Japan Goes PSP Mad for a Week
Sales jump thanks to the release of the Slim and Lite.
It would be unfair to call the PSP a failure in Japan but it's no exaggeration to say that the portable is largely overlooked in favour of the DS. But for a week, at least, that situation is looking quite different.
The release of the PSP Slim and Lite on 20 September went down a storm in Japan. More than 250,000 units have been sold of the stand-alone unit in addition to another 76,000 in a limited edition bundle with Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, according to numbers from Famitsu.
The PSP Slim and Lite has caught on in Europe too. Earlier this month, research group Chart Track revealed that sales of the PSP in the UK had quadrupled after the release of the handheld, which sold 17,000 units here in just its first week.
Sony has made a concerted effort to draw attention back to the handheld. Not only is it bringing some of its biggest franchises to PSP for new games but it's also expanding its capabilities, with new communication, GPS-receiver add-ons, and portable video features being added over the next few months.
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo
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