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Tale of two portables: Sony NGP vs. Nintendo 3DS

January hasn't even come to a close and we've already been introduced to two brand new portable gaming systems--one from from Nintendo and one from Sony.

At a press event in Tokyo yesterday, Sony revealed its latest endeavor in the portable gaming world with what it is calling the "Next Generation Portable." Boasting PlayStation 3-calibur graphics, two cameras, 3G connectivity, Sixaxis controls, and two touch-sensitive areas, the NGP looks nothing like any of the so-called leaked photos that have circulated on the Internet and is clearly not the same as the Xperia PlayStation Phone.

Now that we know what we can expect from both companies, let's take a look at how the two portable systems stack up.

Hardware It's safe to say the specs Sony has thrown around will clearly outpace the 3DS, as was the case with the companies' last generation of portables. However, as we all know, these details did not have any effect on sales. Sony has taken a page out of the Nintendo DS' book with its touch screen and pad features, but it's far too early to be able to fully grasp what these details really mean for gamers. The Uncharted gameplay video we posted earlier shows a few ways these gestures might be implemented.

The NGP showcases a 960x544-pixel OLED screen, which isn't quite high enough of a resolution to call it portable HD gaming, but judging from videos that are beginning to surface, it's safe to say titles will look spectacular. If the 3DS' main selling point is 3D, we'd imagine the NGP's is its ability to render close to PS3-quality games.

The 3DS and NGP are heavily focused on connectivity, with both systems utilizing Wi-Fi, but the NGP will also allow for GPS, Bluetooth, and 3G data service. In response to the 3DS' Street Pass and Spot Pass player-matchmaking features, the NGP seems like it will revolve around location-based multiplayer functionality with a social feature called Live Area.… Read more

Sony NGP a 'serious threat' to Nintendo 3DS?

If you're excited by the potential of Sony's Next Generation Portable, you're not alone.

Jesse Divnich, a gaming analyst and vice president at Electronic Entertainment Design and Research, says Sony's upcoming device is a shot over the bow of all its competitors.

"The market is ripe for portable high-end gaming," Divnich told GamesIndustry.biz in an article published today. "The NGP will be a serious threat to all forms of portable entertainment."

Divnich didn't mention any other platforms by name, but it's not a stretch to say he was specifically … Read more

Say hello to Sony's NGP (Next Generation Portable): The PSP2

Here it is, Sony's Next Generation Portable, the NGP or the PSP2. Whatever its final name ends up being, the device boasts a healthy set of specs and features, including 3G connectivity, a touch screen, touch pad, two cameras, and a gorgeous OLED screen with four times the resolution of the original PSP.

While we'll continue to post news, impressions, and reactions, here's a your chance to see the new device from every angle.

The Sony NGP/PSP2: What we still don't know

Last night's Tokyo announcement of the PSP2, now known as the Sony Next Generation Portable, revealed details that had been previously mentioned in a variety of rumors. To a large extent, those rumors proved correct: no UMD drive, but a 5-inch high-resolution OLED screen, 3G capabilities, front and rear touch capabilities, and--yes--dual analog sticks are all part of the NGP's design.

However, much as with the first announcement of the Nintendo 3DS, a lot of key details are still undefined.

Battery life This takes the forefront, considering the disappointing life of the PSP and PSP Go. The Nintendo … Read more

PSP2 gameplay video: Uncharted

Some video of gameplay footage for the PSP2 or Next Generation Portable (NGP), as Sony is calling the device, is starting to hit the Internet with much more to come. Our sister site GameSpot covered the announcement in Japan and has a demo "trailer" for Uncharted. Several other titles are in the works, including Wipeout, Killzone, LittleBigPlanet, Resistance, Hustle Kings, Hot Shot Shots Golf, and NGP exclusives Little Deviants, Reality Fighters, and Gravity Daze.

Sony says the NGP, which doesn't have a price yet and will be released late this year, is graphically as powerful as the … Read more

Sony bringing PlayStation games to Android

Sony, apparently eager to profit from the still relatively immature Android gaming market, announced a program to bring older PlayStation games to Android devices--phones and tablets--that pass the company's certification tests.

The new PlayStation Suite initiative "will not only deliver the PlayStation experience to a wider base of users around the globe, but will also be able to offer game developers and publishers the potential to further expand their business opportunities to these devices," the Sony Computer Entertainment division said today. Also announced is an accompanying developer program to make it easier for programmers to create suitable … Read more

More reports PSP2 is coming next week

It's never official until it's really official, but there continue to be strong indications that Sony will unveil its next-generation PlayStation Portable game console on January 27.

This time Bloomberg News is reporting that two sources who have knowledge of the company's plans say the new handheld will be announced next week. At the press conference, Sony will also "outline a strategy to use its networked entertainment services to share games, movies, and music among handheld products, TVs, and other devices," according to Bloomberg, once again citing a source who wished to remain anonymous.

And … Read more

Rumor: Next iPod Touch to go 3D?

With Nintendo officially rolling out the 3DS today, we thought it worth mentioning that Japanese blog Macotakara reported a few days ago that Apple is considering glasses-free 3D screen technology for a future iPod Touch.

Thanks to a somewhat garbled Google translation, the key quote that blogs are picking up on involves the usual anonymous sources from a vendor potentially supplying parts for the 3D iPod Touch:

According to a source of a company which provides LCD to Apple, they seems to begin preparing to manufacture small glasses-free 3D LCD panel for iPod touch. This 3D LCD panel looks similar … Read more

E Fun launching three new Android tablets

Consumer electronics company E Fun is bumping up its lineup of Android tablets.

Appearing at CES this week, E Fun will be demoing its new Next4, Next5, and Next6 tablets, all with built-in Wi-Fi and access to the Borders e-book store.

Running Android 2.2, the 10.1-inch Next4 will retail for $349.99, while the Android 2.1-equipped 7-inch Next6 will cost consumers $269.99. Both models include 2GB of memory, an SD card slot, a viewer for MP3 files and photos, built-in speakers, 25 pre-loaded books, and a G-sensor accelerometer that reacts when you tilt and move the … Read more