"Nintendo Wii stormed the field with software sales of over 18 million units in the UK, retaining the title of Number One software format by units sold. Sony's PlayStation 3 also saw a dramatic increase by 14 per cent of software units sold, from 10.4 million units in 2008 to 11.9 million units in 2009. Overall, in 2009 UK consumers bought a total of 74.6 million videogame units - which works out at more than one per person in the UK."

"In hopes to turn the PSP into an all powerful super device, The PSP’s latest firmware has added a Digital Comic Book Viewer to the device along with a comic book section to the PSN Store. After you select the viewer from the new “Extras” section, you will have to download the viewer before you can start checking out the comics."

"The holiday season has arrived and to celebrate PlayStation Network Video Delivery Service and Sony Computer Entertainment (SCEE) are releasing a selection of everybody’s favourite festive films in time for Christmas Day. Following the availability of a Cars Special Edition, the selection of festive themed titles will be available on 24th December 2009 across Europe."

This week we'll be getting the award winning puzzle platformer Braid. Along with that, Tecmo's NBA Unrivaled will be making it's debut. Call of Duty Classic was released early this week as a treat to coincide with the launch of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. DLC, and a few more PSP games will round out this week's update.

The newest episode of The Bender here for you to take on your daily walk, morning drive, or even as background noise as you play your games. Intern Perry is out covering VGXPO stuff, so Mike and James fight over the good and bad of Arkham Asylum, and the new Intern Richard joins in as we hate on IGN and Activision for many reasons. We got all the other news of the week covered, so listen and enjoy. Listen live / stream through iTunes or download the mp3 directly here

"The PSPgo has launched and now it leaves many wondering if it’s worth the $250 investment. Unlike the other PSP models, the PSPgo is purely a digital-only device. Since getting the handheld late last week, I’ve been busy playing around with it. I’ve downloaded numerous PSOne classics, PSP games, demo, and even a few videos. Is the PSPgo a worthwhile investment for current PSP owners, or is it simply a cheap way for Sony to pocket a large profit?"

"In conclusion

It's hard to pin down who exactly this system is for. People with unlimited gaming budgets? The Go is more expensive than the current PSP offerings, and it gives you fewer options about where you can get your games. Since Sony has stated publicly that the company is going to stick with MSRP for all of its releases, the digital versions of games may be the same price as their retail counterparts, but more likely will be more expensive in many circumstances.

You can't shop a..."

It turns out that you will be able to use your Dualshock 3 to control your PSPgo. Here is a video of someone using a Dualshock 3 to not only navigate the menu, but to play a game as well.

Japan is getting two exclusive PSP-3000 bundles. One bundle includes the game Winning Eleven. The other game includes Gran Turismo and a special a piano black PSP featuring the iconic Gran Turismo logo and “auto exhaust-inspired” titanium black buttons.

"I have been working with Ron Eagle, Director of Product Publicity at Sony PlayStation, for years and am always amazed at how deep he goes with the shoe projects he is involved with. Once again, PlayStation and Nike have teamed up to create something so very serious. It goes without saying that this is going to be a pair of shoes you either love or hate – there will be few that are in-between. I’m lucky enough to have a pair and I’m going to tell you right now – these joints turn heads..."

According to Zeno Colaco from Sony Europe, Sony may give out PSP development kits for free in order to increase support for the new PSP Minis. Sony has already cut the price of the PSP dev kit by 80% and there are expected to be 15 PSP Minis games to launch with the program. However, there are some developers that would prefer for the dev kits to not be free. If there are less developers for PSP Minis, then that means their games will be more visible, and there will be a better chance of cons...

"Recent Playstation advertising has been described, by some circles, as being creative, effective and memorable. By others, down right controversial. In the beginning, the advertising for the original Playstation was reasonably conservative, and demonstrated with ease the product they were selling, without trying to shock or mind blow anyone. Nice and simple. With the arrival of the PS2, and perhaps realizing that the vast majority of the PS2 sales were for adults, the advertising took a downw..."

For those of you who were worried you wouldn't be able to move the data on your old PSP, to the PSP go, Sony has just put your fears to rest. Sony will be releasing along side the PSP Go, it’s own PSP branded Memory Stick Micro M2. Included wil be an easy solution so you can seamlessly move content from your old PSP-1000, PSP-2000, or PSP-3000, to your new PSP Go.

"The PSP Go, officially unveiled at E3 2009 back in June though openly acknowledged as the subject of a great amount of information leaks prior to Sony Computer Entertainment’s official confirmation, is set to launch on October 1st 2009 in North America and Europe, and brings with it a number of firsts. The most obvious of which is that consumers who purchase the product will no longer be able to walk to their local videogame retailer and purchase boxed software for the system, even if they ..."

Gameloft has just announced 5 new games for the PSP and PSP go. Here's the list:

Real Soccer 2010 - the famous handheld soccer simulation arrives on the PSPgo system. Get immersed in the atmosphere of a live match thanks to true to life 3D graphics and animation. Discover a complete range of game modes and easily perform the most amazing soccer moves.

Hero of Sparta - an epic and colossal adventure with staggering 3D graphics that fully capture the mythological atmosphere. 8 levels to e...

Super_Secret is an N4G forum user who claims to work for Sony in some way, and accurately predicted a number of PS3 Slim details in the past. He is also claiming a PSP-4000 is in the works. He/she recently posted:

“Who said the 3000 wasn’t being phased out? It will be and sooner than you realise. However, the PSP Go isn’t what’s replacing it. The 4000 is. And yes, it will have a UMD drive.”

Sony has previously stated that it will continue to support the UMD drive. It was assum...

"According to a listing by on a German software rating board, similar to the ESRB in the US, it looks like EA is publishing the classic Russian puzzle title for the PSP. Since the confirmation came from a content rating site, no release date or even official confirmation is known. PlayStation LifeStyle will keep up with this lead."

Sony has released their first quarter earnings results for their 2009 fiscal year today. The electronics company posted a net loss of 37.1 billion yen (386 million USD) in the three quarters spanning from April to June 2009.

Sony attributes the loss to a slide to consumer spending, the strength of the yen, and the costs of restructuring, according to the Dow Jones. Sony's financial report notes the appreciation of the yen and the current declining state of the global economy.

Sony has...

A grand episode of The Bender. Was posted on Saturday, but didn't get to Grep until now (my bad!) In this episode we touch on the "Black College Football Xperience" video game and how it is possibly racist in title, a bunch of random comic book news, information, and other stuff mentioned (thanks Comic Con!), and touch briefly on the news no one is covering enough, the chance to have your band in Rock Band! Stream/Listen live through iTunes or grab the MP3 here

(I suggest hitting up "...

The Japanese market has been dominated by the Nintendo DS and PSP. That trend did not change in the first half of 2009 as the two handheld systems once again dominated the Nintendo Wii, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 in terms of hardware sales in Japan so far in the year.

According to the sources of French newssite JeuxVideo, Sony has cancelled the launch of their digital distribution-only handheld PSP Go in France. The launch was cancelled due to pressure from French retailers who refuse to stock the portable device, due to the lack of generateable profit from games and the second-hand market with the PSP Go. French retailers, however, will still stock and distribute the PSP-3000.

