via AC

n a post from Sony's official Playstation blog, Sony reveals a new longer lasting battery for its handheld gaming system, the PSP.

Battery life has always been a concern for Sony and the PSP as one of the main complaints about the PSP has been the short battery life. It can take as little as 3 hours for the PSP's battery to go from fully-charged to empty. In contrast, the battery life of the Nintendo DS is around 10 hours.

The PSP was released in 2005 in the U.S. when Sony decided to go head-to-head with Nintendo and the Nintendo DS. Nintendo has got a monopolistic hold on the handheld gaming market since the released of the Game Boy in the late 1980s. While the PSP is lagging far behind the Nintendo DS in sales, it still managed to capture and maintain a piece of the market share and is selling really well overall; that is something no other competitor has achieved against Nintendo in the handheld market.

The original PSP model (circa 2005- September 2007) comes with a 3.6v (voltage) battery that can hold 1800mAh (Milliamp Hour, or how much energy the battery can hold).

PSP 2000 (otherwise known as PSP Slim & Lite), a remodeling of the PSP, was released in the U.S. in September of this year. In addition to adding new features like TV output, the PSP 2000 is slightly lighter and smaller than the original model. The new model was also more energy efficient as it only needed a 3.6v battery that can hold 1200mAh. Despite having a lower mAh, the battery life of PSP 2000 lasts about as long as the older model.

The PSP Extended Life Battery Kit will come with a 3.6v battery that can hold 2200mAh. The new extended battery will last approximately 20 % longer than the battery for the original PSP model. The PSP Extended Life Battery Kit also approximately doubles the battery life of the PSP 2000.

The new extended battery is thicker than the PSP 2000's battery; fortunately, Sony will include two different battery covers (one colored in piano black, the other in ice silver) for PSP 2000 with the extended battery in the package.

Owners of the older PSP model won't be left out since The PSP Extended Life Battery Kit is compatible with both the original PSP model and the new PSP 2000. The PSP Extended Life Battery Kit will be availble in mid-December at the price of MSRP $44.99. ...

via GameGuru

After the launch of the Playstation 3, it is very rare to come across titles that have been exclusively made for its predecessors. But Square Enix had already released a role playing game exclusively for the PS2 in Japan. Now they sent word that Odin Sphere will also be released in Europe as well as other PAL territories.

Odin Sphere is a side-scrolling action title featuring stunning hand-drawn artwork and animations. It also has fully-voiced dialogues along with five playable characters in all. The fates of all the five characters in Odin Sphere are intertwined with the others’. Hitoshi Sakimoto, who has composed music for games like Final Fantasy XII has contributed to this game. Odin Sphere has a nice cooking and alchemy system, which can be used to make powerful attack and recovery items. This is the PAL version of the game and it features a 60Hz display mode as well as an optimized 50Hz display mode. And yes, the in-game text has been fully localized into English, French, German, Spanish and Italian.

John Yamamoto is the president and chief executive officer of Square Enix Ltd. He said, “Odin Sphere embodies the assurance of Square Enix in bringing new experiences to European gamers. This is especially reflected in our partnership with Atlus, allowing Square Enix Ltd. to publish the first non Square Enix title in PAL territories. The wonderfully crafted Odin Sphere is the best possible start to an exhilarating new period for the company.”

Overview of Odin Sphere for PS2: The nations of Erion had always held an uneasy peace, as the various kings and queens watched each other for any signs of weakness. When the country of Valentine is obliterated by the power of an ancient artefact, it sparks a bloody war between the fairies of Ringford and the warriors of Ragnanival. Little do they know that they are acting out an almost-forgotten prophecy: one that, if fulfilled, will lead to the destruction of the entire world. Take control of the warrior princess Gwendolyn, daughter of Odin, and follow the threads of an intricately woven story as you uncover the truth behind the prophecy – and how to bring it to an end.

Odin Sphere has been originally developed by Vanillaware but the localizations have been done by Atlus. It is expected to release in Europe in the early part of next year. The game was first released in Japan and later it was launched in North America. Odin Sphere has received good reviews and gamers in Europe would be glad to have this game for their PS2 consoles. ...

via GPS Business News

In an interview with Swedish online newspaper Realtid.se, Carl Freer, former CEO of bankrupt mobile gaming company Gizmondo, said he will relaunch the portable gaming console in 2008.

