mikeszekely

Simple solution for that: Don't buy it. Or buy it for Lumines anyway, and trust that the games you want will start to come in for it.

I'm not sure about a player for music or what-not (I still use Windows Media Player for that), but the absolute best video player is VLC (you should be able to find it at videolan.org. Visually, the player isn't much to look at, but it plays everything you can throw at it, inlcuding videos that DivX or WMP wrote off as being corrupt, or not having the proper audio/video codecs for. Oh, and if you want to use WMP without all the dicking around, open the folder where you're keeping your tunes (in Windows Explorer), highlight all the songs you want, right click and select "Add to Now Playing List." Then WMP will start with just the songs you wanted playing. If you want them to play in a random order, click the "Now Playing List" button, and select the "Play Shuffled" option.

I'll totally agree on the lack of a display unit thing. I've met people who weren't really interested, played with mine or someone else's, then went about trying to coming up with $250 to get their own. People need a chance to see and feel the PSP in person to see what makes it stand apart from previous handhelds. But, display units are supposedly on the way. Rumor has it that PSPs that have been returned for dead pixels will be replaced (it's already happening), and if the dead pixels aren't too bad, they'll be reused as demo units. The Super Wal-Mart in Latrobe PA already has a display unit playing the Spider-Man 2 movie that it came with.

Shawn or Graham will be down later to put cellophane on your toilet seat.

Source: Gamespot article. Does this comment strike anyone else as being asinine? I mean, how do these guys get jobs doing this? Just because the PSP hasn't sold out everywhere, it's not a good launch? Does this mean that the DS did have a good launch, because it did sell out? Nevermind the fact that the DS was sold out because, between launch and January, our store had maybe 20 units. And nevermind the fact that we had 70 PSPs, of which we have maybe four left. I mean, you'd think professional analysts of the videogame industry would be capable of making a more educated analysis. I don't want to sound like a Sony fanboy, because I'm really not. I have all three consoles, and I've had every incarnation of the Gameboy, and I've got a DS. But selling out of hardware during the Christmas season when Nintendo shipped us less than half of the quantity of PSPs we recieved doesn't impress me, and frankly, the DS's software really dissapoints me. And now, when a lot of those DS's are being sold back, we've been able to sell nearly 70 PSPs at $100 more per unit, with the feedback from those customers being much more positive. On top of all that, while you may or may not be able to find a truly stand-out system seller, the quanity and quality of launch games has been much better than any other system, handheld or home console, in recent history (nostalgic nods still go to the Dreamcast for launch games...). I'd say that's pretty damn successful.

Did you get the import or US version of Ace Combat 3? The Japanese version was 2 discs with cutscenes/movies. The US version was trimmed down to one disc. http://www.gamespot.com/ps/driving/acecomb...ere/review.html I would think that this collection of Namco games would come to the US if not I'll import I guess. I'd be willing to bet that it'll make it Stateside. I mean, Namco jumpstarted the retro collection scene with the first Namco Museum way back on PSone, and by now, retro collections are the in thing... I mean, just for the current generation (no PSone collections) Intellivision had one or two, Atari had one or two, Midway is working on their third, Sega did one plus a Sonic Collection, Capcom did one for Megaman and one for Street Fighter, etc.

Totally unnecessary. Save yourself the extra $10, and just get a no-frills mini USB cable. If you formatted your Memory Stick before you started playing with it, the PSP will have already created all the folders you need, save the one for movies. All you really need is that mini-USB cable (I've seen them at Wal-Mart for around $5). Once the USB is connected, you go to the PSP's USB menu (all the way to the left under Settings), and your PC should automatically detect "PSP - USB Mass Storage Drive" and treat it just like a card reader. From that, you can simply drag and drop mp3 and jpg files into their proper folders using Windows Explorer. You can also take your game save files and copy them to your hard drive. Now, everyone says movies are trickier, but if you've been using the FREE PSP Video 9 software that was posted a few pages back, just have your PSP connected like normal and PSP Video 9 should automatically detect it and create the folders you need for movies. Then, you can use PSP Video 9 to convert your video files to mp4 (it will also rename them properly so the PSP can recognize them). From there, you can either drag and drop in Windows Explorer, or if you really want, PSP Video 9 will even copy the mp4 files to your PSP for you.

