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Guerrilla: NGP Has Potential To “Dominate Portables”

While the Nintendo 3DS is expected to once again be king of the portable gaming world, one developer says the Next Generation Portable might surprise everyone.

Killzone 3 lead multiplayer designer Martin Connor told CVG that Guerrilla is excited about Sony's new handheld effort, and that the announcement wasn't "underwhelming" at all. Said Connor:

"Some announcements for some of the handhelds in the past – and I'm not just talking about Sony handhelds, any handhelds – sometimes it can be a little bit underwhelming. But this one, everybody's appetite is whetted. We're all really looking forward to it.

It's probably important, because of the 3DS announcement, that we have something that can not only compete but can go on to dominate the portable market and I think with NGP that's exactly what we've got."

You probably already know, but a Killzone iteration is in the works for the NGP; you can catch a glimpse of it in that newly released video . It looks pretty damn good, as do many of the other titles on brief display. But can the NGP really take down the 3DS…? That seems like a tall order but then again, the technology – and hopefully, the games – will be there, so…

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BTNwarrior
BTNwarrior
14 years ago

unfortunatly the NGP doesn't have that gimmick that drives the masses wild, and that gimmick is 3d. Though it does have touch and motion control so maybe it has just enough gimmick for the "Holy Hell that thing is incredible" factor to shine through to consumers

Looking Glass
Looking Glass
14 years ago

Well, actually 3-D has the movie theater masses going wild. The other masses haven't caught on to it, including the handheld masses.

godsman
godsman
14 years ago

That's right. I doubt more than half the world has a HDTV. Out of those, I doubt even quarter has LED TV. Out of those I doubt even 10% are 3D TVs. So the market for 3D is really small. The audience interested in 3D is small, so 3DS is purely driving the market.

As for the theaters, I hate watching movies 3D. I specifically ask for movies not 3D. You tend to miss a lot of details in the background. 3D movies are nothing more than just flat images on different layers to get that 3D effect. In real 3D, a character in the movie pointing gun at the audience, you should be able to tilt left and right, and see the left and right side of the gun.

FatherSun
FatherSun
14 years ago

The market for 3D is completely wide open. Most have not upgraded to HD yet so they may just jump to 3D. The current demographic of 3DTV owners is what is at possibly 10%. It may be a gimmick but it is an option that some will choose. As long as my TV doesn't eliminate 2D viewing I will be OK.

As far as the NGP. It doesn't NEED 3D. It has everything else. But who's to say that Sony cannot include the tech before they release it. Of course if that were that case it would have given the 3DS a kick in the balls if announced prior to the 3DS release. But that is all speculation. Hopefully we will all find out this year.

godsman
godsman
14 years ago

@Fathasun,

I doubt 3D TV even has 1-2%. The fact that LED TV came out a year before that, even the tech guys won't upgrade again so early. A lot of people that is waiting to upgrade to LED TV didn't do so until 3D TV hit the market. I certainly think we won't see 3D TV in 10% until we need a new one that makes it obsolete, maybe in the next 2-3 years.

BTNwarrior
BTNwarrior
14 years ago

thats my point noby can afford a 3d tv, or their current tv is good enough for them. However when they are looking for a new portable system they will think "oh thats cool this one has 3d" and get it regardless of its quality

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

The NGP doesn't have that 3D gimmick – thank god, but on the other hand the NGP will have real video game support from an extensive list of publishers.

The 3Ds will more than likely continue the trend, or should we say love-affair, between Nintendo's handhelds and pitiable shovel-ware.

More mainstream gamers, those playing the snot out of Call of Duty for example, will have only a single choice – NGP. And it's getting a CoD game. So, if you want to call it a 'gimmick' I guess you could say that the ability to play near HD games including real FPS games on themove is a gimmickl.

