GamerNode: Latest Sony PSP News

Tenchu Slips Away

The stealth-assassination-ninja series has announced multiple new titles, but will we get to play all of them?

Ever since the first PlayStation version of Tenchu: Stealth Assassins came out, I was hooked. This was like Metal Gear Solid without all the cutscenes and shooting! For those of you that don't know the Tenchu series, it is, at its heart, a stealth killing game. With brilliant level design and one-shot kills (as long as you're not seen), it taxes your abilities, timing, and strategy to the utmost. In short, it's a great series, and further releases have stayed very close to to the winning formula.

Now "From Software" has released information about no less than THREE new Tenchu games. Time of the Assassin's for the PSP, Dark Secret for the Nintendo DS - formerly known as Dark Shadow (...

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Developer Blasts Quality of PSP Games

Are you a PSP owner that is more than concerned about the lack of quality games for your handheld? You are not alone nor are your views represented by only the gamer community. Didier Malenfant of Ready At Dawn games has broken the dawn,s silence by blasting developers who say the PSP limits their creativity. His remarks were given in an interview to GameIndustry. Malenfant said, "Everything is compromised, and it bugs the hell out of me when you hear a lot of developers saying, 'Well, we can't do this that way because it's a handheld game,' or 'We can't do this because it doesn't have a second analog stick.' Those are all excuses." His goals are not only to make a good PSP game, but to send a message to the industry. "We really set out to prove that you can do a game that is as good, if n...

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No More Katamari?

Katamari Damacy is the game with a weird name where you collect the whole world,s objects on a giant sticky ball. It was recently given a sequel on PS2 (titled "We love Katamari" in translation), and has recently gone gold for its PSP release, titled "Me & My Katamari." The PSP is set to hit store shelves on March 21st. At the same time, the producer of "Me & My Katamari," Toshiya Hara, has left a sinking feeling in the stomachs of fans everywhere when he said "The core concept of the Katamari series was complete from the first game... The PSP version was made basically so that the game could be... played on the go. So for now, this is where we wrap it up," To back this statement, the original creator of Katamari Damacy announced plans to leave the gaming industry to pursue, of all things,...

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PSP 3.0 Firmware Feature Leak?

The internet is abound with rumors and supposed pics from the 3.0 firmware upgrade for the PSP. While none of this is set in stone as of yet, the results look promising and is propelling the PSP toward PDA status with such features as Sony Mail, Sony Paint, and Sony Organizer. The list goes on with PS3 connectivity, Music Store Connectivity, Console Security, Writepad and Alarm Clock. This of course is an update from the recent 2.0 software that added web browsing and a few other minor features to the mix. If this update does indeed go through it will be the most ambitious upgrade for the PSP yet. However some of these applications while suitable for a PDA don't seem apt for the PSP's lack of touch screen. How well can you draw with directional controls or the thumb stick analog controller...

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Sony Japan Opening 300 New PSP Hotspots

There will be a lot more places for PSP owners in Japan to download content to their handhelds very soon. Sony Computer Entertainment announced that it will increase the number of PSP wireless kiosks to 300 throughout Japan. The sites will allow PSP owners to download games, game demos and other content. These new Playstation Spots will be located at major train stations, selected Internet cafes and retailers. Although the idea of these hotspot kiosks has been advertised since last October, the number available was limited to only a handful of locations. With the new push to open up 300 new locations in Japan, Sony is hoping to establish its PSP as the preferred wireless handheld of choice. In America, Nintendo™s DS machine has over 6,000 hotspots, located throughout selected McDonal...

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UMD's Are Lagging In Sales

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Warner Home Videos, and Paramount Home Entertainment are going to cut back on the production of UMD formatted movies for the PSP, according to reports from Variety Business. Jeff Baker, senior vice president at Warner said, "We are re-evaluating our position on any future [UMD movie] releases at this time. We're looking at this on a case-by-case basis. We're disappointed with consumer demand at this time." Chris Ansley, a buyer for media company Virgin said, "We continue to carry most new titles and there is a modest demand for them, but there simply hasn't been a consistent growth of this new format to justify making more space for it. We have been encouraged by the results of a couple successful campaigns that we've featured to help promote them, but the...

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UMD/DVD Bundled Movies. Cool!

PSP owners will be in for a treat, starting on March 28th. Sony has announced that it will start bundling PSP UMD disks along with DVD movies for a special price of $28.95. The two-for-one deals will first include the movies: The Terminator, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Resident Evil, Underworld, and The Grunge. Other titles to be released in late April will feature, Ghostbusters, The Fifth Element, and Mad Max. More bundles will be available in the coming months. As reported by Reuters, president Benjamin Feingold of Sony Home Entertainment said, A lot of people have DVD players and also have PSPs, and this way for one price they can get one movie and play it back on both formats." The move by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is a good move to further establish the PSP as a multimedia d...

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Street Alpha 3 MAX Comes to the PSP

Were you one of the many of coin-op fans that stood in line to beat the guy or girl who was the "expert" at Street Fighter? Or did you just do "cheap" moves to defeat your competitors? Whether you were an expert or a cheap fighter doesn,t matter. You,ll be able to not only relieve the glory (or gory) days of the Street Fighter game, but you,ll be able to take it with you. Capcom has announced the release of Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX, for the PSP. As is typical of the series, there are a truckload of characters, lots of fighting moves, three-on-three team battles, and the original arcade characters. Pre-orders for the game include a special "support-pad" attachment that will make doing specials and combo moves easier on the PSP. The popular arcade game first appeared on U.S. shores in 1987...

