A couple days ago, we reported that the PSP Go had been killed off. We weren’t surprised; we had already asked the question if anyone was surprised the Go failed. Sony has now come back and said that while it may not be carried in Japan and Europe any more the PSP Go will still be offered in America. SCEA told Joystiq “We are continuing production of PSP Go for North America.” I have to wonder if what SCEA really means is that it is continuing production in America until it runs out of components.

Joystiq also notes that Sony told it a few weeks back that it would continue the PSP Go shipments only to have the Go product page on Amazon turn up later with the note that the manufacturer discontinued the Go. I still don’t see this thing selling well ,and in all the time since it has been available I have never once seen anyone using them in the wild in all my travels while I see lots of iPhone, iPod touch, DS and normal PSPs around and being used.

[via Joystiq]

But then gamers actually got their hands on the device. And they quickly realized that all the so-called benefits of owning the PSP Go were, well, non-existent.

When discussing the reasons the PSP Go failed, it’s hard to pinpoint a single issue. The device was rife with problems from the beginning that made it dead on arrival. And towards the end, it seemed that only Sony saw it as a worthwhile buy.

Take, for example, the exorbitant $250 price tag. At that rate, consumers expected much more than a device that would allow them to download games and play them while on-the-go. After all, for $50 more, they could get the most-capable gaming device on the market, Sony’s PlayStation 3. Even after Sony reduced the PSP Go’s price to $199, it was too expensive.

There was also the issue of games. Generally speaking, the library of titles available to the PSP Go were lackluster. And those that were actually dedicated to gaming on a PSP would have chosen Sony’s traditional model, which supported a UMD drive, so they could get all the games available on the platform.

But it goes beyond the device’s own shortcomings. It was available in a time when casual players were less likely to turn to portable devices, like the PSP or the DS, to satisfy their gaming needs. Instead, they took to Apple’s App Store, found downloadable games, like Angry Birds, and enjoyed them from their iPhone. Android gamers have been doing that as of late, as well.

Simply put, casual titles are becoming more popular. And for the first time, traditional portables are being forced to actually worry about smartphones. Some of the more popular options, like the DS, have been able to thrive under those circumstances. The weakest of the bunch, including the PSP Go, have failed.

So, what can Sony learn from all this?

For one, the company needs to give itself a better chance of competing against Nintendo and smartphones by fairly pricing its upcoming NGP. It would also be a good idea if Sony acknowledges the threat that the competition poses and market the NGP around that.

But perhaps more than anything, Sony needs to learn to not take such giant leaps in the portable space without doing it the right way. The iPhone was a gamble, but Apple pulled it off by doing something special. The same can be said for the DS.

The PSP Go wasn’t special in any way. And that, more than anything else, is why it failed.

Sony will continue to support the PSP Go, and firmware updates are apparently still in the works, but for now the PSP-3000 will be the only portable gaming hardware the company sells. That’s aside from the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play, of course.

According to Sony, clearing out the PSP Go will allow them to focus on the NGP, the Next Generation Portable expected to hit the market later in 2011. More on the Sony NGP in our recent SlashGear 101 feature.

The price shuffling does leave us wondering whether Sony is still planning to slash a little off the PSP Go’s top line at some point later in 2011, only maybe doing so closer to the launch of the Sony NGP. The PSP-3000 is still just $129.99, while a quick check online shows there are some deals – though not quite as low as $150 – around for the PSP Go if you’re a canny shopper.

[Thanks to everybody who sent this in!]

Curiously, the PSP Go discount wasn’t mentioned in Sony’s original announcement about the larger version of the handheld, and it seems the news is yet to reach retailers either. Most are still listing the PSP Go at around $200, rather than reflecting either the new MRSP or the $50 price cut.

Still, we’re guessing this will filter out sooner rather than later, though whether it will make the PSP Go a sales success remains to be seen. Sony is expected to launch the NGP near the end of 2011.

[via Joystiq]

They claim it was a “70-percent success”, which doesn’t really mean much; needless to say, Sony Ericsson will likely have locked down gaming options on the handset when it launches anyway, so that you’re forced to use their own ROMs rather than cracked or copied ones. As for the comparisons, the smartphone gets up close and personal with the PSP-1000, the PSP Go, DSi, GBA SP and other Sony Ericcson handsets.

