JANUARY
7th of January 2006
The CES show is held and Sony shows the PS3, but does not have a working/playable
machine, here is a video taken at the event
Source
17th of January 2006
With two months until release day, Evan Wilson an analyst from Pacific Crest Securities, predicts that the PS3 will be delayed until Summer for Japan, November for USA and March 2007 for UK/Europe.
Source
18th of January 2006
Sony confirm some launch titles, which include
Genji 2
Angel Rings
Monster Carnival
Everybody’s Golf 5
Gran Turismo
The Eye of Judgement.
24th of January 2006
SCEI announce that they have bought Zipper Interactive.
Source
FEBRUARY
1st February 2006
In an interview with PS3Week former Sony Online Entertainment employee Josh Robinson, explains how he lost his job with Sony due to an article he wrote criticising the PS3.
Source
Such criticism included:
“You could always tell where the PS3 dev box was because it’s the room that had the F-bomb coming out of it half the day”
“I’ve also talked with people on the technical side of the Xbox 360. The consistent comment I am hearing from people on my end is, ‘The Xbox 360 is better’, They are saying that it is capable of just doing more.”
Source
17th of February 2006
The PS3 is shown at the TaiPei Games Show in Taiwan, however it is stuck behind a glass screen
19th of February 2006
Analyst Hitoshi Kuriyama from Merrill Lynch suggests that the PS3 could be delayed by up to a year.
Merrill Lynch analysts also estimate that the PS3 could cost as much as $900 in production costs and will be released with an optional HDD costing $100.
Source
News from these analysts causes Sony’s stocks to drop.
Source
19th of February 2006
Kei Sakaguchi reacts to the suggestion that the PS3 will be delayed by denying it, stating the PS3 is still going to be released during Spring 2006.
Source
21st of February 2006
George Bain from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe holds a presentation in which he discusses several aspects of the PS3 including the Cell, RSX and Blu-Ray.
Source
=MARCH
7th of March 2006
In an interview with Bloomberg Japan, President of Namco Bandai Takeo Takasu, states:
“Without any announcements so far, the spring release is impossible”
Source
9th of March 2006
Nick Sharples from SCEE tells GamesIndustry.biz that Sony have no plans to release the PS3 simultaneously in all regions.
Source
15th of March 2006
President of Sony Ken Kutaragi announces that the PS3 will be released worldwide sometime during November 2006, he also states that the console will be fully backward compatible with PS1 and PS2 games.
Source
22nd of March 2006
Phil Harrison speaks at the Game Developers Conference in San Jose, at the conference he confirms that the PS3 will receive a worldwide release in November 2006 and Developers would receive Final Production Units in June 2006.
Demo’s showed at the conference included
Heavenly Sword
F1 Racing
Warhawk
Motorstorm
Resistance: Fall of Man.
Source
APRIL
4th of April 2006
Sony announce they will hold a pre-E3 press conference on the 8th of May 2006.
24th of April 2006
Programmers from Sony UK revealed to GamesIndustry.biz that they are working on software emulation for the PS3.
Source
25th of April 2006
A member of the forum NeoGaf claims to have received a release list from Bethesda, stating that Elder Scrolls:Oblivion will be a release title for the PS3 and that it is also coming to PSP.
Source
26th of April 2006
Bethesda release a statement saying the have no plans to release Elder Scrolls:Oblivion on any other platform than Xbox 360 and PC.
Source
28th of April 2006
Namco Bandai reveal that they will be releasing Ridge Racer 7 for the PS3.
MAY
1st of May 2006
Sony release details of their fourth quarter and full-year fiscal results, they state that they see big losses with the PS3 launch.
2nd of May 2006
EA announce that they will be releasing Army of Two for the PS3
2nd of May 2006
Sega reveals that they will be releasing Full Auto 2: Battlelines exclusively to the PS3.
3rd of May 2006
UbiSoft announce Assassin’s Creed for the PS3.
4th of May 2006
Sony files a patent for something that looks similar to the PS Toy, you can view it here – 44
5th of May 2006
IGN post images of the PS3 Dev Kit
Source
8th of May 2006
Sony files a patent for a “Video game controller”, you can view it here
8th of May 2006
SCEI announce that the PS3 will be released in Japan on the 11th of November 2006.
