PSVita (Successor to PSP, was PSP2 then NGP)

[abigsmurf]

Gravity Daze at 19s looks really interesting.

[JP]

A few new details from the private developer conference held in London yesterday and a few quotes from some of the 20 odd developers that were present.

NGP is a developer's dream ? Sony is finally doing the things developers have been crying out for for years.

...the WipEout HD PS3 engine running on PS3 with no changes to the art platform. That means full resolution, full 60 frames per second. It looks exactly the same as it does on PS3 ? all the shader effects are in there.

All games at launch available on flash [the physical storage medium] would also be on PSN.

Any shaders for PS3 stuff will just work, we won't have to rewrite. What would have taken two-to-three months before looks like it could take just one-to-two weeks now. The architecture is obviously different, but it's the same development environment.

[Sketcz]

What did people think of David Jaffe's comments on the NGP?

I don't even need to read them to know he was probably speaking bollocks.

I mean, do people even listen to that guy? He's a grade A douche moron with a tendency to spout utter insipid stupidity.

I never read anything of his that didn't make me want to perform a lobotomy on him.

[JSR]

I don't even need to read them to know he was probably speaking bollocks.

I mean, do people even listen to that guy? He's a grade A douche moron with a tendency to spout utter insipid stupidity.

I never read anything of his that didn't make me want to perform a lobotomy on him.

I just needed to say that I am in total agreement with you. He seems to be so sure of himself that rarely thinks about what he says anymore. Also seems really short tempered. If you criticize anything he says or does, he loses it. Don't understand why people care so much about what he has to say. He's made one good game, a couple of decent ones, and a couple crappy ones.

[Tig]

...the WipEout HD PS3 engine running on PS3 with no changes to the art platform. That means full resolution, full 60 frames per second. It looks exactly the same as it does on PS3 – all the shader effects are in there.

Now that is pretty amazing.



I'm now hoping that Sony will copy the Steam model for PS3/NGP multiplatform releases: purchase once, play on anything.
That would ensure the NGP has a ton of added value for PS3 owners, and of course the same would be true the other way around.


It would tie in very nicely with Sony's new cloud-based game saves, too...

[CMcK]

Purchase once play on anything is only going to hurt Sonys profits from software. Can't see it happening.

[Richie_uk]

For sure, why would they include another copy of the game costing millions more to produce for free sony are no valve. Its possible to include special editions for say £59.99 play at home and on the move with NGP. This sort of pricing structure with some key titles

(lets say call of duty) for arguments sake including some cross platform weapon unlocks sony would be onto a winner !

[JP]

Although I don't really see it happening it doesn't necessarily mean that money would be lost by doing this as the sales gained by this practice would surely more than cover the losses made who were going to buy two copies of the games which look and play the same.

From what developers are saying so far if you're developing a PS3 game it will work on the NGP and the PS3 games that have been shown running on it so far have only taken a week or two to optimise. Of course, these aren't the full games but everything I've read suggests that it's such an easy thing to do that it will almost be happening by default.

There are a lot of positives for them if they do manage to do this, particularly now that Steam is being introduced and the first Steam game will also be playable via that service free of charge.

I know if it happens it's a very long way off and I'm stretching this a little but think of the long term and imagine buying a game and with that you get the PS3, NGP, PC/Mac versions included as well as cloud saving which allows you to take your game wherever you where.

It's already happening with the PS3 & PC version of Portal 2 and although Valve have said that cloud saving won't be available at first they've also said that it is only not there as they didn't have time to include for when the service launches. If developers are correct, an NGP version of a PS3 game is almost produced by default using Sony's development tools.

There are people on the Steam forums already saying they're buying the PS3 version of Portal 2 even though they don't own a PS3.

Of course, the RRP for PS3 games is higher than for PC games but if customers are willing to pay the extra due to getting both copies of the game then I'm sure the developers are willing to accept any extra money and forgo and profits they would have received from people who were willing to buy more than one copy of the game.

If they did manage to somehow tie it all in together then its pretty much a guaranteed sale for the PS3/PC/Mac/NGP version, there would surely be very little reason to consider any other version for many people. It's probably the closest we'll get to a unified platform for a very long time.

As I've said though, if it did ever happen I'd imagine it's a very long way off and there's nothing to suggest it will. I do think that Steam being introduced to the PS3 and some of the announcements concerning the NGP do suggest that Sony are at least starting to strategise in ways that are looking to move things on from the archaic methods that are used at the moment.

[JamesS]

Purchase once play on anything is only going to hurt Sonys profits from software. Can't see it happening.

I don't know, it's starting to happen with Blu Ray now. A lot of the bigger releases also give you a DVD and a download code for the movie. I guess it basically comes down to whether it encourages more additional purchases than it loses from people not buying multiple copies.

