Namco Bandai doing .hack for PSP

Namco Bandai and CyberConnect2 are going to make a brand new .hack game for PSP.

This will be called .hack//Link and take on an action-RPG guise, according to Japanese magazine Famitsu (read by 1UP). There's no date yet.

This very first handheld instalment will include hundreds of characters from the Japanese franchise - pronounced "dot-hack - that spans manga, anime, videogames and even dressing-up costumes.

.hack//Link Hero Tokio Kuryuu will partner with numerous faces from the franchise-stable during his quest, using a party and combat system simple enough that developer CyberConnect2 believes "women and children will feel comfortable playing".

The West has never really delved too deeply into .hack, so we won't hold our breath for a release - certainly not for a while, anyhow. Still, Sony has been keen to get more games on the PSP, so there's always hope.