Sony Shows Wireless Multiplayer, Talkman, New Games For PSP

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Sony Shows Wireless Multiplayer, Talkman, New Games For PSP

Posted by simoniker on Monday July 12, 2004 @04:01PM from the exciting-and-new dept.

Thanks to GameSpot for its article discussing Sony's showcase of new features/software for its forthcoming PSP handheld, including confirmation that "up to 16 PSPs can connect together using the device's wireless LAN... without the need of a central hub device", as well as "several new PSP games, including a version of the anime-inspired PlayStation 2 shooter Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex... [and Harvest Moon and Need for Speed conversions.]" 1UP has further information and pictures, including the unveiling of Talkman, new PSP software which "accepts voice input from a microphone peripheral.. [and lets] a multi-lingual cartoon bird named Max... translate comments in one language into another."

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Wow... by cujo_1111 · 2004-07-12 16:08 · Score: 1

Although I am really looking forward to the PSP, I have a feeling it will detract from the development of the PS3. I hope Sont will make the PS3 the best console it can be.

Anyway, the games for the PSP look damn good. I hope the entry price isn't too steep.

--
If I point out that you are incorrect, making me a foe does not make you any more correct.
1. Re:Wow... by Babbster · 2004-07-12 16:20 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Personally, I hope for peace and understanding between all people on the planet...but your things are good too, I guess.
2. Re:Wow... by HAKdragon · 2004-07-12 18:50 · Score: 1
  
  My biggest concerns with the PSP right now are 1)Price and 2)Battery Life. Considering everything that Sony is trying to pack into the device, it doesn't look like it's going to be cheap. I can't see myself paying more than $150 for a portable game machine. As Sony has chosen to go with disc based media for it's games/movies/content, it's going to be a drain on battery life. That's one advantage that Nintendo has with going with cartridges; No moving parts means less strain on the battery.
  
  --
  "Our opponent is an alien starship packed with atomic bombs. We have a protractor."
3. Re:Wow... by incubusnb · 2004-07-12 19:01 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  price is a big concern, i havn't seen any estimations below $300 American, but IMO it looks like it'll be worth that much, maybe not to others though
  as for battery, the official quote is 2.5, 5, and 10, 2.5 for Movies, 5 for MP3s, 10 for games, which is comparable to the GBA and DS
  
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  /. is overrun by bed-wetting elitist nerds
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4. Re:Wow... by Babbster · 2004-07-12 20:13 · Score: 1
  
  They can claim 10 hours all they want but, unlike a cartridge-based system, the gaming battery life is going to depend on the individual game. For example, if Rockstar were to port GTA3 over to the system (or any other company did a game that relies on high-quality ambience music), the battery life would be significantly reduced because every part of the system would be in near-constant use, including the disc drive.
  Add to that the fact that most such battery life statements are overly optimistic in the first place and you're probably looking at something more like 4-8 hours of gaming.
  If I tried to use a device like that on a day when I'm bopping around town (using mainly the game function on the bus and music function while walking around), it would die out long before I got home. Not good.
5. Re:Wow... by KDR_11k · 2004-07-12 20:15 · Score: 1
  
  It was 10 for MP3s with the display turned off and anywhere between 2-10 for games depending on the disk usage.
  
  Sheesh, everybody has different numbers, Sony's marketing department should pat their backs, maximum confusion ensured...
  
  --
  Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
Schizophrenic Headline Day? by Thedalek · 2004-07-12 16:30 · Score: 4, Insightful

Monday, July 12 @ 1:52 AM

"PSP Launch May Be Hurt By Lack Of Games?"

Tuesday, July 13 @ 12:01 AM

"Sony Shows Wireless Multiplayer, Talkman, New Games For PSP"

Okay, so in less than 24 hours, we've gone from saying that the PSP has virtually no support, and certainly no new games, to saying that it has tons of features, and pleanty of new games. Which I suppose is alright, since the latter is the truer statement.

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Happiness is relative, Based upon the way we live.
1. Re:Schizophrenic Headline Day? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-07-12 16:31 · Score: 1, Funny
  
  No-- the editors are apparently getting their act together. This article is the exact opposite of a dupe.
2. Re:Schizophrenic Headline Day? by prockcore · 2004-07-12 16:38 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Okay, so in less than 24 hours, we've gone from saying that the PSP has virtually no support, and certainly no new games, to saying that it has tons of features, and pleanty of new games.
  
  "Plenty of new games" is definitely an overstatement. 20 titles, 1/4th of which are made by sony, another 1/4th are board games like Mahjong, and the other half are of dubious value.
3. Re:Schizophrenic Headline Day? by Thedalek · 2004-07-12 18:46 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  20 is plenty, this far ahead of launch. The Magic Box (And another set here) has screenshots from more than 20 titles, and none of them are Mahjong or any other kind of board game (the closest is something called "Pool Game," but it doesn't look to be billiards). As for "dubious value," I try to stay a little more objective than that. It would certainly depend on the unannounced price per game, wouldn't it?
  
  At any rate, Tales of Eternia, Dynasty Warriors, Armored Core Formula Front, Makai Wars, Ys: The Ark of Napishtim, Gagharv, and possibly Rengoku: The Tower of Purgatory will likely be getting my money.
  
