DSi getting bigger screens next year?

Hmmm. So there's this rumour that the DSi will be getting a bit bigger screen-- from 3.25" to 4". A minor upgrade, but with no additional cost. I wonder if the overall size of the DSi will be increased, too? Because it seems like it's a bit longer than the DS Lite already, though it also looks thinner.

I guess that Nintendo has established their history of messing with their handhelds with all the Game Boy variants they've released over the years. But it is annoying that all these companies have followed the terrible example that Apple has set with doing minor iterations of a product instead of a true upgrade. It seems to be the norm that all these companies are going to be releasing a "new" version of their hardware every year. I have no doubts that Sony will release a new PSP-variant next year. It will probably not be "PSP2", but just another minor "upgrade"... probably another PSPgo with a slightly bigger screen OR more onboard memory (32GB, perhaps?). It won't be both, because then what can they save for 2011?

And it's also kind of funny that Nintendo DS has increased the size of their screen with their minor upgrades, keeping the same resolution... while Sony PSP has *decreased* the size of their screen... keeping the same resolution......



later
don

Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron demo

Last night I downloaded the Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron demo to my PSPgo from the PS Store. Free and about 78 MB, it's worth downloading to try it out.

This is probably my most anticipated game of the year, so I have really high expectations.... expectations that I've tried to keep in check while waiting for the game to come out.

Ever since the original Star Wars Battlefront on Xbox, I've had to eat my words for my initial impressions of the 2 follow-up games. I played the Star Wars Battlefront II demo on my Episode III DVD, and it was an earlier build of the game so it wasn't as polished. I was at first very disappointed... but the actual game became one of my favourites.

Same with the PSP Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron. At first I thought they messed up the formula, but I have to say it is one of, if not my favourite game of all time.

So maybe my initial impressions are a bit harsh. But still, as cool as Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron is in concept, there seem to be some annoyances that really mar the experience.

They kept the 2 control settings: "Default" & "Alternate". I choose "Alternate" because it makes the face buttons for look. The problem is, it maps the steering for spaceships to the face buttons. The analogue nub is only for controlling speed: you push up or down basically. That seems like such a huge waste, and to not have the analogue nub steer a flying vehicle seems so very, VERY wrong.

I've tried it with the "default" controls which does map ship steering back to the analogue nub, but it still seems very awkward, not to mention that I don't want to have to adjust the options every time I switch from ground to air playing.

For Battlefront II & even Renegade Squadron (which is the developer of Elite Squadron too) they made a point to address that the vehicle control in Battlefront I was bad, and that they were going to improve on that... which they did. So Elite Squadron's starfighter controls seem like a major step backwards to the clunky awkward feel of Battlefront I and even worse because space battles are a huge integral part of the game.

Another thing I noticed right away was the overall game interface. It looks fancy, but cluttered. I *hate* how all the enemy soldiers have these HUGE circles around them, showing health but obscuring who they even are. They could be WWII Nazis as far as I can tell with that junk just making a mess & taking me out of the Star Wars experience. Do we really need those huge circles?

The graphics & design have made a bit of an improvement, they have to be commended for that. But these issues really bug me. So far I've played all 4 factions on the demo's Tatooine map, and the overall battle seems a bit random & chaotic; echoing some of the *broken* aspects of Battlefront I's gameplay.

The maps do seem big, much bigger than Renegade Squadron. Right now they seem a bit TOO big with pointless areas, but I might just need to get used to them.

I hope this demo is just an early build and that the actual release game will be more polished, but I doubt it as it's coming out November 3, 2009-- a bit over a week from now.

There's so much that's cool about this concept: you fight on the ground, and can fly up into space, where you can fight other starfighters or board an enemy capital ship. The capital ships are more expansive than they've ever been on the PSP. But I wonder if the idea's a bit too ambitious for its (or developer Rebellion) own good. Maybe the game will grow on me, maybe I will end up eating my words again. I sincerely hope so.


later
don

PSPgo pause game feature

An odd thing about the new PSPgo "Pause game" feature..... yes, you can choose to pause any game & it saves it in the XMB until you resume, delete or start another game-- even if you turn off the PSPgo (not just sleep mode). But I've noticed after pausing & resuming a game, then finally quitting it to go out to the XMB, that the music or video (probably pictures too) don't resume where you last left off.

I think they resume where you last left off before you first paused the game.

To clarify: this morning, I turn on my PSPgo, I watch a bit of video of the Star Wars Battlefront Elite Squadron GameSpot Webdoc. After that I listen to Radiohead's In Rainbows album. I'm on the final track, "Videotape" when I decide to stop that & go play Super Stardust Portable. I'm playing that for awhile, and I'm in the middle of a level, normally the game only saves between levels (or upon game over) but I want a break so I choose "Pause game". It saves to the XMB.

I finish listening to Radiohead's "Videotape" and onto the next folder. Listen through a bunch more songs into that folder.

I then watch some video I taped last night, The Tudors. Then I decide to resume my Super Stardust Portable session. Play a bunch of that, then finally quit the game.

When I go back to MUSIC it should be the last song I listened to. But it's not, it's the last song I listened to BEFORE I saved that game session-- "Videotape" by Radiohead.

I go back into VIDEO. It should be the last video I played: The Tudors. But again, it's the last video I played BEFORE I saved that game session-- The SWBF webdoc.

Kind of odd. I'm not sure what to make of this, is it just me, or does the PSPgo pause game feature need some work? It's almost like it rolls back the entire system to before you paused the game-- sorta like Windows XP's System Restore feature.

