| Get Loco: LocoRoco Newsletter May 13th, 2007 Volume 2, Issue 1 Please visit our blog: http://locoroco.wordpress.com Comments? Questions?: contactlocoroco@gmail.com ************************************************************************ Welcome! It's been awhile since our last newsletter, but we're very confident that you'll like this edition. Get Loco has been transformed from a small blog to a large blog with numerous affiliates and thousands of views thanks to the popularity of LocoRoco. We're hoping that you'll enjoy this feature-packed edition with numerous columns that speculate, analyze, and inform: News of the Month- All of the late breaking, developing, and important news stories are reported. This month: God of War PSP Confirmation, PSP A No-Show at GDC, Numerous LocoRoco Projects in the books. What We're Blogging- We chat about our newfound success and why we think so many people like our blog. [EDITORIAL] What the PSP is Missing (littlevish)- Beyond Loco administrator and founder littlevish uncovers what he thinks the Playstation Portable is missing. [THE MONTHLY CORNER] Peripheral Madness (Brandon Spencer)- PSPGN-administrator Brandon Spencer explores what SONY needs to do to make good peripherals. [COMMENTARY] Shooting Blanks (locoroco)- Why SONY can't win the handheld race and why advertising is to blame. [FEATURE] Muy Loco (littlevish and locoroco)- LocoRoco custom level-designer speaks about his inspirations in making new levels and his plans for the future. [REVIEW] Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon Review (TCLCloud)- PSP117 founder and PSP-expert TCLCloud has a review for the latest Harvest Moon game. Meet Our Affiliates- Meet our affiliates and get to know them! Epilogue and Special Thanks! Thanks for viewing and enjoy! See you next month! Sincerely, locoroco. Administrator, Blogger, and Founder of Get Loco::LocoRoco Blog Administrator, Founder of Get Loco::LocoRoco Newsletter Moderator of Beyond Loco (Get Loco Forums)/Contributor to PSP Gaming Network ************************************************************************ News of the Month LocoRoco: Making News New Demo Commemorates Platinum Status in Japan SCEJ released a new LocoRoco demo that has some interesting new features. It's most definitely something to check out! Don't Despair!; Platinum Status is Here... LocoRoco went platinum in the UK and in Japan along with many others. LocoRoco Developer Answers Fans Questions LocoRoco developer Gregg Tavares answered user-submitted questions at Get Loco's affiliate Beyond Loco and he had some very interesting things to say. Don't forget; visit our official forums at Beyond Loco! New Cheat Codes Revealed by Tavares Himself Tavares revealed some new and interesting cheat codes that are easy to use on his blog... Also, our podcast/For Your Consideration has returned. PSP: Making News New Demos Finally Avaliable SONY has thankfully ramped up demo production and brought some exciting and dull demos to download in the recent months--MGS: Portable Ops Multiplayer, DJ Max Portable 2, MLB 07: The Show, NBA 07, Lumines 2, and Syphon Filter. Download them and enjoy! God of War PSP Title Named "Chains of Olympus" Ready at Dawn made magazine covers once they announced a God of War PSP edition, and it finally has a name: Chains of Olympus. Don't miss the trailer and information. The game has been tapped for a November 2007 release. WipEout Pure Sequel Ahead Studio Liverpool made history with a "digital distribution" system that provided extra content for the hit futuristic racer, WipEout Pure. Now they're making history AGAIN with WipEout Pulse, the sequel that's supposed to improve everything from the last game and add online multiplayer. It's supposed to arrive later this year. PaRappa the Rapper heading to US SCEA dated PaRappa the Rapper for this July; the PSOne port was sent to Japan last December. SONY Sending Downloadable Content to PSP SONY will finally create a digital distribution-network to provide both movies and games in the distant future--it looks hopeful. Killzone Infrastructure Coming, But Not Now Delays and more delays have prevented the Killzone: Liberation infrastrucuture patch from heading to territories; even though a Command Center opened recently, it's still MIA. Yet, a gaming site says May 21st could be the date. Hot Brain is the PSP's "Brain Age" This brain-game brings you into a whole new adventure. Enjoy! Square Enix Party 2007 Crisis Core Dated in Japan The much-anticipated original Final Fantasy-game will make its debut September 13th, 2007 in Japan. A release date has not been set for neither the Americas, Europe, or Oceania. ...And Did We Mention it Looks Spectacular? One in-game screenshot was enough to make us want to faint; graphics look stellar--and critics love it! Mysterious "Dissidia" also headed to PSP Square Enix wants to make sure that the PSP is not forgotten. New screens of this mysterious brawler-like game look amazing; no release information for territories other than Japan, though. More news here! Also: Did you miss Previewrama? Check out the amazing game-previewing event here! ************************************************************************ What We're Blogging It's hard to imagine that in a matter of months your blog could become very successful. That's the kind of story that people tell when they hear of my blog. Not only are we one of the fastest growing blogs in the community, but we've accumulated nearly 30,000 views in total. I was very excited