16GB PSP Go revealed

Though Sony’s E3 Press Conference isn’t until 11:00 a.m. on June 2, one of its centerpieces appears to have been prematurely exposed. A YouTube video of what appears to be the next issue of the PlayStation-focused video magazine Qore has revealed that Sony will use its event to unveil a new PSP model, the PSP Go.

As had been widely rumored, the PSP Go will have a sliding form factor like the Mylo, Sony’s ill-fated Internet communicator device. The new handheld–which does not sport a second thumbstick–is shown several times in the video, which features Qore host Veronica Belmont and John Koller, director of hardware marketing at Sony Computer Entertainment America. According to Koller, the main differences between the PSP Go and the PSP-3000 are “on-board memory, the flash memory, and 16 gigs of space. There’s Bluetooth on board as well, so you can use a Bluetooth headset, and you can actually tether it to your cell phone as well. But ultimately, it’s the portability. Since you can bring all that content with you in a smaller form factor, you’ve got the most immersive games to play, and now you’ve got a smaller unit to do it with.”

Koller also said the emphasis will be on downloadable games. “Little Big Planet, Jak & Daxter, and even a new Metal Gear Solid coming–all of those games will be available. So will all the first-run movies you can rent or buy on the PlayStation Network. So you can bring so much content over with you and fill up that 16 gig of flash memory.” (Emphasis added.) The new MGS PSP game was previously hinted at in a Web post by the Japanese arm of the 7/11 convenience store chain.

Koller also appears to reveal that the long-lost PSP Gran Turismo Mobile game–first shown off in 2004–will resurface at next week’s expo. “There are games like Gran Turismo being announced at E3,” said the executive.

Host Belmont then asks, “So since it’s called the PSP Go, I would image it will work with Remote Play as well.” Koller responds with the following blanket statement: “Integration with the PS3 is very important, and it works just like the PSP-3000. A lot of people like to be able to take their PS3 content with them on the go.”

As for the PSP Go supplanting its predecessor, Koller said flatly: “It won’t replace the PSP-3000. We’re going to keep them both on the market.” Koller did not mention a price, release date, or whether or not it would have a touchscreen when closed. Sony Computer Entertainment America reps had not responded to requests for comment as of press time.

[UPDATE] A second video from Qore shows the PSP Go in even greater detail, and also reveals its logo. The handheld will have a 3.8 inch screen–versus the PSP-3000’s 4.3-inch screen–and will be 43 percent lighter than the original, and will have “all digital content,” according to Koller. “The UMD drive goes away…and it has a Memory Stick Micro, so you can add memory to it if you like…It will be something the digitally savvy consumer can really enjoy,” he explains, before revealing some new PSP games will be download-only.

The full YouTube video is below, although the sound and images are out of sync. It appears to also show a version of the original Warhawk for the PSP:

Nintedndo DSi

The latest and greatest hand held is here!! The Nintendo DSi is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS hand held developed and manufactured by Nintendo.It was released in Japan on November 1, 2008 and is scheduled for release in Australia on April 2, 2009, Europe on April 3, 2009 and North America on April 5, 2009. The character “i” in DSi is symbolic of its two cameras representing an “eye” and also the subject “I” and its personal individuality.The console’s official slogan is “What will you and i do?”.

The Nintendo DSi is about 12% thinner (2.6 mm) than the Nintendo DS Lite, but slightly longer. The new handheld has two VGA (0.3 megapixel) digital cameras; one on the internal hinge pointed towards the user and the second one in the outer shell. It also has larger screens (3.25 inches, instead of the previous 3 inches) and improved speakers.Yui Ehara, the designer of DSi’s outer shell, wanted to keep the unit “neat” and “simple” with its new features. The power switch has been replaced with a power button, as the original DS had, now located next to the bottom left side of the touchscreen. For DS software its power button also serves as a soft reset to return to the main menu. While for DSi software, Kentaro Mita who is responsible for relaying ideas from the company to the team commented “you can move around, return to the menu, or play a different game, without shutting down the power every time”. Once at the main menu, DS cards can be hotswapped. The DSi has a matte surface to prevent fingerprints from showing up, as opposed to the glossier finish the DS Lite has. The speaker apertures were altered due to the redundancy of circular perforations on its shell and since the change can be noticeable while keeping the unit neat. Ehara pushed for this alteration to also make consumers see more of a distinction between the DSi and its predecessors.Excluding North America, Nintendo will release the handheld in both matte black and matte white. Japan received pink, lime green and metallic blue colors on March 20, 2009.

The DSi has five brightness settings compared to the DS Lite’s four; however, battery life is reduced to 9–14 hours on the lowest brightness setting compared to the 15–19 hours of its predecessor.The unit uses a 840mAh battery compared to 1000mAh for the DS Lite.

Nintendo stated that to improve portability without sacrificing durability, the front slot for Game Boy Advance (GBA) cartridges has been removed. As a result, the unit has lost its backward compatibility with GBA Game Paks[34] and its compatibility with accessories that require the GBA slot, such as the Nintendo DS Rumble Pak, as well as the Guitar Hero: On Tour and Guitar Hero: On Tour Decades grip, which is required to play those games.

Technical specifications

Nintendo has released few technical details regarding the DSi system. Nintendo has also improved some of the DSi’s hardware (compared to the DS Lite), such as the main CPU and the RAM.

* CPUs: The main CPU is an ARM processor clocked at 133 MHz.
* RAM: 16 MB of RAM (four times more than previous models)
* Storage: 256 MB of internal Flash memory (Also has SD/SDHC card expansion slot)
* Wireless: 802.11 internal wireless connectivity

The downside?

Can Nintendo do anything wrong? Just the 1 thing  - No MP3 playback. DOH!

Check out the Nintendo DSi Gallery: