NGP = Not Gonna Purchase
January 27th, 2011 by Samodean
In case you missed it, Sony announced the successor to the PSP, currently codenamed the NGP, or Next Generation Portable.
A bit of a comparison:
Nintendo’s pitch for the 3DS was essentially “everything you love about the DS, but with actual 3D.” Sold. Maybe not at launch, but sold nonetheless.
Sony’s pitch for the NGP has a lot of fancy words, very few of which have to do with actually playing games.
Now, before this goes any farther, let me be clear on one point. I am not a Sony hater. The only console I’ve ever been a “fanboy” for was the Dreamcast. (It’s thinking) I have a lot of love for Sony for keeping the video game industry afloat while Nintendo and Sega had their heads up their respective asses. I own every gaming system sony makes, and I’m happy with 75% of them.
However, the past several years have made one thing abundantly clear to me. When it comes to video game hardware, Sony simply doesn’t get it. The Playstation was revolutionary, but much of its success can be attributed to Sony’s previous partnership with Nintendo and the complete lack of competition in the industry. See previous statement regarding heads and asses. The Playstation 2 came around and was a massive success; it will be remembered as one of the best home consoles in video game history. This time around, Sega delivered a masterpiece with the Dreamcast, but they had lost too much market share and the underpowered Dreamcast couldn’t compete with the superior hardware of the PS2. Nintendo… well, let me just say I don’t own a single Gamecube game that wasn’t made by Nintendo. Then, enter the Xbox. Microsoft’s first video game console, while not perfect, did expose some flaws with the PS2. While Sony knows how to make electronics (and they’re among the best at it), Microsoft knows how to make things that people play games on. While Microsoft still had some learning to do (that controller!), everything just worked better on the Xbox. I can’t think of a single multiplatform game that I bought for PS2 once I owned both systems.
Which brings us to the PS3. The PS3 has, undoubtedly, the best hardware available. Blu-Ray is solid technology, but the expense of the components back in 2006 made the PS3 so prohibitively expensive, that the system only sold to early adopters, hardcore fans or parents with very loud children. “Hardware shortages” were largely manufactured. Trust me, I work in retail; while there was demand, there was nowhere near enough to be sold out nationwide for months on end. Moreso, while the PS3 has top-of-the-line components, Sony still isn’t very good about getting those components to work together. Sure, developers willing to devote the resources to programming for the PS3 can create some amazing games, but many developers would rather take the faster, less expensive route of developing for 360 and porting to PS3. These two factors (cost and development difficulty) have led to a game library heavily favoring Microsoft. I only purchased a PS3 recently because, until then, I could count the number of PS3-exclusive titles I wanted to play on one hand. Sure, now that developers have had more time to “figure out” the PS3, I’m finding myself purchasing many multiplatform games for that system, as many of them are the “better” versions, but that library imbalance gave Microsoft such a huge lead sony will likely never catch up this hardware generation. I could discuss other missteps that Sony made with the PS3, such as it lackluster online service (you get what you pay for) and that freaking SixAxis, but I think I’ve made my point here.
Also, I’ve left the Wii out of this part because it defies all arguments.
Then we have the PSP. Yet another attempt by Sony to create the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup of hardware by melding a gaming system with a multimedia device. Of course, everyone has an iPod and UMD movies were a colossal failure, so all they were left with was a lackluster gaming device with terrible controls, ugly graphics and a miserable software library, where most of the bright spots were PS2 ports. The PSP may have been the better hardware compared to its Nintendo rival, but which of the two is better for playing games?
Which (finally) brings me to the NGP. Again, Sony is just trying too hard. Sony says the NGP is designed around core philosophies.
Revolutionary User Interface
Also known as “too many damn buttons.” Look at what the NGP offers: a D-Pad, 4 face buttons, 2 shoulder buttons, 2 analog sticks, a touchscreen, a SECOND touchpad on the back and a SixAxis motion system. It’s as if they couldn’t decide on a single control scheme and decided to use them all. This is overkill. Developers have shown that if you give them a button, they’ll use it for something. I forsee some disastrous control schemes for NGP games. Also, all that interface hardware costs money.
Social Connectivity
Apparently, every game will have a space called “LiveArea.” On the surface, this seems like a good idea, with chat and leaderboards for every game. However, the way they phrase it seems to indicate a system similar to Playstatio Home, which, to my knowledge, nobody really uses. Why? Integration. One of the reasons Xbox Live is so successful is you’re never more than 2 or 3 button presses away from everything. If I have to leave my game to participate in the social aspects, I’m likely just not going to do it.
Location-Based Entertainment
The NGP has a GPS and uses it to connect with other local gamers. I’m not sure how it works exactly. If it allows you to find anyone, all I see it doing is letting someone know who’s nearby that has the latest shiny piece of electronics. Not good. If all it shows are your friends, well, I probably already know where my friends are. Now, I COULD see some nifty gaming applications for this, but again, this hardware costs money.
Converging Real and Virtual
This kind of ties in with my previous statement. There could definitely be some cool augmented-reality games made for the NGP using the GPS and cameras. Hypothetically, this is a win for the NGP.
Playstation Suite Compatibility
You can play Playstation 1 games on the NGP and your Android phone. Well, probably not YOUR Android phone, as only one current model runs the correct version of the OS. And I don’t know about the “play” part without a controller. With a development suite as part of the package, it looks like Sony is trying to steal some of the iPhone casual game crowd. If you ask me, that’s the wrong company to be competing with.
Now, credit where it’s due, I have to praise Sony for their choice of media. UMDs were a total dealbreaker for me. Disk-based handheld games just don’t work. Handheld games are meant to be played in short spans of time, and disk load times hurt. Their new flash memory cards contain the game, with room for DLC and save files (no more Memory Stick!), all in one quick-loading format.
After all this, what are we left with? A portable PS3, in my opinion, and not in a good way. Right now, the NGP is an amalgamation of good ideas that, judging by Sony’s track record, aren’t all going to work together to deliver a solid gaming experience. Also, all that stuff costs money. I will be shocked if the NGP launches for less than $300, and that’s for the wifi-only model. These issues combined put the NGP in the same position as the PS3 at launch, and the 3DS will be much stronger competition than the 360 was. Will I buy one? Eventually, years down the road, it’s a possibility. You never know. However, my analysis indicates that, to me, it will not be worth the money at launch, shortly after launch, or possibly any time, ever. I spent $100 on my PSP 3 years ago, and I actually regret that.
Tags: Games, handheld, Next Generation Portable, NGP, Playstation, PSP, Sony
I’m actually very interested. Part of me wants to be weary based on the PSP’s reputation, however I don’t believe that’s a valid argument anymore.
A lot of time has passed since the release of the original PSP, and since then, many developers have created some absolutely phenomenal games for the device, despite the limitations.
Likewise with the PS3, there are now a lot more devs (both large and indie) developing games for the console.
Sony’s hardware, when brand new, suffers due to lack of dev commitment, however that’s not going to be the case with the NGP. Many games can use existing coding and sprites for the NGP (where games exist on the PS3), due to the power of the NGP.
So here’s going to be a portable that is slightly less powerful than its console counterpart (just how slightly remains to be seen, however the fact that John Carmack states that he believes it is as powerful as the next iteration of portables says a lot).
A lot of what held the PSP as well was the lack of that damn second analog stick. Truly, that was huge. And the NGP will have it. Saying the device has “too many” buttons is not an argument that I feel holds any traction. As long as the layout of the buttons does not hinder how you play games on the device, then it doesn’t matter how many control mechanisms are present… devs don’t need to incorporate all of them.
Basically, the tools are presented to the devs, as well as all of the options. From there, if it’s up to the devs to ensure they use those tools and options in a non-confusing, smooth manner.
Also, looking at the device, you’d swear it’s a symmetrical copy of a PS3 controller in terms of most buttons (with the obvious exception of the back touch and the lack of two trigger/bumper buttons). So if the PS3 controller is intuitive and feels natural in your hands, why wouldn’t the NGP.
