PS3, arguably the best system to date?

There has been so much talk on in the gaming industry today about the console wars, and the Playstation 3, after the insurmountable success of the PS2, has been very lackluster. Yes, on paper, its been a great let down for Sony, a loss for every console sold, wiping out the PS2's profits, but at the end of the day, which is THE BEST console on the consumer's side of things, for us?

....Here at Vantage, its the PS3 hands down!



Sure sure, the Nintendo Wii has been the top grosser out of the 3, with Microsoft's Xbox 360 in a far 2nd and the PS3 in dead last. But as a consumer, as the gamer, who cares about those numbers?! As long as we're getting quality games and the bang for our buck in our systems, we're happy. I know I'm probably going to get a lotta ish for all this, but here we go...

So lets tackle some of the main arguements here, and lets start with one of the main purchasing points, PRICE. Taken from Toysrus.com, here's the break down...

Playstation 3 (80GB) - $399
Xbox 360 (Elite) - $399
Nintendo Wii - $249



The PS3 and the X360 both go for $399, while the Wii is considerably cheaper... but why? Lets face it, the Wii has nothing. Old tech, no Blu-Ray or HD, no hard disk, its basically a PS2 with funky controllers! Im sorry, buts its garbage for what it comes with, so Nintendo, your out, simple as that. With the format wars (Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD) long decided, and Blu-Ray coming on top, the 360 is now on old technology as well. For the same price, you already get a Blu-Ray player in the PS3. You can argue that you can always just buy a Blu-Ray player, yes, but that would be at least another $150 bucks, so you're already losing with regards to price. Another agrument would be that the Elite has more hard disk space and indeed it does, but gamers today arent like those in yesteryear, changing a hard disk in a PS3 is easy peazy. For roughly the $150 a 360 player spends for a Blu-Ray player, they can already buy a 1TB hard disk for their PS3. 1TB vs 120GB? Not even a contest!




The PS3's demographics are the older gamers, (around 16+) but lets not underestimate the younger gamers of today. They are much more educated in these things now than we were at their age. Some argue that the young population is growing or is bigger than our generation, but I disagree. Let's not forget the baby boom and those born in the 80's where games never die. Yes we are going through an economic crisis and some may say the 360 or the Wii are much more friendly to the pocket, and theyre right... at first glance. But when you look deeper, Sony was so far ahead of our time that we didnt realize how much was packed in the PS3. We didnt need all those features before and thus, Sony did cut down on some optical slots, but now that we've caught up, we realize that they were all there for a reason. The 360 Elite does come with HDMI, backwards compatibility, a headset and an ethernet port, but the lower end ones don't come with jack! No HDMI, no WiFi, tiny hard disk space. I mean, cmon, how can you not have WiFi?! The PS3 has and had all of these from the get go. Though the PS3 took out its backwards capability, who really needs it? Half the world has a PS2 and the original Xbox was CRAP anyway! The PS3 an all in one entertainment device. All you need is a TV and your PS3 and your entertainment area is done! Oh, and did I mention the rumored PS3 price cut? Sony has denied these rumors, and we'll probably have confirmation in the next month, but if it were true, if the PS3 shoots down to $300, how can the others even compete with what it has as well as the lower price? MS, are you scared yet? And for those, like THIS DOUCHE, saying the PS3's rumored price cut isnt going to make a difference, umm... are you stupid? $50 bucks more than a Wii, $50 cheaper than a 360, how can it not?! ... especially with the games coming out in '09.

So how bout games? For me, thats the greatest selling point a console has, its exclusives. The PS3 did start slow, promising this and that and not delivering. They definitely lost out and with MS buying out a lot of their exclusives, (Gran Theft, Final Fantasy, Resident Evil etc...) and adding their own such as Forza, Gears of War and Halo among others. MS started great, started on top. But Sony is slowly catching up only now in 2009. Will this year be Sony's year? Yes, I believe it will. Big name exclusives are finally hitting the PS3, starting out with Killzone 2 (which is out now), Gran Turismo 5, Uncharted 2, God of War 3, Heavy Rain, Tekken, Infamous and more! My theory on this is that it was rumored that the PS3 was incredibly hard to work with at first, (remember, Sony was ahead of our time!) but now they've gotten the hang of it and we are reaping the rewards!

