Posts tagged Playstation 2 at PSP Fanboy

Posts with tag playstation 2

Xbox creator J Allard loses PSP bet, wears dreads

Posted May 8th 2007 1:30PM by Peter Vrabel
Filed under: News

Microsoft VP and Xbox creator, J Allard made a bet with Newsweek's N'Gai Croal, that the PSP wouldn't be able to match the PS2 numbers when it came to units shipped over a 12-month period. Judging from the screenshot, we can tell who lost. Hey J, do those dreads itch?

The bet originated from playful dinner conversation between Croal and Allard after E3 in 2005. If Sony hadn't managed to ship over 10 million, N'Gai would have had to "J Allard" his head. Yes sir, shaved bald. Although humorous, we're not entirely convinced the punishment is exactly fitting. Why not up the ante and increase the stakes a bit? Now, a more fitting gesture of good faith would be to snap a picture of a purchase order receipt (courtesy of J Allard) for 50 PSP units. An early Christmas gift for every hard worker in J's office. Or for those Halo fans, how about an agreement to instigate talks with the powers-that-be on porting some 1st party software to the PSP? After all, with that with that many units shipped, Microsoft would have a nice, big user base of which to unleash their gaming pleasures upon. Ooh, now we're talking. So how about it J? Any other numbers you want to bet against?

[Via CVG]

More details on Wild Arms XF

Posted Apr 20th 2007 4:40PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News, Wild Arms

The official Japanese Wild Arms XF website has opened, although it doesn't provide too much information. IGN, however, has uncovered a treasure trove of new details on the upcoming PSP-exclusive SRPG:

"Set once again in the land of Falgaia, Wild Arms XF tells the story of Clarisa, a knight in the army of the peaceful kingdom of Elecius. The story begins when the queen is killed in what appears to be more than just an accident."
"During battle, you move the members of your party in turn with the enemies."
"By connecting your PSP to your PS2 via USB, you'll unlock six secret bosses in Wild Arms 5. XF sees more benefit, as you get better items and rewards and even get to see some special events."

As PSP Fanboy reader trystero said: "Handhelds and SRPGs go together like glue and ... well, more glue." Hopefully, Wild Arms XF will prove to be a worthwhile addition to the PSP library.
[Thanks, Thien!]

March NPD reveals improving PSP sales--is it enough?

Posted Apr 19th 2007 9:15PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News

Sony issued a statement today, reminding gamers that the PlayStation brand continues to get stronger. According to NPD data, "March 2007 showed a 24% increase in retail dollars generated year-over-year for the PlayStation brand in North America with total sales of $447 million." The three-pillar strategy seems to be quite successful for Sony: sales from PS3, PSP, PS2 (and God of War II), are all adding green to Sony's wallet. PSP hardware has gained some momentum in March: up 2% over February with sales of 179,796 units. More importantly, software sales have experienced a 13% jump.

With a price drop at the beginning of April, next month's figures should prove even better for Sony. However, one has to question if the price drop will be enough. Nintendo DS sold through over half a million units in the same period--easily more than twice that of PSP. Sony may not be number one, but as long as it maintains steady growth and profitability, does it really matter? And most importantly, does it matter to gamers?

Ready at Dawn explains PSP's power; prepares PS2 Daxter?

Posted Mar 26th 2007 6:00PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Interviews, Daxter

Ready at Dawn has been getting a lot of attention lately. Their first game, Daxter, is considered one of PSP's best: not only does it feature solid gameplay, but it features truly impressive graphics technology, and completely invisible load times. Obviously, the team has learned new tricks, and has managed to squeeze more power out of our handheld for their upcoming God of War game. According to co-founder Didier Malenfant, Daxter doesn't come close to taking advantage of the system's true capabilities: "[We] made the conscious decision not to push the hardware as far as we could ... mainly because we wanted to ship the game in a timely manner."

Obviously, the talented team is unlocking even more of PSP's power in God of War. However, "the biggest frustration right now, in a way, is the limitation on the clock speed. We'd love to run our games at 333Mhz (we do internally just for kicks) because it does make a big difference in how much stuff you can push on the platform."