I just bought a plain jane car charger so far as the only accessory. I've basically just been putting the PSP in its sock, then putting that, the car charger, and any games I might want to play in my briefcase, then taking the whole shebang with me to work. Which reminds me, you might want to stay out of videogame stores for awhile if you want any kind of customer service from the clerks. On the other hand, if you're tired of us hawking reserves and subs, now's the time to go, while we're too busy doing wi-fi Wipeout tournaments to bother you.

The OVA DVDs were done on single layer discs. Presumably, they could fit all four episodes on one dual layerd disc without changing the AV compression.

I picked it up. I wouldn't really say it's like the LOTOR games... they're more straight up hack and slash. GoW is more like an action platformer in the same vein as, say, Devil May Cry. But better. Way better. One thing I like (aside from all the brutal way to put the hurt on your enemies) is the way puzzles are solved. Like in one part just after you get to Athens, you have to get over a gate, but the ledge can't be reached. In other games, maybe you'd have to push a box, or (in nonsensical RE style) find the hex-shaped crank to go into the control box to lower the ladder or something. What Kratos actuall does, though, makes sense... he goes to the top of a nearby temple-looking building, and pushes over a statue. Then he can climb the broken statue's head to get to the ledge. I'll definately be getting back into this game in the near future, but for now, my PSP is calling...

I cracked on Sat. Got Lumines, and Darkstalkers. RR is sold out everywhere for me. Lumines is so fracken addictive it's funny! Darkstalkers....not so much but it's okay. I want RR!!! or GT-something, I need a racing game!!(NFSU and Wipeout don't do it for me.) Good place to get Memory sticks is camera shops. A memory stick duo is a memory stick duo is a memory stick duo. Ridge Racer is pure bliss. I bought Wipeout but exchanged it once I drove around looking for Ridge. I love it. Darkstalkers is awesome. I only wish the load times werent so long. Beautifuly recreated from the arcade though. All the animation is there and looks soo good on the PSP screen. Ridge Racer is excellent, but I don't know that I'd have exchanged Wipeout for it. Lucky me, I have both! I haven't tried Darkstalkers yet, and I don't really seem to "get" Lumines (but my wife LOVES it). I will say, though, that if you liked either of the Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance games or the Champions of Norrath games, Untold Legends is pretty good, and Tiger Woods PGA Tour is also very good if you liked the console versions. Less actual PGA tour events and no RTE's, but it's got pretty much everything else. Oh, and despite some things lifted from 2005, it's actually more like the 2004 edition... no Tour Difficulty, no Tiger vision, etc. Also like 2004, I think your golfer's stats matter more. You can pretty much birdie every whole in 2005 even with weak stats, but on the PSP, expect to suck until you spend some money.

If you have a PSP, remember the funky keypad that came up when you gave it its nickname? It's the same one. For those of you without PSP's, you highlight a text box, and push the X button. A screen comes up with a text box on the right, and a keypad very much like a cell phone's on the left. Needless to say, without a better browser and some kind of mini USB keyboard, you probably won't want to use the PSP for posting here. But if you're chilling at Borders (my local one just went wi-fi) and thinking to go see a movie, you could probably use it to check the showtimes.

Yes, you could grab a Memory Stick Duo/Duo PRO reader (in my case, my VAIO PC has a standard Memory Stick, so I bought a regular 512mb Sandisk Memory Stick Duo PRO instead of the colorful ones they're releasing for the PSP, and it came with an adaptor). But a mini-USB is probably cheaper. I saw them at Wal-Mart for around $5. Plug one end into the PSP, the other into your PC, and on the PSP's main menu, go all the way to the left, and find the USB icon. Make sure your Wi-Fi switch is on, and tell it to connect... your PC should recognize the PSP automatically, and treat it as a USB Mass Storage Device.

Instead of buying movies at $20-$30 a pop, just have your buddy save up for a 512mb or 1gb Memory Stick Duo and a mini USB cable. There's plenty of free software available that can rip the movie out of a DVD as an MPEG-2. Then you can use (the also free) PSP Video 9 to convert the MPEG-2 to mp4, properly name the file so the PSP can recognize it, and even put it on the Memory Stick in the right folder so your PSP can find it.

I got it to work.

I've heard about it, but I haven't read any details. Post them if you've got links.

Seriously. None of the guys making fun of him would have the cahones to make a fool out of themselves, so props to SDF-Man. Oh no, I have the cajones. I'm just not that stupid.

you can get the 1GB duo at Bestbuy http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?sk...d=1095941103960 Sanddisk version http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?sk...d=1108125653511 BTW, I had problems with the Sandisk brand as they somehow lose data I pick up a 2GB CF for $140 after tax They must have added it recently. It wasn't there when I checked online a few weeks ago. I wish it was available in stores. And at $160, I might just wait it out until May. We're supposed to start selling them at Gamestop for $150 (+15% discount = $127.50).

