Sony takes aim at Apple iPhone, iPad
PSP phone rumours restoked
Sony is working on a series of devices designed to take the fight to Apple's iPhone and iPad, it has been claimed.
So say "people familiar with the matter" cited by the Wall Street Journal who point to what seem to be extensions of the PlayStation Portable into smartphone and media tablet territory.
Rumours have been cropping up on a regular basis since 2007, when Sony Ericsson admitted it was thinking about applying the PlayStation name to a series of handsets. It has already leveraged Sony's Bravia and Cyber-shot brands.
Sony's PSP Phone: long the source of speculation - and Photoshop tomfoolery
Since then there have been numerous hints that Sony and/or its majority owned joint-venture Sony Ericsson are working on such a device, but neither company has yet to come out with a PlayStation phone.
Most likely, that's because of Sony's desire to prevent anything getting in the way of PlayStation Portable sales. But the success of the iPod Touch and, in particular, the iPhone may have persuaded that it needs to look beyond the notion of a pureplay handheld games console.
Nintendo has been thinking along similar lines.
Last year, it was claimed Sony has built a team specifically charged with devising ways and means to take on Apple. Once again, the thrust of the work was said to be a PSP combined with a phone.
And well it might. A recent survey of games developers showed a marked shift away from the PSP and the Nintendo DS toward the iPhone platform.
The study, conducted by Game Developer Research, found that the proportion of developers working on mobile platforms rose in 2009 to 25 per cent of the total games development base, up from 12 per cent in 2008.
Three-quarters of the developers working on mobile titles are creating games for the iPhone and iPod Touch - and, inherently, the iPad too.
There are twice as many developers working on iPhone games as there are creators of titles for the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS.
The irony of all this is that, back in the late 1990s, Steve Jobs said his strategy to build a better, more successful Apple was based on the example set by... Sony. ®
COMMENTS
why the psp is better?
colin_l ill take that question: the psp go is smaller, and lighter so its easier to hold, but more importantly eaiser to fit in your pocket. the orginal needed a bag, the go can fit in jeans pockets.
also it dosent have the ridiculous format of UMD. all the games you own for it are on the machine. I also love the bluetooth, it allows me to connect to the net.
and the controls are different but better. the anlouge stick is nicer, the buttons feel better, and the screen is crisper.
its just a great little machine: hampered by the initial high price, and lack of any headline upgrades. but what it does, it does great
Using both devices
I have an iPod Touch (64Gb) and an PSP 3000. For games, I'll take the PSP anyday - it's far more natural to play games on that than the iPod is, even though it does have some cool games... but I can't see how I would be able to play Street Fighter properly on a touch screen. On the other hand, for music, pictures, movies and most definitely web surfing, gimme on iPod. Sony should be embarrased and ashamed about the quality of the web browser on the PSP.
I'd love to see the PSP become a cellphone though... they could do a really, really good job with that as Sony Ericsson phones usually rock.
@Bilgepipe
I use my PSP GO 10x more than I ever used my PSP2000, simply because it has all the stuff I want on it. much like.... a iPod.....
As for number of developers, that is meaningless, as 99% of iPhone "apps" and "games" are utter tripe.
Quality over quantity, and PSP is where the quality is...
ipod, how did that happen?
Its always amazed me that ipod is a byword for mp3 player, and that its made by apple.
Sony shoudl have had this area sewn up. They had the walkman, they had playstation, they had erricson and some how they couldnt actually do anyhting decent with them music wise. Especially since it would be so easy; Take a PSP go, add 3G, a touchscreen, and the mp3 player software from the walkman phones and bobs your uncle. It already has a mic, and speakers, everythign else can be software based. And there is already a dedicated store for apps.
head hurts
"but neither company has yet to come out with a PlayStation phone." - er? my head hurts.
