PS Vita challenges smartphones
Sony Keeps Its Wager on Game Consoles With Vita
The world of computer games has entered a new kind of war, with Sony releasing on Saturday a handheld gaming device with increased network functionality in a bid to compete with popular smartphone games.Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. on Saturday released its PlayStation Vita handheld video game console, which allows users to play with anyone in the world using cell phone lines.For many years, competition in the video game industry was primarily between Sony's computer game division and game giant Nintendo Co.However the proliferation of smartphones led to a rapid increase in the popularity of game software for mobile phones. As a result, competition between game producers to recruit talented developers is heating up.The Vita's display resolution is four times higher than that of PlayStation Portable models. Its network functions have also been given a boost, enabling users to access Twitter, Facebook and other websites via third-generation cell phone lines.A university student in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, who bought a PlayStation Vita on Saturday in Shibuya, Tokyo, said, "I'm looking forward to playing with people all over the world."Sales of devices used exclusively to play video games no longer enjoy the momentum they did in the past.According to gaming magazine publisher Enterbrain Inc., the market for home-use video game consoles, including both handheld devices and standalones, fell by about 30 percent in 2010 from 2007, when sales peaked at about 688 billion yen.In contrast, the market for online games for mobile phones hit about 320 billion yen in 2010, double what it was four years previously.Along with the proliferation of smartphones, which have larger display screens than cell phones, a growing number of people are playing games on social networking sites, with most titles exclusive to mobile phones.In SNS games, people who have never met can play games in match or cooperative mode. Sony's older PSP models had no function to access networks via mobile phone lines, and consequently their online features were lacking.While the Vita device has the telecommunication function, only 24 game titles were available at the time of its release.Though Sony plans to add titles to its lineup of games for the Vita device, it cannot compete with the 100,000 or more titles available on the iPhone smartphone by the U.S. company Apple Inc.Enterbrain President Hirokazu Hamamura said the Vita's success will "depend on how many new, exciting and easy-to-play games will be provided."Competition to procure talented game developers is thus intensifying.Yohei Yoshimuta, a 23-year-old software developer, graduated from Keio University's graduate school this past spring. He was recruited by game developer Gree Inc., signing a contract that could see him earning a salary as high as 10 million yen.Yoshimuta said that because the programming of SNS game software is relatively simple, "developers can easily demonstrate their skills by, for example, refining an SNS game, even after its release."This past spring, a famous software developer who worked on the popular video game series Final Fantasy left major game producer Square Enix Co. for Gree.A key factor in regaining the former glory of video game consoles will be whether the software producers can mitigate the flow of talented developers to the makers of the popular SNS games.(Dec. 18, 2011)
TOKYO – Sony is set to release its next-generation PlayStation Vita handheld game machine in Japan on Saturday, and it is making a big bet: that dedicated consoles can hold their own against the surging popularity of casual iPhone and Android games, which are turning the video game industry on its head.But Andrew House, Sony’s gaming chief, is bullish. He says Sony wants to ship more PS Vitas over its lifetime than its predecessor, the PlayStation Portable, which has sold 73 million units over seven years. He said orders for PS Vita machines have been “extremely favorable.”The device is filled with technology, he said, like a five-inch organic LED touch screen on the front and another touchpad on the back. And Sony has lined up 24 big titles for PS Vita’s launch, the largest in the history of the PlayStation franchise.The result? An experience “that really is only possible on PlayStation,” Mr. House said in Tokyo.Still, numbers suggest that the idea of a dedicated gaming machine is becoming a tougher sell. Android and iOS games captured a growing proportion of the video game market share in 2010, doubling to 34 percent in 2010 from 19 percent in 2009, according to Flurry, a mobile analytics service. During the same period, the combined share of Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable dropped 21 percentage points, to 66 percent.Apart from the added cost of buying a dedicated game machine – the basic Wi-Fi model PS Vita will retail for $249.99 in the United States — traditional packaged games for those devices can set players back over $60. Casual downloadable games are usually free or cost just a few dollars to start.“Sony needs to deal with the fact that gamers who are satisfied with what iOS and Android gaming has to offer will not feel the need to shell out for a dedicated device,” said Jean Snow, a video game expert in Tokyo.That made PS Vita’s prospects of topping its predecessor, the PSP, unrealistic, Mr. Snow said.“I think it will sell well, because there is certainly a demand for a dedicated device that lets you to play with precise controls,” he said. “But I seriously doubt that it can reach the success plateau that was achieved with the PSP.”Still, Sony has prepared well, in both its hardware and software. With a much bigger screen than an iPhone or most Android phones, two analog sticks and a multi-touch pad on the back, the device is hardwired for serious gaming, Mr. House said. The device has won glowing reviews on gaming sites.Its multiple controls, in particular, are far superior to screen-only games, Mr. House said. In the action-adventure shooter game Uncharted, for example, players toggle the analog sticks to control their treasure-hunting protagonist, but can also swipe the back touch pad to change their viewpoint without obstructing the front screen. If a protagonist picks up a book covered in dust, the player can wipe the touchscreen with their thumb to dust off the book.But taking a page from Apple’s playbook, the PS Vita is also trying to lure more casual users by offering cheaper, downloadable games and apps from an online store called PlayStation Suite. The store is still in beta mode but will eventually offer games at “a whole range of price points,” Mr. House said. Users can also download apps like Facebook, Twitter and Skype.PlayStation Suite aims to gain an edge on the App Store or Market Place with stricter control over the quality of games allowed in the store, Mr. House said. “You do have to have some sort of filter around the quality of content you bring in,” Mr. House said, quipping that the “Wild West” offerings of the Android store were causing users some angst.Sony hopes to avoid the fate of rival Nintendo, whose 3DS handheld console initially flopped, partly because of a dearth in compelling games at its launch. Sluggish sales forced Nintendo to slash 3DS prices after less than six months, and sales have now picked up considerably.To spur developers to make more games for the PS Vita, Sony greatly altered the way it developed the platform, Mr. House said. It shared its technology at a much earlier stage with game developers and sought their input. Games that Sony was making in its own studios were shared early in their development to get ideas of how to take full advantage of the console.“That has in turn sparked other creative ideas, with developers saying, ‘Oh, I get it, this is how I will use this in my own franchise,’” Mr. House said. “So what we’ve got is not just a bigger number of titles, but better quality titles that take fuller advantage of the PS Vita’s features at an earlier stage in its life cycle.”As a result, a strong pipeline of games in the works, Mr. House said, with another wave of games set to accompany the release of the PS Vita in North America and Europe on Feb. 22, followed by more games for the holiday season next year. Sony was aware of about 100 games in development for the PS Vita, he said.The PS Vita’s Wi-Fi only version will retail for $249.99 in the United States, while a 3G-enabled model costs $299.99.
