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A new article by Video Business trade magazine is Friday's story by Susanne Ault and Jennifer Netherby titled "PSP Loses Support". In it, these reporters say that the studios are scaling back their UMD releases for the Sony PSP handheld videogame system. Both films and TV shows were quite successful early on in the release of the PlayStation Portable, but now - after a year's passing - the folks at Universal, New Line and Paramount have no plans for this format on their current schedule, according to the VB story. It also goes on to explain how retailers like Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Circuit City are all scaling back the amount of shelf space they give to UMD's. And it's no wonder, with new upcoming formats for Hi-Def coming along such as HD-DVD and Blu-ray coming along that promise to earn more money for both studios and retailers than the PSP's proprietary UMD format currently rakes in.
Nevertheless, there are still UMD titles coming to market, and while most of them are for film, a group of TV Shows On PSP are coming out in the near future...eight of them! The BBC is doing the vast majority of these in the United States, with 7 different titles coming out on July 4th:
Doctor Who - The Complete 1st Season: Volume 1
Doctor Who - The Complete 1st Season: Volume 2
Doctor Who - The Complete 1st Season: Volume 3
Doctor Who - The Complete 1st Season: Volume 4
The Office (UK) - The Complete 1st Series
Little Britain - The Complete 1st Series
Little Britain - The Complete 2nd Series
The Doctor Who releases are the Christopher Eccleston/Billie Piper revival series from 2005, with the 13 episodes from that first season broken up into 4 different UMD releases for the PSP. Then there is Ricky Gervais's original UK version of The Office, the inspiration for NBC's American version starring Steve Carell: now you can take the hilarity of paper company Wernham Hogg with you wherever you go! Finally there are also two seasons (or, we should say, series) of Little Britain, a small and surreal parallel universe peopled by over-the-top eccentrics, lunatics and social misfits...it's called by the BBC as "the reigning king of UK comedy". Warner Home Video is distributing these releases, and their information shows a $27.95 SRP for these titles (well, they contradict themselves on three of the Doctor Who listings as being $19.95 SRP, but we think that's a typo on a few of the listings). We would love to bring you cover art for the BBC titles, but unfortunately the only artwork available right now is the Region 2 (European) versions. But we have artwork on the final TV Show On PSP we talk about today:
The Video Business article mentions that one of the strongest sellers on PSP is Family Guy, which hasn't been lost on the folks at Fox Home Entertainment. So they are putting out a Volume 2 release on UMD. Expect this one to ship on September 19th. We're not sure if the listing at Fox's press site is correct, but if it is then you can expect a 4-disc release consisting of all of the third season episodes (21 of them, including "When You Wish Upon A Weinstein") - and bonus material (including featurettes, commentary tracks, and trailers) - that were on the "Volume 2" DVD release! Price shown is $49.98 SRP in the USA and CA$69.98 SRP in Canada. Will this really be a 4-UMD package, or is this just another mix-up? Well, we'll let you know if we find out. Stay tuned!
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Upon the announcement of the Nintendo DS Lite, Nintendo Australia labelled the Nintendo DS as "the best selling handheld console" in Australia. This couldn't be closer to the truth.
Speaking to Aussie-Nintendo.com, Vispi Bhopti, a Nintendo Australia Spokesperson, reinforced this claim, stating that the Nintendo DS consistently outsells the Sony PSP.
GfK Australia, an independent market research company, is responsible for measuring sales, pricing and distribution of interactive entertainment products in Australia and has provided us with the facts as to who really is leading in terms of sales.
Nintendo Australia's claims have been verified by the firm, with Games Analyst Daniel Morse confirming that the Nintendo DS is indeed the best selling handheld in Australia since February 2005, and the second best selling console (behind the PlayStation 2) during the same period.
Aussie-Nintendo.com has compiled the following graphs with data supplied by GfK Australia.
Since its launch, the Nintendo DS has sold over 227,369 units across the country, Sony's PSP has sold over 161,623 units and Nintendo's Game Boy Advance has sold more than 145,345 units. Note that this is only since February 2005.
Combined, since February 2005, Nintendo has sold more than 372,714 handheld units versus 161,623 by Sony.
Further, since 2000, the Game Boy Advance has been the best selling handheld console, and the second best selling console (behind PS2), with Xbox taking 3rd place.
