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Video: Sony's PSP Go leaks out before E3, is obviously a go
Look up there, folks. That's the future of Sony's hopes and dreams in the handheld gaming sector. With just hours to go before the company's official E3 2009 press event, it looks like the pieces are all coming together. First a UMD-less game release, then a highly credible mole giving the PSP Go a name, and now -- live action shots. The images here were sourced from an obviously slipped June 2009 Qore video, and aside from giving us a look at the slider-based system (which, let's be honest, looks a ton like the questionably successful mylo), we're also told that it'll tout 16GB of internal memory, built-in Bluetooth and an undisclosed memory slot. If all goes well, it'll ship this Fall for a price to be determined, and it's actually not slated to replace the PSP-3000, as both of 'em will attempt to live on store shelves harmoniously... at least for awhile. Oh, and don't worry -- we'll be on hand in LA to bring you all the impressions we can muster early next week.[Via PlayStation Forums, thanks Matt and A1]Update: Video is now after the break! Thanks adizzy615!Update 2: Official press shots have emerged. [Via Engadget Spanish]Update 3: A few more official specifications are flowing from the full Qore video (pardon the sync issues). Here's the dirt: 3.8-inch display (resolution is undisclosed) 43 percent lighter than the PSP-3000 16GB of Flash storage Bluetooth built-in; supports handset tethering and BT headsets No UMD drive Memory Stick Micro slot New Gran Turismo, Little Big Planet and new Metal Gear Solid (!) on the way Full PlayStation Network support (movie and TV rentals / purchases) Integration with PlayStation 3 (works the same as the PSP-3000 does) Sony views each of its products as "10-year lifecycle products," so the PSP "needs to live on."
Next PSP to rely on Memory Stick HG-Micro for storage?
You can be sure this won't be the last PSP rumor to surface before E3, but the word going around now is that the so-called PSP Go! (or PSP2, or PSP Slide...) won't rely primarily on some internal memory for storage as previously speculated, but on something like Sony's new Memory Stick HG-Micro format, which is about 40MB/s faster than a standard Memory Stick Duo card. That word apparently comes from some "sources close to PSP development" that have spoken to PC World's Game On blog, who seem to also be suggesting that the Memory Sticks would effectively replace UMDs as a game delivery format, and not simply be used for downloaded games and whatnot. All of which certainly seems reasonable enough, even if it's still far from being anywhere close to official.[Via Joystiq]
Sony unveiling UMD-less PSP with slide-out buttons at E3?
Whispers of a new or revised PSP have been growing decidedly louder as of late, and now 1UP's gotten a ton of new details from what it claims are "sources directly involved with the new system" -- our favorite kind of people, actually. Here's what they were told: UMD is out, replaced instead with options for either 8GB or 16GB of built-in flash memory. Also nixed is any hope of a "PSP-4000," with Sony opting instead to use a subtitle. Three rumored names include PSP Slide, PSP Flip, and PSP Go!, the latter of which borrows from Sony's pre-existing Go! brand and suggests there might be a built-in camera à la PSP-3000's Go!Cam peripheral. The same D-pad, analog nub, and face button configuration remains, but they now slide out from the bottom of the unit (see mockup, pictured). Expected launch is September for Japan and late October / early November for US, and coming with 'em are over 100 classic and new downloadable titles including Gran Turismo Mobile as a headliner. Sony's supposedly going official with all this during its E3 press conference in early June, and for now they're opting to give the staple "does not comment on rumors or speculation" response. That's one mighty intriguing rumor -- we can only hope it pans out.
Rumor: 1UP reveals details of next PSP, called 'PSP Go!'
No, the lingering rumors of a new PSP haven't been confirmed, merely joined by another rumor. According to 1UP's "sources," the PSP is going to get a lot more exciting this E3, with the unveiling of a new hardware design (and an exclamation point!) In both a news story and the at1UP podcast (reportedly -- if it was there, the podcast has since been edited to remove it), the site describes a new PSP called the PSP Go!, which loses the UMD drive and adds a fancy sliding screen. The system will come in two variants: one with 8GB of internal memory, and one with 16GB.1UP says that "over 100 classic and new PSP titles" will be available for download at the system's launch -- including Gran Turismo Mobile, which instantly makes this rumor harder to believe. The PSP Go! will purportedly Go! to stores in Japan this September, with a North American release to follow "in either late October or early November."
