In a move that will surprise pretty much no one, Sony has announced that it has officially stopped production on its all digital PSPgo handheld in order to “in order to concentrate on the NGP (sony’s Next Generation Portable).”

The original PSP will still be produced. “”It will continue to be sold, and we will keep focusing our attention on it from here on out,” a Sony spokesman said.

While there’s no doubt that Sony will use the resources freed up by cutting production on the handheld towards the upcoming NGP, it’s hard not to think that the move was sped up due to the system’s floundering performance since launch. Released in 2009, the Go never really caught on with gamers and had its price slashed late last year.

Farewell PSPgo, we hardly knew ye….no really, because we never bought one…

Sony reported its fiscal year 2009 (April 1- March 31) financial results today revealing an overall dip, but a surge in one particular area.

The Networked Products & Services division, where Sony Computer Entertainment sits, suffered a 10 percent dip in sales, blamed in part by exchange rates and monumentally dipping sales of its PlayStation Portable device.

Strong sales of the PS3 in 2009

Sales of the Portable dropped for 14.1 million in 2008 to 9.9 in 2009, a drop of almost a third. Despite launching the PSPgo, the latest Portable iteration, sales plummeted, leaving us to believe the $250 price tag was tad higher than most could stomach.

Not so hot.

Sony did have a bright spot on the financial sheet though. While overall Sony sales were down, the PlayStation 3 console, now $299, which sold 10.1 million units in 2008, ballooned to over 13 million in 2009 and another 15 million are projected by Sony for 2010.

And if you think I’m forgetting the elephant in the room, I’m not. Sony reportedly sold 7.3 million PlayStation 2 units in 2009, a dip for 2008′s 7.9, but still a remarkable feat for a 10 year-old system.

What will Sony show at E3 in June? As the finances indicate, PSP sales need an uptick; perhaps we’ll see that long-rumored PSP2?

PSP2?

According to a source close to Sony, the company plans on re-releasing the ill-fated PSPgo, this time hopefully with greater appeal and better sales.

The source says Sony has imminent plans to re-launch the download-only portable gaming device, possibly at a lower price point.

Would $50 off the hefty $249 do it for you? I think it’s a start, but what I really think Sony needs to do is implement some sort of program to redeem digital copies of UMD games you already own, so you know, all the PSP UMD games you amassed over the years don’t go to waste because your PSPgo won’t play them.

Source: Gamervision

Rockstar Games released Grand Theft Auto: Chinatwon Wars on the PSP and PSPgo today, and to complement the release, the studio also set loose a new gameplay trailer.

The video, titled “Out For Revenge,” shows main character Huang Lee, and all the violence, mayhem, and weaponry, the game has to offer.

Additionally, Rockstar today released new additions to the Rockstar Games Social Club including Peking Duck Hunt, a browser-based mini-game that earns players in-game cash and other goodies.

Check out the entire Rockstar announcement at the Rockstar Newswire

Alongside that gargantuan PlayStation Network update we told you about this‚  morning, came PSP Minis.

These little guys are all priced at below $10, and are meant to be like a one night stand; quick and special for the time being, but not much more.

All kidding aside, there are 7 of them available today, two of which are Tetris and Soduku, and we know those are fun!

All the Minis run on both the PlayStation Portable and the PSPgo, which launched today.

Here’s all 7 Minis. Anyone snag any of them yet?

• Alien Havoc ($4.99)
• Tetris ($9.99)
• Hero of Sparta ($6.99)
• Brainpipe ($4.99)
• Fieldrunners ($6.99)
• Sudoku ($4.99)
• Funky Punch ($4.99)

Sony today revealed that purchasers of the new racing title Gran Turismo PSP through the PlayStation Network will score a free in-game vehicle.

The car is a 2009 GT-R Spec V in a sleek and stylish Metallic blue finish and the game is available today on the PlayStation Network and at retail, though to score the car, you’ll have to buy on the PSN.

Sony’s latest handheld, the download-only PSPgo also released today and Gran Turismo, in our opinion, would be a great way to commence the gaming goodness on the go.

The free-car promotion ends October 15. So what does that mean? You’ve got two weeks and Gran Turismo PSP bundle purchasers will be left in the cold, as that edition hits 5 days late on October 20.

Atari today revealed that Ghostbusters: The Video Game is headed to the PSP and PSPgo in November finally completing the game’s availability on every major system under the sun.

Ghostbusters released on Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, DS, and PC five months ago but finally Sony’s portable faithful, and new adopters of tomorrow’s PSPgo debut, can enjoy the ghost bustin’ game.

Red Fly Studios, the team behind the Wii and PS2 versions, handled the development duties for the PSP project, so we can likely expect much of the same, but this is a good thing.

Sony is primed and ready to unleash the newest in their portable gaming line, the PSPgo next week, but will offer no UMD solution for early adopters according to statements made at the Tokyo Game Show this week.

The PSPgo, the worst kept secret of E3 2009, has no UMD drive, and will instead rely 100% on digital downloads, a move that has lead some retail outlets to not even carry the thing.

It's freakin' tiny

Sony is offering a rewards program for European regions though. There, gamers can download three titles, of 17 total, at no charge. The list includes Resistance: Retribution, Patapon, and Wipeout Pure.

However, the rest of us, in North America, will not enjoy any such luxury.

“We have a dual platform strategy,” the rep said. “PSPgo is the latest offering in our portable entertainment products targeted for the digitally savvy and early adopters who are looking for an easy way to experience entertainment and a wide variety of digital content.”

“We will continue to be committed to our existing PSP users by offering over 16,000 pieces of digital content including games, mini’s, movies, television shows and SensMe, the new music application as well as UMDs,” the rep added.

So if you’ve amassed a robust library of disc-based PSP games and were hoping to recieve a voucher to download each, sorry, doesn’t look like it’s happening.

The PSPgo goes on sale October 1 priced at $249.99

via IGN

ESRB President Patricia Vance recently revealed an interactive ratings guide coming exclusivley to the PSPgo, Sony’s latest, slimmest, and sexiest portable gaming machine.

The PSPgo, due out October 1, will house the built-in guide and just like its online and print counterpart, will display all pertinent ratings information on the latest games.

The guide, as quoted by the ESRB President, contains a “straight-forward and thorough overview of the ESRB rating system as well as a step-by-step walkthrough of the device’s parental control features and settings.”

A great idea yes, but how often you think a parent will use this tool? Or will they even know it exists?

PlayStation Gives Parents Ratings Guide On The Go @ PlayStation Blog.