Sony has announced that a special edition PSP-3000 Gran Turismo Edition will be shipping out just a few short weeks after the game hits stores. The pack, which retails for $199.99, will be available beginning on October 20th. Along with the "mystic silver" version of the UMD-powered handheld console, this bundle comes with:

  • Gran Turismo PSP game on UMD
  • PlayStation Network downloadable voucher for a white Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, a color not available in the game and is exclusive to this entertainment pack
  • 2GB Memory Stick PRO Duo
  • PlayStation Network downloadable movie voucher – title TBD
  • Sony MusicPass voucher good for 10 downloadable songs – available to U.S. residents only. Choose from hundreds of thousands of your favorite artists from Sony Music Entertainment

Does it seem strange to anyone else that Sony would release this limited edition bundle after the release of the PSP Go, and at a lower price point? If the company hopes to get gamers hooked on digitally downloading games, it seems like there might be a better way of doing that than continuing to produce handhelds with the UMD drive built in. And it bears repeating that this entire bundle, which includes the console, the game, a memory stick, and free music, is still $50 cheaper than the Go. This does lend some credence to the rumor that Sony will, at some point in the future, unveil the PSP-4000, thus continuing the UMD support. Only time will tell. Read on for the full press release about the bundle.