9AM EST: Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII
1PM EST: Logitech Driving Force GT Racing Wheel
3PM EST: Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
6PM EST: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
7PM EST: Devil May Cry 4
9PM EST: Haze

If you still haven't played Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, I highly recommend picking it up. [Kotaku and PS3Fanboy]

It's easy to forget that dudes who are into racing games are really into racing games. [GTPlanet via BornRich]

As you probably guessed, Pioneer finally accepts the need for 2.0. This will come with Ethernet and be fully capable of BD-Live playback, no firmware updates needed at the get-go. Unlike other BD-Live players, which require SD cards, this one comes with 4GB of internal memory for downloads.

The thing is a Mack truck, 45 or 50 lbs. of steel and aluminum with everything mounted carefully to eliminate vibration. The bottom layer of the aluminum-housed chassis is a quarter-inch plate of solid steel, and it's even got feet from a Japanese company called TAOC, supposedly the most vibration-free platform you can get. There are no wires inside either; all connections are physically mounted from the circuit board to the walls to reduce noise.

Pioneer says all of the engineering is so that this can be a single box that replaces some home theater snob's high-end CD player, DVD player and previous-gen Blu-ray player, blowing each in turn out of the water.

In the audio department, Pioneer recommends using this for decoding all music and movie soundtrack, and going analog out with those gold-plated 7.1 RCA jacks. It's decodes all known codecs from DTS and Dolby using a separate digital-to-analog converter for each channel. This is a little like having a separate motor for each wheel of your car. Combining this with some crazy audio engineering, they created a way for "completely perfect noise-free signal" to come through RCA jacks instead of the costlier old-school XLR jacks. "It's far better than what you find in most receivers," says Pioneer's Chris Walker. In fact, everything, including speaker preferences and other receiver-like tweaks, are adjustable from inside the player.

It's also got that crazy CD-playback technique first seen on Pioneer's summer models: When used with certain Pioneer receivers, it produces jitter-free disc playback.

In terms of video, it has 1080p/24 for Blu-ray and DVD content too, as you might expect, with a best-on-the-market image processor also found in Meridian's crazy 10-megapixel projector.

The 09's next-level achievement is that it upconverts color information to 16 bits, previously unheard of because nobody had a system that could handle 16-bit color data. (Pioneer had to build their own for this mission.) That means that each picture can have up to "2,800 trillion" (um, 2.8 quadrillion??) colors, which the processor interpolates by looking at each frame of the Blu-ray's 8-bit color movie. Though most TVs only process 10-bit, Walker says that it's better to send over a richer signal that the TV has to tone down, than letting the TV upgrade the Blu-ray data itself. When TVs hit 16-bit, this sucka will be ready.

Cooler to me are the two HDMI jacks on the back. It's a first for a Blu-ray player (or PS3), and it means you can hook up the same player to both your projector and your flat-panel display without a splitter or some on-the-fly rewiring. You can even split it up so that HDMI 1 only does audio, while HDMI 2 does video, freeing up more video bandwidth, especially in those pesky longer cables that might get a bit choked. The HDMI can detect the source, and automatically determine what audio and video to send over.

Obviously, some people are going to be content with their PS3s for the time being (after all, they are only $500, a small price by comparison). And Walker acknowledges that speed is always going to be the saving grace of the game console. ("If we were to build a Blu-ray player around an Intel or Cell processor, we'd have those kinds of speeds too.") But as far as picture and audio output, nothing quite resembles this "super duper" machine. And on top of all that, we can stop bitching about Pioneer ignoring BD-Live, and getting on with the future. Now, seriously, why would ANYONE buy Pioneer's last batch? Save your money, home-theater snobs. This badass will be out soon. [Pioneer]

Sony Computer Entertainment America Announces Limited-Edition Uncharted: Drake's Fortune(TM) PLAYSTATION(R)3 Bundle Featuring New 160GB PS3(TM) System
PS3 Bundle Includes Uncharted: Drake's Fortune(TM), PLAYSTATION(R)Network Voucher for PAIN and DUALSHOCK(R)3 Wireless Controller, Offering Tremendous Value to Consumers

FOSTER CITY, Calif., Aug. 20 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) today announced plans to introduce a new 160GB PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(TM)) computer entertainment system in North America as part of the limited-edition Uncharted: Drake's Fortune(TM) PS3 system bundle. The increased storage size enables entertainment enthusiasts to store even more movies, television shows, and games downloaded from PLAYSTATION(R)Network, as well as more videos, music, and photos from their personal collection. Slated to launch in November for $499.99 (MSRP), the 160GB PS3 system will come bundled with the hit game, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune(TM), a PLAYSTATION Network voucher for PAIN, and a DUALSHOCK(R)3 wireless controller. The previously announced 80GB PS3 system ($399.99 MSRP) has started shipping to retailers.

