At its press conference this morning, Sony announced some major enhancements are coming to the PlayStation Network, including new game content, PSP access to the PSN movie delivery service, agreements with Showtime, Starz, E! and The Weinstein Company for TV, movie, anime and sports content, and a better content manager. Games include Gravity Crash, Hustle Kings and Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake.

Music and party game developer Zoë Mode announced that it has opened a new studio in California, Zoë Mode San Francisco, lead by former Sony Studio 5 Producer Sarah Stocker and Sony Computer Entertainment exec Mark Danks.

Sony is preparing to release a new v2.76 PS3 firmware update, which unfortunately is not really an major update as it only improves the playback quality of some PS3 format software.

Equipped with a variety of unique weapons and gadgets, players will hunt, fight and capture a wide range of supernatural villains in a funny and frightening battle to save New York City from its latest paranormal plague. In a surprise, and puzzling, move, Atari has sold off the PS2/PS3 publishing rights for Ghostbusters to Sony Europe (only), with a PSP version planned later in the year. The X360, NDS and Wii versions are still scheduled, although no release date was given.

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe's President, CEO and Co-Coo, David Reeves, will retire as of April 30, 2009, and be replaced by Andrew House, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Group Executive of Sony Corporation as of May 1, 2009.

Sony has released a new v2.70 PS3 firmware update, which includes several new features that enhance how PS3 users communicate and interact with their online friends, such as a new Text Chat feature that will enable users to chat with their online PlayStation Network friends. Other updates include enhancements to the Friends list on the XMB (XrossMediaBar) and improvements to the video delivery service on PlayStation Store.

Sony is preparing to release a new v2.70 PS3 firmware update, which includes several new features that enhance how PS3 users communicate and interact with their online friends, such as a new Text Chat feature that will enable users to chat with their online PlayStation Network friends. Other updates include enhancements to the Friends list on the XMB (XrossMediaBar) and improvements to the video delivery service on PlayStation Store.

Let's hope it's not an April Fool's Day joke, but Sony Computer Entertainment America announced that its PS2 system will be available starting April 1 for $99.99 (MSRP).

Go!Messenger let PSP users keep in touch with each other, for free, from any wireless broadband internet connection, allowing gamers to Video, Voice and Instant Message each other from anywhere in the world all from their PSPs. Sony is shutting down the service end of March, citing disappointing a number of regular users that BT and SCEE were aiming for.

SCEA is kicking off the PlayStation Network Spring Fever so the PSN community will be able to enjoy games such as Flower (Feb. 12), followed by Burn Zombie Burn, Noby Noby Boy, No Gravity and Ragdoll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic and more...

SOE has signed a publishing agreement with PopCap Games that will bring five hit titles to the PlayStation Network, starting with Bejeweled 2. Fan favorites, Zuma, Heavy Weapon, Peggle and Feeding Frenzy will become available shortly thereafter.

In Dec. 2008, Sony announced that it would lay off 16,000 employees, cut back on investments, close several of its manufacturing plants, and pull out of businesses as it is looking to cut $1.1 billion. Unfortunately, that does not seem to be the end of the bad news as Sony has just revised its earning estimates and is now expecting to lose $2.9 billion instead. As a result, it plans further layoffs in electronic, pictures, music and gaming divisions, and it will restructure and close manufacturing plants.

Sony is preparing to release a new v2.60 PS3 firmware update, which primarily enhances the system’s media capabilities. The main feature is the Photo Gallery application, which will allow you to organize you pics according to various criteria (camera used, the event date and time, number, etc..), create slideshows set to music and build photo playlists with an easy-to-use interface. The update also adds guest access to PlayStation Store for non-PlayStation Network members, and DivX 3.11 video support.

Sony announced the availability of the v5.03 system software update for PSP improving system software stability during use of some features.

