Sony is looking ever more likely to be designing the next iteration of the PlayStation Portable, the PSP-4000, with a slide-able screen, if reports this week are to be believed.

Just don't call it the PSP-2, claimed the un-named source of said reports. TechRadar has it on very good authority that the rumours are highly credible, so we will be sure to keep our beady eye on developments in the world of Sony handheld gaming.

PSM3 Editor, Daniel Dawkins half-jokingly told TechRadar that if Sony was to "re-launch on the strength of the new screen (touchscreen, we hope), re-market it as a communication device (with an established communication software link to replace the now canned, bespoke, Go! Messenger service, like Skype, or some other social networking tools) and slipstream the success of iPhone, this would not only win back jaded consumers, but allow Sony to use it as a Trojan horse for – yes – games."

ROFL and so on. Seriously though, we love our PSPs and we miss looking forward to having new games to play on them, so let's hope that Sony really does sort out its handheld gaming strategy with PSP-4000.

Bodybuilder fails to ban games

Meanwhile, over in California, tough guy Governer and former bodybuilder, Arnold Schwarzenegger's attempts to slap 18-rated certificates on games that particular state deemed violent were thwarted when a US court overruled a law forcing games companies to restrict the sale of violent software.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said that the law requiring an '18' certificate on any games the state of California deemed to be violent was a violation of free speech and unconstitutional.

While Sony fishes around for a more profitable and appealing strategy for the PSP, Nintendo clearly plans to make ever-bigger mountains of cash when it releases the latest DS refresh, the DSi in April.

The Mario factory has released the latest in its occasional series of 'Iwata asks' features, detailing the process by which Nintendo's designers came to agree on the form factor and features in the new handheld.

What does the 'i' mean?

While on the DSi, we idly wondered last week what the 'i' actually stood for, if anything. And, while we were idly wondering that, we also paused to ponder the meaning of the i in the iPod. Nintendo and Apple told us in no uncertain terms what they meant. And we kind of wish that they hadn't spoiled the iMystery for us...

The runaway success of Wii is having repercussions across the worlds of consumer tech. For example, it looks like the humble TV remote control could well soon be a thing of the past, as TV control tech boffins are developing Wii-style gesture control for 3D TVs, which we look forward to trialling at CeBit in Germany early next month.

And while Nintendo and its publishing partners such as Sega and EA get set to release 'Wii MotionPlus' games such as Wii Sports Resort, Virtua Tennis and Tiger Woods 10 this coming spring and summer, it seems like Microsoft is finally looking to muscle in on the mo-control party, with rumours that the Redmond giant is set to purchase motion-control specialists 3DV.

CeBit, GDC, DSi

Next month is already shaping up to be a monster in terms of games hardware and software news, what with CeBit over in Germany at the start of March and the mighty Games Developers Conference over in San Fran at the end of March. TechRadar will be on hand at and reporting from these and other key gaming launches and events throughout the coming month, as ever.

Then, of course, there's Easter straight after that... Which is when we are treated to the first real slew of triple-A titles releasing in 2009.

Not to mention that new matte-black DSi we hope the special Nintendo Easter gaming bunny will magically hide in a chocolate log for us (along with a copy of Rockstar's new GTA: Chinatown Wars which releases on March 20.

And let's just agree to not mention the meaning of that 'i'...