Sony rattles its sabre as it marches on Apple
One-time champion of music on the move with its decade-defining Walkman cassette players, Sony seems set to begin a land-grab for future growth in the mobile device segment, with SCEE head of developer relations, Zena Colaco, making a series of statements putting the smack down on the App Store economy.
“Unlike with the App Store, we’re looking to support everyone that develops for us, instead of leaving developers out in the wilderness,” he told Develop magazine.
“We’re not immediately interested in giving developers free access and no help,” he added, noting that Sony intends focusing on developers who can deliver the highest quality applications for its PSP Go
Sony’s developer boss may not make himself hugely popular among the majority of iPhone developers with his next statement. “Some of the developers working on the App Store and PSP Minis tell us that they prefer our approach because they get more visibility. I’m not suggesting that iPhone developers are unprofessional, but I think that the App Store has attracted a number of hobbyists. Clearly, the PSP is designed for gaming.”
Colaco stressed that its not Sony’s intention to war against Apple, at least, not right now, saying: “Our focus isn’t directed straight towards the App Store. We acknowledge that we’ll be competing in that space, and I think at some point we’ll give developers access that allows things to move down that route.”
His comments emerge as the company plans to open its very own applications store, the Minis Store, on its PlayStation Network this October, when it releases the PSP Go
On the launch of the Minis Store, the Sony exec added: “We’re not short of product. Right now we’re working with about 60 developers with about 50 games coming out before Christmas. I think we’re going to launch with about 15 titles.”
Sony’s move comes as Nokia, Microsoft, RIM, Palm and others all begin launch of Apple App Store-inspired online application stores for users. Though Apple remains the biggest fish in this pond at present, with its $3.3 billion App Store industry.
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Comments (16)
Has anyone noticed how Apple managed to get more developers than ANY other platform, and people rip on them for rejecting a couple apps out of tens of thousands submitted?
If Sony had even half the developers Apple does, they'd be even worse. I GUARANTEE IT.
Eh who knows? Maybe if they do get half they will be better but I heard that developing for the PSP that you have to go through a long approval test and then when you do develop for it you have a much more stricter approval so I could see a app submitted and have to wait for more than a few weeks or so.
Oh Sony, don't even start contradicting Apple the way Micro$oft a while ago. It only makes you look like a spoiled, fat, lying brat. You, just like M$, where giving the developers very strict 'guidelines' or 'sandboxes' for their software-creation, and now that you're loosing huge amount of sales-portions (Sony on gaming-sales with their PSP & M$ on OS-sales with Windows Mobile), and the best you can do to oppose Apple is to throw fudge all over the media?!?!? How pathetic!!!!!
Go ahead instead and make a freaking (even) more innovative & ground-breaking portable gaming/ media console (just like M$ has to AT LAST has to make an actual mobile-OS) and THEN come back for comparisons and some of that... fudging!
You're very ignorant in the way Microsoft works with it's developers. I am a developer on the Apple and Microsoft platforms, and you're spewing incorrect information.
Yessirreeee. Those developers need HELP!!! They've only pooped out 60,000 apps in the last year or so....
Devs don't want a relatively free development SDK ($99 is pretty cheap when you look at other dev platforms). Devs want HEEEELLLP!
There are no free tutorials (check iTunes Store) or full classes given by a University that are available for FREE!. (Great class out there .. check it out).
Sony makes me laugh
Yessirreeee. Those developers need HELP!!! They've only pooped out 60,000 apps in the last year or so....
Devs don't want a relatively free development SDK.
There are no free tutorials (check iTunes Store) or full classes given by a University that are available at no charge. (Great class out there .. check it out).
Sony makes me laugh
Sony, Microsoft, Nokia and other market leaders seem to be very old fashioned in the way they compete.
I think it is out of embarrassment that they need to admit in some way that another company is eating their lunch with the wrong fork. They need to admit another way of doing things is better and they need to use they same fork if they want any lunch.
Hi All,
Sony, Microsoft, Nokia and other market leaders seem to be very old fashioned in the way they compete.
