Latest PSP firmware hack says "hello world"
by Kyle Orland 
{ Aug 28th 2006 at 1:25PM }
While some might consider the PSP effectively dead, the homebrew scene for the system definitely isn't. Hackers have succeeded in breaking the security protections on the latest version of the PSP firmware by exploiting a hole in the PSP's picture viewing function. The new hack works on firmware versions 2.0 through 2.8 using files on the memory stick -- no Grand Theft Auto required. Right now, the only available program is a "hello world" proof of concept, but you can be sure the PSP hacking community will be all over this with new games and apps soon.
Of course, now that this is public, it won't be long until Sony forces a new, more secure version of the firmware on us through new UMD games. At which point hackers will get to work breaking that new security, which will inevitably cause further firmware upgrades from Sony, and on and on as the circle of hacking continues.
[Via Quick Journal, thanks PSPFan]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
boywundr @ Aug 28th 2006 1:35PM
Sony needs to just hang it up when it comes to fighting off these homebrew people. I don't partake in homebrew personally, but I have to say, embracing something that actually makes your hardware worth it, wuld seem like a good idea! Stop the never-ending run around and just give them an arena to play in.
Martin @ Aug 28th 2006 1:40PM
The problem is that Sony loses money on each PSP sold, and if people are only using it for homebrew, Sony doesn't make money....
Worse problem, how much is Sony losing programing to fight homebrew. Homebrew will actually be the end of the PSP. They are just losing money, and should quit with the system while it is ahead... Try to make a more secure handheld...with good games...
phipscube @ Aug 28th 2006 1:48PM
Please make some kind of official homebrew deal Sony. Something that lets coders do it without the hacks, but in a secure way so you and we are all happy.
Joystiq, can you please kill the PSP is dead comments, or even hints from other sites. Its becoming propaganda now. Seriously, its great the DS is doing so well, but quit it. Was the Xbox and Game cube dead when they didn't sell QUITE so many as PS2? where they even dead when PS2 steamed ahead? no. They still exsisted with a good user base.
Ok, so Nintendo may well still hold the Handheld crown, but the PSP is far from dead. Just quit it. Come on. The PSP has too much hate. Poor PSP.
Dark Morford @ Aug 28th 2006 1:54PM
This sort of thing shows just how differently Sony and Microsoft are handling their user "communities". Sony, with the PSP, is taking an approach of "They've got homebrew working again, time for a firmware update!" Microsoft, on the other hand, is basically saying "We will provide you the tools (XNA) to create homebrew for the Xbox 360 and share it with people."
Maybe this will change with the PS3's much-touted onboard Linux, but somehow I doubt it.
CP229 @ Aug 28th 2006 1:54PM
I'm glad to know that there people in this world that can afford 7 PSPs. :)
ipodfanboy @ Aug 28th 2006 1:56PM
well the psp is not dead in the south bronx, harlem and brooklyn, psp is well alive in the ghetto. A goodthing the psp is popular with the hip hop scene just like how popular the psp is with the homebrew scene. I see more people with psps then I do with dses, a goodthing i whip out my dslite and my ipod nano to showoff against those homebrew or hip hop psp users. To bad when you cross teh George washington bridge you end up DS land straigt up to the pacific. GO DS and IPOD
Raisu @ Aug 28th 2006 2:00PM
"While some might consider the PSP effectively dead..."
What? Since when? I'm not even a PSP fangirl, and that comment managed to insult me. The PSP is far from dead, even without the whole homebrew spiel. I know this may be difficult, but at least TRY to stay neutral. Or if you can't, there is always DS Fanboy. At least the bashing there is semi-warranted (and at the very least, hilarious).
But going back on topic, I believe that homebrew on the PSP is a double-edged sword. On one hand, if Sony encouraged it, the company would probably generate a bigger fan base. But financially, it's probably not going to do as well if people just buy the portable console for homebrew programs.
JimJimBinks @ Aug 28th 2006 2:06PM
I bought a PSP at launch. Returned it after a week 'cause I really didn't love it.
Then I bought one about a year later, picked up a few games for it, but again, I really didn't love it. Lumines was the only game I was having fun with (Besides Sam & Max and Monkey Island through Homebrew) and I really didn't like watching movies on it. So I sold it to a friend and used the money to get my 360 at launch, which I've loved from the minute it was plugged in.
Supino @ Aug 28th 2006 2:05PM
All "homebrew junkies" use Firmware 1.50. I do not think this exploit will do anything but let PSP owners downgrade to 1.50. When on PSP 1.50 Firmware, it's possible to emulate 2.71 Firmware - enjoying all the functions and running game-ISOs.
This is how all hack progress on the PSP goes:
Find exploit --> Downgrade --> Emulate higher firmware.
