TOKYO--Today, Sony announced that UMD videos for the PSP will begin appearing in Japan on April 13, starting with the release of Spider-Man 2, Hellboy, and Resident Evil: Apocalypse. The three titles will be released at the price of 3,800 yen ($36), which is a 1,000 yen less than a standard PSP game and about the same price as a DVD movie. Spider-Man 2 will ship for free with the first wave of PSPs in the US, and the other two films will go on sale on April 19.

　　Meanwhile, Sony Music Entertainment will also release seven J-pop music videos on UMD, which will range in price from 2,940 yen ($28) to 4,935 yen ($47). Sony will continue to release movies and music videos in the new format on a monthly basis.

　　Sony has also released a list of 27 Japanese third-party companies that will be releasing UMD content. Most of the other companies are game publishers that have some form of operation in the anime business, such as Aquaplus, Bandai, Capcom, and Square Enix. Bandai has previously announced that it will release Mobile Suit Gundam for PSP as its first UMD title, and Marvelous Entertainment announced today that it will also release anime titles on the PSP, although the company hasn’t disclosed any specific ones. The only non-anime UMD video currently announced by a Japanese third party is Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, which will be released by Square Enix.

　　Sony has shipped 1.18 million PSP units in Japan as of the end of February.

　　A full list of third-party UMD publishers is as follows:

　　Aniplex

　　Aquaplus

　　Asmik-ace Entertainment

　　Bandai

　　Bandai Visual

　　Capcom

　　Digital Media Lab

　　Enterbrain

　　GDH

　　Happinet

　　Hudson

　　JSDSS

　　Koei

　　Marvelous Entertainment

　　Mediaworks

　　Nikkatsu

　　Pony Canyon

　　Saidera Paradiso

　　Shougakukan Production

　　Sony Computer Entertainment Japan

　　Sony Music Entertainment

　　Sony Pictures Entertainment

　　Spike

　　Square Enix

　　Tohokushinsha Film

　　Tomy

　　Toppan Printing

　　UMD music video lineup

　　Release date / Artist / Title / Price / Label

　　4/13 - Asian Kung-fu Generation, Video clip collection vol.1, 2,940 ($28), Kioon Records

　　4/13 - Sayaka, Dolls, 2,940 ($28), Sony Music Records

　　4/13 - Skoop OnSomebody, S.O.S. Clips Vol.1, 2,415 ($23), SME Records

　　4/13 - Soul'd Out, Dream'd Live, 2,940 ($28), SME Records

　　4/13 - Sowelu, Video Clips Vol.1, 3,465 ($33), Defstar Records

　　4/13 - Nakashima Mika, Film Lotus IV, 4,935 ($47), Sony Music Associated Records

　　4/13 - Rythem, Utatane no Me Video Clips, 1,3,990 ($38), Sony Music Associated Records

　　4/27 - Yuki, Yuki Video, 3,47 5($33), Epic Records Japan