Apparantly the PSP2 exists.

[Squilliam]

In an PAX 2010 interview about the upcoming Mortal Kombat reboot, Executive Producer Shaun Himmerick let slip the existence of a PSP2 development unit at Netherrealm Studios.

IndustryGamers asked about the possibility of a version of Mortal Kombat on the current PSP or the upcoming 3DS, and Himmerick replied:

“We’re not launching day one on all consoles like that. We are looking at them; we have a PSP2 in the house and we’re looking at the engine, like what can it support. Always a big thing for us is the performance. We’re running at 60 fps, what can we do and do we have to build all the art assets over. We’re definitely looking at them. PSP2 looks like it’s a pretty powerful machine. We don’t have a 3DS system in house yet, but we’re looking to get one, and we’ll certainly look at what its power is.”

Source

Theres more to the story in the source.

So assuming this is for real, how long are we looking at for an announcement? Early next year? CES? E3? Release date late 2011?

 

[Arwin]

My guess would be GDC, maybe CES if there is a phone version? And E3 for the big public presentation with games

 

[Squilliam]

Maybe CES. They probably don't want to cede too much momentum by announcing it too late, especially if the 3DS launches strong. By the time it launches the handheld arena will have some very strong competition.

3GS, 5th gen iPhone, 2nd gen iPad, 2nd gen Win Mob 7 phones, 5th gen iTouch, Android 3.0 phones + tablets...

 

[Grall]

Portable market will become so fragmented that we might be headed towards another 80s shakeup where several/most of the players will become extinct...

I can't imagine devs being terribly excited by the prospect of having 5-7 different platforms to target.

 

[Rangers]

Is this the PSP phone?

 

[Squilliam]

Portable market will become so fragmented that we might be headed towards another 80s shakeup where several/most of the players will become extinct...

I can't imagine devs being terribly excited by the prospect of having 5-7 different platforms to target.

I would say the balkanization is more important in relation to the bigger games of the kind that you might see as >$5 on the iPad / iPhone than it is for the smaller $<2 titles. For the latter there are a lot of developers to go around and for the former there is a much smaller market and these titles tend to be more targeted.

In the handheld space for the larger titles.

Nintendo obviously has a great advantage here.
Sony has somewhat of a great advantage depending on the reception of the PSP2 as an incumbent. They also have PSN which doesn't hurt either.
Apple is moving into this space, especially in relation to the iPad and they probably don't have so much to be concerned about. They also have the most consistent platform outside of the DS/PSP.
Microsoft has Xbox Live and they are relative consistant with a strong programming library. So one could easily see Xbox Live / Windows 7 ports being the norm.

Possibly the one which might be left out could be Android. They seem to have the most balkanized of all platforms even though they have the larger market share. So whilst Apple etc have had success in selling >5$ games, im not so sure it will be as easy on Android.

 

[eastmen]

All I'm saying is that it better have a touch screen and have DD only or its dead in the water imo.

 

[Xenus]

1st maybe but I don't get the fractionation with DD only. It severely and artificially limits the market at this point.

 

[ShadowRunner]

All I'm saying is that it better have a touch screen and have DD only or its dead in the water imo.

Dead in the water like the 3DS will be with its silly cart slot? Seriously, lets not do the whole DD only argument again...

 

[eastmen]

Dead in the water like the 3DS will be with its silly cart slot? Seriously, lets not do the whole DD only argument again...

Carts for a portable are better than a battery killer like umd. I'm not sure how many people want a 3 hour portable game system again.


The best buy CEO agrees with me on DD btw

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703376504575491533125103528.html?mod=e2tw

The Richfield, Minn., retailer already has radically pared back its formerly expansive selections of movie and music discs as consumers gravitate to digital entertainment purchases. What remains will be further reduced to make way for the electronic fashions of the moment, it said. On Tuesday, Best Buy said it will expand iPad distribution to all of its 1,093 U.S. stores Sept. 26.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Carts for a portable are better than a battery killer like umd. I'm not sure how many people want a 3 hour portable game system again.

Physical media doesn't necessitate an optical. ShadowRunner's point is (3)DS has physical distribution, so why shouldn't PSP2?

The best buy CEO agrees with me on DD btw

Everyone knows DD is the future, but most also appreciate DD only comes at a cost. If PSP2 has mobile connectivity, that'd be less of an issue. Actualy that's not true. If PSP2 has the serious hardware we're expecting, it'll be capable of amazing graphics, and we wouldn't want them gimp'd by small downloads to sve bandwidth. Many-gigabyte titles are going to want a form of BnM distribution if they're to reach the same size audiences as DS and PSP currently do.

