The study looked at interest in electronics for kids 6-12 and teenagers. Almost half off all children said they wanted an iPad. The Wii U topped second place with 39%. The iPod Touch, iPad Mini, and iPhone rounded out the top five. Only a quarter of all kids wanted an Xbox or PS3. In the case of portables, 29% wanted a 3DS and 18% wanted a PSP. Only 14% wanted a Playstation Vita.
In the case of teenagers, things are a little different. The iPad still topped the list with 21% wanting one. Computers, non-iOS tablets, Wii U, and iPhone rounded out the top five. Only 8% of teens said they wanted a game console, with the PS3 being the most popular. In the case of portable systems, the 3DS and Vita actually come out on top. It's a Pyrrhic victory with only 5% and 4% respectively.
Things aren't full of Christmas cheer for console manufacturers this year. Though we're hardly set for another crash, a lot of what's going on mirrors 1983. There's a strong interest in multi-functional devices over dedicated gaming systems. Interest in portables has taken a nose dive. Still, it's unlikely parents will be willing to spend upwards of $500 for an iPad. Especially for the little ones. If Sony and Microsoft take anything from this, they will need to get their new systems out by Holiday 2013. The current generation has finally run its course.
Source: IGN
Image copyright Bethesda, via Nukapedia
1. Openly embracing the anti-used movement
Whenever you buy a used game, an single tear rolls down Kevin Buttle's face. Sony has chosen to openly adopt a stance against the purchase of used games. They haven't gone as far as to outright ban them. Instead they act like the greedy troll under the bridge, demanding you pay the toll to cross into the land of multiplayer. In fairness, PSN is free to use and you could argue paying full price is like paying to use it.
Sony's real beef is with Gamestop for not profit sharing on used sales. So their automatic response is to begin treating penniless college students like greasy pirates. Talk about robbing Peter because you weren't paid by Paul.
2. Banning the use of third party peripherals
I loved Beatles Rock Band. Even though I was never a huge fan of rhythm games, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It's the Beatles for god's sake. How could you not love it? That is until my fun stopped, when Sony decided my guitar was not officially sanctioned by their powers that be.
The Guitar Hero/Rock Band official guitars were too expensive at the time. Bought a used official one and it didn't work so I returned it and got the Nyko Frontman. It worked great and it was cheap. What more could a guy want? I spent hours jamming with John, Paul, George, and Ringo on that thing. Then a firmware update ended my fun. Secretly tucked away in the code, like an evil little gremlin, was something that killed my Frontman. Sorry, Sony said, you have to buy the official guitar to keep rocking. So ended my tour as the fifth Beatle.
3. Firmware updates that do nothing
Sony releases a lot of firmware updates. That's cool, everyone does. You should see how many updates my Linux box wants me to download. Hence my quest to find an ISP that offers unlimited bandwidth, that's not operated out of a boiler room. The problem is that each time they release an update, you can't go online until you download it. Then you find out you wasted precious bandwidth because update does nothing at all. It just gives so vague promise of improving stability. That's all well and good but why do you have to kill my online features for that?
4. Firmware updates that break your system
Also known as removing features you paid for. Awhile back, somebody figured out how to exploit the Other OS feature to create a rudimentary jailbreak for the PS3. It didn't do anything besides allow the system to run simple home brews. However, Sony freaked and decided to remove Other OS. While not many put Linux on it, Sony had advertised it as a selling point, only to take it away.
Another classic case is the perpetual fear that Sony's latest firmware will murder your system. When Sony promised in-game XMB in Firmware 2.4, gamers jumped for joy. They could now check their shiny new trophies without quitting the game. They gleefully loaded the new firmware, booted up their PS3, and nothing. Dead as a door nail. Nice job lads.
5. Sony loves messing around with hardware...
The Playstation 3 went through a lot of incarnations. Fat, Fat with software PS2, Fat with no PS2, Slim, and a rumoured even slimmer. The original PS3 was a beast of a system, a gamer's dream. Robust media capability, full Playstation 2 comparability, the works. Over the years it's been slowly whittled down. You lost your PS2, your SACD, Other OS, flash reader, two of your USB ports, but hey, at least you got HDMI bitstreaming. Sure the originals were expensive but an awful lot was sacrificed to get the price down. A lot of what made the PS3 such a great system. Now it's just another sheep in the crowd.
Sony did the same with the PSP, releasing three full redesigned. Then they said "to hell with it" and made the worst handheld disaster since the Virtual Boy: the infamous PSP Go. A download-only system that was awkward to use and incompatible with UMD discs. Most PSP games weren't even available for download at the time. It was a big flop for the company.
You'd think they'd learn but Sony threw us another curve ball with the Vita. You thought expensive, proprietary memory cards died with the PS2? Think again. The Vita's cards cost double what comparable MicroSD cards cost, and offered lackluster performance. With no internal memory, these pricey addons were mandatory. One step forward with the PS3's standard hard drives, two steps back with the Vita.
