March 30, 2005 - A number of PSP games shipped with full 'Infrastructure Mode' online play available -- that's great. The settings on the online functionality was ragged and is causing users problems -- that's bad. The tech teams at SCEA are working to take care of the problem -- that's, again, great.

On a message on the welcome page announcement feature of the PSP game Twisted Metal: Head-On (as reported to us by IGN Board user EWollan), a new message is displayed in the field that indicates that SCEA is working to address concerns and problems user have been having with the game. It is unknown exactly what SCEA is working on fixing in the online feature -- users have reported difficulties remaining connected in online PSP play on the five titles to use the feature, and though there are manual fixes for the issues so far, not all users have direct access to their routers in order to make the manual fixes. The following text is currently being displayed on the game's announcement page:

    "Welcome to Twisted Metal: Head-On! During the next few days there will be Twisted Metal: Head-On server maintenance to improve network performance. Please check this announcements area for maintenance dates and times and other pertinent information. Thank you for your patience. Stay Twisted!"

SCE America representatives are currently unavailable for comment on the server maintenance, but ideally, the fixes would include repairing the issue of dropped connections.

In speaking with various developers of second-tier PSP games with online play being a considered feature, we have learned that the dropped connection problem is most often traced to an error in how the games are handling hardware addresses -- unless gamers are able to manually configure their wireless router's connection to lock in the port accessed by the PSP, a flurry of randomized ports will be what the PSP uses to hang onto its connection with, and the user is most often dropped before they even get past the menus. Future PSP online-enabled games with 'Infrastructure Mode' will use different and set protocols for connecting right off the bat. It is unknown exactly what is being fixed with TM:HO (or if those fixes will carry over to other SCEA net-enabled PSP games, since TM:HO is the only launch game with an online interface as robust as this), but IGN users are already reporting back higher rates of sustained connection in the game.

Fans of online PSP gaming frustrated by failed connects, get back in and connect tonight to see if you can finally take down opponents worldwide on the handheld.

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