Keep in mind, there is no official word on the matter as of right now. Th...

According to data from European sales tracker GfK Chart Track, Gamesindustry.biz is reporting the following lifetime numbers for each current hardware system in the UK:

Nintendo DS - 9.1m
Wii – 5.4m
Xbox 360 – 3.9m
PSP – 3.3m
PlayStation 3 – 2.2m
DSi – 0.3m

The total install base eclipses 24 million.

Within the last 12 months, each hardware system has sold this much:
Nintendo DS - 2.7m
Wii – 2.3m
Xbox 360 – 1.7m
PSP – 1.1m
PlayStation 3 – 900k
D...

"Uh oh. Sony may think it can charge whatever it wants for hardware and the people will come flocking, but the high price of the PSPgo, not to mention its digital-only game library, has irked a number of independant retailers in the UK, who now see no valid reason for them to bother stocking Sony's latest portable.

"From my point of view I've got to think, 'Do I want to stock this?' Right now I can't see any justification for stocking it," says Don McCabe, Joint MD of UK retailer Chips."

Sony had a huge plan for there press conference. Tons of great new footage for games, and new games for the console. Alongside with new motion controller and a new PSP model. All this would have stolen the show for Sony and blown away the compition...if it wasn't for all the leaks. Jack Tretton talks to CNBC about how the show would have been great if it wasn't for that, and how they have become part of the industry.

Introducing the new Playstation Portable Go! was none other than Kaz Hirai. Here are the details mentioned about the next PSP version:

  • It is the worst kept secret of E3
  • Specifically designed for the digital lifestyle
  • It will NOT replace the PSP-3000, but will be marketed alongside it
  • 50% Smaller, and 40% Lighter than the original PSP-1000
  • Integrated Bluetooth (and Wireless)
  • Add even more memory with a memory port
  • Games can either downloaded through the Playstation Store, or bought from an a...

"Instead, the team here believe that this bundle has always been intended for distribution on UK shores, and is part of SCEE’s push for multimedia capability awareness amongst consumers."

Let's hop on the PSP2 rumor train again, with another hitting the 1up offices this time around, with news of a possible PSP Go! looking to be announced about E3. According to 1up, this new redesign will hit Japan in September and North America in October or November.

The supposed system will feature a sliding screen, that will come in two SKUs, one with 8GB and one with 16GB of internal memory. With that, UMD will be removed, with what is purported to be 100 PSP titles available for down...

This week, The Bender is a superb episode (a change from the normal, har har). We talk Fallout 3, user created content compensation, piracy, cosplay, we got it all. Get the mp3 right here. Or grab on iTunes right here.

You read correctly, a 6-year old was bought a PSP from a Wal-Mart in Manatee County, Florida, as a late Christmas Present and the 'new' PSP was not as new as they thought... filled with hundreds of pornographic pictures and a pornographic Wallpaper...

View the FOX news coverage at the source.

"Selecting a "winner" for each console generation is somewhat of a nonsensical engagement. Before even beginning to assess the merits of your sources of sales figures, release dates, review scores and other such relevant texts, you have to consider exactly what qualities a "winner" would possess. Would it be the largest quantity of widely renowned videogame releases of a high quality? Or that which had increased its library from the previous-generation to the greatest extent? Perhaps the defin..."

"PSP Sours anyone? We knew that Sony was planning on ditching the UMD drive on the PSP, but we didn’t know it was going to replace it with sweets. Read on for all the info on the Tic Tac topping PSP Sours!


The PSP Sours do what they say on the tin. Pop the PSP shaped lid and you’ll find either blue sour raspberry or red cherry flavoured sweets inside, waiting to be devoured. And no, the officially licensed PSP Sours don’t come bundled with The Matrix on UMD for hilarious “take the red pil..."

"However, as Sony's senior VP and MD for UK, Ireland and the Nordic region Ray Maguire admitted, the corporation has been guilty of letting the PSP drift in the past year.

"It was slightly under-supported, mainly because a lot of the energy was going into stuff we're doing for PlayStation 3," he explained to GamesIndustry.biz. "There was an added complication in that the UMD model wasn't brilliant for third parties, either.

"But I think as the installed base has grown - we're now at 50..."

"Big news coming out of the Phoenix area, where SCEA’s annual Destination PlayStation conference is taking place. I’ve copied the entire press release for you below, but here are some of the highlights:

New PSP bundles coming in 2009, including an Assassin’s Creed PSP Entertainment Pack and a Hannah Montana PSP Entertainment Pack, which includes a new Lilac PSP.
Some of your favorite games are going portable for the first time, with exclusive PSP editions: MotorStorm Arctic Edge (also..."

"Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. has today announced that the cumulative worldwide sell-in units of PlayStation Portable handheld entertainment system (PSP-1000, 2000 and 3000 series) reached a total of 50 million units as of January 2009."

Electronic Theatre delivers confirmation of three new colours of PlayStation Portable arriving on UK shores within weeks direct from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.

In this article from PocketGamer, writer Fraser MacInnes asks: should handheld gaming go download only?

The soon coming Nintendo DSi is already about a 1/4 of the way there with DSWare, with the PSP to offer some full titles before long. The games are generally small in size -- is this inevitable? Share your thoughts.

Sony are doing quite well this generation, though not as well as competitors Microsoft, nor that of the Playstation 2. So what should Sony do to help booster sales and connect their two platforms: Playstation 3 and the Playstation Portable better? Well one solution is to have trophies available on both platforms...

The NPD Group has released their hardware and software numbers for the month of December, representing sales for the United States for the five week period of November 30th to January 3rd.

Notables this month:

  • DS breaks PS2's record for most hardware sold in a single month, becoming the first to sell 3 million units (PS2 was 2.7 million)
  • Wii Play top seller for both this month and the entirety of 2008
  • Mario Kart DS breaks into the top ten this month

Hardware numbers:
NDS: 3040.0k (608.0...

UK retailer GAME has released sales statistics for the past year for the five current console and portable hardware systems, giving 2008 year-to-date and lifetime-to-date totals for each system. The numbers are cited from and confirmed by European sales tracker Gfk Chart Track.

2008 Year-to-Date:
NDS: 3.4 million
WII: 2.9 million
360: 1.4 million
PS3: 1.0 million
PSP: 0.6 million

Lifetime-to-Date:
NDS: 8.8 million
WII: 4.9 million
360: 3.2 million
PSP: 3.2 million
PS3: 1.9 ...

For a PSP fan like myself, this type of a list is always a good thing. Gamasutra takes a look at the would-be best PSP games of 2009.

1)DJ Max Portable Fever
2)Final Fantasy Agito XIII
3)Final Fantasy Dissidia
4)Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep
5)LocoRoco 2 (For US)
6)Monster Hunter Freedom Unite
7)Patapon 2

Go to source for the full list...

"Sales of videogames hit an all-time high in 2008, according to ELSPA (the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association) which today revealed annual sales figures from GFK Chart-Track. Total sales of all videogame software and hardware amounted to £4.034 billion. There was a huge increase in games sales in 2008, with growth of 23 percent on figures for 2007. The market has now more than doubled over the last five years. The increasing popularity of videogames took total sales to ..."

