Looking at the latest batch of NPD charts, PSP hardware sales in North America have taken a dive compared to last year. Figures for February 2009 peg the drop-off at a decline of 18 percent. Not a huge drop by any stretch of the word, but still something to be concerned about. Is Sony planning to cut the price in an effort to increase momentum and combat Nintendo’s forthcoming DSi? The answer is no, not this year at least. Says marketing exec John Koller:

As far as a price drop, there’s nothing planned and we’re not looking at that right now.

Too bad. However, Koller also rightfully points out that there are a number of major software titles on the horizon for PSP, the likes of which include LittleBigPlanet and Assassin’s Creed. Here’s hoping these efforts will be enough to ignite stateside interest in the portable. Sony appears to be banking on the fact that they will.

Q&A: Sony’s John Koller Talks PSP’s Downloadable Future [Wired]

Follow this author on Twitter.