Latest PSP2 rumor covers familar ground, adds pre-Xmas release date
Not that we needed much more evidence that 2009 would be the year 'o PSP rumors, but Pocket Gamer is now reporting that it has heard from an "insider source" who says that the PSP2 will indeed be released before Christmas of this year. That source, who's supposedly a "developer working on the new hardware," also backs up some of the earlier rumors about the design of the device itself, saying that it will be more like the iPhone than the current PSP, and that it will boast a sliding touchscreen that conceals the buttons and dual analog controls when it's closed. Not much more than that, unfortunately, but who know's what next week's rumor will bring? We're personally hoping for a surprise Atari Lynx rebirth to really shake things up.
Rumorang: PSP2 brings dual analog nubs, touch screen by Christmas
Rumors pertaining to the PSP2 (sometimes called PSP-4000) seem to be getting wilder and more exciting as the days go by. First, we heard about the UMD drive's removal and the addition of sliding screens, but now it's all touch screens (that slide) and dual analog nubs. According to PocketGamer, who apparently spoke with a developer working on the new hardware (and not Dave Perry), all of these new features will be available later this year when the PSP2 ships sometime before Christmas.If we're following Sony's usual timeline of events, we'll see the new hardware unveiled at E3 -- just like the PSP-2000 and PSP-3000 in the previous years. [image]
Sony plays catch up with hackers, mulling over PSP 'virtual console'
We're pretty sure a good lot of you with PSPs have used them for, shall we say, less than reputable means -- like playing 16-bit era games using emulators. Soon, there might be a more legit outlet for that fix, as Sony's head of US marketing for PlayStation hardware John Koller tells MTV Multiplayer it's looking to bring classics from before Sony entered the arena to the handheld, à la Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console. The company's also expanding North America's library of PSOne downloads to eventually match the plethora of titles available to the Japanese market. It's all part of a greater initiative to make more digitally-distributed, download-only titles, which we wholeheartedly support -- now, about those pesky UMD-less PSP2 rumors...[Via Joystiq]
PSP2 rumor surfaces once more, sounds awfully familiar
The PSP2 rumor mill has certainly been cranking overtime as of late, and it doesn't seem to be showing any signs of slowing down, even if it isn't exactly churning out many new rumors. This time, however, they're apparently be backed up by a developer source "close to Sony," who again says that the PSP2 (or PSP-4000, as it's also being called) will ditch the UMD drive and add a sliding screen that covers most of the controls when it's closed. According to the source, that would still let folks play games like LocoRoco that only use the shoulder buttons when it's closed, and Sony is reportedly keen to get developers to create more games that can be played in that state. No word on a release date from the latest source, unfortunately, although Eurogamer seems to be sticking to its earlier report that it'll launch by the end of the year.[Via GameDaily]
Dave Perry challenges Sony to confirm UMD in PSP 2
Wow, son, this s**t just got real. Wait wait, let us get you up to speed with a fictionalized one act play.Dave Perry, Acclaim COO: The PSP 2 totally isn't going to have a UMD drive.Sony spokesperson John Koller: Huh? Wha? PSP 2? Dave Perry, game industry veteran: Exactly.Now, DP has gone one step further to extend the beef. He just dispatched a Twitter message (or, as they say on the streets, a "tweet") saying, "John Koller is publically questioning my post about PSP 2. So I confirmed with Top PSP 2 developers. John, state that PSP 2 WILL have UMD." Oh snap! Dave, how about you stop sweating the contents of the PSP 2 and make us another Wild 9 for it? Please?
