Portable Gaming Revolution

I debated about posting this information after coming across it on Digg yesterday, but I figured why not. While not PSP Specific, it does touch on our lovely handheld and there is no debating the fact that most dedicated PSP fans are also interested in the PS3.

Jak_The_Man made a post on the official Sony Forums regarding an upcoming issue of PlayStation Magazine that has a plethora of PS3 information. Here is Jak_The_Man’s summary of the article.

* PS3 will have online service that goes beyond xbox live
* PS3 will be a DVR
* It will connect with psp
* There are alot of games being worked on for it right now in the US (alot more then what people know about)
* The final ps3 dev kit is alot faster than they thought (according to the developer)
* The ps3 will have an itunes type service to let you download HI DEF movies, music, etc
* The Ps3 will take the media center functionality the 360 has even further
* PS3 will serve as a location free player for the psp, means you can watch the dvd’s that you have in your psp on your psp(from anywhere in the world), or any other video files you have on your ps3, though this is still only being planned.
* PSP will be able to send its files straight to the psp from anywhere in the world, and it can also control its DVR functionalities
* Firmware updates will add more functionality, much like with the psp
* The Blu Ray Player functionality doesnt cost as much as a stand alone player because the Cell and RSX can take care of alot of the stuff the ps3 will need to do to be able to read the disks
* Fall release date for ps3, no release date for online service, but expected to launch w/ the system

He had originally posted scans of the magazine but took them down for I am assuming bandwidth issues (Being front page on Digg will do that quickly). Luckily I nabbed em before he did so here are the two scans (Click for full size):

This definitely good information to hear. I am not a big fan of the XBox 360 nor XBox in general and I am eagerly anticipating the PS3 launch. This information has simply made me want it now.

On a side note, if you have not yet visited Digg.com I highly recommend doing so. Feel free to add me (Jakanden) to your friends list to check out my Dugg stories, many of which are PSP/PS3 and gaming in general related.

Peter32892 has released Issue #1 of PsP The Ins and Outs.

The issue coveres the homebrew scene as well has having some game reviews and hardware info.

You can download PSP The Ins and Outs Issue #1 here.

PSP Updates has a link to a contest that Rockstar Games is hosting.

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.

The PSP™ title PlayStation Magazine called “the killer app we’ve all been waiting for.”

The first handheld iteration of the Grand Theft Auto franchise to truly capture the limitless, expansive and epic 3D gameplay experience that was introduced to the world with 2001’s original trip to Liberty City, Grand Theft Auto 3.

Now, we present the opportunity to deck out your PSP east coast style, so you can rep the city you know like the back of your hand, the perilous playground of Liberty City, wherever you go.

10 lucky folks chosen at random will win a limited-edition Liberty City Stories PSP customization kit, including PSP skin, hard shell case, and PSP lanyard carry tag.

(Check out the beauteous glamour shots on this page to see exactly what we’re on about.)

However, ONE VERY LUCKY GRAND PRIZE WINNER will win an actual
PSP (PlayStation® Portable) system itself, already fully outfitted with all of the above.

All winners will also receive a high-quality Liberty City Stories t-shirt (large size only).

To enter, simply fill out the form fields below. The entry deadline is February 28th, 2006. Winners will be announced March 2006. See below for full official legal rules.

Best of luck, one and all, from Rockstar Games.

You can register for the contest here.

Gamespot has posted 3 new gameplay movies and 1 developer interivew for Gabe Logan’s PSP outing Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror. In addition to that, they have posted an in-depth preview of the game.

If you are a Syphon Filter fan, that is a good deal of content to go through so get crackin!

IGN has posted a short (3 Minutes and 30 Seconds) audio interview with Metal Gear Ac!d director Shinta Nojiri.

In it, several new details were revealed, including information regarding the new combat system, 3D glasses support, and special U.S. exclusives available only in North America.

You can download the audio clip here.

InfoWorld is reporting that Google has talked with mobile vendors including Motorola and Sony regarding how wi-fi enabled devices might be able to take advantage of municiple Wireless networks.

“We’re doing everything we can to make this a playground for devices,” said Christopher Sacca, principal in new business development at Google (Profile, Products, Articles), referring to a network the company already operates in its home town of Mountain View, California. He spoke in a panel discussion on wireless technology Thursday evening at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View.

One device in Google’s crosshairs is Sony’s PSP game platform. “There’s like five million of those in the U.S. now, they’ve all got Wi-Fi in them. We’re trying to do what we can to make those devices able to log on to this network,” Sacca said.

The possibility of residents accessing a Google-provided municipal network via Sony’s popular PSP gaming platform is among Google’s hopes as it seeks to build a bigger Wi-Fi network in nearby San Francisco that is free to both the city and users. The company is working through the city’s RFP (Request for Proposal) process. There, as in Mountain View, Google is finding a number of political and technical hurdles, Sacca said.

It is a fairly lengthly article and brings up some good points about possible issues with this idea as well as obstacles that google would need to overcome to implement it.

Overall I think it is a good idea and would like to see this in more places. Hopefully Google will be able to get this going.

According to 1UP, Dragonball Z: Shin Budokai will be making its way to the PSP in the series first on that platform.

Dragonball Z: Shin Budokai should have everything you’ve come to expect from the Budokai games – fast, aerial action filled with energy blasts – and they’ve upped the ante with wireless multiplayer. Players will have the ability to create virtual tournaments and battle for bragging rights whilst forgoing the wires.

