PSP Comic Store aims for 500 at launch

By Robert Purchese Published 27 November, 2009

Sony lists publisher support, saves trees.

Sony has promised a selection of more than 500 comics when its PSP Comic Store arrives in mid-December.

Comic publishers pledging support so far are Marvel (Astonishing X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, The Amazing Spider-Man), 2000AD (Judge Dredd, Durham Red), Disney (Mickey Mouse, Scrooge McDuck, Donald Duck) and IDW (Astro Boy, Transformers, Star Trek, Wormwood).

Less well-known outfits Insomnia (Burke & Hare, Cages, Cancer Town), iVerse (responsible for Ape Entertainment, Archie Comics, Dabel Brothers, Image & Red 5 content) and Titan (Wallace & Gromit) are also on-board.

The Digital Reader - the application you'll need to read with - is already available, and Sony suggests downloading the latest PSP firmware and installing this to be prepared. The program will flick through pages and zoom and pan with ease, the European PlayStation blog tells us.

Sony is offering a bunch of codes on the blog to download some sample comics with.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (33) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • wizlon #1 2 years ago

    I'm still worried about resolution and fitting everything on the screen, comic panels tend to be a bit all over the place. Nice to see Sony diversify, especially with the PSP.

  • parablax #2 2 years ago

    'Bring on the LAW..'

  • wizlon #3 2 years ago

    Also, get the Beano on board and then I'll be interested :D

  • Goffee #4 2 years ago

    damn thing won't install on my Jap PSP - curses! And I bet the Jap reader software (whenever that comes out) won't accept UK comics... poop!

  • JohnnyWashnGo #5 2 years ago

    @Goffee: I sympathise mate. I have the same issue. My Japanese PSP will not run the digital reader app at all. I suppose I could CFW it and switch the region manually, but I rather like the Japanese system of O for correct and X for incorrect. Pressing X to move on is alien to me.

  • Widge #6 2 years ago

    Hi, has cianchristopher been in yet to randomly announce how much better the 360 is to the PS3, regardless of relevancy?

  • wellzy4eva #7 2 years ago

    I must give credit to Sony, the PSP has had strong competition from the DS but they have not bailed and keep trying to find new angles to sell it.

  • lucky_jim #8 2 years ago

    This is a really good idea. A couple of the comic book readers on the iPhone work brilliantly (Comixology's is my favourite) but lack the big-publisher support Sony evidently have. Is this just for the PSP Go or will it work on the 3000? Because I'm increasingly tempted by the 3000 but I wouldn't touch a Go with a really long stick.

    Edit- although Comixology have just added Marvel to their line-up.
    Edit 2- But only in the US! Argh!
    Edited by 2 at 27/11/09 @ 13:35

  • mrpon #9 2 years ago

    Do CBR files work on this?

  • M_of_the_sys #10 2 years ago

    @Widge

    Must be busy today.

  • kangarootoo #11 2 years ago

    This is brilliant. And as lucky_jim says, the content is key and they really seems to have that nailed.

    @wizlon

    "comic panels tend to be a bit all over the place"

    The auto-flow feature moves and zooms to follow each panel in order, so it should always work regardless of how zany the arrangement gets.

  • makeamazing #12 2 years ago

    Not been interested in Comics since I was a teenager reading 2000AD... but still credit to Sony for trying something different.

  • DFawkes #13 2 years ago

    If the pricing is around the same as the comic-based Apps on iTunes, I'll be very interested in this. Larger screen would be better for my feeble eyes :)

    Plus it's great for those who don't have iPhones, and from the looks of things there will be a lot more choice, which can only be a good thing - especially 2000AD which I'll lap up!

  • linea #14 2 years ago

    quite surprised the DSi store isn't offering this service given how incredibly good the Comic Book DS reader homebrew app is.

    I think Nintendo could probably do worse than co-opt a few of the DS homebrew developers actually.

    I'd upgrade to a DSi and buy Nitrotracker for it like a shot!

  • Toothball #15 2 years ago

    Didn't they promise that many more PSP games would be available for the PSP Go launch? I don't really hold much faith in Sony press releases any more.

  • kangarootoo #16 2 years ago

    "I think Nintendo could probably do worse than co-opt a few of the DS homebrew developers actually."

    I agree, but that is unfortunately the direct opposite of the Nintendo ethos.

  • kangarootoo #17 2 years ago

    @Toothball

    I guess it depends on your definition of "many more". Those "Minis" things are pretty plentiful.

  • M_of_the_sys #18 2 years ago

    @makeamazing

    I would imagine that there are still teenagers about. :p

    @kangarootoo

    The auto-flow feature moves and zooms to follow each panel in order, so it should always work regardless of how zany the arrangement gets.

    What happens when a character or peice of scenery from a panel goes out of the frame? This was often done in Marvel comics from what I remember.

  • kangarootoo #19 2 years ago

    "What happens when a character or peice of scenery from a panel goes out of the frame? This was often done in Marvel comics from what I remember."

    I'm not sure. But I don't think the borders of the in-comic frame actually drive the positioning, I think it is all marked up by hand. So if the best view of a frame didn't follow the actual drawn outline, someone could just go with whatever view was felt to work best in that instance.

