Sony PSP November 2006

Lumines II spawns online video mixer contest

Buena Vista Games announced today that, coinciding with the recent release of Lumines II, it will sponsor an online video mixer contest in the United States in which aspiring DJs can put their skills to work and create a new music track. The contest winner will be headed to Miami... [Full Story]

SCEA shuffles upper management

Sony Computer Entertainment America announced today they had done some shuffling of upper management. Jack Tretton has been named president and chief executive officer for the company, replacing Kaz Hirai who will be appointed president and group chief operating officer for SCEA parent company, Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. (SCEI) in... [Full Story]

SanDisk 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo on sale for $70

Buy.com has the SanDisk 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo for $69.94 after rebate. The Buy.com price of $109.94 is cut to $89.94 after a mail-in rebate. You save an additional $20 by using Google Checkout. Free shipping is also offered. [via The Bargainist]... [Full Story]

PSP sales look to be booming

PlayStation Portable sales seem to be going quite strong as we roll into the 2006 holiday season, according to this published GamesIndustry.biz report. Sony Computer Entertainment America said in a statement sales of PSP units, as being reported by the top five North American retailers, suggested "were up by 280... [Full Story]

Grandma shoved in PlayStation Portable robbery

In another example of what is a sad state of affairs in the world today, a 13-year-old boy in Florida who had just purchased a PlayStation Portable was robbed by another teen. What was worse though was that the "suspect shoved his [the victim] 73-year-old grandmother to the ground" as... [Full Story]

Scarface PSP title takes October crown

It looks as if the PlayStation Portable title Scarface: Money. Power. Respect. has become a nice cash cow for publisher Vivendi Games. This title apparently claimed the top spot on the PSP system in North America, according to sales data from The NPD Group/Retail Tracking Service, during the month of... [Full Story]

Dave Mirra BMX Challenge slammed by reviewers

This has to hurt. The new PSP title Dave Mirra BMX Challenge has been reviewed by the pros and given some of the worst ratings ever seen. GameSpot gave this game a 3.9 out of 10 and put as their summary "the biggest challenge found in this uninspiring BMX game... [Full Story]

LocoRoco gets Christmas level from Sony elves

Fans of the PlayStation Portable game LocoRoco looking for a little holiday action will not have to look far as Sony is unveiling a custom Christmas level for the popular game in December. This offering will be made available via the downloads section at www.yourpsp.com on Dec. 11. Notes about... [Full Story]

New Freak Out Extreme Freeride screenshots

Jowood Productions has released some screenshots for their upcoming freeride sking title Freak Out Extreme Freeride for the PlayStation Portable. We present several of these screenshots below for your enjoyment, courtesy of Games Press.... [Full Story]

Zombie flick to make PSP debut

It looks as if another independent film will be making its way to the PlayStation Portable soon. Last Evil of the SS, set to debut sometime next year, is a low budget horror film centered around a British nature photographer who stumbles across a lair of former Nazi SS zombies.... [Full Story]

PSP Game Releases: Week of Nov. 27, 2006

It looks as if three new PlayStation Portable titles are slated for release this week, according to video game retailer GameStop. These games include Online Chess Kingdoms from Konami, Electronic Arts' The Sims 2: Pets and Shrek Smash and Crash from Activision.... [Full Story]

New Harry Potter game coming to PSP

Electronic Arts and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment yesterday announced the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix video game is in development and scheduled for July 2007 release on a variety of platforms including the PlayStation Portable. Under development by EA’s UK Studio, which is the team behind other... [Full Story]

PSP Firmware v3.0 now available

The latest verion of the PSP firmware, v3.0, is now available to download from the portable's built-in Network Update. Previously released in Japan, the update includes the following features: PLAYSTATION Network titles are now supported under [Game]. [Remote Play] has been added as a feature under [Network]. [Online Instruction Manuals]... [Full Story]

Rainbow Islands coming to PSP in 07

Rising Star Games has announced that it is bringing an updated version of the classic Rainbow Islands to the PSP in 2007. Named Rainbow Islands Evolution, the game is the next in the Evolution series, which also includes Bubble Bobble Evolution. The game will feature the original's gameplay mechanics to... [Full Story]

Sony brushes up holiday PSP ads

Sony, in an effort to get more consumers interested in the Sony PlayStation Portable, today unveiled several new or existing marketing initiatives to get the word out and bring in more dollars during the holiday season. These efforts include the "Find Me" national television advertising campaign, which "show one PSP... [Full Story]

Konami ships Yu-Gi-Oh! PSP game

Rounding out the Konami tri-fecta of PlayStation Portable games released this week is Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Tag Force. This is the first entry in the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise for the PSP system. Notes from a corporate press release described this title as follows: "Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Tag Force immerses players in the Duel... [Full Story]

Xiaolin Showdown makes PSP stand

Konami this week released Xiaolin Showdown for various platforms including the PlayStation Portable. This title, based on the popular Warner Bros. Animation television series of the same name, was developed by BottleRocket Entertainment. A description of the game follows, according to a corporate press release: "The Xiaolin Showdown game combines... [Full Story]

