I should have probably held out a little bit longer amidst rumors of a relaunch on the PSP Go, but I couldn’t hold out any longer on a price drop.  I’ve been too bored on my train rides for the past year.  I needed something else besides books and the newspaper to keep me entertained.

The last handheld device I had was an original Gameboy playing mario bros, metroid, choplifter, breakout, amongst other things.

I’ve been messing around with the PSP Go for the last few days, and so far I feel like it will at least entertain me when I am bored.

A few things I have noticed is that the wireless connection is a bit slow, it took about 2hrs to download and install Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.  And of course Sony has yet to get a decent browser installed on the PS3 or PSP to view most websites.

Is the PSP Go really worth the $250 I spent on it?  Only time will tell.  I’m kinda mad that I can’t find Sid Meier’s Pirates! on the Playstation Store, since that is one game I’ve wanted to play.

The Playstation Network’s latest update include a download of the Battlefield Bad Company 2 demo.  The file size is just under 1GB.

The demo is for the online multiplayer feature, there is no story mode play.  After playing Mordern Warfare 2 for the last couple of months, BF:BC2 feels a bit clunky.  I’m assuming they will be tweaking the game for its launch March 2nd.

I recently decided to upgrade my Playstation 3 hard drive just for the fun of it.  I had an original 40GB model and bought a 250GB replacement on Newegg.  If I had known it was so easy to upgrade the hard drive, I would have probably done it a while ago since I like messing with computers and hardware.

First off, you have to make sure you get a 2.5″ SATA hard drive (the size they put in laptops) because it is the only size that will fit.  Also, you can choose from 5400RPMs or 7200RPMs.  The stock hard drive is rated at 5400RPMs, so it is probably best to stick with that type for compatibility issues.  In addition, tests comparing the two showed only a marginal difference in the 7200RPM model.  Check out this GamePro article comparing a 5400RPM hard drive to a 7200RPM hard drive in the PS3.

I went with a 250GB 5400RPM Western Digital Scorpio Blue.  It was on sale for $50 when I bought it at Newegg.

Depending on the model of your PS3, the required steps for replacing the hard drive are a little different.  I read this GamePro PS3 hard drive replacement article to get the gist. It turned out I had a newer model, and the drive bay was different. The only problem I ran into was having to download a PS3 update file that was 3.10 or higher onto a flash drive, since I was prompted to upgrade before I could format the hard drive.

If you haven’t thought about upgrading your PS3 hard drive, I recommend you do it since it is extremely easy.  Sony allows you to buy a third party hard drive unlike Microsoft, so a hard drive from Western Digital or Seagate will work fine.  The stock hard drive is a Seagate model for reference.

The new Gran Turismo 5 Demo was released this week. The demo allows to you test your racing skills against the rest of the world with a time trial. The demo provides a single track and the option to race in a tuned or stock 350z.

If you have played past Gran Turismo games, the time trial is a continuous race against yourself to see how fast of a lap you can run. Each lap provides a ghost car of your previous run. After each lap your time is posted online and you are ranked against other players.

The game has incredible graphics as expected and it has a more realistic racing feel than past games in the series. I’m going to have to brush up on my driving skills because I am getting no where near the top of the rankings so far.

Check out more info at the official Gran Turismo site.

Finally Netflix and Sony have teamed up to bring us streaming movies on PS3. I have been waiting for this day for quite some time now!

FOSTER CITY, Calif. and LOS GATOS, Calif., Oct. 26 – Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA) and Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) today announced that they are joining forces to make thousands of movies and TV episodes from Netflix available to be streamed instantly to TVs via the PlayStation®3 (PS3(TM)) computer entertainment system. Netflix expects to begin streaming via the PS3 system next month at no additional cost to Netflix members in the United States who have a PS3 system.

Today’s announcement pairs two of the most popular and fastest growing home entertainment brands in the U.S. The PS3 system’s installed base has reached close to 9 million units in the United States, and Netflix recently reported 11.1 million U.S. subscribers as of September 30.

