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Sony spins out of control, says DSi ignores 'significant gamer demographic groups'
Trying his very best to minimize the impact of the Nintendo DSi launch, Sony's John Koller sent out a statement that basically says that the new product isn't a big deal compared to the PSP. That's expected, right? What isn't expected is how far he has to travel outside of reality to get to that conclusion. "Significant gamer demographic groups are being ignored," Koller said, "and there continues to be limited opportunities for games from external publishers to do well on the DSi." We suppose that the new options for third-party games are somewhat limited by the fact that it's the same platform, although there is that whole downloadable game store thing now.But here's where it gets really weird: "Compare that with the PSP platform, where we have many blockbuster franchises from our publishing partners launching this year, representing a wide variety of genres and targeting diverse demographics. Games such as Rock Band Unplugged from MTV Games, Assassin's Creed from Ubisoft, Dissidia Final Fantasy from Square Enix, and Hannah Montana from Disney demonstrate the commitment that publishers have to the PSP."The same franchises demonstrate the commitment that publishers have to the DS! Assassin's Creed came out on DS last year. Doesn't that say something about Ubisoft's priorities? In addition, a Final Fantasy game came out on DS just last month, adding to the rather large lineup of Final Fantasy games. Hannah Montana has been out on DS forever, in multiple iterations. And as for Rock Band ... well, okay. The DS doesn't have a Rock Band game. Just three Guitar Heroes. So who's being ignored? People who really love God of War, perhaps.
Sony says the DSi is for kids, the PSP is for winners
Well, chalk this up for out of the ordinary -- Sony's PR team just sent us a "Statement from Sony PlayStation on PSP and Competitive Landscape" that basically boils down to SCEA director of hardware marketing John Koller calling the DSi a kid's toy that "ignores significant gamer demographics" and has minimal third-party support compared to the library of "blockbuster" titles on the PSP. Seriously, it's so weird we're just going to reprint the whole thing: If Nintendo is really committed to reaching a broader, more diverse audience of gamers beyond the "kids" market that they've always engaged, there isn't much new with the DSi to support that. Significant gamer demographic groups are being ignored, and there continues to be limited opportunities for games from external publishers to do well on the DSi. Compare that with the PSP platform, where we have many blockbuster franchises from our publishing partners launching this year, representing a wide variety of genres and targeting diverse demographics. Games such as Rock Band Unplugged from MTV Games, Assassin's Creed from Ubisoft, Dissidia Final Fantasy from Square Enix, and Hannah Montana from Disney demonstrate the commitment that publishers have to the PSP. From our own first-party studios, we're launching unique versions of LittleBigPlanet and MotorStorm, and we're also planning a steady stream of downloadable games -- both new titles and PSone classics -- to add to the content that PSP owners can already purchase wirelessly through PlayStation Store. Pretty strong words in response to the fairly un-hyped US launch of the DSi tomorrow -- especially since Ninty's sold just about twice as many total DS units than Sony's 50m PSPs, hard numbers from which no amount of marketing bluster can really distract. In fact, if we were in charge at Sony, we'd be more worried about the emergence of the iPhone and iPod touch, which have sold over 30m units total and attracted a ton of buzz from game developers while the PSP seems to be stagnating in the face of endless rumors of a UMD-less PSP2. Harsh truth? Maybe, maybe not -- you tell us.
Sony expects 10-15% sales rise for PSP/PS3 this year
At least that's what John Koller, head of marketing for Sony Computer Entertainment of America, told VG247 earlier this week. "We had our largest sales year ever last year, and we'd look to go about 10-15 percent north of that this year," Koller said of the PSP, citing the upcoming software packs and software lineup as reason for his confidence. Continuing, Koller noted, "We also had our best sales year for PS3 last year and we'll look to go north of that by a similar percentage," again citing upcoming software bundles and lineup as driving the increased numbers. So we put the numbers for Sony's PS3 in 2008 against those of the previous year and found it sold just like Koller said (as seen in the graph above), with PS3 sales increasing by 40 percent. In fact, we spoke with Jesse Divnich, director of analyst services at EEDAR, who said Koller's numbers are modest, with EEDAR company predicting a 25 percent increase in PlayStation 3 sales this year and a 16 percent increase for PSP sales. Even averaged together, that's still an over 20 percent increase predicted for this year. So, maybe 2008 was the year of the PS3 after all?
