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Posted
Epic: NGP perfect for Gears-style game

 

Speaking to Eurogamer following the unveiling, vice president of Epic Games Mark Rein emphasised the NGP's graphical power.

 

"This is the kind of machine that a Gears of War-style experience would be appropriate on because it has the control layout that games like that are designed for and can produce some pretty compelling visuals," he said.

 

"Activision announced Call of Duty for the device so of course a Gears-style game would also be appropriate."

 

...

 

When asked for his honest assessment of this claim, Rein replied: "This device is certainly in the same class as PlayStation 3. With Unreal Engine 3, we're able to produce some pretty spectacular visuals on this device already, and we're just getting started."

 

...

 

Sweeney went on to introduce a demo of Trendy Entertainment's UE3-powered Dungeon Defenders, a PC, PSN and XBLA game. Converting from PS3 took a week, apparently.

 

Rein went in more detail on the game, and confirmed that PS3/NGP cross-platform play is possible.

 

"Dungeon Defenders is essentially a PS3 game brought to NGP," he said. "At CES this year, Trendy showed Dungeon Defenders on a Tegra 2 mobile device playing multiplayer against a PlayStation 3. Trendy told me they're planning to have NGP players playing against PS3 players. So this part is already a reality.

 

...

 

Summing up his feelings about the device, Rein was unable to single out his favourite NGP feature.

 

"This is a bit of a cop-out but I'd say it's the complete package; multiple control methods, great screen, an OS that gives you low-level access to the hardware, great processing power on both CPU and GPU, GPS, 3G, dual cameras – all this on a high-end portable gaming device. There's a lot to like there."

 

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-01-28-epic-ngp-perfect-for-gears-style-game

 

The speed of conversion is pretty impressive. Also the cross platform play.

Posted

More Details.

 

Impress Watch has posted a summary of a roundtable interview conducted with Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Kaz Hirai. In the post PlayStation Meeting 2011 interview session, Hirai shared lots of new details on Sony's new NGP portable gaming system.

 

One of the major points from the interview is that Hirai acknowledged that there are plans for multiple versions of the hardware, including Wi-Fi only versions and 3G + Wi-Fi versions. Such hardware developments will be made on a region-by-region basis, he said.

 

Regarding 3G, Hirai said that Sony is currently in discussions with different carriers in the various territories about such things as rate plans and fees. They will announce specifics when available.

 

3G through NGP will not allow for phone use. Hirai said that it would be "nonsense" to use a device of this shape as a phone. Because it would require a headset or changes to form factor, they left out any such phone functionality.

 

The interview touched upon a number of other topics outside of 3G.

 

Hirai said that price and battery time information cannot be revealed at present because the system is still in the prototype phases. He said Sony is aiming for levels that will be well received by customers.

 

As announced at PlayStation meeting, the NGP is compatible with PSP software. PSP titles will run completely through emulation, said Hirai.

 

Of course, you'll only be able to use downloadable versions of PSP games. Sony is currently in negotiations to get software makers to actively release download versions of their games.

 

Those who already have downloadable PSP titles on their PSP system will be able to redownload them to NGP, assuming you're still within the download number limits imposed by PSN.

 

Internally, NGP uses an original games-oriented operating system, revealed Hirai. It's not Android. Different from the PSP, the OS has a modern framework akin to a PC.

 

Package PSP games will ship on a custom memory card format. This is basically a ROM, but it has rewritable space which can be used for save data and download data. Hirai said to think of it as similar to the memory cards used by the Nintendo DS.

 

NGP will also support general memory cards, a Sony representative told Impress. Specific formats were not mentioned. The site did not make clear what "support" means.

 

Separate from the Hirai interview, the Impress Watch story says that the NGP in its current form will not support video output. The site was told this by a Sony representative.

Posted
3D isnt the same thing as a touch screen. Viewing = controls? Also I dont think alot of people are happy with Nintendo's pricing for what is essentially a very cut down, budget handheld being sold at an insanely expensive premium price. Not to mention how far behind Nintendo are Sony or MS when it comes to online and features. Sony seem to be listening alot more.

 

I am sure the 3D thing will sell tons of 3DS alone but there is less long term substance than the Wii or DS.

 

Obviously not but it's still a bit gimmicky.

 

Everybody knows it will work, because it's not actually changing anything, it's just a slightly different perspective. When people say it's nothing new, they mean that it does't affect gameplay, so much so that you can turn it off and games will still play the same way, all of them. That's why it's considered a gimmick, because unlike the DS and Wii, there's no real gameplay innovation.

I don't really think it's a gimmick, it seems to me like it's quite a cool extra. But that's all it is... a nice little feature, not something you should base your whole marketing strategy upon.

 

It obviously will work, but what i mean is that this will probably be a thing where people will use the 3D initially and then find it annoying having it on for long periods of time therefore making it rather pointless.

 

And i agree that there is no gameplay innovation really associated with 3D.

