Videogame boxes have been a yawn for 60+% of the population in the Americas for the past year. For the rest? They are the “A” list of lust. For MS, Sony and Nintendo the Xbox, PS3 and Wii are about percentage points. And bragging rights…serious bragging rights! But Sony drew the line in the sand. They said…”the console war doesn’t start till we say so…”

Like Nicholas Cage in Gone saying he was going to steal 50 cars in one night. Great chest thumpin’ but who cares? For the PS3 and Wii (and last year’s introduction of Xbox 360) it really was…gone in 60 seconds. People camped out in front of stores for days waiting for their chance to get one of the first units. Some didn’t get their box so they punched out, pistol whipped or used other persuasion to make their “purchase.” A lot of the PS3 winners threw theirs up on eBay for a couple of grand. People…it’s a game! You may have money. You may have “taste.” But come Saturday night you’re sitting there with your lowly console staring at a screen.  read more »

Logitech just announced the ChillStream controller for PlayStation 3, the company’s first product designed for Sony’s next-generation gaming platform. Logitech’s ChillStream technology includes a built-in 40 mm fan that circulates up to 3.41 cubic feet of air every minute, with very little noise. Three narrow vents on each side of the controller push air directly onto the four fingers, the base of the thumb and the palm of the hand. The air stream can be used in one of three settings – high, low, or off.  read more »

It’s what the world (the video gamers world, that is) has been waiting for: a release date for Sony’s PlayStation3. The PS3 will be released in North America and Europe on November 17th, 2006, and released November 11th, 2006 in Japan. PS3 will run on combined Cell and RSX processors and comes pre-loaded with giga-bit Ethernet and a hard disc drive, allowing users to access, play, and download online games and services.

The PS3 is also compatible with the new Blu-ray technology, playing Blu-ray discs at a bit rate of multiplex 48Mbps—which is the highest of Blu-ray standards. This is perfect for users who want to watch High-Definition movies at home.  read more »

• by Liz Calhoun