MGS Portable Ops and... how Monster Rancher can save the PSP?! |
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Have developers exhausted every single feature or option built on the PSP? Is there no more room for novelty that would WOW handheld gamers? Have our games reached critical point where further development would not exceed what we currently think is the maximum power of our PSP? Not necessarily, bub.
There are still a couple of unexplored areas that game developers might want to take advantage of for future game development for the PSP. And sometimes, the best solutions are the simplest answers. Look at Kojima Productions' Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. It's quite a bit of hit, for sure, as it takes advantage of the GPS peripheral device to help you recruit units as you scour around town for a hotspot.
With each hotspot, you find a different recruit. Is this a novel idea? Well, technically speaking, the way it's presented is most definitely new. But when you think about it, maybe Kojima didn't need to reinvent the wheel. He could have just revisited an almost-forgotten idea that revolutionized videogame-to-player interaction a couple of years back. Back at the time when the PSOne was riddled with gems and fantabulastic games.
Remember when we did just that a couple of weeks ago? We had revisited a couple of the "diamonds in the rough" of the PlayStation (PS1). We had gotten the following comment from X (Unregistered): "» Uhh... // How exactly is one supposed to play monster rancher on the PSP? // It would be sweet if you could use UMDs in place of CDs to generate the monsters, but somehow I don't think that would work."
Yeah, Monster Rancher was indeed one of those unique games back then. The reason why it was a hit for a lot of people was that it introduced a novel idea of your in-game interacting with your environment - your CD library, to be more specific. Your in-game content changes because of the resources around you. Monsters apparently live in your CDs. Ingenious idea. Now, it's pretty much lost in the dust and somewhat forgotten. Or was it?
Are we saying that a Monster Rancher title for the PSP exists? And if it does, how novel could it possibly be? If it's not UMDs (the idea of using discs was already done - so that's not too novel anymore), then what other thing can they use? Maybe a certain specific feature - a NEW feature - of the PSP that the PSOne (or PS2 for that matter) didn't have. Two words pop up: WiFi and GPS.
Starting to see the bigger picture now? This idea has already been applied to MGS Portable Ops - the same Monster Rancher concept still lives in it. Instead of monsters hiding in your accessible CDs, soldier recruits are "hiding" in your accessible hotspots.
No, we're not saying that Kojima stole the idea of Tecmo. And we're not even saying that he "borrowed" it. Our point here is that developers still have a lot to work with and maximize on the PSP platform. All it takes is to look at things from a different perspective and apply solutions - simple but profound solutions - to grab gamers hook, link, and sinker.
The PSP is such a powerful device and there are still other aspects of it that haven't been tapped to their full potential - their profound potential - yet. Only a few games as of now are making use of the GPS peripheral device, aside from MGS Portable Ops, that'd be Homestar and Hot Shots Golf. What other features can the PSP make the most out of? Well, since the PS3 came out, maybe we can see more than just game downloads from the PlayStation Network and hope for PS3-PSP in-game interactivity.
Yeah, the PSP might not have a second analog stick or whatnot. But those limitations are what make development that much more challenging. And when you do get to pull it off, you've got yourself a winner. MGS Portable Ops is just the start. Let's keep it going!
18 Jumps Custom firmware 5.50GEN-D now out
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Comments [refresh]
PSP doesn't need saving, it is already doing just fine. Two words: Monster Hunter.
I've never played it but I'll give the game a try if it ever gets produced
ya know ive never played monster rancher lol. and i just started playing MGS: TS for game cube, and dont care for it. but i mean i WAS playing god of war before it so it was a drastic genre change for me and i just got bored of it.
oh yeah nd first post (never got one before)
i didnt type the "I've never played it but I'll give the game a try if it ever gets produced" post lol QJ got confused.
The psp was in trouble?
no way
the gps is a peripheral addon, so it doesnt count as innovation including games that use it cause msot people dont have one anyway.
For some reason it says that I am logged in as HakatoX, but that isn't my name, I am not even registerd. All I have to say is, QJ, that's messed up.
Innovation is the key word. Just like the Wii, the PSP has some unique capabilities that just aren't being discovered. Kojima found the first, now, can the other devs find the other capabilities?
