Playstation Spot

Aug 26

PSP-Maps v1.4: new features, bug fixes

A new version is out for developer Royale's popular program, PSP-Maps, a translation of Google maps for the Sony handheld. The program is now on version 1.4, with several new features and bug fixes.

Version 1.3 saw features such as directions entry to the menu, and support for the motion kit. Version 1.4 fixed a bug that caused the program to crash. Here's the changelog from the dev, but don't forget to go through the readme for more information on the program:

version 1.4 (2008-08-24)

fixed get directions crash
you can now save favorites with names

version 1.3 (2008-08-20)

fixed Google views
moved all urls to file urls.txt for easier upgrading
added directions entry to the menu
added motion kit support
new splash screen for the NEO Summer Compo 2008

Download: PSP-Maps v1.4

Isaac C. on August 26th, 2008 | File Under Uncategorized | No Comments -

Aug 26

Ultimate Blue VI 4.01 M33 (PSP Fat & Slim)

Ultimate Blue VI PSP themes

Ultimate Blue VI 4.01 M33 (PSP Fat & Slim) Created by Robs1968.

This version has been tested and works 100% on Fat and slim PSP.

New Updates:

Full smooth scrolling and fading XMB
New Internet Search Icon
New Custom Gameboot
4.05 Visualizers
4 Full Resolution 480x272 01-12.bmps

Files Included :

flash0\vsh\module:

common_gui.prx
content_browser.prx
game_plugin.prx
lftv_plugin.prx
msvideo_main_plugin.prx
music_browser.prx
music_player.prx
opening_plugin.prx
paf.prx
photo_browser.prx
photo_player.prx
recovery.prx
savedata_plugin.prx
savedata_utility.prx
sysconf_plugin.prx
visualizer_plugin.prx
vshmain.prx

flash0\font

ltn0.pgf

vsh\resource:

01-12.bmp
content_browser_plugin.rco
game_plugin.rco
gameboot.pmf
htmlviewer_plugin.rco
impose_plugin.rco
msvideo_main_plugin.rco
music_browser_plugin.rco
music_player_plugin.rco
netconf_dialog.rco
opening_plugin.rco
osk_plugin.rco
photo_browser_plugin.rco
photo_player_plugin.rco
rss_browser_plugin.rco
savedata_plugin.rco
savedata_utility.rco
sysconf_plugin.rco
sysconf_plugin_about.rco
system_plugin.rco
system_plugin_bg.rco
system_plugin_fg.rco
topmenu_icon.rco
topmenu_plugin.rco
visualizer_plugin.rco

Gameboot preview

Download Ultimate Blue VI 4.01 M33 (PSP Fat & Slim) :

Link 1

Link 2

Link 3

raedyfor on August 26th, 2008 | File Under Uncategorized | No Comments -

Aug 26

PSP Pandora Deluxe v1.2: Cementerio compatibility fixed, includes more 1.50 Kernel add-ons

It's another release for what could arguably be called as everyone's favorite "all-in-one" Pandora solution. Being a homebrew application that preps your PSP memstick for Dark AleX's Pandora installation, PSP Pandora Deluxe remains as one of the top downloads for the PSP as of late.

Today, Pandora Deluxe v1.2 from DJB comes with a whackload of changes. Here are some notes from the developer (with the changelog at the bottom):

The main reason of this version was to fix some problems with occured when trying to use the 1.50 Downgrader and/or Despertar Cementerio v3 v4. Now, if you try and install the 1.50 Downgrader, it will not let you install Despertar Cementerio v3-v5, the ELF menu, or the Pandora Support Tools (this is because of some imcompatibility issues). However you may now Install Despertar Cementerio v3 v4 together at the same time, without any collisions. Also, the button which you would usually set for the ELF Menu can be used to boot the 1.50 Downgrader (when the 1.50 Downgrader is installed.)

I've also included the M33 1.50 Kernel Addons for all the Despertar Cementerio installations. So now if you select the "Install M33 1.50 Addons" option, the program will install the 1.50 Kernel Addons as shown in the list below:

If you install Despertar Cementerio v3 it will install the 3.71 M33 1.50 Addon.
If you install Despertar Cementerio v4 it will install the 3.80 M33 1.50 Addon.
If you install Despertar Cementerio v5 it will install the 3.90 M33 1.50 Addon.
If you install Despertar Cementerio v7 it will install the 4.01 M33 1.50 Addon.

Changelog for v1.2 (2008-08-26)

Fixed collision with Despertar Cementerio v3 and v4.
Included the 1.50 Kernel Addons for 3.71, 3.80, and 3.90 M33.
Implented a new method on installing the 1.50 Downgrader.
Updated the following Support Tools:

nandTool 0.40 Final
MemoryStick-Tool v1.5

Download: PSP Pandora Deluxe v1.2

Gino D. on August 26th, 2008 | File Under Uncategorized | No Comments -

Aug 26

Savage Moon – Coming this Fall to PSN

Since July there have been rumors about a “mystery game that SCEA had up its sleeve.” Well, it’s time to put all that speculation to rest. I am pleased to announce that we will be adding yet another exciting downloadable PS3 title to the PSN lineup: Savage Moon.

