http://www.shacknews.com/article/70132/gamestop-to-sell-android-tablet-in-2012
tldr: tablet with a controller to feature gamestop's own streaming platform.
tldr: tablet with a controller to feature gamestop's own streaming platform.
GameStop to launch Android gaming platform
- Thread starter AlphaWolf
- Start date
Hi Alpha - you posted in the right section for sure (handheld), but I moved this thread here due to its significance in highlighting the extent to which Android may become an avenue for any and all would-be entrants to try their hand at the dedicated gaming market via commodity hardware.
yep, wasn't really sure where to put it.
I do have to wonder how invested gamestop is in this product.
The part about being controller centric and Onlive style streaming makes it extremely interesting.
Just would worry about the cost. Guessing it'll be close to $500 like other premium tablets, which will be a tough sell.
Still, rather intriguing.
The other issue here is the hardware rate race. I think what killed Sony's promising Xperia play concept was the hardware was dated from day one, and Sony showed no roadmap to release updated versions.
Tablets hardware probably doesn't move as fast.
I was going to say a Kel Al tablet would have good longevity, but then again with streaming do they even need that kind of hardware power?
Just would worry about the cost. Guessing it'll be close to $500 like other premium tablets, which will be a tough sell.
Still, rather intriguing.
The other issue here is the hardware rate race. I think what killed Sony's promising Xperia play concept was the hardware was dated from day one, and Sony showed no roadmap to release updated versions.
Tablets hardware probably doesn't move as fast.
I was going to say a Kel Al tablet would have good longevity, but then again with streaming do they even need that kind of hardware power?
Hmm... Xperia Play doesn't need a hardware roadmap per se. Cellphones update frequently. Xperia Play 4G will be out on September 18:
http://socialbarrel.com/sony-ericsson-xperia-play-4g-to-hit-att-shelves-on-sept-18/19958/
Moving forward, there will always be variations in CPU, GPU, memory, connectivity and fashion. The hardware specs won't hold Xperia Play back.
The software side is lacking though. Only PSOne classics and select PSP games, plus a handful of exclusives ?
A game streaming service will certainly help beef up the library.
At some point, GameStop may have to consider whether to make its streaming services available to other Android devices (with controller accessory). Not sure if its own Android device will reach critical mass.
EDIT: If they open up, then they may consider iOS and Windows devices too.
Sure they will, smartphones are all about the hardware rat race especially one the Android side. Why would I buy a Xperia play with it's extremely dated hardware and screen? It's basically buying an antique just to get at the intriguing slider controls.
They should have a new Xperia play every 6 months-year with updated specs, to keep it current. Dual core 1GB Xperia play 2 with OLED 4.5" screen should be announced...slapping 4g on is better than nothing but doesnt address the root of the problem.
I think the slider gaming controls on a phone concept is very promising (it is possible I am fundamentally incorrect about that though), Sony's execution ruined it.
Off topic though.
Haven't used one myself but my guess is: battery life. If you want to play games and media on these mobile devices, you probably don't want to max out the CPU and GPU use. A balanced approach is probably needed. They need to use the phone for calling and map reading too. Gaming is only one of the many functions.
In addition, if the games are created for only the highest end phones, then the market is limited. The developers will end up chasing a limited user segments. For gaming on the phone, it may be more worthwhile to target the midrange. The type and variety of games is likely more important.
They should update the screen though.
The game streaming service is a good complement if network connectivity doesn't suck up the battery quickly.
I think the user experience, the library and the marketing are lacking. These factors linger around for a long time. Same for the tablets. Even if they are released with industry leading performance, they'd be outdated "quickly" hardware-wise.
If people are after high end graphics, then the dedicated console route may appeal to them more. The developers can afford to use up the juice and they have more direct hardware access.
I mean more that, as a phone hardware aficionado, I will buy pretty much the high spec phones. For example, I just looked at a youtube preview of Samsung Epic 4 SGS2 on youtube...which coincidentally has a hardware qwerty, it's has 4.52" super amoled, dual core etc etc, all the latest.
If I'm going to buy a phone I'm going to buy that, for it's hardware as a phone, not gaming (though, it will help gaming).
To buy an Xperia, I'll be stuck with extremely dated phone hardware, I'll have to buy it only for the gaming slider, more or less. I shouldn't have to make that compromise. I also recall reviews saying the Xperia Play's screen is very low quality even by LCD standards.
I wonder why they didn't go for high end phone (Implement a way to gimp/trottle gaming performance so it doesn't consume all the power quickly). Did a bit of surfing. It seems that the dual core model (Xperia Duo) is not out yet, and it doesn't look like a gaming phone.