to look at our numbers every day and see improvements and good increases. I've only heard good news for the past few months and that has been wonderful. Being able to run a podcast, newsletter, and a blog all at the same time has been a lot harder than many people could imagine it, but for the most part, I've pulled it off. Both the podcast and newsletter were big afterthoughts, and if it wasn't for a few contributors, I probably would've been doing it all by myself. I think that the response my blog has gotten in the cyberspace community has been an aweful event in my life. But, it makes me wonder exactly why people like my blog so much. I believe it starts with the game at first and fans wanting to find out more information about it. That's exactly what it started with. Either some type of charm or some type of benefit that the readers saw brought them to my site again and I gained many faithful readers who simultaneously subscribed to my blog's growing RSS feed. This was a great period of time. I also think that my idea to create both a podcast and newsletter helped my chances. It really shows how great of a game LocoRoco is. Despite somewhat tepid sales, the critical acclaim of this game and high publicization of it helped our blog to succeed as well. I think our big break of loyalty came when more demos started hitting (mostly the holiday-themed ones) and people realized our blog. My final theory is that I update too often for my own good. I am always making small or large changes to the blog to keep it fresh--users never like when they come to a website out of their way to see the same old things. Not only do I update the blog, but I also update the designs and I personally feel that many people appreciate that. I suppose nobody will ever know why so many people are interested in my blog, but I can guess, right? --locoroco. ************************************************************************ Editorial: What the PSP is Missing By: littlevish, Admin and Founder of Beyond Loco The PSP is the most powerful portable gaming device on the market today. Not only that, it plays your favorite music, videos and can surf the web. So the question is: why don't people buy the PSP? The PSP easily has more potential, better graphics, and more capability than the Nintendo DS, so why is it that the DS sells incredibly well while the PSP continues to sit on the shelves? The answer is complicated, and tends to vary from person to person. Some people are angry that Sony continues to attempt to demolish the homebrew scene, while others are frustrated with the lack of useful software updates, or even just the common misconception that the PSP has no good games. The PSP has been steadily improving with hit games such as Socom Fireteam Bravo 2, Medal of Honor: Heroes, multiple Grand Theft Auto games, and Burnout Dominator, along with the recently announced God of War. And of course there is the long awaited Final Fantasy Crisis Core is also going to sell some PSP's in the near future. While those are all great games, none of those are PSP exclusive. The PSP has a solid lineup of games. The thing is, the PSP seems to lack some originality. PS2 ports easily outnumber the amount of original games on the PSP, and in my opinion, that is where the problem lies. (Socom FTB, GTA aren't exactly ports, but they are not games exclusive to the PSP platform). Ask a non-PSP owner to name some PSP games. See how many they list off that aren't ports of a PS2 game. I bet most of them won't be able to tell you any exclusive PSP titles. Maybe a hardcore gamer will know of Lumines (possibly only because of the XBOX Live arcade game), or maybe they will have seen Loco Roco. But the PSP is missing a unique game. Sure Lumines and Loco Roco are unique--they are some of the most original games I have ever played. But the PSP needs a must-have game. Think about the XBOX. How many people do you think bought that just for Halo? A great deal of them. Now how many people do you think bought a PSP to buy Lumines? Not too many. Back to the DS now--a lot of people are buying the Nintendo DS to play Brain Age, or Nintendogs, and even Pokémon (which I thought was dead). The thing is, today's portable crowd isn't necessarily looking for the bloodiest, mature rated shooter. Ultimately, gamers just want to have fun, and fun is exactly what the Nintendo DS provides. I think that a few things could make the PSP competitive with the DS, and ultimately a popular gaming system. The first thing involves what Sony should do with the system itself, not so much with the games they release. Sony needs to let them homebrew community in. If you are so worried about illegal activity, close off some parts of the system and make some development kits, then make the homebrew games have to go through Sony before they are released. Secondly, Sony needs to make some updates that actually do something. First of all, the PS Store needs to come to the PS3. The most anticipated feature of all time for the PSP was downloadable Playstation One games. Those came, but require you to have a 60 GB ($600) PS3 to download these games for about $6. Yeah, right. I'm gonna go buy a PS3 to buy a $6 game that I could pick up in a bargain bin at my local Gamestop. Yep, that's what I'm gonna do. And finally, release the Chotto Shot camera and GPS in the United States. These things have been doing decent in Japan, so bring 'em over here for us to enjoy. Game-wise, they need a game with a "Wow" factor. I think for some