Sony Removes Content Approval for PSPgo

Sony is removing conception approval for the PSPgo, aiming to take on Apple.

Sony appears to be taking on Apple with the upcoming October release of the PSPgo system by "aggressively courting" developers to create content for an App Store style distribution system. In fact, Sony plans to entice developers by offering no concept approval, and reducing prices on development kits up to 80-percent. Sony also promises shorter quality assurance processes, and low prince points for new games.

According to an interview over on Develop, Sony has already enlisted over 50 developers from around the world to create new games and apps for the PSPgo, with many more "on the cusp of signing up." These new titles and applications will thus be distributed in a special area within the PlayStation Store already accessible by the current PSP models. CandyStand was one of the developers listed in the interview, and Subatomic Studios, the developer behind Fieldrunners on the iPhone, is currently working on an exclusive version for the PSPgo.

"It is still a professional environment, you still need a development kit and you still need to have investment and a team," said SCEE's head of development relations Zeno Colaço. "But it can be a small team. We don’t see any of the restrictions on the disc-based space being in this space."

Developer Subatomic's AshMonif praised Sony for taking the initiative in bringing lighter, lower barrier content to the PSP, claiming that consumers don't see this happening with Microsoft or Nintendo. "Part of that ‘snackability’ of the content is because you can deliver the content over WiFi super-fast," he told Develop "We’re making games that are just 20MB each, that’s less than a minute to download – instant gratification, snackable content. This is an opportunity for the premier indie developers – and I hope we represent that group--to come in and offer content that will fit the PSP.”