It’s clear that Sony wants the PSP to be more than just a gaming machine.  It plays music, movies, and even has a web browser.  Now though, it’s your own Kindle for all things comic book related.  The PlayStation Network Digital Comics service is now live and allows you to download comic books right to your PSP.

How many issues are there at launch?  About 550 from Marvel, Disney, and IDW Publishing as of right now.  More will be added as time goes on.  Comics usually cost $1.99, but certain special comics will run you $0.99 or $2.99.  There are a few free ones too.

Firmware 6.20 is required in order to use the service, which is only available in the U.S. for now.  To see the full list of titles, check out the PlayStation Blog.

On May 25, in North America, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker will launch.  Those in the UK can expect it three days later on May 28.

According to Hideo Kojima, a man who truly needs no introduction, Peace Walker is no spin-off title; instead, it’s a full-fledged sequel to Metal Gear Solid 3 and Portable Ops.

In Peace Walker, you play as Naked Snake/Big Boss.  You also get a glimpse of the early stages in his mercenary group, Outer Heaven.

The game plays like a traditional Metal Gear Solid game with a couple of twists.  There are now Metroidvania-like powerups that give Snake new abilities as you progress through the game.  Oh, and cooperative multiplayer.  That’s always fun.

Sony executives weren’t slacking off this holiday weekend (unlike me).  The weekly update to the PlayStation Network Store graced PlayStation gamers with a slew of new goodies.  The list is from the official PlayStation Blog and is rather long, but here it is:

PS3

Now $4.99, originally $9.99:

• Flower
• The Last Guy
• Prince of Persia Classic
• Comet Crash
• Bomberman Ultra

Now $7.49, originally $14.99:

• Smash Cars
• Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao

UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves – Eye of Indra 2 Motion Comic ($0.99)(US only)

Killzone 2 DLC Sale (Flash & Thunder now $2.99, bundle now $9.99)

Fate/Unlimited Codes Sale (now $14.99)

Downloadable Games

Gravity Crash ($9.99)

Diner Dash ($9.99)

Madden NFL Arcade ($14.99)

PSone Classics: PS3/PSP

Command & Conquer ($5.99)

Dino Crisis ($5.99)

Reel Fishing ($5.99)

Fighting Force ($5.99)

Backstreet Billiards ($5.99)

International Track & Field ($5.99)

Game Demos (free)

Gravity Crash Demo

Comet Crash Demo

Add-on Game Content

LittleBigPlanet Rare “SuperStar” Shirt ($4.99)

Borderlands Zombie Island DLC ($9.99)

DJ Hero David Guetta Mix Pack 01 ($7.99)

Dragon Ball Warriors on Earth Pack (free)

Guitar Hero 5: Neversoft Thanks The Fans Track Pack (free)

Rock Band:

• “Our Lips Are Sealed”— Go Go’s ($1.99)
• “Miss Independent”— Kelly Clarkson ($1.99)
• “Who Knew”— Pink ($1.99)
• “American Girl (live)”— Tom Petty ($1.99)
• “A Thing About You (live)”— Tom Petty ($1.99)
• “Even the Losers (live)”— Tom Petty ($1.99)
• “Here Comes My Girl (live)”— Tom Petty ($1.99)
• “Mary Jane’s Last Dance (live)”— Tom Petty ($1.99)
• “Refugee (live)”— Tom Petty ($1.99)
• Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Live Anthology Pack 1 ($9.99)

Game Videos (free)

Assassin’s Creed II Dev Diary 5

Assassin’s Creed II Factions Video

Final Fantasy XIII Special Announcement Video

MX vs ATV Reflex Announce Trailer

MX vs ATV Reflex Freestyle Trailer

MX vs ATV Reflex Variety Trailer

Resident Evil 5 Lost in Nightmares Trailer

Planet 51 Chuck Trailer

Planet 51 Gamescom Trailer

Planet 51 Lem Trailer

Dragon Age: Origins Dwarf Noble Origin Trailer

Avatar Ignite War Trailer

Polar Panic Story Trailer

Themes

Afrika Dynamic Theme ($2.99)

Assassin’s Creed II Launch Theme ($1.49)

Cavalier Warrior Theme ($1.49)

King Zumo Theme ($1.49)

Yuefeng: Fire Prince Theme ($1.49)

Wallpaper (free)

Topatoi: Wallpaper 3

PSP

Downloadable Games (also available from PS3 storefront)

