14 DAY TRIAL // Sony is continuing to focus on the PlayStation Portable, laying out plans regarding the development of the gaming handheld that is currently enjoying a great run in Japan and decent numbers in the United States, according to the latest numbers from the NPD.
John Koller, senior marketing manager at Sony, has issued a few statements on the PSP future plans, mainly regarding North America. He started by noticing that there's a real change in the demographic that the handheld from Sony is attracting. While initially the audience was made up of mainly 28 to 34 year-old professional types, it seems that now there many more youngsters that are buying the PSP and using it to play games and use other media.
Recently, Japan got a new GPS extension for the PSP, that allows users to pinpoint their location on a map and instantly see where their friends are in the city, if they also have the GPS extension installed. Koller says that the extension is also coming to the United States, as part of a more "social focus" for the PlayStation Portable.
Another element in this focus will be a keyboard peripheral, which should appear in the next 12 months, to facilitate exchanging messages and chatting through the PSP. The social component is necessary to create a clear distinction between the Sony made PlayStation Portable and its biggest rival, the Nintendo DS. If the PSP can create an image of more "PlayStation Social" than "PlayStation Portable," then the people at Sony seem sure that the PSP can continue enjoying solid growth.
The way games are designed for the platform will also change a bit. Even if more content will be added to the new PSP games, the gameplay will be designed to offer the gamer more bite sized chunks so that the console can be used anywhere, whenever the player has a spare minute.
John Koller said that "The expansion of PSP is going to continue. It's going to be a very big growth area." And, with an install base of 38 million units and growing, Sony is sure to be looking forward to more games and content for the PSP.