Train2Game students will probably know it as the worst kept secret in gaming, but today the PS2P was finally officially revealed. You’ll be able to read all about it on the Thoughts of Train2Game blog shortly.
Not only are Sony confident the PSP2 (codename: NPG) will attract hardcore gamers, but they’re also planning to corner the casual market through Android enabled smartphones. This will happen through the newly revealed ‘PlayStation Suite’ which will allow Sony games to be played on Android devices.
Writing on the PlayStation Blog, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Andrew House said the opportunity was too hard to ignore:
“Casual gaming on multi-purpose mobile devices is a growing market that we simply cannot neglect. With that in mind, PS Suite is a new initiative to offer PlayStation quality games on Android based portable devices, be it mobile phones, smartphones or tablet PCs. By offering a fantastic selection of legacy PlayStation games (PS one classics), alongside content made specifically for PS Suite, we believe that we will be offering the PlayStation experience to a wider base of users.”
“Via a program, called PlayStation Certified license program, we will work with hardware manufacturers to provide devices that optimize the gaming experience. We want to give consumers the freedom to choose between various devices when they wish to enjoy a certain piece of PlayStation content.”
“We also realise that PlayStation content should be provided through a secure and unique means, that is both reliable and user friendly. Therefore we also plan to open PlayStation Store to download content on the Android based portable devices. This is a significant move for us and one that we firmly believe will make PlayStation content more accessible than ever before.”
Sony’s move towards the casual market may not come as a surprise to regular Train2Game blog readers, with a recent report stating that social media and casual games are booming.
While earlier this month Capcom suggested that smartphones are drawing people away from handheld consoles. Could developing games for Android phones therefore be a good move for Sony?
Last month Android revealed that their latest operating system – Gingerbread – is optimised for Game Development.
So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the Sony move towards the casual market? If you’re an Android phone user, would you use it to play Sony games? And do you think gaming giants like Sony moving towards casual games is a positive thing when it comes to finding work in the games industry?
As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
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