Looking back over the past year in video games it's surprising that so much good and so much bad happened in just 12 months.

Perhaps the biggest news of the last year was that despite the teeth-gritting optimism of industry leaders, 2009 proved that video games are not actually recession proof. Console makers Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo all saw drops in sales and both Sony and Microsoft cut expenses and staff to deal with the losses.

Electronic Arts, Activision and THQ all had deep cuts. Midway Games, founded in 1958 and once the U.S. distributor of Space Invaders, was shuttered. Other victims of the recession included Eidos, Atomic, GRIN and Microsoft Flight Sim makers ACES.

The recession also lead to price cuts for all three major consoles, with the Playstation 3, Wii and Xbox 360 all dropping in price.

And not everything was doom and gloom for the industry in 2009.

Apple finally got into gaming, realizing the potential of their iPhone and iPod Touch and seemingly single-handedly reinvigorated the mobile game market.

Early in the year Nintendo released their DSi portable console. While the DSi includes two cameras and a microphone, the biggest change is its ability to download games directly to the device from an online Nintendo store.

Sony's PSPgo took that concept and ran with it, doing away with the disc drive entirely and making their latest portable a download-only device with gamers using the Sony store to purchase and install their games, television, comics and movies.

While the Playstation 3, Wii and Xbox 360 all have the ability to purchase games online and download them directly to the console, Sony's decision to go 100 percent download offered an interesting peek into what will surely one day be the norm.

What that peek showed was an online system entirely too slow to handle quick purchase and playability and savvy retailers either reluctant or out right refusing to carry a device that could one day make them obsolete.

Nintendo's DSi, with only its toe in the water of downloadable content, managed to fare better than the PSPgo, though the download offerings for 2009 consisted mostly of previously released content broken up into smaller chunks and re-purposed.

Fortunately for Nintendo, the company spent much of 2009 riding high on the Wii's ability to grab the interest of non-gamers and get them to pick up a console.

The Japanese developer's Wii Fit fused exercise with gaming when it hit in 2008, and continued to garner attention last year. The second best selling video game in history, it wasn't much of a surprise when Nintendo announced a sequel in 2009.

While the release of Wii Fit Plus didn't have the splash and sizzle of games like Modern Warfare 2 or Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, it did well enough to draw the attention of some major new retailers.

In November, Sports Authority, the largest sports good retailer in the country, started selling the exercise game and the Wii console in a special section of their store.

The Wii's ability to attract an audience outside the norm seemed to have convinced both Sony and Microsoft that there was something to motion controls. Both companies announced projects they were working on to deliver motion-control gaming to their consoles.

Sony's still-unnamed motion controller uses a microphone-like wand and a camera to track movement, while Microsoft's Project Natal will use just a camera and no controller to allow gamers to play titles without anything in their hands.

Nintendo, meanwhile, concentrated on its lucrative portable market, announcing an over-sized version of their DSi called the DSi XL. The portable, which hit Japan in November but won't be here until later this year, comes with an oversized stylus and larger screen with bigger type. Nintendo says the device is bigger so a group of people can gather around a game and play, but it looks more like something designed for an older audience.

Not all of Nintendo's efforts at innovation in 2009 involved their portables, Nintendo also unveiled a new help system. The Super Guide's ability to take over different difficult portions of a game and offer video tutorials could lead to a whole new way of gaming for casual gamers. Its appearance in New Super Mario Bros. Wii was met with some skepticism and apprehension, but the potential long-term impact of the concept can't be argued.

Now just a week into 2010 and the slate of last year's titles pushed into this year are already starting to hit stores. The Consumer Electronics Show is preparing to kick-off, perhaps with some new gaming news, and developers seems eager to embrace a new year full of potential.

Well Played is a weekly news and opinion column about the big stories of the week in the gaming industry and its bigger impact on things to come. Feel free to join in the discussion.

It's that time of year again. Time to take a data dive into the heart of eBay U.S. to gauge how well the video game grey market fared during the holiday season. Rather than charting the sales numbers of a specific console, as I've done for the past three years with the Nintendo Wii, this year I'm presenting a broader overview of the eBay grey market, charting the sales for all major gaming platforms during the 30-day period beginning November 26th and ending on Christmas Day. I've compiled data on console sales, game listings, and some of the top-items passing through the popular auction website. If you want to know which platforms thrived, which handheld completely tanked, and the most successful video game-related item on eBay, then read on.

Console Sales

The table below presents a general overview of the sales performance of the major consoles and handheld systems during the month leading up to Christmas. I've listed the total sales in U.S. dollars, the number of items sold, the average selling price, and the sell-through percentage, which indicates the success of auctions posted for each specific product. Check out the table, and then we'll break things out by console.

