Sony is preparing to pull out all the stops for Thursday’s launch of the Playstation Portable, Sony’s grand entrance to the portable gaming universe.
However, the PSP is not merely a video gaming device. With its impressive 16.9 capable display, the device is quite versatile. Not only will owners be able to play a healthy inventory of games, the PSP also supports the ability to play movies.
The storage media used by Sony enables the PSP to be so versatile. As with most new Sony products, the company also introduces a proprietary means of storage. The PSP is no exception. In order to facilitate the amount of storage needed, coupled with the PSP’s size limitations, Sony developed the UMD, or Universal Media Discs. These discs have a 1.8-gigabyte capacity, ensuring the PSP can deliver stunning graphics and a crystal clear movie picture.
For an incredibly in-depth look at Sony’s soon-to-be launched device, please read Endgadget’s review.
To celebrate the launch, a number of stores are having midnight sales, as well as a number of assorted activities.
According to the TheGadgetFiles:
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA) will join forces with Carson Daly on March 23 to host a premiere party for the midnight opening of the Sony Style Store in New York City
Line up for the event starts at 7pm on the 23rd, the doors open at 9pm, and the store opening is at midnight on the 24th. Customers can buy the PSP once the store is officially opened. Before that they’ll “be treated to sneak peeks of new games, giveaways, surprise appearances and more.”
An article by The Mercury News reveals the demand for the PSP is approaching critical levels:
Demand for the PSP (http://www.us.playstation.com/psp) is so intense that Sony’s initial shipment of 1 million units to the U.S. market may be snapped up entirely by eager gamers who either placed pre-orders for the sleek black slab — or show up at stores first thing Thursday.
But the PSP, which launched in Japan in December and will reach Europe later this year, is more than an assault on rival Nintendo, which has had a virtual lock on handheld video games through its long-running GameBoy franchise (www.gameboy.com) and more recent Nintendo DS (www.nintendo.com/ds).
To fulfill the US’s demand for the PSP, Sony had to delay the PSP’s European launch.
Chris Richardson is a search engine writer and editor for Murdok. Visit Murdok for the latest search news.
