Sony's adhocParty takes local PSP MP online Nov. 19

New service will let North American gamers play Ad Hoc modes remotely with the help of a PS3; Gran Turismo and Monster Hunter Freedom Unite supported at launch.

When the PSP launched in 2005, it introduced online play to the handheld gaming industry. However, games supporting true online play (the system's infrastructure mode) were quickly outnumbered by those supporting only Ad Hoc mode, or local wireless play with PSPs in the immediate vicinity.

Because racing around in circles is no fun unless you're beating somebody else.

Sony will address that discrepancy November 19, when it introduces the adhocParty service for the PSP. Launched in Japan last year, adhocParty allows PSP gamers with a PlayStation 3 to play select Ad Hoc mode games online through the console's Internet connection.

A full list of compatible games has not been released, but there will be support for at least a pair of heavy hitters. Sony has already confirmed that Gran Turismo PSP and Monster Hunter Freedom Unite will both be playable online using adhocParty.

124 Comments

  • Vegeta1120

    Posted Nov 19, 2009 6:57 pm PT

    doesnt work for the non wireless ps3 owners FREAK!!!!

  • Thorneurism

    Posted Nov 19, 2009 1:33 pm PT

    I dont see this in the ps store yet...anyone able to download this yet?

  • levifoskey

    Posted Nov 19, 2009 9:50 am PT

    i hope coded arms and mortal kombat work

  • paelkeizah

    Posted Nov 17, 2009 2:46 pm PT

    so... its apparently out in NA this week... not sure what date but its been said as for europe I have no clue when

  • NearlyPrescient

    Posted Nov 17, 2009 12:46 pm PT

    @disBjeFFi
    yeah, I think that's what it means. but, hey, at least you can play with someone that's not in the same room as you, like when you can't meet up with your friend or if neither of you want to leave the house.
    or maybe even someone across the world that you don't even know. it's better than nothing, at least.

  • gregjblair

    Posted Nov 17, 2009 11:06 am PT

    yes now i can play monster hunter with more people and maybe not get destroyed.

  • Crash6

    Posted Nov 17, 2009 2:36 am PT

    well I guess this tips the boat...............finally time for a Sony Playstation 3 purchase

  • SicklySunStorm

    Posted Nov 17, 2009 1:00 am PT

    very clever stuff, and always welcome to have additional stuff like this. Well done Sony.

  • DrDoom007

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 3:58 pm PT

    What about Final Fantasy Tactics: The war of the lions or Dissidia Final Fantasy, are those adHocParty compatible

  • disBjeFFi

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 3:06 pm PT

    @NearlyPrescient
    wait so if i wanna play a psp game like monster hunter online, both me and person i wanna play with have to have PS3s? Wow that sucks

  • scar4ever

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 10:38 am PT

    What about Europe?

  • xXZak-ataKXx

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 9:27 am PT

    thats cool!

  • chappy_man

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 8:42 am PT

    woot more monster hunter :S

  • SecularSage

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 8:37 am PT

    This is great news! This is probably one of the biggest areas where the PSP can be improved. Doing it through software instead of hardware updates makes the idea all the sweeter.

  • calebcop

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 8:13 am PT

    Cool. Too bad I'm saving for an Asus Gaming PC instead of a PS3, I think.

  • Sirbobislost

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 7:58 am PT

    @ fede_pyro oh yeah that would be awesome I can only kick my friends ass so
    many times

  • KaizerJinn

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 7:54 am PT

    ... this seems interesting..

  • fede_pyro

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 6:27 am PT

    i hope dissidia suport this...

  • Vegeta1120

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 5:48 am PT

    im lookin forward to this, i miss playin Monster Hunter with others!

  • robgam3r

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 2:46 am PT

    when sony get smart they will put trophies in psp games and let u log on the psp with your psn id that will make me buy a pspgo and stop dl psp .isos

  • beny_pimpster

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 1:13 am PT

    to kwildgun::::: psp go? you gotta kidding me brother! im waiting for the next new model lol i heard Go sales are poor lol and i dont have any psp so lol

  • kwildgun

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 12:39 am PT

    by the way if you get a PSP 1000 and stick a 16 gig Mark 2 memory stick in it then there really is no deference between that and a PSP go other than the new features. The PSP go does not load games any faster than PSP 1000. The both have the same chip just one is internal. The PSP go get a boost in battery life because unlike the go the battery is much bigger. What a waist of 250 dollars.

  • SadPSPAddict

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 12:08 am PT

    Nice idea and will tempt many to buy a PS3 - however I can see it only having limited usefulness since you have to be sat in your "chair" in front of the PS3 to play so why not play a PS3 game on-line instead?? I have a PS3 and GT so might try it but then again I might not.

  • Briareos43

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 11:02 pm PT

    Added info on ad-hoc party coming from ad-hoc user. You pick a world A-J. Then lobby 1-60. Then you choose what type of house u want to make 4 player or 8 player. Add title to house like...Monster Hunter Unite. then have option to add info about house like...HR 5 need help ranking. then make house. Once in house you and the others entering have full voice and text chat. If you want private house u close the door. Once all players in house your psp lights up when you go into ad-hoc mode. if you exit ad-hoc mode on psp your still in house and still in communication with others. Added bonus if someone else in your room has a psp they show up online too. Your name will have 2 or 3 psp's next to it. Its as simple as that and i played on japanese ad-hoc. Hope this gives u more info on this FREE service that coming.

  • NearlyPrescient

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 10:52 pm PT

    @disBjeFFi
    basically, the ps3 acts as a bridge; you ad-hoc to your ps3, which infrastuctures to another ps3 which is ad-hoc'd to a psp. this would mean the ps3s can be any distance from each other, but the psp still has to be close enough to the ps3 to connect via ad-hoc.
    so yes, you'd have to have a ps3, and be relatively close to it.