SCEA: PS2 could steal share from Wii
A $99 PS2 may not sound groundbreaking to the hardcore gamer, but it certainly opens a lot of doors to the casual gaming market. Sony's last-gen console keeps on chugging, and it looks as though Sony is positioning the PS2 as its main competitor against Nintendo's almighty Wii. SCEA's John Koller spoke to GameDaily Biz about the new price, admitting that the Wii and PS2 will have "similar customers.""Yes, we do think the $99 price point could steal some share [from Wii]," Koller said. "From a technological standpoint, the Wii is much closer to the PS2 than it is to the next-gen consoles. It's obviously not an HD box and the software development is on a par with where PS2 development is, so that's a much more realistic and similar demographic."Although the Wii and PS2 are similar technologically, Nintendo has delivered a system that really caters to the mainstream casual masses. Without motion control and appropriate software support, a lower price point may not be able to steer people away from Nintendo's system. "Nintendo has done a fantastic job of capturing young and female [demographics]," Koller admits, and that's something Sony will have to work on if they'll want to keep the PS2 relevant in a Wii world.
Simultaneous digital, retail PSP releases could be standard in five years
SCEA's John Koller acknowledges that simultaneous retail and digital release is the way Japan and Europe are going; however, it's not the direction North American is heading towards. Well, not now anyhow. Koller says that day-and-date UMD/digital launching is something that's a "mid-term" goal, not something SCEA is aiming for in the short-term and it could take up to five years before it becomes standard business"In North America we haven't made a firm decision if and when we're going to launch day and date, retail and digital ... we're looking at the opportunity," said Koller in a GDC conference (via GamesIndustry.biz). The real question now is: Will the PSP be around that long for us to see this business model take flight? Perhaps, we'll have to wait for Sony's next portable gaming device.
Sony blames legal hurdles for lack of downloadable UMD games in America
The PlayStation Store in Japan is completely different than the one featured here in the States. Not only is it filled with classic PSone content, PSP owners can digitally download most modern games such as Loco Roco 2, Patapon 2 and even Resistance Retribution. The US Store features none of this content.John Koller explains that the ultimate goal of SCEA will be to mirror the content available in Japan. "What's coming out of Japan echoes the way that we look at the world here in North America. They have decided to go full-bore with digital content, and we have as well. All of that's going to happen," he told Wired. Koller blames legal issues for the current dearth of content on the PlayStation Store. "There are a few hurdles you need to jump through. A lot of them are legal, so if you have a music game, for example, you have to clear all those rights. The same goes for any other type of game, there are certain negotiations that still need to be done."We're not entirely certain what legalities get in the way of digital distribution, but with Apple making a big splash with the iPhone, and Nintendo readying the DSiWare lineup, Sony will have to act quickly. Strange that it seems the company is playing catch-up, when PSP offered this opportunity for years.
Sony looking to make PSP PSN more like Virtual Console
In hopes of bolstering its PSP PSN download scene, Sony plans to expand its digital catalog to include non-PlayStation console titles. "In general, there's a lot of discussion about [publishers'] back catalogs that will finally find its way to PlayStation Network in the back half of this year," said SCEA's John Koller to MTV Multiplayer. That would include both the promise of more PSOne titles (as North America seriously needs to catch up to Japan in that regard) and pre-PSOne retro titles. Despite becoming more Virtual Console-ish, this expansion of the PSP side of PSN will also offer more portable versions of PS3 downloadable titles, such as PixelJunk Monsters and the already released Super Stardust Portable. Koller says that Sony's studios are preparing more internally developed download-only titles. This strong focus on digital distribution makes us wonder if the whole "dropping UMD" rumors are true.
Sony in talks with Rockstar for more GTA on PSP
It might seem as though the once-strong relationship between Rockstar Games, developers of the highly profitable Grand Theft Auto franchise, and Sony, the progenitor of the consoles said franchise once almost exclusively appeared on, is on the outs. Following the 360-exclusive Lost and Damned DLC, and the movement from the series' portable appearances to the DS with GTA: Chinatown Wars, it appears Rockstar has jilted all things PlayStation in hopes of attracting younger, more lucrative suitors.However, this isn't exactly the case. In a recent interview with MTV Multiplayer's Stephen Totilo, PSP hardware marketing chief John Koller explained that Sony isn't ready to let that particular cash cow go out to pasture. Koller commented that the two PSP-based GTA titles sold like bullet-riddled hotcakes, adding that there's "definitely continued conversations with Rockstar" regarding future Grand titles on Sony's handheld. We can only pray that they'll be as Phil Collins-centric as the last one.
