Kotaku: psp 1.5

PC & PSP, Livin' In Per-fect Har-mo-nee (RemoteJoy Lite)

Stuart Houghton — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:00:53 MDT

Thanks to the ever-busy PSP homebrew community it is now possible to link a PC and a PSP together via USB Cable and a little plugin by the name of RemoteJoy Lite. Using the app you can hook up your Windows PC with your handheld and play PSP games on the PC screen.

Truly, we live in a Golden Age.

The video above gives a rough idea of what the app can do. As ever with homebrew software, you are responsible for your own device - don't come running to us if it makes your PSP implode into a nugget of dark matter that ultimately leads to the creation of an alternate universe where your evil doppleganger has a beard.

Football Manager 2009 PSP & Mac Screens

Stuart Houghton — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:20:00 MDT

Sports Interactive/SEGA's management sim Football Manager 2009 is out - confusingly - in November.

The latest iteration has even more stats to juggle and features an overhauled 'more realistic' transfer system with transfer rumors now playing a role in negotiations. No word on illegal

The PC and Mac versions come with an all-new fully 3D match engine, although PSP owners will have to soldier on in 2D for another year.

Mac & PSP screens after the jump.

Mac OSX

PSP

New Final Fantasy: Dissidia Trailer

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:20:00 MDT

And it's a long one. Bring tea, and biscuits. Or, if you're a raving mad Square Enix fan, those two plus whatever else it is you'll need for 5:13 of hot, one-on-one Final Fantasy fisticuff action.

[thanks everyone who sent this in!]

Here Are Your Prinny Screens

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 06:00:00 MDT

As we posted earlier, Prinnies are getting their own game. Called Prinny: Ore ga Shujinko de Iinsuka?, it'll see you take control of a "1,000-Prinny squadron on their quest to help an extremely pissed-off Etna recover her stolen sweets", and is due for release for the PSP on November 20 in Japan for ¥5,229 (US$49). No word on a Western release. Here are some screenshots. Have a look!

PSP「プリニー〜オレが主人公でイイんスか?〜」 [Game Watch]

October is Gundam PSP Games Get Cheaper Month

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 03:00:00 MDT

Just as the PSP-3000 gets released in Japan in mid-October, Sony will be putting out two more PSP Gundam titles in its "the Best" line later that month. Both Gundam Battle Chronicle and SD Gundam G Generation Portable both go on sale October 23rd for ¥2,800 (US$26). Not a bad price if you're into giant robots and Sony handhelds!

Press release after the jump.

「PSP® the Best」シリーズ　１０月発売予定タイトルのご案内
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
ガンダムバトルクロニクル
PSP® the Best

発売元：（株）バンダイナムコゲームス
発売日：10月23日
希望小売価格：2,667円（税込価格2,800円）

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
ＳＤガンダムGGENERATION-PORTABLE
PSP® the Best

発売元：（株）バンダイナムコゲームス
発売日：10月23日
希望小売価格：2,667円（税込価格2,800円）

以上

PlayStation Network Games Getting UMD Bundle Treatment

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:00:00 MDT

European PSP owners are going to get a few former PlayStation Network only titles in cold, hard physical media format, as SCEE is planning on releasing two collections of PSN titles on UMD. The PlayStation Network Collection releases, unearthed by Siliconera, consist of one Power Pack, containing flOw, Syphon Filter: Combat Ops and Beats, and the Puzzle Pack, featuring Lemmings, Go! Puzzle and Go! Sudoku.

Handy, even if one of those is a very odd mix of genres, but we thought we'd be seeing less UMDs, not more. No pricing yet, so try not to get too excited about the big big savings.

PSP PSN downloadable games get UMD collections [Siliconera]

PSP 3000 Battery Myths Shattered!

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:40:44 MDT

The video gaming industry was devastated to learn recently that the recently announced PSP 3000, with its new, brighter screen, built-in microphone and fancy new PS button, may lead to shorter battery life. GameSpot reported recently, based on a conversation with SCEA's John Koller, that higher consumption may reduce battery life by "about 20 minutes." Just soul crushing...

Fortunately, the director of hardware marketing now says that's not actually true, that the PSP 3000 will have an equivalent battery life of four to six hours when gaming, less when watching UMDs. Koller writes on the official PlayStation.blog that "our engineers in Japan worked to reduce the power consumption of the overall system including its components" ending our long national nightmare of slightly reduced up-time due to battery charge. Thank you, God!

