Hi, I was wondering, will the PSP's USB port be universal, for instance, will I be able to hook up my USB keyboard to it, or my USB memory stick? Furthermore, do you have any word on the operating system that it will be running? Any info is much appreciated. Thanks!

-- Matt Fisher

Basically, yes on the USB Keyboard -- it's USB. There are already keyboards coming out that, once converted down to the PSP's mini-USB plug, are supposed to do something with the system. What that is, considering no software uses it, I have no clue.

Basically, no on the USB memory unit -- you would conceivably be able to get an adaptor to plug in, but the PSP wouldn't necessarily find it on the drive chain since it has its own structures (and isn't guaranteed to find it anyway even if a game was designed for it since the format may be specific to the system, although it's more or less Joliet-accepting.)

Operating system is PSP operating system -- it's Sony's own OS, here pretty much based on but not necessarily running on the PSX's XMB. It's nothing regular users can tap -- unless you really know the ins and outs, you have to be licensed with Sony to program for the handheld.

--NIX

I was reading the coded arms interview(skipped most stuff until I got to the controls), and I started thinking about the PSP and DS set up. It looks like the PSP is going to have a lot of FPS games, just because people think it appeals to an older audience(we really can't tell yet for sure). Either way, it looks like Sony and Nintendo have gotten their brains switched or something. The DS looks good for FPS controls like coded arms, and the DS looks good for pretty Metroid Prime. I don't mind the PSP having one super powered screen and the DS having two slightly weaker screens, but really, I wish both had touch screens and analog sticks. If the PSP has room for an analog stick under the control pad, there should be room for one under the other buttons too. Sorry, I just felt like ranting about the console wars and how they've thinned out some good games.

-- Brian

Yes, if only...

Outside of a perfect world, I do think that we'll be able to get used to the backwards control necessities of the PSP - it won't ever be ideal like it is on a PS2 (which is hardly ideal) or the DS (which, surprisingly, may be ideal as you say ... I'd love to see a console controller maker learn something from the DS touch pad, because it works well for FPSes). Once one game does it and it feels right, every game will follow its style, and we'll all have that first game as the memory basis for just picking up the next few however-many and playing right away. Turok-style controls seem more or less logical to me, so when a game does it that way and it feels right, we should more or less be ready to go.

--NIX
Yeah um when I went to Gamestop to preorder my PSP, the guy there said that I would be put on the second shipment and he said that I will still get the free Spider-Man 2 movie. Soon after though Sony said they'll have the first million PSPs available at launch so my question is will I still get the movie or do you think I was moved up to the first shipment?

-- N. R.

Second shipment doesn't necessarily mean part of the second million. Chains are getting specified allotments of systems, and those chains are doling those out accordingly. A good deal of systems are shipping on launch day, but the second shipment is expected to be monumental as well.

--NIX

GDC 2005: Hands-On: WiFi Online
Not the games, necessarily, but we net up through the PSP's intranet mode.
by Nix
March 9, 2005 - Why, of course it's online.


Of course. A system the size of last year's cellphones, that somehow puts out PS2-quality graphics and sound, with the brightest screen we've ever seen outside of the IGN demo room, and WiFi multiplayer for as many as 16 players ... naturally, there is also, on top of all of this unimaginable technology, the ability to game on the internet.
Yes, of course...

It's not that it's unthinkable in this day and age, but many are still trying to wrap their heads around the idea that Sony's little PSP will include full-featured online play in certain titles. More inconceivable, that there are a number of games due out at launch that include the feature set. But on March 24th, gamers will see for themselves that it actually is possible and very imaginable -- once you get into a PSP Infrastructure-mode game (the WiFi term for "online"), it all feels as normal as playing a console game online. We haven't actually had a chance to play a PSP game online yet to see how performance works over WiFi games, but the PSP versions of several SCEA titles here at GDC featured their online components as selectable modes on the menu.

Essentially, it works as it does on the PS2, and with nearly the same feature sets. The first step to getting online with PSP games is to set up a networked game. This is a global feature, much like how setting your PS2 at home for AOL or your cable modem just once is carried over to other PSP games. Instead of setting up a modem, however, here you will be setting up a connection. You can create one of a number of network settings (very handy considering that PSPers will be traveling from home to the coffee shop to the library and home again). Each connection stores your SSID settings, and can be configured to save WEP-encryped passwords. The mode can also scan the neighborhood for available WiFi HotSpots, and gives you a read-out of whether they are open or have WEP locks.

Set that up, and you are ready to connect and/or play online. We played with the network settings in two of the three online-enabled games (Twisted Metal: Head-On and ATV Off-Road Fury, with 989's NBA also due to include the Infrastructure mode.) Both games had separate modes for online, and neither required you to hop out to the global PSP menu to turn on Infrastructure mode (interestingly enough, the Network Set-Up was also handled right there in the game, unlike on PS2 where it has to load the other mode.)

Twisted Metal: H-O allowed you to set up either a Net game (basic kill'em all) or a Team game once you start to host your game. There was also a 2-player Co-Op story mode, which should be an interesting way to run through the unlockables, bringing a buddy in tow. The game's multiplayer modes featured Ad-Hoc (for local play of all your friends around, for up to six players), Infrastructure (which is the online mode -- we belive that this only supports 4 players, but were not able to see this in person), and Infrastructure LAN (which seems to be an excess frill, but may be a cool way of linking an office or a house full of Twisted players to connect up with each other instead of going through the dregs online. We weren't able to see the depth of the buddy list features, but we did notice that you can set up a password for private online play of your friends.

ATV Off-Road Fury had many of the same modes, plus one cool extra mode. Instead of connecting up to the game player lobby, the wireless mode menu for ATV included Ad-Hoc, Online, and Online Community. This online mode connects to the ATV web community outlet, allowing players to check scores, add friends to their buddy list, chat, and much more. Chat was a feature shared by Twisted Metal -- when you want to talk with somebody, you pop up the chat menu, which includes the same PSP on-screen keyboard (something like a phone keyboard, navigated with the D-Pad or analog nub) as is used to set up your system name. This being a global feature for all PSP games, we're wondering if USB keyboard support or other types of chat input might either be part of the PSP online mode or else addable with a later PSP upgrade. We asked Logitech their plans for a PSP keyboard or microphone, and while they still have a number of projects under wraps, we got the feeling that they were caught unaware by how aggressive SCEA has been with online features this early on, and are still working to get together solutions for this Infrastructure mode. Another third party producer has already announced a USB keyboard for PSP in Europe, but it is unknown whether this keyboard will be supported for chat in the online games so far for PSP. In the meantime, Sony has been quiet about mic support for PSP since its initially-announced plans at E3 last year.

Online play for is starting small, with just six titles and a focus more on local wireless play, but the feature set already looks robust and complete. A few accessories, and it could be as deep as anything you play online with a console. We will have full gameplay impressions of online titles as the online servers are opened up for us to play, and we'll see you in the games when Twisted Metal: Head-On, ATV Off-Road Fury, NBA, Gretzky NHL and MLB release in just 15 days.


http://psp.ign.com/articles/594/594772p1.html

I do apologize but the offer was only select RZ members were eligible for this offer.