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PlayStation 20th Anniversary, Proud to be Grey

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PlayStation 20th Anniversary
Happy birthday PlayStation! One of the most popular game consoles ever has just turned 20 and to celebrate this beautiful age Sony has launched a limited edition of the current model, only that they’ve made it grey, to be more retro and to resemble one of the first PlayStation consoles ever built. Say hello to the PlayStation 20th Anniversary.

The first Sony PlayStation console saw the light of day on December 3, 1994, in Japan.
The original name of the Sony console was Play Station and was a collaboration between Nintendo and Sony, dating back to the 1980s. Nintendo developed a new CD-ROM format but Sony wasn’t really into it and backed out of the deal.
Ken Kutaragi, also known as the father of PlayStation almost got fired back then because of his involvement with Nintendo. Kutaragi managed to convince Sony that gaming was not just a fad that will pass. And he was so right.

After the first PlayStation gaming console was released in Japan, the console was launched in the United States and Europe in September 1995.
The 32-bit gaming console was competing with other console that were very poplar back then: Sega Saturn and Nintendo 64. The PlayStation came with now-classic games like Crash Bandicoot, Tekken and Wipeout and sold over 100 million units. It was a record for Sony as the first video game console to ever sell that much.

The games for the original PlayStation console were discontinued in 2006, in March. But before this happened, Sony made a smaller model called PlayStation One and two handheld consoles called PlayStation Vita and PlayStation Portable. These two consoles were succeeded by the PlayStation 2 launched in 2000, followed by the PS3 released in 2006, and then Sony released the current model, the PS4, released last year.

The PlayStation 20th Anniversary edition is the same version as the PS4 , just that is was painted from black to grey to resemble the original 1994 console. The controller was also painted grey and they come in a special anniversary box.
PlayStation 20th Anniversary is available in a limited edition of 12,300 units and it costs $499 in the US.

Xbox One Added HBO Go To Its Apps

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One of the most popular gaming consoles, turned media streaming device, Xbox One has plenty of apps which one can stream right onto the TV set. This time Xbox One announced that they will add the much-anticipated HBO Go to their list of channels. The app is not available for everyone at the moment, but some US Xbox One users can already enjoy it.

In order to get the HBO Go app on you Xbox One you need to be a subscriber to a cable or a satellite TV service. Richard Plepler, HBO CEO announced that his company will release a stand-alone service in the US next year so the viewers can enjoy HBO without a satellite package or a cable subscription.

There are more than 10 million broadband users in North America, and the numbers are growing by the year, so it’s a great opportunity for HBO to get inside every American home. Plepler added that:

“That is a large and growing opportunity that should no longer be left untapped. It is time to remove all barriers to those who want HBO.

The wait is finally over and user can have the HBO Go app on their Xbox One streaming device. The device support gesture and voice commands via Kinect.
The HBO Go apps have been available on other gaming consoles like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. This is actually the first time when the HBO Go app is made available on a current-generation streaming console.

There were rumors last month saying that the HBO App was still in a testing phase before being released on the Xbox One console and apparently the app passed all the tests and is suitable for public consumption. Those who can get the HBO Go app on their Xbox One console can enjoy super popular TV shows lie Game of Thrones, True Detective, Girls and older shows like The Sopranos and Entourage.

Official sources say that after HBO Go will be made available on every Xbox One console, it will also be released on the PlayStation 4. It’s not clear yet when that is going to happen.

PlayStation 4 Release Date, Xbox One Will Work With PS 4

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Xbox One is one versatile gaming console that not only allows you to enjoy favorite game titles but also watch television channels through it. There is a tough competition brewing up between Xbox One and PS4 which is going to release in November. PS4 release date is going to happen in November on 15th, followed by Xbox One in the next week.

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The PS4 has bigger advantage over Xbox One as it is coming one week early. However, Xbox One has got lots of features up in its sleeves. At the Tokyo Game Show which was held recently, it was revealed that the Xbox One will be able to support ‘any HDMI device’ also includes PlayStation 4.

A presentation was showing by Xbox senior director of product management and planned Albert Panello at the Tokyo Game Show. While the presentation was running, someone popped up a question about Xbox One’s capability to support video feed from PS4. However, he did not answer it directly.

As the presentation continued, Panello talked about Xbox One’s feature of snapping applications to one side of the screen while playing any game. He added that any app can be snapped to a game which also includes live TV feed. He further went to say that if you would like to play Ryse and Killzone simultaneously, you could snap them easily.