New PSP’s Battery Life Equivalent to Current PSP [PlayStation.blog]

Korea Getting More DJ Max (More Pretty Art)

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 01:00:00 MDT

Korean developer Pentavision has announced that, yes, there isn't just one new DJ Max title coming out, but two. The PSP rhythm title will be released in two different forms: Clazziquai Edition and Black Square. Pentavision is trying to satisfy both casual and hardcore gamers, but Korean website Ruliweb doesn't specify if these each are divided for those purposes or if both editions will feature separate modes for casual and hardcore players. Like DJ Max Fever, these new DJ Max titles have great looking art.

As Kotakuite Torokun points out: "I did notice that CE includes a lot of mainstream musicians."

펜타비젼, 'DJ MAX 포터블' 차기작 발표 [Ruliweb]

Final Fantasy XIII For PSP Is Way, Way Off

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:40:23 MDT

Square Enix announced it would be bringing Final Fantasy XIII Agito to the PSP in August, sparing fans of the series much mobile platform kvetching. And while Square Enix character designer Tetsuya Nomura says that the title is currently running on PSP hardware and spitting out new screen shots, don't expect it any time soon.

He tells Dengeki, by way of Final Fantasy-XIII.net, that Agito won't see the light of a UMD drive until after both Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII publish. Yes, that's from the same source as the Squenix might charge for the standalone FFXIII demo business, so have some Mrs. Dash on hand to stave off hypertension.

Suppose it all makes sense, from a publishing standpoint, but that doesn't make epic wait feel any less daunting. At least we'll all have jet packs and snazzy silver jump suits by then...

PSP Online Access: Shit Just Got Real

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 18:20:38 MDT

Good news, fans of the internet. The PSP will be getting direct access to the PlayStation Store this fall, eliminating the need to travel through the tubes via your PlayStation 3 or PC to secure downloadable goodies for Sony's handheld. According to a report from IGN, a future firmware update will let PSP owners surf the store from the comfort of their toilets or local coffee houses, making theme-grabbing a breeze.

Don't junk your PS3s yet, though, as Sony is also planning to introduce a new feature that will let you take your ad hoc-only PSP games online, simulating infrastructure mode by way of your PlayStation 3. That means select titles that were previously playable only locally will be playable with folks nationwide. Note that "select", because it looks like not every title will make the jump online via your PS3.

Sony Boosts PSP Networking Capabilities [IGN]

DISSIDIA Final Fantasy Dated For Japan

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 07:00:00 MDT

DISSIDIA: Final Fantasy has been dated: the action RPG hits Japanese PSPs on December 18th. Tetsuya Nomura did the character designs, and while the game has a good buzz, it'll be good to see Square Enix get the title out the doors. You know, so Nomura can focus on more important things. Final Fantasy Versus XIII, we're looking right at you.

DISSIDIA is priced at ¥6,090 (US$56).

PSP用ソフト「ディシディアファイナルファンタジー」 [IT Media]

Can You Pick Out The New PSP-3000? Can You?

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 03:00:00 MDT

Well, we've seen how the new PSP (PSP-3000) stacks up against the old PSP-2000 — we've even gotten to read about it in English. But for those who like to look at pictures, we've got more pictures. Lots more. Pictures that do a nice job of showing how different the PSP-3000 display is. Right up there, is the PSP-2000 and the PSP-300. Can you spot which is which? And what are the cosemtic differences?

After the jump, the PSP's backsides. Which one is the 3000? The 2000? What are the appearances changes?

PSP-3000の液晶ディスプレイはどれくらい進化しているのか？ [Famitsu]

New PSP Finally Dated for Japan, Bundles Announced

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 02:00:00 MDT

Sony Computer Entertainment Japan also announced today that the revamped PSP (PSP-3000) has a Japan release date: October 16th. According to the press release, the new PSP will be priced at ¥19,800 (US$183). What's more, Sony announced that the upcoming PSP bundles for titles Gundam vs. Gundam, Patapon 2 and DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY will of course be packaged with the PSP-3000. Those bundles will hit later this year and be priced at ¥24,840 ($230), ¥23,800 ($220) and ¥25,890 ($240) respectively.

