PlayStation 4 has received over a million pre-orders, reveals Sony

Sony has had more than 1 million preorders worldwide for its new PlayStation 4 console, the head of its SCE computer entertainment division said on Tuesday.

SCE Chief Executive Andrew House added that the console will be available from November 15 in North America and will hit stores in Europe from November 29.

"The response we have received is nothing short of incredible," he said at a news conference on the sidelines of Gamescom, Europe's biggest videogames fair.

He added the console will be available in 32 countries worldwide during the holiday season.

Microsoft Corp has said it will start selling its latest console at some point in November, intensifying competition ahead of the year-end holidays and gift-giving season.

(Also see: Xbox One launch in 8 European countries pushed to 2014)

Sony has priced the PS4, $100 lower than the new Xbox One by Microsoft at $399.

Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One in May, its first new gaming console in eight years, marking its strongest push so far to dominate consumers' living rooms with an array of exclusive media content.

Microsoft Europe's Vice President of Interactive Entertainment Chris Lewis said on Tuesday preorders for the Xbox One were "unprecedented" but declined to give more details.

Sony said it would also cut the retail price for its PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita devices to $199 in the United States and 199 euros in Europe.

Previously the Vita was 249 euros and the PlayStation 3 was 229 euros.

Xbox One launch in 8 European countries pushed to 2014

Microsoft said Wednesday it was delaying the launch of its new Xbox One console in eight countries, while moving ahead with a November release in 13 others.

In June, Microsoft said it would start selling the new videogame and entertainment console in 21 countries, but on Wednesday acknowledged their plan had been too ambitious.

(Also see: Xbox One not coming to India, other Asian markets until 2014: Report)

The delays affect Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland. The company said it hoped to launch the device in those countries "as soon as possible in 2014."

The 13 markets to get the Xbox One in November will be Australia, Austria, Brazil, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Spain, the United States and New Zealand, according to a statement from the Xbox team.

"At Xbox, our goal is to provide the best games and entertainment experience possible and the team continues to make great progress on delivering Xbox One," the statement said.

"While we wish we could launch Xbox One simultaneously in these (21) markets, there are many factors that determine the timing of specific market launches. This includes work to localize the Xbox One dash, incorporate additional voice and languages, and build partnerships to bring apps and meaningful local content to each country."

The beefed-up console is powered by software that allows for instant switching between games, television, and Internet browsing. Microsoft-owned Skype was also integrated for online group video calls.

Kinect motion and sound sensing accessories accompanying the consoles recognize users; respond instantly to commands spoken in natural language, and even detect a person's pulse.

Microsoft's new console will compete against Sony's new PlayStation 4, which also promises to combine its film, music, television and games in a home entertainment box. It is due to be released later this year as well.

AMD eyes gaming consoles to offset slowing PC sales

Advanced Micro Devices forecast stronger-than-expected revenue growth of 22 percent in the third quarter from the second, as the chip maker expands into new game consoles and other markets to offset slowing sales of personal computers.

However, the stock reversed earlier gains on Thursday after AMD said gross margins would fall as it seeks a foothold in game consoles.

AMD, which for decades has competed against market leader Intel Corp in supplying chips for PCs, is rushing to refocus on new markets as consumers buy fewer laptops and more tablets and smartphones.

AMD processors are being used in Microsoft Corp's upcoming Xbox One and Sony Corp's next-generation PlayStation game consoles. These are largely behind AMD's upbeat revenue forecast.

AMD said its gross margin in the second quarter was 40 percent and would fall to about 36 percent in the third quarter. Analysts on average had expected a third-quarter gross margin of 39 percent.

With consumers increasingly playing games on tablets, it is also unclear how many of the new consoles Microsoft and Sony would sell, but optimism about the impact on AMD's revenue has helped drive its stock up 73 percent since the beginning of April.

Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon said AMD's gross margin forecast was probably behind the after-hours drop in the company's shares.

AMD's report comes after Intel warned on Wednesday that it does not expect revenue to grow in 2013 due to slowing PC industry.

Global shipments of personal computers dropped 11 percent in the second quarter, the fifth straight quarterly decline in a market that has been devastated by the popularity of tablets.

AMD reported second-quarter revenue of $1.161 billion, down from $1.413 billion in the year-ago quarter. It said third-quarter revenue would rise 22 percent, plus or minus 3 percent, compared with the June quarter. That increase would be about $1.416 billion.

Analysts, on average, had expected revenue of $1.108 billion in the second quarter and $1.223 billion in the third quarter, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

AMD posted a net loss of $74 million, or 10 cents a share, in the second quarter, compared with a profit of $37 million, or 5 cents a share, in the same quarter last year.

The company said its non-GAAP loss per share was 9 cents, better than the 12-cent loss expected by analysts.

AMD's stock declined 3.66 percent in extended trade after closing up 5.94 percent at $4.64.

Pacific Rim game now available for iOS and Android

Hollywood sci-fi film "Pacific Rim" has inspired the launch of a mobile game, which asks gamers to pilot a giant Jaeger robot and defend Earth from invading aliens.

The game, surrounding the movie, is developed by Reliance Games, the mobile gaming division of Reliance Entertainment Digital, in partnership with Behavior Interactive.

"We are excited to provide an enhanced and immersive experience to moviegoers with a state-of-the-art 3D mobile game," Manish Agarwal, CEO, Reliance Entertainment Digital, said in a statement.

Available on iOS and Android, the game features epic battles amidst skyscrapers as players swipe and tap to defeat the Kaijus, aliens that have risen from the sea to wipe out humanity.

To aid in the apocalyptic fight to save humanity, new weapons, technology and devastating combos can be unlocked during the course of the game.

In the game's Story Mode, the gamer can play over 30 levels and challenge monstrous creatures in intense combat based on the motion picture. In the Survival Mode, you can test your skills with a customized Jaeger.

"Pacific Rim", which released July 12, is directed by Guillermo Del Toro.