As Sony Computer Entertainment unveils its Next Generation Portable (NGP), the second generation of PlayStation Portable, its chairman Kaz Hirai admitted that its price will not be on the exorbitant side.
In an interview published in PC World, Hirai did not specifically stated how much the NGP will cost, but he did admit that the handheld gaming device was built with its price tag in mind.
Sony has had a history of bad pricing when it comes to video game devices. In 2006, the company launched two PlayStation 3 models that cost US$499 and $599, which was eventually lowered with the release of its slim version. Three years later, Sony was heavily criticized, this time for the $249 price tag on the PSP Go, which was also eventually lowered because of poor sales.
The interview also touched the NGP’s lack of 3D features, which is arguably the top trending technology in entertainment and the highlight of competing Nintendo 3DS. Hirai admitted that Sony did consider adding 3D to the NGP, but decided to skip it for the time being.
Speaking of Nintendo, its president Satoru Iwata remains unfazed about the introduction of the NGP. In an interview with Associated Press, he stated that what another company is doing is the least of their concerns, as they would rather focus on “drawing newcomers to gaming and appealing to a wide range of people.”
Source: USA Today
