Launched in the UK in 2005, Sony PSP was heralded as 'the Walkman for the 21st century' as a reference to the multimedia capabilities it offered. Eagerly awaited, it promised to put a rich experience into the hands of gamers who had only previously been able to access this via large console platforms. Additionally, the introduction of the unique Sony UMD storage disc opened up a world of content, that could consumed on the go, the precursor to todays tablets and smartphones.

 

As the first console of its kind, the creative strategy for launch was required to fulfil a number of marketing and communications targets. Firstly, how to maintain consumer anticipation in the six months between the North American and European launches, and secondly how to create a destination, through which education about the device could be communicated, additionally driving users into content areas to encourage purchase and download.

 

Reflecting the media capbility of the PSP, the site design was intentionally rich, using game-like transitions between content, fully animated product discovery areas and sophisticated personalised content delivery (yourpsp.com) based on consumer profiles. Initially introduced as a pre-launch tool, with introductory offers and competitions, the site was switched on at launch to specifically provide an immediate layer of content for new purchasers of the PSP.

 

The PSP launch was immediately successful, with all UK stock sold within 3 hours and amounting to over 185k units, rising to 1m in the first week. Device registration online saw 75% of these customers pass through yourpsp.com with a majority downloading content or purchasing additional accessories. Return visits to the site were high, predominantly for unique games updates, free downloads, prizes and PSP news.