Posted

Don't know if it has been posted but a Sony executive has said the price with be under the PS3's $599 and it will be within peoples budget for a handheld games console.

 

I stand by my £300(ish) estimate.

Posted
Don't know if it has been posted but a Sony executive has said the price with be under the PS3's $599 and it will be within peoples budget for a handheld games console.

 

 

$598? 10char

Posted

I think $499 just from the buzz I've been hearing on podcasts. I know yes very different markets but there is still a comparison to benas a multimedia handheld device as well that puts in $100 the bog standard ipad in US. I don't even dare to think how much we will pay over here, basically pluck a relatively high number out of your arse and blame its inflated price on retailers and VAT and you have a Nintendo fan's answer to how handhelds in 2011 are priced!

Posted
I think $499 just from the buzz I've been hearing on podcasts. I know yes very different markets but there is still a comparison to benas a multimedia handheld device as well that puts in $100 the bog standard ipad in US. I don't even dare to think how much we will pay over here, basically pluck a relatively high number out of your arse and blame its inflated price on retailers and VAT and you have a Nintendo fan's answer to how handhelds in 2011 are priced!

 

Considering an unlocked iPhone 4 (sim free) goes for around £500, I'd expect the price of this to be high, and if not it could well end up making massive losses like the PS3.

Posted (edited)
Sony's Surprise

 

...

 

PlayStation Suite, one might argue, is the final piece of the puzzle in Sony's strategy. It has allowed it to approach the PSP2 without the limitations which would have been imposed by having to compete directly with iOS devices - enabling it to create a device without phone functionality and even without being overly concerned with "pocketability". By extending PlayStation onto other mobile devices, the firm can safely allow PSP2 to be a premium product for the gamer demographic, without having to fear capitulation in the battle for hearts and minds among the more casual demographic.

 

In a sense, then, Sony has actually done something this week which few would have expected - it has outmaneuvered Nintendo. Despite the excitement around the 3DS, it would take a pretty brave commentator to expect it to match the success of the DS - whose sales figures, I suspect, represent a high water mark for dedicated handheld gaming consoles. The impact of game-capable smartphones and iPods upon the wider market has been simply too fundamental to allow a console to scale those lofty heights again.

 

In this context, Sony's two-pronged attack looks incredibly clever. PSP2 will delight the technophiles, the core gamers and the PlayStation faithful, and with franchises like Metal Gear and Monster Hunter apparently in the bag, it's a shoe-in for healthy sales among the existing core demographic. Meanwhile, Sony offers the casual market and the world of consumers who only want to carry one device in their pockets a different proposition - the PlayStation experience right there on their Android phone, a stab right at the heart of Apple's market, a response to an industry challenge that Nintendo hasn't yet even acknowledged.

 

...

 

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-01-28-sonys-surprise-article

 

I'd like to see more of the Playstation Suite. Smartphone pricing is just too good, so getting this on the NGP is a great move. Would like to see it work. Two online shops, the PS Store and the PS Suite, can only be a good thing.

Edited by Daft
Posted
Considering an unlocked iPhone 4 (sim free) goes for around £500, I'd expect the price of this to be high, and if not it could well end up making massive losses like the PS3.

 

Dude, are you a moron? Sony, not some fansite, Sony have said it will be cheaper than the PS3's launch price. And a fair price for a portable games console

 

So no, it won't be anywhere near £500.

Posted
Dude, are you a moron? Sony, not some fansite, Sony have said it will be cheaper than the PS3's launch price. And a fair price for a portable games console

 

PS3 launch price £300

PSP2 launch price £298

 

Seems about right... :p

Posted
I'd like to see more of the Playstation Suite. Smartphone pricing is just too good, so getting this on the NGP is a great move. Would like to see it work. Two online shops, the PS Store and the PS Suite, can only be a good thing.

 

I read this and all this is only true if a large number of handhelds can support the games fully and completely. I mean I don't know the specs of the new xeperia play or how they compare to the current android sets out there by the likes of HTC etc... but Sony need other companies to provide the handsets that can provide the gaming experience they want to provide with Playstation Suite. Otherwise it does impact upon them, I can see a lot of people blaming Sony for not supporting their handset rather than blaming the phone manufacturer.

 

Who knows other android phone suppliers may shift and provide phones with control interfaces if not Sony face the prospect of having to create games that are both playable on the xeperia play whilst also retaining all their usability on a touchscreen.

 

Finally they have to sort out the pricing for this to be a success....if they carry over Minis they have to dramatically drop in price which would have a knock on effect for PSN, as some Minis are 3,4,5 times the price of their iOS counterparts.

Posted
PS3 launch price £300

PSP2 launch price £298

 

Seems about right... :p

 

The PS3 launch price was £429 actually.

 

Though I prefer to say £399 as it dropped after about a week.

Posted
The PS3 launch price was £429 actually.

 

Though I prefer to say £399 as it dropped after about a week.

