Third-party support is essential for the life span of any gaming product, so when you have a major publisher such as Electronic Arts calling you out, you better listen. EA executive VP and COO of worldwide studios David Gardner recently told MCV that Sony better get their act together with the PSP.
"I don't think Sony can afford to sit back. I think they still have things they can do with the price and performance of the machine-- things that they need to address."
Gardner points to the success of the DS as being about fun and accessibility, not about pure technical supremacy.
"There's no doubt that EA has historically bet more on PSP. I think we were excited by the technology, but the consumers have proven that actually what they want is fun. ... EA is putting more effort behind DS games -- and creative ones that really take advantage of the hardware."
And so, the bad press train keeps rolling for Sony.
[Thanks, Jose Miguel]
_thumbnail.jpg "i am 8-bit: 2008")
(Page 1) Reader Comments
Makes you wonder what their plans are for the Wii and PS3 and if they've changed too...
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oh and uh...
Fanboy Komment: Armageddon
BEGIN!
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Mind you, before I get accused of being a Sonybot (or whatever the trendy term is), there's still nothing on the PSP that can compare to Meteos or Sonic Rush. And I'll always have a soft spot for Animal Crossing.
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Anyone else find humor in EA talking about being creative in game design? Though obviously problems with hardware and software aren't totally comparable, it seems a bit like the plot calling the kettle black.
But then again, who would know about squandered potential more than EA?
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Nowhere in this article did EA say the PSP was no fun. You should replace EA with Joystiq in the title.
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I have both. My DS is boring as hell and collecting dust after having played all the "great" games...the only thing I use it for is an alarm clock. PSP has WAY more extended playability.
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They didn't actually say the PSP is no fun - Joystiq inferred that. What they actually said is that what consumers WANT is fun, not technology. The point isn't that the PSP is no fun, the point is that technology is not what makes games fun. Otherwise, the DS would not be as successful as it is.
It's actually a compliment to Nintendo's game designers that he's paying. If anything, he's saying Nintendo are better game designers than EA, because Nintendo has made fun games for the DS without the benefit of the technology that Sony's given to third-party developers like EA.
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http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/08/03/ea-makes-a-lot-of-money-on-the-psp/
What is their deal. They aren't creative so they have to blame it on the platform? What are they going to do to the performance of the PSP? Loading times? That's the developers problem. Price? I think the price is pretty damn good for what it is.
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There are extended life batteries for the PSP. Sony even makes one and they fit in the battery compartment unlike some. So that's not an issue. As far as loading times, there are games that have made that totally a non-issue (like Daxter).
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What EA is getting at is that Nintendo is making the DS a success. They have some great 3rd party games, but by and large, the killer apps are all courtesy of Nintendo. If Sony could grow some balls (and some good games) and really pushed the psp, it could do great things. But much like the ps2, theyre just waiting for great games to appear on their console. It worked for the ps2...but now things are changing...they have to adapt or they'll lose out on sales. And EA is totally right about this. If you want to push your console, you have to actually PUSH it. Make some killer games since you know your own system inside out, it shouldn't be a big deal.
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Tekken is a friggin blast and not just a port. Kudos to Namco!
I think Sony is the victim of third parties becoming complacent and not making the effort to make NEW games for the PSP. Sony is also a victim of Piracy. All those who participate can give themselves a big pat on the back.
Madden and fight night are so overdone; when is EA sports going to kick it up a notch for the portables?
Can anyone honestly say Madden football is more fun to play on the DS than on the psp? LOL
I do wish sony had a slick accessory that made it easier to carry around the psp. But then again the DS/DS lite is no easier to carry.
The one thing sony should really do is concentrate on a first party division making new games; copycat games like brain age and make it their own. Sony is too reliant on 3rd parties to make innovative games for the psp. If you leave it up to companies like EA sports all you'll get are ports of titles already out for the ps2, 360 etc....
PS
Grand Theft Auto for the psp is a good example of a third party not just porting over a title that is already out.
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These portables are for kids to keep them occupied so they don't constantly both us parents on the way to the store, etc...