Even though I updated from the included 5.70 to 6.10, there are still a few little things in the PSPgo firmware that are not quite polished as they should be. Like lack of "Battery Information" in the SETTINGS menu.



later
don

CR-5400 doubling up my folders

Yipes. So the latest news on my replacement PhotoFast CR-5400 adapter.... it was working fine, but I knew the real test was how it would write data to the MicroSD cards, game save data and anything I drag & drop to it.

I'd put 1 or 2 new videos in just to see if everything's alright... they loaded onto the card & played fine. I deleted them from the PSP.

But now I'm looking at the content of my PSP's VIDEO folder on my PC & find that the folder that had those videos has doubled!



How is that even possible?? I thought that 2 identical file names couldn't exist in the same area. They both have the same files in them. And when I moved a new video to ONE of them, it shows up in BOTH of them.

This is not good. Not good at all.

But on the PSP, there's only 1 "taped tv shows" folder. I'm not sure if the data is being doubled or if it's just a hiccup of the adapter. The video I transferred is House of the Dead which I taped last night. It looks really cheesy bad (I can't believe someone made a movie based on that videogame!) so if I lose it, not a big deal. Still, I'd much rather my adapter work properly....

I will update if anything further develops.



later
don

PSP-3000 ummm... not love

Ennhhhh...... so, I finally got to see a PSP-3000 today, in person (so to speak)

Now I know what people are talking about with the scan lines. Just flipping through the XMB, it's noticeable, even if barely.

If you haven't seen it, let me eloquently describe it in a way that has never been done before because everyone else on the internet is an IDIOT and *I* am a GENIUS (or at least not an idiot. Well, not an idiot about Sony. Ok, just forget that part about me buying a PSPgo. I'm not an idiot about the rest....)

When you flip through the icons in the XMB, imagine them turning into a bunch of horizontal lines for a second as they move:

___
___
___


Except really close together. I can see why it would be hard to video record it, but if you see it in person, you can tell. I never got to watch video on the PSP-3000, but I bet it would be much more visible then. It's too bad, because otherwise the PSP-3000 is a nice enough piece of kit.



later
don

PSP-1000/2000 love

Spending some time with the PSPgo, as much as I am enamored with it, has made me realize how much I still love the "old" PSP. There's still lots to love there.

The screen: it was always touted by Sony mouthpieces that the nice big screen is a huge feature of the device. Amazingly in this case they speak the truth. The PSPgo screen is more vibrant, but it is still smaller. One thing that nobody has ever said about the PSP is that they wish the screen was smaller. After watching video on the PSPgo, it is kinda nice to get it bigger on the PSP, even if the colours aren't quite as bright.

The controls: not only their placement, but the size of them on the PSP are better. The PSPgo controls are meant to be small, the entire thing is about small small small. They're not terrible, but having face buttons & analogue nub that's 2/3 to 1/2 the size of the regular PSP... again, I don't think anyone ever asked for that. The regular PSP controls feel like they can stand up to some rigorous game playing... on the PSPgo, not only is the panel that has the controls on it thin, but those controls are sunk down inside those "craters", so the actual surface you're playing on feels very thin.

I've been playing Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron on both systems... this game gives my hands the most energetic workout of any PSP game I can think of... I really enjoy getting into it & trying to push my character to do things as far as it can. On the PSPgo, I tend to try to take it a bit easier than if I was playing it on the regular PSP. Also having the D-pad right above the analogue nub as opposed to being to the side feels a lot better when switching between the 2 to do special maneuvers or whatever. It may just be because I haven't played the PSPgo as much....

My new Photofast CR-5400 adapter came today, and I've been trying it out a bit. I switched the micro SD cards into it & it worked fine. I deleted most of the corrupt files, but there is still one that won't delete. Hopefully if I reformat the card in my PSP it will get rid of it, but I haven't tried it yet. I have a lot of stuff on there.....





later
don

My idea for PSN digital & UMD game pricing

Here's how I think UMD & digital download from the PS Store game pricing should be handled:

Sony & 3rd party PSP game makers release a game in UMD format. Price it MSRP, say $40.00 or whatever.

Offer the same game on the PS Store for digital download 3-4 weeks later, and price it 25% less than the UMD. $30.00 for the download.

I know a lot of people will think that everyone will just wait for the digital release if it comes out for 25% less, and this will screw over the retailers who carry UMD games, etc. But the 4 week wait period will work in retailers favour: early adopters who want it on UMD will pay a bit more, but they'll get a hard copy & instruction booklet, etc. Digital download copies don't have any physical assurance of their game, the e-instruction booklet is never as good & such. Because of the less expense on SCE & the game maker's side, consumers should get to pay like 25% less.

Maybe this method will kill the UMD format & drive most of the sales to the PS Store. I don't know. But as to retailers feeling "betrayed" or whatever, I keep pointing out to those who say such junk that there's this device called, umm, the iPod Touch/ iPhone where retailers don't see a single cent from the apps bought for those devices, yet they sell the hardware nonetheless.

Savvy shoppers also know that games drop in price 6 months to a year after release, and if they wait long enough, they might be able to get the UMD copy of a game for much less than either MSRP or PS Store price..... and Sony could have some sales at their PS Store, they've started doing that a bit.

So I think this is a pretty reasonable model for handling PSP game pricing. I know there's a lot of other factors involved & it may not be that easy. But hopefully it'll happen. Do I think it will?

Of course not. This is Sony we're talking about.


later
don