While most attendees to the SCEE press conference at gamescom will have anticipated some announcements around PlayStation Vita, our upcoming next generation portable, few would have predicted the unveil of the brand new PSP-E1000.

Value for money is the goal with this new model that will retail at just €99.99 (RRP), accompanied by an exciting range of PSP Essentials titles that will retail at only €9.99 (RRP) and will include Invizimals: Shadow Zone, EyePet and many more.

While PSP-E1000 does not include Wi-Fi, it will still provides access to the full catalogue of PSP games either on UMD or from PlayStation Store via Media Go. The design is also slightly different, with a Charcoal Black finish – the same as on the slimmer PS3 model – to give more of a matte feel.

PSP-E1000 will be available across PAL. But that’s not all that was announced at the SCEE gamescom press conference – be sure to read our posts on the PS3 price cut and announcements and the new social applications and games coming to PlayStation Vita. You can also watch the full press conference right here on PlayStation.Blog until 6pm BST / 7pm CET on Wednesday.

Today in Tokyo, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. announced the next generation portable entertainment system (codename: NGP). NGP will make its debut at the end of the 2011, but here’s everything you need to know right now.

Key NGP features:

• Multi-touch 5-inch organic light emitting display (OLED) as the front display
• Multi-touch pad on the rear of the device
• Dual analog sticks
• Two cameras (front and rear)
• Software titles on small, dedicated flash memory-based cards
• Three motion sensors, gyroscope, accelerometer and electronic compass
• Wi-Fi and 3G network connectivity
• PlayStation Network access, including “”LiveArea™”, “Near” and “Activity” log features Trophy Support
• NGP will be able to play PSP titles, minis, PS one classics and video from the PlayStation Store, as well as all games newly released via PlayStation Suite.

Technical Specs:

Games Shown or Mentioned (Titles Not Final):

• Killzone
• Uncharted
• WipEout
• LittleBigPlanet
• Call of Duty
• Resistance
• Little Deviants
• Hot Shots Golf
• Reality Fighters
• Gravity Daze
• Smart As
• Broken
• Hustle Kings

It’s still early going, so we understand that you likely have questions not addressed here. Details such as release date, price, and more will be announced in due course. We’ll keep you updated.

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Andy House and I am President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. I’ve not participated on the blog before, but with the announcements that were made a few hours ago in Japan, I thought that this would be an ideal time for me to write my maiden post.

In case you haven’t heard, earlier today in Tokyo, Kazuo Hirai, President and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc, introduced PlayStation’s portable gaming strategy, which included our much anticipated next generation portable entertainment system (codename: NGP), and details on our first foray into providing PlayStation content on Android based portable devices, via PlayStation Suite (PS Suite).

I’d like to start by introducing you to NGP. It is an innovative and powerful next generation portable entertainment system, built to deliver the ultimate gaming experience on the move.

At the heart of NGP is cutting-edge technology that will deliver the best performance and graphics, multiple control inputs for new ways to play and complete integration with PlayStation Network for a truly next generation portable gaming experience.

NGP introduces new ways to play and interact with PlayStation games, giving gamers and developers the biggest range of control inputs, offering the best gameplay experiences for all types of games. It features the much requested familiar two analogue sticks, as well as motion sensors, a front touch display, plus a unique multi-touch pad on the rear for a truly innovative gameplay experience. Coupled with a stunning 5″ OLED screen, NGP offers gamers the opportunity to experience quality handheld gaming that’s way beyond anything experienced in the portable market.

NGP will also be supported by an incredible software line-up with all titles being developed to maximise the capabilities of the system and provide the richest portable gaming experiences. I’m particularly excited to see that the best PlayStation exclusive franchises will be coming to NGP, including Uncharted, as well as fantastic new IPs that will provide ingenious uses of the NGP functions. And let’s not forget the incredible titles being provided by our 3rd party developers and publishers.

We have learnt a great deal from our previous experiences and as such will be distributing games both at retail and via the PlayStation Network. We want to give consumers the choice as to how they access the great content available on NGP.

