James Delahunty
19 May 2005 3:01
Sony has defended the decision to delay the launch of the Playstation Portable (PSP) console in Europe until 1st September. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe's Phil Harrison says the delay is necessary to ensure there will be enough PSP devices available for the European market. The September release date is six months after the handheld console's release in the U.S. and nine months after it was introduced to the Japanese market.
There will be a total of 19 games available for the PSP console when it launches in Europe with a lot more expected by the end of the year. One of the biggest names will be Rockstar North’s Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. 19 movies will also be available in the UMD format for the PSP and Sony plans to make movies available at the same time they are released on DVD.
It will cost 249 euro (£179 in the UK). The PSP is the first handheld gaming console from Sony, challenging the dominance of Nintendo which has several including the DS console and GameBoy Advance. According to Sony, U.S. gamers are now buying more than 100,000 new PSP consoles a week. The sales of handheld devices and games will drive a growth in the video games industry in 2005, analysts believe.
Source:
BBC News