Source
8th of May 2006
Sony showcased their powerhouse, this time it was different, it was black, had one Ethernet port, one HDMI port and only four USB ports, it would come in two flavours, 60GB, which would be the premium console and sported a shiny coating, with a wireless Sixaxis control pad and WiFi and
a 20GB which was black but had a dull coating and was minus the WiFi, one think was noticeably
different, the control pad was minus the rumble function, this was due to legal problems. Sony stated that they would have a Worldwide Release in November 2006, with Japan receiving the console on the 11th of November 2006 and the price would be 59,800 Yen for the 20GB and the 60GB PS3 will have an open price which retailers will set, the US will cost $499 for 20GB and $599 for the 60GB, EU regions would cost 499 Euro for the 20GB and 599 Euro for the 60GB, you can read the E3 run down on Joystiq here
Sony also revealed the final specs, here they are
A comparison between the early promise and the final release
17th of May 2006
In an interview with Blomberg Kaz Hirai said that he expects around 15 games to be released with the PS3.
25th of May 2006
Rumours circulate again in regard to Sony blocking used games, when GamesRadar spoke to Sony, this was their response:
“We have made all of the official announcements at E3 and cannot make any further comments at this time. We will be announcing more news running up to PlayStation 3’s launch.”
Source
26th of May 2006
In an interview with MVC, Sony’s European CEO claims that European PS3s will be the first off the production line.
Source
31st of May 2006
In an interview with German Magazine SPIEGEL ONLINE, Sony’s Phil Harrison, strongly denies that Sony copied Nintendo’s Motion Sensing idea and states that the PS3 is a computer and that no one needs a PC, here is a quote from the interview:
“SPIEGEL ONLINE
How do you answer people who accuse you, you could have stolen Nintendo’s idea of a motion-sensitive controller?
Harrison
In a way, I even understand why people say that, but it is a bit silly, if you forgive me the remark. When we brought the Playstation in 1994 on the market, we have introduced for the first time real-time graphics in 3-D. When Nintendo launched its N64 in 1996 and this could also real-time 3-D graphics, as we have said, “Nintendo, you’ve stolen our idea!”? Of course not. Such innovations are possible because of a combination of technology, cost and production capacity.”
Source
JUNE
6th of June 2006
Ultra One magazine reveals that the first PS3s released will have PS2 hardware built in, but that future versions will rely on software emulation for backward compatibility.
Source
6th of June 2006
In an interview with San Jose Mercury News, Kaz Hirai defends the PS3s price:
“This console is going to do much more. We have made sure this is a console for the long haul. If you look at the lack of Blu-ray on Microsoft, what do you do if the game requires 40 to 50 gigabytes? Put it on three disks? Let’s look under the hood and see total value we are delivering to consumers. At five to 10 years, you see the lasting power of the PS2. If you go out there now, there is a lot of PS2 software out there. From a consumer’s view, who got the better value? If you look at which console is giving the publishers more time to amortize their development costs, the answer is pretty obvious.”
Source
7th of June 2006
Hiroshige Goto interviews Ken Kutaragi regarding the PS3, Ken confirms what Phil Harrison said a couple of weeks earlier, by stating that the PS3 is not a Games Console, but a computer, here is a quote from the interview:
“Hiroshige Goto
Game consoles fix their hardware specs through their life cycles. But PS3 seems to approximate to PC in that it can change its configuration flexibly.
Ken Kutaragi
Since PS3 is a computer there are no “models” but “configurations”. This time we try to make it clear. May as well release BTO (built-to-order) list if possible (laugh) Well, but if we do it the distribution will be confused. But, with PS3, we can do BTO if we want.”
Full Interview
8th of June 2006
The Second Hiroshige Goto/Ken Kutaragi interview is released, you can read it here
9th of June 2006
The Third Hiroshige Goto/Ken Kutaragi interview is released, you can read it here
14th of June 2006
The Fourth Hiroshige Goto/Ken Kutaragi interview is released, you can read it here
30th of June 2006
In an interview with Ge-Maga, Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima and Tetsuya Nomura from Square-Enix give their opinion on the PS3:
Kojima
“I had an interview at E3, and I responded like this,” said Kojima. “The PS3 is a movie theater. You pay 1,800 yen and view a movie with great sound and a huge image. These aren’t movies that are remade directly from television, but video that’s been made for the movies and everyone comes in wanting that. Xbox 360 is watching a DVD at home. It’s for people who want to watch a movie, but anything is okay. The Wii is a television program. You turn on the television, and you can watch soccer or watch a variety show — enjoy a program lightly”
Nomura
“Right now, as a game machine, it’s too expensive. If the hard disk and Blu-ray spread, in line with that, the situation for the PS3 will change in one to two years. At the present, it’s definitely too expensive, but I believe that when the games are there, it will change naturally.”
Source
JULY
7th of July 2006
In an interview with Electronic News, IBMs Tom Reeves speaks about the Cell processor.
