PSP2! (or Next Generation Portable - NGP), PS Suite

[Li-Ion]

Information is here and here.

5" OLED touchscreen (16:9, resolution 960x544)
additional touchpad on the back
dual-stick controls
two cameras
uses proprietary flash-based memory cards
approx. dimensions: 182.0 x 18.6 x 83.5mm (width x height x depth)
six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer)
three-axis electronic compass
GPS
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n

Games shown/announced: Uncharted Portable, Metal Gear Solid 4, Killzone, WipeOut, Lost Planet, Resistance, Monster Hunter, Dynasty Warriors and some others
According to sources above the graphics look phenomenal and almost as good as PS3 games.

Additionally PS Suite was announced. PS Suite brings PS One games to Android-based smartphones. That sounds like a declaration of war to Apples App-Store and Game Center. There is no unified gaming platform for Android yet and Sony seems to be convinced to be able to fill that gap.

No price announced yet.

Thoughts?

[crackajack]

The PSP2 looks fine, bringing the PSP concept to the standard i except a PSP2 should have.
2 Sticks as the PSP1 should already have had and the motion-touch-thing mobiles and the DS established, and ~PS3-power. The touchpad on the back seems fine for games were direct controls on the screen would disturb a bit. But a pen has more precision than (fat) fingers. There the DS-solution is the best.
Overall sounds great for those who want to play there console games mobile.
Something like steamplay (+cloud) would be extremely nice if the ports can be done like PS3-twins... then i might be interested a little more. Just get the hardware for some minutes of mobile gaming, but not pay twice for the same game. I would definitely buy a game on the device with bigger screen, i.e. PS3, and not buy both. If it offers such a service, and i get one, eventually some PSP-specific games might also be more interesting.
And the price will hardly be under the already overpriced 3DS but maybe under the heavily overpriced iphone. Still too much compared to PS360.

Originally Posted by Li-Ion

There is no unified gaming platform for Android yet and Sony seems to be convinced to be able to fill that gap.

i-device, Android are established, Live-phone sounds quite competitive, a 4th platform will have a hard time, so just jump on one of the trains sounds right.
Makes it a little more probable that my next phone will be an Android, although i don't know a single PS-One game i want.

Edit:
Just watched a video of the games. While everything that comes for the 3DS looks like last gen, maybe Gamecube standard, with a 3D-gimmick-feature no video can show me and, so far i can trust my imagination, won't excite me, this really is close to the PS3 and looks actually really good. Though the sticks are positioned too low. Might be uncomfortable for me.

[Li-Ion]

The digital foundry pondering about the NGP.

Originally Posted by crackajack

Makes it a little more probable that my next phone will be an Android, although i don't know a single PS-One game i want.

Metal Gear Solid or FFVII? I'm pretty sure the batteries of the phone die by the point the intro finishes

I'm agreeing with you overall.
I'm intrigued by the hardware. The games lineup also sounds pretty impressive (and more diverse than what the 3DS showed so far), considering that you can play the entire PS One library as well. Which is great for me, since I didn't have a PS One and this could be the opportunity for me to get some of the classics.

My buying decision will depend on the retail price of course. If I can get a XBox 360 plus TV for less I will not buy it. The 3DS price is pretty inflated already and I'm afraid Sony might aim even higher.

[frogofdeath]

Who's hands are holding the PSP2, I mean NGP *gag*puke*, in IGN's photos? The hands must be the hands of a small child, or perhaps an elf, for the PSP2 looks ginormous! The specs suggest otherwise, but the picture is quite deceptive.

Looks sleek, but most importantly, what is the price point? The 3DS already has a (too) high price tag and the PSP2 seems to be an itsy bit more powerful Also, is it going to be released stateside in 2011 or is that just Japan? Almost a year head-start definitely helps the 3DS, but a holiday release could really make things interesting.

Lastly, the PSOne library seems like a good idea (especially expanded to other devices). Not sure if this will really be a selling point for me, because honestly that generation (including N64) does not hold up well graphically. Hopefully companies will update the graphics (ala Perfect Dark, Ocarina of Time, and others).

[FidgetyAcolyte]

The idea of touch screen gameplay for Uncharted NGP sounded ridiculous, but then I watched the video. It kinda makes sense for games as streamlined as Uncharted. The touch screen controls kind of act like a "short cut" input rather than an alternative, e.g. sliding your finger across a ledge in order to climb across it, tapping an enemy to stealth kill him rather than having to hold "Sneak+Melee."

Clever touches like this could make it fun. Not sure about the six-axis control. Last thing I need for my portable gaming is for my elbows to hit people while i'm trying to climb a rope.

[gamevet]

With all of these features, Sony is going to have a hard time keeping this under $300.

I've had my PSP for less than 2 years now and was hoping it would last at least another year. I guess I better get the games I want, before retail shoves them out the door.

[FidgetyAcolyte]

Or, you can get the games you want WHILE they push them out. I wonder how the price drops will work though, as they are putting most of the games on PSN now and the prices are holding at around 20 or 30.

I'm surprised at the maintained strength of the system. Its a little engine that did.

[gamevet]

Originally Posted by FidgetyAcolyte

Or, you can get the games you want WHILE they push them out. I wonder how the price drops will work though, as they are putting most of the games on PSN now and the prices are holding at around 20 or 30.

I'm surprised at the maintained strength of the system. Its a little engine that did.

Yeah, I've been picking up used titles on the cheap, but most retailers have pretty much kept the PSP section at the bare minumum. Beyond Fry's and Best Buy, I haven't seen a lot of titles being sold at stores like Walmart or Target.

In Japan, the PSP has had pretty strong support from consumers. North America has been quite the opposite.

[anirudh2308]

HONESTLY, i really don't feel PSVita is that great. Buy a ps3 instead. PSVita uncharted vs PS3 uncharted 3....You will see the difference. PS3 is faaaaaar.... better.