Sony, Level-5 and Matrix Software are hoping PS3 and PSP owners want to make some pacts with knights. Apparently, the original White Knight Chronicles performed well enough to make the companies want to take a chance on English language releases of White Knight Chronicles 2 (PS3) and White Knight Chronicles: Origins (PSP). Only in Europe, for the moment though, as SCEE has confirmed both for May 2011 releases. Perhaps they’ll even be released on the same day…

If you buy a PSPgo in North America, all you get for your money is the PSPgo, a USB cable and the adapter to plug it in and charge it up. For a while, you also got a voucher for Rock Band Unplugged Lite. When Europeans purchase a PSPgo between today (December 1, 2009) and January 10, 2010, they get a full, additional game. Kind of makes you wish you lived overseas, doesn’t it?

The latest PSPgo European promotion was just announced today on the European PlayStation.Blog. For €249 you not only get the PSPgo system, with power cord and USB cable, you also get a free copy of Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines, Gran Turismo or MotorStorm Arctic Edge. Nice selection of games. I like that they went with three very recent releases from two different genres (racing and action).

The real winners here are people living in Germany and who pick up a PSPgo while this promotion is running…

During the Tokyo Game Show, Sony Europe announced a customer loyalty program that would reward current PSP owners who’d upgrade to a PSPgo. PSPgo Rewards would bestow three free downloadable games (from a list of 17), provided the owner followed precise instructions that added the PSPgo to his PlayStation Network account. Sadly, things don’t always go that smoothly.

Some European PSPgo owners have found that the PSPgo Rewards didn’t work out the way they planned. It turns out if they download their three free games to their PS3, then transfer them to their PSPgo, DRM kicks in and renders the games useless. They can’t play them.

Sony is aware of the problem. At the moment, the company is advising that any PSPgo owners wanting to redeem and download their three free games…

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) used the 2009 Tokyo Game Show to make two big announcements concerning the PS3 and PSPgo. First, the SCEE announced a new version of the PS3 Slim that has a 250GB hard drive which everyone is excited about. The second announcement was the PSPgo Rewards program, which will reward existing PSP owners who purchase a PSPgo with three downloadable PSP games.

The PSPgo announcement is an attempt to get current PSP owners to upgrade to the PSPgo. When the system debuts October 1, 2009, the PSPgo Rewards program will launch as well. Users with both systems can then log into the PlayStation Network with both systems to unlock three free game downloads. There are some catches though. First, you have to claim your three free games before March 31, 2010. Second, You have to have a UMD in the old PSP unit. Third, you can only choose from 17 PSP games.

Here are the 17 PSP games you can choose from, in alphabetical order…

By now you may have heard and seen the Sony Europe press release which confirms that Patapon 2 is going to be available in Europe in either spring or summer, 2009. An interesting thing to note was, accompanying said press release was a box art image. A North American box art image, with an ESRB logo rating the game “Everyone”.

A quick look at Amazon after this discovering unveils a possible game leak. A listing for Patapon 2 shows not only the same box art, but a June 30, 2009 release date and $29.99 price. Amazon’s usually pretty accurate when it comes to box art and release date leaks, and this latest Sony press release saying spring/summer 2009 lends a bit more credence to the idea of PSP owners playing Patapon 2 in June.

The only (slightly) disheartening part is the price. The original Patapon cost only $19.99 when it was first released, and yet Patapon 2 is going to cost $10 more…