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PSP Not A Sellout Hit

Posted by Zonk on from the lumines-lumines-lumines dept.

MilenCent writes "We're starting to see our first mainstream media reports on the PSP's (lack of) sales performance, from the Seattle Times: "But while Sony is touting the rollout as a success -- and many retailers did sell their entire stock -- the event might not have been the complete blockbuster that was expected." In summary, the article says that more systems were sold than not, that dedicated gaming stores were more likely to sell out than department stores like Target, and that the biggest reason gamers didn't pick it up is likely its price -- which wasn't helped by some retailers' sale condition that customers also purchase games, which could raise the price to nearly $350. Will demand pick up once the unit is out there and seen by people, or will it take a price cut before the system sells satisfactorily?"

4 of 241 comments (clear)

  1. For $350... by KinkifyTheNation · · Score: 2, Informative

    .. you could buy a regular console and still have plenty left over.

  2. Games by sycomonkey · · Score: 3, Informative

    Having good games other than Lumines might help. Also, having games that don't cost $40. The DS at least had backwards compatibility on it's side, which is probably why it did so well despite also having a weak launch lineup.

    --
    --The universe will not be altered by forum threads, even those which are very wry. --Tycho Brahe (Penny Arcade)
  3. Re:cost? by Doomstalk · · Score: 2, Informative

    If I wind up getting one, I'm waiting until at least the first or second hardware revision. I've seen way too many friends get burned (literally in the case of the PS ;p) by crappy first-gen SCE hardware. I'm especially nervous about the drives. The PS2 isn't even portable, and the first generation of drives had tons of problems with laser focus. Of all the people I know with first-gen machines (quite a few), almost all of them have had to have theirs fixed/replaced. The one who hasn't complains about skipping and stuttering. Knowing this, it doesn't take much imagination to come up with serious doubts/concerns about the PSP's robustness.

  4. Re:Maybe the market they target doesn't have the t by EggyToast · · Score: 2, Informative
    Not with the 3-4 hours of battery life.

    Those with lots of time to play something like this will likely skip over the thing that doesn't give them much time to play with it.