If Nintendo could creat a billion games somehow for the gameboy before, the psp in theory should, in coming years be flooded with great and innovative stuff.
the problem is that gameboy was the FIRST and therefore everything being done for it was new and all its competitors had to catch up. So if we study our history we'll see many reasons why no other handheld has matched nintendo's success to date.
simple
THEY LACKED INNOVATION, GREAT GAMEPLAY, AND LONG LASTING BATTERY LIFE.
The psp has made a huge error in emphasizing graphics over good gameplay. No one gave a crap about graphics while playing tetris. It was the game play, nothing else. Megaman? Game play. Mario? Game play. THAT'S all Nintendo's secret is. They actually make great stuff. A game can have perfect graphics, but still have crap game play that's not challenging or fun. That's why the wii is selling. It's not about perfect graphics. It's about perfect games that are fun to dork around with for a minute or two before going out.
PSP needs to get BACK to focusing on games. UMD movies are a waste of time. Firmware updates are a waste. All this other stuff they're putting energy into like the ps3 connectivity, is a waste. Just deliver great games and possibly applications like the camera and have games utilize the camera function.
Get off your ass and think, sony. We put a man on the moon didn't we. This is baby stuff compared to that.
As far as I'm concerned add-ons like camera functions and GPS are stupid. What's going to sell PSPs is solid games not quirky gimmicks.
yea since u actually have to buy the addon, and not everyone wants to buy an addon that is only used in one game.
I do agree that gameplay is where it's at but as for the rest of your comments... I disagree. The PSP is a gorgeous system and I love it for that, I like the fact that I can play GTA and other 3D games that look better than N64 graphics (cough, I'm looking at you DS) and simply put I have immense amounts of fun with my PSP games that would never be possible on the DS. Burnout, MGS: PO, Killzone liberation, Locoroco, Twisted Metal, Daxter just to name a few.
I do agree that UMD movies really don't interest me in the least. If they were $8 then maybe, but at the price of (or sometimes more) of a DVD I'll pass for the high quality I can get from a DVD.
As for battery life... i dun have much of a problem with it. I get a good 8 hours before I have to recharge the sucker and thats fine for a portable device, it means I can pick it up 3 or 4 times for a good 2 hours of play and put it back to charge.
Also, if Sony released a product with hardware no powerfull than the DS... do you think they'd have the edge they do? Honestly, people would of "uhh W/e it's the same as the DS".
I guess I should log in next time I leave a comment. I didn't know that I'd end up in an article.
So I will. Starting next time.
Can you name one game that's half as fun as GTA, MGS or Burnout to DS? DS and WII sells a lot beacuse of all the parents who buy to their kids. I own a DS to, but I only use my PSP, I thought a lot about buying New super mario bros, but i never get to do that...I admit Supar MArio 64DS was cool, so was Wario ware, but its nothing compared to mGS and games like that! And now that I run OE FW i got FFVII to! That game totaly rocks!
hush404 how can you get 8 hours out of that crappy battery!?!
What does this anyway have to do with Monster Rancher? It's not even being produced....Pointless topic.
P-E-N-I-S
Yeah cuz selling 20mi+ units at $200~$250(USD) in 2 years sure means failure.....
M$ dreams on doing that with Xbox...
I personally dont buy anything for PSP,hell I didnt even buy my PSP a friend of mine gave it to me.I just hope one of the DEV GODS out there come up with something to connect the Eye Toy to the PSP,I've already thought of the harware crap (connectors and such) but I dont know ***** about programing.If I had a choice between carrying my eyetoy areound with my psp or buying and extra camera addon I'd take my eyetoy every time.As far as games go I agree there definitly needs to be some changes in types of games that are made for psp,I dont even bother to get commercial games they are all dissapointments ,on the other hand I love the home brew games I find.
Nuff said
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Don't put "Monster Rancher" in an article if they're not making the game for PSP. That'd be like making an article saying, "Kingdom Hearts Portable, Saving Your PSP," and then writing about how Kingdom Hearts like games are good for a system; it's very, VERY annoying.
I am running this app for MGS: PO and am having some problems. I obtained my codes and copied them to the database editor and saved it to the PSP. When I activate the code in-game it shows on the select cheats screen. Only problem the cheat doesn't work
halo