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Race Driver 2006 for PSP

I myself don™t own a PSP. Why? Because I™m old and that screen is too small for my eyes! No, but seriously, it™s because I™m a petrol head and love my racing games and nothing has thus far made me want to buy one. Thanks to Codemasters I might have to give in and break my piggy bank as they bring Race Driver 2006 to the PSP. This is going to be the ultimate racing game, with more than 50 different cars to race, over a dozen racing comps and the ability to have up to 21 cars on screen at once, RD2006 will definitely be on my list to buy. Not only will there be so much to choose from, but also lots of eye candy with real performance cars, real damage, real physics and with WLAN mode, you can have up to 12 players competing for the tarmac. Compete in GT Sports Car Raci...

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SCEA Releases Official PSP Schedule for Q1

SCEA announced some official release dates for PSP games in Q1. March seems like the hot-spot, with 4 games set to be released in that month. The for launch in March include Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror, MLB 06 The Show, Daxter, and Pursuit Force. The game Ape Escape Academy is expected to be released within the next week. Neopets Petpet Adventures: The Wand of Wishing was expected to be released on February 28th, but is now set for a March release as well. SCEA executive Vice President said, Our first quarter lineup is yet another example of our continuous pledge to consumers to deliver viable and innovative new entertainment choices for the PSP system. Hopefully SCEA will continue with these hot new games throughout the year of ~06.

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New Game for the PSP Can Measure Your Intelligence...

Usually, the only response to non-gamers about the benefits of playing video game goes something like this, Well, it inproves hand-eye coordination and sharpens your reflexes¦ To which the usual reply goes, So what? Talk about shutting down a discussion in no time flat. But there is a game for the PSP that will change this. A Japanese game developer, Nowproduction, has just released a game for the PSP entitled, PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient. Now before everyone starts to yawn at the blazingly boring title, the game is representative of the many popular intelligence games that have recently swept Japan. PIQ has 100 3D puzzles that measure and quantify a gamer™s intelligence and logic skills through various scenarios related to moving objects, avoiding obstacles, operating device...

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New Music Software for the PSP Goes X-OOM!

It™s time to get a bigger memory stick for your PSP, as the latest music software by bhv Software, gives you the ability to rip and download internet radio streams to your PC and then upload them to you PSP. Finally, you can rock out to your heart™s desire. The software, X-OOM, has the capacity to record up to 20 channels simultaneously and can be programmed to record at the times you specify. If you plan to record 20 channels all at once, we suggest you buy a few carry-along 100 gig drives plus battery packs. (Oh, you™ll also need to buy a luggage cart to move all your stuff around too.) The X-OOM software can be purchased for the PSP at a MSRP of $29.99 through their website: http://www.x-oom.us/.

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Bubble Bobble Evolution Coming to PSP

Bub and Bob make their first appearance on Sony,s PSP in Rising Star,s popular franchise "Bubble Bobble" games. The new title is called, "Bubble Bobble: Evolution" and is tentatively scheduled for release in February 2006. The fanciful game has the classic elements of the series, such as capturing the baddies within bubbles, plus lots of fights and lots of action. This new offering for the PSP, however, has some added new features: puzzles, multiple screen action and the ability for the gamer to "travel" between these different game screens. Producer Tony Byus said, "This isn't Bubble Bobble as fans of the series are used to. This is an entirely new game, and with these puzzle elements included, it is literally an evolution of the original game design concept." Chairman, Owe Bergsten, o...

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Strong Sales of Nintendo Handhelds Reported During...

More good news for Nintendo as holiday retail reports for December show strong sales of Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance products. Nintendo is going against the wave of some game industry downturns regarding video game business. Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo vice president of sales commented, "At a time when some sectors of the video game industry are softening, Nintendo DS and the Game Boy Advance line remain shining stars because of their fun experiences and innovative game play. It's important to note that these strong figures represent Nintendo hand-held units and games that consumers have purchased and are now enjoying at home or wherever they like to play." In the U.S., combined game sales of MarioKart DS and Nintendogs have sold well over 2.5 million copies since their release in Novem...

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New Movie Download Service for the PSP!

By Frank Ling, GN Writer Friday, December 30, 2005 Have you grown tired of repeatedly viewing Napoleon Dynamite on your PSP because of the lack of available movies for your handheld? If you™re stuck in a rut like this, there is help on the way. 29HD Network announced that it will be opening a new video download store for the PSP. The new service, called 29MP4, will offer full-featured films and videos at an economically priced $2.99 per title. The initial number of titles during the beta launch of the online store will have over a dozen selections, with a planned expansion of more than 200 titles by the middle of 2006. Potential customers will be able to browse and window shop the inventory before purchase. Bob Caird, of 29HDN said, ¦with the right pricing and selection available thr...

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Art College Produces PSP Furniture Exhibit

The Royal College of Art in London has a new art project for display by students of the Industrial Design Engineering and Interaction Design department. Namely: furniture. But not just any type of furniture, it,s furniture that is made for the purpose "specifically when playing the PSP", according to the RC of A website. The exhibit will give attendees a chance to try out the furniture for themselves. Don,t forget to bring your PSP along. What inspired this project? The Royal College of Art students said, "The cocoon-like nature of the furniture is related to the experience of playing games on the PSP. Initial inspiration came from observing group play at a barbecue: when still light in the early evening, a group of players put their coats over their heads to create shade and see the PSP'...

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