Hacking the PSP Blog

Kotaku Posts Rumor, Sony Blackballs Kotaku, Sony and Kotaku Make-Up

Last Thursday Kotaku ran an article about a rumor they received from an anonymous source concerning Sony's plan to launch PlayStation Home. According to recent trademarks by Sony, PlayStation Home appears to be a social networking feature for the PS3. Before running the story, Kotaku attempted to confirm said rumors with Sony. Sony declined to comment on the rumor and asked them not to run the story on their blog adding that doing so could cause harm to their relationship with the company. From the article:

"Specifically, they said we would be asked to return our debug PS3, uninvited from all meetings scheduled with Sony at GDC, including one on blogger relations and a one-on-one with Phil Harrison, and that they would no longer deal with us."

With that, Kotaku decided to run the story anyway, forwarding the article to their contact at SCEA Senior Director of Corporate Communications, Dave Karraker. Here was Karraker's response to Brian Crecente's email:

"Brian, This is an email I was really hoping I would never have to write, but it is what it is. When I came on board here at Sony, I made every effort to be as inclusive as possible to media and the blogging community in an effort to improve previously damaged relationships. This included getting people access to executives, opening our events to more individuals and personally responding as quickly as possible to inquiries. This was done in good faith with the thought that the people I was working with would operate with the same integrity and courtesy I think I demonstrated when I was a reporter. Basically, I went out on a limb for a lot of people -- people SCEA PR and SCEA management had written off. I caught a lot of flack for it from folks, but I felt strongly it was the right thing to do.

I am very disappointed that after trying to work with you as closely as possible and provide you and your team with access and information, you chose to report on this rumor.... I can't defend outlets that can't work cooperatively with us.

So, it is for this reason, that we will be canceling all further interviews for Kotaku staff at GDC and will be dis-inviting you to our media event next Tuesday. Until we can find a way to work better together, information provided to your site will only be that found in the public forum.

Again, I take absolutely no joy in sending you this note, but given the situation you have put me into, I have no choice.

Dave Karraker
Sr. Director, Corporate Communications
Sony Computer Entertainment America"

Crecente replied with:

"Dave, Obviously I disagree with your decision, but it sounds like your mind is made up. I think this only highlights the differences that PR people and journalists have. My interest is not in making sure that Sony has positive news or that the timing of their news is correct, my job only is to inform the readers of news as quickly and accurately as I can. Hopefully, one day this dispute will settle down and you will reopen communication with us. Know this, while I disagree with this decision and think it is a monumental mistake, it will not effect our continuing coverage of Sony and the gaming software and hardware your company makes and supports. Take care, Brian"

That same day, Dave Karraker contacted Brian Crecente at Kotaku to discuss the matter and the two were able to mend relations Sony and Kotaku. Here's what Brian had to say in his post about their discussion:

"First, I have to say thank you to all of the websites, newspapers, magazines, people who were so quick to come to our defense and supported our decision to stand by our story.

Second, I want to thank Dave Karraker, head of SCEA PR, who was big enough to call me and talk the whole thing through after this exploded.

He told me his take on the story and his frustrations and I told him mine, in the end we agreed to disagree on some level, but also decided that our readers and gamers in general would be best served if Sony and Kotaku could still play nicely together.

In a nutshell: The story remains up and Sony has re-invited us to the meetings and interviews initially scheduled for the Game Developers Conference.

It's unfortunate that we, not just Kotaku and Sony, but all of us had to go through this, but it's good to see the outcome: We were doing our job and Sony was doing theirs and now we can both continue to do so."

Original Articles
Rumor: Sony To Unveil PlayStation Home
Sony Blackballs Kotaku
Sony and Kotaku Make-Up
PlayStation Home The Trademark

Source: Kotaku

Sony Computer Entertainment America to Showcase Ground-Breaking, Next-Generation Technology and New Innovative Online Services at 2007 Game Developers Conference

Phil Harrison to Open Conference With Keynote Speech, 'Game 3.0: Developing and Creating for the 3rd Age of Videogames'

FOSTER CITY, Calif., March 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) today announced details of its presence at the 2007 Game Developers Conference (GDC), with Phil Harrison, president of Worldwide Studios, Sony Computer Entertainment, delivering the opening keynote speech. GDC is the world's largest conference dedicated to the support and promotion of game development, running March 5-9, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Calif.

Phil Harrison's keynote presentation, "Game 3.0: Developing and Creating for the 3rd Age of Videogames," will kick off the conference on March 7th, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. PST. The speech will focus on the key components of Game 3.0 -- community, user-generated content, collaboration and commerce -- all highlighted through live demonstrations of previously un-announced services and games for PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(TM)).

"This is a very exciting time to be part of the game development community. Advancements in technology combined with new consumer trends mean the industry has a great opportunity to create engaging new entertainment experiences for the world," said Phil Harrison, president of Worldwide Studios, Sony Computer Entertainment. "I believe we're at the threshold of a new era in creative game development that's destined to drive our industry growth through the next decade or more."

