PSP: 12 burning questionsWe don't know about you, but we have been dying to get some questions answered about the PSP. In our interview with Chee Weng Seng, assistant general manager and head of the Marketing Division at Sony Singapore, we find out what Singapore PSP fans can expect on May 12, 2005.
Q1. On May 12, what will the PSP be retailing for? Will there be additional freebies bundled and will it be available at all retail game shops? A: The PSP with the Value Pack will be retailing at S$455 (US$334.99), GST included. For the hardware itself, there is a 12-month warranty but we urge consumers to go online and register as a MySony member to get an extended six-month warranty. For PSPs from Sony Singapore, we will be selling direct through the eight Sony outlets in Singapore. Q2. Wouldn't there be any free games bundled with the PSP? For the games, we did not want to bundle it with any specific titles as we want to allow our consumers to make their own selections. Q3. So how many games will be available at the launch? At launch timing, there will be seven titles available initially, and by the end of May, there will be 12 titles in all. Q4. Will there be any difference between the Singapore PSP and the Japanese PSP? No, both PSPs will be the same except for regional coding. Q5. Regional coding? Are there plans to bring UMD (Universal Media Disc) movies into Singapore? And when will this take place? For UMD movies, there will be strict regional coding, so essentially we will promote the DVD coding structure. Subsequently movies shipped into Singapore will be under region code 3, although we do not have any indication of when this will take place. Q6. In your opinion, will we be seeing the UMD storage format exported to other Sony products as was the case with the Memory Stick format? At the moment, the UMD is meant only for the PSP. It is still too early to say, but there are definitely possibilities although we are unable to speculate. ... at this point in time, we are not out to seek market share
Q7. A major issue that is bothering PSP owners is Sony's exchange policy for dead pixels. For Sony Singapore, what are the terms that will constitute an exchange e.g. minimum number of dead pixels? We have already been informed by our colleagues in the US and Japan. For the present moment, we will monitor the situation very closely from the point of launch.
Q8. But for any potential buyer of the PSP, this issue on dead pixels is a very important one. How soon can Sony release information regarding the warranty support for dead pixels, especially since it will be available in shops on May 12?
Q9. What percentage of the local portable gaming market does Sony Singapore hope to capture with the PSP?
Q10. There are rumors that Nintendo has a new Game Boy lined up by year end and that Nokia is planning a new N-Gage. How does Sony view such potential competition for the PSP?
Q11. For PSP accessories, does Sony Singapore have intentions to introduce any? Or would consumers have to depend on third-party products?
Q12. For the US and South Korea, special content sites have been designed for PSP owners. Will there be a similar one for Singapore PSP owners?
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