PSP Price Drops, New Features on Tap
On the heels of a PS3 delay announcement, Sony Computer Entertainment America did have some good news to share with fans of its gaming empire Wednesday. The company said beginning March 22 it would offer the popular PSP with just an AC adapter and battery pack for $199.99 USD.
Previously, Sony had only offered the PSP Value Pack, which bundles the handheld console, 32MB Memory stick Duo, AC adaptor with battery pack, and soft case with cleaning cloth for $249.99 USD. From the announcement, it is not clear if the company would still offer the package deal.
Since the PSP's launch last March, the portable console has sold nearly 15 million units. In North America, 107 games are available and 347 feature films have been ported to its UMD disc format. Sony said the PSP has also been a major revenue driver, raking in $1.6 billion in 2005 alone.
"This new price point demonstrates our ongoing commitment to provide the best entertainment experiences, at affordable prices," SCCA executive vice president and co-COO Jack Tretton said.
As part of the announcement, Sony also said it would be introducing a USB camera attachment in the spring of this year. The add-on would be used to support a video voice over IP feature due in October, according to Sony Computer President Ken Kutaragi.
Kutaragi also said that the console would soon play games made with Macromedia Flash, confirming a rumor posted on many gaming enthusiast sites. An RSS reader is also in the works, and Sony is looking to add GPS locator functionality to the device.
On the gaming front, Sony unveiled a lineup of games expected to become available for the PSP over the next few months, including Daxter, Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Essentials, Monster Hunter: Freedom, Me and My Katamari and others.
"The PSP is the first portable device to deliver upon the promise of console quality game play, and together with the ever evolving multimedia capabilities, provides consumers with functionality never seen before in a portable device," Tretton said.