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[I NEED SCISSORS]

This has been my feeling for quite some time. I really don't understand why Sony didn't include video out with this thing. They've made the controls more like a console, so why not take the extra step and allow people to play it on their TV? It would fix the issue that many have with not wanting to play their games on a tiny screen. It makes even less since when you consider that they're on the dev units (GI confirmed this).

Because they want to sell you a PS3 for that. No point marketing all this 'transfarring' business if you aren't going to buy the same games twice.

 

[yencid]

i hope we see a bunch of new RPG IP's for the NGP.

 

[Bad_Boy]

This has been my feeling for quite some time. I really don't understand why Sony didn't include video out with this thing. They've made the controls more like a console, so why not take the extra step and allow people to play it on their TV?

Because they still want to sell PS3's?

 

[Dedication Through Light]

When the system was unveiled people cried "What the hell Sony? This thing is gonna sell for AT LEAST $400!"

Then the components were examined and people switched to "Ok, a base SKU can be priced at $300."

The next thing we know, Yoshida is going around talking about "setting a target price before even designing the system" and people take that as a hint that it would be sold for $250!

And now, for absolutely no reason whatsoever, the $200 price tag is being thrown around!

It's like you guys take joy in setting yourselves up for disappointment and look forward to your own meltdowns. Get a grip on reality dammit, for the sake of GAF's servers!

Mr Yoshida is making it clearly, to me, that it will in no way shape or form, have a base model at $299...

“I feel very comfortably that we are going to be hitting it,” Yoshida told Kotaku, speaking of the NGP’s unannounced price point, which the company set internally even before beginning development of the system.

“We definitely consider this is the price that it has to be for people to even consider purchasing it.”

Yoshida said the price is digestible even though “gaming portable devices may not be something people feel like they need”.

The announcement of the PSP’s launch price of $249 in 2004 was met with something approaching horror at the time, a lesson Sony seems to have taken to heart in its price-first approach to creating the new hardware.

Would people really consider a >$299 portable system?

 

[Takao]

I don't know one Sony development team that consistently makes handheld AND console games... only one I can think of is Polyphony Digital... and that didn't end well.

Slant 6 (Second Party)
Clap Hanz (Second Party)
Liverpool
Ape Escape Team
Guerrilla
Zipper
San Diego

 

[galian beast]

Well when it comes to PD I don't know what happened with GT PSP, seems like they put it together within a few weeks. Then again GT5 is a pretty medicore game and this is coming from a huge fan of GT that can't stop talking about it. But what about proven devs like SSM, ND, we know MM are making a game, Sucker Punch etc. They need to at least try making a game for the system, with great respect to Bend it should be ND making the Vita Uncharted games. Also Bend should stop being treated as the team that just make spin offs of other franchises, allow them to make something new because they are absolutely mint.



Same here, baffled. Only thing I can think of is that Sony are worried that people will get Vita and then not bother getting their next home console like the PS4. Only reason I can think of, shit I like the Vita and all graphically but they really think it will replace a console? Silly, it should be in.

Sony's philosophy is to have teams concentrate on one thing so they can be more productive, rather than having to work with other devkits. I agree though I would like some mixing, but perhaps its not feasible. I still think Sony should work with a quality seal, where every game that comes out that is released under SCE WWS should pass through every development team before getting released, and every team has to say "okay, this meets my standard."

 

[outunderthestars]

I hope we get more from the Vita than PS3 IPs like Killzone, UC & Resistance.

The PSP has locoroco, Patapon, Lumines, Jeanne D'Arc, Crush, half minute hero, etc.

It had good original IP as well as and console IP.

 

[Kuran]

Mr Yoshida is making it clearly, to me, that it will in no way shape or form, have a base model at $299...



Would people really consider a >$299 portable system?

Do you realize iPad 2 costs twice that?

 

[lunchwithyuzo]

I think people don't realize that the PSP is 10 million away from the GBA, which was really successful.

GBA sold it's ~80m in about 4 years, PSP's going to be around ~70m after almost 7 years. GBA was a monster hardware success, it was regularly outselling even PS2 in it's day, but Nintendo cut the platform's life short and then forcefully put it down in favor of DS.

