Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida was recently quoted as saying their PSP had been doing “better than they had planned,” leaving some folks scratching their heads. Had Sony planned on the PSP bombing? Sarcastic Gamer set out to uncover the answer to this question and you might be surprised what we found.

It turns out what Yoshida was referencing was a new market segment they’ve entered into that hadn’t previously been pursued. Sony has started marketing the PSP in common office supply stores and catalogs under the name Sony PSP, but when you read the fine print, it actually said Playstation Paperweight. The new model looks and feels exactly like the PSP-1000 and PSP-2000 models we’re familiar with, but lacks all the electronics inside the case.

Sarcastic Gamer followed the trail of a user review on Office Depot’s website to Ms. Teresa Evans from Bowling Green, KY. When we contacted Evans, she said she’s been overjoyed after learning of the PSPs and has has purchase six so far. “At $49.99 each, they’re a steal! I’m using five on my desk at work and I gave one to my nephew as a Christmas present!”

The new PSPs have proven so popular, that many people have converted their PSP-1000 and PSP-2000 models into the new PSP-0000 model by way of intentionally introducing a faulty firmware into their multimedia device. We were able to track down several tutorials for converting your interactive PSP into one of these more functional models.

In an informal poll conducted by Sarcastic Gamer, approximately 23% of those surveyed weren’t sure whether their PSP was the new paperweight model or not. This new direction for Sony seems to be a real win for them and according to Yoshida, the $49.99 retail price provides a very attractive profit margin for the company. He even mentioned plans for a PS3-0000 coming in the fall for industrial environments where larger paperweights may be needed. Yoshida hinted at several cross-promotion deals in the works including one with a prominent yacht manufacturer looking for stylish anchors to ship with their high-end luxury yachts. Sarcastic Gamer will report on that story as it develops.

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