PSP Gains Momentum, Goes Online

Sony want you to buy it for the games, but don't forget that that sexy little thing can do other stuff too.

The PSP, as Sony is quick to point out, does more than just play games. Movies on the PSP's own UMD discs are already taking off in America and Japan, where the best sellers are selling over 100,000 copies each. This is giving studios the confidence to either join in or branch out on their offerings for the handheld.

If, like Vincent van Gogh, ear slicing is your thing, you'll be glad to hear that Quentin Tarantino classic Reservoir Dogs will be coming out on UMD soon after the PSP's launch on 1 September.

Momentum Pictures, the company behind Reservoir Dogs, also has two other movies planned for release on the PSP's launch day: Christian Bale's 1984-light sci-fi actioner Equilibrium and footie flick The Football Factory.

The studio, home to Amelie, Van Wilder and CSI, also said that it has a "few surprises" in store for PSP owners.

Sony, meanwhile, has been squirreling away on other features for the PSP.

The company recently released a new version of the handheld's firmware that adds compatibility with several new image and sound formats and also, most importantly, a fully functional (well, almost - there's no Flash support) Web browser.

Sony has also sent out to a warning to those with US PSPs, telling them not to download the Japanese version of the PSP firmware. From anecdotal reports there's no harm in doing it, but if you're one of the importers of a US PSP, you'll have to wait until the official SCEA update, which will be released later this month.

Meanwhile, there is growing support for the UK release of the PSP next month, with around two-dozen games and nearly as many movies scheduled to appear during the first few weeks after launch. There is, however, no word yet on when Europeans will be able to get hold of the latest version of the firmware.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games