Sony Devs: 'NGP Is The Machine We All Wanted'
Motorstorm Apocalypse developer Evolution Studios says that Sony's worldwide network of developers got exactly what they requested in the NGP
Tom Hopkins 10:10, Friday 18 February 2011
NGP was unveiled last month at an event in Tokyo, sporting such innovations as a rear trackpad, touchscreen and dual analogue sticks.
"We’ve all been looking at odd-looking devices with wires sticking out them since an early date, because with the commencement of research on NGP, Sony really changed its approach so that it was much more developer-driven," Evolution studio director Matt Southern told NowGamer.
"Instead of Sony handing hardware to developers and saying, ‘here’s our next device, make something cool’, it set about asking developers what they thought should go into the device, and what they thought would be cool," added Southern, echoing the sentiments of Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida last year.
“I think Little Deviants is going to be one of the killer apps”
When Evolution Studios was acquired by Sony it formed the Leamington Spa-based offshoot BigBig, which had its own impact on the shape of the NGP.
"Literally saying, ‘we’re thinking of a rear touch pad, what could you do with that?’ BigBig came up with Little Deviants, which I think is going to be one of the killer apps," said Southern. "So it’s almost kind of weird to be asked what I think of it because I told Sony what I think of it and, as a result, that’s reflected in the hardware. That’s happened right across, Japan, Asia, Europe and America, so in terms of first-party development it’s the machine we all wanted, and I think that’s starting to show in the games. It’s going to be a tremendous console for gamers, whether they’re core or hardcore."
Check out our full Motorstorm Apocalypse interview with Matt Southern soon on NowGamer.
http://www.nowgamer.com/news/5206/sony-devs-ngp-is-the-machine-we-all-wanted
