Sony is considering a price block for online content in used games with a system much like EA’s Online Pass, SCEE president Andrew House told GamesIndustry.biz.

“On the principle of making online portions of the game available or unlocked from the disc-based release for a fee, we’re broadly supportive of that. And we’re exploring actively the same option for our own content,” House said.

The casual announcement may stem from the apparent success of PlayStation Plus, Sony’s recent PSN subscription model, which House admitted is proving more profitable than he imagined.

“What I would say is that subscriptions are tracking at or above where our higher expectations were. Which is a way of saying in essence that we’re pleased,” House said. “I have a sense that there is a second tier of PSN users that are almost ready to sign up that are in something of a wait-and-see mode because they want to see a bit more of the roadmap and how it flows out and is it meaningful to them? Which is absolutely fair enough.”

For Sony, this indicates an obvious money pool that could just as easily be spent on online content for used games. However, House is not prepared to charge for everything. Yet.

“In terms of just a charge for basic online play, that’s something that we have to talk about a lot more and we struggle with a little bit because we feel very vindicated and base a lot of the success of PSN today – a 70 per cent connection rate across consoles – on the fact that we’ve removed that major initial barrier to entry,” House said.

House added Sony is exploring “a range of different monetisation options that fit consumer needs,” which could roughly translate to a “wait-and-see” approach for Sony as well, as they try to find our pockets’ breaking points.

What does Sony’s active exploration of a used game price block mean for the industry, and for us? EA, Ubisoft and THQ are all on board already – is this the next great trend in used gaming and how will it affect your own shopping habbits? Let’s hear it all in the comments!

Sackboy’s triumphant return in LittleBigPlanet 2 isn’t all physics fun and games.

The latest gameplay trailer from the PlayStation Blog features an amped up storyline complete with the Negativitron, a “mysterious and terrible evil” bent on destroying Craft World, pitted against the Alliance, whose sole mission is to save the planet. With Sackboy’s help, of course.

The trailer shows off a few new gadgets, like a grappling hook, bounce pads, the creatinator, and power gloves. The game also allows direct control of at least one flying, feathered friend, four helpful characters in the Alliance, and AI Sackbots that look too cute to turn off.

According to the trailer, LittleBigPlanet 2 will feature 50 Levels and a “cosmic sized adventure” complete with space travel.

Check out the trailer above and let us know what you think below!

Sony has patented a genuinely marketable use of its 3D gaming venture with stereoscopic screen sharing that can replace split-screens with two full, separate images for two players, and what looks like an omniscient view for one spectator.

That’s three different images from one television screen. Three.

According to the patents, Sony’s 3D shutter glasses can also display different images from three of the following devices at the same time: a game console, PC, DVD player, cable box, and the ever-relevant VCR. The 3D glasses operate on video signals and are viewed through shuttered filters on the glasses, which sync screen images based on the viewer’s orientation, ideally shutting off the filter when the glasses are turned away from the screen.

The glasses themselves also appear to have earbuds, meaning users will receive their own audio tracks, because watching American Idol with a Call of Duty soundtrack would be more than a little disorienting.

The patents, filed a year ago and released to the public Thursday, were initially discovered by Broke My Controller.

Check out .pdfs of the patents right here and here.

Does this make the 3DTV and its oh-so-fashionable accessories purchase sound more appealing to you? Share your shifting opinions in the comments!

Sony is on the Move – And no, Move is not some new mind-altering drug that causes delusions of motion-controlled gaming profitability and grandeur. That’s probably due to the bad batch of crack all the gaming CEOs seemed to have shared at last year’s Christmas party – and this week hosts the announcement of the PS3 Move Japanese launch game lineup and a few hardcore bundles.

