NGP Confirmed for 2011 Release

It looks like Sony’s NGP handheld will be launching in 2011.  Lazard Capital Markets has recently published a report confirming that at a recent analyst’s day confirmed the rumors of the release date for the device.  These dates were confirmed for a U.S. release, but the international dates weren’t quite as solid.  Pricing for the device is still one of the major pieces of the puzzle that gamers are waiting for to see if the device will fit into their budgets.  The analyst believes that many of the finer details will arrive at Sony’s press conference at E3 2011.

The analyst did note that they are concerned “an initially high price point could limit the market opportunity for NGP, since Sony continues to balance profitability goals with unit sales.”  They also noted that many of the games for the device are impressive.

Will Sony follow the same path that they went down with the PS3?  Many say that the early entry level prices for the home console were a little on the high-end.  However, the launch lineup for the PS3 didn’t seem to be quite as robust as what has already been announced for the NGP.