Hacking the PSP Blog

Give your PSP the Ring of Light

If you've pimped your PSP up to light blue at the shoulders, Psyberjock's PSP Ring of Light may be the perfect complement that will tickle you pink blue. Except that Psyberjock decided not to produce a How-To of this one because by God, this was the hardest mod he's ever had to do, and he's not going to risk you ending up with a brick in the process.

Unless he gets a lot of requests, he said. On the other hand, he did say, "I doubt I'll take the PSP apart again for fear of having to solder some things again." Okay, that is scary. Request at your own risk.

In any case, his inspiration includes Everett's shoulder LEDs and LED instructions from Llama, so a lot about this mod seems like a one-off on his part (hence, the difficulty). You will notice in at least a couple of the pictures how he had to fit the LEDs within the small dimensions of the UMD tray. It is undoubtedly cool, and the fact that it works (and the PSP is still unbricked) is a testament to Psyberjock's skill with a screwdriver and a solder gun. Heaven help whoever might want to create his own. The UMD "sticks" a bit when ejecting, but he's fairly confident that will pass "as things settle into their new shapes and positions."

And no, there's nothing in this mod that will make three out of four lights glow red when the PSP bricks.




Source: PSPUpdates

Report Confirms Hardcore Gamers' Existence

A report titled "Next Generation Purchase Intent" recently released by market research firm the NPD Group confirms there is a segment of the gaming population that will buy next-generation systems as soon as they become available, regardless of their cost. Referred to in the report as "Heavy Gamers," those who spend the most time and money on games are also the most likely to be early adopters.

Among the features that attract consumers in general to next-gen consoles, 87 percent of the report's respondents listed "appealing game titles" as their number one reason for choosing a system. Backwards compatibility was the second most important feature at 68 percent.

"Price is definitely a factor, but not as much as is content," said Anita Frazier, industry analyst, The NPD Group. "I've long been a believer that it isn't any particular technical capability that will win this next console battle. The story continues to be content."

The report finds that over 40 percent of "Infrequent," "Secondary," and "Prefer Portable" gamers are also interested in purchasing a next-gen console. "Heavy Gamers" show a slightly stronger interest in purchasing a Wii over a PlayStation 3: 79 percent and 70 percent, respectively. However, those that are only interested in purchasing one next-generation console are planning on buying a PS3.

The report's data was collected July 11-28, 2006 via an online survey of 16,670 consumers aged 6 to 44.

Daemon Hatfield
November 13, 2006

Source: IGN

PeeJay v0.1 - Java Virtual Machine for PSP

You may remember the post from a few weeks ago about DickyDick1969's J2ME port for the PSP. If you don't recall then I'll fill you in. DickyDick1969 had asked Sun's for permission to distribute his PSP J2ME port but Sun denied his request. Well, earlier this week Sun announced the release of Java under the GNU Public License. In releasing Java under the GPL, Sun hopes  that the move will attact developers and extend the lifespan of the development technology. What does this mean for DickyDick1969? Well it means that he can release his PSP J2ME port! You can download it via the link below.

Download PeeJay v0.1

Via PSPUpdates

Ziff Davis To Discontinue U.S. Official PlayStation Magazine

U.S. game magazine (EGM, Games For Windows) and website (1UP.com) firm the Ziff Davis Game Group has announced that it will discontinue publication of the Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine after the January 2007 issue.

A statement from the company explains: "The Game Group is laser-focused on continuing to expand its rapidly growing digital media presence and on further strengthening its multiplatform properties and powerful integrated network. As such, the Game Group has determined that Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, a property licensed from Sony Computer Entertainment America and limited to print, no longer fits its strategic vision."

According to the firm, Sony Computer Entertainment America will remain a key content and marketing partner for Ziff Davis Game Group, which will cover SCEA's PlayStation 3 and first-party games extensively across all of its media outlets, including EGM, 1UP.com, and GameVideos.com. The Game Group editorial team will also "work closely with SCEA in the development of digital content for the PlayStation Network, accessible only through the PS3."

Due to the long-term decline in the magazine advertising market, Ziff Davis has been gradually transitioning away from print for some time, aggressively building up 1UP.com as its central website portal. The company, which has previously closed magazines including XBN and GMR, most recently posted a quarterly loss of $0.5 million for its game division, citing "a decline in print advertising and circulation revenues", partially offset by online revenue increases.

Scott McCarthy, President of Ziff Davis Game Group, explanied of the overall move: "The powerful online capabilities of the exciting PlayStation 3, coupled with ever- increasing broadband penetration in the U.S., allow for much more efficient distribution of game demos, videos, and trailers. With this next generation of game consoles, the days of having to bundle a disc with a magazine to distribute games-related content are over. And the disc has clearly been a major driver for consumer interest in premium-priced, platform-specific magazines in the past, when the magazine disc was the only way gamers could get such content."

Simon Carless
November 14, 2006

Source: Gamasutra