Why PSP Will Have a Big Year in 2009

Although the PSP reached 50 million units sold (quite an accomplishment even for today's standards), many fans and critics still criticize Sony for their mishandling of their first handheld gaming system. It looks like Sony may be able to finally live up to their end of the bargain at least in 2009. Here are five reasons why the PSP will have a big year in 2009.

Consistent Releases

The PSP had a stellar 2008 in the first-half with Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII and God of War: Chains of Olympus leading the charge. However, it fell off the face of the planet in the second half with no notable titles released during that time period. 2009 is already looking like a more consistence year for output with Resistance: Retribution coming in the spring, Dissidia: Final Fantasy in the summer and Assassin's Creed slated for the fall. Not to mention there might be several other surprises as the year goes on.

Third-Party Support

The 50 million units sold milestone may have open some eyes from third-party developers. With Square Enix leading the way with Dissidia: Final Fantasy and other potential 2009 titles like Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, third-party support has never been better with big name games (Assassin's Creed, Rock Band Unplugged) on the horizon in 2009 and beyond.

Casual Audience

One of the reasons the PSP is lagging behind is sales against the Nintendo DS is because of Sony's lack of insight on casual gamers. In 2009, they will try to alleviate this problem by selling the Hannah Montana PSP Entertainment Pack, which caters to the young female demographic. By expanding their market, Sony will also increase the sales of PSPs.

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