“Starhawk” Senior Producer Harvard Bonin Jr. explains exactly what he does, and gets his very own Spoof Ad.

We look back on 2011.

After a year of major game releases, the game industry & gamers from all over the world are set to pick the best of the best for the 2011 Video Game Awards.

Shane Bell (Urgent Fury CIO) & Doc (The Tester (Season 1) & Replay w/ Doc) join Commander Fury to preview a few of the categories & make their 2011 VGA picks.

Commander Fury is Urgent Fury’s “boots on the ground” for the biggest game release of the year!!!

As he finds himself braving the cold & crowds at his local GameStop to celebrate the launch of Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 for the 2nd Annual Urgent Frequency Veterans Day Thanksgiving Call Of Duty Midnight Launch Party Episode. Get all the intel about the most anticipated game of the year…including gametrailers.com‘s full review of the game, and an overview of Call Of Duty: ELITE.

Plus, we wrap things up with the Thanksgiving classic….Arlo Guthrie’s – “Alice’s Restaurant“.

Story by Owen Good @ Kotaku.com.

As it did with Resistance 3, Sony plans to impose its “PSN Pass” on Uncharted 3, meaning multiplayer access to that game will be subject to a one-use code included with all retail copies. That’s per Juan Jimenéz, Sony’s software manager for Spain.

That means that used copies of Uncharted 3 aren’t assured of including multiplayer access and, if their code is missing or has been used, it’ll cost $10 for someone to activate it the features

Online pass schemes, earlier implemented by Electronic Arts, THQ and others, are an indirect way for a publisher to get a cut of used sales, but they’re more intended to incentivize buying

Well the eagerly awaited game event is here, and as I and many other games fans made our way from the Underground to Earls Court I couldn’t wait to see and more importantly play the new upcoming games.

The atmosphere was amazing as we all made our way into the arena, which was broken up into seven zones with the centre area dominated by the hot topic of conversation outside – Onlive.

Not surprisingly this is the first place everyone headed including myself, there were a number of consoles set up around the stand with both wired and wireless controllers with demo’s of some of the 100 games that are now available as of Sept 22nd (that’s in the UK of course, Onlive has been running in the US for a while now). As well as getting to play some of the games on offer, there was also the chance to get your hands on a free console once you had registered, needless to say I managed to get my hands on one and I’ll be posting more on the Onlive console and the games on offer in a separate article.

All the big names in gaming were showing off their latest creations, including the big 3′s Mass Effect 3, Battlefield 3, Resistance 3, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Gears of War 3. My first port of call was the Forza Motorsport 4 stand, Turn 10 have raised the bar even further with this latest in the franchise, the graphics were stunning as has been the case with previous incarnations and the controls were very responsive. The demo for Forza 4 is coming for Xbox LIVE Gold Members on Oct  3 and will be available for Silver members on Oct 10 for those who want a taste of things to come.

Another of the games I sampled was Battlefield 3, due for release on Oct 25th which was tucked away in the over 18′s area. This had a long queue of people waiting to play as you’d expect, but it was well worth the wait. It was certainly an amazing sight seeing banks of people all working their way through the trees and undergrowth, utterly absorbed. It wasn’t hard to see why, EA Games with Frostbite 2 have created very impressive gameplay and the headphones allowed the low hum of Earls Court to be blotted out in favour of the crackle of gunfire and the shout of orders.

I’m sure you have seen all the advertisements and coverage of the 3DS but you may have been like me and wondered just how good it is. Well they were showcasing the latest Mario and sonic releases as well as a demo of Sky 3D. The latter to try and show people that the 3DS has more to offer than just a handheald  gaming console. I was curious as to what the experience would be like and chatting to some of the others there, they felt the same.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Its true to say that as this doesn’t rely on glasses, it makes it feel a more natural experience, although I did find the need to keep your viewing angle steady took a bit of getting used to. The 3D effect was very good and the adjustable 3D slide on the side made a noticeable difference.

It wasn’t just all game and console demo’s of course, there were a host of developer sessions throughout the weekend as well. Among those giving talks were Michael Denny from Sony talking about the Playstation Vita and Dr Ray Muzyka from EA Games on Star Wars: The Old Republic.

