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Sony May Outsource PSP Production

Posted by Zonk on from the demand-outstrips-production dept.

SCE president Ken Kutaragi has confirmed that PSP production may be outsourced to another company, as demand for the PSP is already outstripping Sony's ability to produce. GamesIndustry.biz has the story, which points out that the handheld console is still not released in Europe, an event anticipated in early September. From the article: "At present, there is only one factory producing PSP consoles - the Kisarazu facility east of Tokyo, which manufactures around one million units per month. Sony has previously announced plans to double this figure by the summer as it continues the fight to compete with Nintendo."

7 of 82 comments (clear)

  1. oh. my. god. by nomadic · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is the most exciting news regarding third party manufacture I've seen all day. I think I'm going to have to go lie down.

  2. They could just... by Admiral+Ackbar+8 · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...pull some of the PSPs off the shelf that are just collecting dust at stores here in the US!

  3. One million per month? by Burpmaster · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This doesn't make sense. According to The Magic Box, only 870,000 have been sold this year in Japan. That's only 174,000 per month, and I can't imagine that the demand is high enough in other parts of the world, especially not enough to make 2 million per month necessary.

    1. Re:One million per month? by cgenman · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Others have questioned those numbers, but I'd like to point out that the numbers in question are sell-through (selling to end users), but Sony has to manufacture for sell-in (units sent to retailers). If Walmart wants 30 units in every story, Walmart gets 30 units in every store, no matter how well they are selling. Most retailers don't like selling out, and will keep a cushion around. As it doesn't look like the PSP will die as a platform any time soon, I wouldn't be surprised if everyone wanted a few month's stock for cushion. Add to that impending launch in new territories and the short-term boom that goes with that, and it's plausable that they're not just outsourcing to save money. They may just need to placate retailers that they can produce in quantity, and they may need the extra handhelds to move into new territories.

      Of course, they may just be trying to save a few bucks by moving away from their Tokyo production plant. Se La Vie.

      --
      The ______ Agenda
  4. Ad paid for by Sony by Gogo0 · · Score: 3, Funny

    HOLY CRAP, THEYRE SELLING LIKE MAD! WE CANT MAKE PSP's FAST ENOUGH!!
    Sony PSP! Only $250 at your nearest store! Go get one before theyre all gone forever!

    What, this doesnt seem like marketing BS to the submitter or editor?

  5. Re:PSP Supplies... by hollismb · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Um, care to explain why four of the top ten games in Japan are for the DS then, and why none of them are for the PSP? Perhaps your facts also need some checking.

  6. Re:PSP Supplies... by MilenCent · · Score: 3, Informative

    Not just that:

    http://www.gamesarefun.com/news.php?newsid=4781

    Two of those games are versions of Nintendogs. The other one, in what can only been seen as a good sign, is the DS Bomberman, which uses both the classic game and art style of the game along with supporting 8-player games. (Are we finally getting a Bomberman equal to the sainted Super Bomberman back on the SNES? I certainly hope so.)

    But back to Nintendogs.... that week when Shiba and Friends was #4, the other two games were #5 and #6. Added together, and it would have placed second, right behind a Romancing Saga game (and interestingly enough, displacing the GC Fire Emblem to #3).