Ready at Dawn CEO talks up PSP, says online distribution is key
Judging by last week's torrent of PSP headlines, clearly Sony has big plans in store for its handheld in the coming year. One popular rumor making the rounds of late centers on a possible redesign in the works for the portable, one which purports to drop the UMD format altogether. It's an idea that Ready at Dawn boss Didier Malenfant seems wholly in favor of seeing, if only because it looks to point towards a platform dedicated to digital distribution.The exec admits that he doesn't have the inside track on what Sony is up to with the PSP, though he told Edge in a recent interview that he'd "love to see anything that can help distribution move quicker toward a 100 percent online model." Like Bungie's Marty O'Donnell before him, Malenfant has been feeling the financial crunch put on the industry by the used game market, and confessed that "it's not piracy but used games that are killing us."Ready at Dawn may have a more personal stake in a possible PSP redesign as well, with rumors of a PSP sequel to God of War: Chains of Olympus in the pipeline at the Irvine, CA studio. Unfortunately, Edge wasn't ably to pry any details out of the company co-founder, with Malenfant saying only that "the PSP was a great platform to work on and it's certainly been really good to us, so we have no complaint there." However, if Ready at Dawn is back to working with the PSP, we suggest maybe holding onto a few of those dev kits after the project is out the door instead of spending all of the company profits on stamps.
Sony doesn't say 'no' to UMD-less PSP
Rumors about yet another iteration of the PlayStation Portable have been gaining momentum, some pegging it as a "PSP2," while others suggest an incremental update, a la the PSP Brite. Yesterday's claim by Shiny founder Dave Perry -- he knows someone who knows all about the new PSP and it doesn't have a UMD drive -- has been presented to and waffled at by Sony itself.Interviewed by MTV Multiplayer, John Koller, who heads up SCEA's marketing of PSP, said that he "Can't comment either way," but did add, "I will reiterate that the digital component is very important to us. That's all we can say at this point."Perry referred to the ostensibly new PSP model as a "fully digital online device;" one that would forgo UMDs in favor of downloadable, digitally distributed software. That said, Koller's comment already has us putting together our E3 2009 bingo cards.
PSP 2 is ready and UMD-less, claims Earthworm Jim developer
We've lost count on the number of times we've heard from a friend of a coworker of a cousin whose girlfriend's stepfather happens to work at Sony and they're all but ready to launch a UMD-less PSP in 17 different color options bundled with a portable version of Street Fighter IV. Typically, we remain skeptical, but when it's veteran developer David "I made MDK and Earthworm Jim" Perry, we'll give him the floor to speak. Earlier this week, his Twitter account updated to say he's heard the PSP 2 is done and minus that disc drive. He later reaffirmed that comment to GameDaily, saying he can't reveal his source (naturally), but he feels certain UMD is gone. Is his source bunk? He's certainly a guy who'd know a guy, but we've heard this story far too many times to take a leap of faith now.[Via Joystiq]Read - David Perry's TwitterRead - GameDaily
Dave Perry absolutely 'certain' next PSP will forego UMD
Everyone on the internet seemingly has an "inside source" at Sony. Did you know that a forum poster's best friend's cousin works at Sony R&D and TOTALLY wants to spill the guts on firmware 3.00? Yeah. Dave Perry, former COO of now-defunct Acclaim, left a Twitter message claiming to have heard about Sony's next PSP. "I hear Sony FINALLY has the PSP 2. And thank goodness, they've removed the stupid battery-sucking UMD disc drive. I'm excited!"GameDaily BIZ followed up on Perry's tweet, and it appears Perry is willing to go on record with his statement. "I can't reveal my sources, but you can be certain there's no UMD, which means fully digital online device, and you know I know people."We usually doubt anyone that claims to have an unnamed source at Sony -- and we still place a lot of doubt on this industry alum. However, his rumor is given a bit more weight thanks to a similar report at PC Watch released today, which states that SCEI is currently looking into PSP2 development much more seriously. Certainly, something is happening behind the scenes. Will Perry's claim come true?
Sony scouting a tester for unreleased new product?
