Sony: "The PSP has life in it yet"

Sony has insisted that there is still life in the PlayStation Portable, and it’s a viable platform for games, as the handheld becomes increasingly targeted at a younger gaming audience.

This morning details leaked of new PSP hardware that Sony is currently pitching to the development community, featuring a touch-sensitive pad at the back of the system.

"We don't have anything to announce and nor are we giving anything away if we say we’re always looking at the future as well,“ said Denny when asked if Sony was working on new hardware in the PSP family.

"For now, we’re still concentrating on the PSP as a very attractive proposition."

"It's natural that in the lifecycle of a platform as the cost comes down they do skew younger and we’re having a lot of success with the more child-friendly products on the PSP and it’s certainly a great proposition to buy in on, and the PSP has life left in it yet."

Ubisoft's Alain Corre also agreed there is still a business opportunity on the platform, even as companies like LucasArts have canned work due for the machine.

"We have been happy with our last releases on PSP," he told GamesIndustry.biz.

"Assassin’s Creed did very well, Avatar did very well, Prince of Persia is doing good.

"It's true that the volumes of sales are not huge but still we are making a living on that. We also re-released our key games and franchises on the Essentials range, and that’s doing good. All in all we are making some good business on the PSP."

The PSP has shifted through four different models since it was released, including the poorly-received download-only PSPgo console, and sales have continued to decline over recent months.

But Denny pointed to the hardware as an ideal budget gaming system, that can still offer something for the hardcore: "It was our first attempt at a handheld and with 60 million units-plus, I think it’s been a great success for us."

"With the Invizimals sequel, the new EyePet with augmented reality, new Patapon and also a new God of War, when you marry that with the Essentials collection you’ve got 20 triple-A games there and another 20 that were just announced - people that are buying in to PSP now it’s a great value proposition."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...life-in-it-yet

R.I.P Psp(please)

Look man i love my psp, i play it more than my ps2 anymore, and even more than my ps3.

It's still the most amazing handheld out right now.
I say it has 2+ years left.:thumbup:

Yeah i love my Psp too, but only in the way i love my Xbox 1, for homebrew. I can see myself picking it up in 10 years for a blast on 8&16 bit oldies, but as a gaming platform Sony has all but given up on it outside Japan and are really just going through the motions, the simple problem is it's just too standard and developers and gamers want extra gaming interfaces to play with, i mean put it next to a Gamegear and the Psp hasn't really moved on in 20 years when people are now used to seeing what DS and iPhone can do.

The Psp has been around for over 5 years but for me it has never lived up to the hype. I imported mine from Japan and was lucky enough to be one of the first to own one. Initially I was blown away by the excellent graphics and playability of Ridge Racer. Unfortunately for me the gameplay never moved on.
I feel the Psp was constantly trying to prove its self from its bigger brothers that it never really found its own place. Developers seemed to take the lazy approach and just converted games from the Ps2 and these lazy ports never seemed to fit right.
I still have fond memories of it as I have had so much fun with all the emulators and homebrew that if it wasn't for this community I would of got rid of it years ago. I'll never forget the early days when it was first hacked and coming home daily to new emulators and homebrew, great times.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by symbal

Yeah i love my Psp too, but only in the way i love my Xbox 1, for homebrew. I can see myself picking it up in 10 years for a blast on 8&16 bit oldies, but as a gaming platform Sony has all but given up on it outside Japan and are really just going through the motions, the simple problem is it's just too standard and developers and gamers want extra gaming interfaces to play with, i mean put it next to a Gamegear and the Psp hasn't really moved on in 20 years when people are now used to seeing what DS and iPhone can do.

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I would take a PSP game over any DS or iPhone game anyday. But of course nowadays everyone wants silly gimmicks.

I just got a PSP and am having a blast with it. I also own the DS and must say that they are both great. Now I definitely don't understand the strange battle between PSP lovers and DS lovers. Both very great and different systems.

As far am I'm concerned as long as I can buy cheap used UMDs and enjoy homebrew on PSP I'm very happy with my PSP and hope it doesn't die just yet.