PSP news » PSP News Forum http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews PSP news and reviews - themes, games and updates Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:07:39 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 Some issues with pcsp v0.5.1 http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/some-issues-with-pcsp-v0-5-1/ http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/some-issues-with-pcsp-v0-5-1/#comments Sat, 29 Jan 2011 00:44:09 +0000 wraggster http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=352423 PCSP the PSP Emulator for Windows had a release a few days ago but the team behind it have posted an update about issues with the release
It appears there is a bug with pcsp and single core cpus. It is very likely that pcsp will freeze from parallel threads that it tries to syncronize. There is already a fix for that for all you ppl that still using old machines with single core (who does anyway).

A bug fix version will be release shortly among with a very interesting feature.

Stay tuned :)

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Hlide here again,

Ok I think I understand what it happens. The emulator has a state : normally it is RUNNING when interpreting a PSP game. Some events like Audio, Vsync, Clock may occur and try to set this state to an event state so the emulator thread is leaving the interpreter to handle the event. In a multi-core processor, each event has its time-critical thread running on one core whereas the emulator thread is running on another core. So a core tries to set a state to make the other core to suspend interpretation and handle event in the emulator thread. I made some changes in code prior the correction I did for 0.5.1 because I feared an event state might be set when the emulator was already set to another event set (a vsync event occuring when the emulator state is set to an audio event state) and might fix the freeze issue. It didn't but I left this code after fixing the real issue. However I never realized that code might not work properly for a mono-core as those threads will be executed in a sequential order and might create some hell slowness or worst responsiveness (because of an active polling added).
:: Homepage ]]> http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/some-issues-with-pcsp-v0-5-1/feed/ 0 Sony says NGP will be ‘affordable,’ won’t cost $599, WiFi-only version also coming http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/sony-says-ngp-will-be-affordable-wont-cost-599-wifi-only-version-also-coming/ http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/sony-says-ngp-will-be-affordable-wont-cost-599-wifi-only-version-also-coming/#comments Fri, 28 Jan 2011 23:03:28 +0000 wraggster http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=352392 We had quite the interview with Sony's Jack Tretton, but we certainly didn't corner the market on hot new NGP details -- Eurogamer and Game Informer quizzed the company's Andrew House and Shuhei Yoshida, respectively, and came out with some important tidbits about the quad-core gaming handheld, particularly regarding pricing. Though Tretton seemed to suggest we'll see a price somewhere northward of the Nintendo 3DS's $250, Yoshida was quoted as saying "It's not going to be $599," laughing off the idea that the system would cost as much as the PlayStation 3's infamous appraisal at launch, and House said that Sony "will shoot for an affordable price that's appropriate for the handheld gaming space."

While none were willing to cough up a real ballpark estimate, the SCEE president revealed one way that the cost might come down: pushing out a lesser model, a strategy we've seen before. House said that while all devices come with WiFi, "a separate SKU will have 3G," making us wonder which of the handheld's other groundbreaking features might carry a premium. After all, OLED screens don't come cheap.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/28/s...9-wifi-only-v/ ]]> http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/sony-says-ngp-will-be-affordable-wont-cost-599-wifi-only-version-also-coming/feed/ 0 Sony NGP: 19 killer facts http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/sony-ngp-19-killer-facts/ http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/sony-ngp-19-killer-facts/#comments Fri, 28 Jan 2011 22:44:41 +0000 wraggster http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=352388 It finally happened. Sony unveiled the PSP2 yesterday and, like polite birthday boys and girls who found out about a surprise party months (and months) in advance, we all gasped and stood with looks of faux-surprise on our faces.

While the announcement of the PSP sequel - codenamed Next Generation Portable (NGP) - might not have been anything close to unexpected, many gamers will have been pleasantly surprised by what Sony has managed to produce.


The NGP is looking like a bit of a powerhouse as far as portable gaming is concerned, and we can't wait to see what its true capabilities really are.

But as with any announcement, there was a LOT to take in. Here are some key facts you might have missed that illustrate what the Sony NGP is all about:

British company ARM, which has built NGP's CPU, usually gears its creations towards good battery life, according to TechRadar. Sony's pitching battery life between 4-6 hours.

