Hacking the PSP Blog

Off Topic: Airhockey Over a Distance

If you think video conferencing is reserved for stale meetings that serve little purpose aside from burning up your time, Airhockey Over a Distance aims to ice that perspective. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) created the table (or should we say, "tables") to showcase the "power of advanced networking" and joins a host of other wild ways to get your game on. The table plays like your average air hockey match, except the opponent's half is in another location, and replacing your ferocious counterpart is a screen with a live video feed of him / her and a fancy puck-ejecting system. Sensors at the midway point of the table detect the angle, speed, and trajectory of the not-exactly-oncoming puck, and instructs the mechanism how and where to fire the disc -- you slap it back, and the same sequence happens on your compadre's end. Because this was crafted solely to show the wonders of "computer-mediated human-to-human interaction," there's currently no plans to take this prototype into sports bars or internet cafés, but one question still remains: what happens if the puck gets hung at center ice?

Darren Murph
July 31, 2006

Source: engadget

Entertainment Software Association Announces Evolution of E3Expo for 2007

Washington, DC (July 31, 2006) – To better address the needs of today’s global computer and video game industry, the 2007 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3Expo) is evolving into a more intimate event focused on targeted, personalized meetings and activities, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced today.

“The world of interactive entertainment has changed since E3Expo was created 12 years ago.  At that time we were focused on establishing the industry and securing orders for the holiday season,” said Douglas Lowenstein, President of the ESA, the trade association representing U.S. computer and video game publishers and the owner of E3Expo.  “Over the years, it has become clear that we need a more intimate program, including higher quality, more personal dialogue with the worldwide media, developers, retailers and other key industry audiences.”

 The new E3Expo will take shape over the next several months.  As currently envisioned, it will still take place in Los Angeles, described by ESA as a “great and supportive partner helping to build E3.”  It will focus on press events and small meetings with media, retail, development, and other key sectors.  While there will be opportunities for game demonstrations, E3Expo 2007 will not feature the large trade show environment of previous years.

“E3Expo remains an important event for the industry and we want to keep that sense of excitement and interest, ensuring that the human and financial resources crucial to its success can be deployed productively to create an exciting new format to meet the needs of the industry. The new event ensures that there will be an effective and more efficient way for companies to get information to media, consumers, and others,” said Lowenstein.

 Additionally, the evolution of the video game industry into a vibrant and expanding global market has led to the creation of major events in different regions, such as the Games Convention in Leipzig, the Tokyo Game Show, and company-specific events held by Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft, and others around the world.  As a result, Lowenstein said, “It is no longer necessary or efficient to have a single industry ‘mega-show’.  By refocusing on a highly-targeted event, we think we can do a better job serving our members and the industry as a whole, and our members are energized about creating this new E3.”

Additional details about the new E3Expo event will be forthcoming in the next few months.

The ESA is the U.S. association dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of the companies publishing interactive games for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers, and the Internet. ESA members collectively account for more than 90 percent of the $7 billion in entertainment software sales in the U.S. in 2005, and billions more in export sales of entertainment software. For more information about the ESA, please visit www.theESA.com.

Source: Entertainment Software Industry (ESA)

5 Really Strange (but cool!) PSP and DS Hacks

TechEBlog has a list of "strange" PSP and DS hacks...

Among the oddities are:

1. CollecTic Interactive Game (PSP) - Walk around and get points for finding WiFi spots with your PSP.
2. DS Lite Camera - A DIY project for building your own camera for the Nintendo DS.
3. PSP Robot Remote - Netoo's PSP-based remote control for a robot.
4. PSP Motion Sensor - Play Mercury by tilting the PSP.
5. Nintendo DS Robot - A robot with a DS as its brain.

Check out all the hacks with videos here!

Thanks to Josh for the heads up!

Scarface Skips 360, Goes To PSP

Well, that's strange, but not unappreciated... Apparently Scarface will be a no-show on the XBox 360, but *will* come to the PSP. Well, we're outselling them anyway.

Read the full article here.

MPH Resurfaces... 7-Zip Ported to the PSP

A note from PSPUpdates:



These days, with the functionality of the PSP blown wide open with all the downgraders and hacks, I'm sure a lot of you people have been wondering what MPH was up to. After some of his revolutionary releases like the 2.0 Downgrader and the GTA game loader, a lot of people would be expecting something big.

Well, MPH isn't one to disappoint. He has just successfully ported the LZMA archiving format to the PSP, or more popularly known as the 7-Zip format. Originally created by Igor Pavlov for multiple platforms, this archiving format has been gathering a lot of momentum, and second, only to the RAR format. I've used it a lot and the compression this format allows is simply great.

And Igor Pavlov would be pretty proud to know that another great programmer has just ported his compression format to the PSP. Although it currently only extracts a file called archive.7z in the root of the Memory Stick, it's pretty much guaranteed that in the coming weeks, this will be made into a proper full-fledged application. If not by MPH, then by someone else, because the source code has been released along with the proof-of-concept binary! Heck, I'd love to have it made into an IRShell plugin. Oh well, it depends on Ahman I guess.

Anyways, you can check out for yourself, the final results of what MPH has been busy with for a long time.

Download it here.
And if you want the source code, you can get it here.

E3 Going the Way of the DoDo Bird?

I find this hard to believe, but maybe it's true... Comdex deserved its fate, but E3? -Auri


Say it ain't so! One of the most important technology and entertainment trade shows in the world, E3, has apparently been killed -- at least according to Next Generation. Apparently trustworthy sources have been in touch and gave them the word that publishers are getting tired of spending millions of dollars to one up each other in front of the press and retailers, and might prefer to use that money to better their own campaigns and smaller, more focused shows instead of grandstanding on the E3 show floor. The firestorm that supposedly led to the impending collapse of E3 may have been brought on by a number of large exhibitors jumping ship, which caused smaller companies to do the same (we'll save the finger pointing for now). Frankly, in our opinion the whole matter is a double edged sword. Yes, massive industry events are often better at sorting companies with and without stellar marketing budgets than the wheat from the chaff, so to speak, but it's also a necessary evil. It's simply not always feasible for hundreds of companies to round up retail professionals and game journalists the world over to show off new product in bits and pieces throughout the year every year -- which is why we have massive shows like CTIA, E3, CES, CeBIT, etc. Then again, we shouldn't get too ahead of ourselves here; the death of E3 has yet to be confirmed (and might be greatly exaggerated), so we'll have to wait until Monday before we can expect to hear either way from the Entertainment Software Association, the organization we hope won't be burying our second favorite show of like, all time.

Read the full article here.

Source: Joystiq via Engadget

Off Topic: A few more Wii details on the table?

A quick article from Engadget with more Wii specs:

Yet more unconfirmed gaming news today, this time on the Wii front; Maxconsole is claiming a Wii developer hooked them up with a slew of deets on the Wii's hardware, some of which does and does not jibe with things we've been hearing over the past year. They're claiming will be comprised of a 729MHz CPU ("Broadway), a 243MHz GPU ("Hollywood," which is supposed no different than the GameCube GPU, just faster), 64MB of GDDR3 RAM, 4.7 or 8.51GB single/double-sided disc drive, and optional Ethernet adapter. Apparently the Wii's I/O options will also be as follows: SD card slot, two USB 2.0, WiFi, four GameCube controller ports, two GameCcube memory card slots, and an analog-only AV multi output jack. That's all well and good, but we're kind of beyond the point of obsessing over the specs on this thing, you know? We know it's not doing high def, and Nintendo's not exactly making a big stink about what a performer the Wii's going to be. So for right now you could say we're a little more bent on getting a release date and official price more than anything else.

Read the full article here.

Top 10 Sony PSP Games - Week of July 29, 2006

And heeeeeeeeeere are the top PSP games, based on Epinions.com's results:

1. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (I wonder how the patched version will affect this rating)
2. FIFA Soccer '06
3. Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade
4. Need for Speed Underground: Rivals
5. Ridge Racer
6. Tiger Woods PGA Tour
7. Dragonball Z: Shin budokai
8. Def Jam Fight for NY
9. Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition
10. Burnout Legends

Source: Epinions.com

Flash Competition Closing - Last Chance for Entries!

It's finally that time of the month, and we will be closing our competition in roughly 12 hours from the time that this is published. For those of you who are not aware, or somehow missed out on our first announcement, you have 12 hours to make a flash portal or application/game by the end of the day. You can read about the contest in our previous coverage including the prizes and requirements.

So far we have a handful of entries; something of which I'm hoping will increase in quantity over the next few hours! So, if you just simply forgot about this contest and never made an entry, you can make an attempt still - just might want to work on it as if your life is on the line! The voting will actually begin on July 30th and will last for exactly 1 week. In this one week's time, you can go over to our forums and vote for your favorite entry. I will also be making another reminder for everyone the middle of next week just in case you forget. So, good luck to all those who have submitted or plan to submit, and may the best man (or woman) win!

Submissions ONLY: [Here]
Discuss: [Here]

Source: PSPUpdates

Out of this World Ported to PSP (SWEET!)

I *LOVED* this game when I was in my teens... played it all the time on my Apple IIGS. At that time, it was ported by "Burger Bill" Heineman (sp?), who also ported Wolfenstein 3D to the IIGS. If you think 333 MHz is a barrier, try 2.6 (although lots of us had ZipGSX and TransWarp accelerators). This is great news, and a friggin' sweet game! Check it out! -Auri

The Eric Chahi-developed Out of this World (known as Another World in some countries) may not be the most famous game around, but it certainly made its mark in the gaming community for introducing a cinematic style and feel to computer games. Originally created for Amiga, Atari ST, and DOS platform and finding its way to Mega-CD, 3DO, and Windows later on, Out of this World was able to create a sort of cult following with its groundbreaking graphics, sound, cutscenes, and in-game events.

