GamerNode: Latest Sony PSP News

God of War: Chains of Olympus gone gold

It's not so often that a really big-time PSP game is released, so the fact that Ready At Dawn has announced the completion of God of War: Chains of Olympus is certainly newsworthy. The game is ready to be slapped onto UMD and will be arriving in stores in just under three weeks.

Those of you who own a PSP, get ready to tell your grandma that you're not coming down for dinner, because this game looks to be one of the best the handheld has to offer. If you don't have a PSP (and I could hardly blame you if that's the case), then you might find it nice to know that the game is rumored to be headed to the PlayStation 2 somewhere down the road. Either way, we all win - unless of course you don't have a PS2, either. (shame on you)

You can bet I'll be grabbing this game right around its March 4t...

• (5)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

PSP Echochrome costs 55% more than PS3 version

The unique puzzle game, Echochrome, will land in Japan on March 19th. It will be available both as a PlayStation Network download for the PS3 and in UMD form.

Last month, GamerNode speculated that the PSP version would cost slightly more at retail than in digital form, but now that the price points have been divulged, "slightly" has turned into "significantly." The PSP version of the game will cost JPY 3980 ($37) - 55% more than the JPY 1800 ($17) download.

North American pricing structure has not been solidified as of yet, so there may be some changes in store for our side of the world. As for differences between the two versions of the game, none have been mentioned.

If the prices don't change, and you have both a PS3 and PSP, I'd recommend playing on the Foreman Grill.

• (0)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

PSP dev kit: Now 50% off!

SN Systems, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation, announced yesterday that the development tools required to create PlayStation Portable software have been reduced in price by a very hefty 50 percent. Manufacturer support fees will also be halved.

The goal of this move is obviously to get more developers on board producing games for the handheld, which has already enjoyed quite a bit of sales growth over the last few months. Sony expects to have sold over 13 million PSP units by the end of the fiscal year in March.

The company has also reduced the price of development tools for the Playstation 3, which means that maybe they are finally understanding that it is software, not impressive specs or sleek design that ultimately sells hardware. Let's just hope that this doesn't mean a huge library of...

• (0)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Patapon priced at $20, pushed back 2 weeks

Remember that really unique and interesting game I posted a video of a few weeks ago? Yeah, the one nobody had anything to say about. Well it has now been announced that the game in question, Patapon, will launch with a price tag of just $19.99 - that's half the price of a typical new release on the PSP.

Patapon has also been pushed back from its original February 12th release date. It is now scheduled to hit store shelves on February 26th.

The announcement was made via the Playstation Blog by SCEA software marketing director Jeff Reese, who spoke of the cost of innovation in a market-driven gaming world:

"'Innovation'" is a double-edged sword; the gaming landscape is littered with cult-favorites that buck the trends and try a completely different approach, but have trouble finding a broad...

• (1)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

More for the PSP - GPS inbound for the U.S.

Sony is on a roll with the PSP, which is quickly becoming the Swiss Army Knife of the handheld market.

Hot on the heels of their Skype announcement, Sony revealed that GPS navigation will also be available on North American PSP units sometime in the near future (Japan has been enjoying this feature for some time now).

At this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the official PSP GPS software was shown off, with a UMD providing the map information necessary to navigate. This is also how the final form of the PSP GPS is expected to work.

"Your PSP will provide 2D/3D locations, driving directions, POI's, and even downloadable city guides. With an easy search feature feature and customizable settings, GPS on PSP is the easiest way to navigate new areas and new cities."

There is no official ...

• (1)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Skype coming to PSP...Slim

The PSP has always been much more than a handheld gaming machine, and as time goes on, that statement becomes more and more true.

Sony has announced that as early as "late January," PSP users will be able to make use of a version of Skype designed specifically for the portable unit. This will allow the PSP to make voice calls to other PSPs, PCs, landline phones, and cell phones.

Like the PC version of the program, there will be a fee associated with PSP-to-telephone calls, but talking to PSP and PSP users will be free. Acquiring a dedicated phone number for your PSP will also tap the old coffers a bit. These fees have yet to be detailed.

The Skype program will be an integrated feature when it arrives as part of a regular firmware update, and will make use of the newly announced PSP micr...

• (4)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Sony unleashes new 16GB memory stick

The Sony PSP isn't going away anytime soon. Sony is dedicated to giving its sibling as much life as possible with connectability to the PS3, and its overall capabilities of being a powerful, multi-functional handheld system.

So if you didn't know, the PSP is capable of many other things besides gaming, including listening to music, viewing videos, etc.

