Remember how Sony launched a PS3 at a BRAVIA flat-panel TV pretty much just for the fun of it? Well, they seem to have triggered a new trend of firing gaming hardware at solid objects, as French gaming magazine Amusement have included a photo-shoot involving Nintendo’s DS and Sony’s PSP Go being fired through walls.
We have been enjoying the new cheaper PS3 Slim in the US and other countries for a while now. In fact we are already looking forward to the 250GB PS3 Slim coming stateside next month. In Malaysia, gamers have not been able to get their hands on the PS3 Slim yet. Sony announced today that the PS3 Slim would hit the Malaysian market on October 31.
Knock-off consoles are always good for a cheap, moderately cheerful laugh, and so we’re surprised its taken the Chinese cloners this long to come up with a decent PSP Go copy. The PXP-2000 “borrows” the distinctive stylings of Sony’s latest handheld, but throws in a camera good for stills and 3GP video capture, an FM radio and NES/Famicom emulator.
Sony’s PSP Go launched here in the U.S. only this month, the device has barely been on the market for an entire week at this point. Apparently, the console isn’t tearing up the sales charts in Europe either as price cuts after such a short period on store shelves are already coming.
Sony’s PSP firmware v6.10 isn’t the only thing to go out today: the company has also launched the PSP Go. The new handheld – the first PSP from Sony not to include a physical UMD media slot – is available today in the US, with an MRSP of $249.99.
While integrated 3G connectivity was tipped for inclusion in the PSP Go back in its rumor days, in the end Sony went for the simple route and just gave their handheld WiFi and Bluetooth. Thanks to PSP update v6.10, that Bluetooth can be used to tether the Go to a cellphone, meaning connectivity isn’t just limited to wherever you can find a WiFi hotspot.
Sony’s PSP “minis” download games for the upcoming PSP Go are already prompting confusion, not least because of the company’s own guidelines for developers hoping to fast-track their submissions. Sony has revealed its policies for PlayStation Network approval, including details on the “accelerated approvals process”; unfortunately, for titles to qualify for that process they must be single-player, have no network or downloadable content, and no peripheral support.
The first time I heard about the PSP Go, I wondered if most of us were ready for a dedicated game system that lacks a physical software format. Sure, that is basically what the iPhone and iPod touch are, but I don’t really think of those devices and the PSP Go as being in the same category.
Sony have released their latest firmware update for the PSP, and while v6.00 may look relatively innocuous at first glance, more careful reading of the changelist does suggest the company is paving the way for rental gaming. Among the tweaks, Sony list “games can now be grouped and displayed in folders based on their expire date”; however until now the company has only offered expiring video content, not gaming titles.
Full changelist after the cut
Tearing down gadgets isn’t new. In fact, The PSP Go’s bigger brethren just went through the same thing. There’s plenty of reasons to do these things to new pieces of tech, but most of it revolves around finding out what makes them tick, and how much it cost to put it all together. In the case of the PSP Go, there’s nothing really new to show off. And to be honest, we’d much prefer to have one not disassembled, rather than look at those standard guts within.
JP
