MaxwellGT2000 said:
Resident_Hazard said:
I also heard of the rumor of the PSP2 being a kind of gaming cell phone, but read an article pointing out several logical holes in it. For instance, a PSP-phone would likely be a weaker overall system to the PSP and that such a project is very much not the way Sony does business. On top of which, Playstation is a very strong brand--they're not going to muddle it with a cell phone--for one thing, look at the current PSP commercials, which openly mock cell phone gaming. The PSP-Go has also not been met with much success, owing to the idea that Sony will likely still focus on a physical-media-based system the next time. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised to see them using "shrunk" Blu-Ray technology in order to maintain the same basic game shape as the current UMD's, but with a micro Blu-Ray-based disk inside the UMD shell. This, if you think about it, would be the smart way to go because it would allow the system to be backwards compatible to the original PSP.
I have no doubt at all that a new Playstation-branded portable device is in the works. Sony may be waiting right now to see how the 3DS looks on a technical level so they can attempt to one-up the thing. Who knows? Sony may be working right now to secure rights to make the successor to the PSP also feature a built-in 3D screen. They copied the Wiimote, after all.
But, frankly, with 40 million in sales, the PSP is a resounding success. That's still higher numbers than a lot of otherwise successful game systems--such as the original Xbox or the Sega Game Gear (which managed only around 9 or 10 million). Sony's not just going to give up on their portable system. They have a ready fanbase, after all.
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Never said they would nor does anyone think its a failure by any means... but they're really not in the position to stay on their old model of making expensive tech and selling it at a loss to make money later, it just doesn't work from a business standpoint for them unless they want their investors to go batshit crazy which is almost what happened after the PS3 launch, once a business model has been shown to have cracks it makes investors gunshy, who wants to invest in a company that might be ready to lose millions more, and with the restructuring of the company as a whole I just don't see HQ letting that happen.
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To be fair, while I'm sure some investors took some issue with the PS3's launch, it's never-the-less been successful from a giant company that is typically pretty successful. I doubt the PSP lost all that much money, especially considering it's resounding success. I know if I were a long-time investor of a company with Sony's track record, I might take some of the PS3 issues with a grain of salt.
I personally question the idea of developing and expensive system and selling it below cost with the goal of making up losses on game revenue, and I always have. But, that formula was hugely successful with the PS1, PS2, most likely with the PSP, and eventually with the PS3. The PS3 launch--and it's first year--was certainly messy, but the system has still been successful.
Sony clearly isn't interested in developing cheap tech to sell affordably. They've always been big on quality and high-tech over affordability and low-tech. Granted, it cost them the home video market when Sony's technically superior Beta format lost to the cheaper VHS, and the PS3 initially stumbled in the face of the Wii and Xbox360, but the gamble has certainly paid off most of the time--which is one of the reasons Sony is the gigantic company that they are.
I forgot, the last rumor I heard of the PSP was that Sony had developed a core that is roughly half the power of the PS3--but the same general tech. A smaller Cell processor. If true, that's damn impressive. Where the hell did I read that...?
Anyway, Playstation is one of Sony's biggest brands. I'm sure Sony will still give that division some ample freedom for development and marketing.
