iDOLM@STER For PSP Announced

Until now, nerds who wanted to play Namco's pop idol sim THE iDOLM@STER had two choices: Play the arcade versions or play the Xbox 360 versions. But not every owns an Xbox 360 in Japan. (Shocking, we know.) Good news! There's a new option as Namco Bandai is releasing the game on the PSP. Dubbed THE iDOLM@STER SP, this one player game almost looks like a port of the arcade version with PSP-tweaked graphics. There is a new "mail check" system where players have to check the idol's email from magazine writers, stylists and fans. Since Namco Bandai won't be able to make a killing on DLC like it has with the Xbox 360, the company is releasing three versions of the game with three characters spliced into each one. Maximum profits! The three versions (with characters) are:

More Shots Of The Rumored PSP-3000

Additional "spy" photos of the alleged PSP-3000 hardware update that we posted last night have come to our attention, again courtesy of the PSPChina.net message board. These shots show off what appears to be a working prototype of the PlayStation Portable, said to have built-in microphone support, among other alleged new functionality.

Hit the jump for exciting photos of the new thinner PSP ring, another look at the PS button and one more cosmetic change. While you do say, chant "This is a rumor, this is a rumor."

Rounding Up Sony's E3 Presser Announcements

Jack Tretton took the stage at Sony's E3 2008 press conference and proclaimed it "the year of the PS3." Reflecting on the oft-touted ten-year lifespan of the PS2, the underlying message seemed to be similar to what we heard from Sony in the past: Just wait, a little bit more.

Sony dropped few big bombs during its press conference, which lasted an hour and a half, but did have plenty of details to reveal: just in case you missed something, we've got complete Cliff's Notes from Sony's presser for you after the jump.

Posters on the PSPChina BBS are claiming that Sony is planning on releasing a hardware update to the currently available PSP, model number 2000, one that includes a built-in microphone, updated buttons, a few cosmetic changes and possibly even cell phone support.

As can be seen in the picture above, the Home button on the original and current PSP models is now occupied by a PS button, similar to the one on the PlayStation 3 controller. One could assume that Sony would have made the Home to PS change in an attempt to prevent confusion with its Home service. The purported microphone is to the right of the volume buttons.

More pics after the jump.

In an age where 20 hour games are long, Valhalla Knights 2 is an anomaly. It takes between 60 to 80 hours to complete and up to 135 hours if you want to fully complete it. The game was penned by the scenario writer for Final Fantasy XII so it does have a very involving story. Good news is that you won't spend most of that 135 hours grinding as there's even sneaking abilities so you don't have to constantly engage in battle. Also, no random encounters. Yay!

Fun With Trivia: Passing Around Buzz! Master Quiz

Remember being a kid and playing those talking electronic trivia games that you were supposed to pass back and forth among your friends? Sony and Relentless Software's Buzz! Master Quiz put me in mind of those sort of games, only this time, hosted by a big-headed Muppet of a blond guy and featuring several different types of trivia games.

The neat part about this is the different types of game modes there are. You can play just by your lonesome with your PSP, you can use game sharing among your friends, or use the "Pass Around" mode, in which up to six of you can play the same game by passing around one PSP. It was the latter mode I checked out with the Sony reps, and I was surprised at how neat turning one PSP into a pass-around trivia game can be.

Atari: Witchers, RPGs, Cooks, and ... Deer Hunters

I hung at Sony's swanky booth (there were blue lights and white shag carpets, ooh!) to take a look at the just-announced Resistance: Retribution for PSP, coming in Spring 2009. I got to pick the brain of assistant producer Caley Roberts to find out more about the title.

Nathan Hale doesn't feature in Retribution at all — instead, we've got a new character named James Grayson, a Private in the British forces.

Backstory on the game is that Grayson's brother, an RAF pilot, gets shot down, and Grayson goes in to look for him — and finds him on a table, the Chimera's newest conversion project. This means, of course, that Grayson's got to kill his own bro, and this makes him into a vengeful Chimera-slaughtering machine. He goes AWOL on a rampage, gets bagged for treason, and that's where the game starts.

D3 Publisher: Boobs, Sheep, and Aliens, Oh My!

Apogee Making Duke Nukem The Forrest Gump Of WW2

While the Duke Nukem Trilogy trailer was a blast, it told us absolutely nothing about the planned handheld trilogy. Fortunately, Apogee's Terry Nagy is a little more forthcoming. He says the games will see Duke as "the Forest Gump of World War II", and in doing so explain how he got the name Duke Nukem. And how do you do a "Forrest Gump in WWII" storyline? Nagy says you do it like this: "It was really Duke that sunk the Bismarck. It wasn't the British." The games will be appearing on both PSP and DS, but judging from the state of that trailer, they won't be appearing for a while.

Duke Nukem Trilogy Details: Duke Heads to WW2, Apogee Talks Possible PC Release & DS Censorship [Shacknews]

No, Valkyria Chronicles Isn't Coming To PSP

When Sony showed off Sega's Valkyria Chronicles as part of its upcoming PSP line-up, alongside titles like Resistance: Retribution and LocoRoco 2, we thought.... "Wait. Valkyria Chronicles? For the PSP?!" It was, inarguably, the best looking PSP game on display.

The reason for that is that Valkyria Chronicles is a PlayStation 3 title. Chalk its appearance at Sony's E3 media briefing up to a massive blunder on Sony's part. Sega president Simon Jeffery sounded none too pleased about the flub when we talked to him earlier today and hinted that Sony was on the receiving of serious tongue-lashing from the publisher. Oops!

Tretton: Sony Considering PSP with Harddrive

Sony has thought about and continues to play around with the idea of building a Playstation Portable with a built in hard drive or internal memory, Jack Tretton, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America, said this morning at a gather of game writers.

"I think we definitely thought about it," he said. "I think that's the trend moving forward."

With the recently announced ability to purchase movies on a Playstation 3 and move them over to a Playstation Portable, and as the cost of memory continues to drop, the chance that a new Playstation Portable would include some sort of internal storage option is becoming increasingly likely, Tretton said.

Sony Announce New $200 PSP Bundle

Come Christmas time, Sony don't want to sell a few PSPs. They want to sell millions of them. So, to sweeten any prospective deals they may or may not be making with consumers come holiday season, the company will be offering a new PSP bundle, which will go on sale in October. It'll consist of a silver PSP, Ratchet & Clank Size Matters, a UMD movie (yet to be determined), a voucher to download Echochrome and a 1GB memory stick. All that will be going for $200.

LocoRoco 2, Resistance: Retribution Among New PSP Titles

PSP Firmware Update Readies Handheld For Movie Download Service

When Sony announced the latest PSP firmware update - 4.05, if you're keeping track - the other day, they said it introduced some new music visualisers. That and some mysterious "other features". They're less mysterious now, as Sony's support site says they introduce "support for [the] PLAYSTATION Store Movies and TV video service". Not that it matters now, but with Sony's E3 address taking place in only a few of hours, it will probably matter very soon. Stay tuned.

Knowledge Center [Sony, via PS3F]

PSP: 10 Million Sold (In Japan)

Apogee Return To Feast On The Living (And Duke Nukem)

Five new Patapon 2 screens. Count 'em if you want. But know anyone who goes beyond counting, and starts chanting "pata", "pata", "pata" while browsing will be promptly shown the door.