"As PLAYSTATION Network continues to evolve with our recently launched video delivery service and more exclusive games, PS3 owners are demanding more storage capacity," said Jack Tretton, president and CEO, SCEA. "Consumers also are utilizing PS3 as an entertainment hub for their digital media, placing content such as their entire music collection on the hard drive. The 160GB PS3 system addresses this growing consumer demand in a compelling bundle that delivers significant value."

he Uncharted: Drake's Fortune PS3 bundle includes the following components:
— 160GB PS3 system — The 160GB PS3 is a complete entertainment system comprising a Blu-ray(TM) Disc player, HDMI output, an integrated Wi-Fi connection, and Cell Broadband Engine(TM).
— Uncharted: Drake's Fortune — A 400-year-old clue found in the coffin of Sir Francis Drake sets a modern-day fortune hunter, Nathan Drake, on an exploration for the fabled treasure of El Dorado, leading to the discovery of a forgotten island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The search turns deadly when Drake becomes stranded on the island and hunted by mercenaries. Outnumbered and outgunned, Drake and his companions must fight to survive as they begin to unravel the terrible secrets hidden on the Island.
— PAIN PLAYSTATION Network Voucher* — PAIN boldly tackles a rarely explored area of video-gaming ... comedy. The unique mechanic of the game allows the player to load a character into a human-sized, ultra-powerful slingshot, and fire the character into an active, physics-controlled environment, filled with precarious and humorous situations. Download PAIN from PLAYSTATION Store (http://store.playstation.com) to your PS3 system with the included voucher.
— DUALSHOCK 3 Wireless Controller — DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller provides the most intuitive game play experience with pressure sensors in each action button and the inclusion of the highly sensitive SIXAXIS(TM) motion sensing technology.

The additional storage space of the 160GB model will benefit consumers, as several highly anticipated PLAYSTATION Network and PS3 games along with add-on content will be available for download soon, including PAIN Amusement Park, Ratchet & Clank(R)Future: Quest for Booty(TM), SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation, and The Last Guy(TM). The bundle is also a great option for consumers who want to utilize PLAYSTATION Network's video delivery service, which offers new blockbuster movies and popular TV shows for download on an ongoing basis.

PS3 momentum has soared in 2008, starting with Blu-ray becoming the
high-definition standard and following the launches of key franchise titles, including Gran Turismo(TM) 5 Prologue, Grand Theft Auto(TM) IV, and Metal Gear Solid(R)4: Guns of the Patriots. That momentum will continue into the holidays and beyond, as PS3's software lineup will offer the most depth and breadth of any platform across the industry, delivering highly anticipated exclusives such as BUZZ!(TM): Quiz TV, LittleBigPlanet(TM), Resistance(TM) 2, MotorStorm(TM) Pacific Rift, and Killzone(TM) 2.

TOKYO, Aug. 20 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) today announced that it would release the Wireless Keypad, a new peripheral for SIXAXIS(TM) and DUALSHOCK(R)3 wireless controllers for PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(R)), this holiday season throughout the world. It will be introduced in North America in late November. It will be also introduced in Japan, Europe and Asia by the end of this year.

The highly anticipated Wireless Keypad is designed to fit precisely into the unique shape of SIXAXIS and DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controllers, and can be easily attached or removed. By using the product instead of the on-screen keyboard, users will be able to enjoy text chat communication more easily and comfortably in their hands, just as they would use familiar portable communication devices. It supports text chat in PlayStation(R)Home as well, and enables users to enjoy interactivity playing on-line titles and enjoying entertainment content more smoothly.

Equipped with Bluetooth(R) functionality, the Wireless Keypad can be paired to PS3 by simply connecting the keypad to the USB cable that comes bundled with the PS3 system. Also, two shortcut buttons, a Communication Button and a Message Box Button, are placed on the lower part of the Wireless Keypad, enabling users to jump to pre-set features on XMB(TM) (XrossMediaBar) such as "Friends" and "Message Box" during game play, which help PS3 users to smoothly communicate with each other. Additionally, a Touch Pad Button allows PS3 users to use the entire surface of the keypad as a touch pad, allowing them to easily maneuver the pointer while web browsing, simply by sliding their finger on the keypad surface.

More and more exclusive software titles that will support text chat feature are scheduled for release towards the end of the year including LittleBigPlanet(TM) (SCEI).

