Here's a big list of developers and publishers working on NGP projects

Beyond the handful of games revealed onstage during last night's big Sony event, an enormous list of developers and publishers currently working on games for this holiday's "next generation portable" device has surfaced. Game Informer posted up the entire list broken down by region, which features big names like Activision, Ubisoft, 2K Games, Square Enix, and Capcom.

Perhaps more notable than the big name publishers is the group of listed developers, including Rockstar Games, Capybara Games, From Software, and Grasshopper Manufacture. As GI points out, both Electronic Arts and THQ (and their respective development studios) aren't currently listed as working on games for NGP, though we imagine that will change as the year goes on (we already know that EA has had exposure to the in-development system).

Japan

• Acquire Corp.
• Alvion Inc.
• AQ Interactive Inc.
• Arc System Works Co. Ltd.
• Arika Co. Ltd.
• Artdink Corporation
• Ascii Media Works Inc.
• Capcom Co. Ltd.
• Chun Soft Co. Letd.
• Codemasters Software Company Limited
• Crafts & Meister Co. Ltd.
• CyberConnect2 Co. Ltd
• D3 Publisher Inc.
• Dimps Corporation
• Edia Co. Ltd.
• Enterbrain Inc.
• From Software Inc.
• Gameloft K.K.
• Genki Co. Ltd.
• Grasshopper Manufacture Inc.
• GungHo Online Entertainment Inc.
• Gust Co. Ltd.
• Hamster Corporation
• Hudson Soft Co. Ltd.
• Idea Factory Co. Ltd.
• Index Corporation (Atlus)
• Irem Software Engineering Inc.
• Kadokawa Games Ltd.
• Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co. Ltd.
• Konami Digital Entertainment Co. Ltd.
• Level-5 Inc.
• Marvelous Entertainment Inc.
• Media5 Corporation
• Namco Bandai Games Inc.
• Nihon Falcom Corporation
• Nippon Ichi Software Inc.
• Nowproduction Co. Ltd.
• Q Entertainment Inc.
• Sega Corporation
• SNK Playmore Corporation
• Spike Co. Ltd.
• Square Enix Co. Ltd.
• SystemSoft Alpha Corp.
• Tecmo Koei Games Co. Ltd.
• TOMY Company Ltd.
• TOSE Co. Ltd.
• Ubisoft K.K.
• Yuke's Co. Ltd.

North America

• Activision Inc.
• Capybara Games
• Demiurge Studios
• Epic Games Inc.
• Far Sight Studios
• Frima
• High Voltage Software
• Kung Fu Factory
• Paramount Digital Entertainment
• PopCap Games
• Powerhead Games
• Trendy Entertainment
• Ubisoft
• Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
• 2K Games
• 2K Sports

Europe/PAL

• Avalanche Studios
• Climax Studios Ltd.
• Codemasters Software Company Ltd.
• Eurocom Developments Ltd.
• Eutechnyx Ltd.
• Exient Ltd.
• Firemint PTY Ltd.
• Gameloft SA
• Gusto Games Ltd.
• Home Entertainment Suppliers PTY Ltd.
• Impromptu Software Ltd.
• Rebellion
• Rockstar Games
• Sidhe Interactive
• Sumo Digital Ltd.
• Team 17 Software Ltd.
• Ubisoft Entertainment SA
• Zen Studios Ltd.

NGP features two proprietary card slots for memory storage, games

The NGP's memory storage capabilities are puzzlingly absent from the hardware specifications released by Sony today. During the PlayStation Meeting 2011 press conference, the company briefly introduced a "new game media" format, a flash memory-based card on which retail titles will be sold (replacing the clunky, power-sucking UMD). These SD-looking game cards -- said to be proprietary -- will feature extra storage for relevant data, including games saves and add-ons.

"NGP adopts a new game medium, a small flash memory based card, dedicated for NGP software titles," a Sony press release later confirmed. "Taking advantage of the flash memory feature, this innovative card can store the full software titles plus add-on game content or the game save data directly on to the card. By adopting flash memory based card, SCE will be able to provide game cards with higher capacity in the future, allowing developers to store more game data to deliver rich and immersive games."