To sum up, there was much more at Eurogamer Expo 2011 than I am ever going to be able to write here, that said, the Playstation Vita, 3D gaming and the prospect of on-line gaming like never before with Onlive makes the next twelve months a very exciting prospect indeed.

Story by Brian Crecente @ Kotaku.com.

The Xbox 360 might be getting Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 expansion packs first, but the PS3 gets Battlefield 3′sexpansions first.

The publisher said today that beginning with Battlefield 3 expansion Back to Karkand, all “full-blown upcoming expansion packs” for the game will appear one week early exclusively on the PS3, “brought to you by Sony.”

Story by Greg Miller @ IGN.com.

Save the world without spending a dime.

If the proposition of buying DC Universe Online and then paying a monthly fee has been keeping you away from Sony Online Entertainment’s MMO, prepare to enter Gotham City next month. In October, DC Universe Online goes free to play.

Both PlayStation 3 and PC players will be able to download and play the game for free. Three tiered levels will act as the game’s revenue source from there along with in-game microtransactions. Here’s the official breakdown from SOE.

Free
New players will now have access to the current gameplay in DC Universe Online (including Gotham City, Metropolis, and all current raids and alerts), with the ability to create two characters, join a league and many other benefits. Free level players will be able to purchase downloadable game packs/updates, additional character slots, powers and more through microtransactions.

Premium
Any player who has spent at least $5 (including former paid subscribers and new players who have purchased $5 of in-game items) will qualify for the Premium access level. Premium level players will have more benefits available to them than the Free level player, including additional character slots, additional inventory slots, and higher cash limits. Downloadable adventure packs, additional character slots, and more can be purchased in-game.

Legendary
Maximum features and benefits are included at this level. Loaded with enhanced additional features, Legendary access will be available for a $14.99 monthly fee and includes all DLC packs at no cost, more than 15 character slots, more than 80 inventory slots, the ability to form unrestricted-sized leagues, and many other benefits.

If you’ve already paid for a PC lifetime subscription or a PS3 plan, that deal still stands when this switch happens in late October. This event also marks the end of DCUO’s mandatory auto-renew feature. In the past, the game would automatically resubscribe you when your subscription lapsed. That’s still an option, but it’s no longer mandatory — a result of the more than 40 percent of people who quit EverQuest II and complained about the auto-renew in a SOE survey.

“We decided ‘Let’s listen to them’,” said John Smedley, SOE president. “I don’t know about you, but my credit card statement every month is this amalgam of s*** of MMOs that I’m too lazy to cancel. What we want is to offer people a way to not worry about that.”

The announcement of the free to play move comes just seven months after SOE released DC Universe Online. SOE wouldn’t go into the exact number of subscribers currently playing the game, but Smedley said numbers are up since the move to megaservers and that free to play was not in response to subscriber numbers.

“In terms of ‘Is it a result in a drop in subs’ – absolutely not,” he said. “This is the right business model. If I can be honest, the game ended up costing a lot more than we thought it would, and this was our preferred business model from day one.”

If you’re a stickler for fair play, SOE said you don’t have to worry about microtransactions breaking the game. Super-powerful items such as Superman’s raid suit will not be purchasable and experience won’t be for sale in October. The experience will be similar to Free Realms’ free to play model, SOE said, and you can expect to see it in games that are out now and future releases.

“We are really seeing the benefits of free to play, and we’re really liking it,” Smedley said. “Needless to say we’re paying close attention to it and maybe looking to make some surprise moves a little later.”

Story by Mike Fahey @ Kotaku.com.

Have you agreed to the new PlayStation Network terms of service yet? If you have, then you’ve agreed not to take Sony to court or participate in a class action lawsuit against the company. You really should read things before you sign them, even digitally.

Today Sony Network Entertainment America transfers its online services to Sony Network Entertainment International, and PlayStation Network members are being asked to agree to an updated terms of service document to reflect that change, but they’re agreeing to much more than a new global Sony Entertainment Network.

They’re agreeing to not take any Sony Entity to court regarding any Sony online services or the use of any devices sold by a Sony entity to access those services. It’s right there in section 15 of the document:

Other than those matters listed in the Exclusions from Arbitration clause (small claims), you and the Sony Entity that you have a Dispute with agree to seek resolution of the Dispute only through arbitration of that Dispute in accordance with the terms of this Section 15, and not litigate any Dispute in court. Arbitration means that the Dispute will be resolved by a neutral arbitrator instead of in a court by a judge or jury.