Sony just can't catch a break. But are the negative news articles warranted? I mean, its been a while since an exclusive game has popped up on the psp, while the DS has loads of them. Seems like Sony are the new MS when it comes to trailing behind the competition. What is going on with Sony this gen? Lack of risk-taking and being creative?

The below quote is a bit asinine. The author even asks why the psp has a optical drive instead of a flash drive, but the majority of the post is pretty ...

"Sony has gained 2.7 percent in today’s trading session on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, outperforming the exchange average gain by 2.4 percent.

Today’s surge has sent Sony’s share price to the highest level in two weeks."

"There is nothing worse than wanting to listen to the fine music in your back catalogue of Nintendo DS games and being disappointed by how the full effect just cannot be garnered from merely relying on the system's stereo speakers. But what is the solution? Well, in most cases people will plump for a powerful pair of earphones, blasting the soundtrack right into their head, which is not always ideal, or pick up some cheap external docking station that horribly distorts the sound. Now, thankful..."

"Sony and third party publishers neglected to add many games to the PSP's software library in the second half of 2008. Nintendo calmed its usually aggressive handheld release schedule this year as well, allowing, atypically, third party publisher to shine with content as diverse as "Lock's Quest," "Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword," lots of Square-Enix role-playing games and Activision's unstoppable line of "Guitar Hero: On Tour" games."

"SONY Computer Entertainment Europe have just revealed to Electronic Theatre plans for the GO!VIEW service, the appointed hub of entertainment for PlayStation Portable users, which is to add hundreds of hours of video in time for the Christmas holidays..."

"The exec moved to debunk web reports which earlier this month claimed the firm had signed a memory chip deal for the device.

“No, there are currently no plans for a PSP2. I go to Tokyo quite a lot and no one has referred to it – I think they have their hands full at the moment,” he remarked.

Reeves said that Sony is instead focusing on continually improving the current generation of the handheld format. As Nintendo has done with the DS, which has transitioned to the DS Lite and upcom..."

"Games industry trade body ELSPA (the Entertainment Leisure & Software Publishers Association) today urged parents looking to purchase video and computer games for Christmas to always check the game's packaging for the PEGI (Pan European Game Information) age ratings and content descriptors. PEGI age ratings appear on game packaging and are intended to protect children and help the public make informed choices when buying games for children. ELSPA believes..."

"The person that placed the ads is trying to shift a DS that does not power up for £60 and a PSP for £75 that has a hole in the disc door and scratches on the screen."

Video game ratings are regulated in the United States by the federal government. With the presidential elections in the US coming tomorrow, you could be seeing some changes in how the ratings system on video games is done. With Obama last playing Pong, and McCain never playing a game (nor can he even check his e-mail, check article for video), almost anything can happen.

If I understand this correctly - you will now have to purchase things wirelessly using your PS3 (if you have one) or directly over the PSP PSN (with Firmware 5.00 or higher). Sony is effectively removing the ability of those who lack that capability to make purchases from the online store.

Is it just me, or does cutting out a portion of your userbase and preventing them from purchasing new products just not seem like a good idea.

If this is an incentive to drive people to purchase PS3s ...

"Following its Beta release in July, GO!VIEW has now been fully updated to bring PlayStation Portable users the ultimate in on-demand content - exactly how they want it, when they want it. What's more, a free 30 day trial of all three subscription packs is available to all PlayStation Portable users so they can try GO!VIEW for themselves before signing-up..."

An amazing PSP mod by a guy who calls himself F00.

The backstory of this mod is pretty touching too. Turns out a man wanted a way to let his spouse continue to game, even though she has limited use of one of her hands (for an unknown reason), and has trouble with the PSP controls, but can navigate an SNES controller fine.


Make sure to check out the video in the link (or below), and the slideshow after the jump. For any of you who are so inclined, he does outline some of the basics as ...

"The new model of Sony’s handheld, the PSP 3000, is doing just as well. It was released in Japan on October 16th and then four days later sales figures for it are a staggering 141,270 units sold in Japan. It’s also lending momentum to sales for the PSP 1000 and PSP 2000."

"The Main Features Of ROM Update (Download PSP Firmware) Are -

* The video functionality while outputting PSP Format Software to a TV has been improved.
* Sony PSP now supports H.264 video format in 640 x 480 Pixels.
* A sleep timer has been added as an option to control panel.
* Backlight Auto-Adjust has been added.
* USB Auto Connect has been added.
* Title Display option for Videos.
* Sony has redesigned the default theme for PSP.
* PSP now supports..."

If you were wondering what the inside of the new PSP-3000 is going to look like - or that Electrical Engineering degree has turned you into a Jawa, this is for you.

Nothing really new here, not that we didn't know already though.


  • New Screen
    • 5 times the contrast ratio
    • 2 times the color range
    • 2 times quicker refresh rate

  • Built in microphone
  • "PS" button

Matthew Gallant, of the site gangles, has typed up the history of the famous A and B buttons! Taking a look at Nintendo, Sega, Microsoft and Sony.

It starts from the revolution that was the NES controller with the break away from the joystick fad to the DS where the article's author was shocked to find it A and B instead of B and A. Though the basic functions have been kept the same, designs have changed. Sega and Microsoft consoles have been similar, also using the A and B theme. Yes Sony...

Joystick goes through the specs side by side of the new handheld market; including the newly announced Nintendo DSi, the new PSP-3000, and the new iPod Touch

It seems that Sony are pulling the big guns out for this years Tokyo Game Show with 14 new unannounced titles attending the event;

  • 3 of these are PSP titles from Sony Computer Enetertainment
  • 11 of these are PS3 games.
    • 1 from Irem
    • 1 from Konami
    • 9 from Sony Computer Entertainment

Konami you say ?

PSP×FON was announced last month, the portable equivalent of the PlayStation Network, and on the heels of that news, Sony says they're considering MMOs for the system. Certainly seems like it could be a better (meaning more powerful, in this case) environment than on the DS, but what do you think?

Today there has been a bunch of stuff released for the Playstation online store, from trailers/videos, game content, themes, and demos. Some of the demos released were mercenaries 2 and NBA Live 09 for America, and Europe gets NBA Live 09 as well, and Soul Calibur IV. Both regions get Rock Band DLC, and America gets Call of Duty 4 DLC. Read the source for the full list.

Weaker than projected numbers coming in from August have caused many Video Game Related futures to take a hit today. EA, ActivisionBlizzard, and THQ - big name companies were down around than 3%, while GameStop fell a whopping 5%.

The Wii was sporting low sales figures, as were all consoles. Only the Sony PSP managed to inch its way positive.

Blame the economy, blame the industry, blame the ESRB, but whomever you blame - it just goes to show that even the video game industry isn't a saf...

It may not be a Thursday, and it may be a day late, but we've finally got the Playstation Store update in the EU, and oh boy does it bring an accolade of new items to the store. In fact we now have four new demos, a number of Rockband Tracks, Pain Character Packs, and videos and wallpapers, now all available on the EU Store. So take a look at the full list of items at the source, and the list of demos included in the update below.