Personally, I feel like there is a major separation of markets coming with the more adult and affluent hand held gaming market leaning on the NGP and the younger, more casual market going with the gimmick laden toy from Nintendo. Neither Nintendo or Sony need be too concerned about the various phones and pads around. For real gaming, you need real gaming controls, touch screens really can't give you that control or the tactile feedback from moving a stick, or pressing a button. When it comes to games, these things do matter.

Looking Glass
Looking Glass
14 years ago

You have a point there. The Call of Duty game alone is likely going to make the NGP a huge hit.

SmokeyPSD
SmokeyPSD
14 years ago

In the end the NGP will be prime graduating grounds for people with phones and pads though, due to the development of the playstation suite and that being crossplatform with the ngp itself.

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

Another great point Smokey, the PS Suite (aka PSS) will definitely help funnel some gamers to the NGP.

Alienange
Alienange
14 years ago

Love it or hate it, with CoD on the NGP, it's going to be VERY interesting to see whether it's accepted by the masses. I think it should be considering the dual sticks and HD screen, but we'll see.

And yeah, 3D is nonsense.

godsman
godsman
14 years ago

Anyone think NGP is a mouthful to say? PSP has a certain ring to it.

Now that Sony tried to give "NGP" the codename, they can't go back and call it PSP2 anymore, or it'll be really lame.

Swim_Irr
Swim_Irr
14 years ago

Great point about CoD! That's exactly what I had mentioned in a previous article.

CoD will bring the MASSES.

Oxvial
Oxvial
14 years ago

With all the hype on the #D that Sony did I'm actually surprised NGP doesnt has a 3D option, but I sont care too much I'm gonna use the 3DS for dat and my NGP for the pwnzor two sticks!.

And yes with a call of duty game and two sticks NGP has potential to beat the 3DS.


Last edited by Oxvial on 2/4/2011 11:24:25 AM

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

I honestly think 3D on a handheld is a waste of time. It's not the right format for 3D, certainly not with the technology we have available to us today. Including 3D on the NGP would be a needless and cost increasing move.


Last edited by TheHighlander on 2/4/2011 11:46:05 AM

godsman
godsman
14 years ago

If the NGP's network works out. I can already imagine these junior high school kids gathering in the school library with their friends to play call of duty on their NGP.

Dancemachine55
Dancemachine55
14 years ago

The NGP has a screen too small to achieve 3D effectively. And in saying that, 3DS will have its fair share of problems, especially with some kids playing 3D for too long and wrecking their eyesight over a long period of time.

3D movies are good if done right. I was quite impressed with some scenes in Green Hornet, and Avatar is what it is, a 3D movie in itself. Clash of the Tightens (Megamind joke ;P), not so much. 3D was really terrible, nothing popped out and there was little depth illusion.

I am happy to not have 3D on a handheld.
Only reason I'd go for 3DS is the games. Nintendo are playing on my and many other 20-40 year old's nostalgia with Zelda, Starfox 64 and Mario. Resident Evil looks good, but apart from the first party published Nintendo games, 3DS doesn't have much.

I reckon I'll go NGP first after it's first major price drop then go 3DS after it's 2nd major price drop, then just collect the best of the best around at that time.

No matter what side you're on (NGP or 3DS), just consider that you, the customer, ends up the winner in this war for handheld dominance.

SmokeyPSD
SmokeyPSD
14 years ago

I think either Nintendo is going to either fade or the market truely is splitting here. It really seems to me like worthwhile, depth of experience just isnt being looked for when a new hardware is put into R&D over at nintendo. It's not about pretty visuals, it's about depth of experience and yeah you don't need powerful hardware to do that, but you need capable hardware at least.

If gamers are really going to seriously game on the go then it's quite clear that NGP is offering the most pure outlet for developers and gamers alike.

godsman
godsman
14 years ago

I was looking back at old GBA games, most of them were remade into DS games with dual screen functions. The same will happen to DS games remade into 3D games. There's no doubt that that Nintendo will have a huge library of games once again. They are heavily relying on the 3D gimmick.

