======================================================================
= PlayStation_Portable =
======================================================================
Introduction
======================================================================
The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed
and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in
Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in
PAL regions on September 1, 2005, and is the first handheld
installment in the PlayStation line of consoles. As a seventh
generation console, the PSP competed with the Nintendo DS.
Development of the PSP was announced during E3 2003, and the console
was unveiled at a Sony press conference on May 11, 2004. The system
was the most powerful portable console at the time of its
introduction, and was the first viable competitor to Nintendo's
handheld consoles after many challengers such as Nokia's N-Gage had
failed. The PSP's advanced graphics capabilities made it a popular
mobile entertainment device, which could connect to the PlayStation 2
and PlayStation 3, any computer with a USB interface, other PSP
systems, and the Internet. The PSP also had a vast array of multimedia
features such as video playback, audio playback, and has been
considered a portable media player as well. The PSP is the only
handheld console to use an optical disc format--in this case,
Universal Media Disc (UMD)--as its primary storage medium; both games
and movies have been released on the format.
The PSP was received positively by critics, and sold over 80 million
units during its ten-year lifetime. Several models of the console were
released, before the PSP line was succeeded by the PlayStation Vita,
released in Japan first in 2011 and worldwide a year later. The Vita
has backward compatibility with PSP games that were released on the
PlayStation Network through the PlayStation Store, which became the
main method of purchasing PSP games after Sony shut down access to the
store from the PSP on March 31, 2016. Hardware shipments of the PSP
ended worldwide in 2014; production of UMDs ended when the last
Japanese factory producing them closed in late 2016.
The PSP had multiple versions over its initial release, including the
PSP Street and the PSP Go.
History
======================================================================
Sony Computer Entertainment first announced development of the
PlayStation Portable at a press conference preceding E3 2003. Although
samples were not presented, Sony released extensive technical details.
CEO Ken Kutaragi called the device the "Walkman of the 21st century",
a reference to the console's multimedia capabilities. Several gaming
websites were impressed with the handheld's computing capabilities,
and looked forward to its potential as a gaming platform.
In the 1990s, Nintendo had dominated the handheld market since
launching its Game Boy in 1989, experiencing close competition only
from Sega's Game Gear (1990-1997) and Bandai's WonderSwan (1999-2001)
and WonderSwan Color (2000-2004) in Japan. In January 1999, Sony had
released the briefly successful PocketStation in Japan as its first
foray into the handheld gaming market. The SNK Neo Geo Pocket and
Nokia's N-Gage also failed to cut into Nintendo's share. According to
an IDC analyst in 2004, the PSP was the "first legitimate competitor
to Nintendo's dominance in the handheld market".
The first concept images of the PSP appeared at a Sony corporate
strategy meeting in November 2003, and featured a model with flat
buttons and no analog joystick. Although some reviewers expressed
concern about the lack of an analog stick, these fears were allayed
when the PSP was officially unveiled at the Sony press conference
during E3 2004. Sony released a list of 99 developer companies that
pledged support for the new handheld. Several game demos such as
Konami's 'Metal Gear Acid' and Studio Liverpool's 'Wipeout Pure' were
also shown at the conference.
The PSP's development posed several challenges for Sony and
third-party developers, with battery life being a primary concern. To
address this, Sony implemented power management strategies, including
restricting the CPU to two-thirds of its full speed for the first few
years. The Universal Media Disc (UMD) drive was another significant
hurdle, as it drained the battery and had slow read speeds. Developers
had to optimize their game data layout to minimize disc access and
reduce power consumption. These limitations sometimes led to
performance constraints and long loading times, with some titles like
'WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006' experiencing load times of up to two
minutes for certain scenes.
Launch
========
On October 18, 2004, Sony announced that the PSP base model would be
launched in Japan on December 11 that year for ¥19,800 (about US$181
in 2004) while the Value System would launch for ¥24,800 (about
US$226). The launch was a success, with over 200,000 units sold on the
first day of sales. Color variations were sold in bundle packs that
cost around $200. On February 3, 2005, Sony announced that the PSP
would be released in North America on March 24 in one configuration
for an MSRP of US$249/CA$299. Some commentators expressed concern over
the high price, which was almost US$20 higher than that of the
Japanese model and over $100 higher than the Nintendo DS. Despite
these concerns, the PSP's North American launch was a success; Sony
said 500,000 units were sold in the first two days of sales, though it
was also reported that this figure was below expectations.