What EA should have said was something like... We are going to stop making crappier version of our already crappy games on this high tech mini PS1.5!
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Nowhere in this article did EA say the PSP was no fun. You should replace EA with Joystiq in the title. "
Oh wow, look! A Sony fanboy is attacking Joystiq for being anti Sony!
Joystiq doesn't make the news. They don't create the rumors. They merely tell us what they've heard.
You don't think this sentence "Gardner points to the success of the DS as being about fun and accessibility, not about pure technical supremacy." IMPLIES that Gardner thinks the PSP is "no fun"? It's sorta like me implying you have no comprehension skills by just assuming you have a GED.
lastly, Robert Summa (the writer of this article) was taken to task HARDCORE by many readers (myself included) just last week for taking a negative Sony article and making it seem positive. He explained his reasoning for the spin very well at that. So I doubt you are going to convince many logical readers that Robert of all posters is biased.
Sony is screwing up. That's all there is to it. Once there is something positive to report, Joystiq will do it. Every company has their time. It goes in cycles. Whether this and Sony will cycle up again eventually. Then you can sit back, laugh, and poke fun at all the Nintendo/MS fanboys that say Joystiq is anti Nintendo/MS.
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Nintendo has always done well because of the demographic they chose. Kids are their bread and butter; but Nintendo also caters to the KID in every grown up too and leaves the Pirate/Hacker interested in consoles and portables like the psp because of the content being aimed at the hardcore gamer that moans about the kiddy titles on the DS.
It's the Pirates that are messing things up for Sony and 3rd party game developers know this but their lack of innovation makes it easy to use sony as the scapegoat!
Peace
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Whatever issues you might have with the PSP (I only own a DS myself), I don't think you can rightfully accuse Sony of making hardware that underperformed according to its promises.
From all my experiences with the hardware, it has done exactly what Sony promised it would do, in terms of computing power, speed, and other such factors. The problems often cited with the handheld do exist, but they're not ones that Sony promised would be otherwise.
About the only two ways you could say that the PSP underperforms compared to what Sony had promised/expected is in sales and library. And the former is heavily influenced by the latter. EA has known about what the PSP can and can't do in terms of hardware since before the system's release. So whose fault is it that EA's games are underperforming? I personally blame EA, myself.
As for the line "What the consumers really want is fun"... what, did EA just catch on to this concept in the last week or so? Is the idea of making a game fun that alien to EA? Most of the games I enjoy on the DS could be remade into PSP games with just a minor amount of modification. That says to me that the biggest problem for the PSP is on the developer side. Maybe Sony is partly to blame for that (if the stories I've heard about the dev kits and the expense in developing PSP games are true), but the lion's share belongs to the developers.
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Guys, just because I or someone at Joystiq posts and article about anything, doesn't mean we love or hate one console or platform over the other. And please, don't take our little snide remarks seriously either. We're just trying to have a little fun here -- at least I am.
Not everything in this world needs to be take so literally or seriously. Games are fun, so why shouldn't your news about games be fun as well?
And I'll say this again for the thousandth time, I have no bias. I own and play all the consoles/platforms and I enjoy them all.
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Yes that's what portables are for, to babysit your kids so you don't have to be annoyed. And clearly you can ONLY play a portable when you aren't at home. They don't function within 50 feet of an actual console.
Sarcasm aside, the graphics on the PSP are better than the PS2 in many instances. There are unique games, and the multiplayer features do make it worth playing even when your home console is available.
"most gamers that play on a PC or console don't want to play poor looking versions of the games they play on their console while they are away from home"
That's actually the exact reason I bought a PSP. Being able to play those games or watch movies on a plane or doctors office or whatever.
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I don't want to hear it.
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I see what you are saying, but I'd be interested to see the demographics on this. I just don't see it as being the parent imposing the system on the child as much as a child would request it first. I think there are a hell of a lot of adult DS owners out there too. The average gamer age being around 30, I wonder what the average portable gamer age is.
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DS has sold more because it's cheaper and better suited for the children. I sure wouldn't buy my kid a PSP.
