Not too long ago, Rock Band Unplugged made its debut on the PSP-3000 system. We’ve seen a great response to the game and now Rock Band Unplugged is coming to PSPgo!

For a limited time, when you purchase a PSPgo system, you’ll have access to a PlayStation Network downloadable voucher for Rock Band Unplugged Lite. This lite version of Rock Band Unplugged will allow you to play five full tracks. Plus, you can create your own personalized version of the game by purchasing your favorite Rock Band songs from the PlayStation Network. Now the only instrument you’ll need to rock anywhere is the PSPgo system!

Again, quantities are limited so be sure to mark your calendar for October 1.

Assassin’s Creed fans get ready! Soon you’ll be able to take your favorite covert assassins game with you on your PSP. As we announced at Destination PlayStation earlier this year, Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines will be available in a new Limited Edition PSP Entertainment Pack. Available at retail locations in November for $199.99 (MSRP), this Entertainment Pack will include:

• White PSP-3000 system
• Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines PSP game
• UMD Movie (to be announced shortly!)
• 2GB Memory Stick PRO Duo

We know you’ve been anxiously awaiting the arrival of this exclusive PSP title. As a treat, we’ve included a new trailer, so check it out below.

And if the trailer wasn’t enough to get you pumped for the game, make sure to check out the Q&A below. Frederic Lefrancois, a producer on Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines, answers the questions you’ve all been asking.

Could you introduce yourself and explain your role in the project?

My name is Frederic Lefrancois and I’m 3rd Party Producer on Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines. My role on this project is to ensure that this game releases on time for the Holiday at the highest level of quality.

I’m working hand in hand with the “Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines” developer and Assassin’s Creed Core Team at Ubisoft Montreal to develop a great game that will respect all of AC brand pillars.

Who is in charge of the development?

The game is developed by the Griptonite Studio under the supervision of Ubisoft Montreal’s Assassin’s Creed Core Team.

How is Assassin’s Creed PSP linked to the Assassin’s Creed universe?

“Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines” follows Altair’s story right after the events of Assassin’s Creed as he hunts down the ascending Templars in Cyprus. It’s the only game that explains the link between Assassin’s Creed and Assassin’s Creed 2. If you want to understand how Ezio is born and where the Codex comes from, you need this game.

What is the storyline of the game? Can you give us a quick synopsis?

Assassin’s Creed PSP picks up right where Assassin’s Creed ended. After the death of Robert De Sable by Altair’s blade, the Templars, led by Armand Bouchart, fled the Holy Land to settle on the island of Cyprus. Following their tracks, Altair has the firm intention to put an end to their quest for power. Altair will help the local resistance fight the Templar’s’ occupation and get rid of the Templar commanders.

How did Altair evolve as a character from the first Assassin’s Creed to the PSP game?

With most of his preconceptions shattered and cast among the blood of slain Templars, Altair enters the events of “Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines” with an open mind. No longer bound by Al Mualim’s leadership, he forges his own path and destiny. He has become more curious, more inquisitive and far less trusting.

What main gameplay feature can we expect in “Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines”? Will the player get to investigate before every assassination mission?

You can expect to enjoy the core gameplay of the original Assassin’s Creed including the signature free-running and the intuitive combat system. Before killing his targets, Altair will get to complete a variety of missions, not always investigations. There are 8 new mission types and we wanted each mission to feel as fresh and exciting as the final Assassination moment.

How is the open-world and free running that are key elements of the Assassins Creed brand presented in the PSP game?

As it was the case in Assassin’s Creed, Altair will get to explore various large cities. This time around Altair will discover the cities of Limasol and Kyrenia in Cyprus, a beautiful and historically very interesting island in the Mediterranean Sea.

Once again, you can expect Altair to master his environment while performing all of his signature moves. In fact, Altair will free-run, sprint, fly between beams and climb everywhere to take advantage of its surroundings. This is a huge benchmark technology wise as this kind of freedom of movement has never been seen before on the PSP.

Why did you choose Cyprus as the setting for the PSP game?

In the summer of AD 1191, the Templar order withdrew from the Holy Land to the island of Cyprus which they had previously bought from Richard the Lionheart. They occupied the island and oppressed the locals who rose up in rebellion only to end up being crushed by the Templars. We chose this setting because it’s an intriguing historical period surrounded by conspiracy of the Templar Treasures left on the Island. The oppression of the people of Cyprus is the perfect backdrop to continue Altair’s story and explain some of the key elements of Assassin’s Creed 2.

Will you use the PS3/PSP connectivity function?

As players unlock health and Hidden blade upgrades in Assassin’s Creed 2 PS3, the same upgrades will be unlocked in Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines (PSP). It also works the other way round: on the PS3 you will be able to access any Templar Coins and special weapons you’ve collected on the PSP.

Hey everyone, we wanted to provide an update on the new Peripherals we are launching this holiday. First, the Wireless Keypad for the PS3 will be available in stores starting the first week of December. Fans excited about PlayStation Home should definitely consider picking one of these up. The Wireless Keypad enables lightning quick chatting with other PlayStation Home community members. Plus, the unique touch pad mode allows for intuitive Internet browsing on the PS3 browser, and the short cut buttons will come in handy whenever you want to send a message or access your friend’s list from in-game.

Check out this video that we put together to see it in action:

The Wireless Keypad is a Bluetooth device that can be paired with the PS3 and charged seamlessly just by connecting them with a USB cable. You can use it with the PS3 system as well as any other Bluetooth enabled device, such as a smart phone, that has keyboard functionality. Given all these user friendly features, no wonder the Keypad just received a Consumer Electronic Show (CES) Innovation Award. It will be available at retailers for $49.99 (MSRP).