The PSP was originally intended to have a simultaneous PAL and North
American launch, but on March 15, 2005, Sony announced that the PAL
launch would be delayed due to high demand for the console in Japan
and North America. The next month, Sony announced that the PSP would
be launched in the PAL region on September 1, 2005, for €249/£179.
Sony defended the high price by saying North American consumers had to
pay local sales taxes and that the Value Added Tax (sales tax) was
higher in the UK than the US. Despite the high price, the PSP's PAL
launch was a success, with the console selling over 185,000 units in
the UK. All stock of the PSP in the UK sold out within three hours of
its launch, more than doubling the previous first-day sales record of
87,000 units set by the Nintendo DS. The system also enjoyed great
success in other areas of the PAL region; over 25,000 units were
pre-ordered in Australia and nearly one million units were sold across
Europe in the system's first week of sales.
Hardware
======================================================================
The PlayStation Portable uses the common "bar" form factor. The
original model measures approximately 6.7 by and weighs 280 g. The
front of the console is dominated by the system's 4.3 in LCD screen,
which is capable of 480 × 272 pixel display resolution with 24-bit
color, outperforming the Nintendo DS. Also on the unit's front are the
four iconic PlayStation face buttons (Triangle, alt=Cross, X, Square);
the directional pad, the analog "nub", and several other buttons. The
system also has two shoulder buttons, a USB 2.0 mini-B port on the top
of the console, and a wireless LAN switch and power cable input on the
bottom. The back of the PSP features a read-only Universal Media Disc
(UMD) drive for access to movies and games, and a reader compatible
with Sony's Memory Stick PRO Duo flash cards is located on the left of
the system. Other features include an IrDA-compatible infrared port
(this was discontinued in PSP-2000 and later) and a two-pin docking
connector; built-in stereo speakers and headphone port; and IEEE
802.11b Wi-Fi for access to the Internet, free online multiplayer
gaming via PlayStation Network, the ability to purchase games from
PlayStation Store (now discontinued), and data transfer.
The PSP uses two 333 MHz MIPS32 R4000 R4k-based CPUs, as a main CPU
and Media Engine, a GPU running at 166 MHz, and includes 32 MB main
RAM (64 MB on PSP-2000 and later models), and 4 MB embedded DRAM split
between the aforementioned GPU and Media Engine. The hardware was
originally forced to run more slowly than it was capable of; most
games ran at 222 MHz. With firmware update 3.50 on May 31, 2007,
however, Sony removed this limit and allowed new games to run at 333
MHz.
The PSP is powered by an 1800 mAh battery (1200 mAh on the 2000 and
3000 models) that provides between about three and six hours of
gameplay, between four and five hours of video playback, or between
eight and eleven hours of audio playback.
To make the unit slimmer, the capacity of the PSP's battery was
reduced from 1800 mAh to 1200 mAh in the PSP-2000 and 3000 models. The
original high-capacity batteries work on the newer models, giving
increased playing time, though the battery cover does not fit. The
batteries take about 1.5 hours to charge and last for between
four-and-a-half and seven hours depending on factors such as screen
brightness settings, the use of WLAN, and volume levels. In March
2008, Sony released the Extended Life Battery Kit in Japan, which
included a bulkier 2200 mAh battery with a fitting cover. In Japan,
the kit was sold with a specific-colored cover matching the many PSP
variations available. The North American kit released in December 2008
was supplied with two new covers; one black and one silver.
PSP-2000
==========
The PSP-2000, marketed in PAL countries as the "PSP Slim & Lite",
is the first redesign of the PlayStation Portable. The PSP-2000 system
is slimmer and lighter than the original PSP, reduced from 23 to and
from 9.87 to. At E3 2007, Sony released information about a slimmer
and lighter version for the device, which was first released in Hong
Kong on August 30, 2007, in Europe on , in North America on , in South
Korea on , and in Australia on . The UK release for the PSP-2000 was
September 14.
