PlayStation Portable Gets Official Price Cut To $129.99

Consumers and developers alike are buzzing about Sony's recently-revealed next-generation handheld, and today the company says it's reducing the price of its existing platform, the PSP, to $129.99 in North America. The device, which previously retailed for $169.99, has sold 67.8 million units worldwide as of December 2010. 23 million of those have been in North America; generally the PSP enjoys its most fervent fanbase in Japan. Sony says it's made a total of 590 retail titles available for the platform in the U.S., and that the new price cut is intended to expand its American audience. "Nearly six years after its initial launch, demand for the PSP remains strong," says Sony Computer Entertainment America's sales VP, Tim Bender. "This new price point enables us to broaden the PSP platform to a larger group of consumers who are looking for best-in-class handheld entertainment." In addition to the price cut, Sony will add 13 new titles to the PSP's reduced-price "Greatest Hits" and $9.99 "Favorites" library. Thus far Sony's designated more than 70 "Greatest Hits" games, which include games that have surpassed certain sales thresholds, and the new additions will include highly-regarded games like Dissidia Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, LittleBigPlanet and Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines. Popular games like Square Enix's Final Fantasy VII prequel, Crisis Core, Tomb Raider Anniversary, and Capcom's Monster Hunter Freedom Unite will join the Favorites collection at $9.99. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has yet to announce a similar price reduction for Europe.