Source – 59
24th of July 2006
In an interview with Next-gen.biz, Ryan Bowling who is a PR manager with SCEA, stated the commitment they had with developers, here is a quote:
“To date we have shipped more than 10,000 development systems to 208 companies in 11 countries, the largest number ever for a PlayStation platform.”
Source – 60
AUGUST
1st of August 2006
Imagine Publishing announce that a new magazine dedicated to the PS3 called Next3 will be launched on the 10th of August.
Source
1st of August 2006
In an interview with Wired Magazine, Sony’s Phil Harrison speculates on what he thinks the future of gaming for Sony make look like:
“I’d be amazed if the PS4 had a physical disc drive.”
Source
2nd of August 2006
Yoshihito Koyama, SNK’s marketing manager, has stated that the company will not start developing for the PS3 until 2009.
2nd of August 2006
Sony Announce a PS3 Memory Card Adaptor, which will let people who plan to but the PS3, to grab game saves of their hardware PS1 and PS2 Memory Cards.
14th of August 2006
Andre Vrignaud(Ozymandias) from Microsoft’s Xbox Team, claims that there will be no 1080i/p PS3 games in 2006:
“I’ll stick my neck out and predict that that you won’t see any 1080″x” games for the PS3 this year.”
Source
17th of August 2006
Sierra Entertainment announce that F.E.A.R is in development for the PS3
Source
17th of August 2006
Gaminformer posts images of the PS3 Dev Kit in its final form
Source
18th of August 2006
GameSpot speak to Kaz Hirai, regarding the PS3′s future and availability/shortages at release, Kaz also states that the PS3 is not yet in production.
“Some of our guys were actually just in China, and also in Japan, just reviewing the lines and everything else. But they are, again, preparing as we speak to get the manufacturing going. We’ve not announced and we haven’t set really a specific date to say, ‘As of this day we’re going to start manufacturing.”
Source
22nd of August 2006
In an interview with Ryan Schneider a spokesperson for Insomniac Games, it is revealed that the size of space used on a Blu-ray disc, for the game Resistance: Fall of Man is 22GB, which almost the entirety of a single layer Blu-ray.
23rd of August 2006
Biologists reveal that they plan to utilise PS3 to help fight Alzheimer’s and Cancer, PS3 owners will be able to download an app and it will run in standby, the app is known as Folding At Home or F@Home
Source
31st of August 2006
Sony reveal that they might need to half the amount of consoles due to be produced, due to a shortage in Blu-ray diodes.
SEPTEMBER
6th of September 2006
Sony announces that the PS3 will not be released in Europe in November, instead they plan to postpone it until March 2007.
“the delay in the mass production schedule of the blue laser diode within the Sony Group, thus affecting the timely procurement of key components to be utilised in PlayStation 3”
15th of September 2006
Electronics website Audio Cubes, puts the 60GB PS3 on Pre Order at a whopping $999.
21st of September 2006
Dolby Laboratories announce that the PS3 will feature 5.1 Surround Sound for games, with Dolby Digital and Dolby TrueHD for Blu-Ray movies.
Source
22nd of September 2006
Ken Kutaragi attends the Tokyo Game Show(TGS) where he shows trailers for games such as, Final Fantasy XIII, Gran Turismo HD, Ridge Racer 7, Virtua Tennis 3, Mobile Suit Gundam, Virtua Fighter 5 and Afrika, Ken also spoke about bringing games from older systems, specifically Mega Drive(Genesis) and PC Engine which would be downloadable on the PS3.
Speaking to Kikizo at TGS, Kaz Hirai spoke of the delay in Europe.
“we’re going to try everything we can to get units into the hands of the consumers as soon as possible for launch and heading into the holiday season. That’s one of the reasons why we decided strategically to delay the European launch, so that we can concentrate and focus more on the Japanese and North American markets. But the most important thing is being able to bring compelling software that really keeps the platform vibrant and fresh for the long term.”
Source
22nd of September 2006
Sony confirm that the 20GB model will come equipped with a HDMI port.
Source
22nd of September 2006
Kotaku reports that PS3s are overheating at TGS
Source
27th of September 2006
Sony’s Jack Tretton in an interview with Bloomberg, reveals that Sony plans to give 15,000 PS3 Kiosk units to American and Canadian retailers.
28th of September 2006
Bethesda announce that they are releasing Elder Scrolls: Oblivion on the PS3 and PSP.. The PS3 version will be a release title for each major region and the PSP title will be released in March 2007.
