PSP Game Players

Filed under: PlayStation Fancast

Episode 12.5? What’s that all about then? Well, we don’t mean to mess with your sense of temporal awareness, but this episode actually took place between episodes 11 and 12. The whole show is essentially a phonecall between two of our writers - but we hope you still enjoy it. We answer questions, discuss news and probe deeper into each other’s gaming habits. If you would like your question answered then please send them to JemSPLATJoystiq.com.

Episode 12.5 features Jem Alexander and Nick Doerr. We answer your questions and discuss the “news” (or, rather, what was news at the time of recording). We also go off on various tangents about video games - because we like video games.

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from PSP Fanboy

Filed under: Hacks

If word of this gets out to the mainstream media, it’s possible Rockstar could face yet another row of bad press and costly lawsuits. God forbid anyone dressing up as a scientist turned mental patient and going on a dismemberment spree.

Since GTA: San Andreas had a nifty name for its mod, we’ve come up with one of our own - the “Hot Man Coffee Hunt.”

[Thanks for the tip, Mexa]

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from PSP Fanboy

Filed under: News, Monster Hunter

For those of you still reeling over the last Monster Hunter title on the PSP, we’ve got some news you might want to gobble up and get ready to gather even more monsters. The title, admittedly, has a much stronger audience in Japan but its following here is nothing to scoff at. Earlier at TGS, a third portable entry was announced, rather, an expansion of the second entry, but we didn’t expect it to get a release date that’s not in the very distant future at all.

Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G is due out in March of next year, in Japan. The game is going to ship as part of a slim PSP bundle, but that doesn’t mean you can’t snag the game on its own. Even though the game is due out in a few months, there’s really quite little we know about it. It would have been funny if it had some connection to the recently cancelled PS3 game, but then again, maybe that’d be less funny and more sad. Either way, those who hunt monsters, rejoice!

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from PSP Fanboy

Filed under: SOCOM, Video

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After reading Andrew gush over SOCOM: Tactical Strike like a schoolgirl with her first crush, it’s hard not to be intrigued at Sony’s upcoming tactical shooter. To add to that excitement are these new gameplay videos, which, not only feature the game’s impressive squad-based gameplay, but also its multi-language voice acting for our international friends out there. Pretty cool stuff.

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from PSP Fanboy

Filed under: Video

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After most of our more outspoken readers were pretty disappointed with Bomberman Land’s maniacal math mini-game, we present you with the latest multiplayer offering from Hudson Soft. In Free Throw, players shoot basketballs while attempting to pop balloons to maximize points. What do you say, loyal readers? Does this mini-game seem more interesting?

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from PSP Fanboy

Filed under: News

A new firmware update is available for the PSP. Version 3.72 doesn’t seem to add much functionality, other than expanding support for PlayStation Network titles. All in all, a pretty lackluster update - those without a PS3 needn’t even bother. Sure, Sony could have snuck in some extra secret stuff, but we’re betting not. If you want it, however, go and get it. A PS3 update is expected soon and PSP v3.72 does lend credence to that theory. We’re remaining cautious, however. We’ll let you know more as it happens.

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from PSP Fanboy

Filed under: Peripherals

You know what really stinks? When you’re showing off your PSP to a friend, but they laugh and say “you must be very greasy, as there are fingerprints all thereabouts on your handheld gaming device!” This can be a problem that follows you for the rest of the day. Luckily, Divineo has a solution for you in the Ultra Slim Guard Skin Advance for PSP — it protects your PSP from dust and scratches, as well as some fingerprinting, assuming you don’t try to use the PSP as a touch screen. The skin surprisingly leaves all your connections open, even the UMD drive. For about $7, it seems like a decent deal if you’re worried about getting your PSP scratched, or if you’ve got butterfingers.

[via DCEmu]

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from PSP Fanboy

Filed under: Interviews

You’ve seen the footage: the edited Manhunt 2 features toned-down kill sequences. Yes, they’re still violent, but they had to be distorted in order to lessen the visceral impact. In spite of the changes, we think Rockstar did a fantastic job of still conveying the sadistic nature of a serial killer.

But that’s not the only thing that’s changed about Manhunt 2. A scoring system, which rewarded players for performing the most difficult (and most extreme) kills, has been removed. In an interview with MTV, developer Jeronimo Barrera noted that: “The scoring was a hold-over from the first game, and when we had the opportunity to make edits because of the rating, we decided to remove it … We felt it flowed better without a score screen between levels.”

With the game’s release firmly set for launch this week, the developers are glad that people will finally have a chance to play their game. They certainly couldn’t have anticipated the amount of controversy the game would receive: “There are conversations to be had about this game - intelligent conversations,” he said. “That’s what we want to do: get people interested in those [things], rather than ban this game because of X, Y and Z.”

