Simultaneous Digital And Physical Game Releases For Sony NGP

Staff Writer • Mar 29, 2011 • Comments ()

News got out today that Sony is planning to have both physical and digital media releases for NGP game titles. Not every game is going to be released on physical media but developers will have the option each time they release. Generally, it is believed that the NGP will go the PSP Go way and will focus more on digital release. This is mainly because there's less risk for the developers and it is easier to have a central distribution mechanism online.

With digital release, there's no problem with inventory build up. There's no physical stock sitting on the shelves. So it allows for more "creative risk-taking" -- which means that developers have more space to experiment with their marketing and overall content strategies. However, physical media has its advantages too.

Physical media comes in handy when the size of the game is particularly large. The media in this case will be proprietary flash cards that will have a maximum capacity of 4GB each. When it comes to graphics heavy games that are bulky in size, it will be much easier to pop in a flash card instead of having to download the entire thing on to the NGP's own storage. When it comes to 3G version of the NGP, the physical media would become even more important.

Developers can easily issue physical media copies for heavy games when there's a constant demand for them. Also, the idea of owning a physical piece is still an extra bonus for consumers everywhere. Since it is physical media, developers can always have promotions like limited editions and collectors editions in order to increase their sales. So it is a benefit for both developer and consumer and keeping the physical media release optional is the best thing that Sony can do right now to encourage developers to experiment with this new NGP platform.

As June draws ever closer with the E3 gaming convention, we can expect more and more information to come our way from the Sony NGP camp. Right now, Sony is most likely busy with strategies on how to take on the iOS line from Apple. It is no secret that the current largest threat to handheld gaming everywhere is coming from a Cupertino company that has no history in creating dedicated gaming devices. Handheld games on the iOS are quite immersive and are already perceived as threats by the likes of Sony and Nintendo -- both of whom have established handheld gaming devices in the market. Hence, this year's E3 is bound to be filled with a multitude of new platforms and innovations.

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Post Author: Shailpik Biswas

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Ever since its inception in to the public consciousness, the Sony NGP (Next Generation Portable) has captured the imagination of gaming enthusiasts everywhere. With its promise for enhanced power, graphics and a whole new range of features that includes multitouch -- the Sony NGP has become a common gaming topic ever since the January press event in Tokyo this year where it was officially announced. And every time we come across some new information.\n\nNews got out today that Sony is planning to have both physical and digital media releases for NGP game titles. Not every game is going to be released on physical media but developers will have the option each time they release. Generally, it is believed that the NGP will go the PSP Go way and will focus more on digital release. This is mainly because there's less risk for the developers and it is easier to have a central distribution mechanism online.\n\nWith digital release, there's no problem with inventory build up. There's no physical stock sitting on the shelves. So it allows for more \"creative risk-taking\" -- which means that developers have more space to experiment with their marketing and overall content strategies. However, physical media has its advantages too.\n\nPhysical media comes in handy when the size of the game is particularly large. The media in this case will be proprietary flash cards that will have a maximum capacity of 4GB each. When it comes to graphics heavy games that are bulky in size, it will be much easier to pop in a flash card instead of having to download the entire thing on to the NGP's own storage. When it comes to 3G version of the NGP, the physical media would become even more important.\n\nDevelopers can easily issue physical media copies for heavy games when there's a constant demand for them. Also, the idea of owning a physical piece is still an extra bonus for consumers everywhere. Since it is physical media, developers can always have promotions like limited editions and collectors editions in order to increase their sales. So it is a benefit for both developer and consumer and keeping the physical media release optional is the best thing that Sony can do right now to encourage developers to experiment with this new NGP platform.\n\nAs June draws ever closer with the E3 gaming convention, we can expect more and more information to come our way from the Sony NGP camp. Right now, Sony is most likely busy with strategies on how to take on the iOS line from Apple. It is no secret that the current largest threat to handheld gaming everywhere is coming from a Cupertino company that has no history in creating dedicated gaming devices. Handheld games on the iOS are quite immersive and are already perceived as threats by the likes of Sony and Nintendo -- both of whom have established handheld gaming devices in the market. Hence, this year's E3 is bound to be filled with a multitude of new platforms and innovations.\n\n\n
\n\n--------------------\nPost Author: Shailpik Biswas\n\n\n