Japan's game and hardware sales from last week have been revealed, with Rhythm Tengoku Gold, a Ninteno DS game, coming first. One of the newest additions to the Japanese market, Afrika, came in second with 38,000 units sold. Rounding out the top five is J-League Winning Eleven 2008 Club Championship for the PS2, PSP Fate/Tiger Colosseum Upper for the PSP, and Wii Fit.

Over on the hardware side, the DS Lite sold the most, reaching over 56,000 units! Second was the PSP with 41k new owners, ...

"Sony Computer Entertainment shared today final details on the domestic launch of the PSP-3000, the redesigned PSP unit that features a brighter screen and built in microphone.

The new model will see release on October 16. As previously announced, the product will be available in Piano Black, Pearl White, and Mystic Silver varieties."

Sony has said that the battery life of the PSP 3000 will be reduced by about 20-30 minutes, because of the brighter screen. The PSP extra battery pack isn't being discontinued however, and it will have 8-10 hours of power time.

The difference between the original PSP, and the PSP 3000, is that it has a brighter screen, possibility of using a PS3 controller (rumor), a built in microphone, and a change in the home button.

"Maxconsole is claiming that the upcoming PSP 3000 can be played using a PlayStation 3 controller, having been tipped off by an inside contact at Best Buy. Maybe Sony does love our thumb joints after all.

The insider also revealed that the latest PSP model would support 480i cables when playing games on a TV set, in addition to the standard component 480p.

Sony has already announced that the redesigned handheld will feature a ramped-up LCD screen - think crisper, more intense colours and..."

SCEJ has formed a partnership with the world's biggest global WiFi community "FON", from which a service will be launched akin to Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection. The name? PSP×FON.

Looks like this is the service they'll use to sell PSP games digitally, as mentioned before.

Only question is why it took them so long..

Last week in Japan Xbox 360 sales went up, with the release of the game Tales of Vesperia and 24,962 console sales, but this week the 360 has suffered at a mere 7,358 sales. Because of the drop in 360 sales this week, the PS3 beat the 360 at 11,393 sales from 9,673 sales. However the Wii is doing better then the two of them combined; it is at 53,036 sales this week from 38,506 last week. The DS has 78,666 sales this week, and the PSP has 64,413.

Sony has just confirmed the release date and price for PlayTV. It will be coming out on September 19th for the price of £69.99. PlayTV is digital video recorder for PS3 that can record TV while you play games or watch other programs. You then can watch your favorite TV programs on your PS3 or on your PSP later. Currently it will only be released in Europe.

After a leave of absence this year, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts has announced that the British Academy Video Games Awards will be returning March of 2009. The award ceremony will be on March 10th at the London Hilton, Park Lane.

So far, there have been 13 categories revealed for the show. Some include Action & Adventure, Artistic Achievement, and their newest category: Handhelds. The goal of the awards is to "support, develop and promote the art forms of the moving imag...

Last year, the NPD group surveyed over 11,000 people about how much time they play and spend on games. After that, they would break it down. They took another survey earlier this year, this time asking 20,000 people ages 2 through 99 to talk about their purchases and gaming "from approximately November 2007 through January 2008."

According to the results, the 'young heavy' are the largest group, taking up 22% of the gaming population. Young Heavy gamers lean toward the handhelds, with at l...

"PSPZ is a combined hardware and software project with the aim of adding to the psp platform features that i believe should have been there from psp's launch.

Features such as

1) full touch screen support,

2) increased battery life

3)re-designed control pad



"

With a couple new games announced at E3 (MAG & Resistance: Retribution), and with Sony having a number of studios under the belt, many which are not currently known to be producing any games, and with Sony's "We will focus more on First Party Titles" comment, could it be that these companies are producing some unknown exclusive for the PS3 and PSP?

It's been rumoured to be in the works many times, and now it seems that posts on a site known as PSPChina have the proof - pictures of the unit. Included in the pictures is a 'PS Brand Logo' next to the volume buttons, and the unit is said to be releasing with a built-in mic.

Remember this is still very much a rumour, and these pictures could always be pre-production or even doctored.

"Unveiling the new Home, Sony revealed that video rentals and purchases are finally coming to the PS3. Video will be fully integrated into the PlayStation Store, which will have a new video section. And you can transfer them to your PSP via USB, and have them on multiple devices at once! Standard and high def, with rentals running $3-$6 and $10-$15 for purchases. It takes about an hour to download a two-hour movie. Most of the major studios are on board (Kotaku has a partial list in their live..."

That PSP video service we mentioned back in April has launched today in the UK and Ireland. Go!View (the service) represents a partnership with Sky (Sky One, I'm assuming), a satellite TV provider in the region, allowing PSP owners to watch TV, films and sports on their system.

Now where the heck is this kind of thing for DS owners, hm? I believe something similar was launched in Japan for Nintendo's handheld and it was very successful; do you think it'd do well in North America?

I wonder what they could be up to? Oh well, better late than never.

Looking to capitilize on the success of the DS's touch screen capabilities, Sony has applied for, and was granted, a patent for a new handheld device with a touch screen. Could this be for their Playstation Phone? Perhaps, we will only be guessing until a potential press conference at E3. So who knows?

After months and months of gamers begging and Sony promising it would happen, Sony has announced their plans to bring the Playstation Store to the PSP.

Previously, PSP owners had to purchase content either through a PS3 or PC, hook it up with a USB cable, download an installer for their PC, and could only then get items onto their PSP. That's all set to change sometime this fiscal year.

As you may recall, Sony plans to launch a video download service as early as this summer in the US. It was detailed today, and will be targeted both at the PSP and PS3, and will later expand to TVs, PCs, and their line of Mobile Phones.

The current interface is a lot like the revamped Playstation Store's interface, and offers movies and TV shows in both SD and HD, and both for renting and purchasing. Much more at the source!

Perhaps in response to the iPhone, perhaps to get into a new developing market, or just because it seems like a good idea - Sony has said that it is working with its partner/child/merged company, Sony Ericsson to create a cell phone that would have many of the elements of the PSP in it as well.

I'm still waiting on Google's phone, but this is worth keeping tabs on. It could be launched as soon as Christmas next year (2009).

"However, speaking at the firm’s developer DevStation conference in London last week, Reeves said that the trend was actually helping drive sales of PSP hardware.

“There is a piracy problem on PSP. We know about it, we know how it’s done. It sometimes fuels the growth of hardware sales, but on balance we are not happy about it,” said Reeves, telling attendant developers that Sony will unveil new ways to combat piracy soon."

The May 2008 NPD numbers have been recently released, and by the looks of it, the numbers overall were below people's expectations, with hardware and software numbers decreasing since last month. Many thanks for sonycowboy at NeoGAF and the NPD Group for making the numbers available. The tracking period was a four week period, from May 4th to May 31st.

May only saw one major release: the ever-popular Wii Fit from Nintendo. The focus this month came on Grand Theft Auto IV, Mario Kart W...

Despite having called the PSP a "directionless" portable console, Ubisoft apparently doesn't mind supporting it. They must've read some of their comments that were posted through various media outlets and thought that people were interpreting their statements as not wanting to support the PSP anymore. Regardless of the reason, the statement's still issued: They will continue to support the PSP.

