PSP 2 and DS 2 Will Debut at E3 2010

It appears that people are not only gearing up for the GDC next, but even for the E3 as early as now. Shane Bettenhausen of Ignition Entertainment (and formerly of EGM), is positing that there will be two major handheld announcements at this year's E3. Major as in new: DS2 and PSP2.

Concept DS2

Bettenhausen, otherwise known as Mangod, and widely believed to be EGM's spot-on rumor buzzer Quarterman, expressed his guesstimates at the recent 1Up podcast:

"I think the big story of E3 is DS2 and PSP2. I'm really excited to see that. DS and PSP both existed in completely different sides [...] if those two put out similar products at the same time, it really evens the playingn field."

Could he actually know more? That's a huge probability, but whatever it is, we most likely won't be getting any confirmation any time soon. Still, it still ups the excitement definitely, huh?

Source: QJ.net

Just want to show my toys.

Other toys that are not shown:

Sega Genesis
Super Nintendo
Playstation 3
Dingoo A320

Factory-sealed Stadium Events surfaces on eBay

Look what we have here. Another NES treasure has been found on eBay. It hasn't been taken out of the box making it new (i think). And as of this writing the bid is currently at a ridiculous amount of $21,000.

According to the seller, she bought her copy from "Richmond Gordmans in Overland Park, Kansas over two decades ago". She couldn't play it at the time without the Family Fun Fitness mat, which happened to be recalled when rights were purchased by Nintendo. Thinking she could return it at some point, she didn't open the package, and there lies the value for the collectors.

Final Fantasy Agito XIII

Looks like we missed quite a lot over the weekend, one of which: a batch of screens straight from Square Enix for Final Fantasy Agito XIII. Sweet. Details are pretty scarce, but the recent bare-bones fact sheet (check out the related content below) helps a lot in placing how far along in development this game is.As for the screens, there's three of them today. Not as huge a batch as I would have wanted, but it'll suffice. We haven't seen much of Agito yet anyways, so any footage would have to do. Besides, one curious thing we see in this batch of screenshots is none other than sword-slashing summon, Odin.He's been around for gods know how long, and of course, Square Enix can't just leave him out of FFAgito 13! As you might have heard, summons in this game are going to be controllable. I'm just not sure if the summons get their own red scarf from the Academy though. Aww, poor Odin.

Comparison photo: PSP slim screen versus PSP-3000 screen

Ok, so when the PSP-3000 was announced back in Leipzig, a lot of us were "wuh?" over the supposed "changes" in this model. A "crisper" screen and a mic? How sad. Does that even deserve the name 3000?

Well, don't knock it till you try it. New photos from Famitsu show off just how "crisp" the 3000's screen actually is when compared with the Slim:

Nice, eh? Anyway, here's how Sony described the new screen and the mic of the PSP-3000, in case you're curious:

• The LCD screen will have a wider color gamut and higher contrast ratio to deliver deeper, more vibrant colors, as well as anti-reflection technology so you can see the screen more clearly when playing outdoors. As you all know, the PSP’s screen is a key strength of the hardware, and this update adds an absolutely dazzling LCD screen to the handheld.
• A built-in microphone allows for Skype calls and multi-player gaming communication directly from the hardware - eliminating the need for attaching a separate headset.

Source: QJ.net

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Leipzig: PSP-3000 officially announced *Update* details, bundles for North America

Posted Aug 20, 2008 at 11:42AM by Isaac C. Listed in: News Tags: David Reeves, Sony, Europe, Leipzig, Leipzig Games Convention

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166 QJ

The event currently going down at Leipzig is now officially more exciting than E3. Taking the ace out of its sleeve, Sony has just officially announced the PSP-3000 at their press conference. Speculate no more folks, here's the skinny. According to David Reeves, the PSP-3000 will have its own built-in microphone, and has an enhanced LCD screen that will “increase intensity and the number of colours that can be displayed – and is easier to view in natural light." That's a pic of it up there. The unit will launch on October 15 in PAL territories, tagged at EUR 199 (US$ 292). * Article originally posted Aug 20, 2008 at 08:50AM *Update* We now also got word from the US Sony blogs that the PSP-3000 is also coming to North America as part of the Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters PSP Entertainment Pack bundle. They've also now announced a PSP 4GB Memory Entertainment Pack which includes a 4GB memstick PRO Duo. The Entertainment Packs with the updated PSP-3000 will be retailed for the same standard price of US$ 199.99. And later on this year, Sony will be releasing the PSP-3000 Core Pack, which will also keep its regular price of US$ 169.99. Source: QJ.net

PSP (PlayStation Portable) v4.00 Update

The new PSP system software update, v4.00, will be released soon, adding Google Internet search directly to the XMB (XrossMediaBar) interface.

This new upgrade replicates the Google Internet search experience, delivering the same search results that you’d get at www.google.com. And with a search history recall of 20 items, Web searches couldn’t be easier.

After you download and install the firmware on your PSP, click on the XMB’s Network icon and then the new Internet Search icon. Enter your keywords and then let Google’s algorithms do the work. You’ll need to be connected to the Internet via a wireless access point or Wi-Fi hotspot. Googling something on the go has never been more convenient on your PSP.
Another new feature delivered through the 4.00 update is the ability to change viewing speed during playback of videos stored on your Memory Stick PRO Duo, so you can speed through or slow down what you’re watching. To do this simply press the up or down directional buttons while playing a video.

Posted by Eric Lempel // Director, PlayStation Network Operations