The format wars is certainly not over yet, but with Blockbuster's decision to support Blu-ray movies only, Universal Studios may very well feel the pressure for them to start publishing movies in Blu-ray discs as well, or so Variety reports.

Universal Studios is the only major entertainment outfit that does not support Blu-ray. Variety supposes that should Universal agree to at least put out titles on both HD-DVD and Blu-ray formats, the format wars may suddenly be turned upside down, or be brought to a swift conclusion. Consumers who opted to wait for the format wars to end before buying may want to jump ship to Blu-ray once they find out that the blue laser plays movies from all studios. Richard Dotty, Envisioneering Group tech guru agreed:

So much consumer interest would open up this summer and fall that every studio would be smiling and wondering why they've been jousting all this time. Universal may continue to place its bets (on HD DVD). But if you want revenue,...

Fans of the Twisted Metal (TM) series were left drooling in anticipation as an image of a mushroom cloud from an atomic explosion found its way into the rumor posts of the PS3 Forums. While you might wonder why people would relish the thought of an atomic bomb going off, it wasn't the explosion that got their attention. It was the shape of the cloud: a laughing clown. This left a lot of gamers mouthing: Sweet Tooth!

Speculation has been flying left and right and opinion is divided as to what the picture may really mean. Could it just be a trick the people at Sony did for a few laughs? Is it a publicity stunt? Or could it be for another title? We can't say for sure, but a lot of people do agree that it really might be for TM. A lot of fans love the thought of the video game making a comeback to the next-gen console, be it a bundled title remade for the console or an entirely new sequel. But for now, all we have is the image... and the dream.

It's not hard to ima...

Every once in a while I see an image that I just like to stare at for a while. The image is so fascinating in its detail, that I get lost tracing out patterns and geometries. That’s what happened when I first saw an image of PixelJunk Racers, an upcoming PSN title for the PS3: At [...]

Finally, it's confirmed that PlayStation 3 fans will get another dose of online next-gen fighting with the announcement Namco Bandai made during the PlayStation Premiere in Tokyo: Tekken 6 will be going online.

Similar to Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Online, Tekken 6's online feature will be added as one of the many gameplay modes available for the home version. The arcade version isn't out yet, however, as the arcade version of Tekken 6 is scheduled to come out later this year, while the home version to follow less than a year after that.

It's good that fighting games are now given the online-capability function, such as Virtua Fighter 5 for the Xbox 360. Now, gamers can brag or settle arguments not only with someone beside them, but also in the comfort of their own rooms, a good distance away from their opponents.

Some 8 months after its launch, the PlayStation 3 (PS3) has finally reached 1 million units sold in Japan. However, this news is tempered by the fact that it still trails behind the Nintendo Wii's substantial lead, selling more than double the number of PS3s.

Ever since it came out in November of last year, PS3 sales have been chronically slow due to its high price tag and a seeming lack of good titles. According to the research of game magazine Enterbrain, the Nintendo Wii's popularity has just been astounding: 2.9 million units sold last July 8 while Sony logs in at 1.01 million PS3s sold as of July 15.

But, the PS3 doesn't find itself at the bottom of the console race in Japan. Microsoft's Xbox 360 comes in last, only selling 420,705 consoles in the country to date. While Sony has been off to a slow start in its home court, we can only hope that with a bit of a bit of repricing and new video games like Final FantasyXIII , Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Mercenaries 2, ...

   
Done with showing the world how he rolls - and he sure rolled pretty well - Katamari creator Keita Takahashi just unveiled a PlayStation 3 game with the same level of strangeness similar to his hit rolling series. The game was revealed in Sony's PlayStation Premiere event held in Tokyo on July 17. Titled Nobi Nobi Boy, Bandai Namco's new PS3 video game features a character who can stretch his body at will.

There's still no word about actual gameplay details and the video game's storyline, but we do have some interesting screens to tide you over for the time being. Updates as we get them!

GamePro managed to catch up with Sony Computer Entertainment's (SCE) Jack Tretton during this year's E3, and sat down to discuss why a flash drive was not included in the redesign of the PSP. Tretton was also asked how he perceived the handheld gaming experience. Interestingly, GamePro also asked him how he would describe each of the three currently competing consoles, in terms of food.

Tretton said that Sony didn't include a flash drive in the redesigned PSP simply because they wouldn't want to shortchange the people who already had the original PSP handhelds. He emphasized the importance of not leaving out any consumer every time a console or handheld changes design.

I think one of the risks you run into when you get into [embedding flash memory into a new PSP model] is, what happens to the people who already bought it? And are you going to get the development community to make UMD based games? We have to make sure that anything we do, as far as the evolution of har...

All-Pro Football by 2K Games has itself padded and pep-talked to take on the competition this coming season. Using turbo-charged visuals and some deep features which simulate the game as accurately as possible, the game brings you closer to being an NFL superstar without actually taking the hard knocks.

This video shows you how you can weave, slash and power yourself through menacing defensive linemen to rack up the yards in the gridiron. Check it out:


So, will the younger cub in All-Pro Football take it to grizzled veteran Madden this year? Do we see a new dynasty in the works? We can't tell right now because both titles are building some serious momentum. One thing's for sure: next-gen football fans will have a lot to think about when they hit the shelves for the Sony PlayStation 3 and the Microsoft Xbox 360.

What you're seeing right here is the exclusive Reebok exclusive trailer for NHL 08 which goes out for the Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360 and the PC. The sports apparel maker has apparently realized the potential of in-game advertising and has pulled out the stops to give this year's iteration its flavor. Take a look at this:


If you're looking for a winter wonderland, you don't have any business buying NHL 08. For the first time ever, all 29 of the American Hockey League will be there to give you checks and leave your teeth chattering in the ice. It's shaping up to be one of the meanest hockey sims ever so watch out because the other team is head hunting.

Luckily for you, there will be some innovations this year to help you make some miracles on ice. Leading the way is the Skill Stick system which makes gliding through the ice and controlling the puck more realistic than ever. With some practice and the right Reebok gear, you just may be on your way to win...

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment
Besides moving low-priced HD DVD players, the HD DVD Promotional Group is taking advantage of Home Media Expo 2007 to announce its most recent sales data, with HD DVD going up, and Blu-ray going down. Specifically, the Nielsen Netratings mentioned show HD DVD hardware sales up 37 percent, and software sales up 20 percent from the first to the second quarter of this year. Over the same period, overall Blu-ray hardware sales (no word on if this includes the PlayStation 3 or not) were down 27 percent and software sales down 5 percent. Shockingly, this trend is attributed to aggressive marketing campaigns and cheaper standalone HD DVD players hitting the market, causing a 183 percent drop increase in dedicated player sales for the quarter, and over 180,000 players (up from 100k back in April) sold altogether. Whether HD DVD focus on standalones over consoles gives them an edge is unknown, but it seems like Blu-ray may be catching on to the strate...