Sony Japan Announces PSP Firmware 3.0 @ Elektriq

After months of speculation and hundreds of articles speculating about the big 3.0 firmware update, it seems that the Sony Japan site has finally released some info about it.

Here's our trusty old friend Altavista translating the announcement:

"In addition, since selling in late November version it raises also PSP "PlayStation portable" Advanced Capability addition and strengthening of security are done via the version rise of continuous system software, in 3.00 and starts raising the cooperation function of PS3. As for everyone of the PSP user with the update to of version 3.00, for PSP which is transmitted inside PLAYSTATION Store "of PLAYSTATION Network"besides the fact that it reaches the point where utilization it can receive the game software, the remote play function of PS3*to enjoy 3 also it becomes possible to receive, (in PS3 of the HDD loading of 20GB from the fact that it is not wireless LAN function, it is not possible to utilize remote play)."

Yes, it's a bad translation, but you can see all the juicy bits there. It seems that the PSP's 3.0 firmware upgrade will come a few days after the release of the PS3. You will probably be able to get it from the PlayStation Store. The 3.0 update looks like it will be big on PS3-PSP interconnectivity. Also there seem to be some kind of "security updates" in there. Are we people missing something?

But think about it for a second. We seem to be missing something else too. Go on, we'll give you a moment to think... where's the PS1 emulation? Frankly, we don't know. Did Sony forgot to mention it? Possibly. Has Sony forfeited that function? We don't want to bet on that either. From the looks of it, we'll have to wait until the release date for more info. Stay tuned, we're gonna be covering every bit of it.

First PlayStation Network Pricing Revealed @ Elektriq

Blast Factor is the download in question.

IGN reports that the Sony Answer to Geometry Wars will sell for 840 Japanese Yen or approximately $7. Now for those who are screaming highway robbery, be patient. Sony is offering a free demo download for those who want try it before they buy it.

Blast Factor will require around 95 MB on the HD, which of course suggest that even the simplest of PlayStation Network downloads will exceed the size of the original XBLA titles. Well, that's what we're speculating.

Pricing plans for PlayStation Network titles outside of Japan has yet to be announced, but at least we have figures to work guess-timates around. Figures and numbers can be so refreshing sometimes, in the light of on-line pseudo debates about the Network's effectivity.