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from PSP Fanboy

Filed under: Interviews, Alien Vs Predator

The upcoming PSP-exclusive Aliens Versus Predator game is based on the upcoming movie, Requiem. We had a chance to chat with Rebellion’s Tim Jones, Head of Design, on why they keep on developing for Sony’s handheld and what fans of the original PC classics can look forward to in this surprising “sequel,” of sorts.

The question on everyone’s mind is: why make it a PSP exclusive?
It was ultimately a question of logistics. The opportunity came up to do a tie-in game for the movie which had a fixed release date of Christmas 2007 and it really wasn’t possible to develop a game for another platform in the time available — especially since the game has to be complete and ready to hit the shelves well in advance of the movie release.

Rebellion has been working on a lot of PSP-exclusive projects lately, most notably Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron. What’s so appealing about the PSP?
The PSP has a beautifully sharp and colorful screen and an incredible amount of processing power squeezed into such a small piece of mobile hardware. We have had considerable success developing for it at Rebellion and have a great deal of affection for the platform.

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What staff from the original Aliens Vs Predator game is involved with this new title?
A number of key staff members, who have been part of Rebellion since the days of the original Aliens vs Predator, have been involved on both the technology and the design side of Aliens Vs. Predator - Requiem. The game has been created with Asura, Rebellion’s cross-platform (from PSP to PC, Wii, 360 and PS3) game engine and tool set, which has been undergoing constant development and evolution at Rebellion pretty much since we originally completed Aliens versus Predator for the PC.

It seems as though the gameplay has changed drastically from the original game. What will fans of the original think of this new title?
Well, any fan of the two scariest and coolest monsters in cinema should get a kick out of this title because you basically get the opportunity to play as an elite Predator, defending yourself against countless Aliens. We decided to go for a third-person action title rather than a first person shooter since it seemed more suited to the controls of the PSP and it was important to show your player character to give you a proper sense of how cool “The Wolf” is.

How are the controls being crafted to consider PSP’s lack of a second analog stick?
The camera control has been mapped onto the shoulder buttons - L button to rotate the camera left, R button to rotate the camera right and hold both the L and R buttons together to lock-on to your targets and strafe around them. The player also has the ability to look around, zoom and snipe (but not move) in a first person view. All the main combat and action controls are on the face buttons and the hi-tech equipment like cloaking, vision modes and swapping weapons is controlled through the d-pad.

Can you elaborate further on the multiplayer mode? Will Infrastructure be offered?
There are a number of survival arenas in which you can play either alone, or hook up via ad-hoc with a friend for a two-player cooperative survival experience against relentless hordes of aliens. There is also a selection of cool alternative Predator designs that you can choose to play as in this mode.

Will footage from the film be incorporated into the UMD?
Sadly not. Fox has been keeping the movie and its details a closely guarded secret to maximize its impact when it opens in cinemas. However, we were fortunate enough to have access to hundreds of high resolution production photos and were able to spend some time with the Strause Brothers, viewing an early cut of the movie which was extremely helpful reference for us. It ensured that we have been able to accurately capture the details of many of the sets and of course the Aliens and Predators themselves. Having said that, there are some key differences between the sequence of events in the game, and those depicted in the movie which should be fun for the fans to spot …

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Thanks to Tim for taking some time out to talk to us. Alien Versus Predator: Requiem will be available exclusively on PSP November 13th.

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from PSP Fanboy

Filed under: Interviews, Wipeout

So what’s going on with WipEout Pulse? Ever since Pure, people have been hungry for more high-speed futuristic racing. Sony Liverpool is determined to repeat the success they had with Pure, according to an interview they had with PocketGamer. What are they going to do to ensure this success? Read on, dear friends, read on.

• The formula won’t get changed around too much, but certain things will get altered based on feedback received from Pure, such as an infrastructure for online gaming. Expect one this time around!
• Race progression has gotten a more nonlinear facelift: “The Race Campaign mode is a mix of all seven race event types. Basically each grid has a points target which, when reached, unlocks the next grid and so on.” If you stink at one mode, you can usually move around on the grid to a race with a different event, so you’ll never get stuck. But if you want all gold medals, that’s another story …
• Three skill levels can be adjusted on the fly.
• The twelve reversible tracks at the outset of the game are just a hint at what’s to come — expect lots of downloadable stuff down the line.

It seems like the title is generally going to remain the same, but get enough tweaking to give even the hardest of core racing fans something to grin about. The proposition about downloadable content is still veiled in secrecy, but your game will apparently grow considerably. We’ll deliver more info on the game as it nears its release in December.

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from PSP Fanboy