PlayStation suite

[eastmen]

Sony today announced the Playstation suite its basicly a psp store for andriod and home

http://www.engadget.com/liveblog/live-from-sonys-tokyo-event/?sort=newest&refresh=60

This is a smart way to take some thunder from MS's platform

 

[patsu]

Not merely a store. It's a cross platform game development framework too.

 

[corduroygt]

Meh, it's just a PS1/PSP emulator. Nice but I don't think it has much integration with anything. This will be atrocious to play on a touch screen:

 

[patsu]

Do you have the details ?

It doesn't sound like a PSP/PS1 emulator.

EDIT: Will PSP Minis graduate into PS Suite ?

 

[KKRT]

SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT TO UNVEIL
“PLAYSTATION®SUITE,” DELIVERING THE WORLD
OF PLAYSTATION® TO ANDROID™ BASED PORTABLE DEVICES

Simultaneously Launching “PlayStation®Certified” License Program to Provide
PlayStation® Content and Development Support for Android™ Based Portable Devices

Tokyo, January 27, 2011– Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) today unveiled “PlayStation®Suite” (PS Suite), delivering the PlayStation® experience to Android™ based portable devices*1. Through this entirely new initiative, users will be able to enjoy PlayStation content on an open operating system for the first time in PlayStation history.
In the dramatically evolving and diversifying mobile market, the number of users who enjoy games casually on a variety of devices including mobile phones, smart-phones and tablet PCs, has been increasing significantly. By offering “PlayStation quality” content to this rapidly growing market, SCE will not only deliver the PlayStation experience to a wider base of users around the globe, but will also be able to offer game developers and publishers the potential to further expand their business opportunities to these devices.
In providing the PlayStation experience on Android based portable devices, SCE will commence a “PlayStation®Certified” license program for hardware manufacturers. Through this program, SCE will offer necessary support, including development support as well as logo licensing, to ensure the delivery of PlayStation quality experience across various devices.

On the software front, SCE plans to provide PS Suite content within this calendar year, starting with original PlayStation games*2 (PS one® classics) that will allow users to enjoy “PlayStation quality” gameplay on their Android based portable devices. SCE also plans to open PlayStation®Store where users will be able to download content in an easy to use environment, directly via the Android based portable devices. Moreover, SCE will provide a new game development environment in an effort to ensure new and compelling content is delivered on PS Suite, which will also offer opportunities for a wider base of developers and publishers to further expand their business on various portable devices.

Newly developed content for PS Suite can also be enjoyed on the next generation portable entertainment system (codename: NGP), which SCE announced today. Users who have never experienced PlayStation content can get a taste of the PlayStation experience through PS Suite and from there, they can enjoy the ultimate portable entertainment experience that is only possible on NGP.

SCE will vigorously enhance the entertainment world delivering the PlayStation experience to a wider base of users.

*1 Android™ 2.3 or beyond is required.
*2 PS one game console software title. We will announce the tiles when ready.

PSP 2 compatible framework - its actually pretty big news.

 

[Danalys]

I think it's pretty huge news that every android 2.3 or above is now a Playstation phone. Rather than them expecting people to be won over by the Xperia Play they can let the software sway many more people.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

PSP 2 compatible framework - its actually pretty big news.

Actually you're right, it is. It's taking PlayStation from a hardware brand to an 'experience,' meaning a software layer. It'd mean Sony could potentially make money from Android devices from licensees to this SDK. And this SDK will gain added value from supporting the PS hardware range (needs a PS3 version tout suite), offering a potentially larger gaming base than any other Android SDK. It expands the market for Sony's first party titles from owners of their (often lossy) handhelds to lots fo mobile owners. Not sure how developers like ND creating a mobile version of Uncharted could cater for non-gaming phone iterfaces, but this is in principle a cosmic shift for Sony away from hardware vendor creating content to promote its platform, to content provider with platform's to promote its engine.

Now Sony's platform is PS+Android, where MS's is XNA and mobile 7. It only needs Apple to create a console and they'll be going head to head.

Also, is this a very independent Sony thing, or are they cahooting somewhat with Google? There were noises a while back of Sony getting friendly with Google. If PS4, or the PS hardware family including CE devices, goes Android, it'd be a good symbiosis for the two companies.