LittleBigPlanet PSP ($39.99)

Tekken 6 PSP ($39.99)

PSP minis

Fortix ($4.99)

Pinball Fantasies ($6.99)

Blast Off ($2.99)

Bloons ($3.99)

Kahoots ($4.49)

Let’s Golf ($6.99)

Add-on Game Content

Disgaea 2 DLC (x7) – Hanako, Pram, Marona, Ash, Plenair, Sapphire and Almaz ($1.99 each)

PSP Themes

Cavalier Warrior PSP Theme ($1.49) (also available from PS3 storefront)

King Zumo PSP Theme ($1.49) (also available from PS3 storefront)

Yuefeng: Fire Prince PSP Theme ($1.49) (also available from PS3 storefront)

There’s been some criticism of Sony’s new PSP Go, and I have to admit, I’ve been a part of that criticism.  To quell the naysayers though, the launch of the PSP Go contains over 100 downloadable games!  That’s a crazy number for launch, but in reality, the PSP Go isn’t exactly a new system, but rather a redesign.  So the launch is not as impressive in that respect.

However, it is still amazing to see over 100 PSP games from 23 publishers (including Sony).

Pricing varies… a lot.  Newly released UMD games are available for download at the suggested retail price of $39.99 whereas older games can range from as low as $9.99.

Here’s the list from Gamespot:

SCEA
Gran Turismo PSP ($39.99)
God of War: Chains of Olympus ($15.99)
Secret Agent Clank ($31.99)
LocoRoco 2 ($15.99)
PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe ($19.99)
Daxter ($15.99)
Resistance Retribution ($31.99)
MLB 09 The Show ($31.99)
MotorStorm Arctic Edge ($39.99)

505 Games
IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey ($29.99)

Activision
Cabela’s African Safari ($14.99)
Rapala Trophies ($14.99)
Gun Showdown ($14.99)
SWAT: Target Liberty ($19.99)
Crash Tag Team Racing ($14.99)
Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts: Ultimate Challenge ($14.99)
Crash: Mind Over Mutant ($29.99)
Crash of the Titans ($19.99)
Activision Hits Remixed ($14.99)

Aksys Games
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus ($24.99)

Atari
Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai ($14.99)
Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai Another Road ($14.99)

Atlus
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona ($39.99)

Capcom
Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded ($19.99)
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite ($29.99)

Codemasters
Dirt 2 ($29.99)

Crave Entertainment
Pinball Hall of Fame: The Gottlieb Collection ($9.99)
Puzzle Challenge: Crosswords and More! ($4.99)
Brunswick Pro Bowling ($9.99)

EA
The Sims 2 ($14.99)
The Sims 2 Castaway ($9.99)
The Sims 2 Pets ($9.99)
Need for Speed: Underground Rivals ($14.99)
Need for Speed: Most Wanted ($19.99)
Need for Speed: Shift ($39.99)
Need for Speed: ProStreet ($19.99)
Need for Speed: Carbon ($19.99)
Medal of Honor Heroes ($19.99)
Fight Night: Round 3 ($19.99)
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra ($39.99)
Madden NFL 10 ($39.99)
Scrabble ($19.99)
Medal of Honor Heroes 2 ($19.99)
Burnout Legends ($19.99)
Burnout Dominator ($14.99)
Lord of the Rings: Tactics ($9.99)
Def Jam Fight For New York: The Takeover ($9.99)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 ($39.99)
NCAA Football 10 ($39.99)

Koei
Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce ($29.99)
Warriors Orochi 2 ($29.99)

LucasArts
Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings ($19.99)
Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventure ($19.99)
Thrillville: Off the Rails ($19.99)
Star Wars: Battlefront Renegade Squadron ($19.99)
Star Wars: Battlefront II ($19.99)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed ($19.99)

Midway
Mortal Kombat: Unchained ($19.99)
Hot Brain ($14.99)

Namco Bandai
Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny ($39.99)

NIS America
Blade Dancer: Lineage of Light ($4.99)
Mana Khemia: Student Alliance ($14.99)
Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness ($14.99)
Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days ($29.99)
Prinny: Can I Really be the Hero? ($9.99)
Dragoneer’s Aria ($14.99)

Playlogic
Obscure: The Aftermath ($29.99)

Rockstar Games
Beaterator ($39.99)