I personally think the back touch button may hold some interesting playing options, not as a gimmicky trick (although if well done, those games may also prove to be fun), but rather as replacements for triggers/bumpers, as well as slide functions… picture yourself sliding a middle finger down the back to shift up or down in a racing game, or to act as paddle shifters. Picture yourself just having to tap the back to cause your character to jump, or dodge.
A dual-weilding gunman can easily be made to shoot different weapons depending on which side you tap.
The list goes on. The possibilities are hindered only by your imagination.
The same goes for the touch screen. Once again, it will be up to the devs to incorporate tap functions for the front touch screen that are easily within reach of the buttons… or that make sense.
I don’t understand using an argument against the device because it offers too many options and tools for game developers.
As for social connectivity, that’s just mandatory right now. Everyone from EA, Activision, Bioware, Blizzard, etc, are trying to incorporate some form of social interaction in their games which connect you to their social online service, or hook you up to Facebook, Twitter and the likes. Hardware consoles are no different. Everyone wants to connect you to something else, and so I don’t see why this device would be any different.
Will I use the social aspect? Unlikely. It would have to be unbelievably intuitive and not create a disjointed sense of reality when playing games… but that’s unlikely.
In the same way that I never use Game Centre on my iPad, realID/Facebook tie-in with Blizzard or anyone else, or Twitter tie-ins to post my achievements on Twitter, I’m not likely to use anything similar on the NGP. But I don’t fault them for adding it.
I’ve only one concern with the NGP… and it is the same one which most people have. A precedent HAS been set by Sony in the past, and they’ve all but admitted to it before, that there is a “prestige” to owning their devices at launch… and that “prestige” comes at a cost.
Unfortunately, I fear they may shoot themselves in the foot if they allow that type of greed to dictate the price of the device. They need to get this device into as many hands as possible so that when a company is deciding whether or not to create a game for it, they will know that there is a strong likelihood of it being purchased by many (and not just the precious few with a lot of disposable income).
The only negative comment that I can make about the NGP so far is the user interface. That’s just a personal preference however, and I’m hopeful that the UI will be able to be skinned as does the UI on the PS3. I realize it’s a vastly different UI, and perhaps they won’t be able to allow folks to change it drastically… but the floating balls does nothing for me. In fact, I find it absolutely hideous.
You put a blog post in my blog post!
For me, it all comes down to cost. All those controls, while neat, cost money. Without a single, cohesive control scheme, it only serves to inflate the cost. Same as the GPS and other nice, but not necessary for a gaming platform additions.
Since Sony has said they want to sell the NGP for a profit at retail (unlike the PS3), that concerns me. The PS3 had enough AAA titles to carry it through the sales slump at launch with the exorbitant price point, where the PSP never really had the software to keep selling systems. Maybe some of today’s titles are great, but it’s obviously too little, too late.
I’m not saying it isn’t a great machine. It’s some phenomenal technology. It’s just too much of the technology.
I’m nothing if not thorough. Especially when proving that you’re wrong.
;)
I don’t believe in the “too little too late” argument as it pertains to this. It’s been years since the release of the PSP. Holding them to that this many years later is akin to gaming with blinders on.
There is a lot more support for PS3 development now, hell, even from Valve who said they hated PS3 coding. And this is a straight copy. As such, I think it will have the support from a variety of companies… and early indications show that’s true.
The price though, is a huge question mark though, especially in light of their statements that they want to make money.
I think Sony is pursuing the wrong market here. The NGP sounds more like a smart-phone without the phone than a portable game console. They should devote themselves to creating a bare-bones portable with powerful hardware to render good graphics and strip out all the fluff to get the price tag under $250.
A cheap but solid console with a good games library will outsell an expensive omni-device every day.
Personally I do not really think the NGP is gunna sell well. I don’t think people want a portable Ps3 it’s just a bit too much. Sure the 3g might be useful but some people might not want it.