Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) announced today that there will be a midnight opening tonight for the PSP at select retailers across the country. When the calendar flips over to March 24th, the highly anticipated Sony handheld will be the center of late-night openings, including special SCEA hosted events at Sony Style Retail in Manhattan, New York and the PlayStation Store at the Metreon in San Francisco. Fans in New York and San Francisco will be given first-looks at new games and opportunities to receive free giveaways. Carson Daly will host the Manhattan festivities.

"Consumer demand for PSP is higher than any product in recent history," said Kaz Hirai, SCEA president and chief executive officer. "The fact that select retailers are responding to this launch by opening their doors early to allow enthusiasts to get one as soon as they hit shelves, reinforces the true appeal of PSP as an object of desire."

"Like most consumers, we can't wait for the launch of PSP," said Dennis Syracuse, senior vice president, Sony Style Retail. "The PSP reflects all that Sony Style Retail has to offer with games, movies, music and photos at your fingertips. PSP represents true entertainment convergence in one device."

The PSP will be available March 24 everywhere in North America as part of a Value Pack, which will retail for a suggested retail price of $249.99. The PSP hardware has functions for games, movies, music and photos and the Value Pack contains a UMD video release of the film Spider-Man 2 for the first one million shipped. 24 titles will be available in North America during the PSP's "launch timeframe" and an additional 100 titles are currently in development worldwide.