By Dan Gallagher
Sony Corp. (SNE) launched a new handheld video game device
Tuesday that will eschew traditional disks and game cartridges,
allowing games to be downloaded exclusively through a wireless
connection.
At a press conference during the Electronic Entertainment Expo,
or E3, in Los Angeles, Sony (SNE) lifted the wraps on the PSP Go,
which is set to launch this October.
"Allow me to introduce the worst kept secret of E3," joked Kaz
Hirai, president and chief executive of Sony Computer Entertainment
of America, making light of the fact that pictures of the device
had been leaked across the gadget blogs before the event.
Hirai said Sony will continue to sell its current handheld, the
PSP 3000. The new device "is for people who are already living the
digital lifestyle," he said.
The PSP Go is 50% smaller than the existing PSP, and 40%
lighter. It has 16GB worth of memory to download and store games,
movies and TV shows that users can purchase through the company's
PlayStation Network.
The device marks another step for the video game industry into
the model of digital distribution. Most video games are
traditionally sold on laser discs through retailers, but console
manufacturers have been developing alternative models based on
gamers downloading content directly from the Web.
Sony's rivals - Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) and Nintendo (NTDOY) -
also offer services to download games, though none makes a device
that relies on downloads exclusively.
Another new competitor in the market is Apple Inc. (AAPL), whose
iPhone has become a popular gaming device thanks to the many games
available over the company's App Store.
The PSP Go is slated to launch on Oct. 1 at a retail price of
$249, Sony said.
-Dan Gallagher; 415-439-6400; AskNewswires@dowjones.com