First PSP beta-test apps taken online via the PSP browser
by Dan Choi 
{ Aug 30th 2005 at 2:00AM }
Since they've already begun public beta testing for SOCOM 3 for the PS2, it only makes sense that they'd get started on SOCOM for the PSP before too long. Last night (Monday the 19th), select members of Sony's PlayStation Underground elite (i.e., the Gamer Advisory Panel) received e-mail invites to register for the first PSP online beta test. The game in question was SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo, and with a little over two months until its November 8 release date, the team at SCEA's going to need all the help they can get if they want to really make waves with the much hoped for infrastructure multiplayer mode. (That's playing online, people!) Registering fast enough to make it into any of the PSU's beta tests is hard enough for games on the PS2, but there's a special twist with this application: you've got to register using only your PSP browser, as there's no other way to sign up. Of course, this means you're required to have at least one of the 2.0 firmware updates installed in order to even apply (let along get into the beta itself). If, however, you're ready with that and have your invitation handy (you did get one, right?), try pointing your PSP browser to http://pspbeta.us.playstation.com and hopefully get started.
I’m sure there are folks out there who’d love to get in on this, but where does that leave me, a guy who doesn’t even own a PSP (but just bought a DS)? It’s hard to say, as I received this e-mail invite despite having never registered a PSP with Sony nor ever indicating that I’d owned one. Not only that, there’s also this restriction: “You may only participate in this beta test with the address to which we sent this invitation,” so the invites are not very transferrable, and I wouldn’t feel right handing out my invitation for someone else to use. (Sorry!) Well, I guess I’ll have to leave the testing to dedicated PSP owners this time. Help make a good game, guys, and please let us know when all the tester spots fill up.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
tiglath @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
signed up 4 hours ago ;)
Andrew @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
I'm all signed up.
VGH @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Any idea how many invites total they send out?
quickie @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
it's possible to sign up with firefox. just change your user agent to: Mozilla/4.0 (PSP (PlayStation Portable); 2.00)
and AppName to: SCEJ PSP BROWSER
and finally tweak your Platform to: PSP
et voila, you can login...
cheers,
flo
Luis @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
do you have to sign up to the playstation underground site in general or do you have to sign up at that specific site with the public beta?
Twist @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
I got an invite but I don't have a PSP :(
I have been in on a few PS2 betas but always for games that kind of sucked. Or at least the multiplayer aspect which was being tested sucked.
Luis @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
oh, i'm sorry. Now I get it, you have to have an invite. Could you host the file of the beta game if it is a file or i would really like an invite, if you don't need your if you don't have a PSP like Twist and Dan Choi. my email adress is luismoro@gmail.com
Dan Choi @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
VGH, I have no idea how many invites were sent out, but I imagine they'd want to get some stress testing in before the game's real launch day, so there will surely be plenty (relatively).
That's some neat trick you got there, quickie, but I'll need to look up how to tweak my Firefox user agent before I can test it out.
Luis, this test looks like it's invite-only, as is membership in the Gamer Advisory Panel (GAP). I'd suggest signing up to the Underground, filling out your profile and registering a few hardware and software SKUs. Maybe you'll get an invite to the GAP that way. If you get that far, registering a slimline PS2 or a network adaptor might help get you an online beta invite. No guarantees, though.
The PSP beta software itself (on UMD?) will probably arrive to successful applicants in the mail in the form of a Beta Test Kit. I doubt that an unmodded hosted file will do you much good, however, as these betas tend to test network gameplay online and only online.
Michael @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Dan Choi--you can get the user agent switcher extension at https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?id=59
Peter Caron @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
I was in teh gamers advisory panel but tehn i decided to keep my beta hard drive and FF11 i got for the PS2 and they kicked me out, lol. Oh well..
