Will the next Sony Portable have Backwards Compatibility?

[rbudrick]

Not that Sony has announced a new portable or anything...

Since the UMD format kind of bombed (well, for movies, for sure), do you think Sony will stick with the format for their next portable, or make a UMD2 format (UMD Blu-Ray?)? The PS2 and 3 have backwards compatibility, so logic follows that Sony would want their portable to have it too, especially since the Nintendo portables have always had it.

Or, maybe they will have backwards compatibility via download, like the PS1 games now.

Thoughts?

-Rob

[s1lence]

I think its too soon for Sony to be thinking of its NEXT portable, it still needs to figure out what its doing with the current system.

[xmagxus]

I have a gut feeling that sony will not make a 2nd portable system

[jajaja]

Same here, i dont think you will see a PSP 2, atleast not in years. I think Sony hoped for the PSP to be a bigger success.

[crazyjackcsa]

Well I think the PSP hasn't done as well as it could have because developers will never use 100% of the system. Or something.

[WiseSalesman]

Well I think the PSP hasn't done as well as it could have because developers will never use 100% of the system. Or something.

And because they keep trying to make fun games. I mean, what the hell? Games aren't supposed to be fun.

[Emuaust]

IMO the PSP is really starting to shine when it comes to software, although the price
point has alienated potential customers, they need a price drop, if they could match
the DS lite I think we would see a massive turn around in sales, but meh it wont happen.

Ea boss said this awhile ago although i dont agree with his views as he bitched about
not selling enough software, yet in countries like australia there games retail for
at $10AUD more then any of the other software.


Sony have a good system with some really great games out on it now, its just
not in the reach of the general consumer, here in Aus you get to choose a Wii
or a PSP, they are the same price and a no brainer as what the consumer deems
more Better Value.

[Auxilla]

There wont be another Sony handheld.

[udisi]

I also don't think there will be another sony handheld. The PSP has been a failure for sony. their market share in the handheld department is way below expectations. I do like the PSP, but without market share developers have been slow to hop on board. Same type of thing happened with GC and 3rd party support. The DS is gonna be the dominant handheld for a while.

[sabre2922]

I would like to have a PSP for: Mega man powered up, ghosts and gouls (or whatever its called this time) and Metal Gear Solid Portable ops and MAYBE Silent Hill Origins.

The thing is its not worth more than $99.99 to me and it seems that many other people agree its tooo damn expensive even some game developers/publishers have stated that Sony should make a big price drop to even start competing in a real way with the DS although thats probably a moot point by now.

I agree that a second portable system from Sony is highly unlikely at least in the near future if ever.

[Xizer]

I'm pretty sure we won't be seeing Sony produce another handheld. In fact, I suspect they will be dropping out of the video game market or becoming a third party like Sega after the PS3 flops - right now they're bleeding money...just like Sega.

[sabre2922]

I'm pretty sure we won't be seeing Sony produce another handheld. In fact, I suspect they will be dropping out of the video game market or becoming a third party like Sega after the PS3 flops - right now they're bleeding money...just like Sega.

EXCEPT

Sony has billions more $$$ than Sega ever did

And

the PS2 is STILL selling boatloads

[tholly]

I'm gonna also agree with the "there won't be another sony portable" statement....if there amazingly is one, sony will most likely switch the media and not include umd capability....

[nate1749]

does anyone know psp's marketshare? I hope they have another handheld, but yeah if it bombed it bombed. It could still be saved, they just need to have what n64 had to pokemon.

[aiko]

does anyone know psp's marketshare? I hope they have another handheld, but yeah if it bombed it bombed. It could still be saved, they just need to have what n64 had to pokemon.

In the US:

Cumulative sales through 11/06:
DS: 7.6 million
PSP: 5.7 million

11/06 sales:
DS: 918,000
PSP: 412,000

In Japan:

Cumulative sales through 08/06:
DS: 10.4 million
PSP: 3.9 million

2006 sales through 11/06:
DS: 7.5 million
PSP: 1.6 million

2006 software sales through 11/06:
DS: 27 million
PSP: 2.8 million

I can't find recent EU numbers other than Nintendo's claim of 7 million sold through 11/06. If we assume that the PSP's EU marketshare is roughly the same as its US, the worldwide sales hardware-wise would be roughly 26 million for the DS (~63%) and 15 million for the PSP (~37%).

The worldwide sales software-wise would clearly be much more dire for the PSP.

edit: This doesn't take into account GBA sales, which remain very strong in the US (e.g., the GBA outsold the PSP by 229,000 units last month).

Sources:
http://ds.ign.com/articles/750/750195p1.html">http://ds.ign.com/articles/750/750195p1.html
http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4362&Itemid=46
http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=7412743&publicUserId=1002415

[Nature Boy]

First of all, I think it's never too early for a company to be thinking about their next product. I'm willing to bet successors to the PS3, 360, and Wii are already in the works at their respective places of business.

Second, I'd be suprised if a PSP2 wasn't backwards compatible. The UMD might have failed as a movie medium but it's still got a decent storage size and I'd be willing to bet they could multi layer it or something in the future.

At the very least Sony could do what the DS has done, which is provide a second port for the older format.

Lastly, I *do* think there will be a PSP 2 at some point. Everyone is throwing around failure this and disappointment that, but in the end I figure the PSP was simply their initial entry into the market, much like the Xbox was a way for MS to get into the console business, and we'll certainly see a followup.