6. ...but ignores the software.
Piracy didn't kill the PSP. Crappy games killed the PSP. Now the same thing is happening to the Vita. According to my own unscientific studies, there's a direct correlation between how bad your game is and how little people are willing to pay good money for it. The PSP was a system with high hopes. Stellar hardware and great launch titles. Then the games dried up quicker than a Nevada rain storm. The ones that did get released were generic and laughable in quality.
The Vita, a stunning piece of hardware started with good games. Then they dried up, to be replaced with laughably bad ones too. Except this time, it's gotten worse. Resistance is an important first party franchise for Sony. So you'd think they'd put some effort into the Vita game. Well, not exactly. Resistance: Burning Skies received a pitiful 60% aggregated review score on Metacritic. Out of 455 reviews of Sony published games, it ranks in the bottom 50. It's also the lowest rated title from a major Sony franchise on any PlayStation system, and ranks 12th on the Vita. That's frankly embarrassing.
The PS3 almost suffered the same fate until a pair of small, art house games called Uncharted and Metal Gear Solid 4 got the ball rolling.
7. You can fry a mean egg on it
Sony and their fanboys love to gloat over how reliable the PS3 is over the Xbox 360. Ha, you got the red ring of death, what a n00b. At least that's what they used to say before the fat PS3s started biting the dust en mass. They suffer from the exact same problem as Microsoft's console. They just take a lot longer to cook themselves to death. In this case it's bad airflow as opposed to a wimpy fan. There's no greater heart break than seeing that yellow light flash and hearing that dreaded triple beep. That's karma for you. Shouldn't have made fun of your friend's 360.
So you begrudgingly sent it back to Sony, paid somewhere in the ballpark of $150 like I did, and got it back. Six months later and it was toast again. So much for the professional repair job. Another $300 spent to buy a new PS3 Slim that had all those great features removed. Ever want to know how your dog felt after getting neutered? Become a Playstation fan.
Sony announced four size formats for the new PS Vita Memory Card. It will range from 4gb to 32gb and be priced between $30 up to a whopping $120 for the 32gb model. By comparison, commonly used SD cards in the same sizes range from $6 to $70. Sony's own failed Memory Stick Pro Duo cards retail at $95 for 32gb. This makes Sony's Vita cards the most expensive flash storage cards around.
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| Contains gold, platinum, and unobtanium... which is my theory for the high price |
Like the PSP before it, the Vita has no built in storage. As PC World correctly points out, this bumps the true cost of the Vita to at least $320 with tax factored in. That's even before you buy any games or accessories. In other words, Sony is repeating the same mistakes it made with the PSP.
With companies trying to push downloadable games over retail copies, I find the high markup on storage puzzling. It made sense when there were no alternatives, but the iPhone and Android have changed the game. It's certainly not going to convince people to drop retail.
Source: PC World
Images courtesy of PC World and Meme Generator
According to the new user agreement for the Playstation Network...
"Other than those matters listed in the Exclusions from Arbitration clause (small claims), you and the Sony Entity that you have a Dispute with agree to seek resolution of the Dispute only through arbitration of that Dispute in accordance with the terms of this Section 15, and not litigate any Dispute in court. Arbitration means that the Dispute will be resolved by a neutral arbitrator instead of in a court by a judge or jury."
Of course you can opt out, by doing things the good old 1950s way.
"RIGHT TO OPT OUT OF BINDING ARBITRATION AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER WITHIN 30 DAYS. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO BE BOUND BY THE BINDING ARBITRATION AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER IN THIS SECTION 15, YOU MUST NOTIFY SNEI IN WRITING WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THE DATE THAT YOU ACCEPT THIS AGREEMENT. YOUR WRITTEN NOTIFICATION MUST BE MAILED TO 6080 CENTER DRIVE, 10TH FLOOR, LOS ANGELES, CA 90045, ATTN: LEGAL DEPARTMENT/ARBITRATION AND MUST INCLUDE: (1) YOUR NAME, (2) YOUR ADDRESS, (3) YOUR PSN ACCOUNT NUMBER, IF YOU HAVE ONE, AND (4) A CLEAR STATEMENT THAT YOU DO NOT WISH TO RESOLVE DISPUTES WITH ANY SONY ENTITY THROUGH ARBITRATION."
In order to keep using PSN, Sony is making you agree to these new terms. It's pretty sneaky for them to bury this at the bottom of the terms of service. That whole security breach really stirred up a legal hornet's nest, so looks like they're trying to cover their asses. Naturally, this is the likely result of the class action that emerged after all those credit card numbers were stolen.
This is a good example of the problem with EULAs. Long winded, convoluted contracts that people are expected to "sign" without really understanding what anything in them means. Mind you, this won't effect most people using the service. It just seems a tad unethical to sneak things through like that without first consulting consumers. As if Sony needed a legal advantage if they screw up. What with their legions high priced lawyers crawling out of every crack.