But where will users store non-game data? The NPG's LiveArea UI suggests that multimedia applications will be integral to the handheld, and many of these apps will obviously require data storage -- not to mention the storage requirements for downloadable games. While Sony has not mentioned an internal flash memory component of the NGP, SCE Worldwide Studios head Shuhei Yoshida revealed to Game Informer that the device will feature "two slots" for memory cards; one for the new game cart format (which Yoshida confirmed would be proprietary -- not SD) and a second port for additional storage.

Whether the additional slot has been designed for Sony's existing proprietary Memory Stick (the "Micro" version is used for PSP Go memory expansion) has not been specified. "At this point, all we're saying is it is proprietary storage capabilities," SCEA boss Jack Trenton told Engadget, "we're not getting into defining what it is yet."

"Digital distribution's role and scope and ratio of sales will definitely increase," Yoshida suggested to GI, indicating that memory expansion is important for the NGP to flourish. "It's just a matter of time as people get faster internet connections. So the role and importance of digital sales will increase. But at the same time, there are people who just want to buy a game at a store and plug and play. That's why we decided to adopt the flash media format."

However, according to SCCE president Andrew House, digital distribution of games -- via the PlayStaiton Store -- could be NPG's primary retail format. "So what we're intending to do is have everything available on PlayStation Store," he told Eurogamer, "and potentially be on physical media as well." He reiterated the general perception that "if you have games that are only available for digital download, you remove clearly a huge amount of risk for publishers."

"I wouldn't want to call too many things too early," House added, "but I think what you'll see in the physical space is the larger, and I mean in terms of data capacity but also in terms of bigger, blockbuster franchises that will probably lend themselves more to the physical medium -- you know, big games that you don't necessarily want to spend an awful lot of time downloading." Can you imagine pulling down MGS4 over 3G? No, thanks.
Source: Game Informer, Engadget, Eurogamer

Lag-free Wii on PSP episode II: Mario Kart strikes back

It looks like our favorite PSP Fanboy, Obiwan222222, is up to his old tricks once again, and his latest video shows that he has finally eliminated the lag problem that plagued his first attempt to play Wii on a PSP four years ago. Using a Wii emulator on a PC, some custom firmware, and a program called PSPDisplay, he has managed to stream video and sound to his PSP Go in real time. He also mapped the Wii controls (Wiimote waving excluded, we presume) to the handheld to complete the full Wii-on-PSP gameplaying experience. To see the slick mod in action, check the video after the break.

Source:Engadget

Angry Birds (for PlayStation 3, PSP)

Controls: Jerky

Angry Birds has become a casual gaming sensation, and one of the premiere smartphone games. It's the new Bejeweled, the new Tetris, the new Solitaire. There's something inexplicably addictive and entertaining about using a giant slingshot to send birds crashing through pigs' fortifications. Now it's come to Sony's gaming systems as a PlayStation mini, a $3.99 downloadable game you can play on both the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. But before PS fans get too excited, be aware that Angry Birds for Sony's gaming platforms isn't as smart as the smartphone versions.

On one hand, this port of Angry Birds is faithful to the original game. On the other hand, too little was changed for the game to be very fun on the PS3, and performance issues hinder its playability on the PSP. The game comes with just 63 levels (though there is the potential for more in the future). Considering that smartphone versions cost less and include more than three times as many levels (not even including the Angry Birds Seasons games), it's not nearly as tempting as it could be.

For both PlayStation versions of the game, the controls are very simple, but they're not nearly as satisfying as the touch-screen controls found on smartphone versions. The left analog stick (on the PS3) or analog disc (on the PSP) aims the slingshot, X fires, and the shoulder buttons pan the map back and forth so you can look over the level. You can fire the slingshot by flicking the analog stick/disc for a more tactile sensation, but it's an unreliable way to play the game, and you'll find yourself nudging the controller in just the wrong way at a crucial time, sending your bird hopping uselessly just a few feet instead of flying across the level.

