Sony, Square Enix Partner On Final Fantasy-Themed PSP

Sony will release a special edition PSP themed around Square Enix's upcoming Dissidia: Final Fantasy, the manufacturer announced today. Set to release August 25, the package will retail for $199.99 and will include a silver PSP-3000 model, Dissidia: Final Fantasy itself, the UMD film Final Fantasy: Advent Children, and a 2GB Memory Stick. According to today's announcement, the package will be exclusive to the GameStop retail chain. Said GameStop merchandizing senior CP Bob McKenzie, "GameStop is about helping consumers get the most out of gaming." Dissidia is an action game featuring characters from throughout the long-running Final Fantasy series. It was released late last year in Japan, but has been given no firm North American release date; the bundled's planned ship date may suggest a similar target for the standalone game. In a statement, Square Enix marketing VP Ami Blaire called attention to the franchise's success on Sony's portable console. "Because PSP is such an impressive gaming platform, it made perfect sense to leverage the strength of Dissidia Final Fantasy and create an exclusive package for Final Fantasy fans," she said. "We’ve seen the Final Fantasy franchise perform extremely well on the PSP platform and look forward to many more collaborations with SCEA in the future."