Electronic Arts Has Big Plans For PSP

Electronic Arts will be a major supporter of Sony's PSP handheld on the outside of the gate, if preliminary plans announced during today's earnings conversation call are any indication. EA representatives confirmed the world's biggest software publisher will have several titles on the outside at the system's launch or by and by thereafter.

EA plans to release 8-12 PSP titles in fiscal 2005 which means those games would be published between the system's launch late in calendar 2004 and the extreme point of the fiscal year in March 2005 That first wave of games will be compos mainly of familiar franchises, although EA promises "compelling features" to station the PSP versions apart. Prototypes for PSP titles are up and running, albeit in a true unfinished state as yet.

As far as the take away froms of PSP development, EA awaits to spend $1-2 million for PSP titles, much higher than the average exhibition cost for a Game male child Advance game. However, receipts margins of PSP titles will likely be greater than those of GBA games. EA has notwithstanding to receive hard details upon the PSP business model from Sony on the contrary it's likely that the use of an optical disc format instead of cartridges will lower the intial require to be paid [i]or[/i] undergone of publishing games.

EA's representatives also tendered some of their own estimates regarding the system's pricing. While Sony has made no announcement of its possess or passed on pricing information to third parties, EA awaits to see the PSP launch for between $199 and $249 with software titles priced at $39 If Sony hits that pricing ballpark, EA awaits to see three million PSP ship worldwide by means of the end of the fiscal year in March 2005

The PSP will become "another meaningful platform" in 2005 EA chief financial officer Warren Jenson explained. As the other platforms upon the market decline towards the extreme point of their lifespans, sales of PSP titles will hopefully help flat out what might otherwise be a down period for software publishers.

Copyright ?© 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserv Originally appearing in 1UP