Now, with games that are present on the same console such as newly released Street Figher IV and Resident Evil, Sony's versions are toppling over the 360's. But hey, like I said, lets keep this about the gamer. PS3 arguably has better graphics, if not, they have so much more potential. Game developers are looking to make games in the large scale, offering the gamer huge backdrops, arenas, cities, etc... and as consumers, we are demanding for such. The HD-DVD that the 360 uses will just not cut it anymore. To my knowledge, (please correct me if im wrong) HD-DVD's can hold 20gb of space, while Blu-Ray's can hold up t0 80gb of space! What about dual sided Blu-Rays?! You get the picture.

Today, with games comes the importance of multiplayer/online. Gamers arent content anymore with games from start to finish, they want replayability. Take Call of Duty 4 as an example, one of the best FPS games of all time, I didnt even play the single player campaign at all, but I played multiplayer for a good year! PS3's online modes are FREE. Yes, FREE! 360, you have to subscribe and pay a monthly/yearly fee. Umm... do I really have to explain this? You might be thinking, how bout the Wii? Well, that again is junk. Games are childish and yes, they have sold the most consoles, but you must admit, it was a phase. Everyone was taken aback by the controls and so was I (I have all 3 consoles). But in recent polls, it was shown that most people who have bought the Wii are now just using it for display purposes, collecting dust, which includes mine, just another piece of furniture. And have you tried playing a game online on the Wii? L-A-G! It's also rare to find a game to play online in the first place!

What else can we discuss? We've took on the price, what the consoles come with, games, online play, what more is there? How about things are shallow as looks? Sure this can be extremely relative, but personally, the PS3 outshines its competitors (and yes, it SHINES!). It is bigger, but not by much compared to the dated looking 360. Special edition version of the PS3 console have also been something to look at! From white to black, matte to shiny, some with graphics and designs etc... The Wii, yes its cute and small, but not when you attach all the wires behind it.

So at the end of the day,
what console gives you more bang to your buck? ...the PS3
what console has free online play? ...the PS3
what console is going to dominate when it comes to games? ...the PS3

and what console is the best? ...the PS3. NO DOUBT!

Sony Touchscreen Walkman!

Sony is also joining the line of touchscreen gadgets with its new Walkman, scheduled to be revealed @ CES 2009. This will be the most advanced music, video and photo Walkman music player Sony has released to date. All the usual suspects are here... WiFi, browser, large amounts of audio & video codec supports, YouTube, and an OLED 3" screen with around 10,000 contrast ratio. Wait a sec... OLED 3" screen with a 10,000 contrast ratio?! Thats not normal! What's that you ask? Well, lets just say that this screen will put the ones on our iPhone's and iPod's to shame! SHAME I say!

Other notable features is that it includes FM radio! Where has that been on our iPod's, Apple?!?! It will also have some kind of search feature which can tell you more about the artist you're listening to, the album, music video's etc... With this Walkman, I'm not even gonna go into sound quality cuz Sony has never been lacking in that department.

As much of an Apple Fanboy as I am, Sony still holds a place near and dear to my heart... and this Walkman looks to definitely be capable to break that iPod streak I've been on for the past few years (3rd gen, Mini, Mini 2nd gen, Nano, 5th gen U2, Touch)! Now, all that matters will be it's styling. Can it do better than Apple? If so, Sony, you've got my pick for the best music player!

Sony's Rolly

Here's something cool I stumbled on in Japan! This is Sony's Rolly. For those who haven't heard about this, this Sony's latest portable music device. It may look a little weird at first, but it actually looks like this because this device can actually dance to the beat of the music it plays!! Gotten your attention huh?

Rolly is made with several motors so that it would be able to rotate and spin to the beat. It also sports LED lights on its edge, the "cup-like" wings, which actually opens and closes as it dances.