Specifications

Platform

Sony PSP, PlayStation 3

Genre

Board/Puzzle

ESRB Rating

E for Everybody

More

Graphics: It's No Super Meat Boy
Visually, Angry Birds has not changed one whit from its smartphone versions. On both the PS3 and PSP, the game features the same cartoony, simple graphics used before, and the menu layout is identical. Regardless of the platform, the game is standard definition. While it looks fine on the PSP (despite some slight pixilation around straight lines placed on angles, on the PS3 it looks blocky and unpleasant, like a smartphone screen blown up to HDTV size. The menus, the sprites, the animations, they're all jarringly full of pixels. While pixilated sprites might be acceptable in retro-themed games, in these days of high-res, hand-drawn sprites in games like Castle Crashers and Super Meat Boy, Angry Birds just looks dated.

On the smaller screen of the PSP, Angry Birds looks much nicer. Unfortunately, the lower processing power leads to some other flaws in the game. You can expect to see significant choppiness and stuttering of the picture during particularly spectacular launches as the handheld's CPU works to keep up. A perfect, pig-crushing throw feels much less satisfying when you watch it jerk along at a few frames per second, hiccupping as the wood, stone, and glass walls shatter and fall.

At Least it's Ch eap
Between its lackluster presentation on the PS3 and jerky game play on the PSP, the PlayStation Mini version of Angry Birds isn't the best version of the game for either platform. However, at $3.99 and packed with dozens of levels, it's a cheap way to sate your bird-flinging thirst if you don't have an Android, iPhone, or iPad. If you have any of the aforementioned mobile devices, use them. Lower prices, more levels, and a much more satisfying touch-screen control system make this one of the few cases where iPhones and Android phones can handle a game far better than either of Sony's systems.

Source:PcMag

Via:PcMag

Red Dead and Limbo lead nominees for 2011 GDC Awards

It's almost time once again for the industry's premier awards show that doesn't feature regular appearances by Jersey Shore cast members: the 11th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards. The event's organizers have released the mercifully Mountain Dew-based-category-free list of nominees, which includes a number of potential merits for Limbo, Red Dead Redemption, Mass Effect 2 and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood.

Check out the full list of nominees after the jump and discuss your favorites in the comments! (Oh, that's your pick for Best Visual Arts? Well, we can't say we agree with you, there.)

2011 GDCA Nominees

Best Game Design

• Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo)
• Mass Effect 2 (BioWare)
• Limbo (Playdead)
• Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar San Diego)
• God of War III (SCE Santa Monica)

Innovation

• Heavy Rain (Quantic Dream)
• Kirby's Epic Yarn (Good-Feel & HAL Laboratory)
• Minecraft (Mojang)
• Limbo (Playdead)
• Dance Central (Harmonix)

Best Technology

• Starcraft II (Blizzard)
• Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar San Diego)
• Heavy Rain (Quantic Dream)
• Mass Effect 2 (BioWare)
• God of War III (SCE Santa Monica)

Best Handheld Game

• God of War: Ghost of Sparta (Ready At Dawn/SCE Santa Monica)
• Cut the Rope (ZeptoLab)
• Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (Kojima Productions)
• Game Dev Story (Kairosoft)
• Dragon Quest IX (Level 5)

Best Audio

• Limbo (Playdead)
• Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar San Diego)
• Halo: Reach (Bungie)
• Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (DICE)
• Mass Effect 2 (BioWare)

Best Downloadable Game

• Costume Quest (Double Fine)
• Limbo (Playdead)
• Super Meat Boy (Team Meat)
• Minecraft (Mojang)
• Monday Night Combat (Uber Entertainment)

Best Writing

• Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar San Diego)
• Heavy Rain (Quantic Dream)
• Mass Effect 2 (BioWare)
• Costume Quest (Double Fine)
• Fallout: New Vegas (Obsidian)

Best Debut Game

• Limbo (Playdead)
• Darksiders (Vigil Games)
• Minecraft (Mojang)
• Monday Night Combat (Uber Entertainment)
• Super Meat Boy (Team Meat)

Best Visual Arts

• God of War III (SCE Santa Monica)
• Limbo (Playdead)
• Call of Duty: Black Ops (Treyarch)
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (Ubisoft Montreal)
• Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar San Diego)

