Sure, there are already a few places you can download manga and other comics for your PSP (many of them not exactly legal), but soon you might be able to get some of your favorite titles from the PlayStation Store. Sometime this year, Japanese PSP owners will be able to download as-yet-unrevealed manga titles for an as-yet-unrevealed price. This seems like something that might end up staying Japan-only, but there is a pretty big market for translated manga in North America and Europe, so it's just possible that other regions might eventually add manga downloads to their PlayStation Store offerings for PSP. (Source: Dengeki Online via Siliconera.)

It wasn't all that long ago that the PSPgo was announced, but the rumor mills are churning with PSP2 speculation again. We know that Sony has insisted that the PSPgo is not a PSP2--it's really more like a PSP-4000. The same basic hardware, but with a new form factor. Of course, Sony denies that a PSP2 is in the works at all, but that doesn't stop speculation.

Now, Eurogamer.es (that's the Spanish version of Eurogamer) is reporting that "insider sources" claim that Imagination Technologies' PowerVR chip will be part of the PSP2's hardware. Specifically,

a quad core iteration of the low-power SGX543MP chip, codenamed "Hydra", will be present in the next generation handheld

What this means is that the PSP2 would have something like the computing power of the original XBox, which is pretty darn good for a handheld. As for how likely this rumor is, I have no idea, but I'll just wait and see like always. (Source: Eurogamer.es, via Eurogamer.)

They first started their Assassin's Creed 2 Q & A on their forums back in May, just before E3, but now Ubisoft has added more. Among the welcome details is the information that the PSP game, Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines is an original game and not a port (maybe this was in the original Q & A and I just missed it, but I'm very glad to find out--two new Assassin's Creed games is way better than one!). Even more exciting is this:

You will be able to connect your PS3 version of the game with Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines on PSP to unlock exclusive content on both the PS3 and the PSP.

Yay! Sure, it's possible that the exclusive content might be something minor like a new outfit, but I still really like to see developers and publishers at least trying to offer PSP-PS3 connectivity. (Source: Ubisoft forums.)

According to that source of all sources (or something), Japanese gaming mag Famitsu, Spike Co is working on a PSP port of the PS2 game Way of the Samurai 2. The port will add some new modes and goodies to the original, as well as adding "Portable" to the title. Japanese gamers will get their hands on the game September 3, but there's no word yet about releases elsewhere.

Is it just me, or are there an awful lot of PS2 games being ported to the PSP? Is the PSP going to end up as a PS2 emulator with a few original games now and then? Should I be writing this as an "Is It Just Me . . ." column? Maybe I will. Feel free to post your thoughts by clicking the "comment" link. (Source: Famitsu, via PSP Updates.)