Sony PSP Bundle Strategy Continues With Madden NFL 11

Sony on Monday announced a new Madden NFL PSP hardware and software pack in the U.S., as the company continues its strategy to move more hardware units of the aging portable through value-added offerings. Sony Computer Entertainment America director of hardware marketing John Koller said on the official U.S. PlayStation blog that the bundle, which includes the PSP-3000, would launch on August 10, and will come with a UMD of EA Sports' Madden NFL 11 for $169.99. The PSP has sold 17 million units in North America since its launch in 2005 in the region. Total global hardware sales for the handheld are over 60 million units. Sony makes it a practice to bundle popular games with PSP hardware to help stimulate sales. In June, the company released a PSP bundle that included Metal Gear Solid: Piece Walker, a 2GB memory stick and "Spirited Green" hardware for $199.99. Sony has stuck with a value-added pricing strategy for PSP in lieu of annual price drops. The last time that Sony cut the price of the handheld in U.S. was March 2007, when the company dropped the price from $199.99 to its current $169.99 tag for the PSP-3000. The UMD-less PSP, introduced last year, sells for $249.99.