Why the world needs PSP 2.0

The PSP has been kicking around for a few years with very few updates. Sure, Sony’s dished out a few add-ons, and 3rd party firms have done their best to prolong its life, but deep down we know what the PSP needs: a complete overhaul.

We don’t mean a Slim & Lite version either. We’re talking a top-to-bottom re-think, and here’s why.

UMD has become a zombie format
They can only store 1.8GB, and nobody’s buying UMD films. Hasn’t Sony learnt from the fate of the MiniDisc? It’s time Sony ditched the discs, saved a ton of space in the PSP’s rear, and gave us a more modern alternative.

The PSP needs to get flashy
If Sony’s going to drop the UMD, then flash memory is surely the way to go. If the Nokia N96, iPod touch and iPhone can all pack in 16GB of storage, why can’t the PSP? It’d instantly make the games machine slimmer, and for those lamenting the loss of their UMD games, how about an external drive, and neat software to load them onto built-in storage?

Hard disk dreams
If Sony can’t bring itself to shove flash memory into the PSP, how about a hard drive? Sure, it’s more prone to damage from knocks and bumps, but it’s also cheaper, and could give us gigabytes of storage in the hundreds. The firm’s already hinted a hard drive-packed PSP might be on the way, but it’s getting a bit late for hints, we want an improved PSP now!

Touch and talk time
The PSP’s battled admirably with the Nintendo DS and DS Lite for years. From the off, however, the Big N’s console has captivated the creative minds of games developers, building in touch features and even using the console’s microphone to full effect. We’re not saying Sony needs to completely re-design its interface for a touchscreen and microphone, but by including them it’d give developers more toys to play with, and could tempt gamers away from the DS.

The iPhone effect
There’s no doubt the iPhone is becoming a gaming platform to be reckoned with. Former Electronic Arts head Neil Young recently left the firm to found Ngcomo, a new games publisher dedicated to the fruity blower, and Sega is reporting a whopping turnover of $30 million in just 20 days from Super Monkey Ball on iPhone, but Sony could easily counter its effect by stealing Apple’s two main advantages: cheap games and instant downloads, but for that we’ll need either flash or hard disk memory.

Ten more years?
Sony has said in the past that the PSP has a ten year life-span, but with one revision in the shape of the Slim & Lite already on shelves, and rumours of a PSP 3000 in the works, does that really ring true?

The PSP has been around since 2004, so it’s not even half way through Sony’s predicted shelf life, and it’s already taking heat from mobile gaming, the iPod touch and iPhone and Nintendo. We think its time Sony admitted its mistake, withdrew claims about a ten year expectancy and dished up a new PSP pronto!

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