Nushio @ Aug 28th 2006 2:03PM
phipscube: You are right, the PSP is far from dead. It still has its uses.
http://duelinganalogs.com/?date=2006-03-22
I kid, I kid. If Sony would allow homebrew, people wouldnt have to choose between games OR homebrew. Most of these homebrew apps require downgrading, and the games upgrading. Which means its usually a "Homebrew OR Games" predicament.
If Sony allowed for both, then people wouldnt have to choose, and maybe, just maybe, they'd actually buy games (and use homebrew)
The problem with allowing it, though, is those "R0M Loaders".... Which means, again, no games sold. Ah, the vicious circle of life.
page @ Aug 28th 2006 2:12PM
Whoever thinks the PSP is "effectively dead" simply has their head burried in the sand of their silly little DS.
Raynre @ Aug 28th 2006 2:20PM
Look at the bright side; eventually there wont be enough memory in the thing to keep installing new firmware. =P
Breachless @ Aug 28th 2006 2:31PM
Alright, here's the deal. To say that homebrew is killing the PSP is pure ignorance and shows a complete lack of knowledge and understanding on your part as a gamer.
SONY is killing the PSP in a number of interesting ways. For time's sake, I will only mention a few select reasons:
-the games suck. I'm sorry, but when a bunch of homebrew coders' software totally eclipses your commercially developed games, you have a serious problem on your hands. I loved my PSP before I traded it in for a DS Lite, and there ARE indeed a few really great games on it, but that's the thing, over a year later and it still has only a tiny handful of decent games.
-Selling stuff for less than it costs to manufacture is not only completely stupid, but it's bad business. You build this crazy-ass device that's light-years beyond the competition stat-wise, and then you have to take a financial hit every time someone buys one... and then you completely fail to step in and tell developers to actually make new content instead of lazily porting over last years PS2 games or take a hike, and then you whine and moan because homebrewers are trying to find ways to actually get some enjoyment out of their $250.00 paperweight!?!? So then you spend even MORE money trying to stop them and in the process, you make it as hard as possible for them to be able to play actual legally purchased games (which is SUPPOSED to be where you plan to make your money right???) It's completely asinine.
How could anyone hope stay in business like that?
mykie @ Aug 28th 2006 2:31PM
I'm sure that Nintendo loses far less moneys with the sale of each DS, and the homebrew scene for the DS is very much alive and well.
And what do we see Nintendo doing to fight it? Not a whole helluva lot.
Probably because people who are using homebrew software on the DS are actually BUYING GAMES.
Maybe if Sony (and 3rd parties) would release some games WORTH PLAYING, people would BUY THEM.
ghostblur @ Aug 28th 2006 2:37PM
"While some might consider the PSP effectively dead ..."
I find this offensive. Is this more pointless Sony bashing? Has Joystiq declared that they are on some kind of Nintendo / Microsoft Axis of Evil? This is so lame that this kind of fraudulent reporting has taken such a great blog's name and wiped it's own stinky pleasure anal crevasse with it. Shame on you Joystiq. Shame.
pixelator @ Aug 28th 2006 3:22PM
"While some might consider the PSP effectively dead"
...That's basically you Nintystiq bloggers, a couple of headline-grabber blog writers and the raving horde of Nintendo fanboys. In short, nobody if importance.
You guys just CANNOT post PSP info without some form of slam or dig on the PSP, PSP owners, Sony, the PS3 or whatever other biased claptrap you can scrounge up. This goes beyond just rumors of bias. You might as well just merge Joystiq with the Nintendo product blogs and be done with it.
Nintendo isn't fighting homebrew? Nintendo is THE original homebrew fighter. They've litigated against emulators, rom sites and even flash linker makers and sellers. They don't need to release firmware upgrades to staunch DS homebrew because you have to buy flash cart reader/passme hardware. PSP's can be homebrew'd from your PC with no extra purchase and Sony will obviously plug the holes as they find them - I don't like it, but I don't expect them to open the system to rampant piracy, either.
"Maybe if Sony (and 3rd parties) would release some games WORTH PLAYING, people would BUY THEM." .. "the games suck..
Typical pissy DS fanboy blather that Joystiq encourages and ratifies with every Sony-related post. Nevermind Metacritic, Gamespot, Gamerankings, etc. all showing more 75 or 80+ PSP games (and more USA released PSP games total) than the DS. See, according to the blog-lurking Nintendites & their mouthpiece Joystiq, the PSP is dead, Sony owners/fans are idiots & there are no games whatsoever on the platform worth owning - at ANY price. The end has not only arrived for the PSP, it has come and gone. It was DOA from the start!
Except - here's a little story for the PSP haters: I went out last night with the folks, my girlfriend & her 8yo daughter. She had my DS Lite (her older DS battery was dead) to play with, but currently is into Harry Potter on the PSP (a game I found to be underrated, as usual, and bought from Gamefly). Mom wouldn't let her bring it in the restaurant, so as we're coming in, she points to a kid - as he was coming out with his PSP. Mom held her ground, but imagine, an 8yo picking a PSP over a perfectly good _DS_ (Lite!) and then running into a random kid with another PSP! What are the odds, since the PSP is 'dead' and there's 'no good games' on it? Wow.
