Are you a fan of the professional golfing scene, but wish that Tiger Woods' head was a tad more hydrocephalitic? Feel disappointed when your long drives aren't punctuated with high-pitched squeals and rainbow trails? Whether you're a soon to be fan or a returning wedge-wielder, we're sure the news of a North American release date for the sequel to the PSP's premier anime-inspired golf simulator, Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee, will bring tears of joy to your dinner plate-sized, sparkle-filled eyes.

Sony recently confirmed that the game, appropriately titled Open Tee 2, will hit store shelves June 3, and will tout an 16-player online tournament mode (making up for the original game's complete lack of online support) and an 8-player ad-hoc match play mode. If you've never been exposed to Clap Hanz' peculiar take on the ancient sport, you can get the full version of Open Tee the first on the Playstation Store for $10.99 -- a mere fraction of the cost to hit the big boy links, and without all that pesky walking.

A little birdie told us.

Actually, it was PS3 Fanboy, but working those guys into a golf pun proved to be more challenging and awkward than hitting a hole-in-one with a pool noodle. As the strikingly informative headline would suggest, the fifth main iteration of Sony's Hot Shots Golf is expected to cross the gulf between the US and Japan sometime in March 2008. The game was greeted with polite applause upon its initial release in July, prompting PlayStation 3 sales to double and avid clubbers to praise its sparkling graphics and adorably deformed characters.

Expect to hear an exact release date early next year. Until then, caddy on.

Chased by a group of adorably deformed but club-wielding golfers, the PlayStation 3 has finally crossed the one million mark in Japan -- 1,017,689 systems have been sold. Everybody's Golf 5, or Hot Shots Golf 5 as your Western mind may recognize it, debuted in the second spot in the Japanese software sales chart with 152,379 copies sold. It was beaten only by a certain portly plumber's eighth party, which was attended by 264,953 people.

The golf game helped push the PS3's sales up to 28,829 units, a high number when compared to those of recent weeks, but not so much when compared to the considerably cheaper competition. The Xbox 360 also saw a boost to slightly less abysmal sales, an event you can likely blame on the software chart's number seven. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion broke into the listing with 40,168 copies sold.

- DS Lite: 150,494 3,965 (2.57%)
- Wii: 77,169 9,617 (11.08%)
- PSP: 35,068 2,174 (6.61%)
- PS3: 28,829 16,642 (136.56%)
- PS2: 11,757 2,302 (16.37%)
- Xbox 360: 3,872 1,208 (45.35%)
- Game Boy Micro: 263 52 (16.51%)
- GBA SP: 228 106 (86.89%)
- Gamecube: 102 29 (22.14%)
- DS Phat: 90 45 (100.00%)
- GBA: 41 17 (70.83%)

[Source: Media Create]

See also: Previous Japanese hardware sales charts

If you don't already have a dummy Japanese PSN account, now's the time to make one. We've spent the past 19 minutes downloading a playable demo of Clap Hanz' Minna no Golf 5, which is the PS3 debut for a series that's also known as Hot Shots Golf and Everybody's Golf. The demo weighs in at 241MB, and a quick play reveals what could be the greenest game of 2007 -- it just needs some frame-rate improvement in places and we'll be sold. The final product is due for release in Japan this July.

The plug-in GPS Receiver for PSP was released today in Japan and inevitably, has been made available to potential importers via Play-Asia ($68.70, includes shipping to US). Its usefulness is currently limited, as the navigation software (of Japan's roadways) has yet to be released; though Sega's constellation navigator is available.

In addition, the device is compatible with Metal Gear Solid: Potable Ops, but limited GPS usage in the game doesn't exactly warrant the $70 splurge. The receiver will also be compatible with the next installment of Hot Shots Golf, which is due out early next year in Japan (as Minna no Golf-jou).

As noted in our earlier story on the PS3's worldwide launch in November, the PSP will drop in price to $199 in the U.S. on March 22nd.

According to an official PR announcement from SCEA, this basic package with PSP, AC adaptor, and battery will also retail for $229.99 CND (for our friends up north).

Highlights include classic PSone games for download onto Memory Sticks, web browser compatibility with Flash, a silver USB EyeToy camera for video and voice-over-IP chat in September, and GPS support for games like Hot Shots Golf as well. Europe will get their basic PSPs for 199 Euros on the same date, while Japan will get a new white SKU on April 15th.

See also:

• PS3 worldwide in November
• PSP-specific page from IGN; second IGN page with other pricing info
  
• New PSP Value Packs revealed [with bundled games for Europe]
  
• Rumor: New PSP to get a built-in camera and 4GB of flash