NGP contains an ARM Cortex-A9 core (4 core) CPU. This is well ahead of other recent mobile devices, whose manufactures have only recently begun installing Dual Core in the latest handsets. The iPad also uses ARM Cortex designs in its system on a chip (SOC).

Sony has dubbed the curvaceous chassis of NGP 'Super Oval Design'. The platform holder claims it has been specially created to ensure more comfort in longer play sessions than PSP1.

Sony claims that the combination of two touchpads and thumbsticks allows for "touch, grab, trace, push and pull" moves of the fingers.

NGP's GPU - SGX543MP4+ quad-core - is built by Imagination Technologies, another British company based in Hertfordshire.

NGP's quad-core GPU setup is four times as powerful as top-of-the-range current mobile platforms.

Every game for NGP will be provided with Sony's LiveArea, where users can share info and communicate other players. Additionally, NGP users will be able to view an Activity log, constantly updated with accomplishments from those playing the same game.

NGP has a five inch, 960 x 544, 16:9 OLED screen. In terms of resolution, that's almost the same as the native rendering resolution of both Alan Wake on Xbox 360 and Call of Duty: Black Ops on PS3. The original PSP sported a 480 x 272 display, for those of you who love to compare.

The NGP resolution is in the same ballpark as the iPhone 4's Retina Display, which is 960x640. The Apple phone has a much higher pixel density though, since its screen is only 3.5 inches.

NGP operates with more than 2.5 times as many pixels as the Nintendo 3DS. That's even when you consider the 800x240 stereoscopic resolution of the Ninty handheld.

The console packs a Six-Axis motion sensing system behind its screen. That includes a three-axis gyroscope and a three-axis accelerometer - that's one motion sensor more than the iPad (which is missing a gyroscope) and one less than the PlayStation Move, which also houses a Terrestrial Magnetic Field sensor.

Sony has dropped the UMD format in favour of Flash cards, which can store the full software titles plus add-on game content or the game save data directly.

Flash cards with more capacity will be made available in the future to allow for bigger games, according to Sony.

Despite all this killer tech, Sony said NGP won't cost as much as $599 - the price at which the PS3 launched.

82 third-party developers have already signed up to work on the NGP. That's 48 in Japan, 16 from North America and 18 from Europe

You might not get it by Christmas: Sony has only confirmed that "at least one" territory will see a pre-Xmas launch.

There are 14 titles confirmed so far, including iterations of Killzone, Call of Duty, Uncharted, LittleBigPlanet, Resistance and WipEout.

It's here for the long term. Yoshida-san told Kotaku: "The portable is a totally different beast. It's still emerging and in a transitional stage. We are developing a platform to last a long time."

Its size is 182mm x 18.6mm x 83.5mm. Let's compare and contrast to other console lengths: the original PSP is 169mm, the DSi is 137mm, the 3DS takes up 134mm and Apple's diddy little iPhone 4 is just 115.2mm.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...VG-General-RSS ]]> http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/sony-ngp-19-killer-facts/feed/ 0 Sony asks PSP devs for download titles http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/sony-asks-psp-devs-for-download-titles/ http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/sony-asks-psp-devs-for-download-titles/#comments Fri, 28 Jan 2011 22:41:03 +0000 wraggster http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=352384 Sony is asking PSP developers to release downloadable versions of their games so they can played on its new NGP handheld.

Speaking in an interview with Japanese site Impress Watch, as translated by Andriasang, Sony boss Kaz Hirai explained that Sony's new handheld device will be backwards compatible with PSP titles but only those that have been made available as downloads.

As a result, Hirai added, Sony has asked developers to release digital versions of their games.

Hirai also explained that PSP games will run completely through emulation on its new portable system, which was unveiled in Tokyo earlier this week. Users will be able to transfer over any games already downloaded on their PSP as long as they are still within the download limits set by PlayStation Network.