Game of the Year

• Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar San Diego)
• Mass Effect 2 (BioWare)
• Call of Duty: Black Ops (Treyarch)
• Limbo (Playdead)
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (Ubisoft Montreal)

FIFA Interactive World Cup Enters The Guinness World Records

FIFA Interactive World Cup celebrates a record breaking year

The FIFA President had the pleasure of welcoming a special guest to the Home of FIFA this week when Nenad Stojkovic, FIFA Interactive World Cup Champion 2010, joined Joseph S. Blatter to celebrate the tournament’s entry into the latest version of the Guinness Book of Records. 

The FIFA Interactive World Cup is now officially the largest gaming tournament in the world, with 775,000 competitors taking part in the 2010 edition of the event. This event climaxed in Barcelona in May 2010 when Nenad was crowned champion after defeating all challengers at the Grand Final.

“The FIFA Interactive World Cup is of great importance to FIFA’s portfolio of events” said Mr Blatter, “the tournament gives us the opportunity to engage with a wider target audience through a platform which is of high relevance to the next generations of football fans”.

These words were echoed by the Chief Editor of the Guinness World Records, Gaz Deaves, who congratulated FIFA and its Partners EA SPORTS™ and Sony Playstation, saying “The strength of the FIFA Interactive World Cup is a hugely impressive achievement and its 775,000 participants are a testament not only to the popularity of sports videogames but also to the incredible effort it takes to organise the biggest gaming tournament in the world. We are pleased to award this record to FIFA and look forward to seeing it broken in 2011.”

This year’s edition of the FIFA Interactive World Cup now promises to be larger than ever, breaking its own record for the number of competitors. The tournament has a new format this year, with six online seasons making the event more accessible than ever. For general information on the event please check out the following link:http://www.fifa.com/interactiveworldcup/news/newsid=1324520/index.html

FIFA Interactive World Cup Champion Nenad has also committed himself to helping to improve the skills of fellow players all over the world. Every Friday a selection of Nenad’s favourite tips and tricks will be hosted on the FIFA Interactive World Cup section of fifa.com - www.fifa.com/FIWC

PlayStation expansion into China planned

Sony is finally ready to take on one of the largest emerging markets in the world: China. A report in China Daily details Sony Computer Entertainment's plans on expanding into the Asian mainland. According to the report, Sony recently signed a letter of intent detailing plans to implement training and R&D facilities in Guangzhou province. The project is apparently "the first investment by SCEI in the mainland."

In addition to localization, Sony plans on developing games in the region. Facilitating homegrown content for local markets follows the standard set by Sony's other recent expansions into India and South America. Although a timetable for launch hasn't been set, expectations are quite high for PlayStation's first release in the country. Guangdong Animation City (GAC), an investor in PlayStation's Chinese expansion, noted that the industry could expand its worth to over 100 billion yuan (about $15 billion) annually within the next five years. Obviously, Sony would do well to capitalize on such staggering potential.
Source: China Daily

Earth Defense Force 2 Portable being released as two-pack in Japan

D3 Publisher is including an unusual, but sensible bonus with a limited edition of Earth Defense Force 2 Portable: a second copy of Earth Defense Force 2 Portable. The first print run of the PSP remake will be available as the "Double Enlistment Pack," containing two UMD copies of the game -- in full retail packaging -- bundled together for ¥6,279 ($76), a significant discount over buying two ¥5,040 ($61) copies individually. It'll be out in Japan April 7.

This is a great way to get a co-op game into the hands of a population that already has a bunch of PSPs and a taste for multiplayer on that system, thanks to Monster Hunter

• Via: Siliconera
• Source: Famitsu

'Gods Eater Burst' GameStop pre-order includes bonus DLC

If you plan to pick up D3 Publisher's anime-style, Monster Hunter-style PSP action RPG, Gods Eater Burst, you might as well pick it up from GameStop. D3 announced today that pre-orders from GameStop will include an exclusive downloadable content pack, including new missions and fights against two of the game's creepy, part-weapon "Aragami" monsters.