games, Sony needs to back to it's roots and come out with some platformers. Sony needs to bring back Crash, Spyro and some of the other guys. I think some old-school games made new (not just ported!) would definitely draw in some gamers. Another thing the PSP could use is a huge online shooter. Sure Socom and Medal of Honor are great, but Sony needs something to be the Halo or Gears of War of the PSP. And finally, I think they should just quit focusing their energy on quick ports of PS2 games, and spend their time and energy making some real, original games. I think the PSP can be saved, but it wouldn't surprise me if in two years it is almost dead. I hope this doesn't happen, but I can see it coming. --littlevish. ************************************************************************ Monthly Corner: Peripheral Madness By: Brandon Spencer, Founder and Blogger for PSPGN Sony's PlayStation Portable is the most advanced handheld gaming console ever made. One would assume that such a capable device would bring a variety of useful accessories along with it. I would be lying if I said that the PSP doesn't have any cool peripherals. The problem is that they just aren't very accessible yet. Sony didn't market the PSP as a gaming device. They declared it an all-in-one media player. Unfortunately, to use any kind of media, you need memory. And for memory you have to buy MemorySticks. Certainly, the new 8GB MemoryStick Duo and the prospective 32GB would satisfy most users' media cravings. However, an 8-gig MemoryStick is hardly worth the $325 that the accessory demands. Another exciting peripheral for the PlayStation Portable is the USB camera, also known as Go! Cam (or Chotto Shot in Japan). The affordable attachment takes video clips, snaps photos, and records audio. Released in Japan last fall, the camera has finally been given a European release date of May 16. Unfortunately there has been no word of a US release yet. It's sad that Sony has waited this long to get the camera out on the market. This is the kind of peripheral that should have been available from the beginning. The PSP GPS attachment goes for a fair price of $59.99. However, no one is sure if the accessory will ever leave the shores of Japan. The GPS unit attaches to the top of the PSP in the same fashion as the camera. The unit allows for a new world of possibilities. Imagine switching on your PSP and tracking down other PSP owners in your area. Or mounting your PlayStation Portable to your car's dashboard for driving directions. Who knows what else GPS is capable of. Rumors have been flying around for months now about a PSP2 in the works. However, I think most gamers would agree that the PSP doesn't really need a redesign. Most people would just be happy with cheaper MemorySticks and some cool new peripherals. When will our wishes come true? One can dream… ************************************************************************ Commentary: Shooting Blanks By: locoroco, Admin and Founder of Get Loco:: LocoRoco Blog Every single gaming blogger--except for the avid PSP blogs--have criticized SONY recently. They've come up with two myths: 1) the PS3 can't sell because it's too expensive and doesn't have any good games and 2) the PSP can't sell well because it has no good and attractive software. Both are obviously myths. The PS3 has games like Virtua Fighter 5, Resistance: Fall of Man, NBA 2K7, and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. And that's pretty great considering that most are third-party games--thus proving that the third-party support is actually there (it's what made the PS2 a success; ask anybody). The PSP has pretty attractive games like LocoRoco, the GTA-series, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, Madden and NBA Live, and even Ratchet & Clank. The truth is that SONY's advertising is hurting it, not these myths. The PSP advertising has been trying to target the teen crowd since it was first released. It has failed to do so with lame advertising mottos like "Dude, get your own" and others. They've simply failed because they do not do the right thing. The PSP fails to advertise any gameplay or any features in games, such as online play, and it fails to prove that games like GTA and LocoRoco are clearly hits. They have also failed to reveal that SONY offers tons of demos free for download, and uses services like TIVO to GO to provide videos. Without this, many people simply believe myths about the PSP. The advertising needs to get right in order for the PSP to improve in sales. Secondly, by targeting the teen audiences with ads that don't captivate the audience will obviously hurt SONY. Something needs to budge. Plus, the PS3 advertising is, to put it simply, disturbing. They make no sense, but SONY has recently gotten something right by showing gameplay and advertising features and capabilities (such as HD support and even SIXAXIS motion). SONY could even improve advertisements by creating an "anthem" commercial to advertise all of the games that are currently on shelves and critically acclaimed. Advertising is an extremely important part of becoming successful. Ask Nationwide Insurance and Geico Insurance. With their catchy and clearly humorous advertisements, they've been able to garner a load of customers in as little as 15 seconds. You might even want to ask DELL; Ben Curtis (famous for his dude, you're getting a DELL catchprase) helped the company move many PCs and gain numerous customers. Because SONY already has the devices