What is SONY thinking with the PSP and PSP GO(AWAY)?

Image via CrunchBase

While trolling through the usual news and blog sites, I came across this story, from Industry Gamers. Let me get this straight, the PSP has basically failed and now SONY has figured out a way to really piss off new customers by charging $249 for a device that actually does less than the $200 model.

But to make things even more interesting, they want you to buy this new higher priced unit so you can download games that are really knockoffs of games made for the iPhone/iPod Touch?

Image via Wikipedia

So there's no trade in program, who'd do it?  Who has a PSP now and loves it so much he'll go out and buy the PSP GO, and then throw away his old unit that runs his $35 games because of the 99 cent games he can download?
Sir Howard Stringer, you are clearly neither a gamer or a consumer.  I am making the grand assumption that the normal PSP can not download games, but since I don't have a PSP GO(AWAY), I can't confirm this.

But further, also at Industry Gamers, it seems that EB is not going to carry the PSP GO(AWAY) in Australia. Shocking! (At least it seems to be to Sir Howard)  That a retail hard goods store wouldn't want to sell a game unit, that will put them out of business!

Maybe the good folks over at Blockbuster can exmplain to SONY that stores that sell the hard goods are not interested in selling hardware that they don't or can't share in the profits. A few years ago I was involved with "MovieBeam" from Disney. At one point a marketing person suggested that Blockbuster might carry the unit... that allows people to rent movies without leaving their house. I have no idea how that guy kept his job for so long...

Your thoughts?

Mac

READ MORE - What is SONY thinking with the PSP and PSP GO(AWAY)?

Shot gun vs. patience

What kind of development group do you want to be? Do you want to see how many re-skins of a game you can churn out in a week, or do you want to see how high can you set the quality bar.

The problem with games for small platforms is how quickly games can be produced. Some developers look at platforms like the iPhone and see 50 tip calculators, and unknown number of flashlights. It welcomes the easy hit, and once that hit is made... reskinning.

Whenever I play a reskinned game it always takes me a moment or two to realized that I have played this game before... many times.

If you need an iPhone example, lets look at the "RPG" section of the game catalog. How many of those games are Mafia Wars with a new skin? Don't get me wrong, I love the business model but eventually the buying public will see that they're doing the same missions over and over. Changing it from Mafia to World War II to some Sci-Fi these won't hide that is the same game play repeated.

WHen talking about game design I always talk about the circle. Imagine that the center of the circle is the top selling game int that genre. I like to use Tomb Raider since most people know the game and I had a hand in its birth. So if Tomb Raider is the center, a game that is close to that center point is most likely a clone. If the game you're making is FAR outside the circle, then its to far from what the buying public understands, so its to much to learn and won't sell.

What you want to aim for is the line of the circle. That game invents new layers to teh genre, but doesn't go to far from what the public knows and love. If your game can hit that line, the circle will move to include your game.

Simple huh? But not the shotgun approach to games...

Mac

READ MORE - Shot gun vs. patience

What am I missing here?

Image via Wikipedia

I'll admit to being a fan of both The Beatles and of Conan O'Brien, but I think there's something amiss in this clip.  Conan Plays Rockband

The problem I have starts when they start playing the game.  By my count there are four people on stage... each has some instrument in their hands.  But I only see 3 tracks of people playing.  Conan does make a comment about one of the guys is there to help with vocals, but if that's all he's doing why does he need anything in his hands but the microphone?

There's some giggling at some point when its clear that Conan has no idea what he's doing, but is that really that much worse than a guy who is playing but isn't connected?

What am I missing here?

Mac

READ MORE - What am I missing here?

Internal or external? CHOOSE!

Which is "better" or can you have skills that work for one and not the other?

Often in interviews, or by headhunters, I am asked which I prefer... to work with internal dev groups or external.  Working with internal teams means you can have minute by minute updates as well as make spot changes quickly and somewhat easily.

With external teams you run the risk of having to take their word for the current state.  More than once at SEGA a developer said to me: "We have it in part on various dev kits", to which I answered: "Send me all teh parts to look at".  Rarely did that every happen.  Usually I got a build with all the parts that actually worked, on one dev cart.  Those other parts, I would say that they didn't meet the deadline.

With internal teams is much easier to cut through any BS you're being fed.  Since I started as a programmer its a little easier for me to look at code and spot that what I am looking at is just repeated code over and over, and not a listing of code that has a bug.  Yes, a developer actually tried that.

With external teams you can shield them from the every day BS that a publisher puts their producers through.  When the boss asks if a external team will be motivated to make a shorter deadline, its up to the producer to represent the developer. This also comes into play when talking about contract changes or additions.  The boss often asks if the "developer will do X for Y amount of money?".  Its up to the producer to judge the stance of the external group and accurately voice either their concerns or their agreement.

A couple of times I have been in this position, only to have the developer agree to something I know they shouldn't! 

A contract took such a long time, that the dates for the first milestones had passed. When I told my boss that we'd have to adjust the schedule he said: "Why?  It means they're already late which gives you something to yell at them about the second they sign the contract". Obvious my reaction was less than happy.

There are pluses and minuses to both... what works best for you?  How about from the developer side?

Mac

READ MORE - Internal or external? CHOOSE!