We can attest that Howard Stringer, CEO of Sony, is a pretty nice guy. But all the PS3 price-cut chatter from industry analysts and gaming execs seems to have the man riled as he tries to keep Sony afloat. Responding directly to Robert Kotick's threat to stop developing Activision titles on the PS3 (and PSP) due to the console's relative high price, Stringer told Reuters, "He likes to make a lot of noise. He's putting pressure on me and I'm putting pressure on him. That's the nature of business." When asked about the logic of not cutting prices, Howard said, "I (would) lose money on every PlayStation I make -- how's that for logic." True, until the 45nm Cell processor launches allowing for a cheaper, cooler running slim PS3 later this year, right Howie... wink, wink?

[Via GameDaily]

If Sony's PSPgo was some halfhearted attempt to quell incessant PSP2 rumoring (and our favorite PSP2 mockup render, above), it certainly doesn't seem to have worked. The new rumor out and about is that the inevitable PSP2 will harbor a PowerVR GPU along the lines of what's present in the new iPhone 3GS. The SGX543MP cited has four cores, with a rating of 133 million polygons per second at the low-end 200MHz mode that seems likely for portable use. GamesIndustry.biz calls this a "ballpark match" for the original Xbox, with some additional Dreamcast rendering enhancements for avoiding wasting time on hidden elements in a scene. They also point out that Imagination Technologies calls the chip a GP-GPU, capable of handling computing tasks in addition to graphics, and potentially giving the PSP2 the power savings of not needing a separate CPU to operate. Sure, it's all a difficult to pin down rumor at the moment, but if anything these sort of specs show what's possible for a new generation of handheld gaming when the likes of Sony and Nintendo are ready to give it to us. Now about a second analog stick...

[Via GamesIndustry.biz]

As Sony shoves one more PlayStation 3 bundle down our throats while we anxiously await the appearance of a slimmed-down version of the console, we have to admit that the game choices here are really top shelf. After catching wind of the Killzone 2 / Metal Gear Sold 4 PS3 bundle yesterday, we now have all the confirmation we need to believe that such a bundle is indeed filtering out to Best Buy stores. The image above shows an internal memo sent out to alert employees that the new package could start arriving as early as July 6th, with the official announcement coming in the July 12th ad. If you're actually in the market for a non-discounted, thick PS3, we'd say a phone call or two is in order, no?

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Update: The $399.99 bundle is now live on Best Buy's website and available for in-store pickup in select locations.

Well, it's not a price cut, but it looks like Sony could be about to offer one of its best deals to date to potential PS3 customers, with a little help from Best Buy. Apparently, in an effort to clear out the 80GB PS3s once and for all (to make way for... something), Best Buy will soon selling a bundle that includes said console, Metal Gear Solid 4, and Killzone 2 -- all for the usual price of $399.99. Better still, that bundle is supposedly set to go on sale as soon as next Sunday and, as you can see above, at least some of 'em have apparently already made their way into the stores' back rooms.

[Via Joystiq]

If you're familiar with the emulation scene (and let's be honest, you are reading Engadget), then you know the name ZodTTD -- the brain behind some of the best jailbroken emus for the iPhone, including variations on the PlayStation, Game Boy Advance, and most importantly... the TurboGrafx-16. Now the master-hacker has brought his goods to the Pre, cooking up a version of psx4all on the Palm device, with the aforementioned GBA and TG16 ports on the way! Interestingly, he reports that the performance on the Pre is actually better than that of the iPhone 3GS, and of course he's hacked access to the keyboard, allowing for (more) proper control of games. There are still kinks that are being worked out (sound emulation, screen scaling, etc.), but it looks like we can expect big things in the near future. We at Engadget know everyone will rest a bit easier tonight knowing that real gaming on the Pre is at hand. We'll hopefully be getting our hands on a version soon, but for now hit the read link for more info, and check out the full video after the break!

Do you dream of big plastic tennis-rackets and steering-wheel snap-ons for Sony's upcoming motion controller? Yeah, then why not build them yourself? Sony Computer Entertainment has launched its Official Licensing Program that gives accessory and peripheral makers in Japan, Asia, North America, and Europe access to all the PS3, PSP, and PS2 tech documents and schematics required to qualify your product for an "Official Licensed Product" logo. Sure, you'll likely have to hand over some cash for the privilege, but imagine the bank that awaits the person who converts the glowing orb atop Sony's motion controller into the very first official PS3 lightsaber.

A final iPhone 3GS jailbreak hasn't been released yet, but that isn't stopping enterprising hackers from trying to get at all that extra horsepower, and some of the first notable hacks we've seen are these updated PlayStation 1 and Game Boy Advance emulator ports, which run way faster than the versions for the original and 3G. The revved up hardware in Apple's latest is apparently capable of running either of these at 150 - 225fps with zero frameskipping, which is pretty impressive. Of course, we'll be way more impressed when the Dev Team releases a 3GS jailbreak and we can hit these up ourselves, but in the meantime there are plenty of videos to with which to while away the time at the read links.

Read - Emulator videos
Read - ZodTTD blog post with more info

Now that Sony's committed itself to downloadable games with the PSP Go, it's only natural to wonder where that strategy might lead -- and the hot buzz says there's an "app store" of sorts due in August at Gamescom. The new section of the Playstation Store will supposedly impose a 100MB limit on content and set prices in the $2 - $6 range, but otherwise have no restrictions, meaning devs will be free -- and even encouraged -- to code up non-game apps as well. Of course, you'll still be able to snag other PSP titles from the other parts of the store, but if this actually happens it'll be interesting to see if Sony can channel some of the energy from the vibrant PSP homebrew scene into a more legit distribution channel. We'll keep an eye out.

[Via Joystiq]

Tucked in between the "worst kept secret" PSP Go and motion control demos at its E3 press conference, Sony also revealed new content for the PlayStation Network video service, and the ability to download video directly to the PSP, no PS3 or PC intermediary needed. No word on when to expect the new content exactly, but it will include video from Showtime Networks, Starz, G4 & E!, Summit Entertainment, The Weinstein Company, HDNet & Magnolia Pictures, Anime Network, Media Blasters, Right Stuf's Nozomi Entertainment, Starz Media's Manga Entertainment, Toei Animation, Viz Media, WEP, UFC, TNA and Video Action Sports. Looks like Sony will have easy on the go access to video store content up and running before Microsoft gets its Zune integration act together, but whether that compares to 1080p instant streaming promises remains to be seen (Hint: first one with direct Hulu access wins, we're just saying, guys.) Check out Sony's trailer embedded after the break.

Sony just announced the rumored new motion controller for the PS3 -- the prototype looks like a wand with a color-changing ball on top. It's designed to work in conjunction with the PlayStation Eye, with the wand overlaid on-screen with a weapon or tool. Unlike Microsoft's Project Natal, Sony says they've learned "some experiences need buttons," which is why there's still a controller involved. The system is said to be "sub-millimeter" precise, and it was demoed drawing and playing a shooter -- it's sort of the middle ground between Natal and Wii Motion Plus. Sony says it'll launch in the spring of 2010, but we don't know what pricing will be like yet.

Update: Video added after the break!

Ready for this? No, seriously -- are you strapped in? The same reliable "mole" that enabled ArsTechnica to correctly call the Resident Evil 5 Xbox 360 bundle and the new Halo 3 / Fable 2 bundle (among other items) has come forward with convincing evidence that a UMD-less PSP is indeed on the table for an E3 launch. Truthfully, we'd be more shocked if Sony didn't announce such a product, with the download-only release of Patapon 2 being a telltale sign that something was up. We're told that the so-called PSP-Go! will be debuting in LA next week, but that a slimmer, trimmer PlayStation 3 likely won't. The reason? Sony's waiting for its current stock of PS3 consoles to dwindle, after which it intends to refill channel partners with the physically fit edition that we peeked just over a week ago. We'll be live at the expo to give the low-down on this as it happens, but suffice it to say, buying a bulky PS3 over the next few months will likely morph into a regrettable decision.

While still one-half away from a good "show and tell" game, Splitfish has announced (with no pics, unfortunately) the Dual SFX Evolution and Dual SFX Frag Pro controllers, part of the Frevolution X series and coming this Fall for the PlayStation 3. For the first person shooter crowd, the Frag Pro is slated to be the successor to the mouse-and-nunchuk combo originally released in 2007 (pictured), with a new dual wireless system to clear up some cord clutter. As for the Evolution, according to the presser it'll swap out the mouse for a right-handed motion / analog joystick. We're a bit lacking in the imagery department right, but we'll be getting some eyes (and hopefully hands) on the peripherals when E3 rolls around early next month.

Update: Looks like Splitfish called us on a bluff we didn't realize we had and pointed us to pics of the Evolution (above) and Frag Pro (after the break).

[Via Joystiq]