Source
OCTOBER
2nd Of October 2006
Kikizo interviews Kazuo Hirai regarding the PS3
Video
2nd of October 2006
Sony offer ten people a chance to attend the PlayStation Underground PS3 event, on the 8th of November 2006 in Los Angeles, California.
The winners get flights paid for, two nights paid in a hotel, $75 for each day and a PS3.
Source
3rd of October 2006
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Jamie MacDonald from SCE states that he believes the majority of content won’t be delivered on disc.
Source
3rd of October 2006
Stock market shares in Sony fall due to a report by Macquarie Equities analyst David Gibson, who stated that several PS3s failed at the Tokyo Game Show in September, here is part of his report:
“While the reason for this is unknown, we suspect it may be due to overheating as a result of enclosing the units and the high temperatures at the venue.
We are concerned that such a problem has occurred so close to full production and is clearly negative news for the company.”
Source
3rd of October 2006
David Karraker from SCEA explained to Next-Gen the issues in regard to the overheating PS3 issue:
“*Despite the report from Macquarie Securities implying that they had heard of reports of PS3’s needing to be rebooted at TGS, SCEI are not aware of any instances of this occurring at TGS, nor have we received any reports from third parties to such effect.
*On the Press Day on Friday, and throughout the weekend the PlayStation stand was inundated by specialist gaming media, the majority of whom would have noticed if there had been a general problem with console overheating.
*The environmental conditions at TGS conspire to test any electrical item. In the case of PS3, the combination of pre-production software, running on pre-production debug units, enclosed in demonstration units without ventilation, and surrounded by so many eager fans that on Saturday and Sunday it was almost impossible to move, are bound to prove a challenge.
*If indeed, there was the occasional unit that needed rebooting, it was due solely to the adverse environmental conditions within the Hall and not to any more general problem with PS3.
*PS3 does not suffer from an overheating problem.”
Source
3rd of October 2006
Nyko Technologies announces that it will be bringing its cooling device “Intercooler” to the PS3.
5th Of October 2006
Logitech announce that they will be releasing a ChillStream control pad for the PS3, this control pad keeps the players hands cool through the built in fan.
Source
9th of October 2006
In an interview at the European Technology Round Table in Barcelona, ex Sony CEO explained that the reason Microsoft beat Sony to the release of the next gen console was down to the Cell processor:
“The success of Microsoft’s Xbox 360 games console in beating Sony’s Playstation 3 to market was because “Microsoft is not a technology company.
Sony had gone down the route of developing a new processor with IBM for the PS3 and that had caused delays.”
Source
10th Of October 2006
Electronics Boutique and GameStop start taking Pre Orders for the PS3 in USA.
10th of October 2006
Scalpers start selling their PS3 pre-orders on eBay
10th Of October 2006
Terra Soft reveal that they are to build a Cell based Super Computer from PS3′s.
11th of October 2006
eBay starts taking down PS3 pre-orders and suspending the accounts listing them.
Source
11th of October 2006
Sony and Xfire announce they are working together on cross-platform communications, allowing PS3 and PC gamers to communicate with each other.
Source
17th Of October 2006
Terra Soft announces that it is to release Yellow Dog Linux v5.0 for the PS3, it will be packed with the following components, kernel 2.6.16, gcc 3.4.4 and glibc 2.4, Cell SDK 1.1, OpenOffice.org 2.0.2, FireFox 1.5.0, Thunderbird 1.5.0 and Nautilus 2.1.4.
19th of October 2006
At Sony’s “Gamer’s Day 2006”, SCEA reveals the US launch titles:
Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII, Call of Duty 3, EA Sports Fight Night Round 3, F.E.A.R., Full Auto 2: Battlelines, Genji: Days of the Blade, Madden NFL 07, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire, NBA ’07, NBA 2K7, Need for Speed Carbon, NHL 2K7, Resistance: Fall of Man, Ridge Racer 7, Sonic the Hedgehog, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas, Tony Hawk’s Project 8, Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom
Source
The company also reveals the prices of games and peripherals:
First party games will be $59.99, the Six-Axis will be $49.99, the memory card adapter will be $14.99 and the media remote will be $24.99.
Source
Also revealed is that certain PS1 games will be downloadable.
19th Of October 2006
In a statement to GamesIndustry.biz, Sony states that it is illegal to import PS3 consoles without permission from SCE, here is a quote:
“The law is clear; importing PS2, PSP or PS3 into the EU, without the express permission of SCE is illegal. Therefore, we will utilise the full scope of the law to put a stop to any retailers who chose to do this.