PSP is here to stay and as we already see, hardware sales are steadily increasing... this fall will bring a boat-load of awesome games.
It's pretty impressive to see how much damage the (more expensive) PSP has inflicted on Nintendo's portable stranglehold. The PSP is outselling the PS2, amazing.
I don't care how much FUD you try to dig-up... Sales don't lie and can't be twisted by your hate for Sony.
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"About the only two ways you could say that the PSP underperforms compared to what Sony had promised/expected is in sales and library"
I think that's what EA is talking about in this article. Obviously that's what they care more about as a game company. Sony promised a game machine/mp3 player fusion to take on the iPod. Clearly that hasn't happened.
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"The one thing sony should really do is concentrate on a first party division making new games; copycat games like brain age and make it their own."
Is that how to create innovation? By "copycat-ing games and making them their own"? Is that how you work the DJ business? Copycat-ing? ;)
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To #3, who says meteos has no equal on the psp, ever hear of Lumines? Lumines > Meteos.
DS and PSP have abilities. DS touch is still more of a gimmick than innovention. Sure it allows for some fun games like "Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan!", Wario Ware and hmm, that's all I can think of at the moment. The great games on DS don't require the touch other than being a gimmick. e.g. New Super Mario Bros., Castlevania, Mario Kart, Tetris, Advance Wars.
Still plenty of great games on the PSP. Lumines, Monster Hunter, Madden, NBA Live, Valkerie Profile and The expanse of cool RPGs coming out by NIS. But what the DS does kick the PSP's butt at is online play. The makers for the psp games for some reason still refuse to make them online. Lumines online... just the thought of that makes me tingle..
The reason I see the DS as coming out on top is the same reason nintendo ever comes out on top. Nintendo is one of the best video game designers around. Now if only they would go the way of sega and stop making their crappy hardware. Instead of comming up with crappy gimmicks that make me buy an extra console just so i can play one or two games, they could make the world would be a better place and become another 3rd party vendor.
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Damn...and hear I was expecting Darryl to write the FIRST logical post I've EVER seen him write....and then he goes and ruins it with this.
First off, because of the DS's appeal to more casual gamers, kids, lower income families, and females, the DS has actually EXPANDED Nintendo's hold on the handheld market. I have no clue what "damage" you are talking about.
Secondly....you really need to check your numbers. Last I saw, PS2 outsold the PSP in both NA and Japan for the month of July. That despite the saturation level of the PS2 already. But if it makes you feel better, I DO think the PSP will outsell the PS3.
Thirdly, the PSP is sold for a loss. Movies sales are non-existent and software sales are causing software developers for the system to lose money. How is that success?
I am going to agree with you, however, that the PSP is here to stay. It has its demographic (though it's NOT movie watchers) and it caters to them as it should. Competition is good everyone.
In fact, I'll give you your next (hopefully logical) argument:
The PSP is the direct reason for the success of the DS as it the FIRST portable to force Nintendo out of complacency regarding its handheld monopoly.
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I can't agree with you there. Syphon Filter is a shining example of what the PSP can do online. Not to mention that there is a Medal of Honor coming out for PSP with 32 player online.
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Now, for EA's comments, they made them against Sony for some reason. If the real problem is the EA games suck, then they would also have said something about Nintendo and the DS. But they didn't. Must be a reason. Not sure what it is, but they specifically called out Sony.
Next, as for portable gaming, you have to decide what you like. If you are in the "portable version of my console camp", then you are definitely wanting the PSP.
If you are in the "shorter, easier to approach games for short bursts camp", then the DS is the way to go.
The PSP, with all it's capabilities, is sometimes hurt by the fact that people expect a lot from it. The DS, not as much. This is why trying to port games that are successful on consoles or PC's will NEVER be as good on the DS as the PSP: the hardware cannot handle it.
So, the reason for the DS's success is that Nintendo knows what it is for and puts effort into making the most of it. Games such as Brain Age, Nintendogs, NSMB, etc. are really geared to work on the DS using it's strengths.
