This is all a bit bizarre. Game retailer Toranoana in Akihabara, Tokyo's destination for things electronic, has a display set up within its shop with a "porn pink" PSP. It's got stickers and designs all for promotion of the PC eroge title Dokodemo suki shite itsudemo suki shite ("Love me wherever, Love me whenever").
With a name like that, it is a wonder why this title isn't on the PSP. You know, love wherever ... whenever ... sounds befitting. Anyway, this game isn't really for the PSP -- it's only on there for display purposes. We guess it's cheaper and space-saving to run a demo on a PSP than a PC.
MTV Multiplayer editor Stephen Totilo ran a small year-long experiment to see which handheld system was more popular with NYC subway commuters. He recently posted about his latest findings and it showed that the PSP was the popular choice. PSP beat out the Nintendo DS (the only one with a fighting chance) by about 30 percent. It also beat out the GBA with a ratio of ten to one.
Here's a funny quote from Totilo: "Sony, if the whole world was the C Train, your handheld would destroy. (But given the quality of the C Train, I might have to find a new planet.)" Agreed, the C Train is pretty bad. We don't know where you're heading Stephen, but we recommend the 4 or 5. It's slightly better. Slightly. There's a pretty good number of PSPs there, too.
God of War: Chains of Olympus is on its way to Japan on July 10. To help get the game into the minds of PSP gamers -- and peel them away from Monster Hunter -- a special event was held last Friday in Tokyo. There were 15 booths where people could try out the game, tons of free swag such as keychains and t-shirts, and specially crafted drinks made from goat blood, harpy milk, and cyclops sweat were served. Japanese hip-hop group YOU THE ROCK★ was also around to keep things lively. See photos of the event here.
As Chains of Olympus devs Ready at Dawn have let their sun set on the PSP, this summer's release for Chains will be the final game on the system from the crew. In that respect, this event was not only the celebration for kicking off the PSP God of War game in Japan, but also, an unintentional farewell. We only hope the game does well in Japan because it really deserves the love.
We stumbled upon a great collection of fan-made box art for the upcoming PSP Kingdom Hearts game. Many of these efforts do a great job of capturing the spirit of previous Kingdom Hearts games. In fact, many of these look like the real deal. Check them out here.
There are already so many Space Invader Extreme products out there and now we're getting some Space Invader headphones. No doubt to coincide with the release of the new game (out now) and the 30th year anniversary, this headphone set is really pimping out the little alien creatures that sway side to side. Offered by online retailer NCSX, the headphones go for about $20. Worth it? Maybe -- if you don't already have a pair, or just a really huge Space Invaders fan.
Not content with pitting PSP systems in a battle royale, IGN PSP has created some loving fanfiction for the PSP. It imagines the "greatest E3 press conference" ever. In their imaginary E3, Jack Tretton goes on stage during the E3 keynote: "Last year, we introduced the PSP Slim and sales shot through the roof," he says with a grin. "This year, we're done screwing around."
There on out, a slew of megaton announcements would come. In-game XMB (coming soon to PS3!), downloadable games direct to PSP (a promised feature), downloadable music and movies from the PLAYSTATION Store, tons of PS1 downloadables (such as Metal Gear Solid, Vagrant Story). Oh, and the announcement of games like Patapon 2, the next Syphon Filter and a brand new Vib-Ribbon.
Of course, this is but a dream -- but it's a dream we can all share. Definitely check out IGN for a so-bad-it's-good Photoshop of Phil Harrison crying.
There sure are a lot of PSP bundles out there. IGN PSP (having nothing better to do) compared all the Entertainment Pack bundles announced by Sony. Which one gets the win? Will Daxter's attractive combination of 1GB Memory Stick and Family Guy UMD win out, or will God of War's bloody combo of Superbad and Syphon Filter: Combat Ops win the hearts of the IGN editors?
The winning choice is the Daxter pack. According to the IGN editors, "if you're starting from scratch, the Daxter Pack gives you an engaging game, funny UMD, and enough memory to get your PSP on its feet." Of course, if you already have a Memory Stick, you can't do wrong with the God of War pack. For PSP newbies, however, we totally agree with IGN's recommendation.
It appears that the Japanese side of Square Enix is going to hold an event promoting some of the company's upcoming software. The event, dubbed DKΣ3713, will take place on August 2 and 3 in Harajuku in Tokyo. It's invite-only which means there's a huge chance you won't be able to go (read: absolutely no chance if you don't live in Japan); however, SE is giving people the chance to sign up and be selected to receive an invite.
Square Enix is giving away 2,400 invites to eager gamers waiting to see the latest on PS3 games: Final Fantasy XIII, Versus XIII, and PSP games: Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep and Dissidia. The application period starts this June 23 and will end July 13. Invites will be selected after those dates. Check out the full list of games here.
We won't be in Japan for this, but we hope our (few) Japanese readers will be able to enjoy the festivities. As for the rest of you, let's just look forward to Secret Agent Clank and Space Invaders Extreme next week.
Perhaps our previous feature on the ten worst PlayStation ads has left you with sleepless nights? We apologize for any bodily harm or psychological damage we may have caused you. You just need to remember that the history of PlayStation ads and campaigns is rich and rife with content. Sometimes these ads can be undeniable hits ... and sometimes they can be wayward misses. You just have to learn to take the good with the bad.
