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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]
More details on Wild Arms XF
The official Japanese Wild Arms XF website has opened, although it doesn't provide too much information. IGN, however, has uncovered a treasure trove of new details on the upcoming PSP-exclusive SRPG: "Set once again in the land of Falgaia, Wild Arms XF tells the story of Clarisa, a knight in the army of the peaceful kingdom of Elecius. The story begins when the queen is killed in what appears to be more than just an accident." "During battle, you move the members of your party in turn with the enemies." "By connecting your PSP to your PS2 via USB, you'll unlock six secret bosses in Wild Arms 5. XF sees more benefit, as you get better items and rewards and even get to see some special events." As PSP Fanboy reader trystero said: "Handhelds and SRPGs go together like glue and ... well, more glue." Hopefully, Wild Arms XF will prove to be a worthwhile addition to the PSP library.[Thanks, Thien!]
March NPD reveals improving PSP sales--is it enough?
Sony issued a statement today, reminding gamers that the PlayStation brand continues to get stronger. According to NPD data, "March 2007 showed a 24% increase in retail dollars generated year-over-year for the PlayStation brand in North America with total sales of $447 million." The three-pillar strategy seems to be quite successful for Sony: sales from PS3, PSP, PS2 (and God of War II), are all adding green to Sony's wallet. PSP hardware has gained some momentum in March: up 2% over February with sales of 179,796 units. More importantly, software sales have experienced a 13% jump.With a price drop at the beginning of April, next month's figures should prove even better for Sony. However, one has to question if the price drop will be enough. Nintendo DS sold through over half a million units in the same period--easily more than twice that of PSP. Sony may not be number one, but as long as it maintains steady growth and profitability, does it really matter? And most importantly, does it matter to gamers?
Ready at Dawn explains PSP's power; prepares PS2 Daxter?
Ready at Dawn has been getting a lot of attention lately. Their first game, Daxter, is considered one of PSP's best: not only does it feature solid gameplay, but it features truly impressive graphics technology, and completely invisible load times. Obviously, the team has learned new tricks, and has managed to squeeze more power out of our handheld for their upcoming God of War game. According to co-founder Didier Malenfant, Daxter doesn't come close to taking advantage of the system's true capabilities: "[We] made the conscious decision not to push the hardware as far as we could ... mainly because we wanted to ship the game in a timely manner."Obviously, the talented team is unlocking even more of PSP's power in God of War. However, "the biggest frustration right now, in a way, is the limitation on the clock speed. We'd love to run our games at 333Mhz (we do internally just for kicks) because it does make a big difference in how much stuff you can push on the platform."So, how does Ready at Dawn feel about being responsible for two of Sony's biggest franchises? "The truth is," Malenfant explained, "we built Ready At Dawn Studios to create original IP, but ... I don't think anyone here regrets working on two of the world's biggest franchises in the meantime."The future is bright for this Santa Ana-based team. The single most wanted request the team receives, though, is a PS2 version of Daxter. "I think everyone here would love to do it, and it actually wouldn't be that hard because Daxter was never designed as a handheld game, we could even add a few things for the PS2 version."[Via Gamasutra; Thanks, Joe!]
Breaking down the Euro PS3's backward compatiblity
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Euro_PS3_BC_full_details_breaking_down_the_numbers'; Amid concerns that the European version of the PlayStation 3 will be less than fully backward compatible, Sony has unveiled a new web site listing old games that will work under the version 1.6 firmware, due to be released concurrently with the European launch on Thursday. Unfortunately, the site is organized in a rather user-unfriendly paged format that requires a lot of clicking around to get to the data you want. We did some extra legwork and copied the data into a couple of convenient Google Docs spreadsheets (PS1, PS2). We also crunched the numbers to see just how extensive the European PS3's backward compatibility will be at launch.The results are a little underwhelming. While over 2,800 combined PS2 and PS1 games are listed as working on the PAL PS3, they represent only about 56 percent of the approximately 5,000 discs available for both systems in PAL format. Unlisted games like Metal Gear Solid 2, Final Fantasy VII, Resident Evil 2 and all the Ratchet and Clank games will not work at all come launch day -- as it says in the fine print of the site, "if your game is not listed here, emulation is not yet supported on PLAYSTATION®3." [update: added fine print quote -- thanks Ian] (Note: Discs are listed by serial number, one game may be listed under multiple serial numbers).What's more, of the roughly 2,800 listed games, only about 1,800 of them (approx. 63 percent) work with "no known issues." A good 550 or so have "noticeable issues," according to Sony, among them big names like Metal Gear Solid and Tomb Raider II on the PS1 and Final Fantasy X, Kingdom Hearts, SingStar, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on the PS2. [Update: Moved Kingdom Hearts from PS1 to PS2. Whoops!]Of course, these numbers will only go up as Sony continues to update the firmware, but as a starting point, we're a little disappointed that roughly two-thirds of the PlayStation/PS2 library won't work perfectly on Europe's launch day PS3s.Continue reading for a quick breakdown of the numbers and more chartly goodness.