The serial port was modified to accommodate a new video-out feature,
making it incompatible with older PSP remote controls. On the
PSP-2000, games only output to external monitors and televisions in
progressive scan mode. Non-game video outputs work in either
progressive or interlaced mode. USB charging was introduced and the
D-Pad was raised in response to complaints of poor performance, and
the responsiveness of the buttons was improved.
Other changes include improved WLAN modules and micro-controller, and
a thinner, brighter LCD screen. To improve the poor loading times of
UMD games on the original PSP, the internal memory (RAM and Flash ROM)
was doubled from 32 MB to 64 MB, part of which now acting as a cache,
also improving the web browser's performance.
PSP-3000
==========
In comparison with the PSP-2000, the 3000, marketed in PAL areas as
"PSP Slim & Lite" or "PSP Brite", has an improved LCD screen with
an increased color range, five times the contrast ratio, a halved
pixel response time, new sub-pixel structure, and anti-reflective
technology to reduce outdoor glare. The disc tray, logos, and buttons
were all redesigned, and a microphone was added. Games could now be
output in either component or composite video using the video-out
cable. One outlet called this model "a minor upgrade".
The PSP-3000 was released in North America on October 14, 2008, in
Japan on , in Europe on , and in Australia on . In its first four days
on sale in Japan, the PSP-3000 sold over 141,270 units, according to
'Famitsu'; it sold 267,000 units during October.
On its release, a problem with interlacing when objects were in motion
on the PSP-3000 screen was noticed. Sony announced this problem would
not be fixed.
{{anchor|PSP Go}}PSP Go (N1000)
=================================
The PSP Go (model PSP-N1000) was released on October 1, 2009, in North
American and European territories, and on October 31 in Japan. It was
revealed prior to E3 2009 through Sony's Qore video on demand service.
Its design is significantly different from other PSP models.
The unit is 43% lighter and 56% smaller than the original PSP-1000,
and 16% lighter and 35% smaller than the PSP-3000. Its rechargeable
battery is not intended to be removed by the user. It has a 3.8 in 480
× 272 pixel LCD screen, which slides up to reveal the main controls.
The overall shape and sliding mechanism are similar to those of Sony's
mylo COM-2 Internet device.
The PSP Go features 802.11b Wi-Fi like its predecessors, although the
USB port was replaced with a proprietary connector. A compatible cable
that connects to other devices' USB ports is included with the unit.
The new multi-use connector allows video and sound output with the
same connector using an optional composite or component AV cable. As
with previous models, Sony also offers a cradle (PSP-N340) for
charging, video out, and USB data transfer on the PSP Go. This model
adds support for Bluetooth connectivity, which enables the playing of
games using a Sixaxis or DualShock 3 controller. The use of the cradle
with the controller allow players to use the PSP Go as a portable
device and as a console, although the output is not upscaled.
PlayStation 1 games can be played in full screen using the
AV/component cable or the cradle.
The PSP Go lacks a UMD drive, and instead has 16 GB of internal flash
memory, which can be extended by up to 32 GB with the use of a Memory
Stick Micro (M2). Games must be downloaded from the PlayStation Store.
The removal of the UMD drive effectively region-locks the unit because
it must be linked to a single, region-locked PlayStation Network
account. While the PSP Go can download games to itself, users can also
download and transfer games to the device from a PlayStation 3
console, or the Windows-based software Media Go.
All downloadable PSP and PlayStation games available for older PSP
models are compatible with the PSP Go. Sony confirmed that almost all
UMD-based PSP games released after October 1, 2009, would be available
to download and that most older UMD-only games would also be
downloadable.
In February 2010, it was reported that Sony might re-launch the PSP Go
due to the lack of consumer interest and poor sales. In June 2010,
Sony began bundling the console with 10 free downloadable games; the
same offer was made available in Australia in July. Three free games
for the PSP Go were offered in America. In October that year, Sony
announced it would reduce the price of the unit. On April 20, 2011,
the manufacturer announced that the PSP Go would be discontinued
outside of North America so it could concentrate on the PlayStation
Vita.