In summary, in order to use the PlayStation Network, you must agree to settle any dispute with the company outside of court.

That’s not all. There’s also a class action waiver in section 15, which states that those agreeing to the terms of service are also agreeing to setting their disputes with Sony entities one-on-one. That means they cannot participate in a group action, unless that group action was set in motion before August 20, 2011.

It’s a rather sneaky move on the part of Sony’s legal department, though it isn’t quite as nasty as it sounds. I mean, they did give us a way to opt-out of the agreement:

RIGHT TO OPT OUT OF BINDING ARBITRATION AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER WITHIN 30 DAYS. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO BE BOUND BY THE BINDING ARBITRATION AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER IN THIS SECTION 15, YOU MUST NOTIFY SNEI IN WRITING WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THE DATE THAT YOU ACCEPT THIS AGREEMENT. YOUR WRITTEN NOTIFICATION MUST BE MAILED TO 6080 CENTER DRIVE, 10TH FLOOR, LOS ANGELES, CA 90045, ATTN: LEGAL DEPARTMENT/ARBITRATION AND MUST INCLUDE: (1) YOUR NAME, (2) YOUR ADDRESS, (3) YOUR PSN ACCOUNT NUMBER, IF YOU HAVE ONE, AND (4) A CLEAR STATEMENT THAT YOU DO NOT WISH TO RESOLVE DISPUTES WITH ANY SONY ENTITY THROUGH ARBITRATION.

Ah, written notice, the pleasant way to say, “Fuck you, buy a stamp.” It’s an inconvenient out, but it is an out. Otherwise you’re not only bound for the duration of your agreement, but until the end of time, thanks to the continuation clause at the end of the section.

So your options are send a letter, deal with it, cancel your PlayStation Network account, or wait until such a time as a judge deems this illegal or unenforceable, which I can’t imagine will take too long.

I’ve contact the PlayStation folks for comment, and will update the post should they respond.

Update: Sony’s Patrick Seybold responded to my inquiry with the following:

“This language in our TOS is common and similar to that of many other service related Terms of Service Agreements. It is designed to benefit both the consumer and the company by ensuring that there is adequate time and procedures to resolve disputes.”

Story by Brian Crecente @ Kotaku.com.

PS3 James Bond fans are getting a special bundle in November, Activision announced today.

The GoldenEye 007: Reloaded Double O Edition comes with the game, a PlayStation Move motion controller, a navigation controller, a PlayStation Eye camera and Sharp Shooter peripheral.

The still-to-be priced bundle hits Nov. 1.

The PlayStation 3 version of the game also includes an exclusive downloadable character. The notorious villain from the 1979 film Moonraker, HUGO DRAX, will be playable in split-screen and online Classic Conflict multiplayer modes while wielding his Moonraker Laser Pistol.

“Working closely with Sony, we’ve created a great bundle that arms fans with all the vital secret agent equipment right off the shelf,” said David Oxford, Executive Vice President at Activision Publishing. “We can’t wait for gamers to pick up the PlayStation Move and Sharp Shooter to experience a James Bond video game like never before.”

Story by Brenna Hillier @ VG247.com.

September’s PS Plus update brings a wealth of goodies to US subscribers, including a number of free games, and a two-week Resident Evil celebration.

As detailed on the US PS Blog, the freebies kick off with today’s network update, delivering a free copy of PopCap’s smash hit tower defense titles, Plants vs Zombies, as well as Astro Tripper and Altered Beast, PSOne Classic Jet Moto, and Minis release Bashi Blocks.

In the same update, expect early access to the latest Qore, several free avatars and one free theme, and a number of discounts. Three Minis have been reduced by 20 percent – Alpha Mission, T.N.K. III, and Vanguard II – as well as 25 percent off The Impossible Game and 40 percent off Armageddon Riders.

On September 13, you’ll have access to a free copy of the Minis title Jellypops and a full game trial for BulletStorm. The MotorStorm Apocalypse Premiere Pack Bundle will be discounted by 20 percent, and you’ll nab some more free avatars. The big story is the Lucas Arts PSP sale though – 50 percent off Star Wars PSP DLC.