Keep it up, guys. You _earn_ that Nintendo kickback!
Lee @ Aug 28th 2006 3:23PM
"Probably because people who are using homebrew software on the DS are actually BUYING GAMES."
Erm, actually probably because it involves buying the card device, and of the people I know with those, none buy games.
Problem with piracy recently with hard drives and memory storing >1 game, is that pirates usually have it better off.
Nintendo aren't fighting it like Sony because it doesn't effect virtually every console the moment you open it. The DS homebrew community is producing some good stuff, but is tiny in comparison. Half-wits with next to no knowledge are being shown how to play SNES games on their PSP on their stock memory sticks.
That's why it's a problem for Sony and not Nintendo.
As for the game thing, there are no killer apps for the PSP, but there are more than enough decent titles and combined with homebrew makes quite a machine. DS = more excellent titles, PSP = more pretty good titles.
That's just my opinion, I'll be happier with it when some (hopefully) great games are released. I hope good things for MGS and FF.
phipscube @ Aug 28th 2006 3:27PM
Nushio
Heh heh! quite funny :)
But with the homebrew thing I meant Sony should make an official homebrew segment for the PSP much like they SEEM to be doing for PS3. You submit the game to them to "screen" and it appears in some official homebrew section of the "online" service. Maybe it will come inline with PS3... who knows. I just hope they do something to help find some of the wasted talent. Ok, alot of homebrew is crap, but some are true gems. I´d even pay a small fee to play them if they are good games.
Look at microsoft, sony... go on copy! I don´t care if you get accused of copying again, just do it!
socrates @ Aug 28th 2006 3:28PM
Dead? The PSP's library is just starting to get some decent games. In fact, its top two (LCS and Tekken) are clearly the best two handheld games ever released (so sayeth metacritic!), and Vice City Stories is going to be way better than either of those two.
of course, I say this owning a DS and not a PSP. Objectively, the DS currently has a better overall library - but with a few more stellar games, the PSP will start to win that battle.
phipscube @ Aug 28th 2006 3:39PM
I wonder if this thread will hit over 100. I figured the best way to stop bloggers dissing Sony is for the fans to stop posting defences. Thus the haters stop posting hate. Then the blogs get no hits. i.e. no extra cash revenue.
Its simple, bloggers trash sony because its a sure fire way of getting mega hit counts. its easy money ;)
So all you Sony fans, Hold your fingers....
blahman @ Aug 28th 2006 3:48PM
"While some might consider the PSP effectively dead ..."
"Some" as in Joystiq.
Leave it to Joystiq to write an article that links to a forum post which links to a biased article on Gameworld Network. On top of that, nearly every PSP post on this site links to that one Joystiq article as if it is proof that PSP already lies with the Dreamcast, as if there are no games left and only homebrew. For a piece of hardware that conistently sell thousands a week (41,535, more than half of the DS Lite's 74,495 from August 14th-20th in Japan alone), I the the PSP is selling quite well and has some life ahead of it before the inevitable successor to it. I hardly think it is fair to keep referring to a poorly cited article centered around mere speculation of the PSPs demise.
I in no way wish to bite the hand that feeds me my gaming news, and I applaud Joystiq with the speed in which they find relevant information. I just find it troubling that misleading information is purveyed to appease the majority of Nintendo fans who feel insecure about their DS when they have nothing to worry about.
Say what you want about the success of the DS, but don't try to fool us into believing that the PSP is dead and unplayable. You don't have to insult the PSP and PSP owners to appreciate the DS.
Lee @ Aug 28th 2006 3:51PM
phipscube, that doesn't justify sitting back whilst biased stuff is posted with poor foundations.
It doesn't cost anyone to comment, and Joystiq makes money. Win-win, right?
PayTheMan @ Aug 28th 2006 3:56PM
Concerning the PSP's game library: what are your original, must-have games? The only one I can fathom is Loco Roco, but come on! GTA:LCS and Tekken are nothing new.
striderhayasa @ Aug 28th 2006 4:02PM
@ breachless
Exactly. I have PSP but I was lucky not to be an early adopter. So the good games that were out at launch for the PSP I can enjoy as if they were new.
Now, I have a DS lite too and I love it. But to
@pixelator and anyone else that is pro PSP....hear me out
I bought my PSP from a guy that was trying to dump it on Craigslist. He told me he was having a hard time getting rid of it because he upgraded the firmware to the latest version at the time. I told him that I didn't care about that. I just wanted to play current games and the thought of using a PSP to emulate old NES SNES Genesis and Master system games just seemed retarded to me.