Phoenix Wright copyright Capcom
Today we mourn the loss of the PSP Go. A Japanese blogger, who claims to work for a Sony partner, says the portable is no longer in production. Sony Style Japan no longer lists it on its website. A while back, Amazon listed the Go as "discontinued" on their website. Sony has neither confirmed or denied the reports, only saying they'll support the PSP line as long as it's in demand.
The PSP Go had a difficult life. The system was released to compete with Apple's widely popular iPod Touch and iPhone. It was the first gaming handheld to exclude physical media. The results proved disastrous. Since it couldn't play UMDs, it wasn't compatible with the vast majority of games. Sony was slow to expand the PSN Store to accommodate. Furthermore, gamers complained about its awkward control layout. All this compounded by a $250 price tag for the system alone. A significant jump from PSP value packs which came with games and a memory card for $50 less.
RIP PSP Go.You were too small, had too few games, and were way too expensive.
UPDATE: Sony has confirmed the PSP Go has been discontinued. The PSP-3000 will remain in production as long as people still buy it.
Source: Eurogamer
Image: Averaging Wrathy
Sony has gambled on high tech over the last six years. The original PSP was impressive for its day, and the PS3 was essentially a mini super computer. Sony's hardware is outstanding on all fronts, but that's only half the equation.
The PSP sold poorly in North America, relatively speaking. The Nintendo DS has outsold the PSP two to one since both launched in 2004. Sony has revised the hardware three times since then. Then again, so has Nintendo.
Sony's real problem with the PSP was lack of proper software support. Developers and publishers both bailed on the device. Although piracy was blamed, it's only a small part of the story.
The NGP is a powerhouse but itwill need original, innovative game to keep up
The PSP never really had any standout titles beyond God of War and Monster Hunter. Most of the games were pretty humdrum. Sony wanted to bring the console experience to mobile. That's commendable, but they did a lackluster job. Many of the games were ports of older PS2 titles, featuring watered down graphics. Few original franchises made their way on the system. Games were also consistently low rated. Not bad, but not good either.
So far the NGP seems to be going down the same road. They've already showed off an Uncharted: Drake's Fortune port for it. Rumour has it there might be Metal Gear Solid ports as well.
If Sony wants the NGP to be a hit, they're going to have to take a page from their competitors. The system needs its own Pokemon and its own Angry Birds. Original, innovative titles that allow games to be played in bite sized portions. That's what portable gaming is all about. Nobody wants to sit through a twenty minute cutscene while riding the bus.
Image courtesy of HyperBeast
Sales results out of Japan for the last week of November show some interesting findings in the portable front. The original oblong PSP is outselling the new PSP Go by a factor of 10-1. The Go only managed to push 3,800 units nation wide versus 38,800 for the original. It's not particularly terrible but it's at the bottom of the list for portable sales. Especially given the brand power Sony holds in the Land of the Rising Sun.
The supersized DSi LL by contrast has had a vary good launch, selling 67,200 units, a factor of 2-1 over the original DSi.
Source: Joystiq
Soon the PSP Go will be little more than an expensive plastic brick to UMD owners. A source told CVG that Logitech plans to release a UMD drive addon for the solid-state console. Not a lot is known about the device at this time. Gizmodo figures it presumably plugs into the MSPD card slot. The download-only PSP Go had been heavily criticized for not being backwards compatible with UMD based games.
I'm doing up some favourites lists since I'm far too busy to post anything serious. My PSP is sorely getting neglected so I thought I'd give it some love with today's top ten. Remember, these are games I have played so forgive me if I leave out popular ones such as Final Fantasy and Grand Theft Auto.
10. Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
The Lombax and robot duo's first and so far only portable title, if you don't count spinoff "Secret Agent Clank." This game managed to shrink down everything that was great about the console versions into this pocket sized adventure. Great dialogue, colourful worlds, and of course tons of great weapons. You get to go inside Clank and fight a megalomaniac toddler. What more could you ask for? However, the bad camera in this game keeps it from being closer to the top of the list.
9. Jeanne d'Arc
The Japanese seem to have a fetish for the French. Obviously they don't share the disdain for the land of cheese, wine, and abruptness that the rest of the world does. Jeanne d'Arc takes a uniquely Japanese otaku twist on the story of Joan of Arc. An Oracle from above gives her an ammulet with the power to turn back the evil invading army and restore freedom to her people. Jeanne d'Arc is a classic turn based JRPG rivalled only by the Disgaea series on the PSP. This style of RPG isn't always accessible to everyone (as say Pokemon is), but these PSP titles are great even for us westerners to pickup and play.
8. WipEout Pulse
Fast, Furious, and Frustrating. Everything we love about the WipEout series. Probably one of the hardest racing tiles out there. Running at a glorious 60fps with colourful tracks and fast paced combat action, this and it's sister title Pure are probably one of the only racing games worth getting on the PSP. To top it off, it actually supports decent multiplayer.
