Video: Hands On Footage Of PSP's Beats
PSP Fanboy's gone a little Beats-crazy the past few days, and now Andrew Yoon has uploaded video of himself playing the PSP's new rhythm game, available for purchase from store.playstation.com (assuming you've got a Windows PC). No fancy-schmancy video capture equipment here; this is just Andrew filming himself playing the game on his white PSP (using the Playstation Eye, naturally).
The game allows you to use any music stored on your Memory Stick Pro Duo in what appears to be a pretty basic, but attractive, rhythm interface. One of my complaints about most music games is the song selection, as I can be kind of picky (read: snobby), and being forced to play a few bad tracks will turn me off a game completely. In addition, you can use the game to create your own music, then share them with your friends. If any of that sounds like it might interest you, the game only costs $5, so skip lunch or that trip to Starbucks and check it out.
As I mentioned, getting Beats officially requires a PSP, and a Windows PC, as the Playstation Network Downloader is required and only available for Windows XP and Vista. Mac users (like myself) are expected to take our filthy money somewhere else, although PSP Fanboy has also posted a work-around for people with PS3s (also like myself). I'll have to try it later today, although I wish I didn't have to jump through hoops. Thanks, Sony!
Video hands-on: Beats [PSP Fanboy]
Dawdle
Posted to Video Games, Videos on 7 December 2007
· Comments (15)
Other stuff like this: beats, download, psp, scea, sony
this game's awesome, and for only $5, it's a steal.
i geeked out to the Star Wars soundtrack on my commute last night and this morning. that's right - i made my own Star Wars music game. more fun than some of the recent lucasarts games...tee hee hee...
I picked up the game and think that it's an interesting piece of software and good concept, but sort of fails in execution. The game is simple, designed to be easy to learn and presented nicely, but unfortunately suffers from some technical issues that could make the game unplayable depending on how picky you are.
Beats is a standard game in the "beat matching" genre that puts a little twist on one of the gameplay modes from Gitaroo Man. Where the game ultimately falls apart is the music skips (or catches up) to the visual markers and when the markers skip (or catches up) to the music. These skips occur 3 to 7 times PER SONG depending on file size and length. This may either just slightly sour the game for some or be show-stopping terrible for others.
I'm guessing these skips steam from a finicky framerate since most of these hiccups occur when there are a lot of markers on the screen. I have a feeling that this could have been solved by removing the overly complicated/animated background, but it's a shame that one of the many visualizer options doesn't include an "Off" switch.
It's a $5 game and you're getting exactly that much out of it. With an update to fix the skipping, this would have been very easy to recommend, but as is Beats is only for genre fans and PSP owners that can't play any other platforms.
Side note about PC->PSP PSN: Sony needs to fix their business here. The process of getting this onto a psp is a pain, poorly documented, and doesn't make a lot of sense. I would have been nice is the store took a more centralized "iTunes" approach to UI and purchasing through a stand alone application. Buying the game from a web browser, updating my psp firmware from another web browser, then dragging and dropping a small file into the carefully hidden PSN installation app is a long process that is more like jumping through rings of fire then "buying" and as quick as crawling through a marathon.
DJ Fluke - Dang, I somehow left the $5 price out of the post. Added now, thanks.
game-boi - You're right, frame rate issues in a music game can completely suck out the fun. I wonder if there's a performance difference between the old PSP and the new Slim PSP, due to the extra RAM.
I am running it on a phatty PSP. Anyone on a silm notice the skipping?
@gameboi
i'm playing on a slim, and it has those half second skips on it too. on normal, it's not that big of a deal, but on hard, it can be.
i found that it happens less on the backgrounds that are a little more static, so you might want to try switching it up.
and what doesn't make sense to the PC store?
- plug in your PSP
- put it in USB mode
- click on DOWNLOAD for what you want to get
- the downloader does the rest
it's kinda standard "how to" stuff.
also, for firmware updates, unless you don't have access to a wireless spot, just click "Network Update" from the XMB and it does the rest.
it sounds like you're just making it more complicated than you need to for yourself.
"and what doesn't make sense to the PC store?
[clipped for space]
it's kinda standard "how to" stuff.
also, for firmware updates... just click "Network Update" from the XMB and it does the rest."
Actually you just have to click network update, download it to the memory stick, correctly name it and a series of folders, then wait for who knows how long for it to finish updating. Simple, right?
