Gaming Junk

Keeping with the general rambling about media theme, how about Sony’s announcement of the Playstation Portable? Here’s the rundown from the Magic Box:

Sony is finally entering the handheld market! SCE announced a new handheld system called PlayStation Portable (PSP), which will utilize Sony’s Universal MiniDisc (UMD) as the media. Each UMD can hold 1.8GB of data, and the dimension is 60mm. Ken Kutaragi mentioned that this is the Walkman of the 21st Century. The PlayStation Portable will launch by the end of 2004, pricing and details on development tools will be announced in summer. Here are the full specs:

• PlayStation Portable (PSP)
• Media: Universal Media Disc (UMD) with case, 1.8GB (double layer), 60mm; with Anti-Piracy technology
• Display: 4.5″ TFT LCD, 16:9 Widescreen, with Backlit
• Video Codec: Ability to playback MPEG4 encoded video
• Resolution: 480 x 272 pixels
• Graphics: 3D polygons and NURBS (Non Uniform Rational B-Spline)
• Sound: PCM, 3D sound, ATRAC, AAC, reconfigurable DSP, built-in stereo speakers, stereo headphone output
• Processor: 32-bit core, architecture, embedded DRAM, 90nm technology, super one-chip solution with graphics, sound, etc
• Expansion: Can be connected with PS2 and other PSP using USB 2.0
• I/O: USB 2.0, Memory Stick, wireless communication, GPS
• Battery: Rechargeable U-ion, optional AC/DC adapter
• Territory: No regional lockout, can run games from all regions
• Release Date: 2004

Here’s another article about the PSP. It’s about fucking time, with guys out there making portable versions out of old PS1’s, you’d think Sony would wake up and smell the missing cash from it’s wallet. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of content Nintendo starts churning out with a serious competitor in the portable arena.

Now the big question is, how long before the first modchip comes out?