While it won't be another year before we see the judges of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) weigh in their votes for the best video games of 2009, the group has already confirmed a place and date for the upcoming event - the London Park Lane Hilton on March 10, 2009. More in the full article.

Wondering just what Sony's planning to pack into the PlayStation 3's firmware 2.40 update? According to new rumor we've picked up, it'll include the groundwork for the console's Movie Store feature, among some other features. More details are available over in the full article.

Sony Computer Entertainment UK managing Director Ray Maguire was at the recently-held ELSPA press conference and he had a few things to say about the now popular Byron Report. The boss commented that the report's recommendations are valid today, but when the time comes that brick-and-mortar retailers take a back seat to online stores, things will be done differently to enforce the rating system. More in the full article up next.

Good news! Ray Maguire of Sony Computer Entertainment UK has revealed that the PS3 has officially hit one million in sales for the UK. Maybe those 40GB PS3 SKUs really did help push sales, but more interesting to note here is that Maguire also revealed that the PS3 has sold faster than its previous siblings, the PS1 or PS2. And oh? What's this? Mention of PS3 firmware 2.40? Coming this summer? Why, that'd could be the BD Live update! Or... do we hear in-game messaging? Read more for the full scoop.

With the release of the cheaper 40 GB SKUs, Sony Computer UK managing director Ray Maguire is confident that the PlayStation 3 will be able to sell a million units through Christmas in their area.

Currently, the new SKU is moving at an incredible rate so Maguire's prediction coming to pass won't be surprising. The 40 GB SKU caused PS3 sales to spike by 178% last week in the UK and even caused some games to reenter the charts, like Heavenly Sword and MotorStorm.

Aside from the success of the console, Maguire has expressed confidence in the future of PS3 games saying that developers will begin looking to the PlayStation 3 first before the Xbox 360: "We're in the period of crossover now, where people will start to develop on PS3 as the lead [platform] if they're multiformat."

Maguire, who predicted that the PS3 will indeed get "better reception" with the new SKUs earlier this month, may prove to be right again and this may indeed be a white Christmas for Sony.

Ray Maguire, Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment UK, is quite confident that people will be reacting positively now that the new 40GB entry level PS3 units are finally out in Europe. He said that this new strategy initiated by SCE UK will finally silence doubters and take the console to "the next level."

He explained that the reason for the newly unveiled SKU was a product of industry pressure, failing production costs, and a desire to boost sales as the industry moves into the peak period. He also revealed plans to eventually phase out the 60GB console now that the new 40GB PS3 is selling at a better rate due to its reduced price (GBP 299 or US$ 611) compared to the original console.

He explains this initiative the company took by saying:

We have to take a more strategic view on when we do these things. We’re always mindful of price and installed base, but we’re also mindful that we have a sustainable business. We’ve been considering this since launch – this is all part of a very carefully thought-out plan.

Maguire also countered the many anti-Sony sentiments filtering around the 'Net by explaining that the new console will change a lot of attitudes now that it's out. He noted that the resentment a lot of people express towards Sony relies mainly on information without a full understanding of the facts behind the company and the finances involved.

People all over Europe are happily celebrating the reduced prices of Sony PlayStation 3 units everywhere. With the release of the new 40GB and 60GB models, consumers now have a choice of getting either an entry-level unit with fewer features but at a substantially lower price or an impressive machine with all the trimmings.

However, a lot of people are griping about the fact that those loyal PS3 consumers who bought their units when the next-gen console first came out are getting the raw end of the deal, especially now that the PS3 had received a hefty price-cut.

In an interview with Ray Maguire, UK Managing Director of SCE Europe, he sympathized with the woes early PS3 adopters are experiencing and explained the advantages they still have over the newer consumers. Maguire related that he himself wouldn't mind putting out a lot of money for a product that he knew would definitely be worth it.

Putting it in simpler terms, it's pretty much like the early bird getting the worm. Those people who got their PS3 units earlier than others can experience the enjoyment of having a next-gen console sitting in their homes months before anybody else, despite the initial prohibitive pricing:

Consumer electronics only goes one way and that's downwards. If you're a company that has to invest billions into development then you know that costs are going to be high at launch. T

The reason they are high is because we're taking such a bold step of going so far forward into the future that we have to create our own fabrication plants to make chips, no one can create these things because they're not investing either the time or the money or the vision into making products that are this far reaching.