Rumor: More Info on Unannounced DS/PSP Indiana Jones Game

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:00:00 MDT

So there's a new Indiana Jones game hitting the DS and the PSP called Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings. While the PEGI rating for the game was vague, we have learned more details about the yet unannounced game.

Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings is not the "next-gen" game shown a while back. Sources tell us that the game is being developed by Montreal-based developer A2M for LucasArts.

The plot is about the staff of Moses, and the game features LEGO-type non-Nazi Nazis. Apparently, in one segment of the game there's a twin-balloon zeppelin that looks more like "giant floating tits". What's more, there were PS2 and Wii versions in development — no idea if those have been shitcanned or not.

PSP-3000 To Support Dualshock 3, 480i Video?

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:40:00 MDT

Got your internet filing cabinet handy? File this between "dubious" and "unexpected". Maxconsole say that - according to a "Best Buy insider" - the new PSP-3000 model won't just feature a brighter screen and cleaner edges, it'll apparently let you plug in your DualShock 3 pad and use it to play games. It'll also allow the outputting of video to a TV via 480i, instead of the currently-mandated 480p. The DS3 thing, it sounds both sketchy and useless (unless more developers start taking remote play a lot more seriously), but the 480i thing might be good news if you're some kind of...uh...a...travelling salesman (?), dependant on your PSP for entertainment (??), and often find yourself in cheap hotels with old, crummy, composite-only TV sets.

Insider says PSP 3000 will be able to play games with PS3 controller [Maxconsole]

The PSP 3000 - How Different Is It?

Mike Fahey — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:40:00 MDT

James Yu over at GameSpot has just posted an excellent hands-on comparison of the old Sony PSP 2000 model and the shiny new PSP 3000, announced just last week at the Games Convention in Leipzig. While we've already posted the comparison that showed up on Famitsu, the GameSpot article has a few things going for it. More comparison photos of the screen, which looks to be where the biggest noticeable differences lie, and the fact that James writes in easy-to-understand English, always appreciated by us English-exclusive humans like myself. Hit the link below for the full skinny on what has changed in obsessive detail, right down to the surface textures of the plastic.

Sony PSP 3000 Hands-On [GameSpot]

You Too Can Decorate Hatsune Miku's Room

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 04:00:00 MDT

In the upcoming issue of Famitsu, SEGA announced that it's making a PSP game starring Hatune Miku. Hatune Miku is a character for Vocaloid2 Character Vocal Series software, but has gone on to appear in manga, anime and even get a cameo in a DS game! Here, you can listen to her sing the Portal song in Japanese!

Anyway, about the PSP game, it's a rhythm game which lets players win stuff and decorate Miku's room. Beside rhythm games, you can watch her walk around. Oh, and it's called Hatsune Mikue -Project Diva-. Thrilling title.

Hatsune Miku on PSP [Canned Dogs]

Over Ten Million PSPs Sold, Top Five Games Are...

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:00:00 MDT

Total PSP hardware and software sales figures for Japan have been announced. The console itself has shifted over ten million units in the period from December 12, 2004 and August 24, 2008. Software sales-wise, Capcom's Monster Hunter juggernaut is leading the charge. Here's the totals for the top selling PSP games so far in Japan:

1. Monster Hunter 2nd G (Capcom) March 27, 2008 Release: 2,396,642 copies sold
2. Monster Hunter 2nd (Capcom) February 22, 2007 Release: 1,706,387 copies sold
3. Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII (Square Enix) September 13, 2007: 790,705 copies sold
4. Monster Hunter Portable (Capcom) December 1, 2005: 668,964 copies sold
5. Phantasy Star Portable (SEGA) July 31, 2008: 545,242 copies sold

The PSP seems to have really taken off in the last two years here in Japan.

PSPの国内累計販売台数が1000万台を突破 [Famitsu] [Pic]

The Art Of DJ Max Fever

Mike Fahey — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:20:00 MDT

Have you ever looked at the artwork and graphics for a game and known right then and there that you had to have it, no matter what the game was about? I didn't know anything about the DJ Max series before publisher PM Studios passed on this collection of artwork for the game. Hell, I had even missed Luke's post announcing that DJ Max Fever, a combination of Korean bestselling music rhythm games DJ Max Portable and DJ Max 2 was coming to the states this November. I suppose I could just download these screens to my PSP and just use them as wallpaper, but what the hell, I'll give the game a chance too.

