Pardon us if our count isn't accurate but if we're not mistaken, the total number of PlayStation Portable (PSP) titles that are compatible with the handheld's GPS accessory is currently at six. They are Minna No Golf Jo, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, MAPLUS Portable Navi, Minna no Chizu, Minna no Chizu 2, and Homestar Portable.

In case you haven't noticed yet, we can't keep track of these video games because they were only released in Japan. We wonder what's up with that move from Sony but that discussion is reserved for another day. We brought up the topic because another one software has just been added to the list: MAPLUS Guidemap.

While that is still a tentative title, it is clear that MAPLUS Guidemap is a GPS-navigation compatible software. From what we've understood from MAPLUS' official Japanese site, this will include pedestrian navigation features, location information in the form of a guidebook, and downloadable map updates.

Speaking of which, we have a strong reason to believe that this software is of top-notch quality as its maps have been provided by Japan's leading map software provider Alps. MAPLUS Guidemap is being developed by Edia Co. Ltd. and will be available in Japan this summer.

For those of you who have been (and still are) very curious about Edia's MAPLUS Portable Navi software for the PSP, you're gonna be very pleased with yourself for clicking on this post. (Errr...most probably, at least.)

But just in case you're new to this whole thing, let us give you a quick primer: MAPLUS Portable Navi is a navigation software that makes use, and takes advantage of, the recently released PSP GPS receiver. Sadly though, both the GPS receiver and the MAPLUS Portable Navi haven't been released here in the U.S. and we dunno if the two will ever land on our shores. But nonetheless, we still decided to bring you guys this video 'cuz you can always have it imported, right? Hehehe.

And besides, if you're really into the whole GPS thing, you can always opt for Deniska's MapThis homebrew which you can get right here. Thanks to PSP-Vault, we're now given a closer look at how the MAPLUS Portable Navi will work and play out on our PSPs. Enjoy the zmcnulty-uploaded vid!

A few weeks back, we featured an article about Edia Co.'s PSP accessory, the MAPLUS portable GPS bundle. In that report, we mentioned that the add-on is such a hit and is already sold out on Amazon Japan. Unfortunately, the mapping device would only work in Japanese cities and there isn't any word if Edia (which isn't the FFVIII witch) is planning on releasing it in Europe or in the U.S. So you better hang on to Deniska's handy Map This! app for now.

But there are still some developments from the Edia camp as they have recently opened their official website. Nothing new in it, well, we don't really know for sure what's in it as everything is in Japanese. So if you could read and speak the language, do share to us what's in the site.

Anyhow, it sure looks like it could only be used in Japan...for now. It has a price tag of ¥ 7,140 (US$ 61.30) for the software single item and ¥ 10,500 (US$ 90.16) for the GPS receiver bundled edition. Small development for now, but who knows? If Edia comes up with an English website, then perhaps they're planning on selling it outside Japan?

We'll dish out them updates as they come. For now, you could visit the official Edia site via the link below.

We couldn't wait to get our hands on it. Now we'll have to wait longer. The MAPLUS portable GPS bundle for the PSP is sold out on Amazon Japan. Then again, it wouldn't have done us much good because the mapping software only does Japan cities (?) (correct us if we understood the details incorrectly; our Japanese is as bad as our Klingon).

Anyway, about the whole GPS thing. Edia (or Edeia or Edea - it depends on your translator) has a GPS-mapping software that takes advantage of the PSP GPS receiver. Why Japan? Maybe it's because Japan's street names can be hard to figure out, and there are only a few places where streets run in straight rectangular grids. Will there be a US version? Maybe... we'll have to see if Sony sees enough of a demand. (So start demanding already! Hehe.)

For now, it's a good thing there's Deniska's Mapviewer (it's a great map homebrew).

By the way, at the Amazon Japan page, we saw that "Customers who bought this item also bought Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops." Yeah, they may rent fembots out as prom dates, but the Japanese sure know their gaming fun: the GPS unit is actually used in the game! Wow!

Sony homed-in on an official GPS unit (again, emphasis on "official") a month back. And aside from Deniska's Map This! v0.3 Mapviewer that came out just a few days ago there is no known software for GPS tracking. But now, there's a new player on the map - sorry for the pun.

The company is called Edia (after the FFVIII witch? har, har... ), and they're going to be the first ones to make use of the GPS add-on of Sony. They've come up with a GPS navigation system software for the PSP, and it will have maps of Japan with Point of Interest (POI) capabilities.

Yes, yes, we know. "Why Japan?" Well, it seems likely that America won't have the software anytime soon, but Japan's got first dibs on it. They're getting it as early as December of this year. Let's just all hope that Edia ports their software soon enough. A lot of you guys keep on commenting that one of the top reasons they bought their PSP was because of the GPS capabilities. With Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops coming out real soon, who could blame you?