After making a big deal of this new feature at CES, SCEI has announced that they are delaying the introduction of Skype to the PSP. Originally planned for release tomorrow, the feature has been delayed ... in Japan, at the very least. The two Skype headsets being manufactured for release in Japan "did not meet the Skype specifications" and therefore, cannot be released.
With a delay in Japan, one can assume that the new firmware update will be delayed worldwide. Those anticipating free PSP-to-PSP calls will have to wait just a little longer, it seems. However, maybe we'll be surprised by a firmware release that comes out in the rest of the world. Considering that has never happened, we won't hold our breath.
[Update via Kotaku: This announcement "will make no difference to the European and USA launch, which will coincide with the end of January firmware upgrade." Thanks, Espiox!]
[Via Engadget]
Skype functionality gets delayed in Japan [Update]
Posted Jan 23rd 2008 9:15AM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-23-2008 @ 10:14AM
Espiox said...
Actually, according to a Sony Rep contacted by Kotaku, Skype is still going ahead in Europe and the US, as part of the end-of-January firmware update:
http://kotaku.com/347868/sony-postpones-japanese-psp-skype-launch
Presumably because we get different headsets than them (they get the Talkman mics).
Reply
1-23-2008 @ 11:37AM
Neil said...
Happy to hear the US wont have any delays.
Reply
1-23-2008 @ 11:41AM
pixelator said...
Beware ANY Sony-related info from Kotaku. After their blacklisting fiasco, bigger haters of the PSP and PS3 (who pass themselves off as unbiased news) do not exist... And that's saying something considering the predisposition of many of the Joystiq writers.
Reply
1-23-2008 @ 11:54AM
Tim Parsons said...
cool,. guess this means a PS3 Firmware update is on the way end of month ,. lately the last few have comes out within days of each other.
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1-23-2008 @ 12:46PM
Alien said...
Well its a bummer for Japanese owners I guess ... well lets wait and see how well will the US and EU versions work :?
Reply
1-23-2008 @ 6:54PM
Hashbrown_Hunter said...
Yeah, well I'd rather see them delay the US version so we can atleast get a good mic for the PSP instead of that wirey mess.
1-24-2008 @ 5:25AM
Alien said...
And the news about the lag isnt that great either :?
Reply
1-25-2008 @ 8:19AM
amrgardner said...
Where is this update? Wasn't everyone expecting it today? I furious!
Reply