Rumor: New PSP to get a built-in camera and 4GB of flash
by Dan Choi 
{ Feb 24th 2006 at 10:30PM }
According to PSPworld, "[t]he next version of Sony's PSP will sport an integrated digital video camera that will allow users to stream live video to the PlayStation 3" as a Wi-Fi way of chatting with friends.The new model (which obviously won't go by the nickname "PSpee") will come in black, silver, and white, and it will also have a quarter of an inch shaved off its thickness. 4GB of NAND flash storage will reputedly be included as well, saving gamers a whole lot of money on memory sticks for media and other applications--playing with homebrew, for instance.
Word of an integrated camera may be the most interesting news, however, with a stock camera used in Sony Ericsson phones to be placed directly in the PSP logo below the portable's screen to take photos and record video. All of the video-streaming capabilities are supposed to be tied in to the rumored PlayStation HUB service, bringing one more media expression to Sony's next-gen convergence device (if this rumors pans out, of course).
[Thanks, TIP; also via Engadget & PSP Fanboy]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
strider_mt2k @ Feb 24th 2006 10:36PM
I took my PSP back. It's the best money I ever saved.
Artimus @ Feb 24th 2006 10:48PM
How on earth are they going to be able to add 4GB of Flash and a camera without it costing a ton more?
waffle @ Feb 24th 2006 10:52PM
any word on new umm, y'know GAMES for this thing. scratch that, good games that you can't play better version of on a console. let's even shoot for one better GREAT games.
why do I bother? I traded this dust collector in a while ago. great functionality is perfect for a pda where a fun game every now and then might be an after thought, and an extra bonus...but on a PLAYstation portable. hmm. sounds kind of lame.
carry on.
Pal @ Feb 24th 2006 10:53PM
Eye Toy Portable!
Jago @ Feb 24th 2006 10:56PM
"How on earth are they going to be able to add 4GB of Flash and a camera without it costing a ton more?"
...and not kill the battery even more. Of all thing to improve that should be their number #1 priority b/c a portable isn't well "portable" if you have to sit next to the wall socket.
brandon @ Feb 24th 2006 11:02PM
If they use the tiny cameras they put in their cell phones, it wont take much money to integrate it, they have probably been working on a redesign of some sort for a while. Just like with the PS2 and PStwo, or the PS and PSone. It's something they tend to do, once certain items become cheap enough to shrink them in size, and make the architecture easier to manufacture. The first redesign of the PS2 was a purely internal one, with little change on the exterior. That made the ps2 easier and cheaper to produce. The psp will take a page from its competitors and make not just an internal change, but a change to the functionality of the device as a whole.
Look at apple for example. They have a case of design-ADD. They pretty much dont care that you just bought an ipod mini, only to release the much better realized Nano a year later. They make these incrimental changes all the time, and no one seems to raise an angry fist at them ever. Sony hints at it, and everyone is up in arms, even though Nintendo will do it several times over on the same platform.
TIP @ Feb 24th 2006 11:04PM
Yeahhh boy thanks a lot joystiq for postin it and my name. =]
Dan Choi @ Feb 24th 2006 11:07PM
Heh, no problem, TIP. =)
brandon @ Feb 24th 2006 11:12PM
Well, they have already created a higher capacity battery, these functions wont cause much of a hit to the battery life, if any. Flash memory is notoriously easy on battery life, and those tiny cameras dont take much power at all. Overall, if they add this while simultaneously staging a price drop, they will be able to add the new stuff without raising or lowering the price.
Adding internal storage would be the best idea i can think of right now. Being that it is what keeps the psp from really competing with other media devices. However, I think it's important that if they do this, they dont raise the price. Because the price is steep to most people as it is.
psPEE hahhahaaha loloololol and such. @ Feb 24th 2006 11:21PM
hmmmm... "a quarter of an inch shaved off its thickness. ".... why does that sound so familiar... it's almost like I heard it in mid-january from a different company... now what was it...?
Oh yeah, it was microsof- no wait, that's not right, it was that other company.... you know, the one that makes better games, and has that revolutionary new console coming out this year, now what was the name?
(If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm kidding about not knowing the name. Oh, and [er, flame?].)
