Downplaying rumors that suggest otherwise, Sony Computer Entertainment America boss Jack Tretton hopes he doesn’t have to make a PS4 announcement at this year’s E3, noting that he’d be ‘very distracted’ by talking about next-generation hardware.

At risk of sounding like a broken record, Tretton also said the PS3 is ‘just hitting its stride.” He made the same remark when PS3 sales were outpacing Xbox 360 in 2008 and 2010, as well as last year’s E3.

“I, quite frankly, would be very distracted if I had to be talking about next generation hardware this year,” Tretton told IGN.

It’s no secret that Sony has been adamant about emerging last this generation, as echoed by Sony France CEO Philippe Cardone and WWS boss Shuhei Yoshida. It goes without saying that the company does have its hands full, having just launched the PS Vita worldwide. Perhaps the wait and see approach will be taken, even if Microsoft shows its cards this year.

Sony’s released a system software update for PS3 to coincide with the arrival of PS Vita firmware 1.60. This update bumps the firmware to 4.1, bringing with it an improved internet browser.

Significant strides have been made to increase browser performance and accuracy when viewing web pages. Some sites that previously did not render properly are now supported under the new firmware, we’re told. more »

Rockstar San Diego, the studio perhaps best known for Red Dead Redemption, is hiring for a new open world title. A number of job listings over at Gamasutra surfaced over the weekend, with vacancies open for programmers well-versed in networking and AI.

No details on the open world effort were provided, though unless on the off-chance it’s a new IP, we’re placing our bets on a sequel to Red Dead Redemption. Given the enormous success of the first title, a follow-up seems like a no-brainer. The only question is: will it land on current or next-gen platforms?

A quick glance on Sony’s North American press relations page has revealed that PS3 firmware 4.01 is making the rounds for those with TEST / Debug units. Weighing in at 166MB, often these updates are mirrored with availability of retail firmware, but that is not always the case.

Given the small version bump from the current official 4.0 firmware, which was released two months ago in preparation for the Vita launch, it is likely this update introduces some very minor changes or bug fixes. Time will tell if Sony rolls out an equivalent firmware for retail units. If that’s the case, we’ll likely see it later this week.

Capcom’s officially announced that Resident Evil 6 is in development for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. It’s scheduled for November 20 on consoles, with a Windows PC release “coming later.”

Plot-wise, the title takes place  ten years after the Raccoon City incident in RE2. The government decides to go public with details of the incident in order to curb a recent resurgence in bioterrorist activity. Not long after, all hell breaks loose. An attack leaves the President transformed “beyond recognition,” leaving Leon S. Kennedy – who is standing beside his leader – a difficult choice.

The cast is joined by fan-favorite Chris Redfield, who teams up alongside Leon to face an “unprecedented” threat. Capcom says Resident Evil 6 will mark a revolutionary step forward in the franchise, eclipsing all previous titles in scope and scale. more »

Those eagerly awaiting the return of hardboiled cop Max Payne will have to wait it out a bit longer, as Rockstar announced today that Max Payne 3 has been pushed to May 15 in North America, back from the previously scheduled March release. It’s on for May 18 elsewhere.

Additionally, the PC version has slipped even further. Originally a simultaneous release, it’s now slated to launch two weeks after the console equivalents, on May 29 in North America. Internationally it’ll launch June 1.

No concrete reasoning behind the delay was given, but a two month delay clearly signals that it needed more development time.

It appears that March is the month when it comes to game releases this coming Spring. We have Mass Effect 3, Armored Core 5, Street Fighter X Tekken, Major League Baseball 2k12, even Max Payne 3. Now we can add a bundle of Silent Hill titles to that list.

Konami has revealed that the HD Collection will release on March 6 on PlayStation 3. You’ll be able to play both Silent Hill 2 & 3 in re-mastered HD and new voice overs.

Another release is in the form of the newest title in the series, Silent Hill: Downpour. This title will hit retail on March 13. Silent Hill Downpour follows the story of Murphy Pendleton, a convicted felon, who finds himself trapped in Silent Hill after his prison transport bus crashes. Silent Hill Downpour is the most expansive Silent Hill to date, as players can embark on side missions, explore the town and piece more of the mystery of Silent Hill together.

Read more below to check out one exclusive release headed towards the upcoming launch of the PlayStation Vita.

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Ubisoft’s newest entry in the Ghost Recon franchise has seen its ups and downs like a seesaw. It’s newest title is Ghost Recon Future Soldier and was originally supposed to release last fall and have a beta just before release. Unfortunately it was delayed and supposedly going to be ready for release in March of this year. Now, we have some good news and bad news.

The good news is that Ubisoft has confirmed a PC version of the game will be released alongside the console versions. The bad news is that the game has been delayed once again (third time’s a charm!) and is set for release on May 22, 2012 in the US and May 25, 2012 in Europe. The other good news is that the beta has finally been dated for April for consoles (Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3) and a PC beta will follow shortly thereafter.

Via Press Release

The prospect of a console-bound Diablo III has been long hinted at through numerous job listings, and today, Blizzard finally made it official. Bliz community manager Bashiok casually made mention of the in-development project on Twitter earlier today:

Yup. Josh Mosqueira is lead designer for the Diablo console project.

While no further details were provided, it’s still nice to receive an official confirmation on this. Although Blizzard’s roots are firmly established in the PC, they have ventured over to consoles in the past. The original Diablo was released on PSOne and in a bizarre move, StarCraft even made it over to the N64. Certainly, Diablo is the most console friendly of its franchises so we’re not surprised to hear it is making the jump once again.

While Nintendo is expected to finalize its next-generation plans with a ‘re-unveil’ of Wii U at E3 2012, industry site MCV reports that Microsoft and Sony will counter with significant announcements of their own on the hardware front.

Reportedly, details on the next PlayStation and Xbox are on tap. Earlier reports have pegged Microsoft’s next in line for an E3 2012 unveil, so this isn’t all surprising.

The notion that Sony may be stepping up to the plate as well isn’t entirely expected, considering the company has heavily downplayed talk of a PS4 in the past. more »