If you were one of those mesmerized by the game before, or if you're starting to wonder just what made this game a popular title during its release, I'm pretty sure you're now clamoring for it to find its way to this generation's console. Unfortunately, no such thing is being made public as of the moment - but one lucky soul by the name of gawd is able to play with Out of this World on his PSP.

gawd has ported Out of This World to PSP but due to some circumstances is unable to share either the binaries or source of his unofficial, coded-by-himself version of the game. His Out of This World game currently has faulty 16bit sound samples but there's only one logic bug left making it "almost completable". Using his "unlimited bragging rights", he now shares with us some images of his Out of this World port...evil, evil as he perfectly knows we can't get our hands on it.

Maybe we should all start praying now to the video game gods to grant us the same wonderful privilege gawd is enjoying...or we can just sit back and forever envy gawd. Which do you prefer? I'd easily go for the first, especially since gawd leaves us with a hopeful, "I might be able to squeeze out a binary only PS2/PSP elf/iso of the 3DO version".

Source: PS2Dev via PSPUpdates

PSP Magazine Issue #01 Released

There are just some things that you can only express in your language and German PSP gamers will go wild over this news. Experiement1106, has sent us word about their release of the first ever issue of PSP Magazine #01. Their initial serving covers all PSP essentials from Lua Player 2.0, Pimp Streamer and homebrews. Even though I'm a non-German speaker, I truly enjoyed browsing through the nice layout and colorful images that comes along with each article.

He has this to say for everyone:

Hope the People outside like this Version when you have comments about that feel free and visit us. Ok thats enough we hope in future we go better and better.....

Viel Glück!

Download it here.

Source: PSPUpdates

News Flash: Daedalus R7's Bug Has Been Fixed

StrmnNrmn's Daedalus R7 seems to be a series of ups and downs. First, we were given the good news on how much the speed has increased, Justin B. even had it in bold letters on his previous article. But there was also the piece of bad news about a persistent bug that made Mario 64 unplayable. Like I said, a series of ups and downs, so you know what's coming.

Just recently, StrmnNrmn announced in his blog that this nasty bug has already been fixed. He said that it was "due to very rare situations where the trace recorder would exit a trace when there was still a branch delay instruction pending. This caused the fragment generator to inadvertently skip the branch instruction, causing the odd behaviour I was seeing."

He indicated a 20%-25% increase in overall speed this time. Given that he hasn't yet implemented all the optimizations he has lined up for the R7.

Scene	R4 Framerate (Hz)	R5 Framerate (Hz)	Current Framerate (Hz)
Mario Head	#@%!194#@%!	6	8
Mario Main Menu	14	25	30
Mario Peach Letter	6-7	11	13
Mario Flyby (under bridge)	6	10	12
Mario In Game	5-6	9	11
Mario Kart Nintendo logo	10	23	24
Mario Kart Flag 6	6	11	13
Mario Kart Menu 7	7	11	13

Source: PSPUpdates

Russia's PSP Extreme Magazine Issue #3 Out Now

Not to be outdone by the Germans on their recent release of the first issue of their very own PSP Magazine, the Russians have also released their take on the PSP Mag. Nobody here at the QJ HQ actually speaks Russian, but we definitely enjoyed the solid layout of the magazine. The choice of graphics is exceptional as well, and even if you don't speak Russian, you might still have a blast browsing through this lush magazine.  

They currently have three issues of PSP Extreme Magazine out, which include the latest PSP news , cheat codes, wallpapers, reviews and more.

Download it here.



Source: PSPUpdates

PSP is a Planetarium

Non-games have taken us on adventures in brain training, English and even cooking. Now, the genre is shooting for the stars with Sega's latest offering, Homestar: 21st Century Navigator.

Homestar brings a planetarium to your PSP. The title features five million stars, viewable under a variety of options. You can select to view all the way up to magnitude 16, although if that's too cluttered, you're free to focus on only the bright order 1 and 2 stars. You can also chose to view natural phenomenon, with the title recreating eclipses and Aurora effects in accordance with statistical data.

As far as edutainment games are concerned, Homestar seems to stray towards the "edu" side of things. In addition to selecting different stellar bodies such as galaxies and planets for a closer visual look, you also have access to textual descriptions of everything. The software even provides background details on the history of the constellations.

The "tainment" side of things comes from the included Fantasy Theater mode. In this mode, you view a scripted tour of the planets and stars, with voiced narration filling in the details. The title includes over 15 chapters.

In developing Homestar, Sega has enlisted the help of world renowned planetarium creator Takayuki Ohira, who developed the famous Mega Star series. His role in Homestar is as supervisor, continuing the tradition of non-games having supervisors outside the game industry overseeing their production. Serving as producer at Sega is veteran Tetsuo Shinyu, who previously worked on Hundred Sword, Derbu Tsuku and Nouryoku Trainer (a PSP version of Brain Age).

Homestar is set for Japanese release on 10/19 at a budget price of 3,280 yen. The title has yet to be announced for US release.

Anoop Gantayat
July 27, 2006

Source: IGN

UK Gets PSP Download Kiosks

Sony is bringing its free PSP hotspot download service to the UK [today].

UK Retailers GAME, HMV, Virgin, and Gamestation are teaming up with Sony to offer PlayStation Spot kiosks in hundreds of store locations.

By bringing your PSP into one of these stores, you'll be able to download and try out a selection of playable game demos. Each location will offer anywhere from six to eight different downloads.

To find the PlayStation Spot kiosk nearest to you, you can visit the Official PlayStation Spot site.

Frank Provo
July 27, 2006

Source: PSX Extreme

2.80 Blowout: The Aftermath

PSP FanBoy has posted an editorial from Andrew Yoon about the advantages and pitfalls of Sony's new 2.80 firmware for the PSP. Andrew makes some interesting points about the update but keep in mind that this is an editorial and represents the opinion of the author. Read on below to see what he had to say about it.


While homebrew may be a hot topic, it's clear that most people use the PSP the way Sony wants us to. We got nearly twice as much traffic today on a day with this new firmware than we did yesterday. What does that mean? I think it means that people are genuinely interested in updating their PSPs and getting the most out of them.

The Good:

• Getting new firmware is a great deal to the consumer. When I bought a PSP at launch for $250, it couldn't browse the web, or download demos. Through these firmware upgrades, Sony has increased the value of the system over time. The addition of video podcasting is absolutely fantastic. It was a bit cumbersome to add media to the system, but now being able to download files wirelessly is fantastic.
• Sony's finally getting the message that we don't want to deal with their messed up video naming conventions. Folders are now smart: they're called "VIDEO" "MUSIC" and "PHOTO". Being able to put humanly named files into the video section is excellent. Supporting iPod video is yet another step in the right direction. Will I ever PSP Video 9 again? Most likely not. I will just use QuickTime Pro, or happily use the tons of iPod-formatted video out on the web.
• AOSS support. This is not really talked about, but what a life-saver. If you have compatible hardware, there's no need to input insanely long WEP or WPA keys or SSIDs. Just press a button and you have wireless communication. This is utter simplicity ... and it's something the DS has had since the beginning of their Wi-Fi service.

The Bad:

• Sony of America. You completely messed up the World Tour Soccer 2 demo you promised. If it's available on the UK site, why not on the US one as well? Also, why did it take the web team so long to make the system update available online? A lot of people don't have wi-fi connections to utilize. Clearly, Sony of Japan and the UK know what they're doing, but Sony of America worries me. Notice how we don't have a white PSP yet?
• Downloading demos now is still unintuitive. Why can't we have a folder called "GAME" and just dump one file. There's no reason why we should be naming folders ULUS4576 or something like that. It's not too hard, but not everyone thinks like a computer programmer.
• The PSP's video support is infintely better now. It can still get a lot better. Why don't MAQ and M4V files work in the "VIDEO" folder? That seems like a glaring oversight.

Things for firmware 2.81 :

• As much as I'd like to see Sony offer full 480x272 video on our PSPs, that's not going to happen any time soon. However, I want them to get rid of that glitch that makes PSP videos unplayable in the PSP's new "VIDEO" folder. All video files should be able to go in there without any thinking at all.
• Software RSS. I bet we're going to see an RSS feed from Sony that lets you download demos/games directly to your PSP. That's the next step. Think about the current RSS interface, and then imagine downloading game demos with that interface.
• Streaming RSS video. It takes absolutely forever to download a long movie. Why not let us stream it like you let us stream audio? The next firmware will hopefully introduce RSS video streaming.
• Music playlists. You may see m3u files in the video folder when downloading from a podcast. I think this is a hint that full m3u compatibility is coming ... soon. I almost guarantee that'll be in the next firmware revision.

Andrew Yoon
July 27, 2006

Source: PSP FanBoy

PSP Batteries And Other Accessories On Sale At Kmart

Users on Fat Wallet are reporting that K-Mart has PSP batteries and other accessories for dirt cheap. After checking online at Kmart.com, these deals appear to be in-store only. Users are reporting the deals at stores all over the US so stop by your local store and have a look! PSP batteries seem to be marked at $8 and others are getting the car charger for $3!!! Hurry to your local store before they're sold out!

PSP System Update 2.80 Released

As Sony promised, they have released their 2.80 firmware update for the PSP. While they haven't updated the US Playstation website with the system update and change log yet, 0okm was able to track down the US, EU, UK, Australia/New Zealand and Japan eboots and they're posted on QJ's PSPUpdates. Here is a list of changes made in this release:

Network
RSS Channel viewer now supposts video and image content.
Now possible to login to Location Free via a wireless access point.

Music
Support for AAC files with ".3gp" extension.

Misc
Play and save content in "MUSIC," PICTURE," and "VIDEO" directories on the Memory Stick Duo.
Adding the next downloadable game demo to the "Memory Stick Duo".

Download the eboots from QJ.NET if you wish to update your PSP to 2.80.
PSP System Update v2.80 US
PSP System Update v2.80 EU
PSP System Update v2.80 UK
PSP System Update v2.80 Japan
PSP System Update v2.80 Australia/New Zealand

Multi-Firmware Module Coming for TA-082 Motherboards

With the 2.50-2.60 downgraders and custom firmwares coming out in the past few weeks, TA-082 owners have been standing by, unable to get in on the action; at least not without ending up with a bricked PSP. Well, now there's hope for those cursed (or maybe not cursed for much longer) TA-082 PSP users. Homebrew developer 0okm has stated in his blog that was able to successfully use his multi-firmware module on his TA-082 motherboard. Since 0okm is one of the very few PSP hackers to actually create his own modchip, he can test his creations without the fear of a brick. 0okm says in his post: "PSP Multi Firmware module will support TA-082 on NEXT Ver. so if your TA-082 PSP is FW2.50 or FW2.60 don't update !!! :P" So for all of you TA-082 owners, be on the lookout for the next version of 0okm's multi-firmware module!