Jago @ Feb 24th 2006 11:28PM
@ brandon
I could really care less about those other features...it's the battery life for GAMES that needs to be improved. You know GAMES...the "original" main feature of the device which seems to have taken a backseat for other capabilities instead.
brandon @ Feb 24th 2006 11:42PM
@ 10
Well the increased capacity battery raises the battery life for all features obviously. It doesnt pick and chose which feature to add time to, ITS A BATTERY!
Battery life for games depends almost entirely on how demanding they are for the system and how often they read info from the UMD.
It is up to DEVELOPERS to make games for the psp, and adding storage would game downloads possible. Imagine Psone era games on the psp, there are some i would love to have again, and adding 4g of flash memory would be quite a few psone games.
Neko Tsukimi @ Feb 24th 2006 11:45PM
Isn't the PSP overloaded enough as it?!?! Nice idea, but how about improving the gaming experience? They should just turn the PSP into a PMP and bow out of the portable gaming race.
Agent X @ Feb 24th 2006 11:51PM
It seems like every few days, there's some rumor of a PSP design that includes some new hardware functionality.
While I don't doubt that the PSP will undergo some sort of makeover at some point during its commercial life (as many system do--some of them multiple times, even), I have my doubts about this one. So this one's going to be thinner and have a built-in camera? I'll believe it when it's officially announced. This would almost certainly add to the cost of the system. While I'm personally a big fan of the PSP, I'll admit that $250 is not an easy pill for everyone to swallow right now.
Jago, the PSP lasts 4-7 hours for gaming on a full charge using the standard battery. That's long enough for most people playing a handheld video game in a typical day--most games don't last anywhere near that long. If you need even more time on a single charge, then you can always pick up the extended battery that Sony released recently (2200 mAh as opposed to 1800 mAh). This battery lasts 20% longer on a charge compared to the original.
gamer1 @ Feb 24th 2006 11:55PM
Adding these features makes it seem that they are pushing the PSP even further from gaming. If anything, I think that they just need to have better games for the system. I actually like playing my Gameboy Micro more than my PSP because of its library of games. Unless youre pirating games onto the memory stick, I dont see how this benefits gaming. Nobody needs 4GB of save game data.
As for the camera, I guess people can start taking picture of themselves on the PSP instead of having to hold their cell phone camera up to the bathroom mirror for their myspace profile. Is this a feature that will make me want to get a new PSP? Not really. The slim DS on the other hand, that one looks hot!
Jago @ Feb 25th 2006 12:04AM
"It is up to DEVELOPERS to make games for the psp, and adding storage would game downloads possible."
It is also up to Sony to THINK about what is possible with current battery technology. If that means cutting back on the PSP graphical capabilities, then so be it. I would rather have GOOD games with decent graphics and better battery life then MEDIOCRE games with great graphics and short battery life.
Oh and I know what the battery life is for the PSP... I own one...I've owned once since almost day one. 4-7 hours of batter life is pretty pathetic btw...if that is all it will be capable of then I guess longer games (RPGs, etc.) will be a problem on the unit.
Plus for something be $250+ I shouldn't have to go out and guy a $40-50 battery. I've gone DAYS without recharging my DS battery and not having to worry about it.
Wasn't the PSP supposed to "bring portable gaming of the gaming ghetto"? So far it has failed miserably and the numbers prove it...and so far I feel ripped off.
Sheir @ Feb 25th 2006 12:05AM
This is BS..
I mean, look at the DS Lite. It adds maybe one new thing: A lighter screen. That's cool, as that was something you couldn't get before.. As for the new PSP, they're adding a little 4 GIGS OF MEMORY. Yeah, there goes 100 dollars for those memory sticks.
Go die Sony.
Todd @ Feb 25th 2006 12:06AM
The camera will be on the same side is the lcd screen unlike every other camera available...really smart. The only good thing you could do with it is stream video chats. Otherwise you'll be taking your pictures and video blind and then turning it around to see if you got the shot right. Or if your taking a picture of someone you can have them tell you when they are centered in the screen.
gamer1 @ Feb 25th 2006 12:12AM
If I were to redesign the PSP, I would make it use a clam shell design similar to the Gameboy Advance, with the analog stick in the middle, like the Nintendo 64. If it were done this way, you could watch movies on it like a portable DVD player, the screen could be protected when it is closed, and aiming for first person shooters could be done with the right hand instead of the left. It would also have to be smaller (in volume) than the current one available. If the redesign was done this way and they kept the cost relatively the same, I think that they could attract more consumers in comparison to simply adding a camera and larger memory stick.
