Gamertell

Rumors of a Playstation Phone have recently resurfaced along with questions of an attachment for the PlayStation Portable or a whole new device all together.

It would make sense, since you can practically use the handheld for a variety of things from surfing the web to taking still and moving videos with an attachment. Having a phone attachment would increase the sales of the device and send Sony dancing in the streets as the boost in sales skyrocket. At least you would think that were possible until Sony denies the claim again.

I say if you want to at least promote mobile gaming the PSP is the product that could make it possible. I use my PSP more than I do my own cellphone, so why not combine the two?

According to Sony Computer Entertainment of America’s co-chief operating officer, Jim Ryan, A PSPhone may be on the way for real this time.

“The PlayStation is a proven success and so is Sony Ericsson. Convergence with the two arms working together is definitely plausible,” Ryan said in an interview with Economic Times. “What has been done is finding a match between a camera and a mobile phone, and that has been done wherein the mobile phone features are not reasonably inhibited and the camera is also a reasonably competitive product. It is hugely intellectually seductive to have a console-oriented phone.”

But it’s bad enough the photo quality let alone the picture quality of a mobile phone is quite horrid, one would question how to get the same PlayStation quality of games on a cellphone? The screens are tiny and the screen resolutions suck. But should Sony take a PSP for example and embed the cellphone capabilities into it as the N-gage and Blackberry phones have done with music videos and PDA functions of a computers, that would be an ideal phone for a typical gamer like myself.

“Sony Ericsson has succeeded in selling music phones and camera phones that capitalize on its well-known Walkman music player brand and its Cyber-Shot digital camera brand,” said Diptarup Chakraborti, principal analyst at research firm Gartner. “While the Cybershot and Walkman are better selling brands from the Sony fold, PlayStation almost enjoys cult status and two strong brands, SE and PS would make a strong success story for Sony.”

According to Informa and Wireless Intelligence, the total number of mobile phone subscribers in the world was estimated at 2.14 billion in 2005 with the count reaching 2.83 billion in Q1 of 2007. Around 80% of the world’s population enjoys mobile phone coverage as of 2006 with this figure expected to increase to 90% by the year 2010. In India, the number has already crossed 250 million in September 2007 and is expected to double by 2010.

It’s not like Sony can deny this as a false claim for very much longer. While no set date had been announced earlier this year, Sony did sign a four year contract with BT to offer video and voice calls as well as text messaging for the PSP using VoIP technology in Europe. So its only a matter of time before the same is offered stateside.

“The PSP is an excellent device for both gaming and communications because of its high quality screen and audio capabilities,” said Steve Andrews, chief of mobility and convergence for BT, in an interview with GameIndustry.Biz in May 2007. “With over 8 million PSPs shipped across Europe, we are very excited by the opportunity to give customers a whole new communications experience, connecting and seeing friends across the world through BT’s technology.”

What else can I say about this revived rumor, but: “Please, oh, please! Pimp My PSP Sony!”

Read [GameDaily] Also Read [Economic Times] Also [Game Industry Biz]