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Portables (Games) Entertainment Games

Defect in PSPs Turns Disks Into Throwing Stars 107

Posted by Zonk from the click-arrrrrrrgh! dept.
Headcase88 writes "Gamespot has confirmed a rumour in which if you twist a PSP in the right (wrong?) way, the UMD will go flying out of the portable. To quote the article: "...we were brave enough to use one of our precious PSP units to test the theory. Amazingly, with just the right touch, out it popped". I guess you could do this on purpose and pull off some pretty unexpected pranks."
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Defect in PSPs Turns Disks Into Throwing Stars More

Defect in PSPs Turns Disks Into Throwing Stars

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  • 3... 2... 1... Go!

  • Here's a video of it! (Score:5, Informative)

    by itwerx ( 165526 ) on Saturday December 18, 2004 @01:43PM (#11125276) Homepage
    UMD Guillotine o' Death [asahi-net.or.jp]

    Now if somebody with more bandwidth than me wants to mirror it... Pretty please!

  • videos (Score:5, Informative)

    by Jukashi ( 240273 ) on Saturday December 18, 2004 @01:46PM (#11125294) Homepage Journal
    heres a video [asahi-net.or.jp]

    and another, this time attacking a teddybear [asahi-net.or.jp]

    and yet another, of a psps assaulting a defenseless nintendo ds! [asahi-net.or.jp]

    this guy cracks me up.

    • The server seems to be handling the load fine, but in case the files get removed due to excessive bandwidth usage, I've temporarily mirrored them:

    • It uses the same source video as was used to make this gif - http://oohhhh.com/psp_ninja.gif

      If you look at the bear video frame by frame, you'll see the UMD magically disappear after it "hits" the bear. Also, the blurring in the frame where the bear gets hit is clearly artificial.

      I own a PSP and have been playing Ridge Racers since last Sunday (well, not non-stop, of course). I have yet to have the UMD pop out because I'm not a frickin' moron who abuses an expensive piece of electronics. Is the PSP a NeGc

      • Dunno about the bear being a fake. I watched them both side by side, and they look similar, but why fake just one of at least four videos? With a bear no less. The one with the DS you actually hear the disc hit the DS. Could still be a fake, but I doubt it.

        However, I think that this is a pretty major flaw for an "expensive piece of electronics." If the videos are true, it doesn't take a whole lot of 'twist' for this to happen. No, it's not making spinning discs of decapitory death. However, it is ma
        • I should have pointed out one other thing. The discs aren't "flyinng" out. They'fe falling out.

          In each of the videos the PSP is angled downwards. If you hold a PSP horizontally and hit the eject button, the disc will not fall out. It's only when you aim it at a downwards angle that the UMD will fall from the unit.

          What's this "it is making $300 worth of hardware fly out of my machine" part supposed to mean? The PSP doesn't cost $300 (unless you're paying importer prices or getting one off Ebay) and the gam

          • user abuse? are you mad? the battery does not launch out of my nokia when I put pressure on it to text one handed. my ipod does not shoot it's hard drive out if I give it a little twist. my nintendo ds doesn't shoot out a cartridge when I do this... so how the hell can you say the PSP doesnt have any flaws you say? When nothing else on the market has something like this, its not a flaw? Plus there have been lots of reported flaws in Japan including a screwed up square button, and dead pixels on the screen.

      • It uses the same source video as was used to make this gif...

        Sorry, wrong. This guy shot several different sequences. One with just pillow, one with DS, one with Teddy. They are shot from slightly different angles and feature different games being played. Besides that, seems a stretch to fake something that has been independently confirmed by multiple sources, no?

        If you look at the bear video frame by frame, you'll see the UMD magically disappear after it "hits" the bear.

        Go see an optometrist, now

      • Umm... I'm used to Nintendo. Where things like this simply don't happen. Hell, I've dropped my DS from standing height onto asphalt and all it got was a little scratch on the case from the experience. The Gamecube according to X-Play is the toughest hardware out there of the current generation, and I've yet to have a Nintendo gaming product die on me in over 20 years. They also don't try to buy marketshare by releasing cutting edge electronics at a fraction of what it costs them to make. And they also

        • and I've yet to have a Nintendo gaming product die on me in over 20 years.

          Then you must not live in America, where the original NES was released with that awful front-loading cartridge slot. After much use, the "fingers" of the connector get bent out of shape and do not work. At my local flea market, there is a guy who sells old game systems. He actually has to replace the connector on any NES units that he sells.

          I am not bashing Nintendo. But I am saying that sometimes things happen, even to the be

  • Ninja Gamers? (Score:4, Funny)

    by MMaestro ( 585010 ) on Saturday December 18, 2004 @01:47PM (#11125296)
    Maybe paint the PSP discs to look like ninja stars and shoot them at your friends/enemies?

  • All I can say is... (Score:3, Funny)

    by Richie1984 ( 841487 ) on Saturday December 18, 2004 @01:52PM (#11125317)
    ..you'd better save your game often!

