This news should be causing more than a few smiles in Redmond as the news that the Xbox 360 beat out Nintendo’s Wii and Sony’s Playstation 3 when it comes to worldwide sales for the first time ever.

It’s old news for for the Microsoft gaming console to beat out its competition nationally but it has never bested either one of them, let alone both, in the global gaming console marketplace.

The news of this champagne popping news came after Sony released its earning report yesterday which showed that the company had only sold 6.5 million units worldwide over the holiday quarter and when it combined with Nintendo’s sales of only 5.6 million for the Wii in the same quarter it showed both companies coming in behind Xbox 360′s sales of 8.2 million.

Now according to the team over at GeekWire this is the first time since 2006 that Xbox has lead worldwide holiday sales which is the same time that both the PS3 and Wii were just being launched.

Here’s the bigger news: The Xbox 360′s strong holiday quarter also put the Microsoft console ahead in worldwide sales globally for the full year of 2011, with 14.9 million units sold, compared with 14.1 million for the PS3 and 10.33 million for the Wii.

According to our data, compiled from historical earnings reports, it’s first time the Xbox 360 has topped the worldwide console market for a full year of head-to-head competition with the PS3 and Wii.

via GeekWire

Congrats to Microsoft and the Xbox team.

For the first time ever Xbox sales top Wii and PS3 worldwide is a post from: The Inquisitr

Skyrim just got a much-needed injection of magical flying plastic horses. That is to say, a new mod for the dragon-slaying hit replaces all the dragons with Fluttershy of My Little Pony fame. Oh yes.

The result is amusing and not a little surreal, as villagers scurry from a 200-foot Fluttershy, who roasts them to a cinder (and who also enjoys caring for animals and sewing, according to this).

This PC mod is the work of Skyrim player “zdzichorowerzysta,” who updated the RPG by substituting the game’s dragon models with his own polygonal depiction of Fluttershy.

The “Pony Dragon Mod” has been downloaded over 1,300 times from SkyrimNexus at the time of writing.

Here’s two clips of Fluttershy incinerating puny humans in Skyrim. The first is the intro to the game with the mod activated – probably my favorite.

New Skyrim Mod Replaces Dragons with My Little Pony [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

There’s been rumors lately that Sony will be announcing the Playstation 4 at E3, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, in June. Executive Deputy President Kaz Hirai said that’s not the case and the company plans to stick to their 10 year lifecycle.

Rumors about the PS4 started to gain momentum when reports started to surface about the company’s plan to unveil something in June at E3. Gamers latched onto that which led to Sony coming out and killing that rumor completely.

Via Wall Street Journal:

“Sony said it does not plan on making an announcement about a new home console at this year’s E3 videogame trade show, deflating expectation that a successor to its PlayStation 3 will be on its way soon.”

“Kaz Hirai, who oversees Sony’s videogame and consumer electronics businesses, said the company always viewed PlayStation 3, which debuted in 2006, as a product with a 10-year life cycle and he sees no reason to rush to replace it with a new system.”

People want the latest and greatest technology so it’s no surprise really that gamers were expecting the next best gaming system from the company. While three years or more from now sounds like a long wait, the better graphics technology and hardware we’ll have then will definitely be worth it.

Sony aside, there’s also a rumor that Microsoft will be announcing some next generation plans at E3. Being that the original Xbox was released in 2001 and the Xbox 360 released in 2005, we could potentially see the next Xbox in the series here very soon.

Chances are though they’ll launch slightly ahead of Sony and not by a couple years early either.

Playstation 4 Not Coming Out Until 2015 Or Later Despite Rumors is a post from: The Inquisitr

PlayStation Suite is a smartphone/tablet app for two Sony tablets, the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY smartphone, and Google’s Android platform. However, Hirai and his fellow Sony execs would like to see it expanded to other devices:

“This isn’t an ecosystem where we want to keep everything within the Sony family. This is not just for Sony devices.”

Sony’s PlayStation Suite is the company’s answer to the increasingly popularity of cheap app games, which have overtaken dedicated gaming devices such as Sony’s PSP and Nintendo’s series of DS/3DS handhelds. As Hirai acknowledges, “[Smartphone games] have had an impact on the traditional videogame market.”

Sony’s dalliance with bringing games to other devices goes back years, right back to the ill-fated PSX. The company’s Xperia Play smartphone released last year with a slide-out game controller and played PSOne games.

Increasingly, game developers are expanding their games to other platforms. A future where we play Sony and Nintendo games on Apple and Samsung devices suddenly doesn’t seem so far-fetched.