PlayStation 3

The PlayStation 3 in all its varied incarnations sold the fewest number of consoles out of the big three this year, but that shouldn't be taken as a measure of the system's success. Indeed, if you look at the sell-through percentage, the PS3 comes out on top. That means there were less people selling, but plenty willing to buy. Since the launch of the PlayStation Slim earlier this year, Sony has maintained a steady supply of the consoles to retail outlets, and the abundance of available consoles equates less people looking for them on eBay.

From a seller's point of view, that high sell-through figure means the PlayStation 3 comes out on top in terms of sales potential.

The highest price PlayStation 3 auctions mainly consisted of limited edition consoles, including the Final Fantasy XIII bundle recently released in Japan.

Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 brought in the most money of any console this holiday season, mainly due to its average price being slightly higher than the Nintendo Wii, which pushed more units overall. The Microsoft console's sell-through numbers were only slightly lower than the PlayStation 3. Between that figure and the larger number of consoles put up for sales, it seems like putting a new 360 up for sales is seen as a relatively safe bet among sellers.

The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Xbox 360 bundle made up a large portion of the Xbox 360 sales during the period, with 322 of the consoles representing $126,924 worth of sales. The Infinity Ward-flavored bundle went for as high as $900.

Wii

eBay sellers continue the love affair with the Wii that started with the console's 2006 holiday debut. The Wii was the top seller of the big three in terms of units sold, but the slightly lower sell-through rate indicates that there might have been a few too many up for sale.

Also note that the average price for the Wii was $190, which is below the suggested retail price. Either sellers were taking advantage of discounts and sales, or they weren't making very much in the way of profits.

DS

The Nintendo DS managed to outsell the newer, more advanced DSi this holiday season, pushing more than 2,000 units beyond what Nintendo's latest North American handheld sold. A failure for the DSi? Not exactly. Take a look at the sell-through percentage and you'll see that the DSi has the largest number of any game console. eBayers wanted to buy them, but the sellers just weren't selling.

PSP

The PSP sold strong on eBay this holiday, with the PSP-1000, 2000, and 3000 generating more money than any other handheld, though the DS trumped them with sheer numbers.

The top selling PSP was a used red God of War limited edition PSP, which went for $1,009.

Unfortunately, the PSPgo didn't fare nearly as well as its older brother. In fact, Sony's UMD-less alternative to the regular PSP performed abysmally, pushing only 250 units. It's not a factor of demand behind too high for supply either - the sell-through rate of 76.47% indicates that people simply weren't buying it.

To help paint a more complete picture, let's compare units sold versus monetary sales. If you look very closely, you'll notice that both graphs do indeed contain the PSPgo. You might need to zoom in.

Games With Legs

Now let's take a look at the games that traded this holiday season. This time around I took the top ten titles sorted by number of auctions, to see which ones were moving the most.

Certainly not a surprising list. Modern Warfare 2 seems to be showing up at the top of any list as far as sales are concerned these days, and Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort are two of the titles meant to showcase what the Wii can do, so those both sold in droves. World at War traded heavily, perhaps due to people swapping out the old for the new, and the Pure / Lego Batman combo disc packed inside select Xbox 360 consoles over the holiday season scores a tidy profit for those who received it for free.

And Uncharted 2 making the list makes sense, but what about the extremely more expensive edition?

Forty-five of the ultra-rare Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Fortune Hunter Edition made it onto eBay during the 30 days leading up to Christmas, but it seems some sellers set their hopes too high. Of the 45, only 24 sold, giving the package a 53.33% sell-through rate. The average price for the package was $891.52, with one going for as high as $1,136. Didn't get one? Maybe you should have made it to Kotaku's Child's Play fundraiser this year.

What People Look For In An Online Video Game Auction

Selling on eBay isn't just a matter of having a strong product, but being aware of what your prospective buyers are searching for and using search terms accordingly. Let's see if this list of the top 10 search terms used in both the games and system category can help.

The console search terms are pretty much common sense. Let's face it - if you're selling an Xbox 360 and you forget to include Xbox 360 in the title, there's something wrong with you. As far as game search terms go, folks initially seem to be going for specific games, but then desperation sets in. You have to be pretty desperate in order to type "Wii games" into an eBay search page.

Wii Remotes Are The New Hotcakes

Finally we come to the hottest selling video game item of the holiday season. With 8,359 items sold between November 26th and December 25th, the Nintendo Wii remote is the hottest selling gaming item this holiday season, generating more than $202,000 for sellers over the course of one month. The remote, bundled with a nunchuck, a skin, and a wrist-strap is sold as a "Nintendo Wii Remote+Nunchuck Game Controller+Skin 4 SET," though counting the wrist strap as an actual item is a bit shaky. Still, with The New Super Mario Bros. Wii making four-player gaming fun on the Wii, its no wonder the controllers are flying off the shelves, onto resellers' shelves, and then back off of the shelves again.