Rolly is able to detect beats, rhythm, voice and pitch through sound sensitivity. This allows Rolly to automatically react top the music. Preprogrammed movements and downloads can be downloaded from personal computers and bluetooth.

Here's a quick vid of Rolly that I took from The Sony Building in Japan:

This device went on sale on in Japan on Sept. 29, 2007 for a retail price of about $399.99. It comes in black or white. Sony also made the "engrave it" option available, as well as different colors of arms and other accessories.

I think this device is cool. Very innovative if you ask me. However, when I saw this I was all like, "when would I ever use this? It's not like quality of the sound it produces is that good." I mean, I guess for those who have cash to throw around, I'd suggest you head out and get one! It would make a great conversation piece for when you have get-togethers! But for those who are more practical, I suggest you think about it first!

What do you think? Comment!

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PSP Go: Confirmed!!

With E3 just around the corner, rumors of upcoming titles, systems and handhelds have flooded the internet, leaving gamers roaring for confirmations! Well one thing that VANTAGE can confirm for you guys is the upcoming PSP Go.

The PSP Go is the evolution of the Sony PSP, which sports a brand new look, and is packed with loads of new features! Features like a sliding screen that hides the buttons and UMD drive, 16GB of internal memory, bluetooth, and many more. 

More titles have also been rumored to be released for this handheld. Titles like Kojima's new Metal Gear installment, Little Big Planet, and Gran Turismo.

Here are a few more pics:

I'm definitely loving Sony's new sleek design for this handheld. I definitely wouldn't mind owning one of these if I were to base my purchase on hardware alone. But  let's admit it, the first generation PSP also looked cool as hell, but it failed to make sales and generate cash for Sony. Nintendo's DS was definitely king in the handheld wars. My advice to Sony, make sure that they release some big name titles if you guys wanna sell this. I mean, it looks great,the features sound promising, but nobody's gonna buy this if there aren't any games to play. Metal Gear, Little Big Planet, and Gran Turismo is definitely a step in the right direction. Now let's keep the games coming! 

Oh and another thing, one tip I wanna share with you guys, don't buy one right away. Sony is definitely gonna release a variety of colors, so be patient. I'm definitely holding out for a white or red one!

What do you think? Comment!!

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Spider-Man 4 Teaser Poster. Real Or Fake?

A teaser poster of the upcoming sequel, Spider-Man 4 was recently shown at the Licensing International Expo in Las Vegas. However, Sony has released a statement that the poster is indeed a fake, and that no artwork has been made for the film.

Fans however think otherwise. Some fans believe that this poster is actually legit, it just got negative reactions, and so Sony denied the authenticity. One fan who was actually at the expo stated that he asked if the poster was legit, and Sony answered, "yes."

I actually believe the fans on this one. I think Sony did release this poster for fans to see hoping to create buzz for the film, but I don't think they got the reactions they were looking for. I think Spider-Man 3 really did damage to this franchise, and I think Sony's got their work cut out for them.

What do you think? Real of Fake?

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Sony's PSP In New Carnival Colors!!

Sony has recently announced that they will be releasing their popular handheld, the Sony PSP in new carnival colors! Although, I'm not sure new colors can save this losing battle for the PSP. I think that some new features or functions would've been better.

Anyhoo, beginning Mach 5th, colors like Radiant Red, Vibrant Blue, Bright Yellow, and Spirited Green will be made available in Japan. They are said to come alone for about 19800 yen (regular price for a PSP) or with a matching wrist strap/case and a 4gb memory stick for about 24800 yen (about $280.00).

Like I said, I believe that new colors isn't the answer for Sony. I've recently been to Japan, and believe me when I say that a huge chunk of the people walking around with handhelds are walking around with the Nintendo DS. I can't say for sure why, but my guess is that, maybe bacause the DS really has more to offer, functionality wise that is! But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

What do you think? Am I Wrong? Comment!

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Sony Vaio TT: World's Lightest Blu-Ray Laptop

"This Is So Going In My Blog,"

As you might have noticed, me and my co-authors here at VANTAGE are pretty much huge Apple fans. BUT, that don't mean we don't apreciate the other brands out there! Remember the time, when Sony was top dog? They ruled during the times of walkmans and discmans, they dominated in the TV industry, and their pc's and laptops were always able to hold their own. While Sony has lost a huge chunk of thier share in these industries, they still produce some of the coolest gadgets out there today.

