Izumi Kawanishi, Sony Computer Entertainment's Chief Technical Officer, has moved out of the division and has settled into the mothership Sony Corporation. This is according to one of Kotaku's sources who explains that he and Kazuo Hirai had an internal dispute.

The source continues that the fight was Hirai wanting to push the PlayStation 3 only as a game console. Perhaps Kawanishi still wanted to push the console as an all-in-one media hub?

At the beginning of this month, we all heard the conflicting reports surrounding the PS3-PSP connection. GameWatch claimed that the PlayStation Portable can be used to control and view the related next-gen game. Famitsu's take is a bit different, saying the remote play function is all about game data trading between the two platform. However, judging from the latest information coming straight from Izumi Kawanishi himself, both appear somewhat correct and lacking in detail.

First off, to use the PSP as a remote viewer for the PS3 media content, the two would have to be within ad-hoc connection range. Sony plans to kick thing up a notch in the future, leaving the wireless range and ultimately aiming at the internet. Kawanishi also mentioned that they are not content with simple media viewing. Sony is also thinking of allowing owners play PS3 games remotely on the PSP.

Being in charge for the development of both PS3 and PSP hardware, Kawanishi confirmed the region free software. "PlayStation 3 game software does not have this region code. In other words, if you can get your hands on overseas software, you can play as is," he quipped. Furthermore, aside from the traditional online updates, Sony is intending to let users do the updates via flash memory.

Lastly, the Famitsu article mentioned that users would be needing the 60GB PS3 model to activate the PSP connectivity. However, there was no confirmation given regarding this matter. We're wondering if connecting a USB Wi-Fi socket to the 20GB model would to the trick for us.

Because TGS 2006 isn't big enough for more syrupy PSP and PS3 goodness, Sony demoed the "Remote Play" functions of the two at CETEC JAPAN 2006. And GameWatch and Famitsu were both there to cover it all, and tell all about it. Also, as PSPVault found out, they both came away with radically different ideas of how Remote Play Works.

GameWatch says that Sony says that the PS3 will "throw" (yep, "throw") its video signal to the PSP using Wi-Fi. This means that the PSP can be used to control and see the related PS3 game, making the handheld sort of a Location-free PS3 - minus the six-axis motion-sense, right analog stick, and two shoulder buttons, though.

But Famitsu says that Remote Play is all about (and we quote PSPVault's quoting): "download[ing] Playstation 3 content to the PSP." Now that may read as somewhat like GameWatch's take - which is transmitting PS3 signals to the PSP - but it may also mean that Remote Play is primarily limited to trading game data between the two machines, and not necessarily PS3 in-game control with the PSP.

We would like to think it would be both - hey, the only limits to PSP-PS3 in-game interaction are the bandwidth limits of Wi-Fi (or a direct USB connection) and how much code it takes to integrate that into a game. We also had that earlier bit from the PS3 F1 racing game that the PSP could be used as a rear-view mirror. And Sony's Izumi Kawanishi had also mentioned the entire PS3-throwing-video-to-PSP thing last month.

The only thing we're waiting for now is a video of the demo in action (and someone who can understand the Japanese menu in the Remote Play demo).

Some details have started to come through regarding the download service in development for the PSP. In an interview with NikkeiBP, Izumi Kawanishi the executive in charge of Japanese software platform development, revealed that the PSP has no problems running PlayStation 1 games in an emulator, even though the control systems has required a bit of a "rethink" as the PSP has (obviously) only one analogue stick.

Also discussed in the Japanese-only interview, was that films (and games) will also be downloadable thanks to the widespread distribution of broadband, and that the service will also operate via WiFi-enabled PCs and the PS3. Furthermore, the PSP could be used as a mobile information system (with the PS3 handling the grunt work).

Sony is hoping to roll out the PSP Download Service when the PS3 launches - hopefully November this year. As always, be sure to stay tuned for further details.