SCEI will vigorously promote various measures to introduce new entertainment world that can be further enriched through the network, including PlayStation Home.

Release date and price of this product will be announced later in each region.

This means that Guitar Hero: World Tour's insane kit—guitars and drums—will work with Rock Band 2's and vice versa (and Konami's Rock Revolution series). Some of the advanced game-specific features might not work (like maybe the touch features on GH:WT's guitar), but basic compatibility will be there. They're working on making stuff already out there (GH3 and RB) play nice too. All I have to say is you rock, Sony. [PlayStation Blog via Kotaku]

Now recordings will not be transferable between systems, and HD recording has been nixed for the moment, too (but presumably coming back after launch). So what's left to look forward to with PlayTV? The PS3 combined with the PSP will still allow streaming of PlayTV signals/content. Not bad, but not enough to justify replacing my current DVR, either. [Eurogamer]

Apparently the system had been purchased from a local pawn shop and Waller, not knowing how the PlayStation 3 worked, assumed that the account already on the system was automatically generated. So he'd been logging in under someone else's name—someone who'd reported their system stolen as part of a larger ring of crime.

The police (we're assuming with the help of Sony) tracked Waller's IP and found the address of the PS3 (where it was immediately confiscated). While Microsoft has aided authorities in tracking Xbox LIVE threats and the occasional theft, we've never heard of busting anyone through PSN. Way to crack the skulls, Sony! [Salisbury Post via PS3Fanboy]

What's the upshot to this? One, the non-exclusivity leaves room for Microsoft or Sony to license the same technology and come out with something as good as the MotionPlus accessory. However since Nintendo had two companies collaborate on this, knockoffs might not be exactly the same. [Eurogamer via Reg Hardware]

Sony PSP: A healthy and thriving homebrew community had sprung up around Sony's PSP, with alternate, user-made firmware adding new functionality like a wider range of supported media codecs and the ability to share music. Oh, and, well, there was also that little issue of mass piracy of games. Sony issued a number of firmware upgrades—a whopping six each in 2006 and 2007—designed to curb the little thieves, but which had the unfortunate side effect of discouraging the more creative, less piratical wing of the homebrew community. Sony used the "carrot and stick" method, enticing users with marginal new functions when the real purpose of the upgrade was to stop the homebrewers. This led to users actually trying to downgrade, or move back to an earlier firmware. Sony in turn tried to make it harder to downgrade, escalating the squabble into a war with its own customers.
Degree of Evilness: High. This is a deliberate attempt to harsh PSP users' buzz.

Sony PlayStation 3: The PS3's anticipated firmware 2.40, on the other hand, was a simple disaster. The famously expensive console was due to receive a major update, adding the flashy XMB interface to the mix. Unfortunately, while the update did work for some, it bricked a lot of PS3s, producing some very upset gamers. Sony pulled the update and re-released it, repaired, as 2.41, but Sony's mucked-up firmware was the Story of the Day. Bad press, ill will and useless hulking black machines. Not a great moment for Sony.
Degree of Evilness: Low. Simple incompetence from a corporation that should know better.

Apple iPod: Back in 2004, Real cracked Apple's FairPlay code in order to allow music purchased from Rhapsody to be played on iPods. When Apple released an update blocking Rhapsody users, Real cracked it again. Apple released another block update, and so on until Real ran out of steam. We doubt there was much demand for the service at the time, but Apple's clampdown was shameless. Hell, Apple could have played Real compatibility as yet another reason to buy an iPod.
Degree of Evilness: Medium-High. In the end, it was more bratty than evil.

Apple iPhone/iPod touch: When the first iPhone/iPod touch software was jailbroken, a few updates came out under the guise of bug fixing that just happened to make unauthorized use a lot more difficult. This time around, with the 2.0 release, the setbacks were more accidental than deliberate. The new 2.0 firmware may have creaked open the floodgates for third-party applications, but it also resulted in a lot of instability. Thanks to the update, iPhones have crashed at a rate never seen before (well, outside of my last couple Windows machines, that is), the keyboard gained a frustrating lag, "backing up" takes almost as long as the Iraq occupation (zing!), and, in a total affront to common sense, THERE IS STILL NO COPY-PASTE.
Degree of Evilness: Middle. A mix of self-preservation and circumstance, with some brazen stubbornness from His Steveness thrown in.

