Sony's PSP breaks sales records

[Jome]

Sony's PSP breaks sales records
Image of Sony's PlayStation Portable device
The PSP is billed as a multimedia entertainment device
The Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) has broken records to become the fastest-selling games console of all time in the UK, according to figures.

More than 185,000 were sold in its first four days in UK shops, say official Chart-Track figures.

Rival handheld, the Nintendo DS, sold 87,000 in its launch week in March. The PSP sales account for about £33m.

Sony wants the PSP to appeal to more than just gamers. It also plays films, music, and browses the web wirelessly.

The gadget went on sale in Europe on 1 September, nine months after hit Japanese stores and six months after the US.

Sony expects a million PSPs to be sold in the UK before Christmas.

Shops across the country opened their doors at midnight last week to deal with the demand from gamers, with many reporting that they had sold out. Chart-Track also reported that nine of the 24 PSP games which were available at launch entered the Top 10 official UK games chart this week.

Topping the chart was Ridge Racer, with one in five people buying the game along with the PSP device.

Thumb competition

In the important run-up period to Christmas, the PSP is up against the giant of the handheld gaming arena, Nintendo, which dominates the portable gaming market.

   
Image of Ridge Racer for PSP

PSP games line-up
Handheld consoles face-off
In November, Nintendo releases a new, smaller version of its popular GameBoy device, called the Micro.

But the PSP is widely touted as a device to appeal to a wider range of people, because it can do more than play games.

Thirty films were available for the device at its European launch, and more titles are on the way. Sony has developed its own discs for films, called UMD.

But Sony has warned PSP owners about a known issue which came to light in the days following the PSP's March launch in the US.

Many gamers returned their devices after the LCD screens appeared to be missing pixels. Sony said in accompanying literature to the device that the "stuck pixel" problem is characteristic of LCD technology.

The PSP went on sale in the UK for £179 (249 euros). In the US, it sells for $249 (£138) plus tax.

Five million PSPs have been shipped by Sony since its launch in Japan late 2004 and in the US in March this year. Sony says it expects to ship 13m by March 2006.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4218320.stm

[Compton Casanova]

they are all over my school.

[Sikotic™]

Hmm.....what happened to the DS? LOL Nintendo created a bulky piece of shit that didn't even do much. Sony got shit straight.

[The Watcher]

battery dies after like 3 hours of watching a movie, that's probably the only thing i dont like

[Rampant]

battery is the only downside to it.

Nintendos on downside is it sucks.

[Black_Smoke]

good to see,got one back in july,dope handheld 

[Don Jacob]

my fuckin lil cuzin is glued to that thing

[JMan]

yea are good... i play with my boss's psp every now n then.. might think bout buyin one once the new GTA comes out on it

[CRAFTY]

I don't understand why adults buy it too...I thought this was just something for the kids to keep them busy while they're in the car with their parents or something. So they wouldn't be nagging constantly.

A friend of mine bought it as well, even though he's got a PS2. I tried to convince him not to buy it since he's got the PS2 at home (so there's no sense in buying another Playstation console when you already got one) and he said: "yeah, but if I have a PSP I can play it in the car." But how the hell are you gonna play with it while you're driving?

Pffffff, I don't get it. I guess it's just one big hype.

[JMan]

yeah.. aint no point in him having one cos he has no reason too if he got ps2 at home and he drives... i gota ps2 at home aswell but im interested in gettin one cos everyday i have to travel on the train to get to work n suppose could make the journeys more enjoyable.. but i aint guna consider gettin one til the new gta and pro evo soccer comes onto it...

[Noname]

I dont see them anywhere in holland.

[bez]

They are amazing though.  The quality on them is awesome for such a little machine.  Technology at its best.  The DVD's should be 10 quid though not like 17.

[Rampant]

yeah i wouldnt buy one, i have no purpose for a handheld.

[Da WCC Hopar!]

yea are good... i play with my boss's psp every now n then.. might think bout buyin one once the new GTA comes out on it

yes i will

[acbaylove]

They're selling it for 249,00 € here. I'll buy it as soon as they'll find a way to download and burn the games like for the PS2.