E3 06: Sony gives Europe PSP love

LOS ANGELES--Following Sony's pre-E3 press conference on Monday, the company has made further announcements regarding the PlayStation Portable in Europe. Chief among these is the availability of the ceramic white edition of the console, previously only available in Japan. It will ship next week and contain the same items as the existing Value Pack (including a 32MB memory card) for the estimated price of £179.99 ($334).

In addition, Sony will create around 300 Wi-Fi hot spots around Europe in the coming weeks, adding to its already successful scheme in Japan. Each one will provide the ability for users to download PSP-specific content, although a list of hot spot locations has not yet been released.

Sony will also release a range of titles under a Platinum banner in June, each costing £19.99 ($37). This will initially include Everybody's Golf, Ridge Racer, WRC, F1 Grand Prix, Medievil: Resurrection, Pursuit Force, Virtua Tennis: World Tour, WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006, Need for Speed Underground Rivals, Burnout Legends, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and Peter Jackson's King Kong.

Finally, the Planet PSP Interactive City Guides will also arrive in Q3 2006 with a host of European cities featured, including London, Barcelona, and Amsterdam.