Technically Speaking
21 April 2005

The Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) was released on 24 March 2005. Essentially a Playstation 2 in a handheld unit, Sony hopes to compete with Nintendo DS released last fall. The powerful PSP has a gorgeous screen, the ability to play movies and MP3s, has WiFi , and of course plays games. The $249 “Value” package contains a 32MB memory card, all the cords needed, the movie Spiderman 2, a disc that shows off many of the features, and ear buds.

I had the opportunity to play with a unit for about a week and fell in love with it. The screen is so clear that watching Spiderman 2 was enjoyable. I also played Wipeout Pure (racing game), Lumines (puzzle game), and Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade (action rpg). All three are very well made and have great graphics, Wipeout Pure and Lumines have garnered great reviews but Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade has not faired so well. I tend to agree with other reviewers but feel they have been a bit harsh on Untold Legends.

The games, like the movies, come on tiny UMD disks that are loaded into the back of the unit. These mini DVDs mean that load time for games is longer than the cartridge based Nintendo DS, but they are not unbearable. The great graphics and game play are worth the wait. The battery life, from a rechargeable battery, is shorter than the Nintendo DS but it still allows for plenty of game play time.

The unit feels sold and well made, but the screen is a bit too hard to see, due to reflection, in direct sunlight. Many companies are making a thin film anti glare cover for the screen. With all of the options available and Logitech releasing a keyboard that doubles as a “case” there seems to be a lot of focus on making it more than just a game machine. With the WiFi and the potential for web surfing and Palm like functions it could become a nice multi use device.

Overall the PSP is a unit with a big future. I personally think that there is enough room for it and the Nintendo DS. The PSP and the DS have different strengths and weaknesses and the type of games on each seem to differ greatly. Sales figures suggest that Sony sold between 500,000 to 600,000 of the million units available at launch. As more uses for the system become evident and Grand Theft Auto comes out, on July 15th, sales should increase. As of this writing Gamestop in Starkville is out of the unit but Wal-Mart in Columbus has about ten in stock. Is it worth the $249, I think so.

Taking up my gaming time for the last week or so has been Doom 3 for the Xbox. It is a great port of the PC version that came out last year. The graphics are top notch and the programmers have managed to wring out a yet more spectacular game on the now ageing Xbox. They have mad a game that really scares and excites, my one gripe: why can’t I have the gun and the flashlight equipped at the same time? I now it is to keep it extra scary but still.

For PC Doom 3 Players two weeks ago saw the release of the Doom 3 Expansion Pack Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil. It seems a bit expensive for an expansion at $34.99 but the reviews for it are quite good garnering an average of 84%.

A couple of interesting purchase this week; game and console retailer Gamestop has bough its former rival EB Games. Gamestop says that this will help them compete internationally. There are EB Games locations in Tupelo and Tuscaloosa, and the nearest Gamestop is in Starkville. How will this affect gamers? It may end some of the price wars between the two and lead to less discounts and special deals.

This editions’ question is about your video game, PC and Console, buying habits. How many console/pc games do you purchase a month? Do you base your purchase on reviews, word of mouth, or commercials/ads? Where do you buy most of your games from online or a bricks and mortar store? Send your answers to me at mat@muw.edu

In order to find the Luxor Casino in Las Vegas, it is the one that is Egyptian themed and has a huge pyramid, type the following address into http://maps.google.com 3925 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, 89119. Zoom in all the way and slide to the left a bit, to see this amazing building. You can tell that the satellite was not directly above the pyramid because the point is not quite in the center. If you slide down and slightly to the right, you will find the airport, and the satellite captured a plane landing, you can tell by the shadow.

As always send your tech questions or comments to mat@muw.edu. They will be answered in a future column or with a personal reply.

Mark Taylor, a senior in communication, was previously an information systems trainer for the US Air Force and a technical support technician for an internet service provider. A game and consumer electronics reporter during the Dot Com boom, he now owns Fanfare Media Services in Columbus.