Gaming and Culture

In recent days, a few blogs have picked up on the fact that the battery on Sony's upcoming PSP Go will be sealed into the unit and not be user-replaceable, just as it is on all of Apple's latest portable devices and plenty of other new gadgets. The integrated battery isn't new news. But what caught people's attention was an old quote from John Koller, Sony's director of hardware marketing, which PlayStation Insider recently ripped off from a June Ars Technica article that had Koller explaining that the move to a built-in battery was a least partially designed to thwart pirates.

In case you don't know the history behind PSP piracy, it goes something like this: For the original PSP-1000 and second-generation PSP-2000, Sony had a secret "backdoor" system for resuscitating frozen or "bricked" PSPs. The process involved replacing the common PSP battery with a special one that unlocked the system.

Alas, the secret didn't last long, and hackers developed their own custom battery (the appropriately named Pandora's Battery) and firmware that allowed anyone to run illicit "ripped" versions of UMD games along with home-brew applications and PSOne titles that had been converted to run on the PSP. Those in the home-brew community maintain that they're just interested in fully accessing the products they've purchased and that pirating games isn't what their creative efforts are about. But the offshoot of the whole movement has been a flourishing trade in pirated games.

Nintendo faces similar problems with hacked DS systems, but a quick check of The Pirate Bay Top 100 handheld games reveals that the majority of the illegal downloads on the list are for the PSP. As I write this, more than 2,000 people are illegally downloading Dissidia: Final Fantasy, the top game on the list.

It's also worth noting that a counter on another site says that 81,000 people have already downloaded a recent custom firmware upgrade that will potentially allow modders to play that pirated version of Dissidia. A couple of competing custom firmware upgrades are out there, both of which appear to have been created by European hackers, including the infamous Dark Alex, a Spanish programmer who hasn't been heard from for a while. Some speculate that Sony has somehow neutralized Dark Alex either through legal threats or compensation, but Sony reps tell me that while they're aware of him, they [Sony], "Really have no relationship with him."

Although Sony hasn't said that much publicly about the piracy issue, it's acutely aware that tens of thousands of people--and quite possibly hundreds of thousands--never pay for games. Over the years, it's been trying to stay ahead of hackers with a steady stream of new firmware upgrades and additional security features incorporated into the PSP-3000 and the game discs.

In a response to some questions I submitted to Sony for this article, Koller says that, "Piracy is an industry-wide issue that ultimately is bad for consumers. We're continuing to take proactive steps to address the issue of piracy and to minimize its impact on the PSP, from both a legal and technical perspective. For example, firmware updates enable us to apply security patches and enhance or add new features."

Many, if not most, new PSP releases going forward will require you to install Sony's latest firmware to run the title (the firmware comes on the game's UMD disc). At this juncture, hackers appear to be a step behind Sony, though message-board posters on sites like psp-hacks.com remain confident Sony's security measures will be breached and that the real game begins when Sony releases its 6.0 firmware (Sony hasn't announced a launch date yet).

If there's an irony in all this it's that that the UMD format was supposed to prevent piracy and now Sony is seeing the move toward digital downloads as an opportunity to keep pirates at bay. Although a bit late (many argue that the PSP should have skipped physical media from the get-go), it's the right thing to do. That said, Sony does face some serious challenges in making the transition to a UMD-less platform.

• The $250 price tag on the PSP Go is too high (this is fairly self-explanatory, but it's unclear why Sony would bring out a more expensive device unless it was actually being cautious and didn't want to sell as many PSP Gos as it could if it were priced at $179, like the current PSP-3000 is).
• It's unclear just how much people are willing to pay for downloadable games. For a UMD PSP title, you're looking at $30-$40, but the top end for a downloadable game is $29.99 max for a AAA title and $19.99 for AA stuff.
• Currently, there's no way to trade in digitally downloaded games. As it is, popular PSP titles don't fetch all that much money at Gamestop or Amazon. But they fetch something, and trade-ins are how a lot of people help finance the purchase of new games.

