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[Wario64]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/08/23/news_6131739.html

Despite the fact that the major PSP firmware update was released in Japan just last month, Sony Computer Entertainment platform development chief Izumi Kawanishi was already discussing expansion of the handheld's new features a few weeks later. Among the topics touched on at that point were Web-based game content, downloadable movies, and e-mail support. But apparently that was not all that was brewing at Sony's platform development studio. In an interview with Japanese technology Web site ITmedia, Kawanishi revealed even more possible plans for the PSP.

Sony's developers are considering adding Macromedia Flash support for PSP's web browser in the future, as well as expanding Javascript functions. Kawanishi explained they need to determine Flash's performances on the PSP before coming to a conclusion. Kawanishi said that his team basically has an open stance towards network-related functions, and Flash playback was not intentionally ignored. On the other hand, Kawanishi explained that security issues prompted the team to leave out some Javascript support, such as allowing scripts to access the UMD. The PSP development team is planning to release a guideline manual for content providers so they can make Web pages catered to the PSP. Kawanishi is also considering disclosing the specs to the public as well.

When a Web page is displayed on the PSP, all data is managed in the handheld's main memory, Kawanishi explained. The browser does not use the Memory Stick Duo accessory to display Web pages (though it is technically possible) because as removable media, unexpected errors can occur if the stick is removed during use. Kawanishi added that displaying saved HTML files from the memory stick is technically possible, and will be kept under consideration for future updates.

Kawanishi also revealed that Sony is already planning a number of USB peripherals for the PSP, and some should be announced in the near future. He commented that a keyboard and mouse are possibilities, as they will facilitate browsing the Web. The Global Positioning System device shown during last year's E3 is another possible peripheral, as it could be used with both the Web browser and PSP games.

The 2.0 firmware update gave the handheld H.264 MPEG4 movie playback capabilities, and Kawanishi confirmed that he would like to add support for other formats, but explained that some third-party formats cannot be supported. Instead, Sony's developers will be giving first priority to the most standard file formats. Kawanishi said there are also plans to support high-resolution and high bit rates, with plans already underway for the MPEG4-AVC format. In terms of audio, Kawanishi explained that the PSP supports AAC format since it is standardized, and there is the possibility that the m4a audio format will be added as well.

When asked whether the PSP will support downloadable games, Kawanishi simply stated that the idea is under consideration. He also added that it would be interesting if users could develop their own simple games and distribute them online.

Kawanishi did not mention any release dates for the next update for the handheld's software, in Japan or abroad. Stateside, PSP owners are still awaiting the release of Firmware 2.0, which allows the PSP to browse the Web among other functions. Sony promised that the update would be available the week of August 15.

 

[mckmas8808]

If that Mother F-er says the word possible one more time.... Give us the damn keyboard all ready!!

 

[jarrod]

I dunno why SCEI doesn't strike a deal with Bandai for downloadable WS/WSC games? Seems like a cheap, easy moneymaker and it'd beat Nintendo to the punch in handhelds.

 

[BuzzJive]

Supporting flash would make it simple to just run little flash games. The PSP is slowly finding it's niche as everything BUT a PSP game player.

 

[gamewhooper]

I don't care. I want some more games, damn it. I could care less if I can buy a keyboard and moust peripheral for it for another $50. Give me the Tekkens, Mega Mans, and RPGs.

 

[op_ivy]

i'd go for gps

 

[Doom_Bringer]

I don't care. I want some more games, damn it. I could care less if I can buy a keyboard and moust peripheral for it for another $50. Give me the Tekkens, Mega Mans, and RPGs.

word

 

[Kobun Heat]

He also added that it would be interesting if users could develop their own simple games and distribute them online.

They already are, buddy. You're just not getting any money for them because you're slow on the uptake.

 

[jluedtke]

So what is this telling us, really? That there "might" be this and there "could" be that.

We know this thing has potential...GIVE ME GAMES, DAMMIT!

 

[kaching]

The PSP development team is planning to release a guideline manual for content providers so they can make Web pages catered to the PSP. Kawanishi is also considering disclosing the specs to the public as well.