    No doubt they will have tested it loads with real and varying content, so that sort of issue would have come up.

  • chukcyQ #20 2 years ago

    What is a PSP?

  • jefranklin18 #21 2 years ago

    I haven't read a comic in years, but this does look quite interesting. An interview with a comic drawer/illustrator/dunno what they're called on the PS3 EU blog actually indicated some interesting aspects such as interactive elements. I think the Uncharted comic has these features.

    I guess the recent Infamous cartoon competion may end up on the comic store as well. Wonder if there'll be an LBP one?

  • DryHeat #22 2 years ago

    For CBR or CBZ files you need homebrew PSPComic.

  • Toothball #23 2 years ago

    @kangarootoo

    There are those, but I was mostly referring to the UMD catalogue. I've largely been ignoring Minis as I have an attention span when it comes to gaming. Pushing 175 hours on my current PSP gaming endeavour, so they wouldn't really get a look in if I did start buying them.

  • kangarootoo #24 2 years ago

    "Pushing 175 hours on my current PSP gaming endeavour"

    Christ dude, what are you playing?

  • Nithron #25 2 years ago

    What, no Dark Horse?

  • Diomedes #26 2 years ago

    I hope they get DC too.
    This is a good service for a portable machine.But I hope the files can be read by the PS3 too.

    Sony is trying and trying with the PSP,this year they will reach the 60M+ figure .....

    But all is in vain ,even with the current top notch releases (Final Fantasy Dissidia ,Little Big Planet ,Fifa 10 ,PES 10, Ben 10 ,Motorstorm Artic Edge ,Disgaea 2,Assasins Creed ,Soul Calibur BD ,Tekken 6 ) the machine just doesnt work its too piracy-ridden and the portable market is too casual ....hardcore gamers can own the PSP but they will still spend most of their money on the HD machines.

    2010 will still have a good lineup ,and its the PSP 6th year in the market (released 2004 in Japan )..but I think Sony will definitively announce a proper PSP2 around E3.

    If they can manage a powerful machine ,with all the capabilities of the current one (camera,GPS,Skkype,internet,comics reader,video,music,photos,etc) ,backwards compatibility (either putting ALL the PSP games in the PSN or just a new disc-based format compatible with UMD) ,better controls (two analogue sticks please) and unpiratable they may have a winner.

  • Grayvern #27 2 years ago

    No mention of DC, so therefore no vertigo, So no hellblazer, therefore Im instantly less interested.

  • Chazmeister #28 2 years ago

    I'll keep my paper versions thanks.

  • Vanqu1sh3r #29 2 years ago

    Have tried the free Transformers comic on my Psp-3000. Works great, easy to read. Hope this works out and they get some great content to come. God knows they need something.

  • rhubarbandcustard #30 2 years ago

    As the only active comic reader to comment so far I can't wait for this.

    Have a huge library of tradeback comic books and think that this is a golden age in the comic book industry.

    If the names Ed Brubaker, Brian Wood, Brian K Vaughan, Brian Azzarello, Jason Aaron and Brian Michael Bendis mean nothing to you then you are so far out of the loop that your views on comic books are meaningless.

    And what's with the constant 2000AD and Judge Dredd reference's everytime there is a comic book article?

    Repeat after me, 'reading a single issue of 2000AD in 1991 does not make me know anything about comics'

    Not only that, but 2000AD was shit.

    There I said it.

  • w00t #31 2 years ago

    :o

    2000 AD had Zenith, which has one of all time greatest panels!

  • Bigglesworth #32 2 years ago

    @wizlon
    Its hard to get a handle on how they've tackled the resolution/fit issues without taking a look at the 'autoflow' system but it does seem a good attempt; apparently like kanga said its all set up by the artists/publishers, so its going to be pretty authentic.

    Someone asked about CBRs? Their FAQ says: All comics downloaded from PlayStation Store use a custom format that allows us to provide the high-quality artwork, AutoFlow system and database categorisation unique to the Digital Reader. Unfortunately this means you can't make or view your own comics or use other comics file formats with the Digital Reader. ... which is a flowery way of saying: no, you can't use them =) To be fair though they have a point: this isn't exactly a slideshow viewer.

    Also, DC are conspicuous by their absence, but Sony keep saying other publishers are to be announced, so who knows.

  • SpaceMonkey77 #33 2 years ago

    Its a nice feature for PSP to have, but I feel that its popularity is going to be down to free samples available and publishers support. Lack of DC is frustrating for some, but will hopefully come in time.

    However, I know, while the masses don't that comics are so much more about what just Marvel and DC have to offer. Get some Dark Horse, Viz and DMP stuff on there and I'll check it out. Until then, I'll stick to my GNs.

    The 2000AD love is more than likely because as far as comics are concerned, that and Tank Girl are the most extreme that comics have ever officially been to in the U.K. To many U.K people these are usually their first exposure to comics, being more than just Archie/Beano/Dandy funnies. By todays standards though, if you hunt around, there's stuff out there that makes this tame.

    Each to their own.