Is the PSP Pad possible?

[edepot]

With many companies going after the touch craze started by iPhone (and probably DS). Is it possible that the next PSP (PSP2) be touch capable? It would seem natural that accelerometers and touch (along with GPS) is becoming the norm for portable devices. (at least until projection glasses or other large resolution in front of your eyes technology is invented). It would have to be games centric at the beginning to increase market-share. Then app-centric to drive home the ubiticous (sp?) device (like TVs and refrigerators)

Here is a writeup about the need for games:

http://www.edepot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=3146

I hope I am not banned for linking to this article again (I am seriously interested in comments on it, but it would not be fair to site owners to copy the whole article, but I am fair game for people to copy snippits).

 

[eastmen]

Why ? Touch controls do nothing for real gaming. The psp is already a fine system for playing games. Its just very old at this point and was designed before apps.


What sony needs to do is launch a psp 2 that is based on new hardware that focuses not only on improving image quality but also battery life. They need to abandon physical media completely with this new system and support it with great games that suit hand held experiance from the onset. That was one of the psp's biggest problems at launch and for the first 2 or so years of its life.

Once that happens they can create an app store in which music , movies and games are avalible for download through the system. They would need some form of memory card to expand internal storage capacity. There are new xd cards that can go up to 320 gigs I believe and also have very high transfer rates. So thats a good way to go there.

They can have a touch screen for media playback and browsing menus but if they want to be a gaming platform and support legacy games ( ps1 , ps2 , ps3 , psp and what have you) they will need real controls other wise its a waste of time.

As for app writers themselves I've read a few articles talking about how dire the situation on the apple app store is. You come out with a good app and almost over night there are dozens of clones all racing to the 99 cent price point. Profit is very hard to come by unless you catch lightning in a bottle .

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I hope I am not banned for linking to this article again (I am seriously interested in comments on it, but it would not be fair to site owners to copy the whole article, but I am fair game for people to copy snippits).

Aren't you the site owner?

 

[obonicus]

I suspect that if Sony can get away with it, cost-wise, they'd add a touch screen, just to get cheap ports as minis.

 

[Mobius1aic]

I think a mixed button/touch screen approach would very cool option. A large rectangular widescreen device could have customized touchscreen face buttons to the sides of the screen (depending on the title) yet still retain dual analogue sticks as well as shoulder triggers. The feel of a real control stick is very nice, but for things that require no analogue/fine movement, then a touch interface would be good in that case. If a dev feels like implementing DS/iPhone touch screen options, then they can.