Sony doesn't say 'no' to UMD-less PSP
Rumors about yet another iteration of the PlayStation Portable have been gaining momentum, some pegging it as a "PSP2," while others suggest an incremental update, a la the PSP Brite. Yesterday's claim by Shiny founder Dave Perry -- he knows someone who knows all about the new PSP and it doesn't have a UMD drive -- has been presented to and waffled at by Sony itself.Interviewed by MTV Multiplayer, John Koller, who heads up SCEA's marketing of PSP, said that he "Can't comment either way," but did add, "I will reiterate that the digital component is very important to us. That's all we can say at this point."Perry referred to the ostensibly new PSP model as a "fully digital online device;" one that would forgo UMDs in favor of downloadable, digitally distributed software. That said, Koller's comment already has us putting together our E3 2009 bingo cards.
Sony: PS2 remains 'important,' touts 2009 and 2010 lineup
2009 marks year #9 for Sony's aging PlayStation 2. Although hardcore gaming enthusiasts have largely moved on to current generation consoles, the system is still "important" to Sony's business model. With 50 million units sold in North America, it's clear why Sony will continue supporting the platform. John Koller, director of hardware marketing at SCEA, told Gamasutra that "the only way to kill the PS2 business is to stop supporting it." Koller claims that 25% of software sales in 2008 were on Sony's last-gen system.Publishers are unlikely to ignore the sizable PS2 audience, and Koller agrees. "With the lineup for 2009 and 2010, the PS2 is not going away anytime soon." A quick glance at the PS2 release list shows dozens of games planned for the year, although most are licensed movie and sports games. 2009 releases include titles like SingStar, Guitar Hero: Metallica, Ghostbusters, Madden and The Beatles.Sony will undoubtedly want the success of PS2 to continue as long as possible. With PS3 systems still losing money on each unit sold, the "positive margins" of the PlayStation 2 will help the manufacturer's bottom line. With PS2 sales still going strong, Koller insists a price drop is not coming any time soon. "It's a significant financial contributor for us and it sells very well at $129.99. We're comfortable with the current price."
Sony PSP2 rumors debunked, probably not for the last time
OK, guys and gals, we hate to break it to you -- John Koller, Sony's Director of Hardware Marketing has said it in plain English: "no plans for a PSP2 are underway." Apparently, the company is pushing developers towards the PlayStation store for their primary point of sale, a move that some people have taken to mean that the companies have been secretly developing games for some sort of new platform. Of course, in the light of some similarly "cryptic" statements we reported yesterday, some folks might continue to be gullible skeptical. Which is fine, as long as nobody asks us when the device pictured above will be released. 'Cos it won't be. Evar.
Sony's Koller: Expect more big franchises in 2009
Not only does SCEA's John Koller promise that 2009 will be better, but he also tells MTV Multiplayer to expect big franchise names to be announced next year. While console ports (or Hollywood blockbuster titles for that matter) such as Transformers and Iron Man have done well in sales, Sony wants to push for games that are not direct ports but expansive new experiences. Koller points to Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII which -- while part of a franchise itself -- expands the original lore and gives gamers a fresh outlook on something familiar. Looking back at 2008, the two biggest and most successful names were God of War: Chains of Olympus and Crisis Core -- no doubt that "expansive" strategy Koller talks about is proven. From just taking a quick look at the all-time top five selling PSP games in the US and you can see a distinct franchise dominance in the charts. So what does this mean for original IP on the PSP? Does more franchises indicate a trend for less original IP?
John Koller: Piracy is 'trending down right now'
John Koller, SCEA's director of hardware marketing, told MTV Multiplayer last week that he sees piracy on the PSP receding in recent months. "It's trending down right now, we've seen the piracy not be as such prevalent in the last month to two months. But it has been a problem for us."Sony keeps track the various video game piracy discussions around the web, according to Koller "We've noticed there's kind of a 'good vs. evil' battle that we track on many of the forums and many of the pirated web sites," There are even people who stand up for Sony on these websites, notes Koller. "It's kind of been nice to see other consumers going and help and fight the battle for us."Can you guys think of a reason why piracy would be slowing down in the last two months? Could it be due to the lack of titles that pirates are interested in?
Really, Sony's promising more PSone games. Really.
How many times have you played CoolBoarders? How 'bout Coolboarders 2? That's pretty much all you'll find on the PlayStation Store if you're looking for a PS1 retro fix. While Japan has an overwhelming of retro titles available for download, the rest of the world has been slow to follow suit. Wouldn't it be nice to download Final Fantasy VII? Or Klonoa? Or Metal Gear Solid? There's so many titles we can think of off the top of our heads.Well, John Koller is promising the situation will change. Seriously. Really. "Yes, we are working on further PSone additions to the PS Store and should see those launch shortly," he told MTV Multiplayer.We'll believe you when we see 'em, Koller.
Are you giving up your vacation for gaming?
