Macross PSP Trailer

We've had our PSPs dusted off for a few weeks now in anticipation of this. Same for our emergency Japanese catchphrase guides, along with the URLs of our favourite Japanese importers. Because really, if you're a Macross fan, how can this not already look like the best thing to happen to the PSP?

[via Matix @ NeoGAF]

Just to Be Clear: FF Versus XIII "PS3 Only Worldwide"

A year and a half ago, the PSP wasn't exactly wowing consumers or third-party publishers. Even John Koller, director of hardware marketing at Sony, might agree, telling MTV Multiplayer that, at the time, PSP gamers "were mostly ports" of their console siblings, resulting in minimal wows.

That's going to change, Koller says, as "we’re going to see a lot of very large franchise games come from third-parties" starting at the end of this year and into 2009. Consumers are"going to be a bit of a surprise, they’re going to be like ‘Wow, that’s coming to PSP?’” according to John.

The PSP is certainly in a good position in Japan, regularly outselling all other hardware platforms for the better part of this year. We'll have to see if the wows translate to sales over the next 18 months.

Sony Plans PSP Comeback In America, Recovering From System’s Low Point [MTV Multiplayer]

No Gravity Doesn't Deliver on Description

Poking through the day's video game trailers over at GameTrailers I was struck by the description of upcoming Playstation Portable title No Gravity.

"In the year 8002, a mysterious mind disease is spreading and the road to the cure lies somewhere in the depths of space."

Wow, sounds interesting. Then I hit play and got a face full of space shooter. What is this? 1982?

Blaze Delivers Gimped Portable Megadrive To UK

Remember the Sega Nomad? The portable Megadrive / Genesis that let you play your favorite cartridges for 15-30 minutes at a time before having to change batteries? Well now Blaze International is releasing a product that has all of the fun of the Sega Nomad without all of that pesky cartridge nonsense. The 16bit Megadrive, releasing this month in the UK, features 20 built-in games, a color LCD screen, and a TV out so you can hook it up to your PAL television.

The games included aren't bad for the price. You get Shinobi, Eco the Dolphin, Sonic and Knuckles, Altered Beast, Golden Axe, and several others, all for £29.99 - the price of a DS game. While I would have preferred they sneak a cartridge port on their for good measure, the game selection isn't bad and the price is right. Hit the jump for the full game list and additional details.

Posters on the PSPChina BBS are claiming that Sony is planning on releasing a hardware update to the currently available PSP, model number 2000, one that includes a built-in microphone, updated buttons, a few cosmetic changes and possibly even cell phone support.

As can be seen in the picture above, the Home button on the original and current PSP models is now occupied by a PS button, similar to the one on the PlayStation 3 controller. One could assume that Sony would have made the Home to PS change in an attempt to prevent confusion with its Home service. The purported microphone is to the right of the volume buttons.

More pics after the jump.

Up to now, the only occurrences of a platinum blonde wig and a PSP in the same frame could be found in someone's cosplay Photobucket album. Sony probably saw that and, in the interest of portraying the real people who would really use its Go!Explore GPS gadget and service, came up with the above promo shot. Other photos (found by Pocketgamer.co.uk) are on the jump. Wherever the hell this entourage is going, I half expect them to meet the Dos Equis World's Most Interesting Man when they get there.

Tretton: Sony Considering PSP with Harddrive

Sony has thought about and continues to play around with the idea of building a Playstation Portable with a built in hard drive or internal memory, Jack Tretton, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America, said this morning at a gather of game writers.

"I think we definitely thought about it," he said. "I think that's the trend moving forward."

With the recently announced ability to purchase movies on a Playstation 3 and move them over to a Playstation Portable, and as the cost of memory continues to drop, the chance that a new Playstation Portable would include some sort of internal storage option is becoming increasingly likely, Tretton said.

Sony Announce New $200 PSP Bundle

Come Christmas time, Sony don't want to sell a few PSPs. They want to sell millions of them. So, to sweeten any prospective deals they may or may not be making with consumers come holiday season, the company will be offering a new PSP bundle, which will go on sale in October. It'll consist of a silver PSP, Ratchet & Clank Size Matters, a UMD movie (yet to be determined), a voucher to download Echochrome and a 1GB memory stick. All that will be going for $200.