Sony recently announced their 16GB memory stick. It is a Memory Stick Pro Duo and it can go in your PSP. The only downside is that it will retail for $300 upon release, a hefty price for something so small.

But think what you can do with 16GB! You can store hundreds of hundreds of pictures, and hundreds of songs right onto your PSP, making it a more acceptable alternative for a music player. Problem is, a $300 dollar MP3 player can hold more ...

• (8)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Patapon video

This is exactly what I need...maybe. Patapon is a rhythm/action game for the PSP, where timed button presses rally troops, mount attacks, and set defenses for the highly stylish Patapon army. It looks like chains of well-timed responses to the on-screen prompts lead to more effective actions on the part of these diminutive warriors.

As a gamer who always seeks some sort of motivation in order to perform the tasks set forth for me, I feel like Patapon may have the ability to draw a new crowd to the rhythm genre. Look for this game on February 12th in the States, and on store shelves right now in Japan. Check it out:

• (0)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

A solar-charged PSP battery? That'd be nice

If you're anything like me, you hate the fact that batteries, at some point, will go dead. It is a hard fact of life that we all must deal with, especially if we use portable gaming systems. Maybe there's hope, though.

Over at DealExtreme, they are now selling an interesting little gadget, eloquently named the "1800mAh Self-Recharging Solar Battery USB Charger for PSP 1000/2000." It costs $28.76, and appears to be larger than the PSP itself.

While being able to charge my PSP battery while on the beach or climbing a mountain sounds awesome, I still can't help but wonder how exactly this thing is meant to work. It appears to just sit alongside the PSP and connect via the power port. Also, what the heck is that strange monacle-looking arm for, and why on earth is the acronym "USB" in the...

• (2)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Crisis Core heads to the U.S. in March

Alright, I know some of you may be thinking that Square-Enix overdid themselves with all of these Final Fantasy VII spinoffs. I'll be on the wagon with you and say that some games just didn't appeal to me, it was an uneccessary expansion of the story. Crisis Core however, is a game that would make me buy a PSP, hoping that I have enough money for one at the time of release.

That's right ravenous Final Fantasy fans, Crisis Core was finally announced to travel stateside come March 25th. So what makes this game stand out from all of the other spinoffs? Well for starters, it is a prequel to the original story of Final Fantasy VII. We follow the story of a SOLDIER named Zach who was in the same "company" as Cloud.

We are introduced to new characters, and characters that we have seen in the orig...

• (7)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Super-charged PSP offers better performance

Wired is reporting that Sony has taken off the wraps of its PSP and is allowing developers to overclock the handheld gaming console from 222mhz to 333mhz.

So far, it looks like there are improvements in the graphics and overall performance.

A test case was put together using next year's big title for the PSP, God of War: Chains of Olympus and the developer, Ready at Dawn, had its lead programming director explain the changes and differences while running the game at the old processor speed and the faster 333mhz clock rate.

The idea of a more powerful PSP will up the ante as far as giving developers more options in improving game play and graphics, but as it is with overclocking PCs, doing so means using more energy.

For the PC user, this is a negligible issue, but for the PSP user that is a...

• (6)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

PSN store on the go?

The PSN store has always seemed slightly inefficient when it comes to downloading PSP content. Users have to use a Playstation 3 as a sort of electronic middleman in order to access the store, even if all they want is PSP stuff. For those gamers who prefer to wait for the PS3 library to grow before investing in Sony's big machine, this could pose a bit of a problem.

Now, though, they seem to be wising up to this issue, and Playstation network operations director Eric Lempel has confirmed that the company plans to make the store available directly from the PSP sometime in the future.

"With the capability of the PSP it’s something that should be possible, so it’s definitely something we’re thinking about. It’s just a matter of priorities and some technology that we...

• (2)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

New PSP batteries promise more gaming time

Do you have the PSP battery pack blues? Do your DS friends kick sand in your face because you can barely squeeze out a few hours of game time on your Sony handheld while they complain that they only can get 15 hours on their DS Lites?

Sony to the rescue; they will be releasing a new battery that will be compatible with the PSP and new slim and lite models. This monster will clock in at 2200mAh and will give you an extra 20% of playing time on the old models and 80% more on the newer versions of the PSP.

But with all this power comes a slightly larger battery. On the thinner PSPs, it will slightly bulge out, so new covers for your machine will be available.

