The Next Generation Portable Exists

"On the rear of the portable, there is a touchpad that is the same size as the screen. In the game demo I played of upcoming NGP title Little Deviants, players use the rear touchpad to manipulate cute balls around a lush cartoon landscape. But by pressing on the rear touchpad, it appears as though players' fingers stick up underneath the terrain, altering the landscape." - Kotaku

The PSP2 has just rocked the Earth at Sony's Japanese press conference. It features front touch OLED screen, rear track pad, dual analogue sticks, Six-axis motion control, trophy support, Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity. Demonstrations of a new Uncharted title, Metal Gear Solid 4 and Yakuza 4 were shown.

"This game used the model data and environments from PS3, and it was exported directly to NGP," Kojima said, adding "On NGP, we can enjoy the same quality as the PS3." - Kotaku

Holy crap!

Also demonstrated was the latest Monster Hunter game for the original PlayStation Portable to show off backwards compatibility. No there is no UMD drive, it will be compatible with your existing PlayStation Network Store PSP purchases. Games for the new portable will be delivered on the PSN and on flash cards for retail stores.

Tech info copy and pasted from the PlayStation Blog, because I'm lazy like that ;) -

Key NGP features:

* Multi-touch 5-inch organic light emitting display (OLED) as the front display
* Multi-touch pad on the rear of the device
* Dual analog sticks
* Two cameras (front and rear)
* Software titles on small, dedicated flash memory-based cards
* Three motion sensors, gyroscope, accelerometer and electronic compass
* Wi-Fi and 3G network connectivity
* PlayStation Network access, including ““LiveArea™”, “Near” and “Activity” log features Trophy Support
* NGP will be able to play PSP titles, minis, PS one classics, video and comics from the PlayStation Store.

Now, the technical specs:
CPU - ARM® Cortex™-A9 core (4 core)
GPU - SGX543MP4+
External Dimensions - Approx. 182.0 x 18.6 x 83.5mm (width x height x depth) (tentative, excludes largest projection)
Screen
(Touch screen) -5 inches (16:9), 960 x 544, Approx. 16 million colors, OLED
Multi touch screen (capacitive type)
Rear touch pad -Multi touch pad (capacitive type)
Cameras - Front camera, Rear camera
Sound - Built-in stereo speakers
Built-in microphone
Sensors - Six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer), Three-axis electronic compass
Location - Built-in GPS
Wi-Fi location service support
Keys / Switches - PS button
Power button
Directional buttons (Up/Down/Right/Left)
Action buttons (Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square)
Shoulder buttons (Right/Left)
Right stick, Left stick
START button, SELECT button
Volume buttons (+/-)
Wireless communications Mobile network connectivity (3G)
IEEE 802.11b/g/n (n = 1×1) (Wi-Fi) (Infrastructure mode/Ad-hoc mode)
Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR （A2DP/AVRCP/HSP）

Dead Space 2 - Twice The Fun On PS3!!!!

EA is on fire. They ripped the "survival horror" genre right outta Capcom. Where Resident Evil 5 was slow and repetitive, Dead Space felt fast and exciting. The best way to describe Dead Space to the uneducated, it's the feature films "Alien" and "Event Horizon" slammed into a blender, resulting in a fresh take on the aging video game genre.

I finally played a good chunk of the original Dead Space. It's presentation is stellar. Controls and gameplay are polished. It feels so cool to wonder around the bowels of a tin can space ship, jumpin' around in zero gravity and blasting away monsters. You could probably hunt down a copy of this original treasure for 20 bucks.

Today, Dead Space 2 arrives on store shelves. I have a PlayStation 3 and luck be told, for the same price of either the X-Box 360 or PS3 editions, Sony's gathered all the riches. The Nintendo Wii "exclusive" Dead Space: Extraction comes bundled with the PS3 edition, complete with new goodies such as Move support, HD visuals and trophies. Hell, the game is literally the first real killer app for Sony's motion controller. I haven't played Dead Space 2 yet, I'm waiting until I finish the original. However, I have played Extraction, which serves as a prequel to the series. What can I say? Yeah, It's worth picking up the Move bundle to play this on-rails, space shooter. It's fun, fun stuff!

