Tag: playstation store

PlayStation Store for PS3, PSP and PS Vita are closing forever

On By Michel McDonaldIn PS Vita, ps3, PSPLeave a comment

Well this is frustrating for me and I’m sure many people. PlayStation has announced they are closing their PlayStation store for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable PSP and PlayStation Vita. That means if you don’t have all the games you’ve bought installed on your system, you better back them up now because I fear as soon as the PS Store is gone, your downloads are gone.

I have completely deleted every paragraph in this post because I went into complete panic mode and assumed without doing any research that if they close the store down on your platform, that you would lose the ability to ever download any of your purchased games. It’s just not the case. Here is a video discussing everything that is happening.

I am so relieved that I was wrong about losing every game I ever bought if I don’t back them up. I am going to buy games and expansions for games I already own that I wanted to buy, but never bought because I didn’t have the money before it’s too late to buy them. When I say expansions, I’m referring to things like Minecraft skins packs and texture packs and whatever other packs I didn’t buy before. Also, Little Big Planet costumes and whatever else is available to add to the game. I am also trying to acquire memory cards. I bought a 64gb memory card for the PS Vita on Amazon and that will take a very long time to get here. I don’t know where it’s coming from.

Well, finding this video was a load off my mind. I already backed everything up, and when I say everything I’m talking 134 PS Vita games, 21 PSP games and 5 PlayStation One games that I bought or got for free from my PlayStation Plus membership on the PS Vita. That is a lot of games. 160 games to be exact. I’ve already bought 1 new game, I’m just waiting for my stimmy to come to make some new purchases. Of course, I won’t go nuts because I don’t know how much I will be able to play those games, I just want to get them before I regret never buying them. What is that? Fear of missing out? Yeah, I have that lol.

Anyway, I signed a petition that is begging Sony to rethink this move. If you want to sign, that would be wonderful, and who knows if that will even make them listen.

Minecraft Handbooks

On By Michel McDonaldIn Games, Pain, PS4Leave a comment

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It is one thing to be a nerd and play a video game and enjoy it, but when you go out of your way to spend money on actual hard cover books, you know you are addicted and a hard core gamer.

I’ve only been playing Minecraft on my PlayStation 4 since the week before Christmas and I think I’ve made some headway, but there are still a few things I think I need to know before I continue. I can look them up on the Minecraft Wiki page or just Google whatever I am looking for, but somehow I think reading these official handbooks might help give me a better understanding of the game I am playing. Or it could be that they are only like 60 to 80 pages each and won’t help me at all. It’s okay because they were only $5 each.

lego marvels super heroesWhile I was on Amazon today I decided to buy another game. I absolutely love the Lego games. I have all of the PSP Lego games, and now that I have a PS4 I would love to own all of the PS4 Lego games. I already have Lego The Hobbit that I bought as a digital download, but I bought Lego Marvel Super Heroes on disc because it was cheaper to buy the disc than the download. It’s $40 on the PlayStation store and I only paid $23.89. Last week it was on sale on the PlayStation store for only $25, but I didn’t have the money for it. I could have used my credit card, but I would much rather have the disc to run the game because it installs less on the PS4 hard drive. It’s a matter of between 500mb from the disc or 3GB as a download. The more games I download, the less games I can buy, so I would just rather buy the discs if I can.

I would love to buy the Lego Movie Videogame and Lego Batman, but I can buy those in the future when I am ready for a new game. I haven’t even made a dent in Lego The Hobbit, so I don’t want to overwhelm myself with all these games lol.

I am having fun with my PlayStation 4, but my right forearm is in a lot of pain from using the R3 stick with my thumb and pressing the buttons. My left arm isn’t having any issues for some reason, but perhaps it’s because I’m not doing as much work with my left thumb lol. Who knew that something as simple as pushing buttons with my thumb would cause so much pain. I need to limit myself to only an hour or 2 a day rather than 4 to 8 lol. Perhaps that’s the problem. But I’m just having fun since it’s a new thing. I’m sure the novelty will wear off and I won’t play the game as often. Maybe when my shows come back on I will pay more attention to watching TV.

PSP Game Wish List

On By Michel McDonaldIn Games, PSPLeave a comment

I recently bought 3 new PSP games on Amazon. I didn’t think to check the PlayStation store first because I prefer to have games in their hardware form, like UMD’s. Of course, I guess it doesn’t really matter if I download a game or if I have the UMD. If a SD card fails, I can download the game again.

