Posted Jul 29th 2008 10:14AM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News
The first quarter of Sony's new fiscal year (Apr-Jun 2008) has proved to be quite successful for the PlayStation brand. The gaming division posted a profit of $51 million, a stark change from PS3 loss-driven quarters in the past. PSP played a significant role in bringing PlayStation to profitability, with increasing hardware and software sales.
During this period, PSP sold 3.72 million units worldwide. This is an increase of 75% over Q1 2008. Software sales went up to 11.8 million units, an increase of 20%. While improving software sales is a good sign, this total still trails significant earnings from both the PS2 and PS3.
PSP has been meeting incredible success all over the world, especially in Japan. With sales the way they are now, there's little reason to believe the trend will change any time soon.
Perhaps our previous feature on the ten worst PlayStation ads has left you with sleepless nights? We apologize for any bodily harm or psychological damage we may have caused you. You just need to remember that the history of PlayStation ads and campaigns is rich and rife with content. Sometimes these ads can be undeniable hits ... and sometimes they can be wayward misses. You just have to learn to take the good with the bad.
Like we promised, we're now presenting our top ten best PlayStation brand ads to balance out our previous feature. Are these good ones as memorable as the awful ones? Or are they not shocking enough to deserve your attention? You'll find out soon, won't you?
Posted Apr 3rd 2008 12:30PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News
Ken Kutargi has long been named the "father of PlayStation," and that name has earned him a growing number of accolades. Most recently, he's been added to the Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame. He'll join other notable inductees, such as the team that developed the first mobile phone and the "father of DVD." Not a bad list of people to join.
With over 200 million PlayStation-branded systems sold worldwide so far, it's clear that the lives of many people have been enhanced by Kutaragi's vision. Congrats to a well-deserved nod to his contribution to the world of consumer electronics.
As you can see, some of these games are already available for US PS3 owners. The other games, which include an RPG and strategy game offering, will most likely never make it to the States.
File Size: 330MB Price: $5.99 Developed By: Millenium Interact Published By: Sony Computer Entertainment of America Original Release Date: October 1, 1998
Short Review Not Recommended. Bringing Medievil to the PlayStation Store was a questionable decision at best. The original PSone game didn't bring anything new to the table, and it's PSP remake didn't fare any better. The gameplay has aged quite poorly over the past eight years, making Medievil a game that you'd like to like ... but can't. Don't let the endearing characters and setting fool you: Medievil is bad.
Sony's official PlayStation website now has a complete, downloadable strategy guide for Loco Roco, which reveals the locations of every MuiMui, Pikorie, berry, and yes, Loco Roco. Think of it as a holiday gift from the kind folks at Sony.
Dark_Alex's hack of Sony's official PSone emulator has really revamped the PSP homebrew scene. There are two new programs available for those of you that are converting your own PSone games. First is the PopStation GUI creator, which allows you to make those nifty loading screens that appear in the XMB before choosing a PSone game. It's a simple, and whole-heartedly welcomed program.
Next up is an updated version of CW Cheat, which allows you to play around with various cheats and hacks in your favorite PSone games. Not only will it let you cheat, but it'll also let you take screenshots in-game, adjust the clock speed, and shoot fire out of your mouth more.
While these programs will enhance the experience of PSone games on the PSP, they're almost useless for people like me that have lost the original discs--Sony's official PlayStation Store is where I'll have to get my fix. C'mon, Sony! Don't let the homebrew scene outdo you yet again!
That Dark_Alex kid is up to it again. His custom firmware currently cracks the protection that PSone games from the PlayStation Store utilize. However, it looks like the next revision, called 3.02 OE-B, will support the ripping of ISO files and turning them into EBOOT files to launch via XMB. This means almost any PSone game you own can be transferred to your PSP. You'll see Castlevania: Symphony of the Night at work in this YouTube demo. Amazing, isn't it? Hopefully, this will convince Sony to release their PlayStation Store games at a much less craptacular rate.
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.
Posted Nov 14th 2006 5:00PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News
Remember when we asked if the Official PlayStation Magazine hated PSP games? Well, it looks like Sony doesn't care much about the magazine either as they announced the magazine's discontinuation today. "With the launch of the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and its full network and Web capabilities, we are focused on delivering content via the PlayStation Network and PlayStation.com website, not discs," said Peter Dille.