Kazuo Hirai: PlayStation Games Coming to Other Devices is a post from: The Inquisitr

Sony chief security officer Philip Reitinger warned Sony Entertainment Online customers and PlayStation Network users on Tuesday night that their accounts may have been compromised after a hack led to 93,000 accounts being compromised.

Sony announced that all 93,000 accounts have been locked to prevent further hacks.

The company says they have noticed “additional activity” in a few accounts and they are currently checking their network for rogue access.

Sony officials say everyone will have to undergo a mandatory password change process the next time they log in while SOE customers must undergo additional steps to ensure the safety of the network.

At this time hacking initiative Anonymous has not claimed credit for the recent attack, while regular Sony hacking group LulzSec has been ruled out following various arrests of members in their group.

Credit card information was not at risk during this most recent attack.

Sony has been attempting to fix their public image after they were forced to shut down their network for one month following a massive attack to the PlayStation network.

Are you worried that Sony has not yet figured out how to protect their network from prying eyes?

Sony Online Entertainment and PlayStation Networks Hacked, 93,000 Accounts Compromised is a post from: The Inquisitr

DICE’s Tommy Ridling took to the PlayStation Blog early this morning to announce an interesting bit of news to PlayStation 3 fans: all Battlefield 3 DLC will be timed exclusives for the PlayStation 3.

Unlike Activision and Microsoft’s month-long timed exclusivity deal, DICE’s deal with Sony only offers Battlefield 3 users on the PlayStation 3 a one-week head start. After that one week is over, the DLC will be made available on all platforms.

In case you were wondering, this does include Battlefield 3‘s first confirmed DLC pack, ‘Back to Karkand‘ which, as you may recall, is made available for free to those who pre-order the game at their retailer of choice.

The ‘Back to Karkand’ map pack offers recreations of classic Battlefield maps, including Wake Island, Sharqi Peninsula, Gulf of Oman and, of course, Strike at Karkand. The DLC will be made available at some point after Battlefield 3 launches in October.

Ridling took the opportunity to remind everyone that the Battlefield 3 beta will be kicking off on September 27 for those who pre-ordered Battlefield 3 on Origin, or for those who picked up the Medal of Honor Tier 1 Edition. The beta will be made available for everyone across all platforms two days later on September 29.

Battlefield 3 arrives on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 this coming October 25 in North America, and three days later in Europe.

Source: Sony

Battlefield 3 DLC will be coming to PS3 first is a post from: The Inquisitr

PlayStation 3 fans have been requesting cross-game voice chat for going on what feels like forever now, but each time Sony has, to the dismay of their users, shot it down. Thanks to Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida, now we know why.

In a statement provided to Eurogamer, Yoshida reveals that the technical issue holding the feature back is the PlayStation 3′s RAM. The PlayStation 3′s RAM is used up when playing a game and, as a result, cross-game voice chat simply isn’t possible.

“Once a game gets RAM we never give it back,” he said. “It’s not possible to retrofit something like that after the fact.

“The game has to use its own memory to do [in-game voice chat]. There’s always voice chat in the game. But it’s a part of a game feature. It’s not a part of an OS feature. That’s the reason in terms of the ability to have voice chat across different games.”

For reference, the PlayStation 3 has 256 MB of system RAM and 256 MB of video RAM. The PlayStation Vita, on the other hand, has 512 MB of system RAM and 128 MB of video RAM. In other words, it has enough system memory to allow for cross-game voice chat.

If you were clinging onto hope that the PlayStation 3 would eventually see some form of cross-game chat, well, this is probably not the best news you’ll be hearing today. Still, it’s nice that Sony finally did the right thing by letting fans know why they can’t have cross-game voice chat.

Positivity!

Source: Eurogamer

This is why the PlayStation 3 doesn’t have cross-game voice chat is a post from: The Inquisitr

Yesterday afternoon, an image was spotted by German gaming site Konsolentreff showed what appeared to be a Resistance 3 console bundle (seen above). More interestingly, the bundle was stamped with a “PSN Pass” logo, suggesting that Sony was jumping aboard the online pass train that’s all the rage with publishers nowadays. Today, Sony has confirmed it.

In a statement sent out this morning, Sony stated that the online pass system will be game-specific, and it all starts with Resistance 3. Like other versions of the online pass, consumers who pick up a used copy of Resistance 3 will have to pay a one-time fee to get access to the game’s multiplayer offerings.

