If leaked pictures from China prove to be accurate, then it appears a third model of the Sony PlayStation Portable is already in production and could hit retail stores before Christmas.
The “PSP-3000″ would add a built-in microphone, updated buttons, some cosmetic changes and even the possibility of cell phone support. The microphone placed under the screen will make Skype and in-game chat much more accessible.
The new design would also be somewhat thinner than the PSP Slim and Lite and would include a new PSP logo ring on the back.
Sony has not commented on the pictures and for now this should be treated as a rumor but we will keep you updated if Sony confirms or denies the PSP-3000.
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The Business Software Alliance released a new report yesterday claiming that software piracy in the United States has cost the industry $11.4 billion USD and lost the government $1.7 billion in taxes.
The group did however note that piracy is relatively low in the United States compared to the rest of the world and that the average of the 50 states is about 20 percent. The group did call the 20 percent of counterfeit material a “tragic” loss of revenue for the industry.
Had that software not been pirated, the BSA claims 25,000 police officers could be hired each year to patrol New York, Florida, California and Nevada as well as have 100 new middle schools created for children.
“The United States may have the lowest PC software piracy rate in the world, but still, one out of every five pieces of software put into service is unlicensed,” said BSA anti-piracy and general counsel veep Neil MacBride.
“Not only is this a problem for the software industry, but piracy also creates major legal and security risks for the companies involved.
“The most tragic aspect is that the lost revenues to tech companies and local governments could be supporting thousands of good jobs and much-needed social services in our communities.”
The report also directly pointed at eight separate states, those that had “significant variations” from the national average.
The BSA-sponsored IDC study, available here (pdf), pinpointed eight US states in the report. It found significant variations from the national piracy figure of 20 per cent. California and Nevada led the pack with over 25 percent while Florida and New York lagged behind at 18 percent.
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After passing in the NY senate last month, the so-called “violent videogame” bill has been signed into law by NY Governor David A. Paterson meaning once-voluntary ratings will now be mandatory and monitored. The state will also conduct more studies on the negative effects of violent videogames on children.
The bill calls for an “advisory council” to be established that can conduct studies on the connections between media and real-life violence in children and teens. All consoles sold in NY will now be forced to feature parental lockout controls and all games must clearly display ESRB ratings.
“We have the obligation to be constantly vigilant about amending our laws to protect the residents of New York State. Many of these bills will do just that by closing loopholes or creating new laws to enhance the quality of life for all New Yorkers,” added Governor Paterson.
“The first duty of government is to provide a safe society for our resident to live, work and raise their families. These new laws will enhance the protections afforded to the citizens of this state and will address gaps in protection that have existed for years. I applaud the Legislature for working with me and my staff to reach agreements on fixing these problems.”
Of course parental controls and ESRB ratings have been on every game and console since as long as I can remember but they have always been voluntary additions by the console makers and game publishers. This latest bill makes them mandatory. It is now the state and parents responsibility to listen to the ratings or use the parental controls and we hope they do.
