine coming from?

Two DLC packs are set for launch this year. Both remain mysterious.

Check out our review of Lords of Shadow to see what all the brouhaha is abouthere.

Thanks,  PushSquare.

Massive co-founder worries effects of PS3 piracy could be worse than handhelds' plight

Wondering why there's such a hullabaloo over that PS3 security breach? According to Martin Walfisz, who co-founded Massive Entertainment (but left the company shortly after its purchase by Ubisoft to focus on development of new DRM strategies), it's because it's the end of the world. Well, okay, maybe it's not that bad -- but Walfisz paints a pretty grim picture for Sony, telling GamesIndustry.biz, "If that hack works as reported, I don't believe that Sony can regain any control."

Walfisz predicts that Sony could employ a system similar to Microsoft's anti-piracy measures through Xbox Live, blocking hacked PS3s from connecting to the PlayStation Network; though if the hack works as reported, and doesn't require a mod chip to function, Walfisz worries Sony won't be able to detect which users are playing pirated games -- though Sony claims it can and will shut down "jailbroken" consoles. What's worse, Walfisz adds, "I would assume that pirated copies can be stored on the HDD as well, making it so easy to use that PS3 piracy, given time, might even surpass the handhelds." Piracy is pernicious enough on exposed systems, but super convenient piracy? Yikes.
Source: GamesIndustry

Playstation 3 Gets Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue... in 3D

 

Sports Illustrated's annual homage to bikinis is coming to the PlayStation 3 in stereoscopic 3D amidst a flood of models-in-swimsuits related content via the PlayStation Network. Of all the PS3 exclusives this year, this is one we weren't expecting.

Sports Illustrated's 2011 swimsuit issue will get the 3D treatment this February when it becomes available as an exclusive rental or purchase via the PlayStation Network's video service. Those without a PlayStation 3 have the option to rent it (but not buy it, apparently) via Sony's Video On Demand powered by Qriocity program, available on select Bravia TVs and Blu-ray Disc players.

Sony and SI will also offer a free, three-minute sneak preview of the 3D Swimsuit video via PSN, if you're teetering on the brink of a 3D HDTV purchase.

But wait, there's more. The PlayStation Network's video side and Qriocity will also offer more than 12 hours worth of SI Swimsuit video for rental. PlayStation 3 owners can also show their enthusiasm for the female form with a handful Dynamic Themes of Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, which you'll be able to buy from the PlayStation Store.

Expect that injection of T&A on your PlayStation 3 to hit on (or around) February 15.

Send an email to Michael McWhertor, the author of this post, at mike@kotaku.com.

PlayStation expansion into China planned

Sony is finally ready to take on one of the largest emerging markets in the world: China. A report in China Daily details Sony Computer Entertainment's plans on expanding into the Asian mainland. According to the report, Sony recently signed a letter of intent detailing plans to implement training and R&D facilities in Guangzhou province. The project is apparently "the first investment by SCEI in the mainland."

In addition to localization, Sony plans on developing games in the region. Facilitating homegrown content for local markets follows the standard set by Sony's other recent expansions into India and South America. Although a timetable for launch hasn't been set, expectations are quite high for PlayStation's first release in the country. Guangdong Animation City (GAC), an investor in PlayStation's Chinese expansion, noted that the industry could expand its worth to over 100 billion yuan (about $15 billion) annually within the next five years. Obviously, Sony would do well to capitalize on such staggering potential.
Source: China Daily

Earth Defense Force 2 Portable being released as two-pack in Japan

D3 Publisher is including an unusual, but sensible bonus with a limited edition of Earth Defense Force 2 Portable: a second copy of Earth Defense Force 2 Portable. The first print run of the PSP remake will be available as the "Double Enlistment Pack," containing two UMD copies of the game -- in full retail packaging -- bundled together for ¥6,279 ($76), a significant discount over buying two ¥5,040 ($61) copies individually. It'll be out in Japan April 7.

