Ever since E3 2009, we’ve been approached by a number of people all hampered with the question, “Why should I buy the PSP Go?” In this piece, we’ll look at the reasons for choosing the PSP Go over its older brother the PSP-3000, and discuss the platforms strengths and possible weaknesses.

The Portable Platform

The Playstation Portable was named just that for a reason. It was designed as a portable platform, for portable playing sessions in remote places. Sadly, it’s never quite felt like that. The clunky feel of the original PSP and invisible screen in general lighting made it impossible to play the system outside, and while the PSP-3000 went someway to fix those problems, the overall design of the system hampered its portability. Cue: the PSP Go.

The PSP Go is 43% lighter than the original PSP (lighter in fact than an iPhone) and significantly smaller in width and thickness due to a slightly reduced screen and new slide functionality. That makes the system perfect for pocket use; where like any good portable equipment you cannot feel its presence. The original PSP design often led to bulk in the pocket restricting its portability.

That is coupled with the fact that the original breed of PSPs ran on UMD. UMDs were Sony’s grand development for the portable space – a small optical disc that could store up to 1.8GB of data. Unfortunately for Sony, the format received a large deal of criticism from developers due to the hackable nature of the format and the lack of writers/blank media.

For the consumer, UMD presented its own problems. Not only does the UMD format increase load time (due to the number of internal moving parts) but it also means fumbling to change game when travelling. Again we return to the portable aspect of the system. With the PSP Go running from data stored on the system’s memory, content can easily be switched at the speed of navigating to the relevant option via the XMB. No bag space will be required to store the cases of alternative UMDs; all content is on board the pocket sized system.

The Playstation Store

It’s genuinely an innovative move to make the PSP Go a digital download only system. A move probably forced by Apple’s iPhone, but still a bold one at that. We appreciate some people like to have their game collection on display and if you are one of those people, then we probably don’t recommend the PSP Go. However, there are advantages to downloading content.

It’s worth remembering that the PSP-3000 is perfectly capable of running downloadable games too. The latest firmware updates provide access to the Playstation Store. Still, you’ll be doing it with significantly less memory available. The PSP-3000 accepts one Sony Pro-Duo memory card which can store up to 16GB at the moment; the PSP Go comes with that much space on board and support for a Memory Stick Micro – offering the possibility to store at least 32GB in total. While we would have appreciated more on-board space, that’s enough for at least 20 games; all of which will be accessible from the XMB.

It’s also worth nothing that where-ever there is a wireless Internet connection, you’ll be able to sync your PSP up to the Playstation Store and download content. Imagine train trips to university, where you buy and download your latest game during a lecture and play it on the way home on the train. It’s true portable gaming, only hindered by the requirement of a wireless Internet connection. Perhaps a missed opportunity on Sony’s part to go the full hog and introduce mobile phone networking, but a sure step in the right direction towards making the PSP a real portable system.

Aesthetics & Feel

If you’re still undecided about whether this system is for you, perhaps it’s best to consider the aesthetics and feel of the system. The PSP Go launches on October 1st and makes some significant changes to the original face layout of the Playstation Portable. The analogue nub is now placed more in line with the DualShock (to the right of the D-Pad) and the system as a whole keeps the hands closer together due to the screen’s alternative placement.

It may be worthwhile holding out on your purchasing decision to spend some time with both of the systems and make your choice that way. After all, part of the gaming experience is feeling comfortable with the controls and there are signicant changes between the faces of the PSP Go and PSP-3000.

Pros:

To summarise, let’s discuss the pros and cons of the new PSP Go system.

• Greater portability.
• Smaller size, reduced weight.
• Bigger potential space cache for more games.
• Shorter loading times/less mechanical parts (due to lack of UMD).

Cons:

• Potential redundancy of content for those who have already invested in a UMD collection.
• High price tag.
• Space cache may be quickly absorbed by avid users.
• Smaller screen.

With Sony’s pledge to support both the PSP Go and PSP-3000, it honestly doesn’t feel like choosing is a burgeoning choice. Naturally as a consumer you’ll want to get the system that offers the best value for money, but with the PSP Go and PSP-3000 clearly being marketed at slightly different people, at the end of the day, like most things, the purchase decision will come down to a matter of taste and preference.

Where do you stand?

Source : http://www.pushsquare.com/5100/why-choose-the-sony-psp-go/

closeAuthor: Dan Massi Name: Dan Massi
Email: dan.massi@playstationlifestyle.net
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At a $250 price tag, many gamers are being skeptical before diving into purchasing the new PSP Go. However, it seems that the amount may be justified a bit more now.