Controlling a PSP using a DualShock controller
Want to see this modded PSP come to life? Well, now you can (after the break). F00 f00 from AcidMods has crafted a PSP that has all the comfort of a full PS2 DualShock controller. How, you ask? By letting you actually attach a PS2 controller to it. Do these system transformations ever cease to amaze?I wonder what's next? LocoRoco controlled via the SIXAXIS?!See also:Watch! A PSP modded, in front of your very eyes!
Mercenaries 2: confirmed coming to many, many consoles
This isn't speculation -- this is official. Mercenaries 2 has long been rumored and, in essence, accepted as a 360 title as well as a PlayStation 3 title. Well, it's on 360, we know. But what we were surprised to learn is that the game is also making its way to the PC... and the PlayStation 2. Why the [expletive deleted] would they do that? We don't care if it goes to the 360, PC, Wii, and IMAX or whatever, but the PS2? Come, here is a free ticket for the logic train.Multiplatform titles are all well and good, but we really think enough is enough: no cross-generation games anymore. We're referring to games being released on a "next-gen" console and a "last-gen" console. Sure, you may get more software sales, but you're hindering the adoption rate of next-gen consoles. "Why should I get a PS3 for this game if it's good enough to work on the PS2, also?" This happened with the first wave of XBox 360 titles, so it's not a new trend. Even so, it's aggravating. Keep the "next-gen" games on the next-gen consoles... don't dumb them down for the previous generation of gaming systems. Bah. Rant end... leave your thoughts, though![via Joystiq]
Sony "very pleased" by record-breaking January sales [Update 1]
According to GameDaily BIZ, January 2007 was a "record month" for the PlayStation business, with $550M in revenue for North America. "PSP sales in January were exceptionally strong with the system quickly closing the gap on the leading competitor." Does this mean sales of the PSP are nearly matching the DS? Sounds like it to me.Without official numbers stated, it'll be hard to truly decipher Sony's cryptic message (for now). However, it appears that Sony's three pillar strategy is working quite well: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable are all delivering robust sales, regardless of what some fanboys would like you to believe. Isn't it just a good time for everyone in the industry?[Update 1: PSP sold through 211k units, while the DS managed 239k, according to Gamespot. Thanks, Tristan!]
Xploder PS2 HDTV upscaler reviewed
While there's plenty of options for upscaling all those non-HD DVDs you're not ready to give up just yet, there's not a whole lot you can do to improve how your collection of past-gen video games look on your spiffy HDTV, apart from simply using a good component cable. Video game accessorizer Xploder is trying to rectify that situation somewhat, however, releasing its "HDTV Player" for the PS2, which the folks at Reg Hardware recently got a chance to test out. While they seems to have had better results than some of the other earlier reviews, they weren't without their share of problems, with the boot CD that tweaks the PS2's resolution requiring a few tries before it got going, and some games reportedly looking "like they'd been blown up in Photoshop" when they tested 'em on a 32-inch LCD. On the whole, however, they found that most games did "look a little sharper," and they seem to have been particularly taken with the metal tin the whole lot comes in. Whether that's enough to justify the $40 price tag or not, you'll have to decide for yourself.
PS2 Vice City Stories to have exclusive new content
In the DVD industry, this kind of practice is called "double dipping" and it absolutely sucks. It makes people that have purchased the original feel neglected and the real fans are punished because in order to access the new content, you have to repurchase a new copy. While the practice is considered fine when there's some amount of transparency, Rockstar has been handling it all wrong. Don't call a game a PSP-exclusive if it'll head to another system immediately. Don't consider the games equal, when they're not. Shouldn't gamers have a choice to get the best version of GTA possible?According to GTAPortable.com, the Italian Take-Two website refers to Vice City Stories on PS2 as having better graphics and exclusive, unpublished content. Hopefully, it won't make PSP gamers feel like the $50 they spent on the original went wasted.