From this perspective, you can see why Sony is racing toward an Apple App store model in which the PlayStation Store is stocked with $2-$10 PSP micro games (PSP Minis) and hopefully some interesting home-brew-style applications that don't cost much either. In the download world, small and cheap is where the money's at and Sony needs to get lots of developers on board to make the PSP an attractive platform.

Koller says that based on Sony's consumer research, there's strong demand among PSP owners for digital content. "That's why we're launching the PSPgo, which specifically invites consumers who prefer digital content to download games legally," he says. "We're offering a full spectrum of games for PSP owners to download, from bite-sized games in the new 'Minis' section on PlayStation Store to full, large-scale experiences like Gran Turismo."

As far as the pirates go, if history is any indicator, Sony probably won't be able to stop hackers from cracking the Go. (Koller was smart enough not to declare it unhackable; he merely said, "The PSP Go is going to make things tougher on the pirates.")

Ultimately, the company's best defense against piracy may be to offer good, affordable sub-$20 games and applications or perhaps even move to a monthly rental/subscription model that allows you to check out titles for 30 days, with an option to buy at the end. To get to where it wants to go, Sony not only needs to stay one step ahead of the hackers, but it needs to stay one step ahead of the competition. Occasionally, that requires thinking differently.

Comments?

A new, slimmer PlayStation 3 wasn't the only news to come out of the Sony press conference at Gamescom in Germany Tuesday. There were also plenty of announcements about the PSP and PlayStation Network that weren't completely expected.

First, the PlayStation Network will get an overhaul beginning September 1. New features and a more logical navigation are among the updates. A "What's New" tab highlighting new PlayStation Store releases will also be accessible directly via the XMB (cross media bar).

There was also a lot of news regarding the PSP. Along with the PSP Go, October 1 will also bring the launch of PSP Minis, a new series of bite-size games. These titles will be more affordable, in addition to smaller in size (all games will be 100MB or less). PSP Minis will debut with 15 titles, totaling 50 by the end of 2009.

The PSP will also be getting a Digital Reader in December with various comic book publishers onboard to offer content. Marvel will be providing Spider-Man, X-Men, and Fantastic Four comics to start, with Wolverine, Captain America, Iron Man, and the Hulk all to follow. Compatibility with other Sony readers and more digital comics publishers will be announced soon.

Sony also disclosed that the company will have more details on the PS3 motion-sensing controller at next month's Tokyo Game Show. In addition, customers who preorder Gran Turismo 5 for PlayStation 3 will get a free download of the portable version, Gran Turismo PSP.

Sony latest earnings show that it continues to be hammered by the worldwide recession and strong yen, suffering a net loss of $390.5 million in the quarter that ended June 30.

The bright spot was Sony's motion picture division, which saw a 6.5 percent boost that was largely attributable to the relatively strong showing of "Angels & Demons" at the box office. But almost everything else, including TV, video game, and computer sales, was down in a big way.

In an article, The New York Times highlighted the 37.4 percent year-over-year slump in gaming and computer sales (Vaio PC). The article noted that PlayStation 3 game consoles were "particularly sluggish" and that software sales had dropped.

According to the report, Sony said it sold about 1.1 million PlayStation 3s and 1.3 million PlayStation Portables in the latest quarter, compared with 1.6 million PS3s and 3.7 million PSPs in the same period a year ago.

The wane in PSP sales is particularly brutal, although part of that slowdown may have been due to rumors earlier in the quarter that Sony would release a new PSP later in the year. (And sure, enough, the PSP Go was unveiled in June at E3.) Also, the constant spate of rumors involving the potential arrival of a new PS3 Slim certainly hasn't helped sales of the current game console.

On a more positive note, we recently attended a PlayStation preview in New York that highlighted the PSP Go and the exclusive titles available for both the PSP and PS3 platforms during the upcoming holiday-shopping season. Overall, it looked pretty good.