LocoRoco 2, Resistance: Retribution Among New PSP Titles

PSP Firmware Update Readies Handheld For Movie Download Service

When Sony announced the latest PSP firmware update - 4.05, if you're keeping track - the other day, they said it introduced some new music visualisers. That and some mysterious "other features". They're less mysterious now, as Sony's support site says they introduce "support for [the] PLAYSTATION Store Movies and TV video service". Not that it matters now, but with Sony's E3 address taking place in only a few of hours, it will probably matter very soon. Stay tuned.

Knowledge Center [Sony, via PS3F]

PSP: 10 Million Sold (In Japan)

Five new Patapon 2 screens. Count 'em if you want. But know anyone who goes beyond counting, and starts chanting "pata", "pata", "pata" while browsing will be promptly shown the door.

The PSP Needs More Than Monster Hunter

Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G is a huge game in Japan. That title alone has energized the PSP and pushed sales to the top of the chart. In the recent Famitsu, industry pundits gather around to look at the first half of the year. Among the topics covered is of course Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G and why it's popular and what it means for the PSP. Insights abounds, but the pick of the litter is from Japanese game journo Kiyoshi Shin:

The Pokémon generation has shifted over to 2nd G, and you could see this as a shift in the Nintendo DS's audience, too... If it keeps relying on a single game, then the PSP's popularity could be a very temporary thing. Sony Computer Entertainment needs to keep actively backing up its third-party developers; I hope to see that in motion at E3 this month.

Sony does need to parlay MHP2ndG into other big third party games as well if the PSP is going to have real legs.

Japan's Game Industry Looks Back At 2008 So Far [1Up] [Pic]

PSP. It's big on my subway.

In New York City, I mostly ride the subway to get to and fro. I take the 2 or 3 train a lot, the N or R. These days, though, I mostly take the wretched C. A ludicrous number of people on these trains have iPods. A year ago, I decided to start counting how many game systems I saw in their hands.

I counted them on that other blog I write for, and announced the results today:

Monster Hunter Portable Makes Japanese Players Comfortable

Our favorite source for gaming news, the Wall Street Journal, has a piece up that examines how and why Monster Hunter Portable is so damn popular in Japan. That game has totally energized the PSP, breathing all kinds of new life into it and opening the platform to a wider audience. From the WSJ:

Many Japanese are uncomfortable with the idea of playing videogames with strangers over the Internet. That's why online games for multiple players aren't as popular here as in the U.S. and other markets... Osaka-based Capcom, better known outside Japan for titles like Street Fighter and Evil May Cry, launched Monster Hunter as an online multiplayer game for Sony's PlayStation 2 console four years ago. Sales weren't huge. Many consumers shied away from the game, which was best played with other PS2 users over an online network... But Ryozo Tsujimoto, the producer of the portable Monster Hunter games, saw a big opportunity for a PSP version because the device could be carried around easily, so gamers could introduce the game to friends. Sales figures soon showed he was on to something.

Dunno about you, but I love Evil May Cry. It's my third favorite Capcom franchise after Resident Devil and Muga-Man. Don't quite buy that Japanese people are afraid of playing with strangers over the internet. I'd say online games aren't as popular because offline consoles have dominated so long, but whatever. And if I was going to take a stab at why Monster Hunter Portable is so popular, I'd say collecting things is fun and the game's a great portable pick-up-and-play. But hey, that's just me! And I could be wrong.

Game Device Belatedly Clicks [WSJ via PSP Fanboy]

LocoRoco 2 Plops Onto PSP This Year

The creator of the original LocoRoco for PSP, Tsutomu Kouno, may think the PSP needs fewer sequels, but that's not going to stop him from giving us more yellow blob rolling fun. He's hard at work on LocoRoco 2, a game Kouno says will have "new gameplay based on physical calculation and crowd AI."

The good news is that it's due this year, at least according to Claire Backhouse, a product manager for Sony Computer Entertainment UK. It was casually mentioned as one of the games that will inspire PSP owners to think "Oh yeah, I own a PSP" in a recent chat with MCV.

With the PlayStation 3 entry in the series, LocoRoco Cocoreccho, little more than a glorified screen saver, we hope that Kouno and team have something interesting planned for the PSP sequel. Perhaps something that takes advantage of all those new PSP accessories?

PS we love you [MCV]