Another Year Goes By

And there you have the 2009 holiday season, summed up in 30 days of eBay data. A look into what happens to games and consoles once they pass from retail into the hands of the wheelers and dealers that populate the world's largest online marketplace. Bids were sniped, Buy It Now items were pounced, and in the end, everybody got feedback. A++++! Would research again!

Methodology
Statistics in the 2009 Grey Market Report were gathered using eBay market research tool Terapeak. Data was drawn for a 30 day period starting on November 26th and ending on December 25th. Console statistics were pulled directly from the Video Games / Systems subcategory to allow for mis-filed system listings, while game data was puled directly from the Video Game / Games subcategory. Console searches were limited to items in New condition, with a range of $100 to $1,000 used to ferret out accessories. Certain terms were omitted from the search in order to allow for a more accurate reporting of console pricing, including "games," "extras", "accessories," "lot," and others on a case-by-case basis - for instance, "Wii Fit" was omitted from search terms for the Wii in order to make sure systems bundled with Wii Fit did not influence the pricing data.

While games have long been my time-waster of choice for the frequent international flights I take, it's usually video games I stock up on. Not so for my Sydney to San Francisco flight. This time around I was hunting for pocket chess, little wooden brain teasers and magnetic backgammon.

With the attempted bombing of a U.S.-bound Christmas Day flight and the heightened security that surrounded it, rumor quickly spread that one of the new rules for international flights bound for the United States might ban the use of all electronics.

The very thought of not being able to access the library of books and video games stored on my iPhone, my DSi, my PSPgo put me in a near panic.

So on the eve of my flight, my wife, son and I headed to an oddity in the Blue Mountains' town of Hazlebrook west of Sydney. Selwood Science & Puzzles is housed in the Selwood House, an 1865 cottage wrapped in a garden of ferns and eucalyptus. The many rooms inside the old home are packed with the sorts of diversions and toys most familiar to children born before the rising popularity of video games and electronics.

One room is dedicated to puzzles of metal and wood, board games big and small and a cornucopia of games featuring bits of plastic, dice, and magnets. There were pocket versions of chess, checkers and backgammon; bent nails nested in devious designs; decks upon decks of cards for games I had grown up playing and some I had never heard of. And not one of the hundreds, thousands of these games required a battery or electrical outlet to play.

Other rooms were packed with science kits and experiments, books of brain teasers, IQ tests and short mysteries.

If electronics, long the opiate for the masses of nervous fliers, find themselves device non grata for the near future, could these non-digital diversions be their replacements? Will flights start to resemble coffee shops with passengers hunkered around chess boards, games of Hearts and Dominoes raging in the back rows?

Probably not, but it's a reminder of how dependent some of us have become on the products of the digital age.

Arriving at Sydney International Airport on Sunday I discovered little had changed in the wake of the latest attempted attack. I was assured, repeatedly, that electronics could be used during the upcoming flight.

Not quite believing the reassurances I ducked into a bookstore to load up on the printed word, in case the digital one wasn't available to me. The lines in the bookstore, the crowds milling through rows of paperbacks, made me think I wasn't the only one fearing a last-minute, in-air electronics ban.

For now I'll keep the paperback and pocket chess at hand, just in case.

Well Played is a weekly news and opinion column about the big stories of the week in the gaming industry and its bigger impact on things to come. Feel free to join in the discussion.

Accessories4Technology, the creator of the ad (and the accessories series mentioned in it) told Negative Gamer that it was all "a mistake on our part." License manager Angela Jones told the site that she wasn't sure how the error was made but, to her company's knowledge, Sony isn't working on a new version of the handheld.

Negative Gamer adds that Sony's response to the issue remains the standard no-comment for rumor and speculation, but I can't say that policy indicates anything other than what this is, an advertiser mistake.

PSP-4000 Advert was 'Mistake' [Negative Gamer]

This past week Kotaku recapped the year that was in video games, on subjects both naughty and nice. And before we know it, seven days will have passed, and we'll all begin working on another 365-chapter story of video games, how they're made, and who plays them.

For now, we invite you to revisit these retrospectives. And we thank you for choosing to spend a part of this holiday with Kotaku. From all of us, happy holidays, and a very merry Christmas to you.

