PlayStation

While you may think that the economic news is totally bleak, the video game industry seems like it may well be one very bright exception to the worldwide gloom.

Bolstering the theory that the industry may be recession-proof, or at least better positioned to weather the storm than most, the video game business posted a startlingly strong November, according to figures released Thursday by the analyst firm, NPD Group.

NPD reported that overall, the industry posted sales of $2.91 billion, up 10 percent from $2.64 billion in November 2007. And for the year, sales stand at $16.04 … Read more

If all goes according to plan, PlayStation Home will be opening its doors to the public later Thursday. The PlayStation 3-exclusive allows gamers to interact with one another using avatars in a virtual environment via text or voice chat (think Second Life, but on the PS3). The free service is still in beta, but should be available to PS3 users worldwide by the end of the day.

Nintendo's Wii launched with support for player avatars that can be used in many of its games, and the Xbox 360 added avatar and enhanced community features with its November 2008 … Read more

Apparently Netflix and Sony have solved some of their licensing issues. An unknown number of films from Sony Pictures that disappeared last week from Netflix's streaming service for the Xbox have returned, but still no word on when the rest might be back.

Steve Swasey, a Netflix spokesman, has declined to discuss licensing deals with specific movie studios since last week, after Xbox owners complained that Netflix' streaming service was no longer offering Sony films on the console. Swasey said some of the movies have returned but not all.

"We said earlier that titles come and go," … Read more

It would be tempting for those in the video game business to take some recent news--for instance, that October sales were through the roof, or that the latest World of Warcraft expansion broke the all-time record for single-day PC game sales--as proof that their industry may be immune from the deep despair confronting the global economy.

And indeed, that seems to be exactly what many people in the industry are choosing to believe: that in rough times, people always spend money on entertainment, and that as entertainment goes, video game software and hardware offer much higher value than other options. … Read more

Now might not be the best time to be getting a new credit card, but if you happen to be a gamer who's racking up charges anyway, a new PlayStation credit card could be the way to do it.

Yes, a PlayStation credit card. The card, issued by Chase Bank and announced Monday on Sony's official PlayStation blog, lets you earn reward points toward the purchase of a PlayStation and other Sony products.

Through an introductory offer running from now through December 31, cardholders can save $150 on the purchase of a PlayStation 3. Which hopefully will offset … Read more

This one's for you, MakaiOokami: Sony PlayStation 3 deals are few and far between, but Dell is currently selling PS3s for $339.99 shipped (with coupon code PWXNZVNDRWWX1P, which expires October 29 or after 3,000 uses). This isn't some old refurb, either: It's a new PS3 with an 80GB hard drive.

Needless to say, the PS3 is a killer gaming console, notable not just for state-of-the-art graphics and gaming but also for doubling as a Blu-ray player. I'll cop to being an Xbox 360 and Wii guy myself, but some of the stuff I've … Read more

Personally, I'm more of a karaoke buff, but for those of you who aren't as secure about your voice as I am about mine, I got something you might want to check out.

It's a fully equipped, axe-shaped guitar controller for PlayStation Guitar Hero and Rock Band games. The controller is a three-quarter replica of Kiss bassist and vocalist Gene Simmons' signature bass guitar and is slightly larger than standard video game guitar controllers.

The Gene Simmons Axe controller is compatible with both PlayStation 2 and 3. It's customized with a replicated paint finish of the … Read more

So you've taken the plunge and purchased the new PSP 3000. It's a great handheld for gaming and media playback, but--just like an iPod or a cell phone--you're gonna need an assortment of accessories to get the most out of it. Here's what we suggest: … Read more

As of Tuesday, the Sony PSP 3000 is officially for sale. The CNET review has been up since late last week, but for those with short attention spans, here's the deal: It's an evolutionary step up from last year's PSP 2000, with a slightly improved screen (better color reproduction, slightly less glare), a built-in microphone (Skype users can now use regular headphones instead of a special headset), and improved video-out support (games can now be displayed on non-HD TVs). Otherwise, it's pretty much the same ol' PSP--which we've always liked.

In other words, it's not a must-have upgrade (unless you're dying for one of those above-mentioned upgrades), but anyone new to the platform will be getting the best PSP to date.

The Sony PSP 3000 Ratchet and Clank Entertainment Pack: this limited-edition $200 bundle includes a silver PSP 3000, Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters UMD game, National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets UMD movie, 1GB Memory Stick Duo card, and a voucher for Echochrome (a downloadable game available at the online PlayStation Store). … Read more