CES 2009 - Sony Annoucements

Jason Wong • Jan 12, 2009 • Comments (0)

This year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has come and gone, and hardware manufacturers from around the world have shown us some amazing new technology. Video games featured heavily at this year's show, and Sony made some very interesting announcements at the event. Here is a run down of all of the Sony-related news that came out of the convention.

3D TV
"What is the Matrix?" you ask. Well the answer is out there, and Sony's bringing it to you. Virtual reality has been a mainstay of sci-fi movies for decades and now with the announcement of Sony's 3D technology, expect the virtual to become reality sooner than you think. Last week at the 2009 CES, Sony unveiled its new line of 4K projectors and HD cameras and invited attendees to a broadcast of 3D video of the FedEx Orange Bowl and BCS National Championship Game. Sony trumped up 3D as a revolutionary cinematic event alongside the advent of sound and color. What all this innovation translates to is Sony's vision of bringing 3D television to households in the near future -- a business plan that might culminate in 3D gaming.

CES attendees glimpsed a bit of what the future holds when they were treated to video of a three-dimensional Gran Turismo tech demo, rendered in stereoscopic RealD 3D graphics. Users wearing a pair of 3D glasses could see cars visually popping out of the screen. But Sony's show floor representatives were quick to point out that this is not an actual game. There's no denying, though, that Sony is hard at work trying to bring this technology to our televisions and consoles, especially when you consider their recent patent of a 3D controller that responds to hand motion and pressure. Right now, 3D TV technology only exists as a proof of concept, but nonetheless has gamers everywhere getting their Keanu on and gasping, "Whoa!"

PSN
During their CES keynote, Sony boasted 17 million registered users on PSN, 2 million users on Life with Playstation, and 330 million pieces of content downloaded through PSN.

Psst... don't tell Microsoft but I saw Sony and MTV making out on The Hills. And you can see it too when MTV uploads its 2000 hours of hot and heavy programming on the PSN.

HOME
Don't look now but EA wants in on the action too. EA wants you to bring it back Home -- EA Sports Home, that is. The games company giant is reserving a Home space for all users to visit. Come Spring, their sports arena complex will allow you to race go-karts to your heart's content, with up to four players head-to-head. But wait! There's more -- Golfing, anyone? And how's your poker face? Add in clothing prizes and stuff for your Home apartment, and we got a winner. Hallelujah! Finally, a reason to login to Home!