TOKYO – Sony is set to release its next-generation PlayStation Vita handheld game machine in Japan on Saturday, and it is making a big bet: that dedicated consoles can hold their own against the surging popularity of casual iPhone and Android games, which are turning the video game industry on its head.
But Andrew House, Sony’s gaming chief, is bullish. He says Sony wants to ship more PS Vitas over its lifetime than its predecessor, the PlayStation Portable, which has sold 73 million units over seven years. He said orders for PS Vita machines have been “extremely favorable.”
The device is filled with technology, he said, like a five-inch organic LED touch screen on the front and another touchpad on the back. And Sony has lined up 24 big titles for PS Vita’s launch, the largest in the history of the PlayStation franchise.
The result? An experience “that really is only possible on PlayStation,” Mr. House said in Tokyo.
Still, numbers suggest that the idea of a dedicated gaming machine is becoming a tougher sell. Android and iOS games captured a growing proportion of the video game market share in 2010, doubling to 34 percent in 2010 from 19 percent in 2009, according to Flurry, a mobile analytics service. During the same period, the combined share of Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable dropped 21 percentage points, to 66 percent.
Apart from the added cost of buying a dedicated game machine – the basic Wi-Fi model PS Vita will retail for $249.99 in the United States — traditional packaged games for those devices can set players back over $60. Casual downloadable games are usually free or cost just a few dollars to start.
“Sony needs to deal with the fact that gamers who are satisfied with what iOS and Android gaming has to offer will not feel the need to shell out for a dedicated device,” said Jean Snow, a video game expert in Tokyo.
That made PS Vita’s prospects of topping its predecessor, the PSP, unrealistic, Mr. Snow said.
“I think it will sell well, because there is certainly a demand for a dedicated device that lets you to play with precise controls,” he said. “But I seriously doubt that it can reach the success plateau that was achieved with the PSP.”
Still, Sony has prepared well, in both its hardware and software. With a much bigger screen than an iPhone or most Android phones, two analog sticks and a multi-touch pad on the back, the device is hardwired for serious gaming, Mr. House said. The device has won glowing reviews on gaming sites.
Its multiple controls, in particular, are far superior to screen-only games, Mr. House said. In the action-adventure shooter game Uncharted, for example, players toggle the analog sticks to control their treasure-hunting protagonist, but can also swipe the back touch pad to change their viewpoint without obstructing the front screen. If a protagonist picks up a book covered in dust, the player can wipe the touchscreen with their thumb to dust off the book.
But taking a page from Apple’s playbook, the PS Vita is also trying to lure more casual users by offering cheaper, downloadable games and apps from an online store called PlayStation Suite. The store is still in beta mode but will eventually offer games at “a whole range of price points,” Mr. House said. Users can also download apps like Facebook, Twitter and Skype.
PlayStation Suite aims to gain an edge on the App Store or Market Place with stricter control over the quality of games allowed in the store, Mr. House said. “You do have to have some sort of filter around the quality of content you bring in,” Mr. House said, quipping that the “Wild West” offerings of the Android store were causing users some angst.
Sony hopes to avoid the fate of rival Nintendo, whose 3DS handheld console initially flopped, partly because of a dearth in compelling games at its launch. Sluggish sales forced Nintendo to slash 3DS prices after less than six months, and sales have now picked up considerably.
To spur developers to make more games for the PS Vita, Sony greatly altered the way it developed the platform, Mr. House said. It shared its technology at a much earlier stage with game developers and sought their input. Games that Sony was making in its own studios were shared early in their development to get ideas of how to take full advantage of the console.
“That has in turn sparked other creative ideas, with developers saying, ‘Oh, I get it, this is how I will use this in my own franchise,’” Mr. House said. “So what we’ve got is not just a bigger number of titles, but better quality titles that take fuller advantage of the PS Vita’s features at an earlier stage in its life cycle.”
As a result, a strong pipeline of games in the works, Mr. House said, with another wave of games set to accompany the release of the PS Vita in North America and Europe on Feb. 22, followed by more games for the holiday season next year. Sony was aware of about 100 games in development for the PS Vita, he said.
The PS Vita’s Wi-Fi only version will retail for $249.99 in the United States, while a 3G-enabled model costs $299.99.