and software, it's time to step up and go for the gold. It might not happen this year or maybe even next year, but longevity is key to SONY's strategy. And advertising will clearly help out that strategy. ************************************************************************ Feature ˇMuy Loco!: Q&A with Custom Level Designer Interviewer: locoroco of Get Loco // Interviewee: littlevish of Beyond Loco I became very interested in the custom level designs created by littlevish on the Playstation forums and mentioned it on my blog. I didn't expect that such a partnership would come from this small mention, and when I did contact him, I was a bit giddy. He seemed as down-to-earth as apple pie and as interested in LocoRoco as I am. Here's this great interview: Q: How did you first find out about the game LocoRoco? A: I saw the demo on the official Playstation site. I downloaded it, and after playing for 5 minutes or so, my immediate impression was: "This game stinks." Having a 32 MB card at the time, I deleted but later re-downloaded it after reading the hype. I loved it the 2nd time (no idea why the change) and bought the game the week it came out. Q: What attracted you to the game? A: I liked the simplicity. You need 3 buttons to play the entire game. The 2D graphics were awesome and different than anything I'd seen. Plus, I just liked the challenge of finding everything. There really aren't too many platforming/find stuff games around any more. Q: What sparked you to create custom levels? A: I had always wanted to make games but have always lacked the skill or patience. When I found out about the Loco Editor, I thought it would be awesome to make my own levels. At first I distributed them on the Playstation site, but then I had the idea to create my own site. We now have over 260 members, many of whom have contributed their own levels to the site. Q: In your opinion, which is your favorite custom level? A: Wow. That may be the toughest question yet. I have played almost every level on my site (except for the European ones which don't work on the US game) and I like them all in different ways. But if I had to choose, I think I'd choose Animeniac's "Frustrator." That name is quite fitting. I have spent a couple of hours trying to beat that level and can't do it. I can finish but can't get 100%. To my knowledge nobody has gotten everything on it. If you want to try it out yourself, it's available on my site. Q: What games do you own for the PSP besides LocoRoco? A: I own a pretty good amount of PSP games, although I haven't bought many lately. Here's what I have: Burnout Dominator Lumines (2nd favorite behind Loco Roco) NHL 07 Wipeout Pure Ridge Racer Exit Sega Genesis Collection Sonic Rivals As you can tell, I'm a pretty big fan of the racing genre. Q: Do you use homebrew, and if yes, why? A: No, and I never have except for the old 2.80 TIFF homebrew. Unfortunately, at the time I saw the World Tour Soccer Demo and upgraded to 2.81, oblivious to the fact that it patched the TIFF exploit AND that there was hex-edited demo available. Never been a homebrewer since and currently run 3.40. I downloaded it for DVD quality movies but I can't get them to play, so it's pretty much a bad deal all around. Q: What is the biggest improvement, in your opinion, that SONY could make to the PSP? A: More games, along with an online store. PS1 downloads from your PSP and PC are a must. Q: Do you think that it's imminent that the PSP receives a redesign very soon? A: No, I don't think so. It's not selling well as it is, so I don't think sony puts their time, energy, and money into a new PSP now. Their focus is still on the PS3 at this point. Q: Would you like to see a LocoRoco sequel, and if yes, what kind of improvements would you like to see made to the game? A: What do you mean, "Would I like to see a Loco Roco sequel?" Of course! I'm sure we will see one. It has almost been confirmed by Phil Harrison, and Sony is working on a lot of things Loco Roco (see Gregg Tavares interview on my site). I think there are several improvements to be made. Not to say the current level editor isn't good, but it could use an overhaul. I'd like to have more than one predefined map, along with the ability to add in secret areas, enemies, Mui Mui etc. Another thing that I would love is for the gamesaves to be universal. For example, a level created on the European version of the game will not play on the North American version. Universal gamesaves would be great. There are some great looking levels out there that I cannot play. Q: What do you think of the next-generation video gaming race that is currently unfolding and are you a fan of the PS3? A: I'm not a big fan of the PS3. First of all, it's overpriced. I know, I know it has a Blu Ray player which you can't get for under $1000 right now. So that makes it a bargain, right!?!? No. $600 is too much for a gaming system, especially when it hardly has any games, let alone exclusive games. I don't see myself ever buying a 360, but I do think it will ultimately win out over the PS3 and Wii. If I ever do purchase a next-gen system, I will be buying a Nintendo Wii. Loco Roco actually seems like a game that you'd see on a Nintendo system. I would love to see Loco Roco for the Wii, although obviously this will never happen as Loco Roco is made by SCEA. ************************************************************************ Review: Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon By: TCLCloud, Founder and Blogger for PSP117 