Ultimately, we’re trying to protect consumers from being sold hardware that does not conform to strict EU or UK consumer safety standards, due to voltage supply differences et cetera; is not – in PS3′s case – backwards compatible with either PS1 or PS2 software; will not play European Blu-Ray movies or DVDs; and will not be covered by warranty.”
26th Of October 2006
Sony release a video advertisement, discussing the Cell Broadband Engine
NOVEMBER
2nd of November 2006
Tetsuhiko Yasuda from SCE Asia announces that the PS3 will be released in Hong Kong and Taiwan on the 17th of November 2006.
Source
8th of November 2006
Several people start camping outside a Best Buy store in Burbank, California, waiting for the PS3′s release, that’s nine days before it is due to be released in America.
Source
8th of November 2006
The creator of Pong Nolan Bushnell, says he PS3 will probably fail, here is what he said during an interview with RedHerring.com:
“I think Sony shot themselves in the foot. There is a high probability [the PS3] will fail.
The price point is probably unsustainable. For years and years Sony has been a very difficult company to deal with from a developer standpoint. They could get away with their arrogance and capriciousness because they had an installed base. They have also historically had horrible software tools. You compare that to the Xbox 360 with really great authoring tools [and] additional revenue streams from Xbox Live… a first party developer would be an idiot to develop for Sony first and not the 360. People don’t buy hardware, they buy software.”
Source
9th of November 2006
Bethesda announce that Elder Scrolls: Oblivion is delayed until March 2007
Source
10th of November 2006
In an interview with Official PlayStation Magazine, Phil Harrison refuses to confirm a PS3 March release for EU:
“Given that all of our previous statements about launching in Europe simultaneously with the US and Japan turned out not to be the case, I would not like to make any definitive statements on that. It’s not my job to comment on hardware supply issues other than to say some very smart people are working very hard to catch up. In fact, the ramp up is already starting to happen in supply and output, just obviously too late for us to have launched in Europe at the same times as the US.”
Source
11th of November 2006
PS3 is released in Japan, the event in Yurakucho was attended by Ken Kutaragi
11th of November 2006
[Official Firmware Release – v1.10]
This is the very first firmware released by Sony, it was released on the PS3′s Japanese release day and adds PSN and Remote Play.
11th of November 2006
[Game Release – Blu-ray]
Sega Golf Club
Ridge Racer 7
Resistance Fall Of Man
Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire
Genji: Days of the Blade
[Game Release – Digital]
Blast Factor
Mainichi Issho
11th of November 2006
[Unofficial PlayStation 3 – PC Application]
[RO]man releases PS3 Update Unpacker v1.
Source
11th of November 2006
Japanese website PC Watch disassembles the PS3, to view the awesome images, click this link.
13th of November 2006
[Game Release – Blu-ray]
NHL 2K7
13th of November 2006
Famitsu publisher Enterbrain reveal that Sony have sold 88,400 PS3s.
Source
14th of November 2006
Reports suggest that the PS3 is having problems playing certain PS1 and PS2 titles
15th of November 2006
SCEA reveal the “Play Beyond” marketing campaign.
Source
15th of November 2006
eBay bans UK eBayers from selling any PS3 consoles until March 2007, this is to stop people importing PS3′s then charging extortionate prices.
16th of November 2006
[Game Release – Blu-ray]
Mahjong Kakutou Club
16th of November 2006
People who are waiting in a line at a Best Buy in Lexington, Kentucky, for the PS3 released, are attacked along with news reporter Elizabeth Dorsett in a drive by shooting, the weapon used was a BB Gun….
Source
16th of November 2006
A staff member for former Vice President candidate John Edwards, contacted a Wal-Mart in Raleigh, North Carolina in an attempt to secure a PS3.
John Edwards initially denied it was him, then released this statement:
“My wife, Elizabeth, wanted to get a PlayStation 3 for my young children. She mentioned it in front of one of my staff people. That staff person mentioned it in front of a volunteer who said he would make an effort to get one. He was making an effort to go get one for himself, Elizabeth and I knew nothing about this. [The staffer] feels terrible about this. He made a mistake and he knows he should not have used my name.”
Source
16th of November 2006
iSuppli estimates that Sony lose on average $241.35 for every 60GB PS3 sold and $306.85 for every 20GB PS3 sold.
Source
17th of November 2006
The PS3 is released in America today, Kaz Hirai had this to say about the consoles release:
“With today’s launch of PS3, we are officially ushering in a new era in true next-generation entertainment for homes all across North America.