Nintendo Wii: In Nintendo's Photo Channel 1.1 firmware update, the game maker quietly removed support for MP3 playback in their Wii console. They replaced it with support for the iPod-friendly AAC codec, a far-too-obvious hint at what we all suspected: Nintendo has been taken over by the White Devil. How else do we explain the move from that GameCube controller that was clearly designed for some moon octopus to a remote control so simple I can operate it with my genitals? What about the new and incredibly racist all-white color scheme, the minimalist design aesthetic, and the cavalier and haughty attitude toward competition? Readers, watch out, or Jobs will get you ne-AAAACK!
Degree of Evilness: Nintendo can do no wrong. (And Steve Jobs is perfect.)

Firmware updates that leave you worse off than you were before are a kick in the crotch. But what about the slow, increasingly painful wedgie of unfulfilled promises? Electronics companies often promise to deliver features in firmware updates that, for whatever reason, aren't included at the time of purchase. In the best of cases, this is frustrating: Samsung's P2, for instance, promised Bluetooth compatibility, games, skins and more upon release, but was only achieved, finally, months later. But what if, as in Samsung's Blu-Ray/HD DVD combo player, the product line dies before the promised features (Blu-Ray 2.0 compatibility) can be updated? Firmware updates should be a surprise, a freshly-wrapped hand-me-down present that makes your crappy old gadget seem somehow new again, not a license to shove an unfinished product out the door.

This is just a short list of troubling firmware updates—if you have some firmware horror stories of your own to share, be our guest. And for all of you who immediately click "YES PLEASE!" to all auto-updaters, take heed, and maybe wait 24 hours before doing the upgrade.

The locations include:

• Home Square, the central plaza that gives access to all the places
where users will be able to customize their house.
• Your apartment.
• Theater, to watch videos and trailers.
• Bowling and Billiards.
• Marketplace.

[Impress AV Watch]

•Warhawk
•MotorStorm
•Resistance: Fall of Man
•Call of Duty 3
•Need for Speed Carbon
•The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
•Ninja Gaiden Sigma
•Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas
•Assassin's Creed

There's definitely some good stuff here if you haven't played it yet. [PS3Fanboy]

The Price: About $2 per pair.

The Verdict: Pretty good! I usually hate this rubbery add-on stuff that fattens up a sleekly designed gadget, but I have to admit, playing both the PS3 and Xbox 360 felt better with the caps than without. The texture isn't just more sticky, it also has a few nubs that support your thumbs as they push the sticks farther off center. (In picture above, left stick is capped, right is normal.) And the covers don't add too much bulk, either, even though the first few minutes of testing were definitely a strange sensation.

So do I play better with the Caps4Stix? No clue. But they aren't just a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. They are more like a subtle improvement on something that you'd never have realized was broken. Like a fix to a carbon monoxide leak if carbon monoxide just burned off a few brain cells instead of killing you.

Now if only you could buy them in a color other than black to match the 360 controller... [Caps4Stix]

We're assuming you know some of the basics—like that 5.1 audio is five channels of audio positioned at center, front right, front left, back right and back left, and then one subwoofer channel. And that a higher bit rate means more audio data is coming through, which, generally, means it's higher quality and gonna sound better, since you're losing less of the original studio sound.

The building block of digital audio is "pulse code modulation"—an old technology used for CDs and everything since. It can be rendered in several resolutions, from 16-bit stuff on CD to 24-bit on newer DVD and higher-res formats. It can also have varying frequency ranges, typically from 44.1KHz to 96KHz. Without going into more detail, you just need to know that PCM is bulky, and it is this PCM data that both DTS and Dolby work to encode into more manageable files. When audio tracks are decoded in a disc player, they are either sent out analog via multichannel RCA outputs, or they become PCM tracks that any digital receiver can easily interpret.

We're taking you through the major branded audio formats that you'll run into if you're dealing with a home theater, or hell, a Blu-ray player.

First up: Dolby. There are basically three tiers of audio: Dolby TrueHD at the top, then Dolby Digital Plus, then good old Dolby Digital.

Dolby TrueHD is a lossless compression format that is bit-for-bit identical to the studio masters. It can handle a bit rate of up to 18 megabits per second, and support as many as 14 channels of audio, though you're more likely to see it at 7.1. It's actually optional in the Blu-ray spec, but it's supported by the PS3 and most other new Blu-ray players. Some players decode the TrueHD internally, then stream out uncompressed PCM audio through HDMI, while others can send the TrueHD file itself out over HDMI in bitstream for the receiver to decode.

Dolby Digital Plus is the next step down. It still delivers 7.1 audio, but at a max bit rate of 3Mbps. It's a more efficient codec than the original Dolby Digital, and is a mandatory minimum in the Blu-ray 1.1 spec. Dolby Digital Plus can be used for Bonus View picture-in-picture audio tracks on a Blu-ray disc, with the main audio track encoded as TrueHD.

