And it would have outsold all of the competition combined if it weren't for that pesky Xbox 360 contributing 1,547 units to the tally. The number the other systems had to defeat was 129,986, the number of PSPs sold in Japan last week according to the compulsive counters at Media Create. Nintendo's DS occupied the second place in the chart with 58,916 sold -- less than half of that managed by the PSP.

The system's monster success arrives hand-in-hand with Capcom's Monster Hunter Freedom 2 G, which sold 880,468 copies in its first week. Capcom revealed earlier this week that it had already shipped over a million units of the PSP expansion in an attempt to satiate the demand for "epic battles with giant monsters."

Today marks the third birthday of Sony's PlayStation Portable. Our sister site PSP Fanboy takes a look back at the 50 biggest moments in the platform's history. From the worst marketing disaster to what sold 77,777 copies on its first day, everything is covered.

As tempting as it'll be to import Japan's latest PSP-2000 when it releases on April 24th (for a limited time), we simply won't stand for Bronze triumphing over brains. Debuting in a new Matte Bronze Value Pack priced at ¥23,800 ($228) , the third-place color will finish in matte "for the first time for PSP." The bundle will include an AC adaptor, battery, pouch, handstrap, cloth, D-Terminal AV cable and a why-even-bother 32MB Memory Stick.

Expected to launch on the same day: A ¥4,800 ($46) cradle and charger for the PSP-2000. It's the ideal device for those 1Seg watchers and mediaphiles who would prefer to interact via the included remote whenever the PSP's hooked up to a relatively distant television. The cradle will also be available in bundled form, with a ¥6,500 ($62) package tossing in a D-Terminal AV cable.

Read -- Matte Bronze Value Pack
Read -- Cradle

Sony subsidiary SN Systems has cut the cost of the PlayStation Portable dev tools in half, effective today. The announced price reduction, in conjunction with a new Tuner performance optimizer, is hoped to increase the appeal of developing for the PSP. Support fees for current licensees will also enjoy a 50% reduction.

Sony made a similar move last November when they halved the price of its PS3 dev kit to a reported $10,250. Sales of the PSP, while still trailing the DS, have received a sales boost in recent months thanks to the handheld's redesign.

[Via Gamasutra]

On the eve of its January 24 debut in Japan, Sony's PSP Skype service and microphones have been delayed. According to the press release, "it was found that the microphone did not meet the Skype specifications in part to obtain certification." Doesn't that seem like a problem that should have been dealt with before launch week, possibly before a release date was even announced?

No new date has been given for either the microphone or Skype service. Our sister site Engadget had a chance to check out the new service earlier this month at CES 2008.

[Via Engadget]

On February 28th, the Japanese PSP-2000 is set to arrive in yet another fresh new color: Mint Green. This subtle and unnervingly attractive addition to the rainbow riot going on over there will cost ¥19,800, or roughly $181. Its qualities can likely be analyzed for several more sentences, but we don't want to make it too obvious that this simple news story is in desperate need of filler text. Best we end it off quickly with another play on the "Mint Green" name.

Will this PSP color become available in America? Don't hold your breath.

[Via PSP Fanboy]

Following the news of impending Skype support on Slim PSPs, some were left wondering why the plumper PlayStation Portable failed to answer the voice over IP call. Speaking to SCEE's director of corporate communications Nick Sharples, Pocket Gamer has ascertained the simple answer. It has nothing to do with looks, and everything to do with the older PSP's waning memory and inability to remember long strings of numbers (just like grandpa).

"We had studied the possibility of supporting Skype with PSP-1000 but had to give it up because of the smaller size of main memory on PSP-1000 series," said Sharples. If you recall, the PSP-2000 benefits from 64MB of internal memory (as opposed to 32MB in the older model) which is used for UMD caching and the reduction of game loading times. The same enhancement also enables Skype to run and thus excludes the original PSP from online chatting. We certainly hope early adopters don't get too hung up on the disappointment [Goodbye! - Ed].

[Via PSP Fanboy]

Wonder why you see so many iterations on portable hardware instead of actual iterations? Here's your answer: Japanese people love them. If you need proof, check out this new release from Sony that says that the new PSP Slim (our name, not theirs) managed to sell 1 million units in two months in Japan. The kicker? That's two weeks quicker that the PSP reached the same milestone there.

Sure, there are other factors you could chalk it up to (a lower price point leaps to mind) but you still have to admit it: A million people rushing to buy a console that's been on the market for nearly three years is pretty darn impressive.

[Via PSPF]

Day 1 is over (we're busy picking our first winner) and Day 2 of our Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron PSP-2000 bundle is ready to kick off. Along with our friends at PSP Fanboy and PS3 Fanboy, we're giving away the second of five brand-new limited-edition Darth Vader PSP-2000 systems this week. These Ceramic White systems feature Darth Vader's menacing profile on the back, and are a must-have for the dedicated Star Wars nerdcore. Not only that, the package includes the brand new PSP-exclusive Star Wars Battlefront game.

