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Sony Launches Official PlayStation Blog

Posted by Zonk on from the anti-major-nelson dept.

Sony has announced the official launch of the PlayStation.blog. Intended, perhaps, to combat the current monopoly on internet-based PR Microsoft seems to have, the blog looks to be a place where high-ranked Sony employees can have their say. There are just a few posts up so far, but they're already asking for freedback. One by Eric Lampell, Senior Manager for the PlayStation Network, caught my eye. It discusses the recent PS3 firmware update, and features the upgrades included in that patch. As you can tell by the language, they still need to work on the site's tone. "That's one of the best things about PS3 - it's constantly being updated with new features. With 1.80, you can now upscale PlayStation® and PlayStation®2 games and DVD movies, up to 1080p if your TV supports it. You home theater buffs are probably all over this upgrade already, but if you don't have an HDTV just yet, check out what upscaling does for God of War II and Shadow of the Colossus - games that were already gorgeous-looking to begin with - in these comparison screens." At least they're trying.

31 comments

  1. OSEG, Sony has Sun envy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    will their CEO grow a pony-tail next?

  2. Late to the party? by shoptroll · · Score: 1

    Well MS has Nelson. Nintendo has a handful of people posting content on their main webpage, not sure if that's technically blogging but sometimes there's blog-esque postings... I always assumed Sony had something similar already.

    --
    Insert Sig Here
  3. What monopoly? by rob1980 · · Score: 1

    You make it sound as though Sony has never engaged in "internet-based PR"

    1. Re:What monopoly? by iainl · · Score: 1

      That, however, was a lying campaign by someone claiming to be a random member of the public who really, really wanted a Sony product because it is "cool".

      This looks to be closer to the Sony equivalent of Major Nelson that they've needed for ages. A voice, with official ties to get the information that they're printing reliable, but just independant enough to sound like a real person and not just a script from the PR department, who lets console owners know what the new things available are, and even more importantly why we should care.

      A press release tells me what the bullet-point features of the Live Spring Update were, but Hyrb/Nelson picks some interesting ones and talks about what they mean to real people. Sony need something like this, too. Once upon a time the lead times on this stuff were slow enough that the 'official' magazines could cover it, and they could also hope to rely on an army of slavering fanboy 'independant journalists' to as well. But that's proved not to be the case.

      --
      "I Know You Are But What Am I?"
  4. Honesty is the best policy by ChowRiit · · Score: 1

    If it's obviously marketing and rhetoric, noone is going to take it seriously. They need to be honest and open if they want anyone to find their blog interesting or worthwhile, and maybe make it actually interesting, rather than an obvious gimmick done to try and shift a few more PS3s. Honestly, how long will it be before major corporations realise this? Do they honestly not think, and just try to get in on new trends without considering whether they're doing WELL?

  5. Stop me if you've heard this one by jollyreaper · · Score: 0

    "When the blog rolls over, we'll all be dead!"

    Sony fanboys, mod this +5 Inciteful.

    --
    Kwisatz Haderach
    Sell the spice to CHOAM
    This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
  6. ..asking for FREEDback?!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "There are just a few posts up so far, but they're already asking for freedback."

    Typo El Hypo

  7. An Open Blog by ewhac · · Score: 1
    Anyone can contribute to the blog, but if you want your posts to have formatting, hyperlinks, non-Latin characters, and paragraph breaks, you need to become an official licensed Sony developer and sign an NDA.

    </snark>,
    Schwab

    --
    Editor, A1-AAA AmeriCaptions
    1. Re:An Open Blog by Drey · · Score: 1

      A veritable drought of publishable Oracularities does tend to make one snarky.

  8. I can see it now... by AKAImBatman · · Score: 2, Funny

    ..."All I want for Christmas is my Pee-Ess-Three"

    *groan*

    Sung by the ever talented Kaz Harai!

    *bigger groan*

    Now remixed by a rap legend (that no one has ever heard of) to include a techno beat and "RIIIIIIIIDGE RACERRR!" screams in the background!

    *just shoot me now*

    --
    Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
    1. Re:I can see it now... by adona1 · · Score: 1

      I also gather they're planning to spraypaint the blog's URL all over town. The kids dig reading their blogs and interwebs when they have cred, man ;)

      --
      Between the falling angel and the rising ape
  9. First blog post by gad_zuki! · · Score: 4, Funny

    First entry:

    mood: sad music: something depressing

    Subject: haterz

    peeps say i cost too much, like wtf i only cost like 100 more than xbox (boo!) and I come with a
    bluray playuer!!!@!#! suckit haterz!! ('-'*)

    --sony

  10. comparison shots by Gogo0 · · Score: 1

    I know that upscaling can make things look nicer, but those pics they used to show it off sucked ass!
    It looks to me like the PS3 just blurs the picture, I'm sure they could do a better job on comparison pics than what is up there now.

