Review of the Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) by Protomario
36Disc based games? Gasp technology!
The PlayStation Portable (プレイステーション・ポータブル, Pureisutēshon Pōtaburu?, officially abbreviated PSP) is a handheld console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation[4] Development of the console was announced during E3 2003,[5] and it was unveiled on May 11, 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004.[6] The system was released in Japan on December 12, 2004,[7] in North America on March 24, 2005,[8] and in the PAL region on September 1, 2005.[9]
The PlayStation Portable is the first handheld video game console to use an optical disc format, Universal Media Disc (UMD), as its primary storage medium.[10][11] Other distinguishing features of the console include its large viewing screen,[12] robust multi-media capabilities,[13] and connectivity with the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, other PSPs, and the Internet.[14][15]
Sales of the PSP have lagged behind its main competitor, the Nintendo DS.[16] Nevertheless, the console is "the most successful non-Nintendo handheld game system ever sold".[17] After the release of a remodeled, slimmer, and lighter version of the PlayStation Portable, titled Slim & Lite, in early September 2007, sales quadrupled in the United Kingdom the following week and increased by nearly 200% in North America for the month of October. The PSP-3000 had a minor redesign including a new screen and inbuilt microphone, and has since been followed by the PSP Go.
Sony first announced development of the PlayStation Portable at a press conference before E3 2003.[20] Although mock-ups of the system were not present at the press conference or E3,[20] Sony did release extensive technical details regarding the new system.[21] Then-CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Ken Kutaragi called the device the "Walkman of the 21st Century" in a reference to the console's multimedia capabilities.[22] Several gaming websites were impressed by the handheld's computing capabilities and looked forward to the system's potential as a gaming platform.[5][20][23]
The first concept images of the PSP appeared in November 2000 at the Sony Corporate Strategy Meeting and showed a PSP with flat buttons and no analog stick.[24] Although some expressed concern over the lack of an analog joystick,[25] these fears were allayed when the PSP was officially unveiled at the Sony press conference during E3 2004.[26] In addition to announcing more details about the system and its accessories,[27] Sony also released a list of 99 developer companies that had pledged support for the new handheld.[28] Several PSP game demos, such as Konami's Metal Gear Acid and SCE Studio Liverpool's Wipeout Pure were also shown at the conference
Reference-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_Portable