This part is confusing - disclosing what specs? Following directly after the comment about the guideline manual for PSP-friendly web pages, I'm not sure what "specs" they'd be referring to in relation to that. Anybody know where these comments were originally stated?

 

[acidviper]

i'd go for gps

Why? To link up with Gizmondo?

 

[cyberheater]

NO. Give me mouse and keyboard support. My psp is feeling lonely.

Looks like PSP designers are really looking to expand the functionality of the this little wonder.

Amazing

 

[Ruzbeh]

How about a hard drive addon?

 

[cyberheater]

How about a hard drive addon?

I think the Extender crew are working on that...

 

[brandonnn]

Supporting flash would make it simple to just run little flash games. The PSP is slowly finding it's niche as everything BUT a PSP game player.

Not so simple without Adobe (nee Macromedia) either jointly creating an API with Sony for developers to have access to the dpad/nubbin/buttons (perhaps as a future version of Flash Lite), or somebody working on a layer that allowed psp controls to emulate keystrokes.

As it stands it may be able to capture the controller as mouse movement and one button as an onPress/onRelease, but the possibilties there would be fairly limited.

 

[Ponn]

I'd really love it if they would add memory card support for web browsing so there wouldn't be any cache full errors.

 

[mckmas8808]

I'd really love it if they would add memory card support for web browsing so there wouldn't be any cache full errors.

Now that's something that I'm really hoping for.

 

[Suikoguy]

I'd buy a GPS addon for $99

 

[Deg]

Good stuff. They should get Opera to port Opera 8 to PSP.

 

[jman2050]

Not to sound harsh or trollish or anything, but if you're willing to spend so much money on the PSP as an internet browser, GPS system and the like, you'd probably be better off buying a used laptop or a top-of-the-line PDA. I'm completely in the camp that Sony should stop worrying about all these stupid add-ons and get to focusing on making sure the game library is solid. Regardless of UMD movies and all that other crap, the PSP will live or die as a gaming machine, not as anything else.

 

[kaching]

Mores games are coming. Release schedule picks up significantly in Sept. Meanwhile, regardless of what Sony is doing to encourage game production, they're going to have people like this also working on firmware add-ons and other aspects of platform infrastructure that only help to add value to the overall package.

 

[BuzzJive]

Not so simple without Adobe (nee Macromedia) either jointly creating an API with Sony for developers to have access to the dpad/nubbin/buttons (perhaps as a future version of Flash Lite), or somebody working on a layer that allowed psp controls to emulate keystrokes.

As it stands it may be able to capture the controller as mouse movement and one button as an onPress/onRelease, but the possibilties there would be fairly limited.

Right. I didn't think about having to control a game with just moving the nub around like some kind of crippled mouse. Guess it will only be good for really limited one button flash style games. But hey - that would still be better than the recent PSP releases

 

[jman2050]

Mores games are coming. Release schedule picks up significantly in Sept. Meanwhile, regardless of what Sony is doing to encourage game production, they're going to have people like this also working on firmware add-ons and other aspects of platform infrastructure that only help to add value to the overall package.

I understand completely. I just get the impression that the 'overall package' isn't what I was hoping for when I first learned of the system. They can do all they want with these firmware add-ons and whatnot, but if they think the PSP is going to be a successful platform in the long run based on just these secondary additions, they have another thing coming.

Of course, I'm not saying that's what's going on, but despite the emulation and all that other crap that would be nice to have on a portable, I still haven't gotten one because, quite frankly, the only game on the system I liked was Lumines. I don't know, it's disheartening that most of the news I've read recently on the PSP has mostly been uninteresting ports of existing games or stuff on its other functions. The holiday lineup better be worth it, or Sony isn't getting a cent from me

Regardless of what I've said above, I will admit that all these features are pretty darn cool. All it's missing is an add-on keyboard and hard drive.

 

[michael000]

Not to sound harsh or trollish or anything, but if you're willing to spend so much money on the PSP as an internet browser, GPS system and the like, you'd probably be better off buying a used laptop or a top-of-the-line PDA. I'm completely in the camp that Sony should stop worrying about all these stupid add-ons and get to focusing on making sure the game library is solid. Regardless of UMD movies and all that other crap, the PSP will live or die as a gaming machine, not as anything else.