This is a great way to get a co-op game into the hands of a population that already has a bunch of PSPs and a taste for multiplayer on that system, thanks to Monster Hunter

• Via: Siliconera
• Source: Famitsu

'Gods Eater Burst' GameStop pre-order includes bonus DLC

If you plan to pick up D3 Publisher's anime-style, Monster Hunter-style PSP action RPG, Gods Eater Burst, you might as well pick it up from GameStop. D3 announced today that pre-orders from GameStop will include an exclusive downloadable content pack, including new missions and fights against two of the game's creepy, part-weapon "Aragami" monsters.

That's not a typo in the headline, by the way. D3 sneaked in a name change recently: The game is now "Gods Eater Burst" instead of "God Eater Burst." We guess D3 didn't want to give the impression that it was about eating the God ... just some gods.
Source: GameStop

MiniSquadron flies onto PSP and PS3 next month

The Minis program continues to attract more high-profile iOS releases. If Angry Birds wasn't enough for you, then you may want to try MiniSquadron, a 2D dogfighting game. The Minis version seems to be a direct port of the iOS original, including 8 worlds and 50 planes. Unfortunately, like all other Minis, there's no multiplayer, and no added content to make up for its omission.

MiniSquadron has been a fan favorite on iTunes since its debut, with an average four-star rating since release. Check out the trailer after the break.

European PSN releases for January 12

It's an eclectic grab bag on this week's European PSN release list, bringing us an odd mix of games such as Germany's Next Top Model (available only in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, natch) Tomb Raider Chronicles and Angry Birds. Rounding out the bizarreness is a Linkin Park track pack for Rock Band 3. Man, the only way that this list could get any diverse is if it included subscriptions of varying lengths to DC Universe Online. Oh, right. It totally does.

Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list:

(Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)

PS3 Content

Special Offers (available until Jan. 19)

• UNO (PS3) (was – £6.29/€7.99 now – £0.79/€0.99)
• H.A.W.X. Supremacy Pack (was – £7.99/€9.99 now – £4.79/€5.99)
• Driver (PSone) (was – £3.99/€4.99 now – £2.99/€3.59)
• Tales of Monkey Island (was – £13.99/€17.99 now – £7.19/€8.99, available until Jan. 12)

Permanent Price Reductions

• Alien Breed: Impact (now – £7.19/€8.99)
• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (now – £7.99/€9.99)
• Tom Clancy's EndWar (now – £7.99/€9.99)
• Prince of Persia: Revelations (now – £11.99/€14.99)
• Prince of Persia: Rival Swords (now – £11.99/€14.99)
• Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (now – £11.99/€14.99)
• Splinter Cell Essentials (now – £11.99/€14.99)
• Driver '76 (now – £11.99/€14.99)
• Brothers in Arms: D-Day (now – £11.99/€14.99)

Playable Content

• Faery: Legends of Avalon (£11.99/€14.99)
• Germany's Next Top Model (€9.99)
• PopStars (€9.99)
• DC Universe Online
  * 30 Day Subscription (£9.99/€12.99)
  * 90 Day Subscription (£27.99/€34.99)
  * 180 Day Subscription (£44.99/€64.99)
• Tomb Raider Chronicles (£7.99/€9.99)
• Winter Sports 2011 demo

Add-On Game Content

• ModNation Racers - Jak and Daxter Mod Pack (£1.39/€1.75)
• The Sims 3 – Asian Fusion (£7.99/€9.99)
• Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage – Shin and Thouzer: Original costume and 2 new missions (£4.99/€6.19)
• Super Street Fighter IV – Ultra Shadaloo Pack (£3.19/€3.99)
• Rock Band 3 tracks (continued)
• Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock tracks (continued)

Rock Band 3 tracks

Linkin Park Pack 01 (£4.99/€7.99) (contains the tracks listed below which are also available separately)

• Crawling (£0.99/€1.49)
• In The End (£0.99/€1.49)
• Numb (£0.99/€1.49)
• Somewhere I Belong (£0.99/€1.49)
• Waiting For The End (£0.99/€1.49)
• What I've Done (£0.99/€1.49)

