Did you hear? The PSP is dead. It’s a handheld with no reason to exist. You own one you say? Better sell it while you can. It’s all over.

Wait a minute, you say. Who am I to say that it’s all over for the PSP? Well, I do have Joystiq on my side. And didn’t you see that Gamespot one year anniversary special video? Nearly all of them comment how they haven’t touched their PSP in weeks, months, etc.

You know this isn’t true. Here in the states, the PSP and DS sales have been neck and neck, with the PSP outselling the DS in May, only to have the DS take the lead in June. In Japan, the DS is a cultural phenomenon, yet the PSP overtook all consoles to be second in sales. Worldwide, the PSP has sold over fifteen million (yes, SOLD and not shipped). There are hundreds of PSP titles currently in development.

Yet nearly every week, there’s a gaming site that has nothing but dire doom for the PSP. This begs the question...why do gaming sites hate the PSP?

The Arguments

There are a certain number of things that journalists love to say about the PSP. I’m not confusing fact with opinion here...obviously anyone can say, “I don’t care for the PSP library,” have their reasons, and be exactly right. What I don’t understand are the certain connotations pinned on the PSP, and the certain phrases that seem to be a quick cut to the PSP’s jugular, yet obviously make no sense either. To name a few...

“The PSP lacks a killer app/doesn’t have a good library.”

Killer App. Every console has one. The DS has New Super Mario Bros. The Xbox has Halo. Sony has...not a single one.

Well, let’s back up and define killer app. It’s the game that everyone wants when they buy a console...if you’re buying a DS, you better get NSMB. Right now the 360 doesn’t quite have a KA, but come Halo 3 everyone will be rejoicing for their exclusive title. The PS2 lacks a clearly definable killer app, if only because many of them have gone multiplatform. Is Grand Theft Auto really the PS2’s killer app even though it has appeared on the Xbox? What about Metal Gear Solid? Yup, that one went multiplatform back in the day as well...and even though it looks like MGS is solidified as the exclusive Sony franchise, it still can’t be the one title that defines the PS2 (the PS3 is a different story). So where is the PSP’s one game that everyone can agree is the absolute must buy?


Metal Gear Ac!d 2...one of the most underrated games on the PSP.

Unfortunately, no one can agree. And I say unfortunately because people who see that no one can define a PSP KA automatically assume the handheld doesn’t have one.

Is it Wipeout Pure, whose graphics are incredible and downloadable content has spanned an entire year? No, because the handling/gameplay is a unique one that doesn’t appeal to everyone. What about Syphon Filter, who’s online multiplayer/voice chat and excellent story rival that of even console games? Why not Daxter? Hey, yeah...why NOT Daxter?


Oh Daxter, how you woo me with your fuzziness.

Daxter unfortunately lacks the character to carry a system. The game is amazing, but as far as Daxter being the definitive mascot for the PSP...no, he just doesn’t fit. For an example of someone who does fit, I turn to the long lost Crash Bandicoot. Remember those great Nintendo bashing commercials Crash used to do? He oozed mascot potential. The moment he went multiplatform was the day that the entire franchise slowed to a crawl...and the opportunity was lost.


Just looking at this game puts a big smile on my face.

Could Loco Roco be the killer app? It all depends on Sony. When you see a DS, Mario is not far from it. Sony needs to get as many Rocos around the PSP as possible, and MAKE the game the killer app. It has potential. It will sell well. It will be awesome.

“My PSP has been gathering dust over the last few months...”

My first reaction is always, “well, maybe you should find a less dusty place for your PSP then.”

This is something that comes up time and again. The connotation, of course, being that since their PSP is gathering so much dust, the game library must be slim’ pickings. Unfortunately if you’re not playing with your PSP every day of the week, then it’s obviously the PSP’s fault for not keeping you entertained, right?

Hey, my 360 has gathered dust over the last few months, but it was never an issue for me. I knew there would be a game released sooner rather than later that would get me back to my 360, and that game happened to be Prey. Quite the awesome game.

So why do so many make it a point to address how dust ridden their handheld gets? It’s a simple little jab that doesn’t mean much, but over time it’s gotten a little bit silly. Yes, your PSP is dusty. That’s why Sony included a cloth with every PSP, idiot. Use it and get back to me later.

“All I’ve been doing with my PSP lately is watch movies and listen to music.”

One of the more idiotic and ironic comments you can find all over the message boards...and it’s completely

A member of Target's "Guest Relations" team has confirmed to GamePro that the retail giant no longer carries UMD movies for the PSP.

"[UMD movies] have been discontinued and aren't available at any of our stores," the e-mail reads. This comes as final proof that the company has discontinued its UMD movie selection in its brick and mortar stores, though the company still lists a sizable selection on its web site. It's unknown if the company will stop selling UMD movies online, as well.

In a story last week, GamePro reported that a customer service representative indicated that UMDs were no longer for sale at Targets nationwide. This latest e-mail officially confirms the news.

As the seasons pass and new models... become available, we'll discontinue some older merchandise. That's how we keep our shelves stocked with the unique, up-to-date merchandise you've come to expect from Target."

-- customer service e-mail from TargetSony's portable UMD movie format has struggled for acceptance since the PSP's release in early 2005. A recent Reuters story suggested that Wal-mart also considered pulling all UMDs from store shelves. In the Reuters piece, one unnamed movie executive says that UMD situation is "awful," and that "[UMD movie] sales are near zilch." The studio exec then twists the knife, saying "It's another Sony bomb -- like Blu-ray."

Two months ago, the NPD Group, a national sales-tracking service, weighed in with a grim assessment of the UMD's future. The report concluded that, if studios continue to drop support, "the outlook for the UMD format is bleak."

Ever wanted to make your own iteration of Doom/Quake? RevolutionX, Mista Bones, and Static have just released the first version of WAD Dumper PRO, a PC application which opens, allows you to edit and examine WADs, and save changes to WAD filetypes. WADs are used in a variety of modular 'pak' games, such as Doom and Quake, and contain the core information of the entire game. By editing the files inside, from the sound files to the graphics, one can essentially compile their own version of Doom, which can then be loaded on the PSP. Props to the entire team for this release, can't wait to see some new WADs!

Features in v1.0 include:
- Graphics preview.
- Sound preview.
- Separate WAD file dumping allowed.
- Complete WAD editing available (tutorial will be posted next version).
- WAD files listing.

Arguru has just updated us on his latest progress on Turrican PSP, a homebrew clone of the popular Metroid/Turrican games. He plans to publish the new update and brief mod instructions soon, but don't expect this new update to be released until end of July, as he is working on adding quite a new features to the hand-coded engine.

Future release to include:
- 2 new enemies: "jumping erechnoids" and erechnoids eggs (map opcode 'e' for the egg breed).
- Boss engine (fN map opcode, only one defined yet "The Gauntlet", more to come).
- Raining / Dark fog effect switches opcodes (more weather effects to come).
- Possibly more.

One of the main goals of this piece of homebrew is to maintain high quality standards, equivalent or better than even retail UMD games. In the end, Turrican will hopefully have a FPS greater than or equal to 60. That's just how it's meant to be played!