VCS: Okay, so it's actually coming to PS2
We told you so. But now it's official. March 6th for North America. March 9th for the UK.Press release after the cut.[Via Joystiq]
GameFly's rental charts -- Crackdown dominates
You know, it was fun doing these the other week, so we'll try to keep up on this a little better. Keep in mind, these lists represent requests for games -- both available now and upcoming titles not yet released. Here's what people are renting/requesting from GameFly:Top Overall (also known as XBox 360): Crackdown Lost Planet Battlestations: Midway Nintendo Wii: Wario Ware: Smooth Moves Sonic and the Secret Rings SSX Blur Playstation 3: Sonic Virtua Fighter 5 Grand Theft Auto IV Playstation 2: God of War II Rogue Galaxy Bully There you have it. We're keeping the PS2 listings because, well, it's still very much alive and kicking. Have you guys rented any of these games? What are your thoughts? We'd like to know how Crackdown plays just as much as Rogue Galaxy. Drop a comment!
No Vice City Stories for PS2? Sure ...
You may remember that a few days ago, the ESRB let slip that Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories was heading to the PS2. Looks like PlayStation.com also had a listing for the potential port. However, it looks like the ESRB listing has disappeared, as well as the PlayStation.com listing. Was the original posting just a mistake? Rockstar neither confirms nor denies a PS2 version, simply telling IGN: "as a company, Rockstar does not comment on rumors or speculation."While it may be true that Rockstar isn't working on a PS2 version of Vice City Stories, this listing had to have come from some place. For now, we'll say it's not in the works, but we'll be unsurprised if it ever materializes.[Thanks, Joe! Via Joystiq]
Vice City Stories no longer a PSP exclusive
Vice City Stories to be PSP exclusive? Many doubted Rockstar, considering how Liberty City Stories made the jump to PlayStation 2. Well, looks like the doubters were right: A look at the ESRB website reveals a listing for a PS2 version of Vice City Stories. If it follows the footsteps of its Liberty City brethren, it will launch on PS2 for a measly $20, sans multiplayer.Considering the relatively low sales of the latest GTA, it makes sense. Now, a whole new audience will be able to play with Phil Collins.[Via IGN]See also:PSP Fanboy review: GTA Vice City Stories
Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice heads to PSP & PS2
I thoroughly enjoyed the first Pursuit Force (pictured above), a high-octane racer-shooter that has you jumping and gunning from car to car. It perfectly emulated the experience of being in a Hollywood action movie, and although the game was short (and somewhat shallow), it met moderate success on the PSP.Now, a sequel is heading to both the PSP and PlayStation 2 platforms. Extreme Justice will have players fighting warring gangs once again. Four new recruits to the Pursuit Force will provide support for the player throughout the game. As with the original, the player will commandeer a number of vehicles, including jet skis, helicopters and more. A nice addition to the sequel is multiple difficulty levels: a great addition for those that found the first too hard for their tastes.The PSP version will feature 4-player ad-hoc multiplayer, and the PS2 version will feature 2-player split-screen. The game is scheduled for a summer 2007 release.[Via Gamespot]
Official Holiday 2006 console sales figures don't surprise
Well despite the fact that CNBC recently reported some erroneous figures regarding console sales for this holiday season, it looks like the official numbers still show a resounding Xbox 360 victory among next-gen systems during the month of December. Official stats being published by The NPD group show that Microsoft sold 1.1 million of its boxes last month, followed by Nintendo with 604,000 Wiis, and PS3 bringing up the rear with 491,000 consoles sold. It's not all bad news for Sony, however: when we add in all systems sold during this time period (not just the three that everyone has been fussin' and fightin' over), the overall king of Holiday Season 2006 was actually the PS2, with 1.4 million systems pushed out the door. Sure these last-gen boxes can be found for much cheaper than their newer counterparts, but at least Sony is making a profit off of them, unlike the $300+ it's losing on each 20GB PS3. We'll leave the analysis of these numbers to the experts (a.k.a. fanboy commenters), and simply note that we were way ahead of the curve on this one -- we picked up Holiday 2006's most popular console way back in October 2000.
