"Free your mind, and your fun will expand. The kingdom of greatness is within your PSP!"

Many people would argue that the PlayStation Portable is nothing more than another outlet for Sony to profit in the gaming market; a sentiment shared by many observers given the company’s abundant desire to port existing PlayStation 2 games over to the console for an extra buck on the income statement. Indeed, since its inception in 2004, the handheld has struggled to gain the same attention as the PS2 or to some extent even the PlayStation 3 in terms of consumer preference.

However, all of that is set to change, as by the end of 2007, the PSP will have over six major exclusive titles on the market. It doesn’t stop there either; with the new Slim & Lite PSP (featuring a more compact design, along with added video output functionality among other features) shortly arriving in stores later this month to facilitate you’re portable gaming experience. As such, we believe that by the end of 2007, the PSP will be an even more serious contender not only in the portable market, but the gaming market as a whole.

Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron:

In 2004 LucasArts released what would be their highest selling Star Wars title, Star Wars: Battlefront. In 2005, the company capitalized on the success of the original and released Battlefront 2, which featured larger-than-life space battles as well as intense lightsaber action. Battlefront 2 also made the series first appearance on the PSP, which was highly enjoyed by Star Wars fans and PSP fans alike. This October Battlefront will make its exclusive debut on the PSP that is promised to be one of the AAA titles for the handheld this holiday season.

Expect tense battles in Renegade Squadron

Taking on a unique storyline and concept, Battlefront: Renegade Squadron will feature new game modes along with ability to create your own character, which is new to the Battlefront series. To add to the Star Wars experience, gamers will also be able to play in a galaxy "far, far away " with their own limited edition white Star Wars themed PSP Slim, which can be bought in a bundle that comes with Renegade Squadron. Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron is scheduled to ship on October 9, 2007 only for the PSP.

Silent Hill Origins:

Being part of the PlayStation brand since the original PlayStation console in the late 1990s, Silent Hill has grown into a marketable franchise spanning content on four games as well as a full-length movie that debuted at number one on the US box office in April 2006. The 5th installment in the series, Silent Hill 5, will be released on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in early 2008. Come November, however, Silent Hill enthusiast will finally be able to experience the foundation of which the original story was shaped upon in the PSP exclusive prequel, Silent Hill Origins.

The trademark fog makes an appearance in Origins to give you that secluded feel.

In Origins, you’ll take the role of Travis Grady, a truck driver with a mysterious past. As clichéd as it may sound, Origins is said to have one of the most intricate storylines in the series to date, also introducing a number of serious gameplay refinements such as combat, camera angles, and new enemies. Silent Hill Origins is scheduled for release on November 6, 2007.

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops+:

It is no surprise that one of the potential candidates running for Game of the Year 2008 will be Metal Gear Solid 4 for the PlayStation 3. Given obvious consumer anticipation combined with the appropriate marketing, MGS 4 could easily slip away with the nod on the strengths of its development pedigree alone – after all, the project is being helmed by Konami veteran and series mastermind himself, Hideo Kojima. To preface all of that, in 2006, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops was released onto the PSP platform and received raved reviews. Given the fact that it marked the first time a full length MGS game appeared on a handheld device, the Portable ... (continued on next page)