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Sony Cautious in PSP Production

Posted by Zonk on from the not-to-many-made-lest-they-go-broke dept.

GamesIndustry.biz has the story that Sony is limiting production of their new handheld. From the article: "Comments attributed to SCE spokesperson Kenichi Fukunaga in an Agence France-Presse article stated bluntly that manufacturing resources are being directed to the PlayStation 2 - a new slimline version of which was introduced earlier this month - rather than the PSP." Personally, I think this has just as much to do with a desire to create demand as it does with making sure they're not left with a dud on their hands. If you're going to release a handheld, release a handheld.

6 of 47 comments (clear)

  1. here we go again. by bagel2ooo · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Isn't this what happened with the original PS2? Create very high demand and very small supply to drive things up?

    --
    ( o ) one could say I'm rather baked
  2. i think it's strange by Blob+Pet · · Score: 3, Interesting

    You'd think that a consumer hardware juggernaut like Sony would have enough resources to allocate to both the slim PS2 and the PSP at the same time and tha they would have prepared for this a long time ago...especially after what happened to the release of the original PS2.

    If I were a game developer, would I want to be making games for the DS or the PSP right now?

    I'm going to hazard a guess that Sony's having quality control problems with the PSP.

    --
    "...today consumers have been conditioned to think of beer when they see a bullfrog..."
    1. Re:i think it's strange by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      More likely the problem comes from the fact that LCD screen makers aren't able to cope with the demand (cell phones, PDA, GBA, DS and PSP)

    2. Re:i think it's strange by bynary · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Even juggernauts have limited resources (not The Juggernaut http://www.marveldirectory.com/individuals/j/jugge rnaut.htm) He seems to be okay in the resources department.

      --
      http://www.bynarystudio.com
  3. Re:try reading this in a different way by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I work in an EB games and we have a TON of PSP promo material in the back. We had a set up date but the day before it was set to go up we all got an email from corporate telling us not to. Ordinairly we save or pitch crap like this, but this time we were required to send it back. Instead we set up some generic stuff, and we just got some PS2 (the new slim ones) in yesterday with a set up date for Thursday.

  4. Re:Mundane explanation, for the non-conspiracy hea by MilenCent · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The PSP is still in 'trendy hype-machine' mode, and not at mass-profit levels yet - those sales can wait more than PS2s can.

    Then they need to get on the ball here -- Nintendo won't be so easy to beat this time. Many people have been taken by surprise by the extraordinary preorders for the DS, even Nintendo loyalist sites, who you'd suppose would be all rah-rah over anything the big 'N' does but have been in Charlie Brown mode for a while now, were caught off-guard.

    If Sony's trying to limit supply to drive demand then they're going to have problems in the portable space this time, as the DS is also over-ordered, but after a rational level of supply. It's too early to judge yet of course, but I consider this troubling news for Sony.