View the post here.

Source: PSPUpdates

Daedalus R6 Compatibility List

wally4000 has composed a compatibility list of Nintendo 64 ROMs for Strmnnrmn's Daedalus R6. Some of the games have screenshots listed with them along with comments and framerates. Not all of the games in the list have been tested at this point but it's a work in progress. At least it gives you somewhat of an idea of which games do and don't work with Strmnnrmn's emulator.

Check out the list here.

Epsilon BIOS Updated to v1.1

Just a few days into its first release, the Epsilon BIOS core has been updated to v1.1. For those who don't know, Epsilon was and still is one of the most compelling reasons to buy the Undiluted Platinum modchip.

Apart from fixing problems in their ISO loader, the only new update is in the form of a bugfix. In their own words, "Fixed a bug which made it impossible to remove game saves from XMB." And while we do not support the use of pirated backups, as a news source, we feel obligated to inform Undiluted Platinum owners that compatibility issues with several games has been resolved, although there are still titles which do not work properly.

Source: PSPUpdates

Joystiq interviews Sony PSP's John Koller

Robert Summa with Joystiq recently sat down with Sony's senior product manager for the PSP, John Koller. In the interview they talk about tomorrow's 2.80 firmware release, PS1 game downloads, support of the UMD format, competition from Nintendo's DS Lite and more. You can read the full text of the interview here.

PSP UMD Tools Leaked

Somehow the PSP UMD Tools (also known as UMD Composer) used by licensed developers have apparently found their way onto the Internet this week. If you aren't sure what PSP UMD Tools are, they're the tools used by licensed developers in order to actually create PSP UMDs. The 10.8MB archive contains System File Editor v1.0, UMD Image Checker v1.10, UMD Image Generator v1.2.7, UMD Stream Composer v1.5, and UMD Stream Viewer v1.5. Although it is not yet been confirmed that these are the actual UMD Tools used by developers and not some non-Sony mock-up, it's pretty certain that the files have been leaked from the official SDK.

With these applications you can create both PMF Files, and MPS (UMD Video) files, but as most of the release notes and readme's are in Japanese, you probably haven't got a chance making a UMD for yourself. The files all come packaged with PDF files that act as the readme files with instructions on how to use each of the applications. As these tools are highly illegal, we cannot host or link to any sites with the downloads on, but you can be sure somebody from Sony will be getting a firm telling off for this if they are the real Sony deal.

NOTE: Do NOT post any links to the files in the comments for this post or the forums.

Source: PSPUpdates


Screenshot from QJ.net


Screenshot from QJ.net


Screenshot from QJ.net


Screenshot from QJ.net

"Greatest Hits" coming to PSP

Sony announced today that a "Greatest Hits" collection is coming to the PSP with titles being re-released in shiny new plastic and a budget price of $19.99. Starting today you can get Wipeout Pure, Twisted Metal: Head On, Ape Escape: On the Loose, ATV Offroad Fury: Blazin' Trails, and Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee on the cheap.

The company also said that third-party "Greatest Hits" titles will come later this year including Lumines, Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade, Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix, Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition, and Star Wars Battlefront II.

You say "Greatest Hits" but the only thing we hear is "discount" baby.

Blake Snow
July 25, 2006

Source: Joystiq

Sony's connect.com Site updated with PSP browser compatibility

Sony has recently updated their Sony Connect website for viewing on the PSP. Content on the site located at psp.connect.com is available to the masses, with everything from cars to TV shows to game trailers available on the site in PSP video format. The amazing thing is that the downloads appear to be in ZIP form, but I guess that works differently when accessing it through a PSP than a PC, allowing you to download them in MP4 format.

This update to the Sony connect website is probably in preparation for the next PSP firmware upgrade, which could contain Video RSS feeds. This would make sense as all of the content on psp.connect.com is organised into channels just for you! Whether you're a petrolhead or just a fan of the TV show Rescue Me, there's something for you to download and watch on your PSP throughout the holiday season.



Description Source: PSPUpdates

GTA Vice City Stories confirmed for PSP

Rockstar has put a date to its next installment of its Grand Theft Auto games although other details about gameplay and missions are still thin on the ground.

Fans of the series need to book off the weekend of the 20 October and make sure they own a PSP.

Why? Because Grand Theft Auto Vice City Stories will be available for the PSP on the 20 October in the UK.

Scheduled for release in the US on October 17th and heading to Europe on the 20th, the PSP title is being developed by Rockstar Leeds - the same studio responsible for the commercially successful Liberty City Stories - and will be priced at $49.99 and £34.99 in the UK.

Vice City Stories is the second title to be released by Rockstar for the PSP in the hugely successful series.

Liberty City Stories has been recently ported to the PS2, and although there is no confirmation as yet, you can probably expect the same in for Vice City Stories as well.




Stuart Miles
July 25, 2006

Source: Pocket-lint

Sony Loses Developer Relations Manager DeLoura

In a high-profile personnel loss for Sony, Gamasutra has learned that the company's longstanding Manager of Developer Relations at Sony Computer Entertainment America, Mark DeLoura, has departed the firm for a new technical director position at Ubisoft North America.

DeLoura, who is well-respected within the industry and serves on the Game Developers Conference advisory board, has chosen to leave his position in the months leading up to the PlayStation 3's release, and the move is likely to spark new concerns about the readiness of Sony for the November launch date.

The former editor-in-chief of Game Developer magazine and lead development support engineer at Nintendo of America is now technical director for Ubisoft North America in San Francisco, and is responsible for ensuring the technical quality of all third-party developed titles published by Ubisoft in North America.

The new Ubisoft job entails examining technical design documents when titles are proposed, technical analysis of game studios Ubisoft may work with, and co-ordination with platform manufacturers and middleware vendors, and is thus not unlike much of the liaison work DeLoura was striving to accomplish at Sony. However, his reasons for leaving the PlayStation 3 creator have not been made public.

This is the second high-profile loss for Sony over the past couple of months, with Sony Computer Entertainment America's senior director of communications and brand development Molly Smith resigning from the company in June - Smith had served as SCEA's central PR figure since 1994 and the launch of the original PlayStation.

Simon Carless
July 24, 2006

Source: Gamasutra

What Sony Has In Store For PSP

Sony is taking its fight to the streets in the ongoing portable gaming market. While Nintendo hold the lion's share of the market, Sony has a few tricks up its sleeve to make the PSP experience a better one for gamers.

During Comic Con 2006 at Sony's PSP University in San Diego, the company announced that the PSP can be used as a remote for the upcoming PlayStation 3 console. Other shared functionality will be available between the two devices, but no other details were given. Sony is also in listening to users wanting more WiFi access and is in deals with services providers to provide more hotspots for the PSPs. Sony is also planning to bulk up its online Sony Connect service by adding movie downloads to the equation. This would be in addition to UMD and the MemoryStick Entertainment Pack.

The company has also announced a number of upcoming games coming to the platform including US Navy SEALS and Gangs of London. Interestingly enough, the company is still supporting its failed UMD format. The company announced that two cult favorites are coming to UMD: Office Space and Napoleon Dynamite. Other notables include RSS Video feed support in an upcoming firmware update and the company’s decision not to add improved methods of text entry or external keyboards for the unit.

All in all, it looks as though Sony is doing its best to make the PSP more visible and make it an even better platform. The fact that UMD is still kicking around is a bit surprising given its plans for the MemoryStick Entertainment Pack and online movie downloads, but stranger things have happened.

Brandon Hill
July 24, 2006

Source: DailyTech

DIY: PSP, GPS Connection

Deniska's Ports for PSP has a post about a do-it-yourself GPS receiver for the PSP. All of the supplies cost about $130 and it doesn't look too hard to build. Check out the instructions below from their post.


Here is a farely simple way to connect your PSP to a GPS receiver:



You'll need:

- Holux GPSlim236 (~$100)
- Intec G6704 PSP Remote Control (~$11). Alternatively you can rip the connector of your original remote control.
- USB (Mini B) cable ($5-10) (don't use the included USB power cable)
- 1K 1/4watt resistor (>$1)
- Electric tape ($2 roll)

Tools:
- Soldering iron
- Multimeter (for checking the connector pins, alternatively you can use just a circuit made out of a low voltage bulb and a battery)
- Razor blade (to cut and clean stuff)


Basically, you just need to cut the USB cable and PSP remote plug, figure out which wires go to the connector pins, listed below, and connect them according to the diagram:




Use caution when connecting the wires, make sure all of them are carefully insulated. You don't want to short any of them, since this may brick your PSP or GPS device.
Also, GPSlim 236 spec says that the TXD voltage may range from 3.2 to 5 V, so 1K resistor may not be enough to lower the voltage in some cases. So buy a few resistors: 5k,3k,2k,1k and see if your circuit works with a bigger value resistor first..

Once your cable is finished, test your setup with a little GPS viewer program that I wrote:

http://deniska.dcemu.co.uk/bin/gps_viewer.zip
The source code is included in the zip...
Note, the program is written to work in kernel mode, so I doubt that it will work on 2+ fw..
Perhaps someone can look in to how to adjust it...

Here is the screenshoot:


So, waht's the point you ask? I am planning to plug this in to the upcoming map viewer applcation, which, of course will be able to point your gps location on a google-like map in real time... and scroll the map as you move along...

Special thanks to Art and futaris for helpping me out with serial port comm problems...

Almost forgot a disclaimer: As always, I am not responsible for any damages...

Source: Deniska's Ports for PSP

Off-Topic: Microsoft Unveils Wireless Music Player + iPod Killer Strategy

So Microsoft may be the first to a mass-market wireless media device... well, after Sony's PSP, that is... Microsoft's product will be named Zune (at least, for now). I actually believe they can pull it off. They already have a great start on the name - it's not Wii.