So I get the PSP, a game , a case and the USB cord for $125. I have some issues with the PSP but overall I think it's great. I still play my DS a bit more but usually, If I'm waiting for a match online for Metroid Prime Hunters or Mario Kart, then I'll play Tekken DR until the match is ready. PSP's biggest problem IS the library. Too many ports and still no exclusive killer app. That's why DS is still held in higher regard. Also considering that the ease of powering up, pick-up and play and the superior battery life and it's an easy sell for Nintendo.
My point is regardless of the negatives of each portable, I really like both for different reasons. Tekken, Wipeout, Armored Core, Lumines and Ridge Racer are great fun. Metroid Prime, Mario Kart, Age of Empires, Tony Hawk, Bleach and Meteos are awesome on DS. DS would be my first choice but PSP just needs exclusive killer apps but even so, since I don't play my PS2 anymore...ports aren't always a bad thing.
Chris @ Aug 28th 2006 4:13PM
I personally don't understand the PSP hate. "Effectively dead"? "No games on the system"? I must be living in an alternate reality then, because both of those statements seem insane to me.
Yes, the DS is great... I own an original DS fatty (bought it on day 1 in the US) and have very much enjoyed it. Games like Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, Castlevania and Meteos all make the system worth owning. However, I also own a PSP and have found it to be an amazing little device in its own right.
To say that there are no good games on the PSP is just silly... Lumines, Hot Shots Golf, Burnout Legends, GTA, Katamari Damacy, Tekken, Field Commander (etc etc) are all amazing games and can't really be duplicated on the DS (and Burnout doesn't count because the DS version is awful). Furthermore, I think the PSP is truly about to get its second wind with some amazing games coming out in the next couple of months (Loco Roco, GTA:VC, Ultimate GnG, Dungeon Siege, Ace Combat) plus the PSone download service AND some cool hardware additions (GPS and eyetoy) the future of the PSP has never looked brighter.
Additionally, even without homebrew, the PSP has some amazing capabilities that no other handheld has really been able to duplicate. As an MP3 and video player, the device works fine... but throw in web browsing and podcasts (and now video podcasts) and the thing is a tiny marvel.
PSP dead? Maybe for Joystiq, but the sales and upcoming game lineup would seem to suggest otherwise.
David @ Aug 28th 2006 4:16PM
The PSP isn't dead, but it is bleeding badly. Sony hasn't known defeat like this (22,538,503 DSes to around 12,678,031 PSPs sold worldwide*), so it will be very interesting to see how they react.
At the moment they're still pretending that they're winning (they actually announced that they were ahead in the US a few weeks ago, even though NPD data PROVES otherwise, and the only thing they backed their claim up with was shipped data). Soon they'll have to stop pretending, as the DS will have doubled the PSP's worldwide sales by the end of this month. I wonder how they'll react to that...
On another note, I love the denials of Sony Fanboys. Pixelator scours the web to diss the DS, when it's undeniably smashing the PSP worldwide.
I espescially loved this gem from blahman
"For a piece of hardware that conistently sell thousands a week (41,535, more than half of the DS Lite's 74,495 from August 14th-20th in Japan alone)"
Ah, context.
The DS has been selling out every single week in japan, usually at around 200K. Shipments were held back last week to satiate demand for the Final Fantasy 3 launch, so DS numbers artificially dipped. The DS's usual place this year is to sell 5X the PSP, and year and lifetime to date it's more then trippled the PSP.
As for the PSP numbers, they were actually slipping fast, until Sony got drastic. You can now get a PSP with FIVE GAMES for only $9 more then a DS in Japan.
*Source: http://palgn.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=12180
David @ Aug 28th 2006 4:20PM
"Field Commander (etc etc) are all amazing games and can't really be duplicated on the DS"
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!
Field Commander is a poor rip-off of the king of Strategy, Advance Wars DS.
pixelator @ Aug 28th 2006 4:42PM
"*Source: http://palgn.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=12180"
That article citing a paltry 12 million PSPs sold is severely flawed - using Nintendo sources and comparisons and extrapolating a pathetic 4 million in sales for ALL COUNTRIES other than Japan and the USA. It's also written by a DS fanboy (look at the guy's sig). Sorry, but with a shipped total of over 21 million, the likelihood that almost TEN MILLION PSP units are filling warehouses worldwide is slim to none. Were it true, nobody would be ordering more and the shipped figure would already have shown a dramatic falloff over the past year. It hasn't. DS sales are great, to be sure, but PSP sales aren't "bleeding badly" - in fact, it did better in its first two years than the PS2 or PS1 did.
Using NPD's flawed research (which DS fanboys like David here do), the PSP has outsold the DS for the majority of the time they were both available. The end-sold figure also ignores the fact that the DS had a 4 million unit headstart after launching a christmas season and four months earlier than the March '05 PSP launch (USA).
