Category: PSP

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep Coming September 7

Square Enix has finally announced the released date for the North American version of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep — September 7, 2010!!! Naturally, Sony will be offering a PSP bundle to commemorate the game’s release (or move old hardware depending on your perspective). Be sure to check out the video above and enjoy this lovely snippet of press release magic:

Players will explore iconic Disney worlds in a unique gaming experience that unfolds through the perspectives of three different main characters: Terra, Ventus and Aqua. Their journeys will take them through Sleeping Beauty’s Enchanted Dominion, the Dwarf Woodlands from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Deep Space from Lilo & Stitch. Additionally, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep includes four all-new multiplayer modes that allow players to enjoy the action with their friends.

I love the Kingdom Hearts franchise and can’t wait for this game! Button-mashing combat, Disney characters, Final Fantasy characters, and Nomura art — what’s not to love?!? Who else is psyched for this one?

This Week’s Videogame Releases

After several weeks of boring releases, mid-May delivers with authority! The Xbox 360 exclusive Alan Wake is out this week and numerous critics have compared it to Sony’s Heavy Rain, but with broader appeal. On the multiplatform kick there’s Red Dead Redemption, Split / Second, and Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. Last but not least is Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadow for Nintendo DS.

With all the great games available this week, I want to know if you’re planning on picking anything up. Please let me know!

NPD Hardware Sales Figures for April 2010

NPD Group released its console sales data for April 2010. This is the first time that I didn’t see any numbers for the PlayStation 2. Is the sun finally setting on Sony’s ridiculously popular console? How did the boys and girls at Microsoft and Nintendo fare? Digest April’s numbers as I digest a Cadbury Creme Egg in honor of Easter month.

  • Nintendo DS: 440,800
  • Wii: 277,200
  • Xbox 360: 185,400
  • PlayStation 3: 180,800
  • PSP: 65,500

It was a slow month for all systems except for the Nintendo DS, which continues to shatter records and sell like MacDoubles. Four months into the year and the PS3 is holding its own against the Xbox 360. Unless it has a killer Q4 — which is certainly possible — I don’t see how the PS3 overtakes the Xbox 360 in North America, as some analysts have predicted.

Now it’s time for you to play Jesse Divnich and Michael Pachter. What do you think of April’s console sales numbers?

NPD Console Sales Figures Top 10 Games of April 2010

Here are NPD Group’s console software sales figures for April 2010. It was a slow month for the business and the list is full of old releases. Check ’em out!

  1. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction (Xbox 360): 486,100
  2. Pokemon SoulSilver Version (Nintendo DS): 242,900
  3. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii): 200,300
  4. Pokemon HeartGold Version (Nintendo DS): 192,600
  5. God of War III (PlayStation 3): 180,300
  6. Wii Sports Resort (Wii): 179,000
  7. Battlefield Bad Company 2 (Xbox 360): 166,000
  8. Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board (Wii):
  9. Just Dance (Wii): 144,000
  10. Super Street Fighter IV (PlayStation 3): 143,000

Unless my eyes are broken — which is entirely possible after way too much Scrabble — Splinter Cell: Conviction and Super Street Fighter IV are the only new games on the list. Again, there weren’t that many big releases in April so  seeing the usual suspects makes total sense. It also makes this month’s list kind of boring. The one thing that makes me happy is seeing Pokemon trounce the world. Tell me again that Pokemon is dead. Tell me!!!

Speculation: PSP2 Coming at E3 2010?

I know you’re all looking forward to what’s new with Nintendo’s Vitality Sensor at E3 2010, but MCV has speculated on something a wee bit more interesting — a PSP2 announcement! According to its sources, heavy marketing dollars from two Sony publishers are being allocated for Q4 2010 and they might be used to support games for new hardware:

MCV has been informed of a significant increase in marketing spend at two key publishers for Q4 2010. At a time when the PSP is languishing in Western markets — and its most recent iteration, the PSPgo, is falling flat — it is being speculated that publishers are laying the ground for an offensive on a brand new iteration of Sony’s handheld.

The way E3 is shaping up, you pretty much know what’s going down on the hardware side. You have Sony’s PlayStation Move, Microsoft Project Natal, Nintendo’s 3DS, and the Wii Vitality Sensor you all love. A PSP2 announcement would be a most welcomed and very intriguing surprise. The timing is about right, but do you think it will happen? Speculate people (please)!

