PSP Minis brings bite-size games to portable platform

GamesCom 2009: Sony to offer "snackable" titles through downloadable game service; initial lineup of 15 games to include Tetris and Sudoku.

The PlayStation 3 isn't the only thing getting smaller. At its GamesCom 2009 press conference today, Sony announced a new line of downloadable PSP games called PSP Minis. Capped with a 100MB size limit, Minis are intended to offer players a "snackable" gaming experience.

European gamers will be able to check out PSP Minis on their newly colored hardware.

Set to go live October 1 alongside the official launch of the UMD-less PSP Go, the PSP Mini service will initially boast a selection of 15 titles, including Tetris and Sudoku. During its GamesCom presentation, Sony also showed a mock-up for a game called Aqua Panic Oasis. By the end of 2009, Sony expects to have a selection of 50 PSP Minis available on the PlayStation Network.

While the PSP Minis name is new, Sony has indicated its interest in the idea before. Last month, a Sony Computer Entertainment Europe representative told British magazine Develop that the company was planning a section for the system's online store that would be devoted to smaller-cost, smaller-scale applications.

PSP Minis weren't the only news for Sony's handheld coming out of GamesCom. The electronics giant also revealed a trio of new color models for its PSP-3000 system in Europe. Gamers across the Atlantic will soon be able to pick up the portable in shades of turquoise green, violet, and pink. For more on GamesCom, check out GameSpot's continuing coverage of the show all week long.

55 Comments

  • mataphysical

    Posted Sep 26, 2009 8:02 pm PT

    o yea. its about time. ive been thinking it would be a great idea for comics to go digital and portable for years.
    wowzers. its finaly happened. yussssss!

  • ranjeet_murba

    Posted Sep 4, 2009 1:15 pm PT

    i wish if i could have all of the colors but ......i is happy with white colors .... Japan rocks

  • 60spaure

    Posted Aug 27, 2009 12:19 pm PT

    Just some mini games. As well throw your money out the window.

  • AntoniustheGrey

    Posted Aug 21, 2009 4:44 am PT

    Boring, I don't want mini games. How about releasing Suikoden 2 or some other PS One classics to the PSN at a faster rate like promised?

  • LosDaddie

    Posted Aug 20, 2009 8:32 am PT

    Needed to happen to compete with the iPhone

  • Antz12

    Posted Aug 20, 2009 8:05 am PT

    oh my dayz

  • Ryguy4738

    Posted Aug 20, 2009 8:05 am PT

    If they intend to at all compete with the I-phone, they have to seve up some free games at least. I could understand paying for a simple yet lengthy game for the Mini, but the Burn Zombie Burn minigame I saw, that is not worth any money at all. I hope Sony heeds the call soon before they make a stupid decision. But then again, selling the PSP Go with nothing but the system was stupid as well....

  • SicklySunStorm

    Posted Aug 20, 2009 6:59 am PT

    So, we're going to have to over-pay for some very small games that can be found for free in most places on the internet? No thanks....

    And this isn't me Sony bashing - ALL the console manufacturers are guilty of charging massively inflated prices for games that are worth peanuts. The digital download revolution is so far unwelcome to me. Bring down the prices, and not just a little - MASSIVELY - then we'll talk. The thing that illustrates this most is the fact that in many cases, you can buy a physical copy of a game, whether used or brand new, for cheaper than you can a digital download... and the digital download has ZERO forwarding value, whereas you can sell your physical discs. The same goes for ipod technology - you pay £170 - £180 for an ipod, and you can spend literally hundreds of £££'s filling it with music from itunes and other sources, then when you come to sell the ipod, all you would receive is the cash for the physical item, you get nothing in return for the music on it. Until this problem is remedied and digi-download represents value for money, it's just not going to replace discs completely...

  • shani_boy101

    Posted Aug 20, 2009 3:43 am PT

    sweet that means some arcade classics will be on it like Space invaders, pac-man and tetris, right?

  • Blood_Reino

    Posted Aug 20, 2009 2:51 am PT

    I think this is the comeback towards Apples iPhone/iTouch Apps

  • Decepticon_11

    Posted Aug 19, 2009 8:27 pm PT

    Tetris for PSP...finally.

  • hatieshorrer

    Posted Aug 19, 2009 4:43 pm PT

    @Sothe1789

    Nintendo bought the rights to publish tetris Im not sure who currently owns the rights.

  • disBjeFFi

    Posted Aug 19, 2009 4:16 pm PT

    @SyedMoeed i agree that 100 mb games are a lot of memory especially for games like tetris.

  • disBjeFFi

    Posted Aug 19, 2009 4:14 pm PT

    Will PSP Minis only be available on the PSP Go? because i am going to get a PSP 3000.

  • chappy_man

    Posted Aug 19, 2009 2:57 pm PT

    hmmm

  • alayeesquire

    Posted Aug 19, 2009 11:56 am PT

    I'll have to wait and see...

  • monkeymoose5000

    Posted Aug 19, 2009 8:22 am PT

    @Sothe1789
    No... Nintendo doesn't.

  • Sothe1789 posted Aug 19, 2009 8:14 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Sothe1789

    Posted Aug 19, 2009 8:14 am PT (hide)

    Tetris on PSP????? Nintendo OWNS Tetris how would they put tetris on psp?

  • SyedMoeed

    Posted Aug 19, 2009 7:29 am PT

    hmm100 mb's a lot of space and the game are just mini flash games,not that excited but the manga reader is GREAT!!!!!

  • Rottenwood

    Posted Aug 19, 2009 5:54 am PT

    So many memories. When Tetris first came out for the original Game Boy (the big boxy gray one), it was like crack in cartridge form. Everybody had to have it.

