PlayStation 3 turns 14
While looking to the future with the management reorganization of SIE and the promise of the PS5 stock increase in 2021, Sony is plucking the strings of the nostalgia of its fans and, through the social profiles of PlayStation Italia, celebrates the 14th anniversary of the release. European PS3.Sony's new initiative is accompanied by the launch of the celebratory hashtag # PS3Anniversary on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, with an invitation extended to all fans to share their memories on PlayStation 3 and its stock of titles.
The message from PlayStation Italia, for example, urges fans to rethink "how many adventures were born on PlayStation 3", urging users to tell on social networks "what was the your first game on this console? " .
In spite of the difficulties encountered at the launch and the strong competition of the Xbox 360, PS3 allowed Sony to lay the foundations for the success achieved in the following years with the PlayStation 4 and its exclusives, just think of the exceptional legacy left by series born on PS3 and matured on subsequent platforms such as The Last of Us, Demon's Souls / Dark Souls, Uncharted and LittleBigPlanet.
To those who follow us, however, we remind you that based on a recent indiscretion collected by the Japanese portal TheGamer, Sony could close the PS Store on PS3, PSP and PS Vita over the next few months.
PS5 UK stock – GAME ‘restock this afternoon’ and Argos and Amazon consoles ‘imminent’ as new Playstation supply arrives
A NEW WEEK, and new PS5 drops could be happening according to stock insiders - with gamers still eager to get their hands on a console.
UK retailer GAME is reportedly going to drop PS5 stock 'after 9am' at some point this week.
The console is still listed as 'out of stock' on the website, but shoppers have been urged to get ready.
PS5UPDATEUK tweeted: 'Keep your eyes peeled around 9 as GAME could drop today!'
And there are rumours from stock tracking sites claiming consoles will land at Very, John Lewis and Argos in the next seven days too - although, as always, nothing is guaranteed.
Tracker @PS5StockAlertUK tweeted: 'Major Retailer Predictions - GAME, Very & John Lewis (23rd-25th)... Argos (25th-26th) - Amazon (30th-1st) - Smyths (31st-2nd).
'These are only predictions. Retailers not on this list mean we have no information or expectancies from them. More info soon.'
The restock news comes as Currys made a dramatic change to way customers can buy PS5s, introducing a new 'raffle' system.
The tech retailer is planning to scrap the queue system it and many other websites have previously used as it 'unfairly' rewards those with stronger internet connections and with time to sit online.
Now Currys is allowing customers to register for a 'priority pass' which enters them into a raffle which in turn gives them a special code that's valid for 72 hours and allows them to make a PS5 purchase.
Follow our PS5 live blog below for the very latest news, updates and stock drop rumours...
SCALPER 'UNFAIR' PRACTICE
A group of British MPs filed a bill in mid-December to ban the 'unfair' practice of buying consoles only to sell them on at inflated prices.
People are 'very angry', said Douglas Chapman, a Scottish National Party MP who tabled the bill after dozens of calls from his constituents.
The proposal is still under consideration but has little chance of succeeding, according to Chapman, although he hopes it will 'put pressure on the government to take action'.
The culture ministry said it was 'discussing this issue with the trade association for the video games industry... who we understand are currently looking at any further actions' to prevent it happening.
But Daniel Sumner, a 35-year-old gamer living in Plymouth, southwest England, believes a light financial penalty 'certainly won't work' in the face of huge profits to be made by scalping.
TIPS FOR GAME DROP
Insiders have shared their top tips for securing a PS5 console in the next GAME restock.
PS5SupplyUK said: 'Do not spend time at the start of the drop looking for a specific bundle as all bundles only get you into the same queue as everyone else.
'After the queue, look for an obscure bundle toward the bottom of page.
'Make use of AutoFill. Make use of PayPal. Make use of “guest checkout”.
'Turn notifications on for all of the main pages on Twitter to be notified of a drop immediately as it happens. Check your notifications as often as possible.'
'SO HAPPY I COULD CRY'
Another shopper was lucky enough to nab a PS5 in AO's latest restock.
Benjamin said on Twitter: 'I'm so happy I could genuinely cry. It's my birthday on the 5th of April and I've been having a pretty s*** few months as of late but this has made it all worth it.
Sorry to everyone that didn't manage to get one I hope you all get as lucky as I did soon!'
LUCKY SHOPPER BAGS PS5 IN AO RESTOCK THIS AFTERNOON
One lucky shopper managed to bag a PS5 console when AO dropped new stock this afternoon.
Tipsters shared links when the restock went live at 3.03pm.
And one Twitter user celebrated her win, saying 'got one!' with several party emojis.
AO STOCK UPDATE
AO reportedly had stock two minutes ago, but it looks like it has already sold out.