Today I'm posting about their latest notebook, the Sony Vaio TT. This notebook is considered to be the world's lightest blu-ray laptop. It's chassis is made of carbon fiber. Arriving in a variety of configurations, the VAIO TT is available with an XBRITE-DuraView LCD, Intel's Centrino 2 technology, an HDMI output, dual channel 256GB (128GB x 2) SSD setup with RAID, Sprint WWAN (EV-DO Rev. A) and Windows Vista running the show. It will be available in carbon black, silk black, champagne gold, and crimson red. No word yet on battery life yet, but stay tuned. This Vaio is estimated to cost about $2000.00, while the blu-ray pack will go for about $2700.00.

Now like I said, I'm very much an Apple fan and would prefer a mac, but right now, I actually use a Vaio. Vaios would be my second choice. And if I were to get another laptop other than the mac, I would definitely consider this notebook. I like its design. I would get it in Crimson Red. And I love the fact that it will be able to support blu-ray, and the fact that it's the lightest. Always gotta go with what's light people!

What do you think? Comment!

"True Story"

Latest Rumors from GDC!

For those who don't know, GDC, or Game Developers Conference, is just around the corner. Its basically where we hear what the game developers out there are up to, straight from them. And just like I how I believe 2009 will be Sony's (PS3) year, here are the latest rumors/announcements that will make Sony fans very happy... if they turn out true that is.


- A new 80gb Ps3 bundled with 2 games at the end of March & will cost $399. A new 40gb PS3 will be launched in May, priced at $299!

Looks like there will be no price cut on the 80gb version, but 2 free games already adds up to around $120 (Uh oh for the 360)! And $299 for a 40gig-er? Most definitely affordable!

- The PSP slide will be shown in this years E3 and launched next year. The current PSP will also get a price cut which will bring it down to $119!

New products and more price cuts... looks like Sony is helping people out who are feeling the effects of the economic crisis? cool cool.

- Shadow of the Colossus Online will be annouced. Syphon Filter is also in production for the PS3, rumored to be using the same engine as Killzone 2.

Some of the biggest games on the PS2, coming to the PS3? More exclusives to add to the list? Hopefully!

- Insomniac is developing an action RPG platformer thats much like Zelda.

You can trust Insomniac to bring you good games outta the box, and a Zelda clone with the PS3's power? Intersting.


Just a reminder, these are only rumors, though the 80gb PS3 one seems like it has already been confirmed. We must all wait for GDC to see if any of the others will come to fruitation. If so, 2009 will defintely belong to Sony!

FIGHT!!!: Microsoft Vs. Sony. No Blu-ray??

Those with hopes for native Blu-ray support in Microsoft's upcoming Windows 7 operating system should flush them down the shitter because there has been confirmation the new OS won't play Blu-ray movies out of the box. Blu-ray support in Windows 7 will be provided by "PC makers or BRD drive makers," according to Steven Sinofsky, senior vice president of the Windows and Windows Live Engineering Group at Microsoft, in a statement published by windows7center.com.

Just as with Windows XP and DVDs, Blu-ray playback under Windows 7 will require the installation of third party media suites such as CyberLink's PowerDVD or Corel's WinDVD. By refusing to licence the Blu-ray playback decoder for Windows 7, Microsoft is pushing the costs onto PC makers who will generally obtaining Blu-ray licenses bundled with Blu-ray drives.

Microsoft backed the doomed HD DVD format in the high definition format war which saw the Sony-backed Blu-ray format emerge victorious. Windows has not completely turned its back on the format, with Windows 7 offers the ability to read and burn Blu-ray data discs.

Is Microsoft that little kid with a bad attitude, not supporting Blu-ray because of its main console competitor, Sony? Who knows, but this does put Microsoft in a bad light in my book and on the losing side of the battle. You have to adapt. Right now, Apple is making its mark over MS with its incredibly superior Operating System, thus basically making Apple a better software manufacturer with respects to that. And now, game producers want more space to produce their games and HD-DVD just doesn’t cut it anymore. MS, you really do need to move on and just accept the new, just like Sony knows that iPod’s reign supreme in the music player industry, thus actually making iPod compatible components and even peripherals. Pride is a terrible thing MS, and if you continue your selfish ways then SEE-YA!

More Wireless Please...

Okay okay, everyone has wireless phones, wireless computers, wireless internet, remote control this and that. But i'm pretty sure not to man people have wireless dvd players, am I right? okay now if you do, can yours send signal to 4 different receivers(tv's, PC's, random monitors)? No? I didn't think so. Then I guess it doesn't have a 65 foot radius for its signal either huh? I mean why would you need that right?

Well Sony thinks it necessary to go that far. Thats why Sony has created the Sony DMX-SW1. Not only is this some new tech, but its also a nice accent to the home.



The DMX-WL1, DMX-DVD and DMX-SW1 link modules from Sony hook up to their BRAVIA TVs to provide wireless streaming of HD video from anywhere up to 65 feet away. The DMX-WL1 is a two-piece system that has five HD sources (four HDMI and one component) that's $800 in October. The DMX-DVD is an upscaling 1080p DVD player for $200, and the DMX-SW1 adds four additional HDMI inputs for $150, both of which are available now.

Doneski.

God Of War III Trailer!!!

God of War III is the upcoming and final installment in Sony's successful franchise God of War. It is the fifth chapter in the series chronologically after, God of War: Chains of Olympus, God of War: Betrayal, and God of War II. The tagline for this installment is: "In The End, There Will Only Be Chaos."

This installment sees Kratos continuing his pursuit of vengeance against the Gods who have wronged him, and this time around, he's got the Titans backing him up!

God Of War III Trailer:

I am beyond psyched for this game! God of War quickly became one of my favorite franchises simply because the character and story were so awesome!! I have always been a fan of Greek mythology and this game totally took it to another level. God of War II was awesome, and I'm expecting nothing less from Sony! According to some insiders, God of War III promises to wow gamers with some amazing graphics! Sony definitely saved the best for last!!

God Of War III Comes Out In 2009

What do you think? Comment!!

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Sony's OLED TV?

Hey guys, so I though I'd post some more stuff I found during my vacation in Japan.

So here is more cool tech I found during my vacation in Japan. This could "possibly" be Sony's much talked about OLED TV. When I saw this, the first thing I noticed was how ultra thin it was! Like you wouldn't believe how thin this thing was. This is considered to be the first OLED in the US, and features a 1 000, 000:1 contrast ratio, low power consumption, and rapid response time.

The OLED however only comes in an 11 inch, I wouldn't suggest picking these up for your home theater.

Oh, and for those who don't know, OLED stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode.

Here are some details abut this anticipated TV:

XEL-1 Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) Television
Available in January for about $2,500

• North America's first Organic LED television

• 11-inch screen is ultra slim with a depth of only 3 millimeters

• Light emitting structure delivers 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, very deep blacks and unmatched color expression and picture detail

• Extremely bright picture with low power consumption

• Rapid panel response time for a clear, blur-free picture

• Exceptionally wide viewing angles unmatched by other TV devices

• Remarkably wide color range surpassing other displays

The only thing I can say about his TV is "DAMN" The width of this thing is unbelievable! I can't even imagine a TV getting thinner than this! But hey, I wouldn't be surprised. If I had $2,500 to burn, I'd definitely head to the nearest Sony to pick this bad boy up! I personally think that the specs justify its price.

What do you think? Comment!!

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PS3 Slim in the Philippines?!

For the gamers out there, I'm sure you've already heard, the PS3 Slim has been spotted in the Philippines, coincidentally where we're from. I know, I know, we're late on the news, but I've actually been following a thread on the Pinoyps.com site (local PS3 forum) for updates and someone was actually supposed to check it out yesterday so I was hoping to wait for the news and post it here right away. But it seems that someone bought it before our contact could check it out.