Check out the article on CNet here.

PSP homebrew meets the rest of the world

PSPUpdates potsed about an article in T3 magazine about the homebrew software development on the PSP, making mention of ever popular PSPUpdates. Finally, PSP homebrew is getting wide recognition!

The PSP scene has been around and thriving for more than a year now, we have all been there to witness its dark genesis to our shores (PSP debuted to US with the then-dubbed "invincible firmware 1.50"), to its phoenix-like rebirth (when a group called PSP-DEV first come up with the swaploit and paved the way for the now "golden firmware 1.50"). After a few dark days of the dreaded updates, causing the scene to become somewhat a bit slow, the PSP is once again alive and kicking thanks to  the series of breakthroughs (discovery of kernel access, creation of downgraders, and firmware emulation) we've all been lovin'.

With these newer developments, the PSP's life is quickly revitalizing. That's why we've been noticing more and more newbie beginner questions, which are actually a good thing because it shows the interest is growing. It is then not surprising to see T3, considered as every gadgeteer's bible, featuring the perks of having a PSP in its July 2006 ish'. They even covered a full-feature story that serves as a walkthrough for those who are new with PSP homebrew.

The T3 story, all graced with blurbs like "There are hundreds of homebrews (non-commercial home-made applications) out there for the PSP" and "The homebrew scene has created everything from universal remote controls, Wi-Fi signal sniffers, PDA applications and, of course, emulators" runs a step-by-step process on how to install emulators on a PSP.

DrNicket tipped us that there was an article in the latest T3 magazine with PSPUpdates in it, so we went to buy a copy and check it out for ourselves. Let me tell ya, we were all smiles, not because PSPUpdates was in it, but because homebrew is finally getting more exposure -- a sign that the technology we all love is getting the recognition it deserves from the public.

The appreciation just doesn't just go out to the developers who worked so hard to bring us all these homebrew games, applications, emulators, and expolits, to the sites that spread the word about every development, but instead to the whole community as well. Yep, that includes you, my friend. PSP homebrew being publicized to a bigger population means more opportunities and possibilities for everyone. It informs more people, and with more people the broader our horizons will be.

Those currently developing could add creating programs for PSP to their resume (hey, if more people starts to recognize it, it'll get more respect), prompting more outside coders to take interest providing us with fresh ideas and creations. It'll also attract more interest from even those who are beginners to all of this, giving us more opportunities to rear future Fanjita, Edison Carter, Ditlew, Nem, Booster, Dark_Alex's etc. Add all of that up, and what do the rest of us get? A whole lotta load of more homebrew!

We here at QJ.Net definitely welcome this trend, as much as we welcome those who are new to the world of PSP and its currently limitless ever expanding possibilities. We are ecstatic that the media are spreading the word about what was once considered taboo, meanwhile we have to ask what your thoughts on this subject are. Let us know in the comments!

Source: PSPUpdates

Great new 3D Engine for homebrew developers! For Free!

This just in! A small team called LTE studios, headed up by SiberianSTAR, have been working on a free 3D engine for the Sony PSP. And today's the big day! They've just released the first demo of their product, which they've been working very hard on.

So you might not be a developer, and you might be wondering what the big deal is... Well, for starters, this will encourage a lot of developers to venture into making games. Until now, if you wanted to make a proper homebrew game, you would need an engine to handle everything. In case of 2d beat 'em ups, it was pretty simple. But if you wanted to create a proper 3D game, you'd need to program everything to handle all the data/models/sounds using an engine. And trust me, making a game engine is one of the hardest programming challenges.

Apart from finding a way to load/handle all the stuff, you also need to program the physics and a lot of other really technical details, just so that the separate objects can interact just the way you want. If you want an example, how about I give you one about a racing game. Suppose you're one of the guys behind Need For Speed; apart from building the cars, tracks and other things, you'd need to build an engine to actually make it possible to implement all that art and beauty into a game. Another example would be the Source engine made by Valve, or the Doom3 engine made by iD Software.

By now, I'll assume that you know quite a bit about making games. Which brings us back to this great piece of news. These guys have been working for months, to bring us an engine which almost any C/C++ homebrew game developer can use to make a fully fledged game. The talk gets a little technical now...Don't worry if you don't understand all the mumbo jumbo. If I were you, I'd expect a lot of great homebrew games coming out in a few weeks.

For the programmers, here are a few technical details/features:

• 3D Engine
• Mixed 2D + 3D
• Powerful and customizable 2D GUI
• Character animation system
• Particle effects
• Billboards
• Dynamic Lights
• Powerful 2D with alpha, blend, etc..
• Six image formats supported
• Eight mesh formats supported
• Fonts support
• Collision and physics integrated
• Powerful terrain system
• and much more...

Read through the list and you'll notice a lot of pretty awesome stuff in there. There's features in there which are mirrored around in a lot of paid and pretty expensive engines. I'm sure everyone here is curious to see the engine working. You're in luck! The LTE studios guys have been kind enough to provide a demo of the engine; a kind of a proof of concept, if you will... The final version, or the SDK will be released soon.

SiberianSTAR would like to thank Ky@ for his work on the editor, Jeremy Fitzhardinge for PSPGL, and PSMonkey. Oh, and by the way, thanks to PSMonkey for the heads-up too!

Download HERE!!!

Source: PSPUpdates

Getting to Know My PSP (Again)

Brian Ashcraft at Kotaku talks about cuddling up with his PSP again after losing his DS in Japan. It seems as like even though he became very attached to his DS, Sony's portable still holds a special place in his heart. Check out the full text below.

Forgive the LiveJournal confession: Until yesterday, I didn't have a DS. Well, I did have a DS, a regular one, which was left at that squalid hotel Gawker Media put us up in. I don't know how even the likes of Xbox dood J Allard, Mario nerd Cliffy B and Final Fantasy mustache Hironobu Sakaguchi were able to stay there. Booze, perhaps.

Tech overload Joel Johnson located my DS (in the fridge, oddly) and promptly sent it to me in Japan. I never got it, and as we speak, some mailman is getting his jollies on the Brain Training cartridge I left in portable.

Know I purchased the PSP on launch day, stood in line and everything. There are games that I really love for the Sony portable, but sadly, we grew apart. Up on the shelf the PSP went. Now, without that Nintendo portable to distract me, I could really sit down and enjoy the PlayStation Portable. Because, as we all know, insane fanboyism comes from owning only one system. That, and too much NutraSweet.

From E3 until yesterday, I played with the PSP every damn day. It really is a fantastic little machine. Sure, there are shortcomings, blah, blah, blah, but really, the machine is slick. And besides, that was the only the only handheld I had. That made it even rader. The PSP provided a quality, portable gaming experience, so I couldn't have given a hoot about the DS. Rather, I could give a hoot about it. I just couldn't buy one in DS-sold-out Japan. Heh.

Now, that I've got my DS, things between me and my PSP seemed unstable again. Well, yesterday, they did. I feared we're going to start seeing other people: me touching that Pink Lite doohickey and the PSP kicking it with the dust bunnies. That hasn't really happened (as of today), and I've been switching between both systems, trying to get the best of both worlds as they say. Whomever "they" are.

So, is the PSP dead? For the last two months at casa del Ashcraft, it sure wasn't. Hope the same's true for the next two.


Brian Ashcraft
July 21, 2006

Source: Kotaku

Comic-Con 2006: PSP aka PS3 Remote

If you took the time to attend Sony's PSP University at the San Diego Comic Con this morning here is the only news of note you missed.

Turns out the PSP will work as a remote for the PS3. According to the speaker it will have additional functionality and interactivity with Sony's next-gen PlayStation 3, but more details weren't revealed.
Other info and bullet points you missed (not much news to anyone who has kept up):

• Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror and Pursuit Force are "great games" and "great reasons to own a PSP."
• Ads for PSP Greatest Hits Collection which will be released on July 25.
• Clips from upcoming games like Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters, U.S. Navy S.E.A.L.S. Fireteam Bravo 2, and Gangs of London (all of which look pretty cool).
• Movie Trailers of movies coming to UMD format like Napoleon Dynamite and Office Space
• PSP's firmware update next Thursday will offer RSS Video feed support for its web browser (it already supports RSS audio feed)
• Thursday's firmware update will also have a demo of World Tour Soccer 2
• There are no plans to improve text entry on the PSP and no plans for a first-party keyboard
• Sony is in discussion with wireless providers to create more internet hotspots for your PSP to connect easily to the web
• Video out is something they know is important and are working on getting done
• Sony Connect is working on a way to provide downloadable movies (similar to the music they currently provide), but are held up trying to find a system to protect intellectual properties

If you stuck around through to the end of class Sony handed out 32MB Memory Sticks with demos and game trailers, too. Score!

Kathleen Sanders
July 21, 2006

Source: IGN

Devhook Updated To v0.45! Launching Homebrew on Emulated 2.71 Now Possible!

Proof that once the great developers start, they simply keep rolling out amazing updates! And proof that Booster is one of the greatest developers to have graced the PSP hacking scene.

Just like the last update which offered 2.71 emulation, this one will rock your socks off too! It apparently supports homebrew launching right on 2.71 firmware. Couple it with harleyg's custom firmware mod which allows you to directly load DevHook on startup, and you're practically in PSP heaven. Together, these two mods offer almost all of the functionality of the $90 modchip, for free!

Here's a detailed changelog, translated by our very own Jeff Chen:

• Support for loading EBOOT.PBP on memory stick and EBOOT.BIN on UMD(ISO) in ELF format.
• Fixed problems that made 1.50 NoUMD not functioning.
• Added more exclusive controls added to flash emulation. As well as other memory stick breaking countermeasures.
• Memory map changed for rebooting.

To-Do

• FW2.71 registry initialization failure problem.
• Stabilize flash emulation (file access).
• NoUMD for FW 2.xx
• NAND driver level emulation

Now I don't know about you guys, but the To-Do section lists some pretty revolutionary things too! If you're new to the whole 'devhook' thing, don't worry. One of our dedicated forum members, chriscooke109, has written a great guide on how to make the magic work. Although it still reads as a Devhook 0.44 guide, the steps mentioned there will work just as well for the new version.

