Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has announced that it plans to lower the price of the PSP in the UK from £149.99 to £129.99, with the new price taking effect from May 4. They’re also releasing five new Platinum titles at £14.99 (a new, lower price for all PSP Platinum titles) The new Platinum titles are: Ridge Racer 2, Tekken, Killzone, Loco Roco, and Moto GP.

Making the PSP more accessible/affordable seems a good indication of PlayStation’s plans to grow the relationship between the handheld device and the PS3. It’s a point that Sony Computer Entertainment MD Ray Maguire makes in the quote below.

“PSP is unique and is constantly evolving. It offers the widest palette of mobile entertainment, from gaming to video, music, photos and internet. But now the exciting possibility of connecting remotely to PLAYSTATION®3, makes PSP more relevant than ever. So what better time to offer a brand new price point, and the launch of five new Platinum titles?”

More about the Platinum titles below -

Ridge Racer™ 2
Ridge Racer™ is back with an adrenaline fuelled racing experience featuring many new courses and vehicles. Put your foot down, kick in the nitrous and roar through 42 intense, challenging courses in one of the 62 high-speed vehicles available, including eight brand new cars. Master the drift handling and take corners at exhilarating speeds to leave opponents trailing in your wake. Ridge Racer includes new Arcade, Duel and Survival modes in addition to the original Time Attack mode and rearranged World Tours mode, as well as a competitive Ad Hoc Mode for up to eight players.

Loco Roco™
Exclusive to PSP™, Loco Roco is a classic in the making with a fun graphic style and easy to learn addictive gameplay. Using the simple tilting controls to get your LocoRoco moving, you can eat, grow, roll and bounce your way through fantastical environments. LocoRoco features 40 colourful levels, quirky Wireless options, plus two free mini-games to share with friends! Pass it on!

Killzone™ Liberation
The war against the Helghast continues exclusively on PSP. As Captain Jan Templar embark on a dangerous covert operation behind enemy lines in order to rescue captured hostages and to defeat Helghast General Metrac evil plans for domination. Developed firmly with the PSP in mind and featuring an all-new intelligent camera system, Killzone: Liberation throws you into the heat of battle with an explosive range of weapons and vehicles at your disposal to complete your objectives. PSP exclusive features include 6 player wireless ad-hoc mode, 2 player Ad Hoc campaign mode and gamesharing functionality.

MotoGP
Race against the best riders on the circuit in MotoGP, the official game of the MotoGP World Championship, available on PSP™. Players can choose from a variety of gameplay modes, including Season Mode for extended play, Arcade Mode for short bursts of action, plus challenges and time trails. The Ad Hoc gameplay allows up to eight friends to compete against one another, bringing the thrill of MotoGP competition to life on PSP.

Tekken™: Dark Resurrection
The most explosive fighting game ever comes to PSP™, with new characters, new features and new moves! Players can acquire “Fight Money” and use it to customise their characters with a wide variety of available items – more than twice as many as in Tekken™5. In addition, the PSP Infrastructure Mode allows players to go online to check their world ranking or download unique “Ghosts” based on other players’ fighting styles!