Sony brought its PlayStation Portable (PSP) to the United States on Thursday, positioning the slim device as a multimedia powerhouse capable of playing games, video, and music. The company described it as a natural successor to the Walkman concept for the modern era.
The launch drew overnight queues at some electronics retailers ahead of a midnight opening, though afternoon sales were steady rather than frenzied. Sony had already released the PSP in Japan in December, and reportedly delayed its European rollout to ensure greater supply for the US market. The first million American buyers receive a copy of the film "Spiderman 2."
Sony faces an established rival in Nintendo, whose handheld Gameboy line dominates the portable segment. Nintendo's dual-screen DS console, released in the US and Japan late last year, had already moved roughly two million units with a target of five million by end of March.
Critics have taken aim at Sony's choice of a proprietary disc format called Universal Media Disc, as well as the PSP's modest 32-megabyte Memory Stick. A four-gigabyte upgrade is planned for US release by month's end, but will cost close to $1,000. The unit ships with white earphones resembling those bundled with Apple's iPod.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in March 2005, in its own words.