Offical PSX Games on PSP, Lunar even possible?

[Zaskar]

So Sony has released a small handful of PSX games on their site that can be bought for like $5 and downloaded through a PS3 right to your PSPs flash memory card.

Those were supposed to just be the initial few to test the waters (and im sure work out any problems) while they convert a few thousand of the old PSX games to be available.

Now here is my question, is the 2 PSX Lunar games even possible? Since they cant just release any PSX game they wish,they need to contact whoever owns the rights to them, in each country. And Working Designs is no more.

Did the rights to the translated Lunar voices and text die with the company, or did it get bought by the original Japanese company, giving them rights to, if they wished, to re release the English version.

Ive heard the rights went back to the original company who created it, but im unsure if that means the license to sell in America has went back to them, or the license to sell AND all Working Designs translated work and Voice acting also is theirs.

I know its possible to play Lunar and other PSX games on PSP with modified old firmware and copying the game over to the flash card in an ISO image, but this is not about that Not to mention the new revision of the PSP coming out thats lighter will not be able to have the older firmwear.


Anyone have any insight for me or things to add?

[Kizyr]

It's hard to say... The rights for US publication of the Lunar series now lies with the original Japanese publisher (Game Arts). But, that might not apply to Working Designs' production. I suppose it depends on the terms of WD's closure--Vic himself might have even retained all those rights. I wouldn't know.

Either way, I think it'd certainly be possible--at least for SSS. But, for a multi-disc game like EBC, is there enough room on those cards for the entire game? KF

[Zaskar]

There is enough room on the larger cards. a 2 gig should even be able to hold a 3 disk game.

[phyco126]

Meh, space should never be an issue with games these days on cards. I can't find anything less than 2 gigs for the PSP, and hell, if you look hard enough on the internet, I'm sure you can find a flash card upwards to 10 gigs or higher.

Well over a year ago, there was a SD card for only $119 that had 8 gigs on it. In walmart, I saw those new mini-SD Cards, that's freaking crazy. About 1/4th the size of an SD card and still able to hold 1+ gigs.

[exigence]

Meh, space should never be an issue with games these days on cards. I can't find anything less than 2 gigs for the PSP, and hell, if you look hard enough on the internet, I'm sure you can find a flash card upwards to 10 gigs or higher.

Well over a year ago, there was a SD card for only $119 that had 8 gigs on it. In walmart, I saw those new mini-SD Cards, that's freaking crazy. About 1/4th the size of an SD card and still able to hold 1+ gigs.

oh you mean an XD card yeah its a lot better than a floppy disk. but if you own the game isnt there a way to do that your self, i think theres a thread about it from way back.

[Zaskar]

Yea but its unofficial, requires old flash and stuff. Its only a matter of time before they do something like require newer bios or not allow any modified systems on something, i dunno

Also the new Revision of the PSP wont be able to use the older bios images.

Id rather do it officially anyways. I have computer games for all the mods and stuff, rather keep consoles pure. To me its the point of playing things on consoles and not on a computer that has varied software and hardware and varied game experiences.

[Werefrog]

oh you mean an XD card yeah its a lot better than a floppy disk. but if you own the game isnt there a way to do that your self, i think theres a thread about it from way back.

Nah, he probably means SD (Secure Digital) cards which seems to be one of the most popular formats. SD cards are also available in a smaller version called mini-SD. I've seen mini-SD cards at the Wal-Mart checkout for less than 20 dollars. It's amazing how much SD cards have advanced in recent years. I remember how much they cost back at the launch of the Gamecube (the Gamecube was originally supposed to have an SD card port). However... the PSP takes neither SD nor xD format. It uses Sony's proprietary format (Go figure).

[phyco126]

Meh, space should never be an issue with games these days on cards. I can't find anything less than 2 gigs for the PSP, and hell, if you look hard enough on the internet, I'm sure you can find a flash card upwards to 10 gigs or higher.

Well over a year ago, there was a SD card for only $119 that had 8 gigs on it. In walmart, I saw those new mini-SD Cards, that's freaking crazy. About 1/4th the size of an SD card and still able to hold 1+ gigs.

oh you mean an XD card yeah its a lot better than a floppy disk. but if you own the game isnt there a way to do that your self, i think theres a thread about it from way back.

What Werefrog said. XD cards are small but considerably more expensive than SD. However, SD came out with the mini-SD card, which I believe is smaller than the XD cards. These things are tiny.

Yeah, stupid memory sticks. I love SD cards so much more.

[Werefrog]

Yeah, SD cards work with so many more devices. My Wii takes SD cards; my sister's digital camera takes SD cards. Heck, even the PS3 takes SD cards. It would be nice to have one card that would work with so many devices.