All this space horror is getting me all nostalgic for one title. EA's first venture into space survival horror. Heck, it literally was the original survival horror game, long before Resident Evil.

"IGN has called it the first "fully formed vision of survival horror as we know it today," citing its balance of action and adventure, limited ammunition, weak weaponry, vulnerable main character, feeling of isolation, storytelling through journals, graphic violence, and use of dynamically triggered music—all of which were characteristic elements of later games in the survival horror genre." - Wikipedia Entry

EA released Dynamix's Project Firestart, an explosive Commodore 64 exclusive title which is amazing. I played the hell out of it as a kid and it scarred the crap outta me! It's wonderful stuff and worth taking a look at through the wonder of emulation.

Happy hunting!

MotorStorm: Start Your Computations For Time Warp!

So I'm playing MotorStorm Arctic Edge on my couch. The PSP GO is firmly in my hands, with beautiful game visuals being displayed on my SONY HD television via component cable. Suddenly, I begin a new race and a funky dance, clubin' tune kicks in with William Shatner proclaiming a line from Star Trek IV, "Start your computations for time warp!"

Holy crap! This game just put me into the zone!

The song is "Timewarp" by Sub Focus. That little bit of Shatner dialogue is part of the song. I've never heard of the song, nor the group before. That's why I love playing video games, you have opportunities to see and hear things you never have before. MotorStorm's soundtracks are pretty sweet and definitely worth playing the game to listen to the great music alone. Luckily, the series is also fantastic playing.

I love playing Arctic Edge. It's a winter wonderland of off road vehicles. Plus, it reminds me of living in "The Great White North" in winter. Looking out my window, the land is all beautifully covered in snow. My favourite vehicle is the snowmobile. My dad and I love driving sleds in winter time and when I can't go ridin', I'll play my little portable MotorStorm game in it's place.

I love the MotorStorm series. It was the first game I played when I purchased a PlayStation 3. The original MotorStorm caught the industry by surprise, it was the best reviewed and selling title in the early days of the PlayStation 3's life. I received the game for free when I purchased my PS3 from Best Buy in the summer of 2007. Firing up MotorStorm for the first time was awesome. The graphics blew me away. Heck, the game still looks amazing even for a first gen title.

Today, we've had a PS3 sequel, a PSP title, and a 3D downloadable version on the PlayStation Network featuring several of the franchise's greatest tracks. In April, it continues again with MotorStorm Apocalypse on the PS3, fully in 3D! It looks awesome, I won't lie. The latest title goes post-apocalyptic, with huge wasteland environments and triggered, race affecting, cinematic flare. It officially launches on April 12th and I can't wait.

I just had to share my joy and to offer an option to Gran Turismo 5. I love both franchises for obvious, different reasons. For those who wanna go crazy and yet still rely on plenty of driving skills and techniques, then I offer you the selection of MotorStorm.

Time to hit the dirt!

The Sh*t Hits The SingStore Once Again!

What appears to be a monthly update for SingStar, the SingStore has been blasted with 65 new songs. More songs! More dance! More guitar! More song packs! It definitely is worth the wait. Hopefully, every monthly update will arrive with 60+ songs.

No Doubt arrives with classics and modern fare. A-ha arrives with fresh tracks and Lionel Richie classics galore. Awesome! Here is today's complete release, nicely copy and pasted for your enjoyment.