That's not a typo in the headline, by the way. D3 sneaked in a name change recently: The game is now "Gods Eater Burst" instead of "God Eater Burst." We guess D3 didn't want to give the impression that it was about eating the God ... just some gods.
Source: GameStop

MiniSquadron flies onto PSP and PS3 next month

The Minis program continues to attract more high-profile iOS releases. If Angry Birds wasn't enough for you, then you may want to try MiniSquadron, a 2D dogfighting game. The Minis version seems to be a direct port of the iOS original, including 8 worlds and 50 planes. Unfortunately, like all other Minis, there's no multiplayer, and no added content to make up for its omission.

MiniSquadron has been a fan favorite on iTunes since its debut, with an average four-star rating since release. Check out the trailer after the break.

European PSN releases for January 12

It's an eclectic grab bag on this week's European PSN release list, bringing us an odd mix of games such as Germany's Next Top Model (available only in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, natch) Tomb Raider Chronicles and Angry Birds. Rounding out the bizarreness is a Linkin Park track pack for Rock Band 3. Man, the only way that this list could get any diverse is if it included subscriptions of varying lengths to DC Universe Online. Oh, right. It totally does.

Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list:

(Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)

PS3 Content

Special Offers (available until Jan. 19)

• UNO (PS3) (was – £6.29/€7.99 now – £0.79/€0.99)
• H.A.W.X. Supremacy Pack (was – £7.99/€9.99 now – £4.79/€5.99)
• Driver (PSone) (was – £3.99/€4.99 now – £2.99/€3.59)
• Tales of Monkey Island (was – £13.99/€17.99 now – £7.19/€8.99, available until Jan. 12)

Permanent Price Reductions

• Alien Breed: Impact (now – £7.19/€8.99)
• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (now – £7.99/€9.99)
• Tom Clancy's EndWar (now – £7.99/€9.99)
• Prince of Persia: Revelations (now – £11.99/€14.99)
• Prince of Persia: Rival Swords (now – £11.99/€14.99)
• Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (now – £11.99/€14.99)
• Splinter Cell Essentials (now – £11.99/€14.99)
• Driver '76 (now – £11.99/€14.99)
• Brothers in Arms: D-Day (now – £11.99/€14.99)

Playable Content

• Faery: Legends of Avalon (£11.99/€14.99)
• Germany's Next Top Model (€9.99)
• PopStars (€9.99)
• DC Universe Online
  * 30 Day Subscription (£9.99/€12.99)
  * 90 Day Subscription (£27.99/€34.99)
  * 180 Day Subscription (£44.99/€64.99)
• Tomb Raider Chronicles (£7.99/€9.99)
• Winter Sports 2011 demo

Add-On Game Content

• ModNation Racers - Jak and Daxter Mod Pack (£1.39/€1.75)
• The Sims 3 – Asian Fusion (£7.99/€9.99)
• Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage – Shin and Thouzer: Original costume and 2 new missions (£4.99/€6.19)
• Super Street Fighter IV – Ultra Shadaloo Pack (£3.19/€3.99)
• Rock Band 3 tracks (continued)
• Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock tracks (continued)

Rock Band 3 tracks

Linkin Park Pack 01 (£4.99/€7.99) (contains the tracks listed below which are also available separately)

• Crawling (£0.99/€1.49)
• In The End (£0.99/€1.49)
• Numb (£0.99/€1.49)
• Somewhere I Belong (£0.99/€1.49)
• Waiting For The End (£0.99/€1.49)
• What I've Done (£0.99/€1.49)

Rock Band Network tracks

• 'Gasoline' by The Bouncing Souls (£0.59/€0.79)
• 'Let Us Slay' by GWAR (£0.59/€0.79)
• 'Saint Simon' by The Shins (£0.99/€1.49)
• 'Smokahontas' by Attack Attack! (£0.99/€1.49)
• 'White Knuckles' by Okay Go (£0.99/€1.49)

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock tracks

January Mega Pack (£13.99/€17.99) (contains the following tracks which are also available separately)

