Sony PSP - PlayStation Portable back - KaleemI just got back to the office after attending the Sony PSP launch event earlier today.

A minute after midnight (March 24) Sony will officially make its debut into the North American handheld videogame market when major retailers throw open their doors to let hardcore gamers get their own PlayStation Portable (PSP).

High demand
Demand appears to be as strong as it was for the Nintendo DS portable game system which launched last November, if not stronger.

Videogame specialty retailer EB Games is one of Sony's launch partners along with Wal-Mart, Blockbuster, Rogers Video (in Canada), Toys R Us and others. There are one million PSPs entering the retail channel as of midnight tonight. More than ten percent of those units -- upwards of 100,000 PSPs-- comprise the Canadian allocation.

I was able to confirm that EBG has pre-sold 70% of its initial allocation of the PSP units it received. This is apparently a strategic decision to let the retail walk-in customer buy a PSP at an EBG location -- a smart move once other retailers are sold out -- as well as videogame software and other media, which is where the real money will be made since Sony is following the razor-razorblades business model.

ATV Offroad Fury for PSP delayed
But the pack of razorblades will be one short. Instead of the planned 24 videogame titles at launch (repeated several times during the presentations and in one-on-one conversations)  there will be 23 since the PSP edition of ATV Offroad Fury: Blazin' Trails -- a racing game -- has been delayed several weeks due to unspecified technical issues.