My Gamer Diary – PlayStation® Fansite

I really miss games like Devil May Cry (the first one). It was the first PlayStation 2 game I purchased and to this day, the best one I ever played on the PS2. I own quite a few PS3 titles (14 to be exact) and I can’t really recall having a better experience with any one of them. Why is this?

I guess it’s safe to say that every single PS3 game I currently own does improve on DMC in some way or the other may it be graphics, gameplay, sound or just the story line. I don’t believe that DMC is actually a better game but more because it’s something I really enjoyed in the past. Keyword here is past because as games evolve, so does the world. Games that began on paper or cards have transitioned to online examples like WebSudoku or OnlinePoker.com. I don’t really want to get all personal here but everything changes over the years such as the relationship between my parents, the pricing of food, crime rate, family and friends. I had almost zero responsibilities, health problems, financial issues, etc. at the time when I was playing the first DMC.

So yeah, DMC might be an excellent piece of work but I firmly believe that the nostalgia I feel for this title or any other is less based on the game itself and more on that particular time in my life.

When formatting/restoring the PlayStation 3 there are five different options to choose from but only one of them (not stated in manual) actually performs a full factory “out of the box” reset.

The following options can all be located within the Settings > System Settings menu (excluding the hard reset option).

Note: None of these options will delete your PSN account or trophies (if synced).

1.) Quick Format

In a nutshell the quick format option will simply erase all the data (saves, videos, music, etc.) on the drive. You may however be able to restore this data via specialized data restoration software but don’t count on it.

Note: The option will not erase your user profile(s).

2.) Full Format

Similar to quick format this option will delete all your data with the exception of taking up to 25 hours (or more) depending on the drive size. Software data restoration is pretty much out of the question here. I recommend this option if you’re planning on selling your console.

Note: The option will not erase your user profile(s) and will automatically shutdown the machine after completion.

3.) Restore Default Settings

This option will restore your PS3 back to its basic fail safe settings (not factory default). Even by doing this option your PS3 user(s) will still be active and your PSN account(s) sign-in details will still be stored. Also the clock will still be set and controller(s) will still be paired.

4.) Hard Reset

This option is usually performed when connecting the PS3 to a different display. To perform a hard reset make sure your console is turned off. Turn the console on and keep the power button pressed in for a few seconds until you hear a beep (apparently it’s a triple beep on the older PS3). Your system will be restored to fail safe settings as per the option above (3).

5.) Restore PS3 System

The last option is actually the real deal. This option not only restores the system settings but also performs a format (full or quick) but there’s a catch (that’s not stated). Unlike option number 3 above the restore performed here is actually a full factory reset. This option will not only delete all your data but will also remove your PSN ID sign in details (not actual account), reset the internal clock, delete user profile(s) and un-pair the controller(s). This is the option to perform if you want to reset your PS3 to out of the box condition.

Coming Soon

Earlier today I finally managed to register my domain with Google (via GoDaddy.com). Unfortunately for me the transfer of my domain had some (and still has) unexpected complications. The first thing I noticed was broken links directing me to unwanted 404 errors and I’ve also had some problems accessing the site (with the old and new domain). Luckily for me both these issues were automatically resolved about four hours after the initial registration.

My comments (luckily I only have a few) are however still missing and it’s starting to freak me out a bit. Google states that all site changes will be fully functional after 3 days. Being pessimistic and all I did some research and its not looking too promising. My search presented me with other domain transferring bloggers who have also experienced the same missing comments problem. Luckily for them it did eventually return although some claimed it took up to three months to reappear.

I surely hope that this isn’t the case for my site and I’m doing everything in my power to restore the comments ASAP.

Here I am again with part 2 of my 45 things you can do with your PlayStation 3 list but before we start I would just like to remind you that most of the points listed here are things you likely already know. The purpose of this list is purely to serve as a reminder of all the small little features PS3 owners so often tend to forget about and I’m pretty sure my list doesn’t even cover half it. Heck, I’ll happy with just the games and Bluray player alone. Anyway, enough rambling, let’s get on with it.

24.) Listen to music

The PS3 supports full MP3 (and WMA if enabled) playback. The included visualizations are however quite limited in quantity but definitely makes up for it in quality. Alternatively you can also import your iTunes playlists.

25.) View images

Viewing images on the PS3 is simply a breeze since it supports most major formats such as JPEG, TIFF, BMP, GIF, and PNG.

26.) Upgrade firmware

Sony is constantly adding new features and tweaks to the PS3 so if you haven’t updated your firmware yet I suggest grabbing the latest version since you can now…

27.) Edit videos

Thanks to firmware 3.40 the PS3 now includes a video editor which offers a few basic functions such as the ability to cut videos and add music. The videos can then also be uploaded to the Internet.