Sony can also be consoled by the fact that sales are also way down for the Wii, as Nintendo reported a 66 percent fall in quarterly operating profit on "slowing demand for its Wii console and a stronger yen."

Nintendo sold 2.23 million Wii consoles in the quarter, compared with 5.17 million the same quarter a year earlier.

However, Nintendo still posted a profit of $445 million and is forecasting that it will sell 26 million Wii consoles before year's end--along with 30 million DS handheld game players, which, by the way, is seeing increased competition from another handheld device. Nintendo didn't mention the PSP as the rival in its earning call, but rather Apple's iPhone.

Comments? Is the PlayStation franchise in serious trouble or will it pull out of its funk this holiday season? Does Nintendo need to cut the price of Wii?

Sony's got an early demo unit of the PSP Go floating around New York, and we got to spend a little time with it--and Sony PlayStation team rep Al De Leon.

We don't have anything new or earth-shattering to report other than to say we like the smaller design, and the PSP Go does feel pretty good resting in your hands. Oh, and we also have some video shot with a Flip UltraHD (sorry the tight shots aren't sharper but the Flip just isn't good at close-ups).

The PSP Go ($250) is set for release this October and we should have a review up the day it launches. In the meantime, you can read our substantial preview.

As always, comments are welcome.

With E3 returning to its old, bigger-is-better format, there seemed to be more at stake at this year's show. Could Nintendo provide enough compelling news to hold onto its lead? Would Microsoft trot out something to create new enthusiasm for its Xbox 360 platform? And could Sony reveal anything that might give it some much-needed momentum?

Alas, as it goes most of the time at E3, none of the companies truly hit it out of the park and a lot of what was announced was already leaked to greater or lesser degrees before the show started. However, that doesn't mean we can't try to objectively determine which companies did themselves some good--and which companies may not have.

Here's a quick recap of the news conferences from each camp and my quick assessments. But nevermind what I say, feel free to add your own comments--and try to be objective.

CNET Poll

Who won E3?
Which company had the most impressive E3 2009 announcements?

Microsoft
Nintendo
Sony
None of them--they were all yawners.

View results

... Read more

LOS ANGELES--Question: if everybody already knows what you're going to announce at a press conference, can you still surprise people?

Microsoft proved on Monday that the answer is yes; everyone knew that the company would be releasing some kind of motion-sensitive control system, yet no one was prepared for how polished the product, Project Natal, actually turned out to be.

Now, Sony is getting ready for its own moment in the spotlight at E3 here, and the pressure, as always, is on. Almost certain is a newly redesigned PlayStation Portable, or PSP Go, as it's being called. And there's also been talk of Sony having some kind of new motion-sensitive controller, as well.

For more on what Sony actually does announce, stay tuned to this page. We're live-blogging Sony's press briefing, which started shortly after 11 a.m. Pacific. Sister site Gamespot has posted video from the live stream of the Sony keynote here.

11:14 a.m.: Sony Computer Entertainment America President and CEO Jack Tretton begins by joking, "given this industry's ability to keep secrets, I was worried there wouldn't be any reason to come to this press conference."

11:16 a.m.: Tretton, in his introduction, touts the strength of the entire PlayStation platform--PS3, PS2, and PlayStation Portable--and said that 30 percent of the industry's sales in 2008 were from Sony's combined platforms.

11:19 a.m.: He adds that with the PS2 selling for $99, it continues to be the Sony standard bearer. There are currently more than 2,000 games for the PS2, and will be an additional 100-plus new games this year.

As for the PS3, there have been 22 million units sold globally so far, and Sony predicts sales of 13 million more in fiscal 2010.

11:21 a.m.: One of the biggest games coming to PS3, Tretton says, is Naughty Dog's "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves." Starting tonight, the game will go into open beta. The game is one of 35 titles that will be exclusive for PS3 this year, Tretton added. Another he touted excitedly, and which got a loud reception from the audience, is InFamous. One thing is clear from that audience reception: Sony has its own passionate fans, much like Nintendo does.