{{anchor|PSP-E1000}}PSP Street (E1000)
========================================
The PSP-E1000, which was announced at Gamescom 2011, is a
budget-focused model that was released across the PAL region on
October 26 of that year. The E1000 model lacks Wi-Fi capability and
has a matte finish similar to that of the slim PlayStation 3. It has a
mono speaker instead of the previous models' stereo speakers and lacks
a microphone. This model also lacked the physical brightness buttons
from the front of the handheld, instead offering brightness controls
in the System Software's 'Power Save Settings' menu.
An ice-white version was released in PAL territories on July 20, 2012.
Bundles and colors
====================
The PSP was sold in four main configurations. The Base Pack, called
the Core Pack in North America, contained the console, a battery, and
an AC adapter. This version was available at launch in Japan and was
released later in North America and Europe.
Many limited editions of the PSP were bundled with accessories, games,
or movies.
The first two initial releases of the Slims in North America were both
on September 10, 2007, were the Daxter PSP. Included with the bundle
was an Ice Silver PSP with a Daxter UMD, the Family Guy : Freaking
Sweet Collection, and a 1 GB Memory Stick for usage. The other was a
Piano Black Only PSP
Limited-edition models were first released in Japan on September 12,
2007; North America and Europe on September 5; in Australia on
September 12, and in the UK on October 26. The PSP-2000 was made
available in piano black, ceramic white, ice silver, mint green,
felicia blue, lavender purple, deep red, matte bronze, metallic blue,
and rose pink as standard colors. Several special-edition consoles
were colored and finished to sell with certain games, including
'Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII' (ice silver engraved), 'Star Ocean:
First Departure' (felicia blue engraved), 'Gundam' (red gloss/matte
black), and 'Monster Hunter Freedom' (gold silkscreened) in Japan,
'Star Wars' (Darth Vader silkscreened), and 'God of War: Chains of
Olympus' (Kratos silkscreened) in North America, 'The Simpsons'
(bright yellow with white buttons, analog and disc tray) in Australia
and New Zealand, and 'Spider-Man' (red gloss/matte black) in Europe.
The PSP-3000 was made available in piano black, pearl white, mystic
silver, radiant red, vibrant blue, spirited green, blossom pink,
turquoise green and lilac purple for standard colors. For limited
edition colors were "Big Boss Pack" of 'Metal Gear Solid: Peace
Walker' had a camouflage pattern while the 'God of War: Ghost of
Sparta' bundle pack included a black-and-red two-toned PSP. The
'Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy' Cosmos & Chaos edition that was
released on March 3, 2011, has an Amano artwork as the PSP's face
plate.
Comparison
============
Below is a comparison of the different PlayStation Portable models:
System software
=================
The PSP runs a custom operating system referred to as the System
Software, which can be updated over the Internet, or by loading an
update from a Memory Stick or UMD. Sony offers no method for
downgrading such software.
While System Software updates can be used with consoles from any
region, Sony recommends only downloading updates released for the
model's region. System Software updates have added many features,
including a web browser, Adobe Flash support, additional codecs for
various media, PlayStation 3 (PS3) connectivity, and patches against
security exploits and the execution of homebrew programs. The most
recent version, numbered 6.61, was released on January 15, 2015.
Web browser
=============
The PSP Internet Browser is a version of the NetFront browser and came
with the system via the 2.00 update. The browser supports most common
web technologies, such as HTTP cookies, forms, CSS, and basic
JavaScript. It features basic tabbed browsing and has a maximum of
three tabs.
Remote Play
=============
Remote Play allows the PSP to access many of the features of the
PlayStation 3 console from a remote location using the PS3's WLAN
capabilities, a home network, or the Internet. Using Remote Play,
users can view photographs, listen to music, and watch videos stored
on the PS3 or connected USB devices. Remote Play also allows the PS3
to be turned on and off remotely and lets the PSP control audio
playback from the PS3 to a home theater system. Although most of the
PS3's capabilities are accessible with Remote Play, playback of DVDs,
Blu-ray Discs, PlayStation games, PlayStation 2 games, most PS3 games,
and copy-protected files stored on the hard drive are not supported.