Look, A...Stella Artois PSP

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 03:30:00 MDT

Don't see how the two go together, really, but hey, I'm not an advertising guru. Fosters - who here in Australia brew Stella Artois under license - have decided to form a sales team specifically geared at shifting more Stella. Which in a country where local beer is the breakfast of champions is a tough sell. So they figured they'd think outside the box, and give all fifty members of the team a limited edition Stella Artois PSP. It's got a Stella graphic on the back, came in a Stella pouch and has a Stella XMB theme. Looks nice! Won the acclaim of advertisers! Pity, then, that all it's going to do is make punters think the PSP tastes like diet cats piss as well.

PSPs replace paper for brand storytelling [Lowe + Rivet, thanks Chrisso!]

New Final Fantasy XIII Agito Screens

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 01:00:00 MDT

Square Enix has released new screenshots of upcoming PSP title Final Fantasy Agito XIII. The game follows students at an academy whose peaceful lives are overturned after their country's boarders are invaded. A plan is hatched to liberate the capital city. Above are three of the game's 12 playable characters. More screens after the jump.

平和な学園生活は終わりを告げる [Famitsu]

Kojima: Metal Gear Acid 'Possible' for PSN

Owen Good — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 11:00:00 MDT

Eurogamer caught up with Hideo Kojima at Games Convention '08 and asked out of the blue if Metal Gear Acid, the PSP-only, turn-based version of the series, would ever arrive on PlayStation Network. Kojima's answer was noncommittal, but not a brush-off either:

"I'll say yes to that idea, but not because it is already running or anything," Kojima told Eurogamer when asked about the possibility of porting the turn-based strategy titles to PSN.

"I'm just saying yes because it's possible, I think it is possible. Sorry to say we don't have specific plans at the moment, but it is possible, yes."

Wikipedia points out that the two games in the Metal Gear Acid series are non-canonical.

MG Acid for PSN "Possible" — Kojima [Eurogamer]

Sony Announces New PSP Wi-Fi Tie-Up

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 02:00:00 MDT

Sony Computer Entertainment Japan announces today that it has partnered with the world's largest global WiFi community FON to roll out FON access points for a free internet browser via the PSPxFON collaborative service. Starting today, there are approximately 44,000 FON spots across the country and something like 2,200 in Tokyo alone. Via the service, it's easy to connect PSPs to download game demos, clips, wallpaper and the like. To mark the beginning of the service, there are downloadable goodies for upcoming PSP title DISSIDIA.

PSP-2001 vs PSP-3000

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:20:00 MDT

Differences between the PSP-2001 (ie the PSP Slim) and the PSP-3000 (ie the new one) may not be as big as those between the Slim and the original, but damnit, there are still differences. Famitsu are the first to compare the new PSP model with its predecessor, and as you can see, the changes are fundamental! Innumerable! Look at those streamlined edges! We'll never be able to play our Slims again, what with the fear being crushed by its blunt, heavy edges. After the jump, a more effective comparison shot, this one showing the difference a new LCD screen can make.

PSP-3000、イチ早く触ってみました！[Famitsu]

Get A Good Look At The New PSP-3000

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:40:00 MDT

Announced yesterday, the PSP-3000 will be the third major iteration of Sony's PlayStation Portable line. So let's take a good look at it! Below are galleries showing the two colours that'll be available in North America: Piano Black and Mystic Silver. As you can see in the pic above, there's a third colour - Pearl White - but that one's only for Europe and Japan. For now, anyways.

LocoRoco 2 Trailer to Listen to

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:00:00 MDT

Sony's PSP title LocoRoco is back with a cleverly named sequel: LocoRoco 2. And it's brought annoyingly catchy music with it! If you watch this trailer at least twice, you'll have that tune stuck in your head all day. Once, even.

GC Presser Round Up: Sony

Adam Barenblat — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:40:00 MDT

We had lots of news from Sony today since they held their press conference at Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany, from a new 160GB Playstation 3 to a touch-sensitive keypad and a new Playstation Portable. Here's what you might have missed.