For those who are still in the dark, news thus far is that the one who was selling it said it came from the States and now, the unit has been sold to someone for around P22k ($460), most likely to be re-sold at a much higher price (that's the way the Philippines works). A group of curious cats on the pinoyps.com forum have said that they will go today and look for it, finally validating whether or not this is a hoax.

BUT, since this is Vantage, it's never complete without our point of view... and I call BULLSHIT! Although I dont really need to explain myself, I will anyway. Some of my major arguments is that if it is indeed out, leaked, stolen or whatever, and is in the hands of someone out there, why hasn't Sony said anything? This news is out on probably all the major gaming sites, yet Sony has kept quiet. Why? Cuz its probably fake! If its already out and someone has it, how can Sony not acknowledge or confirm it when its already in someones hands? And out of all the places in the world for it to be leaked, why the Philippines? I mean no offense to our country, cuz after all, its my home too, but why not China, Japan or Korea? Correct me if im wrong, but aren't PS3's made in Japan or China? Why would it be leaked in the States and go as far as to be brought here?

Another argument is that hey, this is the Philippines, the land of fake stuff! There are PSP hand held look-a-likes that aren't real, Vii's, iPhones that claim to be iPhones but are fake, Nokia 6300's from China that hella look like the real deal, and even a Nokia N98.... yeah, N98, what the F#@K is that?! And for the guy who has it not to post pics or something on the net is also very suspicious.

Another thought is that it could be a "re-pack." What I mean by that is that someone got a hold of the fake/leaked casing from a few months ago, and just transfered the internals of the original PS3 into that one. Also maybe switching out the harddisk to a bigger one and making the power supply external, much like the PS2 Slim.

Anyway, I could go on and on about why I call this one a big hoax, but hey, I COULD be wrong. These are just my reasons why I don't think its real. I've gotta see it to believe it. Anyway, only time will tell, after those who have ventured to the land of the fakes to look for the coveted Slim PS3.

Sony Ericsson posts $299 million Q2 loss, but a gain for us... Playstation Phone coming Q4?

I'm sure it comes to no surprise that many, MANY companies are suffering losses nowadays, but for Ericsson, it's not all that bad, at least not as bad as its recent $382 million loss. Sony Ericsson also believes this is due to the waves of smartphones that have been coming out that their losing out on their mid-tier mobile phones. For SE fans, all isn't lost, SE said that they are working in that direction and their higher end devices should smack us in the face this Q4. But wait, theres more... one of their devices thats said to be hitting this fourth quarter is rumored "to integrate with Playstation." What that means, only time will tell. Will we have our coveted PSP phone, a phone that just has similar OS and look to the Playstation, or even just a device that allows for remote-play?

I'm most definitely rooting for a PSP phone, but even s smart phone that integrates the Playstation OS' look and feel, and actually looks good is always welcome competition for iPhone lovers such as myself and fellow Vantage bloggers. More competition usually equals good news for consumers like us. But one thing is for sure, we probably wont be seeing anything for the next 3 months (since nothing's coming out in Q3) except for another Sony Ericsson loss. Good luck to you guys at SE!

Sony Organic Screen

"This Is So Going In My Blog,"

How many of you guys remember the scene from Minority Report where Tom Cruise eats from an animated box of cereal? Yeah, didn't seem like that was ever gonna happen right? Well today we take a step forward to actually seeing that in our pantries. Getting excited yet?

The dudes at Sony and Germany's Max Planck Institue have developed a flexible and organic display that  features video capabilities. This is basically made possible by the OLED application. With this tech, we'll basically be able to see animated shirts,  and digital newspapers and cereal boxes. Yup, somewhere down the line, we won't be reading the paper anymore, we'll be watching it straight from the paper. But that's not all, with tech like this, we could very well be seeing wallpaper TV's in our bedrooms.

I think this is definitely a huge leap towards "the future." I'm excited to see what they're able to do with this. May it be animated cereal boxes, or digital newspapers, it's definitely an exciting time for everyone. We are literally seeing the future come to life and I'm just glad I'm here to see it all happen!

