wraggster
October 12th, 2010, 15:50
Although evidence continues to mount that Sony may be planning to bring in a new-generation handheld, the elderly PSP looks to have had a bumper year in Japan.
Hirokazu Hamamura, CEO of Enterbrain (publisher of Famitsu magazine) was highly optimistic about the PlayStation Portable's recent performance, reports Andriasang.
"This year will be the PSP's biggest year," he told an audience of journalists and analysts at his twice-yearly industry seminar on Friday.
Key to this was the success of third party titles, in sharp contrast to Nintendo's rival DS. Monster Hunter Portable 3rd looks to be best-selling PSP game of 2010 in Japan, with Hamamura predicting possible sales of 5 million - a million more than its predecessor.
Hamamura also predicted that "the PSP will expand its market," pointing to the 500,000 sales success of Monster Hunter spin-off Poka Poka Felyne Village. Publisher Capcom has claimed this has attracted a 50 per cent female audience, thanks to more accessible play and a Hello Kitty tie-in.
The PSP has now sold over 15 million units across its various SKUs in Japan, 1.5 million of which were this year. Combined Japanese DS sales for the entirety of 2010 look set to outdo it by a few hundred thousand, however.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2010-10-12-enterbrain-ceo-2010-will-be-psps-biggest-ever-year
Hirokazu Hamamura, CEO of Enterbrain (publisher of Famitsu magazine) was highly optimistic about the PlayStation Portable's recent performance, reports Andriasang.
"This year will be the PSP's biggest year," he told an audience of journalists and analysts at his twice-yearly industry seminar on Friday.
Key to this was the success of third party titles, in sharp contrast to Nintendo's rival DS. Monster Hunter Portable 3rd looks to be best-selling PSP game of 2010 in Japan, with Hamamura predicting possible sales of 5 million - a million more than its predecessor.
Hamamura also predicted that "the PSP will expand its market," pointing to the 500,000 sales success of Monster Hunter spin-off Poka Poka Felyne Village. Publisher Capcom has claimed this has attracted a 50 per cent female audience, thanks to more accessible play and a Hello Kitty tie-in.
The PSP has now sold over 15 million units across its various SKUs in Japan, 1.5 million of which were this year. Combined Japanese DS sales for the entirety of 2010 look set to outdo it by a few hundred thousand, however.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2010-10-12-enterbrain-ceo-2010-will-be-psps-biggest-ever-year