I just want onto the chessmaster.com site and noticed there's a section for the PSP version! Was a press released even announced?

According to Amazon.com, it's been released today! And it's available from Amazon UK from March 14 and can be pre-ordered now.

Is UBI relying on it's current user base to promote it's goods I wonder? It's just UBI's approach to Chessmaster all seems a bit half-baked. I mean the FAQ page on the site hasn't been updated with info on the PSP version and at the bottom it says there's noting for XBOX LIVE, however I seem to remember this topic about people "cheating" by not starting the game on XBOX LIVE?

The only thing that was mentioned about a PSP version was one sentence on the XBox Live press release from Nov. 28, that was on Ubisoft's News Archive... not very visible. Why the Chessmaster Home Page wasn't updated with this information, I'll never know.

Two weeks ago, home page was finally updated with info stating the XBox Live version was released on Jan. 30.

I'm glad to see they're releasing some information, but as far as Chessmaster goes, I think that the advertising could use some improvement.

Has anyone picked up the PSP version yet? I am considering getting it, but I want to know how it is compared to the other versions?

Well, for anyone else out there who is interested, I bit the bullet and picked up the PSP version of Chessmaster, which was just released last week. What a dissapointment!

I have only had the game for a couple of hours, but I must say that in terms of features, it is pathetic. I have waited a long time for a decent chess game for the PSP, and I thought that the Chessmaster would finally be my ticket. I have always been hapy with their products before.

There is no infrastructure play. There is also no option to play a human opponent on one PSP, by passing the unit back and forth. There are no 3D boards. Also the Josh Waitzkin tutorials are minimal and only intended for beginners. What instruction there is, is presented as text. There is no voiceover from Waitzkin.

Worse yet, there is no library of classic games, nor is there even a way to enter one manually

For a console as powerful as the PSP, this is absurd, and insulting. The PSP could easily have handled most of the features of the PC vesion, including 3D boards, a large library of games, and infrastructure. It is an outrage for them to present this game the way it is, and then charged $29.99 for it! Frankly, the old GBA version from ten years ago was better done than this.

I have yet to actually play a Chess game on it, so perhaps the engine at least has some redeming factors, but I was really hoping for something more fully featured to take on the road.

I was actually thinking about getting the new slimmer PSP 2000. One of the things I wanted was a good chessmaster 11 port. So much for that.

Ah well. I didn't need to spend money on a handheld anyway! I should wait until the next generations come out.

No wonder they have not been promoting this version. They must be ashamed of it.

Ugh, are there really *no* 3D boards Av? None of the Staunton sets carried over from the PC version?

Any further thoughts on this after playing a few games? I also badly wanted chess on the psp, but your post certainly makes me reconsider the purchase

I must admit that I'm not familiar with the Nintendo DS or the PSP; but why is it that everyone expects a fully functioning PC game in a handheld platform?

quote:

but why is it that everyone expects a fully functioning PC game in a handheld platform?

i'm with you on that one... especially since we don't have a fully functioning PC game to begin with

unless.... ubisoft's motto is: two wrongs make a right

quote:

Originally posted by KHollister:but why is it that everyone expects a fully functioning PC game in a handheld platform?

I think a handheld as strong as the PSP is should be expected to have 3d boards. That's not asking a lot in 2008. It's not like we're playing "Head to Head Football" in 1979.

Heya KHollister,

Indeed, Eredhel is right. The PSP is powerful enough to crunch the 3d boards... I'm looking for 3d boards and a good engine with good AI. At first blush the PSP should be able to handle this. What seems disappointing, is that I don't see a lot of difference between the DS and PSP versions. The PSP is a magnitude more powerful, so I suppose I expected something *closer* to the PC version.

I don't have the DS version, but by looking at the product description, it appears to be very close or identical to the PSP version. In fact, the DS version seems to offer game sharing, while the PSP does not.

I have spent some more time with the game now. For what its worth, the engine seems quite solid, so if all you want to do is to play chess against the AI, then its okay for that. Also the chess puzzles and mini games are also pretty good.

Personally, I can live without the 3D boards (though the PSP could handle them with no trouble). What kills me is that they let all that UMD space go to waste. A UMD holds 1.8 gigabites of data! With that much, they could have at least thrown in a good size database of classic games. Even the old GBA version had some historic games to play through, for crying out loud! Alternatively, they could have included some of the interactive tutorials from the PC version with Josh Waizkin's voice. THey also did not bother to include ifrastructure. Uless you know someone who has a PSP and who loves chess (I do not) then you are out of luck.

They are using the title "the Art of Learning," for this game, and yet there is actually very little educational material included. Moreover, none of that material is of an intermediate or advanced level. It teaches the rules of the game and a little bit about such things a forks, skewers, and en passant. To me personally, that borders on fraud.

I was looking forward to this for more that six months. The PSP is a powerful little machine and is capable of so much more than this. They did not even try to take advantage of what it offers. This title is an insult to customer.