Killzone is an FPS game which is exclusively available for Sony PlsyStation gaming consoles. The newest addition to Killzone series is called Killzone: Shadow Fall which will be exclusively available for PlayStation 4. Recently Sony had revealed that it will not stop users of PS4 from recording videos through the console’s HDMI port. It is only after this announcement from Sony, Microsoft confirmed that they will not prevent PS4’s video signal.

From the new announcement coming from the Microsoft camp, it feels great to know that you will be able to play PS4 through Xbox One. However, we are not sure how is the ‘snapping’ feature will be really useful for Xbox One users. It does sounds great that through Kinect gestures you can change inputs or you can achieve the same through voice commands.  You can play game and watch a TV show beside each other or attend a Skype call or even play a PS4 game, but how is that really going to help users?

Also, we feel that the screen splitting feature will only offer unsatisfying viewing experience because only one of the screens will get sound. Well, even if both the sides would play sounds, it won’t be of any help either.

The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One is going to compete against each other. Some tech pundits even feel that the PS4 has a better advantage over Xbox One mainly because of its early release and it also costs 100USD less. However, the Xbox One still portrays itself as a versatile device which even offers Skype calling feature.

PlayStation 4 Release Date Update – Sony Makes it Possible to Play PS3 Games on PS4

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Gamers are quite jubilant about the fact that in November two new gaming consoles are going to arrive. Xbox One and PlayStation 4 release date are going to pit against each other. Both gaming consoles appear very promising. When Sony announced the features of PlayStation 4, the Japanese tech giant made it very clear that the new PS4 will not support PS3 games.

PlayStation 4 does not come with backwards compatibility with older PS3 games. However, this does not mean that PS4 will never be able to enjoy PS3 games. There is a way through which one can enjoy PS3 games on PS4. In the next year, Sony will be allowing users to stream older PS3 games.

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During the Tokyo Games Show that was held yesterday, Shuhei Yoshida revealed that PS4 users will be able to play PS3 games through Gaikai streaming service. Sony had acquired the streaming service for 380USD million in 2012. When the service will be introduced in the next year, it will only allow certain games to be streamed. However, Sony plans to enlarge its streaming library in due course of time by adding new games that were designed for PS3 gaming console.

The streaming service will not only make the games available on PS4 gaming console but also on other recently released devices like PS Vita and Vita TV set-top box. Both Xbox One and PS4 do not allow users to play games that are older. However, through Gaikai service, PS4 users will be play PS3 games.

The Vita TV set-top box will allow users to watch TV channels, access PlayStation Store and play PS3 games and that too at a reasonable price. Although it is unsure when will the device arrive in US but it is certain that the Asian markets are going to get the device on Nov 14 for 95USD or so. According to the rumors, Gaikai service will arrive in North America in 2014

At first Xbox One appeared to be a better gaming console but now it seems that PlayStation 4 will have upper edge in the market. PS4 is arriving a week earlier than Xbox One and also it is priced 100USD less than Xbox One. And now Vita TV along with Gaikai subscription would seriously impact the business of Xbox One.

PlayStation 4 will also allow users to record games through HDMI. On PS3, users had make use of analogue cables in order to record in-game content as the manufacturers imposed copyright protection for recording game content over HDMI. At the Tokyo Games Show, the Japanese gaming console maker announced that the PS4 will be able to capture games over HDMI. As of now, Sony has not revealed much info on it but in the near feature they will be rolling out more details.

PlayStation 4 release date will arrive in Asian markets like Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan in December 2013. In Europe, it will arrive on November 29th whereas in US, the scheduled PlayStation 4 release date is November 15.

Xbox One Release Date – PS4 to Come on Nov 15, Xbox One on Nov 8?

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The Sony PlayStation has been officially announced to arrive on November 15. What about the rival Xbox One? When is it going to arrive? Rumor has it that the new gaming console from Microsoft is going to release a week before PS4 hits the market. According to the recent rumors, the Xbox One is slated to come out on November 8. This is not an official announcement from Microsoft

The news about Microsoft’s Xbox One release date was revealed by a person who is an employee of an advertising firm that deals with signage and product placement for the huge retailer Walmart.  As Sony fans wait for the release of the PS4, Xbox One fans will be in a position to purchase much awaited next gen Xbox One first.