Developing a Playstation game has always remained a mystery, where exactly would you go to buy a development kit? Certainly not to your local computer store, however you need not worry anymore. A new Playstation-edu program for universities and colleges will see students being given a chance to to access the PS2 and PSP development kits.
We may just start seeing more 'home-made' games for the two consoles very soon...

Have you PSP fans wondered if 32GB memory card for the PSP was possible or even a dream? Well its no longer a dream and its very possible with the new Photo Fast Adapter which can hold 32GB with of space. Its even said that could possible shoot up to 64GB of space. Can you imagine what you could do with that space on your PSP? Put tons of videos, pics, music and lots and lots of games.

As of now the 64GB hasn't been confirmed but the 32 has.

With Go!Explore for the PSP in the works, ThreeSpeech the Semi-Official Playstation Blog have decided to give us some videos and screens to reward our curiosity for the title. Go! Explore, is not a game but a GPS Navigation system for the PSP. Take a look at the screens below, and go to the source for a video.

"-Hot Shots Golf(R): Open Tee 2 — PSP (Available June 3, 2008 / E for "Everyone")
-Secret Agent Clank(TM) — PSP (Available June 17, 2008 / E10+ for "Everyone 10+")
-wipEout(R) HD — PSN (Available Summer 2008 / Rated E10+)
-Elefunk(TM) — PSN (Available Summer 2008 / E for "Everyone")
-PixelJunk(TM) Eden — PSN (Available Summer 2008 / Not Yet Rated)
-SIREN: Blood Curse — PSN (Available Summer 2008 / Not Yet Rated)
-SOCOM: US Navy SEALs Confrontation — PS3 (Available September 16, 20..."

The NPD Group recently released their tracked sales numbers for April 2008, for the four week tracking period that ends on May 3rd, 2008. Many thanks to sonycowboy at NeoGAF and the NPD Group for the numbers.

April saw the release of two major games: Grand Theft Auto IV, which shattered industry records, and Mario Kart Wii, the latest installment in Nintendo's Mario Kart franchise. You would think that there would be strong sales all around for the three current generation consoles, but ...

With it's low price and mass market appeal, the Nintendo DS is continuing to be the more popular choice in the portable gaming market. Sony shouldn't feel too bad, but I wonder how they can predict a turnaround at this point? Well, according to Sony Europe's president David Reeves, the PSP needs more games to be released for it here in the West. If Sony is ever going to gain ground on the DS, it needs alot more big name releases.

"The charger bracelet has a cable with an interchangeable tip that allows it to work with both handhelds and a number of other portable electronics. I suppose being multifunctional might make the 4,980 yen ($48) price tag more acceptable.

However, to get any use out of the charge bracelet you have to remember to charge it in a USB port, carry around the correct tip and wear it."

If you happen to be near the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey on May 3rd or 4th, you may want to stop by and see the gaming stations that will be set up. The PS3 will have an exciting thing called the PlayStation Patrol Truck, where you can talk to new people in the game lounge and play some games like Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, SingStar, and MLB 08: The Show.

And also check out some of the PSP's stations that will feature games like Secret Agent Clank and God of Wa...

"Released in Japan, Sony's official PSP cradle is a magnificent thing of beauty. For those that want to use PSP as a mini-theatre of sorts will certainly want to snag this elegantly designed peripheral. The remote will allow you to turn on your PSP, and control every function of the XMB."

"April 25, 2008 - The PSP continues to dominate hardware over in Japan. For the week covering April 14 to April 20, Media Create's sales charts put Sony's portable at 85,421 units, besting the DS Lite's 44,551 units and the Wii's 44,241 units.

It wasn't all good news for Sony, though. The PS3 fell yet again, down to 7,438 units for the week. The PS2 dropped down to 6,545 units, with the Xbox 360 completing Team Low Sales with 1,076 units.

The PSP's success is, of course, attributed to Mo..."

The Echochrome demo and the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Variety Map Pack headline this week's PS Store updates. But, there is also so much more.

Lots of add on content. Which would include add ons for: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, The Eye of Judgment: Biolith Rebellion 2, Rock Band, Guitar Hero III, Army of Two, and Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore songs.

New themes and wallpapers:
PS3 Themes - The Eye of Judgment Theme #2
PS3 Wallpaper - Gran Turismo 5: Prolo...

What started off in a village hall with only a few people would came and have fun with video games. Now it has exploded to a huge event with 2000 gamers all meeting for a one big LAN party. And it has become more then just a LAN party, people stay in a hotel or outside camping. There are also 4x4 racing and paitball. Goes to show you what happens when a few dedicated people can do.

Electronic Arts have announced that Matt Ryan has finally been selected to be the Athlete Cover for the Playstation 3 version of the up and coming annual title NCAA Football 09. During the breakdown of potential PS3 Cover Athletes is was said that Matt was the main choice so this may come as no shock to anyone who was following it.

Matt Ryan will be joining Darrn McFadden who has been chosen for the Xbox 360 version and Sparty who has been chosen for the Nintendo Wii version. The Playstati...

It was claimed over a month ago that an Echochrome Demo was arriving next week to the Playstation Network Store though unfortunately never made it. Well today, Echochrome’s Associate Producer Kumi Yuasa has announced on the Official Playstation Blog that demos of the game will be available for download from tomorrow for both the Playstation 3 version as well as the Playstation Portable version.

Kumi Yuasa though also claims that with both version players will have the ability to create th...

Play TV a add on for the PS3 announced last year by Sony supposedly will allow European PS3 owners to play, record and watch tv shows on the fly. But though Amazon just yesterday priced and dated the product Sony have since contacted Amazon and ordered them to take it down for unknown reasons. The pictures have been removed and the date changed to October, was the information simply incorrect, Or was Sony afraid of amazon revealing to much?

According to LA Times, the PS3's video download service is supposed to arrive sometime this Summer.

It's not official confirmation, but the timing is plausible. The E3 convention will be held in July, so it wouldn't be surprising if they decide to release it near, or even during, the event. All we can do right now is hope and wait for confirmation straight from Sony.

With the release of this, the PS3 should also give the 360 some competition. The PSP may also have something in this as i...

PSP Blogger takes an interesting look at the future of handhelds and consoles. Will the high prices and growing complexity of consoles force the average gamer to turn to handhelds? Or will gamers stick to their beloved consoles, no matter how expensive or complex?

PSP Blogger believes that in the future, gamers will purchase a PSP or DS, rather then choosing between many different (and expensive) versions of the Xbox 360 and PS3. Handheld purchases are just so much easier.

Play TV was announced last year for Europe. It will allow you to record television on to your ps3 and view it when you want. Some brand new pictures are released showing off the interface of Play TV. Currently Play TV is only for Europe, no word if it will be released anywhere else.

With 7 Consoles currently battling (somewhat) for a piece of the Gaming Market, it's always good to learn what games have come out top for each... and well, Video Games Blogger has brought us just that. A list of the top 5 games that have been sold in each of the regions and each of the consoles. I'll give you the top for the XBOX360 and PS3 (since they seem to be the more interesting ones), but be sure to check out the source for the sales for the other 5 systems.