Sega
Alien Syndrome ($15.99)
Super Monkey Ball Adventure ($15.99)
Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars ($15.99)
Iron Man ($19.99)
Sonic Rivals ($15.99)
Sonic Rivals 2 ($29.99)
Full Auto 2: Battlelines ($15.99)
Sega Genesis Collection ($15.99)
Crush ($15.99)

SNK Playmore
The King of Fighters Collection ($19.99)
Metal Slug Anthology ($19.99)
SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 ($19.99)
Samurai Showdown Anthology ($19.99)

Square Enix
Thexder Neo ($9.99)

THQ
Avatar: The Last Airbender ($19.99)
Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights ($19.99)
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Yellow Avenger ($19.99)
MX vs ATV Untamed ($19.99)
WWE SmackDown vs RAW 2009 ($19.99)

Ubisoft
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs ($29.99)
Tom Clancy’s EndWar ($29.99)
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas ($19.99)
Prince of Persia Revelations ($9.99)
Prince of Persia Rival Swords ($14.99)

Warner Bros. Interactive
300: March To Glory ($14.99)
Justice League Heroes ($14.99)
Lego Batman The Video Game ($19.99)

PSP Minis
Alien Havoc ($4.99)
Tetris ($9.99)
Hero of Sparta ($6.99)
Brainpipe ($4.99)
Fieldrunners ($6.99)
Sudoku ($4.99)
Funky Punch ($4.99)

PSOne Classics (also playable on PS3)
Jumping Flash! 2 ($5.99)
Um Jammer Lammy ($5.99)
Nuclear Strike ($5.99)
Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko ($5.99)

Temporary price drops
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords ($7.99)
Cube ($4.99)
Dead Head Fred ($7.99)
PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient ($4.99)
PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient 2 ($7.99)
WTF: Work Time Fun ($4.99)
Prinny: Can I Really be the Hero? ($9.99)
Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! ($9.99)

If you already own a PSP, you may not want to convert to a PSP Go.  $250 is a little steep for a PSP Go in my opinion, keeping in mind that it’s UMD-less.  However, a new caveat has surfaced.  Those with numerous PSP games (in UMD format) have no way to convert that to a PSP Go.  A major deal breaker.

“We were evaluating a UMD conversion program, but due to legal and technical reasons we will not be offering the program at this time,” Sony told Gamespot.

So much for that goodwill program Sony mentioned at E3 2009 about allowing PSP owners to convert their UMDs into a digital format supported by the PSP Go.

It’s clear that the PSP Go is intended for new gamers who currently don’t own a PSP, but to shun your current user base seems counterproductive.  The PSP Go should not launch without allowing users to transfer their UMD games.  If Sony does plow through with this, the PSP Go is a bigger joke than I originally thought.  Yeah, I’m overly critical right now.

So there.

One of the best critically acclaimed game on the PS3, Valkyria Chronicles, has a sequel coming to the PSP.  Valkyria Chronicles 2 will appear on the PSP in the summer of 2010.

The sequel takes place two years after the events of the first game.  The story follows a group of Gallian Military Academy cadets, who are involved in a civil war after the Gallian Revolutionary Army attempts a takeover on the standing government.

Valkyria Chronicles 2 will still maintain the distinct art style of the original, just on a scaled down engine in order to properly run on the PSP.  There are twenty all new environments and hundreds of missions available.  Valkyria Chronicles is SEGA’s best game in recent times.  I’m pretty optimistic about the sequel.

GameInformer has an interview up with Konami producer Tomm Hulett and Climax game director Mark Simmons about the latest Silent Hill installment.  Here are all the juicy details:

Game Informer: What kind of lessons did you learn about Silent Hill since developing Silent Hill: Origins?

Mark Simmons:  Silent Hill: Origins was our first experience of developing a Silent Hill title. During that development we were very aware of the fans passion for the series, in particular the level of detail to which they scrutinize the games and the narrative. I think Silent Hill is unique in that respect, the fans deliver a level of scrutiny that other games don’t get.

At the outset of Shattered Memories we discussed Origins a lot. With that game we felt we had to a large extent already covered a lot of the Silent Hill 1 storyline by recapping it as a sequel to that original story. That was one of the reasons we felt strongly that we had to reimagine the Silent Hill 1 story for Shattered Memories. Origins’ story was fairly constrained by the canon of the series, but by reimagining the Silent Hill 1 story for Shattered Memories we have been able to take story telling within the game to new levels with the freedom that a reimagining provides. Every detail within the game and all gameplay elements have been designed from the ground up to deliver the narrative on multiple levels.