Songs

* 3 Doors Down - Kryptonite
* a-ha - Foot Of The Mountain
* a-ha - Shadowside
* Alicia Bridges - I Love The Nightlife
* Aqua - Barbie Girl
* Billy Ray Cyrus - Achy Breaky Heart
* Blur - Beetlebum
* Boyz II Men - I'll Make Love To You
* Cher - If I Could Turn Back Time
* Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen
* Edwin Starr - War
* Ellie Goulding - Guns & Horses
* Florence and the Machine - Kiss With A Fist
* Hinder - Lips Of An Angel
* Hoobastank - The Reason
* Jodeci - Freak N You
* Joe McElderry - Someone Wake Me Up
* Kaiser Chiefs - Ruby
* Keith Urban - Who Wouldn't Wanna Be Me
* La Roux - In For The Kill
* Lionel Richie - Hello
* Lionel Richie - All Night Long
* Lionel Richie - Angel
* LL Cool J - I Need Love
* Lloyd - Get It Shawty
* Maroon 5 - This Love
* Mika - Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)
* Morrissey - You Have Killed Me
* N-dubz Feat. Mr Hudson - Playing With Fire
* Ne-Yo - Because Of You
* No Doubt - Just A Girl
* No Doubt - Running
* No Doubt - Ex-Girlfriend
* No Doubt - Hella Good
* No Doubt - Don't Speak
* OneRepublic - Stop And Stare
* Orson - No Tomorrow
* Pearl Jam - Alive
* Pereza - Estrella Polar
* Pulp - Common People
* Queens of the Stone Age - Go With The Flow
* Razorlight - America
* Robert Palmer - Addicted To Love
* Robyn - Be Mine
* Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me
* Scissor Sisters - Take Your Mama
* Sophie Ellis Bextor - Murder On The Dancefloor
* Squeeze - Tempted
* Sum 41 - Motivation
* Susan Boyle - Amazing Grace
* Talk Talk - It’s My Life
* Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule The World
* The Bravery - Believe
* The Christians - Harvest For The World
* The Clash - Rock The Casbah
* The Commodores - Easy
* The Commodores - Three Times A Lady
* The Foundations - Build Me Up Buttercup
* The Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger
* The Police - Don't Stand So Close To Me
* The Supremes - Stop In The Name Of Love
* The Velvet Underground - I'm Sticking With You
* The Wonder Stuff - A Wish Away
* The Wonder Stuff - Size Of A Cow
* will.i.am Feat Cheryl Cole - Heartbreaker
* Yeasayer - O.N.E

Add-ons
Guitar:

* Blur - Beetlebum
* Florence and the Machine - Kiss With A Fist
* Hoobastank - The Reason
* Kaiser Chiefs - Ruby
* Maroon 5 - This Love
* OneRepublic - Stop And Stare
* Orson - No Tomorrow
* Pulp - Common People
* Razorlight - America
* The Clash - Rock The Casbah
* The Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger
* The Police - Don't Stand So Close To Me


Dance:

* Aqua - Barbie Girl
* Billy Ray Cyrus - Achy Breaky Heart
* Britney Spears - Born To Make You Happy
* Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen
* Lou Bega - Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of...)
* The Foundations - Build Me Up Buttercup
* will.i.am Feat Cheryl Cole - Heartbreaker

Song packs
a-ha

Island Records

Lionel Richie and The Commodores

No Doubt

Oklahoma!

Merry "Post" Christmas and Happy "Post" New Year's! :)

Ho! Ho! Ho! Yo! Yo! Yo!

I hope all of your holiday cheers were eventful, full of cheer, laughter and crunk!

Now with 2011, we have a new year to look forward to some exciting new tech. We can all look forward to the upcoming Apple iPad 2, plus their inevitable updates to their iPhone and iPod line.

Nintendo will be releasing the brand spanking new Nintendo 3DS. This I am personally very excited about. Hopefully I'll be able to purchase a 3D copy of Tron: Legacy for the device! ;)

Finally, it's happening. We are all excited. Sony's PSP phone will be out this year and the big one... the PSP 2! Expect the direction of the PSP 2 to take, a true portable HD experience in the palm of your hand with full backwards compatibility, dual analog nubs, touch screen and track pad built in. UMDs will go the way of the dinosaur and will be replaced with an SD card device storage solution. It will have built in, 32gb flash storage. Those are my predictions.

As for games I have acquired as gifts or New Year's shopping include -

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Sweet!
EyePet - So cute!
Gran Turismo 5 - Hell Yeah!
Red Dead Redemption - Amazing!
The Shoot - Tons of fun!

Did you like my quick, sound bite like comments? I did!

Here's to 2011! Let the excitement begin!