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Tag: psn

  • PSN DRM Disconnect

    The long-rumored “game saves in the cloud” option is coming to PlayStation Plus members. Included in its description on the PlayStation Blog is the following statement:

    Online storage for game saves is a great way for PlayStation Plus subscribers to ensure that their data files are secure and also for users who wish to access their files from other PS3 systems.

    That strikes me as rather fascinating, considering Capcom’s dips into heavy DRM on PSN titles such as Bionic Commando Rearmed 2, which seem to be a clear line in the sand against “game sharing” (where one customer purchases a downloadable title, and “exploits” a “feature” of the PlayStation Store licensing where the title can be downloaded and used on a certain number of other systems).

    Sure, Capcom is not Sony — I get that. Plenty of people, especially after the launch of the slim model, also have multiple PS3s in their home, which would make picking up from a save file a lot easier with this new cloud option.

    As a PlayStation Plus member (courtesy of a gift from Mr. Deluxe), I am all for the new save capabilities and welcome them with open arms. Somehow it just doesn’t all jive with me, though. I can back-up copy-protected game saves and use them on another system, but I can’t play a single-player-only game offline on another system…? It seems like there is a lot of conflict coming down the road with an option like this.

  • The 99-cent PS1 Game Adventure

    Despite having no PS2 backward compatibility in my particular model, all PS3s at least have full PS1 backward compatibility. Of course, the problem that complicates that so much is the lack of support for the “PSone Classics” area of the Playstation Store in North America while the PS3/PSP transfer and full compatibility teases in the background. There are definitely still a few great games that I have never played and intend to pick up soon (Silent Hill) and classics that I will want to have sitting around for no particular reason (Final Fantasy VII), but compared to the Japanese store? Totally barren.

    I love the idea of playing some older games up on the big TV, though, so I decided that with a lack of downloadable support, I would at least go after some of the bigger-profile PS1 games that will probably take a while to show up (if at all) for download. My PS1 game collection is not especially huge, and it is never a bad time to flesh it out.

    I checked out the list of best-selling PS1 games on Wikipedia, and wandered on over to eBay to see what I could get for cheap. My goal was not to pay any more than about $3 (shipped) for a game, making all efforts to get it for 99-cents. If a PSN download is typically $5.99 (with some at $9.99), about half that cost and not being able to transfer it to the PSP (legally, anyway…) seemed about right. So far I have picked up two:

    Ridge Racer Type 4
    ps1_cover_ridgeracer4

    I had always been a fan of the first two games, and even rented the fourth quite a bit… but never actually owned it. I have a Japanese copy of V which was packed in when I bought my JP PS2, but I have never really dipped beyond the PS1 originals. I know the fourth is considered by many to be the best in the series, so it seemed like a solid purchase.

    SHIPPED PRICE: $3.98
    CONDITION: Some decent scratches, but overall good condition and came with its bonus disc.

    Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
    ps1_cover_harrypotter

    Having recently gotten into the series (read the first five books and have seen the corresponding movies), seeing it up on the best-selling list gave me even more incentive to grab it on the cheap. It sounds like the game for the first book/movie was different across many platforms, so it might be interesting to grab some of the others for comparison’s sake. I really have no idea how any of them play or even if certain games are any good, so I am looking forward to dipping into this world a little bit.

    SHIPPED PRICE: $3.96
    CONDITION: Some decent scratches, but overall good condition.

    North American PS1 Games I Actually Own:
    Bushido Blade 2
    Dance Dance Revolution
    Dance Dance Revolution Konamix
    DragonBall GT: Final Bout
    DragonBall Z: Ultimate Battle 22
    Driver
    Final Fantasy Anthology
    Final Fantasy VII
    Final Fantasy VIII
    Final Fantasy IX
    Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
    Marvel Comics X-Men vs. Street Fighter
    Mortal Kombat Trilogy
    Parappa the Rapper
    Ridge Racer
    Ridge Racer Type 4
    Street Sk8er
    Tomb Raider
    Tomb Raider 2
    X-Men: Mutant Academy

    Japanese PS1 Games I Actually Own:
    Dance Dance Revolution 3rd Mix
    Dance Dance Revolution 5th Mix
    Dance Dance Revolution Best Hits
    DragonBall: Final Bout
    DragonBall Z: Idainaru Doragonbooru Densetsu
    DragonBall Z: Ultimate Battle 22
    Rurouni Kenshin: Ishin Gekitou-hen
    Street Fighter EX plus alpha
    Tobal 2

    Huh. Looks like I have lost some games over the years, and many of my favorite rentals never ended up in the “own it!” category. Again, my preference would be to just download the games on PSN since I could then either play the game right there on the TV or take it on-the-go with the PSP. However, until the “PSone Classics” support in North America rivals its Japanese counterpart, I may just keep going with the actual discs for cheap. What other games should I look into, assuming I can get them for ~$3-4, and assuming they are not high-profile enough to just come to PSN sooner than later?

  • Conversation 007: Online Services, Games, Demos, and More

    Hey, lookie here. It’s a podcast episode! That’s right, we finally got off our butts for the first time since February to record a show. We had a whole slew of ideas kicking around, but ultimately decided to discuss how online services for consoles have really changed the playing field. Whether it’s exclusive demos, downloadable content, further making magazines irrelevant… services like Xbox Live and PlayStation Network (and perhaps to a lesser extent WiiConnect24 and Nintendo’s Wi-Fi connection) have created an entirely new vocabulary gamers must be familiar with just to exist these days.

    There was just so much content cover, we didn’t even get around to discussing things like the reliability of services (PSN run slow for anyone else?), paying for access and the future of paid services (Gold, anyone?)… and on and on and on.

    We were happy to bring Meri on to shoot the shit with us this episode, and can’t wait to have her on in the future, again. In addition to talking about the games we’ve been playing and our main topic, we also gave our Top 10 Console Download Games.

    As always, big special thanks to everyone out there sticking with us while waiting for a new episode by contributing your responses on the blog posts and continuing to drop us a line. Whether it’s your own Top 10 Games or a question for us, we would love to hear from you.