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With the introduction of its PSP (PlayStation Portable), Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) has attacked Nintendo in the handheld game machine sector. As with the introduction of the original PlayStation game console in 1994, SCE is a late-comer to a market dominated by Nintendo, and hopes to seize market share with a high performance
product and compelling game software. The outcome of this looming battle will be particularly critical for Nintendo, which currently holds over 95 percent of the portable game machine market with its GameBoy Advance and GameBoy Advance SP, and has just introduced its own new portable console – the Nintendo DS.
This Product Trend Update discusses the design concepts of the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP, as well as the marketing strategies the two firms are pursuing as they enter their second major battle in game machines in the past decade; compares the specifications and system profiles of the DS and the PSP; and provides background on the two companies and what the Japanese trade press is saying about this next phase of their rivalry. |