Dan Choi @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Ah, thanks for that link, Michael. I should've known it was a Firefox extension... I'll be sure to give it a try once I finally close all the tabs I've got open right now. =)
Peter, sorry to hear your story. If only you sent your beta drive back in, you would've gotten a free legitimate HDD (and release copy of FFXI) in return! (I know 'cuz that's what I did.) Remember to follow the rules! (And stay in school...)
Jeff @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Whoa, what the hell just happened. I could have sworn there was a news post on Joystiq about Nintendo ANNOUNCING that the Rev controller would be shown at TGS and now it's gone...
Dan Choi @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Jeff, we pulled that story really quickly because our source seemed... how you say, questionable. Fact checking's important, folks! At least we caught that one ourselves. (Giving ourselves a pat on the back. =)
Jeff @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Yeah, GC Cafe isn't exactly the best source, lol.
They most likely just read the Spong (you know, the site that's always full of crap), and turned it into an announcement by Nintendo.
The1 @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
I registered for the Beta test last night. I must admit that making a person use their PSP to register was kind of slick. Now let's see if the game will be good.
The1 @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
I registered for the Beta test last night. I must admit that making a person use their PSP to register was kind of slick. Now let's see if the game will be good.
funkonaut @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
I got the invite, but I didn't signup since I don't have a PSP.
After beta testing Rachet Deadlocked, I don't think I'll beta test another Sony game again. That game was boring as hell.
Atrix @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
I got an invite, but I am not upgrading to 2.0. So, I will decline.
The1 @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
". Posted Aug 30, 2005, 10:23 AM ET by funkonaut
I got the invite, but I didn't signup since I don't have a PSP.
After beta testing Rachet Deadlocked, I don't think I'll beta test another Sony game again. That game was boring as hell."
You are right "Ratchet" was awful. I hope this game will be better.
benhc911 @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
damn, I got no invite but I have psp with 2.0... can you sign up without an invite?
Joshua @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Darn, I didn't sign up for the "playstation underground" when I got the PSP or else I might already be getting an invite. I signed up now though, but that does no good even if you try with the PSP browser.
benhc911 @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Are you honestly saying that you betad Ratchet and Clank Deadlocked? and that it was boring? I havent played, but I would assume that it is just as good, if not better than the others. If it is true, what did you think of the others? (so I can use you opion as a guideline, if you hated them all... then I dont care) Oh, and Ratchet is technically an Insomniac game, not Sony, just because its on the PS2 doesnt make it Sony's game.
Useful_Arts @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
all full now.
Dan Choi @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
I played a demo of Up Your Arsenal's multiplayer mode on the PS2, and I have to say that, as a fan of Halo's multiplayer gameplay, I was thoroughly unimpressed. Of course, Ratchet & Clank gameplay in general (solo mode included) doesn't exactly match my tastes, either, but I can understand where funkonaut and The1 are coming from.
Also, thanks for the heads-up, Useful_Arts. I managed to activate the Firefox User Agent Switcher just now, and it looks like your assessment's been confirmed: the beta's full. PSP owners, be sure to sign up for the next round (whenever that comes around), if infrastructure-based gameplay's your cup of tea.
Columbiatch @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
You have to be more than just an Underground member. You have to be INVITED to the Gamer Advisory Panel (GAP) and then after that you have to get the BETA invite. I got the invite but I'm not going to upgrade to 2.0. I've already got the SOCOM 3 BETA which is sweet enough for me.
From the past couple of beta invites I've got, Sony sends out more invites than it will actually accept. In past experience, you have to reply to the invite in less that 24 hours to even have a chance. I got mine @9:45 EST on 8-29-05.
Even if you trick Sony with the Firefox approach, the UMD will probably make sure you are truely running 2.0 anyway.
Dan Choi @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM
Joshua, Columbiatch, it's true that the GAP's an invite-only club (see my comment from #8), but it's a group that's still culled from the PlayStation Underground. Therefore, if you wanna get invited, make sure you sign up with the PSU, be as forthcoming as you can, and then hope for the best. Hope no one misunderstood. Laters, y'all.