These PSP Dual packs will be available at retailers nationwide in January as well as downloadable via the PlayStation Network for $14.99 (MSRP).

At an affordable price of $129.99 (MSRP), PSP continues to offer consumers the ability to enjoy console quality gaming on the go. PSP Dual Packs are a great fit for those who want to play and access a wide variety of PSP classics.

Which of these PSP Dual Packs are you looking forward to most? Let us know in the comments below.

Back in 1998, while I was still a student, my boss asked me what I wanted to be doing in 10 years. I said: “help to run a games studio” and my boss laughed, spurring me on to prove him wrong. I was just a naive youngster but I fell in with the right crowd and just three years later, I was ready to try it for real with a heap of enthusiasm and three talented and experienced friends. As the four of us quit our stable jobs, we held on to the thought – we love games; how hard can it be to make games the way we think they should be made?

During a wild spring break vacation in Cancun, we dreamed up the foundations of the studio. A place where real gamers could use their talent to make ‘proper games’ that everyone would enjoy. A month later we showed our first demo to Evolution Studios. Somehow, they saw potential in a bright blue car driving around a plain grey square, and Bigbig Studios was born. Before long we were hard at work on a series of demos including a prototype F1 game, a streetwise car-modding racer and a free-roaming action secret agent game where players could jump between vehicles and kick out the enemy drivers.

Our first game began with one of those “Eureka!” moments in the pub – wouldn’t it be cool to fight on a moving vehicle like Indiana Jones, and as far as we could tell, it had never been done before; something that’s incredibly rare in the games industry. After a lot of hard work, we had a great looking demo, but the marketing guys needed a new twist to make it stand out from the crowd. Sony was looking for teams to create games for its new handheld console, the PSP, and loved the idea of an action movie-styled cop chase game, so Pursuit Force was born. We worked like crazy, hired a load of talented new artists, coders and designers and in what seemed like a flash, our first game was released and selling very well.

When you work in a small team making ambitious games, there are always tonnes of ideas that you can’t fit in the first game, so when it came to the sequel we wanted to make it bigger, better and more explosive in every way. The team pulled out the stops and created what’s still one of my favourite action games, Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice. Cheesy Hollywood script, massive bosses and even better vehicle-jumping-car-chase gameplay. You know your studio is in a good place when you’re making games the entire team wants to play!

On our next game we had to rethink our strategy. We decided to create a PSP version of the PS3 classic, MotorStorm. With Motorstorm: Arctic Edge, we were determined to make a true sequel, and so we evolved the gameplay and came up with a sub-zero setting, adding a splash of retro ‘80s style. We also took a more streamlined approach to the way we worked and, thankfully, released a great game with the minimum amount of pizza fuelled all-nighters.

While we were adding the finishing touches to MS:AE, we had our second “Eureka!” moment behind closed doors. A secret team within Sony was looking for cool things they could do with their new handheld – codenamed NGP. We pride ourselves on originality and, while dual analog sticks were the obvious choice, we took up the challenge of creating something cool for the console’s unique Rear Touch pad. The original concept was called “Cloth Ball” where the idea was to push up the landscape and roll a ball around. Our tech demo showed off this Rear Touch pad control innovation, and we buffed up the demo with some real character and next-gen graphics, resulting in PlayStation legend Shuhei Yoshida giving us to go-ahead for Little Deviants.

As the game progressed we found that NGP offered huge potential through its extensive control inputs. So we set out to use every input and Little Deviants became a series of action packed mini-games, each showing off the NGP hardware in cool ways, and telling the story of the mischievous Little Deviants. You may have seen our tech demo at the NGP announcement, and we’re due to show off even more as we reveal four of our mini-games at E3.

So that’s what we’ve been up to these past 10 years. We’ve been so busy making games that we only recently realised that the studio needed a revamp. We’ve got a new logo, upgraded our offices and have relaunched our website, www.bigbigstudios.com. The new website is now in a blog style which is ideal for sharing quick, friendly updates and hearing what you guys have to say. If there’s time at E3 we’ll be doing a live Twitter feed, but NGP is going to be big, so we’ll be spending most of our time talking the talk to journalists on the show floor.

So, enjoy what Sony has to offer at E3, and I’m sure you’ll hear more from us soon as the launch date for Little Deviants and NGP draws near.

MotorStorm Arctic Edge is finally here for the PSP and we have the 4th and final iteration of the “Making Of” video series to share with you. The teams at Bigbig and Evolution have really enjoyed your comments to the video series to date and are really looking forward to you getting your hands on the game. If you have been watching the series, you know that a lot of time and effort went into making Arctic Edge a title that brings the best of the MotorStorm brand to the PSP and PSPgo. (If you missed them, be sure to check out parts one, two and three!).