I think it is out of embarrassment that they need to admit in some way that another company is eating their lunch with the wrong fork. They need to admit another way of doing things is better and they need to use they same fork if they want any lunch.
Cheers
Valan
Sony still doesn't get it. the PSP (and DS too) = toys. they are just for kids, of whatever age. that's an ok market, you can make some money there. but the iPhone/touch is for grown ups, or wannabe grown ups, of all ages. and that market is many times larger with a lot more to spend. it's the future.
Sony has lost its mojo. the UI was always its weak spot even when its tech was the best. now its tech is not the best and it is the UI that matters, what defines a product and its popularity. but Sony keeps trying to push a closed platform and set of accessories/services (memory sticks et al) to a shrinking customer base. this is suicide. except for its home Japan market Sony is becoming irrelevant.
a Sony corporate breakup is inevitable. probably within 5 years. the media division will merge into one of the other big media outfits. then some other Asian tech company will gobble up the electronics piece. bye bye.
thats not the psp go lol its a fan made mockup
Blah Blah ... Sony: Do better or shutup. Talk is cheap. Apple has already delivered.
It's certainly big talk from Sony, and more than a little bitter. But am I the only one that agrees with the hobbyist remark? Spend 20 minutes browsing the app store (not just the featured and most popular lists). There is A LOT of crap on there. I'd venture that maybe the majority of the 60,000 apps are trash--app spam from opportunistic a-holes. Stuff with a single release, then the dev disappears leaving all the bugs unfixed. Not to mention how they clog the approval queue. It's kind of depressing and begs for a better system of finding (and encouraging the development of) real quality apps. Even ratings don't help all that much because so many users are idiots complaining that 5 dollars is too expensive for anything and "why can't this app do things [that aren't possible with the current API]??" The App Store needs an overhaul.
Phew. I've said my piece. Carry on.
[QUOTE=Conlan] "I'd venture that maybe the majority of the 60,000 apps are trash--app spam from opportunistic a-holes. Stuff with a single release, then the dev disappears leaving all the bugs unfixed. Not to mention how they clog the approval queue. It's kind of depressing and begs for a better system of finding (and encouraging the development of) real quality apps"[/QUOTE]
How is that situation going to be improved by an open-door stance by MS or Sony, with their app stores? Won't that just lead to just more of what you don't like about the apple app store?
but i agree with you: apple's app store can always be better, and efforts should always be underway to make it better.
If only 1/3 of the App Store downloadable apps are of good quality, thats 25,000 usable apps. The nearest competitor might have 1,000 good ones at best.
The rate of new apps is still geometric..... how will anyone catch up anytime soon?
Then the hardware will become the issue again..... has any hardware developer come to the game with something better or even an equal?
Keep buying the Apple stock.... that's the sure thing in my point of view.
The psp is a gaming device.. with analogue buttons.. iPhone will NEVER compete with that, and especially not when all the playstation branded IP's are out on the PSP...
iPhone is cool, glorious and so on.. but please, PSP -is- a better gaming device, no matter what people say + it has the best games.
Yes, indeed. The PSP *is* a dedicated gaming device with controls designed specifically for the best gaming experience while the iPhone is a smartphone with a touchscreen that 'does games too' as an added little extra. The iPod Touch is an MP3 player with PDA like capabilities and games as an extra.
That's why this statement from Sony about an App Store is so... weird. They already have the Playstation Store for games, and are not really competing with Apple right now what games go. If you really want a handheld gaming console you go for a PSP or DS.
What Sony did try is making the PSP a multimedia device too, as an added extra (you don't generally buy a PSP just to play video or music). Apparently they want to change strategy now, and to be honest, I'm not really sure if that's going to work with what they have now. And if it does, chances are high they're not going to compete with Apple at all.
What I understand from the article is that 'Sony doesn't want amateur developers because the PSP is a high quality gaming device'... which they already have with their online PS Store and their game distribution in stores. Which completely leaves me in the dark about why they now want an app store and why they refer to Apple's iPhone/iPod Touch at all.
So yeah, this is just a plain weird statement. And not good for Sony itself since it suggests the iPhone is a threat to their PSP what gaming goes while I doubt people really looked at both that way until reading this.