Official NYC PSP Group Blog

The Forum Moves to Its New (Permanent) Domain.

2005-06-03T13:46:00.000-07:00

Our new forum is now located here. I've tried sending out mass emails to all group members, but ProBoard's upgrade has resulted in some seriously lagged out connections. Luckily we've been working behind the scenes to get a shiny new place for everyone. Our home page is also going to be moved eventually to this one, though it's still under construction.

Rejoice! We have found our permament domain!

Revenge of the Sith Event Wrap Up

2005-05-23T06:27:00.000-07:00

Last night was the group's first movie event, and I can think of no better film to do it with than Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.

When you show up to a film an hour early, playing some MVP Baseball and WipeOut is the best way to get the time flyin'. Hot Shots Golf is also becoming a group favorite. As far as the movie itself goes, I would say that it was an excellent film, which comes full circle nicely into the saga. Looks like others agree too, as it has set new opening records all across the country, selling an average of 8 tickets a second. After the film, we went back to Chevy's for grub and beer. Check out all the extra pictures at the event wrap-up here.

MVP Basesball Mini Review, by Blazino

2005-05-19T11:45:00.000-07:00

Cerone, aka Blazino, one of the more active members of our forums (and our events) offers his first impressions on MVP Baseball from Electronics Arts, which hit stores just yesterday:

From what I played so far (2 5-innning games, lost both games), MVP Baseball is just like it's console counterpart. The graphics are nice, the gameplay is hard as hell if you have it on veteran or harder. The game has great replays to it. Loading time is not bad at all, like 15-20 sec's. Had some confusion while playing the game because I still had the MLB controlling in mind. One bad thing, as everybody knows by now, is that there is no Infrastructure mode, just Ad-Hoc. Can't say how Ad-Hoc mode is since I don't know anyone with it yet and didn't play the mini-games yet either. But overall good game. If you played and liked MVP Baseball on the console, expect pretty much the same on the PSP.

Thanks Blazino!

MeetUp Seeks Replacement Organizers

2005-05-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

Well, the old site is now officially closed, thanks to their own greed. I have grown really fond of our new forum though, with its enhanced capabilities like private messaging, multiple boards, and custom images. If you love it too, I hope you can help us out in promoting the group. If you think things suck, be sure to let me know that as well. Either way, I hope you guys appreciate the new business cards and the DVD conversion tips.

Site of the Month: GameFAQs.com

2005-05-16T12:01:00.000-07:00

Though it hasn’t been the case this past week, sometimes there’s a lull in PSP-related news. It’s during those times that I take a look at GameFaqs to see what folks are saying about games. It’s basically a collection of tips, reviews, and walkthroughs from the gamers themselves. Sure the submissions are full of typos and they could use some graphics interspersed within the text, but when it comes to pure opinions and strategies straight from the mouths of geeks, it’s hard to beat. Check it out if you’re bored.

My Most Wanted Games

2005-05-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

With E3 2005 rapidly approaching, many of us are wondering what exact games are going to be unveiled for our beloved system. Like any PSP gamer though, I already have a list of titles I'm waiting for now that the launch games are starting to wear a little thin:

God of War - I want to have my 135-hit combos on the go. All with stunning bosses and an incredible soundtrack.
Socom 2 - And if it's not online, I won't even bother.
BurnOut Legends - The good news is that it's already been announced. The bad news is that we'll most likely have to wait until September.
Madden - Honestly, I would've preferred the ESPN series from Sega, what with it's better graphics and playability and all. But I'll take what I can get.
Tekken - I'd be able to master Heihachi while taking out my frustations on the go.

Welcome Message Now On The Forums

2005-05-10T15:35:00.000-07:00

This thread over on the forum oughtta keep us from having to explain our group everytime someone wants info. It's a work in progress, but it sounded like a good idea and I didn't want to spend too much time without it. As always, if you have anything you'd like to add, you can drop me a line.

WipeOut Pure Mini Review

2005-05-03T11:27:00.000-07:00

This game is getting almost all the attention from me at the moment.

The graphics are a complete stunner, and the racing--particularly at the 2 later speed classes--is blistering. Many folks in our group aren't too crazy about it. I suspect it's because the controls take a little while to master, especially with chicane turns and homing missiles flying at you at the same time. If you use the D-pad in conjunction with the L-R triggers for the airbrake though, you'll fare much better. It also helps to memorize the courses. A single turn, speed-boost marker, or weapon pick-up pad can mean the difference between 1st and 2nd place. If you're a veteran you'll expect the AI in single player to be a challenge, as you and one ship battle it out for the top standings in the racing tours.

