Rumor Control: Samsung's console and the "new" PSP specs

RUMOR #1: Samsung will be unveiling either a new console or an N-Gage-esque game deck at E3.

Source: The invite to Samsung's E3 event.

The official story: "Check out our follow-up email."--Samsung spokesperson.

What we heard: Much like last week's invite to Sega's E3 conference, the e-mail invite to Samsung's E3 event was full of hyperbolic language. "Details will follow shortly from Samsung Electronics regarding a major global gaming announcement," read the invite. Some sites used this clue to resurrect one of the past's wilder theories. That old chestnut said Samsung had been in negotiations with Electronic Arts to create a new, proprietary console--in effect, turning EA into a Nintendo-like software and hardware colossus. Leveler heads thought Samsung would be announcing a new, mobile phone or phone accessory tailored toward gameplay, perhaps a smaller, less clunky version of the Samsung Sprint PCS GamePad (pictured). However, a subsequent e-mail from Samsung put the kibosh on the hoopla. "Samsung Electronics invites you to a news conference announcing exciting and historic news regarding the World Cyber Games," read the note.

Bogus or not bogus?: Bogus.

RUMOR #2: The new PSP specs have been leaked.

Source: A PSP pre-order page on online electronics merchant Expansys.

The official story: Attempts to contact SCEA reps were fruitless.

What we heard: PSP fans eager for any scrap of information about the upcoming Sony portable seized on the Expansys listing like a pack of starved hyenas. "PSP specs revealed!" trumpeted several headlines, while others went into long discourses about the specs' technical ramifications, particularly the skimpy 8BM of eDRAM. If that complaint sounds familiar, that's because it is--the PSP specs posted on Expansys were the same ones announced by Sony last July. Since then, developers' complaints have reportedly prompted Sony to increase the PSP's eDRAM to 32MB. However, nothing will be certain until Sony delivers the final PSP specs. The most likely venue for that event will be Sony's E3 press conference at 8:30am on Tuesday, May 11--which you can watch live on GameSpot Live.

Bogus or not bogus?: Bogus.

RUMOR #3: Transformers 2 is already in development--for the PSP, no less.

Source: An interview with Transformers director and executive producer Andrew Carter in EuroGamer.

The official story: Atari did not respond to comment solicitations.

What we heard: The Eurogamer interview does mention a Transformers sequel--but only in the most broad of terms. "We are currently looking into what we want to put into a sequel to this game," he said, explicitly admitting that, "It's too early to talk about, though." As for the version for Sony's portable, Carter's comments were equally speculative: "Perhaps a PSP version?! Let's see..."

Bogus or not bogus?: Guess that will depend how well Transformers sells....

released on it on any sort of regular basis.