Now it's been announced, it would be nice to get a closer look at Dungeon Maker: Hunting Ground, XSEED Games' PSP version of the tried-and-true paper-and-pen dungeons of old. Darn, those were tedious days.

If you want to explore this dungeon, here's your chance: at the Read link below is the official website for Dungeon Maker, where you will be treated to explanations and some screens. Really, at the center of this game is the creation (and exchange) of dungeons on your PSP, that even the story of the game revolves around the theme.

You, the quintessential Daedalus (not the homebrew emu; look him up in a Wiki), are essentially designing monster and demon honey traps, because in this world, monsters and demons just love to wander around dungeons, itching for you to slay them (and vice versa).

No snarkiness intended: this may be the premise behind Dungeon Maker's storyline, but like we said, it does earn points for carrying a certain bit of the dungeon master legacy with it. Success in this game is earned by designing such intricate dungeons as to attract ever more intriguing (and menacing) monsters, up until the ultimate baddie in the game. Learn more at the Read link.

While Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) exec Jack Tretton talked about PSP Store (or whatever they will call the service) during Gamers Day, another SCEA exec, this time Marketing VP Peter Dille, talks about the same service. In the movies, TV, and music content department, the PSP has a lot more room to grow, and Dille admits it's high time that it did grow:

The missing ingredient for us has been making it easier for consumers to get video content or music content to the PSP, because the device has this awesome technical playback capability, awesome screen built for video and yet we don’t make it terribly easy for people to access any content. So we’re looking to fix that.

So what are the plans for the PSP Store (tentative name we're assigning)? GameInformer asked him during Gamers Day if it will involve the PSP's Wi-Fi capabilities or require the PS3 for cross-downloading? Peter can announce no details, but he says "I think both paths are open to us." Dille also foresees this rolling out later this year.

When questioned about that new PSP model, Dille held up his hands. "Sony’s a technology company so there are lots of people out there wondering what we’ll do next. But as a rule, we don’t comment on rumors or speculation." What he could say, though, is Sony's confidence in the PSP - as a format, and not just as the SKU. As well as the many games coming for the machine in the foreseeable future, Dille believes that the downloadable entertainment media service is what will "energize the market."

So it's not a shooter (and a few have in fact complained), but developer Slant Six assures that this PSP game sits solidly within the universe that SOCOM: US Navy Seals inhabits. They've taken Zipper Interactive's baby, as IGN calls it, into their hands (for SOCOM: US Navy Seals Tactical Strike for the PSP and SOCOM: Confrontation for the PS3) and they are intent on not dropping this ball - er, baby. Says managing director Brian Thalken,

We're very flattered that Zipper has entrusted us to develop a game in their franchise, it's a task that we do not take lightly... We [Slant Six and SCEA] talked about doing many different things together, but we knew that whatever we did it had to be something that we could be passionate about. SOCOM: Tactical Strike was a perfect match for us.

Slant Six will be the first to admit that Tactical Strike isn't a shooter - and are willing to admit it's quite a risk to run with, says director of development Dan McBride. Still, he's confident that "the tactical play will in fact appeal to the hardcores in particular." To be sure, McBride is "pretty sure" that there will be a demo "this summer" to show the hardcore what Tactical Strike is all about.

Let's get those keys singing, shall we? The Noobz team has worked over piKey so that it will register - and thus sing - while communicating with 3.30 and 3.40 OE firmwares.

Just in case this is the first time you're reading about this, piKey's an application that enables the use of wireless keyboards with the PSP, both in text-input and program command functions within various applications.

Besides that improvement, the team also reports that they've made a few enhancements as well, to improve across-the-board compatibility with games and homebrew:

• Now works on 3.30 OE and 3.40 OE (okay, got that covered)
• Configurable hotkey to disable piKey at boot time
• Can be disabled for v1.50 mode in configuration

Get cracking: Download links below, readme's in the file, you know the drill by now.

Download: piKey v0.3

IGN reports a Gpara interview where Steamboat Chronicles producer Kazuma Kujou is working on a "sci-fi strategy game for the PSP". No other details were revealed, except that Kujou will be mixing this development work with his "management duties" at Irem.

