Why the PSP needs PlayStation Network support

Written by Sev1512
PSN and PSP, a match made in heaven...
PSN and PSP, a match made in heaven...

Earlier this year the PSP enjoyed a rise in sales due to the release of the slimmed down PSP-2000, as well as an assortment of AAA titles, such as FFVII: Crisis Core and God of War: Chains of Olympus.

Since then, there hasn’t been much fuss over the PSP, and why would there be?  Where are the games?  Not much worth picking up has been released since Q1 08′.

Sure things are bound to pick up again with the release of Resistance: Retribution, Super StarDust Portable, etc.

Sony needs to find a way to keep the sales, and interest going steady for the PSP.   With the PSP being a technical marvel, it shouldn’t be too difficult to implement some console-like features to it, to make it really shine.

The PSP needs full PSN integration.  The PSP needs a full PSN friends list, where you can message, initiate a skype chat session, etc.  We have a PSN “Portable ID” yet we cannot use it on our “portable” PlayStation.

Ever since GDC 08, where Chris Eden from Sony Computer Entertainment stated a Wi-Fi PS Store was coming for the PSP, I have been patiently awaiting for it to launch.  I was certainly hoping it would show up with the long awaited PSP FW 4.00, but alas as you all know, it did not arrive.

TBA?  Lets hope it arrives in 2008.
TBA? Lets hope it arrives in 2008.

Since the UMD has pretty much died off, the next obvious step would be access digital downloadable content from a Wi-Fi PS Store.  Think of the possibilities…. hop online via Wi-Fi, and access games, themes, even movies, and TV shows.

Speaking of downloadable games.  PS Store downloadable titles seriously need to be available for the PSP as well as through the PS3, and I don’t mean playable via Remote Play such as PixelJunk Eden, or Monsters.  Even though we do love the remote play feature (Thanks Q-Games!) of those aforementioned games, I would rather be able to play the game whenever I would like, and not have to be signed into my PS3 to do so.  I want to see more games available for both just like how Echochrome released simultaneously for the PS3 and PSP.  flOw came late, but was a welcome addition.  There are so many other games perfect for the PSP platform that are only available via PS Store for the PS3.  Everyday Shooter and Calling All Cars are examples of PSN titles that would work extremely well on the PSP.  Sony could also offer incentive for people to buy the game for both platforms, giving gamers separate trophies to unlock for each platform.

So many possibilities, and so many gamers wanting the support for their PSPs.  Why isn’t Sony capitalizing?

Hopefully as Shuhei Yoshida suggests “Thats the plan”

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