Agent X @ Feb 25th 2006 12:32AM
Jago, 4-8 hours is ample time for a session of gaming, particularly for handhelds (adding another hour for those who have the new battery). If for whatever reason you actually need more time than that, then grab your charger and/or a spare battery. And if some geek wants to give the excuse "but I'm out camping/hiking/boating and I won't be near an outlet," then you're missing the point, and desperately need to get a life outside of video games.
On an unrelated note, it's amusing to see PSP detractors getting bent out of shape over rumors such as this one. It proves once again that any article on Joystiq with "PSP" in the title is a magnet for the haters to crawl out of the woodwork. It's evident that the PSP is the center of attention and an obsession for them.
Raymond @ Feb 25th 2006 12:42AM
lol, I laughed out loud about the PSpee thing. thats priceless.
Brock @ Feb 25th 2006 12:47AM
Hmm... lets see, they have about fifteen more redesigns to catch up with nintendo to keep the device "fresh." Oh that's right, Micro's were the worst idea ever, shew i about forgot the huge amounts of them they sold (about 10). So let me get this straight, it's sweet if nintendo shaves a quarter inch off it's handheld and raises the price, but gay if sony does it? Riiggghhhttt. Or how about offering some saving capability, oh wait, the DS can't do that! You've got like 3 game slots to save on. At least sony won't remove THE HEADPHONE JACK with it's redesign (cough cough GBA). The only two games on the DS worth playing are nintendogs and trauma center. What's worth playing on the PSP, oh right all the huge games that sold millions on the ps2 you can now play anywhere. Go use your two screen to make an actual 3d polygon, oh wait IT CAN'T!! Maybe we should introduce the DS to Mr. 3d.
Jago @ Feb 25th 2006 1:03AM
@ Brock:
SWEET! Someone who posted that has some real credibility...oh wait...nvm...
Not only do you have no credibility but EVERY SINGLE THING you mention is FALSE.
"then grab your charger and/or a spare battery."
That defeats the purpose of having a PORTABLE gaming system. As a (disappointed) owner of a PSP I have every right to criticize them...the DS I own now is my SECOND one b/c I had sold the launch day DS to buy the PSP. I then rebought the DS in October b/c at that time there were actually enough unique games for it.
Oh and if the PSP is sooooo great then why is it getting trounced by the DS all over the world? If the tables were flipped I would be criticizing the DS so unlike some people I'm not blindly biased.
Dan Choi @ Feb 25th 2006 1:11AM
Hey, y'all. The impassioned portable comments are great, but let's keep the PSP/DS trashing to a minimum, please. Flame wars just have a way of getting out of hand, ya know what I mean? =) I'd really appreciate it... really!
John Q. @ Feb 25th 2006 1:14AM
Sounds good if it's true. It's exactly analogous to the DSL: extra features to entice those who have yet to buy. I worry about the price, though: 4 GB flash ain't cheap.
A minor point: Sony does make some games, like God of War (Sony Europe). But of course, they shouldn't be the only ones making games.
And Brock, my good friends
Mario Kart DS, Animal Crossing: Wild World, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Castlevania : Dawn of Sorrow, Super Mario 64 DS, Advance Wars : Dual Strike, Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time, Kirby Canvas Curse, Meteos, Warioware: Touched, Sonic Rush, Metroid Prime: Pinball, Tony Hawk's American Sk8land, Age of Empires
and I would like a word with you outside.
Jago @ Feb 25th 2006 1:25AM
Uhhh...God of War wasn't made in Europe...it was made at the Santa Monica, CA in the US.
As for Brock I would ignore him...he is just a troll and will just keep posting pointless rants if you respond to him.
Agent X @ Feb 25th 2006 1:31AM
Jago, you said: "That defeats the purpose of having a PORTABLE gaming system."
Not quite. My point is that 4-8 hours is plenty of time for a single session of gaming for just about anyone. How many people REGULARLY (not "once in a while," but on a frequent basis) play portable video games for MORE than 4-8 hours a day in a location where they DON'T have access to a power source? Most "normal" people have jobs (or school) and other social activities, and probably don't have time to play video games in general 4-8 hours a day, every day. But if you're one of those rare people who has no job, no school, no social life, and no place to call home, yet you have the burning desire to play video games more than 4 hours a day...then I'm sorry to say this, but you need to get your priorities straight.