Coming exclusively to PLAYSTATION Network this fall, Savage Moon is a frantic, action-packed tower defense game in a gritty sci-fi setting. You are tasked with protecting mining facilities from ravenous space bugs using some truly fearsome weaponry. And you’ll need as much strategy as firepower as you fend off wave after wave.

Each level in Savage Moon is set on an “Imoon”, or a living asteroid, and it is up to you to keep the mining facilities safe. These Imoons are rich in mineral deposits that humanity needs to survive, but such riches come with great risk as the native creatures living there will stop at nothing to end the mining. These giant deadly creatures are called “Insectocytes.” They come in all shapes and sizes and you will need to have a balanced strategy to fend them all off and keep the mining facilities safe.

To defend the mines, you start off with machine gun towers and can expand your arsenal to include wide range of weaponry and heavy artillery. This is where your strategizing skills come into play. It’s up to you when to upgrade, add new towers, or save your money, and your strategies will make the difference between escaping unscathed and watching the mines go up in flames. You have to place the tower defenses in areas where they will be most effective in killing the different kinds of Insectocytes before they make it to the mining facilities. And as you kill the Insectocytes, you earn valuable points that you can use to upgrade the size and firepower of your defenses, and to develop new weapons and technologies.

Savage Moon is addictive and the action is relentless, making it fun no matter what your skill level is. The action is intense, but you also have to think and have a solid strategy to survive. The best players can even post their scores to the online leader boards to see how they stack up.

There is much more to come on Savage Moon soon, so keep a lookout for news right here on PlayStation.Blog.

Daimion Pinnock on August 26th, 2008 | File Under PlayStation Network, Title Spotlight, psn | No Comments -

Aug 26

Dead Space rated 18 by the BBFC

Have you guys watched the Lullaby Trailer that Electronic Arts released for Dead Space back in E3? Hella creepy. My goosebumps had goosebumps. It's not surprising that the UK's classification board gave the game an 18 rating.

Also one tidbit of information from the BBFC's filing. The game will have little less than an hour's worth of cut scenes. I wonder how much blood and dismemberment they can actually squeeze into that hour. Just no more lullabies, please.

In case you were wondering, the ESRB gave the game an M rating. Big surprise. Anyway, here's the lullaby trailer again for you. Enjoy. The game will come out this October 21 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.

Isaac C. on August 26th, 2008 | File Under Uncategorized | No Comments -

Aug 26

Ryan Payton leaves Kojima Productions; MGS5 hinted

Assistant producer Ryan Payton has just left Kojima Productions. Aside from working on MGS Portable Ops, he's also the guy to be thanked for the exquisite Western approach for the controls system in Metal Gear Solid 4, as well as its other bonus content on the collector's edition Blu-ray.

No, Payton's leaving wasn't the cause of any bad blood among the MGS4 team. Speaking to Kotaku in an interview, he reveals that his decision to leave Kojima Productions was due to personal reasons; and without dropping any more details left it at "some pretty heavy news concerning my mom."

As for future plans, he intends to move back to North America and find work somewhere closer to his family. We expect he'll still be doing video game development - as he states, one of his dreams is to land an original game concept of his on retail shelves, but for now, he wants to take things easy and spend more time with his family (aaaw, he's a family guy!).

An interesting note he reveals towards the end of the interview though:

It'll be hard not being involved in MGS5, but I've got the utmost confidence that Hideo Kojima, Ken Imaizumi, and our amazing team will put together another blockbuster game. I'll be cheering from the sidelines.

It looks like the next installment in the Metal Gear series is pretty much confirmed now - though whether it is actually MGS5, I believe it is probably just a placeholder title, a default working title referring to "the Metal Gear game that comes after MGS4." From this quote, it also seems that Hideo Kojima will be working with the same team to deliver the next game.

And with that, we give our warmest thanks to Ryan Payton for all his efforts and work on some of the most memorable games in recent history. Godspeed!

Btw, for those asking about the picture, it's taken from Ryan Payton's blog, from an entry during that time when they were working with Ubisoft Montreal (Payton's the guy with the cool glasses - aside from Kojima, who also has cool, iconic glasses). And yes, that's Jade Raymond.

Makes me wonder... will Payton and Raymond work together in the future? Hmmm...