Moving on to September 20, Capcom celebrates Resident Evil’s 15th birthday with a 50 percent off sale on Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil: Code Veronica. On top of that, Resident Evil Director’s Cut, Resident Evil 2 and Resident 3 will all be offered for free.

Saints Row 2 and Bolt will appear as full game trials, and Cubixx HD will be 30 percent off. There’ll also be another couple of avatars and a theme for free.

The final update of the month, on September 27, brings a full game trial of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12, the free Minis title Street Smarts, and one last free theme.

Thanks, Joystiq.

Story by Stephany Nunneley @ VG247.com.

Housemarque has announced new DLC content for Dead Nation called Road of Devastation, which is to be made available exclusively on PSN.

Continuing where the original game left off, the DLC sees players waking up in a laboratory with only one way out. Once outside, the player must choose which of the three directions presented to them to take – each one with new environments, challenges and enemies along with new tools and equipment to dispose of them with.

“We’ve been working hard since the launch of Dead Nation to bring exciting new content to the fans of the game,” says Housemarque CEO, Ilari Kuittinen. “Since the launch of the game, Dead Nation has been a top selling PSN title having fans all around the globe. After being included in the Welcome Pack offering, the game has reached over 3.8 millions downloads, which is simply mindboggling and unheard of for a PSN game.”

Pricing and the release date will be announced soon.

Story by Johnny Cullen @ VG247.com.

Did you think it was the end? This is Kevin Butler we’re talking about here.

SCEA’s launched a brand new marketing camapaign for PlayStation 3 following the $249 price-cut given to the machine at gamescom two weeks ago, seeing the return of Kevin Butler after taking up the presidency of his uncle’s flooring company..

According to VP of product marketing Scott Steinberg on the US PS Blog, Long Live Play is “designed to celebrate gamers from all walks of life and recognize you for making us who we are today.”

You want to see the video, don’t you? Here it is. He still has his little man-crush on Tretton, for the record.

Story by Stephany Nunneley @ VG247.com.

Eat, Sleep, Play has announced a new release date for Twisted Metal. The game will now arrive on PS3 February 14, or Valentine’s Day, whichever way you prefer to mark it on your calender. An exact European release date will be announced at a later date, but it will be released sometime in February over there as well. Earlier this month, the game was delayed because the team wanted to give it some extra TLC. You can watch a video below of David Jaffe announcing the date yourself below.

Story by Stephany Nunneley @ VG247.com.

Naughty Dog and Sony have posted a video of Nolan North unboxing the Uncharted 3: Collector’s Edition. In the video, you can clearly see the Nathan Drake Statue, Drake’s belt buckle and ring/necklace replicas and the Steelbook game case encased in the Travelling Chest. The CE of the game will run you $99.99. Watch the video below.

Story by GameStopVideo on YouTube.com.

Here’s the first look at the GameStop-exclusive Creepy Crawler Kickback Medal, available with your pre-order of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception.

The Creepy Crawler Kickback allows you to tun into a swarm of deadly creatures for a limited time and overwhelm your enemies!

PRE-ORDER HERE: http://bit.ly/uncharted3GS

Story by Stace Harman @ VG247.com.

The US PlayStation blog has details of the content that PS Plus subscribers can expect over the coming weeks. Betas and discounts ahoy.

Confirmed via the US PS blog is PlayStation Plus subscriber access to the Resistance 3 multiplayer beta on August 23, featuring access to two major maps in the game: the Seaside of Glamorgan, Wales, and the Trainyard in Bogota, Colombia.

A special PS Store update a week and a half later on September 3 will bring with it access to the Assassin’s Creed: Revelations multiplayer beta. PS Plus-ers can expect “3 maps, 9 characters, and 4 modes of undercover assassin action.”

Elsewhere, the bonus content keeps on coming with a 20 per cent day-one discount for Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition, as well as pre-order discounts for The Baconing, BloodRayne: Betrayal and Renegade Ops. All three are available under the PSN PLAY banner, which grants its own added extras in addition to rewarding pre-orders of digital titles.

Check out the US PS blog for full details of the offers available.

Story by Stephany Nunneley @ VG247.com.

