In an interview with CVG, EA’s Patrick Soderlund has revealed that the company has had access to Sony’s latest worst kept secret, the PSP2.
Asked if EA has “had any exposure at all to the PSP2”, the company’s senior vice president replied “Well, obviously as a developer we have had that – but I’m not allowed to talk about it.” However, he declined to give any further details on the upcoming handheld, including if they have merely been shown it, or if they are actively working with devkits, as rumoured: “We can’t talk about it because of our relationship with Sony obviously.”
Whilst EA is the first major publisher to confirm it has spent time with the PSP2, it isn’t the first gamemaker to spill the beans. Back in September, the executive producer of the upcoming Mortal Kombat, was the first developer to reveal that kits are doing the rounds. “PSP2 looks like it’s a pretty powerful machine,” he said, interestingly also revealing that the studio had yet to receive tools for the 3DS, despite that console coming to Japan before the end of the year and the rest of the world in early 2011. Given that the PSP2 is not yet close enough even for an announcement, it seems that Sony are getting the handheld into as many developers hands as possible, as early as possible – learning from both the development issues faced by some studios with the PS3, as well as the current lack of investment by publishers in the PSP.
Rumours have been flying recently about the still-unannounced console – possibly due to Sony leaking false details in order to catch whistleblowers – from memory that bests that of the PS3 and 360, a ‘HD’ screen, and even a full touch-enabled pad on the back. Also on the rumour mill is a “PSP Phone”, with pictures of a prototype obtained last week by Engadget. It is as yet unclear how far along that project is, and where a phone which apparently only matches the power of the current PSP would fit into the PlayStation portfolio, with the PSP2 rumoured for a late 2011 release.
Source: CVG
hazelam
so they’re not going to talk about it other than to say they’re not going to talk about it?
right… o_O
doswillrule
I hear it has two analogue sticks…oh I do hope that they rethink them. There were some good looking games on the PSP, but having demoed it early on, the ‘slidey thing’ and some terrible control mapping just killed it for me.
They do also need to make more of a push for the casual market, though. It’s a dirty word in gaming now, casual, but they completely misunderstood the fundamentals of handheld gaming in aiming for a ‘PS2 Mini’ and entertainment centre. I want something small and cheap, with games I can pick up and play on the go, puzzlers and platformers, adventures and addictive multiplayer.
It was a solid first foray into the market, but Nintendo have the landscape to a tee. It’ll require a major technological coup to displace them and get anything more than a 70:30 co-existence.