Graphics: nVidia Tegra2

This one is posted about a lot. If you Google around, you’ll find a lot of news entries indicating that Sony is planning on the nVidia Tegra2. Other rumors out there indicate that the PSP2 was supposed to show at E3, but because it was a little over-budget for power it had been delayed until CES 2011 for an announcement.

CPU: Cell?

Rumor mills are spreading this information as well. Seeing that Sony’s already invested quite a bit in this technology, it would be a waste not to use it in a portable system. It’d likely be weaker than the PS3′s.

Format: MiniDVD or MiniBD?

This one is a bit of a jump, but allow me to explain. It’s already pretty obvious that the UMD format has failed in general. The movie industry didn’t really take off with the UMD Video format, what with the proprietary nature of it all.

What I imagine is that the PSP2 will have a disc slot for MiniDVD or MiniBD formats instead of the original UMD format. The UMD format itself is also playable, but to do so you’d have to remove the white casing. Retail chains would likely be trained to help customers remove the white casing, and seeing that some are familiar with replacing the UMD case, this is probably not a hard thing to tackle.

UMD offers 900 MB for single-layer, 1.8 GB for dual-layer. MiniDVD offers 1.4 GB in its current form, but could offer 2.8GB in dual-layer. MiniBD is not a very ready technology yet, but builds on the existing BD discs out there. Capacity for it is around 7.5 GB for a single-layer disc, and learning that Kojima was not too happy with the disc format’s limitations, I’m sure he’d be more than happy to use a full 7.5 GB. Perhaps with dual-layer, it can be boosted to 16 GB.

My biggest concern though is random access times, not throughput. You can get throughput to be really high if you wish, but I feel it’s not worth it if you can’t access data randomly in short periods of time on average. MiniDVD format might allow for better random access times, but MiniBD might not right now due to BD still being an evolving technology.

Storage: More Flash

PSP Go already offers 16 GB, and we’ve seen 16 and 32 GB Memory Stick formats out there on the market. Sony’s been also working closely with SanDisk to offer better storage solutions as well.

I predict the PSP2 will support the Memory Stick, but not the same way it used to. Instead, it’ll be a multiple-flash solution, similar to the SD/MMC/MS slots that we’ve been seeing on laptops. They’ve been around for years now, often coming as standard on the machines. It would be a mistake not to have this support on the PSP2, as people would like to store large amounts of data but not have to spend a lot to get the storage capacity.

If data security is an issue, the PSP2 will likely not require MagicGate anymore, instead opting for RSA signature checks to make sure that data and whatnot is secure. Internal flash storage within the PSP2 is also a given, but Sony may opt not to put in too much to keep the price down.

PSN: 3G?

This one is an interesting development. It’s not just the Nintendo 3DS that’s looking to do this, but Sony has also taken some interest in the Kindle idea; make access to the PlayStation Store free via 3G, instead gathering revenue through digital downloads. With 3G access in the system though, it means that the system could be connected indefinitely to PSN much like the PS3. Will this mean proper online support for games, rather than just via ad-hoc?

Though I imagine that to play games on 3G, you still have to pay some kind of access fee. 802.11 Wi-Fi support is still a given, but I wonder if they’ll push it to 802.11n? Perhaps only 802.11g.

Accessories

Looking at the PSP Go, we’re likely looking at Bluetooth connectivity to allow usage with a PS3 gamepad. The same connector for component and audio is likely to stick around, but I wonder if they’ll try with mini-HDMI this time around. With a Cell CPU and nVidia GPU in the machine, I reckon Sony will try pushing the system more as a portable multimedia system with features not unlike the PS3.

Even if they do offer mini-HDMI, I do hope that Sony does something like disable HDCP for anyone who wishes to record game footage from the PSP2 via mini-HDMI. Maybe they should do the same for the PS3 too…

Region Locking

This should be a non-issue, but I’d like to see Japan/US PSN stuff not being region locked either, including movies, comics, etc. It’d also be nice if they made it possible to activate a US and Japan PSN account on a single PSP2 at the same time (even better if they retroactively did it for PSP1).