28.) Motion controls

Watch out Wii, the awkwardly named PlayStation Move is on the horizon and by the looks of it; it also seems to cater for the hardcore crowd. Just don’t let you friends catch you playing with it alone

29.) Customize your profile

I will admit that the profile customization options on the PS3 are quite limited but at least you’re still able to select an avatar, change your PSN ID display colour and add a status update.

30.) Themes

There are tons and tons of free XMB themes available for download all over the net or alternatively you can try one of the dynamic themes offered on the PS Store.

31.) Media Center

The PS3 also allows you to steam music, movies and pictures directly from your PC. Microsoft Media Player 11 will work fine although I personally recommend you check out the PS3 Media Server application which offers better playback compatibility.

32.) PS Home

PlayStation Home is a virtual community type application which allows you to create an avatar to roam around with. There’s however not really much to do besides creating your own apartment and checking out the scenery but hey, at least it’s free.

33.) Remote keyboard (and play) via Sony Viao

If you lucky enough to own a “P” series Sony Viao notebook I’m happy to inform you that you can now use it as a keyboard for your PS3. There have however been reports of connection problems so an alternative option would be to…

34.) Connect a USB keyboard

You can connect a USB (or compatible Bluetooth) keyboard and/or mouse to your PS3 but just don’t expect to play games with it.

35.) Connect to the Internet

No, the PS3 does not include a modem of any kind. I’ve actually met some folks who honestly believe the PS3 includes an integrated ADSL router. You can however connect the console online via Ethernet or Wireless.

36.) Browse online

Well since you’re connected to the Internet why not make use of the pretty decent integrated browser. I’ve even used the browser to…

37.) Blog

Yep, you can even blog from your PS3 which a quite nifty for folks like me who prefer to work from the err… couch. Also supported is the terribly famous…

38.) Facebook

I’m actually not a huge fan of Facebook but who am I to argue with the millions of users who simply worship it. Don’t expect to play Farmville though.

39.) Join PlayStation Plus

PlayStation Plus is a newly launched subscription service that offers premium features such as full game trails, automatic downloads, store discounts and more at a minimal cost so I would definitely recommend checking it out.

40.) Youtube

Need to take a break from gaming? Chill out a bit and enjoy some Youtube videos while relaxing on the couch.

41.) Listen to radio

You can stream radio on your PS3 with services such as Pandora and rumour is that Hulu and Last.FM might also be coming soon.

42.) Folding@home

Folding@home one of the world’s largest distributed computing projects and the goal of the project is to understand protein folding, misfolding and related diseases. You too can become part of this project with your PS3.

43.) Create multiple users

The PS3 supports multiple users each with their own theme, save data and trophies. Just keep in mind that music, videos, images and PSN games are shared with every user.

44.) PSP remote play

Remote play allows your PSP to interact with your PS3 granting access to images, music, video and selected games.

45.) Enjoy the silence

I originally wanted to list Linux but due to discontinued support I opted for something totally simple and overlooked. Optical drives generally tend to be quite noisy but luckily for PS3 owners the Bluray drive is whisper quiet and this is probably one of my most appreciated aspects of the console. It’s not a function but it sure is a blessing.

PlayStation 3 – It only does everything, well that’s what Sony says anyway and while I’m sure it doesn’t make popcorn or wake me up in morning (I hope they add that) it indeed does offer a ton of features. The PlayStation 2 was (and still is) a wonderful console but doesn’t even come close to the PS3 in terms of value for money even at it’s original launch, so a couple of days back I started listing all the things you can do with your PS3 no matter how small they might be and came up with a list of 45 things random things. The list will be posted in two parts so here’s the first one:

1.) PS3 exclusive games

I guess it’s pretty obvious being the main feature of the console and all but you must keep in mind that the PS3 does offer some of the best exclusive titles out there. There’s no denying the brilliance of titles such as Uncharted, InFamous and Killzone 2. Please note that I’m not saying the PS3 has the best exclusives but some you just can’t experience anywhere else.

2.) Play your old PS1 classics

This is one of the most neglected PS3 features in my opinion. The PS3 is pretty capable of playing most disc based PS1 games so there’s no real reasons why you shouldn’t scratch out some of those classics in the attic and enjoy them all over again.

3.) PS2 classics

For the lucky folks with backwards compatible consoles this is pretty much a no-brainer but luckily for us newer PS3 owners there’s still hope. Sony is digging out the old classics as seen with the God of War and Sly Collection and upscaling them to HD glory. It’s pretty safe to assume that the ICO collection isn’t far away either.

