You're allegedly looking at the inside of the PSP-3000. If it looks familiar, it is. A second hardware "refresh" will supposedly borrow heavily from the PSP-2000 design with a few key upgrades, according to the PSPChina.net forum (yeah, it's in Chinese!). A user there cites "reliable sources" and demonstrates his claims with picture evidence, suggesting that the PSP-3000 will feature a built-in microphone, a PlayStation button (in place of the current "Home" button) that parallels the one on PS3 controllers, and a thinner metallic ring on the back casing (all pictured after the break). The poster claims to have no knowledge of an internal hard drive or flash drive, but confirms the UMD drive will almost surely remain in place.
While it's difficult to nail the complete picture of this rumor working only with clumsy translations, we've noted a few possible additions to the details above, including a modified USB input and supposed pictures of a black model (now removed -- mock-up images here). The possibility of cell phone integration (beyond Skype compatibility) and some vague references to a "touch-screen" and RMVB support are likely just wishful thinking, as are reports that PSP-3000 is already in mass production. We'll keep you posted as the story evolves.
Update: PSP Fanboy's Alan Tsang reads Chinese! Tsang elaborates on the the rumor here (which we mostly nailed the first time around).
Can Sony Bend do no wrong? Resistance: Retribution was easily the best PSP game I saw in Sony's E3 2008 room, and arguably better than any PS3 game there as well (I didn't play all of them). Retribution is essentially "Syphon Filter PSP, Part 3," and players of that handheld franchise will instantly recognize visual and structural similarities. There are, of course, numerous designs that link this new game to Insomniac's Resistance games, despite the obvious perspective change (Retribution is third-person!).
PSP has a difficult time handling the demands of modern action titles. The lack of a second analog nub cripples most games that dare follow the trajectory of similar console-based efforts. Luckily, Bend has had two previous "trials" to get it right, and this time the gang nailed it. While the developer guiding my tour described the demo as a "before pre-alpha" build, I was amazed by the game's playability. At the core of Retribution's gameplay is what Bend's calling the "aim assist box."
Since we landed in Los Angeles for last week's E3, we've posted hundreds of articles. Knowing that there's a (very) small percentage of Joystiq readers who don't visit our site every 5 minutes, we've decided to collate all of last week's biggest news items to make sure you didn't miss the most important parts. (For breaking news from each of the big three press conferences, check out our highlights posts for each). Microsoft
Wow, it's a great week to be a Wii owner. Well, we mean, it's comparatively great, if only because console competitors Xbox 360 and PS3 are getting absolutely nothing. On the other hand, all those Wii offerings were beat out for the top slot by a DS game that, in its original form, was released 17 years ago, so we guess it's all a matter of perspective.
If you've got a hankerin' for mummy-centric games that star a character that sort of but not really looks like Brendan Fraser we've got a full list after the break.
During the first few days of last week, Santa Monica, Calif. played host to a bevy of video game journalists, slaveringly searching for scoops to present to you, our dearest readers. Thousands of reporters representing hundreds of publications, both online and tangible, were in attendance, restlessly toiling to bring you up-to-the-minute coverage of all the major keynotes and conferences. During the seldom breaks in our otherwise hectic schedules, it was difficult not to reflect on our chosen profession, and inquire about the origins of our singular career path.
After rigorous research, we here at the Japanese Hardware Sales Institute of Gaming Journalism History discovered the earliest known example of ludological reporting -- a fantastic exposé from an O'Reilly era episode of Inside Edition, which introduces a pair of pipefitting siblings that recently made their way into the hearts and minds of our nation's children. You may have seen this particular video before, and become familiar with reporter Joel Loy's intrepid coverage of the 8-bit sensation known as "Nintendo", and his poetic assertion that the iconic plumbers represent the righteousness and dauntlessness of the human spirit.
Modern day game bloggers could take a lesson from the piece you see above. Sure, we no longer live in a world where bowties and mullets serve as appropriate work attire. Nintendo's game counselors have dispersed, putting the skills they've developed during their tenure to good use at Taco Bells across the nation. However, the exuberance and romanticism you see applied in the video above, the two traits that most game journalists have unceremoniously traded in for sarcasm and trepidation, should never have never been lost over the years.
E3 is now over, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't take a look back and relive the magic. This week's PS Fanboy Week in Review compiles all the top PlayStation stories from the show. Also, take a look at those happy faces playing Rock Band 2 in the picture above. [From left: Jem Alexander, Naughty Dog's Arne Meier, PS Blog's Jeff Rubenstein, and Andrew Yoon] Previews
The Nintendo DS, Sony PSP and PlayStation saw big gains in hardware sale over last month. Industry sales for June were worth $1.69 billion, compared with $1.1 billion last month. Our sneaking suspicion is that Metal Gear Solid 4, which netted 774,600 in its debut month, helped the PS3 in its success. Elsewhere, the Wii's numerical conclusion revealed its devilish, money-printing source of income.