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The competition between these two companies is as fierce as ever, and Microsoft has upped its ante by saying that they will release the console in 13 countries instead of the initial target of 21. Both Sony and Microsoft are aiming to out their gaming consoles during the holiday season. Still, we are yet to hear an official Xbox One release date from Microsoft.

According to Forbes, the Xbox One will have high end games, which are being called, “AAA” games. The countries that will get the consoles include United States, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, Canada Austria, France, Ireland, Spain and Italy The game console will be later released in Finland, Denmark, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Belgium and Netherlands.

According to Microsoft, they would very much have liked to launch the Xbox One on the same day in all of these markets, but some factors have come up that have made it necessary to delay the launch in some countries. The factors include the localizing of the Xbox One Dash; add languages and new voices, and also include applications that will be meaningful to the country that is targeted.

According to Forbes, the company had made controversial changes in their policy and this could have occasioned the delay. It is possible to launch in as many markets as possible since the company is working out all the kinks in the system.

Analysts say that the exclusion of many countries in Europe, where soccer is idolized, may cost them in the long term. In Europe, the game FIFA sells very well. If Microsoft is not careful, the way that they handle the launch will be disadvantageous and this will have them starting from a weak position right at the beginning.

Some experts feel that Microsoft was actually waiting for their rival, Sony, to announce the release date of PS4 and then the operating system giant would announce the arrival of Xbox One. Now that the Japanese tech giant has already announced on PS4’s release date, we can expect an official annoucnment on Xbox One from Microsoft very soon.

Game enthusiasts are anxiously waiting for Microsoft to break its silence on the release date for the console. The company will also continue to enhance the game playing experience, and is hoping that game developers can test the machine to the maximum, by producing exciting, high-end games.

PS4 Release Date on November 15 – PlayStation 4 Continues to Build Expectations

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As it was rumored, Sony aims to launch the PS4 during the holiday season. This is an ideal time, since children and adults will be in a restive mood, and will have time to try some of the games available. During a video game conference held annually in Germany, Gamescom, Sony might be hard-pressed to announce the launch date.

Sony has already unveiled the features and price of the new console, but now after dilly-dallying on the release date, the Japanese tech giant has finally announced the new PS4 release date.

The new Sony PS4 will be released on November 15th. People can however make their pre-orders on various sites on the Internet that sell game consoles. The device will be first available in North America and then within two weeks time even European game enthusiasts will be able to purchase the device. PlayStation 4
The release date of Xbox One has not been yet announced by Microsoft. However, recent rumors predict that the much awaited gaming console will be out on November 8. If this comes true, both the devices will compete head-on with each other. This will see a great competition emerge as each tries to win the major share of gamers. However, this is attributed to new game players, since those who upgrade tend to stay with the same company.

During the June Electronic Entertainment Expo, Sony endeared itself to many game players by placing their unit at a lower price to Microsoft’s Xbox One. The PS4 will retail at $399, while the Xbox One at $499. There will be looser management of digital rights in all games that are given with the Xbox One. This loose arrangement was arrived at after Microsoft tried to control the trading, exchange, or resale of game discs. This unpopular set of rules has now been reversed and the discs can now be traded under less strict terms.

The PS4 should be ready to take advantage of the fact that the Xbox one is being launched in 13 of the 21 original markets. It is as yet to be seen if Sony will take advantage and launch its PS4 in the countries that will be left out of the initial launch by Microsoft. It would certainly augur well for the company, given that the PS4 is also cheaper than the Xbox One. This means that people will prefer to take the cheaper PS4, rather than wait for Microsoft to re-launch the costlier Xbox One at a later date.

The Sony PS4 comes with supports both DVD and Blu-ray discs.  It also supports game DVR and Bluetooth  2.1. It will come housed with 8GB RAM, 500 GB hard disk storage and additional cloud storage. Gamers will be able to chat with other players while the game is running. It will also support live streaming.

Sony has got a wide range of games that have been built mainly for PS4 release such as Knack, Killzone: Shadow Fall, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Call of Duty: Ghosts and many more. The  die is cast with each of the giant game console makers aiming to launch their new consoles at the same time. One wonders what happened to Nintendo.

Sony Playstation 3 Price $199 on Sale, The PS4 Release Date Effect

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Sony today has begun with the selling of its lowest-priced PlayStation 3 in the U.S. The gaming console was just priced tagged $199 ahead of the PS4 release date scheduled in November. The PS3 on sale with a 12 GB flash storage. It is made available on the e-commerce site of Sony U.S. Last week this version of PS3 was debuted in North America and went on sale in Canada for the same price tag.

