- Title: USA: SONY PLAYSTATION PORTABLE (PSP) LAUNCHED IN NEW YORK
- Date: 31st March 2005
- Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (MARCH 24, 2005) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT ANDREW HOUSE SAYING: "This is the first time that a device has attempted to converge all our entertainment functionality in one box, make no mistake gaming is the primary function of the PSP but what we are hoping and we are already finding is that early adopted consumers will discover the other functionality of the device, that will make it more valuable to them and will ensure that they will take it with them at the end of the day, which is really the most important thing."
- Embargoed: 15th April 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES / VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
- Country: USA
- Topics: Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA787FDM8L58FYKPV45C4VWZSAN
- Story Text: At the stroke of midnight on Thursday (March 24), Sony launched its
new hand-held entertainment system, the Sony Play-Station-Portable (PSP), in
New York. It's an integrated portable device that can play games, music and
movies and store photos with wireless connectivity.
Die-hard gamers braved rain, sleet and snow to get the first glimpse of
the PSP.
"I am about to jump out of my soaking wet shoes, that's how
excited I am about this. I am going to take it home, going to charge it and
first thing in the morning, am not going to work tomorrow, I'm just going to
play," said Louis Gomez, the first person in North America to purchase a PSP.
Executive Vice President, Sony Computer Entertainment, Andrew House
said the new product is unique.
"This is the first time that a device has attempted to converge
all our entertainment functionality in one box, make no mistake gaming is the
primary function of the PSP but what we are hoping and we are already finding
is that early adopted consumers will discover the other functionality of the
device" said House.
The movies are played one proprietary disks, the size of a small drinks
coaster, but at 20 (US) dollars a movie, some think it'll be too expensive to
catch on.
Games reviewer for PC Magazine, Matt Sarrel expressed some doubts,
"I'm not so crazy about the format. It's not a DVD, its not CD, its a
UMD," he said.
"It's yet another thing people have to buy and maintain in their
collection. Its something like twenty dollars from what they say, but what I
want to know is how many people are going to buy the same movie, and DVD, and
on UMD. I don't think very many people are going to do that," Sarrel said.
The 249 dollar player is hoping to compete with Japanese-rival
Nintendo's long-time dominance over the gaming market. Caught-off guard by the
success of Apple's IPod, Sony also hopes to recapture some of the music-player
market, capitalizing on it's once pioneering role in mobile-music with the
Sony Walkman. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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