In a move that will help Nintendo executives sleep easier this holiday season, Sony has confirmed it is delaying the North America launch of its PSP handheld gaming system until the first quarter of next year.
Device, which will also include music and video playback capabilities, was skedded to hit U.S. stores late this year, at the same time it launches in Japan. However, while PSP will still come out in Japan this year, a Sony rep said the U.S. debut is being held back to support more game development so that PSP launches with a strong library of software.
Move may indicate problems for the major publishers that have confirmed they are making games for PSP, including Electronic Arts, Activision and THQ.
The delay gives Nintendo, which currently dominates the handheld gaming market with its Gameboy Advance, more time to establish its upcoming DS, a two-screen handheld gaming system set to debut at the E3 conference in May and hit stores in the fourth quarter. Sony, whose Playstation 2 is the biggest-selling gaming console, is likely to be a serious challenger to Nintendo, unlike the Nokia N-Gage combo cell phone and game system, which has sold poorly since its October launch
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