The 3 games that I recently bought were fortunately a good price to buy the UMD as opposed to the digital download, so I’m not stressing out on that. I went through my Amazon PSP Wish List and found several that are actually cheaper to download. Games like Dungeon Maker: Hunting Ground which is $19.99 on Amazon, but the digital download is only $9.99. Sonic Rivals in UMD format on Amazon is $24.89, but the digital download is only $6.99. Had I bought the UMD and then found out it was much cheaper to download, I probably would have beat myself up over that.

I counted at least 5 games on my wish list that were way more expensive in UMD format, but there are a few that are not available as a digital download, so those games I can buy in UMD format, like Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines. I had no idea that was even available for the PSP, PS Vita sure, but PSP? Who knew?

It is actually a better idea to buy the digital download of some games anyway because if I eventually do decide to upgrade to PS Vita, I will be able to download and play these games, because they are compatible, but I won’t be able to use the UMD on a PS Vita. So much for being Universal (UMD = Universal Media Disc).

The only unfortunate thing is the security protocols on my home’s wifi cable modem/router. I cannot connect to the PlayStation store directly from my PSP. That’s actually not a problem because I can buy the games from the PlayStation Store website, then use Media Go to download them onto my PSP via the USB cable. It sucks that I have to do that, but it gives me the chance to back up my game data to my computer anyway, so it’s actually a win/win.

I currently have 3 new games to play, plus some new games that I bought from a pawn shop, so I have more than enough to keep me busy, but I still wouldn’t mind buying a few of these digital games because I still want to have the option to play them. I will when I have some extra money.

The Sims 2 Castaway for PSP

On By Michel McDonaldIn Games, PSPLeave a comment

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I have wanted to play this game for as long as I have had my PSP and I finally bought it today via digital download on the PlayStation Store directly on the PSP.  I love how you can just download games right onto your game system lol.  I mean, I couldn’t do that with my Atari 2600 back when I was a kid, or my Sega Game Gear and Nintendo Game Boy when I was in my early 20’s.  I just think this technology is awesome.  But I digress.

I love The Sims, I don’t know what it is about the series or why I like it so much.  In the  Sims games, you have to do certain things like sleep, eat, use the restroom, socialize, entertain yourself etc.  If you don’t do these things then your Sim will be very unhappy and probably die.  I’ve never let it get to that point so I wouldn’t know for sure that that would happen.

The Sims 2 Castaway, you start out on a boat and you get to add a bunch of characters.  I only added 2 because at the start of a game, I don’t want to have to deal with taking care of a bunch of Sims’ needs.  I can barely handle 1, so I just made 2 so that when the time came to take care of the 2nd guys needs, then I will figure it out.  I have the game forever so I can always either go back in and start over, or I can start a 2nd game.

After I created my Sims, they went sailing and there was a storm and yadda yadda yadda, stranded on a deserted island… castaway lol.  He is alone, so my 2nd sim must be somewhere else.  I haven’t found him yet.

All I seem to do is harvest things and fill my Sims needs.  I have to harvest banana leaves and vines and food and this and that and the other.  I need to harvest in order to eat, but I also have to harvest in order to make things, like clothes, a bed, a hut and whatever sorted things there are to make.  Even though I have to harvest everything, I already know that it doesn’t matter because I’m already addicted to it.  I just looked at the clock and it’s 1:30am.  The last time I checked the clock it was 11:30pm.  So I’ve been staring at my PSP for the last 2 hours like a zombie lol.

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This is my character.  You know, it’s too bad the PSP doesn’t take screenshots, otherwise the image would be so much nicer.  Here he is wearing “Elven Short Shorts” because I didn’t have the ingredients for making anything else.  This outfit took 5 banana leaves and 5 vines.  In order to make something else, I will need more of the same ingredients as well as grass.  Actually, this is the first outfit that I made, the second outfit I made is actually kind of embarrassing.  I wouldn’t want my picture taken with it on and so I am going to respect my Sim by not showing what he is wearing, you know, out of respect for a person that doesn’t exist lol.  He still has pride you know.

EA has only released 3 games for the PSP.  The Sims, The Sims 2: Pets and The Sims 2: Castaway.  I would love it if they would have 1 game with expansions you can buy, or maybe the Sims 3 with or without expansions.  I’d love to play the Sims that you get to play on the Android phones that have vampires in it lol.  Oh well, I will keep dreaming about that Android phone and maybe one day I might get one.  I will keep dreaming.  In the meantime, I have this new game to play and I love it.

