The news has heated up over the past few days after Sony announced at their PlayStation Meeting in Japan the company's plans for the future, specifically the launch of their newest handheld, the Next Generation Portable. The event wasn't merely an unveiling of the device, but a chance for Sony to give an evaluation of the company's past, current success, and plans for the future.
The meeting was hosted by Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai, who should be familiar to anyone who has seen any of Sony's E3 shows. It's a safe bet that audiences everywhere were holding their breath in hope that the PSP2 would be the reason they had been called together, and while Sony may have decided to change the name, the little device did not disappoint.
So far we've told you everything there is to know about the NGP, but for those of you who would rather see for yourself, Sony has now released an official video of the meeting for all to see. In it, Hirai explains the intention of Sony to bring the 'PlayStation experience' to mobile devices that are only now capable of delivering an experience like the Playstation Suite. And yes, the full-fledged reveal of the new NGP.
The video begins with Sony revisiting the promises they made at E3 2005, and a look at how the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Network has fared since then. After that the company gets into the details and software of the Suite and NGP, and since the video is fairly long, we've broken down the important moments.
The first video introduces the reasoning behind Sony bringing old and new PlayStation titles and content to the Android, and what kind of efforts they will be taking to ensure that all developers and games will live up to Sony's own standards:
08:50 - Announcement of the PlayStation Suite for Android devices.
13:40 - Game Development for PlayStation Suite, and Character Licensing.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73YVCfWm3f8
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The next video will likely be the one you're looking for, containing both the plans for the NGP and the first reveal video of the device:
0:00 - Future integration between PlayStation Suite, PlayStation Network, and PlayStation 3.
01:40 - Announcement of Next Generation Portable.
03:48 - Sony's Announcement Video 'Play Life.'
06:10 - First Official Reveal of the Next Generation Portable.
08:45 - Device hardware and specs detailed, capabilities and features explained.
10:30 - President, Worldwide studios, Sony Computer Entertainment Shuhei Yoshida introduces first looks at gameplay with clips of Killzone, Reality Fighters, Gravity Daze, and more. Use of rear touch screen also shown.
14:00 - Uncharted for NGP played on stage.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcMgZ1MIb44
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Serious implications for new types of gameplay combining gyroscopes, touch controls, and simulated actions:
00:15 - Uncharted played using rear touch panel, front touch screen, and gyro sensor to give control gameplay.
03:30 - Vice President of development Muneki Shimada discusses the NGP's user interface.
13:45 - Location-based connectivity and multiplayer detailed.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qNCU3veZvo
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It still seems that the Capcom titles set for the NGP are being kept under wraps, but SEGA is hard at work at making the most out of the new handheld:
00:15 - SEGA rolls out first look at their title.
05:00 - Tecmo Koei takes the stage, unveiling new NGP Musou game.
10:00 - Konami's Hideo Kojima shows the performance of NGP with Metal Gear Solid ported video, and discuss the future of cloud-based computing.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apqrNq2DBxw
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The North Americans haven't been left out of the NGP-party, and the potential for the Unreal Engine could be limitless if Epic Games is having a chance to do some work with the new device:
00:00 - Epic's Tim Sweeney shows off the NGP's processing power, claiming it is '4 times' as powerful as other mobile devices with demonstration of Dungeon Defenders, a game originally developed for the PS3. It only took one week to convert it to the NGP.
04:40 - Philip Earl represents the Activision contingent, announcing that Call of Duty will be coming to the NGP.
08:55 - Hirai's closing comments on the future of Playstation, and their place in the changing face of entertainment.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es3mm9oR870
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It's clear from this one meeting that those who have been waiting for an announcement concerning Sony's new handheld have gotten more than they bargained for. We expected a newer version of the PSP, but the combination of gyroscopes, dual touch screens, and flexible control options have definitely come as a surprise.
The software lineup is already looking promising, even if the more recognizable franchises are being designed by someone else. There is clearly a lot to look out for, as it seems that the NGP is setting its sights on the iPhone, 3DS, and the portable market as a whole.
Is there anything from the videos that you think hasn't been mentioned already? There are plenty of implications and hints dropped, so we likely won't have much longer to wait until the next news drops.
Whether they turn out to be massive successes or titanic flops, Sony has definitely spent a lot of time and energy giving PlayStation Suite and the Next Generation Platform the chance to start on the right foot. We'll keep you posted.
Source: PlayStation blog