PSP at Comic-Con - All the Details

[wraggster]

News From Shacknews (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/43015)


Sony held a presentation during Comic-Con on Friday entitled "PSP University." There was little new information given, with the main goal of the hour-long affair to trumpet various PSP successes and upcoming games and initiatives. Here's a rundown:

- 120 games are currently available for PSP, with over 200 by the end of 2006.
- There are currently over 350 UMD movies and TV shows available. Sony Pictures and Fox still have UMD products in the works.
- Sony stated that in the United States, PSP is about a million units ahead of Nintendo DS, though a representative admitted that DS Lite had a particularly strong debut showing.
- Sony Connect is working on bringing more downloadable video content to PSP, but must first devise a sufficient copy protection method.
- PSP firmware version 2.80 will be released next Thursday and will include RSS video support. Sony strongly encourages keeping the system up to date with the latest upgrades.
- The Greatest Hits program will come to PSP next Tuesday, making certain games available for $19.99 in the US. Those titles will be Ape Escape: On the Loose, ATV Offroad Fury: Blazin' Trails, Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee, Twisted Metal: Head On, and WipeOut Pure.
- Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories has been the most successful PSP title, followed by Madden NFL 06, then SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo.
- Sony may at some point revise certain aspects of PSP, including its speakers and analog nub. However, there are no plans to modify the d-pad.
- Sony has no plans to modify the text entry system for PSP, or to release a keyboard peripheral. However, it is possible that a third party will release a keyboard at some point.
- Sony is looking into the possibility of a video output solution for the system, but ultimately it is up to Sony's Japanese operation.
- According to Sony, the most wanted feature among fans for PSP is functionality with PS3. Thus, PSP will serve as some kind of remote control for PS3. The next most wanted feature is PlayStation games on PSP, which the company has announced will be coming. Fans also requested a camera peripheral, which will be coming this fall. The company is not yet allowed to divulge the camera's megapixel count.
- A Sony representative shared the company's stance on homebrew development: "Overall it's frowned on. Our tech guys have gotten madder and madder lately, and it does void your warranty."

So the tech guys arent happy with the homebrew scene eh, i think we can expect them to work all out to kill off the devhook utility

[Mew]

- A Sony representative shared the company's stance on homebrew development: "Overall it's frowned on. Our tech guys have gotten madder and madder lately, and it does void your warranty."
haha.. :D

[troom]

haha.. :D
HA FN HAHA SONY:D

[TeamOverload]

Yeah, Sony lies. They probably sit in their office playing homebrew and then try and take it away. They are just jealous because homebrew devs are making better games than them.

[ACID]

I know have of the guys probably have the best homebrew we havent heard of.LOL

[Edshugeo]

- Sony Connect is working on bringing more downloadable video content to PSP, but must first devise a sufficient copy protection method.


There's a near infinite amount of downloadable content "available". I don't have to cripple my PSP to get it.




- PSP firmware version 2.80 will be released next Thursday and will include RSS video support. Sony strongly encourages keeping the system up to date with the latest upgrades.

Sure. The latest DevHook upgrades.





- The Greatest Hits program will come to PSP next Tuesday, making certain games available for $19.99 in the US. Those titles will be Ape Escape: On the Loose, ATV Offroad Fury: Blazin' Trails, Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee, Twisted Metal: Head On, and WipeOut Pure.


Can't complain about lower prices. I may get a couple of these.



- Sony has no plans to modify the text entry system for PSP, or to release a keyboard peripheral. However, it is possible that a third party will release a keyboard at some point.


That's too bad. I'd like a keyboard or a touch screen that also serves as one. I guess that would be too Nintendo-like. I also don't know how feasable mounting something like that to the top of the PSP (where the USB thing is) would be.




- According to Sony, the most wanted feature among fans for PSP is functionality with PS3. Thus, PSP will serve as some kind of remote control for PS3.

For six hundred bucks, the PS3 better have it's own damn remote. I'm not getting one this year (if ever).



The next most wanted feature is PlayStation games on PSP, which the company has announced will be coming.


Sounds good, but they better not be too expensive. And because there'll be some homebrew crippling/DRM firmware upgrade attached, I'll wait till it's cracked.





- A Sony representative shared the company's stance on homebrew development: "Overall it's frowned on. Our tech guys have gotten madder and madder lately, and it does void your warranty."

No, it doesn't. At least not the Best Buy warranty I got. Mod-chipping on the other hand...



So the tech guys arent happy with the homebrew scene eh, i think we can expect them to work all out to kill off the devhook utility

Which they've been trying to do all along with homebrew in general and failing.

If the $600 albatross doesn't go over too well with the public, will Sony keep tech guys who's only function is to piss off their customers, or will they end up being among the first to be laid off?

[luis_05]

Men, i net the tech guys arent mad at the homebrew scene they enjoy it as much as we do. And dare I say learn a couple of things on how to create real working programs?

[MikeDX]

I love these sony press releases, they are like joke books.

Using homebrew voids your warranty.. Yeah right, if I take my memory card out, where is your proof?

[NoQuarter]

Maybe a pause in the firmware cracking is in order,at least until the psone emu is released.I mean maybe we don't wan't to give them anymore security information.Well not a pause just a lower amount of releases-so they don't know what homebrew developers have up their sleeves;)

[TeamOverload]

Yeah, I agree. If an exploit is discovered, save it for the magical 3.0.

[emuking]

3.0 devhook yes !!!

[jerrt]

- Sony has no plans to modify the text entry system for PSP, or to release a keyboard peripheral. However, it is possible that a third party will release a keyboard at some point.
- Sony is looking into the possibility of a video output solution for the system, but ultimately it is up to Sony's Japanese operation.

first point: i remember some company was developing a really nice attachable keyboard before the psp was launched and then they had to scrap it because sony wouldn't give their developers the drivers/tools to make it work with the software. maybe this will change, I mean it will have two if third party is expected to pick up the slack.

second point: If they can make a usb to vga for the pc, they can make a video out of some sort for the psp.

one thing that custom firmware/modchips [most likely modchips in this example] will allow is the ability for developers to write their own drivers for usb items. i mean they need the proper interface code to the firmware being tinkered with, but i think it is possible. i mean if sony won't allow people to interface the usb like we all should be aloud then why not do it ourselves. [that is how it normally happens, right? [: ]

[jerrt]

Yeah, I agree. If an exploit is discovered, save it for the magical 3.0.

i used to be pro microsoft, back when they weren't trying to run the world. so yeah, maybe no major exploits until 3.1 [get it?] sorry even my humor dies before it is delivered.

[Video_freak]

No, it doesn't. At least not the Best Buy warranty I got. Mod-chipping on the other hand...


thank god i got that warranty (my psp screen cracked :() and homebrew DOES NOT void your warranty, mod chips and hardware mods do