Sony announces new PSP strategy Develop 2009: Sony to give handheld a serious shot in the arm

This week sees the Develop Conference in Brighton - the annual UK games developers' shindig – where the creative types that design some of the best games in the world gather to chat, exchange ideas and opinions and, of course, drink themselves into a pleasant oblivion in a pleasant pavilion by the sea.

The first big news to emerge from the event comes from Sony, with the company making a concerted effort to re-establish its PlayStation Portable console in 2009.

Sony is, according to Develop magazine, "aggressively courting developers around the world to work on digitally distributed games for PSP in a bid to grow the software offer on its handheld."

Sony's PSP originally launched over four and a half years ago (firstly in Japan back in December, 2004), with new iterations of the hardware appearing each year since then – each time with notable improvements such as brighter screens, better battery-life and becoming increasingly slimmer and sexier.

Streamlined content pipeline

Develop reports that Sony is now preparing for the release of "a streamlined content pipeline for the platform" part of which includes "abolishing concept approval" and providing PSP developers with "cheaper devkits, shorter quality assurance processes, and very low price points for new games."

Sony recently cut the cost of the PSP SDK by 80 per cent and recently announced the forthcoming PSPgo console, finally ditching its largely unpopular UMD-disc.

Zeno Colaço, SCEE's head of developer relations said: "Sony's been working very hard to find our position… and bring top-end gaming to not just the consumers who were there for the launch of PSP, but extending to an audience that is changing how it consumes entertainment and applications.

"We're introducing new initiatives for the PSP which take it beyond traditional gaming, but still includes elements from gaming, and also includes new developers."

A suitably vague outline for Sony's new 'strategy', but TechRadar is itching to see what emerges from over 50 studios worldwide that are already signed up and beavering away on these 'new style' PSP games.

Stay tuned to TechRadar throughout the week for latest news from the UK's thriving videogame development scene.

Source of the above article :

http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/handhelds/sony-announces-new-psp-strategy-616079

http://redirectingat.com/?id=92X363&url=http%3A//www.develop-online.net/news/32374/Exclusive-Sonys-new-development-strategy-for-PSP

Sony PSP app store prepped

Sure, the Sony PSP Go is a download only handheld console, but if you thought Sony was content with stuffing games like Gran Turismo on there and chillaxing, guess again. As promised, Sony’s pushing for developers to come up with snack sized games and applications for a new, separate area of the PlayStation Store, putting the Wi-Fi connected, UMD-less device, as well as the plain PSP, up against the might of the iPhone App Store.

There have been whispers aplenty that Nintendo is planning to push apps on the Nintendo DSi in a big way, but now Sony seems set on getting in on the fun with the PSP. According to Develop, Sony has already gathered developers up for a new section of the PlayStation Store, to sell mini games (Just 20MB in size) and apps for the Sony PSP and PSP Go.

50 studios are believed to be in on it, including Subatomic Studios, which is priming a Sony PSP version of its iPhone Fieldrunnners tower defense game. You won’t be able to get in on the action unless you’re an approved partner unfortunately, but if you were in need of some extra justification to slap down the cash for a Sony PSP Go in October, this could be it, especially if the non-game apps prove to be as useful as some of those on the iPhone and iPod touch. Here’s hoping the guest list keeps quality high.

Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology/2009/07/16/sony-psp-app-store-prepped-115875-21524979/

Sony PSP Go ??

I'm quite shocked to see that Sony is finally coming with a much anticipated PSP - phone gadget with the name "Sony PSP Go". So the rumor which was going around the internet for past few years wasn't just a rumor. Anyways as my phone is not working as good as before I think I can go for this cool gadget "psp go". I bought my present PSP in the end of 2007 and I felt it was worth the price after all.

Enough said .....will post articles on this one now !!