2009 in Review
The Controversies
The Shows That Were
The Sports Video Game Report
The Disappointments
The Year, NSFW
The Trailers

Featured Stories
One Man's Year Making Assassin's Creed II
The Man Who Never Wanted To Make 'The Citizen Kane of Games'
The Batman-Maker Who Didn't Know The Meaning Of GOTY
Motion-Control Gaming Grabs The Spotlight

Announced this morning by Sega's assistant community manager David Beavers on the PlayStation Blog, the Sega Mega Sale drops the prices of every piece of downloadable Sega goodness on the PlayStation Network by 40%. That includes downloadable content for PlayStation 3 games Sonic Unleashed, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Valkyria Chronicles, as well as Sega's full lineup of downloadable PSP titles for your PSP or PSPgo. For those of you who, like me, "upgraded" to Sony's latest handheld, this would be an excellent time to fill up that 16GB of memory with games like Crush and Super Monkey Ball Adventure. It won't make the tears go away completely, but they'll sting a bit less.

Check out the full list of sale items below, or just hit up the PlayStation Store and browse. The sale runs between today's PlayStation Network update and January 7th, so you've got plenty of time to shop.

PSP:

Alien Syndrome
Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars
Crush
Full Auto 2: Battlelines
Gunstar Heroes
Iron Man
Sega Genesis Collection
Sonic Rivals
Sonic Rivals 2
Super Monkey Ball Adventure

PSN:

Sonic Unleashed Apatos & Shamar Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Chun-nan Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Empire City & Adabat Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Holoska Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Mazuri Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Spagonia Adventure Pack
SONIC: Very Hard Shadow Missions
SONIC: Very Hard Silver Missions
SONIC: Very Hard Sonic Missions
Valkyria Chronicles Edy's Mission "Enter the Edy Detachment"
Valkyria Chronicles Hard EX Mode
Valkyria Chronicles Selveria's Mission "Behind Her Blue Flame"

Happy Holidays - The SEGA Mega Sale for PSN is on! [PlayStation Blog]

Granted, many of the highlights of 2010 are either remakes, spin-offs or tinier versions of their higher-definition siblings bound for the PlayStation 3, but maybe you'd prefer to play them on the go to begin with. Although 2009 wasn't too shabby—Gran Turismo, LittleBigPlanet, Half-Minute Hero, Resistance: Retribution, etc.—we're going to go out on a limb and say that next year could be much stronger in the games department—but we'll not make any bets until Capcom releases a proper Resident Evil Portable screen shot.

Let's have a look see. And, of course, please suggest your own personal PSP highlights from the coming year

Note: We'll be looking at every platform's currently announced and estimated 2010 slate over the course of the rest of the week-and much much more.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Hideo Kojima takes us back in time for the next Metal Gear Solid for the PSP, a follow up to the PlayStation 2 classic Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and previous portable entry Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. Expect lots of Snake on Snake action, with a major emphasis on cooperative gameplay.
Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
The PSP entry in Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts series also takes us back in time, as Birth By Sleep is a prequel to the PS2 original. Expect all-new gameplay for the series, an epically long adventure and multiplayer for up to six Disney-Square Enix fans.
Valkyria Chronicles 2
Sega shifts its focus to the PSP in this sequel to the under-appreciated PlayStation 3 tactical action RPG. Despite the platform change, the younger crowd and a step down from the fantastic visuals of the PS3 original, the rock solid gameplay appears to be intact.
echoshift
The spin-off from the perspective shifting original echochrome keeps the same minimal graphical treatment, but offers all-new time shifting gameplay.
Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake
The PSP port of the PlayStation Network real-time strategy action game looks to offer a portlier set of modes.
Hot Shots Tennis
You know how this works. Clap Hanz puts some big headed jocks into a game and make it good. Hot Shots Tennis offers one more reason to take your PSP to court.
Invizimals
This Pokemon-like monster hunting game uses the PSP's camera to find hidden Invizimals in the real world, similarly trapping them with a real-world tool.
Army of Two: The 40th Day
Total fistbump destruction on the go. The coop shooter is one of a handful of third party PSP games built on the foundation of now-generation console games, giving portable gamers all the Salem and Rios they crave in a smaller package.
Dante's Inferno
Go to Hell with the portable version of Dante's Inferno. Like Army of Two, EA is bringing what appears to be a capable port to the PSP. Perfect for the on-the-go gamer who wants something similar to God of War: Chains of Olympus.
Shadow of Destiny
Konami returns to the PlayStation 2 time-traveling adventure, bringing us a straight up port of the murder mystery in tinier form.
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
This re-imagining of the original Silent Hill for the PlayStation has already been released on the Wii, but portable gamers with fond wishes of Silent Hill Origins may want to consider this. It's unlike any other Silent Hill, for better or worse.
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3
Third-person shooting action. Ex-KGB agent killing. Lots of guns and an incredibly long title. If the acronym had never been invented, we'd call it Special Operations Command: United States Navy SEa, Air, and Land Forces Fireteam Bravo 3.
Eye of Judgment
Another PlayStation Portable game based on its bigger PS3 brother. This time, the camera gimmick has been done away with, giving card-based fantasy game fans something to do with their PSPs.
Duke Nukem Trilogy: Critical Mass
Not three games, but the start of a trilogy, a third-person shooter set in a world where Duke Nukem must shoot things or terrible things may happen. But there's a very very good chance it will actually come out.
Holy Invasion of Privacy Badman! 2: Time To Tighten Up Security!
Protect Badman once again from a flood of hopeful heroes by taking up your pickaxe and sending loads of monsters at them! Looks like this one will ship on UMD and on the PlayStation Store.
Lunar: Silver Star Harmony
Really, you can never have too many versions of Lunar, even if you've played the original Lunar: Silver Star on Saturn or any of the other enhanced remakes. This classic Japanese role-playing game even comes in a new deluxe package!

