Sony's John Koller: Apple's entrance into gaming market drives consumers to PSP
By Darren Murph 
posted January 31st 2010 3:17PM
posted January 31st 2010 3:17PM
While we can't seem to shake the suspicion that Mr. Koller is drawing links that probably don't exist (at least fully) in reality, research firm NPD does show that sales of the PSP have "nearly tripled since the iPhone went on sale in June 2007." Of course, it's not like the PSP has gained functionality, become the home of more than a few killer titles and spawned a UMD-less sibling since the heydays of '07, but hey -- who are we to question the suit?"Apple's entrance into the portable gaming space has been a net positive for Sony. When people want a deeper, richer console, they start playing on a PSP."
@MRCUR
Yeah, I think some folks are kinda more upset at another Apple-related post to the point where they just didnt read it.
@LAY - Agreed! That post is probably going to hit 1,000 comments very soon too, maybe even make it to the most popular post of January 2010 as well.
Next-gen PSP2 FTW.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-ds2-vs-psp2-article
I wish Microsoft would come out with a xbox portable system, I think it would be much better than a DS or PSP.
@AiR1890
They're too busy trying to get the 'big-ass table' to work.
@AiR1890 theyre probably holding out for the zune phone theyre releasing
Yup. real gamers require an XBox, PS3, PSP, etc. ... until they (most of them) grow up and get a life. then they get a Wii or an iThing. Women first.
sorry, real gamers, Apple ain't interested in you. the Wii showed where the bigger part of the game hardware market is, and the iPad is aimed straight at that instead. it also threatens the PSP and DSI teen market in higher income neighborhoods everywhere (the 'burbs).
Sony is whistling in the graveyard.
@cherryboom kumbaya, you asshat
Perhaps its because the iphone/itouch makes more people shop for a mobile gaming device and that's when they find the Sony device.
That's nothing new in the business world. It reminds me of the adage in the restaurant world which I'm about to butcher: The best way to attract customers to your restaurant is to have another restuarant open next door.
SCE had a similar comment about psp go drives users to traditional psp as well
I like how sony says ppl want a deeper gaming experiance, but they charge an arm and a leg for games, and most of the games are pirated mostly because of price, and to top it off sony hasnt change much on the hardware to say they are any better.
Ya apple doesnt have as much in the graphics department yet for the IPH/IPT, but they are getting closer. Lets see what happens if they put the A$ chips in the IPH/IPT.
It took a few years for sony to get their games from looking like PS1.5 up to ps2.5 on the psp, and big game developers just recently just started to focus on the apple line of handhelds.
Sorry but sony is hurting their own product on this one.
And for the games on the psp being much larger, Well i wonder whats in those games to be much larger. Take fieldrunners. On the iphone its 9.9mb, on the psp its 29.9mb. I wonder why the psp version is 20mb more. it take GTA: chinaton wars, on the iph its 118mb, on the psp its 575mb. Granted the iph version is missing some music radio stations, but still what is going into the psp version to make the game mell more then double the size.
The apple app store have a wonderous variaty of content to chose from, from small and simple games to ever increasing larger more involved games. And since apple can and will upgrade the iph/ipt to better chips (like they did when they upgraded from 3g to 3gs) they can take the lead and make things easier for developers, and more variaty for customers to buy the content.
Ant to top it off, most ppl will always carry their phone with them, and not there gaming handheld.
@Able $40 CDN is not an arm and a leg. Hell most PSP games these days cost less than DS games.
@Extinction
GTA: Chinatown wars on psp is $29.99 on the psn, on the apple app store its $9.99. Wich version would you buy? Both versions are the full game, except some music is left out of the apple app version.
Im just saying more and more of the psp games are headed to the IPH/IPT/Ipad and they will be cheaper and in most cases even smaller in size then whats on the psp. Granted that alot of games on the psp play better with a dpad and analog stick, but the lack of a touchscreen on the psp shows that the psp will miss out on many games and other features some games can have.
Sonys days are numbered and if they dont change things soon, then ppl will be ok with lower graphics games on a handheld that can do more.
Also NDS games sell more then psp games even if the psp games are cheaper. Its all down to how many ppl are in the userbase, and how many games are put out, and currently NDS has more games out then psp.
they will probably end up getting a pc of some sort. i mean what's better, a gun app or halo?
@manifest3r
First to "Fail" this year.
"Apple's entrance into the portable gaming space has been a net positive for Sony. When people want a deeper, richer console, they start playing on a NintendoDS."
Fixed, because if they are going to make ANY claim about the paltry marketshare of the PSP - they have to simply admit that they aren't the kings (and to some extent barely considered) when it comes to alternative gaming platforms.
Look at that, how stupid it looks playing game on that iPad. Soon it'll hurt your arm too.
I don't know how true that statement is, but it was certainly the case for me. I got the iPod Touch as a all around entertainment device, then I wanted some serious mobile gaming so I got the PSP (not the go).
For once, I agree with Koller. I was just thinking the other day about the iPad and how much I'd much rather carry a PSP around. Better games, physical buttons, Flash support... hehe.
You simply cant replace a device with Physical buttons for gaming. you need that mental registration of the command being placed. Mobile phones can do some games and are fun but the majority of hard core gamers will not prefer it over PSP. Apple needs to stick to what it does best which is........ Um........ Can't think of anything right now, but I'm sure there's something.....
Totally wishful thinking on Sony's part.
I think this article is true. Ive tried playing fps and racing games on my iphone but having your controls on a touch screen make it way to difficult for me to find it enojoyable for more than a few minutes.
Hey Sony, forget apples. Lets compare oranges to oranges shall we? So how's the sony/ericsson PHONE SALES? Yea, thought so. Lazy asses, laid around and let some fruity n00bs p0wn you on the cell phone front. So keep singing kumbaya in that circle jirk while "Apptilla the Hun" (yea I just made that up) invades your portable gaming territory. Oh, and good looking out on that PSP noGo ("if you have a UMD, you get a break on the digital download version") program. Nice move...
There have been dozens of failed tablets.
So if ipad is an extreme success n is here to stay. Is that good or bad for the consumer. ?
All previous failed tablets had full computing but failed hard. Ipad won't. What does that say?
The iPad is only underwhelming, if you have an exceedingly underwhelming imagination.
@acecar
personaly for me — the more apple the better!!
But yes i agree that for some people they should offer a “reduced” amount of apple news!!
Their apple coverage is fair i feel, where apple goes many other follow!! (& many engager readers are huge apple fans) But maybe a filter to filter out minor apple stuff, like details of the a4 processor or subtles of the ipad to usb or power adapter, but leave in the “apple reveals the ipad” or “our full review of snow-loepard vs windows 7” in — i think that that stuff is interesting to everybody apple fan boy, windows fan boy or even linux fan boy! ;-)
(we need a “minorapple” tag to be added to to all apple related feeds, so you can do a http://www.engadget.com/exclude/minorapple/ and not get the small bits!! )
Anybody up for starting POLE for “minorapple” tag to be added to all apple feeds!????
(feel free to propose a new tag name by the way — what about a vote on the tag name?? )
james
psp plus, beak it and play whatever game you want, ipod plus, break it and play whatever game you want, ipad gaming? who wants to play a game holding a giant screen? my wrists hurt when i hold my ipod for an extended period of time, they scream when i hold my archos 7, an ipad would be torture...
Looks like Apple is now generating more revenue from games sold than PSP - that too by a huge margin! In the regular world we call that consumer preference...