Just to note, these sale...

Hopefully you've read the news about the recent PSP Games on the PSN being hacked so that they can be played on any system, and if you haven't here's a quick summary - Players have managed to decrypt the security on the PSP games downloaded from the Playstation store so that they can be played on any Playstation Portable, and you can effectively give a copy of the game to your friend, so that they can play it as well.

Well, in response, Sony have brought out a questionnaire asking gamers, ...

The newest firmware update for the PSP is now out. Among the updates, you can now edit controls when playing PSX games while on your PSP. The other notable feature is useless for those of us without a PS3, however, so it's hardly worth mentioning here. If you want to know, check out the source.

If you're looking to update your PSP, go here for the update.

"THQ executive Jack Sorenson has branded the hardware battle between Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo as "totally irrelevant", arguing that the rewards offered by each represent a "win" for games publishers.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz last week at THQ's product showcase in San Francisco, the US publisher's head of worldwide studios said there was "too much of an emphasis on the sports aspect of who's winning and losing", and that his company was focusing on opportunities rather than installe..."

Have you brought a Playstation Store Network game with the intentions to play it on the Playstation Portable and then wanted to share that game around with other friends on there Playstation Portable but can't because they are coded..?

Well it has now been found that hackers have found a way to do this and this is by (of course) decoding the encryptions that have been set by Sony on the downloaded games so now you are able to play them on any Playstation Portable without anything stopping ...

""As to the situation of the US dollar's weakness in the medium to long term, we already have a strategy to deal with it," said Ryoji Chubachi, Sony president, according to MSN Money.

"We will lower our production costs as possible as we can and we will choose production sites to cope with the industry's weakness, and in the short term, we will try to accept more orders."

For every JPY 1 gain versus the US dollar, Sony loses around JPY 6 billion (USD 58.3 million / EUR 37.5 million). I..."

The PSP might be making a comeback in Japan thanks to Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G. In the last week, it's sold over twice as many units as the DS at a solid 129,986 units. The PS2 also seems to be competing well with its successor, having sold just under one thousand units less than the PS3. Nintendo's still going strong in Japan, and the 360 is... Well, struggling as always.

Atari have released a up to date version of current release dates that they have scheduled for there up and coming titles. Such titles include Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit for the Xbox 360 Playstation 3. The new updated list is as followed;

  • 11-APRIL 2008 | The Sun: Crossword (NDS)
  • 18-APRIL-2008 | Namco Museum Remix (Wii)
  • 6-JUNE 2008 | Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit (XBOX360/PS3)
  • 20-JUNE 2008| Alone in the Dark (XBOX360/PC/PS2/Wii)
  • SUMMER 2008 | Driving Theory Training (NDS)
  • Q3-2008 | ...
  • If you're looking for something to restore your faith in humanity, turn away now. This isn't the story for you unless you're interested in what local law enforcement was able to do for the victim.

    A seven year-old cancer patient was on his way to a monthly chemotherapy appointment for a tumor in his brain and stopped at Denny's for breakfast with his family. While the family was eating, some thieves broke into the car and stole the young boy's backpack which included, of all things, a pr...

    In an interview to That Video Game Blog, Sandy Duncan, the man who set up and ran the European Xbox business for Microsoft believes that this generation of gaming will be the last for home consoles users (including handheld's) and from this says it will die out in the next 5-10 years and this is mainly based on the costs of new hardware being incredibly high at the moment and the fact that they will keep on rising.

    Sony has issued a consumer alert about the PC version of the Playstation Store for it's PSP system. It seems as if it was "Illegally accessed". Basically, it got hacked. The way you know if your account got hacked is if your password got changed. If you can log into the store with your password, YOU ARE FINE. However, if your password doesn't work, you have been hacked, and expect to be contacted by Sony.

    Apparently, this was a very small scale attack on the store, and not many people were...

    Only too soon after hearing that the Wii might be getting adult games, someone manages to link video games to rape. How such a link could have been established is beyond me, but it's been done by Parliament member Keith Vaz (right). He left the building shortly thereafter, so his response couldn't be obtained when someone questioned the validity of his statement.

    PlayTV is an upcoming feature of the PS3 which will allow users to record television programs to the PlayStation 3's Harddrive for later viewing. After many months of no information regarding this feature, we finally have some news...

    Available as an add-on to the PS3, it will be in the form of a little black box which can cannect to your PS3 via a USB Port, Darren Waters from BBC was given a one-on-one session with the little black box, and we can even view the video of him playing it. Ju...

    "Farmington Hills firefighters were called to the school at about 8:30 a.m. The student, who is in the seventh grade, was treated at the school for burns to his leg and then transported to a hospital for further treatment.


    Diane Bauman, spokeswoman for the school district, said the boy was in band when the device overheated. Students are permitted to bring portable game systems to school, she said, but are not permitted to play them during school hours.


    Bauman declined to release th..."

    "SN Systems director Andy Beveridge: “SN Systems development tools for PSP are well-established and mature, having been on sale since the end of 2004. Since then, the tools have grown extensively as a result of direct feedback from PSP game title developers.

    “Significantly reducing the cost of the tools will help to ensure that PSP game title developers have everything they need to continue creating great titles. This price reduction, coupled with the recent addition of Tuner (performance..."

    Electronic Arts have released there predictions on the up coming years total Hardware sales and believe whilst the Nintendo Wii will lead it with 12-14 million sales, The Playstation 3 will sell more hardware then the Xbox 360 by 3.5 million over North America and Europe. In other news they have also predicted the Handheld sector by predicting that the Nintendo DS will sell 8 million/ or 2-1 more units then the Playstation Portable over the following year.

    Sounds like a successful year for...

    "Seems our little friend the PSP will soon be getting DivX Certification to allow for the downloading of movies and TV shows through the PC store, transferred from PS3 and from selected third party online retailers (psst...starts with G and ends with le).

    DivX for PSP should be released within two months and be included with the 4.0 firmware update."

    "Actually finding Sony's booth within the monstrosity that is CES 2008 is a task in and of itself, but after some desperate twists, turns and semi-politely asking a few friendly fellow attendees, 1UP tracked down Sony's expansive presence at the technological expo. There wasn't much of a gaming display at their booth (though Metal Gear Solid 4 garnered its fair share of attention), but PSP senior product manager John Koller was on-hand to answer some of our questions about the future of their ..."

    "January 8, 2008 - Sony is adding yet another color to the PSP family over in Japan. The company announced today a new entry in its "Blume Series" of colors, this time adding Mint Green to the mix.

    The Mint Green PSP-2000 will hit Japan on February 28 carrying the standard PSP-2000 price of 19,800 yen."

    "However, to the frustration of North American gamers, neither the GPS nor the camera have been dated for the region--until now, anyway. Today at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show, Sony Computer Entertainment America reps confirmed to GameSpot that both peripherals will be available on this continent by the end of the year. Unfortunately, they could not give a more specific time frame.

    SCEA reps also revealed today a welcome surprise for PSP owners weary of its cell-phone-like text entry ..."

    "Sony announced at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show that future Blu-ray titles will contain a portable copy of the movie / show embedded on the disc encoded specifically for the PlayStation Portable.

