Sony has introduced a PlayStation Logo Licensing Program that will target a variety of lifestyle products ranging from clothing to everyday items. That means we can expect to see the PlayStation logo on just about everything we use, from house wares, clothing, and other third party products.

This new initiative follows the Official Licensing Program for PlayStation peripherals and accessories first introduced in June 2009. That original program has given us more than 123 items from 45 licensees who have joined the program.

The Logo Licensing Program essentially means we will soon see the PS logo on more than just basic PlayStation items. The press release regarding the announcement specifically points to “lifestyle” products, which translates roughly into things we use every day. If you want to own a PlayStation sweatshirt, sunglasses, or beer mug, you will soon have your chance.

http://www.psu.com/news/9454

UPDATE: The PS3 firmware 3.41 update is available. If you haven’t done so already, you will be prompted to update your PS3 the next time you turn on your system.

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE: The PlayStation 3 will soon get a firmware update that will add recommendations for games and videos on the PlayStation Store. The new “You May Like” section will be added to the right side of the screen while browsing through various game and video titles.

The feature will be added with firmware update 3.41, which Sony says will get updated soon. Allowing you to discover new games that you may enjoy, this new feature suggests games based on what other PSN members have purchased. You can think of this new feature in a similar fashion as the five-star ratings feature added in the last firmware.

Firmware update 3.41 will be released shortly, but the new recommendations feature will go live by the end of July. Sony is also planning on releasing a minor update to the PSP, firmware update 6.31.

http://www.psu.com/news/9452

Sony has announced that LittleBigPlanet 2 will be released in North America on November 16, and also confirmed that the game will be receiving a special Collector’s Edition release.

Set to retail for $79.99 USD, the CE release will come in “limited” numbers and contains the following goodies:

-A copy of LittleBigPlanet 2
-7’ SackBoy plushie
-LittleBigPlanet game ends “keep your PS3 games in a tidy, organized and ‘Sack-ured” within these unique bookends”
-Stacks of pre-order downloadable content, such as:
Toy Story 3 Aliens costume
Tron: Legacy Clu costume
Muppets Great Gonzo costume
Ratchet costume
Clank costume
-Two exclusive costumes to the Collector’s Edition release, namely Jak and Daxter
-Five LittleBigPlanet 2 avatars for PSN

No word yet on similar plans for European territories, though we’ll be sure to keep you posted.

http://www.psu.com/news/9442

Online retailer eStarland has updated its site with the rather conspicuous listing of Insomniac Games’ Resistance 3, claiming the shooter will be taking the fight against the Chimera to New York City.

The listing reads: "Continue the fight against the Chimera invasion in Resistance 3, as the battle moves to New York City and humanity makes its final stand."

Regular readers may recall that a billboard for Resistance 3 was spotted on the film set of Sony’s Battle: Los Angeles back in October 2009, and depicted a silhouette of the Statue of Liberty on the game’s logo – sounds like New York could be on the cards after all.

In addition, Sony distributed a survey in March of this year quizzing consumers on whether they would buy Resistance 3 if it were made, fuelling yet more speculation that it's only a matter of time until Insomniac lifts the lid on the sequel.

Stay tuned for more info as we get it.

http://www.psu.com/news/9435

A new version of Netflix is heading to the PlayStation 3, according to CEO Reed Hastings. During the company’s Q2 2010 financial call, Hastings said that the movie and TV streaming service on PS3 will soon not require a disc.

Currently you must use a disc to stream Netflix content on your PS3, but the online video rental service will soon offer instant streaming to Sony’s console.

Hastings said that the update will occur “before our next [earnings] call in October,” with a new version of the interface that will not require a disc.

Netflix, and the addition of Hulu, offers PS3 owners some decent options for streaming movies and TV shows directly to their consoles.

http://www.psu.com/news/9432