There will be the main story arc which we feel delivers a meaningful story which twists and turns in a contemporary way. This is supplemented by layers of additional depth delivered through many side stories via the cell phone and vast amount of detail within the world which users can spend as much time as they like finding and dissecting. Finally, there is an additional layer of depth specifically for the fans, a layer that only they will understand with many interesting and sometimes fun links to the original storyline and canon of the series.

GI: Where do you draw the line between a remake and a reimagining?

Tomm Hulett: A remake seeks to recreate an experience in exacting detail, using new technology or graphics to do what the original couldn’t.  A re-imagining, on the other hand, takes a concept or a goal and creates something entirely new around that original core.  Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is very much a reimagining.

GI: Can you talk about the decisions that led to the nightmare world getting a complete overhaul, from its former “blood and rust” look to its current “sterile ice” presentation?

Simmons: There isn’t much that exists in Shattered Memories that doesn’t have a story telling reason for being there. The ice and snow form a key part of the narrative language within the game and once you’ve played through the game and have considered the story you’ll understand why it forms a natural backdrop to the nightmare world. It also gave us plenty of opportunities to push the hardware of the platforms with some amazing rendering effects, refractive ice, some amazing snow effects, solid ice that shimmers in the flashlight beam, and advanced lighting that accurately reproduces the light and shadow from the snow and ice. We also felt strongly that the extreme cold and ice would support a strong sense of isolation and lack of life to create an atmosphere where you’d feel really on your own in an oppressive world adding to the terror of the nightmare experience.

GI: Can you explain more about the Personality Profile system?

Hulett: The past Silent Hill games have focused a lot on the psychology of the main character to varying degrees.  There are areas that suggest the entire experience is taking place in the person’s mind, while others merely suggest the monsters were “conjured” by the character’s mental state.  Either way, we took this concept and ran with it, turning it into a gameplay mechanic that is active at all times.  Shattered Memories is watching you, the player, and changing what you experience as you progress through the game.

GI: From what we gather, memory (and its limitations) are going to play a part in Shattered Memories. Will the storyline branch off based on player choices, or is it a more linear, tailored experience?

Simmons: You just mentioned our Psych Profile system, right? Well this system delivers a much more advanced mechanic than simple story branching. Every element throughout the entire game is changed to strongly flavor the storyline depending on your personality profile. The main story arc is delivered each time you play through, but that story arc can be very different with each play through and change in ways where 100 people playing the game will get some experiences of the story that are unique to only their play through.

GI: Is Dr. K Dr. Kaufmann?

Simmons: We can’t say. However, here is an excerpt from the design docs on Dr. K:

Dr. K graduated from __________ Medical School in the early 70s and went straight into training as a psychoanalyst, eager to test out theories “in the wild.” After working for the New York psychoanalyst Charles __________ for several years, Dr. K branched out and opened his own practice. His bravado and self-perpetuated reputation for innovation saw him taken on by several high profile clients, and at the same time attracted some ire from the more conservative members of his profession. In the 80s there were rumors of an affair with his patient  __________ (the actress and daughter of  __________ ). The minor controversies only added to the doctor’s rock and roll reputation amongst the rich set. In the background to this, Dr. K was developing a moderate  __________. Privately he subjected  __________ humiliating  __________ experiments,  __________ out on the 80s New York socialite scene and  __________ recount her  __________  afterwards. Dr. K often justified these elements of his life as being part of his need to explore the edges of mental experience in order to better understand the human mind.

GI: Why is Harry wearing glasses in Shattered Memories?

Simmons: Many things are different in this game from the original game, so him having glasses now is just another example of this. We wanted to create a more real character, not a strong action hero, but an everyday person who you might meet in the bar down the road. It’s a true survival horror game and we felt the glasses helped to push forward his vulnerability as a simple writer by profession who is thrust unwillingly into the nightmare of Shattered Memories.

GI: Combat has been one of those things that Silent Hill players have grumbled about for years. What led to the decision to get rid of it in this game?

Hulett: One thing you’ll notice when you play modern survival horror games (previous Silent Hills included), is that whenever a monster appears, you’re only scared for a moment.  Then you beat its face in or shoot it, and it dies, and you’re safe, and you move right along.  Enemies also tend to be stupid, and kind of let you kill them.  All in all, you feel very empowered – just like playing any other action game.