Rock Band Network tracks

• 'Gasoline' by The Bouncing Souls (£0.59/€0.79)
• 'Let Us Slay' by GWAR (£0.59/€0.79)
• 'Saint Simon' by The Shins (£0.99/€1.49)
• 'Smokahontas' by Attack Attack! (£0.99/€1.49)
• 'White Knuckles' by Okay Go (£0.99/€1.49)

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock tracks

January Mega Pack (£13.99/€17.99) (contains the following tracks which are also available separately)

• '2nd Sucks' By A Day To Remember (£1.59/€1.99)
• 'All I Want' By A Day To Remember (£1.59/€1.99)
• 'Buried Myself Alive' By The Used (£1.59/€1.99)
• 'Closer' By Nine Inch Nails (£1.59/€1.99)
• 'Head Like A Hole' By Nine Inch Nails (£1.59/€1.99)
• 'Rescue Me' By Hawthorne Heights (£1.59/€1.99)
• 'The Downfall Of Us All' By A Day To Remember (£1.59/€1.99)
• 'The Hand That Feeds' By Nine Inch Nails (£1.59/€1.99)
• 'We've Got A Situation Here' By The Damned Things (£1.59/€1.99)
• 'Wings Of A Butterfly' By Him (£1.59/€1.99)

FirstPlay

• FirstPlay Episode 40 (£0.99/€1.20) [Ireland and UK only]

Avatars

• EyePet
  * Looking Back Sitting Pet (£0.20/€0.25)
  * Rapper Pet (£0.20/€0.25)
  * Boxing Pet (£0.20/€0.25)

Themes

• Spare Parts Theme 1
• Top Darts Theme

Premium Themes

• Disruptive Themes
  * Smooth Notes (£1.19/€1.49)
  * Draco: The Return (£1.19/€1.49)
• Thumbstar Themes
  * Shine (£1.59/€1.99)
  * Cube (£1.59/€1.99)
  * Destinations (£1.59/€1.99)

Wallpapers

• Dragon's Lair HD Wallpaper
• Eat Them! Purple Monster Wallpaper
• Eat Them! Red Monster Wallpaper
• Spare Parts Wallpaper 1, 2 & 3

Videos

• Faery: Legends of Avalon Trailer
• Dead Space 2 The Sprawl
• Crazy Taxi Launch Trailer
• Kung-Fu LIVE! Launch Trailer
• Dead Nation Housemarque Trailer
• MotorStorm Apocalypse Developer Diary

PSP Content

Special Offers (available until Jan. 19)

• Blood Bowl (PSP) (was – £15.99/€19.99 now – £9.99/€12.99)
• Pro Cycling 2010: Tour de France (PSP) (was – £23.99/€29.99 now – £13.99/€17.99)
• UNO (PSP) (was – £6.29/€7.99 now – £0.79/€0.99)
• Driver (PSone) (was – £3.99/€4.99 now – £2.99/€3.59)
• Alien Havoc (mini) (was – £3.99/€4.99 now – £2.49/€2.99)
• Bubble Trubble (mini) (was – £3.99/€4.99 now – £2.49/€2.99)

Downloadable Games

• Buzz! The Ultimate Music Quiz (£21.99/€26.99)
• Crystal Mines (£11.99/€14.99)
• Crystal Mines demo

Minis

• Angry Birds (£2.49/€2.99)
• Jane's Hotel (£2.49/€2.99)

Add-On Game Content

• Prinny 2 - Asagi Wars Premium Special Ticket (free)