Second, an AC Adaptor for charging the DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller, SIXAXIS wireless controller, Bluetooth Headset and Wireless Keypad will be available for $24.99 (MSRP) starting the second week of December. The AC Adaptor can simultaneously charge two compatible hardware devices that have a USB connector without having to turn the PS3 system on. And, it charges both the PSP-2000 and PSP-3000.

Unlike the PS3 controller charging stations that are available in the market, we wanted to come out with an accessory enabling PS3 users to not only charge their controllers, but also other accessories, such as the new official Bluetooth Headset and Wireless Keypad.

Enjoy!

By now you’ve all seen Peter’s post from yesterday that introduced the new PS3 ad campaign. I wanted to give you some details on the two PSP ad campaigns that also kicked off recently. One campaign focuses on the new PSP-3000 and the other on the big games that are available this holiday season (or coming soon after), including Resistance: Retribution, God of War: Chains of Olympus, Madden NFL ’09 and more favorites.

This campaign is one of my favorites because not only does it gives a nod to the awesome ‘POV’ TV spot that we aired when the PSP first launched back in March 2005, but it places the PSP within a colorful and diverse blur of urban activity. As someone who spends a lot of time in San Francisco and travels the country often, I see the way that people in different cities use their PSPs and I think we’ve captured that in a fun and interesting way. The TV spots are fast-moving, 15-second snapshots of the PSP within several large cities, with local or regional musicians contributing their tracks to the spots. With the PSP, everywhere really does get better. Here are three of the spots, including a sneak peak into the TV spot for Chicago, which will start airing next week.

Taking the urban theme even further, we were able to work with local artists in 11 different cities and have them design unique PSP skins. It’s an awesome way of working with local talent to discover the ways that they love their cities and communities and how they use their PSP. Starting next week, be sure to visit the PSP module on PlayStation.com to check the PSP skins out. Of course I’m inclined to love the San Francisco skin, but think that they all offer unique flavors. Would love to hear which one you like best in the comments section.

Be sure to keep an eye out for the TV spots which are airing now, as well as the print, online and transit ads. For those of you lucky enough to live in or visit one of the five cities that we’ve focused on, you’ll see PSP ads all over buses, subways and trains.

Let us know what you think, and have a great weekend!

Based on ongoing discussions with our retail partners and the feedback they have received from their customers, SCEA has seen significant interest in the Ratchet & Clank Size Matters PSP Entertainment Pack in North America, which includes the updated PSP-3000. As a result, we will be streamlining our PSP hardware lineup and will no longer be offering the previously announced 4GB Memory PSP Entertainment Pack.

Consumers who are interested in a larger capacity memory option can purchase a 4GB PSP Memory Stick PRO Duo, which will be available this fall for $44.99 (MSRP). The Ratchet & Clank Size Matters PSP Entertainment Pack will continue to be available in Mystic Silver in North America, and, starting in December, will be available in Piano Black.

Hey Everyone - We’re just a couple of weeks out from the launch of BUZZ! Quiz TV for PS3 here in the United States, but today we’re excited to announce that MyBUZZ for the U.S. is now live. For those of you who aren’t aware of what’s to come in BUZZ! Quiz TV, you will be able to create your own personalized quizzes on MyBUZZquiz.com and then play them online or in-game. This is your chance to stump your friends with your vast array of knowledge or test your family or significant others on how well they know you!

Quizzes consist of eight questions that you create, including the right and wrong answers. You can also link quizzes in a playlist to create a never-ending challenge on a particular topic. Choose to keep your quizzes private, share them with your PSN friends, or open them up for all to enjoy.

Personalized quizzes are a great form of entertainment, whether you’re flying solo or hosting a gathering. Start building content on the MyBUZZ site now using your PSN ID and when the game launches on September 23, you’ll be able to play all of your quizzes in the BUZZ! environment on the PS3 system.

MyBUZZ also includes some great community features. You have the ability to rate quizzes, leave comments for the Author, and search for quizzes by rating, date or subject. You can even add quizzes to your favorites list. In addition to “Top Quizzes” listed by “Most Popular” and “Most Recent”, you can also look up the “Top Author” listed by “This Week” and “All Time”.

And it is with this that we announce a little challenge for all of you trivia gurus out there. We’re asking you to start building your library of quizzes immediately and on game launch day (September 23), we’ll award a PS3 and BUZZ! Quiz TV game bundle to the “All Time Top Author.” A week after launch on September 30, we’ll be awarding another prize to the individual with the “Top Quiz.” He/she will receive a new PSP 3000 with BUZZ! Master Quiz (all the fun of the BUZZ! trivia franchise on-the-go!). So, get out there and start creating and rating quizzes – good luck!

Hi, everyone, there have been reports about the battery life of the new PSP system (PSP-3000) being shorter than the current model (PSP-2000), following an interview we recently did with Gamespot. I’d like to make a correction and clarify that the new PSP will have equivalent battery life to the current PSP, about 4 to 6 hours for games and about 4 to 5 hours for UMD videos. While the enhanced screen of the new PSP draws a little more power, our engineers in Japan worked to reduce the power consumption of the overall system including its components, so you won’t have to worry about losing any time when enjoying the more vibrant visuals displayed with the new PSP.

We hope this clears everything up, and we’re certainly excited about letting you all get your hands on the new PSP and checking out the enhanced screen when it hits retail next month.