I'm not sure how it works in other countries, but here in the U.S., comic book fans have received Pavlovian conditioning that starts them drooling once the clock rolls over from Tuesday to Wednesday. Wednesday is when the new comic books arrive, making it a fitting day for Sony to launch its digital comics service for the PSP. Of course there's still no sign of DC Comics, but Marvel and Disney fans are sure to be pleased.

I've been a Marvel reader for most of my life, but with Green Lantern Blackest Night event going on and my recent love affair with Vertigo's Fables series, I'm not sure I'll be putting down my DC books long enough to purchase digital Marvel comics anytime soon.

The comic store goes live at 5PM GMT in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. North America will get it when they get it - which is noon West Coast time, according to the PlayStation Comics Twitter.

Digital Comics Service Launches Today [PlayStation Blog Europe]

The arrival of Tekken 6 on the PSP could only mean great things, right?

Loved
Graphics: The PSP version of Tekken 6 is a surprisingly attractive game. The portable version does cut a few corners, for instance there's no option to turn on blur, but overall it's a sharply detailed game.

Controls: With four face buttons and two shoulder buttons and a snappy directional pad, the PSP is a perfect match for the Tekken series. Each face button controls a limb of your fighter and the heavy reliance on single direction controls for special moves makes pulling off attacks on the PSP a breeze.

Responsiveness: There's no stutter, no lag here when playing the game. Controls and the fighters are smooth and responsive, making taking Tekken 6 on the go a joy.

No Filler: The PSP version of Tekken 6 doesn't include that annoying, seemingly never ending Scenario Campaign that bloated the console versions of the game. Everything you find in this version of the game you'll want to do.

Faster Load Times: My other chief complaint about the console version has also been fixed in the portable version. The load times, especially if you pre-load the game onto a Memory Stick, are lighting fast. I experienced almost no wait while working through the single-player story lines and arcade mode of the game.

Mappable Buttons: It may seem like a minor thing, a no brainer. But it's nice that the developers allow you to map all of the buttons on your PSP to whatever controls you want. That way you can make use of the shoulder buttons or ignore them. Your choice.

Hated
Stories: While cutting the scenario campaign from the portable version of Tekken 6 was the right move, it would have been nice if the team spent some of that extra time on beefing up the character's cartoon story lines.

No Online Multiplayer: Dark Resurrection's lack of true online multiplayer was, perhaps, forgivable, but why doesn't Tekken 6 have it? Worse still, while the ability to save and share ghosts of your fighting style with other players to use as AI is still in the game, that data can no longer be uploaded or downloaded online. All ghost data, as with multiplayer matches, can only be shared via a local connection.

No Replay: It's nice to be able to check out your finishing move after playing a difficult match in Tekken, and there are plenty of them. Unfortunately, the PSP version trimmed this feature from the game for some reason.

Tekken 6 is a fantastic game, one that improves the graphics and playability of the fighting franchise for the portable. What it tragically doesn't do is push the envelope in anyway to extend the reach of multiplayer gaming for the franchise. In fact, it actually cuts down on the ways the game can deliver more lasting fun.

While the game will be a must-have for fans of the franchise, it still disappoints on that key issue.

Tekken 6 was developed and published by Namco Bandai for the Playstation Portable on Nov. 24. Retails for $39.99 USD. A download code for the game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes. Played multiple arcade, story, ghost and challenge matches.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

The PSPgo in-ear headsets from Sony are silky black, ring in under $20 and come with their own little pouch. Are they worth picking up or should you stick with the headphones you already own?

