It's surprising how different the handheld market is from the home console market. While Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft seem to be staying away from multiple console hardware revisions (the PS3 Slim being an exception), it seems like there's a new iteration of the PSP or DS coming out every few months.

Introduced late into the PSP's lifespan, the PSPgo fell short of expectations and hype. It could have been due to the high price tag or the lack of essential new features, but really, by the time it was released, most people who planned to purchase a PSP already had one - and saw little need to upgrade.

Well, it seems that, while the PSPgo wasn't a commercial success, it was a successful learning experience:

According to SCEE President and CEO Andrew House:

"[The PSPgo] was introduced in a mature lifecycle to learn more about what the consumer wanted and we’ve definitely learnt a lot. Is that measured by success in sales? I don’t think it is."

For a company as large and successful as Sony, I gave them more credit than this. I may not be a professional analyst, but this just seems like a cop-out excuse for why the PSPgo sold poorly.

While I'm sure Sony was interested in how players would react to a digital-only handheld, I highly doubt that this was their main goal come release. With the rampant success of the DS Lite and DSi, wouldn't it make sense for the guys over at Sony to release a new PSP in hopes of drawing in a larger crowd?

Not to mention, what about all the people that actually bought one? Is Sony going to continue to support the device - considering the lackluster sales? Of course, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker does stand a chance of reinvigorating the device.

Do you think there's any hope for the PSPgo at this point? Think Sony will release a PSP 2 at E3?

Source: MCV