For part four, Bigbig Studios unveils a bit about the creative inspiration and artistic differences that make Arctic Edge unique, yet maintain all the things you already love about MotorStorm. They also talk about the challenges taking a game as big and as beautiful as MotorStorm and bringing it to the PSP in a way that is uncompromising to fun and graphic quality you are expecting from a MotorStorm title.

We had a lot of fun bringing you this series and hope you will have more fun playing MotorStorm Arctic Edge, available now on UMD and available on the PlayStation Store October 1st.

Enjoy the latest inside access to Bigbig and MotorStorm Arctic Edge and we’ll see you next week with a new behind-the-scenes segment.

Take a look at the first of four right here on the PSBlog:

Continue to check back here weekly for the latest MotorStorm Arctic Edge trailer and updates.

Hi racing fans! Eager to blast the rugged Alaskan terrain with an arsenal of offroad vehicles? Well, wait no more. You can now look forward to snagging MotorStorm Arctic Edge PSP in UMD form on 9/29/09 at a store near you. The game will also be available for purchase on 10/1/09 as a PSPgo launch title via the PSN and voucher code. The game will be $39.99 on both formats.

Also as we mentioned previously, those who get out there early and pre-order the game will be rewarded with the opportunity to own the exclusive Mirage Rapide rally car, available with two customizable skins and set for top speed racing and drifting. Even if you don’t pre-order, there’s still a chance for fans to get the Rally car — the vehicle will be available on the PSN Store for those who
buy the game within the first 30 days of launch.

Adding in two new snow-specific vehicles this time around, players will have a total of eight car classes and 12 reversible tracks to negotiate as they battle insane festival drivers trekking through the rugged Alaskan
wilderness.

Lastly, folks who have PlayStation 2 consoles and want a little MotorStorm action of their own will be rewarded with MotorStorm: Arctic Edge for the PS2, available in North America later this Fall. MotorStorm: Arctic Edge on PS2 will offer the same great racing style as the PSP version but will allow friends to jump into split-screen racing action when in multiplayer mode. Continue to check back for more details to come!

Thanks and see you at The Festival!

• Comes with two customizable skins
• Gearing is set for top speed
• Handling is set at maximum drifting

This means the Mirage Rapide is made specifically to combat the tight cliff face turnabouts and the bobsled corners of MotorStorm Arctic Edge. Being set in Alaska make the environment more unstable than ever but the Mirage Rapide has been tweaked for drifting racers to handle all the new challenges that come with the snowy and icy courses.

Go to any participating retailer to pre-order the game to get your exclusive drift rally car.

So, what do you think?

We’ve now shared all of our pre-E3 Q&A sessions, save for one. Look for our Heavy Rain interview next week.

• New PSP bundles coming in 2009, including an Assassin’s Creed PSP Entertainment Pack and a Hannah Montana PSP Entertainment Pack, which includes a new Lilac PSP.
• Some of your favorite games are going portable for the first time, with exclusive PSP editions: MotorStorm Arctic Edge (also coming to PS2), LittleBigPlanet, and the Petz series.
• The Warhawk Command Center launches in PlayStation Home this week.

There’s more, so read the rest straight from the press release. Look for more details to come later in the week.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., February 24, 2009 – At its annual retail and publisher conference Destination PlayStation®, Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) announced its unprecedented line up for PSP®(PlayStation®Portable), including a new hardware offering that extends the PSP market to young female gamers, the debut of blockbuster franchises MotorStorm® and LittleBigPlanet™ on the platform, and major software support from Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, MTV Games, Square Enix, Ubisoft, and other publishing partners.

“With a year of record sales ushering us into the new year, we continue to raise the bar on providing consumers the deepest and broadest entertainment content for every member of the family to enjoy,” said Jack Tretton, president and CEO, SCEA. “With new content being added every day to the PlayStation Network combined with an unmatched line up of exclusive titles on PSP, and the roll out of truly groundbreaking games such as Killzone® 2 for PS3, we remain confident in our approach and strategy for another record year of growth and momentum.”

SCEA also previewed its deepest and broadest content line up for the PS3 system, including groundbreaking exclusives such as Killzone® 2, inFamous, MLB®’09: The Show™, MAG, UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves and God of War® III to hit throughout the fiscal year. Promising to be a blockbuster hit, Killzone 2’s immersive and sensory gameplay sets the stage for PlayStation’s continued momentum on the PS3 this year, accompanied by truly innovative and genre-defying content such as MAG, the industry’s first online shooter to allow up to 256 players, combined with artistic and niche games like Flower™ and Ragdoll Kung Fu™: Fists of Plastic on PlayStation®Network.

