Crave

While Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars on the Nintendo DS received critical acclaim across the board, the game didn't necessarily sell as well as it should have. Rockstar Games chose to bring the title over to the PSP, and with it, a complete graphical revamp.

We've had the final version of the game for some time now and here are our thoughts:

(Credit: Rockstar Games)

Jeff:
I wish Rockstar Games would take the viewing angle from Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars and go back and apply it to the first two GTA games on the system; that's how fantastic of a gameplay experience it provides. Chinatown Wars is by far the best GTA game available on the system because it abandons the ground-level viewing angle that was present in the first two games. From here on out, we think every portable GTA title should control like this.... Read more

One of our biggest complaints about the PSP Go seems to be partially addressed today as the portable console officially goes on sale. Sony has updated the Go's firmware to 6.10, which introduces a new PlayStation Store interface and access to a much larger portion of original PSP games.

While the selection of games is still nowhere near complete, some notable titles added today are God of War: Chains of Olympus, Madden NFL 10, Gran Turismo, and MotorStorm: Arctic Edge. Also hitting the store today are PSP Minis, smaller, less-expensive download-only games that range in price from $5 to $10.

Firmware version 6.10 also introduces SensMe, Sony's answer to iTunes' Genius List. SensMe takes a look at your audio library and adjusts playlists according to your "mood."

Though this update is for all PSP models, another noteworthy update that concerns the PSP Go specifically is the ability to tether a mobile phone to the device and use its data network as an access point. While this will only work with mobile phones that allow for such a thing, we can't imagine the speed being any better than what we experienced with a standard Wi-Fi router.

(Source: PlayStation.Blog)

(Credit: Ars Technica)

We're just about ready to post our PSP Go review but we couldn't wait to share this accessory with you. This absolutely ridiculous-looking contraption is the Sony PSP Go Converter Cable Adapter, a device you'll need to buy for your PSP Go if you don't want all those PSP 1000 - 3000 accessories to become useless. That's right, almost all of the original PSP accessories will not work with the Go.

Judging by the photo, we're not sure why this gadget needs to be mounted on the top and bottom of the PSP Go, and we can't imagine having a comfortable grip on the device when the screen is slid open.

We also agree with the Ars Technica blogger who pointed out that this basically negates the PSP Go's main attraction, its slim and sleek form factor. Of course, you'll be able to purchase all new PSP Go accessories when they go on sale alongside the new handheld on October 1.

The PSP Go Converter Cable Adapter goes on sale in Japan on December 24 for around $21 and should show up in the U.S. in January.

Gran Turismo PSP: worth the hype?

(Credit: SCEA)

In case you haven't noticed, the PSP is getting its game on--or trying to, at least. With a solid software push this year and a revamped PSP Go, Sony's solidly performing yet still second-place handheld is trying to reinvigorate its flagging game library as of late. And, sensibly, the focus is remaining on successful PS2 and PS3 ports. Gran Turismo and, more recently, the MotorStorm franchise have been great examples of first-party Sony success. They're A-level titles, and at last both are making their debut in PSP form in just a few weeks, costing $39.99 and being made available in both UMD and downloadable formats. We received download codes for both titles and gave them a thorough go here at the office, but the results may surprise you.

Scott:
I had heard tons of hype for years (since the original PSP launch in 2005, in fact) about Gran Turismo going mobile. This long-expected virtual vaporware became incredibly tangible for us this week, and will be available to everyone else October 1. I was excited, even though I'm not utterly wild about the hard-core tuning that lies at the heart of GT's automotive fetishism. I do like racing games, and the PSP hasn't had a really good one in quite some time.

Gran Turismo (PSP)

As a result, it surprised me to find that Gran Turismo was pretty boring. That's not a knock on the car models or the race tracks or the graphics in general: they're all crisp and smooth and well above average. The problem is that the game itself, in trying for realism, moves at a pace that on a small screen feels like a crawl. Watching your Audi slowly accelerate to 60 mph and take gradual turns with proper braking is the anti-Mario Kart, and not in a good way. It can be soporific, even hypnotic. While the casual nature of the races could amount to a nice mobile break from a busy day, the intensity of Gran Turismo feels like it's moved completely off the map.

That's not to say the game isn't without some great features. ... Read more

At today's Apple event, the company devoted a generous amount of time to various charts and numbers declaring that the iPhone and the iPod Touch offer much more in terms of gaming than the Sony PSP and the Nintendo DS.

iPhone and iPod Touch games have a lot going for them. The titles are cheaper, they offer tilt functionality, and the graphics are better than what the Nintendo DS can display. All that aside, it's tough to consider the iPhone as a legitimate gaming platform until Apple can offer some sort of tactile button functionality.

But how do you plan to accurately deke?

(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET)

First, let's get a few things straight. In terms of casual gaming, you cannot beat what Apple has to offer. There are countless quick and easy games that fit well on the Apple platform. No one is booting up a PSP game for the 15 minutes you'd sit in a waiting room or the time standing in line at the deli counter. So while that section of the gaming market seems sealed up, the same cannot be said for the more hardcore action/adventure and shooter games.

