Once again, we stand on the precipice of a major Sony press event with a mountain of evidence suggesting that the announcement of a new, PlayStation-branded gaming console is mere hours away. Much like the leaks surrounding the PS3 Slim in the weeks preceding its revelation, the rumors buzzing about the PSP2 -- not to be confused with the Xperia Play smartphone (though we wouldn't blame you if you did) -- are wide-ranging and, oftentimes, pretty darn conclusive.
We've collected all the major points of the PSP2's nebulous history and arranged them in as comprehensive and critical a manner as we can muster below. Of course, we can't speak with absolute authority about the accuracy of any of the suggestions therein -- Sony will perform that arduous task for us at 1 AM ET tonight, during its Tokyo-based press conference -- but, with luck and determination, we should be able to separate the credible wheat from the impossible chaff.