Thanks to my new PSP, I don’t think I’ll ever finish this column. If you own Sony’s new gaming device, you understand why; it’s that addictive. A few days ago, I sold three of my game consoles just so I could purchase a PlayStation Portable. I don’t believe in gadget overkill, so I try to keep my shelves lean. As a general rule, I dislike Sony’s empire; it is all about creating unnecessarily proprietary formats for no reason other than to force users to stay within its brand. I don’t swallow that tripe, and you shouldn’t either. However, Sony broke the mold with the PSP, making everything else seem antiquated in the blink of a cursor.

I was willing to trade in my GameCube, PS2, Nintendo DS, and a handful of games for a single handheld experience. Why bother sticking with systems that seemed to be only collecting dust? Seldom do I find myself sitting in front of the television for any reason, so I’ve never been too hip on being tethered to a TV. The DS was a wonderful diversion, but I found myself unimpressed, bored rather, with its dated graphics engine. The PSP (and its growing set of titles) has been a breath of fresh air, dr....