When an investor asked Sony to explain why there had been an increase in research and development costs, a Sony senior executive said that work on the PlayStation 4 is “already under way”.

“For the home equipment the PS3 still has a product life,” said Masaru Kato, the Sony chief financial officer, according to Eurogamer, “but this is a platform business, so for the future platform—when we’ll be introducing what product I cannot discuss that but our development work is already under way, so the costs are incurred there.”

Whilst this is exciting news for PS4 fans, it is not inconsistent with past remarks, and is in-keeping with Sony’s stated 10-year lifespan for the PlayStation 3. The PS2 hit its 10 year anniversary last year; the PS3 was released four years before that, so this may suggest a two year wait until a 2013 launch.

PS4 Features, Specs & Rumours

• PS4 with a 32nm Cell processor an up to 16 SPEs, double the number in the PlayStation 3.
• A partnership with Google. Sony’s new fondness for Android on the Xperia Play is an interesting strategy.
• Blu-ray on the PlayStation 4 is a dead cert.
• As Kaz Hirai said, “we do business in parts of the world where network infrastructure isn’t as robust as one would hope. There’s always going to be requirement for a business of our size and scope to have a physical medium.”. The dependence on digital distribution is therefore a challenge for PlayStation.
• As for the PlayStation 4 controller, Dr. Richard Marks (Sony Computer Entertainment’s US R&D manager of special projects) says that “anything that lets us get the player’s intent into the system more” is technology they’ll be looking at.

When it comes to PS4 rumours, there are plenty to read, digest, and perhaps discuss. However, over at the Playstation HQ, things are quiet.

PS4 Boss, Kaz Hirai, said recently, “we’re not deliberating on a PS4 or a next generation machine, whatever you call it.”

Instead, Sony seems to be concentrating on the PS3 and extending the PlayStation brand into the mobile phone market with the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play.

However, in stark contrary, Microsoft is now hiring engineers to spec the next Xbox, rumoured to be named the Xbox 720, but it’s far too early to confirm that.

The latest spec rumour is that the PS4 could abandon the Cell processor and return to x86. Earlier this year there were rumours of a failed Sony research project to develop a PowerPC chip for the forthcoming PlayStation. Our view is that Sony will go with their advanced cell processor that cost a rumoured $3 billion to develop. Here’s why:

1. Easy backwards compatibility with the PlayStation 3
2. A familiar development environment.
3. When the PS4 comes out, games developers will have had much more experience working with Cell and its software tools.
4. Toshiba recently sold its Cell factory in Nagasaki back to Sony for £400 million. Sony is hardly going to abandon the chip now it owns the means to manufacture it in bulk.

So what’s the latest rumour about a PS4 release date?

Interesting. One view is that the whole concept of a single lounge-bound gaming device may become obsolete. As such, the PS4 as we know it does not exist. Instead, console gaming may well lie in a more portable device, that is played on the move.

Sony claims that the PS3 will have a 10 year lifecycle, suggesting the next PlayStation will arrive by the end of 2016 at the latest. Or we might not get a PlayStation 4 at all. Developers haven’t yet maxed out the potential of the PS3, while the release of PlayStation Move has given it an extra dimension.

“Where we go after this is an interesting one,” says Sony Computer Entertainment UK boss Ray Maguire. “The online side is very interesting and is a big part of our business going forward. But in terms of what sort of technology we’ll be using, it’s far too early to say yet because we’re only half way through the lifecycle of PS3 – there are many years to come on that machine.”

So it looks like the PlayStation 3 is here for quite a few years yet.

Compete in four spectacular venues where you can take center-stage at Vancouver 2010.Vancouver 2010: The Official Video Game of the Winter Olympic Games (Vancouver 2010), SEGA will capture what makes the Olympic Games special by absorbing the adrenaline rush and the athletic drama of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games into a videogame. Vancouver 2010 will feature uncanny realism with fully rendered models of the actual Olympic arenas where competitions take place as well as the surrounding cityscape of Vancouver Canada. Players will strive for national pride as over 20 countries are represented in Vancouver 2010 with 14 different sporting events to participate in. Players will also have the ability to compete against others online and compare scores on online leader boards; truly capturing the international competitive spirit of the Winter Olympic Games.14 of the premium Winter Olympic events to take on: Giant slalom to short track speed skating, freestyle snowboarding and more!Challenge Mode offers a different way to fine-tune your skills. Outrun the avalanche, beat the blizzard and many more.Take your snow boots online: set a new world record and see if anybody can knock you off the top of the leader-board in competitive online play.Pick the events you want and play with your friends for the ultimate in Winter Olympic bragging rights in Competition Mode.

