Ben-DutkaThe PSP Go doesn't simply represent another version of Sony's handheld device, it also ushers in a new age of development strategy.
Sony is now "aggressively courting developers around the world" to provide content for the digital-powered and UMD-less PSP (set to release on October 1 of this year), and furthermore, it seems they also want to introduce a "streamlined content pipeline," which not only includes disposing of concept approval, but also cheaper development kits, shorter QA processes, and "very low price points for new games." During E3, SCEE's head of developer relations, Zeno Colaco, spoke about this new strategy to Develop :
"One of the things that has been exciting in my time at Sony is the big shift changes we have seen – the latest is that consumers have been consuming digital content in a totally different way. Sony’s been working very hard to find our position in that and bring top-end gaming to not just the consumers who were there for the launch of PSP, but extending to an audience that is changing how it consumes entertainment and applications.
We’re introducing new initiatives for the PSP which take it beyond traditional gaming, but still includes elements from gaming, and also includes new developers."
Sony has already recruited over 50 studios to make games and new applications for the new portable and more will soon sign up, and their completed projects will be purchased and enjoyed by the consumer in a special way. Essentially, Sony will add a new branch to the PlayStation Store, which will be open to both the PSP and PSP Go. The idea of "streamlining content" will allow Sony to follow in Apple's footsteps in regards to the iPhone; provided they have Apple's approval, developers can sell just about whatever they want on the App Store. The PSP Go won't function in the exact same way – it won't be a "publicly available SDK" – but it's still a significant alteration in the way Sony approaches their handheld business.
"It is still a professional environment, you still need a development kit and you still need to have investment and a team. But it can be a small team. We don’t see any of the restrictions on the disc-based space being in this space."
Developer Subatomic's Ash Monif likes the idea of cheaper, less restrictive content that will quickly find its way into the hands of PSP owners. "You don't see this happening at Microsoft and you even don't see it happening at Nintendo yet," he said. He goes on to refer to the "snackability" of the content, which can fly across WiFi connections at super fast speeds. For instance, Subatomic are currently making games for the PSP Go that are only 20MB each, which translates to a download time of under one minute. Monif calls it a big opportunity for independent developers.
We had heard when the PSP Go was first announced that Sony would be looking to appeal to a wider audience, and this strategy is evidence of that goal. Now, the only question the hardcore have is, "okay, but will we still get the big blockbusters like God of War: Chains of Olympus and the like?" Well, we hope this focus on casual content won't override that; after all, we do have Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker coming, don't we…?
i'm starting to warm to the ideas that sony have in store for the psp go. however, the price point is a little too much for me and as such will probably buy a new psp 3000 with 16 gig memory and still walk away with change compaired to the go.
I am getting sick of my iphone, I think sony is a little bit late. They should of came out with this instead of the psp 3000. When the App store wasn't that big, but right now i don't think that they are in a posistion to compete with apple or ipods. i will just get a 16 gig memery stick and stick it in my original psp. but since they are going after apple and not microsoft then apple might play fair, but it does not normally end up like that with big name companies. I guess we will have to wait and see
Last edited by kevinater321 on 7/14/2009 11:22:38 AM
October 1st is going to be the best day ever in gaming history. You get the PSP Go, Gran Turismo 5 on PSP, Blur, Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, Rogue Warrior, Borderlands, and UNCHARTED 2!!!!! I think that October 1 should a holiday for gaming.
Happy Playstation Day!!!
If Uncharted hits Oct 1st I'll take the day off.
That is so awsome! we should have a celabration every octerober 1's ( what you pretty much said) but noit a holiday just like a recognition 😛
We can always have more holidays.
Kevin what ya jibba' jabbin' bout'?
lol
Sounds great. Can't wait to buy one; maybe when it drops below $200..
Sony really found a way to combat the used game stores. Can't trade in digital downloads after-all.
But I think they are opening themselves up to even more piracy concerns going all digital on the PSP Go.
If you make software small and cheap and easy to get, it's less likely to be pirated because it's not really worth the investment of time to do it. People are fundamentally honest and would rather pay anyway. If there are dozens od mini-games that take seconds to download and cost a buck or two, people will have no trouble buying them. Even a $5 game that downloads in a minute or so is easy enough. Give people an easy, inexpensive way to get something and they will take that option in preference to the illegal method. That's the point that the music industry has had such a hard time learning.
