Sony's NGP

    Quote from Mazy

    Although I think all the odds are against Sony (As it looks right now, smart phones and Nintendo pretty much have the entire market locked down as it is), then I really hope this will be something interesting. They kinda had to do the dual analog sticks, and they kinda needed a touch screen as well, but the one on the back? Really? Although it sounds kinda cool for the use in Little Deviants, then it just makes it feel like they've taken the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach. They do still have the big advantage of actually having tactile feedback, they can do games well that the touch based devices cant.But the really interesting bits from their press conference were Playstation Suite (which could be HUGE for Android phones), and the fact that they emphasized that you could almost port PS3 games for the NGP. I heard some people talk about the prospects of then being able to play the same game on your PS3 and NGP, so that you'd be able to start it up on your PS3 at home, and progress through it on NGP while you're away from home. It's a beautiful idea, but it seriously sounds like a pipe dream to me. Imagine how much cross referencing and how much parallel QA you'd have to do to get it working, sounds like a huge job for the developers unless the NGP features some dream tech that makes it possible to run on PS3 test kits.

    Anyway, I'm quietly rooting for Sony, but I seriously doubt that the NGP or PSP2 or whatever will be the success that it needs to be.

    And I am absolutely certain that the price will be way too high, after all, this is Sony we're talking about. They said that if you thought the PS3 was pricey at launch (which it was), then you should just work harder to be able to afford it

    I think that exists to some degree with the current PSP (streaming gameplay). The game has to support it though and few do.

    Not really. A DS is cheaper and more common than an iphone, and Androids and Blackberries are both more common than iOS, and neither is particularly noteworthy for games. iphone apps get a lot of attention but they aren't actually a ginormous market or anything.

    Personally, I way prefer my DS. I find the complete lack of buttons besides the screen on an iPhone a pain for games.

    The reality is that people (kids and adults) tend to move from system to system in waves. Not all at the same time, mind you, but the market really can accommodate both mobile phone gaming and dedicated portable game system gaming. Part of the reason the DS and PSP have been declining is due to their age. And piracy. And shitty games on PSP. But really it's the age. People just get sick of them. They grow out of them especially if they first get a DS when they young. Imagine a 9 year old who got a DS in 2005. That kid is a full on teenager know. If that kid is a dude, he'll probably want or already have an Xbox 360 or PS3 etc. Or maybe he scored an iPod Touch. If that kid is a girl, odds are she stopped playing games (as much) and now has a iPod Touch or maybe even a phone capable of texting. Whatever. But if a new portable game system comes out that is cool for whatever reason, such as Nintendo stuff in 3D or the NGP (which is a defacto portable PS3 with dual analog sticks and etc. features) the kids are likely to want one. Whether they get one or not, new hardware gets people excited, even if the price, features and available initial software aren't necessarily rolled out properly.

    The point is that while there certainly has been some DS/PSP cannibalization by mobile phone gaming, that does not mean future portable gaming systems won't have any chance. Will the 3DS ever sell as many as the DS? I don't know but it ain't gonna just sit on the shelves and die.

Participate now!

Don’t have an account yet? Register yourself now and be a part of our community!

Register Yourself Login