The Gizmondo would be produced by a Chinese company in Shenzen that would get rights to sell the product in China. Carl Freer claims to have 35 games for the console including 6 new titles. The price of the gaming console could be US$99 and might be free with some wireless operators, he said.

Launched in 2005, the initial Gizmondo was the first portable gaming console to feature a GPRS connection, a GPS and a camera. Two versions of the device were distributed, one of them at a lower price thanks to an advertising-based business model.

But the device sold poorly while the company burned cash at a frenetic pace, and by February of 2006 the company discontinued the Gizmondo and was forced into bankruptcy.

Thanks to its GS and GPRS connection the Gizmondo was supposed to offer multiplayer location-based gaming. The game “Colors” was intended to be the first of this kind, but due to Gizmondo's bankruptcy, it was never officially released.

The company made the headlines when it was revealed that executives were spending the money of the company in luxury cars and one of them, Stefan Eriksson, was a Swedish mobster. The video below highlights the whole story behind the bankruptcy of the company. ...

via GameZone


SEGA of America is excited to present a new action-packed trailer from Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, the fast-paced Sonic racing game for the Wii and the PlayStation 2.

Click here to see the new Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity trailer.

Play the ultimate in racing games on tracks where gravity is no obstacle thanks to the unique new gravity control moves. Explore beautiful new environments, uncover alternate routes, turn walls into tracks, and find speed boosts that make you unbeatable. Filled with heart-stopping action, Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity also features a series of high-speed vehicles that evolve through gameplay to offer gamers the most intense racing experience ever. Take on friends using the multiplayer modes or conquer the tracks on your own using the addictive single-player game. ...

via Team Xbox


Condemned 2: Bloodshot, the next chapter in the terrifying series that began with the award-winning and critically-acclaimed Condemned: Criminal Origins, is a first-person action thriller immersing players in a world of psychological terror. Featuring all-new fighting mechanics and online multiplayer functionality, Condemned 2: Bloodshot follows Ethan Thomas in a string of gruesome murders where players must use their deductive skills and brute force to track down sadistic serial killers. Developed by the renowned Monolith Productions, creators of the original Condemned game, Condemned 2: Bloodshot is slated to ship in early 2008 for the Xbox 360 PS3.

On behalf of SEGA, check out the new screens attached for the latest screenshots showing a variety of terrifying environments from Condemned 2: Bloodshot. These are just a handful of the frightening places Ethan Thomas will encounter on his way to finding the truth behind the mysteries set in the twisted world of Condemned 2: Bloodshot. ...

via Gaming Today

Sega has announced the launch of an official website for their upcoming shooter, The Club, about an underground bloodsport that adds a combo system to ruthless killing. They’ve also released two new character trailers that give some backstory on the competitors in The Club. The trailer above shows Seager, a millionaire thrill seeker who’s competing just for the rush. The second trailer shows Kuro, an undercover cop determined to bring the whole organization down. So far, the game’s looking pretty fun, and should definitely make for some interesting multiplayer matches. The game should be out next year for the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. ...

New update of the audio plugin from the Nintendo DS emulator for PC.

Changelog:

* Fixed bug in Resampling Option.
* Fixed bug in filling buffer audio. ...

via 1UP

According to this week's Famitsu, Sega has announced plans to release Culdcept for Nintendo DS. The game is currently being developed by Omiya Soft, who handled the previous versions of Culdcept.

New cards will be introduced in the DS version, alongside revised ones from the past. Battles and trading with other players is possible through both the wireless and Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection features. "There are over 370 card types including new ones. Some of the new cards will also be quite powerful ones," said Omiya Soft producer Hideo Suzuki to Famitsu.

Additionally, Culdcept veteran Satoshi Nakai, who has designed the cards since the first game, will again handle card illustration.

Fans of previous Culdcept games should be happy, as Omiya Soft is using those versions as a base line for the DS title. "Culdcept DS will be based on the PlayStation 2 version 'Culdcept 2: Expansion,' with adjustments made on the overall game balance and revision on the card's abilities," said Suzuki. "Also, the basic rules are easier to understand even for beginners since we have added what was implemented in the Dreamcast version 'Culdcept Second.'"

Culdcept DS is slated for a 2008 release in Japan. ...

In 27th November 1998 the sixth generation started and the Dreamcast was released. Happy birthday Dreamcast ...