Rebellion CTO Chris Kingsley sat down with GamesIndustry.biz in an interview and he had quite a few positive things to say about the PSP. However, he claims that publishing games on the PSP "wasn't a deliberate choice, it just happened. We were very keen on it as a platform and it took off for us." Earlier during the the week, Rebellion CEO Jason Kingsley echoed similar sentiments.

The CTO went on further to say that Sony's handheld has a good few years left in it, thanks to its versatility, but admits that publishers are not as keen as they once were about software on the PSP. Why? It isn't piracy, according to Kingsley, but rather developers want "to work on the flashy, high-end stuff." He cites the PS2 as a "less glamorous platform" that has remained economically viable for publishers because the software matches the right platform -- Kingsley feels the reason why the PSP has been "kicking the arse of pretty much every other system out there" in Japan is precisely because it has the right games. His illation on the PSP is that Sony has "done a great job," with "tens of millions of PSPs ... worldwide." but that its "incredible" success has been overshadowed by the DS.

Indie developers just love downloadable and mobile games, so it makes sense when a new developer forms and ventures into these less risky waters. According to gamesindustry.biz another new developer has expressed interest in creating mobile games and most importantly, wants to work on PSP. OneNine is the name of the new outfit and they are comprised of former employees of Activision, Vicarious Visions, Gameloft, Digital Extremes, and Kush Games.

The company had this to say about their focus, "OneNine is dedicated to making great games for both casual and hardcore markets, on all possible platforms. We are looking to expand into DS and PSP development as well as games for the web.downloadable and Xbox Live Arcade markets." The article did not mention any game specifics in regards to the PSP, so we'll all have to wait to see what OneNine has up their sleeves.

Just in case they need help coming up with a PSP game idea, I'm going to go call OneNine to pitch that geriatric Rascal racer I've always dreamed of.

It was just a few days ago that popular import gaming site, Lik-Sang, was rocked by a judge's ruling that it could no longer sell Sony's systems out of region. Now, Lik-Sang is giving their side of the story.

Lik-Sang said, "Hong Kong's laws are clear when it comes to parallel trade, and the company has no ties whatsoever with the UK." However, ruling Judge Michael Fysh saw things differently by saying "The acts of which the complaint is made have, in my view, been perpetrated not in Hong Kong but here in the EEA, and without Sony's consent."

[Update: Lik-Sang has officially closed its doors. Here's an excerpt from the press release:

"Lik-Sang.com, the popular gaming retailer from Hong Kong, has today announced that it is forced to close down due to multiple legal actions brought against it by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Sony claimed that Lik-Sang infringed its trade marks, copyright and registered design rights by selling Sony PSP consoles from Asia to European customers, and have recently obtained a judgment in the High Court of London (England) rendering Lik-Sang's sales of PSP consoles unlawful. As of today, Lik-Sang.com will not be in the position to accept any new orders and will cancel and refund all existing orders that have already been placed."

Lik-Sang notes that many individuals of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe received their PSPs via a Lik-Sang import:

"The list of PSP related Sony Europe orders reads like the who's who of the videogames industry, and includes Ray Maguire (Managing Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd), Alan Duncan (UK Marketing Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd), Chris Sorrell (Creative Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd), Rob Parkin (Development Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited), just to name a few."]

[Update: Sony denies responsibility for the closure, according to GI.biz: "Lik-Sang did not contest this case (i.e. they did not turn up and therefore incurred no legal costs). We have been awarded substantial costs against Lik-Sang which have not been paid... The purchasing of PSP consoles by SCE employees would be for investigatory purposes. We would also like to express our surprise at a company releasing personal information about its consumers." +1 Sony, -1 Gamers]

According to GameFront, it appears that the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories will be presented to members of the press in next week's Games Convention in Germany. Also on-hand at the show, according to GamesIndustry.biz is Sonic Rivals, the first ever original PSP platformer starring Sega's famous mascot. With the convention pending, it appears that new screens of both games are making their way around the internet. CVG has posted new screens of Sonic Rivals, featuring the aptly named Silver, who boasts psychic powers. GAME also has new direct-feed screenshots of Vice City Stories in action, showcasing the "new" rocket launcher.

[Thanks, Adriaan!]