Sony to launch PSN Music Store and PSP Rental Service at E3?

[jaw04005]

Sony has spoken with some of the major recording companies about providing music for the PlayStation Portable, music industry sources told CNET News.
The sources said the talks are only preliminary and no deals have been struck. But apparently, Sony is considering offering music on the PlayStation Network, the company's nascent multiplayer gaming and digital download service. Such a move could place the PSP in direct competition with other multiuse music players, most notably the iPhone.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10246037-93.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

GDC behind-closed-door briefings detailed PSP’s digital game rental service

News may have only broken last night that Sony is ‘considering’ PSP game renatals, but Develop can confirm that developers were briefed about the service as far back as March.

Sony was informing various studios of the new rental service at GDC, a source has told Develop, providing info and documents in closed-door meetings.

http://www.developmag.com/news/31924/Developers-already-briefed-about-PSP-game-rentals

Jeez, if all these rumors are true (new PSP, new PS3, new PSP rental service and music service) ... it's shaping up to be one hell of an E3 for Sony.

 

[txa1265]

I wonder if they will make a non-craptastic MP3 player for the PSP while they're at it?

I know they 'improved' it in the last firmware, but when I wanted to test it out I dumped stuff into the Music folder ... it was Artist->Album folder structure, and of course the PSP saw 'no playable files found' in the 1.5GB I copied. So I had to move it all to 'Artist' and then it worked.

Useless.

As I've been saying for 4 years now, my old 1st Gen Pocket PC has better MP3 capability (but not better audio quality).

 

[sikkinixx]

Game rentals would be fantastic, I would probably rent a lot more if I just debited $5 from my credit card and no returns etc.