Like we promised, we're now presenting our top ten best PlayStation brand ads to balance out our previous feature. Are these good ones as memorable as the awful ones? Or are they not shocking enough to deserve your attention? You'll find out soon, won't you?
There's no doubt in our minds that this gaming drought surely needs to end. First party titles have been quite good in keeping us PSP gamers entertained, but what happened with third party titles? There has been a significant drop of PSP third party titles since the initial years of portable PlayStation and we're wondering where the future of PSP software is heading.
Pocket Gamer is thinking the same as they've asked their readers on what third party titles they would like to see appear on the PSP. The answers have been varied and, perhaps, this means there's still lots of options for developers to play around with. We know our own readers are quite vocal about what games they want, too, so we're posing the same question onto you. What sort of third party titles do you want to see on the PSP?
Over the past few years, Sony's controversial attempts at viral marketing for the PlayStation brand were not well-received by the general public. The company had been criticized on numerous occasions for various failed ad campaigns. Campaigns which didn't just fail to hit their target markets, but more importantly had an adverse effect leaving many people angry, rebellious, or just plain dumbfounded. A good example of one of these wrongfully done ads is the recent image of a naked man and his literal eleventh finger promoting the PlayStation 3. Just take a look at the universalheat this drew in.
This recent controversy rekindled the memory of all the horrible ads that have appeared in promotion for both the PS3 and the PlayStation Portable. But, it hasn't always been this bad. The general consensus on PlayStation One and PlayStation 2 ads were favorable; however, as 2006 rolled in with the PSP already under fire and the PS3 on the way, a new directionwasemerging for the corporate giant. Was there such a need to be edgy Sony? You were doing so well.
We had thought the era of Sony's marketing fumbles had ended, but apparently it hasn't. So in honor of the embarrassing and often painful ad campaigns over the past few years, we present this look into the top ten worst PlayStation brand ads ever. We're sure Sony won't be too happy about us digging up old skeletons, but this is history and an interesting one at that. It's also one that's hard to forget. And besides, early next month we'll have a top ten best PlayStation ads list up just so we're not being lopsided here. So get clicking, and see what NSFW atrocities we've compiled.
This mod done by Blizzrad of AcidMods lets you use your aging wired DualShock controller and hook it up to your PSP. The controller had its connector replaced for a much smaller one to elegantly fit in with the PSPs slim build. The mod also takes full use of the controller's second analog stick and extra shoulder buttons. The only commands not controlled by the DualShock are backlight and volume control.
If you were one of those looking for dual analog control, then you may remember this older mod which added a second analog nub. This new one would probably be more comfortable to play with than that. Anyway, the only problem with this mod is that it's probably too difficult to do on your own. So don't try it. Instead, just see the thing in action in the clip after the break. Also check out AcidMods for more pics of Blizzrad's hard work.
Memories Off just released in Japan this week. It's a visual romance novel/game which clearly bleeds through in the game's opening movie (seen above). It's a typical anime-ish love affair tale with its cutesy design and sappy scenery. The J-pop music that plays throughout the intro doesn't help deviate from the cliche either.
Just have a gander at the clip to see what we mean ... but don't blame us if you suddenly have the urge to hug some puppies or frolic in a field of flowers after having seen it. Hopefully the memories haven't corrupted you so dearly, or have you already fallen in love and plan on importing?
Starting June 2, Gamestop will kickoff its annual GameDays sale in the US. Titles across the board are all getting their prices slashed by up to 50 percent. You might want to check that out if you're looking for some games over the summer and are on a tight budget. After the break, check out the full listing of discounted PSP titles or head on over to PS3 Fanboy for the PS3 listing.
GHSkinz, a company that specifically makes skins for Guitar Hero and Rock Band instruments is now opening up a line of skins for handheld systems. The PSP is included, but unfortunately has the most ridiculously expensive ones at $10.95 a pop. That's more than double the price that their Nintendo DS and iPod Touch lines go for.
That's not to say that their products are not any good; the designs are quite beautiful -- just have a look. It just makes us scratch our heads as to why the PSP gets screwed over with such a large bill. Anyway, that's expensive in our minds but ultimately that's up to you if you're willing to pay the price.
MTV Multiplayer editor Stephen Totilo ran a small year-long experiment to see which handheld system was more popular with NYC subway commuters. He recently posted about his latest findings and it showed that the PSP was the popular choice. PSP beat out the Nintendo DS (the only one with a fighting chance) by about 30 percent. It also beat out the GBA with a ratio of ten to one. 
God of War: Chains of Olympus is on its way to Japan on July 10. To help get the game into the minds of PSP gamers -- and peel them away from Monster Hunter -- a special event was held last Friday in Tokyo. There were 15 booths where people could try out the game, tons of free swag such as keychains and t-shirts, and specially crafted drinks 
There's no doubt in our minds that this gaming drought surely needs to end. First party titles have been quite good in keeping us PSP gamers entertained, but what happened with third party titles? There has been a significant drop of PSP third party titles since the initial years of portable PlayStation and we're wondering where the future of PSP software is heading.