The PlayStation Phone was last seen in the wild on Friday, complete with some preliminary benchmarking and a “PlayStation Pocket” app store, seemingly for games downloads. We’re expecting Sony Ericsson to officially launch it at Mobile World Congress next month.

[via Android Community]

“The games being played on Android and Apple platforms” he suggests, “are fundamentally different from the world of immersive games that Sony Computer Entertainment, and PlayStation, aims for.” As for the dual control methods, “depending on the game, there are ones where you can play perfectly well with a touch panel,” Hirai explains. “But you can definitely play immersive games better with physical buttons and pads. I think there could be games where you’re able to use both in combination.”

If you’re thinking that sounds a lot like the Sony Ericsson PlayStation Phone – aka the XPERIA Play – then you’re not alone. Although Hirai suggests the “gaming industry pie” is only growing larger thanks to the new interest in casual titles like Angry Birds, Sony is also apparently cautious about how it will differentiate between, say, the XPERIA Play and a new PSP. “We don’t want gamers to be asking, what’s the difference between that and a PSP,” he explained. :We have to come up with a message that users will understand. It would have to be a product that keeps the PlayStation’s strengths intact.”

That price cut has now been confirmed with an official blog post from Sony Japan noting the cut. The PSP Go will get a price cut in Japan to 16,800 yen with tax included, which works out to about $208 here in the US.

That is very close to the $199 price leak and if you take the tax that is included away that leaked price should be accurate. That new price is about $50 cheaper than the PSP Go was before. I still don’t see a $50 savings making the Go any more appealing to most gamers. The real issue is still the fact that you can’t play any of your old games from your PSP collection on the Go.

With no formal announcement to speak of, the leaked image is all we have to go on. According to the tipster, who works at an AAFES-based store that sells video games, the PSP Go is set for a $50 price drop, beginning October 15th. Given the current price points of existing Nintendo DS-based handheld consoles, and even the price of the upcoming Nintendo 3DS, is giving the PSP Go a $200 price tag going to be enough to stimulate sales? What do you think?

[via Joystiq]

The idea is to give owners of the PSP Go the ability to hook up their mobile gaming console to the PS3 controller, thanks to a tray that extends from the back of the controller. It’s just a clip, and yet it’s so much more than that, in essence. When you’ve clipped the PSP Go to the PS3 controller, and then you connect your PS3 controller to the PlayStation 3 via the Bluetooth link, you’ll be able to control your games on the PSP Go with the controller.

Having to be connected to the PS3 may break the whole “mobile” rule, but at least there’s a way to have your PSP Go held at the same level as your hands, and still have the comfort of the full controller. Gametech Bear says they’ll have the accessory out and ready to rock and roll by the end of the year, and they plan on rolling it out in Japan first.

[via Pocket-Lint]

The CEO also pointed to availability of digital titles as another potential issue – the PSP Go lacks the UMD slot of its original PSP sibling, and must download games instead – suggesting that “it is the first time we have done that with any of our devices, and we did get a lot of feedback, both good and bad. I think we need to make sure we have as many titles available to download as possible, to make the experience as easy as possible.”  Nonetheless, he says he is “happy with the results” and that Sony has received “invaluable feedback” from users about the project.

[via Kotaku]

In fact, in the ten week period between December 28th 2009 and March 7th 2010, Sony are believed to have shifted a grand total of 17,618 PSP Go units.  Again, that pales in comparison to the regular PSP, of which 667,961 were sold.

[via CrunchGear]

As they have before, Sony are partnering with Sony Ericsson on the design of the new smartphone, but according to “people familiar with the matter” are now taking a more active role.  That, they say, is because of a growing realisation as to how central smartphones are becoming to the company’s overall strategy.

Meanwhile Sony are also looking at segment-spanning devices – like the iPad – according to CFO Nobuyuki Oneda.  The company has confirmed that Senior Vice President Kunimasa Suzuki – who is responsible for Sony’s VAIO division and their Network Mobile Center, together with acting as deputy in the PlayStation and Network Products & Services divisions – is “leading product planning for new mobile devices”, though they unsurprisingly declined to outline what sort of projects may be involved.

