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Sony Japan commemorates 20 years of PlayStation with game-stuffed vid
December 3 will mark 20 years since Japan first encountered one of the most suspenseful boot sequences ever made. PlayStation Japan is starting the celebrations early with around two minutes of games, games and more games. Watch closely for the occasional Western-developed cameo. [Image: Sony]
PSA: Last day to get R-Type games on PSN
Today is the final day to snag R-Type Delta and R-Types from the US PSN store, where they are PS One Classics. All R-Type games are being removed from PSN, following a slew of similar delistings on the Japanese PlayStation Sore in August 2011 and R-Type's removal from the Wii Virtual Console in September 2011.Developer Irem hasn't provided any reason for the delistings.
Sony Japan: PSOne classics coming to Vita in summer update, PlayStation 3 to get downloadable PS2 catalog later this month
If you've been aching to wile away hundreds more hours replaying Final Fantasy classics on the go, then Sony Japan's got some good news for you. It's finally revealed that the ability to play those charming, if a little dated, PSOne titles will arrive on the PS Vita's next software update, version 1.80, later this summer. This little nugget was tucked away behind the news that a handful of PS2 titles, playable on all versions of the PS3, will launch in the Japanese PlayStation Store on July 25th. The first wave of titles include Biohazard Code: Veronica, Siren and Dragon Force, all priced between 800 and 1,200 yen. No news yet, however, on when (or if) a similar retro-gaming bounty will arrive outside of Japan.
Gamasutra tracks down creators of Colony Wars
Like all sane people, Isaiah Taylor has a fondness for the PSX's Colony Wars series. But where most of us are content to pine for a bygone era around the back tables of the same old man bars we've inhabited for years, Taylor has made use of his devotion. In a new Gamasutra piece, he tracks down some of the key members of the Psygnosis team that created the game as they share their memories of the operatic space shooter's development. Perhaps most interesting for series stalwarts like us is just how little experience the team had with the genre before digging in. The fantastic score, for example, was just the second orchestral piece composer Tim Wright had ever written. And no, before you ask, there's no hint of a fourth Colony Wars in the works, though most of the team says they'd be up for it if the opportunity came along and, most importantly, the public cried out for it. Speaking of which, can someone explain why protesters are occupying Wall Street when there's a real opportunity for positive change right here?
PlayStation One games appear in Android Market, predictably restricted to Xperia Play (update)
If there was one thing that bothered us most about the Xperia Play, it was the dearth of original PlayStation games we could, you know, play on it. That's getting a shot in the arm tonight with the introduction of five PS One titles to the Android Market: Syphon Filter, MediEvil, Cool Boarders 2, Destruction Derby, and Jumping Flash. Each is priced at £3.99 in the UK, with the first two games on the list also being available in five languages. That pricing translates to $6.38 when the games are accessed from the US, but we imagine the final pricing may differ once the Xperia Play lands stateside. And yes, the Xperia Play will be your only way to access these for now (R800i is its codename), leaving the rest of us Android PS One lovers with a bunch of games to envy and one less emulator to enjoy. The Android giveth, and the Android taketh away. Update: Sony Ericsson wants you to know that since the Xperia Play is, in fact, an Android handset, it won't be restricted to just those five PS One games -- it will also feature quite a few titles that you can also find on the Android Market and even a few temporary exclusives like Backstab and Dungeon Defenders Second Wave. Still, it's a little light on actual PlayStation gaming... See the full list in the press release after the break.
