Firmware 3.50 was decrypted shortly after release, but not fully since Sony implemented various changes in the PRX formats. After being quiet for some time, new updates regarding the decryption progress as well as that of the next custom firmware have emerged. Accordingly, Mathieulh and Dark AleX are indeed working on Custom Firmware 3.50 OE and the project is already 5 per cent complete.

There are no details of what the new custom firmware will offer, but one of the main reasons for the new firmware is to utilize the 3.50 kernel. Lets hope the pair include some interesting new additions to the firmware. Look out for more details soon.

Blu-Ray is leading the High Definition DVD war thanks to the PlayStation 3. To further boost Blu-Ray, recently, Blockbuster announced that Blu-ray disc will be the exclusive HD movie format for 1,450 of their 1,700 stores in North America. This is a big win for the Blu-ray format, as Blockbuster noted they based their decision on consumer feedback.

“The consumers are sending us a message. I can’t ignore what I’m seeing,” said Matthew Smith, senior vice president of merchandising at Blockbuster, to The Associated Press.

By mid-July , they will have over 170 Blu-ray movies in stock. You can read the official Blockbuster announcement here.

One change in Firmware 3.50 that Sony failed to mention was that the PSP now uses the full power of the CPU. Previous firmware versions limited the CPU speeds to 266MHz – roughly 80 per cent of the portable console’s full power. But now, the PSP using Firmware 3.50 runs games at 333MHz, utilizing 100 percent of the CPU power. What does this mean? Faster game loading and possible better graphics for future games, but shorter battery life.

To those who use Dark_AleX’s OE Firmwares, 333MHz CPU speeds have been available for some time now so this really isn’t good news. The company has yet to give an official statement on this new feature, and whether this unlocked CPU speed is dedicated to post-3.50 UMD games, or will affect past titles as well. Maybe even a new battery is in the works to makeup for the extra power usage.

This is the biggest news since the 3.03 Downgrader. Once again, homebrew can be run on all PSP Firmware versions (even 3.50) thanks to a new exploit. The new exploit uses the Lumines UMD to allow the execution of unsigned code. Once it is turned into a proper loader, you will have the ability to run applications, games and even downgrader your PSP firmware. Download the "Hello World" application to see for yourself.

Running the "Hello World" application is pretty simple. See below for some basic instructions for running the Illuminati Exploit:

• Check that you have an EU or US version of Lumines (ULES00043 or ULUS10002). Currently we don’t have a version for the Japanese version, but we’re working on it, as soon as we get hold of a Japanese UMD.
• Extract the contents of the ‘MS_ROOT’ folder from the ZIP file into the top-level of your memory stick. (HINT: If you wind up with an ‘MS_ROOT’ folder on the stick, you’ve done it wrong).
• Start the game, and as soon as it gets to the ‘Press START’ screen, press START. If you wait until the demo has started, the exploit may not work.
• The screen should go blank, and the exploit will start after a few moments. It doesn’t do anything except look pretty at this stage – but feel free to enjoy the first homebrew on your v3.10 – v3.50 PSP

[Download the Illuminati Exploit]

According to InnerBits, Sony has been working on a SIXAXIS controller with rumble support for a few months now, but are having difficulties with battery life. Between the rumble and the wireless support, the batteries are draining too fast to be acceptable for consumers. Officially, the company has kept a tight lid on things until the issues are resolved. Incidentally, there was no mention of the rumble having an adverse affect on the motion sensitivity.

As usual, there was no mention of a release date for the controller and it is still unclear whether Sony will make the new SIXAXIS controller the default option for new PlayStation 3s. A financially expensive, but positive PR move would be to offer all current consumers the opportunity to “upgrade” their controllers for free.

[Via: InnerBits]

Firmware 1.80 hasn’t even been around for a month yet and now Firmware 1.81 is now available to download. The update was released earlier today to fix a bug with the RGB Full Range settings under Display Settings, so hopefully this is good news to some people. The update can be downloaded using the Network Update feature of the PlayStation 3 or you can download onto a removal media via the appropriate regional website. Read more for the full change log.

Changes in Firmware 1.81:

Settings

• The method of setting [RGB Full Range (HDMI)] under [Display Settings] has been improved.

Other

• The stability of the network connection used during gameplay has been improved for some PlayStation 2 format software titles that support online gaming.

Motorstorm is one of the PS3’s top selling games allowing players to indulge in off-road racing where there are no rules. You can bump and crash your way to the finish line if you have to. One let down of the game is that there are only a limited number of tracks available to race on, but this is about to change soon. Evolution Studios and Sony Computer Entertainment will be rolling out new downloadable content for MotorStorm in the next few months. The PlayStation Store will be updated with brand new game features, modes and vehicles for MotorStorm.

The release date for the updates is currently unknown, but we will keep you updated on this story.

Tekken 6 was first revealed at E3 in 2005 with a trailer featuring Jin Kazama, and now we have screenshots of what it will actually look like on the PlayStation 3. Although the screenshots do not have the detail level of the final version, at least they give us some idea of what Tekken will look like.

[Via: Games Radar]

Tekken 5: Dark Ressurrection has been available to download from the PlayStation Network for some time now, but according to Famitsu Magazine, Namco Bandai are planning to release a new version with online versus play. The release date for the new version as well as a retail price has not been announced but for those of you who have already purchased the existing version will be given a discount.

The new version is expecting to sell for around JPY 2800 (approx USD 23), but online play is expected to be free. We will being you more details as soon as they are available. See below for a list of new additions to the game:

• Online VS Mode Play Added
• Online Rankings Added
• Practice Mode Added
• Survival Mode Added