Piracy

With the development of the PSP-3000 and PSP Go, you basically have an environment where only signed code will work so as long as the firmware currently running is not exploitable. I don’t claim to be an expert on the topic, but it should be obvious by now that modchips or other more tricky methods are not plausible. I imagine it’s set up more like the newest line of Wii consoles, where there’s an initial boot that does an RSA signature check before checking the firmware, and so on. However, said initial boot is likely placed on ROM, making it impossible to rewrite to a different signature check (or removing the check altogether). And even if modchips were placed on other chips in the system, it’d be easily patched. The only real method I’d imagine, is to replace the boot ROM altogether but even that is a daunting task.

Also, proprietary formats don’t stop piracy. If people want to pirate on a PSP, they’ll go through other means, such as breaking the firmware, and so on. If you have to protect your software on the format, you have to go through other means, such as obfuscating the filesystem or going with a completely proprietary filesystem, RSA checks and whatnot. The PS3 appears to have done this successfully, so what is to stop Sony from doing the same thing on a PSP2?

Been a while since I last blogged. So I went ahead and built an Astraea unit, HG, 1/144. I used one of those magazine boxes with the Astraea HG conversion kits, not the actual Astraea HG box that’s out there. That said, I had only gotten it for $10 so at the time it was worth it. Sat on this for so long, so it was time to actually do something with this kit.

The Exia R2 comes with the GN Sword Kai, so I modified it a bit and painted the gray part of the blade white. Looks a little more like the GN Sword III, in my opinion. Back skirt was missing stickers, so I went with red Gundam Marker for that. Top headpiece was also missing a sticker, so I took a toothpick (believe it or not) and dabbed it with a Tamiya dark green.

The GN condensor clear pieces were painted with Tamiya clear green, similar to the method used by rrobbert184. Unlike his though, I don’t think I can see any brush strokes; maybe some very small dabs but almost impossible to notice. It looks great; even better than using stickers to create the same effect.

Legs were also from the R2 rather than regular Exia. GN Shield was painted white, though a bit shabby. I do plan on filling in that space with black if I get a panel lining marker somewhere; anyone got any bright ideas?

Let’s start with the bad parts first. First off, split-screen does not allow for multiple profiles, which is a big bummer. It also doesn’t allow online players to join in, nor does it allow you to enter multiplayer matches. This was a big feature back in Halo 3, would have been nice to see this actually implemented in Lost Planet 2. Secondly, the game does not save between missions. It does save between chapters, and I think something is saved still even though you exit mid-chapter, but I haven’t had a chance to look over whether or not rewards or boxes are saved through this.

Third, you can’t restart from a mission. If you die on a mission, you have to restart the entire chapter. I would have preferred an option to restart the mission specifically, but it would cause a massive rank drop if I did. I’d rather take a rank drop than have to restart the entire chapter. Finally, as a nitpick on my own part, I would have liked options in co-op to do things like disable story cutscenes, so that I wouldn’t have to have everyone press Start to skip.

Now that we’ve pushed past the infrastructure/design issues, let’s move on to the good. The graphics are outstanding (if you play normally, not in split-screen), with attention to detail all around, including the environment, background, etc. Sound and ambience also matches quite well with the levels, which are not subpar in design like GameSpot and IGN would like to have you believe.

Controls are still the same as you’d expect from Lost Planet 1, but if you want the control scheme you liked from there, you’ll have to tinker with the control types available. They offer several, but it would also have been nice to configure your own. That said, the controls change when you get into a VS, so this might possibly complicate things.

Online play is also quite enjoyable. Campaign play online stresses the co-operative aspects by quite a margin, so communication is key. For example, if someone needs a VS to get rid of a boss as quickly as possible (which they can), then other players that opt to give up their VS will be rewarded when they slay the boss in said time. Or, players can lead others to hidden areas or ledges that will give them an advantage in battle later. AI partners that fill in the player slots are actually pretty well designed, doing specific things to help support you, such as shooting T-ENG at you, or bringing up ammo to a giant railway gun. However, they stop short of actually finishing mission objectives; that’s your job, after all.

Competitive multiplayer splits off into three categories; player, ranked, and faction. Player matches are the same as you’d expect; you create your rooms with settings you’d like, fill people up and start. Things you do in player matches will affect your career level, but credits for the LP2 Slot Machine are not offered. Ranked matches are the same as player matches, except they count in leaderboards. It also follows a system similar to Halo 3′s matches, where matches are randomized along with the players, and players can vote on what kind of rules or maps they’d like to see. Faction matches involve weekly arenas where players align with a faction and fight in these arenas for the week to try and let their faction win. Once you pick a faction, you can’t change until the next timeframe.