 

[JPT]

But why must it be DD only? It can be physical and DD at the same time right? And then the consumer can decide how they want to their content delivered.

 

[eastmen]

But why must it be DD only? It can be physical and DD at the same time right? And then the consumer can decide how they want to their content delivered.

Why would the consumer choose DD if the physical copies can be sold and purchased at lower prices. Not only that but if they go optical again it will create a huge area of the system that is wasted for those who go DD.

I think the psp go showed us what not to do with a DD platform.

Physical media doesn't necessitate an optical. ShadowRunner's point is (3)DS has physical distribution, so why shouldn't PSP2?

Wont you have the same complaint about cart sizes as you do about download sizes ? The 3DS has physical carts , but what is the size of a 3DS game and what is the size of a psp 2 game.

Everyone knows DD is the future, but most also appreciate DD only comes at a cost. If PSP2 has mobile connectivity, that'd be less of an issue. Actualy that's not true. If PSP2 has the serious hardware we're expecting, it'll be capable of amazing graphics, and we wouldn't want them gimp'd by small downloads to sve bandwidth. Many-gigabyte titles are going to want a form of BnM distribution if they're to reach the same size audiences as DS and PSP currently do.

I would expect Sony to include wireless G and N . I know they gimped the psp go with wireless B . But if expect a doubling of PSP sized games your at 4 gigs for your average psp 2 game.

I would expect they'd want to reach a larger audiance than the PSP currently does and to do so they will want to go with DD. Just look at the poor shelf space the psp gets for its games. Just look at Best Buy's comments about scaling back cd's and dvds. Its going to be tough to get retail floor space for packaged games in the future .

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I would expect they'd want to reach a larger audiance than the PSP currently does and to do so they will want to go with DD. Just look at the poor shelf space the psp gets for its games. Just look at Best Buy's comments about scaling back cd's and dvds. Its going to be tough to get retail floor space for packaged games in the future .

that's an argument that contradicts itself! Some people have fast broadband/mobile services and wouldn't buy a handheld without the convenience of DD. Some people have slow broadband or caps, or none whatsoever, and wont buy a handheld without a means to get games on it which necessitates hard media. To reach the largest audience, you have to have both!

 

[eastmen]

that's an argument that contradicts itself! Some people have fast broadband/mobile services and wouldn't buy a handheld without the convenience of DD. Some people have slow broadband or caps, or none whatsoever, and wont buy a handheld without a means to get games on it which necessitates hard media. To reach the largest audience, you have to have both!

Except that the retail situation continues to get worse for the psp. Gamestops carry a handfull of psp games and the bestbuy section continues to shrink. I don't see how a physical media based psp is going to do well when we already have an example of a portable psp with physical media doing horribly bad.

 

[ShadowRunner]

The PSP2 is not a PSP so why assume the same retail presence for both. Your arguements against hard media dont hold up, instead of lookin to the PSP look at the DS instead, if your arguements apply there then they may be valid but as they dont they are not.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I don't see how a physical media based psp is going to do well when we already have an example of a portable psp with physical media doing horribly bad.

We have a solid media platform called DS doing very well. With have a new upcoming 3DS that'll do very well with its solid media. And best example of all, we have a DD only PSP that is doing terribly!

 

[digitalwanderer]

I recently found my son's old PSP phat and fixed it up and decked it out a bit, (Got a pandora long-life battery and an 8Gb stick. ), and I'm still in shock that this system did as badly as it did....it's really a nice little unit!

Then again, I don't think Sony ever intended to set it up/use it the way we do...but it's a great portable entertainment unit!

 

[taucias]

I recently found my son's old PSP phat and fixed it up and decked it out a bit, (Got a pandora long-life battery and an 8Gb stick. ), and I'm still in shock that this system did as badly as it did....it's really a nice little unit!

The PSP has sold around 60million units. Is that bad?

 

[Nesh]

A large portion of the market, especially kids arent used to the Digital Distribution method. The tech illiterate prefer a physical media. Going DD only sounds illogical. DD and physical media on a single platform is the best option.
Handhelds are popular with children. Thats why Nintendo insists on physical media for the 3DS. If anyone expects 8 year olds or their parents to use the internet or a PS3 connected to the internet to purchase games for the PSP2 then they should think again.