For the first time on a PlayStation platform, we will be offering a choice of connectivity options – including 3G network support, providing a completely connected experience, fully integrated with PlayStation Network, allowing you to enjoy true social gaming, entertainment on demand and anytime, anywhere* communication with your PSN Friends.

I am extremely excited about the potential of this innovative and powerful next generation portable entertainment system, which has been built to deliver an unparalleled gaming experience.

NGP is the first step in our portable strategy as we start to offer PlayStation experiences to a wider audience than ever before. As well as offering the ultimate portable gaming experience, via NGP, we will also be introducing a new way to deliver PlayStation games, via PlayStation Suite.

Casual gaming on multi-purpose mobile devices is a growing market that we simply cannot neglect. With that in mind, PS Suite is a new initiative to offer PlayStation quality games on Android based portable devices, be it mobile phones, smartphones or tablet PCs. By offering a fantastic selection of legacy PlayStation games (PS one classics), alongside content made specifically for PS Suite, we believe that we will be offering the PlayStation experience to a wider base of users.

Via a program, called PlayStation Certified license program, we will work with hardware manufacturers to provide devices that optimize the gaming experience. We want to give consumers the freedom to choose between various devices when they wish to enjoy a certain piece of PlayStation content.

We also realise that PlayStation content should be provided through a secure and unique means, that is both reliable and user friendly. Therefore we also plan to open PlayStation Store to download content on the Android based portable devices. This is a significant move for us and one that we firmly believe will make PlayStation content more accessible than ever before.

So as you can see, today’s announcements we have set out our Portable Strategy for a significant length of time. We see huge potential in this market and with our experience and knowhow, believe that we can not only improve on the portable experiences previously offered by PlayStation, but make it more accessible to a wider audience.

If you want to see more about today’s announcements, visit www.playstation.com/psmeeting2011.

The games on offer are:

• Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines
• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
• Gran Turismo
• James Cameron’s AVATAR
• LittleBigPlanet
• MotorStorm Arctic Edge
• Need for Speed SHIFT
• Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice
• 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa
• WipEout Pure

All you have to do to claim your games is use your shiny new PSPgo to access PlayStation Store and download the PSPgo Theme from the Latest category. You will receive an email including a PlayStation Network Voucher Code that will let you download your ten free games.

You must be age 18 or over and be a resident in a participating country. For more details including full terms and conditions and the list of games for your country, visit eu.playstation.com/pspgopromotion.

We’re told that this all leads to the announcement of a new minis title and that more details will follow but, in the meantime, does anyone fancy trying to solve the puzzle?

The games on offer are:

• Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines
• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
• Gran Turismo
• James Cameron’s AVATAR
• LittleBigPlanet
• MotorStorm Arctic Edge
• Need for Speed SHIFT
• Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice
• 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa
• WipEout Pure

*This list varies depending on your country; please see the terms and conditions for further details.

All you have to do to claim your games is use your shiny new PSPgo to access PlayStation Store and download the PSPgo Theme from the Latest category. You will receive an email including a PlayStation Network Voucher Code that will let you download your ten free games.

For more details including full terms and conditions and the list of games for your country, visit eu.playstation.com.

The wait is over. A special community event entitled ‘PlayStation Life in 2010′ was held on May 18th at an exclusive location at Sydney’s Coogee Beach, to usher in the arrival of the PlayStation®Network video delivery service for Australia. Yay!

Now available, the PS Video Store allows Aussie PS3 and PSP owners to rent or buy hundreds of SD and HD movies, including the latest releases like Avatar, Inglourious Basterds, Up In The Air, Ninja Assassin, Sherlock Holmes, and Twilight New Moon. New movies will be added to the Store on a weekly basis for the movie junkies in us all, and you can browse the available movies right here on the new PS Movies web area.

Hollywood Actress Radha Mitchell (star of the recent film ‘The Surrogates’ alongside Bruce Willis) was a special guest at the event, along with Alison Turner, the Marketing Director of Sony Network Entertainment, and Michael Ephraim, Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment Australia.

But the PS Video store isn’t the only product that was experienced at this exclusive event. Those who were lucky enough to attend also got the chance to experience true 3D gaming on PlayStation for the first time, using a prototype Sony Bravia 3DTV and Sony 3D glasses.

