PlayStation suite

That's an interesting and surprisingly wise business move on SCE's end. It allows them to lure a lot of small developers to their platforms, while getting revenue from the PS Store games sold on Android-based platforms.

It's also interesting to note that this new platform is in line with the latest Sony/Google collaborations, like GoogleTV (if that's still alive..)

 

It should be possible to build a games store that only shows games that are suitable for the hardware that is browsing it.

 

Sony is definitely in bed with google. Chrome is the installed browser on VAIO PCs, Sony is currently the only CE maker that supports the GoogleTV platform and now this PS Suite which supports android phones. PS4 running android would give it a lot of value because right away it can be a googleTV device and run apps.

 

The PS Suite is the best news for me last night. I was very happy because I can tap into the PS world on other devices even if I don't buy PSP2.

I'd love to hook my PS3 into this community of developers and users though. Do you know if Sony has any thoughts on this ?

In particular, Are Qriocity, Near and the PSP2 main UI (LiveArea) built on top of PS Suite ? Will they make it to PS3 coz I'd like to find out what my neighborhood is playing (via GeoIP). Being able to connect with these gamers seem fun too, especially if they pass by my house.

It also *smells* like Sony's cloud services may be available for PS Suite apps/people too (to maximize their $$$).

 

Yeah, that's true. I imagine devs will try to make their games usable on as many phones as possible, as well, so they'll probably be very consistent in targeting the baseline. This really is a great decision.

I don't think I'd ever buy a new Playstation portable, only because I'm not big on portable game devices, but it's very possible I could get an Android phone. It makes Android phones a lot more attractive, and it helps Sony extend their brand to compete with, and tap into, Apple's growing iPad/iPhone game market.

 

Well, this won't be the only SDK on Android, but it possibly represents the largest unified game platform. However, unless it gets a PS3 implementation quickly, it'll only be good for NGP's and Sony mobiles at the moment. The moment PS3 get's a version, that's 50 million potential buyers. If that content works on their mobiles too, the whole package value because substantial.

This is the most striking thing with Sony of late. Old Sony was all about forging their own path, leading the way. They then got left behind. Now they seem to be much more about collaboration, creating standards and supporting them, seeing that the best way to compete with the opposition is to befriend them and work together, taking a little of all their labours and vice versa. The up side for Sony is whatever hardware advances may come, they don't have to race to compete!

This is where things start to get worrying. We're going to have different hardware platforms, which means driver issues and basically a PC style possibility of impossible bugs. "I bought this PS game on my old phone. I just upgraded and now it doesn't run."

As above, the PC type scenario could be a plague limiting progress. Discrete hardware can achieve far better each generation than legacy-bound software platforms. Hopefully the past 15 years of graphics libs and abstraction layers and SDKs and drivers has provided enough material to inform a proper clean-architecture that is stable and can grow.

So I read it as at first, only PS One ports, but the engine will support new content and Sony among otrhers will roll it out.

They're differentiating the NGP experience from the PS Suite experience, saying NGP offers best of both worlds with a higher quality experience developed for NGP, and also PS Suite titles developed to a lower specification platform. Basically you won't be getting Uncharted type AAA games on PS Suite because it has to aim sufficiently broad, but NGP isn't just a AAA handheld and will support PS Suite too.

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

“You won’t see it, not as long as I am the president,” Iwata said in an interview on Jan. 9.[/QUOTE]After the heresy of Sonic on a Nintendo console, nothing should come as a shock. This was a brilliant business move by Sony, even if PS fans feel it's the end of their brand of favourite console and akin to Atari going from hardware company to shell of a software company. There's loads of potential in this move. It's very clever, and if it works out it'll give Sony a competitive edge going forwards where they just can't compete with ahrdware like they used to.

Live was talked about providing exactly that sort of thing before 360 hit the shelves. It's funny how these ideas take an age to get anywhere!

Yes, I wonder if we'll hear something official regards a Sony/Google partnership at some point? They sound like they're getting pal-y, but I don't suppose Google want to appear partisan so would have to tread careful with their choice of partnerships. It's certainly in Sony's best interests to combat MS's global software platform, and it's somewhat in Google's favour to have the old PS name and a solid hardware base and the large library of Sony content as the starting blocks to build a stronger network.

 

Yes… the PS Suite spec requires 512Mb RAM. Not sure if PS3 will suffer because of it.

For an approximation, they should integrate the PS Suite common services into PSN. e.g., share the DRM between the PS Suite and PS3, the communication infrastructure, user and presence data, the cloud save, etc.

As long as a PS3 app can tap into those info/services seamlessly, it may be possible to come together and create a seamless experience. Individual PS3 game may require additional porting effort (from PS Suite) in this case.

EDIT: Even better if a PSP2 can message someone on Steam via Sony and Valve's partnership.