Thanks to that fact, the sales of the Go haven’t exactly been staggering and a new rumor has surfaced that claims Sony is set to relaunch the Go. The relaunch will supposedly have a “massive” marketing blitz for the console that only debuted in October 2009.

Along with the new marketing push, the console is also said to be getting a price cut. This isn’t official yet, but if Sony learned on thing with its PS3, it’s that a price cut will help sales. Now if Sony would only give gamers a way to use those UMDs we would be in business.

Logitech UK claim to have never heard of such a peripheral, but concede that the PSP Go UMD drive “may be something the US office is working on”.  Their US counterparts – and indeed Sony – are yet to comment.  No word on pricing or availability from the source, and it seems bizarre that people might pick up the PSP Go and then have second-thoughts about the UMD drive from the full-sized PSP; surely if you had a back catalog of titles you still wanted to be able to play, you’d just buy the PSP-3000?

[via Joystiq]

The force of it causes both handhelds to come apart, it seems, with the DS’ top panel completely detaching from the base while the PSP Go’s sliding screen achieves the sort of tilt that you’d usually have to look to an HTC Touch Pro2 to achieve.  Amusement’s accompanying feature was apparently about things that frustrate gamers – hence them throwing stuff very hard against their walls.

We’re trying to find some legitimate reason why you’d want to do more of this – crash testing for Wiimotes, perhaps? – but we’re falling short on excuses.  Looks like our partition walls are safe.

[via Kotaku]

The machine coming to the country will have a 120GB HDD and be offered in the traditional PS3 black only. Gamers in Malaysia will also be able to get their hands on the PSP Go as well as accessories for the PS3 Slim. Among the PS3 accessories will be a vertical stand to make placing the console easier. The stand will launch on October 31 along with the console.

The PS3 Slim will sell for RM1,299 and the PSP Go will sell for RM1,099. The vertical stand will be priced at RM82. The version of the PSP Go coming to Malaysia is the same 16GB version we have in the US and is available in other countries. Sony will hold a special launch event on the 31st at the One Utama Shopping Mall.

There’s also a 3.5-inch 320 x 240 display, media player happy with a pretty broad range of audio and video formats, and a TV connector for playing your retro titles on a bigger screen.  Other compatible games include Gameboy, Gameboy Color, SFC and MegaDrive titles, though there’s still only one joystick; like Sony, the guys behind the PXP-2000 have obviously not been listening to the game community’s feedback.

2GB of onboard storage, an SD slot for up to 4GB more, and a 3.5mm headphone jack wrap up what’s likely to be the biggest ever disappointment to a child come Christmas morning.  Yours for the princely sum of $83.99.

[via Joystiq]

Major UK game sellers including Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, HMV, and GAME have all issued an 11% price cut on the PSP Go bringing the price of the console in the UK to £199 from the £225 that it was originally at. Perhaps the price cut will help woo some of the mobile gamers currently playing on the Nintendo DSi or iPod touch to the PSP Go.

Even after the price cut in the UK, the Go is still more expensive than the other two systems. I think that the inability to bring UMD games already owned to the PSP Go is also a big issue for many mobile gamers.

As of tomorrow it will arrive in Europe, with a £224.99 price tag.  Both black and white versions are on offer, each with 16GB of storage, a slide-up 3.8-inch display and integrated WiFi b/g and Bluetooth.

The handheld also comes with a voucher to download a copy of Rock Band Unplugged Lite, together with an AC adapter and USB cable.  Existing PSP owners, however, should be warned that their current accessories won’t work with the new PSP Go; that could make for an expensive upgrade process.  Anybody tempted?

The firmware will also bring support for SensMe to the PSP, which you can see demonstrated in the video below.  Basically, it organizes tracks loaded onto the gaming handheld from Media Go on your PC, sorting them into 12 channels such as “Relax” or “Newly Added”.

Finally, Media Go itself will get an update, to v1.2.  According to the PlayStation blog, this is more an aesthetic reworking than anything else, but they claim it will make finding and loading audio, video and images to your PSP or PSP Go more straightforward.  You can download the software here.

While that doesn’t mean that any of the PSP mini titles can have such features, it does mean that if developers want their games to get into the PSN download store faster than they will have to keep them simple.  As well as the absence of network and multi-player support, games must also not have downloadable content or localization.