What do you guys think? Comment!

Angels & Demons Open With Disappointing Numbers.....

Ron Howard's and Tom Hanks' adaptation "Angels & Demons" which acts as a sequel to their 2006 hit, "The Da Vinci Code" took in about $48 million, which is a little softer than its predecessor. A reason for this could be because the novel itself was less popular than "The Da Vinci Code", and also because there was less controversy this time around.

But don't count the film out yet, "Demons" was able to take in $104 million internationally. And word-of-mouth has been generally positive due to its tight storyline and action sequences, which could help the film reach $150 million domestically. After all, "Da Vinci Code" grossed $514 million internationally, and only $217 million domestically. So, "Demons" could still easily be a big summer hit for Sony.

I actually just saw the film last night and thought it was good, but I liked "Da Vinci Code" better. But, I did like how this time around, the storyline was a lot tighter, and there really were no boring parts, unlike "The Da Vinci Code." I do believe that this film will still be huge, and that Sony will probably make good cash from it. After all, it's Ron Howard, Tom Hanks, and Brian Grazer, these are huge money-making names in Hollywood.

What do you think? Comment!!

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Sony's 'Quantum of Solace' VAIO laptop

Sorry, no hidden missile or grenade launchers here. No tracking device, laser beam or supersonic sound thingee. Believe it or not, this machine isn't actually a piece of high-tech spy gear -- it's a garden variety Sony Z-Series with the usual kit: Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 128GB SSD or 320GB hard drive, 3G connectivity, 4GB RAM, 13.3-inch LED backlit LCD, fingerprint reader, Motion Eye camera and Blu-ray drive.

This piece of cinematic history will be limited to 700 units, and it's expected to set you back a cool $4,000! But hey, for that kinda money, look what you get, a slick 007 logo! Secret agents, eat your heart out!!! This piece of machinery is expected to ship @ the end of October.

The Top 10 Most eBayed Gadgets Of 2008

This list has no reference to worldwide sales whatsoever.

But according to eBay, the Nintendo Wii was the most purchased product this year.

No surprise there. Nintendo really hit it off with this console. Their sales were definitely through the roof with this one.

Here's the full list:

1. Nintendo Wii: 2,056,866 related items sold
2. Microsoft Xbox360: 1,297,903 related items sold
3. Sony PSP: 350,591 related items sold
4. iPod Touch: 281,361 related items sold
5. Nintendo Wii Fit: 266,584 related items sold
6. Apple iPhone 3G: 212,837 related items sold
7. BlackBerry Pearl: 207,688 related items sold
8. BlackBerry Curve: 193,788 related items sold
9. Sony Playstation 3: 103,333 related items sold
10. Guitar Hero III: 98,159 related items sold

If you look at the list carefully, I think you guys would agree with me when I say that everyone seems to be enjoying their fair share of video games!! Guys guys, I think gaming is lots of fun, but I'd suggest a few hours of exercise too! Don't want all the gamers in the world to be overweight right? K, hope the post was interesting, I'll post again soon! I'm off to playing my PS3! I'm out!

For those who want to view further down the list, visit CrunchGear!

What do you think? Comment!

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PSP-3000

A few months ago, it was rumored that Sony was developing their follow up to the popular Sony PSP. Well folks, it has been confirmed! Little has been said about this next-gen handheld, but I will definitely let u guys know as soon as I do!

Would u buy this? Comment!

"True Story"

New Poll Question!!

In light of the recent debate that we had here at VANTAGE on the current console war between Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo, we have decided to relate our new "Poll Question" on the matter.

With so many new games set to be released this year, we would like to know you guys' opinion on which console you think will dominate this year. Some have said that this could be the PS3's year, and some have disagreed! So head on over to the "Poll Segment" and give us your opinion!

Here at VANTAGE, we are very neutral between all 3 consoles. While the only system I own is the PS3, I don't in any way feel like the 360 is lower in quality. It's just that right now, the games I prefer are on the PS3, so please, no personal attacks! We would appreciate your opinions tho.

For those who are interested to read Ersh's post on the matter, click HERE

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