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Sony had some announcements for the PSP at E3 2009. One that was leaked early was the PSP Go. Kaz Hirai came out to officially introduce the PSP Go, saying that it is 50% smaller and 40% lighter than the original PSP 1000. He went on to say that the PSP Go has 16G of Internal Flash memory, built-in WIFI, integrated bluetooth and a new application to access the PS Store, "Media Go," which replaces the media manager and is used to access PlayStation media directly on your computer. Video delivery via Media Go was made available as of the day of the press conference. The PSP Go won't use external media, such as UMD discs or the like, but will instead only use digital downloads. Kaz made a point of clarifying that, going forward, all games and products will still be available in media format, as well, not just downloads. The release price of the PSP Go will be the same price-point as the original PSP: $249.99 USD and $249.99 Euro in Europe.
One hardware announcement that wasn't leaked ahead of the press conference was the Lilac-colored PSP, that will be shipping with a Hannah Montana game by Disney.
Also being shown was Polyphony Digital's Gran Turismo for the PSP, which was not a stripped-down version, but is, instead, a full-fledged Gran Turismo game, with 60 frames per second, 800+ cars, 35 tracks with 60 total track layouts and a new Mission challenge mode that includes the legacy "license trials." They also added AdHoc support for play with up to 4 players. Trading and sharing of cars between your garage and other players' garages is not only possible, but is encouraged as a way to help you collect all 800+ cars.
Hideo Kojima came out to show Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker saying that the "PSP is getting hotter and Snake is going back to the PSP." This is a true sequel to Metal Gear Solid 3, taking place in the 1970's. Hideo went on to say, "I'll be deeply involved in the writing and production of this title... this is not a spin off or a side story." And, since it's being designed for the PSP from the ground up, it will utilize PSP features and elements. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is set to release in 2010.
The presentation went on to show (in very, very rapid fashion) a slew of upcoming PSP titles, including:
- Resident Evil Portable
- Little Big Planet
- Jack and Daxter
- The Lost Fighter
- Motor Storm: Arctic Edge
- Monster Hunt Freedom: Unite
- Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny
- Invizimals
- Warriors Orochi 2
- Adventures to Go
- Echochrono
- PixelJunk: Monsters Deluxe
- Hot Shots Tennis
- Crimson Gem Saga
- Fat Princess: Unbound Saga
- StarWars Battefront: Elite Squadron
- Final Fantasy VII
It was also announced that as of the day of the conference, there would be 50 original PS games over the course of the next year available via PSN Store.
However, what could be the biggest announcement for the PSP was Sony's decision to lower the price of the PSP toolkits. They specifically stated that there would be an 80% reduction in price of PSP toolkits for developers and individuals. Depending on the details, this could make the PSP much more attractive to small development houses and indie developers looking to get into the handheld market. Time will tell, but I'd say watch for some interesting, innovative and original titles on the PSP if this happens. |