In return, Sony are promising an average of three to five days for each approval, with minimal quality assurance (QA) and no stage 1 or 2 process.  Developers will still need to sign agreements with each of the three territories individually (if they want to release in all three) and pay for ESRB approval, however.

[via Gizmodo]

The big rub for game retailers with a device like the PSP Go is that without software, there is nothing for them to make money on after the initial sale of the device. Secondary software sales are often where the stores make more money than on the hardware itself. One Dutch game retailer — Nedgame — has reportedly refused to carry the PSP Go because the game lacks a physical software medium where it can make some money.

The company also reportedly cited the high price of the device as a reason for not stocking it. The console will sell in the region for EUR 249 compared to the PSP 3000 EUR 169 price. Nedgame also reports a problem with the fact that Sony is setting up a pricing monopoly for PSP Go games. It will be interesting to see if other retailers in Europe and America feel the same way about the PSP Go.

Full changelist after the cut

Games can now be grouped and displayed in folders based on their expire date under [Game].

Under [Settings], [Network Update] has been changed to [System Update]. Under [System Update], you can now choose how to update the system software.

The number of colors that can be selected under [Settings] > [Theme Settings] has been increased.

Revisions to strengthen security have been added. (Internet Browser)

The change lends further weight to ongoing rumors that Sony are planning a gaming rental service, which would allow users to download titles and play them for a certain period of time rather than buy them outright.  Sony have already confirmed that they will offer “snackable” gaming downloads – with prices expected to start at just $1 – however the rentals system would possibly be for the more expensive full games up until now distributed on UMD.

Rumors earlier in the year tipped Sony as having been in talks since March with developers with regards their plans for gaming rentals, and an online questionnaire suggested that they were considering various weekly, monthly or yearly subscription rates.  Sony have only told press that they will be making more use of digital distribution in future.

[via Joystiq]

As the image displays, we’ve got a pretty clean showcase of the non-removable battery. The other picture shows the control scheme from the inside out. No, it’s nothing to get worked up over, but if you like to look at gadgets ripped apart, especially when it’s not you doing it, then you can stare longingly at the images shown off by levelup.cn.

The PSP Go! is still heading for an October release date, so we’ll have to keep waiting to get our hands on some wireless gaming. and as a refresher, it’s going to be coming in white and black, and be running a price tag of $249. It will also be available in the UK for the same price in pounds, and will be available in Japan on November 1st. Do you plan on getting one? Even if you’ve seen the insides of it already?

[via LevelUp]

“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. And similar to the PS3 “slim”, it’s nothing to actually get excited about.” Super_secret

The Sony PSP-4000, then, would have a UMD drive just like its predecessors, and go on sale alongside (rather than be replaced by) the PSP Go. That would certainly fit in with recent comments from Sony Computer Entertainment boss Kazuo “Kaz” Hirai, who us quoted as denying that we’re seeing “the death of physical media”, and reaffirming that Sony will continue to support UMD and physical game distribution.

This is in no small part, Hirai suggested, because many of the regions where Sony sell gaming hardware lack the network backbone and speed to support digital distribution.  Unfortunately, from Super_secret’s information the PSP-4000 will be “nothing to actually get excited about”, suggesting that it won’t be a huge upgrade over the current model.

[via Acid Mods]

“I think the better indicator [than individual console profit] is to look at the business as a whole platform, to ask: are you profitable in terms of the hardware, software and peripherals. And the answer to that question is yes on a gross profit level since the last fiscal year” Kazuo “Kaz” Hirai, Sony Computer Entertainment

The PS3 Slim had been credited by some commenters as the machine that would turn around Sony’s cash hemorrhaging, with the new 45nm Cell processor a key element of that change.  The first-gen PlayStation 3 had been unofficially estimated as costing Sony around $800 per unit to build, though obviously only selling for around half that amount.

Instead, Sony appears to be looking at the longer game, and relying on people buying games and peripherals for the PS3 Slim – as Hirai’s quote above suggests – to offset the initial losses.  Part of that involves broadening your user base, and Hirai points to the growing number of “family games” available through the PS Network as doing just that.

