Midnight Sales On The East And West Coast Celebrate The Launch Of PSP™ (PlayStation® Portable)

Sony Style Retail in New York and PlayStation Store in San Francisco Host Special Midnight Events to Mark the Launch of the Years Must-Have Product

News by GamesIndustry International Contributor

Published on March 23, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOSTER CITY, Calif., March 21, 2005 In response to tremendous consumer anticipation for the North American launch of the PSP^TM(PlayStation^® Portable) handheld entertainment system, select retailers across the country will open their doors to eager consumers at the stroke of midnight on March 24th. The most anticipated product of the year will be available at participating retail locations nationwide including special Sony Computer Entertainment America hosted events at Sony Style Retail in Manhattan, New York and the PlayStation Store at the Metreon in San Francisco.

With a record number of consumers expected to line up to be among the first to purchase the PSP system, fans in New York and San Francisco will be treated to the ultimate entertainment experience with sneak peeks at new games, giveaways, surprise appearances and more leading up to the moment of truth at midnight. At Sony Style Retail in New York, host Carson Daly will kick off the biggest consumer product launch of 2005 where one lucky consumer will purchase the first PSP in North America. Additionally, there will be an exclusive consumer launch event for PSP at the PlayStation Store in San Francisco.

"Consumer demand for PSP is higher than any product in recent history," said Kaz Hirai, president and chief executive officer, Sony Computer Entertainment America. "The fact that select retailers are responding to this launch by opening their doors early to allow enthusiasts to get one as soon as they hit shelves, reinforces the true appeal of PSP as an object of desire."

"Like most consumers, we can't wait for the launch of PSP," said Dennis Syracuse, senior vice president, Sony Style Retail. "The PSP reflects all that Sony Style Retail has to offer with games, movies, music and photos at your fingertips. PSP represents true entertainment convergence in one device."

Already a phenomenon in Japan, PSP is poised for a category-shifting launch when the single-SKU PSP Value Pack is made available on March 24 for a suggested retail price of $249.99. In addition to the revolutionary hardware that allows for a comprehensive entertainment experience including games, movies, music and photos all in a single portable product, the PSP Value Pack contains an extraordinary package of accessories and entertainment content including a special UMD video release of the feature film Spider-Man ^TM2 from Sony Pictures Entertainment for the first one million PSP Value Packs shipped. PSP is also host to an unsurpassed line-up of 24 titles available in North America during the launch timeframe, with an additional 100 titles currently in development worldwide.

About PSP^TM(PlayStation^® Portable)

PSP^TM(PlayStation^® Portable) is a new handheld entertainment system that allows users to enjoy 3D games, high-quality full-motion video, and high-fidelity stereo audio. With graphics rendering capability comparable to that of PlayStation^®2, PSP features a 4.3 inch wide screen, high-resolution TFT display. PSP also adopts a newly developed compact but high-capacity (1.8GB) optical disc, Universal Media Disc (UMD^TM), as its storage medium. With a wide range of accessories and connectivity options, including Memory Stick Duo, USB 2.0, IR port and Wi-Fi wireless LAN, PSP is the new entertainment platform from PlayStation.

About Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. continues to redefine the entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation^® and PS one^TM game console, the PlayStation^®2 computer entertainment system and the PSP^TM (PlayStation^® Portable) handheld entertainment system. The PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system is set to revolutionize the home entertainment market, offering the most compelling interactive content and the capability to be used as a network terminal in the coming broadband era. PSP is a new portable entertainment system that allows users to enjoy 3D games, with high-quality full-motion video, and high-fidelity stereo audio.

Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. markets the PlayStation family of products and develops, publishes, markets and distributes software for the PS one game console, the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and the PSP handheld entertainment system for the North American market. Based in Foster City, Calif. Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. serves as headquarters for all North American operations and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

" PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks and "PSP" and "UMD" are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo, ATRAC3plus and MagicGate are trademarks of Sony Corporation