One thing to note is that there is now a DNF% counter, or “Did Not Finish %”. Basically, if you disconnect or leave a game early, this % will go up, and if it passes 30% then your career level cannot improve through any of the match types. Though it would be nice if the DNF% counter would weigh actual disconnects less compared to people leaving the game early via other means.

Customization runs across many aspects. You have character parts, which you can customize across five different characters, each representing a different faction. You level up each character to unlock more parts, and if your career level is high enough, you can mix and match parts (so I hear). Weapons are gained through the LP2 Slot Machine, where you spend credits to earn new weapons, emotes, abilities, or titles.

Emotes are used in-game for doing animations just for fun, and titles are simply displayed beside your name. Abilities actually change your character’s features. Remember what CAPCOM said about the T-ENG gauge not dropping anymore? It’s actually because of a default ability you have. You can change it up to do things like become totally silent, invisible on radar, higher attack power, and so on.

In summary, Lost Planet 2 is still an enjoyable game if you can get past the infrastructure/design issues with the game, which I hope CAPCOM fixes in the future. It’s not a game that I’d rate down to 5.5/10 or 6/10 though; in those cases, the reviewers were totally not in line with those who played the game in the videos before. On the other hand, reviews ranging above 70% do indicate there are infrastructure issues with the game, which do need tending to.

If CAPCOM is reading this, I’d also like to see the ability to save the music played in the Main Menu. That’d be awesome.

Seriously, this reviewer needs to start looking for a different career. Problems he has with the game:

• “Poor level design”, without justification as to why
• Complaining about the B button being context-sensitive; look at MGS4 and Peace Walker!
• 2:13, he stands there and shoots at a giant Akrid, just asking to get swiped
• Controls being “clunky”, but they’re the same as Lost Planet 1! (BTW, IGN gave that 8.0+)

If this is the level of reviews that are out there right now, then I’m not interested in reading them anymore. I’ll play my games, **** you guys.

I dunno what to say other than, are you guys idiots?

Account Hacking

Anyone who gets any kind of account hacked has to go through some hassle to get their account back, and sometimes their account is associated with private information that they don’t want coming out. And you guys like to poke fun at the whole idea? I hope you guys get your Xbox Live accounts hacked, and see if you’re singing the same song again.

Trolls on the Internet

It seems like the entire Internet has turned into a breeding ground for trolls to roam and make fun of anything they see. I’m not sure what’s caused this change or why it’s happened, but it’s spreading across many public channels and generally alienating new people from coming in, or making sure that new people that do come in also follow the trend of being a general troll, pissing off people left and right.

Personally, I categorize trolls into two types; ones that do it because it’s funny, in good taste, and everyone has a good laugh. The other does it at the expense of someone else. You can probably figure which kind of troll it is that I’m not quite fond of here.

The overall hate on the Internet has got to stop. Sadly, I don’t see this happening overnight.

1. Sign up for Capcom-Unity
2. Get your code at Lost Planet Community

Simple, right? Too bad site is slow, lol…

P.S. Codes are not valid until March 31.

The feature of “Install Other OS” was removed from the new “Slim” PS3 model to focus on delivering games and other entertainment content.

Please be assured that SCE is committed to continue the support for previously sold models that have the
“Install Other OS” feature and that this feature will not be disabled in future firmware releases.

Now, we have this:

The next system software update for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) system will be released on April 1, 2010 (JST), and will disable the “Install Other OS” feature that was available on the PS3 systems prior to the current slimmer models, launched in September 2009. This feature enabled users to install an operating system, but due to security concerns, Sony Computer Entertainment will remove the functionality through the 3.21 system software update.

This has got to be the stupidest move Sony has decided to pull. So we either lose Linux support, or we lose the ability to access to PSN. Sounds like bait and switch to me, doesn’t it? I notice that a bunch of the guys are looking into class action lawsuits, so all the best to you guys, and good luck.

So I just came back from one of my language courses today, and it’s been brought to my attention that as of this morning, UTSC (UofT at Scarborough) has decided to cut all language courses. This summer there will only be three courses taught, and after that only Mandarin. In two years there will only be the Heritage Mandarin course, which is not suited to people who don’t know the Mandarin language in the first place.

