Sandisk Introduces 2GB Memory Stick PRO Duo
Responding to stronger-than-expected consumer demand for high-capacity flash memory cards that are needed for music and video-playing on the PSP, SanDisk has introduced a 2GB Memory Stick PRO Duo Gaming Card.
SanDisk is working on increasing its production of new 1GB Memory Stick PRO Duo Gaming Cards, as well as other capacities, in an effort to meet demand from major electronics retailers, video game outlets and discount department stores in North America, Japan and elsewhere in Asia where the PSP has been introduced. Gaming cards will be available at numerous retailers including Best Buy, Circuit City, EB Games (Electronics Boutique) and GameStop.
The 2GB card, which is expected to ship in July, will carry a suggested retail price of $349.99. Other capacities in the Memory Stick PRO Duo Gaming Card line range from $39.99 for 128 megabytes (MB)* to $139.99 for 1GB.
“We’ve had numerous calls from interested consumers and retailers asking about the availability of our highest-capacity Memory Stick PRO Duo cards, and we’re working as quickly as possible to put inventory on retail shelves,” said Greg Rhine, SanDisk’s senior vice president of worldwide sales. “Since the PSP has limited on-board storage, it is generating strong demand for high-capacity flash memory cards for expanded memory, and we expect this situation to continue as the popularity of the PSP spreads globally.”
Christina Day, SanDisk’s product marketing manager for the gaming card line, said early sell-through reports from retailers indicate that nearly 20 percent of all PSP buyers are also purchasing extra memory cards, but she expects that to reach 50 percent over time. Sony, which reported sales of 600,000 units in the U.S. in the first week of its introduction, recently announced that the heavy demand in Asia and the U.S. has caused the company to postpone its release in Europe until September.
SanDisk co-developed the Memory Stick PRO format with Sony. In January, SanDisk introduced the new gaming line of Memory Stick PRO Duo cards in semi-transparent neon colors.
While the PSP is aimed at the fast-growing handheld gaming device market, recent purchasers have learned that its numerous other features – including playback of movies, music, digital still images, video clips and game data – require large amounts of memory. The PSP uses a proprietary storage medium called Universal Media Disc (UMD) for movies and games, but UMD discs are not recordable or writable.