[via psponly]

• (2)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Fading Shadows trailer

Well here's a nifty-looking little game. (Yes, I said, "nifty.") Fading Shadows reminds me of everyone's favorite game of labyrinth-navigating balls, Marble Madness, but with a medieval twist and a focus on adventure-like puzzle solving. The levels appear to be very interactive for this sort of game, and it seems like a perfect match for the PSP. I think it's worth a look:

• (3)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

PSP Slim reaches 1 million sold after first 2 mont...

With all the talk about the PS3 vs 360, the Wii still being sold out and the DS crushing everyone, people seem to have forgotten about the poor little PSP. That may not be the case in Japan, where according to Sony one million units have been sold in the first two months of the PSP Slim's release.

One million PSP Slims in two months? That's not too shabby. It beats the pace of the original PSP and several other consoles on the Japanese market. It also nearly matches (or beats) the numbers in the US for the DS, 360 and Wii. (It's hard to tell exactly since the sales data I've seen goes by whole months, not the last portion or first portions of months. But it's close enough.)

What is it about redesigning a handheld that makes it so tempting to purchase? Is releasing the 360 Lite the key to Mi...

• (3)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Yet another PSP color...deep red

Some people collect Pez candy dispensers. Some people collect bottle caps. And some people collect PSPs in different colors.

If you are one of these rare breed of collectors, you'll be happy to hear that Sony is releasing a "Deep Red" PSP bundle. But the sad news, so far, is that this fiery model will only be available in Japan.

The new model was made in response to "strong consumer demands." There will be two new bundles-The PSP Deep Red 1 Seg pack and the PSP Deep Red Value Pack.

The value pack is aimed at new PSP owners (or for you collectable people out there) and will include the deep red model, a pouch, hand strap, cloth and 32MB Memory Stick Duo. The Seg pack will have the red PSP, 1 Seg tuner for audio and digital broadcasts in Japan, a TV stand, strap, cloth and 1GB Memory Stick Du...

• (0)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Take-Two confirms adult content in PSP's Manhunt 2...

Take-Two Interactive announced that some hackers revealed unedited adult content that was still contained within Manhunt 2. Hmm... This sounds familiar...

As of now, the adult content only appears in the PSP version of the game, not the PS2 or Wii versions.

According to the statement from Take-Two, the hacked adult content is just a tiny portion of what was originally set to appear in Manhunt 2. As you know, the game went back to the drawing boards and was modified for an M rating in August.

Jeez, Take-Two. Just put on some more meat and throw yourself into a wolf pit, why don't you? The media and video game critics will surely go crazy over this over the next few days.

This time around, though, Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick came clean immediately about the rumors. (In the end, it was Tak...

• (0)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

PSP Firmware updated to version 3.72

Earlier today, Sony released a firmware update - version 3.72 - for the PSP. The update is a sort of addendum to the recent 3.71 release, and offers enhanced compatibility with Playstation network titles.

The 3.70/3.71 updates added theme settings, movie scene search, music playback during slideshows, remote play button assignment, and sequential video playback.

PSP owners can download the 3.72 firmware via the "Network Update" icon on the PSP XMB, or online at Sony's website.

• (0)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Gran Turismo Mobile coming "eventually"

At E3 2004, Sony unveiled its first portable game machine and a slew of first party titles that would support it. Of all the titles that have never been released three years after the PSP hit the market, Gran Turismo Mobile is one that many wish they could be playing on the go.

After Polyphony Digital had finished the fourth entry in the wildly successful series on the PS2, most assumed that the handheld version would be completed shortly after. Unfortunately, that was never the case.

Although the title has been presumed dead for quite some time, Kazunori Yamauchi (the father of Gran Turismo) confirmed in a recent interview with GamePro that he and his team "will get around to it eventually."

Judging from how jaw droppingly impressive Gran Turismo 5 looks at this point, it's quite clear wh...

• (0)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

PSP selling far better than hotcakes in Japan

Stars have aligned, hell has frozen over, and monkey have flown out of my -- nevermind.

For the third week in a row, Sony's PSP has secured the top spot on Japan's hardware sales charts, beating out both the Nintendo Wii and DS. The margain is so great that even combining Nintendo's hardware numbers falls short of PSP sales by over 5000 units.

Can this newfound success STILL be attributed to the release of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII? Well, yes. That is quite possible, because more than 580,000 PSPs have gone home with consumers since September 13th, aka "the day that the special edition Crisis Core bundle launched."

Behold, the power of Final Fantasy.

PSP - 102,809 Nintendo DS Lite - 72,895 Wii - 24,143 PlayStation 3 - 13,105 PlayStation 2 - 12,980 Xbox 360 - 5,215 Game Boy micro - 229...

• (1)
• 
• 
• 
• 
•