A pity that there were no other extra details to talk about, but it is gratifying to note that either someone is listening, or actually is willing to take the roads less traveled on the PSP.

But it would be so interesting to at least have a rough picture of what this game will look like: turn-based strategy? A brave step towards RTS? Turn-based strategy RPG? Another game where the characters offer you hot cocoa? Any clue?

 

Do you remember an old and adorable productivity killer called Chip's Challenge? That's what this writer was reminded of when a preview copy of D3Publisher's Cube dropped on his lap. Both are maze-based puzzle games wherein the objective is to collect items and navigate hazards to get to a goal. The only difference is, besides Cube's blocky theme, is that while Chip's is flat (as in the playing field, not its presentation and play), Cube goes 3-D.

Read the rest, after the jump!

Via PSP Vault, CarBoyCam releases this new PatchSFO for 3.XX OE, based on the original PatchSFO for the 2.80 xLoaderapp developed by the Noobz team. This one was born out of CarBoyCam playing around with 3.40 OE-A customizations and finding his GAME150 homebrew corrupted afterwards.

Now CarBoyCam admits this is his first homebrew ever, so as he puts it, "it might be a bit buggy or unattractive." Also, it won't fix all homebrew stored in the GAME150 or 340 folders. He does assure that he has tested this app - although the caveat remains that users must knowingly use homebrew at their own risk.

For that reason, please read the Readme before doing anything, particularly because it will tell you what to do.

Download: PatchSFO for 3.XX OE

(a) Fanjita's recently announced via his blog that he's going to be "slowing down" on PSP development work. Or to quote him, "I won't be able to spend as much time on PSP projects as I would like for the near future."

(a).1. To clarify before an outburst of sorrow spams us, he's not leaving, m'kay? He had to drop by our forums to point it out. He's just not going to be as busy as before. But there are very good reasons for this.

(b) Reason #1 is he's going to be a dad! Congratulations, Fanjita! There's gotta be a cigar here somewhere (goes AFK and rummages through closets looking for a celebratory smoke - waitaminute, that's a bad idea...)...

Fanjita's confident that the rest of the Noobz team and the PSP scene will still manage to make great headway in the future, even with his reduced presence. But man, to be a dad, that feeling beats teh high score or teh hax.

At the same time, with that in mind, the veteran haxxor is looking to web design ventures to help support his growing family. One of his ventures happens to be involved with his wife's business: handmade greeting cards. Take up his invitation, visit August Design via that off-site link and browse around. Hey, it's going to be Mother's Day soon, you know.

Again, from all of us at QJ, all our best wishes for you and your family, Fanjita! And for everyone else in the scene: who wants to help us make PSP-shaped pacifiers for the little tyke?

Discuss, and celebrate the coming little bundle of joy: QJ PSP Development forum

Eh, guess we couldn't afford tickets to Japan for the Square Enix Party 2007 event. Perhaps another alternative, then? Especially if you're the collector type, Squeenix has made a limited edition Official Pamphlet "Archives" available for sale. Including tax, it costs out about a thousand solid Yen - a little over eight US dollars without the shipping and handling.

With it, you get to see interviews and coverage of Square Enix developers, including all the existing XIII's: Final Fantasy XIII, Versus XIII, and Agito XIII, as well as stuff on Advent Children, Revenant, the Tactics, the Quests, the first two...

Oh come on, if you know your Squeenix, you know what to expect of this pamphlet. Limited Edition probably means not to many of these available, making it quite the collector's item. And eight dollars is certainly a lot more affordable than a one-way ticket to Japan...

Of course, if anyone has videos...

You know what? Methinks this writer's been playing too many video games for too long.

The Japanese-based PSP GadgetZ decided to host their own little play-through of Free Running on YouTube. For the purposes of demonstrating the gameplay, we've embedded one of their videos - the one on Freestyle - and as a courtesy, the rest may be available via the Read link.

If this game inspires people to start running all over walls... well bone doctors everywhere might become busier. On the other hand, it would be nice to see people put down the game once in a while and exercise for real. And in the outdoors, too - no need to be tied by a Sensor Bar.