    1. Re:comparison shots by DrXym · · Score: 1
      I don't know what the fuss is about with PS2 upscaling. Any modern TV set should be able to upscale for itself. The only place where it would be any use would be to transform an interlaced game into progressive scan or if the set is broken. That might make it worthwhile.

      What would be REALLY COOL is if the PS2 rendered at a higher resolution, i.e. transform and render all data into 1080p graphics buffer rather than upscaling a smaller one. It wouldn't do much for bitmaps and textures but polygons would be gorgeous at 1080p. Some of the screenshots from the PCSX2 emulator show how lovely it could look. Unfortunately PCSX2 runs like a dog, but perhaps the PS3 has the capabilities to actually pull this off, at least for some games.

      Obviously proper scaling is also useful for Blu-Ray. Previously it would render a movie in 1080i and leave it to the TV to downscale it to 720p (any sane HDTV handles both resolutions). Now they actually do the scaling themselves which could make the picture quality marginally better.

    2. Re:comparison shots by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's not just scaling, it's fps. 1.80 now plays back blu-ray at 1080p/24, i.e. true film speed.

    3. Re:comparison shots by Pluvius · · Score: 3, Informative

      I don't know what the fuss is about with PS2 upscaling. Any modern TV set should be able to upscale for itself.

      The PS3 upscaler is better than the upscaler on many TVs. Same thing with the DVD upscaler.

      Rob

    4. Re:comparison shots by buffer-overflowed · · Score: 1

      Only because the scaler is the thing they skimp on when you buy something that's a "good deal". Most HDTV scalers well, sucks ass. ESPECIALLY on cheaper sets, which most people buy. You can tell these people because they think the PS3 makes things look better.

      Really, that's not saying much. If scaling was important to you(as it was to me), then you included it as a factor in which display your purchased. Not all of them are bad, and I wouldn't be surprised if the PS3s was not at the top of the charts, especially given the images shown. My projector scales like a champ.

      --
      The key to the enjoyment of pop music is to replace any instance of "love" with "C.H.U.D."
    5. Re:comparison shots by edwdig · · Score: 1

      What would be REALLY COOL is if the PS2 rendered at a higher resolution, i.e. transform and render all data into 1080p graphics buffer rather than upscaling a smaller one. It wouldn't do much for bitmaps and textures but polygons would be gorgeous at 1080p. Some of the screenshots [pcsx2.net] from the PCSX2 emulator show how lovely it could look. Unfortunately PCSX2 runs like a dog, but perhaps the PS3 has the capabilities to actually pull this off, at least for some games.

      See Ocarina of Time on the GameCube for an example. It's the N64 rom rendering at 640x480 instead of 320x240. End result is the polygon edges all look a lot sharper, but the sketchy textures (vines in particular) don't look any better. It's nothing to go crazy over, but certainly a noticeable improvement.

    6. Re:comparison shots by donaldm · · Score: 1

      The comparison shots IMHO are not very convincing and do look blurry however I do have a PS3 and a 37" 720p/1080i HDTV and the PS3 does upscale my PS1 and PS2 games via HDMI or component. Don't expect PS1 games to come out like PS2 games they won't however the output is such that my PS1 games are pleasing graphically although this does depend on the graphics quality of the game originally. For PS2 games the PS3 does a very good job in smoothing and up-scaling and to me this ads to the re-playability of the game, so much so that I have so many PS1/2 games that will well and truly tide me over till the PS3 games for the PS3 pick up (DQ8, FFX, Balders Gate 1 and 2 etc and even some PS1 games). Of course some bad games even with the best of graphics can still suck, they now just suck with prettier graphics.

      If you have a PS3 with v1.8 firmware you can get rumble for your PS1/2 games (if they support it) if you buy the PS2 controller adapter and plug in your dual shock. If you have a wireless PS2 controller like my Logitech 2 (battery life 50+ hours on two AA's) you can control controller registration, stopping and starting your game and even switching off your PS3 from the comfort of your arm chair (my controller uses the "mode" button). Ok you can't start the PS3 like you can with the 6 axis controller however once you put in a game you have full control (well mine does) of the PS3 from your dual shock controller.

      Many have slammed the PS3 6 axis controller for not having rumble although we all know (or at least should know) why. From my own personal perspective I find that the 6 axis to be much lighter than the dual shock and when playing RPG's and Action adventure games I actually prefer the lightness of the 6 axis to my heavier dual shock wireless and/or cabled controller. IMHO there are only a few games that benefit from rumble (survival horror comes to mind) and in many ways I prefer not to have it. Obviously many readers will disagree but that is their prerogative.