7. Daxter
Out of all the Jak games I've played, this one is my favourite. The console versions can be frustrating at times. I still can't get past the time limited driving part in Jak II. (don't laugh, I'm not the only one) Daxter just pulls everything great about those games and gives it a unique twist. Taking place as a prequel to Jak II, the otsel has to get a job in order to spring his partner from prison. Daxter becomes a bug exterminator, killing powerful dark eco insects that are plaguing the city. It's a wacky premise that just fits so great with the character, plus it's still one of the best looking games on the platform.
6. Sega Genesis Collection
This compilation probably gets the most play out of my entire PSP collection. A ton of classic Sega Genesis games including Sonic the Hedgehogs 1 & 2. Not really much to say other than it's classic gaming at it's finest, without the bulky, battery hungry Nomad. Makes me wish Nintendo would release a Best of SNES/NES collection for the DS. Then I'd be set.
5. Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception
Probably the standard for console based modern air combat tiles, Ace Combat was beautifully moulded to the PSP. It stands as the platform's definitive flight simulation title. Perfect natural controls, thrilling combat, great music and cutscenes, plus it looks great too. If only Il-2 PSP had lived up to this.
4. Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?
An unforgiving 2D platformer. Really takes you back to the NES days doesn't it? The penguin like bumbling Prinny, all 1000 of them, have been charged with getting back the ingredients for overlord Etna's ultra dessert. Dood, this game is hard. Three hits and you explode. You'll need that entire army. Prinny really brings back what was long considered a dead genre. It's the kind of game that tiles like Ninja Gaiden and TMNT on the NES set the groundwork for. They were hard but they were always fun. Never frustrating like so many newer games. Prinny is a perfect revival. I left the other Disgaea games off the list namely because I haven't played them yet. I just picked up Dark Hero Days though.
3. LocoRoco
Speaking of 2D graphics, here's another masterpiece created by Sony's Japan Studio. Litte adorable gel balls trying to escape from the evil moja force. You play as the planet trying to bounce and tilt their way to safety. This puzzle-platformer is loads of fun and has great music. I would say it's even better than Patapon.
2. LittleBigPlanet
Not much to say about this title except that the charm of LBP and Sackboy has been perfectly ported to the PSP.
1. God of War: Chains of Olympus
Kratos, the God of War, stands as the killer app for the platform. Chains of Olympus is just as bloody and challenging as it's console brothers. It's topped off with probably the best graphics on the platform. This is probably as close to the console experience you can get on a portable. Sadly, the head ripping and beating your enemies to death with their own severed arms was left out of this game.
Looking to pick up a shiny new copy of NBA2K10 or Undead Knights for your PSP Go? Well, you're out of luck. Joystiq is reporting that several high profile developers for the PSP are still not publishing digital copies of their games. 2K Games, Disney, Temco, and LucasArts are all still producing PSP games in the UMD format only.
Sony has left it up to their third-party publishers to decide when, and if, they'll publish their titles on PSN for direct download. A lot of companies are still opting to use the older UMD format, which is a serious threat to the solid state Go. Many commentators feel that the Go's lack of an optical drive was ill conceived at best. Sony has no plans to force developers to simultaneously release their titles on PSN.
Sony has reported brisk sales of the PSP Go. They claim that it at least matches the figures achieved by the PSP-3000 last year over the same period. Reviewers have harshly criticized the console for its price and method of content delivery.
At $250, the Go is on par with the competing iPod Touch but boasts far fewer features. With the release of the Nintendo DSi earlier this year, the cost of owning a portable system has been steadily increasing, making them comparable in price to TV top consoles. With the problems the system is facing and the lingering recession, it will be difficult for Sony to convince people to place it's portable under the tree this Christmas.
Source: Joystiq
Ace Combat X was a perfect example of how to do arcade flight sims right on the PSP. Il-2 has also made it to the portable system. The game is born from one of the most revered combat flight simulator series out there. It's been some five years since the last full Il-2 game came out. Birds of Prey represented a triumphant return of the hard simulation genre not only to consoles but to gaming in general. The console versions are excellent, but does the portable outing soar or stall?
While the PS3 version is vary well done, the PSP version is not. The biggest problem is the controls, they're just awful. Take everything you know about flight sims, arcade or hard sim, and throw them out the window. Controls have been dumbed down so much that they actually fight your instincts. You cannot roll the plane more than 90 degrees in either direction, making even basic aerobatic manoeuvres impossible. Forget doing Immlemans, split-S, or barrel rolls. You can't even do a basic loop because the game self rights you if you try. Pitching while turning is also impossible. I thought I was flying a plane, not a car.
Due to these limitations, you'll often find yourself being pounded by the enemy and not being able to escape. I figured there must be at least some way to turn this off, but all the options menu lets you do is reverse the pitch control. That's another thing that irritates me about this game. Like so many bad flight games, pitch control is reversed by default. Pulling back on the nub makes your plane go down and vice versa. This is counter to how an actual plane is controlled and how most other decent flight sims function. It is possible to get used to the controls. However, it's a vary steep learning curve that is completely unnecessary. Ace Combat used fairly advanced controls for the PSP, so why couldn't Birds of Prey?
