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Station Launcher to bring downloadable movies to PSP
Sony Online Entertainment is responsible for the creation and maintenance of the PLAYSTATION Network and Store. At yesterday's Gamer's Day event, they revealed Station Launcher, a new service that will bring downloadable content to the masses. The plans are quite ambitious, as detailed by Gamasutra's interview with SOE creative director Nathan Pearce. According to the interview, plans for a PSP version of Station Launcher is already in the works. Through it, players will be able do download movies directly to their handhelds."We have a version of Launcher where it recognizes when you plug in your PSP into the PC. You can download a movie straight from the internet through the Launcher straight to your PSP without it ever having touched your PC. There is no version on the PC, if you don't want it to be. It can download straight to your destination device like your PSP."Movies will be formatted for PSP, and will not incur an additional cost. The possibilities of Station Launcher are nearly endless: imagine if PS1 games were made available for download, sans PS3. Unfortunately, because of the huge scope of the project, it will be a very long time until we see it: "It is going to be a pretty big endeavor, so I don't have a release date for it, but it is going to be a good time after summer."[Thanks, Colin!]
No PSN cards "at this time" for Europe and US [Update]
We were as happy as can be when we first heard about Sony's PLAYSTATION Network cards. Buying a card from a retail store and dancing around the whole credit card ordeal seemed like a breath of fresh air, especially for those too young to hold a plastic or those too paranoid about putting any personal information on the internet (what some may dub as "public domain"). We warned you guys that Sony didn't currently say anything about cards outside of Japan. Turns out we were wise not to get your hopes up too high.No news about North America, but Sony spoke to CVG and stated that no, in fact, they had no plans to bring the PSN cards to Europe at this time. In the future, perhaps? Maybe Sony Europe will take charge and set something up instead of leaving it to the main offices. CVG also points out that during the European launch of XBox Live, there was an issue of the same manner -- no plastic, no online gaming in Europe. Let's hope in the future, this is not a trend.[Update: We contacted SCEA PR Manager Al de Leon about the availability of the Card in the US. "As far as the PLAYSTATION Card, we don't have any updates to the payment system to announce."]
Rampart this Thursday!
IGN reports that Sony is re-releasing arcade classic, Rampart, this Thursday as part of their weekly PlayStation Store update. Originally released in 1990 by Atari in the arcades (and then heavily ported to other systems), the strategy game had you building your castle while trying to destroy the enemy. The game offers four-player online play and leaderboards for the relatively meager price of $4.99. It also supports up to 1080p, but for a 17-year-old game, I'm not really sure how important that is.It's like Nick said, sometimes 1080p just doesn't really matter ...
How about some Worms, er, Zwok?
Sony has been hard at work... making some online game that strongly resembles Worms, but it's online! It's called Zwok and it's pretty neat. We have no idea why SCEE would stick this up on the internet when there's a perfectly good PlayStation Network that would love to see some games -- especially in Europe!To play the game, you've got to sign up. Don't worry, it's free. You then customize your little character... is that a Zwok or just a really ugly thing? Whichever it is, you make it your own. There are two teams for every match: Blooz and Grienz. Yes, that's "blue" and "green" in crazy-speak. Choose a weapon to fire, get into position, and let loose. Seriously -- this is Worms. Regardless, we'd love to see something like this on the PS Store. Wouldn't you?
Metareview + Our Take: Mortal Kombat II
Today gives us the opportunity to look at the reviews given to the PS Store's downloadable Mortal Kombat II. Before we get into our impressions, we'll do as we always do and cite the big-name review sites. Their scores for this game were surprising. There aren't too many reviews on the game, though. Without further ado, here are some of the scores given to MKII. IGN: 7.3 / 10 GameSpot: 7.9 / 10 What we noticed in these reviews is that the reviewers didn't actually review the title as what it is, rather, as what it was. "Oh, this game was great in 1993!" were slapped over both reviews, listing what the game offered back then and how it still does all those things. What our impressions were entailed how that doesn't matter two kicks of the donkey -- the game as it is now really sucks. Read on to listen to our reasoning, or just flame away for no reason now.
