UMD movie sales top 100,000

According to Reuters, Sony executives have said that UMD movie sales have topped the 100,000 mark. The Universal Media Discs, Sony's proprietary format for the PlayStation Portable, can fit in the palm of gamers' hands and deliver near high-definition quality on the handheld's LCD screen.

The sales mark is particularly impressive because the PSP is primarily marketed as a gaming machine and is still relatively new in the marketplace. The handheld was released in December in Japan and in March in North America.

Before the PSP was released, the chances of UMD films' success were questionable, recalling previous failures like MiniDisc audio discs and Betamax video cassettes. But the overall acceptance of the format has seen movie studios, many of which were initially hesitant to release their movies on UMD, open the floodgates.

Among the film studios that have announced their support for the format are Paramount Pictures (Team America: World Police, Coach Carter), 20th Century Fox (Super Troopers, Predator), and Lions Gate Entertainment (Total Recall, Open Water).

Many of the movies released near the PSP's launch were targeted at the 18- to 34-year-old male demographic, with movies such as Spider-Man 2, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, and XXX. But now that the format has proven it has some staying power, PSP owners can look forward to more than just machismo action movies. A slew of television show collections (Ren & Stimpy), comedies (Monty Python and the Holy Grail), and Japanese anime movies (Ninja Scroll) are headed to the PSP.

Sony's European president Chris Deering told Reuters, "DVD sales are flattening. Consumers already have bought all the film titles they want for their DVD. The publishers are looking for new ways to sell discs."