  • Deranged_Devil

    Posted Aug 19, 2009 2:20 am PT

    I like the idea of small arcade titles for the PSP, but it's really not something that excites me a lot. Nothing new really about the whole concept of it IMO.

  • gameking5000

    Posted Aug 19, 2009 1:19 am PT

    @LordRaymond

    They better be cheap

  • Terran499

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 11:59 pm PT

    What will make these different though. Most games for the PSP that are dl only are 100 megs or right around there. Hopefully this won't be some wii-ware like deal.

  • synthetiksin

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 11:17 pm PT

    I actually like iphone apps. This might actually be pretty sweet for the psp.

  • miless

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 10:46 pm PT

    100 mb is alot of space if you know how yo use it. There are some really cool Java (most Fishlabs and Gameloft games) and flash games , think of all those iphone games that range from 5 to 50 mb (hero of sparta , BIA , Assassins creed )

  • tawagivercetti

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 10:04 pm PT

    kewl i love tetris

  • benboz

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 9:41 pm PT

    100MB is not enough for make great games and apps. Sony need to fix that up or these games are just going to be rush jobs.

  • LordRaymond

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 8:27 pm PT

    Great move for Sony cheap games that are fun to play.

  • TheAcejoel99

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 7:59 pm PT

    Its like PSN games only on psp. Brillient. Now all they have to announce is the PRICE of these. Better be no more than $5. 100mb is small so the price better match......unlike the pspGO price......

  • Hvac0120

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 7:52 pm PT

    i like the idea. It's very similar to what Microsoft first did with Xbox Live Arcade. Those titles were originally capped at 256MB and that was on a home theater console. With lower resolutions for the PSP screen, you can imagine that a lot of similar types of titles could come in the form of PSP minis.
    _

  • Nosferatu2894 posted Aug 18, 2009 7:11 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Nosferatu2894

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 7:11 pm PT (hide)

    Pathetic. Worse than the Game Boy Micro

  • NuKkU

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 7:07 pm PT

    Once again genius for Sony that could really bring in the casual audience and really is the real defination of pick up and go type of games

    Man Gamescom is really making Sony a different company now

  • Vojkan80001

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 6:57 pm PT

    i saw few interesting games in the trailer...

  • Bgrngod

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 6:55 pm PT

    Snore.

    I hope this evil spawn of corporate greed fails miserably. Get back to making games Sony. Stop with the stupid half-assed gadgets.

  • MaryAnnBugg

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 6:38 pm PT

    Opalance:

    Sorry, I wasn't just talking about only the announced games. It was just a general comment.

  • Rylone

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 6:18 pm PT

    This sounds like it will rock. and thegamerguy7 if you read the report they're talking about games for the psp go and psp-3000

  • df-1

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 6:05 pm PT

    @ thegamerguy7.
    PSP go is the new PSP.
    PSP mini's are 100MB or less games that dont cost much.

  • thegamerguy7 posted Aug 18, 2009 5:49 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    thegamerguy7

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 5:49 pm PT (hide)

    psp minis??? I thought at e3 they were calling them ''psp go''???????????

  • Opalance

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 5:25 pm PT

    MaryAnnBugg

    Developer? It's Tetris and sudoku, freakin games that have been made again and again over and over by a dozen people. What do they have to develop? It's just a reskinning.

  • MaryAnnBugg

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 5:20 pm PT

    $2? $3? That's insulting to the developer. While I agree that the price needs to be reasonable, it also needs to be realistic. I guess it entirely depends on what sort of titles they are.

  • brian_13un

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 4:28 pm PT

    Great

  • DEATH775

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 4:28 pm PT

    Well I hope they sell it at a reasonable price.

  • calvinx6

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 4:18 pm PT

    $3 is the most i will pay for these game

  • Smopiiac

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 3:57 pm PT

    It's funny how they call games under 100MB 'snackable' when you compare it to older games. I think Ocarina of TIme was under 32MB on cartridge (256Mb).

  • lamprey263 posted Aug 18, 2009 3:15 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    lamprey263

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 3:15 pm PT (hide)

    I think this was a big mistake for Sony, sales of the PSP and PSP games are going to sink as a result. Already my local game stores have only a handful of PSP titles available; they're planning for the PSP Go and thus dumping all support of the PSP since there's no incentive for them to support the PSP. The regular casual gamer isn't going to pick up a PSP if they see no games sitting on the shelves, they're going to go pick up a DS instead.

    I have to say though, the PSP Go sounds great to your gaming guru that doesn't mind using their credit card to download games on PSN and is able to use all the features they want out of a PSP Go, but it's not going to have the mass appeal to consumers because not everyone is open to the idea of releasing their credit card info out into the net, some people aren't comfortable with that. And this doesn't help younger kids that don't even have credit cards and rely on their parents to buy their games. This would have been nice as an optional model, but making it the new standard is going to hurt them.

  • chibi-acer

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 3:02 pm PT

    I'm still waiting for them to expand their offering of regular PSP games. There are still titles that have come out on UMD only since the PSP Go announcement, and they're not adding things to the PSN store very quickly. Right now it looks like we'll be lucky if there are 50 titles available at launch.

    I personally don't even care about the PSP Go, I just want to be able to download more games on my current gen PSP.

  • FinalDuo1886

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 2:35 pm PT

    If they keep it cheap, I'm all in. But that's seems too be a big problem for Sony too do though....

  • AstroChimp83

    Posted Aug 18, 2009 2:28 pm PT

    The "remake" of Final Fantasy 7 was only $10 on PSN, so these should be decently priced. At least if Sony knows what's good for 'em.

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