Konami delivers Pocket Racers for PSP

Konami said earlier this week their budget focused racing game for the PlayStation Portable titled Pocket Racers should now be available at retail. This game, according to a corporate press release, is described as: "In Konami’s Pocket Racers, an evil nemesis has crashed a party by summoning dark sorcery and... [Full Story]

Rainbow Islands to get shipwrecked with PSP

Rising Star Games confirmed they are porting the Taito classic Rainbow Islands to the PlayStation Portable in the first quarter of 2007. Rainbow Islands Evolution will be the third title in Rising Star’s Evolution series, which includes updates to Space Invaders and Bubble Bobble. Rising Star Games already has already... [Full Story]

Sony asks how you want wireless PSP TV

Under what conditions would you watch wireless television on your PlayStation Portable? That is a question apparently being asked by Sony right now in one of those periodic surveys they put out to subscribers. The options available in this survey question asked whether you'd want to stream TV directly to... [Full Story]

Freak Out title gets teaser Web site

Jowood Productions yesterday announced a new Web site for their forthcoming freeride sking title Freak Out for the PlayStation Portable. The game itself is described as follows: "Freak Out is all about the white winter gold, that lets you experience; extreme-backcountry-freestyle-skiing...Freak Out is about no rules, Stylish jumps, extreme speed,... [Full Story]

Sega Genesis Collection ships for PSP

Sega announced today it had shipped the Sega Genesis Collection for the PlayStation Portable. This $29.95 retro collection of Genesis hits reborn on Sony's handheld video game platform is developed by Backbone Entertainment and includes classic hits such as Altered Beast, Sonic The Hedgehog, Shinobi III, Phantasy Star and the... [Full Story]

Sid Meier Pirates game declares PSP seaworthy

Fans of the Sid Meier Pirates games will be happy to note a version of this franchise is set to appear on the PlayStation Portable from Take-Two Interactive Software and game developer Firaxis Games. Sid Meier’s Pirates!, expected to be in stores on Feb. 23 of next year, is described... [Full Story]

After Burner: Black Falcon looking like a winner

Those wanting more details on the upcoming Planet Moon developed PSP action game After Burner: Black Falcon should definitely check out this exclusive first look by the gang over at 1UP. A lot of great bits of info about Planet Moon's reasons for taking on the development of this title... [Full Story]

MumboJumbo delivers Platypus for PSP

Besides launching Luxor: Wrath of Set this week on the PlayStation Portable, video game publisher MumboJumbo said they had also shipped Platypus for the PSP. This claymation title is "a ground-breaking side-scrolling shooter game" that "puts you right in the middle of the action with an incredibly unique visual presentation... [Full Story]

Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine closing shop

Those who get a portion of their PlayStation Portable news fix from the Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (OPM) in North America will have to turn to other sources starting in 2007 as Ziff Davis and SCEA said they are pulling the plug on the publication. The reason? Online content. SCEA... [Full Story]

Eragon flaps onto PlayStation Portable

Sierra Entertainment set today the video game Eragon, based on the upcoming epic adventure film from Twentieth Century Fox is available at retailers nationwide and will be followed by the feature film opening in theatres nationwide on December 15th. In the PlayStation Portable version, "Eragon and Saphira take flight on... [Full Story]

EA Replay rewinds PlayStation Portable today

Electronic Arts announced today they have debuted EA Replay on the PlayStation Portable. This retro collection of 90s games - 14 in all - are all former EA console greats given a handheld gaming makeover. Players will be able to "go head-to-head with friends in multiplayer on select titles, unlock... [Full Story]

MumboJumbo releases new Luxor PSP title

MumboJumbo said today Luxor: Wrath of Set, part of an extremely popular selling franchise across all casual game sites, has made its debut on the PlayStation Portable. It is priced at $29.99 and "features key ingredients for any hit title: an addictive style of gameplay combined with slick graphics and... [Full Story]

NFL Street 3 out this week on PSP

Electronic Arts said today NFL Street 3 would hit the PlayStation Portable on November 16. Developed by EA Tiburon, it joins a franchise which has sold close to three million units to date. Game play "lets gamers use the super athletes of the NFL to play football both on the... [Full Story]

Football Manager Handheld 2007 coming Dec. 1

Sega said today they had gone gold on the PlayStation Portable version of Football Manager 2007 and that this title would hit stores across Europe on Dec. 1. Football Manager Handheld 2007 has "many new features added making it easier to use, navigate and control. Taking a huge step forward... [Full Story]

New Dungeons & Dragons: Tactics screenshots

Atari is making available for public consumption some new screenshots for their upcoming PSP title Dungeons & Dragons: Tactics. We bring you several of those screenshots courtesy of Games Press.... [Full Story]

Sony PlayStation Web site gets makeover

Sony has done a major facelift on their official PlayStation Web site as they prepare for the PS3 launch. The PSP sub site in particular has a completely new look and feel. One particular section of note is the PSP Evolution, which is essentially their new System Updates area. [via]... [Full Story]

