Sony Sparks New Life into Struggling PSP with 2009 Line-Up

The embattled handheld looks to have a strong year thanks to a healthy mix of first-party hits and key third-party exclusives announced at this year’s Destination PlayStation event in Scottsdale, AZ.

The PlayStation Portable (PSP) from Sony is about to enter its fourth year on the market. The powerful handheld gaming and multimedia device has had quite a bumpy ride thus far. It was served many luke-warm ports of older PlayStation 2 (PS2) titles in its early days and was also the victim of widespread, almost ubiquitous software piracy soon after its release. Though sales of the device – now on its third hardware iteration with a rumoured fourth coming – remain strong in all major regions, software sales have been stagnant outside of Japan for some time due to the aforementioned piracy problem. This also created a second huge problem for the PSP; developers began to see the device as unsecured and rapidly slowed or halted development of original titles due to the very real concern that they would not sell enough to turn any profit. 2008 saw only a handful of noteworthy games that weren’t available on other systems and 2009 was looking pretty barren until now. At its 2009 retailer information conference dubbed Destination PlayStation, Sony provided evidence to retailers and gamers alike that the PSP still has life outside its multimedia purposes and that its software deserves shelf space in the ever-crowded specialty stores like GameStop or GameCrazy this year. Sony’s main strength has always been its first-party published games and this PSP line-up will see two successful fan favourites make the transition from the PlayStation 3 (PS3) to the handheld in addition to the already announced Resistance: Retribution and MLB 09: The Show. MotorStorm: Arctic Edge will bring the adrenaline-fuelled racing franchise to an Alaskan environment, complete with snowmobiles. According to the official press release at PlayStation.Blog, MotorStorm: Arctic Edge will also see release on PS2 this fall. LittleBigPlanet brings one of the most creative platform games ever to the PSP along with its loveable SackBoy mascot. The announcement promises brand-new environments and levels created especially for this version of the game. It’s being developed in conjunction with creators Media Molecule. No word yet as to interoperability with the PS3 version. Sony also took the opportunity to reveal some key third-party exclusive titles aimed at different demographics, two of which will see Entertainment Pack hardware bundles including one with the all-new Lilac PSP sometime in 2009. Both bundles will carry a retail price of $199. The Hannah Montana PSP Entertainment Pack will include the Lilac PSP as well as a copy of the exclusive, as yet untitled rhythm-action game from Disney Interactive. The bundle will also include a UMD with several episodes of the Hannah Montana TV series, a 2GB Memory Stick PRO Duo and stickers to customize the PSP. The Assassin’s Creed PSP Entertainment Pack will see Ubisoft deliver an exclusive installment of its mega-hit franchise. The game will come with a Piano Black PSP and content that has yet to be determined. Ubisoft’s extremely popular Petz series will also be seeing games grace the PSP in 2009. Electronic Arts is providing a healthy amount of support to the PSP, including Rock Band Unplugged, a collaboration with MTV Games and veteran music game developer Harmonix. Shacknews is reporting that the game will be a spiritual successor to the fan-favourite PS2 titles Frequency and Amplitude and a Twitter from Dan Teasdale of Harmonix confirms that “Phrase-based lane-switching beatmatch lives again!” Rock Band Unplugged won’t feature a custom controller like that of the Guitar Hero games on the Nintendo DS, however it will have a fully-featured in-game store to purchase downloadable music tracks. The in-game store will be the first of its kind on the PSP. EA will also be bringing its two hottest selling sports titles back this year in Madden NFL 10 and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10. Madden NFL 10 promises compatibility with the PS3 version and a faster, “PSP-friendly” experience for gamers on the go. More EA Sports titles are expected to be announced in the coming months. Rounding out the announced lineup is Dissidia: Final Fantasy. This fighting game style spinoff of the beloved role-playing franchise has sold more than 850,000 copies since its release in Japan last year and though it was already announced for North American release some time ago, it bears reiteration because of the potential of strong sales. Square-Enix last announced Dissidia: Final Fantasy to be slated for a mid-year 2009 release. In 2008, titles like Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII and God of War: Chains of Olympus proved that games could still see strong sales on the PSP if they were marketed well or had a large fanbase. This 2009 line-up adds some diversity, recognizable names and proven favourites to a great, but admittedly sparse library. If Sony plays their cards right this could be the PSP’s most successful year.