    Consumers will able to boot up their PlayStation 3, pop in a Blu-ray disc, then simply transfer the portable copy onto their PS3. From there, PSP owners can beam the portable copy over to their handheld device."

    "Sony Computer Entertainment America Announces PlayStation(R) Hardware Sales
    Exceeding 3.9 Million During Holiday Sales Window

    1.2 Million Consumers Join PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(TM)) Family since Black Friday

    FOSTER CITY, Calif., Jan. 6 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Computer Entertainment
    America (SCEA) today announced PlayStation(R) hardware retail sales reached
    more than 3.9 million units in North America during the critical holiday sales
    window (Friday, November 23, 2007 to December 31, 2007)..."

    Ever thought of fixing a hard drive to your PSP? Ever thought it wouldn't be possible? No problem. Now it's possible. It's been proved possible by popular Modification website AcidMods. Check it out.

    Video Clip:

    With ever increasing sales, the Playstation 3 is looking to do better in the following year than it has in the previous year since launch, and with that their software line-up seems to be increasing as well.

    For those that want to know what Sony will be releasing in the coming months (first party-titles only), take a look at this and smile...

    We already know that Nintendo is currently leading in the current console war. This week's Famitsu magazine seems to confirm this. When asked about what systems and games retailers expect to have the toughest time keeping in stock due to the high demands of the public this holiday season, Nintendo products such as Wii Fit and the Nintendo DS Lite topped the list.

    Gizmodo's very own expert Jason Chen had done a "8 Reasons Why The PSP Might Overtake the DS" a while ago with worthwhile arguments for it though when read by this critic who then changed as he did not agree with it, so he generated his own "8 Reasons why The PSP Will Never Overtake The DS". Enjoy.

    For additional reasons, follow the source.

    Sony's representatives have denied that there are current plans that they are developing a PSPhone, after such reports from June stating that they was looking into a rotation system for the screen. Sony Computer Entertainment co-chief Jim Ryan has though been reported to have said that the idea of combining the success of the Playstation brand and Sony Ericsson brand would be plausible though. So you never know, they might not be planning it at the moment but they never said they wasn't ever ...

    "Did you know that using remote start you can use your PlayStation 3 and a PSP to set up a 1-room surveillance device? If you are curious as to what happens in your room when you are out, here is a clever little trick to make use of your PS3 and PSP to "spy" on your room when you are away from home. Here is what you will need:

    * PlayStation 3 with Firmware 2.00 or higher
    * PSP with Firmware 3.72 or higher
    * PlayStation Eye (or Eye Toy)
    * Internet Connection"

    The 5th annual Video Game Awards on Spike TV are almost here. And Kotaku has a list of all the nominees. The award show will be aired on Decembe 9th at pm on Spike TV.
    Game of the year nominees are:
    BioShock
    Halo 3
    Mass Effect
    The Orange Box

    Best PS3 Game
    Heavenly Sword
    Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
    Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
    Warhawk

    Best Wii Game
    The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
    Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
    Super Mario Galaxy
    Super Paper Mario

    Best ...

    "Today in Japan, Sony Computer Entertainment confirmed rumors by officially unveiling a new version the PlayStation 2. The latest iteration of the hardware--which has sold over 120 million units internationally in its seven-plus years on the market--will be available in three colors (black, white, and silver) and have a built-in AC adaptor. Officially announced for Japan, the PS2, model #SCPH-90000, has also been confirmed for release in the EU by Sony Europe. In Japan, it will retail for ¥16..."

    It's the press release that we have been waiting for... and it's finally here. The Playstation 3's version 2.0 news has finally been revealed in the form of a Threespeach update and emails to those on Sony's Press Release list (yes GameGrep received the email as well).

    Rather than write loads on each feature, which is done well in the article it self, I think giving you the bullet points of it should suffice:

    • You can turn on the PS3 remotely using the PSP
    • Creation of Music and Photo Play...

    Sony seems to be releasing different versions of their consoles left, right and center. And surprisingly the Playstation 2 has been no different.
    Sony recently announced that a brand new model of the Playstation 2 console will be released just in time for Christmas in Japan.

    Also, a new "deep red" PSP will be released this December as well.

    Sony released their 2nd Quarter financial report [PDF] for Fiscal Year 07, and overall the company as a whole posted a 90.5 billion JPY (787 million USD) profit.

    However, the biggest black (or maybe red?) mark is the Sony games division.

    The Sony Game division this quarter posts a 96.7 billion JPY (841 million USD) loss. According to Sony, this "was primarily due to the loss arising from the strategic pricing of PS3 at points lower than its production cost and the increase in PS3-relat...

    Watch this kid as he teaches the viewers how to replace a damaged PSP LCD screen. This video is worth watching for anyone who is interested in playing around with their PSP or repair their damage screen after a drop on the ground.

    PSP versus PSP Slim Graphics Comparison, Slim superior? Decide for yourself. The video shows side to side comparison of the two versions of PSP. Even though both model has the same hardware, the LCD screen definitely makes a different.

    Yes, they have done it again. Another trailer, another two Japanese models, and yet two more PSP's getting action that will get most people wishing they were PSP's...I think...

    ...Anyway...this time the trailer features two models, Yuko Yamada and Takako Izumi. Watch it below... do you think it will help the PSP sell?

    The list is incredibly amazing as it is, it really has me excited for the future of the Playstation 3. In the latest PodCast by 1 Up, mentioned were names of games that will be coming out for the PS3 and that will most likely be talked about in this years TGS. The list of games includes:

    [ PS3 ] Eternal Sonata (Trustybell)
    [ PS3 ] Steambot Chronicles 2
    [ PS3 ] Persona 4
    [ PS3 ] White Knight Story
    [ PS3 ] Star Ocean 4
    [ PS3 ] Yakuza 3
    [ PS3 ] Ace Combat 6

    [ PSP ] Steambot Chronicle...

    It was a case of a man being kidnapped, bound, and tortured. However, were it not for a PSP, the man would never have known freedom, and if he did, it could have been days/weeks/months from when he was actually freed if ever.

    A nine day ordeal is exactly what Jose Ignacio Ortega Garcia faced, when he a friends ex-wife showed up at his home one day with two men who were looking for a job. Having been in the middle of something with fellow co-workers at the construction company which he owe...

    "Although PSP firmware version 3.50 introduced a new clock control function, Beyond3D discovered that the portable's full clock speed is only available with Wi-Fi disabled, meaning that during network play the CPU clock is limited to 222MHz."

    Promoting consoles can be done in two ways. Promote them via the games that the console has... or do what Sony has done and promote them in another more 'exciting' way...

    WARNING YOU MUST BE OVER 18 TO VIEW THE FOLLOWING VIDEO

    Watch the Video Here

    "In basic terms what is happening here is the volt amp is sending voltage fed by the speaker to the pic, when it hits a certain pitch the pic turns on the motor.

    I know this will all fit inside a psp because I installed 3 similar sized chips in a psp last week, so it shouldn't be an issue.

