We Americans love our video games; that fact seems to rise to the surface every time they conduct one of these studies.

As summarized by Industry Gamers, a recent survey at Today’s Gamers shows that a larger percentage of the American population actively plays games in comparison to their European counterparts. The survey sampled over 13,000 Internet users from the Netherlands, France, UK, Belgium, US, and Germany, and the results showed that 87% of US males said they play games; the next highest percentage was the UK with 74%. But not only are more US males playing, they’re also spending more time with the hobby: the average player indulges in games around 11.5 hours per week, while UK players only spent about 6.5 hours (although those in France spent 7.1 hours). And while females are simply less likely to play games, the ratios still end up to be about the same. Another interesting aspect of the study is that MMOs are far more popular in the US, as 21% of American gamers say they’ve participated in such games, while only about half that many (10 or 11%) play MMOs in European countries.

We also learn that demos have become an effective marketing tool. About one-quarter of all console gamers in the US said that a demo was “a crucial factor in their buying decision,” and again, this is true for both male and female gamers. Lastly, we find that a surprising percentage of console owners are using their systems to watch videos online; about 66% of American PS3 and Xbox 360 owners do this, although the stat drops to 45% in the UK. Well, I don’t know about videos, but I love those demos, too.

10/27/2009 10:44:26 AM Ben Dutka

Let’s go further to overthrow PSP.

Part one: How to use Skype to make PSP as PSP phone.

Skype just can be use on PSP Slim firmware version 3.90 and above, so if you don’t have the right version, please go here to download the firmware v3.90, but not 3.90 M33.

1. Update PSP Slim to V3.90.

After download the firmware above, extract the PSPV3.90 rar file and find the file named EBOOT.PBP.
Connect PSP to PC with USB, open the memory stick, go to the ‘GAME’ folder, create new folder name ‘UPDATE’, copy the EBOOT.PBP and put it on.

Now, turn on PSP, go to Game — Memory Stick, you’ll see the update file as picture follow:

Press ‘Enter’ key to run the file. It’ll show your instructions about how to finish the update issue.

Notice: Please must make sure the battery at least has 50% power when you begin to update.
When update finished, you can go to Settings — System Settings –System Information to check the version of your PSP. If you do the right update, it’ll show System Software Version 3.90.

2. How to use Skype on PSP Slim.

Skype need special earphone to call ordinary number. There are three ear phones: Single Pack, Twinpack, Lepo PSP Slim & lite -Headphones & Mic With Remote Control, anyone of them is OK.

First, after upda PSP to V3.90, you can find the ‘Skype’ logo at ‘Network’.

Second, press ‘enter’ button to run ‘Skype’.

If you can’t see Skype logo after update to V3.90, then you should active Skype function as follow:

1)Turn off PSP, press R button and turn on PSP at the same time.
2)Go to ‘Configuration’, change Fake region to America or any other just not Japan. Return to open Skype again.

Remember create internet connection on PSP before you run Skype on it. If you don’t know how to do, please go to Part Three first.

Third, create new account.

When you run Skype, it’ll turn the background of psp to blue, and ask Log in or Create New Account.

Here we choose create a new account.
1)Choose create new account, enter your nick, and then enter another user name, it’s your Skype account that can be use to log in, different from nickname. Enter a password and email, accept the condition like register at forum.
2)Now, it needs connect to internet, select the network we do at Part Three.
3)Now, Skype auto check your register info.
4)OK, if you do everything right, then register succeed.

Now, you have your Skype account, run it and fill the log in info. Before you can use the

Skype, it requests ‘Skype Test Call’. Insert the earphone mentioned above and follow the instruction to do the test.

After finish the test, enter Skype main menu. It’ll take you some times to sync ‘Contacts’info.

Choose a contact who online now or you can use two PSP to log in, of course, with different account.
Press ‘enter’ button to call the one who online.

The one who was called can press ‘Enter’ to accept or ‘Back’ to refuse.
When you calling, you can keep the call, cut the call and check the info of the opposing party.
The dial keyboard can make you call ordinarily number if your Skype account have enough money.

In a Q&A article released on PlayStation Blog, European Product Manager for the PSPgo Adam Grant, answered some questions about the upcoming portable and revealed, amongst many other things, that the PSPgo’s battery life will be ‘equivalent’ to the current PSP.

Those in favor of the decision to axe the use of the battery draining UMD drive may find some disconcerting news from European Product Manager of the PSPgo, as he revealed in a Q&A on PlayStation Blog that the PSPgo’s battery life will be ‘equivalent’ to the original PSP.

“We have adopted an embedded battery to realise a smaller and lighter PSP system. The battery life is equivalent with the current models meaning approximately 3 to 6 hours for gameplays and approximately 3 to 5 hours for playing back videos.”

PSPgo to have new features, UMD transfer, and battery life the equivalent to the current PSP.