Isn't it great how the PSP scene is suddenly bursting out with great discoveries and creations everyday? And this just begs the question- "What next?". And I personally can't wait for the answer!

Download Devhook v0.45 HERE!!!

Source: PSPUpdates

Peter Dillie on the Future of the PSP

United Press International has published an interview with Peter Dillie, senior VP of marketing for Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc, about the future of Sony's handheld device. He defends he lack of Hollywood support for the UMD formatand the lackluster selection of UMD games but gives very few actual details about the future of the PSP.

Check out the full text of the interview here...

From the interview:

Q. Will future firmware upgrades improve the PSP's music capabilities by including support for playing music in random/shuffle modes?

A. While we have nothing to announce today about additional music capabilities, Sony Computer Entertainment is committed to continuing to build on the functionality of the PSP system. To date, we've developed seven firmware upgrades that help users get more from the device, from expanding the types of music file formats supported to making TV programs recorded with a TiVo available for viewing on a PSP. We will continue to look at ways to enhance the consumer experience going forward via additional updates.

Michelle Alexandria

July 19, 2006

Source: United Press International

Off Topic Hack: Staples "Easy" Button HACKED!

I love my "Easy" button. I keep it on my bar at home, ready for when I work on a difficult problem or just have a need to hear "That was easy!" They're under $10 and really make a difference! BUT what if you want to hack it? Make it say something like "your work sucks" or "network's down, let's go get bagels!" - you can!

Check out the following hack from HackADay:

Hack-A-Day reader [al cohen] was pretty perturbed by Staple’s Easy Button campaign since nothing in business is easy. So he decided to modify their cute button (PDF). He replaced the guts with a cheap recording circuit from RadioShack. He also added a 1/8 inch jack so you can record directly from the computer. The new button doesn’t need a separate mic either; you can record by speaking into the speaker. As a final touch Al ground off the easy, polished it and made the button evil. You can watch a video of the button declaring his distaste for Spam. You might have seen Jeff Caylor’s previous abuses of the Easy Button on Make. My roommate thought it would be funny if someone wired it to generate the “shift+delete” key sequence.

Check out the hack here. (requires Adobe Acrobat 'cause it's a PDF)

Thanks to Josh for the heads up!

Updates On Epsilon BIOS: Manual and Video

The Undiluted Platinum fact sheet may have branded the modchip as a PSP owner's dream come true, but it also admits that it would be a better investment if Team Epsilon delivers their custom flash replacement Epsilon BIOS. Now we have all been promised that the Epsilon BIOS is indeed coming. We were even shown a video of the custom bios flashed onto the U.P. modchip. Pretty believable video, but some still can't help but shout, "Fake!"

The manual provides installation procedures, steps on unbricking a PSP, and running a homebrew for an Epsilon Bios-enabled PSP. It educates users that Epsilon has two parts: bootloader and BIOS. The manual reads further, "The bootloader is flashed to UP memory once, then to install or update the BIOS the bootloader recovery menu is used. You shouldn't need to flash via the UP tool again once the bootloader has been initially installed, making things easier for customers."

With all these new info on Epsilon, dare we hope that the custom bios is indeed nearing its release? Well, as they say, good things come to those who wait. Let's just hope that the PSP community's patience will soon yield a good thing dubbed "The Epsilon BIOS".


Here's the "manual" for those who are interested:

    Epsilon is broken into two parts, the bootloader and the BIOS. The bootloader is
    flashed to UP memory once, then to install or update the BIOS the bootloader
    recovery menu is used. You shouldn't need to flash via the UP tool again once
    the bootloader has been initially installed, making things easier for customers.

    To install:
    -----------

    1) Program "epsilonBootloader1.0.flash" to UP using the flasher tool
    2) Copy EBUPDATE.BIN into the root directory of your memory stick. This can
    be done with a card reader, via the epsilon recovery menu or via the PSP OS.
    3) Turn on the PSP, it will enter the recovery menu since no BIOS is installed.
    4) Select "Update Epsilon BIOS"
    5) If you dont have 2.71 installed in PSP onboard firmware you will need to do
    so. This can be done with the recovery menu, place the update EBOOT in the
    standard place on the memory stick (/PSP/GAME/UPDATE/EBOOT.PBP) and select
    "Launch Firmware Updater" from the recovery menu. This can be used to both
    upgrade and downgrade the PSP onboard firmware using Sony's own updaters.

    NOTE: To forcefully enter the recovery menu, hold SELECT+START while turning
    the PSP on.

    To unbrick a PSP:
    -----------------

    1) Place a NAND flash image of 1.00 or 1.50 firmware (same format as used by
    UP flasher tool) in the root of the memory stick with the file name
    "nandImage.flash".
    2) Enter the recovery menu and select "Restore onboard NAND"

    Running homebrew:
    -----------------

    1) Copy EBOOT's to the normal location (/PSP/GAME/). Both 1.0 and 1.50 types
    are supported.
    2) Execute them from the 2.71 shell

    Running ISOs:
    -------------

    1) Copy ISO files or compressed EZIP (use the supplied tool) into /ISOS on the
    memory stick.
    2) The games will appear in the same menu where homebrew is lunched from
    (the Memory Stick->Game menu). Simply launch them as you would with homebrew.

    NOTE: Each time the contents of the ISOS directory are changed a cache file
    must be updated which will cause a slight delay when entering the
    Memory Stick->Game menu.

Watch the video here!

Source: PSPUpdates

Is The PSP Dead? No - Especially because of homebrew!

Gameworld ran an interesting article about the PSP compared to other portable systems and why (at least sales wise) it is having a lot of issues. However, it does point out the potential for creating homebrew applications (despite Sony's best efforts), ability to link up to TiVo and a wide range of PS1 games on the way. They make some very interesting points and it's worth giving the once over.

Read the full text here...

From the article:

Good news comes from hackers who use the PSP’s multimedia functions to create homebrew software. This type of activity will keep the system alive long after Sony throws in the towel. The PSP can also now be linked up with TiVo so you can transfer your recorded TV shows and watch them on the go. Watching TV shows instead of movies makes more sense when you consider the PSP’s battery life. The downside is it’s an extra $25 dollars a month and can only be played back in 320x240 instead of the PSP’s native resolution of 480x272!

Another positive announcement is that soon Sony could be offering over 7,000 PS1 games to download to your PSP. With an iTunes type download service for games this is exciting news, just what the PSP needs. Finally plans for a price drop towards the end of the year could also help move units especially for those who are on the fence. It would also fix the money problem gamers face with all the new consoles coming to the market as mentioned above.

Source: Gameworld

Need for Speed: Carbon Release Date Announced

Electronic Arts announced today that the release date of Need for Speed Carbon will be November 10, 2006, on all consoles (the complete list of platforms below). Developed by EA Black Box in Vancouver, British Columbia, Need for Speed Carbon is EA's next game in the series that will combine Underground and Most Wanted gameplay. The game will be available for the 360, PS3, PS2, Xbox, GameCube, DS, PSP, GBA and PC.

This the first time a Need for Speed game is set in an actual city or location from the real world - Carbon Canyon in California. Another unique thing about this game compared to the other games in the series is that your teammates will have unique characteristics and will help you bring those pesky enemies off the road. All their skills will be very important during the canyon races, especially ramming them off the road.



Source: PSPUpdates

Flaw Found In Pelican FM Modulator

A QJ reader, who goes by the name of Kay, sent a word of caveat to PSP owners who purchased the recently-released PSP FM Modulator (or Transmitter, if you want to avoid the redundancy). It was discovered that the said modulator has a bug. Apparently,  it doesn't maintain the audio of Burnout Legends after about a minute of gameplay. So, if you bought the product to let your friends hear the awesome sound effects of the game in your car stereo, then prepare for a face-saving excuse.

Kay said, "I called the techs and we discussed them putting out a compatibility list of games for it. I'll let you know if anything else is put out."

This is bad news for Pelican, who over the past months have gotten the ire of consumers due to the release of faulty PSP power bricks.




Source: PSPUpdates

Off-Topic: Disney joins format wars with Blu-ray plan

Upping the ante in the battle for the new generation of DVDs, Disney is to become the first Hollywood studio to provide original, high-definition content in the Blu-ray format.

The company will produce a series of short films, entitled Blu-Scape, which will be shot in high-definition. They will be directed by Louis Schwartzberg, whose previous work includes America's Heart and Soul, a feature-length snapshot of US society.

The shorts will accompany nine movies Disney is expected to release on Blu-ray DVDs this autumn, such as Glory Road, a basketball drama, and Eight Below, a story of survival set in the Antarctic. Disney says the shorts will be "inspired" by these films.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Disney's decision is a critical step in establishing Blu-ray as the DVD format film fans will have to buy in the future. In recent years, Toshiba and Sony have been battling each other to impose their own versions - Toshiba with HD-DVD and Sony with Blu-ray.

The rivalry is heated because big money is at stake. In the US alone, it is expected that consumers will spend $10bn (£5.4bn) on new generation DVDs by 2010. The battle is reminiscent of the 1980s showdown between VHS and Betamax to become the standard videotape format - which ended with VHS's overwhelming market dominance. Disney's expected announcement will make it the fourth studio to announce DVD releases on Blu-ray, tipping the scale in favour of the format. The HD-DVD has so far three backers.

Guardian Staff & agencies
July 18, 2006

Source: Guardian Unlimited

Yet Another Knock Off PSP

I found a post on engadget about yet another knock off PSP unit. The reader that submitted the photo apparently found it at a computer show in Pittsburgh.

See the original post here.



Source: engadget

Sony Sues Fake Memory Stick Sellers

Sony has taken legal action against companies and sellers in China and Taiwan that are selling fake memory sticks with the Sony mark on them. eBay sellers have been making a fortune ever since the launch of the PSP through selling fake Memory Stick Pro Duo's through the online auction site for half price, making out that they are genuine Sony/Sandisk memory sticks. In April we wrote an article on the difference between the Real and Fake memory sticks, as well as a report on the quality of memory sticks sold on eBay.