Wallpaper

• Legends of War: Patton's Campaign Wallpaper 4

Digital Comics

• Batman Beyond Vol.1 #1 DC Comics
• Bayou #11 DC Comics
• Cancertown #1-#6 (with audio commentary!) Markosia
• Domo #1 TOKYOPOP
• The Dreaming #10 TOKYOPOP
• Ex Machina #25 DC Comics
• Fables #40 DC Comics
• Flash: Rebirth #6 DC Comics
• Fringe: Tales from the Fringe #2 DC Comics
• Green Lantern Corps Vol.1 #4 DC Comics
• I Luv Halloween #9 TOKYOPOP
• The Indifference Engine #4 Markosia
• Irredeemable #9-15 BOOM! Studios
• Irredeemable Special #1 BOOM! Studios
• Kane & Lynch #4 DC Comics
• Legends of the Dark Crystal #3 TOKYOPOP
• The Night Owls #3 DC Comics
• Planetary #24 DC Comics
• Road #2 DC Comics
• Sandman #17 DC Comics
• Silent Hill: Past Life #2 IDW Publishing
• Star Trek: Khan: Ruling in Hell #3 IDW Publishing
• Star Trek: The Manga #9 TOKYOPOP
• Superman/Batman #44 DC Comics
• Supernatural: Origins #6 DC Comics
• Transformers #14 IDW
• Ultimate Fantastic Four (2003) #12-#16 Marvel
• Undertown #2 TOKYOPOP
• Wonder Woman Vol.3 #16 DC Comics
• X-Force (2008) #1-6 Marvel
• Y: The Last Man #23 DC Comics

Alleged 3DS, PlayStation Phone disassembled

Not one but two ritualistic device dismantlings have been exacted in recent days, an alleged 3DS and PlayStation Phone the sacrificial lambs. Spilled across a TVGZone forum thread are the guts of an apparent 3DS, posted by a Taiwanese tinkerer who claims to have obtained the stolen unit (not unlike the one supposedly lifted from an assembly line earlier this month) and promptly taken the tools to it. The de-casing has revealed only a typical arrangement of circuitry and plastic bits, leaving us to wonder if the plundering of this poor portable was in vain.

As it we hadn't seen enough already, TGbus, which had apparently tired of displaying its alleged "Xperia Play" PlayStation phone alongside its comprehensive collection of the world's handheld devices, broke out a set of Torx bits and proceeded to tear the thing down. The meticulous disassembly, however, failed to uncover what some might have hoped would be an intact, teensy-weensy PlayStation system -- just more circuitry (including what's suspected to be a Qualcomm MSM7x30 chipset) and plastic bits, it seems.

Are you finished yet, you monsters?

Rumor: PSP2 unveiling in Tokyo this month at Sony 'business meeting'

MCV reports that "trade sources" have "confirmed" that the so-called PSP2 will be unveiled at a January 27 press event, hosted by Sony in Tokyo. A VG247 source has described the event as a "business overview and strategy meeting," with "very select press" in attendance, and corroborated the supposed PSP2 reveal there. Thus far, Sony has declined to comment on the event.

Supposed images of a "PSP2" prototype (pictured) were leaked in November, followed in December by the detailing of alleged hardware specs. The PSP successor is assumed to be in development alongside the PlayStation Phone, and Sony has already acknowledged the challenge of differentiating two such devices in the consumer market. Coming out and announcing them already would probably be a good start.

Report: Sony could remotely disable jailbroken PS3s

With PS3 open territory for hackers and pirates, many have been wondering what action Sony will take to secure its system. The platform-destroying piracy rampant on PSP makes it clear exactly how much is at stake. To date, Sony's response to the jailbreak has been limited to mandatory firmware updates and revoking PSN access to those that refuse to use official system software.

However, a report by Digital Foundry claims that Sony can take far more drastic measures. Even if you've never signed up for a PSN account, your console will communicate with Sony servers every time it boots up. That initial load process is used to upload error logs, download updates to the "What's New" module, and a list of recently-run applications, including any unauthorized backup manager software.

Sony has yet to ban any consoles for taking advantage of the jailbreak, but the terms and conditions of the PlayStation Network make it clear that Sony has the authority to carry them out. Thanks to the system's constant self-reporting feature, "the company even has the means to irrevocably disable your console should it so wish," rendering affected PS3 consoles unusable, online and off. But will Sony ever use such a drastic measure? And if so, how will the hacker scene retaliate?