Related aricles:

Gino D. on August 26th, 2008 | File Under Uncategorized | No Comments -

Aug 26

Golden Joystick Awards: vote for your most anticipated game

Edge unveils new Most Wanted Golden Joystick - Image 1

At the Golden Joystick Awards, we get to vote for the best games we've played this year. Sometimes though, there are games in development that are looking so good that they deserve an award themselves.

I can name several off the top of my head - Heavy Rain, Prince of Persia, and Mirror's Edge. Fortunately, they're all part of the new category that the Golden Joystick Awards opened up for us to vote in: the Edge Most Wanted Golden Joystick. It lets us vote for our most anticipated game that's currently in development.

There are 10 games up for the award. Now if only I can decide which one to vote for. I'm wondering why the Fabula Nova Crystallis series (otherwise known as the Final Fantasy XIII collection) isn't on there. I guess it's because the release date is too far off? Anyway, it's our chance to give developers the recognition they deserve.

Here's the shortlist of games you can vote for in the "Most Wanted" category. You can vote by following the source link below:

Mirror s Edge
Infamous
Left 4 Dead
Fallout 3
Prince Of Persia
Resident Evil 5
Heavy Rain
Animal Crossing: City Folk
Bayonetta
Far Cry 2

Voting now open for the 26th Annual Golden Joystick Awards

Isaac C. on August 26th, 2008 | File Under Uncategorized | No Comments -

Aug 26

PSPWrite v1.1.1: added new fonts and sizes, wrap mode bug fix

Those of you enjoying the new word wrap function of the PlayStation Portable homebrew app PSPWrite have something new to look forward to as developer Zx-81 recently released the latest version of the homebrew text editor application, PSPWrite.

The new build (version 1.1.1) comes with new fonts which come in various sizes. Aside from that, it also includes a bug fix which corrects any special text using a specific format in wrap mode.

Here's the breakdown of the latest changelog for PSPWrite v1.1.1

Bug fix in wrap mode for text using specific iso-8859-1 characters (Thanks to ShadowMaker for reporting this naughty bug)
New built in fonts with various size (8x10, 8x14, 8x16 and 16x22)

As always, don't forget to read through the included documentation that goes with the program. You can also leave any feedback you have regarding PSPWrite by visiting the developer's project release thread, accessible through the link we've provided below.

Download: PSPWrite v1.1.1 (for CFW 4.xx)
Download: PSPWrite v1.1.1 (for CFW 1.5)
Download: PSPWrite v1.1.1 (source code)
Visit: QJ.NET's PSP Development forum

Charles D. on August 26th, 2008 | File Under Uncategorized | No Comments -

Aug 25

PSP Updates Summer Homebrew Contest entry: TruPhoto

Another official entry to QJ.NET's PSP Updates Summer Homebrew Contest was recently sighted, courtesy of homebrew developer Da_MerV. Entitled "TruPhoto", it gives users an eye-catching alternative to the PlayStation Portable's built-in photo viewer.

TruPhoto includes pretty much all the features of the handheld's image viewer except for setting an image as your wallpaper. The first thing you'll notice, however, is that it makes use of an interface that's quite intuitive and very easy on the eyes.

The homebrew app does not include any documentation. However, you can find detailed instructions on how it works by visiting the project's release thread on our PSP Development forum, accessible through the link below. You can also drop the developer a line by posting on the said thread.

Download: TruPhoto
Visit: QJ.NET's PSP Development forum

Charles D. on August 25th, 2008 | File Under Uncategorized | No Comments -

Aug 25

Recovery Flasher v1.30

Developer Hellcat has tipped us at the QJ Forums on the latest version of his Recovery Flasher for the PlayStation Portable. This one ups the count to version 1.30.

The Recovery Flasher essentially recovers semi-bricks, and up/downgrades your CFW. It can also flash ANY CFW directly to 3.71-M33 or 4.01-M33, all without Pandora.

In a nutshell, this basically does the following:

Flashes a fresh M33 CFW (3.71, 4.01) for recovering semi-bricks or to up-/downgrade CFW
does not use Pandora, runns from the recovery menu or the XMB
does not use (as in launch) the original Sony Updater (only extracts all required files from the original .PBP)
runns fine on CFWs lower than 3.52-M33-3 - handy for upgrading older FWs w/o the "need to go 3.52, then 3.52-3, then higher" odyssey :-)
runns fine from TimeMachine (3.40-OE on Fat and 3.60-M33 on Slim)
can backup the FW flash and restore selected parts (XMB theme, settings, PSN activation)

But as that is only the "nutshell", then there obviously is a long version of all that is there to be explained, and you may find it at the file's readme. That's why it's imperative that you guys check it out. There's a lot of important things to be learned, especially if you're a newcomer to the homebrew community.

But the most important thing of all is to have fun. So you go do that now, ayt?

Thanks for the tip, Hellcat!

Download: Recovery Flasher v1.30
Discuss: QJ.NET's PSP Development Forums