PSP 2 aka “Next Generation Portable” Announced

The portable device that has been the talk of the internet for months has finally been revealed. The good news is that most of the rumors are true. Yeah, that’s right PS3 like graphics with an OLED screen at your fingertips. We can expect such games as killzone, Gravity Daze, hustle kings, Uncharted, Resistance, Little Big Planet, and more. In fact they actually demoed Uncharted at the press conference.

Furthermore we can expect 3g connectivity, two full thumb sticks, six axis support, a front and rear camera, and touch pads. The product’s code name is “NGP” or “Next Generation Portable” instead of flat out calling it the PSP 2. The release date is currently set for q4 2011 aka this holiday season.

Below are some screens taken from Kotaku’s live blog:

What we know so far
-5 inch OLED touch screen on the front
-5 inch touch pad on the back.
-Two analog thumb sticks
-3g connectivity
-PS3-like graphics
-Touch based LiveArea service to connect with the PSN, PS store, and friends though 3g.
-Six axis
-Front and rear cameras
-Supposedly really easy to port PS3 games to the device. (Yakuza and MGS 4 shown running on the device)

In addition, when the conference started, Kazuo Hirai President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, had somethings to say about how the market has changed for their company. In addition, Hirai briefly mentioned the PlayStation Suite which will make original playstation one games available on most android based mobile devices including the PSP 2.

The world of portable gaming offers a different value in enjoying games. Where you play, it creates a new sensation as the game unfolds in your hands. The world surrounding portable gaming has undergone a radical change since we released the PSP. Nobody could have imaged then. [Back] Then you needed to carry a dedicated gaming console, but today, the casual gaming experience can be accessed through smartphone, etc. We as a platform holder must address that. At the time we revealed the PSP, cell phones were not capable of playing PSP level games. But that has changed.

The question is, how do we deliver the PS experience and grow our business. Its our mission to help the content creators in this room. Today, we are announcing PlayStation Suite. It extends the PlayStation experience beyond. Its our first cross platform PlayStation content for android. This means users have a choice among preferred hardware…

Capcom has also taken the stage and demoed Lost planet 2 on the MT framework engine running on the “PSP 2.” Unfortunately, they have not announced any titles for the system using the new engine at this time.

Update:

Hideo Kojima took the stage and displayed Metal Gear Solid 4 running on the “PSP2.” However, there was no official game announcement. He did have some positive remarks about the device regarding MGS4.

This game used the model data and environments from PS3, and it was exported directly to NGP. On NGP, we can enjoy the same quality as the PS3

Oddly enough, shortly after his comments he turned his attention to cloud computing and expressed how he believed it was the future. He also stated that he is actually working on a cloud computing based game that will stream with the “PSP 2” in the future. He will make an official announcement for the project at E3.

Update 2:

Activision announced a Call of Duty game for the NGP. Unfortunately, we will have to wait for more information.