You still couldn't play PSP games though with a used laptop or PDA. Most people (myself included) are holding out in hopes that Sony eventually pulls its head out of its ass and gets their priorities straight. If ever that day comes stuff like an add on GPS for say ~$100 or a keyboard would be a cool add on instead of a waste of time.

 

[WasabiKing]

I'd buy a GPS addon for $99

GPS! I'd pay extra for a crappy stand attachment for my car!

 

[jman2050]

You still couldn't play PSP games though with a used laptop or PDA. Most people (myself included) are holding out in hopes that Sony eventually pulls its head out of its ass and gets their priorities straight. If ever that day comes stuff like an add on GPS for say ~$100 or a keyboard would be a cool add on instead of a waste of time.

Dude. That was precisely my point.

XD

 

[Shaheed79]

I think the Extender crew are working on that...

Please clarrify yo what extent they are "working on that".

 

[CamHostage]

Not so simple without Adobe (nee Macromedia) either jointly creating an API with Sony for developers to have access to the dpad/nubbin/buttons (perhaps as a future version of Flash Lite), or somebody working on a layer that allowed psp controls to emulate keystrokes.

The maker of the browser software PSP uses has a Flash application in its toolset for mobile units, so it's just a matter of licensing (unless the Flash integration is some sort of work-around)

 

[Juice]

Supporting flash would make it simple to just run little flash games. The PSP is slowly finding it's niche as everything BUT a PSP game player.

Exactly what I thought when I read this...

 

[Nick]

Personally, I would be most stoked with the ability to load HTML documents to your memory card and a 1st party keyboard/mouse. That would pretty much make the PSP usable to me as a web browser.

 

[brocke]

I'd buy a GPS addon for $99

I've always been confused on GPS. Would there be a monthly fee to use GPS? Or is it just a one time purchase and you are good to go?

 

[mckmas8808]

Exactly what I thought when I read this...

Hmmm... so all those games that are coming out this year will suck right? Get a clue.

 

[Datrio]

They have the source code for Firefox - how hard would it be to sign a deal with them to rebranding it and porting it to the PSP? They'd already have JavaScript, the first step to Flash, and everything what a real web browser needs (web browser != IE)

 

[beanoboy7]

FIRMWIRE 2.0 is AVAILABE NOW!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mj1108]

You know what would also be nice?

Games.

 

[Juice]

Hmmm... so all those games that are coming out this year will suck right? Get a clue.

None that I know of coming out this year interest me, no. And it seems more people I know are more interesting in using the PSP for homebrew and internet browsing than UMD movies or games.

I don't see how the statement is that absurd.

 

[Mega Man's Electric Sheep]

Thank God for Burnout Legends and GTA, because there is nothing else all that interesting coming out this year (maybe Virtua Tennis). Full priced Madden and SSX ports do little for me. It would be nice to look forward to next year's titles.........besides Daxter, what's confirmed for the early portion of next year?

 

[HomerSimpson-Man]

This reminds me of PS2's first year, nothing much for a long time after launch.

 

[The Abominable Snowman]

Uh, do you guys *really* know if doing decisions like this is cutting into their game development?

[allard] Things like this help sell systems, therefore leading to MORE AND NEW innovative game development![/allard]

 

[kaching]

None that I know of coming out this year interest me, no. And it seems more people I know are more interesting in using the PSP for homebrew and internet browsing than UMD movies or games.

I don't see how the statement is that absurd.

You've been very vocal with your personal opinion of the game library. But that and some anecdotal evidence doesn't change the fact that reported attach rates for PSP software in both Japan and North America are pretty respectable (3:1 and 2:1 respectively) for a platform early in its life. The majority of the userbase doesn't seem to share your sentiment.

 

[jaundicejuice]

Fuck firmware updates that may or may not include more superfluous features, give me some god damngames worth buying.

 

[Mega Man's Electric Sheep]

You've been very vocal with your personal opinion of the game library. But that and some anecdotal evidence doesn't change the fact that reported attach rates for PSP software in both Japan and North America are pretty respectable (3:1 and 2:1 respectively) for a platform early in its life. The majority of the userbase doesn't seem to share your sentiment.