Mod brings light to back of PSP

An experienced modder has created a great "ring of light"-style mod for the back of his PSP. The mod includes four blue LEDs placed in the circle around the PSP logo on the back of the handheld. Unfortunately, this mod was extremely difficult and instructions for others are not available.... [Full Story]

Need for Speed Carbon: Own the City

Another year, another Need for Speed and with EA claiming the number one Christmas spot for the past three years with this franchise, there's little doubt that they are confident that this will do the same. The game itself was originally developed by Distinctive Software of Canada in 1994 which... [Full Story]

Reel Fishing: The Great Outdoors

In Reel Fishing: The Great Outdoors from Natsume you take a trip on your PlayStation Portable to a wide range of fishing locales ranging from wide-open lakes to dense, lush green forests. In these locales you fish for some 25 different types of fresh water fish, using over 100 different... [Full Story]

Getting demos onto your PlayStation Portable

Have you ever wondered how to get downloadable demos of PlayStation Portable games onto your PSP? There is a great and simple tutorial posted over at Pocket Gamer with screenshots to walk you through their six step process. With this tutorial under your belt you'll be enjoying the LocoRoco demo... [Full Story]

Sega announces Full Auto 2 PSP title

Sega announced today they would be bringing Full Auto 2: Battlelines to the PlayStation Portable. This title, which is also in development for the PlayStation 3, will "feature exclusive content including a new 56 event single-player story mode, 15 selectable cars designed specifically for the PSP version, numerous multiplayer and... [Full Story]

Naki UMD Tower for PlayStation Portable

The Naki UMD Tower for the PlayStation Portable offers up a slick way to store your UMD discs while you are at kicking back in your pad at home. This mini-tower is capable of holding 12 discs and is a great method for organizing your UMD collection. It includes a... [Full Story]

Heatseeker gets slow motion camera feature

Codemasters today revealed some more details about their upcoming PSP aerial combat title Heatseeker. They talked specifically about the game's "Impact Cam", which "enables players to get up-close and personal with their kills in bullet-time. Lock-on to your target and fire. Hit it right and the Impact Cam will reward... [Full Story]

Puzzle Scape new PlayStation Portable puzzle game

It looks like another puzzle game will soon be debuting on the PlayStation Portable. Puzzle Scape, being published by O~3 Entertainment and developed by Farmind Ltd, is scheduled for release next month. Here are notes about this new title from the press release as well as a few screenshots. "Players... [Full Story]

New Fantasic Four video game coming

Take-Two Interactive Software said yesterday they will publish Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, a new third person action video game. The game will be based on both the comic book series as well as Twentieth Century Fox/Marvel Entertainment’s June 2007 movie sequel to the Fantasic Four. The game... [Full Story]

Lumines II, Every Extend Extra now available on PSP

Buena Vista Games and Q Entertainment today said Lumines II and Every Extend Extra were now available for the PlayStation Portable. Notes on both games as detailed in a press release are as follows: Lumines II "Lumines II for the PSP system is the highly anticipated sequel to the addictive... [Full Story]

Gitaroo Man goes PlayStation Portable gold

Koei today announced Gitaroo Man Lives! had gone gold and would be shipping to North American retailers on Nov. 14. This "music rhythm" game for the PlayStation Portable was developed by Koei/Inis Corporation and will be priced at $39.99.... [Full Story]

SanDisk V-Mate Video Memory Card Recorder

The SanDisk V-Mate Video Memory Card Recorder allows one to record their favorite video programming onto a Memory Stick memory card in a format which offers the ability to view that video on a PlayStation Portable. This device offers a GUI for letting one navigate through the menus and select... [Full Story]

Championship Manager 2007 set for 2007 PSP release

Eidos confirmed today they will be releasing Championship Manager 2007 for a variety of platforms, including the PlayStation Portable, in the first quarter of 2007. Developed by Oxfordshire, United Kingdom based Gusto Games, this is reportedly a totally new iteration of the football (soccer for all of us Yankees) management... [Full Story]

Sony delivers SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 2 this week

Sony confirmed this week they had shipped SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 2 exclusively for the PlayStation Portlable. Notes about the game from a press release describe this title as follows: "Players will command a secret two-man team subset of the most elite and deadly fighting force on the... [Full Story]

Rush slides onto PlayStation Portable

Midway said yesterday they had released Rush for the PlayStation Portable. This title, developed by Midway Studios - Newcastle, lets gamers "attempt mad jumps, high-flying stunts and arcade-style racing from the newest entry in the Rush franchise. Go head-to-head with a friend in a street race or cruise mission using... [Full Story]

MGS: Portable Ops pre-orders get bonus case

Konami is partnering with various retailers, including Gamestop, to offer those who pre-order Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops a special little bonus. This bonus is "a one of a kind PSP body armor with custom Metal Gear graphics. This unique product fits snugly onto your PSP and protects it from... [Full Story]

Ratatouille video game coming next year

THQ said today they were planning a video game based upon the upcoming Disney-Pixar animated film Ratatouille, due out next summer. This game, which will hit the PSP among other video game platforms, is being developed by THQ's Heavy Iron Studios and is described by the video game publisher as... [Full Story]