PLAYSTATION Network and Store upgrade next week!
Sony just announced that the PLAYSTATION Network and Store will be coming down this Tuesday for maintenance and upgrades."Over the next few weeks, some new and exciting changes will take place in the PLAYSTATION®Store. In preparation for this, both PLAYSTATION®Network and PLAYSTATION®Store need to be taken offline for a short while to allow us to carry out the upgrade and maintenance work. This is scheduled to take place between 16:00 and 19:00 BST (17:00-20:00 CEST) on Tuesday 8th May 2007. We are hoping to complete this work in as short a time as possible and apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. But remember that these enhancements are paving the way for new and exciting content that we have planned for the Store!"Upgrades to the Store and Network? New and exciting content? Sounds darn good to me. I think I can deal with the Network going down for something like that. I'm hoping they make the Store a little easier to browse myself. What upgrades to the PLAYSTATION Store would you guys like?[Via N4G]
PlayStation 3's Home beta rolling out in North America
Several members of the official PlayStation forums are claiming that the option to download and launch the North American version of the Home beta has appeared in the PlayStation Store. Invites to the closed beta of Sony's Game 3.0 get-together were sent out last week to a seemingly select few. The majority of posters within the relevant PlayStation forum thread have expressed disappointment at not making the cut, though they may just be temporary victims of a stuttered roll-out. The few chosen ones are in higher spirits, though seem confused by Home's appearance in the store's Blu-ray section.When asked to comment on the Beta's status, SCEA had naught to offer but a quote from a popular anime series, ".........." (Which is to say, more formally, that SCEA did not respond to a request for comment at the time of writing.)%Gallery-1950%[Via PS3 Fanboy]
Rubber duckies and trailers collide on PSN
At last! North Americans can now splash alongside Europeans in PSN's virtual tub. Anyone up for a game of Super Rub-a-Dub? ... Didn't think so. The tech demo turned 'bath-time nostalgia action-puzzler' has been tossed into the PlayStation Store pool today, treading water with (previously announced) Gauntlet II and some trailer filler. Here's a breakdown of the new content: Super Rub-a-Dub ($6.99); free trial also available Gauntlet II ($4.99) Super Stardust HD Trailer (free) Rampart Trailer (free) BlackSite: Area 51 Trailer (free) Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Movie Trailer (free) [Via SCEA press release]
Massive PS Store update includes PS1 games, Super Rub a Dub, and more
Most gamers won't miss the lack of Calling All Cars in today's update to the PLAYSTATION Store. Why? Because there's just so much to see and play: PS1 titles, now playable on PS3. 2Xtreme, Crash Bandicoot®, Destruction Derby, Jet Moto®, Jumping Flash™, MediEvil™, Rally Cross™, Syphon Filter®, Tekken®2 and WipeOut® are all available for only $5.99. Players that previously purchased these games for PSP will be able to download these updated files at no additional charge. For reviews of all these games, visit PSP Fanboy and read their Retro Reviews. Super Rub a Dub starter pack & full game. Get a free taste of Sony's quirky motion-sensing duck game. Addicts can get the full game for only $7. Gauntlet II full game. The retro classic is back for only $5. Game Trailers: Super Stardust HD, Rampart, BlackSite: Area 51 Movie Trailers: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Get your PS3s ready to download. It's going to be a long night.
What's been brought to the PS Store near you?
