ANGRY BIRDS COMING TO NINTENDO DS, PSP AND PS3

In an interview with The Sun, Chillingo's Joe Wee announced the company's intentions to bring the feathery dive-bombers to the Nintendo DS, as well as Sony's PSP and PS3. Wee was otherwise tight-lipped about the development, leaving us to wonder when we can expect the winged swine slaughterers to make their dedicated gaming debut. And here we thought it was just a passing fad.

SONY TO REMASTER SOME PSP TITLES FOR PS3

The HD collections of past game series have proved popular for Sony. But it looks like the raiding of back catalogs isn’t just going to stop with consoles games, Sony is now looking to its handheld titles for new releases.

A new range entitles the PSP Remaster collection will bring exiting PSP titles to the PS3. These aren’t just ports, though. Sony intends to spend time updating the visuals in each game to be HD quality as well as adding support for Dual Shock 3 force feedback, and 3D.

Existing owners of Remaster games on PSP may be tempted as new content will also be created for each title. So not only will you be playing some of the most popular PSP titles on PS3, you’ll most likely have new levels, characters, even a whole new storyline to indulge in. We also suspect multiplayer features will play a key part dependent on what games are remastered.

If you own the game on PSP and PS3, then save games can be shared across both platforms. That means while you’re at home you can enjoy the HD visuals, but then carry on playing while on the move using your PSP from your last save point. Vice versa when you return home and switch back to the PS3. Sony’s recently announced cloud save service for PlayStation Plus subscribers is sure to play a part in this feature.

RUMOR: SONY DISCONTINUES PS4 DEVELOPMENT

When Sony revealed the PSP 2 (NGP) it was hard not to be impressed. A handheld machine that looks powerful enough to match a PS3 in terms of graphics combined with dual thumbsticks, an innovative touch panel on the back, and the promise of a price point gamers can afford.

It’s clear Sony has spent a lot of time getting the successor to the PSP right. But a rumor coming out of Japan suggests the PSP 2 may be the successor to the PS3 as well.

According to Japanese website PC Watch:

Hiroshige Goto says SCEI suspended PS4 development. They were working on a PowerPC based system at IBM Rochester after the Larrabee fall out, then shelved it. They are betting the farm on PSP2 as they expect handhelds to displace consoles.

If true, it would mean the PS3 is the last home console Sony plans to produce, instead turning to a handheld-only strategy for games.

SONY EVENT ROUNDUP; NEXT-GEN PSP, PLAYSTATION SUITE

Sony held an event today to launch their new PSP (codenamed NGP) and the Playstation Suite.

The NGP is the successor to the popular PSP handheld gaming device. It has a quad-core Cortex-A9 and a quad-core Imagination Technologies PowerVR SGX543MP4+ GPU doing the grunt work within. Front and rear cameras and a multi-touch capacitive screen are also included. Bluetooth, 3G and wireless b/g/n are baked in as well. Games will come on "new media," not UMD anymore, but we're unclear on what sort of flash memory is being used. Sony's rather proud of the fact it's offering the world's first dual analog stick combo on a portable device, though we're more geeked about the quadrupling of pixel count from the original PSP.

Playstation Suite is a cross-platform software framework. What this means is Sony will have a whole Playstation Store filled with Sony games available for the Android tablets and phones. According to Sony the Playstation Suite will be "hardware neutral" and make games portable for "all kinds of handsets".

ANGRY BIRDS READY FOR PSP

We knew Rovio Mobile was preparing PS3, PSP, Xbox 360 and Wii versions, but boy was that fast. The poultry-slingshot app has been confirmed for the PSP as a downloadable $3.99 game. It's available today, but be warned—so far, there are fewer levels than on its iPhone and Android brethren. [Gizmodo]

RUMOR: PSP GO PRICE DROP THIS WEEKEND

Rumor has it the PSP Go will drop in price to $199.95.  This is according to Joystiq who's source who is an employee at an Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES)-based store.  Other store contacts could not or would not confirm or deny the rumor, but it is believed to be credible, especially with Sony being quiet on the matter.  [Geek]

RUMOR: Next PSP to have touch controls on back

According to sources at Gamescon in Cologne, Germany this week, the upcoming PSP from Sony will feature touch controls on the back of the device for added gameplay input.  This version is expected to go on sale by end of 2011.

Is Sony finally taking note of the Nintendo DS and it's range of touch controls?

Previous rumors of the next PSP have it having dual cameras, a touchscreen, a four-cell processor and embedded 3G connectivity.

What are your thoughts?  Will any or all of this make you want to buy one?