 

I'm not sure it will get a PS3 version, but the more popular games and Apps will probably get a PS3 release. Generally yes, Sony have been more about the co-operation than going it alone lately, but they do still go it alone sometimes. Qriocity is a good example of Sony not waiting around and going it alone, no other media company has even dared to use UtraViolet, but Sony is forging a path and signing up partners left and right for it.

On compatibility, it shouldn't be a problem. If you get an upgrade to another Android phone then it should be very easy to authorise your new phone with PS-Suite and download your content again. By definition your upgrade will be better than your older phone and from what I know compatibility is dependent on Android so your phone will only be able to download compatible versions.

As above, the PC type scenario could be a plague limiting progress. Discrete hardware can achieve far better each generation than legacy-bound software platforms. Hopefully the past 15 years of graphics libs and abstraction layers and SDKs and drivers has provided enough material to inform a proper clean-architecture that is stable and can grow.

Not really. It's not an official partnership. It's more like a marriage of convenience. For Sony it is an easy way to get a lot of publicity (Google TV, PS-Suite, PS3 Chrome rumours) and for Google it is an easy way to test out their products in the mass market and use Sony's formidable distribution network rather than build their own. PS-Suite is the single biggest Android announcement since Honeycomb and tablet support. Game developers will be much more willing to sink in time and money into the platform now they have a dedicated channel for their wares, we will see throughout the year where iOS games get announced for PS-Suite phones, but not Android. Once PS-Suite is available on Samsung Galaxy/Nexus products it opens up a potential 15m users and SE Arc will get support from the off as well which is expected to ship 10-12m units this year.

 

Are they going to talk more about PS Suite at the Xperia Play unveiling ? Perhaps more demo ?

 

Sony Games Chief Faced Big Challenges With PSP Refresh:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/217937/sony_games_chief_faced_big_challenges_with_psp_refresh.html

 

I don't know. That's Sony Ericsson, and mostly they are a bunch of w*ankers and I don't have any association with them.

One thing I've learned working with Sony. Never underestimate the ability of Sony Ericsson to feck things up. It's why Sony have been absolutely unwilling to lend the PS brand to them, they already devalued the Walkman brand with £50 prepaid phones and they didn't want to do the same with PlayStation. As far as I know PS-Suite was developed completely independently from SE and they were only informed of its development at the last stage and were given preference to be the launch partner. It looks like that might work out, but only once SCE reworked it for them...

 

Yeah… I most likely will skip both Xperia Play and PSP2 and wait for Sony's pad instead. Will see if they put 3D on it. This is why Playstation Suite is so important. It expands the market and at the same time free Sony from being slave to a particular SKU.

I still want them to work on PS3 though. That's my primary entertainment platform. ^_^
Any news on that front while you're in Japan ?

 

Not much, the hotel sucks, their internet is weird so I have to route through my vpn which makes everything super slow. D:

 

Jack Tretton said Playstation Suite will have non-gaming apps and it'll also work on the PS3! That's pretty cool, buy a game or an app for your Android phone through the PSN store, and it'll also be on the PS3. Still no info on whether PS suite games will have trophies. Obviously the PS1/PSP ports won't, but what about new games?

 

Well I just read Jack Tretton on Engadget saying that PS-Suite would be available on the PS3, but then took it back. If that is the case then it will be a massive boost to the platform before it even launches.

If I were you I wouldn't skip on NGP. It's pretty awesome, I would wait for the first or second revision though as they may have more features included or have a better design.

 

Hah, Jack Tretton's leak if true.

It would be rad if I can use my PS3 as a server to serve out stuff to the PSP2 and PSP Suite devices in my vaccinity.

If I were to buy PSP2, I'd buy it day 1. The first batch of Sony devices usually have the best components (based on PSP and PS3). The subsequent ones use cheaper parts.

 

Its good to see Sony finally getting back into the game. PS-Suite running on mobile devices joined at the hip with Steam on the PS platform to provide coverage from mobile to console to PC. Chuck in cross platform Trophy support and Apps and I'm all in. Especially if they can now consolidate their current DD methods (iPlayer, Lovefilm etc) into the same experience.

 

EA and Activision will want to establish their own presence too. At least EA is still negotiating with Sony as we speak. ^_^

 

Am I the only one actually more interested to see where the PS-Suite will end up... besides useless smartphones?
I thought often enough that it would be great if you had a last-gen console in your TV, now this could archive just that. TVs are easily big enough to facilitate 10-20W additional heat without any active cooling.
Add Bluetooth or some kinda Wiimote and you have a totally silent console, nearly all the pieces necessary are already in current TVs. LG will do exactly that with their future models, having a "Wiimote" and "Appstore".

IMHO Sony finally did the right thing with PS-Suite... well almost... sounds quite stupid if the PSP2 wouldnt just run the same Android packages but has to be targeted explicitly.

 

I'm wondering if they will get this on iPad at some point.