The Next PSP

On By Michel McDonaldIn PSPLeave a comment

Sony ready to unveil it’s PSP Go at E3 tomorrow | Dvice

PSP Go Video Game, E3 09: Conference Footage 2

Ok so here we go, they have a new PSP out which is their 4th gen called PSP Go.  This PSP is smaller, same widescreen but it flips up so you can use the control buttons below the screen instead of on the sides of it.  It then closes so you can watch movies or TV shows or even use it as an mp3 player and not have any buttons pressed while it’s in your bag.

The PSP Go has a 16GB flash memory as well as a Memory Stick Micro slot which is a different name from the one that is currently in the PSP which is Memory Stick Duo so no you can’t use the one that you already use in your current PSP.  They took away the UMD slot so all those games that you bought you can’t use anymore.  You have to buy all your games via the PlayStation store online.

It also has Bluetooth Support.  I don’t know what that means for the PSP though.  When I think of Bluetooth I think of a cell phone earpiece.  What does Bluetooth mean for a PSP Go?

On the video (which is the 2nd link above) at the E3 the guy talks about how people like to buy the actual physical product.  There will be a new media manager for PC so I’m guessing that maybe you plug your PSP 2 or 3 into your computer via the USB and it probably converts the UMD into files that you then upload to your PSP Go.  But that is just what I think that means, I don’t know for sure.  Who knows, but he did mention something about being able to buy the UMD even though you can’t use it in this thing.

I don’t know about this one.  I like my PSP 2000.  I didn’t upgrade it to the PSP 3000 when that came out because the only upgrade it had was a mic on the front so you don’t need a headset to call people with Skype and it had a more matte finish on the screen so you don’t get glare from lights or the sun.  With a $250 price tag I’m still not convinced that I need to upgrade to the PSP Go.

I kinda prefer having a UMD and being able to put it in the UMD slot when I want to play a game which of course means searching for the game I want but that’s perfectly fine by me.  I don’t know if I want to fill my 16GB flash memory with games then have to use a memory stick to add more.  Call me old fashioned lol.

PSP-4000 Rumors

On By Michel McDonaldIn Games, PSPLeave a comment

I’ve been reading rumors of a new version of the PSP coming summer 2009.  It allegedly has a sliding screen and when you slide the screen it reveals the buttons for playing the games.  It has no UMD drive so all of your UMD games are now useless.  It basically will be download your games to memory sticks only.

I really don’t see how that’s going to make it better.  I mean, I’ve spent a lot of money on games, why should I lose all of them and possibly even be forced to buy them all over again to put on the memory stick to play on this thing?

And why sliding screen?  The only good I can see for that is watching movies or tv shows which I never even do.  I don’t have any movie UMD’s and I don’t buy movies/tv shows from the PlayStation store.  I just don’t see how a sliding screen is going to be any better than it is now.

No thanks.  I’m going to just stick with my PSP-2000.  I didn’t upgrade from the 2000 to the 3000 when that came out because the only changes that it had were the matte screen to make it easier to see in the sunlight and there are less finger prints and the mic hole which I don’t need since I already paid the $30 for the Skype headset.

If the 4000 version has no UMD slot then it’s useless to me.  No point in upgrading for me.

The thing I would like to see in future handheld gaming devices is perhaps a pair of sunglasses like my bicycle sunglasses that wrap around so you don’t see any sunlight at all but it has earplugs attached to the arms and it has a screen on the lenses then it has a wireless game pad that has all the PlayStation controls so I can play games and nobody will know what I’m playing or I can watch movies and nobody can see what it is.

WTF?

On By Michel McDonaldIn Games, PSPLeave a comment

wtfIt’s not what you think.  WTF stands for Work Time Fun.  I got this game last night because I have been extremely bored.  I can’t crochet anymore and all the games I have I’ve played and even though I’m not finished with them I wanted something new.  I still have that $25 gift card for Game Stop but I don’t know when I’ll be able to use it so until then I got this.

It was only $9.99 at the PlayStation Store and it has all these mini games inside it like counting chicks for example.  There are 3 types of chicks.  Male, Female and Dead lol.  You push the chicks over with the right arrow button on the left side of the PSP then you decide where it goes.  If it’s a female chick you press the X, if it’s male you press the O and if it’s dead you press the triangle and it goes to heaven.