Source

Killzone 2 Helghast Featured in Hot Shots Tennis for PSP

In a supremely cute crossover, the Helghast from Killzone 2 are playable in the upcoming Hot Shots Tennis: Get a Grip for Sony PlayStation Portable (available June 2010). Sony Computer Entertainment America producer Chris Hinojosa-Miranda hinted at additional unlockable characters on a PlayStation Blog post. As a huge fan of the Mario Tennis series, I’m really looking forward to this PSP game and am very curious about the other unlockable characters.

Are there any Sony characters you want to hit tennis balls with? I bet Sly Cooper has a wicked slice backhand. Clank’s precise movement probably rivals Roger Federer’s. Kratos probably has some mad power. The possibilities are awesome!

Source

Kratos Returns to the PSP in God of War: Ghost of Sparta

Get set for more God of War action on your PlayStation Portable with Ghost of Sparta. Being developed by the excellent people at Ready at Dawn Studios, Sony has promised to take portable visuals to new heights with this game. Here’s some more info from the press release along with additional screens:

Set in the realm of Greek mythology, God of War: Ghost of Sparta is a single-player game that allows players to take on the powerful role of Spartan warrior Kratos. This new adventure picks up after God of War concludes, telling the story of Kratos’ ascension to power as the God of War. In his quest to rid himself of the nightmares that haunt him, Kratos must embark on a journey that will reveal the origins of lost worlds, and finally answer long-awaited questions about his dark past. Armed with the deadly chained Blades of Chaos, he will have to overcome armies of mythological monsters, legions of undead soldiers, and amazingly dangerous and brutal landscapes throughout his merciless quest.

The game has been given a vague release date of “later this year in 2010”.

I’m totally psyched for this game. I love Ready at Dawn’s work. The company is one of the best PSP developers out there. Chains of Olympus is a great game that a lot of people I know missed simply because they’re not down with PSP. Any of you psyched for God of War: Ghost of Sparta?

Sony Selling Extended Warranties for PS3 and PSP Systems

Sony Computer Entertainment America has announced that it will offer extended warranties for its PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable consoles. Retailers like GameStop and Best Buy already offer extended warranties. While the added protection offers gamers peace of mind, warranties have proven to be quite lucrative for retailers.

Sony’s press release lists its warranty pricing as:

  • PS3 — 1-year extension ($49.99) or 2-year extension ($59.99)
  • PSP — 1-year extension ($29.99) or 2-year extension ($39.99)
  • PSP with Accidental Damage — 1-year extension ($39.99) or 2-year extension ($49.99)

It’s a smart move by Sony and I’m sure it will make a lot of money selling warranties. A lot of people don’t take advantage of the warranties they purchase. Some people forget that they even bought them. It’s a safe bet that the money Sony spends on repairing consoles covered by extended warranties will be a drop in the bucket compared to the revenue generated by warranty sales.

Are any of you going to plop down cash for an extended warranty? Or are you confident in the reliability of your PlayStation products?

This Week’s Videogame Releases

Iron Man is set to take on the movie world with his repulsor rays and unibeam, but he’s also saving a few blasts for the realm of videogames. Iron Man 2 comes out this week…for pretty much every platform known to man. PSP owners should keep an eye on Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake; if it’s anything like its PS3 counterpart, it will be a delightfully fun action game that oozes charm. Aside from those two titles, there’s not a lot going on this week.

Any of you buying new games this week? If so, kindly share what’s on your wish list.

PadCast: EEDAR’s Jesse Divnich Talks iPad, DLC, E3, and More

EEDAR vice president of analyst services Jesse Divnich is the latest RPad.tv PadCast guest. My favorite analyst in the business discusses all sorts of videogame topics, answers reader questions, and reveals the super power he covets in this clip. Here’s the laundry list of talking points:

  • The Nintendo 3DS
  • Whether the PSPgo is a dead system
  • How awesome Sony’s E3 press conference would be if it were hosted by Kevin Butler
  • How the Apple iPad impacts the gaming market
  • Whether investors and venture capatilist have cooled on the console market in light of the hotness of mobile and social gaming
  • Whether Sega, as we once knew and loved it, is gone forever
  • DLC trends
  • E3 2010 predictions
  • What’s coming on 10/10/10
  • What super power he would chose and why

Give it a look, give it a listen, and leave any comments you have below.