Evan Wells from Naughty Dog comes onstage to show a demo of "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves."

An ear-splitting demo of "Uncharted 2" gets very loud, excited applause.

11:27 a.m.: Next up, Zipper Interactive comes up to show off its forthcoming PS3 game, "MAG," which can support 256 simultaneous players, including people playing remotely.

11:37 a.m.: Tretton is back on stage, talking about the functionality of the PSP. Last year, he says, Sony sold 15 million PSPs, pushing the device to more than 50 million units sold in its lifetime.

He says there are a series of hot games coming to the PSP, including "City of Final Fantasy" on August 25, and "Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines" on November 10. Sony is also working with Disney to introduce a Hannah Montana bundle, complete with a colored PSP. It will be available this July.

Next up, Kaz Hirai (CEO of Sony's Networked Products and Services Group) comes on stage to introduce the much-anticipated the PSP Go, also known, he joked, "as the worst-kept secret" in the video game business. (Watch video of Kaz Hirai introducing the PSP Go on CNET TV.)

"The PSP Go is 50 percent smaller" than the existing PSP.

11:41 a.m.: The PSP Go, Hirai says, will feature 16 gigabytes of internal Flash memory; built-in Wi-Fi; integrated Bluetooth and a new system, Media Go, which will be the application used on the PSP Go to access the PlayStation Store.

The PSP Go will be available on October 1, simultaneously in North America and Europe. It will cost $249.99. Hirai says "All PSP titles going forward will be digitally distributed on the PlayStation store, as well as at retail on (the UMD format).

11:42 a.m.: He also says that Sony's video service will be available natively on the PSP Go, making it easier than ever to download video to the device.

11:43 a.m.: Video content will be available from leading providers like Showtime, G4, E, Starz, and others. One big game that will be available on the PSP, will be "Gran Turismo."

11:50 a.m.: Hirai says "Gran Turismo" will be released for PSP on October 1.

11:51 a.m.: Next up, Hideo Kojima from Kojima Productions comes onstage to introduce "Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker" for the PSP.

11:52 a.m.: Kojima says the new game takes place 10 years after the events of "Metal Gear Solid 3." So it takes place in the 1970s.

11:59 a.m.: After a rousing video demonstration of the new "Metal Gear Solid" PSP game, Hirai thanks the audience and brings Tretton back on-stage. Tretton then introduces "Resident Evil: Portable," the latest title in a long-standing franchise. It will be available next year, and will be the first time the franchise will be available on PSP. Tretton says "Little Big Planet," "Hannah Montana," "Harry Potter," and a few other franchises will also be coming to PSP for the first time.

12:05 p.m.: Tretton says the PlayStation Network now has more than 24 million users who have collectively downloaded more than 475 million pieces of content. There are more than 200 titles available on the PlayStation store, 90 of which are exclusive.

He also says Sony is bringing almost 50 PlayStation 1 classic games to the PlayStation store this year, including "Final Fantasy VII," which is available as of today.

12:06 p.m.: Next up, Tretton talks about Sony Home, the company's online virtual world. He says Home now has more than 6.5 million users worldwide, and that the service is adding more than 100 virtual items each month.

12:08 p.m.: Now, Tretton rolls a video to show the audience "what's on tap for PlayStation 3 this year." It includes clips from "Uncharted 2," "Infamous," "Madden NFL 10," "Final Fantasy XIII," "MAG," "Overlord II," "Batman: Arkham Asylum," "Brutal Legend," "Ninja Gaiden 2," "Mafia 2," "Karaoke Revolution," "Heavy Rain," "Battlefield 1943," "Hustle Kings," "Trash Panic," "Critter Crunch," "Tekken 6," "Red Faction Guerrilla," "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10," "Dark Void," "G-Force" (The guinea pig movie, not Gatchaman), "Planet 51," "Gravity Crash," and others.

