The poor PSP, forgotten by consumers to the point that even Sony knows there’s a problem. Today, Sony Computer Entertainment America announced three new initiatives designed to draw consumers back to the struggling platform.
The first initiative, starting today, is a brand-new PSP “Favorites” line of titles, which will offer existing PSP titles for $9.99. The second is a “Digital Game Pack” for new purchasers of the PSPgo, offering vouchers for the PlayStation Network downloads of three leading PSP titles (LittleBigPlanet, Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters, and SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3). Finally, the PSP “Greatest Hits” line will see the addition of another four titles bringing the overall total to more than 60 titles.
The new PSP “Favorites” line will include Sony first and second party favorites like Ape Escape: On the Loose, Buzz! Master Quiz, Hot Shots Golf Open Tee, LocoRoco 2, Patapon 2, PixelJunk Monster Deluxe, SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo, Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow, and Twisted Metal: Head On. Third-party titles will include Justice League Heroes, Manhunt 2, Midway Arcade Treasures: Extended Play, Silent Hill: Origins, Sims 2, and The Warriors.
The “Greatest Hits” line carries titles that have shown exceptional sales since release. The line will be expanding with four new fan-favorite titles: Gran Turismo, LittleBigPlanet, Resistance: Retribution, and Secret Agent Clank.
"PSP is the premiere destination for full-scale, console quality gaming experiences on-the-go, and we're very pleased to be able to bring our consumers such tremendous value," said SCEA Product Marketing VP Scott A. Steinberg. "These initiatives not only add value to the platform overall, but also complement the robust software lineup we'll see from both first and third-party publishers in 2010. It is easier now more than ever for new and existing PSP owners to build up their gaming libraries with amazing content."
The platform is also expecting some marquee releases this year in the form of God of War: Ghost of Sparta, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, and Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep. Only time and sales will tell if this push by Sony can turn around the fortunes of their once-promising portable platform.
5 Comments
June 1, 2010
I'm always a little troubled by the generalization of the gaming market to only include North America. The PSP is the hottest selling console in Japan right now if I'm not mistaken. It seems like we're writing it off because it does not sell as much as the DS in America, and its games are not in the top 10. Is that really all there is to it?
Still, great news. I plan on picking up a couple overdue titles myself, especially Twisted Metal: Head On.
June 1, 2010
We cover global news, but at heart we are a NA website, and PSP has not done so well here.
June 2, 2010
Japan is more and more existing in its own universe as far as gaming goes, with portables holding much more prominence than home consoles. It probably doesn't spell good things for the future of Japanese software manufacturers.
June 2, 2010
It's interesting you both admit the PSP does incredibly well in Japan; yet it has sold even more units in North America. What exactly is your measurement for success here on this site?
Also "Japan is more and more existing in its own universe as far as gaming goes" - how qualified are you to make that statement? When was the last time you played a fan-translation of a Japanese game? Are you familiar with Chris RPG?
Japan is just as relevant as ever. Just not to the gamers who are reflected in the NPD.
June 3, 2010
I think I'm plenty qualified and let me qualify my statement statement some more. If Japanese software makers continue to focus on games for a Japanese audience on a platform more popular in Japan than in other parts of the world, it's going to make the market even more insular and niche, and that isn't the best sign for the bean counters. Even many Japanese game makers aren't optimistic about the future of their industry.
I think fan translations are great and I'm glad to see people still putting in that sort of effort into labors that can be thoroughly thankless. However, we're an industry site and that's the lens through which we view things, with sales being the primary quantifiable factor.
And the problem is not purely the number of PSP hardware units that have been sold - the PSP has suffered mightily from piracy, even Sony acknowledges that.