Getting past my original disgust with the fubar control scheme, I at least tried some missions. The mission structure is pretty basic. You get a target, you shoot it down. It's similar to its bigger brother. The PSP does include briefings, which the PS3 and 360 version do not, which is a nice touch. The actual missions themselves though are pretty bland, and the campaign is vary short. Another flaw is lack of a fight group of any sort. You're the only plane in the air besides your enemies. Ace Combat lacked a wingman system but at least you had your allies there with you to help you along.
For visuals, the graphics look considerably subpar compared to a lot of other PSP flight games and PSP games in general. The player aircraft look good but the environment relies a little too heavily on fogging. Ground textures look bad. It's not the worst I've seen but it's far from being acceptable. I've also noticed some slight tearing at the top of the screen. The audio is vary well done though, as it usually is with PSP titles. The music was lifted from the console versions and the quality is pretty good.
There's really no excuse for a game this sloppy. You cannot blame the hardware limitations of the portable since Ace Combat X stands as the benchmark glaring at Birds of Prey. I expected a lot more from 1C Games given the reputation the Il-2 series has. Unfortunately, there aren't too many reviews up making the purchasing decision a gamble for me. To pour salt in the wound, I bought the digital copy of the PSN store meaning I can't even sell it. It's also worth noting that the digital download version doesn't even come with a manual. Really, this game is an awful broken mess and I'm extremely disappointed. I'm being vary generous with my final score here.
Score: 4 out of 10
What Works:
-Mission briefings
-Player aircraft look good
-Music is well done
What Doesn't Work:
-Severely broken controls make the game nearly unplayable
-Limited freedom of movement, I can't roll my plane 360 degrees?!
-No wingmen in the air, you're alone
-Short campaign
-Digital download copy doesn't even include a manual
-Mediocre graphics fall far short of what the PSP is capable of
Some retailers in Britain have already lowered the price of the PSP Go. Major retailers Amazon, PLAY, HMV, and GAME are cutting the price from £224.99 to £199.99. While the Pound is worth more, items usually sell at a 1:1 Pound to US Dollar ratio. There's no official word from Sony yet. There is no word whether North American prices will drop as well.
Source: Eurogamer
Wow, Sony's new PSP Go isn't attracting a lot of positive press. Reviews have been vary mixed. Ars Technia offered a particularly scathing review. I've yet to get my hands on one but I think a lot of the criticisms seem justified. The consensus seems to be that the Go suffers from several common problems.
1. Awkward to use:
The Go's smaller size makes it difficult for adult hands. Remember that this device is primarily being marketed at teen and adult gamers. Placement of the analogue nub, which was never ideal in the original, is particularly awkward. The Go is only slightly larger than the iPhone, which is also a horrendous gaming platform.
2. No legacy UMD support:
None, nada, nothing. This thing cannot play 99% of PSP games currently out in the wild due to lack of UMD support. Sony had planned a trade in program but quickly confined that idea to the trash bin earlier this weak. Current PSP owners don't have any incentive to buy the GO if their game collection isn't compatible with it. While the PSN store has added a robust number of games, there are still a lot of titles that aren't up there yet.
3. Painfully Slow download times:
Go owners are reporting that games seem to take forever to download on the system. It's true that the PSP's 802.11b Wifi is painfully slow. Most mobile devices today use the faster 802.11g standard, with "b" being ancient by computer standards. I personally use my PS3 for downloading PSP content but not everyone has that option.
4. Poor Value:
The Go costs $249.99 for the core system where as the PSP-3000 costs $169.99. Compounded with the problems above, it's difficult to justify the cost. You can't honestly tell me that 16gb of wholesale flash memory is going to add $80 to the value of the system. It's a tough sell with the 32gb iPod Touch going for only $50 more, with double the storage, faster wifi, and a Swiss Army knife package of apps and games to go with it.
5. Dubious Improvement over PSP-3000:
The PSP GO offers games for direct download on the store that can be played strait from memory. So does the PSP-3000. The latter can also play UMD games. The PSP Go also apparently doesn't use a standard USB Type B cable for data transfer. Unlike the PSP-3000, it requires a proprietary connection. It does add Bluetooth but so far nothing supports it. There's a promise of being able to use the Sixaxis to control PSP games but I can't help but wonder if that defeats the purpose of a portable game system. Really, the PSP Go doesn't offer anything useful over previous PSP designs.
It seems to me that the Go is a system that really did not need to be made. I know I chewed out the PSP-2000 years ago but I think this one deserves criticism far more. It's just a neutered PSP that thinks it's a slider phone, yet costs more. Sony really needs to get their act together and realize that releasing new SKUs every year doesn't constitute innovation. nVidia just released its powerful Tegra mobile all-in-one graphics chip. If Sony were smart, they could have gotten the jump on Nintendo and released a PSP2 at this price point with hardware that already exists. Unfortunately, we just get another stop gap. Ultimately, the PSP's biggest flaw is still the lack of top tier games.
