Some PSP 2 Details

Reports from Gamescom indicate that the PSP 2 has a touch screen, and will be completely digital in storing games (no UMD). (The image above is just a concept... cool, but not necessarily what the thing will look like.) So Sony is once again charging into the retail lion's mouth... will they withstand the uproar this time? Remember, the PSPGo faced open rebellion by retailers, who reasoned that if they couldn't sell games for the device they wouldn't bother to sell it. (Hmm, I wonder how many of those same retailers sell iPhones...) Perhaps Sony has figured out a way to buy them off participate in the revenue stream this time. I'd love to see a unified download store for Sony, with music, movies, games... and open up the developer side of things to allow for many more games at a variety of price points. Oh, and don't forget books and audiobooks, too. Sounds like an iPod Touch? Well, yes, that really is the competition these days.

Sadly, I don't think it will happen that way. I expect Sony will price the PSP2 around $250, which certainly won't help. Perhaps if they could line up some gotta-have-it software... but that seems to be pretty difficult to do these days. Farmville, anyone?