Sony's NeoGeo Pocket's (PSP2/Vita) business/non technical ramifications talk

[Aeoniss]

MS can bring xbox live and have yet another device that connects to it .

PC , XBOX 360 , Win 7 phone , and xboy or what have you.

MS can offer true portable verisons of halo , gears and other titles.

I think it would sell well . Xbox is a strong brand now and is allways growing.

It isn't very strong in Japan, and Sony still dominates in the PAL regions. The only area that MS has any sort of lead is the US.

Also who would develop those titles for the system? MS has bled off a great deal of its internal studios at present. Bungie has moved on and is no longer doing Halo, 343 presumably has its hands full and Epic is most definitely busy..

 

[eastmen]

Because they'll try to go the iPhone/Android route where apps make the phone more desireable, thus allowing more licensing/sales revenue of WP7.

Selling WP7 OS and services is far less risky than having to manufacture your own hardware and then convince people to buy your software AND your hardware. With WP7 costs are shared for the device with the various hardware manufacturers. They bear the cost of producing the hardware and you sell them licensing for your OS.

But none of the WP7 Devices have the dedicated controls to run halo 3 and other games.

With WP7 I imagine that advertising costs are shared with the respective phone companies. With a theoretical handheld console, they are left to advertise it on their own.

Unless they team up with big carriers for 4g connections
Then again there are allways the likes of EA , activision , ubisoft and others to help advertise

License fees for games sold through the WP7 marketplace will probably be similar to license fees for games to be sold through a handheld console. Each individual game will probably command a lower fee due to the lower price of the game, however, there's a potential to sell a LOT more games if WP7 can get numbers similar to Android or iPhone even if it remains in 3rd place.

OF course they can not only move these apps on phones but then also on the dedicated handheld

Now, games will obviously be less robust on a smartphone than a dedicated handheld with discrete controls, but the risk vs reward in this case for MS favors developement of Xbox Live Games on WP7 rather than launching a risky handheld console venture.

Of course a sucessful handheld could spur sales of thep hone units.

If WP7 ends up a total and utter failure, it's possible MS might then look at the handheld console market, but even then I'm rather doubtful they want to get into that arena.

Regards,
SB

Or it could be a great money maker for them.

2012 hand held with xbox live and xbox 360 level or better graphics would allow them to port xbox 360 games directly to the system. Halo 3 , reach and others will find life on it and xbox live users will migrate to it , since in my idea it would run wp7 secondary apps can run on it , all of wp7 apps will run on it and so people buying the xboy would buy these wp7 apps and find after a short while that they have a ton of software that will work on wp7 instead of ios or andriod and migrate from those to windows phones

 

[patsu]

Kaz Hirai answers "Why talk about NGP now ?"
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/02/02/kaz-hirai-on-the-ngp/

 

[Shifty Geezer]

It is big, isn't it. Not a pocket device. I'd want full tablet-type app support to convey a lot more value and versatility to that much backage - carrying NGP along with a smartphone and/or tablet and/or netbook is a hassle and an overcomplication.

 

[Arwin]

It is big, isn't it. Not a pocket device. I'd want full tablet-type app support to convey a lot more value and versatility to that much backage - carrying NGP along with a smartphone and/or tablet and/or netbook is a hassle and an overcomplication.

All my colleagues with an iPad never have it with them. It's strictly a 'use at home' type affair for them, because most of them do a lot more with their laptop than the iPad affords. So they either carry their laptop, or their iPhone (which we all get from work).

There will always be different devices being better for different circumstances. And just as there will always be people who will prefer to have as many of those functions into one, there will also be a lot of people who don't need that, and who will be much better (and cheaper) off with a more specialised device. I personally carried my PSP around a lot for years and if I get an NGP, that will probably happen again. But I'm sure there will be others who think that's too much of a hassle. If I didn't have an iPhone from work, I don't think I would get one now. For the NGP, it depends on what it can do.

For me personally, if the NGP can do Android apps, then I think I would get a tiny 40 euro phone with a tiny bit of credit on it or a 2.99 euro subscription or something like that, and use the NGP for everything else. If it only supports Playstation Suite stuff, and that only gets a tiny fraction of the apps available for Android, I may still end up getting one of the cheaper Android devices. For now I still have the iPhone from work, but although I like it a lot, I'm also starting to get fed up with it - screen is too small to be comfortable enough to do the tonne of things you can do with it (it suffers from its own success there - I want something larger than this, but small enough to still fit into my pocket), and input is too limited for meaningful games beyond the Angry Birds type affair.

