Weaving our way through the nether of the Interwebs, we've compiled a list of about two dozen games for the PlayStation Portable that came, saw, and conquered the hearts of PSP gamers worldwide. The best part is, their price tags are near-irresistible. A Greek historian once said, "Nothing is cheap which is superfluous, for what one does not need, is dear at a penny." Too bad ol' Plutarch isn't here to check these bargains for Sony's portable console, because he'd probably make an exception. Find out why after the jump.

We got word that Naughty Dog's former employees, Bob Rafai and E. Daniel Arey, who worked on titles such as Crash Bandicoot, the Jak and Daxter series, and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, have teamed up to form an all new studio: Big Red Button Entertainment.

Details can be found in the full article.

(Editor's Note: Happy new year! Time to serve this year's first ever QuickJump QuickPeek; now let's party like it's nineteen seventy-ni.. err... 2008!)

Had fun with our barrage of QuickPeek special edition fireworks? Last week sure capped the year on a good note, and this week, the gaming industry welcomes 2008 with its own dazzling display of pyrokinetics - including some pre-CES goodies on the side!

* Article originally posted on Jan 05, 2008 at 02:38 PM.

Various game companies are out to spread the holiday cheer by delivering several personalized digital Christmas cards dedicated to all gamers. You can take a look at the Christmas cards presented by PopCap Games, Marvelous Entertainment, Naughty Dog, Bioware and Square Enix in the full article.

 

Ready At Dawn's God of War: Chains of Olympus was announced to release in the US on March 4, 2008, but there was no word on the release date for the European and PAL versions. After a quick follow up with Sony, it was discovered that God of War: Chains of Olympus would come "soon" after the US release.

Though no specific date was given, there's hope that it could release later, hopefully in the same month. The spokesperson from Sony assured fans that the game's PAL version was "on-track" to release in its respective territories. Ready At Dawn is currently on the polishing stages of the game's development track and are busy planning a new game project based on a new IP with former Naughty Dog member Dan Arey (Uncharterd: Drake's Fortune).

Remember just the other day when PSU reported of Sony acquiring Rockstar? To recap, the previous post, we heard from PSU that: "Various sources in the press and development team state that Sony is looking to take Rockstar 'under their wings'." Apparently, it's all just some big misunderstanding. Over at the PSU forums, someone's posted the explanation of Justin Pinter as to how this came about.

It all started with an event that they attended: Sony gathered a bunch of journalists and media representatives for dinner at some sushi place in Santa Monica (mmmmm, sushi). The dinner progressed and with other journalists on the table, they went on to talk about the industry news:

We all talked about Bioshock, Tivo, video on demand, and then eventually made our way to the recent talk of Rockstar going exclusive with Sony after GTA IV with such titles as LA Noire, and the secret PS3 title. The talk lead to someone stating that they knew that not only was the rumor correct but there was more to it. Basically from what I heard, Sony was taking Rockstar under its wing. Now I don't know if that means they are buying them or if they are supporting them as if they were someone like Naughty Dog or Insomniac.

Now here's when things got messy. Upon coming back from the dinner, Justin Pinter had contacted the other staffers of PSU and told them of how the event went. One of the writers had picked up on the "Sony takes Rockstar under its wing" angle and wrote about it on their site.

Unfortunately it was notched as "News" when it actually would have to have been tagged under "Rumor". And with that, everything cascaded into one big ordeal. PSU apologizes for the misunderstanding and hopes that they've been able to clear things up now.

So what's the lesson here, kids? Sushi dinners make for interesting industry news/rumors. And knowing is half the battle. Yo... Joe!

GamesIndustry.biz recently interviewed Dan Arey on his decision to leave Naughty Dog for Ready At Dawn Studios, the developers who are soon to release God of War: Chains of Olympus for the PSP. Summing up his decision to leave, he said:

Naughty Dog and Sony were a wonderful ride, and it was an experience I'll never forget. I was there for almost ten years, the last four as creative director. Really it was just a matter of being the right time for something new. You sometimes just feel it deep down.

Arey explains that he left Naughty Dog after his role on Uncharted: Drake's Fortune was already over so the game will not suffer anything with his departure. He lauds the game, saying, "People will be happy they have a PS3 once they've played Drake's Fortune." He also explains how the Jak and Daxter series shouldn't stop on his account, saying that Sony knows it's a great franchise.