[http://www.us.playstation.com/psp/downloads/systemupdate/pc.html]
Forgive me for being a simple "Mac" person / complete idiot, but I'm spoiled with simple "just click to buy and I'll start playing it automatically in three seconds" interfaces.
My issues with the Sony store is that it's just process unto itself. Granted my experience with digitally delivered content is limited to Wii, Steam and iTunes, but it just feels like I had to put "work" into getting Beats onto my PSP where any of the other digital content providers made it a little easier.
For instance, why wouldn't the PC app include a firmware update that would allow my PSP to buy things? Why separate the "store" and "downloader" into unique spaces when something like Steam has shown how to nicely handle the same type of information and processes? Why does the process of updating the firmware take so long? If iTunes/Live content is so quick on my connection, why does it take so long to download a single/small game?
The process isn't "broken" but it is far from perfect and Sony could stand to learn from other people's successes and failures.
I admit that I'm a complete idiot when it comes to setting things up like this, but shouldn't complete idiots like myself be able to quickly/easily go onto the store and download a game? Isn't that, ease and speed of use, one of the main reasons customers would want to use digital distribution?
buying something from iTunes:
- plug in iPod
- launch iTunes (either automatically or manually)
- click on PURCHASE
- transfer / sync to player
buying something from PS Store:
- plug in PSP
- launch website
- click on PURCHASE / DOWNLOAD
- syncs automatically to player
unless i'm missing something, it's the same process, no? *confuzzed*
The main gameplay mode in this game is very similar to a game that was recently released for the iPod by Harmonix called 'Phase'. Both games create a beat-matching game from songs in your library. Where this game uses the 8 face and D-pad buttons, Phase uses the left, middle, and right buttons as well as scrolling on the wheel. Phase is also $5.
From what I saw of this game, Phase might actually be a better buy if you have an iPod. One reason is because, from what I've seen above, Phase doesn't skip as much. It will do it occasionally, but most once or twice per song (and usually only if its a long song).
I'm a pretty big fan of Phase, if only because it gives me a game for my iPod when I don't have a game system with me.
@ Fluke
You're missing the part in my last post where I describe how the two differ greatly. The process you describe is nowhere close to a more seamless process (read: I don't have to use multiple programs to get it to work) like iTunes or Steam.
In your example you're assuming:
-...the PSP is up to date with firmware, something that Sony loves to change "frequently" (and that's putting it lightly). If you're lazy and haven't updated in the last two months (that's where I come in) or just pulling your psp out of the box for the first time, you need to properly name a bunch of folders and random installation data then send them to your PSP, install, restart, reattempt at installing new game. [I don't think I've ever done something so "manual" with an iPod.]
-...the person understands the how the PSN store works: You purchase a text file that you drag onto an app that doesn't appear in the start menu or automatically make a nice little shortcut when installed (Hi Steam and Gunbound icons! I can see you two, but where's your buddy "PSNDL.EXE"?).
The point is that in order to use iTunes/Steam/XBLA/PS3 PSN, you don't need to go through so many hoops, the process is quicker and generally makes it easier for me to spend money on their platform. This process isn't as user-friendly as it could be and far from the ease of use you just described.
I bet that hunting your C drive for an oddly-named exe file isn't something you find very annoying, but I personally find it to archaic and a poorly designed method.
This is just one way in which the process was needlessly difficult and obtuse. Seriously, if you want to troll my comments *AGAIN* with your Sony-can-do-no-wrong mentality, at least read the whole post.
@game-boi
"I bet that hunting your C drive for an oddly-named exe file isn't something you find very annoying, but I personally find it to archaic and a poorly designed method."
you've obviously never used the PSN PC Store then. i listed the EXACT process for how it works, and how it's EXACTLY like your beloved iTunes example.
convenient how you chose to ignore how similar they are because it doesn't fit into your FUD.
no downloaded info is EVER stored on your PC. it's all done directly from the servers directly to your PSP. you NEVER have to go through all that bs you mentioned.
as for the PSP, i doubt you even have one as you'd know that when it's necessary to update, you NEVER have to use a PC. there are three methods for updating your firmware.
1. directly off of a game's UMD. done automatically, all you have to do is click through the install.
2. done automatically via wireless connection. all you have to do is click through the install.