Loved
Sony Stylish: Shiny black with a rubberized cord, the in-ear headsets are as pleasant to look at as they are to listen to. The headset comes with three sets of soft, black earbuds and an ironically-UMD-shaped soft case that can store the buds, earphones with room to spare.

Sound: You won't be confusing these for high-end, more expensive in-ear headphones, but for just under $20, the sound these plugs deliver is surprising. When called for, the headset pumped out meaty bass and was able to hit the high notes with no discernible distortion.

Hated
No Control: A big must for me when it comes with headpones for my multi-media devices is an on-cord remote of some sort. It has to at least be able to mute and control volume. The ability to skip around your music is also a plus. Unfortunately, the only thing dangling from these headsets is a tiny plastic housing for the microphone.

I'm a big fan of in-ear headsets. They're primarily what I use when on the game. I own a couple pair of high-end cans as well, but almost never use them these days. While the PSPgo in-ear headsets certainly won't be replacing my V-Modas anytime soon, they're a solid, inexpensive back-up.

PSP Go In-Ear Headset was developed by Sony for the PSPgo. Retails for $19.99 USD. A set of the headsets was given to us by Sony for reviewing purposes. Played games, listened to music and watched videos on the PSPgo with the headset.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

The rumors were true after all. Update 3.15 will make the PSP mini emulator run on the PlayStation 3, allowing you to play your bite-sized games on a much larger screen...which I suppose you could already do by hooking up your PSP to the television, but it's all about a seamless experience, right?

Having recently purchased a PSPgo myself, I've browsed the minis section quite often, in the same way one might stand in front of a fridge filled with moldy food, wondering if they really are that hungry.

The update also adds PS3 data transfer functionality, giving those upgrading to a newer model the ability to connect two consoles via a LAN cable and swap data, which would have been incredibly handy for me four months ago.

Soooo. Did we mention Yakuza 3?

PS3 System Software Update – 3.15

Both Pocket Gamer and Joystiq have similar reports about PSP minis support on the PS3. Joystiq cites a "a handful of reliable sources" in its write-up, saying that PSP minis may become PS3 minis as well before the end of the year. Those bite-sized downloadable games are said to get a resolution boost, too, the report says.

We've heard from one development source that backs up the story, but adds that minis may not be the only PSP content making the jump to the PlayStation 3. Would PSP playable on the PS3 be something that interests you?

PSP Minis to be playable on PS3 before Christmas [Pocket Gamer]
Rumor: PSP Minis playable on PS3 before Christmas [Joystiq]

CVG cites an unnamed source in its report, pegging an external UMD reader that will let PSPgo owners play their hard copies and "make the PSP a little bulky." Bulkier than the PSPgo camera adapter?

Take the possibility of a UMD add-on as rumor for now, but someone would be wise to make the PSPgo more attractive to owners of the PSP-3000 and its ancestors.

PSPgo to get UMD drive add-on? [CVG]

Between now and January 10th, European PSPgo owners both new and old can download a special free PSPgo Promotion Theme to their handheld, which will trigger an email voucher good for full versions of one of three popular PSP titles - Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines, Gran Turismo, or MotorStorm Arctic Edge. The offer is good only for the PSPgo, and the theme must be downloaded directly to the handheld via wireless internet in order to trigger the voucher.

This promotion is on top of the free copy of Gran Turismo handed out to European PSPgo buyers in early October and the three free titles offered to folks that upgraded from the original PSP.

I picked up a PSPgo this weekend on a whim, and received a lovely five-song demo of Rock Band Unplugged. Hooray.

PSPgo game offer (selected titles only) [PlayStation UK via Videogamer]

Over the week we've compiled a number of platform specific reference guides for you to use to help decide which games to buy and which to avoid when shopping for gaming friends and family this year.

Here's how you use the guides:
Click on the platform link.
Sort through the alphabetical listing for the game you are considering.
Read the summary, perhaps go to the full review.
Use the delicious brains in your head to decide whether to purchase said game as a gift.

We'll be updating the guide with more games as we continue to review titles through the remainder of the year.

Now have at it!

The iPhone Gamer's Gift Guide
The DS and DSi Gift Guide
The PlayStation Portable Buyer's Guide
The Wii Buyer's Guide
The PC Buyer's Guide
The Xbox 360 Buyer's Guide
The PlayStation 3 Buyer's Guide

"Make no mistake", SCEE boss Andrew House told GI.biz, "when you're looking at PS3 games and you're seeing the shift in the sheer size of the data that's becoming available, the packaged media business is not going away any time soon".

The "shift" he's talking about is the number of people realising their PS3s can connect to the internet, connect to the PSN, then guy games off it.

"I think there's been an overstatement there potentially, and then a backlash to that - but I don't think we were really responsible for that overstatement, so we're not really part and parcel of the backlash, if that makes sense."