I found this blog article on Sept 10th though:
http://www.xperiablog.net/2011/09/1...be-clear-soon-orange-colour-coming-to-retail/
When I went to the Xperia website, they have already removed all the references to Qriocity. It's all Sony Entertainment Network now. Given their high internal expectation, I sure hope they have their moves in place.
May be interesting to see what happens if they have a top of the line Xperia Play model. It should help Sony Ericsson raise its image. Doubt it will cannibalize Vita sales. It may have a positive effect on the current Xperia Play sales.
I found this blog article on Sept 10th though:
http://www.xperiablog.net/2011/09/1...be-clear-soon-orange-colour-coming-to-retail/
When I went to the Xperia website, they have already removed all the references to Qriocity. It's all Sony Entertainment Network now. Given their high internal expectation, I sure hope they have their moves in place.
May be interesting to see what happens if they have a top of the line Xperia Play model. It should help Sony Ericsson raise its image. Doubt it will cannibalize Vita sales. It may have a positive effect on the current Xperia Play sales.
Those are definitely impressive stats from the user base perspective of the Play, but I'd be interested to know what the actual sell-through has been as well for some context. Right now what S-E is telling us is that phone shoppers who are gamer enough to buy a gaming-oriented handset spend a lot of time gaming and shopping for games. Makes sense. How many of these people there are though is the question.
I do think that form-factor and PSN integration - and the more integration the better - are advantages for the Play as a product. The problem though is that beyond PS1 titles, and whatever other smaller games are in the pipes, the more impressive titles will come in the form of the ARM-"native" games. And fundamentally, the Play won't have any advantage here vs what could be done on any other high-end... or even mid-range as the case might be... Android handset. EA may sell more games on a percentage basis on the Play, but they will still be releasing across the entire Android install base, and might sell more on an absolute basis on non-Sony devices. The FIFA release for example, rather than viewed as a positive for Play IMO, points to the emphasis major devs and publishers are putting on treating Android as a whole as a platform for increasingly dedicated development resources.
Going back to the tablet, it could be Sears or Pizza Hut or Amazon just as readily as it is GameStop - such has become the low cost of entry into this space with myriad reference designs and Google on the OS. The fact actually that it seems to be following an App/Layer-cum-OnLive model points to the seemingly more aggressive push that might take place than even touched on before in the other thread.
Smart TVs with bluetooth controller accessories and built-in game streaming services, running on Android? TVs "certified by GameStop"? This is a look at the future competitive landscape. Sony and MS... to the ramparts!
I do think that form-factor and PSN integration - and the more integration the better - are advantages for the Play as a product. The problem though is that beyond PS1 titles, and whatever other smaller games are in the pipes, the more impressive titles will come in the form of the ARM-"native" games. And fundamentally, the Play won't have any advantage here vs what could be done on any other high-end... or even mid-range as the case might be... Android handset. EA may sell more games on a percentage basis on the Play, but they will still be releasing across the entire Android install base, and might sell more on an absolute basis on non-Sony devices. The FIFA release for example, rather than viewed as a positive for Play IMO, points to the emphasis major devs and publishers are putting on treating Android as a whole as a platform for increasingly dedicated development resources.
Going back to the tablet, it could be Sears or Pizza Hut or Amazon just as readily as it is GameStop - such has become the low cost of entry into this space with myriad reference designs and Google on the OS. The fact actually that it seems to be following an App/Layer-cum-OnLive model points to the seemingly more aggressive push that might take place than even touched on before in the other thread.
Smart TVs with bluetooth controller accessories and built-in game streaming services, running on Android? TVs "certified by GameStop"? This is a look at the future competitive landscape. Sony and MS... to the ramparts!
It was very poor back in April:
http://playstationlifestyle.net/201...-us-market-and-their-playstation-partnership/
In E3, Sony announced about 20 titles for Xperia Play:
http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/07/minecraft-pocket-edition-on-xperia-play-hands-on-video/
I don't think sales will jump. It actually makes (much) more sense if these games are all Playstation Suite titles. However, I can't seem to find any official note acknowledging PSSuite certification, other than the PSOne classics and select PSP titles.
Sony seems to be withholding info, and at the same time fumbling. ^_^
For the same reason people buy PSWii60 with their outdated hardware - for the unique software libraries. If Play was any good, it could be sustained a few years as a caoable Android phone with some great games, although in Sony's (Ericsson's) implementation I think, as is typical of them these days, they came up short in the service. This is where PSS could be an advantage, providing both a Sony mobile platform that gives players access to their games and whichs allow mobile phone users to upgrade to the latest hardware.