With Sony suing companies, its pretty obvious that most of the memory sticks on eBay will disappear, or will be re-branded with something else. The thing is, most people that buy the fake sticks know they are fake. All the sellers have to do is add another brand on them, and I'm sure they would still sell in the thousands. I know that for the price I bought my fake stick for, I'd still buy it with another label on. Make way for the Sonny Memory Stick Pro Duo!


Source: PSPUpdates

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Please ignore this one... just have to do it to get listed in Technorati :)


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Undiluted Platinum Fact Sheet: It's A PSP Owner's Dream Come True

PSPUpdates has posted a detailed review of the Undiluted Platinum modchip for the PSP. It goes through features, installation, first boot and flashing.

Read the review here...

From the article:

It wasn't a pretty picture: PSP owners rejoicing at the fact that they can play games without having to pay for them thanks to the smart minds of homebrew developers and Sony trying to quash these creative geniuses' products by improving their official firmware security making it impossible (or should that be 'almost impossible'?) to run homebrew on their handheld console. Add to that messy picture the fact that some of the best games now does a forced auto firmware check, requiring an unexploited firmware to run original UMD cartridges.

Since the whole scene was leaving the PSP owners and developers a bit (?) jaded, we cannot exactly blame them for rejoicing at every bit of development that allowed later firmwares to play homebrew - eLoader, downdater, etc. The eLoader, however, was not a really stable platform for allowing homebrew on all PSP firmware revisions, while the downdater removes all privileges higher firmware versions have. Which leads us to looking hopefully at the one solution that promised to permit running of homebrew on newer PSP versions plus allowing features of the official firmware to be enjoyed at the same time - Team Epsilon's Undiluted Platinum.

Of course, when the Undiluted Platinum (U.P.) was first announced, the PSP scene was skeptic. How can such a beautiful piece exist? Is perfection really possible in this lifetime? Apparently not...because U.P. is nowhere near perfect (as this review will reveal)...but it does exist. Believe it - it has arrived.


Source: PSPUpdates

Off Topic: Shoe Hacker: Nike+iPod Sport Kit Shoe Mod

Apparently you don't have to use Nike shoes with the new iPod Nano + Nike Shoes kit. Since it's just an accelerometer working with the Nano, any pair of shoes appears to work.

Check out the hack here.

Thanks to Josh for the heads up on this one...

New Undiluted Platinum Install Video

Dan emailed me today about a new video that, even though it is in Spanish, goes through installing an Undiluted Platinum mod-chip. Dan points out that micro soldering is left out as well as actually putting the PSP back together, but you may want to take a look at this video for reference. Thanks Dan!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4405748181145585986

Off-Topic: Pac-Man creator leaves Namco Bandai to teach

Toru Iwatani, best known as the creator of Namco mascot Pac-Man, is set to leave his employer of almost 30 years next March in order to teach his craft to aspiring developers. In an interview in the latest issue of Weekly Famitsu, Iwatani discussed his motivations for the move.

Iwatani explained that in 2004 he participated in a series of lectures on game planning held by Namco in conjunction with the Tokyo Polytechnic University. After this, he started lecturing regularly at several universities.

"I experienced firsthand the passion today's young people have for games," Iwatani told Famitsu Weekly. "I also realized how important teaching is. So, when TPU told me they were beginning a new course on games, and asked me to become a full-time lecturer, I decided to do it."

Although he wanted to keep making games, he felt he was needed elsewhere. "I thought it more important to pass on the know-how that I've accumulated over the last 30 years to the next generation," he said. "Right now, the state of career training in the Japanese games industry is on the verge of crisis."

According to Iwatani, the evolution of hardware has created incredible difficulties for publishers. "It will become very hard to train staff in-house, as was done in the past," Iwatani said. "As a result, the educational institutions must follow through. However, Japan is far behind in the field of game education compared with the US, Europe, Korea, and China."

Iwatani also expressed his hope that other veteran game designers will take a hand in training the next generation of game makers, saying that different corporate cultures yielded different ways of doing things. Having those diverse points of view ties into the importance of the school as both a place of learning and research for Iwatani.

"For example, mental training games have become very popular lately," he said. "TPU has set up facilities to monitor brain activity so that we can thoroughly investigate the relationship between games and brain activation. … It is necessary to verify that the claims [made by brain-training games] are valid from a scientific viewpoint. As the impact of games on society grows, they will be subject to criticism."

However, the main thing Iwatani hopes to impress on Japan's future game creators is the crucial role of communication in the workplace.

"Game development is a group activity, so communication is crucial," Iwatani said. "On the other hand, it's a creative process, so assertiveness is necessary. I hope to foster in my students a balance between assertiveness and cooperation."

Walt Wyman
July 10, 2006

Source: Gamespot

Target Discontinues PSP UMD Movies

Sony's fledgling portable movie format, the Universal Media Disc, is officially no longer for sale at Target stores in the USA, a customer service representative confirmed to GamePro today.

According to the employee, Target "discontinued" all UMD movies last week in "all stores." GamePro is still waiting for an official confirmation from the company's high-level representatives, but at this time, the news does appear to be true.

Sony's portable UMD movie format has struggled for acceptance since the PSP's release in early 2005. Though many films and television shows were released in the UMD format, sales have been low enough to make a Warner executive to remark that "we are re-evaluating our position on any future releases" because the studio was "disappointed with consumer demand."

A recent Reuters story, called "Sony's UMD Facing Last Rites," suggested that American department store giant Wal-mart also considered pulling all UMDs from store shelves. In the Reuters piece, one unnamed movie executive says that UMD situation is "awful," and that "[UMD movie] sales are near zilch." The studio exec then twists the knife, saying "It's another Sony bomb - like Blu-ray." Another exec says that "No one's even breaking even on them."

Two months ago, the NPD Group, a sales-tracking service, weighed in with a grim assessment of the UMD's future. The report concluded that, if studios continue to drop support, "the outlook for the UMD format is bleak."

July 13, 2006

Source: Australian GamePro

Sony slapped with another patent suit

Sony has been having some trouble with patent disputes of late. In March 2005, Immersion Corporation won its lawsuit claiming that Sony's DualShock PlayStation and PlayStation 2 controllers infringed on its force-feedback patents. A judge ordered Sony to pay more than $90 million in damages, and earlier this year denied an attempt from the electronics giant to have the decision overturned.

Now Sony's in the middle of another patent fight, this one brought against the company by Pennsylvania-based Agere Systems. According to court documents, Agere (which has a pair of offices in Texas) has filed suit against Sony and a number of its divisions for willful infringement of eight patents in a number of its products, including the PSP, PlayStation 2, and based on announced specifications, the PlayStation 3. Sony VAIO computers, Handycams, Walkman players, Memory Stick Duos, and Location Free TV are also named as infringing offerings on some of the parents. The patents in question run from a "wireless local area network apparatus" to "barrier layer treatments for tungsten plug."

Agere is asking that each branch of Sony be made to provide an accounting of all gains made through their alleged infringements, and that the company be awarded damages to adequately compensate it based on those figures. Agere also claims that Sony knew about the patents and willfully infringed on them, so it is asking the courts to boost the damages awarded as much as three times what it would have been otherwise.

In its defense, Sony has denied all claims of infringement. It is arguing that it actually has the rights to use seven of the eight patents through a 1989 cross-licensing deal with AT&T and Lucent (whose microelectronics group eventually became Agere Systems). Sony also contends that some of the patents (including the one it doesn't claim a right to use) were not properly obtained because Agere omitted important information when it filed for them. Finally, Sony believes the patents in question are invalid anyway, and has asked the judge to declare them such.

Agere denied Sony's counterclaims last month and has issued a demand for a jury trial.

Brendan Sinclair
July 13, 2006

Source: Gamespot

Alan Kotok Dies at 64

Computer pioneer and inventor Allan Kotok, has died of a heart attack at age 64 in his home in Cambridge Massachusetts. A native of Philadelphia, Kotok is an MIT alum and a W3C associate chairman.

Known for being "technically adept well beyond the norm," Kotok worked for a variety of high tech firms. While working at Digital Equipment Corp (DEC) Kotok designed a family of computers, did some consulting and went on to fulfill various leadership roles.

His background in creating the AI for chess computers was subsequently found to be indispensable in his capacity as a tech researcher and game inventor. Mr. Kotok's life was a catalyst for growth in the fledgling gaming and computing industries of his time, and he is someone all gamers should know about.

Credited with creating the first videogame, along with the joysticks used to play them, his role in the history of gaming and computing in general cannot be overstated. Who knows, without his contributions to the history of gaming, the gaming industry we see today could be drastically different.

Mr. Kotok is survived by two daughters, a son and two grandsons. Everyone who uses computers or enjoys gaming today should recognize Alan Kotok as an integral figure in the evolution of the videogame industry.














Source: PSPUpdates

Author of Hacking the PSP on Computer Outlook Radio Show

Auri Rahimzadeh (me), author of  Hacking the PSP (available in most bookstores, Fry's, and Amazon.com, and many others), will be on the Computer Outlook radio show with John Iasiuolo Thursday night at 5pm Pacific (8pm Eastern). Tune in at http://www.computeroutlook.com/ and chime in with your questions! I'll also be in their chatroom afterwards for more questions!

EA Announces 10 Upcoming PSP Games

Electronic Arts today dropped the curtain on their main 2006 holiday line-up, showcasing 20 new games across 11 platforms. For those of you who've been disappointed by the selection of PSP games, here's a little something to look forward to.

For the PSP, upcoming game releases include:

Madden NFL 07 (August)
NASCAR (September)
NBA Live 07 (Fall)
NCAA Football 07 (July)
NFL Street 3 (No Date)
NHL 07 (September)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 (October)
The Godfather The Game (September)
Need for Speed Carbon (Fall)
Superman Returns: The Videogame (Fall)

Source: PSPworld

Sony Brings PSP Movies to Memory Stick

With the company's UMD format faltering, Sony on Wednesday turned to its Memory Stick as a new way to deliver movies to its popular PSP portable game system. Starting in August, the company will ship 1GB and 2GB sticks that come with a DVD copying application that would be able to transfer select movies from DVD to the PSP.

