Hacking the PSP Blog

The worst-selling games of 2006

The game industry is quick to trump its accomplishments; bestsellers, growing revenues, and market expansion. The optimist in us likes that, but what's a pessimist to do? Well the recent issue of EGM (Mar '07) has a listicle that's hard to argue over: the worst-selling games of 2006. Though the always-serious Seanbaby fails to mention a specific source, he says "These games were selected from sales figures of the least purchased games of 2006 -- cold, hard, indisputable measurements of suck." They are:

• Unison: Rebels of Rhythm & Dance (PS2)
• Kakuto Chojin: Back Alley Brutal (XB)
• Frogger Beyond (XB)
• Bomberman: Act Zero (XB360)
• Freestyle Street Soccer (XB)
• Egg Mania: Eggstreme Madness (XB)
• Space Ace (XB)

That's a lot of Xbox 1 games. Translation: "She's going down! Send the dross with it!"

Blake Snow
February 14, 2007

Source: Joystiq

NJ ends PSP development with CPS1PSP/CPS2PSP/MVSPSP/NCDZPSP v2.0

NJ again says goodbye to homebrew PSP development, leaving us with major updates to his suite of emulators. These updates now bring CPS1PSP, CPS2PSP, MVSPSP, NCDZPSP to version 2.0, adding ad-hoc wireless versions of each of them. I have provided NJ's farewell message concerning these releases as translated by b8a over at DCEmu, Check out the download pages using the links at the bottom for the files and their respective change logs.

Overview

• If you have used any of the previous versions please take note that a portion of the control scheme as changed. The menu is opened with the HOME button.
• Please read the readme_???.txt included with each software first.
• The control schemes are all pretty much the same. They are written in the readme_???.txt (files) so please run your eyes over them.
• For all menus other than the main menu, there is a simple controls help function available. It is displayed by pressing the R TRIGGER, so please run your eyes over these as well.
• I have also prepared Japanese language versions of the 3 arcade emulators, however the amount of allocatable memory decreases by about 800KB (with these).

About The resource_jp.zip (file) Included With The English Language Version (Excluding NCDZPSP)

• The files included in the English language version resource_jp.zip are files that are necessary if Japanese is to be used in the game list and the command list.
• * If you are not going to use Japanese this (file) is unnecessary so please delete it.
  
• *When displaying Japanese, copy the files included in resource_jp.zip exactly as they are to /PSP/GAME/CPS1PSP/.
• Even in the English language version, when using the Japanese command list, the Japanese font is loaded, and the amount of allocatable memory decreases by that amount.

About Emulators That Use Cache

• All of the CPS2PSP games, as well as almost half of the MVSPSP games, will not run if you do not create cache files for them.
• Please create the cache files with the romcnv_cps2.exe and/or romcnv.mvs.exe included with the released binaries. Since I included a version check, you can not use older cache files.
• With CPS2PSP, it is possible to use zip compressed cache files, however, the speed drops considerably compared to uncompressed cache files. Other than a few of the smaller games, I recommend that you use uncompressed cache files.
• When using cache files, the speed of the game is influenced by the loading speed of the Memory Stick. When using AdHoc, the speed of your opponent's (Memory Stick) will have an effect, so it is better if you don't use pre-PRO Memory Sticks.

About The AdHoc Version

• I put various efforts into stabilizing it, but since there are a lot of unknowns about the PSP AdHoc, even though it's gotten somewhat better, it's still unstable.
• It's possible to play normally even with the AdHoc version. The reason I separated it from the regular version is because the speed of the AdHoc version is somewhat slower. If you do not plan on using AdHoc, I recommend that you use the regular version.
• When using AdHoc, a portion of the options are fixed. Due to synchronization circumstances with NCDZPSP, the load screen emulation is always set.
• Since you can't synchronize with different binaries, you will not be able to connect between a Japanese version and an English version.

About The Command List File Size Reduction Function (I forgot to write this in the documentation)

• When you select command.dat in the file browser, the file size reduction function starts up. Since the Japanese language version of a MAME! Plus command list is close to 4MB, please execute this first. Game loading times will somewhat decrease.

*Please refer to each emulator's section to see what's changed.

Download CPS1PSP v2.0 (Capcom Play System)
Download CPS2PSP v2.0 (Capcom Play System 2)
Download MVSPSP v2.0 (NeoGeo MVS)
Download NCDZPSP v2.0 (Neogeo CD)

Source: DCEmu

Dark_AleX's Open Edition Network Update Downloader BETA1

Xandu has released his application that turns the Network Update icon into a update downloader for Dark_AleX's Open Edition firmware. What this does is simply download an UPDATE.rar file to the root of the memory stick. Unfortuneately it does not install the update but maybe that's something we can hope for the the future. Installation does require writing to flash0 so there is a risk of bricking your beloved PSP. Xandu would like to thank Homer, yaustar, Malksta and everyone else that helped beta test the application. Here are the instructions that he provided on DCEmu:

Instructions:

• Flash update_plugin.prx using the flash update.
• Make sure your first connection is active and working..
• Use Network Update
• UPDATE.rar should be in the MS root after the download is complete.

Warning:
This has a risk of bricking when using FLASHUPDATE. I am not responsible for any damage that may happen to your device.

Note:
You can also flash using Flash0 USB mode in Open Edition. (vsh/nodule)

Download Dark_AleX's Open Edition Network Update Downloader BETA1

Source: Xandu via DCEmu

Off Topic: Presidential hopeful resurrects federal game bill

Republican Senator Sam Brownback reintroduces Truth in Video Game Rating Act, which would require the ESRB to complete games before rating them.

Last month, Kansas Senator Sam Brownback declared he would seek the 2008 Republican Nomination for President of the United States. His first speech as a candidate was roundly mocked on the January 23 episode of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart for his repeated use of the words "greatness" and "goodness." (The same program also pilloried the entire spectrum of Democratic candidates, including the "first Leprechaun president[al]" hopeful, Ohio Representative Dennis Kucinich.)

Today, Brownback took a very public step to prove the American public how "good" and "great" he is. The Senator announced that he was re-introducing the Truth in Video Game Rating Act (S.3935), a measure he first submitted last September. If made law, the act would require the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) to play the final build of a game from beginning to end before it gives said game a rating.

"Video game reviewers should be required to review the entire content of a game to ensure the accuracy of the rating," Brownback said in a statement. "The current video game ratings system is not as accurate as it could be because reviewers do not see the full content of games and do not even play the games they rate." The Truth in Video Game Rating Act would also commission a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study to "determine the efficacy of the...ESRB ratings system."

Read the full article here...

Tor Thorsen
February 13, 2007

Source: Gamespot