14 DAY TRIAL // We all know that Sony's handheld has been criticized by some during the past few months for various reasons and, as a result, the PlayStation Portable had its ups and downs on the Western market. However, in Japan, things are completely different: ever since the beginning of 2008, Sony's console has been considered one of the best products on the market and has been recording great sales. Thus, it seems that no less than 10 million units were sold until now. Way to go, Sony! Maybe the PS3 will follow? Probably not.
But PSP vs. PS3 beef aside, it appears that the handheld has also became the best seller in Japan, defeating the long-life rival, Nintendo DS. Part of the reasons for that are the numerous models available (PSP-1000, PSP-2000, slim and light PSP) and color variations (totaling seven different colors). Two brand new bundle packs are expected to hit the market, too - the PSP Metallic Blue Value Pack and PSP Metallic Blue 1 Seg Pack even though it is not very clear what extras they will offer.
Also, the over 580 titles released for the PSP seem to have made the difference in Japan, while titles like LocoRoco 2, Patapon 2, Secret Agent Clank, Gundam Battle Universe, The Legend of Heroes: Sora No Kiseki and Phantasy Star Portable keep the interest high.
This is clearly great news for Sony, as opposite to the announcement made by Square Enix at E3 regarding the availability of Final Fantasy XIII on Xbox 360 consoles, too - a fact which had as result an increase of five percent for the developer's share price. But that doesn't seem to matter now - the handheld market is a huge one and being on top could offer enough revenue to make the company create an even better console for the next generation of games.