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CNet: The newest version of Sony’s PlayStation Portable console — the PSP Go (pictured) — isn’t even on sale yet, but the company is already looking ahead to what’s next, according to Reuters. The electronics giant is looking into making a combination gadget that would meld its PSP gaming system with the mobile phones made by Sony Ericsson, its joint venture with Swedish electronics maker Ericsson, according to Reuters, which cited the Nikkei business daily.

Sony reportedly plans to put together a team as early as July to begin development of the new device. Sony no doubt has its eye on Apple’s iPhone, which is already popular with consumers and is now getting more serious attention from developers as a platform for their games. This isn’t the first time rumours of this nature have circulated, of course.

In 2007, Sony raised eyebrows with a patent filing that appeared to show a PSP-like device with phone capabilities. Previous moves in this direction have included the recently announced Sony Ericsson Aino, a phone that can stream pictures and video from a PlayStation 3, and BT’s effort to bring voice and video chat to the PSP. In the meantime, Sony continues to work on its portable gaming device. The PSP Go, which was unveiled at the E3 gaming conference, is smaller than its predecessors and has a slide-up screen. It will go on sale in the UK on 2 October for £250 (€294).

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Eurogamer: Apple marketing exec Greg Joswiak has declared that the iPhone and iPod Touch represent “the future of gameplay” – unlike dusty old antiques the DS and PSP.

Joswiak was speaking in an interview with T3. Referring to the 1500 software titles already available for Apple products, he stated, “The gameplay I think has surprised a lot of people, because it’s not just the casual games… There are already so many games and as we look at it, to us it really seems this is the future of gameplay.

“Whereas a lot of these devices [Nintendo DS and Sony PSP] are more in the past,” Joswiak continued. “And a big part of that is not just the device itself, which is easier to carry, and has the touch display and accelerometer which is great for gameplay, but it’s the electronic distribution of the apps as well.”

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Eurogamer: Sony has released the details for the latest round of firmware updates for its platforms, listing a number of improvements for both PS3 and PSP usability.

The PS3 receives the bigger list of presents, with a few tweaks to existing services, as well as some completely new features. Of most interest, probably, is the addition of a high-quality mode for the bluetooth headset, a piece of kit which will see much use in the forthcoming SOCOM. The new HQ mode allows for clearer voice chat, as well as some nifty immersion features for SOCOM which will filter chat according to your in-game proximity to the speaker.

Friend lists, Trophies and the PSN store are also being given a bit of a facelift, with extra information more easily available as well as some added functionality – such as Trophy comparisons to fuel your sledging.

There are also a raft of tech changes, allowing power-saving for both the console and the controllers, and the taking and sharing of screenshots from compatible games. Videos can now be split into ‘scenes’ at the touch of a button to enable easier skipping.

The PSP’s firmware 5.0 update is less expansive but does offer the chance to sign into, and completely manage, your PSN account from the handheld. You’ll be able to grab games directly from the PlayStation store to your PSP too.

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Eurogamer: Speaking to MTV, Sony Online Entertainment boss John Smedley has said the EverQuest developer is considering the PSP as a viable platform for fully fledged MMO games.

“I think PSP is something that we’re definitely looking at; 34 million worldwide really opens your eyes, and they’re all connected,” Smedley said.

He revealed that the company – previously part of Sony Pictures, the Japanese giant’s movie arm – started looking seriously at PSP when it merged with the rest of the game business, Sony Computer Entertainment, in April this year.

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PSP News: The ultra portable gaming device PSP depends on its battery life. A good quality battery can give you long gaming sessions at home or anywhere else. The Battery is just like the PSP’s heart. The PSP needs the battery to live and work. DragonPlus provides you with high-power and good quality PSP batteries.

DragonPlus is a third party manufacturer that manufacturers PSP products that can boost your PSP’s power and performance. DragonPlus has come up with its latest high power battery. Its latest product is known as Max Power X5 Battery 3600mAh.

The all new battery is specially designed to give users long gaming sessions. The Max Power X5 Battery 3600mAh offers 5 times more power than your original battery. The standard mAh of a PSP battery is 1200 but this battery possesses 3 times that with 3600 mAh. The Sony PSP replacement battery comes with slightly more mAh than the orginal, but as much as the Max Power.

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PC World: Google is heading to the PlayStation Portable and will have a place on the handheld’s Cross Media Bar (XMB) menu, Sony said Tuesday.

It will appear when users upgrade their PSPs to the version 4 firmware, which will be available “soon,” according to Eric Lempel, director of the PlayStation Network, who was posting on Sony’s PlayStation Blog.