Today is the launch date for Sony's PSP Go. The new system appears to finally be getting mobile Internet, with a catch. Firmware 6.10, the launch version for the Go will allow users to tether it with a mobile phone using Bluetooth in order to access Internet when away from Wifi hotspots. Of course this does come with a catch. Namely that Bluetooth 2.0 is only about 1/5 as fast as the PSP's 802.11b wifi, meaning downloading games will be painfully slow. You'll also require a costly mobile broadband plan, preferably with unlimited transfer. Older PSPs also cannot use the features and there is no word if USB tethering will be enabled.
Other updates include a redesign of Sony's proprietary Media Go software, which works like iTunes for Sony products. This is linked with the new SensMe feature available for the PSP's audio playback, which selects tracks automatically depending on the preset mood you select. This is vary similar to Apple's Genius.
Source: Playstation Blog
Images of Sony's rumoured PSP-4000, also known as the PSP Go, have been leaked to the web. Interestingly, the official images look surprisingly similar to mock up PSP2s that have been making the rounds for the last year. The new portable also dumps the UMD drive entirely, instead featuring 16gb of internal flash memory that is expandable via a Memory Stick Pro Duo card slot. The system also features a sliding screen design that hides the controls and the system also appears to be significantly smaller (read less wide) than the past due to the the buttons being moved. It still sports a single analogue nub though. The system is said to be 43% lighter due to the removal of the disc drive. Additionally, the Go features Bluetooth connectivity. Presumably this will either be for wireless headsets or to interface with the PS3. It is rumoured that Sony will also debut game rentals and music through the PSP Store. Game Console Network (which appears to be suffering a freak out, probably due to demand) claims they got the information for and images from a preview of the June issue of Qore. The PSP Go will supposedly hit shelves this fall.
More news about the system will come when it is officially announced at E3 next week. Mind you, I'm not sure how keen I am on the design. Not exactly meant for adult fingers. There is also the looming problem of current PSP owners who want to upgrade to the new portable. Since it lacks a UMD drive, it is inherently not backwards compatible with most current PSP games. The $10 million question is whether Sony will offer dowloadable versions of all games already available and if they'll charge current PSP owners to replace their UMDs.
Source: Gizmodo -- Pictures Included
Playstation Universe -- With Video from GCN
Following up on round up of consoles, let's take a look at the portables.
Gaming Laptop
-See Gaming PC
Sony Playstation Portable
Advantages
-Best graphics our of all current portables, equivalent to early PS2 games.
-Large library of games that are geared toward intermediate and hardcore gamers
-Excellent personal media player capabilities, boxed movies available
-Playstation Store for downloadable games and DLC expansion packs
-Conventional control scheme
-Cheapest current generation portable at $169 for Core system with $199 bundle packs that offer excellent value
-Backwards compatible with original Playstation games
-Skype service on PSP-2000 and up
-802.11b wireless internet for ad-hoc or network play, Internet browser and RSS 2.0 reader
-Connectivity with PS3 allows media streaming
-Unlimited number of saves on flash cards
Disadvantages
-Mediocre battery life
-Few new games being produced for system
-UMD drive slow
-Proprietary Memory Stick Pro Duo memory cards are expensive. Core model does not ship with memory card.
-Analogue stick can be awkward to use. No second analogue stick means players can sometimes encounter game camera control issues.
Nintendo DSi
Advantages
-Large library of family and non-gamer friendly titles including those from Nintendo's hit series.
-Innovative touch screen control combined with conventional control layout
-Excellent battery life
-Flash based game cards virtually eliminate load times, makes games more portable
-Built-in VGA camera for taking pictures
-Ad Hoc wireless play
-DSiware store provides downloadable games
-SD Card slot allows games to be stored, as well as provides MP3 playback.
-Graphics on par with Nintendo 64
Disadvantages
-Poor value. Costs $199.99 in Canada for just the system itself, while PSP bundles provide the system, two games, and a movie for same price.
-Limited number of games that appeal to intermediate and hardcore gamers
-Music playback vary limited, no video playback
-Built in wireless uses legacy 802.11 speeds. Too slow for internet access.
-No longer backwards compatible with Gameboy Advance games. Not compatible with Guitar Hero World Tour and other DS peripherals that use the GBA expansion slot.
-Lowest screen resolution of all portables. 256x192 compared to 480x272 on the PSP and 480x320 on the iPhone
-Some may dislike use of dual screens, stylus, and microphone in gameplay.
-Game saves directly on game cards. Vary limited number of saves.
-Does not come with SD card
Apple iPhone / iPod Touch
Advantages
-Highest resolution screen of all portables
-All games downloadable for instant play
-Excellent media and web functions, iPhone is also a phone and GPS unit. Full featured video iPod.