4.) Play PSN games

Here’s another pretty obvious one but still an option that adds massive value to your purchase. The PlayStation Store is filled with hundreds of must own titles such as Flower and Fat Princess so there’s no real reason not to check them out… unless you’re broke.

5.) PSP Minis

Don’t forget about these little gems either. There are some seriously awesome mini games to found on the PS Store that can be enjoyed on both the PSP and PS3.

6.) Be a DJ, Rock or Popstar

Why not take a break from the old trusty Dualshock and be a DJ with DJ Hero, a Rockstar with Guitar Hero or maybe even a Popstar with err… Singstar. Or even better why not…

7.) Take part in a game show

Buzz! For PS3 sees players answering trivia questions whilst competing in a fictional game show. It’s perfect for the older folks who aren’t really into video gaming.

8.) 3D Games

Yep, 3D gaming is here and while it’s still really expensive at this getting stage it’s definitely something to look forward too and most likely the next evolution in gaming.

9.) PSN game sharing

This seems to be a regular occurrence on the PS3ZA forum I frequently visit. It’s the simple concept of purchasing games on PSN and sharing them with others so that they can return the favour. There are however restrictions that one should keep in mind but it’s still something you can check out if you’re running low on funds.

10.) Watch DVD’s

The word “duh” comes to mind since almost all electronic equipment these days allow DVD playback but hey, at least the movies are upscaled

11.) Watch Blu-Ray movies

There’s seriously no introduction required here expect the fact that soon you’ll be enjoying…

12.) 3D Movies

Now you can watch Avatar… in 3D… at home! The best part of 3D movies on the PS3 is obvious fact that there’s no additional charge for it. Good luck on affording that 52″ 3DTV though.

13.) Watch TV

There’s quite a few options available when it comes to watching TV on your PS3 so it might be best to just Google it but still another little bonus the PS3 provides or alternatively you can simply…

14.) Stream movies

Now that the PS3 support Netflix there’s no reason the leave the couch. Streaming is however limited to certain countries so no movies for me here in South Africa

15.) Online gaming

Online gaming is a pretty obvious feature but don’t forget that it’s totally free on PSN. Take that Xbo… nevermind.

16.) LAN gaming

Why not make your first person shooter sessions more personal by hosting (or joining) a LAN party? Some people however prefer not to transport their consoles so the other alternative would be…

17.) 4 Player splitscreen games

The PS3 allows 4 players to join in on the fun simultaneously although games that support this feature are unfortunately quite limited.

18.) Trophies

Trophies will make you want to smash your controller but in a good of way. Obtaining some of them is pretty easy but if you really want a challenge you should definitely check out Hanna Montana.

19.) Upgrade your hard drive

Well with all the tons of stuff you can store on the PS3, upgrading the hard drive should be a simple process. Luckily for you, it is. The PS3 HDD can easily be replaced by a normal 2.5″ inexpensive notebook drive, no mess, no fuss or you can simply…

20.) Add more space via external media

Simply connect an external hard drive via the USB port and voila, more space. Just double check that the drive is formatted as FAT32 otherwise it won’t detect.

21.) Backup your PS3

Since we’re on the topic of hard drives, why not backup your PS3 in case “touch on wood” something bad happens. The PS3 has a very user friendly integrated backup solution within the settings menu or if you prefer you can rather just…

22.) Backup your game saves

You actually don’t need an external HDD for this since a flash drive will be more than sufficient. Just be warned that some game saves are copy protected and therefore can’t be backed up (which really sucks).

23.) Play region free games

All PS3 games are region free so importing rare titles is always an option to keep in mind. The Blu-ray movies are however region locked though.

Well that’s the end of part one, thanks for reading

Firstly I would like to deeply apologize for my absence and then I would also like to thank all my subscribers for hanging in there. My return has been long overdue but there’s good reason for that which I’ll chat about in future posts. The main thing is I’m back but with a PlayStation 3 at my side. Yes it’s true; I’ve sold my Xbox (which also explains the major change to the website) and decided to go the Sony route. I still love the Xbox but since all my favourite (and wanted) games are only available on the PS3, I seriously had no other choice. In an ideal world it would have been nice to own both of them but that’s not going to happen any time soon.

I’ve however been working very hard on about 40 articles which I’m really excited about. For the folks that are new here, My Gamer Diary focuses more on the personal aspects of console gaming and less on the news, previews, and reviews type of information that can be found pretty much everywhere else on the net. I’m really looking forward to chatting with you all and to hear all about your personal experiences with the PS3.

Feel free to stay in touch via RSS feeds, Twitter and email subscriptions which can be found on the right hand side pane of my website.

