Sony
That's the great thing about having major franchises in not just one but two arenas. Sony may essentially lead the console market, but it also has a palpable presence on Nintendo's turf -- I'm talking about the PSP handheld wonder, of course. And now, Sony has upped the game concerning that platform.
Looks like those in the market for a shiny new Sony portable device will have a choice. Instead of being forced to shell out $250 for a PSP with a couple of accessories, consumers will now be able to buy just the PSP and the requisite rechargeable battery system for about $200. This is pretty clever, actually, because it sort of feels like it's a price cut when it isn't, exactly. Granted, the case that came with the $250 model might not be so sacrosanct, but users will end up springing for a memory stick and headphones to go along with the lesser-priced PSP.
Nevertheless, this promotion should convert more kids (and more than a fair amount of adults, too) into PSP owners; with Easter around the corner, the fuel is there to pump this scheme up. Not only is that music to Sony's ears, but it's also a merry tune to companies such as Activision
Perhaps a bigger angle to this pricing tier involves Sony's fight against Microsoft
Sony wants its brand equity to colonize as much mindshare as possible. Fifteen million PSP units have been shipped to retailers around the globe -- Sony is banking on this number to go substantially higher after this initiative. It is also banking on leveraging it to create excitement for PlayStation 3 ... and I think the company will be able to do just that.
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Fool contributor Steven Mallas owns none of the companies mentioned. The Fool has a disclosure policy.