Bhopti believes that Sony's PSP had a great launch purely because "it is the type of high-end tech product that mainly attracts early adopters." But in the 40 weeks following the PSP's Australian launch, Nintendo actually sold more DS units in 31 of those weeks.
He also says that Nintendo's DS success is due to the company having had "consistent successes driven by the likes of Nintendogs, Mario Kart DS, and soon to be Brain Training."
Aussie-Nintendo.com will continue to keep you updated with the happenings of the Australian games market, especially leading into and following the Nintendo Wii's launch later this year. We'd also like to hear your thoughts on this below.
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JP was born in Middlesborough, England, but grew up in Chicago, where he honed his musical skills with his band Color, playing gigs in and around the American Mid West.
He then continued his studies in arts and music at Brown Community College in Pompano Beach, Florida, his last permanent residence before arriving on Malaysian shores.
So what is it like to be part of a zany bunch of people at Channel [V]?
'Great fun. We're a large cookie family 'C everyone's a character. This atmosphere really keeps the creativity going,' JP enthuses.
His trip to Malaysia and stint on Channel [V]'s Bid It are both tales of sheer coincidence. Originally, he came to visit his grandma but a brief stay slowly turned into something longer.
'I was doing casting and freelance work when the producer suggested I go for a screen test. I read the script and everything kind of fell into place after that.'
The auction concept has caught on in a big way and countless individuals around the world spend hours placing bids on desirable items on eBay and other similar sites. Channel [V]'s Bid It, a reverse auction programme, has been plying a similar route as well and JP finds the whole concept intriguing.
'I'm really amazed how people have found a way to capture a concept like that. I love it because it's a game of chance. Television is a medium of communication and in this case, it works both ways.'
JP admits that with Bid It, it does take some getting used to but the concept gets simpler with frequent participation.
While role models in this trade may seem few and far between, JP does look to comedians like Robin Williams, Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx and Sam Kinison for inspiration.
'I mean, I've yet to get a good feel to all of this but (fellow VJ) Joey G has definitely been a big brother of sorts. He's coached me through his experiences.'
Not everyone can get to be a VJ. Concerns include aesthetic appeal and of course an attractive personality.
'The most important thing is to be yourself. Nobody wants to watch a fake. A good personality goes a long way 'C viewers want to see someone they can relate to, someone who shares some common ground with them. While aesthetic appeal plays a part, I personally think it has only a small role,' he opines.
The job may still be new to him but JP has certainly tanked up on some memories he'd treasure and others he'd ... well, not forget, but take as learning experience.
'I have no shame and I've made an ass of myself before,' he eagerly offers. 'I enjoy doing this and have no regrets. It strikes a chord in me because I'm just like that. My favourite moments on the job are when we're shooting Bid It.
'We've done episodes with various themes 'C Batman, X-Men, James Bond, just to name a few. Recently, we shot one episode at the Desa Sri Hartamas fire station and it was great fun sliding down the pole and stuff.'
JP assures us that the pole was only used for sliding, and not swinging strip club-style. We'll never know for sure, will we?
Much of his entertainment experience comes from his love for all things music related, though he describes blues and rock as keen areas of interest.
'I learned to play the saxophone and clarinet when I was much younger. Later, I learned to play the guitar, bass and drums. My stepfather's a drummer and my mum played the piano so I was exposed to everything 'C Bach, Jeff Beck, Frank Zappa, The Steve Miller Band, Muddy Waters and Robert Cray.
'It's great to hear how music developed over the years, for instance, like how Jimi Hendrix was influenced by Chuck Berry,' says PJ, adding that he is not crazy about country music.
Receiving heavy rotation on his CD player at the moment are The Jimi Hendrix Experience's Axis: Bold As Love, Deftones, Hoobastank and James Blunt, to name a few.
The person he'd most like to meet in life is the late blues legend Muddy Waters.
Kanye West is someone he'd most like to meet on the current front. 'He's a brilliant musician and businessman. He's not scared to voice his opinion and he wears his heart on his sleeve.'
Outdoor activities hold an equally great fascination for JP. He loves extreme sports. 'I like rock climbing, surfing, diving, snorkelling and riding BMX bicycles.'
And who does he think will win the 2006 FIFA World Cup? 'I think Brazil stand a good chance but I think England could go far, too,' he says. So, will it be case of football coming home or England going home ... early? You can bet your last ringgit JP's rooting for the first scenario.