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Arthur and the revenge of Maltazard is a Party Game directly inspired by the second movie of the trilogy Arthur and the Minimoys. Team-up with Arthur and his friends in this unique cooperative party game where mutual aid is the key to win.Features:30 crazy mini games to rediscover the best moments of the moviel Play and laugh all together in a friendly 4 player-adventure based on mutual cooperation where everyone counts! Chose your avatar among your favorite Minimoys

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EA’s Dante’s Inferno tells an adapted story that focuses on delivering a blockbuster 3rd person action game experience while bringing Alighieri’s depiction of Hell to the medium. Players assume the role of Dante, who descends into Hell after returning home to find his beloved Beatrice murdered, with Lucifer seducing her soul into the underworld. Dante sets out on a rescue mission to save Beatrice, but he soon realizes he is also in Hell to face his own demons and ultimately to redeem himself.Players will take Dante through nine unique circles of Hell as mapped out and described by Alighieri: limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud and treachery. Each circle will showcase its own distinct look, with demons, monsters, damned and geography that are crafted straight from the poem’s vivid descriptions.To take down the demons of Hell, Dante is outfitted with two primary weapons: the Scythe he takes from Death and the Holy Cross given to him by Beatrice, which has spiritual powers that will help Dante collect souls and spells from the creatures he defeats on his journey. The game also features a deep upgrade system so gamers can customize their abilities to their specific gameplay style, something they’ll need as Dante comes face to face with Hell’s fiercest beasts and bosses. If successful, Dante will be able to tame certain beasts, exacting their will and turning Hell’s punishments back on itself.Built on the same technology as the award-winning Dead Space™, Dante’s Inferno will deliver a fast, fluid and responsive combat experience running at 60 frames per second, a must-have for the action adventure genre. The game is being built by Visceral Games™, with the same attention to polish the studio has become known for with Dead Space.An Epic Adaptation of a Classic – Based on part one of Dante Alighieri’s classic poem “The Divine Comedy,” Dante’s Inferno is a 3rd person action adventure game that takes Dante on an epic journey through Hell as he seeks to rescue the soul of his beloved Beatrice.The Nine Circles of Hell – Just like the poem, players will descend through Dante’s unique nine circles of Hell: limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud and treachery. Each circle features distinct environments, enemies and story elements befitting the sins committed by their inhabitants.Control the Beasts of Hell – Dante’s Inferno features large scale beasts and bosses, some of which Dante will be able to fully tame, utilizing them to throw back Hell’s wrath to its minions.Fast, Addictive, Responsive Combat – Dante fights through the nine circles armed with Death’s Scythe and Beatrice’s Holy Cross, with magic powers and a deep, customizable upgrade system helping the player take full advantage of a fast and fluid gameplay experience that will never run at lower than 60 frames per second.Bring Hell With You Wherever You Go – Dante’s Inferno gives PSP owners the same level of fast, responsive gameplay through all nine detailed and unique circles of hell the team is aiming to achieve on the consoles.Visceral Games Stamp of Approval – From the award-winning studio that created the critically-acclaimed Dead Space, Dante’s Inferno will receive the same relentless focus on quality and polish Visceral Games has become known for.

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Episodes from Liberty City is the brand new Grand Theft Auto, containing two complete games – The Ballad of Gay Tony and The Lost and Damned – together in one box.The Ballad of Gay Tony:The Ballad of Gay Tony injects Liberty City with an overdose of guns, glitz, and grime. As Luis Lopez, part-time hoodlum and full-time assistant to legendary nightclub impresario Tony Prince (aka “Gay Tony”), players will struggle with the competing loyalties of family and friends, and with the uncertainty about who is real and who is fake in a world in which everyone has a price.Grand Theft Auto The Lost and DamnedGrand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned sees you playing as Johnny, a veteran member of The Lost, a notorious biker gang. Johnny has been creating business opportunities for The Lost in Liberty City, but his first loyalty must be to the patch he wears on his back and to Billy Grey, the club's President. However, when Billy returns from rehab hell-bent on bloodshed and debauchery, Johnny finds himself in the middle of a vicious turf war with rival gangs for control of a city torn apart by violence and corruption. Can the brotherhood survive?Developed by series creator Rockstar North and set in Liberty City, Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned features a new main character, Johnny Klebitz, and plot that intersects with the storyline of Grand Theft Auto IV; new missions that offer an entirely fresh way to explore Liberty City with new multiplayer modes, weapons and vehicles. Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned also boasts a diverse soundtrack with additional music – all with the incredible production values that are the trademarks of Grand Theft Auto.Grand Theft Auto The Lost and Damned Features:All-new missions: GTA IV: The Lost and Damned presents and all-new storyline that interweaves with the original story arc of Grand Theft Auto IV.Play as Johnny, a member of The Lost Motorcycle Club: Experience Liberty City in GTA IV: The Lost and Damned through the perspective and lifestyle of a member of a biker gang.Added range of weapons: Included in GTA IV: The Lost and Damned are the all-new grenade launcher and sawed-off shotgun. New weapons will be available for use in Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned single-player and in all new multiplayer modes.New GTA IV: The Lost and Damned vehicles: the Lost and Damned features a collection of bikes that include Johnny's own customised heavy-duty chopper.New and improved bike handling and physics: GTA IV: the Lost and Damned improves on the already lifelike handling of cars in Liberty City's virtual world.New action-packed multiplayer modes: GTA IV: The Lost and Damned will not only boast a whole new singleplayer story, but new modes for GTA Iv's multiplayer option as well!All-new in-game TV, internet and radio content: GTA IV: The Lost and Damned includes new radio shows and original music

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New vehicles like the All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) and the UH-60 transport helicopter allow for all-new multiplayer tactics in the warzone, extensive tuning ensures that this will be the most satisfying vehicle combat experience to date. Tactical destruction is taken to new heights with the updated DICE ‘Frostbite’ engine. Players can now take down entire buildings or create their own fire points by blasting holes through cover, thereby delivering a unique experience in every match.Players can also compete in 4-player teams in 2 exclusive squad-only game modes, fighting together to unlock exclusive team awards and achievements. Spawn on your squad to get straight into the action, and use gadgets such as the tracer dart in-conjunction with the RPG to devastating effect. Excellence in the battlefield is rewarded with an extensive range of pins, insignias and stars to unlock along with 50 dedicated ranks to achieve. Variety also extends into the range of customisable kits weapons and vehicles available. With 4 distinct character classes, 46 weapons, 15 gadgets, 13 character specializations and over 15000 kit variations to discover and master players will be able to fine-tune their preferred fighting style to give them the edge in combat.All of these features combine to deliver spectacular and unpredictable action moments found nowhere else in the genre. Battlefield Bad Company 2™ is all-out multiplayer warfare at its absolute finest!Battlefield Bad Company 2 features include:8 Huge Multiplayer Maps – Each with a different tactical and gameplay focus and set across a variety of environments.Ultimate Online Vehicle Warfare! – 15 land, sea and air vehicles, each with a tactical advantage during play. Race into action with the ATV or rain death from above in the UH-60 transport helicopter with its 2 side-mounted rail guns All-new Squad Gameplay – Team up with 3 other players and fight together to unlock special awards and achievements in 2 squad-specific game modes Destruction 2.0 – Take down entire buildings, create firepoints in cover or blow it up entirely! In Battlefield Bad Company 2™ there will be no place to hide! ‘Play It Your Way’ – experiment and refine your ideal combat style with 4 character classes (medic, assault, recon and engineer), 15000+ kit variations, 46 weapons (200 different customisation opportunities), 15 gadgets and 13 character specialisations. Awards and Achievements – combat efficiency and performance is rewarded with special awards such pins, stars and insignias.

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The story of White Knight Chronicles begins in the kingdom of Balandor, where a princess’s coming-of-age banquet is raided by an evil Corporation called “Wizard”. A boy called Leonard grabs the princess’s hand and leads her to safety in the castle cellars, where he finds a strange suit of armour that transforms him into the White Knight – an ancient warrior with the strength to defeat the Wizard corporation forces. Leonard’s transformation into a mighty hero, the White Knight, is the beginning of a life-changing fantasy experience, fighting against the fiercest enemies.Alongside the huge single player quest, adventurers will be able to meet in online lobbies to team up for their quests through the wide world of White Knight Chronicles. Players will find friendship and team spirit in abundance as they journey through a land of awe-inspiring mountains, a lofty castle, a cavernous mine and a towering mobile city built on the back of a gargantuan creature. They’ll hone their combat skills and strategy against foe after foe in gripping melee battles with enemies large and small – and they’ll join a globe-spanning community of brothers (and sisters)-in-arms with a shared taste for adventure. Key Features:An incredible 30-hour story from the acclaimed developers of Rogue GalaxyYou choose the adventure: embark on a huge single-player quest, tackle online co-op missions with friends or team up and explore freelyCustomise a unique combat system: invent brand new combo attacks and craft your own fighting style

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