You can get tv shows for 2 dollars, people still pirate them like crazy.
I think Sony's picking their poison here. Either they lose some money on a $5 app/game here and there or lose a ton on a full blown game that get's recycled at Gamestop.
@Timster118.
Hell, thanks to having a 40-year addiction, for me "every day" is PLAYSTATION DAY".
And thanks to the pushers who have hit me up last month, with Army of Two, Resistance-1, Civil War:Secret Missions, and Overlord:Raising Hell, they've been keeping my gaming stash fully supplied.
And now thanks to the courtesy of drug manufacturer, Ubisoft, my newest drug of choice now for week 7/5/09, is FarCry-2.
(Damn, I just f*cking love my addiction)
Last edited by BikerSaint on 7/14/2009 6:51:47 PM
@ BikerSaint – damn really? I've got one last trophy for Mercenaries 2 to go then I'm moving on to Far Cry 2 as well. You let me know if you ever want to try to get some of those online trophies.
I can't wait!!
I will so buy this essay! a PSP with apps that should be awesome homes!
Why not provide a publicly available SDK? I'm sure there are tons of hobby developers out there with great ideas for "snackable" games. Apple has certainly had great success with this model, and M$ even offers free game development tools for all their platforms – including the Zune.
The reason my friend is known as the Shaking Baby application phenomena. When you make development so open and put few if any controls in place you get stupid applications that should never see the light of day on your platform. Sony is more conservative than Apple and has chosen a compromise between completely closed professional development and completely open amateur development. The cost of the dev kit isn't *that* high, if someone is serious about developing a Home brew application into a real commercial application, a modest investment in a real dev kit shouldn't be a deterrent.
Gotta love that they found offense with the Shaking Baby application but found nothing wrong with the Russian Roulette app. This guy at work constantly uses it when bored.
Shaking baby is a lame excuse. Besides, what's this big deal with the shaking baby app? If someone wants to spend their money on something like that, then so be it. If it's offensive to you then don't buy it. The most Apple should have done is slap some sort of "explicit content" warning on the app.
IMO censorship has no place in the video game world.
This is cool and all but, I want them to get moving even more on the PS3 front. All the energy seems to be going to PSP lately. Bring me the motion controlled bow and arrow, bring me the Sony Skynet firmware takeover, court some more exclusives, gotta gear up for xmas.
Once I get my hands on FF13 I'm set for a year.
Hey LV!
FF13 might be the first time I get a FF game on day one!
I suggest you do that, you wont be disappointed. One of the greatest joys I've had in gaming is discovering the worlds of the FF series.
Your screen name is "ffrulez" and FF12 was the only one you played on day one? hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
I'm having a grand time playing FF7 and hope they release all other FF games on PSN, that would be great!!
If the PSP Go! won't have better graphics & gameplay than the original PSP, I will NOT get one.
It wont
Now, I see the relevance of this machine!
@Alienange,
I'm really loving Farcry-2,
I figured I'd just play a little bit before bedtime last night, but when I looked up at the clock 11 hours had past, the sun was already up & it was now frigging 8:45AM(Now I know I can't be playing this the night's before I go to work) LOL
Anyways, I've never done online, & I usually shoot anything that moves, so I'd probably be a noob & shoot you by accident.
NOT A SPOILER: Hell, I even killed a gazelle as I was hard pressed speeding my technical down the plains. But I didn't shot him, his herd stampeded & he ran along side my jeep till I had to make a hard left & I made a large speed bump out of him. (damn, no trophy for beating a racing gazelle????) LOL.
But now that I'm just now starting to get into the whole trophy thing, so I guess I'll finally have to start going online here & there a bit, so if you don't mind a online newbie, & still want me to help get some of the online trophies, that's cool with me.
But just let me do a run through or two first so I can try & to see how many of my single mode trophies & extras I can get first.
So far after 14 hours of play, I've gotten 6 bronze, but I've been going off the path a lot, just to check out the vast scenery & environment in this huge landscape.
BTW, since I've never done online,I don't know how it all works. So when it's time, I'm guessing that I'll probably need to sync up the game and/or the PS3, or something like that, right????
Last edited by BikerSaint on 7/15/2009 2:32:27 PM