Ace Combat 3, anyway. Air Combat... well, it sucked. Ugly graphics, nasty controls... But Ace Combat 3 would rock on there.

Yeah, I kind of don't know how Sony expects the Memory Stick or Memory Stick Duo format to stay competetive. Just to own a Sony camera? The only reason I have a Sony camera is because it was a gift from my mother-in-law, and my VAIO PC has a slot for them anyway. Well, if Memory Stick/Duo is also going to be a format used by the PS3, perhaps other manufacturers besides Sony and Sandisk will make them, and the price went down. I mean, say whatever else you want about the PS2, it did help DVDs become mainstream, especially in Japan. Still waiting patiently for a 1GB Duo...

I haven't tried to rip and convert a DVD yet. But depending on the quality, you might be able to get it on a 256mb card, and almost definately onto a 512. Still waiting for the gigs, though...

I'm with Max on this. The Xbox controller is fine for fighting games. If you gotta play on the PS2, get that Logitech Cordless Action controller. Joysticks for fighting games might sim the arcade experience better, but who goes to arcades anymore? Personally, I think arcade sticks are unwieldy. I'll admit, Cube owners got the best Soul Calibur II simply because Link was better than Heihachi or Spawn. But just because the Cube got the best version last time doesn't mean the Cube is the most logical choice to release Soul Calibur III on. If you're only going to make one console version, the PS2 is always the logical choice... not because it's better in any way, but because the installed user base is more than the installed user base for the Xbox and Gamecube combined. That said, as a truly impartial gamer (I own a Cube, Xbox, PS2, GBA SP, DS, and PSP), I stand by my earlier statement... I'd rather play Soul Calibur on the PS2 than on the Gamecube. Although the Gamecube has a few stellar titles, it's been a dissapointment on almost every front. Ultimately, though, an Xbox version with Live support would be most desireable for Soul Calibur III.

See and you just nailed how I feel about all SW movies. Except, at the end of the day I think they're just plain fun. I strongly suspect that much of SW's success was simply due to the pioneering special effects, a tradition they appear to be upholding. To me, a rubber suit is just as revealing as a cgi character or backdrop. What do I do? I eat my popcorn and enjoy. I dunno. Clone Wars seems to be more of the same to me, but people like it a lot more. Its all about the action. However, since I like all of the SW movies anyway, I like Clone Wars as well. EXACTLY. The characters, dialogue, etc, are no better in the OT than they are in the prequels (aside from Harrison Ford's performance as Han Solo, perhaps). All five are just fun movies, though, at the end of the day.

Absolutely true. But, Sony also seems to have to deal with higher demand for the PSP than Nintendo does with their DS. After the holiday, between new and used, there's alwasy a DS in stock. As for Sony... there aren't even display units in stores. Every working unit they could build, they're pretty much boxed and sent out for retail. And every PSP with one or two dead pixels is one or two more in consumers' hands. For every one person who says "Damn, a dead pixel! This bitch is going back!" there will be two more that will shrug, remark that the dead pixel is only noticeable under certain conditions (like when the screen is extremely dark), and forget about it. Besides, reguardless of SCEI's stance in Japan, I'll point out that SCEA has said they'll handle dead pixels on a case by case basis. Perhaps, but if that were the case, where are those games now that the PSP has launched? Over the course of Thursday and Friday, we sold 60 odd PSPs, plus a truckload of games and accessories (we actually sold out of a few games already, like Spider-Man, Twisted Metal, and Lumines). We sold two DS games, no accessories, and no systems. Nintendo's (and third party software developers') lack of support in America for the DS is going to kill it, at this rate. Some websites like to point out how many DS's Nintendo was already able to sell... but you have to consider that the DS was a holiday impulse buy in a lot of cases, and DS software sales have been very low. A good number of those DSs have likely been resold on eBay or traded in to stores like EB and Gamestop. I know that my store has more used DSs in stock than used GBA SPs.

Having it exclusively on the PS2 wouldn't suck quite so bad if the PS2 didn't have such horrendous load times. But, reguardless of how well it sold on the Cube, I still say it's better to have it exclusive for the PS2 than the Gamecube.