The partnership further solidifies the PS3 system as the most complete home entertainment hub on the market today, enabling consumers to play high-definition games, watch Blu-ray movies, listen to music, view photos, browse the Internet, and download content from PlayStation®Network – from exclusive games to blockbuster movies and popular TV shows. PS3 system owners will soon enjoy an unparalleled experience watching their favorite movies and TV shows streamed instantly from Netflix, downloading from the PlayStation Network or watching Blu-ray/DVD media. The Netflix offering expands on the entertainment experience delivered to PS3 system owners via PlayStation Network.

For only $8.99 a month, Netflix members can instantly watch unlimited movies and TV episodes streamed to their TVs and computers via Netflix ready devices such as the PS3 system and can receive unlimited DVDs delivered quickly to their homes.

“The PlayStation 3 system has always been about more than just gaming, and it will soon be the only platform in the industry to offer consumers such a variety of convenient options for enjoying movies and TV shows,” said Jack Tretton, president and CEO, SCEA. “Whether you want to watch content on Blu-ray disc and DVD, download it from the PlayStation Network’s video delivery service, or stream videos instantly from Netflix, the PS3 system is the only solution that offers it all.”

“As instantly watching movies and TV episodes streamed from Netflix becomes an increasingly popular way to enjoy the Netflix service, our goal is to rapidly expand the devices that stream to our members,” said Netflix CEO and co-founder Reed Hastings. “As a leading game console and Blu-ray disc player, bringing Netflix to the PS3 system is a real win for both Netflix members and PS3 system owners.”

Initially, watching movies instantly streamed from Netflix via the PS3 system will be enabled by a free, instant streaming Blu-ray disc that is being made available to all Netflix members. The free instant streaming disc leverages Blu-ray’s BD-Live(TM) technology to access the Internet and activate the Netflix user interface on the PS3 system, which must be online via Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

Netflix members simply slide the disc into their PS3 systems to reveal movies and TV episodes that can be watched instantly. These titles are conveniently organized into a variety of categories based on members’ personal preferences, popular genres, new arrivals and members’ individual instant Queues. Members can use the Netflix Web site or navigate directly on their PS3 systems to add movies and TV shows to their Queues. With the PS3 system’s Wireless Controller, members can choose a movie to watch from their instant Queues or just play directly from any of the lists. They also have the ability to read synopses and rate movies. In addition, they have the option of fast-forwarding and rewinding the video stream via the Wireless Controller.

Netflix members and PS3 system owners can now reserve a free instant streaming disc for PS3 systems by going to www.netflix.com/ps3. Upon availability, the instant streaming disc will be delivered for free by first-class mail, generally one business day after members request it.

Best Buy and it’s Geek Squad are milking the tech illiterate shoppers out of $130 just to hook up a Playstation 3.

Geeks Squad’s awesome PS3 service includes:

* Setup and configure gaming console
* Installations of the latest firmware updates
* Setup and configure local user accounts with parental controls
* Setup and configuration of one online account (only 1?)

Are you serious Best Buy? You are charging $130 to setup a PS3? If you don’t know how to hookup and press a couple of buttons to setup and upgrade a PS3, then you shouldn’t own a PS3.

It seems Sony’s recent incarnation of the PS3 is a big hit in America. Combined with the $100 price drop and 120GB hard drive upgrade, the PS3 slim is a bargain compared to previous PS3 versions.

I have always thought that the only way Sony would make any money on the PS3 is by reducing its price. In return there will be more sales in video games for the console.

Source: Weekly Analysis – PS3 Sales Double in America

Check out this video showing off the new PS3 slim releasing September 1st in North America. The PS3 slim is 33% smaller, 36% lighter, and comes with a 120GB hard drive.

“I expected we’ll see a PlayStation 3.5 before we see a PlayStation 4 and an Xbox 560 before we see an Xbox 720,” he said.

Hilleman also predicts that online games will play a bigger role as opposed to package video games, making light to the 28,000 internet game rooms in South Korea alone.

Source: CVG; EA expects PS3.5 and Xbox 560 before next gen