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Downloadable PSP games in the works?
It looks like (legally) downloadable PSP games could maybe, possibly be getting ever so slightly closer to reality, as a Sony-made ISO loader has reportedly been discovered in the latest firmware update for the handheld. The current speculation is that the loader, discovered by the prolific Dark_Alex, gives the handheld the ability to load encrypted ISO images off a memory stick, not just the demos and PS1 games the handheld's currently capable of playing. That would, of course, open up the possibility of Sony selling games sans-UMD, which has long been near the top of the wishlist for PSP owners and would-be PSP owners alike. Then again, it could be something entirely less exciting, so we'll just have to wait for Sony to play its hand.[Via Joystiq]
PSP clockspeed upped to 333MHz after 3.50 firmware update
Sony has admitted that it sneakily upgraded the PSP's clockspeed to 333MHz (from 266MHz) in the version 3.50 firmware update that was released last month. This admission is confusing for a couple of reasons: for starters, Sony originally underclocked the PSP in order to increase the stated battery life of the console. Does that mean they'll be forced to decrease the stated battery life, so as to avoid false advertisement? It's also rather odd that developers are only now being granted access to the extra MHz oomph, prompting mutterings of a new PSP model which -- as one Joystiq commentator points out -- could take as long to appear as games that take full advantage of the 333MHz clockspeed. Or, maybe this upgrade simply enabled the PSP to cope with all that "remote play" malarkey that 3.50 enabled. That would be the logical assumption.[Via Joystiq]
Sony's PSP-handset hybrid device patent
Is Sony working on a PlayStation Portable/cellphone combo? From a recent U.S. Patent Office filing, we're pretty sure the company is. While the prototype represented above is full o' buttons, we're salivating at the chance of having a PSP and higher-end Sony (Ericsson?) in one device. Past pure-play gaming handsets have not been that successful (N-Gage, anyone?). But, with a popular and portable gaming platform established already, Sony may have a winner should it choose to come to market with a device like this. Note to Sony: let's try to make it a tad more successful than the last try in this space by Nokia, mkay?[Via Howard Forums]
Point and click your way to The Half Broken Crown
Are you sick of actually playing those pesky video games? Do you miss the ol' point-and-click days like Myst and other such insanely difficult puzzle adventures? Well, how would you like it if you could get back into those games with a ton of friends online? Enter The Half Broken Crown: The Broken Kingdom, an MMO Adventure for the PC, PS3, Wii, PSP, DS, and Macs where every platform can play and communicate with one another.Instead of playing the game and solving puzzles alone, you can pick up and play with a large community of people from many different platforms. We're not exactly sure how this would work, especially when the point-and-click genre has all but faded out of existence. The browser-based game deserves a look, though, just because it's stringing so many different consoles together. But if that's all it has going for it, we've got nothing more to say.
R-Type Tactics makes shooting a strategic experience
Side-scrolling shooter meets ... turn-based strategy game? According to a blurry Famitsu scan, a new R-Type will attempt just that. R-Type Tactics features traditional side-scrolling shooting action confined to a turn-based grid system. Instead of cursing bosses for cheap kills and numbing your fingers slapping the fire button, you'll take turns attacking and plotting devious schemes with your enemies. Look for the strange mix of genres on the PSP in Japan later this year.[Via PSP Fanboy]
PSP hardware refresh coming this year, says report
So it looks like those endless rumors of a newly-spec'ed PlayStation Portable are finally about to come true, with an analyst from Lazard Capital Markets reporting that Sony has in fact copped to just such a device (most definitively NOT pictured above) at its Gamer's Day gathering in San Diego. According to Lazard's Colin Sebastian in a briefing regarding April game sales, "the company also indicated that [in addition to new software titles best left to another fine publication], a video download service and [PSP] hardware refresh are expected later this year." While both tidbits sound like potentially big news, Sony was reluctant to give up any more info on either of these asides -- meaning that you can still let your imagination run wild with magical features before the inevitable letdown. Still, if you've got your credit card in hand and sonystyle.com open in another tab as we speak, it might pay to hold off for a bit and see how this plays out. [Thanks, Jon D.]