We've been a little busy with all the E3-ing and being hosts, so here's the PSN Thursday update for this week. PS1 classic Rayman is available, along with PSN game Elefunk. There's also several E3 videos and just sunshine with rainbows. So tired ...
We somehow managed to get Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi to slam on his brakes for a moment today and talk to us about his flagship racing franchise. According to the Polyphony Digital boss, his studio is focusing a majority of its efforts on Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. In fact, he confirmed that the proper, disc-based Gran Turismo 5 might not even roll out before 2010.
In the meantime, Polyphony will continue to expand Prologue with additional cars, tracks, and features. Yamauchi couldn't speak to specific plans, but mentioned that an new update is planned for the near future.
With all of the work his company is putting into the next console GT installment, Yamauchi tells us that it hasn't forgotten the long-delayed Gran Turismo 4 Mobile for PSP. He confirms that the game – originally announced at E3 2004 – is still actively in development, although it isn't planned for release until after GT5. That would be 2011 for those with pen and calendar in hand.
Unfortunately, the redefinition is "something that sucks." We give credit to Apogee and 3D Realms for releasing a Duke Nukem Trilogytrailer without pre-rendered footage. In fact, it doesn't have any footage. Instead, you get flashing logos, people in gas masks, rawking metal guitar and a close-up of Duke's crotch (which we've spoiled in the image above -- and no, not this one). Educate yourself in the video, tucked safely away after the break.
If highlights just don't cut it, watch the whole Sony press conference by downloading it onto your PS3 or PSP. Today's latest special E3 PSN update adds the full event, several new videos and ... Fantasy Football: Draft Day Application. Check out the full update details after the break.
Why do we rarely see PSP games raking up huge sales numbers, despite the fact that the hardware itself is selling so well? SCEA CEO Jack Tretton has three answers.
Answer one is the most praising of the handheld. "Multimedia functionality," Tretton says. "There are more things to do with it, so you're not just turning it on to play games, which isn't the case with the DS."
The next one caught us off guard. "Quality of games," Tretton confides. "People will go out and buy a God of War or a SOCOM," he remarks, "but they're not necessarily as interested in buying a PS2 port." So ... people like good games that are original for PSP. Luckily there are some on the way.
Tretton says the "third and almost biggest reason as of late" is piracy. "We have been able to track with releases like God of War that hundreds of thousands of units in potential sales are walking out the door through piracy on day one," he reveals. PSP Fanboy reported on this back in March.
So, is there a solution is in the cards? Tretton says that Sony "has remedies moving forward," but that they won't help with systems already on the market, adding: "That machine is already out there." That machine? Is there a new pirate-proofed PSP revision on the way? Is that even possible? Doesn't Sony realize how popular pirates are these days?
SCEA president Jack Tretton has aired his feelings on Square Enix's decision to nix PS3 exclusivity for Final Fantasy XIII. During a roundtable chat this morning, Tretton said that he was disappointed by the decision, but not exactly caught off guard.
"Am I disappointed by it? Yes," Tretton told us, adding: "Am I surprised by it? No." He was quick to stress that the game remains a PS3 exclusive in Japan, but that "seeing as there isn't that big of a [PS3] installed base in [there], I don't know how big of a coup that is for us."
Speaking to the concept of paying third parties for exclusives, Tretton said that Sony has "invested so much money in the [PS3] hardware" that it simply "can't write checks for exclusive software."
Echoing statements made by Sony Worlwide Studios head Shuhei Yoshida prior to E3, Tretton said that Sony's is more focused on exclusive titles from its own teams. "You've got to create platform-defining franchises that you own," he said. "It's the only way you're going to guarantee exclusivity going forward."
"I totally fell asleep during the Sony press conference. Like ... out." -- Another loud-talking middle-aged journalist walking the concourse at the LACC. We wanted to stop and ask him during what part he fell asleep.
Sorry, Europe. The video store will be heading your way at some point in the future, but in the mean time you're going to have to live with without some awesome non-interactive downloadable content. The video store is ip locked to the US, which means that even if you set up a US account in Europe, you're going to be locked out. There are probably ways around it using proxies, but for most people that's going to be more hassle than it's worth.
The question is, if Sony can region lock the stores like this, why don't they? Surely it prevents cross-region purchases far better than just crying "don't do that!" On the other hand, it makes sense considering that the PS3 is region-free for Blu-ray games, but locked for Blu-ray movies. Maybe the game stores remain unlocked because they know what a shambles the EU Store is. Whatever the reason, we're glad for it. Hopefully we'll hear about the EU rollout for the video store soon.
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