Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) just announced that a PSP Giga Pack would be released just in time for the holidays. This new pack will be sold for $299, while the current “Value Pack,” will continue to being sold at price of $249. The Giga Pack will include a 1GB Sony Branded Memory Stick Duo Pro, a transparent PSP Stand, and a USB cable in addition to the regular accessories. (power, softcase, batterty, cloth, headset, controls, and the PSP) Sony also announced that they will start to sell a Sony/PSP branded 1GB Memory Stick Duo Pro separately for people that already have purchased PSPs.
“As we approach our first holiday season with PSP, offering consumers a new value option in the Giga Pack demonstrates our commitment to allowing consumers further control and customize their entertainment options,” – Jack Tretton VP of Sales SCEA
Other changes include the PSP coming with Firmware v2.0 pre-installed, which means it comes WebBrowser ready. (but no homerbrew apps will function without downgrading) The 1GB card will also make the PSP ready out of the box to put Music, Photos, and Videos onto. These can be placed onto the 1GB card using the USB cable that is provided. Another reason Sony has decided to create a new package is to attract customers to their unit over Apple’s brand new iPod “Video,” which is also priced at $299.
The PSP was originaly launched in March ’05 and has over 2.2 million units [until ~October] in North America. There are 45 games that have been launched in the U.S. so far and over 200 UMD Movies. Games such as Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories are expected to be launched soon, which should attract a large amount of customers towards purchasing more games as well as PSPs.
Link: Full Press Release From PlayStation.com
Related: PSP PlayStation.com Home
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