Sony: "The PSP has life in it yet"

August 21st, 2010, 23:02 Posted By: wraggster

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

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