I am kinda curious what lifetime GBA versus PSP software sales look like though, since neither really had the console-like software patterns DS did. Anyone have those figures handy?

 

[Bad_Boy]

Would people really consider a >$299 portable system?

In the age of touch screen phones and tablets, yes. Thats what scares me.

 

[LJ11]

I really hope the device is $399.99; I want something that feels classy and is built as well as my iPhone 4. No cutting corners, please.

You'll have a $400 paper weight, it'll look classy though!

Definitely think they'll add a video out on a future model, no doubt about it.

 

[Takao]

GBA sold it's ~80m in about 4 years, PSP's going to be around ~70m after almost 7 years. GBA was a monster hardware success, it was regularly outselling even PS2 in it's day, but Nintendo cut the platform's life short and then forcefully put it down in favor of DS.

You also have to remember that the GBA had the market all by itself (sorry Wonderswan).

 

[Gravijah]

The PSP has locoroco, Patapon, Lumines, Jeanne D'Arc, Crush, half minute hero, etc.

It had good original IP as well as and console IP.

I know, I love my PSP. I'm just talking more about the first party stuff, especially from the western studios.

 

[Chiggs]

In the age of touch screen phones and tablets, yes. Thats what scares me.

They make it classier than a toy and they have my money. I don't want cheap plastic and something that feels like it was slapped together in Taiwan (even if it was).

 

[mr_nothin]

Because they want to sell you a PS3 for that. No point marketing all this 'transfarring' business if you aren't going to buy the same games twice.

They cant sell you NGP games on PS3 though. Most of the games arent identical.

 

[TripOpt55]

I can't wait to see what these other NGP games they haven't revealed are.

 

[Akainu]

I know Monster Hunter 3rd will will work with the dual analog. But has anything been said about Unite working?

 

[galian beast]

Slant 6 (Second Party)
Clap Hanz (Second Party)
Liverpool
Ape Escape Team
Guerrilla
Zipper
San Diego

As you said those are 2nd party

I think liverpool just ported the psp games for wipeout HD... not completely sure about that

Guerilla made 1 PSP game... and not an especially big one either...

Zipper has been on and off in terms of making PS3 games...

I'm saying you don't see a team making PSP games and PS3 games on a regular basis

 

[Father_Brain]

In the age of touch screen phones and tablets, yes. Thats what scares me.

Smartphones and tablets aren't dedicated gaming hardware, though - they're essentially portable computers that have inexpensive games as a value-added feature. I suspect that $300 is pretty much the viable price ceiling for a dedicated handheld, and that even then, that price would significantly impair initial sales.

 

[Dedication Through Light]

Do you realize iPad 2 costs twice that?

People dont buy iPad's and those type of devices as portable gaming devices with software that costs over $14.99 though. Havent only just 2mln iPad 2's been sold anyway...

 

[Takao]

As you said those are 2nd party

I think liverpool just ported the psp games for wipeout HD... not completely sure about that

Guerilla made 1 PSP game... and not an especially big one either...

Zipper has been on and off in terms of making PS3 games...

I'm saying you don't see a team making PSP games and PS3 games on a regular basis

Well, you mentioned PD, who only made 1 crappy PSP game, haha.

WipEout HD also has different tracks not in the PSP games.

 

[Jinfash]

Smartphones and tablets aren't dedicated gaming hardware, though. I suspect that $300 is pretty much the viable price ceiling, and that even then, that price would significantly impair sales.

Agreed.

 

[Bad_Boy]

Smartphones and tablets aren't dedicated gaming hardware, though. I suspect that $300 is pretty much the viable price ceiling, and that even then, that price would significantly impair sales.

NGP does more than games too. So Sony could easily market it as a "do-all be-all" device.

What does a tablet do that the NGP can't?

 

[TheExecutive]

Mr Yoshida is making it clearly, to me, that it will in no way shape or form, have a base model at $299...



Would people really consider a >$299 portable system?

No. People will not accept a gaming handheld for anything greater than 300-350. If its any higher it will be DOA. 350 is even pushing it...

 

[yencid]

NGP does more than games too. So Sony could easily market it as a "do-all be-all" device.