Best-Selling games for December 2006 [update 1]
Don't get your hopes up, fellow Sony defenders. No PS3 title made the top ten for the month of December, but a few PS2 games did and we're the closest thing to PS2Fanboy, so we might as well talk about it. Let's toss up the list first thing and the game at #1 shouldn't surprise anyone: Gears of War (360) Guitar Hero II (PS2) Madden '07 (PS2) Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (GCN) Same... but for Wii WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2007 (PS2) ... Seriously? I never saw the appeal. New Super Mario Bros. (DS) Call of Duty 3 (360) Yoshi's Island 2 (DS) [updated/corrected list] Call of Duty 3 (PS2) As far as hardware goes, we'll just cover the Sony end because it's sort of surprising. The PS2 was in second place for December (because it's a race, so we have to have places and not just numbers) with 1.4 million units sold, behind the DS. Next was the 360, but closely following it was, *gasp* the PSP! Fourth place with 953.2 thousand units. The PS3, due to limited supply, sold 490.7 thousand units, which is still respectable, since I've only ever seen one -- the one in my living room.I don't know if this was just for Japan or worldwide, but the source claims the PS2 has sold 37.1 million units in its life -- wasn't it closer to 90 million? Perhaps that was a dream I had. Either way, this is pretty delicious news for all gamers. We all get a taste of victory. Enjoy your medal.
Pachter gets one right; GameStop stock worth buying
When video game analysts are mentioned, most of us who closely follow game news think of Michael Pachter. Like any analyst, their predictions aren't perfect. In fact, many abide by the 51% rule; if you get at least 51% of your predictions right, you're a good analyst. Back in November, Pachter predicted GameStop (GME) to ride a wave of consumer spending on video games. GameStop has released some information proving that buy a good one. GameStop has increased its already strong revenue outlook by $50 million and its Q4 earnings per share from $1.53-$1.59 to $1.58-$1.60. On top of other interesting sales promotions, GameStop certainly enjoyed the console launches and top-selling games like Gears of War immensely. GameStop is still looking like a strong buy with the strong Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii lineups for 2007 along with continuing PS2 support (though not everyone is in consensus on this). Since we're going to make some money off this one, we're going to forgive Pachter for some of his missed predictions.
Control your PlayStation 3 with IR
Ok, so the PS3 certainly has its strengths (like the built in Blu-ray player, for instance), but there's definitely a few gripes following it around as well. A (very understandable) complaint from AV freaks has been how the home-theater-centric console strangely lacks an IR receiver, and instead, Sony opted to offer up its proprietary Bluetooth remote to control the BD movie action from afar. Those looking to dictate your PS3 with that (presumably costly) universal IR remote, take heart, as the clever folks at Remote Central have whipped up a way to add infrared functionality to your IR-less machine. Aside from a PlayStation 3 and a desire to further integrate it into your home theater setup, you'll need a PSX/PS2 Controller-to-USB adapter as well as an original Sony DVD remote for the PS2 (model SCPH-10172) with external IR receiver (model SCPH-10160). Of course, the aforementioned remote should prove trickiest to find, as the current models lack that crucial external receiver to account for the built-in version found in the slim PS2 units. By connecting the external IR receiver to the adapter box, and then plugging the resulting combination into a USB port, you've created an unsightly way to talk to your PS3 via infrared. So if you've got integration on the brain, or just don't feel like shelling out the funds for that newfangled Bluetooth remote, be sure to hit the read link for the full skinny, and give yourself something productive to do over the relaxing holiday vacation.[Via CEPro]
Team Xtender's XFPS 360 in action
While product announcements are certainly thrilling at times, there's really nothing better than getting some live action video to spy before you buy. We've seen Wowwee's FlyTech Dragonfly buzzing around T3's headquarters, and we've witnessed Doom being played on an OLPC XO, but now we've got several videos showing Team Xtender's XFPS 360 doing its thang. The handy converter box allows gamers who dig the Xbox 360's high definition visuals -- but prefer to input commands via Sony's dual-shock controller or the tried and true keyboard / mouse tandem -- to have their wildest wishes granted. Moreover, it reportedly plays nice with the PS2 light gun, racing wheel, dance mat, and guitar (huzzah!). So if you're still fence-bound trying to decide whether or not this thing's worth your $79.99 come the first week of January, be sure to click on for a YouTube demonstration, and hit the read link for some more in-depth coverage.