So sorry, DS freaks - your beloved handheld is doing great, but your ongoing war against the PSP isn't changing the fact that it's done just fine and your dire claims of death, bleeding (and whatever other violent/ego-tied analogies you dredge up) are unfounded.
The DS *AND* PSP will continue for years to come. It isn't dying, it isn't dead, its sales have been good and the upcoming lineup for games, add-ons and rumored price drop and revised PSP edition only underscore this.
ghostblur @ Aug 28th 2006 4:32PM
"PSP's biggest problem IS the library. Too many ports and still no exclusive killer app."
So Mario Kart, Castlevania, Mario Brothers, Harvest Moon, Metroid, Star Fox, are all orginal games that have never been on another system? WTF. Nintendogs is an orginal game for the DS. All these games you keep talking about are rehashed games. Except with uncomfortable stylus control.
Chris @ Aug 28th 2006 4:35PM
"Field Commander is a poor rip-off of the king of Strategy, Advance Wars DS."
Fair enough.. although those types of war games have been around since the NES days, and Field Commader does everything Advance Wars does (arguably better?) and adds excellent online support (download maps, online multiplayer, and multiplayer-by-email)
I played and enjoyed Advance Wars Dual Strike, but I'll take Field Commander over any of the AW's any day of the week.
TxdoHawk @ Aug 28th 2006 4:43PM
The PSP isn't dead, but Sony/third party developers better get it in gear or that fate isn't far off, with the holiday season looming.
pixelator @ Aug 28th 2006 4:51PM
"Field Commander is a poor rip-off of the king of Strategy, Advance Wars DS."
And you obviously haven't played Field Commander. Nor would I call AW 'king of strategy' - maybe on handhelds, but not all consoles/PC.
Frankly, Advance Wars DS *is* a ripoff - of earlier Advance Wars games. I've played it much of it completely through, and while there are glimmers of difference in how the game works, it's almost exactly the same experience as AW1 and 2 on the GBA.
I'm not saying Field Commander is 'better' than AW:DS (it definitely has its flaws), but at least it provides some departure in how turn based combat flows and in the various units, graphical look, music, etc... I've been a devout followed of the Advance Wars series, and I was quite let down by the 'sameness' look, feel and lack of variety or new content in the DS edition. I didn't even think it looked as good as earlier AW's.
But hey, Joystiq and their scores of swarming Nintendrones aren't about balance or fairness, especially when talking about the PSP.
Jim @ Aug 28th 2006 5:34PM
When will they learn and embrace the homebrew community?
As customer I'm not happy to see Sony throw money at something that simply is not feasable: hacking-proof security.
Senshida @ Aug 28th 2006 5:13PM
Lol, so many fanboys. ^_^
I haven't been able to get a DS Lite at all yet, always sold out... Plenty of PSPs tho, but I already have one. (kinda dusty tho)
I would say that DS is currently winning due to more advertising, and the small amount of good games on PSP.
As for the Hacker issue, what would cost more fighting them, or ignoring them?
Duscrom @ Aug 28th 2006 5:42PM
That's because, AW:DS is effectivly a port of a GBA game.. just like Phoenix Wright. It's really all propaganda. DS fanboys are brutal, I expect a Nintendo Mafia in a year or two if the PSP keeps selling.
Funnier thing is, I don't understand what the point of it all is. 2 fun facts.... first, the Nintendo has owned the HH market since 1985. Many competitors have come and gone.. none getting as close as sony... on their first try. Why? Brand recognition? Well the game gear was by sega. Technology? The Nomad was a full color handheld Genesis, going against the Game Boy Pocket. Battery Life? Well, the PSP has poor battery life, just like all competitors before it. So... there has to be some reason that the PSP is still selling well. In context, not so much to the DS, but if the Gamecube isn't Dead, with 21 million worldwide vs the over 100 million PS2s sold...
As for the games.. since DS owners tell their own personal stories as proof that the DS is supirior. I'll tell my own.
I and my SO own both systems. I started with a DS phat, gotten soon after launch for the gaming goodness that is Wario Ware Touched. I tried a few others like Ridge Racer DS, and Feel The Magic, and Mr Driller. It was cute, but I was loosing interest. When the PSP was released, i sold my DS for the PSP. I had Ridge Racer, which was Far FAR supiror to RRDS... seeing as RR on PSP was actually made by namco.... not NST of Ridge Racer 64 and Metroid Prime: Hunters fame. Well, long story short, I sold my PSP for a DS cause no RPGs were comming out, I was sick of the lack of game shareing in PSP games.. and I picked up another DS. With Kirby and Mario 64 DS (What's that about DS games not being ports?)
