While it still looks like Sony is waiting until E3 to officially unveil their new PSP, anonymous sources from around the game industry are spilling the beans on what gamers can look for in the next iteration of Sony’s handheld.

1up’s sources tell them that the new PSP will indeed git rid of the UMD drive, and that a huge amount of titles will be available at launch. Two of these titles will be the freshly announced Namco Bandai games “Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny” and “Tekken 6.” (The PSP version of “Soul Calibur” will reportedly have a new character named Dampierre.) The new PSP may also be available in two units, one with carrying 8 gigs of storage and another with 16.

If the rumors are true, the face buttons, d-pad, and analog nub will all be located under a screen that will slide up when access for those buttons is required. Speaking of nubs, one of the biggest complaint people have (including 2.o and myself) is the lack of a second analog nub, which would do wonders for controlling any 3D game on the PSP. Many games in the PSP library have suffered from a lack of a second nub, but it seems that Sony is too stubborn in their ways to change. 1up’s sources say that no new analog nub exists, and the current control scheme will remain.

Finally comes word of the name, and it’s kind of a strange. If the rumors are true, gamers will be buying a “PSP GO!” sometime later this year. Go! stems from their Go!Cam and video-on-demand service Go!View.

Now listen here TGH’ers, everything you’ve read here is all rumor as of right now. When Sony’s people were asked to comment, they just offered the ole “We don’t comment on rumors of speculation” jazz, but it is an intriguing look at what gamers may be getting their hands on in 2009. A touch screen is also a possible rumor that would be a welcome addition.

Man E3 is going to be amazing, on top of all this amazing news possibly slated to be released there this year, it’s also E3’s resurecttion with a huge lists of events. Get your ticket now TGH’ers, maybe Sony will bring there new toy along for spectators to try out.

Introducing “Dropping This Week” where each week we’ll spotlight some of the hottest titles hitting the stores for that week across all the major platforms. Have you always wanted to play the bad guy in a Star Wars game? Or how about gettin’ busy on the mic? Well you’ll have your chance with the titles dropping this week! Check’em out below:

ROCKBAND 2

platform: xbox 360

release date: Sunday Sept. 14

This game actually got a head start on the week and dropped on a Sunday. But were including it for this week because it’s to big of a title to miss out on. Rock Band 2 builds upon the first version by adding in several new modes for online play and off, plus the ability to import all your songs from the original RockBand, no repurchasing or downloading again. This game comes with a more sturdier and quieter drum than before. But if you already have the right instruments there’s no need to buy them again as this game is fully backwards compatible with the original RockBand instruments. So bust out those instruments and gather your band together for another go at becoming the ultimate band!

STARWARS: THE FORCE UNLEASHEDplatform: Wii, PS2, PS3, xbox 360, DS, PSP

release date: Tuesday Sept. 16

In this latest installment of the Star Wars saga, players take on the role of Darth Vader’s secret apprentice. His job…to wipe out the remaining Jedi masters through out the galaxy. At your disposal you’ll have the obvious weapon of choice, a light saber. But you’ll also have your deadly force moves and abillities which will aid you on your quest. With some sick graphics, action and tight audio this looks to deliver deliver a fun experience in the Star Wars universe. Plus you get to play as the ultimate Star Wars bad ass… Darth Vader, and that’s worth the purchase alone!

WARHAMMER ONLINE: AGE OF RECKONING
platform: PCrelease date: Thursday Sept. 16

Ogres…check, elves…check, dwarfs…check , no more social life…CHECK! What looks to be one of the biggest mmo’s released this side of World of Warcraft, WAR:Age of Reckoning will finally give gamers a chance to battle it out on their computer screens with one of fantasy’s most popular properties. In this mmo, players will get the chance to lay siege on huge fortresses, or try to defend them from attacking foes. You also be able to conquer large realms from your enemies with allies from all across the internet. We had the chance to sit down and talk with the head guy in charge himself, Mark Jacobs and got the lowdown on why this game will be hot. You can check out our full preview here. And come this thursday ,get ready to get your conquering on!

Midnight Club is back this time tearing up the streets on the psp so blow the dust of them joints go get them fine tuned. This title looks to be a very good reason to turn them back on again or use them for what they are really suppose to be used for…GAMES!

The game will be set in the city of Los Angeles, again providing the option to completely free-roam (on roadways quite larger than all the cities combined from Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition). New additions are a day-to-night cycle and weather effects, adding a realistic aspect to the game. After races, if any damage is inflicted upon the vehicle, the player doesn’t necessarily have to drive back to the garage for a full repair, but instead can choose the Quick Fix option through which old, junkyard-esque parts will be added to the car. To get the nice look back, the player must actually drive back to repair their vehicle at a garage so actually totaling the vehicle completely is not possible anymore. The Los Angeles map is considered one of the most detailed and accurate versions of L.A. yet. With the RAGE system being used for this game, as with Grand Theft Auto IV, traffic level will fluctuate throughout the day, with heavy traffic in the morning and afternoon, and little to no traffic at night. Motorcycles are once again, a big part of the game, though no specific models have been mentioned (a Kawasaki ZX-14R was seen in a promotional screenshot). Convertibles, customizable interiors and customizable exotics are new additions.

Police return but are no longer scripted to a specific race, they will chase you no matter where you are and the longer you run from them, the higher your fine if you are pulled over.

Developers placed great emphasis on the elimination of load screens, stating that the player can literally jump from career mode to an arcade race in under ten seconds. The new dynamic weather system has been reported to alter the gameplay experience, making the vehicle more prone to sliding in the rain.

Finally the Spider-Man title we fans of the series has been waiting for! Forget that trash that was Spider-Man 3 this joint right here is the truth. The graphics are on point and the gameplay looks crazy. Now we all know they nailed the swinging in Spider-Man 2 but completely forgot about the combat. Well in this title combat seems to be the main focus and man does it look good.

The story is completely original which is a good thing unless you guys want another disaster like Spider-Man 2 and 3. In this one the alien symbiote which gave Spider-Man his famous black suit is back only this time in a full scale invasion. Taking over NYC of course all the crazy stuff happens in NY, peep this new trailer and watch Spidey swing and kick symbiote ass across town.

Everyone’s favorite female explorer is back! And doing what she does best, solving puzzles, raiding tombs and blasting the hell outta’ whatever gets in her way! In Lara Crofts latest adventure entitled Tomb Raider: Underworld,you’ll set off on a quest to find the hammer of the Norse god Thor (and no, not the marvel comics character).

And just like all  her other adventures you’ll be jet setting across the globe from the hot and sweaty jungles to the floors of the Mediterranean Sea. Now this is like the 100th Tomb Raider game in the series and quite frankly I’m surprised there are still a lot of people out there playing these games. I was a fan in the beginning but started waning off once the quality started going down and they all seem the same. But this one does looks promising and could be on the right track to bringing the series back to it’s former glory. Peep some new pics and developer interviews/game footage below.

Unit out…