Sony talks PSP ports for NGP and different models
In an interview, Sony boss Kaz Hirai revealed some interesting details around the PSP2 or NGP handheld regarding PSP re-releases and model variants. Hirai also talked a little about NGP’s OS and game media format.
According Japanese news site, Impress Watch [via Andriasang], Hirai confirmed rumors of two different models for the NGP. There will be a model with 3G capability as well as a version with only Wi-Fi. Hirai indicated that depending on the region or territory, both models may be available.
The company is still negotiating with various carriers in each region on rate plans for the 3G service. Most likely the 3G version of the NGP will cost less due to subsidized costs by the carrier.
Hirai also revealed that PSP titles will be backwards compatible on the NGP. However, since the only way to play PSP titles on the NGP is to release a digital version of the game, Sony is negotiating with publishers to rerelease the game over PSN.
All PSP digital games purchased over PSN such as Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker will be available to download again on the NGP handheld.
As reported the games for the NGP will ship on a special type of memory card format. The game part will be written on a non-writable section of the ROM. There will be a small writable area on the memory card for game saves and downloads.
The NGP has two memory card slots, one for the custom game type and the other will be a generic slot for commercial cards. Make sure to stay tuned for more information.
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33 Responses to “Sony talks PSP ports for NGP and different models”
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February 1st, 2011
well that sucks. No compatability with UMDs will put off a lot of people.
February 1st, 2011
“Most likely the 3G version of the NGP will cost less due to subsidized costs by the carrier.”
In other words, it will still cost more due to the extra fees you are required to pay according to the contract, or for closing your account early for whatever reason.
February 1st, 2011
” Most likely the 3G version of the NGP will cost less due to subsidized costs by the carrier”
No. The 3G version will still have Wi-fi. Just like the Ipad it will cost more. Just because you have 3G it doesn’t mean you have to subscribe to it.
February 1st, 2011
The carriers may offer a discount if you sign a 2-4 year contract like the iPhone.
February 1st, 2011
Sony should offer a trade in program for UMD’s to digital/”special memory card”, maybe for free/$5pop.
Unless the game gets a rez boost like some of the Collections, Sony should try and support the past purchases in some way, shape, or form.
February 1st, 2011
It also depends on the capacity that the 3G network service will see.
The Kindle offers free 3G service, but a book doesn’t really demand as much bandwidth as an always connected smart phone.
February 1st, 2011
3G version might be cheaper with w/contract but the device itself will cost more.
I have three digital games for PSP, Persona 3, Gran Turismo and PixelJunk Monster, which has a great online mode but due to the lack of online access (no 3G) I barely got play it.
February 1st, 2011
“The carriers may offer a discount if you sign a 2-4 year contract like the iPhone.”
Locked into a two to four year contract for a $50 discount? Not for me.
Off topic:
Mind control continues to evolve:
http://www.plxwave.com/info.html
February 1st, 2011
signing up for a 2-year contract can easily save up to $300 for a smartphone.
February 1st, 2011
That’s because it’s a $600+ smartphone and you are locking yourself in to pay a certain amount extra every month for two years in order to pay for not only the service, but also the “discount” you received plus interest.
February 1st, 2011
Phone company’s going to make it’s money. And more.
February 1st, 2011
If I’m going to pay for it, I want it to be 4G WiMax capable.
February 1st, 2011
“Locked into a two to four year contract for a $50 discount? Not for me.”
$50? The $800 iphone cost my wife $400 something with a contract of 3 years.
February 1st, 2011
PSP2 has better specs that any smartphone on the market
February 1st, 2011
“you are locking yourself in to pay a certain amount extra every month for two years”
You’re probably going to spend that amount anyways if you buy without contract for $600 + plus the monthely fee for phone and data.
February 1st, 2011
“The $800 iphone cost my wife $400 something with a contract of 3 years.”
I have no doubt they’ll try to get somebody to spend even more money by locking them into a 3 or even four year contract. My point is that this isn’t even a phone. How often have you actually used your PSP/DS over the last three years? How about when there is a dry patch for months on end? You still are paying out the wazoo for something you are not using. They need a reasonably priced pay as you play plan, but they probably won’t because of initial demand and phone company greed.
“You’re probably going to spend that amount anyways if you buy without contract for $600 + plus the monthely fee for phone and data.”
See above. And do you really think an NGP 3G will cost $600? Come on.
February 1st, 2011
See this is why I said the NGP should have been a phone because paying for 3G ain’t that hard to swallow when your already paying for the 3G smartphone your carrying in your pocket. I guess it’s wise to buy a smartphone that can act as a hotspot if your going to be buying this device.
February 2nd, 2011
Maybe some people will replace their phone with it by using Skype instead? It’s an intriguing thought, but how much would unlimited data be per month? Sprint’s currently charging $10/mo (equivalent to 3X as much as XBL/PSN Plus per year) with 5GB as the cap for their 3GS. Even with Skype’s call anywhere plan fee’s it would still be cheaper than a regular phone plan though… as long as you don’t break the cap. So much for streaming movies/unlimited play…
February 2nd, 2011
how about a special feature that lets us redownload our old games by using the game saves as proof of us buying the game or at least include a standalone UMD so we can rip our UMDs to the NGP flash memory (with it being console locked to cut down on piracy) then I would buy as soon as possible.
