Nintendo UK boss welcomes European PSP launch

The arrival of the PSP in Europe will actually grow Nintendo's handheld business, according to the company's UK general manager David Yarnton, who told GamesIndustry.biz that he considers it to be "pretty positive".

Speaking at a Nintendo showcase event in London, Yarnton said that the arrival of new competition in the market would help to focus consumer attention and spending on videogames, and attract more people to handheld gaming.

"Whenever someone else has come into the market, whether it be Sony or Microsoft, it's been really good," he commented, "because what it's done is focused a lot of attention on the industry, and I think it has always grown it a bit more."

"If we look at this year, just look at the amount of media attention that's been given to handheld since Sony started looking to get into the market - it's been really positive. We've had huge growth since that's happened."

Yarnton also discussed the impact that the slippage of Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess will have on Nintendo's Christmas line-up for the Cube, and how the DS is hoping to grow the market overall with titles like Nintendogs and Electroplankton.

You can read the full interview with David Yarnton on the site today - and if you haven't already, check out our interview with Sony's UK boss, Ray Maguire, at the launch of the PlayStation Portable in Europe on Wednesday night.