“This new upgrade replicates the Google Internet search experience, delivering the same search results that you’d get at www.google.com. And with a search history recall of 20 items, Web searches couldn’t be easier,” he wrote.

Google will appear in the network section of the XMB. Also new in the version 4 firmware will be the ability to change viewing speed when playing back videos from Memory Stick cards.

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T3: In its previous incarnation Nokia’s N-Gage was a handheld, but now it’s back as a mobile games service, where you can download games on the move and play online. Sounds good?

It is if you’ve got an N81, N81 8GB, N82, N95 and N95 8GB which allows you to download the service, and its even better on the new 5320 Xpress Music which come with the application pre installed. Rubbish, if you’ve got any other Nokia blower as it’s not compatible.

If you are one of the chosen few to get the “Gage” the choice of games isn’t bad. Fife 08, Asphalt 3: Street Rules and World Series of Poker are available now, with Tetris, The Sims, Dogz, Crash Bandicote and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, promised soon. You can bag these from Glu, EA, THQ Wireless and Gameloft but a hefty price of £8. Cheeky.Use is unlimited though, and you can try every game for free. Unfortunately if you change your handset, you lose the game, which sucks if it’s close to upgrade time.

When it comes to playing the games there’s no comparison to a DS Lite or PSP. On a N81′s 2.4in screen, it’s still enjoyable but ramp the complexity up and things become trickier; we’d have preferred a few more inches of pitch in FIFA 08. The headphone connection gets in the way as well, so a Bluetooth stereo headset is essential.

The N-Gage Arena Community is pretty impressive. You can chat and play with other gamers and take part in mass online tournaments. Just make sure you check your network charges first. You can get your competition juices flowing; the more you play, the more points you score and the better your ranking.

If you’ve got a compatible handset and access to WiFi, N-Gage lets you play alone (or with others) in the bath, on a train, or even up a mountain. But we’re not totally convinced. At £8 a pop, games are pricey and really need to check with network download costs. If handset and game choice improve, N-Gage could be a winner, but we’ll stick with our handhold for now.

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Eurogamer: Those of you switching your PS3 on since yesterday will be able to download firmware update version 2.20.

This was promised in “late March” (we’ve just checked and it is late March right now), and brings with it BD-LIVE interactive film features as well as the ability to copy PS3 files like music and photos to your PSP.

BD-LIVE lets you download Internet content such as bonus scenes, shorts, trailers and images. You can also grab ringtones and transfer them to your phone, as well as take part in movie-based games.

Probably more important for you lot is WMV and DivX support for files over 2GB, though.

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Absolute Gadget: UK gamers got that little bit closer today with the launch of Go!Messenger, a wireless communication package for the PlayStation Portable. 

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) and BT have released the technology that allows PSP users to keep in touch for free using any wireless broadband internet connection.

The software can send video, voice and instant messages, with the Go!Cam attachable video camera and microphone handling the images and sound.

The Go!Messenger system was developed in partnership with BT, and will use more than 2,500 BT Openzone hotspots in and around city centres.

“Users will have the freedom of a mobile phone except that through Go! Messenger all calls to other users are free,” said a BT suit talking into a handheld games console.

Stephane Hareau, Sony’s European Marketing Manager for PSP, said the technology was pushing new boundaries, adding unique communication features to all the existing multimedia experiences.

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The Register: Sony has confirmed that it’s developing a wireless hotspot download access service for the PlayStation Store, enabling PSP owners to download games directly via the handheld console.

In a presentation at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, a slide confirmed that the service, to be called PlayStation Store On PSP, will enable gamers to download games directly onto the PSP through the console itself. PSP owners will have access to “native PlayStation Store on PSP via wireless hotspot” and be able to “purchase and download content direct to PSP”, without the need for a USB cable connecting the PlayStation Portable to a PC.

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The Register: The launch of a version of Skype running on Sony’s PlayStation Portable (PSP) will still go ahead in Europe and the US later this month, despite a delay affecting the software’s Japanese roll-out.

PSP slim’n'light owners will get to use Skype’s VoIP application after they install an upcoming firmware update. However, Sony Computer Entertainment Japan (SCEJ) has canned tomorrow’s anticipated Japanese release of the Skype-enabling firmware because its microphones don’t meet Skype’s specifications.

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Gamesindustry: Skype, a free internet communications program, is coming to the PSP according to CES news on Sony’s website.

No specifics were given, but Sony indicated that PSP gamers would be able to use the VoIP service to “call friends, talk trash to fellow gamers or catch up with acquaintances.”

It is uncertain how Skype will fit in with previously announced plans for the PSP’s “Go! Messenger” service developed in conjunction with BT. Go! Messenger will offer video calls, instant messaging, voice chat and voice messaging.

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