Ok lets get started.
Sony has recently announced their new handheld device which currently they are calling the "Next Generation Portable" or NGP for short. For those of you who dont know anything about this device it is pretty decked out.
Dual analogs, 3G, touch screen, sixaxis control. Lets face it, this handheld is very svelte.
Now, I'm no recognized gaming journalist, so I have only seen videos of this thing in action on various tech blogs and other gaming blogs but this thing seems to be awesome. However, as anyone who games, especially portable gaming should remember that the PSP and PSP Go were both abysmal failures. Look I like sony as much as the next guy but those systems did not do well.
Now if we set aside all of the wow factors about this system for one moment. Lets discuss what wasnt revealed by Sony and what will also make or break this system.
PRICE.
Yep thats right price.
The way this system is looking with all of it's specs and ability, this could potentially be a $300 portable system. Unfortunately, with the slumping U.S. economy and weak economies in other countries, Sony may be coming out with the most expensive failure ever made. Nintendo has announced that the price for their new 3DS system will be $250 in North America. I think that some of the rabid Nintendo fan base is already feeling sticker shock by a Nintendo handheld at that price.
If I remember correctly, it was only a few years ago when analysts and the gaming press alike were calling $300 dollars the "magic" number for CONSOLE prices let alone a handheld.
Sony really needs to attempt to stay at or under the 3DS price point. Unfortunately, with all of the features of the NGP I do not think they will be able to do that. I know Sony hasn't announced a price yet but this is starting to look like the original DS v.s. the original PSP all over again. the 3DS will win based on price point alone. Look, all the die-hard Ninty fans have been purchasing shovelware for their DS and Wii for a while now. The Nintendo fans have been conditioned to buy crap software for a while now. So Nintendo will do what they always do, rehash tired, old IP like they have been doing since the SNES days and the sheep will buy it all up. I'm not trying to attack Nintendo but you can only play Mario Kart, Smash Bros, Mario games and Metroid for so long before they seem stale.
Personally, I hope they both do well but I'm hoping that the NGP does better than Sony is expecting. Sony seems to have done their homework to improve their handheld offering, I just hope the research didn't stop when they got to price.