As for Sony's NGP, they seem to be targeting the FPS audience with their dual analog sticks. Even if FPS were not intended for this device, the market is full of FPS, they'll eventually work their ways into the handhelds. So Sony's main concern is to strengthen the online network.

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

Nintendo has made a career (so to speak) of recycling the same game over and over. OK, Sony is (for example) doing remastered HD updates of some PS2 classics, so some will accuse them of the same thing. However, I think there is a fundamental difference. Nintendo recycles games and sells the new iteration of the game as a reason to buy the new console. Sony on the other hand is bringing the HD remakes of PS2 games out in triple packs making them effectively budget games. Had software emulation of the PS2 been possible, we wouldn't have seen these HD remakes at all. So unlike Nintendo, Sony sells these recycled games (remastered in HD) as bonus content for the PS3, not as platform defining titles.

That practice of reselling the same tired Mario, Zelda, Metroid and the other recycled games just doesn't give a reason to look at Nintendo at all – IMHO…


Last edited by TheHighlander on 2/4/2011 11:57:29 AM

godsman
godsman
14 years ago

Highlander,

It's true that the Nintendo characters are getting too old and boring to me. I can't stand Mario games anymore. There are simply TOO many of him.

Although as for the remakes, not all of us are gamers are 20-40 year olds that lived through the history of gaming. I'm still convinced the 3DS are meant for kids. Kids that were never born on the GBA era, and missed the DS era because they were still too young, can play all the awesome games in the 3DS. Old gamers like us will probably move onto newer sources of gaming.

Alienange
Alienange
14 years ago

Developers are going to have to see that they can make money with the NGP before there's a huge influx of games. If NGP Killzone and especially CoD cannot turn a big profit, then I can see other devs losing interest in what is sure to cost a lot to make a hi-end game for the NGP.

On the flip side, not all NGP games can cost $50. Look at the mass amount of money that is being made with gaming on the iPhone. None of those games cost more than a few dollars.

When it comes to handheld gaming, you either make a great game that people will pay for, or you make an inexpensive diversion.

godsman
godsman
14 years ago

So far the Call of Duty market is around 20 million players across all platforms. In order to have an active online community, you'll need to maintain a flow of online gamers 24/7 throughout the year until the next game releases.

Some games on the consoles that sold 1 million is hard to maintain that active gaming for a year. So for NGP to remain active on Call of Duty, the NGP need to capture at least 2-3 million of the 20 million Call of Duty fans. THAT i think is a bit tough.

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

PlayStation Suite (PS1 games, PSS games and even PSP-minis) are all priced (or will be) in the more casual game range. Sony has done a good job with both the PSP and PS3 transitioning to a game model where not all games are sold at retail on disc for an MSRP of $40/$50/$60. Prior to the PS3 and PSn, there was none of that. In 4 years Sony has morphed a lot of their business to give focus to smaller, bite sized, more casual games. They cater to both tastes and the cost of games runs the gamut from under $3 to the full retail games at $60. I think that you're throwing up a worry that need not exist.

Pessimism is great because if you're wrong, you can sound positive and say you were guarding against disappointment, but if you're right you can say "told you". The thing is, pessimism like your post is to me, almost an affectation. People decided ahead of time that the PSp would have a hard time if….fill in the blanks. So no matter how good the PSP was, that predisposition dogged it.

I'm not entirely sure that development costs on the NGP platform will be as significant a jump from the PSP as the jump from PS2 to PS3 was. I don't think that there is a worry there. Sony appears to have gone to great lengths to make transitioning assets and even game code from PS3 to NGP as easy and painless as possible. If they have done that, it would allow major developers to quickly down-res their PS3 game engines and other assets, so that games released on both platforms will be inexpensive on the NGP, and new and original NGP games based on the same game engines will be less costly too. I think you may be worrying about nothing.

@Godsman,

Capturing a mere 10% of the CoD audience is tough? Not so sure about that. But we'll have to wait and see.


