As the PlayStation Portable is enjoying a few very good weeks in Japan, where it currently tops the hardware sales chart, its Sony makers are trying to push the handheld on other markets as well. And as part of this marketing effort, Sony Computer Entertainment America is presenting the Madden NFL 09 PSP Entertainment Pack, a bundle built around the popular American football franchise that is due out sometime in August 2008 and will cost just under 200 dollars..

This special offer, which is produced only in limited numbers and is targeted at the most devout American football fans, has a lot to offer to the potential buyer. There's a "Metallic Blue" PlayStation Portable console in the package, a copy of the Madden NFL 2009 game and a UMD that contains a selection of video highlights from the American championship, called "NFL: In Just One Play". With the special edition, the buyer will also get a PlayStation Network redeemable voucher that allows download of the game Beats and a 1 GB memory stick on which different media can be carried around.

Scott A. Steinberg, vice president of product marketing at SCEA, has said that: "Sports games are one of the most popular types of games among PSP owners, and it was only natural to make our next PSP Entertainment Pack a sports-themed bundle. PSP continues to have great momentum in the marketplace. We expect that the Madden NFL 09 PSP Entertainment Pack will capitalize on this momentum and strengthen PlayStation's presence in the sports genre."

In the latest NPD report, the PSP came out lagging behind the Nintendo DS in hardware sales in North America, but still ranking overall as the third most sold gaming console. Sony hopes that special bundles, such as the one above, significantly boost sales of the PSP, especially if the games bundled have clear mass-market appeal.