Now, I don't consider myself rich by any means.. but I've played all the highest refered DS games... Anything you mention, i've played. A few gems, like Pheonix, and some turds, like MP:H. But, in the end, I was desperate for some different gaming experinces. And the DS didn't give me any good 3D platformers, 3D action games, Fighters, nor RPGs.... (Yes i did play Lunar:DS, and that game blows... like Guilty Gear) Now I traded my firend some speakers for his PSP. Since then, i got Tekken, Valkyre Profile, Mega Man X, Daxter, and wanting to get Syphon Filter. See, The games maybe higher priced.. but what good is it buying 2 year old games at $35 bucks, and more of them, that barley intrest you, and paying an extra 5 bucks for less games that keep your attention longer?
So what's the moral of the story? There is none. Cause as far as hardware goes, I'd rather carry a DS Lite Around with me. It's sleek, sexy,, and small. and Durable. But... when I do, the DS stays in off cause I'm bored with all the games... and I just hate Metroid. Give me a 2D metroid and fuck off. NST is the worst developer in the world.
darryl @ Aug 28th 2006 5:45PM
revolution.ign.com may consider the PSP "dead".... hmmm, now that's an un-biased opinion for ya...
PSP is stronger than ever, and continues to pick-up in sales and software releases... this fall will be a big "fuck-you" to all the PSP haters.
Breachless @ Aug 28th 2006 6:07PM
There is nothing more entertaining than watching a bunch of PSP Hipsters in denial run around like chickens with their heads cut off screaming bloody murder when people point out the obvious flaws in their little gaming contraption...
"ZOMG! Joystiq, a site the exists solely for the purpose of reporting rumors and news in the gaming industry reported something about the PSP that wasn't glowing! They hate Sony and are in bed with Nintendo! ZOMG!"
Hell, even EA is pointing out the obvious and some of you guys STILL refuse to accept facts for facts:
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/08/11/ea-says-the-psp-is-no-fun/
But wait, what's this?
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/08/06/is-the-ds-lite-too-small-for-the-large-handed/
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/07/18/nintendo-we-are-not-aware-of-any-problems-with-the-hinge-of-th/
ZOMG! Joystiq is SO anti-Nintendo!
HILARIOUS.
Like I said before, the PSP is nice: the technology is truly awesome... It's just that the execution has been less than ideal, and that is a fact that you cannot deny. Period.
IF in fact this PS1 download thing is everything you anti-rehash guys think it will be (oh the irony,) the PSP has a fighting chance. But it still needs some games that are designed with the PSP in mind from the start.
striderhayasa @ Aug 28th 2006 6:30PM
@ ghostblur
Metroid isn't a port, Meteos isn't a port, Castlevania isn't a port, Mario Kart is more like a greatest hits and the best in the series bar none. Mario and Luigi partners in Time isn't a port, Bleach isn't a port, JumpSuper Stars isn't a port, FF III isn't a port either, so piss off. Don't get upset because the truth hurts.
Figboy @ Aug 28th 2006 6:56PM
wow. if the PSP is a dead console, me and the other 12 million people who bought one should just return our handhelds, and i should trade in my copies of Tomb Raider: Legends, Exit, Untold Legends, Metal Gear Acid 1 and 2, Kingdom of Paradise, Daxter, Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror, Tekken: Dark Ressurection, Ultimate Ghosts and Goblins, Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth, Lumines, Pursuit Force, and GTA: Liberty City Stories. and then cancel my preorder(s) of Loco Roco, GTA: Vice City Stories, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, Lego Star Wars 2, Silent Hill: Origins, and Power Stone Collection.
you guys are right. the PSP has *NO* good games, and the future prospects of the console are looking bleak.
give me a frigging break, fanboys. any handheld that has gone up against the GameBoy and it's ilk have failed. miserably. the Game Gear, Atari Lynx, Neo Geo Pocket Color, Wonderswan, and N-Gage barely sold 1 million units. the PSP has sold *12 MILLION*.
prior to the launch of the Nintendo DS Lite, the original DS had sold 14 million units. so, using your logic of 12 million handhelds meaning "dead", the DS could have been considered dead for selling only 14 million units. but nooooo, Nintendo could never fail, because, hey, it's Nintendo! the hypocracy and double standards going on when it comes to Sony is really, really pathetic and sickening. give them credit where it's due. they broadened the gaming market and made it socially acceptable to play games with the release and success of the Playstation, and, with it's first foray into the handheld market, was holding it's own against Nintendo. and still is. get over yourselves. the PSP is doing just fine, and will continue to do so.
i predict that once the PS1 emulator service is launched, sales of the PSP will spike for a while, especially as more classic Playstation games are available (FFVII and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night are reported as being in the first wave, along with FFTactics).
seriously, all the doom and gloom when it comes to everything Sony needs to stop. it's getting ridiculous now.
Aex @ Aug 28th 2006 6:59PM
Why must anything ever posted on joystiq about the psp turn into a psp vs ds war. "OH! The DS has sold 23m!" "The Psp is dead!" "DS > PSP" "PSP is failing"
1) In a market dominated by Nintendo, gaining 33% from 0% of it in under 2 years is not a failure. Firefox has around 20% of the web browser market, is it considered a failure? When the DS sells 75-100m units and the Psp is stuck at 15-20m, then the PSP will be a failure. At the moment, 10-15m units sold vs 23-25m units sold does not mean failure.