Another week goes by, another big ol' update to the American PS Store. This one was bigger than most because of the introduction of two game demos -- not little downloadable title demos, but big name demos. What we didn't get, again, was David Jaffe's Calling All Cars. On his blog, he's promised, promised, promised that next Thursday the game will go live. Without further ado, here's what we got this week: The Godfather trailer The Wheelman trailer Stranglehold trailer Gauntlet II video Ninja Gaiden Sigma trailer Ninja Gaiden Sigma demo Virtua Tennis 3 demo Awesome! I haven't checked out the Virtua Tennis demo yet, but that's what later today is for! As for the trailers and videos, check them at your leisure. They're probably pretty cool, too.
Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Virtua Tennis demos assault US PS Store
Without warning, like the shadowy figures known only through whispers in the night, Ninja Gaiden Sigma has made its presence known on the PlayStation Store. The demo will be available today in the US, one day prior to its Japanese release, alongside a demo for Virtua Tennis. Also coming out today are trailers for Gauntlet II, The Wheelman, John Woo's Stranglehold and The Godfather. The full version of Ninja Gaiden Sigma is set for a June release (on disc). [Via SCEA news release]
Japan gets 25 new downloadable PS1 games
Japan is receiving a huge selection of PS1 games to download on the PLAYSTATION Store, starting 4/26. The following games will be playable both on PSP and PS3 systems equipped with firmware 1.7: Spectral Force (Idea Factory) R-Types (Irem) A.IV. Evolution Global (Artdink) Resident Evil Directors Edition (Capcom) Bishibashi Special (Konami) Arc the Land (Sony) Ore no Shi wo Koete Yuke (Sony) Gunners Heaven (Sony) Ganbare Morikawa-kun Ni-go (Sony) Marl Oukoku no Ningyou Hime (Nippon Ichi) Tekken 2 (Bandai Namco) But, that's not all.
Mortal Kombat II gets downloadable April 12th
Oh yeah! This brings back the old-school memories. Button mashing never got any better than Mortal Kombat II, and now you can experience it all over again on your PS3 this week. From the press release:"Get ready to re-live all of the classic arcade action that made Mortal Kombat II a beloved classic. Brought back and available for download exclusively on the PS3, re-experience the classic head-to-head fighting game featuring classic characters such as Sub-Zero or Goro. Players will fight their way through the Outworld and defeat Shang Tsung or battle hidden characters including Jade and Smoke!"Ten new levels, online multiplayer and smack-talk inducing leaderboards will likely make this the best $5 you've spent in a long, long time. Get ready to download it on the PLAYSTATION Store this Thursday. And try not to break your SIXAXIS ... that thing is not made for prolonged thumb attacks.
Super Stardust HD -- what Blast Factor envies?
Helsinki based Housemarque has been working on a new PSN title called Super Stardust HD, probably a follow-up to their original Stardust that was on the PC. Housemarque also helped with the PSP title Killzone: Liberation which is supposedly very fun (don't got a PSP, so can't give my impressions). The title is rumored for a summer release over in Europe -- no word on any US dates, but we'll cross our fingers.What do you do in the game? Well, you hover over a series of planets (one at a time, silly) and... shoot stuff. Different weapons have different impacts on the things you shoot (amount of debris, power, etc), but in the end your ultimate goal is to destroy it all. We'll keep our eye and ears open for more info.
