Andrew House talks about PSP 2, lessons learned from PSP etc.

[RedHulk]

MCV has posted a full interview with Andrew House of SCEE about PSP 2 and PS Suite etc.

There's some clarifying statements in there that might be of interest, and some general chit-chat from another article about lessons they've taken from PSP.

http://www.mcvuk.com/features/894/IN...W-Andrew-House

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/43562/What...t-from-the-PSP

Firstly, he clarifies that the data capacity of the game cards is NOT fixed, and can evolve over the lifespan of the device. In fact, this is one of the advantages he cites for flash cards over going with a optical disc.

Second, he also clarifies that all physically released games at retail will be available digitally simultaneously.

He talks about PS Suite, much of which was quoted in this thread. He seems to fancy their efforts here almost like a re-run of their approach to the PSX - approaching what they saw as a a non-ideal business environment, and making it work better for third parties. He seems to see the same opportunity to build a better environment for game makers on Android.

We had to think carefully how the positioning of PSP 2 was going to work alongside PlayStation Suite – particularly as it is something that would work across multiple devices. But we had supreme confidence in PSP 2 to attract a large core audience, because of the kind of experiences you can only get on that device. And secondly, we felt that we absolutely have to respond to the changes in consumer behaviour.

We view one of the core PlayStation strengths is our ability to manage relationships with developers and publishers in a way that makes good business for everyone involved. I think the original PlayStation and the revolution that CD brought was based around that thinking. We garnered tremendous third party support right from the start because we presented a business model that worked for a wide variety of constituencies. We are now applying the same sort of strategy into a different space.

On lessons from PSP, the big one seems to be content differentiation. Not simply making console games for handhelds, but he says, that they need to take the best of console gaming and augment in a different way for handheld.

Secondly, the integration of digital from the start, rather than as a bolt-on.

"With PSP we went on the assumption that if we took a successful home console game experience and applied it wholesale to a portable device, that that was a great route to success,” he says.

"What we learnt in the course of the PSP is that consumers want a different experience. Even if it is the same franchise. That was a huge piece of learning that really informed the design of PSP 2. Take the best of the console experience but give people something that is different that they can only get with that device, on-the-go"

OTOH he's unapologetic about packing a great screen and great graphics into the device - things he thinks they got right with PSP and that excited people, and that they're happy to continue with on PSP 2.

Anyways, the full stuff is at the links.