While the rumors of a PSP2 and PSP Phone have calmed down of late, they're never truly dead. According to a fluent Japanese speaker translating a Sony Japan job listing for GameSpot, the company is on the hunt for an "evaluator / assessor for a new game machine." More specifically, that elusive machine is said to be a "part of the PlayStation or PSP series and their peripherals." The listing goes on to state that the lucky winner will "be part of an advisory staff that will play PlayStation series software on this new machine and check its functionality," and they'll also be able to "test game machines not yet released or new functionality of PS3 peripherals before they are released." From there, it's up to your imagination to determine what exactly this could be alluding to, but we're setting our expectations remarkably low as to not be disappointed.[Via GameSpot]
Sony denies PSP2 rumors, calls it "misinterpretation"
Chatting with Silicon Alley Insider, Sony's John Koller called the PSP2 rumor "completely unfounded." Koller called the push for a PSP2 a "misinterpretation" for the PSP's refocused direction away from UMDs and move towards digital distribution. Despite a flat out denial from Sony, Eurogamer -- the publication which first ran the PSP-4000 and PSP2 rumors -- insists that its sources are "adamant that Sony has specifically discussed both products with them, and that games are in development for a PSP successor." It's a bit of a tug-of-war here. Who do we believe? It's not too farfetched of an idea that the PSP-4000 is due for next year considering that new hardware has come out annually for the past two years. Couple that without mention from Koller, and it's very likely that this could prove to be still on the table. As for the PSP2, it's never a good time to talk about replacement hardware during a key shopping season, if you catch our drift. Perhaps we'll hear more as we enter 2009.
Sony PSP2 rumors debunked, probably not for the last time
OK, guys and gals, we hate to break it to you -- John Koller, Sony's Director of Hardware Marketing has said it in plain English: "no plans for a PSP2 are underway." Apparently, the company is pushing developers towards the PlayStation store for their primary point of sale, a move that some people have taken to mean that the companies have been secretly developing games for some sort of new platform. Of course, in the light of some similarly "cryptic" statements we reported yesterday, some folks might continue to be gullible skeptical. Which is fine, as long as nobody asks us when the device pictured above will be released. 'Cos it won't be. Evar.
Sony to release new handheld sometime in the future
According to Eurogamer, sources close to Sony say that sometime in the future, a new PlayStation Portable will be released. While there's been no official word, the game site is reporting that there could be an update to the current PSP (which might be called the PSP 4000), and in the not-too-distant future (2010 or 2011), Sony will introduce a completely new model, confusingly dubbed the "PSP2." David Reeves, SCEE president has recently been quoted as making vague, suspicious statements such as "there are currently no plans for a PSP2," and "I go to Tokyo quite a lot and no one has referred to it - I think they have their hands full at the moment." Nice try Reeves, but If you keep up these kinds of thinly veiled allusions to a new system, we suspect it's only a matter of years till this cat's out of the bag.[Via Yahoo!]Note: The above post is sarcasm. It also saddens us that we had to add this note.
Rumor: PSP-4000 in 2009, PSP2 in the works
Eurogamer reports that "publishing sources" indicate that Sony is planning to release the PSP-4000 in late '09 and will eventually launch a PSP2. This news is sure to come as a big shock to Sony Europe president David Reeves, who stated last week that there were "currently no plans for a PSP2." Eurogamer sources divulge that titles are currently in development for the unannounced handheld.Obviously, we hope the PSP-4000 fixes the current iteration's interlacing issues. Sony UK informed Eurogamer that it would not comment on the story, due to the classic tag team of "rumour" and "speculation."
Rumor: PSP-4000 out next year, PSP2 in development
According to Eurogamer, numerous publishing sources have confirmed that Sony is at work at a third hardware revision and it's planned to come out next year. Not only that, but software developers are reportedly busy working on games for a "PSP2." There were no specific details revealed involving either hardware. The PSP2, unlike the PSP-4000, has not been given any sort of timeframe.Despite how assured Eurogamer is on the credibility of the information, Sony continues to give the usual "won't comment on rumors and speculation" response. In fact, it was not too long ago that SCEE head David Reeves denied the existence of a PSP successor as rumors unfurled from a tech deal.
Imagination Technologies said to have signed on with Sony for PSP successor
Well, this is certainly interesting. While Imagination Technologies itself isn't going any further than to say that it has signed a licensing deal with a "major international consumer electronics company," EETimes.com is reporting that the company in question is, in fact, Sony, and that the deal concerns Imagination's PowerVR architecture being used in the successor to the PSP. More specifically, according to EETimes' unnamed sources, the PSP 2 will be using Imagination's SGX55x core, which itself, of course, still hasn't been officially announced either. As EETimes notes, if that turns out to be the case, it would certainly be quite the coup for Imagination, especially considering that its PowerVR MBX technology has already found its way into the iPhone, among other devices.[Via EETimes.com, thanks Rob E]