A direct feed video of the Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception gameplay demo at gamescom has been released by Sony. It hits around the 8 minute mark, and can be viewed below, courtesy of Ve3tro. Uncharted 3 is out on November 1, just in case you forgot. Surely, you didn’t though. Thanks, Reece.

A teaser trailer was posted yesterday, this is the full video from Gamescom 2011.

Story by Leah Jackson @ G4TV.com.

To close out their GamesCom 2011 press conference, Sony has announced a price drop for the PlayStation 3 that will bring down the price to $249 globally, effective immediately. As there are numerous PS3 models, we’re not sure if they will all be seeing this $50 price drop, or just the 160 GB model. As we get more details on the price drop, we’ll let you know.

With this news, will you be going out and picking up a new PS3 slim for a whopping fifty bucks cheaper? With the price dropping of the PS3, now is time to upgrade your TV too! Check out all the Dell TV deals going on and see what you can score to have a great TV and gaming set up at your home.

Story by Leah Jackson @ G4TV.com.

inFamous 2 Festival of Blood has been announced by Sucker Punch during Sony’s GamesCom 2011 press conference. The game is a brand new PSN title coming this October for the PlayStation 3. The trailer showed off a scary New Marais which has been infested by vampires, and Cole McGrath, hero of the inFamous 2 universe, has been bitten by one and has only one night to kill off the head vampire.

The downloadable game will offer new characters, enemies, and hours of gameplay. As we get more details on inFamous 2 Festival of Blood we’ll be sure to fill you in.

Story by Adam Rosenberg @ G4TV.com.

Naughty Dog shared the latest trailer for Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception yesterday at GamesCom. In it, we see our hero working his way through a maze of shipping containers toward a plane filled with Bad Guys. Since Nathan Drake is incapable of doing things like a normal human, he eventually boards the plane by hanging onto its landing gear during takeoff. I wonder if he got to skip the TSA patdown too.

There’s nothing new or revealing here, just more increasingly over the top footage from a game that pretty much every PlayStation 3 owner will be picking up this holiday season. The new trailer isn’t supposed to sell you, it’s just here to tide you over.

Story by Joshua Rivera @ Kotaku.com.

If you’ve been neglecting the Playstation Network’s downloadable offerings, then perhaps you’d like to drop by and take a gander at the Playstation Store’s wares in the coming weeks as the first annual PSN P event kicks off. Beginning August 9, the Play lineup will highlight four new action games hitting the Network in the coming weeks, along with a few gifts thrown in for good measure.

Users who preorder any of the Play games will receive a free PS3 theme per preorder. “Hey, Kotaku!” you say, “Just how do I preorder a digital game? It’s not I’m having it shipped to my house! ” To which I would say that you were quite correct, and perhaps the word “preorder” is a bit of a misnomer (and it’s not even proper English! But that’s my own petty qualm). Maybe “preorder” in this instance should be, “deposit some money before hand and promise that you’ll buy the game”, and it’s only called “preordering” because that’s the name they gave the shiny new button on the PlayStation Store allowing you to do this.

Also worth noting, is that each game comes with its own unique gift for purchasing during the promotion that you’ll only get for buying on day one, detailed below. In addtion, Playstation Plus members get these titles for 20% off. And if you buy all four, you’ll get PAYDAY: The Heist absolutely free. Just make sure you turn eighteen first.

August 23: Street Fighter III Third Strike Online Edition – This highly-anticipated action-fighting title from Capcom features 20 playable characters, HD graphics, more than 200 pieces of unlockable content, more than 100 trials and more than 100 challenges. When Street Fighter III Third Strike Online Edition is purchased through PLAY, purchasers will be able to unlock GILL, the self-proclaimed god, without having to beat the game with every character, as day-one DLC.  Street Fighter III Third Strike Online Edition will be $14.99 and will be available for pre-order through August 18. The independent Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rates Street Fighter III Third Strike Online Edition “T” for “TEEN.”

August 30:  The Baconing – The latest action-RPG title from Hothead Games features the popular hero, DeathSpank, in an attempt to defeat the Anti-Spank and his army of Cyborques before they cast an evil shadow over Spanktopia. Discover exciting new worlds and battle hordes of enemies as you search to unlock the secret within the Fires of Bacon. When The Baconing is purchased through PLAY, purchasers will receive an additional co-op character, Roesha – One Bad Mutha. The Baconing will be $14.99 and will be available for pre-order through August 25.  The independent Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rates The Baconing “T” for “TEEN.”