PS5SupplyUK tweeted: 'STOCK #PS5 New Stock in United Kingdom!'
But unfortunately the website now says: 'Sorry, this one's really popular so we've had to pause new orders to make sure we don't sell more than we have.
'Unfortunately we don't know when it will be available again, so please keep checking this page.'
EBAY HIGH DEMAND
PS5 consoles being sold on eBay are being viewed 63 times an day.
One console, listed for sale for £479.99+ £14.99 postage, says at least 63 shoppers are clicking the link every hour.
Another, being sold for £499, is being viewed 55 times an hour.
CURRYS RESTOCK RAFFLE
Currys recently made a dramatic change to way customers can buy PS5s, introducing a new 'raffle' system.
The tech retailer is planning to scrap the queue system it and many other websites have previously used as it 'unfairly' rewards those with stronger connections with time to sit online.
Now Currys is allowing customers to register for a 'priority pass' which enters them into a raffle which in turn gives them a special code that's valid for 72 hours and allows them to make a PS5 purchase.
LEFTOVER CONSOLES TO BE SOLD IN TESCO
Any PS5 consoles left uncollected from Tesco will be put on sale in stores, it is claimed.
MSTVTweets said: 'We have news that all left PS5 collection orders from Tesco will be released to the public to purchase in store.
'It's best to keep an eye on your local Tesco in the coming week, pop in to see if any leftovers soon.'
GAME RESTOCK 'COMING TOMORROW MORNING'
More people are claiming GAME will restock PS5 consoles tomorrow morning.
PS5SupplyUK added to the rumours, tweeting: “GAME will most likely drop tomorrow given the fact that their previous drop days and times have been: Wednesday = 09:35am Wednesday = 09:45am.
“Tomorrow is a Wednesday so it’d make sense, based on predictions, for GAME to drop tomorrow instead of today.
“Keep an eye out!”
AMAZON EXPECTING LARGER AMOUNT OF STOCK THIS WEEKEND
Amazon is expected at least 3,000 more PS5 consoles to be delivered this weekend.
According to PS5StockAlertUK, Amazon is expecting 8,000 PS5s, at least 3,000 more than their usually 5,000 restock.
Amazon replied to the Tweet claiming that gamers should check back on the website regularly and periodically as there is no specific date for restock.
DUTCH AMAZON RESTOCK SELLS OUT IN SECONDS
Amazon in The Netherlands restocked the PS5 console a few minutes ago.
But the drop sold out in less than 60 seconds.
Shoppers complained on Twitter that the consoles went “extremely fast”.
UK customers would need to pay extra delivery costs and buy a UK adapter.
PS5 GIVEAWAY
Two trusted PS5 stock trackers have joined forces to giveaway not one but TWO consoles.
To enter the giveaway see the tweet below:
NEW HORROR GAME SET FOR PS5 LAUNCH
A brand new horror game inspired by Silent Hills is set for release on the PS5 soon, GameRant reports.
Evil Inside will be available on the console later this month.
According to GameRant, the game is a “first-person psychological horror” which focuses on a man who attempts to contact his murdered mother using a spiritual board.
BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS RELEASE DELAYED UNTIL 2022
The release of forthcoming Batman game Gotham Knights has been pushed back to 2022.
In a statement published on social media, Warner said it was “giving the game more time to deliver the best possible experience for players”.
“Thank you to our amazing fans for your tremendous support of Gotham Knights,” it continued.
“We look forward to showcasing more of the game in the coming months.”
XBOX AVAILABLE
If you can't wait to get your hands on a PlayStation 5 then you could grab an Xbox Series S.
The consoles are in stock on Amazon now for £249.99.
ADVICE TO SHOPPERS TO STAY SAFE FROM SCAMS
If you use Facebook, Twitter or Google then you may have heard of two-factor authentication.
It's an extra step you can enable that lets you protect your account – beyond simply having a password.
It means that if your password has been hacked (or guessed), your account will remain safe.
NHS boss Helen Bevan saw her two Twitter accounts broken into and used to flog fake PS5 listings - but because she did not have two-factor authentication activated, hackers were able to break into her accounts after guessing her password.
They then changed the email address and password associated with those accounts so that she could not recover them.
AO STOCK UPDATE
It looks like AO could be dropping new stock very soon.
PS5UKStock tweeted: 'It looks like AO are gearing up for a drop.
'Doesn't look like a particularly big one but we can't see the full stock here.
'Photo is AO proven, but not timestamped. Credit to IsaacTech for providing this.
'Remember AO sometimes take phone orders.'
AVERAGE UK GAMER PLAYS 8.5 HOURS A WEEK
The average UK gamer spends 8.5 hours playing video games, according to the State of Online Gaming research report.