Acquired by FUN Technologies in Jan. 2006, Octopi has now been assimilated by SOE and will henceforth be known as Sony Online Entertainment Tucson. Octopi is best known for PoxNora, a collectible trading card that combines tactical miniatures and fantasy RPG titles to create a unique online strategy game.

Sony Online Entertainment has signed a distribution agreement with Valve to bring its MMO titles to Steam, starting with the EverQuest and EverQuest II collections, as well as Vanguard: Saga of Heroes and Pirates of the Burning Sea.

According to the NPD Group's December sales numbers, the industry grew 9%, making for an overall 19% growth in 2008 (amounting to $21.3 billion). Not surprisingly 2008's big winners are Nintendo's Wii (10.2 million units) and NDS (9.9 mill. units), followed by Microsoft's X360 (4.7 mill. units) and Sony's PS3 (3.6 mill. units). Software-wise, Wii Play took the crown with over 5 million copies sold in 2008, followed by Mario Kart Wii, Wii Fit, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl, all selling more than 4 million copies. GTA IV (X360, 4.2 mill. copies), Call of Duty: World at War (X360, 2.7 mill. copies) and Gears of War 2 (X360, 2.3 mill. units) are next, with the only PS3 title in the top 10 being GTA IV with 1.8 mill. copies sold.

Rumors have been floating around that Sony might be working on a redesign for the PSP, but so far they have been denied every time. A new survey being conducted Sony however might be the first real indication that something is afoot. The questions have a broad range but the interesting bits gauge whether the respondents would like faster load times, GPS, TV tuner, or a touch-screen. With the success of the iPhone and the recent addition of games, it is not unlikely that the PSP might follow suit.

The new Yankee Stadium will feature a Sony HD broadcast control room; more than 550 flat-panel BRAVIA and professional LCD HD television sets in the luxury suites, lounges, concourses, restaurants and administrative offices. In addition, PS3s and VAIO laptops will be available to fans in select locations throughout the Stadium.

Acquired by Sony in 2007, UK based Evolution Studios (known for the Motorstorm franchise) will be moving in with Sony's Liverpool Studio (known for WipEout HD). The two studios have cooperated in the past by sharing the Motorstorm PS3 game engine, as well as technical support for each other's titles, and according to Sony Europe's Michael Denny, it only makes sense that the two developers move under the same roof, as they are in the same geographic location.

NPD has released its sales numbers for the month of Nov. and it comes as no surprise that the NDS and Wii wiped everybody off the map with 1.57 and 2.04 million units, respectively. As mentioned, Microsoft outsold the PS3 2 to 1, moving 836k units compared to Sony's 378k. Software-wise, it was all about Gears of War 2 with 1.56 million copies, with Call of Duty: World at War hot on its heels with 1.41 million, although if you add both the PS3 and X360 platforms together, it sold a combined 1.88 million copies.

With its shares dropping 70% in the past year, Sony Corp. announced that it will lay off about 4% of its 186,000-strong workforce (8,000 employees), an additional 8,000 contract employees, cut back on investments by 30%, close several of its overseas manufacturing plants, and pull out of businesses as it is looking to cut $1.1 billion in costs by March 2010. It was not clear whether the games division will be affected, but judging by the large amount of cutbacks, it's hard to imagine that it would not be involved.

Sony has released a new, albeit minor, v2.53 PS3 firmware update, which includes the following: improved the way the Flash Player works with the internet browser. In addition to being able to access more sites using Flash, you'll be able to enjoy full-screen mode playability, and live movie (using RTMP format) playability. Now it's going to be even easier to enjoy web content on your PS3, in full screen!

The New Xbox Experience will give X360 owners a new experience that is fun, social and simple to use, and puts more entertainment at their fingertips than any other device connected to the TV. Last week we reported that on the eve of the NXE rollout, Netflix revealed there would be no Columbia Pictures movies, owned by Sony, available for streaming through the Xbox 360. The holdout was due to licensing issues, which have now been resolved.