“We are always evaluating new programs for our online offering, and starting with Resistance 3 this September, we will be instituting a network pass program for PS3 games with online capabilities,” Sony said in the statement. “This program will be game-specific. Games that are a part of this program will include a single-use registration code that grants the account holder redeeming the code full online access for that title. This is an important initiative as it allows us to accelerate our commitment to enhancing premium online services across our first party game portfolio.”

Sony confirms ‘network pass program’, starts with Resistance 3 is a post from: The Inquisitr

Last month, Sony announced that Monster Hunter Portable 3rd was headed to the PlayStation 3 as Monster Hunter 3rd HD. Earlier this month, we got word that Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is also headed to the PlayStation 3. If you were curious if Sony was up to something with all of these PSP ports, well, they are.

Enter the “PSP Engine”, a base engine for porting over PSP titles to the PS3. According to a report by Famitsu (via Andriasang), the engine will act as a middle ground, allowing for smooth transitions from the handheld over to the PS3. The features included in the engine include support for dual analogue controls, high resolution rendering, main memory and graphic memory expansion and, of course, support for stereoscopic 3D.

Now that Sony’s come out and announced a whole engine for porting PSP titles, it sounds to me like we’ll be hearing about a whole lot more “PSP Remasters” in the coming months.

Source: Famitsu (via Andriasang)

Sony introduces the ‘PSP Engine’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

If you don’t already have yourself a subscription to the Qriocity Music Unlimited service, you might be interested to know that Sony will be offering up a free trial to PS3 users — for six months.

Sony’s in such a giving mood, apparently, because they’ve officially launched the Qriocity Music Unlimited app on the Android Market earlier today. According to the announcement on the PlayStation Blog, the app is “compatible with Sony Ericsson’s Android-based mobile devices including Xperia arc, Xperia PLAY, Xperia X10, Xperia X8, Xperia neo, as well as Android-based third party devices.”

For the uninitiated, Qriocity is a cloud-based service that streams music over to you through various supported devices, all commercial free. The service boasts a 7 million-strong song library from a wide variety of artists and genres.

If you’d like to get started with your Qriocity Music Unlimited trial on your PS3, simply boot up your system, head over to the “Music Unlimited” icon under the Music tab, download the app and follow the sign-up instructions. You have to be 18 years or older to start the trial, and if you already have a Music Unlimited subscription you won’t be eligible.

Source: PlayStation Blog

Sony Offering PS3 Users Six Months of Free Qriocity Service is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Uncharted 3 information blowout continues today with developer Naughty Dog releasing our very first look at Uncharted 3‘s co-op mode.

Revealed first on the most recent episode of GameTrailers TV, the trailer shows off Nathan Drake and Victor Sullivan as they work together on a mission in Syria. As you’d expect if you’ve played an Uncharted game before, the two get themselves into all manner of trouble and have to work together to take out the new baddies.

Of particular interest (to me, at least)  in the video is a segment where the two climb up a tower, having to engage in a vertical-oriented gun battle to make their way to the top. It may be a small moment in the grand scheme of the game but it actually looks pretty awesome. It also goes to show just how dedicated Naughty Dog is to finding new ways to keep all of the gunfights you’ll be getting yourself into fresh.

via vg247

First Footage of Uncharted 3′s Co-op Mode is a post from: The Inquisitr

Konami revealed at a pre-E3 press conference just moments ago that beloved franchises Zone of Enders and Metal Gear Solid will be getting the HD remake treatment that’s ever-so popular in the gaming industry nowadays.

The Metal Gear Solid HD Collection comes bundled with HD re-releases of Metal Gear Solid 2, Metal Gear Solid 3 and an HD port of the previously PSP-exclusive Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Bizarrely, the original Metal Gear Solid that started the craze to begin with is noticeably absent from the compilation. The collection will be available for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, but PlayStation 3 users will get the added benefit of a “transferring feature”, although just what feature will bring is unknown at this time.

The Zone of Enders HD Collection includes remakes of Zone of Enders and Zone of Enders 2. Little is known about this compilation beyond that it will also launch on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and will, like the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, have some form of a transfer feature involving the PSP. Both compilations will include new art, remastered audio and, of course, achievements and trophies to go along with the new HD look.

Konami also teased plans for a Silent Hill HD Collection, but little to no details were shared; just that it would, at the least, include Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 3 in HD.

Both compilations are scheduled for a November launch window. E3 is just around the bend, so it’s likely we’ll have more details for you when the big event kicks off.

via Kotaku

[image]

Metal Gear Solid, Zone of Enders Getting HD Remakes is a post from: The Inquisitr

Ever looked at Uncharted protagonist Nathan Drake’s belt buckle and wanted one of your own? Well, you’re in luck! Provided you pick up the Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception collector’s edition, that is.