Bid It is back by popular demand and while the first season was a resounding success, the second promises a fresh new look and twist, and fabulous prizes, naturally.
Bid It is aired on Channel [V] (Astro Channel 72) on Thursdays at 8pm. The repeats are on Fridays (midnight, 3am, 9am, 2pm and 7pm), Saturdays (2am, 8am and 5pm) and Sundays (5am, 10am, 3pm and 9pm).
The prizes up for bidding on June 22: Motorola V3x, Nokia N71, Sony Ericcson W900i; June 29: Canon IXUS izoom (Maroon), Creative Zen Vision:M, Sony PSP. For details, visit www.channelv.com/bidit.
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TVersity confirmed it is going to stream internet radio stations to the ARM powered Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP).
"The Sony PSP is an ideal device to benefit from the unique capabilities of TVersity," said Ronen Mizrahi, President of TVersity Inc., "Lacking a hard drive but supporting WiFi, the PSP is capable of accessing one's entire media library, and play live Internet feeds, only when paired with TVersity."
"With this release the TVersity Media Server becomes the first universal media server in the market, supporting many different types of networked devices," added Mizrahi. "Connected devices with multimedia capabilities typically have a web browser, or an RSS reader or they may implement the UPnP A/V or DLNA standards, TVersity is the only media server that can serve media to all of those devices."
The TVersity Media Server is a UPNP AV compliant media server that extends the functionality of UPNP media hubs to navigate, search, play and record, audio and video content from the Internet, according to the company. It can translate media formats and streaming protocols on the fly, handling a variety of media types on a home network.
Psp Game Download
I should add that the PS2 version of Liberty City Stories is exactly like the PSP version with the exception that the portable's multiplayer games are excluded in this console version. Even the portable's graphics are the same. The mission structure is a lot like the console games and the story, while lacking the charming touch of the last three games is a good one. Getting off a bus after having to skip town for performing a hit on a made man for the Leone family, Toni Cipriani returns to Liberty City and finds himself being used by the family he swore his loyalty to and ultimately he feels rejected by them. To make matters worse, the organized crime families that include the Sindacco and Forelli are in a mob war that has each side trying to take control of Liberty City's three major areas of Portland, Shoreside Vale and Staunton Island. Toni quickly becomes involved in the turf war as he sets off on missions for various colorful characters.
Toni starts by working under Vincenzo Cilli, just one of many captains working for Don Salvatore and quickly you will meet a cast of other characters that offer you a variety of interesting jobs. You will be running errands for the local strip club owner in Portland or saving returning damsel-in-distress Maria from herself. You can even hop in a cab and activate a cab mission as well as the usual assortment of side missions like vigilante as well as deliver pizza. The side missions are plentiful and there's plenty to see and do in Liberty City, which is part of the reason the game was so impressive in its handheld form.
Like most Grand Theft Auto games, the three major areas of the city are not available from the start. You will have to complete a number of the missions for the next area to open and that is done by completing the game's main missions. You are, of course, free to stop what you are doing to go on various crime sprees and you can carjack any vehicle you like including various cars and even motorcycles (motorcycles were introduced in Vice City so this is the first time you'll find them in Liberty City). You can buy weapons at the local Ammu-Nation or even sell cars in the car dealership in Portland.
The missions you'll take on in this game vary. They range from the easy fetch missions down to assassinations and destructive missions. In one mission, you will protect one of Don Salvatore's buildings from a rival family's thugs to helping the Don's mistress, Maria (who seems to fall in love with all of Don Salvatore's henchmen) from ending up as a prize in a street race. The best part is that Liberty City Stories is filled with a number of enjoyable missions that outnumber the more dull ones.
The game's controls feel a lot better on the PS2 than on the PSP for the most obvious reason that the second analog stick just makes moving the camera even more easier. Unfortunately, the same bad targeting system from the PSP version can be found in this version as well. Instead of targeting an armed thug who is standing close to you the targeting reticule tends to occasionally target distant pedestrians. This makes for some annoying gunfights. Other than that, the controls work well enough whether you're running through the streets or driving down a road.