So, how does Ready at Dawn feel about being responsible for two of Sony's biggest franchises? "The truth is," Malenfant explained, "we built Ready At Dawn Studios to create original IP, but ... I don't think anyone here regrets working on two of the world's biggest franchises in the meantime."

The future is bright for this Santa Ana-based team. The single most wanted request the team receives, though, is a PS2 version of Daxter. "I think everyone here would love to do it, and it actually wouldn't be that hard because Daxter was never designed as a handheld game, we could even add a few things for the PS2 version."

[Via Gamasutra; Thanks, Joe!]

Controlling a PSP using a DualShock controller

Posted Mar 3rd 2007 6:50PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Hacks, Mods, Video

Want to see this modded PSP come to life? Well, now you can (after the break). F00 f00 from AcidMods has crafted a PSP that has all the comfort of a full PS2 DualShock controller. How, you ask? By letting you actually attach a PS2 controller to it. Do these system transformations ever cease to amaze?

I wonder what's next? LocoRoco controlled via the SIXAXIS?!

See also:
Watch! A PSP modded, in front of your very eyes!

Continue reading Controlling a PSP using a DualShock controller

Sony "very pleased" by record-breaking January sales [Update 1]

Posted Feb 21st 2007 3:45PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News

According to GameDaily BIZ, January 2007 was a "record month" for the PlayStation business, with $550M in revenue for North America. "PSP sales in January were exceptionally strong with the system quickly closing the gap on the leading competitor." Does this mean sales of the PSP are nearly matching the DS? Sounds like it to me.

Without official numbers stated, it'll be hard to truly decipher Sony's cryptic message (for now). However, it appears that Sony's three pillar strategy is working quite well: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable are all delivering robust sales, regardless of what some fanboys would like you to believe. Isn't it just a good time for everyone in the industry?

[Update 1: PSP sold through 211k units, while the DS managed 239k, according to Gamespot. Thanks, Tristan!]

PS2 Vice City Stories to have exclusive new content

Posted Feb 11th 2007 10:30AM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News, Grand Theft Auto

In the DVD industry, this kind of practice is called "double dipping" and it absolutely sucks. It makes people that have purchased the original feel neglected and the real fans are punished because in order to access the new content, you have to repurchase a new copy. While the practice is considered fine when there's some amount of transparency, Rockstar has been handling it all wrong. Don't call a game a PSP-exclusive if it'll head to another system immediately. Don't consider the games equal, when they're not. Shouldn't gamers have a choice to get the best version of GTA possible?

According to GTAPortable.com, the Italian Take-Two website refers to Vice City Stories on PS2 as having better graphics and exclusive, unpublished content. Hopefully, it won't make PSP gamers feel like the $50 they spent on the original went wasted.

VCS: Okay, so it's actually coming to PS2

Posted Feb 7th 2007 7:00PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News, Grand Theft Auto

We told you so. But now it's official. March 6th for North America. March 9th for the UK.

Press release after the cut.

[Via Joystiq]

Continue reading VCS: Okay, so it's actually coming to PS2

No Vice City Stories for PS2? Sure ...

Posted Jan 31st 2007 4:10PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News, Grand Theft Auto

You may remember that a few days ago, the ESRB let slip that Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories was heading to the PS2. Looks like PlayStation.com also had a listing for the potential port. However, it looks like the ESRB listing has disappeared, as well as the PlayStation.com listing. Was the original posting just a mistake? Rockstar neither confirms nor denies a PS2 version, simply telling IGN: "as a company, Rockstar does not comment on rumors or speculation."

While it may be true that Rockstar isn't working on a PS2 version of Vice City Stories, this listing had to have come from some place. For now, we'll say it's not in the works, but we'll be unsurprised if it ever materializes.

[Thanks, Joe! Via Joystiq]

Vice City Stories no longer a PSP exclusive

Posted Jan 21st 2007 2:30PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News, Grand Theft Auto

Vice City Stories to be PSP exclusive? Many doubted Rockstar, considering how Liberty City Stories made the jump to PlayStation 2. Well, looks like the doubters were right: A look at the ESRB website reveals a listing for a PS2 version of Vice City Stories. If it follows the footsteps of its Liberty City brethren, it will launch on PS2 for a measly $20, sans multiplayer.

