It’s no real secret that Sony’s prepping it’s PSP (PlayStation Portable) for release in the United States in the coming months. It’s also no secret that they recently released the device in Japan, and essentially sold out of the vast majority of it’s existing stock on the first day. The little gizmos are literally impossible to find in Japan, and Sony’s rushing to produce more of them.
I’ve seen photos and demos of the little guys, and I definitely want one, no doubt-that big beautiful screen, the ability to play gorgeous games as well as keep dates and appointments, listen to mp3s, play videos, look at photos, what else could you possibly want from a multifunctional device? But maybe that’ll be Sony’s downfall in the portable gaming arena; Nokia tried giving us the multifunction mobile gaming device, and it failed horribly-Nintendo is still the king, and it’s throned itself on a principle: keep it simple, stupid.
The Nintendo Game Boy SP and Nintendo DS are strictly gaming systems. So why does Sony think that American consumers want to be able to listen to tunes and watch a movie after they play a quick game of Metal Gear Acid? And does Sony think they’ll seriously be successful in this all-to-fickle market? What have they got up their sleeves? Read on: