Hacking the PSP Blog

iR Shell v3.0 Released

Fresh out of retirement is AhMan with a new version of iR Shell — the #1 shell replacement for your PSP. Best of all it now supports FW 1.50, 2.71 w/ HEN D, and Dark_AleX’s 2.71 SE-C! Aside from that, iR Shell v3.0 comes fully equipped with a huge changelog; you certainly won’t be disappointed:

• Added “Mute Game Audio” funtion via R-Trigger+Circle or last menu item. This will bring up an Audio Channel Menu which allows you to mute each individual channel. There are total of 8 audio channels on the PSP (0 - 7). Games normally use a few channels to output music, voice & various sound effects. The Audio Channel Menu will tell you what channels the game currently use and you can mute each channel manually. You may need to test muting different channels a few time to find out which exactly channel you want to mute. Example, you may want to mute the in-game music and leave the sound effect. Pls also note the iR Shell MP3 Player is indicated as “MP3 Player” in the menu and can’t be muted. You can also control the “Mute Game Audio Type” under Configurator. By default, the muting of game audio will only take effect if the mp3 song is currently playing or paused. If the playback of your mp3 has completed, the muting of game audio will be canceled. You can also optionally choose to mute game audio even no mp3 is playing.
• Modify the change CPU settings, so that it won’t cause system hangup even if a game is running in the background. When you change the CPU speed and a game is in the background, you will see the screen flashes which is normally. Pls also note that the change of CPU speed under devhook environment has been removed, which means you can’t change CPU speed within iR Shell when running devhook. Devhook itself won’t allow any apps to change the CPU speed while the app/game has been launched. To change the CPU speed in devhook, you’ll need to do it under XMB via vshex.prx. You can can also change the cpu speed in iR Shell under SEB” and then use the build-in devhook launcher, devhook will then be launched with the CPU speed carry over from iR Shell.
• Allow redirection of PSP keypad to PC Keyboard or PC Joystick via USB or WiFi (usbhostfs or nethostfs). You can, for example, use a Xbox/Xbox360 gamepad with 2 analog sticks to control movement and aim in a FPS, like Syphon Filter. No more awkward control with PSP buttons for aiming. You can choose “Redirect Keypad to Host” via usbhost0, nethost0, both, or No Redirection under iR Configurator.
• Allow pmf movie as splash screen. Use iR Configurator to choose startup splash type, including bitmap file, pmf movie or no splash. The included skins do not include any pmf movies, you’ll have to download them separately. The PMF player has been enhanced to support movie clips with resolution lower than 480×272. Previously, these movies can’t be played. A new option named “PMF Movie Scaling” has been added to iR Configurator to scale the low resolution movie to full screen. Default is scaling enable. The scaling option only applys for PMF Plugin. The pmf splash feature doesn’t support scaling option.

There are many other additions — select plugins can now be loaded under 2.71, bug fixes, etc… You can check “Revision History.txt” for more details on those. Otherwise you should probably consider reading the included PDF User Guide for everything else you need to know.

Tremendous work AhMan — good to see you back!

Download iR Shell 3.0



Source: PSP-Hacks

Sony shifts from hardware to software?

With the news of Sony taking yet another hit by way of the recent canning of GT HD, one analyst seems to think that this is the end of Sony as a hardware manufacturer.

"The appointment of Hirai could be the start of a shift from hardware to software," Nomura Securities' Yuta Sakurai told the FT. Putting all his eggs in one basket he went on to say, "I cannot now imagine a PlayStation 4."

Brave words indeed but he says the shift of power at the top is that Kaz Hirai's new global portfolio puts a predominantly software-focused manager in charge of the company.

Don't underestimate the power of the PlayStation people...

Gavin Ogden
December 1, 2006

Source: CVG

Devhook 0.50 video tutorial

For all those who couldn't enjoy the latest version of Devhook because they didn't know how to make the dumps, Noob Slayer has spent a little time in making these tutorial vids which will guide you through the installation. If you can ignore the loud Three Days Grace song, you will be able to hear his instructions properly. On to the videos then!

Check out part 1 here...

Check out part 2 here...

Source: PSPUpdates

EA CEO Larry Probst on the PSP

In part II of a three part interview with EA's CEO Larry Probst, Newsweek's N'Gai Croal asks a couple questions about the development of original titles for the PSP and also the platform's future. Not surprisingly, Probst mentions that the PSP's price needs to be lower in order to encourage the development of original titles, among other things. Check out a few excerpts from the interview below.

EA Chief Creative Officer Bing Gordon told me recently that EA really wants to make big original games for PSP, but that the installed base isn't big enough--

On what?

