NVIDIA Corporation today announced that it has signed a tools and middleware license agreement for PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) with Sony Computer Entertainment Inc (SCEI). As a result, the binary version of the NVIDIA PhysX technology software development kit (SDK) is now available to registered PS3 developers for free download and use on the SCEI Developer Network.

The NVIDIA PhysX technology software development kit SDK consists of a full-featured API and robust physics engine, designed to give developers, animators, level designers, and artists unprecedented creative control over character and object physical interactions by allowing them to author and preview physics effects in real time. The continued adoption of NVIDIA PhysX technology by the world's leading content developers is resulting in games that not only look as realistic as possible, but also provides gaming experiences where the world's literally come to life: environments become highly interactive with effects such as persistent debris, including shattered glass and weapons ammunition, trees that bend in the wind, and water that flows with body and force.

Playstation 3 Firmware 2.60 Released, Adds Photo Gallery and DivX 3.11 Support

News of the latest update to Sony's Playstation 3 console emerged yesterday on the official Playstation Blog and according to Engadget, the update is around 140MB. The update also adds guest store access, to allow users who do not have a Playstation Network account, to browse through the online store. A video walkthrough of the new features in the update can be found here. An extract from the blog follows:

The PS3 firmware update (v2.60) is designed primarily to enhance the system's media capabilities. The key feature is a new Photo Gallery application, which delivers a suite of tools for sorting through and displaying your digital photo collection. Digital pictures can be organized in groups according to various criteria, including the camera used to take the photos, the event date and time, colors in the photos, as well as the number, ages, or facial expressions of the people pictured. You can also create slideshows set to music and build photo playlists with an easy-to-use interface. The Photo Gallery application will need to be installed separately from the XMB after you update your PS3's firmware. To install the Photo Gallery application, go to the Photo section on the XMB, select Photo Gallery and press the X button.

Mad Catz Interactive, a leading third-party interactive entertainment accessory provider, announced today the expansion of the Aviator line of flight sticks to include two new models - the Saitek Aviator Flight Stick for Xbox 360 and the Saitek Aviator Flight Stick for PLAYSTATION 3.

The Sony Playstation 2 is the most played game console in the US, according to a study of trends among Americans by Nielsen in its news release whitepaper (PDF). The Nielsen study gave out results in the form of top-10 rankings for several products and the consumers' usage patterns. Nielsen calculated the usage minutes of all consoles found in the home as a percentage. The Playstation 2 ranked top with a usage percentage of 31.7%, trailed by Microsoft Xbox 360 at 17.2%, Nintendo Wii at 13.4%, Microsoft Xbox at 9.7% and Sony Playstation 3 at 7.3%.

Please note that these figures are those of the usage minutes of these consoles and aren't exactly indicative of their market shares. Also taken into account should be the fact that the Playstation 2 is a much older console launched in 1999 while its competitive 6th generation console, the Xbox was launched two years later in 2001. The data was measured from January to October 2008. According to Nielsen "other" includes "any other console found in the home" and it appears portable hardware like the Nintendo DS or the Sony PSP were not included in the research. In related news, the same study suggests the most played PC game title. No guesses here: Blizzard's World of Warcraft. Refer to the whitepaper for more details.

Despite many sectors of the economy now formally entering a recession after two quarters of economic downturn video games sales have increased by ten percent. Data from NPD Group showed total video games sales in November were US$2.9 billion, taking year-to-date spending on software and hardware to $16 billion, which is up 22 percent on 2007. NPD Group theorizes that Economic factors are at play given that a video game is a relatively inexpensive form of entertainment for the hours of value it provides.

Sony released version 2.53 software update for the Playstation 3 game console. The new release brings in a host of feature tune-ups, feature additions and security fixes. This update is characterised by the introduction of full-screen Adobe Flash video playback for the web-browser, with the addition of Adobe Flash Player 9 to the browser. Others include minor user interface related changes that enhance the user experience. Ideally stability related issues should be addressed by this firmware release. The update can be installed from the console's own interface when connected to the internet, or by means of a PC download and when the update is bundled as a requirement on game discs. To learn more about this update, visit this page.

The Sony Playstation 3 console firmware update 2.40 rendered several units dysfunctional, forcing users to either try 'DIY homebrew remedies' (and possibly voiding warranties in the process) or seeking professional technical assistance which could cost the user anywhere up to US $150. With several users in distress continuing to express disgust on the official Playstation 3 forums, Sony has decided to work closely with users whose consoles have damaged solely due to the 2.40 firmware update. After it is determined that 2.40 firmware update is the sole cause of damage, the console would be either repaired or replaced free of cost.

After last week's fiasco involving the 2.40 firmware update, Sony has launched the 2.41 update. No added features, just that issues brought up with the previous update are said to be fixed.

Sony is positive that all bugs with the previous update have been fixed. In a statement, they say: "As many of you know, we released PS3 firmware update v2.40 last week, but had to take it offline temporarily because, for a limited number of users, the XMB wouldn't display after the update was installed," said Eric Lempel, Sony's PlayStation Network Operations Director. "We've been able to fix the problem, and I'm happy to report that firmware update v2.41 will be released shortly. We want to extend our apologies to the PlayStation community for any inconvenience."

For details on how to update, please visit this page.

Good Luck.

In what can dubbed as a fiasco, the much anticipated 2.40 firmware update for the Playstation 3 (PS3) gaming console which was released the other day, has been scrapped owing to several units facing acute problems with the new firmware. The new firmware had brought in new features such as an in-game XMB access and a trophy support along with enhanced gamer profile system.

Shortly after the update went online, several users began reporting problems with the update. A thread at the official Playstation 3 forums is currently over 60-pages and is filled with a number of ranting PS3 owners. Kokatu.com reports that the new firmware causes controller malfunctions, and sometimes corrupts the system completely. One of the solutions included that the user could remove and format the hard-drive and reinsert it, the system will prompt the user to format it following which the system will return to normalcy. Of course, you lose all previous firmware update along with all your saved games and user profiles. If you are a victim of this, please visit this site for possible solutions.

Sony has come up with a statement saying "In order to further assess the issue, we have temporarily taken the firmware offline for further testing. We are working diligently to isolate the problem for those few consumers and to identify a solution before we put the firmware back up".With inputs from Kokatu, Gamesindustry.biz

The much-anticipated Sony Playstation 3 Firmware 2.40 is now available, as promised, just as July 2nd rolled around. The update includes:

• Xross Media Bar (XMB) access in-game.
• Trophy Support (the PS3's answer to the Xbox 360's achievements).
• Expanded Gamer Profiles.

For details on how to update, please visit this page.

Kaz Hirai, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, revealed today that a new movie download service will hit the PlayStation 3 in the U.S. this summer. Players from Japan and Europe will have the opportunity to enjoy the service at later dates. More details are likely to be unveiled next month during Sony's E3 Media and Business Summit conference. "Please expect more from our evolving PlayStation business," Hirai said.

Videogaming247 has learned that the upcoming PLAYSTATION3 (PS3) firmware 2.40 will bring in-game Xross Media Bar (XMB) and Trophy support. The XMB support is one of the most requested features from PS3 owners since the console's launch. This time the information is said to be valid. The update will be dropping sometime in June. For more information please click here.

Sony PlayStation 3's online community service Home will not be launched until this fall, Sony Computer Entertainment has announced in just another delay. The service was first announced in July last year and promised to be available globally in the "fall" of 2007 but later it was delayed until "spring" 2008 at the Tokyo Game Show. Now the launch date is being moved to the "fall" of this year. When the time comes, PlayStation Home will be available only as an open beta test service.

We understand that we are asking PS3 and prospective PS3 users to wait a bit longer, but we have come to the conclusion that we need more time to refine the service to ensure a more focused gaming entertainment experience than what it is today, ... Spending more time on the development and on the Closed Beta testing reaffirms our commitment to bringing a quality service, maintaining the PlayStation tradition.

said Kazuo Hirai, president of Sony Computer Entertainment, in a statement. There are no details on when PlayStation Home might launch as a full service.

Sony on Thursday reported that hackers may have penetrated security on the PlayStation network and gained access to some users' personal information. Sony said the security breach occurred at the PlayStation Store, a content download service of the network. "Although unlikely, it is possible that the passwords of a small percentage of PlayStation Network users may have been changed through unauthorized access," the company said. As a result, intruders could have seen users' personal information and used their online "wallets" at the store. However, because the system does not display users' entire credit card numbers, it is "very unlikely" thieves were able to steal them. Sony said it has fixed the problem and security has been restored. The company is now investigating the incident and is directly contacting customers who may have been affected. Sony has also created a support page for subscribers to ask questions and get more information.

Sony has finished the list of tracks that will take place in the North American soundtrack for Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, the fifth installment of the billion-dollar selling racing franchise developed exclusively for PS3 by Polyphony Digital Inc. The official Gran Turismo 5 Prologue soundtrack will include an edgy soundtrack that mixes an aesthetic audio blending of indie dance rock, electronica, classic rock and brand new remixes by some of today's hottest recording artists such as Weezer, Mars Volta and DJ Shadow, among others. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will be available in April for $39.99 SRP on Blu-ray Disc and as a download via PLAYSTATION Store.

Supposedly, a senior official at Acer (the Taiwan-based company that specializes in PC notebooks) told BetaNews they are thinking about producing a "PC-based game machine." Furthermore, according to Acer's senior vice president, James T. Wong, this game machine would operate off an "open standard" philosophy, in contrast to the "closed" systems (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii).

While people criticize the Sony PlayStation3 for various reasons, Sony appears to be doing something right. Despite large total sales leads that both the Microsoft Xbox360 and the Nintendo Wii have on the Sony PS3, the Sony PS3 is beating one console: it's predecessor. In the United Kingdom, it took the PlayStation 2 50 weeks to reach 1 million sales. Considering that the PS3 was launched on March 23, 2007, it took Sony a little less than 47 weeks (yes I did count) to sell 1 million units in the United Kingdom. Comparatively, it took Nintendo 38 weeks to sell 1 million Wiis in the UK, and Microsoft required 60 weeks to sell 1 million Xbox 360s.