PSPgo off to slow start
Stop and go
Despite PSPgo launching at the beginning of the month, PSP hardware sales were down in October pointing to a lack of interest in the spendy portable.
The big news out of last month's sales figures was the triumph of Sony's Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, but PSP sales figures paint a less-than rosy picture for the company's handheld efforts.
According to NPD Group, sales of PSP hardware declined in the month of October. 190.4k PSPs were sold in September versus 174k in October. That's significant when you consider the launch of PSPgo on October 1. Clearly, the new portable did nothing to boost sales.
This could be troubling for Sony, particularly as it looks to cultivate interest in PSP in the face of competition from Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch, as well as Nintendo DSi. These rival devices are selling at nearly four times the rate as PSP. A high price tag could be dragging sales down.
While it's far too early to tell if PSPgo is a failure, the portable's success will largely be determined by sales through the all-important holiday months of November and December.
