Games Thrist News Gamers Thirst For

The NGP announcement that rocked the tech world last Thursday saw many a developer, publisher and gaming journalists alike confidence in Sony’s ability to capture the attention of people with, dare a say it, sexy hardware, reestablished. And rightfully so. Many had lost hope that the giant would be able to successfully sync itself with the wave of change that’s happening in this industry, especially in the mobile phone space, a space that’s been viable for many developers who’ve actually seen more profit on mobile phones that run Apple’s iOS and Android systems. But it seems Sony’s set to change all that with a feature that comes ready on NGP: The PlayStation Suite. And with Android speedily chipping in on the iOS’s dominance, Sony actually stands a chance of cornering a portion of the market for itself that will be extremely lucrative in the coming years.

What market, you ask? A market, like this piece over at Eurogamer acknowledges, will settle for the giant “a dominant position as the go-to place for videogames on a smartphone platform that’s likely to power a healthy majority of the world’s high-end phone handsets within a few years.” And if Sony has the endurance to actually achieve this, we as gamers should be pleased, as, of course, it’d allow for more innovation in the department that leads the company: PlayStation.

There’s no need to worry about the hardcore, as Sony’s always made the aforementioned core its main priority from day one. In fact, the NGP speaks volumes of that dedication. The platform’s able to render games matching the PS3′s quality, essentially giving gamers a high-end gaming experience on the go. Amazing.

High-end portable gaming is a space that’s never been touched. It’s a new space to be precise, and with Nintendo’s 3DS already unveiled and in full production, prepping for a February Japaneses launch, there’s nothing it could really do to, say, alter its plans and make the 3DS more NGP-esq. I’m confident that the Next Generation Portable’s stolen the 3DS’s thunder, at least some of it, and if Sony manages to launch the tech-packed device by Christmas, even if it’s in one region, there’s no way Nintendo will be able to enjoy the success its had with the DS, a handheld that sits amongst the bestselling of all time, with its 3D-capable sibling. Especially with the rise of the smartphone, devices that are essentially mini-computers with the capabilities to make phone calls.

Uncharted, Metal Gear Solid, Monster Hunter, Resistance, Killzone, Call of Duty and and Epic Games’ UE3-powered Dungeon Defenders just to name are few, will surely send sales of NGP skyrocketing through the roof amongst the hardcore, and PlayStation Suite will settle the score with the casuals. It’s definitely a win, then, for the giant.

With this, Sony’s proven it has not only staying power, but authority as the leader in the gaming space. Analysts are now redoing their forecast concerning the portable market, as, to them, NGP will definitely lift what they saw as a market that would be rendered unprofitable by the ever-growing dominance of the smartphones. “NGP kicks ass. The games and online gaming features demoed, along with the OLED display, chipset and motion and touch controls make NGP a must have for gaming enthusiasts who want to go portable,” M2 Research analyst Billy Pidgeon enthused to IndustryGamers. Indeed, Epic Games Mark Rein’s said that the NGP’s “a pretty huge deal”. No doubt it is. No doubt also, that Sony’s position remains strong. A force, then, to be reckoned with.

In the wake of the PS3′s early roadblocks, Sony’s resolved was placed in question. We saw many flock to Microsoft because of the console’s initial high price tag, and in return, market share was lost. Will the same mistake be repeated with the NGP? I’m confident that’s a no. There will be two NGP models, one with 3G built in, and another lower end model without the functionality. I’m guessing the prices will $299 and $250 respectively, and with such a reasonable tag, the console will simply dominate.

I too, had my doubts, but just like the rest of the throng, I’ve now had my confidence in the company from the land of the rising sun reestablished.