“Obviously some rework is required due to different screen size – 480 x 272 versus 480 x 320 – not to mention transposing touch controls to joypad, D-pad and buttons – but the bulk of game logic and artwork is likely to remain the same.” Pocket Gamer

However unlike Apple, Sony will demand not only stricter technical testing – including a two week long “quality assurance” period – but control over when games are launched.  This seems to be a throwback to the traditional games publishing model, and it remains to be seen whether developers prefer it or the perhaps more esoteric Apple process.

By reducing the cost of individual titles, Sony are obviously hoping to capture some of the casual gaming market that has buoyed the Apple App Store.  The PSP Go is set to hit shelves in the US and Europe on October 1st.

Where the full-sized PSP has a headset port that accommodates a microphone headset, the PSP Go apparently has just a 3.5mm headphones jack.  That means no microphone and no useful in-line controls for media playback.  It’s also worth remembering that the PSP Go uses newer M2 Memory Sticks rather than the older format of the existing PSP, so they won’t be transferable either.

As for the latest firmware, version 5.70, that has added more comprehensive Bluetooth controls, but strangely done away with the auto-adjusting backlight control under power management.  Eurogamer also found that the handheld’s 14.74GB of user-accessible storage is formated in FAT32, meaning there’ll be a 4GB file size limit.  It’s unclear if this is the version that will ship on the PSP Go when it launches in the US and Europe on October 1st.

[via PSP-Hacks]

“One of the things that has been exciting in my time at Sony is the big shift changes we have seen – the latest is that consumers have been consuming digital content in a totally different way.  Sony’s been working very hard to find our position in that and bring top-end gaming to not just the consumers who were there for the launch of PSP, but extending to an audience that is changing how it consumes entertainment and applications.  We’re introducing new initiatives for the PSP which take it beyond traditional gaming, but still includes elements from gaming, and also includes new developers” Zeno Colaço, head of developer relations, SCEE

To encourage developers to jump on board with these mini-titles, Sony has cut the cost of the PSP SDK by 80-percent.  They’ve also removed many of the barriers that typically stand in the way of getting games published, including removing concept approval, streamlining the quality assurance process, and allowing for very low price points for new titles.  It seems their moves are working, too, as apparently over fifty studios are already creating “snackable” apps and games for the platform, including CandyStand and iPhone developer Subatomic Studios.

“Part of that ‘snackability’ of the content is because you can deliver the content over WiFi super-fast. We’re making games that are just 20MB each, that’s less than a minute to download – instant gratification, snackable content. This is an opportunity for the premier indie developers – and I hope we represent that group – to come in and offer content that will fit the PSP” Ash Monif, Subatomic Studios

While the SDK will not be free, unlike Apple’s, and still require a team – albeit “a small team” says Colaço – Sony believes the changes will lift the restrictions of disc-based gaming.  One of the only confirmed titles will be Subatomic’s Fieldrunners tower defense game.

[Thanks Tony!]

Said to be more powerful than the original Xbox console, the PSP2 is tipped as using the quad-core Imagination Technology’s PowerVR SGX543MP.  The new chip – apparently codenamed “Hydra” – would be capable of churning 133 million polygons per second, as well as supporting OpenGL 2.0 and DX10.

Interestingly enough, the PSP2 is also said to use Deferred Rendering as last spotted on the Sega Dreamcast.  That allows for complex geometry to be constructed by bypassing rendering anything that will be masked in the final scene.  Sony, unsurprisingly, have said that they cannot comment on unannounced products, but given the PSPGo is set to launch shortly they’re unlikely to say anything that could sideline their new cash-cow.

[via Kotaku]

While the Nikkei’s sources are unspecified, the Sony project is tipped to bring together their own gaming-device experience and the cellular functionality of Sony Ericsson handsets.  That implies that the project may not be a Sony Ericsson device but solely bear Sony’s branding; previous rumors have suggested strong internal disagreement over Sony Ericsson handsets using the PlayStation name.

Sony themselves have declined to comment on the report, which does at least make a change from the usual “we have no plans” we tend to hear from them.  Their most recent handheld, the PSP Go, has WiFi but no 3G connectivity; however as it relies on digital distribution for its gaming titles and content, it would be a likely candidate for the sort of anywhere-downloads integrated WWAN would permit.