Following the keynote presentation, the SCEA booth will be a central focus at GDC as the company introduces new development tools and technologies designed specifically for PS3 and the PLAYSTATION(R)Network, as well as PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable) handheld entertainment system.

The SCEA booth -- Booth #410, West Hall -- will offer visitors a sneak-peek at:

    -- Tuner for PS3 -- Developed by SN Systems, a subsidiary of Sony Computer
       Entertainment Inc., the Tuner is a profiling tool that enables
       developers to quickly highlight bottlenecks and conflicts in source
       code, helping them improve code performance. The Tuner is a software
       application, so there is no special hardware required, which enables
       developers to create high performance games with less guesswork.
    -- Unreal(R) Engine 3 -- Epic's next-generation game engine technology
       targets a diverse set of genres from fighting games to shooters to
       Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games
    -- High-Level Graphics Package -- PSSG (a PS3 optimized cross-platform
       graphics engine and tool-chain) production-ready extensible scene-graph
       framework that is written to take advantage of PS3 strengths
    -- Pioneering profiling and analysis tools and physics technologies
    -- Developing with Linux on PS3
    -- Demonstration of downloadable titles from the PLAYSTATION Network, such
       as flOw, Blast Factor(TM) and Calling all Cars(TM)

Additionally, SCE developers, engineers, and other specialists will be hosting a variety of educational panels in an effort to support and encourage the creative innovation of developers and publishers:

    Monday, March 5:

    -- 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.: E. Daniel Arey, Director, Naughty Dog, Sony
       Computer Entertainment America, "Interactive Storytelling Bootcamp,"
       Room 3011, West Hall
    -- 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.: Vlad Stamate, Graphics Software Engineer, Sony
       Computer Entertainment America, "Core Techniques and Algorithims in
       Shader Programming," Room 3011, West Hall
    -- 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.: Dan Bardino, Audio Manager, Sony Computer
       Entertainment Europe; Sergio Pimentel, Music Licensing and A&R Manager,
       Sony Computer Entertainment Europe; Jason Page, Audio Manager, Sony
       Computer Entertainment Europe, "Audio Boot Camp," Room 3006, West Hall
    -- 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: John Hight, Director of Production, Sony
       Computer Entertainment America, "Console/PC Distribution Gatekeepers,"
        (part of Independent Games Summit), Room 3018, West Hall
    -- 2:30-3:30 p.m.: Jenova Chen, flOw creator, ThatGameCompany, "Innovation
       in Indie Games," (part of Independent Games Summit), Room 3018, West
       Hall

    Tuesday, March 6:

    -- 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.: Christer Ericson, Director of Tools and
       Technology, Sony Computer Entertainment America, "Physics for Games
       Programmers," Room 3011, West Hall
    -- 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.: Bill Dalton, Technical Director, Austin Studio,
       Sony Online Entertainment, "Large-Scale Engineering for Online and
       Offline Games," Room 3009, West Hall
    -- 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.: John Needham, CFO and SVP of Finance, Sony Online
       Entertainment, "Downloadable Casual Games on the Console," (part of
       Casual Games Summit 201), Room 3020, West Hall
    -- 5:00-6:00 p.m.: David Jaffe, Creative Director, Sony Santa Monica
       Studios, "Building the Future of Indie Games," (part of Independent
       Games Summit), Room 3018, West Hall

    Wednesday, March 7:

    -- 2:30-3:30 p.m.: Gabe Ahn (Field Developer Support Engineer SCEA),
       "COLLADA(TM) in console game production" Room 3004, West Hall
    -- 4:00-5:00 p.m.: Bruce D'Amora, Senior Technical Staff Member, IBM,
       "Control your Performance Monsters: Cell Programming Tips and
       Techniques," Room 3004, West Hall

    Thursday, March 8:

    -- 9:00-10:00 a.m.: Jason Page, Sony Computer Entertainment, Michael
       Kelly, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, "PS3 Audio: More Than Extra
       Channels," Room 3006, West Hall
    -- 2:30-3:30 p.m.: Dave Murrant, Sound Design Manager, Sony Computer
       Entertainment America, "PS3: Audio Development From the Trenches," Room
       3008, West Hall
    -- 2:30-3:30 p.m.: Mark Cerny, Cerny Games, Jon Olick, Lead Programmer,
       Naughty Dog, David Simpson, Lead Programmer, Naughty Dog, "RSX Best
       Practices," Room 3001, West Hall
    -- 4:00-5:00 p.m.: Chris Carty, Principal Programmer, Sony Computer
       Entertainment Worldwide Studios, Nicolas Serres, Principal Programmer,
       Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, "Real-World SPU Usage,"
       Room 3010, West Hall
    -- 4:00-5:00 p.m.: Tsutomu Kouno, Japan Studio, Sony Computer
       Entertainment Worldwide Studios, "A LocoRoco Postmortem: Making
       Happiness into Gameplay," Room 135, North Hall

    Friday, March 9:

    -- 9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.: Mark Teare, Character Artist, Factor 5, "Cross
       Application Asset Creation for Lair(TM): From Characters to Clouds,"
       Room 135 North Hall
    -- 12:00-1:00 p.m.: Scott Kirkland, Technical Director, Evolution Studios,
       "Applied Physics: MotorStorm(TM)," Room 3001, West Hall

Please visit the official GDC web site (http://www.gdconf.com) for registration and additional information. Speaker and panel details are subject to change.

About Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. continues to redefine the entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation(R) and PS one(R) game console, the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system, the PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable) system, and the ground-breaking PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(TM)) computer entertainment system.

Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. markets the PlayStation family of products and develops, publishes, markets and distributes software for the PS one game console, the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and the PSP system for the North American market. Based in Foster City, Calif. Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. serves as headquarters for all North American operations and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
   
Visit us on the Web at http://www.us.playstation.com
NOTE: "PlayStation", "PLAYSTATION", "PSP" and "PS one" are registered trademarks and PS3 is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Source: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. via PRNewswire

GDC: Eidos turns PSP into virtual music studio

New software will allow owners of Sony's handheld to mix and sample beats on the move.

A new piece of software developed by Definitive Software and published by Eidos will position Sony's PSP as a piece of professional music equipment.

Called Traxxpad, the software attempts to offer virtual sequencers, drum machines and keyboards that can be both used by professionals and consumers. A mixing and sampling element means users can record samples straight to the handheld and remix them on the go, and export their creations as MP3s or WAVs.

"It's one thing to make a powerful music device, but it is truly impressive to make an application that allows someone unfamiliar with music to make something that sounds professional," said Eidos' marketing manager Kevin Gill.

"That is where Traxxpad excels. This is a piece of software that appeals equally to both aspiring musicians as well as professional music producers."

Exec VP of sales and marketing at Eidos Robert Lindsey described the software as "It produces professional music, and makes it easy to do, providing an end result that is more fun and satisfying than completing a pre-defined task in a game."

Michael French
March 5, 2007

Source: MCV

PS2 Controller Mod For PSP

F00 f00 over at Acid Mods seems to always be busy. He's posted on the Acid Mods forum about his PlayStation 2 controller mod for the PSP and a little summary of how it came to be, including his initial concept drawing. Below is a picture of what his finished setup looks like. For more pictures of this mod, check out the post on the Acid Mods forum and his demo video using the link below.

Video: F00 f00's PS2 Controller Mod for PSP

More info on the Acid Mods forum...




Source: Acid Mods

Off Topic: Nielsen: One-third of TV owners play game consoles

Nielsen Media Research, best know for its TV ratings, has released an outline the American video game landscape in the form of "The State of the Console" report. Among the more interesting findings:

• 45.7 million U.S. households have at least one game system, out of 111.4 million that have TVs (41.1%). This number has risen from 38.6 million (35.2%) in late 2004.
• 148.4 million Americans have access to a console in their home, out of 283.5 million that have access to TVs (52.4%). Of those, 93.8 million Americans (33.3% of the TV population) actually used a console in the 4th quarter of 2006.
• The top 20% of gamers are responsible for 75% of the console time, averaging 5 hours and 45 minutes of use per day.

Those last two factoids are pretty interesting, as they show console games are still appealing primarily to a very small niche of the potential market, and that a small slice of that niche is responsible for most of the actual playing time. If game makers can somehow attract these uninterested console owners, they'll have tapped into a much larger market than they might be used to.

Read - Summary
Read - Full report (7 page PDF)

Kyle Orland
March 5, 2007

Source: Joystiq

U.S. Researcher Laments 'PlayStation Generation'

Homeland Security exec says today's students avoid math and science because they are too difficult.

Jay Cohen, who heads science and technology research at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has an US$850 million research budget this year for developing what he sometimes calls "wow" technology. But his enthusiasm for the possibilities of science is tempered by his worry about whether the U.S. is producing the talent needed to further the research necessary for national security.

There's "a crisis in this country," said Cohen, which he described as a "PlayStation generation" of students who want immediate gratification and avoid math and science because it's too hard.

That was just one of the points that Cohen, a former U.S. Navy admiral who is now undersecretary for the science and technology directorate at DHS, made at a conference Friday held by the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association. The event was attended by many of the technology firms that develop systems used in homeland security.

Cohen's point about the need for students with an interest in science is underscored by some of the research on which the agency is now working. "I get to take risks with millions of dollars to prevent putting billions of dollars in acquisitions at risk," said Cohen.

DHS will fund research projects that private industry isn't likely to touch. U.S. companies are usually less focused on applied research than on being first to market, said Cohen. Some businesses are even "turning away from patents" to focus on developing products. "Why beat your head against the wall with a patent when someone else is going to have a variation of your technology and get it out there?" he said.

"Failure is not a bad thing in science and technology," said Cohen, pointing to the risky projects his agency funds. DHS calls those efforts "high-impact technology solutions [that] are expected to fail because they are high risk. But if they succeed, wow, they are game changers."

Read the full article here...

Patrick Thibodeau, Computerworld
March 2, 2007

Source: PCWorld.com