VoIP access
=============
Starting with System Software version 3.90, the PSP-2000, 3000, and Go
could use the Skype VoIP service. Due to hardware constraints it was
not possible to use the service on the PSP-1000. The service allowed
Skype calls to be made over Wi-Fi and - on the Go - over the Bluetooth
modem. Users had to purchase Skype credit to make telephone calls.
Skype for PlayStation®Portable was discontinued on June 22, 2016.
Room for PlayStation Portable
===============================
At Tokyo Game Show 2009, Sony announced that a service similar to
PlayStation Home, the PS3's online community-based service, was being
developed for the PSP. Named "Room" (stylized 'R∞M'), it was being
beta-tested in Japan from October 2009 to April 2010. It could be
launched directly from the PlayStation Network section of the XMB. As
in Home, PSP owners would have been able to invite other PSP owners
into their rooms to "enjoy real time communication". Development of
Room halted on , 2010, due to feedback from the community.
SensMe application
====================
The SensMe software, which had already existed on some Walkman music
players and Sony Ericsson handsets, was added to the PSP through a
software update in 2009. It is a music analyser that reads music files
stored on the PSP and categorises them into "channels" representing
moods and creates automatic playlists from it. The PSP has support for
the playback of MP3 and ATRAC audio files, as well as WMA since
firmware version 2.60.
Digital Comics Reader
=======================
Sony partnered with publishers such as Rebellion Developments, Disney,
IDW Publishing, Insomnia Publications, , Marvel Comics, and Titan
Books to release digitized comics on the PlayStation Store. The
Digital Comics Reader application required PSP firmware 6.20.
The PlayStation Store's "Comic" section premiered in Japan on , 2009,
with licensed publishers ASCII Media Works, Enterbrain, Kadokawa,
Kodansha, Shueisha, Shogakukan, Square-Enix, Softbank Creative (HQ
Comics), Hakusensha, Bandai Visual, Fujimishobo, Futabasha, and
Bunkasha. It launched in the United States and in English-speaking PAL
countries on , 2009, though the first issues of 'Aleister Arcane',
'Astro Boy: Movie Adaptation', 'Star Trek: Enterprise Experiment' and
'Transformers: All Hail Megatron' were made available as early as
through limited-time PlayStation Network redemption codes. In early
2010 the application was expanded to the German, French, Spanish and
Italian languages. The choice of regional Comic Reader software is
dictated by the PSP's firmware region; the Japanese Comic Reader will
not display comics purchased from the European store, and vice versa.
Sony shut down the Digital Comics service in September 2012.
x-Radar Portable
==================
In Japanese market PSPs, an application called x-Radar Portable came
preloaded starting with firmware version 6.35 (January 2010). This is
a port of a map software for PCs and mobile phones called x-Radar,
developed by PetaMap. x-Radar Portable gets the location of the PSP on
a map and obtains information of places around the user. It determines
the location through "PlaceEngine" technology, via wireless LAN spots.
Homebrew development and custom firmware
==========================================
On June 15, 2005, hackers disassembled the code of the PSP and
distributed it online. Initially the modified PSP allowed users to run
custom code and a limited amount of protected software, including
custom-made PSP applications such as a calculator or file manager.
Sony responded to this by repeatedly upgrading the software. Some
users were able to unlock the firmware to allow them to run more
custom content and DRM-restricted software. Hackers were able to run
protected software on the PSP through the creation of ISO loaders that
could load copies of UMD games from a memory stick. Custom firmware
including the M33 Custom Firmware, Minimum Edition (ME/LME) CFW and
PRO CFW were commonly seen in PSP systems.
Content management
====================
The management of media content of the PSP through personal computers
was fulfilled by Sony's PSP Media Manager software for Windows,
allowing transfer as well as music/video playback and backups. In 2009
the PSP Media Manager was replaced by Media Go.