PSP emulation and remote control on your PC
Playing a portable console on a static PC may seem little backward, but the PSP homebrew community seems to have no qualms about creating two separate ways of getting their PSP games to play on their 'puter. The first is a little more conventional in that it's apparently the first working PSP emulator for the PC. So far the only proof is some screenshots of various commercial and non-commercial 2D PSP games, so if you want to be a doubting Thomas it's your prerogative. The second option for PSP on PC action uses a piece of homebrew software called RemoteJoy and a simple USB cable, which apparently lets you see and remotely control your PSP through your computer. The evidence here is a lot more convincing, with a shaky YouTube video after the break showing keyboard control, completely synced screens, and daunting command lines. These latest examples just make us wonder what the PSP could be capable of if Sony stopped holding back, or -- dare we say it? -- started supporting its homebrew community. Then again, we can't deny relishing the subversive element of the whole scene.[Thanks, killfelix]Read -- First PSP emulator?Read -- PSP in a PC window videoRead -- PSP in a PC window instructions
Xbox creator J Allard loses PSP bet, wears dreads
Microsoft VP and Xbox creator, J Allard made a bet with Newsweek's N'Gai Croal, that the PSP wouldn't be able to match the PS2 numbers when it came to units shipped over a 12-month period. Judging from the screenshot, we can tell who lost. Hey J, do those dreads itch? The bet originated from playful dinner conversation between Croal and Allard after E3 in 2005. If Sony hadn't managed to ship over 10 million, N'Gai would have had to "J Allard" his head. Yes sir, shaved bald. Although humorous, we're not entirely convinced the punishment is exactly fitting. Why not up the ante and increase the stakes a bit? Now, a more fitting gesture of good faith would be to snap a picture of a purchase order receipt (courtesy of J Allard) for 50 PSP units. An early Christmas gift for every hard worker in J's office. Or for those Halo fans, how about an agreement to instigate talks with the powers-that-be on porting some 1st party software to the PSP? After all, with that with that many units shipped, Microsoft would have a nice, big user base of which to unleash their gaming pleasures upon. Ooh, now we're talking. So how about it J? Any other numbers you want to bet against?[Via CVG]
British school chooses PSPs over textbooks
The Nintendo DS may currently have the better reputation for educational-related activities, with Brain Age and similar titles molding minds young and old alike, but a school in England looks to be doing its best to sway things in the PlayStation Portable's favor, announcing that's it'll soon begin employing some of the handheld's non-gaming functions to take the place of old school textbooks. According to The Daily Mail, some 30 students will be given PSPs as part of the pilot program, which apparently could be expanded nationwide if it proves to be successful (one sure way to boost sales). While we're all for putting the PSP to some non-intended uses, we can't help but think that the school is overlooking some of the educational benefits of the PSP's gaming options. After all, you never know when the life skills learned from guiding all those LocoRocos to safety may come in handy.[Via The Inquirer]
Comparing graphics on Wii to PSP
Oh, those Sega Nerds are at it again.They're taking a look at Alien Syndrome, a title that was announced mid-December. While they're quick to note that the graphics on the PSP-version of the game are comparable to that of the Wii installment, they fail to realize that both titles use the same engine. In fact, we found out during GDC that the engine itself was specifically designed with the PSP in mind.So, does it bother you that a Wii title looks almost identical to that of a PSP title?
PSP steering wheel mod rides into reality
When it comes to video game-related mods, practicality is often the first casualty, as is fully evidenced by this latest bit of a workmanship from AcidMods member Neubit. Apparently, like so many others, the PSP's nub got the better of him, prompting him to enact his revenge by wiring up a PS2 steering wheel to the handheld's buttons and analog control. As the video after the break shows, the whole setup appears to work reasonably well -- or, at least as well as a full-size steering wheel hooked up to a PSP can be expected to work.[Via PSP Fanboy]
Retailers to Sony: cut the price on the PSP or get lost
Warning: what you are about to read is entirely unsubstantiated, so take it how you will, but according to 1UP, a number of unnamed but big name retailers have given Sony an ultimatum. Either drop the price on the PSP (which hasn't been dropped since exactly a year ago today), or face the possibility of said retailers ceasing to carry the product altogether. (For reference, according to 1UP PSP hardware shipments were down 72% percent last fall compared to 2005, with just 10,000 units moved.) With figures like that and a price that practically insists consumers buy a cheap little DS Lite, we can kind of understand why retailers are up in arms over the waste of precious shelf space the PSP has apparently become; something is in the works though, as supposedly at Sony's Destination PlayStation event, they talked up something or other that put retailers' minds at ease -- what that is or isn't, we don't know. So we can only sit back and hope that if Sony won't listen to its customers, perhaps it'll listen to its channel sales partners.[Via PSP Fanboy]
DS shipments triple PSP in Japan
News site Bloomberg has published a story focusing on shipment numbers for both the DS and PSP in Japan and, unsurprisingly, when compared side-by-side, the DS is winning. Shipping at about 3-to-1 when compared to the PSP in the region, the DS is still showing its dominance in the market. Sony spokesperson Satoshi Fukuoka confirmed the number of PSPs shipped to the region during a phone interview today. So while the PSP enjoyed a nice sales week in Japan due to the release of Monster Hunter, the war is very much being won by the DS.
