SkyKnight

Well, like it or not, I firmly believe that the UMD is dead, think about it. Does it make sense in the first place to spend USD $30 to buy movies that cost $20 on DVD, that's how it started for PSP; though the prices have dropped to $20 and below, there are fewer movie choices for PSP now. And yes I scour the stores for UMD under 10 bucks! Having digital copy will definitely benefit media companies, has it does allow them to have greater control with their products, thus MAY encourage them to develop more games for PSP.

And think again with the competition that the next PSP (PSP Go! for now?) will face: iPod series and DSi. Already the iPhone has several gaming selection, and I think its only a matter of time when Apple will ask for more games for their next gen iPod/iPhone, already they have games from Konami and Square Enix for the iPod/iPhone. And did it require any removable media? NO, so Sony does have to pay attention with what Apple does. And DSi has the DSi ware, will that justify the decision of removing the GBA slot? I think not, but again Nintendo does surprise people with what they have.

Again, as I posted several months ago, the PSP is the most successful hand console from a non-Nintendo company, but it is almost 5 years since it debut, and that means it needs changes from hardware to software. I do have faith with Sony engineers, and I do hope this E3 will be the place to show off what Sony has for gamers in the coming years.

Not surprised at all, since the PSP is hitting the 5th year from its release, and I doubt Sony is coming up with a iPhone competitor/killer at this stage (I could be wrong); I mean there are small bit news that add up, such as signing a contract with a UK company, doing surveys...

Hopefully, Sony is always reminded of its success of the Walkman and the first two PlayStation's and its failure of Beta-Max/Mini-Disc. I do think this next machine (PSP2 for now?) won't disappoint many Sony fans, but I do wonder what does Sony have to attract new buyers. DSi does have 2 digital cameras + SD card storage space, which can expend portable gameplaying into the unknown territory; and iPhone keeps adding apps and new games by the minute.

I think a sure bet for the PSP2 is plenty of storage space (at least 16GB) with the elimination of the UMD drive + expendable memory space (please use the more common SD cards instead of the memory duo cards!), better connection with the PS3, and with 2nd analog stick/touch screen as an after thought.

Regardless how Sony puts the spin in numbers, the fact is the PSP is the most successful portable gaming devise from a non-Nintendo company. It lasted longer than the Atari Lynx and the Sega Gamegear and Nomad; was able to reach a third configuration, and should come with a successor within a year or two.

That said, the problem is what is Sony doing to keep the PSP competitive against the DS and iPhone in the long run? A totally new model (not a 4th reconfigure PSP) will be needed, as well as commitment from 3rd party game developers to deliver high quality games for gamers.

No there shouldn't be multiple releases of GH on DS, for one it could lead to a lack of quality music on each release (remember GH Rock the '80s?). Also, since the DSi is coming to America in '09, I think Activision should be focusing on what they can do with the hardware (no GBA slot, but SD card slot).

I am the firm believer of quality over quantity for gaming.

To be honest, Sony shouldn't be like Apple coming out with new iPods/iPhones every once in a while. If it ain't broke, don't fix it (yet!).

But with the technical problems in the -3000 series (LCD screens), I agree Sony should try to solve it and as well to do some minor updates (how about 1GB internal storage space for a start?) if it wants to release it as the -4000 series.

With the competition from Nintendo DSi and iPhones, I would say Sony needs to examine and determine what the next PSP should do within the next year or so (PSP came out in 2004!). I do agree a touch screen isn't a must, but can be explored; but a high volume of internal storage (~8GB and beyond) will be a must, and with that, maybe Sony can say goodbye to the UMD.

I did upload movies and music on to my PSP-2000, but with limited format support and storage space, I gave up. Now its 100% gaming for my PSP, to be honest, Sony should do some soul-searching on what the PSP should do and be GOOD at it, the iPod isn't gonna steal gamers from DS and PSP.

No, for the same reasons as most stated above.

The high cost of importing one isn't justifiable for me, and we don't know if the DSi has any potential flaws (PSP-3000 anyone?). Besides if you have already have a DS lite, Nintendo didn't sell us a great reason to grab a DSi.

It will be a tough sell for those who already have a DS (either the old or Lite) and plenty of GBA games; but for those who don't have one or are new to gaming (think your ma & pa and your kid siblings), it may sell enough (to satisfy Sudoku, Crosswords, and other puzzle games).

GBA games have stopped for about a year now, and the DS wasn't truly 100% compatible with GBA, ie no longer to play GB/GBC games, unable to play multiplayer (Zelda: the four swords was a good one).

Besides, with the 2 digital cameras, there are numerous potential for gaming design that we haven't think of yet.

Canvas Curse is definitely one of the underrated DS games IMO. As launch title, it did a solid job of selling the touch screen function of the DS, there weren't any controlling problems from my exp. And Kirby fans should try this one, as this was one of the most innovated of the whole Kirby franchise.