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EU/UK Retailers Gear Up For PSP Launch

Posted by Zonk on from the good-things-come-to-those-who-wait dept.

GamesIndustry.biz reports that console retailers are preparing for the midnight launch of the PSP in Europe. From the article: "Leading retail chain GAME plans to open 250 of its stores at midnight, with 1500 staff working overnight to meet demand for the new console, which is launching with around 30 software titles and 30 UMD movies. Many other retailers are also planning to open tonight, with several planning special launch party events - including Sony's official launch event, which will take place at the HMV store on Oxford Street."

8 of 52 comments (clear)

  1. I can't wait... by FinestLittleSpace · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...to sleep through that

  2. Re:Are they charging less for it in Europe? by Adelbert · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Add to that the fact that most people in the UK who wanted a PSP just purchased one from America through the wonders of eBay.

    However, the huge gaps between the Japanese, then the US, finally the EU launch mean that more UMD films and games are available at launch.

  3. I don't live in Europe but... by MMaestro · · Score: 2, Informative

    Its about frikin time! You'd think Sony forgot about Europe after all this time. Such a long delay is inexcuseable, especially if Sony keeps trying to downplay the DS let alone beat Nintendo at handheld war.

  4. WARNING to my European Brothers by MWoody · · Score: 3, Interesting

    When the PSP and the DS first came out, there was some question as to which would turn out to be the better purchase. Since their release, the answer has become unfortunately apparent: Nintendo is the clear winner. And I say that as a guy who first bought the PSP and then, as the months flew by with NO NEW GAMES, had to shell out the cash to buy another game system.

    The DS is technically inferior, in terms of pure computing power. However, in terms of design, it stands as a testament to which of these two companies has been doing this the longest. Nearly indestructible with a great clamshell design and two huge screens (with no $#%@#$%'in dead pixels), the DS rocks hard. What I originally dismissed as a gimmick - the touch screen - has turned out to be a blast. It's essentially a portable gaming system with a mouse. And the games... Even if we forget the pre-existing Advance library, the games for the DS have been coming fast and strong, with plenty of A-list titles.

    Now, if you want to watch movies on it, PSP of course. But if you actually like games, the choice is clear: big N all the way. I know I'm going to get accused of fanboyism here, so allow me to stress this again: I bought the PSP _first_, thinking I'd chosen the winner in this race. I was painfully wrong.

    1. Re:WARNING to my European Brothers by buffer-overflowed · · Score: 3, Insightful

      1. Riiggghhhttt. Because times were so damn awful for gaming when Nintendo ruled the roost. The NES/SNES/Genesis generation isn't considered the golden age of gaming or anything. I mean, the primary purpose of a PSP ISN'T playing decade old Nintendo games from this period.

      Nintendo got the nigh-monopoly they have on handhelds by making systems and games perfectly catered to the market. Every other system that came in did the same thing Sony is doing, and like Sony, it failed. The one system that ever made any headway was the Wonderswan, and that was just in Japan, because it also got it right.

      Seriously, Sony made the inferior(as judged by the market) product. Supporting that simply because the "virtual monopoly" made a better product is idiocy. We don't use Linux out of sheer spite towards Microsoft.

      2. And Nintendo will instantly replace your unit if you have a single dead pixel(you call, give a CC for security and they ship you out a new one and EVEN pay for return postage). Their customer service and build quality is unrivaled in the gaming industry(Gameboys, Gamecubes and DSes can take ONE hell of a fischer-price style beating). It really is. Sony would only replace PSPs with 10+ dead pixels, or you had to take it up with the retailers. Who may or may not have allowed an exchange. It was/is a night and day difference.

      3. The two screens allow the clamshell design, which serves as a built in screen protector. It also lets you cut down on vertical/horizontal height by adding a bit of width to it. Merging those into a single screen would've increased the bulk of the already bulky unit(compared to the GBA SP anyway) and given the same kind of screen scratching problems you see in the original GBA and PSP.

      4. Nintendogs, Meteos, Kirby: Canvas Curse, and Advance Wars: DS basically JUST hit. There's a lot more wierd stuff coming down the pipe as well(surgery games, lawyer games, adventure games, some PC Sim games). The PSP has Lumines and console-style games(worked great for the Nomad!). It's big title in the pipe is GTA.

      5. And yet you express extreme ignorance. Go fig.

      --
      The key to the enjoyment of pop music is to replace any instance of "love" with "C.H.U.D."
    2. Re:WARNING to my European Brothers by Guppy06 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      "It's not about "winners" and "losers", it's about stopping a virtual monopoly in the portable market, and for that reason I'm all for PSP."

      How can you Rage Against the Machine when you're working for Sony? Seriously, what next? Looking towards Microsoft to save you from the evils of Apple's near-monopoly of portable music players?

      Come back when Nintendo has abused its near monopoly and has started to rely on shady business tactics instead of making a better product, then maybe I'll care. But even then, I'm not going to look towards Sony as the "little guy"/"underdog"/"hero" in any event.

      "DS gets dead pixles just like any other LCD screen out there."

      Getting a dead pixel is one thing. Being told by a back-pedalling manufacturer that it isn't a problem (and certainly not a warranty issue) is something else. For a price tag that was 67% higher than the DS, one would expect at least an equivalent warranty policy without having to be guilt-tripped into it.

      "Seriously, one big (by which I mean equal to or larger then the two DS screens combined) touch screen would've been VASTLY better. "

      Try fitting a DS into your pocket without folding it up. You can't fold a single LCD without Bad Things happening.

      "All systems are experiencing a good game drought of late. Everything's been crap the last few months."

      The Xbox fanboys at my local EB couldn't stop spooging over Nintendogs. It doesn't interest me, personally, but it seems to have a lot of interest in general.

    3. Re:WARNING to my European Brothers by gameboyhippo · · Score: 2, Insightful

      *sigh* I think the dollar defends anything Nintendo does, not the fanboys. People are spending their dollars on Gameboys and Nintendo DSs, not PSPs. I spent my dollars on two DSs. I think I'm getting a lot of bang for my buck when I can buy a single copy of a game and play it on two DSs. You just can't do that on a PSP. Well, you can't play much of anything on a PSP except overpriced movies, which is another reason I bought 2 DSs instead of 1 PSP. I'm trying to picture me buying me the cool system and then inviting all my pals to watch Spiderman 2 on my PSP. We can sit it on top of my HDTV and hear it in glorius PSP sound. Perhaps some binoculars & hearing aids will help hype up the party. I guess it all comes down to, do you want to be cool and spend a lot of hard earned money? Or do you want to play some interesting new type a games with your friends & have fun.

  5. Re:Only the ill-informed will buy in shops by radish · · Score: 4, Informative

    That's 138GBP + VAT, delivery & import duty. My calculations put that at around 175GBP or so, more if you want fast shipping.

    The 179.99 price is fully inclusive.

    --

    ---- Den ene knappen er powerknapp, den andre er Bender voice knapp "Bite My Shiny Metal Ass"