The PS3 launch is already on Friday. It's the last stretch of the ball game and GameStop/EBGames (playfully known here in QJ as "EBStop") pulls a buzzer beater with an air-ball. [le sigh] While they were accepting a slim number of eight pre-orders per store last month, that number just might get slimmer.

A GameStop rep confirmed with GameSpot that they received allocation numbers from Sony and looking at the list, it seems as if there's going to be a couple of unhappy pre-order-ers. He gave no specific number, however, of how many pre-ordered requests are going to be fulfilled.

At launch day, the company will fill orders depending on the sequence they were registered, and those that have pre-ordered but won't get a console will still be compensated with a free used game or a DVD ticked at US 19.99 or less when they eventually do get the console. Here's his statement:

We are beginning to notify our customers that our initial shipment of PS3 systems will not ...

No doubt, this year's holiday season is getting more and more interesting for gamers. The release of next-gen consoles Wii and PS3 is sure one great way to cap off 2006, and a promising start for the year to come.

Interestingly, the next gen bug is spreading to most consumers: casual, hardcore, and non-gamers alike. And who wouldn't? Microsoft raked more than a million sales with the Xbox 360, with its notable online features. Sony, the gaming mogul for nearly a decade with its PlayStation line, is unleashing its uber-powerful media hub PS3, with its reported mind-blowing graphics and power. And Nintendo's advertising family-friendly Wii, with its motion-sensing features and funky controls.

But exactly how informed is the public about the aforementioned units? A recent study revealed that "almost half (48 ) of those considering a PS3 expect it to cost less than $300 equivalent to the original price of a PS2." Wow, talk about demanding.

Now, I'm not ...

This writer may not be into basketball, but I sure can recognize a good basketball video game when I see one. And with 2K's NBA 2K7, I'd be willing to put my ass on line and say that this one really hits the spot.

And in light of recent events and news that EA has cancelled NBA Live 07 for the PS3, it looks like QJ readers' comments like "NBA 2K7 will own PS3" may just be a prediction that's right on the money. Another fun concept that the NBA 2K7 will have is how it makes use of the SIXAXIS: you'll hold and tilt the controller as you would hold an actual basketball and shoot free throws by tilting the controller back and then forward.

While it's still too soon to really tell whether the game will live up to the hype and the stunning visuals it promises, at least we get a glimpse and an overall feel of the game via the trailer we have for you today. Download the vid below and tell us what you think.

Download: [NBA 2K7 trailer]

Love him or hate him. But when Phil Harrison speaks you can't help but listen. So we can just imagine the kind of fireworks that might light up the sky of the video gaming world when the Playstation mag with Phil's interview comes out later.
Anyways, here's a preview of that interview straight from Phil's lips (oh, and we stuck to the very tip of the interview iceberg):
On the PS3's killer app:

Actually it's the killer catalogue you want. It's not about having a single title like a Mario or a Sonic on which you rest the entire platform personality on. It's about having a wide catalogue that satisfies a number of different consumer tastes and styles. I think there's something for everybody in there. The (PS3) games are outstanding quality and I think will satisfy.

On the most interesting use of the Sixaxis pad:

The fake on NBA; if you want to fake past a player you just tilt left or right, that's really intuitive. Flow is very intuitive, once you und...

Filed under: Gaming, HDTV
While it didn't see fit to include one in the box (ours notwithstanding), Sony's more than happy to sell you an HDMI cable to keep your brand-new PlayStation 3 Sony-branded through and through, releasing a range of cables of varying lengths to coincide with the Japanese PS3 launch. Available in 1, 1.5, 2, and 3 meter varieties (approximately 3 to 10 feet), the cables comply with HDMI 1.3 specs and feature 24k gold-plated connectors for that extra touch of class (and improved signal quality). Keen observers of these sort of things will notice that that's three more cables than Sony has announced for release over here -- so if you're looking for more options on this side of the Pacific, you'll have to either go third-party or get importing. Prices in Japan start at 3,500 Yen (about $30) for the shortest cable, with each increment costing an extra 500 Yen, topping out at 5,000 Yen (just over $40) for the ten footer.

