Shuhei Yoshida, the President of Sony Computer Entertainment, just unveiled at GDC the official name for the PlayStation motion controller, the PlayStation Move. The Move is Sony's latest PlayStation 3 add-on that will introduce motion-controlled gaming to the "next-gen" system using a design very similar to the Nintendo Wii. The new system is broken down into three parts: the camera, wand and subcontroller.

You will have to purchase at least two of the products to get the motion-controlling experience, both of which will be bundled in a starter pack along with an unannounced game that will retail for under $100. You will also be able to purchase a PS3 system with the starter pack bundled together in the future (Price TBD.) The other part of the system, the wireless "subcontroller", will allow for more precise control and movement of on-screen characters by introducing an analog stick and a few more face buttons. However, this subcontroller will not come bundled in the starter pack, is not motion-sensitive.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Sony is currently developing a new “lineup of handheld products”, including a smartphone capable of “playing PlayStation games” and a tablet. The article does not present too many details but the tablet is described as a mix between a netbook, PSP and an e-reader to compete with Apple’s latest iPad. No details were given on the PSP smartphone but, as we all know, this device has been rumored for a really long time now so take it with a grain of salt if you will. Both devices will also use the Playstation Store for downloadable content, much like the XBL integration with the Windows 7 Series phones.

Sony Readies Gadgets to Rival Apple [Wall Street Journal]

Today Sony released their Q3 Financial Report for the 2009 Fiscal Year which described an increase in PS3 sales and a decrease in other gaming systems when compared to with last year’s 3rd quarter.

According to the report, Sony sold approximately 6.5 million Playstation 3 systems, 4.2 million Playstation Portable systems and 2.1 million PS2 systems. The PS3 was the only system to see an increase in sales, boosting a remarkable 2 million more sales than the previous year. The PSP and PS2 both saw a decline in sales.

However, Sony reports that because of “improvmenet in the cost of PS3 hardware” the profitability of their game business remains relatively unchanged from last year. You can read the full financial report via the source link below (warning: PDF)

Sony Q3 2009 Financial Report [Sony]

In the eternal ping-pong match between Microsoft and Sony executives discussing their current generation consoles, Sony VP of Marketing and PlayStation Network, Peter Dille, has just thrown down some great fodder for the fanboys. In a recent interview conducted by IGN UK, Peter Dille was asked several questions about the competition, and some of his responses did not disappoint.

When asked if he thinks the PS3 will overtake the 360 in sales at some point, here was his response:

Yeah, we do. I'm confident we'll be around in 10 years and I can say that because we've done it twice. PS3 will be around in 10 years and probably much longer than that. I have my own opinion, but I'll ask you the question. Do you think the 360 will be around in 10 years?

We can be passionate fans, but I don't think they'll be around in 10 years so I'm very confident we'll pass them within that time frame. I mean, we've got 31 million [units sold] worldwide right now -- they've got 39 million [units sold]. I don't even need to go out 10 years. I'm not going to make any predictions for your interview today other than we'll pass them, but you look at where we are today and where they are today, and they had an opportunity to sprint as far ahead of us as possible when they had the head start. Well, we're breathing down their necks and they can see us in the rearview mirror and it's not going to take too long to pass them.

Well he went there, and only time will tell if the predictions will pan out. Competition is a good thing in this industry and I really never hope it goes away. As a lifelong gaming fan, I don't want any of these companies to start sitting on their laurels, which I feel is what Sony did prior to the launch of the PS3, and still do to a certain extent today.

Peter Dille Interview [IGN UK]

Well it's about time that Sony's first quarter blockbuster gets a street date. Fans will assume the role of Kratos for the finale to the current story arc on Tuesday, March 16th. In addition to the street date announcement, expect a brand new trailer to be unveiled on February 11, just two short weeks away. Just for good measure,  Sony has also announced that the combo deal God of War Collection has had a price reduction to $29.99.

So get ready do bloody up your Blades of Chaos in mid-March.  Images of the box art can be viewed below.

[View with PicLens]

Despite rumors of a PSP-4000 on the horizon and a greater focus being placed towards digital distribution with the PSPgo, Sony isn't finished with refreshing its PSP-3000 product lineup in Japan.  Meet the Blossom Pink PSP, a eloquent new color sure to be an object of desire amongst feminine-minded consumers. Scheduled for a March 4 drop date, it'll debut at a 16,800 yen price point after tax, which Sony labels as a "limited offer."

According to SCEA hardware marketing director John Koller, PSPgo sales are still "over-forecast" from what the company thought they would be. While maintaining steady support in the retail sector, Sony plans to sharpen its focus towards digital distribution in 2010.  Sony acknowledges the fact that some publishers have been slow to make the jump to digital -- Square Enix anyone? -- and is in the process of laying down the groundwork to encourage third-parties to release simultaneously on both distribution fronts.

Sony has dished out a bevy of details on Media Molecule's Pirates of the Caribbean level pack for joyous platformer LittleBigPlanet. Keep your head above the water, as there's an overwhelming amount of content in this pack. Featured are four additional objects for use in create mode, including a global water object, scuba gear, a bubble machine, and water switch.

Also packed into the update are five Pirates of the Caribbean themed levels, a new costume, four new music tracks, a new level background, eight materials, 14 decorations, 27 objects, 133 stickers, and 11 attainable trophies. Due out on December 22, this content conglomeration is attractively priced at $5.99, or €5.99 for the Euro equivalent. The perfect gift for any LittleBigPlanet owner longing to take their Sackboy out for an adventure on the high seas.

LittleBigPlanet Pirates of the Caribbean Level Pack Detailed [eXophase.com]

Sony is celebrating the holiday season tomorrow on PlayStation Home, bringing the generically-named Festive Tree to Central Plaza, in addition to the opening of a MotorStorm: Pacific Rift space and Dead Space 2 Miner outfit.

PS Home community specialist Locust_Star says those who log on during this festivity period can treat themselves to solving puzzles and unlock unspecified rewards in the process. As an aside, Hudson will be hosting a scavenger hunt from 12:00pm to 5:00pm PST for its PSN title Diner Dash, which is scheduled for a release tomorrow. Bits and pieces of an unlock code scattered throughout Home. It's a race to the finish, as the first 50 users to correctly compile the mess of letters and numbers together can redeem it for a free download of the game.

Holiday Celebrations Come to PlayStation Home + MotorStorm, Dead Space 2, and Diner Dash [PlayStation Blog]

PlayStation Home Gets Into The Holiday Spirit Tomorrow - [eXophase.com]

The bite-sized PSP Minis may be getting more attention in the near future as an anonymous source close to Joystiq has suggested that these offerings will be playable on PS3 down the road. Assuming the information pans out, we could reportedly see a cross-platform push behind the Minis as soon as “before Christmas.” Such a move would without a doubt make these titles even more attractive to impulse buyers.

Sony, for its part, is not commenting on the rumor right now. Doesn’t exactly seem far-fetched to us, though. The only question is if developers will have to handle porting duties themselves or if Sony will develop a solution that enables seamless cross-platform play. If the latter, we assume it’d mean that all Minis going forward would be playable on both PSP and PS3. We’ll see.

Rumor: PSP Minis playable on PS3 before Christmas [Joystiq]

Sony To Enable Cross Platform Play With PSP Minis? - [eXophase.com]