Maguire also mentioned that the new 40GB model is the next big step for Sony to entice newer consumers into the PlayStation 3 experience. The step itself is a progressive one as people can willingly give themselves the choice on how to enjoy their new consoles now that the different models will be made available soon.

One of the biggest gripes gamers have about Sony's PlayStation3 is the fact that getting one would figuratively cost you an arm and a leg.

Ray Maguire, Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment UK assures people that there will be a massive price cut on all PS3 units this coming Wednesday across the country.

From what used to be a whopping 425 GBP (around US$ 866), Maguire said that they would be selling the new, price-slashed units in two flavors: a 40GB version with various extraneous bits taken out for GBP 299 (around US$ 611), and the full 60GB version with two games for 349 GBP (around US$ 713).

He explained that the 40GB unit will have a brand new SKU taken from the 60GB version. Furthermore, the entry level 40GB unit will be working without backwards compatibility, a memory stick, and two less USB ports as well.

Maguire said that because there is a reasonable amount of games out in the market right now (65 titles all in all) the need for backwards compatibility wasn't so much of an issue as when the PS3 first came out. The 60GB version will have all the trimmings the original PS3 had.

The price-cut was mainly a PAL territory initiative, although the 60GB offering will be strictly UK only. If you're looking to buy a good gaming console and a Blu-ray player all rolled into one, US$ 611 is definitely a good deal especially now that the Christmas season is just around the corner.

Despite the fact that with the Xbox 360's sudden boost in sales with the recent release of Halo 3, Maguire hopes that this price cut for the console will considerably help boost their own finances. He goes on to say that their own Christmas titles, such as Ratchet & Clank and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune are both something that gamers should not pass up on when they finally come out.

While a lot of people are going to be very happy with Sony's earlier announcement of the 40 GB PlayStation 3, it is indeed disheartening to hear that it wouldn't be carrying backwards compatibility. Now, in case you're wondering just what pushed Sony to axe this feature with their upcoming SKU, we've picked up an explanation via the company's UK boss Ray Maguire.

According to Maguire, Sony felt that the money that was intended for backwards compatibility was better spent on future game development and helping to cut down on support hardware costs. Here's Maguire's full quote:

As we come to our first Christmas with the PlayStation 3 there's going to be about 65 games in the marketplace, so we feel now that there's sufficient choice in the marketplace and that we're still better off using that money that we'd put into backwards compatibility in either investing in new games or using that money to help support bringing the price down so that people can get into the franchise.

It will be remembered that Sony has also recently started a partnership with Infineon technologies and is reportedly selling some of its production facilities to Toshiba electronics. Both moves appear to coincide with Maguire's explanation. We remind the readers that the new 40 GB PS3 SKU will be available across all SCEE territories on October 10 for €399 (US$ 565). The console will carry two USB 2.0 ports, and will not carry a multi memory card port.

As Gordon Brown laces up to take over the spot that Tony Blair is leaving, shock waves are felt even on the British games industry after key people in the Department of Trade and Industry were cut out of the loop, compromising the sector's ability to communicate with the government.

The man being referred to is John Kroeger, known as the "DTI's game man." Kroeger is recognized as the human link between the game publishers, the consumers, and the government for his expertise and dedication to the business.

Industry big boys Paul Jackson, Ray Maguire, and Andy Payne admit that the financial support for the development of the gaming business has dwindled in the Blair administration, and may continue to do so under a Premier who has other concerns in his priority heap ahead of gaming. Still, the top cats haven't lost faith.

"This does not mean we won't be heard in Government. Our industry, alongside ELSPA and TIGA, has forged stronger relationships than ever with a number of Government bodies," says SCE UK Vice President Ray Maguire. "This allows us to continue the work all parties have done thus far, to further strengthen and promote the UK games sector, at home and abroad."

The UK gaming market is one of the most vibrant in its region, with sales being a major point of focus by international publishers. Still, it's also a fact that it has one of the highest average prices of game hardware ands software in the world, perhaps an indirect effect of the absence of strong support.