Not really, no! But hey, if Blu-Rays and UMDs are going to be coming down the pipeline for a whiles yet, you got your point across.

Packaged media "not going away any time soon" - House [GI.biz]

Take for instance, The Cradle, a dock used to both charge your PSPgo and hold the portable while it is connected to your computer or television. How can you go wrong with something like that? Right? Right?

Loved
Design: The cradle for the PSPgo is a neat little bit of accessory that not only can be used to quickly and easily charge your PSPgo, but also lets you sync with your computer or connect to your television. When freed of any case, the PSPgo pops straight onto the cradle effortlessly. When not in use, the stand has a pretty low-profile, small footprint.

PSP AC Adaptor Support: Unlike just about everything else to do with the PSPgo, the cradle actually lets you use the AC adaptor that came with the PSP 1000, 2000 or 3000 to charge your PSPgo. Not a big deal if you never owned one of these, but pretty nice if you did.

Hated
No Included Cables: While there's a lot you can do with your Cradle, from synching to charging, all of them require you to already own or go out and purchase cables. That's a little annoying. It would have been nice if the thing came with a spare power cable that you could leave at home and connected to the cradle. I'd also love to see a, perhaps more expensive, version that comes with the AV cables you use to connect the cradle and PSPgo to your television.

I'm a big fan of charging stands for my electronics. I don't like screwing around with cables. I prefer to slap the device into something that holds it and go about my business. The cradle's design is exceptional in this case, but only if you don't have anything attached to your PSPgo. I tried using the cradle with the faux-leather go case, which is fairly skin tight, and it was a no go. That's a pretty big disappointment for me. If Sony can't plan ahead on their own accessories and ensure they will work together, can we expect outside companies too?

Ringing in at $30 or so, the cradle is probably a worthwhile investment for those of you who like charging stands and those who plan on using the PSPgo connected to your TV a lot.

The Cradle was developed by Playstation for the PSPgo. Retails for $29.99 USD. A unit was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes. Used the cradle over the course of a month or so.

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The PSPgo launched on Oct. 1, kicking off an impressive glut of download-only games on the Playstation Store. It also marked Sony's promised push for new, triple-A games for the Playstation Portable including MotorStorm, LittleBigPlanet and Assassin's Creed titles.

Take a gander at some of the big games that hit the PSP this year. What titles would you recommend as a gift?

Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines
Price: $39.99
Genre: Action Adventure
Subject Matter: Assassin's Creed vaults onto the PSP.
Value: Players curious about what happened between Assassin's Creed I and II might want to check out this title.
Buy it for fans of AC.

Read the Full Review.

Fieldrunners

Price: $6.99
Genre: Tower Defense
Subject Matter: The popular iPhone Tower Defense game brought to the Playstation Portable.
Value: This was one of my favorite downloadable minis when the PSPgo launched. It's a great port of the original.
Buy it for fans of tower defense titles.
Read the Full Review

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Price: $29.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Action
Subject Matter: A arcade-style shooter loosely based on the live-action G.I. Joe movie.
Value: G.I. Joe is a movie tie-in strangely reminiscent of Konami's Contra series. One or two players take control of their favorite Joes from the movie and take on Cobra across multiple levels of run-and-gun action. There are a few unlockables catering to fans of the old cartoon series, but other than that this is strictly a movie-lover's affair.
Buy it for: Really, really big fans of the G.I. Joe live-action movie.
Read the Full Review

Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars

Price: $39.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: Open world action-adventure
Subject Matter: Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars is a 3D, top-down adventure, putting players in the shoes of Huang Lee, a spoiled son of a Chinese gangster. The typical Grand Theft Auto rise to power through sex, drugs, violence and bad driving flows over the course of the game.
Value: There's a lengthy story to be told, with Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars throwing in plenty of side missions and mini-games to keep the player interested.
Buy it for: PSP owners looking for a chunky, fun-to-pay adventure.
Read the Full Preview

Gran Turismo

Price: $39.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Driving Simulation
Subject Matter: Gran Turismo offers players over 800 cars to purchase, customize and race on more than 35 tracks in a realistic setting, testing their driving skills with real-world physics.
Value: Gran Turismo offers nearly limitless replayability, thanks to the numerous cars, tracks and Driving Challenges stuffed in to the game. Long time Gran Turismo fans may be turned of by the lack of a Career Mode and Leaderboards, but this is a solid pick up and play racer.
Buy it for: The car-obsessed portable gamer who prefers a passenger seat in the real-world.
Read the Full Review

