Sony admits PSP has been "under-supported"
- Posted March 11th, 2009 at 06:48 EDT by Mike Harradence
- 18 Comments
As Sony prepares to unleash a sumptuous 2009 PSP line-up including the likes of MotorStorm and LittleBigPlanet, the company’s senior VP and MD for UK & Ireland, Ray Maguire, admitted the handheld platform has been “under-supported" due to firm's commitment to PlayStation 3 and poor sales of the UMD format.
Speaking to GI.biz, the executive stated, "It was slightly under-supported, mainly because a lot of the energy was going into stuff we're doing for PlayStation 3," adding, "There was an added complication in that the UMD model wasn't brilliant for third parties, either.”
"But I think as the installed base has grown - we're now at 50 million globally - the PSP has become one of the best-selling formats ever, and I think people are seeing that they need to get back into it. I think we had a bit of a barren year last year, and this year we seem to have a bumper crop."
"I think it's one of those formats which has just, almost silently, grown and grown and grown. Now people are looking at 3 million installed base in the UK, and seeing it's a healthy number - that they can sell product against that.”
Maguire observed that the corporation has every reason to feel confident about PSP this year, noting the influx of several key software releases throughout 2009, in addition to the availability of new colour schemes.
"Retailers are looking at it as well, realising that they haven't supported it as much as maybe they might have done, and they're also thinking about how we almost reintroduce the PlayStation Portable into the market place, with the confidence that we should have had last year, but didn't,” he said.
"We do have that confidence this year - many things are happening with the PSP. The online side of it is developing nicely, and there are clearly lots of great games for it this year, but also we're introducing new colours - so it starts to become much more desirable for a wider range of consumers.
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He also noted that the latest iteration of the handheld – the PSP 3000 - isn’t likely to prove much of a deciding factor in the consumer’s decision to purchase the system: “I think the hardware specs are probably the lower part of the decision-making process now,” said Maguire.
"The hardware does what it says, so that's great, but people don't buy hardware for hardware, they buy it to get to content. The content was where we were weak last year, but it's where we're strong this year, and the services around it are getting better as well.
"I think people will buy into it because of the overall package, rather than just because it's got a brighter screen than it had before."
With a stellar line-up for PSP throughout 2009, we expect things to start looking decidedly brighter for the struggling format in the not too distant future. Keep checking back for more details on Sony and its plans for the console as they break.
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Comments
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radgamer420
- 2:53am EDT - March 11th, 2009
- 1
Awesome news. I love my PSP. It has alot of good RPGs and racing games. (And I'm the first one in. lol ).
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Rikus
- 3:26am EDT - March 11th, 2009
- 2
When looking at the competition (DS) there are a heap of games for it so until the PSP gets a catalogue as large and aimed at the female/young gamer market then it will continue to struggle unfortunately. I love my PSP and use it for all sorts from surfing the web (even though the memory is shocking) to music and movies but it's hard to have the confidence when there isn't enough variety to draw the customers in.
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Superblaster76
- 6:12am EDT - March 11th, 2009
- 7
Tell ALL of us something we don't know. The PSP was an average piece of hardware. If they want to be taken seriously in the hand-held market than put a nice big hard drive in that thing. My Zune has a 120 GB and fits in my pocket, surely you can get rid of the terrible Sony Duo.
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Muzikguy
- 6:44am EDT - March 11th, 2009
- 8
never bought a PSP and probably won't. I think it's funny he said the PSP has been "“under-supported" due to firm's commitment to PlayStation 3". What commitment to the PS3? Everything is taking way too long on the PS3 side to come out!! I'm beginning to feel like they're (sony) just sitting around a table drinking coffee and cracking jokes. I understand things take time. I understand GOOD things take time. But wtf! I enjoy my PS3 very much, believe me. But I"m getting tired or hearing about all these "promises" and not seeing anything. Then, to top things off, some goof has the nerve to say the PSP has been under-supported because the PS3 is around? Give me a break!
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Versus
- 7:05am EDT - March 11th, 2009
- 9
i may fav part of the article is when they say that its more bout content then hardware specs. that is SO true if sony keeps this in mind and tries to pull some rabbits out of their hats over there, then theyll be back on track, not only with psp but with the ps3 as well!
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lordAlucard |
sympozium_666- 7:43am EDT - March 11th, 2009
- 11
PSP is slowly proving that it's the greatest handheld ever now 2009 is the year Playstation also known has the darkest year ever for Xbox 360 OMG it's cool idiots & Halo nuthuggers
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supamariobrotha
- 8:15am EDT - March 11th, 2009
- 12
yeah i agree i sold my psp back in 2007 but im gonna get another one for LBP portable and @7 lol who buys a zune.
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teevanator
- 8:30am EDT - March 11th, 2009
- 13
oblivion portable! saw an article MAYBE suggesting it comes out this year...who knows
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phantom_52
- 10:04am EDT - March 11th, 2009
- 14
Thats what I was thinking the other day! Its definately apparent that they were trying to develop mostly for the ps3. I have enjoyed a great majority of the first party line up. I dont see them lacking in games they have a good amount of games this year and if they kept coming out with more i think i would be broke. They are lacking in the RPG genre but hopefully they will fix that.
Anyways like they said seeing that the PSP is still being purchased even with such little support they are propably going to try to cash in on that. hope it works out.
P.S. I think a psp2 would be a terrible idea for sony unles they can manufacture something awesome and cheap. Economy is shot and is probably one reason why the PS3 hasnt been doing the greatest in terms of hardware sales.
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NY_Young1
- 12:02pm EDT - March 11th, 2009
- 16
Well, their biggest problem is the fact that PSP games are hacked and downloadable through torrents, not the sales of PSP's per-se. if they can figure out a way (by some miracle) to stop this, then sales will rise for UMD's therefore resulting in better game & movie sales and boosting system sales in all. But until then, everyone whose hacked their PSP's will continue to download full versions of games all they want (including movies).
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higgos22
- 8:41pm EDT - March 11th, 2009
- 17
@ 3 yeh wtf r u a fanboy ffs ps3 doesnt suck its better than every other console out there and the games r better too
and for psp i dont have one but i kinda want one they r just expensive but i would like it for remote play maybe my parents will get it for my birthday
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