But Silent Hill is a horror game, so should you feel empowered? No, you should feel weak and scared and alone and helpless.  The original Silent Hill suggested that protagonist Harry Mason was a normal guy without combat experience… so we stayed true to that: he’s a writer, not an action hero.  Now when the (extremely capable) creatures show up, Harry has no way to stop them and be safe again.  He has to escape, using his wits to outsmart or outmaneuver them.  We think it creates a much more satisfying horror experience.

GI: The first trailer showed Harry going to visit his house, which was in Silent Hill, and it’s occupied by strangers. Will the “regular” version of Silent Hill be similarly populated, or is it about as barren as in the original?

Hulett: One commonly held notion about Silent Hill is that the town is abandoned.  However, many of the games suggest it’s as populated as any town in America – but when a troubled person enters, they see the “foggy” world, which is only inhabited by similarly troubled individuals.  So does that mean you could encounter a lot of “normal” people in Silent Hill?  I’ve been a fan of Silent Hill since the beginning, and the little mysteries like this really intrigue me.  I think it’s time we explored them, don’t you?

GI: Some would say the Silent Hill series has lost its way over the years. How do you plan to grab the attention of those who have written it off?

Hulett: I think that Silent Hill may have risked turning formulaic, and the one way to ensure something isn’t scary is to make it routine and normal.  However, Silent Hill has always had a ton of untapped potential, because it’s about this subjective reality where nothing is what you expect… so we decided to illustrate this by reimagining the original.  We’ve examined gameplay, story, characters… everything, and turned it into something fresh and new.  Anyone who yearns for the early days when Silent Hill still made them question what the hell was going on… Shattered Memories is for you.

In addition to downloading PSP games onto your UMD-less PSP Go, you will also be able to download non-gaming applications similar to Apple’s iPod Touch and iPhone.  This news is the precise reason why Sony reduced the price of its dev kit by 80%.  The decrease in price would entice more developers (not necessarily gaming devs) to create new apps for the portable according to Sony.

What does this mean for Nintendo?  It looks like Sony’s apps may compete with some of Nintendo’s apps, like the ever popular Mario Calculator among others.

The PSP Go will launch in North America on October 1 for $249.99.

When Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars debuted on the Nintendo DS in March, it was met with critical praise.  It was also met with lackluster sales, reaching a maximum of 90,000 units sold (which is mediocre considering the Nintendo DS installed base and franchise recognition).  Not to let a good game go to waste, Rockstar will be bringing GTA: Chinatown Wars to the PSP this fall (in UMD format as well as a digital download for the PSP G0, which will be available in North America on October 1st).

The game will not be a port according to Rockstar.  Some enhancements include widescreen graphics, improved lighting and animations, and new story missions.  It looks like it’s shaping up to be the definitive version no doubt.

Here are some highlights from Sony’s conference.  Read on!

-PS3 Exclusives-

God of War III

Yeah it’s brutal, but oh so enjoyable.  Look for it in March of 2010.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

“Oh s***,” this looks good.  Not only is it beautiful, but the action’s intense and it looks like loads of fun.

MAG

256 players?  Yeah.

Agent

A Rockstar exclusive.  Only a passing mention unfortunately.

Final Fantasy XIV

Wow Square-Enix.  FF XIII is not even out yet.  Check out the trailer!

Mod Nation Racers

A totally customizable racer.  Looks like Sony’s answer to Joy Ride.  Will be released in 2010.

The Last Guardian

Aw, what a cute feathery beast.

Gran Turismo 5

Vroom Vroom.

-PSP-

Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines

November 10th.  There will be some connectivity between this game and Assassin’s Creed II on the PS3.

Gran Turismo PSP

Sony’s popular racer swerves onto the PSP.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

10 years after MGS 3.  Not a spin off or side story.

Resident Evil PSP

No information other than it exists.  Sorry!

PSP Go

Will not replace the UMD.  Will be marketed alongside the original PSP.  50% smaller and 40% lighter than PSP 3000.  16GB of internal Flash Memory.  Built in Wifi.  Slider.  External memory port.  $249 and will be available on October 1 in North America and Europe.

Media Go

Allows you to transfer media to the PSP.

Sense Me

Plays music based on your mood.

Video Download Service

Will be available on the PSP now.  Not just a PS3 exclusive.

-Accessory-

Sony’s New Motion Controller

Totally not Wii Motion Plus.  I must admit, Sony’s presentation on this technology was rather amusing to watch.