NGP may not launch globally in 2011

[heartgold]

Last week, Sony finally put what seemed like a millenium’s worth of rumours to bed by unveiling its successor to the PSP at an event in Tokyo.

The PSP2 – codenamed NGP (Next Generation Portable) until something better pops into the marketing team’s mind – boasts incredibly formidable hardware specs, led triumphantly by a quad-core CPU, front and rear touch pads, and a 5-inch OLED screen.

Two pieces of speculation surrounding the new portable console that went either unanswered or partially answered at the big unveil, though, were pricing and release date.

The price of quality

In an interview with Engadget, SCEA president Jack Tretton was asked about the former and more specifically for his thoughts on the recently announced 3DS’s $250 price tag.

“I think that if you could create content that consumers see as compelling, they'll find money that they didn't think they had," said Tretton.

“So I think if the quality's there, then the people will find a way to buy it, within reason.”

Just quite how reasonable that ‘reason’ is remains to be seen, and according to the high ranking official, Sony probably won’t elucidate any further until after E3 in June.

Failure to launch?

While the launch of the NGP itself had been tentatively earmarked for 2011’s holiday season during the product presentation, Tretton raised concerns about Sony delivering a global rollout in that time frame.

“I think our goal is always to launch [during the] holidays when the majority of sales are done. You want to have a worldwide simultaneous launch," explained Tretton.

“Having said that, this’ll be our sixth platform launch, and it’s very difficult to have the quantities to be able to launch on a worldwide basis on the same date...I think our goal is, we would get at least one territory out by the end of holiday 2011.”

And if I were a betting man, I’d almost certainly place all of my chips on Japan being that territory; Sony's traditional launch strategy being Japan, North America and then Europe, up to six months later

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looks to be a long wait, so some time next year people

 

[Veho]

So they'll have an earlier Japanese launch, and a later launch in other parts of the world, just like with the PSP. And then they'll sue anyone who dares to sell Japanese consoles in other countries. Just like with the PSP (and Lik Sang).

 

[nIxx]

Sounds as Sony didn´t learned anything as Veho said same happened with PSP or PS3 (600Eur starting price wasn´t a reasonable price imo

).
Well possibly we see better (handheld) games this time (until ~1 year ago the PSP game support was a joke).

 

[GeekyGuy]

Likely to be at least $400 USD, will launch close to a year after the 3DS in the Americas, and once again it's offering features no one really asked for. I predict DOA.

 

[Hop2089]

So they'll have an earlier Japanese launch, and a later launch in other parts of the world, just like with the PSP. And then they'll sue anyone who dares to sell Japanese consoles in other countries. Just like with the PSP (and Lik Sang).

I doubt that'll happen again and second that applied pretty much to shipping consoles to Europe. If anything the main importing base for Japanese consoles (US and most of Asia) would be safe. I would worry more about price inflation when importing the NGP as import shops most likely will overprice them by $100-$200 when it should have a $50-$100 price increase.

 

[Midna]

Everyone will hope for Christmas, but it'll hit shelves on March 27th, 2012 |B|

 

[Bladexdsl]

their waiting for the 3ds to be released 1st so they can take it apart and add....!

 

[Sterling]

their waiting for the 3ds to be released 1st so they can take it apart and add....!

Do you actually believe half the bullshit you spew?

 

[MEGAMANTROTSKY]

"they'll find money that they didn't think they had"? With unemployment and poverty at record levels, I have only this to say: Speak for yourself, Mr. Tretton.

 

[Nujui]

I don't really care when it's released, as I probalbly won't have the money to even get it until after it's like a year old.

 

[lostdwarf]

They have no real intentions on bringing this out this year, it is purely another reason to not buy something else and hold out for this instead.
Sony never keep to release dates on brand new hardware. 3DS, IPAD2, iphone4 are all coming out very soon. Sony are playing the NGP card now as they have no other option. The important thing to note is it is purely in the "prototype" stage, in other words they have no idea what price this thing will cost as they havent actually tried to manufacture it yet, they only had a few demo units. It also sounds as though they have added in features to copy the 3ds such as its 'near app' 'touchscreen' and motion sensors'. The near app with no demo except a video ripped directly from 3DSstreetpass which is a quick add on at the last moment in response to offer something like nintendo.
You will not be able to buy NGP in english speaking territories untill around this time next year.

off topic. I am not buying one as I wasted money on a PSP while everyone else got ds's and dsi's. I will be buying a 3DS to play true NEXT GENERATION games and current generation movies (3D)

 

[Bladexdsl]

their waiting for the 3ds to be released 1st so they can take it apart and add....!

Do you actually believe half the bullshit you spew?

uh huh

the PROOF is IN the pudding

 

[ProtoKun7]

uh huh

the PROOF is IN the pudding

You're actually serious, aren't you?
Let me laugh even harder.

 

[Sterling]

uh huh

the PROOF is IN the pudding

You're actually serious, aren't you?
Let me laugh even harder.

LMLEH!! I bet he does. His posts may be spam, but they do loosen up those tense forum situations.

 

[Slyakin]

Oh, I just love Sony and their horrible marketing scheme.


I can only assume region-lock at this pace.

 

[machomuu]

I can only assume region-lock at this pace.

Urrk...
Monster Hunter no....

 

[Slyakin]

I can only assume region-lock at this pace.

Urrk...
Monster Hunter no....

OH GOD I hadn't thought of that.


:vomit:

 

[CarbonX13]

The typical thing would be to launch in Japan first, since that's what Sony always does. However, if you think about it this way, Sony doesn't really need to attract the Japanese fanbase with a holiday release, because it's already there. Just ship it with a Monster Hunter game at launch, given any date, and it'll sell. What they really need to do is push a holiday release for North America, to attract the potential sales from the holidays here, so that the 3DS doesn't take all the heat going into 2012. Once you've got a significant amount of hardware locked in within a region that typically wasn't your area that could garner easy sales, you can then open up a window for a steady software flow the following year. I'd go for a holiday release in North America and/or Europe before it hitting Japan, but then again, it's Sony, and the Japanese probably wouldn't like it when a domestic company releases something in the international market before their own.

 

[Opium]

My bets are Japan November/December 2011 and the rest of the world March/April 2012. At a price point of $US350. If the price gets much higher than that then it will definitely be DOA.

Consumers don't have that much money these days and these handhelds are more expensive than ever. Even the 3DS is going to be released at the same price as a console was. Everyone will have bought a 3DS in 2011 and won't have the money for the PSP. Plus, once they enjoy the 3D screen they might not want to go back. It'll be the same as the DS/PSP war was. The DS was underpowered but that didn't stop it, it had unique and fun software. The PSP2 is a beast and it will have a console experience (Uncharted/LBP/Killzone etc) in a portable. Who actually wants that? Not joe public. Console experiences are for consoles. You get a huge TV and comfy couch.

 

[SPH73]

Under $300.

Japan launch in late Novermber 2011

That's my guess.