Sony Ericsson Xperia Play review
The PlayStation Phone. We've had quite the intimate history with this gamepad-equipped slider, learning of its secretive existence way back in August and then handling a prototype unit in January, so you'll forgive us for feeling sentimental and still entertaining our pet name for it. The Sony Ericsson marketing gurus renamed it the Xperia Play when it finally went official at MWC this year, but the PlayStation connection remains as strong as ever. Aside from the D-pad, iconic game keys, and two touchpads, this device comes with a little app named PlayStation Pocket, which will be serving up dollops of classic PlayStation One gaming to all those with a taste for it. Yes, the Sony influence is strong with this one, and the Android Market will be joining the fun with Xperia Play-optimized titles from third-party developers. So all we really need to know now is whether the Android smartphone underpinning this smash-bang fusion of old and new school entertainment happens to be any good. Shall we get Started? %Gallery-119806%
Exclusive: Sony 'S1' PlayStation tablet (updated)
Think for a second, what major consumer electronics company doesn't have a tablet to show? Right, Sony. In fact, the rumor womb has been conspicuously barren of salacious Sony tablet tattle ever since Apple's iPad was announced back in 2010. Oh sure, Sony's owned-up to the development of prototypes that fill a "very important position" somewhere in between its own Vaio PC lineup and the Xperia Play byproduct of its Ericsson commingling. But beyond that: zilch, nada... until today. We have a couple of tablets we'd like to tell you about, starting with a 9.4-inch honeypot of an Android 3.0 tablet. Details of which have been confirmed by two highly trusted and independent sources. Known by its "S1" codename internally, Sony is busy customizing Matias Duarte's Honeycomb interface to its own specification. Although, we're skeptical of Sony's software capabilities, we've been assured that Sony's work is cutting edge stuff created by a talented engineering team spanning Sony's VAIO, Reader, PlayStation, and Sony Ericsson product groups. The team is lead by the VAIO organization but will probably launch as a Sony product without VAIO branding, according to one source. Sony's custom-built transitions and UI elements have created a user experience that rivals and at times improves upon the iPad's renowned experience. The tablet itself, we're told, is 100 percent focused on Qriocity, Sony's music, games, ebooks, and videos on demand service that's just been launched in Europe. It comes preloaded with Sony PS One games, a Bravia Media Remote, and yes, PlayStation integration -- though it's unclear if that'll be limited to Remote Play or if the Android tablet will be PlayStation Suite certified. One source speculates that it could very well get the PlayStation gaming seal of approval by the time it ships -- but that's just an educated guess. Update: We now have confirmation that the S1 is indeed PlayStation Certified making this a full-blown media and gaming tablet. We've also revised the illustration above to make the top less pronounced. So what about that curvaceous mockup above? A design described to us as "beautiful, the best thing" one source has ever seen from Sony. Click through the break and we'll explain.
PlayStation designer explains what the controller symbols mean, dishes a bit of history
Teiyu Goto, the man responsible for saving us from that kidney-shaped disaster above and delivering us the splendid original PlayStation's controller, has sat down for a little chat with Famitsu over in Japan. Involved in the PlayStation project almost from its inception, the designer played a pivotal role in shifting Sony away from its Nintendo copycat ways and into the world of handle-equipped button pads. Moreover, his brainbox is the one responsible for coming up with the now legendary geometric button icons adorning the PS controller's buttons. Here's how Goto explains their meaning: the circle and x represent yes and no, respectively, the triangle symbolizes a point of view, and the square is equated to a sheet of paper, there to be used to access menus. Frankly, given the backlog of memories we have built up with those keys, this explanation leaves us a little high and dry, couldn't he have made up some dragon-slaying stories? Hit the source below for the whole interview, it's well worth the read.
No cloud, nor squall shall hinder Final Fantasy IX's release to PSN
Ask anybody who was old enough to go through the life cycle of the first PlayStation and they'll likely have an opinion on which Final Fantasy was the best. And "soon," a whole new generation will be able to engage in that most stimulating of debates, with the PlayStation Blog confirming that Final Fantasy IX will be the third "proper" PlayStation-era Final Fantasy game available for download on PSN, joining siblings Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII. Joystiq itself takes no part in the ongoing war for supremacy each title is unwillingly engaged in. We simply aim to enjoy the good parts of each. But that doesn't mean you can't battle it out in this here poll! %Poll-46051% [Thanks, Eduardo]
Sony plays catch up with hackers, mulling over PSP 'virtual console'
We're pretty sure a good lot of you with PSPs have used them for, shall we say, less than reputable means -- like playing 16-bit era games using emulators. Soon, there might be a more legit outlet for that fix, as Sony's head of US marketing for PlayStation hardware John Koller tells MTV Multiplayer it's looking to bring classics from before Sony entered the arena to the handheld, à la Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console. The company's also expanding North America's library of PSOne downloads to eventually match the plethora of titles available to the Japanese market. It's all part of a greater initiative to make more digitally-distributed, download-only titles, which we wholeheartedly support -- now, about those pesky UMD-less PSP2 rumors...[Via Joystiq]
Current PlayStation classics to be PS3 compatible in May
Sony has confirmed with IGN what Joystiq and the Fanboy sites discovered last night: current downloaded PlayStation Classic titles do not work on the PS3, despite its firmware upgrade.The problem is that two files -- the ROM and its certification key -- are needed for the PS One titles to work on the PSP, but that "such a system is not needed on the PlayStation 3," according to the article. We're not sure how this explains the console's inability to play the titles, but rest assured SCEA manager Al de Leon told IGN that, "we'll be replacing the older PS1 games with fixed versions sometime in May" and you will then be able to download the games directly to your hard drive.Sony did not comment on whether or not previously-disabled multiplayer modes would be reinstated upon the May update.
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.]
Plug pulled on PSone production
Sony has stopped all production of its original PlayStation console, turning towards the future and the PlayStation 3. Last September, the PlayStation (and the PSone redesign, pictured above) surpassed 100 million units sold and continues to be a popular item around the world. While, the PlayStation's 11-year-plus production run was impressive, the Atari 2600 topped that marked, as it was released in 1977 and not pulled out of production until 1991.