12:13 p.m.: But perhaps the biggest cheer of all came when "God of War II" came up on the video screen.

12:15 p.m.: Tretton announces a new PS3 exclusive: "Agent," from Rockstar Games, the creator of the "Grand Theft Auto" franchise. And then it was time to introduce "Assassin's Creed II."

12:21 p.m.: A long video played, showcasing the game's beautiful graphics and its innovative new weapons. The game will be available this holiday.

12:22 p.m.: Tretton then introduced a video showing some tidbits from Square Enix's forthcoming "Final Fantasy XIII."

12:26 p.m.: After the video, Tretton elicits shouts from around the Shrine Auditorium of "what?" when he announced that Square Enix would be releasing "Final Fantasy XIV" exclusively for the PS3 in 2010. He then introduces a video of "Final Fantasy XIV" and adds, jokingly, "So there's one that didn't leak out, huh?"

Then Tretton moved on to motion-control, and said "We're working to create an experience that's much closer to real life than anything you've experienced."

12:35 p.m.: Two demonstrators come up on stage to show how the system--still very much a prototype, they said--works. The controller can be used to direct game play including the wielding of swords, shooting darts, or in a first-person shooter mode. It can also be used to write with a high level of precision, and to paint as if with a paintbrush, or a spraypaint can.

It can also be used for subtle touch, such as carefully trying to knock over a series of dominoes.

12:39 p.m.: The controller has a real one-to-one relationship between the person wielding it and what is seen on-screen. And it also offers tension-based control, such as pulling back the string on a bow to shoot an arrow.

12:40 p.m.: With this system, Sony quickly joined Nintendo and Microsoft with an advanced motion-control system, and set off an arms race with this technology. Tretton says the system should be launched in spring of 2010.

12:42 p.m.: Then, touting the success of "Little Big Planet" on the PS3, and the fact that it's coming to PSP, Tretton announces that an entirely new "play, create, share" franchise would be coming to PS3: "ModNation Racers." (Watch the video of ModNation Racers' introduction on CNET TV.)

12:49 p.m.: The game features a wide range of creation tools, a high degree of physical realism and a lot of real-time physics. It also allows players to quickly add physical features to a racetrack, such as trees, water, even little sheep. All of that happens simply by dragging a pointer along the screen where players want to add the features.

And that means that players can build fully playable race tracks from scratch in a matter of minutes.

ModNation Racers will be released in 2010.

12:57 p.m.: Tretton then introduces another PS3 exclusive, "The Last Guardian," a beautiful-looking game from Masashi Kudo.

Next up, a video from "Gran Turismo 5," for the PS3, the latest iteration of the venerable franchise, and by the looks of the promo video, a very full-featured racing game.

Tretton says the game will be exclusive to PS3.

1:00 p.m.: Another big crowd-pleaser is next, a demo of "God of War III."

1:03 p.m.: A long video of "God of War III" showcases its impressive graphics and it seems the many passionate fans of the franchise will be impressed when the game is released.

1:06 p.m.: "God of War III" is scheduled for release in the spring of 2010. In the meantime, the full demo and an additional 20 minutes of game play are available on the E3 show floor.

1:07 p.m.: And that's going to do it for Sony's presentation.

Check here for all our E3 coverage.

In case you hadn't heard, pictures and a video of Sony's new PSP Go, the worst kept secret in gaming, appeared ahead of Microsoft's news conference today. After the Go leak, the question is whether the PSP announcement remains the Sony E3 headline or just a subplot.

If you're to believe Sony Computer Entertainment's representative Jake Osuwah, the company's still got a few surprises up its sleeve. "Pre-E3 announcements or not!" Osuwah tweeted after the leak, "There's still lots of shockers planned for you guys @ E3, stay tuned..."

Whether those shockers include new hardware (PS3 Slim, accessories), software (games), or price cuts is anybody's guess, but odds are it'll be a mix of all three. While I'm not ready to bet the house on a PS3 hardware announcement, it's pretty clear that Sony has to do something to really kick-start its game console, which remains mired in third place behind the Wii and XBox 360. Simply standing pat isn't good enough.

