All this speculation about the rumored PlayStation Phone today has taught me a valuable lesson: If you want people to believe something is real, don't release pictures of it covered in dirt.
News Blips:
Sony denies PlayStation Phone pictures are real then states it does not comment on rumor and speculation. Engadget revealed several alleged photos and system specs for the PlayStation Phone today. According to the report, the device resembles the PSP Go, utilizes the familiar PlayStation buttons, and features Android 3.0. Sony originally told Now Gamer that the images were "definitely fake," but the site has removed the quote from its article and replaced it with a new quote from Sony: "We do not comment on rumor and speculation." Several sites have also doubted the authenticity of the images, pointing out the significant amount of dirt on the screen as well as the interface mentioning 'A' and 'B' buttons, which the device does not feature. In response, Engadget claimed its report is accurate and refuted the arguments against its legitimacy. Honestly, I think the story surrounding the product is more interesting than the product itself, so Sony would be wise to continue denying everything until they have something really interesting to show.
Ed Fries, former vice president of game publishing at Microsoft, reveals the company nearly lost its bid for Rare to Activision in 2002. The acquisition, which cost Microsoft $375 million, came after a bidding war against Nintendo and Activision, the latter of which Fries said enticed Rare because the company was interested in working as a third-party developer. Fries said Microsoft had to bid high to prevent Nintendo, which already owned half of Rare, from outbidding the company at a bargain. "Our bid was bigger than Activision’s, but Activision was still in control of the deal at the time. The prices were getting so high, by this point, that it didn’t look like Nintendo was willing to participate," Fries said. And that, children, is why we'll never get the simple port of GoldenEye we've all wanted for years. [Develop]
Sony announces PlayStation Rewards, a customer loyalty program that treats players based on their level of engagement with the PS3 and PSP. The reward system grants prizes based on three tiers of engagement: Select, Pro, and Legendary. Players can improve their standing by playing new games, downloading content, taking surveys, etc. Prizes include avatars, Home content, entry in various sweepstakes, giveaways, and more. Shouldn't this have been how PlayStation Plus worked, rewarding players who are loyal rather than those who have money to burn? [IGN]
Japanese developer Alchemist announces it will include a feature allowing players to quickly change the onscreen content of its upcoming shooter Gal Gun to avoid the embarrassment of playing a sexual game. In Gal Gun, players shoot pheromone shots at girls to keep them from getting too close. The shots elicit erotic moans from the girls when they make contact. Anticipating the potential embarrassment of being caught playing such a game, Alchemist will include a "Mama Kita Gamen," or "Mom Has Come Screen," which instantly changes the visuals to that of an 8-bit game. It's hard to imagine why anyone would want to play a game with such a feature, but it's also hard to imagine no one thought of this sooner. [Andriasang]
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