  --
  Happiness is relative, Based upon the way we live.
4. Re:Schizophrenic Headline Day? by incubusnb · 2004-07-12 19:06 · Score: 1
  
  GT4, NFSU, Burnout, GTA, and pretty much half of the launch lineup is getting my money.
  and to quote IGN concerning GT4 Mobile: "Sony is, for all intents, planning on releasing an exact replica of the most advanced PS2 game ever developed on its portable system." - http://psp.ign.com/articles/513/513565p1.html
  the PSP is definately no slouch in performance capability
  
  --
  /. is overrun by bed-wetting elitist nerds
  let it be known, for anything other than servers, a *nix OS sucks
5. Re:Schizophrenic Headline Day? by Zangief · 2004-07-13 04:55 · Score: 1
  
  I suppose someone in SCEA reads slashdot...
Need For Speed... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-07-12 16:50 · Score: 0

"Electronic Arts K.K.: Need for Speed Underground (working title), racing"

*sigh* I got all worked up thinking there would be a remake of The Need For Speed but no, just EA's latest abomination of the NFS series.
1. Re:Need For Speed... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-07-12 18:01 · Score: 0
  
  "Electronic Arts K.K.: Need for Speed Underground (working title), racing"
  Because three K's would just be too obvious. Damn racist, corporate bastards and their subliminal promotions for hate.
SOCOM for PSP by AvantLegion · 2004-07-12 19:18 · Score: 3, Interesting

If the talk of a SOCOM game for PSP is true, the wireless multiplayer feature will be pure bliss. I can very easily imagine SOCOM battles going on across the university coffee shop. Productivity is guaranteed to plummet.
Intriuging by ObsessiveMathsFreak · 2004-07-12 19:42 · Score: 1

I wonder just how exactly 16 devices can connect together without a primary controller.

Maybe it uses the system that the GBA used by using the wire configuration to choose the primary, or maybe the software does? Maybe it uses some super advanced DHCP?

--
May the Maths Be with you!
1. Re:Intriuging by dk4 · 2004-07-12 22:44 · Score: 1
  
  A wireless connection using a wire to determine the host? Perhaps it just uses NETBIOS and LANMAN and runs WinMe?
The only problem I can see.. by WhatAmIDoingHere · 2004-07-12 20:27 · Score: 4, Insightful

Is battery life. It takes a bit of juice to get that disc spinning and to read it.

Plus, if you drop it while it's reading, shit will break off.

I'm going to have to say I like Nintendo for handheld gaming still, with games like Mario 64x4 and the ability to bust out some wireless kart racing..

Of course, this is just the opinion of a Nintendo owner since I can remember.

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1. Re:The only problem I can see.. by News+for+nerds · 2004-07-12 20:48 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  Apparently Sony has enough know-how to accomplish those requirements around small disc and portable player, as tested in MiniDisc that has a sizable market in Japan. Google "battery life" and "minidisc", and the figures are not bad. In PSP you have to consider cost of running games in a large LCD, but it won't be much higher than GameBoy - like 2 times or less power consumption.
2. Re:The only problem I can see.. by KDR_11k · 2004-07-12 22:28 · Score: 1
  
  You also have two pretty powerful processors in the PSP. The NGage had only one CPU and a pretty smll screen but it had a battery life of 15 seconds (exaggerating). WiFi is said to be pretty nasty for battery driven devices, too.
  
  --
  Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
3. Re:The only problem I can see.. by tktk · 2004-07-13 06:59 · Score: 1
  
  I think the main drain will be the LCD screen.
  
  Sony makes a ton of MD players for Japan. With little gumpack battery, the MD players easily get over 30 hour playtime.
  
  Granted, MD players spin up, read stuff into cache and spin down to save energy and this method might not work with the PSP.
4. Re:The only problem I can see.. by drinkypoo · 2004-07-13 10:39 · Score: 1
  
  Let's not forget the 300MHz speed of the processors either, that usually means quite a bit of power use. The GBA has like a 30MHz processor :P
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Re:SOCOM at uni by Anonymous Coward · 2004-07-12 21:07 · Score: 0

Just think of it! Now you don't even have to be at home to cheat! You can do it at school!!! (without having to face the danger of expulsion) EXCELLENT
Yeah, that's not the only problem by Anonymous Coward · 2004-07-12 21:10 · Score: 0

Beware of the coming advance of Digital Restrictions Management and Sony Component Proprietary Hell (tm). (What did YOU think the SCPH in the model number meant??)
Don't mean to nitpick by sindarin2001 · 2004-07-13 05:58 · Score: 1

but I think you're confusing your mental dissorders. Schizophrenia is associated with hallucination of the senses, not jumps from high to low. Perhaps you were thinking of bipolar dissorder??
1. Re:Don't mean to nitpick by Thedalek · 2004-07-13 06:59 · Score: 1
  
  In fact, I was referring to the popularized (and somewhat innacurate) perception that schizophrenia equates to dissaociative identity disorder (Multiple personalities).
  
  --
  Happiness is relative, Based upon the way we live.
Re:SOCOM at uni by AvantLegion · 2004-07-13 13:33 · Score: 1

SOCOM II has none of the cheating SOCOM has, thanks to a new authentication method that prevents playing with GameSharks and other crap.