Sony was kind enough to give an official name to its motion controller during its GDC event yesterday. The motion controller, which is set to release in the fall, will now be known as the PlayStation Move.

Sony is planning an "aggressive" marketing campaign and will ship the PlayStation Move in several bundles. You will be able to pick up the Move solo, bundled with a PS3 or in a starter kit which includes the Move, a PlayStation Eye camera (required to use the Move) and a currently unnamed game for under $100.

Socom 4 (funny how Socom: Confrontation doesn't count), LittleBigPlanet and EyePet were all demoed with the Move. Sony also announced that "in fiscal year 2010, SCE Worldwide Studios will also release more than 20 games that are either dedicated to or supported with the PlayStation Move platform."

Continue reading after the break for some pics of the PlayStation Move in all its glory. Does Sony have it in them to continually support a peripheral? Time will tell.

(UPDATE) And just like that, everything in the world is fine once again. Sony has confirmed that all PS3's should once again be operating normally. No firmware update will be required. Additionally, Joystiq is reporting that there might be a way to salvage any lost trophies. You need to launch the game you are trying to restore trophies to. This should recreate the trophy data set on your PS3's memory. Now just sync it with the PSN server (by opening up your trophy list in the XMB) and voila - trophies resurrected. Now get back to Heavy Rain. You know you want to.

This was just not good timing. One week before Final Fantasy XIII and two weeks before the release of God of War III, widespread accounts began yesterday of people's pre-slim model PS3's going wonky. Problems included not being able to connect to PSN, the internal clock winding back to 1999, trophies going bye-bye and the inability to play trophy-enabled games even while offline. This morning Sony released a statement, via its official blog, shedding light (not really though) on the matter.

"As you may be aware, some customers have been unable to connect to the PlayStation Network today. This problem affects the models other than the new slim PS3."

"We believe we have identified that this problem is being caused by a bug in the clock functionality incorporated in the system."

They went on to say that "they hope to resolve the problem in the next 24 hours" and warned PS3 phat owners to "not use your PS3 system, as doing so may result in errors in some functionality, such as recording obtained Trophies, and not being able to restore certain data."

Hopefully this can all be resolved soon and painlessly. If this is an internal clock error and it doesn't self correct, how are people with no internet access going to patch their system? Hopefully it doesn't come to that as that would be a slow and painful procedure. Anybody have any PS3 horror stories from yesterday? Let us know in the comments. Oh and go pick up a book from the library. You know, just in case.

Continue reading after the break for the full statement released from Sony.

You just gotta love kitty-dragons. Sony Computer Entertainment of Japan has launched the official website for Team Ico's much-anticipated Playstation 3 exclusive, The Last Guardian. The screens seem to be taken from what we've seen of the game via trailers at E3 and Tokyo Game Show 2009. Anything at this point will do though.

For all you who have played Team Ico's previous games (Ico, Shadow of the Colossus), you know the quality of work this team can produce. Oh, just one spoiler though. They want to make you cry. So pretty much count on seeing your kitty-dragon take a dirtnap during the game. Just a heads-up there.

Continue on after the break for some more screenshots and let us know what you think in the comments.

Sony has announced that the release window for its upcoming motion controller has been delayed until Fall 2010. Originally scheduled for release in the Spring, Sony's new wand-like controller will now go head to head with Microsoft's much publicized Project Natal.

"We have decided to release the Motion Controller in fall 2010 when we will be able to offer an exciting and varied line-up of software titles that will deliver the new entertainment experience to PS3 users, " said Kazuo Hirai, President and Group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. "We will continue to work to have a comprehensive portfolio of attractive and innovative games for the Motion Controller, not only from SCE Worldwide Studios but also from the third party developers and publishers, whom we have been working closely with. We look forward to soon unveiling the exciting software line-up that further expands and defines the PS3 platform as the ultimate entertainment system for the home."

