If you've put your PSP and PS2 in a box marked "Too old to be playable, too young to be retro," you'll be surprised to learn that the demand for both the PlayStation handheld and the PlayStation 2 is so high that Sony can hardly handle it. Jack Tretton was asked what plans were for the PSP line whilst speaking with Forbes, and he explained why it wouldn't be disappearing off shelves for the time being.
"The PSP will continue to sell on at $129. Right now there is more demand for PSP than there is production capacity… that is pretty much truth with the PlayStation2 as well. PlayStation 2 will continue to sell as long as we can build it profitably and there is an audience for it, and PSP will follow that same trend.
"There has been an introduction of a new model in Europe, more of a downsized version, not in terms of form factor but in the UMD playback capabilities and Wi-Fi capabilities. It was more a pure gaming machine at a lower retail price. There is room for customization, but I think the goal would be to drive the retail price down as to opposed to adding features that are going to add cost."
Of course, this doesn't mean that the PSP is suddenly selling millions of units every week (although it wouldn't surprise me to learn lots of kids are getting PSPs as their friends get Vitas), but that demand is still high. And that's in light of the pre-owned market as well, where it's possible to get a practically new PS2 for as little as £20.
