The next game in the Monster Hunter series will be hitting the PSP in a few weeks time. To tide you over until then, or if you haven’t quite decided on the game yet, there’s now a free demo you can download of the game, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite.
The game is available to download via the PlayStation store both on your PC and PSP. To download from your PC, download the demo from the PlayStation store (Media Go installation required) and once downloaded transfer it to your memory card. Or if you’ve got WiFi access for your PSP, you can download it from the PlayStation Store on the PSP by selecting the Store in the XMB.
Sorry to disappoint you, but the Trophy system found on the PS3, won’t be making it’s way to the PSP. PlayStaion Network Operations director, Eric Lempel was asked about the possibility of trophies on the PSP, but has said they will not be coming to the PSP. Not because users wouldn’t want the system, but because the PSP is very hackable. With custom firmware, the PSP is capable of playing PSP games from the memory stick, which could “artificially inflate” the rankings and trophies of players, which could kill the trophy system. Hackable or not, I think it’s a missed opportunity, where many genuine PSP owners are let down.
The gaming event of the year has arrived and all the major players have revealed some juicy games and accessories. The event saw many announcements from Sony, although it wasn’t what everyone was hoping for. There was no word on a price cut for the PS3, which is a disappointment to many. There was also a rumour of a PS3 slim, but there was no mention of another PS3 model coming.
Here’s what Sony showed for the Playstation 3.
PS3 Motion Controller announced and demonstrated. Coming in Spring 2010.
Agent announced for PLAYSTATION 3 from Rockstar Games. PS3 exclusive.
Assassin’s Creed 2 gameplay demo shown and PS3 to PSP interoperability confirmed.
Final Fantasy XIV Online announced. Online MMO game coming in 2010.
Gran Turismo 5 shown.
Trico (The Last Guardian) trailer shown.
ModNation Racers coming in 2010.
God of War 3 first minutes of gameplay shown. 20 minute playable demo at E3. The release date of God of War III was announced for March 2010.
With the following announced for the PSP.
PSP Go officially announced. Includes 16GB storage, WiFi, Bluetooth. No UMD slot. Available at $249.99 on October 1, 2009.
Media Go announced for PC (media management solution for PSP).
PSP Toolkit reduced 80% to encourage new development on the PSP.
All PSP titles going forward will be released as UMD and digital download.
Gran Turismo for PSP shown. Runs at 60 FPS. Uses Ad Hoc mode to race with up to 4 players. Trading and sharing of cars with other players.
Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker announced. Takes place 10 years after MGS 3, in the 1970s. Coming in 2010.
Resident Evil for PSP announced.
Final Fantasy VII announced for PSP (PSone classic). Available today on PlayStation Store.
Last year the consumer market saw a loss of demand for electronical products from big name brands such as Sony. Following this, Sony have reported that they lost $1 billion during last year, with the price of the PS3 and strong yen not helping. The PS3, which many consumers deem expensive compared to the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii, is actually selling at a loss for the company so any price cuts at the moment seem out of the question. Sony are looking for ways to reduce costs, otherwise 2009 could see them lose even more. So far three plants in Japan have been shut down.
Wow, this is really something. An application has been released for Windows Mobile phones, including the Xperia X1 from Sony Ericsson. The appplication, MobileRemote, allows you to connect your Windows Mobile phone via bluetooth to another bluetooth enabled device. In the video below, we see Youtube user bear807 connect his Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 to the PS3 using MobileRemote. The app will allow you to control about 85% of the functions on the PS3. The keyboard chat was tested out on Little Big Planet and worked fine. Browsing the internet also worked well for using the Xperia as a mouse and keyboard.
Bear807 also tested streaming music from his laptop to the PS3. It was noted that skipping to the next song or previous song didn’t work. MobileRemote can be downloaded from here for $8.99.
Sony are to release wireless versions of their popular SingStar microphones which are touted as being “easy to pass around”. The wireless microphones will be compatible with both the PS2 and PS3 and have already been tested by the “SingStar Community”. The wireless mics were given a status of excellent or very good by 99% of the participants.
The SingStar wireless microphones will go on sale in the UK from the 20th of March, with the release of SingStar Pop Edition following in April available for the PS3.
After the recent announcement from Sony Ericsson about the Idou, Ubergizmo - who shared the news - have had a chance to snap some photos of the upcoming device.
The Idou, as it’s currently called, may when it’s released go by a different name according to the screenshots. Further information about the Idou has also been released, including information about the shipping date. It is expected to be released within the second half of 2009. As well as it’s impressive screen size, it’s also confirmed that the screen is actually a touch screen, allowing ease of use when it comes to the multimedia features.
The Sony PSP 3000 is Sony’s newest advancement in mobile gaming. The 3000 is certainly an upgrade from previous PSP models. Right away you notice that the screen looks sharper and brighter. At times in older models, when you went into a dark area in the game it became hard to see and navigate your way around the game. The sony PSP 3000 also features Skype, and built in microphone to further advance the PSP in online gaming. The PSP also has a great game lineup with many of your favorite titles from the original playstation as well as new titles. Many of these titles also offer graphics that are superb to titles available for the Nintendo DS.
While the 3000 is definitely a step in the right direction, that does not mean that the system is perfect. During graphic intense moments while gaming, the system often displays scan lines and even has some lag while it computes what’s going on. The screen also has problems of its own. If you are able to actually remove all of the fingerprints the screen seems to attract, you then have to worry about the glare. I don’t think anyone is sure why Sony isn’t using glare resistant screens with their PSP’s, as it has been one of the biggest complaints throughout their production.
In conclusion, if you own a PSP already, it’s probably worth considering whether you really need to upgrade before buying. The PSP Brite is a step above what you have now but, not a lot really. If you are considering buying a PSP, the 3000 is the best model currently available. The PSP 3000 is a step in the right direction, but the system is still far from perfect, it’s getting there though.
John Koller, hardware director of Sony Computer Entertainment America has said that due to significant interest in the PSP 3000 Ratchet & Clank Size Matters pack, they will be continuing to sell the Mystic Silver pack in North America, with Piano Black becoming available in December.
Because of the significant interest, the PSP 3000 4GB pack has been cancelled. Many retailers cancelled pre-orders for the pack over the weekend. Those interested in a bigger memory stick can purchase a 4GB Sony memory stick from fall for $44.99.
Other retailers such as Amazon are already offering the 4GB Sony memory stick for a lower price and have done for a while.
Gamerstyle have posted on their front page telling us of the news that Sony are currently recalling LittleBigPlanet globally as there is a licensing issue with the game - it apparently has a background track that contains two expressions from the Qur’an.
LBP was due out on October 24th and is now delayed until further notice.
In a quote directly from GamerStyle:
Videogaming247 have posted up Sony’s response to the situation:
During the review process prior to the release of LittleBigPlanet, it has been brought to our attention that one of the background music tracks licensed from a record label for use in the game contains two expressions that can be found in the Qur’an. We have taken immediate action to rectify this and we sincerely apologise for any offence that this may have caused.
are already offering the 4GB Sony memory stick for a lower price and have done for a while.
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