To use the application, the installer would be loaded onto a PC. From there, the user would enter an unlock code that would permit them to transfer one movie from the DVD over to the device. Movies that would be permitted to be transferred will be "Hitch," "S.W.A.T.," "The Grudge" or "XXX: State of the Union."

While the movies would be viewable only for the PSP, Sony said the Memory Stick could be used in any compatible device.

"The Memory Stick Entertainment Pack bundles fun with function," said Mike Kahn, senior manager for Memory Stick Media at Sony Electronics. "This collaboration with Sony Pictures provides a quick, simple way to get a full-length movie onto Memory Stick media at no extra charge."

The 1GB Memory Stick will retail for $60 USD, while the 2GB model would sell for $100 USD.

It is not clear if the move signals a possible end to the UMD format for movies. Reports earlier this year indicated many studios began to silently withdraw their support. Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures and Image Entertainment all have stopped producing movies on UMD; 20th Century Fox and Buena Vista have cut back on new releases. Even Sony Pictures itself has scaled back its UMD release plans.

Ed Oswald
July 12, 2006

Source: BetaNews

PSP Hacking 101: Modchip Preview Episode

Episode 18 of PSP Hacking 101 will most probably be heavy on discussions about the "World's First PSP Modchip" - The Sony PSP Undiluted Platinum. How'd I guess? Well, I'm not really psychic - just that Pox and Ragable's release of a PSP Hacking 101 Modchip Preview Episode let the cat out of the bag.

This PSP Hacking 101 Modchip preview shows us all the Undiluted Platinum packaging, the opening the package, and a sneak peek at the installation of the modchip. If the installation guide we provided you last month was not enough and you need a visual cue to make sure you are doing the right thing (after all, soldering and modding experience is required to install this thing correctly), then Episode 18 is surely a good thing for you to watch out for.

Check out the video here...

Source: PSPUpdates

Off-Topic: Apple and Microsoft race to launch WiFi audio player

Computer giants Apple and Microsoft are racing to develop a wireless digital music player in time for Christmas, it emerged today.

The new gadget would enable songs to be downloaded without having to plug the equipment into a personal computer.

Apple, the market leader which currently sells around 3million iPods - its brand of portable music player - every month, is said to be creating a wireless version also boasting a 'funky' aluminium design.

Current iPod owners have to sit in front of a computer to download music onto the gadget. But with the wireless version, they would be able to download new songs anywhere and at any time - as long as there is a wireless network in the area.

Microsoft, which wants to topple Apple's massive market share, is also said to be developing its first digital music player which will also be wireless.

As well as playing songs, insiders say it will double as a portable games console.

Read more here...

Olinka Koster
July 11, 2006

Source: Daily Mail

Sony pulls controversial PSP ad in Netherlands

Sony Corp. said on Tuesday it has pulled a Dutch billboard advertising campaign for the new white version of its PlayStation Portable video game player and apologized to anyone offended by ad, which critics dubbed racist.

A billboard ad in the campaign -- which Sony said was launched in the first week of June and created locally and exclusively for the Dutch market -- portrayed a white woman aggressively grabbing the face of a black woman and read "PlayStation Portable White is Coming."

Sony said in a statement that the Netherlands campaign intended to highlight the color contrast between the existing black PSP and the new ceramic white PSP.

"We recognize that the subject matter of one specific image may have caused concern in some countries not directly affected by the advertising. As a result, we have now withdrawn the campaign," said the company, which also apologized to those offended by the ad.

"I am pleased to see Sony taking responsibility for their racially charged ad and appropriately pulling it from the marketplace," said California Assemblyman Leland Yee who, along with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and a youth civil rights education project called Sojourn to the Past, had condemned Sony's use of the ad.

Yee is a critic of violent video games and has spearheaded legislation aimed at keeping excessively violent and sexually explicit games out of the hands of minors.

Late last year, Sony sparked controversy in the United States with spray-painted PSP ads that looked like urban graffiti. The stealth campaign featured dazed-looking kids doing a variety of things with their PSPs, from riding them like skateboards to licking them like lollipops.

July 11, 2006

Source: Reuters

Listen to Auri's (Author of Hacking the PSP) Interview on Castellini on Computers

The recording of my radio interview on Rick Castellini's show "Castellini on Computers" - www.helpmerick.com - is ready. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments!

Listen to it here.

HelpMeRick.com Gives Hacking the PSP 5 Mics Up!

w00t! What a birthday surprise! Thanks for the great review, Rick!

Quick Excerpt: "Hacking the PSP is a must have accessory for any PSP owner." (schaweet)

Check it out here: http://www.helpmerick.com/node/755

Lollapalooza teams with Sony on PSP content

If you're planning being in Chicago August 4-6th to attend the musical event Lollapalooza, you'll be interested to know you can use your PSP as a way to warm up for the three days of 130 bands across eight stages. Sony has hooked up with the music festival to make available for fans Lollapalooza wallpapers, Perry Farrell interviews and music compilations by Lollapalooza artists. Available shortly as well will be a Lollapalooza program guide that you can load onto your PSP system and bring to the event. This guide will have information like artist bios, the performance schedule and the festival map. Finally, there's a sweepstakes going on a Playstation.com, including winning a trip to Chicago for the festival.

Source: PSPWorld

Nintendo takes a stab at the PSP Racist Ad (pretty funny, check this out)

I found this on Joystiq today. I think it's fake, but either way, either Nintendo or someone with Photoshop skillz has a great sense of humor:



From the Joystiq article:

Sony's racy (racial?) new PSP ad has caused quite a stir. Thanks to Ctrl+Alt+Del's Tim Buckley, we now have a good idea what Nintendo would have done if given the same billboard.

Tim Buckley also adds his own two cents on the billboard, which is only being shown in Holland. Have we gone nanners?

[Thanks, Rodents]

NAACP Take Issue With Dutch PSP Ad

Wow, to think Sony wouldn't think that a white girl grabbing a black girl by the neck and saying "White Is Coming" is racist? I mean, no way, man :: blink ::

From Gamasutra:



The controversy that erupted earlier this week surrounding a new advertisement promoting the release of the new ceramic white PSP model from Sony in the Netherlands has now drawn pointed comments from California Assemblyman Leland Yee.

The long-time anti-violent game advocate and politician, along with the San Jose/Silicon Valley chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), has condemned the billboard advertisement, which is not running in the UK or North America, and from which pictures appeared online earlier this week.

According to a GamePolitics report, Yee issued a formal statement regarding the Benelux-only advertisement, which features a white woman holding a black woman by the jaw and the tagline 'PlayStation Portable White is Coming'. Titled “Sony stoops to new low with racially charged ad”, the statement expresses Lee's displeasure with Sony's decision to run the ad, though Sony has noted that the advertisements were simply designed in a way that would show contrast between the existing and new PSP colors.

“I am deeply disappointed in Sony's senseless decision to publish this racially-charged advertisement,” noted Yee in his statement. “I can't begin to determine Sony's motivation but I believe this marketing strategy is unnecessary and is clearly offensive to many in our community.”

He added: “Whether in the US or abroad, using differences in skin color to articulate the fact that your video game console now comes in white can be interpreted as insensitive at best and racist at worst.”

In addition, Rick Callender, the chapter president of the NAACP has issued a similar response. “The days of blacks being portrayed in minstrel shows are long gone, and with good reason," commented Callender. “The minstrel show was an awful chapter in history and this ad smacks of that age and time. It is even further unacceptable that some corporations still think it is okay to use racially charged media images.”

He concluded: “The latest Sony ad conjures up bad memories of when stereotypical and offensive images of people of color were accepted means of selling a product. Sony should immediately apologize and discontinue these archaic, advertising tactics.”

This marks the second time in recent months that Sony has come under fire for its PSP advertisements overseas. Recently Sony Computer Entertainment Europe was also called out for its PSP advertising campaign, which included a series of posters depicting phrases such as "Your girlfriend's white bits here" and "Take a running jump here" that were primarily placed in outdoor locations, as well as on billboards and buses. However, UK-Government backed Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) eventually opted not to uphold the 45 complaints filed against Sony for the campaign.

Beware of PATCHED Grand Theft Auto! Here's how to tell if the store copy is what you want!

It appears Grand Theft Auto's hole that allows homebrew to run has been patched in the latest copies shipping from Rockstar Games... so, before you buy a copy to run homebrew, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A VERSION THAT CAN RUN HOMEBREW! Gameplay has *not* been improved by the patch.

So here's how to tell by looking at the spine of the game case...

For the U.S./North American version of the game:

ULUS 10041 means it is *not* patched (confirmed by Jamie at PSPUpdates). We're not sure what the patched ones look like yet.

For the E.U./United Kingdom version of the game:

ULES00151# means it's not patched. However, if it has ULES00151#2 (note the added "2"), then it *is* patched.

For now, your best bet for finding an unpatched copy (and there are probably many still out there brand new) is to buy a used copy at a GameStop or an E.B. Games.

Thanks to PSPUpdates for updating us on this as well.

Hacking PSP Author on Radio Tomorrow: Castellini on Computers

I'll be in Rick Castellini's radio show, Castellini on Computers tomorrow between 11am-2pm MST. I think I am on around 1:15...

I will be discussing my book, Hacking the PSP, which you can find on Amazon and at most book stores worldwide, such as Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Fry's Electronics.

You can listen live at http://www.gcnlive.com/windowsmediafreeNtwk2.asx (requires Windows Media Player, which you likely already have!)

Call with your PSP questions!

Best,

-Auri

Mizuguchi Has More for PSP, DS

Japanese game designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi is well known for his music games. His most recent musical hit was Lumines, a puzzle game that started on the PSP and will soon see a sequel there and an offshoot on the Xbox Live Arcade. But that's not all the talented game maker has coming.

Mizuguchi is serving as executive producer at Q Entertainment for two new music-based puzzle games - one each for the DS and the PSP. The games, Gunpey-R (PSP) and Oto wo Tsunagou! Gunpey Reverse (DS), are based on Gunpey, a puzzle game for the Wonder Swan handheld where you arrange blocks to make diagonals lines.