According to a Best Buy product listing, the PSP Go will come packaged with a voucher (as the Go does not come with a UMD drive) for the Rock Band Unplugged demo. The listing reveals that the PSP Go comes with the “PSP Go system, USB cable, AC adapter, and Rock Band Unplugged voucher.”

As well, Best Buy seems to be the only online retailer to be carrying this Rock Band Unplugged demo voucher, so for now this simply looks like a Best Buy exclusive. However, keep your eyes peeled as we’ll be bringing you all the updates on any PSP Go hardware bundles out there.

Source : http://playstationlifestyle.net/2009/08/06/psp-going-unplugged-with-rock-band/

Officially unveiled at this year’s E3, this all-digital piece of technological wizardry is supposed to launch on October 1 with a price tag of $250. At the time, many gamers responded with skepticism to that price, although Sony insisted it was fair, considering everything you get with the PSP Go and the fact that the original PSP launched at the same price. That couldn’t stop the negative press, though, so perhaps Sony is taking the appropriate strides…? According to PSInsider, there appears to be a good chance that we’ll see price cuts for both the PS3 and the currently unreleased PSP Go. There’s also the chance of seeing the PS3 Slim introduced at a cheaper price, too, but for now, our focus is on that new handheld iteration. There has been plenty of good feedback concerning the benefits and merits of the new portable, and really, the only major complaint has focused on the retail price (well, that, and the lack of a second analog stick). We suppose Sony might offer a watered-down PSP Go for a cheaper price, but that’s just more speculation…

Well, whatever happens, we shouldn’t have much longer to wait. All of this should be cleared up at the GamesCom event in Cologne on August 18. So you don’t need to squirm in your seat forever.

Source : http://www.psxextreme.com/psp-news/1760.html

The updated Fact Sheet direct from Sony Computer Entertainment follows below, ad verbatim:

FACT SHEET

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment, Cambridge Studios / Media Molecule
Platform: PSP®(PlayStation®Portable) system
Genre: Creative Gaming
Players: 1
Launch timing: Fall/Winter 2009
Rating: “RP” for Rating Pending

OVERVIEW
LittleBigPlanet™, the PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) hit that won various Game of the Year Awards last year and is credited with defining the “creative gaming” genre, is coming to the PSP®(PlayStation®Portable) for the first time. Developed by Sony Computer Entertainment’s Cambridge Studio in close collaboration with the award-winning Media Molecule team, LittleBigPlanet™PSP allows player to bring the beloved Sackboy™ with them on the go.

LittleBigPlanet PSP is a world of endless possibilities where imagination and creativity is king. In this stylish and stitched-together 3D craft material world, there is fun to be had for all ages, tastes and player types. On this portable LittleBigPlanet there are over 30 new developer-created levels through 7 new themed locations to explore and Play. Players will also find a huge host of materials, tools and stickers to Create objects or even levels that suit their style. And, pivotal to the creative LittleBigPlanet community, players will be able to publish their creations online to Share with others via PLAYSTATION®Network. Levels and objects can then be ranked so the best of the best rise to the top.

PLAY, CREATE & SHARE
The LittleBigPlanet experience starts with players customizing Sackboy, the loveable main character on LittleBigPlanet. From there, players Play and learn about Sackboy’s powers to interact physically with the surrounding environment while navigating through over 30 vibrant themed environments. Players make their way across these worldly levels, avoiding obstacles, solving puzzles and collecting items that can be used to make their own creations.

To Create, players use the simple “Popit” menu system to access all of Sackboy’s materials, stickers, tools to bring their imaginations to life. Here, players have the power to build and move around any object in the game’s colorful landscape. All materials and objects have realistic physical properties and will behave accordingly. With a robust tool set at their disposal, the sky is the limit. Once the object or level is completed, players can publish and Share their creative works with the community via the PLAYSTATION Network. Of course, they can download and explore other players’ creations as well.

LittleBigPlanet continues to bring its revolutionary concept and the most accessible design tools to the videogame industry, this time in a portable form with LittleBigPlanet PSP. On this LittleBigPlanet, the world is full of infinite possibilities, where imagination becomes reality and the powers of creation are firmly in the players’ hands.

