THE PS3 NATION

Nearly a year since the release of the Playstation 3, firmware 2.0 has finally been release. With it come some significant updates. The ability to wake the PS3 from sleep mode via a WAN connection with the Playstation Portable is key among these. Now, you can connect to your PS3 from anywhere in the world and access your friends lists, stream media, play games, queue up content for download from the Playstation Store, et cetera.

Another significant change is the ability to customize your XMB menu with your own icons, colors and effects. Compared with Xbox Live’s “pay for new themes” strategy, this seems like a terrific value for Playstation owners. The XMB has a few more new tricks in store with this update. Play lists can finally be created for photos and music. Video and game content can be grouped into folders. Videos downloading from the Playstation Store can now stream as they are downloading. There’s no need to wait until they are done anymore.

A new video chat interface has been added to take advantage of the “Playstation Eye” with even higher quality image and sound. The built-in web browser has been tweaked to load faster, as has the PSN Store interface.

All in all, a good list of improvements has been made. Unfortunately, we’re still waiting for in-game custom soundtracks and XMB access to be fully integrated. More on that when info becomes available.

It seems that there’s a new use for the PS3 being discovered every week. The latest news suggest that it can also be used to drive a car. According to eMediaWire, one of the teams competing in this year’s DARPA Urban Challenge will attempt to use the processing power of a Playstation 3 running Linux to pilot their vehicle.

When asked about the reason behind this decision to go with a PS3 for their computing needs, Axion Racing’s Team Leader Bill Kehaly said, “We like to think out of the box, using the latest publicly available computer boxes, and we only use boxes that help raise us above our competition.”

For the whole story, check out eMediaWire.com and check back here for further info about the PS3.

There are a number of new improvements and changes coming to the Playstation 3. The most significant of which included custom wallpaper, XMB access from within games, custom avatars and multiple chat sessions. No word on exactly when this will be made available. However, the folks at the Blu-ray.com forums seem to think it will soon be out. Click on the link below for further details.

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Well, it looks like the Folding@Home client that came packaged with the latest Playstation 3 firmware revision is a big hit. In a matter of days, a small group of PS3 owners have managed to triple the total processing power of every Mac, PC and Linux computer out there contributing to F@H.

Naturally, we thought we’d get in on the act. So I’ve formed the official team for “The PS3 Nation.” When setting up your client software just enter the following number for your team: 62046

Help us to help Stanford with their research into possible cures for cancer and alzheimers. Who knows, our team may be the one which finally cracks the mysteries of human protiens.

During a keynote address at 2007 Game Developer’s Conference, Phil Harrison revealed details of Sony’s latest bid to create a unified digital world in which internet connected gamers can socialize, play, and share common experiences. The logo shown here will be added to the Playstation 3’s Cross Media Bar this Fall. It will be the gateway to such a virtual world offering custimizable realistic avatars, private and public environments, media streaming, mini-games, online commerce, game achievements and trophies. All this will be provided free to Playstation Network subscribers. Read on for further details, screenshots and a video demonstration courtesy of Gamevideos.com.
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The latest issue of Famitsu magazine in Japan has revealed that the game development team responsible for Shadow of the Colossus and Ico on Playstation 2, is now working on a new game for the PlayStation 3. This is very exciting news for fans of cinematic, large scale adventure gaming. More news as it develops…

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Hey, you’ve probably been reading a whole lot of negativity lately about the Playstation 3 and Sony in general. Well, if you’re one of the lucky who’ve managed to get a PS3 already, there’s no need to let that get you down. This site is for those who just love to play games. You’ll get the latest news and meet others who share your interests.

We plan to be the hub of the Playstation 3 community. We’ll be hosting tournaments, sharing strategies, and talking about all things gaming. 2007 should be quite a year. Why not share it with people who put playing above arguing about sales figures and marketting nonsense.