What does a tablet do that the NGP can't?

sony needs to stay the fuck away from the it does it all handheld thing. Focus on the games.

 

[TheExecutive]

NGP does more than games too. So Sony could easily market it as a "do-all be-all" device.

What does a tablet do that the NGP can't?

They could try to do that but it would fail. This is a gaming device and very few people will ever consider it otherwise.

 

[Jinfash]

NGP does more than games too. So Sony could easily market it as a "do-all be-all" device.

What does a tablet do that the NGP can't?

An established market with ~60,000 apps of all kinds priced between $0.99 and $9.99.

That alone justifies the hefty price of the system for a lot of people these days.

 

[galian beast]

Well, you mentioned PD, who only made 1 crappy PSP game, haha.

WipEout HD also has different tracks not in the PSP games.

Sorry if I wasn't clear. What I meant to say was no SCE developer consistently makes games for both, the only one that i could even think of at the time who had made two games at the same time was Polyphony Digital.

 

[pharmboy044]

i hope we see a bunch of new RPG IP's for the NGP.

I doubt you'll see any RPG's tomorrow. I think those announcements will be held back for TGS.

 

[SolidSnakex]

Because they want to sell you a PS3 for that. No point marketing all this 'transfarring' business if you aren't going to buy the same games twice.

What's stopping them? They'll both have their own appeal if they're releasing different games on both. The only time they'd run into the issue that you describe is if they plan on releasing a bunch of ports. In which case it would be time to ask them why they even wasted development resources on this thing.

 

[Bad_Boy]

sony needs to stay the fuck away from the it does it all handheld thing. Focus on the games.

i agree. of course they will focus on games, they havent really even talked about the other multimedia features. but it would be a mistake not to market the other nice features.

I'm thinking as a business point of view, not a consumer point of view.

249.99 would sell like hotcakes imo. and i hope they release at this price. but value wise, this thing has more value than a 500/600 dollar tablet. that people have no problem paying for. but if you call it a gaming handheld, all of a sudden 400 dollars becomes too much. it's odd.

if you put honda on a rolls royce, its probably no longer worth as much as a rolls royce. similar oddity in value perception.

An established market with ~60,000 apps of all kinds priced between $0.99 and $9.99.

Any reason why the NGP couldnt have apps?
PSN already has items from .99 and up

 

[Infinite Justice]

I know Monster Hunter 3rd will will work with the dual analog. But has anything been said about Unite working?

Supposedly its the emulator that does it (some claim they saw Resistance: Retribution using it as well) so Unite should have it.

 

[lunchwithyuzo]

You also have to remember that the GBA had the market all by itself (sorry Wonderswan).

What about sidetalkin'? And the real NGP?

 

[Father_Brain]

They could try to do that but it would fail. This is a gaming device and very few people will ever consider it otherwise.

Yep, the dual analogs and buttons will pretty much ensure that. Sony might - might - have been able to position it as a more direct competitor to iDevices had it used a slider design, but I'm not getting the sense that that was ever really a goal for them anyway.

 

[Chiggs]

People dont buy iPad's and those type of devices as portable gaming devices with software that costs over $14.99 though. Havent only just 2mln iPad 2's been sold anyway...

2.5 million as of March.
http://www.businessinsider.com/ipad-2-march-sales-2011-4

 

[perfectnight]

I know Monster Hunter 3rd will will work with the dual analog. But has anything been said about Unite working?

Is it a PSN title? if so, it should. From what we've heard all PSN PSP games will be backwards compatible and you'll be able to map the D-pad to the 2nd analog.

 

[galian beast]

Even the 3DSis struggling at 250.

250 is a horribly price point for a handheld gaming system.

Sony *might* be able to get away with launching the core system at 250 simply because of the 3DS pricing, but it certainly won't do well at 250. Look at the PSP as well. It can launch at 250, but it's still going to have to drop to 200 within a year.

Sony can't compete with a tablet. It's a different market. If they try, they will fail.

I could see this

PSP-3000 - 99 dollars
NGP - 249.99 dollars
NGP w/3g - 299.99

 

[Akainu]

Supposedly its the emulator that does it (some claim they saw Resistance: Retribution using it as well) so Unite should have it.

