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TiltFX from Codejunkies makes a PSP respond to your every move (video)
We all lean when playing racing games and sit up in our seats when jumping in action games, but so far most PSP games have stoutly ignored all that nonsense. The TiltFX from Codejunkies might finally make those uppity consoles a little more responsive with a "G Sensor" -- a three-axis MEMS gyro that clips onto the lower-left of a PSP 1000, 2000, or 3000-series console. (Sorry, Goers, left out again.) Once plugged in you can simply tilt the console in the direction you want your character to go, something that we could definitely see enhancing the experience of games like Archer McLean's Mercury or or Loco Roco. And, for just £14.99/$19.99, it's certainly a better value than some other PSP accessories we've sampled in the past. Video demonstration after the break.
PSP Go 'relaunch' in the works?
There's not much to go on here, but according to alleged sources of Gamervision, Sony's planning a relaunch of sorts for the PSP Go. The oft-maligned portable hasn't exactly taken the world by storm -- and with its lack of an UMD drive, despite the company's continued support of the format, that arguably wasn't the point of its existence, anyway. An apparent marketing blitz is in the cards (unsurprising), and additionally there's speculation that a price drop might be coming, too. That seems a bit early given it only launched back in October, but if the company's really wanting to get aggressive and pushing units of its admittedly pretty hardware, that's a pretty good way to do so. Then again, its hands might be full adding some vigor to its other gaming machine.
Jill Stuart's Sweet Limited Package PSP makes its own innuendos, coming in March
¥21,000 ($232), Japan, March 4. All of the foregoing should be irrelevant information because we're absolutely, positively, definitely sure you're not going to actually buy one. Right? Look, even if you genuinely don't object to Blossom Pink as your color scheme, and if you quite rightly find yourself attracted by the handy soft pouch for ensconcing your new PSP-3000 in, don't you care about what other people might think? And that's entirely aside from the generic and lazy expectation that women will buy anything so long as it bears a hue from the pink portion of the spectrum. Either way, this bundle of corporate greed and malevolence is coming in about a month's time, if you're weird enough to care. %Gallery-84471%
Korean Air subsidiary renting out PSP Go consoles for in-flight gaming
Korean Air subsidiary Jin Air has a new trick up its sleeve for entertaining passengers going to and fro South Korea. The airline is now offering a 16GB PSP Go to rent for in-flight gaming. No clue what games are on the device, but it's probably the best 4,000 won (about $3.50) you can spend -- assuming, that is, there's more than a sudoku app.
RealView's V-Screen for PSP review
The PSP may be a lot of things to a lot of people, but it's not capable of pumping out images in 3D -- cross your eyes all you want but nothing's going to leap off of that LCD. We'll have to wait for at least another iteration of portables before we can start expecting any miracles in that department, but until then there's the V-Screen! It's a big, silly-looking attachment that pledges to add depth to your PSP games despite the system's distinctly two-dimensional screen. Is it magic? Is it sorcery? Is it complete bull? You might be surprised.
NPD: Wii reclaims lead in US sales, but console gaming market shrinks by a fifth
The NPD has released its US video game industry figures for October, which reveal that total monthly revenue from hardware, software and accessories among all manufacturers fell to $1.07 billion, constituting a 19 percent drop from what the American gamer spent over the same period last year. After being toppled from its chart-leading ways in September by a price cut-boosted PS3, the Wii has regained its sales throne by chopping $50 off its own entry fee, making itself buoyant in the US, if not the world. The PS3's own sales have suffered a slump after the September euphoria, while the 360 is still wearing the dunce cap in third place. Microsoft's response has been to keep banging that drum about being the only console to show year-to-date growth, but when you're selling less than half as many consoles as Nintendo, you have to grasp at whatever straws are nearby. Speaking of Nintendo, its DS sales so far this year have continued at such a rate as to threaten its own 2008 hardware sales record -- set by the Wii -- with ten million units sold. So there you have it: Sony fails to maintain its September lead, Nintendo keeps churning, and Microsoft keeps hoping for better times ahead. Full list of figures after the break.
PSP Go turned into a homebrewed Sega CD emulator (video)
At this point, there have been so many Sonic games on so many different platforms, that you don't really need to run an old school Sega Genesis or Sega CD to play with the blue hedgehog. Need, however, is not what this is about. A fellow calling himself Neon (whose real name is presumably Thomas Andersonn) has put together a proof of concept video to show off a custom PSP Go firmware capable of running Sega CD images. Alas, he's only keen to prove said concept for bragging rights alone, and there are no plans to unleash this unto the retro-loving world, but isn't it enough to know that you can bring back all those memories of an insecure youth whiled away in a poorly lit room with a 12MHz console pushing about 200 pixels in total? Of course it is, check the video after the break.
Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime says the PSP Go has a 'fundamental concept problem'
Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime has been known to take a few shots at the competition in the past and, while he's not exactly verging into CE-oh no he didn't territory this time around, it seems that he just couldn't help himself from offering a few thoughts on Sony's latest handheld. Speaking with The Washington Post, Reggie says that the PSP Go has a "fundamental concept problem in terms of 'Who's it for?' and 'What's the benefit?" -- adding that he always has the "utmost respect for all our competitors, but that it's "interesting to try and answer the consumer question of 'What's in it for me?' in that product." Of course, Sony does have a few answers to those questions for its part, sort of.[Via Joystiq]
Sony PSP Go game dev taken aback by lofty ESRB rating costs
Nothing really new here -- the ESRB has been charging a nominal fee to get its saucy logos on your game for years upon years now -- but the discussion of fairness has recently surfaced with the introduction of Sony's UMD-less PSP Go. A few game developers are voicing concerns about the amount the ESRB charges (we're hearing around $2,500) in order for their titles to receive a rating, particularly when those very same titles don't have such a costly requirement in Apple's App Store. Subatomic Studios, for instance, can charge $2.99 for the iPhone version of Fieldrunners, while the same game is priced at $6.99 on the PlayStation Store. Naturally, the ESRB would love to get in on App Store ratings, but it's hard to say just how long (if ever) that cracking process will take. So, any of you devs put off by the ESRB fee? Put off enough to sidestep PSP Go development altogether?[Via Joystiq]
PSP Go launch inspires three-fold sales increase for platform
Like it or not, the PSP Go is loose in the wild, sashaying around with neither physical media nor respect for sensible price-points. Nevertheless, it has generated a rather sizeable boost in interest for the PSP platform as a whole, with Sony saying that sales for all PSPs are up 300 percent over the week before the console launched. It's easy to see why, given the buzz surrounding the new iteration of the hardware as well as the hugely anticipated Gran Turismo finally coming to fruition. What we don't know is how many of those new sales were of the Go and how many were of the existing PSP-3000, a stat that would have shown whether indeed the "aspirational" new system would inspire some to just go ahead and buy the old system instead. We know which we would choose, how about you?[Via gamesindustry.biz]
PSP Go found in the wild being sold ahead of October 1st launch date?
Feel free to feign surprise, but seeing how Sony handled the PlayStation 3 Slim's launch, we kind of expected this. According to an anonymous tipster, at least one Metro Atlanta-area Target store has the PSP Go in stock and is apparently already selling them to (presumably) eager customers. So much for that October 1st street date, but you're still gonna have to wait until then for all the new digital content. We've pinged Sony for more details. In the meantime, anyone else happen upon the new portable during their daily travels?
PSP Go review
At last, Sony's other worst-kept secret, the UMD-less PSP Go, is working its way through retail channels this week. The device itself is a marked improvement, but of course that's not the whole story. In many ways antithetical to the hype surrounding the PlayStation 3 Slim, the debut of the Go has been marred by some pretty downtrodden decisions on Sony's part, most notably the $250 price tag, an utter lack of compatibility with any previous PSP accessories, and no UMD conversion program. Will newcomers flock to the system? Will veterans upgrade? Read on for our full impressions! %Gallery-74096%
PSP Go Converter gives you a more well-rounded portable with support for last-gen's peripherals
Honestly, when we first heard the phrase "PSP Go Converter," we were really hoping it something to do with that UMD-to-digital good will program we heard about back at E3 -- but alas, it wasn't meant to be. Instead, the attachment lets you utilize accessories so far only compatible with last-gen PSPs, such as the 1Seg tuner, GPS receiver, and camera -- and if that's not your thing, we're sure it makes the device a tad more aerodynamic, as well. Sony also announced a number of other accessories, including a bluetooth stereo headset. Full press release and pics from the show floor just below. %Gallery-73862% Show full PR text SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES PERIPHERALS FOR PSP® (PLAYSTATION®PORTABLE)GO Expands the Entertainment World of PSPgo with Attractive Peripheral and Accessory Line-up Tokyo, September 24, 2009 - Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) announced today that it will release Bluetooth® Stereo Head-set Receiver and Converter Cable Adaptor for PSP® (PlayStation®Portable)go (PSP-N1000) on December 24, 2009, in Japan, at a recommended retail price of 4,980 yen and 1,980 yen (both including tax), respectively. These peripherals will also become available in North America, Europe/PAL territories and Asian countries and regions beginning January 2010*1. Bluetooth Stereo Head-set Receiver With a sleek design that matches perfectly with PSPgo, users will be able to enjoy a variety of entertainment content sounds comfortably through the Bluetooth wireless technology with the combination of commercially available head-phone and head-set. The Bluetooth Stereo Head-set Receiver pairs easily with PSPgo by simply holding the power button of the receiver, and operation buttons on the receiver will also enable users to instantly play, stop, pause, forward, rewind, and adjust the volume of music and videos. Additionally, the receiver can be paired with up to eight Bluetooth devices by using the Multi Pairing Feature. Converter Cable Adaptor With the new Converter Cable Adaptor*2, PSPgo users will be able to utilize the existing peripherals for PSP such as 1Seg Tuner*3, GPS Receiver and Camera designed for PSP-1000, 2000 and 3000 series on the PSPgo system that adopts Multi use connector. Additional peripherals and accessories will be released for PSPgo in conjunction with PSPgo launch in Japan to enhance its portability and convenience of users' use, including: AC Adaptor 2,100 yen (including tax) USB Cable 1,575 yen (including tax) AV Cable 2,200 yen (including tax) D-Terminal AV Cable 2,800 yen (including tax) Component AV Cable 3,000 yen (including tax) Cradle 4,800 yen (including tax) Accessory Pack 6,000 yen (including tax) Display Protection Film 800 yen (including tax) Privacy Film 1,000 yen (including tax) Pouch & Hand Strap (Black/White) 1,000 yen (including tax)/each PSPgo Pouch (Black/Grey) 1,600 yen (including tax)/each PSPgo Leather Case & Hand Strap 4,200 yen (including tax) Car Adaptor 1,980 yen (including tax) SCE will continue to further expand the PlayStation platforms with these new peripheral and accessory line-up with introducing the new PSP line-up, PSPgo.