So, how do you enter? First, find out what the PSP Fanboy team thinks about Star Wars Battlefront (Andrew, Jem, Nick, and Colin) and then leave a comment answering one. simple. question ... did Greedo shoot first? Be sure to leave a comment on the corresponding giveaway posts at PSP Fanboy and PS3 Fanboy, for a total of three entries today. We'll select one comment from all three sites at random tomorrow morning before we give away another PSP-2000.

Of course, there are rules. You must be a US resident, 18 years or older. Limit 1 entry per person per site ... or else (that means three entries spread out, no more)! This entry period ends at 11:59am ET tomorrow, so get your entries in before then. For complete rules you can shared with your loved ones, click here. And much thanks to the fine people at LucasArts for the great prizes.

Don't be afraid to admit it: you want the new PSP-2000. With its slimmer figure, lighter weight, TV-Out functionality, and faster load times, it's a remarkable improvement over the PSP Phat. But, haven't been able to snatch a system for yourself? Don't worry -- we got you covered. Along with our friends at PSP Fanboy and PS3 Fanboy, we're giving away one of five brand-new limited-edition Darth Vader PSP-2000 systems each day this week. These Ceramic White systems feature Darth Vader's menacing profile on the back, and are a must-have for the dedicated Star Wars nerdcore. Not only that, the package includes the brand new PSP-exclusive Star Wars Battlefront game.

So, how do you enter? First, find out what the PSP Fanboy team thinks about Star Wars Battlefront (Andrew, Jem, Nick, and Colin) and then write down one thing you learned from their previews and leave it in our comments section, as well as on the corresponding giveaway posts at PSP Fanboy and PS3 Fanboy. We'll select one comment from all three sites at random tomorrow morning before we giveaway another PSP-2000

Of course, there are rules. You must be a US resident, 18 years or older. Limit 1 entry per person per site ... or else (that means three entries spread out, no more)! This entry period ends at 11:59am ET tomorrow, so get your entries in before then. For complete rules you can shared with your loved ones, click here. And much thanks to the fine people at LucasArts for the great prizes.

Shiny founder Dave Perry has been very vocal about consoles as of late. After estimating Wii's death clock, the Earthworm Jim designer has set his sights on Sony's PSP.

In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Perry refers to redesign as a "head in the sand" move while saying that Sony should "restart the PSP program" and specifically calls for the removal of UMD in favor of digital download.

Perry also suggests that the transition to an UMD-less PSP would be relatively painless, asserting that it would be easy to create software to authenticate and re-download for free titles you already own.

While we agree that digital distribution is on the rise, we're not sure if there's financial benefit for the consumer. A 1.0 GB memory stick can cost over $30, and then you still have the buy the titles (which may not drop in price should they go download). If you want to carry more than a few games around, you're going to need multiple memory sticks. If Sony does heed Perry's advice (and we see no evidence as to why they would), maybe they could replace the UMD slot with a decent hard drive, instead.

Thanks in no small part to a price drop and a new model, Microsoft's Xbox 360 scored a 260% sales increase in the United Kingdom from two weeks prior, according to ChartTrack (via MCV). The Elite model was released in the territory August 24 for £299.99, while the Pro and Arcade models received price drops to £249.99 and £179.99, respectively. The momentum is also likely to be helped by a certain Covenant-crushing behemoth set to deploy later this month.

Though Microsoft may be having its (VH1) Best Week Ever, Sony's PlayStation Portable had its worst. ChartTrack is reporting the PSP had its worst week of sales since its launch September 1, 2005. Both SCEE and ChartTrack blame the sales drop-off on the impending launch of the PSP-2000 model, coming September 14 (sans ceramic white) and believe the redesign will boost the PSP's sales.

Chart-Track did not provide specific numbers for either console's sales.

Read -- 260% sales jump for Xbox 360
Read -- SCEE looks forward after worst week ever for PSP

With the new PSP-2000 available in the wild, we decided to answer a few more questions in this final iteration of our ongoing series. Want to know what new background colors are in firmware 3.60? Want to see the TV out function in action? Check out this video overview we made, then check more questions after the cut.

Sony has issued forth a press release stating that the newly slimmed PSPs (the PSP-2000 to the tech savvy) are now available in the wild. You'll still have to buy the silvery systems as part of the $199.99 "Entertainment Pack," which comes with a copy of Daxter, the Family Guy -- Freakin' Sweet Collection on UMD, and a 1GB Memory Stick.

Funny thing though, calls to all of our local game stores turned up squat, both in terms of consoles and in info. In order, we heard "We don't know.", "There's no date.", "It's not in our system." and "Christmas." Have any of you had better luck?