Sony Creates New Western PSP, Japanese PS2 Bundles

Sony officials have announced details of two new bundles to be released this Christmas, one for the PSP in the West and one for the PlayStation 2 in Japan. The new PSP “Giga” Pack for Sony's handheld will be bundled with the new 1Gb Memory Stick Pro Duo, which will be able to store significantly more video and audio files than the 32Mb memory stick currently bundled with the device. The Giga Pack will also include an AC adaptor, USB cable and a new stand for hands free viewing. The Giga Pack will be available only for a limited period and will retail for €299.99/£214.99 ($359/$380). The new bundle will go on sale in the UK and Ireland from November 21st and in all other EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) regions from November 28th. The company also plans to release the bundle in North America for $299, although no release date has yet been given. The company has predicted that it will sell between 2.5 million and 3 million PSPs in North America before the end of 2005. "We're going to try to double the installed base between now and the end of the year," Kaz Hirai, SCEA president and CEO told Reuters in a telephone interview. In Japan, the company is readying a new Satin Silver colored slim-line PlayStation 2, which will be available from November 23rd at an open price, meaning retailers can sell it for any price they wish, without reference to Sony recommendations - the current PlayStation 2 retails for 18,999 yen ($164) in Japan. The new color joins the original black slim-line PS2 and the ceramic white version released earlier in the year.