Sony: Direct-to-PSP store 'possible'

Late last month, Sony gave PlayStation Portable owners who do not own a PlayStation 3 an alternate method for accessing downloadable games with the PlayStation Store. The new store lets PSP owners access content previously available only through the PS3's PlayStation Network by hooking up their handheld directly to PCs. The PlayStation Store offers many of the same original PlayStation games currently available through the PSN, as well as PSP exclusives SOCOM Fire Team Bravo and Twisted Metal: Head-On.

Although the PC-to-PSP store offers greater flexibility for accessing content, the store isn't the limit to Sony's ambitions for the handheld. Speaking to MTV game-focused blog Multiplayer, PlayStation director of network operations Eric Lempel said the company is exploring technology that will let the PSP connect directly to an online store.

"With the capability of the PSP, it's something that should be possible, so it's definitely something we're thinking about," said Lempel. "It's just a matter of priorities and some technology that we need to make it all work right and make sure the content is delivered securely, just to protect some of our [intellectual properties]. Yeah, it's definitely something we're thinking about."

Addressing other prospects of the PlayStation Store, Lempel assured PSP owners that more content was in the offing. "You'll be seeing a lot more content coming on there in the near future that is made exclusively for the PSP and isn't available anywhere else," said Lempel.

"And the other thing was to really create a nice, clean place where people can get a lot of content for their PSP that's all formatted correctly, that all works well," he continued. "It's all something we've looked at and said, 'This is something that should go on your PSP.' [That includes] themes, wallpapers. We have the ability to do music. Longer term we'll be looking at movies and TV shows."