September 6:  BloodRayne: Betrayal™ – This 2D side-scrolling platformer from Majesco Entertainment features 15 bloodthirsty levels where Rayne attempts to infiltrate a treacherous castle, take out a fiendish horde and stop an evil vampire massacre. When BloodRayne: Betrayal is purchased through PLAY, purchasers will receive a BloodRayne: Betrayal virtual item for their PlayStation®Home avatar and an exclusive dynamic theme. BloodRayne: Betrayal will be $14.99 and will be available for pre-order through September 1.  The independent Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rates BloodRayne: Betrayal “T” for “TEEN.”

September 13:  Renegade Ops – This top-down, driving shooter from SEGA features a huge variety of vehicles, guns and endless enemies. The game features Sandbox-style missions, so there are many different ways to play. When Renegade Ops is purchased through PLAY, purchasers will receive a Vehicle & Character Pack with two new vehicles and special weapons. Renegade Ops will be $14.99 and will be available for pre-order through September 8. The independent Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rates Renegade Ops “RP” for “Rating Pending.”

Bonus Gift:  PAYDAY: The Heist – This gritty, first-person shooter from Sony Online Entertainment lets players take on the role of a hardened career criminal executing intense, dynamic heists in constant pursuit of the next “big score.” A voucher code for PAYDAY: The Heist will be provided as a bonus gift to players, ages 18 and older, that purchased all four PLAY titles, for redemption when the game releases.  The game can also be pre-ordered separately starting September 20, 2011. PAYDAY: The Heist will be $19.99. The independent Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rates PAYDAY: The Heist “RP” for “Rating Pending.”

All in all, is this a sweet deal from Sony—or even that appealing coming right off the heels of XBLA’s Summer of Arcade? Unlike XBLA’s summer promo, none of the four marquee titles are system exclusives, and at press time, only Street Fighter 3 is confirmed to hit the PSN first—but only a day before. Is the focus on action titles scratching an itch somewhere for you? Sound off and let us know what you think— I personally have yet to try a Deathspank game (though I’ve always wanted to), and I’ll probably pick up Street Fighter 3 (on the PSN a day before XBLA) because I’m pretty sure they can’t update it any more than this. In accordance with this line of thinking, I plan to purchase whatever version of Street Fighter IV is available when Street Fighter V comes out.

Story by Joshua Rivera @ Kotaku.com.

The sequel to the Playstation 3 third-person shooter Warhawk looks quite nifty, even provoking our own Brian Crecente to use the word “awesomer”. And now we can all watch the game’s stylish opening cinematic, and imagine what it would be like to play the game. Which, since the game has only been announced for a 2012 release, we still have plenty of time to do.

Story by Stephany Nunneley @ VG247.com.

Sony has trailered the Survivor Edition for Resistance 3, so you will want nothing more than to hand the store clerk your wallet and be done with it.

There are also various digital pre-order bonuses available across PAL regions, and in case you forgot about ‘em, they’re listed below. Each offer varies depending on retailer.

• SRPA Black Ops skin
• Infected Nathan Hale skin
• Air Fuel Grenade
• Special multiplayer title: “Sentinel”
• Multiplayer booster
• Chimera tooth necklace (this one is a physical item!)

The Survivor Edition, as well as the PS3 Bundle and the Special Edition will land at retail alongside the standard version in the UK on September 9.

Story by Joel Johnson @ Kotaku.com.

Microsoft has trouble making hardware. Sony has trouble running online services. What if the next Xbox and the next PlayStation are one and the same?

A few months ago, while reporting about the then unannounced Wii U console for Nintendo, we stumbled on an interesting ancillary rumor: Microsoft and Sony were in active discussions regarding their next consoles.