  • Accuracy158

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 10:51 pm PT

    Killzone Liberation?

  • Briareos43

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 10:48 pm PT

    This is the best psp software period! I love ad-hoc party. Now that its in english will be super. And in PSPgo's defense. Its easier to use for the working folk. To have gaming on the go and not carry alot of stuff. And you can sync PS3 controller to it when playing games on TV. I have both versions of PSP and I buy UMD game to play. But those I want to add to collection. The games I will never sell. I buy on the PSP go. That why they made it. To give us better options. So If you don't like the PSP go don't get it.

  • BlueFlameBat

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 10:11 pm PT

    I hope this works with my CAPCOM PSP games.

  • EndoftheworldX

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 10:06 pm PT

    Sony's making me want to buy a ps3 more and more the longer it stays out. I remember X-Link Kai for the PC, but I was too lazy to set it up and use it. This is definitely a cool idea for Sony to implement though, definitely didn't see it coming.

  • NoLifeGamin

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 10:02 pm PT

    @DrKill09 really? i mean really? i mean if the loading time was cut by minutes then that would be HUGE....apparently that's not the case here. Anyways, that's what data install is for ;D although tedious to do so. And why UMD's are still being manufactured. I still don't think that the PSP Go is worth buying. I would be a retard to buy it just because it can load games faster.

  • DrKill09

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 9:22 pm PT

    @NoLifeGamin There is a difference between digital copies and umd's; load times. They are MUCH faster on the Go. That was a major fault of the older PSP's. I hated my model 1.

  • NoLifeGamin

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 7:28 pm PT

    @Zerosumgame well a PSP Go is cool and all, but when compared to a PSP-3000....it's just not worth buying it. I mean, is there really a difference between playing games on your PSP vs. UMD? Besides convenience(and the possibility of it getting stolen) UMD's are just plain fine. In other words, you've just wasted $250.Then again, that's no biggie if you have a stable job.

  • tyco_ex

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 7:25 pm PT

    For those of you that don't have ps3's there is a pc program called X-Link Kai that can perform the same tunneling service as ad-hoc party. It's a bit complicated to set up and it won't work on every computer but it is an option to check out.

  • StumpyTrash

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 7:19 pm PT

    that's pretty sweet! don't really have a whole lot of use for ad hoc since no one else i hang with owns a pc, but this workaround will be fun!

  • Zerosumgame

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 7:18 pm PT

    PSPGo is the way to go, UMD is an excuse for ppl who couldn't afford a go, plain and simple.

  • DrKill09

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 5:36 pm PT

    @ ropumar Cool, just wanted to make sure. Got rid of my model 1 today in favor of the Go.

    Looks like a way better model. No more annoying UMD noise and load times!

  • grove12345

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 5:21 pm PT

    so tell me why people are bad mouthing this? Japanese program finally translated to english... how does that suck?

    Only thing worth bad mouthing is JPN developers dont really use online play anymore. While games made in the west (SOCOM) will have online play. Wont be surpised if the new MGS wont have infrastructure mode anymore. All the big name titles from japan only have adhoc mode. Which having a PS3 will help play online. But then again makes the PSP portable gameplay totally useless.

  • dvilified

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 5:13 pm PT

    Haha I've been using this since MHU came out. Thank god for the JPSN store.

  • GYROBLADE

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 4:42 pm PT

    yeah...has nobody heard of this at all? I know of a bundle of people who are on it constantly playing monster hunter, BUT it is in complete japanese, so you would have to make a japanese account to download it from their ps store....its basically a tunnel program where you can setup a house, 4 player, or hotel stye, 8 player, and you can play with the ad-hoc feature like the other people are beside you....only drawback being you need wifi enabled ps3 and a wired connection....hope this helped some people

  • vgbum

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 4:00 pm PT

    Awesome. It's about time someone thought of this.

  • maverick_76

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 3:24 pm PT

    Really cool, I love how I can stream music and stuff like that from my PS3 to PSP, this makes that feature even cooler!

  • sticke4

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 2:54 pm PT

    This is great. Hopefully it will boost the PSP's popularity and we will continue to get good games released.

  • ropumar

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 2:15 pm PT

    @DrKill09
    Of course works for PSP go.
    The PSPgo not only has wi-fi as Blutooth, which means it is even more compatible with ps3. Not only it can use the psp-ps3 connection and remote play as it can use all BLUTOOTH ps3 accessories. Which means with the pspgo you could play Monster hunter, medal of honor and resistence(psp) with a DS3 and ps3 headset, something you woudn't be able with psp 1000-3000.

  • GrayFox2510

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 10:49 am PT

    Just note that you need to have your PS3 connected by Ethernet, not wireless, otherwise Ad-Hoc Party won't let you do anything.
    Or at least, that's how it is with the JP version and I doubt they'll change that.

  • Setsuka13

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 10:48 am PT

    Awesome! More options for PlayStation owners is always a good thing.

  • Stryder_18

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 9:56 am PT

    Woot that would be so freakin sweet! I actually did this with the new Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker for co-op it was a blast!

  • KillerWabbit23

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 9:30 am PT

    YES FINALLY

  • Nkosistryder

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 9:09 am PT

    @brendanhunt1
    they're basically saying you can play games that have adhoc(psp to psp) multplayer online(through the internet). However the connection to the internet will be through your ps3 if you have 1. Mostly like it will be released in the EU roughly within a month of the US release. Hope that helped.

  • brendanhunt1

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 8:48 am PT

    these technical words mean nothing to me. just tell me what it does and when its in europe

  • Ryguy4738

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 7:52 am PT

    interesting....

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