[Thanks, Vallanthaz]

Black Ops led 2010 UK game sales, Just Dance top of the pops on Wii

Although it comes as little surprise, Call of Duty: Black Ops was the best-selling game in the UK last year. The UK Interactive Entertainment Association's 2010 bestsellers list features the usual suspects, with Black Ops, FIFA 11 and Just Dance occupying the top three spots, respectively, across all platform sales.

Breaking it down by format, Blops landed in the top sales spot for Xbox 360 and PS3 games, while Just Dance and its sequel filled the first and third positions among Wii releases, naturally. Professor Layton And The Lost Future took the golden picarat for DS and FIFA 11 charged to the top of the charts on PSP.

Although one could speculate as to why Black Ops wasn't at the front line of PC sales in the UK, it's just as fitting that Football Manager 2011 and 2010 occupied the forward spots in the region. Check out the complete breakdown by format after the jump.

UK Bestsellers of 2010 (via UKIE)

All Formats

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops
2. FIFA 11
3. Just Dance
4. Red Dead Redemption
5. Wii Fit Plus
6. Just Dance 2
7. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
8. Wii Sports Resort
9. Halo: Reach
10. Battlefield: Bad Company

Wii

1. Just Dance
2. Wii Fit Plus
3. Just Dance 2
4. Wii Sports Resort
5. New Super Mario Bros Wii

PS3

1. Call Of Duty: Black Ops
2. FIFA 11
3. Gran Turismo 5
4. Red Dead Redemption
5. Assassins Creed: Brotherhood

Xbox 360

1. Call Of Duty: Black Ops
2. FIFA 11
3. Halo: Reach
4. Red Dead Redemption
5. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

DS

1. Professor Layton And The Lost Future
2. New Super Mario Bros
3. Art Academy
4. Pokemon Soulsilver
5. Mario Kart DS

PSP

1. FIFA 11
2. LittleBigPlanet
3. Gran Turismo
4. Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines
5. FIFA 10

PC

1. Football Manager 2011
2. Football Manager 2010
3. The Sims 3
4. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
5. Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty

Even more PlayStation Phone shots appear, comparison shots galore!

What would you say if we told you that somehow, Sony's containment of its still-unannounced PlayStation Phone (the Xperia Play?) has gotten even more impossibly bad? At this point, just a few short days after we saw the first Chinese-language explosion of pics we've got another ten-page, Chinese-language explosion. Engadget's Richard Lai handled translation duties and he suggests this may be the very same PlayStation Phone making the Chinese media rounds. This time around, we've got comparison shots with the PSP-1000, the PSP Go, DSi, GBA SP, various Sony Ericsson Xperia handsets, and more. That PlayStation Pocket app is as much of a mystery as it was the other day, but this preview says a third-party emulator runs on the handheld with 70% of the titles working. Are those PSone titles or PSP titles? Engadget's guess is it's the 'psx4droid' PSone emulator. Regardless, there's plenty of eye candy at the Source link below.

Skype Invades the Living Room on Up-Coming Sony Blu-Ray Players

Skype video conferencing on the PC has been the reality for a while now, and their recent expansion into mobile devices has helped turned the software client into a household name. With few places left to expand it should be no surprise that the VOIP solution is coming to the living room, but this time you’ll find it packed into upcoming Sony Blu-Ray players.

At the Sony CES booth in Las Vegas they were showing demos of the interface which requires not just the player, but a separate proprietary camera accessory. Video quality will be limited to SD resolution at launch, and according to Sony representatives they have no plans at the current time to make the leap to HD.

With Video calling being a built in feature of Kinect, I’m a bit surprised Sony hasn’t tried to make this happen first on the PS3 first. I suppose we’ll have to wait and see if they end up changing their mind, it certainly wouldn’t be the first time.