2) Sony reports making profits and credits part of this to the sale of PSP during the second quarter of 2006, noting 2m units sold during this quarter. It doesn't seem to me Sony is losing money on the PSP, and if they were, they don't seem to be anymore. If you wish to combat this, please leave me a link :)
3) This is Sony's first venture into the handheld market, and it is really too soon to say its dead. The PSP hasn't even been out for 2 years yet. Sure, it doesn't sell as well as the Gameboy, but it also doesn't have the following, the marketshare, and the killer apps that cause a boost in sales. Nintendo has the market, the fanboys, and Mario.
Nintendo is still the leader by far in the hand held department, but Sony is not going anywhere. No matter how many times you may wish it to be so, the PSP is not dead, nor bleeding, nor hurt. It is selling, and it is selling well, maybe not in comparison, but you can't say 40k units in japan alone for a week is bad. It may not be the 75k the DS had, but the PSP didn't just release NSMB or FFIII. The games for it continue to get better, loading times are being reduced, and they are getting away from just making ports for the psp. Dead Head Fred, The new GTA, MGS, and Loco Roco are just the beginning of the PSP exclusives. With this news of the latest firmware being hacked, I can picture a nice rise to unit sales, perhaps a drop in game sales tho.
That's not to say Sony hasn't made mistakes with the PSP. They have, but it is quite apparent there are things being done to correct this, between official announcements as well as rumors.
The PSP isn't dead or injured, it is just a 7" tall giant compared to the DS's 14" tall giant.
And finally! @striderhayasa
Basically, he was taking a shot at nintendo fanboys who always cry out "Nintendo is innovative, where as Sony is not". The games are mere sequels to the past versions that have done well. Sure they have updated graphics, and maybe an extra or two, but essentially they are nothing new, but they definately able to sell well. Most of those games aren't significantly different from their predecessors. And, I second him, MHP and Meteos suck.
Aex @ Aug 28th 2006 7:01PM
Wow!! IS FFT really coming for the psp virtual console o.O /excitement
striderhayasa @ Aug 28th 2006 7:12PM
@ pixelator
I took AW:DS back to the store because it was too much like the GBA versions. Not enough new units and graphically it was lacking. I sent a letter to Nintendo complaining about the SNES era graphics for the game.
@ Duscrom
To each his own, but I love Metroid. I play online almost everyday. Metroid Mario Kario and Meteos are games that I can play for long periods of time. They're just great fun.
Ridge Racers for DS is absolute trash but I don't blame NST for that because they ported the game from the 64 which was more of compilation of other Ridge Racers. I do blame Nintendo and Namco for letting such a mediocre game out for the DS launch but to its credit, Asphalt Urban is even worse than RR:DS.
Bleach is awesome for DS. If you haven't played it too bad. I had a blast playing through Castlevania. I loved playing through Tony Hawk. Online rankings alone kept me playing for an extra few months. I've had my fair share of garbage on DS (yoshi Touch and go,) but the great games I've played on DS can't be denied.
With that in mind PSP is getting some great games as well but let's be real. Nothing on PSP is seeing FFIII this christmas and PSP isn't getting anything alone the lines of Castlevania. But Monster Hunter 2 should be good though.
---- @ Aug 28th 2006 7:16PM
NINTYSTIQ! ROFL, PIXELATOR!!!!!!!! KEEP ON FIGHTING THOSE DAMN FANBOYS. NOTHING MORE DISGUSTING THAN DEDICATING YOUR LIFE TO A COMPANY, AMIRITE?
Also, Figboy from QJ? Good day! One of the few logical posters on that entire site.
striderhayasa @ Aug 28th 2006 7:23PM
@ Aex
Like I said to each his own.
I like Lumines but I like Meteos too. MP:H is a great game and the skilled players I play against on a daily basis demonstrates it. But hey, it's not for everybody. I also think my list about orignal titles speaks for itself. What I find funny about these discussion is that no one can value each portable for what its good at. It's always..."this blows or this sucks"
I play a lot of Armored Core on PS2 and PSP and reviewers across the internet will give it the thumbs down. Why? Because a lot of them just don't get it. They can't understand it so they bash it. PSP vs DS is the same way. PSP fans will diss the DS because it's a Nintendo portable. DS fans will diss the PSP because it's a Sony portable. When Sony was rocking the charts in Japan on a monthly basis all was good in the world. Now Nintendo owns the charts and has done so for the last year straight and now Sony fans scream about how "japan isn't important anyway. This is bullshit. If you don't like the company of the gear they make then don't play it. It's as simple as that.