PSP Go unboxing (update: with video!)
Sony's just handed us a shiny new, UMD-less PSP Go (or "PSPgo," depending on who you ask) to run our greasy fingers all over, and while we can't give you our impressions until later this month, we can let you live vicariously through us and our unboxing photos. Enjoy! Update: Now with video, after the break. %Gallery-73475%
Video: High-res image enlargement tech for PS3 and PSP takes extreme closeups to a new level
The GigaPan has opened new doors in ridiculously high-resolution imagery, creating pictures so huge our feeble human minds can't hope to comprehend them. Sony's getting in on the action, not so much with the idea of capturing historic events at gigapixel resolutions, but providing the same sort of effect by linking multiple documents and items together and allowing you to zoom from one to the next. The video after the break shows a number of demonstrations, including what looks to be a release calendar that, inside each cell, contains high-resolution photos and even videos of whatever is releasing that day. Hidden advertising is also possible, like a mosquito on a man's face tagged with an ad only apparent after you've gotten uncomfortably close to the poor man's face. The adult entertainment opportunities are endless. Also demo'd is a new voice recognition library for the PS3, dubbed PS3VR, which can take you straight to your Cindi Lauper albums even if you're not a girl and are seemingly disinterested in having fun. That tech isn't quite so interesting, but it and the high-resolution libraries are intended for release to developers... eventually. Read - High-Resolution Enlargement TechnologyRead - PS3 Voice Recognition
Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXXIV: JXD1000 PSP clone has no UMD drive, shame
Sony may or may not have given up on the UMD format, but it's safe to say that KIRFsters never really got on board in the first place. There's a long and storied line of PSP knockoffs, and none have had room for little spinny discs. This latest one doesn't either, but it will play 720p video in a slew of formats, serve up game ROMs in a variety of flavors, tune in FM radio, and take two megapixel pictures. It sports a 4.3-inch, 480 x 272 screen, which won't do much justice to those 720p vids, but with only 8GB of storage there's not much room for high-def content anyway. Just $88 gets you one, but if you order 15 you can save a whole buck![Via PMP Today]
PSP Go disassembled, reassembly still in question
Well, the PSP Go may still not be available to the general public just yet, but the folks at levelup.cn have somehow managed to wrangle one out of Sony's hands, and have promptly gone and done what appears to be the first proper disassembly of the device. While there's expectedly not a whole lot of surprises, we do get a good look at the now non-removable battery (pictured above), the on-board memory, the familiar nub and controls and, of course, the complete lack of any UMD remnants -- not to mention a curiously placed GameCube watermark. Hit up the link below for the step-by-step teardown.
Stand-up console plays Nintendo DS and Sony PSP games, somewhat defeats the purpose
Depending in your level of geekness, an extravagant mod can be pretty cool. And arcade consoles are damn near always really cool. But making a stand-up console game out of your beloved Nintendo DS? That is pretty amazing. And throwing in a Sony PSP for good measure -- well, that might just elevate your project to a work of art. We don't have too many technical details on this bad boy (after all, the hacker is in Japan -- and there is a bit of a language barrier) but you we think the video of the thing really says it all -- if not in so many words. Peep it for yourself after the break. [Via Technabob]
SCE: PSPgo's 480MHz clock speed references USB, not CPU
Looks like all that excitement over PSPgo's faster (but likely to be underused) 480MHz processor is all for naught. Our friends at Engadget Japan have gotten in contact with Sony Computer Entertainment and been informed that the Maximum clock frequency mentioned here is for the USB device, not the CPU. All those dreams of hacked firmware to unlock more power? Better hold that thought for now.
PSPgo packs a 480MHz processor, probably not crossing 333MHz mark
Officially, Sony's PSPgo is only clocking in at 333MHz like the rest of its brothers and sisters, but as the gang at Sony Insider found out in the FCC filing, the internal processor actually maxes out at 480MHz. What that means for gamers is probably nothing in the near future, since the firmware'll underclock it to standard speeds and we've seen absolutely no sign Sony's interested in releasing software exclusively for the UMD-less iteration at this point. Of course, the opportunity to capitalize on the upped hardware is gonna be there, and we still remember a noticeable difference in the technical quality of games released after Sony bumped its original PSP's clockspeed from 266MHz to its max 333MHz, but for now, it's just something to keep in the back of your mind. [Via Sony Insider]
