PSP News

• Watch the Video Walkthrough of the Newly Released adhocParty

  At long last, the adhocParty feature has been released to those lucky enough to own both a PS3 and PSP. With it, you'll now be able to play some of your PSP games online that previously only allowed for ad-hoc multiplayer. One of the unfortunate drawbacks worth mentioning upfront is that you won't be able to make use of adhocParty if your PS3 connects to your router wirelessly. That's due to the fact that the PS3 is already communicating with your PSP wirelessly, so the only option for it to be able to connect to the internet -- at least at this point -- is through a wired connection. Hopefully an alternative method will be made available at some point to those, like myself, who simply can't connect wire their console to the internet -- maybe a USB dongle of some sort would do the trick? So if you've passed all the caveats of having to own both a PSP and PS3, a supported PSP game with ad-hoc multiplayer, and a wired internet connection to your PS3, you're ready to check out the video above, which will walk you through the process of installing adhocParty and getting into a multiplayer game. Gran Turismo PSP and Monster Hunter Freedom Unite are among the games currently supported by adhocParty. AdhocParty is now available as a download from the PlayStation Store on PS3. - 24 hours ago

• Digital Comics Reader Comes to PSP in New Firmware Update

  Sony's latest attempt to broaden the feature set of the PlayStation Portable has come to fruition with the release of the v6.20 firmware update. The primary feature you'll find after downloading and installing the firmware will be the option to download the digital comics reader. The digital comics service launches on the PlayStation Network in December and will allow you to download and read comics on your PSP either page-by-page or frame-by-frame. Sony is promising a free sample will soon be available so that you can get a taste of what it's like to read comics on a PSP screen, and whether or not that's something your eyes will be able to tolerate. Back in August, Sony claimed that there would be over 1,000 comics available in December from Marvel including Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and X-Men. You can see that the preview image above, first shown in August, also has Iron Man and Civil War, but there's no indication as to whether those will be available next month or not. In addition to the comics reader, the new firmware will grant the ability to transfer your video and picture playlists from a computer to your PSP via the Media Go software, provided you've downloaded the latest version (v1.3, available here). Other new Media Go features include the ability to download PSP firmware updates, new encoding options when transferring media to a device, Windows 7 taskbar support, and you'll now be able to transfer digital copies of DVDs and Blu-rays to your PSP. - 2 days ago

• Delay Of Little Big Planet PSP Digital Release Due To Technical 'Hiccups'

  Little Big Planet is now available, but you won't be able to find it in the PlayStation Store. Apparently the release has suffered a few "hiccups," which has prevented it from making its way it online for the time being. "We are aware that the game is not yet available on the PlayStation Store, but we're currently working around the clock to get this issue worked out so keep your eyes peeled for updates this week. We appreciate you bearing with us!" Senior Producer Mark Green wrote on the PlayStation Blog. He also briefly discussed the challenges the team faced when it came to implementing the game's physics, as well as the game's 38 new levels. For more complete impressions, check out our review, which awarded the game a B+. - 3 days ago

• Black Friday Videogame Deals Cheat Sheet 2009

  Once again we're approaching Thanksgiving, and it promises another November filled with turkey binges, football, and holiday deals due to the the national shopping tradition known as Black Friday. After a full year of poor economic conditions, retailers are hoping to turn the tide with a flurry of sales. We're already seeing flyers leak, and we want you to find the best deals to save some money on gifts for family (and yourself). We've culled this year's advertisements and compiled all we could find here for your shopping convenience. Keep in mind that everything listed is only available while supplies last, and for particularly cheap or rare items that's not going to be very long. Consoles are listed by price, and games are in alphabetical order. Some retailers are holding special sales on days other than Black Friday, so those are listed separately by date or retailer. And we'll be updating this list regularly, so check back often to see what's been added. If you see anything missing, feel free to call it out in the comments and we'll get it included as well. Happy shopping. - 3 days ago

• Halo: Reach to Premiere at VGAs, Nominees Revealed

  Spike revealed their list of nominees for the 2009 Video Game Awards today, and voting is now open on the official VGA website. More importantly, however, they also announced the first of several exclusive premieres planned for next month's broadcast: Unless you work at Bungie (or happen to be named Tom Morello), the 2009 VGAs will be your first chance to see Halo: Reach in motion. As for the awards themselves, Uncharted 2 cleaned up with a total of eight nominations this year. Other standouts include Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and Left 4 Dead 2. Should make for an interesting show when it airs on December 12 on Spike. Check out the full list of nominees below: - 3 days ago

• Sony Announces Another Loopy PSP Game

  Sony Computer Entertainment Japan revealed the first details behind Hyakuman-Ton no Barabara today, another installment in SCEJ's really weird, original, indie-fused line of PSP titles. This one, developed by Acquire (who also made NIS's Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman!), will come out in UMD and downloadable form this February in Japan; no US release has been announced. As you might be able to tell from the Japanese teaser site available right now, Barabara is centered around giant flying fortresses that seem to be built out of patchwork quilt pieces. You control a small army of people that latch on to these marauding ships and attack it, gradually creating cracks in the hull. When these cracks meet up with each other, a section of the ship falls off and plummets earthward. You repeat this until the entire fortress crashes, receiving bonuses for the amount of ship tonnage you managed to shear off. More details as they come. - 3 days ago