However, the PSPgo, while similar to the PSP-3000 in battery life, does command some new features, namely:

*Game sleep function: You will be able to operate the XMB? (XrossMediaBar) while suspending the gameplay temporarily.
*Bluetooth function: This is going to let you use your favourite wireless head phones to listen to music, play games and watch videos?.
*Clock and calendar application: We have included a clock and calendar application which can be viewed both when the sliding panel is open and closed.

And those wondering about the ability to transfer their UMD’s to the new system can rest assured, as Grant confirmed Sony is planning a goodwill program:

“We know that there are many of you excited about PSPgo but are hesitant at leaving your UMD games collection behind. We recognize this and as such we are planning a goodwill programme and will unveil more details soon.

We also know that there are many already released UMD games that you may not own but want to play in the future on your PSPgo. To make this happen we are considering every possibility to bring downloadable versions for the majority of past titles available only in UMD to the PlayStation Store along with all new releases. We will announce further details on this. -Adam Grant, European Product Manager”

Also included within the PSPgo box, will be a USB cable, AC adaptor, and Media Go Software.

The PSP Go will arrive in North America and Europe on October 1, and will be priced at $250 .

Check out more of the Q&A here at PlayStation Blog.

ALSO READ: PSP Go: E3 2009 impressions
ALSO READ: Sony’s ‘Worst Kept Secret’ the PSP Go, officially announced
ALSO READ: PSP Go leaked: 16 GB drive, no UMD, download-only

Sony have officially announced the PSP Go! just now at their E3 press conference. While most of you will have watched the PSP Go! video that was leaked, we now have a confirmed price and release date for the device.
Kaz Hirai has stated that the PSP Go! will be priced at $249 and will be available in North America on 1st October. Along with that, Sony also revealed that they will be reducing the cost of PSP development tools too, which is always nice.

PSP Go! will have brand new software available for it in the way of Media Go and new music software which creates playlists based on your musical preferences.

Sony has confirmed that every game the company publishes for the PSP starting October 1 will be available for download as well as on UMD.

IGN.com is passing along word that Sony will start to release all of its first-party titles in both UMD and downloadable format upon the release of the PSP Go on October 1. This is notable because the PSP Go’s most notable change from its predecessors is that the device will forgo a UMD drive in lieu of 16GB of internal storage, along with expandable memory via a Memory Stick Duo slot.

Can you find the space on your PSP for this adorable creature?

Sony currently has 35 “UMD Legacy” titles available for download via PSN, ranging from $5.99 to $24.99. Many first party hits like Killzone: Liberation and LocoRoco are already available, while some past hits, like God of War: Chains of Olympus remain UMD only. Will the company open up its back catalog for the PSP Go’s launch?

PSN celebrates with a massive PSP content update including new firmware, new features and a hundred new games.

Sony’s disc-free $250 PSP Go games handheld rolls out to retail today, and as expected, the company’s nearly doubled the amount of PlayStation Store games content. Sony’s digital shelves now include Polyphony Digital’s fresh PSP-exclusive Gran Turismo racer, dozens of newly downloadable PSP games, and a smattering of the company’s debut PSP ‘Minis’–bite-sized titles priced in the $5 to $10 range.

At $5 to $10 a pop, PSP Minis are short, sweet and priced accordingly.

The Store’s topped up larders coincide with PSP firmware update 6.10, which launched overnight and adds “full compatibility” with Sony’s Windows-based MediaGo mobile synchronization utility, a new music application called “SensMe” that auto-organizes your music based on a proprietary Sony algorithm, and a “tethering” option that allows you to use a Bluetooth mobile phone (or similar device) to link your PSP to the Internet.

Conspicuously absent? MediaGo Mac support. Sony’s PSP sync software works in Boot Camp mode, of course, but–speaking from personal experience–the software won’t detect the PSP running Windows in emulation software like Parallels.

PSN has been packed with a plethora of downloabled PSP titles to celebrate the Go’s launch.

What’s in the store? Gran Turismo PSP ($40), God of War: Chains of Olympus ($16), Daxter ($16), Resistance Retribution ($32), MLB ‘09 The Show ($32), and that’s just half of SCEA’s titles. Poke around and you’ll find stuff from Activision, Atari, Capcom, Codemasters, EA, LucasArts, Rockstar, Sega, Square Enix, THQ, Ubisoft, among others. If I’m counting accurately, it all adds up to 95 new PSP games, 7 debut PSP minis, and four new PSone classics. Check out the official PlayStation Blog breakdown for the list in full. Movies and TV shows aside, it’s the biggest content overhaul Sony’s made to the games section since the service debuted.

The downside? A lot of stuff’s missing, like the PSP version of Final Fantasy Tactics, the remakes of Final Fantasy’s 1 and 2, Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core, and Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops. I still play those on disc, meaning I’m stuck dual-wielding handhelds until Sony works out whatever licensing, retail, or scheduling issues are holding them up.

Reactions on Sony’s Blog have been generally positive this morning, though they range from “This is pure win” and “Best update ever?There?s so much I want,” to snippier comments like “These prices are comical?PSP Minis are extremely overpriced” and “Wow look at the price of those PSP games?you can buy them cheaper on UMD.”