PSP World

5 Reasons to Own a PSP in 2009

We know the type, because we do this ourselves: you rush out to buy the latest gadget, sometimes even waiting in line at midnight with a bunch of other geeks. For a few months, you and your gadget go everywhere together: the mall, the movies, even to class. But after a while, the love affair starts to lose its lustre. Maybe a newer, glossier, thinner or lighter version is revealed (Apple and Nintendo are the worst offenders here). Or maybe you feel like you’ve simply outgrown your silicon-and-lithium-ion crush. This happened for a lot of people who bought PSPs on day one – massive hype led to massive disappointment a few months later as a library of hit games failed to materialize. When the PSP-2000 launched last year, bolstered by recent releases like Daxter, Portable Ops, Siphon Filter, Crisis Core and God of War, it happened again. Once the initial burst of releases wore off, we faced another software drought in North America, this one worse than the previous decline. Now Sony is back with yet another hardware revision, a lineup of interesting looking games, and a new strategy to woo gamers back to their little handheld that almost could. We think they finally have a winner on their hands, and to prove it, here are 5 reasons why you should own a PSP in 2009:

1. The new hardware is mint

Interlacing issues notwithstanding, the media consensus on the PSP 3000 is that it is really, really nice. The new screen features anti-glare coating which finally enables us to play PSP games outdoors. It also features deeper color depth and a faster refresh rate, which eliminates ghosting. The PSP screen is seriously the nicest consumer gadget display on the market, not counting the iPhone. Ad that to TV out functionality, a built-in microphone for Skype (very useful) and matte finish that doesn’t show fingerprints, and you’ve got the best PSP hardware release to date.

2. Firmware Improvements Since Version 1.0

This is not your basic PSP from 2004. There have been a number of major improvements made to the system through official firmware updates since launch, and these have made owning a PSP that much sweeter for those who want to use it for things other than games. To list a few, the PSP now sports an RSS reader, WMA file playback, Web browser, Internet radio player, Skype, Youtube support, Remote play for PS3, Location free media streaming, improved digital picture viewer, a peripheral camera, GPS, TV-Out, Support for massive 16 GB memory sticks, and a processor that has now been unlocked to 333 MHz. Phew, those are a lot of changes, all adding up to make the PSP a true Swiss army knife of gadgets.

3. Upcoming Releases from Japan

US developers might have been turned off of the PSP, due to rampant piracy and slow consumer demand in recent years, but in Japan the device is still going strong. A whole plethora of great games is coming up for the System, all of them made by highly-regarded Japanese development studios. Loco Roco 2, Patapon 2, Final Fantasy: Dissidia, Final Fantasy Agito XIII, Undead Knights, Parasite Eve, Kingdom Hearts, Ushiro, Phantasy Star Portable … the list goes on.

Ushiro, the upcoming demonic-possession RPG from Level 5.

4. A PSN renaissance

Industry observers agree that making the Playstation Store accessible from the PSP is a game-changing move by Sony. While it first appears a mere convenience – downloading titles directly to memory stick is fast and eliminates load times – it actually does a lot more than that. But don’t take our word for it. Here is Sony Europe VP of developer relations Zeno Colaço, taking about the new possibilities opened up by the store:

“It gives publishers and developers much more scope in relation to the types of games they can release. If they want to make a massive game, then they can do that, as before, as a boxed product on UMD. But if they want to do a smaller game just released online, or add downloadable content such as new characters to a UMD game, they can do that too. Customisation is a big part of what consumers want these days, so we want to empower developers to be able to add such features and deliver them however they want to.”

The new, smaller-format digital distribution model could let a thousand game projects bloom on the PSP. Just like it did for the iPhone, a PSP App Store could create a win-win-win scenario for Sony, developers, and gamers.

5. Strong First-Party Support

Sony’s new mantra for PSP development is “lead and they will follow”. After some third-party developers failed to reap profit on crappy handheld ports, Sony needd to step in and show publishers how to develop successfully for the handeld. They have focused on taking successful console hits like God of War, and creating standalone experiences based on these franchises that can only be found on the PSP. The upcoming Resistance: Retribution and the not-yet-official LittleBigPlanet PSP are a testament to this new strategy.

As you can see, there are some pretty compelling reasons to come back to the PSP or pick one up for the first time as we head into 2009. You may even have your own completely different list of reasons for lusting after Sony's handheld. Since reporting on everything PSP is literally our lifeblood here at PSP World, we certainly hope that the company's new strategy sticks, and that the device enjoys a long and successful life. [Update: This story has been picked up by the gadget-lovers at DIGG, w00t!]

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