Speaking to MCV, Sony Europe president Andre House says the release of the Sony PSPGo handheld was a test of how consumers would accept digital gaming and the end of physical media.
While the handheld was a complete failure, Sony says it was a good test of the company's future plans in the sector.
Says House: "It was introduced in a mature lifecycle to learn more about what the consumer wanted and we’ve definitely learnt a lot. Is that measured by success in sales? I don’t think it is."
He continues: "One of the reasons we launched PSPgo was to understand where that consumer behaviour was going. We were getting signals from consumers that this was the kind of device that they wanted. But we need to recognise that consumers like their packaged media library."
As far as a "test" goes, Sony certainly overstated consumer willingness to pay an $80 premium for a device that is limited to only digital gaming and adds little else of value.
Says House: "It was introduced in a mature lifecycle to learn more about what the consumer wanted and we’ve definitely learnt a lot. Is that measured by success in sales? I don’t think it is."
He continues: "One of the reasons we launched PSPgo was to understand where that consumer behaviour was going. We were getting signals from consumers that this was the kind of device that they wanted. But we need to recognise that consumers like their packaged media library."
As far as a "test" goes, Sony certainly overstated consumer willingness to pay an $80 premium for a device that is limited to only digital gaming and adds little else of value.