I love the sound effects too: the ships hum over the tracks, and clank convincingly against each other when they make contact. The weapon sounds also do a great job immersing you into the action, while the thumping techno music pours out of your headphones like aural honey. It's a complete package like no other game on the system, although I do feel like we could have used a few more tracks, even if they could have been reversed, like Ridge Racer. Multiplayer is smooth, though it's best if you are both equally experienced.

Best Moments:

Engaging the quake weapon when riding on the fastest class. Your ship is moving almost as fast as the quake itself as it rips down the course. It's almost like racing blind--a total gas.

Using the turbo weapon as you're going up a hill, to fly past many tall skyscrapers and land just in front of the finish line.

Score: 9/10

PSP Site of the Month: PSP Crazy

2005-05-02T12:50:00.000-07:00

Thought I’d let all you crazy fools on some websites to help you get the most out of your new Sony handheld. This site looks like it specializes in all kinds of nifty guides, like converting your mp3s to Atrac format, which will not only make your music files smaller, but also help them to work with the ATV game that came out a couple weeks back. Be sure to write in if you guys get this to work. They also have some downloadable media, but their servers must be having a hard time with traffic.

Why A PSP Group?

2005-04-21T06:24:00.000-07:00

Many may wonder why the need for a group, especially in this age of internet gaming, and large console screens back at home. Well, the idea came about when I realized most of my friends were not getting a PSP, as amazing as it is. They either had prior financial commitments, or just didn't have the time for gaming at all. Myself, I've work pretty hard throughout my life, and feel that I'm entitled to have my one pasttime stay strong no matter what. The trick was finding others who felt the same way.

The PSP gave me a unique opportunity in that if I wanted to hook up with lots of gamers, I didn't have to worry about having to cram them in my teeny apartment. And as others notice the group at our public events, we can pass on the knowledge of the group and continue to grow. Plus nothing beats the fun of talking smack when your opponent in a game is right there next to you. And since we all have different interests, we can introduce each other to the games and accessories that are worth picking up. I also have to say that I've met some really cool folks too. I hope to continue these friendships even after PSP "fever" dies out.

Meetup.com Feels the Wrath

2005-04-19T10:04:00.000-07:00

Wow, just look at all the complaints on Meetup concerning their new fee system. Sounds like most people would rather have had Meetup charge individual users, as opposed to the organizers, especially if organizers are heading up multiple groups. That would have meant multiple fees. Our forum continues to gain steam though, and as I've mentioned, it offers more features than anything Meetup currently has.

Speaking of which, I think I've settled on a good way to publicize an Event for our group. I will create a thread for it, advertising the date, time and location, at the Events board. Then folks can RSVP (even if you cannot attend) on that same thread. I'll also send out a mass email to all members announcing the thread. If you have any other suggestions, let me know!

The Forums Evolve

2005-04-14T20:47:00.000-07:00

You won't believe how much time I've spent the last couple of nights trying to tweak the new forum site. At least 8 hours combined. Part of it is that I want to get something up that all members will enjoy, a feat that may or may not be entirely possible anyway, but I'll try. I've been fleshing out the boards into separate areas, and adjusting the colors so that it's easier on the eyes. We're even starting up a game ranking thread, so be sure to submit your scores.

The other part is that I'm trying to find the most convenient way to schedule and notify all members of upcoming events. I've tried a couple things already, but I'd love to hear your thoughts. I am happy with how quickly we're making the migration though. The sooner everyone comes over, the farther we can get away from the Meetup.com mess.

So Where Can I Meet Other NYC PSP Members?

2005-04-13T20:24:00.000-07:00

I'm glad you asked! You see those links on the right hand margin? You'll notice that one of them points to the Official NYC PSP Group Forum. If you click the link (try opening it in a new tab or window) you will find a much better forum than our last one, allowing all users the ability to private message, create profiles, create polls, have signatures, and more. The best news is that it is free.

NYC PSP Group Events
As far as meeting us goes, check out the calendar link at the top (near center) of the Forum page. It will display all the upcoming events for our group. Clicking on a date will give you more details and a link for the RSVP thread on the Forum. Enjoy!

Origin of the Official NYC PSP Blog

2005-04-13T17:22:00.000-07:00

Some choice words from the original NYC PSP Group website, located previously at Meetup.com:

I am deeply saddened to report that starting in May, Meetup will implement a new policy, requiring the Organizer (that's me) for each group to pay a monthly fee to upkeep the group and use its service. I will not be able to maintain this group unless we can come up with a solution.

Some other nuggets:

This means that I will now have to collect membership fees from you in order to keep the group active. It's $9/month for just 2005 and afterwards it is $19/month. Right now I'm thinking it would take each of our active members to pay $1 a month (via PayPal) to keep it going.

I didn't feel like having to hit up members of a group for money, when there are other free solutions to help get PSP fans together. Blogger has been free for as long as I've known it, and provides an immediate, elegant, and simple solution, for communicating to the group and also future potential members.