I, for one, am pleased to see the delay. This gives Sony, as well as some third parties, some time to come up with a solid lineup of software to help prevent the motion controller ending up as a gimmicky cash grab.  How do you all feel about the delay? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

What else is there to say about God of War 3? This is Sony's flagship franchise and it is making its debut on the PS3 in March. Anyone who picked up The God of War Collection for PS3 or District 9 on Blu-Ray have experienced the E3 2009 God of War 3 demo for themselves. It's awesome and leaves you wanting more. Sony has given in a bit to that desire.

Sony was kind enough to release some new screens for the much anticipated game. Continue after the break to check them out and let us know what you think in the comments.

In more PS3 news, Zipper Interactive has announced that its upcoming 256-player FPS, MAG, has gone gold and is being set off for manufacturing all over the world. MAG is on schedule to hit retail shelves January 26th in North America and Asia, January 28th in Japan and January 29th in Korea. To celebrate (they really need to test this puppy out), Zipper has also announced that an open beta for the title will begin on January 4th

You can begin downloading the client tomorrow through PSN in North America. Asian territories can download it beginning on the 25th and Europe will get it when the beta itself launches on January 4th. A specific date for Japanese PS3 owners will be announced soon.

The beta will go live at 5:00 a.m. PST on January 4th and run through 11:59 p.m. PST on January 10th. MAG Beta game night anyone? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Sony has announced that those who pre-order Quantic Dream's upcoming release Heavy Rain will have access to a DLC "chronicle," entitled The Taxidermist, on day one for free. Other customers will have to wait longer and pay up to $4.99 for the content.

Heavy Rain: Chronicle One - The Taxidermist will be an extended version of a scene previewed at E3 in 2008. In the scene, journalist Madison Page sneaks into the home of a suspected serial killer and attempts to investigate without becoming the latest victim.

Sony promises more DLC soon after launch and each episode will focus on a central character either before or after the story featured on the disc. US residents can place their pre-orders at any Gamestop, Game Crazy or through Amazon. Canada locations include Amazon.ca, Best Buy.ca, EB Games and Futureshop.ca.

Sony has given the go-ahead to Quantic Dream to try something new with trophy implementation in the upcoming release of Heavy Rain. The game will indeed have trophies but you will not know you unlocked one until the chapter you are playing has finished. Quantic Dream's CEO Guilaume de Fondaumiere told Kotaku that the game's trophy alerts will be on a delay to eliminate interruption of the game flow during tense crime-scene investigation scenes. He hopes that the game's mood is held intact by rewarding the gamer with alerts during transitional scenes.

I, for one, feel this is a great idea from both Quantic Dream and applaud Sony for giving them permission. I love my trophies and achievements but sometimes they can be a bit distracting. How do you all feel about this? Leave us your thoughts in the comments.

Heavy Rain is sceduled for release in early Spring 2010 for the PS3.

Square Enix is pleased to announce the kickoff of the Final Fantasy XIV Beta Test. Beginning December 16^th, visitors to the game's official website may apply to participate in one of the planned Beta phases. By taking part, applicants will be one step closer to obtaining a sneak peek at one of the most highly anticipated releases of 2010, and the unknown realm of Eorzea.

Final Fantasy XIV is planned for a global release in 2010 on both the PlayStation 3 and PC, with language support in Japanese, English, French and German.

The application process for the Final Fantasy XIV Beta Test started on December 16^th, 2009 at 2:00 pm PST.

Visit www.finalfantasyxiv.com for more details on the Beta recruitment program, and more information for the upcoming launch of Final Fantasy XIV.

Fresh from the PlayStation Blog, comes news that starting December 17th, we'll be able to download a time trial version of the highly anticipated Gran Turismo 5 from the PlayStation Store.

If getting an early look at the new game wasn't enough, it's actually a pretty cool contest, also. In this limited version, you can drive either a stock or turned version of the Nissan 370Z. You'll only have one track to drive on, but each version of the car has two time trials to race on. Th combined best time on every trial will be deemed the winner of this contest.