New Official Details, North American Date For PSP 3000
PlayStation 3 Controller Getting Wireless Keypad
PS3 Firmware Update Lets SingStar Owners Rip PS2-Only Tracks
EyePet Brings Virtual Monchichis To PlayStation 3
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune 160GB PS3 Priced, Dated for North America
PS3 Wireless Keypad Ships This Holiday Season
Free Realms MMO Coming to PlayStation 3
EyePet Brings Virtual Monchichis To PlayStation 3
SCEE Announces VidZone Service for PS3
PlayStation 3 160GB Model Coming To Europe
Sony Announces New PSP Model
'SingStar: Singalong With Disney' Announced For PS2, Exclusive to PAL Territories
Buzz!: Brain Bender announced for PSP

Buzz!: Brain Bender announced for PSP

Jim Reilly — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:00:00 MDT

More and more stuff keeps pouring in over at Leipzig. Sony annonced today Buzz!: Brain Bender will be making it to the PSP this holiday. The game focuses heavily on, well, making you think, which none of us like doing. The full game will offer 16 mini-games and features player modes, such as Challenge, Training, and Test. You'll also be able to battle up to six friends online. Full release with details after the jump

Announcing Buzz!™: Brain Bender on PSP™(PlayStation®Portable) - on show now at Games Convention, Leipzig

Buzz! dons a lab coat and injects his unique style into the brain game genre 16 mini-games to improve memory, observation, calculation and analysis Single player and multiplayer modes for the ultimate brain bending experience Leipzig Games Convention, August 20th, 2008: After giving your quiz reflexes and general knowledge a good workout on Buzz!™: Master Quiz on PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable), Buzz! returns to the handheld entertainment system with Buzz!™: Brain Bender from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. On shelves in time for the Christmas season, Buzz!: Brain Bender sees Buzz! step out of the studio and into the laboratory for a mental workout with all the trademark laughs you’d expect from the Buzz! franchise.

Buzz! Brain Bender will feature on the PlayStation® stand with a playable teaser demo available to give your brain and your sense of humour a workout. The full game will offer sixteen mini-games that test your skills of analysis, observation, memory and calculation including:

Analysis Games: Path Finder: A maze game where players have to quickly decide what path leads to the centre. Power Struggle: A decision game based on who can win “tugs of wars” battles between different vehicles
Observation Games: Match Up: Can you tell how many pairs of contestants there are in a puzzle? Pattern Match: A puzzle style game where players need to identify the correct shapes to fit into a missing grid.
Memory Games: Take Away: A card game where players need to identify the missing cards from a series. Sound Bites: A game based on sounds made by animals or objects. Players have to correctly recall the order they were played out. Calculation Games: Blot Swot: Can you still solve maths puzzles when they’re full of missing numbers? Sliced Up: A game where the player must decide what portion of the food on display hasn’t been eaten.

Buzz!: Brain Bender is designed for both solo and multiplayer fun, with all of the above and more to test yourself, your friends and family. The extensive single player mode has three different ways to enjoy the mini games. Training Mode lets you warm up your brain with a variety of mini games, Challenge Mode gives you all sorts of different objectives to achieve in each category of game and Test Mode allows you to track your progress over a period. Hilarious prizes are awarded based on your brain power output in Kilojoules (kj), for example 700kj is a vacuum cleaner and 1500kj is a juke box.

In a colourful shake-up to the dry science that marks other ‘mental ability’ titles on the market, Buzz!: Brain Bender brings colour, comedy, accessibility, social multiplayer fun and the all-important trademark Buzz! humour to the genre. Up to six people can take each other on in the ‘Brain Battle’ Multiplayer Mode by passing around a single PSP – giving you a sociable gaming experience where the winner can claim victory over his or her opponents

Key features include:-

· Sixteen brain-bending mini games across 4 categories: Analysis, Observation, Memory and Calculation.

· Extensive single-player mode that offers three ways to enjoy the mini games: Training Mode, Test Mode & Challenge Mode

· Multiplayer ‘Brain Battle’ Mode where players take on 6 friends on one PSP passing it around

· Four player profiles can be saved – compare your progress with friends and family

A completely new and different Buzz! experience, Buzz!: Brain Bender reaches parts of the brain that previous Buzz! titles never have before. Let Buzz! test your brain and tickle your funny-bone when Buzz!: Brain Bender is released this Christmas.