 

Then... £398 ::shrug:

 

Which seems wayyy to expensive for a handheld, regardless of what else it can do, surely to the casual market it will seem overpriced?

Posted
Then... £398 ::shrug:

 

Which seems wayyy to expensive for a handheld, regardless of what else it can do, surely to the casual market it will seem overpriced?

 

Will they aim at the casual market initially? I don't think early adopters of the PSP were casual it wasn't till much later that they started to attempt to market to them.

Posted
Dude, are you a moron? Sony, not some fansite, Sony have said it will be cheaper than the PS3's launch price. And a fair price for a portable games console

 

So no, it won't be anywhere near £500.

 

Well, clearly it is you who is the moron, as I stated that:

 

"I'd expect the price of this to be high"

 

This clearly states I would expect the price to be high, not that it will be high for definate, but I would expect it to be.

 

Then I go on to say:

 

"and if not it could well end up making massive losses like the PS3."

 

Clearly this points to the fact that Sony may well take losses on each unit sold in an attempt to reduce the price.

 

As of yet the price hasn't been confirmed. But, I wouldn't think Sony will want to compound the losses they have made on the PS3 by releasing the NGP (or what ever it will be called when it does release) at a large loss.

 

After all, to quote this:

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/19/the-sony-reciprocal-ps3-losses-surpass-ps2-profits

 

and this...

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/36305/Post-PS3-losses-hit-47bn

 

SCE have made huge losses since the release of the PS3 and as a long term business strategy that simply isn't sustainable, especially in tough economic times.

Posted (edited)

Surprise surprise, Zechs turns up and the IQ spirals into single digits.

I read this and all this is only true if a large number of handhelds can support the games fully and completely. I mean I don't know the specs of the new xeperia play or how they compare to the current android sets out there by the likes of HTC etc... but Sony need other companies to provide the handsets that can provide the gaming experience they want to provide with Playstation Suite. Otherwise it does impact upon them, I can see a lot of people blaming Sony for not supporting their handset rather than blaming the phone manufacturer.

 

Who knows other android phone suppliers may shift and provide phones with control interfaces if not Sony face the prospect of having to create games that are both playable on the xeperia play whilst also retaining all their usability on a touchscreen.

 

Finally they have to sort out the pricing for this to be a success....if they carry over Minis they have to dramatically drop in price which would have a knock on effect for PSN, as some Minis are 3,4,5 times the price of their iOS counterparts.

 

The Playstaion Suite is an SDK. It'll have Sony for quality control but it isn't even limited to games. It's basically exactly like the Aplle App Store, except with Sony doing quality control. It's a platform and it doesn't require that much effort on Sony's part but the pay off is massive. Sony aren't the sole developer, anyone can be. I suspect it'll also lead to dev kits with the same accessibility as the iPhone's.

 

It should be heading to PS3, too.

Edited by Daft
Posted (edited)
They have already stated they will make a loss on each unit.

 

Well I would say that is an extremely risky strategy. They will no doubt be trying to grab market share and then recoup losses with software sales. That's all well and good, but it does rely on the platform being a success and having a high attachment rate for software - something the PSP did not.

 

If the system has a stuttering start like the PS3 or ends up suffering from poor software sales like the PSP it could end up compounding the problems faced by Sony's gaming division.

 

Surprise surprise, Zechs turns up and the IQ spirals into single digits.

 

Oh yes, any discussion of how Sony's business strategy has yet to be profitable this generation and you go into a complete tailspin.

Edited by Zechs Merquise
Posted

See, the different is I don't give a rat ass how much money Sony make. It makes no difference to me. I enjoy their hardware and games - why should I care how much a multinational corporation makes? (As long as it doesn't affect their output.)

 

Sales are what fanboys yap on about.

Posted
Well I would say that is an extremely risky strategy. They will no doubt be trying to grab market share and then recoup losses with software sales. That's all well and good, but it does rely on the platform being a success and having a high attachment rate for software - something the PSP did not.

 

If the system has a stuttering start like the PS3 or ends up suffering from poor software sales like the PSP it could end up compounding the problems faced by Sony's gaming division.

 

 

 

Oh yes, any discussion of how Sony's business strategy has yet to be profitable this generation and you go into a complete tailspin.

 

 

 

That's it, It all makes sense now! I've just realised who you remind me of, and the resemblance is worrying.

 

michael-pachter-bonus-round.png

Posted

To be fair Zechs never actually said he thought it was going to be close to £500. If you read it back he simply referenced the fact that an iPhone is £500, then went on to say that he expected the price of the NGP to be high as well. Chill out dude, it's just a console. It's pretty much definitely going to be £300+, which to me is a lot for a home console, let alone a handheld. I'm not saying it won't be worth it, but it's still a lot of money to most people. You may be super-rich, though, so it may not seem much to you, I don't know. To me that's a lot. I hope Sony surprise me and make it lower than that, but I don't see it.

 

Everyone in this thread needs to grow up. Jesus Christ.

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