The game is set for a March release and is being developed by Dimps, the same team who released the previous Budokai games. The Budokai series is one of those with a die-hard fan base. Not only is it loved by those who love the anime series, but since (for the most part) they are great fighting games, it also has a large fan-base of non anime-fans. Hopefully the PSP outing will prove another excellent entry in the series.

Deniska has released Rise of The Triad v0.9 for the PSP. This is another great port in the long list of ports by Deniska.

INSTALLATION

– select between the shareware and full versions (shareware game files are included; you can purchase the full version from www.3drealms.com)
1.5 users: copy contents of 1.5 folder to ms:/PSP/GAME
1.0 use EBOOT.PBP from 1.0 folder with data files from 1.5 folder (make sure your include .rott directory)
2.0 Please let me know if either version works with the latest eboot loader for 2.0 firmware [EDIT] I got reports that it works on 2.0 :-)

If you own the full version of the game use the EBOOTs from the “full” directory with the DARK WAR data files.

CONTROLS

Due to obvious PSP limitations, some game functions are not mapped in the default key configuration.
If you don’t like the control layout/functions – you can re-assign them in the controls menu.

GAME PLAY

THIS IS STILL A BETA VERSION! So it may be a bit unstable.
Refer to original documentation for details on game play.
Network/multiplayer modes are not supported in this release, but you should be able to use some multiplayer levels in “exploration” mode
Note that full game’s levels may take up to 1 minute to load.
During this time you’ll see a black screen with some sounds, so be patient. (I may want to overclock the full version in the next release to make it load faster)

TODO

MUSIC SUPPORT
NETWORK/MULTIPLAYER SUPPORT – hmm, this may take a while
I’ll release the source code once I patch major bugs.

You can download Rise of the Triad v0.9 here.

iVideoBlast has announced that their collection of videos is compatible with the PSP. The site features a large collection of Anime, TV Shows, Movies, and Video Podcasts to download for a small fee.

iVideoBlast.com offers an extensive collection of animation, TV shows, movies and video podcasts for your iPod. Based on feedback from their community members the iVideoBlast.com video collection is also compatible with Sony’s PlayStation Portable (PSP).

“We’ve received several updates from our members saying they’ve had success loading our videos on their PSP,” informs Justin Thorn, co-founder of iVideoBlast.com. “It makes sense because both the iPod and the PSP support playback of the same MPEG4 video formats.”

When asked how their members get the iVideoBlast iPod videos on their PSP Justin responds, “Some members have learned how to rename the files while others use software like PSPWare to do the conversion for them. Co-founder Scott Britner adds, “Our iVideoBlast members are very tech-savvy. They use their portable video devices to the utmost of their capabilities.”

Although iPod sales have outpaced those of the PSP, more internet users are searching for PSP movies. 38,485 searches were performed for PSP movies compared to just 15,595 for iPod movies in December 2005 according to Overture.com.

Scott adds, “The PSP compatibility further supports our mission to provide our iVideoBlast members great video content in the palm of their hand.”

So apparently, the people who run the site were not even aware that their videos worked on the PSP. Despite that, the site is a good one to add to the growing collection of sites providing PSP/iPod formatted content for downloading.

While not PSP game related, it is interesting to note that IGN reports that Backbone Entertainment and Image Comics will be bringing Death Jr back. to the comics in his second 3 issue series. The series will feature the return of both Ted Naifeh as illustrator and Gary Whitta as writer.

Death, Jr. follows the teenage of son of the grim reaper and his band of “unusual” friends as they always seem to find themselves in trouble. The first series of the comic generated impressive sales and attracted the interest of some of the top talent in the industry, such as Mike Mignola, who drew the cover for the trade paperback.

After a tumultuous school year in which DJ and his friends had to band together to fight DJ’s evil uncle Moloch, the second series will find the gang on their summer vacation. DJ gets his wish and starts working a summer job with his dad, but he’s disappointed to learn he has to work his way up from the bottom, while the rest of the gang is headed for a less-than-savory summer camp experience.

While I haven’t read the first series, I have talked to other people who have and it seems universally enjoyed. I might have to pick both the new series and the first one up.

IGN has added 5 large new screenshots of the highly anticipated Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror.

In Dark Mirror, you return as Gabe Logan, the bad-ass Precision Strike Operative. The first PSP outing for the series will have online multiplayer with four different types of gameplay modes, enhanced AI, and difficulty modes that monitor your skill level and adjust the game appropriately. The game is due out in North America Spring of this year.

The official Konami site has posted a trailer for the Metal Gear Solid Digital Comic and man does it look awesome. If you are a fan of Metal Gear in any way shape or form, check it out.

In related news, it was announced on HIDEOBLOG that Ryan Payton would start translating HIDECHAN into English, or at least covering the topics covered in HIDECHAN.

For those who do not know, HIDECHAN is Hideo Kojima’s podcast. Fans have been begging for someone to translate it and Ryan (who already translates HIDEOBLOG) has taken up the job. In the intial Podcast, he talks about Konami Gamer’s Day, the Metal Gear Solid Comic (Which he confirmes was initially called “Metal Gear Solid BD”), and the pre-order DVD for Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence.

It is titled the Kojima Productions Report and you can subscribe to it with this feed.