  • PSP Ninja animated image. (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Agilo ( 727098 ) on Saturday December 18, 2004 @01:59PM (#11125356) Homepage
    Redundant, but still (if you don't want to download a movie file):
    http://oohhhh.com/psp_ninja.gif [oohhhh.com]

  • Not the first quality problem with Sony (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Maybe I say this cause I've been burned one too many times by shody Sony products, but this doesn't bode well for Sony's new handheld gaming business. Say what you want about Nintendo, but the quality of their hardware is first rate.

  • PSP defects? (Score:5, Funny)

    by Inoshiro ( 71693 ) on Saturday December 18, 2004 @02:09PM (#11125408) Homepage
    Yea, I read about that too! [slashdot.org]

    Strange this is, this is a dupe by the SAME EDITOR of the SAME STORY in 4 days time! Wow!

    Zonk, are you trying to out Taco the big Taco?
    • What defect are you talking about? This is a hidden feature!
    • I swear it's a conspiracy against Sony to keep the Nintendo handheld monopoly intact. There is no way we can average a new defect article every freaking day.

      I personally saw the DS at EBgames, and tried it out. Depending on how abusive you are, these types of articles can easily be written. Oh I pressed the button too hard. Now DS automatically have bad defective buttons. See how easy it is to make garbage news!

  • Look at the _bones_!

    Definitely a good idea to not import a PSP at this time. Wait for the US release; hopefully they'll have it fixed by then.

    Still, it _could_ make a handy concealed weapon...hmmm...

  • very dangerous (Score:2, Insightful)

    by minus_273 ( 174041 )
    is funny until it hits someones eye. no joke. stuff like this should not be in the market.
    • As Faith No More so memorably sang..

      It's always funny until somone gets hurt...
      And then it's just hilarious!

    • Re:very dangerous (Score:5, Insightful)

      by beakerMeep ( 716990 ) on Saturday December 18, 2004 @04:07PM (#11126168)
      Is it really? From the videos it looks to me like it sort of "poops" out without much velocity. Although it is admitedly hard to tell for sure from these videos. And don't get me wrong, it's not exactly a good bug but I am just wondering if "throwing stars" is a little sensationalistic. But Slashdot editors are NEVER sensationalistic :) I don't know WHAT I could be thinking....
      • Ok, but technically Gamespot used the term "throwing stars" in their article. You should know that Slashdot editors are never sensationalistic.

        Tune in for "Microsoft ammases evil empire bent on domination of the galaxy" at 11 ;)
      • True, it's not like it "shoots" out, but it does seem to be spinning quite rapidly. Imagine the damage that could be done with a saw-blade shaped minidisc! Fanstastic!

        Perhaps someone could mod the PSP to launch it with more velocity? Then, it would truly be a multi-function device.

        -Jacius

    • It is a plastic disc, with almost no pointy sides...

      And it does not come out with any force, so unless the kids are standing UNDER the PSP (not likely, since the fun part is not under the psp), they are not going to be hitted. And, if it does, it doesn;t matter.

      Of course, American's Ambulance chasers should take not of this one, and try to sue Sony into oblivion.
    • A plastic disc gun (you know, the kind most of us had around the age of 5) is more dangerous.

      1) it shoots over a much longer distance

      2) it shoots a smaller diameter projectile (meaning easier to get to the eye because less chance of deflection by nose/glasses/head/etc)

      3) because of 1 & 2 it is alot easier to aim over moderate distances

      4) the gun is small enough to be hidden and light enough to be quickly aimed

      5) the gun is cheap enough that if you accidentally sling it / drop it / have it ripped ou
      • i think foam is used now. I'm a kid of the 80s too and i never saw plastic, just foam.. think nerf stuff.
        • Kids of the 80's these days ... ah how I miss the 70s :)

          I know I saw them at flea markets in the 90s but even that has been awhile ago now.
          • I'm an 80's (missed the 70's by a few months) kid too, but I remember the plastic ones in the 80's and early 90's. Don't think I've seen any but the foam ones in the last few years though. Pondered getting a few for the office so my fellow techs could blow off a little steam but decided against it.
  • This is Sony's plan to take out the competition, the Nintendo DS. PSP users will go to their friends who have a DS and then will have their UMD shoot out at the DS and thereby breaking it.

  • hmm (Score:1, Offtopic)

    by seann ( 307009 )
    Wow.

    Thats unbelievable.

    Wow, I spelt unbelievable right.

    That's amaezing.

  • Damage control mode....on (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 18, 2004 @04:50PM (#11126418)
    Put yourselves in check, fellow nerds. As much as I'm amused that Sony's decided to continue their institutionalized tradition of poor design and quality control with the PSP, and as earnestly as I believe that the PSP is doomed for third place in the handheld "wars," let's put things in perspective.