After all the Jasper hype I finally decided to go out and get one (even though I already own a perfectly working Falcon). This task however, was not as easy as it seemed at first. For those who don’t know, the Xbox 360 Jasper model is the latest revision of the console out at the moment with talk about it being the RROD savior (we shall see). Google can help with more info if needed.

Anyway, the mission was simple: Wake up early, infiltrate the local shopping mall, grab the first 12.1A unit (Jasper) I see, rush back home and enjoy my purchase victory. Things however did not really go according to prior debriefing. The first shop (Game) had a nice special going. Buy any Xbox 360 console and get a second Xbox controller for free. I obviously should have known there was a catch since after inspecting three units I discovered them all to be old stock 16.5A (they still exist?!) models. The next shop (CNA) had zero specials running (actually the units were slightly more expensive) and after confirming four Falcon units I knew this shop was not going to help me out. The third shop (Musica) had some mixed results. Some of the units were Falcons and some were older Xenon/Zephyrs or whatever bases ones. The other shops in the mall wouldn’t even allow me to open the little flap on the side of the box (paranoid?) which made it extremely hard to even try and identify the units as Jaspers.

Needless to say, I left the mall extremely frustrated. I sat outside having a smoke thinking about my limited options when I noticed a small shopping complex across the road. There was still hope! The complex only had one shop to try (Look & Listen) so I went in clutching my thumbs. The sales dude informed me that they only had two Arcade units in stock but offered me the chance to inspect the amp rating via the flap window. Tada! My Jasper unit was finally located but the biggest surprise came when I unpacked the unit at home. As you most likely already know, the Jasper models come with 256/512mb memory onboard but as a bonus I received an additional 512mb memory card (including Worms) and a copy of Sega Superstar Tennis. The day was pretty much a success.

This just proves that it’s sometimes better to just take your time and shop around a little.

I’ve been thinking about this for quite some time now. How antisocial am I really? Well I don’t have many friends, I’m single, I spend most of my day thinking about gaming and I host my own Xbox dedicated blog. Wow, I really am antisocial! It won’t be fair to blame this on my Xbox however since I’ve been a gamer long before the console was even released. I’m trying to remember the first game I ever played. If I recall correctly it was some Ace flight fighter simulation game on the Commodore 64 when I was like twelve years old. Yes you read correctly, the Commodore 64. My first console however was the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System and boy did that thing consume hours of my life (and money since the power adapters kept burning out).

I’ve always had a passion for gaming but not in a job sense kind of way. It’s my hobby, my escape, my diversion from reality. I had plenty of friends in school but almost all of them got married and created their own little American dreams. The reason for me creating this blog is purely due to my passion for games. Yeah sure, my English is not the best (see note on right hand pane) but I try to at least make it readable (and hopefully entertaining). Every time I complete a post I feel that sense of satisfaction since I truly believe I’ve just contributed something to my source of entertainment. I sincerely apologize if I’m getting a little deep here.

Sure I had relationships in the past but as with most women, gaming was not really approved. They all started off with the usual “yeah, gaming is cool man” but that quickly turned into “you’re addicted to that junk”. I didn’t really even play that much but I guess they all have this idea that guys simply “grow out of it” over time. What’s the point of going into a relationship if you don’t really approve of your partner’s hobbies? Well I guess there are two sides to every story. Bottom line is that I’m not really in need of a relationship or heavy parties and whatnot. I’ll rather chill at home, watch some movies, play some games, write a few posts and listen to music as geeky as that might sound. If people want to label me as a geek, nerd or whatever, that’s fine with me but at least I’m not giving up the things I love to spend time with other people who don’t really accept me for what I am or truly like.

I’m not antisocial due to video games. I’m antisocial since I prefer spending my time with the hobbies I love and not with people who don’t respect it.

Yeah I pretty much grew up in the 16-bit era although here in South Africa we didn’t really have a choice between Super Nintendo and Sega Megadrive/Genesis. Nintendo didn’t really bother with SA much and that time the only Mario based console we had was the Famicom. We were pretty much stuck with good old Sonic. I’ve honestly played a truck load of games on my old Megadrive and till this day I still wish I didn’t sell it. Retro titles are however being re-released in complications and whatnot these days but I still miss the feel of the old consoles. Insert cartridge, turn on, no display, remove cartridge, blow out slot, reinsert cartridge and wham, 16-bit eye candy.

Anyway, if there’s one title I would really love to replay, it’s Mega Turrican. I’ve spent hours messing up my eye sight on my old tube television with this game (now I wear glasses). It just had all the wonderful elements required for a great platformer. I’ll never forget the frantic action, great controls, sharp visuals, mega power-ups and fantastically awesome sound track. Maybe one day Mirco$oft will be so kind as to add it to the marketplace.

Well here’s a video about the game you can check out while I try and recover from nostalgia.