With a rapidly growing install base, the PSP platform is riding a wave of momentum that will be paired with a new hardware offering and its best software line up to date, demonstrating significant support from SCEA’s publishing partners. Two new limited-edition PSP Entertainment Packs will be available in 2009, bundling everything consumers need to jump onto the PSP platform, from the hardware to games, videos, and other content – all for $199.99 (MSRP).

• Hannah Montana PSP Entertainment Pack – As part of a new focus on expanding the PSP market to female gamers, SCEA will launch this new bundle in July. The pack includes the introduction of the “Lilac” PSP system, Disney Interactive’s Hannah Montana PSP game (an exclusive dancing and rhythm action game for gamers to design the show and go on tour as the teen icon), a selection episodes from the Hannah Montana TV series on UMD, a 2GB Memory Stick PRO Duo, and stickers to customize the PSP.
• Assassin’s Creed™ PSP Entertainment Pack – Ubisoft will debut an exclusive installment of the popular Assassin’s Creed franchise on PSP later this year. To commemorate this highly anticipated title, SCEA will launch a new bundle that includes the game, a “Piano Black” PSP, and other content that will be announced later.

SCEA’s push toward teen and “tween” girl gamers will also be supported by Ubisoft’s Petz® software line, which will make its debut on PSP with new, unique titles later this year. The Petz series allows young players to create and care for cute, furry pets chosen from many different breeds of dogs, cats, horses, hamsters, dolphins, tigers and bunnies.

Publisher support for the PSP system will continue throughout the year with Rock Band Unplugged™, launching exclusively on PSP. MTV Games and Harmonix announced separately that gamers will be able to take Rock Band Unplugged on the road with the first ever portable version of the popular music and gaming experience. Rock Band Unplugged will take center stage as it leverages the PSP system’s Wi-Fi capabilities and becomes the first PSP game to include a fully-featured in-game store for downloadable content in the North American and Europeans markets.

The third party support for PSP will continue throughout the year with a stellar line up of titles from EA SPORTS. Madden NFL 10 will enable NFL fans to build their own formations and plays from scratch on the PSP. Then, through connectivity with the PS3, the plays can be downloaded and perfected on the console. In addition, Madden NFL 10 will deliver a faster and more “PSP-friendly” gameplay experience to adapt to the PSP owner’s lifestyle. And for the golf fans out there, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 10 will allow gamers to experience the drama of major golf tournaments with revamped gameplay modes for on and offline play. Look for more EA SPORTS titles to be announced for the PSP this year.

Rounding out the unprecedented publisher support, Square Enix’s DISSIDIA™ FINAL FANTASY, which has sold 850,000 units since launching before the holidays in Japan, will make its way to North America this summer.

From a first party perspective, SCEA will bring its biggest franchises from the PS3 to the PSP this year, starting with MotorStorm® Arctic Edge and LittleBigPlanet™ in Fall 2009. These titles will be built from the ground up for PSP, offering users a unique portable experience based on the critically acclaimed franchises. Following are details for each game:

• LittleBigPlanet – Developed in conjunction with MediaMolecule, the critically acclaimed game LittleBigPlanet makes its way to the PSP, offering new SackBoy™ adventures with the same play, create, share experience for gamers on-the-go, in addition to brand new levels and environments specifically created for the platform.

• MotorStorm Arctic Edge – Developed by the award-winning Bigbig Studios, the team behind the best-selling Pursuit Force™ series, MotorStorm Arctic Edge sees the music, the festival and the brutal off-road racing arrive in the breathtaking yet lethal and unpredictable setting of Alaska. The game is also expected to hit the PlayStation 2 platform in Fall of 2009.

As the connective tissue of the PlayStation experience across the PS3 and PSP systems, SCEA announced continued PlayStation Network content from new movie releases through the video delivery service and new game spaces for PlayStation®Home. Launching this week, the new “Warhawk™ Command Center” space makes its way into PlayStation Home offering Warhawk fans a new place to socialize and strategize featuring the sand table. PlayStation Home is the ultimate social community gathering gamers via a rich, 3D high-definition environment and will continue to expand overtime.

About Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. continues to redefine the entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation® and PS one® game console, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system, the ground-breaking PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system and its online and network services the PlayStation®Network and PlayStation®Store.

Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. markets the PlayStation family of products and develops, publishes, markets, and distributes software for the PS one, PlayStation 2, PSP and PS3 for the North American market. Based in Foster City, Calif. Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc. serves as headquarters for all North American operations and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.