Sony on track to double videogame sales

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Los Angeles, Dec 18: Sony Corp is on track to double the number of PlayStation Portable video game players sold in North America to around 6 million at the end of its first holiday season this year.

The sharp screen on the paperback-sized video game device has won over movie fans, fortifying a solid debut though not a runaway success along the lines of Apple Computer Inc’s iPods.

Analysts predict that the PSP’s long-term prospects are good, but where the iPod is praised for its stunning ease of use, some PSP players have told Reuters that games are slow to load on the device and that its left thumb-operated mini joystick can be awkward to master.

“Clearly there is not the intoxication or hysteria that there is with the iPod,” said Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey, who is among those betting on the PSP’s success.

Sony Computer Entertainment America President and Chief Executive Kaz Hirai told Reuters in October the company’s goal is to double its install base by selling between 2.5 million and 3 million additional PSPs in North America by year end.

“We’re mapping to that forecast ... We’re very comfortable with where we are,” Sony spokeswoman Molly Smith said in a recent interview.

The PSP debuted in late March, piling up accolades from technology luminaries and consumers taken with the bright, crisp color screen on the sleek black device. As of November, Sony said it has sold more than 3 million PSPs in North America, where it retails for around $250.

“The PSP is for an older audience, the content is definitely for an older market,” said IDC video game analyst Schelley Olhava.

Nintendo Co Ltd’s Nintendo DS ($130) is the PSP’s closest rival, although it targets a younger and more female market. Now in its second holiday season, the DS has sold 2.7 million units in the United States as of the end of November, according to NPD Funworld. The PSP’s U.S. sales were 2.5 million as of November, the market researchers said.

The PSP launched with 24 games and now has over 70 titles available for the system, a Sony spokesman said.

The game getting the most buzz — and the one analysts predicted could drive device sales — is “Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories” part of the best-selling and very controversial urban action game franchise.