Chat and Instant Messaging on the PSP, Not US Features

The world of gaming news is dominated these days by one single event: the 2007 Leipzing Games Convention, which features some of the most important developers and producers in the world. Sony couldn't miss the chance to announce a few PSP goodies, this time, only for European gamers. It turns out that we'll be a able to use a service called Go! Messenger on the PSP, which can offer voice and video chat to any European user.

Since instant messaging is so popular nowadays, it will also be available on the PSP, but only if you're an European gamer. Is the US not getting any new PSP features? Have they done something wrong? Sony is also set to release Go! Explore, a GPS device that is already available in Japan and European countries, the US being once again ignored. So, not only will the PSP entertain us, but it will also help us communicate and not get lost.

By now the gamers from the States reading this might be feeling a little bit frustrated, but the one of the SCEA spokepersons mentioned something that will surely make them chill: "We want to ensure there is the appropriate level of software that would be applicable and bring value to the consumers in North America". In the meantime SCEE completed the list of European PSP goodies with the announcement of a PVR/TV tuner, an accessory called PlayTV. Also, it seems that the lucky users from the UK and Ireland will be able to use a video download service on their consoles.

Why is the US left out like that? Is it because of the PSP piracy that flourished recently? Or could it be that the other consoles dominate the States' market? Perhaps SCEA has prepared other goodies for the US players, that the Europeans will never see, in order to keep things balanced.