• '2nd Sucks' By A Day To Remember (£1.59/€1.99)
• 'All I Want' By A Day To Remember (£1.59/€1.99)
• 'Buried Myself Alive' By The Used (£1.59/€1.99)
• 'Closer' By Nine Inch Nails (£1.59/€1.99)
• 'Head Like A Hole' By Nine Inch Nails (£1.59/€1.99)
• 'Rescue Me' By Hawthorne Heights (£1.59/€1.99)
• 'The Downfall Of Us All' By A Day To Remember (£1.59/€1.99)
• 'The Hand That Feeds' By Nine Inch Nails (£1.59/€1.99)
• 'We've Got A Situation Here' By The Damned Things (£1.59/€1.99)
• 'Wings Of A Butterfly' By Him (£1.59/€1.99)

FirstPlay

• FirstPlay Episode 40 (£0.99/€1.20) [Ireland and UK only]

Avatars

• EyePet
  * Looking Back Sitting Pet (£0.20/€0.25)
  * Rapper Pet (£0.20/€0.25)
  * Boxing Pet (£0.20/€0.25)

Themes

• Spare Parts Theme 1
• Top Darts Theme

Premium Themes

• Disruptive Themes
  * Smooth Notes (£1.19/€1.49)
  * Draco: The Return (£1.19/€1.49)
• Thumbstar Themes
  * Shine (£1.59/€1.99)
  * Cube (£1.59/€1.99)
  * Destinations (£1.59/€1.99)

Wallpapers

• Dragon's Lair HD Wallpaper
• Eat Them! Purple Monster Wallpaper
• Eat Them! Red Monster Wallpaper
• Spare Parts Wallpaper 1, 2 & 3

Videos

• Faery: Legends of Avalon Trailer
• Dead Space 2 The Sprawl
• Crazy Taxi Launch Trailer
• Kung-Fu LIVE! Launch Trailer
• Dead Nation Housemarque Trailer
• MotorStorm Apocalypse Developer Diary

PSP Content

Special Offers (available until Jan. 19)

• Blood Bowl (PSP) (was – £15.99/€19.99 now – £9.99/€12.99)
• Pro Cycling 2010: Tour de France (PSP) (was – £23.99/€29.99 now – £13.99/€17.99)
• UNO (PSP) (was – £6.29/€7.99 now – £0.79/€0.99)
• Driver (PSone) (was – £3.99/€4.99 now – £2.99/€3.59)
• Alien Havoc (mini) (was – £3.99/€4.99 now – £2.49/€2.99)
• Bubble Trubble (mini) (was – £3.99/€4.99 now – £2.49/€2.99)

Downloadable Games

• Buzz! The Ultimate Music Quiz (£21.99/€26.99)
• Crystal Mines (£11.99/€14.99)
• Crystal Mines demo

Minis

• Angry Birds (£2.49/€2.99)
• Jane's Hotel (£2.49/€2.99)

Add-On Game Content

• Prinny 2 - Asagi Wars Premium Special Ticket (free)

Wallpaper

• Legends of War: Patton's Campaign Wallpaper 4

Digital Comics

• Batman Beyond Vol.1 #1 DC Comics
• Bayou #11 DC Comics
• Cancertown #1-#6 (with audio commentary!) Markosia
• Domo #1 TOKYOPOP
• The Dreaming #10 TOKYOPOP
• Ex Machina #25 DC Comics
• Fables #40 DC Comics
• Flash: Rebirth #6 DC Comics
• Fringe: Tales from the Fringe #2 DC Comics
• Green Lantern Corps Vol.1 #4 DC Comics
• I Luv Halloween #9 TOKYOPOP
• The Indifference Engine #4 Markosia
• Irredeemable #9-15 BOOM! Studios
• Irredeemable Special #1 BOOM! Studios
• Kane & Lynch #4 DC Comics
• Legends of the Dark Crystal #3 TOKYOPOP
• The Night Owls #3 DC Comics
• Planetary #24 DC Comics
• Road #2 DC Comics
• Sandman #17 DC Comics
• Silent Hill: Past Life #2 IDW Publishing
• Star Trek: Khan: Ruling in Hell #3 IDW Publishing
• Star Trek: The Manga #9 TOKYOPOP
• Superman/Batman #44 DC Comics
• Supernatural: Origins #6 DC Comics
• Transformers #14 IDW
• Ultimate Fantastic Four (2003) #12-#16 Marvel
• Undertown #2 TOKYOPOP
• Wonder Woman Vol.3 #16 DC Comics
• X-Force (2008) #1-6 Marvel
• Y: The Last Man #23 DC Comics

