Sony Giving Away 10 Free PSPgo Games

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It’s no secret that the PSPgo has been doing poorly, with Sony themselves even admitting that “mistakes were made” with the media-less PSPgo handheld. With sagging sales numbers and very likely rumors of a PSP 2 being announced at E3 next month, it looks like Sony UK is changing their strategy for the PSPgo in the UK.

The first part of their new strategy will be the “PSP Essentials” software, which will be similar to the “Greatest Hits” games on the PlayStation 3. The idea is that they’ll be popular games that are being rebranded and sold for a cheaper pricepoint – in this case, the PSP Essentials will be sold for just £9.99 ($14.44).

Now, any Brit who registers a PSPgo after April 1st, 2010, will be able to chose 10 free game downloads from the PSP Essentials line. This includes some epic triple-A PSP games like GTA: Chinatown Wars, LittleBigPlant and Gran Turismo Portable.

English industry site MCV chatted with Sony UK’s sales manager, Mark Howsen, who said the following:

On PSPgo we’ve decided to innovate with that particular business model. Next month we’re launching a free ten game offer. And this isn’t just older titles – we’ve worked with third parties and there’s some really good core products. We’re using it as a method to drive the hardware as well by making the whole proposition much more appealing.

I don’t know if it is as much “innovating” as it is a desperate change in sales to boost numbers. One of the biggest complaints you’ll see for the PSPgo is that any previous PSP gamer will have his entire UMD collection invalidated if he purchases the PSPgo (which doesn’t use physical media – digital distribution only). UK gamers may feel a bit more inclined to upgrade to a PSPgo now that they might be able to get some of their games back for free.

So far, this deal will be in the UK only. Perhaps if Sony sees a big spike in UK sales of the PSPgo, they’ll bring it to North America. Until then…