SCEE announces VidZone Service For PS3

Jim Reilly — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:40:00 MDT

Playstation 3 owners in Europe, Australia and New Zealand will be the first to get their hands on the Vidzone trial expected the start in early 2009. The free service allows for streaming of music videos directly to play on your PS3 or through your PSP via remote play. Full release after the jump. SCEE has also announced it will be releasing a film, TV and music download service in the future

Music Video Streaming Service Brings the Hottest Music Videos to PS3™
Leipzig Games Convention, 20th August 2008: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) announced today that VidZone™, the online destination for music videos, will deliver their free streaming music video service to PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™). The trial service is scheduled for launch in early 2009 for Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and is sure to be a hit with music lovers everywhere. VidZone’s service allows PS3 owners to watch the best new music videos for free on their PS3 or streamed to their PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) via Remote Play.

VidZone is one of Europe’s leading online music video services, streaming a full playlist of videos from hip-hop to punk and heavy metal to classics. Music lovers can build their own playlists and personalise their VidZone experience to be whatever they choose. All these features and more will be included in the PS3 service, including the option to download songs, music videos and ringtones to a mobile phone for a small charge.

SCEE will be launching a comprehensive film, TV and music download service at a later date.

New Official Details, North American Date For PSP 3000

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:00:20 MDT

Sony Computer Entertainment America has released further information on the new model of the PSP, officially known as the PSP 3000, including when you'll be able to get it stateside. The PSP 3000 model will be available in North America this October, shipping with the previously announced Ratchet & Clank Size Matters entertainment pack, the same one announced at E3 2008.

SCEA officially describes the PSP 3000's new LCD screen as having "a wider color gamut and higher contrast ratio to deliver deeper, more vibrant colors, as well as anti-reflection technology so you can see the screen more clearly when playing outdoors."

As rumored, the PSP 3000 also ships with a smaller metal ring on the back. Picture proof after the jump.

Even the stroke has been slimmed!

SCEA will ship the standalone "Core Pack" version of the PSP 3000 "later this year" for $169.99.

Sony Announces New PSP Model

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:21:39 MDT

SCEE president David Reeves announced at the company's Games Convention press conference that the PSP-3000 would being shipping this Fall, boasting new hardware features over the current PSP Slim and Lite. Featuring a built-in microphone, a new, brighter LCD screen and Skype out of the box, the PSP-3000 is expected to ship to Europe in October.

Visually, the new PSP 3000 is nearly identical to previous iterations.

It will ship with eight bundles, with pack-ins featuring Harry Potter, Buzz Master Quiz and more. Each bundle will be priced at 199 Euros.

Laser Eye Beam FIGHT

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 05:00:00 MDT

Developer Spike is back with another bosozoku adventure. That's right, Kenka Bancho 3 is coming to the PSP. The game, which features a high school gang leader who has a laser eye beam, looks like the PS2 titles that proceeded it. Man, I wish i had a laser eye beam in high school — heck, now even. The game features 2 player ad-hoc play and will be out this November in Japan. So there ya go.

싸움짱 3(Kenka Bancho 3)스크린샷 [VideogamerX via PSPHyper]

Of Course Capcom Can't Quit The PSP

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 07:00:00 MDT

Those Monster Hunter games sure are popular. Over on the Ask Capcom forum, SOME DUDE heard from HIS FRIEND that Capcom would only be making Monster Hunter games, cease production on other titles and port PS2 games to the PSP. To which Capcom mouthpiece Christian Svensson replied:

Absolutely 100 percent false... We're still making new PSP games. We may be the most successful PSP publisher in the world with Monster Hunter Portable 2nd and 2ndG. It'd be a difficult decision to defend stopping development when we have such success on the platform.

So, don't worry SOME DUDE!

Ask Capcom weekly roundup [Capcom via Pocket Gamer] [Pic]

Go!View To Bring Sky Sports Football Highlights To PSP

Stuart Houghton — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:20:00 MDT

Go!View is ushering in the new football season by offering downloadable highlights of the Barclays Premiership (the top level of competitive football/soccer in the UK) on their PSP video-on-demand service.

For a mere five English pounds (or 7 Euros - weirdly, there are no US Dollar prices. Can't think why) you can fill your PSP with 45 minute chunks of footy clips provided by Sky Sports as well as other sporting highlights in the Go!View Sports Pack.

