DS is no competition for PSP, says Sony

By Ellie Gibson Published 17 June, 2008

Admits to struggles with third-parties.

Sony Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida has said the company doesn't see the DS as a direct rival for the PSP - despite the fact they're both handheld machines for playing computer games on.

"We've always thought that the PSP as a platform is standing on its own - there's no direct competition. Some people think that the DS is its rival simply because it's portable, but the positioning and the main user base are totally different," he told GamesIndustry.biz.

"It's just been a question of how to take the best out of the platform and deliver it to consumers, so they understand that they can use it every day for many things. So I think we're still early on the curve."

Yoshida went on to admit there have been issues with a lack of third-party software, but said it's all set to change in the longer term. "Like when we started with PlayStation One, with videogames as being a toy, and looking at the individual countries when it comes to introducing new aspects to the platform - in our minds we're doing the same sort of thing with the PSP since 2005," he observed.

"It's too early to make judgements - we know there's a lot more that we can do, and with the massive growth of the industry we understand that third party publishers have so many choices, many more than they have resources. Sometimes we struggle to convince them to put more resources into the PSP.

"But when they really focus on what they can do with the platform, there are still lots of good business opportunities that are still viable, and will continue to be, because there are no competing platforms."

For more from Yoshida, read the full interview.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (16) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • dk_rare #1 4 years ago

    "DS is no competition for PSP, says Sony "

    "Sales record disagrees, says the sales record"

  • PhantomLimb #2 4 years ago

    Different markets: DS owners actually like to play games on their portable gaming systems.

  • MKorkia #3 4 years ago

    Yeah, you can think you're market leader if you ignore your rivals.

    They probably think that PS3 doesn't compete with neither Wii (since it's aimed for casual gamers) nor X360 (since it's "so last gen";).

    Yea, yea... flames etc. I'm just tired of Sony's arrogance.

  • skillian #4 4 years ago

    dkrare: Way to miss the point :/

    I certainly see his point, even if I'm sure most here won't agree. I think the iPod and Nokia N95 are closer rivals to the PSP than the DS.
    Edited by 1 at 17/06/08 @ 11:38

  • Latinleader #5 4 years ago

    Just 'cause PSP is starting to do well in Japan doesn't mean it's winning overall. Besides everyone in Japan probably has a DS already anyway.
    Edited by 1 at 17/06/08 @ 11:41

  • wizbob #6 4 years ago

    I think the iPod and Nokia N95 are closer rivals to the PSP than the DS.

    Well, it's not going to do very well against them either, it can't hold much music and it's terrible for making phone calls.

  • KungFuSpoon #7 4 years ago

    No no the DS isn't a rival with the PSP because if it was then the comparison would be embarresing for Sony, I mean it's only recently no it's doing better that they've started to compare the PS3 to the 360, before then the PS3 was "a generation of it's own" or whatver stupid spin they put on it.

    Fact is the DS won't be a rival for the PSP until the PSP is doing better...............so never then.

  • YourMessageHere #8 4 years ago

    If this had been Sony's line all along I'd be much more inclined to agree with him, since PSP and DS are so fundamentally different. However this is simply spinning a weakness as a strength for the sake of image, and I have no reason to think Sony will actually try to treat the PSP more as a general purpose machine rather than just a games machine from this point on, however much more sensible that would be than their current approach.

    I'm no fan of marketing speak, but why is it only Sony that gets such viciousness when MS and Nintendo and in fact any other large company regularly put out press releases worse than this? Face it, the major press organ of any large firm is its lower intestine and Sony are just one among hundreds who talk shite to journalists.

  • darc #9 4 years ago

    "It's too early to make judgements - we know there's a lot more that we can do..."

    ~= It's only been 3 years; we figure we'll make the PSP useful when it's an exhibit at the Smithsonian.

  • the_angry_monkey #10 4 years ago

    Honest to God, Sony need to keep their marketing people under control - they are constantly spouting this rubbish. Thats like saying the Mac is beating the PC....

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #11 4 years ago

    Y'know, I'm coming more and more to the conclusion that "hardcore" basically just means "stupid prick".

  • MGG #12 4 years ago

    And "hardcore" means "JSPOOLE".

    If the markets are so fundimentally different, how come I own both? And how come I can't remember where my PSP actually is, nor when I last played it, yet I was last playing on my DS just before bed last night? And the night before that, and the night before that.....

    Do I want to listen to music on it? Or movies? No, I have other things for that, such as an iPod or a Zen, with much better interfaces. What I do want to play on it is games and while there are a bunch of good games out for it, they are swamped by the number of appealing games for the DS.

    NOTE: "good" and "appealing" are in regard to my tastes, personal mileage may differ.

  • Wyrm #13 4 years ago

    The reason I ditched my PSP in favour of the DS is because the DS is better, so how does that figure into your statement, Sony?


    Over the last couple of years Sony really have turned into utter bumbling idiots haven't they?

  • Jheronimus #14 4 years ago

    Ah, the Sony arrogance is playing up again... Or is it ignorance?

    I think the sales history ánd present sales of the DS and PSP kind of disagree with these statements.

  • sanctusmortis #15 4 years ago

    JSPOOLE - THEY didn't read? You didn't even notice the author's not a man!

  • bushwod #16 4 years ago

    I only use my PSP for podcasts and movie, and if I get an iPhone I won't need it any more.

    I want to like the PSP, I got a stack of games waiting to play, but it just isn't that fun to use on the move. The DS on the other hand just kind of works.

    ....Oh, and the loading times a F*cking Sh*t!
    Edited by 1 at 18/06/08 @ 14:23