Sony Announces Q1 2006 First-Party PSP Game Roster

Sony Computer Entertainment America has revealed its full line-up for the PlayStation Portable in the first quarter of 2006. The company will release six new and diverse titles for the system, continuing to bolster the line-up for the system, which has drawn criticism in some quarters for its overabundance of ports and UMD movies and lack of newly created games. First out is Ape Escape Academy, a minigame-focused spinoff of the Ape Escape platforming franchise, due out January 17th. In February, Sony will release Neopets: Petpet Adventures: The Wand of Wishing, the second in its games based off the highly popular virtual-pet website after the PS2 title Neopets: The Darkest Faerie. The majority of the company's offerings, though, are scheduled for late in the quarter during March. MLB 06: The Show, a PSP version of 989 Studios' baseball title for the year, is the only one of the four with a concrete release date, scheduled for March 1st. Also on the slate for March are Daxter, the solo adventures of the sidekick from the Jak series; Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror, the first PSP entry in Sony Bend's stealth action franchise; and Pursuit Force, a police chase game where players can switch vehicles on the fly and at high speeds. "Our first quarter lineup is yet another example of our continuous pledge to consumers to deliver viable and innovative new entertainment choices for the PSP system," said SCEA executive VP Jack Tretton. "With the PSP system's first holiday season demonstrating incredible sales and market penetration, we will continue to drive the unprecedented demand for the PSP system with compelling content for gamers of all ages."