In a previous statement, Sony expressed hope for a global release for its upcoming handheld, the PSP. It's now been confirmed that the PSP will not see release in America until 2005. This comes months after the planned release of the PSP in Japan, which will occur later this year.
Sony plans to release the PSP in the 2005 fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2005, but probably not before the 2004 calendar year is over. Why the delay? In the words of a Sony spokesperson who talked to gamespot.com...
We have received an overwhelming amount of support from the software development community with regard to PSP. In order to ensure that the launch timeframe is well-supported, we want to allow developers and publishers sufficient time to optimize content for our new portable entertainment platform.
What's this mean? Basically, it's not Sony's fault, but the third parties that will be producing software for the handheld. The system's done and would be ready for the proposed global launch. Instead, Sony will give developers and publishers time to work on titles for the system.
In a word... BRILLIANT. If this really is the reason and not just a PR job, then Sony deserves all the credit in the world. Rather than rushing out a system with a bad launch lineup (read: GameCube), Sony is taking its time with the PSP to ensure that the games that are released with the system are the ones that showcase all that the PSP has to offer. That's what you want to do with a launch, and that's what Sony will do. Evidently, the company didn't feel that this can happen by the end of 2004. They lose the holiday sales, but their launch will be incredibly solid with the right titles available, not only in the form of Sony first-party games, but for third-parties as well. My only question is, why put out the PSP in Japan if the holdup is on the software end and not the hardware? Shouldn't they have the same problems overseas? Perhaps there's a greater difference between the two markets than one might hypothesize.
Getting back on topic, where does this leave the Nintendo DS? Well, they have competition with itself if it launches in 2004, which has been the announced date for the system's release. However, the question of third-party support is now a significant one. With Sony taking the time to make sure that the best games will be out at launch, will Mario DS (or whatever Nintendo puts out) be enough? Outside developers haven't had a whole lot of time to put anything together for this system. Can Nintendo really be expected to have the kind of launch it needs on such short notice? This is a company that should know all about setting a tone for its system, if only from its failure to do so in the recent past, so that's definitely something to watch for.
Also, realize that no matter what Nintendo says, the DS IS intended to compete with the PSP. Think about it. The market hasn't demanded a system with two screens, yet Nintendo's putting one out anyway. This is with Nintendo already having the top handheld out there. What's more is that they were intended for release around the same time. This has obviously changed due to the delay of the PSP. What I'm saying is, don't be surprised to see Nintendo push back the DS, and especially don't be surprised if they use the same reasoning as Sony did.