You have to assume that at some point the current market share for all phones and handhelds out there combined is the future marketshare for smart devices. That's a big market, and you'll find devices from small to large, solar powered, usable under water, with 3D screens or projectors built in, watch shaped, whatever.

 

[Sigfried1977]

As far as I'm concerned, everything that's bigger than an Iphone or *insert similarly sized device* is too big to carry around in my pockets anyway, so if an even bigger PSP means better controls as well as a larger screensize, then that's fine with me.

 

[jeff_rigby]

As far as I'm concerned, everything that's bigger than an Iphone or *insert similarly sized device* is too big to carry around in my pockets anyway, so if an even bigger PSP means better controls as well as a larger screensize, then that's fine with me.

Pockets get bigger (support 7 inch).

 

[Nesh]

All my colleagues with an iPad never have it with them. It's strictly a 'use at home' type affair for them, because most of them do a lot more with their laptop than the iPad affords. So they either carry their laptop, or their iPhone (which we all get from work).

There will always be different devices being better for different circumstances. And just as there will always be people who will prefer to have as many of those functions into one, there will also be a lot of people who don't need that, and who will be much better (and cheaper) off with a more specialised device. I personally carried my PSP around a lot for years and if I get an NGP, that will probably happen again. But I'm sure there will be others who think that's too much of a hassle. If I didn't have an iPhone from work, I don't think I would get one now. For the NGP, it depends on what it can do.

For me personally, if the NGP can do Android apps, then I think I would get a tiny 40 euro phone with a tiny bit of credit on it or a 2.99 euro subscription or something like that, and use the NGP for everything else. If it only supports Playstation Suite stuff, and that only gets a tiny fraction of the apps available for Android, I may still end up getting one of the cheaper Android devices. For now I still have the iPhone from work, but although I like it a lot, I'm also starting to get fed up with it - screen is too small to be comfortable enough to do the tonne of things you can do with it (it suffers from its own success there - I want something larger than this, but small enough to still fit into my pocket), and input is too limited for meaningful games beyond the Angry Birds type affair.

You have to assume that at some point the current market share for all phones and handhelds out there combined is the future marketshare for smart devices. That's a big market, and you'll find devices from small to large, solar powered, usable under water, with 3D screens or projectors built in, watch shaped, whatever.

Yeah its true that people mostly carry their phone and/or labtop. Which brings up the question, as smart phones advance with more tablet applications and 3D graphics improve, how will the NGP compete as a portable device? What is going to give an incentive to the user to carry it with him? It will still needl tablet app support to atleast leverage its offerings as a product. Otherwise it will be just another sizeable portable gaming device hindered by the same product design issues that did not help the PSP compete with the iPods and other similar devices, even though it boasted a larger screen and could play lots of audio and video formats.

This time around it has the capabilities(performance and control methods) to offer features that can accompany the larger size reducing the size drawback and exploit it as a benefit.

 

[patsu]

Might want to launch NGP with stylish carrying bags and in-car holder. In fact, I may be interested in a car entertainment suite if done well.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

As far as I'm concerned, everything that's bigger than an Iphone or *insert similarly sized device* is too big to carry around in my pockets anyway, so if an even bigger PSP means better controls as well as a larger screensize, then that's fine with me.

That's what cargo pants are for!

Regards,
SB

 

[corduroygt]

As far as I'm concerned, everything that's bigger than an Iphone or *insert similarly sized device* is too big to carry around in my pockets anyway, so if an even bigger PSP means better controls as well as a larger screensize, then that's fine with me.

I personally find my iphone screen to be too small, and wish it was at least 1" larger diagonally.

 

[eastmen]

As far as I'm concerned, everything that's bigger than an Iphone or *insert similarly sized device* is too big to carry around in my pockets anyway, so if an even bigger PSP means better controls as well as a larger screensize, then that's fine with me.

I'm not sure how big a device has to be before i can't put it in a pocket. My DSi is normaly in my back pocket or when its cooler out in a jacket pocket. My phone (samsung epic) fits in my front pocket. My psp had a tough time fitting in any pocket.

So i'm hoping this thing fits into at least a jacket pocket.

 

[Cyan]

MS can bring xbox live and have yet another device that connects to it .

PC , XBOX 360 , Win 7 phone , and xboy or what have you.

MS can offer true portable verisons of halo , gears and other titles.

I think it would sell well . Xbox is a strong brand now and is allways growing.

Talking of portability, since there's a PS3 version of Gran Turismo I WANT Gran Turismo for the PSP2, asap. :smile:

Like one of the best artists that ever existed says....

 

[patsu]

I personally find my iphone screen to be too small, and wish it was at least 1" larger diagonally.

For web browsing, watching video and reading, yeah… I usually use my wife's iPad. I guess if I have an NGP, it'd be second after iPad for these activities.

 

[wco81]

Biggest smart phone screen is 4.3 inches. But the resolution isn't as high as a iPhone 4 Retina Display.

Obviously apps are better formatted for the smart phone displays than web sites.

 

[onQ]

My little 9 & 10 year old cousins walk around with PSPs all the time & they are not as big as some of you are making them out to be I think we are just use to the smart phones & so on, but the PSP isn't that big, besides if 7 inches is too big for you to carry around I think video games is the least of your problems

 

[corduroygt]

I wish Sony could get this up and running by the PSP2 release. If not, I'll settle for the PSP2 refresh

http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/26/sonys-rollable-oled-display-can-wrap-around-a-pencil-our-heart/

 

[patsu]

New NGP details emerge at private event:
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-02-04-new-ngp-details-emerge-at-private-event

During a presentation to around 20 UK developers at its headquarters in London yesterday, Sony shared a wide range of information about its new handheld platform, revealing significant new details on launch plans, hardware specifications, networking features and more.

One attendee, speaking to Eurogamer this morning under condition of anonymity, said: "NGP is a developer's dream – Sony is finally doing the things developers have been crying out for for years."

Studios had been expecting to collect development kits at the event, but were told "late shipments from Japan" meant SCEE would now be "prioritising". According to the source, for a kit to be delivered before April a studio must supply a "20-page concept document on a game they want to release at launch".

Eurogamer understands that key UK studios have had early kits for almost a year. But the source claimed the new shipment of kits would be "the first to have the final GPU in them".

Sony staff demoed a handful of upcoming first-party NGP titles, including Uncharted, Little Deviants and WipEout. The source said the latter was "the WipEout HD PS3 engine running on PS3 with no changes to the art platform. That means full resolution, full 60 frames per second. It looks exactly the same as it does on PS3 – all the shader effects are in there".

With Sony urging developers to create releases that work across PS3 and NGP, the implications of this are significant. "They want us to do cross-platform," said the source, explaining that the submission process has been streamlined, with only a single submission required for a title on PSN and NGP.

And developers were told: "All games at launch available on flash [the physical storage medium] would also be on PSN."

However, Sony is also insisting that it "does not want exactly the same game" on NGP and PS3 – there "has to be a reason for the NGP title". "They want at least some kind of interactivity between the two versions with NGP-only extras," the source added.

The rumoured addition of 'cloud saving' – seen as key for enabling gamers to switch easily between a game on PS3 and NGP – was raised by developers, but SCEE would not officially confirm it.

…


"Any shaders for PS3 stuff will just work," said the source. "We won't have to rewrite. What would have taken two-to-three months before looks like it could take just one-to-two weeks now. The architecture is obviously different, but it's the same development environment."

…

 

[manux]

New NGP details emerge at private event:
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-02-04-new-ngp-details-emerge-at-private-event

Good stuff! I wonder if this developer centric new Sony will also be carried over to ps4 console and tooling.

Arm based ps4 might just make sense at the end if Sony wants to simplify compilers, debuggers, cross platform development&optimizations etc. rather than just going for solution that has the most computing power in theory.

"Sony has made it completely developer-centric this time," the source added. "[The development kit] is really simple to plug in and use.

 

[AlphaWolf]

My little 9 & 10 year old cousins walk around with PSPs all the time & they are not as big as some of you are making them out to be I think we are just use to the smart phones & so on, but the PSP isn't that big, besides if 7 inches is too big for you to carry around I think video games is the least of your problems

There's a reason phones got smaller. Because portability is important to customers. It's not a matter of being capable of carrying. It's a convenience issue, its too thick to stick in a pants pocket and not everyone wants to wear a jacket or bag wherever they go.