GDC 2007: Sony trashes talk of PSP2

Latest word from PSP owners: We want a PSP redesign! Latest word from Sony: Don’t count on it. Yep, IGN reports that a Sony rep in the currently ongoing Games Developers Conference (GDC) in Austin, Texas claimed that there are no existing plans of redesigning their handheld to fit the demands of their users.

According to the same Sony rep, the reason behind this is that PSP is yet to reach its peak, something which could happen this year. It’s hard to argue with this considering the PSP’s growing interconnectivity functions with the PS3. But it’s also harder to ignore the growing user base’s clamor for the handheld’s Lite version (like what Nintendo did with the DS) and a modification paving the way for dual analog sticks.

However, a closer look could show that Sony could be right in not coming with, what most PSP users would dub it, a PSP2. Releasing a brand new and redesigned portable would mean that a larger userbase would be left with an older, less efficient hardware – something that could be a marketing headache for any company.

How would future games be developed for handhelds that have two versions with different controls? The reason behind the DS Lite’s success is that its features remain very much the same as the earlier versions, so there aren’t many owners who felt they were left out on the cold. With a PSP2 redesign, that’s harder to achieve.

Still, I could be wrong. Maybe it’s worth the risk having a totally revamped version of the handheld. Perhaps Sony can even come up with a trade-in option, where owners can have their PSPs tweaked to be more like the newer gaming devices for a lesser price. But that’s just me being too optimistic. How about you, what do you think?

Via IGN

Latest word from PSP owners: We want a PSP redesign! Latest word from Sony: Don’t count on it. Yep, IGN reports that a Sony rep in the currently ongoing Games Developers Conference (GDC) in Austin, Texas claimed that there are no existing plans of redesigning their handheld to fit the demands of their users.

According to the same Sony rep, the reason behind this is that PSP is yet to reach its peak, something which could happen this year. It’s hard to argue with this considering the PSP’s growing interconnectivity functions with the PS3. But it’s also harder to ignore the growing user base’s clamor for the handheld’s Lite version (like what Nintendo did with the DS) and a modification paving the way for dual analog sticks.

However, a closer look could show that Sony could be right in not coming with, what most PSP users would dub it, a PSP2. Releasing a brand new and redesigned portable would mean that a larger userbase would be left with an older, less efficient hardware – something that could be a marketing headache for any company.

How would future games be developed for handhelds that have two versions with different controls? The reason behind the DS Lite’s success is that its features remain very much the same as the earlier versions, so there aren’t many owners who felt they were left out on the cold. With a PSP2 redesign, that’s harder to achieve.

Still, I could be wrong. Maybe it’s worth the risk having a totally revamped version of the handheld. Perhaps Sony can even come up with a trade-in option, where owners can have their PSPs tweaked to be more like the newer gaming devices for a lesser price. But that’s just me being too optimistic. How about you, what do you think?

Via IGN