At Sony Computer Entertainment's press presentation at the Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany, Sony officially announced a new SKU of the PlayStation 3 hardware package. The new 160GB version is currently confirmed for release in Europe and -- as you can see if you scroll to our update below -- North America.

Designed to take advantage of Sony's new media streaming and downloading functionalities, the new SKU will be a 160 GB PS3 package. Other than the increase in hard drive space, no other specs have changed in this pack. The 160 GB PS3 will be priced at 449 Euros, and will come packed with 70 Euros of additional downloadable game content.

The 160 GB PS3 is coming to North America but not as a standalone. If you want the 160, you'll need to get it as part of a limited edition Uncharted: Drake's Fortune bundle that includes Uncharted, the system, a DualShock 3 controller, and a PlayStation Network Voucher for Pain. The whole kit and caboodle will cost you $499.99.

Quantic Dream’s David Cage has just taken through some amazing looking Heavy Rain gameplay at Leipzig.

First he announces that games are no longer for kids and teenagers,” saying that no guns, cars, interfaces, puzzles or enemies are in the game. It’s all about moral choices, contextual actions and decision making.

You, the player, are both writer and director.

We see a man standing in the rain and some kids playing outside a house. Then, we go inside and see a room whttps://www.nextgenupdate.com/vb/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=11ith birds hanging from the ceiling and the sound of a woman’s voice speaking into a dictaphone: all very eeire.

We’re then taken inside a house where you’re being chased. All of a sudden the man in the rain attacks you and there’s some QTE’s to avoid being killed.

We are then taken outside again and the demo was over.

Game is to be released “next year.”

We also unveiled at Leipzig an updated PSP system (PSP-3000), which we’ll be offering here initially through the previously announced Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters PSP Entertainment Pack and a new PSP 4GB Memory Entertainment Pack. I’m personally excited about the 4GB Memory bundle because we’re including a - you guessed it - 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo, which is the biggest Memory Stick we’ve ever bundled with a PSP. Similar to the new PS3 model, this PSP bundle is the result of the current consumer usage model - where more and more of you are finding that extra memory space is crucial. Check out the press release here for more details on what’s included in the bundles.



The new PSP retains the size and features of the current, slimmed-down PSP (PSP-2000), while incorporating some hardware updates:

* The LCD screen will have a wider color gamut and higher contrast ratio to deliver deeper, more vibrant colors, as well as anti-reflection technology so you can see the screen more clearly when playing outdoors. As you all know, the PSP’s screen is a key strength of the hardware, and this update adds an absolutely dazzling LCD screen to the handheld.
* A built-in microphone allows for Skype calls and multi-player gaming communication directly from the hardware - eliminating the need for attaching a separate headset.

Similar to our firmware updates, the new PSP is simply an opportunity to evolve the platform with the newest technology without adding to the cost of the system. The PSP Entertainment Packs will continue to be $199.99 (MSRP), and later this year we’ll release a standalone, updated PSP in a PSP Core Pack, which remains at $169.99 (MSRP).

Lastly, we’ve announced a new Wireless Keypad for PS3 that will make text communications and Web browsing much easier. The Wireless Keypad snaps onto the top of a SIXAXIS or DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller and comes with some cool features, including a mode that turns the main key area into a touch pad (similar to a touch pad on a Laptop computer). Once in this mode, you can slide your finger on this area to move the cursor on the screen and tap to enter. There will be two short cut buttons on the Keypad that will enable users to jump directly to the XMB’s “Friends” icon and the “Message Box” during gameplay. The Wireless Keypad will launch in late November.



Last but not least, the Wireless Keypad is a Bluetooth device that can not only be used with the PS3 system but with any other Bluetooth enabled device that has Keyboard functionality. You will be able to use it with your smart phones and other portable devices that are equipped with Bluetooth. With the PS3 system, it can be paired and charged seamlessly just by connecting them with a USB cable.