Sony Fixes Software Bug That Caused PS3 Malfunction

March 2 (Bloomberg) -- Sony Corp. said it fixed the software glitch that prevented as many as two-thirds of its PlayStation 3 game consoles from connecting to the player’s online network.

The malfunction stemmed from an error in the internal clock on some consoles that mistakenly recognized 2010 as a leap year, Tokyo-based Sony said on its Web site. Satoshi Fukuoka, a spokesman for Sony’s game unit, said approximately 20 million players, excluding the latest, slimmer version of the PS3, may have been affected and the error won’t require a recall.

Sales of the PS3 have picked up since Sony cut the price by 25 percent to about $300 in August and introduced the slimmer version in September. In the U.S., they rose 90 percent to a monthly record of 726,000 in December. The consumer-electronics maker sold 33.5 million PS3 players from 2006 through end of 2009, according to the games unit’s Web site.

Sony gained 1 percent to 3,085 yen as of 1:13 p.m. on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average was little changed.

Dead Space 2, Dragon Age Sequel Coming Early 2011

Conference calls covering quarterly financial results may sound like dreary ordeals, but they can often be the venues for exciting game announcements. This paradoxical truism was proven once again by Electronic Arts today, where they revealed Dead Space 2, a Dragon Age: Origins sequel, and a new shooter from Epic Games (probably the previously leaked Bulletstorm) are all on tap for release between January and March, 2011Computer Repair Company.

Unfortunately, what you won't find in financial reports are any exciting details. The games are merely listed as key titles to watch for in the fourth quarter of the 2010/2011 fiscal year, with nothing else revealed about them. But regarding the Dragon Age follow-up, note that BioWare has previously stated they intend to support Dragon Age: Origins with DLC for 18-24 months after its release. So if they stick by that plan, it's conceivable new DLC would be released right up toward the release of this new title.

As for the EA-published Epic shooter, it's more than likely Bulletstorm, a title previously trademarked by Epic-owned People Can Fly (who previously made the Painkiller series).

On top of these revelations, EA also narrowed release windows for many of their other announced games: APB and the new Medal of Honor are lined up for release between July and September; and the new NBA Jam, Crysis 2, and console releases for The Sims 3 are coming between October and December.Computer Repair, Computer Service, Computer Help, Computer Fix, PC Repair, Computer Stores, Laptop Repair