China takes the top spot with an average of 12.4 hours, followed by Vietnam with 10.2 hours.
PENSIONERS GAME FOR EIGHT HOURS A WEEK, STUDY SAYS
Pensioners are spending more than eight hours playing video games every week, a report has revealed.
An in-depth report by data experts Limelight Networks called 'The State of Online Gaming' even found that some OAPs are so hooked on games - either on consoles, computers or smart phones - they miss out on sleep and meals.
The study quizzed 5,000 people and found that the average pensioner played games for 8.3 hours a week.
A total of 13 per cent spent a whopping 20 hours or more playing video games, with games like Candy Crush, Clash of the Clans, World of Warcraft among the most popular, following by shoot ‘em ups, strategy games, chess and solitaire.
Compared to younger generations, the OAP gamers weren’t far behind in the top score charts, only beaten in how many hours they played games online by those in the 26-35 and 36-45 age groups.
CONTINUED
Dorian Bloch, senior client director at GfK, which compiled some of the data, said: 'The 2020 big winner by format was Nintendo Switch.
'During the initial Covid lockdown period, we saw massive growth from Switch software sales, up 215% over the equivalent 13 weeks of 2019.
'Xbox One and PS4 also enjoyed uplifts and of course, at the tail end of 2020 we saw the introduction of PS5 and Xbox Series consoles, whose effect will be significant for 2021 and beyond.'
The gaming sector boom is topped off by another £199 million from other game culture products, such as toys and merchandise.
However, the pandemic had a negative impact on game-related properties like movies - where there was a fall of 22.2% - as well as denting physical game events and venues by 97.2%, down from £8.80 million in 2019.
UK GAMING MARKET HIT RECORD £7BN IN 2020
Video gaming in the UK was boosted by the arrival of a 'new console generation' last year as the market surged to a record £7 billion.
Players pushed the sector's value up 29.9% compared to 2019 with increases across both digital and physical sales, according to a report by gaming industry body Ukie.
Digital sales took the lion's share totalling £3.90 billion, with digital console revenues rising 24.2%, mobile games up by 21.3% and digital PC adding 14.8%.
Despite store closures as the UK went in and out of lockdown, traditional boxed game titles also climbed by 7.1% to £646 million, but pre-owned game-buying took a hit, diving 22.8% compared to the year before.
Gaming hardware raked in £2.26 billion, thanks partly to new launches of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, with console hardware alone making up £853 million of that figure, up 74.8%.
AMAZON STOCK UPDATE
It looks as though Amazon may be about to make a big restock.
A PS5 stock alert account has said the retail giant is set to get 8,000 consoles this weekend.
PS5StockAlertUK tweeted: 'News: Amazon is expecting around 8K stock to be delivered this weekend.
'There may be more shipment deliveries made that I don’t know other than this.
'8K might sound small to you, but Amazon have always released under 5K stock each restock, so this shows an increase in supply.'
XBOX IS 'REAL THREAT' TO PS5
The Xbox Series S is now a 'real threat' to Sony's PlayStation 5, according to one expert.
Senior writer at TechRadar, Adam Vjestica said: 'It may have cost $7.5 billion dollars to make me realize it, but Microsoft’s Xbox Series S suddenly makes sense. Almost to the point where I’d consider it a genuine threat to Sony’s PS5.
'The Xbox Series S was designed to be an affordable entry point into the Xbox ecosystem and next-gen gaming – and while some may argue that a commonly found resolution of 1080p in the majority of titles doesn’t qualify as a true generational leap – it’s hard to deny that Microsoft’s all-white Xbox hasn’t achieved its lofty goal.'
He continued: 'Now, I’m not saying that people will start trading in their PS5 consoles en masse, but what the Xbox Series S could become is the perfect companion console to Sony’s machine.
'Much like how in every Xbox 360 and PS3 household you’d often find a Wii, the Xbox Series S has the potential to reach an audience that simply wouldn’t pay $499 / £449 / AU$749 for a box that does practically the same thing as the PS5 they already own.'
PRAEY FOR GODS RELEASE 'IN LATE APRIL'
Praey for the Gods is aiming for release on PS5 and PS4 in late April.
It was announced in October last year with a 2021 launch, but nothing has yet been released.
The developers issued an update on their Kickstarter page which said it should launch in late April.
The update read: 'The game is content complete, through certification on PS4/PS5/Xbox One as of this week. Woo!
'As for launch, we want to spend a little more time polishing to make sure it's ready but it's definitely close. Based on what's left to do, we're estimating for a mid/end April window and we'll keep you posted on that.'
USEFUL TIPS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SCAMMERS ONLINE
Follow these steps to protect yourself from hackers in the future: