Hacking the PSP Blog

Off-Topic: Next-gen N-Gage unveiled

It seems the next-generation Nokia N-Gage caused quite a stir when it was shown behind closed doors in Santa Monica last week, boasting an impressive amount of interest from top-notch and supposedly top-secret developers and publishers.

SEGA, Sony Online Entertainment, EA Mobile, Vivendi, Square Enix, Capcom, THQ Wireless, Tecmo, Namco, Disney, Universal and Glu Mobile were all reportedly there, according to PocketGamer, though it isn't clear if they're all definitely developing for the platform or just making their minds up.

New features such as a swanky new "N-Gage activation code system" plus "track and manage" game sharing abilities will try to win the big-shot votes, with the software development kit also making its first appearance at the event.

The next-generation of N-Gage was announced back at E3 2005 to appear within Nokia's multimedia handsets, with a few of the proposed games being flashed about at last year's show.

European companies will have a chance to get a look at this flashy little beast next week in Madrid.

Rob Purchese
January 30, 2007

Source: EuroGamer

Katamari Damacy goes online!

Japanese gaming site 4gamer reports that Korean publisher WindySoft is bringing the cult PlayStation game (portable or otherwise) to the world of PC gaming by releasing Katamari Damacy Online. It is reported that they have signed a contract last November of 2006 and that Cyberstep has already begun development of the game with the goal of a late 2007 release.

Reports say that the gameplay of Katamari Damacy Online basically involves taking the versus battle stages from the PS2 and PSP games and plant them into an online arena. There will also be a community management features, and the game is set to include "pet" and "house" elements with collectibles. Reports also claim that you can make your own island, and create custom clothing from the items you gather while playing.

It is still unclear as of yet if there will be any developer support from the Japanese side of things or if the Koreans simply got the license for the franchise. However, 4gamer does speculate that the deal was made in order for Namco Bandai to get a foothold in the South Korean casual online market.

Read the full post here...

Source: PSPUpdates

Lumines II for $19.99 @ Best Buy

Right now Best Buy has the ever-popular puzzle game Lumines II, which normally retails for $29.99, for $19.99. I'm not sure how long this price is available but I'd venture to guess through this  Saturday, February 3. You can go pick up a copy in your local store or purchase it online here.

Got a PSP? Sony's got (another) shirt waiting...

One thing we love about Sony-sponsored events is the freebies. Now, aside from the free demo disks that they were offering during the LockerRoom Challenge Tour, Sony is again doling out free shirts for your consumption - just in case them darned lycans go on their shirt-ripping frenzy again.

For the guys who missed out on the previous promo, this could be your second chance to grab another limited edition PSP shirt. All you need to do is visit the PlayStation Locker Room Challenge Tour, PlayStation Experience or PlayStation Patrol Tour trucks, and show them your PSP - make sure to flash Dark_AleX's 3.03 OE-C for effect.

The offer is good until this February 27, which should give you enough time to hunt down the next truck stop from Feb 2 to 4 at Wal-Mart, 5200 So. Fort Apache Road, Las Vegas (Sw2), NV 89148. As for our note on flashing them your custom firmware? We were kidding...


Source: PlayStation via PSPUpdates

Sony Releases Firmware 3.10

Hmm... no mention of security updates in their press release... but I'll bet there are a few <grin> -Auri

I'm curious about the "conserve memory" feature. Does it make it possible for larger Flash documents to load? If anyone has any experience with "better" Flash compatibility with this release, please let me know!

Warning: If you plan on downgrading your PSP, do *not* upgrade to 3.10. Heck, don't upgrade your PSP at all. Get to 1.50 as soon as you can and just use DevHook or Custom Firmwares to run homebrew to your heart's content!

Sony Computer Entertainment America is making it even easier to check out the hottest software for the PSP®(PlayStation®Portable) system with a new initiative to offer downloadable demos regularly via the official PSP site ( psp.us.playstation.com <http://psp.us.playstation.com/>  ) and the PlayStation Web site ( us.playstation.com/PSP <http://us.playstation.com/PSP>  ). Separately, a new firmware update (version 3.10) is now available, enhancing the PSP Internet browser and audio playback.


PSP Demos

PSP owners can now download a demo for KillzoneTM: Liberation directly to their PSP system from the official PSP site; the demo can also be downloaded to a PC from the PlayStation Web site and transferred to a PSP system. Killzone: Liberation is a third-person shooter that puts players into 16 intense missions to rescue hostages from the evil Helghast. Killzone: Liberation was developed by Guerilla, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.


Additional first and third party demos will be offered on an ongoing basis, with Syphon Filter®: Dark Mirror and SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 2 slated for release in the coming weeks.


PSP Firmware 3.10

PSP Firmware 3.10 is now available for download and includes the following updates:

• Conserve Memory has been added as an optional setting for your Internet browser, enabling you to view a Web page that contains a larger amount of data because less memory is used to display the page.
• Dynamic Normalizer has been added as a feature under “Sound Settings,” providing automatic volume adjustment for playback of music tracks or other audio sources with varying output levels.