The low-cost PS3 console features 2.5-inch flash drive, a Blu-ray player, a wireless controller and support for the 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi. Apart from being sold online by Sony, the console is also being listed by other retailers such as Walmart, Best Buy and Future Shop.

Sony’s website presently reads the product is temporarily out of stock, but Best Buy now tries to lure customers with a bundle of Uncharted 3 and The Last of Us for $259.98, which it says to be a deal of $40 savings.

Sony Puts On Sale Cheapest PS3; Available For Just $199

The new PS3 beats last year’s super-slim PS3 in terms of price. The super-slim PS3 is priced tagged $269 and is equipped with 250GB of hard drive. It was unveiled in September 2012.

PCMag.com writes, “If 12GB of memory isn’t enough, the new model supports external storage via USB ports. Or you can pick up the Legacy Bundle for an extra $100, snagging the 500GB Super Slim PS3, as well as Gran Turismo 5 XL and Infamous 2.”

The flash-based PS3 as well as Super Slim PS3 were unveiled last year at a press conference of Sony’s Tokyo Game Show. Later in October the first console was launched in Japan and PAL territories.

PS4 release date is nearing. This year in June Sony revealed some details about its upcoming PlayStation 4 and said will be retailed at $399. Remember, the PS4 is cheaper than Microsoft’s Xbox One, which is priced tagged $499 and will be shipped in November this year.

PS 4 Release Date – Playstation 4 Games, Short Xbox One Comparison

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The much awaited PlayStation 4 is going to arrive soon and it will be priced at $399. The Japanese manufacturer is yet to give out details on the PS 4 release date. Recently, Sony released a PS 4 teaser with words ‘When Worlds Collide’ only to keep us guessing on the arrival of the new gaming console from Sony.

The predecessor models of PlayStation sold over 300 million units and Sony hopes to break all the previous records with the new PS 4. The new PS 4 allows users to upload and download games while you play on it. On PS 4, you will be stream your game play sessions. You will also be able to make quick small-sized videos on your gameplay and share it with your friends over the PlayStation network. The spectation feature allows you to sure your game sessions with your friends and let them play the game on your behalf. The PS 4 Vita allows you to remotely play PS 4 sessions.

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When the E3 2013 press conference was held, Sony had released the names of the games that will be exclusively available for PS 4. On the day of the event various games were announced namely Assassin’s Cred IV: Black Flag, Battlefield 4, Call of Duty: Ghosts, DC Universe Online, DriveClub, Fifa 14, Just Dance 2014, Killzone Shadow Fall, Knack, LEGO Marvel Super Heros, Madden NFL 25, NBA 2K14, NBA Live 14, Skylanders: Swap Force, Warframe and Watch Dogs.

The following games are expected to launch during the window period from day one to the month of March. The specific release dates of the following games have not been announced by the company. Basement Crawl, Blacklight Retribution, Contrast, Daylight, Doki-Doki Universe, infamous Second Son, Mercenary Kings, Need for Speed: Rivals, Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty, PlanetSide 2, Primal Carriage: Genesis, Super Motherload, The Crew, The Order: 1886, The Pinball Arcade, The Witness, Tiny Brains, Transistor, Wolfenstein: The New Order and War Thunder.

Both Microsoft’s Xbox One and Sony’s PlayStation 4 comes with 8GB RAM. However, out of the 8GB, 3GB will be used for system and background applications on Xbox One and the remaining 5GB will be for games. Even with Sony PS 4, 3.5GB will be kept for system and background applications and the remaining 4.5GB will be available for games. However, the RAM allocation on both the devices will allow claiming an additional 1GB RAM when required to play heavy duty games.

The Sony PlayStation 4 is going to be powered with a single-chip custom x86 AMD CPU of 8 cores. It will house a 1.84 TFLOPS GPU from AMD Radeon. There is an inbuilt hard-disk drive, the details of which are not yet known. It will be supplied with 8GB RAM. It will also come with a Blu-ray/DVD disc drive.

As far as connectivity is concerned, the gaming console comes with Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth v2.1. AV output options on the PS 4 include HDMI, analog-AV out and digital output. The gaming console will be capable of 170GBPS bandwidth. The eye accessory is provided with two cameras and four microphones.

