Sony happy with PSP Go sales as retailers hack its pricepoint
by Stevie Smith - Oct 6 2009, 15:30
Expensive, but Sony doesn't care. Image: SCEE.
With initial reaction to the newly designed PSP Go coming across as ‘nice but overpriced’, retail outlets in the United Kingdom have raised a few eyebrows by hacking a chunk off the device’s asking price in order to better tempt consumers.
Moreover, as the sexy little videogame console finishes its first week of widespread availability, leading retail players Amazon.co.uk, GAME and HMV have dropped their prices by 25GBP – bringing the platform down to 199.99 GBP and breaking what many in the industry believe to be the ‘magic 200’ (GBP/USD/Euro) barrier.
Despite such prominent retailers moving to sprinkle a little pre-holiday fairy dust on Sony’s revamped handheld console, the Japanese consumer electronics giant is keen to point out that PSP Go sales are building just fine, thanks very much for asking.
Speaking with GamesIndustry.biz, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) said that the PSP Go’s arrival has sparked a PSP hardware sales increase of 120 percent throughout the UK territory.
“PSPgo has performed in line with our expectations, driving 100 per cent incremental volume for the category and has benefited the broad PSP portfolio with PSP-3000 also enjoying a big lift,” outlined SCEE in a statement.
“PSP software sales also having been a standout with both new releases GT PSP [Gran Turismo] and FIFA 10 performing well,” it added.
Looking to inspire consumer interest in its PSP Go, which eschews the physical UMD disc format of previous PSP iterations in favour of full digital downloads, Sony is offering early device adopters free download access to eagerly awaited racer Gran Turismo PSP.
Those PSP Go owners registering their consoles online before October 10 will be granted the free download. Swift product registration will also provide PSP Go owners with a further three game downloads plucked from a selection of classic PlayStation Portable releases.
The Tech Herald: Sony offers PSP Go owners free game downloads
The Tech Herald: Walk-in retailers unhappy about PSP Go
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