The majority of PSP games are currently available as downloads through PlayStation Store. However, there are a few notable exceptions, including most recently Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...ownload-titles ]]> http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/sony-asks-psp-devs-for-download-titles/feed/ 0 Epic: NGP perfect for Gears-style game http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/epic-ngp-perfect-for-gears-style-game/ http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/epic-ngp-perfect-for-gears-style-game/#comments Fri, 28 Jan 2011 22:38:58 +0000 wraggster http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=352382 Is the Next Generation Portable capable of running a blockbuster third-person shooter such as Gears of War 3? According to creator Epic, a Gears of War style "experience" would be "appropriate" for Sony's shiny new handheld.

Sony unveiled the PSP successor, which features two thumb sticks, at a Tokyo press conference yesterday.

Speaking to Eurogamer following the unveiling, vice president of Epic Games Mark Rein emphasised the NGP's graphical power.

"This is the kind of machine that a Gears of War-style experience would be appropriate on because it has the control layout that games like that are designed for and can produce some pretty compelling visuals," he said.

"Activision announced Call of Duty for the device so of course a Gears-style game would also be appropriate."

Much has been made of the NGP's graphical horsepower, with some insisting it is capable of producing PlayStation 3 quality visuals.

When asked for his honest assessment of this claim, Rein replied: "This device is certainly in the same class as PlayStation 3. With Unreal Engine 3, we're able to produce some pretty spectacular visuals on this device already, and we're just getting started."

During Sony's press conference Epic founder Tim Sweeney took to the stage to confirm Unreal Engine 3 support for NGP and showed the Epic Citadel iOS tech demo running on the new handheld.

"This is made possible by Sony's multi-core GPU, which is roughly 4x as powerful as any portable we've previously seen," he said.

Sweeney went on to introduce a demo of Trendy Entertainment's UE3-powered Dungeon Defenders, a PC, PSN and XBLA game. Converting from PS3 took a week, apparently.

Rein went into more detail on the game, and confirmed that PS3/NGP cross-platform play is possible.

"Dungeon Defenders is essentially a PS3 game brought to NGP," he said. "At CES this year, Trendy showed Dungeon Defenders on a Tegra 2 mobile device playing multiplayer against a PlayStation 3. Trendy told me they're planning to have NGP players playing against PS3 players. So this part is already a reality.

"All they need to add is the ability to save your status in the cloud so you can pick up and play on another device and they're done. That's not a hard problem to solve and I suspect Sony will offer a good solution for that via PSN at some point."

But what of Epic itself? Does it plan to develop NGP games?

"Right now we're concentrating on Unreal Engine 3 and we're very excited with the results," said Rein. "Multiple UE3 licensees tells us they're building games they plan to ship on NGP and I suspect we'll hear more about that throughout the year."

Summing up his feelings about the device, Rein was unable to single out his favourite NGP feature.

"This is a bit of a cop-out but I'd say it's the complete package; multiple control methods, great screen, an OS that gives you low-level access to the hardware, great processing power on both CPU and GPU, GPS, 3G, dual cameras – all this on a high-end portable gaming device. There's a lot to like there."

Sony is expected to begin rolling out the NGP from late 2011.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...ars-style-game ]]> http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/epic-ngp-perfect-for-gears-style-game/feed/ 0 Sony wants NGP hardware to be profitable and affordable http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/sony-wants-ngp-hardware-to-be-profitable-and-affordable/ http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/sony-wants-ngp-hardware-to-be-profitable-and-affordable/#comments Thu, 27 Jan 2011 23:22:53 +0000 wraggster http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=352342 The more responsible gaming hardware enthusiasts among you have probably reserved your excitement over the recently announced NGP until you learn the device's ever-important launch price. Given the impressive specs of the handheld -- as well as Sony's infamous tendency to overcharge for its new gaming hardware at launch -- we wouldn't blame you for worrying. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe boss Andrew House recently provided Eurogamer with the first potential hints about the console's MSRP, saying, "I can't put a ballpark on it in terms of figures, but what I would say is that we will shoot for an affordable price that's appropriate for the handheld gaming space."

However, Sony's not going to be giving the things away; House also shot down a Eurogamer source who claimed Sony would be selling the device at a loss. House explained, "we would want to have our hardware be profitable, in addition to our software," later adding, "We've experienced both sides and we know which one we like to be on!" That seems like a tricky balancing act: How exactly is Sony planning on introducing new (assumedly high-investment) technology at an affordable consumer price point and still hope for the NGP to remain profitable? Wizardry? Alchemy? Both?

As far as a firm number, Game Informer was the only outlet able to get anything out of Sony's biggest wigs -- when GI brought up the enormous launch price of the PS3, Sony Computer Entertainment president of worldwide studios Shu Yoshida laughed, and replied, "It's not going to be $599." We're glad events unfolded in that order -- had he said "It's not going to be $599," then laughed maniacally, we would have started to get really nervous

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/27/so...nd-affordable/ ]]> http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/sony-wants-ngp-hardware-to-be-profitable-and-affordable/feed/ 0 NGP battery life likely comparable to PSP http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/ngp-battery-life-likely-comparable-to-psp/ http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/ngp-battery-life-likely-comparable-to-psp/#comments Thu, 27 Jan 2011 23:21:07 +0000 wraggster http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=352341 A 1UP report quotes Sony head of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida saying that the NGP handheld will have "about the same [battery life] as the original PSP." The PSP's battery life varies considerably from around 3 hours if the UMD disc drive was whirring away, to much longer if played off flash storage. Sony's official estimate for average PSP operation time is 3-5 hours.

Meanwhile, Eurogamer has Sony Europe honcho Andrew House saying the device will have a "good, solid battery life because of two factors." The dual delights of life extension are apparently the card-based media (instead of UMD, which requires moving parts) and the OLED screen. Those potential power savers are joined by energy-sapping features like a four-core CPU, 3G, and other factors, helping explain the PSP-like battery life.

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/27/ng...arable-to-psp/ ]]> http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/ngp-battery-life-likely-comparable-to-psp/feed/ 0 NGP “unlikely to hit the mass market” http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/ngp-unlikely-to-hit-the-mass-market/ http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/ngp-unlikely-to-hit-the-mass-market/#comments Thu, 27 Jan 2011 23:18:54 +0000 wraggster http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=352340 The NGP lacks mass market appeal, according to a top industry analyst, and may fail to resonate with the mobile gaming generation, predicts another.

A trio of talking heads chimed in with their opinions of Sony's new PSP successor to IndustryGamers following the hardware reveal earlier today. While all were impressed by the system's feature set, there was less consensus regarding its market potential.

"[NGP has a] strong software lineup, but unlikely to hit the mass market," speculated Lazard Capital Markets' Colin Sebastian.

"While clearly differentiated from the more casual games that have made the iPhone a phenomenal success as a videogame platform, it remains unclear whether there is mass market potential for high-end portable games. We note that Sony's PSP did not meet initial sales expectations despite offering the highest quality graphics on a portable device at that time."

Mike Hickey of Janco Partners, though excited by the portable's "muscular hardware specs", echoed Sebastian's concerns.

"We suspect Sony's NGP will face considerable market competition from smartphones, tablets and Nintendo's 3D's gaming handheld," he explained.

"We believe Sony's PSP and PSP Go failed to resonate with today's mobile gamers; and view the NGP as an evolution not a revolution from the aforementioned. The mobile gaming market moved aggressively away from Sony's interpretation of a mobile game experience, and it's not clear to us that the NGP is mapping to that new market."

Of course, no analyst round-up would be complete without Wedbush Morgan's beloved Michael Pachter and, surprisingly, he was the most enthusiastic of the three.

"It's a pretty impressive device," he gushed. "There is a lot to like, and Sony has a huge library of content. The device looks pretty powerful, so I wouldn't be surprised to see some pretty sophisticated games, and the 3G capability and relationship with Android means we'll see a ton of Android apps on the device as well.

The Pach-Man predicted strong launch sales for the device, but speculated its long-term success would live or die on the strength of the software support.

