February 11^th, 2005 (11:46am) - The PSP’s "Game Sharing" feature has finally been demonstrated with Namco Museum. This feature allows users to download any one of the arcade classics included on the Namco Museum UMD and store the data in RAM. Storing the date in RAM instead of the Memory Stick Duo prevents players from keeping the game long periods of time. Once the handheld is switched off, or when users return to the PSP’s main menu, the game data is lost.

In Namco Museum, a player will have to select a function from an in-game menu to transmit the data while another PSP user selects "Game Sharing" from the PSP’s main menu. Once the two PSPs recognize each other, a short download will begin allowing the second PSP user to play any one of the seven arcade classics.

Unfortunately, unlike the Nintendo DS’ ability to wirelessly play against each other off a single game cartridge, Sony has yet to demonstrate that "planned" function of the PSP. The development team behind the PSP’s Wipeout Pure mentioned last week to game journalists in London that "there is game sharing, but no one really knows how it works." Analysts believe that this statement implies that it will be some time before we’ll be able to play PSP games against multiple opponents using a single UMD.

One of the more interesting functions of the DS is its ability to allow gamers to wirelessly play against each other off a single game cartridge thanks to its "Download Play" feature, as well as its ability to allow gamers to download demos of games at various "hot spots" (a feature that has been demonstrated, but not yet put into full effect).