With demo versions of Wipeout 3D, MotorStorm 3D, and Super Stardust 3D all running on PlayStation 3 in true 3D, it was a real blow-away experience that no one was expecting.

Of course the experience wouldn’t be complete without a ‘hands-on’ taste of the new PlayStation Move motion controller, which was also present at the event in all of its ‘prototype’ glory.

Attendees were able to play a selection of the launch titles planned for the PS Move, of which table tennis, and a bow-and-arrow ‘tech demo’ easily proved to be the most popular.

PS Move with its ‘pick-up-and-play’ accessibility means fun for everyone, but we must admit… we have a sneaking suspicion that many people are simply attracted to the ‘light-sabre’ like glow of the luminous sphere that sits on top of the device. For those who aren’t aware, it has the ability to ‘illuminate’ in a variety of colours depending on the game or application it’s being used with. Cool no?

Oh, and did we mention that world renowned DJ, ‘Kid Kenobi’ was in da house mixing some of his latest material to help the PlayStation team celebrate the birth of the Australian PS Video Store? What a night!

The motto of the story……PlayStation Life in 2010 is going to be ‘big’. ‘Movies on demand’ have now arrived, and 3D gaming + motion controlled experiences are just around the corner….It’s all happening folks!

Hirai also showed off the motion controller, reiterating that they would be released in the Spring of 2010. They feature a pair of motion sensors, a three axes gyroscope and a three axes accelerometer, along with Bluetooth and a rechargable Li-on battery. A list of games in development for the peripherals was revealed, though there’s no word on which of these will be available outside of Japan. On top of that, it was confirmed that PAIN, Flower, Hustle Kings, High Velocity Bowling and EyePet will get compatability patches to add motion controller functionality. LittleBigPlanet and Resident Evil 5 were also demonstrated to be working with the motion controllers.

The PSPgo will also be getting a couple of new peripherals in January – a Bluetooth Stereo Head Set Receiver and a Converter Cable Adapter. The latter will allow you to use any PSP 1000 – 3000 peripheral with the PSPgo. These will be available in Europe and Japan. The European price will be €39.99 for the Bluetooth Head Set and €14.99 for the Converter Cable Adapter.

If the 120GB hard drive in the new PS3s isn’t big enough for you, you’ll be happy to hear that a 250GB version will be out in October in Europe (no word on 250GB bundles coming to America) . It will be bundled with various games and will retail for €349.99 (£284.99). We’ll have more details for you soon.

Finally, Gran Turismo 5 now has a solid Japanese release date – March. An European release date will be announced in due course.

We’ll be looking to go into more detail with the above information over the coming weeks.

In the two months we’ve been open we’ve had thousands of visits from Monster Hunters from all over the UK, proving to us not only the popularity of Monster Hunter but also the dedication of its players. Dwarfing even the efforts of visitors from as far as Scotland were the visitors from Poland, one player’s pilgrimage from Kuwait for two whole weeks (thanks for the home-made baklava, Sai) and a surprise two-day visit from a middle-eastern royal family whose origin I dare not disclose. It seems geographical location is no barrier for the dedicated Hunter.

So this is your last chance! Your last chance to experience Monster Hunter the way it was meant to be played – with others, in the flesh. It’s true social gaming at its best. So if you’re free (or just need to get away from the Notting Hill Carnival) then please, come visit us one last time. Help us drink the last of our alcohol (over 18s only) and be a part of the end of a truly unique gaming experience.

The Gathering Hall will open on Sunday 30th August at 12pm for the last time, and close at 10pm for the last time. The final playoffs for the Rajang time trial challenge will begin at 12.30pm and the winners declared by 4pm at the latest. The Hall is located at 121 Charing Cross Road, which is an extremely short walk from Tottenham Court Road tube station. Entry is free and exclusive to anyone with a PSP and a copy of Monster Hunter Freedom Unite.

A million points to our cameraman Pete for making it look as if he is being interviewed by Sackboy.

