LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Sony Corp. said on Thursday it will release its PSP portable video game system on March 24 in North America.

The unit will retail as a "value pack" for $249.99 in the United States and C$299.99 in Canada. That package will include a number of accessories and a copy of the movie "Spider-Man 2" on Sony's new UMD disc format, designed for the PSP and capable of holding three times the data of a traditional CD-ROM.

Sony said around 24 titles would be available at launch or in the days following, representing all of the industry's major game publishers and genres. Games include "FIFA 2005," "Metal Gear Acid," "Need for Speed Rivals" and "Twisted Metal: Head On."

Sony also said it would build 1 million units for sale in North America in its current fiscal year, ending March 31.

The PSP was first released in Japan last year. It sells in two configurations there, a basic unit for less than 20,000 yen or $200 and a value pack for around 25,000 yen or roughly $240. Imports of the Japanese model to the United States have sold for $500 or more in the recent past.

In comparison, handheld market leader Nintendo Co. Ltd. sells its new DS portable for about $150 in the United States. That unit lacks many of the PSP's multimedia functions, however.

Copyright © 2005 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in ExtremeTech.