Homework 2

PSP2(Next Generation Portable)

Sony has enveiled it's newest handheld device. This device according to Sony will have new features and supposedly have the power of the PS3! Some of the features include:

Bigger Screen
New Kind of way to play games(via mini flash memory cards instead of cd umd's)
Touch Screen
3G Portable gaming
Dual Analog sticks

Sony claims it to be the most innovative device that have released yet. Well I do not actually agree with Sony. Some of the features may be innovative in some aspects as compared to it's predessors(PSP and PSPGO) and may be even innovative than other hand held gaming devices(iPod Touch, Nintendo DS).

Starting with the bigger screen, while it is nice to have a bigger screen on anything nowadays, it is not really innovative.

The idea of having all games on flash mini memory cards is a step toward the future. Eventually all kinds of software will be downloadable and we no longer require a CD. Again not really innovative but a step forward.

Touch Screen, Sony's main handheld competitor is the Nintendo DS known for it's dual screens and touch screen capabilites. The fact that Sony is just not getting into the touch screen market is a sign that they are far behind in terms of market share. Sony better have some good games to go with it's touch screen or it may be considered an imitation of the Nintendo DS.

3G Portable gaming is probably Sony's way of getting a niche in the gaming market. The Next Generation Portable will be the first gaming handheld to have 3G. What does this mean? It means that gamers with the Next Generation Portable will be able to stay connected with one another without having to worry about a Wi-Fi connection. While the idea of 3G is not new, the idea of using it within gaming is pretty innovative.

The thing that will seperate the Next Generation portable from it's competition are the dual analog sticks. It has been a common complaint that many handhelds don't have the feel of a traditional controller. The new analog sticks will rest under the gamer's thumbs and give a sense of a traditional controller while still on the go. The Nintendo DS only has 4 buttom D-Pad, while the iPod touch as no hardware controls at all.


Overall-How well will gamers accept/buy the Next Generation Portable? Initially it was depend on the price upon launch and of course the games available presently and in the future. While on a whole Sony is moving forward concerning it's hardware progression but the move forward is small and if Sony want's to stay competitive it needs to continually innovate.

Sources:
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/01/27/next-generation-portable-ngp-all-the-early-details/







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