That's all well and good, but what's a contest without prizes? Well, this one has some real doozies. The grand prize is a trip for two to the Indianapolis 500, which also includes a VIP pass to attend a plethora of Indy related events, including car rides in the 2010 Indy 500 event vehicle!

With a grand prize that huge, the 10 runner-ups (5 in the US and 5 in Canada) getting Gran Turismo for the PSP kind of pales in comparison. At any rate, you'll want to grab the time trial starting December 17th and practice your head off until the contest closes on January 25th.

The official contest rules are here, and also be sure to check the newly designed GT website, here. We have more Nissan 370Z pics after the jump too, so check them out!

Sony announced today that its firmware 3.10 is available for download starting today, November 18th. The update will bring a number of improvements to the Playstation Network, Facebook integration being the biggest. Users will now be able to instantly share trophies earned through their Facebook stream, let friends and family know which PS3 games they've purchased and check on in-game stats and progress.

"Launching Facebook for the PlayStation community is a natural fit for our goal of delivering unparalleled connected experiences - from connecting our community to each other to connecting our customers to great entertainment downloaded from the PlayStation Store," said Susan Panico, senior director, PlayStation Network, SCEA. "As we pass the third anniversary of PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Network, we're excited to deepen the social experiences of PlayStation Network and kick-off the first phase of our integration with Facebook."

Other features include the ability to customize your Playstation Network profile and the simplification for viewing and accessing photos.

Everyone go turn on that PS3 and check out the new features for yourself. As always, let us know what you think in the comments.

Netflix has started shipping discs to Playstation 3 owners who signed up on the website to receive the instant streaming service via the console. Netflix on the Playstation 3 has been a hot topic over the past week as Xbox 360 owners and Playstation 3 owners have drawn a line in the sand on what this will mean in the race to win the living room.

The Xbox 360 has the soon to be released Zune Marketplace and 1080p instant streaming. The Playstation 3 has arguably the best Blu-Ray player on the market. And now they both have Netflix, which console will you prefer to be your primary source of viewing for movies and television?

Leave us a comment and let us know what you think!

EA confirmed today that the multiplayer beta for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be launching on November 19th exclusively on the PS3.

"With Battlefield: Bad Company 2 we're looking to raise the bar across all aspects of our multiplayer experience, setting a new standard for online play," says Patrick Bach, Senior Producer on Battlefield: Bad Company 2. "From the graphics to the vehicles, weapons and destruction, we are delivering the best online multiplayer game next year, and we want gamers to experience it themselves by playing the beta and demo."

The beta will take place on the Arica Harbour map, including vehicle and ground combat for up to 24 players. To participate, PS3 owners need to reserve their copy at any local Gamestop or through their website to receive a key code that unlocks on the 19th. A multiplayer demo will also be available for Xbox 360, PC and PS3 early next year.

Sony announced today the contents of the upcoming God of War III Ultimate Edition through its official blog. The Ultimate Edition will come in a sculpted replica of Pandora's Box and cost you a cool $99.99. You will also receive a limited edition God of War artbook that includes exclusive art, content and interviews. The rest of the goodies will come in the form of Playstation Network voucher codes on the game's release day. Those codes will include:

• God of War Combat Arena containing an exclusive environment and seven challenges
• Premium Kratos Skin - Dominus
• God of War: Unearthing the Legend Franchise Documentary - a full-length movie documentary depicting the history of the God of War franchise.
• God of War Trilogy Soundtrack - God of War, II, and III scores from the game (mp3 digital download).
• God of War: Blood and Metal EP - a heavy metal homage featuring original music inspired by God of War (mp3 digital download).

The Pre-order goodies were also announced. Starting today, those who pre-order at select retailers will get a voucher code to access the E3 God of War III demo. No retailers were specifically mentioned so bring it up at your one of choice before handing over those $5. Exclusive downloadable skins will also be available from Amazon, Game Crazy and Gamestop. For further details check out the games' official website.