Considering the relatively low sales of the latest GTA, it makes sense. Now, a whole new audience will be able to play with Phil Collins.

[Via IGN]

See also:
PSP Fanboy review: GTA Vice City Stories

Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice heads to PSP & PS2

Posted Jan 17th 2007 1:05PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News, Pursuit Force

I thoroughly enjoyed the first Pursuit Force (pictured above), a high-octane racer-shooter that has you jumping and gunning from car to car. It perfectly emulated the experience of being in a Hollywood action movie, and although the game was short (and somewhat shallow), it met moderate success on the PSP.

Now, a sequel is heading to both the PSP and PlayStation 2 platforms. Extreme Justice will have players fighting warring gangs once again. Four new recruits to the Pursuit Force will provide support for the player throughout the game. As with the original, the player will commandeer a number of vehicles, including jet skis, helicopters and more. A nice addition to the sequel is multiple difficulty levels: a great addition for those that found the first too hard for their tastes.

The PSP version will feature 4-player ad-hoc multiplayer, and the PS2 version will feature 2-player split-screen. The game is scheduled for a summer 2007 release.

[Via Gamespot]

Sony's Phil Harrison congratulates Nintendo

Posted Dec 18th 2006 6:30PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News

There's no doubt that the PSP hasn't done as stellar as everyone has hoped. But that doesn't mean it's done poorly, either. MTV News spoke with Sony's Phil Harrison about the performance of the PSP so far. He notes that the PSP is doing a "very good job," distinct from the "great job" that Sony did on PS1 and PS2. He thinks that "most people use their PSP at home," an oddity that he'd like to change. Finally, he praised Nintendo and the DS, stating: "Nintendo should be congratulated... [DS owners] are our customers of tomorrow."

Certainly, as Nintendo DS owners get older, they'll most likely look towards products that satisfy a more mature taste. It happened with the transition from Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64 to Playstation and PlayStation 2, and it may happen again.

Criterion talks about Burnout Dominator

Posted Dec 10th 2006 7:00PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Interviews, Burnout

EA recently revealed that the upcoming Burnout Dominator will be a PSP and PS2 exclusive, a strange decision in the light of a new generation of platforms. Nick Channon from Criterion Games spoke to Gamespot in a recent interview, and shared a few more details about the upcoming racer:

The game will feature shorter "skill-based" levels, which is "perfect on PSP."
The PSP and PS2 versions will not feature any connectivity with each other.
All multiplayer will be available via ad-hoc (no Infrastructure? Boo!).

Not too revealing, but at least it's something. Expect more updates as this game gets closer.

New Burnout is a PS2 and PSP exclusive

Posted Dec 7th 2006 5:10PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News, Burnout

When Burnout 5 was announced for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, current-gen system owners felt somewhat neglected. Well, it appears that Electronic Arts is giving the Sony current-gen platforms some love through an all new Burnout game called Burnout Dominator. "The series was born on the PlayStation 2, and Burnout Dominator is about celebrating the essence of Burnout," said Nick Channon, Senior Producer of Burnout Dominator.

"Celebrating the essence" of the franchise makes this upcoming game sound a lot like PSP's Burnout Legends, which was an amalgamation of various games from the acclaimed series. Considering how excellent Legends was, PSP gamers have a lot to look forward to.

(Of course, a DS version wasn't announced. Probably because the first DS Burnout was a horrible idea.)

[Via Gamasutra]

Mercury Meltown sliding onto PS2

Posted Sep 16th 2006 9:00AM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News, Mercury

Gamers complain that too many games make the jump from PS2 to PSP. But, fanboys don't get too pleased either when a game makes the transition from PSP to PS2. Not too many games have done it in the past, but it appears that the upcoming Mercury Meltdown will also be getting a PS2 rendition, joining other titles such as Lumines, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, and the upcoming Tokobot. The PS2 version will not feature any enhancements, except for the ability to use the second analog stick to control the problematic camera. The PS2 version will come out one month after the PSP version, which comes out in October.

[Via Gamespot]

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