Playstation Portable soon to become Playstation Phone

[JKKDARK]

via Playstatic

In a strange turn of events, well, an ambitious one at least, Sony and BT (British Communications) have just announced that the versatile little gaming-guidebook thing, the Playstation Portable, is turning into a phone.

Plans to add “wireless broadband communications functions, including high quality handheld video calls, voice calls and messaging” to the Playstation Portable were announced yesterday by BT and Sony.

Over the course of a four-year contract, the two companies have resolved to develop a “raft of extra features”, which will be available across a wide range of SCEE territories, starting in the UK and branching out.

Steve Andrews, BT chief, Mobility and Convergence, said:

“The combination of SCEE and BT working together is a natural fit. Sony is a world-class company producing some of the world’s most innovative electronic devices and BT is at the forefront of communications with the 21CN global platform. The PSP is an excellent device for both gaming and communications, because of its high quality screen and audio capabilities. With over 8 million PSPs shipped across Europe, we are very excited by the opportunity to give customers a whole new communications experience, connecting and seeing friends across the world through BT’s technology.”

David Reeves, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, said:

“It is very exciting for us to be partnering with BT on such a unique project. The opportunity to combine our market leading expertise with BT’s knowledge in communications opens up many possibilities and we look forward to bringing many exciting communication functions to PSP fans.”

[mavsman4457]

This has got to be the biggest news about the PSP that we have ever heard. PS1 emulation might compare to this but this is huge.

[Kloe]

i doubt this will really work in the US, at least in the midwest where I live... not much wireless around here, only tiny hotspots in certain cafes and homes. If they have a plan to solve that issue then I might get excited about this.

[Basil Zero]

“It is very exciting for us to be partnering with BT on such a unique project. The opportunity to combine our market leading expertise with BT’s knowledge in communications opens up many possibilities and we look forward to bringing many exciting communication functions to PSP fans.”

hahaha, i find that funny, especially after all the horrid advertisements that sony made for psp.

[DarthPaul]

http://psp-news.dcemu.co.uk/psp-gets...ing-64048.html

Isn't this the same?

[titch.ryan]

wow his will be great.

[Buddy4point0]

the psp started back at 1.0 and every1 said omg portable 3D, then at 2.0 OMG internet, 3.0 added OMG ps1 emulating, and now this. the psp is really becoming a useful all perpous device.

[Baboon]

Over the course of a four-year contract, the two companies have resolved to develop a “raft of extra features”, which will be available across a wide range of SCEE territories, starting in the UK and branching out.
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Fookin ell... the UK is never first regarding release dates! lol

[ahmedm00]

This news is absolutely amazing! seeing as i'm in the UK but.....does this mean to accommodate the new services Sony will introduce a brand new PSP console? or do u reckon the features will just be added into newer firmware releases?.....

http://psp-news.dcemu.co.uk/psp-gets...ing-64048.html

Isn't this the same?

Also yeh this is the same news, but just with more info!

[bah]

I agree with Kloe, If its just VOIP over WIFI then its not really a phone to anyone outside of a city with truly pervasive free hotspots.

Even with that, you cannot truly roam from one hotspot to the next.

When I read the headline I though there was going to be some form of GSM addon to create a phone of proportions not seen since the 80s

Still neat I guess.