    "

    Games Radar has tallied up the stats of the first half of the 2007 year to see who's winning the console war in 2007 alone. Using stats from Janruary to June, this is what they came up with. The DS is dominating with 2.7 million sales and the Wii is not far behind with 2.1 million. The Xbox 360 and PSP are tied at 1.3 million each and the PS3 trails far behind with 763,000 sales.

    They also got the top 10 game sales for the first half of the year and 6 of the top 10 are for Nintendo, the P...

    "As hinted at last week firmware version 1.90 has been released in Japan, with reports that it will arrive in English speaking regions within the next day or so. But what does it do? We're glad you asked. The following is a list of confirmed features that are worming their way around the internet. We'll let you know when the full patch notes become available.

    Ability to rearrange games on the XMB
    Option menu now includes "eject disc"
    Press triangle on the XMB to eject the disc
    XMB bac..."

    Sony have announced 2 new starter packs to come with the newest range of PSP's. The first models available are the PSP Ice Silver model, which will be included in the Limited Edition Daxter pack and the second pack being a Ceramic White model, which will also include a Darth Vader silk-screen on the PSP and an exclusive game, Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron. They are said to be priced at $229.99.

    "We're sure by now you know the basics, like faster load times and that slimmer shell, but hackers will be hackers, and a certain 0okm has unearthed a few more tidbits of info from the new PSP's user manual that's conveniently hosted by the FCC.

  • The new PSP features is based on a TA-085 PCB, which doesn't mean a lot to us, but gets those homebrew folks looking in the right direction.
  • RAM has been doubled from 32MB to 64MB.
  • You can charge the PSP over USB.
  • There's a 1200mAh battery, r...
  • "

    "It's been rumored and spotted and dated and now that it's out in Japan, it seems it's a little less than impressive. We're speaking, of course, of the PSP camera attachment, which import-focused site GameBrink declares is "worse than most camera phones on the market today."

    Indeed, the 5000 yen ($42), 1.3-mega-pixel phone seems a little behind the times when standard camera phones that come free with many wireless plans sport at least two mega-pixels. The attachment will only look more obs..."

    Tired of looking at the numerous articles for screenshots and minor updates about a game your interested in? Well if that game is being published by Sony on one of their consoles, then the chances are that they have released new information and screenshots for them. You don't have to go far to look for the information either, as it is indexed below, by platform. These are the images and details about the games coming straight from Sony for E3 2007, so take a look at be sure to discuss the ima...

    "In an interview with Gamasutra, senior VP of marketing for PlayStation Peter Dille told Gamasutra that a direct download movie service for PSP and PS3 will be coming very soon, and that the company is actively working on the service. The comment was framed within a discussion of the PSP's new form factor.

    "I think what might convince (people who haven’t picked up a PSP) would be the advent of a service that allows them to put content onto the PSP in an easier fashion," said Dille. "There..."

    During the E3 Sony Press Conference, Kaz Hirai unveiled an enhanced design for the Playstation Portable (PSP-2000). Launching this September, the enhanced design will contain a new video-out port, as well as a downgrade in weight. That's right, the PSP will now be getting lighter, that's 33 percent lighter and 19 percent slimmer than the original version, making it even easier to carry around at approx.189g in weight (weight of current model is approx.280g) and approx.18.6mm in thickness (thi...

    We all want to know the names of the games that Sony are planning on releasing for the various Playstation consoles currently out there (PS2, PS3, PSP). Well we've got with us, a list of these First Party games that were shown during E3 and will be getting more information about as the days go on....

    PLAYSTATION®3
    THE EYE OF JUDGMENT™
    Heavenly Sword™
    Infamous
    NBA ‘08
    Lair
    LittleBigPlanet™
    Folklore™
    Ratchet & Clank® Future: Tools of Destruction™
    SingStar™
    SOCOM: U.S. Navy...

    According to Famitsu's Japanese game sales report for the month of June, the DS console product line continues to take top honors in Japan, netting sales of over 500,000 units for its fifthteen consecutive month. Second place on the June hardware sales chart also went to Nintendo for the Wii. Nintendo's hardware sales are believed to be a major factor in increasing Japanese game industry sales by 25 percent but the company's competitors, not to mention a 7.5 percent growth in game sales, al...

    "Sony in Italy has distributed to Italian students FAKE BOOKS WITH FAKE HANDS that make it appear that they're reading Dante's "The Divine Comedy" at school when in fact they are playing a Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP). The inside even includes the "Cliff Notes" version of the book, so PSP slackers are armed with basic information about the book they're not reading."

    According to shacknews Sony has confirmed that the new firmware update will allow games to tap into the PSP's full CPU speed. While this may seem good, it will eat up battery time. Further sources reported that this "full-speed" CPU functionality will only apply to new PSP game titles in the making. I wonder if we will see God of War for the PSP in full power?

    For the month of May, Nintendo once again held the North American video game industry sales in the palm of its hand. According to the May sales figures released by NPD, Nintendo's DS remained the top selling console at 423,000 units. The Wii manged to take second place with sales of 338,000 consoles. Sony's PlayStation Portable meanwhile managed to the beat the rest of its next-generation brethren with sales of 221,120 units compared to the 154,900 Xbox 360s and 81,600 PlayStation 3 consol...

    "Browsing from your PS3 or PSP can be a convienient alternative to laptops and PCs depending on your media setup. One thing that isn't the best is the manner in which you input text on both of these devices (assuming you are not using a keyboard on your PS3 of course).


    SPG recommends that you try OpenDNS to help speed up the task of inputing web addresses through the use of shortcuts. Not only will OpenDNS save you time on your PS3 or PSP, if set up correctly you can use the same short cu..."

    "The UK telecoms group said on Wednesday its four-year deal with Sony will see all new PSPs shipped later this year come pre-loaded with its software, transforming them into communications devices when within the range of a WiFi hotspot.

    Users of PSPs will be able to make video and voice calls with each other anywhere globally, and BT said additional features will be included later to enable calls and messages between PSPs and computers, fixed-line phones and mobiles."

    "Sony has confirmed that it will launch an online PSP store that makes use of the handheld's wi-fi capabilities.

    Details are still scarce, but speaking at yesterday's Gamers Day SCEA's president, Jack Tretton, said, "I think the advent of a long awaited and quite frankly long overdue ability to deliver a downloadable service for the PSP will help us out a great deal. Hopefully we'll have it out there by the fall."

    Tretton is no doubt praying that the service will “help [them] out a grea..."

    "Aussie gamers hoping the recently announced PlayStation Portable price drop for Europe would apply down under needn't hold their breath, with a Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCEA) spokesperson today confirming there are currently no plans to lower the price of the handheld unit.

    The SCEA spokesperson told GameSpot AU that whilst a PSP drop wasn't imminent for Australia, the company was "evaluating local market conditions" for a possible future price reduction. "We will make an an..."

    "Sony has announced it's dropping the UK RRP of the PlayStation Portable from £149.99 to £129.99 and is also cutting the price of budget platinum range titles by a fiver, to £14.99.

    The price changes come into effect from May 4, when five new Platinum titles - LocoRoco, Tekken: Dark Resurrection, Killzone: Liberation and MotoGP - will also be added to the range.

    Sony UK boss Ray Maguire said the price drop was timed perfectly for users to benefit from the connectivity features between..."