Games
======================================================================
There were 1,370 games released for the PSP during its 10-year
lifespan. Launch games for PSP included; 'Ape Escape: On the Loose'
(North America, Europe, Japan), 'Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos
Tower' (North America, Europe, Japan), 'Dynasty Warriors' (all
regions), 'Lumines' (North America, Europe, Japan), 'Metal Gear Acid'
(North America, Europe, Japan), 'Need for Speed: Underground Rivals'
(North America, Europe, Japan), 'NFL Street 2: Unleashed' (North
America, Europe), 'Ridge Racer' (North America, Europe, Japan),
'Spider-Man 2 (2004)' (North America, Europe, Japan), 'Tiger Woods PGA
Tour' (North America, Europe, Japan), 'Tony Hawk's Underground 2
Remix' (North America, Europe), 'Twisted Metal: Head-On' (North
America, Europe), 'Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade' (North
America, Europe, Japan), 'Wipeout Pure' (all regions), and 'World Tour
Soccer: Challenge Edition' (North America, Europe). Additionally,
'Gretzky NHL' and 'NBA' were North America exclusive launch titles.
The best selling PSP game is 'Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories',
which sold 7.5 million copies as of 20 July 2013.
Other top selling PSP games include 'Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Stories', 'Monster Hunter Portable 3rd', 'Gran Turismo', and 'Monster
Hunter Freedom Unite'. 'Retro City Rampage DX', which was released in
July 2016, was the final PSP game that was released. The best rated
PSP games on Metacritic are 'God of War: Ghost of Sparta', 'Grand
Theft Auto: Vice City Stories', and 'Daxter', 'Metal Gear Solid: Peace
Walker' is the only PSP game to receive a perfect score from Famitsū.
During E3 2006, Sony Computer Entertainment America announced that the
Greatest Hits range of budget titles were to be extended to the PSP
system. On , 2006, Sony Computer Entertainment America released the
first batch of Greatest Hits titles. These titles included 'Ape
Escape: On the Loose', 'ATV Offroad Fury: Blazin' Trails', 'Hot Shots:
Open Tee', 'Twisted Metal: Head-On', and 'Wipeout Pure'. The PSP
Greatest Hits lineup consists of games that have sold 250,000 copies
or more and have been released for nine months. PSP games in this
lineup retail for $19.99 each. Downloadable games were limited to 1.8
GB, most likely to guarantee a potential UMD release. A section of the
PlayStation Store was dedicated to "Minis"; smaller, cheaper games
available as download only.
Trophy support was planned for the PSP but the idea was cancelled
after the firmware was cracked.
Demos and emulation
=====================
In late 2004, Sony released a series of PSP demo games, including
'Duck In Water', 'world/ball', 'Harmonic City', and 'Luga City'. Demos
for commercial PSP games could be downloaded and booted directly from
a Memory Stick. Demos were sometimes issued in UMD format and mailed
out or given to customers at retail outlets. In addition, several
older PlayStation games were re-released; these can be played on the
PSP using emulation. , this feature could be officially accessed
through the PlayStation Network service for PlayStation 3, PSP,
PlayStation Vita (or PlayStation TV), or a personal computer.
Emulation of the PSP is well-developed; the first emulator was
pspplayer by Noxa, which ran on C#, then afterwards was JPCSP which
ran on Java. PPSSPP is currently the fastest and most compatible PSP
emulator; it supports all major games.
Data installation
===================
In mid 2009, as larger memory stick storage became available for the
PSP, the ability to pre-install some or all data from a game became a
feature in certain games. Although for a large majority of the games
the feature merely improved load times, there were a small number of
games that added features, such as speech in 'Metal Gear Solid: Peace
Walker'.
Peripherals
======================================================================
Official accessories for the console include an AC adapter, car
adapter, headset, headphones with remote control, extended-life 2200
mAh battery, battery charger, console carrying case, game carrying
case, accessories pouch and cleaning cloth, and system pouch and wrist
strap. A 1seg television tuner peripheral (model PSP-S310), designed
specifically for the PSP-2000, was released in Japan on September 20,
2007.
Sony sold a GPS accessory for the PSP-2000; this was released first in
Japan and announced for the United States in 2008. It features maps on
a UMD and offers driving directions and city guides. A digital camera
add-on, the Go!Cam, was also released.
After the discontinuation of PSP, the Chinese electronics company
Lenkeng released a PSP-to-HDMI converter called the LKV-8000. The
device is compatible with the PSP-2000, PSP-3000 and PSP Go. To
overcome the problem of PSP games being displayed in a small window
surrounded by a black border, the LKV-8000 has a zoom button on the
connector. A few other Chinese companies have released clones of this
upscaler under different names, like the Pyle PSPHD42. The LKV-8000
and its variants have become popular among players and reviewers as
the only means of playing and recording PSP gameplay on a large
screen.
