Source: videogamesblogger.com

The graphics chip for the PlayStation Portable 2 (PSP2) may have been uncovered via a press release from British company Imagination Technologies Groups.

The company announced that they have signed a license agreement with a new partner. Although not mentioned by name, they state that it is a “major consumer electronics company.”

Industry sources believe that it is almost certainly Sony, and that the chip is the SGX55x graphics chip, which would be used in Sony’s successor to the PSP, their current handheld gaming system. Although speculation, it would make sense that Imagine wouldn’t reveal who exactly they are working for due to the fact that Sony wouldn’t want to reveal that kind of information on their next system just yet.

Imagination Technologies has already put itself on the map with the chip for Apple’s iPhone, the PowerVR MBX chip, so Sony has made a wise choice to go with them, if it indeed turns out to be the case.

The SGX55x chip promises to be much more powerful than what is currently found in the PSP. At the moment, the PSP uses a proprietary GPU designed by Sony that is very similar to the older graphics processor in the PS2.

Via PSP World

Source: videogamesblogger.com

Apple CEO Steve Jobs has said about the July 11 iPhone App Store launch that 25% of the first 500 applications at the store will be free. Of the commercial applications, 90% will be sold for $9.99 or less, and most interestingly for gamers is that he added a third of the first wave of applications will be iPhone games.

Here are the best choice games (both free and paid) out of the around 165 titles available. Read the list of recommended iPhone games in alphabetical order:

* Adventure: The Interactive Original (adventure) – FREE
* Aurora Feint: The Beginning (puzzle) – FREE
* Aqua Forest (puzzle) – $7.99
* Bejeweled 2 (puzzle) – $9.99
* Bomberman Touch: The Legend Of Mystic Bomb (action) – $9.99
* Bubble Bash (puzzle) – $7.99
* Chess & Backgammon Classics (board) – $9.99
* Chimp’s Ahoy (action) – $9.99
* Chopper (action) – $7.99
* Code Runner – FREE
* Crash Bandicoot: Nitro Kart 3D (racing) – $9.99
* Critter Crunch (puzzle) – $9.99
* Cro-Mag Rally (racing) – $9.99
* Crosswords (puzzle) – $9.99
* Diamond Twister (puzzle) – $7.99
* Enigmo (puzzle) – $9.99
* Etch a Sketch (drawing) – $4.99
* Ms. Pac-Man (arcade) – $9.99
* Motion X: Poker Dice (card) – $4.99
* Moto Racer (racing) – $9.99
* Numba (puzzle) – $9.99
* Platinum Solitaire (card) – $7.99
* Platinum Sudoku (puzzle) – $5.99
* Scrabble (card) – $9.99
* Space Monkey (action) – $9.99
* Super Monkey Ball (action) – $9.99
* Tap Tap Revenge (rhythm) – FREE
* Tetris (puzzle) – $9.99
* Texas Hold’em (card) – $4.99
* Trism (puzzle) – $4.99
* Zen Pinball: Rollercoaster (arcade) – $4.99

The New York Times reports that with the App Store, Apple simplified the process of adding software to the phone. Mr. Jobs contends that Apple does not plan to make much money on games and other applications; he has also said the company does not make much money selling music on iTunes. “We are not trying to be business partners,” Mr. Jobs said of the App Store. Instead, he said, the goal is to “sell more iPhones.” Apple gives developers a 70% cut of sales.

This is interesting because it will increase the number of games that will be made for the iPhones and iPod Touches, compared to bossy wireless carriers that control what programs end up on phones. Especially with Apple manufacturing 15 million of the new iPhone 3G’s (and 2 million more of the iPhone 2G’s) in the second half of this year alone. Even if it’s not a dedicated game portable, that’s still a large potential userbase of gamers. In fact, when you start comparing it to the multimedia PSP, in half a year from now the iPhone will have sold more than half the PSP’s userbase of 37 million. — Part of the games list via IGN

Source: seganerds.com

Brazilian-based company, Tec Toys, are adding another Sega device to their list, a portable Mega Drive.  Unfortunately not quite as cool as the Nomad- the real handheld Mega Drive, from Sega. 

This ‘Portable Mega Drive,’ does not take Mega Drive/Genesis cartridges, instead, like so many other similar handhelds, has several built in games.

Some 20 games to be precise: 

1. Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
2. Alien Storm
3. Altered Beast
4. Arrow Flash
5. Columns III
6. Crack Down
7. Decap Attack
8. Dr. Robotnik´s Mean Bean Machine
9. Ecco the Dolphin
10. Ecco Jr.
11. E-SWAT: Cyber Police City Under Siege
12. Flicky
13. Gain Ground 
14. Golden Axe 
15. Jewel Master
16. Kid Chameleon 
17. Ristar 
18. Sonic and Knuckles
19. Shadow Dancer – The Secret of Shinobi
20. The Revenge of Shinobi

While the device may not be able to play all Mega Drive titles, (that’s the dream), it does have some advantages over the Nomad, like; Less batteries (3 x AAA), a High-def screen (apparently), and A/V inputs so you can link the device up to a television, for that true console feeling.

I have to say, this is quite tempting, just as a cool Sega-related gadget to own, plus I like most of the games in the list.

The device is due for release December 5th, from Tec Toys, for $110 (about £55). 

[Source: Globo.com Via Engadget]