Sony Online looking into MMO for PSP
To a degree, games like Monster Hunter Portable and Valhalla Knights already somewhat overlap into the circle of MMO games. What with Wi-Fi, Remote Play, and other functions for interconnectivity, seeing the PSP (whether via the PS3 or not) as a tool for grinding your characters on-the-go isn’t all that hard to imagine. John Smedley of SOE thinks that it is quite possible to move into that direction. He already mentioned Free Realms, SOE’s upcoming MMO for the PS3 and PC – could that be the start?
Lots of developers (both official game studio developers and homebrew devs alike) consider the PSP as a handheld device capable of adopting the MMO genre. To a degree, games like Monster Hunter Portable and Valhalla Knights already somewhat overlap into the circle of MMO games.
John Smedley of Sony Online Entertainment is optimistic – he foresees a future in MMO games for the PSP.
I think PSP is something that weÂ’re definitely looking at; 34 million [sold] worldwide really opens your eyes, and theyÂ’re all connected. […] weÂ’re really starting to see a big push for PSP. We think itÂ’s a world-class deviceÂ… In the future, we see full MMOs that are designed for the PSP.
Maybe one way to do it: In Free Realms, you could have a pet-training system that literally connects to our online gaming where you can mess around with your pet. Another way to do it might be to give them mini-games that they can do [on the PSP] when sitting at a bus stop. YouÂ’re sitting there leveling up your character, you log in at home when youÂ’re on wi-fi, and all of sudden your character has leveled up. We think those kinds of experiences are very possible.
Indeed, the concepts he presented sound highly plausible. What with Wi-Fi, Remote Play, and other functions for interconnectivity, seeing the PSP (whether via the PS3 or not) as a tool for grinding your characters on-the-go isn’t all that hard to imagine. He already mentioned Free Realms, SOE‘s upcoming MMO for the PS3 and PC – could that be the start?
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