Gamertell

As E3 2009 gets closer more news is coming out that makes the PSP appear more viable to consumers than ever before.

Besides rumored hardware redesign, rumors are also circulating about a possible game rental and music download service coming to the handheld.

The PSP already supports the ability to watch movies and play games that are purchased online via PSN so music seems like a natural move for the PSP. Sources at CNET say Sony has been talking to record companies about bringing a music service to the PSP but no deals have been made just yet. Sony already has numerous music labels under it’s belt including Columbia Records, Epic Records and the RCA Music Group so it’s more than capable of providing its own music content to set a precedent for other labels.

According to Develop, a PSP game rental service was revealed to developers during GDC 2009 last March behind closed doors. Months later a survey has been uncovered that states the service will allow a certain number of games to be downloaded during the subscription period. The subscription period could renew itself weekly or monthly and games can only be swapped at that time. The survey also says new the service would launch with an extensive catalog of games and would bring new titles in every month.

The survey doesn’t finalize anything as it’s trying to get an idea of what features consumers would react to best. It does suggest a re-emergence of the PSP brand that will compete with the already firmly established Nintendo DS and the increasing popularity of the iPhone.

Editor’s Note: Don’t forget the rumors of a survey concerning comic book and graphic novel distribution though the PSP, too.

Read [Techtree] Also Read [PSX Extreme] Also Read [Gamertell]