-Wide variety of non-gaming apps available, can be used as a MID or PDA.
-Games appeal to non-gamers
-Fast built in 802.11g wifi. iPhone has 3G networking for fast mobile connectivity.
-Innovative motion controls
Disadvantages
-Most expensive of all current generation handhelds. $199 for iPhone but requires mandatory 3yr contract with cell company. Touch costs $229.
-Worst graphics of the current generation
-Most games are primitive, highest amount of shovelware than any other system. Limited support from major game publishers. Limited appeal to most gamers.
-Lack of expandable storage limits how many games can be stored on the device at one time
-Mediocre battery life when gaming
-No online play
-Touch screen controls vary limited and often awkward to use
-Games can only be downloaded over Wifi connection or through iTunes; not 3G.
Aside from it's unique control scheme, one of the Wii's strongest features is its Virtual Console. Nintendo has compiled a list of classic games from systems like NES, SNES, Genesis, N64, Master System, and TurboGrafx-16 that are available for download. This has renewed interest in retro gaming and has brought downloadable emulator into the legitimate realm. Sony has been a bit behind on bringing this kind of content to their systems. Some PSOne games are available but they are few and far between. With the company's renewed interest in it's portable PSP, Sony is talking about bringing third party retro content to the system. Retro games are ideal on a portable system since you're unteathered to the TV and they tend to be shorter and easier to pick up and play than more modern titles. Nothing has been confirmed as of yet but the idea sounds promising. I would expect we'll see a lot of arcade ports and console titles from people like Sega. It's unfortunate we can't play classic Nintendo titles on our PSPs (legally). Maybe Nintendo still has a chance of getting me to buy a DSi.
Source: Pocket Gamer
A lot of us thought the Sony Playstation Portable was on its last legs. Apparently not. Sony is making major investments in the system. At the annual Destination Playstation event, five major titles were announced for the system.
-MotorStorm: Arctic Edge: It's Motorstorm on PSP, this time with an arctic setting. New vehicles include the Snow Cat and the Snowmobile. Furthermore, it's promised you will be able to customize your vehicle with tuned parts and paint jobs, a first for the series. The game is also being ported to the PS2. It's set to release on August 1st.
-Assassin's Creed Portable: Not much is known about the game at this time. Release date TBA 2009. I hated the original so lets hope the PSP version is better.
-LittleBigPlanet Portable: LBP on the go. Apparently identical to the PS3 version but with toned down graphics. It will feature all new story mode levels but the basic premise stays the same, including online "play, create, share". Presumably there will be some interconnectablity between it and the PS3 version. Release date is pegged at December 31st by IGN but it will likely appear sooner than that.
-Rock Band Unplugged: Activision may have ignored the PSP but MTV Games is bringing the popular rhythm genre to the system. Similar to the PS3 version, tap the buttons to follow the song, use the shoulder buttons to change instruments. DLC will be available on the Playstation Store. Release date is TBA.
-Petz: Tamagochi on steriods. Raise virtual pets. IGN says to expect dogs, cats, horses, hamsters, dolphins, tigers and bunnies to be available. Girls will eat this up. Release date is TBA.
-Lilac PSP-3000: It's the PSP-3000, but it's lilac purple. Coloured PSPs are a hit in Japan but North Americans have been left out until now. Obviously targetted at female and effeminate male gamers. Due out in July.
-Hannah Montana Bundle: The Lilac PSP-3000 bundled with an exclusive PSP Hannah Montana rhythm and dance game. Also includes Hannah Montana episodes on UMD and a 2gb Memory Stick PRO Duo. Oh, and stickers to customize your PSP. A pretty nice deal for the tween girl in your family. If you're buying it for yourself though; shame on you! (lol) It will sell for $199.99 and be available in July.
-Assassin's Creed Bundle: Now that we have the ladies taken care of, Sony also plans to release an AC bundle which will include the above mentioned game and a piano black PSP. No word on what else the bundle will include or when it will be made available. Expect it to cost $200.
Wow, that's a lot of blockbuster titles for the PSP. I guess the system has come back from the brink of death. 2008 was bad but 2009 with Resistance: Retribution and now all these is shaping up to be the PSP's year.
It's been a bit of a roller coaster ride for Sony's Playstation Portable. The portable console was first introduced in 2005 to much fanfare. From a technical standpoint, the PSP is the best system to date with its robust and powerful graphics system that plays games at near PS2 quality, plus the gaggle of Internet and PMP features that make it an excellent value. However, there's always a but. The original PSP was bulky and had slow load times for its proprietary UMD discs. The PSP-2000 corrected most of these issues but for some reason, Sony felt that the screen needed a slight tweaking. That's when they came out with the PSP-3000. The third incarnation of the PSP features screen improvements. For people who want a PSP but don't already have one, buying the PSP-3000 is a given, since that's all that stores are going to stock. However, what about those who already own an original PSP or the Slim and Light? Is there reason to upgrade from either to the new model? The answer is no.