[Via Impress] 
Read | ...

Don't let our non-stop PS3 and Wii coverage fool you—we're still slaves to that little digital audio player that Apple makes. We know that you all like (or hate) the iPod and have an odd affinity for vacuum tubes, so talking about the Vuum VTi-B1 is quite easy. The vacuum tube amp pumps out sound at 15W per speaker and has the ever-popular piano finish that all the little boys and girls have been asking Santa for. The Vti-B1 functions like every other iPod dock out there in that it charges the player and lets you output the iPod's audio/video content to higher end equipment should you have any lying around.
Let's be honest for a second: the only reason anyone would pick up this $700 glorified iPod dock is because it's got more vacuum tubes in it than your old TV and that makes you happy in that special place. And it's not even the only one to feature such vacuum tubery. – Nicholas Deleon
Product Page [Vuum Audio via iLounge]

We saw shortages with the 360 last year and now with the PS3 and Wii this year. A normal free market will respond to shortages by raising the price until the shortage is over. That’s the standard, textbook response. However, that’s simply not an option since that would trigger huge, lasting negative sentiment among the [...]

While you were away having a life this weekend, we spent the entire weekend showing you the ins and outs of both the PS3 and the Wii. Oh yes, we got our hands on both the PlayStation 3 and Wii on Friday and went to town. Downtown. Here's what you missed:

•Wii and PS3: Complete and Synchronized Unboxing: Simultaneous unboxing. First ever.
•Wii Startup Video: What does the first startup and setup look like?
•Nintendo Delivers Wii In Ice Cream Trucks: Our Second Wii came via Ice Cream truck. No lie.
•Extensive PS3 Interface Walkthrough: The menus looks pretty slick
•
HTML PS3 Interface: Take a PS3 for an Online Test Drive NOW: Try it yourself, HTML style
•PlayStation 3's Backward Compatibility Demoed: See how your PS2 games will look
•My PS3 Scratched In 10 Seconds: It's not that noticeable
•PlayStation 3 SIXAXIS Controller Impressions: I like it
•Comp...

It's next-gen crunchtime. The Wii and PS3's impending release dates looming over our heads, and everyone's getting edgy. Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are sure girding their loins for competition, and no doubt, each console has something special to offer: there's Xbox 360's online service and one year headstart; the PS3's gargantuan specs; and the Wii's innovative twist to gaming and home entertainment.

So analysts are doing their own predictions of the next gen console war outcome, stores are prepping up for the waaay long lines, customer chaos, violence and whatnot; and fans are wetting their pants due to excitement. People are playing favorites, and we sure can't wait to get our hands on the much-hyped up units.

But while everyone's getting busy saving cash, waiting in agony and being all Nostradamus-like with their forecasts, an interesting Japanese guy (we're guessing he's Japanese, as his work is overflowing with kana) seems to be breezing through it all by makin...

A day after the PS3 Japan launch madness, all of us here at QJ had a chance to look back and see exactly what info we had missed. I had the responsibility of checking out the Linux side of things. And while the article which I wrote yesterday was pretty much spot on, there's a few more things which I could get out of the documents released.

So without further ado, I'll make a list of things which I've learned today:

How Linux will work: The PS3 will use kboot as its Linux bootloader. The way this works, you'll first have to download OtherOS installer (not released, yet) from Sony's official site. The next thing you'll need is a customised kboot "image". In case anyone's wondering, no, it isn't a picture. It's a single archive that will contain all the stuff needed to boot Linux.

The important thing to note here is that kboot, in itself, is nothing more than a sort of a loader which will use Lilo or GRUB to load the Linux kernel. I've noticed that neither kboo...