The Digital Comics Reader added to the Playstation network for PSP systems officially launches today. The application, located under the Extras icon on the XMB, will allow users to choose from hundreds of titles, some of which are free, from Marvel, Disney, and IDW Publishing. The Digital Comics Reader is also accessible via MediaGo on the PC.

The Digital Comics reader uses Autoflow technology that allows users to zoom in/out and move frame by frame or page by page through the comic. The price for the comics appear to average about $1.99. (http://us.playstationcomics.com/main.html)

The Launch list includes:

• 2000AD Prog
• Aleister Arcane
• The Amazing Spider-Man (1963)
• The Amazing Spider-Man (2003)
• Annihilation (2006)
• Archie & Friends
• Astonishing X-Men (2004)
• Astro Boy: Movie Adaptation
• Astro Boy: Underground: Movie Prequel
• Atomic Robo

 

• The Beagle Boys
• Burke & Hare
• Cages
• Captain America (2004)
• Captain America Comics (1941)
• Clive Barker’s The Thief Of Always
• Daisy Duck
• Daredevil: Yellow (2001)
• Donald Duck
• Donald Duck Agent Qu-Qu 7
• Durham Red: Empty Suns
• Durham Red: Scarlet Cantos
• Durham Red: Vermin Stars
• Dynamo 5
• Eternals (2006)
• Fantastic Four (2003)
• FX
• G.I. Joe
• G.I. Joe: Classics
• G.I. Joe: Official Movie Prequel
• G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra: Official Movie Adaptation
• Gladstone Gander
• Gyro Gearloose
• House of M (2005)
• The Immortal Iron Fist (2006)
• The Invincible Iron Man (1996)
• The Invincible Iron Man (1998)
• Invincible Iron Man (2008)
• Iron Man (2004)
• Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2004)
• Judge Dredd: Mandroid
• Judge Dredd: Total War
• Kingdom
• Leviathan
• Magica De Spell
• Marvel Knights (2000)
• Marvels (1994)
• Mickey Mouse
• Neozoic
• New X-Men: Academy X (2004)
• Rogue Trooper: The Future Of War
• Runaways (2003)
• Scrooge McDuck
• Shakara
• Sláine: Book of Invasions
• Star Trek: Alien Spotlight
• Star Trek: Archives – The Best of Peter David
• Star Trek: Assignment Earth
• Star Trek: Mirror Images
• Star Trek: Year Four: The Enterprise Experiment
• Super Human Resources
• Superduck
• Transformers: All Hail Megatron
• Transformers: Classics
• Transformers Official Movie Adaptation
• Transformers Movie Prequel
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Movie Adaptation
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Prequel Alliance
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Prequel Defiance
• Transformers Spotlight
• Wallace & Gromit
• The Warriors
• White Picket Fences
• Wizards of Mickey
• World War Hulk (2007)
• X-23 (2005)
• X-Men: Age of Apocalypse (2005)
• X-Mickey
• Young Salem
• Zombies vs Robots

Sony announced that on the October 1st release of the PSPgo there will be 16,000 pieces of digital content available on the PS Store, including 225 games, a combination of full PSP titles, PSN exclusives, UMD legacy titles and Minis. Some titles include Gran Turismo, Soulcaliber: Broken Destiny, and God of War: Chains of Olympus. The rest is divvied up between 2,300 movies, and 13,300 television shows.

Sony also announced that they will be offering pre-paid PlayStation Network Game Cards game cards for specific game titles to be purchased at retail stores. Users will then use the voucher code on the card to download the game on their PSPgo. This is considered somewhat of an olive branch to retailers balking at selling the expensive PSPgo with no games to sell with it to make any money off of. The cards will also provide a credit card alternative to kids and people who go without the plastic.

The PSPgo is the latest addition to the Playstation Portable line and the first that is UMD free. All content and games must be downloaded digitally. The PSPgo will be available starting October 1st worldwide, in either black and white and with a price tag of $249.99 (249.99 EUR).

The Dutch aren't the only ones saying "no thanks" to the PSP Go. EB Games in Australia is also politely declining to sell it in their stores. Calls to stores in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra by Kotaku staff revealed that none of the EB Games stores will be stocking the PSP Go. Visits to the EB Games Australia website show the PSP Go as discontinued.

It appears the decision was made by EB Games management due to a combination of the console's high price-point combined with the fact the retailer won't be recouping any money from software sales.

EB Games is Australia's largest specialty game retailer, even though their biggest competitors GAME and JB Hi-Fi will be stocking it, EB's "Hell No, PSP Go" will definitely put a dent in the PSP Go sales and image.

The PSP Go will be hitting shelves all over the world on October 1st, except at major Dutch retailer Nedgame. They have told Eurogamer that they will not be stocking and selling the PSP Go.

But why? Nedgame pointed out there is little incentive for them to sell it, since there are no physical games for the PSP Go. This cute little guy is a digital distribution only. Profit margins are very slim on consoles and most of game retailers profits come from selling video games and accessories. And at 249.99 EUR (which is approximately $366 US), it's far too expensive of a risk.

Nedgame is not alone in their refusal to stock PSP Go's in October, Eurogamer reports that other Dutch retailers, and retailers in Spain will be doing the same thing.

SCEE President Andrew House said in an interview earlier this summer that the costly hardware isn't meant to appease retail giants or recoup research and development costs. "Those aren't the factors," he said. "When you introduce a new piece of hardware you have the opportunity to say there is a certain premium that is associated with it, and we took that into account. As with all hardware launches you look at the business model, the cost structure, and the necessarily level of profitability, and you use that to set the wholesale price."

The PSP Go memory should be able to hold 17-18 games in its 16GB HDD, without having to add extra storage (one can add extra memory sticks). The average size of a game download for the PSP Go will be around 600-800MB.It will run for $249.99 in the US and will be released on Thursday, October 1st in both black and white colors.

Rumors once again have come alive surrounding the topic of the possibility of a PlayStation phone. With Apple's iPhone 3G making mobile gaming even easier, news from Japan says Sony will open a new department exploring a "cell phone-game gear hybrid". Seven of the top 10 apps in Apple's Appstore are games and developers are working on making games compatible for the iphone. Many users are emulating PlayStation games for the iphone.

Meanwhile, PlayStation fans can look forward to the release of the PSP Go. It will feature a 16GB HDD instead of the UMD drive, will be lighter than the PSP-3000 and the Nintendo DSi, has a 3.8inch screen (compared to the 3.25 of the Nintendo DSi, and will be Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capable.

The PSP is expected to ship October 1st with a $250 price tag.