The PSP-3000 features only one major improvement. The screen has been made brighter, supports more colours, and has a faster response time. The latter was perhaps the biggest problem with the earlier models. Fast paced scenes in games or movies would be prone to ghosting. The faster response time should eliminate that issue. However, the new pixel layout on the screen has caused some issues. All PSP games are rendered at 480x272 using the progressive scan method. Progressive scan renders one full frame at a time, as opposed to interlaced which creates a weaved image. LCD screens are natively progressive scan so interlaced video can leave noticeable scan line artifacts. Owners of the new PSP-3000 have reported similar artifacts in high contrast areas. This is due to how the pixels in the new screen are laid out rather than the video being interlaced. I've seen photos of the issue and the problem does preduce a reduced image quality in some titles. How problematic is it? I can't say but it's a good reason to hang on to your current PSP rather than upgrading.
Aside from the improved screen, all the PSP-3000 adds is the ability to output video from games at 480i. This means that you'll be able to play your PSP titles on older tube TVs. Not much of a worthwhile feature. The only other change has been redesignating the "Home" button as the "PS" button to bring it inline with the Dual Shock 3 layout. Not exactly an upgrade. The PSP-3000 offers pretty much the same functionality as the PSP-2000 with nothing really new, so if you already have that system, it's not worth the upgrade. PSP-1000 owners shouldn't rush to spend another $169.99 either unless you really want the Thin & Light features. Reportedly, the PSP-3000 can't be hacked using the battery method so homebrew developers won't find it much use either. If you don't already have a PSP, the PSP-3000 is the one to get. Current owners should hang onto their money and wait for the next generation PSP.
It's been quite a while since Sony has updated the firmware for the PSP and PS3. I'm just going to blatantly copy and paste what was written on the official PS Blog. There is no word on when the update will go live but it will likely either be this Wednesday or the next one if they're following tradition.
PS3 Firmware 2.50
- Support for the PS3 Official Bluetooth Headset - we’ve told you about the upcoming Bluetooth Headset and SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation Bundle on the Blog. This latest firmware installment enables High-Quality (HQ) mode, which delivers clear and wide-band online voice chat. On top of that, an added on-screen indicator shows battery status, volume level and use of HQ mode.
- PlayStation Trophies interface enhancements - I know that many of you are busy collecting trophies and raising your PlayStation Trophy level. This update makes sharing and comparing your trophies with your friends even easier. On 1st part of the profile page you’ll see a symbol under level that represents level and the actual percentage towards the next level along with the existing level meter. The level symbol carries over to the trophy comparison screen where you will now be able to see your level, your friend’s level and the percentage towards the next level for both users along with all of the game by game comparison information you see today.
- Friend status – Offline friends on your Friends list will have information below their avatars that will indicate how long it has been since they were last online.
- Video – This update adds the Scene Search feature similar to the feature on the PSP. Activating this feature while viewing a video on the PS3 will break the video up into scenes that you can quickly access by pressing the X button. You can break the videos into one, two or five minute intervals. In addition, you can now choose to have all of the videos under the video section of the XMB play in sequence. Go to Settings then Video Settings to turn this option on.
- PlayStation Store – We’ve added a redeem codes option right on the store to make it easier to redeem your PlayStation Network Cards and promotion codes. In addition, PlayStation Network Sign Up and Account Management have been redesigned.
- Power Save Settings – You can now set your PS3 and wireless controllers to turn off automatically after set periods of inactivity. Go to Settings then Power Save Settings to turn on these features.
- Background Downloading - You now have the option to set the PS3 to turn off automatically after a background download or installation of content has completed. This option is available when you turn off the system from the button under [Users] while content is being downloaded or installed.
- In-game Screenshots - this tool will allow everyone to capture, share and in other words, immortalize their favorite gameplay moments. This will be supported on a game by game basis. Please check back to find out which games will support this feature.
PSP Firmware 5.00
-PSP specific Playstation Store goes live. You'll now be able to download games, demos, videos, and other content from the store directly to the PSP using its own built-in Wifi. No longer do you need to connect it to a PC or PS3. If you already have a PSN account, the PSP store uses the same funds and account info that the PS3 store does.
-Sleep timer for music. Turns the PSP off after a set amount of time just like a clock radio.
-Full screen keyboard replaces the phone style dealy. Should make text entry easier.
-Redesigned XMB Background.
On the PS3 side, the update feels a bit underwhelming. Power save settings should be useful for those who tend to leave their PS3 on. There's nothing really new here though. I still don't know why screenshots are based on a game by game basis. In game screenshot support is already available since WipEout HD has it. It would certainly make life easier for amateur reviewers like me to be able to take screenshots in all games.
The PSP update is a little better since it includes some much needed enhancements, including the store and a proper QWERTY keyboard.
Source: Playstation.Blog