"I suppose it will sell incredibly well for the first year (would bet 15 million or so), and then it will succeed or slow based upon the availability of software, much like the original PSP. I think it's a huge step up on the PSP, and think that the memory card-based games (a la DS) make a lot of sense."

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...he-mass-market ]]> http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/ngp-unlikely-to-hit-the-mass-market/feed/ 0 Sony: 3D not right for portable devices http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/sony-3d-not-right-for-portable-devices/ http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/sony-3d-not-right-for-portable-devices/#comments Thu, 27 Jan 2011 23:16:44 +0000 wraggster http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=352338 Sony is pushing stereoscopic 3D hard – in televisions and in games on the PlayStation 3 – but the feature is absent from the recently announced Next Generation Portable.

While Sony explored stereoscopic 3D for the NGP, it decided against its inclusion. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe boss Andrew House explained why in a new interview conducted this morning in Tokyo.

"We view 3D as having the greatest potential, in the near term, in what I would call a dedicated entertainment environment," he said.

"And that's in the home, around the television, and where it's a shared experience. I think that's really important. We struggle a little bit to see how that 3D, shared experience translates to portable devices as they currently stand."

In a statement, Sony revealed more detail on its exploration of the tech.

"In the development process, we had studied the possibility of introducing stereoscopic 3D feature to NGP, but decided not to install it. After careful consideration of our goal of offering users the ultimate portable entertainment experience with a revolutionary user interface we have decided to focus on the features and specs announced today first.

"SCE will continue to play an important role within Sony group by promoting 3D in tandem with Sony Corporation's 3D compatible BRAVIA LCD TVs to deliver the sublime 3D entertainment in the living room and without having to go to the cinema. We will continue our effort to provide users with true 3D entertainment experience that only Sony can deliver."

The absence of 3D from the NGP is made all the more noticeable by Nintendo's glasses-free 3DS, due out in March.

While House admitted the NGP is "in competition" with 3DS, he insisted it has more than enough features to stand out.

"I know you'll think me coy, but our wish when we enter markets is to grow the overall market and landscape, and find new audiences. So in that space, I think we're more or less generally competing for consumers' time, and that's where we place the highest premium.

"It's our job to deliver fantastic experiences that merit the consumers' investment of their time with our devices.

"We feel very confident that we have very sufficiently differentiated ourselves from the competition with spec, and in particular the connectivity and network features and interfaces that are all pretty revolutionary. That will set this device apart."

Sony will roll out the NGP worldwide from late 2011. Pricing is yet to be announced.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...rtable-devices ]]> http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/sony-3d-not-right-for-portable-devices/feed/ 0 Sony: Why the NGP isn’t a phone http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/sony-why-the-ngp-isnt-a-phone/ http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/sony-why-the-ngp-isnt-a-phone/#comments Thu, 27 Jan 2011 23:15:45 +0000 wraggster http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=352337 Sony's Next Generation Portable does many things – including 3G – but it is not a phone.

"Deliberately no," Sony Computer Entertainment Europe boss Andrew House told Eurogamer. "We've avoided it."

Why?

"We think that voice capability carries with it a whole other set of expectations, and we want this to be first and foremost the ultimate gaming experience.

"We've elected not to complicate that proposition overly by trying to have it be all things to all people including voice and a conventional phone. Clearly [PlayStation Suite] addresses an already vibrant phone marketplace that serves that consumer very well."

PlayStation Suite is a new service which will deliver classic PSone content to Android smartphone devices.

Sony boss Kaz Hirai promised PlayStation Suite, which launches later this year, will bring "legendary original PlayStation content" to mobiles. No specific titles were announced, but a snowboarding game was briefly demoed, with a virtual D-pad and buttons clearly displayed on the phone screen.

"We envision PlayStation Suite as an initiative that is essential to the world of portable entertainment," he insisted.

Yesterday Sony's PlayStation Phone – what we now know is called Xperia Play – was suffered another leak with the publication of a detailed hands-on video. Sony is expected to announce it next month.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...p-isnt-a-phone ]]> http://www.themes4psp.net/pspnews/psp-news-forum/sony-why-the-ngp-isnt-a-phone/feed/ 0