For two giants in the home video game console market to be talk from time to time isn’t wholly surprising. Sony and Microsoft are clearly competitors in the console market, but they’re also unlikely allies in a gaming landscape undergoing upheaval brought on by the likes of Zynga and Apple. Triple-A console games like Halo and Uncharted are still going strong, but the expansive growth in the industry at larger has been in the casual and mobile space—an area in which Microsoft and Sony only dabble, especially if you count Sony’s PlayStation Vita as more of a “portable home console”. (Don’t get me wrong. The Vita looks fantastic. But it doesn’t really compete with, say, the iPhone.)

Launching a new home console is an expensive and risky endeavor. Microsoft took a multi-billion dollar loss when the Xbox 360 had its infamous “red ring” crashes; Sony lost a few billion getting the PlayStation 3 off the ground. The real money is in games—and increasingly, in online services, like downloadable games and other media offerings.

It has come to light that someone—probably Microsoft—has registered the domain Microsoft-Sony.com. On its own, that means little—domain names are cheap to buy and easy to spoof—but it does prompt a moment of reflection: Microsoft and Sony working on their next console together makes a tremendous amount of sense.

Sony still has the hardware knack. A few aesthetic clunkers aside, Sony still makes lovely, sturdy hardware. The PlayStation 3 still looks perfectly fine. And my launch version has held up well enough over the lengthening years.

Plus, Sony has access to tremendous production facilities of their own, unlike Microsoft who largely contracts out to third-party builders for not just assembly, but components. (Crack open your phone someday. There’s a good chance it has some Sony hardware in there somewhere.)

Microsoft makes the best development tools in the industry. “Best” is subjective, but most of the developers I know greatly prefer programming using Microsoft’s excellent tools over those of their competitors. That’s certainly been part of the reason so many cross-platform games begin their life on Xbox and are ported to the PlayStation later. (Although certainly as multi-platform development has matured, it’s increasingly a port-as-you-go situation.)

A Sony-built hardware platform that ships with Microsoft development tools on Day 1 would give game developers a tremendous leg up in unlocking the power of the hardware.

Xbox Live is the best online gaming platform in existence. While PC-based Steam is a close second overall, there’s no better platform for getting games, media, and networking with friends than Xbox Live. And a unified Xbox Live and PlayStation Network would be instantly a huge community, which would be attractive to publishers and advertisers.

Plus, well, the hack. Sony got a black eye over the hack against the PlayStation Network over the last few months. While the problem has largely abated, online has never been one of Sony’s strengths. (Evinced by their numerous aborted music download services and hesitance in putting the PS2 online, for instance.) Sony doesn’t have the technical acumen to run end-to-end networking platforms, while Microsoft is perhaps the best in the business at doing so.

Sony gets to retreat into hardware and content, its greatest strengths. Remember, Sony was the Apple of the ‘80s and ‘90s: a hardware company that happened to sell and produce a lot of media designed to be played on the hardware it sold.

Every time Sony has strayed from their core competencies, they’ve been half-hearted at best—catastrophic at worst. But they remain tremendously profitable in the areas where they just build good hardware—their HDTVs, for instance—and leave the fancy network and software business to someone else.

It might get Microsoft a toehold into Sony Ericsson. Sony Ericsson has been on shaky ground since before the iPhone, but even its modern Android phones—including the gaming-oriented Xperia Play—aren’t anything special.

Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 is pretty great. It just needs apps—like games. A combined Sony and Microsoft attack on the mobile gaming space would be pretty powerful. (Although wholly unnecessary in making a Microsoft+Sony home console a success; it would just be nice.)

We’ll probably know sooner than later if Microsoft and Sony intend to team up on a new console. And there are plenty of reasons why they might not want to go in together—loss of their own exclusive platform being the most compelling one—but there sure are a lot of upsides to a team-up, aren’t there?

And if you think about it, that Microsoft is making hardware and Sony is making software to compete against each other is actually the exception of their relationship, not the rule: Sony laptops have been running Microsoft Windows for years. You could even look at that as another reason why Microsoft would be willing to cede the Xbox hardware business: Sony’s latest hardware experiments, like their tablets, run Google’s Android. It might be worth a few billion here and there to Microsoft to bring Sony more fully back into the fold. (See also: Nokia.)

Do I think this is going to happen? Probably not. I’d give it a 20% chance using my Statistical Confabulator with a +/- 10% for the heat added to our economy by Nascent Fanboy Psycho-Kinectic Pedantry. But it sure doesn’t sound totally crazy either, does it?