Would Like To Take This Time to Say Thank You EA.

I have been a huge Battlefield fan for many years.  I used to play Modern Combat on the PS2, bought Battlefield 1943, Bad Company for both the 360 and the PS3, (when I bought BC2 on 360 I paid additional $ for a VIP), I bought BC2 on the PS3 along with the Vietnam expansion… you get the idea.  Basically, I have been loyal fan and have spent quite a bit of money on Battlefield series.

Only recently I re-purchased BC2, but this time it was for the PS3.  (I had mostly played on 360)  That was because when the Vietnam expansion came out, I just had to get it.  So I had to start over on multiplayer.  No big deal.

That’s when I noticed that I wasn’t a VIP anymore.  When I bought VIP I was on the 360 and it did not carry over to the PS3.  (Even though on Battlefield.com my account clearly has my 360 gamertag along with my PS3 PSN name intertwined)

I contacted EA via live support and explained the situation and explained how I have been a loyal longtime fan and have spent boatloads of money on the series.  I wanted to attempt to get my VIP switched over to the PS3.  After all, I had purchased it before.

Normally it is EA’s policy that the VIP is not transferable, however since I am a level 7 veteran they decided that it would be okay and gave me a PSN VIP code.  All I did was be polite and explained the situation on how I did not own it for 360 any longer etc.

Now I had no idea this would actually work.  I just gave it the ol’ college try and it all worked out.  Having gone through this experience reinforced my belief that EA actually cares about its customers.  In a similar situation does anyone think the makers of any of the COD series would do the same for its customers?  In my opinion… “Never”.

Thank you EA.  

PS3 XMB Changing In The Near Future?

 

Last week Sony officially announced their Next Gen Handheld device (Called the NGP or Next Gen Portable) that is to officially replace the PSP. 

While most already knew of the existence of this device one thing took a lot of people off guard.  Apparently the NGP has a completely different XMB than the older PSP or even the current PS3.  Normally, the Sony handheld and the PS3 shared similar XMB’s to help intertwine the two devices a lot easier. 

This is not the case with the new NGP.  The new XMB for that system will be called “Live Area”.  A relatively new XMB that has been unseen in any of Sony’s electronics. 

In the near future will this “Live Area” make its way onto the PS3?  The Sony handhelds and the PS3 have a solid history of sharing XMB’s so it is certainly a possibility.  Overhauling the PS3 XMB is long overdue in my opinion.  However that is all speculation that a lot of professionals and gamers alike are already making.

Yes The PS3 CAN Play MKV Files (Without A Converter)

I already know a lot of people out there already know this but then again there are a lot of people who do not. 

YES THE PS3 CAN PLAY MKV FILES WITHOUT CONVERTING THE FILES TO ANOTHER FORMAT!

To be honest, I was never a huge fan of the MKV format since it was not as popular as a AVI or a MPEG file formats.  However the MKV file has a huge advantage over all other formats that I really like...  the video files are a lot smaller compared to others.

Here is a how to video on how you can make MKV files show up as playable media for your PS3.

PSP2 Announcement Coming Next Week

FINALLY! After hearing many rumors and waiting for what seems like forever, Sony is finally going to announce next week the news that we have all been waiting for. Yes folks, the official announcement of the PSP2! It has been no secret that Sony was in development of the PSP2, but without an official announcement gamers and fans were left to do nothing but speculate.  In recent weeks it has also been rumored to be even more powerful than the PS3 itself!

Another rumor is that soon after the official announcement, Sony will officially announce the Playstation phone. A phone that is literally going to revolutionize how we use our hand held devices.  If Sony has upgraded their remote play capability on the PSP2 and or the Playstation phone to act as a true mobile ps3, I for one will be very happy.  It would be awesome to have a mobile device that allows me to stream Netflix, Skype, or play ALL my downloaded PSN games.We are very excited!

Another Way To View Youtube On The PS3

Remote Play Is Evolving

Anyone who owns a PSP along with a PS3 is very aware of the remote play feature. It allows any PSP owner remotely connect to their PS3 from anywhere that has wifi.



This is defiantly a feature that just starting to be implemented on the 360 by having access to Xbox Live through a windows phone. However the PS3 version has been around for quite some time. Although the features that are allowed to be used during remote play are limited, it is still a step in the right direction.

In late 2009 early 2010 Sony allowed all brand new Sony Vaio computers the ability to use the PS3 remote play feature. A sign that the Remote Play option is evolving. While this was exciting to most gamers it was met with disappointment for those who do not own new Sony Vaio PC's or laptops.

That changed in the summer of 2010 when a man who goes by the name of NTAuthority hacked the software and made it available for those who do not own a vaio.

