IT'S WAR

According to the UK market analysts Chart-Track, 185,000 PlayStation Portable handheld consoles in the UK have been sold in the past weekend. The PSP was launched on the 1st of September for the United Kingdom, and (I'm sorry to say) has sold very well. It has even broken the fastest selling console record, set by the Nintendo DS back in March.

I posted this to be fairer to Sony after all the paying out I've done in previous posts. And here is what I have to say to it.

Sony are fooling gamers. People do not realise what a pathetic console the PSP really is. But however this false image has given Sony a clear advantage in scabbing market sales, and if this continues, they may even have a chance at dominating the handheld market. Of course that won't be the case anytime soon, as the DS and GBA SP are still selling strongly, but now I'm seeing the PSP as more of a threat than a nuisance again.

Nintendo can still secure their dominance, the GB Micro will be released in 2 months, in a week for Japan and the United States. This time Nintendo are smarter. They will be releasing a version of the Play - Yan especially designed for the Micro (named Play-Yan Micro, coincidently). The PYM will be released in the States as well as Japan, unlike the original Play-Yan that was Japan only. For those who don't know, the PY is a device for the GBASP/DS to watch movies and play music. Watching movies on the Micro's 2 inch screen may not be so great for your eyes, but for music it's a great idea. Many people love playing music on multi-functional devices.



Remember that the sales statistics are for the UK, Australian stats have not been released yet. But when they are, I'm sure we'll see the PSP to being less popular in Australia. Also remember that the DS broke all current records for the fastest selling console in Australia and the UK. The PSP broke that record, now we shall see if it has done the same in Australia.

Nintendo, Sony have struck! Now is the time to be aggressive! Deploy the Micro! With Play - Yan available at launch! Lower the $149 pricetag! You cannot allow Sony to get away with this!

Lol, ok I need to calm down, but it is true. Nintendo have reigned king of the handheld market for over two decades. Though Ninty has killed off other handhelds like ATari, Gamegear, Wonderswan etcc, Sony is the toughest competition yet. It will take more than the DS to finish the PSP off, the GBA SP is also selling well, and the GB Micro will join the fight in November. All Nintendo needs to do is release some killer apps for the SP and Micro, and some cool utilities for the DS, such as a GPS system (which exists but isn't official).

One last reminder for all the PSP fanboys who've read this post and am now feeling rather smug about the news: CURRENTLY THE DS IS OUTSELLING THE PSP BY 4 TIMES IN JAPAN. IT IS ACTUALLY OUTSELLING PSP AND PS2 COMBINED SO THERE!