Hit the jump for the full press release, with more details of what will be shown

Barclays Premier League Football available on GO!VIEW

Don’t just talk about the football – re-live it!

Football fans will be thrilled to hear that the best of this season’s Barclays Premier League will be available on GO!VIEW, the video on-demand service for the PlayStation Portable (PSP™). Following the big kick off this weekend, from Sunday 17th August, PSP™ owners will be able to transfer 45 minutes of extended highlights from Sky Sports matches to watch on the go - or wherever they want!

Throughout the new season, GO!VIEW customers will be able to watch a great range of Barclays Premier League football from hundreds of Sky Sports games. Sky Sports will show 92 Live Barclays Premier League games this season and a further 242 ‘near live’ matches, ensuring that all GO!VIEW customers will be able to access games involving their favourite Premier League team.

In addition, highlights from the season’s best games so far will also be available ongoing from October for fans to transfer to their PSP™ so they can relive the highs and lows of the current campaign.

The football content on GO!VIEW is available as part of the monthly ‘Sports’ subscription packs which offers content from across the sporting world, and includes cricket, golf, boxing and extreme sports. New GO!VIEW customers can get a one month trial subscription to the Sports Pack as well - as the two other Subscription Packs; Comedy and Entertainment - absolutely free!

In addition to the subscription packs, selected Movies to Rent and Latest TV to Rent can be transferred via the rental service on GO!VIEW. Subscription packs are priced at £5 (€7) for 1 pack, £8 (€11) for 2 packs and £10 (€14) for all three packs and with everyone who registers for the service at www.goview.tv receiving a free month’s subscription, there’s no better time to be a PSP owner!

www.goview.tv

GO!VIEW is a joint venture between Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Sky who have established the joint venture ‘GO!VIEW Entertainment UK’. This is being used to bring the PSP video-on-demand to market in the UK, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands & the Isle of Man. Sky is providing their expertise in building successful video-on-demand platforms as well as content acquisition. Sony Computer Entertainment is providing the marketing for the service.

No Format Shifting For PlayTV

Stuart Houghton — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:20:00 MDT

US-based PS3 owners who were annoyed that Sony's PlayTV TV recorder won't be coming to NTSC-land can cheer up a bit. Sony has decided to redress the balance by making the PlayTV rubbish.

When we first heard about the PlayTV's ability to record TV while you played it sounded great and the decision to allow 'format shifting' of recordings to other devices was a real sea-change for the usually clenched Sony.

Sadly, it is back to tense-buttocked business as usual. Sony has announced that PlayTV owners will now only be able to stream recordings to a PSP using Remote Play. No reason, just because, although the usual concerns about intellectual property and loss of advertising revenue will doubtless be trotted out at some point.

Talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory...

PlayTV saved files no longer transferable [EuroGamer]

PlayStation Store Update: Rearmed

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:40:15 MDT

This week's North American PlayStation Store update is led (and dominated) by Bionic Commando: Rearmed. The high-def remake of the NES classic is now available for PlayStation 3 owners, bringing with it a demo, gameplay trailers, wallpapers and themes. The Store also got a kick in the pants in the game video section, with new (aka "new") trailers for Madden, Mirror's Edge and, unfortunately, Vampire Rain. For the full list, hit the jump. Or attach your bionic arm to the nearest hyperlink and swing past it.

Games and Demos
Bionic Commando Rearmed ($9.99)
Street Fighter Alpha ($5.99)
Bionic Commando: Rearmed demo
1942: Joint Strike demo
NHL 2K9 demo
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2009 demo

Expansions and Add-ons
Rock Band downloadable tracks
* “Constant Motion" by Dream Theater ($0.99)
* “Aesthetics of Hate" by Machine Head ($0.99)
* “My Curse" by Killswitch Engage ($0.99)
* “Clouds Over California" by DevilDriver ($0.99)
* “Runnin’ Wild" by Airbourne ($0.99)
* “Sleepwalker" by Megadeth ($0.99)

Roadrunner Records Pack 1 ($5.99) - includes “Runnin’ Wild" by Airbourne, “Clouds Over California" by DevilDriver, “Constant Motion" by Dream Theater, “My Curse” -Killswitch Engage, “Aesthetics of Hate" by Machine Head , and “Sleepwalker" by Megadeth.