According to a Famitsu article translated by IGN, the two games are being tailored for their specific hardware. The PSP game will emphasise the music and video components of the game while the DS version will focus on touch-screen control.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
July, 6, 2006

Source: Kikizo

Sony Warning: Use Only Sony Battery for Your PSP!

Sony issued a warning to all PSP owners not to use third party battery to power up their PSP. The company urged the use of genuine Sony battery pack to protect against "the danger of ignition and explosion etc."  Sony said while they can guarantee the standards of their battery pack, other brands could cause "accident and breakdown and it is dangerous".

They also said to be on the look out for fake Sony battery packs since the company cannot be held responsible for any damages cause by these knock-offs and third party battery packs. If you have experienced any kind of damage from using party battery packs other than Sony's, you may tell Sony about it. We don't think they will replace your PSP, but at least they can tell other PSP users "we told you so."

Source: PSPUpdates

Sony defends PSP ad following accusations of racism

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Sony Computer Entertainment has defended itself against accusations of racism over a controversial advert for the new 'Ceramic white' PSP.

The advert, which has appeared on billboards in the Netherlands, shows a white woman gripping a black woman by the jaw and features the slogan: "PlayStation Portable White is coming." Many websites and forum posters have protested that the advert is racist and are campaigning for its removal.

A Sony spokesperson has responded by stating that the ad does not have a racist message and that is part of a wider marketing campaign, telling GamesIndustry.biz: "The marketing campaign for the launch of the White PSP in the Benelux focuses on the contrast between the Black PSP model and the new Ceramic white PSP model."

"A variety of different treatments have been created as a campaign to either highlight the whiteness of the new model or contrast the black and the white models. Central to this campaign has been the creation of some stunningly photographed imagery, that has been used on large billboards throughout Holland."

According to the spokesperson, "All of the 100 or so images created for the campaign have been designed to show this contrast in colours of the PSPs , and have no other message or purpose."

It seems the controversial ad is unlikely to appear outside Holland, with a representative from Sony's UK office telling GI.biz: "I would like to confirm that we categorically are not running this advert creative in the UK."

Ellie Gibson
July 5, 2006

Source: GamesIndustry.biz

PSP Development Library Installer Released

Dalejrrocks and Whazilla have packaged the PSP Development Library into an Executable for easy installation. This makes the process of installing the PSP Development Library environment a lot easier, and is fully customizable. You can choose exactly what to install and it requires no compiling or downloading. Here's what Dalejrrocks said:

"It currently supports SDL, SDL_Mixer, PSPGL, LibBulletMl, LibTremor, Jpeg, libpsp2d, libpng, libmad, zlib, and libmikmod. It is based on the newest versions of the libraries available. This installer is mainly for precompiled toolchain/sdk, but hopefully we will be able to add cygwin support later in the next release. And more libs ;)"

This is great if your starting to code in C/C++ and will hopefully help those that have problems installing development libraries on their PCs and get them into developing for the PSP! As always, make sure you read the readme to get a detailed list of tested/untested libraries, and for installation instructions if need be; but in essence, all you need to specify is the root folder where your toolchain/sdk is located. The rest of the process is completely automated.

Download the installer here.



Source: PSPUpdates

Sony's new PSP ad: a boon for race relations?

Sony has a long entry in the encyclopedia of poorly thought-out advertising. They started by spraypainting things, and then went on to place obscene messages in subways. Then you had those terrible commercials where they liken the PSP to a "nut you can play with outside." Yay. Let me get my wallet out, I need a new outside nut.

This new one is great. The billboard shows a stark-white woman with her hand at the throat of a scared looking black man. The headline? "White is coming." Nice. They need to get the word out about the ceramic white PSP, but is their plan simply to get as many headlines as possible using advertising that gets negative attention? It's clearly working, we're talking about it, but is that the only way Sony thinks they can make waves with their products?

Ben Kuchera
July 4, 2006

Source: Ars Technica

CollecTic: PSP Game Has You Hunting For Wi-Fi Access

CollecTic is a game developed by Jonas Hielscher that uses the standard features of the PSP, with emphasis on the handheld's ability to scan for wireless access points to the Internet. Yes, that's an indication that you'd have to really move around to play the game. Well, some of us could use the workout.

The game lets players search for different access points. These will then have to be collected and combined in a puzzle in order to earn points. It's basically using your PSP as a sensor device, similar to what some of you do with a metal detector when looking for buried treasures in the beach. With all the access point-finding exercise, you'd be able to discover the hidden infrastructure of wireless network coverage via auditive and visual feedback. It's designed as a single player game, but you can play competitively with another player using two PSPs.

Every time your PSP gets a wireless access point signal, the point will be visualized as a square, triangle, or circle, having a specific color and size determined by the signal strength of the access point. So, logic dictates that if you want a bigger form, you'd have to move closer to a point with stronger signal.

Hielscher further explains, "All visible figures are starting to blink and to play a sound after each other. The length of time a figure blinks, depends on the strength of the signal. The kind of sound depends on the form and color: the form determines the waveform of the sound (sine, triangle or square wave); the color determines the note (frequency) of the sound. If the player presses the button corresponding to the figure that lightens up, s/he collects the figure, meaning the access point. The collected shapes will be placed in the big black square on the screen. During the game, an access point can only be collected once. So, in order to find new access points the player has to move around."




The puzzle part comes in when you have collected enough figures in the black square. The figures can be arranged in a grid of 3 x 3. When the maximum amount of shapes (9) is collected, the grid will check for three equals in a row. Same-shape combinations give you extra points.

Now, here's the twist. Unsecured wireless access points are represented by black and white star. That may not be intriguing enough, but this star can either have a positive or negative effect, unknown to the player before selecting it. The black star serves as the villain in the game as it throws all selected figures out of the puzzle! The white star, on the other hand, helps complete a row. So, better wish for a white star.

Though CollecTic is not yet available for download, it will run on PSPs up to firmware version 2.0.


Source: PSPUpdates

First PSP Gaming Clan? Check it out!

PSPUpdates parent company has started a new PSP gaming clan! While details are short at this time you can find more information at the following link:

http://pspupdates.qj.net/-QJ-Clans-Join-the-Fight-/pg/49/aid/57732

Nintendo 64 UltraHLE Emulator Apha Teaser: Full Speed Mario, Zelda, and Goldeneye

Jamie at PSPUpdates posted this today (for more info on the UltraHLE engine, click here):

Well as if the 2.5 / 2.6 Downgrader wasn't big enough news for one weekend, upon checking my email today I noticed an update from longtime GBA developer and reader ZoMbi146. We have been in contact over the last few days and just today I received two brand spanking new teaser shots from ZoMbi146's new Nintendo 64 Emulator.



Work on this emulator which is based on the UltraHLE engine, has been going on for some time. It appears now the emulator will be split into separate eboots that are hard coded for specific roms. For example Mario64 and Zelda would not use the exact same loader. What this allows is for the emulator to be specifically tweaked to run the specific game at the best possible speed, sound and compatibility. A current available and rather general example would be SnesTYL switching graphic modes.



In addition "each version would have special tweaks with optimizations that would make each appropriate rom run correctly at full speed with sound." The games that are currently working in this method are Mario 64, Zelda OOT, and Goldeneye 64.

Just on a side note, the Nintendo 64 was a good platform and did have quite a few games. One of the things that made the system suffer, however, was a rather difficult programming interface. For these games to play very well, or in this case at full speed, is quite an amazing feat.

Not sure about you but I look forward to hearing more from Zombi146 in the coming days. Until then we will be standing on our heads and drooling from the mouth (yuck) as we await the reawakening of Mario 64, Zelda OOT, and Goldeneye on the PSP. Nice work ZoMbi146, nice work!

Weird omission? GTA not in latest PSP product catalog...

Strange but true - The most popular game on the PSP, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, is not listed in the PSP Product Catalog, Volume 3. Weird, eh? Check it out at your local GameStop.

Best,

-Auri

Hey, there's a 2.50 / 2.60 to 1.50 downgrader that works, people!

This is great news! Finally, and make sure you read the notes below, 2.50 and 2.60 users can downgrade to 1.50 to run the full gamut of homebrew software! I will be testing it today, but folks there are a lot of confirmed reports from reliable sources that this works.

Special thanks to Dark Alex and Yoshihiro for this downgrader. I forgive you for the bricking version earlier.

I will post links AFTER I have tested it. I'm sure you can find the download links elsewhere, but until I've tested it on a few PSPs, I won't post the links.

A few notes:

• This is a BETA - a.k.a. TEST version. 1.0 has not been released.
• This modifies your firmware - so there is a chance that your PSP can be BRICKED. That means it can break your PSP where it doesn't turn on anymore and it's no more useful than a brick (albeit a very expensive, pretty one). You downgrade at your own risk.
  
• The downgrader is for people who have UPGRADED to 2.50 or 2.60. Not store-bought 2.50 or 2.60 apparently.
• The downgrader is for people who NOT have a TA-082 board. This is the same requirement as the Undiluted Platinum mod-chip. You can see how to identify if you have a TA-082 board here.
  
• I am seeing people having issues running this on a 32 megabyte Memory Stick. Try to have a 1 gig or higher, just to make sure.
• You need to use the downgrader for the RIGHT firmware. There are SEPARATE 2.50 and 2.60 downgraders!
• This exploit runs through eLoader v0.9.7 using the Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories exploit. It is NOT for 2.01 users.
• If you have a 2.00 PSP, use MPH's downgrader solution - I explain it in my book, and there are tutorials online.
• This will NOT work on 2.70 or 2.71 firmware (or higher).
• When you upgrade, there will be no data on the screen. The only indicator will be the flashing memory stick access light. It will run for about 70 seconds, maybe longer. When it stops flashing, wait two minutes and then power down your PSP by holding the power switch up until the PSP turns off. Do NOT remove your battery during this process! Also, make sure you have a full battery and are plugged in!
  

I will keep monitoring and will test this weekend!

Best,

-Auri