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Portables (Games) Sony

EU/UK Retailers Gear Up For PSP Launch 52

Posted by Zonk from the good-things-come-to-those-who-wait dept.
GamesIndustry.biz reports that console retailers are preparing for the midnight launch of the PSP in Europe. From the article: "Leading retail chain GAME plans to open 250 of its stores at midnight, with 1500 staff working overnight to meet demand for the new console, which is launching with around 30 software titles and 30 UMD movies. Many other retailers are also planning to open tonight, with several planning special launch party events - including Sony's official launch event, which will take place at the HMV store on Oxford Street."
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EU/UK Retailers Gear Up For PSP Launch More

EU/UK Retailers Gear Up For PSP Launch

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  • I can't wait... (Score:3, Funny)

    by FinestLittleSpace ( 719663 ) * on Wednesday August 31, 2005 @03:41PM (#13448721)
    ...to sleep through that
  • If they aren't there are going to be some very bored retail workers that night. Didn't any of these stores read about what happened with the US launch?
  • Guess if I was insane enough to try that I could waddle downtown in one hour and hope any stores here participate... But really, who wants to go/drive to a store at midnight just to get a PSP or any piece of hardware, for that matter? They won't be sold out by the time the stores usually open if the US launch is any indication.
  • Its about frikin time! You'd think Sony forgot about Europe after all this time. Such a long delay is inexcuseable, especially if Sony keeps trying to downplay the DS let alone beat Nintendo at handheld war.

  • WARNING to my European Brothers (Score:3, Interesting)

    by MWoody ( 222806 ) on Wednesday August 31, 2005 @04:30PM (#13449135)
    When the PSP and the DS first came out, there was some question as to which would turn out to be the better purchase. Since their release, the answer has become unfortunately apparent: Nintendo is the clear winner. And I say that as a guy who first bought the PSP and then, as the months flew by with NO NEW GAMES, had to shell out the cash to buy another game system.

    The DS is technically inferior, in terms of pure computing power. However, in terms of design, it stands as a testament to which of these two companies has been doing this the longest. Nearly indestructible with a great clamshell design and two huge screens (with no $#%@#$%'in dead pixels), the DS rocks hard. What I originally dismissed as a gimmick - the touch screen - has turned out to be a blast. It's essentially a portable gaming system with a mouse. And the games... Even if we forget the pre-existing Advance library, the games for the DS have been coming fast and strong, with plenty of A-list titles.

    Now, if you want to watch movies on it, PSP of course. But if you actually like games, the choice is clear: big N all the way. I know I'm going to get accused of fanboyism here, so allow me to stress this again: I bought the PSP _first_, thinking I'd chosen the winner in this race. I was painfully wrong.
    • 1) It's not about "winners" and "losers", it's about stopping a virtual monopoly in the portable market, and for that reason I'm all for PSP.

      2) DS gets dead pixles just like any other LCD screen out there. From cell phones all the way up to big screen TVs, they are all very capible of getting them.

      3) The true pointless gimmick of the DS is the 2 screens. Seriously, one big (by which I mean equal to or larger then the two DS screens combined) touch screen would've been VASTLY better.

      4) All systems a
      • Both started with a game drought, the DS is just pulling out of it's drought right now. Kirby, Polarium, Nintendogs and other good games have come out, and new ones are on the way. There is no denying that Nintendo has a virtual monopoly on the portable market, but I don't see it as a problem. It's the same kind of monopoly x86 has on the Processor market. The hardware/software is produced in huge volumes and saves money for the consumer. If people didn't want a virtual monopoly they would buy something e
      • 1. Riiggghhhttt. Because times were so damn awful for gaming when Nintendo ruled the roost. The NES/SNES/Genesis generation isn't considered the golden age of gaming or anything. I mean, the primary purpose of a PSP ISN'T playing decade old Nintendo games from this period.

        Nintendo got the nigh-monopoly they have on handhelds by making systems and games perfectly catered to the market. Every other system that came in did the same thing Sony is doing, and like Sony, it failed. The one system that ever m
        • It really is amazing how Nintendo fanboys will defend anything Nintendo does, as if it were as amazing as the dead rising.
          • *sigh* I think the dollar defends anything Nintendo does, not the fanboys. People are spending their dollars on Gameboys and Nintendo DSs, not PSPs. I spent my dollars on two DSs. I think I'm getting a lot of bang for my buck when I can buy a single copy of a game and play it on two DSs. You just can't do that on a PSP. Well, you can't play much of anything on a PSP except overpriced movies, which is another reason I bought 2 DSs instead of 1 PSP. I'm trying to picture me buying me the cool system an
        • Funny, the primary purpose of my PSP is watching divx, although the couple of games I've bought (Ridge Racer and Mercury) are rather good. Your mileage may vary.

      • Re:WARNING to my European Brothers (Score:4, Interesting)

        by Guppy06 ( 410832 ) on Wednesday August 31, 2005 @11:53PM (#13451741)
        "It's not about "winners" and "losers", it's about stopping a virtual monopoly in the portable market, and for that reason I'm all for PSP."

        How can you Rage Against the Machine when you're working for Sony? Seriously, what next? Looking towards Microsoft to save you from the evils of Apple's near-monopoly of portable music players?

        Come back when Nintendo has abused its near monopoly and has started to rely on shady business tactics instead of making a better product, then maybe I'll care. But even then, I'm not going to look towards Sony as the "little guy"/"underdog"/"hero" in any event.

        "DS gets dead pixles just like any other LCD screen out there."

        Getting a dead pixel is one thing. Being told by a back-pedalling manufacturer that it isn't a problem (and certainly not a warranty issue) is something else. For a price tag that was 67% higher than the DS, one would expect at least an equivalent warranty policy without having to be guilt-tripped into it.

        "Seriously, one big (by which I mean equal to or larger then the two DS screens combined) touch screen would've been VASTLY better. "

        Try fitting a DS into your pocket without folding it up. You can't fold a single LCD without Bad Things happening.

        "All systems are experiencing a good game drought of late. Everything's been crap the last few months."

        The Xbox fanboys at my local EB couldn't stop spooging over Nintendogs. It doesn't interest me, personally, but it seems to have a lot of interest in general.

    • The PSP is basically a portable PS2 (to all intents and purposes) and I think that is what gives the DS an advantage. As it has the completely different playing style. While your on the move do you want to play games in the same style you could at home, or something different? That is why I could by a DS over a PSP no-matter what Sony tries to market.
  • Price of the PSP in British shops tomorrow: 179.99 GBP
    Price of import PSP from Liksang.com (free shipping) available months ago: $249.90 = 138.539 GBP

    Oh, and just in case you are still not convinced, how about thisa little gem from the Game website: "Please note we only have stock available for those who have already preordered."
  • Its a shame that Sony killed of any chance to try Homebrew On the PSP [dcemu.co.uk] with the release of the new firmware. If only a manufacturer would embrace the fact that people like to see weird and wacky games ported to whatever console they have just brought.
  • Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • be as bummed that after $350 and playing Lumines that there is little else to do with your PSP except to hack it to play old gameboy/NES titles or browse the web wirelessly on a tiny screen and complete with "out of memory" errors! Yay! whatever.
  • 249 Euros for a Value Pack, which is 310 Dollars.

    Music UMD 18 Euros --> 22 Dollars
    Movie UMD 20-25 Euros --> 25-30 Dollars

    The cheapest games are forty Euros, so fifty Dollars, and many third party games are 50 Euros, or 62 Dollars.

    I even saw Spider Man for 60 Euros, which works out as a whopping 75 Dollars.

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