Game Videos
The Last Guy "Gameplay" trailer
Bionic Commando: Rearmed: The Making Of Part 3
Bionic Commando: Rearmed Launch trailer
Saints Row 2 – Gangs trailer
Vampire Rain Gameplay trailer 1
Vampire Rain Running Alley trailer
Legendary Behind the Scenes Teaser trailer
Madden NFL 09 Buzz Video
Madden NFL 09 Announcers Video
Madden NFL 09 Presentation Video
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 : Fusion
Mirror’s Edge Story trailer 1
AST Dew Tour - Cleveland FMX Jam Session
AST Dew Tour - Cleveland Skate Thrills
AST Dew Tour - Cleveland BMX Highlights
AST Dew Tour - Hear it from Nyquist

Wallpapers and Themes
Bioshock theme
Bionic Commando: Rearmed themes
Bionic Commando: Rearmed wallpapers

Patapon and Oblivion Get Budget Priced In Japan

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 04:00:00 MDT

Sony Computer Entertainment announced two new entries in its "the Best" series: Patapon for PSP the Best and Oblivion for PLAYSTATION 3 the Best. Patapon is out September 25th for ¥2,8000 (US$26) and Oblivion is out September 4th for ¥3,800 ($35). Wonder if you can get them cheaper used...

PSP Gets A Ten-Year Plan As Well

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 03:30:00 MDT

Know this, industry followers: Sony aren't kidding around when they say the PS3 will have a ten-year shelf life. They mean it. It's hard-wired company policy, that comes straight from the top. What's not so widely known, however, is that it's a policy that is being applied to all PlayStation products. Which, yeah, includes the PS2 (which is nearly there), but also the PSP. Sony's Scott Steinberg:

We do not have a planned obsolescence strategy [for the PSP]. Whether it's Skype or some other peripherals, it's not just a dumb terminal that lies secluded and isn't enhanced with all the recent technologies and opportunities.

Did he...did he just call the DS a "dumb terminal"?

SCEA's Steinberg On 'Future-Proofing' A Ten-Year PS3 [Gamasutra]

Is This Japan-Only PSP Peripheral A Fire Hazard?

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 04:00:00 MDT

Word has it that PSP add-on camera peripheral Chotto Shot runs hot. Quite hot, it seems. Apparently, a PSP Fanboy reader tried to purchase the peripheral, but got the following warning from the retailer:

Due to a safety issue and high defect rate, we are issuing a product recall to anyone who has purchased a PSP Chotto Shot Camera after July 1st, 2008. Even though these units have been tested, we have been getting reports that some of these units have been running extremely hot, and have emitted a burning smell from the unit. An already dangerous and unfortunate situation, this could lead to the even more serious event of a fire starting from the unit.

The retailer added that the manufacturer is aware of the problem. A quick online search shows that the Japan-only Chotto Shot seems to be out of stock at places like Play-Asia, so maybe they're waiting for the newer, don't-smell-like-burning units.

PSP camera, Chotto Shot, may be a safety hazard [PSP Fanboy via Dtoid]

Ex-SCEE Boss Says Sony, Nintendo To Win Console War In Dead Heat

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:20:31 MDT

Former Sony Computer Entertainment Europe bossman Chris Deering is back from the future. The ex-SCEE and current Edinburgh Interactive Festival chairman has declared the winner of the current hardware wars, bravely going on record at the the Edinburgh Interactive Festival to pick both Sony and Nintendo as co-winners of the bloody battle.

Predicting a worldwide install base of a half billion hardware units by 2011 and using the combined powers of math, analysis and good ol' fashion "can do" attitude, Deering puts the Wii in first place on the current gen console side, at 80 million strong. Just behind that by 10 million? The PlayStation 3. With all hardware accounted for from the two camps — Wii, DS, PS3, PS2, PSP — they'll both tie for first

Yes, poor Microsoft will be twiddling it's thumbs in third, if Deering's predictions — really a mutation of Screen Digest and IDG's predictions — pan out. The Redmond giant will sell just half of what Nintendo's Wii will, with the Xbox 360 already half-way to its expected total tally of 40 million.

Sony and Nintendo will tie in hardware race, says former SCEE boss [GamesIndustry.biz]