Q-Games' PixelJunk, as seen in Famitsu
This week's issue of Weekly Famitsu has an interview with Dylan Cuthbert of Kyoto-based developer Q-Games. The double-page spread reveals Q-Games' latest project, PixelJunk, which is being designed as a series of "casual games" for download from the PS3's PlayStation Store. We've taken some shots of the first PixelJunk images, as seen on the pages Famitsu, for your perusal. Pictured are three titles in the very early stages of development, including what looks like a static-screen top-down racer and another game that has Lemmingsy overtones. Q-Games is in talks with SCEA to bring PixelJunk to the West. %Gallery-2390%
Japan gets five more PS1 games
American gamers haven't enjoyed an update since Wipeout, and European gamers don't have any PS1 games available on the PLAYSTATION Store yet. That hasn't stopped Sony from updating their archive of PS1 titles in Japan. The newest update brings 5 more games, bringing the total number of downloadable titles to 36: Gunners Heaven (SCEJ) Galaxy Fight (Sun Denshi) Hard Edge (Sun Denshi) Arcade Hits Raiden (Hamster) Tall Unlimited (Hamster) As usual, PSP owners must have a PS3 in order to access the PLAYSTATION Store. When Sony will choose to fix this flaw?See also:Retro Reviews[Via IGN]
UK gamers left waiting for PSone game downloads
I've complained from time to time about the selection of downloadable PSone games for PSP in the US, but right now the UK has it much worse. At launch of the PS3, there are zero PSone games on the PlayStation Store for download to PSP. Sony hasn't made any statement as to when they'll show up, but the US had to wait a little while for this feature. Still, since the UK launch was much later than in Japan and the US, one would think Sony would have titles lined up for day one. In any case, let's hope for the sake of UK PS3 owners that the wait isn't too long. [Via Games Radar]
What does Game 3.0 mean to PSP?
IGN has up a feature in which they interview John Koller the Senior Brand Manager for Sony and they ask him how Game 3.0 will effect PSP as well as what changes are in store for the handheld. The PSP's role in Game 3.0 "It's a developing situation for us with PSP in terms of Game 3.0. What we've always stated is that PlayStation Portable is the cultural currency between all of our products here at PlayStation. " The PSP and Home "All I can really say to that is what Phil Harrison mentioned, that PSP certainly has a place within the Home dynamic. We're still looking at ways to optimize that, and I think more info will be forthcoming soon on what that is." PlayStation Network features "There's a place for PSP inside the network as well -- that's the same as with Home -- and what that place is will be revealed soon." PSP's Future Mr. Koller goes on to say that they are working on advancements to the PlayStation Store and Sony Connect and those as well as the GPS and Camera will be revealed in time. Most of his answers referred to changes in the future and in speaking of the future of PSP, Koller said, "We're extremely excited for it. I was talking to a group a week or two ago, we were saying that this really is the year for PSP. This upcoming calendar year is going to be fantastic. There are a ton of initiatives that are going to kick off, that are about to happen, that will be announced soon, all of which will be very exciting from a variety of perspectives." Interesting stuff indeed. I can't wait to see what Sony has in store for my favorite portable.
Full downloadable games coming to UK?
YourPSP's official PSP Store is Europe's premiere destination for PSP downloads. It's provided us with a great number of downloadable demos and other goodies. However, it looks to be getting an overhaul. What new upgrades might the site be receiving? Full downloadable games, if this page from the UK PlayStation site is to be believed. To the right of the page, links to downloadable demos of Loco Roco, Killzone and Ridge Racer 2 can be found. But more interesting are the descriptions for Wipeout: Pure and Go! Sudoku: "Download full game now." Sony has promised that the PLAYSTATION Store would one day find its way to PSP. As they've shown with the PS3, full downloadable games are a crucial part of Sony's strategy. Could Europe be the first region to receive downloadable retail games? If so, how will it work? When will it expand to other countries? Was the web version of the PLAYSTATION Store the beginning of something bigger? Stay tuned for more. [Via Gamespot]
PlayStation Store hits the web ... sort of
We've been clamoring for a version of the PLAYSTATION Store that doesn't involve owning a PS3. For whatever reason, Sony seems to think that making PSP downloads available on a system that isn't called a "PSP" is a smart decision. Well, hopefully Sony's web version of the PLAYSTATION Store is leading us in the right direction. It features all the recent updates made to the PLAYSTATION Store, including the latest downloadable PSP title, Wipeout. The only problem? You can't actually buy anything from this Store yet: it's just for perusal purposes only.But certainly Sony will eventually be able to translate this interface for PSP? The system features a capable online browser that can handle transactions. Why not allow PSP users to simply browse and purchase items directly from their PSP internet browsers? We hope Sony's working on something--and soon.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