Please explain how the high attach rate has anything to do with the weak upcoming library for the rest of the year, which is what he was talking about in this thread. I don't think it's that farfetched to suggest that a lot of people have tired of the two or three games they bought with their system and haven't played it much in a while, and are hungering for some quality games to come out and soon.
It had a good launch. Whoopie. What have you done for me lately, PSP?

 

[kaching]

It's not like the complaints about the game release schedule started yesterday around here. We've had people like Juice claiming for months that they've played everything worth playing on the PSP and nothing in the upcoming release schedule looks worth their time.

To be fair, Juice is in Japan and the 3:1 attach rate I mentioned comes from the survey that Next Gen cited today. But thinking about it that a bit more closely, it seems like it might be inaccurate given the fact that no PSP game has come close to lighting up the charts in Japan for months now.

But, in NA, the claims of nothing worth playing have been out of synch with software sales all along. Finicky GAFers wouldn't touch the likes of Midnight Club 3 or Coded Arms but initial sales of those games have been pretty healthy, for example. So, with the number of monthly PSP releases increasing by 5-6x starting in September and including games that even finicky GAFers would have to at least grudgingly admit have the potential to be better than the likes of Coded Arms or MC3, complaints about a weak release schedule just don't hold much weight when the userbase already seems content with what they've gotten so far.

 

[Juice]

It's not like the complaints about the game release schedule started yesterday around here. We've had people like Juice claiming for months that they've played everything worth playing on the PSP and nothing in the upcoming release schedule looks worth their time.

To be fair, Juice is in Japan and the 3:1 attach rate I mentioned comes from the survey that Next Gen cited today. But thinking about it that a bit more closely, it seems like it might be inaccurate given the fact that no PSP game has come close to lighting up the charts in Japan for months now.

But, in NA, the claims of nothing worth playing have been out of synch with software sales all along. Finicky GAFers wouldn't touch the likes of Midnight Club 3 or Coded Arms but initial sales of those games have been pretty healthy, for example. So, with the number of monthly PSP releases increasing by 5-6x starting in September and including games that even finicky GAFers would have to at least grudgingly admit have the potential to be better than the likes of Coded Arms or MC3, complaints about a weak release schedule just don't hold much weight when the userbase already seems content with what they've gotten so far.

Well, I'm certainly not the guy fucking up the attach rate. I own four US games (Ridge, Lumines, MGA, and Wipeout) and one JPN one (Taiko).

To be able to own 5 games that you think are pretty good just five months into owning a platform isn't too shabby, given my own personal gaming habits (and the fact there are now two portable platforms games are coming out for me).

What bums me out is the games coming out in the next couple months... that other thread got blown out of proportion--somebody told me to look at the specific two month list at Sony's site, which to me looked even less interesting than I originally thought.

I did realize today that WE9 comes out next month in Japan, so I think I'll be for sure picking up a copy for myself and my brother. Relieved I have something to look forward to on the system, since I don't have my consoles with me here.

 

[Forsete]

I'd really love it if they would add memory card support for web browsing so there wouldn't be any cache full errors.

Same here. Please make it happen Sony.

 

[Juice]

Same here. Please make it happen Sony.

I agree that their current caching solution SUCKS BALLS, however I agree that they really ought to be careful to be doing reads/writes to the memory stick without the user's explicit permission.

First of all, flash memory has a finite number of reads/writes, and even though that number is so high at this point that it doesn't matter for normal saving use, you might actually see some wear and tear on an MS stick if it's used for very frequent rewrites like caching. Also, if someone throws their system into sleep mode or yanks the mem stick while browsing the Internet, they would run the risk of corrupting their entire memory stick, wouldn't they?

Design wise, it seems like a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. I'd take memory security over convenience any day, but I'd much rather they find a way around out-of-memory errors (maybe only load what the user can see, and then stream load while scrolling? not practical, just a thought)

 

[sgt]

Fuck this. I have a PDA Phone already. More games less wanna be pda/movie player.