The following games will be available in Japan the day of Move’s release, October 21:

• EyePet
• Sports Champion
• Beat Sketch
• High Velocity Bowling
• Kung Fu Raider
• PS Move Big 3 Gun Shooting Perfect Pack

Big 3 Gun Shooting is the latest package announced for the Move and will feature one Move motion controller, a PS Eye camera, a shooting attachment device and three Bandai Namco games, Time Crisis Razing Storm, Dead Storm Pirates and Time Crisis 4 Arcade Version. Sony has also announced PS Move Bio Hazard 5 Alternative Edition Special Pack as another starter kit, including Capcom’s Bio Hazard 5 Alternative Edition for Move. And then there’s the granddaddy, the Resident Evil 5 Special Pack, which will include the camera, controller and Move-enabled version of Resident Evil 5. Although if you are already a proud owner of Resident Evil 5, consider your options carefully as a Move upgrade for the game is scheduled for release in September.

Sony has listed the following titles for release after the Move’s launch:

• Echochrome (November)
• The Fight: Lights Out (November)
• Motion Party (November)
• TV Super Star (December)
• Ape Escape (2010)
• Sorcery (2011)
• Tower (2011)
• The Shoot (2011)
• Heroes on the Move (2011)

The Japanese announcement may be altered for U.S. and European release, but it is a good indication of what to expect come October. What do you think of the lineup? How does it compare to the Kinect’s? Tell us what you think in the comments!

Via 1up.

Japan is arguably one of the most inherently obsessive cultures in the world, but a majority of citizens aren’t even remotely interested in 3D televisions, which could be detrimental to Sony’s 3D gaming goals.

One poll surveying 8,957 people in Japan found 67.4 percent of respondents were not interested in buying a 3D TV, while 31.2 percent wanted or were considering the purchase. That’s almost 70 percent of people who don’t want to use Sony’s new 3D gaming technology. 70 percent. To put it in a more relevant perspective, that’s a passing grade in most colleges.

Reasons for Japanese disinterest in 3D TV were more evenly spread, with 70 percent (of the almost 70 percent) opposed to wearing 3D glasses, 57 percent citing high prices, and almost 40 percent worried about the scant amount of 3D content.

The survey suggests that most Japanese people don’t think 3D technology is worth their time or money, and this comes from the country with two Hello Kitty theme parks.

However, with over 126 million people in Japan, surveying under 9,000 randomly isn’t necessarily a definitive death sentence. Perhaps in a survey of 9,000 Japanese gamers, the percentages would suggest more people are interested in purchasing a 3D TV. Or maybe Sony should have asked their neighbors before going ahead with their 3D gaming plans.

What about you – are you interested in 3D gaming enough to buy a 3D TV? Those of you who have 3D home systems, is it worth the price and possible fashion faux pas? Tell us in the comments!

Brent wrote a great article about playing Killzone 3 in 3D just a couple of days ago, but I wanted to tackle the other 3D offerings that were being shown at E3 this year, and 3D in general. I had a chance to play MLB 10: The Show, Super Stardust HD, and MotorStorm: Apocalypse. I also got to watch WipEout HD in action as well as a 3D movie. All of this was, of course, on the PS3 and all of the content was demonstrated using active sync 3D glasses and TV’s.

Now, I am one of those people that is very excited about the advent of 3D television and gaming. I must say that, despite my child-like enthusiasm for 3D (or perhaps because of it) I was left with mixed feelings regarding the technology as a whole. It was impressive to see, to be sure, but it didn’t leave me as satisfied as I would have hoped. Some games seemed to show better than others. MLB 10: The Show, for example, was the best implementation of 3D at the whole show, in my opinion. It felt natural and it actually enhanced the gameplay, something that I felt no other 3D game accomplished. Having the pitches thrown at you in 3D made it not only more realistic, but it made it easier to read the pitches as they hurled toward you and the plate. It was a very cool effect.

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Holy digital comics, Batman! DC Comics officially hit the PSP, iPhone and iPad today with 81 initial titles and five free comics available for download.