Jago, you later said: "Oh and if the PSP is sooooo great then why is it getting trounced by the DS all over the world? If the tables were flipped I would be criticizing the DS so unlike some people I'm not blindly biased."
The PSP is by no means getting trounced here in the US. The market split between DS and PSP for hardware is 51% to 49%. It's a slim lead for the DS, but then again the DS has been out four months longer. In terms of software sales, the PSP is leading over the DS despite coming out four months later (and I'm talking strictly games here, not UMD movies which themselves have nearly outsold DS games). The PSP has made great strides in a short amount of time.
I'm sure someone is eager to quote Japanese sales figures now. I'll bet TurboGrafx-16 owners back in 1990 loved ballyhooing Japanese sales figures over their Genesis-owning peers, too (thinking that because the TG-16 outsold the Genesis in Japan, it would have the same outcome here). But as I live in the United States of America, that's what I care about first and foremost, and the PSP has been king of handhelds here for the last 11 months.
Brock @ Feb 25th 2006 1:31AM
John Q.
Favorite game on gamecube=Prince of Persia
Favorite game on DS=Prince of Per-.... Oh no that's PSP
MarioCart DS, Mario 64=10 year old 64, oh wait... i've already played those...
Sonic...Sega?
Metroid Prime Pinball... computers... 1995...sweet
Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time... oh wait i outgrew the leapfrog learning center about 20 years ago
Yes, i own both as well JohnnyBoy, and i will see you outside as soon as i can find my stupid stylus-thingy so i can save my game... crap... no more slots... i guess i'll just pause it (good thing it has a long battery life)
And i will give you this: the lifetime of the DS lasts JUST long enough to watch 2 movies on it... oh wait... no, no it can't... no movies
Dan Choi @ Feb 25th 2006 1:33AM
"As for Brock I would ignore him...he is just a troll and will just keep posting pointless rants if you respond to him."
Ah, but calling someone a troll can simply inflame that person to respond with something even worse (regardless of his true status)! With that in mind, let's try to treat each other with civility and kindness, even if someone disagrees with us on some of the most fundamental (gaming) beliefs we hold dear. Respect is an awfully contagious thing; I can moderate whatever else falls through the cracks, so please take the commenting high road... everybody. We'll all be the better off for it.
gamer1 @ Feb 25th 2006 1:33AM
I agree with Jago. I have a PSP also, therefore I feel that I have reserved right to criticize my own console. I dont even own a Nintendo DS, but I do respect what Nintendo is doing for the redesign of the DS lite. Its like accusing us to be Nintendo Fanboys when we own Sony systems. How does that make any sense?
Oh, and for my previous post about the redesign for the PSP, it should also have a video out port for it too. Those PSP to TV things are ridiculous looking and I heard that the quality isnt that great either.
Jago @ Feb 25th 2006 1:49AM
@ Agent X:
Since I am sure you are taking personal pot shots at me, let me tell me that I have a life, I have a g/f (been together 7-1/2 years), I have a full time salary paying job (at a game media/middleware company) and I'm a college grad.
Do I play games more then 4-8 hours? Yea sometimes. Sometimes by myself, or with friends and sometime with tmy g/f. Does that give you the right to personally attack someone b/c they don't do what YOU do with your free time? No. Unlike you...I am not concerned what someone thinks about what I do with MY free time b/c such actions are thing people think back in elementary/high school.
As for UMD movies...sorry but I would rather watch a movie at home on a sofa or in bed on a widescreen TV (which I have) with a surround sound system (which I have.) At the price that UMD movies are selling at...they are a RIP OFF!!! Plus most of the time you get either no extras or VERY little extras.
@ Dan:
Ok so calling him a Troll "maybe" wasn't tactful but he has yet to post a comment that is not flame bate.
Agent X @ Feb 25th 2006 1:58AM
Jago, I don't know where you got the idea that I was taking personal pot shots at you. If that's what you thought, then I'll just say that was not my intention.
When I spoke of "you" being "one of those rare people..." I was referring to "you" in general (meaning whoever is reading that), not you specifically. I am sorry if you took it the wrong way.
