PSP

Sony needs to hire somebody, anybody, to make their ad campaigns better. I mean come on. Who wants to sit around for a minute and twenty-one seconds and watch some guy repeat "P-S-P" over and over. To make matters worse, this is all part of a horrible viral marketing campaign rooted in a fake fansite, which was created by Sony's marketing firm. Here is the goal of the "fansite":

i (charlie) have a psp. my friend jeremy does not. but he wants one this year for xmas. so we started clowning with sum not-so-subtle hints to j's parents that a psp would be teh perfect gift. we created this site to spread the luv to those like j who want a psp!

Are we actually supposed to believe that someone went out of their way to create an entire website simply to "spread the luv" of PSP? Who uses the word "luv" anymore?

[All Sony Wants For Christmas Is A Better Marketing Company via Kotaku]

Ubisoft announced that Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 is in development and on schedule for a Spring 2007 release. The original GRAW was a gem on the Xbox 360, the result of a challenging single player campaign and an excellent Xbox Live component. The sequel will include improved AI, an updated cross-com system, and enhanced visuals through the use of physics and particles. GRAW 2 will also introduce new types of support such as air strikes and multifunctional utility/logistics and equipment (MULE) vehicles. We're still not sure if the streets will be populated by civilians this time. More screens after the jump.

Elders Scrolls IV: Oblivion was supposed to be a launch title for the Xbox 360, but its release was delayed for several months. Bethesda confirmed today that Oblivion will be available for the PlayStation 3 this November when the console launches. Bethesda also announced that The Elder Scrolls Travels: Oblivion for the PSP handheld is slated for a Spring 2007 release.

Details about the graphics and gameplay of both games will be inside the November issue of the Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. According to Bethesda, the OPM article states, "If any game is worth the price of the PS3, Oblivion is it." That's not exactly good. But the PSP version might be cool. I'd be able to take my secret addiction into public.

First video from Rockstar's next title for the PSP.

The latest firmware update for the PSP adds support for video RSS attachments, allowing the handheld to acquire media files from video podcasts. This expands the device's original audio only support, which was introduced in April 2006. The update also adds support for .3gp files, a audio format used for mobile phones.

[via Spong]

No guns, no swords, no magic and certainly no bombs. What video game could be fun without any of these elements? Well, it's LocoRoco.

LocoRoco is a brand new game in development by Sony in Japan for the PSP. The game is quite simple. You are LocoRoco, a squishy, blobby, gooey creature that eats. The game has much more depth than that, I promise you. LocoRoco’s genius lies in its controls. The only way to move the creature is to use the left and right triggers which tilt its world 30 degrees left or right. With this tilt LocoRoco roles in the desired direction. Holding down both triggers and letting go simultaneously will cause it to jump. The stages are set in a linear format and the goal is to finish. The levels in LocoRoco are interesting to say the least. At first it is hard to move around, you keep trying to tilt the world more and move by using your body and tilting your head, and suddenly you realize that all you’re doing is making yourself look like a fool. Once the controls are familiar the game and the levels become more fun and rewarding. Seamless actions of titling and jumping cause it to move quickly through the level, eating fruit and becoming a massive blob of cute goo.

Refresh this page for the latest updates about the Sony Conference.

4:54: Ok it's starting now. 54 minute late! Kaz Hirai, President and CEO of SCEA is talking about the importance of the PS2 and the PSP to the video game market.

5:01: A video is playing that showcases a bunch of PSP titles that are set to release this year. I see LocoRoco!

5:03: Kaz is talking about the Greatest Hits program for the PlayStation and the PS2. He just announced a Greatest Hits program for the PSP. Moving over that quickly: now talking about the UMD format.

5:06: Sony plans to add RSS video, VoIP features, and camera support to the PSP later this year. Now a video featuring some people talking about there experiences with Sony products is rolling.

A translation of the latest episode of Hideo Kojima's podcast reveals that a new Metal Gear Solid title is in the works for the PSP. The storyline will pick up where Metal Gear Solid 3 left off in 1970. According to the translation, the graphics will be comparable to those found in the Metal Gear games on the PS2.

EA unveiled their E3 list today. With 8 titles under the EA Games brand, 2 under the EA Sports brand, and some possible surprises, EA's lineup is pretty darn big. But as far as we're concerned, only the games that are truly innovative count. And this year's big innovator from EA has to be Spore. The full list, after the jump.

Sony launched their E3 2006 site which will provide news, interviews, and video footage throughout the duration of the show. Currently, the site is only host to a short introduction video featuring Steve Truitt and Diane Mizota. The coverage will probably have a pro-Sony spin on it, so stick with gmrblogs for unbiased news and video directly from E3. True that!

VU Games will release Miami Vice the Game, an action title based on the upcoming film from Universal Pictures. The game will put you in the shoes of Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs, two undercover narcotics officers who venture deep into up-scale lifestyle of notorious drug lords.

[image:622 align=left size=medium hspace=5]Namco Bandai is developing The Fast the Furious: Tokyo Drift for PlayStation 2 and PSP, based on the upcoming film from Universal Pictures. Taking place a different world than the movie, Tokyo Drift will focus heavily on the drift maneuver, with several new features that aim to make drifting easier and more realistic. Apparently, drifting is all the rage in the street racing scene, and this game intends to capture it down to the last detail. The cars will include JDM tuner, muscle, and concept cars, all of which will be customizable with body kits, new wheels, and even new engines. Both the game and the movie will be arriving in June.

If the story about the Origami didn't fill your appetite for rumors, then this will surely do the trick. Dean Takahashi from Mercury News posted a blog entry this morning claiming that Microsoft is indeed working to create a mobile gaming and entertainment device--or, in other words, an "iPod Killer". The device would allow its users to play games, music, and video.

"In a bid to capture the huge audience for handheld entertainment gadgets," wrote Takahashi, "Microsoft is designing a product that combines video games, music and video in one handheld device."

Along with many PS3 announcements, Sony dedicated some time to the PSP during their press conference this morning. They unveiled several new accessories and their plans to cut the price of the PSP back from $249. Starting on March 22nd, the PSP core pack will sell for $199 (I'd hate to be the clueless guy buying one on the 21st). This package will not include the memory stick, case, remote, or headphones.

The PSP has an Eye Toy camera accessory coming this September, which will work with games as well as a new video-over-IP service launching in October. Sony also announced a GPS receiver and a new feature that will allow players to download PSone games to the device.

[image:576 align=left hspace=5 size=medium]Sleep easy PlayStation fans, sleep easy. Sony held a press conference this morning and made several major announcements regarding the PS3. First of all, Sony officially confirmed that the PS3 will be released in early November so any doubt about the credibility of that story can be forgotten. The delay is disappointing, but the newly announced features should ease the pain.

Sony says that the PS3 will have a 60GB disk with support for Linux as well as the ability to stream many types of media to different devices around the home. This backs the theory that consoles are attempting to become the center of the entire entertainment experience. Unlike the Xbox 360, the PS3 will be fully compatible with PS2 and PS1 games and it will display the older titles in high definition.