3. if none of those work, then the method that you mentioned is a third option. it's more cumbersome, yes, but why bother going through that hassle when there are perfectly good and easier alternate options?
it'd be nice to have a discussion or debate, but you've obviously proven that you don't want to listen to the facts, nor do you care to learn the way the PSP and the PC Store truly work, so what's the point.
feel free to continue your love of Sony bashing without knowing the facts, and i'll continue "trolling" with the truth.
enjoy your blissful ignorance.
game on.
"you've obviously never used the PSN PC Store then."
This is 100% correct. I found my first time using the store to be needlessly difficult. That is something that the service SHOULD NOT be.
"convenient how you chose to ignore how similar they are because it doesn't fit into your FUD."
I gave you a clear, concise example. You gave me simplified bullet points that ignored my post. Who's doing what with FUD?
"no downloaded info is EVER stored on your PC. it's all done directly from the servers directly to your PSP. you NEVER have to go through all that bs you mentioned."
Correct, but the software needed to install it onto your PSP (without access to wireless) *IS* required. The process of downloading and properly setting up your firmware updates is *ALSO REQUIRED* using the exactly directions I described above taken from this page [http://www.us.playstation.com/psp/downloads/systemupdate/pc.html]
Again, if you're using wireless, this isn't an issue, but if you aren't this is the process you have to go through.
"as for the PSP, i doubt you even have one as you'd know that when it's necessary to update, you NEVER have to use a PC. there are three methods for updating your firmware."
Excuse me? I own a psp. Please go back and see my detailed description of the game *IN VERY THIS POST* and other news posts here (I gave detailed impressions on Casltevania Drac X).
Correct, you never have to use a PC *if* you're on wireless or by a PS3. Of the three methods, two were not avaible to me at the point of installation. I'm not by my PS3 and I don't have wireless. That leaves the PC as the only method.
"1. directly off of a game's UMD. done automatically, all you have to do is click through the install."
I currently don't have games with that firmware update. The last game I bought was Castlevania which updates to 3.52 (purchased a month ago) which was installed at the time. The current firmware on the Sony site (and required for Store downloading) is 3.72 [http://www.us.playstation.com/psp/downloads/systemupdate]
"2. done automatically via wireless connection. all you have to do is click through the install."
This is so awesome *IF YOU HAVE WIRELESS.*
"3. if none of those work, then the method that you mentioned is a third option. it's more cumbersome, yes, but why bother going through that hassle when there are perfectly good and easier alternate options?"
Because some people don't have access to wireless or a new psp game. This third option SHOULD work as well as the other two and it clearly does not.
"it'd be nice to have a discussion or debate, but you've obviously proven that you don't want to listen to the facts, nor do you care to learn the way the PSP and the PC Store truly work, so what's the point.
feel free to continue your love of Sony bashing without knowing the facts, and i'll continue "trolling" with the truth.
enjoy your blissful ignorance.
game on."
At least I haven't resorted to name calling in past "discussions" and actually read what's on the screen...
As far as me being biased, I can honestly say that as a game developer and someone that owns all of the major consoles out currently, I want all platforms (sony and others) to succeed. More success = more jobs for people like me. It's as simple as that.
Each of them have faults...
360: non-FPS's please.
Wii: more "deep" games please.
PS3: More games please.
DS: uh...make DQ9 happen quicker?
PSP: Make your "functionality" more functional!
Seeing these faults for what they are and fairly comparing them with completive products does not make someone biased. It make them objective.
Hey DJ Fluke and Game-boi, before it escalates any further, I'm going to ask nicely to calm down. We all get what each of you are trying to say.
Fluke, if game-boi has bought the game and has a PSP, we can probably assume he doesn't have some anti-Sony agenda.
game-boi, you two have had vastly different experiences. Your difficulties are probably not everyone's experience.
Thanks guys...
Aww... just when the claws were really coming out! Hehehe
I'm on a slim and I'm not noticing any frame rate drops, however I have noticed that a lot of my songs that are over 3 minutes have a slight pause in the music, but the button presses stay right on the beat, and the hiccup doesn't always happen. I thought it was an awesome game, especially for 5$. I played it for a good 6 hours since last night when I saw the post =\
*yawns* meh at end or not whats the point in comparing iTunes to the psp store? franky game-boi you started the rudeness,I'd rather just update my psp's firmware then have to buy a whole new psp cause from what I can tell isn't that what the iPod does? They come out with a new design and menu and its considred the new iPod. That seems like a waste of money just for a few better features. As well, Like I said,Its a store you buy things off them if you have to put in a bit of extra work so what? Sure it can be annoying but at the end of it you get the game.