PSP redesign denied, confirmed, re-denied
Sony has said "No" to a PSP redesign on several occasions. Now a conflicting report from SCE UK managing director Ray Maguire says a "smaller, lighter" PSP will be introduced in the future. However, a day later the head of SCE UK PR fed us this line: "There are no immediate changes planned for PSP." Did someone miss the memo?Actually, both of them are probably telling the truth in a sneaky corporate kind of way. Most gaming systems get plastic surgery a few years after their launch. The DS was transformed from a clunky brick to sexy machine we're proud to carry around. It took four years for Sony to release a slim version of the PS2, which means the PSP could be overweight for another two years. A redesign is on the horizon, but that horizon could be a lot further out that we think.
NES transformed into a DVD player
Eventhough he owns a PSP, Joystiq reader Zach sent in this beaut to the fine folks over there, looking for some props on his masterpiece. Well, he gets them here at DS Fanboy (we'll overlook the PSP) as we wouldn't mind one bit fusing a DVD player with a NES. It's just yet another way we could instill more Nintendo into our lives (never a bad thing).What do you guys think? Senseless butchering of a timeless console or an ingenious method of putting some life back into dead technology?
PSP = teh suck, DS = the future, says EB
Now, we wouldn't do anything so childish as to rub this ad into the faces of our competition, but we will, however, make a post where you could comment and, in the process, make fun of them. It's OK, they never read this site anyway (we're pretty sure they can't read, which is why all the flashing colors and dumbed-down games on the PSP appeal to them so), so feel free to say why you hate the PSP.For us? It's the battery life ... and lack of good games ... and basically everything else.[Via PSP Fanboy]
PSP firmware cracked wide open by Grand Theft Auto ... again
An old skeleton from the PSP closet has come back to haunt Sony as their 2.81 lockdown has come to an end thanks to the ongoing efforts of the PSP homebrew community. Famed PSP hacker Fanjita has taught an old crack a new trick as the Grand Theft Auto saved game exploit has once again brought Sony's PSP security measures to its knees, enabling any and all firmware versions to run homebrew applications.That's odd. We thought they squashed that bug a long time ago. According to Fanjita, Sony didn't quite bring their A-game when it came to stopping their unruly fan base. It's not all sunshine and unicorns for those itching to tear apart the coding that holds their PSP together. The brave will need an original copy of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (later copies were updated to prevent this trick from resurfacing) and nerves of steel. An "easy mode" downgrader isn't available yet, but the wait should give you enough time to scrounge up a stack of PS One games to stick in there.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]
Newsweek columnist analyzes the iPhone's threat to DS, PSP
We like N'Gai Croal. His latest interview with the Criterion guys had him bringing up Nintendo fans, something we all are and love to hear about, and he usually asks some fairly tough questions. Now that news has hit concerning Apple and a certain iPhone, everyone is wondering if the platform could be a viable threat to Sony's Playstation Portable and the king of the handheld scene, the Nintendo DS. N'Gai says the "iPhone won't stop the DS from selling like ice on a hot summer day, but it could cause a lot of casual DS owners to put it in a sock drawer and forget about it." Given the dual-input touch-screen controls the iPhone enjoys, can we honestly expect developers to ditch the DS for Apple's product? Probably not ...
PSOne to PSP transfer/install problem fixed?
This is an observation from a reader, but when any of you downloaded the first wave of PSOne to PSP games, did it take a long time? Chances are yes, yes it did. After firmware 1.32, however, we've received a few e-mails regarding a great increase in transfer speed. Installing games on the PSP initially took around twenty minutes, but with the release of MediEvil, some are claiming the process only takes a matter of minutes. This bodes well for the friendliness of the online service -- they are striving to make things convenient for us and not waste our time, waiting and waiting and... you get the idea. Cool stuff if it's true. Sadly, this intrepid blogger doesn't have a PSP (he doesn't take a back seat in road trips to get use out of handhelds anymore), so he can't test the validity of these claims. If you've experienced such improvements, drop us a comment and be glad Sony is starting to appear like they're listening to what we want.
Onkyo announces Wavio VR-1000J media recorder
It looks like Neuros is soon going to have to work a little harder to win over media-happy PSP users, with Onkyo announcing that it's about to bust out a standalone media recorder of its own. Like the Neuros recorder, Onkyo's Wavio VR-1000J doesn't have any internal storage, relying instead on Memory Sticks and SD Cards that you can pop directly into your PSP or other video-capable device. In addition to PSP compatible video, it'll also record in the 3GPP, 3GPP2, and ASF video formats, with three video quality settings for each to suit your needs (maxing out at 320x240, 30 fps, apparently not supporting the PSP's native widescreen resolution). On the audio front, you'll only get AAC, G.726, and AMR formats, making it bit less versatile than the Neuros all around, although it does have the whole pyramid thing going for it. Look for this one to hit Japan Decemeber 25th, coming in around the 20,000 Yen mark ($170US).[Via Akihabara News]