IGN detailed the special edition as part of their week-long pre-E3 Uncharted 3 blowout. The collector’s edition will reportedly run you $99.99 and, beyond the slick belt buckle, will include a bunch of other goodies such as a Sideshow Collectibles Nathan Drake statue, and a replica of Drake’s ring and necklace. The game itself will be packaged inside a steelbook game case, and the whole package will be inside a box designed like a treasure chest. Imagine that!

In related news, IGN also detailed the game’s retailer-exclusive pre-order bonuses. Pre-ordering your copy at Best Buy will score you a Regeneration Booster that increases your health regeneration; pre-ordering from Amazon gives you the ability to throw out three grenades at once at the cost of one, as well as an increased clip capacity for the Para 9 and G-MAL; pre-ordering at GameStop gives you the ability to turn yourself into a swarm of enemies for a limited time; finally, pre-ordering at Wal-Mart scores you an AK-47 mod that not only gives your weapon a laser sight, but also makes the enemy visible to your teammates.

Retailers not listed won’t be left completely out of the pre-order bonus fun. IGN states that all other participating retailers will be offering a PSN avatar and a static theme, but which retailers are on board with this isn’t known at this time.

Source: IGN

Uncharted 3 Collector’s Edition is Packed with Goodies is a post from: The Inquisitr

The news on Call of Duty Elite, Activision’s web-based subscription service for Call of Duty, broke first in a story ran by WSJ. Contrary to what the initial rumors had us believe, Call of Duty Elite is more akin to Halo: Waypoint or even Bungie.net than it is anything else; Activision isn’t looking to charge you for multiplayer. The service is said to keep track of your stats in Call of Duty games utilizing the service, offering a thorough breakdown of your playstyle, most effective weapons, and so on.

The price has not been revealead and, if Activision is to be believed, hasn’t even been decided internally yet. What they’re apparently shooting for, however, is a ‘minimal’ monthly fee along the lines of what, for example, Netflix charges for their instant streaming-only service ($7.99).

One of the more interesting features of Elite is the service’s Group feature. Rather than being forced to participate in the game’s already established skill-based matchmaking system and being subjected to a torrent of profanities and slurs, you can instead opt to play against only those in a Group that you’ve joined. If you’ve joined a Group dedicated to your favorite movie on the service, for instance, you can choose to only play people also in that group. For the casual player intimidated by the more competitive matchmaking options, this concept could go a long way towards keeping that crowd interested in multiplayer in the long term.

Another interesting, competitive feature revealed today is the web service’s “Compete” section. Through Compete, you and your clan can arrange matches with other individuals and clans. Should you win the competition, you could earn things like trophies to be proudly displayed through your Call of Duty Elite stats page, and even one of those Black Ops edition Jeeps.

Most of the service still appears to be in fairly early development stages and is subject to change when it officially launches (no word on when that is, unfortunately), but what has been discussed so far actually sounds pretty neat. We still have no idea on just what exactly you’ll be paying for, but it is known that Call of Duty Elite won’t be closed for non-subscribers. In fact, Activision has already confirmed that stat tracking and Group features will be completely free for all.

If you’d like to know more about the service, head over to Joystiq’s preview here.

Call of Duty Elite Gives COD Fans Their Own Social Network is a post from: The Inquisitr

In an exclusive reveal over on IGN, Naughty Dog detailed the features available and the beta, and boy is it expansive. To be included in the beta will be nine multiplayer modes: Team Deathmatch, 3-Team Deathmatch, Team Objective, Free For All, Plunder, High Stakes, and three yet to be revealed co-op modes.

Team Deathmatch, Team Objective and Plunder will allow up to five players per team, 3-Team Deathmatch allows for three teams of two, and Free For All and High Stakes allow for up to eight players. All nine of the multiplayer modes will take place across two maps: Airfield and Chateau.

Also detailed in today’s blow-out are the multiplayer’s “power plays”. In case you forgot just what that was all about, power plays are brief events designed to give the losing team a leg up over the winning team. Some of the power plays detailed in the reveal include Marked Man (a person in the winning team is marked, awarding the opposing team additional points if they get taken out) and Crused (all characters visible by the winning team turn into skeletons, and friendly fire is turned on).

All these features are well and good, but the question on most of your minds — including my own, admittedly — is likely just when we’ll be able to get our grubby hands on the beta. If you have a voucher from inFAMOUS 2 or a PlayStation Plus subscription, you’ll get your access to the beta beginning June 28. If you’re without a PS Plus subscription or a voucher, you’ll have to sit and wait until July 4 to download it. The beta is expected to run until July 13.