“When you introduce a new piece of hardware you have the opportunity to say there is a certain premium that is associated with it, and we took that into account” Andrew House, president, SCEE

MCV asked House whether the PSP Go’s $249 price was a result of new R&D costs as well as being an attempt to make up for lost retailer markup thanks to the new digital delivery system.  House, though, denied that was the case.

Sony has been criticized before regarding accessory prices for the PSP Go.  The handheld uses a new connector, meaning that mini-USB accessories purchased for the full-size PSP will not work with the new version.

[via Joystiq]

“They have to cut the price, because if they don’t, the attach rates [the number of games each console owner buys] are likely to slow. If we are being realistic, we might have to stop supporting Sony. When we look at 2010 and 2011, we might want to consider if we support the console — and the PSP [portable] too” Bobby Kotick, CEO, Activision

According to the outspoken CEO, Activision – which is the biggest independent computer game developer in the world, with a market value of $16bn and operating profits of $179m in Q1 2009 – paid $500m to Sony in royalties and “other goods” in 2008.  “It’s expensive to develop for the console, and the Wii and the Xbox are just selling better” he suggests, ”Games generate a better return on invested capital on the Xbox than on the PlayStation.”

Sony has maintained that they have no plans to discount the PS3; however, analysts have tipped a $100 reduction in mid-August, timed with the back-to-school shopping season.  The company are yet to release a statement regarding Kotick’s comments.

Rather than using a mini USB port, as the PSP-3000 does, the PSP Go! has a new, multifunction socket on the bottom of the handheld.  That keeps down space, of course, but it also means that accessories existing PSP owners already have won’t work with the new console.

Sony, unsurprisingly, are lining up a range of PSP Go! accessories – including AV cables, USB cables, AC adapters, wrist-straps and screen protectors – that will play happily with their new gadget, but that’s no use to the people who have already spent significant amounts of money on PSP-3000 add-ons.  The company’s own GPS module and chat keyboards won’t work, and neither will hundreds of third-party accessories.

[via Engadget]

As for E3, Microsoft and Sony battled it out to gain the motion-controller upper-hand, with the former debuting their fiendishly complex “Project Natal” system and the latter bringing a glowstick.  That’s a little unfair, actually, as hands-on reports coming out of E3 suggest that both systems work very well (and, key, seem more accurate than the Wii).  Sony also announced the much-rumored PSP Go!, a UMD-free all-digital version of the PSP-3000. 

Zipping over to Computex, and its unsurprisingly been a battle of the netbooks.  Psion and Intel finally lay down their swords and agreed that the term “netbook” can be used by one and all, only to find that ARM are attempting to coin the phrase “Smartbook” – to describe a cheaper, long-running alternative to the existing Atom-based netbooks – while Microsoft can’t quite decide what name to use but just want to make sure they can sell the priciest Windows 7 SKU for the hardware.

NVIDIA haven’t been resting on their laurels either, announcing multiple hardware partners who’ll be using their Ion and Tegra chipsets, while Qualcomm have been pushing Snapdragon hard.  It’s a complicated market, but the winner looks to be the consumer: they’ll be the ones spoilt for choice with high-def capable ultraportables at hitherto unseen prices.  There’s too much new tech to realistically cover in this short review, so check out our full show coverage with the Computex 2009 tag.

While we weren’t playing with the Pre, the SlashGear team have been tapping away on Sony Ericsson’s W995a, a megapixel-packed phone now available SIM-free in the US, together with enjoying some big-screen, small-budget entertainment from the BenQ Joybee GP1 pico-projector.  Don’t forget to join us tomorrow, Monday 8th June at 10am San Francisco time (1PM New York; 6PM London) at http://live.slashgear.com/ for all the news from Apple’s WWDC 2009 keynote.

The new program will be based on when you purchased the games or when you bought the PSP Go unit itself. This way, people who have owned a PSP in the past can feel free to trade up without doing away with their previous game library.

We don’t know if the new program will cost anything, but the way Sony is talking about it, it seems like it might be free or only cost a trivial amount. But, we’ll just have to wait until the company announces the program in more detail.