KEY FEATURES

PLAY, CREATE, SHARE – LittleBigPlanet PSP allows players to not only play ready-made in-game levels, but to also create their own game levels and share them with others across the world via the PLAYSTATION Network. All while on the go!
CUSTOMIZED EXPERINCE – Whether the player is a fashion designer, an architect, or aspiring video game developer, they can show their talents off with the easy-to-use creation tools to build and share objects or entire levels.
GET CREATIVE – Players will have a full array of stickers, decorations, materials (glass, metal, sponge, polystyrene, cardboard and rubber), bolts (springs, motor and wobble bolts), switches, and rods, to choose from to create their unique game levels for fun or competitive gameplay.
THIRTY NEW LEVELS ACROSS 7 THEMES – LittleBigPlanet PSP delivers new content with new levels and territories to play and explore.

With the release of a number of big names for PSP set for this winter, Sony’s handheld system will hopefully get the software kick it need’s to create enough anticipation for the forthcoming hardware revision, PSP Go. Electronic Theatre will keep you updated.

Source : http://electronictheatre.co.uk/index.php/playstation-portable/playstation-portable-news/2570-littlebigplanet-psp-updated-fact-sheet

At Sony’s E3 2009 Press Conference Kaz Hirai announced along side the Media Go application, another application called SensMe.  SensMe takes your stored music, or video, and creates a playlist according to your mood.  The application wasn’t shown during the conference, and we haven’t heard much about it since.

Today we got our hands on two screenshots of the upcoming application for the PSP, and PSP Go.

Source : http://playstationlifestyle.net/2009/07/31/psp-gos-sensme-first-look/

I liked what I saw and touched.

Chad Sapieha

Sony’s new PSP Go, due October 1st, is much smaller than previous models and is designed to make the most of emerging digital distribution models.

About the size of a smartphone, this is the first PSP that made me feel as though I could just slip it into my pocket. The screen is a smidgeon smaller than previous models, but it’s the same resolution and still a bit larger than, say, the iPhone’s touch display.

A control panel slides out from the bottom of the device, revealing what felt to me like a much superior analog stick that was slightly recessed and rotated more easily than those of previous PSPs.

Another new hardware addition is Bluetooth. Players will be able to use their existing PlayStation 3 Bluetooth headsets for online games, and future Bluetooth peripherals—including headphones for those who use their PSPs as music players—are in the works.

But the big story with the PSP Go is that the UMD disc slot is gone. The device plays only downloaded games. Hundreds of back-catalogue titles and all future PSP releases will be made available for download through the PlayStation Store at prices equal to their UMD counterparts (which will still be sold to accommodate those who own older PSP models).

The unit’s built-in 16 GB solid state drive can hold up to 30 PSP games, which typically range in in size from 600 to 900 MB each. However, a Memory Stick Micro slot allows players to expand that capacity as much as they like. And, unlike the expandable memory of, say, the Wii, games can be run off of removable memory (assuming they were downloaded via the same device—Sony’s DRM locks the software to the hardware through which it was acquired).

Not surprisingly, the download-only nature of the PSP Go has some brick-and-mortar retailers concerned that they’ll be cut out of the PSP software picture, and, more than that, that the PSP Go model is indicative of the future of console game distribution as well. And that’s to say nothing of their obvious concern that downloaded games can’t be resold, which would effectively kill many retailers’ lucrative used game business.

Hence the reason why Sony has sent one of its top executives on a mission to assuage these fears. Mr. Koller told me that not only will UMD editions of future releases still be offered at retail, but also that gamers will be able to purchase cards with download codes at traditional retailers rather than online. He also said his company is working with retailers to make them part of the download model, leveraging their knowledge and experience in helping customers select the games they like (though he declined to elaborate on what that might mean).

Still, there’s no denying that digital distribution is a scary prospect for the EB Games and Microplays of the world. I wouldn’t like to be the one trying to convince them that it won’t take a bite out of their business.

Source : http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/controller-freak/hands-on-with-the-psp-go/article1227531/

T3 have an exclusive review of the new PSP Go alongside a video hands-on. They praise the system’s portability and promise of instant access to games but question whether switching to the Go will be worthwhile for PSP-3000 owners. They do however conclude that the most interesting thing about the PSP Go will be how it competes against the iPod Touch — something that the product is marketed against.

With the price seemingly set at £229 here in the UK, who’s going to be picking up the PSP Go when it launches in October?

Source : http://www.pushsquare.com/4865/t3-go-hands-on-with-the-playstation-portable-go/

Then, as we reported at the time, news and pictures of the PSP Go leaked all over the internet.

