PSP @ E3
Now, before I go any further, let me just point out that I was not at E3, nor have I seen one of these units. The only reason I'm covering it at all is because I like the idea of a handheld device with a screen capable of showing DVDs.
Sony unveiled the PSP (that's PlayStationPortable) into a void of games. None. Nada. Not a single one. There were some non-interactive demos, and plenty of plans, but unusually for Sony, no actual software.
Still, it is early days, and it is also worth re-iterating the specifications, for those who have been living in a box for the past few months.
The unit will measure 170mm x 74mm x 23mm, with a 16:9 LCD screen capable of running at 16 million colors at a resolution of 480x272, and measuring 4.3 inches diagonally.
So - smaller than my in-car DVD player, which has a 5 inch screen, but larger than the Game Boy Advance upon which it is just about possible to watch a movie, believe it or not.
It also has network connections in abundance - USB, IrDA, Wi-Fi and so on - and the usual array of controls for gamers and multimedia enthusiasts alike. There are built-in stereo speakers and headphone connector, something which Nintendo kindly left off the GBA.
Finally, media is the UMD (it being too small to take a regular CD/DVD). The Universal Media Disc is yet another Sony-ism, and is an optical disc with a 1.8Gb capacity. Pirates beware; there is a sophisticated copy protection system which will probably take months to crack.
New Look N-Gage
Well, well. Looks like Nokia have taken note of the criticisms that the video game consumer industry laid at its' door.
Such niggling details like having to dismantle the unit to change the game, and requiring a network operators SIM card present in order to use it have been summarily dealt with.
The whole unit is also looking somewhat slicker. They've even added a select button, so you no longer have to hammer the directional pad straight down (Sony Camcorder Style) to select an option.
In case you were wondering; yes, it still looks far uglier than anything else on the market, and makes for an awkward phone ( http://www.n-gage.com/en-R1/gamedeck/nga... ).
One thing is clear - Nokia are heading for the wireless multiplayer gaming market with this device, which is set to explode as tariffs for multimedia and media-rich content come down within reach of the 16-24 age group.
