Round-Up: PSP Firmware Update, New Glu Execs, GamePro/Mad Partnering

Today's round-up includes news on the official U.S. firmware upgrade for the PSP, new appointments at Glu Mobile, and a satirical hook-up between GamePro Magazine and Alfred E. Neuman, as well as a significant amount of SIGGRAPH-related product news, a new Letter to the Editor, and the latest Gamasutra job postings. - Sony will release version 2.0 of the PlayStation Portable firmware on August 12, according to the company. The update will allow PSP owners to use the device's wi-fi capabilities to browse the web, as well as bestow improvements on the audio and video playback features. The update is currently available for Japanese PSPs; the Japanese 2.0 firmware update is compatible with American units but unsupported by Sony, and installing the currently available update will void a U.S. PSP's warranty. - Glu Mobile, the company created by the merger of Sorrent and Macrospace, has named Chris Meredith, former executive at Sony, Majesco, and 3Dfx, has joined the company has its vice president of publishing for EMEA. The company also named Jill Braff as its general manager for its North American efforts and Joe Poletto as its senior vice president of worldwide publishing. "We're pleased that Glu has the ability to attract this caliber of executive to our team, and we're confident that Joe's experience and management skills will help Glu expand globally and become the worldwide leader in the mobile entertainment industry," said Glu CEO Greg Ballard. - GamePro and Mad Magazine have partnered to produce a special issue of Mad devoted to video games, which will be included within currently shipping copies of the September issue of GamePro. The issue, whose page count was undisclosed, will have feature articles and satirical news stories in the tradition of the 53-year-old magazine. GamePro has a tradition of humor content in its annual LamePro edition for the April issue, though the Mad deal appears not to be a part of that effort. - Also updated today: multiple SIGGRAPH-related product news items, including multiple new physics-related announcements from Ageia, the unveiling of the Autodesk Certified Animation Plug-in Program, and NaturalMotion's announcement of Endorphin 2.5, as well as a new Letter to the Editor from Paige Morgan, continuing the discussion on story and games, and the latest Gamasutra job postings, including positions from Midway Games, Serious Magic, Slingo Inc, SCEA, and Surreal Software.