John Koller, the director of hardware marketing at Sony, was asked by MTV Multiplayer one of the hot-button questions in this type of economy: is the PS3 recession-proof? Koller, the sly guy that he is, didn't give a direct answer. "Good question, given the reality of how things are from a macro perspective. First off, I want to say that we're very bullish on sales for this holiday season and beyond. In fact, we're very excited about the numbers we've been seeing coming in. There's a lot of talk about whether gaming is recession proof. I'm not sure I can answer that. I can say the PS3 is selling extremely well. Maybe those rumors about people forgoing vacations for gaming might be coming true a little bit here."The less than stellar numbers last month would suggest the PS3 isn't quite recession-proof -- in October it sold 190,000 units, which doesn't sound too bad ... until you realize the Xbox 360 sold almost twice that amount. Maybe Koller is right; maybe people are giving up their vacations to buy a PS3 (or some other console, for that matter). What do you think?
Sony's new PSP strategy: 'You cannot have ports.'
With third-party PSP support dwindling and becoming increasingly coveted -- even by Sony's own Shuhei Yoshida -- it seems that a new plan of action is in order for the high-tech, twice-revised handheld. Speaking to Edge Online, SCEA's director of hardware marketing, John Koller, provided just such a strategy: "You cannot have ports." Sony hopes to guide publishers and developers down a better path, enabling them to produce PSP games that take a cue from their console versions, but leave the identical content and gameplay behind. "The recipe for success on the PSP resides simply in providing franchise games that are strong brand names like on consoles, but have unique gameplay on the system," said Koller, listing Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core, God of War: Chains of Olympus and the forthcoming Midnight Club as titles that stand on their own, despite their recognized branding. Koller went on to predict that 2009 would see "significant growth" for the PSP, with "a number of very strong franchise games" on the way and revitalized hardware sales bringing publishers back from the brink. And who knows? Maybe those persistent petitioners will finally get their Assassin's Creed PSP game.
Sony's Koller ignores holiday 2008, promises better 2009
"I think going into next year we're going to see significant growth. We're counseling retail to be ready for it. We have a number of very strong franchise games on the docket that will be launching next year," John Koller responded to Edge's troubling report on the decline of PSP software. "We haven't gone public with those, and many third-parties have not yet either because they're concentrating on holiday, but we have a number of very strong titles coming."While we understand that many of these unannounced titles may be far off from now, we're a bit saddened to see Sony (and their third party partners) remain so secretive about the upcoming 2009 lineup. Right now, it appears Sony is abandoning holiday 2008 altogether. How will they drum up support for the handheld this Christmas season, when they've shown no guarantees of what will be available in the coming months? Sony -- it's time to stop playing the same ol' game of secrecy. Now, when your customers are losing faith in your system, is when you should bypass the typical product marketing schedule -- and you give us something to get excited about.
PSP Brite battery life will decrease by 20-30 minutes
PSP main man John Koller went to Gamespot to talk about the upcoming PSP Brite, and revealed a few key facts. He admits the change is "minor," one in a continuing series of changes the PSP may see along its proposed life cycle. Most revealing of all is his comment about battery life: the brighter screen will draw more power, diminishing battery life by 20-30 minutes.He does say that the now-discontinued extended life battery will make a return, possibly rebranded for use with the PSP-3000 series.
Next wave of PSP announcements coming 'before E3'
While the PSP managed a respectable showing at E3, with surprise titles like Super Stardust Portable and Resistance Retribution coming out of nowhere -- it certainly felt like a meager lineup compared to Sony's other system, the PS3. With the drought of PSP games still going strong, one has to wonder: is that it? PSP's main man, John Koller, assures PSP fans that there are third-party games in the works -- in fact, some will even debut this year. The next wave of PSP announcements will come before next year's E3 ... but we'll have to be patient.Koller tells MTV Multiplayer that "going towards the end of the year and going into 09 and beyond, we're going to see a lot of very large franchise games come from third-parties," he said. "They're going to be a bit of a surprise, they're going to be like 'Wow, that's coming to PSP?'"** Image is a joke. Just think about it.
GPS games could be heading your way next year
It only took, y'know years, but American PSP owners will be able to enjoy GPS navigation some time next year. Not only will the platform support navigation and maps, as expected, but John Koller wants to offer something a bit more. SCEA is investigating game development which can take advantage of GPS technology. Koller told MTV Multiplayer the upcoming peripheral "changes the dynamics of GPS but also changes the way developers think about games on PSP because you can start integrating GPS into it." According to Koller, Sony will introduce the GPS solution to third party publishers and is currently brainstorming ideas within its first-party studios. "There's been a number of things that our first-party worldwide studios have looked at, and they've been trying to look at different options," he said.
