Introducing another shining example of Sony shafting non-Japanese gamers, Sony is releasing a demo of Sarugetchu: SaruSaru Daisakusen (a take off their popular Ape Escape franchise) at the World Hobby Fair on June 23rd. This same demo will also be available for download on the PlayStation 3, through the Japanese PlayStation Store, and later on June 29th, through means of an 8MB downloadable demo off their website. The full game is set for a July 26th release and as with most Japanese-originating releases, there is no official word on a North American translation or confirmed release at all. How many more Ape Escape fans do we have with us here that are hoping this title makes its way to other territories?

For PSP owners itching to test out the game-playing capabilities of Remote Play (made possible from the last firmware upgrade), you'll want to go here for a walkthrough on setting up a Japan PlayStation Network account for your PS3. Mainichi Issyo has been (and still is) only available through the Japanese PlayStation Store. As reported during the firmware 3.50 release, the Remote Play functionality will allow Mainichi Issyo gamers to "interact with Toro the cat" through any available internet access point. New details unveil the game's unique ability to complete microtransactions through the PlayStation Store in-game, instead of dumping you out to the PSP built-in browser. Feel free to have yourself a look-see. We'll be sure to update you with our in-depth impressions on Remote Play, as promised.

[Update: Changed the wording of the post to reflect the newly unveiled features within Mainichi Issyo, using Remote Play. The post title changed to reflect the description of these new in-game features.]

The Japanese PS Store has updated far more frequently than America's. Their selection of downloadable PS1 titles (which still requires a PS3 system) has expanded yet again, with a strong emphasis on SNK's classic fighters:

Guilty Gear
King of Fighters '95
King of Fighters '96
King of Fighters '97
Little Princess: Maru Oukoku no Ningyou Hime 2
Real Bout Garou Densetsu Special: Dominated Mind
Samurai Spirits: Kenkaku Yubinan Pack
Septentrion
Spectral Force 2
Spectral Tower
Suna no Embrace

There's also a free offering on the Store, a demo of XI, also known as Devil Dice. While Japanese gamers are enjoying frequent updates to the retro catalog, American gamers haven't had anything new since the release of Wipeout in March. Of course, that's far better than the sparse availability of titles for Europeans: zero. Hopefully, with the new PSP store arriving this Fall, we'll have better access to these PlayStation classics.

[Via Siliconera]

Sony Online Entertainment is responsible for the creation and maintenance of the PLAYSTATION Network and Store. At yesterday's Gamer's Day event, they revealed Station Launcher, a new service that will bring downloadable content to the masses. The plans are quite ambitious, as detailed by Gamasutra's interview with SOE creative director Nathan Pearce. According to the interview, plans for a PSP version of Station Launcher is already in the works. Through it, players will be able do download movies directly to their handhelds.

"We have a version of Launcher where it recognizes when you plug in your PSP into the PC. You can download a movie straight from the internet through the Launcher straight to your PSP without it ever having touched your PC. There is no version on the PC, if you don't want it to be. It can download straight to your destination device like your PSP."

Movies will be formatted for PSP, and will not incur an additional cost. The possibilities of Station Launcher are nearly endless: imagine if PS1 games were made available for download, sans PS3. Unfortunately, because of the huge scope of the project, it will be a very long time until we see it: "It is going to be a pretty big endeavor, so I don't have a release date for it, but it is going to be a good time after summer."

[Thanks, Colin!]

Japan is receiving a huge selection of PS1 games to download on the PLAYSTATION Store, starting 4/26. The following games will be playable both on PSP and PS3 systems equipped with firmware 1.7:

• Spectral Force (Idea Factory)
• R-Types (Irem)
• A.IV. Evolution Global (Artdink)
• Resident Evil Directors Edition (Capcom)
• Bishibashi Special (Konami)
• Arc the Land (Sony)
• Ore no Shi wo Koete Yuke (Sony)
• Gunners Heaven (Sony)
• Ganbare Morikawa-kun Ni-go (Sony)
• Marl Oukoku no Ningyou Hime (Nippon Ichi)
• Tekken 2 (Bandai Namco)

But, that's not all.

American gamers haven't enjoyed an update since Wipeout, and European gamers don't have any PS1 games available on the PLAYSTATION Store yet. That hasn't stopped Sony from updating their archive of PS1 titles in Japan. The newest update brings 5 more games, bringing the total number of downloadable titles to 36:

• Gunners Heaven (SCEJ)
• Galaxy Fight (Sun Denshi)
• Hard Edge (Sun Denshi)
• Arcade Hits Raiden (Hamster)
• Tall Unlimited (Hamster)

As usual, PSP owners must have a PS3 in order to access the PLAYSTATION Store. When Sony will choose to fix this flaw?

See also:
Retro Reviews

[Via IGN]

I've complained from time to time about the selection of downloadable PSone games for PSP in the US, but right now the UK has it much worse. At launch of the PS3, there are zero PSone games on the PlayStation Store for download to PSP. Sony hasn't made any statement as to when they'll show up, but the US had to wait a little while for this feature. Still, since the UK launch was much later than in Japan and the US, one would think Sony would have titles lined up for day one. In any case, let's hope for the sake of UK PS3 owners that the wait isn't too long.

[Via Games Radar]

IGN has up a feature in which they interview John Koller the Senior Brand Manager for Sony and they ask him how Game 3.0 will effect PSP as well as what changes are in store for the handheld.

The PSP's role in Game 3.0

"It's a developing situation for us with PSP in terms of Game 3.0. What we've always stated is that PlayStation Portable is the cultural currency between all of our products here at PlayStation. "

The PSP and Home

"All I can really say to that is what Phil Harrison mentioned, that PSP certainly has a place within the Home dynamic. We're still looking at ways to optimize that, and I think more info will be forthcoming soon on what that is."

