psp2

With rumors heating up that Sony may soon unveil its next-generation PlayStation Portable gaming console, the PSP2, we thought it would be fun to take a look at the various concept designs folks have been posting on the Internet over the last couple of years.

Of course, some of the concepts are pretty far-fetched, but hey, give credit to the artists for letting their imaginations run wild. However, to keep things in context, here's a roundup of rumored features the new PSP2 (code name Veta) may have. As always, take these with a grain of salt, and you should also take into account that Sony is also rumored to be on the verge of releasing a PlayStation phone (may be named Xperia Play). The PSP2 and PSP Phone are supposed to be two separate products, but it's unclear whether Sony will unveil the phone or PSP2 first and whether they're indeed different products (they most probably are).

Either way, the Sony portable game console franchise is need of a boost after having a lackluster year and seeing sales drop off dramatically. Also, Nintendo is already showing of its new 3DS, which will be released in Japan on February 26 (March for the U.S.), so it behooves Sony to announce new PlayStation Portable products sooner rather than later. … Read more

Natali usually guest-hosts with us on Thursdays, but issues with Miles' babysitter means she can only stop by for the first few minutes of today's episode. Today is Miles' second appearance on the podcast, so he's already following in his parents' footsteps, and Natali tells us he's even started using an iPad for games! He's acting more and more like Wilson every day...

Speaking of things we love, Chatroulette may have finally found a way to monetize the exhibitionists who expose themselves on the site.

The service just introduced a content control system that lets you flag anyone engaging in indecent behavior, and a user is banned if he or she gets warned too many times in a short space of time, which Chatroulette hopes will cut down on all the random genitalia marring the experience.

On the other hand, the service has also started redirecting flagged users to an adult Web site that gives Chatroulette a cash reward for every referral, netting the company $100,000 in monthly revenue. With only three people actually working the site, it sounds like Chatroulette's going to be around for a very long time.

After a long wait, the PSP2 might finally debut at a Sony event in Tokyo at the end of this month. Two gaming sites have reported that Sony will lift the curtain on its next-generation handheld gaming device that could feature a rear-mounted touchpad, an HD display, and a larger screen than legacy models.

No word yet on pricing, but we're hoping Sony will use the press conference to address the leaked images of a fabled PlayStation Phone as well! OK, fine, only Jeff and Wilson care; I'm still deciding whether to go with AT&T or Verizon for my next iPhone.

Links from Thursday's episode of Loaded:

Spotify and Shazam team up to help you find and purchase music

Sony may be announcing a new PSP soon

Facebook teams up with the Amber Alert system

Google will start selling ads on music videos in mobile YouTube

Google launches Google Places for iPhone

Microsoft launches a Web and app building site called WebMatrix

A new report in the Journal of Cosmology discusses the specifics of mating in space

When pressed to find a disappointment in the gaming space this year, GameStop senior vice president of merchandising and marketing, Bob McKenzie, pointed to Sony's PSP.

"If I were to pick a disappointment, the only thing would be looking at the number of titles that launched on the PSP format compared to the prior year," McKenzie told video game publication Eurogamer in a recent interview. "I think Sony did a great job two years ago in terms of coming out with a pretty good lineup of PSP offerings, and I didn't see that breadth of … Read more

We expected it for months, we heard rumors of its existence, and now photos have appeared seeming to confirm that a PlayStation phone is real. Such a device could simultaneously revive the flailing PSP platform and inject a truly gaming-ready smartphone into the Android ecosystem capable of competing with Apple.

We have our wish list of features we'd like to see, but based on what we've seen thus far, details are scarce. Some tech specs have been reported, but beyond that, there's a lot we still don't know. Among the many uncertainties, several unanswered questions come … Read more

With the PSP Go pretty much a no-go in terms of sales, Sony has been rather quiet on the portable game console front. But now, the rumor mills are astir with actual sightings of a new PSP2 for late 2011 that will feature a touchpad on the rear.

According to the lucky eyewitnesses who have seen the upcoming device, the touch panel resembles "a big mouse trackpad" that will allow users to control their game alongside dual analog sticks.

With everything going HD these days, we can expect the PSP2 screen to be no less than high-definition. It'… Read more

Update (September 28, 2009): Read the full, hands-on review of the Sony PSP Go.

The PSP Go may have been the worst-kept secret of this year's E3 show, but Sony's press conference has now supplied the official details. For the most part, there's little that wasn't already revealed or correctly assumed: the PSP Go is smaller, has a slide-up screen, no UMD drive--and no game-changing upgrades, such as a touch screen or second analog stick. But the big news is that the new PSP will be available in North America on October 1 for $249.

Here's a roundup of the PSP Go's features and specs, as we understand them so far.… Read more