Category: PSP

PlayStation Portable

Force demo is Unleashing next week

The new Star Wars game, Force Unleashed, will be “unleashing” onto the PS3 and the Xbox 360 marketplace August 21st. According to LucasArts, the demo places you in the TIE Fighter Construction Facility level that has been taken over by a Jedi general named Rahm Kota. Your mission? Kill everything (though you aren’t a crazed killer [the game isn’t as dark as it sounds]).

Not only that, but LucasArts is also throwing a tutorial level into the demo as well (which according to them, is very important [not that any other demo we’ve played has not had a tutorial level in it]).

The full game releases September 16th for the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PS2 and PSP.

Spike TV will be running a dedicated night to the release of the new game (much like they did for Halo 3).

Stay tuned.

Sony Game Exec resigns

Phil Harrison, Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios’s (abbreviated as SCE from now on as SCEWWS is just annoying) current President is resigning from his 15 year run as the head of SCE.

According to Sony, his official resignation occurs on February 29th. Phil is leaving the company, but has not said if he plans to work for another game company. Kazuo Hirai, current president of Sony Computer Entertainment International (SCEI) will be taking over for Phil in addition to his current job.

SCE is tasked with the creative, technical and strategic elements of development and production of the PlayStation and games. SCEI is in charge of sales and Research and Development of PlayStation consoles.

PSP Skype details update

Sony has offically announced that Skype is coming to the PSP Slim. They also let out other important details about the new update. I formatted it as a list for easy reading:

  • The update will be included in a firmware update that will be available towards the end of the month.
  • Skype In and Out are both supported. Skype In allows people to call you (so the PSP could replace your cell phone, if you decided to change providers). Skype Out allows you to call landlines
  • You can login to PSP Skype with your existing Skype account or create a new one

And that’s about it. Not much stuff that we already knew, but then again, it’s still something.

PSP to have Skype

Sony is apparently planning to take over the communication world as well as make you spend more money to buy a new PSP Slim (the one that’s not advertised on TV or in magazines much) because the old PSP (the one that’s advertised the most) won’t have this functionality. The first time I heard a handheld console was going to have phone like abilities came from a Nintendo booth at E3 way back when. Though this DS software never showed up (it could still be in development, who knows), Sony seems like they want to be the “actual” first handheld console to support telecommunications.

PSP Skype will be free, which is a good sign. But it’s not going to replace your cell phone anytime soon, PSP Skype only calls PSP to PSP and PSP to PC.

PlayStation 3 Version 2.0

PS3 Updates iconSony announced that PS3 Firmware version 2.0 will be releasing soon. There are several new features and little additions to the PS3.

One of the new features is the ability to turn and turn off the PS3 wirelessly with the PSP using the Remote Play function. Besides the ability to simply turn on and off the machine using the PSP as a remote, you can also listen to music, look at photos and watch videos that are saved on the PS3 Hard Disk Drive, anywhere in the world. A global connection. Another new feature, which you think Sony wouldn’t alert you on, but now they will is like a Updates feed of the PS3. The icon on the top right of this article will be added, the icon, called the Information Board, will display news on games, PS Store updates, hardware, accessories and more (in other words, ads) in the upper right hand corner. Each item displayed will be able to be clicked on for more details.

Also, Sony has finally allowed customization of the XMB (Cross Media Bar [for those who are bad with acronyms or just really don’t care]). With version 2.0 you can change the color and brightness of the bar (oooooh la la), or you can go totally stylin’ with a custom theme (with more available on the Store in the future). Music and Photos can now be managed in personalized playlists.

Lastly, though not really important, Sony has added Trend Micro Web Security to the update. Why it’s needed, I don’t know but it is supposed to be free*.

*not really a free full version. Free means a no price trial version until the end of April, 2008. Some restrictions apply.