In what can not be considered a good thing, the Playstation 3 has posted it’s worst week of sales since it’s launch in Japan. The Media Create sales numbers for the week ending January 14th show an overall slump in sales all around, yet still paint an unflattering picture for the Playstation 3, showing sales at 25,531 units, not a particularly strong showing for console so recently launched. Nintendo Wii sales were also down, posting it’s second-worst week of sales since it’s launch, with 93,708 units sold, though it’s unclear if anyone can consider selling almost 100,000 units a week a bad thing. Media Create takes sales data from around 3,000 retail stores across Japan, extrapolating them into national sales estimates.

See the Japanese software sales charts for the week ending January 14th after the jump..

Read more of “Playstation 3 has worst sales week in Japan so far“

With HD-DVD currently under fire from modders who have recently began “backing up” their HD-DVD movies, rumors are starting to pour in that an early exploit has been discovered for the PS3. HDTV Blogger reveals that multiple independent sources are reporting that an exploit has been found via the PS3 which reveals title and volume keys for Blu-ray disks via the PS3. The procedure requires some minor modding of the boot process and Linux. We’ll post more information as it becomes available, *if* this rumor (did I mention it’s just a rumor so far?) develops.

Read more: Rumored Blu-ray exploit via PS3 discovered

NPD has announced their sales figures for the busy holiday season and the results were a very pleasant surprise for the industry. Hardware was king this holiday season, though, surprisingly, it was the two recently launched consoles (the Nintendo Wii and Sony PS3) which carry the biggest disappointments.

Nintendo, as expected, destroyed their competition, but it wasn’t thanks to the Wii, which sold a respectable (but still disappointing) 604.2K units bringing it’s LTD up to 1.1 million in the US. It appears to me that shortages hurt here, though nowhere near as much as the shortages and lackluster interest in the PS3 has hurt Sony. The DS hand held however, cleaned house, selling a breathtaking 1.6 million units for December, solidifying Nintendo’s hold in the hand held race and giving thrifty parents a perfectly priced stocking stuffer for their kids.

Microsoft fared quite well, with the Xbox 360 clocking in with 1.1 million units, with Gears of War becoming a new “Halo-like” franchise for the strongest running next-generation console so far.

Sony are clocking in with surprising results. PS2 post major numbers, selling a whopping 1.4 million consoles. Whether this is actually a good thing remains to be seen. It appears the PS2 is still running quite strong, which may point to a lack of interest or lack of affordability to the PS3. I don’t know how proud Sony could be of having their last generation machine tearing into the customer base which should be purchasing their new console, but, income is income and right now they certainly aren’t making anything off of the PS3. More good news for Sony followed with the PSP, which showed a stronger than expected sell through, posting 953K units, surprising those who can’t figure out a reason to even turn their PSP on anymore. On to the PS3, which posted better than expected numbers, but still pointed to a worrying start for the more than half a grand machine. With 490.7K units (687.3K LTD) the PS3 showed that it’s supply problems were holding it back, but those are rumored to be clearing up.

Overall, total hardware sales rang up to $4.6 billion USD (up 42.8%) and software amounted to $6.5 billion USD (up 6.4%).

Read more: NPD analysis by GameDaily Biz

A recent interview with analyst Paul-Jon McNeely of American Technology Research brought to light analyst expectations that the Sony PS3 shortage is in full effect and Sony is stretching themselves thin with the upcoming European launch. McNeely expects the PS3 shortages to last into the Summer with Wii shortages to last until early Spring. With no stock to sell and few killer apps coming for the PS3, it looked a bit as if Sony would be in for a hurting this holiday season. But it’s not so, since the PS2 appears to be running neck and neck with the Microsoft Xbox 360 for second choice.

McNealy said investors and game makers tempered their forecasts for the PS3s since initial numbers fell short. He added that the PS3 will likely remain scarce through the June quarter.

“They have to launch in Europe, and they’re stretched,” said McNealy.

Wii shortages could ease in the March quarter, he said.

Read more: Fox News

According to Sony’s VP of Technology, Paul Holman, there will be a PS4, only, not until at least 2010. Contrary to popular belief Sony aren’t giving up on gaming hardware after the PS3, as many would hope. Among some of the revelations from Holman was Sony’s plans on adding more media center capabilities to the hybrid gaming console, while allowing for more third party applications and hardware to be developed, including the possibility of interactive controllers similar to Nintendo’s Wii controller. He also goes on to talk about how powerful the PS3 is, blah blah blah, but didn’t seem to mention at all how Sony is addressing their deadly supply shortages, which are most definitely attributing to their slow start in this generations console war.

Update 1: Journalists rule, bloggers drool!

Read more: PS4 definitely, but after 2010

Whosa whatsa!? It was recently revealed that Killzone PS3′s production is aiming to be the most expensive in Dutch history, topping the 16 million EUR ($21 million USD) mark of the Dutch WWII movie Black Book. A large part of the costs are attributed to localizing the game into 20 different languages. Yes, 20 different languages. As the bubble continues to inflate, fanboys around the world quiver in anticipation.

Read more: Killzone PS3 costing way too much

The Method Reporter, a collective blog based in Chicago run by Medill graduate journalism students, has an impressive story of a Chicago-land man who helped keep things orderly while waiting in line for his PS3 at a local Best Buy. By arriving early and taking charge, 24 year old Angel Colon, a train conductor and engineer, setup a mini-utopia in his line, creating a running list of all those in line, a break schedule for everyone on the list and even ran security keeping unwanted line hoppers at bay. Angel even coordinated with Best Buy management for the various issues that popped up throughout the weekend ordeal. Order was kept, everyone had fun and respect for one another and best of all, Angel and his family got out of it with a few new friends and a few PS3s to boot.

Good on you Angel, if only more stories like this were out there.

Read more: Chicago Best Buy utopia

DING DING DING. In what will probably be their most expensive marketing campaign ever, Nintendo has stated that they will spend more than $200 million USD in order to market the Wii console. With Nintendo’s success with the DS handheld and their profit on every piece of hardware sold, Nintendo has built a nice little war chest in order to compete against the new PS3 from Sony and Microsoft’s Xbox 360. 80% of the marketing spend will go towards adult markets, also marking a shift in strategy for Nintendo, which is trying to broaden it’s appeal among adults as the gaming market ages and younger consumer tastes continue their shift towards the mature market. Nintendo is projected to shift over 1.2 million units of the Wii this holiday season, with projections of only around 500,000 units for Sony, thanks partially to the manufacturing difficulties of Blu-Ray components. It’s also not helping Sony that their new console is over priced and their image among many gamers is severely damaged after months of public relations mis-steps.

Read more: Nintendo to spend $200 million

Alright, see, we’re getting there Sony. Finally a commercial that does a pretty ok job of being oddly interesting AND trying to get us a little excited about an actual feature that we’d get from the incredibly high price of the PS3. One of the latest in the ongoing, ‘weirdness in an empty room’ series of Sony PS3 commercial, this one focuses a bit more on the Sixaxis controller and does an ok job of it.

Watch the commercial after the jump..

Read more of “Playstation 3 Sixaxis commercial“

Whoa man. My mellow is being harshed really badly. Really things are getting out of control with these PS3 bad trip commercials. In this recent commercial advertising the upcoming PS3 launch, an animated baby doll is excited by a floating PS3 console on the other side of the room from it. It makes some freaky noises, creeps me out, then it starts crying…..in reverse……..ooooookaaayyyyy.

Flashback to your bad trips after the jump..

Read more of “Sony PS3 commercial provides bad trip flashbacks“