 

[Nesh]

Actually you're right, it is. It's taking PlayStation from a hardware brand to an 'experience,' meaning a software layer. It'd mean Sony could potentially make money from Android devices from licensees to this SDK. And this SDK will gain added value from supporting the PS hardware range (needs a PS3 version tout suite), offering a potentially larger gaming base than any other Android SDK. It expands the market for Sony's first party titles from owners of their (often lossy) handhelds to lots fo mobile owners. Not sure how developers like ND creating a mobile version of Uncharted could cater for non-gaming phone iterfaces, but this is in principle a cosmic shift for Sony away from hardware vendor creating content to promote its platform, to content provider with platform's to promote its engine.

Now Sony's platform is PS+Android, where MS's is XNA and mobile 7. It only needs Apple to create a console and they'll be going head to head.

Also, is this a very independent Sony thing, or are they cahooting somewhat with Google? There were noises a while back of Sony getting friendly with Google. If PS4, or the PS hardware family including CE devices, goes Android, it'd be a good symbiosis for the two companies.

Thats the biggest move I have ever heard from Sony doing for years! They are finally expanding and doing some major cross platform integration. Welcome to the New economy Sony. At last. They are finally doing what competition has started doing and they are using a major competitive advantage to move forward.

 

[NathansFortune]

Sony have basically taken over Android gaming in one move. On smart phones the competitors will be Apple vs Microsoft vs Sony (via Android).

This actually has huge implications, every Sony Ericsson device is going to ship with this and Sony are talking to other Android manufacturers about rolling it out on their devices. I have heard that HTC and Samsung are inking deals to roll this out on their phones (but that is unconfirmed for now). PlayStation will become the default platform on all Android phones and Sony will take their cut whilst boosting the number of games and apps available for the NGP.

The minimum specs for PS Suite is ARM A8 single core @ 800MHz, 512MB RAM, Adreno 205 GPU/PowerVR SGX540/Tesla 2.5 Integrated graphics core. It also requires a touch screen interface with minimum resolution of 640x360 and a preferred resolution of 800x480 or above. The platform will be periodically updated and compatibility with older systems broken for new games. It requires Android 2.3 or above, which is a bit of a slap in the face for Sony Ericsson X10 series owners...

 

[corduroygt]

If it supports trophies, (so this means not just PS1/PSP games, but new games as well) anyone want to buy my iphone 4?

 

[Danalys]

This almost makes me think that Nintendo should partner with Apple putting their back catalogue from a few generations ago on Ipod/phones.

 

[Scott_Arm]

Good call from Sony on this one, but the min specs for the games better not fluctuate and turn it into a PC type scenario. Hopefully devs target the baseline for good performance. Overall, great move.

 

[MfA]

This almost makes me think that Nintendo should partner with Apple putting their back catalogue from a few generations ago on Ipod/phones.

What would be in it for Nintendo? Providing real games to a competitor which lacks them for relatively small amount of revenue (decent volume, but bargain basement prices). Doing this on their own platform to speed adoption is one thing, but Apple would have to come with suitcases of money to make promoting gaming on the iPhone a value proposition for Nintendo.

 

[Danalys]

I'm not sure that Virtual console is a real system selling feature on the Wii or 3DS so they get the benefit of millions more customers, without losing that much if anything. Also Apple and Nintendo aren't in direct competition they are differentiated enough by price, demographics and features of the stuff that has made them successful.

If you can sell Doom for $7 you can sell Mario 64 for near the price it is on Wii $10

 

[NavNucST3]

I've read this release multiple times from the ir site. I only see PS One Classics and then of that a subset. I'm actually struggling with the penultimate paragraph because I think I read it completely differently than the rest of you. I read it in a manner that looks like the android experience is simply used to funnel you into the codenamed: NGP device I think it is the "...get a taste..." that draws my eye. I don't see anything about even attempting to emulate or allow PSP games or minis.

