Sony Cracks Down on PSP Imports
Company tells European gamers they should wait until September and like it.
The European release of the PSP is still months away, so retailers have stepped in to fill demand by selling imported units - much to Sony Computer Entertainment Europe's chagrin. Play.com has been selling US versions of the PSP since the portable was released in March, but SCEE has stepped in to put an end to that.
The PSP is popular among importers because PSPs from any country will play all games without fears of the territorial lockouts - similar to DVD region coding - that plague home consoles. But following discussions with SCEE, Play.com has pulled out of the import game in order to "fully support the UK software industry".
This isn't a new phenomenon. Nintendo has also cracked down in the past on imports of popular Game Boy Advance games, such as Pokémon. SCEE's pressuring of Play.com is a way for the company to ensure that it doesn't lose out on sales in the UK of the PSP, which is set to launch in the country only later in the year, on September 1st.
But despite the crackdown, importing won't be quelled that easily. Gadget retailers and independent game shops across the country will carry on filling the obvious demand until Sony comes after them, while foreign online retailers like Play Asia and Lik-Sang continue to take orders online.
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games
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