PlayStation Network features

"There's a place for PSP inside the network as well -- that's the same as with Home -- and what that place is will be revealed soon."

PSP's Future

Mr. Koller goes on to say that they are working on advancements to the PlayStation Store and Sony Connect and those as well as the GPS and Camera will be revealed in time. Most of his answers referred to changes in the future and in speaking of the future of PSP, Koller said, "We're extremely excited for it. I was talking to a group a week or two ago, we were saying that this really is the year for PSP. This upcoming calendar year is going to be fantastic. There are a ton of initiatives that are going to kick off, that are about to happen, that will be announced soon, all of which will be very exciting from a variety of perspectives."

Interesting stuff indeed. I can't wait to see what Sony has in store for my favorite portable.

YourPSP's official PSP Store is Europe's premiere destination for PSP downloads. It's provided us with a great number of downloadable demos and other goodies. However, it looks to be getting an overhaul. What new upgrades might the site be receiving? Full downloadable games, if this page from the UK PlayStation site is to be believed.

To the right of the page, links to downloadable demos of Loco Roco, Killzone and Ridge Racer 2 can be found. But more interesting are the descriptions for Wipeout: Pure and Go! Sudoku: "Download full game now."

Sony has promised that the PLAYSTATION Store would one day find its way to PSP. As they've shown with the PS3, full downloadable games are a crucial part of Sony's strategy. Could Europe be the first region to receive downloadable retail games? If so, how will it work? When will it expand to other countries? Was the web version of the PLAYSTATION Store the beginning of something bigger? Stay tuned for more.

[Via Gamespot]

We've been clamoring for a version of the PLAYSTATION Store that doesn't involve owning a PS3. For whatever reason, Sony seems to think that making PSP downloads available on a system that isn't called a "PSP" is a smart decision. Well, hopefully Sony's web version of the PLAYSTATION Store is leading us in the right direction. It features all the recent updates made to the PLAYSTATION Store, including the latest downloadable PSP title, Wipeout. The only problem? You can't actually buy anything from this Store yet: it's just for perusal purposes only.

But certainly Sony will eventually be able to translate this interface for PSP? The system features a capable online browser that can handle transactions. Why not allow PSP users to simply browse and purchase items directly from their PSP internet browsers? We hope Sony's working on something--and soon.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

Last week PSP owners had the option of downloading the first of a game series that has a newer version already on PSP. I complained about it. Well, I probably should have just been happy there was a new PS1 game to download, because this week there's no PSP content with the weekly PLAYSTATION Store update. When I think of all the possible amazing PS1 games I could have downloaded it makes me cry that I have nothing. I'm sorry I yelled at you Sony, please give me more games to download for my PSP. In the meantime I'm going to start e-mailing Sony non-stop until they release Rival Schools: United by Fate for download.

Yet again Sony has released a downloadable game on the PlayStation Store that is already available in a better form on PSP. The original Wipeout from the days of PS1 has landed in downloadble form on Sony's PS3 market. I'm sure for hardcore Wipeout fans this is exciting and more playable games for PSP is never a bad thing, but why can't Sony focus on games that aren't already available on PSP and give us some downloadable games worth getting excited about? I'm sitting with my hands outstretched and they have money in them. Sony can take that money as soon as they give me some games I want to download and enjoy on my PSP.

While surfing (not literally) the web I saw one PSP related article in Gamespot's GDC section. It was about LocoRoco 2 and I knew I had to check it out. The article ended up being about Sony's trophy system for the PS3 Home concept. I had to scan the article a bit to find anything about LocoRoco 2, but here's what was said "The awards shown off by Harrison included statuettes for the PlayStation Store games LocoRoco 2 and Super Rub-a-Dub, as well as a Hellghast villain from the forthcoming PS3 Killzone preserved like a heavily armored pheasant under glass."

To me the inclusion of LocoRoco 2 in the PS3 Home trophy room means one or more of three possible things to me:

1. LocoRoco 2 is in fact coming to PS3
2. LocoRoco 2 is coming to both PSP & PS3
3. The trophy system is being extended to not just PS3, but also PSP

I personally think regardless of whether LocoRoco 2 is coming to PS3, there will be something LocoRoco related in PSP's future. I also believe that if Sony has the kind of success with Home that I think they will, they'll extend at least parts of that experience to PSP. Does anyone else agree with me, or am I a mad man?

PS- I can be both a mad man and you can agree with me if you choose.

I'm not sure what Sony has against those outside of Japan, but US PSP owners wanting to download PS1 games onto their PSP really haven't had much to get excited about. Nearly every game available for download on the US PLAYSTATION Store is either garbage or there is a better version in the series already on PSP. Tekken 2 or Wipeout aren't that appealing when we can already play more recent and better versions of each on the PSP. Meanwhile, Japan gets 21 PS1 game downloads to choose from and there are some heavy-hitters in the lot too, like Resident Evil, R-Types, Arc the Lad and Mr. Driller. I've only downloaded 1 of the 11 games available in the US and it isn't for a lack of desire. Stop teasing us Sony and give those outside of Japan some worthwhile downloads!

As if Sony were mocking my recent Retro Review, yet another racing game is heading to the PlayStation Store tomorrow: Destruction Derby. Like all other PSone titles available through the download service, it'll cost you a mere $5.99. But honestly Sony, were there no other games on the PSone back in the day? Was it just racing games in the 32-bit era? I remember you used to have RPGs, action games, platformers ... etc.

[Via IGN]