Videos after the cut

From this point on, PSP games will be launched in both UMD and digital formats, through a new desktop app called Media Go that will sync with the PlayStation Network, as well as directly to the PSP Go! itself.  Video will also be supported, with more than 9,400 TV shows and 1,900 movies on offer, together with an automatic music playlist borrowed from Sony Ericsson’s cellphones, called Sense Me.

The Sony PSP Go! will hit shelves in the US and Europe on October 1st, followed by a November 1st launch in Japan.  It’ll be priced at $249 and €249, and available in white and black.

Press Release:

PSP go® PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) Evolves To Match the Digital Lifestyle

With an Ultra-Portable Design and Digital Content Focus, PSPgo to Hit the Worldwide Market This Fall, Further Enhancing the User Experience Along with PSP-3000

LOS ANGELES, Calif., June 2, 2009 –Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) today unveiled PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) go (PSP-N1000), a new evolution of PSP handheld entertainment system, specifically designed to suit the digital lifestyle of consumers who enjoy downloadable content on the go. PSPgo will become available in stores on October 1, 2009, in North America, Europe/ PAL territories and Asian countries and regions at a recommended retail price (RRP) of US$249 and €249, and on November 1, 2009, in Japan at a RRP of 26,800 yen (including tax). With both the existing PSP-3000 and new PSPgo, the company will further enhance the ultimate gaming and entertainment experiences on the go while providing consumers with the opportunity to choose the PSP system that’s right for them.

PSPgo is ideal for today’s on-the move consumers who prefer not to carry around disc-based content and are looking for on-demand entertainment. With the steady expansion of broadband network infrastructure, the number of users who download and enjoy digital entertainment content has been increasing remarkably. To address this growing trend, PSPgo replaces the UMD drive*1 with 16GB of flash memory to store a variety of digital entertainment content, offering users unlimited possibilities of portable digital entertainment delivered through PlayStation®Network. PSPgo, smaller and lighter than ever with a sophisticated design featuring an easy sliding display panel, is truly pocket-sized and can be taken everywhere. PSPgo will be available in Piano Black and Pearl White*2, two of the most popular colors since the launch of the PSP system in 2004. Along with PSP-3000, PSPgo will further enhance the unmatched portable gaming and entertainment experience by offering users more opportunity to enjoy their favorite entertainment content such as games, videos, music and photos anytime, anywhere.

In order to meet the needs of the growing number of PlayStation®Network users looking for digital entertainment content, SCE along with third party developers and publishers will continue to enhance the content line-up within PlayStation®Store for the launch of PSPgo, scheduled this fall. More and more new and attractive titles will become available for download from PlayStation®Store as well as on UMD™. This broad content offering across all genres includes new games, free-demos, PS one® classics for PSP, add-on items for game titles, and trailers.

In addition to accessing PlayStation Store directly from PSP using the built-in wireless LAN (Wi-Fi) feature or through the PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3®) computer entertainment system, users will also be able to access and download a variety of entertainment content via their PCs using Media Go*3, a new software application. Media Go will enable users to access and download entertainment content on PlayStation Store via their PCs as well to easily manage PSP content on PCs, including games, videos, photos, and music. This easy to use software application will be available on a CD-ROM bundled with PSPgo.

Also this fall, a new music application specific to PSP that uses the “SensMe™ channels”*4; music recommendation feature, developed by Sony, also becomes available for download on PSP. With this music application, users will be able to enjoy their favorite music stored on their PSP through a rich user interface, designed exclusively for PSP. “SensMe channels” is a mood based music recommendation system that categorizes music content into channels such as “Relax,” “Dance” and “Upbeat,” and recommends music playlists for users.

Other features are:

Easy Sliding Display Panel and Original Applications
PSPgo offers a variety of exciting entertainment options by taking advantage of the sliding panel. When the panel is open, users will be able to enjoy various entertainment content with the familiar button control as PSP-3000, when closed, original applications for PSPgo, such as a clock and calendar is displayed on the screen. Users can also enjoy video and music when the panel is closed.
Game sleep function
PSPgo has unique features such as game sleep function which enables users to operate XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) while pausing gameplay temporarily.
Bluetooth® function
Bluetooth function will also allow users to connect Bluetooth standard peripherals such as head-phones and head-set *5 as well as PS3 wireless controller (DUALSHOCK®3 and SIXAXIS®) *6 to be used when watching video content on TVs via PSP at home*7.
Peripheral line-up
One of the products within PSPgo’s peripheral line-up is a new Cradle (PSP-N340) *7 that will become available in stores worldwide concurrently with the release of PSPgo. This new Cradle enables users to charge the PSPgo battery and also enjoy watching video and listening to music. Also included in the peripheral line-up are video-out port cables that enable users to enjoy games and videos on their TVs at home.
With the introduction of PSPgo, SCEI will continue to vigorously expand PlayStation Network’s digital content and services and build a stronger software line-up along with various marketing measures that match each region, while creating the world of computer entertainment only available on the PlayStation platforms.

*1 Content on UMD cannot be played back on PSPgo.

*2 Color variations may differ by countries and regions.

*3 Media Go also supports PSP-1000/2000/3000. For those PSP users, the software is available for download from PlayStation Store official site (http://store.playstation.com)., “Media Manager for PSP” will not support access to PlayStation Store, and it is required to use “Media Go” for accessing PlayStation Store.

*4 SensMe channels also supports PSP-1000/2000/3000. Details will be announced at a later timing.

*5 Head-phone and head-set supporting A2DP, HSP, AVRCP profile can be used. Some head-phones and head-sets may not be supported.

*6 PS3 wireless controller can be used. To register PS3 wireless controller on PSPgo, PS3 is needed. Some buttons and rumble feature will not be supported.

*7 Video-out cables and Cradle are sold separately in stores. Details will be announced at a later timing. Video-out cable and cradle for PSP-2000/3000 cannot be used on PSPgo.

Meanwhile, Sony Ericsson announced the Satio – the phone formerly known as Idou – together with the Yari and Aino, and we went hands-on with all three at their London launch.  With just a week to go until the Palm Pre hits shelves, our sibling-site My Pre offered up the user-guide, Getting Started and Features Guide documents.  We also saw camera samples from the phone, plus heard it will have push-GMail support and native iTunes compatibility. 

In netbooks, it’s been a week of newly polished systems and slightly more unusual hardware.  HP unveiled their Mini 1101, 110 XP and 110 Mi machines, while we saw the first full review of the SmartQ 7 MID and heard that UMID’s mbook M1 will get a few more interesting variants over the next month or so.  With Computex kicking off this week, Viliv have dropped some heavy hints about what they might be announcing, including what sounds like a version of the S5 MID with a QWERTY keyboard.

E3 is just around the corner, and what’s likely to be Sony’s pride and joy, the PSP Go, has leaked.  A compact handheld gaming system almost half the weight of the PSP-3000 and dropping the UMD system in favor of digital download, the PSP Go looks set to go on sale alongside the existing console.

Also suffering leaks a-plenty are Apple, whose next-gen iPhone and iPod nano 5G were both tipped this week.  The former is expected to have Google Latitude support as standard, among other things, while the latter is said to bundle a new camera. It’ll go up against PMP heavyweights like iriver’s P35, which will land in the US sometime this fall, and Microsoft’s new Zune HD.

Finally, we brought you the second part of our behind-the-wheel test drive of the Lincoln MKS, together with reviews of Seagate’s Showcase DVR Storage Expander and the Hantech Siso Tablo.  That just left enough time to slot in a review and video demo of the Tonium Pacemaker Pocket DJ.

Video demo after the cut

Previous rumors have suggested that the PSP Go will hit shelves alongside, rather than replacing, the current PSP-3000; Sony are saying they consider the average lifespan for a product to be 10-years, so the full-size PSP is unlikely to go anywhere soon.  Sony are said to announce Gran Turismo PSP, a new Little Big Planet and a new Metal Gear Solid at E3 as well; they’ll be digital downloads for the PSP Go, as it lacks a UMD slot.  The handheld also has full PlayStation Network support, with access to TV and movie rentals and purchases, and PS3 integration as with the PSP-3000.

Compared to the PSP-3000, the PSP Go is 43-percent lighter.  Engadget Spanish managed to source a promo video of the PSP Go.  The handheld itself is set to launch in fall 2009; there’s no tipped pricing as yet, though earlier rumors pegged it as cheaper than the existing PSP-3000.