Dolby Digital is the lowest rung, at 5.1 audio channels, running at 448Kbps on DVD (though a richer 640Kbps on Blu-ray, used, again for special features or supplement language tracks).

DTS's offerings follow a similar tiered setup.

DTS-HD Master Audio is at the top. It's a lossless format that is also bit-for-bit identical to the studio master. It supports a bitrate up to 24Mbps (though the average Blu-ray flick's audio is only about 2-3Mbps, with 4-5Mbps spikes) and up to eight channels (like 7.1). (It too, is supported by the PS3.)

DTS High Resolution Audio is below that. It also supports eight channels at a constant bit rate of up to 6Mbps. It's for situations where a studio doesn't want to eat up disc space with a full lossless track (like bonus features or tracks), though DTS told us 95 percent of studios who use DTS use the full HD Master Audio.

DTS Digital Surround is down at the DVD end, with support for 5.1 channels and bandwidth up to 1.5Mbps, though post-2000 DVDs typically keep the track at 768Kbps to save disc space.

You may have heard a few things about Dolby ProLogic II or IIx, or maybe DTS Neo:6. These aren't digital codecs, so much as they are "matrix" programs that take stereo tracks and route it to to the different speakers in a surround system. A vestige from pre-digital days, people used to master stereo tracks deliberately for ProLogic—try watching The Simpsons opening credits through your receiver with ProLogic turned on.

Dolby and DTS also have virtual surround technologies that do the opposite of matrixing: They take 5.1 tracks and perform hocus pocus on them so that they sound surround-y, but play through stereo speakers or headphones. It's more subjective, and has a whole different science to it, so maybe we'll save it for another time.

That, in a nutshell, is what all of those Dolby and DTS logos on the back your Blu-ray player, A/V receiver or movie box means. If you want to know how "golden-eared" audiophiles feel about the highest qualities, and how well they fare against uncompressed PCM, check out this informative piece from Home Entertainment Magazine. As a rule, DTS HD Master Audio or Dolby TrueHD will kick ass, but unless you have a $50,000 sound system, you may not be able to tell the difference between the middle and top tiers anyway.

Something we missed, or you still wanna know? Send any questions about Dolby, DTS, Dubbly, Dobby or anything else to tips@gizmodo.com, with "Giz Explains" in the subject line.

Microsoft
Nintendo
Sony

Microsoft
How your current themes will look on the Xbox 360
Why Microsoft made a new Xbox Experience
Netflix on Xbox 360!
You can play games directly off the Xbox's hard drive
Xbox 360 is getting Avatars
Newly colored Xbox 360 controllers

Sony
Sony knows what went wrong with the PS3's development
How Sony being cheap hurts the PS3
The PlayStation video store is open
The PS3 80GB model gets a $399 price tag in September
PSN gets a simple sign-on
PS2 gets a LEGO Batman bundle

Nintendo
Hands-on With the Wii MotionPlus
Wii Sports Resort gets a price
The Wii ain't so cheap
The Wii finally gets a mic

Elsewhere
Rock Band 2's Instruments look great
EA upgrades its iPhone games
The DS is not as strong as the iPhone
The Dreamcast IS as strong as the iPhone
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed on iPhone
The official Rock Band 2 track list

The first is exclusives. Final Fantasy 13 coming to the Xbox 360 was a pretty huge blow to the PlayStation brand seeing as they no longer having exclusivity to the main Final Fantasy line. This is just the latest in the line of Sony losing titles that were previously exclusive (or planned to be exclusive) to PlayStation. Grand Theft Auto, Devil May Cry are two more recent ones, but Wired also lists Assassin's Creed (could have been PS3-only), Virtua Fighter 5, Beautiful Katamari, and Fatal Inertia. What does Sony have of big third-party exclusives? Metal Gear Solid 4.

This, as we learned from Sony's Jack Tretton, is because they're "not in the business of writing checks for exclusives." Jack goes on to explain quite logically that in this day and age, it's just much more profitable for game publishers to put their titles on as many consoles as possible, and companies would have to throw out some big chunks of money to convince them otherwise. The kind of money Microsoft has been doling out.

The second is Home. Tretton called the current state of Home a "no man's land," a phrase which he immediately wished he didn't use. However, it's as accurate of one as we could come up with. The problem right now is that Sony's at an impasse. They've finished the shell of Home and much of the core functionality is done. However, there's no content for it.