[Alex_Pwns_Hiro]

I have Lunar silver star story complete, Lunar eternal blue complete , and EVERY nintendo 64 game on my psp

[Zaskar]

I have Lunar silver star story complete, Lunar eternal blue complete , and EVERY nintendo 64 game on my psp

yea I know its very possible

This is more or less to find out if it is in the realm of possibility for them to be released officially through sony on their retro PSX to PSP download area. Hoping someone knows who holds the rights currently for the translated and voiced content for those 2. Cause if they died with WD, then there is no chance.


Its nice to be able to get the newest versions or firmware updates. I was never too much into the custom console modding, cause its always a dying field well into a systems life, as all newer versions of the hardwear always break it, and newer firmwares needed for other new features, dont allow for it.

[Kizyr]

I have Lunar silver star story complete, Lunar eternal blue complete , and EVERY nintendo 64 game on my psp

This is more or less to find out if it is in the realm of possibility for them to be released officially through sony on their retro PSX to PSP download area. Hoping someone knows who holds the rights currently for the translated and voiced content for those 2. Cause if they died with WD, then there is no chance.

Copyrights don't really "die" like that; they'd just be in the hands of the original publisher at the very least.

If a copyright "dies", by the way, and no one owns it anymore, then it's public domain. Meaning that anyone can release it. KF

[Zaskar]

So what would be the most likely thing that happened to it after WD closed house? Without the company around anymore, does all the rights they owned on the work they did follow the person who was the head of the company at the time of its closure? (Given it wasn't sold to someone else before that time)

[GhaleonOne]

The only thing about the Lunar titles that WD owned at the time of closure was their own translations and such. The rights to the actual titles themselves went back to GameArts at some point. Now, what someone could do about the translations, I don't know. I do know that either WD sold the rights to Lunar 1's translation or at least licensed it, as UbiSoft used WD's translation in many cases for Lunar Legend. Lunar 2, I have no clue on though. And it all just depends on too many factors to know.

Regardless of what rights are held by whomever in regards to WD's work on the series, the rights to the games themselves, and being able to release a "Lunar" title would fall by to GameArts. And because of SquareEnix's hand in GameArts, I would sooner say they'd re-release the PS titles than anyone else. UbiSoft is another possibility, considering Lunar Legend, but I'm going to doubt it.

[Zaskar]

I dunno, maybe if its a re release like you said, but if its for the PSP or any newer system, I can only see it getting worse, instead of better :/ They would need to change the entire sprite based world to 3d (or a new sprite based world) also to be able to break out of the 30% changed/upgraded requirement that Sony has for PSX to PSP re release games in America. (Like whats going on with Star Ocean now)

The main thing was who owns the rights to the actual work WD did, which was the translation, and voice acting. Since all the PSX games going up for DL to the PSP are just ports for like $5, their not gonna spend time working on them. If they cant just go and get an ok to do a straight port from the PSX game from whoever owns the rights, its most likely just not gonna happen.

I also wonder who owns the rights to the English versions of the songs used. That would be yet another hurdle that would block it. I Just cant see anyone remaking the game when they have to start the translation/voice acting over again compared to what they have to live up to :/


If the rights weren't sold, Id really like to know what happens to the stuff the company use to own. Are their old rights to stuff locked down forever, or is the old owner able to do with them as he wishes, etc.

[Kizyr]

If the rights weren't sold, Id really like to know what happens to the stuff the company use to own. Are their old rights to stuff locked down forever, or is the old owner able to do with them as he wishes, etc.

I answered part of this before. There's no such thing as a copyright being "locked down forever". Copyrights expire after a certain period of time (I think it depends on the thing being copyrighted, among other things). If for some reason the copyright is no longer valid, for whatever reason, then it is public domain and free for anyone to use. If the copyright is still owned by someone or some company, then that person or company is able to decide what to do with it.

Considering WD and Vic, if Vic still has the copyright to the English translations, then it's doubtful he'd have any problem leasing them out to a company that wanted to do a port of a new or remade Lunar game. KF

[Zaskar]

Ahh very cool, thank you. I seriously doubt they would of let it go to public domain then, so if id have to guess, Vic owns it or it (if both parties wanted) was sold to gamearts for them if they wanted, to release in America/Europe since they hold the rights to distribute it again (whither they would do it themselves, or license it out in full for another company to take and distribute there).

Was just a bit confused cause for some reason I couldn't imagine a copyright from a company going with just 1 person after a company closes down, wouldn't that mean that the 1 person stands to gain any and all profit that may come from that in the future as apposed to the company as a whole I guess?