Read About The Hack Here:
http://www.ps3-hacks.com/2010/06/21/vaio-remote-play-patch-released-use-sonys-remote-play-on-non-vaio-pcs/

There were limitations and conditions involved [updating runtime and running software as administrator] but the hack worked for most people. There were still some who had issues regarding the hack but still....

another step in the right direction.

People who did get the remote play to work complained that there was very little to do on it aside from watching the music/videos already on the PS3 or using it's internet browser.

So what will 2011 bring in the world of remote play? Will we see additional steps to having a fully functional console from our laptops/PC's? Will we see Sony update the feature and officially allow non-vaio computers to use its feature? With the popularity of this it is almost certain we can be optimistic and say yes.

I feel it is almost safe to say that a 360 fully functional remote play application is equally desired. But for now, we have to be happy with just being able to use it with a Windows phone. Hey... it's a start.

Recording Your PS3/360 Gameplay And Uploading It To Youtube

People always ask me how we record our gameplay.  It is really simple and only cost us roughly $8.  We purchased a EASYCAP on ebay for $8 and figured out how to get great quality on it. 

This didn't happen overnight, in fact we had a hell of a time figuring out what setting were best.  Finally after much trial and error we figured it out.  Other people who have purchased the easycap dismiss the device as something that does not give good quality.  Well we beg to differ.  Plus, we are going to show you how.

Now That 2011 Is Here Will Xbox And Playstation Allow Old Console Games To Be Played On 360 & PS3?

2011 is finally here.  Being how our "next gen consoles" aren't so next gen anymore, the question arises on when if ever Xbox and Playstation will update the systems to allow Xbox original and PS2 games to run on the 360 and PS3.

Lucky PS3 owners when the system first launched were lucky enough to have first gen consoles that did in fact allow the PS3 to play the old PS2 games.  For whatever reason (we speculate it hurt PS2 sales which at the time were still good) they decided to pull the plug and eventually took the feature away.

Almost the same goes for the Xbox 360.  Some of the early consoles played the previous Xbox games and also for some strange reason, they took it away.

We understand why Sony and Microsoft would do such a thing 4 or 5 years ago.  The thing is, the PS2 sales and the Xbox [original] sales are not what they used to be if even existent.  We think it is time to update the consoles to regain this which would be a highly popular feature.  Both the PS3 and the 360 can easily accomplish this.  Will this ever happen?  We honestly do not know.  Both systems have dipped into the previous console gaming market and allowed certain released for download via XBL or PSN.  Which is cool and all but the selection is very limited.  Allowing the consoles to regain the access to play the older games would most likely regain interest in those old games that gamers loved and grew up playing.

Do you see this ever happening?  Maybe, maybe not.  But it doesn't hurt to dream.

Dear Sony...

Every PS3 lover knows one thing that most will agree on.... THE PS3 DOESN'T DO EVERYTHING!  Least, not yet.  The PS3 is an amazing machine.  In no way does it use its full capacity of what it is able to do.  So, I am come up with a few features that would make excellent additions.


Skype Integration:  If the PS3 followed the suit of the PSP and allowed Skype video chatting it would be spectacular.  Skype is a widely popular program used by a large amount of users.  Skype on the PS3 would benefit everyone.  The user, Sony, and of course Skype.  Plus it is a feature that would be used.

Gameplay Recorder: When Sony revealed the video editor it came off as a step in the right direction.  Finally we were able to upload videos to facebook or youtube.  However there was no gameplay recorder.  There isn't a gamer on the planet that would not like to upload certain aspects of their gameplay for all to see.  Everyone has had that gaming moment when you make that awesome play, kill, or some other gaming moment when you just wish other people were there to see it.  Adding a gameplay recorder is another feature that most ps3 users would like to see.

Improved Web Browser: Most people complain that the web browser on the ps3 is so bad, they do not even use it.  I too have had my issues with it.  If the web browser was updated, in a sense the PS3 could potentially be used as an additional computer.  Very useful for those families with only one laptop or PC.  No more waiting for them to get off the computer so you can browse the net, you can just use your PS3.

Invisible Sign-In:  Most PS3 users have friends on their friends list.  However having an invisible sign-in would be useful for those times when you just want to be left alone.

Improved Chatroom: Even though it has been fairly obvious most PS3 users would like to be able to chat with friends outside a chatroom, the actual chatroom could use an update as well.  For those who do decide to join a chatroom with friends, a video or music sharing feature would be nice.  If I have a video I would like to watch with the people of my chatroom, that would be ideal.  Kind of like the theater party on the xbox 360 version of Netflix.




 If Sony were to add these features it would easily place the PS3 a step above all other consoles.  To a lot of PS3 users the PS3 is already superior.  I too think this however these features would leave the issue with a status of "without a doubt the best best console on the market".