Last year at E3, Sony finally made official the public debut of the newest iteration of the PlayStation Portable hardware, the PSP Go. However, their plans run much deeper than simply offering a UMD-less PSP and saying "you can just download your games now." They have a new strategy for development, including a streamlined content pipeline, as well as cheaper development kits, shorter processes for quality assurance, and lower prices. Joining in that initiative are over 50 studios (with more ready to sign up) from around the world, who are making not only games, but other applications as well.
One move Sony is making is to take an App Store-like approach to developers, which allows them to create whatever they wish-- pending Sony's approval, of course. However, they won't be opening up development to everyone, but will still be bringing the barriers around the platform down.
"It is still a professional environment," says Zeno Colaço, SCEE's head of developer relations. "You still need a development kit and you still need to have investment and a team. But it can be a small team. We don't see any of the restrictions on the disc-based space being in this space."
Subatomic's Ash Monif chimes in with praise for Sony's move: "This initiative is about bringing the lighter, lower barrier content to the PSP that has been so successful in other categories. You don't see this happening at Microsoft and you even don't see it happening at Nintendo yet."
Monif adds, "Part of that 'snackability' of the content is because you can deliver the content over WiFi super-fast. We're making games that are just 20MB each, that's less than a minute to download – instant gratification, snackable content. This is an opportunity for the premier indie developers – and I hope we represent that group – to come in and offer content that will fit the PSP."
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