In this first batch of DC releases is Batman: Hush #1-6, Fables #1-5, Green Lantern: Rebirth #1-6, Jonah Hex #1-6–We promise the comic is nothing like that high school drama club production they tried to pass as a movie this summer–plenty of Superman-Batman issues and others (and probably some serious daddy issues, but those are free).

Sony and DC are also releasing free downloads of Bayou, Fringe, Mirrors Edge, Resistance, and a 10-page preview of Superman #700 for the PSP.

The Digital Comics store for PSP already hosts over 1600 titles from Marvel, Image Comics, IDW Publishing and others.

Will you download any of these titles for your PSP, iPad or iPhone? Tell us what you’re reading right here, right now!

Right near the top of my priority list at this year’s E3 was to play several games in 3D. I’ve heard so much about the technology and various opinions betting either way about its viability, but until you get the glasses on yourself, its all academic. The other Axe Lords and I got our first glimpse of Gaming in the Third Dimension during the Sony press conference last week.

As we entered the Shrine Auditorium, we were each given a set of 3D glasses exactly like you got at your local theater when you lined up to see Avatar in 3D (though let’s be honest how many people did that?). During the presser, Hermen Hulst took the stage to show off Killzone 3 and we were all directed to put on our glasses. At first, the live in-game demonstration didn’t seem all that different, but as the camera began to swing around and move forward, the audience performed a perfectly synchronized and totally impromptu Keanu Reeves impression through the collective ‘Woah’ that filled the auditorium.
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The second installment of DLC for Heavy Rain has been put on indefinite hold as Sony is encouraging developer Quantic Dream to focus on the Move version of the game instead.

Quantic Dream’s Guillame de Fondaumière told GameInformer the next DLC episode might go live once the Move patch is finished, but the company will most likely shift focus to its unannounced next project. The Heavy Rain DLC hasn’t been officially canceled yet, but it’s looking like we’re getting the hesitant, “Maybe…,” that comes after we ask mommy if we can go to Disneyland for our birthday next month.

For the Heavy Rain-ers, do you feel cheated by this announcement? Will the Move version be cool enough to make up for an unfinished DLC story? Let’s hear it!

Well gang, another year, another E3 in the books. Obviously, it was a busy time for the entire industry and we here at the ‘Axe hope you enjoyed our coverage of the event which delivered a TON of new news, big reveals, and so on. From new hardware (3DS anyone!) and new ways to play (Kinect, Move) to big announcements (Twisted Metal returns!) and a steady stream of media, it was certainly an eventful week in gaming. That said, when it comes down to it, for us E3 is all about the GAMES! With an impressive roster of quality titles on all platforms, it seemed like the competition for “Game of Show” was at an all-time high. Honestly, I didn’t feel like there was a single “runaway” game that defined the show, but rather numerous games that generated significant buzz. Now that we’ve had some time to soak it all in though, we’re gonna task you with telling us what YOUR favorite game of E3 2010 was. So, with that in mind, we’re posing the following question as this week’s Member BattleCry topic starter:

WHICH GAME OF E3 2010 WAS YOUR PERSONAL FAV?

I know, I know…hard questions, but what we want to do here is open up the floor to hear from our community about exactly WHY a particular game stood out to them. This IS NOT a flame war to bash other people’s opinions…DO NOT criticize someone else’s post simply because you don’t agree. Everyone here is entitled to their own opinion and I’m hoping that we’ll all be turned out to something that we may have missed or overlooked when the conversation is said and done. We’ll be checking the Member BattleCries all week long and then selecting one Member BattleCry of the Week that will be showcased on the next skirmish of EpicBattleCry.

Also, we’re going super top line, but we encourage you to vote in our poll which simply asks you to tell us whether you think Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo had the better show. You can vote in the sidebar anywhere on the site, so don’t forget to chime in! We’re looking forward to your feedback gang so keep your comments coming as we Cry Havoc and Let Our Voices Be Heard about the games of E3 2010!!!

Cheers,
DK