Now, let’s get down to the likely case of what might happen as a result of this:

• The student body is going to be the first ones to be mad about this. Hell, even I’m here writing about it. I may not be in a Humanities or Linguistics program, but I can clearly say that anyone in those programs are reliant on language courses as a necessity in their studies, and cutting out the programs is only going to worsen their educational career. If you are a part of the student body, I urge you to write out to any student or municipal newspaper outlets, get the word out and let people know about it.
• The union that the professors are part of is going to be quite pissed as well. At least a quarter if not a lot of their members are going to be out of a job, and I’m sure they will not let this go easily. Chances are that if the union has anything to say about it, there’ll likely be a strike and I would support them if they should do such a thing.
• If this university campus is allowed to continue on with this behavior, they will start eying other programs that they will want to cut as well. Last I checked, the Arts specialist programs were under scrutiny…

Needless to say there’s a lot of drama that’s going to start within the next month or two, and it’s not going to be pretty.

Played MMORPGs

• Star Trek Online
  Star Trek Online is a good game overall, I don’t see why companies like GameSpot and the like rate it so bad (5.5). However, it does feel incomplete but that’s to be expected of most MMOs when they’re just starting up. Give it a year and your opinion may change. I don’t plan to be playing 24/7, but every once so often as things change and when I have some time to go where no man has gone before.
• EVE Online
  I tried playing it again in the summer last year, and found that it was still as boring as ever, or took up too much time to justify keeping the ISK intake in and buying PLEXes. If I can’t be bothered to make ISK and buy PLEXes, why should I continue to play the game? I’m not even paying for it (only paid the initial $5 re-entry cost), so oh well.
• Mabinogi
  I notice Nexon has reached some of the new content Mabinogi has in Korea, though whether I will come back to take a look at it is another story. It’s nice to see that there are a few changes in Nexon policy for the better, but whether that will translate to having a company that can properly support players and provide quality customer support is another thing altogether.

Recent Purchases

I’ve recently made some orders online, for ESPGaluda II and a Hori Fighting Stick EX 2. Now you may say, why the FSEX2? It’s because right now it’s $39.99 CAD from Amazon.ca and it’s not an offer I’m going to easily throw away. The thing is supposed to be some $60-70, so it’s definitely a bargain. Compared to the $150+ price range that tournament-level sticks have, with a bit of tinkering (I know the process already, and I have the tools and people with expertise for it), I may one day have something that can compete with those sticks.

Upcoming Releases

• Mobile Suit Gundam UC – March 12
  Yes, I already watched it, but I am getting the Blu-ray. If you’re not, I don’t know what you’re doing.
• Chaos;Head Love Chu Chu – March 25
  Not exactly a game I’m looking forward to. The fandisc, shall we call it, appears to have a lot of service for those who are fans of Chaos;Head, but I’m more in love with the Steins;Gate aspect of the world. If there’s anything interesting about the game that I will miss out on, such as Steins;Gate related stuff, then I might give it a shot. Otherwise, this is going on the backburner… until maybe it goes cheap?
• Ketsui: Kizuna jigoku tachi – April 22
  The legendary shmup of shmups, shall we say. This is a must-buy. Though it’ll be 360 only, that’s what the FSEX2 is for.
• Angel Beats – April 22
  This is an anime I will be keeping tabs on, it being written by Jun Maeda. I notice he’s taken a step away from visual novels, but that doesn’t mean he’s done with writing stories.
• Lost Planet 2 – May 18
  Already pre-ordered this one for the 360, really looking forward to it.
• Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker – May 25
  I haven’t pre-ordered this because I’m waiting for it to come out on PSN, so I can buy it. Screw the UMD format, because flash memory access times are where it’s at. MGS4 was a total disappointment, but Peace Walker is turning out to be the game that MGS4 should have been, and then some. In fact, MGS4 should never have happened.

Current Anime

As a final note, I noticed that the plethora of current anime is all just total garbage. It’s all full of moeblobs and focusing on girls but very little on good storytelling. There are a few exceptions out there, but sadly they are a minority in the sea of anime where everything is all about what’s under a girl’s clothing. Sadly, because of how stupid the otaku in Japan are, this will only continue to worsen until I don’t know what kind of bubble pops. I will pray that those who know how to continue writing good anime will continue in the industry doing what they love.

P.S. Mizushima may be high from all that love he has for the Middle East, but he did make Gundam 00. Great times.

And the better news? Capcom has also announced split screen multiplayer for Lost Planet 2, a feature that doesn’t show up enough in today’s multiplayer shooters.

OH F*** YEAH!!!! SPLIT SCREEN BABY!!!!