{{anchor|Reception}}Reception
======================================================================
The PSP received generally positive reviews soon after launch; most
reviewers noted similar strengths and weaknesses. CNET awarded the
system 8.5 out of 10 and praised the console's powerful hardware and
its multimedia capabilities but lamented the lack of a guard to cover
the screen and the reading surface of UMD cartridges. Engadget praised
the console's design, stating that "it is definitely one
well-designed, slick little handheld". PC World commended the built-in
Wi-Fi capability but criticized the lack of a web browser at launch,
and the glare and smudges that resulted from the console's glossy
exterior. Most reviewers also praised the console's large, bright
viewing screen and its audio and video playback capabilities. In 2008,
'Time' listed the PSP as a "gotta have travel gadget", citing the
console's movie selection, telecommunications capability, and upcoming
GPS functionality.
The PlayStation Portable was initially seen as superior to the
Nintendo DS when both devices were revealed in early 2004 because of
the designers' emphasis on the technical accomplishments of the
system. Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime, however,
focused on the experience aspect of the Nintendo DS. The DS started to
become more popular than the PSP early on because it attracted more
third-party developers, and appealed more to the casual gaming market.
The DS sold more units partly because of its touchscreen and second
display.
From a multimedia perspective, the PSP has also been seen as a
competitor to portable media players, notably the iPod Video that was
released in the same year.
Reviews of the PSP Go were mixed. It was mainly criticized for its
initial pricing; 'Ars Technica' called it "way too expensive" and 'The
Guardian' stated that cost was the "biggest issue" facing the machine.
Engadget said the Go cost only $50 less than the PS3, which has a
Blu-ray player. 'Wired' said the older PSP-3000 model was cheaper and
supports UMDs, and IGN stated that the price increase made the PSP Go
a "hard sell". The placement of the analog stick next to the D-pad was
also criticized. Reviewers also commented on the change from a
mini-USB port to a proprietary port, making hardware and cables bought
for previous models incompatible. The Go's screen was positively
received by 'Ars Technica', which called the screen's image
"brilliant, sharp and clear" and 'T3' stated that "pictures and videos
look great". The controls received mixed reviews; 'The Times'
described them as "instantly familiar" whereas CNET and 'Stuff' called
the position of the analog stick "awkward". The device's capability to
use a PS3 controller was praised by 'The New Zealand Herald' but 'Ars
Technica' criticized the need to connect the controller and the Go to
a PS3 for initial setup.''
Sales
=======
Region !! Units sold !! First available
|Japan |19 million (as of April 28, 2013) |December 12, 2004
|United States |17 million (as of March 14, 2010) |March 24, 2005
|Europe |12 million (as of May 6, 2008) |September 1, 2005
|United Kingdom |3.2 million (as of January 3, 2009) |September 1,
2005
|**Worldwide**
|**76.4 million** ()
December 12, 2004
By March 31, 2007, the PlayStation Portable had shipped 25.39 million
units worldwide with 6.92 million in Asia, 9.58 million in North
America, and 8.89 million Europe. In Europe, the PSP sold 4 million
units in 2006 and 3.1 million in 2007, according to estimates by
Electronic Arts. In 2007, the PSP sold units in the US, according to
the NPD Group and 3,022,659 in Japan according to Enterbrain. In 2008,
the PSP sold 3,543,171 units in Japan, according to Enterbrain.
In the United States, the PSP had sold 10.47 million units by January
1, 2008, according to the NPD Group. In Japan, during the week -30,
2008, the PSP nearly outsold all of the other game consoles combined,
selling 129,986 units, some of which were bundled with 'Monster Hunter
Portable 2nd G', which was the bestselling game in that week,
according to Media Create. As of , 2008, the PSP had sold 11,078,484
units in Japan, according to Enterbrain. In Europe, the PSP had sold
units as of , 2008, according to SCE Europe. In the United Kingdom,
the PSP had sold units as of , 2009, according to GfK Chart-Track.
