SONY ANNOUNCES NEW HANDHELD SYSTEM...PLAYSTATION VITA

Details about Sony's new handheld, formerly known as the NGP or Next Generation Portable, have been trickling out for months in the form of spec sheets and fantastic footage of its quad core capabilities. All that, and we still didn't know how much she'd cost or when we could get our grubby paws around one. Thankfully for those tuned in at E3, said mystery is a mystery no more -- the Vita will be listed at $249 for the WiFi-only model, or $299 for the 3G version. Sony's Kaz Hirai confirmed will be available exclusively through AT&T, with both models shipping worldwide toward the end of 2011. For those of you camped out overseas, prices are set for ¥24,980 (WiFi) and ¥29,980 (3G) in Japan, while those closer to that other pond will see tags of €249 and €299.

The device, also known as the PS Vita, offers up six-axis motion sensors, dual analog controls (proper ones, with thumbsticks), front- and rear-facing cameras, an OLED touchscreen, and a touchpad on the back, too. The company showed off a number of top-tier titles, including Uncharted: Golden Abyss, a hack-and-slash RPG called Ruin, a new ModNation Racers, LittleBigPlanet, and Street Fighter x Tekken, each showing off plenty of motion and touch interactivity... things that we couldn't be more elated to try for ourselves in due time. They're all looking quite good, and honestly a bit more advanced than what the 3DS has delivered so far -- for the same money.

Wii 2 CONFIRMED FOR 2012; PREVIEW AT E3

Nintendo has just announced it plans to introduce a successor to its Wii console next year, a "playable model" of which will be shown off at the E3 gaming expo in Los Angeles coming up on June 7th. No details are available as to how the next Wii will improve on the first one, though we imagine Nintendo will be happy if it simply matches the success of its current-gen home entertainer.

Bloomberghas provided the first official hint about Nintendo's next console with a quote from company President Satoru Iwata. Nintendo will "propose a new approach to home video game consoles," though it won't be a simple move to 3D, as Iwata notes "it's difficult to make 3-D images a key feature, because 3-D televisions haven't obtained wide acceptance yet." Given that motion gaming is no longer new and 3D is off the table until 3DTVs go mainstream, we're now left facing only one potentiality -- Nintendo is planning on bringing genuine innovation to our living rooms. We suppose it also adds fuel to the rumor of a crazy next-gen controller to go with this next-gen console.

ANDROID AND iOS GRAB 34% OF PORTABLE GAMING MARKET

Analytics company Flurry has published an interesting study involving Android, iOS, and the U.S. video game market. Following up on a report from 2009, the company notes that the two mobile operating systems accounted for 8% of all U.S. video game sales in 2010 when calculated by revenue. What’s even more interesting is where both Android and iOS are taking their share from: portable gaming players.

Console software revenues grew by 5% from 2009 to 2010 — 71% to 75% respectively — with portable gaming systems (e.g. Sony PSP, Nintendo DS) revenue falling nearly 8% in during the same period. Combined, Android and iOS accounted for 34% of all U.S. portable gaming software revenues — behind the Nintendo DS with 57% and ahead of Sony’s PSP with just 9%. Portable game software was a $2.4 billion business in 2010, with overall U.S. video game software revenues hovering around $10.7 billion. “Over 2011, we expect to see continued and significant smart-device game growth fueled by the recent launch of iPad 2, iPhone coming into distribution on Verizon, the expected release of iPhone 5, a relentless expansion of Android devices by leading OEMs across all major U.S. carriers, and Google’s enablement of in-app purchase billing, a proven key driver in iOS game revenue,” reads Flurry’s report. Smartphones and tablets may not be immersive enough for the most hardcore mobile gamers, but they seem to be more than adequate for most.

GOGO INFLIGHT INTERNET TO EXPAND INTO MOVIES AND POSSIBLY GAMING

There's not a lot of firm details just yet, but the CEO of Gogo's parent company, Aircell, has just confirmed that GoGo is planning to take a few steps beyond it's basic in-flight WiFi business this year. That will apparently start with a library of in-flight movies that customers will have access to "later this year," and could eventually expand to other in-flight content including "live gaming." No word on any content partners involved in any of those plans, but CEO Michael Small says that he believes content has the potential to be a" significant" revenue source for the company. Incidentally, this news coincided with GoGo's announcement of a $35 million boost from its latest round of funding and, as mocoNews reports, the company has apparently already hired "a number of executives from internet companies" to help it with its new content offerings.

ONLIVE UNVEILS $9.99 FLAT RATE GAMING PLAN

Remote gaming service OnLive on Thursday unveiled a flat-rate monthly plan for $9.99, which will allow users unlimited access to OnLive's gaming library. OnLive likened the service to a video game version of Netflix or iTunes.

Users who already have the OnLive Game Service can access the unlimited offering, dubbed OnLive PlayPack, starting today. Other OnLive members can start using it on January 15.

At this point, OnLive PlayPack has at least a dozen games, including Ubisoft's "Prince of Persia" and Warner Bros.'s "Lego Batman." OnLive promised to ramp up to more than 40 games by the January launch date. PlayPack games will play instantly on TVs, via the OnLive Game System, or on a PC or Mac after a browser download.

OnLive offers gaming via free trials, 3- and 5-day rentals, and a la carte PlayPass options for specific new-release games. It also sells the OnLive Game System (OGS) for $99, which includes a MicroConsole and controller for OnLive game access via HDTVs. OnLive said it started shipping the OGS today.

"People love flat-rate plans for instant-play media, so it's exciting to introduce this offering to the video game market for the first time. With PlayPass games priced from $3.99 to $49.99, along with the new $9.99/mo PlayPack plan, OnLive's growing library of games will suit any budget and any type of gamer, from casual to hardcore," Steve Perlman, founder and CEO of OnLive, said in a statement.

PlayBack does not require a contract and can be cancelled at any time. [PC Mag]

ONLIVE DROPS MONTHLY CHARGE

OnLive, the online gaming platform, has dropped it's monthly charge.  Starting immediately the streaming game service will only charge for online game play with no monthly fee.  OnLive also announced better video quality and game pad controllers before Christmas. [Gizmodo]