Gaming : Sony intros new PS3 Slim in Japan: lighter, consumes less power

Fresh from the Land of the Rising Sun comes news that Sony has updated the original PS3 Slim (CECH-3001B) with a lighter, less power-hungry model. The new Japanese PS3 CECH-3000B weighs in at 5.7 pounds -- as opposed to its 6.6 pound elder brother -- and even lowers its wattage to 200W from the previous 230W. The unit will retail at the same ¥34,980 price point (or $435 for the Yanks) as the original Slim, and while a relatively plain 320GB flavor seems to be on tap for now, a 160GB Tales of Xillia bundle will purportedly hit this September. No announcement has been made for its North American counterpart, but with the system already in the FCC's clutches, you can bet it'll be making an intercontinental trek in short order.

Gran Turismo 5 Just Got A Hefty Tune Up

The real driving simulator just got a little more real, thanks to a big update to Gran Turismo 5. Weighing in at more than 600 MB, the GT5 update brings a long list of changes and welcomes the GT Academy.

Gran Turismo 5 gets even more finished today with new seasonal events, a new "hot car dealer," and even more changes under the hood, like the choice of custom background music. Fan site GT Planet is uncovering even more changes, including streamlined license test menus and mechanical damage in the game's practice mode.

For details on the newly launched GT Academy competition, head over to the PlayStation blog. For high level changes in Gran Turismo 5's version 1.05, read on.

• Seasonal Events - The Seasonal Events area has been added to the main GT Life screen. From here you can participate in official online events that will be open for a limited time only. Each event has specific entry and race conditions, and completing events earns you rewards and experience points. Compete here to see how you stack up to the rest of the world on the global leaderboards in the time trials and drift trial events.
• Online Race Rewards and Experience - When you complete a race in the [Open Lobby] or [My Lounge], you will now gain rewards and experience. Even if you are focused more on playing online, you'll still be able to gain rewards and levels that you need to progress in [GT Life].
• Hot Car Dealer - A new specialized dealership has also been added to the main GT Life screen, making it much easier to find popular and rare used cars compared to the standard Used Car Dealer.
• Distance Driven and Number of Wins in Online Races - Your total distance driven online, and the number of wins you achieve in Open Lobby and My Lounge will now add to your Profile and Garage stats.
• Improved Rewards for Playing - Earn increased rewards for winning races in both A-Spec and B-Spec mode through the end of January only. Now's the perfect chance to rack up points, build up your garage, and get ahead in the game.

Enjoy yourself. The more you enjoy, the more you appreciate. The more you appreciate, the more abundance you'll have coming into your life.

Enjoy Life and Freedom



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