3001
General Gaming / Re: PSP2 - It's coming and it's called Next Generation Portable (NGP)
« on: March 04, 2011, 05:08:50 PM »So no new information has come out on the NGP just yet, but some of the games being shown at GDC are quite impressive.
This post however, is to ask what people think about subsidizing the NGP through 3G access? It will allow Sony to bring the cost of this monster in the $300 range, but I think it's asking a lot for people to pay monthly just for mobile gaming. Sure you can also browse the internet, but so can the smartphone you're already paying for.
I'm probably still going to buy one (next year, because I want to buy myself a 3DTV around the holidays) but I'm not sure about signing up for a contract. There'll be a Wifi-only version probably, but how much more expensive will that be?
There's a lot of buzz on the interwebs because of the NGPs power, but what about it's practicality?
My wish:
Non-3G Price: $300
3G Price $350
Realistically:
Non-3G Price $350-400 range
3G Price: $400-450 range
In all actuality, I expect the 3G model to cost more, similar to the Ipad or Nook e-reader.
If Sony was wanting to stay price competitive with the 3DS, they would only allow themselves to price it at $50 more for the non-3g model. But I think it's pretty fair to assume they're going to take a decent sized loss on this product regardless, and I could see them starting with a price range closer to $400/$450 for the sake of wringing out every possible penny for the early adopters. This would also make it so they have a lower price to go to if it stagnates over the initial release.
In terms of practicality, it seems as if both the 3DS and NGP are built around the assumption that someone may buy this handheld console, and it be their only or main console for gaming. I think the 3DS is at a good in-between point price-wise that it could still hit mass market appeal (at the very least when they hit the $200 mark), but I think the NGP is going to be a hard sell for the mass market.