Sony Scuppers Talk of PSP Price Drop

It seems that bringing the fight to Nintendo does not involve making the hardware more affordable.

It's not all smiles at Sony these days. The company is taking near-constant flak in the run-up to the launch of the PlayStation 3 later this year, and now the PSP is falling behind the DS. This lead to talk of a price cut for the PSP later this year, which was supported by comments made by prominent analysts. It's not happening, says Sony.

"Currently we have no plans to cut the price of the PSP at this time," an unnamed Sony spokesperson told GamesIndustry.biz.

The PSP sells for £150 in the UK, while the sleek new model of the DS, the DS Lite, goes for £100.

Just because the company isn't confirming it now, that doesn't mean that a price cut this Christmas won't happen. Denials are common in the games industry, as publishers cling to command of their message.

But a price cut could be just what Sony needs. Game stores are going to be packed this Christmas. Microsoft has eventually sorted out its stock problems, and Sony and Nintendo are promising strong supply of the PlayStation 3 and the Wii. The DS is also the darling of the portable set at the moment.

The PSP does, however, have one very big gun in the wings. Rockstar plans to release the second PSP Grand Theft Auto game in late October, and, like the release of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories at the launch of the PSP last September, that could make all the difference.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games