Zune can learn from PSP

[Shrygue]

via Computer and Video Games


Microsoft's Zune can learn from the "cautionary tales" of the PSP, Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Devision boss Robbie Bach has said.

Speaking in an interview with Venture Beat, Bach said that while the PSP was "reasonably successful" as a games portable, he thinks that music and video were an after though for the platform.

"The PSP is a reasonably successful product at the profit-and-loss level. But as a product concept, there are cautionary tales to learn from it," he said. "While it is good at producing audio, it's not a good music player because it doesn't have local storage (except for flash memory slots).

"You can't keep your music there. It has a beautiful screen, but you can only get the video under the Universal Media Disc format. That format hasn't been successful.

"On a game level, it has done well," he continued. "But even there, it is mostly PlayStation 2 ports. There isn't much original content. When you do these devices, they can't be pretty good at a lot of things. They need to be great at what they do."

Learning form the PSP, says Bach, Microsoft has decided to focus on music with its Zune music player, which means that we shouldn't expect a singing and dancing Zune games service any time soon.

"We think of it more as a portable entertainment player," said Bach. "It is technically possible to do games on there. But you aren't going to see a broad gaming effort from us until we sort that through and have it figured out.

"I don't think of Zune like the PSP. The PSP is a game player that also does video and music. We think of Zune as a broad-based entertainment device."

That said, according to Bach the Zune is a greater platform for games than the iPod, which recently unveiled plans for an iPhone games store.

"It is more compelling than an iPod because it actually has a D-pad. From a gaming perspective, it is reasonably well suited. You can read a little or read a lot into it. The point is that we think of it as a portable entertainment device."

[Seven7]

"While it is good at producing audio, it's not a good music player because it doesn't have local storage (except for flash memory slots).

Which has been proven to be reliable for music storage...perhaps not the biggest ammount of it, but reliable and stable.

It has a beautiful screen, but you can only get the video under the Universal Media Disc format. That format hasn't been successful.

False: The sucess or failure of the UMD format is debate-able in of itself, but the movies can also be on the memory sticik...

"On a game level, it has done well," he continued. "But even there, it is mostly PlayStation 2 ports. There isn't much original content.

This is also a debate-able point...

When you do these devices, they can't be pretty good at a lot of things. They need to be great at what they do."

Once again, a debate-able point, not fact.

Learning form the PSP, says Bach, Microsoft has decided to focus on music with its Zune music player, which means that we shouldn't expect a singing and dancing Zune games service any time soon.

Good, focus on the 360 says I. Personal opinion: The psp and the DS are far too dominant market wise for much else in the area to succeed.

"We think of it more as a portable entertainment player," said Bach. "It is technically possible to do games on there. But you aren't going to see a broad gaming effort from us until we sort that through and have it figured out.

Opinion: Don't bother... Why? Read opinion above.

"I don't think of Zune like the PSP. The PSP is a game player that also does video and music. We think of Zune as a broad-based entertainment device."

The psp was built primarily as a gaming device yes. Opinion: Because of this, it's rather redundent to compair a game system with a media player, regardless of how you think of it.

it's 2 different markets, why even attempt to compair them?

That said, according to Bach the Zune is a greater platform for games than the iPod, which recently unveiled plans for an iPhone games store.

Opinion: I doubt that., on either front to be honest.

"It is more compelling than an iPod because it actually has a D-pad.

Opinion: A d-pad, a gaming platform does not make. The psp has a d-pad and an analogue nub, does that make it more compelling as a media device than the Zune?

What was the point of this compairison again? Apples and ping-pong balls folks.

From a gaming perspective, it is reasonably well suited.

Only time can tell, i'm not holding my breath though.

You can read a little or read a lot into it. The point is that we think of it as a portable entertainment device."

Opinion: Thats fine. Where again does the psp fit into this? Your not "learning" from anything, your making compairisons about 2 different markets...it stops making sense after a point.

Live in your world, don't compair it to ours.

[PoorKingz]

This guy must still be on 1.5