Last edited by TheHighlander on 2/4/2011 12:16:48 PM

Oxvial
Oxvial
14 years ago

Being marketed well a CoD game wouldnt fail at this point, and this comes from a persons that hates that franchise like no one.

Alienange
Alienange
14 years ago

@ godsman – It's certainly true that CoD requires a strong online community to succeed. I say if Capcom can do it with Monster Hunter in Japan, then Activision can do it with CoD in the States.

@ TheHighlander – Your incessant need to belittle other people's comments is exhausting. None of what I wrote in my comment was negative nor have I ever come on here saying "I told you so." It is simply a matter for discussion. If you are honestly having a hard time with that then just move on and spare us the three paragraphs of affectation.

FatherSun
FatherSun
14 years ago

Activision will make sure that the COD community jumps in. There is no doubt about it. COD players may not have a choice. They are hardwired to buy whatever has the COD tag on it. Acti know that Sony is on to something with this console otherwise they would've waited to even make an announcement. Kotick was not on that stage for a reason.

The NGP has a wide range of gaming possibilities. Android, free to $5 games. PSminis $3-$10. PS1 hopefully PS2 and NGP exclusives and PS3 games. Sony is on to something and developers know it.

Oxvial
Oxvial
14 years ago

Yes I can see CoD bundles selling like hot cakes, dat second analog stick is more important than some people think.

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

Alienage,

Your incessant need to argue with me and pick a fight is quite tiresome. Why don't you stop?

godsman
godsman
14 years ago

@Highlander,

I think it's tough because I'm worried about the battery life and online community of the NGP. The Wi-fi will drain battery, 3G will drain more, and a high-end game like CoD will do so even more. It's just hard to imagine how CoD will succeed in the handheld. Like you said only time can tell. I think you are better to answer the question about battery life, as I only know enough based on cellphones.

Alienange
Alienange
14 years ago

You reply to my comment and I'M the one arguing with YOU??

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

Alienage,

You're right, and I apologize. I allowed my crap day to affect my posting here which is wrong, and I apologize to you for that and the harsh words.

FatherSun
FatherSun
14 years ago

To DOMINATE (not just sell well) the NGP will need to match or underprice the 3DS. No matter what anyone says the 3D gimmick is an attractive selling point. If it could be integrated to the NGP then domination is a possibility. If 3D was there then they could price it well above the 3DS without worry.

To me the only thing that the 3DS has going for it is the 3D and Nintendos beloved library of games. Otherwise it is a DS taking vitamins.

I have high hopes this time around. Success of the NGP means success for Sony, Playstation and the gaming industry.

ABUrabad
ABUrabad
14 years ago

I just had read an article on the web that Sony has been showing WIPE OUT HD from the PS3 running on the NGP using the same engine of that of the PS3

which is an actual demonstration for the NGP capabilities of the running the same games as the PS3

beside that a lot of low scale game developers are showing a lot of interest in developing small games for the NGP as the NGP can deliver a lot way to use more controls methods more than any other device in the market

LightShow
LightShow
14 years ago

they find a way to get PS2 emulation (likely through PSN re-releases similar to current PSX titles) on the sucker, i GUARANTEE it'll wipe the floor with the 3ds.

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

PS2 emulation can't be done in software. If it could, Sony wouldn't have gone to the trouble of re-mastering all those PS2 games that are coming out in triple packs in HD.

godsman
godsman
14 years ago

I think the PS2 emulation is possible. I think it leads to piracy issues.

LightShow
LightShow
14 years ago

pretty sure it CAN be done in software. remember when they first launched the ps3? i'm about 75% sure that was software emulation.

and even if it wasnt, if sony was properly motivated they'd make it happen. its not like its impossible,

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
14 years ago

I dunno if it can or can't but I think remastering the games is more likely to bring in new sales whereas just making an emulator wouldn't bring in as much cash cuz people use their old discs.

thj_1980
thj_1980
14 years ago

i hope they do that ps2 on the go. But then again, price tag and battery life. So it's up to sony all i know is I'm getting this.

