At a recent press event, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. revealed PlayStation Suite for Google Android and the Sony NGP handheld console. PS Suite will be available later this year for phones running Google Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) or later. I’ve known for a while that the upcoming PSP Android Phone will be initially limited to PSone games, but never found a source that would let me reveal it in an article. The presser took care of that problem. Here’s the official word:
In providing the PlayStation experience on Android based portable devices, SCE will commence a “PlayStation Certified” license program for hardware manufacturers. Through this program, SCE will offer necessary support, including development support as well as logo licensing, to ensure the delivery of PlayStation quality experience across various devices.
On the software front, SCE plans to provide PS Suite content within this calendar year, starting with original PlayStation games (PS one classics) that will allow users to enjoy “PlayStation quality” gameplay on their Android based portable devices. SCE also plans to open PlayStation Store where users will be able to download content in an easy to use environment, directly via the Android based portable devices. Moreover, SCE will provide a new game development environment in an effort to ensure new and compelling content is delivered on PS Suite, which will also offer opportunities for a wider base of developers and publishers to further expand their business on various portable devices.
The release of PS Suite will help patch one of Android’s glaring weaknesses: gaming. Some of you are thinking, “Yeah, but they’re old games!” To which I say, “So the hell what?!?” While I’ve enjoyed several iOS games, as an enthusiast gamer I much rather play a classic PSone game with depth. Besides, there are enough casual PSone games that will satisfy Android users looking for those kinds of experiences.
PS Suite will also give the platform’s detractors another chance to cite the fragmentation “issues” of the platform. That said, I would bet a large amount of money that it won’t be nearly as much of an issue as the press makes it out to be. I suspect that by the time it’s released, the majority of Android phones that are capable of using PS Suite will be running Android 2.3. That percentage would be even higher if you eliminated Samsung’s glacial update pace (I kid, I kid). The more legitimate fragmentation concern is how (if?) touchscreen-only phones will handle PS Suite games.
Despite any fragmentation problems, I believe that this is a huge move for Android gaming. How about you? Does the potential of PS Suite make Android a more attractive and well-rounded platform? Do you think fragmentation will be a problem for the PS Suite initiative?
Now I wish I had Gingerbread lmao.
That is great because I spent a lot of my youth on the PS1.
what are some great ps1 games? i forget
FF7 and 8, of course
youve got spyro, tomb raider…really, its been so long, ive forgotten
Here are some. There are a bunch of great niche titles that aren't on the list too. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Sony_Greates…
looking at that list, i had forgotten all about die hard trilogy, that game was so great..and of course, tenchu, stealth assassins