On PSP. But he says that the installed base isn't big enough to support those games on the scale that EA would like. Since publishers are fond of saying that "Software drives hardware," isn't the onus on companies like EA to put out the big original games that will drive up the PSP unit sales? Or are there steps that Sony needs to take in order to drive up the installed base so that you feel comfortable putting out those big, original games?

I'm not so sure that I agree with the premise that we're strategically focused on building original product for the PSP. That's news to me. It's more likely that we would target platforms like the PS3, Xbox 360 or Nintendo Wii if we had an original in mind. Our strategy on PSP has typically been to take the franchises that we build on other platforms and exploit them on the PSP. I think the price point needs to be lower, and I think you're going to see that next year, along with a different form factor.

American Technology Research analyst P.J. McNealy has written that Sony will release two new models next year: one with eight gigabytes of built-in flash memory, and another with a built-in hard drive. Nothing has been said about the form factor, but you've got to assume that they're considering changing it. Do any of these changes sound as though they'll move the needle on PSP sales?

I think what moves the needle is a new form factor that's smaller than the existing unit, at a lower price, and hopefully that price is $100 lower. This is pure speculation, we don't know what Sony's plans are. But it would not be hugely surprising if they had that lower priced unit at $149 and then a more fully-featured upscale unit that retails at $249 or $299. Again, that's pure speculation. We don't have any inside information on that.

There's probably a good deal of overlap between the PSP's early adopters and the PS2's early adopters. Some of them have probably bought a 360, and some are now buying the PS3 and the Wii. If your strategy is to bring the same brands over to PSP, there seems me to be a problem with that approach. The PSP's graphics aren't as good as those on PS3, 360 or Wii. The PSP only has one analog stick instead of two. So what's the compelling argument for a consumer to buy the PSP version, instead of or in addition to the console versions, when it's the same game, but somewhat compromised?

Portability. I would agree with you that if someone owns Madden on multiple systems already, they're less likely to buy it on PSP. It's true. If you've got Madden on PS2 and Xbox 360, how likely are you to buy it on PSP?

Read the full text of the interview here...


Source: Newsweek

Sony Fuels Australian Game Development

If things were a little quiet on the PSP development front as of recently, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) and the Game Developer's Association of Australia (GDAA) hope to remedy things. Today the two companies announced a collaborative programme to nurture new PSP development talent in Australia.

This programme will provide access to technologies and development hardware to new developers, allowing them to realise their concepts. SCEE are sponsoring placement of a significant number of development kits; local administration of the programme will be coordinated with the assistance of the GDAA and will be supported by the Queensland and Victorian governments.

Zeno Colaco, SCEE's Vice President, Publisher & Developer Relations commented, "SCEE are excited to work closely with the GDAA to kick start this initiative in the region. PSP has rapidly established itself as a global format for today's digital consumer. Our goal with this programme is to nurture new talent and widen the spectrum of content providers with traditional and new products which use the full breath of PSP's powerful functionality."

The 'Kit-Start' programme is the first initiative of its type and was developed by SCEE in close consultation with the GDAA. It was announced during Game Connect: Asia Pacific as part of SCEE presence at the event.

Content providers will propose their ideas to the GDAA who will assess the concept. Successful applicants will be provided with access to development kit, specialised design consultancy and technical support from SCEE.

Evelyn Richardson, President and CEO of the GDAA explained, "Without access to this technology, budding developers would not necessarily be in a position to convert their ideas into working prototypes. Providing these first steps on the ladder allows these companies to potentially secure funding from a prospective publisher or exploit commercial opportunities."

"SCE has been a great supporter of our industry locally and it is programmes like this that help our local talent create high quality products for Australia and overseas markets," concluded Richardson.

We think this sounds like a good idea - too many local talents have been fished out to overseas studios. With the backing of state governments, perhaps this will encourage more grass-roots, high quality game development that will shift Australian game development back into the international spotlight.

Patrick Kolan
November 30, 2006

Source: IGN

Deck the halls with Sony units: Sony shrine revealed

There's been a lot of speculation about Area 51 out at the Nevada desert. What the hell do they have in there? The same thing goes for corporate headquarters - secrets and conspiracies will always happen at the headquarters of any company or operations department. This time around, we get a good look at one of those "headquarters."

Here's a vid from T3 of the interior of some Sony office in London. We don't know what they do at this particular office, but for all intents and purposes, it seems as if it's one big game room. T3 simply describes it as a Sony playhouse, and fittingly so.

The whole place is bedecked by PS3s and PSPs in every nook and cranny that they could fit them in. There's even units in the bathroom! Heck, maybe they built more rooms and walls just for the sole purpose of cramming in another station to play on.

Call it a Sony palace. Call it a Sony shrine. Call it Sony nir-effin'-vana. I'd just simply dub it as "where I want to live in the future."

Check out the video here...

Source: PSPUpdates