BT, Sony to turn PSP into a phone
Ringing the changes
And you thought Sony's PlayStation Portable was just a games machine? Tell that to BT - it wants to transmute the handheld console into an "advanced communcations" tool. Or, as we call them in the trade, a phone.
Sony PSP handheld gaming... er... telephone
The telco and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe today announced a four-year partnership to bring text messaging, and voice and video calls to the PSP. These extra features will be delivered with existing BT-branded software products - and, presumably, Sony's recently announced clip-on PSP webcam.
BT brings its broadband connectivity to the party: not only in-home wireless links but also its Wi-Fi hotspot network, Openzone.
Sony's Go!Cam for PSP
Neither partner said when all this will happen. The Go!Cam for PSP is already available - it went on sale last week, according to Sony - so the BT software package can't be far off. You'll hear more when we do.
COMMENTS
I hope Nintendo don't follow suit...
wouldn't want to announce to folk "I'm just off to phone a game boy!"
Sony Sell World Class Products so the PSP will need LBS Capabilities in the USA
So how is this to be done when they do not own the IP rights to such an application in the United States and Japan?
Remember?
Does anyone remember when gaming consoles and handhelds <i>were</i> gaming consoles and handhelds?
PSPhone
It looks like a solution in search of a problem. People (some people) say the iPhone is gimmicery. Well this PSPhone passes that up. Add video to the mix?
It used to be that people would say "I'm calling you from my car/the train/the game/the etc". Now it'll be "I'm calling you from my game console"
Next thing will be the Xbox 360 as a VoIP terminal. I give it about a year. With cordless extensions. It's all about convergence. Tony, keep track of this predicition. You heard it first on the Reg.
