PSP-3000 Japan Release Confirmed for Next Month

The new and improved PSP-3000 that we reported details of a couple of weeks back now has a confirmed release date in Japan of 16th October. The official price upon release will be 19,800 Yen (approx. 183 USD).The release was announced along with a lineup of new games by Sony Computer Entertainment Japan president Shawn Layden. He admitted that “We need to, and we will, advance our software and hardware without restraint.”  This new PSP is Sony’s latest attempt to broaden the appeal of its own consoles against fierce competition from Nintendo, which is seeing strong demand for its Wii and DS units.

Layden went on to say “For me (the PSP) has been Sony’s entry into handheld gaming and that’s where my focus remains,” adding that the company wants the console to become a “lifestyle application.” – this is despite the fact that data gathered by publisher Enterbrain shows that more than 80% of PSP buyers use the console for other activities than playing games, including listening to music, watching movies, sharing photos or using the Internet.

Sony has sold more than 10 million PSPs in Japan since the launch nearly four years ago. The DS sold 23 million units between December 2004 and June 2008 in Japan.

(Story and picture courtesy of AFP Tokyo)