The first Harvest Moon game was released in 1997 for the SNES. Ten years later, the series has spawned more than 20 games and spin-offs on nearly every console. Now, ten years after its original release a new spin-off game is coming to the PSP. Now, after playing the game I can see why it is considered a spin-off but any die hard harvest Moon fan will know, the core of the game is the same as it has been for years, run a farm as effectively and efficiently as you can to make the most profit and achieve the games set goals, whether it be getting married, making a certain amount of money or in this one, save the island from destruction. However, there are distinct differences between this game and its predecessors. Firstly, the farm you gain possession of is not from a recently deceased relative. In fact the farm is on the roof of some ruins! Secondly, you’re not just a teenager who randomly gets given a farm; you’re a robot, built to man the farm. It sounds strange and that’s because it is. Traditionally the series has been about running a farm for the sake of the game and making a lot of money. This time your character is built to run the farm and solve the islands mysteries in an attempt to save the island and its inhabitants from an active volcano. These differences may seem odd for the type of game this is, a farming simulator but the fact that it expands on an already successful formula could swing it either way for gamers. Those who have played previous games could enjoy this more, with a more interesting story and much more to do than just farming, but at the same time it could be enjoyed less by those die hard fans who love the series as it is and who were hoping for a simple port with graphical updates, because this isn’t that. In terms of gameplay you can expect the game to be pretty farm orientated, with crops and animals being available to grow and raise on the farm. Sticking to simple farming is an option but adventure is another, but having to farm and adventure requires good management of your time. Swanning off to the other side of the island will require you to wake up early and performing farm duties such as watering, harvesting and feeding before you leave. Adventuring will allow you to access better items and coloured jewels that affect your fields in positive ways, such as better retention of water or faster growth. These jewels also allow more of the ruins you live in to be unlocked and explored. As you progress you will gain access to new crops throughout the seasons, different animals and even a quad bike! Graphics are good, better than any other portable Harvest Moon game to date and probably better than a few of the console versions too. I say that they are good, not great for a couple of reasons. Firstly, there are no amazing cutscenes to watch and secondly, the game is not about graphics, I mean, how good could the graphics really be on a farm-sim? The music is also good. The BGM on your farm is pleasant and forgettable, which is exactly what you want from a song when you’re going to be hearing it so much. The sound affects in the game are also decent, many adding to the immersion of the game. Scoring: Graphics: 7/10 Nice solid looking game, no glitches so far. Some impressive views but mostly a decent looking game throughout. Sounds: 7/10 Again, nothing amazing but certainly nothing bad. Controls: 8/10 Nice and easy to pick up and learn. Portability: 10/10 You can save at the end of each day, which can last between 3 minutes or half an hour. So you can for as long or as short as you like. Gameplay: 9/10 Highly addictive, super gaming for all ages with its adventure/RPG/Farming hybrid style. Total: 41/50 = 82% A must own for all previous player of the series and a good introduction to the series for all first time farmers. ************************************************************************ Meet Our Affiliates! PSPGN is a website devoted to the Playstation Portable, providing news and homebrew information at every corner. In addition to blogging, Brandon Spencer also has tutorials on how to use the PSP and more. You'll love this informative and fun website. locoroco runs a weekly column on PSPGN, as well. PSP117 is a website also devoted to the PSP. It's founder, TCLCloud, runs a portal that has file downloads galore. In addition, the site runs its own PSP-related forum, has a section for opinionated blogging from a "junkie's" perspective, and more. Don't miss this great website! Beyond Loco is a forum run by custom level designer littlevish and it has been run for months now. It includes many of the custom levels littlevish has made himself in addition to guest custom levels and a full-fledged forum with devoted members. In addition, littlevish has helped and created an official Get Loco part of the forum. Thanks! ************************************************************************ Thanks yet again for your contributions to this newsletter. Thanks to you, Get Loco, the blog has achieved success with nearly 30,000 total views since I first blogged. This is pretty impressive considered it was supposed to be a small part-time hobby and it has now turned into a daily part of my life. I am thankful to everyone that I have been given the opportunity to run a blog, podcast, and newsletter and find success in each venue. I am also grateful to all of our contributors; without you, I am nothing. I hope to see you guys soon! --locoroco. ************************************************************************ |