Jago @ Feb 25th 2006 2:00AM
No offense taken...I just wanted to clear that up since there are people who post on here who would resort to such personal attacks.
clee @ Feb 25th 2006 5:51AM
AgentX. So, according to you, noone should play more than 4-8 hours a day. Everyone remembers to charge their PSP every night without fail. Everyone carries chargers around, because everyone is insightful about these things. Noone will have extraneous circumstances where they might have to spend more time without access to a power terminal than is normal than the battery life permits. Noone should dare try to play a portable gaming device on a long road trip somewhere, because "...I'm sorry to say this, but you need to get your priorities straight."
Gosh, I suppose if anyone has ever encountered any of those occasions we shouldn't get a PSP. Sorry about that. Us simpletons, inferior individuals shall go and get a DS, since the PSP is fit only for perfect human specimens.
Strangler @ Feb 25th 2006 6:15AM
I bought a battery addon for the psp so you can recharge it anytime with 4 aa baterries. it cost me 10 bucks off ebay. Also note, gamegear required 6 batteries and they were bruned out in an hour and a half and nobody seemed to complain as much back than as you [flame]s do about the psp. Do you people think the ds is nintendo's best console or something? cause the gamecube has way better versions of any ds game. Mario kart, animal crossing, smash brothers (ds doesnt even have), f zero (again ds doesnt even have), all on gamecube. so whats the point of owning a ds? I can play a way better version of age of empires or advance wars on my pc with actual real time strategy not turn absed and 10 times better graphics. And the psp is almost like a pc cause you can actually download contents to game slike wipeout or griptshift and in some games make your own tracks/levels and share them online. Hell the super nintendo is betetr than the ds and I can play all super nintendo, nintendo, and gameboy color games on my psp for free by dowbnlaoding them and an emulator.
Strangler @ Feb 25th 2006 6:17AM
2 gigs on the psp now only cost 90 bucks off newegg.com and soon playstation 1 emulation will be possible, and a whople bnch of games that are quality ar ebeing released in march.
Jay @ Feb 25th 2006 7:44AM
No. Not because it would pump up price even more and kill the battery... even more!
hah. I like it how the PSP is avoiding the subject of games. Nah, we don't do games. but we DO have 4gb of NAND memory and a camera for an extra 150.
akira @ Feb 25th 2006 8:05AM
This is for the year 2035 or something. Do you really think that this will happen anytime soon, given Sony's past way of releasing consoles. Plus seeing that they will be losing 300 or so dollars on each ps3, I don't think they want to lose anymore money on any psp now or in the future that has all those extra buyable features already attached and integrated into the price.
darryl @ Feb 25th 2006 9:27AM
Sounds cool to me... mostly the memory, that would be great. The camera could be interesting especially if it were used in-game somehow. Bring on the 4GB and the smaller waist line... I'll buy one.
Oh and regarding battery life, seriously people! The battery life is FINE. I don't charge my PSP every night yet I play games on my way to work (about 30 x 2) every day. There are several other PSP owners where I work, so we have multiplayer rounds during lunch sometimes too. I bought the new 2200 mAh battery for long trips (bus rides and flights) so I can game a bit and watch a few episodes of LOST or a movie...
UMD is pretty useless UNLESS outfits like Blockbuster start to rent them... Now that would make sense. I don't want to buy them, but for trips, I certainly would rent a few. Why buy them when I can transcode my DVD version to MP4?
c1gar @ Feb 25th 2006 10:05AM
imported a PSP when they 1st came out, gathered dust since, pooooop it be
jopojelly @ Feb 25th 2006 12:13PM
They should call it PIMP, Personal Integrated Media Player, and add a few card slots, and get rid of the umd drive.
Gonzo @ Feb 25th 2006 1:01PM
Great I
I'm curious about the size issue: it's kind of cool that they're taking a little off the width but I always thought it was only a little too long. It never quite sat in my pocket right. The girth never botherd me.
Let's change the subject.
I traded in my psp at the time because I still ended up using my gba and the movie player(mostly for music & ebooks) on my commute. That, and I was made a verry good offer for it, the exact subject of which isn't appropriate for this site.
I don't regret my trade but I'm getting another psp (this time for free, so I won't feel bad if it breaks, I'm a bit of a clutz and it's sony)now that I've played Burnout Legends (way better than the DS version)and I've seen the Katamari game. I also hear that they're making a Rez for it.
sam @ Feb 25th 2006 3:55PM
As long as they are redesigning it, MAKE IT WITH TWO ANALOG STICKS. Hello! Then you could play a decent FPS with the thing. C'mon sony, how hard would that be. You could even call it the FPSP. I'll give you that trademark for only, umm let's say "One Million Dollars" pinky on cheek.