February 2nd, 2011
“Sony noted that it has no plans for a “UMD reader” device that would allow for UMDs to be played on the NGP. It is, however, looking into possibilities for granting NGP-compatible versions of games to UMD owners, whether that be on a memory card or through a PSN download. Given the way things worked out with the digital copy program for PSP Go adopters in North America, it’s probably best to avoid getting too excited about the chances of that happening for the time being.”
http://www.gametab.com/news/3577990/
February 2nd, 2011
“How about when there is a dry patch for months on end? You still are paying out the wazoo for something you are not using. ”
Not really. There is a lot more to the NGP then the PSP games. It sports the Google OS so you can do everything the Iphone can do except the calls. Which I’m guessing Skype would work well on it.
February 2nd, 2011
“And do you really think an NGP 3G will cost $600? Come on.”
I would not be surprised. Smart phones cost that and more.
February 2nd, 2011
Who says they won’t come out with a way to share your data among devices like I do with my family plan?
February 2nd, 2011
Why is a digital distribution method for games acceptable for a smart phone but not so for a portable gaming device?
February 2nd, 2011
“Which I’m guessing Skype would work well on it”
Skype is already a native feature on the original PSP..3G will make this feature alot more useful.
February 2nd, 2011
“Not really. There is a lot more to the NGP then the PSP games”
ncaissie is correct here.
Basic PSP feature included in the current PSP are:
-Web browser
-RSS News Feeds
-Internet Radio
-Skype
-Qriocity Music Unlimited
-Remote Play
New PSP2 features:
-Trophies
-PSN friends list
-Near
-GPS
-Game Sapces
Features/App that could be added:
-Facebook app
-Netflix
-Hulu
-App Store
-E-Books
-Youtube
-Pandora
-Twitter
February 2nd, 2011
“Skype is already a native feature on the original PSP..3G will make this feature alot more useful.
Yeah but I do not have the camera or even skype on mine. It may be a US thing.
February 2nd, 2011
“I would not be surprised. Smart phones cost that and more.”
I wouldn’t either. However, this is a dedicated gaming portable, not a smartphone, which will be lucky to have 1/4 of the app capability iPhone/Android has. And they already announced it would be under $600. It’s closest competitor in the same market (dedicated gaming handhelds) is the 3DS at $250. NGP will likely be ~$299-$399, with the 3G version being at the upper end of the spectrum.
Perhaps a better talking point would be making the analogy between consoles instead. Wii cost $249.99 at launch (like 3DS). PS3 cost $499-$599 dependent upon the model. PS3 is still doing well today, even though it got obliterated by Wii’s numbers, and only one of these platforms has continued to set graphical standards from launch.
Maybe, if they do release at $499-$599 (still less than $600
), they are going by the above line of reasoning. They still make a profit, but they are not number one. They still have the highest graphics quality in their games, but not as high of a user base or software sales. Personally, I like the idea of a much more powerful handheld, but a lot will wait for years to purchase like I did with PS3. Sony will still do fine in the long run.
“Who says they won’t come out with a way to share your data among devices like I do with my family plan?”
Noone. What is the data cap on your family plan?
“Why is a digital distribution method for games acceptable for a smart phone but not so for a portable gaming device?”
Who said it wasn’t “acceptable”? A 3G DD method isn’t “preferable” for me personally, and perhaps more than a few others who are looking at this device, because wifi still works perfectly fine for all the digital distribution needs I’ll have, with or without 3G.
My personal take is I don’t need 3G for gaming because I always have wi-fi available when I decide to game/download on the go, and 3G isn’t necessary with this capability, or even available (like here). Just as many others may have the situation reversed where wi-fi isn’t available and 3G is, which is, after all, why they decided to make 2 SKU’s.
“3G will make this feature alot more useful.”
That’s my point roca. Using Skype on it instead of a smartphone could justify the added cost of 3G, IF they have a reasonably priced unlimited plan, or IF the data cap is high enough that you won’t go over and have to pay exorbitant fees.
Even then… I think I would still prefer to use my iPhone 5 on a daily basis once I get back stateside, and my iPod Touch while here, simply because there are so many other apps on these which I use daily that the NGP probably won’t have. This isn’t to say that I would skip NGP entirely, just that I will prefer to use it in settings where I have more time while traveling, which likely occur much less often.
I think NGP’s greatest strength will be games that demand much more time than what standing in line or waiting at an office/place of business require, which happens to be the two types of situations I find myself in where I am tempted to play some portable games. It’s funny, because even though this has “portable” in it’s moniker, I will likely use it the most at home, because I actually work all the time I’m at work.
While there is more to NGP than just games, it’s likely these features will not be done as well as on the iPhone/Touch that I’m already carrying daily, as the web browsing feature on my PS3 isn’t done as well as it is on my iOS devices.
February 2nd, 2011
“However, this is a dedicated gaming portable, not a smartphone, which will be lucky to have 1/4 of the app capability iPhone/Android has. ”
The iPod touch and iPads are not phones. They cost a lot.
February 3rd, 2011
True, but they are much more multi-purpose capable tablet computers, which helps to justify the cost.
Like I said, I wouldn’t be surprised either, because the precedent has already been set by PS3 vs. Wii, and there will always be plenty of early adopters who are willing to take the hit to their pockets.
If Sony does indeed release these two SKU’s at higher than $299-$349, it will be because they are willing to take the loss in sales initially. PSP also launched at more than $100 more than the 3DS and did fine, though not as well as expected. In this case, however, we are talking $349 to $399, still $200 shy of $600.
February 3rd, 2011
“…$100 more than the DS…”
February 4th, 2011
We will see. lol
I hope it is $250-$300 for sure.
February 4th, 2011
We will. But I doubt it will be quite that low. More likely $299-$399.