There is also a game called Pendimonium (I think that’s the name) where you work in a pen factory and you have to put the caps on pens.  But some come out upside down so you have to turn it right side up, put the cap on it then go to the next one.

Yeah, it does strain your eyes and it does seem to be strange but oddly addictive.

One of the games is similar to frogger, you have to get this little guy safely to the other side and keep him from getting hit by a car and you gotta eat the mushrooms in the road along the way.  Yeah, you have to be doing mushrooms to play this one lol.

There is a baseball one which I am terrible at and a boxing game where all you do is press the x button many times but I never win that one.

Oh talk about winning, WTF is like a job, you have to “go to work” by doing these mini games and you get a paycheck depending on what tasks you’ve done.  Since I just got the game I’m not that far into it so I can’t explain what you get in this game but one of the things I saw from YouTube is you get this fun little thing that is eyeballs and from what I’ve seen on YouTube that is really fun especially for parties lol.

PlayStation Store Finished

On By Michel McDonaldIn Games, PSPLeave a comment

Well Sony finally finished the PlayStation store for the PSP.  Instead of buying stuff on their website they gave everyone Media Manager for PSP 3.0.  I bought Media Manager for PSP 2.0 for $20 or $25, I forgot.  But I guess it’s ok because this is an upgrade and I don’t have to pay to upgrade it.

If you have a PSP you don’t need to use this to buy and download games.  All you do is just go online with the PSP and go to the PlayStation Store.  That is if you have WiFi access at home.  If you don’t then you don’t have any other choice than to use the Media Manager with a USB cable.  However if you want to buy/rent movies or tv shows you can only download them using the Media Manager.  They don’t offer this feature on the PSP.  I’ve been looking at it since the firmware update.

The only problem with this is that in order to buy a lot of the games or movies/tv shows you must have more than just 1GB memory stick.  They offer 16GB from San Disk now and they really aren’t that much money.  Some games and movies are more than just 1GB so you must have a 4GB, 8GB or 16GB memory stick for those.  The good news is that you can transfer games/movies/tv shows to your computer or maybe to a dvd-r and when you aren’t going to play the games or watch the movies etc you can just delete them from your memory stick so you can make room for other things.  Or if you have a disposable income just buy many memory sticks.

PlayStation Store and New Keyboard Screen

On By Michel McDonaldIn PSPLeave a comment

Well I guess the new firmware update for the PSP was yesterday, I guess I missed it.  I’ve been so focused on the PlayStation Store website on the PC that I didn’t even notice that it is already on the PSP.  It’s so awesome too because now when I want to download a demo, wallpaper or game or whatever they have all I have to do is turn on the PSP and go right there.  I no longer have to plug my PSP into the computer to download it.

They also added a cool new keyboard instead of having 12 buttons like a phone where you have to press each button 4 times to get 1 letter like you do with a cell phone.  So annoying.  Now the new keyboard thing makes more sense.  To use the symbols and go caps all you do is click the shift button.  Like the old style the triangle button is your space key and the square button is the delete.  Below is a picture I took of the new keyboard.

PlayStation Store

On By Michel McDonaldIn Games, PSPLeave a comment

Wow I just read on the PlayStation Blog that the PlayStation Portable is going to get a firmware upgrade to 5.0 which will allow you to go to the PlayStation Store using the PSP to buy and download games, demos, wallpaper, themes etc.  All you have to do is sign in to your account and they keep your credit card info so you just buy something and you don’t need to worry about entering your credit card info.  Which is actually dangerous unless you have a very good password with at least 20 digits with random letters, numbers and symbols.

Ok so I just went to the PlayStation Store website and it says that the website is going to be down until late October cause they are totally redesigning the website so you can download to your PSP or PS3.  How will they make any money if their website isn’t operational for 2 weeks?  LOL.

Wow I just read the full blog and they are also adding a full keyboard for texting instead of like a phone.  That’s pretty cool and I can’t wait for that.  It will make texting on the PSP much easier I think.  They are also adding a sleep timer that can be used for playing music on the PSP.  I am not quite sure what that means, maybe if you set it for 1 hour then in 1 hour the PSP goes into sleep mode so you don’t waste your battery.  Like if you must have music on when you go to bed.  I actually like that idea because I do like to hear music when I go to sleep but don’t want it to run all night.