Overally, I think Nintendo, with it's ability to pump out great titles that work on the DS hardware is causing a sensation with the DS such that sales are exploding. I think EA was under the impression that the same would have happened with the PSP. It was supposed to dominate. Even though the PSP is selling quite well, the DS is still stronger in unit sales.
The other factor I think is the attach rate. From what I have read, the people buying the PSP just do not buy as many games for it. They do other things, like use it for a media player. If you are a game developer and you look at total hardware units sold, you have to come up with some number of those that you think will buy your game. With the PSP being mostly bought for it's other purposes, this makes it less likely that your game is going to be bought. This is the jackyl of all trades scenario.
I'm not sure how Sony sold the system to 3'rd parties, but it seems to me like EA is not happy with what Sony is doing to make sure people buy the PSP and then games on a regular interval.
Personally, the PSP is a fine piece of hardware. I personally chose the DS due to Metroid and the fact that I was intrigued by the touchscreen with it's possibility of aiming for any FPS games (MPH, for example). I also liked the fact that it was simple to start up and play the games and pause them with a flip of the screen. I had no delusions of it's capability and I liked the simpler games on it, not to mention the quick startup. This is why I have 35 games for it. The games are on very small cartridges (much smaller than the PSP games on UMD) and I can carry my whole collection in the nice DS carrying bag from Nintendo. Very portable.
Well done on a portable gaming system. Sony, nice screen, but the sum of your parts is less than the whole.
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Come on, everyone in gaming community knows Joystiq is not exactly Pro-Sony. It is fine to be biased, but don't be like Kotaku, the guys there hate Sony, a lot.
Sticking to the topic, PSP needs some fixing before it becomes a great portable system. Just give us something like Disgea and some 2-D platform games.
EA, please, we don't want to play FPS on a portable sysytem. Release something fun like spore on PSP with little loading time.
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Actually, you should be the one checking the numbers. I'll help you, here is the last hardware sales figures from Japan:
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/08/04/japanese-hardware-sales-24-july-30-july-incredibly-incalcula/
"I DO think the PSP will outsell the PS3."
Yes, ofcourse you do... I'm sorry you're not able to think logically. Perhaps playing more Brain Age will help you?
"...and software sales are causing software developers for the system to lose money."
I doubt that very much... Ofcourse you have links to back that up? I haven't seen a single story posted that says that all PSP software developers are loosing money. Perhaps some studios who put out garbage games are loosing money, but there wouldn't be many.
Everyone knew PSP movies wouldn't pan out, everyone plays movies off of memory stick instead.
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You need to check your numbers AND your comprehension.
For the MONTH, it was
PS2: 240,000 (world wide)
PSP: 160,000
As sited above by another user.
"Ofcourse you have links to back that up?"
Man..you really are an idiot. THIS FUCKING ARTICLE addresses this very problem!!!! Why do you think EA is calling Sony to task in the first place and NOT the DS?? Man, you are dense.
I'll go a step further with you OWN WORDS!
"Everyone knew PSP movies wouldn't pan out, everyone plays movies off of memory stick instead."
BAM! And you wonder why software devs are losing money! You don't listen to logic...or yourself!
But hey...at least you sited a source for that last statement. :P
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PSP outsold PS2 BARELY in Japan. (just added up the weekly joystiq numbers).
The numbers of the poster above is the NA numbers.
But worldwide, the PS2 still outsold the PSP despite the PS2 already selling over 100 million units over 5 years.
However, why we are comparing handheld numbers to console numbers (totally different markets)....I haven't figured out.
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Yuck, I am going to vomit.
How about you produce 1 game that is specifically designed for the PSP, EA?
That would raise your credibility from zero to a little more than zero.
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EA is likely saying something out loud that many other developers are thinking. Who's job is it to make the PSP a success? Sony's or third party developers? In all reality, that job belongs to Sony.
The question EA asked itself is why should they put all the effort forward to make the PSP a success? Especially when EA can piggyback on Nintendo's efforts?