Is it a PSN title? if so, it should. From what we've heard all PSN PSP games will be backwards compatible and you'll be able to map the D-pad to the 2nd analog.

Good to hear. I hope so.

 

[SolidSnakex]

Even the 3DSis struggling at 250.

The 3DS would struggle at $200 if it had the same exact lineup that it has now. That's its problem.

 

[Chiggs]

Even the 3DSis struggling at 250.

The 3DS is struggling because consumers don't really give a crap about 3D and the games are non-existent.

 

[Unknown One]

I hope it releases around 250-300. If it's 300 it'll be worth it if it has a decent amount of PSN games that support it at launch.

I would buy it just to play PixelJunk games on the move at launch if there were any.

 

[outunderthestars]

The 3DS would struggle at $200 if it had the same exact lineup that it has now. That's its problem.

agreed. There is a complete lack of compelling software for the system, and so far nobody has shown me a compelling use for the 3d.....

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Damn

 

[galian beast]

agreed. There is a complete lack of compelling software for the system, and so far nobody has shown me a compelling use for the 3d.....

If the system weren't in 3D and it was just the DS2 with better graphics I think people would buy it for 200... how much was the last expensive DS system? Wasn't it like 175? I believe it sold... and it wasn't nearly as much of an upgrade.

 

[lunchwithyuzo]

Sorry if I wasn't clear. What I meant to say was no SCE developer consistently makes games for both, the only one that i could even think of at the time who had made two games at the same time was Polyphony Digital.

Japan Studio does, they're the one Sony team who really seems to put equal effort/rescources into both consoles and handhelds (and downloadables). Otherwise I sort of agree, Sony seems to largely segment between AAA console teams and the PSN or "handheld ghetto" teams.

 

[Dedication Through Light]

Even the 3DSis struggling at 250.

250 is a horribly price point for a handheld gaming system.

Sony *might* be able to get away with launching the core system at 250 simply because of the 3DS pricing, but it certainly won't do well at 250. Look at the PSP as well. It can launch at 250, but it's still going to have to drop to 200 within a year.

Sony can't compete with a tablet. It's a different market. If they try, they will fail.

I could see this

PSP-3000 - 99 dollars
NGP - 249.99 dollars
NGP w/3g - 299.99

Sony has its own tablet, so I would be baffled why they would try to market NGP as a competitor or answer to the tablet market. $199-$229 cant really be impossible to believe, even if they are willing to absorb the cost and make losses, if they truly want to be edgy and competent in the market. This reminds me of when people thought 3DS would be no less than $299.99.

 

[Bad_Boy]

Just to be clear, I wasn't saying that NGP was or should be marketed in the tablet or smartphone target audience. I was just saying, this device has as much value if not more than a tablet.

And that small yet important bulletpoint is all they need to justify charging 299.99-399.99 for. Instead of the 199.99-249.99 people are hoping more, myself included.

 

[KingDizzi]

I'm there day one no matter what the price because I'm just paying for myself, no family, bills or anything like that to worry about. Would love it to release at the same price as 3DS but cannot see that happening seeing, $300 and still I'll be very surprised. If it's anywhere near the $250 price point this thing is gonna sell well, no doubt about it. It's all about the price.

 

[outunderthestars]

Just to be clear, I wasn't saying that NGP was or should be marketed in the tablet or smartphone target audience. I was just saying, this device has as much value if not more than a tablet.

And that small yet important bulletpoint is all they need to justify charging 299.99-399.99 for. Instead of the 199.99-249.99 people are hoping more, me included.

They tried marketing the PSP as a do everything device and failed miserably. That said, I fully expect a Netflix announcement at E3.

That said, I think Sony should have their marketing laser focused at the core gamer.

 

[galian beast]

Japan Studio does, they're the one Sony team who really seems to put equal effort/rescources into both consoles and handhelds (and downloadables). Otherwise I sort of agree, Sony seems to largely segment between AAA console teams and the PSN or "handheld ghetto" teams.

I think SCE Japan's efforts have been absolute garbage on the PS3 this generation. But you never know who is actually working on what games, I'm not sure there is much cross over.