OPERATION:

SONY ANNOUNCES PLAYSTATION PORTABLE

Today Ken Kutaragi, President / CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, also known as the ?Father of the PlayStation?, announced that SCEA will be introducing a new addition to the PlayStation Family. The PSP, as it?s called, is a handheld gaming platform that will share the ?same DNA?, as Kutaragi put it, with the PlayStation Family ? it will use an optical disc system. To achieve the small size they required, they are using a new (prototype) optical disc format called the Universal Media Disc (UMD). This format is about half the size of a DVD (2.4 inches in diameter) and can store 1.8 GB of data and features piracy protection measures. The PSP will feature 3D graphics, utilizing both polygonal and curved surfaces (NURBS) for smooth looking graphics, as well as MPEG4 playback capabilities, outputting to a wide-aspect ratio (16:9) 4.5 inch back-lit TFT LCD screen (480 pixels x 272 pixels). It will feature 3D sounds that Kutaragi says, ?will make you feel just great? and will utilize embedded DRAM and a one-chip solution (encompassing graphics, sound, etc.) that provides a familiar interface for developers. (Hmmm? that sounds very much like what they said when describing the part of the PS2 that came from the PSX? and allowed the PS2 to easily be backwards compatible with the PSX. Kinda makes you wonder how difficult it would be to port a PSOne game to the PSP?) Additionally, the PSP will feature a USB 2.0 port and a memory stick port, that will provide for a range of expansibility and extensibility options.

The PSP will us a Li-ion battery for rechargeable handheld playability, will feature 90nm semiconductor technology, and is planned to serve as a personal entertainment device, combining games, music, and movies in what Ken Kutaragi called the 'Walkman of the 21st Century'. The processor speed of the system has not yet been announced, but you could feel the energy in the room when the announcement was made. There is a strong desire in the PS2 gamer camp to see PlayStation fight for market share in the handheld arena. ?Their rally cry? Nintendo can run, but they can?t hide?