[Dogg Thang]

I would have thought very few multiplatform games sell more than one copy to the same person. I did it once I think - getting a PSP and PS3 version of the same game. And only actually played one version so never did it again. I would think the amount lost from offering combo versions would be tiny.

And yet the ability to play on both PS3 and handheld would be a huge draw, encouraging more sales. Which will I buy - 360 version? 3DS? Or PS3 with the NGP version? It's an obvious choice and would be a big draw.

The downside is the lack of motivation for brand new created from scratch NGP games. I don't want WOFury on NGP. I have it. It would be lazy. I want a whole new Wipeout. Same goes for most other franchises.

[J0e Musashi]

The downside is the lack of motivation for brand new created from scratch NGP games. I don't want WOFury on NGP. I have it. It would be lazy. I want a whole new Wipeout. Same goes for most other franchises.

Any future releases would be designed for both though, so your thinking only applies to games that are already out.

I see dual format as the best thing ever personally. It's like PC Engine all over again. I can play the same game wherever I go.

[Dogg Thang]

Any future releases would be designed for both though, so your thinking only applies to games that are already out.

Yes that's true. I guess my fear is that there is such a large back catalogue of PS3 games which, if what they're saying is true, could be ported in less than a month. Many will churn out those easy ports (selling probably at close to full price) rather pouring resources into expensive new developments.

[JamesS]

I'd love for consoles to get a bit more Steam-like and start associating games with your account, giving you the ability to download and play them on any compatible device (console, handheld, PS-certified phone or whatever) where you're signed in with cloud saving syncing between the devices. You could still sell games on disk but with a one-use code to link it to your account if you want to use any of the online features or play the game without the disk in the drive.

[JP]

I think it's sensible to be wary of games that are the same on both platforms but there has been mention from developers that having exactly the same game running on both platform isn't want they're encouraging.

With Sony urging developers to create releases that work across PS3 and NGP, the implications of this are significant. "They want us to do cross-platform," said the source, explaining that the submission process has been streamlined, with only a single submission required for a title on PSN and NGP.

"All games at launch available on flash [the physical storage medium] would also be on PSN.

However, Sony is also insisting that it "does not want exactly the same game" on NGP and PS3 ? there "has to be a reason for the NGP title". "They want at least some kind of interactivity between the two versions with NGP-only extras," the source added.

It's possibly worth bearing in mind also that The PlayStation Suite is also for Android phones and it'll be compatible with blu-ray players and internet ready TVs.

Of course, they don't mean playing PlayStation 3 games on an Android phone or directly on your telly but it is another indication of them wanting to open things up for developers and customers.

I've wanted it for a while but I'm really hoping that PSP games will be playable on the PlayStation 3 at some point, perhaps closer to when the original PSP isn't their primary handheld. There are some really good games available for the PSP, particularly from third parties but I felt the main failing with it was a dedicated lack of support from Sony themselves.

I wonder if they'll just drop the PSP when this is launched? Hopefully they'll do what they've done with their home consoles and slash the price and sell it as a budget handheld.

Anyway, back to the NGP. I think these two games are looking interesting...


I still think Hot Shots Golf is the best golf game available so more can only be a good thing for me. I do like what this does with the accelerometers and the camera, it's nothing particularly important but I do think it works well.


Little Deviants is looking good, I thought the touch pad on the back was pointless at first but it seems to make perfect sense having seen this running and apparently it was this game that persuaded Sony to have the back touch pad.

It seems to be a popular move with some of the developers too and hopefully some of them (Yes, I'm looking at you Hideo Kojima) will be able to do some really interesting stuff with the technology.

Elsewhere with the hardware, it was confirmed that NGP features three gyroscopes, compared with one in PS3's controller, allowing for more accurate movement. And the front and rear touch panels are both capable of six-point multi-touch.

"The touch pad on the back is fantastic," the source said. "It does feel second nature, like you're having a real impact on the world." As an example of the potential, SCEE described squeezing an object in-game by pinching the front and the back simultaneously.

Although it's still very early, the more I think about the NPG the more I like it which surprised the hell out of me as I had no interest at all hand held gaming before this was shown.

I'm still not convinced that it won't all go horribly wrong somewhere before release but as I said somewhere else, there hasn't been a hand held since the original Gameboy was announced which made me feel that they'd managed to just get everything so right until this which is hell of a thing to be saying.

They'll need to show some really good content at E3, TGS, etc and merely having PS3 games running on this looking really good just isn't really what I'm looking for. However, Uncharted NGP is unfortunately going to be very difficult to say no to at launch!

[Dogg Thang]

Yeah, Hots Shots Golf will be a must-buy for me. I have the first two PSP ones and never finished them, not even close, and yet they're ones I always love going back to for a quick round. They're just so easy to pick up and play at any time.