Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, John Koller, Sony’s director of hardware marketing, said the arrival of iPad is nothing but win for his company’s handheld device, one PSP.
“Apple’s entrance into the portable gaming space has been a net positive for Sony,” Koller said. “When people want a deeper, richer console, they start playing on a PSP.”
Simply iPad’s only a set to “whet consumers appetite for a dedicated device”, the WSJ wrote.
Sales of PSP have tripled since the iPhone was launched back in 2007, with combined sales of PSP and PSPgo topping 654,000 units in December 2009.
As for what industry veterans think of Apple’s new toy? Well some are impressed.
Bold statement by the Sony front man but he has a point: Start gaming on an iPhone and now iPad, become addicted and eventually look for a longer lasting, deeper fix, hence PSP.
Thanks, Kotaku.
Hmm I don’t know its hard to say how many people will go from an iPad to a PSP and if they do that’s unloading a minimum 750 dollars plus on both pieces of hardware and that is some serious cash for alot of people. Personally if I had the cash I would wait until the PSP2 releases the PSP1 and PSPGo is in its last cycle and we are no more than a year to two years away from the PSP2 and with all the new technology that is going to be packed into it its going to be more advanced and more powerfull than the PSPGo and should be future proof for the next five years. But if I had the money to blow yeah I would buy the iPad and the PSPGo but that is a big if and I can’t buy either one let alone a new gen console so that is why I think very frugally-like and it is always smartest to jump in the hardware cycle when price drops from intital launch but early enough that you are away from the end of the cycle and have a future proof piece of hardware that will more than satisfy its price tag. I wonder if there will be a survey card in all new PSPGos asking if you own an iPad too because that is the only way Sony would be able to keep track of who owns both pieces of hardware. I love both pieces of hardware and would buy them in a second if I had the cash flow but unfortunately I do not along will millions of americans who are laid off or out of a job or can’t find a job.
Hmm interesting stuff and I see what you’re saying DL. I was pretty disappointed to see Sony’s move with the PSP Go (Price, and download only with no support for UMD owners), and I don’t even own one. I am also looking forward to the PSP2 but am actually thinking of picking up a PSP (prob 3000) bundle as they are a great buy right now because of the PSP Go. As for the iPad – I don’t really have the need for it, when I decided to, I’m going to buy an iPod touch, and wait for the iPhone to come to Verizon. I have no doubt that there will be some games that will be awesome on the iPad, but it’s not a dedicated portable gaming device. I wonder what the PSP2 will be like?