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PSP Go dead?

Sony ceasing to manufacture UMD-free $200 portable system, according to Japanese Sony Shop employee.

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No Caption Provided Source: A blog entry reportedly written by a Japanese Sony Shop employee (translated by Andriasang).

What we heard: The PSP Go--the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo'sworst kept secret--is reportedly no more, according to a recent report. According to a blog entry from a Japanese Sony Shop employee, Sony has killed off the PSP Go. The blog claims that production of the portable device has ceased and that shops will not receive future shipments of the device.

Is the PSP Go going away for good?
Is the PSP Go going away for good?

Further, the device cannot be purchased through the Japanese Sony Style website, where it is listed as out of stock, with no time frame offered for when new units will arrive. It is still available via the North American Sony Style page for $200.

The PSP Go--which debuted in North America on Oct. 1 2009 at $250--lacks a UMD drive, favoring instead digital media downloaded through the PlayStation Store. The device is also slimmer than the PSP-3000, which Sony continues to sell, and features 16GB of on-board flash memory.

The official story: As of press time, Sony has not responded to GameSpot's request for comment or clarification on the matter.

Bogus or not bogus:? Sony is clearly ready to embrace a new handheld future, as it is preparing its Next Generation Portable for release by the end of 2011. As such, the PSP Go has to be phased out sometime--it's just a question of when, not if.

Media Create Japanese weekly sales figures have the portable rarely breaking 1,000 units sold. That stands in stark comparison to the regular PSP, which is currently the most popular platform in the island nation. During one week in February, the PSP outsold its digital distribution-focused counterpart 1,000 to 1.

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