PSP gets PSone emulator

[wraggster]

More on the breaking News this time from Eurogamer:

PSP will see a worldwide price cut this month. From March 22nd, European gamers will be able to buy a "base unit" (presumably devoid of stuff like the headphones) for 199 Euro (about £140).

US gamers will pay $199 from the end of the month, and the Japanese will pay 19,800 yen for a white unit from April 15th.

During a press conference in Tokyo today, Sony boss Ken Kutaragi also talked about the company's plans to add a PSone emulator to PSP, with "selected games" available through digital distribution to be stored on the Memory Stick. (Cynics amongst you might question the use of the word "add", but there you go.)

Although timing on that has yet to be confirmed, Kutaragi was more specific about other new services - including an EyeToy camera peripheral to attach to the USB port, which launches in September, and video voice-over-IP (in other words, video-telephony), which will be available in October. Pricing on all of that's yet to be announced.

Kutaragi also discussed some of Sony's plans for updating PSP software this year, starting with network update to add Macromedia Flash support this, er, spring (touch wood, eh?), with extended RSS channel support also on the way to allow users to save radio content (podcasts, presumably) and movies.

There was no word on previously rumoured services and hardware iterations - for example, we know no more about "Sony Mail" or the rumoured PSP with built-in hard disk - but there was news on the GPS receiver mentioned at E3 last year. It will launch this autumn and have a role in games, starting with Hot Shots Golf.

An interesting year in prospect for PSP hardware, then, although - as with PS3 - there are still plenty of gaps to be filled in, presumably at this year's E3.

[so_cal_forever]

Please, tell me this is finally my time to play Final Fantasy Tactics on my PSP...

[yamaneko]

Its means i will play Silent Hill in a bus ?

[Wysiwyg]

Finally there is hope to play some classic Metal Gear

[kcc86]

I'm glad Sony decided to go with a ps1 emulator. pretty sweet, cant wait.

[urherenow]

Finally there is hope to play some classic Metal Gear

ermmm... CLASSIC metal gear can already be played via NesterJ

[jangosolo]

I can imagine it will require a firmware upgrade....

[IndianCheese]

I can imagine it will require a firmware upgrade....

No crap. But who cares--homebrew isn't everything. I see it as a "filler" for what to do until GOOD updates, like this one, come out. If Sony can provide a program that is the same as a homebrew program but outdoes it (i.e. Flash) then I am in. Sony can also do things we have no way of doing. I'd like to see someone code a LocationFree Player.

During a press conference in Tokyo today, Sony boss Ken Kutaragi also talked about the company's plans to add a PSone emulator to PSP, with "selected games" available through digital distribution to be stored on the Memory Stick.

If you look at QJ.net, it also states a PS2 emulator. I could see the ps1/ps2 greatest hits titles burning the net at a price of $10-$20. Oh yeah. I'd love to play Spyro, Sly, or Crash anywhere. And I'd update. This time no lie. (Only if they give full ActionScript support for Flash so I could play games! Hmmm...Do you think the Flash Player would be Macromedia/Adobe-constructed or Sony-constructed? I could see Sony attempting to build their own, being that they are so cheap and money-hungry. But why do they give us updates for free? Maybe to convince people to buy PSP's. That new price drop would do the job too...Sorry, I'll stop ranting.)

[Privateer]

They make updates to discourage hackers and encourage buyers, because hackers tend to use emulators, and emulators are one less reason to buy a retail PSP game. :0

[ryan2006]

mmm if ff7 mgs resident evil series are playable ill upgrade in a heart beat i wood even pay for thm wood be nice if the 1s you own u didnt have 2 pay for and a ps2 emu interesting obv the games wood be limited but ffx wood be great