Following on from yesterday’s fan-created vision of what the next PlayStation Portable should look like, a collection of industry boffins have offered up their polled opinions for the future of Sony’s sexy handheld via the official PSM3 blog .
Industry experts give their predictions for the future of the PlayStation Portable. Credit: Dan Taylor.
With the likes of Wired magazine’s Chris Kohler, Gamasutra's Senior Editor Brandon Sheffield, and veteran developer Dave Perry gazing into their crystal balls, predictions of what to expect for the next iteration of the PSP included the abandonment of software on UMD in favour of internal flash-based memory downloads, improved PS3 link-up features, and even the introduction of a touch-screen interface.
According to Kohler, who believes PSP2 should drop UMD, Sony should “ride it out until their next portable machine and try for a restart… maybe add a touch screen.”
Gamasutra bigwig Brandon Sheffield also believes that it’s only a matter of time before a re-imagined PSP handheld is released that does away with UMD and allows users to download software directly to the console’s internal memory.
“A PSP with a flash drive just makes sense, what with the ability to download PSOne games to it, and all of that,” comments Sheffield before also noting the potential downside of a download-friendly console. “The pitfalls are piracy, which may increase retail anger. I think it’s coming though.”
The shape of things to come? Credit: BluezPS
All three of industry figures seem to agree on the coming demise of UMD, with veteran games developer Dave Perry (Earthworm Jim, Enter the Matrix ) also weighing in on the imminent death of UMD. Perry, a long time opponent of the UMD drive, claims that it’s “useless in a digital world,” but that Sony’s eventual decision to remove it from the PSP brand might not happen until the appearance of PSP3.
In the handheld market, Perry believes that Sony has the perfect opportunity to push past the competition if it “gets the pedal to the metal,” with regards to producing a second generation PSP with download functionality and obviously more power, “not PS1.something.”
He bolsters that belief by explaining that Apple has removed the games download feature from its new iPod touch, while Nintendo’s painfully slow approach to DS updates will also be a key factor in Sony’s continued progression.
In related news, Sony’s games division has recently shifted back into the realms of profit following huge losses incurred during 2006. With 2007 retail sales showing that the PSP outsold its home-based compatriot, the PlayStation 3, between October and December , Sony’s PlayStation Portable continues to prove itself to be a hugely influential factor in that ongoing turn around.
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