Microsoft Contemplating Psp Rival

January 28th, 2006, 01:54 Posted By: wraggster

News from C&VG

Rumours of a Microsoft-backed portable gaming system have been doing the rounds since before God decided he'd have a go at fixing the dodgy tap in the kitchen himself and managed to flood everything (thank Heavens for that Ark, eh?). Now though, Peter Moore has further ruffled the feathers of speculators by commenting on such a device. According to an article in Business Week, the magazine has learned that Microsoft is seriously considering producing its own portable media device, designed to rival Apple's iPod music and video player. At this point, it seems that the project is still in the very early stages, with Microsoft only recently assigning a team to investigate the business potential of such an undertaking.

So far, so unrelated to games then. However, Microsoft exec Peter Moore told Business Week, "It can't just be our version of the iPod." Additionally, Moore states that, "I think the [Xbox] brand is an opportunity." It doesn't take a monkey to realise that the Xbox brand could play a key role in leveraging sales of such a Microsoft-developed portable system. What's more, it's not unreasonable to envisage a handheld machine that plays games alongside music and videos, if tied into the Xbox product line - placing it in direct competition with Sony's PSP. Despite the very early stages of such a project - if Business Week's sources are accurate - the news could be the clearest indication yet of Microsoft's bid to enter the lucrative market currently dominated by Nintendo and Sony.

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