EA recognizes that they don't have to put forth as much money and effort making an amazing PSP game when they can put forth less effort and make a mediocer DS game, enjoy lower development costs, and result in higher sales. By putting all that effort into the PSP version, they may sell as many copies, but at a lower profit. Furthermore, all they are doing now is expanding the market for everyone else. Why should EA take that chance? EA isn't the one who will benefit most from the PSP being a major success, it is Sony. EA still sells software. If it is on the DS or PSP, they don't care. The almighty dollar is all that matters.
EA made a simple choice. Their primary market, USA, is split 50-50 between the PSP and DS. PSP owners have shown to have less interest in purchasing software than downloading emulators. DS owners are using Nintendo's efforts as what the system can offer, and EA eats that up. Same reason why EA loved the PS2. Everyone else gave the PS2 the reputation, and EA took advantage of it. They can't do that with the PSP. If Sony wants that to change, they need to start putting in a lot of time and effort into unique, new PSP games.
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Despite its massive size, EA's opinion carries no weight with me. When they start producing something other than shovelware, then they can talk.
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Also for the whole touchscreen thing. Yeah the touchscreen could be used more although its is used in many games such as Kirby Canvis Curse, Warioware touch, meteos, Metroid prime Hunters etc. Well the good news on that is that there finally starting to use the touchscreen alot more with games if you have'nt noticed. Zelda:PH, Starfox, and Mario 3-on-3 will all be using the touchscreen in genres that we though wouldn't be able to use the touchscreen yet they've found use in an interesting way. And Nintendo has said Zelda: TP was the last traditional Zelda so were going to see even more of these innovative Zeldas. But this is still not enough. I feel that the DS needs just about every game to use the touchscreen. I feel any game that uses the touchscreen to the fullest is automaticly a VERY fun game.
Also some people need to give the PSP a little more credit. Sure the majority of its games are ports but the retro games are great. I definatly plan on getting that Sega Collection. Also the PSP needs more games that are innovative and take advantage of the widescreen like Loco Roco. And if they can put out games as fun as Daxter and good online multiplayer games like SF then there will surely be a boost in sales.
Basically what Im saying is the DS has great games but has even more potential and the PSP is not losing this race because of piracy and all your other excuses but because of the games.
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It's fun seeing him acting all riled up though. One of the worst fagboys.. I mean fangirls of all time.
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The hardware is plenty powerful...the marketing, however, has weak fu. Nintendo is pushing the DS in tons of ways. Did Sony send a PSP to the president for his birthday? No. Did Sony give away coupons for a free copy of Brain Training for Father's Day in several major retail chains and magazines? Is Sony running TV commercials showing of the DS lite to it's core demographic? Is Sony pushing to get press releases and news items in major magazines and papers across the country? Is Sony significantly lowering the price of it's PSP dev kits to make it easier and more attractive for developers? No, no, no and No, if reports can be believed.
Does the PSP have any killer games that are getting reported in Time and Newsweek?
The problem with the PSP is two-fold: Sony treats it and its customers like a red-headed step-child. Firmware upgrades and press releases display their contempt. Ken Kutaragi saying he'll 'shoot anyone' who calls the PSP a game machine doesn't help. Sony's suspicion that every customer is stealing movies and music has hamstrung the device.
The other problem is that the PSP lacks a killer-app. Tons of ports aren't compelling, when they're ports of games from a console that already sold 200 million units. Sony's desire to have the PSP seen as something OTHER than a game machine has rendered it's games library as weak, rife as it is with PS1 and PS2 conversions. There are bright spots in the PSP libarary, but many titles feel half-baked. For every Tekken and Field Commander, there's an Ape Escape Academy, Coded Arms or Juiced: Elminator. Even when the ports are decent, they are still often of material that the gamer's already played...and the added benefit of replaying a game in a portable format just isn't compelling enough on its own to warrant a purchase. Nintendo is leading the charge for the DS's software development...where is the PSP's God of War? Locoroco went with a whimper, not a bang. Why isn't Sony developing more unique and compelling titles for it? I don't know. And my friends who are now playing their DSes more than their PSPs would like to know, too.
So in summary, Sony wants the PSP to be a media device, but with DRM and firmware sabotages the PSP at every turn; Sony wants the PSP to be a game device, but doesn't do active development to encourage better or more original games on it.
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