Now, launch has been confirmed for October 1 in the USA and Europe, and at a price that puts it at the high end of the market, in direct competition with the likes of Apple’s iPod touch. It’s an ambitious target for Sony to aim for. So, how does it measure up?

What’s so different about it?
Let’s start with the design. The familiar control panel now slides out from under the screen, making for a more compact and pocket-friendly package. This gives the new machine the feel of a well made mobile phone, rather than a games console. Built-in Bluetooth technology adds to this impression. Everyone in the Times Online office who has seen it has oohed over it.

//

The machine comes with 16GB of storage space built in, for music, videos, games and more. Additional storage space can be added via Sony Memory Stick Micro.

The big difference is that there is no UMD drive for games or movies. This is a machine designed exclusively for internet downloads, via the built-in wi-fi.

When can I get one?
The PSP Go will be released in the USA and Europe on October 1. The USA price is $250, but a UK price is yet to be announced.

So, how does it feel?
In a word, fine. Although the controls are differently positioned relative to the screen, they feel instantly familiar from the earlier PSP and PSP 3000. The menu, too, feels like an old friend as it’s similar to that used on the PlayStation 3 and the current crop of Sony TVs, with which the PSP Go is designed to integrate.

What’s it like as a multimedia device?
First impressions are that it’s nothing more than adequate. I plugged the PSP Go into my home iMac, where it showed up as an external hard drive, a good start. There then followed an hour of video conversion into various formats and dragging and dropping. None of the files I dropped into the video folder would play. Even though the machine supposedly supports MP4 and AVI, several files that play perfectly on a PlayStation 3 were here invisible or unsupported. I wish Sony would add a few more of the PS3’s capabilities here. In terms of music, MP3s were no problem, but on this evidence, I would not at present swap my iPod touch for a PSP Go, and make no mistake, that’s the price point the PSP Go is going to be pitched at.

Why is it download only?
Although Sony’s official line on piracy is to maintain silence, so as not to draw attention to it, the PSP has proven relatively vulnerable to hackers and crackers, and the volume of pirated games available for download on the internet has affected the console badly. The lack of compelling recent releases is directly attributable to developers’ reluctance to put out games for a platform where they know their work will be pirated overnight, and profits will be at best small, at worst non-existent. This is Sony’s attempt to regain control and lure back the games makers.

Hmmm, not sure about this so far. Is there anything else I should know?
Well, yes. Although Sony is – again – not commenting officially, industry insiders believe that the company is preparing to launch a subscription-based games rental service at the same time as the new machine. For a fixed regular fee, this promises to give players the right to download and play an agreed number of titles per month. Sony is likely to make an official announcement at the GamesCom trade fair in Cologne, Germany, next month, when issues such as the lifespan of rented titles should also become clearer. The games service could also serve as a platform for new developers to make simple games available for download at little or no cost. Think Apple App store. A movie rental service, similar to that available on Microsoft’s Xbox Live, is also a possibility, with Sony at last putting its ownership of a film studio to good use.

Any other issues?
Again, yes. When the PSP Go was unveiled at E3 in Los Angeles in June, the first reaction from retailers was less than positive. Put yourself in their shoes. If Sony does take direct control of software distribution, what’s in it for them if there are no games to sell? A compromise deal has reportedly been reached, under which Sony will sell rental credits, like iTunes gift certificates, via leading retailers.

The verdict
This is a good machine, and it’s key for Sony for it to be a success. However, in an age where our phones come with games libraries, and video and music playback, it does feel like it’s come a year late to the multimedia party. If I were in the driving seat at Sony, I’d make sure that it played as many file formats as possible, even if it does go against the grain for a company with its own music and film arms. The choice of games on the review console was very restricted, but the screen was bright and the action fluid. Still, at $250, it’s going to need some compelling titles available to download from day one.

Source : http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article6730650.ece

“We also felt – like many users – that we wish we had a second analog on the PSP,” the executive admitted to Game Informer magazine.

“But we are talking about the mid-life cycle of this platform, and the PSP Go is designed to be perfectly compatible with the PSP-3000 and all the games that released before that.

“So we had a very serious discussion about this particular subject, but we decided not to add a second analog, and some of the developers are doing quite a nice job translating the second analog functionality to different buttons. We didn’t want to divert their efforts either.”

Would you have preferred two thumb sticks, folks?

Source : http://play.tm/news/25780/psp-go-twin-analogue-sticks-were-axed/