Rumor: PSP2 unveiling in Tokyo this month at Sony 'business meeting'

MCV reports that "trade sources" have "confirmed" that the so-called PSP2 will be unveiled at a January 27 press event, hosted by Sony in Tokyo. A VG247 source has described the event as a "business overview and strategy meeting," with "very select press" in attendance, and corroborated the supposed PSP2 reveal there. Thus far, Sony has declined to comment on the event.

Supposed images of a "PSP2" prototype (pictured) were leaked in November, followed in December by the detailing of alleged hardware specs. The PSP successor is assumed to be in development alongside the PlayStation Phone, and Sony has already acknowledged the challenge of differentiating two such devices in the consumer market. Coming out and announcing them already would probably be a good start.

Black Ops led 2010 UK game sales, Just Dance top of the pops on Wii

Although it comes as little surprise, Call of Duty: Black Ops was the best-selling game in the UK last year. The UK Interactive Entertainment Association's 2010 bestsellers list features the usual suspects, with Black Ops, FIFA 11 and Just Dance occupying the top three spots, respectively, across all platform sales.

Breaking it down by format, Blops landed in the top sales spot for Xbox 360 and PS3 games, while Just Dance and its sequel filled the first and third positions among Wii releases, naturally. Professor Layton And The Lost Future took the golden picarat for DS and FIFA 11 charged to the top of the charts on PSP.

Although one could speculate as to why Black Ops wasn't at the front line of PC sales in the UK, it's just as fitting that Football Manager 2011 and 2010 occupied the forward spots in the region. Check out the complete breakdown by format after the jump.

UK Bestsellers of 2010 (via UKIE)

All Formats

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops
2. FIFA 11
3. Just Dance
4. Red Dead Redemption
5. Wii Fit Plus
6. Just Dance 2
7. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
8. Wii Sports Resort
9. Halo: Reach
10. Battlefield: Bad Company

Wii

1. Just Dance
2. Wii Fit Plus
3. Just Dance 2
4. Wii Sports Resort
5. New Super Mario Bros Wii

PS3

1. Call Of Duty: Black Ops
2. FIFA 11
3. Gran Turismo 5
4. Red Dead Redemption
5. Assassins Creed: Brotherhood

Xbox 360

1. Call Of Duty: Black Ops
2. FIFA 11
3. Halo: Reach
4. Red Dead Redemption
5. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

DS

1. Professor Layton And The Lost Future
2. New Super Mario Bros
3. Art Academy
4. Pokemon Soulsilver
5. Mario Kart DS

PSP

1. FIFA 11
2. LittleBigPlanet
3. Gran Turismo
4. Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines
5. FIFA 10

PC

1. Football Manager 2011
2. Football Manager 2010
3. The Sims 3
4. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
5. Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty

Even more PlayStation Phone shots appear, comparison shots galore!

What would you say if we told you that somehow, Sony's containment of its still-unannounced PlayStation Phone (the Xperia Play?) has gotten even more impossibly bad? At this point, just a few short days after we saw the first Chinese-language explosion of pics we've got another ten-page, Chinese-language explosion. Engadget's Richard Lai handled translation duties and he suggests this may be the very same PlayStation Phone making the Chinese media rounds. This time around, we've got comparison shots with the PSP-1000, the PSP Go, DSi, GBA SP, various Sony Ericsson Xperia handsets, and more. That PlayStation Pocket app is as much of a mystery as it was the other day, but this preview says a third-party emulator runs on the handheld with 70% of the titles working. Are those PSone titles or PSP titles? Engadget's guess is it's the 'psx4droid' PSone emulator. Regardless, there's plenty of eye candy at the Source link below.