While the PS2 version managed to include mostly every aspect of the portable version, it also managed to recreate the PSP version's graphics as well. On the PSP's widescreen, the game looks amazing and it was an impressive feat to display all of Liberty City in all its glory. Yet on the PS2 the graphics not only look dated but the textures look flat and the characters look bulky. It was unfortunate that Rockstar could not clean up the graphics enough that they look more like those in Vice City. Still, all of Liberty City is here and the city still looks like its breathing with life.
The game's sound, on the other hand, is one of the game's biggest highlights. We are again treated to the same radio format similar to that of GTA III so don't expect any licensed tunes. That, though, does not mean the songs playing on the radio aren't good. You'll have everything from hip-hop to Indian music and even boy bands and talk radio. The voice acting is top notch, although the dialogue doesn't have the same witty repartee found in the console games. Even the sound effects aren't as detailed.
Despite the loss of its multiplayer mode and the not-so-pleasing visuals, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories for the PS2 is still a satisfying and appealing game GTA fans will certainly enjoy. With a $20 purchase price and a story filled to the brim with addictive main and side mission, this is a perfect addition for anyone who has missed the PSP version.
Gameplay: 8.0
Liberty City Stories plays like GTA III and Vice City rolled into one game without the innovative twists of San Andreas. Still, the story is true to the series and there is a lot to see and do in Liberty City. The three main areas are still fun to explore and the various vehicles and weapons keep the game wonderfully addictive. The second analog stick helps things considerably.
Graphics: 6.5
What looked good on the PSP does not translate as well on the PS2 so expect a game low in detail and backgrounds that look rather plain. The character models look bad and the pedestrians tend to disappear completely at times. Still, fans of GTA III will instantly recognize the many locales.
Sound: 8.0
The radio stations are still a delight to listen to despite the fact that there are no licensed artists among the musical roster. Still, if you love world music, classical or fake boy bands this one certainly doesn't fail to bring a good assortment of tunes. As for the dialogue, it does lack the charm of the other three games but it's still good.
Difficulty: Medium
The missions range from simple to missions that require you to complete multiple objectives. The harder missions are the ones that are timed and require you to move from one side of the city to the other. Occasionally the game's targeting reticule can be a bit buggy and can often lead to you aiming your gun at an unarmed pedestrian rather than the armed thug who is a lot closer.
Concept: 8.0
Liberty City is certainly a good city for rampages, carjacking action and mafia hits and Liberty City Stories certainly delivers on that front. Toni might not be as interesting as San Andreas' Carl Johnson but watching him rise from under-appreciated mobster to a known made man is still entertaining. The missions are plentiful but unlike the PSP version there is no multiplayer mode.
Overall: 8.2
At the bargain price, Liberty City Stories for the PS2 is a chapter in the GTA series that is well worth playing through if but for the great story and addictive missions. The loss of the PSP version's fun multiplayer mode is a sad loss and the graphics might be an eyesore but there is no denying the fact that returning to Liberty City for another crime spree is a trip well worth taking.
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Don't let the company name fool you, because today's news has nothing to do with mobile television, per se. Instead, TVersity Inc. has just announced the availability of their self-named tool that now adds some extra support thrown in for PDAs, cellular phones, and the Sony PSP. Internet radio on the go has never been this easy.
Because the PSP is "lacking a hard drive but supporting WiFi, [it] is capable of accessing one's entire media library, and play live Internet feeds, only when paired with TVersity." Of course, people are already making use of MemorySticks for their media storage, but isn't it that much greater being able to hop onto streaming internet radio for some brand spankin' new tunes?
There is no need to fumble with codecs and other speed bumps, because TVersity's media server is said to be universal, "doing all the necessary conversions of media formats and streaming protocols on the fly." Perhaps best of all, TVersity is actually available as a free download through the company's official website.
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Gadget Friday Archive
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DESloc
Gadget Friday: Neuros Recorder
Scott McGrew
POSTED: 6:43 am PDT June 16, 2006
UPDATED: 9:46 am PDT June 16, 2006
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- This week's gadget is unusual but very useful.
It's a little box from a company called Neuros. It sits between your Tivo or cable box and your TV and intercepts the TV signal, recording it to a flash memory chip.
You then take the chip and put it in your cell phone or in the kids' Sony PSP, for example. Then you can take your TV shows or DVD's with you on the road.
It's similar to watching a video podcast, but in some ways, it's better because you can record any video, your favorite movie on HBO or other channels.
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