      --
      There ain't no such thing as proprietary standards only proprietary formats. Standards are by definition open.
    7. Re:comparison shots by MikeBabcock · · Score: 1

      Your post shows a severe lack of knowledge of upscaling technology. The best upscaling is impossible to achieve at the display end, after the image has been decoded and transmitted in a static form. The best upscaling for, say, a DVD should be done in the midst of decoding. You can use next frame data for example to infer more resolution than is actually encoded in any one frame, you can do a much better job of detecting (and fixing) macroblocking problems as well.

      Now sure, you can get really good upscalers that work between the video source and the TV. Expect to pay over $1000 for such a device. No, the $50 one built into your TV isn't the same deal, and probably can't handle funny cadences or different YUV settings. The PS3 upscaler isn't incredible either, but the I don't think I'd ever pay extra for a TV because of upscaling.

      See any number of home theatre websites and DVD player comparison sites to see what features scaling hardware/software needs to really impress.

      --
      - Michael T. Babcock (Yes, I blog)
    8. Re:comparison shots by buffer-overflowed · · Score: 1

      DLP and LCD based televisions, computer displays, and projectors have to scale any image that isn't at their native resolution to their native resolution. The quality of this makes an enormous difference in image quality, and is worth looking into if you plan on ever watching anything on a given display that isn't at, or can't be scaled to, it's native resolution. The consequences of a display doing this poorly are clearly visible. This is what me and the now great-grandparent post were talking about. Or at least what I *thought* we were talking about.

      My DVD player has it's own scaler, for obvious reasons.

      --
      The key to the enjoyment of pop music is to replace any instance of "love" with "C.H.U.D."
  11. What's next, add PS3 as a friend on MySpace? by mattgreen · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I can't wait to get bulletins from a game console! "Hey everyone, I got my firmware updated today! Check it out!"

    1. Re:What's next, add PS3 as a friend on MySpace? by ericrost · · Score: 1

      just had to:

      http://www.360voice.com/tag/bean1979

      --
      My Babylon
    2. Re:What's next, add PS3 as a friend on MySpace? by donaldm · · Score: 1

      I got mine (v1.8) when it came out and it is IMHO fantastic. I have an Australian PS3 and have only three PS2 games out of fifty that have issues, the rest just work (also includes 20 PS1 games) with smoothing and upscaling to my HDTV. Of course your post comes across as someone who can't afford a PS3 or is very anti PS3 so it is rather pointless explaining how to set up WiFi, Linux, Media Center, Communicating with your PC (Linux and MS Windows), using Flash cards, adding and using usb devices, retrofitting a 80GB, 120GB, 160GB or larger disk and what to do with your old 60GB disk or even suggestions on a good wireless dual shock controller that will rumble when playing your PS1 and PS2 games that support rumble.

      I won't deny that some comments in the blog are very trivial and others are from anti Sony people (usually fanboys of other consoles) but they just get ignored or flamed.

      --
      There ain't no such thing as proprietary standards only proprietary formats. Standards are by definition open.
  12. Pretty patronizing by HalAtWork · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It seems pretty patronizing, it takes standard PR and then paraphrase it in the tone of someone from their average demographic, at least as far as they can guess, and then they pat themselves on the back constantly. Does anyone actually want to read it? It's already enough of a pain in the ass trying to extract the information from press releases.

    --
    Twinstiq, game news
    1. Re:Pretty patronizing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Indeed. Sony needs to clue in to the fact that when it comes to speaking to the public they just don't get it - and a large reason they don't get it is because they believe their own bullshit. Rather than trying to shove the same bullshit down our throats in 30 different forms, maybe they should, oh, I don't know, actually figure out what the fuck people want first and then try to talk?

  13. wait a minute... by rupert0 · · Score: 1

    They have Digg this link but no /. !!
    I say the hell with them !

    --
    RUPERT! I TOLD YOU TO WATCH THE BAGS! You were looking at the boys again, WEREN'T YOU.
  14. Work on the tone? by Pluvius · · Score: 1

    As you can tell by the language, they still need to work on the site's tone.

    Why? It looks like any other piece of official PR to me. The only reason you don't see this stuff on Major Nelson is because posts on there are only a couple of sentences long, and even then you see buzzwords like "groundbreaking" and "blockbuster."

    Rob

  15. PS3- Blog by Trent+Hawkins · · Score: 1

    Day 1: Can't wait till Metal Gear Solid comes out!
    Day 2: Still waiting for Metal Gear Solid!
    Day 3: Oh man, I just saw a new screen shot from Metal Gear Solid!
    Day 4: still waiting...

  16. First post failure... by earthbound+kid · · Score: 1

    I tried to get first post in the comments, but it costs $600! :-( At that rate, I'm not going to bother until they post on Metal Gear or GTA at least.

  17. I can't figure it out by DefenderThree · · Score: 1

    How has the entire Sony marketing department not been fired by now? Is the marketing chair sleeping with Stringer or something?