When asked whether his decision to leave has anything to do with the PS3 not doing so well in sales, he responds by saying that he is very optimistic about the future of the PS3, especially with their first and third-party support. Arey finishes on a rather dramatic note, worthy of a veteran in the industry:

I've been around a long time (don't ask) and I've been through at least four major hardware transitions, and it is always the same fears - worry about rising costs, worry about team sizes, worry about price points, worry about whether the consumer base will be there this time. It always works out fine.

Games are here to stay as the primary source of entertainment and artistic expression for the 21st Century. When asked about the future, I say we just need to concentrate on making great games with passion and expertise, games people want and can't wait to play, and experiences that move the mind emotionally and all the rest will follow.

That's what Ready at Dawn is all about, and that's why I'm here.

Sony Computer Entertainment Australia, perhaps not wanting to stay behind Japan's PlayStation Premiere, commenced their second PlayStation Australia Update & Software Event (PAUSE), along with a good share of the goodies Sony touted during the E3 Media & Business Summit.

After a revelation of over 2,000,000 PS2 units, 300,000 PSP units and close to 60,000 PlayStation 3s sold, Sony Australia's marketing director Michael Ephraim also revealed the new PSP-2000 (PSP Slim to others, PSP Diet to jokers) and a September release for the revised PlayStation Portable in the region.

With the Ice Silver version tossed out the window, Australia will get to choose from the Ceramic White and the Piano Black versions instead. The availability of the Star Wars Battlefront II package - the one that sports the Ceramic White PSP-2000 - hasn't been confirmed, though.

With hands on demos with Incognito's Warhawk, Insomniac Games' Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, SCEJ's Eye of Judgement, Naughty Dog'sUncharted: Drake's Fortune, and Factor 5's Lair along with free music video clips from Sony BMG, attendees and 30,000 other PlayStation 3 users were reportedly satisfied with Sony Australia's second PAUSE, despite the lack of an 80 GB PlayStation 3 or a decent price cut for the console in the region.

What's this we're hearing that we just might find a new addition in the roster of PSP games in the form of Jak? For those of you not in the know, this is potentially big as Jak is the other half of the unlikely duo, Daxter and Jak, originally from the PS2. Daxter went on to have his own video game on the PSP, making a huge hit, with Jak appearing as a cameo.

Fast forward to today. The rumor mill has been turning once again, and this time, it hints at a Jak game for Sony's funky li'l handheld. 1UP has reported on their site that Robin Downes, prominent voice actor, has put up in his website that he will be voicing a character named Captain Phoenix in the upcoming PSP version of Jak. Interestingly enough, that bit was taken down quickly after it was discovered later on.

Robin Downes is noted for his works in several video games, such as the role of The Prince in Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, as Luxord in Kingdom Hearts II. He also brought to life the character of the Gentleman Ghost in Justice League Unlimited, the TV series.

Now that was an odd slip, don't you think? Anyhow, we're tagging this as a rumor, obviously because there's no word from Naughty Dog - or whoever else may be interested in coming up with the said version - about Jak on the PSP. So until then, keep it right here, cos we'll be sure to be on the alert on this one.

Big- Of considerable size, number, quantity, magnitude, or extent; large.; Of great force; Mature or grown-up; Of great significance; Official name for the Untitled Naughty Dog Project?

We don't know about you, but we have never heard of a game titled Big for the PS3. But apparently, voice actor Robin Atkin Downes has. The voice actor who had given voice to The Prophet of Regret in Halo 2 recently updated his curriculum vitae which isn't really a big deal, except for two items.

He apparently lent his voice as Navarro for a game called Big developed by Naughty Dog. Another item that could catch your attention is his gig for a PSP game called Jak PSP, another Naughty Dog development, wherein he was the voice of Captain Phoenix. Could Big be the unnamed Naughty Dog project for the PS3? What is Jak PSP? Could it be a PSP version of the also-rumored Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier for PS3?

Either the guy is lying or Naughty Dog has a lot up its sleeves, whatever is on your mind about it, share it with us through your comments.