Although given the rate of progress, like PCs, at some point it'll be such that users don't get any advantage in upgrading because their current phone already does more and faster than they could ever use, at which point the race to upgrade again my reduce to just number-chasers. Depends where the phone companies sit on that with their pushing new hardware as part of their contracts, and whether people will instead stick with their phone another year or two on a non-contract tarrif.
Edit - I'll add that this mobile explosion smacks of the 8 bit computing era, or the internet and its myriad of get-rich-quick companies, with countless players all vying for a piece of the pie. Every man and their dog and their dog's fleas will be creating content portals for Android and such, and almost all of them will die an ugly death. There'll be room for a few, and the current players are very well positioned to secure a place. eg. Netflix joins with Steam and they'll have an Uber Service. Sony has a chance at the all-in-one solution with Qriocity and their games platform. Amazon already have a sizeable foot in the door. You'll also have Apple and MS with their platform-confined services, but it'd be surprising if they can extend their reach into a world where Google owns an OS that's fit for every device imaginable and MS has no presence there. Windows on a TV? I'm not feeling that!
GameStop's tablet will be one of many, I'm sure. After a while it'll all die down. Anyone using an Android device locked to a content platform will get it jailbroken to use other content platforms. companies that invested heavily in loss-leading hardware to attract users will have empty holes in their pockets. Some new player may get lucky, by being nimble enough to outmaneouvre the behemoths, but I really doubt that this time.
GameStop's tablet will be one of many, I'm sure. After a while it'll all die down. Anyone using an Android device locked to a content platform will get it jailbroken to use other content platforms. companies that invested heavily in loss-leading hardware to attract users will have empty holes in their pockets. Some new player may get lucky, by being nimble enough to outmaneouvre the behemoths, but I really doubt that this time.
I'm willing to see how the thing will turns out because that the kind of stuffs I was envisioning instead of Xperia playand the PSP2. By the way I wonder "how well" something akin to the 3DS add-on could work with nowadays Phone, tablet (or possible in between format).
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In reality, smartphones are not consoles. Fixed hardware makes sense when all the machine does is one particular function and all offerings have to cater to the original hardware. Smartphones aren't gaming only devices and benefit from newer hardware releases to expand upon the multiple existing functions as well as offer new ones.
You could update the Xperia hardware every three days and it wouldn't matter. What matters is how long your hardware is viable as an Xperia Play gaming device. Smartphones are more like PCs than consoles in terms of being a gaming device. As long as minimum specs reach back 2-3 years, you can cater to both the "gotta have the newest hardware" and "i don't need a new phone every year" crowds.
Its my opinion that every phone released by Sony should be Play enabled, regardless if physical buttons are present or not. I personally don't mind, touch based controls. I see it as no different than the transition from K/M to controller. And in the smartphone market there is room for devices that cater individually to each crowd.
Play should be used to attract gamers to Sony's smartphones in general and not one particular Sony device.
I'm no Apple fan, but the more that these companies jump into the android race with their own "me too" exclusive service, the worse it is for android and the better it is for Apple.
There is too much confusion in the android offerings and as others have said, the majority of these will die.
I see this as a desperation grab, much like Wii-U.
Both are destined to fail for lack of clarity and simplicity.
Gamestop sees the writing on the wall. They know their days are numbered. This is a last ditch effort to remain relevant after gamers go all digital in one form or another(~onlive or download). Physical media will likely be around next gen, but I would not be surprised if it (physical media) is more expensive to the consumer, thus less gamers in stores.
I also wouldn't be surprised if nextgen, publishers and hardware providers both play hardball (finally) with gamestop in cracking down on used games in one way or another.
Interesting times ...
There is too much confusion in the android offerings and as others have said, the majority of these will die.
I see this as a desperation grab, much like Wii-U.
Both are destined to fail for lack of clarity and simplicity.
Gamestop sees the writing on the wall. They know their days are numbered. This is a last ditch effort to remain relevant after gamers go all digital in one form or another(~onlive or download). Physical media will likely be around next gen, but I would not be surprised if it (physical media) is more expensive to the consumer, thus less gamers in stores.
I also wouldn't be surprised if nextgen, publishers and hardware providers both play hardball (finally) with gamestop in cracking down on used games in one way or another.
Interesting times ...
D
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I fail to see how the Wii-U fits in that description.
If anything, the Wii-U will fail for not following some "me too" trends (like selling uber-powerful hardware at a loss during the first years of the console).
I agree that Wii-U is not a destined-to-fail device, but how does failing to launch at a loss matter? By that logic, the Wii should have failed as well.
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