I bought a PSP finally after playing Tekken on it. I refuse to pay full price for it because it's not worth 200 or 250...not when all I want to do is play games on it. But for 125....I'm there. Screw homebrew, to hell with movie playback and MP3 playback is a waste of time when I have an Ipod with better battery life. But for Tekken, Wipeout etc...it's gravy.
Like I've been saying...I can appreciate both portables for what great games they do bring to the table. I'll be playing Castlevania, Panzer Tactics, FFIII, Tales of the Tempest, Elite Beat Agents, Hotel Dusk 215, JumpSuper Stars 2, Bleach 2 and Children of Mana on DS this Christmas.
On PsP...I'll still be playing Armored Core, Wipeout, Tekken, Lumines and Ridge Racer. I may pick up Syphon filter....I'm good.
Aex @ Aug 28th 2006 7:43PM
@striderhayasa
You have no idea how much I am looking forward to Monster Hunter Freedom 2.
Figboy @ Aug 28th 2006 7:30PM
to 43. lol. yup, it's me from QJ! this and gamersreports are only other sites i post on when the need arises.
also, to 41. i do think FFT is coming to the PSP via PS1 emulator. i don't think the game requires another analog stick (like a lot of PS1 games, actually), and i don't think it absolutely *needed* to have four shoulder buttons.
i also think Symphony of the Night would work perfectly, simply because, you could just hold the L then R button simultaneously to transform into the wolf, which is, really, the least important and effective power in the game. Mist and Bat were already on the L1 and R1 buttons anyway, and those are used way more than the wolf.
the PS1 emulator is going to be really awesome, i think. there are tons of PS1 games i never got the chance to try that i'd really like to (like Vagrant Story). i'm looking forward to it.
Figboy @ Aug 28th 2006 7:30PM
also, FFVII Crisis Core is coming to the PSP, so PSP owners won't be left out of the FF love for too long.
both the DS and PSP are great handhelds, and they both have their market (DS for Nintendo fans, PSP for Sony fans. simple, really).
nick @ Aug 28th 2006 7:55PM
We all know the PSP's still doing relatively well. It's just this: "Relatively well" in nowhere near Sony or anybody envisioned the PSP to be doing one year out. The reason it's so much fun to diss the PSP is cos the thing was hyped to hell. Kaz Baby (or was it Ken Baby?) said they were taking handheld gaming out of the ghetto, then showed off the shiny system, and then released it, all to great fanfare. And then the PSP just sort of fizzled. It was fragile and got greasy after a game of Galaga; games took forever to load; the screen ghosts like a bitch; etc. So the PSP just became whatever to most of us. And then the DS, which nobody ever expected to take off in the way it has, started getting frickin' cool. It's cos of the games, and that's it. For this gamer it's cos the DS sequels – Mario Kart, Advance Wars, New SMB – are true and proper sequels that matter. You've got to play them, plain and simple.
And so it goes.
pixelator @ Aug 28th 2006 8:37PM
"The reason it's so much fun to diss the PSP is cos the thing was hyped to hell."
Spoken like a typical fanboy PSP hater. In reality, the PSP was no more heavily or obnoxiously touted than the ridiculous 'Touch Me' ad campaign. Anything Kaz says I can find a Reggie quote to balance it out.
"And then the PSP just sort of fizzled. It was fragile and got greasy after a game of Galaga"
It had the strongest initial launch of any console. It sales have not declined but stayed pretty steady. DS sales have been all over the map, and with the Lite, spiking very high. The PSP was never fragile. I've dropped mine several times, sometimes hard enough to eject the game and even the Memory Stick with no problems or damage. As for dirty and greasy, you should see my white DS Lite after my girlfriend's 8yo is done with it.
"For this gamer it's cos the DS sequels – Mario Kart, Advance Wars, New SMB – are true and proper sequels that matter. You've got to play them, plain and simple."
Exactly what other Nintendo fans think. All the same old retreads. Some are fun to play, sure, but they're almost all retreads, sequels, etc - with very little new going on. For a company that touts itself as 'innovative' (ad nauseum) and 'reinventing gaming', a lot of these DS games look a hell of a lot like GBA and N64 ones from years gone by. Doesn't mean they're better, or that the system is better.
nick @ Aug 28th 2006 8:46PM
Well, whatever. I bought my PSP launch day and then found myself playing Galaga and that's it. I guess Galaga was my Lumines.
The system is nasty fragile, and there's no getting around the piss-poor UMD tray. Sorry. The DS Lite comes perilously close to the same 'fragile' territory – the Lite's simply not as rugged as the old DS. That kind of sucks.
As for sequels ... they're why I bought the DS in the first place. That's all I originally wanted to play. Other folks pick up a DS for other reasons, Nintendogs, or Trauma Center or whatever.
You can call me a fanboy all you want, Pixelator. I've got a DS and a PSP and like the former much, much better. You'll just have to live with it.