Sony kept its E3 promise to make the PSP even more enticing to gamers and finally brought out the PSP 2000 Ice Silver, also known as the PSP Slim, which has a very generous bundle package.
The new PSP is a sleeker and more streamlined version of the popular portable gaming console, 33 percent lighter and 19 percent slimmer than the current version, making the all-in-one mobile entertainment system even more convenient to carry around at less than 1/2-pound in weight and less than 3/4-inch in thickness.
However, the Ice Silver PSP 2000 is not a regular PSP, but a part of Sony’s Collectors’ Edition offer, which also includes the “Ceramic White” PSP model to be launched next month.
The Ice Silver Daxter Pack contains the silverish PSP, a 1GB MemoryStick Pro Duo card, the "Family Guy- The Freakin' Sweet Collection" packed onto a UMD disc and, of course, the “Greatest Hits” game Daxter- all for just little under two grants.
"PSP sales have soared since we introduced the $169.99 price point in April, and that momentum will only continue with the launch of the newly designed PSP, which has generated strong interest among consumers since we announced it at E3," said Jack Tretton, president and CEO, SCEA. "With our growing software library, which includes more than 140 new releases in the pipeline this fiscal year, the PSP platform is poised for significant growth. The Daxter Entertainment Pack offers a great opportunity for consumers to jump in to PlayStation Portable experience with content that demonstrates the multi-functionality of the system, all for a great value."
To coincide with the release of the new PSP system, SCEA is launching an advertising campaign that includes dedicated print and online executions to support the Daxter PSP Entertainment Pack in media outlets including IGN, ESPN.com, MTV.com, and MySpace. In addition, a TV spot will air later this fall on network, syndication and cable highlighting the enhanced design and new features of the PSP system.
Despite the fact that the new PSP includes a new facility- linking your PSP through an AV video out cable to a Bravia LCD for viewing the content stored on the MemoryStick in widescreen or playing your games- Sony “forgot” to include the aforementioned cable with inside the pack. Instead, PSP 2000 owners will be able to buy the 8.2 feet long cable as an accessory, for $19.99, along with a pair of remotely controlled headphones, which will cost $29.99.
Besides the Ice Silver PSP 2000, Sony readies another limited edition, called the “Ceramic White” PSP, including a Darth Vader silk screen on the unit, which will be featured in the Star Wars Battlefront PSP Entertainment Pack launching in October.
The PSP Core Pack, with PSP in "Piano Black" inside, an AC adaptor, plus battery pack, will be available later in September for $169.99.
Despite the generous bundle, future owners of PSP 2000 Ice Silver should be aware of the fact that the loading times for the slimmer model are not exactly superior to the previous model. However the contours of the console are now smoother the portability is definitely improved with the recent “weight loss”. A must-have for this holyday season, especially in Europe, where SCEE announced a plethora of new features.
