PSP World

White PSP, Platinum Hits, more for Europe

In the midst of their North American announcements, Sony has unveiled a myriad of news for European gamers. The Ceramic White model of the PSP, available in Japan for quite some time, will be sold as part of a PSP Value Pack in Europe beginning May 15th, 2006 for the price of €249.

“We are delighted to be launching the Ceramic White PSP in Europe”, said Stephane Hareau, PSP Senior Brand Manager for SCEE. “The sophistication and elegance of the Ceramic White PSP will encourage many more people to discover the unique entertainment experience of PSP. With the features and benefits of PSP expanding all the time, and with more PSP innovations on the horizon, PSP will soon become an essential companion for everyone’s entertainment needs”.

PSP owners in Europe and Austrailia will be able to enjoy classic PSP titles for less thanks to the 'Platinum' Greatest Hits series, which will initially include 20 games and will be available June 1st. Titles will include Everybody’s Golf, WRC and F1 Grand Prix, Medievil Resurrection, Ridge Racer, Pursuit Force, Virtua Tennis World Tour, WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2006, Need for Speed Underground Rivals, Burnout Legends, Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire and Peter Jackson’s King Kong.

“We are absolutely delighted that the success of Virtua Tennis World Tour has made it eligible to join the PSP Platinum collection,” said Mike Hayes, Chief Operating Officer of Sega Europe. “As with previous Platinum collections, this brand represents a huge ‘seal of quality’ for the consumer. It is a great accolade and a ringing endorsement of the popularity of Virtua Tennis World Tour”.

PSP owners in 9 countries will soon be able to download free content from some 300 PlayStation Spots that will be going up in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Australia.

“Through the PlayStation Spot network, the PSP owner will gain free access to a rich collection of diverse content in conventional, but also the most unpredictable, locations”, explained Stephane Hareau, SCEE’s Senior Brand Manager for PSP. “With content specifically selected for the event, venue or occasion, this will really add to the unique entertainment experience enjoyed with PSP."

As of the latest firmware upgrade, gamers in Europe can now enjoy their TV on the PSP thanks to LocationFree TV. The LocationFree Base Station, which has two connections for AV equipment such as a DVD/HDD recorder, can be plugged directly into an existing home network or it can establish a wireless link directly to a PSP system.

Finally, Europe will see the launch of interactive city guides thanks to Planet PSP. Developed with travel experts from Lonely Planet, the guides will offer PSP-formatted Audio Tours, Video Content, and pre-built Itineraries, as well as information on points of interest, essential information, and getting around. Featured cities will include Amsterdam, Barcelona, London, Paris, Prague and Rome, with more guides to follow in the future.