Sony Takes on iPhone's Growing Mobile Gaming Popularity in New Ad
Ars Technica highlights a new television commercial for the Sony PSP in which a character mocks the mobile gaming experience on a smartphone that looks suspiciously like an iPhone. In addition to claiming a superior experience on the PSP, Sony also touts $9.99 pricing for some of its older games, closer to the App Store typical high-end gaming price point than that of traditional PSP games.
It's interesting: the PSP is basically setting itself up as an alternative to iPhone games, which is the opposite of how that argument usually plays out. Sony is also promoting inexpensive, older games as a reason to enjoy the PSP instead of looking ahead to big-name upcoming titles.
As the report notes, sagging PSP sales appear to have led Sony to take on the Apple's App Store as a source for gaming on the go. But the strategy carries some significant risk of bringing the iPhone even further into the mainstream gaming world.The traditional gaming hardware companies have increasingly been looking to Apple as a viable competitor, with Sony planning a new lineup of mobile gaming devices and Nintendo similarly viewing Apple as the "enemy of the future".
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20 months ago
Yeah, then I have to buy and carry around another piece of hardware, plus all the games are 20 to 30 times too expensive.
20 months ago
It's a cute ad, but just shows that Sony is frightened.
The hardware in the iPhone 4 can out power the PSP, no bones about it.
Not to mention the "$9.99 sucker" tag line. There are many high quality games for the iPhone available for $4.99, $2.99, etc.
Not to mention convergence. It might be fun for a kid with a backpack to carry a separate media player, game playing device, phone, pager, sketchbook, etc, but "big boys" only want to carry one mobile with them.
The hardware in the iPhone 4 can out power the PSP, no bones about it.
Not to mention the "$9.99 sucker" tag line. There are many high quality games for the iPhone available for $4.99, $2.99, etc.
Not to mention convergence. It might be fun for a kid with a backpack to carry a separate media player, game playing device, phone, pager, sketchbook, etc, but "big boys" only want to carry one mobile with them.
20 months ago
I am 15, and I have a PSP. Ever since I got my iPhone 4, I haven't touched my PSP and it's still sitting somewhere on my desk. The truth is, I don't like the marketplace they have, and the graphics aren't as nice. If you want to spend hours and hours on a game, then I would choose Xbox 360, that is my alternative to PSP. But when i'm out with friends, in the car, I can pull up a quick game of solitaire.
20 months ago
This is great news for current PSP owners also. Hopefully it'll encourage more online players for older games.
Also, the $9.99 price tag is for Sony's PSN, all the $10 games that are available can be found at many used games stores or Craigslist for $5.
Also, the $9.99 price tag is for Sony's PSN, all the $10 games that are available can be found at many used games stores or Craigslist for $5.
20 months ago
Buy some content Apple!! You need to compete here. Content is king (as they say). You can't just rely on bedroom gaming companies, you need some high end polish to compete.
20 months ago
the iphone and ipad have almost completely replaced my gaming on the console/pc
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