From 2006 to the third quarter of 2010, the PSP sold 53 million units.
In a 2009 interview, Peter Dillon, Sony's senior vice-president of
marketing, said piracy of video games was leading to lower sales than
hoped. Despite being aimed at a different audience, the PSP competed
directly with the Nintendo DS. During the last few years of its life
cycle, sales of the PSP models started to decrease. Shipments to North
America ended in January 2014, later in Europe, and on June 3, 2014,
Sony announced sales of the device in Japan would end. Production of
the device and sales to the rest of Asia would continue. During its
lifetime, the PSP sold 80 million fewer units than the Nintendo DS.
Marketing
======================================================================
In late 2005, Sony said it had hired graffiti artists to spray-paint
advertisements for the PSP in seven major U.S. cities, including New
York City, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. According to
Sony, it was paying businesses and building owners for the right to
spray-paint their walls. A year later, Sony ran a poster campaign in
England; a poster bearing the slogan "Take a running jump here" was
removed from a Manchester Piccadilly station tram platform due to
concerns it might encourage suicide.
Later in 2006, news of a billboard advertisement released in the
Netherlands depicting a white woman holding a black woman by the jaw,
saying "PlayStation Portable White is coming", spread. Two similar
advertisements existed; one showed the two women facing each other on
equal footing in fighting stances, the other showed the black woman in
a dominant position on top of the white woman. Sony's stated purpose
was to contrast the white and black versions of the PSP, but the
advertisements were interpreted as being racially charged. These
advertisements were never released in the rest of the world and were
withdrawn from the Netherlands after the controversy. The
advertisement attracted international press coverage; Engadget said
Sony may have hoped to "capitalize on a PR firestorm".
Sony came under scrutiny online in December 2006 for a guerrilla
marketing campaign in which advertisers posed as young bloggers who
desperately wanted a PSP. The site, alliwantforxmasisapsp.com,
appeared to have been designed by two friends and featured
downloadable PSP greetings cards and t-shirt transfers. It also hosted
a video showing "Cousin Pete" rapping about the handheld. The authors
described the blog as "Consider us your own personal psp hype machine,
here to help you wage a holiday assault on ur parents, girl, granny,
boss - whoever - so they know what you really want," . The blog
entries were written in a mixture of "leetspeak" and "smacktard". "i
(charlie) have a psp. my friend jeremy does not. but he wants one this
year for xmas," fake authors "c&j" wrote, "so we started clowning
with sum not-so-subtle hints to j's parents that a psp would be teh
perfect gift. we created this site to spread the luv to those like j
who want a psp!" Additionally, the blog author also uploaded a video
of a guy rapping about wanting a PSP for Christmas. Sony and Zipatoni
were outed on the blog itself by tech-savvy critics who reportedly
found the blog’s registration data through an online search, and
tracked it back to Gregory Meyerkord at advertising firm Zipatoni.
At E3 2010, Sony created a fictional 12-year-old character that was
used by Sony Computer Entertainment America as part of their 'Step
Your Game Up' advertising campaign for the PlayStation Portable and
PSPgo consoles in North America, as part of the PlayStation 3's "It
Only Does Everything" advertising campaign. The character, Marcus
Rivers, was played by child-actor Bobb'e J. Thompson, and started as
the publicist of the PlayStation Portable division of Sony, responding
to "Dear PSP" queries. Marcus was additionally used to advertise games
for the system. The character was eventually discontinued, with the
"Dear PSP" campaign continuing without them.
See also
======================================================================
* Sony Ericsson Xperia Play
*PPSSPP
*PlayStation Portal
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*
[
https://web.archive.org/web/20090914015742/http://au.playstation.com/psp/
Official Australia website]
*
[
https://web.archive.org/web/20081201110650/http://nz.playstation.com/psp/
Official New Zealand website]
* [
https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/explore/psp/ Official UK PSP
website]
*
[
https://web.archive.org/web/20140327074216/http://us.playstation.com/psp
Official US website]
*
[
https://web.archive.org/web/20110706193646/http://www.playstation.ca/psp/
Official Canada website]
License
=========
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License URL:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
Original Article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_Portable