The innovative PS3 system features powerful technologies and capabilities that have never been brought together in one system, including the Cell Broadband Engine, BD drive, HDD and online connectivity as standard features of every system. The results are breathtaking new interactive worlds to explore, eye-popping multimedia functionality, and a fully integrated online experience — all in high- definition clarity. The value we are providing consumers with PS3 is beyond compare.”
Jack Tretton had this to say:
“We’re thrilled that PlayStation fans are anxious to get their hands on PS3 and are working around the clock to meet that demand with additional shipments during the busy holiday season and beyond.
With the incredible technology and value packed into PS3, we expect rapid adoption of the system around the world, and we are ready to support that market growth.”
Whilst the release events were awesome, some events were plagued with criminal acts and other unfortunate incidents, here is a list of them:
*In Putnam Connecticut, two gun men confronted a group of people waiting in line at the Wal-Mart store, the gun men demanded money, 21 year old Michael Penkala resisted these gun men and was shot in the chest and shoulder, luckily his injuries were not life threatening.
Source
*At a Gamestop in Elk Grove, California two gunmen made off with four PS3s and several Xbox 360s.
Source
*In West Bend Wisconsin a 19 year old man received injuries after running into a pole, when trying to be one of the first ten in line to get a PS3.
Source
*A student from A UNC-Wilmington was beaten and had two PS3s taken off him as he was removing them from his car.
Source
*A 17 year old has his PS3 stolen at gun point in Lehigh Valley Pennsylvania.
Source
17th of November 2006
The PS3 is also released in Taiwan and Hong Kong today.
17th of November 2006
[Game Release – Blu-ray]
Tony Hawks project 8
NBA 07
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07
NBA 2k7 (North America)
Need For Speed Carbon
Call Of Duty 3
Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom
Madden NFL 07
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
17th of November 2006
[Game Release – Digital] [Game Release]
Cash Guns Chaos
17th of November 2006
A journalist at Time Magazine gave a review of the PS3, in the review he claims that the PS3 isn’t worth buying and describing the Cell processor he had this to say:
“I’m sorry, but naming a computer chip is like naming your genitals: you’re compensating for something.”
Though he did say that next holiday season, that it might just be worth it.
Source
17th of November 2006
A couple of guys in Toronto decided to smash their brand new PS3 to pieces and record it for YouTube.
Source(Video)
19th of November 2006
Ubisoft announce they are no longer working on First Person Shooter Killing Day
Source
Video
20th of November 2006
Taco Bell in USA offer one PS3 owner Tacos for life, the equivalent to $12,500 Taco Bell Bucks if they send in their PS3, which will then be sent to the Boys & Girls Club, the Executive Director Bob Fulmer from Taco Bell Foundation said this:
“The PlayStation 3 is on every teen’s holiday wish list, that’s why we’re offering one lucky individual tacos for life in exchange for giving Boys & Girls Club teens a gift that will keep them in the game.”
Source
21st of November 2006
With the continuous reports of Backwards Compatibility problems with the PS3, Sony open a website to help people search for PS1/PS2 games they owned, to see if that game had any problems playing on the PS3.
22nd of November 2006
[Game Release – Blu-ray]
Mahjong Taikai IV
23rd of November 2006
Koei postpones two PS3 games, Fatal Intertia and Bladestorm until March 2007
23rd Of November 2006
[Unofficial PlayStation 3]
CJCP from ps3news.com, dumps(Back’s Up) the very first PS3 game(First documented).
23rd of November 2006
Police arrest two 19 year olds, Tauryn Robert Hodge and Gerald Anthony Keys, in connection to the GameStop PS3 robbery in Elk Grove, both were GameStop employees>
Source
26th November 2006
[Unofficial PlayStation 3]
DCEMU reports that a someone called deadsoulasis promised a ISO loader for the PS3, here is what he said:
“No your eyes dont trick you ….its very close……
As we unpack the PS3 games we notice its very close to the PSP.
Testing my ‘Load game off hard drive’ for the past week.Ive noticed the file differences and winhex’ed the files.No surprise that the eboot’s are similar in hex.
As for now my Beta PS3 Loader will be soon online no sooner then December 10th….for tester’s on there own machine’s.
And as of this morning ..Ive successfully loaded Ridge Racer 7 and Resistance both running off a Hard Drive ..(albit external) No BR disc in drive.
Id like to thank PSP’s Booster and Dark_Alex for devhook/custom firmware’s….without it I wouldn’t have be able to find a way …
Dont ask me for files,code,or how to do it.
There is 3 beta testers as of now and December 10th it will be online for download …and before you ask.Its free.It will require your bio’s to be Re-flashed and BR-drive though.
