Source: gamespot

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RUMOR: Later this year, Sony will begin selling the PSP portable by itself for $199.

Origional Source: PunchJump.com

The official story: "We have made no announcements as to additional SKUs for PSP."--Sony Computer Entertainment America representative. 
 
What we heard: Punchjump cites Best Buy and EB Games' stocking of official Sony-produced PSP accessories as proof that a bare-bones PSP is in the works. "Items like Sony headphones, cases, 32MB Memory Stick, and battery chargers are now all for sale as individual items," said the site, "They are exact to the ones (sic) currently included in the $249 PSP Value Pack." The logic is that Sony wouldn't go to the trouble of separately selling individual peripherals bundled with the current PSP. (Um, replacements maybe?) Sony would have two other valid reasons to release a $199 PSP: one, the cheaper price point would lure more frugal consumers, and two, it would let Sony sell peripherals and more expensive higher-capacity Memory Stick Duos for a combined total of more than the Value Pack's sticker price. But if Sony is planning to sell a bare-bones PSP, it's not in any hurry. "The current PSP Value Pack continues to fly off the shelves at retail," a rep said confidently. 

 Bogus or not bogus?: Bogus for now.