S
brandon @ Feb 25th 2006 4:17PM
It's funny how people scold Sony for redesigns, yet praise Nintendo for doing the same thing. Or how sony can add storage and its a travesty, but nintendo just makes the screen brighter and its a wonder of engineering.
I mean, just look at the DS and say it isnt trying to look like an Ipod. At least the psp follows its own design cues (except for those stupid white headphones for a BLACK system).
And another thing, three of my best friends own PSPs and they have no problem finding good games for it. They ARE being made, its just that they lost in the shuffle of all the UMD movies, and bad ports. It is just that some developers are just out to make money and not to make the game as good as it can be for a system.
Anticrawl @ Feb 25th 2006 5:40PM
No offense Agent X but those figures are purely fictional regarding Nintendo's DS and Sony's PSP in America. Neither Nintendo of America or Sony have released any substantial figures regarding sales of their portables in the states. There are however figures for the UK and Japan and Worldwide, which is why one only sees people quoting Japan and Worldwide sales and truthfully that's all that matters, worldwide that is.
There's no sense in making things up to support your view just because you don't like someone or what they have to say.
As for Sony releasing a redesign anytime soon they really need to get back on their feet first after losses during Q4 last year and deal with matters at hand, like first establishing the PSP as a handheld gaming device, resolving some of the issues concerning UMD production dipping drasticly(movies atleast), and put some software in the hands of the consumer. Then after that they really need to focus heavily on the PS3, which in my mind and in a pratical and business sense is a very very risky venture for Sony and could prove to be disasterous if proper care is not taken. I hope to see all 3 next gen consoles in full force and waging war for sales so we can keep reaking the benifits.
Anticrawl
mike @ Feb 25th 2006 6:12PM
. It's funny how people scold Sony for redesigns, yet praise Nintendo
---
huh? this aint a redesign, the design is fine, it's adding features..
scolding Sony for adding features? more like chuckling at them considering the PSP2 so early in the life cycle... DS got a facelift cuz ppl thought it was ugly. big difference.. the thing sold 100,000 units in JP last week.
slow news day @ Feb 25th 2006 7:25PM
Adding a camera to a PSP is an interesting idea, but hardly necessary. And I question how they'll be able to control such activity against abuse vs legitimate use.
I'm of the opinion that Sony needs to concentrate on quality exclusive games for the PSP (instead of PS2 rehashes), and or improve performance. Built in flash is certainly a step in the right direction. And I think Sony has been slow to acknowledge the homebrew aspect of the PSP and embrace it.
Beeves @ Feb 25th 2006 7:33PM
This isn't a very smart idea from Sony. If they're going to put a camera on the redesigned PSP, people are going to bitch about not having a camera on their original PSP that they bought. That's a good thing about the DS Lite. It has a new look, but basically the same features, so people who own the current DS won't feel degraded. I'll keep my DS until something happens to it and then I'll buy the Lite. Personally, I don't think the PSP needs a new 'version'. It looks fine the way it is, it's the games that it needs. Eyetoy would be killer with the camera, though!
Uchiha Itachi @ Feb 25th 2006 7:39PM
Agen X, you're [a flame]! Jago, speaks the truth.
Knowles @ Feb 25th 2006 10:09PM
I do not think we will be seeing any redeign any time soon. Sony have got a lot on its plates, after all they have got two wars to fight the console wars and the formats wars, also I think they are probably in a stat of restructuring there company and trying to get it profitable again. They also got the PS3 to launch and develop for and a online funtionality to developed. Probably in 2008 maybe 2009.
As for adding interal memeory for the device I think that great idea, I think that the only design flaw with the system. Camera not so sure but if they can come up with a way to integrate it with games and then great. As nintendo redesigning their console with out actually launching any new features seem to be a wast of company money and resources and maybe a trick to get consumer to buy a new console with minimal changes.
Also I be hearing in the news the psp is slowly taking over nintendo in every market. They are apparently are vertually equal in the us and psp ahead in europe I also heard that for past few weeks the psp and ds have swaping positions for selling the most each week. Think in the long term I got the feeling sony will dominate this section of the computer market.