Makes sense to me. With the newly revamped PlayStation.com and PlayStation Store coming, there's no reason to have a print magazine... especially when the main reason people get the magazine is for the demo discs. The final issue of OPM will be the January 2007 issue. Fans of OPM's editorials need not fret, however. The 1UP team will continue providing editorial content available exclusively for PS3 owners.
[Update 1: The European version of OPM will continue. While the US magazine is published by Ziff Davis, it appears that the UK's magazine, handled by Future, will still continue. Source: GI.biz]
The PlayStation Store that'll be available on your fingerprint-covered PLAYSTATION 3 in a few weeks will feature PSone games for you to download and play on your PSP. Japan will have 9 games available at its launch:
Bio Hazard Director's Cut (Resident Evil)
BishiBashi Special
Everyone's Golf 2
Jumping Flash!
Konami Antiques MSX Collection Vol.1
Konami Antiques MSX Collection Vol.2
Mister Driller
Silent Bomber
Tekken 2
Strangely, no Ridge Racer (it was the first game to show off PSone emulation on the PSP). My personal picks have to be Resident Evil and Mister Driller (if the same games come out to America). According to Eurogamer, Sony plans on adding ten more games to the roster every month. That's about twice the content provided by Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays.
I gotta admit the Need for Speed franchise has come a long, long way since I first played it on the Playstation. I can still remember its god-forsaken turning sensitivity that just about drove me crazy. Thankfully, those days are long gone, and the series is still going strong, which is proven by the upcoming release of Need for Speed Carbon: Own the City.
While the video is light on gameplay, it does show what appears to be the game's cutscenes that may have been stolenborrowed from the Twisted Metal series. It also sheds some light on the story line.
In the game, players must take control of their rivals' territories by outracing them. But watch out because you'll also have to keep an eye out for the "fuzz" who are always looking to spoil the fun. Carbon ships Nov. 1.
I probably shouldn't tell you guys about these contests. Why? Because that means the odds that I'll win become smaller! Drats!
But still, it's our responsibility at Loco Roco PSP Fanboy to tell you about things like this. Head over to the US PlayStation.com site and enter for your chance to win one of five prize packages, containing two Loco Roco inflatables, a Loco Roco branded T-shirt and a copy of Loco Roco.
Ross "I got to go TGS, so I'm better than you" Miller posted up some new impressions of PaRappa the Rapper on Joystiq. Here's what he had to say:
"The graphics have been cleaned up and the audio is a bit crisper than the original, but our lovable rhymester still stutters his words even when we hit the buttons perfectly. None of the new features have been revealed, including the promised multiplayer mode. We recommend dusting off the original game for now, and wait to see if the extra features / multiplayer warrant a new purchase."
It's sad to see that the game is only a port, and not a true sequel. Considering how it's a PS1 game, wouldn't it be better off as a download for emulation? Silly Sony.
PS1 emulation is one of the most anticipated features for the PSP at the moment. You'll be able to download Riiiiidge Racer, and other PS1 classics to your PSP and play them on the go. Sony has been taking their time, and we've been waiting for any new information on things like price, available games, and interface. It appears that the homebrew community is sick of waiting-- it has just released its own emulator. Yoshihiro's PSX-P emulator will let you play bootleg PS1 games on the go, although the code is somewhat rough at the moment. To run it, you'll need an eLoader, which now supports firmware as high as 2.71.
While we don't support downloading illegal games, hopefully this new revelation will make Sony wake up and get the PS1 emulation to us now. I really want to get my hands on Castlevania: Symphony of the Night some time soon, damn it!
Six new PlayStation One games are available for Japanese PS3 owners. They include:
Dark_Alex's hack of Sony's official PSone emulator has really revamped the PSP homebrew scene. There are two new programs available for those of you that are converting your own PSone games. First is the PopStation GUI creator, which allows you to make those nifty loading screens that appear in the XMB before choosing a PSone game. It's a simple, and whole-heartedly welcomed program.
Remember when we asked if the Official PlayStation Magazine hated PSP games? Well, it looks like Sony doesn't care much about the magazine either as they announced the magazine's discontinuation today. "With the launch of the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and its full network and Web capabilities, we are focused on delivering content via the PlayStation Network and PlayStation.com website, not discs," said Peter Dille.
The PlayStation Store that'll be available on your fingerprint-covered PLAYSTATION 3 in a few weeks will feature PSone games for you to download and play on your PSP. Japan will have 9 games available at its launch:
I probably shouldn't tell you guys about these contests. Why? Because that means the odds that I'll win become smaller! Drats!