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

PS2 backwards compatibility at launch on teh PS3 was done by including an entire PS2 chipset on the motherboard. The old 20GB and 60GB launch systems are truly the Rolls Royce because they have that inside them. The system launched in Europe and the first wave of 80GB systems elsewhere used an emulation of the Emotion Engine (PS2s CPU) but included a large extra chip that included the PS2s GPU (GS- Graphics Synthesizer) and some other support circuitry.

The original 20GB/60GB systems could play more or less anything a PS2 could. The half and half backwards compatibility was somewhat less successful. I believe that it was about 75-85% compatible depending on how you counted all the games that worked.

There has never been a successful 100% software PS2 emulation. There is an emulator that runs on really high end PCs but it only works for a small fraction of PS2 games. The writers of it claim pretty good compatibility, but their definition of compatible is that the game runs, regardless of performance.

The problem for anyone emulating the PS2 in software is that the PS2's GPU had some very specialized hardware inside it to move data around extremely quickly. The internal bandwidth of the GS was 48GB/second and it featured a dram bus width of 2560bits! Those are not easy things to emulate with any decent performance, even on a very high end system.

For reference, the PS3 can access it's main memory at less than hald that bandwidth, and the RSX accesses it's own memory at 25GB/second. The PS2's GPU was a strange beast, but an incredible beast when you consider it could push a 480p/1080i image.

LightShow
LightShow
14 years ago

hmmm. a seemingly insurmountable task, yes? I wasnt aware there were actual legitimate obstacles in regard to PS2 emulation, i figured Sony was just dragging their feet.

all the same, it would be AWESOME if it DID happen. i guess i won't hold my breath, however.

Wrote
Wrote
14 years ago

I still think the 3ds will sell like hotcakes. for a month or more the things will prob be out of stock. its cuz of all the nintendo drones out there. idrk why ninty went with one stick, didn't they see the problem the psp had? ill prob still get one somewhere down the line, like when there's an original Zelda, mario, and pokemon.

If there's a good launch lineup psp2 could do real good, like if that cod comes out day one. the ideal launch lineup would be that cod, uncharted, killzone and or resistance, infamous 1.5, lbp, and hopefully new ips.

yeah like others said cod could be the gimmick this thing needs, it'll become the best selling psp2 game kinda like mw2 is the ps3s topselling game (for some reason…btw im kinda a cod h8r) lol I also think ppl will end up bit*in about the lack of l2/r2, prob cuz ppl are never happy.
yeah gurilla your right, it'll catch on and it'll sell well.

peace out

thj_1980
thj_1980
14 years ago

NPG will dominate. Ask a very smart someone said a few weeks ago. N.G.P
NINTENDO GETS PWNED!!!!
I will definaltely get this!!!!

___________
___________
14 years ago

there not going to be dominating anything, its too expensive and i cant see people shelling out 400+ bucks for it just for PSPHD games.
im not so sure thats enough, people are going to look at it and say im suppose to pay 400+ bucks for this and all it gives me over my PSP is better looking games?
i dunno, there going to have to throw in allot more than better looking games, 3G and trophy support!

Dancemachine55
Dancemachine55
14 years ago

And what do you propose, hey ______________?

I don't mind constructive and well thought out criticism or arguments, but I'm getting a little sick of many of your negative and downright belittling comments.

I don't know if you mean it, but your coments come across as immature and a little insulting to the reader. I expect that of places like IGN, but not here.

I don't mind if you don't agree or don't like certain things, many round here don't always agree, but at least they're mature in their writings. I ask you do the same or stick to places like Kotaku or IGN.

___________
___________
14 years ago

im not going to waste my breath!

ABUrabad
ABUrabad
14 years ago

hi ___________
I really love your comments at this website
Im sure that we all here at this website can agree on one thing which is "u will never release a comment that has any common of scence "