PSP2 rather in 2011?
 
The gaming rumour mill’s new favourite topic seems to be Sony’s next portable gaming device, generally dubbed the PSP2. Following Sony’s posting of a significant net loss within its fiscal year report for 2009, due in part to dwindling PS2 and PSP sales, rumours began to circulate that Sony plans on launching its PSP2 at this year’s E3. Now gaming blog VG247 has reported that “multiple British sources” date the PSP2’s launch rather in 2011. The PSP2 will apparently have a front facing camera, as well as one at the back of the device. They also state that it might be 3G-enabled, as opposed to carrying Wi-Fi, and that processing might be done on a four-core Cell CPU. All this are rumours at this stage, since Sony is keeping quiet and unlike Apple, they're are not losing any of their devices.
 
Wii gets Health Association stamp of approval
 
Nintendo’s Wii console and two of its games, Wii Fit Plus and Wii Sports Resort, have received the American Health Association's (AHA) stamp of approval. The consoles will now come with AHA’s branding on their boxes (at least in the US), so that gamers know that there’s actually a health benefit to Wii gaming as well. As part of the deal, AHA will be receiving $1.5 million (almost R12 million) over three years from Nintendo.

Extra money on second hand sales
 
According to IGN, Ubisoft is investigating Electronic Arts’ (EA) current business model which sees gamers who purchase a secondhand game having to pay $10 (about R80) to get access to certain gameplay features (such as the online multiplayer mode), as well as downloadable content (DLC), that would otherwise be free. “Most of the games we will release next year will have downloadable content available from the start,” said Ubisoft’s chief financial officer Alain Martinez. “We are looking very carefully at what is being done by EA regarding what we call the ‘10 dollar solution,’ and we will probably follow that line at sometime in the future.”

Sonic takes a breather before running onto multiple platforms
 
Sega announced that they are delaying the launch of Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode I until the second half of 2010. “The additional time will allow the Development Team to focus on keeping the game high-quality, continuing tuning and balancing of levels and interface and overall maintaining the kind of polish that an important game like this demands, ultimately providing fans with an unrivalled classic Sonic feel,” Sega stated on their website. The game will be released via Xbox Live Arcade, Sony PlayStation Network, Nintendo WiiWare, as well as for the iPhone and iPod touch via Apple’s iTunes App Store.
 
New blood and gore epic announced
 
Namco Bandai is set to take on Sony’s God of War III with its own epic, Knights Contract, which will be released next year in Japan on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. According to Japanese gaming news site Andriasang, this action title will be set in Germany in the 1700s. Within the game an evil alchemist Faust, stages a series of witch hunts and gives the job of executing these witches to a guy called Heinrich. One of the witches (Gretchen) places a curse of immortality on Heinrich before her own execution, which leads to the powers that be suspecting him of colluding with the witches. Gretchen is then revived and seeks revenge against Faust, while you, playing as Heinrich, agrees to serve as her protector. In return for which she’ll make you mortal again.
Sounds like Cratos might be in for another gruesome (sales) battle.

Pic: VG247