Source
26th Of November 2006
[Unofficial PlayStation 3]
The very first PS3 game rip, was uploaded to the internet, this was done by a well known warez scene group called Paradox
26th of November 2006
[Unofficial PlayStation 3 – Computer Software]
Red Kawa File Server v1.0 is released, which allows PS3 owners to view media files stored on their home computers on their consoles via the PS3′s Web Browser.
28th of November 2006
[Official Firmware Release – v1.11]
This Firmware adds Account Management
28th of November 2006
[Court – Legal Proceedings – Crime]
Two men are arrested for the shooting of a person, during a robbery of people waiting in line for PS3s at the Putnam Wal-Mart on the 17th of November 2006.
30th of November 2006
SCEA announce that Kaz Hirai will be moving back to Japan to replace Ken Kutaragi as president of SCEI, Ken Kutaragi would become chairman of SCEI and Jack Tretton would take Kaz Hirai’s old job as president of SCEA.
Source
30th of November 2006
[Unofficial PlayStation 3]
deadsoulasis makes a thread on MaxConsole, the first post was the same that was posted on DCEMU on the 26th of November 2006, however he made two more posts:
“a little more details of it.
It does emu the firmware and (yes 1.11 works fine.)
You do need to switch the bios.(by software)
The Blu-drive does not need to be modified.
You do not need a Blu-ray gamedisk in the machine
All you need is the game image dumped.
(I support buying the game’s though but then im contradicted myself)
(Point was to play off HDD and save the Blu-ray drive)
And acually for the cost of everything to get going.
Its not much more just buying games.
There was a reason why Blu-ray was picked.
And this is one reason if you cant see it.”
“Let me be clear.
$599.99
-2 DVDR’s of fedora 5.
ISo’s preinstalled as well…
-One deadCELL chip.
-One 750 gig HDD.(400 bucks)
-1 copy of Ridge Racer game dump.
-Install yourself,Chance of bricking though
$1599.99/everything above installed and a retail unopened PS3.(with a Blu-ray movie)
-Zero chance of brick.
YDL will be released in december for SDK.
Prices might switch in the future.
$1600 is alot ..or just stay retail and buy like 10 retail games with your PS3
I hope my point got across today though…”
Source
30th of November 2006
Yuta Sakurai an analyst at financial holding company Nomura, says that he does not believe that we will see a PS4, due to Kazuo Hirai becoming president of SCEI:
“The appointment of Hirai could be the start of a shift from hardware to software, I cannot now imagine a PlayStation4.”
Source
DECEMBER
1st of December 2006
[Game Release – Digital]
Lemmings
1st of December 2006
Polyphony Digital announce that they have stopped working on Gran Turismo HD
1st of December 2006
[Unofficial PlayStation 3]
Team Xecuter revealed what they called “Hyperdrive”, it let you use various HardDrives such as 3.5″ IDE drives, to extend the size of your internal storage, here is some information about it.
Source
1st of December 2006
Analyst Michael Pachter from Wedbush Morgan, finds the comments made by Yuta Sakurai in regard to the PS4 to be foolish:
“It is embarassing that an analyst could reach that conclusion so soon after launch. Sony cannot have made such a decision, and to draw such an inference is foolish.”
Source
1st of December 2006
It is announced that flOw will be released on the PS3 on the 19th of December 2006 and that the company thatgamecompany have signed a three game deal with SCEA.
Source
1st of December 2006
[Court – Legal Proceedings – Crime]
An 18 year old suspected of robbing the student at Wilmington of his two PS3′s on the 17th of November 2006 is shot and killed by police, whilst they were executing a search on the premises, witnesses said the 18 year old was unarmed and the police officer who shot him also shot his dog.
2nd of December 2006
[Court – Legal Proceedings – Crime]
A third man is arrested in connection with the shooting of a person, during a robbery of people waiting in line for PS3?s at the Putnam Wal-Mart on the 17th of November 2006.
2nd of December 2006
[Unofficial PlayStation 3]
Warez group Paradox release a dumped version of Marvel Ultimate Alliance on the internet, in the NFO the playable status is marked as “soon”.
5th of December 2006
[Game Release – Blu-ray]
Fight Night Round 3
5th of December 2006
Sony’s e-Distribution Initiative (EDI)(PS Store) goes live.
5th of December 2006
Julian Eggebrecht president of Factor 5, reveals that the company will be releasing games for Sony’s e-Distribution Initiative (EDI)(PS Store).
6th of December 2006
[Official Firmware Release – v1.30]
This adds better compatibility for PS2 related USB devices.