The PlayStation 4 is expected to be available for purchase when Xbox One goes on sale. Both to devices are rumored to go on sale in November. The Xbox One release date is November 29. However, there is no confirmation on the Sony PS 4 release date. Various speculations on the date of release of PS 4 are doing rounds such as November 3 and December 13 (courtesy Toys R Us). We will have to wait few weeks more to learn about the specific dates of both the devices.

Xbox One, PS4 Release Date Nears as Microsoft Slashes Price New Console

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Microsoft aims to win over PlayStation fans by releasing the newest version of their gaming console i.e. Xbox One. The PlayStation 4 was planned to launch with a price tag lesser than the rival Xbox One. However, Microsoft has gone ahead and slashed the price of the soon to be released Xbox One.

Unlike the PS4, gamers are pretty sure as to what to anticipate from the Xbox One mainly because of the Reveal event held by Microsoft in the month of May and then through the E3 event in June. The Xbox One is expected to be officially out in the market in 21 countries on the same release date.

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A far as the specs are concerned, Microsoft has powered the Xbox One with an 8 core x86 CPU from AMD. It comes with 8GB memory onboard. The storage drive is of 500GB. Some of the other features include Blu-ray Drive, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, HDMI port, 1080p output, USB 3.0 and many more.

There hasn’t been any official announcement on the Xbox One release date by Microsoft but according to the listing on Amazon.com, the expected release date of Xbox One is November 27. Xbox One team is surely eyeing on PS4 to predicts its release date. The Xbox One is has got whole lot of features onboard which makes us say that it is not just a gaming console but a complete entertaining device as it also allows you to watch your favorite TV programs.

If the Xbox One manages to release before the PS4, it will surely manage to stay ahead of the PS4. The Xbox Ones comes with game sharing feature which allows player to share games with up to ten friends. You can instantly switch from television to gaming whenever you want. With Snap Mode, you can split your screen to show multiple entertainment platforms.

The Xbox One Guide allows you to search for your favorite television programs. With Skype onboard, you can make video calls through the Xbox One. Xbox One’s Kinect is able to understand gestures thanks to the 1080p camera lens onboard. It offers cloud storage to save oyur games and profiles. The Xbox One controller is now available with 40 new technology changes.

The most important thing that we should know about the Xbox One is that it is no longer a gaming console. With manifold features onboard, the gaming console has transformed into a full-fledged family entertainment device. Microsoft has managed to get the XboxOne.com and XboxOne.net from a UK citizen. On the other hand, PlayStation.com is not owned by Sony and it has not taken any active steps to get that domain name.

As the Xbox One release date draws near, Microsoft has announced a price cut of 10%. The device was going to go on sale at $499.  The price cut is available through online coupons from Toys R Us and Xia Xia Shell. Currently, the deal is only available for UK fans and not available in US. The coupon has to be redeemed by August.

The Xbox One release date is one of the most searched queries on the web. Even though Microsoft has remained mum on the release date of Xbox One. Many tech enthusiasts feel the device is going to be available on November 27. Let us see how the competition unfolds between the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 as they near their respective release date.

 

PS 4 Release Date Rumored to Leak Ahead of the Xbox One

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The competition between Sony and Microsoft with their PS 4 and Xbox One consoles respectively is yet a hot happening. An early launch of the PlayStation 4 could well be expected as a fall out of this competition to get customers latched on to their device before the other does the same.

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A retail partner of Sony covering the European region, NeoGaf have let out the probable early release strategy from Sony by posting a poster of the PlayStation 4 which had the early release date mentioned on it. Sony had forbidden the display of this poster by all its retailers.

As per the poster, release date of the PlayStation 4 has been mentioned as 13 November. The Xbox is to be released on the 27th of November. That gives Sony, if the release date is to be believed, a full two weeks of head start before the Xbox.

The game is not yet over as neither Sony, nor Microsoft has come up with any official release date announcements as yet. Microsoft has the precedence of effecting last minute change like it did with the policy on usage of used games as well as the need for continuous internet connection on their consoles. Likewise, an earlier than the expected November 27 release date cannot be ruled out either.

The retailer who gave out the food for this fight has also not confirmed anything. What can however be concluded safely is that in the US, the PS4 would have either an early or a late release.

Ardent gamers would sure be keeping their eyes and ear open and up to get more information for they are the first burst of customers who make a difference in the sales of the gadgets and gives importance to the launch timing of the device.

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