“A Japanese news web site claims that the new hardware will have ‘about 10’ games available for launch this fall.”
Japanese news service recently announced that there will be “about 10” games released for the PlayStation 3’s new motion controller this Fall. Unfortunately, the author did not go into detail about any of the games themselves. However, the Japanese counterpart site claimed that there will be games based on pet training, and sports, similar to what Nintendo has released for Wii and DS.
This announcement came days after Sony announced the delay of the controller from Spring of this year to sometime in the third quarter. The reason for this was to “have a comprehensive portfolio of attractive and innovative games for the motion controller, not only from SCE Worldwide Studios but also from the third-party developers and publishers, whom we have been working closely with.”
It is not known whether these “ten” games will be exclusively developed by first-party companies or third-party developers, although both Capcom and EA Games have expressed interest in creating games for the new add-on. No developer or title list has been released but it is safe to assume that the usual suspects will be releasing products in the coming 12 months.
Sony’s answer to the Wii has still yet to be named, although the most recent rumor has it that it will be called “PlayStation Arc,” due to a web site being copyrighted by Sony Computer Entertainment. First shown off at E3 ’09, the wand controller itself closely resembles the Wii Remote, with buttons on the front. What sets it apart from Nintendo is the compatibility with the PlayStation Eye, a camera available for PS3. This Fall holds the release dates for both this and Microsoft’s “Project Natal,” and a brutal competition between the two companies is guaranteed to ensue.
After an avalanche of emails querying whether Game Copy Wizard actually works, Computer Game and Console Reviews has decided to release this statement…”YES IT DOES!!!”
Game Copy Wizard
First of all, we are only endorsing backing up games that you already own. This is entirely legal and we recommend it. It is your right to back up any software that you already own. By doing this, you are saving your original version from getting scratched and lets face it, it always happens. As games are very expensive, anything that stops you scratching your discs is a worthwhile investment. You get to preserve your game in mint condition, whilst playing it to your heart’s content.
All formats are covered, be it PC, PS1, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo GameCube or even the Sega Dreamcast. DVD’s and Music CD’s are also provided for. You literally will never ruin an original disc again. Regarding the whole process, it really is easy. All you need is a PC and blank DVD’s. After installation, just run the program and presto, your back up is complete. The software comes complete with manuals and the support offered is excellent (you won’t need it though as everything they give you works exactly as they claim), we just asked a question as a test and were very happy with the response. As games are always evolving, so will Game Copy Wizard. Buy purchasing it, you are covered for life with automatic updates.
With some old games which are small, its possible to actually put more than 1 onto a DVD. The software also acts as a video file burner, so you can convert any video file on your PC to DVD, and watch it anywhere you choose.
Game Copy Wizard is a must have program for Gamer’s. You can visit the site here. If you have questions, please leave a comment below and one of us will get back to you.
“Sony’s new handheld successfully eliminates many of the older models’ faults, while creating a few of its own.”
Pros
Design is very appealing; Downloading games is more convenient than leaving the house; Can play music, watch video, save photos; PlayStation Store has an enormous library; Stunning graphics near the PS2 level; Fantastic audio; Free, built-in Wi-Fi web browser; PS one games can be shared with the PS3 console; Faster loading times than other PSP models; Can be synced with a PS3 controller; Fast, smooth online multiplayer
Cons
Cost is way too expensive; Terribly short battery life, even in sleep mode; No method to transfer UMD games to the system
Summary
Sony releases a complete redesign for its veteran handheld, and hopes to bring the gaming community into a completely digital world.
Introduction
The PlayStation Portable has been out on the market for five years now. It has gone through two redesigns, which have enlarged screens and are overall smaller, among other things. The PSP has not done poorly by any means; it has just been completely overshadowed by the might of the Nintendo DS. Hoping to decrease the amount of defeat, Sony releases the innovative PSP Go, an innovative and totally redesigned platform that will fight the DS alongside the other PSP models.
Features and Design
The most noticeable difference is obviously the appearance of the system. The Go has said good riddance to the flat, brick-like structure of previous models and has adapted a slide function. When closed, only the top portion is visible. This is where the speakers and the PS button are located, along with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi indicators. On the top of the console are the two shoulder buttons (which are very smooth and easy to use), a backlight button that can be pressed at any time, volume buttons, and a mute button. On the bottom are the headphone jack and the USB port (which only accepts a proprietary cable) for charging and connecting to a computer or PS3. On the left side are the M2 memory stick slot and the wireless switch for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Finally, the power slide is on the right side of the system. So far, the buttons are all extremely useful, and are positioned perfectly. When the Go is on, but has been closed, a clock will appear on the screen, and can be switched out to a calendar. When pushed up, the system’s true control panel is revealed. As before, the directional pad is on the far-left and the four action buttons on the far-right. In between these, from left to right, are the analog nub and the select and start buttons, respectfully. I’ve found that the select/start buttons are somewhat difficult to press, namely due to them being so close together, small, and barely elevated from the surface. In the direct center is the microphone. Overall, the design of the console receives the highest ratings, and is definitely an improvement from the PSP-3000, disregarding the smaller screen.
After you turn the PSP Go on and put in your information, the menu, the media bar, is revealed. This is where everything can be accessed. The PlayStation Store can be found on the far right, and then as you go left, many more options are displayed, such as the web browser, remote play, Skype, your music, video, and photo folders, and overall settings.
I’ll try to discuss these piece by piece. You can save a large amount of music, pictures, and videos to your Go with the 16GB it comes with, and store even more by purchasing a memory card. The photos can be saved from the internet, to be viewed at any time. They can also be downloaded for free from the Store. Any picture can be set as a background. Additionally, the Go can be connected directly to a digital camera for a quick transfer. The music is also great, but it is impossible to create a playlist of any kind without using the Media Go software packaged with the system. Although free, it is quite hard to manage. You can listen to music at the menu, but not during gameplay or while online.
The amount of things the PSP Go can do is simply staggering. Any potential buyer of one must know all these before purchasing. In fact, everyone should. With its Wi-Fi, it can browse the internet with fairly quick speed. While online, one can save bookmarks, and images to their hard drive. Surprisingly, you can have three tabs up at the same time, for optimum browsing. Furthermore, the PSP Go can do a handful of neat things when connected to a PlayStation 3. For example, connecting any PS3 controller and PSP Go to the PS3 system will allow the PS3 controller to function with any PSP game. While amazing, this has its drawbacks. The right analog cannot be used, due to the PSP’s one analog nub; the fact that this process must be redone every time the controller is synced back to the PS3; and the very requirement of the PS3 itself. Also, the PSP Go can be used to “play” the PS3. When connected to the PS3, the Go can perform Remote Play, which allows the PS3 to be accessed, in a sense, on the Go. While you can’t play games, you can take advantage of nearly every other offering that’s on the PS3.
The PlayStation Store offers an enormous library of content that will certainly satisfy everyone. Besides games, one can choose from downloadable content, demos, themes, wallpapers, game videos, trailers, and even some game music. A majority of this is free and relatively small in size, making it perfect for a quick download.
But of course, the games are truly the most important item, the Go has plenty. One can purchase the majority of PSP games from the pre-Go era, along with every game released after October 1, 2009. Most of the games are priced fairly, with a lot of them matching or even beating the prices at retail. Full PSP games can take anywhere from one to two hours to download, which quickly becomes bothersome. Although this is necessary and more convenient, it can make one long for the UMD instead. Perhaps my favorite feature, however, is the “PS one Classics.” This library offers some of the original PlayStation’s greatest games, a great feeling of nostalgia, and it is constantly growing. On top of all that, the games are extremely low-priced, for only a fraction of the price they would be on eBay. Impressively, the games, once purchased, can be downloaded to the PSP Go along with the PS3. This option is extremely beneficial to owners of both consoles, due to the possibility of save data transfer. Coupled with fully customizable controls and screen size, these games add so much to the system. Depending on size, they can take anywhere from half an hour to an hour to fully download. Besides the full games and the Classics are the Minis and the PSN Exclusives. The Exclusives are relatively smaller games that were developed for the PSP, or occasionally the PSP and PS3. They are also relatively low-priced. The Minis are Sony’s answer to the sensation of the iPhone and iPod Touch games and apps that have been downloaded billions of times. These are extremely small games that cost next to nothing (except for Tetris, which has received the highest pricing due to its extreme popularity and ability to sell). These will hardly take up any space on the PSP’s memory, and take only a short time to download. While the PSP itself does not have nearly as many amazing games than other consoles, the PSP Go offers the majority of them and will forever be obtaining more and more titles.
The console comes with 16GB of memory built into it. For the avid, core gamer that purchases games frequently, this may not be enough. Fortunately, it can be doubled by purchasing Sony’s own M2 card. However, the PSP offers so few core titles that many will definitely not come across this problem. Though it has existed for five years, the PSP offers the smallest library of games than any other current-generation platform. Furthermore, there are really only a handful of critically-acclaimed titles. While many more great games will be released, the lack of good content is unnerving. On the other hand, this information is only based on sales figures and reviews aggregators, and what constitutes a “good” game is a trait that relies solely in the consumer. While it cannot be denied that the Go has a smaller library than others, the selection really should not hinder anyone from purchasing the system.
In short, the PSP Go is a brilliant entertainment device. With the ability to store music, games, movies, photos, and much more, it is a tremendously useful system. Some may think that the gaming community is not yet ready for the digital download stage, but I agree with Sony. By abandoning the disc and the cartridge, Sony has brought the world into a whole new era. The ways of the PSP Go are the ways of the future, no one can deny that. While slow sales and lukewarm response will thwart some of its success, everyone can appreciate Sony’s efforts in giving video games an evolution.
Technical Specifications
Size:
128 mm (W) x 69 mm (H) x 16.5 mm (D)
Weight:
158g
CPU:
PSP® CPU (System clock frequency 1 – 333MHz)
Memory:
64MB main memory
Flash Memory:
16GB
Display:
3.8 inch, 16:9 full transparent type
TFT drive:
480 x 272 pixels, approximately 16,770,000 million colors displayed
Japanese news service recently announced that there will be “about 10” games released for the PlayStation 3’s new motion controller this Fall. Unfortunately, the author did not go into detail about any of the games themselves. However, the Japanese counterpart site claimed that there will be games based on pet training, and sports, similar to what Nintendo has released for Wii and DS.
Sony’s answer to the Wii has still yet to be named, although the most recent rumor has it that it will be called “PlayStation Arc,” due to a web site being copyrighted by Sony Computer Entertainment. First shown off at E3 ’09, the wand controller itself closely resembles the Wii Remote, with buttons on the front. What sets it apart from Nintendo is the compatibility with the PlayStation Eye, a camera available for PS3. This Fall holds the release dates for both this and Microsoft’s “Project Natal,” and a brutal competition between the two companies is guaranteed to ensue.