Many thanks for everyone’s questions. Stay tuned – we’ve got plenty more video interviews locked and loaded.

xeeki: Are there any technological improvements over the PSP-3000? Like, the screen, or hardware-wise…

Xeeki has asked about detail on the technological improvements of PSPgo over other models. The 2 biggest differences are the removal of the UMD drive and the new design. PSPgo replaces the UMD drive with 16GB of flash memory and the stylish slide open design has made the PSPgo smaller and lighter than ever making it truly pocket-size.

We have also added 3 new features:

• Game sleep function: You will be able to operate the XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) while suspending the gameplay temporarily.
• Bluetooth function: This is going to let you use your favourite wireless head phones to listen to music, play games and watch videos….
• Clock and calendar application: We have included a clock and calendar application which can be viewed both when the sliding panel is open and closed.

Nemhome: Will the PSPgo be delivered with a USB cable?

I am happy to say that the answer is yes. PSPgo will come bundled with everything you need for you to start enjoying all it has to offer. Included in the box along with the PSPgo will be a USB cable, AC adaptor and Media Go software.

PSPgo comes bundled with Media Go, which is an easy to use PC application that makes it simple for you to browse PlayStation Store, as well as organise and store all your favourite downloaded games, demos, music, movies and photos.

We know that being able to effectively store, organise and access your content is key so we have created a video to help explain how you can make the most of PSPgo. Check it out.

disc: What is the battery life like?

We have adopted an embedded battery to realise a smaller and lighter PSP system. The battery life is equivalent with the current models meaning approximately 3 to 6 hours for gameplays and approximately 3 to 5 hours for playing back videos. Hope that answers your question disc.

KSPRAYDAD has been asking about peripherals so here is an update:
The peripherals on offer at launch for PSPgo are USB cable, AC adaptor, Video-out cables (AV cable and component AV cable) and a Cradle. We are currently considering introducing other peripherals for PSPgo but can not provide details at this point.

Another big question was if the current peripherals can be used with PSPgo. We have reduced the size of the USB connector and introduced multi-function features which has allowed us to obtain a smaller and lighter PSP. As such the peripherals for the current PSP models do not currently work on PSPgo however we are considering introducing a special attachment that can connect current peripherals to PSPgo.

Can I download games on to a memory stick?

PSPgo is disc free with a 16GB of built-in memory for storing all your essential games, videos, photos and music. However if you do fill this up there are a couple of options to store and manage your games, music, videos and photos. You will be able to back up to a PC via Media Go or to the M2 Memory Stick to store more content for PSPgo.

Torence: Why have you changed the format of the removable memory?

Torence has asked the above question and it is a good one. PSPgo uses M2 memory sticks which are smaller and take up less room on the device. This meant that we saved space and could make the PSPgo pocket-sized. However, you will be able to transfer the data from your Memory Stick Duo to your PC via Media Go and then transfer it to the PSPgo or M2.

theTMO / pavianexodus: Will it be possible to transfer my UMD games to the new PSPgo?

We know that there are many of you excited about PSPgo but are hesitant at leaving your UMD games collection behind. We recognize this and as such we are planning a goodwill programme and will unveil more details soon.

We also know that there are many already released UMD games that you may not own but want to play in the future on your PSPgo. To make this happen we are considering every possibility to bring downloadable versions for the majority of past titles available only in UMD to the PlayStation Store along with all new releases. We will announce further details on this.

How much will PSPgo cost?

Many of you have asked about the price of PSPgo throughout Europe and the PAL territories and we announced at E3 that PSPgo will retail in Europe at 249 Euros. Many of you have asked more specifically what price this will mean in your local currency. Unfortunately at this stage we are unable to define prices in countries where the Euro is not present at this time but I can assure you that as soon as these prices have been agreed upon I will let you know.

Will the price differ between the UMD version and the downloadable version?

I know this is something that is a concern for you. Unfortunately, I don’t have the answer for you on this at the moment. I can however assure you that I will share this information with you as soon as I get it.

I hope I have managed to answer some of the most burning questions! Feedback is always welcome and we do appreciate all the comments and questions. I will be posting regularly to update you on the latest information on PSPgo.

Thanks!
Adam