There’s quite a bit more details from the big reveal so if you’d like to know more, head over to IGN to get the full low-down.

Uncharted 3 Beta Details Revealed is a post from: The Inquisitr

Getting a game home to find you lack the correct hardware to play is an experience most PC gamers can relate to. Duke Nukem Forever‘s solution? Sell the game with a graphics card.

The ‘Duke’s Fully Loaded Package’ version of the game is a special edition without the usual crappy figurines or medallions. Rather, this bundle comes with:

* Limited Edition EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Duke Nukem Graphics Card
* Full Version of Duke Nukem Forever
* The History, Legacy and Legend of Duke Nukem Forever Art Book
* Limited Edition Duke Nukem Forever Mousepad
* Custom Duke Nukem “Radioactive” Belt Buckle

There’s no word on price yet, so we’ll have to wait before judging the value of this. Suffice to say the GTX 560 boasts a Core Clock Speed of 810 Mhz, which is far more than DNF will require (we’re not exactly talking Crysis 2-level visuals here).

[Via Ripten]

Duke Nukem limited edition includes free graphics card is a post from: The Inquisitr

Brian Kingrey is one lucky – and now rich – gamer. The 25-year-old from Hammond, Louisiana picked up a check for a million bucks after becoming the first person to pitch a perfect game in MLB 2K11, the latest annual update from videogame baseball specialists 2K Sports.

2K announced the contest earlier this year, revealing the competition would kick off on April 1st. It took Kingrey around two hours after the contest’s start to succeed. However, don’t go thinking Kingrey is a baseball nut. Speaking to Kotaku, he revealed: “This is the first Major League Baseball videogame I ever played in my life.”

To Kingrey’s credit, he came prepared. In the build-up to the contest he analysed real-life stats, averages, and pitcher strengths, and (obviously) played the game itself to death. He pulled off his feat with the Philadelphia Phillies’ Roy Halladay, pitching against the Houston Astros, apparently one of the weakest hitting teams in the game.

So any plans for that money, Brian? “We have picked out a new fridge already.”

‘Atta boy.

[Via Kotaku]

Gamer pitches perfect game in MLB 2K11, claims $1m prize is a post from: The Inquisitr

“For the home equipment the PS3 still has a product life,” announced Kato, “but this is a platform business, so for the future platform – when we’ll be introducing what product I cannot discuss that – but our development work is already under way, so the costs are incurred there.”

Recent rumors have suggested Microsoft has already sent out development kits for its next Xbox, while Nintendo plans to show off Wii 2 (or Project Café as it’s codenamed) next month. Hence, it’s not surprising to hear Sony is working on its fourth home console.

It’s sort of exciting to be entering that familiar bubble of hype and hearsay that precedes every new console in the years to it launching. I look forward to lots of zany rumors over the next few months.

[Via Eurogamer]

Sony confirms work underway on PlayStation 4 is a post from: The Inquisitr

Apparently stores have already pre-sold huge numbers, making it likely we’ll see more of the Duke in the future – though who’d want to bet when?

While I can’t say I’m desperate to try this, I know plenty who are eagerly awaiting that June 14th launch date. Below there’s a quote from 2K’s Christoph Hartmann, going a bit over-the-top with the ‘precipice of history’ talk. Then, for lulz, I’ve added a shot of how the game looked back at the start of development in the late-nineties:

“Duke Nukem Forever is the game that was once thought to be unshippable, and yet here we are, on the precipice of history. Today marks an amazing day in the annals of gaming lore, the day where the legend of Duke Nukem Forever is finally complete and it takes that final step towards becoming a reality.”

LOL

[Via press release]

It’s actually happened: Duke Nukem Forever goes gold is a post from: The Inquisitr

Activision has released the first Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 trailer with actual gameplay, and predictably enough it looks nuts and also the nuts – this is the videogame equivalent of all the Die Hard films to the power of Steven Seagal.

It’s World War 3 in Modern Warfare 3, and it’s probably taking place somewhere near your backyard. In this trailer alone, we see battles taking place in the U.S., Britain, France, and Germany, and other locations in the final game will include India, Russia, and more.

Anyway, it’s all efficiently pretty, though I still narrowly prefer Battlefield 3‘s bleached-out destructible settings. Take a look for yourself:

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 hits stores on November 8th!

[Via press release]

[VIDEO] Your first proper look at Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is a post from: The Inquisitr