7th of December 2006
[Game Release – Digital]
Go! Sudoku
6th of December 2006
Richard Parsons CEO of Time Warner states he does not think that the PS3 will help with the conversion to Blu-Ray:
“Do I think that the game console platform is really going to drive the conversion? I don’t think so. People get those things to play games, not watch movies.”
Source
8th of December 2006
[Unofficial PlayStation 3]
wraggster owner of DCEMU releases a method to use the PS3′s Sixaxis on a PC/Laptop
12th of December 2006
[Game Release – Blu-ray]
Full Auto 2: Battlelines
Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII
13th of December 2006
[Official Firmware Release – v1.31]
This adds better compatibility for PS1/PS2 games, also adds the ability to save some PS2 games to the HDD.
14th of December 2006
[Game Release – Blu-ray]
MotorStorm
15th of December 2006
The Asia Game Show(AGS) started today and was mostly a Sony/PS3 conference
18th of December 2006
The Asia Game Show(AGS) ended today, with Sony doing quite well, during the event they sold over 1000 PS3′s.
18th of December 2006
In an interview with MTV, Phil Harrison states that no developer will ever use 100% of the PS3′s power, here is a quote of that statement:
“Nobody will ever use 100 percent of its capability due to firmware upgrades and new uses for the Sixaxis controller, I fervently believe that the biggest challenge we face is that our industry is referred to as ‘video games,’ and games are supposed to be fun. Games should deal with fear, should deal with comedy and with death. They should deal with peril, with drug offenses.”
Source
21st of December 2006
[Official Firmware Release – v1.32]
This updates the online gaming functionality.
21st of December 2006
[Game Release – Blu-ray]
Sonic the Hedgehog
Armored Core 4
Railfan: Chicago Transit Authority Brown Line
22nd of December 2006
Red Kawa announce a media server for PS3 called PS3 Media Center X that lets you stream media to the PS3s web browser.
Source
24th of December 2006
After being cancelled, what remains of Gran Turismo HD, is given away free to US PS3 Gamers.
24th of December 2006
[Unofficial PlayStation 3]
Michal Birecki owner of PS3center.net posts images of his professionally spray painted white PS3:
“My father owns a car dealership / body shop in Montreal, Canada, so I decided to put my bodyman skills to the test.”
He auctions it off on eBay.
Source
27th of December 2006
[Game Release – Digital]
Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection
27th of December 2006
[Unofficial PlayStation 3]
Warez release group Paradox release another PS3 Dump on the internet, it is the Japanese version of Motorstorm and the NFO that comes with it, claims the game is playable.
28th of December 2006
[Game Release – Blu-ray]
Formula One Championship Edition
31st of December 2006
[Game Release – Blu-ray]
Yamasa Digi World DX
31st of December 2006
[Unofficial PlayStation 3]
PS3News confirms that Paradox have got a working ISO Loader for the PS3, here is what was said on their forum:
“Here is what I can 100% confirm thus far: Paradox DO have a PS3 iSO Loader already. It works by running the PS3 iSOs from the HDD via an exploit/security vulnerability in Firmware v1.00-1.10. Newer versions may work as well, however, speaking with them these are the only versions they have confirmed to me thus far as exploitable/fully working with it.
The good news is, similar to PSP we won’t have to open our $600 PS3 consoles to be able to run PS3 back-up images… nor will we have to mess with expensive Blu-ray burners or BRD media.
The bad news is, as soon as news (specific tech info) of the actual exploit is public $ony will patch it IMMEDIATELY and it will be useless until another is found. This is obvious of course, but stock PS3′s here in the US are already coming shipped with 1.10 firmware versus 1.00 so I’m sure it won’t be long until they get shipped with even higher from the factory.
Finally, as to why else is Paradox waiting on releasing their loader? Well, unofficially speaking (since it’s all just rumors anyway until something tangible is released) I’ve heard two reasons as follows:
1) They are waiting for the EUR PS3 launch before they share their PS3 exploit(s) publically since THEY (Paradox) are primarily a EUR release group… meaning their members wish to get as low of “stock FW” version as possible upon launch, versus releasing the exploit(s) now and then being stuck with 3.xx firmware with even more hole patches/protection for their families and friends, etc which wouldn’t likely run PS3 iSOs for some time yet.
2) They are waiting on more GOOD games to come out for PS3 before sharing the exploit(s). This is because if they do it now, then $ony developers will simply update their $DK’s/libs/etc and the new games will not work with their exploit(s) anyway… and the current limited number of PS3 games on the market (to them) simply aren’t “worthy” of being exploited publically yet.”