The way it currently stands, controlling such games on the iPhone or the iPod Touch is a frustrating mess. Players must navigate using a virtual D-pad, which isn't able to provide the accuracy or physical feeling an actual control pad offers on the PSP and the DS. We're delighted to see franchises like Madden and Assassin's Creed head to the platform, we just wish there was a better way to control these titles. Until that day comes, iPod Touch and iPhone games will be stuck under a glass ceiling of shake, tilt, and tapping.

There's no denying that Apple has the upper hand here. No one wants to carry around three devices when one can handle everything. As we've written before, Apple can easily take over the portable gaming market with just a few moves. The first step toward that goal--whether it be an add-on or hardware change--is to add buttons.

Mark the Former Intern stops by The 404 studio today to shake us out of our slumber...maybe we do need Wilson's laugh after all! Today we steer through more news about the upcoming "BioShock" movie, CBS running a video ad in a magazine, Jessica Biel (that's all), Woofer, and more!

We haven't had Mark the Intern on in a while, so since Wilson is still gone we take the opportunity to reacquaint ourselves with the host of CNETTV's The Green Show. We're all a little sluggish this morning from severe lack of sleep and lingering illness, but we all know laughter is the best medicine, so we rip right into the new "BioShock" movie, slated to come out in 2075. Just kidding, but it's not far off considering the weekly changes we've been reading about in the news!

Next up, we take a look at a creative new video ad to run in Entertainment Weekly magazine this fall. The ad is the first of its kind to appear in print and can handle 40 minutes of video. You can even attach a mini-USB plug and recharge the batteries if you literally have nothing better to do. Although, something tells me Neil Patrick Harris giving the "peace" sign isn't exactly going to sell boatloads of Pepsi products...

After a Call from the Public (just one), we're very excited to talk about Woofer, another Twitter clone that requires each post to have a minimum of 1,400 characters, or roughly 500 words. Obviously, we don't expect the service to catch fire as quickly as Twitter, and in fact many of the early adopters are reaching the minimum by copying and pasting excerpts from the Gettysburg Address and the Old Testament. Go check it out, but you might want to brush up on your writing skills first!

Check out the show and please leave us a voicemail at 1-866-404-CNET and let us know what you think about any of the stories, or just tell us what's on your mind! If it's good, we'll play it on the show. Heck, even if it's awful, there's still a good chance you'll hear yourself on the air!

EPISODE 411

The iPhone's almost ready to leap the final hurdle.

(Credit: TouchArcade)

Apple had its own E3 press conference at the beginning of the week, with its newest model in the iPhone line finally being unveiled to the world. The iPhone 3G S, while in some ways a modest upgrade, introduces significant improvements for gamers--some obvious, others not so much. Will it help even further cement their growing position in a handheld games market previously dominated by Nintendo and Sony? Read on.

Faster processor speed, more RAM. T-Mobile leaked the hard 3G S specs, and they're all-around zippier than the old 3G--which Apple confirmed when it promised overall speeds up to 2x faster. This will matter in particular with game load times and game crashes, both of which can tend to plague an overstuffed iPhone. While the spec bumps are relatively modest, the iPhone's game-playing prowess has already been more impressive than early pundits predicted, especially on recent releases like The Sims 3 and a PC-perfect port of Myst. The only thing missing now is...

Proper controller support. Sneaked in under the radar amid the iPhone 3G S news is the fact that the 3.0 software update allows third-party app interfacing with peripherals. While a larger focus on this functionality has been on medical devices, it's now possible for someone to make a clip-on control pad case and to have that controller be usable in any game. What should happen is that publishers gather to designate one universal controller that then gets adopted as the iPhone's "gamepad." The question is, who will make that accessory? For a while last year it was rumored to be Belkin, although it was unclear who would support the device. On consoles, the manufacturer usually settles these issues by making the controller themselves (except in the case of peripheral-driven games like Rock Band).

While it would be easiest if Apple made a gamepad, it's entirely unlikely. The whole appeal of the iPhone is its interface simplicity--too many plug-ins kill the minimalist chic. If a third party makes a controller, there's a likelihood that some publishers would support it, while others splinter off under some other controller accessory. Either way, someone should make sure there's a good consensus. Otherwise, soon enough we'll be buried in plastic miniperipherals, not unlike what's currently happening to (or plaguing) game consoles. ... Read more

E3's come and gone, but some oddities still linger. Shown during the Sony E3 press conference and discussed little after that, Invizimals is a curious game using the PSP's camera to create augmented reality "animal ghosts" that appear in real-life settings. Coded capture cards seem to attract the beasts, after which they do battle to each other. Nintendo DS-like blow-and-shake controls add extra input to the critter-fighting.

Confused? Check out the trailer. Would augmented reality gaming be something you'd like to see more of? Would it be something you'd trust the children with? And, most importantly, where is our PSP camera? Perhaps it is on its way with a certain Invizimals?

Hopefully the end result will be more compelling than the admirable but incredibly arcane augmented reality PlayStation Eye trading card game The Eye of Judgment.