PSP street-date still in place
Reports of sales, but high-street chains hold firm - for now.
Although the PSP's official European launch is set for midnight Wednesday, we're getting sporadic reports that certain retailers have been allowing customers to collect their pre-ordered units since Friday.
However, if it's happening at all, it seems to be limited to certain specific locations and retailers. When we contacted GAME, Virgin and HMV this morning, representatives said that we'd have to wait until September 1st, with one GAME employee telling us that "absolutely nobody" would be allowed to walk off with one before then.
Well, not from then anyway - although we were in London on Friday and found at least one place that would sell us a US PSP over the counter and a selection of games from Japan and America.
UK PSP pre-orders have been sold out in most areas for some time. GAME apparently ran out on August 5th, and its website currently offers interested customers a "place in line" for the second allocation.
PSP officially launches in Europe on September 1st, priced £179 for a Value Pack, and games should retail for £34.99 or thereabouts.