The Telegraph has published an interview with Sony Entertainment’s President and Group CEO, Kazuo Hirai which has revealed one or two interesting facts. He is first questioned about the PSP, specifically regarding the rumours that a PSP2 would have gyro sensors much like those found in Apple devices. Kaz debunks this idea:
I think that PlayStation DNA has always been about stability and not making changes midcourse. So any technology we do bring needs to be forwards and backwards compatible for the same platform. It doesn’t matter if it’s a gyro-sensor or anything else. It needs to be compatible with all of the platform’s forthcoming games as well as its catalogue. If the consumers who have already bought PSPs need new tech to play it which isn’t compatible with that platform, you’re sending them a bad message. You’re saying “if you want to play this great new game you’ve got to go out and buy a new PSP.”
He then goes on to explains that both motion control and 3D were factored in to the PlayStation 3 design at the very begining:
Those are things [motion control & 3D] we talked about internally before the launch. We knew that the PS3 needed to have a 10 year life cycle – much like the PlayStation and the PS2. Given how fast technology turns over now, we knew going in that we had to pack a lot of horsepower into the PS3.
Recently the head of Nintendo has said he would be ’embarrassed’ if he worked for Sony as he felt Move was just a copy of the Wii. Kaz took the time to have a sly dig at Nintendo bringing out the Motion Control Plus Wii upgrade:
We also we want to make sure the technologies that we offer are a complete package from day one. We don’t want to be in a position where we’re having to come out with something like ‘PlayStation Move Plus’ two years from now.
Another thinly veiled dig was aimed Microsoft who showed very little in the way of ‘core’ games for Kinect during E3:
There are upwards of 36 million PS3 consoles sold worldwide right now – we are starting to tap into the casual and light gaming users. But we want to make sure that we have software that appeals those gamers without neglecting the hardcore gaming audience who have always been the real diehard supporters of PS3. That’s the balance we struck in our keynote press briefing, I think.
Finally he was asked if he was relieved that Gran Turismo 5 has a release date:
(Laughs) Couldn’t be happier! Especially because Kazunori Yamauchi took a lot of time tweaking the game – as he always does – but the fact that he took the time to make sure the game is 3D compatible is great. He put a lot of effort into it and it obviously shows! If you haven’t played it yet, you should – it looks absolutely fantastic!
With hindsight Sony’s plans for the PS3 do make a lot of sense. The console was regarded as very expensive at the beginning but at that point you did not know that you would get 3D, Vidzone, Home and the many other facilities Sony have tacked on for free since launch.
Sony built the console with these in mind so when the technology become affordable and popular it could easily be slotted in to the PS3 rather than bringing out a new design. Makes you wonder what they have got planned for the future, doesn’t it?
Source: The Telegraph
asim_4
I’m scared to think what they might do next :S
Bilbo_bobbins
this article says exactly why I buy Sony and wouldn’t bother with anything else, until I could trust another company, which at the moment, I dont. Quality product with excellent ideas.
Stitch
“It only does everything!”
BIGAL-1992
Why don’t they throw in a free 3D bravia if they want us to buy move.
asim_4
im gonna buy move but not the sub controller; they need to bundle them together as for tvs how much are 3d tvs anyway ?
theDAZBOMEGATRON
Minumum £1200 plus glasses @ £100 per pair.
BIGAL-1992
If I could get part-time work, I could save up for it.
Willzay
Been doing some shows through work with Sony recently and had a go with a few 3D games and some 3d nature programmes etc. It’s cool and I can see myself getting…one day. I wouldn’t invest yet, wait for more content and the price to go down.
BIGAL-1992
Good idea.
bajere
@ Willzay – That is everyones reaction to seeing 3D. If you see it, you will relise its not a gimmick, and something truly worth owning… just a shame they price it too high. 40″ at under £900 and they will fly off the shelfs. at the moment £1200 for a 32″ is pricey for the amount of content available.
Willzay
I like it, and if I could get one big enough for under a grand I’d get one but I think 3D is something I can live without, especially with glasses. I think glasses is what is going to put most people off, for what you look like and the price.
Like hd though you get used to it after a while and just don’t notice it anymore, it only becomes noticeable when you stop watching 3D you go woah, everything looks like crap now.
Radiitz
The PS4 should have a built in toaster. Now that is REAL technology right there!
BrendanCalls
What if it YLOD’s, I wouldnt be able to make toast….gutted!1!
DrNate86
It’s great that the playstation is going from strength to strength now, it was a bit of a risky strategy though, having all the great stuff planned years down the line without telling anyone, as it was percieved to be so expensive at the time!
cam the man
That’s Sony.
Rob92
But did they really?
I’m sure they though 3D was always a plan but my guess was they thought PS4. As for motion control, if they always though of Move or full motion control then why did we have the Sixaxis?
Either way I dont care, Im looking forward to Move and would love to be able to buy a 3D TV one day!
Tuffcub
Yes they did. Kaz says so.
STILLCANTTHINKOFAGOODPSNNAME
playstation have been developing move for years, there’s a video on youtube of them playing a magic duel game with a tennis ball on a stick and a PS2 eye toy. and sixaxis was probably an experiment like PSP Go
STILLCANTTHINKOFAGOODPSNNAME
http://www.tawkn.com/?news_id=3607
bajere
They must of had an in-cling…Why use that sort of HDMI port when cheaper was available. Or BluRay when HDDVD would of done the job. Sony do seem to think ahead, i believe him on 3D. I don’t believe Move was planned though. if the Wii dint exist, Move wouldn’t either.
jayboy31
And if everything is planned from day 1, how come they initially said they couldn’t fit rumble motors into their six-axis pads?? Either they are lying now or they were lying then, jus to get more money out of the early adopters?? So effectively the Dual-shock 3 is their Six-axis ‘plus’ controller! How embarrassing.
bunimomike
They wanted to include it but had legal trouble. Until that was settled (costing Sony a fair old chunk of cash) they couldn’t have DualShock controllers.
Zoidberg79
I really like the comment:
“If you haven’t played it yet, you should – it looks absolutely fantastic!”
Well where can I get a copy???
Quinlank
There’s evidence around of experimental motion control tech in the vein of Move that’s been around since the days of PS2… hell, there were even some crappy gimmick peripheral games that funtioned like a primitive prototype of Move(eg. “Gametrak Golf” and such or whatever they were called.), so it isn’t unreasonable to assume they’d been THINKING about motion control for so long… I just don’t believe for a second they’d have jumped that particular bandwagon if Nintendo hadn’t popularised motion controls to the level they have first.
hazelam
yeah, gt has a release date, in america.
still waiting here.
gazzagb
Just read the full interview on the Telegraph website, very interesting. Also, I love his digs at Nintendo and MS.
BrendanCalls
I love the fact the PS3 was designed for a market 3-4 years ahead of its release.
They lost sales in those 3-4 years but in the following 5 years the sales will grow exponentially. I can see the logic, hope it comes to fruition for them.
Charmed_Fanatic
Sony are psychic! Call the FBI!!