    First off, about the twisting motion. My friend studying in Japan received a PSP from her fiance. She tells me that it's possible for the twisting motion to be done accidentally, but it's not very likely. General consensus among the Japanese is that you have to treat a PSP more delicately than cell phones (of course), PDAs, or any portable system that's ever come out before, including the Nintendo DS. Apparently it doesn't feel safe to just toss it on the sofa or bed when you're done playing with it. That doesn't speak well for the durability of the PSP, although people do carry it around. It's better suited for use at home, where people already have home consoles, but anyway.

    Second, about the screen. It smudges as easily as any plastic screen smudges, and it's even easier to notice than on things like cell phones and computer monitors, because you're supposed to look at the thing all the time, but your hands have to be on it all the time too. Also, it scratches more easily than Sony wants people to think. My friend has already put a faint scratch on her screen by putting it uncovered in her backpack along with a ballpoint pen and other small crap. She said the pocket clip on the pen is what probably did it, so the early press from Sony that announced that it was scratch-resistant was only partially true. Apparently the plastic that Sony used to make the PSP's front face is about the same as what they use on non-folding cell phones, but that's still not very hard. That plastic covers the whole front of the PSP in one single piece, so PSP users have to use something as a case at all times, and most PSP owners apparently are in the habit of wiping off the face of the unit before putting it away. Apparently it's common for the PSP to have thumbprints and small scratches all over the front, if you're not paying a lot of attention to it. If you wipe it off religiously, keep it in some kind of soft non-scratchy case, and don't move your arms while it's reading a disc, you should be okay.

    About battery life. My friend only has Minna no Golf, and it goes for a pretty long time. Everybody there has heard about the battery life for big games, but she can't test it.

    About the off-center square button. My friend's unit luckily doesn't have a serious problem with the square button not registering, but she does tell me that it feels different, and she has to press on the right side of the square button to be sure that it's being pressed. Hers stil pops up okay as well. But the diagrams of the connection point on the mainboard where the square button is off-center have been circulating in the Japanese gaming press, so everybody in Japan is aware that the controls of the PSP are a little wonky and unreliable.

    Next, every shot of the PSP firing a projectile is taken with the unit oriented downward or horizontally. Many people have noticed this about those videos. When the PSP is facing up, UMDs don't normally fire out of the unit. The mechanism that opens the PSP isn't strong enough to propel the disc that hard, although all the throwing star jokes in Japan are based on the belief that it does.

    Next, MP3 playback. My friend borrowed a memory stick duo and headphones/remote from a friend, since she only has the base unit. She could only put five songs on the memory stick, because she didn't want to erase her friend's game saves. Apparently it sounds pretty good, but she's no audiophile, and never had any other kind of portable MP3 player. I sent her a test signal file to use with the Koss headphones she brought from the States (because I have the same ones, and I know how it should sound using that test file on a good playback source), but hell if she wanted to bother
    • Don't throw electronics around? Hmmm, makes sense. Try that with your computer and see what happens. Why is Sony bad because you can abuse its hardware without it breaking? PSPs are meant to be played, not thrown. Oh, but we all know that you are far too busy to actually walk over and put it somewhere nicely. This article, in my mind, begs the question: why would people twist the thing? I am not able to comprehend why even the dumbest person would *twist* anything like a PSP. I mean, why?
    • Finally, the Japanese gaming community has made a huge deal about making fun of the PSP.

      Some links (preferrably to grapical content) would be much appreciated.

  • gamespot confirms it! (Score:3, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 18, 2004 @06:48PM (#11127012)
    Gamespot confirms it: *PSPs are causing things to die.

  • Gamespot? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by techstar25 ( 556988 ) <(moc.liamg) (ta) (52ratshcet)> on Saturday December 18, 2004 @06:49PM (#11127014) Journal
    The best part of the gamespot commentary is the line that describes where this rumor comes from ..."According to dozens of forum posts and lower-end game sites". In other words, sites run by game fans as opposed to Gamespot which is owned by the conglomerate, CNet networks.
    • Agreed, that is absolutely pompous. Though not as pompous as when they said that their reviews are mostly fact and not opinion [gamespot.com]. Quoth the FAQ:

      "'Wait, reviews are just opinions. Right?'

      "Actually, we don't think so. We make no excuses for our verdicts about games and believe our reviews stand for themselves. While our reviews, of course, do contain an element of subjectivity to them, we see the process of reviewing games as one that primarily involves the reporting of facts.      "

      I think Gamespot has a [gamespot.com] few [gamespot.com] r [gamespot.com]
  • funny ngage ws too hard to get a game out and the psp cant keep it in.. funny how thats really hard.
  • I totally know how to solve this problem! Attach each UMD (Unbelievable Mystic Disc) to a string/lanyard/bungie cord. Then, then the game mystically leaps from the unit, you won't have to worry about it landing on the filthy ground and getting gunk on the exposed surface of the disc.

    If you are REALLY good, you can swing the UMD through the air and land it back in the PSP, just like one of those ball-on-a-string-on-a-cup games. Man, it is like having a whole new game built into every PSP!

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