E3: Sony Announces Upgraded PSP, Limited Edition Packs

At its E3 conference, Sony has revealed that a new model of PSP will be available this September in two separate $200 packs, promising faster loading, lighter and slimmer design, and a new display feature to stream video to a standard television. SCEA president Jack Tretton said the company had seen a 90 percent increase in sales since it lowered the price of the PSP to $169, and has seen a 35 percent increase in UMD movie sales since that time. He added that the company has plans to ship 9 million units worldwide, on a catalog of some 140 titles coming to North America alone including franchise favorites like SOCOM, Wipeout, Syphon Filter, Sims, Castlevania and Final Fantasy Tactics, as well as new IP from Japan such as Patapon. Kaz Hirai then took the stage to announce the news on the new model, which Sony expects to ship worldwide in September. The new model is 33 percent lighter, 19 percent slimmer, has a more efficient battery and faster loading times, said Hirai, but, more importantly, has a new display feature. By attaching a video-out cable and pressing a new "display" button, any PSP display can be broadcast to a standard television, allowing gamers to watch UMD or downloaded video, display photos, or play games on TV. While the standard "piano black" model was demonstrated, Tretton announced that a new entertainment pack would be available in September with an 'ice silver' model PSP, the game Daxter, a 1gig memory stick, and a UMD video disc of Family Guy at a price of $200. Accompanied by Chewbacca, Tretton also announced a Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron pack would be available in October, with a copy of the exclusive Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron game, and a specially designed white PSP emblazoned with the head of Darth Vader on its back, again for $200.