Sony PSP for me?

I love computer games. I don't love all computer games: I don't like football games, strategy games or any game with aliens or monsters. But on the whole, if a good game (like GTA: Vice City) comes along, I have a seriously good time playing it. Since my SEGA MasterSystem Plus, I haven't owned a console. Few things could compare with Psycho Fox on the MasterSystem, but Altered Beast, Golden Axe, Sonic and even Hang On were all thoroughly enjoyable. Since then, I have really only played games on the totally upgradeable PC format, in the full knowledge that rather than having to buy a new console every five years, I could steadily and constantly improve the spec of my computer with, say, a new 3d video card, or more memory. So consoles were forgotten, even while a student – when everyone else had one.

Handheld game devices have been even further out of my radar until about a month ago when I first saw pictures of the new Sony PSP. It's lovely. I want one.

The price sounds good (probably around 230 EUR), the processing power is decent, and the screen and graphics (and overall design) make it far more desirable than the Nintendo DS. Additionally, the PSP will be able so play videos, music and image files, and it comes with a wifi connection, ready for my wireless router. Rumoured accessories include keyboard (which would be great), camera and GPS modules – I guess this could be used in some kind of realtime, realspace game (which sounds like the sort of thing I'd hate).

If I could use it as a web browser, and connect it with the iPOD's 20 GB storage, then we would see huge functionality for what Sony is touting as the walkman of the 21st century. I admit that a direct connection from PSP to iPOD is highly unlikely, but maybe a non supported third-party could be developed by someone far cleverer than me?

The negative points being made currently are low battery life (when is someone going to invent a battery for all these devices that lasts longer than a few hours??), use of the Sony proprietary UMD storage system (of which no recordable discs are scheduled to be released), easily marked screen (wash your hands occasionally) – and some generic and made up complaints from people who support Nintendo against Sony.

Overall it looks great, it is already building a large amount of publicity and popularity, despite not having been released in NA/EMEA as yet… and I am going to get one when it comes out in Spain. Which will probably be in 2009.