Despite numerous ups and downs, the PSP has had a great run, especially in Japan where it’s still managing to push an average of around 60,000 units a month.
However, with Sony’s “Next Generation Portable” on the horizon as well as the newly-announced PSP Remastered series, the original PlayStation handheld’s days are numbered. We have no doubts that publishers will continue to support the platform even after the NGP’s release but with Sony’s target market mainly consisting of up-to-date, hardcore gamers, the PSP will have a hard time keeping up, at least in Western territories.
When the PSP Go launched in 2009, it effectively put the final nail in the coffin for the UMD as a method of distribution for Sony’s next portable device. Consumers were initially apprehensive of the Go’s download-only method of buying games. Sony has taken on board criticisms, the NGP combining the best of both worlds; software will be sold in stores on all-new NVG Cards, as well as via the PlayStation Network.
Not only does it mean that NGP developers will be able to cut back the production costs; hopefully it will lead to fairer pricing and an easier channel for game updates and patches too (which could remedy the piracy woes of the original handheld.)
[drop2]To commemorate the handheld before it’s even been put to rest, Sony are also sporting a new “Remastered” series, essentially PSP classics which have been re-worked in HD, fully playable on the PlayStation 3. Call it a cheap cash-in or golden opportunity to relive your favourite handheld hits, either way it outlines an interesting future prospect for the NGP.It may sound like a stab in the dark, but what if Sony were to accompany the release of new NGP titles with an HD, PS3-compatible version too?
Imagine buying the new Uncharted, Resistance, or Killzone and instantly having it available on both platforms, with the added feature of being able to transfer game save data. It would be ideal, especially for those who don’t intend picking up an NGP. If the handheld’s online capabilities are as expansive as to be believed, what’s to stop there also being a level of cross-platform PSN integration too?
[drop]Pursuing such an innovative method of marketing wouldn’t come without its fair share of serious flaws. Firstly, publishers would need to invest more time and money into their games, so such a level of cross-platform distribution could probably never become a compulsory practice.Making the games simultaneously available on both the NGP and PS3 for consumers at no additional cost, would also mean that the price of the games themselves would likely inflate to a turgid, unattractive figure. If such a scheme were ever to come into fruition it would likely be exclusive to first/second-party titles.
What we have seen of the NGP excites us already; the prospect of having a handheld appendix for our PlayStation 3 consoles has us frothing at the mouth, eagerly awaiting an in-depth examination when Tretton and co. take the stage at Sony’s E3 2011 conference.
Darth Newdar
If Sony nail the cross-platform element, I think the NGP could be a massive hit. That is, after all, what Sony want with the NGP: a home console experience on a portable handheld. The possibilities – via PS3-to-NGP ports and saving to the cloud – are huge.
But it’s a big if…
cc_star
Remote Play is a service that goes a long way toward playing a PS3 game whilst mobile. As usual Sony failed to get others onboard for the service,even though it is a simple checkbox in the ps3 game’s code as reveled in ‘backed-up’ games. The business case for offering remote play wasn’t very compelling & I suspect that will be the case with PS3/NGP play however they do it. Unless the maths work out in the publishers favour (ie cost gamers more than purchasing separate versions) then surely the publishers will maintain the status-quo
colmshan1990
An online pass equivalent where you could pay up to €20 to download the game for the other system might work.
Any more and customers wouldn’t be interested, but much less and neither would publishers. It would have to be done with a way they could check that you had in fact purchased a full price game on one platform.
TSBonyman
It’s always been a cool idea, ever since those psone VM units ( I think that’s what they were called) and as handheld tech becomes more and more powerful it’s easier to share assets between platforms.
As mobile tech becomes closer in architecture to consoles I could see where re-coding between the platforms would not be much work for the developer (in fact they’re saying that already about PS3 to NGP conversions) so the cost to the developer should be small.
I’m sure Microsoft have something like this or plans for this with Windows mobile, Nintendo might be planning something similar with the HD screen-equipped controller (although the design might be less ‘pocketable’ than the NGP?). So it makes sense that Sony would consider it too.
One thing for sure, if one console offers the feature the other’s probably won’t be too long following after.
enroene
I read somewhere that porting from the PS3 to the NGP was quite easy ,so they could focus on coding for the PS3 and porting over.the online play on NGP seems great to me.
daveydaver34
NGP looks set to fix pretty much all of the mistakes of PSP and I really do want one, but given that I really wanted a PSP and then never really used it, I’ll have to wait and see how it goes for awhile rather than getting one at launch.
As for PS3, NGP cross compatibility, it wouldn’t work. There would be little point in spending money to get the exact same game just so you can play it out and about. Only games not avaliable on PS3 would attract my attention on NGP.
colmshan1990
I think it would depend on the game.
For example, COD (surprise, surprise) would do very well if people could carry their stats across the NGP and PS3 versions.
At home, the big screen TV would obviously be the better experience, but on the bus or train?
I’d probably go for it with Uncharted online, if it was like Uncharted 2, anyway. And we all know the COD sales numbers defy belief.
KetchupBBQ
I do not want to play PS3 games when I am out because they have not been designed for the job. If you guys are so heartbroken by not playing Uncharted for even a little bit that you would be glad to grab a few minutes on the bus then that’s your problem but I think it would be a bad time for portables. Completely ignoring the fact that the NGP will make it look like ass and not have enough buttons and you’re taking the time to back up a save and copy it over and all that.
job
hopefully the touchpad solves the “not enough buttons ” issue.