EDIT2: "PlayStation®Suite (PS Suite), announced today, will also closely coordinate with NGP. The newly developed and released game content for AndroidTM based portable devices can also be enjoyed on NGP. As a result, users will have access to not only the most leading-edge content, but also some of the more casual experiences that typify the mobile market place." I also take that to mean that the Android side is to be the casual experience. I'm sure more info will come out soon but I'm not in the "they just took over the Android market in one move camp" though to be honest I haven't heard the Android market being vibrant so it is possible that this move has done that. Hopefully, these moves are profitable from day one.

EDIT: found a piece reading now but the first thing that jumped out at me was:

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata has dismissed selling the company’s software outside of its consoles and handhelds, referring to the idea as “heresy.”

“You won’t see it, not as long as I am the president,” Iwata said in an interview on Jan. 9.

 

[Danalys]

They've got the certification program for new games. Those could be PSP/mini ports as far as they care. The minis could definitely be emulated on android requiring little effort but a bit more testing and that testing would be required for NGP anyway.

Just cos it's heresy doesn't mean it's not a good idea. Just means it most probably wont happen.

 

[Prophecy2k]

I'm not sure that Virtual console is a real system selling feature on the Wii or 3DS so they get the benefit of millions more customers, without losing that much if anything. Also Apple and Nintendo aren't in direct competition they are differentiated enough by price, demographics and features of the stuff that has made them successful.

If you can sell Doom for $7 you can sell Mario 64 for near the price it is on Wii $10

I think you're forgetting about a little thing called the iPod Touch ;-)

If Nintendo released their back catalogue of Nintendo games on iOS people would have no more reason to buy a DS (or even 3DS if future iOS devices get 3D screens).

iPod Touch IS in direct competition with Nintendos 3DS, along with the iPad and iPhone. If Nintendo doesn't recognise that and tries to do what you suggest then that would be tantamount to suicide for their portable gaming dominance.

 

[Prophecy2k]

I wonder if the PS Suite will allow devs to creat PS apps for both Android & NGP?

I wonder also if Android apps can get certified for PS Suite to become available for NGP also?

That would be a huge deal for me

One of the biggest draws of the iOS and Android devices for me is the apps... if i can get those on NGP then i can stick with my shoddy blackberry phone, iPad for my tablet and get me a PSP2 for my gaming needs

 

[makattack]

Actually you're right, it is. It's taking PlayStation from a hardware brand to an 'experience,' meaning a software layer. It'd mean Sony could potentially make money from Android devices from licensees to this SDK. And this SDK will gain added value from supporting the PS hardware range (needs a PS3 version tout suite), offering a potentially larger gaming base than any other Android SDK. It expands the market for Sony's first party titles from owners of their (often lossy) handhelds to lots fo mobile owners. Not sure how developers like ND creating a mobile version of Uncharted could cater for non-gaming phone iterfaces, but this is in principle a cosmic shift for Sony away from hardware vendor creating content to promote its platform, to content provider with platform's to promote its engine.

Now Sony's platform is PS+Android, where MS's is XNA and mobile 7. It only needs Apple to create a console and they'll be going head to head.

Also, is this a very independent Sony thing, or are they cahooting somewhat with Google? There were noises a while back of Sony getting friendly with Google. If PS4, or the PS hardware family including CE devices, goes Android, it'd be a good symbiosis for the two companies.

Perhaps. It would also make sense with the NGP and their assumed cloud-based game state / save ability ("asynchronous gaming" references) that in theory could use google apps/docs for storage.

Imagine if your save state is stored in a Google docs spreadsheet, saved from a gaming session of the PS3 version of the game. When you boot up the NGP version, it reads from the same google docs spreadsheet to resume or share certain data elements in the NGP version.

Explained House: "One area that I'm particularly excited about is the idea of asynchronous gaming, whereby the game experience is existing either on a PS3 or on your NGP, and then the 3G ability is the real-time, you know, 'you're under attack, you've got to go do something,' messaging, just keeping that link with you, which clearly is not very heavy in terms of data traffic, but creates a whole different sense to the experience."

From this link: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-01-27-sony-outlines-ngp-asynchronous-gaming

In particular, his statement that this not be a high bandwidth consuming service seems to imply this possibility.

Combine that with: http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2007/09/google-spreadsheets-lets-you-import.html

And the Sony platform will become the most open gaming platform, possibly more open than PC gaming.

 

[corduroygt]

Can we say this is pretty much Steam for Android?