Five years ago today, Sony entered the handheld gaming business with the release of the PlayStation Portable.
Despite the fact that the PSP hasn't boasted the massive sales of chief competitor the Nintendo DS -- which launched in November 2004 -- Sony remains pleased with the device's five-year run.
"It's been a resounding success," says Peter Dille, Sony's senior vice president of marketing and the PlayStation Network.
The PSP has gone on to sell 60 million systems worldwide, 17 million of those in the United States to date. By comparison, the DS has sold 125 million globally and close to 40 million in the U.S.
The device has undergone a series of revisions since launch, most recently with the arrival of the PSP Go, a smaller version of the handheld emphasizing digital downloads. While Sony hasn't gone into specifics of how well the Go is selling, Dille says the device "has met our expectations," adding the handheld has contributed to a boost in PlayStation Network revenue since debuting last October.
Dille also says with Go representing "the higher end" of the PSP product line, don't anticipate a drop in the device's $249 price tag, a sticking point for some critics. "We're comfortable with that pricing strategy and have no plans to make any changes to that," says Dille.
Since 2004, the PSP has made its mark as an all-purpose device, hosting movies and music on top of a games catalog featuring over 800 titles available for download and Universal Media Disc (UMD). The handheld has also featured a Web browser, Skype functionality and a digital comic book reader.
The PSP has had its share of memorable titles, such as action title God of War: Chains of Olympus and the fun rhythm series Patapon.