Half-Minute Hero

Price: $29.95
Rating: E10+
Genre: Across four mode: Hyper-speed role-playing game / hyper-speed scrolling shoot-em-up / hyper-speed real-time strategy game / hyper-speed top-down dungeon-crawler
Subject Matter: A winning send-up to the genres and technology of 16-bit Japanese-made games, there's actually a lengthy adventure here that spans eras and tells the comedic/dramatic tale of heroes who repeatedly face the challenge of saving the world in 30 seconds.
Value: High, as the game offers short-session bites of play that combine into a lengthy adventure that has none of the brevity suggested by the game's title.
Buy it for: RPG fans, fans of the Super Nintendo era, and fans who are looking for something original and smart on the PSP.
Read the Full Review

LocoRoco Midnight Carnival

Price: $14.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Platformer
Subject Matter: The LocoRocos are up past their bedtime and rolling and bouncing their way through a Halloween carnival-style levels.
Value: The stages might be short, but they are hard. A more satisfying (and less stressful) gaming experience was found in some of the mini-games.
Buy it for: Gamers looking for a challenge who get music stuck in their heads easily.
Read the Full Review

MotorStorm: Arctic Edge

Price: $39.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Racing
Subject Matter: MotorStorm: Arctic Edge is an over-the-top, semi-open world off-road racer.
Buy it for: fans of arcade race games who spend a bit of time commuting or can't afford a Playstation 3.
Value: With 12 maps, two directions to race them on, multiple courses and vehicle types, MotorStorm Arctic Edge is packed with content. Online play rounds out the experience giving you a chance to test your skills against five other players at a time.
Read the Full Review

PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe

Price: $19.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Tower defense
Subject Matter: Classic tower defense mechanics and gameplay mixed with delicious PixelJunk aesthetics.
Buy it for: fans of the original Playstation 3 title, tower defense games or developer Q Games.
Value: Featuring new maps, enemies and towers, this is worth the cash.
Read the Full preview

PSPgo
Price: $249
Rating: NA
Genre: Hardware
Subject Matter: Sony's latest portable platform ditches the need for a UMD drive and instead gives you a 16GB harddrive and the ability to download all of the games directly to the system.
Value: At $249, the portable platform is quite pricey, coming in at the cost of several home consoles.
Buy it for: anyone interested in being able to load up their portable with movies, TV shows, pictures, music and games without having to carry a single disc around with them.
Read the Full Review

PSPgo Traveler Case
Price: $19.99
Rating: NA
Genre: NA
Subject Matter: This fauxe leather case protects and beautifies your PSPgo.
Value: For just under $20, this is a heck of a deal.
Buy it for: PSPgo owners looking to protect or upgrade the look of their portable.
Read the Full Review

Rock Band Unplugged>/strong>

Price: $19.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Rhythm game
Subject Matter: Harmonix' insanely popular Rock Band on the go.
Value: For just under $20 you get a full-fledged World Tour and about 40 tracks. You also get the ability to download new tracks to your PSP.
Buy it for: fans of rhythm games, Rock Band and good music.
Read the Full Review

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

Price: $39.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: RPG
Subject Matter: A remake of the original Persona for the PlayStation.
Value: A more faithful translation of the original Japanese Persona has never been seen in North America, making Persona PSP the definitive first entry in a series that's been enjoying increased popularity these past few years.
Buy it for: Any Japanese RPG fan.
Read the Full Review

Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron

Price: $29.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Adventure
Subject Matter: You are X-2, a Jedi clone out to help the Rebels take down the Empire and stop your brother X-1 before it's too late.
Value: Elite Squadron mixes gameplay, story and clips from the Star Wars films as it tells the story of X-2. The real replay value comes with the game's online multiplayer.
Buy it for: Star Wars fans or those looking for a PSP multiplayer experience.
Read the Full Review

The portable moved 103,524 units in Japan.

In comparison, the DSi sold approximately 170,000 units in its first two days on sale in Japan. In its first day on sale in The Land of the Rising Sun, the PSPgo sold approximately 28,000 units.

ニンテンドーＤＳｉ　ＬＬ：２日間で１０万４０００台　ＤＳｉには及ばず　エンターブレイン調べ(まんたんウェブ) - 毎日ｊｐ(毎日新聞) [Mainichi]

We've compiled an easy-to-read list of some of the year's top games, how much they'll run you and who you should pick them up for.

We'll be running platform-themed gift guides all of this week, so make sure to check them out for list-making and debating. Today we'll kick off the guides with the iPhone. Tomorrow you'll be able to check out DS and PSP games. Wednesday is set aside for the PC and Wii and Thursday, aka Turkey Day, is all about the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

Remember, the holiday's aren't about what you get... or give, they're all about the games you play.

Stay tuned!