Let's hear your predictions in advance of tomorrow's news conference at 11 a.m. PDT.

(Source: Twitter via CVG via Kotaku)

This story was originally published on Gamespot.

Update (4:42pm PT): For a more complete examination of the PSP Go, see PSP Go: What we know so far.

Although Sony's E3 press conference isn't until 11 a.m. Tuesday, one of its centerpieces appears to have been prematurely exposed. A YouTube video of what appears to be the next issue of the PlayStation-focused video magazine Qore has revealed that Sony will use its event to unveil a new PSP model, the PSP Go.

As had been widely rumored, the PSP Go will have a sliding form factor like the Mylo, Sony's ill-fated Internet communicator device. The new handheld--which does not sport a second thumbstick--is shown several times in the video, which features Qore host Veronica Belmont and John Koller, director of hardware marketing at Sony Computer Entertainment America.

According to Koller, the main differences between the PSP Go and the PSP 3000 are "on-board memory, the flash memory, and 16 gigs of space. There's Bluetooth on board as well, so you can use a Bluetooth headset, and you can actually tether it to your cell phone as well. But ultimately, it's the portability. Since you can bring all that content with you in a smaller form factor, you've got the most immersive games to play, and now you've got a smaller unit to do it with."

Though he does not say that the device will not have a UMD (Universal Media Disc) drive--as is rumored--he did say that the emphasis will be on downloadable games. "Little Big Planet, Jak & Daxter, Metal Gear Solid--all those will be available. So will all the movies you can rent or buy on the PlayStation Network. So you can bring so much content over with you and fill up that 16 gig of flash memory."

Koller also appears to reveal that the long-lost PSP Gran Turismo Mobile game--first shown off in 2004--will resurface at next week's expo. "There are games like Gran Turismo being announced at E3," said the executive.

Host Belmont then asks, "So since it's called the PSP Go, I would image it will work with Remote Play as well." Koller responds with the following blanket statement: "Integration with the PS3 is very important, and it works just like the PSP 3000. A lot of people like to be able to take their PS3 content with them on the go."

As for the PSP Go supplanting its predecessor, Koller said flatly: "It won't replace the PSP 3000. We're going to keep them both on the market." Koller did not mention a price, release date, or whether it would have a touch screen when closed. Sony Computer Entertainment America reps had not responded to requests for comment as of press time.

In advance of E3 next week, rumors continue to circulate around the possibility of a new PSP and a new, slimmer PS3. Here are the latest:

• Ars Technica is reporting that the next-gen, UMD-free PSP Go! is "indeed real," according to a "trusty inside source" and should be announced at E3.
• The same Sony "mole" claims that the new PSP will be "lighter than its UMD-sporting predecessor, along with lower power consumption and possibly a lower price."
• The new PSP will be sold alongside the older version of the PSP (PSP-3000), according to the Ars report.
• The alleged source says, "A good number of titles will be released with both retail releases and digital downloads, with some games like Unbound Saga forgoing a retail release altogether."
• As for the slimmed-down PS3, it, too, is real, according to the mole--but Sony won't begin selling the new PS3 until stock dwindles on the PS3 currently on store shelves. The source is targeting August or September for possible launch dates.
• There's no word on if Sony plans to strip any features out of the alleged PS3 Slim or if it will cost less than the current model.
• The mole claims that Sony isn't expected to announce a price cut on the current PS3 to clear inventory, "but the possibility is certainly there." (This obviously has the biggest no-duh quotient of any of the statements.)

That's it. Nothing terribly exciting or new here, but it does make sense that Sony would wait to announce a new PS3 until it can clear inventory. Obviously, with all these rumors out there, it's going to be harder to move units without some sort of price drop.

As always, feel free to comment and make your own predictions.

(Source: Ars Technica via Gizmodo)