A Scanner Mobile: Building an Android App for PAL PS1 Documentation
The Python webcam scanner worked, but a bad webcam made it unreliable. Rebuilding it as an Android app solved every problem at once: better camera, instant portability, and a new photo session mode that automatically files images straight into the database pipeline.
Read more →
The Little Details That Send You Down a Rabbit Hole
Noticing a small detail on a Point Blank disc - mixed black and white lettering on the SCES code - turned into a hunt for an original pressing that might not even exist.
Read more →
La Sirenetta II - The Curious Case of an EAN Number
Not all copies of La Sirenetta II are the same. A different EAN barcode on Italian copies turns out to be a clue pointing to a late PS1-era reprint - one that accidentally reveals the Disney/Pixar merger.
Read more →
Epidemic: My Favourite PS1 Case Disaster
Epidemic is my favourite PS1 case, and not because it looks good. It's a glorious mess that tells the entire story of Sony's rushed Black Label rollout in a single jewel case.
Read more →
PSP Holograms on PS1 Cases, A Late Platinum Misprint
Some late PAL Platinum prints of Final Fantasy VIII and IX appear to carry PSP holograms rather than the expected PlayStation ones. Here's how I tracked one down and what I found.
Read more →
A Brief History of the PS1 Case Hologram
A look at why Sony introduced the case hologram, how the design evolved over the PS1's lifetime, and some unusual misprints that slipped through.
Read more →
Inside the Research: How We're Cataloguing Every PAL PlayStation Release
Research is the backbone of accurate game preservation. Here's how we're systematically documenting PAL PlayStation releases using eBay, EAN codes, and careful verification.
Read more →
Building a Barcode Scanner for PAL PSX Database Lookups
When you're moving dozens of PS1 games through eBay, speed matters. I built a webcam barcode scanner that looks up PAL variants in seconds and shows exactly which images are missing from our archive.
Read more →